News, June 2007

June 30th, general news roundup.

Ibiza airport closed due to ETA bomb scare as Glasgow Alquaeda attack hits holiday flights from Britain; 25th: 3 Spanish troops killed in Lebanon on UN service; Spanair cabin crew strike causes 60 cancellations; 20th: Zapatero meets Basque Lehendakari Ibarretxe; Socialists get presidency of Navarre assembly, supported by conservative UPN; Prince of Asturias research prize goes to geneticists Ginés Morata and Peter Lawrence; nurses to act as Pediatricians in Catalonia due to lack of doctors - planners in the mid-90s did not count on migrant birth rate; 19th: 18 arrested in Alhaurin el Grande, Malaga, on urban corruption charges - 'Operation Troy'; Partido Popular and Coalición Canaria share power to keep out winning Socialists from Canary government; Gimp -a property firm- buys BBVA's tower in Madrid; regional housing price reports rreflect stagnant market after years of high rises; 20th anniversary of ETA's bloddiest attack on the Hipercor super store in Barcelona - 21 died; some 200 migrants reach Canaries; Infanta Sofia to be christened on 15th July; 18th: Firms follow big banks' lead and put offices for sale as property market show serious signs of weakening - Catalan domestic prices down average 4% in first quarter.

Other recent news includes: 15th: Spain celebrates 30th anniversary of first democratic elections after Franco dictatorship; over 8,000 local councils are sworn in after May 27th elections - for the first time 1000 smaller councils (population under 250)used majority system instead of the prevailing D'Hondt Law of proportional representation; migrants rescued off Libyan coast by Spanish fishing boat finaly allowed to disembark in Tripoli - in tears; 14th: Zapatero visits Berlin and Poland tomorrow; Zapatero says he will bear down with all the weight of the law on ETA; ETA member Cortazar handed over by French police; another fishing boat rescues sinking migrants off Libyan coast; Bob Dylan wins Principe de Asturias prize; Banderas' 'Puss in Boots' gets lead in new non-Shrek film; BBVA bank follows Santander's lead and announces sale of some buildings to finance new development -this time also property; Viajes Marsans offers to buy Spanair from SAS; 13th: Despite recent anti-ETA activity, fears high of imminent major attack; Justice minister confirms there is no way at present to illegalise ANV, the new pro-ETA party, but more evidence might lead to this; illegal immigrant Canary sea arrivals total reaches 3400 for this year; Banco Santander to seel all but one property in run-up to AMB purchase; 1 million newly built flats may remain empty at year end as property market 'goes flat'; inflation down to 2.3%; high hopes that Granada's Alhambra palace will get designation as one of the seven wonders of the world on 7th July; plague of 500 million 'topillo' mice hits farms in Castilla y León, affecting up to 80% of crops; 12th: Opposition leader Rajoy met with president Zapatero and agreed unity in struggle against ETA - Rajoy wants total 'defeat' of the terrorists; 64 year old man kills wife in A Coruña with hammer; hopes high for EU agreement on handling migrants resued on high seas; Woody Allen in Barcelona to prepare new film; Catalan and Spanish teams meet for first time in amateur indoor football tournament.

9th: Government takes hard line ETA support groups: Batasuna spokesman Otegi in prison; judge Garzon prepares trial of 32 Islamics for part in Al Quaida training network; preparing for 30th anniversary of first elections of new democratic era on 15th June '77; building of high speed AVE line under Barcelona and Girona to the French frontier to be prolonged 3 years to ensure structural safety of nearby buildings, including Sagrada Familia church - a connexion will be made at Figueras to the Pyrenees tunnel; water transfer agreed to drought ridden Murcia and -for first time in 3 years- Las Tablas national park; volunteers sought as early warning team against jelly fish invasions of beaches; 7th: French police arrest 3 ETA terrorists; police detain band dedicated to robbery of solar panels; Catalan police, 'Mossos d'Escuadra', demonstrate against regional home secretary; ETA convict Chaos returns to jail; arrivals of illegals in Canary islands down 68% on last year; employers' leader José María Cuevas leaves CEOE presidency after 23 years; supermarket merger: Eroski buys 75% of Caprabo; 6th: Police arrest 6 last members of GRAPO terror organisation in Barcelona; ECB interest rate rise to hit Spanish mortgages; 5th: ETA announces end to ceasefire from midnight; 4th: Politicians negotiate regional and local government pacts, Zapatero meets Madrid socialist leaders to assess reasons for election defeat; Costa del Sol holiday flat sales down 50% on high prices; unemployment falls below 2 million.

1st: Condoleeza Rice visits Spain; Spain condones debt of 3 African countires; 499 Spanish beaches get the Blue flag; environment minister to launch 'Jelly Fish Plan' next week to tackle tour operators' big fear - also includes measures to prevent/ cope with forest fires; fishing boat with dozen migrants reaches Cala Llombards, Mallorca - 5 detained - next Monday a new mobile radar goes into service to detect these arrivals. May 31st: 3 pateras with 140 migrants reach southern peninsula; maritime rescue ship picks up 26 rescued by Spanish fishing boat Montfalcó off Libya - migrants may qualify for asylum; Socialist candidate for Madrid, Miguel Sebastian, resigns after clear poll failure; 6 truck pile up in Valencia -one dead; Velazquez's Santa Rufina to be auctioned at Sothebys on 4th July; Dalí cinema exhibit opens at the Tate Gallery; Spain presents legal claim on Odyssey for the under sea trove of 500 million dollars worth of gold and silver coins; 30th: 50 arrested on TV pirating charges - decoding and illegally distributing codified TV or the keys to it; in 3-11 trial experts say each rucksack had 10kilos of explosive; 'oldest race of horses' identified in part of Doñana natural park - 60 animals survive; 29th: Hard negotiations underway for control of several regions and cities after Sunday's poll; Solana may meet with Lariyani on Thursday in Madrid; Banco Santander launches firm bid -up 14%- for ABN Amro with RBS; Spanish results cut Vodafone loss; OECD believes Sapin could reduce state debt to 355 of GNP - possibly against a background of even higher personal debt; 28th: Partido Popular wins local elections, but Navarre and Balearics in the balance.

Earlier news headlines: click here.