Italian coalition ends; early elections planned

Italian President Sandro Pertini dissolved Parliament in preparation for early general elections. The announcement from the President's office put an end to efforts to avoid a collapse of the country's coalition government.

Meanwhile, Italian politicians and columnists speculated that a gun attack here Tuesday by leftist guerrillas could herald a wave of political violence linked to those elections, expected in June. An apparent splinter group of the Red Brigades urban guerrilla movement claimed responsibility for wounding a government adviser.