Spanish News Archive

Santander goes on another spending spree

While its rivals flounder in the global credit crunch, leading Spanish bank Santander has hit the acquisition trail again, confirming yesterday that it had offered to buy a stake in German lender Postbank. (Fri 12 Sep 08)

EC predicts recession by end of the year

The European Commission have added their weight to predictions that the Spanish economy will slip into recession by the end of the year. Brussels have also predicted Germany and the United Kingdom willalso suffer recession in the second half of this year. (Thu 11 Sep 08)

Fuel ship sinks in Tarragona port

A ship loaded with between 10 and 25 tonsof diesel sank early yesterday morning in the port of Tarragona. The fuel was due to be supplied to other ships in the port but spilled out into the water. The area was cordoned off by port workers, stopping the slick from spreading into the open sea and divers managed to seal the leaking tanks to prevent any further spillage. (Wed 10 Sep 08)

Call for calm in Almería as tensions simmer after murder

There were appeals for calm from police and politicians yesterday in Roquetas de Mar after a second night of riots involving Gypsies and African immigrants in the Almerian beach resort, which were triggered by the murder of a Senegalese man on Saturday. So far eight people have been arrested since the disturbances began and police were yesterday bracing themselves for more violence in the run-down neighbourhood known as 200 Viviendas. (Tue 09 Sep 08)

Another 14 die making Canaries crossing

Fourteen migrants died and five suffered severe hypothermia after they got lost at sea while trying to reach the Canary Islands from Africa. The bodies of 13 of the dead were aboard a boat with 46 other sub-Saharan Africans five nautical miles south of the island of Gran Canaria early yesterday morning. The 14th body was found floating two miles away. It's estimated they may have been at sea for between 8 and 12 days. (Thu 04 Sep 08)

La Liga opens with upsets

The Spanish football season kicked off yesterday with defeats for La Liga's two biggest clubs. FC Barcelona lost 1-0 away to newly promoted Numancia in what was Pep Guardiola's debut as Barca coach and Real Madrid went down 2-1 away to slightly more illustrious opposition in the form of Deportivo la Coruna. (Mon 01 Sep 08)

Economy on brink of recession

According to figures released yesterday by the Institute of National Statistics (INE), GDP growth in quarter to June slowed to 0.1 percent (the lowest rate of expansion since the recession in 1993) from 0.3 percent in the first quarter of 2008 and 0.8 percent at the end of 2007. Annual growth slowed to 1.8%, the lowest figure since the start of 1996. Job growth also slowed to its lowest level in 12 years. ( Thu 28 Aug 08)

Known fault could have caused nuclear plant fire

A fire at the Vandellòs II nuclear power plant in Catalonia on Sunday may have been caused by a fault that had been known about for months, investigators said yesterday. The fire, which started outside the station’s radioactive perimeter at 8.45am on Sunday, led plant directors to put an emergency plan into effect. The plan was deactivated less than two hours later, and Spain’s Nuclear Security Council (CSN) yesterday described the incident as 'insignificant' in terms of its safety and environmental impact. However, the plant is likely to be closed for weeks as an investigation gets underway and repairs begin. (Tue 26 Aug 08)

Some victims of Spanair crash may never be identified

Interior Minister Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba acknowledged yesterday that forensic specialists may be unable to identify the bodies of all 154 people killed on flight JK5022. By yesterday, five days after the crash, 92 bodies had been returned to victims' relatives. (Tue 26 Aug 08)

Spanair engine didn't catch fire before take off

Contrary to initial witness reports it now appears the engine of Spanair flight JK5022 did not catch fire before the aircraft left the ground. Investigators are examining video of the last moments of the take off along with the two black box flight recorders and early reports point towards multiple equipment failure. Meanwhile paramedic Ligia Palomino spoke of her miracle survival saying she had grabbed the arm of her partner José, after the plane started shaking, there was 'a horrible noise' and she was then catapulted through the air. She was then rescued by her own colleagues at Barajas airport. (Fri 22 Aug 08)

Five minutes silence for flight JK5022 victims

Acts of mourning have been held across Spain today, including a five minute silence in Madrid, for the 153 victims of Spanair flight 5022 that crashed yesterday at Barajas airport. Of the 19 survivors at least five are said to in a very serious condition and another five are children under the age of 12. Both black box flight recorders have been recovered but the exact cause of the accident isn't expected to be known for some time. The government has declared 3 days of national mourning. (Thu 21 Aug 08)

25 feared dead in Madrid plane crash

A Spanair jet has crashed at Madrid's Barajas airport en-route to Gran Canaria with 164 passengers on board. At least 25 people are feared to have died in the accident this afternoon which happened as Spanair flight JK5022 was taking off for Gran Canaria at 2.45pm. Reports are still unclear but it is thought the death toll could be much higher. Anyone concerned for friends or relatives should contact Spanair's emergency telephone number +34 800 400 200. (Wed 20 Aug 08)

Over a third of Spain will become desert

A new stdy has revealed that 37 out of every 100 hectares of land in Spain could become desert due to unsustainable agricultural practices, over development and climate change. The figures were contained within a plan to combat desertification that was unveiled by the government yesterday. However, despite the five years spent working on the plan, government officials have offered few new solutions. (Wed 20 Aug 08)

Three ETA bombs clear Malaga beaches

Police evacuated beaches and streets in Malaga province yesterday after ETA planted three bombs in and near beach resorts. Two of the bombs, planted on a beach near the Tryp Guadalmar Hotel in the city of Malaga and close to a marina in nearby Benalmádena, exploded around lunchtime yesterday. The third, hidden on the side of the MA-21 road leading to Malaga airport, was deactivated by police. Neither explosion caused any injuries and there was limited damage but there was a great deal of disruption. (Mon 18 Aug 08)

New world #1 Nadal takes Olympic Gold

Only recently crowned world number one following victories at the French Open and Wimbledon, Rafa Nadal yesterday added Olympic Gold to his list of honours. Nadal won in straight sets against Chile’s Fernando González 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 to take Spain's first tennis Olympic Gold. Virginia Ruano and Anabel Medina also won the silver for Spain losing to the Williams sisters, 6-2, 6-0, in the final. (Mon 18 Aug 08)

Government announces plan to boost ailing economy

Prime Minister José Zapatero’s Government have announced a series of 24 initiatives that they hope will counteract the effects of the economic crises. The measures include liberalisation of the services sector, accelerating the approval of new public works projects, eliminating Wealth Tax, boosting the construction of subsidized housing and help for struggling small and medium-sized businesses. The cost of the measures is said to be in the region of €20 billion over the next two years. (Fri 15 Aug)

Ryanair will cancel 'thousands' of tickets

From August 25 onwards any Ryanair tickets bought on websites other than its own will not be honoured. The move is in defiance of calls from the European Commission and could potentially leave thousands of customers without valid tickets. Passengers are advised to check where they booked tickets and if not directly through the Ryanair website to contact the airline for advice. (Fri 15 Aug 08)

Nine arrests in Balearic corruption scandal

Three more people were arrested yesterday as part of an investigation into corruption under the previous government ofthe Balearic Islands, bringing to nine including politicians, civil servants and businessmen. The arrests started after a local businessmen admitted giving kickbacks and bribes in exchange for lucrative construction contracts. (Thu 14 Aug 08)

Highest inflation figure for 16 years

According to figures published yesterday by the National Statistics Institute (INE) inflation rose to its highest July level since 1992. Although at 5.3% it was slightly lower than the figure for June this year and hopes are that upward pressure has decreased as the price of oil has begun to drop. (Thu 14 Aug 08)

Ryanair cancel tickets through third-party websites

A decision by budget airline Ryanair to cancel tickets bought through third-party websites has caused alarm and confusion among travellers. Ryanair said it would reject tickets bought through what it calls “illegal” websites that search the internet for the lowest fares, though said it would refund the cost of the tickets. The European Commission initially accepted its decision, although an industry outcry has prompted officials to announce an inquiry. (Tue 12 Aug 08)

Spanish Cyclist fails Olympic drugs test

Spanish authorities have pledged to 'take the toughest action' after cyclist Maria Isabel Moreno became the first competitor at the Beijing Olympics to fail a drugs test. Moreno was tested just hours after her arrival and returned to Spain the same evening, leaving Beijing in tears, citing a panic attack. But the real reason became clear yesterday after the drug test result was announced. (Tue 12 Aug)

Mafia boss arrested during dinner

Patrizio Bosti, one of Italy’s most-wanted criminals, was arrested yesterday while dining on the terrace of a restaurant in the resort of Platja d’Aro. Wanted for being a leading member of the 'Camorra', part of the Neapolitan mafia and for a double homicide, Bosti was carrying 48 €500 bills in his pockets, and had driven to the restaurant in an Audi R8 worth €110,000. He reportedly told police 'Siete stati bravi' ('You've done very well'), and made no attempt to resist arrest. If convicted he faces a 23-year prison sentence in Italy. (Mon 11 Aug 08)

Zara opens a GAP at the top of retailing

Just 20 years after opening its first store outside Spain, Zara has become the largest clothing retailer in the world in terms of sales, displacing America's GAP. With sales of €2.22 billion in its first quarter of 2008, an increase of 9 percent on the previous year, Zara has inched past GAP for the first time after the US group saw its revenue fall 10 percent to just under €2.2 billion. (Mon 11 Aug 08)

Services in Catalunya under threat by cash shortfall

Catalan premier José Montilla has warned that the region, one of Spain’s wealthiest, is running out of money to such an extent that it could threaten even 'basic services', such as healthcare and education. Catalunya is suffering despite being one of Spain’s wealthiest regions because the nationwide tax, share and spend mechanism means it contributes to far more than it receives from the rest of Spain. With recent negotiations on a new regional financing system achieving no agreement, a fall in tax revenues as unemployment rises and a slowdown in economic output Montilla fears things can only get worse. (Sat 09 Aug 08)

1,200 jobs go to keep Spanair flying

Spain’s second-largest airline, Spanair announced has announced plans to lay off 1,193 employees and close down operations in five cities, including Palma de Mallorca, to boost profits and cut costs due to soaring fuel prices. Spanair said the measures were essential to save €90 million and ensure the future of the airlines remaining staff. (Sat 09 Aug 08)

Forest fire continues in Zaragoza province

A massive forest fire that began on Tuesday in Zuera (Zaragoza province) was still blazing yesterday but, according to local sources, had stopped advancing after the number of fire fighters on the scene was boosted to around 400. The fire has already consumed more than 2,000 hectares of pine forest and scrub-land. (Thu 07 Aug 08)

