Spanish interior minister press conference

Angel Acebes, the acting Spanish Interior Minister has just appeared in a press conference, giving details of what has happened in Madrid this evening. According to Acebes, investigations into the terrorist attacks of the 11th March led to the identification of a flat in a suburb of Madrid where three suspected terrorists were living. According to Acebes, police surrounded the flat and the occupants were asked to surrender. According to Acebes, the occupants of the flats finally exploded a bomb in the building and, according to the acting Interior Minister, all occupants of the flat died in the explosion, as did a Spanish policeman. No further details are available at the moment.

Explosion in Madrid suburb

As police engaged in a standoff with three suspected North African terrorists this evening, an explosion shook the neighborhood. According to latest reports, 12 people have been injured and at least 3 have died (one policeman and two un-named arabs). The explosion occurred about 9 p.m. Antena 3 has reported that the suspects had threatened to blow up the four-story building in the southern Madrid suburb of Leganes, about 10 miles south of the capital. Angel Acebes, the Interior Minister, is expected to appear in a press conference any minute now.

Bomb found on Spanish railway

Spanish police have found a bomb on the rail line linking Madrid and Sevilla today. Alerted by a railway employee, who found a bag placed under the railway lines, bomb disposal experts found10-12kg (22-24lb) of dynamite in a carrier bag about 40 miles south of Madrid. According to Acebes, the acting Interior Minister, the explosives are the same as those used in the terrorist attacks in Madrid last month. The terrorists were possibly interrupted while they were activating the bomb according to the first reports, because they hadn't completed preparation.

Weather forecast in Spain over Easter

According to a special report released today, the National Meteorological Institute predicts a good start weather-wise to Easter Week, but warns that the weather will worsen as the week goes on.

As from today, the weather will start to improve all over Spain, skies will generally be clear and temperatures will rise, especially on the Mediterranean coast. But weather will start to deteriorate again from 6th April when it is expected to rain in the North and temperatures will get lower again, especially in North and in Mallorca, Minorca and Ibiza.

Today is the constitution of the new parliament, and the first day of the new legislature. All members of parliament started to take possesion of their seats at 10 O'Clock after holding one minutes silence in memory of the victims of the train bombings in Madrid. There are more women MPs in this legislature than ever before. Out of a total of 350 MPs, 127 are women. An increase of 27% compared to the last Parliament. Half of the 16 members of Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's cabinet are women, including one of his two vice-presidents.

Spain's new government and Catalonia's ice skaters.

Today is the last day of the old legislature. At One O Clock the PSOE will sign an agreement with all politicial parties represented in the House except the Popular Party. One of Zapatero's election promises was that if he won the elections he would lead a parliament which would give all elected parties a voice and would put democratic debate and consensus above unilateral party decisions. He argued that during the past four years (when the PP had an overall majority and did not need to seek consensus with any other party to approve new legislation), the Spanish Parliament had ceased to be a place where the ideas of other political representatives were respected by Government.

This week proposed that both major party conced some of their parliamentary posts to a smaller party, so that the minority groups would have some role in parliamentary organization. However on Tuesday the PP announced that it would not participate in the negotiations to distribute parliamentary posts and intended to retain all its posts and to embark on its new role of what the PP party spokesman describes as a firm, unrelenting opposition.

Zapatero decided to go ahead with his policy even without the support and participation of the PP, and the PSOE has conceded two of its seats on the parliamentary committee to smaller parties, even though this means that the ruling party loses its majority on this committee which decides who forms part of special parliamentary commissions during the next four years. Most of the Spanish media have aplauded the decision, and the Popular Party is beginning to receive criticism from newspapers which are usually loyal to the party.

Meanwhile, this week the International Ice Skating Federation has approved an application put in by the Catalan Ice Skating Federation for its skaters to be able to compete under Catalonia's flag in international competitions. This decision is bound to have repercussions on a national and regional level in Spain, as applications will probably now be put forward by Catalonia and the Basque Region from other sports federations and although each one will obviously be treated individually, the Skating Federation decision certainly sets a new precedent. For the first time an international federation has recognised the status of an automonous region as a "nation within a nation".

Spanish troops in Iraq, Storms in Spain, David Beckham in the Pink Panther

According to the pulsometro, a survey carried out regularly by Cadena Ser to measure public opinion about current affairs, 72% Spaniards support Zapatero's decision to withdraw Spanish troops from Iraq if the United Nations is not handed over control of the situation by June. Only 15% of those asked oppose it.

Meanwhile, the weather continues to be the main news item all over Spain, as some areas have been cut off because of heavy snowfall, and others have suffered serious flooding. In Rincon de la Victoria, a village on the Malaga coast in the South of Spain, the local schools and medical center are closed today due to floods, and several families have been taken to alternative accommodation. Hundreds of vehicles have been destroyed, and many beaches along the coast have just disappeared. According to weather forecasts, this weather is likely to continue until Wednesday.

And finally the Spanish press all mention today the rumour that David Beckham is negotiating an acting role in a new Pink Panther film. Apparantly if the negotiations go well, the Real Madrid player and captain of England, would have a role in the film as an English footballer (surprise surprise) who helps inspector Clouseau to solve the murder of a famous football trainer and the robbery of the Pink Panther diamond. Filming is due to start in May, and Kevin Kline, Beyonce Knowles and Jean Reno will apparantly act in the film which is due to be released in July 2005.

Who said Spring had arrived?

Terrible weather all over Spain this weekend. Civil Protection has warned 14 autonomous regions of the risk of heavy snow (Asturias, Cantabria, Basque Region, Castilla y Leon, Navarra, La Rioja, Aragon, Catalonia, Madrid y Castilla La Mancha) and heavy rain (Murcia, Andalucia and the Canary Islands). The Valencian Region remains in alert because of both (heavy rain and heavy snow). Here is a breakdown of the weather in Spain at the moment:

Asturias, Basque Country, Madrid and Cantabria - snow on ground 600-700 meters above sea level. At least 5 cm of snow is expected to fall in the next 24 hours.
Castilla y Leon - from 3 to 5 cm snowfall 700-900 m above sea level.
Navarra, Huesca, Catalonia and La Rioja - heavy snow 600 m above sea level.
Aragon - heavy snow 800 m above sea level
Castilla La Mancha - very heavy snow between 700 and 1,000 meters above sea level
Valencian Region - in Alicante, up to 100 liters of rain per square meter in 12 hours, and heavy snow 900 meters above sea level.
Andalucia - possibility of storms, heavy rain and hail.
Canary Islands - heavy rain.

This sudden burst of cold, winter weather has taken everyone by surprise and is bad news for Spanish farmers as crops are likely to suffer. All the fruit of trees which were in blossom before the bad weather started will be damaged. Almond farmers in the Alicante region say they have lost at least 25% which means that the production and price of local produces such as turron (nougat) will be affected this year.