Hagley Road to Australia

From Sydney with love...

This is a picture of my new area.

It's in the Sydney district of Pyrmont (super recommended if you happen to be Down Under), and it explains why things haven't been so active on the blog in recent weeks.

So, apologies to whoever may still read this, but I've moved here for good and have been enjoying the fantastic Sydney climate.

Just imagine, it's winter time here and we've been having twenty degrees and sun. The pubs and nightlife are amazing and what they say about the Ozzies being friendly and welcoming is absolutely true!

We'll be posting again soon, once work and my new Ozzie life are all settled.

Five reasons to be proud of Britain

A number of things set this country aside for the better. These are a few alternative ones that springs to mind:

1) Animal welfare
If you've ever endured the sight of ladies (and some men too) proudly donning dead animals' fur elsewhere in the world, cherish the fact that in Britain the same practice is culturally frowned upon to say the least.

Sure, there's still a long way to go, but the fact that both the Queen and her royal guards still insist on wearing bearskin hats is further proof that the country is progressing faster than its rulers.

And this applies to foxhunting and various other cruel practices too. Even the opponents of the ban know that cruel power trips (because "sports" they're not) don't stand a chance as far as the country's public opinion is concerned.

2) Music
Yes, Britain may be suffering from a major trade deficit, but if there's one area where the export balance is firmly active, that's music. Just think of how many legendary bands and songs this country exported over the decades. No other country of similar size has ever produced such a number of music-inspired movements that have been so appreciated and copied around the world.

And anywhere you are in the world, if you turn on the radio, any moment, a singing voice from Basildon, Glasgow, Swansea, Manchester or elsewhere in the UK is likely to keep you company whatever it is that you're doing.

3) Drink driving
In several other countries too many people still see no wrong in taking a car after a night drinking, whereas in Britain even the nastiest geezer would not consider it. OK, maybe some still do, but in the public consciousness the practice is firmly and definitely considered taboo.

4) Food

"What are you talking about", I hear you say, "British culinary heritage pales in comparison with that of France, Spain, Italy, China, you name it". But at least most Britons are open-minded enough to adopt foreign dishes as part of their culture without any fear of food fascism or snotty superiority complexes seeping to the fore.

Few may satisfy the most demanding purists, but it's nice to know that most British towns and cities have a wide variety of international restaurants on offer. Oh, and ale. Overseas they don't know what they're missing. Not to mention the vegetarian "V" marked on the menu. That really is a rare sight abroad.

5) The Right-Wing
This will definitely piss off many readers. But when you look at the state of conservative or centre-right parties in other European countries, Australia or the US, it makes you feel a touch better about David Cameron and his lot.

Don't get me wrong. I think there are at least a thousand reasons not to ever vote Tory in this country, and I wouldn't even under torture, but they have come a long way.

When you look at Sarah Palin, Italy's Berlusconi or Spain's abhorrent Partido Popular and their appallingly bigoted superhomophobic proto-medieval brand of macho-conservatism, Britain's Tories come off best.

Click here to read "Five reasons to be ashamed of Britain".

Berlusconi survives confidence vote

Last month we predicted the end of Silvio Berlusconi.

Consumed by scandals, a stagnant economy, as well as increasing defections within his own right-wing coalition, it really looked like the tycoon's days in office were numbered.

Wrong. Minutes ago the Italian PM survived a vote of confidence in both chambers. Literally, by the scruff of the neck, thanks to a few opposition MPs who stood their party up (literally going AWOL, imagine that in Westminster) and an unxpected extra handful of votes in favour.

Like my good old dad said, "You can never write Berlusconi off. He's like a cat with nine lives". Nine lives, as well as the fattest chequebook in Italy.

Allegations that several MPs, who had publicly announced they would vote against the government, were "cajoled" (or even "threatened") into realigning are gaining weight. This morning, opposition parties submitted to the courts "legal evidence" that a "trading operation" went on between Berlusconi's party and individual deputies.

In any other western democracy, the government would have some major explaining to do. In Italy it will just blow a raspberry.

[Photo : Italian politics in action this morning - from la Repubblica]

The last days of Berlusconi

Despite a massive majority, the Italian Prime Minister is days away from bowing out.

His third election victory in April 2008 was saluted as "historic": nobody in Italy's democratic history had ever won such a huge majority.

A series of factors suggested that Italy's messy political system was braced for stability at last.

A mangled opposition for starters. With the hard left wiped out of parliament for the first time since fascism and the remains of the centre-left worn out by more rows than a couple in the throws of divorce papers, an easy ride in parliament appeared well within Berlusconi's grasp.

Not to mention the media tycoon's notorious grip on the country's television. Lest we forget, 69.3 per cent of Italian voters openly admit telly is influential to the way they cast their ballot.

Add to the equation the recent European trend in favour of centre-right parties, and you can see why the pro-Berlusconi camp had never felt so buoyant.

"This is a historic victory, one that hands Silvio Berlusconi a clear majority and no time for hesitation", wrote some of his supporters two and a half years ago. "This time he's got the experience, his group is cohesive and the targets are clear. No more excuses now".

In the spring of 2008, Italy's most right-wing government since 1945 produced an ambitious programme that included lower taxes, reforming the justice system, reducing the public debt, a more dynamic cabinet and everybody in the country feeling generally wealthier and happier.

Yet in two and a half years, all the Italian government managed to knock together was a number of controversial immunity bills (which critics slammed as "tailor-made" to protect the scandal-ridden PM from prosecution) and a series of anti-immigration measures dictated by Berlusconi's openly xenophobic coalition partners the Northern League.

Otherwise, the Berlusconi ship started treading water pretty much from the off.

First, there was "his brand of bombastic politics", as aptly branded by Sarah Vine in the Times. A style more akin to an Emperor with no boundaries and no sense of decorum produced the first casualty when his wife Veronica Lario announced she wanted a divorce.

"I can no longer stop him from making himself look ridiculous in front of the world, I've reached the end of the line", she said.

Her words ("I cannot remain with a man who consorts with minors") opened a can of worms, with more reports following that the 74-year-old PM was at the core of a network of call girls paid to be sent to his residence (his own lawyer famously described prostitutes as "goods" and Berlusconi as "the end user").

