Live News From Spain As It Happens

MÁLAGA has just become the seventh Spanish city with an underground rail network following yesterday's grand opening – and has already seen around 50,000 passengers travelling around the city. 

A decade's worth of planning has finally come to fruition and, in the words of Andalucía's regional president Susana Díaz, means residents, workers and visitors have 'greater quality of life'. 

The environment will also benefit, since those who need to get around town can feasibly leave their cars at home without any inconvenience.

Until yesterday, metro services operated in six Spanish cities – Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona, Sevilla, Bilbao and Palma de Mallorca, making Málaga the seventh. 

And as the capital of the Costa del Sol, the tens of thousands of holidaymakers who head to Spain's most popular southern coast will also find travelling around, especially to and from the airport, much easier. 

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

KING Felipe VI has banned his parents and daughters from working in the private sector and has stopped all financial allowances payable to his sisters, the Infantas Cristina and Elena. 

All Royal accounts will be scrutinised annually by State auditors, who normally only do this with ministries, universities and public-sector companies or organisations, and will be published afterwards where anyone can view them. 

The Royal family will officially only comprise Felipe VI and his wife, Queen Letizia, plus his parents King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía – who retain their titles despite the former's abdication last month – and his daughters, Princess Leonor and the Infanta Sofía. 

Cristina and Elena will be allowed to retain their titles but will not be considered 'Royal family' – instead, they and their children will merely be referred to as 'family of HM The King'. 

This means Felipe VI's two sisters will not represent the Crown in public engagements other than in exceptional circumstances, when they will not be paid for their appearance. 

Their non-Royal status means neither sister will be prevented from working in the private sector – the Infanta Cristina, also known as the Duchess of Palma has been employed by La Caixa bank's cultural and charitable foundation for over 20 years and now works from their Geneva office, after several years in Miami – but also means they will not have their income topped up with Royal maintenance funds or payments for public engagements as they have done in the past. 

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

WORKERS who live in Spain and have jobs in Gibraltar may be able to acquire a pass to allow them to get past border controls more quickly. 

Andalucía tax authorities say the 'red' lane, for people travelling into or out of the Rock's territory and who have goods to declare is rarely used, but the 'green' or 'nothing to declare' lane is normally gridlocked. 

Commuters who have a pass would be able to use the 'red' lane even though they do not normally have goods to declare to customs officers as it would mean they could get to work and then return home without queuing for hours. 

To obtain the pass, they would need to provide photo ID, a padrón or local census certificate and a copy of their job contract, and then renew this border card every year. 

Also, regional authorities in southern Spain plan to build a third lane for cars crossing the border in either direction. 

And whereas at present, one on-duty police officer checks every pedestrian's passport or national ID card, 12 'biometric' machines will be installed so border-crossers can simply swipe their passport as they can now do at many European airports.

Over-zealous border checks purporting to be in order to reduce contraband cigarette smuggling into Spain from the Rock – even though the checks are equally stringent for people entering Gibraltar from Spanish territory – mean daily queues in either direction reached between three and seven hours at their peak last summer and continue to be a headache for those with jobs in Gibraltar and homes in Spain. 

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A GANG involved in 'clocking' used cars all over Spain has been rounded up following raids on garages and dealers' yards in Alicante, Jaén, Madrid, and Toledo and Ciudad Real in the centre of the country. 

Three experts out of the 27 taken into custody managed to add thousands of euros to the price of second-hand vehicles by manipulating the kilometre counter. 

By knocking off 80,000 kilometres, they were able to falsely double the value of a car.

Investigations began after a buyer discovered that he had been swindled after purchasing a vehicle which was recorded as having 87,000 kilometres on the clock but, upon examination, was found to have done 207,000.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

SPAIN has the worst record in Europe for pets being abandoned, with one animal dumped every three minutes.

Author and journalist Rosa Montero has brought this to the public's attention and started a petition on campaign site Avaaz calling for tougher legislation on cruelty and neglect of animals, given that at present, pet protection laws are within the jurisdiction of regional governments, meaning there are 17 different ones in place and not all of them are suitably effective. 

Parliament has approved a motion to call for the central government to crack down on animal mistreatment, but Sra Montero says it is unlikely to come into effect very quickly. 

She says she and Avaaz will send the petition to the ministry of agriculture once it has reached 200,000 signatures, and hopes that the public voice will compel the government into urgent action 'in time to save the lives of thousands of pets'.

As well as stiffer criminal sentences for ill-treatment and neglect of animals, the new law is expected to cover population control – such as sterilising and neutering feral cats – and place a ban on any dog pounds or rescue centres putting animals down unless they are actually suffering incurably and it would be cruel to keep them alive. 

Sra Montero – author of bestselling novels such as History of a transparent king, Trembling, Beautiful and dark, Beloved master, The Tartar's heart and Lovers and enemies, as well as being a regular columnist in national daily broadsheets – says July and August are the 'worst' months for pets being abandoned since this is the height of the breeding season and also a time when owners go on holiday, with some having few scruples about leaving their cats and dogs to fend for themselves and starve. 

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

CATALUNYA'S bid for independence would cost the region 4.5 billion euros a month, experts claim. 

This would be the total of necessary payments in Social Security, wages for civil servants, pensions, unemployment benefit and general running costs, according to the National Transition Advisory Council.

Eventually, however, and once Catalunya became an established country in its own right, it would see profits of 11.5 billion euros a year – but this would take many years to achieve, according to the Advisory Council (CATN).

And to get to that stage, Catalunya would initially have to seek funding via credits, overdrafts from the Central Bank of Catalunya, and 'patriotic bonds' to be exchanged for tax income. 

The overall result is that the people of what would become the world's newest country would see their taxes rocket. 

According to the 18 reports released by the CATN, and in particular the most recent eight, the creation of a new State of Catalunya would be 'perfectly possible and economically viable'.

This said, it ias already been shown that as a separate country, Catalunya would not function unless it could continue within the European Union and the common currency – another major obstacle it would have to overcome, since this would involve reapplying for membership. 

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

CROWDS of around 500 demonstrated in Granada after a father-of-two committed suicide this week when his mortgage lenders repossessed the family home. 

