Pedro and Mohamed await every utility bill with much angst. To reduce the money they have to pay, they live in the dark, without heating, or shower just once a week -- victims like millions in Spain of energy poverty.

Welfare associations have for years warned against this situation, but the death earlier this month of 81-year-old Rosa in a fire caused by a candle she used for light has brought the issue firmly to the fore. Socialist lawmaker Pilar Lucio asked the ruling conservative government to immediately implement a &quot;winter truce&quot; on companies cutting power to those who cannot pay -- a measure with majority support in parliament and encouraged in a 2009 EU directive.

Last year, according to Spain&#39;s National Statistics Institute, 10.6 per cent of Spaniards were unable to properly heat their homes -- or more than four million people -- compared to just 5.9 per cent in 2008, when an economic crisis kicked off. At fault are the economic crisis and widespread loss of jobs it caused, as well as a 30- to 50-per cent rise in utility prices since 2006.

&nbsp;

&quot;Luxury&quot; items

Pedro Martinez, 48, has been in this situation for several years. Unemployed since 2013, when the furniture company he was working for closed, he survives on a pension of 426 euros ($450) a month, and what remains of the compensation he received for being fired.

Divorced, he lives with his 20-year-old son and 23-year-old mentally impaired daughter in a working-class district of Barcelona, without heating and using electric light only when absolutely necessary.

&quot;It&#39;s tough in winter. We just have an electric heater, which we rarely switch on for fear of the bill,&quot; he says. &quot;The cold chills you to the bone. We wear coats and at night we use all the blankets we have.&quot;

Tere Bermudez, spokeswoman for the Roman Catholic charity Caritas, says that &quot;for many families, water, light and gas are luxury items&quot;. She says that from 2007 to 2015, the organisation multiplied by 30 the number of utility bills it helped pay.

One of its beneficiaries is Mohamed Chairi, a 37-year-old Moroccan. Unemployed, his family lives off the monthly 250 euros from his wife&#39;s cleaning work as well as help from charities. &quot;We shower once a week, on Fridays, so that the kids are clean at the weekend,&quot; the father-of-three says.

In the corner of the living room of his small flat in Badalona near Barcelona, his youngest son plays with a broken electric radiator. Chairi has just received his electricity bill -- 24 euros for the month, a small sum for Spain but huge for him. &quot;The rent alone is 440 euros,&quot; he says. &quot;If I have to suffer from hunger or go without light or water, I don&#39;t care, but the kids...&quot;.

&nbsp;

Burning canvas shoes

According to the European Commission, Spain&#39;s gas and electricity prices were the third and fourth highest respectively in the European Union last year. &quot;We are above the European average (in terms of fuel poverty) despite having much better weather,&quot; says Jose Luis Lopez, spokesman for the Association of Environmental Science. There is no nationwide law on the issue, but several regions have implemented measures to try and address it.

In the northeastern region of Catalonia, for instance, a law stipulates that utility companies must notify social services before cutting electricity or gas, and if the family or person struggling to pay is classified as vulnerable, they are banned from doing so. But the law is not always respected, as was the case for Rosa, with utility firm Gas Natural acknowledging it had not contacted social services.

Lopez estimates that some 7,100 people die every year due to fuel poverty. Firefighters in Catalonia have also warned of the security risks involved.

&quot;We have come across people heating themselves with small fires made from newspapers or even canvas shoes,&quot; said union spokesman Antonio del Rio. Spain may be emerging from the crisis, but at least 600,000 households saw their electricity supply cut off last year, according to the Facua consumer association.

&quot;There&#39;s a lot of talk about recovery, but on the street you don&#39;t see it anywhere,&quot; said Pedro Martinez.

(AFP)

The economic crisis, widespread job loss and the soaring costs of energy have all conspired to put millions in Spain into energy poverty

Pedro and Mohamed await every utility bill with much angst. To reduce the money they have to pay, they live in the dark, without heating, or shower just once a week -- victims like millions in Spain of energy poverty. Welfare associations have for years warned against this situation, but the death earlier this month of 81-year-old Rosa in a fire caused by a candle she used for light has brought the issue firmly to the fore. Socialist lawmaker Pilar Lucio asked the ruling conservative government to immediately implement a "winter truce" on companies cutting power to those who cannot pay -- a measure with majority support in parliament and encouraged in a 2009 EU directive. Last year, according to Spain's National Statistics Institute, 10.6 per cent of Spaniards were unable to properly heat their homes -- or more than four million people -- compared to just 5.9 per cent in 2008, when an economic crisis kicked off. At fault are the economic crisis and widespread loss of jobs it caused, as well as a 30- to 50-per cent rise in utility prices since 2006. "Luxury" items Pedro Martinez, 48, has been in this situation for several years. Unemployed since 2013, when the furniture company he was working for closed, he survives on a pension of 426 euros ($450) a month, and what remains of the compensation he received for being fired. Divorced, he lives with his 20-year-old son and 23-year-old mentally impaired daughter in a working-class district of Barcelona, without heating and using electric light only when absolutely necessary. "It's tough in winter. We just have an electric heater, which we rarely switch on for fear of the bill," he says. "The cold chills you to the bone. We wear coats and at night we use all the blankets we have." Tere Bermudez, spokeswoman for the Roman Catholic charity Caritas, says that "for many families, water, light and gas are luxury items". She says that from 2007 to 2015, the organisation multiplied by 30 the number of utility bills it helped pay. One of its beneficiaries is Mohamed Chairi, a 37-year-old Moroccan. Unemployed, his family lives off the monthly 250 euros from his wife's cleaning work as well as help from charities. "We shower once a week, on Fridays, so that the kids are clean at the weekend," the father-of-three says. In the corner of the living room of his small flat in Badalona near Barcelona, his youngest son plays with a broken electric radiator. Chairi has just received his electricity bill -- 24 euros for the month, a small sum for Spain but huge for him. "The rent alone is 440 euros," he says. "If I have to suffer from hunger or go without light or water, I don't care, but the kids...". Burning canvas shoes According to the European Commission, Spain's gas and electricity prices were the third and fourth highest respectively in the European Union last year. "We are above the European average (in terms of fuel poverty) despite having much better weather," says Jose Luis Lopez, spokesman for the Association of Environmental Science. There is no nationwide law on the issue, but several regions have implemented measures to try and address it. In the northeastern region of Catalonia, for instance, a law stipulates that utility companies must notify social services before cutting electricity or gas, and if the family or person struggling to pay is classified as vulnerable, they are banned from doing so. But the law is not always respected, as was the case for Rosa, with utility firm Gas Natural acknowledging it had not contacted social services. Lopez estimates that some 7,100 people die every year due to fuel poverty. Firefighters in Catalonia have also warned of the security risks involved. "We have come across people heating themselves with small fires made from newspapers or even canvas shoes," said union spokesman Antonio del Rio. Spain may be emerging from the crisis, but at least 600,000 households saw their electricity supply cut off last year, according to the Facua consumer association. "There's a lot of talk about recovery, but on the street you don't see it anywhere," said Pedro Martinez. (AFP)

Light, water, heat a luxury in Spain

Wales conceded an agonising late equaliser as Serbia battled to a 1-1 draw in a World Cup qualifier on Saturday as former champions Italy and Spain both won 4-0.

Earlier Saturday, the Republic of Ireland has stunned Austria 1-0 in Vienna and are top of Group D on 10 points, with Serbia second on eight and Wales third on six.

Gareth Bale rocketed Wales into a 30th-minute lead in Cardiff after Hal Robson-Kanu dispossessed Matija Nastasic and fed the ball to the Real Madrid forward, who cracked home a powerful snap shot to make it 1-0.

But Aleksander Mitrovic was fastest to react with four red shirts around him when Antonio Rukavina whipped in an inviting cross to level for the visitors late in the game.

&quot;It was a disappointing result, we feel like we threw away two points. We&#39;re at home, 1-0 up after 85 minutes, it`s two points lost,&quot; Bale admitted after the game.

Just moments before Serbia had levelled, Bale had seen a snapshot come agonisingly back off the post.

Wales coach Chris Coleman was less disappointed and was looking down the road.&nbsp;

&quot;We are four points behind Ireland but we play them twice,&quot; he said. &quot;We have a massive chance. Tonight the boys deserved all three points.&quot;

It was the third game in a row the Welsh have gone ahead only to draw.

&quot;We can be proud of ourselves. We are on the right track. Today we can be happy with one point,&quot; said Serbia captain Branislav Ivanovic.

The Irish top Group D thanks to a James McClean strike three minutes after half-time in Vienna.

&quot;This is going to be a very tight finish. But this has been a splendid start for us and we are delighted with the 10 points,&quot; said Ireland boss Martin O`Neill.

Spain and Italy continue to set the pace at the helm in Group G and both have 10 points.

Spain played at Granada where Macedonia`s Darko Velkovski scored a 34th minute own goal before Votolo on 63 minutes, Nacho Monreal (83) and veteran striker Aritz Aduriz (85) gave them a comfortable win.&nbsp;

Taking on minnows Liechtenstein, Italy&#39;s Anfrea Belotti scored either side of strikes from Ciro Imobile and Antonio Candreva.

Eran Zahavi converted an 18th-minute penalty to set Israel on their way with Dan Einbinder and Eliran Atar making sure they beat Albania 3-0 in Tirana.

Iceland failed to replicate their Euro 2016 heroics in a 2-0 defeat in Croatia in Group I.

Croatia grabbed the lead after 15 minutes through Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, but it was Iceland who took control after that in Zagreb, where the game was played out in front of empty stands after a FIFA stadium ban.

Despite having plenty of the ball in both halves, Iceland failed to make the crucial breakthrough.

And the home side punished them in injury time, Brozovic again doing the damage against the run of play.

Croatia, now top of the group with 10 points from four games, finished the match with 10 men after Ivan Perisic was sent off at the death.

Also in Group I, Turkey revived their slim hopes of making it to Russia in 2018 with a 2-0 home victory over Kosovo in Antalya.

Burak Yilmaz and Volkan Sen scored within four minutes of one another in the second half to leave Kosovo bottom on just a solitary point.

Georgia and Moldova played out a 1-1 draw in Tbilisi to remain rooted in the bottom two spots in Group D.

(AFP)

Serbia's Aleksander Mitrovic scored late in the match to push Wales down to third in the group

Wales conceded an agonising late equaliser as Serbia battled to a 1-1 draw in a World Cup qualifier on Saturday as former champions Italy and Spain both won 4-0. Earlier Saturday, the Republic of Ireland has stunned Austria 1-0 in Vienna and are top of Group D on 10 points, with Serbia second on eight and Wales third on six. Gareth Bale rocketed Wales into a 30th-minute lead in Cardiff after Hal Robson-Kanu dispossessed Matija Nastasic and fed the ball to the Real Madrid forward, who cracked home a powerful snap shot to make it 1-0. But Aleksander Mitrovic was fastest to react with four red shirts around him when Antonio Rukavina whipped in an inviting cross to level for the visitors late in the game. "It was a disappointing result, we feel like we threw away two points. We're at home, 1-0 up after 85 minutes, it`s two points lost," Bale admitted after the game. Just moments before Serbia had levelled, Bale had seen a snapshot come agonisingly back off the post. Wales coach Chris Coleman was less disappointed and was looking down the road. "We are four points behind Ireland but we play them twice," he said. "We have a massive chance. Tonight the boys deserved all three points." It was the third game in a row the Welsh have gone ahead only to draw. "We can be proud of ourselves. We are on the right track. Today we can be happy with one point," said Serbia captain Branislav Ivanovic. The Irish top Group D thanks to a James McClean strike three minutes after half-time in Vienna. "This is going to be a very tight finish. But this has been a splendid start for us and we are delighted with the 10 points," said Ireland boss Martin O`Neill. Spain and Italy continue to set the pace at the helm in Group G and both have 10 points. Spain played at Granada where Macedonia`s Darko Velkovski scored a 34th minute own goal before Votolo on 63 minutes, Nacho Monreal (83) and veteran striker Aritz Aduriz (85) gave them a comfortable win. Taking on minnows Liechtenstein, Italy's Anfrea Belotti scored either side of strikes from Ciro Imobile and Antonio Candreva. Eran Zahavi converted an 18th-minute penalty to set Israel on their way with Dan Einbinder and Eliran Atar making sure they beat Albania 3-0 in Tirana. Iceland failed to replicate their Euro 2016 heroics in a 2-0 defeat in Croatia in Group I. Croatia grabbed the lead after 15 minutes through Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, but it was Iceland who took control after that in Zagreb, where the game was played out in front of empty stands after a FIFA stadium ban. Despite having plenty of the ball in both halves, Iceland failed to make the crucial breakthrough. And the home side punished them in injury time, Brozovic again doing the damage against the run of play. Croatia, now top of the group with 10 points from four games, finished the match with 10 men after Ivan Perisic was sent off at the death. Also in Group I, Turkey revived their slim hopes of making it to Russia in 2018 with a 2-0 home victory over Kosovo in Antalya. Burak Yilmaz and Volkan Sen scored within four minutes of one another in the second half to leave Kosovo bottom on just a solitary point. Georgia and Moldova played out a 1-1 draw in Tbilisi to remain rooted in the bottom two spots in Group D. (AFP)

FIFA World Cup qualifiers: Spain, Italy win big, Wales held

For many parents, the thought of letting their offspring walk to school alone is source of much angst. But the Spanish city of Pontevedra has decided to advocate giving children their space.

