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News, December 2011December 29th, recent news round-upRoyal Christmas message includes indirect criticism of son-in-law,indicted on corruption charges - El País; King's son-in-law to face trial - BBC; Iberia pilots strike again - BBC; Other recent news includes: 22nd: El Gordo lottery pays 400,000 to winners - Telegraph - we didn't win; new cabinet sworn in; Ana Botella, wife of former premier Aznar, becomes mayor of Madrid, replacing new minister Ruiz Gallardón; 21st: Mariano Rajoy swears in as new premier Economist, - ministers announced (see separate article and BBC); as Spanish health service struggles to pay staff, nurses join British NHS - Guardian; 20th: Investiture debate - incoming premier Mariano Rajoy reveals few plans except hopes of job creation and plan to cut €1.6 billion from expenses - BBC, Guardian, El País, Telegraph; Treasury sells more bonds at half rate of previous auction - FT 'Viva España!', Telegraph; oil major Repsol temporarily buys 10% of construction firm Sacyr to rescue it from banks on eve of €4.9 billion loan repayment; Social Security lost over 34,000 foreign contributors in November; Moodys rates region of Valencia bonds as junk. Other recent news includes: 16th: New population figures: 47,190,493 were registered at 1st January 2011; Regions' debt rises 22%; Iberia strike on Sunday and Monday, rail strike on 30th; 15th: Inflation: CPI in November was 2.9% (core 1.7%); Treasury sells more bonds at lower rate - Telegraph; Duke of Palma effigy moved to sports hall at wax museum - El País; 13th: New Cortes (parliament - Congress and Senate) gathers and elects Jesús Posada as Congress speaker; judge reduces to 2 the technicians to face open trial for the Spanair crash in Madrid in summer 2008 which saw 154 die, including one evangelical assistant pastor; Ciudad Real airport closes for one year; 12th: Spain tops world youth unemployment - BBC, BBC graph (click 2010); beam-up pizzas! Air Europa to serve Telepizza; Royal son-in-law Urdangarín reproached by king for unexemplary business activity - leading to court case for corruption - Telegraph, El País -apology; Ourense, Galicia, to get new Norman Foster high speed AVE rail station - El Mundo. 9th: Fabian Picardo wins Gibraltar election, ousting Caruana - British press oblivious, while Spanish press report - El País (yesterday on polls); 8th: President elect starts round of international talks at European People's Party meetings in Marseille - El País; Banc de Sabadell gets government support to take over bankrupt CAM - El País; Iberia pilots announce strikes for 18th and 29th - BBC; royal son-in-law increaslingly embroiled in corruption scandal - Guardian; 5th: Holiday 'viaduct' this week, with bank holidays on Tuesday and Thursday - an employers' survey show 70% of Spaniards would be willing to move fiestas to Mondays or Fridays to help economy and gain breaks for all - meanwhile, the fortunate few have the week off to get away or start Christmas shopping (while others have every week off, with little money for anything); regional government of Balearics to cease funding of abortion clinics in 2012 budget; 2nd: Unemployment up 59,536 to over 4.4 million claimants; government admits that entire Social Security surplus (enormous in 2006) has now been used up; last outgoing cabinet meeting fails to approve new anti-piracy regulations. Earlier news headlines: click here. |