Welcome to the tuSPAIN weekly review of the Spanish media. Cristina Marquez Arroyo de Camihort has selected a wide range of articles covering general news about Spain, politics, business and culture. We also invite you to view the latest news from Spain (in Spanish) at the web sites of El Pais, El Mundo, ABC and El Periodico

NEWS REVIEW
19 - 24 December, 1996

• Spaniard appointed to Euro humanitarian agency..
• Gonzalez heads Serbian mission..
• PSOE accused of illegal funding for ´89 elections..
• Two policewomen murdered in Córdoba..
• Income tax cut in ´97..
• Spanish Christmas lottery bonanza..
• Drugs haul in Jaen..
• ETA arrests
• Spain renews relations with Iraq..
• Andalucía awash..
• Almerian cooks leave for Bosnia..

SPANIARD APPOINTED TO THE EUROPEAN HUMANITARIAN AGENCY

The Spanish diplomat, Alberto Navarro, has been appointed by the European Commission as new director of the European Humanitarian Aid Agency which annually receives more than 120.000 million pesetas from the Spanish Foreign Ministry.

GONZALEZ HEADING SERBIAN MISSION

Former President of the Spanish government, Felipe Gonzalez, is in Belgrade heading a mission of a dozen diplomats from Switzerland, Denmark, Poland, Ireland. Italy, Holland, Russia and the United States to investigate the supposed fraud in the recent Serbian elections. Gonzalez made it clear on Friday that he would investigate the situation but that he was not there to mediate between Milosevic and the opposition. The task in hand involves the careful study of electoral documents and the taking of statements from witnesses. 40.000 students took to the streets to receive the mission, causing enormous traffic jams. However the demonstration was non-violent, as have been many over the past month.

PSOE ACCUSED OF ILLEGAL FUNDING FOR 1989 ELECTIONS

The High Court has called several finance heads from the companies Filesa, Malesa, Time Export and Grupo 2020 and the then governing PSOE to answer accusations of illegal funding of the Party. In the meantime, bankers, Alfonso Escámez and Jose Antonio Sáenz Azcúnaga, previously suspected of involvement, have been excused. In the case of Filesa, the investigation has been going on for five years and began in 1991 when the then ex-accountant of Filesa, Carlos von Schouwen took the company to court for an indemnity payment after being dismissed from his post. An investigation was initiated which was to throw up many irregularities including illegal payments to the party, falsification of documents etc.which have been and still are the subject of further investigation.

TWO POLICEWOMEN MURDERED IN CÓRDOBA

Two Cordobes policewomen were shot dead on Wednesday by 4 gunmen fleeing from police after robbing the Banco de Santander in Córdoba. The bank robbers, 3 Italians and one Argentinian, all with falsified Italian documentation took 71 million pesetas. nine kilos of gold and a large quantity of jewels. They also took a bank guard as hostage, who was seriously wounded in the shoot out. The robbers are now in police custody and all the loot was recovered. Police involved in the chase say that they did not realise that the robbers had taken a hostage, otherwise they would not have opened fire.

INCOME TAX REDUCTION IN 1997

The government plans to reduce direct income tax by 2.6% in 1997 thus releasing some 60.000 million pesetas to the consumer market.. Also, just two months since its announcement, the government's plans to reduce mortgage rates and the concomitant house purchase expenses became law this week.

EL GORDO - SPANISH CHRISTMAS LOTTERY

The results of EL GORDO (the fat one) were sung, as is customary, by Raquel Villaescusa now nicknamed "La niña de la suerte" (the lucky girl) as this is the second year in succession that she has sung the winning number. The 37.000 million pesetas went to the region of Valencia with the largest share, 110 million going to 68 year old Miguel Ortiz, owner of bar Miguel de Paiporta. Valencia's central market was transformed into one large street party in celebration. The second prize of 144 million went to holders of tickets in Madrid and Fuenlabrada, the third prize of 71 million to ticket holders in Madrid and Palencia, the fourth prize, 30 million, went to Reus in Tarragona, Antequera, Madrid, Berja, Mahón, Lanjarón, Totana, Cambrils and Amorebieta and the fifth prize of 7.2 million was shared between Madrid, La Coruña, Barcelona, Zaragoza, Baleares, Murcia, Oviedo, Alicante, Gerona, Segovia, Pontevedra, Teruel and Tarragona.

DRUGS HAUL IN JAEN

The National Police discovered 150 kilos of cocaine in a flat in Jaen on Sunday, the biggest cocaine haul ever seized in the peninsula's history. Three people were arrested in Jaen and Linares and another in Gijón, Asturias. The gang operated from two cover business operations and had a total of nine vehicles at their disposal for transporting the contraband. The police also confiscated 85 million pesetas and thousands of Ecuadorian pesos.

ETA ARRESTS

Spanish and French security forces have arrested a total of 104 ETA members in the last eight months, 39 of these on Spanish territory and 65 in France. Among these are 7 comandos, including those of ETA support groups. The government claims that this has both weakened ETA and its infrastructure.

SPAIN RENEWS RELATIONS WITH IRAQ

The Spanish government will send a commercial attaché to Baghdad at the beginning of the year as the first step to renewing full diplomatic relations with Sadam Hussein's regime. The move is an attempt to recover Spain's favoured position as number one client of Iraqi crude. Madrid has never broken diplomatic relations with Iraq but during the Gulf war it pulled out its diplomatic mission although it continued to maintain administrative relations.

ANDALUCIA AWASH

After almost ten days of continuous torrential rain the region of Andalucia is counting the cost. Some 2,200 people have been evacuated from the their homes in Seville and Cadiz due to floods. The Agriculture Minister, Loyola de Palacio visited the region promising government aid estimated at 75.000 million pesetas and 62 roads were closed by landslides or total collapse. The ski station in Sierra Nevada has remained closed for three consecutive days because of winds ranging from 80 to 100 kilometres an hour but meterologists are hinting at an improvement on the 25th, just as the bulk of visitors will be arriving for the Christmas period.

ALMERIAN COOKS LEAVE FOR BOSNIA

A group of waiters and cooks from Almeria and Ronda left for Bosnia on Monday where they will prepare the Christmas Eve celebration supper for soldiers who are at present on a humanitarian mission in the former Yugoslavia. The trip is the initiative of the staff of the Gran Hotel Almeria and hotel Reina Victoria in Ronda.