Live News From Spain As It Happens

INDITEX empire founder and Europe's wealthiest man Amancio Ortega has donated €320 million to upgrade cancer treatment equipment in Spain.

A well-known philanthropist, Ortega's global enterprise – which includes budget high-street clothing chain Zara – handed over €17m in 2015 to the regional health service in his native Galicia.

The company appears to be bomb-proof, financially: during times of economic crisis and recession, it was one of the few non-luxury goods producers which continued to make a profit.

In fact, last year, its takings went up 10% to €3.16bn, and bonuses of €42m were handed out to all staff.

This latest donation will allow all 17 autonomously-governed regions in Spain to aquire a total of 290 pieces of equipment for their oncology departments.

They include radiotherapy units and diagnostic tools – the latter being among the most important types of equipment, since as the national cancer care and research charity AECC recalls, the key to a complete cure and successful, minimally-invasive treatment lies in detecting cancer at a very early stage.

Most of the cancers considered to carry the worst-possible prognosis are those which are practically symptom-free until they are at a very advanced stage, where the likelihood of a full recovery is minimal and most treatment is palliative only.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

BRITISH residents in Spain applying for citizenship have multiplied in number by 431% since the Brexit referendum results were announced, and this figure is expected to continue to climb now Article 50 has officially been triggered.

Just 28 Brits sought Spanish nationality between January and March 2016, for reasons ranging from fears the Brexit vote would prosper through to wanting to be able to cast their ballots in national elections.

But in the same period in 2017, a total of 111 have already filed applications and numerous others are talking of doing so.

Whilst there was no suggestion of the UK ever leaving the European Union – before anyone spoke of a referendum – Brits living in Spain had no real need to take Spanish citizenship since, other than being barred from voting in national and regional elections or standing for Parliament in either, their rights as expatriates were identical to those of any Spaniard.

They still are, but this may well change by the end of March 2019, or earlier if UK-EU negotiations are settled and Britain decides to formalise its exit.

As yet, nobody knows for sure, and with long waiting lists to apply for citizenship, and a growing number are not willing to chance it.

Citizenship requirements changed in October 2015, but are relatively within reach of the average British expatriate – the language test is set at level A2, or a good GCSE grade, and two years' worth of classes or dedicated home study is normally enough for complete beginners to reach this standard.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

AN HISTORIC deal between Vodafone and Spanish communications company Telefónica will allow the British network provider to access its entire fibreoptic network.

Reportedly, this includes the so-called 'non-regulated zone' – the 66 most heavily-populated cities and towns where Telefónica is not obliged to share its fibreoptic system, but has chosen to do so anyway – as well as a 'significant' chunk of its regulated network.

At present, Telefónica – which once held a monopoly in Spain and is still a major player in an increasingly fiercely-competitive market – has rolled out fibreoptic internet, or FTTH, to over 17 million buildings including apartment blocks and business premises, and Vodafone will be able to offer this extra-fast connection to customers based in a sizeable minority of them.

The deal between the two telecommunications giants will have a considerable impact on the digital connections market, substantially expanding Vodafone's potential slice of the market and rendering it more competitive than ever by multiplying the number of customers it can reach in addition to its own HFC and FTTH direct networks, as well as drastically reducing the investments needed by the British operator in fibreoptic infrastructre.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

BRITISH prime minister Theresa May has signed the paperwork to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, setting the clock to run on the UK's exit from the European Union.

Ambassador for the EU, Tim Barrow, will present the formal notice to Council of Europe president Donald Tusk today (Wednesday), which will officially be the first day of the two-year countdown.

The UK will now begin negotiations with the remaining EU-27, but despite anticipation on either side of the Channel, this does not automatically include trade agreements and how to handle movement of people: Article 50 is designed to start a process of settling debts, and does not cover anything to do with the outgoing member State's future relationship with Europe.

This means neither side is obliged to discuss or try to agree any measures to protect Brits living in EU countries, the highest number of whom are in Spain.

Neither does it mean Britain is required to make decisions about the hundreds of thousands of EU nationals living in the UK, of whom an estimated 100,000 are Spanish.

They include a sizeable Galician diaspora who moved to Britain in the 1950s, and surviving Civil War evacuees from all over Spain, as well as adults of all ages who have lived there for anything from a few months to 20 or more years.

Spaniards in Britain have the option to apply for UK citizenship after five years of residence, and joint nationality is available, but the situation for Brits in Spain may be very different.

Firstly, Spain only offers joint nationality to citizens of its former colonies, who can apply for dual or full citizenship after two years of residence, whilst everyone else has to prove 10 years of continuously living in the country.

Additionally, many Europeans in Spain – particularly pensioners and those living in 'expat belts' – speak little or no Spanish, which would preclude them from applying.

In practice, citizenship requirements are not very demanding – a multiple-choice quiz on aspects of legal, cultural, geographical and political life, and a test to prove Spanish language ability of level A2, equivalent to a good GCSE grade, are the only requisites besides not having a criminal record.

This is not impossible to study for from scratch in two years, and many town councils offer free Spanish classes.

