| Submit your comments on this article |
| Europe |
| Berlusconi to remain in hospital for fourth night |
| 2009-12-17 |
| Silvio Berlusconi was ordered by his doctors to remain in hospital last night for the fourth successive night, raising alarm over the long-term physical and psychological damage caused by the attack on him in Milan. The Italian Prime Minister was initially taken to hospital for overnight observation after Massimo Tartaglia, 42, an electronics engineer with a history of mental problems, hurled a spiked marble and metal model of Milan cathedral at him at the end of a rally on the cathedral square. Alberto Zangrillo, his doctor, said that Mr Berlusconi needed another 24 hours in hospital because of continuing pain from the wounds to his face — including a broken nose and two broken teeth — but also from the recurrence of chronic arthritis of the neck, which the attack had aggravated. Mr Berlusconi, 73, was also having difficulty eating, Dr Zangrillo said. The delay in his discharge came as police revealed that an intruder had attempted to visit the Prime Minister in hospital. A man, 26, from Turin was arrested outside Mr Berlusconi’s seventh floor hospital room during the night, sparking a new security alert. “He was coming out of the lift when bodyguards and police immobilised him,” a police spokesman said. The intruder, who like Mr Tartaglia is said to have had mental problems, had said that he wanted to talk to the Prime Minister. “He did not have an aggressive attitude or any weapon or dangerous object on him,” the spokesman said. Police found hockey sticks in his car. Dr Zangrillo said that Mr Berlusconi needed to avoid stressful situations and would have to take a partial break from his political duties. Paolo Berlusconi, the Italian leader’s brother, said that his face was bandaged and he was “suffering a great deal”. He keeps turning from side to side in pain. His mood swings between distress and the desire to fight on”. Mr Berlusconi may be discharged today after further checks. He will, however, miss the Copenhagen climate summit as well as his traditional end-of-year news conference and a planned Christmas Eve visit to L’Aquila in Abruzzo where nearly 300 people died in an earthquake in April. Government administration is in the hands of Gianni Letta, Mr Berlusconi’s chief lieutenant, a former journalist who joined his Fininvest company and has long been the éminence grise behind the Prime Minister. A spokesman said that the stricken Italian leader had been cheered by a phone call from President Obama, who wished him a “speedy recovery” and thanked him for committing a further 1,000 Italian troops to Afganistan. Other world leaders to phone included Gordon Brown and the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who praised Mr Berlusconi for his “manly behaviour”. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #2 Para 4 - "Police found hockey sticks in his car." That's a problem??? Jeez, dude! In Canada EVERYBODY has hockey sticks in their car, eh? |
| Posted by: Canuckistan sniper 2009-12-17 14:13 |
| #1 Mr Berlusconi needs to avoid stressful situations, like the guy stalking him in the hospital. Perhaps Mr Berlusconi needs to bring in Inspector Clouseau to exercise the demons around the Premier - He keeps turning from side to side in pain. His mood swings between distress and the desire to fight on. |
| Posted by: Galactic Coordinator Cheremble2324 2009-12-17 00:57 |