Protesters from the pressure group Stop Desahucios ('stop evictions') say the deceased was one of their members who had been campaigning along with them to prevent homeowners being bodily removed from their properties because redundancy had left them unable to meet their mortgage repayments. 

They say their fellow campaigner, who was married with two young children aged 11 and three, attempted to negotiate with lender Banco Mare Nostrum when he lost his job and was unable to keep up repayments. 

Gustavo Argüellas Calvo took his own life on the night of Friday, July 25 and his funeral was held yesterday (Sunday). 

A former construction worker, the deceased had very limited chances of ever finding a job again in the foreseeable future, despite trying, because of the market for new homes having fallen completely flat, and although he tried retraining for other types of work, had been unsuccessful in his quest for employment. 

After being unable to pay the mortgage for three months, Gustavo presented all the paperwork he needed to prove his family's difficult financial situation and apply for a five-year payment holiday with the quotas accumulated during this time added onto the overall loan term. 

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

BAR customers in Sevilla are not allowed to play dominoes or darts in outside seating areas because of 'noise nuisance' – but fiesta groups are allowed to let off fireworks around the clock.

Residents have complained about what they consider to be 'illogical' bye-laws which on the one hand are 'ludicrously strict' and on the other, 'far too lenient'.

As well as a ban on dominoes and darts on outdoor patios of cafés, restaurants and bars, customers are not permitted to eat or drink standing up near these outside terraces, set up TV screens for punters, roll beer-barrels along the ground outside, and drivers can also be fined for 'over-accelerating' in their cars because of the 'noise' it creates.

Yet during the various fiestas in the city, fireworks can be let off between 09.00hrs and 23.00hrs.

And live music and discos are permitted in bars provided they do not share the same plot of land as a residential property, such as being underneath or above a flat.

At least 100 complaints about the bye-laws have been received by members of the opposition in the PP-led city council.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A BAR in the Magalluf district of Calvià (Mallorca) which hosted an 'oral sex for free drinks' evening has been shut down for 12 months and fined 55,000 euros by the town council.

Playhouse, on the Punta Ballena strip, became infamous overnight when a young British woman was videoed giving 24 men in a line oral sex within five minutes in order to earn herself a free cocktail worth just 4.80 euros. 

The excursion company Carnage Magalluf, which organised the pub crawl that included the visit to Playhouse and supported the 'sex for drinks' game has also been sanctioned with a year's closure and a share of the massive fine.

Both Playhouse and Carnage have two weeks to appeal against the council's decision.

Carnage says it will definitely do so, but Playhouse has not yet commented. 

At first, the council had trouble finding a legal principle to 'hang' it on, since in theory the incident took place between consenting adults in a privately-owned bar, but the bar has been fined for a 'serious offence' under the Protection of Minors and Teenagers Act, which prevents any pornographic material or displays being shown in public premises where under-18s may be present.

Although the participants were aged over 18, the bar allows customers aged 14 to 16 accompanied by an adult to enter up to 02.00hrs.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

GRANDPARENTS in Spain spend an average of six hours a day looking after their children's children, according to the national geriatrician society (SEGG).

With the financial crisis meaning parents cannot afford either for one or both of them to work part-time or look after the children round the clock instead of having a job, and childcare being prohibitively expensive, grandparents are playing a major role in the youngsters' upbringing – to the point where it is practically full-time, unpaid employment.

Traditional working hours and school hours do not coincide and flexible job timetables are very rare, meaning mums and dads who are employed full-time cannot be there for school runs, mealtimes or extra-curricular activities, or even in some cases, for getting kids ready for school in the morning and putting them to bed at night.

The SEGG says grandparents are an asset to children's upbringing, since their tolerance and life experience means they transmit traditions, values and teaching which is crucial to them.

Also, spending time with grandchildren helps combat loneliness and isolation, keeps them physically fit, improves their cognitive functions and allows them to 'feel useful' and fulfilled, the SEGG explains.

But the society warns that time spent with grandchildren should be 'enjoyable, relaxing and of quality' – yet some grandmothers and grandfathers find they are working the equivalent of a day in the office and suffer stress, anxiety, depression and physical and mental fatigue as a result. 

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

BRITISH authorities have won their ongoing battle of wits with the Spanish government over concrete blocks thrown into the sea into what the former say are Gibraltarian waters and the latter says belong to Spain.

Last summer saw tensions flare between the two countries as Spain claimed fishermen from the province of Cádiz would lose money due to their fishing grounds being damaged as a result of concrete blocks placed in the sea by Gibraltar to create an artificial reef.

Gibraltar maintained that aside from the reef being within its own waters, the idea was to encourage sea-life to breed and restore already over-fished grounds.

In a tit-for-tat exercise, Spanish border guards caused delays of up to seven hours for commuters entering and leaving the Rock, leading to diplomatic upheaval between the UK and Spain. 

Now, however, the European Commission (EC) has completed its fact-finding mission and declared the concrete blocks do not constitute a breach of EU environmental laws.

And other activities Spain reported to the EC, such as filling in rocks on the coast off Eastside and Sovereign Bay to increase the size of Gibraltar's territory and spread out into its sea, as well as so-called 'bunkering', are not against EU law either. 

A POWER cut at Valencia airport yesterday (Friday) morning caused chaos in the terminal with outgoing and arriving planes delayed.

The electricity went off between 06.00hrs and 07.00hrs, leaving the entire airport in darkness.

A flight due to leave for Menorca was put back by over an hour and panic broke out among passengers, according to one man questioned.

But staff at the terminal insisted this was not the case, saying only one flight due to leave Valencia and two others coming in from Alicante were delayed by 10 minutes each. 

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

Swiftair confirms pilots and crew on flight from Burkina Faso to Algeria were from Spain and 59 passengers were European

A PLANE heading for Algeria from Burkina Faso has crashed in the Mali desert, killing 110 passengers and the six Spanish crew members.

The pilot and co-pilot were both from Mallorca and the four flight attendants were from mainland Spain.

Sources from Swiftair, which was operating the flight, say there were no survivors.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

EMPLOYMENT statistics released by the Social Security office are based on numbers of job contracts rather than of people in work, the central government has admitted.

This means anyone who has more than one job – a common situation in Spain and particularly in areas living off tourism, where hours are more likely to be part-time – is counted twice or even more.

As a result, the actual percentage of jobseekers could be higher, since if people in work were totalled up rather than the number of employment contracts, the number of those with jobs would go down and so would the ratio of employees to people on the dole.

When counting up numbers of jobs on the Social Security database, the government does not take into account those on the 'special systems' set up for farmers or domestic workers, nor those who have taken partial early retirement and combine a percentage of a pension with a part-time job.

This issue was raised in Parliament by head of economics for the party Union, Progress and Democracy (UPyD), Álvaro Anchuelo, and the current reigning PP government confessed this was indeed the case.

But it insisted that the same calculation methods have been used since 2009, and are in accordance with the Eurostat Good Practice Code.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A TOWN in eastern Spain has swapped the dust cart for a horse and cart to save money.

Monforte del Cid (Alicante province) says it will save 200,000 euros a decade – half its costs – by using four-legged transport for collecting rubbish from bins around the streets.

A first for Spain, horses and carts for refuse collection have been introduced already in 80 towns and villages in France and Belgium.

As well as ensuring that horses bred for driving do not diminish in population – given that with motorised transport, they are mainly only reproduced for showing or driving competitions – the cost of keeping a horse, net of livery, is vastly lower than that of running a refuse lorry.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

PETROLEUM giant REPSOL plans to start drilling for oil off the coasts of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote between October and December this year in the hope of finding fossil fuel in the eastern Atlantic.

A state-of-the-art vessel will drill into the sea bed 885 metres down and 60 kilometres off the shores of the Canary Island of Fuerteventura as soon as the ministry of industry and energy, led by José Manuel Soria, grants the required permit.

Widespread protests throughout the islands by environmental campaigners, members of the opposition, residents and fishermen have been ongoing for months as they fear oil extraction will spell the end of the beach tourism and fishing industries and destroy sea life.

REPSOL's public relations officer Antonio Brufau has attempted to explain what will be involved to try to alleviate their fears, although so far with little success.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A BRITISH tourist is in a critical condition and is expected to be paralysed for life after landing head-first in a shallow swimming pool.

The victim, 20, had been drinking alcohol when he dove into the pool at a privately-owned villa in the Cala Tarida area of Ibiza, on the C/ Mirador.

He plunged in head-first but without checking the depth, given that he was heavily inebriated.

The pool was in fact only 1.3 metres (4'3”) deep, not enough for diving.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

THREE swimmers will make their way from Mallorca to Menorca to raise funds for childhood leukaemia research.

Starting from the Cala Ratjada area of Capdepera between tomorrow (Wednesday) and July 30, the swim will cover 40 kilometres.

The men have already raised 43,000 euros ahead of their trek – but want to get to 75,000 euros to fund a complete research team.

Jacobo Parages, Félix Campano and Peio Ormazábal have set up the Facebook site, Tres hombres contra el mar ('Three men against the sea') and on Twitter, the hashtag #Mójate ('get yourself wet') through which internet users can make donations.

The sponsored swim is the brainchild of Jacobo, 47, from Madrid who has suffered from the debilitating and painful rheumatic condition Espondilitis Anquilosante, which leads to a gradual hardening of the joints, for 20 years.

He had to sleep sitting up for five years because of the pain, but he has never let this stop him setting ambitious personal goals and achieving them – in fact, he believes he would never have managed to get so far if it had not been for his condition.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A DRUG baron behind over 400 murders has been arrested in Elche (Alicante province) after fleeing his native Colombia. 

Hernán Alonso Villa, 40, known as 'El Ratón' ('the mouse') was caught on the AP-7 motorway near Alicante-Elche airport with 40,000 euros in cash on his person. 

He was the military leader of the bloodthirsty, 200-strong Medellín Cartel and is described as one of the world's most dangerous drug traffickers. 

Villa headed up the 'Envigado Payment and Hitmen Office', which has executed over 400 non-paying addicts and secondary dealers since the Cartel was founded in 1980, and is responsible for smuggling cocaine from Colombia to Spain, Holland and the USA.

Originally led by the notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar, the racket has expanded considerably in the past 30 or so years and now has close links with the well-known and exceptionally violent Sinaloa Cartel, based in the city of the same name in northern México. 

Police in the Alicante province had been on Villa's trail for a month before they caught him this weekend, and followed him to one of the many properties he owns in the Elche area, bought with the proceeds of drug-trafficking.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

TWO massive forest fires in the province of Castellón have forced over 140 residents on urbanisations to flee their homes - and one of the infernos continues to burn 18 hours after it was discovered. 

Flames were spotted near the coastal holiday resort town of Peñíscola at around 09.35hrs yesterday (Sunday) in a pine forest on the edge of the Serra d'Irta mountain nature reserve.

Some 40 occupants of 10 houses on the urbanisation La Nerea were evacuated as a precaution and three air tractors, two helicopters and six fire engines were drafted in.

The blaze was under control and mostly extinguished within around four hours, and displaced residents were able to return to their homes in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, an inferno which had been started in three places close to the urbanisation Monte Zamora in the Vall d'Uixó was reported just 40 minutes after the one in Peñíscola was stabilised.

The fire continues to rage out of control and is fast heading towards the town centre.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

SPAIN'S foreign affairs secretary has given the UK government short shrift over its accusations of a 'provocative incursion' by the former's Naval forces into Gibraltarian waters. 

MEP David Lidington called an emergency meeting with Spanish ambassador in the UK, Federico Trillo, to express his discontent after a Spanish Naval ship attempted to divert two vessels from the port of Gibraltar, claiming they were in Spain's waters – which they were not. 

Lidington called the incident 'unacceptable' and 'another cynical attempt' by Spain to 'disrupt Gibraltar's economy, in contravention of international law'.

But Spanish foreign secretary Ignacio Ybáñez has passed on his 'most energetic protest and disgust' over what he maintains are 'rigorously false and unacceptable accusations' concerning the Spanish Navy's 'routine activity'.

He insists there was no breach of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea as Lidington states. 

Ybáñez called a meeting with British ambassador in Spain, Simon Manley in answer to the UK having done likewise with Trillo in order to protest against 'the manner in which London has handled the supposed incident'. 

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel supports Spanish president Mariano Rajoy in his inflexible stance over an independence referendum in Catalunya. 

