Italy Stops Art Loan

Italy, the only member of the G20 Summit to vote in support of both President Obama and Mafia boss Putin - hedging your bets is the best way to look after your olives -, has postponed the loan of Sandro Botticelli's The Annunciation of San Martino alla Scala (1481) to Israel, citing geopolitical and logistical concerns (CLICK). That's Spaghetti Culture Ministry speak for "We think Bashir al-Assad might bomb Israel in retaliation for the USA striking Syria". The loan was arranged by the Uffizi gallery in Florence and the Italy-Israel Foundation for Culture and the Arts as a sort of 65th birthday present for the State of Israel. The restored masterpiece was due to be unveiled in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem on 17 September, to be displayed for four months. Meanwhile, Israeli shopkeepers are doing a roaring trade in gas masks, regardless of whether they offer much protection against sarin nerve gas.