Reuters
Thu Jul 24, 2008. LIMA (Reuters) - A naked model photographed using Peru's flag as a saddle while mounted on a horse will face charges that could put her in jail for up to four years for offending patriotic symbols, the country's defense minister said on Wednesday.
The suggestive shot of Leysi Suarez, whose main job is dancing for the band Alma Bella, or Beautiful Soul, was splashed on the cover of DFarandula magazine and has caused a political uproar as Peru prepares to celebrate the 187th anniversary of its independence from Spain on Monday.
"These are patriotic symbols that demand total respect, and using them improperly requires punishment," Defense Minister Antero Flores told reporters. "This is an offense."
Flores has ordered a public prosecutor to take up the case and file charges.
Suarez said it was patriotic to pose for the photo.
"I haven't committed a crime. I love Peru and show it with my body and soul," the dancer said on RPP radio.
Mario Amoretti, a well-known lawyer, said it depends in part on how Peru's red-and-white flag was used.
"It's one thing to cover your body with the flag, but quite another thing to be naked and using it as a horse's saddle," he said.
The photos were republished on the Web site of Peru's El Comercio newspaper: here
(Reporting by Marco Aquino and Terry Wade; Editing by Eric Beech)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Friday, July 25, 2008
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Stripper arrested for subway pole dances....
Reuters
Fri Jul 11, 2008. SANTIAGO (Reuters) - A stripper who danced on the poles of Santiago subway trains to challenge the prudishness of Chilean society was arrested on Thursday during one of her lightning performances.
Monserrat Morilles, 26, surprised subway riders all week stripping to skimpy underwear, but she refused tips.
She said she was protesting a lack of tolerance in Chile, one of Latin America's most conservative societies where the first generation since the Pinochet dictatorship is reaching adulthood.
"This is just a beginning. We are starting an idea here that will grow and be developed further," she told Reuters as police and subway guards surrounded her.
The professional pole dancer worked quickly all week to avoid arrest, getting on at one station, finding a subway car with no children on it and stripping in time to exit at the next station.
Chilean media dubbed her "La Diosa del Metro" or Subway Goddess. She called her performances "happy minutes."
"Chile is still a pretty timid country," said her manager Gustavo Pradenas. "People aren't very extroverted and we want to take aim at that and make Chile a happier country."
(Reporting by Pav Jordan; Editing by Anthony Boadle)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Fri Jul 11, 2008. SANTIAGO (Reuters) - A stripper who danced on the poles of Santiago subway trains to challenge the prudishness of Chilean society was arrested on Thursday during one of her lightning performances.Monserrat Morilles, 26, surprised subway riders all week stripping to skimpy underwear, but she refused tips.
She said she was protesting a lack of tolerance in Chile, one of Latin America's most conservative societies where the first generation since the Pinochet dictatorship is reaching adulthood.
"This is just a beginning. We are starting an idea here that will grow and be developed further," she told Reuters as police and subway guards surrounded her.
The professional pole dancer worked quickly all week to avoid arrest, getting on at one station, finding a subway car with no children on it and stripping in time to exit at the next station.
Chilean media dubbed her "La Diosa del Metro" or Subway Goddess. She called her performances "happy minutes."
"Chile is still a pretty timid country," said her manager Gustavo Pradenas. "People aren't very extroverted and we want to take aim at that and make Chile a happier country."
(Reporting by Pav Jordan; Editing by Anthony Boadle)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Stripper arrested for subway pole dances....
Reuters
Fri Jul 11, 2008. SANTIAGO (Reuters) - A stripper who danced on the poles of Santiago subway trains to challenge the prudishness of Chilean society was arrested on Thursday during one of her lightning performances.
Monserrat Morilles, 26, surprised subway riders all week stripping to skimpy underwear, but she refused tips.
She said she was protesting a lack of tolerance in Chile, one of Latin America's most conservative societies where the first generation since the Pinochet dictatorship is reaching adulthood.
"This is just a beginning. We are starting an idea here that will grow and be developed further," she told Reuters as police and subway guards surrounded her.
