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News, January 2008News from the Churches January 31st, general news roundup.Inflation reaches 4.4%; container with over 30kg of explosives found in Basque Country; Zapatero meets Merkel in Mallorca '18th region of Germany'; 30th: Illegalisation process of PCTV and ANV continues, with accounts frozen; another ETA member, Ainhoa Adin, arrested; key 3-11 suspect arrested in Morocco -BBC report; Zapatero promises 400€ tax rebate all round if he wins general election; Prince Felipe 40 today; A8 driver who killed cyclist (no lights) withdraws claims for damages made against parents; Iberdrola takeover rumour encourages market; 2007 GNP growth was 3.8%; 2 women commit suicide throwing themselves in front of AVE high speed train; 2 parachutists jump from Madrid's new 'peak':El Mundo video. more >> Sport roundup, 29th JanuaryMelbourne -Ferrer beats ferrero, Nadal to semi finals; Madrid heads Primera and ACB league; disappointment as Dakar rally cancelled; Alonso had good training day in Valencia. For more, read on! more >> Elections 200815th January. Parliament has been dissolved. Elections will be held on 9th March. President Zapatero, who won a surprise landslide in the 2004 general election in the wake of the 11th March train bombings in Madrid, now has to face the electorate once more. As during the entire intervening period, the governing Socialists (PSOE) go into the precampaign season with a small advantage over the conservative opposition (PP). It is still a long time in politics, so no result can yet be certain. more >> Madrid bomb trial ends - 3 life sentences, several absolved31 October. The long-awaited conclusion to the Madrid bombings trial has finally arrived. After six long months, the judges concluded that the bombings on 11th March, 2004 which killed 191 and wounded another 1850, were the work of an islamic group. There was no involvement of the Basque terrorist band, ETA, but rather all the explosive was stolen from a mine in Asturias by Emilio Suárez Trashorras. Otman El Gnaoui was also condemned for his part in supplying the eventual killers. The only survivor of the killers who has been identified is Jamal Zougam. All three got long life sentences. more >> Socialists consider revision of Vatican agreements and Religious Freedom law in 2008 election manifesto23rd October. The Socialist party (PSOE) is considering including the revision of the 1979 Concordat agreement between Spain and the Vatican, as well as the 1980 Religious Freedom Law in their 2008 general election manifesto. The Socialists are again moving towards a more 'lay' state, in which any religious expression is effectively sidelined. The PSOE is especially concerned that the Roman Catholic Church has excessive privileges in an increasingly 'plural' nation in terms of religious belief. more >> Infrastructure stumbles forward.January 2008. In 1992, Spain celebrated a World Expo in Sevilla and the Olympics in Barcelona. Barcelona at that time boasted an excellent local transport infrastructure, while the first high speed AVE rail link linked Madrid with Seville (also incidentally home of Felipe González, then president). Since then, Madrid has seen major advances on all transport fronts, with major road, rail and subway schemes allowing substantial expansion of the city and region. In Barcelona, investments were far fewer and the city's population has actually declined as people sought more comfortable -and cheaper- homes outside Europe's most crammed city, only exacerbating the communication problem. Nationally, other regions have also seen far more investment than Catalonia, which is now straining under the deficit. more >> News theme: Basque politics and ETASpain's peripheral regions, particularly Catalonia and the Basque Country, have never felt fully part of 'Spain'. History and language have parts to play in this situation. The result is that these regions have long desired high levels of autonomy or even independence. In the Basque Country, the existence of ETA, a terrorist organisation with a pseudo left-wing nationalist agenda, has forced all parties to consider the independence issue seriously. ETA started during the Franco dictatorship, but has resolutely refused to die before achieving its objectives, themselves more confused with the passing of time. Ceasefires and bombing campaigns have succeeded each other over the years. Meanwhile, democratic parties have taken their own positions on independence, with the governing centre-right Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), under the presidency of Lehendakari (regional president) Ibarretxe, leading the search for an agreed independence or high level of autonomy. more >> News Theme, The immigration crisis Desperation (AFP) News theme: weather and winter travelSpain 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 NewsA few more news items and where to find more news about Spain:more >> |