News, August '09

August 21st, recent news round-up

2 more ETA arms hides discovered in wake of arrests on 19th; race battle in Palma brought 1000 Africans and Gypsies face to face - all for a pair of sunglasses; 6 pateras reach Almería with 105 migrants on board; Jan - Jul tourist arrivals down 10.3% - 16% in the case of the British; 8 million Euros in fake 500€ notes in police haul in Gandía, Valencia; national 'favourite sandwich' has serrano ham and tomato - Spanish omelette beaten into 2nd place; 9 affected by Legionnaires disease in Alcoi, Valencia - one dies; 20th: Anniversary of Spanair disaster in Madrid - 154 died, including one evangelical; another 2 ETA hides found in France, near Montpellier, adding 600kg explosive to recoveries; government plans to raise taxes on rich to increase payments for long-term unemployed; report warns consumer spending to fall 4% this year; BBVA to take over Texas bank Guaranty Financial; 19th: 3 'most wanted' ETA suspects arrested in French Alps- BBC - may include Mallorca bomber and the new arms chief - ETA hide subsequently found in Pyrenees with 100kg explosives, while 42 detonators and 20 'tupperware bomb kits' were in the men's home; first Spanish face transplant done in Valencia; heat wave and fire alert continues in Mallorca and much of Spain, but flood alert in North West; 54 arrested in 10 parts of Spain and Germany on falsification of papers to enslave Nigerians; first half trade deficit halved on oil price fall; WWII mine (150kg) neutralised off Llafranc, Costa Brava (cf. 225kg Yorkshire bomb disposal on BBC); Palma Aquarium (Mallorca) to launch Rupert Murray's The end of the line on the end of fish stocks on 25th before royal family - Spaniards eat a lot of fish! - cf El Mundo's trailer; 18th: Jose Bono, Socialist speaker of the Congress claims alarm at the idea, contained in the new abortion bill, that girls under 16 might wish to abort without the support of their family - he calls for the maximum agreement before agreeing the new law; forest fires have hit 84,000 hectares so far this year; heat wave continues, with minimums above 25ºC and maximums above 40º; 17th: One year on from the Spanair crash at Madrid, the inquiry is showing up deficiencies in the aircraft flight preparation protocol -now rewritten for Europe-, design of the airport, as well as with the handling of the accident; heat wave returns to Spain - Mallorca has had no rain for 3 1/2 months- hopes rise on news of hurricanes in the Caribbean; 16 year-old boy dies of injuries while running bulls in Navarre village festival; 31 died on worst road toll weekend of year.

Other recent news includes: 14th: 'Growth' (GNP) -4.1% contrasts with French and German hopes; Health ministry claims A-'flu incidence lower than elsewhere; holiday hire cars running short - some turned away - BBC report; 13th: July CPI confirmed at -1.4%; IBEX market index recovers 11,000 level on European recovery hopes - but Spain is unlikely to be out of recession; Mallorcan political leaders get escorts again - after being given holidays for August; 12th:[Image 96???] New dole: some 300,000 whose unemployment pay has ended (after a year) will get 420€ monthly social pay - recipients must attend retraining courses; home sales down 25% in June, but price fall less, at 9%; AVE line still affected by flooding; police controls to catch possible ETA members on the move spread across Spain; late bookings to Mallorca 'slowing', Govern writes to guests -BBC video; 11th: Storms continue across Spain, especially South East; Madrid - Seville high speed AVE line cut by floods, Madrid- Extremadura line also affected; yacht held off Vigo, Galicia with 250kg cocaine for Britain (originating in Antioquía, Colombia) - gang members arrested on Costa del Sol, luxury cars and computers held; Balearic authorities work to reassure tourists, - BBC on tourist nerves, ETA gang suspected of leaving Mallorca before last wave of bombs; outstanding commercial debts return to pre-crisis levels; 10th: 4th Mallorca explosion confirmed as ETA device; 2009 has been the worst year of the decade for forest fires; storms continue to affect eastern Spain; Spanair strike continues in Palma, Mallorca; 9th: ETA hits Palma, Mallorca: 2 small devices went off in beach-side bars/ restaurants in Palma, the 3rd bomb in an underground car park in the city centre - BBC, warns of 3 bombs, claims responsibility for various attacks across Spain over past months.

7th: Spanair office staff strike in Palma over move to Barcelona - no flight cancellations planned; heat wave continues; 5th:Heat wave in 19 provinces, but rain sweeps Galicia and north (Biscay) coast; plane heading for Alicante burns in Paris; Mexico expels former ETA suspect - arrested on arrival in Madrid - BBC; long-distance travel by both high speed rail and air fell about 8% in June; 4th: Civil Guard threaten action if security is not increased; unemployment encouragement as list drops over 20,000 - but minister warns of more in autumn; La Palma forest fires under control - BBC report; 8th person dies from 'A' flu; Easy Jet workers threaten strike on Saturdays at holiday bases Palma, Tenerife, Malaga and Alicante; Cristiano Ronaldo on holiday in Mallorca; BBC reports on banking problems due to property slump (video); 3rd: 3 times more Mallorca bookings cancelled after bomb, while Royals enjoy sailing at Copa del Rey in Palma bay; fires rage in La Palma, Canaries - BBC report; July car sales just 10% lower than last year, as consumer confidence highest for 18 months; number of home help claimants under new dependency law rises to almost 1 million.

Last month's news includes: July 31st: 50th anniversary of ETA's terror, funeral held for Mallorca bomb victims - BBC, alert across Spain - BBC latest- flights at Palma suffering usual delays for mid-summer; bus crash in Sant Pol, near Calella, Costa Brava- 6 dead, 39 injured, mainly Dutch holidaymakers; 'Operation mid-Summer Changeover' expects 4.6 million holiday trips by road this weekend; oil slick affects Costa de la Luz beaches east of Huelva. 30th: ETA strikes again and again - Palma airport may close (according to some press, although airport info shows departures only slightly delayed before 17.30, with longer delays for national flights expected) - bombs in Palma Nova (Magaluf), Mallorca -2 civil guard dead at 13.50 as bomb was fixed to patrol car (BBC report)- and yesterday in Burgos - BBC report 29th. Eye witness reports say Magaluf and Santa Ponsa are gridlocked (16.30), with sirens going in the port area of Palma. BBC video and eyewitness report. Other news: 'A' flu claims 7th victim; forest fires continue across country; more Spanish troops to stay in Afghanistan; 'Advance HCPI' July inflation is -1.4%, Q2'GNP' down 4%; Telefónica surprises with slight gain on last year's first half figures, Repsol replicates Shell 60% fall; car sales hold above 100,000; Morocco jail amnesty affects 178 Spaniards.

1st, general news roundup.

Family of first A-flu victim claims she was not asthmatic, as doctors had diagnosed - a series of mistakes may have led to her death - baby struggling to live; first of 2 important holiday months begins, with heavy traffic on roads; Briton dies as parachute fails to open at jump near Toledo; 2 presumed ETA members detained in France after car accident; people saved more in 1st quarter; Sales open 'officially' after month of heavy discounting - 70% now possible; El Mundo's opinion of last night's U2 concert - they have been converted to U-Dios (U-God); June 30th: First Swine 'A' flu death in Spain - a young woman who gave birth to a healthy 28 week baby yesterday - BBC report- 2 new serious cases noted today.

Earlier news headlines: click here.