Italy court upholds Berlusconi tax fraud conviction

An appeals court in Italy has upheld the conviction for tax fraud of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. The court also reinstated a four-year prison sentence and five-year ban from public office he was handed in October. Mr Berlusconi was convicted of artificially inflating prices of film distribution rights bought by his company, Mediaset, to avoid taxes. He is now expected to appeal against Wednesday's ruling at Italy's highest court, the Court of Cassation. The 76-year-old has denied the charges and said they are politically motivated. Time limit But instead of overturning October's verdict, the Milan appeals court on Wednesday upheld his conviction for tax evasion and re-instated the original jail sentence. The four-year term had been cut to one year by a lower court because of his age. Continue reading the main story Silvio Berlusconi's trials Accused of paying for sex with an underage prostitute: Verdict due Convicted and sentenced to a year in jail for arranging leak of police wiretap Accused of tax fraud over deals his firm Mediaset made to purchase TV rights to US films: Convicted in October 2012; Sentence upheld by appeals court in May Two other corruption cases involving tax evasion and bribery of a British lawyer: Expired under statute of limitations Q&A: Silvio Berlusconi on trial "We knew it would go like this," Mr Berlusconi's defence lawyer Niccolo Ghedini told reporters. There is however no real prospect of Mr Berlusconi being jailed, as he will exercise his right to appeal and the case will actually soon expire under a time limit, the BBC's Alan Johnston in Rome reports. Nevertheless, this is another major legal blow for Mr Berlusconi, whose People of Freedom (PdL) party is part of Italy's new coalition government, he adds. Our correspondent says that in the eyes of the law Mr Berlusconi is a convicted fraudster, but he will argue as he always does that all his legal troubles are the simply the work of his political enemies - left-wing elements in the judiciary. In March, Mr Berlusconi was sentenced to a year in jail after being convicted of arranging for a police wiretap concerning a political rival to be leaked and published in a newspaper run by his brother. He denied the charges and is expected to appeal. Mr Berlusconi is also currently on trial for allegedly paying for sex with an underage prostitute, and later abusing his powers by putting pressure on the police to release her from custody. He has admitted sending her money, but insists the funds were meant as a gift. In other trials over the years, Mr Berlusconi has been accused of charges including accounting fraud, perjury, bribery and corruption. He has denied all the accusations against him and has either been acquitted or let off under statutes of limitations.