Jobless hits 10 year high

The number of registered unemployed in Spain has hit a 10-year high for July with the total jobless rising by 36,492 to a total 2.43 million. Two out of every three job losses has been in the construction industry as the sector continues to bear the brunt of a looming recession. In less than a year Spain, the euro zone's fourth largest economy, has gone from creating around a third of all new euro zone jobs to having the EU's second highest level of unemployment after Slovakia. (Tue 05 Aug 08)

Iberia announce €32M losses

The Spanish flag carrier has announced first half loses of €32.2M, compared to profits of €69M for the same period last year, blaming spiralling fuel costs and increased domestic competition. Iberia are currently in merger talks with British Airways who also recently announced profits fall by 72%. (Tue 05 Aug 08)

Chávez to nationalise Venezuelan branch of Santander

Spain has reacted calmly to Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez's announcement that he would re-nationalize Banco de Venezuela, part of the Santander Group. Santander had said it planned to sell Banco de Venezuela to private investors, but it hadn't reached a deal and was now talking to the Venezuelan government. Banco de Venezuela is one of Venezuela's biggest lenders but contributes only a tiny fraction to Santander's earnings. Spain's deputy prime minister, María Teresa Fernández de la Vega, said 'There is no kind of intervention, nor will there be.' (Sat 02 Aug 08)

BBVA has grim outlook for 2009

The highly respected research department of Spain’s second-biggest bank, BBVA, has predicted that unemployment will surge to 14 percent by the end of next year and that GDP growth will slow to 0.5%. The report said 'the financial crisis, falls in the stock markets, the increase in oil prices and the correction in the real estate sector are feeding off each other.' (Fri 01 Aug 08)

Police warn of potential 'big attack' from ETA

In a rare warning, contained in an internal police memo and later published on the police website, authorities in the Basque Country fear ETA will attempt a big attack soon and have ordered police to increase security measures. The information has come to light following the arrest of 10 suspected members of ETA's "Vizcaya cell" on July 22. Police said an attack was planned against police at a fair in the Basque town of Getxo today, and they feared the group would now attempt a similar attack elsewhere. (Thu 31 Jul 08)

BA and Iberia in merger talks

British Airways and Iberia have announced they are having talks to discuss a possible merger of the two carriers as they seek to cut costs of soaring fuel prices and slowing demand. Together BA and Iberia together would be the third largest airline in the world in terms of revenues, a combined total of €16.5 billion. The two companies are also in talks with US carrier American Airlines to create a further alliance. (Wed 30 Jul 08)

Small bomb explodes in Torremolinos

ETA have detonated a small device on a beach in the Costa del Sol resort of Torremolinos early this morning. There was no warning but the bomb was said to have little power and caused no damage or injuries despite there being people present on the promenade near by. (Tue 29 Jul 08)

Carlos Sastre wins Tour de France

Spain have taken yet another of the year's major sporting events with Carlos Sastre winning the Tour de France. Afer 87 hours, 52 minutes and 52 seconds of the most challenging prestigious cycling race in the world Sastre came home just 58 seconds ahead of second-placed Cadel Evans. He becomes the third Spaniard to win the Tour in three years, and the seventh in the history of the race. (Mon 28 Jul 08)

Nadal wins fifth consecutive title

Rafael Nadal has won his fifth consecutive title in Toronto after beating Germany's Nicolas Kiefer 6-3 and 6-2 in the final yesterday. Nadal has won two Grand Slams this year, The French Open and Wimbledon - the Toronto Masters is one of the nine Tennis Masters Series, which rank just below the four Grand Slam tournaments. (Mon 28 Jul 08)

Spain's Carlos Sastre leads into final day of Tour de France

Against the run of form Spain's Carlos Sastre held on to the race leader's yellow jersey in the Tour de France after an inspired performance in Saturday's 53 kilometers time trial. Sastre was protecting a one minute 34 second lead over fourth-placed Cadel Evans, a specialist against the clock, but only lost 29 seconds to the Australian put him in a commanding position for the final day. (Sun 27 Jul 08)

King and Chávez joke about 'Why don’t you shut up?'

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and Spain’s King Juan Carlos shook hands, cracked jokes and made up yesterday in their first meeting since the Spanish monarch told the Venezuelan leader to 'shut up' at a summit in Chile last November. Chávez threatened to cut diplomatic ties with Spain unless the King issued a formal apology, but all was forgiven yesterday with Chávez saying he would 'very much like to give the king a hug' and King Juan Carlos reportedly giving him a t-shirt bearing the words 'Why don't you shut up?' (Sat 26 Jul 08)

Government lowers growth forecasts again

The Spanish government has slashed its economic growth forecasts for both 2008 and 2009 yet again in the face of more grim economic statistics. With unemployment now at its highest level for nearly four years the estimate for GDP growth this year has been cut to 1.6%, from a figure of 3.3% at the beginning of the year, and to 1% for 2009. The figures are now in line with the IMF and OECD estimates. (Fri 25 Jul 08)

Nine ETA suspects arrested across Spain

One of ETA's 'most active' terrorist cells was said to have been dismantled yesterday as nine arrests were made across the country. The nine were said to be part of the so-called Vizcaya cell, which is believed to have been behind most of the attacks carried out by ETA since it formally ended a ceasefire in June 2006. (Wed 23 Jul 08)

British plumber set to buy Real Mallorca

Paul Davidson, a former plumber who now heads the pipe-fitting company Fluid Leader Group Plc, has reached an agreement to buy Real Mallorca for a reported €40 million. Real Mallorca finished seventh in La Liga last season and if the sale goes through it would turn Davidson into the only foreign owner of a Spanish club. (Wed 23 Jul 08)

ETA detonates four small bombs in Cantabria

Four small bombs exploded yesterday at beach resorts on the northern Cantabrian coast as ETA launched its traditional summer bombing campaign aimed at harming Spain’s tourism industry. The bombs, which caused no injuries and only slight material damage, went off on two popular beaches in Laredo and Noja as well as on a golf course in the latter resort between midday at 3pm. (Mon 21 Jul 08)

Collapsed property company denied any risks

The collapsed property developer Martinsa-Fadesa denied there was any threat to its business as a result of the property down-turn. The claim was made in a report to Spain's stock market regulatory body just a month before the property developer collapsed with €5 billion of debt and a vast portfolio of unsold properties. (Mon 21 Jul 08)

Accusations in Parliament - your accent is terrible!

There was a heated session in the Catalan Parliament this week, though nothing to do with the economy or politics. Felip Puig, a leading member of the nationalist party, CiU, accused the regional president José Montilla (who was born in Andalusia) of destroying the Catalan language every time he spoke adding, 'even when he is reading he cannot manage proper pronunciation.' Josep Lluís Carod Rovira (himself a nationalist) of Esquerra Republicana came to Montilla's defence saying 'It’s better to speak Catalan poorly than not to speak it at all,' as the heated debate continued. (Sat 19 Jul 08)

Spain among worst affected in credit-crunch

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said that Spain will be among the worst affected economies by the current economic crisis and has cut its growth forecast again to 1.2% for Spain's economy next year despite raising predictions for the US and the euro zone. (Fri 18 Jul 08)

Spain’s Saunier Duval team pull out of 'Le Tour'

The Spanish team, Saunier Duval, have pulled out of the 2008 Tour de France after one of its riders, Italian Riccardo Riccò, tested positive for the banned blood-boosting drug EPO when he was submitted for a surprise control after the Tour de France fourth stage. Saunier Duval, subsequently announced its withdrawal from the race in order to 'do no further harm to our sponsors image or that of the Tour de France.' (Fri 18 Jul 08)

Ryanair to 'take a break' from Valencia

Budget carrier Ryanair announced yesterday it will cancel 500 flights and close its Valencia hub for six weeks in November and December to cut costs. A spokesman said the decision to stop flights between November 4 and December 19 was taken after the airline failed to obtain support from regional authorities or local councils to keep flying out of Valencia during the low season and because Valencia is among the most expensive airports in Spain for landing slots. (Fri 18 Jul 08)

Spanair to cut 1100 jobs

Spain’s second-biggest airline, Spanair, owned by Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), will cut 1,100 jobs as part of a restructuring plan to counter a drop in demand, the effect of record fuel prices and increasing competition from Spain’s growing high-speed rail network. The job loses account for more than a quarter of Spanair’s total workforce of 3,689. (Thu 17 Jul 08)

Biggest ever corporate failure hits Spain

The property firm Martinsa-Fadesa filed for bankruptcy protection yesterday as creditors, workers and the government began to count the costs of the largest company failure in Spanish history. The company owes €7 billion and the move came after it failed to raise €150 million as part of conditions for a €4-billion refinancing package agreed with its banks. (Wed 16 Jul 08)

Barca sell Ronaldinho to AC Milan

AC Milan and Barcelona have reached an agreement in principle over the transfer of Ronaldinho to the Italian club for a reported fee of €21M. But he could walk into an immediate row at Milan given his wish to represent Brazil at next month's Beijing Olympics. Barca had refused to release him for the Games and Milan could make the same decision having already stopped compatriot Kaka from going to China. (Wed 16 Jul 08)

Santander agrees to buy Alliance & Leicester

Leading Spanish bank, Santander, is taking advantage of the credit crunch by agreeing to buy beleaguered British mortgage lender Alliance & Leicester for a knockdown price of £1.26 billion. Santander, which is the second biggest in Europe after HSBC, had a look at A&L’s books earlier this year but walked away from the deal. Since then, A&L’s share price has fallen 46%. (Tue 15 Jul 08)

World Expo attracts 1.4M visitors in first month

The World Expo in Zaragoza has attracted nearly 1.4 million people a month after it opened its doors to the public. Organizers are optimistic that the target of 6-6.5M visitors will be reached by the end of the event on September 14. (Tue 15 Jul 08)

Ronaldinho will break Barca contract for Olympics

Ronaldinho will, if need be, break his contract with FC Barcelona to go to the Beijing Olympics and play for Brazil. Barca said earlier this week that Ronaldinho 'will have to report for training on Monday, the first session of the 2008-09 season.' But reports from Brazil have him training there and newspapers say that on Tuesday he will announce that 'nothing will keep him away from the Beijing Olympics.' and 'if Barcelona insists on not allowing him to play, he will break his contract with the club.' (Sun 13 Jul 08)

