Priest denies communion to Down Syndrome girl

The priest in Teiá said the child was ‘an angel of God’ and therefore could not sin

Carla, a nine year Down Syndrome girl from Teià near Barcelona has been refused first communion by the local priest.

The priest described her as ‘an angel of God’ and said that therefore she could not be a sinner and had not committed any sin since she was baptised . Three years ago the priest told Carla’s mother that she could not take part in the confirmation classes , as ‘she had to mature’ and she could ‘disrupt the development of the class’ . She finally started the classes a year later . The case has generated widespread coverage in Spain and the priest concerned has now claimed that he later changed his mind and told the mother he had done so , but she had ignored his invitation . The mother says that despite her efforts to integrate Carla into society , events such as this make her discriminated against and marginalised . Meanwhile other arrangements have been made and Carla will now have her first communion on this Sunday in another church in Badalona .

Tenerife, Xerez and Zaragoza promoted to Spanish first division

Tenerife, Xerez and Zaragoza were promoted to the Spanish first division on Saturday , with one round of matches to spare . Tenerife , who have been absent from La Liga since 2002, won 1-0 away to Girona to maintain the top spot . Xerez , who have never been in the top flight , beat Huesca 2-1 at home , provoking a friendly pitch invasion . Zaragoza clinched third place by beating Cordoba 3-1 at home . The 2001 and 2004 King’s Cup winner have only been in the second division for one season, having been surprisingly relegated in 2008 . Tenerife , Xerez and Zaragoza will replace Betis , Numancia and Recreativo Huelva , who were relegated from La Liga in May . 

Seven arrested for trying to help ETA prisoners escape from jail

Spanish authorities have foiled a plot by ETA members to help two prisoners escape from a jail in southern Spain , the Interior Ministry said . Spain’s government says police have prevented a planned jailbreak by ETA Basque separatists and arrested seven alleged outside collaborators . Spanish media said ETA was planning to help the prisoners break out of a jail in Huelva and cross into Portugal by helicopter as part of a plot dating back to 2007 . Three prisoners have been detained in connection with the plan , including Jorge Garcia Sertutxa , who was convicted of plotting to kill King Juan Carlos in 1995 and is serving a 109-year sentence in Huelva . Another ETA prisoner believed to have a role in the plan is Igor Solana , who was caught trying to break out of jail in 2001 and is currently serving time in Valencia in relation with several assassinations . Four suspected ETA collaborators have also been arrested for alleged involvement in the escape plot . One of the prisoners’ girlfriends and a lawyer from Bilbao were among those arrested , Spanish media said .

Spanish Civil War bodies exhumed

Seven bodies are removed from Spanish Civil War graves in the first of possibly thousands of court-ordered exhumations . Seven bodies have been removed from Spanish Civil War graves in the first court-ordered exhumation . The remains were transferred from two mass graves in the cemetery of Santa Marta village to a medical lab for official identification . Archaeologists recovered the remains , belonging to men executed by supporters of Gen Francisco Franco in 1936 . This could be the first of thousands of official exhumations that have been the focus of a lengthy legal wrangle . 

People in Spain are more concerned about unemployment than ever before

Concern among the general public about unemployment has reached a record high according to the latest figures released by the CIS , Sociological Research Centre . The most recent survey says that 77.3% of citizens have expressed this worry , the highest point ever recorded in this category in an official investigation so far . The CIS survey was carried out between May 13th and 21st , before the EU election campaign . Concern over job losses has gone up by two per cent since the same questions were asked in April and by one per cent since the last record high of 76.2% in March . Financial problems in general figure as the second main concern among people in Spain with 48.8% .

‘KGB’ style kidnapping in Estepona

Four Russians have been arrested after injecting their victim, claiming he would die in 24 hours . Methods described as being of the KGB have been used in a Russian kidnapping operation carried out in Estepona . Four Russians kidnapped a fifth and led him to believe that he had been injected with a KGB experimental virus which would kill him in 24 hours . The victim did suffer from fainting , a fever and vomiting , and was told he would die unless they gave him an antidote .
A 12,000 Euro ransom demand was made but officers from the organized crime squad in Málaga were waiting when the criminals went to collect the payment on a terrace in San Pedro . The four Russians , aged between 24 and 57 , were arrested , three in San Pedro and the last in Mijas , and now they face charges of kidnap , torture and the illegal possession of firearms . It’s the second kidnapping carried out by Russians in Estepona this year after a businessman’s wife and daughter were taken for a two million Euro ransom at the end of March . Police managed to release the captives in that case and made two arrests .

Advertisers happy with Cuatro-laSexta merger

While Spanish broadcasters Sogecable and Mediapro are having serious meetings on a future likely merger, a report from JP Morgan does not rule out their respective television channels Cuatro and laSexta staying as separate entities. The likely merger would mean the creation of a new and stronger broadcaster which would be more attractive for advertisers than Grupo Planeta’s Antena 3 and Mediaset’s Telecinco according to the report.

The agreement between the companies was signed last Thursday in Madrid in order to end the so-called “soccer war” which has lasted for over two years. The broadcasters have been fighting over rights to Spain’s National Soccer League and the King’s Soccer Cup. Apart from having reached an agreement on soccer rights, the broadcasters now have a month for the creation of a merged audiovisual company in which both will have shares.

On the other hand the report highlights a likely merger between both channels would have as a consequence another possibility: the creation of new channel with a potential share of 14% which is near what Telecinco and Antena 3 had in 2008 (18% and 16% respectively). But JP Morgan doesn’t rule out after the merger both channels could run separately as currently so the new entity would offer “more platforms for the advertisers than Telecinco and Antena 3” says the report.

