Live News From Spain As It Happens

MELTING snow and heavy rain in northern Spain has caused river levels to rise – in particular the Ebro on its way through the region of Navarra, leaving unprecedented floods which are now seeping into neighbouring Aragón.

Already, towns and cities are sitting over two feet deep in water and 20,000 hectares of land has been affected by the Ebro bursting its banks in Navarra alone.

Castejón and Tudela, close to the border with Aragón, are under water and the first town on the other side of the regional frontier, Novillas, in the province of Zaragoza is now flooded.

The Ebro in this area has risen to seven metres in depth and has flooded 1,500 hectares of land, leaving at least 20 houses waterlogged, according to mayor of Novillas, José Ayesa, who says the town is 'living on a knife-edge'.

This part of the river is rising at a rate of between 2,000 and 2,200 cubic metres a second, and the situation is likely to continue for at least another 48 hours.

Zaragoza city hall sources say if the floods reach the metropolitan area, authorities should be able to cope as they are used to situations of this nature.

The regional government of Aragón says the main threat so far is to the town of Boquiñeni, where the military has fitted flood barriers and which are, at present, holding out.

A nursing home in the rural Monzalbarba district of the city and the urbanisation Torre Urzáiz in nearby Movera, also in the countryside surrounding Zaragoza have been evacuated as a precaution, but authorities do not expect anyone else will have to leave their homes.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

REPORTING loss, theft or damage to the police can now be carried out online rather than having to go to the Guardia Civil station in person.

The new 'e-Denuncias' system still requires the person reporting the incident to visit the station within three days of making the online statement, but only to confirm the contents and sign the paper copy of the report.

Full details, descriptions and lists of lost or stolen goods can be supplied via a website, allowing the property owner to do so in his or her own time and search for boxes, receipts or documents as and when they are needed to fill in parts of the form.

Once done, those who compile their lost, stolen or damaged reports online will be placed in a priority queue at the police station and be seen ahead of those filing their statements from scratch.

Theft of vehicles or from inside of these, bag-snatching or pick-pocketing not involving violence, loss or theft of goods or important documents such as passports, vandalism or other property damage, or finding lost property can all be reported online, provided the culprits - where theft or malicious damage is involved - are unknown.

Where the identity of the perpetrator of a criminal activity is known, or where physical violence or threats are involved, it will still be necessary to make a statement at the Guardia Civil station and online reports cannot be filed.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

VALENCIA'S La Fe hospital has worked out how to implant an arterial heart-lung connecting valve via the femoral artery, a swift and technically-simple form of surgery which means patients born with heart conditions do not need to undergo regular, life-threatening operations.

Medics at the leading research hospital fitted a valve prosthesis via the route normally used for inserting stents, or artery-widening tubes, into the heart, meaning it was minimally invasive.

The patient is just 20 years old and was born with a congenital heart malfunction which meant he would not have made it to the age of 50, or possibly not even to 40.

Surgeons say they are selecting patients of a similar profile and who need a reconstruction of the connection between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery, so that non-oxygenated blood reaches the lungs properly.

In most cases, tubes would have been fitted in this area many years before as this was considered the only way to treat the patient, but these begin to fail and become blocked after an average of 10 years, meaning the right ventricle of the heart cannot function properly.

As a result, the patient has to undergo continued major surgery for the rest of his or her life, which carries a high risk of fatality.

But by implanting a lung valve instead, this restores the normal function of the connection between the right ventricle and pulmonary artery, avoiding the need for future high-risk operations in later life.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A LEADING politician has come under fire for allegedly playing Candy Crush during the debate of the nations.

Celia Villalobos, first deputy chair of Parliament, was seen with her Tablet in front of her and photos seem to show she was playing the addictive online game.

This was just after having scolded Joan Coscubiela (ICV-EUIA) for 'being disrespectful' to government president Mariano Rajoy after calling him capo, which means head of a military commando or terrorist cell.

Sources from Parliament insist Sra Villalobos was in fact reading the news on her Tablet – but this did not stop social networks from filling up with negative comments about her 'attitude'.

In fact, Candy Crush has proven to be a common international method of whiling away boring moments in Parliament – British politician Nigel Mills was caught playing it for two whole hours during a debate.

He was forced to apologise on Twitter and say: “I guarantee it will not happen again.”

Opposition members complained the Parliamentary vice-chair had 'set a bad example to the people of Spain'.

“How is she supposed to make decisions affecting the nation, or deal with a heated confrontation in Parliament, if she is not even aware of what is going on around her?” Demanded socialist MP Pedro Saura.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

THE new-style €20 note is due to come into circulation on November 25 this year, with the design reflecting that of the recent editions of €5 and €10 notes.

By the time it is launched, over 4.3 million €20 notes will have been minted, given that this is the most popular and frequently-used in the whole of the Eurozone.

It is one of the main bank notes issued by cashpoint machines - in fact, some of these only allow a minimum withdrawal of €20, meaning €5 and €10 notes are not used and €50 notes only come out if the total requested can accommodate this combination.

Most shops and restaurants have forgery detectors for €20 notes and they are accepted by the majority of vending machines, says chairman of the European Central Bank (BCE), Mario Draghi.

This new bank note bears a feature not seen before, known as a 'portrait window' - a type of hologram designed to prevent forgery.

These €20 notes will be issued in small numbers in Spain and other Eurozone nations so that businesses can use them for testing and to adapt their equipment.

Typically, this happens about nine months before the new notes become legal tender, meaning effectively, some should already have entered Spain and other Eurozone States by today (Wednesday).

It will be followed in the relatively near future by bank notes of €50, €100, €200 and €500.

In Spain, the latter three - coloured green, yellow and purple respectively - are practically never seen with the highest denomination in common daily use being the €50 note.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

THE last Parliamentary debate on the state of the nation before the next general elections saw president Mariano Rajoy (PP) announcing a 'social package' to 'reward' residents in Spain for their 'sacrifices' in terms of higher taxes and funding cuts.

He intends to encourage companies to take on staff on permanent contracts by making the first €500 of their salary exempt from paying Social Security on the part of the employer.

Social Security, Spain's answer to National Insurance, is payable in part by the employee – a very small percentage of his or her gross salary – but the company has to pay nearly half the staff member's wage again for its own portion, a cost which makes it prohibitive for small businesses in particular to offer jobs.

At the moment, a flat rate of €100 for the first year in Social Security has been established, and the €500 exemption will take effect once this expires.

