Live News From Spain As It Happens

NEW mortgages taken out to buy property in Spain have reached a record year-on-year high, rising by 10% since April and marking two years of growth – and at the same time, a new EU directive implemented means paying off a mortgage early will no longer attract redemption penalties if it has been live for longer than six years.

At five years, the redemption penalty is capped at 0.25% of the loan, but if the consumer has signed for repayment conditions more favourable to him or her than the bank’s standard rate, the one that comes in at the lowest cost to the customer will apply.

Mortgage-holders now have the right to change the currency of their loan, and banks are not allowed to ‘forcibly’ sell other products as a condition of offering the mortgage, such as insurance which can be obtained elsewhere.

But there is no rule preventing banks from offering a better mortgage deal in exchange for taking out such products.

Even better, mortgage advice is now regulated and those who provide it may be required to hold certain qualifications, prove they have undergone certain training, and adhere to consumer codes of conduct.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

WHATEVER happens after Britain Brexits, the Costa del Sol will always be one of the UK’s favourite holiday destinations, stresses provincial council or Diputación leader for Málaga, Elías Bendodo.

Between June and September this year, a record 6.2 million tourists from all over the world will have travelled to the province for their summer break – a hike of 10% on last year, according to forecasts.

And the Málaga coast, known as the Costa del Sol, has no fears of becoming ‘overrun’ – the area has managed to move with the times without losing the elements that make it so appealing to visitors, meaning it is very geared up to the record influx, says Bendodo.

This, as well as the weather and top-quality beaches, is what has been bringing Brits to Málaga’s shores for decades and will continue to do so even after the UK leaves the European Union, the Diputación leader argues.

“I’ve issued a message of reassurance on repeated occasions, and am going to continue to do so,” Bendodo says firmly.

“Whatever happens, we’re going to carry on being the British people’s preferred destination – the Costa del Sol has been a firm favourite for UK citizens for many years.”

Initial fears after the UK voted to exit the European Union were that with the falling exchange rate, contracting economy and possible mass redundancies in Britain, one of Spain’s largest tourist markets for its more mature destinations would dramatically shrink.

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SPAIN’S prospects of avoiding a third general election appear slimmer than ever after King Felipe finished his round of consultations this week with party leaders.

Acting president Mariano Rajoy has warned the monarch he may not turn up to the in-house voting if he does not gain enough support from the other parties, mirroring the aftermath of December’s failed general election.

But he has accepted the King’s nomination for him to form a government, which he rejected last time around based upon his lack of support.

PSOE leader Pedro Sánchez has reiterated he will vote ‘no’ to Rajoy, whilst centre-right Ciudadanos’ leader Albert Rivera – whose party is the only one Rajoy may be able to count on for back-up – says it wants ‘either a united government with a clean record’ or one of the PP, Rajoy’s group, in minority.

And left-wing independents Podemos, led by Pablo Iglesias, says this time around the possibility of a left-wing coalition government appears ‘more difficult’ and ‘farther away’, especially as his failure to reach an agreement with Sánchez – even voting against him in the presidential in-house election – means the PSOE has not made any attempt to strike a deal with them.

The PNV, or Basque Nationalist Party, and Catalunya Convergence and Democracy (CDC) were rumoured to be planning to support PP leader Mariano Rajoy in the in-house presidential elections - originally due for next week, but now delayed further - to ensure the right-wing party would get back into the hotseat despite only holding 134 seats out of a required majority of 176.

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MURCIA’S anti-corruption prosecutor has reported his computer as stolen, and says it contains highly-sensitive information about cases under investigation.

Juan Pablo Lozano (pictured left, with judge Andrés Carrillo on the right) said his house had been broken into at the weekend while he was away, meaning the thieves now have access to data on the high-profile Novo Carthago and Umbra cases.

Head of prosecution for the Murcia Region Manuel López Bernal says the theft is ‘rather strange’, since in a ‘typical’ burglary other items besides the computer and a piece of paper with Lozano’s mobile PIN written on it would have been taken.

And if professional thieves had been involved, they would have stolen other personal effects to put investigators off the scent.

He believes whoever broke in and took the computer was ‘making a statement’ to the anti-corruption leader, to the effect of, “we know we can get into your house, your privacy, and that of your family.”

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

SPANISH astronomers have found what appear to be 40,000 small planets in the Solar System, according to the European Space Agency (ESA).

They are part of a team of star-gazers from all over Europe, and are based at the Canary Island Astrophysics Institute (IAC).

Although the Solar System comprises millions of small astral bodies, ranging from rocky asteroids to comets made from ice particles - of which the ESA has already studied the orbits of around 700,000, this is the first time they have been able to document the position and light of 40,000 of them, and the colour of at least 35,000.

These data are highly-valuable in working out their composition and being able to classify them-

IAC researcher and one of the main team players in the project, Javier Licandro, says these 40,000 small planets will also provide information about groups of asteroids formed through the collision of larger ones, known as 'father asteroids', with smaller ones - effectively, the way these rocky comet-like objects 'breed'.

It will also enable the group to work out where an asteroid or comet has different or unusual matter or chemical composition - such as the basalt Type V asteroids which are made up of similar material to Vesta, the object with the second-greatest mass in the Solar System's 'asteroid belt'.

Weirdly - for the layperson, at least - these asteroids are made up of volcanic material, and if their origin can be traced, it may reveal the presence of volcanoes on other planets.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

AIR Europa pilots have called off their planned strike for the 'August exodus', which would have seen 114 flights grounded between this Saturday and next Tuesday inclusive.

Their union, SEPLA, has reached a deal with the management, which it will explain in full to the pilots over the next few days.

The industrial action had been programmed in protest over the creation of a low-cost affiliate, Air Europa Express, which pilots believed would involve staff being moved across to the budget flight holding, bringing any potential career development and related salary rises to an abrupt halt.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A HOSPITAL in Valencia is under scrutiny for diagnosing a patient with malaria as having the 'flu, despite his yellow complexion and his having told doctors about his regular trips to Africa.

The judge handling the case believes there could be a case for criminal proceedings.

According to the patient, he went to A&E at the private hospital - which he uses through his health insurance - in early March after several days of high fever.

He told the doctor he travelled to Africa regularly and asked for a malaria test.

Instead, he was given a routine blood test and, after the results came back, the GP told him he did not have malaria, diagnosed him with influenza and prescribed 'paracetamol and rest at home'.

But three days later, he returned to A&E as his fever had not subsided and he had developed other symptoms including vomiting, dehydration and a yellow tinge to his skin.

His family members who accompanied him reiterated that he regularly travelled to Africa and kept asking for a malaria test, but this was repeatedly denied.

The following day, another doctor diagnosed him with jaundice and, after continual persistence and complaints from his family, reluctantly agreed to the malaria test.

It took another day to get the results, by which time - day six - the patient's condition was worsening.

His family contacted the ward sister, but she told them there were 'no doctors working for his insurance company at the hospital at present', so they were 'unable to attend to him'.

The medication he had been given was having no effect, so the family called for a doctor yet again in the evening.

This doctor turned out to have been the first one who saw him in A&E and who, reading the patient's results, realised he had made a mistake and had him admitted to intensive car.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A FOUR-YEAR-OLD girl has drowned in a private swimming pool in the Murcia Region after falling in whilst her grandparents' backs were turned for a split second.