In the meantime, the entire world was left with its mouth agape. Was all this actually taking place in a modern democracy?

But most baffling was Berlusconi's defence. "Better to love women than gays", "I'm loaded, that's why women love me" (school of "so Debbie what first attracted you to millionaire Paul Daniels?") and "I love life and I love women" was all the billionaire could muster without grasping any sense of ridicule.

And while increasing questions were raised over a PM whose behaviour left him exposed to blackmail, Italy found itself grappling with a number of unresolved issues. From cuts to education and street riots, organised crime and uncollected rubbish, as well as rotting heritage in Pompeii and growing poverty, Italy under Berlusconi appears in a total state of chaos.

The final straw came last month in the guise of a 17-year-old aspiring model known as 'Ruby'.

When the girl - who first met the PM at one of his notorious "parties" - was arrested for theft in Milan, it emerged that Berlusconi pressurised police to free her. The PM admitted he helped Ruby, but lamely denied interfering with the justice system.

Last week's news that Berlusconi's loyal long-erm ally and House Speaker Gianfranco Fini took the unprecedented step to leave the government and take with him a number of ministers and MPs signalled the beginning of the end.

"Sometimes I think this is the government of pretending that all is well without taking into account society's problems", said a visibly fed-up Fini in a public speech. "There's a sort of moral decadence, consequence of the progressive loss of decorum from those same public figures who are supposed to set the example", added the right-wing leader, obviously aware that his words would trigger political earthquake.

Fini's supporters declared that they will vote against a crucial vote of confidence on December 14. They may have enough MPs to bring Berlusconi down for good.

The irony is that the end of the empire is not being caused by any particular government policy backfiring or, even less so, by a centre-left opposition still in tatters. Berlusconi's coalition is simply, literally, imploding.

What will happen next nobody knows. But, two weeks from now, the action of a few dozen MPs may end up in history books as the official end of Berlusconismo.

Also on the subject: Help this man (Part 2)

Catalan elections: trouble for Spain's left?

With Catalonia going to the polls, the outcome is widely expected to cause Spain's socialist government yet another headache.

Spain has been one of the biggest casualties of the economic crisis. With unemployment at a staggering 20 per cent and no tangible signs of a steady recovery, not many are ready to bet on Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's Socialist government - the last bastion of leftist administration amongst Europe's "big five" - to last until the end of its mandate in 2012.

And given the increasingly tense relationship between Madrid's central government and Catalonia, the situation is likely to be further complicated by the region's elections taking place next week.

For the past seven years, Spain's most influential autonomous region has been governed by a left-wing coalition known as Tripartit, an alliance between the Catalan Socialists (PSC), the Greens and radical separatist party Esquerra Republicana.

Their two consecutive election victories in 2003 and 2006, ensured that a progressive answer to the never-ending debate surrounding Catalan identity could finally be found. Or, if anything, that the issue could be at least temporarily held off.

Similar to Scotland, politics in Catalonia is centred around national identity. No matter the subject, the issue of the region's relationship with the rest of Spain will pop up within seconds.

And while Catalans are broadly split into Espanyolistas and Catalanistas, the latter camp is also divided into those advocating more autonomy and federalism (though still within "the Spanish State") and those calling for outright independence.

Amongst Catalan politicians, however, few would be ready to openly advocate separatism.

Artur Mas, leader of centre-right and pro-business Catalanist party Convergència i Unió (expected to storm to victory after today's vote), has turned ambiguity on the subject into an art, never spelling out exactly whether he supports independence or not.

Nor has he specified what level of autonomy and devolution of power would be enough to satisfy his party's particular brand of nationalism. He said he would vote 'yes' in a vote over independence, but he's also stated that - if in power - his party would not call for a referendum.

As for the Socialists, seven years of juggling between their radical Catalanist allies and their natural vocation as a Spanish party has clearly taken its toll.

They thought they'd cut it when their carefully drafted Estatut (Catalan Statute of Autonomy) was approved by popular vote in a 2006 referendum, but last summer's decision by Madrid's Constitutional Court to annul a number of articles relating to language, justice and fiscal policy pushed anti-Spanish suspicion to new heights. This, in a region where posters circulate that caricature "the Spanish State" into an incompetent array of sinister-looking generals, judges, taxmen, bullfighters and priests.

Many interpreted the Estatut fiasco as evidence that the Socialists' policy of promoting an España Plural can only lead to a blind alley.

Which is why opinion polls indicate a total collapse for the PSC. From their peak of 31 per cent in 2003, the Catalan Socialists are now expected to just about hit 20%, leaving a reinvigorated Convergència i Unió running for power on a Cameronite programme of severe cuts in local government, inheritance tax cuts for the rich and financial incentives to private healthcare.

As for the radical catalanists of Esquerra Republicana, with their "uncompromising" image shattered by seven years in power and a new party to their left set up by former FC Barcelona chairman Joan Laporta, they're expected to net 7 per cent only - half of all the votes they managed in 2006.

This may all sound like a nightmare for the Spanish left, but there are at least three reason not to feel too pessimistic.

For starters, analysts believe that the right are not benefitting from drop in consensus for left-wing parties. At just over 50 per cent, turnout is expected to be lower than in the past, suggesting that progressive voters are simply staying at home.

Secondly, it's a fact that many people who vote for catalanist parties at local or regional elections tend to support PSOE at national level. It happened in 2004 and again in 2008 - such is the dislike for the rabidly anti-catalan Partido Popular, that many Catalans are happy to still cast their ballot for the only party that will prevent the Spanish right from winning at national level.

Which bring us to the final point. In spite of a crisis of epic proportions and a government crumbling before their eyes, support for the Partido Popular in Catalonia remains low. The most recent polls give the PP at 10,3%, even lower than the measly 10,8% they managed four years ago.

True, Catalonia has never been their stronghold. But if they really want to return to power in Madrid, they'll have to do better than that.

Jewish doctor walks out on Nazi patient

A brave surgeon in the German town of Paderborn refused to operate on a patient as he spotted a swastika tattooed on his arm.

