ROME — Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said Thursday that he had used a state plane to ferry personal guests to his private villa — but that there was nothing improper as he and other government officials were flying on the jet.
Rome prosecutors earlier in the week launched an investigation into whether the premier allegedly abused his powers by arranging for partygoers — including a dancer and singer — to use government aircraft and for official security escorts to travel to his villa on the island of Sardinia.

WOULD YOU buy a second-hand car from this man? Or, more precisely, would you want this man to educate your children? The man is media tycoon and Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and the man asking the second question is Dario Franceschini, leader of the main opposition party, the Democratic Party (PD).
On Thursday Berlusconi issued yet another denial of involvement with an 18-year-old model, telling reporters in Rome that if someone asked whether he had “a relationship, let’s say steamy or more than steamy, with an underage girl”, his …

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) — Victorious anti-government protesters lifted their siege of Bangkok’s two airports Wednesday while leaders of the ousted government named a caretaker prime minister to lead the politically chaotic kingdom.
The country’s immediate crisis, which virtually severed Thailand’s air links to the outside world for a week, appeared to be over and the People’s Alliance for Democracy said it was ending six months of daily anti-government protests. But the alliance warned it would be on the streets again if a new government tried to return to its past …

Thailand’s constitutional court has dissolved the governing People Power Party (PPP) saying there had been vote fraud during the last election.
The party’s leaders, including Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, were also banned from politics for five years.
But, under the constitution most of its MPs can keep their seats under another party name, and should be able to form another government, correspondents say.

BANGKOK (AFP) — A grenade attack killed an anti-government protester at a besieged Bangkok airport Tuesday, as further unrest forced a key hearing on the possible dissolution of the ruling party to move.
The incidents raised tensions in an increasingly bloody political stand-off that began a week ago, stranding about 350,000 frustrated travellers and causing massive damage to Thailand’s economy.

Thai riot police fled their checkpoint outside Bangkok’s besieged international airport today when they were attacked by several hundred armed anti-government protesters.
Some 150 officers stationed half a mile down the expressway leading to Suvarnabhumi airport’s terminal piled into their vehicles and left as a convoy of demonstrators drove towards them.
As the police vehicles passed, the protesters hurled firecrackers at them and took swings at their windscreens with iron bars.

The Greek government has come under withering attack in the press for its decision to boycott a parliamentary debate over a growing property scandal.
It follows the resignation of a second cabinet minister on Thursday.
The socialist-led opposition wants a vote on whether to set up a committee with the power to prosecute ministers suspected of wrongdoing.