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International Solidarity Movement activist Ariadna Jové (26) was released on bail today by Israeli forces, after her arrest in the early hours of Sunday morning from her home near Ramala, reports El País.

Jové, from Barcelona, and her Australian colleague, Bridgitte Chappell, sat before the Supreme Court this morning, while the defence argued that their arrest was illegal. Jové stated: “Around 2.30 on Sunday the door opened and 15 or 20 soldiers entered, pointing their weapons at us.” The soldiers raided the apartment, taking a computer, pro-Palestinian banners, ISM volunteer membership forms, and then arrested the women on the pretext that their visas had expired and took them to the Oz Unit, which deals with illegal immigration. Another Czech activist and a U.S. journalist faced the court today, but were deported. Jové and Chappell are forbidden to enter occupied territory whilst out on bail, as the Israeli government has classified them as a threat to security.

According to El Mundo, an army spokesperson stated both women had been “involved in illegal disturbances that interfered with Israeli security.”  Jové has been living in the region since August 2009. The detainment of the two women flouted the terns of the Oslo Accords since the women were arrested by Israeli forces in a designated Palestinian zone of the West Bank. The Spanish government have formally requested an explanation for Jové’s arrest from the Israeli authorities.

The kitchen at El Bulli Image via Wikipedia

Spain’s most famous chef, Ferran Adriá, is to close his world famous El Bulli restaurant in 2012 and 2013, reports El País.

Adriá announced the closure at the Madrid Fusion Gastronomy Summit today, stating that in the current format, it would be “impossible to continue creating” in the three times Michelin starred restaurant. Adriá asked people not to speculate, and claimed the closure was to “normalise the lives” of the staff.

Located in Girona, on the Costa Brava, El Bulli opens its doors to the public from June to December, with tables allocated through a lottery system from the end of the previous season.

A press release elaborated that the two years off will be spent “analysing the know how, developments, techniques and styles of El Bulli after thirty years on its creative path, work that will see itself relected in an exhaustive and detailed encyclopedia.”

The team will work out of two “creative centres”, El Bulli Taller in central Barcelona, and the restaurant itself.

The 2010 season is to go ahead as planned, with the first diners booked in for 15th June.

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• Ferran Adrià to Take a Two-Year Sabbatical from El Bulli (dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com)
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The Irish Times reports that Brian Lenihan, Ireland’s Minister for Finance, has said he will not resign from his post, despite starting his cancer treatment this week.

The news of his diagnosis was broken by TV3 on December 26th, forcing Mr Lenihan to make a full statement about his health on his return to work after the Christmas break. The TV station was widely criticised for airing confidential information about the Minister’s health. Lenihan issued a statement yesterday explaning; “during the week before Christmas, I underwent tests in hospital which identified a blockage at the entrance to my pancreas. A stent was inserted and the pancreas is now functioning normally. Cancerous tissue has been identified in the material that has caused the blockage.”

Lenihan begins a course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy this week, but appeared upbeat before the media today, as he declared himself fit and well for work, stating; “my doctors have advised that I am fit to continue to fulfil my duties. If that position were to change in the course of my treatment, I would be the first to recognise it. At all times, I will act in the best interests of the country and in accordance with any medical advice received.”  However, he acknowledged the insensitive behaviour of TV3 and asked if “there was any real public interest served in disclosing it on St Stephen’s Day, as distinct from January 4th.” He summed up: “It is a bit like politics, the journalism, you know, the only rule appears to be that there are no rules.”

An outpouring of support for Lenihan has continued since December 26th, with thousands joining groups on Facebook to express their indignation at TV3 and extend their sympathies to the Minister. Lenihan does not intend to issue any further statements about his health as he implements the measures set out in December’s Budget.

Read the full statement by Brian Lenihan here.

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• Ireland’s finance minister to continue in role during cancer treatment (guardian.co.uk)
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Wednesday saw the announcement of the new budget for 2010 by Ireland’s Finance Minister, Brian Lenihan. Although income taxes have remained static for most people, cuts across the board will squeeze a desperate ecomony further, as social welfare recipients and the lowest paid workers bear the brunt of a stringent budget. Mr Lenihan has fiercely defended his document in the media while opposition parties have been vocal in their criticisms. Sinn Féin’s leader in the Dáil, Caoimhghín O’Caoláin told RTÉ news that the budget was “written by people who are economically illiterate.”

