Berlusconi stays away from his bribery trial

Prosecutors say Mr Berlusconi ordered the payment of $600,000 to lawyer David Mills, estranged husband of Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell, in exchange for his false testimony in two trials.

Both Mr Berlusconi and Mills have denied wrongdoing. Mills is in the second and final round of appeals against his conviction in the case.

The three-judge panel was deciding on a defence motion arguing that Mr Berlusconi's portion of the trial should restart from scratch, without allowing any evidence heard by the previous court to carry over on the grounds it would be prejudicial.

The case is one of two in Milan courts restarted against the premier after Italy's Constitutional Court overturned a law sparing Mr Berlusconi from prosecution while in office.

In the other case he and others are accused of overpaying for rights to show United States films on Mr Berlusconi's Mediaset television empire and pocketing the difference.

Mr Berlusconi had not been expected at the technical hearing, his lawyer Niccolo Ghedini said, adding that the premier would attend when there were issues of substance at hand, beginning next month.

Although defendants in Italian trials are not required to be present, Mr Berlusconi has said he wants to defend himself in person against the charges.

Mr Ghedini, who is also a member of parliament, is pressing for a new law that would shorten trial times. Critics say it is made to end the two trials.

Mr Berlusconi, a media magnate-turned-politician, has faced numerous trials for his Milan business dealings. He has always been acquitted or seen the statute of limitations expire, and has maintained that he is an innocent victim of politically motivated magistrates.

The premier returned to public life this week, nearly a month after a man threw a statuette at his face in Milan. Mr Berlusconi had his nose broken.