But not everyone wants to apply for British or Spanish citizenship respectively, and many fear that doing so could cause problems for them if they need to spend an extended period in their native country, such as for caring for a family member.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

PALMA de Mallorca airport is set to undergo a multi-million-euro revamp to meet increasing demand forecast for the next four years.

Air terminal governing body AENA plans to spend €297 million on Son Sant Joan, Spain's third-largest airport after Madrid's Adolfo Suárez-Barajasa and Barcelona's El Prat, having predicted that passenger numbers will rise from its current 26 million to an annual 28.5 million by the year 2021.

Already shifting 66 flights an hour, Son Sant Joan has now been given authorisation to transport 80 flights an hour, which means creating more space to keep delays to a minimum – especially during high tourist season.

The amount due to be invested in upgrading the airport is more than the sum it cost to build at the outset, and three times the bill for the controversial Palma Arena building.

Mallorca airport is not planning on increasing the number of flights beyond the 80 a day authorised, but says at least half the money will be used to expand the terminal for passengers' 'safety and comfort' and to cut down on delays.

The priority investment will be modernising the luggage-handling system, a job due to be carried out over 2018 and 2019, and security procedures will be improved over the next four years.

Additional corridors will be built from departure lounges to reach the suspension bridges used for passengers to embark, to avoid their having to walk or bus across the runway.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

TOY exports from Spain to the UK have shrunk in the last nine months due to the uncertainty surrounding the impending Brexit process and the fall of the pound sterling against the euro.

The Spanish Toy Manufacturers' Association (AEFJ) says it had been seeing growth of nearly 18% per annum until the EU referendum led to a 'leave' result, and that 2016 had been its worst year of the decade for UK trade.

This does not mean the industry is struggling per se, however, says the AEFJ – already very international, Britain was its fourth-largest market and has now dropped to fifth behind Germany.

But purchases from the United Kingdom have definitely dropped, the AEFJ says, coinciding with the devaluing of the sterling on the very day the referendum results were known, on June 23.

Back in 2013, toy manufacturers in Spain – mostly based in the south-west of the province of Alicante, in towns such as Biar and Tibi, where the industry is overwhelmingly the mainstay of the local economy – sold just under €424 million of their wares abroad, or 7.1% more than in 2012, and thought at the time that it was their poorest year since the financial crisis.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

TEIDE National Park's cable car was back in use again this weekend for the first time since over 200 tourists became trapped due to a mechanical fault.

The safety brake became blocked whilst a group of holidaymakers were halfway up to the refuge at the top of the Montaña Blanca mountain – one of the Tenerife volcanic park's most popular attractions – and led to another cable car full of visitors being jammed heading back the other way.

Meanwhile, dozens more were stuck at the top, and a total of 238 tourists had to spend the night in the ancient chapel.

None were hurt, and the mild weather conditions meant nobody had to be treated for exposure, but for safety reasons the cable car was shut down pending a full inspection and repair.

It was finally open again at the weekend, and tourists have now been up to the refuge and back without incident.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

FORMER defence minister Pedro Morenés has been named as Spanish ambassador in the USA in Spain's bid to 'get closer' to Donald Trump's administration.

Mariano Rajoy's cabinet wants to gain 'greater access' to the Republican leader's government through contacts Morenés maintains in the US military, given the North American nation's concerns about national security and defence.

Morenés will be the second non-diplomat to take on an ambassador role, after ex-education minister José Ignacio Wert became Spain's representative for the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which is based in Paris.

New foreign affairs minister Alfonso Dastis has said he prefers such roles to be given to actual diplomats – of which he is one – but the PP-led government says that in 'exceptional circumstances', this does not need to be the case and Morenés' contacts in the US make him the ideal candidate.

Among the opposition, left-wing Podemos has called for Morenés to speak to Parliament and explain his strategic plans for Spain's future relations with Trump's government.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

TWO in three marriages are civil ceremonies and only half of all children are christened in Spain – and now, non-religious funerals are on the rise.

Traditionally, a Catholic funeral involves a sombre mass – normally in Latin – and an open coffin where no expense is spared in making the deceased look as attractive as possible.

The ceremony is normally held within 24 hours or a maximum of 48 hours after death, and once the religious rites have taken place, the grieving family and friends go home.

Misunderstanding has arisen between Spaniards and northern European expatriates – the tradition of setting up monuments such as benches with a plaque and photograph, of playing the deceased's favourite music, turning up in coloured clothes instead of black attire, and holding a boozy party afterwards to 'celebrate the life' of the departed loved one has often been considered macabre by the native Spanish population, or at the very least, disrespectful.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

SPAIN joins the rest of Europe in turning its clocks forward tonight (Saturday) – or rather at 02.00 on Sunday morning – as the debate continues on whether the country should drop back an hour to join the UK, Portugal and Morocco in their earlier time zone.

Experts in physics have recently refuted the ongoing assumption that Spain is an hour ahead of its geographic time because dictator General Franco wanted to align the clocks with his allies in Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, saying it was in fact an agreement made with French president Général Charles de Gaulle to streamline inter-European communications.

