News, November 2007

News from the Churches

Catalan government to regulate 'Places of Worship', while churches elsewhere end up on the street. People Sans Frontieres. Countdown to Protestant Congress -minister to attend, but not Royal Family. Spanish EA leader, Jaume Llenas, gets spokesman post in European EA. Madrid Churches's Social Ministry recruit students of all persuasions in Alcala University. José Cardona's widow dies. Centennial church opens new building. Church closed by authorities... and then gets licence. Christian Motorcyclist Association starts in Spain. Vademecum goes online. This and more... Read on! more >>

November 29th, general news roundup.

Mayor of Totana (Murcia) and town clerk arrested in yet another building permit bribes case; inflation tops 4%; 28th: 4 inmates hold 3 warders hostage in Valencia jail - now to be moved to other prisons; 20% of university students 'never read a book'; 3 die in work accidents in 24 hours; as EU drop import tax on cereals, hopes for stabilisation of prices; Spain heading to surpass Kioto limits by 14% in 2010 -if we don't have a major recession or draconian laws; 26th: 6 arrested for illegal abortions in Barcelona; another ETA member arrested in France; Venezuela's Chavez threatens to 'freeze relations' with Spain of King's fury; 2 cayucos reach Tenerife with 200 migrants, while 3 try to cross Straits on surf board - picked up by ferry; http://www.renfe.es|Renfe> announces special competitive AVE (high speed rail) fares to compete with air shuttle on all routes, with discounts or guaranteed turn up and ride seats; Polaris World announces 17,000 more holiday homes despite bottomless market; BA turns down opportunity to buy up to 30% of Iberia and TPG announces end of offer. more >>

Sport roundup, 29th November

Champions: Sevilla beat Gunners, barcelona drew, Madrid and Valencia lost; Spain wins European indoor football championship again; Benitez has days numbered at Liverpool; Shanghai Masters -Ferrer loses to Federer in final; Spain beat Sweden 3-0; Spurs offers 40 million for Casillas; Jorge Lorenzo World Champion of Bikes 250; Pedrosa (GP) and Faubel (125) won in Valencia, but Talmacsi's 2nd place gave him 125 championship; Alonso breaks McLaren contract; Joventut leads ACB league; Madrid heads Primera, as Barcelona's trainer Rijkaard loses confidence of bosses; Alonso 2nd in Brazil GP, missing chance of world title. For more, read on! more >>

King walks out as Venezuela's Chavez attacks Spain.

13 November. The Iberoameican Congress in Santiago last week came to a sad end when King Juan Carlos walked out after Venezuela's president Chavez attacked former president Aznar as being a fascist. Spain is now attempting to defuse the tension. Chavez claimed on Sunday that the accusations had to do with Spain's apparent support for an attempted coup against him in 2002. more >>

Madrid bomb trial ends - 3 life sentences, several absolved

31 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 191 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 manifesto

23rd 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 proposed

1 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 >>

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 ETA

Spain'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 Weather

During 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 News

A few more news items and where to find more news about Spain: