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Church Manual to Prevent Sex Abuse Sets Off Outrage of Its Own

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, New York Times

Church Manual to Prevent Sex Abuse Sets Off Outrage of Its Own

A manual from the archbishop’s office of Santiago, Chile, said it was inappropriate to “pat the buttocks or touch the genital area or chest” of minors. It recommended that clergy refrain from “laying next to or sleeping with children or adolescents” to giving massages and “hugging from behind.” The guidelines, posted to the church’s website last week, were withdrawn two days later. Chileans were outraged, in part because the guidelines never described the behavior as sexual abuse. The office said in a statement that the guidelines followed international standards but it acknowledged problems with the text. “We apologize and will publish a new version promptly,” the statement said.

Nobel Peace Prize Is Awarded to Two Who Fight Mass Rape

Amid a global reckoning over sexual violence, a woman forced into sexual slavery by the Islamic State and a Congolese gynecological surgeon were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for their campaigns to end the use of mass rape as a weapon of war. The award went to Nadia Murad, 25, who became the voice and face of women who survived sexual violence by the Islamic State, and to Dr. Denis Mukwege, 63, who has treated thousands of women in a country once called the rape capital of the world. They have worked through grave risks to help survivors and to bring their stories to the world.

Far-Right Candidate Widens Lead in Brazil’s Presidential Race

In the last days of Brazil’s divisive presidential race, most of the 13 candidates stumped across the country in a last-ditch bid for votes. But Jair Bolsonaro, the populist, far-right candidate leading the pack, spent much of the final stretch in a hospital, convalescing from a near-fatal stabbing. His near-disappearance from the political stage only increased his lead: Polls suggest Bolsonaro will trounce opponents. His success has defied the laws of political gravity. Until recently, Bolsonaro was on the fringes of power who made headlines by calling for a military dictatorship and verbally attacking women, gays and people of color — in a country that is mostly nonwhite.

Head of Interpol Disappears, and Eyes Turn Toward China

When a high-ranking official in China’s public security system was elected Interpol president in 2016, Beijing leaders rejoiced. But that official, Meng Hongwei, has mysteriously disappeared after returning to China. His wife, who is living in France, where Interpol has its headquarters, reported him missing Thursday evening after she did not hear from him upon his arrival in China. French authorities have opened an investigation. Questions are arising about whether Meng is under investigation by Chinese authorities and whether he was grabbed by security agents without notice. If so, his disappearance threatens to cloud China’s image, demonstrating that even an international police organization's most prominent official is vulnerable

Pence’s China Speech Seen as Portent of ‘New Cold War’

Vice President Mike Pence’s accusations in a stinging speech Thursday may have been familiar to China’s leaders. But until now such remarks were delivered in private. The surprise for Beijing was the magnitude of alleged offenses ranging from suspected interference in U.S. politics to China’s stomping on its own people’s freedoms. Nor had the U.S. ever before told China: “We will not stand down.” Publicly, China responded called the speech “very ridiculous,” but also warned that “no one can stop” the Chinese from advancing. "This will look like the declaration of a new Cold War,” said Zhang Baohui, professor of international relations at Lingnan University in Hong Kong.

Man Caught on Video Hitting Woman in Paris Gets 6 Months in Jail

A Frenchman who threw an ashtray and hit a young woman outside a Paris cafe after she confronted him for catcalling her has been fined and sentenced to six months in jail. The man, identified only as Firas M., 25, was found guilty Thursday of “aggravated violence with an object used as a weapon.” He will face another six months in prison if he reoffends within the next three years, a French court ruled. He was also ordered to pay 2,000 euros, about $2,300, to the victim, Marie Laguerre, a 22-year-old engineering student, and forbidden from contacting her.

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