News Headlines

SPANISH NEWS

In an interview with the German publication Die Zeit that is set to hit newsstands today, Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero states that the future of the Basque Identity programme ‘will grow considerably’. He also told the publication that the ‘first preliminary and exploratory talks’ would take place in the coming weeks with representatives of the Basque terrorist group Eta. Also yesterday Arnaldo Otegi the spokesman for Batasuna accused the Socialist government of ‘blocking any real progress’ in the negotiations.

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It was revealed yesterday that Trinidad Jimenez will not now stand as a candidate for the Mayoral seat for Madrid in the upcoming elections, after Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero agreed to create a post especially for her: Secretary of State for Latin America. Meanwhile the rumours that either former Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez, former defence Minister Jose bono or EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana were interested in being candidates for Mayor of Madrid have been denied by all concerned.

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It was revealed yesterday that the Spanish Basketball team has won the Prince of the Asturias Sports Prize this year. The team obtained 18 out of a possible 29 votes, and completely pushed aside the other candidates that included Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Franz Beckenbauer, the Spanish Synchronised Swimming team and Andre Agassi. The team will now take over the prize that last year was awarded to Formula one Racing Driver Fernando Alonso. In the meantime, Mr. Alonso’s nearest rival for the World Championship in Formula One, Michael Schumacher, announced that he plans to retire after the Monza Grand Prix which takes place this coming weekend

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Three oil companies – Chevron, Devon Energy and Norwegian giant Statoil – revealed yesterday that they had jointly carried out a successful production test in the Gulf of Mexico, which was viewed as the largest American oil find in a generation. The three companies estimated that that they had discovered between three and fifteen billion barrels in several fields some 175 miles offshore and 30,000 ft below the surface, amongst formations of rock and salt that are hundreds of feet thick. It is apparently too early to know precisely how big the oil fields are, but all three companies expressed the hope that they had the potential of being even larger than those at Prudhoe Bay, off the northern coast of Alaska.

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The Islamic Republic News Agency has reported that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad intends to travel to New York, where he will speak before the United Nations on September 19, the same day as united States President George W. Bush is also scheduled to give an address to the Organization, and one day before Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will also speak at the UN. Both Mr. Ahmedinejad and Mr. Chavez will travel to New York from Havana where they will meet with Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

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