And they do not agree that Spain 'acts as though it is jet-lagged', recalling that many other parts of Europe – such as western France, Belgium and The Netherlands – are in the wrong time zone and should be on GMT in winter and BST in summer, but that their inhabitants have, like Spain, adapted accordingly.

The 'jet lag' would explain a great deal about Spain's rather unique daily routine – shops rarely open much before 10.00; lunch starts between around 13.30 and 15.00, and evening dinner is somewhere between 20.00 and 21.00 in winter and as late as 23.00 in summer – and tourists mistakenly stay off the beach at noon to avoid the 'midday sun' when, in fact, due to the clock change, this would be at 13.00, but in Spain is at 14.00.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

THE Galicia town of Betanzos is flying its flag at half-mast today (Friday) in an official day of mourning for its descendant Aysha Ahmet Caldelas Frade, 43, who lost her life in the terror attack on Westminster Bridge in London.

A town of just 15,000 inhabitants and over 1,000 kilometres from the UK capital is feeling London's pain as though the massacre happened in its own market square – Aysha's mother was born in Betanzos and the deceased's sisters live and work there.

Aysha, whose dad is from Cyprus and met her mum in London, was born in the metropolis and lived mostly in the centre, spending several years in a flat in Ladbroke Grove, but she has a huge family network in the Betanzos area on her mother's side.

Her sisters, Silvia and Michelle, own and run two language schools teaching English to natives in the province of A Coruña.

Although a Londoner all her life, Aysha felt 'very Spanish', supporting FC Deportivo A Coruña and being a big fan of Enrique Iglesias and Colombian rocker Juanés.

“People were saying on Wednesday evening that someone from Betanzos had been affected by the attack, but nobody wanted to believe it,” admits mayor Ramón García Vázquez.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

THE woman known to have been killed on Westminster Bridge in yesterday's terrorist attack has been named as 43-year-old Aysha Frade, a Spaniard working as an English teacher in London.

Her father is from Cyprus and met her mother, from the Galicia town of Betanzos (A Coruña province) in the British capital, where Aysha, who has two daughters, has always lived.

Aysha's parents are thought to have moved back to Betanzos, where her two elder sisters own and run a language school teaching English to Spaniards.

The deceased is said to have spent her month-long summer holiday every year in Betanzos with her family and enjoying the town's patron saint fiestas.

Rumours had already reached Betanzos before Aysha's death was confirmed by officials, says mayor Ramón García Vázquez.

The 'quickie' attack took place on the anniversary of the Brussels bombing last year, and just as MPs were discussing the imminent triggering of Article 50 to start the Brexit negotiations.

Senior MI5 officials say the days of wide-scale bomb blasts and plane hijacking appear to be over, since they involve extensive planning, logistics and take several months to arrange, giving the Secret Services time to find out and thwart them.

Terrorists are now opting for quicker and more spontaneous methods to avoid their being frustrated by Intelligence – attacks which involve a lower death toll but are, nevertheless, designed to cause just as much media frenzy, says the MI5.

Movements such as the Jihad 'crusade' seek as much attention as possible, and thrive on social unrest and division.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

FORMER regional minister of Catalunya and MP for PdeCat Francesc Homs has been banned by a Supreme Court judge from holding any political position for the next 13 months in punishment for his involvement in the non-binding informal independence referendum in November 2014.

Homs has been ordered to pay a fine of €30,000 for 'sedition', but charges of power-dealing have been dropped.

He would have faced a nine-year ban on political office if he had been found guilty of the latter, an offence involving misuse of public funds – implied, in the prosecution's view, by the fact that the 'illegal' referendum would have involved a certain amount of taxpayers' money to organise.

According to Homs, he 'owes nothing to anyone, except to the people of Catalunya' who 'chose him as MP', and has thanked his supporters for their well wishes via the Twitter hashtag #hotornariaafer ('I would do it again').

“Their support is not just for me as a person, but goes beyond that: it's a reaction to our multiple democratic commitment,” Homs says.

“Sentencing us for setting up ballot boxes is a big mistake and is a sign of weakness in the Spanish State.

“We've won today, and we'll carry on winning!”

Spokeswoman for the regional government of Catalunya, Neus Munté, called the verdict against Homs 'unjust' and says the cabinet will 'defend its defence strategy', even if that means turning to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

“We do not accept that you can be banned from public office for ideas, voting slips and allowing 2.3 million people to exercise democracy,” storms Sra Munté.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

SINGER Enrique Iglesias, tennis star Rafa Nadal and NBA ace Pau Gasol have opened a restaurant together in Miami Beach, Florida.

The Tatel Restaurant in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel specialises in traditional Spanish cuisine and culture – a relatively unknown concept in much of the USA, where it is assumed Spanish and Mexican food are similar.

The trio, along with their business partners Abel Matutes Prats and Manuel Campos Guallar, own another branch of the Tatel in Madrid, which has been open for two years.

Their next plan is to open Tatel restaurants in Los Angeles, Ibiza and México DF.

“Having seen the Tatel grow and triumph in Madrid, nothing could make me happier than bringing it to my home city of Miami,” says Iglesias, son of legendary crooner Julio, and who has lived in the Florida metropolis for several years.