The tragic youngster is the latest in a series of pool drownings which, sadly, end up recurring every summer

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CULT British sci-fi series Doctor Who is being filmed at Valencia's City of Arts and Sciences this week, and cast members Peter Capaldi and Pearlie Mack were spotted taking a 'selfie' with the Prince Felipe Science Museum in the background.

Producers of the long-running show have chosen the futuristic complex, which is often compared - favourably, even - to Sydney Opera House, for the second chapter of its 10th season.

Hordes of fans gathered in the area yesterday (Monday) trying to photograph themselves with the cast and crew hindered filming, said the set coordinators, meaning very little information has been given about times and locations for the rest of the week.

It is expected they will finish shooting on Thursday.

Episodes including scenes in Valencia will not be aired until 2017, which will be the last year for scriptwriter Steven Moffat - creator of the longest-standing TV series in the world, which even beats Coronation Street with well over 50 years on the small screen - who will hand the reins to Chris Chibnall in 2018.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

HUGE forest fires are burning out of control in the eastern and western extremes of the mainland, one of which has already wiped out over 1,000 hectares, or 10 million square metres.

This is the second-worst of four major infernos spreading unstoppably, having flared up in Artana (Castellón province) in the east, probably as a result of a bonfire, early yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon.

It has reached the edge of the Sierra de Espadán mountain nature reserve and is said to have two active fronts, but is some distance from the nearest residential area.

Another dramatic blaze in the same region, in Tavernes de la Valldigna (Valencia province) broke out on Monday night, but was fully extinguished by mid-morning on Tuesday and did not affect any homes.

This fire may have been started by a firecracker, and the man who allegedly threw it has given a statement to the Guardia Civil.

A wildfire which broke out in El Galindo (Cáceres province) in the land-locked western region of Extremadura on Saturday remains active, having already destroyed double the amount of land as the one in Castellón, but is said to be more or less contained now.

The blaze which took hold in Vega de Tera (Zamora province), close to northern Portugal, forced emergency services to shut the A-52 motorway between 19.00hrs last night and 20.30hrs, between kilometre 30 and 49.

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MEN are more than three times as likely as women to lose points from their driving licences for motoring offences, and nine times more likely to be banned for drink-driving, figures from Spain's General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) show.

In the 10 years since the points-based driving licence was introduced in Spain, just under five million men had committed nearly nine million offences between them, losing 27.5 million points.

The points system works differently to that of the UK, where points are added to a licence for offences and this is withdrawn and the driver is banned at 12 points - in Spain, drivers start with 12 points, rising to 15 after three years with a clean record, and these are deducted when offences are committed.

Meanwhile, just under two million women have committed 2.73 million offences in the last decade, losing nearly eight million points.

In total, this means men's licence point loss exceeds that of women 3.4 times over.

The most points lost by men were recorded in Madrid over the decade since this type of licence was introduced, at 3.74 million, followed by Barcelona, at 3.08 million, Valencia at 1.28 million and Sevilla at 1.21 million.

These four provinces are home to the four largest cities in Spain in that order.

For women, Madrid once again tops the list with 1.25 million points lost, followed by just under 965,000 in Barcelona, 330,500 in A Coruña in the north-western region of Galicia, 325,360 in Valencia and 325,730 in Pontevedra, also in Galicia.

Of all those drivers who have been banned for exceeding the alcohol limit, nine in 10 are men, the DGT reveals.

Accident statistics show that 47.1% of drivers killed in road crashes in the last year had consumed alcohol or drugs beforehand.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

FOUR passengers were left seriously injured when a yacht exploded in Ibiza Marina yesterday (Sunday) lunchtime whilst it was being refuelled.

One woman, aged 37, has sustained burns covering 90% of her body, and her partner, a 36-year-old man, has suffered burns to 50% of his body.

Both were airlifted to Ibiza's Can Misses hospital, where they are in intensive care until their conditions have been stabilised.

They are in a critical condition, with the woman hovering between life and death.

Once they are out of danger - if they survive - they will be taken to Valencia's La Fe hospital burns unit.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

CECILIA Jiménez's Ecce Homo restoration may have a successor - although as yet, it has not gone as viral as the 80-something parishioner's botched, or as the lady herself revealed later, unfinished, fresco.

A 17th-century statue of Michelangelo, the patron saint of the small village of Peñaranda de Bracamonte (Salamanca province) has been restored by an amateur artist - but local churchgoers are not happy.

They describe it as 'insulting', 'horrible' and 'ridiculous' - in the same way as locals in the village of Borja (Zaragoza province) did some years ago when they saw the results of the first stages of Cecilia's 19th-century Ecce Homo painting restoration, believing it to be the finished result.

Poor Cecilia took to her bed for two days, suffering panic attacks and depression as the village-wide backlash resulted in threats from the original artist's descendants to sue her for criminal damage and her half-finished repair job was mocked on the internet worldwide.

But the elderly amateur artist's black cloud had a silver lining, and in fact lined Borja's own pockets with silver: she would never have guessed that within two days of what she thought was the worst day of her life, a petition would be raised online to leave the fresco as it was, her style was being referred to even by experts as a new wave of religious art, and Ryanair was running international flights to Zaragoza for €1 for visitors to see her 'mistake'.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A GROUP of Spaniards on holiday in Munich, Germany, have described how they hid in the cashpoint lobby of a bank when they heard the shots ring out, instantly fearing a terrorist attack on the scale of the Paris massacre in November.

"At times like this, you only think about running for cover - fear stops anything else going through your head," said one of the visitors from Loja (Granada province), local radio DJ Juan María Jiménez.

The 10 Spaniards, all from the same town and aged between 23 and 65, were about five kilometres from the shopping centre where a young gunman ran amok.

They were fairly near the central Karisplatz, which was evacuated after warnings of a second shoot-out that turned out to be unfounded.

"We were in a shop when the till lady's facial expression suddenly changed, and a voice in German ordered everyone to get out of the mall," Jiménez explains.

"Everyone started running at once and seeking cover."

His party ran into the street and took refuge in the lobby of a bank, from which they had a clear view of how the streets suddenly emptied of pedestrians and filled up with patrol cars with sirens blaring, and armed police carrying machine guns.

"We saw a police officer nearby and when we went to ask him what was happening, he ran with his machine gun pointed into a nearby side-street, so we just got back inside," Jiménez explained.

When they were able to do so, the 'Granada 10' hid inside a nearby luxury hotel, at the advice of the Spanish Consulate, whom they rang from their hiding place.

They shared the tense few moments in the lobby with another five Spaniards wh

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SPAIN will have to treble its efforts in reducing emissions to enable it to meet the European Union's carbon footprint targets, according to the acting environment ministry.

Following measures announced by the European Commission in order to meet the COP21 Paris Summit Agreement, member States are required to cut CO2 emissions recorded in 2005 by 26% before the year 2030 - a target environmental experts believe is easily workable, but which presents Spain a daunting challenge.

Europe's carbon footprint reduction goals are considerably more ambitious than those posed by the United Nations, being a drop of 40% on readings from the year 1990 by 2030.

For Spain, transport, waste management, residential emissions and deforestation are  high on the target list - especially since a report last week revealed that 20% of the nation's countryside is suffering from desertification.

Trees, plants and greenery in general are completely necessary for cutting CO2, one of the main greenhouse gases - they 'eat' carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.

The Amazon rainforest produces 75% of the world's oxygen, which is why its deforestation has been considered an environmental disaster.

