panic in Barcelona Zoo on Wednesday morning after two wolves, both females, a four year old adult and her pup, escaped from their cage.

There was panic in Barcelona Zoo on Wednesday morning after two wolves, both females, a four year old adult and her pup, escaped from their cage.

The youngest was captured just a few minutes later, but the adult female was missing for more than an hour and it was feared that she had managed to escape outside the zoo. The local police and the Mossos d’Esquadra were called in to help the staff of the zoo in their search for the missing animal.

There were some 900 visitors in the zoo when the alarm was raised, including 17 groups of schoolchildren. The zoo was closed to the public and all the visitors were taken to a safe area, El País reports.

The alarm was called off when the second animal was finally spotted hiding near her cage. She appears to have taken fright when a new antelope was brought into the zoo and installed in the cage next to the wolves. She jumped over the fence and was followed by her daughter.

A group of five Iberian wolves arrived at the zoo in December from Montpellier, France, as part of the centre’s captive breeding programme.

Prince Charles and his wife Camilla arrived on Wednesday in Madrid from Portugal for the start of their first official visit to Spain which will also include a stop in Seville

.
Spain's Crown Prince Felipe and his wife Letizia, the official hosts of the visit, welcomed the British royals as they stepped out of the black Mercedes that took them to the Pardo Palace on the outskirts of Madrid where they will stay while in the Spanish capital.
Letizia, who wore a charcoal gray wool coat with matching shoes, kissed Camilla, who donned a cream-coloured dress, on both cheeks while the princes shook hands.
The two royal couples then stood on a red podium for a review of Spanish royal troops.
Around one million British nationals live in Spain all or part of the year, according to Britain's embassy in Madrid.
Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, met Wednesday with some 300 volunteers who help British residents in Spain at a reception at the the the official residence of Britain's ambassador to Spain, Giles Paxman.
"Although it is impossible for the royal couple to meet everybody, their presence is a tribute to each and every person who helps our British residents," Paxman said in a statement.
The British royals will attend a gala dinner in their honour later on Wednesday at Spain's Royal Palace in the historic centre of Madrid where Prince Charles is expected to make a brief speech during a toast.
Prince Charles and the Duchess will attend a lunch hosted by Spain's King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia at their residence, the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, on Thursday before moving on to the southern city of Seville on Friday.
The couple will spend time at a private estate near Granada before travelling to Rabat where they will wrap up their three-nation tour.
The 10-day trip is focused on commercial and military links between Britain and the three countries.
It is the first joint visit to Spain by Prince Charles and Camilla, who were married on April 9, 2005.
In August 1987, Charles and his then wife Princess Diana spent a family holiday as guests of the Spanish royals at their summer palace on the island of Majorca, where tensions between the couple were evident.
He attended the funeral for Don Juan, the father of Juan Carlos, in April 1993 and was a guest at the May 2004 wedding of Felipe and Letizia in Madrid.

52 year old I.U. councillor in Madrid, Milagros Hernández, is reported to be a stable but serious condition in hospital after allegedly being stabbed by her son

52 year old I.U. councillor in Madrid, Milagros Hernández, is reported to be a stable but serious condition in hospital after allegedly being stabbed by her son in a family argument at their home on Friday night.

Neighbours heard the fight and called 091. Police arrested the son who has since given a statement and who will appear before the judge shortly.

On Sunday her condition improved sufficiently for her to leave the ICU and be placed on the wards at the Gregorio Marañón Hospital in the capital.

Milagros Hernández is number two on the I.U. candidate list for the capital at the forthcoming municipal elections on May 22.

British singer Pete Doherty has announced a visit to Spain in April

British singer Pete Doherty has announced a visit to Spain in April when he will be playing songs from his first solo album, ‘Grace/Wastelands’ released in 2009.

Doherty, usually in the news for his drugs problems, especially when the leader of The Libertines, and then later with the Babyshambles, and for his relationship with model Kate Moss, plays the Joy Eslava in Madrid on April 18 and the Sala Apolo in Barcelona on April 19.

Banco Base, Spain’s third-largest savings bank, will apply for €2.8bn ($4bn) from the state-backed bank restructuring fund

Banco Base, Spain’s third-largest savings bank, will apply for €2.8bn ($4bn) from the state-backed bank restructuring fund – nearly twice the capital shortfall estimated by the Bank of Spain.

 

A spokesman for Alicante-based CAM, one of the banks that merged to form Banco Base, was unable to say on Tuesday why the bank would apply for more than the central bank’s estimate.

British Airways cabin crew have agreed to back a new wave of strikes

British Airways cabin crew have agreed to back a new wave of strikes which could cause major flight disruption over the upcoming Easter holidays. The industrial action is calling for the reinstatement of travel concession to striking workers.

The news came late Monday night of the overwhelming support for the renewed call to strike, despite reassurances from BA that such action was unlikely. Yesterday’s Unite vote followed a similar one in December which was deemed invalid.

Voter turnout for Unite members was 72 percent, with 1170 voting against a strike and 5811 voting for it. The union now has just under a month to announce possible dates for the action, but it is thought they are likely to disrupt Easter travel or even the royal wedding weekend.

Len McCluskey, the general secretary for Unite, urged BA to come up with a way to regain the trust of the majority of its cabin crew employees, adding that the staff are determined to get justice. He went on to say that discussions with the airline are still ongoing and that he hopes they can reach an amicable solution.