Launched in 2010, the &quot;Road to School&quot; programme has been taken up by seven establishments in the northwestern city which believe that far from being in danger, children as young as six actually thrive going to school without adults, developing strong self-confidence.

Dragging their wheeled schoolbags across a pedestrian crossing, brothers Pablo and Jorge Pazos, 8 and 10, are just one example of an initiative based on research by Italian educational psychologist Francesco Tonucci, who believes in giving kids autonomy.

&quot;We talk about our stuff, our games, nothing important but things that adults don&#39;t really understand,&quot; says Pablo, 8.

&quot;It&#39;s not necessary for adults to be with us all the time,&quot; he adds politely.

&quot;They bother us a little, they talk all the time, ask &#39;how is school?&#39;.&quot;

Pablo prefers wandering around his district, buying bread before going home and &quot;sometimes, being a little silly, like the other day when we hid behind a tree to scare a friend.&quot;

Playing outside, no screens&nbsp;

According to city statistics, 25 per cent of students aged six to 12 from the seven establishments who encourage the initiative walked to school alone last year.

They are registered as such, and if they don&#39;t arrive at school as usual, staff call their parents.

In some cases, adults stand at the most dangerous road crossings to help children across, but otherwise, they are on their own.

Tonucci, now 76, has long advocated letting children develop without excessive amounts of adult interference as part of Italy&#39;s National Research Council.

&quot;When I was a kid, we played in the streets, where we would discover the world,&quot; he tells AFP in Pontevedra, an 83,000-strong city in Galicia.

&quot;Now, we have to rebuild this normality.&quot;

His ideas have inspired some 20 cities in Spain, as well as schools in Italy, Latin America, Turkey and Lebanon.

Adamantly against &quot;computer games made to keep children at home for a long time,&quot; Tonucci tells parents to let them out and &quot;invent their own games&quot;.

&quot;It feels like a form of abandon but it&#39;s a way of loving them: I leave you alone because I trust you.&quot;

He believes that &quot;the presence of an adult deprives children of surprise, of discovering things on their own, of risk-taking, which is an essential part of playing.&quot;

Pilar Lores, principal at one of the schools that has adopted his ideas, says the act of letting children walk alone builds their self-confidence.

&quot;They have to look after one another, they also arrive more awake, fresher, and hyperactive or fidgety children are calmer because they have released their adrenalin,&quot; she says.

Less accidents&nbsp;

Tonucci, meanwhile, has a response for every parent&#39;s anxious queries.

&quot;The desire for transgression increases in children who cannot be a little naughty when they need to, and explodes in teenage years in a much more dangerous manner,&quot; he says.

In Italy, he estimates that only around seven percent of six- to 11-year-olds go to school alone, and blames the media for creating panic, particularly &quot;with television programmes that analyse the most horrible crimes committed on children.&quot;

But after years of research, Tonucci says sexual abuse, for instance, is often committed by people close to the children, and not by strangers in the street.

Paradoxically, accidents also often happen when an adult is present.

Miguel Anxo Fernandez, who has been mayor of Pontevedra for 17 years, is a fan of Tonucci&#39;s ideas -- so much so that he had one of his books translated into Galician, the regional dialect.

Generally speaking, he has been a strong advocate of centering the city around its people -- adults and children -- reducing car traffic and creating more pedestrian and cycling areas.

This earned Pontevedra a UN Habitat prize in 2015, which aims to reward individuals or institutions for improving living conditions in urban centres.

The reduction of car traffic, for one, has had concrete results.

Since February 2011, there have been no deaths related to traffic accidents in the city, says Daniel Macenlle, Pontevedra police chief.

And the &quot;Road to School&quot; programme has contributed to this, he says, by reducing the risk of accidents near schools, which are often due to the influx of parents droppings off their kids.

(AFP)

Schools believe that far from danger, kids as young as six thrive going to school without adults

For many parents, the thought of letting their offspring walk to school alone is source of much angst. But the Spanish city of Pontevedra has decided to advocate giving children their space. Launched in 2010, the "Road to School" programme has been taken up by seven establishments in the northwestern city which believe that far from being in danger, children as young as six actually thrive going to school without adults, developing strong self-confidence. Dragging their wheeled schoolbags across a pedestrian crossing, brothers Pablo and Jorge Pazos, 8 and 10, are just one example of an initiative based on research by Italian educational psychologist Francesco Tonucci, who believes in giving kids autonomy. "We talk about our stuff, our games, nothing important but things that adults don't really understand," says Pablo, 8. "It's not necessary for adults to be with us all the time," he adds politely. "They bother us a little, they talk all the time, ask 'how is school?'." Pablo prefers wandering around his district, buying bread before going home and "sometimes, being a little silly, like the other day when we hid behind a tree to scare a friend." Playing outside, no screens According to city statistics, 25 per cent of students aged six to 12 from the seven establishments who encourage the initiative walked to school alone last year. They are registered as such, and if they don't arrive at school as usual, staff call their parents. In some cases, adults stand at the most dangerous road crossings to help children across, but otherwise, they are on their own. Tonucci, now 76, has long advocated letting children develop without excessive amounts of adult interference as part of Italy's National Research Council. "When I was a kid, we played in the streets, where we would discover the world," he tells AFP in Pontevedra, an 83,000-strong city in Galicia. "Now, we have to rebuild this normality." His ideas have inspired some 20 cities in Spain, as well as schools in Italy, Latin America, Turkey and Lebanon. Adamantly against "computer games made to keep children at home for a long time," Tonucci tells parents to let them out and "invent their own games". "It feels like a form of abandon but it's a way of loving them: I leave you alone because I trust you." He believes that "the presence of an adult deprives children of surprise, of discovering things on their own, of risk-taking, which is an essential part of playing." Pilar Lores, principal at one of the schools that has adopted his ideas, says the act of letting children walk alone builds their self-confidence. "They have to look after one another, they also arrive more awake, fresher, and hyperactive or fidgety children are calmer because they have released their adrenalin," she says. Less accidents Tonucci, meanwhile, has a response for every parent's anxious queries. "The desire for transgression increases in children who cannot be a little naughty when they need to, and explodes in teenage years in a much more dangerous manner," he says. In Italy, he estimates that only around seven percent of six- to 11-year-olds go to school alone, and blames the media for creating panic, particularly "with television programmes that analyse the most horrible crimes committed on children." But after years of research, Tonucci says sexual abuse, for instance, is often committed by people close to the children, and not by strangers in the street. Paradoxically, accidents also often happen when an adult is present. Miguel Anxo Fernandez, who has been mayor of Pontevedra for 17 years, is a fan of Tonucci's ideas -- so much so that he had one of his books translated into Galician, the regional dialect. Generally speaking, he has been a strong advocate of centering the city around its people -- adults and children -- reducing car traffic and creating more pedestrian and cycling areas. This earned Pontevedra a UN Habitat prize in 2015, which aims to reward individuals or institutions for improving living conditions in urban centres. The reduction of car traffic, for one, has had concrete results. Since February 2011, there have been no deaths related to traffic accidents in the city, says Daniel Macenlle, Pontevedra police chief. And the "Road to School" programme has contributed to this, he says, by reducing the risk of accidents near schools, which are often due to the influx of parents droppings off their kids. (AFP)

In Spanish city,  parents give their children space to be independent

Spain&#39;s Constitutional Court on Thursday cancelled a ban on bullfighting in the region of Catalonia, in what is likely to exacerbate tensions between animal activists and fans of the centuries-old tradition.

In a statement, the court argued that bullfighting was classified as part of Spain&#39;s heritage, and therefore a decision whether to ban it or not pertained to the central government and not to semi-autonomous regions like Catalonia.

It said it had declared the ban &quot;unconstitutional and void.&quot;

Catalonia&#39;s regional parliament voted in 2010 to ban bullfighting from January 1, 2012 after animal rights groups managed to garner 180,000 signatures for a petition demanding the debate.

It was the first region in mainland Spain to ban the tradition, although the Canary Islands abolished bullfighting in 1991.

Critics at the time argued that more than an animal rights issue, the ban was also politically-motivated in a region with its own language, a fierce sense of identity and a desire to seek independence from Spain.

But the tradition has drawn increasing controversy and protests around Spain in recent years, with demonstrators turning up and taking to Twitter to denounce what they feel is a brutal, anachronistic event.

(AFP)

The court said the sport was part of Spain's heritage

Spain's Constitutional Court on Thursday cancelled a ban on bullfighting in the region of Catalonia, in what is likely to exacerbate tensions between animal activists and fans of the centuries-old tradition. In a statement, the court argued that bullfighting was classified as part of Spain's heritage, and therefore a decision whether to ban it or not pertained to the central government and not to semi-autonomous regions like Catalonia. It said it had declared the ban "unconstitutional and void." Catalonia's regional parliament voted in 2010 to ban bullfighting from January 1, 2012 after animal rights groups managed to garner 180,000 signatures for a petition demanding the debate. It was the first region in mainland Spain to ban the tradition, although the Canary Islands abolished bullfighting in 1991. Critics at the time argued that more than an animal rights issue, the ban was also politically-motivated in a region with its own language, a fierce sense of identity and a desire to seek independence from Spain. But the tradition has drawn increasing controversy and protests around Spain in recent years, with demonstrators turning up and taking to Twitter to denounce what they feel is a brutal, anachronistic event. (AFP)

Spain top court cancels bullfighting ban in Catalonia

&nbsp;

Squeeze, aim, shoot!

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8Ayt8TYgGI4" width="970"></iframe>

It&#39;s like a snowball fight, but with juicy red tomatoes instead. Here&#39;s a look at La Tomatina Festival - a food fight that originated in Spain, but the idea of playing with and bathing with juicy red pulp took over the world. Most countries now celebrate their own version of the festival.

The event traces its roots back to 1945, when a group of young boys indulged in a street fight and started throwing tomatoes at each other until it was broken up by the local police.

From there grew a tradition that has attracted people from around the world to Spain.

Tons of tomatoes are grown and reserved for this day. After all the madness, participants are treated to a rain shower. Most people volunteer to clear the streets and the acids secreted by the tomatoes make the city cleaner! What an added advantage!

&nbsp;

The world's largest food fight at its best

Squeeze, aim, shoot! It's like a snowball fight, but with juicy red tomatoes instead. Here's a look at La Tomatina Festival - a food fight that originated in Spain, but the idea of playing with and bathing with juicy red pulp took over the world. Most countries now celebrate their own version of the festival. The event traces its roots back to 1945, when a group of young boys indulged in a street fight and started throwing tomatoes at each other until it was broken up by the local police. From there grew a tradition that has attracted people from around the world to Spain. Tons of tomatoes are grown and reserved for this day. After all the madness, participants are treated to a rain shower. Most people volunteer to clear the streets and the acids secreted by the tomatoes make the city cleaner! What an added advantage!

Video: La Tomatina Festival 2016

Spain capped their return to the Davis Cup world group by completing a 5-0 whitewash against India. 
 
Marc Lopez and David Ferrer maintained Spain&#39;s dominance in the world group play-off ties in New Delhi on Sunday. 
 
&quot;That was the main plan, to get into the world group. Very happy to finally get there. From now on we can dream bigger,&quot; a delighted Spain captain Conchita Martinez said after the win. 
 
In the final day&#39;s dead rubbers, Ferrer outclassed India&#39;s Ramkumar Ramanathan in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s different. But, it was nice to play here Davis Cup in India. It&#39;s my second time in India. I never played Davis Cup, enjoyed a lot this week. And the crowd, the people, they have a lot of respect for us. And I appreciate it,&quot; said David Ferrer. 
 
