I’m sorry if this offends, but I couldn’t believe how mad the world is getting when I read this story on the NYDaily News site saying that an unconfirmed religious order says the phallic foods may spark sexy thoughts.

Seriously! As I rush round the supermarket trying to get the shopping done as quickly as possible I can guarantee that as I grad the courgettes, cucumbers, bananas and even carrots sexy thoughts are the furthest thought on my mind as to what to do with them!

Landmark day last Friday here in Spain as was exactly 80 years since the the Spanish Constitution was amended to give women the right to vote.

The Spanish suffragettes’ movement, led by the country’s answer to Emily Pankhurst – Clara Campoamor – finally had their voices heard on October 1 of that year when the change in the law was approved in Parliament by 161 votes against 121 dissenters.

Gaspar Llamazares, the Spanish politician whose photo the F.B.I. used to create an “as-he-is-today” photofit image of Osama Bin Laden, said yesterday he did not believe the excuses presented by the U.S.A.

Sr Llamazares, who is a member of the left-wing coalition, Izquierda Unida, said he had sent letters to the American Embassy in Spain, the F.B.I. and to the Congress of The United States demanding to know how his photo came to be used.

The AUAN would like to thank the Andalucian Defensor Del Pueblo for the warm welcome he gave them at a meeting in Seville last Friday. The Defensor (ombudsman) is the high commissioner of the Andalucían Parliament and is appointed to protect the fundamental rights and public freedoms enshrined in the Spanish Constitution. The meeting was facilitated by Izquierda Unida and, apart from those representing the AUAN, was attended by Rosalía Martín and Antonio Romero of the IU.

Spain says the number of migrants coming to the country by sea from Africa fell by almost half in 2009.

Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said 7,285 such migrants arrived in Spain last year, compared with 13,425 in 2008.

The number reaching the Canary Islands was the lowest in a decade, he said.

Mr Rubalcaba attributed the change to security measures, repatriations and co-operation with African nations, and not to the recession in Europe.

The family of imprisoned El Ejido mayor, Juan Enciso, yesterday issued an open letter in which they reiterated claims of Sr Enciso’s innocence.

In the letter the family stress that Sr Enciso has still not been charged with anything and described the suffering the situation had caused them. The family also said they would “take the necessary measures against those who were lying and sullying his name”.

A French registered white van was stopped in Bermillo de Sayago, Zamora during a routine road check on Saturday night and found to be containing explosives belonging to ETA.

Despite evading the Civil Guard (and escaping in one of their cars) the driver was eventually caught in Portugal and arrested, along with a lady that had been driving a separate look out car.

The prisoners’ collective has also expelled five ETA inmates for breaking discipline

The collective of ETA prisoners, the EPPK, have expelled five ETA inmates from their association for breaking discipline. One of those to be expelled is Valentín Lasarte Oliden, the former member of ETA’s Donosti commando who was sentenced to more than 300 years for the murders of the Partido politician, Gregorio Ordóñez, in 1995 and the Socialist, Fernando Múgica, in 1996. He is reported by El País to have spoken out in favour of ending terrorist violence in 2008.

The town’s Mayor is one of the 20 suspects who were arrested in the Operation Poniente corruption swoop

The Partido Popular’s President for Andalucía believes El Ejido needs a ‘government of unity’ to take the town up to the next municipal elections, following the arrest and imprisonment on remand of the town’s Mayor, Juan Enciso, in the Poniente corruption swoop in October. The investigation centres around the municipal services company, El Sur, and the alleged misappropriation of tens of millions of € , and saw 20 suspects taken into custody by police.

The Mayor of Mojácar, Rosa María Cano, and the four councilors who make up the ruling commission of Mojácar have been called in front of a local judge to answer a personal complaint from a local restaurant owner that she persistently permitted the erection of an illegal beach bar on Mojacar beach.

The other four councilors are Ángel Medina, (Ciudadanos Europeos); María Luisa Pérez y Diego Carrillo (PP); y Diego García (GIAL).

The disgraced ex-Alcaucin mayor and a British developer have been charged over land abuses.

‘Flamenco’ mayor Jose Manuel Martin Alba is accused of handing out illegal licenses for four houses to be built on protected land in El Espino.

Seprona – the environmental protection arm of the Guardia Civil – also charged a British developer with fraud after selling three illegal homes in the area.

As expected, María Dolores Zaragoza takes over from Juan Cano, the previous Partido Popular Mayor who was arrested for the murder of his predecessor

María Dolores Zaragoza is officially the new Partido Popular Mayor of Polop de la Marina, following the arrest of her predecessor, Juan Cano, also of the Partido Popular, over the murder of the town’s previous PP Mayor, Alejandro Ponsoda. Zaragoza had been Acting Mayor of Polop until this Thursday, when a council meeting elected her, with the votes of her party colleagues, to take over the post.

The vote on Sunday was not legally binding

This Sunday, 13th December, was the date chosen by 166 municipalities of Cataluña to vote in referendums on whether the region should become independent from Spain.

More than 700,000 people over the age of 16 were eligible to vote in Sunday’s referendum, overseen by 15,000 volunteers across the region, but in the event although there was a massive yes vote at 94.71%, turnout reaching just 27%. 3.53% voted ‘No’, while there were 1.76% blank votes and 0.34% were void.

Non-binding referendums were called in 166 municipalities on Sunday

This Sunday, 13th December, was the date chosen by 166 municipalities of Cataluña to vote in referendums on whether the region should become independent from Spain. It follows the first referendum which was held in Arenys de Munt in September when the question asked was: ‘Are you in favour of Cataluña becoming an independent democratic state within the European Union?’

The Socialist David Valadez says that he has always acted strictly within the law

The Socialist Mayor of Estepona, David Valadez, has been indicted on real estate irregularities. The Mayor, who was elected himself to replace the previous Mayor, Antonio Barientos, who is implicated in the Astapa corruption case based in the Town Hall, said that he was relaxed about the news and that he had always acted strictly within the law.

The Basque Nationalists will support the text with the amendment that 16 and 17 year olds must inform a parent about their plans for a termination

Three juveniles were meanwhile rescued in Algeciras after they were found hiding beneath a lorry at the port

There has been a new wave of illegal immigrants in Almería, where 48 migrants were arrested in less than 24 hours. The first five were arrested after reaching shore near the marina in Aguadulce at around 9.30 on Tuesday morning, and a boat with another six passengers on board was intercepted by the Civil Guard 10 miles south of Cabo de Gata less than two hours later. Europa Press said one of the occupants was a woman.

The temporary measure comes over his harsh criticism of the PP’s Regional President of Madrid

Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón’s No. 2 at Madrid City Hall, Deputy Mayor, Manuel Cobo, has been suspended from the Partido Popular for his critical comments of Esperanza Aguirre over the Caja Madrid Savings Bank affair.

The Gibraltar First Minister will debate the subject in London next month

The Gibraltar First Minister, Peter Caruana, has described the EU Environment Commission plan for Spain and the United Kingdom to jointly manage the waters round the Rock regarding environmental matters as ‘unacceptable, inappropriate in practice and legally impossible’.

Some 80 percent of Spaniards reject the term ‘nation’ to describe Catalonia, an opinion poll said Sunday, as the country’s highest court prepares to rule on the legality of the region’s statute of autonomy.

To the question “Do you think Catalonia is really a nation”, 79 percent replied ‘no’ and 18 percent ‘yes’, according to the poll released by the newspaper El Pais.