News Headlines

SPANISH NEWS

Interior minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba has placed one of his closest collaborators in the delegation that is set to undertake talks with Eta/Batasuna, it was revealed last night. Gregorio Martinez Garrido joined the Interior ministry last April and has recently been appointed as Cabinet Director for Mr. Perez Rubalcaba. Meanwhile, after a meeting in Helsinki, eight heads of European Governments have publicly stated that they consider the negotiations with the Basque terror group that are currently being undertaken by the Spanish Government ‘ is a serious violation of the principles and values on which the European Union is founded, especially with regard to the territorial integrity of the member states’.

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A judge in Catalunia has demanded that the Guardia Civil take statements from dozens of airport workers who forced Barcelona Airport to a virtual closure last June after they staged a demonstration on the runways. Judicial sources have added that in addition to the nine accused of being behind the illegal demonstration, a further 28 people could also be summoned, in the majority those involved in baggage handling services.

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One year after Barcelona played host to the Forum of Culture, the aftermath of the event is still causing judicial ripples in the United States where a court action in Cook County, Delaware has resulted in the Spanish and Catalan Governments as well as Barcelona Town Hall being fined a total of over five million Euros, and this figure is set to increase as no action at all has this far been taken to try and pay the fine. Directly affected by this are two Government Ministers: Carmen Calvo and Joan Clos who was Mayor of Barcelona at the time, and the Delaware court has found both guilty. Not making matters any easier is the fact that Spain has apparently decided not to undertake any sort of defence in this case.

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The Franco-Spanish tobacco company Altadis has launched what it says is the most expensive cigar in the world. The ‘Cohiba Behike’ cigar will be sold in lots of 40 cigars for the record price of 15,000 Euros, and will come with its own humidor. The promotion is to mark the 40th anniversary of the Cohiba trademark for cigars.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

The United Nations General Assembly remained deadlocked after a third day of voting this week in the contest to fill a non-permanent seat on the Security Council allocated to the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States, with Guatemala maintaining its lead over Venezuela but falling short of the necessary majority. After 13 rounds of voting yesterday, which takes the total number of rounds so far to 35, neither Guatemala nor Venezuela had yet obtained a two-thirds majority of ballots of members present and voting. Balloting will resume next Wednesday morning. Guatemala and Venezuela are contending to serve as a non-permanent Council member for a two-year term starting 1 January 2007, replacing Argentina. It is the only seat not yet determined. In the 35th round, when 123 votes would have been enough to secure victory, Guatemala obtained 103 votes and Venezuela received 81. There were seven abstentions. Guatemala has led in every round so far, with the exception of the sixth round on Monday, when the two countries were tied. Balloting will continue until a State from the region achieves the required majority. There is no limit to the number of rounds of voting and in 1979-80 there were a record 155 ballots before Mexico was chosen from the Latin American and Caribbean Group to serve a two-year term

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Commander William Caldwell, the US Army spokesman in Iraq revealed early this morning that attacks launched by rebel groups in the country have increased by 22% during the holy month of Ramadan that ends this coming Sunday. Meanwhile, back in the United States, President George W. Bush stated yesterday that he saw ‘some similarities’ between the current situation in Iraq and the Tet offensive in Vietnam in 1968. Mr. Bush was commenting on an editorial piece by Thomas Friedman in The New York Times, who had voiced a similar theory. When questioned about this by ABCTV, Mr. Bush stated: “He is probably right.”

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At least 77 NGOs have been forced to cease their activities in Russia after a registration deadline elapsed. This was part of what has been seen as a controversial law over NGOs that was adopted earlier this year that has provoked widespread criticism in the West. Amongst those organizations that have temporarily stopped their activities in Russia are Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Medicins Sans Frontieres

DIVORCE UNDER WAY

It has been revealed that astrophysicist Stephen Hawking is undertaking divorce procedures against Elaine, his wife for the past eleven years. The 64-year-old author of ‘A Brief History of Time’ is one of the most important and relevant contemporary scientists and since 1963 has had amiotrophic lateral sclerosis an incurable disease that affects the central nervous system.

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