News, December 2007

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

Water reserves:

Water reserves mid October 06 (MMA)

Water reserves mid October 06 (MMA)

At the end of another 'hidrological year', we thank God for water! This year followed two years of drought. Mediterranean basin reserves were still very low in March. Then spring rains brought rain to the neediest regions in abundance. At 24th September the reservoirs had survived the summer well in most regions of the peninsula.
Water reserves September 07 (MMA)

Water reserves September 07 (MMA)

The total reserve was 46% of capacity (mid-October '06 40%) but only 39.3% (up from 31.4%) of drinking water capacity. Reserves, in October at the lowest ever, reached close to average after rainfall in the west filled some river systems to overflowing. However, the Mediterranean coast and Balearics remained in dire straits until Easter.

Despite the spring rain, summer use has again reduced levels to critical in some areas. In particular, the Jucar river reservoirs, feeding the Costa Blanca, has just 6.8% of capacity, the Segura (Mar Menor) ha2 13%, Malaga hads 17% and the upper Tajo area, Spain's largest reservoir system, which could feed many parts of the south and east, had a mere 14.4%. Supplies human use over the summer have been secure, although some areas had to restrict agricultural use and power generation. Spain is one of Europe's top 'green' generators, partly due to the large number of reservoirs. But this green potential remains at the mercy of the weather.

During late September, heavy rain fell in the South and East, even causing major floods in some localities. Let us hope some of this water reaches reservoirs. During October and eaarly November, high pressure over the Bay of Biscay left northern Spain unusually dry, but still hopeful of future rainfall to cover needs. In the hope that reserves and current rain are now sufficient in most regions to cover the coming months, we now leave this water watch until alarm is once again raised.

In Mallorca, falls of over 200mm in the mountains on 15th April brought the reservoirs (only 2!) to overflowing for the first time in a decade. By early November, despite much autumn rain, reserves were back to 70%.

Technology

Most of our technology statistics have now been moved to a new page.

Here are some of the key headlines:

Spanish TV across the world: The Spanish national station TVE has an international service with two channels. TVE Internacional and Canal 24 Horas. TVEI includes the evangelical programme Buenas Noticias TV (which runs on Sundays). Programme: at this link. The menu offers programme (2 days in advance) and technological details.

93.9% of population have mobiles (cell phones)

6.4 million Spaniards have Internet access. By 2011, 80% could have it.

El Mundo.es has over 10.7 million unique monthly visitors

Annual visits for 2006 to P4S 38,750 (about 212,000 hits). The first half of 2007 saw more growth, with over 55,000 visits in the year to August, itself a poor month by recent standards, but with no day below the August '06 average number of visits.

Old News archive

Past news is not all forgotten by P4S! Such items as can be found on the news pages at the end of every month are being filed in our archives.
News from recent months
News from August 05 to December 06
Older news archives (before summer '05)
Comment on the news and other issues

Your response and concerns are also of interest to us. Don't hesitate to let us know them

Finally, more news from the churches is always available at the Protestante Digital site. You can also listen to some reports and comment.

This week on Protestante Digital: (14th December):

(Please go direct to PD for later dates this month!)

Top Catholic prelate apologises for Civil War role
Wave of reaction to Catholic apology
Open-air services continue for locked-out church
History magazine returns in digital format
Evangelistic flamenco Christmas carols on record
Laughing that makes you think

(7th:)

Should the Catholic Church apologise for supporting Franco?
Is religious plurality the best way to go?
Cervantes had high view of the Bible
Madrid Council close another Evangelical Church
Better dead and buried?
Evangelical organisations oppose restrictive new law
All religions lead to...a laugh?

(1st):

Street named after English missionary
Distance-learning institute celebrates 25th anniversary
Concert for Chiapas victims
The Congress we need?
Christian band pull in thousand-strong audience
Lobbying group supports Vidal against gay activists
Quijote and the Bible
Peacemakers trained to help patch up church splits
First Russian Orthodox Church building opened
Can´t hear the pennies dropping
New Director for Federation´s Theology School
Ten years of women´s unity in Málaga
Council orders church to remove sound equipment
False ´pastor´ threatened to kill workers´ families
Buddhists are latest religious group to gain official recognition
Teenage pregnancies up 75% in four years
Professional footballers and evangelicals send food to Africa
Evangelical broadcaster threatened by homosexuals