Rajoy raised hopes among the pro-secession brigade when he appeared to cave in, arranging a meeting about the proposed referendum with regional president Artur Mas after having refused to do so for over a year and a half – but dashed them again when he reiterated that he would not support, allow or recognise a public vote over whether or not Catalunya should become a separate country. 

“I'm not going to play those games,” Rajoy stated publicly after the meeting. 

And he has the full backing of Frau Merkel, who said this weekend that she was dead against any fragmentation of European Union countries. 

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

SIX in 10 Spaniards will hand in lost property or money if they find it, despite the financial crisis making it tempting to follow the old adage of 'finders, keepers'.

A survey by the company Recupérame says honesty and doing the right thing continues to take priority for most people.

Over 82 per cent of those interviewed said they had found a lost item at some point in their lives, and 66 per cent said they gave them back, whilst many of the rest claim they would have returned it if they had been able to trace the owner.

Seven in 10 of those who did not hand in items found say they chose to keep them, with the 18 to 24 year age group being the most likely to do so.

It also tends to be the younger generations, particularly the upper classes, who lose their belongings the most often, whilst a high percentage of those aged 55 to 65 say they have never lost anything in their lives.

Residents in Andalucía are the most likely to lose something, with 85 per cent saying they have done so at least once.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A MILLIONAIRE'S generous gesture has cost Málaga city council a hefty sum of money - Jason Buzi's popular 'Hidden Cash' game left widespread damage to public property as frenzied contestants rummaged for envelopes containing 50-euro notes.

The US property tycoon, one of the richest one per cent in the country, has already staged an earlier version of the game in Madrid with 1,300 euros concealed in various places, and later moved onto the Costa del Sol where he hid 700 euros in various envelopes for members of the public to find.

Organisers had their work cut out during the Málaga version, since a number of residents followed them under cover and filmed them as they hid the cash before leaking its location on social networks, forcing the team to move them all again at the dead of night.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

THREE more cases of the reckless stunt known as 'balconing' have led to one death and two tourists in hospital in the Balearic Islands.

A northern European youth, aged 20, landed on concrete after jumping from a second-floor balcony whilst under the influence of alcohol at 03.25hrs yesterday (Tuesday) morning.

The 15-metre (48'9”) drop from the apartment on the C/ Agulla in the Cala Ratjada district of Capdepera (Mallorca) left him with multiple broken bones and bruises, and his heart and breathing stopped, meaning he was clinically dead for several minutes.

Paramedics managed to revive him and he is currently in intensive care at Son Espases hospital in a critical condition.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

FOUR grandparents have been ordered by a judge to pay 250 euros a month between them in maintenance for their granddaughter in a landmark ruling that illustrates how every generation of a family is required by law to look after each other.

The parents of the child's father have been instructed to pay their son 135 euros a month for the little girl's keep, and her maternal grandparents are obliged to pay the child's mother 115 euros a month.

Both parents are struggling to be able to afford their daughter’s keep, since the mother only takes home a disability allowance of 438 euros a month and has two other young children from a previous marriage, and the father is unemployed and 'has little chance of getting one' due to 'mental health problems' he suffers from and for which he is in treatment.

The parents are separated and the father has no income whatsoever, meaning he has gone several months without being able to pay the mother maintenance for his daughter.

According to the judge at the court of Gijón (Asturias), it is 'strictly necessary' for the little girl to receive 250 euros each month 'to enable her to continue with her lifestyle', even though her basic needs are adequately covered.

The judge found that in accordance with Article 152 of the Spanish Civil Code, the legal requirement to maintain a dependent child 'ceases when the parent or guardian's fortune has reduced to the level of being unable to attend to said parent or guardian's own needs', as is the case with the girl's father, meaning by law he cannot be forced to pay maintenance money.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

CAR-OWNERS in Andalucía will save a fortune on their next technical vehicle inspection (ITV) as prices are set to go down by up to 45 per cent.

Along with the northern region of Asturias, Andalucía - in the south - is one of only two regions whose governments have total control over ITV testing, Spain's answer to an MOT.

And it has announced plans to slash prices in a bid to encourage more vehicle-owners to get their tests carried out.

ITV tests are compulsory by law every two years for all cars of four years old or over, or less than four years old where they have been hire cars, and every year for cars over 10 years old.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

Two beaches in the province of Barcelona were closed off yesterday (Tuesday) after a shark was spotted close to the shores.

Red flags were hoisted in Masnou and Premià de Mar after the sea creature – which can reach up to 2.5 metres (9'9”) in length was seen on the Ocata beach in the latter.

All other beaches in the two seaside towns carried warning signs ordering sunseekers not to go into the water.

The shark was very small in size, but the Civil Protection squad and lifeguards stationed in the area did not want to run any risks.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A LUXURY villa where Princess Diana spent her holidays is up for sale in Mallorca.

Complete with three suites, a billiards room, sauna, keep-fit studio and piano lounge, the property has a swimming pool, gardens and patios plus a separate and sumptuous guest house.

All this can be yours for a mere 38 million euros.

The most expensive house in Mallorca, the 1,400-square-metre villa is located in the port of Andratx, around 20 minutes by car from Palma, the island's capital.

It comes complete with a pier and moorings for yachts of up to 30 metres in length, three private gateways onto the beach and a fortress-style boundary fence.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

Brazilian flip-flop label Havaianas made a giant flag on an Ibiza beach congratulating Germany on winning the World Cup.

Over 5,000 pairs of Havaianas in blue, white, green and yellow were stuck into the sand heel-down on the Platja d'en Bossa to form the Brazilian flag bearing the message in white lettering along the top and bottom, in English: 'Congrats Germany from Havaianas'.

After taking an aerial photograph using a drone, the 'flag' was dismantled and the flip-flops were given away free to bathers and passers-by.

The brand also set up showers on the beaches in Sant Antoni de Portmany in the shape of its world-acclaimed flip-flops, which have been selling in Brazil and beyond for over 50 years.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A TUSSLE between a British woman and an MP at an animal shelter in the south Costa Blanca town of Orihuela (Alicante province) has ended in court.

Elisa Díaz (PP), whose father is ex-mayor of Alicante Luis Díaz Alperi, is linked to the ASOKA pet rescue centre with branches in Orihuela (pictured), and in San Vicente del Raspeig a few miles further north.

