Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has died at the age of 86.
The billionaire businessman, who created Italy's largest media company before transforming the political landscape, had been suffering from leukaemia and was recently treated for a lung infection.
His Mediaset television network announced his death on Monday with a smiling photo of him on its homepage and the headline: “Berlusconi is dead.”
He was admitted to a Milan hospital on Friday for what aides said were pre-planned tests related to his leukaemia.
It came just three weeks after he was discharged following a six-week stay at Milan's San Raffaele hospital, during which doctors revealed he was suffering from the blood cancer.
Mr Berlusconi had suffered ill health for years, having heart surgery in 2016 and going into hospital for Covid in 2020. He had also suffered from prostate cancer.
Italy has declared a national day of mourning for Wednesday, the date of his funeral.
The larger-than-life character was Italy's longest serving prime minister but was also plagued by scandal.
Mr Berlusconi was at the centre of a series of investigations and trials, almost all of them opened after he entered politics in 1994. In all, he faced 35 criminal court cases, but clocked up only one conviction.
That was for tax fraud, false accounting and embezzlement tied to his media empire.
In 2013, the top court confirmed Mr Berlusconi's sentence of four years' imprisonment, three of which were covered by a pardon.
Given his age, the former prime minister was able to complete his sentence as community service from 2014 to 2015. He was banned from political office until 2018.
He was rarely seen in public, despite being re-elected to the senate last year and remaining the official head of his right-wing Forza Italia party.
Defence Minister Guido Crosetto wrote on Twitter that Mr Berlusconi's death leaves a “huge void” that amounted to the end of an era.
“I loved him very much. Farewell Silvio,” he said.
Forza Italia is part of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing coalition. Although Mr Berlusconi himself did not have a role in government, his death is likely to destabilise Italian politics in the coming months.
Pope Francis said Mr Berlusconi had carried out “public responsibilities with an energetic temperament”.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, a former Danish prime minister and former Nato secretary general, said: “We had our political differences but on a personal level, he was always charming and engaging company.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted about her sadness. She said he “led Italy in a time of political transition and since then continued to shape his beloved country.”
A representative for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Silvio Berlusconi made a huge impact on Italian politics over several decades, and our thoughts are with the Italian people and his family.”
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban added: “Gone is the great fighter.”
His friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin put him at odds with Ms Meloni, a staunch supporter of Ukraine. On his 86th birthday, while the war raged, Mr Putin sent Mr Berlusconi best wishes and vodka, and the Italian boasted he returned the favour by sending back Italian wine.
On Monday, Mr Putin hailed him as a “patriarch” of Italian politics and a true patriot who improved Italy's standing on the world stage.
“I have always sincerely admired his wisdom, his ability to make balanced, far-sighted decisions even in the most difficult situations,” Mr Putin said in the telegram released by the Kremlin. “During each of our meetings, I was literally charged with his incredible vitality, optimism and sense of humour.”
He was also friendly with Libya's former leader, Muammar Qaddafi, with whom he was pictured strolling in Rome's squares in 2008, during a series of trips that made headlines for the colourful nature of their encounters.
After starting out as a cruise-ship entertainer and door-to-door salesman, Mr Berlusconi went on to build a massive media empire.
The property industry brought him his first successes in the early 1960s before he branched into television.
“Silvio Berlusconi invented commercial television in Europe, at the same time as the British, while the rest of the continent was still living under national public television monopolies,” said Carlo Alberto Carnevale Maffe, associate professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at Milan's Bocconi School of Management.
He created a style that was “very popular, on the same model as English tabloids, bringing daily life on to the small screen”, he said.
In the 1970s, national private TV channels were banned in Italy but Mr Berlusconi got around this rule by buying up local channels, on which he broadcast the same programmes simultaneously.
The result was the appearance of a national channel, “which allowed him to attract many more advertisers”, said Umberto Bertele, professor emeritus at Milan Polytechnic's School of Management.
He also invested in publishing, in 1990 buying Italy's main publisher of books and magazines, Mondadori, and in cinema with the production company Medusa. He invested in Mediolanum Bank and football, notably owning Milan AC for 31 years, before buying lower league club Monza.
They were all grouped together under the umbrella group Fininvest, which found itself on the verge of collapse in 1993 due to huge debts linked to a residential development.
It recovered after Mr Berlusconi decided to go into politics that year in an effort he said “to halt the left”.
Mr Berlusconi led Italy three times between 1994 and 2011, for a total of nine years, wooing voters with a promise of economic success only to be forced out as a debt crisis gripped his country.
“I am the Jesus Christ of politics,” Italian media once quoted Mr Berlusconi as telling supporters. “I am a patient victim, I put up with everyone, I sacrifice myself for everyone.”
But he insisted politics was never his passion.
“It made me lose a lot of time and energy. If I entered the ring, it was just to prevent the communists from taking power,” he told Chi magazine in an interview to mark his 80th birthday in 2016.
Silvio Berlusconi – a life in pictures
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Coal Black Mornings
Brett Anderson
Little Brown Book Group
The National photo project
Chris Whiteoak, a photographer at The National, spent months taking some of Jacqui Allan's props around the UAE, positioning them perfectly in front of some of the country's most recognisable landmarks. He placed a pirate on Kite Beach, in front of the Burj Al Arab, the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland at the Burj Khalifa, and brought one of Allan's snails (Freddie, which represents her grandfather) to the Dubai Frame. In Abu Dhabi, a dinosaur went to Al Ain's Jebel Hafeet. And a flamingo was taken all the way to the Hatta Mountains. This special project suitably brings to life the quirky nature of Allan's prop shop (and Allan herself!).
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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All the Money in the World
Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Charlie Plummer, Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer
Four stars
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
Brief scoreline:
Tottenham 1
Son 78'
Manchester City 0
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPAD%20PRO%20(12.9%22%2C%202022)
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Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
My Country: A Syrian Memoir
Kassem Eid, Bloomsbury
Hotel Data Cloud profile
Date started: June 2016
Founders: Gregor Amon and Kevin Czok
Based: Dubai
Sector: Travel Tech
Size: 10 employees
Funding: $350,000 (Dh1.3 million)
Investors: five angel investors (undisclosed except for Amar Shubar)
BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP
Group A
Paraguay
Japan
Switzerland
USA
Group B
Uruguay
Mexico
Italy
Tahiti
Group C
Belarus
UAE
Senegal
Russia
Group D
Brazil
Oman
Portugal
Nigeria
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 611bhp
Torque: 620Nm
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Price: upon application
On sale: now
THE BIO
Ms Davison came to Dubai from Kerala after her marriage in 1996 when she was 21-years-old
Since 2001, Ms Davison has worked at many affordable schools such as Our Own English High School in Sharjah, and The Apple International School and Amled School in Dubai
Favourite Book: The Alchemist
Favourite quote: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail
Favourite place to Travel to: Vienna
Favourite cuisine: Italian food
Favourite Movie : Scent of a Woman
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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THREE
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The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
AGL AWARDS
Golden Ball - best Emirati player: Khalfan Mubarak (Al Jazira)
Golden Ball - best foreign player: Igor Coronado (Sharjah)
Golden Glove - best goalkeeper: Adel Al Hosani (Sharjah)
Best Coach - the leader: Abdulaziz Al Anbari (Sharjah)
Fans' Player of the Year: Driss Fetouhi (Dibba)
Golden Boy - best young player: Ali Saleh (Al Wasl)
Best Fans of the Year: Sharjah
Goal of the Year: Michael Ortega (Baniyas)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The years Ramadan fell in May
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
more from Janine di Giovanni
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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