
-
Health concerns swirl as Bolivian city drowns in rubbish
-
Syria says deadly Israeli strikes a 'blatant violation'
-
Financial markets tumble after Trump tariff announcement
-
Starbucks faces new hot spill lawsuits weeks after $50mn ruling
-
Europe riled, but plans cool-headed response to Trump's tariffs
-
'Shenmue' voted most influential video game ever in UK poll
-
New coal capacity hit 20-year low in 2024: report
-
Revealed: Why monkeys are better at yodelling than humans
-
Key details on Trump's market-shaking tariffs
-
'A little tough love': Top quotes from Trump tariff talk
-
US business groups voice dismay at Trump's new tariffs
-
Grealish dedicates Man City goal to late brother
-
US tariffs take aim everywhere, including uninhabited islands
-
Trump sparks trade war with sweeping global tariffs
-
Israeli strikes hit Damascus, central Syria; monitor says 4 dead
-
Slot 'hates' offside rule that gave Liverpool win over Everton
-
US stocks end up, but volatility ahead after latest Trump tariffs
-
Barca oust Atletico to set up Clasico Copa del Rey final
-
Mourinho grabs Galatasaray coach's face after losing Istanbul derby
-
Grealish strikes early as Man City move up to fourth in Premier League
-
Reims edge out fourth-tier Cannes to set up PSG French Cup final
-
Liverpool beat Everton as title looms, Man City win without Haaland
-
Jota wins bad-tempered derby as Liverpool move 12 points clear
-
Inter and Milan level in derby Italian Cup semi
-
Stuttgart beat Leipzig to reach German Cup final
-
Trump unveils sweeping global tariffs
-
Italian director Nanni Moretti in hospital after heart attack: media
-
LIV Golf stars playing at Doral with Masters on their minds
-
Trump unveils sweeping 'Liberation Day' tariffs
-
Most deadly 2024 hurricane names retired from use: UN agency
-
Boeing chief reports progress to Senate panel after 'serious missteps'
-
Is Musk's political career descending to Earth?
-
On Mexico-US border, Trump's 'Liberation Day' brings fears for future
-
Starbucks faces new hot spill lawsuit weeks after $50mn ruling
-
Ally of Pope Francis elected France's top bishop
-
'Determined' Buttler leads Gujarat to IPL win over Bengaluru
-
US judge dismisses corruption case against New York mayor
-
Left-wing party pulls ahead in Greenland municipal elections
-
Blistering Buttler leads Gujarat to IPL win over Bengaluru
-
Tesla sales slump as pressure piles on Musk
-
Amazon makes last-minute bid for TikTok: report
-
Canada Conservative leader warns Trump could break future trade deal
-
British band Muse cancels planned Istanbul gig
-
'I'll be back' vows Haaland after injury blow
-
Trump to unveil 'Liberation Day' tariffs as world braces
-
New coach Edwards adamant England can win women's cricket World Cup
-
Military confrontation 'almost inevitable' if Iran nuclear talks fail: French FM
-
US stocks advance ahead of looming Trump tariffs
-
Scramble for food aid in Myanmar city near quake epicentre
-
American Neilson Powless fools Visma to win Across Flanders

Berlusconi: Italy's scandal-plagued 'knight'
Silvio Berlusconi's bid for Italy's presidency was always a long shot, an audacious last throw of the dice by the scandal-plagued former premier who has dominated public life for decades.
The billionaire media mogul, who pulled out of the race Saturday, remains divisive in Italy and derided abroad, and is still embroiled in legal action over his infamous "Bunga Bunga" sex parties.
Berlusconi, 85, has also suffered a string of health issues, not least his hospitalisation with coronavirus in September 2020. His lawyers have cited illness as reasons to delay legal proceedings.
For many, he was an entirely unsuitable candidate for unifying head of state, with one politician calling his bid a "tragic joke", and few analysts believed he had the numbers.
The man dubbed "Il Cavaliere" (The Knight) insisted he had enough support but was pulling out in the interests of "national responsibility", adding: "I will continue to serve my country in other ways."
- Talent for self promotion -
Berlusconi's blending of politics, business and TV, his outspoken and often offensive views and talent for self-promotion have sparked comparisons with former US president Donald Trump.
Born in Milan in 1936, he started in the construction sector in his 20s, building up a huge media and real estate business, which included AC Milan football club.
In the early 1990s, poor investments saw his debts spiral and he entered politics, bursting onto the scene with a new party, Forza Italy ("Go Italy"), named after a football chant.
After his first election victory in 1994 he was premier for only nine months, but won again in 2001 after a US-style campaign in which he promised jobs and economic growth, signing a "Contract with Italians" live on television.
He served until 2006, and returned again as prime minister between 2008 and 2011, making him the longest-serving premier in Italy's post-war history.
Key to his charm was his glamorous lifestyle, bravado and promises of a low-tax, deregulated economy in which Italians might emulate his financial success.
For a decade, he was Italy's richest person.
To his critics, he was a tax-evading playboy who used his vast media empire to further his political career, and then exploited his power to protect his business interests.
On the international stage, he dallied with Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi and was close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
With a typical lack of humility, Berlusconi has compared himself with Napoleon and Jesus Christ.
- Legal woes -
Prosecutors snapped at his heels throughout his time in office, even as his supporters in parliament passed laws to shield him and his allies.
Despite multiple court cases -- he claimed last year to have gone through 86 trials -- he never spent time behind bars and successfully appealed convictions for fraud and corruption early in his political career.
In 2013, Berlusconi faced his first definitive conviction for tax fraud, which saw him carry out community service in a care home for sufferers of Alzheimer's.
But he continues to face the fall-out of his parties at his villa near Milan, which had a private nightclub.
Berlusconi was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2013 for paying for sex with then 17-year-old Karima El-Mahroug, but this was later overturned after the judge said there was reasonable doubt that he knew she was underage.
In October last year, a court in Tuscany acquitted him of bribing a witness to lie about the parties, although related proceedings continue elsewhere.
P.Santos--AMWN