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News, January and February 2012February 25th, recent news round-upIñaki Urdangarín, royal son-in-law faces Mallorca court on corruption charges - BBC; Odyssey treasure returns to Spain - BBC, Telegraph; 24th: How much debt? Government asks town halls to send in lists of bills outstanding to calculate total debt of the public administration; 21st: Student demonstrations in Valencia against education cuts get heavy hand from police - thousands march to demand resignation of the central government representative in the region, who is politically responsible - BBC, Guardian video; premier Rajoy visits Downing Street - BBC - as Rajoy supports Anglo-Dutch move to put growth at the top of the EU agenda; Mona Lisa copy goes on show in Madrid's El Prado - BBC video; 19th: Unions mobilise to demonstrate against cuts in job protection designed to get Spain back to work - El País; 18th: Spanish royal son-in-law to face Mallorca judge for corruption - Telegraph. Other recent news includes: 10th: Government finally unveils labour market reform, cutting firing fee from 45 to 33 days per year worked, or 20 depending on company profits, plus other helps to firms - by decree - Telegraph - more unemployment expected in short term; Garzón to fight ban ruling - BBC; Spaniard wins World Press Photo - Telegraph; 9th: Judge Garzón found guilty for wire-tapping in investigation - BBC - 11 year bar - el País; Infrastructure ministry has 4 billion Euro outstanding debt from last government projects - 3% of GNP; 8th: BBVA bank warns unemployment could rise to almost 25% next year - there is no labour reform on the horizon; justice minister Gallardon says no woman will go to prison as a result of a tightening in the 2010 socialist abortion law , after suggesting no change on agenda for gay 'marriage' - El País; judge Garzón in concluding his defence in Franco crimes investigation trial says 'My conscience is calm'; 7th: Government rule out overall job creation this year; Socialists elect Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba as new General Secretary - El País; Snow and cold continues to be problematic after bad weather over weekend, especially in Balearics; Artist Antoni Tàpies dies - BBC, Guardian. Other recent news includes: 3rd: 3 Britons die of legionella in Alicante - BBC; see these beautiful photos from a Spanish game park - in the Telegraph; 2nd: Freeze - schools in Catalonia closed; unemployment: Social Security announce claimants up 177,000 or 4%, to 4.6 million - El País, El Mundo graph; El País reports (editorial -ElP is Socialist!) on an abortion 'Counter Reformation' - perhaps they mean Reformation! 1st: Siberian freeze reaches Spain tonight after record breaking warm January - El País; Banco Santander profit down due to money set aside for property losses - El País; 'back-up' of 'Mona Lisa' found at Prado Gallery - Telegraph; court orders galleon treasure to be returned to Spain - Guardian. January 28th: Unemployment up to 5.2 million - BBC, full picture from EAPS-pdf; Spanair ceases trading after Qatar dropped bid - 22,000 left stranded over weekend - The Guardian; GNP falls 0.3% in Q4 - full picture from INE - pdf; tobacco sales fell 17% last year - explains some of the shortfall in tax income - <http://www.imperial-tobacco.com/index.asp?page=78&newsid=1364|Imperial Interim>, Barcelona traffic fell 3%; Fitch follows S&P downgrade for Spain - BBC. News from the start of January: 4th: More 2011 statistics: unemployment up again - El País, Telegraph; car sales down 18% - El País; new anti-piraacy bill announced - BBC; 2nd: Spain enters New Year with tax hike, income freeze and more budget cuts - Guardian, BBC, EL País - new cuts to be announced Thursday; trials of former presidents of Valencia and Balearics continue - royal son-in-law Urdangarín to face judge in February; 2011 road toll below 1,500 for first time in 50 years; archbishop claims abortion a worse problem than unemployment - El País; holidays to move - religious holidays booked on 15th August, 1st November and 8th December to be moved to a Monday. Earlier news headlines: click here. |