The professional pole dancer worked quickly all week to avoid arrest, getting on at one station, finding a subway car with no children on it and stripping in time to exit at the next station.
Chilean media dubbed her "La Diosa del Metro" or Subway Goddess. She called her performances "happy minutes."
"Chile is still a pretty timid country," said her manager Gustavo Pradenas. "People aren't very extroverted and we want to take aim at that and make Chile a happier country."
(Reporting by Pav Jordan; Editing by Anthony Boadle)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Fri Jul 11, 2008. SANTIAGO (Reuters) - A stripper who danced on the poles of Santiago subway trains to challenge the prudishness of Chilean society was arrested on Thursday during one of her lightning performances.
Monserrat Morilles, 26, surprised subway riders all week stripping to skimpy underwear, but she refused tips.
She said she was protesting a lack of tolerance in Chile, one of Latin America's most conservative societies where the first generation since the Pinochet dictatorship is reaching adulthood.
"This is just a beginning. We are starting an idea here that will grow and be developed further," she told Reuters as police and subway guards surrounded her.
The professional pole dancer worked quickly all week to avoid arrest, getting on at one station, finding a subway car with no children on it and stripping in time to exit at the next station.
Chilean media dubbed her "La Diosa del Metro" or Subway Goddess. She called her performances "happy minutes."
"Chile is still a pretty timid country," said her manager Gustavo Pradenas. "People aren't very extroverted and we want to take aim at that and make Chile a happier country."
(Reporting by Pav Jordan; Editing by Anthony Boadle)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Doctors pull screws, nails from metal-eating man...
Reuters
Fri Jul 11, 2008 LIMA (Reuters) - Doctors in a coastal town in northwestern Peru have rescued the innards of a 38-year-old man by removing 17 metal objects -- among them nails, a watch clasp and a knife -- that he ate.
Luis Zarate was taken to the regional hospital of Trujillo earlier this week by his family after complaining of sharp stomach pains. Doctors took X-rays of his chest that showed his insides littered with screws.
"There were 17 strange objects found at the level of his stomach and colon," said Dr. Julio Acevedo, one of the surgeons who operated on Zarate.
The black-and-white scans showed Zarate's skeleton interlaced with things like bolts, barbed-wire and pens.
"The objects had caused the stomach to expand," said Acevedo.
Doctors said Zarate was mentally ill but it was not clear why he ate the metal.
(Reporting by Carlos Valdez; Writing by Dana Ford; Editing by Terry Wade and John O'Callaghan)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Fri Jul 11, 2008 LIMA (Reuters) - Doctors in a coastal town in northwestern Peru have rescued the innards of a 38-year-old man by removing 17 metal objects -- among them nails, a watch clasp and a knife -- that he ate.
Luis Zarate was taken to the regional hospital of Trujillo earlier this week by his family after complaining of sharp stomach pains. Doctors took X-rays of his chest that showed his insides littered with screws.
"There were 17 strange objects found at the level of his stomach and colon," said Dr. Julio Acevedo, one of the surgeons who operated on Zarate.
The black-and-white scans showed Zarate's skeleton interlaced with things like bolts, barbed-wire and pens.
"The objects had caused the stomach to expand," said Acevedo.
Doctors said Zarate was mentally ill but it was not clear why he ate the metal.
(Reporting by Carlos Valdez; Writing by Dana Ford; Editing by Terry Wade and John O'Callaghan)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Friday, July 11, 2008
Ex-lawmaker in bribery scandal poses nude...
Reuters
Thu Jul 10, 2008. BOGOTA (Reuters) - A disgraced ex-lawmaker who threw Colombian politics into turmoil by saying President Alvaro Uribe's re-election was tainted by corruption added body to the scandal on Tuesday by appearing naked on the cover of a magazine.
Yidis Medina was found guilty last month of taking illegal favors from government officials in return for voting for the constitutional amendment that permitted the 2006 re-election.
