News, December 2009

December 31st, recent news round-up

Andalusia cut off as floods hit A4 highway; Jaume Matas, former president of Balearics faces up to 30 years in corruption charges; post to rise 6%, minimum wage up 1.5% to 633€; power use has fallen 4.3% in 2009; 30th: Polaris World holiday resort gets 3 months to reorganise debts or allow half subsidiaries to go into administration; southern and western Spain continues badly affected by rain and floods - BBC; government warns of possible ETA terror actions - BBC; rail unions to strike over New Year as travellers learn of hefty fare rises - 6% for commuter lines, 4% for AVE high speed services; q3 house prices showed more declines in sales and values; 24th: BBC reports on Christmas in Barcelona's downtown old city area, El Raval, leaving little to imagine; 22nd: 'El Gordo' the major Christmas lottery prize, goes to Madrid, as does 2nd prize - draw for first time on Facebook - The Economist comments; Air Comet ceases trading as planes seized by creditors; Ferrovials' BAA wins appeal against forced sale of UK airports - BBC; 2010 budget finally approved by Congress, including almost 100 Senate amendments; MariLuz case to be tried before jury; snow and ice finally cede to warmer wet weather - Christmas to be wet.

Other recent news includes: 18th: Haidar stops hunger strike returns to 'Sahara' after Moroccan passport return following agreement with Morocco - BBC; 'Time capsule' discovered under Madrid statue with documents from 1834, the year before George Borrow arrived in Spain to distribute the scriptures, plus 1819 copy of Don Quijote; Spaniards owe 37% than their savings, bad debts rise to 5%; feeze-up forecast for weekend; Taxi drivers continue strike action at Madrid airport and Atocha station; search for poet Lorca's grave -he was shot at the start of the Civil War- produces only rubbish - BBC; Catalan parlament votes in favour of debating end to bullfights in region - BBC; 17th: Congress approves new abortion bill with 8 vote majority - now goes to awkward Senate; as Scottish airline Globespan collapses, stranded passengers in Spain and the Canaries could have mild Christmas - 3 flights cancelled today and tomorrow from Tenerife - BBC - up to 50,000 forward bookings to Spain lost; government hopes high for Haidar hunger strike resolution - BBC on hospitalisation - day32; public service rail fares to rise 6%; Catalonia considers bullfight ban - BBC; 16th: Gibraltar to Algeciras ferry link restored 40 years after Franco interruption; freeze continues, but storm abates temporarily; Iberdrola president says power bills must rise to pay for 'laternative energy'; EU lifts Biscay anchovy fishing ban - BBC; Sahara hunger striker Haidar suffers health deterioration; as 'Basque only' Athletic Bilbao incorporates black player to first team, migration history is made - BBC; 15th: 11 Asians sentenced for Barcelona terror plot - BBC; Smoking to be banned in all enclosed public spaces from next year; AI denounces suicides and rape in state run centres for chidren; children make one in ten of calls to 'family abuse' line; OMC, the doctors' college, claims new abortion law -now in Congress- will not give greater legal security to profession; Javier Solana (former EU foreign minister) takes new job teaching geopolitics at ESADE business school; Senate to amend 2010 budget; CPI up 0.5% in November - 0.3% year on year; 14th: Heavy snow falls across central and eastern Spain - motoring organisations advise 'stay at home' - Mallorca ferries cancelled, temperatures to fall to -7ºC tonight, 7m waves expected - BBC; Catalonia sees numerous unofficial local independence referendums - overwhelming support (95%) given by voters (30% voted) to 'Yes' - major cities will vote early 2010 - BBC; Barcelona Metro opens part of new Line 9 - which will eventually run into new airport terminal - download Metro map here.

10th: Al Quaeda claims to have kidnapped 3 aid workers in Mauritania and will release them in lieu of 64 jihadists held in Spain; row in Straits as Gibraltar police refuse to allow Civil Guard to chase boats suspected of drug running; electricity bills could rise in January by up to 7%; 9th: Spain - Morocco diplomatic crisis as Western Sahara hunger striker Haidar refuses medical help - BBC; Mauritania admits military errors in failing to prevent kidnapping of Spanish aid workers last week; IBEX market index falls 2% as S&P threatens to downgrade government debt; Airbus A400M to have first flight in Seville on Friday; almost 1000 arrested in past 5 years for corruption; 200 people sang carols in San Sebastian in plea to city hall to put up Christmas lights - cut due to the recession; Spanish women now average 84.4 years according to new OECD survey.

2nd: Unemployment up 60,000 in November, to almost 3.9 million; president Zapatero calls for greater employment flexibility; Zapatero announces possible nuclear policy change if he can gain 'State pact' with opposition; wintry weather hits north; new free phone service starts for men involved in 'gender abuse' or seeking other relationship advice; 1st: 3 aid workers kidnapped in Mauritania - BBC report; 'Sustainable Economy' bill to include internet intellectual property protection; José Emilio Pacheco gets Cervantes prize - BBC report.

November 25th: Abortion bill amendments face vote tomorrow (26th) - government expects to get 177 votes (176 needed); the new law, if passed, will do away with a clause which made Spain the easiest place in Europe to abort at almost any moment, while making abortion free on demand up to 14 weeks, up to 22 weeks with certain 'risk factors' and after this where life is threatened.

Earlier news headlines: click here.