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07 May 2007

New Baby Daughter for Spanish Royal Family

The Prince and Princess of Asturias, Prince Felipe and Dona Letizia Ortiz welcomed the arrival of their second daughter last Sunday, 29th April. The baby has been named Sofia after her grandmother, Queen Sofia. The new child is now third in the line to the Spanish throne, after Prince Felipe and her older sister Leonor.

Man Knighted by Spanish King has Died

Robert Craig, a man who was knighted twice by King Juan Carlos of Spain, has died at the age of 67, he was taken ill at his home in Bishop’s Hill, Acomb, and died after a short illness, he was buried in a woodland ceremony last Friday at Hexham cemetery, alongside his wife, Debra Minto, who died in December. He was Spain’s honorary consul for the North-East of England, he held the unpaid post for 20 years, during that time he was presented with La Encomienda de la Order del Merito Civil and the Order de Isabella la Catolica for his services to Spain, he inherited both the post and his love of Spain from his father, who served as consul before him and was similarly knighted.

Duchess of Alba Fined for Insulting Farm Workers

The Duchess of Alba, Cayetana Fitz James Stuart, has been fined 6,000 Euros by a judge in Sevilla for insulting comments made about members of the Farm Workers Trade Union. The incident occurred on the 28th February 2006 when the duchess described those who staged a protest when she was named as a 'favoured daughter' of Sevilla, as "a bunch of delinquents I don't care a damn about." The aristocrat, who turned 81 at the end of last month, was being interviewed by a team of TV journalists when she made the comments. According to the farm workers, the Duchess of Alba's family and other powerful landowners "have done nothing for Andalucia," and are blamed for the region’s "backwardness" because they exploit immigrants, block the animal migration paths and enjoy the money they receive from the European Union.

Remains of Million Year Old Mammoth Unearthed

Archaeologists working at a site in Tarragona have discovered the remains of a mammoth which they believe could be more than one million years old. They found a tusk from ‘Mammuthus Meridionalis,’ and two teeth, which could be from the same animal. Mammuthus Meridionalis, otherwise known as the Southern Mammoth, was double the size of today’s elephants, weighing up to 12 tons and reaching a height of 4.5 metres. Flint tools dating back more than 500,000 years were also discovered at a higher level which could provide evidence of human habitation in the area. The find was made on the finca La Boella, between La Canonja and Tarragona.

New Role for Old Tyres

A government regulation, due to come into force, will mean 35 million old tyres will be ground up and mixed with asphalt then laid on the road to improve surfaces across Spain. The idea is to make roads less noisy, with more elasticity and resistance. They will also allow more water to filter through than the traditional surface.

Pollen Counts Predicted to Reach High Levels in May

Experts in Spain are warning that May will be particularly bad for hay fever sufferers, and that doctors can expect an asthma epidemic. The grass pollens which cause streaming eyes and asthma are expected to be at high levels and those who live in cities can expect pollution to make matters even worse. A warning has been issued in Granada due to the high levels of olive pollen. Millions of people in Spain suffer from hay fever, and doctors have also noted that many immigrants who have moved here start to suffer in their second or third year in Spain.

New Four Star Hotel for Fuente de Piedra

The Ayuntamiento of Fuente de Piedra announced yesterday, 4th May, a project to convert an 18th century palace into a four star rural hotel. The investment by the company Grupo Aurolar will be 9,000,000 Euros. The hotel will offer 93 rooms, a convention centre for 400 people and a spa.

Solar Power at its Most Green in Seville

A new plant just outside Seville produces zero greenhouse gas emissions, new efforts to harness the power of the sun with a plant just outside the capital of Andalucia, Seville, here a field of 600 giant mirrors are focusing the rays of the sun into one direction and transforming it into thermal energy, the Solucar power station is reported to be the first in the world to use concentrated solar power, it is based on a 40 storey high tower where beams from several giant mirrors are directed. The system works via steam-powered turbines to generate vast amounts of electricity, the energy created is stored in large tanks, thus allowing the system to continue generating power throughout the night.

