Berlusconi now in ’showgirl’ comment row

September 29th, 2009 LONDON - Silvio Berlusconi's "sun-tanned" comment about the Obamas has not been well received by the Italians. Italy's prime minister made the race gaffe about the US president by telling a crowd: "I bring you greetings from a very suntanned man...

September 10th, 2009 LONDON - After Silvio Berlusconi's recent comments that "all Italians want to be like me," a columnist has said that the premiere casts an impression of being an "angry, defeated and depressed man who is at odds with everyone". The columnist claimed Berlusconi has based his 15-year political career on image-making through his television and advertising empire, but the image is wearing thin - thanks to the controversies, reports The Times.

July 29th, 2009 LONDON - A TV actress, who is known as the 'Queen Bee' and has a tattoo dedicated to "SB" on her ankle, has become the latest star of the 'Silvio Berlusconi saga'. Sabina Began, 35, is said to have introduced Berlusconi, 72, to Giampaolo Tarantini - the man who hired girls, including escorts, for parties at the Premier's official residences, reports The Telegraph.

July 24th, 2009 LONDON - The editor of a leading Italian newspaper dubbed subversive by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has defended its series of exposures about alleged sex scandals involving the Italian leader, saying it had become a political issue. You can imagine in your country, what would happened if [British Prime Minister] Gordon Brown met some escorts in his house and one of those escorts used a tape recorder and took pictures, Ezio Mauro, Editor of La Repubblica, told The Times in an interview published Friday.

July 16th, 2009 LONDON - The never-ending saga of sex and the Government of Silvio Berlusconi just got a new twist with a woman claiming that she had an affair with an Italian minister and was offered a seat in Parliament. However as she decided to step on the political stage her lover dumped her and arranged for the seat to be given to another of his mistresses.

July 15th, 2009 LONDON - Prosecutors probing into the payments made to escorts and showgirls to attend parties at the homes of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi are likely to extend their investigation to women who allegedly accompanied him to a spa in Umbria last year. A magazine had earlier reported that PM had spent a weekend in a luxurious Umbrian health spa with an entourage of women, including an actress and a former showgirl who have worked for his television stations, when he was supposed to attend a political rally.

July 12th, 2009 LONDON - While Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was busy attending world leaders at the G8 summit in his country, a new chapter unfolded in the sex scandal haunting him for months. A magazine has alleged that the PM had spent a weekend in a luxurious Umbrian health spa with an entourage of women, including an actress and a former showgirl who have worked for his television stations.

June 20th, 2009 LONDON - Silvio Berlusconi is so badly stuck in the labyrinth of controversies that he has become "blackmailable", says a leading Italian daily newspaper. "The spectre of blackmail hangs over Berlusconi," said La Stampa.

June 19th, 2009 LONDON - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is involved in a fresh sex scandal after a former model claimed to have pictures showing the two of them in his bedroom. Patrizia DAddario, who claims that she and other women were paid to attend Berlusconis private parties, said Thursday she had secretly recorded video footage of her encounters in the prime ministers Rome residence.

June 18th, 2009 LONDON - Silvio Berlusconi has come under fire once again as prosecutors opened an inquiry into allegations that young women were paid to attend parties at the Italian premier's private residences. It has been reported that the showgirls were selected by two businessmen brothers to be at parties thrown by the Italian prime minister at Sardinia villa and at a mansion he owns in central Rome, reports The Telegraph.

May 7th, 2009 LONDON - Gaff-prone Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is once again in the news for making suggestive remarks to a female councillor while touring an earthquake-hit region. Lia Giovanzzi Beltrami, 41, has confirmed that the 72-year-old premier made the remark in the Abruzzo region.

May 6th, 2009 NEW YORK - Rumours are abuzz that the 18-year-old girl at the center of the storm surrounding Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is his daughter. As per sources, Noemi Letizia calls the Italian leader 'Papi' or 'Daddy', reports the New York Post.

April 21st, 2009 LONDON - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and one of his female ministers, whom he once said he would like to marry, have been painted nude by an artist. Two years ago, in an interview to a TV channel, Berlusconi had told Equality Minister Mara Carfagna that he would marry her like a shot if he wasn't married already.

April 17th, 2009 LONDON - Pop star Christina Aguilera may play her first full-fledged role in the movie 'Burlesque'. The singer is said to be in negotiations to star as a burlesque dancer in it, reports contactmusic.com.

March 27th, 2009 LONDON - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who last year referred to Barack Obama as "sun-tanned", has returned to the same subject after he claimed the difference between their leadership styles was that he is 'paler'. The 72-year-old made the comment to a reporter who compared the two leaders and their handling of the economic crisis.