ITALY: Italy launched an anti-terrorist investigation yesterday after a parcel bomb exploded in the hands of EU Commission President Romano Prodi, but the former Italian prime minister brushed off the incident and urged calm.
Meanwhile, opposition leaders accused Prime Minister Mr Silvio Berlusconi of fuelling fears of terror threats after he was quoted as saying the Vatican had been a potential target of an attack with a hijacked aircraft.
Mr Prodi was not hurt on Saturday when he opened a letter bomb sent to his home in Bologna. But the incident raised questions about security in a city where an ultra-left guerrilla movement has been active.
Investigators opened a probe into what they call an attempted "terrorist" attack and an attempt to overthrow democracy.
But Mr Prodi played down the incident.
"Certainly it's not the best tidings for the next year," a smiling Mr Prodi told journalists. "Let's be on our guard, but above all let's not lose our calm." The bomb, which was planted inside a book and burst into flames when Mr Prodi opened it, was sent less than a week after home-made bombs went off in rubbish bins near his apartment, also without hurting anyone.