The report prefers to be cautious while waiting for more specific details although it admits Spain’s television market has become “the most competitive one in Europe”.

ETA weapons cache with around a dozen guns and 180 kilograms of chemicals for making bombs was found over the weekend in Southwest France .
The armed Basque separatist group ETA on Monday claimed responsibility for a series of recent attacks , including a car bomb in Madrid . In a statement to the pro-Basque paper Gara , ETA said it carried out five attacks between January and May . The blasts caused damage but no injuries . Separately , the Spanish Interior Ministry said an ETA weapons cache with around a dozen guns and 180 kilograms of chemicals for making bombs was found over the weekend in Southwest France . The group , which regularly claims its attacks in statements to the paper , has killed more than 825 people since the late 1960s in a campaign for an independent Basque homeland in northern Spain and south-western France . The outlawed organization said it set off a powerful car bomb outside the offices of the Ferrovial construction company at a business park on Madrid’s outskirts Feb . 9 . The group said it targeted Ferrovial because of the company’s involvement in a high-speed train project in the northern Basque region . ETA opposes the project . ETA also claimed responsibility for a Feb . 23 attack on offices of Spain’s Socialist party in the small Basque town of Lazkao as well as another car bomb outside the house of a Basque businessman in the town of Amorebieta on March 26 . The other two attacks it acknowledged were against telecommunications relay towers . The Interior Ministry said French utility crews doing maintenance work found the arms cache Saturday in the town of Pinderes . Besides the guns and chemicals , the hideout included a detonating chord and some 100 timers for explosive devices , the ministry said . 

Elche murder victim identified and boyfriend in custody for the crime

He disposed of the body in four local rubbish containers . The chopped up human remains found in four Elche rubbish containers on Sunday afternoon An 34 year old Spanish woman who lived locally . The man in custody for the murder has been confirmed as her boyfriend , a 49 year old Spaniard . He’s reported to have confessed to the crime when questioned on Monday morning . Officers said his home showed signs of ‘having been cleaned and the windows left open to air’ when they searched the premises during their investigation , although there has been no confirmation yet that the murder took place in the suspect’s home .
He’s understood to have a prior police record , but , while the victim had reported two previous partners for abuse in the past , none were placed against her current partner . The duty judge has imposed reporting restrictions on the case,  the Valencia High Court of Justice - has called on the media to be respectful in their reports , with a warning that the victim’s family are ‘tremendously affected’ by what has happened . The investigation is to be carried out by a domestic violence court in Elche .

Barça admits interest in Villa

Barcelona’s vice-president , Rafael Yuste , has today admitted that the club is holding ‘open talks ’ with the Valencia forward , David Villa . Speaking on ‘Catalunya Ràdio’ Yuste made it clear that the discussions are ’ open ’ and that it was a decision for the ‘technical secretary and the manager’ . Apart from our interest in Villa ,’ he pointed out, ‘there are many, many players who want to come to Barça and people ought to be aware of that .’  He underlined the club’s ’ achievements ’ and said that top-flight footballers used ‘Barça as a reference ‘. The radio interview mirrored reports in today’s ’ Mundo Deportivo ’ that Barça had joined the bidding for Valencia’s striker and that they had offered 35 million for him .  Fernando Torres took a shot at the country’s domestic clubs on Monday , accusing them of failing to appreciate the players who have made Spain the world’s best team . ” In Spain , we don’t value the players we have ,’’ Torres said , a day after leading Spain to a 5-0 win over New Zealand in Group A of the Confederations Cup with a hat trick in the first 17 minutes . “We’re the best team in the world and they pay money out for many of our players , but it seems to me no Spanish club would do so . They would only do so for foreigners .’’ Torres took a shot at Madrid’s transfer policies , he didn’t stretch that out to Ronaldo . ” Madrid killed the market with the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo but the player is worth what you pay for him , ‘’ the 25-year-old striker , who is one of five Spanish internationals at English club Liverpool , said . Spain, FIFA’s top-ranked club since winning last year’s European championship , is two matches shy of matching Brazil’s record 35-game unbeaten run . It is a favorite to win the Confederations Cup   a World Cup warmup event since it hasn’t lost a match since November 2006 . ” Before the Euro , Spain played good football but we couldn’t find the formula to translate that into victories ,’’ Torres said . “We’re going to enjoy this moment . ‘’

Olive oil prices go up

The storage of olive oil has achieved its aim of increasing prices, although it has yet to start . The EU has authorised the private storage of 110,000 tons with EU help , in line with a request made from Spain and with the support of Greece , Italy , Portugal and France . Already prices paid to growers are up 10% at 1.74 Euro per kilo . However observers say prices are not likely to rise much following a record harvest in Spain of 1.5 million tons .

Bank branches in Spain are closing at a rate of two a day , and more than 300 have shut their doors over the past six months . Experts say more branch closures are inevitable because the banks and savings banks are meeting ever increasing bad debt levels . Spain is currently one of the countries with most bank branches per inhabitant, at nearly 1 per 1,000. 300,000 people work in the sector . Latest numbers for the first quarter show banks ’ profits in Spain were down 21.5% at 4.052 billion Euro , compared to 5.161 billion Euro for the same period last year . A statement from the AEB , Spanish bankers association, said that the numbers ‘showed the ability of the banks to manage their activity in a complex financial environment and in the context of a deep economic recession ’ .
A survey from Barclays Bank has indicated that Spanish investors have a poor tolerance to risk . It shows only 13% of large Spanish investors are prepared to invest in less secure products , compared to 37% of those questioned in the United Kingdom . Some good numbers for bad debts in the high street in April where there was a 2,4% fall , compared to last year , in the number of people failing to meet their payments in April at 480,065 . The average value of the bad debt was also down, by 9.5% at 2,831 Euro . The National Statistics Institute , INE, has said that the number of mercantile companies created in Spain in April was 41.7% down on the same month last year at 6,341 . It’s the 24th consecutive monthly fall , and a far greater reduction than the 12.2% seen in March .

