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The phrase "bunga bunga" has become inextricably linked with the private life of Italy's Silvio Berlusconi, and for those who have puzzled over its origins an intriguing new explanation of its meaning has been offered.The comical-sounding phrase made its first appearance back in October, when 17-year-old Moroccan belly dancer Karima El Mahroug - who calls herself Ruby - said she had attended "bunga bunga" parties with other women at Mr Berlusconi's villa in Milan. Italian newspapers immediately scrambled to find out its origins. The finger of blame was initially laid upon Mr Berlusconi's friend Col Muammar Gaddafi, with allegations of...

dogfight over Israel By Arie Egozi on January 27, 2011 10:29 PM Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi and Barack Obama may soon be engaged in a "dog fight" over Israel. The competition aimed at selecting a new advanced trainer for the Israeli air force (IAF) already has inputs that are not directly connected to the quality and capabilities of the two potential aircraft. The request for information (RFI) for an advanced trainer for the IAF has been issued to KAI from South Korea and to Alenia Aermacchi from Italy. One is making the T-50 the other one the M-346 . It...

Gordon Brown gave Barack Obama $16,500 (£10,000) worth of gifts during a US visit, in return for a selection of DVDs. The value of Mr Brown's gifts, a pen and holder made from the wood of an anti-slavery ship, along with two biographies of Winston Churchill, was disclosed by the US State Department on Tuesday. Mr Obama, by comparison, gave him a boxset of 25 classic US films such as Citizen Kane and ET.

MILAN -- The Italian government, under pressure from the communications watchdog Agcom, has renewed rules limiting ownership of media outlets that were due to expire on Jan. 1. The move will prevent Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi from adding to his already extensive range of media interests. But Berlusconi's government has extended the ban on new cross-holdings of television and print media assets by just three months, and not for another year, as many had expected. The official government gazette says, however, that the ban "might" be extended until the end of 2011. Conflict of interest accusations have dogged Berlusconi since...

He famously once declared that Left-wing Italian women were less attractive than their Right-wing counterparts. But having proved his point by packing his government with ex-beauty queens and showgirls, Silvio Berlusconi is discovering that good looks do not necessarily go with good tempers. In the latest crisis to hit the scandal-ridden prime minister, his tottering centre-right coalition is under threat after a vicious catfight between two of his most glamourous female allies. In one corner is Mara Carfagna, 34, a former topless model who Mr Berlusconi - without any apparent sense of irony - appointed equal opportunities minister two years...

PLAYBOY premier Silvio Berlusconi has been hit by fresh claims he paid a high-class hooker for sex. Stunning Nadia Macri, 28, says she twice spent the night with the Italian PM for £9,000. She also says she witnessed the 74-year-old having sex with several women in a Jacuzzi. Miss Macri made the claims in a statement to prosecutors investigating alleged sex and drugs parties at Berlusconi's holiday villa. oni The brunette was named by a police informant. She also told how marijuana had been offered to women at the parties and that the drug had been on board Berlusconi's official...

ROME – Premier Silvio Berlusconi dismissed calls Tuesday to resign over his involvement with an underage Moroccan runaway - and even created a new uproar by claiming it was better to love beautiful girls than gays.

Italy is set to become the next European country to ban the burka after a government report ruled in favour of the proposed legislation. MPs from the anti-immigration Northern League party, a member of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s ruling right wing coalition, have presented the proposal in a bill.

World leaders "believe absolutely" that Israel may decide to take military action against Iran to prevent the latter from acquiring nuclear weapons, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said Saturday. “Iran is not guaranteeing a peaceful production of nuclear power [so] the members of the G-8 are worried and believe absolutely that Israel will probably react preemptively,” Berlusconi told reporters following talks with other Group of Eight leaders north of Toronto...

MILAN (AFP) – Italy has a record public debt of 1.813 trillion euros, an increase of 0.8 percent in a month, the Bank of Italy warned on Monday, three weeks after the centre-right government acted to cut overspending. In March, the figure stood at 1.797 trillion euros (2.2 trillion dollars), the central bank said when issuing data for April, without indicating the percentage of gross domestic product that the latest figure represents. Last year public debt reached 115.8 percent of GDP, and it is forecast to rise to 118.4 percent this year. In a bid to clean up public finances...

Italy's postal service intercepted a threatening letter containing a bullet addressed to Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, while letter bomb sent to a minister caught fire, police said on Saturday. A large envelope containing a letter addressed to Berlusconi with the threat "you will end up like a rat" was discovered on Friday in a post office in the Libate suburb of the northern city of Milan. The package, which also referred to other leaders of Berlusconi's centre-right People of Freedom (PDL) party, was addressed to the prime minister's private residence in the Milan region, police said. Berlusconi was in Libya...

Dozens of members of Iran's religious Basij militia tried to attack Italy's embassy in Tehran on Tuesday, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said. “About a hundred Basij dressed as civilians tried to assault the embassy shouting “Death to Italy” and “Death to Berlusconi,” Mr. Frattini said referring to Italy's prime minister.

On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu welcomed Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and the Italian cabinet for a series of joint meetings with the Israeli cabinet. He also hosted a gala dinner for the Italian delegation at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. Netanyahu described the leader from Rome as "one of Israel's greatest friends, a courageous leader who is a great champion of freedom and a great supporter of peace." Netanyahu said this despite the fact that the Associated Press reports Italy is the leading trading partner with Iran in the E.U. Berlusconi was one of only three leaders...

Berlusconi, 73, was struck in the face a week ago by a man who broke his nose and teeth after a rally in Milan. An opinion poll by ISPO published in Corriere della Sera newspaper said the aggression had boosted Berlusconi's popularity to 55.9 percent, compared to 48.6 percent in mid-November.

While Silvio Berlusconi recovers in a Milan hospital, his ordeal has whipped up a storm of outrage across Italy. The prime minister has suffered months of attacks in the media over his private life. His supporters say his critics have now gone too far. “Our prime minister has been subjected to an act of physical violence which follows months of verbal, written and televised attacks on him, said politician Fabrizio Cicchitto, a Berlusconi supporter.”

Here is video that shows Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi actually being hit in the face with what appears to be an object thrown at him from a crowd in Milan. The Times Online identifies the object as a metal replica of the Milan Cathedral . . . (VIDEO)

December 14, 2009 Berlusconi Hit In The Face With A Model Of Milan's Cathedral [Pic in URL] Silvio Berlusconi is taken to hospital after being hit in the face with a model of Milan's cathedral IMAGE :1 of 5 Josephine McKenna and Richard Owen in Rome The Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was struck in the face yesterday by a man holding a small replica of Milan's cathedral, leaving him with two broken teeth and forcing him to spend the night in hospital. Witnesses said Mr Berlusconi was attacked after a political rally in the centre of Milan, as he...

Berlusconi Bloodied By Hurled Statuette Italian PM suffers broken nose, 2 broken teeth after attack at rally in Milan STRINGER/ITALY / Reuters Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi leaves Milan's Duomo Square with blood on his face after being attacked at a political rally on Sunday. View related photos Video [Bloody Video] Berlusconi's face bloodied Dec. 13: An attacker hurls a statuette at Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, striking the leader in the face. Watch the raw video. Dec. 13: An attacker hurls a statuette at Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, striking the leader in the face. Watch the raw video. ROME -...

Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi was punched in the face at the end of a rally in Milan on Sunday, new reports said. The attack occurred as the 73-year-old Berlusconi was signing autographs near his car, state TV said. TV showed the stunned leader with blood under his nose and on his mouth as he was lifted to his feet by aides. Berlusconi was hustled into the back of a car by the aides, but he immediately got out, apparently in an effort to show he was not badly injured. After looking