So Italy...

There were two Italian news stories that caught me eye in the last few days.

1. They've had an election in Italy and it's been close. Now hating Berlusconi is kind of a given. So as I was drifting to wake this morning listen to New Zealand I was sort of glad to hear that the other guy was claiming victory. This man was described as the left candidate and he said that his number 1 priority was cutting Labour costs. I wish I could say that the idea that that could be the priority of the 'left' of any country surprised me. But I'd be lying.

2. The Italian police recently captured the head of the mafia, Bernardo Provenzano. They found him by chasing his washing. The house his wife was staying in was under surveillance and for days the Italian police tracked this package across the countryside. It went in and out of various houses, until it reached the house where he was staying. It's nice to find someone so committed to dominating women that he's prepared to go to jail for it.