New migrant boat brings four more deaths

A boat carrying 59 migrants from Africa reached the shore of La Gomera in the Canary Islands yesterday with the bodies of four dead men on board. It brings the total deaths from such journeys to 32 in just one week. The Spanish interior minister will make an official visit to Rabat in Morocco next week to discuss the situation with the Moroccan government. Prime Minister Zapatero has said that the EU should step up its financial aid to Morocco to help stem the tide of illegal immigration and that, 'The most important matter is to fight against the poverty and misery, which is the cause of illegal immigration.' (Sat 12 Jul 08)

Five adults and nine children die in migrant tragedy

Thirty-three immigrants from Africa, including a 12-month-old child, all suffering from hypothermia, dehydration and exhaustion were rescued late on Wednesday night 40 km off the coast of southern Spain. But the survivors told their rescuers that five adults and nine children under four years of age had died during the journey. Their bodies had to be thrown overboard. It's the second disaster this week after 14 Nigerians went missing, presumed drowned, after their boat capsized on Monday off Motril. (Fri 11 Jul 08)

Barça in pre-season turmoil

Eight directors of FC Barcelona resigned yesterday in protest at the decision of Joan Laporta to continue in his role as club president. Two seasons without honours for the club recently lost Laporta a vote of no confidence with 60 percent of club members voting against him and today sees the board without nearly half of its members, including three of its vice presidents. (Fri 11 Jul 8)

Zapatero admits to economic crisis

Prime Minister Zapatero finally admitted in an Antena 3 television interview that last night that the Spanish economy was in 'crisis.' He did however add that it was not the term he preferred to use saying 'We grew at 4% rates and now expand by 2%,' and also made no mention of recession, which many analyst predict as inevitable. (Thu 10 Jul 08)

Former mayor of Seseña charged with corruption

The former mayor of Seseña (Toledo province), José Luis Martín Jiménez, was yesterday charged with of a wide range of offences including bribery and misappropriation of public funds. He allegedly amassed half a million euros between 2002-2005 when his annual salary as mayor in 2003 was only €27,000 by illegally approving a number of housing development projects. (Thu 10 Jul 08)

Vueling & Clickair to merge

After months of negotiations the boards of Spanish low-cost airlines Vueling and Clickair have agreed to merge. Consolidation in the industry has been on the cards for some time due to increasingly intense competition and soaring fuel costs and a merger between Vueling & Clickair makes even more sense as both carriers operate out of Barcelona using Airbus-320 aircraft. (Tue 08 Jul 08)

Nadal wins Wimbledon epic

The Wimbledon final between Roger Federer and Spain's Rafael Nadal lived up to all expectations yesterday in what is already being called a classic final. Nadal took the first 2 sets 6-4, 6-4 and came close, but failed to break Federer's serve in the third. Rain stopped play with Federer leading 5-4 and after the break Federer took the set in a tie-break. It was another tie-break in the forth and despite Nadal taking a 5-2 lead and having 2 championship points Federer won again taking the game into the final set. They were neck and neck in the fifth and it wasn't until the 15th game that Nadal broke to lead 8-7 going on to hold serve and win his first Wimbledon championship, and Spain's first since 1966. (Mon 07 Jul 08)

One dies at Pamplona bull running

There was tragedy on the first day of the San Fermin bull-running festival yesterday after a man fell from an ancient wall that circles the historic centre Pamplona. Police said they were investigating what caused the man, who has not been indetified, to fall as his body was not discovered until several hours after his death and there do not appear to be any witnesses. He becomes the 15th fatality at the San Fermin festival since 1911. (Mon 07 Jul 08)

Third time lucky for Nadal?

Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer will meet for the third Wimbledon final in succession tomorrow after both players won their semi-final clashes in straight sets. It's the final most have been predicting and both players have been almost faultless en-route. Federer has won both previous finals against Nadal but the Spaniards game has improved again this year and a close match is inevitable. (Sat 05 Jul 08)

OECD chief says Spanish economy in 'crisis'

The head of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Ángel Gurría, said yesterday that the Spanish economy is going through a 'crisis' and would not return to normal until 2010. Gurría also said the OECD may cut its forecasts for Spain’s growth yet again for both 2008 and 2009. (Sat 05 JUl 08)

Catalan swimmer breaks records on the Strait's

Catalan swimmer David Meca set a new world record last night by crossing the Straits of Gibraltar three times without stopping. He also smashed the record time for two crossings of the Strait, previously held by Jaime Caballero with a time of 7 hours and 51 minutes, by setting a time of 7 hours and 18 minutes. (Sat 05 Jul 08)

ECB raises interest rates 0.25%

The European Central Bank yesterday raised the cost of borrowing by 0.25% to 4.25% in an effort to fight inflation. It's more bad news for Spain's already beleaguered housing market and for those struggling to meet higher costs of living across the board, but the head of the ECB, Jean-Claude Trichet, warned that there would probably be more rises to come. (Fri 04 Jul 08)

Nadal through to Wimbledon semi's

World number 2 seed Rafa Nadal won through to the Wimbledon championships semi-final last night with ease in a straight sets, 6-3 6-2 6-4, victory over Britain's Andy Murray. Murray, who looked exhausted from the start, never got into the match leaving Nadal to cruise to a semi-final place against Rainer Schuettler of Germany or Arnaud Clement of France. Spain's other quarter-finalist Feliciano Lopez was knocked out by Russian Marat Safin. (Thu 03 Jul 08)

Zapatero says 'no more talks with ETA'

Prime Minister Zapatero has said that there will be no more dialogue with ETA in an interview with El Pais. He said that negotiations had proved useless and 'It’s a road that did not lead to where we wanted to be.' Despite being involved in talks ETA broke the ceasefire with a bomb attack at Madrid airport, before formally announcing the resumption of hostilities several months later. (Thu 03 Jul 08)

Steel boss arrested on suspicion of ETA payments

The CEO of one of Spain’s biggest steel manufacturers was arrested yesterday on suspicion of having paid ETA extortion money, their so called 'revolutionary tax.' José Antonio Jainaga, CEO of Sidenor, a company with 3,000 employees, was arrested at his home in Bilbao yesterday morning. (Wed 02 Jul 08)

Huge welcome home for Spanish team

People turned out in their thousands last night to welcome home the Spanish national team from their victory in Euro 2008. They lined the streets of Madrid as the champions paraded the first trophy Spain have won in 44 years from an open top bus. The parade ended in Plaza de Colon where the players took the stage to thank the fans for their support. (Tue 01 Jul 08)

IBEX sees biggest falls since 1874

The Madrid Stock Market’s general index (IBEX) has fallen by 20.9% during the first half of this year, its worst fall since 1874, when the stock exchange started to measure the performance of listed companies. The Ibex 35 (top performing blue-chip index) lost 20.66 percent, the most in any six month period for 20 years. (Tue 01 Jul 08)

Nadal cruises to quarter final with Murray

Rafa Nadal disposed of Russian Mikhail Youzhny in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1, yesterday to secure a quarter final place against British player Andy Murray. Despite Nadal receiving treatment on his right leg early in the match he finished off the game in just over two hours. Murray will be a little less rested after a four hour epic against Richard Gasquet of France. (Tue 01 Jul 08)

Champions of Europe - Spain end 44 year drought

Spain won Euro 2008 last night and brought to an end a 44 year period of underachieving. The final score of 1-0 wasn't a true reflection of the game in which Spain dominated Germany on all fronts and it could so easily have been 3 or 4. The only goal came after 33 minutes from Fernando Torres and raised Spain's game further. Germany made a come back of sorts after the break but it didn't last long and the only team that looked like scoring again were Spain. (Mon 30 Jun 08)

Spain 1 Germany 0 - Nadal beats Kiefer

Spain will be hoping this is a taste of what's to come in tonight's Euro 2008 final as Rafa Nadal beat Germany's Nicolas Kiefer in straight sets at Wimbledon yesterday to progress to the last 16 of the men's championship. The first set was close and went to a tie break but the following two were dominated by Nadal in a match that finished 7-6, 6-2, 6-3. Nadal is one of three Spanish in the final 16 and is joined by Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez. (Sun 29 Jun 08)

Inflation hits another high

Inflation has broken the 5% barrier, rising to 5.1% in June, the highest level level since the current calculation for measuring price rises was introduced in 1997. Experts are warning the figure could rise still further in July or August predicting levels of between 5.2 and 5.4%, before easing to around 4.0% percent by the end of the year providing the surge in oil prices tapers off. (Sat 28 Jun 08)

Building permits drop by 56%

Figures just out reveal permits issued for new housing projects fell by 56.4% in the first quarter of 2008. This combined with the estimated 650,000 unsold homes in Spain and the 31.8% drop in sales in the first quarter shows just how deeply the property crisis has bitten. (Sat 28 Jun 08)

Viva España - Spain through to Euro 2008 final

1964 was the last time Spain last won a major trophy and 1984 the last time they reached a final and with last last nights 3-0 victory over Russia one landmark has now been achieved. So many times before Spain have promised so much and delivered little, but a confident, exciting and skilful display against the Russians silenced all the doubters. In a close first half both teams played attacking, open football and at half-time it was anyone's. However five minutes after the break Xavi Hernández broke the deadlock and the course of the game changed. Spain seemed to swell with confidence and dominated from there on in with inevitable goals following from Daniel Güiza and David Silva. If Spain play like that in the final on Sunday Germany will have to be on the sort of form they have yet to find in these championships if they are to have any chance. (Fri 27 Jun 08)

Nadal wobbles but wins

Rafa Nadal lost the first set in his second round Wimbledon tie against the 19 year old Latvian Ernests Gulbis but came through to win the following three sets taking the match 5-7, 6-2, 7-6, 6-3. It was the first time Nadal has lost a set in a Grand Slam since January’s Australian Open. Nadal will next face the 27th seed Nicolas Kiefer from Germany in the third round. (Fri 27 Jun 08)

Mari Luz Cortés' father outraged at judges fine

The father of Mari Luz Cortés, the five-year-old girl allegedly killed earlier this year by a paedophile who should have been in jail for the previous abuse of his own daughter, said a mere fine for the judge who failed to enforce the alleged attacker's sentence was outrageous. Judge Rafael Tirado will receive a fine of between €1,000 and €6,000 for negligence. (Thu 26 Jun 08)

Mortgage association predicts loan defaults could triple

The Spanish Mortgage Association said yesterday that numbers defaulting on loans could triple if the current economic situation continues and that 'the Spanish economy is in the initial phase of a crisis whose intensity and duration we are not in a situation to predict.' Meanwhile the number of home sales in the first quarter of 2008 have dropped by nearly 32%. (Thu 26 Jun 08)