Windows 8 update public preview to be released in June

Microsoft has announced it will offer a preview version of its first major update to Windows 8 next month. The news comes amid growing criticism of the software's user interface. Microsoft said the revision to the operating system (OS), codenamed Windows Blue, would be released at Build, a three-day developers event in San Francisco starting on 26 June. However, while the company said it had listened to "feedback", it has still not disclosed what changes are planned. Microsoft added that a final version of Windows Blue would be released before the end of the year, and highlighted that it had already sold more than 100 million licences for the system. FT accusation The Verge, ZDNet and other tech blogs have reported that the update could mean Microsoft reversing its decision to remove the start button from the system's desktop environment. They also suggested it would give users the option of booting their PCs directly into Windows 8's desktop mode rather than having to visit the tile-based Start menu screen first. On Tuesday the Financial Times ran a front-page story suggesting that a U-turn over key elements of Windows 8 would mark "one of the most prominent admissions of failure for a new mass-market consumer product since Coca-Cola's New Coke fiasco nearly 30 years ago". This was a reference to the beverage makers' decision to launch and then abandon a new version of its fizzy drink. Windows 8 support for touch controls has spurred manufacturers to release new computer designs The FT's article followed a news briefing given by Microsoft to mark the first six months of Windows 8. The tech company has issued a statement taking issue with the report. "It is unfortunate that the Financial Times did not accurately represent the content or the context of our conversation about the good response to date on Windows 8 and the positive opportunities ahead on both Windows 8 and Windows Blue," it said. "Our perspective is accurately reflected in many other interviews on this topic as well as in a Q&A with [chief financial officer] Tami Reller posted on the Windows blog." The FT told the BBC it stood by its story. Confused More than 1.5 billion devices used Windows 7 and earlier versions of the system at the time of Windows 8's launch, making the OS both the most popular of its kind and one of the company's key sources of revenue. However, Microsoft was aware that sales of tablets and other touch-controlled devices had been growing at a much faster rate than PCs. This helped prompt it to introduce a new start screen, initially dubbed "Metro", containing resizable tiles that could be tapped and swiped to launch and navigate apps. Users can still switch to a more traditional desktop mode by clicking on an icon, but the environment lacks the start menu button offered since Windows 95. This caused some people to become confused about how to shut down their PC and carry out other tasks. Several third-party developers subsequently released their own software allowing users to restore the facility. "Many people have recoiled in horror at Windows 8 because it is such a stark change over what they had become used to over the past 15 or so years," Chris Green, principal technology analyst at consultants Davies Murphy Group Europe, told the BBC. "Unless you are using it on a brand-new computer or laptop with a touchscreen display it's not as intuitive to use as Microsoft makes out - and these are still premium-priced products." PC sales still outpace those of tablets, but the latter are growing at a faster rate Since businesses traditionally wait until at least a major service pack has come out before updating their computers to a new OS, the major impact of the changes has mostly been limited to consumers. But Mr Green added that it would be a worry for Microsoft if companies now opted to skip Windows 8 in the same way many had previously decided not to install Windows Vista. "Microsoft wouldn't necessarily miss out on revenue from their largest blue-chip customers because they pay an annual subscription fee for access to its tech whether they use it or not," he said. "But it's the mid-sized companies - who buy computers and software as they need it - which is where the big money and margins are." Touchscreen focus Microsoft has acknowledged that "there is a learning curve [to Windows 8] and we can work to address that," but it also points out it has sold a similar number of licences for the OS as were achieved over the first six months of Windows 7's life. "It's too early to say that it's flopped," said Benedict Evans, a digital media specialist at research firm Enders Analysis. "However, there's clearly a lot of pushback from consumers and corporates about the radical change the firm wants to make in the user interface. "The broader issue is that Microsoft is building an operating system designed with a touchscreen in mind. That's essential for its future because computing is shifting to tablets and mobile, where Microsoft has been irrelevant." "What in effect they've done is compromise the desktop experience to create a great tablet and mobile experience. The problem is that it's the desktop buyers that pay for everything right now."

Cleveland officials hail bravery of missing women

Police have praised the bravery of three women found alive on Monday evening in a house in Cleveland, Ohio, after they vanished about a decade ago. Amanda Berry, who disappeared in 2003 aged 16, escaped with a neighbour's help while her alleged captor was away. Gina DeJesus, who went missing aged 14 a year later, and Michelle Knight, who vanished in 2002 aged about 19, were also rescued from the property. A school bus driver and his two brothers have been arrested. The three women were taken to hospital for a check-up and to be reunited with their relatives before being discharged on Tuesday morning. A six-year-old girl also rescued from the house was believed to be the daughter of Ms Berry, Deputy Police Chief Ed Tomba told a news conference. 'Tied up' FBI Special Agent Stephen Anthony said: "The nightmare is over. These three young ladies have provided us with the ultimate definition of survival and perseverance. The healing can now begin." Continue reading the main story At the scene Jonny Dymond BBC News, Cleveland It is difficult to believe that Seymour Avenue could be home to such a crime: a quiet tree lined street with houses knocked about and sometimes boarded up, a red-brick church and traffic humming back and forth at either end. But it is the residents and neighbours who are most surprised. Aurora Marti, 75, has lived across from 2207 Seymour Avenue for 27 years. Ariel Castro used to come and sit on her porch and chat with her. He took her granddaughter out for bike rides at a nearby park. When the nearby area was being dug up in the search for Amanda Berry's remains, he talked to her about it. All the while he is alleged to have held Amanda and two other women just across the road. Read more from Jonny "Yes, law enforcement professionals do cry," he added. He vowed prosecutors would "bring the full weight of justice" on those responsible in the "horrific case". School bus driver Ariel Castro, 52, and his two brothers, Pedro, 54, and Onil, 50, have been taken into custody. Police Chief Michael McGrath said the women were believed to have been tied up at the house. Officials said they may also investigate other properties. Ms Berry, now 27, escaped on Monday evening when a neighbour heard her screaming and kicking a door, while her alleged captor was out of the house. Rescuer Charles Ramsey said he had helped kick in a metal door so that Ms Berry could climb outside and phone police. In a recording of Monday's emergency call, she says: "I've been kidnapped, and I've been missing for 10 years. And I'm here. I'm free now." 'Home seemed vacant' Ms Berry identifies herself to the 911 dispatcher, saying she has been on the news for the past decade, and begging for help to arrive before her captor returns. A neighbour, Charles Ramsey, tells reporters: "We had to kick open the bottom of the door" Police Chief McGrath told Tuesday's news conference: "Thankfully, due to Amanda's brave actions these three women are alive today." Neighbour Anna Tejeda said she had refused to believe the young woman at first. "You're not Amanda Berry. Amanda Berry is dead," she said, according to the Associated Press news agency. Other neighbours in the working-class district said they did not realise anybody was living at the house at 2207 Seymour Ave. During the news conference, Public Safety Director Martin Flask said that in March 2000, Mr Castro had called the authorities to report a fight on his street, but no arrest was made. In January 2004, police called at Mr Castro's home, but no-one answered. They were alerted by children's services after a child was left at a depot on a school bus that Mr Castro had been driving. Authorities concluded there had been no criminal intent. Ms Berry had last been heard from aged 16 when she called her sister on 21 April 2003 to say she would get a lift home from her job at a Burger King restaurant. Mother's 'broken heart' In 2004, Ms DeJesus - who is now 23 years old - was believed to have been on her way home from school when she went missing. 911 call: "Help me I'm Amanda Berry... I've been missing for 10 years" Their disappearances made local headlines in Cleveland, and many assumed the girls were dead. The case of Michelle Knight, who was older than the other women when she disappeared and is now 32, was less widely publicised. Her grandmother, Deborah Knight, was quoted by the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper on Monday as saying the authorities concluded she had run away. The victims' families have responded with stunned joy. Sylvia Colon, a relative of Gina DeJesus, said they had never given up hope. But Ms Berry's mother, Louwana, died in March 2006, three years after her daughter went missing. A local politician said the mother had died of a "broken heart". In an extraordinary twist, it emerged that Ariel Castro's son - also called Ariel, although he goes by his middle name Anthony - wrote an article about the disappearance of Gina DeJesus for his local newspaper in 2004. Police have not commented on the case of a fourth missing girl, Ashley Summers, who disappeared in the same area in July 2007 when 14 years old.

Kickstarter crowd gives glowing plant the green light

A glowing plant that could provide a sustainable light source has caught the imagination of backers on the crowdfunding website Kickstarter. With a month still to go, the project has raised $243,000 (£157,000). Its initial goal was $65,000. Backers are promised seeds for glowing plants, although delivery will not be until next May at the earliest. The "biohacking" team behind the project said that in future trees could act as street lights. The researchers are keen that their mix of DIY synthetic biology and sustainable lighting remains open-source. "Inspired by fireflies... our team of Stanford-trained PhDs are using off-the-shelf methods to create real glowing plants in a do-it-yourself bio lab in California," said project leader Antony Evans. "All of the output from this project will be released open-source, the DNA constructs, the plants etc," it said on its website. Commercially appealing The research team, led by synthetic biologist Omri Amirav-Drory and plant scientist Kyle Taylor, aims to transplant a fluorescent gene into a small plant called Arabidopsis, a member of the mustard family. The team has chosen this plant as it is easy to experiment with and carries minimal risk for spreading into the wild. However, it hopes that the same process will work for a rose, which it considers to be more commercially appealing. The team will work with luciferase, an enzyme common in fireflies as well as some glowing fungi and bacteria. The researchers have already designed the DNA sequences using software from a company called Genome Compiler, which allows people to easily design genetic sequences. They will then "print the DNA" and the final stage will be to transfer this to the plants. 'Great inspiration' Initially the genes are transferred to agrobacteria, increasingly used in genetic engineering because they can transfer DNA between themselves and plants. Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote Biology is very energy-efficient and energy packets are more dense than batteries. Even a weakly glowing flower would be a great icon” Prof George Church Geneticist, Harvard Medical School This method will only be used for prototypes as the bacteria are plant pests and any use of such organisms is heavily regulated. For the seeds that will be sent to the public, the team will use a gene gun that effectively coats nanoparticles with DNA and fires them into plants. This method is not subject to regulation. George Church, a professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School who is backing the project, said that biology could provide great inspiration for more sustainable light sources. "Biology is very energy-efficient and energy packets are more dense than batteries. Even a weakly glowing flower would be a great icon." The team is not the first to create glowing plants. 'Pretty enticing' In 2008 scientists at the University of California created a glowing tobacco plant, using luciferase. And in 2010 researchers from the University of Cambridge was able to make bacteria glow sufficiently to read by. Theo Sanderson, a member of that Cambridge team, has blogged about the new attempt. "Nobody can deny that the idea of walking down a path lit by glowing trees is pretty enticing... what has disappointed me has been the lack of discussion as to what the team actually plan to do with the funds raised, and whether the science stacks up," he said. "My prediction is that this project will ship plants which have a dimly visible luminescence in a pitch-black room."

