London
Iraq war investigation: Authorities this week opened an official inquiry into the government’s actions leading up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Britain, the U.S.’s most prominent ally in Iraq, brought its last troops home from the war in July. A five-person committee appointed by the government will hear testimony from generals, intelligence officials, and political leaders, including former Prime Minister Tony Blair. The inquiry will assess the legal basis of the war, as well as allegations that Blair overplayed evidence of weapons of mass destruction in order to justify the invasion. “No one is on trial here,” said committee head Sir John Chilcot, a longtime civil servant. “But I make a commitment that, once we get to our final report, we will not shy away from making criticisms where they are warranted.”
Rome
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Berlusconi sex book: A female escort who reportedly slept with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi published a book this week describing their night together in graphic detail. In her memoir, Take Your Pleasure, Prime Minister, Patrizia D’Addario, 42, says she had sex with the 73-year-old billionaire politician after a party at his mansion in Rome, the Palazzo Grazioli. “We kissed an infinite number of times,” she wrote, calling his sexual performance worthy of the Guinness Book of Records. D’Addario is also set to appear in a film called Escort: The Girls of Palazzo Grazioli with some of the 30 other women who were allegedly paid to attend Berlusconi’s parties. Berlusconi has not denied spending the night with D’Addario, but vehemently denies ever having paid for sex.
Kiev, Ukraine
Swine flu politics: The H1N1 epidemic has become the major issue in Ukraine’s presidential race, with leading candidates blaming each other for the outbreak. Swine flu is widespread in Ukraine, where at least 1.5 million of the nation’s 46 million people have been infected. With the January election approaching, President Viktor Yushchenko, who is faltering in his re-election bid, has accused one of his chief rivals, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, of gutting the national flu center. Tymoshenko has countered that the president blocked flu funding and should be held personally “responsible for every person who is ill today or dies.” Mistrust of the government and its overburdened health system is a legacy of Soviet rule, leaving many Ukrainians trafficking in rumors about deadly strains of flu.