Noxious Smells Produced by the Guadalhorce Sewage Plant Will Soon Disappear

The noxious smells coming from the Guadalhorce sewage treatment plant in Malaga that permeate the air around the industrial estate and nearby homes could be a thing of the past after July. Emasa, has decided to implement a new system to deodorise the sludge produced by the plant, which works through high temperature thermal drying, the technology will have a two-fold benefit, it will reduce the odour, and also generate electricity, which Emasa plans to sell on to the electricity company and, so pay for the increased cost of the new system.

Pablo Martin from Malaga has Chance for the Hogan Award

Oklahoma State junior Pablo Martin has been named one of three finalists for the Ben Hogan award, it is presented annually to the top men’s or junior college golfer during the last 12 months. A native of Malaga, Martin made history in April when he became the first amateur to win a European PGA Tour event when he claimed the Estoril Open de Portugal.

Virtual Visiting Website for Malaga Launched

Internet users can now carry out a virtual visit through the principal attractions of the historic centre of Malaga. The website www.malagaturismo.com offers a complete audio visual virtual tour of the main tourist routes including Malaga Monumental, Malaga Picassiana, Malaga Sacra, Malaga Tradicional y Siglo XIX, Malaga Botanica and Malaga La Piedra y el Agua.

Malaga Airport First Stage Expansion will be Completed by the Summer

This summer three projects within the Plan Malaga project for Malaga airport will be completed. These are car parks, new General Aviation terminal and Security and Services Centre. The new passenger terminal is due to be finished next year with work on the second runway and plans to put the Malaga - Fuengirola Cercanias line and underground station due to start this year.

New Flights Between Malaga and Belfast

The low-cost airline, Jet2, has introduced a new route between Malaga and Belfast. The airline continues its expansion in Malaga airport with Belfast being its fifth destination with other flights being to Blackpool, Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle.

Ninth Trade Show of Businesses of Malaga

From 3rd to 6th May there will be an exhibition of businesses of Malaga at the Trade Fair and Congress Centre of Malaga. The trade show offers a variety of products divided into four sectors: diet, decoration, technical and various and is open between 11.00 am and 9.00 pm.

Dog Show - Archidona

The fifteenth Dog Fair of Archidona takes place this weekend between 4th and 6th May. The dog show was declared a festival of national tourist interest by the Department of Culture of the Junta de Andalucia after its first edition in 1993. Its origin is the recovery of a typical livestock fair that was celebrated in the area from the beginning of the 20th century and was lost by mechanisation and progress in the countryside. There will be dog training exhibitions, parades and contests along with an exhibition by dogs of the Malaga National Police force.

Plans for Northern Access Link with A-357 Alora

This week the Mayor of Alora, Jose Sanchez, announced that the project for the link between the northern access road and the A-357 is to be put out to tender shortly. The project will have a budget of 2,800,000 Euros.

Provincial Bodybuilding and Fitness Championship

Next Saturday, 12th May, the Cervantes Theatre in Alora will host the Provincial Championship of Malaga of Bodybuilding and Fitness. The event is a qualifying round for the Championship of Andalucia. There will be an appearance by Jose Manuel Acosta, Mr Universe. The competition starts at 5.00 pm with tickets 10.00 Euros each.

Salamanca 0 - Malaga 0

Malaga kept a clean sheet and went away with a draw in their game against Salamanca last week. Malaga’s game this weekend is away to Real Madrid Castilla, kick-off 6.30 pm this evening, Saturday 5th May.

UEFA Cup All Spanish Final

Sevilla and Espanyol who beat their respective opponents have ensured that there will be an all Spanish UEFA Cup final at Hampden Park, Glasgow. Sevilla also remains on course for the triple crown with the side still in the race for the league and the King’s Cup along with retaining the UEFA Cup.

This news was written and contributed by 1Casa.

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