ROME: Italy’s constitutional court rejected a bid by Silvio Berlusconi to block a tax fraud conviction from October, clearing the way for a final verdict this year and deepening the uncertainty facing Prime Minister Enrico Letta.
Berlusconi’s lawyers had challenged a ruling in Milan last year that sentenced the 76-year-old media tycoon and leader of the centre-right to four years in prison with a five year ban on holding public office after it found him complicit in tax fraud at his Mediaset empire. They argued that the case was flawed because judges had refused to allow a delay when Berlusconi claimed he was unable to attend a hearing in March 2010 because of his responsibilities as prime minister at the time.
European Commission raids cargo firms
BRUSSELS: The European Commission said yesterday it had raided several companies on suspicion of price fixing on rail cargo services in southeastern Europe. The Commission, which did not name the companies involved, said it carried out the surprise inspections in several member states. The firms are suspected of breaching rules on price fixing and customer allocation of services, it said, adding that national authorities accompanied EU officials during the inspections.
Iceland in talks over Snowden asylum
STOCKHOLM: Iceland said yesterday it has held informal talks with an intermediary of US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden who reportedly may want to seek political asylum there. “A representative of his has, to my knowledge... had some informal discussions with some employees of a couple of ministries, but no formal discussions,” Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson said during a visit to Stockholm. He said that Snowden, who is holed up in Hong Kong after blowing the lid on a vast US electronic surveillance programme, would need to be in Iceland in order to apply for asylum.Agencies