And Spain is acutely aware of this, realising the need to plant more trees - especially in areas destroyed by forest fires, which are almost a weekly occurrence in summer.

Management of farmland and pasture comes under this heading, known as 'LULUCF activities' - a maximum of 29.1 million tonnes of CO2 may be used for these industries, and Spain's environment ministry is conscious of having to keep this in check.

Major metropolitan areas in Spain have attempted to address the problem, with Madrid's mayoress Manuela Carmena even shutting the city centre to traffic for several days at a time when carbon dioxide readings were too high.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A BRITISH nuclear submarine has crashed into a merchant ship off the coast of Gibraltar, according to the UK's ministry of defence.

Members of the Royal Navy were carrying out a training exercise when the submarine and the boat collided at around 13.30hrs yesterday (Wednesday).

The HMS Ambush was under water at the time, but the UK government assures that the accident has not caused damage to the nuclear storage, only to the hull.

Also, the ship - the nationality of which has not been revealed - has sustained some severe blows to the bodywork.

British authorities have launched an inquiry to find out the cause of the collision.

It is not thought the merchant ship was Spanish - a situation that could cause even more tension at present, given the ongoing tug-of-war between the two countries over Gibraltar.

Spain wants joint sovereignty of the Rock post-Brexit, but Gibraltar wants to remain entirely British and the UK government agrees.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

THE first-ever NBA café in Europe is set to open on Barcelona's lively central boulevard, La Rambla, this autumn and will be replete with global basketball memorabilia, with souvenirs to buy and typically-American grill fare on the menu.

Created by celebrated interior designer Lázaro Rosa-Violán, whose works can be seen in over 230 restaurants, hotels and shops in Spain and worldwide, the National Basketball Association eatery will be fitted with multi-media screens and even 'bleachers' to recreate the atmosphere of NBA matches in the USA.

Fans of the sport may even have the chance to meet their heroes past and present, as well as team mascots and dance groups, at special events throughout the year.

"The NBA has a long-standing relationship with basketball fans in Spain and with the city of Barcelona,", says vice-chairman of business and operations for the National Basketball Association in Europe, Jesús Bueno.

"And the new premises will be a totally unique destination where fans will be completely surrounded by the sport - this is an exceptional way of bringing the NBA to fans of all ages."

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A PASSENGER on a Ryanair flight from Valencia airport has died on board from a suspected heart attack, sources from the low-cost carrier reveal.

The 77-year-old man was on a plane heading for Milan's Malpensa airport yesterday (Tuesday) morning at around 06.30hrs when he collapsed unconscious just minutes before take-off when the craft was already full of passengers.

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A BRITISH youth has been found dead in the sea off an Ibiza beach after going for a late-night swim, emergency services have just reported.

Identified as 22-year-old Tom Jarvis, on holiday from Romford in Essex, UK, the deceased had been with a group of friends at around 21.00hrs on Friday when he decided to go for a dip.

Tom failed to reappear after disappearing under the water in the Cala des Moró in Sant Antoni de Portmany (San Antonio).

His friends raised the alarm immediately, and a search went on all night long.

Coastguard and Red Cross workers and the Guardia Civil combed the area, and finally found Tom's body at around 09.00hrs on Saturday morning.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

NINE in 10 of the Jihad terrorists arrested in Spain in the last three years have 'no relevant knowledge of Islam', according to investigators and researchers specialising in DAESH, or the so-called Islamic State.

A typical Jihad fighter in Spain is aged around 30, married, and either Moroccan or a Spanish national of Moroccan origin, with only 6% being pure-bred Spaniards with no foreign roots in the previous four generations.

Marginally fewer Jihad terrorists in Spain are second-generation migrants – 42.2%, compared with 51.7% who are first-generation immigrants.

They generally have a low level of education, with no qualifications beyond compulsory schooling to age 16, and it is very rare to find any who have been to university, according to the Royal Elcano Institute (RIEC)'s Global Terrorism unit and expert researcher in the field, Carola García-Calvo.

Generally, they were unemployed, but the researchers said this is not an reliable indicator given the high level of joblessness in Spain as a whole among the rest of the population – 21% in total, and nearly 50% among the under-30s.

The study covers details of all 124 DAESH recruits who have been arrested on Spanish soil, or Spanish residents caught elsewhere in the world, since June 2013.

In the majority of cases, Jihad arrests by Spanish authorities were for suspects involved in online recruiting and indoctrinating rather than actual front-line fighting or terrorist attacks, although a worrying 35% of them had the clear intention of staging a massacre in Spain and the resources and ability to do so.

Crucially, though, although 62.8% became radicalised for 'ideological reasons' rather than emotional, personal or political motives, the overwhelming majority have extremely limited knowledge of the Islamic faith and are largely unfamiliar with the teachings of the Q'ran.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

THE first full-on heatwave of 2016 is expected to begin to pass by Wednesday this week, although it is unlikely to be felt until at least the weekend, says the State meteorological agency, AEMET.

Temperatures reached at least 42ºC in parts of Andalucía yesterday (Monday) and are expected to do likewise today, whilst in the Canary Islands and most of the rest of the mainland, the mercury soared to 38ºC in the shade.

Those sweltering the most, other than the Guadalquivir and Guadiana districts of Andalucía, were the north-western region of Galicia, the Basque Country, and the river Tajo area in the centre of the country.

They are likely to see a similar situation today (Tuesday) and this could affect the provinces of Cuenca and Albacete in Castilla-La Mancha, the northern region of Navarra, the Ebro valley in Catalunya, and the eastern parts of Andalucía especially Granada, as well as its inland province of Jaén.

Conversely, the east coast appears to have largely escaped so far, with lower humidity than usual and relatively mild temperatures for the time of year in the provinces of Valencia, Alicante and Castellón.

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ANOTHER spectator has died at a bull-running - this time, a 45-year-old woman in Moratalla (Murcia Region).

She had been watching the young cows being released as a prelude to the bulls being let loose, when one of them knocked her over and gored her in the abdomen.

This sparked severe internal bleeding, which led to her death a few hours later in hospital.

Witnesses say she had been standing on the street before the cow-runs started, and was not able to get behind the barriers in time when they were let loose.

Regional government spokeswoman Noelia Arroyo passed on her condolences to the woman's family, and her well wishes to two other spectators who were seriously injured.

This is the latest in a spate of deaths at bull-runs during the fiestas - a 29-year-old man from Oliva (Valencia) was gored to death at the festival in Pedreguer (Alicante) last week, a year to the day that a French tourist was killed in the same place in front of his son.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

BOTTLED gas has gone down in price by another 4.9%, currently sitting at €11.27.

This applies to orange bottles of butane only, not the lighter-weight silver ones for which retailers can set their own prices, and those who have their gas delivered as part of a contract may have to pay few cents extra.

In total, since March 2015, butane gas in orange bottles - used by eight million homes in Spain - has gone down in price by 35%, and until this morning (Monday), cost €11.85.

The new price will remain in force until the third Tuesday in September, when it will be reviewed in line with international prices.

Orange gas bottles come in at 12.5 kilos, and the current price is set at 73 cents a kilo.

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LOW-COST airline Vueling has improved flight punctuality and says it does not envisage any cancellations in August, following a chaotic July with up to 40 flights a day grounded and passengers left stranded.

