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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24 September 2007

Financial Help for Young Renters

A financial aid package designed to help youngsters struggling to find their feet in the rental market was announced this week. The soaring price of property and the high cost of renting is set to be an electoral issue moving towards a general election scheduled for next March and Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero announced the government intended to get to grips with the issue. Zapatero and Housing Minister Carme Chacon revealed aid of 210 euros a month would be paid from next January 1 to all youngsters aged between 22 and 30 with income below an annual gross threshold of 22,000 euros. The sum will be paid for four years. Young adults will also be able to benefit from a state loan of 600 euros towards their deposit.

The government also plans to allow all Spanish renters whose annual incomes are less than 24,000 euros, to benefit from tax cuts in a similar fashion as property buyers from next January. The measure is set to cost 348 million euros in lower tax receipts.

300 million Euro Payment to Andalucia Brought Forward

The Spanish Prime Minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, has brought forward the payment of 300 million euros to Andalucia, considered part of the so-called historical debt to the region. Central Government's investment in Andalucia next year will be more than 4 billion euros, just under 18% of the total for the country.

Plans to Pay 2,500 Euros to New Mothers Under Threat

Meanwhile the Government's plans to pay 2,500 euros to all mothers of new born babies in Spain are under threat. Opposition parties in Congress, where the Government is thought to need 12 votes, have said they will only support the measure if the payment is extended to all recent mothers. The additional cost of 600 million euros is unacceptable the Government said.

Spanish Government Promises to Increase Nursery Places

The Spanish Government has promised 900,000 nursery places will be created in Spain over the next six years in a plan to run until 2013. The promise is set to be one of the main manifesto details for the General Election in the Spring, with places being generated at 100,000 a year. The Minister for Employment and Social Affairs wants to establish a system open to all 0-3 year olds.

Ryanair Withdraws Advert After Government Complaints

Ryanair has withdrawn an advertising campaign featuring Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero after government complaints. The ad showed a smiling Zapatero asking whether Ryanair's "offer for two million free seats is better than our baby cheques," referring to the 2,500 euros pay-outs his government is offering new parents. A Spanish government source said " We did not ask them to withdraw the advertisement because it was not aggressive. But it's true that they had not sought permission to use the image of the head of government".

Spain to Raise Age Limit for 500cc Motorbike Licence

According to a report on a Spanish news website, the government is planning to revise regulations governing driving licences in Spain, to limit full licences for larger motorbikes to those over the age of 24. The measures announced to Congress would include limiting licences for 125cc bikes to the age of 16, and for up to 400 cc, to the 18 year olds. A licence for a 500 cc bike would only be granted at the age of 24, with at least two years experience with a smaller bike.

The Minister told the Road Safety Commission in Congress that the 53% rise in traffic fatalities this summer is mainly due to motorbike accidents, and said 88% of the motorbikes involved were 500cc or more. He did point out that fatalities were 14.3% down between 1st July 2006 and 30th June 2007, compared with the same period in the previous year.

Car park Re-opened at Madrid Airport after Bomb Damage Repairs

Module D of the Terminal Four car park at Barajas Airport in Madrid has been re-opened after the explosion of a massive ETA bomb left in a parked van on 30th December 2006. Two Ecuadorian men lost their lives in the explosion. The rebuilding cost 24.5 million euros and took seven months to complete.

Olive Oil Image Dispute

An olive oil dispute is breaking out between two rival producers in Spain. When the President of the Sos Cuetera group, Jesus Salazar, picks up a bottle of his rival brand, La Espanola, he says he feels ill. The reason being that the label is almost the same as his own product, Carbonell. He says he's fed up with what he calls the pirate copy, and has said he is going to put a stop to it, whatever the cost. He says the image of a gypsy woman, dressed in red and white, and sitting under an olive tree, has been copied by his competitor La Espanola since 1982 whereas he claims Carbonell created the image in 1866.

Prehistoric Animal Footprints Discovered in Murcia

Fossilised animal footprints, which could be as much as 11 million years old, have been found at a dig in the Sierra de las Cabras in Jumilla. The geologist in charge of the site, Emilio Herrero, said that there are thirty prints and that two have so far been identified as rhinoceros with the others possibly being otter.

