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World Bank representative expelled from Ecuador

The decision by president Rafael Correa to declare the representative of the World Bank in Ecuador 'persona non grata' had been coming. He had threatened to remove the World Bank and the IMF from the country in the past, most recently after his resounding victory in a referendum on rewriting the constitution.
The reason given for carrying out the move is that the bank has allegedly suspended part of a one-hundred-million dollar loan, approved two years ago. The World Bank says it is currently considering the implications of the demand and called for continued dialogue with the government.
But President Correa has shown he is determined to follow a radical programme of reforms to tackle poverty in Ecuador. He is currently engaged in a bitter political battle with more than fifty sacked members of congress - a number of whom have fled to neighbouring Colombia.

Will Grant, BBC Escucha la lectura


EXPRESIONES

persona non grata : an unwelcome person (the expression comes from Latin)

resounding victory : a very clear success

carrying out the move : doing this

allegedly : something has been said but not proved to be true

suspended : stopped because of a problem or difficulty, but may be started again

considering the implicationsthinking about the consequences or results

called for : encouraged, asked for

determined : having made a firm decision to do something

to tackle poverty : to deal with the situation where many people are poor

engaged in : if you are engaged in an activity, you are doing or taking part in it

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Spain resizes clothes for women

It's a source of frustration for customers and shop assistants alike that in Spain women tend to go into the changing rooms with an armful of different sizes never knowing which one will fit this time or whether any will fit at all.
But by 2008 those days could be over. Spain's biggest fashion retailers have bowed to Government pressure to standardise their sizes and reflect the real size of Spain's growing population. For the first time ever the National Consumer Institute will measure Spanish females -- more than eight thousand of them to be exact -- between the ages of twelve and seventy. Spanish fashion houses will then try to fit them, rather than the other way round.
They've also agreed to decorate their shop windows with slightly bigger manikins. The Ministry of Health described the current ones as unreal dolls of alien dimensions which it sees as directly encouraging eating disorders such as anorexia. The move is likely to affect women and girls all over the world as international brands such as Mango and Zara have signed up to the agreement.

Pascal Harter, BBC, Barcelona Escucha la noticia

EXPRESIONES

a source of : a reason for (something)

customers and shop assistants alike : used after referring to two groups of people to show that
both groups are included

changing rooms : rooms where you can try on clothes before deciding whether to buy them

an armful of : lots of, many

fit : here, be the right size

bowed to Government pressure : agreed to do something (usually, unwillingly)

try to fit them : attempt to make clothes that are available in the same sizes as the female Spanish population

manikins : a model of the human body used in shops to display clothes (note: a more common spelling of manikin is mannequin)

eating disorders : illnesses in which people eat too much or too little food

signed up : agreed to participate in something

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