The strict German privacy laws have prevented reporters from Bild (where the story first appeared) to give out details regarding the people involved or the type of surgery in question.

What is known, however, is that the doctor was set to start a routine operation (perhaps a hernia or appendicitis) when he discovered a Nazi tattoo on the patient's forearm: the appalling Reich's eagle perched on a swastika.

At that point the surgeon asked a colleague to continue and walked out on the operation. Bild reported that the doctor spoke to the patient's wife saying - and credit to him -"I will not operate on your husband, I can't, I'm Jewish and my conscience doesn't allow me".

The other doctor successfully completed the operation, but it's not known whether the patient was planning to sue.

He may want to think twice, however. The doctor (can you blame him?) may have turned his back on the Hippocratic Oath, but in Germany any public display of Nazi symbols is punishable under criminal law.

The cost of University: a comparative look

Sending a kid to university abroad has never been cheaper.

With tuition fees in the UK set to reach £9000 a year, the cost of Higher Education (already high by EU standards) is going to be the most prohibitive in Western Europe. Let's take a look.

Although in France admission to universities is extremely selective, most universities are almost free (€174 a year), the exception being some private Business Schools or the ultra-prestigious Grandes Ecoles which can exceed €12,900 a year. However, 26% of all HE students (generally from low income families) receive generous bursaries (see this and this).

Students in Germany have to fork out €100-200 per semester. There are penalties (as in tuition fees as such) for students who don't complete their courses on time (see this)

In the Netherlands, undergraduates under the age of 30 are required to pay €1620 a year.

In Sweden, all universities are completely free for all EU students. There is only a registration fee of around €30 Euros per semester (see here).

The same system is in place in Norway, although the registration fee is slightly higher (€50 per semester).

In Denmark, university courses are completely free for all EU students, while in Spain the system at state universities is more complex.

Aside from an annual registration fee of up to €20 a year and a number of ancillary costs (i.e. various paperwork and certificates that will not exceed a total of €200 anyway), students are charged "per credit", that is to say, more or less, for every module they study. A single credit will not exceed €16. However, students will be charged an extra 25% if they're re-sitting and an extra 70% on their third attempt. On average the total annual cost of university fees will range between €800 and €1,000.

source: http://www.studyineurope.eu

Related articles: Student protests: are you surprised?; and Top-up fees. Forking out £3,000

The Pope in Spain: spreading poison

Few heads of State have ever managed to visit a country and slag off their hosts at the same time. Ratzinger just did it.

What is it with this Pope? Bad manners? A twisted propensity for poisoned confrontation? A rabid desire to interfere in a sovereign state's internal affairs even when it's against the most basic diplomatic protocol? Or is his a simple case of sheer ignorance?

How else can anyone begin to comprehend the poisonous comments as those spurted out by Pope Benedict XVI on his current official visit to Spain?

As he consacrated Barcelona's Sagrada Familia and paid tribute to the shrine of Santiago de Compostela, Pope Benedict lashed out at Spanish society and its Socialist-led Government, slamming the country's "strong and aggressive secularism" and its "form of anti-clericalism akin to that last seen in the 1930s". The latter was a clear nod to the Civil War and the days when Republican troops killed thousands of priests and pillaged churches in rage at the clergy's backing of Franco's military coup d'etat.

An interesting way, that was, to show gratitude to a country which just forked out €13,333 per minute (each minute!) - in the middle of its biggest economic crisis in decades - so that his trip could take place without a glitch.

And yet, whoever briefed Ratzinger forgot that few countries are as generous as Spain when it comes down to the Church's privileges.

Since Franco's death took away that appalling brand of national catholicism so dear to the Vatican's hierarchy, 21-st century Spain has not amended a single one of the Church's prerogatives. Amongst them, huge fiscal incentives and direct state-funding of the Catholic church. So much for Ratzinger's talk of aggressive secularism and parallels with the Civil War, each year the Spanish State subsidises Catholic activities to the tune of 6 million Euros.

But Benedict XVI went further. The former Hitler Youth member charged against Spain's recent easing of restrictions on abortion (note that legislation in Spain is still way more restrictive then anywhere in northern Europe) and took a swipe at the country's liberal policy on same-sex marriage, legalised by the Socialist Party (PSOE) soon after they office in 2004.

"Spain needs to be re-evangelised", were Joseph Ratzinger's exact words.

"The Church supports natural order when it comes to the family as an institution", the Pope added in Barcelona, calling for governments to introduce "economic measures" to incentivise what he dubbed "the natural family", so that "the woman can find her complete fulfilment at home (does he mean in the kitchen?) as well as at work". Incidentally, in the midst of his verbal diarrohea, the 84-year-old white-clad bloke did not say a single word about the enormous paedo scandal that has been marring the Catholic Church the world over.

Pope Ratzinger can blame modern times as much as he wants. If Spain's rapid de-christianisation is bugging him so much, he should lay the blame on the Vatican's incapacity to grasp humanity and do soul searching rather than spreading poison and prejudice.

Bullfighting ban: a hollow victory

Amidst the fanfare of reports and headlines, international observers forgot to report that yesterday's Catalan "ban" on bullfighting means very little in terms of animal welfare.

Yesterday's decision by the Catalan Parliament to ban bullfighting in the Spanish autonomous region was met with glee and satisfaction around the world.

For people like those behind this blog, the Catalan ban on the corrida can only be saluted. Torture and death inflicted on an innocent animal for no reason other than "tradition" and "entertainment" are nothing but an aberration - especially in the 21st century.

Many hope (and others fear) that the ban in Catalonia may rub off on the whole of Spain, finally bringing bullfighting to an end.

And yet, a point that the excited headlines failed to pick up is the dark shadow that hangs over the ban on the so-called fiesta taurina. A ban that, it turns out, is an astonishingly hollow victory.

This is why.

Opponents of the ban (stemming mainly, but not exclusively, from the Spanish right) regularly point out that, barring a few genuine animal rights activists, the law is backed by the Catalan nationalist parties (Convergencia i Unió and Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya) purely as a means to stoking anti-Spanish sentiments. In other words, it has little to do with the welfare of animals and all with playing up the difference between Spain and Catalonia.

Until today, I put this approach down to the pig-headedness and spitefulness of Spain's conservative Partido Popular (which - if you're new to Spanish politics - are way to the right of the Conservatives in the UK).

Then I discovered that in certain parts of Catalonia there is indeed another "traditional" fiesta which is even crueller and more monstrous than the old corrida. The Catalans call it correbous and, in many of their towns, it's considered a major celebration.

Look away if you can't stand cruelty to animals.

Because the correbous consist of setting a bull's horns ablaze in front of thousands of onlookers and a merry background of fireworks and firecrackers. The bull is hemmed in within the perimeter of the town's main square as all access passages are fenced off, which is how the torture (or "game", according to the same Catalans who frown upon bullfighting) unravels. The result is an agonising animal running around terrified - sometimes even for hours on end.

Now, courtesy of the Catalan nationalist parties, the law that yesterday put a ban on bullfighting did not include the correbous. Not only that. The same catalanists who backed the anti-bullfighting campaign were very vocal in defending the right to set bulls' horns on fire. Convergencia i Unió even tabled a Parliamentary motion which would officially "safeguard" the correbous in the name of "collective interest"!

Their justification? Staggering though it may sound, they too cling on to "tradition". Which is to say, the same lame argument that supporters of bullfighting bring forward each time the morality of their beloved corrida is questioned. "Without bulls there's no party and without party there's no people": that's how a Catalan nationalist MP publicly defended the correbous a few months ago.

Perhaps, simply, the word "hypocrisy" does not translate amongst the people of Convergencia i Unió and other Catalan separatists.

When you consider the hideous double standards, it becomes apparent that bullfighting was banned purely as a hated symbol of "Hispanity".

Because in the warped mindset of Catalan nationalism, animal cruelty is bad if it comes from the other side of the backyard, but not if it's of 'their own' variety.

Nationalism: BP's desperate card?

Don't let anybody tell you that nationalism and big capital don't match.

Look at how BP's PR machine is turning the whole thing around. And with some success too.

What started on April 20 with an oil rig explosion and the death of 11 workers, quickly turned into one of the most devastating environmental catastrophes ever. It is estimated that 40,000 barrels a day have been spilling into the Gulf of Mexico.

The consequences for the environment and local economy (and when we say "local" we mean the equivalent of a semicircle going from Cornwall all the way to East Anglia) are devastating. Millions of people depending on fishing and tourism, the two most obvious areas that spring to mind, are obviously very concerned.

For the record, BP encountered hostility because: 1) evidence of criminal negligence is gradually surfacing (regarding cost cutting and lax security measures); 2) the company has been fined several times in recent years for negligence over, again, security, safety hazards and environmental crimes in the US; 3) in the wake of the accident, company's CEO Tony Hayward came up with one tactless comment after the other and got lambasted for lacking empathy.

Now, bear in mind that BP shares started nosediving straight after the accident and continued to do so after each attempt at cleaning up failed and each time Mr Hayward engaged in inept remarks.

On June 1, BP shares already lost 34 per cent of their value before the spill.

Obama's notorious "whose ass to kick" and "he wouldn't work for me" remarks didn't take place until June 8. Shares kept plunging until they reached half their original value, but to say the President is responsible is a complete smokescreen.

So what happened? When it was clear that "ordinary" PR couldn't cut it on behalf of BP, aid came in the guise of the "patriotic" card. And it worked.

Just look at it. In the past few days, the focus has shifted completely. It is no longer on the environmental tragedy, its impact on millions of lives, the clean-up and BP's obvious responsibilities.

Boris Johnson and Lord Tebbit accused Barack Obama and the Americans in general of anti-British rhetoric, "buck-passing and name-calling", even though the buck does indeed stop at BP.

Tebbit, in particular, called Obama "despicable", unleashed accusations of "anti-BP rhetoric" and putting BP pension schemes at risk, as he kick-started the game of "whataboutery" that the "Americans too" have caused environmental disasters in the past (and?).

On Thursday night's BBC Question Time the rhetoric had hit such crass levels that panel member Toby Young ("journalist and author") got a round of applause by saying that "if you wanna see some ass kicked you should tune into the England v USA World Cup game on Saturday".

Never mind questions should be raised about a messed-up system where millions of pensions are literally left to the gambling world, just blow the dog whistle and start mentioning "British interests" (to be read in a manly, gravely voice)...and that's it, people's attention is easily sidetracked.

So imagine that. Basically Barack Obama, his administration, and the millions of American citizens affected by BP's ineptitude, should just say: "don't rush, BP. No sweat. We know some British pension schemes are invested in BP, so just leave it. Actually, have one on us".

The world according to Israel

Reflections on the Israeli raid on aid ships.

If the official explanations from Benjamin Netanyahu and the IDF were to be accepted, then any of the following situations could be deemed perfectly just, reasonable and normal:

1.
A group of heavily armed men ambushed a car down the M1, killing the driver and two passengers. A spokesperson for the gunmen said: "As we descended upon the vehicle, one passenger started pushing us out of the car, putting our lives in danger. We were left with no choice".

Further justifying the attack, one of the assailants said: "A closer inspection revealed the presence of inflammable liquid inside the car. There was also a crowbar and a torch. Clearly there was nothing else we could have done. The people in that car posed a serious threat".

2.
Two gun-wielding men explained why they killed two chefs and three waiters as they stormed a restaurant kitchen last night:

"We broke in and a member of staff confronted us and asked us to leave. We clearly felt intimidated and we started shooting". One of the gunmen added: "We just did the right thing. Be in no doubt: look at all the pans, pots and knives we found in that kitchen. They were all potential weapons. These people were asking for it", he concluded.

3.
A random dog was machine-gunned to death while roaming freely yesterday. Two armed men justified the killing by saying that, even though the animal was over 600 yards away, dogs may occasionally bite people. One of the attackers noted: "We did the right thing. If in doubt, just look at the sharp gnashers we found inside the creature. That was clear evidence the dog was up to no good".