Reforms in general tax laws mean those with the highest incomes and those who 'deserve criminal reproach' for tax evasion will see their financial details made public, whilst work inspection law changes mean unscrupulous employers have less chance of getting away with paying less than the minimum wage in cash with no contract or Social Security and for longer hours than permitted by the EU, a situation that many non-European immigrants have found themselves stuck in because they need a job.

Benefits will be given for the self-employed when they need to take on another worker to cover for them so they can care for their children aged under seven or dependent family members.

This will cover 100% of the other worker's Social Security contributions for a year, and is aimed at helping the working public balance family and professional life.

Whilst former president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero's 'baby cheque', or lump sum of €2,500 upon the birth of every child was scrapped years ago, Rajoy wants to introduce a similar concept – although a less generous one.

Families with three or more children under 18, who have direct blood relatives in their care due to illness or disability, and single parents with two or more underage children will get extra benefits of €1,200 a year until all their children are 21 years old, or 25 if they are students.

This will be in addition to the blanket €100 a month given to working mothers with children under three, which has been payable since the year 2002.

Other measures, which have not been made clear yet, will be introduced to support the elderly.

A 'second chance' system will be approved by law allowing individuals and families the opportunity to restructure debts they are struggling with or unable to pay at all, but without having to go to court.

Small businesses will be allowed to negotiate with their creditors before having to call in the receivers, and claims for unpaid debt against companies and individuals will no longer be considered valid after five years, as opposed to 15 years as is currently the case.

Reduced admin and legal costs for individuals and small businesses trying to resolve debt problems – such as commission and penalty charges involved in home repossession – and a greater obligation on the part of lenders to agree to writing off bad debts, delaying payment, providing payment holidays or other ways of reducing the burden will become part of Rajoy's 'second chance' law.

When none of this is possible and an individual person has no other option but to allow his or her property to be repossessed, this shall be considered full payment of the debt in the same way as when a company hands over its assets and declares itself bankrupt.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

QUEEN Letizia has hit the headlines in the UK for being 'another Royal recycler' after she was seen wearing the same pullover at three different public engagements.

Her black-and-white checked three-quarter sleeved wool top, by the Danish label Designers Remix, was combined flatteringly with tapered black Hugo Boss trousers, four-inch-heeled black patent courts, a red 'bubble' clutch bag by Tissa Fontaneda, and matching red lipstick and red drop earrings as she attended the 10th anniversary ceremony of the Fundeu foundation, part of the BBVA bank, in Madrid.

The TV reporter-turned-reigning Monarch, wife of King Felipe VI wore the same knitted top at a charity leaders' conference in the Zarzuela Palace in November, this time with red high heels although with black trousers in a similar style, and pearl drop earrings by Links of London.

And the outfit, together with the same red heels, was seen when the glamorous Queen manned a Red Cross stall in Madrid in October.

Dubbed 'the Queen of thrift', Letizia is not afraid to be seen in the same outfit several times - and practically everything she wears gets the thumbs-up from fashionistas and the international media.

She is just as likely to be photographed wearing designer dresses worth hundreds or thousands of euros - like her navy, black and cream Carolina Herrera dress at the Culture Awards ceremony this week, which cost around €2,300 - as in budget high-street gear from Mango and Zara.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

PROPERTY investment in Spain reached a record high last year, totalling €10.2 billion - a figure that has only ever been beaten in 2007 when home prices were at their most inflated and before the end of the housing boom.

This puts Spain second from top for investment in bricks and mortar in Europe, just behind Sweden.

Marketing consultancy firm CBRE says this historic sum was mostly made up of property purchases in the last three months of 2014, which came to nearly €3.4bn - a rise of 50% on the same period in 2013.

The upward trend in property investment has been seen across Europe, with purchases going up by 32% to €218bn, reaching €78bn in the last quarter of 2014 alone - the highest amount seen in a three-month period since 2006.

But, Sweden aside, Spain still holds the trump card - whilst it only ranked sixth in Europe for investment levels in the final quarter of last year, also beaten by The Netherlands, the Mediterranean country still managed to be streets ahead of large European economies such as Norway, Denmark and Italy.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

TAX return season will start a week late in Spain, on April 7 - but will still conclude on June 30, with all unpaid tax calculated during that time payable by the following day.

Normally, tax returns - known as a Declaración de la Renta and which apply to all fiscal residents in Spain, including the employed, retired, anyone on a pension or State benefits, and non-workers as well as business owners and the self-employed - can be calculated and filed from April 1, but this has been delayed by a week for income earned in the year 2014.

The tax office, known as Hacienda, no longer sends out paperwork in the post, meaning these have to be obtained online via www.agenciatributaria.es, via an accountant, or in person at the tax office.

Also this year, a 'pensions amnesty' has been launched in which anyone in receipt of a retirement pension paid by a country other than Spain, who has never previously included this in his or her annual tax return, must do so for the past four years' worth of earnings from said fund by June 30 at the latest.

If they do so, any taxes on the foreign pension in question which have not been paid will be due by July 1 for the previous four years - from January 2010 to December 31, 2014 - but will not attract interest or late-payment penalties.

Where these have already been charged on the pension in question for this period, they can be claimed back.

Those affected will be expatriates who have retired to Spain, or Spaniards who worked abroad during Franco's time when there was not enough employment to go around all adults of working age.

In most cases, and in particular with expatriates - who tend to use financial assessors or accountants for their tax returns due to lack of knowledge of the system and fear of losing out on a possible rebate through their own mistakes - this will not apply, because pensions from their own countries will almost certainly have been included as this tends to be their only income.

Different rules apply to different countries of origin, and some have a dual tax treaty which ensures both countries do not tax the same income.

For UK pensions, those paid by the public sector or civil service - including to NHS workers, council employees, retired police officers and so on - are not taxable in Spain as a sum is withheld by the issuing authority in Britain, but they must still be included in annual tax returns as they may affect total income thresholds.

Private or non-public-sector company pensions, and State pensions are taxable as no retentions are made in the UK on recipients who are not British tax residents.

However, the lower threshold is €11,200 per year, meaning those whose income is a British State pension only will fall below this figure and they will not have to pay.

Everyone in receipt of a pension from outside Spain will have received a letter from the tax authority, Hacienda, but where they have always given their financial assessor full details of their pensions and other income from their home country, they do not have anything to worry about.

Those whose income sits below €22,000 per year (gross) and comes from one source only - an employee of one firm who has worked for the same company all year and does not earn any other investment interest, rental income from a second property and so on - do not have to file a tax return, but where they do and they are found not to have paid enough tax, they will have to pay.

On the other hand, if they have paid too much tax, they will get a rebate.

If an employee has spent part of the year, even just one week, on the dole, he or she is deemed to have received income from more than one source and will be required to make a declaration.

