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News, October, 2007News from the Churches Mariano meet Mariano! October 31st, general news roundup. Memorial to Madrid Bombings (11 march 04) Sport roundup, 29th OctoberJorge Lorenzo World Champion of Bikes 250; Madrid Masters -Nadal reached 1/4 finals; Joventut leads ACB league; Madrid heads Primera; Spain beat Denmark, drew in Finland (football Euopean Cup and friendly); Alonso 2nd in Brazil GP, missing chance of world title; Champions - Barcelona drrew with Rangers, Sevilla beat Steaua, Valencia lost to Rosenborg, Madrid beat Olympiakos; question mark over 2009 Americas Cup; Denis Menchov wins La Vuelta cycle race; Spain wins European volleyball championship; Spain loses women's EuroBasket final; after 6th League day Madrid still leads; Tommy Robredo won Metz tennis title. For more, read on! more >> Madrid bomb trial ends - 3 life sentences, several absolved31 October. The long-awaited conclusion to the Madrid bombings trial has finally arrived. After six long months, the judges concluded that the bombings on 11th March, 2004 which killed 190 and wounded another 1850, were the work of an islamic group. There was no involvement of the Basque terrorist band, ETA, but rather all the explosive was stolen from a mine in Asturias by Emilio Suárez Trashorras. Otman El Gnaoui was also condemned for his part in supplying the eventual killers. The only survivor of the killers who has been identified is Jamal Zougam. All three got long life sentences. more >> Socialists consider revision of Vatican agreements and Religious Freedom law in 2008 election manifesto23rd October. The Socialist party (PSOE) is considering including the revision of the 1979 Concordat agreement between Spain and the Vatican, as well as the 1980 Religious Freedom Law in their 2008 general election manifesto. The Socialists are again moving towards a more 'lay' state, in which any religious expression is effectively sidelined. The PSOE is especially concerned that the Roman Catholic Church has excessive privileges in an increasingly 'plural' nation in terms of religious belief. more >> New Basque Road Map proposed1 October. The Basque Lehendakari (regional president), Ibarretxe, has just unveiled a new 'Road Map' involving a regional referendum next year, to push forward the move to a higher degree of autonomy or total independence. As is to be expected, the proposals have met with strong rebuffs from the national right wing and the government, but also from within the Lehendakari's own party, the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV). However, Ibarretxe will meet with Zapatero on the 16th to seek a true road ahead. more >> Education for Citizenship, the new official doctrine'Throughout history, the communists have been the victims of repression, like homosexuals or Jews'. Poor Stalin! 'We fall in love with people independently of their sex'. 'During the 20th century (women's) rights were consolidated and extended to reach aspects of thier private life, such as the right to abort'. 'We have wanted to stress from the beginning our concern to change attitudes'. These are just some of the phrases to be found in a text book on 'Citizenship', the new subject at school, this book aimed at 14 year olds. Evangelicals (most), Catholics and many others are outraged at the way in which a subject, which should help people of differing opinions to live together, has been turned into pure indoctrination for one way of looking at the world. more >> ETA strikes one last time? Sadly, not just once.On 24th August a car bomb exploded outside a Civil Guard station in the Basque town of Durango. On the 27th, a camper van was blown up by its occupants after the Civil Guard had sniffed around it. On 1st September, those same occupants -probably- plus others were arrested by French police at their house in Cahors. One of the 4 was ETA's top bomb maker. A car bomb also failed to explode on 10th September. more >> Catalan infrastructure crumbling.August... October. In 1992, at the opening of the Olympics, Barcelona could boast Spain's best urban infrastructure. Now it is believed it would not be granted the games on the present record. Every day trains are delayed or cancelled - including services to and from the airport, long jams occur at toll gates on the motorways out of town and in August an electricity substation fire blacked out much of the city for several days. Local politicians blame the central governments of the past 15 years for hardly spending a cent on Catalan infrastructure since the Games. more >> News theme: Basque politics and ETASpain's peripheral regions, particularly Catalonia and the Basque Country, have never felt fully part of 'Spain'. History and language have parts to play in this situation. The result is that these regions have long desired high levels of autonomy or even independence. In the Basque Country, the existence of ETA, a terrorist organisation with a pseudo left-wing nationalist agenda, has forced all parties to consider the independence issue seriously. ETA started during the Franco dictatorship, but has resolutely refused to die before achieving its objectives, themselves more confused with the passing of time. Ceasefires and bombing campaigns have succeeded each other over the years. Meanwhile, democratic parties have taken their own positions on independence, with the governing centre-right Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), under the presidency of Lehendakari (regional president) Ibarretxe, leading the search for an agreed independence or high level of autonomy. more >> News Theme, The immigration crisis Desperation (AFP) News Theme, Autumn in Spain and the WeatherDuring August, the main news concerning the weather tends to be the extreme heat and forest fires, causing loss of life as well as much damage to property. In September the main topic turns to late summer storms. But the most widely feared autumnal phenomenon is known as the 'Gota Fría'. more >> More NewsA few more news items and where to find more news about Spain:more >> |