Attack Leaves Italian Leader Silvio Berlusconi With Broken Nose, Teeth

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi spent the night in a Milan hospital after an assault at a political rally left him bleeding heavily, CNN reports. A man with a history of mental illness struck the prime minister with a metal replica of Milan's cathedral, fracturing his nose and breaking some of his teeth.

Berlusconi's press aide said that the prime minister was "feeling better" Monday morning, but would spend another 36 hours in the hospital, where he is receiving antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medications and painkillers.

The suspect, Massimo Tartaglia, was taken to San Vittore prison, where Italian law allows him to be held for up to 48 hours without a judge's order. He will be charged with "grievous bodily harm," and anti-terrorism prosecutor Armanda Spataro was assigned to investigate.

Berlusconi has been at the center of controversies regarding his high-profile divorce and allegations of political corruption. He is friends with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and is a frequent target of criticism in The Economist and elsewhere.