Facial surgery for Silvio Berlusconi

ITALIAN prime minister Silvio Berlusconi underwent bone transplant surgery yesterday to repair damage to his jaw and teeth caused when he was assaulted in 2009 by a man who threw a souvenir at him.

A statement from his office said the four-hour operation was necessary so he could properly chew and move his jaw.

Mr Berlusconi suffered a broken nose, fractured teeth and gashed lips after Massimo Tartaglia - who had a history of mental illness - hit him in the face with a souvenir model of Milan cathedral.