Rafa, one of the Miami Open tennis tournament's biggest stars, says he 'always has a great time' in the city and that Miami is 'the closest to Spanish culture' he has found outside of Spain.

Basketball star Pau Gasol – who, along with his brother Marc, have put Spain on the map on the NBA circuit – was unable to attend the official opening of the restaurant on the famous Collins Avenue, since his practice and match schedule with the San Antonio Spurs did not leave him time to get away.

But he sent a message to the people of Miami to say he felt 'excited and honoured' that his Spanish eatery brand had landed in the USA, a country he calls 'his second home'.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

HAYFEVER sufferers could find the start of spring brings sneezing fits, especially in the south, north-east and centre of Spain.

The pollen count is expected to be high over the next few weeks for banana trees, with Andalucía, Catalunya, Extremadura, Aragón and Madrid being the main affected areas.

About eight million people in Spain suffer from hayfever – to a level which requires treatment, even if only over-the-counter medication – and those whose condition is worsened by high pollen counts has risen in 10 years from 22% to 33%.

Olive trees, cypress and bananas are among those which are most likely to spark allergic reactions, although fortunately for those on the Mediterranean, orange trees seem less of an aggravating factor.

But it's not as bad as it sounds, says the Spanish Allergy Society (SEAIC): last spring was much more intense in terms of pollen levels than that of 2017 is expected to be.

Still, for those living in the cities and provinces of Sevilla, Jaén, Madrid, Barcelona and Zaragoza, this may be cold comfort, as they are already dealing with the effects of very high pollen levels.

Measured in grams per cubic metre of air, the worst count in the whole of Spain is in Madrid, at a whopping 2.32 kilos.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

NEARLY 770 falla monuments went up in flames last night (Sunday) in Valencia as is traditional on the last day of the festival in the city and elsewhere in the region.

Smaller towns, mostly in the province of Valencia although some in the north of that of Alicante, hold lower-level versions of the fiesta, with one or two in villages such as Pamís and Pego and six in Oliva, a town of 28,000 inhabitants.

This year has seen the first-ever Fallas celebrated since the festival was declared a UNESCO heritage event, and with over a million visitors to Valencia city alone, the fiesta has broken all records.

The most popular events within the Fallas include the mascletaes, or gunpowder banger displays – normally at 14.00 – where the aim is to make as much noise as possible, and the offering of flowers to the Virgin Mary.

The latter sees falleras, or girls and women in traditional Valencian costume of crinolines and dresses made of braided silk – a material that is starting to creep into mainstream fashion and gradually being exploited by local and regional designers – parading through town to a giant wooden frame with a huge Mary head on top, and slotting bunches of flowers into the slats.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

THE only Spaniard out of 20,000 candidates and 179 countries will be on edge this weekend as he waits to hear whether he has won the Global Teacher Prize 2017 – and the €1 million in cash that comes with it.

David Calle worked at a remedial studies academy to pay his way through university when he was studying engineering, and when he became unemployed years later, started his own, similar school.

But he was worried that he was unable to help students outside of the classroom – when they most needed it – and about the fact that many students' parents could not afford the academy fees or a private tutor.

So, he started uploading his lessons onto YouTube and, six years on, has over 700 videos about maths, chemistry, physics and IT, which have attracted over 700,000 subscribers and 100 million hits.

As well as Spain's largest distance education resource, David Calle's series of video classes, the UNICOOS series, were named as the channel with the greatest social impact in Spain by Google in 2015.

Five- and 10-minute sessions cover maths and science subjects for pupils from first year of high school to sixth form and beyond, explaining them in a clear, no-nonsense fashion whilst demonstrating them on a whiteboard.

Students who have used his clips for revision and to clarify key areas say his methods are so accessible that almost anyone could get through exams in his subjects with the help of Calle's explanations.

The Global Teacher Prize is considered to be the 'Nobel of the education world', and the winner will be announced this Sunday, March 19 at an awards ceremony in Dubai, UAE.

Calle is the only Spaniard in the running, but the other 19,999 candidates come from a further 178 countries, including the UK, Germany, Australia, Canada, Kenya, Jamaica, Brazil and China.

“Thanks to this guy, I passed my Bachillerato [Spain's answer to A-levels], so I'm eternally grateful to him,” said one young woman. 

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

AT LEAST 75 tourists have been stuck overnight in Tenerife's Teide National Park after the cable car broke down, waiting for daylight so they can be rescued.

The security braking system became blocked due to a mechanical fault, and the cable car ground to a halt in mid-air.

Emergency services managed to get everyone out after a rescue operation of several hours, but they needed a helicopter to bring them to terra firma.

Rescue helicopters cannot fly at night, meaning all those affected have had to spend the night in the ancient retreat at the top of the Montaña Blanca.

Not only were those who were in the cable car at the time affected, but also those in a car travelling in the opposite direction along the line – a total of around 75 - and a group of 200 waiting to for their return cabin after visiting the retreat.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A CONVICTED paedophile who fled his native Mallorca to hide out in Liverpool was a contestant on the British musical reality show, The X-Factor, while he was wanted by Spanish police.