Bank of Spain warns of enormous job losses

The governor of the Bank of Spain has warned the slowdown in the Spanish economy could entail 'enormous' job losses in the absence of preventative measures. The jobless rate suffered its biggest jump in 15 years in the first quarter of this year, rising to 9.6 percent and the government now admits that unemployment next year would be closer to 11% than to its original estimate of 10%. (Wed 25 Jun 08)

Nadal makes a good start at Wimbledon

Rafael Nadal beat Andreas Beck of Germany in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6, yesterday in to kick off his Wimbledon challenge. Seeded number two and fresh from victories at the French open and Queens he is many peoples favourite for this years title including Bjorn Borg who said, 'If he gets past the first rounds, he’s my favorite to win.' (Wed 25 Jun 08)

Zapatero admits severity of slowdown

Crisis has been a word that the government have noticeably avoided when talking about the economy this year. But yesterday the prime minister said 'The Spanish economy is undergoing a strong slowdown, almost at a halt', and predicted that little would change until the second half of next year. The government’s GDP growth forecast for this year is now 2.3%, down from 3.1%, but the IMF estimate the figure could be as low as 1.6%. (Tue 24 Jun 08)

Tiger mosquito increasing in numbers across Catalunya

The tiger mosquito, which inflicts a particularly painful bite on its victims, is becoming increasingly common in Catalunya. Originally from south-east Asia the mosquito is easily recognizable thanks to its pointed abdomen and black and white stripes on its legs and has doubled in numbers across some regions of Catalunya. (Tue 24 Jun 08)

Spain complete the Italian Job

After 2 hours without a goal Spain finally got what they deserved against a defensive and unadventurous Italy after a penalty shoot-out. June 22 had bad omens for the Spanish having gone out of 3 major tournaments after penalties on this day, but they held their nerve and Casillas became the hero by saving two of Italy's attempts. Spain now face Russia in the semi-finals in Vienna on Thursday evening. (Mon 23 Jun 08)

Santander boss, 'Crisis, what crisis?'

Emilio Botín, the Chairman of Spain’s largest banking group, Santander, told shareholders at the group’s AGM on Saturday that the bank will be the world’s third largest in terms of profits this year, after China’s two leading lenders. The group forecasts €10 billion profit this year and Botín said, 'Crisis? Who’s in crisis? Santander certainly isn’t.' (Mon 23 Jun 08)

Valencia to withdraw free expat healthcare

The regional government of Valencia have announced that they will no longer provide free health care to the estimated 1 million expat residents and long stay tourists in the region. Free healthcare was offered to all expats in 2002 to encourage investment in the Costa Blanca's then lucrative property market. The housing market has since collapsed and the region can no longer afford the extra €1bn cost of the free healthcare. (Sun 22 Jun 08)

Spain's population passes 46 million mark

The population of Spain has passed the 46-million mark, rising by more than 800,000 people during the course of 2007. Immigration accounts for much of the increase with foreigners now making up just over 11 percent of the registered population at 5.22 million, but this doesn't take into account people not registered with their town hall. Of the total number 2.1 million are EU citizens, with the rest mostly from Latin America and Northern Africa. (Sat 21 Jun 08)

Helicopter crash kills 2 Spanish airmen

Two Spanish airmen have been killed in a helicopter crash while on patrol in Bosnia. Lieutenant Santiago Hormigo Ledesma, 32, and Sergeant Joaquín López Moreno, 32, died along with two German officers when their helicopter plunged into a wooded hillside whilst on a routine patrol as part of the EU peacekeeping force in the country. (Fri 20 Jun 08)

Spanish farmers join the fuel protests

More than 10,000 farmers marched on the Agriculture Ministry in Madrid yesterday bringing the centre of the city to a virtual standstill. They are demanding that the duty on fuel for agricultural use be reduced from the current 16% to 7%. (Fri 20 Jun 08)

SAS abandons plans to sell Spanair

Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) has dropped plans to sell its loss-making Spanish subsidiary Spanair after failing to find a buyer willing to pay the asking price. Spanair is Spain’s second biggest carrier with a workforce of 3,570, 18.8 million passengers last year and a fleet of 65 planes, but loses of €41 million for the first quarter of this year. (Fri 20 Jun 08)

Estepona council used false accounting to hide bribery racket

It's not yet clear how much money the mayor of Estepona, Antonio Barrientos, and his fellow accused council members raked in from the kickbacks, although investigators suspect it to be substantial. What is clear is that officials used double accounting to hide the proceeds and that it was known about by most of the council members. Questions remain as to how it took so long to be discovered and how many more mayors across the country are lining their pockets in the same way. (Thu 19 Jun 08)

Spain's reserves maintain 100% record

Despite resting almost all of their first team and a putting in a performance that was nothing to write home about Spain managed to grab the winner in the last minute of normal time. The win sees Spain through top of their group with 9 points and Russia runners-up after winning against Sweden. Spain now face Italy on Sunday in the quarter finals. (Thu 19 Jun 08)

BBVA bank executive found shot at his home

A senior executive of Spanish bank BBVA in Andalusia has been found dead in his house in Seville with two gunshot wounds in the chest. Andrés Toro Barea, 59, was in charge of BBVA’s Special Recovery Centre in Andalusia. Police have ruled out suicide and it appears Toro Barea let his killer into his home as there were no signs of false entry. (Thu 19 Jan 08)

Mayor of Estepona arrested on corruption charges

The mayor of another large town on the Costa del Sol was arrested yesterday along with several city councillors and a dozen other people on corruption charges. The arrest of Antonio Barrientos, mayor of Estepona, follows the similar and, it seems, connected arrest of the mayor of Marbella in 2006 and the charges he faces will be similar, that of providing building permits in exchange for bribes from property developers. (Wed 18 Jun 08)

Top Spanish Chefs in war of words

Ferran Adria, the owner of the michelin 3 star restaurant El Bulli which is ranked as the world's best by Britain's Restaurant magazine has hit back at criticism from Santi Santamaria, another 3 star chef. Santamaria who runs Can Fabes (near El Bulli) has called Adria's type of 'molecular gastronomy' pretentious and said his dishes were designed to impress rather than satisfy and used chemicals that actually put diners health at risk. Adria has responded by saying the comments mark 'the saddest weeks in the history of Spanish cooking,' and other chefs have rallied to his defence accusing Santamaria of jealousy. (Wed 18 Jun 08)

Prince Felipe makes surprise visit to Afghanistan

The heir to the Spanish throne, Prince Felipe, has made a surprise visit to the Afghan town of Qala i Naw where 220 Spanish soldiers are taking part in reconstruction duties in the area. He will spend just an hour there before moving onto the main Spanish base at Herat where the remainder of the 726 troops are based. (Tue 17 Jun 08)

Nadal continues winning streak

Fresh from the French Open title Rafael Nadal continued his winning streak by defeating Novak Djokovic to win the first grass court title of his career at the Queens Club Artois Championships in London. He now has a week to recover before starting his challenge for the Wimbledon title. (16 Jun 08)

Government plan to repatriate 1M immigrants

In stark contrast to the policy of just a year ago,when foreign workers were being hired at source, the Spanish government will offer legal immigrants who lose their jobs a chance to collect unemployment benefits quickly and in a lump sum if they agree to return to their home countries. To be eligible, migrants must give up their residency and work papers and pledge not to return for at least three years. Payment will be made in two phases, one before leaving, the second once they are back home. (Mon 16 Jun 08)

'Radical' truckers plan to protest in Madrid

A group of largely self employed truck drivers are planning more protests in Madrid today. Despite Government assurances that the strike would be over by today the group, said to consist of up to 30,000 drivers, are still unhappy that there has been no concession on their core demands to reduce fuel tax and minimum haulage fees. (Mon 16 Jun 08)

Injury time winner sees Spain through

David Villa scored in the last seconds of injury time against Sweden to put Spain through to the quarter finals of Euro 2008 last night. Spain started well and took the lead after 15 minutes with a goal from Ferdnando Torres but a generally lacklustre performance followed and Sweden equalised 20 minutes later. A penalty appeal was rejected just before half-time and saw the teams go to the break level. There were few chances in the second half but Spain took advantage of a 92nd minute break to put themselves into the knock-out rounds. (Sun 15 Jun 08)

Zaragoza World Expo 2008 opens

King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía officially opened the World Expo 2008 in Zaragoza last night. The €700-million, 25-hectare Expo will feature exhibitions from 105 countries focussing on the theme of water and sustainable development. Between six and seven million people are expected to attend the event before it ends on September 14. Day tickets cost €35 and three-day tickets €70. World Expo website (Sat 14 Jun 08)

Twenty 'Russian Mafia' suspects arrested

Spain has dismantled 'the largest Russian criminal organization in the world,' arresting 20 people in synchronized raids across the country. They have been charged with crimes ranging from murder and assault to arms and drug trafficking and authorities have frozen €12 million in assets, seized €200,000 in cash, 23 luxury cars, several works of art and a yacht. (Sat 14 Jun 08)

Government gets tough with strikers

Interior Minister Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba said the government will no longer tolerate illegal road blockades and that 'security forces will act resolutely to keep roads clear and ensure that basic products are distributed'. However protests show no sign of decline and there were widespread and sometimes violent demonstrations in several cities yesterday with truck drivers being joined by fishermen and farmers. (Thu 12 Jun 08)

Car production at virtual standstill

Spain's car industry has come to a virtual standstill because of the lack of parts and fuel caused by the truck drivers strike. Spain's 18 car factories produce about 13,000 vehicles a day and account for about 5 percent of the country's GDP and will have to stop production today unless emergency deliveries can be made. (Thu 12 Jun 08)

Inflation hits another high

As the oil price continues to rise so does the inflation figure which hit a 13 year high of 4.6% for May, up 0.4% on the same period last year and the highest figure since July 1995. The economy minister said further rises are expected throughout the summer before prices would slow towards the end of the year. (Thu 12 Jun 08)

Protester killed as truckers strike intensifies

A striking trucker was run over and killed yesterday as he tried to stop a vehicle leaving a wholesale food market near Granada. It follows a similar incident in Portugal with no end in sight for the strike in either country as the Spanish government refuse to negotiate on the two main demands from the truckers, lowering fuel duty and minimum tariffs. (Wed 11 Jun 08)

Perfect start for Spain in Euro 2008

Spain got off to a perfect start with a formidable 4-1 victory against Russia yesterday. Following disapointing warm-up matches against Peru and the USA a new formation for Spain worked perfectly and the attacking partnership of David Villa and Fernando Torres led to a hat-trick for Villa. It raises hopes of a Spain's chances in the tournament though a similar start in the last world cup came to nothing. They next face Sweden, who last night beat the holders Greece, on Saturday. (Wed 11 Jun 08)