Deadly gas tanker explosion in Mexico City suburb

A gas tanker has exploded on a motorway in a suburb of Mexico City, killing at least 20 people and injuring 36, officials say. Television images showed damaged buildings and cars in the area of Ecatepec on Tuesday morning. The explosion happened at about 05:00 local time (10:00 GMT) on the highway between Mexico City and Pachuca. The driver of the truck is under arrest in hospital, where he was being treated, officials say. 'War zone' A giant plume of smoke rose over the area, about 14km (8.6 miles) north-east of the Mexican capital. The gas tanker was thought to be travelling north when it crashed into another vehicle, BBC Mexico correspondent Will Grant reports.
At least 30 homes and 20 cars were damaged, according to local media. Salvador Neme Sastre, secretary for citizen security in Mexico State, confirmed the casualty figures on Twitter but officials fear the number of dead could still rise. Some of the casualties were asleep in homes in poor areas along the edge of the road. Children were among those hurt. Other vehicles were caught up in the explosion on the highway north-east of Mexico City Television images showed firefighters and rescue workers sifting through the wreckage, but there was no initial explanation as to what caused the crash. The Mexican government announced measures in 2012 to lower the maximum allowed weight of freight vehicles after a series of crashes involving overloaded trucks. However, such accidents are still very common, our correspondent says. Mexican media said the area resembled a "war zone," with nearby homes and cars completely burned out. "It was a ball of fire," resident Carlos Gonzalez Silva told local radio, according to Reuters. "We opened the door and it was like fire had blown through the whole of the garden." Mexican radio station Formato 21 said a family of four, including two children aged 11 and 6, were among the dead. Dozens of ambulances were at the scene. The highway was set to reopen gradually, officials said.

Peterborough ditch bodies: Joanna Dennehy charged with murders

A woman has been charged with the murders of three men whose bodies were found lying in ditches. Kevin Lee, 48, was found in a ditch in Newborough on 30 March. He died from stab wounds to the chest. Lukasz Slaboszewski, 31, was stabbed in the heart. John Chapman, 56, was stabbed in the neck and chest. They were found at Thorney Dyke on 3 April. Joanna Dennehy, of Peterborough, who is in her early 30s, has been charged with the three murders. Grace Ononiwu, the chief crown prosecutor for the east of England, said Ms Dennehy, who is in her early 30s, would appear at Peterborough Magistrates Court at a later date. Three other people have been charged in connection with the case.

