Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, is being treated at a hospital in Milan, for a broken nose and facial injuries, after being assaulted during a political rally.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (C) reacts after being assaulted in Milan. Berlusconi was rushed to hospital after a man with a history of mental problems attacked him, knocking out two of his teeth, following a political rally in Milan Sunday.[Xinhua]

Berlusconi was signing autographs when a man threw a souvenir statue of Milan's Dome at him. The prime minister was then rushed into a car and driven away to a nearby hospital. His personal doctor said the prime minister had suffered severe nose trauma, two broken teeth and an injured lower lip. The prime minister stayed overnight at the hospital and will be kept under medical observation for the coming days. Police identified the suspect as 42-year-old Massimo Tartaglia, who has a history of mental illness.