Italy's Renzi hit by new defection as party strife increases

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi suffered a high-profile defection from his ruling Democratic Party (PD) on Wednesday in the latest sign that growing internal dissent could lead to a breakaway group leaving the party. Stefano Fassina, a lower house deputy and former deputy economy minister, has argued for months that Renzi is taking the traditionally center-left party too far to the right. Fassina's departure is a fresh setback for Renzi, who has seen party bickering, corruption scandals and