Major routes and borders at standstill

The first day of the haulage strike brought routes around major cities and borders with France and Portugal to a virtual standstill yesterday. No end appears to be in sight as the governments promised 'potent measures' aren't enough to satisfy the truckers demands for lower taxes on diesel fuel and establishing minimum haulage fees. There have been warnings that fuel and food shortages could start in the next few days if the strike continues. (Tue 10 Jun 08)

Nadal crushes Federer in French Open final

Rafael Nadal left a capacity crowd stunned after beating the world number one in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3, 6-0, in the French Open final yesterday afternoon. It gave Nadal his forth successive French Open title matching Bjorn Borg's record who was there to present the trophy. (Mon 09 Jun 08)

Government promise 'potent measures' for truckers

The Government has promised a range of what they call 'potent measures' to alleviate at least some of the effects of higher fuel prices for the haulage industry. What exactly the measures are appears unclear at the moment but it is hoped that a promise of action will pacify the truckers who are striking from today. (Mon 09 Jun 08)

ETA bomb at newspaper offices

A bomb at the presses of the Basque newspaper El Correo exploded at about 3am this morning in an industrial estate near Bilbao. The newspaper said about 50 people were working at the site but no one is reported to have been injured. (Sun 08 Jun 08)

Truckers threaten to bring Spain to standstill

Spanish truckers are preparing protests over soaring fuel costs that could bring the country to a halt and see petrol stations run out of fuel as early as Thursday. Two associations are due to begin action from midnight on Sunday unless the government agrees to reduce fuel taxes and set a minimum service price to cover transportation costs. (Sat 07 Jun 08)

Nadal cruises to French Open final

Rafael Nadal disposed of Novak Djokovic in yesterdays French Open semi-final 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 to secure a final place against Roger Federer. If Nadal wins on Sunday he will match Bjorn Borg's record of four consecutive French Open titles. (Sat 07 Jun 08)

11 accused of planning Barcelona suicide bombings

11 men accused of plotting suicide attacks on the Barcelona metro system went to court in Madrid to be indicted yesterday. They all face charges of belonging to a terrorist organisation and possession of explosives following a police raid on an unauthorized prayer hall in Barcelona. (Fri 06 Jun 08)

Taxi!! Not in Madrid

280 Madrid taxi drivers went on strike yesterday in protest over rising fuel costs and brought chaos to the city centre. It's the latest in a series of protests and strikes against the huge recent increases in oil prices. (Fri 06 Jun 08)

Spain beat US in final Euro 2008 warm-up

Spain beat the US 1-0 last night with a second half goal from Xavi but failed to raise many hopes of a successful Euro 2008 campaign. There was little to separate the teams for much of the match although Spain had more chances in the second half. Spain will face Russia on 10 June in their opening fixture of the tournament. (05 Jun 08)

Zapatero criticises Berlusconi's immigration laws

Spanish premier José Zapatero has openly criticized Italy's new unilateral immigration laws introduced recently under Silvio Berlusconi's new government. 'Do we agree with Italy? Certainly not,' Zapatero said after a meeting between the two countries after a UN Food and Agricultural Organization meeting in Rome. Zapatero said he had urged Italy to 'coordinate with the EU' in a common policy to tackle immigration. (Wed 04 Jun 08)

Jobless figure rises in May for the first time

The unemployment figures for May rose for the first time since records began in 1979. The total numbers of unemployed climbed 15,000 to 2.353 million with the construction sector bearing the brunt of job losses. (Wed 04 Jun 08)

Rising Ebro threatens Zaragoza water expo

Artificial barriers have had to be constructed along the banks of the Ebro to protect the Zaragoza World Expo from flooding. Ironically the theme of the expo is water and its conservation, which because of the wettest May for 27 years, has seen the Ebro burst its banks in several locations. (Tue 03 Jun 08)

Car sales drop 24%

The Spanish car industry has declared a state of 'maximum alert' over a 24% sales drop in May over the same period last year. It's the highest drop in sales ever recorded and another sign that the economy is suffering more than at first feared from the global downturn. (Tue 03 Jun 08)

Skydive plane used in Honda ad

The plane that lost its wing and crashed killing its pilot and a skydiver on Friday was used in a live TV commercial for Honda the day before. Filming had finished and no one on the plane was connected with Honda when the accident happened. Honda have extended their condolences to the bereaved families. (Tue 03 Jun 08)

ETA blast injures two

An explosion early this morning in the Basque town of Zarautz slightly injured 3 police officers. A warning was given by ETA shortly before the bomb exploded outside the offices of a construction company. (Sun 01 Jun 08)

Spanish fishermen begin strike action

Fishermen yesterday handed out 18,000 kilos of free fish to mark the beginning of protests and strike action over the rising cost of fuel. They came from all over the country to the environment ministry in Madrid leaving their boats moored up in what is said to be 'indefinite' strike action. (Sat 31 May 08)

Nine skydivers survive plane crash

A pilot and a skydiver were killed yesterday when the light aircraft they were in crashed after losing a wing in Toledo province. Nine other skydivers on board managed to parachute to safety although two were seriously injured. (Sat 31 May 08)

Inflation rises, confidence falls

Inflation figures show prices rose 4.7% in May up further from the April figure of 4.2%. Soaring oil and food prices are to blame for the highest figures since 1997 and a recent survey suggests 46% of Spaniards feel the economic situation is either bad or very bad with most expecting things to get worse before they get better. (Fri 30 May 08)

Drought over for Barcelona

The most severe water shortages in Barcelona for decades have been replaced by the wettest May since 1971 and brought an end to the city's water crisis. Reservoirs supplying Barcelona are now said to be at 45% capacity and there is now even talk of cancelling the pipeline planned to divert water from the Ebro. One question remains though, will it ever stop raining? (Thu 29 May 08)

Housing slump gathers pace

New figures out yesterday show Spain's residential housing market saw sales drop by 36% in March compared to the same period last year. The year on year decrease for January was 27% indicating that the slump is gathering pace. (Thu 29 May 08)

Twins sue over 28 year separation

Twins, born in the canary islands, who were separated at birth due to a hospital mix up are planning to sue the local authorities. One of the twin girls, born in 1973, was mistakenly swapped for another baby girl although it wasn't discovered until 28 years later. One of the girls friends was put out that the twin didn't recognise her in a shop, she called her later to be told by the twin she hadn't been in the shop at which point the friend knew something was wrong. DNA tests revealed the truth and now all 3 women are suing for damages. (Thu 29 May 08)

Government slashes forecast for growth

Hopes of a budget surplus for the third consecutive year have been dashed because of the housing slump and soaring oil prices. The government revised its forecast yesterday saying it now expected to end the year in balance rather than the surplus (equivalent to 1% of GDP) that had been predicted. (Wed 28 May 08)

2 migrants die trying to reach Canary Islands

A small boat with 68 would-be migrants was picked up off Gran Canaria yesterday. Two of the passengers had died from dehydration and hypothermia and three more were said to be in a serious condition. Thousands attempt the perilous journey every year trying to reach the Canary Islands and many die in the process, though exact numbers will never be known. (Mon 26 May 08)

Bullet trains beat the planes

New figures recently announced have shown a huge swing towards the high speed AVE train routes since the opening of the Malaga-Madrid service in December and the Barcelona-Madrid service in January. The state airline Iberia has reported drops in load factor despite reducing capacity on domestice routes by 13%. Spain is leading the world in terms of high speed rail construction and will have the largest network in the world by 2010 with 90% of the population being within 50km of an AVE station. (Sun 25 May 08)

Veteran Spanish mountaineer dies in Himalayas

Veteran Spanish mountaineer Inaki Ochoa de Olza has died of a seizure during an ascent of Annapurna in the Himalayas. The 40 year old was climbing without oxygen and suffered the seizure after having to turn back from the peak because of frost bite. (Sun 25 May 08)

Spain falls further behind in digital world

The digital divide between Spain and other developed nations is growing according to a new report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Internet access is growing at a faster pace and is less expensive in the 30 other counties that were part of the report. The much criticized market leader in broadband services, telefonica, is said to be to blame for keeping prices artificially high and service standards low. (Sat 24 May 08)

Berlusconi plans cause rift with Spain over immigration

Recently elected Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has approved new laws that would make it a criminal offence to be an illegal immigrant. The Spanish government have criticized the plans saying they undermined EU efforts to establish a common policy, could fuel racism and could divert immigration flows to neighbouring countries including Spain. Berlusconi's plans could see thousands immigrants imprisoned without trial. (Fri 23 May 08)

British man held on rape charge

A 41-year-old British man suspected of committing 12 rapes in the UK has been arrested in Orihuela, Alicante province. European arrest warrant was issued by UK authorities and the man is now being held in Madrid pending extradition proceedings. (Fri 23 May 08)

ETA leader arrested in France

Francisco Javier López Peña, the alleged leader of ETA, was arrested in France yesterday in a joint Spanish-French operation. Premier Zapatero has described it as 'a very important operation' and 'one more step toward the victory of democracy over terrorism.' Peña and five others were arrested in a swoop on an apartment in the city of Bordeaux which had been under surveillance for weeks. (Thu 22 May 08)

Zapatero and Basque premier disagree on devolution

Yesterday's meeting between Premier Zapatero and the Nationalist Basque leader Juan José Ibarretxe ended in stale mate. Zapatero reiterated that he will not allow a referendum on greater home rule for the region and both leaders gave statements reaffirming apparently irreconcilable positions over devolution. (Wed 21 May 08)

Spain's Greenhouse emissions up 52% since Kyoto

Greenhouse emissions in Spain rose by 1.8% in 2007 and are up by over 52% since the country signed the Kyoto Protocol in 1990, according to a report published yesterday by CCOO/World Watch. Spain had agreed to limit CO2 emissions to no more than 15 percent above 1990 levels. (Wed 21 May 08)

Defence minister gives birth

The Spanish Minister of Defence, Carme Chacón, gave birth yesterday to a 2.8-kilo baby boy at a hospital in Esplugues de Llobregat, near Barcelona. Though several weeks early mother and baby are said to be doing well. (Tue 20 May 08)

ETA bomb explodes in Getxo, Basque country

ETA have claimed responsibility for an explosion early this morning in the Basque town of Getxo near Bilbao. The bomb was in a booby-trapped van parked in a residential area of the seaside town and is said to have caused significant damage though there are no reports of injuries. (Mon 19 May 08)