Guinness , J&B;, Diageo has announced plans to cut jobs across the EU .

In a statement , the company said the move was part of a global restructuring programme aimed at cutting costs in the context of the global economic downturn . But old habits are changing as Spaniards eschew the siesta and adopt Northern European working hours , cutting back on late-night visits to bars and clubs . Throw in the impact of the recession , the smoking ban and a crackdown on drink-driving and it is not hard to see why the drinks industry is suffering a Spanish hangover .
This cocktail of woes in Spain dragged down the performance of the entire European region in Diageo’s recent half-year results. Net sales in Spain declined by 18 per cent and volumes by 20 per cent as the worsening economy led to a steep decline in consumer demand . Furthermore , Spanish drinkers , who normally set great store by favourite brands , traded down to cheaper products or simply stayed at home , drinking heavily discounted tipples . Even Diageo’s J&B;brand , the country’s biggest-selling Scotch , did no more than maintain its share of the declining market .  Diageo was a very profitable company which had made €200m last year alone , and over €1 billion in the last four years .  Both Spain and Portugal announced plans to cut later this week .

Barcelona airport gets new terminal

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero on Tuesday inaugurated a new terminal at Barcelona airport, increasing its capacity from 30 to 55 million passengers annually . El Prat will become “one of the big Mediterranean airports ,” Catalan regional Prime Minister Jose Montilla said at the inauguration ceremony in Spain’s second-largest city . The airport’s second terminal , which is shaped like a bird or airplane , was designed by Catalan architect Ricardo Bofill and built over 10 years . With the construction of a satellite terminal later on , the number of passengers at El Prat could increase to 70 million , reports said .  The entire extension project is estimated to cost more than 5 billion euros . Critics say much of the air traffic passing through Barcelona consists of low-cost flights , which makes it difficult for El Prat to compete with Madrid’s Barajas airport . This was the first major upgrade since a new terminal was built for 1992 when Barcelona hosted the Olympic Games . However in 2009 , Barcelona Airport handled 2,097,905 passengers   a 20% decrease over 2008 . The construction of a new satellite building connected to the south terminal would increase Barcelona’s annual capacity to 70 million passengers .  The airport has links to 50 European Union cities , 40 in other countries as well as 30 domestic destinations , and operates over 1,000 daily flights .

Catalan police raid dozens of illegal Chinese sweatshops

600 Mossos officers took part in simultaneous searches of 70 premises in Mataró this Tuesday . The Mossos d’Esquadra have raided more than 70 illegal Chinese factories in Mataró in the biggest such operation in Cataluña’s history . More than 600 officers were carrying out simultaneous searches on Tuesday morning , reported by El Mundo to be centred around Calles Jaume I , Roger de Llúria , Pere el Cerimoniós and Almogàvers . Most of the premises are reported to be illegal textile workshops owned by Chinese nationals . The months-long operation is being carried out in close collaboration with the prosecutor’s office for organised crime , and it’s understood that charges of infringing the rights of workers will be made . El País says those who worked in the sweatshops were in the country illegally and worked long days on low salaries in unhealthy conditions . The operation remains open and it’s understood that between 20 and 30 arrests have been made so far .

Dollar dip sends oil prices higher hight prices at the Pumps

The dollar fell across the board, pressured by comments from Russia suggesting a need for a global reserve currency other than the US currency . A weaker dollar can strengthen commodity markets by improving the purchasing power of buyers using other currencies . Expectations of an economic recovery drove crude prices to a near eight-month high above $73 a barrel last week . The slumping world economy has dampened global fuel demand , sending crude prices off record highs near $150 a barrel hit in July 2008 . Traders were also keeping an eye on unrest in Iran . this will mean that hight Fuel price been pasted On two us at the Pumps and Hight Power bills .

Real Madrid granted Loan 76 million by Caja Madrid

The Minister for the Economy, Elena Salgado, has said that she is surprised by the 76 million loan which has been granted by Caja Madrid to Real Madrid, but not scandalised by it as there is nothing illegal about it . However , the Minister also said that if the savings bank has liquidity it should be giving credits to small businesses and individuals . She also notes that the State will have political rights in banks where they have received funding help from Government .
Salgado is insisting that the recovery in the economy will start next year but that the GDP will still shrink by the reduced 0.3% over the year according to the latest estimates . She admitted that the cost of the new payments to the unemployed will serve to increase the state deficit even more . ICO, the Official Credit Institute , has said that will have given 50% of the credit it has available for small businesses and the self-employed in two months time . So far only 13% has been taken up . Between January and April this year banks and savings banks credits fell by 11 billion , while the ICO credits were up by 3 billion . After the reduction by Moody’s rating agency for 25 Spanish banks and savings banks , the President of Banco Popular has admitted that this will mean increased charges . Defending the fact that 63% of bank loans have a ‘real guarantee’ behind them , Ángel Ron , questioned Moody’s by saying that they were penalising banks which had a ‘diversified portfolio of credits for small businesses’ . He said that methodology was at least ‘debatable’ .