No flights have been cancelled or rescheduled in the last week, and the first weekend in August - which sees more movement than any other weekend of the year as tourists flock to Spain's coastal areas - is expected to run like clockwork.

Secretary of infrastructure and transport for the regional government of Catalunya - where Vueling is based - Ricard Font says Vueling's punctuality has increased from 80% to 83% in the last week, taking into account the half-hour margin always added onto programmed flight times; 95% take off and land within an hour of their schedule and 100% within three hours.

A extra plane and 37 additional crew members have been drafted in, plus 250 ground staff, to cope with the increase in demand over the summer.

An average of 740 flights are expected to take off daily.

However, Vueling has warned that some flights may suffer delays and even cancellations on Saturday - an issue affecting all airlines, due to an air-traffic controller strike in Italy.

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ANOTHER 'Brexit petition' has started on the UK government's website calling for British authorities to commit to healthcare arrangements for its retired citizens living in EU member States, including Spain.

So far, the petition - which has only just been launched - has netted 3,340 signatures, but it needs 10,000 before the UK government is obliged to respond, and 100,000 before it is required to debate the issue in Hansard.

Now, it is gradually finding its way around social networks as signatories repost it after adding their names.

Currently, in Spain in particular, any British national in receipt of a State pension from the UK or over State retirement age is entitled to use the medical services free of charge, with prescriptions payable at discounted rates up to a maximum of €8 a month.

The British government pays Spain €4,200 a year per head to cover, or at least help towards the bulk of, its pensioners' healthcare in Spain, since they are EU citizens living in another of the 28 member States.

This does not apply to British pensioners living in non-EU countries, who knew when they emigrated that they would need to ensure they could afford medical insurance.

Knowing they were covered by the joint arrangement through their country of origin and of residence through their EU citizenship, few pensioners bought health insurance when they moved to Spain - whilst insurance to fund private healthcare in the UK has always meant better-quality and quicker service with no waiting lists, Spain's health service ranks second from top in Europe and waiting lists are very short compared with those of Britain's NHS.

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A SPANISH tourist in a beach resort in Turkey says he 'spent the night under the bed' in his hotel during the failed coup d'état listening to gun-shots.

"It was a horrible night," said José Luis San Miguel from Valladolid (Castilla y León), who is now waiting for a flight back to Manchester, UK, where he lives.

Speaking from Dalaman airport, José Luis said he had been staying in Marmaris, a popular coastal destination and only 200 metres from the hotel where Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan was on holiday.

The day started out problem-free, the holidaymaker said, and he was having dinner in a restaurant in Marmaris when he heard the news of the attempted coup.

"Everyone was calm enough, as though nothing was happening," he revealed.

But when things started to 'get serious', the Spaniard said, he decided to get on the bus back to his hotel, thinking that 'nothing would happen in a tourist resort'.

He had just started to plan his weekend activities, as he was not due to go home until Sunday night, when he saw three Army helicopters flying over his hotel.

"It was horrible, because you could hear them more and more often, and much nearer, and they were shooting from the helicopters into the hotel swimming pool below," José Luis reveals.

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SPAIN'S interior ministry has announced plans to tighten security in areas frequented by tourists, including the coasts and major monuments, and to reinforce border controls following the Nice attack which has killed over 80 people.

As yet, the country has no plans to increase its terrorism risk level from 4, the highest being 5 which would imply the Armed Forces patrolling the streets.

The so-called Islamic State, or DAESH, has owned up to the attack in which a 31-year-old Tunisian with French nationality ploughed through spectators at the 'Bastille Day' fireworks on July 14.

Armed police will be on patrol in airports across the country, and the extra controls planned at the French border - which were due to cease on July 26 - will continue until further notice.

A crisis meeting with the government's anti-terrorism squad, including members of the CNI, or national Intelligence service, was held the morning after the massacre in Nice, and acting president Mariano Rajoy says the country will ensure its authorities are increasingly more united in the face of the global threat.

He pointed out that the close unity and emphasis on peace and freedom were the strategies that eventually brought an end to the 40-year reign of terror by the Basque separatist cell ETA.

The government has called for close cooperation from the general public, urging them to report any signs of possible radicalisation anonymously via the freephone number 900 822 066 or the email stop-racismos@interior.es, or using the mobile phone App AlertCops.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

SPANISH politicians have expressed their condolences following the terrorist attack in Nice, France and published a helpline telephone number for Spaniards in the city who need to contact their embassy.

A lorry thought to have been driven by a DAESH terrorist – believed to be a 31-year-old Tunisian man with French citizenship – mowed down a crowd of bystanders watching the July 14 firework display as part of the 'Bastille Day' or Quatorze Juillet celebrations, a huge national fiesta.

At least 84 people, including several children, have been killed in the attack on the Avenue des Anglaises, which was staged at 22.30hrs last night (Wednesday).

The driver was shot dead by police after deliberately ploughing through two kilometres' worth of spectators and, afterwards, residents in Nice were ordered to stay inside their homes as the city went into lockdown.

Police say the lorry was full of weapons.

Among the most poignant and distressing images shown in the media of the attack is the body of a little girl, covered in a sheet, with her doll still in her hand.

Spain's foreign office says at present it is not aware of any Spanish nationals being among the victims, but the country has reinforced border control just in case any other terrorists working in collaboration with the lorry driver are attempting to flee south, or planning further attacks on national territory.

The Spanish embassy in Nice has given two phone numbers – (0033) 61 59 38 701 for Consular assistance, and (0033) 4 93 72 22 22 for anyone who wants to check up on friends or family members in the city.

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ACTING president Mariano Rajoy (PP) is aiming to be invested as the country's leader again on August 2, giving the other parties 20 days to react.

He has warned his immediate rival, left-wing PSOE leader Pedro Sánchez, and the head of centre-right Ciudadanos, Albert Rivera that if they do not vote in his favour, Spain will have to go through to a third general election.

Sánchez has repeated his refusal to support Rajoy's bid to serve a second term in office, telling him to seek out political allies first.

Rajoy's only possible ally is Ciudadanos, and Rivera has not made it clear yet whether he and his 31 MPs intend to vote against the PP, or abstain in the in-house elections to help ensure Rajoy has a majority in his favour.

The PP leader was initially aiming at July 25 or 26 for his presidential vote, but has extended it by another week.

Of the 350 MPs, Rajoy needs votes in his favour from 176, which appears unlikely at present.

If he does not achieve this, a second in-house election will be held 48 hours later, probably on Friday, August 5, where he will only need more 'yes' votes than 'no' votes rather than an outright majority.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A TOURIST from the USA who was gored during the Sanfermines bull-runs and needed 20 stitches said the day had been 'the best experience of his life'.

Matthew Levin, 39, from New Jersey had travelled to Spain purely to join in running with loose bulls in Pamplona, capital of the land-locked northern region of Navarra, at its world-famous festival.

But he had only run five metres, or barely 17 feet, when he tripped and fell and was stabbed through his left thigh by a bull.

In his vulnerable position and given where he was gored, Levin was lucky to escape alive and missed the rest of the day's bull-runs as he was admitted to hospital.

He told reporters, however, whilst being stitched up, that the short run with the bulls had been 'the best experience of his life'.

Sanfermines is popular with north American tourists, but they are frequently among those rushed to hospital with goring injuries.