&quot;I think I played the right way. What I had to do about, I was missing here and there, and I was not making the points at the right moment. When it was deuce I was making seconds. When it was 15-all, I was missing the returns. So, I mean few points here and there I could have taken more, I thought for sure. But I think Ferrer showed me the way to improve and it was a good experience for me,&quot; said Ramanathan. 
 
Earlier in the day, Marc Lopez defeated Sumit Nagal 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 in the reverse singles rubber.&nbsp; 
 
World number four Rafael Nadal was rested for the two dead rubbers on the final day. His doubles win with Marc Lopez on Saturday ensured Spain&#39;s re-entry into the elite group after a gap of two years. 
 
The duo won a tough battle against India&#39;s Leander Paes and Saketh Myneni 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 6-4. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

13th-ranked David Ferrer and Marc Lopez won their respective singles matches ensuring Spain's re-entry to the elite group

Spain capped their return to the Davis Cup world group by completing a 5-0 whitewash against India. Marc Lopez and David Ferrer maintained Spain's dominance in the world group play-off ties in New Delhi on Sunday. "That was the main plan, to get into the world group. Very happy to finally get there. From now on we can dream bigger," a delighted Spain captain Conchita Martinez said after the win. In the final day's dead rubbers, Ferrer outclassed India's Ramkumar Ramanathan in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2. "It's different. But, it was nice to play here Davis Cup in India. It's my second time in India. I never played Davis Cup, enjoyed a lot this week. And the crowd, the people, they have a lot of respect for us. And I appreciate it," said David Ferrer. "I think I played the right way. What I had to do about, I was missing here and there, and I was not making the points at the right moment. When it was deuce I was making seconds. When it was 15-all, I was missing the returns. So, I mean few points here and there I could have taken more, I thought for sure. But I think Ferrer showed me the way to improve and it was a good experience for me," said Ramanathan. Earlier in the day, Marc Lopez defeated Sumit Nagal 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 in the reverse singles rubber. World number four Rafael Nadal was rested for the two dead rubbers on the final day. His doubles win with Marc Lopez on Saturday ensured Spain's re-entry into the elite group after a gap of two years. The duo won a tough battle against India's Leander Paes and Saketh Myneni 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 6-4. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Davis Cup: Spain whitewash India 5-0 in world group play-offs

Hundreds of thousands of Catalans took to the streets of Catalonia demanding freedom from Spain on Sunday. 
 
The mass rally comes as the pro-independence assembly vows to go ahead with plans of forming a new state in 2017, Reuters reported. 
 
The march took place in five cities, including Barcelona where 540,000 people participated, police said. 
 
The protests took place on their national day &quot; La Daida&quot; when Spain&#39;s King Philip V conquered Barcelona in 1714.&nbsp; 
 
Catalans shouted &quot;Ready&quot; in Catalan, proclaiming they were ready to be free.&nbsp; 
 
Head of the Catalan National Assembly, which organised the protest, Jordi Sanchez told the protestors, &quot;This is the moment to stand united for the &#39;yes&#39; to the Catalan Republic.&quot; 
 
&quot;We are impatient,&quot; he added. 
 
However, Spain&#39;s government is opposing any move towards secession, creating obstacles through constitutional laws.&nbsp; 
 
In 2015, the pro-separatist party won a majority of seats in the regional assembly and have now started laying the groundwork for an independent state.&nbsp; 
 
Anti-independence campaigners told Reuters that the secessionists fell short of winning an overall majority of votes last year, which will weaken the mandate for separation. 
 
A poll conducted in January showed 48 per cent were in favour of Catalonia becoming independent, while 42 per cent opposed it. 
 
According to an AFP report, the call for separation strengthened after the 2012 economic crisis when many Catalans resented paying higher taxes to the Spanish government to aid the poorer regions. 
 
Carles Puigdemont, head of the regional Catalonia government told journalists assembled at the rally, that in coming months &quot;critical decisions&quot; will be taken on Catalonia&#39;s future. 
 
Analysts say&nbsp;Puigdemont will win the confidence vote in the Catalan assembly, which will take place on September 8. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

The mass rally took place to project their readiness in forming a new state in 2017

Hundreds of thousands of Catalans took to the streets of Catalonia demanding freedom from Spain on Sunday. The mass rally comes as the pro-independence assembly vows to go ahead with plans of forming a new state in 2017, Reuters reported. The march took place in five cities, including Barcelona where 540,000 people participated, police said. The protests took place on their national day " La Daida" when Spain's King Philip V conquered Barcelona in 1714. Catalans shouted "Ready" in Catalan, proclaiming they were ready to be free. Head of the Catalan National Assembly, which organised the protest, Jordi Sanchez told the protestors, "This is the moment to stand united for the 'yes' to the Catalan Republic." "We are impatient," he added. However, Spain's government is opposing any move towards secession, creating obstacles through constitutional laws. In 2015, the pro-separatist party won a majority of seats in the regional assembly and have now started laying the groundwork for an independent state. Anti-independence campaigners told Reuters that the secessionists fell short of winning an overall majority of votes last year, which will weaken the mandate for separation. A poll conducted in January showed 48 per cent were in favour of Catalonia becoming independent, while 42 per cent opposed it. According to an AFP report, the call for separation strengthened after the 2012 economic crisis when many Catalans resented paying higher taxes to the Spanish government to aid the poorer regions. Carles Puigdemont, head of the regional Catalonia government told journalists assembled at the rally, that in coming months "critical decisions" will be taken on Catalonia's future. Analysts say Puigdemont will win the confidence vote in the Catalan assembly, which will take place on September 8. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Catalans march on streets to demand break from Spain

Spanish authorities on Tuesday blamed arsonists and high temperatures for the raging wildfires near around easterb Costa Blanca resorts that have forced about 1,400 people to flee. 
 
Jose Maria Angel Batalla, an emergency services chief told the Cope radio station, &quot;There is one or several arsonists.&quot; Spanish authorities found gasoline cans and said there were &quot; three or four&quot; seperate outbreaks. 
 
Authorities earlier said they believed people had started three blazes that ripped through vegetation and destroyed buildings in the town of Javea and other areas up the coast from the popular holiday spot of Benidorm, Reuters reported.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;The hand of man again was involved in a very precise way, choosing the hottest day of the year,&rdquo; Jose Maria Angel, the head of the Valencia region&rsquo;s emergency services, told Spanish radio. 
 
The fires which began on Sunday, due to the heatwave caused by temperatures over 40 degree Celsius in some parts of the country.&nbsp; 
 
The wildfire had also spread near the mountain town of Bolulla, 40 kilometers from west of Javea and on the Menorca isles, popular with tourists. 
 
Spain&#39;s weather agency on Monday, declared a &#39;&#39;historic day for heat&#39;&#39; when more than two dozen stations recorded high tempertures across the country. 
 
Meanwhile, &nbsp;local government authorities also said on Tuesday that the battle against the wildfires that have swept through a vast area near the resort of Benidorm in Spain&#39;s Costa Blanca is evolving positively. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Authorities said that gasoline cans had been found and that there were 'three or four' separate outbreaks of fire

Spanish authorities on Tuesday blamed arsonists and high temperatures for the raging wildfires near around easterb Costa Blanca resorts that have forced about 1,400 people to flee. Jose Maria Angel Batalla, an emergency services chief told the Cope radio station, "There is one or several arsonists." Spanish authorities found gasoline cans and said there were " three or four" seperate outbreaks. Authorities earlier said they believed people had started three blazes that ripped through vegetation and destroyed buildings in the town of Javea and other areas up the coast from the popular holiday spot of Benidorm, Reuters reported. “The hand of man again was involved in a very precise way, choosing the hottest day of the year,” Jose Maria Angel, the head of the Valencia region’s emergency services, told Spanish radio. The fires which began on Sunday, due to the heatwave caused by temperatures over 40 degree Celsius in some parts of the country. The wildfire had also spread near the mountain town of Bolulla, 40 kilometers from west of Javea and on the Menorca isles, popular with tourists. Spain's weather agency on Monday, declared a ''historic day for heat'' when more than two dozen stations recorded high tempertures across the country. Meanwhile, local government authorities also said on Tuesday that the battle against the wildfires that have swept through a vast area near the resort of Benidorm in Spain's Costa Blanca is evolving positively. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Spanish authorities blame arsonists for wildfires

Spain go into Friday&#39;s EURO 2016 game against Turkey determined to be more efficient in front of goal and no fan is more eager for that to happen than Antonio Banderas. 
 
The 55-year-old Spanish actor and director, a fervent supporter of his home club Malaga and of the national team, posted a photograph on his Twitter feed on Friday of himself in the Spanish team kit and ready to volley a football. 
 
The caption read: &quot;Ready for today&#39;s game. Do you think they will call me in?&quot; 
 
Spain, winners of Euro 2008 and 2012, began their title defence with a 1-0 victory over the Czech Republic on Monday. After Friday&#39;s game against Turkey in Nice, they end Group D against Croatia in Bordeaux next Tuesday. 
(Reuters)

Spanish actor and director Antonio Banderas displayed his support for Spain at EURO 2016 via twitter

Spain go into Friday's EURO 2016 game against Turkey determined to be more efficient in front of goal and no fan is more eager for that to happen than Antonio Banderas. The 55-year-old Spanish actor and director, a fervent supporter of his home club Malaga and of the national team, posted a photograph on his Twitter feed on Friday of himself in the Spanish team kit and ready to volley a football. The caption read: "Ready for today's game. Do you think they will call me in?" Spain, winners of Euro 2008 and 2012, began their title defence with a 1-0 victory over the Czech Republic on Monday. After Friday's game against Turkey in Nice, they end Group D against Croatia in Bordeaux next Tuesday. (Reuters)

Banderas offers his services to Spain

Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas has given a strong indication that he will retire from international footbal after 16 years. 
 
The 35-year-old did not play in any of Spain&#39;s four games at Euro 2016, with national team coach Vicente del Bosque picking Manchester United&#39;s David De Gea in goal. 
 
Casillas, who made his debut in 2000 and is Spain&#39;s most capped player with 167 appearances, posted a video on his twitter account (@casillasworld) of a Rambo film with the dialogue saying: &quot;I don&#39;t know where but I&#39;m going.&quot; 
 
He then posted a message which said: &quot;I&#39;m proud to feel the love of the people today and as always, everyone together for the national team.&quot; 
 
De Gea made a string of saves to keep Spain within striking distance of Italy on Monday before Antonio Conte&#39;s men got a late second goal for a 2-0 second-round win. 
 
The goalkeeper also expressed hope for the future of the national team. He tweeted on @D_DeGea: &quot;Losing is part of the sport as well as getting up after a defeat. We&#39;ll come back!&quot; 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

The 35-year-old did not play in any of Spain's four games at Euro 2016

Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas has given a strong indication that he will retire from international footbal after 16 years. The 35-year-old did not play in any of Spain's four games at Euro 2016, with national team coach Vicente del Bosque picking Manchester United's David De Gea in goal. Casillas, who made his debut in 2000 and is Spain's most capped player with 167 appearances, posted a video on his twitter account (@casillasworld) of a Rambo film with the dialogue saying: "I don't know where but I'm going." He then posted a message which said: "I'm proud to feel the love of the people today and as always, everyone together for the national team." De Gea made a string of saves to keep Spain within striking distance of Italy on Monday before Antonio Conte's men got a late second goal for a 2-0 second-round win. The goalkeeper also expressed hope for the future of the national team. He tweeted on @D_DeGea: "Losing is part of the sport as well as getting up after a defeat. We'll come back!" (Reuters)

Spain football veteran Casillas hints at retirement

Spain forward Nolito has joined Manchester City from Celta Vigo on a four-year contract, the Premier League side said today. 
 
The 29-year-old, who played all four games in Spain&#39;s Euro 2016 campaign, scored 39 goals in 103 appearances for Celta Vigo since joining the Spanish club in 2013, before spells at Granada, Benfica and Barcelona. 
 