Cigarettes incress taxes

Following the increase in taxes on cigarettes announced by Elena Salgado over the weekend , today the price of a packet of 20 Fortuna or Marlboro have increased in price by 35 cents . A greater increase has been noted in rolling tobacco , where some brands are set to be 52% more expensive . Ducados negro now costs 3 € a packet . Meanwhile the Government has ruled out increasing IVA , VAT to try and fill the growing finance black hole , but has said it will be evaluating other taxes . Carlos Ocaña , the Secretary of State for Hacienda said increasing VAT now would ‘not be a good measure at this moment’ . The Uk drop there Vat by 2 % from 17 % last Nov 08 while Ireland incressed it by 0.5 % .Now 21.5%  This has incressed Crossed board shopping to North Ireland .

Two Spanish pilots escape alive from mid-air collision off Gran Canaria

The pilots of the F-18s managed to eject before their aircraft crashed into the sea . Two Spanish Airforce pilots escaped with their lives off Gran Canaria after a mid-air collision some 60 miles off the island’s south eastern coast this Tuesday afternoon . The two F-18 aircraft crashed into the sea , but their pilots managed to eject in time to avoid going down with the planes . An Airbus A-320 made an emergency landing in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria shortly after take-off last week . both Las Palmas airport (lpa) and Tenerife South Reina Sofia Airport where on high alert again .  They were evacuated to their airbase in Gando and from there were transferred to hospital where doctors were checking their condition . Three pilots died in Albacete this January when two F-1 Mirage fighters from Los Llanos airbase crashed mid-air between El Bonillo and Ossa de Montiel . Their crew were on a training exercise when the accident took place .

US asks Spain to take in 4 inmates from Guantanamo Bay prison camp

The United States has asked Spain to accept four prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay prison for terrorism suspects , the foreign minister said Early today Wednesday . Miguel Angel Moratinos said Spain will respond when it has studied the legal consequences of taking them in and the circumstances of those four people . Moratinos has said repeatedly in recent months that Spain is open “in principle” to accepting prisoners held at the prison , which President Barack Obama has promised to shut down . The minister spoke after Spanish interior , justice and foreign ministry officials met with the American in charge of closing the prison , Daniel Fried , who made the formal request that Spain accept four prisoners . Spain wants to determine “how we can help the U.S. administration continue with its goal of closing Guantanamo ,” Moratinos said .  Reprieve , a British non-governmental organization that represents many Guantanamo detainees , has said there are about five men from Tunisia and Algeria held at the U.S. facility who wish to go to Spain .

Spain qualify for the Semi-finals of the Confederations Cup

They beat Iraq by a single goal scored by David Villa . Spain took it easy against a defensive Iraq to win finally 0-1 with a goal from Villa at the start of the second half in the Confederations Cup match . The Spaniards had problems in the first half getting through the Iraqi defence , with all the Iraqi players generally in their own half , and had few shots on target . But after the goal , the game opened up considerably and most Spanish commentators considered the Spaniards to have had a good second half despite the fact they could score no more . The goal came from David Villa in the 53rd minute , the Valencia player who is currently the object of transfer speculation from both Real Madrid and Barcelona .  It means that Spain have now qualified their place in the semi-finals of the competition , whatever happens against South Africa on Sunday .

Tons of out of date seafood impounded in Seville

Much of the frozen stock ready to be released for sale passed its sell-by date three years ago . Civil Guard officers on a routine inspection of a warehouse in Huévar del Aljarafe , Seville , have recovered almost 16 tons of frozen seafood classed as unfit for human consumption . It’s reported to have been ready to be released for sale , but most of it was three years past its sell-by date .  the discovery was made last weekend when officers 23 different species of fish and seafood on the premises . The stock held in the warehouse is came from India .

Spanish Prime Minister claims the ’ hardest part of the crisis has past ‘

During the control session in Congress today , Spanish Prime Minister , José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero , insisted that the ‘hardest part of the crisis had past’ .
However he sidestepped questions as to whether more taxes will be increased this year , following on from the announcement last weekend of higher taxes in petrol and tobacco . This has translated into 35 cents rises in the cost of a packet of Winston , Camel and Lucky Strike . Opposition leader Mariano Rajoy accused Zapatero of tricking the Spanish people by not announcing the increases before the election , but health associations have welcomed the tobacco price hike and called for taxes to be increased even more , describing Spain as still being the tobacco sales stall of the south of Europe . Zapatero said that the economy would continue to recover over 2010 and reach positive growth numbers in 2011 . Following the comments from the Spanish Minister for Tax and the Economy , Elena Salgado , voicing surprise at the decision of Caja Madrid to lend 76 million € to Real Madrid to help fund their new signings program , and her comments that if the bank has liquidity perhaps it should lend to small businesses and individuals , now the Chairman of the Bank , Miguel Blesa, has said that they grant credits to those who are going to return the money .

Spanair workers demonstrate against move to Barcelona

Some 200 Spanair employees held a protest in front of the company’s headquarters in Palma de Mallorca to demand more information about the plan to move the offices to Barcelona , a decision that would affect about 80% of the staff . Eva María Marín , president of Spanair’s works committee , explained that the possibility of a large proportion of the 600-strong workforce being moved to Barcelona is causing considerable uncertainty amongst employees . The move could begin as soon as September , a timescale employees consider too short considering they haven’t yet been told how many are going , from which departments and under what conditions . Today’s demonstration was organised to put pressure on management to provide more information and to start negotiations with those who are affected .

