News, October, 2007

October 31st, general news roundup.

Memorial to Madrid Bombings (11 march 04)

Verdict today in Madrid bomb trial: no ETA conection, all or most explosive stolen from Conchita mine, worst affected victims get 1.5 million Euros, those least affected 30,000; 3 get life sentences, Rabei Osman, presumed gang leader, absolved; Andualusia calls elections for 9th March - could be date for general election; 'Historic memory bill', righting some wrongs from Franco dictatorship, passed in Congress -now goes to Sentate; 30th: 7 Spaniards -aircrew- charged in Chad child kidnap case; 6 arrested for street violence in Basque Country; inflation bounces up to 3.6% from 2.7% (HCPI); King opens new wing of Prado Gallery in Madrid; Alicante toy maker presents 'Baby Down' in attempt to integrate the disabled; 29th: 1253 years for ETA terrorists in 1995 Vallecas (Madrid) bomb case -6 died; Zapatero makes surprise visit to Barcelona and accepts government responsibility for AVE rail chaos; option discarded to make temporary AVE terminus at El Prat, close to the airport, while final access to Barcelona is completed; bus burnt by radicals in Basque Country; 2 of 6 islamists arrested last week held in prison; attention on coming 3-11 sentence (expected Wednesday) brings editorials in main papers; Vatican beatifies 498 Civil War dead, among whom some also beleived to have been torturers - read the comments on the link!; 100 years since Madrid's Gran Vía got planing permission, opening up the city to 20th century life; INE statistics Institute says life expectancy is now over 80; IBEX tops 15,700; leading clothes retailer Zara goes online.

Other recent news includes: 26th More rail tunnelling woes as track above cracks up in Barcelona - work temporarily halted; decision on which firm will continue tunnel under central Barcelona postponed; Prince of Asturias Prizes presented, including Al Gore, Bob Dylan and Michael Schumacher; 25th: Fishing boat rescues one survivor and 7 dead on cayuco 400 miles off Canaries - 49 disappeared; Zapatero makes electoral promise on 0.7% to development in next legislature; 12 arrested in political corruption case in Canaries; traffic chaos in Barcelona due to rail disruption; October rain in Valencia worst for 143 years; 24th: 6 presumed islamic terrorists arrested in Burgos; 13 arrested in anit-drug operation - laboratory in Madrid discovered; power failure hit info boards at Barcelona airport; finance minister Solbes willing to downgrade growth expectations for 2008; Zapatero said in Mallorca that taxes could be cut due to lower national debt; Spain beaten by Canada in race to 8th place in conomic power; furore over CCTV pictures of drunk attacking Ecuadorian girl -judge limited as she made no police report, but embassy in uproar; 23rd: Barcelona rail chaos continues, but transport now free, in attempt to reduce cars on roads; UK and Spain congratulated by UN on Gibraltar deal and developments; ship found by coast guard with 3.7 tonnes of cocaine brought into Las Palmas; Socialist party wants to renegotiate government agreements with the Vatican and religious freedom law of 1980; 22nd: Judge -filling legal vacuum- allows minor to donate part of liver to her newborn baby; rail link to Barcelona airport and towns to south cut for (at least) a week due to problems building AVE high speed line - buses replace trains, long distance services rerouted; biodiversity report claims Spain contaminates 3 times more than its ecological capability (Madrid is worst at 20x); Al Gore speaks in Palma (Mallorca); treasure hunt ship released from port.

18th: Street battle rages between residents and police on Madrid`s Cañada real, an old sheep track converted into illegal street housing 30,000 people, which the city hall wants to bulldoze -to end shantyism-; another Batasuna leader arrested; Spain`s percentage of migrants tops EU list, with over 10%; young Danish mother dies as car is hit by storm water in Mallorca; international rail links cancelled due to French strike; 16th: Soldier shot in Basque country - no clear idea how; Zapatero met Basque leader Ibarretxe and rejected outright the Basque referendum plan; heavy rain returns to South East; Muslims on trial in National Court riot; number of men condemned for violent abuse of partners reaches 50.000 in 3 years -on average 58 women die each year; 162 migrants reach La Palma (Canaries) aboard a cayuco; 600m of shore affected by oil escape from factory in Las Palmas, Grand Canary; treasure hunter ship Odyssey Explorer siezed in Straits on charges of robbery treasures from Spanish ship or national waters; National Energy Commission allows Suez to buy Gas Natural shares, while it also announces buying 33% of Valencia Water; 15th: Fishing boat picks up 50 migrants adrift in Mediterranean off Lybia and disembarks in Tripoli; car stolen by ETA in French chemicals robbery found; Islamic plotters on trial for National Court bomb plans; 3 leading mobile operators under suspicion of price pact; 36 dead on roads over long weekend - 2221 so far this year; Auto Res bus drivers on strike yesterday - routes between Madrid and Valencia and Extremadura affected; low-cost, low altitude- 50 Ryanair passengers -flight cancelled due to fog- bussed by Spanish Consulate from Paris to Madrid.