Most employers, upon request, will increase staff's monthly income tax retentions if the staff member wishes, either as a safeguard against having to pay extra the following year, or to guarantee a rebate, effectively acting as a small savings fund.

Those whose income is less than €22,000 from one sole source, but who have applied deductions for investing in a property,any type of investment plan including a retirement pension, are also obliged to declare their earnings.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

PANIC broke out across mainland Spain last night as an earthquake of 5.2 on the Richter scale struck the province of Albacete – one degree higher than the devastating tremor which caused nine deaths, 324 injuries and thousands of homes to collapse in Lorca (Murcia) four years ago.

Such was the intensity of yesterday's quake that it was felt in the neighbouring provinces of Alicante and Murcia, to the east, Valencia to the north-east, Cuenca to the north, and even Madrid.

Its epicentre was traced to the town of Ossa de Montiel, but residents in Murcia said their whole buildings were 'swaying like jelly' and one woman said she felt her fourth-floor office in Valencia tremble.

Despite being of a higher Richter scale grading than the quake in Lorca in May 2011, nobody was hurt and no structural damage was caused – although in Ossa de Montiel itself, residents say they saw lamps and tables moving and window panes trembling.

In neighbouring provinces, people described running for doors in panic but, before reaching them, the ground-shaking had stopped.

It was even felt in Xaló (Jalón), just inland from the Costa Blanca.

An aftershock of 2.5 on the Richter scale followed, but this would have been little more than a momentary shudder rather than the 10 to 15 seconds of violent rocking near the epicentre during the first tremor.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A VALENCIA hospital has 'cured' a father's deadly heart condition, which had left him with less than a fortnight to live, by fitting a 'robot' organ.

The city's La Fe centre, one of Spain's – and Europe's – leaders in pioneering research and treatment told the retired shoe-maker from Elda (Alicante province) that he could only be saved by a heart transplant, but there was no chance of his surviving this because his illness was too far gone.

Also, the waiting list was far longer than his life expectancy.

José Sarabia, 67, had ischaemic heart failure, a condition caused by the gradual closure of main arteries to the organ, is normally diagnosed after the patient complains of constant breathlessness, and very gradually deteriorates over years or decades.

Whilst patients treated initially – often with 'stents' fitted to widen the arteries – can generally lead a normal life in the beginning provided they do not exert themselves or lift heavy objects and are regularly checked and medicated, but the person's ability to exert him or herself gradually reduces over the years.

Sr Sarabia had got to the stage where he was not even able to walk or eat without gasping for breath and had been forced to retire due to his heart problems.

By mid-January this year, the slightest movement left him totally breathless, and medics told him he would be lucky to live another fortnight.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

TWO Spanish men suffered a violent racist attack on a Manchester bus this week when a young woman who was said to be 'very drunk and excitable' began punching them and telling them to 'go home'.

At least one other man joined her in the brawl at around 05.00 just after they had all boarded the bus at Piccadilly.

The video, taken by a doorman from Northern Ireland, has gone viral on youtube.com.

Witnesses – backed up by the film footage – say two young women were 'very drunk' and 'mouthing off at anyone and everyone', and that they were with at least two other men who were in a similar state.

One of the men 'had dried blood on his face' and looked as though he had already been in a fight.

Ross Thompson, 23, who filmed the incident, said a man and a woman in the group – who appeared to be a couple – were rowing very loudly and the man threatened to 'break the woman's jaw'.

Other passengers tried to calm the situation down, including two men in their 20s or 30s who had been speaking in Spanish and, judging by their accents on the video, were likely to be from Spain rather than Latin America.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

RESIDENTS in a Cantabria village are just starting to get back to normal after having been completely cut off from the outside world for a month due to extreme snowfall.

Up to three metres of snow gathered on some of the roads in and near Tresviso in the north, and the 20 villagers of the municipality deep in the heart of the Picos de Europa mountain range say they are 'getting a bit bored with it all'.

They say they are used to thick snow every winter, but 'not like this', and that they have not seen the like in at least a decade.

Emergency police and military helicopters have been flying in parcels of food, medicines, and salt to try to clear the roads since the middle of January.

The village is made up of several farms and, to get to their livestock, owners have to walk over the top of the snow - which is over six feet deep in places - since the footpaths are completely buried without trace.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

INHERITANCE tax on homes in the Balearic Islands has been slashed by between 25% and 75%, a move which is likely to encourage buyers who know they will not leave their loved ones with a huge bill to pay when they pass away.

Properties with a catastral, or basic land value for home tax calculation purposes, of €100,00 or less already get a 95% discount on inheritance tax.

Regional government deputy president Julio Martínez says that until now, if the catastral value - which can never be more than 50% of the market value - exceeded €100,000 'by just one euro', the person who inherited the property would end up paying 100% of the inheritance tax rather than only 5%.

Martínez considers this unfair, and has introduced a sliding scale to soften the blow.

Now, homes with a catastral value of between €100,001 and €125,000 will attract a reduction of 75% on inheritance tax payable by those to whom they are left, and those between €125,001 and €150,000 will only pay 50%.

A discount of a quarter of the inheritance tax will now apply to properties with a basic land value of between €150,001 and €200,000, and any with a catastral figure of €200,001 or more will pay the full amount.

Effectively, this means that inherited properties which attract the full rate of tax will not be worth less than €400,000 on the open market.

Typical holiday homes, first- or second-time buyer properties or smaller detached or terraced houses bought by expat retirees who have 'downsized' are mostly likely to qualify for sizeable discounts.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

SPAIN'S traffic authorities have published their 'speed camera tolerance threshold' list and warn that restrictions came into force yesterday (Thursday).

Limits of up to 100 kilometres per hour with speed cameras set up, either fixed ones or temporary speed traps, will be programmed to catch drivers travelling at seven kilometres per hour or more above the limit.

These measures will not apply in the regions of Catalunya and the Basque Country, which have their own separate traffic authorities.

This means in a 60-kilometre limit, drivers will not be fined until they are caught travelling at 68 kilometres per hour.

From 100 kilometres per hour upwards, speed traps will be set to record driver details once they exceed the speed limit by 7% or more.

On motorways, where the speed limit is 120 kilometres per hour unless stated, anyone driving at 131 kilometres per hour or more will be fined.

And once the planned 130-kilometre stretches are in place, those travelling at over 139 kilometres per hour will face penalties.

Every month, the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) will carry out special crackdown campaigns in 1,200 places on Spain's roads, and will publish on its website - www.dgt.es - where these will be in advance.

