[OPINION] “The spine is not the Subcommand Marcos, is the indigenous movement.” Those words were said by a person real close to him, when I asked if a certain orphan like sensation existed among Zapatistas’ due to the consisted silence of the Subcommand Marcos. She said no, and until Jose Saramago came out in my defense: “When one has an admiration for somebody and this one tends to be silent, of course one can feel like a orphan!.” It was in Madrid, in 2004…”

[Analisys] Five foreign journalist working in Spain choose the 2008 events that had the most repercussion in their native countries. In some cases is about predictable news, like general elections or the crisis impact. However, there is also space for social topics such as the clash between the church and Zapatero’s government, which was a hot topic in Italy, the diplomatic work towards the anglosaxon world, the emigration plan for Moroccans…or the Davis Cup in Argentina.

[OPINION] This week, the commander of a foreign Spanish military mission offered in those words his support for Santa Clause to deliver gifts to his men. This was broadcasted in a videoconference conversation with President Zapatero. I wonder what Santa Clause’s face would look like to such an offer. I suppose, like me, he would wonder, what part have they failed to understand?

[23-12-2008] The Guardian: “El Gordo brings £2bn sparkle to Spain” [El periódico británico The Guardian publica un artículo de Giles Tremlett titulado: “El Gordo con dos mil millones de libras anima España”. El diario añade: “Los españoles se encuentran entre los más fervientes jugadores de Europa”. Y no es el único periódico extranjero que habla de la lotería española. ]

[OPINION] A day like today, a few years back, I slept on the street. Mariano, who had 22 causes of justice on his back and a few hand full of jail sentences, said that night was not going to be too cold. That night I was lucky it was Tuesday. The weekends, -said Mariano-, were worse. The drunken youth throw bottles and kick or piss on the cardboards. Sometimes, if the cold permits one to sleep, you even find those that steal from your pockets, -he assures.

Jose Saramago, 1998 Nobel Literature prize winner, has presented his last nobel, “The Elephant’s Journey,” the book which is crowned with the following dedication: “To Pilar, who did not let me die.” From his presentation in Madrid, twelve to thirteen thesis could come alive. One could write about life, death, illness, dignity, happiness. And also about humor, travel, literature and so much more. The things that accompany Saramago.

[OPINION] While the young journalist threw his shoes at Bush, the world passed the page and did not read the news: “Washington has inverted in Iraq 100,000 million dollars (about 75,000 million euros,) which converts the Iraqi project in the greatest foreign reconstruction since the Marshall Plan in Europe after World War II….” The Arab world will have a hero, but after all Bush will be seeing stars, even if it comes in the form of a shoe hit.

[OPINION] Mountazer al-Zaïdi, 28 years old, is very well aware of the degeneration of his country. The journalist who threw his shoes at Bush was kidnapped a few months ago in Bagdadb. The story was told in radiocable.com by the colleague of “Al Jazeera Spain” Aïman Zoubir.

[15-12-2008] The Guardian: “Theft and financial blunders take shine off Bilbao’s Guggenheim” [Es un texto de Dale Fuchs titulado “Robo y errores financieros empañan el Guggenheim bilbaíno”. Y no es el único artículo en la prensa extranjera sobre irregularidades en los museos de nuestro país. The Independent publica también un texto de Elizabeth Nash titulado: “Siete millones de libras obtenidas con chanchullos en las entradas, amenazan con hundir La Alhambra”.]

One of the most interesting stories that occurred in the Antarctic is Emilio Marcos Palma, the first child born in the ice continent. His birth was a sort of military junta scheme, governed by Argentina in 1978 to try to “legitimize” their territorial claim in the Antarctic. They sent a seven month pregnant woman, Silvia Morella de Palma, wife of a military, to the Base Antarctic of Hope and there, she gave birth to a boy in January 7th, 1978.

[11-12-2008] The Washington Post: Spanish judge asks to see memo on CIA flights [“Un juez español pide ver el informe sobre los vuelos de la CIA”. La prensa norteamericana, que en general ha tratado poco el asunto de los vuelos de la CIA en España, recoge ya el asunto. El texto da cuenta, además, de los papeles desvelados por EL PAIS]

One day universities will study the night of March 13th 2004 in Spain. That night hundreds of people, without a convener to unite them, met spontaneously in front of the Popular Party, which held the presidency of the country. Radiocable.com interviewed the author of the first SMS which triggered the rally. A message that contributed to the change of the direction of the country.

[9-12-2008] The New York Times: “Gene Test Shows Spain’s Jewish and Muslim Mix”. [El prestigioso periódico es uno de los muchos medios extranjeros que han recogido la noticia estos días. Se trata de un estudio de las universidades de Leicester (Reino Unido) y Pompeu Fabra de Barcelona que ha tenido una cierta difusión en nuestro país, pero que fuera ha despertado un notable interés…]