She had travelled to the shelter to collect some dogs and, whilst there, a British woman arrived with her daughter and two guard dogs.

Sra Díaz advised the British woman to be careful with the animals as they may cause problems if they got into contact with other rescued dogs.

In fact, the guard dogs tried to fight with and attack some of the other charges at the shelter, and Sra Díaz insisted they were put into cages.

An argument broke out between the two women in front of the expat's daughter, leading to the British woman spitting in the MP's face.

The dispute became physical and the punch-up was witnessed by four people.

Three months later, the British woman filed legal action against Sra Díaz, claiming she had perforated her ear-drum during the scrap.

The MP also suffered cuts and bruises, and she has provided a medical report to that effect with her defence.

Given Sra Díaz's status as a Parliamentary politician, she enjoys a certain level of diplomatic immunity which means any case against her goes straight to the regional high court of justice without having to pass through the lower courts before reaching said tribunal on appeal.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

THE socialist party at national government level has a new leader to replace outgoing Alfredo Pérez-Rubalcaba, who has returned to his old job as science professor at Madrid's Complutense University.

One of three final candidates, Pedro Sánchez earned 48.7 per cent of PSOE militants' votes, next to Eduardo Madina's 36.2 per cent and Antonio Pérez Tapias' 15.1 per cent.

This effectively means, as secretary-general of the party, Sánchez will be running for president of Spain next November.

Among the changes Sánchez wants to make, he says the PSOE will aim to work more closely with unions, social welfare organisations at grass-roots level, pressure groups formed by ordinary civilians who are calling for jobs, homes and a financial future, other left-wing political parties, and the world of heritage, the arts and progressive thinking.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

SPAIN'S Marc Márquez has made history once again with his ninth win out of nine races this season at the German Grand Prix - despite starting from the pit lane after a fall during Saturday's qualifier left him at the back of the queue.

Starting off on the Sachsenring circuit with wets, owing to the persistent drizzle, Márquez, 21, moved onto slicks for the warm-up lap - a tactic mirrored by most of his fellow competitors.

Honda rider Márquez, who became the youngest world champion last season in his rookie year, roared past Germany's Stefan Bradl on the fifth lap and stayed in the lead until the end, putting his team-mate and compatriot Dani Pedrosa second and 2012 champion, Mallorca-born Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) third.

Bradl (LCR Honda) had started third off the grid but took the lead immediately, but his tyre strategy - starting with slicks fitted in a rush to a wet set-up bike - cost him dearly and he finished 16th.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A BRITISH fugitive has been arrested on the Costa del Sol for running an illegal medication trafficking racket.

The accused, 54, wanted by UK authorities for jumping bail, was caught yesterday (Sunday) on the C/ Doha in Marbella.

He is set to face up to 10 years in jail for five counts of offences against public health.

According to National Police, the suspect was found to be peddling banned pharmaceutical drugs – which have not been identified – on the internet, and was ordered to pay 15 million euros in bail.

Read more a thinkSPAIN.com

SPAIN'S ministry of defence has brought an Afghan woman back to Madrid for surgery after her husband cut off her lips, nose and ears.

The 24-year-old, who was married at age nine and had the first of her four children when she was 11, has been living off charitable aid from local humanitarian organisations since the attack six months ago.

She was taken to Madrid in a Spanish Armed Forces aircraft which had travelled to the city of Herat to relieve soldiers on duty.

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RAILWAY boards ADIF and RENFE have announced strike action over July 31 and August 1 at a time when tens of thousands of employees in big cities start their month-long annual leave and travel to coast and countryside for their holidays.

They intend to down tools in protest over plans to privatise Spain's rail services, which could leave hundreds out of a job or forced to move house.

According to various unions behind the strike, ADIF has 'unilaterally' decided to relocate up to 400 employees – even though many may not be able to do so as they are not in a position to live in a different part of the country.

And ADIF 'has not provided a solution' for around 1,000 members of staff whose job involves selling RENFE tickets in stations, a role which could disappear once new, private rail companies are able to enter the market.

Restructures, which will involve job losses, have been announced, say the unions.

ADIF will lose 5,000 employees and RENFE will shed 1,139 jobs if the plans go ahead.

According to one of the unions, the labourers' commission (CCOO), Spain has the fewest employees of all train companies in Europe, to the point of being insufficient, 'affecting quality of service and passenger safety'.

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AN AUTHOR who co-wrote the book How to survive the bulls of Pamplona has been gored by, in fact, a bull in Pamplona.

Bill Hillman, 32, from Chicago (USA) has been admitted to Navarra regional hospital's traumatology department with two deep wounds to his right thigh.

One of the bull-handlers at the festival, Hillman is very experienced with the animals and has been involved in the Pamplona event for the last 10 years, as he recounts on the website www.sanfermin.com.

But when one of the bulls broke loose and began to run amok on the third day of the fiesta, it turned on its handlers and caused chaos, leading to several of them suffering injuries.

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PET shops in Spain will come under strict regulation to ensure they prevent 'impulse' buying of domestic animals in a bid to cut down on cases of neglect.

Agriculture minister Isabel García Tejerina was said to be considering banning the sale of animals in shops, but has decided not to do so – merely to regulate it.

Steps will be taken by pet shops to guarantee as far as possible that any animals they sell will be 'treated responsibly and with respect' and cared for 'as we would all want our own pets to be looked after', says Sra García Tejerina.

The new animal protection law will also cover breeders, shelters and individual pet owners, tightening up penalties for dumping animals or mistreating them, and setting rules to reduce the incidence of such abuse. 

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THE Canary Islands have once again become a backdrop for forthcoming Hollywood productions with two major films being shot in the region this summer.

Ma Ma, by director Julio Medem and starring Penélope Cruz and Luis Tosar, is being filmed in Tenerife and Wild oats, with Shirley McLaine, Jessica Lange and Demi Moore is being shot in Gran Canaria.

Cinema has become one of the Canary Island's greatest cash cows in the last few years – in 2013 alone, the region earned over 15 million euros as a venue for producers.

Last year's Exodus, starring Christian Bale as Moses (pictured) and directed by Ridley Scott, and In the heart of the sea by Ron Howard, featuring Chris Hemsworth provided a welcome cash injection of 12 million euros for the islands of Fuerteventura, La Gomera and Lanzarote.