Manuel Pons Sánchez, who is now 46, was sentenced in absentia to 23 years in jail for the horrific repeat attacks on his own daughter, Natalia.

He is said to have tied her to her bed, bitten her and raped her regularly from 1999, when she was six, until 2004, when she was 10.

It was not until 2007 when the girl's mother found out and reported her husband, who by that time had left the country and whose whereabouts was unknown.

Whilst an international arrest warrant was hanging over him, he lived a 'normal life' in Liverpool for 10 years, working as a hospital porter in Prescot, near Manchester.

And two years after he went on the run, Pons Sánchez performed the U2 number With or without you in front of Cheryl Crowe, Simon Cowell and millions of prime-time British TV viewers on The X-Factor.

Cowell asked him, before he performed, what had brought him to the UK and Pons Sánchez answered that he was a waiter, joking about how he was 'nothing like Manuel from Fawlty Towers'.

“In the future, I'd like to be more famous than Manuel from Fawlty Towers,” he said during the pre-performance backstage introductions of each artist.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A 'MINT strike' of 24 hours will start tomorrow (Thursday) at the Bank of Spain means no money will be printed all day – or at least, by 80% of staff at the printing firm, Imbisa, who have confirmed they will down tools.

Called by one of Spain's major unions, the Labourers' Commission (CCOO), the strike is in protest over the company's decision to break the collective working conditions agreement in force and 'impose new terms unilaterally', particularly in relation to in-house promotion and new employees.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A MUM who has just given birth to twins aged 64 has applied to the courts to regain custody of her six-year-old daughter, who was taken away from her and who now lives with a relative in Canada.

The woman, who is now recovering from a Caesarian section to deliver her new son and daughter, says she wants her elder child home so she can meet her brother and sister.

“She should be here with us, not thousands of miles away in Canada,” says her solicitor.

The provincial court of Burgos, where the mother lives, upheld her original appeal to keep her daughter, but the social services launched a counter-appeal and won.

According to the mother's lawyer, if her daughter – whom she had aged 58 – had not been taken from her, she may not have made the decision to become pregnant again at 63.

She had to go to a clinic in the USA because Spanish fertility hospitals set a cap of age 50, and only a small number are willing to help a woman become pregnant up to the age of 60.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

BARCELONA has snuck into the top 50 'most liveable cities' according to this year's global quality of life survey, but Madrid has failed to make it for another year – although only just.

The Spanish capital has moved up a notch from 52 to 51, and although Barcelona has dropped from its 39 last year, it is still comfortably within the list at 42.

Created every year by the HR consultancy company Mercer, the 'quality of life' study preamble says that 'despite political and financial turbulence in Europe', the highest number of 'liveable' cities in the world are found on this continent.

Vienna, Austria is where quality of life is best in the world, for the eighth year running and ahead of Zürich, Switzerland; Auckland, New Zealand; and Munich, Germany in fourth place.

Along with Vancouver in Canada, Auckland is only the second non-European city to make it into the top 10 'most liveable' list.

Germany and Switzerland have the most cities where quality of life is among the 50 best in the world, with Düsseldorf and Frankfurt (Germany) and Geneva and Basel (Switzerland) also appearing in the top 10.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

ASYLUM-SEEKER numbers in Spain broke all records in 2016, with 15,755 people applying for refugee status.

Around 43.5%, or a total of 6,855 have been accepted so far and 3,395, or 21.6%, declined.

The remaining 5,505 are still waiting to hear whether their applications will be successful.

Asylum seekers granted refugee status have soared, showing a great improvement on the average in the first 10 to 15 years of this century when a typical seven in 10 were rejected and deported – a number similar to that of the UK.

But only 355 of those accepted have been given full refugee status – the remaining 6,500 were given a form of 'subsidiary' protection, which is inferior and less stable, a number the Spanish Refugee Council considers 'pathetic'.

Of those who hoped to gain a safe haven in Spain last year, 90% are Syrian – of the 6,855 asylum applications approved, 6,215 were from residents of the Middle Eastern country fleeing the civil war.

The remaining 10% are mostly from the Ukraine and Venezuela.

Elsewhere in Europe, the highest numbers of refugees taken in have been in Sweden, Germany and France – the latter two have granted full protection status to 41% and 21% respectively, although this is only part of the story and many more may have been given 'subsidiary' forms of shelter.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com/

SPAIN is the second-most expensive country in the European Union for broadband internet, beaten only by Croatia, according to a study by the EU Commission.

The cheapest monthly offer for a connection with a speed of between 12 and 30MBps (megabytes per second) comes in at 2.7% of a person's gross income – way above the EU average of 1.18%, according to the report.

The cheapest connections in the EU are found in Sweden, Germany, Finland and Austria, in that order.

An annual study known as the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) measures advances in digital technology in the EU-28 and examines five areas – connectivity, human capital, internet use, integration of technology, and online public services.

When taking all five into account, Spain is 14^th out of the 28, up from number 15 last year, and joins nine other countries which fall somewhere around the middle – Austria, Germany, Malta, Lithuania, Portugal, France, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and Latvia.

Despite being the second-most expensive, Spain scores points for being among the most 'online' countries in the EU: use of modern technology by companies, and the provision of public services by internet, is above the European average.

And Spain has improved in all areas since last year, with the exception of human capital.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

THOUSANDS of demonstrators marched through Madrid today calling for greater protection for the Iberian wolf, which is in danger of extinction.

Organised by numerous pro-animal and conservation associations including the WWF, European Greens, European Wolf Conservation Alliance, Ecologists in Action and Marley Wolf, the protest filled the streets of the capital starting from the entrance to the ministry of agriculture building and finishing in the Puerta del Sol square.

Campaigners called for a strict clampdown on Iberian wolf-hunting and protection laws to be fully implemented, on practice as well as on paper.

“The Iberian wolf is the jewel in our fauna crown,” said Juan Carlos del Olmo, secretary-genearal of WWF Spain.

He complained about the 'postcode lottery' the wolf population suffers from – those to the south of the river Duero, in Castilla y León, are tightly protected, but those to the north of the river are at the mercy of different regional laws.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

REAL Madrid FC's Cristiano Ronaldo will father twins via a surrogate mother from the USA, according to reports.

The babies are due to be born at any moment, and the mother is said to live on the west coast of the United States, according to an anonymous source from the star player's family.

He already has a son, six-year-old Cristiano Junior, via a surrogate mother.

“Cristiano and his family are very excited about meeting the new members of the clan,” the unnamed source said.

CR7, as he is known by his Real Madrid player number, has always been fiercely protective of his private life, but the family member in question said the 32-year-old had decided it was 'the right moment' for Cristiano Junior to have brothers or sisters.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

A STRIKE is set to hit Valencia's metro right where it most hurts: during the week of the city's huge trademark fiesta, the Fallas.

Valencia effectively stops for a week during Fallas, which finish on the night of March 19 when the papier mÂché statues satirising current affairs are burnt down, although the reverse happens in the hotel and catering trade where business-owners make a killing.

Tourists travel from every continent to see the spectacular and colourful festival and, even though the Fallas are celebrated in many other towns in the region, the main version in Valencia is arguably superior and local residents make a pilgrimage to the city every mid-March.

This means all Valencia's rail services are packed out and in high demand, so disruption to metro travel will be huge and lead to chaos during Fallas week.

A driver shortage, meaning insufficient rest breaks and even trains stopped mid-track because drivers' shifts had finished, and trains delayed or cancelled due to sick leave, combined with general working conditions are behind the decision to strike.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

SPANISH petro-chemical giant Repsol has discovered the largest oil supply in over 30 years in the USA.

Along with its commercial partner Armstrong Energy, Repsol uncovered the source of black gold in the State of Alaska in the wells known as Horseshoe 1 and 1A, which were drilled over the winter.

It is the greatest quantity of subterranean hydrocarbon fuel worldwide found by Repsol in over seven years, since it drilled wells in Perla, Venezuela, in October 2009.

The energy corporation, chaired by Antonio Brufau and founded 30 years ago in Madrid, says the wells unearthed in Alaska contain around 1.2 billion barrels of crude oil and is connected to a supply found in Pikka, in the same State, during its last excavation campaign.

Having been actively fracking in Alaska since 2008 and finding multiple underground wells in the North Slope area since 2011 in conjunction with Armstrong Energy, Repsol is now working on how to exploit the supply.

It will set a development plan in motion which will extract the fuel for energy use from the year 2021 onwards.

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Barcelona made history at the Camp Nou on Wednesday night, beating Paris Saint-Germain 6-1 on the night (6-5 on aggregate) and becoming the first team in Champions League history to overturn a 4-0 first-leg deficit to advance to the quarter-finals.

The home side had halved the deficit by half time thanks to Luis Suárez's third-minute header and an own goal from Layvin Kurzawa.

Shortly after the break, Lionel Messi made it 4-3 on aggregate with a penalty, only to see PSG pull away again with Edinson Cavani's vital away goal in the 62nd minute.

With three goals to score and less than half an hour left on the clock, Barça went after the seemingly impossible prize in dogged fashion and Neymar brought them level with a sumptuous free kick in the 88th minute, following it up wih a penalty one minute into stoppage time.

With just seconds left before the final whistle, substitute Sergi Roberto (pictured) grabbed a dramatic winner, his first goal of the season, to put Barcelona through to the quarter-finals.

On Tuesday night, Real Madrid beat Napoli 3-1 (6-2 on aggregate) to seal their quarter-final berth.

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A MINI-SUMMIT on the future of the European 'club' in Versailles tackled immediately-pressing issues such as Brexit, the famous 'ever-closer union', and the widely-acknowledged notion of a 'two-speed EU' yesterday (Monday).

Spanish president Mariano Rajoy (PP) flew to France to meet with its president, François Hollande, plus German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian prime minister Paolo Gentolini.

Rajoy stressed he wanted Spain to get back to its one-time central role in the EU's functioning, since the general consensus is that the country has dropped into the background since its early days of fighting talk, ambitious and creative ideas and hands-on problem-solving during socialist president Felipe González's reign between 1982 and 1996.

“I believe now is the time for Europe to look long-term because, in the past, when it has done so, it has achieved some of the greatest milestones in its history,” Rajoy said.

Hollande was concerned about the remaining EU-27 forming a united front, especially in light of the UK's planned departure in early 2019, saying: “If divisions creep in, there's no capacity for influence. Unity does not mean uniformity – which is why I would advocate new forms of cooperation that differ between member States so that some countries can move forward more quickly than others.”

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NEARLY 2,700 people in Spain died from air pollution between 2008 and 2009, according to research by the National College of Health – although a World Health Organisation study for 2012 brings the figure up to 6,860.

But in terms of land mass and population, Spain's air-pollution mortality rate – among the highest in true numbers – is fairly low in comparison with most of Europe.

Even then, Spain has been urged by the EU to cut its contamination rates, and traffic restrictions have been made periodically in Madrid and Barcelona when air-quality readings are low.

Still an ideal expat destination for cleaner air

Most of Spain's air pollution is, logically, in its largest cities, which are very dispersed with vast swathes of barely-inhabited countryside in between, and sea and mountain air and relatively low-density industrialisation means it is not difficult to find a healthy and refreshing oxygen supply.

And the countries which produce most of Spain's European expats suffer a far higher rate of fatal pollution per square kilometre.

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A SUPPORT centre for online store Amazon is set to open in Barcelona, creating 500 new jobs over the next three years.

Online guidance and practical help will be provided for small and medium-sized businesses in south-western Europe who sell their wares on the versatile virtual shop – not just in Spain, but also in France and Italy.

Sellers through Amazon Marketplace can reach customers, potentially, worldwide, and deliveries and packaging of orders is fulfilled by Amazon itself as a guarantee for vendors and buyers.

This has allowed sole traders and small firms to 'go international', exporting their goods without having to bear the prohibitive logistics costs that companies of their size do not have the income or capital to stretch to.

At present, Amazon has Seller Support Hubs in South Africa, the Republic of Ireland, the USA, Germany and Slovakia, meaning Barcelona is strategically placed to serve Marketplace traders in Europe's south-western corner as it is geographically closest – and, effectively, will have a captive audience of three countries.

In Spain alone, tens of thousands of small firms used Amazon Marketplace last year to export products to a value of €200 million, and Barcelona has an existing and thriving network of businesses of this type, including start-ups and sole traders, which are 'especially dynamic and innovative', according to Amazon Spain and Italy managing director François Nuyts.

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THIS week has got off to a blustery start with weather warnings issued for 11 provinces as gales of up to 100 kilometres per hour (around 63mph) are set to sweep the mainland and Balearics.

The north-eastern strip covering the Pyrénéen provinces of Huesca (Aragón), Girona and Lleida (Catalunya) along with the southern-Catalunya province of Tarragona – including Reus, Salou and the Costa Daurada – and its southern neighbour Castellón are under 'orange warnings', meaning residents and visitors should take extra precaution, especially near trees, seafronts and any structures vulnerable to falling.

Alicante, including the Costa Blanca, the island of Mallorca, the remainder of Aragón (Teruel and Zaragoza), the province of Barcelona and the land-locked northern region of Navarra are under 'yellow alerts', or slightly lesser risk.

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OVER 2.4 million residents in Spain suffer from depression – a total of 5.2% of the population, according to a new report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which says the incidence of this illness has gone up by 18.4% in the last decade.

Globally, a total of 322 million people are battling depression at this very moment, or 4.4% of the world's population, with nearly the same number – 264 million or 3.6% of the planet's total headcount – also suffering anxiety, such as life-limiting phobias, panic attacks, stress-related conditions and social fears.

Anxiety affects 4.1% of Spain's population, or a total of 1,911,186.

The most recent figures available are from the end of 2015 – those of 2016 are still being calculated and numbers for 2017 will not be known for another year at least – and, by the close of that year, the number of people with depression had risen by a fifth in a decade, since late 2005.

The world's number one cause of disability, depression is most prevalent in south-east Asia and the western Pacific, including India and China – despite common misconception that it is a condition 'invented' by the 'affluent west' – and nearly half the planet's sufferers are found in these regions.

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A SAHARAN woman adopted by a Spanish family was due to be married by her biological parents today (Saturday) to 'oppress her completely' and 'take away her free will', according to the Sevilla couple, who fear for the 23-year-old's welfare.

Maloma Morales de Matos, who has Spanish nationality but was born in Tindouf, part of the disputed Western Sahara territory and geographically part of Algeria, has been held hostage by her family of origin since December 2015 and unable to return to what has been her home since she was 12 years old in Mairena de Aljarafe (Sevilla province).

She had spent every summer with Pepe Morales and Carmen de Matos from the age of seven as part of the Holidays in Peace programme, whereby Sahara refugee camp children who make a concerted effort at school are rewarded with a three-month stay at a foster home in Spain between mid-June and mid-September, and their summer parents get the chance to visit them in the autumn at their camp in Tindouf.

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SPANISH Eurocrats have hit out at a Polish MEP who claims women should earn less than men because they are 'weaker, smaller and less intelligent'.

