The government and the PSOE opposition party reached an agreement in the early hours of this morning on enforcing harsher sentences for terrorists. Those involved in the discussions have agreed to present a final text at the next meeting of the Anti-terrorist pact expected later this month, possible as early as tomorrow or Thursday.
It comes as the family of the latest ETA victim, Jsoeba Pagazaurtundua, have spoken of their contempt for 'cold hearted politicians' – a comment aimed at the Basque Nationalist leaders. Their opinion against Xavier Arzalluz from the PNV Basque Nationalist Party, was supported by the Socialist Euro-MP Rosa Díez, who accused him of threatening the peace activists from the 'Basta Ya' orgainsation, and already being responsible for future attacks.. She also blamed the Basque government, presided over by Juan José Ibarretxe, for the killing.
Meanwhile, a meeting of some of Spain's top actors and artists took place yesterday in Madrid's Alcázar Theatre in protest at the latest ETA killing. It came following the controversy of this year's Goya ceremony turning into an anti-war rally. The chant yesterday was 'Because we are against war, we are against terrorism'. A declaration was read by Javier Bardem, Ana Belén, Pedro Almodóvar, Fernando León de Aranoa, Alejandro Amenábar, marisa Paredes and Benito Zambrano among others.

Protests are set to continue with anti-war rallies being organised across Spain for Saturday February 15th. A route for the Madrid protest has finally been agreed with the authorities – it will go from the Paseo del Prado to Sol, passing by Cibeles. It's the route demanded by the protestors, except that it will start at the Prado instead of in Atocha. The final statement at the end of the rally will be read by Pedro Almodóvar.
In the face of ongoing public protests against war the Spanish government is now planning to launch a massive advertising campaign to explain the Spanish position on Iraq. The campaign was announced by the PP secretary general, Javier Arenas, who said the campaign would start this week.

Iraq will also be top of the agenda at the 17th Hispano-German summit which starts today in Lanzarote with both countries leaders, José María Aznar and Gerhard Schröder, both in attendance. The two sides have different positions on Iraq, the Germans are with the French looking for peaceful solution to the crisis, while the Spanish are firmly backing the United States and the UK. Also attending the summit will be the Economy minister, Rodrigo Rato, Foreign minister Ana Palacio as well as the Justice and other ministers. Bilateral matters such as trade will also be discussed.

Fernando Adalid, the ex boyfriend of the missing Tarragona doctor, Gloria Sanz, has confessed that he killed her. He had earlier denied any involvement when arrested in Amsterdam, but yesterday during his extradition back to Spain he changed his mind, confessing his involvement during the plane flight, and on arrival in Barcelona leading police to the place where he had hidden the body. It was found in Port de l'Ordal, a forest close to Vilafranca del Penedès, near Barcelona. The couple were engaged to be married in October.
Meanwhile in a separate incident, the police have confirmed that a body found in Galicia is that of the woman missing from the Laredo. 19 year old Francisca Saila Barrios had last been seen last Sunday night.

The Canary Islands search and rescue organisations have decided not to restart a search this morning for a rowing boat which disappeared close to Fuerteventura five days ago. It comes after a search with boats and helicopters has failed to find anything. The boat was carrying a group of illegal immigrant trying to reach Spain. The last contact with them was from an emergency call from a mobile phone made in the early hours of Monday. It's not known how many people were onboard.

Staying on the Canaries, one person has been detained and 423 kilos of cocaine recovered from a yacht in Tenerife. A 48 year old Swiss man has been charged. The drug is said to be worth 15 million €.

A 51 year old father has been detained by the police in Miranda de Ebro, near Burgos, after abandoning his 20 month old baby daughter in a roadside brothel. The man left the child with a bag containing all her documentation, and now faces charges of abandoning a minor.

The recent complaint by the openly gay army lieutenant colonel José María Sánchez Silva against gays not being allowed to donate blood in a Madrid military hospital has generated a harsh attack on homosexuality from another lieutenant colonel, Ocaña who has written a letter to Sánchez Silba saying that 'homosexuality is worse than the four horsemen of the apocolypse'. He said that gays had 'perverse and cruel unjustifiable aims'. Sánchez Silva has passed the letter onto the Army Chief of State, considering its content as 'highly insulting'.