Suspect in Elche murder claims mental disability

He’s been remanded to custody without bail . Mario G.F. , the man who confessed to killing the woman whose chopped up body was found in four Elche rubbish containers last Sunday , has been remanded to custody by the domestic violence court in Elche . The 49 year old repeated his confession when he appeared before the judge , and is said to have gone into great detail about the crime . He claims he killed his girlfriend , María Paz M.G., because she humiliated him , and said he is repentant of what he did . Sources quoted by EFE say he could face up to 25 years in prison . The suspect has been remanded to custody without bail, and the judge has asked for an expert opinion on his claim that he suffers a 66% mental disability. Should that be the case, it could be taken into consideration as a mitigating circumstance , EFE said . The victim had reported two previous partners for abuse in the past , but had placed none against her self-confessed murderer . 

New iPhone goes on sale in Spain on Friday

The new iPhone 3GS goes on sale in Spain on Friday, and once again Telefónica has an exclusivity on the device

Now offering an internal compass and video recorder for the first time , Telefónica has said it can be used as a 3G modem in the country without limitation , provided their new 39 € tariff is chosen . It allows speeds of upto 3GB/s . Telefónica has a series of offers to allow 3G clients to upgrade using their points system . Older iPhone models are still available on cheaper deals . The arrival of the new iphone makes the high end smartphone market even more competitive with the new N97 from Nokia also just launched and the HTC Magic googlephone available a month ago .

Villa move to Real Madrid now looks unlikely

El Mundo reports that Valencia no longer want to deal with the Madrid club . El Mundo reports that Real Madrid had reached an agreement for the Valencia player , David Villa , to play for them for the next five seasons , and that even approximate amounts had been agreed between the two clubs , some five million per season with incentives for the number of goals scored and titles achieved . But now the club thinks the deal will not finally take place as , according to sources in Madrid , Valencia is now refusing to talk . It seems Valencia will deal with any club that is not Real Madrid . The 28 year old player , who is originally from Asturias , was the goal scorer for Spain against Iraq on Wednesday , and told the press after the match that he had made a decision on his future , and that his agent , José Luis Tamargo , was aware what it was . Rather mysteriously he said that he was relaxed and there was no limit date .

Bad debt level in Spain Increased

The bad debt level in Spain increased to over the 4.5% level in April to take it to its highest for 12 years . The number , 4.504% is more than three points higher than a year ago . Once again it is the Savings Banks which are most affected with bad debt levels now over 5% . The volume of loans considered to be of doubtful repayment is now worth 83.658 billion Euros according to the numbers released by the Bank of Spain . other numbers released by the Bank of Spain show that in March this year , Spaniards owed 36.5% more than they had saved . Over the month credits for families and companies were more than 655 billion Euros more than savings .

Road safety changes approved by Spanish

The government aims to make it easier for those who wish to pay their traffic fines and more difficult for those who do not . As expected , Congress has this Thursday approved proposed reforms to the Road Safety Law , but with a surprise abstention from the Partido Popular when the vote took place . The reform now goes on to the Senate for debate . The measures bring changes to the system of traffic fines , with the idea being , according to El País , to make it easier for those who want to pay up but more difficult for those who do not . Drivers will have the option of a 50% discount if they pay up within 15 days on the spot by credit card if they wish rather than the current 30% . They will only receive one notification of the fine instead of the three which are currently sent out . New amounts have been set for traffic offences , from 100 € for a minor infraction , up to 500 € for those considered as very serious , which may increase by another 30% according to the level of potential danger in the driver’s actions . The 10 km leeway for speeding offences will disappear , and 100 € fines will be placed from the first kilometre above the speed limit . Licence points will not be lost however for those who break the speed limit on motorway access roads to the big cities but who go no faster than 130 km/hour . Other measures include needing vehicle insurance to pass the ITV road safety test, but it will no longer be obligatory to carry all your documentation in the vehicle while you are driving . Driving while programming the GPS system will mean a 200 € fine , and while radar detectors will be permitted , using a device which blocks the radar’s function brings with it a fine of up to 6,000 Euros . The text of the document approved by Congress requires the government to use the money raised from traffic to finance more road safety . The study was published this morning at an event organised by Michelin , who at the same time presented their summer campaign to check tyre wear . Michelin Spain’s director of communication , Juan José Pedrayes, explained that between June 22nd and July 11th, approximately 2000 specialised garages would offer free tyre tread checks . The study also showed that in 50% of accidents where worn tyres were to blame, the driver was under 35, showing that ‘young drivers show much less concern about maintenance’.

Pitch to blame for sluggish win say Spain

Despite the fact that there had been unseasonably heavy rains earlier in the week , many of La Roja players said the field was overly dry , which didn’t allow them to play their usual flowing football and gave an advantage to the defensive tactics of Iraq . “The pitch was horrible ,” said playmaking midfielder Xavi after the match . “Not the grass itself, but it wasn’t watered. It was a disaster .” The sparkling Barcelona man looked uncharacteristically erratic in the match against the Asian Champions and many of his passes seemed to come up short . “The ball didn’t run well ,” he confirmed . “It obviously benefits the defence . It seems like it’s just going to encourage teams that don’t play good football .” Man of the match Xabi Alonso confirmed that it affected the play of the European Champions . “The dry pitch made a difference for us ,” he said . “It made it harder to break down an already complicated team because we couldn’t move the ball fast enough .” In response to the comments , the Venue Manager for the stadium , Fithiwe Ngwenya , said there was nothing special about the way the pitch had been treated . “We haven’t received any official complaints ,” he said . “There is continuous work being done on the stadium field , which is in good shape . We are watering it as usual . “I think the pitch is up to standards . If not , FIFA would not let them play there ,” he said before refusing to comment on whether there could be potential questions of home advantage raised ahead of Spain’s match with the host nation South Africa on Saturday .