Iratxe García (PSOE, or socialists) and Izaskun Bilbao (PNV, or Basque Nationalist Party) exploded during a European Parliament meeting leading to a full-scale multi-lingual row after Janusz Korwin-Mikke – who is not linked to any political party – made his derogatory comments about female workers.

He said: “Do you know how many women are in the top 100 chess players in the world? I'll tell you: none.

“Of course women should earn less than men because they're weaker, smaller and not as intelligent.”

The debate was on the gender pay gap in the EU, which affects the 28 member States in varying degrees.

“I realise it upsets you and worries you that women today are recognised as equal citizens to you,” retorted Iratxe García (pictured), “but I come here to defend us European women against men like yourself!”

“I had to really try to control myself,” fumed García afterwards.

“Korwin-Mikke is well-known for his far-right statements, and he has not just insulted women, but human intelligence in general.”

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SPANISH clothing chain Zara has put its foot in it again, and this time on a global level – the high-street staple's 'Love your curves' advertising campaign, featuring two very slim models in skin-tight jeans, was ridiculed on Irish radio this week.

The most international brand of the Galicia-based fashion empire Inditex, Zara has been pulled up by the public before with some of its less-than-advisable ideas: in the past few years, it has had to withdraw a T-shirt which closely resembled the uniforms worn by Jews in Nazi concentration camps, and his-and-hers baby-gros which bore the slogans, 'Pretty like mum' and 'Clever like dad' for being 'too sexist'.

The two young models who illustrate the 'Love your curves' advert would be, assuming they are of average height, approximately a size six to eight, or 34 to 36 in Spain.

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A CANARY Island bishop says the sight of a 'drag-queen Virgin Mary' being crowned at Las Palmas carnival 'saddened him more than the Spanair crash' of August 2008.

Francisco Cases said until now, the 'saddest day of his life' since moving to the region was when the aircraft destined for Gran Canaria exploded on take-off at Madrid-Barajas, killing all 154 passengers and crew and leading to Spanair going bust – but that this has now been superseded by Monday's 'drag-queen gala' at Spain's largest carnival.

The all-male participants in one of the groups entering the contest had dressed up as the Virgin Mary, one of whom was attached to a cross, and they won hands-down.

Already, over 20,200 people have condemned the spectacle as being in poor taste and called for the organisers to be held accountable.

Bishop Cases said his 'eyes filled with tears' watching the video, which caused him 'deep sadness and pain'.

“The first thing that sprouted in my heart was to ask our Saviour and His blessed mother for forgiveness for them,” Cases says.

“Forgive my people, oh Lord. Forgive your children, oh, Mother. Forgive me, for I am responsible for them in your eyes. Forgive all those who, despite being part of the Christian community, have not borne due witness.”

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DANISH social-democrats want to set up offices in Spain to attract highly-qualified employees for jobs the Scandinavian country cannot fill.

The party, which is the main opposition in Denmark, says now is the ideal time with the country enjoying an economic boom to take on well-qualified southern Europeans who are out of work.

Social-democrats want to open recruitment centres in France and Italy as well as Spain in a bid to fill vacancies at home.

“Unemployment among those with higher education is much greater in these three countries than in Denmark, and we might as well make use of this plentiful resource,” the opposition's proposal reads.

“We would prefer highly-qualified workers from the European Union – and in any case, they can access the Danish job market easiest – rather than from third world countries like India and Pakistan.”

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DOCTORS in Spain have warned against 'excessive and inappropriate use' of the stomach-protector pill Omeprazol, saying it can lead to infections in the digestive system, reduced absorption of vitamins and even cancer of the oesophagus and stomach.

One in three patients who take Omeprazol regularly should not be doing so, GPs reveal.

And although prescriptions for it have not increased in the last few years – quite the opposite, says digestion specialist Dr Mercedes Ricote – it can be purchased over the counter, leading to many taking it without medical advices.

Dr Ricote, of the Digestion Working Group wing of the Spanish General Practitioners' Society (SEMERGEN), says Omeprazol is one of the most-consumed anti-acid drugs in Spain, both as a treatment for stomach acid itself, or taken prior to doses of other medication which can cause nausea and burning.

According to the national health ministry, nearly 54.4 million boxes of Omeprazol were sold on prescription in 2013; then 53.6 million in 2014 and 52.3 million in 2015, showing that although fewer GPs are advising patients to take it, the drug is still being 'excessively' prescribed.

“The point of Omeprazol is to protect the stomach against harsh medication, but the general public uses it because they believe it makes them feel better or that it stops the side-effects of drugs altogether,” Dr Ricote explains.

“Some mistakenly take it as a solution for stomach acid, and many even do so to avoid feeling bloated and full before a heavy meal or drinking session – which is not what it's for.

“It's not designed to be used as an occasional treatment for one-off incidences of acid; it's for when the patient suffers acid two or more days a week, and in that case, it will be prescribed as part of a continual treatment programme and only when your GP sees fit.”

Omeprazol abuse alters the Ph balance in the digestive system, which can lead to infections such as salmonella, cause severe diarrhoea, and prevent crucial vitamins – particularly B12 – from being absorbed.

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