13th: 2 dead and bridges washed away as Gota Fría storms hit Costa Blanca; Zapatero jeered by right wing extremists on National Day military parade; Caruana wins Gibraltar election; 11th: Inflation 2.7%; chemical thsft in France could be ETA; general election in Gibraltar; Julian Muñoz, ex mayor of Marbella leaves jail with 50,000€ bail (awaiting trial for corruption); crew rescued from sinking fishing boat; 24 Romanians arrested for extorsion in Castellón; ETA terrorist Iñaki Bilbao gets for repeated threats; 'gota fría' storm threat over Valencia and Balearics; Marsans group, owners of Air Plus Comet and Aerolineas Argentinas, to buy 4 A380s and 68 other Airbus planes; Spain heads off for long weekend to celebrate national day (discovery of America in 1492) - 5.1 million trips expected, AutoRes bus company plans strike for Sunday; 10th: Police get proof that Basque party EHAK/PCTV was paying salaries to members of illegal party Batasuna; Congress discuss 'Historic memory' bill, hoping to 'right wrongs' of Franco era; Criteria, company hived off from savings bank La Caixa, debuts on Ibex; 'Torrespaña' Madrid's telecommunications tower celebrates 25 years - its service has grown from 2 to 34 TV stations, plus many other services (i.e. DAB), over these years; 9th: ETA limpet bomb injurs bodyguard; Body fished up off Almería on migration route - presumably one who din't make it, third in 10 days; car of 3-11 terrorist 'El Chino' discovered in Ceuta garage; French suicide car bomber detained in Girona on AP7; 016 hot line for denouncing 'gender abuse' is overwhelmend on launch - immediately has to double lines; Bank lowers growth expectations for 2008 to 3%; over half of salaried workers get under 1,100€ per month; EU commission opens investigation into legality of property tax concessions to Catholic church; education ministry tells school in Ceuta it must take girls wearing muslim veil; 8th: 17 Batasuna leaders jailed by judge Garzón awaiting trial for actively supporting ETA violence; street violence increases in Basque Country over weekend; over 200 migrants reached Andalusian coast this weekend aboard pateras; some schools now hardly have Spanish pupils - all are children of immigrants; ex president Aznar defends Crown as Catalan photo burning crisis shows royal fall from favour; savings rate falls to 10%; new bus tunnel links A5 with Principe Pio transport terminal in Madrid for faster public transport connections.

5th: Police arrest 22 Batasuna leaders; tornado hits Mallorca in evening rush hour - 2000 evacuated from Son Moix stadium after part of roof fell; power firms fully to blame for 'avoidable' blackout in Barcelona in August; maps stolen from National Library found in Australia, robber identified; Spanair president resigns to be able to make offer for company -which SAS is selling; Repsol affected by Ecuador resources nationalisation; Acciona takes over Endesa, Santander wins ABN Amro; Mercedes to close Barcelona plant; 4th: 9 released after prosecutor failed to bring charges for burning photos of royals; boss gets 3 years for accidental death of 2 building workers, one uninsured, falling from scaffolding with no safety equipment - first prison term for this offence; dangerous drivers face prison in bill before Cortes today; battle over 'Citizenship' classes continues fierce; ElMundo.es reaches ten million unique visitors in September; 3rd: 2 dead, 11 injured in Seville flooding - storms spread to central Spain; Zapatero to meet Basque Lehendakari Ibarretxe on the 16th; 2nd: Unemployment and contracts both down in September; ñ and ç (ñ and ç) on .es web domains from today; 1st: King -in speech opening new academic year- defends record for provding democracy and stability in Spain as Catalan demonstrators continue to burn images of royal family; Basque president Ibarretxe's referendum plan meets with tough responses, even in own party; developer Llanera suspends payments; 32 dead on roads over weekend; 220 migrants reach Canaries over weekend, 56 intercepted off coast of Andalucia; take-over day on market: Acciona expects to have won offer for Endesa, while La Caixa and Suez make offer for Barcelona Water (Agbar); 7 ton salad bids for Guiness Record in Pulpi, Almería; new truck ferry service links Bilbao with Benelux.

Earlier news headlines: click here.