4.
A gang of ten armed youths explained why they bashed two passers-by to death yesterday. "Those two were a potential threat. Both had hands, which could have been used as fists. What else can you do? Wait until they attack you?".

Their lawyer added that the group acted in good faith: "They were defending themselves. Further evidence is in the set of keys one of the two was carrying in his pocket. Those keys were sharp. They were potential weapons. Those two were clearly thugs spoiling for a fight".

Peter Tatchell: Moscow Gay Pride has been banned

As the EU, the UK and the US have all failed to condemn the decision, activists gather in a secret Moscow location to defy the ban.

In a shameless display of feeble deference to the Mayor of Moscow, a court in the Russian capital today upheld Mayor Luzhkov's ban of the fifth attempted Moscow Gay Pride parade. The judge acted in defiance of the Russian constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression and the right to protest.

This is a sad day for Russian democracy. It is the latest of many suppressions of civil liberties that happen in supposedly democratic Russia. Many other protests are also denied and repressed, not just gay ones. Autocracy rules under President Medvedev.

The EU and western embassies are hypocrites. They support Gay Pride events in Poland and Latvia, but not in Russia. The UK and US governments have not protested to the Russian authorities. Their ambassadors to Russia have offered no support to the Moscow Pride organizers. They have ignored suggestions that they host Gay Pride events in their embassy grounds and that they fly the gay rainbow flag on Moscow Pride day, 29 May.

On the eve of the banned march, activists are arriving in Moscow from all parts of Russia, to join the Saturday parade. We are being billeted in secret locations across the city. To outwit the FSB security services, who have previously tried to locate Gay Pride activists by tracing their mobile phones, we have surrendered our mobiles and been issued with brand new Russian sim cards.

I am holed up with a group of activists in an apartment in Moscow. We've been asked to remove all badges and ribbons that might identify us as gay or as activists. All the beds and sofas, and much of the floor space, is taken up with activists form far and wide. Everyone is messing in to organize food and household chores.

We are ready and determined to make a stand for gay rights and the right to protests. The courage and resolve of the Russian LGBT activists is really inspiring. We'll take whatever the authorities, and neoNazis, throw at us. We are hoping for no arrests and no assaults, but we are ready for the worst.

Peter Tatchell is the coordinator of the British gay human rights group OutRage! and human rights spokesperson for the Green Party of England and Wales.

Click here for information about Peter Tatchell's campaigns.

Reverse offshoring: Ford leads the way

We are so used to companies closing shop and moving abroad to increase profits. How the Obama administration got two birds with one stone.

In the grand scheme of things, 170 jobs is not an enormous amount. The significance, however, is priceless. After two decades of business operations or entire companies relocating overseas to maximise profits and further reduce costs, a world-famous company decided to do the opposite.

Following an agreement with the United Auto Workers union, and with the help of a federal grant, Ford Motor Co. decided to invest $135 million in Michigan to design, engineer and produce components for its next generation of hybrids and fully electric vehicles.

The parts are currently built in Japan and assembled in Mexico. The move will mean 170 new jobs in the Michigan area.

Some observers noted that this could mean that the offshoring tide may be turning, after years and years of companies racing to the bottom for the lowest possible salary around the world.

But this is also good news because "Ford plans to sell five electric or hybrid vehicles in the U.S. by 2012 and Europe by 2013". A sign that President Obama's stimulus programme to boost development of plug-in electric vehicles is now a reality.

The UK election in the European press

How the European papers are covering the pre-election campaign.

"An underdog triumphs"
Die Welt (Germany, centre-right)

The situation has changed the chemistry of the British election campaign overnight, making the outcome completely unpredictable.

The second of three TV debates reaffirmed it on Thursday: many people are excited over the possibility of marking their dissent against the two-party system. In the polls, the Liberal Democrats are almost on a par with their major competitors. After 80 years, the insignificant party may finally return to the center of politics.

Should the trend continue, the output, a "hung parliament" seems almost inevitable - a situation in which no party has a majority over all others.

Nick Clegg today enjoys the double advantage of being the island's popular underdog: he has to fight not only the leaders of the two great parties, but more importantly, the constraints of the British voting system under which the Liberals' true strength has never translated into an appropriate number of seats. In 2005, they received 22 percent of the votes cast, but only ten percent of the seats in Parliament, that is 62. In February 1974, they got 19.3 percent of the vote, but only 14 seats.

The public seems prepared to no longer accept this unfairness against the underdog. Anti-establishment sentiments are throwing ash and lava into the political landscape. All calculations are still facing a potentially revolutionary process. Coalitions in Westminster? British politics would look "more European". But would it also be more stable?

"Clegg resists attacks"
Le Figaro (France, centre-right)

Nick Clegg didn't flinch in the face of his opponents' attacks. He did not mince his words against David Cameron, accusing the Tory anti-European attitudes: "We are stronger together and we're weaker separately".

"Spreading fear does no good", he also replied to Gordon Brown. "Don't believe all these ridiculous horror stories about the Apocalypse and economic policy" that a Lib Dem victory would bring, he finally said.

"Churchill, Obama or just a bubble?"
El Pais (Spain, centre-left)

The Liberal leader is making some tremendous effort to stop the current success from going to his head, if anything because he hasn't received the voters' backing yet.

In recent days, the Tory press has attacked him with brutality. Some tried to turn a simple irregularity into a scandal: donations to the party going through his private bank account. Nevermind all the donations had been declared to the parliamentary authority: the important thing was to cast doubt over his honesty.

Others have questioned his legitimacy to become Prime Minister through allegations over his bloodline: his mother is Dutch, his father is of Russian descent, his wife is Spanish.

The third strategy to burst the Clegg bubble was to expose him as a posh boy. The same press that for months ranted against the injustice of Labour attacking David Cameron's wealthy aristocratic origins in an attempt to discredit the Conservative leader, is now portraying Nick Clegg as a product of money and elitism.

"Gordon Brown clutches at the economy in last ditch attempt at survival"
Publico (Spain, left)

Times have changed. The British no longer feel obliged to choose between two parties only. In 1992, 75% of the votes were cast for the Tories and Labour. The percentage has been dropping relentlessly ever since. It was 68% in 2005 and opinion polls suggest this time it won't be over 60%.

