Now, Berlusconi in a mess over ‘New Year’s Eve party for 50 young women’

September 30th, 2009 Berlusconi calls Obama 'tanned' againROME — Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi is poking fun at President Barack Obama again. Berlusconi has told a rally in Milan that he was bringing greetings from the United States from "What's his name? Some tanned guy.

September 12th, 2009 LONDON - Responding to the sex scandal engulfing Silvio Berlusconi, Umberto Bossi, the key coalition partner in the Italian PM's government, said he believed Mafia had orchestrated all the dirty activities. "I think everything has been put in place by the Mafia," Bossi, the leader of the Northern League, said as he arrived at an event in Pian del Re in the north of the country.

September 9th, 2009 1st details emerge in probe of Berlusconi scandalROME — Italian newspapers are publishing what they say are excerpts from the interrogation of an Italian businessman who allegedly supplied young women for parties at Premier Silvio Berlusconi's homes. Corriere della Sera and La Stampa quoted from what they said were statements Gianpaolo Tarantini made to prosecutors in Bari this summer.

September 7th, 2009 Berlusconi: Relations with church excellentROME — Silvio Berlusconi says relations between his government and the Catholic Church, which have been strained by a sex scandal involving the Italian premier, remain excellent. Berlusconi said Monday that contacts with the church are kept up "almost daily" by his top aide.

August 7th, 2009 Berlusconi: I have nothing to hideROME — Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi made one of his strongest denials yet in a scandal over alleged relationships with young women, insisting on Friday he has nothing to hide and nothing to apologize for. Berlusconi responded to apparent criticism from his daughter, Barbara, who said in an interview with a magazine this week that politicians cannot afford to differentiate between their public and private spheres and should work to improve moral values.

July 17th, 2009 LONDON - An ex Italian MEP has hit out at Silvio Berlusconi, claiming that he was prevented from standing again for the Italian PM's party in the European election last month because he did not fit in with the party's "revolution" of selecting attractive young women. In 2004, Marcello Vernola, 48, was elected to the European Parliament for Forza Italia, now part of the centre-right People of Liberty (Pdl) party.

July 5th, 2009 LONDON - The reputation of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is set to receive a further blow after the release of new photographs showing the Italian Prime Minister grinning while two young women kiss in front of him. After two months of battling the allegations about his private life, the new photographs clicked at his Sardinian estate threaten to defame Berlusconi ahead of G8 summit of leading industrialised nations this week, reports Times Online.

June 24th, 2009 LONDON - Despite allegations of sleaze swirling around Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian premiere tasted success in provincial elections. In the elections, the 72-year-old tycoon's Right People of Freedom party was handed nine more provinces.

June 23rd, 2009 Report: Italy's Berlusconi denies he paid womenROME — Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi has told a gossip magazine he has never paid a woman for sex, as he continues to be dogged by suspicions stemming from his purported fondness for young models and starlets. Berlusconi gave his first direct response to the claims in an interview with Chi magazine to be published Wednesday.

June 23rd, 2009 LONDON - Up to 30 young women are to be questioned by Italian prosecutors in connection with parties thrown by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, it has been reported.rosecutors will begin questioning the girls later this week. La Repubblica newspaper had claimed that the women, including Eastern European models, were recruited to attend at least five parties thrown by Berlusconi at his mansion in central Rome and his villa on Sardinia's exclusive Costa Smeralda, reports The Telegraph.

June 21st, 2009 Man apologizes to Berlusconi for party scandalROME — A businessman who recruited young women to attend parties at Premier Silvio Berlusconi's homes has apologized to the premier for having contributed to a new scandal. Giampaolo Tarantini also said in a statement late Saturday to Italian new agency ANSA that he only reimbursed the women for their travel and expenses, refuting suggestions that he paid the women, reportedly including a high-end prostitute, to attend.

June 19th, 2009 Catholic paper urges Berlusconi to clarify scandalROME — An influential Catholic newspaper urged Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi on Friday to respond to allegations that women were paid to attend his parties. Avvenire, the newspaper of Italy's bishops conference, ran an editorial saying the latest claims in a scandal linking Berlusconi to young women and models are raising questions not only among opponents but his supporters too.

May 30th, 2009 Reports: Berlusconi moves to block topless photosROME — Italian media say Premier Silvio Berlusconi has moved to block publication of hundreds of photos, including images of young women either topless or wearing bikinis at one of his Sardinian villas. TV and newspaper reports say Berlusconi wrote recently to the Italian watchdog for privacy issues.

May 5th, 2009 Berlusconi denies claim he had affair with teenROME — Premier Silvio Berlusconi says the suggestion by his wife and the media that he had a relationship with an 18-year-old girl is a "lie." Berlusconi went on state-run television Tuesday to repeat that his wife Veronica Lario should publicly apologize for embarrassing him and admit that she was wrong. Lario has said she wants a divorce, citing Berlusconi's frequent flirtations with younger women.

April 30th, 2009 LONDON - Silvio Berlusconi's wife seems to have won the battle against Italian prime minister's eye for attractive young women. His party has decided not to promote the four starlets Berlusconi recommended as candidates for the European Parliament.