ROME (Reuters) – He is on trial for having sex with an underage prostitute, is one of the most divisive figures in Italy and was chased from office eight months ago after steering his country to the brink of financial catastrophe.

Now Silvio Berlusconi – who denies the sex trial charges – is back, unchastened, and apparently planning to stand for prime minister in an election early next year.

ROME (Reuters) – He is on trial for having sex with an underage prostitute, is one of the most divisive figures in Italy and was chased from office eight months ago after steering his country to the brink of financial catastrophe.

Now Silvio Berlusconi – who denies the sex trial charges – is back, unchastened, and apparently planning to stand for prime minister in an election early next year.

ROME (Reuters) – Italian striker Mario Balotelli’s starring performance in the Euro soccer championship last month has focused a rare spotlight on the serious but neglected problem of racism in Italy.

Balotelli’s two stunning goals, which knocked out Germany in the semi-final, turned him into a national hero – even if that aura was diminished after Italy’s rout by Spain in the final.

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Benedict on Wednesday expressed full support for his deputy, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the chief target of of leaked documents which the pontiff’s butler has been charged with stealing.

Benedict’s butler, Paolo Gabriele, was arrested at the end of May and charged with stealing the pope’s private papers. He remains locked up in a Vatican police “safe room”.

ROME (Reuters) – Italy reveled on Friday in the successes of its two “Super Marios”, one on the soccer field and the other at a European summit – both seen as taking sweet revenge on inflexible euro zone paymaster Germany.

Italy’s 2-1 victory over Germany in the Euro 2012 semi final, spearheaded by forward Mario Balotelli, unleashed hours of ecstatic celebration on the streets of the country on Thursday night and a wave of joyous newspaper headlines, many gloating against Germany.

ROME, June 29 (Reuters) – Italy revelled on Friday in the
successes of its two “Super Marios”, one on the soccer field and
the other at a European summit – both seen as taking sweet
revenge on inflexible euro zone paymaster Germany.

Italy’s 2-1 victory over Germany in the Euro 2012 semi
final, spearheaded by forward Mario Balotelli, unleashed hours
of ecstatic celebration on the streets of the country on
Thursday night and a wave of joyous newspaper headlines, many
gloating against Germany.

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Benedict on Wednesday angrily denounced what he called false media coverage of a leaks scandal shaking the Vatican and expressed full trust in close aides under fire over the worst crisis in his papacy.

In unusually blunt remarks at the end of a general audience in St Peter’s Square where he repeatedly referred to personal suffering, the 85-year-old pontiff said recent events had caused sadness in his heart.

ROME (Reuters) – In Greece, conservative leader Antonio Samaras insisted on calling an election earlier this month that slashed his own party’s share of the vote and set the country down a path that could see it crashing out of the euro.

In Italy, politicians led by scandal-plagued premier Silvio Berlusconi were forced to admit they could not handle a crisis that brought the country close to financial catastrophe last year and handed over to technocrat Mario Monti to save the day.