Spanish news - Spain news from 1Casa 24 September 2007

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Spanish News

Latest News from Spain

This news is brought to you in association with 1Casa. Cristina Sanchez is head of their Customer Liaison Department, they specialiize in Affordable Property in the inland regions of Andalucia starting at under 30,000 Euros.

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10 September 2007

Spain Launches New Electronic Identity Card

A new electronic National Identity Card will be introduced for Spaniards across the country by the end of this year. So far 400 services have been adapted to be used with the new card, giving citizens electronic access to public services. The DNI smart cards will be amongst the most advanced in Europe. More than 800,000 of the smart cards have been issued already, with the card being issued in all 35 provinces by the end of this year. The information was reported by the Minister for Public Administration this week.

Spanish Health Minister Proposes Free Dental Care for Children

The Spanish Health Minister is proposing to consolidate the varying levels of state dental care available in the autonomous communities in Spain by announcing a plan to finance dental costs for all children between the ages of 7 and 15. The dental health plan will include dental treatment such as cleaning, fillings, tooth extractions and check-ups.

The cover will be available independently of where the child lives in Spain, with the new Health Minister, Bernat Soria, due to present his proposal to the regional health councillors of the 17 Spanish Autonomous Communities in October. If the proposal is approved, the Ministry estimates that the programme would benefit 850,000 children in 2008 and rising to four million by 2012. While similar programmes are already in place in some of the autonomies, the service on offer can vary greatly from region to region. The Ministry’s Plan aims to rationalise the dental care available in Spain in all Spanish regions.

Drink Beer After Exercise

After physical exercise it is best to enjoy a beer according to some experts that have taken part in a Symposium of Sport and Health at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Granada. One has to banish the idea that beer and sport are not a good combination, the reality is that drinking beer moderately after exercise allows, among others, a good rehydration and quickly recuperates the metabolism. Nutritionists and experts indicate that is advisable to include beer in the diet of sports persons although they affirm that the first drink after exercise should be water.

Madrid Among Applicants to Host 2016 Olympics

Madrid, Tokyo and Chicago and are among seven cities that have applied to host the 2016 Olympic Games according to the International Olympic Committee. The applications are the first step in a bidding process that will end in October 2009 when the winner is selected. Rio de Janeiro, Prague, Doha in Qatar and Azerbaijan's Baku have also applied via their National Olympic Committees. Madrid bid unsuccessfully for the 2012 Games.

Spanish Firms Listed in Top 100 Most Respected Companies

A new list of the most respected companies in the world, published by Barron's Magazine has included three Spanish firms in the top 100: Telefonica, Santander and the BBVA are included on the list.

The Orphanage Favourite to Represent Spain at the Oscars

The Orphanage is one of three Spanish films short listed by the Spanish Film Academy to represent Spain in the Best foreign language film at the Oscars. The final choice will be announced on 27th September. The film is a thriller and tells the story of a woman who returns to the orphanage where she grew up so she can convert it into a home for handicapped children. The film by Juan Antonio Bayona and co-produced by Guillermo del Toro was given a standing ovation at the Cannes film festival but, along with the other two short listed films, ‘Las 13 rosas’ and ‘Luz de Domingo’, it has not yet been shown in cinemas in Spain.

Cervantes Institute Opens in Tokyo

The Cervantes Institute has opened a new facility in Tokyo. The building can play host to as many as 12,000 pupils a year who want to learn Spanish and discover more about Spain. The Tokyo Cervantes Institute contains the largest library of books in Spanish to be seen in Japan, Spanish films will also be shown, there are now 72 Cervantes Institutes promoting Spanish culture across the world. This has been a year of expansion for the Cervantes Institute in Asia, with scheduled openings in Shanghai and New Delhi added to last year's inauguration in Beijing.

Earth Tremor Felt in Andalucia

An earthquake which registered 3.9 on the Richter Scale was felt in Malaga city, Torremolinos, Velez-Malaga and the North African enclave of Melilla, this week. The epicentre was 50 kilometres Southeast of the Alboran Sea. There were no casualties or material damage. The National Geographical Institute confirmed that it was one of frequent low intensity tremors which occur along the coast of Andalucia.

Crocodile Captured in Jerez Lagoon

A team made up of local police, officers from the Civil Guard nature protection branch Seprona, and zoo personnel captured a crocodile measuring about one metre in length from Torrox lake, to the south of Jerez, earlier this week. After catching the reptile, environmental officers took it to a specialist centre. Last April, a young crocodile which had escaped from a crocodile farm in Jerez was recaptured in a local stream and returned to the farm.