Monthly men's magazine SoHo showed a curvaceous Medina posing nude while in jail, her hands covering her breasts in one shot as she looks peacefully into the distance. The 12-page photo spread is titled "Body of Crime."
In the accompanying interview, Medina doesn't explain why she posed for the magazine but says she is ready to leave politics behind. "What I want is to get out of political life, which has brought me so many unwelcome things," she said.
Medina was sentenced to nearly four years of house arrest but will remain in prison while she is investigated as part of a separate kidnapping case.
She says she went public with her tale of corruption after the government failed to deliver favors -- including being able to name her friends to local commissions in her home province -- that it had promised in exchange for her vote.
The case ignited a political firestorm in which Uribe angrily called for a rerun of the 2006 vote.
(Reporting by Hugh Bronstein; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Thu Jul 10, 2008. BOGOTA (Reuters) - A disgraced ex-lawmaker who threw Colombian politics into turmoil by saying President Alvaro Uribe's re-election was tainted by corruption added body to the scandal on Tuesday by appearing naked on the cover of a magazine.
Yidis Medina was found guilty last month of taking illegal favors from government officials in return for voting for the constitutional amendment that permitted the 2006 re-election.
Monthly men's magazine SoHo showed a curvaceous Medina posing nude while in jail, her hands covering her breasts in one shot as she looks peacefully into the distance. The 12-page photo spread is titled "Body of Crime."
In the accompanying interview, Medina doesn't explain why she posed for the magazine but says she is ready to leave politics behind. "What I want is to get out of political life, which has brought me so many unwelcome things," she said.
Medina was sentenced to nearly four years of house arrest but will remain in prison while she is investigated as part of a separate kidnapping case.
She says she went public with her tale of corruption after the government failed to deliver favors -- including being able to name her friends to local commissions in her home province -- that it had promised in exchange for her vote.
The case ignited a political firestorm in which Uribe angrily called for a rerun of the 2006 vote.
(Reporting by Hugh Bronstein; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Friday, July 04, 2008
Green tea protects against heart disease: study...
Health Reuters By Michael Kahn
Wed Jul 2, 2008 LONDON (Reuters) - A few cups of green tea each day may help prevent heart disease, Greek researchers said on Wednesday.
A study published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation showed further evidence of the potential health benefits from a brew already linked to a reduced risk of a range of cancers and other conditions.
The study showed that green tea improves blood flow and the ability of arteries to relax, said Charalambos Vlachopoulos, a cardiologist at the Athens Medical School in Greece who worked on the study.
Other studies have shown that black tea also has benefits for cardiovascular health.
The Greek team said they believed green tea might be even better because it had higher quantities of beneficial compounds called flavonoids -- some of which are lost in the oxidation process that black tea undergoes.
Flavonoids are also found in cocoa, tomatoes and grapes.
"A couple of cups a day would probably be a good dose for people," Vlachopoulos said. "This is the first study to show these effects for green tea."
The researchers gave 14 healthy volunteers either green tea, diluted caffeine or hot water on three separate occasions and then measured the function of endothelial cells lining the circulatory system.
These cells help relax arteries and ease blood flow.
"What is important is these effects are evident fairly rapidly, within 30 minutes," Vlachopoulos said.
The measurements taken 30, 90 and 120 minutes following consumption showed an almost immediate benefit among people who had drunk green tea, he said.
Heart disease is the world's leading cause of death. It is caused by fatty deposits that harden and block arteries, high blood pressure which damages blood vessels, and other factors.
While the researchers looked only at a short-term impact, Vlachopolous said the team's not-yet-published studies suggest the protection is long lasting.
"Green tea is consumed less in the Western world than black tea, but it could be more beneficial because of the way it seems to improve (circulatory) function," he said.
(Editing by Bate Felix)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Wed Jul 2, 2008 LONDON (Reuters) - A few cups of green tea each day may help prevent heart disease, Greek researchers said on Wednesday.A study published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation showed further evidence of the potential health benefits from a brew already linked to a reduced risk of a range of cancers and other conditions.
