News, January 2008

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.

Other recent news includes:24th: EU requires Madrid airport to correct security gaps - it claims to have done so already; Spanish built CASA military transport crashes in Poland - all dead (BBC report)23rd: Judge Garzón starts illegalisation proceedings against pro-ETA political parties PCTV and ANV - in run-up to general election; ETA support group falls - 8 arrested; 2 of 14 Pakistanis arrested Saturday on terror suspicion relaeased; IBEX again suffers big fall; 22nd: 'Black Monday' sees IBEX market index down 7.4% and stabilises after first falling; Atutxa, ex-speaker of Basque parliament, condemned for disobeying Supreme Court; cayuco reaches Tenerife with 34 migrants; fog: 60 vehicles in multiple crash on A42 Madrid - Toledo highway; 1 million more tourists visited Spain in 2007; GE shows interest in buying troubled builder Colonial; Spain - Portugal summit announces tech deals, including nano laborotory and AVE rail links for 2013; 19th: 14 terror suspects arrested in Barcelona - BBC report; Spaniard elected to head Jesuits; conflictive Barcelona high speed rail tunnel -under Sagrada Familia church- contract awarded to Sacyr; words for National Anthem dropped after outcry.

16th: CCTV video shown of recently arrested ETA member Sarasola leaving Madrid airport hours before Christmas 2006 bombing broke the ETA truce; 5 regions suffer stromy weather; British media are praising Spain's organ donor system, which may be emultaed by the NHS -BBC report; 15th: Parliament dissolved - 9th March general election now official (NYT report); 15 women in Vigo, Galicia, declare themselves guilty of late abortions in Barcelona doctors' case; fishing boat in trouble off Galicia coast due to heavy seas (30 ft waves) - several sailors missing presumed drowned; TeleMadrid reveals service access to airport's T4 allowing migrants to evade immigration control; 11th: 2nd patera reaches Mallorca in 2 days - totalling over 30 migrants - police suspect these may include terrorists escaping from Algerian authorities, skipper of boat which arrived in July gets 3 years; National Anthem finally gets words - Plácido Domingo to sing it on January 21st; Franco-Spanish summit: Sarkozy honours 2 (unarmed) Civil Guards killed in France by ETA in December and gives OK to full cross-border activity in future - one supposes fully armed; 9th: ETA detainees are bombers of Madrid airport's T4 in December 06 and were preparing to attack major Madrid shopping and business centre with car bomb - details from the BBC; abortion clinics on strike after arrests of doctors for late abortions - details from the BBC; 3-11 judge's wife publishes book on lonely life of terror judge and gets sacked from top PR job at law HQ; credit charged growth comes to abrupt halt (FT reports) oldest mayor in Spain (92) dies laying foundation stone of old folks' home; 8th: Police find new ETA hide days after arresting two so far unknown terrorists about to attack; 3 Kings bring much joy and presents, but few lumps of coal to Spain's children (6th); King Juan Carlos celebrates 70th birthday; statistics give the low-down on 2007: inflation up at 4.3%, unemployment rose by 35,000 over the year, growth slowed to 3.5%, road toll under 3000 for first time in 30 years, illegal migrant arrivals halved, consumer confidence falls for first time in years, ...

Earlier news headlines: click here.