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News, October 2010October 29th, recent news round-upBank holiday weekend - severe weather warnings for much of Spain until Monday (All Saints, 4.4 million special trips expected; unemployment fell below 20% in third quarter (EAPS figures) - BBC; inflation (Advance HCPI) rises to 2.2%; Iberia announces return to profit, as does BA - BBC; Rafa Nadal becomes too expensive for Mallorca tourist board - he will not be present in the World travel Market or advertise Balearic islands next year, but Turespaña might sign him; former communist and union leader Marcelino Camacho dies; 28th: National Court sends civil service pay cut to Constitutional Tribunal - its legality has been questioned; man found innocent of rape, gets over half million Euros compensation for his 13 years in jail - he is currently disabled and on the bread line; last Pyrenean bear dies - Telegraph; 27th: Moslem youths riot over employment opportunities in Melilla (Spanish enclave in North Africa); First Question Time with new cabinet; temperatures recover from early freeze... but another bout of bad weather is forecast for the weekend - another bank holiday on Monday 1st; Social Security still in surplus, but 20% below last year, State deficit cut by 42% in 9 months; BBVA bank profit down 12%, low cost airline Vueling up 24% - in first 3 quarters; Argentinian judge offers to try Civil War crimes - Guardian; father-in-law of Madrid's regional president Esperanza Aguirre dies of Legionnaires' disease - and one other, 29 affected; 26th: Barcelona to see November launch of Ara newspaper, modelled on Independent's 20p 'i'; 3.4% less mortgages signed in August - shows slowing in fall of home sales; Treasury gains 260 million from confessed Swiss bank accounts; Spain holds at 30th place on Corruption Index; 382,000 Spanish PCs taken over by botnets between January and July, making Spain the worst zombie case in Europe; road-side prostitutes must wear reflective jackets - BBC; Ecuadorian beats Spaniards at Siesta - Telegraph; 29 suffer Legionnaires disease outbreak in Madrid. Other recent news includes: 22nd: Príncipe de Asturias prizes today - Foundation web; new cabinet meets; Ferrovial to sell 10% of BAA - BBC; 21st: National Statistics Institute survey reveals 21% of population live below poverty level, 30% struggle to get by, 40% can't afford a week's holiday away - PDF here; EU Court outlaws Spanish 'digital canon' tax on recording equipment and media, which supports national artists; Congress approves smoking ban - Telegraph, including all bars and restaurants, children's play areas and hospital precincts; regular inter-governmental meetings over Gibraltar restart after break due to policing tensions in Rock waters; Spanish consulates gave out 45% less residence visas in 2009; 4% more tourists visited Mallorca over the summer; bankrupt Spanish firm sells most 'valuable' asset sex.com for €21 million - it obviously couldn't make it pay; major Renoir exhibition opens in Madrid; 20th: Cabinet reshuffle announced: Perez Rubalcaba, the government's most popular (if not prettiest) member becomes vice-president replacing feminist Teresa de la Vega - her protégée Leire Pajín goes to Health to keep an eye on abortion as Bibiana Aído's Equality ministry is closed, Valeriano Gómez -who had stood against the employment law reform- replaces outgoing Corbacho at Industry (he resigned before the General Strike) and Trini Jiménez takes over Foreign Affairs - BBC; Congress debate on 2011 budget rejects opposition 'full amendments' of several parties; Europe's largest brothel opens at French border crossing; British MP's illegal Mallorca finca extension could be bulldozed -Telegraph; 19th: Congress starts 2011 budget debate; new electoral law also starts passage - to be tougher on members crossing floor and on deputies who support terrorism; new 'battle of Trafalgar' to mess up last virgin Spanish coastline - Telegraph; baby born after car killed woman on zebra crossing - Guardian - later dies in hospital; Prince of Asturias prizes this Friday - Madrid and Barcelona players not allowed to attend to receive sports award given to national World Cup winning team due to Saturday games; Siesta sleeping competition in Madrid shopping centre - BBC video. 