Italian prosecutor: Kidnapping of terror suspect in CIA rendition too grave to cover up

MILAN — The kidnapping of a terror suspect is too grave a crime to be covered up just to protect government secrets, a prosecutor declared Wednesday in the trial of 26 Americans and seven Italians charged in the abduction of an Egyptian cleric.

In rare decisions, judges allow suits to advance against former Bush administration officials

WASHINGTON — High-ranking government officials are usually protected from claims that they violated a person’s civil rights. In lawsuits stemming from law enforcement and intelligence efforts after the Sept. 11 attacks, three federal courts have left open the possibility that former Attorney General John Ashcroft and a lieutenant may be held personally liable.

Berlusconi deja vu: calls Obama ‘tanned’ again, this time says First Lady is ‘tanned’ too

ROME — Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi is poking fun at President Barack Obama again.

Ex-roommate says Dallas bomb plot suspect was suicidal, wanted to return to native Jordan

ITALY, Texas — A former roommate of the suspect in a failed bomb plot in Dallas says his friend was lonely and suicidal in recent months.

Courts let 3 post-9/11 lawsuits try to hold Bush officials personally liable for terror policy

WASHINGTON — Former Attorney General John Ashcroft and one of his hardline lieutenants face the rare prospect of being held personally liable for alleged violations of individuals’ rights in the aggressive aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Archaeologists unveil what could be part of Emperor Nero’s dining room

ROME — Archaeologists say they have unveiled what they believe to be remains of the “dining room” of the Roman emperor Nero, part of his palatial residence built in the first century.

Archaeologists in Rome unveil what they think is Emperor Nero’s rotating dining room

ROME — Not only was Nero a Roman emperor, it turns out he may also have been the father of the revolving restaurant.

Michael Jackson’s crystal-studded boots fetch €10,000 at event chaired by sister Janet

MILAN — Crystal-studded boots that Michael Jackson intended to wear on his planned comeback tour fetched euro10,000 ($14,650) at a celebrity fundraiser chaired by his sister, Janet.

Italian PM Berlusconi meets briefly with pope for first time since sex scandal broke in spring

ROME — Premier Silvio Berlusconi had his first meeting Saturday with Pope Benedict XVI since the Italian leader was implicated in a sex scandal that broke last spring.

President of Fiorentina soccer club, Andrea Della Valle, submits resignation at board meeting

FLORENCE, Italy — The president of Fiorentina has submitted his resignation at a board meeting for the Italian soccer club.

First CIA rendition trial enters final phase with closing arguments in Milan court

MILAN — The kidnapping of an Egyptian cleric damaged the fight against terrorism, prosecutors said Wednesday during closing arguments in the trial of 26 Americans and seven Italians charged with orchestrating a CIA-led abduction.

Italian economist named president of Vatican bank

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican has named an Italian economist as the chairman of its bank.

Italian prosecutors begin closing arguments at CIA rendition trial in Milan

MILAN — Prosecutors began closing arguments Wednesday in the trial of 26 Americans and seven Italians accused of orchestrating a CIA-led kidnapping of an Egyptian terrorism suspect.

Top Italy cardinal denounces attack on Catholic editor as sign of deterioration of civility

ROME — A top Italian cardinal complained Monday that civility was on the decline in Italy after a prominent Catholic editor was forced to resign after a newspaper loyal to Premier Silvio Berlusconi exposed a scandal in his past.

Reports: Italian businessman involved in Berlusconi’s sex scandal granted house arrest

ROME — Italian news reports say a businessman involved in Premier Silvio Berlusconi’s sex scandal has been placed under house arrest as part of a drug probe.

Human rights group accuses Italy of violating rights of would-be migrants

ROME — A human rights group on Monday accused Italy of forcibly returning would-be migrants to Libya, failing to screen them for possible asylum requests and exposing them to abuse in the North African country.

Italy holds day of mourning, state funeral for soldiers killed in Afghanistan last week

ROME — Italy held a state funeral Monday for six soldiers killed in Afghanistan, and teary-eyed relatives, officials and thousands of citizens saluted their flag-draped coffins and observed a national day of mourning.

Italian sociologist who spent months in caves to study reactions to isolation dies at 56

ROME — Italian sociologist Maurizio Montalbini, who spent months dwelling in caves to study how the mind and body cope with complete isolation, has died at 56.

Italy’s questioning of Afghan role shows pressures on NATO countries

KABUL — A deadly bombing caused Italy to become the latest nation to question its role in Afghanistan on Friday, highlighting the pressure facing dozens of militaries confronting a protracted war — and an Afghan government ill-equipped to handle its problems alone.

After death of 6 Italian troops, PM looks for ‘transition strategy’ with allies in Afghanistan

ROME — The killing of six Italian soldiers in Afghanistan — Italy’s deadliest day in the conflict to date — has set off calls to bring the troops home or least for a change in the international strategy in the war.

Expert at murder trial of US student in Italy says bloodied footprint was wrongly attributed

PERUGIA, Italy — A bloody footprint found at the house where a British student was killed in Italy was wrongly attributed to one of the defendants in the case, a forensic expert for the defense testified at the murder trial Friday.

Canadian, US troops killed by roadside bombs in Afghanistan’s south

KABUL — A U.S. service member and a Canadian soldier died in separate roadside bomb explosions in southern Afghanistan, officials said Friday, announcing new deaths from a day that claimed the lives of a total of nine international troops.

Afghan leader: Election was honest, critics cannot decide if runoff needed

KABUL — President Hamid Karzai called Afghanistan’s disputed election “true and fair” and said he would not accept a second round of voting simply to satisfy critics claiming massive fraud, after European monitors said more than a quarter of the votes were suspect.

Berlusconi after bombing kills troops: better to exit Afghanistan soon, but allies must agree

ROME — Premier Silvio Berlusconi said Thursday it would be best for international troops to leave Afghanistan soon, after a bomb blast in Kabul killed six Italian soldiers in Italy’s deadliest day yet in the conflict.

Reports: state lawyer says Berlusconi could be forced to resign if immunity law is overturned

ROME — The state lawyer’s office has urged the Constitutional Court to uphold an immunity law that shields Silvio Berlusconi from prosecution in a corruption case, saying that without it the Italian premier might resign, news reports said Thursday.

Defense minister: “cowardly” attacks will not change Italy commitment in Afghanistan

ROME — Italy said Thursday that its troops will remain in Afghanistan, despite suffering its deadliest attack to date in the country, a suicide car bombing that killed six soldiers and wounded four.

Suicide car bomber strikes Afghanistan’s capital, killing 6 Italian soldiers, 10 civilians

KABUL — A suicide car bomber killed six Italian soldiers and 10 Afghan civilians Thursday in the heavily guarded capital of Kabul — a grim reminder of the Taliban’s reach amid political uncertainty in Afghanistan.

Defense minister says 6 Italian soldiers killed, 4 injured in Afghan blast

ROME — The Italian defense minister says six Italian soldiers were killed in an attack in the Afghan capital, Kabul, and four others were injured.

Italian Defense Ministry says 6 people have died in blast in Kabul

ROME — The Italian Defense Ministry says that six people have died in a blast in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

News Corp.’s Sky Italia sues 2 units of PM Berlusconi’s Mediaset, heating up pay TV battle

NEW YORK — News Corp.’s Sky Italia has sued two units of Italian broadcaster Mediaset, the latest step in an ongoing battle over pay TV between media moguls Rupert Murdoch at News Corp. and Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s prime minister.