U.K. church official's libel trial starts

LONDON, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Testimony began Monday in a London libel trial that could put the head of the Roman Catholic Church in England on the witness stand.

Austen Iverleigh is a former director of public affairs for Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor and is suing the Daily Mail over an article that said he had carried on affairs with two women and dumped them after they became pregnant.

Iverleigh claims the story falsely branded him a hypocrite and cost him his job, and his lawyer has maintained that high-level church officials could be called as witnesses.

The Times of London said Monday that testimony in the case would last about three weeks.