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Angel Acebes, the General Secretary of the conservative Partido Popular yesterday gave a passionate speech to the European Parliament in which he stated that the ‘peace process’ that is currently being undertaken between the government of Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and Eta/Batasuna also affects two French provinces. This warning came after Patxi Lopez - the head of the Basque Socialists - stated that ‘everything’ was under discussion between the Socialist Party and Batasuna/Eta. Mr. Acebes warned the French members of the European Parliament that if they vote ‘yes’ following the debate on Eta/Batasuna that is set to take place next week, ‘this would have very serious implications for France’. He added: “ It is important that everyone realises that the so-called peace process for the Basque Country is a process whereby independence and self-determination will be awarded to all these area – including the French Basque Country. This is what the vote is all about, make no mistake. Then, when you return to your constituencies in France you will have to explain to the electorate why your political attitude to this problem has altered.”
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Miguel Angel Torres, the judge in charge of the corruption investigation in Marbella, has now released over three thousand more pages of his findings, and in this latest collection, the judge relates the ‘immense financial holdings’ of Juan Antonio Roca ‘who had his fingers on every single building project in Marbella for a number of years’. This new summary also reveals how police inspectors discovered 200,000 Euros in cash hidden behind a false library in Mr. Roca’s home in Los Alcazares in Murcia Province. *** The latest poll of voter intentions in the Madrid Community has revealed that the incumbent Partido Popular will gain several seats at the cost of the Socialists. If today the PP has 57 seats, the new poll shows that it will probably get 60 and in the process get an absolute majority. The poll also showed that incumbent President Esperanza Aguirre is the person to lead the Madrid Community over the next four years.
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According to most observers, it would seem that the new political party to replace Batasuna/Eta is on the point of being named and will in all probability be legalized before the end of next month. The Socialists believe that unless this is undertaken in this kind of timeline, the party will not be able to participate in the May elections. Meanwhile Patxi Lopez, the President of the Basque Socialists stated that he is continuing to have a large amount of meetings with representatives of Batasuna/Eta and has suggested that Quebec be used as the correct model for secession.
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Much to his disgust, Defence Minister Jose Antonio Alonso has finally decided to commit four aircraft to help out with the problem of immigrants arriving at the canary Islands. Mr. Alonso had previously stated that the problem of immigration ‘was one that affected the Interior and Social Services Ministries, but not the military’.
“I did it out of compassion.” This was the explanation offered to the police by Jose Vicente, a 75-year-old man who allegedly killed his wife who was one year his junior by stabbing her in the living room they shared in an old folks’ home in Orihuela. The 75-year-old also told the police that his wife had three cerebral hemorrhages over the last few years that had left her prostrate in a wheelchair with most of her body paralyzed. Sources at the clinic stated that Jose Vicente himself was being treated for schizophrenia, but at no time had he shown any sign of violence. This marks the 59th episode of domestic violence ending in a fatality that has occurred in Alicante Province this year.
Valencia Mayoress Rita Barbera yesterday opened the competition in the regional headquarters of UNESCO in Venice for a design for the Valencia del Mar Marina Juan Carlos I, that has been termed by many as an architectural complex of similar grandeur as the Sydney Opera House or the Library of Alexandria. Also present at the opening of the competition was Gerardo Camnps the Conseller for the Economy and the head of the College of Architects of Valencia Fabian Llisteri, who stated that the competition was being launched ‘to show the new face of Valencia to the world’. The winner will be announced next March by Mrs. Barbera who will preside the jury that is also made up of four architects – Jaime Guerner from Brazil, Donald Lambert from Holland, Rania Klonstsinioti from Greece and Juan Busquets from Spain, along with representatives of all the organizations involved in the project.
The Inditex group yesterday inaugurated its 3,000th store in the heart of Valencia. Called Zara Home, the store will sell clothes and shoes, with 50% of all the shoes being sold in the store being manufactured in Alicante. The local head of Inditex – Pablo Isla stated at yesterday’s opening that the group currently has 150 stores in the Valencian Community, and that it was hoped to maintain production of many of the articles sold inside Spain
The Valencian health service has now started a vaccination campaign against winter ‘flu in all three provinces of the Autonomy. Some 900,000 vaccinations are now being circulated – 104,000 for Castellon and Province, 476,000 for Valencia and Province and 318,000 for Alicante and Province. This represents a 5.5% increase in the vaccines available over last year, and health Conseller Rafael Blasco stated that of particular concern were pregnant women, health workers, and those over 60.
It was revealed this morning that Anatoli Voronin, the head of the official Russian news agency Itar Tass has been assassinated in his home in Moscow. His body was discovered by his chauffeur who told the local press that Mr. Voronin had apparently died a very violent death. Mr. Voronin, who was 53, had worked at Itar Tass since 1983, and his death comes less that a week after the murder of journalist Anna Politkóvskaya in the lift of her Moscow apartment block.
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