The main cuts in public spending will come from public sector wages, with income levels dropping from 5% to 15% across the various salary grades. Even the lowest paid civil servants will face a cut, despite outcry within the unions and a national strike two weeks ago. Unions are calling for national stoppages early next year, with the possibility of police and teachers on the picket lines. SIPTU union leader Jack O’Connor stated in The Irish Independent, “it is open to us to name a day in February and say that’s the day we’re stopping and we won’t be starting again until there is some resolution one way or another.”

Government ministers have taken a further wage cut of 5 per cent, on top of the 10% decrease in April’s emergency budget, but have been criticised for protecting themselves while low income families suffer the effects. Fine Gael’s deputy leader and finance spokesperson, Richard Bruton, claimed that cuts were misleading, as they factored in a 10 per cent cut already announced in the last budget. Taoiseach Brian Cowen, formerly the fourth highest paid leader in the world is now going home with 20 per cent less of taxpayers money.

Social welfare has also taken a plunge, with €762 million axed from the budget and recipients under 66 facing a minimum 4 per cent cut. Brian Cowen described the cuts as “regrettable, but necessary.” Old age pensions have not been reduced, but young unemployed people aged 23 and 24 will lose €50 per week from their payment, while those aged 21 and 22 will see their welfare halved. This will undoubtedly increase emigration levels, as many graduates and unemployed young people leave Ireland for the UK, Australia and Canada. The legislation is being debated in the Dáil, with a vote likely to happen today. Labour leader Eamon Gilmore and other opposition figures claim that rushing the vote today is a matter of political convenience, so that backbenchers won’t rethink the measures over the weekend when they are back in their constituencies facing their voters. Lenihan claimed on RTÉ radio that, “this country could have become insolvent in the last year, and we all have to recognise that there was a 3.5 per cent increase in social welfare introduced by me last autumn, but the cost of living dropped by 6 cent in the meantime, so the real value of social welfare payments actually went up by almost 10 per cent.”

Child benefit has decreased, but not for those receiving social welfare. Many parents who can afford it save their child benefit money as a college fund for later years, but those on low incomes who really need the payments wil find it tough to rearrange their household budgets. Carers have also been hit, losing over €8 a week. The much vaunted carbon tax will come into play, at €15 a tonne. Petrol prices have increased by 4.2 cent per litre and diesel by almost 5 cent. Gas and home heating oil will increase in price from May 2010. €70 million has been allocated rfor flood protection after the recent disasters for homeowners and farmers in the west of the country. A car scrappage scheme has been reintroduced, offering €1,500 towards a new vehicle for cars over ten years old.

Alcohol excise duties have been reduced, in an effort to save jobs in the food and beverage industry, but little else has been enforced to boost employment. Up to 80,000 jobs will be supported through an Employment Subsidy Scheme and €900 million will be invested in 2010 to protect jobs and provide training. A further €200 million will be set aside for enterprise supports.

Various cuts in the health service are planned, with a 50 cent charge on every item prescribed, even for those with medical cards. Ireland’s super rich and tax exiles will face an annual €200,000 domicile levy for incomes exceeding €1 million.

The vote is due to take place at 6.30 pm.

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• Republic braced for severe budget (news.bbc.co.uk)
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• Ireland’s Budget Just Adds to the Gloom (nytimes.com)

Trade unions are to meet with Government officials today to discuss how to reduce Ireland’s 1.3 billion euro public pay bill. Yesterday, over 250,000 public service employees went ahead with a one-day strike, in a backlash against probable pay cuts in the sector, reports The Irish Times.

The industrial action affected the entire country, with the exception of badly flooded areas. Social welfare payments to over 55,000 people were delayed due to the closure of offices around the country, and almost all government-run agencies, tourist attractions, and services were closed with thousands taking part in pickets. Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan told the Irish parliament, the Dáil, that it was “not unreasonable” to seek cuts in public pay, reminding politicians that “public servants enjoy a job security and a guaranteed pension that is unique in the workforce at present. In that regard, their experience during this recession is far more benign than that of many in the private sector.”

Unions want a reform programme introduced that would avoid pay cuts, but significantly reduce employee numbers. Temporary measures are sought, to reduce the pay bill, however Impact union general secretary Peter McLoone admitted, “reforms were unlikely to deliver the necessary savings before 2011.” The bridging measures proposed include the introduction of flat rate overtime, rather than the customary time and a half, unpaid leave for employees, an 8am to 8pm workday which excludes overtime payments during these hours, no Christmas and Easter privilege days and a small number of additional hours work for staff. Another full day strike is planned for Thursday 3rd December if talks fail.

Irish soccer players and supporters were robbed of their chance to go to South Africa for next year’s World Cup, after a bitterly disappointing result in the Stade de France last night, says The Irish Times.

Ireland were leading 1-0 (1-1 on aggregate) after 90 minutes. However, during extra time French captain Thierry Henry handled the ball before a quick pass to William Gallas on the goal line, who knocked it past an outraged Shay Given to put France ahead. The Hand of God moment cancelled out Robbie Keane’s effortless first half goal and crushed Ireland’s hopes of qualifying for South Africa after coming second in their group to world champions Italy. Players Kevin Kilbane and Kevin Doyle laid the blame squarely on the officials, somewhat absolving Henry from his actions, both noting that any player would try and get away with what he had done. However, there is no doubt that Henry’s nice guy reputation will be marred by the incident as players and supporters are calling for retrospective punishment from FIFA.

Ireland outclassed France throughout the 90 minutes, despite some chances for the home side in the first half. An injury to Escude, caused by his own teammate and a few mistakes put the more experienced French team on edge, while the underdog Irish squad played an attacking game, outperforming themselves since their previous outing in Dublin last Saturday. France won 1-0 at Croke Park with a goal from Nicolas Anelka that took an unfortunate deflection off Ireland’s Sean St Ledger.

Robbie Keane spoke out against FIFA officials today, criticising FIFA president Sepp Blatter and UEFA boss Michel Platini, saying: “they’re all probably clapping hands, Platini sitting up there on the phone to Sepp Blatter, probably texting each other, delighted with the result.”  The Irishman also commented on the introduction of seeded playoffs, a move seen as unfair by many to smaller footballing countries like Ireland. Keane said; “Germany had a chance of being in the (play-offs) as well. With two massive countries there’s no way in a million years is there going to be fair draw.”

Henry has admitted he handled the ball but reminded press and players that he “is not the referee.”

An angry Richard Dunne spoke to The Irish Times last night saying; “the goal should have been disallowed for two reasons; the linesman was in line and should have given them offside then the referee should have given a free out for the handball.We couldn’t believe he didn’t but when we chased after him he said that he was 100 per cent sure that he (Henry) hadn’t handled it. But then Henry came over to us himself and said he had. He said he hadn’t intended to, it had just happened. He’s admitted that he cheated and that we should have gone through. He didn’t apologise but he admitted it. What can you do, though? That’s the result now and they’ve gone through.” The incident has provoked calls for video referees to be used in football, similar to rugby and cricket. However, the decision of officials last night caused outrage amongst Irish fans, players and manager Giovanni Trapattoni. Speaking to RTÉ last night, Trapattoni was visibly angry but praised the efforts of his team, who surprised even Irish fans with their tour de force performance. Damien Duff, Robbie Keane and Liam Lawrence dominated the game, with John O’Shea winning the ball in open play to set up Duff’s perfect pass to Keane for an Irish goal after half an hour. O’Shea’s injury and substitution swung the balance in favour of the French, and along with the exit of Glenn Whelan from the pitch, the team was without two first choice penalty takers. However, Ireland never got to take the dreaded penalties, as the controversial French goal during extra time sealed their fate. Trapattoni’s assistant and former Ireland player Liam Brady called it “a bad night for football.” When asked if he thought Henry’s move constituted cheating he said; “I wouldn’t call it that, I couldn’t use that word, but when it comes to the crunch the big teams do always seem to get the decisions. They (FIFA) wanted Portugal and France in the World Cup when they made the draw last month and that’s what’s happened.”

Read more Irish reactions here.

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• Robbie Keane claims Fifa and Uefa will be “delighted” France beat Republic (guardian.co.uk)
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Basque terror suspect Arturo Villanueva Arteaga, was saved from extradition by a Belfast judge today, according to El País. Arteaga (33), who has been living and working in Northern Ireland is accused of membership of an ETA youth organisation, Jarrai, and will face terrorism charges if he returns to Spain. He fled to Ireland in 2007 before his trial came to court.

BBC reports detail Judge Thomas Burgess decree that the arrest warrant was “invalid,” since there was no concrete proof that Arteaga was actually a member of Jarrai. The article also quotes Arteaga as saying he always worked “politically, peacefully and publicly in defence of Basque youth rights and in defence of Basque national rights”. He told reporters outside the court that he disagreed with Spain’s handling of similar cases, saying; “not just myself, but many different lawyers and international bodies, year after year, have been calling attention to the Spanish authorities to improve on matters of human rights and judicial rights for any legal cases relating to the Basque conflict.” Arteaga runs a tourism business in Northern Ireland.