BA management, however, called for co-operation from the union rather than confrontation, but admitted there is a need to find a resolution to the bitter and long running dispute. The airline also claimed in a statement that the overwhelming majority of cabin crew are anxious to end the standoff.

Portugal felt the pressure to seek a bailout build

Portugal felt the pressure to seek a bailout build as its borrowing costs once more hit a euro lifetime record, on the back of downgrades of its banks' credit ratings.

1 Million People Rally Against Abortion in Spain

Between 130,000 and 160,000 people demonstrated in central Madrid, Spain, on Saturday against laws that make abortion easier, according to organizers.
Demonstrators hold a banner reading 'women against abortion' during a march against a bill to ease restrictions on abortion, in Madrid, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. The protest was called to denounce a bill that would allow unrestricted abortion at up to 14 weeks of pregnancy and let girls aged 16 and 17 have abortions without parental consent, a vivid and emotional show of how the issue remains sensitive two decades after abortion was legalized in this traditionally Roman Catholic country.

Protesters marched under the slogan, "Yes to Life," and urged the "abolition of all permissive abortion laws and the withdrawal of all the provisions making it easier for euthanasia and the manipulation of human embryos," according to the manifesto read during the protest.

The march was in observance of International Day for Life, which is an annual event on March 25.

Recently in Spain, a new law came into force that allows abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. It also legalized abortion up until the 22nd week of pregnancy in the cases of rape, fetal abnormality, or when the mother’s physical or mental health are at risk.

Furthermore, there is no time limit for abortion in cases where the fetus is suffering from a serious or incurable illness certified by a medical committee.

"We want to say ‘yes to life,’ say ‘yes’ to the birth of a son,” said Ana Maria Llera de la Torre of the Adevida-Jaén Association to The Christian Post. “We intend to celebrate life. The demonstration goes against abortion.”

Visitor numbers in Spain are expected to increase over the coming few months once the much-anticipated terminal at Alicante Airport is opened.

Visitor numbers in Spain are expected to increase over the coming few months once the much-anticipated terminal at Alicante Airport is opened.

The new facility is due to be completed and ready for operation in time for the busy Easter period.

Currently, Alicante is Spain's sixth busiest airport by passenger numbers and the largest in the Murcia region, with the two terminals handling in excess of nine million visitors last year.

The new complex could lead to an increase in the number of individuals looking to buy property in Spain, with a rise in tourist numbers likely to have a positive impact on the buy-to-let market.

Indeed, the terminal will increase the capacity of the Airport from nine million to 20 million passengers a year and travellers will be able to take advantage of a whole host of new amenities including shops and places to eat and drink.

Ignacio Osle, sales and marketing director of Taylor Wimpey de Espana, said that the greater accessibility of the region will be attractive to potential property investors.

"With an abundance of discounted flight fares available throughout the year and now the increased capacity for passengers that the new terminal in Alicante Airport will provide, the Costa Blanca will continue to be firmly set in the sights of second home owners and holiday makers alike," he added.

Spain may not block big retailers from setting up shop because of concerns that they may disadvantage smaller players

Spain may not block big retailers from setting up shop because of concerns that they may disadvantage smaller players, as this breaches European Union rules, Europe's highest court said on Thursday.

The Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice was ruling on a case brought by the European Commission against Spain for letting its northeastern autonomous region of Catalonia restrict retail licences based on economic considerations.

Some of the conditions are enshrined in Spanish national laws while others are laid down in Catalan regional legislation. The restrictions include limits on new permits that stipulate they may be issued only when the authorities consider the new business will not impact small traders. "A member state may not make the opening of a large retail establishment conditional upon economic considerations such as its impact on the existing retail trade, or the market share of the undertaking concerned," the Court ruled.

"Such considerations cannot justify a restriction on the freedom of establishment."

Indebted Catalonia accounts for about of a fifth of Spain's economy and is home to the country's largest industrial centre, producing goods ranging from cars to textiles.

Spain's retail sales fell by 4.7 percent year-on-year in January, the seventh decline in a row, the country's statistics agency said earlier this month.

Thai court on Thursday sentenced a Spanish woman to life in prison

A Thai court on Thursday sentenced a Spanish woman to life in prison for attempting to smuggle 2.9 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine out of the country.
The Bangkok Criminal Court initially handed Maria Nieves Garcia Alcaraz, 52, the death sentence but commuted it to life imprisonment because Alcaraz pleaded guilty.
She was arrested at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport in August, after 2,914 grams of crystal methamphetamines was found in her luggage.
Alcaraz was in transit at the airport, arriving from Ethiopia and heading for Bali, Indonesia.

Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates has resigned after parliament rejected an austerity budget.

Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates has resigned after parliament rejected an austerity budget.

The defeat is likely to trigger a bailout similar to the rescue packages Greece and the Republic of Ireland had to accept last year.

All five opposition parties voted against the austerity measures, which included spending cuts and tax rises.

Mr Socrates had earlier said he would no longer be able to run the country if the budget was not adopted.

Elections are likely to take place in a few months' time.

Mr Socrates, from the centre-left Socialist Party, presented his resignation to President Anibal Cavaco Silva two hours after the vote in parliament.

breed of bloodsucking tick normally found in continental Europe has been discovered in the UK for the first time.

