News, September 2009

PrayforSpain on the move

We are just back from holiday! We were travelling until 6th September, including a day's visit to our CMS provider, where got a 'virtual' preview of our new CMS, X-Cathedra. We now resume our pontifications on the old, Carrelet CMS until X-Cathedra finally comes our way in the Autumn. more >>

News from the Churches

Sell-out for first Evangelical Communicators' Encounter. George Borrow Society meeting in Salamanca, 15th to 19th Sept. 2 Madrid churches granted city ground. Summer outreaches and camps again got the good news out of our buildings. This and more... Read on! more >>

September 30th, recent news round-up

Storms continue to affect Mediterranean regions - Burriana in Castellón saw over 300mm in 20 hours, 'Rio Seco' ('River Dry', which it normally is) overflows wide banks; 2 Socialist deputies first A-flu victims in Congress; 29th: government present 'austere' 2010 budget, with higher tax plans - needs support from other parties to pass; inflation: advance CPI -1%; scandal over BBVA boss's 52 million Euro pension; 28th: Day after pill goes on 'over the counter' sale in pharmacies - 'but no accompanying literature yet'- as cabinet approves new abortion bill - BBC; seasonal 'flu inoculation begins early, ahead of A-flu vaccine; Spain joins call to investigate Magna-Opel deal -BBC; heavy rain storms hit south east coast and Balearic islands - P4S again affected. more >>

Sport headlines

Madrid fingers crossed ahead of 2016 Olympic decision. Alonso podium in Singapore. Spain win EuroBasket. Spain to Davis Cup final. Madrid leads Liga after 5th round. Valverde wins Vuelta ciclista. Nadal loses US Open semi-final. Madrid beat Zurich, Barcelona drew with Inter. Alonso could sign for Ferrari. Ivan Cervantes wins Motocross 'Enduro' world championship. more >>

ETA kills on 50th anniversary of terror... and continues Mallorca bombings.

31st July, 09. To 'commemorate' the 50th anniversary of ETA's reign of terror, two major bombings have taken place in the last two days. On 29th a van full of explosive ruined a big Civil Guard barracks in Burgos, causing some injuries and major structural damage to a building. Worse in terms of life was the killing of two Civil Guards with a magnet bomb under their car in Palmanova, Mallorca, on the 30th. Hours later, a second magnet bomb was defused under a car at another nearby Civil Guard post. BBC resumé - more links below. The terror group resumed activity in Mallorca with 3 small devices on Sunday, 9th August. more >>

€420 for some long term unemployed - but most get nothing

On 18th August unemployment offices opened to long lines of claimants, who hoped against hope to be included in the new offer of €420 for all whose unemployment pay had finished on 1st August. This is the first time that such a payment has been forthcoming from the social security, which only pays for specific time after people lose their jobs. After that people have had to find new work or rely on families or charity to survive. In the current downturn a lot more are in this situation and over a million lost their pay before the 1st August date... and will remain without a cent. more >>

The other 9/11: Catalonia's national day... and other September Fiestas

For Catalonia, September 11th marks not an event in recent American history, so much as an event of equally sad significance in the own history. On that date, in 1714, at the end of the war of the Spanish Succession, Catalonia fell to the advancing Borbon troops of Castille which took over the country and did away with the governing structures of Catalonia and the kingdom of Aragon which had existed since medieval times. more >>

News Theme, Late Summer 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 is late summer storms. But the most widely feared phenomenon is known as the 'Gota Fría'. more >>

Government in crisis launches Plan E

PlanE work under way in Mallorca

May 22nd. In March the government announced that it would support immediate borrowing by town councils for minor works to employ recently laid off building workers: Plan E. Now a new scheme to subsidise car sales gets the same name: Plan 2000 E. What happened to plans b to d? Could it be that this is the very last hope before 'F'? more >>

News theme: The Mari Luz murder case

The story of the tragic murder of Mari Luz, a five-year-old girl of Evangelical parents killed by a paedophile in January, 2008, has been turned into a TV mini-series entitled ´Days without Luz´ (as well as being the little girl´s name, the word means ´light´). This tragic story has filled not only evangelical news bulletins, like Protestante Digital, but also mainline news media, provoking a major review of the judicial system. We attempt to bring some understanding. more >>

News Theme: The Economy

Unemployment in Spain (The Economist)

For the past few years Spain has been hitting headlines for above average growth and very high house price inflation. The end has now definitely arrived for the Spanish economic miracle, with Spain among the worst hit nations in Europe. World economic woes are certainly affecting Spain, but it is suffering more due to local matters. Several billion Euros have now been thrown by the government at the problem, but unemployment is heading for 20% by the end of 2009. We offer our view. more >>

News theme: Basque politics and ETA - 50 years on

31st July 2009 marks the 50th anniversary of ETA's terror campaign. To mark it, ETA planted a bomb outside a Civil Guard barracks in Burgos on 29th and under a patrol car in Mallorca on 30th, the latter causing two deaths. ETA is still alive and killing, but has achieved nothing useful for the Basques they claim to represent. On 19th June '09 ETA killed again. Here we offer some background thoughts to the problem. more >>

News Theme, The immigration crisis

Desperation (AFP)

Reports, almost daily, of open boats known variously as pateras (coming from Marrocco or Algeria) or larger cayucos (reaching the Canary islands from further south), combine with stories of illegal 'paperless' immigrants attempting to cross the fences at Ceuta and Melilla. Add to these high profile stories the situation of hundreds of thousands of Latin Americans and Romanians, not to mention Asians and you have the appearance of a significant immigration crisis. Throw in the confusion and disagreement of politicians as to how to deal with the phenomenon and you have a real crisis, now doubly significant as the jobs they are hoping for have dried up. more >>