News, September 2008

September 30th, general news roundup.

Cayuco reaches Canaries with 230 on board, largest number for 14 years, including 25 minors - photos from El Mundo; a (smaller) patera also arrives with 100 on board; financial markets shrug off US agreement failure; finance minister Solbes presents 2009 budget - half of ministries face cuts, royal family gets more, more for priming economy; 29th: Inflation falls to 4.6% (advance figure); Santander buys branches from nationalised Bradford & Bingley to add to Abbey-Alliance & Leicester - BBC report, The Times comment; floods hit Ceuta; 8 dead in traffic accidents over weekend - lowest figure for 45 years; body found in wine barrel at Bullas (Murcia).

Other recent news includes: 26th:Feared bomb blast noises in Malaga turned out to be airforce sonic booms -BBC report; Basque president Ibarretxe plans to go ahead with independence referendum, despite court ban; July home sales down 2% on June (down 26% on last year), suggesting settling market, but while building starts are down 50%, jobs finished are still up, 2% -BBC report; Zapatero asks UN for moratorium on death penalty in 2015; 25th: Floods cut A4 into Andalusia; president Zapatero claims Spanish economy best regulated in world, European Bank says it's the least competitive; IBEX market index rises as Real Madrid scores 7 goals; King meets Ingrid Betancourt (ex-FARC captive); 24th: French police arrest 12 leaders of Batasuna, the political wing of ETA - ETA member (and ex-prisoner) Chaos in Belfast protected by IRA; finance minister Solbes admits concern at rise of loan repayment defaults; storms continue - Sueca, near Valencia, gets 302mm (12") in 4 hours (most in 2); 23rd: 2 ETA suspects arrested in France -BBC report; Iberia to close Madrid - Gibraltar route due to poor use; house sales down 31% in second quarter; tourist arrivals down 1.8% in August; 22nd: ETA strikes 3 times in 24 hours - one dead, several injured - hits against a bank, a police station and a military installation -BBC report; flood kills woman close to Madrid, heavy rain also in Tarragona, parts of the south and Balearics; Grupo Santander confirms profit hopes despite credit crunch - but plans rights issue to finance Alliance & Leicester takeover; eco-car renewal plan 'VIVE sells only 18 cars in first month (August) as banks refuse to finance new sales to owners of ageing cars.

(We were away 16th to 21st) 15th: Expo closes in Zaragoza; school starts for millions of primary school children - including Infanta Leonor, heiress to the throne; government begging other parties for 2009 budget support in Congress - the proposal does not give regions their legal rights and regional parties hold the key; Spanish hoteliers concerned as yet another travel firm goes bust in the UK, after the demise of Futura, XL and now K & S; new 24.6km rail tunnel bore completed under Cantabrian mountains to link Madrid with Asturias, on north coast.

12th:

Futura planes with no future

Basque president Ibarretxe to seek EU court approval for regional autonomy referendum after rebuttal by Constitutional Tribunal; British tour operator XL goes to receiver, leaving thousands more holidaymakers stranded (after fate of Futura) - BBC report - over 1,000 XL and 1,600 Futura passengers stranded on Tenerife alone - CAA mounts rescue operation Daily Telegraph report; developer Sacyr -builder of north Madrid towers- to sell its 20% Repsol holding to cover losses; NYT explains why Spain doesn't like nuclear;10th: MariLuz case judge fined 1500€ for not jailing her killer for earlier rape - her father is evangelical pastor, prosecutor had requested sacking judge; president Zapatero defends handling of financial crisis in Congress; Colombian hostage Ingrid Betancourt gets Principe de Asturias 'Concord' prize; Spanair begins next Monday to take planes out of service due to restructuring; Futura will probably not fly again; flood alert in Andalusia; 9th: EU to inspect and possibly black-list 'some' airlines after Spanair accident; recession: Ford and GM-Opel to lay off workers at Spanish plants, Seat to cut night shift; couple arrested for chopping up another couple in Ferrol, Galicia; Science minister announces establishment of a climate change centre on the site of the current World Expo HQ (finishes this week); Spanish scientists in 'humainty' survey claim to have discovered men have 30% more neuronal connexions than women: 'must be 20% for sex, 10% for football' says researcher! 8th: Race tension and riots in Roquetas, Almería, after a Senegalese worker is knifed -BBC report; 3 cayucos reach Canaries with 100 on board, including 32 minors; Futura, Spain's largest charter airline (spin-off of Aer Lingus), declares bankruptcy and immediately suspends flights - hopes to resume tomorrow- 8,000 affected today; 10 arrested in Galicia, including several well-known chefs, for sale of toxic seafood; Ferrovial sells Belfast airport - proceeds to reduce debt.

Other recent news includes: 6th: 2 air disaster injured leave hospital; Spanair carried 8% less passengers in August; killer rapist gets 83 years and no remission or leave before 40 years; Colombian drug baron arrested - BBC report; Companies' press association complains to Financial Times about denominating Mediterranean lands (Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece) as PIGS; 4th: Government announces new abortion bill; labour minister Corbacho says not all lost construction and services jobs will be back; Spanair flight from Ibiza to Lisbon diverted to Palma due to technical problems - passengers transferred to another plane to continue journey; more rumours about possible Spanair accident cause, as 3 families sue Boeing, 13 injured remain in hospital, one fighting for life; 1000 evacuated from homes as forest fire rages close to Gibraltar; 3rd: Cayuco reaches Grand Canary with 14 dead and several injured on board - 48 would-be migrants survived 12 days lost at sea; another boat found empty close to La Gomera (Canaries); consumer confidence rises in August - first rise in 5 months - perhaps fuel price fall and sales contribute - BBC report on sales; all remaining Spanair disaster bodies identified; judge Garzón wants to establish census of those missing in the Civil War (1936-39) - BBC report - politicians differ over convenience of stirring the past -The Economist reports; BBC reports on government plans to send unemployed immigrants home; BBC reports (video) on climate threat to Spanish vineyards.

Earlier news headlines: click here.