Researchers from the University of Bristol also found that the number of dogs infested with all species of parasites was far higher than previously thought.
They raised fears that there is an increased risk of disease carried by the ticks infecting people and animals in this country.
Some will have been brought in for the first time by the foreign tick Dermacentor reticulates thought to have arrived here because of climate change.
Professor Richard Wall, head of the veterinary parasitology group at the university, which carried out the research, said: “The results suggest that the risk of infestation is far higher in dogs than previously thought. This has serious implications for the incidence of tick-borne disease.
“The study also confirms that a non-native species of tick, which is a major disease vector in Europe, is established in southern England.’’ Dog ticks can be infected with a number of diseases, including Lyme disease which, left untreated, can damage the human heart and nervous system.

The research, published in the journal Medical and Veterinary Entomology, studied 3,500 dogs treated by 173 veterinary surgeries.
They found that, at any one time, 14.9 per cent of dogs were infested with ticks.
Gun dogs such as retrievers, setters and spaniels, plus terriers and pastoral breeds traditionally used to guard livestock were found to be most susceptible. Longer-haired breeds
were more susceptible than short-haired varieties.
The foreign species of tick was found in south-east England and west Wales, raising fears it is a permanent resident. A non-native species of tick could help spread diseases from Europe in the UK, the researchers warned.

Every day I see stray dogs. A good day is when I only see one

Stretching along the blue flag beaches, restaurants and bars of the Murcia region's Costa Blanca, past the Costa del Sol resorts to the Costa de la Luz and Malaga, capital of the Costa de Golf, there's something to cater for everyone, whether it's a family holiday, golf or sightseeing inland in Granada, Cordoba or Seville, capital of Andalucia.
But there's a dark side to Andalucia and Murcia, which you won't find mentioned in the tourist guides or websites. If you've been to these places before, you'll have noticed the starving dogs lurking fearfully around restaurants, hoping to be thrown a bread crust; you'll have dodged the dog dirt on pavements or driven past dogs lying injured and ignored by the side of the road.
It's especially bad at this time of year, now the Spanish hunting season has finished for the winter, and the galgueros – Spanish hunters – abandon their galgos – hunting greyhounds – in their tens of thousands. The hunters discard their dogs like a cigarette butt. They will buy new ones in September to hunt next season. It's a problem Spanish refuges and rescue associations have been coping with for decades, and one the national and regional governments refuse to address.
Tina Solera is a young Englishwoman who is trying to do something about it. She and her Spanish husband, Jaime, have lived in Murcia with their two children for four years. In that time, Tina has moved from being a volunteer in a Spanish-run animal shelter to opening her own refuge – Galgos del Sol – specifically for galgos, in collaboration with, and on land belonging to another English couple, Gaynor and Les who moved to Spain from Warwickshire.
"The abandoned dog problem in Spain is heartbreaking, hard to describe without getting upset," she says. "We take them from motorways, snare traps and dog pounds – known here as killing stations – most have injuries and are terrified. Every day I see stray dogs. A good day is when I only see one."

Spain will take part in establishing a no-fly zone in Libya with a tanker aircraft and four F-18 fighter jets that will carry out air patrol missions.

Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero announced Saturday that Spain will take part in establishing a no-fly zone in Libya with a tanker aircraft and four F-18 fighter jets that will carry out air patrol missions. They were to fly Saturday afternoon to an air base in Italy.

Spain will also help impose an international arms embargo on the Moammar Gadhafi regime with an F-100 frigate, a submarine and an aircraft for maritime surveillance.

Zapatero made the announcement at a press conference in the residence of the Spanish ambassador to Paris, after taking part, along with the head of Spain’s defense high command, Gen. Jose Julio Rodriguez, in a summit organized by French President Nicolas Sarkozy to coordinate military intervention against the Moammar Gadhafi regime.

“Spain assumes its responsibility to enforce the United Nations resolution...and assumes its responsibility to protect the Libyan people,” he said in support of the decision for a coalition of nations to intervene in the North African country.

The premier said that the four Spanish F-18s that Spain will contribute to establishing a no-fly zone would take off for Italy Saturday afternoon and “will likely be under coalition orders tomorrow.”

Meanwhile, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi threatened allied forces with a military response and said Saturday that the Mediterranean and North Africa have become “a war zone,” in an audio message aired on state television.

At the same time, news that Gadhafi’s hometown of Sirte was under attack by missiles and the international coalition’s air operations were reported by Libya’s official news agency Jana.

Six firemen were killed on Saturday when a helicopter crashed in the northeastern Spanish province of Aragon.

Six firemen were killed on Saturday when a helicopter crashed in the northeastern Spanish province of Aragon.

The chopper crashed at around 1:30 p.m. local time (1230 GMT) as it flew to join efforts to fight a wildfire about 30 km from the city of Teruel.

A survivor was hospitalized with fractures.

The cause of the accident is unknown although bad weather conditions have been ruled out.

Spanish King Juan Carlos and Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero have offered their condolences

fighter jet has crashed in flames after apparently being shot down over the rebel stronghold of Benghazi in eastern Libya

fighter jet has crashed in flames after apparently being shot down over the rebel stronghold of Benghazi in eastern Libya, reports the BBC's Ian Pannell in the city.

He reports seeing the jet plummet to the ground around 0900 (0700 GMT), but said it was unclear exactly what brought the plane down.

Explosions and gunfire have been heard across Benghazi despite Col Gaddafi's government declaring a ceasefire on Friday.

Meanwhile, leaders from the US, the UK, France, and Arab countries are to meet in Paris to discuss military action in Libya.

The summit comes after the UN Security Council approved a resolution that allows "all necessary measures", short of an invasion, to protect civilians in the north African country.

Authorities say radiation outside the Japanese plant is not high enough to cause harm. Still, the 20 km (12 mile) exclusion zone around the plant may end up as a permanent no-man's land, a major problem for small, populous country.

Authorities say radiation outside the Japanese plant is not high enough to cause harm. Still, the 20 km (12 mile) exclusion zone around the plant may end up as a permanent no-man's land, a major problem for small, populous country.

A 30 km (19 mile) exclusion zone remains around Chernobyl.

Tokyo, though, is likely to remain largely unscathed no matter what happens because of its distance from the reactors, no matter how nervous its citizens may be.

It is not accidental that the nuclear plant was built so far away from Japan's biggest city, said Yuki Karakawa, international coordinator at the International Association of Emergency Managers, an extension of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"Those reactors in Fukushima are there for Tokyo's power and Tokyo's benefit, not for Fukushima's," he added. "After all, Tokyo is more than 200 kilometers away."

Police have charged two more people in the killing of Brandon Hatcher, which they say was part of a continuing battle between two Halifax gangs.

Police have charged two more people in the killing of Brandon Hatcher, which they say was part of a continuing battle between two Halifax gangs.

"With these charges today and any additional charges that follow . . . we have disrupted the activities of two competing youth gangs in the Spryfield area," RCMP Insp. Ken Goodine told reporters at a news conference Wednesday.

Halifax Regional Police and RCMP announced that major crime investigators had arrested and charged two more people with first-degree murder in the death of Hatcher, a 20-year-old Halifax man who was gunned down on Dec. 3, 2010, outside a home in the 100 block of Lavender Walk in Spryfield.

Cody Alexander Muise was arrested Saturday morning at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Dartmouth, where he was in custody on other matters. The 21-year-old Halifax man appeared briefly in Halifax provincial court Wednesday afternoon and will return March 30 to set a date for a preliminary inquiry.

Duty counsel John Black told Judge Marc Chisholm that he had received only a couple of pages of Crown disclosure so far, and the disclosure package didn’t include cellphone records and text messages mentioned in the list of disclosure.

Muise, sporting close-cropped hair and wearing a blue shirt, jeans and black sneakers, sat with his hands clasped in his lap or his arms crossed during his appearance.

Police also arrested a boy, 17, last Thursday at the Nova Scotia Youth Facility in Waterville, where he is incarcerated on another matter. The teenager, who cannot be identified under provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, appeared in Halifax youth court this morning and will return April 5 to enter a plea.

30 to 50 Somali pirates have hijacked Indonesian flagged and owned bulk cargo carrier approximately 320 nautical miles North East of the island of Socotra in the Somali Basin

30 to 50 Somali pirates have hijacked Indonesian flagged and owned bulk cargo carrier approximately 320 nautical miles North East of the island of Socotra in the Somali Basin, EU anti-piracy mission said on Thursday.

EU Naval Force Somalia spokesman Paddy O’Kennedy said the MV Sinar Kudus was pirated on Wednesday and within 24 hours of being taken, she was used to launch an unsuccessful attack on the MV Emperor.

He said the MV Sinar Kudus, which is Indonesian flagged and owned, was on its way to Suez (Egypt) from Singapore when it was attacked.

"Details of the attack are not known at this time but initial reports from the crew stated that 30 to 50 pirates had boarded and taken control of the vessel," O’Kennedy said.

The MV Sinar Kudus has a crew of 20, all Indonesian.

He said a skiff with five pirates on board was launched from the Indonesian vessel and attacked the Emperor but was repelled by the armed force from the merchant vessel.

"The Emperor was subsequently reported to be safe.

The MV Sinar Kudus and the MV Emperor were registered with Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa (MSCHOA) and were reporting to UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

The Gulf of Aden, a body of water between Somalia and Yemen, is the main sea route between Europe and Asia.

Tankers carrying Middle East oil through the Suez Canal must pass first through the Gulf of Aden.

About four per cent of the world’s daily oil supply is shipped through the gulf.

The attacks are being carried out by increasingly well- coordinated Somali gangs armed with automatic weapons and rocket- propelled grenades, maritime officials said.

The Horn of Africa nation has been without a functioning government since 1991, and remains one of the world’s most violent and lawless countries.

Combined Task Force 150, a naval alliance dominated by the United States and based in the Gulf of Aden nation of Djibouti, is patrolling an area within the Gulf of Aden to help protect ships from pirates.

Forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi bombarded the rebel-held town of Misrata in western Libya on Friday with heavy weapons, Al Arabiya satellite television reported.

Forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi bombarded the rebel-held town of Misrata in western Libya on Friday with heavy weapons, Al Arabiya satellite television reported.

"The bombardment started about two or three hours ago, and has continued until now," Saadoun al-Misrati, a member of an anti-Gaddafi movement, told Al Arabiya, saying it was a heavy bombardment using tanks and heavy artillery targeting civilians.

Al Arabiya also said there were an unspecified number of killed and wounded in the attack.