New manager Pep Guardiola has already signed Australia midfielder Aaron Mooy from sister club Melbourne City and Ilkay Gundogan from Borussia Dortmund. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ll do everything that the manager asks of me, try my absolute best and do everything I can to try to repeat the form I&#39;ve shown throughout my career at various clubs,&quot; Nolito told the club&#39;s website. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s just about trying to play my normal game and let&#39;s hope that I can help Manchester City to win games.&nbsp;I think that Pep Guardiola is one of the best managers in the world. He knows a lot about the game and he&#39;s going to help me progress as a player and I&#39;m sure he&rsquo;ll get the best out of me.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The 29-year-old played in all four games of the Euro 2016, and scored 39 goals in 103 appearances since 2013

Spain forward Nolito has joined Manchester City from Celta Vigo on a four-year contract, the Premier League side said today. The 29-year-old, who played all four games in Spain's Euro 2016 campaign, scored 39 goals in 103 appearances for Celta Vigo since joining the Spanish club in 2013, before spells at Granada, Benfica and Barcelona. New manager Pep Guardiola has already signed Australia midfielder Aaron Mooy from sister club Melbourne City and Ilkay Gundogan from Borussia Dortmund. "I'll do everything that the manager asks of me, try my absolute best and do everything I can to try to repeat the form I've shown throughout my career at various clubs," Nolito told the club's website. "It's just about trying to play my normal game and let's hope that I can help Manchester City to win games. I think that Pep Guardiola is one of the best managers in the world. He knows a lot about the game and he's going to help me progress as a player and I'm sure he’ll get the best out of me." (Reuters)

Manchester City sign Spain's Nolito from Celta Vigo

Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas has given a strong indication that he will retire from international football after 16 years. 
 
The 35-year-old did not play in any of Spain&#39;s four games at Euro 2016 with national team coach Vicente del Bosque picking Manchester United&#39;s David De Gea in goal. 
 
Casillas, who made his debut in 2000 and is Spain&#39;s most capped player with 167 appearances, posted a video on his twitter account (@casillasworld) of a Rambo film with the dialogue saying: &quot;I don&#39;t know where but I&#39;m going.&quot; 
 
&quot;He then posted a message which said: &quot;I&#39;m proud to feel the love of the people today and as always, everyone together for the national team.&quot; 
 
De Gea made a string of saves to keep Spain within striking distance of Italy on Monday before Antonio Conte&#39;s men got a late second goal for a 2-0 second-round win. 
 
The goalkeeper also expressed hope for the future of the national team. He tweeted on @D_DeGea: &quot;Losing is part of the sport as well as getting up after a defeat. We&#39;ll come back!&quot; 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Iker Casillas, who made his debut in 2000 is Spain's most capped player with 167 appearances

Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas has given a strong indication that he will retire from international football after 16 years. The 35-year-old did not play in any of Spain's four games at Euro 2016 with national team coach Vicente del Bosque picking Manchester United's David De Gea in goal. Casillas, who made his debut in 2000 and is Spain's most capped player with 167 appearances, posted a video on his twitter account (@casillasworld) of a Rambo film with the dialogue saying: "I don't know where but I'm going." "He then posted a message which said: "I'm proud to feel the love of the people today and as always, everyone together for the national team." De Gea made a string of saves to keep Spain within striking distance of Italy on Monday before Antonio Conte's men got a late second goal for a 2-0 second-round win. The goalkeeper also expressed hope for the future of the national team. He tweeted on @D_DeGea: "Losing is part of the sport as well as getting up after a defeat. We'll come back!" (Reuters)

Spain veteran Casillas hints at retirement

Spain huffed and puffed, making hard work of their Euro 2016 opener before a late Gerard Pique goal blew away the Czech Republic resistance. Yet the win could not conceal the fact that Vicente del Bosque&#39;s champions may be lacking a killer instinct. 
 
Until defender Pique&#39;s crucial late header, the holders were again largely ineffective in front of goal, just as they had been in their 1-0 loss to Georgia in their final warm-up game last week. 
 
Spain had three-quarters of the possession up until the interval and played most of the game in the Czech half, but still did not have the wit or invention to break down their more limited opponents. 
 
By the end, the champions had hit the target just five times in their 17 attempts, with Pique&#39;s 87th-minute header from a superb Andres Iniesta cross eventually sparing them blushes. 
 
It left Spain&#39;s coach Vicente del Bosque with an increasingly familiar headache. &quot;It&#39;s true that we dominate but we still struggle in front of goal,&quot; he sighed afterwards. 
 
The most important thing for the coach was that this was at least an improvement on Spain&#39;s last three opening games at major tournaments: a defeat in the 2014 World Cup by the Netherlands, a draw with Italy in Euro 2012 and a loss in the 2010 World Cup to Switzerland. 
 
They started with a sense of urgency and were most effective when they had David Silva and Jordi Alba stretching the Czech team on the flanks. That enabled them to create the first real opening of the game, with Silva&#39;s cross from the right finding Alvaro Morata in the box but his first-touch shot was kept out by the ever-excellent Petr Cech. 
 
Problems started for Spain when Silva and Alba started drifting inside, flooding the central area of the pitch and making the champions too predictable. 
 
Still, they should have gone into the break ahead but were denied by some terrific work from Cech, who managed to stop Morata twice. 
 
&quot;We would have seen a different game had one of our chances in the opening half gone in,&quot; reckoned Spain captain Sergio Ramos. 
 
Morata was replaced by Aritz Aduriz in the 62nd minute but he could do little with Spain continuing to produce long spells of possession without any incisive intent or penetration. 
 
Eventually, though, one moment of sheer star quality shone through. Andres Iniesta, still a twinkle-toed Fred Astaire of the modern game at 32, unfurled one curling, inch-perfect cross that simply demanded a thumping Pique finish. 
 
&quot;This is who we are,&quot; the Barcelona maestro Iniesta declared afterwards. &quot;We have achieved so much success because of our style of play. We have played games like this one and it&#39;s just a case of trying and trying, until the ball goes in.&quot; 
 
The problem is that the wait for those goals is incerasingly becoming a test of the Spain supporters&#39; nerves and patience.&nbsp;

Gerard Pique ensured a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic

Spain huffed and puffed, making hard work of their Euro 2016 opener before a late Gerard Pique goal blew away the Czech Republic resistance. Yet the win could not conceal the fact that Vicente del Bosque's champions may be lacking a killer instinct. Until defender Pique's crucial late header, the holders were again largely ineffective in front of goal, just as they had been in their 1-0 loss to Georgia in their final warm-up game last week. Spain had three-quarters of the possession up until the interval and played most of the game in the Czech half, but still did not have the wit or invention to break down their more limited opponents. By the end, the champions had hit the target just five times in their 17 attempts, with Pique's 87th-minute header from a superb Andres Iniesta cross eventually sparing them blushes. It left Spain's coach Vicente del Bosque with an increasingly familiar headache. "It's true that we dominate but we still struggle in front of goal," he sighed afterwards. The most important thing for the coach was that this was at least an improvement on Spain's last three opening games at major tournaments: a defeat in the 2014 World Cup by the Netherlands, a draw with Italy in Euro 2012 and a loss in the 2010 World Cup to Switzerland. They started with a sense of urgency and were most effective when they had David Silva and Jordi Alba stretching the Czech team on the flanks. That enabled them to create the first real opening of the game, with Silva's cross from the right finding Alvaro Morata in the box but his first-touch shot was kept out by the ever-excellent Petr Cech. Problems started for Spain when Silva and Alba started drifting inside, flooding the central area of the pitch and making the champions too predictable. Still, they should have gone into the break ahead but were denied by some terrific work from Cech, who managed to stop Morata twice. "We would have seen a different game had one of our chances in the opening half gone in," reckoned Spain captain Sergio Ramos. Morata was replaced by Aritz Aduriz in the 62nd minute but he could do little with Spain continuing to produce long spells of possession without any incisive intent or penetration. Eventually, though, one moment of sheer star quality shone through. Andres Iniesta, still a twinkle-toed Fred Astaire of the modern game at 32, unfurled one curling, inch-perfect cross that simply demanded a thumping Pique finish. "This is who we are," the Barcelona maestro Iniesta declared afterwards. "We have achieved so much success because of our style of play. We have played games like this one and it's just a case of trying and trying, until the ball goes in." The problem is that the wait for those goals is incerasingly becoming a test of the Spain supporters' nerves and patience.

Defending champs Spain seal last-gasp win

Gay men race in 10 cm heels in Madrid as a part of Gay Pride Walk.

High on Spirit. High on Heels

Spain&#39;s right back Juanfran says his costly penalty shootout miss in Atletico Madrid&#39;s Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid has made him a better player at Euro 2016. 
 
Less than three weeks have passed since the veteran&#39;s spot kick hit the post and Cristiano Ronaldo converted the winning penalty for Real Madrid. 
 
Juanfran started in Spain&#39;s 1-0 victory over the Czech Republic in Group D on Monday and is expected to be in the lineup again when the champions take on Turkey on Friday. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve always overcome difficult times,&quot; the 31-year-old told Marca. &quot;I knew this would make me stronger, even from a personal standpoint. I&#39;m better than I was and after that final, I&#39;m ready for anything.&quot; 
 
&quot;I will never forget it but you learn to live with it. Each game represents a re-match and Monday&#39;s game was a new opportunity for me.&quot; 
 
Juanfran says he has received nothing but support since the setback to Real and even the sales of his Atletico jersey have increased. He is convinced the national team has the potential to win a third straight title. 
 
&quot;We are our biggest opponents and it all depends on the hunger we have,&quot; he said. &quot;If we want to reach the final and we are convinced of it and we give all that we have then, we will make it.&nbsp;We need work, show humility and the quality will do the rest.&quot; 
(Reuters)

The Spanish right back is convinced that the national team has potential to win a third straight title

Spain's right back Juanfran says his costly penalty shootout miss in Atletico Madrid's Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid has made him a better player at Euro 2016. Less than three weeks have passed since the veteran's spot kick hit the post and Cristiano Ronaldo converted the winning penalty for Real Madrid. Juanfran started in Spain's 1-0 victory over the Czech Republic in Group D on Monday and is expected to be in the lineup again when the champions take on Turkey on Friday. "I've always overcome difficult times," the 31-year-old told Marca. "I knew this would make me stronger, even from a personal standpoint. I'm better than I was and after that final, I'm ready for anything." "I will never forget it but you learn to live with it. Each game represents a re-match and Monday's game was a new opportunity for me." Juanfran says he has received nothing but support since the setback to Real and even the sales of his Atletico jersey have increased. He is convinced the national team has the potential to win a third straight title. "We are our biggest opponents and it all depends on the hunger we have," he said. "If we want to reach the final and we are convinced of it and we give all that we have then, we will make it. We need work, show humility and the quality will do the rest." (Reuters)

I am ready for anything, says Spain's Juanfran

Two-time defending champions Spain meet Italy in a mouthwatering last 16 clash at Euro 2016 today, while Wayne Rooney&#39;s England must overcome outsiders Iceland to reach the quarter-finals. 
 
To keep alive their hopes of a third consecutive European title, Spain must negotiate a repeat of the Euro 2012 final that they won 4-0. 
 
But they come into today&#39;s game at on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Croatia which relegated Vicente Del Bosque&#39;s team to runners-up in Group D and into the path of Italy so early in the tournmant. 
 
It will not get any easier for the winners as world champions Germany await in the quarter-finals. 
 
While Italy arrived at the tournament with low expectations they impressed in their first two matches and Del Bosque insists they will pose a formidable threat at the Stade de France. 
 
&quot;We have a lot of respect for a very strong team like Italy. They are just as much favourites as we are,&quot; he said. 
 
Recent history is on Spain&#39;s side -- they have won all seven of their knockout ties under Del Bosque at the Euros and World Cup. 
 
Italy coach Antonio Conte urged his players to defy the odds in the 1600 GMT kickoff. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t want to go home, the boys don&#39;t want to go home. We are not the sacrifical lamb. Spain have to show they are better on the pitch,&quot; said Conte, who will join Chelsea after the tournament. 
 
Spain will unleash striker Alvaro Morata, the competition&#39;s joint top scorer on three goals, on a solid Italian defence that he knows well from his just-completed two-year spell at Juventus. 
 
Italy will be without Antonio Candreva because of a groin injury, with Alessandro Florenzi likely to replace him on the right side of midfield. 
 
Chance of a lifetime&nbsp; 
 
England were spared the task of facing Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s Portugal when Iceland grabbed a last-gasp winner against Austria in their final group stage match. 
 
Iceland&#39;s population of 330,000 makes them the smallest nation ever to have qualified for a major tournament and they approach the game in Nice as underdogs. 
 
But the pressure is on England coach Roy Hodgson, who was criticised for weakening the side with six changes in the final group game against Slovakia which ended in a goalless stalemate. 
 
