Berlusconi bloodied after hit to face

Yahoo 7 News MILAN (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was taken to hospital with blood smeared over his face after a man hurled a small model of Milan cathedral at him at a political rally, police said on Sunday.

Television footage showed the premier with blood splattered over his lips, teeth and chin being bundled into a car by aides and rushed away, minutes after finishing a lively speech to thousands of flag-waving supporters in a central Milan square.

Initial X-rays showed a loss of blood and injuries to two teeth but the 73-year-old prime minister and media mogul said "I'm fine, I'm fine" when he was moved to a hospital room in the northern city, Ansa news agency said.

A 42-year-old man was detained for throwing a small model of Milan cathedral at Berlusconi from close range, police said. The man has been undergoing treatment for mental problems for the past 10 years, Ansa said.

Berlusconi's allies were quick to say the incident was the result of a campaign of "hatred" by his leftist opponents. He has faced growing criticism in recent months amid mounting legal troubles and scandals over his private life.

"What they've done to Berlusconi is an act of terrorism," Umberto Bossi, head of the far-right Northern League and a close Berlusconi ally, told Ansa.

Condemnation of the act poured in from allies and critics alike. It has been a bruising political year for Berlusconi, who launched a tirade against the left in his Milan speech, a characteristically defiant performance aimed at regaining political momentum.

After a summer battling sex scandals, Berlusconi has come under pressure from mounting legal troubles and a widening rift with his main ally Gianfranco Fini, the lower house speaker who in private remarks has accused the premier of acting like an "absolute monarch."

Stripped of immunity from prosecution, Berlusconi faces several trials, including one on charges of bribery and corruption and another on charges of tax fraud.

An opinion poll published on Saturday showed the prime minister's popularity had fallen four percentage points to just over 50 percent as Italians fretted that his legal entanglements could distract him from government duties.

He denies any wrongdoing and says legal allegations against him are part of a campaign by biased courts and "communist" magistrates to bring down his government.

(Writing by Deepa Babington, editing by Tim Pearce)