Odyssey Treasure was Spanish Coins

A report in a Spanish newspaper has revealed that the 500,000 coins which the Odyssey Marine Exploration company found off the coast of the Algarve last April and May are Spanish coins. They consist of ‘pieces of eight’ (the Spanish dollar of the time used as currency worldwide) and also Spanish ‘escudos’. The value of the treasure is said to be many millions of dollars.

Telefonica/Apple Reach Agreement to Sell iphone in UK

Telefonica has reached an agreement with Apple to sell their iphone in the UK. The deal is through Telefonica's subsidiary O2 who will sell the model exclusively through The Carphone Warehouse.

Intel Search for Oldest Working Laptop Computer in Spain

Intel are searching for the oldest laptop computer to still be working in Spain. The idea is to show just how the portable computer has evolved over the 26 years since they first became available and when the cheapest model was 3500 euros. The first laptops were not only expensive they were also very heavy.

EU to take Junta de Andalucia to Court over Donana Road

The Junta de Andalucia has been accused of irresponsibility in building a road that cuts through one of the few remaining habitats of the Iberian lynx. The European Union is to take the Junta to court over the matter.

The road from Villamanrique-El Rocio has already claimed the lives of 500 animals since its construction in 2001, including at least two lynx. “This road constitutes complete irresponsibility on the part of the regional government,” said Ecologistas en Accion spokesman Juan Cuesta. “After 20 years of promises, the reality is that all we have in Donana are more kilometres of asphalt.”

The Iberian Lynx is one of the world's most endangered species and Donana is one of only two natural breeding grounds of the animal in Spain, the other being the Sierra Morena, the range of mountains that divides Andalucía and Castilla la Mancha.

Andalucia Hit by Heavy Rain and Storms

Heavy rain caused chaos to Andalucia this week with roads and rail lines blocked. Malaga province, including many inland towns, reported huge hailstones which broke the windows of hundreds of cars and injured several people in Marbella.

Linares in Jaen was badly affected and the A332 was blocked at Jabalquinto by flooding. In Sevilla province, several towns including Moron de la Frontera, Osuna and Montellano suffered flooding and RENFE had to use coaches to take passengers between Sevilla, Granada, Malaga and Almeria as train lines were also affected by flooding. There were also serious problems in the city of Granada. More than 30 litres per square meter fell in an hour in Antequera.

San Sebastian Film Festival

The 55th edition of the San Sebastian Film Festival began last Thursday 20th September and continues for the next ten days over which 228 films will be shown. Those in the official competition will be hoping for a ‘Concha de Oro’ (golden shell) at the closing ceremony on 29th of September.

Torremolinos Feria de San Miguel 2007

Torremolinos honours its patron saint, Saint Michael, with the Feria de San Miguel Arcangel, which is held every year during the last week of September (21st – 30th September). While the fair is officially held for five days, it includes a number of events in the run-up to the main celebration.

Events include the San Miguel Rock festival, San Miguel Rap, athletics events, a swimming race, dressage and karate competitions and voting for the Queen of the Feria. The entertainment continues throughout the week, with the Feria de Dia, taking place around the town centre, moving to the fairground at nightfall for the Feria de Noche.

Alora Health Centre

Two and a half years have passed since the first stone of Alora's new health centre was laid. The project initially had a completion date of 14 months which meant that it should have been inaugurated in February last year, but constant technical hitches have delayed the plan. Alora's mayor, Jose Moreno Sanchez, has announced that construction is now almost finished and after administrative formalities have been completed the centre could be open by the end of the year.

Castellon 2 - 3 Malaga

Malaga's win away against Castellon makes it four out of four wins for the team. Malaga are at home this Sunday, 23rd September, when they play Eibar. Kick off is at 6.00 pm.

Vuelta de Espana (Tour of Spain) 2007

The Vuelta de Espana ends tomorrow, Sunday 23rd September, in Madrid. Spaniard Carlos Sastre moved into second place overall in the race after the last mountain stage on Friday. The overall race leader is Denis Menchov of Russia. Sastre is now second, 3.02 down. Saturday's 20th stage is a 25-kilometre (15.5-mile) time trial around Collado Villalba. The Vuelta ends Sunday in Madrid.

Spain's Pereiro Named Tour de France champion After Landis Disqualified

Spaniard Oscar Pereiro, who finished 2nd in the 2006 Tour de France, has been named the new 2006. Floyd Landis has been officially stripped of his 2006 Tour de France title after being found guilty of doping.

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