Álvaro Fernández Armero's Las ovejas no pierden el tren ('Sheep don't miss the train') with Inma Cuesta, Candela Peña and Irene Escolar, and the mini-series due for release next year by Fernando González Molina, Palmeras en la nieve ('Palm trees in the snow') based upon a Luz Gabás novel and starring Mario Casas, Adriana Ugarte and Macarena García were filmed on the islands, bringing in 3.2 million euros.

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TWO of Madrid's top tourist attractions are vying to become UNESCO heritage sites.

The Retiro Park and El Prado art gallery fall within a 203-hectare area which both the city council and the regional government hopes will gain this prestigious title, putting Madrid firmly on the global visitors' map.

According to authorities in the capital, the area in question stretches across the massive green park with its boating lake and artificial beach, encompassing the Puerta de Alcalá – Madrid's answer to the Arc de Triomphe – the Cibeles palace, Los Jerónimos church, the botanical gardens, the stock market headquarters, the Buen Retiro mansion, the official academy of the Spanish language, the El Prado art museum and its adjoining boulevard, the Paseo del Prado, and 15 other gardens and monuments.

Details of the UNESCO application have been passed to Spain's National Heritage Council, which has one year to approve or decline it before passing it onto the United Nations culture and conservation department.

Only about 1,000 sites worldwide are UNESCO heritage locations, making this one of the planet's top honours and a tourist magnet by default.

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FIVE people have been injured so far at Pamplona's traditional Sanfermínes bull-running festival, and two of them are said to be in a serious condition.

A 52-year-old bull-handler from Cascante (Navarra region) suffered a goring leaving a two-inch-deep wound in his buttock, narrowly missing a main artery and his groin, whilst another, aged 34, from Deba (Guipúzcoa province, in the Basque Country) was rushed to hospital with a deep chest wound and several broken ribs.

A 55-year-old spectator from Vinalesa (Valencia) was taken to A&E with a broken shin and foot.

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CHIEF executive officer of Wi-Fi provider GOWEX has resigned and 'apologised' to his staff amid an accounting scandal uncovered in a report by Gotham City Research showing that 90 per cent of sales declared did not exist and the company's value was zero.

Jenaro García Martín admitted he forged the firm's accounts because he was 'unable to manage' its debts, and has voluntarily called in the receivers.

García Martín has also handed himself in to the court and said he will bear whatever consequences are necessary.

GOWEX's shares have plummeted in value by 60 per cent in two days after the Gotham City Research report was published on Sunday, which the CEO initially claimed was 'totally false'.

He then confessed to forging the accounts and inventing sales after the Alternative Stock Market (Mercado Alternativo Bursátil, or MAB) suspended GOWEX's flotation. 

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AIRPORTS in Spain have stepped up vigilance in light of reports of a 'cannibalistic' drug which induces extremely violent behaviour in those who take it.

Metiendioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) is said to have been sighted in the Balearic Islands, particularly in tourist havens popular with young adults for their nightlife.

A psychoactive drug and noradrenaline and dopamine recapture inhibitor, it is known in English as Ivory Wave, Vanilla Sky, Blessing, White Lightning, Magic, Maddie, Black Rob, Super Coke and Peeve, among other names.

It is a stimulant with effects similar to those of cocaine and speed, and can cause anxiety, agitation, violent or suicidal conduct, cannibalistic behaviour, paranoia and hallucinations.

Physical effects include tachycardia, headaches, high blood pressure, raised body temperature, nausea and kidney colic.

These can descend into rhabdomyolysis – when the skeletal muscles contract and relax violently and at speed, breaking off and contaminating the system – as well as convulsions, kidney and liver failure, metabolic acidosis, and breathing and lung problems severe enough to require artificial respiration.

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HOTEL and catering workers on the Costa del Sol have threatened to go on strike in August if their companies do not reach a consensus with their unions over job conditions and pay.

Other employees in the sector in the provinces of Granada, Jaén and Huelva are likely to join in, although that of Málaga will be the worst-hit – right at the peak of the summer tourism season.

The industry association is in talks with Spain's two main unions, the labourers' commission (CCOO) and general workers' union (UGT) over the blanket working conditions agreement – known as a convenio colectivo, for which each sector in Spain has its own covering all firms – which is due for renewal, but have not been able to see eye to eye.

Whilst the bosses want to restrict time off, including for breastfeeding leave for new mothers, and does not wish to allow them to take any of their annual leave in summer, not even a couple of days.

Staff and unions say this is 'like a regression to the 1960s' when Spain as a foreign holiday destination was only just becoming known.

Additionally, annual pay rises will be 0.75 per cent, 0.85 per cent and 0.95 per cent over the next three years if the industry representatives have their way.

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AT LEAST 10 homes were evacuated last night in Mijas (Málaga) when a blaze took hold near two residential areas.

Homeowners on the urbanisation El Chaparral and on the C/ Noruega in Mijas town left their houses of their own accord as flames spread dangerously close.

Four hydroplanes and four helicopters were drafted in along with the fire brigade, Guardia Civil and forestry protection teams after emergency services received over 100 calls on the 112 hotline.

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RESIDENTS in a Sevilla province town have vandalised and set fire to five houses belonging to a gypsy clan behind a crimewave in which dozens of homes have been burgled.

Fed up with waiting for justice to be done and condemning police inaction as the break-ins continue night after night, the people of Estepa finally snapped yesterday (Saturday) evening and staged a mass protest in the village before crowds of locals set upon the gypsies' homes.

Guardia Civil officers say the resulting riots are ongoing, and are attempting to bring the situation under control and identify those who damaged and ransacked the gypsies' homes.

The clan, known as Los Chorizos – Spanish slang which roughly means 'tea-leaves' – were not at home at the time, and a number of protesters smashed windows with sticks and stones, entered the buildings and stole various items in broad daylight and in full view of the village.

Two men were photographed and cheered on as they carried a giant plasma-screen TV they had stolen from one of the clan's homes.

Some of the demonstrators set light to mattresses in two of the houses, leading to clouds of smoke filling the village, although the damage caused was minimal in the end. 

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POPULAR historic fantasy TV series Game of Thrones could bring a cash injection of up to 98 million euros and create 4,000 temporary jobs in Andalucía.