A 53-year-old man from Los Angeles slipped over on the street and was squashed by another tourist who fell on top of him, injuring his leg - but he still got up and carried on chasing the bulls, saying he had done so every year for the past two decades.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

AIRLINES operating in Spain have urged the ministry of transport to scrap the requirement for passengers to show their passports or national ID cards at the departure gates, in order to speed up the boarding process.

They have also called for more human and financial resources to be employed to make searches, checks and general handling quicker, especially at passport control where queues tend to build up in summer.

Spain is one of just four countries within the 26 nations in the Schengen zone - along with Italy, Portugal and the Czech Republic - where passports or ID cards have to be shown at the boarding gates, and this slows proceedings down by an average of five minutes even on flights which are not busy.

The Association of Spanish Air Transport Companies (ACETA), which includes Iberia, Vueling, Air Europa, Evelop, Iberia Express, Air Nostrum and Binter Canarias met with minister for infrastructure, transport and public works this week in light of the Vueling chaos which has seen up to 40 flights a day cancelled and passengers grounded all over Europe.

They were joined by other carriers operating in Spain, including Ryanair, easyJet, Air Berlin and Norwegian.

ACETA members called for more digital fast-track routes through passport control to cut the queues at a time when Spain's airports are operating at full capacity due to the summer tourism influx, one of the country's most vital industries.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

PART of a beach had to be evacuated yesterday (Tuesday) for police to detonate an explosive device said to contain red phosphorus.

It was dragged ashore by the Guardia Civil and fire brigade after a diver found it off the beach in Salobreña (Granada province).

Given the device's extremely sensitive and chemically-toxic nature, the whole of the beach, the seafront esplanade and even nearby apartments had to be emptied of people.

The beach was then cordoned off so it could be blown up under controlled conditions.

At present, part of the shore is still shut to bathers in case remains of phosphorus are still in the area.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A FACEBOOK user who 'celebrated' the death of 29-year-old bull-fighter Víctor Barrio in Teruel could face legal action - and as he claims to be a teacher, a petition with 150,000 signatures is calling for him to be struck off.

Celebrity TV presenter Frank Cuesta said 'being pleased about the death of a human does not make one more of an animal-lover', and insiders in the bull-fighting industry have revealed that whenever a matador is killed in the ring, the 'offending' bull and its entire family are put to sleep.

Vicent Belenguer Santos wrote in his Facebook status line: "Someone called Víctor Barrio, a bull-murderer by profession, has died in Teruel (they only know him at home during 'siesta hour'). I, as an 'educated' citizen - to the point of being a qualified teacher - am very chuffed about his death; the only thing I'm disappointed in is that the same goring didn't kill off the [expletive]s who conceived him and everyone related to him, and I testify and swear to this in front of any legal institution. Today is a happy day for humanity. We'll dance on your grave and wee on the flower wreaths on top of it, [expletive]!"

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A GUARDIA Civil officer has rescued a three-month-old baby left in a parked car alone in Roquetas de Mar (Almería province) whilst his parents were in a nearby shop.

The mother and father said they had left the newborn in the car because he had just fallen asleep and they did not want to wake him.

But the temperature inside a closed-up parked car can reach in excess of 10ºC higher than the outside temperature - which at the time was well over 35ºC, meaning the child was sitting in an airless climate of nearly 50ºC.

In these circumstances, a child - especially a baby - can go into heatstroke within a matter of minutes, and even 10 minutes can be fatal.

The infant in Roquetas de Mar had been in the car for 20 minutes by the time the police officer managed to force the door open.

Even though it was only 10.45hrs in the morning, the baby was already overheated and was crying, pouring with sweat, but was found to be in good health after a medical check-up.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

GIBRALTAR wants a second referendum over whether the UK should leave the European Union, given that 96% of its voters backed 'Remain'.

Now, the enclave at the foot of mainland Spain is in talks with Scotland, another British region which voted to stay in the EU, since the Chief Ministers of each say it is unfair that their people should be forced out of the single market and free movement agreement without their consent.

The latter's leader, Fabián Picardo, says: "In the referendum, it was a choice of remaining inside the EU under the current conditions, or leaving. But nobody knew what this second option really meant."

Discussions with Scotland are aimed at allowing the two regions, and possibly Northern Ireland - where all bar one coastal constituency opted to leave - could stay in the Union whilst the rest of the UK left.

"It's a dreadfully difficult plan with really complex details, but it's an option," Picardo admitted.

"Most politicians in the UK have accepted the inevitable with the Brexit, but a number of those who voted 'Leave' are now regretting it and could well change their minds as the date of the UK's actual departure from the EU draws near.

"Also, the UK government needs to bear in mind that a significant chunk of the country - Scotland, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar - chose to remain."

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

FOUR people have drowned this weekend in the sea and in swimming pools across the country, including a two-year-old girl in El Puerto de Santa María (Cádiz province).

In the latter case, the tot fell into a private pool at a villa on the C/ Snipe at around 09.00hrs on Sunday and went into cardiac arrest.

She had slipped out of the house when her parents turned their back for a split second.

A man aged 51 was seen floating, unconscious, off the beach in Colònia de Sant Pere (pictured) in Mallorca at 13.40hrs, also on Sunday, and was found to be in cardiac arrest when lifeguards pulled him out of the water.

They were unable to bring him round and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

A woman aged 40 lost her life off the Area Maior beach in Muros (A Coruña province, in the north-western region of Galicia) at 15.09hrs, despite emergency medical helicopters being sent in.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

NATIONAL Police Technology Inspection Unit head Silvia Barrera has warned about just how much of their lives users leave wide-open to the public on the internet.

Sra Barrera says Matt Damon's popular character Jason Bourne - due back on the big screen on July 29 - could easily recover his memory just by searching for himself online.

"If, one day, we woke up and didn't know who we were or anything about our own past, thanks to our 'virtual footprints' we would be able to find out everything about ourselves - our digital lives are now our real world," Barrera warns.

"We are what we advertise about ourselves, and as a consequence, that's how we sell ourselves - we're gradually exposing more and more of ourselves; want to be more and more hip and cool on social networks, upload more posts and, at times, forget about our private selves."

She says that even, for example, using an apparently-harmless sports App, a person does not know whom they are giving information to about how much they weigh, their pulse, blood pressure, medical information and how much running they do.

"The latest technology is there to make our lives easier, but also makes us careless," Sra Barrera explains.

An average internet or mobile phone user gives 'consent to publish' to 192 applications and social networks - '192 data about us', says the officer, which 'sometimes is literally confidential information'.

"Perhaps in Facebook you only broadcast your happy moments and not necessarily critical information, but then you have LinkedIn, which is a personal information forum where you put real information about yourself.

"Then there are bank details we log with online trading sites or applications.

"You should bear in mind how many of these services are interlinked: if someone gains access, for example, to your Gmail account, they will also be gaining access to far more than just your emails; they will be able to get into all services and applications linked to it including Google Calendar, Drive, YouTube, Amazon and so on; they can find out where you've been, what hardware you use...

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

PRESIDENT of the United States Barack Obama is now on Spanish soil, having arrived at 23.00hrs last night (Saturday) - but he will barely be in the country for 24 hours before returning home.

The USA head of State has cut his keenly-awaited visit short in light of the Dallas shoot-out, meaning he will no longer travel to Sevilla, as planned.

He will only have time to meet with King Felipe VI, acting president Mariano Rajoy, and the other main party leaders Pedro Sánchez (PSOE, or socialists); Pablo Iglesias (left-wing independents Unidos Podemos), and Albert Rivera (centre-right independents Ciudadanos).

