Notes from abroad

Thomas Friedman, the New York Times columnist, Middle East expert and Pulitzer prize winner, is backing Tony Blair. The Labour party and "deft" Gordon Brown don't get much of a look-in: for Friedman, Mr Blair's "principled position" over Iraq, and his embrace of globalisation (of which the columnist is a passionate advocate) are his greatest qualities. The PM proves that "you don't have to be a conservative to be a conviction politician," writes Friedman admiringly. "I sure hope that Democrats in the US are taking notes."