"Cameron wins second debate but a Clegg-Brown alliance is born on TV"
La Repubblica (Italy, centre-left)

"I must be the only politician who has gone from being Curchill to being a Nazi in under a week", Clegg joked with the press just before walking into the TV arena. It was inevitable that, put under the microscope, he'd betray a blemish or two, yet the UK Tory press unleashed an attack of rare virulence, almost portraying him as a monster.

Corrupt: only because they found out that three businessmen transferred the staggering amount of £750 per month (roughly €850) into his personal account. He was yet to become Lib Dem leader and he'd done nothing illegal. The sum- he explained- was needed to pay the salary of a research assistant. And yet the press is talking about little else, portraying the man who is promising to clean up politics into someone who's got something to hide instead.

An aristocrat: because they unearthed the news that his great grandmother is a Baroness, evidence - according to the media hullabaloo - that Clegg is not a man of the people.

A former "eurocrat": that is to say, an ex EU bureaucrat, an accusation that - to most Britons- is worse than being dubbed a serial-killer.

And so on. All the way to "Nazi", as reported on the front page of the Daily Express, referring to some allegged slur [Clegg] was accused of having spelt out against his own native country.

Lech Kaczynski, a far-right president

The controversial career of the Polish President, who died this morning in horrific circumstances.

Europe was shocked to learn that Polish President Lech Kaczynski died this morning in a plane crash.

Kaczynski, 60, was one of the most controversial European politicians. In charge since 2005, when he was voted in on a platform of law, order and nationalism, his views raised a few eyebrows across the political spectrum. Not least in Britain, given that Kaczynski's party Law and Justice (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość) are the British Conservatives' current partners in the European Parliament.

Accusations of hypocrisy were thrown at David Cameron as Law and Justice place enormous emphasis on homophobic rhetoric as well as a firm return to traditional family values.

In 2009, Amnesty International released a statement about the "climate of intolerance in Poland against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community [...] openly homophobic language used by some highly placed politicians, and incitement of homophobic hatred by some right-wing groups".

Amnesty also condemned the Polish government's abolition of the Office for Equal Opportunities.

Lech Kaczynski and his brother Jaroslaw were some kind of Polish equivalent of Martin and Gary Kemp, except that they picked politics over a career in acting and music. Yet, that's exactly how it all started. The pair enjoyed fame in Poland since the age of 12 when they both appeared in a children's film called The Two Who Stole The Moon.

Lech, a fervent catholic, became heavily involved in anti-communist activism within the Solidarność (Solidarity) movement that brought the pro-Soviet regime to an end in 1989. His ultra-conservative credentials started making headlines during his time as Warsaw mayor, when he banned a gay pride event.

Allied to the far-right League of Polish Families (Poland's own BNP) Lech won the Presidency while his brother Jaroslaw became Prime Minister. Extreme hostility against the EU, support for a strong state as well as outright homophobia were the pillars of their political activity. It was Jaroslaw who uttered the most controversial statement: "the affirmation of homosexuality will lead to the downfall of civilization".

After Barack Obama's election in 2008, Artur Gorski, an MP from the Kaczynskis' party, warned that the victory of the "black messiah of the new left" would mean "an impending catastrophe, the end of the civilisation of the white man".

The tide appeared to be turning in recent months. Opinion polls in the run-up to the next Presidential elections, due in September, suggested that Poland's own far-right era may be finally on the wane, with Lech Kaczynski trailing his centrist opponent Bronislaw Komorowski.

This morning, Kaczynski was due to appear at the commemoration ceremony for the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre in Russia. With him on the plane, there were a number of high rank Polish politicians and personalities.

Copenhagen

My experience in the most beautiful and different place I've seen in Europe.

I'd always been intrigued by Scandinavia. I'd read loads about their cities, language, weather and social system, as well as their much celebrated penchant for social harmony and respect.

Last week, I was lucky enough to be able to spend five days in Denmark and this is an incredibly brief account of what I observed.

The city

Copenhagen is, quite simply, stunning. One of the most beautiful cities I've ever visited. It's not only an architectural dream, with its thousands of amazing constructions (both old and new), but it is also an urban planner's paradise, with a fantastically organised layout, spaces, parks, cycle lanes.

You're immediately blown away by how clean and well-kept everything is. Perhaps I was lucky, but I think I only noticed one dogshit in five days, and that includes parks.

Copenhagen is also a maritime city, with the added bonus that its jagged coastlines creates a myriad canals, each of them adding to the unique atmosphere.

Traffic

The first thing that strikes you in Copenhagen is calm and tranquility. Denmark must be the one country I've visited with the lowest volume of traffic I've ever seen in my life. Whether it's a weekday, rush hour or the weekend, there are very very few cars around. It's almost like when you watch a documentary of Britain (or any other Western country) in the 1960s.

This is obviously reflected in a) the amazingly clean air; b) the distinct lack of noise pollution, especially when you consider this is a capital city. Compare Copenhagen with London, Paris, Rome or Athens and it's just shockingly quiet. You've got to see (or hear) it to believe it.

You may have heard that cycling is a common activity in Denmark. That's a huge understatement. Again, in my life, I have never seen such an amount of bicycles. The Danes cycle everywhere, all the time. The urban layout is extremely cycle friendly. Most striking are parking spaces. Whereas cars are few and far between, bicycles are parked in throves at each corner.

It is not at all uncommon to spot bikes trailing a two-wheel cart or mini-rickshaw which is designed for children.

Safety

Obviously you cannot judge such complex issues on the basis of a few days. Hence I will just write what I observed, which is just two police cars in five days. Seriously, we did not spot a single police officer or "bobby on the beat" anywhere, whether in the shopping areas, old town, metro or elsewhere. Whether that means people feel safe, I don't know, but this is what we observed.

Most amazingly, the greatest majority of the above-mentioned bikes are parked unlocked! Even overnight, it looks like most people simply leave them outside their home without a single chain, lock or cable in sight.

