Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has suffered more from Sunday's attack than at first thought. He had just finished addressing a rally of his supporters in Milan when a man threw a miniature replica of the city's cathedral at him. The replica hit him in the face, broke his nasal septum and two teeth and ripped open his lip.

Doctors treating him at a hospital in the city say he must stay there for at least a day. The 73-year-old politician is having difficulty eating and is suffering from sharp pains in the head and face. He has also lost almost a litre of blood. He is being treated with antibiotics and painkillers.

Centre-left opposition leader Pier Luigi Bersani visited the prime minister in the hospital. He called the attack "an indescribable act that should be vigorously condemned."