News, May 2007

May 31st, general news roundup.

3 pateras with 140 migrants reach southern peninsula; maritime rescue ship picks up 26 rescued by Spanish fishing boat Montfalcó off Libya - migrants may qualify for asylum; Socialist candidate for Madrid, Miguel Sebastian, resigns after clear poll failure; 6 truck pile up in Valencia -one dead; Imperial Tobacco expected to make bid today (World tobacco-free day!) for Altadis; Velazquez's Santa Rufina to be auctioned at Sothebys on 4th July; Dalí cinema exhibit opens at the Tate Gallery; Spain presents legal claim on Odyssey for the under sea trove of 500 million dollars worth of gold and silver coins; 30th: 50 arrested on TV pirating charges - decoding and illegally distributing codified TV or the keys to it; health ministry bans any attempt at 'Donor quizz' TV shows; in 3-11 trial experts say each rucksack had 10kilos of explosive; 'oldest race of horses' identified in part of Doñana natural park - 60 animals survive; 29th: Hard negotiations underway for control of several regions and cities after Sunday's poll; Solana may meet with Lariyani on Thursday in Madrid; Banco Santander launches firm bid -up 14%- for ABN Amro with RBS; Spanish results cut Vodafone loss; OECD believes Sapin could reduce state debt to 355 of GNP - possibly against a background of even higher personal debt; 28th: Partido Popular wins local elections, but Navarre and Balearics in the balance; 25th Rail services to south resume; 16 Jihad recruiters held in Catalonia, Madrid and Malaga under directions from judge Garzón; police come by ETA terror training video; another rise in the Euribor lending rate hits mortgages with an average 90€ rise over the past year.

Other recent news includes: 24th: Multiple pile up due to fog closes NI road in Alava (Basque Country) - 1 dead, 19 injured; rail link to south and east coninues cut due to floods, rain heavy for 3rd day, farmers unions estimate 500,000 hectares of crops lost; possible ETA bomb goes off beside car of Socialist candidate in Basque Country; OECD warns of lower 2008 growth due to price of housing; Shakespeare's 'third volume' of Don Quijote recovered; 23rd: Rain on plain in central Spain traps passengers on trains and causes problems in homes and agriculture; first quarter growth 4.1%; 22nd: Rice to visit Spain on 1st June - first visit since 3-11; Zapatero to meet Delphi workers delegates and unions today; new national party to be set up by disaffected politicians; British Airways definitely joins consortium planning bid for Iberia; under water search firm Odyssey finds 371 million Euros worth of gold and silver coins in ship -codenamed Black Swan- in Atlantic waters - says it is not in Spanish waters and not HMS Sussex - for which it has agreed right to search, but in the Mediterranean; 21st: Police to give ETA link evidence (or absence thereof) in 3-11 trial; Zapatero denies existence of talks with ETA; 36 dead on roads over weekend; electioneering filled political attention over weekend; new immediate return for migrants policy now taking place - Canaries sent 750 home over past days.

18th: Pateras bring 100 migrants to Granada coast; electionerring gets most media coverage, with national issues clouding out local ones; IMF warns of house price bubble; state prosecutor rejects trial of GIs in Jose Couso case - journalist killed by tank in Iraq war; 3-11 accused start to drop out of hunger strike; 16th:

Patient Espanyol Fans

10th: Constitutional Court gives itself today to consider the appeal of party ANV against prohibition of 133 lists due to apparent involvement of illegal (pro-ETA) party Batasuna -decision must be taken before start of electoral campaign at midnight; 4 of the principal accused in the 3-11 Madrid bombing trial go on hunger strike; new 'law of the ground' approved - in attempt to clamp down on corruption; 8th: Madrid's M30 ring road upgrade finally open - with more infrastructure openings one asks: could it be election time? 3-11 trial continues to hold attention and finally some real evidence is emerging; 7th: Supreme Court cancels 133 local election candidate lists for new Basque party ANB and all AS lists due to evidence of links with banned party Batasuna - Partido Popular accuses government of complicity with ETA to allow participation in elections; bail in Operation Malaya, the Marbella corruption case now totals 6 million Euros; A380 makes 1st visit to Spain - first the Getafe factory (Madrid), then Morón airbase near the Cadiz factory, for noise tests; Ave high speed train up to 300 kmh on Sevilla and Tarragona routes, testing starts tomorrow on Tarragona- St Joan (Barcelona).

4th: Unemployment down 1.7%; Infanta Sofia (and mother Letizia) leave hospital; actress Paz Vega has also had a baby; flooding hits Navarre in French border area; 2 hedge funds make offer for Altadis; 3rd: Prosecutors to stop 100 new party ANV lists from participation in Basque municipal elections due to involvement of Batasuna members; 45 died on roads over 1st May weekend - a 'good' figure; terrorism and unemployment top concerns of Spaniards, folwoed by housing; consumer confidence up despite recognition of poor household economy; Singer Isabel Pantoja arrested in Marbella building corruption case; 14 'Latin King' gang leaders go on trial; Madrid's workers are the 3rd fastest walkers in the world, British Council says; 'Solucar' 11MW solar power station goes online - eventually it could power Seville; 2nd: 7 die as gas explosion rips apart ageing block of flats in Palencia; youth battle with police in Malasaña, nightlife district of Madrid; Palma stages tennis 'battle of the surfaces' as Nadal and Federer play on a part clay, part grass court; Metrovacesa buys HSBC tower in Canary Wharf in leaseback; Patera with over 30 on board reached Mallorca from Algeria - migrants to be immediately expelld, skipper held on trafficking charges; April 30th: Infanta Sofia born to prince Felipe and princess Letizia on Sunday afternoon.