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All Abort? Dutch Nonprofit Bypasses Abortion Laws With Boat

LibertySugar — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 12:15:02 -0700

I've heard of underage drinking and avoiding taxes over international waters, but circumventing abortion laws is a new one. Women on Waves sails to countries where abortion is illegal and provides early-term abortions — legally, thanks to Dutch law, which the ship sails under.

Always a gracious guest, Women on Waves never shows up sans an invite from local women's organizations. And it's latest venture in Spain is no exception. At the request of 33 local organizations, it dropped anchor at a port in Valencia, Spain.

With government initiatives to increase protection for women and doctors performing abortions, it's not surprising Women on Waves chose Spain. Its goal is not simply to provide abortions when they would be otherwise prohibited but also to garner support for legalizing abortion. While Spain decriminalized it in 1985, it's only available in limited cases — up to 12 weeks after rape; up to 22 weeks if the fetus is malformed; and at any time if the women's physical or mental health is jeopardized.

If you ask me this boat doesn't look much safer than a back-room abortion, but I haven't seen the inside. How would you feel if it docked off the US coast?

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Quiz Nation! Columbus Day's Different Meanings

LibertySugar — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:15:37 -0700

The second Monday in October historically has been celebrated as Columbus Day in the US. But not every place in the country, or the rest of the world, marks Columbus's arrival to the new world the same way due to unsettled feelings about celebrating a historical figure attributed with the suffering of native people.

In South Dakota, the day is called Native American Day. In cities like Boston, New York, and San Francisco, the Italian-American community celebrates their native son with an Italian heritage parade. Find out what you know about the historical event marked today!

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Castells Competition Builds Human Castles in the Sky

LibertySugar — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:00:29 -0700

If you thought the gravity defying feats your college cheerleading squad performed were awe-inspiring, we can probably agree the 22nd Tarragona Castells Competition in Tarragona, Spain was breathtaking.

The annual human towers or castells (a Catalonian word that means "castles") event took place this weekend, drawing spectators from across the globe and some very nimble participants.

The competition is a bit of a cultural phenomenon — the tradition originated at the end of the 18th century in Valls, Tarragona, when rival groups of people called colles turned creating different kinds of human towers into a competitive sport, according to Castellers de Barcelona.

The last person to climb the whole tower is the anxaneta, a young girl or boy who, on arriving at the very summit raises his or her arm and salutes the public. This is the highlight of the event and the crowing moment for the castell.

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Front Page: Senate to Vote on Bailout, Chinese Gymnasts Win Age Fight, Spain Arrests 121 For Child Porn

CitizenSugar — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 06:53:42 -0700

Senate to Vote on Bailout:
Senate leaders have scheduled a vote today on the $700 billion bailout proposal after adding tax breaks and a higher insured bank deposits limit in an attempt to win House approval and send the bill to President Bush by the end of the week. Senator Harry Reid said, “It has been determined, in our judgment, this is the best thing to move forward," when he announced the unexpected move.

Chinese Gymnasts Win Age Fight:
International gymnastics officials closed a five week investigation in to the ages of the Chinese gymnasts competing at the Beijing Olympics, ruling that documentation rules that the gymnasts were old enough to compete. The scrutiny has not yet cleared gymnasts who won the team bronze in Sydney eight years ago saying, "The FIG does not consider the explanations and evidence provided to date in regards to these athletes as satisfactory.''
Spain Arrests 121 For Child Porn:
In what's described as Spain's largest operation against child internet porn, Spain's authorities say they have arrested 121 people and millions of images. Police say two of those arrested were using their own children to make pornography. The sting involved 800 officers, 210 searches, and 347 hard drives seized. The raids bring the number of people arrest for child porn in Spain in the past five years to 1,200.

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McCain and Spain: He's Not Confused About Tough Talk

LibertySugar — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:45:51 -0700

John McCain made comments seeming to suggest that Spain is a rogue state in Latin America, in an interview with a Spanish-language station. But his campaign says he meant to take a firm stance toward the European country.

When asked whether he would invite the Spanish prime minister Jose Luiz Rodriguez Zapatero to the White House he said:

McCain: All I can tell you is that I have a clear record of working with leaders in the hemisphere that are friends with us, and standing up to those who are not, and that's judged on the basis of the importance of our relationship with Latin America, and the entire region.

Question: OK . . . what about you, I'm talking about Europe?

McCain: What about me what?

Question: OK . . . are you willing to meet with him if you are elected president?

McCain: I am willing to meet with any leader who is dedicated to the same principles and philosophy that we are for human rights, democracy, and freedom, and I will stand up to those that do not.