First Successful Robotic Surgery Carried Out in Malaga

The robotic surgical system owned by the Andaluz health service has carried out its first successful operation. Known as 'Da Vinci', the robot was used in prostate surgery by a team of four urologists and clinical nurses who received training in the technique in Strasbourg.

This type of surgery is performed with a four-armed surgical robot, one with a mini camera attached which provides surgeons with a high- resolution 3D image of the area they are working on. Another arm is fitted with tools which are designed to mimic the movement of hands, wrists and fingers, and which are able to work through tiny incisions.

Six Natural Parks in Andalucia Awarded European Charter

The Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park in Malaga province is one of five other natural parks in Andalucia to be awarded the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism. The Charter is an award granted to natural parks by Europarc, a non-governmental organisation for protected areas in Europe, which they consider are following the right approach in developing and managing sustainable tourism. The five other parks to be awarded the charter in Andalucia are the Sierra Norte in Sevilla, Sierra Magina in Jaen, Sierra Maria Los Velez in Almeria province, in Cordoba, the Sierra de Cardena y Montoro, and in Cadiz province to Las Marismas del Barbate.

New Roof for Malaga's Cathedral

The Dean of Malaga Cathedral has announced that work on a new roof for the cathedral is due to start on 3rd October and is expected to take nine months to complete. The second covering over the existing roof has been designed by the architect Juan Jimenez Mota to stop rainwater leaking through. The 754,000 euros cost is being met by the Bishopric, the Junta and Malaga town hall.

International Cultural Tourism Fair

Malaga Congress Hall is preparing to host the fourth edition of the International Cultural Tourism Fair, which runs from 20th to 23rd September. More than 140 exhibitors will attend the event from many international companies.

September to Top July for Occupancy Levels on the Costa del Sol

Tourist chiefs are happy with the numbers as they continue to extend the length of the high season. Latest figures for the Costa del Sol show that hotel occupancy levels for September are expected to be higher than those seen in July. This is the first time in the history of Costa tourism this has happened. President of the Costa del Sol Tourism Board, Juan Fraile, said that the latest numbers from the Costa del Sol Hoteliers Association predict September occupancy at more than 80% which compares with 77% registered in July.

New Level Crossing for Cartama

The national rail infrastructures organisation, ADIF, has announced plans to remove a controversial level crossing and replace it with an underpass. The project will take ten months to complete, at a cost of more than one million euros.

Mobility Week Begins in Malaga

The 6th European Week of Mobility begins this Sunday, 16th September in Malaga with the aim of encouraging sustainable transport. All bus journeys in the city will be free for 24 hours, apart from the airport bus, to encourage the use of public transport. The Paseo del Parque welcomes a large variety of activities between 9.00am and 3.00pm including the participation of the Headquarters of the Traffic Department, which has organised a children's circuit with bicycles and electric carts without emissions.

Ronda Flamenco Weekend

This weekend Ronda will host three events in the “Malaga en Flamenco 07” festival. On Saturday 15th, a show in the bullring called “A las 6 y 7 minutos en punto de la tarde” (“At exactly seven minutes past six in the afternoon”) will be performed and there is also a “Seven Guitars” concert, and “One hundred per cent Malaguenas” the same day.

Las Mellizas Charity Festival

Las Mellizas will hold a charity festival this afternoon, Saturday 15th September, at La Ermita de las Mellizas from 6.30pm. There will be performances by local singers and groups, children's activities and other events. Funds raised will be donated to the construction of a school with 7 classrooms in the Indian village of Handiha, through the ONG Manos Unidas.

Malaga 4 - 1 Cordoba

Malaga's 4 - 1 win over Cordoba takes them clear at the top of the table. Three wins out of three gives the team the best possible start to the season. Malaga’s game this weekend is tomorrow (Sunday 16th September), kick off at 12 noon, away to Castellon.

Arsenal to Open Football School

Arsenal football club are to open the coast's first football school in the Guadiaro area of San Roque. The driving force behind the school is Guadiaro’s Ken Jones who believes youngsters in the area should have this wonderful opportunity to improve their football techniques at the hand of one of the world's top teams. Classes will run from 1st October to mid June and cost 550 euros although a number of grants are available.

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday 16th September

Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa put Ferrari at an advantage in the final practice session at Spa-Francorchamps on this morning (Saturday 15th September). The Finn lapped in 1m 46.137s to head Massa on 1m 46.388s. Fernando Alonso is in third and Lewis Hamilton fourth. Robert Kubica, whose BMW Sauber suffered an engine problem after only two laps and didn’t record a time will take a 10-place grid penalty as a result.

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