Spain arrests 5 hackers

Spanish Police have arrested 5 people in connection with the alleged hacking of US based web sites. The group, two of which are just 16 years old, are said to have hacked into as many as 21,000 websites, including unconfirmed reports of NASA's site, replacing pages with their own content. (Mon 19 May 08)

Spain Euro 2008 Squad - Raúl out, Sergio García in

As expected, Raúl has not been included in Spain's Euro 2008 squad announced yesterday. The surprise inclusion was that of Sergio García of La Liga strugglers Real Zaragoza. Full squad: Cesc (Arsenal) - Puyol, Iniesta & Xavi (Barcelona) - Juanito (Real Betis) - De la Red (Getafe) - Arbeloa, Reina, Torres & Xabi Alonso (Liverpool) - Casillas & Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid) - Fernando Navarro & Güiza (RCD Mallorca) - Palop (Sevilla) - Albiol, Marchena, Silva & Villa (Valencia) - Capdevila, Cazorla & Senna (Villarreal) - Sergio García (Real Zaragoza) (Sun 18 May 08)

Real Estate developers see sales collapse

The biggest real estate developers in Spain have seen sales collapse in the first quarter of 2008. Spain’s seven biggest developers saw sales plummet by 73.5% in the three months of this year, with some reporting falls of as much as 96 percent. In 2006 Spain built more homes that France, Germany and Britain put together and this huge oversupply combined with an equally dramatic fall in demand means prices will keep on falling for the foreseeable future. (Fri 16 May 08)

Ascó nuclear power leak 750 times worse than first admitted

A newly published report from Spain’s nuclear watchdog has disclosed the amount of radiation leaked by the Ascó nuclear power station in Tarragona last year was 750 times more that the plant’s managers initially admitted. Although 2 officials were sacked Greenpeace is calling for more serious measures saying 'the plant operators acted maliciously, they manipulated readings and were irresponsible' and that 'their actions were criminal.' (Fri 16 May 08)

ETA were planing a massacre

Prime Minister Zapatero has called ETA's latest attack yesterday a 'cowardly and criminal' act and Interior Minister Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba said that a massacre was intended. A 41-year-old Civil Guard officer was killed and 4 others injured but a further 29 people were sleeping in the nearby barracks when the explosion went off at 3am yesterday morning. (Thu 15 May 08)

€120 million spent on 'useless' bird flu vaccine

A report published yesterday in the scientific journal Nature, has said that mutations of the H5N1 bird flu virus are making it resistant to Tamiflu, a vaccine Spain has spent €120 million stockpiling. (Thu 15 May 08)

ETA bomb kills one & injures four

A car bomb exploded early this morning at a civil guard barracks in the Basque town of Legutiano. The blast happened at approximately 3am killing a 41-year-old married father and injuring 4 others, 2 men and 2 women. (Wed 14 May 08)

First shipment of water arrives in Barcelona

The first shipment of water for drought-stricken Barcelona arrived at the city’s port yesterday. The delivery came from Tarragona and will be closely followed by another shipment due to arrive on Thursday from Marseilles and another on May 19th. The initial deliveries are part of a test phase which if successful will see the arrival of up to 63 ships a month at a cost of €22 million. (Wed 14 May 08)

Probe into 100 deaths at Madrid Hospital

There will be an investigation into the deaths of 18 people at a Madrid hospital thought to be the result of an antibiotic-resistant microbe. Since February 2006, 252 patients have been infected with Acinetobacter baumannii at the 12 de Octubre Hospital in Madrid, of whom 101 have died. (Mon 12 May 08)

Mallorca ruin Rijkaard's farewell

Real Mallorca came from 2-0 down to win 3-2 in Frank Rijkaard's last game in charge of Barcelona at the Nou Camp yesterday. The home fans made their feelings known from the beginning of the game with banners, boos and whistles proclaiming their dissatisfaction with players, management and club president, Joan Laporta. (Mon 12 May 08)

Madrid will host Davis Cup semi-finals

The Spanish tennis federation has ignored the wishes of its players and named Madrid as the venue for the Davis Cup semifinal against the USA in September. The players had said that Madrid's altitude (650 metres above sea level) would favour the US team and their preference for a faster ball, but sponsors we're said to favour Madrid. (Sun 11 May 08)

Spain lays claim to $500M sunken treasure

Spain has formally laid claim to a shipwreck discovered by a US based exploration company off the south coast of Portugal a year ago. The Spanish say 'with complete certainty' that the ship is Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, sunk by a British fleet off the southern coast of Portugal in 1804 with 200 sailors on board. It contains an estimated $500 million in treasure including gold doubloons, or 'pieces of eight' and the Spanish government has accused the Florida based exploration company, Odyssey, of acting in an 'illegal and immoral' manner and of modern-day piracy. The irony that the treasure was originally stolen from Spain’s Latin American colonies seems to be lost on the Spanish Government. (09 May 08)

Rijkaard's reign comes to an end

FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta told reporters yesterday that Frank Rijkaard should be relieved of his post at the end of the season. Rijkaard's departure is no surprise, third in La Liga and champions league semi-final places are just not good enough for Barca coaches. However, the real surprise is the likely appointment of Guardiola, who has no senior management experience only having coached the club's B team since retiring as a player in 2007. (09 May 08)

Moroccan navy condemned for sinking migrant boat

At least 29 people were killed after the Moroccan navy deliberately sank an inflatable boat packed full of refugees heading for Spain. Moroccan sailors were said to have stabbed the dinghy with a knife, leaving the 70 occupants including babies and children, to fend for themselves in open seas. The incident, in which children were among the dead, took place at the end of April but has just come to light. (Thu 08 May 08)

Champions crush FC Barcelona

Real Madrid, fresh from being crowned La Liga champions at the weekend, stamped their dominance over arch rivals Barca last night by thrashing them 4-1 at home. The misery was compounded for Barca as Villarreal won away to secure second place and automatic champions league qualification next season, leaving Barca to fight it out in the pre-qualifiers. (Thu 08 May 08)

Spain's Davis Cup team revolt

Spanish tennis players have openly criticized the president of the Spanish Tennis Federation, Pedro Munoz, for choosing Madrid as the venue for September's Davis Cup semi-final against the USA. The choice of Madrid is said to have been made over the venues of Benidorm, Tenerife and Gijon because of increased sponsorship money. But the players say that Madrid's altitude (650 metres above sea level) will favour the US team and wipe out Spain's home advantage. (07 May 08)

Josep Guardiola to take helm at Barca

It has been reported that Josep Guardiola, the coach of FC Barcelona's B team will take over from Frank Rijkaard at the end of the season. Rijkaard's departure has been expected after a relatively poor performance in La Liga and the clubs failure to reach the Champions League final. If the rumours are true a formal announcement will be made on Thursday. (Tue 06 May 08)

Cliff was robbed of 1968 Eurovision by Franco

A Spanish documentary has claimed that Cliff Richard was robbed of the 1968 Eurovision song contest prize by vote rigging! Sir Cliff's 'Congratulations' was heading for victory until a last minute rally for the Spanish entrant. It was claimed TV executives in Spain rigged the vote on the orders of General Franco who thought a win for Spain would boost the country's image abroad. (Tue 06 May 08)

Ten man Madrid take the title

With just ten minutes to go, ten men on the pitch and 1-0 down to a Osasuna penalty, Real Madrid came back to win the game 2-1 and take the La Liga championship. Victory means not only that Madrid have won the championship with 3 games to spare but that they host FC Barcelona at home on Wednesday as champions. Barca finally found form too late and beat Valencia 6-0 at the Nou Camp on Saturday are currently in third place behind Villarreal. (Mon 05 May 08)

Plan to change Royal succession law

A shelved plan to amend the Constitution in order to ensure women can take the Spanish throne is to revived by the Spanish Government. Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia have so far had two daughters but if they were to have a son, under current law, he would be first in line to the throne. (Sat 03 May 08)

Europe’s tallest apartment block in Benidorm

Never a place to shy away from high-rise building Benidorm will be the location for a 55 story, 200 metre high apartment block. The €45 million project will be the tallest residential building in Europe when it's completed in 2010. (Sat 03 May 08)

Mayor of Mondragón arrested on charges of terrorism

The mayor of the Basque town of Mondragón where a Socialist former councillor was gunned down by ETA during the general election campaign has been arrested over alleged involvement with the Basque terrorist group. (Fri 02 May 08)

Rijkaard likely to go at end of the season

Third place in La Liga and a semi-final place in the champions league are unlikely to be enough to save Frank Rijkaard's job. Sources close to the Dutch coach have admitted he is unlikely to be in the post next season and the clubs sporting director has said changes need to be made because of the clubs poor performance. (Fri 02 May 08)

Three bombs explode in Basque Country

There have been 3 explosions overnight in the Basque Country towns of Arrigoriaga and San Sebastian. The first in Arrigoriaga was said to be the most powerful and came at around midnight with 2 smaller explosions shortly after in San Sebastian. ETA have claimed responsibility for both explosions in San Sebastian though as yet not the first. (Thu 01 May 08)

Hijacked fishing crew return home

The Thirteen crew of the Spanish trawler held hostage for a week by pirates off the coast of Somalia returned to Spain on Wednesday on a defence ministry plane. They were met by Elena Espinosa, Minister for the Environment, and were said to be tired but in good health. (Thu 01 May 08)

Barca out of Champions League

Hopes of FC Barcelona salvaging their season with a place in the champions league final were snuffed out by Manchester Utd last night in a 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford. United's Paul Scholes put the home side in front with a stunning strike after 15 minutes and despite some opportunities for Barcelona and a frantic last 10 minutes of defending by Utd, that's the way the score stayed for the rest of the game putting Utd into an all English final with either Liverpool or Chelsea. (Wed 30 Apr 08)

Hijacked crew arrive in Seychelles

The crew of the Spanish trawler hijacked by Somali pirates last week arrived safely in the Seychelles yesterday. The ship’s captain became emotional as he described the experience - 'We were treated in such a humiliating manner and we were very frightened'. It is still unclear as to if or who paid a reported $1.2M ransom to the Somali hijackers. (Wed 30 Apr 08)

Sunflower Oil cleared for consumption

Spain's health ministry has given the all clear on sunflower oil saying that the contaminated batch from Ukraine had been removed from the market. However farmers have protested to the government over the withdrawal because of the potential harm it's done to what promises to be a bumper domestic crop. (Wed 30 Apr 08)

Claims that pirates received $1.2M ransom

Unconfirmed reports suggest that the Somali kidnappers of the Spanish fishing trawler received a ransom payment of up to $1.2M delivered in plastic bags stuffed with cash. They then divided it up among themselves before heading for shore. (Tue 29 Apr 08)

