News Headlines

SPANISH NEWS

Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, the Interior Minister, who usually uses political speeches against the Partido Popular to answer any questions about any aspect of the enquiry into the March 11 bombings, yesterday considerably toned down his answers following an interview given to the Cadena COPE by Agustin Diaz de Mera, the Police Director for the last PP Government. In his interview, Mr Diaz de Mera stated that there ‘were several documents’ that clearly showed that the bombings had been commissioned by the Basque terror group Eta

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The Partido Popular yesterday officially demanded that state prosecutor Candido Conde Pumpido appear before the Senate to explain the partial release from jail of the former Secretary of State for Security Rafael Vera. In a statement, Ignacio Cosido stated that the treatment afforded Mr. Vera supposed that the ‘Socialist Government approved of corruption’ . he added that Mr. Vera had been in jail, for little over a year ‘despite being involved up to here’ in corruption and the taking of the Interior ministry secret funds.

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It was finally made public yesterday that the Socialist party under the aegis of General Secretary Pepiño Blanco is staring a pioneer undertaking for Spain: iPSOEtv, and Internet television channel that is intended to be similar to the military Internet TV service offered by the Pentagon and a similar internet service offered by the UK Tourist board. However, the new channel will be used for three main subject areas: to explain what the Party and Government is currently working on, to encourage visitors to the site to participate and to severely criticise what the Partido Popular has and is undertaking. The Internet service is set to be inaugurated with a presentation by the Prime Minister followed by two ‘editorials’: one slamming the creation of the Benidorm Theme Park Terra Mitica, and the other strongly supporting the Censorship motion presented by Valencian Socialist leader Joan Ignaso Pla against Valencian President Francisco Camps.

SERVICE CANCELLED

The railroad company RENFE announced yesterday that it was suspending its rail services between Valencia and Barcelona as it could not guarantee a similar service using road transport, due to the highly inclement weather conditions in Catalonia. All in all eight trains were cancelled, but RENFE would not state the number of passengers affected. The company had previously been transport its passengers by bus from Valencia to Castellon, and thence to Tarragona and Barcelona. No statement was immediately forthcoming as to when the services would be resumed.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Henry Kissinger, the veteran diplomat and former Secretary of State has warned that Europe and the United States should act as one to head of a ‘war of civilizations’ that could result from a nuclear-armed Middle East. Dr Kissinger, who made these comments in an article published yesterday in the Washington Post added that the potential for a global catastrophe considerably dwarfed the mistrust remaining from the Iraq war. He wrote: “A common Atlantic policy backed by moderate Arab states must become a top priority, no matter how pessimistic previous experience with such projects leaves one.”

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