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News, December 2004Pray4Spain on the moveWe are on the move over Christmas and the New Year period, more >> December 30th, resumé.(Sport news click more) Spain's white Christmas: traffic chaos and villages cut off in Christmas Day whiteout - government apologises for not calling out more police to help stranded drivers; cabinet aproves homosexual marriage bill; Spaniards also reported missing and injured in Tsunami areas. Other major headlines this month have included: Basque parliament approved Lehedakari Ibarretxe's home rule plan http://www.prayforspain.com/comment/index3.html; Imam of Fuengirola released from prison after serving 20 days of a sentence for publishing a book about beating women; 4 Maroccan terrorists arrested in Canaries; Government names judges to lead anti-mafia teams on Costas in Malaga, Alicante and Mallorca; 5 new 3/11 detentions around Spain; president Zapatero made declarations on 13th to 3/11 commission more >> News from the ChurchesTsunami Aid The Spanish Evangelical aid service PESE has an account for sending aid from Spain to the Tsunami affected regions. more >> Zaragoza chosen for International Expo, 200816 December. Zaragoza has beaten several other Euroopean cities to be awarded this event. The theme will be 'Water and Sustainable Development'. more >> ETA attacks again, in Madrid and other cities6th December. On the night of the 3rd, at a time when hundreds of thousands of people were on their way out of Madrid for the long holiday weekend, five small bombs exploded in filling stations at strategic points around the capital. Two policemen were slightly hurt. A warning was given to a Basque newspaper in the traditional ETA manner, allowing the avoidance of further victims. 5th Dec: another small bomb was found and defused in Almería, set to go off on the 6th, day of the constitution, while yet more bombs escaped detection until going off in Alicante, Avila, Ciudad Real, León, Málaga, Valladolid y Santillana del Mar (Cantabria). more >> Spain celebrates long 'Immaculate Constitution' weekendOn December 6th the Spanish Constitution is 26 years old. Two days later, the Roman Catholic festivity of the Immaculate Conception is also a bank holiday, leading to a very long weekend this year, until Wednesday 8th. As with Thanksgiving in the States, this is the official kick-off in Spain to the Christmas season, more >> EU Constitutional Referendum announced20 November. A referendum has been called to approve the new European Constitution. The date is 20th February. more >> Historic ETA leaders call a halt to 'military action'2nd November. On a day when terrorism is the nº1 issue in the US election, and the same day that another bunch of suspected terrorists have been arrested, six historic leaders of ETA (all currently serving jail sentences) have called for an end to their reign of terror. In a nutshell, they admit that this is the worst moment in ETA's history and there seems no point in attempting to continue their political struggle by armed means. They would now prefer to see their political wing take up the struggle for the independence they so desire for their country. more >> New wave of arrests as Islamics suspected of attack plan against National Court.29 October. On the 19th seven suspected terrorists were detained for questioning about a plot to attack the national court in Madrid. Another 10 were questioned inside Spanish prisons. Today another 13 suspects have been 'arrested' (some also within prisons) around Spain. Switzerland holds the suspected cell leader, more >> ETA beheaded5th October. On Sunday night, 3rd October, French Police arrested ETA's leader Mikel Albizu, 'Mikel Antza',and 16 others in a major round up, which also unearthed several important arsenals including over a tonne of explosives, two service ready surface to air misiles and many other weapons. more >> News theme: Basque politics and ETAUntil 2003, terrorism in Spain meant ETA. Bombs, or bomb threats, assassinations and extortion were a regular part of life, affecting few directly, but leaving no one completely sure that it could not hit him or her. Evidently, the events of 11th March, 2004 changed the whole way Spaniards look at terrorism, as ETA lost its monopoly with the arrival of islamic terror. At the same time, over the past year many accused of key ETA roles have been arrested. Yet, while terrorism is now regarded in a different way, the Basque 'problem' continues to be a major theme in the news and the political agenda. more >> News Theme: Big events in 2005, 400th anniversary of El QuijoteIn 2005 is the 400th anniversary of the mother of all novels, Cervantes' Don Quijote, a book written under the eyes of the Spanish Inquisition but which expresses many ideas and quotes scripture at large. Evangelicals have not missed this fact and are hard at work to point out the references! more >> News theme: weather and winter travelSpain is not, contrary to its image, permanent summer! The tourist season is limited, even at coastal areas, except in the Canary Islands, to half the year. Winter, especially inland, is far harsher than it is in (mostly) mild Britain, so far further north. more >> More NewsA few more news items and where to find more news about Spain: more >> |