Pope calendar due out this month

He already has been spotted as a fashion follower, from his signature shades and shoes to his ermine trimmed velvet robes, but now Pope Benedict XVI is trying his hand at modeling for a 2007 calendar to come out later this month.

“Together, a year with the pope,” said the Italian Catholic weekly Famiglia Cristiana (Catholic Family) in announcing the calendar. The calendar features 14 original poses of the 79-year-old pontiff with his shock of white hair, taken during an entire day of shooting this summer at Castel Gandolfo, the pope’s country residence near Rome.

But not to worry. While many VIP calendars often feature celebrities in scanty attire, the papal version is as chaste as it is charitable. Proceeds from the photos of the pope dressed in his traditional white cassock and white skull cap will go to a mission in Rwanda.

For each calendar sold, 1 euro ($1.28) will go to the charity. The calendar comes with the magazine for an extra charge of 5 euros ($6.40). It hits Italian newsstands on Nov. 23.

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Parliament OKs constitution fixes

Kyrgyzstan’s parliament approved an amended constitution Wednesday that would limit presidential powers, paving the way for an end to a week of protests calling for the president’s ouster.

The constitution, worked out in talks between backers and opponents of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, would give parliament more clout in the Central Asian nation.

Bakiyev’s representatives submitted the document after a week of wrangling and tensions and skirmishes between rival demonstrations, which stoked concerns that the former Soviet republic would descend into chaos less than two years after an uprising drove its longtime leader from power.

Kyrgyzstan, a mountainous country of about 5 million, is strategically located near China, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. The U.S. military has maintained an air base in Kyrgyzstan since 2001 to back operations in nearby Afghanistan. Russia also has a base in the country.

Brussels, Belgium

Report criticizes Turkey on rights

In a tough progress report Wednesday, the European Commission threatened Turkey with possible suspension of EU membership talks unless Ankara does more to protect human rights and implements a customs pact with EU member Cyprus.

The organization decided against recommending the immediate suspension of year-old entry talks with Turkey, commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said. “We decided to give a chance for the diplomatic efforts to find a solution,” he said.

But Ankara must forge ahead with political and economic reforms and open its ports and airports to Cypriot goods before EU leaders meet at a Dec. 14-15 summit in Brussels, he said in a statement.