The study showed that green tea improves blood flow and the ability of arteries to relax, said Charalambos Vlachopoulos, a cardiologist at the Athens Medical School in Greece who worked on the study.
Other studies have shown that black tea also has benefits for cardiovascular health.
The Greek team said they believed green tea might be even better because it had higher quantities of beneficial compounds called flavonoids -- some of which are lost in the oxidation process that black tea undergoes.
Flavonoids are also found in cocoa, tomatoes and grapes.
"A couple of cups a day would probably be a good dose for people," Vlachopoulos said. "This is the first study to show these effects for green tea."
The researchers gave 14 healthy volunteers either green tea, diluted caffeine or hot water on three separate occasions and then measured the function of endothelial cells lining the circulatory system.
These cells help relax arteries and ease blood flow.
"What is important is these effects are evident fairly rapidly, within 30 minutes," Vlachopoulos said.
The measurements taken 30, 90 and 120 minutes following consumption showed an almost immediate benefit among people who had drunk green tea, he said.
Heart disease is the world's leading cause of death. It is caused by fatty deposits that harden and block arteries, high blood pressure which damages blood vessels, and other factors.
While the researchers looked only at a short-term impact, Vlachopolous said the team's not-yet-published studies suggest the protection is long lasting.
"Green tea is consumed less in the Western world than black tea, but it could be more beneficial because of the way it seems to improve (circulatory) function," he said.
(Editing by Bate Felix)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Truck crash stirs up 12 million angry bees...
Reuters
Tue July 1, 2008. OTTAWA (Reuters) - How do you deal with millions of upset bees? Very carefully.
A truck containing 330 crates of bees, about 12 million of them altogether, overturned on a major highway near the town of St Leonard, New Brunswick, in Eastern Canada on Monday, setting free thousands of irritated stinging insects. Police sealed off the vehicle and called for expert help with the millions that were left inside.
"Trying to unload 12 million agitated bees out of the back of a truck would not be a good situation," said Derek Strong, a local spokesman for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
A team of beekeepers arrived and poured smoke into the truck to calm down the bees, which will be moved later in the day. Police said there was no general danger to the public.
"If there's anyone in St Leonard who is allergic to bees, we're recommending they leave town for a couple of hours," Strong told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Peter Galloway)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Tue July 1, 2008. OTTAWA (Reuters) - How do you deal with millions of upset bees? Very carefully.A truck containing 330 crates of bees, about 12 million of them altogether, overturned on a major highway near the town of St Leonard, New Brunswick, in Eastern Canada on Monday, setting free thousands of irritated stinging insects. Police sealed off the vehicle and called for expert help with the millions that were left inside.
"Trying to unload 12 million agitated bees out of the back of a truck would not be a good situation," said Derek Strong, a local spokesman for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
A team of beekeepers arrived and poured smoke into the truck to calm down the bees, which will be moved later in the day. Police said there was no general danger to the public.
"If there's anyone in St Leonard who is allergic to bees, we're recommending they leave town for a couple of hours," Strong told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Peter Galloway)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
No skimpy outfits on bar staff...
Reuters
Wed Jul 2, 2008. BEIJING (Reuters) - China's government has told discos, karaoke bars and other entertainment venues to install windows in private rooms and ensure staff dress modestly from Oct 1 as part of an effort to crack down on prostitution and drugs.
According to rules released on the Ministry of Public Security's website (https://www.mps.gov.cn), entertainment venues must install transparent partitions between rooms that ensure "the whole environment of the consumer's entertainment area in the room can be seen."
"When open for business, the transparent part of rooms and windows to rooms at singing and dancing entertainment venues must not be obstructed," the rules say.
Discos, karaoke nightclubs and other bars in China frequently have private rooms for hire, and are a favorite places for businessmen to entertain guests, sometimes with prostitutes, which is illegal in China.
Staff clothing is also covered in the new rules. "Staff members should dress tastefully, and not be too exposing."
