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
20 - 26 January, 1997

• Spice in Spain
• Customs Arrest at Sea
• Telephone Shares Now On Sale
• Rain-damaged South
• Tax Scandal
• Police State or Civil Protection?
• Soldiers Killed
• Village Investment
• Spain unaffected by milk scare

Spice in Spain

8000 youngsters from as young as eight years old applauded and wept their way through a mini- concert by the Spice Girls in Madrid on Monday. The British all-female group whose song "Wannabe" is currently number one in 27 countries performed only five songs, beginning and ending with this current hit. In Spain, alone, their fans have bought 600.000 copies in just six weeks.

Customs Arrest at Sea

The Spanish Customs Authority captured a ship loaded with contraband tobacco, off the coast of Galicia on Sunday. The ship, named Wendy I, was carrying 10 million packets of cigarettes of Honduran origin on-loaded in Belgium and Holland. It was moored some two hundred miles off the Spanish coast from where it distributed its cargo in smaller craft. The operation code named "Columbus" was deemed a "historic success" by the Secretary of State for Hacienda (Customs) who said that Wendy I was responsible for importing 27 million packets of cigarettes last year alone at a cost of 7million pesetas to the Spanish Tax Authority.

Telephone Shares Now On Sale

On Monday the government began its sale of 171.076 million shares in Telefónica, equivalent to practically the total number of shares held by the government. On its first day of trading the company registered 80.000 private shareholders purchasing a total of 45 million shares, which is equivalent to 58% of the total number of shares on sale to individual Spanish citizens. Their value totalling some 150.000 million pesetas. The stockmarket closed registering 3.385 pesetas per share - a 0.35% rise.

Rain-damaged South

The persistent heavy rainfall continues to cause damage and disruption in Andalucia and satellite transmissions are being used to calculate the damage. Within the past week, three people have disappeared, many have had to abandon their homes and 47 roads remain closed due to floods and landslides, for example , the Marbella bypass had to be partially closed to traffic on Monday due to land subsidence which affected several 20 metre pillar supports. Damage in Granada province alone is calculated at 3,220 million pesetas in lost crops and 694 million in agricultural infrastructure.

Tax Scandal

The latest scandal to come to light regarding the Socialist Party's term of office is that at least 200.000 million pesetas worth of taxes were not collected from 600 of the country's most important companies. Tax authorities are currently investigating whether or not the companies in question are liable for tax evasion or whether the non-collection falls firmly at the feet of tardy tax collecting systems. While the identity of the said companies is not publicly known, it has been revealed that La Caixa savings bank saved 60.000 million pesetas in unpaid taxes.

Police State or Civil Protection?

From 13 January, 1997, police were officially empowered to record, on computer, whatever suspicion or report of unusual behaviour reported to them. As a guideline, these could include information on tenants of property, places frequented by minors for the purposes of obtaining alcohol, vehicles which regularly appear and disappear at certain times, unusual behaviour by persons new to the district etc. The magistrate Ramón Sáez Valcárcel, president of the Spanish Association for Human Rights regards the move as the return to a police state.

Soldiers Killed

Two soldiers were killed on Friday when two light aircraft crashed while they were trying to land in Madrid. Captain Francisco Sánchez Sánchez and Lieutenant Alfonso Almendro died when the plane that they were flying collided with another while landing at Getafe military base in Madrid. The crew of the other plane were able to regain control and left the scene practically unhurt.

Village Investment

In the village of Puente Génave near Cazorla National Park, the Town Hall has decided to pay couples 200.000 pesetas for every child born plus cheap and tax-free land in order to encourage its re-population. Its over a year since the birth of the last child in the village and most young people leave to live and work in larger towns.

Spain unaffected by milk scare

The baby milk Milumil which has been recalled in the UK on the discovery of several seemingly related cases of Salmonella, remains on sale in Spain. According to the company which produces the milk in Spain, both Spain and Portugal use their own base ingredients and therefore the local product is risk free.