Finishing second in Group B behind Wales put England into the more difficult side of the draw and if they overcome Iceland they will have to face hosts France in the capital on Sunday. 
 
Hodgson has called the match in Nice (kickoff 1900 GMT) a &quot;win or bust&quot; clash and a defeat would call into question his future, but he has insisted he will not &quot;beg&quot; for his job. 
 
&quot;I am prepared to carry on. It is different to wanting it. I&#39;m prepared to carry on if the FA want me to,&quot; Hodgson said. 
 
&quot;If they don&#39;t want me to, then my contract will have run out and that is how that will be. So I&#39;m not begging for the job.&quot; 
 
England captain Rooney, who has yet to score at Euro 2016, said he is wary of an Iceland team that twice defeated the Netherlands in qualifying and held Portugal in their opening group game. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re not going into this game showing a lack of respect for Iceland. We&#39;re showing full respect.&quot; 
 
Iceland&#39;s co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said the game represents the opportunity of a lifetime for his players. 
 
&quot;If we beat England, their lives will change forever, and significantly. Icelandic football will go up in reputation and the way we approach football will be different,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;But whichever way this goes, these players are winners already.&quot; 
 
Iceland have complained they have only been granted between 3,000 and 3,500 places in the 34,500-capacity Stade de Nice, but thousands of their fans invaded Nice where they were drinking and swapping chants with England fans before the match. 
 
(AFP)

To keep alive their hopes of a third consecutive European title, Spain must negotiate a repeat of the Euro 2012 final which they won by 4-0

Two-time defending champions Spain meet Italy in a mouthwatering last 16 clash at Euro 2016 today, while Wayne Rooney's England must overcome outsiders Iceland to reach the quarter-finals. To keep alive their hopes of a third consecutive European title, Spain must negotiate a repeat of the Euro 2012 final that they won 4-0. But they come into today's game at on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Croatia which relegated Vicente Del Bosque's team to runners-up in Group D and into the path of Italy so early in the tournmant. It will not get any easier for the winners as world champions Germany await in the quarter-finals. While Italy arrived at the tournament with low expectations they impressed in their first two matches and Del Bosque insists they will pose a formidable threat at the Stade de France. "We have a lot of respect for a very strong team like Italy. They are just as much favourites as we are," he said. Recent history is on Spain's side -- they have won all seven of their knockout ties under Del Bosque at the Euros and World Cup. Italy coach Antonio Conte urged his players to defy the odds in the 1600 GMT kickoff. "I don't want to go home, the boys don't want to go home. We are not the sacrifical lamb. Spain have to show they are better on the pitch," said Conte, who will join Chelsea after the tournament. Spain will unleash striker Alvaro Morata, the competition's joint top scorer on three goals, on a solid Italian defence that he knows well from his just-completed two-year spell at Juventus. Italy will be without Antonio Candreva because of a groin injury, with Alessandro Florenzi likely to replace him on the right side of midfield. Chance of a lifetime England were spared the task of facing Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal when Iceland grabbed a last-gasp winner against Austria in their final group stage match. Iceland's population of 330,000 makes them the smallest nation ever to have qualified for a major tournament and they approach the game in Nice as underdogs. But the pressure is on England coach Roy Hodgson, who was criticised for weakening the side with six changes in the final group game against Slovakia which ended in a goalless stalemate. Finishing second in Group B behind Wales put England into the more difficult side of the draw and if they overcome Iceland they will have to face hosts France in the capital on Sunday. Hodgson has called the match in Nice (kickoff 1900 GMT) a "win or bust" clash and a defeat would call into question his future, but he has insisted he will not "beg" for his job. "I am prepared to carry on. It is different to wanting it. I'm prepared to carry on if the FA want me to," Hodgson said. "If they don't want me to, then my contract will have run out and that is how that will be. So I'm not begging for the job." England captain Rooney, who has yet to score at Euro 2016, said he is wary of an Iceland team that twice defeated the Netherlands in qualifying and held Portugal in their opening group game. "We're not going into this game showing a lack of respect for Iceland. We're showing full respect." Iceland's co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said the game represents the opportunity of a lifetime for his players. "If we beat England, their lives will change forever, and significantly. Icelandic football will go up in reputation and the way we approach football will be different," he said. "But whichever way this goes, these players are winners already." Iceland have complained they have only been granted between 3,000 and 3,500 places in the 34,500-capacity Stade de Nice, but thousands of their fans invaded Nice where they were drinking and swapping chants with England fans before the match. (AFP)

Spain-Italy in 'early final', England eye quarters

Without the star names that have graced Italy sides in the past, coach Antonio Conte says the secret to their success at Euro 2016 has been to shun the mentality of a national team and behave like a club. 
 
Italy came into the European Championship with an ageing squad shorn of standout talents and with few tipping them for success. 
 
Their tournament performances, however, have confounded expectations and a 2-0 victory over Spain on Monday propelled them into the quarter-finals, where they will face Germany in Bordeaux on Saturday. 
 
Recent Italy teams went into major tournaments with individual talents such as Mario Balotelli or Andrea Pirlo, who attracted enormous amounts of media attention. 
 
For Conte, who has a notorious emphasis on the team ethic and industry over individuality, the way to achieve success is to mould the national team around the model of a club, where a well-drilled tactical system can stifle even the best opponents. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve always said, right from the start of my work here with the national team, that the only road we can follow if we want a bit of success is to be like a club, to be like a team that play together every week - we cannot allow ourselves to be a selection,&quot; Conte told reporters following the victory over Spain at the Stade de France. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m happy above all for the players. It&#39;s more than a month that we&#39;ve been working tactically, technically, mentally and we&#39;ve been trying to surprise everybody and I think we&#39;ve succeeded to some extent.&quot; 
 
Spain were comprehensively snuffed out, barely posing a threat until the closing stages of the game. 
 
Conte feels next opponents Germany, however, could pose a greater challenge. 
 
The world champions cruised through the group stage and thumped Slovakia 3-0 to reach the last eight. 
 
&quot;We now face the best side at the European Championship next Saturday,&quot; Conte said. &quot;It&#39;s going to be very, very hard in all aspects. We&#39;ve got to do well to recover and prepare for Germany the best way we can. We are without Thiago Motta (suspended) and that&#39;s a big blow, also because (Daniele) De Rossi took a knock to his hip. But we know that in adversity, we give that little bit more.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The team has been winning games despite fielding an ageing squad lacking any big-name talent

Without the star names that have graced Italy sides in the past, coach Antonio Conte says the secret to their success at Euro 2016 has been to shun the mentality of a national team and behave like a club. Italy came into the European Championship with an ageing squad shorn of standout talents and with few tipping them for success. Their tournament performances, however, have confounded expectations and a 2-0 victory over Spain on Monday propelled them into the quarter-finals, where they will face Germany in Bordeaux on Saturday. Recent Italy teams went into major tournaments with individual talents such as Mario Balotelli or Andrea Pirlo, who attracted enormous amounts of media attention. For Conte, who has a notorious emphasis on the team ethic and industry over individuality, the way to achieve success is to mould the national team around the model of a club, where a well-drilled tactical system can stifle even the best opponents. "I've always said, right from the start of my work here with the national team, that the only road we can follow if we want a bit of success is to be like a club, to be like a team that play together every week - we cannot allow ourselves to be a selection," Conte told reporters following the victory over Spain at the Stade de France. "I'm happy above all for the players. It's more than a month that we've been working tactically, technically, mentally and we've been trying to surprise everybody and I think we've succeeded to some extent." Spain were comprehensively snuffed out, barely posing a threat until the closing stages of the game. Conte feels next opponents Germany, however, could pose a greater challenge. The world champions cruised through the group stage and thumped Slovakia 3-0 to reach the last eight. "We now face the best side at the European Championship next Saturday," Conte said. "It's going to be very, very hard in all aspects. We've got to do well to recover and prepare for Germany the best way we can. We are without Thiago Motta (suspended) and that's a big blow, also because (Daniele) De Rossi took a knock to his hip. But we know that in adversity, we give that little bit more." (Reuters)

Italy's Coach Conte says club mentality crucial to success

Atletico Madrid president, Enrique Cerezo, has ruled out Chelsea forward Diego Costa&#39;s possible return to the Vicente Calderon stadium this summer, despite reports suggesting otherwise. 
 
The arrival of Michy Batshuayi at Chelsea from Marseille has led to reports in England and Spain that Costa, who has scored 36 goals in 77 games since joining Chelsea in 2014, could move back to Atletico, a team he helped capture the La Liga title, a King&#39;s Cup and two Super Cups in his four years with the outfit. 
 
New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said the Spain international will stay put, describing him as a player of fundamental importance, and now Cerezo has ruled out his return.&nbsp;Costa is under contract at Chelsea until June 2019. 
 
&quot;He is a great player, who is very much loved, but he is a Chelsea player,&quot; Cerezo told reporters.&nbsp;&quot;The issue is as it was six months ago or even a year ago, he is a Chelsea player. I&#39;ve always said that Costa is a Chelsea player and has a contract with Chelsea. That&#39;s the end of this issue.&nbsp;The day we have a number nine we will announce it. We are looking for one and once we have him, we will announce it.&quot; 
 
The 27-year-old Costa was handed a start for Conte&#39;s first match in charge, a 2-0 pre-season defeat to Rapid Vienna on Saturday. 
 
(Reuters)

New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said the Spanish player will stay put, describing him as a player of fundamental importance

Atletico Madrid president, Enrique Cerezo, has ruled out Chelsea forward Diego Costa's possible return to the Vicente Calderon stadium this summer, despite reports suggesting otherwise. The arrival of Michy Batshuayi at Chelsea from Marseille has led to reports in England and Spain that Costa, who has scored 36 goals in 77 games since joining Chelsea in 2014, could move back to Atletico, a team he helped capture the La Liga title, a King's Cup and two Super Cups in his four years with the outfit. New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said the Spain international will stay put, describing him as a player of fundamental importance, and now Cerezo has ruled out his return. Costa is under contract at Chelsea until June 2019. "He is a great player, who is very much loved, but he is a Chelsea player," Cerezo told reporters. "The issue is as it was six months ago or even a year ago, he is a Chelsea player. I've always said that Costa is a Chelsea player and has a contract with Chelsea. That's the end of this issue. The day we have a number nine we will announce it. We are looking for one and once we have him, we will announce it." The 27-year-old Costa was handed a start for Conte's first match in charge, a 2-0 pre-season defeat to Rapid Vienna on Saturday. (Reuters)

Atletico Madrid president Cerezo rules out Costa's return this summer

Julen Lopetegui, who led Spain&#39;s youth teams to international success, was tasked today with breathing new life into La Roja after they crashed out of the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016. 
 
The Spanish football federation announced the 49-year-old former goalkeeper would take over from Vicente del Bosque as manager of the national team, weeks after the latter resigned following Spain&#39;s defeat to Italy in the last 16 of Euro 2016. 
 
Del Bosque had led Spain to the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 titles, after taking over from Euro 2008-winning coach Luis Aragones. 
 
But the second half of his stint was disappointing, with the 2-0 defeat to Italy following a shock group-stage exit from the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and he was criticised for not having given the newer generation a chance. 
 
Thanks to his success with Spain&#39;s under-19s and under-21s, Lopetegui has long been a favourite of Spanish FA head Angel Maria Villar, who made the appointment before concentrating on his bid to replace Michel Platini as UEFA chief. 
 
He is reported to have overcome stiff competition from veteran former Sevilla and Athletic Bilbao coach Joaquin Caparros for the post. 
 
Today Vicente del Bosque wished Lopetegui well. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s a man with experience, well trained and with huge enthusiasm and lots of energy,&quot; he told Radio Marca. 
 
&quot;He will know how to manage (the team) like he has done brilliantly in the younger age categories.&quot; 
 
Lopetegui has over his career achieved varying degrees of success on the pitch and as a coach. 
 
His spells as a goalkeeper at Real Madrid and Barcelona saw him spend much of his time on the bench. But he was highly successful at smaller club Logrones from 1991 to 1994 at a time when the team was in the country&#39;s first division. 
 
Retiring from professional football in 2002, he became coach of Madrid-based Rayo Vallecano, a team in Spain&#39;s second tier, where he had last played before retiring. 
 
He then moved on to Real Madrid where he coached the club&#39;s Castilla reserve team, the same post that Zinedine Zidane held before moving on to managing the first team. 
 
But Lopetegui, who hails from the northern Basque country, really made his name when he coached the national team&#39;s under-19s, under-20s and under-21s from 2010 to 2014. 
 
