Italian judges yesterday threw out bribery charges against the former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, saying that the statute of limitation had run out.

Va-va voom

English lawyer David Mills told a court today he was "deeply ashamed" to have written a letter falsely claiming that former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi had given him $600,000.

Lord Coe's apparently steady hand on the London Olympics' tiller has faltered. His robust defence before a Commons committee earlier this month of the controversial acceptance of £7m in sponsorship from Dow Chemical now seems like bluster.

Charities are facing cuts totalling nearly £3 billion over the coming five years due to government spending reductions, according to a report released today.

Labour leader Ed Miliband attended a string of News International parties and held talks with former chief executive Rebekah Brooks, records released today showed.

The bid, however we dress it, was essentially a fraud. It came with the claim that it would be a gift to youth and that London was uniquely equipped for the task

The Government will unveil today watered-down proposals to devolve more power over public services to local communities and John Lewis-style "mutual" companies.

Pressure on Cabinet minister Chris Huhne intensified today with the publication of details of his former wife's driving licence.

One year into the Big Society, David Cameron's big idea has stalled. Soaring political speeches may get headlines, but in practice this rhetoric is contradicted by his Government's actions.

Silvio Berlusconi's supporters in parliament were last night fighting to push through law changes widely seen as a cynical attempt to save the premier from a bribery conviction.

To get to the AV Yes! launch you had to walk through a crowd of Cleggs. For admirers of Nick Clegg that was a happy start. But the many smiling faces weren't all they seemed. Each had strangely lifeless eyes. It turned out they were men wearing Nick Clegg masks. A clever but slightly creepy stunt by the AV people. Their point was that this new voting system would mean men wearing Nick Clegg masks roaming around London shouting "No, No, No!" It may need more thought.

Former cabinet minister Tessa Jowell has begun legal proceedings which could see her name added to the list of public figures suing the News of the World for alleged phone hacking.