News, February 2008

February 29th, general news roundup.

3 kilo ETA bomb explodes in Basque Socialist party HQ; El Solitario famous bank robber, on trial for 2 deaths in Tudela, Navarre; 'overbooking' hits AVE train again on Madrid- Malaga route; 28th: Navarre University publishes definitive story of RC theology in the New World after 25 years of work by 29 specialists - 4 volumes published by Iberoamericana-Vervuert (Frankfurt), reflecting the development of all kinds of thought in Latin America during the past 500 years; TV viewers tiring of election debates and interviews; mixed economic results: Telefónica announces 43% profits rise, while developer Acciona drops 29% - Repsol was level; 27th: 4 women die at hands of partners - worst day since records began; 20 Islamists condemned for terror plot; 26th: TV debate between presidential hopefuls got 13 million viewers, president Zapatero was more positive and got a 'win' from pollsters, but opponent Rajoy felt he won; NYT says terror alert raised in run-up to election; accident on Extremadura road out of Madrid involves 90 vehicles, with at least 35 injured, one serious; BAA loss depresses Ferrovial profit (BBC report); 25th: ETA strikes again at outset of election campaign, with bomb at communication tower in Basque Country - none hurt; Javier Bardem first Spanish actor to gain Oscar; CCTV begins in Madrid, in calle Montera, known for night life; colonel Juan Montenegro takes operative command of KFOR.

Other recent news includes: 21st: General Election campaign gets under way - both parties start equal in polls; over five million saw first tele debate between finance minister hopefuls; Juan de Dios Ramírez Heredia becomes world's first gypsy 'Doctor Honoris Causa'; 20th: AVE Madrid-Barcelona high speed rail service finally starts, along with several other routes and timetable changes - 8000 use the 2 1/2 hour service on first day, commenting on being almost as fast as the air bridge, but with internet and mobile access and much more comfortable; new proofs presented to court of ETA involvement in Basque independence parties ANV and PCTV; 19th: Remaining members of the ETA commando who bombed Madrid airport in December 2006 arrested in France; Spain among lands which condemn unilateral declaration of independence in Kosovo - fearing similar declarations in Basque Country or Catalonia; GM Opel asks 900 workers (12%) to resign from jobs in Zaragoza car plant.

14th: Pro-independence protesters demonstrate in Bilbao against illegalisation of parties close to ETA; 3 arrested in Vitoria, Basque Country on Islamic terror suspicion; ETA member Ibon Fernández gets 30 years in France (BBC report); 125 arrested for faking credit cards; Iberia to make offer for competitor Spanair - just at a time when national airlines are to lose their profitable position betwen Madrid and Barcelona - the high speed AVE line opens on 20th February; 12th; Infrastructure minister Alvarez stuck in high speed AVE train (still close to Madrid) as yet another problem hinders her from being 'the first person' to roll into Barcelona on the new wonder; 'New Flame', ship grounded off Gibraltar last August, finally sinks; street violence erupts in Basque Country after Batasuna arrests; Spanish ambassador returns to Venezuela; cayuco reaches tenerife with 54 migrants, 18 under age; elmundo.es reaches 10.8 million visitors in January; Spain celebrates 200th anniversary of War of Independence (BBC photos); 11th: 14 presumed members of ETA related illegal party Batasuna arrested in Basque Country - BBC report; city of Barcelona claims 600 Euros damages from pregnant British lady knocked down by police bike - woman knocked out and subsequently suffered long recovery, but baby born without harm; 76 arrested across Spain for online fraud; Greenpeace reports 16,000 die p.a. due to air pollution, 4,000 workers from toxicity, especially in most industrialised areas - 75% of rubbish is not properly handled or recycled; Greenpeace has special words for contamination near Gibraltar, not just current oil slick from the New Flame; island of El Hierro in the Canaries is the greenest - 100% of electricity will be 'renewable' in 2010; Javier Bardem wins Bafta award for best supporting role in No Country for Old Men.

8th: ETA strikes again with bag bomb in front of court house at Vergara (Basque Country) - none hurt; Supreme Court judge Baltasar Garzón decides suspension for 3 years of activities of Basque independence parties ANV and PCTV; foreign workers sent home 8,000 million Euros in 2007, mainly to Latin America; first real AVE train -on test run- reaches Barcelona Sants station - Renfe hopes to run 25 services daily to Madrid and compete directly with airlines' 'Air Bridge'; Renfe train crews and drivers plan strike to coincide with start of barcelona-Madrid AVE service; 7th: Judge Garzón jails 2 remaining free leaders of ETA related party Batasuna; Partido Popular promises to plant 500 million trees - or 14,270 every hour of the legislature; Banco Santander breaks sector curse on profits with 19% rise, largely due to sale and lease back deals on properties; insurance firm Mapfre also gains 20%; 6th: Basque party PCTV follows ANV in being proven to have ETA links - both parties will now be illegal before March 9th elections; France cut off as French taxi drivers strike all day at Le Perthus motorway blocking (A9/AP7), Spain's main export route, hitting the orange season - leaving off in time to watch Spain beat France at soccer; Bishop Blasquez of the Catholic Bishops' Conference confused by rumpus about voting recommendation and calls for calm; high pressure weather: fog affects northern regions, much of Spain again desperate for rain; 5th: Judge Garzón finds fault with Basque pro-ETA party ANV during illegalisation case; IBEX falls 5% on bad data; Consumer confidence falls in January - born out by fall in car sales; track and catenary testing finally starts on last leg of AVE high speed line into Barcelona; 4th: Socialist party, PSOE announces array of election slogans under the general theme: 'Reasons for believing'; 2 leaders of illegal Basque separatist party Batasuna arrested; unemployment rises sharply to 2,261,000; row over Catholic bishops' advice on how to vote in March election; Generalitat rail line from Barcelona's Plaza de España reopens - so AVE rail link building disruption may finally be over; La Soledad surprise 'wimmer' in Goya film prizes.

Earlier news headlines: click here.