MADRID: The Spanish government on Thursday put the country on a state of maximum terror alert ahead of legislative elections scheduled for March 9, the interior ministry said.
The official campaign starts Friday and the ministry said the alert would provide for a “total mobilisation of forces and state security corps to monitor and protect” party headquarters, election meetings, public transport, shopping centres and sporting events.
Islamist militants planted bombs on Madrid commuter trains on March 11, 2004, three days before the last national election, killing 191 people and wounding 1,800. Spain, which has three security levels, had previously been on level two “medium” alert amid concerns over a possible attack by the armed separatist group ETA which called off a 15-month ceasefire in June 2006. “We believe ETA will try to kill before the elections,” Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said Wednesday night during an interview with public television TVE.
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http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\02\22\story_22-2-2008_pg4_6
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1024.html
Travel.State.Gov - Country Specific Information: “Spain and Andorra”
This week, Kosovo became Europe's newest state, a distinction held for the last two years by Montenegro - which declared independence from Serbia in 2006.
Russian money is transforming parts of Montenegro But Montenegro keeps another record - it gets more foreign investment per capita than any other country in Europe, well over $1,000 (£515) for each of its 650,000 people. Much of it comes from Russia.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7255240.stm
Serbs hint future secession move from Bosnia
Feb 22, 2008
BANJA LUKA (Bosnia-Herzegovina) - THE Bosnian Serb Parliament said their entity had the right to secede from Bosnia if a significant number of the United Nations and most European Union countries recognise Kosovo's independence.
'If a significant number of the UN members, notably the EU members, recognise the independence of Kosovo ... In that case the Republika Srpska assembly believes it has the right to launch a referendum to reconsider its (Bosnian Serb entity's) statehood status,' a resolution adopted by an overwhelming majority in the Parliament said on Thursday.
Kosovo's independence proclamation has raised concerns about the future of Bosnia, which since its 1992-1995 war has been split into two entities - the Serbs' Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation.
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http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/World/STIStory_209199.html