The new government's austerity programme has demanded sacrifices from many Italians, but at first the Catholic Church was spared. It continued to be free of tax on its huge amounts of property, not just its places of worship but also its buildings that house hotels, private clinics. The matter had even been taken up by the European Commission. It has been looking at whether the tax-exempt status of the Church's commercial properties amounted to a breach of EU laws aimed at guaranteeing free competition.
新政府的紧缩政策要求许多意大利人做出牺牲,但是最初没有将天主教堂包含在内。新政策仍不对天主教堂大量房产征税,这些免税的房产不仅包括教堂,还包括教堂家庭旅馆的建筑和私人诊所。欧洲委员会曾采取过这项措施,并关注教堂商业产权免税是否违反维护自由竞争的欧盟法律。
Police in France are investigating the theft of a diamond-studded collar from a deceased poodle buried in a Parisian pet cemetery. Several years ago, Tipsy was interred by his wealthy masters with more than $10,000 worth of jewellery around his neck. The treasure vanished when the tomb was desecrated last week.
法国警方正在调查巴黎宠物墓地的盗墓案,盗墓者窃走离世狮子狗的一件镶钻项圈。几年前,小狗Tipsy被它富有的主人埋在此处,狗脖颈上还戴了一件价值一万多美元的珠宝。上周墓穴被毁后,这件宝贝也失踪了。