Xi Jinping, the stockily built, 60-year-old leader of the last major nation on earth ruled by a Communist Party, has had a good week.

Former Premier Silvio Berlusconi's political heir yesterday pledged to keep Italy's fragile coalition Government afloat, now that he has split with the media mogul and formed a rival centre-right party.

When Rob Ford was elected mayor of Toronto in 2010, his bluster and checkered past were widely known. A plurality of voters backed him anyway, eager to shake things up at a City Hall they viewed as elitist and wasteful.

Toronto's City Council has voted overwhelmingly to strip Mayor Rob Ford of some of his powers, trying to box in the brash leader who has rebuffed huge pressure to resign over his drinking and drug habits and erratic behaviour.

Toronto's Mayor denied that he coerced a female employee for oral sex, in a televised statement in which he also threatened to take legal action against ex-staffers who spoke to police.