Sunday, January 6, 2008

international update, 2007/2008

—Dec. 28, 2007--Some children push pedophiles into sex acts, [Tenerife Bishop Bernardo Alvaerz] says.... “there are 13 year old adolescents who are minor and who are in perfect agreement with it and who also want it. If you are not careful, they can provoke you.. EL PAIS, p.1

--Dec. 28. 2007--THE ART OF THE ASS. The last chance to see this collection of portraits of that celebrated object of desire, the female behind. Some 70 photographs, by Man Ray, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Ralph Gibson, among others... Fundacion Canal Madrid. Ibid, 4

--Dec. 30 2007-- The Belarus government will expel the U.S. ambassador and ban trade in U.S. dollars if Washington broadens sanctions against the country, the country's president, Alexander Lukashenko, said Sunday. ... Lukashenko also said Belarus might eliminate the use of U.S. dollars and switch to other currencies: "We can survive without the dollar," he said. "We are building up reserves in yen and yuan. We can switch to euros." IHT

Jan. 2, 2008--The switch to the euro Tuesday by Cyprus and Malta went smoothly, as citizens lined up at banks to exchange pounds and lira for the new currency without a problem. Fifteen countries now use the euro, which has gained clout of the US dollar. IHT Jan. 2, 2008 p 1

--Jan 2, 2008---Spain’s governing Socialist Party hit back Tuesday at the Catholic Church, two days after prominent bishops from across Spain lambasted the government’s social and family policies in a mass rally in Madrid. –EL PAIS p1/

--Jan 2, 2008--... democracy dissolves when those who ought to respect it, such as the bishops, thoughtlessly interfere in matters that are none of their business.—EL PAIS, p2, editoial

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