Rebels in Misrata, the last big opposition stronghold in western Libya, had earlier said they were preparing for a new attack on Thursday and had rejected reported offers from the government to negotiate their surrender

Spain is redoubling its efforts to lower the country's chronically high unemployment rate and labor costs this month, under intense pressure from the European Union and international investors.

Spain is redoubling its efforts to lower the country's chronically high unemployment rate and labor costs this month, under intense pressure from the European Union and international investors.

The reform received new impetus from an EU agreement last week on measures to boost employment, competitiveness and budget discipline among euro-zone countries. Germany had demanded the measures—which it sees as a way to address some of the root causes of the euro zone's sovereign-debt crisis—in exchange for its support to expand the size and scope of the region's bailout facility.

Benidorm is enjoying a bit of a renaissance and represents great value at the moment; it’s the perfect recession destination where you can have a good time without spending a fortune,’ he added

endless squabbling, sunburn and family drama, the Benidorm comedy series does not exactly show the Spanish resort as top holiday destination.
But now the ITV hit has triggered real life interest in Costa Blanca’s top budget destination.
Searches for Benidorm package deals more than double when the show is on TV, according to the comparison website www.travelsupermarket.com.
Interest shoots up by 159 per cent when the programme is aired at 9pm on Friday nights, compared to searches at the same time on other nights of the week.
The show, which was first broadcast in 2007, won the award for most Most Popular Comedy Programme at the National TV Awards in January.
It is currently in its fourth series and follows the Garvey family and others during an incident packed stay in the resort.
‘People love to be inspired by films, TV and celebrities for their holidays and it’s great to see such a surge in interest to Benidorm,’ said Bob Atkinson, from travelsupermarket.com.
‘Benidorm is enjoying a bit of a renaissance and represents great value at the moment; it’s the perfect recession destination where you can have a good time without spending a fortune,’ he added

Spain's largest grouping of savings banks, Bankia, on Monday named four banks to handle its planned share flotation: Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan and UBS.

Spain's largest grouping of savings banks, Bankia, on Monday named four banks to handle its planned share flotation: Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan and UBS.
Along with investment bank Lazard, which has been appointed advisor, the banks will be charged with drawing up the structure of the major initial public offering.
Deloitte will handle the accounting.
"It is one of the largest entries into the (Madrid) stock market in the past four years," said Bankia, a union of seven regional savings banks.
Spain's 17 regional savings banks, considered the weak link in the country's financial system, are still struggling under the weight of loans that turned sour after the 2008 property bubble collapse and are at the heart of fears the country could need an Irish-style international rescue.
According to figures published by the Bank of Spain, Bankia is the institution that requires the most capital to meet tough government requirements announced last month.
Under the new regulations, the banks must raise the proportion of core capital they hold to 8.0 percent of total assets from the current six percent, or 10.0 percent if they are unlisted.
Bankia needs 5.775 billion euros to reach a level of 10 percent of core capital, but only 1.795 billion if it enters the stock market.
Bankia made known its intention of listing on the stock market in late January as a means to increase its core capital.
"Bankia's flotation will help boost its solvency, expand its shareholder base and provide a market in liquidity for current and future shareholders of the group," it said Monday.
The Bank of Spain announced on Thursday that a total of 12 banks will need 15 billion euros to clean up their balance sheets, less than the government's ceiling of 20 billion euros and well below the predictions of experts.
Bankia emerged last year from the merger of Caja Madrid, Bancaja, Caja Insular de Ahorros de Canarias, Caixa Laietana, Caja de Avila, Caja Segovia and Caja Rioja. It claims to have more than 10 percent of the market in Spain.

The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg on Tuesday announced a ruling against Spain

The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg on Tuesday announced a ruling against Spain in which it considered that the country violated the freedom of expression of former Batasuna spokesman Arnaldo Otegi, when it condemned him to spend one year in prison for injurious crimes against the King, whom he had named as "responsible for acts of torture".
The ruling, announced by the Human Rights court on Tuesday, orders Spain to pay Otegi 20,000 euros in compensation for moral harm and further 3,000 euros for court costs.
The sentence against Otegi was issued by the Spanish Supreme Court and subsequently endorsed by the Constitutional Court who rejected the appeal for legal protection brought by the defence.
According to a statement issued by the Court, "a term of imprisonment imposed for an offense committed in the area of political discourse is not compatible with freedom of expression as guaranteed by Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights."

Spain is the only country in the EU which has nuclear reactors of the same design as those seen in Fukushima in Japan

Spain is the only country in the EU which has nuclear reactors of the same design as those seen in Fukushima in Japan, now seriously affected by the earthquake and tsunami which hit the NE of the country last Friday.

The boiling water design can be found in Spain at Cofrentes, Valencia, and in Santa María de Garoña in Burgos. The former was opened in 1984 but the latter opened in 1971, the same year as the Japanese plant.

The boiling water design came from General Electric in the 50’s and is an alternative to the pressurised water design, and both are considered to be as safe as each other.

The problems in Japan have re-opened the nuclear debate, and in Spain the Government has already extended the life of the Garoña plant to 2013.

Greenpeace has recently criticised safety at the Cofrentes plant, saying it is showing its age, and claiming it is not even needed if the data of the Spanish electricity supply is studied. Greenpeace has accused the plant’s owner, Iberdrola, of putting profit before investment. The ecologists also note that earthquakes upto 5.1 on the Richter scale have been seen in Spain, in provinces where there are nuclear plants.