Then, after paying a visit to US troops at the air base in Rota (Cádiz province, southern Spain), Obama will get back on the plane home at 20.00hrs tonight.

The Spain trip, which Obama had been looking forward to, was due to take three days, but after five white police officers were shot dead by an Afro-American as a revenge attack in light of a number of black men being killed by white officers, Obama is needed back on home turf as soon as possible.

As a result, Obama's timetable will be very tight today - a 10.30hrs reception and early lunch with around 100 guests hosted by King Felipe, followed by a 14.00hrs meeting with Rajoy in the Moncloa Palace - Spain's answer to the White House - and a 15.00hrs meeting with Sánchez, Iglesias and Rivera at Torrejón de Ardoz air base in Madrid, where he landed last night.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A FIREBALL brighter than a full moon was seen crossing Spain in the early hours of yesterday (Saturday) morning, caused by a meteoric rock hitting the Earth's atmosphere at 95,000 kilometres per hour (nearly 60,000mph).

It was caught on telescope at the La Hita observatory in Toledo at 23.06hrs exactly, and was seen from the ground by the naked eye from Murcia, Andalucía, Castilla-La Mancha and Madrid.

Meteor detectors set up by the University of Huelva, on Spain's far south-west coast, based in Sevilla, the Sierra Nevada, Calar Alto (Almería province) and Huelva city itself were designed to monitor the skies continuously to enable astrophysicists to analyse the impact of burning space rocks coming from the Solar System and colliding against the Earth's atmosphere.

These studies, part of the so-called SMART project, found that the fireball soared directly over northern Africa, which is why it was bright enough to be seen from southern and central Spain.

The brusque collision with the atmosphere forced the temperature of the meteoric rock to shoot up very suddenly, creating a fireball at an altitude of 107 kilometres above Morocco.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A PETITION on Change.org is calling for the Spanish government to allow dual nationality to Brits living in Spain after 10 years of residence.

Set up by Giles Tremlett and William Chislett, the petition - which gathered over 3,000 signatures in its first two days - points out that a 'Brexit' could leave British nationals living in Spain in legal limbo, which may lead to many deciding they had no choice but to become Spanish.

Although Spain allows dual nationality to anyone from its former colonies including the Latin American countries, the Philippines and Equatorial Guinea, as well as natives of Portugal and Andorra, citizens from anywhere else in the world have to renounce their nationality of birth in order to obtain a Spanish passport.

Britain, by contrast, allows Spaniards living there to become dual UK and Spanish citizens after five years.

To obtain Spanish nationality, applicants - except those from the aforementioned countries, who only have to wait two years, or anyone married to a Spaniard for at least a year - need to have lived in Spain for 10 years and take a 'cultural test', which covers brief outlines of the political structure, famous people, basic geography and day-to-day law.

Where the applicant's native language is not Spanish, they are required to take a test, but the level is lower than many expats imagined - on the European scale which ranges from A1, or elementary, to C2, which is completely bilingual, the citizenship language test is set at A2, or a good GCSE standard.

This means anyone with an AS-level in Spanish (B1), an A-level or first-year degree level (B2) or a degree (C1) in Spanish, or can speak, write and understand it to these standards, will sail through.

The petition cites two typical families: the Smiths have been living in Spain for 30 years, since Spain joined the EU, and have paid taxes in the country all that time, and their daughters were born there, went to State-run schools in Spain and have now gone to university in the UK, but with the intention of returning to their home country to live and work; and the Sánchez, good friends of the Smiths, who have lived in the UK for many years but will be able to resolve their 'Brexit issues' easily with joint nationality.

It asks whether the Smiths would be allowed to still earn their pensions if they had to spend a while living in the UK, and whether they would be allowed back into Spain to live, as well as whether their years of 'paying into the system' in Britain would count towards their Spanish State pension.

Also, it asks whether their daughters, who hold British passports, would be allowed to return to Spain, their home, and work.

These problems reflect many mentioned by petition-signers: If a British national resident in Spain had to go to the UK for a couple of years to care for an elderly parent, with the intention of returning to Spain; where children born in Spain to Brits live and work in both countries; whether, if the children moved to the UK when they left home, they would be able to return to live nearer to their parents several years down the line, and many other scenarios which are exclusive to expatriates from outside the EU who started their families in their adopted country.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A NINE-YEAR-OLD girl whose abusive father was absolved as the court 'did not believe her' hid a recording device in her sock to prove her claims, forcing the case to be reopened.

The youngster, from Madrid, was seven when she first reported how her father would sexually abuse her, but no medical evidence was found to support her allegations as she had not actually been raped, and the court investigator did not believe her when she was interviewed.

As a result, the court threw the case out.

But just a few weeks later after spending 10 days at the house of her father - who is separated from her mother - the little girl went to the doctor to say it hurt to urinate, and had done 'ever since her father put his fingernail there'.

Tests showed an infection, and the doctor suspected she may be a victim of child abuse.

Police were called in several days later to deal with a heated discussion between the girl's parents, and the father was heard to say: "I'd rather see her dead than not see her at all, because this is unbearable."

The judge once again concluded that the man had said this in temper, that it did not 'denote any intention to cause harm to his daughter', but had 'probably been because of the stress of the trial'.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

UNITED States president Barack Obama is said to be planning meetings with all four main candidates in the recent general elections during his official visit to Spain.

After the lunch hosted by King Felipe VI on Monday, July 11, which acting Spanish president Mariano Rajoy will be attending, Obama is expected to hold talks with PSOE (socialist) head, Pedro Sánchez; Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias, and Ciudadanos' boss Albert Rivera.

Sources close to the three parties said all three would be going to the lunch, but Obama himself has declined to reveal the full guest list - although he is indeed planning to meet all the party heads.

The US leader says his main aim is to get, and stay, in contact with the heads of all the main political parties in Spain, remaining so even after the country finally manages to form a new government.

Obama's visit on Monday will be the first time all the party leaders have come together at the same time and place since the inconclusive elections on June 26.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

POLICE in the Greater Madrid region have arrested a man who kept his teenage son locked in a box-room in the family home for two years.

When they released the 19-year-old, he was found to be dehydrated, malnourished and disoriented, very underweight and with cuts and bruises from having been beaten several times a day by his father.

His father is said to have 'responded violently' when the police got involved.

The young man had managed to send an email to the 'women and family assistance' unit of the National Police, via atencionfamiliaymujer@policia.es, giving his sister's email address and phone number.

She was contacted, and once officers confirmed the authenticity of the plea for help, went to her brother's home in Rivas Vaciamadrid.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

BARÇA FC's Lionel 'Leo' Messi and his father Jorge have been sentenced to 21 months in prison for alleged tax fraud relating to the Argentinian forward's image royalties.

But neither will have to go to jail, since Spanish law dictates that for a first offence of any nature, a sentence of less than two years does not have to be served.

Messi Junior has always maintained he had no idea what was happening with his money, since he does not have any specialist financial or taxation knowledge and left it up to his father to deal with.

And Jorge Messi also insisted Leo was not at fault - "he just played football," the forward's father said - but that the family had trusted the accountants handling their affairs to act within the law.

Front companies set up in tax havens, including Belize and Uruguay, were used to launder Leo Messi's earnings, the prosecution in Barcelona claimed, but Messi Senior said he had been told by his accountants that the structure was legal.

