International

[Updated] Two men have entered the competition to select the ‘misses’ who will congratulate the winner of the prologue of the Giro d’Italia, but it seems unlikely that they will survive the first selection round next Friday. What is more, even the girl entrants may not be allowed to act as official Giro misses.

Last month, progressive party GroenLinks suggested that instead of a miss, a broad-shouldered man or a drag queen could congratulate the winner of the prologue of the Giro d’Italia in Amsterdam on 8 May. Foreign media reported that indeed a few men have entered the ‘Ciao Bella’ competition organised by local TV stations AT5 and RTV NH to select the Giro misses.

Foreign media offer extensive coverage of the Dutch national political crisis, but they cover a few local issues as well. They are mainly interested in the debate on foreign-language campaign material and the suggestion to have gay men kiss the winner of the prologue of the Giro d’Italia. “The misses will be Italian and will be brought from Italy by us.”

The Netherlands will elect a new Parliament on 9 June, as a result of the fall of the cabinet over Uruzgan. However, there will be local elections first, on next Wednesday.

Forget Greenpeace, OxfamNovib, the Clinton Foundation and all those other charities that are supported by lottery and charity giant Postcodeloterij. There are all kinds of independent organisations that need your support more. A summary of the requests that have arrived over the past few days.

On 22 February, four shoes were thrown at Israeli army spokesperson Ron Edelheit when he was giving a lecture in Amsterdam on military actions in Gaza, in which he had himself participated. He is not deterred by the incident: next month, he will again speak in the Netherlands, Haaretz reports.

“I will go to Holland and have my visit advertised so that as many listeners as possible will come,” Edelheit told Haaretz. “I have done no wrong and I will not cower in the corner. If this gets me into a mess, I’m sure the country I serve will know how to get me out.”

An exhibition on Soviet photographer and designer Alexander Rodchenko (1891-1956) will open next week at Foam. Inspired by German Dadaists, visual artist Rodchenko started experimenting with photography and photomontage in the 1920s. In addition, he designed posters and magazines.

When party guidelines changed in the 1930s, he focussed on photographing sports events and parades.

Today at 3 pm, a manifestation against the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will be held at Dam Square, as part of the international No Berlusconi Day. Over 200 people are expected to attend, although rain and Sinterklaas may affect turnout. “The ‘culture’ of berlusconism can also find its way here,” organiser Frederico Bonelli warns.

People who come to the demo are invited to wear violet, the colour of the international action day. There will also be violet Pieten – presumably a play on Zwarte Piet, the helper of Sinterklaas, the Dutch Santa Claus. Further, there will be beer crate poetry: anyone may recite poetry in Italian, standing on a beer crate.

Excitement in the Turkish media: the Cihan Press Agency has spotted B.D. in Amsterdam last Thursday. D., a former mayor of Istanbul who has been accused of connections with the ultranationalist Ergenekon group, would have said: “I’m not a fugitive, I’m a free man.”

Journalists followed D. to Schiphol Airport, where he would have left on a flight to Munich. They also interviewed a taxi driver and staff of the Marriott Hotel and the Balans Oase Massage Salon, who helpfully volunteered details on his whereabouts and medical condition.