News, November 2006

November 30th, general news roundup

Zigor Garro, presumed ETA logistics chief, plus two others arrested in France; detainees in andratx, Mallorca, corruption case face judge; policemen in Madrid investigate for explosive trafficking; inflation 2.7%; patera rescued 300 miles off Canaries with one dead immigrant; new airline Vueling to be quoted on Madrid exchange from Friday, 7th; Iberia now sells 95% of tickets electronically; Brussels challenges Madrid's conditions for E.On takeover of Endesa; 29th: ETA terrorist 'Txapote' on trial for yet another murder; 7 membersof ETA support team sentenced in France; Gibraltar votes new Constitution tomorrow; government to permit above inflation power price rise in January; 28th: Princess Leticia's second child will be a girl; 20% of the population are considered below the 'relative poverty line', while 40% can't afford to take a week's holiday; Socialist party claims opposition PP did as much or more to woo ETA while it was still killing than the government is doing now - latest blow in political in-fighting over Basque peace process, which seems more stuck than ever; Spanish firms are growing: Iberdrola takes over Scottish Power to become 3rd power firm in Europe - could also take over Union Fenosa; Abertis-Autostrade merger gets go-ahead; Iberia accused of racism in Peru, Evangelicals affected; 27th: 10 'illegals' drown in attempt to reach Canaries; Right wing gathers more victims of ETA terror at rally, while Zapatero calls for unity behind government attempts at Basque peace; Iberia starts test landings at the rock for resumption of Madrid-Gibraltar flights on 16th December; Spain-Portugal summit agrees 2013 deadline for high speed AVE rail line between capitals; 62nd victim of year dies on gender killing memorial day; mayor and senior regional civil servant arrested in Mallorca in new building licence corruption scandal; weather continues confused: while floods hit the west, Mallorca had 27º over the weekend and bathers were out on the beaches - Mallorca has had no serious rain since April; environment ministry recommends transfer of water from upper Tajo basin to Murcia coast 'for human consumption' as water levels are recovering in the Tajo and Murcia's orchards are now also almost out of risk, despite low reserves in the region - for more on reserves Go More news. more >>

Sport roundup, 27th November

World champion cyclist isaac Galvez dies on track in Belgium; Nadal lost to Federer in Shanghai semifinals, Barça leads league with Seville on heels, Champions: Valencia heads group D, Madrid unbeaten in Basketball ACB, Jorge Lorenzo (250) and Alvaro Bautista (125) World Champions on bikes, Alonso World Champion of F1: read on! more >>

José Cardona seriously ill

José Cardona

News from the Churches

The ship, Logos 2 is visiting the Canaries, Ceuta and Melilla. The Valdepeñas Evangelical Church has placed the foundation stone for a new building 90 years on. Nueva vida radio installs better antenna in Almería, while Radio Sevilla has just signed up for a family life based weekly programme. Evangelical organisations celebrate anniversaries. A prostestant woman pastor is Bible teacher at a Catholic university! Read on! more >>

4th anniversary of Prestige tanker disaster

12th November. It is just 4 years since the Mayday signal was received from the Prestige a small tanker carrying fuel oil off the 'coast of death', Galicia. The coast and major shell fisheries were badly affected. 4 years on, superficially things are back to normal, but under the sand and behind the scenes too little has changed. Thousands demonstrated today warning that a repetition is all too possible. more >>

Catalan Election undecisive

28th November. The Nov 1st regional election in Spain's most independent region, Catalonia, brought a phyric victory for the centre-right nationalist party Convergència i Unió. The party gained 2 more seats, but still failed to prevent the left wing parties from reviving the previous governing 'Tripartite', now named 'understanding'. Socialist José Montilla has now been elected and installed as 128th president of the Generalitat, which claims roots back in the Middle Ages. more >>

Annual Principe de Asturias prizes, 2006

20th October. Today, in Oviedo, capital of Asturias, Prince Felipe will be handing out Spain's most prestigious set of prizes. among this year's winners aare UNICEF, Bill and Melinda Gates (the foundation) and Mary Robinson. Past winners included Woody Allen, JK Rowling, Helmut Kohl, etc.. more >>

Sub-Saharan invasion alarms Canaries

11th September. Reports daily in the press bring news of yet more illegal 'paperless' immigrants washed up on the shores of the Canary Islands and, this year to a much smaller extent the Spanish mainland. August was the worst month yet, bringing the year's total to 20,000 by 5th September. Meanwhile, at least 700 have died, this being the number of known cases. The European dream of a better life is causing desperate africans to risk all... and the governmet is less and less sure of how to cope. more >>

ETA peace process stalled

24th October. The past month has seen the ETA peace process, initiated after an announcement in March by ETA of a 'permanent ceasefire', has ground to a halt. Street violence began again in the Basque Country, politicians attempting to bring the process to a 'successful conclusion', being stymied by others demanding nothing but 'total victory'. Now we hear of the robbery of a large amount of weoponry in the south of France, while judges have police raid 'people's taverns' in search of indications that they were used to finance ETA and Batasuna politicians are charged with membership of ETA. As the government today asks the European parliament to lend total support to the process, it seems almost a lost hope. 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. Several very different reactions have come to light and hopes of true 'peace' are as far as ever. Indeed, six months on, ETA has almost gone as far as to cancel the ceasefire, saying it will not hand in arms until its political aims are achieved. more >>

News Theme, The immigration crisis

[Image 43???]Reports, almost daily, of open boats known variously as pateras (coming from Marocco or Algeria) or cayucos (reaching the Canary islands from further south), combine with stories of illegal 'paperless' immigrants attempting to cross the fences at Ceuta and Melilla. Add to these high profile stories the situation of hundreds of thousands of Latin Americans and Romanias, not to mention Asians and you have the appearance of a significant immigration crisis. Throw in the confusion and disagreement of politicians as to how to deal with the phenomenon and you have a real crisis. more >>

News theme: weather and winter travel

Spain is not, contrary to its image, permanent summer! The tourist season is limited, even at coastal areas, except in the Canary Islands, to half the year. Winter, especially inland, is far harsher than it is in (mostly) mild Britain, so far further north. more >>

More News

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