MILAN – Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has failed in his attempt to have the judge removed from his corruption trial.
The appeals court yesterday rejected Mr Berlusconi’s request to remove Judge Nicoletta Gandus for alleged bias in the case against him and British lawyer David Mills.
The appeals court said Mr Berlusconi’s request “seems unfounded on merit”. The decision removes a hurdle for the trial to proceed.
Mr Berlusconi (71) is charged with paying Mr Mills $600,000 (€380,000) in 1997 from secret funds held by his broadcasting company to withhold details of his business dealings. – (Reuters)
Thai border row ‘worsening’
KANTARALAK – Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen says a border row with Thailand is “worsening” and he has urged the immediate withdrawal of Thai troops from a disputed ancient temple.
In a letter to Thai prime minister Samak Sundaravej, Mr Hun Sen said yesterday that the stand-off at the temple was “very bad” for relations, but he hoped to “resolve the problem through negotiations” at a border meeting on Monday. – (Reuters)
UK admits it will miss CO2 target
LONDON – The British government has admitted what experts have been saying for some time – that it will miss by a large margin its target of cutting CO2 emissions by 20 per cent from 1990 levels by 2010.
New projections from the UK department for environment predict CO2 emissions in 2010 will only be 15.5 per cent below 1990 levels. – (Reuters)
Over a quarter of Americans obese
WASHINGTON – More than a quarter of all Americans are now obese, the latest US government figures show.
The percentage of US adults who are obese grew by nearly 2 per cent between 2005 and 2007, from just under 24 per cent to 25.6 per cent, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said yesterday. Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee had the worst rates, with 30 per cent of adults obese. – (Reuters)
Sudan rejects offer from ICC
KHARTOUM – Sudan has rejected a deal with the International Criminal Court to hand over two indicted officials in exchange for dropping the court’s arrest warrant for president Omar Hassan al-Bashir. – (Reuters)
Britain ratifies Lisbon Treaty
LONDON – Britain has officially ratified the Lisbon Treaty. The British government confirmed yesterday that the final stages of passing the agreement had been completed. – (PA)