Other rules demand closed circuit television cameras be installed and security guards placed at discos.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard, editing by Miral Fahmy)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Wed Jul 2, 2008. BEIJING (Reuters) - China's government has told discos, karaoke bars and other entertainment venues to install windows in private rooms and ensure staff dress modestly from Oct 1 as part of an effort to crack down on prostitution and drugs.According to rules released on the Ministry of Public Security's website (https://www.mps.gov.cn), entertainment venues must install transparent partitions between rooms that ensure "the whole environment of the consumer's entertainment area in the room can be seen."
"When open for business, the transparent part of rooms and windows to rooms at singing and dancing entertainment venues must not be obstructed," the rules say.
Discos, karaoke nightclubs and other bars in China frequently have private rooms for hire, and are a favorite places for businessmen to entertain guests, sometimes with prostitutes, which is illegal in China.
Staff clothing is also covered in the new rules. "Staff members should dress tastefully, and not be too exposing."
Other rules demand closed circuit television cameras be installed and security guards placed at discos.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard, editing by Miral Fahmy)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Union anger at Dickensian toilet policy...
Reuters
Fri Jun 27, 2008. LONDON (Reuters) - A meat company has been branded Dickensian after forcing its employees to clock-off every time they want to go to the toilet.
The union Unite has criticized the meat processor for "essentially stopping staff pay when they visit the toilet."
The company, based in Dumfriesshire, insists anyone wanting to be excused from the system has to provide medical evidence, the union added.
Unite, joint general secretary, Tony Woodley said in a statement on its website: "We believe these are Dickensian employment practices.
"It's outrageous that in 2008 workers should have to endure the indignity of clocking out for toilet breaks as well as other practices which we believe invade their privacy."
It has called on Tesco to force its supplier to end such a practice.
"Brown Brothers have refused to change its policy, but the union is demanding that Tesco the UK's largest retailer ensures decent employment standards within its supply chain," Woodley added.
"The workers at Brown Brothers are essentially having their pay stopped for going to the toilet. Tesco must do everything in its power to investigate these practices and put an end to them."
Nobody was immediately available for comment from Brown Brothers.
Media reports quoted the company as saying the policy was part of a special pay deal agreed with workers and unions to ensure production ran smoothly.
Workers have to clock out, take off their wellies, overalls and hairnets before leaving for the toilet.
Staff received extra money as part of the pay deal which was aimed at focusing toilet breaks at set times of the day, the BBC quoted the company as saying.
Tesco said in a statement: "We take the issue of labor standards very seriously and require all our suppliers to meet strict independent audited criteria."
(Reporting by Avril Ormsby; Editing by Jeremy Lovell)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Fri Jun 27, 2008. LONDON (Reuters) - A meat company has been branded Dickensian after forcing its employees to clock-off every time they want to go to the toilet.
The union Unite has criticized the meat processor for "essentially stopping staff pay when they visit the toilet."
The company, based in Dumfriesshire, insists anyone wanting to be excused from the system has to provide medical evidence, the union added.
Unite, joint general secretary, Tony Woodley said in a statement on its website: "We believe these are Dickensian employment practices.
"It's outrageous that in 2008 workers should have to endure the indignity of clocking out for toilet breaks as well as other practices which we believe invade their privacy."
It has called on Tesco to force its supplier to end such a practice.
"Brown Brothers have refused to change its policy, but the union is demanding that Tesco the UK's largest retailer ensures decent employment standards within its supply chain," Woodley added.
"The workers at Brown Brothers are essentially having their pay stopped for going to the toilet. Tesco must do everything in its power to investigate these practices and put an end to them."
Nobody was immediately available for comment from Brown Brothers.
Media reports quoted the company as saying the policy was part of a special pay deal agreed with workers and unions to ensure production ran smoothly.
Workers have to clock out, take off their wellies, overalls and hairnets before leaving for the toilet.
Staff received extra money as part of the pay deal which was aimed at focusing toilet breaks at set times of the day, the BBC quoted the company as saying.
Tesco said in a statement: "We take the issue of labor standards very seriously and require all our suppliers to meet strict independent audited criteria."
(Reporting by Avril Ormsby; Editing by Jeremy Lovell)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
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