Italian PM punched at a rally

An attacker hurled a statuette at Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, striking the leader in the face at the end of a rally last night and leaving the stunned 73-year-old media mogul with a broken nose and bloodied mouth.

Police said the attacker Massimo Tartaglia (42), who has a history of metal illness, was immediately taken into custody. The Italian leader was rushed to a hospital where he was being held overnight.

The attack occurred at a time when Berlusconi, one of Italy's wealthiest men, is embroiled in a sex scandal, a divorce case with his wife and public protests demanding his resignation.

TV showed the stunned leader with blood under his nose, on his mouth and under one eye as he was lifted to his feet by aides after the attack.

He was hustled into the back of a car, but he immediately got out, apparently to show he was not badly injured.

Nose Fracture But Berlusconi suffered a "small fracture" of the nose, two broken teeth and an injury to the inside and outside of his lip, said a spokesman for San Raffaele Hospital.

"He wanted to go home right away, but he is being held overnight as a precaution," he said. The PM was "shaken and demoralised", he added.