Spanish bishops wade into abortion fight

Spanish police rescue 450 immigrant workers from sweatshops

Eta car bomb kills policeman in Spain’s Basque region

Car bomb in Spain’s Basque country kills policeman ... near the Basque city of Bilbao , killing a policeman in an attack blamed on the separatist group ETA . A policeman was killed and four people injured when a car bomb exploded in Spain’s northern Basque region . No group has said it carried out the attack , but the region’s governor blamed the Basque separatist group Eta . Juan Jose Ibarretxe said the group was ruining the name of the Basque people with its campaign of violence . The bomb exploded outside a police barracks in the small town of Legutiano , near the Basque regional capital Vitoria . “I want to tell Eta not to ruin the name of the Basque people by using us as an excuse for extortion and murder,” Mr Ibarretxe told reporters.

“We’re sick of your violence,” he added . A man next to the scene of the car bomb , with writing on the wall reading ‘Long Live ETA ’ Dozens of people were evacuated from the scene of the blast . The dead man , named as Juan Manuel Pinuel-Villalon , 41, died after being trapped under rubble . Four other people , civil guards and police , were wounded . One is said to have serious injuries . Parts of the roof of the barracks were blown off in the pre-dawn blast . Some 40 people , including women and children , were in the compound when the bomb went off , officials said . No warning was issued before the attack . 

Work on the Alicante AVE starts at the end of the year

The high speed train line to Madrid will be operational in 2012 . Work to bring the AVE high speed train line to Alicante in 2012 is to start at the end of this year .
The Avant company has organised a 77 million € credit to allow the start of construction in the first phase which is placing the line underground in the approach to the current station . Technicians from the state rail infrastructure company ADIF have said there are no problems for the line to be connected to Madrid by 2012 , and RENFE predicts that once operational the line will gain 800,000 new passengers a year . Journey time to the capital will be reduced from the current 3 hours 35 minutes , to 2 hours 50 minutes , and local AVE’s will run to Elche and Murcia .

Bakery bosses freed without bail

The two bosses of the Bolivian man who lost his arm in an industrial bakery in Real de Gandia on May 28th have been released without bail after their first court appearance today . The two brothers gave evidence to the judge in Gandia for a total of five hours before being released , on the condition that they report to the court on the 1st and 15th of every month . The prosecution had demanded that they be remanded in custody , but the judge decided that they were not a flight risk as they both own homes and have family links in the area .

   
Vicente Ferrer dies at 89

The Catalan philanthropist , Vicente Ferrer , died in the early hours of this morning in Anantapur , India , as the result of a deterioration of the respiratory problems he had been suffering for some time .  He was 89 years old and his health had deteriorated suddenly in March of this year when he suffered an embolism . A spokesperson for the humanitarian Vicente Ferrer foundation, Blanca Romaña , informed the press that the ex-jesuit missionary was accompanied by his wife , children and members of the foundation at the moment of his death .

Setanta loses Premier TV rights

Troubled sports broadcaster Setanta has failed to pay the latest chunk of the £30m it owes the English Premier League , and will now lose the rights . The League has threatened to sell the rights to the 46 live matches Setanta has for the 2009/2010 season if the broadcaster failed to make the payment . It will now put the rights out to auction , with offers needed by Monday . A potential rescue deal , led by a US investor who had proposed buying 51% of Setanta , fell through . Late last week, Access Industries, controlled by the US investor Len Blavatnik, tabled a £20m bid for a 51% share in Setanta.

It had been hoped Access could lead a consortium of investors to provide fresh funding for Setanta . He and other investors had been carrying out intense “due diligence”  examination of Setanta’s books   which was completed on Friday . US investor Len Blavatnik Mr Blavatnik had been studying Setanta’s books However Access has now said it was unable to proceed with a deal with Setanta . “Access believed that this proposal could potentially have secured the future of the broadcaster for its customers , employees and for football , provided certain conditions required to put the business on a long-term viable footing were met,” it said . “Regrettably , despite intensive efforts on all sides over the past few days , and despite significant progress in a number of areas , there remain a number of issues which we have been unable to resolve within the time available . “We are disappointed not to have been able to make this deal happen . Access remains committed to sports programming and will continue to explore opportunities in this area .” One of those which may be interest in acquiring Setanta’s 46 games is Disney-owned sports channel ESPN .

‘Bad news’

ESPN would not comment directly on the new situation but said it continued “to be interested in rights where they are available and where they make business sense”. Meanwhile James Pickles , editor of industry newsletter TV Sports Markets , said that until Thursday there were expectations that Setanta would pull though . “It’s bad news for everyone - no one is a winner ,” he said , adding: “It’s a disaster for rights holders .” He said it was bad news for Sky because having a competitor such as Setanta was beneficial to it from an EU regulatory perspective , which prevents one broadcaster owning all Premier League rights .
However Sky would be legally free to bid for one of Setanta’s two packages of 23 games .  Last week Setanta reopened its website to new subscribers - having closed it for several days . Setanta is running at an estimated loss of £100m a year , after missing subscriber targets . The broadcaster has 1.2 million subscribers , 700,000 short of the 1.9million that industry experts believe they need to break even . 

Patxi Lopez calls demonstration against ETA, Saturday at 6.00 pm in Bilbao

Under the slogan “against ETA and for peace”, all the Basque institutions are expected to gather . The Lehendakari has warned ETA that “we’ll teach them the way to jail .” The Lehendakari, or Basque PM Patxi Lopez , called today the Basque society to participate in a demonstration against ETA . The gathering is to be held tomorrow in Bilbao from 6.00 pm on . Moreover , there will be also previous demonstrations at Basque institutions at 12.00 am . Lopez has appeared minutes before 11.00 am on Friday in the corridors of the Basque Parliament and was categorical in his statements . He expressed his most “forceful rejection” to the latest attack by ETA , which has finished with the life of Spanish National Police inspector Eduardo Puelles . “We will finish with ETA through the full force of law and working without respite not to give a minute of relief to the violents ,” the Lehendakari stated . They showed us the way of pain , we will teach them the way to jail” , he said . In his own words , “ETA has killed a worker of this land , a worker whose only crime was to strive every day to ensure freedom for the Basques . ” Lopez offered his support and solidarity to the State Security Forces . “We will work together to end terrorism and ensure this does not happen again .”