100 billion euros of problematic loans and owns buildings and sites that they have seized and whose value has plummeted.

Spain's economy plunged into recession in late 2008 when the bubble burst on the real estate market. It only emerged last year with meagre growth.
And the banking sector, which had been handing out mortgages with abandon, now has more than
These are "the bodies in the cupboard," said the business daily El Economista on Friday.
"There is no reference price, it's very subjective: everyone thinks that the price of real estate will slump 20-30 percent, but it is very difficult to show," said the broker.
Said Raj Badiani, an analyst at IHS Global Insight: "It remains difficult to quantify the banks' capitalisation needs with confidence given the inability to calculate accurately the actual fall in property prices since they peaked in early 2008."
In a sign that analysts give little credibility to the estimates of the Spanish authorities, Moody's on Thursday morning downgraded the country's credit rating without waiting for the official estimate from the Bank of Spain later in the day.
But Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero defended the central bank's figure as "reasonable, acceptable."
"I respect all (ratings) agencies but my confidence, as prime minister, is on the side of the Bank of Spain," he said.

living the dream on the Costa del Sol – but their lavish lifestyles were paid for by the misery of others.

Today, a gang of conmen who fleeced £10m out of hundreds of hard-working families and pensioners by selling them worthless shares, are facing years behind bars.

Led by four gang members from the North East, the tricksters targeted their trusting investors during the two-and-a-half year “boiler room” con – which is when bogus stockbrokers call ordinary private traders to pressure them into buying non-existent shares.

After pocketing millions, the group moved to Spain and splashed out on expensive cars.

But their scam was smashed when they came home to celebrate Christmas and New Year with family following a long and complex probe by undercover detectives.

Mark Brannan, 28, of Arlington Avenue, Kenton, Newcastle; Sam Hamed, 25, of Byland Court, Washington; Dean Hamilton, 26, of Cleeve Court, Washington and Scott Henderson, 31, of Morgan Street, Sunderland, all admitted fraud offences at Harrow Crown Court in London.


Hamed and Henderson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and conspiracy to money launder and Brannan and Hamilton pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud only.

The charges came after a long investigation, codenamed Soundwave.

Raids were carried out on the defendants’ homes in January last year.

Prosecutor Peter Stage said: “The money went into a black hole. Investors were sending money after money after money across.”

The suspected head of armed Basque separatist group Eta has been arrested in northwest France

The suspected head of armed Basque separatist group Eta has been arrested in northwest France, reports say.

Alejandro Zobaran Arriola was among four Eta suspects held in an operation by French police near the Belgian border, Spanish national radio reports.

Mr Arriola was described as the group's "new military chief".

Eta's campaign for independence for the Basque region has cost more than 800 lives since 1968 but it called a halt to armed attacks last year.

Spanish newspaper El Pais said the arrests took place in Willencourt, west of the city of Arras.

According to AFP, the suspects were arrested late on Thursday in a house where firearms and documents were also seized.

Mr Arriola - known as "Xarla" - is Eta's sixth military chief to be detained since Francisco Javier Lopez Pena was arrested in May 2008.

Eta has been coming under increasing pressure to lay down its weapons and, in January this year, announced that it would cease "offensive armed actions".

But Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero rejected the declaration, saying he wanted the group to be completely disbanded.

Twelve Spanish lenders need to raise 15.2 billion euros ($21 billion) to meet new minimum capital levels or risk partial nationalization, the Bank of Spain said.

Twelve Spanish lenders need to raise 15.2 billion euros ($21 billion) to meet new minimum capital levels or risk partial nationalization, the Bank of Spain said.

Eight savings banks need to raise capital, including Galicia-based Novacaixagalicia, which needs to find 2.6 billion euros, the central bank said in a statement in Madrid today. Spanish units of Barclays Plc (BARC) and Deutsche Bank AG (DBK) also need to raise funds and have committed to do so, the regulator said.

The Bank of Spain previously estimated the overall capital shortfall wouldn’t exceed 20 billion euros ($28 billion), or 2 percent of gross domestic product. The government, fighting to rein in the euro region’s third-largest budget deficit, wants most of that to be raised privately even as central bank Governor Miguel Angel Fernandez Ordonez said Feb. 21 that some lenders will ask the state-rescue fund FROB for help.

“If you look at the consensus numbers for how much capital is needed, then the 15 billion euros looks low,” said Daragh Quinn, a banks analyst at Nomura International in Madrid. “The key test now is how they will raise equity.”

The other savings banks that need to raise capital are Bankia -- a bank formed from a merger including Caja Madrid that needs 5.8 billion euros -- Banco Base, Banca Civica, Mare Nostrum, Catalunyacaixa, Caja Espana and Unnim, which said today it may tap the FROB. Madrid-based Bankinter SA (BKT) and Bankpyme must also seek funds and have committed to do so.

last year was the worst year on record for the Spanish property building industry

Official figures released by the Spanish government show that last year was the worst year on record for the Spanish property building industry, which could prove to be good news for the Spanish property market.

The collapse in Spain property prices since the market peak of 2007 has been caused mainly by a severe oversupply of properties.

Spain accounted for around two-thirds of homes built in the EU between 1999 and 2007, which explains much of the glut. It is estimated that it will take the equivalent of three years of sales to digest existing residential supply.