The Barça player ended up owing €4 million in tax to the Spanish authorities, which he paid instantly - plus interest and fines - as soon as he was notified.

However, as the amount of tax avoided exceeded €120,000, it placed the affair within the 'criminal' rather than 'civil offence' category.

FC Barça has always fully backed the Messis, and says it will continue to offer all the support it can to the family.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

SIX in 10 people in Spain admit they 'consult Dr Google' for medical advice – a practice which doctors are divided upon.

Many support searching online for health answers and even recommend their patients do so when they see them in the surgery, but the Patients' Ombudsman is concerned about the dangers of trying to replace a professional with a website.

Over half – 54.2% - of Spanish residents say they research healthy lifestyle hacks online, whilst another 52.1% looks up illnesses, 50.9% check their symptoms through google, and 47% look for remedies.

In the last five years, the number of medical-related searches online in Spain have risen by 22% - from 38% in 2011 to 60.5% now, according to the National Telecomunications and Information Society Observatory (ONTSI).

Experts worry this trend could lead to hypochondria, a severe mental disorder where the sufferer genuinely believes he or she suffers from serious and life-threatening illnesses with no real grounds, and which sometimes even leads otherwise perfectly healthy individuals to plan their last rites.

In response, medical professionals say those who cannot keep away from 'Dr Google' should limit their searches to sites endorsed by public health bodies and written by qualified doctors.

Those more likely to go online to look up health matters are young adults (80.2%), generally with higher levels of education of graduate standard or the equivalent (82.9%), or those with dependant children (76.8%).

“The patient does not have the necessary criteria, so although there are sources of every type out there, incorrect information is rife – a consultation in person is essential,” says Sergio Gómez Cisneros, a urologist from the Ponferrada Clinic.

But 88.7% of Spanish residents questioned said they would in fact turn to a doctor in person first, before going online, or as well as – and many resort to the internet to find out more about a condition they have already been diagnosed with.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A SPANISH priest faces just over three years in prison for his alleged role in the so-called 'Vatileaks 2' case, where confidential financial data concerning the Vatican were made public.

Lucio Vallejo is considered to be the 'main character and main motor' behind the leaking of the Holy See's accounts, and the prosecution - working for the Papal headquarters - has applied for a three-year, one-month jail sentence.

He is said to have disclosed information relating to the economic and administrative investigatory commission for the Vatican, COSEA, when he was its secretary.

Vallejo is said to have formed a 'shadow group' along with the other accused COSEA employee, Francesca Chaouqui.

Francesca (pictured), who has just given birth to her first child, is facing three years and nine months in prison, since the prosecution considers her to be the 'true motor' and 'instigator' of the leaks.

Attending court with her newborn son in his pram, she told reporters around her that the prosecution's recommendations were 'surreal'.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

GIBRALTAR has urged Spain 'not to put up obstacles' to 'free movement of workers' between the Rock and the neighbouring country post-Brexit, pointing out that they are 'the motor' of the enclave's economy.

Chief Minister Fabián Picardo says Gibraltar itself would 'always guarantee' this free movement, and 'trusts the Spanish government will not be an obstacle' to this with its 'threats' and its continous statements about joint sovereignty of the Rock, which 'it knows perfectly well Gibraltar will never accept'.

Picardo made this announcement during a meeting with leaders of two of Spain's largest unions, the labourers' commission (CCOO) and general workers' union (UGT).

The Andalucía branch secretary-general of each union, Francisco Carbonero and Carmen Castilla respectively, travelled to Gibraltar to discuss workers' situations in light of the recent 'Brexit' vote.

Spain's acting foreign affairs minister José Manuel García-Margallo is known for his strong views over where the Rock's sovereignty should lie, even saying within hours of the UK's vote to leave the European Union that 'the Spanish flag on Gibraltar is closer than ever'.

And Picardo complains Mariano Rajoy has 'insisted' that for Gibraltar to continue to enjoy free movement of workers and access to the single market, the 'price' would be the Rock's acceptance of joint sovereignty.

"This is a very obvious threat," the Chief Minister was reported as saying.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A MAN who went swimming in the sea near Elche (southern Alicante province) when the red flag was flying has died, despite being revived from a cardiac arrest through CPR.

The 47-year-old, a Romanian national, was seen floating in the water on the border of the Urbanova beach with that of L'Altet, the nearest beach to Alicante airport.

Another man raised the alarm, and the victim was pulled out of the sea.

He had gone into cardiac arrest and lifeguards managed to revive him after spending over an hour giving him mouth-to-mouth and cardiac massage, but he later arrested again and all attempts to bring him round were unsuccessful.

The deceased is said to have moved to L'Altet, a tied village belonging to the large inland town of Elche, just two months ago.

And he is the second Romanian national to have lost his life swimming in the Mediterranean in the Comunidad Valenciana in as many weeks - another, aged 42, is thought to have suffered a heart attack whilst swimming off the beach in Gandia (Valencia province).

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

BARCELONA University scientists are part of a team which has found no less than 40 genes relating to migraines – the most ambitious research project to date into how DNA affects this debilitating neurological condition.

As reported in the magazine Nature Genetics, the group studied 56,674 patients who suffer from regular migraines and a wider sample of 316,078 who did not, or only rarely.

For the first time ever, they found a genetic risk factor in the 'X' chromosome, which appears to tie in with the fact that more women than men suffer migraines.

To date, 13 genes have been found which may relate to the condition, but this further research has confirmed that 10 of these definitely contribute to what were once referred to as 'sick headaches' and added another 28 'possibles'.

Barcelona University's Biomedical Institute (IBUB) and the Rare Illnesses Network Biomedical Investigation Centre (CIBERER) in the capital of Catalunya found that each of the genes studied made a 'small and individual contribution' to the condition, but that combined, they played a 'very relevant role' in the development of migraines.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

SPAIN is hoping to be the new venue for the 'City of London' post-Brexit if top financial firms decide to quit the British capital and set up in Europe.

Caretaking vice-president Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría is heading up a taskforce aiming to offer City institutions a new base within the European Union, in Spain - although it is not clear yet which Spanish metropolis they would be encouraged to set up in.

Sáenz de Santamaría and her team are working on convincing the European Banking Authority (EBA) and the European Medication Agency (EMA) - both of which are currently in London - to shift to Spain, a move that would make the Mediterranean country more competitive.

Barcelona and Málaga are eager to house the EMA, whilst the European Banking Authority is thought to have its sights set on Frankfurt, Paris, Milan or Madrid.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

ACTING president Mariano Rajoy continues to face problems in building his much-desired 'mega-coalition' involving his own party, the right-wing PP, plus the socialists (PSOE) and centre-right Ciudadanos.

With only 137 seats, the PP has fallen far short of a majority of 176 required to govern, despite winning the elections on June 26 - the second round after the December general elections failed to produce a government.

This time, Rajoy has reversed his tactics by targeting the so-called 'minority' parties, or the nationalist regional outfits including EH Bildu in the Basque Country, CDC and ERC in Catalunya, and the Canarian Coalition, who total 25 seats between them.

Ciudadanos' leader Albert Rivera says it is 'sad' that the caretaking president has approached these parties first before turning to any of the other three of the top four, and has reiterated that he will not join forces with the PP, nor vote in favour or abstain in the in-house elections to allow them to get back into power.

