The week at a glance...Europe

Milan

Trials of Berlusconi: Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been ordered to stand trial on charges that he paid an underage prostitute for sex and then abused his office to cover up the deed. Karima el Mahroug, known as Ruby the Heartstealer, says she took money from Berlusconi and attended his parties but did not have sex with him. The scandal, which has dogged the prime minister for months, is merely the latest in a string of lurid allegations. The difference this time: Last month, Italy’s constitutional court ruled that Berlusconi’s office no longer gives him automatic immunity from criminal charges. Over the next two months, he will face trial in the Ruby case as well as three unrelated embezzlement and fraud cases. Last weekend, hundreds of thousands of women demonstrated in cities across Italy under the slogan, “If not now, when?”—calling on the prime minister to step down and stop humiliating women.

Lampedusa, Italy

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Exodus from Tunisia: Italy declared a humanitarian crisis this week after thousands of Tunisians fleeing unrest landed on Lampedusa. Since Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution swept President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali from power last month, nearly 6,000 people have arrived on the tiny Mediterranean island, doubling its population. Most of the migrants say they plan to apply for asylum not in Italy but in France, since they speak the language. But for now they are Italy’s problem, and authorities there are struggling to provide food, medicine, clothing, and housing. “This extremely fast process of change in North African countries can have devastating consequences on the institutional and social structures of European nations,” said Italian Interior Minister Roberto Maroni.