Premier Silvio Berlusconi came under mounting criticism yesterday from the Catholic Church over his dalliances with young women, with the pope saying public officials must set good moral examples and Italian bishops planning to discuss the sex scandal.

Roman Catholic Church officials said the recently created first synthetic cell could be a positive development if correctly used, but warned scientists that "only God can create life".

THE editor of a leading Italian Catholic newspaper which criticised Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi quit yesterday in a row that has seriously strained relations between the Vatican and the Italian government.

The head of Italy’s influential bishops conference has received a second envelope containing bullets and a death threat, following comments he made opposing same-sex unions, police said today.