Another terror suspect living in Northern Ireland, Jose Ignacio de Juana Chaos, aka Iñaki de Juana Chaos, is awaiting the judges decision on his extradition. The fifty-four year old is wanted in Spain for glorifying terrorism, and could face two years in prison if extradited. He was imprisoned for 3000 years in 1987 for his involvement in 25 murders, but was released in 2008 and took up residence in Ireland at an address linked to Colombia Three member Jim Monaghan.

Read more here.

Former President of the Irish High Court, Mr Justice Richard Johnson spoke in favour of reinstating the death penalty in today’s Irish Times.

Ireland banned capital punishment in 1990 and later removed it from the Constitution in 2001, and today a referendum would be required for its return to the statute books due to a clause inserted at the time. Mr Johnson said he was not completely in favour of reintroducing the death penalty but suggested that the government look it as an option, as he believes that; “murder is no longer shocking anybody. People have far less respect for each other than they used to”. He clarified his statement, specifying that it should only be employed in certain cases and that each case should be treated individually, acknowledging the deterrent effect of capital punishment in the past. He stated, “when I was growing up if a murder took place there were headlines in the press for a week. Now no one notices.”

However, Mr Johnson admitted there is great difficulty in ascertaining a guilty verdict in some cases, and cited the Birmingham Six as an example. “If the death penalty existed in Britain the Birmingham Six would have been executed,” he said.

Nobody has been executed in Ireland since 1954, and the abolition of the death penalty is a requirement of EU membership and forms part of the European Convention on Human Rights. Irish citizens voted to accept the ban, with 68 per cent in favour of its abolition on the same day that they voted on the Nice Treaty in 2001.

The United States has assured delegates that there will be a “real” agreement at the forthcoming UN climate change summit in Copenhagen, reports La Vanguardia from the climate congress in Barcelona.

Jonathan Pershing, the US delegate at the conference believes that the talks will prove useful, as “the meeting in Copenhagen is only a month away and it is important to determine the main topics for discussion.” He noted that the Obama administration is “committed to the fight against climate change,” remarking that it was necessary to “involve all countries that make up the 90 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions like Japan, Europe, Brazil, India and China..” Pershing recognised that the involvement of China and India would be important to the US stance and was reminded that President Obama will meet the leaders of those nations before the summit in Copenhagen. Director of Greenpeace in Spain, Juan López de Uralde, criticised the lack of leadership from Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and commented that; “it was hoped that Zapatero will take advantage of the conference in Barcelona to demonstrate a clear wish to reach a fair, ambitious and binding agreement to save the climate but it seems he isn’t bothered that the meeting took place in our country.”

Greenpeace have been staging protests every day of the talks, with their slogan “our climate, your decision.” Today, the last day, they simulated thunder, lightning, fog, rain and wind at the entrance to the meetings in order to make the delegates “see the result of inaction.” Raquel Montón, Cataluyna’s Greenpeace representative for Climate Change and Energy stated that; “rich countries are playing at negotiating, while others fight to survive.” Supporters also scaled the Columbus statue in the city centre, wearing orange jumpsuits and some displaying a banner reading “climate chaos, who is to blame?” under the arm of the arm of the explorer who discovered America.

Renowned linguist, author and philospher Noam Chomsky was honoured by Trinity College’s Historical Society in Dublin last night, for his “outstanding contribution to public discourse,” reports The Irish Times.

The Society, known as The Hist, presented Chomsky with a gold medal at a packed public interview with journalist Robert Fisk. The students of University College Dublin also bestowed honours on the MIT professor, awarding him honorary life membership to the college Law Society.

The 80 year old spoke about the Middle East, claiming that; “the worst enemies of Israel were those supporting it. What they were in fact supporting was its moral degeneration and ultimate destruction”. High inequality and a collapse of the social security system mean that for Chomsly, Israel is no longer a similar civilised society to those of Scandinavian countries. He also noted the difference between “stories” and “non-stories” in the media and academia, and categorised the trouble in eastern Congo as the most serious conflict in our world today, while the smaller hostilities in Darfur receive more media attention. He remarked; “in Darfur, you can blame it on enemies – the Arabs – whereas in the Congo it’s a lot harder.” Chomsky told the crowd he remained hopeful in regard to world affairs, but warned against misguided humanitarian intervention, stating that many colonisers, especially in the case of New World settlers, were religious fanatics, a trend that has trickled through the generations into today’s society. British colonists who set out to help native peoples in the Americas “helped exterminate them,” according to Chomsky.

Read more here.