di Guy Dinmore

Seven months after a man hit him in the face with a souvenir model of Milan's Gothic cathedral, Silvio Berlusconi was set last night to return to the scene of the crime to receive a prize celebrating his charisma and leadership. Tabloid newspapers were feverishly speculating whether Italy's prime minister - a former cruise ship crooner - would perform a duet in the Gothic cathedral alongside special guest Charles Aznavour. France's 86-year-old singer is currently on his farewell tour. With his government rupturing over corruption scandals, many in Italy are asking if the time has come for Mr Berlusconi, 73, to follow suit. With open talk about the post-Berlusconi era, Italy has been plunged into debate over whether a spate of corruption investigations involving ministers, businessmen, judges and politicians - some with alleged links to the Mafia - signify a return to the early 1990's, when the political establishment collapsed amid the tangentopoli ("bribesville") scandals originating in Milan.

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