miércoles, 6 marzo 2013

Actualizado 16:03 CET

Última hora

CATALAN INDEPENDENCE

Catalan parties join forces to defy Madrid on sovereignty question

Miquel Noguer Barcelona

Regional chief prosecutor under fire for pro-status vote comments resigns

Attorney general to fire Catalonia prosecutor for referendum remarks

Fernando Garea Madrid

Martín Rodríguez Sol said sovereignty vote was legitimate but it lacked any recognized legal framework

BANKING SECTOR

Brussels says Spain has room to raise VAT further

Claudi Pérez Brussels 1

In its report card on Madrid’s compliance with the terms of the bailout for Spanish banks, the European Commission urges stricter control of regional finances

Bankia chairman wants bank to be privatized from 2014-2015

Íñigo de Barrón Madrid

Goirigolzarri acknowledges it was a mistake to list the bank in light of its massive losses

Spain will not sell CatalunyaBanc “on the cheap,” minister says

Agencies Brussels 1

Public tender for sale of bank aborted due to lack of competitive offers

TERRORISM

Norway expels ETA members after seeing no moves toward peace talks

El País Madrid

Spanish Interior Ministry said it is not aware of the expulsions

Human Rights Court awards damages to Nazi bookseller

El País Madrid

Barcelona businessman had sought 125,000 euros in compensation over unfair trial

ROYAL SCANDAL

Ties that have Royal Household in a bind laid bare in Nóos investigation

Andreu Manresa / Natalia Junquera Palma de Mallorca / Madrid

Palace secretary and Duke of Palma seek to distance king’s family from scandal

Valencia mayor and ex-regional chief Camps dragged into Nóos case

Andreu Manresa Palma de Mallorca

Urdangarin tells judge how he got big contracts from Barberá and Camps, who are accused of sidestepping bidding process

Urdangarin judge believes Nóos associate’s emails are genuine

Andreu Manresa Palma de Mallorca

Royal son-in-law shown to be engaged in suspect institute dealings after king had warned him off

Urdangarin says king played no part in suspect business

US warns Catalan government about proposed “Coca-Cola tax”

Rafael Méndez Madrid 1

Despite lobbying by ambassador to ditch the levy, premier Artur Mas remains inflexible

recession

Official unemployment rises above five million for the first-ever time

El País Madrid 3

February rise in joblessness is the lowest since 2008

THE PP'S HIDDEN FINANCES

Bárcenas appeals judge’s decision to confiscate his passport

El País Madrid

Popular Party drops regular Monday press meeting as slush fund investigation deepens

Mystery still surrounds police inspection at PP headquarters

Bank deposits by Bárcenas’ wife under scrutiny

El País Madrid 1

Former PP treasurer's spouse Rosalía Iglesias held no job when she paid in more than 600,000 euros

PP moneyman admits he held €38m

Bárcenas scandal deepens as police investigate alleged theft

Jorge A. Rodríguez / Francisco Mercado Madrid 2

Officers turn up at PP headquarters after ex-treasurer files complaint. Judge seeks to include slush fund ledgers in Gürtel inquiry

Four paintings in Prado alleged to have belonged to Bárcenas

José Manuel Romero Madrid

Ex-PP money man attributed part of 38-million-euro fortune to art sales

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE CONTROVERSY

PP backs away from minister’s “personal opinions” on gay marriage

El País Madrid

Clergy’s celibacy also doesn’t guarantee “the continuation of the species,” says one PP deputy

GLOBAL WEALTH

Amancio Ortega moves up to third in Forbes list of world’s richest

Sandro Pozzi New York

Number of Spaniards with wealth of over $1 billion increases to 20 from 16

LABOR DISPUTE

A protestor carries a banner reading "Iberia for sale" during a strike by Iberia airline employees at Madrid airport in Madrid on Monday. / Angel Navarrete (Bloomberg)

Iberia workers occupy Barajas terminal at start of new stoppage

EFE Madrid

An estimated 1,300 flights to be canceled this week

OIL MARKETS

Repsol sells five percent of itself to Singapore’s Temasek

Andrew Sim Madrid

Oil conglomerate to rack up 148 million euros in losses from deal

INTERVIEW

Gibraltar's chief minister, Fabian Picardo. / García Cordero (EL PAÍS)

“Gibraltar can no longer be a tax haven in today’s Europe”

Luis Gómez Gibraltar

Rocky relations prevent British colony from sharing tax information with Spain, says Chief Minister Fabian Picardo

interview

“Big stakes in listed firms no longer make any sense for us”

Miguel Ángel García Vega

Ignacio Garralda, the chairman of insurer Mutua Madrileña, thinks that free public healthcare is on the way out

EURO CRISIS

A woman brandishes a leaflet saying "Passos Troika Out!" during Saturday's march in Lisbon. / patricia de melo moreira (AFP)

Mass protests held across Portugal against cutbacks and the troika

Antonio Jiménez Barca Lisbon 1

Austerity overload brings record numbers of people onto the streets in Lisbon and Oporto

ATHLETICS

Jumping for joy in Gothenburg

Amaya Iríbar / El País Gothenburg

Ruth Beitia wins Spain’s only gold at an encouraging European indoor championships for young team

tennis

Nadal thrashes Ferrer and regains fourth spot in Mexico final

El País Madrid

Ex-world number one now set to continue post-injury return to competition on US hard courts

LA LIGA REVIEW

Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos (r) celebrates with Real Madrid's Croatian midfielder Luka Modric after scoring the second goal against Barcelona. / JAVIER SORIANO (AFP)

Another ‘clásico,’ another Barça loss

El País / José Sámano Madrid

Lackluster Liga leader suffers second defeat to Real in five days

Benzema, Essien and a Porsche traveling at 260km/h

José Marcos / Vicente G. Olaya Madrid

French Real Madrid star faces a trial which coincides with France-Spain World Cup qualifier

Real’s Benzema facing jail term for speeding offense

El País / Agencies

Soccer player caught driving Audi at 216km/h on 100km/h beltway

Operation Helmet strikes a blow against Spanish tomb raiders

Jesús Duva / El País Madrid

The Civil Guard recovers more than 4,000 archaeological pieces from the Celtiberian period

CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS

Police chief denies existence of reports on Catalan leaders

Jesús García Barcelona

Document was revealed by El Mundo newspaper last November in the midst of Catalan election campaign

Más información

Andalusia turns back to the brick

Towns throughout the southern region are pushing ahead with ambitious building projects in a bid to generate employment and kick-start local economies

Bed and board: Valdevaqueros beach in Tarifa is due to be developed to make way for a hotel and residential complex. / Julián Rojas

TRANS-IBERIAN BLOG

Chávez’s debut

Remembering the failed coup that marked out 'el comandante' as Venezuela's man of destiny

FEATURES

democracy health check

Deputies voting electronically in Congress. / ULY MARTÍN

More than a number? Spain’s deputies submit to discipline

Pere Ríos

Selected via closed lists and mostly anonymous to the electorate, politicians are steadfastly loyal, held in check by parliamentary groups and rarely daring to question the party line

A NEW TRANSITION

Víctor Lapuente is an assistant professor at Gothenburg's Quality of Government Institute. / ROBIN ARON OLSSON

Rebuilding the future

Luis R. Aizpeolea Madrid

Faced with Spain's serious political and economic crisis, EL PAÍS has put forward 10 reforms that would transform the country, and discussed them with leading intellectuals