He led his teams to victory in the 2012 European Under-19 Championship and a year later in the Under-21 European Championship which featured David de Gea, Thiago Alcantara and Alvaro Morata, all of whom were at Euro 2016. 
 
Fresh from that success, he took over Porto in 2014 and led them to the quarter-finals of the 2014/15 Champions League. 
 
A famous 3-1 win over Pep Guardiola&#39;s Bayern Munich in the first leg of the quarter-final was quickly forgotten as Bayern bounced back to thrash Lopetegui&#39;s men 6-1 in the second leg, to progress to the last four. 
 
Porto also finished runners-up to rivals Benfica in the Portuguese league in his first season in charge. 
 
Lopetegui signed Iker Casillas from Real Madrid in July 2015, but that did little to help and he was sacked in January with Porto languishing in third behind Benfica and Sporting Lisbon, having been knocked out at the group stages of the Champions League. 
 
Still, influential sports daily Marca said his intimate knowledge of the workings of the national team was &quot;ideal&quot; as Spain seek to re-emerge from a dark patch after failures in Brazil and France. 
 
&quot;Lopetegui has a nice challenge ahead,&quot; it wrote. 
 
&quot;His adventure starts in September with the friendly between La Roja and Belgium.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Lopetegui is reported to have overcome stiff competition from veteran former Sevilla and Athletic Bilbao coach Joaquin Caparros for the post

Julen Lopetegui, who led Spain's youth teams to international success, was tasked today with breathing new life into La Roja after they crashed out of the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016. The Spanish football federation announced the 49-year-old former goalkeeper would take over from Vicente del Bosque as manager of the national team, weeks after the latter resigned following Spain's defeat to Italy in the last 16 of Euro 2016. Del Bosque had led Spain to the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 titles, after taking over from Euro 2008-winning coach Luis Aragones. But the second half of his stint was disappointing, with the 2-0 defeat to Italy following a shock group-stage exit from the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and he was criticised for not having given the newer generation a chance. Thanks to his success with Spain's under-19s and under-21s, Lopetegui has long been a favourite of Spanish FA head Angel Maria Villar, who made the appointment before concentrating on his bid to replace Michel Platini as UEFA chief. He is reported to have overcome stiff competition from veteran former Sevilla and Athletic Bilbao coach Joaquin Caparros for the post. Today Vicente del Bosque wished Lopetegui well. "He's a man with experience, well trained and with huge enthusiasm and lots of energy," he told Radio Marca. "He will know how to manage (the team) like he has done brilliantly in the younger age categories." Lopetegui has over his career achieved varying degrees of success on the pitch and as a coach. His spells as a goalkeeper at Real Madrid and Barcelona saw him spend much of his time on the bench. But he was highly successful at smaller club Logrones from 1991 to 1994 at a time when the team was in the country's first division. Retiring from professional football in 2002, he became coach of Madrid-based Rayo Vallecano, a team in Spain's second tier, where he had last played before retiring. He then moved on to Real Madrid where he coached the club's Castilla reserve team, the same post that Zinedine Zidane held before moving on to managing the first team. But Lopetegui, who hails from the northern Basque country, really made his name when he coached the national team's under-19s, under-20s and under-21s from 2010 to 2014. He led his teams to victory in the 2012 European Under-19 Championship and a year later in the Under-21 European Championship which featured David de Gea, Thiago Alcantara and Alvaro Morata, all of whom were at Euro 2016. Fresh from that success, he took over Porto in 2014 and led them to the quarter-finals of the 2014/15 Champions League. A famous 3-1 win over Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich in the first leg of the quarter-final was quickly forgotten as Bayern bounced back to thrash Lopetegui's men 6-1 in the second leg, to progress to the last four. Porto also finished runners-up to rivals Benfica in the Portuguese league in his first season in charge. Lopetegui signed Iker Casillas from Real Madrid in July 2015, but that did little to help and he was sacked in January with Porto languishing in third behind Benfica and Sporting Lisbon, having been knocked out at the group stages of the Champions League. Still, influential sports daily Marca said his intimate knowledge of the workings of the national team was "ideal" as Spain seek to re-emerge from a dark patch after failures in Brazil and France. "Lopetegui has a nice challenge ahead," it wrote. "His adventure starts in September with the friendly between La Roja and Belgium." (AFP)

Julen Lopetegui named as Spain's new coach

Spain may be forced to hold a third round of elections, acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy warned on Tuesday after his Socialist rival refused to back his efforts to form a government. 
 
Spain has been without a fully functioning government for more than seven months following two inconclusive polls, leaving it in political limbo in a sensitive economic and political period. But even as parties reiterate the crucial need for a stable government after repeat elections in June, none appear ready as yet to overcome their differences and seal a coalition deal, including Socialist party chief Pedro Sanchez. 
 
&quot;If Mr Sanchez continues to say no, we will go to repeat elections,&quot; Rajoy, whose conservative Popular Party (PP) came first in June polls and who has therefore been tasked by the king to form a coalition or minority government, told reporters. &quot;A country that holds three elections in a year, or one in which its political leaders are incapable of agreeing, will not see its reputation improve,&quot; he said, adding it would be an &quot;absurdity&quot;. 
 
Spain is currently ruled by a caretaker conservative government with limited room for manoeuvre just as it needs to take urgent steps to reduce its deficit, establish a budget for the coming year and address a growing separatist movement in the Catalonia region. 
 
The country&#39;s political paralysis started after elections on December 20 failed to give any party an absolute parliamentary majority, as upstart groupings Ciudadanos and Podemos shook up Spain&#39;s long-established two-party system. 
 
Fed up with years of crisis-sparked austerity and repeated corruption scandals, millions of Spaniards tasked the two upstarts to revitalise the country. But efforts to forge a coalition were unsuccessful as rival parties were unable to overcome their differences, prompting repeat elections in June with a similar result. 
 
Rajoy&#39;s PP, in power since 2011, won the June 26 vote but fell short of an absolute majority, winning 137 seats out of 350. He has since been tasked by the king to form a coalition or minority government, which he will have to push through a parliamentary vote of confidence. 
 
In order to do so, Rajoy will need an absolute majority in the vote. If he fails, a second vote will be held in which he would only need a simple majority. 
 
But Sanchez, whose Socialist party came second in June elections and whose 85 seats would give any Rajoy-led government proposal a significant boost in a parliamentary vote refuses to back him. &quot;We are not going to back something we want to change... the left will not back the right,&quot; Sanchez told reporters after meeting the acting prime minister. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
However, he appeared to leave the door open for the possibility that the Socialists would abstain in a vote of confidence, saying that the party&#39;s leadership committee would have the ultimate say in whether the grouping changes its posture or not. 
 
Several high-ranking members of the Socialist party, including former prime minister Felipe Gonzalez, have pushed for an abstention to let a minority government led by Rajoy through, and thus end the political paralysis. And a high-ranking Socialist party source, who refuses to be named, has said an abstention in the second parliamentary vote is the most likely scenario. 
 
Rajoy is also due to meet Albert Rivera, the chief of centre-right upstart Ciudadanos, on Wednesday as his search for support continues.&nbsp;Rivera has said his party would be willing to abstain in the vote of confidence, but with just 32 seats, that would not be enough to push Rajoy&#39;s government proposal through. 
 
(AFP)

The country has been without a fully functional government for more than seven months following two inconclusive polls

Spain may be forced to hold a third round of elections, acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy warned on Tuesday after his Socialist rival refused to back his efforts to form a government. Spain has been without a fully functioning government for more than seven months following two inconclusive polls, leaving it in political limbo in a sensitive economic and political period. But even as parties reiterate the crucial need for a stable government after repeat elections in June, none appear ready as yet to overcome their differences and seal a coalition deal, including Socialist party chief Pedro Sanchez. "If Mr Sanchez continues to say no, we will go to repeat elections," Rajoy, whose conservative Popular Party (PP) came first in June polls and who has therefore been tasked by the king to form a coalition or minority government, told reporters. "A country that holds three elections in a year, or one in which its political leaders are incapable of agreeing, will not see its reputation improve," he said, adding it would be an "absurdity". Spain is currently ruled by a caretaker conservative government with limited room for manoeuvre just as it needs to take urgent steps to reduce its deficit, establish a budget for the coming year and address a growing separatist movement in the Catalonia region. The country's political paralysis started after elections on December 20 failed to give any party an absolute parliamentary majority, as upstart groupings Ciudadanos and Podemos shook up Spain's long-established two-party system. Fed up with years of crisis-sparked austerity and repeated corruption scandals, millions of Spaniards tasked the two upstarts to revitalise the country. But efforts to forge a coalition were unsuccessful as rival parties were unable to overcome their differences, prompting repeat elections in June with a similar result. Rajoy's PP, in power since 2011, won the June 26 vote but fell short of an absolute majority, winning 137 seats out of 350. He has since been tasked by the king to form a coalition or minority government, which he will have to push through a parliamentary vote of confidence. In order to do so, Rajoy will need an absolute majority in the vote. If he fails, a second vote will be held in which he would only need a simple majority. But Sanchez, whose Socialist party came second in June elections and whose 85 seats would give any Rajoy-led government proposal a significant boost in a parliamentary vote refuses to back him. "We are not going to back something we want to change... the left will not back the right," Sanchez told reporters after meeting the acting prime minister. However, he appeared to leave the door open for the possibility that the Socialists would abstain in a vote of confidence, saying that the party's leadership committee would have the ultimate say in whether the grouping changes its posture or not. Several high-ranking members of the Socialist party, including former prime minister Felipe Gonzalez, have pushed for an abstention to let a minority government led by Rajoy through, and thus end the political paralysis. And a high-ranking Socialist party source, who refuses to be named, has said an abstention in the second parliamentary vote is the most likely scenario. Rajoy is also due to meet Albert Rivera, the chief of centre-right upstart Ciudadanos, on Wednesday as his search for support continues. Rivera has said his party would be willing to abstain in the vote of confidence, but with just 32 seats, that would not be enough to push Rajoy's government proposal through. (AFP)

Spain PM warns third round of elections possible as deadlock continues

Catalan lawmakers defied Spain&#39;s Constitutional Court today and approved a text calling on the region to push ahead with its bid to forge a separate state with or without Madrid&#39;s approval. 
 
The text outlines the steps Catalonia -- a northeastern region of 7.5 million people that is divided over splitting from Spain -- needs to take to defend its right to auto-determination. 
 
It argues the &quot;only way possible&quot; for Catalans to exercise their right to decide on their future is if the region &quot;disconnects&quot; from the Spanish state and disobeys Spanish institutions. 
 
Pro-secession parties hold a slim majority in the 135-seat Catalan parliament and the text was approved with 72 votes in favour. 
 
Spain&#39;s Constitutional Court warned last week that approval of the text would be illegal and the central government has consistently dismissed any secession plans as &quot;nonsense&quot;. 
 
Ines Arrimadas, the leader of the main opposition centrist party Ciudadanos, called the approval of the text a &quot;strike against democracy&quot;. 
 
Xavier Garcia Albiol, the head of the Catalan branch of the conservative Popular Party which governs at the national level, warned that disobeying Spanish institutions &quot;would have a cost&quot;. 
 
Pro-independence parties in Catalonia won an absolute majority in the regional parliament for the first time in a September 2015 election which they billed as a proxy referendum on independence from Spain. 
 
The main separatist &quot;Together for Yes&quot; alliance and the smaller, anti-capitalist CUP party won a combined 72 seats in the 135-seat parliament. 
 
But their share of the vote was just 48 per cent, giving their opponents a powerful argument against secession. 
 
Spain&#39;s Constitutional Court has already taken measures against Catalonia&#39;s independence drive. 
 
It suspended an independence referendum called by the Catalan government in 2014 as well as a resolution passed by Catalonia&#39;s parliament in November declaring the start of a secession process. 
 
Many in Catalonia, which boasts its own language and customs, want autonomy from Madrid. 
 
