Italiafile – for italophiles.

Theres an app for the Iphone which stereotypes countries.  For Italy it says pizza, pasta and mafia.  The minister for tourism is now going to sue Apple.   Obviously she doesnt know the difference between upper and lower case letters.  The Mafia would be an unjust slur, mafia on the other hand is organised crime…

Not only Berlusconis birthday, but the day he has chosen to get his vote of confidence on the famous 5 points.  He is confident of his majority having bought up the waverers.  The main plank of the justice reform is gone – ie no convicted criminals in parliament… so a huge step backward there.Enough of…

Fini went on tv last night to defend himself against the trumped up charges that he is as bad as all the others.  I am no apologist for Fini, ex fascist, leader of teh Alleanza Nazionale and further to the right than i could ever lean, but he does have my respect.His points are that…

Not only the papers owned directly by B are cowed and scared of reporting what is happening in Italy.  Imagine this summers coverage – you have to grab the bigger picture…1 – Fini – the Speaker, the 3rd post of State, and erstwhile founder of the PDL and ally of Mr B decides enough is…

So, the bearded wunderkid Piersilvio Berlusconi has announced the Channel 5 autumn season, promising innovation and quality.  So to trumpet the innovative status of Channel 5 here are the new series.Big Brother 11, I Cesaroni 4, Peter Pan 2, Amici 5, C’è Posta Per Te – who knows but the umpteenth, in fact there is…

I think someone with pots of money should take Berlusconi to court on the basis that TG4 – the flagship news programme with Emilio (Fido) Fede should not bear the title of TeleGiornale.  It isn’t a news programme, but an hour of Fede’s opinions on news events.  Yesterday we had Fido telling us about Roberto…

Youth unemployment in Italy is now running at 30% – which seems a dangerously high level to me.  At a recent ‘gara’ in Naples – the type of common entrance exam to see who will win the race to get one of 500 state jobs, there were 120,000 applicants.  All of whom had to sit…

You have to hand it to the economic wizards of Berlusconis government. In a bid to help tourism and the economy the minister for education, Gelmini – has proposed that the summer holidays be extended until OCtober – which means that everyone can stay at the beach and spend lots of money – or alternatively…

Lost in the election coverage there is a gripping story here in italy which has already led to the resignation of the minister of economic development.  In 2004 he bought a house with a view of the Coloseum in Rome, for a mighty 3500 euros per square metre.  Except that in that zone houses go…

Lordy I loathe Canale 5 – and its news service is an example of the laziest worst sort of journalism.  Only this week there has been a classic example on each of the flagship 8pm slots.Monday: a special on the Turin Shroud ‘which is the sheet in which was wrapped the body of Christ’  –…