Cameras will always be visible to drivers, even mobile ones on roadside tripods, a short time in advance but long enough for drivers to be able to slow down.

"Fining drivers is not the end aim at all - the presence of speed cameras is to discourage and prevent speeding and to ensure drivers respect speed limits in general, especially in accident blackspots," the DGT claims on its website.

Unmarked cars will be employed to catch known speeders who regularly break the limits by excessive amounts.

Another 30 cameras are set to go up, mainly on back roads rather than motorways.

Eight in 10 road deaths happen on secondary roads, or a total of 892 in 2014.

The margin for error in speeds, known as 'Tolerance 7', has been established firstly to ensure all cameras across the country are consistent and a driver would not be fined in one region where he or she would be considered within legal limits in another, and also to ensure motorists who do not have digital speed-o-meters can judge better whether or not they are travelling too fast.

If the 7% threshold were to be applied across the board, says the DGT, this would mean drivers travelling at 33 kilometres per hour in a 30-kilometre limit would automatically be fined - and the three-kilometre difference would barely show on a non-digital speed-o-meter, resulting in an unfair situation to the motorist.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

AN ENDANGERED bird of prey has been born in the province of Jaén - the first chick of 2015 - and in exactly the same sanctuary where the oldest one of its species died last year.

The bearded vulture (Gypaetus Barbatus) - whose name in Spanish, quebrantahuesos, literally translates as 'bone-cracker' - is rare to see nowadays, but the Guadalentín District Breeding Centre in Cazorla says the first chick of the year was born on Monday at 10.40hrs.

She is the second 'child' of the bearded vulture couple Lázaro and Nava's five offspring, the first of whom, Viola, was set free this month in the Cazorla nature reserve at nearly three years old.

Viola now has a partner - bearded vultures are among the bird species known to be monogamous, taking one full-time 'life' partner like humans do - and has settled down and nested in Castril, in the province of Granada.

Bearded Vulture couples have laid nine eggs so far this year at the Cazorla centre, which are waiting to hatch, but the number may increase because another hen is due to lay imminently.

The Cazorla Bearded Vulture Breeding Centre opened in December 1996 with the aim of increasing the population and releasing them into the wild under controlled conditions, as well as building up a genetic 'stock' to ensure the species' survival.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

KING Felipe and Queen Letizia have handed over their inheritance from a Menorca-based businessman who died leaving half his assets to the couple, who were then the Prince and Princess of Asturias, and to King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía's grandchildren.

Juan Ignacio Balada Llabrés, who is said to have led a modest lifestyle but was a very prudent and thrifty saver, left enough that the quarter of his estate handed over to the new King - who was crowned in July last year - and his wife led to their paying €682,544 in inheritance tax on the total.

Balada Llabrés passed away on November 18, 2009 leaving no family, and he wanted the 50% of his assets not bequeathed to the Royals to be used to set up a charitable foundation in Menorca, with Felipe VI and Letizia as executors.

One of the charities which has benefited from the former Prince and Princess of Asturias' inheritance is the Foundation for Disabled Persons on the Island of Menorca (FPDIM) - a project has been set up to help create jobs for young adults with disabilities.

Another chunk of the money has been used to renovate the pharmacy once owned by the Llabrés family, so that the building can be used for activities for disabled children in Menorca.

All bar €30,000 of HRHs Felipe and Letizia's part of Balada Llabrés' estate has been spent on charity and social welfare causes in Menorca, and the remainder will be donated once a worthy home for it is selected.

read more at thinkSPAIN.com

TWO Spaniards have passed the tough selection tests to be sent to Mars in three years' time in as part of a plan to colonise and populate the red planet.

A total of 202,586 candidates from all over the world signed up for the Mars One scheme, and only 100 - 50 men and 50 women - have made it through to the third round.

Of these, two are from Spain.

Ángel, 39, is a solar energy engineer and Pablo, 37, a graduate in physics with a PhD in chemical engineering.

Both say they are fascinated by science and technology, regularly practise sport and are good teamworkers.

They both speak English and say they believe the future of the human race is 'beyond our borders'.

To get through to the third and final round, they had to undergo rigorous physical tests, mental agility tests, interviews, and show how they felt they could contribute to the colonisation plan.

Now, they will undertake training to learn the skills they will need once living in the man-made colony.

An unmanned mission will take place in 2018, and crews of four will be sent up every two years from the year 2024.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

SPANIARDS spent more hours per day in front of the computer than any other nationality in Europe, according to a report by a leading news agency.

Three-quarters of all workers who use computers or other electronic devices in their jobs suffer dry eyes, blurred or out-of-focus vision, neck and shoulder pains, joint pains, headaches and backaches.

The average office worker in Spain spends at least seven hours a day in front of a computer, more than anywhere else in the EU, the report claims.

Opticians warn that this could lead to serious eyesight problems.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A BRITISH development firm plans to open a huge shopping and leisure complex near Torremolinos (Málaga province) within the next three years.

Intu Properties has already bought the Puerto Venecia complex in Zaragoza, said to be the largest shopping centre in Europe since its opening in October 2012 and home to everything from El Corte Inglés department store through to Ikea, Zara, Leroy Merlin, Decathlon, Media Markt and Apple Store, as well as the mammoth Parque Principado retail centre in Lugones, Asturias.

Both acquisitions were made last year at a cost of €613 million, as part of Intu's plans to dominate the shopping centre circuit in Spain through a total investment of €2.5 billion.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

TRAVELLING for business to and from Spain is expected to rise significantly in 2015 – and property promoters have reported a growing interest in regular 'movers and shakers' buying second homes abroad as a base instead of checking into hotels.

According to the GBTA Foundation, business travel in Spain, the UK, France, Italy and Germany is predicted to increase by up to 6.6% this year, with spending going up to nearly €157 billion.

The first half of 2014 saw a hike in spending on travelling for business of 4.3% - the highest rise in four years.

And as for Spain in particular, companies across the country admit to feeling more positive about their likelihood of growth in the next 12 months – more so than elsewhere in the European Union – due to greater focus on diversification into new markets and creating new products and services, and improving their own practices to become more efficient, according to research firm Markit.

The recession and economic downturn in Spain has forced companies, traders and working-aged individuals to draw on their creativity to find ways to earn money, leading to an overall modernisation and rise in flexibility and customer focus, as well as a drive towards 'going global' and breaking into overseas markets.

And the consequence of this is that their trading partners will need to visit Spain in the course of duty, or international firms will become keen to set up outposts in the country, leading to a higher level of traffic of business visitors touching down on Spanish shores.

