An Italian court hassentenced a friend of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to fiveyears in jail after finding him guilty of corruption, a blow tothe Italian leader who is implicated in the same case. Cesare Previti, a former defence minister, had been on trialfor three years on charges that he helped bribe judges in a1980s corporate takeover battle.
Proceedings against Mr Berlusconi have been suspended afterparliament passed an immunity law for the prime minister andother top officials earlier this year, shortly before Italy tookover the rotating presidency of the European Union.
