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News, December 2004December 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 - 'the terrorists are entirely to blame for what happened'; Constitutional Court gives go-ahead for a February referendum; Real Madrid game suspended due to bomb threat; 127 illegals reach shore of Canaries on open boats; 350 kilos of ETA explosive found in French garage; Emilio Botín, president of Banco Santander (recently buyer of UK's Abbey bank) to be tried for fraud in January; Catholic Bishops launch campaign against gay marriage law proposals; Congress finally approves (at 3rd attempt) new judges for top jobs, Senate rejects 2005 budget, due to serious flaws -one item states monthly instead of annually an amount payable to the unemployed; 12 bombs planted by ETA went off over long Constitution weekend; 58 died in traffic accidents over the long weekend; Infanta Cristina expecting 4th child; first tripartite meeting over Gibraltar held in Kent, went well, opening new possibilities for shared flights and cruises; foreign minister Moratinos tours Middle East sharing Zapatero's idea of an 'Alliance of Civilisations' -welcomed in declarations by the Arab League; barber and child caught and killed in shoot out in Marbella; 100 illegals dead so far this year attempting to land on Spanish soil; 66 women have died in Spain so far this year at the hands of their partners; figures show 2004 will see more homes built than ever before; poll shows honeymoon with Socialists waning - but they still lead PP by 4%;Madrid's citizens boycott, via SMS, Cava -Spain's champagne equivalent- after Catalan politicians heard to be unsupportive of Madrid's 2012 Olympic bid - 80,000 bottle delivery cancelled. Sport:Football (soccer): A new book by Spanish evangelical leader Jaime Fernandez is aiming to reach English priemiership footballers - more at http://www.protestantedigital.com/hemeroteca/052/spain.htm#5 ; Barça now has two evangelicals, as Edmilson has joined Sylvinho there - both are Brazilians and members of Athletes for Christ - however, Edmilson is sadly injured and will be half the season off the field; Spain won England game; Barcelona continues good run at top of league; champions' League round - Barcelona and Madrid through, Valencia and Deportivo out. |