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Tuesday, April 16, 2024
News and Views from the Global South
DEVELOPMENT-AFRICA: Major Increase in Aid from Spain
Spain’s development aid to Africa has increased significantly since socialist Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero took office in March 2004.SPAIN: Ban on Parties Leaves ETA Without Voice or Vote in Parliament
Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzón on Friday barred two small Basque country parties, considered political arms of ETA, from taking part in politics for three years - thus leaving the armed separatist group without voice or vote in parliament and without being able to hold public rallies or produce political ads.POLITICS-SPAIN: Immigration, a Polarising Electoral Issue
In the campaign for Spain’s Mar. 9 elections, there are two opposing positions on the question of immigration. On the left, the predominant viewpoint is that immigrants must be accepted, and that comprehensive global solutions are needed, while on the right the attitude is at best to cold-shoulder, and at worst to harass them.SPAIN: Alliance of Civilisations Gets Off to an Auspicious Start
The First Forum of the Alliance of Civilisations sponsored by Turkey and Spain concluded in Madrid with concrete commitments, including generous funding, and the announcement that the second forum will be held in Turkey in 2009.ENVIRONMENT-SPAIN: Clean Energy, Questionable Business Practices
Renewable energy sources enjoy excellent prospects in Spain, but there are complaints about business practices in the energy sector and the lack of effective enforcement of environmental standards.SPAIN: Sparks Fly Between Church and Government
The Spanish Catholic Church "has strayed from the fundamentals of democracy," said the governing socialist party (PSOE) Wednesday, in response to harsh criticism from the Church leadership.SPAIN: Tough Blow for Weakened ETA
A high court in Spain sentenced 14 leaders of political groups to prison Wednesday on the grounds that they also held positions of responsibility in the Basque separatist group ETA.CLIMATE CHANGE: Global Consensus, Lingering Discrepancies
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has achieved a general consensus with respect to the report presented at its 27th session this week in Spain, but it must still overcome discrepancies raised by some countries.CLIMATE CHANGE: The Worst Can Still Be Avoided
Climate change is not inexorable, if measures are adopted immediately, said scientists and government officials as the 27th session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) began Monday in Spain.SPAIN: Court Confirms ETA Not Involved in Madrid Train Blasts
A court in Madrid Wednesday sentenced three men to up to 42,000 years in prison for the Mar. 11, 2004 train bombings that killed 191 people and injured nearly 2,000 in the Spanish capital, although it failed to identify the masterminds behind the attacks.CHAD: Spain Defends Pilots in Child Abduction Row
Authorities and civil society organisations in Spain have roundly condemned an apparent case of trafficking of children from Chad. But they defend the innocence of the seven Spanish crew members of a plane chartered by the French charity L'Arche de Zoe (Zoe's Ark) to remove 103 children from the country in north-central Africa.ARGENTINA-SPAIN: Letters from Political Prisoners
A book of the collected writings of over 100 women who were political prisoners during Argentina’s 1976-1983 military dictatorship, a symbol of what it means to fight for freedom and justice from inside a prison, was launched in Spain.
SPAIN: Rock Stars Collect 600,000 Signatures for Fair Trade with Africa
Several popular Spanish rock groups helped collect 600,000 signatures and delivered them to the government Tuesday in support of an international campaign calling for the Spanish government to modify its trade policy towards Africa and eliminate restrictions on imports from that region.SPAIN: Deportation of Venezuelan Band Sparks Outcry
Four well-known Venezuelan folk musicians were deported when they arrived to perform at Spain’s Canary Islands, where the community reacted with anger and pointed out that the South American country took in tens of thousands of Spaniards during the 1939-1975 dictatorship of Francisco Franco.SPAIN: Self-Immolation Highlights Plight of Trafficking Victims
A Romanian immigrant set himself alight in Spain Tuesday, in a state of despair over his inability to take his family back to their home country. The man, who said he had been the victim of a false job offer, is in a serious condition in hospital.ENVIRONMENT: Sands Running Out for UN Desertification Treaty
Concrete, firm and effective steps need to be taken by governments at the Eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, inaugurated in Spain’s capital Monday by the prince and princess of Asturias.ENVIRONMENT-SPAIN: Offshore Wind Power for Earthly Benefits
A boost for renewable energy, a growing sense of corporate responsibility for the environment, and the decision to create a large offshore wind park are news items that have had little impact in Spain.SPAIN: Hemmed In, ETA Steps Up Pressure
Although greatly weakened, the Basque separatist group ETA has stepped up its pressure on businesses in that northern Spanish region with a view to raising funds through extortion, while it has become increasingly radical in its political demands and is preparing a new attack, according to the police.
SPAIN: First Free Elections Still an Example, 30 Years On
On the eve of the 30th anniversary of Spain's first free elections after the end of the dictatorship of Francisco Franco (1939-1975), they remain an outstanding example that transitions from de facto regimes to democracy can be peaceful and orderly.MIGRATION-SPAIN: ‘What Is Worse, the Risk or a Life Similar to Death?’
A new wave of African immigrants has left a number of victims behind on the route to Spain's Canary Islands, where 1,300 undocumented immigrants have arrived in the last five days.LABOUR-SPAIN: Immigrants’ Plight Ignored by Unions Ahead of May Day
The conditions faced by immigrants in Spain, who despite their contribution to the economy are the most vulnerable when it comes to labour rights, have not even been mentioned in the demands and grievances voiced by the country's trade union federations as they prepare for May 1, International Labour Day.« Previous Page — Next Page »
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