Spain&#39;s recent economic downturn exacerbated the situation, leaving many resenting the amount of taxes they pay to the central government in Madrid to subsidise poorer Spanish regions. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

'The only way possible for Catalans to exercise their right to decide on their future is if the region disconnects from the Spanish state'

Catalan lawmakers defied Spain's Constitutional Court today and approved a text calling on the region to push ahead with its bid to forge a separate state with or without Madrid's approval. The text outlines the steps Catalonia -- a northeastern region of 7.5 million people that is divided over splitting from Spain -- needs to take to defend its right to auto-determination. It argues the "only way possible" for Catalans to exercise their right to decide on their future is if the region "disconnects" from the Spanish state and disobeys Spanish institutions. Pro-secession parties hold a slim majority in the 135-seat Catalan parliament and the text was approved with 72 votes in favour. Spain's Constitutional Court warned last week that approval of the text would be illegal and the central government has consistently dismissed any secession plans as "nonsense". Ines Arrimadas, the leader of the main opposition centrist party Ciudadanos, called the approval of the text a "strike against democracy". Xavier Garcia Albiol, the head of the Catalan branch of the conservative Popular Party which governs at the national level, warned that disobeying Spanish institutions "would have a cost". Pro-independence parties in Catalonia won an absolute majority in the regional parliament for the first time in a September 2015 election which they billed as a proxy referendum on independence from Spain. The main separatist "Together for Yes" alliance and the smaller, anti-capitalist CUP party won a combined 72 seats in the 135-seat parliament. But their share of the vote was just 48 per cent, giving their opponents a powerful argument against secession. Spain's Constitutional Court has already taken measures against Catalonia's independence drive. It suspended an independence referendum called by the Catalan government in 2014 as well as a resolution passed by Catalonia's parliament in November declaring the start of a secession process. Many in Catalonia, which boasts its own language and customs, want autonomy from Madrid. Spain's recent economic downturn exacerbated the situation, leaving many resenting the amount of taxes they pay to the central government in Madrid to subsidise poorer Spanish regions. (AFP)

Catalan secession drive: Lawmakers defy court, push formation of separate state

Spain&#39;s top criminal court said today it had sentenced 11 former executives of stamp firm Afinsa to up to 12 years in jail for their role in a vast scam that ruined thousands of savers. 
 
The Madrid-based Audiencia Nacional also ordered six of the accused to pay 2.57 billion euros ($2.8 billion) in compensation for the losses incurred by investors -- including former Afinsa president Juan Antonio Cano, who was sentenced to 12 years and 10 months in prison. 
 
The court said the scam, which saw Afinsa sell low quality and sometimes fake stamps for highly inflated prices to more than 190,000 people in Spain and Portugal from 1998 to 2006, was &quot;one of the biggest frauds our courts ever experienced.&quot; 
 
The company promised to buy back people&#39;s stamps after these supposedly rose in value, which would see their clients recoup their initial investment plus interest, the court said. 
 
But given that the reportedly rare stamps were actually of little value in the collectors market, initial investors were only paid thanks to the cashflow received by other newer customers, in a classic Ponzi scheme. 
 
By 2006, when authorities started investigating the scam, Afinsa had accumulated 2.57 billion euros in liabilities. 
 
According to the court, the investors were largely middle-class people, &quot;who in many cases lost the savings they were keeping for retirement or for crisis situations.&quot; 
 
In one case reported by the El Pais daily in May 2006, nearly half of the 2,300 inhabitants of the village of Dosbarrios, a farming community in the heart of the country, lost their savings. 
 
Apart from Cano, who was found guilty of aggravated fraud and criminal insolvency, the other former executives received prison sentences ranging from two years and three months to 11 years. 
 
They were also ordered to pay fines totalling more than 72 million euros. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

The scam saw Afinsa sell low quality and fake stamps for inflated prices to more than 190,000 people in Spain, Portugal from 1998 to 2006

Spain's top criminal court said today it had sentenced 11 former executives of stamp firm Afinsa to up to 12 years in jail for their role in a vast scam that ruined thousands of savers. The Madrid-based Audiencia Nacional also ordered six of the accused to pay 2.57 billion euros ($2.8 billion) in compensation for the losses incurred by investors -- including former Afinsa president Juan Antonio Cano, who was sentenced to 12 years and 10 months in prison. The court said the scam, which saw Afinsa sell low quality and sometimes fake stamps for highly inflated prices to more than 190,000 people in Spain and Portugal from 1998 to 2006, was "one of the biggest frauds our courts ever experienced." The company promised to buy back people's stamps after these supposedly rose in value, which would see their clients recoup their initial investment plus interest, the court said. But given that the reportedly rare stamps were actually of little value in the collectors market, initial investors were only paid thanks to the cashflow received by other newer customers, in a classic Ponzi scheme. By 2006, when authorities started investigating the scam, Afinsa had accumulated 2.57 billion euros in liabilities. According to the court, the investors were largely middle-class people, "who in many cases lost the savings they were keeping for retirement or for crisis situations." In one case reported by the El Pais daily in May 2006, nearly half of the 2,300 inhabitants of the village of Dosbarrios, a farming community in the heart of the country, lost their savings. Apart from Cano, who was found guilty of aggravated fraud and criminal insolvency, the other former executives received prison sentences ranging from two years and three months to 11 years. They were also ordered to pay fines totalling more than 72 million euros. (AFP)

Spain stamp scam: 11 jailed in one of country's 'biggest frauds'

Amid increasing speculation surrounding his participation at the Rio Olympics, the Spanish Olympic Committee chief has confirmed that 14-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal will represent his nation at the global spectacle. 
 
The 30-year-old, who is chosen as Spain&#39;s flag-bearer at the opening ceremony in Rio on August 5, still awaits the nod from the International Tennis Federation after he failed to meet qualifying criteria. 
 
Alejandro Blanco stated that he had no doubts over Nadal&#39;s participation while insisting that the Spanish maestro was training regularly to secure a medal in Rio, Sport24 reported. 
 
Nadal won the Gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics but missed the London Games with a knee injury four years later. 
 
The Spaniard&#39;s participation at the Rio Games was thrown into turmoil when he suffered a wrist injury which forced him to pull out of the French Open prematurely and ruled him out of the Wimbledon. 
 
He is due to play singles and also the mixed doubles with French Open champion Garbine Muguruza at Rio. 
 
(ANI)

Rafael Nadal awaits the nod from the International Tennis Federation after he failed to meet the qualifying criteria

Amid increasing speculation surrounding his participation at the Rio Olympics, the Spanish Olympic Committee chief has confirmed that 14-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal will represent his nation at the global spectacle. The 30-year-old, who is chosen as Spain's flag-bearer at the opening ceremony in Rio on August 5, still awaits the nod from the International Tennis Federation after he failed to meet qualifying criteria. Alejandro Blanco stated that he had no doubts over Nadal's participation while insisting that the Spanish maestro was training regularly to secure a medal in Rio, Sport24 reported. Nadal won the Gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics but missed the London Games with a knee injury four years later. The Spaniard's participation at the Rio Games was thrown into turmoil when he suffered a wrist injury which forced him to pull out of the French Open prematurely and ruled him out of the Wimbledon. He is due to play singles and also the mixed doubles with French Open champion Garbine Muguruza at Rio. (ANI)

Nadal will be ready for Rio, insists Spanish Olympic chief

After his elderly father jumped out of a window to his death, haunted by memories of Spain&#39;s civil war and its aftermath, Antonio Altarriba made a graphic novel out of the old man&#39;s life, in a bid to lay his demons posthumously to rest. 
 
Published in 2009, &quot;The Art of Flying&quot; became a best-selling comic in Spain -- part of a trend in the country&#39;s renascent industry of remembering a conflict that had long been brushed under the carpet. 
 
&quot;Towards the end, my father made a very short but tragic assessment of his life&quot;, lamenting that it had &quot;all (been) for nothing&quot;, says Altarriba. 
 
&quot;I can now tell my father that all was not for nothing,&quot; he said. 
 
The graphic novel follows Antonio senior through the bloody 1936-9 civil war, General Francisco Franco&#39;s subsequent dictatorship and the fragile transition to democracy after his death in 1975. 
 
At the time, authorities opted to draw a veil over the past, and this dark period of Spain&#39;s history remains suppressed to this day, for fear of reviving once-bloody divisions, despite growing calls to heal still-open wounds. 
 
But fiction has attempted to plug this hole and the theme of the war has abounded in films, novels... and in comic books. 
 
Michel Matly, who has published a thesis on the conflict&#39;s portrayal in comics at France&#39;s Blaise Pascal University, says the format comic-book has a long history. 
 
Both sides of the civil war -- Republicans and Nationalists -- used comics for propaganda. 
 
&quot;This was a time when people sometimes had trouble reading or were illiterate, and comics were a good way to relay messages,&quot; he says. 
 
But under Franco&#39;s dictatorship, the theme was largely stifled.&nbsp;It was only in the early days of democracy that it came back to life in comic books, albeit in watered down mode in keeping with the general policy of appeasement.&nbsp;Then in the 1990s, the industry went through a crisis during which many comic magazines shut down, Matly says. 
 
At the turn of the century, the industry took off again, fuelled by an economic bonanza and the arrival of graphic novels -- a longer book format.&nbsp;At the same time, more and more people were clamouring for the civil war to be addressed -- culminating in a 2007 &quot;historical memory law&quot; that finally recognised victims of the conflict and Franco&#39;s dictatorship. 
 
&quot;People talked more about the issue... many books were written, and the same thing happened in comics,&quot; says Paco Roca, who created several acclaimed graphic novels on the conflict. 
 
This time round, though, the comic books were more raw. 
 
Carlos Gimenez&#39;s &quot;36-39 Malos Tiempos&quot; (&quot;36-39 Bad Times&quot;) about the siege of Madrid by nationalist forces is a case in point. 
 
Based on the testimony of a man who experienced the war, it graphically recounts harrowing stories: from a mother&#39;s decision to give away her son&#39;s beloved cat, to a starving neighbour or a man&#39;s terror at seeing someone decapitated in a bombing. 
 
But whereas people reached saturation point with books and films on the issue, graphic novels continued to appeal with their powerful, accessible mix of text and drawings, even if the industry remains small. 
 
Matly says that more than 120 comics were published between 2001 and 2015 in Spain on the subject, and they keep coming.&nbsp;Historian Paul Preston&#39;s definitive book on the conflict, for instance, has been adapted into a graphic novel this year.&nbsp;Sarah Harris, a US specialist in narratives of trauma in Spanish fiction, says that the nature of comics -- where people can pause and reflect on a page -- makes them a powerful medium for remembrance. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s become a way to testify,&quot; Altarriba says. 
 
&quot;I speak a lot with readers who are the great-grandchildren of people who experienced the war... and it&#39;s clear that there is a strong will to fill the gaps.&quot; 
 
Roca experienced this first hand when he created &quot;Los Surcos del Azar&quot; (&quot;Furrows of Fate&quot;) about Miguel Campos, who fled the war to&nbsp;North Africa and went on to fight the Nazis in France.&nbsp;Campos genuinely existed although he disappeared in France, prompting Roca to fictionalise the latter part of the story. 
 
But Campos&#39;s granddaughter read it and contacted Roca, thinking he may have tracked him down. 
 
&quot;I had to say it was fiction... But I put the family in touch with the historian Robert Coale and they are now piecing together his life.&quot; 
 
Summing up the malaise surrounding the civil war, late author Ramiro Pinilla wrote in a forward to Gimenez&#39;s &quot;36-39 Malos Tiempos&quot; that Spain wanted nothing more than to put the past behind. 
 