Former Tory chancellor Lord Lawson calls for UK to exit EU

The former chancellor of the exchequer, Lord Lawson, has called for the UK to leave the European Union. Writing in the Times, he said British economic gains from an exit "would substantially outweigh the costs". He predicted any changes achieved by David Cameron's attempts to renegotiate the terms of the UK's relations with the EU would be "inconsequential". But Downing Street said the prime minister remained "confident" that his strategy "will deliver results". Mr Cameron is facing calls to bring forward a promised referendum on the UK's EU membership. 'Warm embrace' He says he will hold a vote early in the next parliament - should the Conservatives win the next general election - but only after renegotiating the terms of the UK's relationship with the EU. Continue reading the main story Analysis Louise Stewart Political correspondent, BBC News Cabinet ministers took to the airwaves over the weekend to pledge draft legislation would be introduced on an EU referendum before the next election. But if David Cameron thought that would appease those in the party who want to see a referendum sooner than 2017 he was wrong. Now, Lord Lawson, Margaret Thatcher's long-serving chancellor, has stepped up the pressure by calling for the prime minister to lead the country out of the EU altogether. His intervention is damaging for David Cameron. After losing support to UKIP in the local elections he wanted to get on the front foot over Europe. Instead the issue has again exposed deep divisions within his party over the issue which dogged the leaderships of John Major, William Hague and Iain Duncan Smith before him. However, Lord Lawson said any such renegotiations would be "inconsequential" as "any powers ceded by the member states to the EU are ceded irrevocably". The BBC's political editor Nick Robinson said Lord Lawson's intervention was a "big moment" in the EU debate. The peer - who was Margaret Thatcher's chancellor for six years - voted to stay in the European Common Market, as the EU was known in 1975, but said: "I shall be voting 'out' in 2017." He said he "strongly" suspected there would be a "positive economic advantage to the UK in leaving the single market". Far from hitting business hard, it would instead be a wake-up call for those who had been too content in "the warm embrace of the European single market" when the great export opportunities lay in the developing world, particularly Asia. "Over the past decade, UK exports to the EU have risen in cash terms by some 40%. Over the same period, exports to the EU from those outside it have risen by 75%," he added. Withdrawing from the EU would also save the City of London from a "frenzy of regulatory activism", such as the financial transactions tax that Brussels is seeking to impose. Lord Lawson said his argument had "nothing to do with being anti-European". "The heart of the matter is that the very nature of the European Union, and of this country's relationship with it, has fundamentally changed after the coming into being of the European monetary union and the creation of the eurozone, of which - quite rightly - we are not a part. "Not only do our interests increasingly differ from those of the eurozone members but, while never 'at the heart of Europe' (as our political leaders have from time to time foolishly claimed), we are now becoming increasingly marginalised as we are doomed to being consistently outvoted by the eurozone bloc." 'Clear timetable' At the local elections last week, the UK Independence Party - which campaigns for the UK to leave the EU - made substantial gains, while the Conservatives lost control of 10 councils. Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote As it happens, those who run our biggest companies would tend to be horrified at the idea of withdrawal from the EU.” Robert Peston Business editor Read more from Robert The UKIP surge prompted a call from senior Tory MP David Davis to bring forward the planned referendum - while other Conservatives, including former chairman Lord Tebbit, urged Mr Cameron to take steps to give the public more confidence that a referendum would indeed take place if he wins the next general election. Reacting to Lord Lawson's comments, a Downing Street spokesman said: "The PM has always been clear: we need a Europe that is more open, more competitive, and more flexible; a Europe that wakes up to the modern world of competition. In short, Europe has to reform. "But our continued membership must have the consent of the British people, which is why the PM has set out a clear timetable on this issue." The BBC News Channel's chief political correspondent Norman Smith said No 10 was pointing to the UK's success in obtaining a cut in the EU's budget earlier this year as evidence that a new relationship could be secured. However, he said Lord Lawson's comments would give major impetus to those believing the UK's future best lay outside the EU and were also significant for his critique of Mr Cameron's negotiating strategy. 'Serious divisions' Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said that leaving the European Union would "make us less safe because we cooperate in the European Union to go after criminal gangs that cross borders". He said it could put 3m jobs at risk and made it difficult to deal with cross border threats like climate change and would also see Britain "taken less seriously in Washington, Beijing, Tokyo". UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage said Lord Lawson's intervention "legitimised" his party's longstanding argument that the UK could prosper outside the EU while exposing "serious divisions" in the Conservatives. Former Labour Europe minister Peter Hain said he totally disagreed with EU withdrawal but believed Lord Lawson was right in suggesting David Cameron's approach could not succeed as "EU members will not agree Treaty changes". Political commentator and Times' comment editor Tim Montgomerie told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the article would add fuel to the debate on Europe within the Conservative Party that Mr Cameron had hoped could wait until further down the line. "Lord Lawson will give much more confidence to those people who do want to leave the EU to go public with those views," he added.