These figures are based upon Northern Ireland when the region was used as a shooting location for part of what is said to be the most-watched TV series on record, says Carlos Rosado of the Andalucía Film Commission.

And ever since episodes of Game of Thrones were filmed in Dubrovnik, Croatia, tourist accommodation bookings have shot up by 29 per cent.

Visitors can also explore the areas used in scenes on an exclusive three-hour guided tour costing 57 euros where they can see the real-life neighbourhood in Dubrovnik's historic quarter – a UNESCO heritage site – which becomes the fictitious city of King's Landing in the series, as well as Lovrijenac Fortress where the bloodshed and battles took place.

Tourism in Croatia has rocketed since the former Yugoslav nation was used to film parts of the first four seasons of Game of Thrones, and has risen to a lesser extent in Malta, Scotland and Iceland as well as the Moroccan cities of Mdina and Essaouira, which have also been used for various scenes.

Now, southern Spain is set to be used for scenes in the fifth season and, although dates have not been confirmed, the Andalucía Film Commission has been working closely with production company HBO since the beginning of the year.

Representatives from HBO have visited Moorish palaces, castles, bull-rings, mansions, farmhouses, and examined city walls and even quarries in the provinces of Sevilla, Córdoba and Málaga, as well as making contact with companies in all three, especially on the Costa del Sol.

Inland Andalucía is said to be 'the perfect reflection' of the arid land of Dorne, the hottest and southermost region of the austral continent of Essos, and the architecture is very much in keeping with the periods in history the series is based upon.

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A BAN on wearing burkhas or niqabs in public places is set to return in the province of Lleida in Catalunya following a European court verdict supporting a blanket prohibition in France.

Pioneers in Spain for outlawing the burkha – which conceals the entire head and body leaving only the hands and a thin strip across the eyes uncovered – and the niqab, which covers the head and the lower part of the face, including the mouth, the town of La Paeria in Lleida did not go as far as France by banning them altogether but announced in 2010 that women were no longer able to wear them in public places such as council buildings or business premises.

The rest of Lleida city and province followed suit.

As well as considering these face-coverings 'an attack on women's freedom and dignity', the reasoning behind the ban was safety, security and identification.

They reasoned that if motorbike riders were expected to remove their helmets so their faces could be recognised and to guard against robberies or armed attacks – as well as for politeness when talking to people – expecting Muslim women to remove their burkhas and niqabs could not be considered discrimination.

And for this reason, they have not forbidden women to wear a hiyab, which is basically a headscarf that conceals the hair and neck but leaves the face uncovered.

Catalunya's regional high court of justice supported this, but the ruling was overturned by the Supreme Court on the grounds that it was outside the town councils' jurisdiction and any such law should come from the regional Parliament.

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A FORMER accountant for the King's brother-in-law has revealed all that went on within the 'front' company Aizoon and the so-called non-profit association, the Nóos Institute, as a plea-bargain to reduce his own sentence.

Marco Antonio Tejeiro, whose sister Ana is married to the Duke of Palma's former co-director Diego Torres and is also believed to be implicated - handed in a missive to the court yesterday (Thursday) revealing that the public funds supplied to the Nóos Institute were siphoned off by the two men via Aizoon and other 'front' companies with no apparent commercial activity.

The Infanta Cristina - sister of King Felipe VI - and her husband Iñaki Urdangarín (pictured) have both been 'dropped' from the official Royal family although they retain their Duke and Duchess titles.

Urdangarín and Torres face up to 19 years in jail and the Infanta has been formerly charged with embezzlement and money-laundering based upon her 50-per-cent stake in Aizoon, a 'family firm' with no employees.

Aizoon did not have any resources or other means to carry out business of any description, Sr Tejeiro writes, but fake invoices were reportedly issued in the name of the firm to the Nóos Institute, which left Torres and Urdangarín up to 5.9 million euros richer when the Institute paid these 'invoices'.

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A TRAIN linking the cities of Alicante and Madrid has derailed due to flooding on the line, emergency services confirm.

Torrential rain in the centre of the country last night (Wednesday) left deep puddles on the track causing the carriage to veer off its rails in Alpera (Albacete province) at around 19.45hrs.

None of the 220 passengers or staff were injured, but most experienced moments of sheer terror as images of the Galicia rail crash which killed 79 people last year – the worst in Spain since the 1940s – flashed before them.

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A CONTROVERSIAL 'health and safety for tourists' flyer handed out to Ibiza holidaymakers has led to tension between town councils and the British Consulate.

Posters put up in the popular resort town of Sant Antoni de Portmany show price tags next to warnings about what not to do on the island to show 'what it could cost' not following advice.

This shows a figure of 5,000 pounds (around 6,250 euros) next to the heading, 'Check you're covered before you hit the road', telling tourists they should make sure their insurance policy covers them before hiring a quad or a moped.

According to the price tags next to the other three warnings, not heeding these 'could cost you your life', the posters claim.

In light of the reckless alcohol-fuelled stunt known as 'balconing' – where northern European youths try to jump from their hotel windows into the pool, a practice which killed nine tourists last year – the Consulate tells visitors to Ibiza, 'don't fool around on balconies. Use your balcony sensibly and safely, so the view you see won't be your last'.

Councillors and regional government members concede the British authorities have a point in this respect, but take exception to the other dire predictions on the posters.

“Don't walk home alone: Stick with your friends. Don't walk home alone or with someone you don't trust. Price: It could cost you your life,” claims the flyer.

Additionally, it reads: “Keep an eye on your drink: It only takes a second for your night out to turn into a nightmare. Price: It could cost you your life.”

As well as politicians, bosses of hotels, bars, restaurants and other tourism-related industries call the campaign 'suicidal', 'exaggerated', 'pathetic', 'brutal' and 'counter-productive'.

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WOMEN having children past the age of 40 have increased dramatically in number over the past few years – in fact, they have risen by over a quarter in just 12 months.

Although no distinction has been made in the figures between first-time over-40 mothers and those who had already had children at a younger age, it is said that 35,666 women in their fifth decade gave birth last year – an increase of 26 per cent on numbers for 2012.

They currently represent 8.3 per cent of all women in Spain who give birth, and have doubled in number since 2006 when only 16,512 mums over 40 out of getting on for 400,000 in the country as a whole were registered.

Experts say the 'maternity calendar' is changing, particularly in light of the financial crisis – modern women 'have worked hard to gain a higher education' and 'made achieving a solid career base a priority' ahead of that of 'partners or families'.

“Settling down with a life-partner or having children are not something that happen early in life now,” says demographic expert Julio Pérez of the High Council of Scientific Investigation (CSIC).

This, and a longer wait to find work and job security, meaning leaving home and buying a property comes much later, has also led to women having children at an age normally considered high-risk, Pérez says.

Women interviewed say they chose not to have children earlier in life because they firstly wanted to make sure they were with the right partner who would be supportive and responsible, who was financially solvent, and whom they were confident they wanted to be with long-term or for good.

Many say mums in their 40s are not an unusual sight at the school gates, but that the situation is 'fairly normal'.

“There's a lot more divorce nowadays and many people decide to have a child when they meet their second husband or wife,” said one woman, who added that she was 'absolutely sure' that she would choose to have children 'when she was ready'.

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A MASSIVE luxury craft belonging to the late IT tycoon Steve Jobs has been moored at Mallorca yacht club and will stay there until at least next Sunday.

The Venus, a bespoke catamaran created by Jobs to his own specifications, measures 78 metres (253'6”) long and 12 metres (39'0”) wide and full of luxury facilities.

Highly-acclaimed industrial designer Philippe Starcke worked closely with the Apple boss on the yacht's construction, but Jobs never saw it finished or got to sail in it before he died from pancreatic cancer in October 2011.

A year later, Venus set sail for the first time ever from the premises of shipping firm Koninklijke de Vries in the Dutch port town of Aalsmeer.

In Jobs' official biography, author Walter Isaacson quoted the technology giant as saying: “It's possible I might die and leave Laurence [Jobs' wife] with a half-built boat, but I have to carry on. If I leave it, it will be like recognising I'm about to die.”

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EMAILS between the Duke of Palma and his co-director Diego Torres apparently incriminating outgoing King Juan Carlos in the infamous public funding embezzlement case in which the latter's younger daughter, the Duchess of Palma is also set to be charged.

Torres has provided the judge with copies of eight emails between himself and the Duke, Iñaki Urdangarín in connection with the former's 'front' company Aizoon, in which the Duchess of Palma – also known as the Infanta Cristina - has a 50 per cent stake.

Aizoon is said to be intrinsically linked to the Nóos Institute, which was set up as a non-profit organisation to promote sports and culture but from which its directors were said to be milking a healthy living by laundering funds through Aizoon, a firm with no known business activity.

The Nóos Institute benefited from public funding from the regional governments of Valencia and the Balearics, based upon it being effectively a charity rather than a business.

In the first of the eight emails, dated October 1, 2007, Urdangarín's comments hint at his wife, the Infanta Cristina was actively involved in the 'business' of Aizoon despite her claiming she was merely a sleeping partner and simply 'signed what her husband told her to sign' without question.

The message from Urdangarín to Torres says he had received a message from the King via the Infanta saying he would ring 'Camps', the then president of the Comunidad Valenciana.

This was a year after the Royal household allegedly requested the Duke and Duchess dropped their dealings with the Nóos Institute as it feared something could go wrong in terms of taxes or finances.

A further reply on the same thread mentioned that a well-known Basque Country tycoon had asked to go out for a coffee with the Infanta to 'explain' an issue to her that he 'could not tell her about over the phone', which Urdangarín described as 'mysterious but could be important'.

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MÁLAGA and Granada are now linked up by motorway along the coast – the A-7 has been extended by 10 kilometres.

This means a faster, safer and more comfortable route between the two cities than on the N-340, a secondary road which is mostly single carriageway and is travelled by over 17,000 vehicles a day even in low season.

New stretches of the motorway have been built between Taramay and Lobres and from Lobres to Guadalfeo.

The plans were not cheap, with each kilometre of road costing 19 million euros, although the two kilometres between Lobres and Guadalfeo were paid for out of European Union development funds.

Three other stretches hare waiting to be built, all along the coast of the province of Granada.

They will involve an extension of the A-7 between Polopos and Albuñol, which is expected to be open in December, plus another between Gorgoracha and Puntalón, earmarked for completion by March next year, and a third from Carchuna to Castell, which should be in use by September 2015.

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ELECTRICITY bills are set to go up again after having fallen by 10 per cent in the early part of this year.

With energy prices in the first six months of 2014 being 30 per cent lower than at the end of last year - and 32 per cent less than the government's fixed prices - residents who have overpaid have been receiving refunds in their bills.

But from Tuesday (July 1) to the end of the year, consumers will pay on average 8.5 per cent more than they are now.

A sliding scale of increasing prices 'to compensate for reduced costs' back in January means that by December, utility bills will only have gone down by three per cent on average over the whole of 2014.

This year started with wholesale electricity 'pool' energy prices of 47.59 euros per megawatt per hour (MWh), which the government 'provisionally' increased in January to 48.48 euros after calling off what would have been the most-recent energy supply 'auction', a procedure previously carried out roughly every three months.

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MINISTER of justice Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón has rejected calls for foetal deformity to be grounds for legal abortion after discussions held in Parliament and recommendations by the General Judicial Council.

Finding out an unborn child will be handicapped, however severely, will 'never' automatically allow a woman to terminate the pregnancy unless this is shown to have 'seriously damaging' effects on her 'mental or physical health', the minister declares.

“Physical or mental handicap is no reason for a person to enjoy fewer rights, either before or after they are born,” stated Ruiz-Gallardón.

“We will never allow citizens to be considered first-class or second-class.

“I will not allow a system to be set up whereby, merely by dint of a person lacking in something, they have fewer rights than a person who is not – I do not believe in this.”

A list of 'foetal deformities' was drawn up last week, and it was believed that the minister was considering allowing women to end a pregnancy if they were carrying a child who would be born with severe disabilities that would commit her to being a full-time carer for the rest of her offspring's life.

But only those 'deformities' which are 'incompatible with life' – where the child would be stillborn or die within hours or days of birth – will be considered a legal motive for abortion.

Ruiz-Gallardón says he is 'examining' the proposed amendments put forward by all other parties in the government, most of which clamour for foetal deformities to be one of the permitted legal reasons for an abortion.

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