Madrid - The Spanish government Wednesday won initial parliamentary support for its 2009 budget despite being accused of downplaying the impact of the country's deepening economic crisis.

The backing of two regionalist parties allowed the governing Socialists to reject amendments that several parties had proposed to the budget, which is still pending definitive approval.

The amendments were scrapped with 177 votes, while 170 legislators voted for them and one abstained.

The opposition conservatives have argued that the 1 per cent growth forecast the budget is based on is unrealistic, given that growth has plummeted from 3.8 per cent in 2007 to close to zero this year.

Madrid - While world leaders have fretted over a financial crisis that seemed to bring the global economy to the verge of collapse, Emilio Botin has kept his calm.

"Crisis? Who is in crisis?" the president of the Spanish banking giant Santander, whose capacity to weather the turmoil has impressed the world, asked in July.

"Not Santander," Botin answered his own question. "The crisis is like a child's fever. It starts very strong, then goes down."

Last week, the 74-year-old veteran banker spoke about the crisis with more concern, but dismissed talk of it originating in the United States or in subprime mortgages.

Madrid  - A work stoppage by judges and judicial secretaries Tuesday paralyzed a large part of Spain's court system.

The judiciary was protesting what it saw as government interference in its work and a lack of resources.

Judicial secretaries stopped working for three hours and judges, who were not allowed to stage a formal work stoppage, held meetings during that time.

The protesters were accusing Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's Socialist government of interference in urging the highest judges' organ to adopt stronger sanctions against a Seville judge for failing to jail a paedophile who then killed a five-year-old girl in January.

Madrid- The Spanish public prosecutor's office Monday appealed against an unprecedented judicial investigation into the crimes committed by dictator Francisco Franco, who ruled the country from 1939 to 1975 after winning the 1936-39 civil war.

National Court judge Baltasar Garzon was not competent to investigate disappearances of Franco's opponents, which could only be handled by courts in the regions where they occurred, the prosecutors argued in the appeal lodged at the same court.

Madrid - Spain's economic crisis has spurred the demand for precious stones, especially large diamonds, gemologist Adolfo de Basilio said Friday.