Generally, it all felt quite cosy and civilised. Even the biggest main squares were notable for the absence of dodgy-looking types (whatever that means), which is unusual for big cities. Again, I'm sure crime exists, yet everywhere felt distinctly unthreatening.

Pubs

Copenhagen has the cosiest pubs I've ever seen. They are just stunning. And they do what they're supposed to do, that is: serve drinks. Most don't serve food and music is only in the very background, which means people have a chance to chat and socialise without busting their vocal chords because someone decided that it's cool and trendy to blast Robbie Williams on until your eardrums throb, even at 3pm. We did not encounter a single pub where music was being pumped up loud.

A couple of times we remarked that if this had been an English place...they'd have stripped the walls, changed the original flooring, added big fuckoff speakers everywhere, put up a DJ booth in the corner and cleared the tables to make room for a make-believe dancefloor.

Everywhere in Copenhagen is candle-lit. It helps that most pubs are incredibly old buildings, which adds to the general atmosphere. Old school tufted settees and upholstered stools, now a dying sight in English pubs, are run-of-the-mill in Denmark. Smoking is allowed in premises that don't serve food - which means you can light up in most pubs.

Our favourite one quickly became the one round the corner from the hotel because it had a free pool table.

Another discovery is the fact that they do ale in Denmark. They actually produce it themselves and even Carlsberg has its own breed. Most pubs serve it and it's actually really nice.

Language

You will immediately notice that everyone in Denmark, even older people, are really fluent in English. Out of all the countries I've visited, I dare say the Danes are the best foreign speakers of English, even better than the Dutch. Which is a shame if you want to pick up some of their language.

Danish sounds really nice and musical, like a more melodic version of German. They say it's fairly similar to Swedish, but not in the way it sounds. You can tell where some Anglo-Saxon words come from, but in no way does it resemble the English language.

At a guess, as long as you master certain specific sounds and letters (æ, ø, å, etc), which is easier said than done, grammar structures appear way less compicated than neo-latin languages. By the way, one beer is "en høl".

English-speaking films on local TV are never dubbed. They show them in the original language with Danish subtitles. One person we spoke to told us this is probably one of the reasons why Danes are so good at English.

Still on the subject of TV: guess who hosts their Champions League programme? Peter Schmeichel.

People

This trip confirmed that stereotypes are just an enormous pile of bollocks. That old crap that Scandinavians are distant and unfriendly? Balls. Sure, you can't judge over a few days, but then we must have been quite lucky because everywhere we went people were extremely friendly, corteous and helpful.

The old chit chat with shop assistants or staff, which is so unusual amongst the supposedly caliente Spaniards, seems to be the order of the day in Copenhagen. The same with "have a good day", "enjoy your day" and similar expressions. From the grottiest shop to department stores, it looks like routine behaviour. Think of the friendliest establishment in England applied on a wider scale.

As soon as you arrive at the airport and look around for directions (there are both metro and trains taking you to whichever destination directly from there), staff will be on hand to offer help and advice. In our case a very nice chap came over to us and offered help.

Another thing that happened straightaway was that, as we got off the metro taking us into town from the airport, there was a man who left an empty bag on the train and made for the exit door. Immediately another bloke pulled him up on that and sure enough the man apologised, collected his rubbish and then got off the train. Interesting.

Christiania

But Copenhagen is also unique because it's home to a place you won't find anywhere else. In the beautiful south-eastern area of Christianshavn, there's a self-proclaimed autonomous state called Freetown Christiania.

The place was founded in 1971 when a group of people decided to reclaim an enormous (and derelict) military area as protest against high property prices. That soon became a fortified self-regulated community which the Danish authorities have more or less (increasingly less, apparently) tolerated ever since. The land value of the area must be sky-high and there's increasing suspicion that the government will soon push to have the community cleared with an eye on starting new developments.

Today, around 1,000 people live in Christiania. No cars are allowed in and there are signs everywhere saying "no fights, no hard drugs and no guns". The place consists of an independent town centre with shops, market stools, leisure centres and industrial amounts of cannabis and weed like I've never seen before in my life.

As you carry on walking, the place then turns into a totally rural community. It absolutely looks like you're in the middle of the countryside, with clean air, loads of dogs roaming freely around fields and gardens and a succession of the quirkiest self-designed and self-built houses, some of them absolutely amazing.

The place is both weirdly fascinating and fascinatingly weird at the same time. When you leave (and sure enough a sign informs you that 'You are now entering the EU'), it feels like you're reawakening from a dream.

Prices

Here comes the fly in the ointment. Copenhagen is extortionately expensive. I never thought I was ever going to say that Central London is cheaper than another place. Well, it is. Seriously, let me type it up again. London is definitely cheaper than Copenhagen and that applies to every item apart from cigarettes.

The local currency is the Danish Kroner and a small beer (25cl) is almost never cheaper than 30 DKK, which is to say £3.50 or 4 Euros.

True, alcohol is taxed to fuck, but you'll find that everything is extremely dear. This also applies to areas away from the most touristy spots. We took a peek at supermarkets to get an idea and the cheapest item we spotted (and that was at Netto) was a can of tuna costing DKK 7.50 (roughly 1 Euro).

We came to the conclusion that the base price is the equivalent of £10. Everything else comes on top.

Standards of living

Which begs the next question. How can the Danes afford it? There's a vast literature out there explaining that Denmark has amongst the highest standards of living in the world. Public services are spot on but in order to fund them taxes have to be extremely high, to levels that would be unimaginable in the UK.

But then it also strikes you as a really cohesive society and one that works incredibly well. We did not spot a single beggar or homeless person. Again, I'm sure they exist, but go to London, Milan, Barcelona or Paris and count the seconds until you see one. In five days travelling the length and breadth of Copenhagen we didn't see any at all.

The Danes will tell you that they pride themselves on being an "egalitarian" society. Their percentage of workers on low pay is amongst the lowest in the EU and their system of flexicurity (that is, easy to hire and fire but with extremely generous safety nets that include unemployment benefits at up to 80 per cent of your last wage) seems to be working alright. Their current unemployment rate stands at 4,2% with the country left virtually unscathed by the global crisis.

