Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi was recovering from a broken nose and teeth after being hit in the face by a statue thrown by a protester at a rally.

Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi was punched in the face at the end of a rally by a man holding a small statue, leaving the 73-year-old with a bloodied mouth and looking stunned, police said tonight.

Former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi, who has been undergoing heart tests after fainting during a rally, will be discharged from a Milan hospital tomorrow, his doctor said.

Former Premier Silvio Berlusconi, who was hospitalised for tests after he fainted during a rally, will stay in the hospital for a couple more days, doctors and friends of the media mogul said today.

Pope John Paul II was responding well to treatment after being taken to a Rome hospital with breathing problems brought on by the flu, the Vatican said.