News, July, 2006

July 31st, general news roundup.

(Sport news see new section!)Row in consevative Partido Popular over gay 'wedding' of party member presided over by Madrid's mayor Ruiz Gallardon; Barcelona airport getting back to work after 4 days of chaos - judge begins charges against strikers for 'hijacking' and attempting agains aviation security; meanwhile, Ibiza-Barcelona fast ferry has break-down on high sea, later repaired and arrives 5 hours late; 205 immigrants reach Tenerife on cayuco open boat; Euribor, leding rate, above 3.5% - could hurt many mortgage borrowers; 29th: Thousands of air passengers stranded - Iberia flights at Barcelona still cancelled after wildcat handling strike - today is the busiest day of the year... in theory; 28th: Barcelona airport at standstill due to walk out by handling staff - most of today's 942 flights affected - concession change threatens up to 900 jobs; 'Historic memory' bill agreed in cabinet banning symbols of Franco dictatorship to museums; 4 immigrants die in attempt to reach Canaries; unemployment down almost 100,000 in 2nd quarter according to EPA survey; 8 million car journeys expected over weekend as holidaymakers start or finish their month away; new toll road, AP 36, opens to alleiviate traffic between Madrid and Levant; E.On gets goahead to bid for power supplier Endesa but must sell 30%; 27th: Heat wave gets respite on peninsula, with storms, but Mallorca still in upper 30ºs (celcius); 5 die in north coast holiday flat gas explosion; figures show new points sysstem for driver licences is lowering deaths - 68 less this month; 25th: President Zapatero expects no progress on ETA disarming for a year; Iberia's new low-cost, Barcelona-based airline to be called Clickair; 'understanding' to be signed between Spain, UK and Gibraltar on 18th September, to include airport and other issues; 2005 population figures published: 44 million with 8.7% foreigners. more >>

Sport roundup, 31st July

With Floyd Landis shown to have a positive doping test, Spaniard Oscar Pereiro may be declared winner of the Tour de France. Meanwhile, this was a busy weekend in minor sports - swimming, hockey, mountain bike. Read on! more >>

News from the Churches

National radio programme gets goahead The national station Radio Nacional de España has just awarded the evangelicals, jews and muslims a shared programme on Sunday mornings from 17th September. Called Faith and living together, each of the faith groups will have a slot in the Sunday morning schedule, starting at 6.00 a.m. The evangelical slot, of 15 minutes will be called Protestant World. more >>

70th anniversary of Civil War start

18th July. Today marks the 70th anniversary of the military uprising which triggered Spain's most bloddy Civil War, between 1936 and 1939. A new survey shows that 30% of the population still consider the coup to have been 'justified', revealing how split Spanish society continues to be and how fragile democracy is. And a new law banning symbols of the dictatorship in in the pipeline. more >>

San Fermín, Pamplona's bull-running Fiesta

7th July is the day that the inhabitants of Pamplona celebrate their patron saint, San Fermín. It is the first day of a week of bull-running and fiestas. Made famous by Hemingway's book The sun never sets, this has come to be regarded as Spain's bull-running showcase, although it is just one of many such events in the national calendar of local fiestas. While many foreigners are outraged by such traditions, Spaniards, on the whole, are so accustomed to these celebrations that they see nothing wrong with bull fighting and other use of animals in their traditional fiestas. more >>

Sub-Saharan invasion alarms Canaries

19th May and following: link to testimony 6 July. Yesterday a new record was set when 647 paperless illegal immigrants were washed ashore aboard cayuco large open fishing boats, having crossed the ocean several days from Marutiania or even Senegal. Last weekend over 1100 arrived in 4 days. more >>

30 years of democracy

July 3rd. Today marks the 30th anniversary of the appointment by king Juan Carlos of Adolfo Suarez to the position of President of the government (Prime Minister). Suarez was the man who led the country from the remains of the Franco dictatorship to a Constitutional Democracy. more >>

ETA talks begin.

3rd July. Last week President Zapatero announced that the 'Permanent Ceasefire' announced by ETA in March has indeed proven to continue in place and that there are signs that ETA is really willing to hang up its arms and rejoin the democratic process in order to achieve its aims. The presidential announcement was met by enthusiams by many, but the conservative opposition party, Partido Popular, together with the victims' association AVT, both claimed it was a sad day when terrorists would be invited to 'peace' talks when they should simply be expected to hang out the white flag of surrender. Right wing elements are not willing to forgive and forget. Amnesty International is also calling the government to be wary of an amnesty for convicted killers! more >>

New Catalan Statute completes hard Congress passage

Early April. After a stormy passage through the national Cortes, the Catalan Estatut, or regional government bill, has finally been accepted. Many differing opinions can be found concerning whether this is a good or bad thing, but they largely depend on where people live and their consequent concept of 'Spain'. In Catalonia itself, as well as the Basque Country and some other 'regions', the small increase in local autonomy, including the sensitive areas of finance and language - particularly what is a 'nation'- the changes are welcomed. On the other hand the Castilian concept of Spain is seen by many as under threat. Former vice-president Alfonso Guerra has said the current political situation is similar to that in the Soviet Union in 1990: 'Spain' is about to break up. more >>

News theme: Basque politics and ETA

On 22nd March ('06), ETA, the Basque separatist terrorist group, announced a permanent ceasefire. One would have expected that after many years of living with terrorism in the Basque Country and across Spain, all Spaniards would have welcomed the announcement. However, a brief glance at newspaper headlines since that date would suggest that the announcement had been the spark for an all-out fight between the major parties. Two very different reactions have come to light and hopes of true 'peace' are as far as ever. more >>

News Theme, Summer in Spain and the Weather

Schools are out! Summer has officially begun! On approximately 20th June each year, schools close for the summer. It is now too hot in most areas to hold classes without expensive air conditioning, so schools have traditionally closed for almost 3 months. Indeed, what remains of school in both June and September is mornings only - although nowadays more and more schools extending morning clas year round and the kids don't return after a late lunch. more >>

Summer is here, happy fiestas!

Fiesta time is round again. Through the spring, fiestas, or city/village celebration weeks, have already been a big part of life. After Easter, the cities of Andalusia begin a round of Ferias, starting with the greatest of them all in Seville. By June, most towns and villages want to join in, with festivities traditionally centred on a saint's or 'virgin's' day. more >>

More News

A few more news items and where to find more news about Spain: