Italy:The former Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, and David Mills, the estranged lawyer husband of British cabinet minister Tessa Jowell, go on trial in Italy today over an alleged bribe allegedly paid to Mr Mills to keep quiet about Mr Berlusconi's media business dealings.
Mr Berlusconi is accused of paying Mr Mills, the estranged husband of culture, media and sports secretary Tessa Jowell, $600,000 for withholding details of his media empire during testimony in two court cases in 1997.
If convicted of the charge of corruption in a court case, Mr Berlusconi, Italy's richest man, could face up to eight years in prison, as could Mr Mills.
It is one of two ongoing trials for Mr Berlusconi and Mr Mills - an expert in offshore taxation - over the Mediaset broadcasting business owned by the leader of Italy's centre-right opposition.
Another trial over alleged corporate fraud at Mediaset began in November 2006 and is still in the preliminary stages. Some charges have already been thrown out because they had expired under Italy's statute of limitations.
Both Mr Berlusconi and Mr Mills have denied any wrongdoing. Neither is expected to attend the opening session of the trial.
In Britain, the case caused a political storm which nearly cost Ms Jowell her job after it triggered an inquiry into whether she had broken the ministerial code of conduct when a $600,000 payment was used to repay a mortgage. She survived but the couple have separated.
- (Reuters)