What catches your eye is also the relatively low number of retail businesses. Most capital cities you go to are a dazzling concentration of clothes shops, malls, restaurants, take aways, supermarkets, souvenir shops and assorted temptations to spend money everywhere.

Intriguingly, less so in Copenhagen. Whether that's due to high taxation or cultural approach, I don't know.

Three days off

Hagley Road to Ladywood is back at the week-end.

Redundancy Island

How a group of laid off workers took over an uninhabited island and began their protest.

When so-called "reality TV" programmes started mushrooming up one after the other, many commented on the fact that the only "real" thing about them was in the name.

And yet, as they quickly saturated television, their artificial, dumb and repetitive formula will probably be judged by history as the Noughties' worst cultural legacy.

Back in 2005, we wrote that a Temping Idol or Casual Employee Academy would have been a good antidote to the binge of televisual fakery that goes by the name of "reality".

Now, a dramatic story is actually underway and it's no fake.

A group of workers barricaded themselves on Asinara, a small island off the northern coast of Sardinia. For decades, and until 1997, the island was used as a maximum security prison, and its only inhabitants were prisoners and warders.

After being collectively laid off four months ago, on February 24, a group of workers from a chemical company called ENI landed at Asinara and set camp at the old prison.

This is when their L'isola dei Cassintegrati, "Redundancy Island", started. Though there are no celebrity and no television crews, the workers are hoping to direct collective focus towards their plight.

Their families help them set up a Facebook group which has already gained over 14,000 supporters. It reads:

"Redundancy Island is a 'real' reality, unfortunately, where no-one is famous but everyone is jobless. Hidden away on an island which is the symbol of what a once Great Sardinia which is now in the throes of a deep crisis, we are dwelling in cells which are no worse than the prison bars that the national government, the regional one and ENI presented us with.

There are no yachts, billionaires or showgirls on this island, just the crude reality of unaccountable politics and a state-controlled company – ENI – pursuing its business goals as they trample on hundreds of families. Not least, a group of brave workers fighting for their rights".

Since redundancy notices were served in November, the workers have had to make do with a single 800 Euro payout.

"It's embarrassing that we have to mimick Celebrity Island to remind people of what's going on in both Italy and Sardinia", said one of the protesters to Italian daily la Repubblica.

Youth unemployment: German lessons

Youth unemployment data across the EU suggest that countries with more developed apprenticeship policies have minimised the worst effects of the downturn.

In Britain, 17.9% of those below the age of 25 are unemployed. True, some countries are faring even worse. The percentage is 21.5 per cent in Ireland while, in Spain, the jobless amount amongst the young has now reached a staggering 42.6 per cent.

Countries like Denmark and Germany, however, show a different picture - with the unemployment rate amongst the under-25s standing at 8.9 and 10.5 respectively.

Of course, there is no obvious reason for this disparity. However, Germany has long been known as a country placing apprenticeships at the core of its education system.

The German system is a model for youth work contracts. It is called 'the dual system'. Once completed compulsory education, either at 16 or 19, a worker can start an apprenticeship at a company which can last between 2 and 3 and 1/2 years. During this period, for two days a week, the apprentice will have to learn the theoretical background at a vocational school known as Berufsschule.

The precise skills and theory taught on German apprenticeships are strictly regulated. The employer is responsible for the entire education programme.

There are aroud 350 trades to choose from: anything from accountant to builder or from medical worker to baker.

About two thirds of young people who finish school decide to begin an apprenticeship every year.

The fact that the contract is really an 'apprenticeship' doesn't mean that the worker has no rights. Unlike other countries such as Italy, contracts designed to help the young are not misused to maximise profits out of unprotected workers. The company is required to pick up the social security costs as well as unemployment insurance and pension entitlements.

What varies is the salary. For instance, an apprentice metal worker in the Baden-Wurtemberg region will earn around 810 Euros a month during his first year, €861 in his second, €937 in the third and €988 in his fourth. His counterpart in Berlin will probably take home €100 less each month.

This can partly explain why there is a lower percentage of university students in Germany when compared to other Western countries, but there is a much lower percentage of people entering the German labour market with no qualifications. This seems to have protected, at least partially, German workers and job seekers from the worst effects of the downturn.

Britain, instead was hit on two fronts.

One one side, the 1980s and 1990s saw a sharp decrease in the number of apprenticeships which was only reversed through increased investment since 1997. The number of learners of all ages starting on the Apprenticeships programme has more than doubled from around 75,000 to around 180,000 today.

On the other side, the Labour government was guilty of placing unrealistic expectations on the University system. You may remember the old Blairite obsession with having 50% of people in Higher Education by 2010. It was never going to be economically sustainable, which is why the Government is now -very shyly- trying to support graduate internship positions.

At the moment, it's not going very well. Out of 725,000 unemployed 18-24 Britons, there are 3,400 graduate internship positions, only 47% of which are paid.

Orlando Zapata Tamayo

Cuban dissidents are rotting in prison. Has anybody noticed?

There's a regime out there where people are routinely sentenced to 36 years in jail on the grounds that they're political opponents. People get thrown in jail with charges such as "contempt", "criticism" and "alteration of order".

This same regime has never held free elections. Not once. The same family (two brothers) has been at the helm for fifty years now, outwearing most dictatorships you can think of, including Hitler, Mussolini, Franco, Pinochet, Ceaucescu and many others.

You'd have thought that this type of regime would garner little sympathy from most people on the left.

Instead, would you believe it, this one-party state is actively supported by a lot of well-meaning people all over the Western World, the same people who are consistently vocal in support of freedom and the rights of the oppressed; people who call themselves "liberal", "progressive" and "socialist".

There are acclaimed, intelligent leftist bands endorsing it, trade unions organising support rallies and progressive MPs writing eulogies. In case you hadn't clocked it, we're talking about Cuba.

This week, the Castro regime allowed a peaceful 42-year-old bricklayer and democracy activist (Amnesty International had declared him "a prisoner of conscience" after his arrest in 2003) to die after an 86-day hunger strike in protest against government abuses, prison torture and brutal treatment of political opponents.

The brave freedom campaigner was called Orlando Zapata Tamayo.