A leading property developer in Spain, of which the head office is in the UK, has begun marketing second homes to business travellers as an alternative to hotels and says interest is growing among those who frequently have to book accommodation in the same parts of the country when jetting south for commercial reasons.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

THOUSANDS of protesters descended on the city of Castellón yesterday (Sunday) in defence of bull-runs – but they were met with counter-demonstrators calling for an end to animal cruelty.

The pro-bull protesters, who included professionals in the industry, politicians from the PSOE and PP, and members of the public, carried banners calling for their 'tradition' to be protected and railing against 'discrimination suffered' by the 'world of bulls'.

They were mainly demonstrating in favour of bull-running, known in the Valencia region as bous al carrer or 'bulls on the street', where the animal is not killed or deliberately wounded but becomes very stressed as he is wound up by baying crowds.

Some anti-bull fighting members of the public say they are not against bull-running as the animals are not technically harmed, but others want to see it banned because of the numerous gorings and other accidents that hit the headlines every summer when bull-runs take place during local fiestas.

A small number of people at the Castellón protest carried banners calling for an end to bull-fights and bull-runs, but the pro-bull crowd tore these from their hands and confrontations broke out before the National Police was able to step in and restore order.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

PHARMACIES across Spain staged a collection of medication on Saturday for residents who have little or no income and cannot afford basic over-the-counter drugs.

A total of 550 chemist's shops took part, managing to amass over 35,000 types of medication thanks to the generosity of customers agreeing to put their hands in their pockets and fund small extra purchases.

Those most needed are anti-inflammatories, non-prescription painkillers, sticking plasters, cough medicine, cold and 'flu treatment, and sterilising fluid such as surgical spirit or baby-bottle cleaning liquid.

All items collected will be distributed among the branches of the Red Cross or the charity for the poor, Cáritas, in the towns where they were purchased by customers.

These charities will then hand them out to residents who cannot afford basic necessities such as food, water and electricity, let alone pharmaceutical goods to ease pain and discomfort.

Most of the people in need who are helped by Cáritas and the Red Cross are ordinary families whose adult members have not been able to find work since being made redundant and whose dole money entitlement has run out.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

BANKS in Spain are at last relaxing their loan-to-value criteria and becoming more prepared to offer 100% mortgages, according to brokers.

In the past few years, the few lenders which were willing to provide home loans would only offer between 50% and 60% of either the purchase price or the value of the property based upon their own surveys - whichever was the lower.

Now, 80% mortgages are becoming more common and intermediaries predict that 100% loan-to-value (LTV) finance is set to become a regular feature over the course of this year.

Whilst banks acknowledge that property prices have fallen, they recognise that buyers' salaries have also dropped, as has their take-home pay due to higher taxes, and that very few of them have any savings to enable them to put down deposits of between 20% and 50% of the home value to enable them to make a purchase.

Those willing to lend the full purchase price will still, however, expect customers to pay the fees involved in cash - a figure typically reaching 10% of the market value.

But banks are beginning to see that in order to achieve their mortgage sales targets, they need to look at the terms and conditions of the loan contract and not just the price of the property to be purchased, says a leading broker.

Low interest rates and cheap property prices alone will not help banks reach their full quota, meaning they are finding it necessary to offer higher LTVs.

According to Spain's National Statistics Institute (INE), the number of new mortgages taken out in November - the latest for which figures are available - went up by 14.2%, having risen for the previous six consecutive months - albeit gradually losing ground with each passing month.

New mortgages rose by 18% in October and 29.8% in September.

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LOSS or damage suffered as a result of the freak snowfall in Spain over the last two weeks will be compensated by the State, deputy president Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría has pledged.

She says MPs from the worst-hit provinces had already begun to quantify the damage, although this was proving difficult in many northern and central areas which were still under several inches – or even feet – of the white stuff.

The government's contingency fund always includes a given amount to 'guarantee such loss or damage is covered', says Sra Sáenz de Santamaría, but stresses that additional cash will be found if need be, even if this involves having to push through a new Bill of Law, or Royal Decree.

As well as property damage – structural defects to buildings caused by weight of snow, water damage through melting snow or frozen pipes bursting, or to parked cars and other physical objects – loss of income and destruction of agricultural produce is likely to be compensated by the government.

Sra Sáenz de Santamaría recalls that the State invests up to €200 million a year in farming insurance policies to ensure that any loss to landowners caused by extreme weather conditions is covered.

And now temperatures are beginning to go up again and the snow is melting, this could lead to floods as river levels rise, meaning the exact extent of any damage suffered across the country may not be known for a few weeks.

Already, over 8,000 hectares of agricultural crops have been destroyed in the region of Aragón after the ice covering the river Ebro melted and the water course burst its banks.

Insurance companies may refer policyholders to State-run Consorcio for claims

Loss or damage to residential homes or vehicles as a result of the recent extreme weather conditions may not be covered by household or motor insurance policies where they are considered to have been caused by a 'natural disaster' – in this situation, insurance companies will refer the policyholders to the State-run Consorcio to make a claim.

The Insurance Compensation Consortium, otherwise known as the Consorcio, pays out for damage considered to be caused by 'extraordinary weather conditions' and, where the loss falls within the remit of the Consorcio, it will not normally be covered by the main insurance company, so as to avoid double payment being made.

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HOME prices in Spain are at their highest in parts of Catalunya, Galicia and Mallorca and at their lowest in Almería and Zaragoza, recent sale figures show.

This proves that although property values are the cheapest they have been in nearly a decade, bricks and mortar remain a great long-term investment in Spain as the housing market is gradually becoming more buoyant.

Figures from the European Union statistics office, Eurostat, show that the average home in Spain had gone up 1.3% in value by the end of 2014, having reached their lowest price ever in the first half of the year.

The climb in housing values continues to lag behind the rest of the Eurozone – rising at 0.3% in the third quarter of last year in Spain, compared with an increase of 0.5% in the other single-currency member States – but is heading in the right direction for investors and those who hope to sell their homes in the foreseeable future.

Property prices vary greatly across the country, with a given type of home in one province costing a quarter of an identical house or apartment in another.

As a result, careful scrutiny of the market reveals that everything from rock-bottom prices on spartan, no-frills homes which may need some cosmetic renovations through to luxury villas in élite, sought-after areas can be found depending upon where the buyer searches.

Regional price breakdowns taken from several thousand estate agencies show vast variations, with some far exceeding the national average and comfortably holding their value, and others offering jaw-dropping bargains.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

KING Felipe VI has cut his own salary by 20%, and reduced his wife's to less than his father earns.

