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The Socialist party has apparently managed to convince two of the main trades unions – UGT and Comisiones Obreras – as well as the Communist coalition Izquerda Unida to take part in a demonstration that is set to take place in Madrid ‘and hopefully other capital cities of Spain’ tomorrow. The aim of the demonstration is to protest the Israeli response to the kidnapping of its soldiers as ‘ totally out of proportion’. This in effect exactly represents the same point of view that Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero expounded during a pre-election meeting last weekend. In a statement to be read at the end of the demonstration march, the protesters will call for and ‘immediate end to the current hostilities’ and will also make no mention whatsoever of either the Hams or Hezbollah terrorist organizations. The main speech is expected to be read by Pedro Zorolo, the Socialist Party head of relations with non-Governmental Organizations.
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After the disruptions caused by nationalists during the final days of the campaign over the Catalan Amendments to the Statutes of the Autonomy when the leader of the conservative Partido Popular Mariano Rajoy was forced to leave meetings under a hail of insults, these have recurred yet again after Mr. Rajoy attended a meeting in Benavente in Zamora Province. However, this time the hail of insults and physical threats came from members of the Socialist Party, with members of Mr. Rajoy’s security detail and the Guardia Civil escorting the PP leader to safety after the meeting.
Members of the National Police and the Guardia Civil have revealed that they have come across two bodies in Catral in Alicante Provinmce. Members oif the Gardai – the Irish Police Force – who are in Spain and collaborating with the security forces have expressed the belief that the bodies are of Stephen Sugg and Shane Coates, two members of the notorious Westies Drug Gaming that went missing from their homes in Torrevieja more than two years ago. The pair were last seen alive at the end of January 2004, when they told their respective girlfriends that they were ‘going out for a while’ and left in Mr. Sugg’s car. Insiders have expressed the view that the pair tried to establish a cocaine smuggling operation based in Alicante and in the process crossed an international gang of drugs dealers, who could have abducted the two men and had them killed.
It has been revealed that the water reservoirs of Alarcon and Contreras will be completely dry within two months, causing the supply of water to major cities in the Valencian Community to come under threat. Although some Water Associations are issuing messages of calm, the reality is that Alarcon and Contreras, whose water is used to supply Valencia has only 10% of its capacity left, and with high temperatures expected next month, more water could simply evaporate. The worst case is Contreras that has a total capacity of 852 cubic hectometers that yesterday only was found to contain 46.86 hectometers.
Meanwhile, following on from statements emanating from the Environment ministry about possible water restrictions in the Valencian Community, Jose Ramon Garcia Anton, the Infrastructure Conseller expressed the view that the statements from the Ministry were ‘merely a smokescreen and a cover-up as Miss Narbona and her department have done nothing whatsoever to try and improve the water situation for the Community’.
The Israeli Army admitted yesterday that several units had entered southern Lebanon in order to seek out an destroy the advance positions of the Hezbollah guerrillas. Hours earlier there had been another Israeli bombardment of Beirut airport, but it is not known whether there have been any casualties, as the death toll in the conflict has now risen to 235 including 26 soldiers. This does not appear to have hindered the Hezbollah guerrillas in any was as they continue to launch about one hundred missiles a day against Haifa.
Meanwhile the United States today is expected to evacuate 2,000 of its nationals, the first stage of a group that consists of over 8,000, whilst in the UK concern was voiced over the tardiness and apparent lack of coordination of the evacuation of UK residents of Beirut.
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A power outage at a radar facility yesterday has managed to severely disrupt communications and flights in an out of all the airports in Southern California, with FAA officials admitting that flights could be affected across the United States. No one has yet revealed what caused the outage at the Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center that started yesterday evening at 6 pm California time.
After a six-day wait, Malta finally agreed yesterday to repatriate the 51 illegal immigrants that had been rescued by a Santa Pola fishing smack. The 51 had spent almost a week on board a craft that normally has room for a crew of 14 and its fishing catch. As soonm as the news reached the Valencian Government, Francisco Camps, the President of the Community, stated that the Valencian Government would offer financial compensation top Jose Dura and his crew for the time and money lost over what essentially was a rescue operation.
Tickets went on sale yesterday for the concert to be given by Bruce Springsteen at the Levante Stadium in Valencia next October. In the first half hour after the box office opened, some 200 tickets were sold in the space of just one minute, and this sales rhythm continued to be reflected throughout the day. The concert is expected to be sold out by tonight.
Hollywood insiders have stated that Jennifer Aniston, the divorced wife of Bard Pitt is ‘incandescent’ with rage after her estranged husband Brad Pitt offered a part she considered hers to Angelina Jolie. Sources have stated that it was Miss Aniston who convinced Minnie Pearl, the widow of slain journalist Daniel Pearl to give the couple’s Plan B Productions the rights. However, as part of the divorce settlement between Mr. Pitt and Miss Aniston, he retains a majority interest in Plan B, and the part, that many consider Oscar material, has now gone to Miss Jolie
In other Hollywood news, the Walt Disney Company announced last night that it was intending to make only ten live action or animated feature films next year, with ‘only two or three’ films to come from its Touchstone division. Coupled with this is the news that some 650 jobs are to be axed from the ‘Mouse House’ over the next year, and that its Buena Vista Worldwide Marketing & Distribution and Buena Vista Worldwide Home Entertainment divisions are to be ‘considerably restructured’.
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