But his views may well change if the PP elects a new leader - however, Rajoy has always been adamant that he will not step aside.

PSOE leader Pedro Sánchez has reiterated his refusal to combine forces with the PP, to vote in favour or abstain to help Rajoy gain a majority of support in the in-house rounds.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

ISRAEL'S Eurovision Song Contest winner Dana International – whose real name is Sharon Cohen – says Spain is 'a perfect example' to the world in 'its treatment of gay people'.

Dana, who won the 1988 contest with the catchy number Diva – and took part with the same tune in 2011 – performed yesterday (Saturday) at Madrid's Puerta de Alcalá archway as part of the annual Pride festival.

But she does not like the term 'Gay Pride', because it insinuates 'there is something to otherwise be ashamed of' – which is, in fact, still the case in many countries, even in Europe, she points out.“There's still a lot of work to be done for equal rights for homosexuals, especially in countries in the east, but Spain is a perfect example of how countries should treat gay people,” Dana stresses.

“So-called 'gay rights' are simply 'human rights', nothing more; being gay isn't something to be proud of or ashamed of, it's simply who we are, and how we were created.”

She says she has seen gay couples acting 'completely normally' out in public in Benidorm (Alicante province), Sitges (Barcelona province) and Las Palmas (Gran Canaria), where, the singer adds, 'nobody cares' and 'everyone feels safe'.

Spain is statistically one of the world's safest countries for bisexual and homosexual residents or visitors, whether they are single or in a couple, and has long been hailed as one of the most accepting on the planet.

The fourth country in the world to legalise marriage between same-sex couples on exactly the same footing as mixed-sex couples – something it took until 2014 for the UK to do - and adoption of children, Spain changed the law in spring 2005 after a year of having announced it planned to do so, pipping Canada at the post and only beaten by Belgium and The Netherlands.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

SPAIN'S tax authorities have launched a probe into the affairs of search engine giant Google in light of a 'possible evasion', which has not been confirmed.

The company says it is cooperating fully with the inquiry and that its financial affairs were all above board and in line with national law 'just as it is in all other countries' where the firm operates, according to a spokeswoman.

Google's tax structure has been the focal point of Spain's fiscal authorities for over five years now, due to its complex nature and because Spain believes Google may be recording some of its profits as having been earned in Ireland, in order to pay lower rates.

Back in 2011, Spain launched an investigation after the national branch of Google reported losses, and its tax liabilities came out almost at zero.

In the end, the company avoided further problems with the authorities by agreeing to pay €1.9 million on top of declarations for two previous tax years.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

CHAOS at Barcelona airport ran into a third day yesterday (Saturday) after more flights run by the low-cost carrier Vueling were cancelled.

Connections to London, Cagliari, Algiers, Málaga, Paris and Ibiza were affected, and the Bilbao-Alicante and Bilbao-Málaga routes stopped running altogether.

Queues across the terminal were seen on Thursday, Friday and yesterday as disgruntled travellers tried to find a solution to their problem, having turned up at the airport to find they were unable to fly.

Those flights which have taken off in the last three days have been severely delayed, often by over two hours, as has been the case with those heading to Ibiza, Lyon and Amsterdam.

Vueling's website for the cancelled flights read: "We regret to inform you that, due to operational reasons, your flight will not be operating, but we have changed your booking to the next available flight."

Passengers were told to check the 'your booking' section on the website or App, or call the customer service line for more information.

They were told to fill in a claim form on the website to recover overnight accommodation costs if necessary.

Sales manager for Vueling David García Blancas apologised publicly to the affected customers and said the firm was 'doing everything in its power' to 'resolve the current situation'.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

Vicente del Bosque has announced that he will step down as Spain coach after his side's Euro 2016 last-16 elimination by Italy.

The 65-year-old led La Roja to World Cup glory in 2010 and the European title in 2012 after taking over from Luis Aragonés in 2008.

Del Bosque made it clear that this had not been a snap decision. He told the Spanish radio station Radiogaceta Sportson on Thursday evening: “I had no intention to remain as coach. No matter what the result of the Euros, I had no doubt about what my future would be.”

Spain won their opening Euro 2016 games against the Czech Republic and Turkey before a defeat by Croatia meant they finished as Group D runners-up, leading to the second-round match against Italy.

Former Sevilla boss, Joaquin Caparrós, and Granada's current coach, Paco Jémez, have emerged as early front-runners to succeed Del Bosque.

“Of course I would be thrilled to be the next Spain coach just like any other coach,” Caparrós told Cadena Ser radio.

In an interview with the same radio station Jémez said: “The national team only comes once in a lifetime and you either take it or it’s over.”

Jémez revealed he has a release clause in his contract with Granada if he is offered the Spain coaching position. The 46-year-old made a name for himself when leading Rayo Vallecano to eighth place in the 2012‑13 La Liga campaign – the best finish in the club’s history.

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SPAIN and France would veto any attempt by Scotland to remain in the European Union as a 'region' or as an independent nation, according to Mariano Rajoy and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Ms Sturgeon attended Tuesday's EU leaders' summit in the wake of the Brexit vote, and stressed to the heads of State of the remaining 27 countries that 'Scotland did not let them down', and called for the EU 'not to let Scotland down either'.

European Council president Donald Tusk declined Ms Sturgeon's request for a meeting, saying 'now is not the time', but EU Parliamentary president Martin Schultz is said to have 'listened attentively' to what the SNP leader had to say.

She does not have any immediate plans for a second Scottish independence referendum, or 'IndyRef', until she sees how negotiations work out, but has not ruled out doing so if there is no way of Scotland retaining its ties with the EU without leaving the United Kingdom.

“I don't underestimate the challenges ahead,” she admitted.

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said he would 'listen attentively' to Sturgeon over the coming months, and that Scotland 'had earnt its right to be heard' in the EU.

“Neither Donald [Tusk] nor I intend to interfere in what is in fact a British process – it's not our obligation, and it's not our job,” he stressed, making it clear that it was not up to the EU to influence or try to block any form of independence referendum by a region of a member State.

He denied rumours he was due to resign over the Brexit vote for 'not having influenced the campaign to remain', saying: “I'd recommend people take a close look at my CV, because if they do, they'd come up with a very different conclusion,” and added that both the 'Remain' and 'Leave' camps had requested Europe did not show any bias ahead of the referendum.

Sturgeon said she had left the meeting 'optimistic' about the likelihood of Scotland being heard, and that she had 'seen lots of smiley faces' and been wished lots of luck on behalf of her region in its desire to remain in the EU.

She stressed that as First Minister for Scotland, it was her job to look out for the interests of the Scottish people and try to fulfil their democratic wishes, which had come across loud and clear after the voting results were published.

Every constituency in Scotland registered a majority of 'Remain' votes, and 62% of those who cast their ballot chose to stay in the EU – even higher than the pro-EU voters in all bar five boroughs in London, although less than Gibraltar where 96% of voters wanted to remain.

But Ms Sturgeon may face problems ahead if any vote for Scotland to remain in the EU relies on a unanimous agreement by the remaining 27, and if just one veto is enough to keep the region out.

Spanish president Mariano Rajoy has refused to enter into the subject, saying: “If the UK leaves during the negotiations, Scotland will also leave the European Union's institutions.”

Sturgeon (pictured right) said she was 'not surprised' and that it is 'early days', knowing how Spain is facing a similar issue with Catalunya's own bid to secede....

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