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24 March 2007

Statute of Autonomy of Andalucia

The new Statute of Autonomy of Andalucia, ratified in a referendum last month, came into force this week with its publication in the Official Bulletin of State (BOE), after being endorsed by King Juan Carlos of Spain.

10,000 Centenarians in Spain

A recent survey carried out by the Spanish National Institute for Statistics has revealed that there are around 10,000 centenarians in Spain today and over 7 million people over 65 years old. Life expectancy for women in Spain is 83.8 years, the highest in Europe, while for men it is 77.2 years. This figure continues to rise which means that Spain will have one of the oldest populations in Europe by 2050.

Madrid's ‘Torre Espacio’ the Tallest Building in Spain

Madrid's ‘Torre Espacio’ has now become the tallest building in Spain. The building is part of a group of new skyscrapers on the site of the old Real Madrid training ground in the centre of the city. Workers placed the Spanish flag at the top of the 57 floor building to show its completion and fireworks were let off in celebration. The building is 230m high, but will shortly lose its title to the Repsol tower which will be 250m.

World's Largest Solar Farm Opens on Costa Blanca

The largest solar farm in the world was officially opened in the Alicante town of Beneixama last week. The farm is capable of producing sufficient power to supply 12,000 homes. It consists of 100,000 solar panels, 40,000 of which are already operating: full capacity is expected to be reached later this year. The farm covers an area of more than 4,000 square metres and has cost 150 million Euros.

More Lynx Cubs Born in Donana National Park

Five Iberian lynx cubs have been born in captivity in the past two weeks. On Friday, two cubs were born at the breeding centre in the Donana Park and the day before, another lynx gave birth to three cubs at the same centre. These births are needed to boost lynx numbers, which are endangered after persistent threats to their natural habitats, a reduction in the numbers of wild rabbits, which is the animal’s preferred food, and the constant danger of getting run over. Various programmes, including feeding wild lynx a dietary substitute in the form of domestic rabbits, and experimenting with domestic cats to test lynx fertility, have given scientists hope they can stop the animal becoming extinct.

Granada Cash Points Found to have Cloning Devices

Police are urging users of cash machines in Granada to exercise caution after they discovered several in the city had been fitted with cloning devices. Police believe an organised gang is behind the scam which could defraud people in the city centre of thousands of Euros. The cloning devices have been fitted to cash machines of banks around the city to electronically read the victim's account details, a hidden microscopic camera then records the personal identification number (PIN) and sends the details to a computer, which can make up to ten identical copies of the card according to the police.

Beaches on the Costa del Sol Ready for Easter

The Costa del Sol beach rebuilding programme has now been completed on 28 of the province's beaches. 346,000 cubic metres of sand have been used to rebuild the beaches in time for Easter after the January storms damaged numerous beaches. The amount of sand used is half the total amount planned for the whole of this year, and has generally been taken from river estuaries. On the eastern Costa del Sol five beaches have benefited including those in Torrox, Nerja and Torre del Mar, and on the western coast beaches in Torremolinos, Benalmadena, Mijas, San Pedro and Manilva.

Malaga to be Wi-Fi Capital

Malaga will become the first Wi-Fi city in the world in the next six months, meaning that tourists and residents will be able to hook up to the Internet almost all over the city. That is the pledge given by the Mayor of Malaga, Francisco de la Torre and Martin Varasavsky, President of Fon Espana, the company which has won the tender to supply the service. Varasavsky said that 80% of the city would be covered within the next six months.

CCTV Cameras Now Operating in Malaga

Seventeen CCTV cameras, controlled by the National Police, are now in operation in Malaga's historic centre. The cameras record round the clock in the eight main streets and following this pilot scheme the City Hall will decide whether to increase the number of cameras to 52. The following streets are currently covered - calles Larios, Strachan, Plaza de la Constitucion, Especerias, Cisneros, Granada, Plaza de Uncibay y Mendez Nunex.

Cartama-Churriana to be Upgraded

The Public Works Department has put the contract out to tender to upgrade the Cartama-Churriana road. The Junta de Andalucía confirmed that the road will be transformed into an eight kilometre dual carriageway complete with road services and accesses to rural zones. The project has an estimated initial budget of 383,000 Euros, with a proposed total investment of almost 20 million. The road will be 7.9 kilometres long and 3.5 metres wide in each direction.

New Recycling Centre Opens in Alora

Alora's new 'punto limpio' (recycling point) was inaugurated last Thursday, 22nd March, by the president of the Provincial Delegation, Salvador Pendon. The locality became the fifth in the Valle del Guadalhorce to have a recycling centre after Coín, Alhaurin el Grande, Alhaurin de la Torre and Pizarra. The works were financed by the Delegation, which has invested a total of 405,000 Euros in the project. The installation includes a total of 21 containers, where one will be able to dispose of electrical appliances, paper, cardboard, glass and batteries. The new recycling point is located in the Casablanquilla area next to the AVE viaduct.

Coin Horse Show (SacabCoin 2007)

This years SacabCoin (Spanish pure bred horse show) will take place between 21st and 25th March at the Poligono Industrial Cantarranas Coin. The competition is a qualifier for the PRE horses (pure bred) for the Championship of Spain. With more than 400 horses, 70 commercial stands and 20,000 visitors expected, this event is one of the most prominent in the calendar of the competition.

Rolling Stones Rescheduled Concert Dates in Spain

The cancelled Rolling Stones concerts from last summer in Spain have been rescheduled. Mick Jagger gave the details of the new concerts in an Internet press conference and the Spanish concerts are as follows - Barcelona, San Sebastian, Madrid and El Ejido (Almeria) on 21st, 23rd, 28th and 30th June respectively.

Polideportivo Ejido 4 - 1 Malaga

A disappointing Malaga lost again against a team managed by their former coach, Antonio Tapia. The team are now just a point above the drop zone after having only picked up two points in their last six games. Malaga next game is against rivals, Jerez, on Sunday 25th March, kick off 5.30 pm.

International Football - Spain v Denmark

Spain play their Group F qualifier match today, 24th March, at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium against Denmark in order to qualify for next year's European Championship Finals. If they were to lose against Denmark in Madrid, or even Iceland in Mallorca next week, their campaign would effectively be over. History favours Spain, which has won nine of its previous 14 games against Denmark.

Rafael Nadal Progresses in Sony Ericsson Open

Rafael Nadal beat Ricardo Mello of Brazil at the Sony Ericsson Open tennis tournament in Key Biscayne, Florida to progress to the next round. Last weekend Nadal won his first title since the French Open, beating Novak Djokovic in the Pacific Life Open.

Jerez World Motorcycling Championships

The World Motorcycle Championships take place this weekend in Jerez from Thursday 22nd March to Sunday 25th March. More than 300,000 people are expected to visit Jerez during the motorcycling championships. Spanish riders Carlos Checa, Dani Pedrosa and Toni Elias were quickest in Friday's second free practice for the Grand Prix.

This news was written and contributed by 1Casa.

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