15th: Government signs pacts with Basque and Canary regional parties to guarantee stability until end of Parliament - Basques to get more powers, government can guarantee approval of 2011 budget; Sean Connery, 80, due in court as witness in 'Goldfinger case' today, claims to be too old and unwell to travel - Telegraph; Spanish newspapers have 40% less staff than 7 years ago - Guardian; as world amazed with Gotthard tunnel break-through (BBC), Barcelona high-speed rail tunnellers have successfully passed Sagrada Familia cathedral and now close in on Gaudi´s La Pedrera building; Kraft to cut 300 former Cadbury administrative and sales jobs in Barcelona following January take-over; takeover of German constructor Hochtief by Spanish ACS causing political tension - Germans accuse ACS of growing on EU subsidies and call for HQ to stay in Essen - ACS now has to increase capital to get extra cash - ACS is headed by the president of Real Madrid football club - The Economist; 13th: After boos and jeers at national day parade, Zapatero calls for protocol which will 'respect' the Spanish flag; concern raised over security of patients' records in public hospitals; weather improves as Spain returns to work; house sales rose 30% in August, despite extra VAT, but prices fell 5% (year on year) in September - they are 18% down on 2007 peak; 12th: Spain's national day; heavy storms continue over Balearic islands; flights again affected by French pensions strike; oil slick appears off Tarragona refinery - Costa Daurada could be affected; ACS to build off-shore gas storage off Castellón to guarantee supplies; 11th: Heavy rain storms continue in North and East; Andalusian agriculture councillor warns there are twice as many Iberian hams as pigs - fraud scandal after one producer investigated - Guardian; Barcelona limits 'human statues' on famous Ramblas walkway to 15 in morning and 15 in evening, with licences given out by city hall on merit - this could threaten open air preaching on the street; Catalan vice-president reminds us that Spain's national day (12th October, when Columbus discovered America) is celebration of genocide; government reveals it has done DNA studies on some bodies in Valley of the Fallen, a memorial to the Civil War built by former republican soldiers in forced labour, many of whom were buried in Franco's mega tomb; Monica Cruz to double pregnant sister Penelope in some shots of next Pirates film; Bond in a bind -Sean Connery goes on trial for Costa del Sol building corruption - Telegraph. 8th: Stormy weather hits Galicia and threatens to cross all Spain as many leave for long weekend coinciding with October 12th national holiday (Columbus Day); police break up porn network - BBC; Madrid zoo celebrates birth of Panda twins - Guardian; Catalan News Agency launched; 7th: National Court questions constitutionality of cutting salaries of civil servants, putting budget cuts in jeopardy; Statistics office suggest immigration cut by over half this year, to under half million; Catholic bishops release Spanish version of Blood Money, the value of a life', highlighting the financial objectives behind abortion; Spanish Armada race to beat Odyssey to wreck treasures - Guardian; 6th: Police sent to Colombia to investigate ETA links with FARC; IMF forecasts 0.7% growth next year - half hopes of government; 5th: President of region of Murcia investigated on construction permit corruption charges; Bank of Spain warns of likely insignificant recovery and calls for 'plan B'; 4th: Unemployment rises above 4 million; recently arrested ETA members confess being trained by Venezuelan government, explosives and a stolen car were found in 2 garages close to their hideout; Tomás Gómez wins Madrid socialist primary, to be candidate in next year's regional election; El País, Spain's top selling newspaper, saved from closure by new investors - Guardian, Economist; GPS sends man to death in reservoir - Guardian, Telegraph. 1st: Zapatero to meet with union leaders once labour minister Corbacho has been replaced - by mid-October; Wall Street Journal gives a video critique - here; 8 pateras with 162 would-be illegal immigrants intercepted off Andalusia coast overnight, one reaches Cala Pi in Mallorca, the first patera to reach the island this year - 14 detained; oil major Repsol sells 40% of Brazilian assets to Chinese Sinopec - WSJ; car sales down 27%, orders drop 50%; house building starts down 42% on last year; piped gas price falls, but bottled gas and electricity prices rise sharply; Spanair anounce new route from Barcelona to Sao Paolo in codeshare with Singapore Airlines, starting next March - Lufthansa brings A380 to Palma and Barcelona tomorrow on first flight for the monster plane into these airports; Don Quixote comes to YouTube, courtesy of the Spanish Royal Academy and lots of volunteers - BBC. Earlier news headlines: click here. |