Bye Bye, Berlusconi

The past seems to finally have caught up with Silvio Berlusconi.

Following defeats in the local andand general elections (just), his precious football toy AC Milan is now caught in the mire of match-fixing allegations. As if that wasn't punishment enough for his past sins an Italian judge has ruled that he must now face trial for fraud. David Mills - the estranged husband of British Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell - is set to join him.

If the Azzurri can pull through in Sunday's World Cup final it will not only be a triumph for their strong defence (a tactic Silvio will no doubt be employing in the weeks ahead) but a chance for Italy to wave goodbye to the rotten Berlusconi era once and for all.