Government figures show that there were just 91,662 Spain property planning approvals in 2010, down 17 per cent year-on-year, and 89 per cent lower than the 865,561 Spain property permits issued in 2006.

Commenting on the 89 per cent fall in four years, Mark Stucklin, head of Spanish Property Insight, commented: "This figures is dramatic. It tells a story of an industry that has all but collapsed. And not just any industry; residential construction was responsible for much of Spain’s growth in employment and GDP over the last decade."

Explosions Rock Strategic Oil Town Near Hospital and Mosque - NYTimes.com

Explosions Rock Strategic Oil Town Near Hospital and Mosque - NYTimes.com: "Forces loyal to the Libyan leader, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, renewed ferocious attacks on rebel fighters Thursday around and within this strategic refinery town, with explosions rocking a hospital and striking a mosque as insurgents said they feared the onslaught had broadened."

Fighting in the country has reduced Libya's oil output to 500 million barrels a day from 1.6 million barrels before the conflict broke out,

"Fighting in the country has reduced Libya's oil output to 500 million barrels a day from 1.6 million barrels before the conflict broke out, according to Mr. Ghanem.

He said that the National Oil Corp. was intent on honoring all agreements with foreign oil companies and wasn't contemplating ending contracts or re-opening tender processes for exploration, despite the heavy international pressure that Libya is facing from key oil company partners in Europe."

Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi's security forces detained and beat up a BBC news team who were trying to reach the strife-torn western city of Zawiya.

The three were beaten with fists, knees and rifles, hooded and subjected to mock executions by members of Libya's army and secret police.

The men were detained on Monday and held for 21 hours, but have now flown out of Libya.

Government forces are in a fierce fight to wrest Zawiya from rebel control.

Artillery and tanks have pounded the city - which lies 50km (30 miles) from the capital Tripoli - over the last four days.

rebels said Muammar Gaddafi's forces had hit an oil pipeline leading to Es Sider and dropped bombs on storage tanks in the Ras Lanuf area.

The rebels said Muammar Gaddafi's forces had hit an oil pipeline leading to Es Sider and dropped bombs on storage tanks in the Ras Lanuf area.

Libyan state television blamed the explosion on al "Qaeda-backed" armed elements who had blown up an oil storage tank as pro-Gaddafi forces advanced into Ras Lanuf.

A rebel official in Benghazi accused Gaddafi of playing a "dirty game" by hitting pipelines. 

Europe Braces for a Possible Migrant Influx

Europe Braces for a Possible Migrant Influx  "About 1,000 North African migrants traveling in a dozen boats reached the Italian island of Lampedusa early Monday, with other small craft headed there, testing the tiny island’s capacity to accommodate them even as Italy and the rest of Europe braced for a possibly far larger influx, news reports said.

Some boats made it all the way to the island, which is about halfway between Tunisia and Sicily, while others were intercepted by the coast guard and taken aboard. None appeared to have left Libya itself, but Italian officials have warned that the crisis in their former colony could generate an overwhelming flow.

“So far we have contained the impact well despite the very high number of migrants,” Cono Galipo, who runs the refugee holding center on Lampedusa, told Reuters. “Fortunately we had only 314 migrants at the center already, and therefore the numbers have stayed beneath what we consider a critical level.” The center was built to accommodate up to 850 people, but in recent years it has at times housed as many as 2,000, some of them forced to sleep outdoors under plastic sheeting."

'Poison gas! Poison gas! Gadhafi is using poison gas!' one of the fighters told me."

A wake-up call in Libya's Ras Lanuf  "'Down! Down!' the man at my hotel room door said. It was 4:30 a.m. Monday in Ras Lanuf, and I had hoped to get a decent night's sleep for the first time in weeks. Yet again, my hopes were dashed.
Through the haze of sleep deprivation and exhaustion, I could say nothing. I understood nothing.
The staff of the Fadeel Hotel was going from room to room, telling guests -- journalists only -- that they had to leave, at once.
I quickly dressed, packed my bag, and went downstairs.
It was still pitch black outside, and the lobby was teeming with still photographers, cameramen, translators, fixers, producers and print and TV reporters, all trying to understand why the urgent need to leave.
Libya conflict moves closer to capital The young and inexperienced go to war Opposition at work in Benghazi Thousands trying to leave Libya
There were plenty of rumors, and no facts.
'Poison gas! Poison gas! Gadhafi is using poison gas!' one of the fighters told me."

Two ferries bring Libya escapees to Morocco

Two ferries bring Libya escapees to Morocco: "Aid workers in Morocco welcomed thousands of people escaping the violence roiling across Libya Sunday, as two ferries carrying some 4,000 people docked at the port of Tangiers.
Le Mistral vessel arrived in the afternoon with some 2,000 passengers, mainly women and children, who had been picked up in the Libyan capital Tripoli.
Many of the women were in tears as they stepped off the boat, children in their arms, to be received by workers from Morocco's Red Crescent and the Mohammed V Foundation.
Coaches were standing by to take returning Moroccans to their home regions.
Le Berkane, another ferry sent out by Morocco, returned to Tangiers earlier with 2,000 people.
More than 1,400 of the passengers were Moroccans, according to official figures, with others from Algeria, Gambia, Mauritania, Senegal and Tunisia.
Le Berkane picked up people in the Libyan port of Benghazi and also stopped over in in Tripoli on its journey back to Morocco.
Between 60,000 and 100,000 Moroccans live in Libya, according to government figures.
Several thousands have already been airlifted out of Libya, amid ongoing fighting between rebel fighters and forces loyal to strongman Moamer Kadhafi."