Defense Minister visits Lebanon

The heavily pregnant Defense Minister, Carme Chacón, announced that Spain is due to take command of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon during a visit to the country on Monday. Spain currently have 1,100 troops in Lebanon. (Tue 29 Apr 08)

Man arrested for starting La Gomera fire

A man who apparently lost control of a fire he had started on his land to burn cuttings has been arrested accused of accidentally starting a forest fire that has put a UNESCO-listed national park in the Canary Island at risk and already destroyed up to 800 hectares of forest. (Tue 29 Apr 08)

Engine failure for Alonso as Raikkonen cruises

Despite winning second place on the grid Fernando Alonso's Renault suffered engine failure on lap 32 putting him out of his home Grand Prix. Kimi Raikkonen started in pole and never looked under threat leading Ferrari to a one, two with Masser coming in second. Hopes that the championship won't be a complete walkover for Ferrari were revived by a podium finish for Lewis Hamilton. (Mon 28 Apr 08)

Real Madrid a whisker away from championship

After a 3-0 victory against Athletic Bilbao and another defeat for FC Barcelona Real Madrid are almost certain to take La Liga championship. Villarreal staved off the inevitable by winning at Real Betis, but if Madrid win next week's match at Osasuna they will claim their 31st league title. (Mon 28 Apr)

Fires ravage La Gomera Island

More than 150 firemen and four helicopters fought forest fires on the small island of La Gomera in the Canaries over the weekend. 700 hectares have been destroyed and 500 people were evacuated from their homes - officials blamed hot weather and high winds for the fires. (Mon 28 Apr 08)

Kidnapped fishermen released

The Spanish fishing trawler and its 26 crew members seized off the coast of Somalia last week have been released. Negotiation in London between the Spanish government, the ship's owners and representatives of the hijackers was said to have led to the release though it's not clear if any ransom was paid or whether military force was used but all the crew are said to be in perfect health. (Sun 27 Apr)

Alonso on the front row

Kimi Raikkonen fulfilled the expectation he set in practice to take pole position for this afternoons Spanish Grand Prix but the talking point was the second position achieved by Fernando Alonso in front of his home crowd. Alonso is sandwiched by Ferrari with Massa in third, Kubica in the BMW Sauber is forth while Hamilton and Kovalainen take fifth and sixth place for McLaren-Mercedes. (Sun 27 Apr 08)

Sunflower oil withdrawn from sale in Spain

Spain's food safety agency has ordered all sunflower oil to be withdrawn from sale after a batch from the Ukraine was found to be contaminated with hydrocarbons. A spokesman for the agency said all sunflower oil is being withdrawn from sale until the brands which have been contaminated are known which will probably be on Monday. They added that the measure is precautionary and the risk to health is minimal. (Sun 27 Apr 08)

Raikkonen is the man to beat in Barcelona Grand Prix

World champion Kimi Raikkonen yesterday dominated both practice sessions for Sundays Spanish Grand Prix. The rest of the fields performance varied dramatically with British challenger Lewis Hamilton 3rd in the first session but dropping to 11th in the second. There's a further practice this morning preceding qualifying at 2pm. (Sat 26 Apr 08)

Unemployment at 15 year high

Spain's unemployment figures have risen to 9.6%, the highest in 15 years, mainly as a result of the downturn in the construction industry and real estate market. The total amount of unemployed increased by 246,000 to 2.1 million. (Fri 25 Apr 08)

Barca fail to take home advantage

Last nights champions league semi-final clash between FC Barcelona and Manchester Utd ended goalless despite consistent pressure from the home team. United's Ronaldo missed an early penalty chance but Barca went onto dominate much of the match forcing Utd into a defensive game. The English club are now favourites to go through after next weeks Old Trafford fixture. (Thu 24 Apr)

Somali pirates demands still unclear

Pirates who seized a Spanish fishing trawler with 26 crew off the coast of Somalia on Sunday have yet to make any demands for their release, Spain's foreign minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos, said yesterday. Lawless Somalia hasn't had an effective government for over 17 years which makes negotiations for the release of the crew all the more difficult. Moratinos said that there had been no direct word from the kidnappers and so it was just a waiting game until their demands become clear. (Thu 24 Apr)

Super Aguri will race in Barcelona Grand Prix

The struggling Japanese Formula One team Super Aguri will after all take part in this Sunday's Barcelona Grand Prix despite fears they were on the brink of financial collapse. Its drivers, Briton's Anthony Davidson and Japan's Takuma Sato, have failed to get on the scoreboard and the Magma Group have recently backed out of a proposed take over. (Tue 23 Apr 08)

El Bulli voted World's best restaurant 2008

Catalan restaurant El Bulli has been voted the best restaurant in the world in the 2008 S.Pellegrino awards. The top ten also includes two other Spanish restaurants, Mugaritz at number 4 and Arzak at number 8, both in the Basque country. Spain is the only country to have 3 restaurants in the top ten with France and the US on two apiece. Full list (Tue 22 Apr 08)

Barca slip to third in title race

Despite dominating their home tie against Espanyol yesterday FC Barcelona could only manage a 0-0 draw that saw them slip to third place behind Villarreal. La Liga seems all over bar the shouting with Real Madrid now 10 points clear at the top and 11 points ahead of Barca. (Mon 21 Apr 08)

ETA bomb explodes in Basque town

A bomb has exploded this morning outside the offices of the ruling Socialist Party in the Basque town of Elgoibar following a warning from ETA. No one was injured in the blast which took place at 3.30 am but initial reports suggest there was significant damage to surrounding buildings. It comes just 3 days after a similar attack in Bilbao. (Sun 20 Apr)

Nine die in coach crash near Malaga

Nine Finnish tourists have been killed and 16 others injured, some seriously, when a coach overturned after a collision with another vehicle near Benalmadena, Malaga province yesterday. It is rumoured that one of the drivers involved was over failed a alcohol test but this has yet to be confirmed. (Sun 20 Apr 08)

Spain's first female defence minister visits Afghanistan

Carme Chacon, 7 months pregnant and Spain's first female minister of defence has visited Spanish troops at their base in Herat, northwest Afghanistan. She is also rumoured to be visiting Spanish peacekeeping troops in Lebanon within the next 7 days. (Sun 20 Apr)

War of words hots up over water transfer plan

The Government is refusing to admit the approval given earlier this week for the construction of a water pipeline from the Ebro to Barcelona along the AP7 constitutes a transfer. Instead they insist it's meant only as a temporary measure until Barcelona's desalination plant is completed and doesn't go back on their cancellation of the previous governments national water plan to divert water from the Ebro to Valencia, Murcia and Almeria provinces. (Sat 19 Apr)

Heads roll at the Ascó I nuclear power plant

The director and head of safety of the Ascó I nuclear power plant in Tarragona province have finally been sacked five months after a leak they described as 'insignificant' turned out to be the forth worst breach of safety at a nuclear plant in Spain's history. (Sat 19 Apr 08)

ETA bomb injures 7 police officers

A bomb exploded at 6 am this morning in the doorway of the governing Socialist party offices in Bilbao. A warning call was made in ETA's name half an hour before the explosion. Seven police officers are said to have been injured though, it's reported, none seriously. (Thu 17 Apr 08)

King Juan Carlos opens new Parliament

King Juan Carlos was accompanied by Queen Sofia in the opening of the ninth legislature of the Spanish parliament in Madrid yesterday. The Kings speech appealed to all political parties to unite to defeat ETA and also for 'cohesion and unity' in the face of increasing economic uncertainty for Spain. (Thu 17 Apr 08)

Radioactive leak at Catalan nuclear power station

The Ascó I nuclear power plants in Tarragona province leaked radioactivity in November 2007, but those responsible failed to inform nearby residents, thus preventing them from taking remedial action to protect themselves. Greenpeace was the first to leak the news on April 5th this year but the leak was dismissed as 'insignificant' by plant operators. They have now been forced to admit radioactivity around the plant is 100 times higher than they were saying a week ago and among the 4 worst accidents in the history of Spanish nuclear power. (Wed 16 Apr 08)

Repsol strikes oil

Repsol and its Brazilian partner, Petrobras is shortly expected to announce the discovery of a huge offshore oil field. Though not yet official it would be the biggest find in the world in 30 years, and the third largest in existence. Repsol have a 25% stake, Petrobras 45% and British Gas 30%. (Tue 15 Apr 08)

Government to inject €10 billion into ailing economy

The first major announcement by Jose Zapatero's new cabinet has been the plan to inject €10 billion into the increasingly faltering Spanish economy. The money will be injected with a variety of forms including income tax rebates and specific measures to boost the beleaguered construction industry. (Mon 14 Apr 08)

Barca fall further behind Madrid

FC Barcelona have slipped 9 points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid after drawing away to forth from bottom Recreativo de Huelva. It now seems the championship is out of their reach and all hopes for redeeming their season lay with the champions league semi-final clash against in form Manchester Utd. (Mon 14 Apr 08)

Women outnumber men in Zapatero's new cabinet

Jose Zapatero yesterday named his new cabinet which, for the first time in Spain's history, contained more women than men. There are nine women including, another first, a female defence secretary and eight men. (Sun 13 Apr 08)

Spain through to Davis Cup semi-finals

Spain has seen off Germany to become the first nation through to the 2008 Davis Cup semi-finals. Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez pulled off a thrilling five-set victory over Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber and Philipp Petzschner, winning 6:7, 7:6, 6:4, 2:6, 12:10 in four hours 45 minutes to seal Spain’s place with a 3 match to nil victory. (Sun 13 Apr 08)

The Ebro will supply Barcelona's water from Autumn

It is expected that the government will announce on Monday that if there is insufficient rain the river Ebro and not its tributary, the Segre, will supply Barcelona with water. The move comes amid growing concerns for the future supply of water to Barcelona and expected emergency measures to ship in water from May. (Sat 12 Apr 08)

Nadal gives Spain perfect start to Davis Cup

Rafael Nadal beat Nicolas Kiefer in straight sets to give Spain a winning start to their Davis Cup quarter final clash with Germany in Bremen. David Ferrer went on to win his match against Philipp Kohlschreiber by 3 sets to 1. (Sat 12 Apr 08)

Inflation reaches 13 year high

Inflation in Spain has reached a 13 year high of 4.5% in March according to statistics released by The National Statistics Office (INE). Oil prices are said to be the main cause though the knock on effects are being seen across the economy. (Sat 12 Apr 08)