McCain's foreign policy adviser followed up, saying McCain's answer was intentional. To see what he said,

Front Page: Spanish Plane Crash Possible Cause, Pakistan Suicide Attack Kills 60, Rice Surprise Visit to Iraq

CitizenSugar — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 06:56:58 -0700

Spanish Plane Crash Possible Cause:
The plane that crashed in Madrid yesterday and killed 153 people, including two babies and 20 children, had reported an overheated air intake valve before the first attempt at takeoff. The problem was reported and the equipment turned off to fix it. It's not known if this is the only factor in Spain's worst air disaster in almost 25 years.

Pakistan Suicide Attack Kills 60:
Killing 60 and wounding dozens more, a suicide bomber attacked Pakistan's largest military munitions plant. The Pakistan Taliban has claimed responsibility. The violence comes amid political uncertainty in the country following the resignation of President Pervez Musharraf earlier this week.

Rice Surprise Visit to Iraq:
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice surprised Baghdad with a visit to discuss the future of US forces in Iraq. Amid negotiations over the timing of the final withdrawal of US forces, reports suggest that a compromise draft agreement of the plan is being considered by both governments. RIce will meet with Prime Minister Nouri Maliki during her visit.

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149 Dead in Plane Crash at Madrid Airport

CitizenSugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:25:50 -0700

149 Dead in Plane Crash at Madrid Airport A Spanish airliner bound for the Canary Islands at the height of the vacation season crashed, burned, and broke into pieces Wednesday while trying to take off from Madrid, killing 149 people on board, officials said. There were only 26 survivors in the midafternoon crash, said Spanish Development Minister Magdalena Alvarez, whose department is in charge of civil aviation. It was Spain's deadliest air disaster in more than 20 years.

Racist or Funny? Spanish Teams Pose With "Slit" Chinese Eyes

LibertySugar — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:45:10 -0700

While making a slit-eyed gesture and standing near a Chinese dragon, members of Spain's Olympic basketball teams posed for an advertisement, apparently unaware of offensive overtones. Two large photos, one of each team's members pulling back the skin by their eyes, filled an entire page in Spain's most popular newspaper. A sponsor of the Spanish Basketball Federation published the questionable good-luck message, but apparently the sport's governing body saw no reason to object either, as its seal also appears on the ad. Racism and sports have collided before in Spain. Perhaps the International Olympic Committee will consider Spain's cultural insensitivity when assessing Madrid's bid for the 2016 or 2020 Olympics.

Racist or Funny? Spanish Teams Pose With "Slit" Chinese Eyes

Racist! This ad is offensive.

Funny. What's wrong with a little teasing between sports rivals.

This is an isolated bad joke, but it's not the end of the world.

Other. I'll tell you in the comments.

ETA Thought Behind Four Beach Explosions in Northern Spain

CitizenSugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:24 -0700

ETA has claimed responsibility for four bombings that struck popular coastal resorts in northern Spain yesterday. The group issued warning calls before the detonations and no casualties were reported. The explosions are considered the beginning of ETA's usual Summer bombing campaign that targets vacation spots as a way to gain attention for its 40 year struggle to win an independent Basque state in northern Spain.

The first warning call came mid morning from an ETA representative claiming responsibility and warning of the location of the bombs.

Vacationers were cleared immediately from the beaches prior to the first explosion which shattered windows and walkways. A government spokesman said, "There were no injuries because the area had been cleared and cordoned off." The Spanish government says that the group is weaker after a series of arrests, but as yesterday's attacks show, they're not planning to relinquish their fight soon. ETA has been listed as a terrorist organization by Spain, the US, and the EU. They've killed 800 people in the past 40 years, usually via explosions like this.

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Front Page: Doping Team Quits Tour, Madrid Bombing Convicts Freed, Obama Behind Republicans in Money

CitizenSugar — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 07:00:47 -0700

Doping Team Quits Tour:
After a third team rider tested positive for blood-doping, the Italian Saunier-Duval team withdrew from the Tour de France this morning. Rider Riccardo Ricco was found using EPO. The team director said, "He's our leader, we can't act as if nothing happened." Ricco was taken off the Saunier-Duval team bus by police ahead of the start of the day's race and booed by spectators. He was in ninth place overall before being removed.

Madrid Bombing Convicts Freed:
Spain's Supreme Court overturned the conviction of four people found guilty of connection to the 2004 Madrid train bombings. The four were part of 21 people convicted over the attacks, which left 191 dead. The court also upheld the acquittal of the suspected Egyptian mastermind as he'd already been convicted of the crime in Italy. The attackers were part of a local Islamist militant groups inspired by al Qaeda.
Obama Behind Republicans in Money:
Democrat Barack Obama raised $52 million last month (his second best take) ending June with the DNC and Obama with $92.3 million in the bank. Though the numbers still fall behind the Republicans and McCain. McCain raised more than $22 million in June (his best take) and combined with the RNC, Republicans start July with $95 million to spend.

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