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Morocco royals to lower bank stake amid protests

Morocco royals to lower bank stake amid protests : "Controlled by the royal family, the conglomerate Societe Nationale d'Investissement (SNI) and its affiliate ONA Group have stakes spanning mines, steel, cement, supermarkets, sugar refining, banking, telecommunications, insurance and renewable energy.

Led by a youth movement that calls itself the February 20 Movement for Change, thousands of Moroccans took to the streets in 53 towns and cities last month to urge the 47-year-old ruler give up some of his powers to a newly elected government. [ID:nLDE71J06Q]

Echoing concerns by businessmen, the protesters also criticized the perceived domination of companies controlled by the monarch and his family and figures close to the palace."

Libya revolt: Rebels say no talks unless Gaddafi goes

 Libya revolt: Rebels say no talks unless Gaddafi goes: "The National Libyan Council in the city of Benghazi also called again for foreign intervention to stop government air raids against the rebels.

The International Criminal Court meanwhile said it would investigate Col Gaddafi and some of his sons for crimes against humanity.

US President Barack Obama repeated his demand that the embattled ruler resign.

In Benghazi, the opposition National Libyan Council said there was no room for talks, following reports that Col Gaddafi had ordered an intelligence chief to negotiate with the rebels."

Egypt's Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq resigns

 Egypt's Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq resigns: "Egypt's Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq has resigned, the country's ruling military council has announced in a statement.

A former transport minister, Essam Sharaf, has been asked to form a new government, the statement adds.

Mr Shafiq was appointed days before President Hosni Mubarak was forced out of office following days of anti-government protests.

Protesters saw Mr Shafiq as too closely associated to Mr Mubarak's rule, observers say.

'The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces decided to accept the resignation of Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq and appointed Essam Sharaf to form the new government,' the army said in a statement on its Facebook page."

Gaddafi family asset probe has only just begun

 Gaddafi family asset probe has only just begun: "The UK's decision to freeze assets owned by Libya's Muammar Gaddafi and his family is only just the start of the process.

Now the authorities have to identify exactly what those assets are, and how much they are worth.

The announcement on Sunday by George Osborne, the Chancellor, to block the assets of the Gaddafi family and about 20 of their inner circle follows a European Union decision to impose sanctions.

This decision for a Europe-wide crackdown came, in turn, after a vote at the United Nations that countries worldwide should start choking off the family's funds by preventing money from being moved or assets sold.

Some countries - particularly the United States - have been more proactive about freezing assets than others. But slowly the noose is tightening.

On Wednesday, Spain froze a 2,000-property tourism development near Marbella said to be linked to the Libyan leader. Such assets will remain in limbo until they can be handed back to a new government or legitimate authority.

But, as Pepe Egger, of consultancy Exclusive Analysis, points out, it will not necessarily be clear which assets belong to the Gaddafis' personally, and which belong to the Libyan nation."

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Gadhafi Says Libyan Oil Fields Are Secure

Gadhafi Says Libyan Oil Fields Are Secure | News | English: "Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi says his country's oil fields are secure, but that foreign oil companies are worried they might be attacked by 'armed gangsters.'

The Libyan leader said Wednesday in a speech in the capital Tripoli that international oil firms are 'afraid' about continued operations as fighting for control of the country continues. But Gadhafi said Libya's oil fields and ports are 'safe' and 'under control.'

He made the comments after reports that his government forces had retaken the oil refinery city of Brega on the Mediterranean coast from anti-government rebels.

A Libyan oil official said that exports from the rebel-held eastern portion of the country are proceeding normally. But Libyan and oil industry officials say the country's 1.6-million-barrel-a-day oil production has been cut in half during the unrest."

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Spain freezes Gaddafi tourism project, sends aid

Spain freezes Gaddafi tourism project, sends aid "Spain has frozen a tourism project on the Costa del Sol owned by Muammar Gaddafi and is seeking other assets and bank accounts linked to the Libyan leader, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.Gaddafi's land lies in the municipality of Benahavís, to and from Marbella, Estepona and Ronda.  The embargo on the land prevents Gaddafi and his family from "using the property for financial gain".

The Libyan leader and his family are thought to have other property on the Costa del Sol, and their assets are being analysed by the Government and the Junta de Andalucía.

Gaddafi's finances in Spain are also being looked into, and any bank accounts in his name will be frozen immediately in line with the international sanctions.

It said the government was acting in accordance with sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United Nations against Gaddafi, whose military is fighting against a rebellion that has taken control of much of Libya.


Gaddafi planned to build an estimated 2,000 homes, a golf course and a convention centre on the site in Benahavis, near Marbella, the ministry said.


The block on the property means it cannot be used for profit or be sold."

Battle rages over Libyan oil port

Battle rages over Libyan oil port  "The Libyan air force has bombed the oil refinery and port town of Marsa El Brega as battles between forces loyal and against Muammar Gaddafi raged in several towns across the North African country.

'We just watched an air force jet ... fly over Brega and drop at least one bomb and huge plumes of smoke are now coming out ,' Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley said on Wednesday.

The warplane from Gadhafi's air force struck a beach near where the two sides were fighting at a university campus."

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