The Monarch, who took over the throne in July after his dad King Juan Carlos I abdicated a month earlier, will now earn €234,204 a year before tax compared to €292,752 which his father earned as King of Spain last year and which Felipe VI was due to get per annum after his coronation.

Last year, when he was still Crown Prince Felipe of Asturias, the new King earned exactly half of Juan Carlos I's wages, at €146,375.50 before tax, and agreed not to take his pay rise in line with becoming reigning Monarch until the next calendar year.

King Juan Carlos I will now receive €187,356 gross per annum, more than Felipe VI's wife Queen Letizia, whose pre-tax yearly earnings have been fixed at €128,808.

This means the Royal household's overall annual budget for 2015 has fallen by 6% compared to last year, to €7,775,040, of which nearly half – 49% - goes on staff wages.

The remainder comprises 38% for overheads and running costs, 3% for investments and 2% for 'emergencies and contingencies', with only 8% going on the Royal family's wages.

Overall, Queen Letizia will get 55% of her husband's salary, and Felipe VI's mother, Queen Sofía will receive 45% of King Juan Carlos' wage – a gross figure of €105,396.

When agreeing to reduce Felipe VI's standard assigned salary as King of Spain, the Royal household analysed wages earned by foreign heads of State and top-ranking figureheads in Spanish authorities, such as ministers and the central government and regional presidents.

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FLIGHTS from Spain to London airports are cheapest on Wednesdays, and the best bargains to be had are those booked 53 days before take-off, according to travel website Momondo.com.

Flying in general is cheaper on a Tuesday, and most expensive on a Friday, and the time of the journey also makes a difference to the price, the site's figures show.

It is cheaper to fly in the evening between 18.00hrs and midnight, with mid-afternoon flights coming out the most expensive, especially on a Friday, owing to the fact that these are most likely to be chosen by travellers going away for a short weekend break.

Advance bookings still come out cheaper, with the best prices available an average of 53 days prior to travel, and the most expensive being three days before take-off.

In fact, booking two months ahead of the journey can cut the cost by a typical 29%, Momondo reveals.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

SHARES in Spain's airports are likely to be priced at €58 each following a revaluation of the State-run governing body's assets.

The Spanish government has decided to float 49% of the airport management company, AENA's shares on the stock market, and has launched a series of presentations to would-be corporate buyers.

AENA's share price is expected to be calculated at the upper limit of the top band initially valued of €53 to €58, meaning the airport firm's total assets are considered to be worth €8.7 billion.

This puts AENA 22nd in the Spanish stock market in terms of capital, only just behind Banco Sabadell at €8.8bn and ENEL energy at €8.64bn.

Spain's government would therefore earn €4.263bn from the AENA share flotation.

The final price will not be known until tomorrow (Wednesday, February 11) when the share offer goes live.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

Police are searching for a three year old boy who has gone missing in Rincón de la Victoria (Málaga).

Emergency services have reported that according to informaion provided by the local police force, the younster is blonde and was wearing beige trousers and a beige sweater when he was last seen at around 17:15 hours on Monday.

The call to 112 led to the initiation of a widescale search of the town of Rincón de la Victoria, but the search has been hampered by the two different versions of the child's disappearance given to the police by the child's mother's partner.

According to local sources, the man in question is currently at the Guardia Civil headquarters and is helping police with their enquiries.

In the first instance, he told police that the child had disappeared at a shopping centre in town, but security camera footage has confirmed that he wasn't there.

The man later claimed he had lost the child on the beach, in the Cala del Moral area.

Loca sources have confirmed that a search of the entire Cala del Moral area has been undertaken, from the beachfront promenade up as far as the tunnels, where there are a number of various cliffs. Attention has been drawn to the fact that the sea is "very rough with big waves".

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

Prioro resident Óscar Montero got one of the surprises of his life on Saturday when he spotted a bear cub climbing up the snow-covered steps to his house.

"At first I wasn't sure what type of animal it was, I thought it was a big dog, but then I realised it was a bear cub, calmly walking up the steps to my house", the 26 year old told EFE journalists.

"My first impulse was to go outside and touch him, but I didn't because I was warned that the mother could be close by and dangerous", said Montero, who explained that he saw the animal just after two in the afternoon.

The young man had time to take a photograph of the bear cub, showing the animal practically up to its neck in snow, and to call a friend in the village to tell him what he was looking at on his doorstep.

"When I opened the door to video the cub with my 'phone, it quickly disappeared behind the house", said Óscar Montero, who believes the animal could have become disorientated because of the heavy snowfall or had maybe come to the village in search of food.

"Whatever the case, the appearance of the bear cub brightened up my day, especially since we have been cut off by the snow and without power for two and a half days now ", he added.

Montero, who has been living in the village of Prioro in León for two years now, said the recent snowfall is the heaviest he has seen and that many of the locals were saying they hadn't seen as much snow as this in the village for 20 years.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

With the housing market in Spain showing clear signs of recovery after seven years of recession, 'El Economista' has reported that a number of banks are trying to tempt buyers to change their habits and opt for American-style fixed-rate mortgages.

Banco Sabadell were first to promote the scheme, with mortgage rate fixed at 3.95% for 30 years. CaixaBank is now offering mortgages at 2.5% and 3% over a 10-year period. Both of these products break the mould in a country where 90% of mortgages have variable interest rates.

The one year Euribor, Spain's main reference index for variable-rate mortgages, has dropped dramatically from its 2008 rate of 5%, to just 0.3%, depriving the banks of one of its main sources of income from the 13.8 million mortgages drawn up during the housing boom decade.

"Banks have improved their balance sheets and in terms of capital are now in a better position than they were", said José Luis Martínez Campuzano, one of Citigroup's strategists, "but in a climate of low interest rates, they need to be more profitable".
 
The European Central Bank (ECB) lowered its interest rates from 0.15% to 0.05% in September, bringing the Euribor down, and the quantitative easing  (QE) programme announced on January 22nd could keep base interest rates low for some time. Banco Sabadell is predicting that 20% of all its new mortgage business will be fixed-rate loans.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

22 inland provinces are still on alert today, especially on higher ground, as the cold front begins to abate in the rest of the country.

Freezing temperatures, frost and ice are all forecast for the Pyrenees and the Iberian System, and high winds in the Straits of Gibraltar, the Galician coastline, in Girona and in Menorca.

On the Mediterranean coast, the south eastern tip of the peninsula, the Balearic and the western Canary Islands, occasional showers are expected; low cloud will sit over the Cantabrian region, the Ebro delta and in Castilla y León.

The snowline will rise to approximately 900/1200 metres in the Balearic Islands and in south eastern regions.