Zapatero finally to be officially invested as Prime Minister today

It's been some time coming but today José Zapatero will be invested as 'Presidente del Gobierno' (Prime Minister) though not until 12.50pm at the earliest. It has taken this long because no agreement could be reached between the smaller opposition parties to secure an overall majority in Zapatero's favour for the first investiture vote. So now, for the first time in Spain's history, he will go to a second vote where he needs just a simple majority. However the second vote must take place at least 48 hours after the first hence the need to wait until 12.50pm. He will then meet with King Juan Carlos tomorrow to present the names of his new cabinet. (Fri 11 Apr 08)

Barca through to semi-final clash with Manchester Utd

FC Barcelona beat German side Schalke 1-0 last night to gain a Champions League semi-final place against Manchester Utd on April 23rd. They beat the rank outsiders in an unconvincing display and will have to raise their game significantly if they are to overcome Utd and, perhaps, secure the future of manager Frank Rijkaard. If the Catalan side can beat Utd they will face another English side in the final, the winner of the other semi-final between Liverpool and Chelsea. (Thu 10 Apr 08)

IMF cuts growth forecast for Spain

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has cut its growth forecast for Spain to 1.8% mainly due to the sharp slowdown in the Spanish property market. Its prediction is in sharp contrast to 2007's figure of 3.8% and is not only the most dramatic slowdown of any leading industrialized nation but the slowest growth since Spain's recession of 1993. (Thu 10 Apr 08)

Catalunya approves 'medical marijuana' for cancer patients

Catalunya has become only the second nation after Canada to sanction the use of marijuana for the treatment of nausea and vomiting resulting from chemotherapy treatment. (Thu 10 Apr 08)

'Mad cow disease' claims two lives

The Spanish Health Ministry confirmed on Monday that two people, aged 41 and 50, died recently in Castilla & León as a result of the human variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. They died in December 2007 and February 2008 bringing the total known deaths from the disease to 3 and it is thought there could be more cases to come as the incubation period for the disease could be up to 15 years. (Wed 09 Apr 08)

Spain seeks €1bn compensation over prestige oil disaster

Spain is seeking €1 billion in compensation for the environmental disaster caused by the sinking of the oil tanker Prestige. 70,000 tons of fuel escaped from the ship after it sank 130 miles off the Galician coast in November 2002 causing havoc for fishing industries and the environment. (Wed 09 Apr 08)

Feria de Sevilla gets off to a damp start

The Feria de Sevilla, one of the biggest and most colourful in Spain, got off to a damp start yesterday seeing the traditional opening buulfights cancelled. The forecast is for rain throughout the week long feria but it's expected to make little difference to the turn out for Seville's biggest party of the year. (Wed 09 Apr 08)

Poor run for Barca continues

Getafe held FC Barcelona to a goalless draw at the Nou Camp on Saturday in what was a lacklustre match. The damage was limited for Barcelona only because third place Villarreal went down 2-0 to Sevilla and Real Madrid were held 1-1 away to Mallorca yesterday. Madrid stay 7 points clear. (Mon 07 Apr 08)

Plans in place for Barcelona to receive water by ship

There are now plans for Barcelona to have emergency supplies of water shipped in from Tarragona, Marseilles and Almeria province if there is no heaving rainfall over the next few weeks. A budget of €35 million has been set and the measures will come into effect in May with ships carrying 2.6m cubic metres into the city. (Fri 04 Apr 08)

More bad news for Spain's housing market

The IMF (International Monetary Fund) has published a new report saying that Spain's housing market is overvalued by between 15 and 20% and that Spain will suffer more than any other EU nation from the downturn. Spain relies far more heavily on the residential housing market than other developed nations and as a result the economy as a whole will suffer more than elsewhere. (Fri 04 Apr 08)

'Judges were at fault' in Mari Luz Cortés case

As details continue to emerge regarding the tragic case of the murdered 5 year old Mari Luz Cortés it is becoming clearer that failings in the judicial system were responsible for allowing the man accused of her murder to go free. The accused, Santiago del Valle, was allowed to remain free after being convicted of the sexual abuse of his own daughter and subsequently, it is alleged, went onto kidnap and murder Mari Luz. (03 Apr 08)

Mayor arrested for corruption in Almeria province

Candido Trabalón, the mayor of small the small town of Zurgena in Alemria province was yesterday arrested on charges of bribery and corruption for allowing building on rustic land. His name was added to the increasingly long list of mayors who have been arrested on similar charges and does nothing to boost confidence in an already depressed Spanish housing market. (03 Apr 08)

Barcelona introduces fines for wasting water

Water saving measures today come into force in the metropolitan area of Barcelona. Fines will range from €30-€3000 and apply for misuse such as car washing to watering gardens and filling swimming pools. The emergency laws hope to avert more drastic measures in what has become the regions most serious drought for over 50 years. (Tue 01 Apr 08)

Pedrosa wins Jerez MotoGP

The Spanish Honda rider Dani Pedrosa won at the Jerez MotoGP yesterday and was presented with the winners trophy by King Juan Carlos. The victory saw Pedrosa take the championship lead from compatriot Jorge Lorenzo who finished third. (Mon 31Mar 08)

Drought in Catalunya is worst for 50 years or more

Emergency plans are being put in place to secure water supplies for the residents of Barcelona this summer as one of the driest winters on record comes to an end with no sight of Spring rains. The Generalitat de Catalunya want to divert water from the River Segre (a tributary of the Ebro) but this is both against the national Governments policy and reignites the debate over the diversion of the Ebro which the Generalitat opposes. (Mon 31 Mar 08)

Real Madrid take full advantage of Barca slip

Real Madrid extended their lead of La Liga yesterday with a 3-1 victory over Sevilla taking full advantage of FC Barcelona's defeat to Real Betis on Saturday. With Villarreal also winning on Saturday to take second place Barca are pushed down to third leaving Real Madrid 6 points clear. (Mon 31 Mar 08)

Basque country is richest region in Spain

The Basque Country (Pais Vasco) as overtaken Madrid to become Spain's most prosperous region in 2007. Per capita GDP rose to over €30,000 with Madrid staying just under the €30,000 barrier. Catalunya remains the third most prosperous region at just over €27,000. (Fri 28 Mar 08)

Spanish housing market plummets

According to a new report property sales for January 2008 were 27% lower than the previous year with sales in Catalunya and the Balearic Islands down by as much as 40%. As a result the construction industry, which has been key to Spain's growth over the past 10 years, is seeing the biggest downturn of any EU state with output down 8% in 2007. (Fri 28 Mar 08)

Barcelona push on as Real Madrid falter

As the season gets closer to its finale FC Barcelona yesterday took full advantage of Real Madrid's loss at home to Valencia by thrashing Valladolid 4-1. Barca have now closed the gap to just 4 points and look the stronger team going into the final weeks of La Liga. (Mon 24 Mar 08)

Buy tickets to FC Barcelona's final games

British Airways increases its stake in Iberia

BA has increased its stake in Spanish national carrier Iberia from 10.14% to 13.15% and is planning to raise it still further. The move was made because of the strategic importance and confidence in Iberia's management according to BA's CEO, Willie Walsh. (Fri 21 Mar 08)

Speeding driver sues the Government

A man caught speeding at 260kmh over a year ago is suing the Spanish Government to the tune of 300,000 euros. His licence was seized and he was banned from driving for 13 months but has recently been acquitted because of a legal loophole and is claiming the damages as a result of increased costs to his journey to and from work and 'moral damage' caused by the publicity. (Fri 21 Mar 08)

Telefonica to increase investment in its Catalan network

It was announced yesterday the much criticised telecoms provider Telefonica is to invest 1.8 billion euros in its Catalan network over the next 3 years. Most of the money will be used to improve infrastructure to cope with the ever increasing demand for broadband internet services. Catalunya has the highest concentration of broadband users in Spain - 1.5M out of a total of 8M. (Sat 15 Mar 08)

Inflation in Spain hits 12 year high

The Spanish economy showed further signs of trouble with the release of February's inflation figures. The rate rose to 4.4% last month which was the highest level since November 1995. The main pressures on upward inflation are energy, alcohol, tobacco and general goods and services. (Thu 13 Mar 08)

Zapatero wins second term

José Zapatero and his PSOE party have won the Spanish General Election and their second term in office with an increased number of seats but still no clear overall majority (176). Both the main parties boosted their parliamentary numbers with the PP up from 148 to 153 and the governing PSOE up five to 169. This election saw the smaller parties losing seats yet again with 84% of the electorate voting for the big two - up from 65% in 1989. The autonomous regions that played the most crucial role in victory for the socialist party were Catalunya and the Basque Country. (Mon 10 Mar 08)

Spanish General Election campaign enters its final day

Both premier José Zapatero and opposition leader Mariano Rajoy are unsurprisingly predicting victory in Sunday's General Election in what is the last day of campaigning. A day of rest (enshrined in Spanish Law) comes tomorrow in order to give the voting public time to reflect on their impending decisions before going to the polls. The contest is certainly close and despite polls showing Zapatero's PSOE having the advantage it could go either way and today will be all about overcoming any election apathy there may be and making sure people go and vote. (Fri 07 Mar 08)

The war of words hots up ahead of March 9th Spanish General Election

Premier Zapatero has accused the PP leader Mariano Rajoy of trying to inflame xenophobia after his comments on immigration. Meanwhile Zapatero's PSOE party are showing an increased lead in the polls.

The terrorist organisation ETA who have already exploded two devices during the election campaign have called on voters to boycott the election describing it as the start of a new period of oppression. (Sat 1 Mar 08)

and Spain’s fist Oscar goes to......

Javier Bardem has become the first Spanish actor to receive an Oscar for his performance in the highly acclaimed and the night’s big winner, No Country for Old Men. The award was for best supporting actor for his role as a serial killer.(Mon 25 Feb 08)

Severe drought not a threat to water supplies – yet

Recent fears that the Catalan Government (Generalitat de Catalunya) would restrict water supplies this summer seem to have past. Despite two years of low rainfall and with reservoirs half the level of last year it’s hoped that with the conservation measures already in place and careful use by consumers any threat of restrictions has passed for the time being. (Mon 25 Feb 08)

Reus to become Ryanair hub

The no frills carrier Ryanair is to launch several more services from Reus this year in what will see the airport becoming a mini hub and base for two of the carrier’s aircraft. The first service to be launched will be to Birmingham in June and later in the year flights to Paris, Palma, Santander, Santiago de Compostela. The company also has rights to fly to Stockholm, Oslo, Brussels, Rome, Milan, Dusseldorf and Jerez. (Fri 15 Feb 08)