Banco Santander expects to repeat last year’s profits

The Madrid regional parliament has approved the new Ley de Cajas which affects savings banks in the region . The law , which is seen as part of the political control of the Caja Madrid savings bank , was passed with the votes of the Partido Popular and IU with 76 votes in favour and with 39 votes against from the Socialists . Those in favour of the new law say it guarantees judicial security . Banco Santander has meanwhile approved an increase in capital of 1 billion € to finance their second dividend of the year which the board proposes to pay in shares . Chairman , Emilio Botín , has said he expects the bank to repeat both the profit and dividend achieved last year . Profit is expected to come in at 8.87 billion Euros .

14 arrests as credit card fraudsters are broken up in Spain

14 arrests have taken place in Madrid , Barcelona and Bilbao . The Spanish National Police had the help of the United States Secret Service to break up a network of international credit card fraudsters , who are believed to have carried out more than 300 frauds , and controlled some of the most active computer hackers in the world . Fake cards were used from Singapore to China and Malaysia . 14 credit card ‘skimmers’ have been arrested in Madrid , Barcelona and Bilbao . More than 100 police took part in the operation after investigations which started in February this year following fraudulent purchases by credit cards in Madrid where the head of the organisation was based . Searches have been carried out in Madrid , Barcelona and Bilbao .

Rafa Nadal withdraws from Wimbledon

The World Number One will not be defending his Wimbledon crown because of his continued knee problems . Rafa Nadal has withdrawn from Wimbledon . After being defeated by Stanislas Warwinka in an exhibition match on grass in London , his second consecutive loss in two days , he held a press conference on Friday to say that he cannot play with the continued tendonitis in both his knees which has been stopping him bend down . It’s a great pity for the World Number One who wanted to defend his Wimbledon crown , but it seems that two weeks of intensive therapy and medical supervision has simply not solved the problem .

Spanish queen’s nephew charged with corruption

A nephew by marriage of Spain’s Queen Sofia was on Friday charged with corruption by a judge in Spain’s Canary Islands . Published: 10:09PM BST 19 Jun 2009
Carlos Morales , an architect , gave evidence to the judge for five hours before being charged with influence-peddling , a statement from the Canaries high court said . Morales is married to Princess Alexia of Greece, the daughter the former Greek King Constantine , who is the brother of Spain’s Queen Sofia . Twenty-one people, including politicians and businessmen, have already been arrested since last month in the island of Lanzarote for alleged involvement in the affair , in which prosecutors say kickbacks were paid for municipal contracts .

British man, 78, missing in Menorca

POLICE in Menorca are combing the island for a 78-year-old British man who was reported missing on Friday night by his wife . She raised the alarm shortly before 20.00hrs when Peter L.F. did not return home . His car was found three hours later in the Es Mitjorn area . Local Police , the Guardia Civil and the Civil Protection squad have been searching since the early hours of yesterday morning on land , sea and by air . Anyone who has information that may lead to finding Peter is asked to contact the police .

Earthquake rocks Barcelona

AN earthquake measuring 2.3 on the Richter Scale in the Maresme area of Catalunya was recorded on last Friday . The regional geological institute reported on Friday that the tremor’s epicentre was traced to Tordera Barcelona . It was felt throughout the Maresme district in the Barcelona province , and that of La Selva Girona . No injuries nor significant property damage have been recorded .

Foreign Tourist arrivals down 12% in Spain so far this year

The number of foreign tourist arrivals in Spain has fallen by 12% in the year to May, compared to last year for the same period . It takes the numbers back down to where they were in 2004 . The number of British visitors was 18% lower , number of Germans 11% down , with reductions seen in visitors from all countries with the exception of those from Latin America, which was up 9.2% . The region of Spain most affected by the fall in foreign tourist numbers was the Valencia community which saw a 19% reduction , while Madrid was practically unchanged, up 0.3% . The Canary Islands saw a 14.5% fall in foreign visitor numbers , Andalucia was down 12.2% , Cataluña was down 11.8% the Balearics down 8.5% . The data comes from the survey of tourist movements , Frontur , published by the Ministry of Industry , Tourism and Trade . There were 18.3 million foreign tourist arrivals between January and May this year , 4.6 million of them from the U.K. 71% of the travellers to arrive were independent travellers , as opposed to package travellers . 63.7% of the visitors stayed in hotels . Lanzarote Tourist arrivals down over 26 percent in May . The picture is equally gloomy across all other national markets. With visitor numbers from Germany down by 13% and from Eire by 15% . The latest AENA figures follow hard on the heels of recent news about a record low in occupancy levels across Lanzarote hotels last month . With ASOLAN , the island hoteliers association , reporting that just 49.1% of all available beds were filled during May versus the same month in 2008 .

Petrol and Diesel prices Incress

The Government last week approved a 3.36 cent per litre increase in petrol and diesel prices , but drivers have seen how the increase at the pumps has generally been some 5 cents . It means that so far this year, lead free 95 petrol increased by 30 % while diesel is 14 % more expensive .
The numbers come from the latest EU petrol bulletin , which also notes that a barrel of Brent has started to increase in price again after months of falls .
Similar larger increases have also been seen in cigarette prices . Crude oil prices was 69.55 dollor at lunch time two day .

