News, May 2008

May 19th, general news roundup.

ETA bombs again; Defense Minister Carme Chacón gives birth - interior minister Rubalcaba to take over Defense; Abertis the toll road operator, wins auction for Pennsylvania Turnpike; bad debts up on housing crisis; March building completions down 10%;

Other recent news includes: 15th: Real Estate sales through big agencies down 73% in Q1 - Reyal Urbis down 97%; 14th: ETA kills again, hitting Civil Guard base in Legutiano, Basque Country; finance minister Solbes agrees 11% rise in electricity prices; Q1 growth slows to 2.7%; Q1 company results - Telefónica up, Iberia down, constructors hit, especially Ferrovial, owner of BAA; estate agent Don Piso to close 120 branches - some could become franchises; 13th: Barcelona takes first ship deliver of water to overcome drought; 7 leaders of Catalan Generalitat accused of corruption; inflation settles at 4.2%; Madrid health authority investigates bacterial deaths in 12 Octubre hospital; repsol profits up 36% on higher petrol prices; 12th: 2 ETA bombs explode on rail building project in Hernani, Basque Country; rain brings welcome relief to drought-hit Catalonia; judicial questioning of Coslada (Madrid) police Mafia gang continues - 13 local policemen still under arrest for corruption; Basque Lehendakari and Zapatero rejoin battle of words over possible up-coming independence referendum; political crisis of opposition Partido Popular deepens; Repsol and Shell withdraw from mega gas project in Iran on pressure from USA; profits at Cementos Portland down 33% on housing slowdown; Industry Minister rules out 20% hike for electricity bills.

Other recent news includes: 9th: Industry Ministry recommends 20% rise in (government controlled) electricity charges; 8th 31 policemen arrested for corruption racket in Coslada, Madrid; finance minister Solbes prefers housing overheating to cool itself without more intervention - perhaps hoping for a quick price adjustment; government hopes high to win Odyssey marine expoliation case after confirmation that ship was Spanish Navy frigate Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes sunk (by HM ships) off Huelva in 1804 - BBC report; rain reaches dry parts of Spain; 7th: Government to consider new electoral law; Partido Popular recognises it is in crisis; ecologists denounce presence of nuclear sub Florida in Gibraltar; Adolfo Dominguez, the fashion retailer, reports profit down 93% in February; some 10,000 shepherds demonstrated in Madrid for fair lamb prices, then gave away 2,500 trays of meat; 6th: Back-log of trials put by Justice ministry at 270,000 cases -part due to justice workers' strike, now over; Madrid makes SOS call for blood donations as operations are slowed; unemployment rises again - over 37,500 to 2,338,500 but with the total number of active people also rising almost 21,000; 237 migrants reach coasts abord cayucos and pateras; rail travel between Madrid and Barcelona has tripled since start of AVE high speed services in March; agreements signed on building of reversible water supply pipe between Tarragona and Barcelona to help with severe drought; 22 arrested in blow to luxury car theft gang; priceless hoard of pre-Colombine art held - BBC report; El Rocío 'romería' starts - a sort of cross between Carnival and semi-pagan Pilgrimage in Andalusia; 5th: Former President Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo (2nd democratic leader, at time of 23-F attempted coup and major influence on transition) dies - read the obituary in The Times; Angel Acebes, general secretary of Partido Popular resigns; 230% rise in bankruptcies, including 66 families; 2 cayucos reach Canaries with 144 migrants on board; police raid hq of pro-ETA party ANV in Portugalete, Bilbao - then closed by judge Garzón; consumer confidence hits historic low; 90% of firms believe Euro is harmfully over-valued; Bankinter in talks with RBS over Spanish element of Direct Line Insurance; 4% overall rise in rail fares hides 20% rise for AVE on Madrid-Zaragoza route, which will carry Expo visitors.

1st: May day holiday - 60 workers' demonstrations today for decent wages; Mayoress of Mondragón (Basque Country) arrested (by judge Garzón) for apology of terrorism; ETA responds with 3 bombs; wife of Santiago del Valle (killer of MariLuz) unable to make declaration before judge due to anxiety attack; April 30th: Spain heads off for warm, sunny May Day weekend - 'monumental' traffic jams in Madrid from early morning.