Daytime temperatures will rise slightly across most of the country, but with little change or even slight drops in eastern and north eastern regions; nighttime temperatures will start to increase slightly in the north west, central areas, the Pyrenees and the straits of Gibraltar, and will drop along the Cantabrian coast.

LAST night’s Goya Awards – Spain’s answer to the Oscars – saw the most-watched Spanish film of the year walk away with three trophies.

Best Lead Actor went to Karra Elejalde, Best Supporting Actor to Dani Rovira – also the ceremony’s presenter - and Best Lead Actress to Carmen Machi (pictured) for their roles in Ocho apellidos vascos, or ‘Eight Basque surnames’, a black comedy set in a remote northern village and milking national stereotypes.

Best Foreign Language Film – for productions not in Spanish or any of Spain’s regional tongues – went to the Polish epic Ida, the brainchild of director Pawel Pawlikowski.

La Isla Mínima (‘the minimum island’) netted trophies for Best Costume, Best Supporting Actress for Nerea Barros, Best Set Design, Best Artistic Direction, Best Photography, Best Soundtrack for composer Julio de la Rosa, and Best Original Script.

Best Documentary went to Paco de Lucía: La Búsqueda (‘In search of Paco de Lucía’, the late Spanish flamenco guitarist) and Best Latin American Film to Relatos Salvajes (‘Wild tales’), whilst El Niño won awards for Best Production, Best Song for the theme tune Niño sin miedo (‘boy without fear’), Best Special Effects, and Best Sound Effects.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

CYCLISTS should not only wear helmets irrespective of their age, but should also have registration numbers and compulsory third party insurance, like car drivers, according to the Spanish Cathedra of Road Safety.

This department, part of the International Political Science Institute, says the country’s ‘leniency’ with cyclists is ‘creating risky situations’ in towns and cities, since riders are ‘effectively immune’ to liability in road traffic accidents they cause, including injury or damage suffered by pedestrians.

Anyone involved in an accident with a bike, or police who see someone riding dangerously, should be able to take down a registration number – which goes with the rider rather than the vehicle – to enable them to be identified.

Reflective jackets and helmets should be made compulsory and the ‘number plate’ displayed clearly on it, the Cathedra states.

And bikers should carry a compulsory third party liability insurance, given that they ‘create certain safety risks for pedestrians and other road users’, researchers claim, and should be able to be fined for not respecting road signs and markings, in the same way as car drivers are.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A JUDGE has acquitted an MP of accusations of punching a British expat and leaving her with hearing problems after the ‘victim’ was found to have largely invented the story.

Eliza Díaz, daughter of former Alicante mayor Luis Díaz Alperi, was facing an 18-month jail term after Jasmine Lyons claimed she suffered a perforated eardrum caused by the PP leader’s having hit her.

Sra Díaz, however, said Ms Lyons hit her repeatedly and without provocation.

This has been proven by medical reports, and Lyons has been ordered to pay a fine of €800 for actual bodily harm and for perjury, false accusations and simulating a crime, plus €150 in compensation to the MP.

A judge at the regional high court of Valencia heard that the MP, who helps out at an animal sanctuary in Orihuela (Alicante province) reprimanded Ms Lyons when she and her daughter entered the shelter office leading two aggressive dogs, which they allowed to attack other canines.

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CATALUNYA’S regional government has come under the microscope for allegedly minting illegal euro coins.

‘Commemorative’ fake euros to mark the last Catalunya Day, or Diada Catalana on its 300^th anniversary with the ‘country’ written as the ‘Republic of Catalunya’.

This is considered a criminal offence and is under investigation by Spain’s National Court.

A letter to the ministry of the economy claims that the regional government intended to mint up to 45,000 ‘Republic of Catalunya’ coins – and that six out of the total of seven shops where local people tried to pay with these took them as though they were legal tender.

Catalunya’s regional government says it paid about €2,000 to a coin and stamp collecting company for a handful of ‘test’ coins, but that these did not pass muster and no further orders for them were made.

When the prosecution service ordered a sample of the coins to be sent to them, they were only given one, for a single euro.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

STUDENTS across Spain have planned a two-day strike in protest over education minister José Ignacio Wert’s plans to shorten undergraduate degrees to three years and extend master’s degrees to two, in order to bring the country in line with the rest of Europe.

Until a few years ago, a degree took five years, or up to six if it involved two subjects, but included the equivalent of the first two-thirds of a master’s.

After Spain adopted the Bologna Plan launched by the European Union, degrees were reduced to four years at undergraduate level and master’s qualifications set at one year, whereas previously they could be as little as six months and were considered by graduates to be little more than a ‘training course’.

As a result, a Spanish degree is more academically intensive than a degree in the UK or many other European countries, meaning it is difficult for a graduate from elsewhere in the EU to have his or her qualification fully recognised by Spain and leaves him or her at a disadvantage to natives in the job market.

But a Spanish master’s degree is the equivalent of 120 UK credits, compared to a British master’s which is 180 credits and normally includes a dissertation or project – and Spaniards who want to go abroad to study a PhD find they do not have enough post-graduate points to enable them to do so.

Wert says reducing first degrees to three years will cut costs for students and their families, and allow them to get a foothold on the career ladder sooner.

Students, however, believe the reform to be a money-making exercise – doubling the length of a master’s, even though it will carry far more academic weight, will also double their costs for completing the course since master’s degrees are much more expensive per academic year than undergraduate degrees.

And a master’s in Spain is considered almost essential to gaining a meaningful job, even though it is not compulsory for most careers, given that it is more geared towards professional or vocational underpinning knowledge than in the UK where an MA or MSc is thought to be more of an academic qualification.

Student union leader Ana García says the reform is a ‘brutal attack’ on the State university system and has called a strike for February 25 and 26 with demonstrations across the country under the slogans ‘no to the 3+2 bill’ and ‘no to privatising the State university’.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

PRIVATISING Spain’s airport governing body, AENA, will lead to terminal taxes being frozen for up to 10 years – a move that would significantly reduce future air travel to and from the country, says Balearic Island regional tourism boss Jaime Martínez.

“This is something none of Spain’s competitors in the tourism market will have,” Martínez said in the regional Parliament this week.

Other parties in the Balearic Islands, such as MÉS, say privatisation of AENA is a form of ‘exploitation’ whilst the regional socialists, the PSIB, does not believe the move will bring many benefits to residents in Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera.

Martínez, however, stresses that privatisation of airports is becoming a ‘global trend’, and is already the norm in countries such as Germany and France.

Socialist MP Damià Borràs wanted to know if privatising AENA would ‘lead to more flights and meaningful jobs’, and whether it would increase tourism to the islands.

