• Ukraine lawmakers brawl in parliament for second day running

    Sergey Dolzhenko / EPA

    Opposition and pro-presidential lawmakers scuffle on the podium during a session of the Ukrainian parliament in Kiev on December 13, 2012.

    Sergei Supinsky / AFP - Getty Images

    Deputies of the opposition fight with deputies of the majority for a second time in two days on December 13, 2012.

    Seconds out, Round 2! Fights broke out in the Ukrainian parliament for a second time in two days on Thursday, Agence France-Presse reports.

    The opening session of the Verkhkovna Rada on Wednesday began in a typically raucous fashion (as seen on PhotoBlog yesterday) as a fight erupted in the chamber between opposition MPs and two deputies whom they accused of defecting to the pro-government camp. Several lawmakers from the opposition nationalist Svoboda group chased two men they called "turncoats" — a father and a son — to prevent them from taking the oath.  

    Ukraine's parliament has seen several physical confrontations in recent years amid bitterness between opposition and pro-government camps. 

    Sergei Chuzavkov / AP

    Ukrainian lawmakers fight around the rostrum on Dec. 13, 2012.

    Sergei Supinsky / AFP - Getty Images

    Deputies of the opposition fight with deputies of majority party during the opening of the newly elected parliament on December 12, 2012.

    Sergei Supinsky / AFP - Getty Images

    Deputies fight for a second time in two days, during the second session of the newly elected parliament on December 13, 2012.

    Follow @NBCNewsPictures

    •Sign up for the NBCNews.com Photos Newsletter

    Scuffles between lawmakers from Ukraine's ruling party and the opposition broke out in the country's parliament once again on Thursday morning over the election of parliamentary officials. NBCNews.com's Alex Witt reports.

  • Giuseppe Lami / Ansa via Reuters

    Claudio Barbato, left, a member of the opposition FLI party, fights with Fabio Ranieri. right, from the Northern League in Parliament in Rome October 26, 2011. The Italian deputies exchanged blows in parliament on Wednesday as tensions over a tough economic reform program came to a head.

    Tensions over economic reform lead to blows at Parliament in Rome

    By Phaedra Singelis, NBC News

    You don't see this every day.

    Reuters reports:

    At least two deputies from the Northern League, a member of the ruling center-right coalition, fought with members from the opposition FLI party of speaker Gianfranco Fini. Two deputies grabbed each other by the throat as other parliamentarians rushed to separate them.

    The parliamentary sitting was suspended for several minutes after the fight, which broke out because of sarcastic remarks on television by Fini alleging that the wife of League leader Umberto Bossi had retired at 39.

    Bossi has steadfastly refused to make more than slight concessions to Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on the League's objections to changing Italy's generous pension system as part of reforms demanded by European leaders.

    "There is a climate of violence and intolerance," said Amedeo Ciccanti from the centrist UDC party. "We need to calm down because Italians are more irritated than us about this." Full story.

    According to the Washington Post a deal was reached.

    Pressed hard by the EU, Premier Silvio Berlusconi averted a government collapse and reached a deal with allies on emergency growth measures in time for an EU summit on saving the euro.

    Berlusconi and Northern League leader Umberto Bossi reached a compromise on raising Italy’s retirement age in late-night parliament talks Tuesday. Continue reading...