News, July '08

PrayforSpain on the move

We were off this job the first half of July, largely helping with outreach in England. Then we have had a few days' break before getting back to work. Updates will continue to be sporadic until the end of the month. more >>

News from the Churches

Evangelical Pro-Life poster campaign in Madrid Metro. Michael W. Smith well received on Spanish tour. Summer outreaches and camps in full swing. This and more... Read on! more >>

July 31st, recent news round-up

50th anniversary of ETA's terror, alert across Spain - BBC latest- flights at Palma suffering usual delays for mid-summer; bus crash in Sant Pol, near Calella, Costa Brava- 6 dead, 39 injured, mainly Dutch holidaymakers; 'Operation mid-Summer Changeover' expects 4.6 million holiday trips by road this weekend; oil slick affects Costa de la Luz beaches east of Huelva. 30th: ETA strikes again and again - Palma airport may close (according to some press, although airport info shows departures only slightly delayed before 17.30, with longer delays for national flights expected) - bombs in Palma Nova (Magaluf), Mallorca -2 civil guard dead at 13.50 as bomb was fixed to patrol car (BBC report)- and yesterday in Burgos - BBC report 29th. Eye witness reports say Magaluf and Santa Ponsa are gridlocked (16.30), with sirens going in the port area of Palma. BBC video and eyewitness report. Other news: 'A' flu claims 7th victim; forest fires continue across country; more Spanish troops to stay in Afghanistan; 'Advance HCPI' July inflation is -1.4%, Q2'GNP' down 4%; Telefónica surprises with slight gain on last year's first half figures, Repsol replicates Shell 60% fall; car sales hold above 100,000; Morocco jail amnesty affects 178 Spaniards. more >>

Sport headlines

Spain face Serbia in Rome waterpolo final. Valencia to host Schumacher come-back; Ibrahimovic presented in Barcelona, Alberto Contador wins Tour de France, Renault suspended after Alonso loses wheel - Valencia presence depends on appeal, Barcelona and Inter hope Eto'o - Ibrahimovic deal will happen, Nadal hopes for August return, Jimenez had good day in Open, Mihir Bose on Madrid's president Perez, Lorenzo 2nd in Germany, Jaime Alguersuari gets F1 opportunity more >>

ETA kills on 50th anniversary of terror.

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. more >>

Elections 2009

On 7th June there was the European Parliament election. On 1st March there were also regional elections in the Basque Country and Galicia, two of the regions with most autonomy. One year on from the last general election, these elections have shown up the impact on public opinion of the recession and other internal and international events on the Zapatero / socialist government, now in its second term. In the European election the conservative Partido Popular won most seats and got more votes than in any previous European election. Party leader Mariano Rajoy claims the issue of values was fundamental, as the government currently has a new, freer abortion bill in parliament. The other major issue was the recession and it is clear that voters do not trust president Zapatero to lead them quickly out of the mess, being too keen on protecting privileged unionised workers. more >>

Government in crisis launches Plan E

PlanE work under way in Mallorca

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

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)