“Is the government’s priority the people of the Balearics, and Spain as a whole, or just making money?” He asked.

MÉS spokesman David Abril said privatising AENA would mean a company ‘which belonged to everyone and ran at a profit’ would ‘wind up in the hands of a select few’.

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FORMULA 1 fans have been flocking to the disused Grand Prix circuit in Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz province) for four days of practice rounds during which home-grown hero Fernando Alonso showed off his new McLaren MP4-30.

The Oviedo-born twice-world champion broke his contract with Ferrari at the end of last season and has moved to Brit Jenson Button’s team.

His followers were keen to see how he drove in his new car, which he hopes will help him win the world championship for a third time next year.

The Jerez circuit’s restaurant has been serving up special themed menus, and cut-price entry tickets to watch the practice rounds come in at between €15 and €25.

Although these only run until Wednesday, February 4, the Jerez circuit is set to come to life this year with more racing events on the cards.

These will be on two wheels as well as four, such as the motorcycling ‘race of legends’ between June 19 and 21.

Tickets for this will cost €55 and veteran world champions pitting their skills against each other include Wayne Gardner, Freddie Spencer, Christian Sarron and Kevin Schwantz, with live music by another legend, last year’s British Eurovision entry and ‘80s favourite Bonnie Tyler.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

FITUR, Spain's International Tourism Fair, closed on Sunday night with a record 225,000 visitors, an increase that reflects the tourism industry in Spain and the rest of the world.

According to Fitur director Ana Larrañaga, the visitor numbers are the highest since the beginning of the recession. This year's fair also saw a 12% increase in the number of overseas visitors, representing over 100 countries.

During the five days the fair was running, the volume of exhibiting companies and visitors to Fitur also brought more than 200 million euros of additional income for the city of Madrid.

This success was also reflected in the number of exhibitors taking part, and the number of countries and regions represented, with shopping tourism and health tourism leading the way. At Fitur Shopping over 900 conferences between international buyers and exhibitors were held.

The Health Tourism sector also reported an increase in interest, with 168 conferences between exhibitors and buyers being held. Spain is increasingly being seen as an ideal destination for health tourism and the rise in this sector is helping to increas year-round tourism in Spain.

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ITEMS purchased second-hand in Spain are subject to a two-year guarantee, unless buyer and seller agree to a lesser period, according to a government consumer department.

The buyer and seller are allowed to agree either for the latter to pay for repairs if the product breaks down within the first two years, or to substantially reduce the purchase price.

This does not apply where private individuals sell goods to each other, but in these cases, the buyer has up to six months to claim for repairs, refund or a price reduction through the courts if the item is not satisfactory.

Sales of electrical appliances, furniture or clothes must come with a receipt or invoice giving the shop's details and a written guarantee if requested - if not requested, the guarantee remains valid anyway - and all products, second hand or new, must be properly labelled and show the price on them.

Buyers have the right to a 14-day cooling-off period with second-hand goods bought online from a company, meaning they can return the product and claim a full refund for any reason whatsoever, but purchasers should clarify before buying who should pay return postage and under what circumstances.

Secure payment methods, such as PayPal which is instant and does not let the seller see the buyer's credit card or bank details are strongly recommended.

Sellers on market stalls, including rastros or flea markets, are obliged to comply with the same rules as shops, protecting consumers - this includes making complaint forms available, properly labelling and pricing goods, and guaranteeing them for a year.

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FEW Spanish adults enjoy hitting the dance floor, especially in public – but those living in the northern region of Asturias are more likely to do so, according to a survey.

Even then, only 28% say they 'enjoy dancing very much'.

Brand manager for the video game Just Dance, Ubisoft, was curious to find out why this was the most-sold game in Spain over the last two Christmases, and decided to conduct a survey.

Ubisoft interviewed 2,275 people who had bought or been given a Just Dance game and found that 84% of teens aged 11 to 16 enjoyed dancing and 55% of these did so at least once a week, at discos or parties.

From age 17 to 24, those who used to hit the dance floor in their early teens fell to 43% of the total, and from mid-20s to mid-30s, to 34%.

Only one in three Spaniards aged 36 to 50 said they ever danced in public and just one in five of the over-50s.

Of those who do not, 42% said they never had time to go out and dance, 31% said they felt they were not very good at it, 24% were too embarrassed, and 9% said they were too lazy, but only 15% claimed they did not enjoy it. 

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SCIENTISTS at a Valencia hospital have discovered a type of red blood cell which 'interferes' with diabetes test results, making them appear either better or worse than they are in reality.

Dr Carmen Quiñones from the laboratory at the Hospital Clínico in the city says her team began to suspect an element in the blood was causing a false reading when a diabetic patient went for a routine test and his levels of the haemoglobin known as glycade was 'abnormally low' – more in the range of that seen by a patient who is not diabetic.

Glycade is the blood cell which is used as a blood-sugar indicator in diabetes sufferers.

After carrying out a DNA sequencing on the patient, a type of haemoglobin which has not yet been catalogued was found.

It has been named the Haemoglobin J Valencia.

Now that it has been detected, it means medics will be able to take it into account and test for it to avoid incorrect diagnoses.

The red blood cell in question can lead to patients being erroneously diagnosed as diabetic, or testing negative for diabetes when they do in fact suffer from it. 

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

ONE man has died and extensive damage has been reported due to gale-force winds and torrential rain throughout the country since Thursday.

During the past four days, 30 rivers have burst their banks and at least one person injured due to falling objects.

Firefighters from Pamplona, searching for a missing 70-year-old man, found his body inside his van in the river Odrón in Los Arcos, in the northern region of Navarra.

His vehicle was swept away by the current after the river overflowed due to the downpours.

The rivers which have burst their banks so far are in Castilla y León and the Basque Country, and although most of the south and east has escaped the rain, gales battering Andalucía, Murcia and Valencia have barely dropped since Thursday, reaching their worst on Friday.

A man driving through El Ejido (Almería province) was injured when a lamp post fell on his car and firefighters giving him first aid had to put him in a collar until the ambulance could get there.

Sea traffic has been interrupted due to winds of over 80 kilometres per hour in the Strait of Gibraltar, and ferries travelling to and from the Balearic Islands have been grounded for several hours at a time.

The Valencia region was worst affected by the gales, with the least violent winds recorded in Orihuela, at 73 kilometres per hour.

In Vilafranca (Castellón province), gusts reached 115 kilometres per hour, and most of the three provinces remain on yellow or orange alert with the likelihood of flights being disrupted or delayed.

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