Two bombs detonate in Idlib, north Syria: state news - 4/30/12



Syria's state news agency said two bombs had detonated on Monday in the central districts of Idlib city, near the Turkish border, and blamed what it said were terrorists.
"Terrorist bombings in Hanano Square and Carlton Street in Idlib and news of casualties," a SANA newsflash said.
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Eurozone crisis live: Spanish crisis deepens as recession confirmed - 4/30/12



Spain suffers double-dip recession as GDP falls 0.3%
The Instituto Nacional de Estadistica has announced that the Spanish economy shrank by 0.3% in the first three months of 2012. That follows a 0.3% contraction in the final three months of 2011.
That puts Spain back into recession for the first time since it returned to growth at the start of 2010. The 0.3% contraction is actually slightly better than analysts had forecast.
On an annual basis, Spain shrank by 0.4% in the last quarter.
Britain also slipped back into a double-dip recession last week.
By my reckoning, there are now eight eurozone countries in recession.
The other six are Belgium, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Greece and Slovenia -- whose economies all shrank in the third and fourth quarters of 2011.
Looking outside the eurozone, but within the EU, we can include the UK, Denmark and the Czech Republic.
Spain and the UK are among the first countries to report data for the first three months of 2012.
8.20am: The news of Spain's recession (see 8.05am) has long been expected. This graph shows how it only managed weak economic growth through 2010 and most of 2011, before beginning to contract last autumn.
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Thou must keep Sunday



Trade unions across Europe held small protests on March 4 calling for governments to force companies and shops to shut on Sunday, with Catholic preachers supporting the campaign from the pulpit.
Religious groups and trade unions, organized under the banner of the European Sunday Alliance, helped organize protests in 12 EU countries. Much of the activity took place in Italy, where a law allowing businesses to choose their own opening hours was only passed in December. The newspaper of the Italian bishops’ conference, Avvenire, hailed a new “holy alliance” between the Catholic community and trade unions.
Watch for the Catholic Church to eventually force Sunday observance in all in Europe.
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A Day to Remember



In this intriguing lecture, the creation week is presented, emphasizing the relationship between the Creator and the creation answering question such as: Who is the creator?
What significance impact does the seventh-day of creation have on our lives today? Was the seventh day a Jewish institution or did it originate in Eden? An in-depth rediscovery of the day of rest.
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