Spanish unemployment will increase

The European Commissioner, Joaquín Almunia, has added his voice to those who think the worst of the recession has past , although he also has said that unemployment will increase over the next few months . Almunia is in favour of labour reform . ‘We all agree that social dialogue is very important , but it is also true that governments have to assume the responsibility of putting new initiatives on the table , and finally take the decisions they consider necessary ’. Spanish unemployment stands at 24 per cent , and there are grounds for believing that on its current path , the rate is unlikely to fall below 20 per cent at any point soon . Roughly one in four Spanish workers is unemployed , twice the rate in the rest of the European Union .

Setanta attempts to avoid administration
Management Setanta Sports will meet in London today to decide the way forward for the troubled broadcaster .
Setanta lost the contract for 46 English Premier League football matches on Friday after failing to make a scheduled £10m payment to the English Premier League.
It now faces the prospect of administration.

There could be more frantic hours and possibly days for management at Setanta Sports, which employs 200 people in Ireland, as it seeks to find a way of keeping the company alive.
Setanta’s problems stem from having paid too much for broadcasting rights compared to the revenue it was able to generate from viewer subscriptions.
If administration is to be avoided, much rests on the next move by Access Industries, operated by Leo Blavatnik.
Access had been in talks to take a majority stake in Setanta, but needed more time to look through the books than last Friday’s deadline to the English Premiership allowed.
If Access were to successfully bid for the rights for the 46 games, then Setanta may well be saved for the time being.
But it will face competition from Sky and ESPN.
The prospects for the Irish arm of Setanta look more optimistic.
There is speculation music promoter Denis Desmond, who already owns 20%, may seek to buy the business in Ireland outright.
Setanta’s website is still taking new subscriptions .

Spain, France and Portugal uneasy over any EU banana deal

Three European banana producers France , Spain and Portugal said last Friday they would not accept any EU-negotiated agreement that threatened their production . France produces bananas in its Caribbean territories , Spain in its Canary Islands in the Atlantic and Portugal in the island of Madeira . Spanish Agriculture Minister Elena Espinosa, her French counterpart Michel Barnier and Portuguese secretary of state for agriculture Luis Meideiro Vieria met in Madrid Friday with representatives of the Association of European Banana Producers . The ministers decided “to continue to work together… so that our sector has the support it needs , She said the three countries would be keeping a close eye on both the negotiations as part of the World Trade Organisation as well as any eventual bilateral accord between the EU and Latin American countries . Hoping to give a boost to broader WTO talks , the European Commission wants to make a steep cut in its banana import tariffs in order to end a long-running trade dispute with Latin American producers . “We cannot accept any kind of cuts in the tariffs that protect our products and those of poor countries , because behind these tariffs there are jobs ,” said Barnier . He said that producer countries would write to the European Commission . “We want a multilateral agreement , which is legally secure , and not any type of agreement ,” he said .

Seven arrests in Tenerife timeshare scam

The Interior Ministry says more than 50 people were affected and up to 1.5 million Euro defrauded Seven people have been arrested in a timeshare fraud on Tenerife , in a case which the Interior Ministry said would have affected more than 50 people and brought the fraudsters up to 1.5 million Euro . The fraud in the southern part of the island consisted in the suspects contacting the victims saying they had a purchaser interested in buying their rights to the property . Those who chose to go ahead were charged around 30,000 Euro in taxes and the cost of transferring ownership . They heard nothing further , however , from either their supposed buyer or the intermediary after the money had changed hands . Officers found in a property search which took place as part of the five-month investigation banking documents , property deeds and receipts for money transfers to Senegal . The seven in custody are the holders of bank accounts where the money defrauded was paid , and are all residents of Tenerife. The Ministry has not released details of their nationalities . lead to belive there Africa .

Invoices case against Elche Mayor

A complaint from the opposition Partido Popular accused him of using public money to pay for Socialist election publicity . The Alicante provincial court has decided to archive the criminal investigation into Partido Popular allegations that the Socialist Mayor of Elche used public money for Socialist election campaigning. Alejandro Soler appeared in court this April to answer charges of perversion of the course of justice over the PP complaint which claimed he used Town Hall money to pay an advertising bill of 6,000 Euros for newspaper advertising in the spring of 2007 . The Audiencia said in its ruling last Friday that it found no evidence of either the perversion of justice charge or of misuse of public funds and said there was no ‘bad faith’ in what the Mayor has admitted was an administrative error in paying the two invoices concerned . Alejandro Pérez , the Socialist spokesman on the local council , called on Monday for his PP counterpart, Mercedes Alonso , to resign over the matter , for having , as he said, ‘put into question the honour of Elche and its Town Hall’ . Speaking at a press conference , Pérez , EFE reports, described the PP’s complaint as a set-up based on political motives, and demanded an apology for the people of Elche .

Drug running in broad daylight on the Costa del Sol

The gang arrested by the Civil Guard unloaded cannabis onto Marbella beaches as sunbathers looked on . The Civil Guard have released details of a bare-faced drug smuggling operation which brought cannabis onto the beaches of Marbella in broad daylight as sunbathers looked on , then sped their cargo away in vehicles waiting on the beach . The drugs were jet-skied onto the beach , as accomplices hiding out in nearby scrubland ran out to help unload and transfer the cannabis off the sand . Officers seized 2.5 tons of cannabis and arrested 10 of the drug runners , with property searches taking place in Benalmádena , Fuengirola and Mijas. 10,000 Euros in cash were also seized .