&quot;We want to turn the page... but not before reading it,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;Because there was a war, I saw it.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Comics have a long history in Spain. During the civil war people had trouble reading, so comics were a good way to relay messages

After his elderly father jumped out of a window to his death, haunted by memories of Spain's civil war and its aftermath, Antonio Altarriba made a graphic novel out of the old man's life, in a bid to lay his demons posthumously to rest. Published in 2009, "The Art of Flying" became a best-selling comic in Spain -- part of a trend in the country's renascent industry of remembering a conflict that had long been brushed under the carpet. "Towards the end, my father made a very short but tragic assessment of his life", lamenting that it had "all (been) for nothing", says Altarriba. "I can now tell my father that all was not for nothing," he said. The graphic novel follows Antonio senior through the bloody 1936-9 civil war, General Francisco Franco's subsequent dictatorship and the fragile transition to democracy after his death in 1975. At the time, authorities opted to draw a veil over the past, and this dark period of Spain's history remains suppressed to this day, for fear of reviving once-bloody divisions, despite growing calls to heal still-open wounds. But fiction has attempted to plug this hole and the theme of the war has abounded in films, novels... and in comic books. Michel Matly, who has published a thesis on the conflict's portrayal in comics at France's Blaise Pascal University, says the format comic-book has a long history. Both sides of the civil war -- Republicans and Nationalists -- used comics for propaganda. "This was a time when people sometimes had trouble reading or were illiterate, and comics were a good way to relay messages," he says. But under Franco's dictatorship, the theme was largely stifled. It was only in the early days of democracy that it came back to life in comic books, albeit in watered down mode in keeping with the general policy of appeasement. Then in the 1990s, the industry went through a crisis during which many comic magazines shut down, Matly says. At the turn of the century, the industry took off again, fuelled by an economic bonanza and the arrival of graphic novels -- a longer book format. At the same time, more and more people were clamouring for the civil war to be addressed -- culminating in a 2007 "historical memory law" that finally recognised victims of the conflict and Franco's dictatorship. "People talked more about the issue... many books were written, and the same thing happened in comics," says Paco Roca, who created several acclaimed graphic novels on the conflict. This time round, though, the comic books were more raw. Carlos Gimenez's "36-39 Malos Tiempos" ("36-39 Bad Times") about the siege of Madrid by nationalist forces is a case in point. Based on the testimony of a man who experienced the war, it graphically recounts harrowing stories: from a mother's decision to give away her son's beloved cat, to a starving neighbour or a man's terror at seeing someone decapitated in a bombing. But whereas people reached saturation point with books and films on the issue, graphic novels continued to appeal with their powerful, accessible mix of text and drawings, even if the industry remains small. Matly says that more than 120 comics were published between 2001 and 2015 in Spain on the subject, and they keep coming. Historian Paul Preston's definitive book on the conflict, for instance, has been adapted into a graphic novel this year. Sarah Harris, a US specialist in narratives of trauma in Spanish fiction, says that the nature of comics -- where people can pause and reflect on a page -- makes them a powerful medium for remembrance. "It's become a way to testify," Altarriba says. "I speak a lot with readers who are the great-grandchildren of people who experienced the war... and it's clear that there is a strong will to fill the gaps." Roca experienced this first hand when he created "Los Surcos del Azar" ("Furrows of Fate") about Miguel Campos, who fled the war to North Africa and went on to fight the Nazis in France. Campos genuinely existed although he disappeared in France, prompting Roca to fictionalise the latter part of the story. But Campos's granddaughter read it and contacted Roca, thinking he may have tracked him down. "I had to say it was fiction... But I put the family in touch with the historian Robert Coale and they are now piecing together his life." Summing up the malaise surrounding the civil war, late author Ramiro Pinilla wrote in a forward to Gimenez's "36-39 Malos Tiempos" that Spain wanted nothing more than to put the past behind. "We want to turn the page... but not before reading it," he said. "Because there was a war, I saw it." (AFP)

Comics give voice to ghosts of Spain's civil war

Every summer Sergio Colas joins hundreds of other runners for Pamplona&#39;s annual bull-run, but unlike them, he cannot hear the roaring crowds or the bulls thundering through the winding streets of the Spanish town&#39;s mediaeval centre. 
 
Deaf from birth, Colas has to rely on the movement of the mass of people around him to complete the almost kilometre-long dash without being gored or trampled by the specially-bred bulls, which can weigh up to 650 kilograms. 
 
Although some tell him he shouldn&#39;t run, the 35-year-old native of Pamplona says his deafness may even be an advantage as the din of the festival can distract runners from the danger bearing down upon them.&nbsp;Over the past century, 15 people have died in the San Fermin run and many are gored by the bulls&#39; horns each year. Several Spaniards have already been killed in bull-runs elsewhere in the country this summer. 
 
&quot;The most important thing in the bull-run is what you see, and I see more than others do,&quot; said Colas, who this year celebrates his 20th year of taking part in the event. 
 
The San Fermin bull-run began as a religious festival in the Middle Ages and gained global fame following writer Ernest Hemingway&#39;s 1926 novel &quot;The Sun Also Rises&quot;. 
 
With close to a million Spaniards and foreign revellers now cramming into the northern Spanish town of Pamplona every year for the nine-day event, Colas says he can no longer distinguish the vibrations caused by the bulls and those by the crowd. 
 
&quot;I used to be able to feel the vibration of the stampede and that of the bells of the steers,&quot; he told Reuters in an interview, referring to the tame, guiding bullocks which run alongside the bulls. 
 
But now the sound of the hooves pounding on stone-laid streets is no longer a sure guide. 
 
Each year Colas begins in the same spot where, unable to hear the blast of the run&#39;s starter rocket, he climbs a street shop&#39;s security doors to see the bulls as they come charging towards him. 
 
&quot;I like it when the run goes very quickly because more gaps open up in the crowd and I can handle the speed of the bulls and have a cleaner sprint,&quot; he said. 
 
Colas, who works at a local factory run by carmaker Volkswagen , performs one small ritual before the race. He takes a medallion which hangs around his neck and kisses the image of Saint Fermin, namesake of the festival. 
 
When he ran for the first time at the age of 15, his mother, Begona, only found out when she happened to see a photo of him in a local newspaper.&nbsp;Initially wary, she gradually came around to the idea as running with the bulls was a family tradition. His father, Txema, has been taking part for 40 years. 
 
And for the moment at least, Colas has no plans to hang up his running shoes.&nbsp;&quot;When I&#39;m in front of the bulls, I have so much adrenaline,&quot; he said. &quot;This is why I keep running&nbsp;because I love it.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Deaf from birth, Colas has to rely on the movement of people around him to complete the almost kilometre-long dash without being gored

Every summer Sergio Colas joins hundreds of other runners for Pamplona's annual bull-run, but unlike them, he cannot hear the roaring crowds or the bulls thundering through the winding streets of the Spanish town's mediaeval centre. Deaf from birth, Colas has to rely on the movement of the mass of people around him to complete the almost kilometre-long dash without being gored or trampled by the specially-bred bulls, which can weigh up to 650 kilograms. Although some tell him he shouldn't run, the 35-year-old native of Pamplona says his deafness may even be an advantage as the din of the festival can distract runners from the danger bearing down upon them. Over the past century, 15 people have died in the San Fermin run and many are gored by the bulls' horns each year. Several Spaniards have already been killed in bull-runs elsewhere in the country this summer. "The most important thing in the bull-run is what you see, and I see more than others do," said Colas, who this year celebrates his 20th year of taking part in the event. The San Fermin bull-run began as a religious festival in the Middle Ages and gained global fame following writer Ernest Hemingway's 1926 novel "The Sun Also Rises". With close to a million Spaniards and foreign revellers now cramming into the northern Spanish town of Pamplona every year for the nine-day event, Colas says he can no longer distinguish the vibrations caused by the bulls and those by the crowd. "I used to be able to feel the vibration of the stampede and that of the bells of the steers," he told Reuters in an interview, referring to the tame, guiding bullocks which run alongside the bulls. But now the sound of the hooves pounding on stone-laid streets is no longer a sure guide. Each year Colas begins in the same spot where, unable to hear the blast of the run's starter rocket, he climbs a street shop's security doors to see the bulls as they come charging towards him. "I like it when the run goes very quickly because more gaps open up in the crowd and I can handle the speed of the bulls and have a cleaner sprint," he said. Colas, who works at a local factory run by carmaker Volkswagen , performs one small ritual before the race. He takes a medallion which hangs around his neck and kisses the image of Saint Fermin, namesake of the festival. When he ran for the first time at the age of 15, his mother, Begona, only found out when she happened to see a photo of him in a local newspaper. Initially wary, she gradually came around to the idea as running with the bulls was a family tradition. His father, Txema, has been taking part for 40 years. And for the moment at least, Colas has no plans to hang up his running shoes. "When I'm in front of the bulls, I have so much adrenaline," he said. "This is why I keep running because I love it." (Reuters)

One man's silent run with Pamplona's thundering bulls

A Spanish bullfighter was gored to death in front of horrified spectators at a corrida on Saturday, the first to be killed in the ring in more than three decades. 
 
Victor Barrio, 29, was struck in the chest by the massive bull who tossed him in the air before he fell to the ground, where he lay motionless after the graphic attack that was aired live on television. 
 
Other matadors rushed to the rescue, trying to distract the 500 kilogram (1,100 pound) bull before carrying Barrio from the ring in the eastern town of Teruel. 
 
Barrio, who made his corrida debut in 2008 and toured rings all over the country, was pronounced dead at the scene, Tauroemocion, the organiser of the bullfight, told AFP. 
 
Spanish President pays tribute on Twitter&nbsp; 
 
Spanish President Mariano Rajoy Brey sent his sympathies after the death. 
 
&quot;My condolences to the family and colleagues of Victor Barrio, bullfighter who died in Teruel. Rest in peace,&quot; he wrote on Twitter. 
 
The Plaza de Las Ventas bullfighting ring in Madrid also paid tribute to Barrio on Twitter. 
 
&quot;Distressed and affected. Rest in peace, Victor Barrio. All of us send our condolences to his team and to his family and friends,&quot; it posted on its feed along with photos of the slain bullfighter. 
 
Last death reported in 1985&nbsp; 
 
The last bullfighter to be killed in the ring was in 1985, according to Spanish media, when 21-year-old rising star Jose &quot;El Yiyo&quot; Cubero died after being gored through the heart. 
 
Last year, prominent Spanish bullfighter Francisco &quot;Paquirri&quot; Rivera Ordonez was badly injured after being gored in the groin by a bull. His father was gored to death in Andalusia in 1984. 
 
Bullfighting and related events have come under fire in recent years by animal rights activists who denounce the sport as cruel and dangerous. 
 
Several regions or cities have put a stop to corridas or annual festivals with bull running over the years. 
 
Last month, animal rights party PACMA won a record number of votes in general elections. 
 
The group has long campaigned for an end to bullfighting in a country increasingly torn between animal rights activists who support abolition, and others who want to keep an age-old tradition going. 
 
According to official figures, 1,868 bull-related events were held in Spain in 2014. 
 
Combined, they attracted six million spectators in a country of 47 million residents, according to Asociaci?n Nacional de Organizadores de Espect?culos Taurinos (ANOET), the national organisation that arranges such events, which said the &quot;bull business&quot; brings in 3.5 billion Euros ($3.8 billion) annually. 
 
(AFP) 
 
&nbsp;

Victor Barrio, 29, was struck in the chest by the massive bull who tossed him in the air before he fell to the ground

A Spanish bullfighter was gored to death in front of horrified spectators at a corrida on Saturday, the first to be killed in the ring in more than three decades. Victor Barrio, 29, was struck in the chest by the massive bull who tossed him in the air before he fell to the ground, where he lay motionless after the graphic attack that was aired live on television. Other matadors rushed to the rescue, trying to distract the 500 kilogram (1,100 pound) bull before carrying Barrio from the ring in the eastern town of Teruel. Barrio, who made his corrida debut in 2008 and toured rings all over the country, was pronounced dead at the scene, Tauroemocion, the organiser of the bullfight, told AFP. Spanish President pays tribute on Twitter Spanish President Mariano Rajoy Brey sent his sympathies after the death. "My condolences to the family and colleagues of Victor Barrio, bullfighter who died in Teruel. Rest in peace," he wrote on Twitter. The Plaza de Las Ventas bullfighting ring in Madrid also paid tribute to Barrio on Twitter. "Distressed and affected. Rest in peace, Victor Barrio. All of us send our condolences to his team and to his family and friends," it posted on its feed along with photos of the slain bullfighter. Last death reported in 1985 The last bullfighter to be killed in the ring was in 1985, according to Spanish media, when 21-year-old rising star Jose "El Yiyo" Cubero died after being gored through the heart. Last year, prominent Spanish bullfighter Francisco "Paquirri" Rivera Ordonez was badly injured after being gored in the groin by a bull. His father was gored to death in Andalusia in 1984. Bullfighting and related events have come under fire in recent years by animal rights activists who denounce the sport as cruel and dangerous. Several regions or cities have put a stop to corridas or annual festivals with bull running over the years. Last month, animal rights party PACMA won a record number of votes in general elections. The group has long campaigned for an end to bullfighting in a country increasingly torn between animal rights activists who support abolition, and others who want to keep an age-old tradition going. According to official figures, 1,868 bull-related events were held in Spain in 2014. Combined, they attracted six million spectators in a country of 47 million residents, according to Asociaci?n Nacional de Organizadores de Espect?culos Taurinos (ANOET), the national organisation that arranges such events, which said the "bull business" brings in 3.5 billion Euros ($3.8 billion) annually. (AFP)

Spanish matador gored to death in ring for first time in 3 decades

The European Commission on Thursday officially declared Spain and Portugal in violation of the EU rules on government overspending, the first step towards unprecedented penalties against members of the 28-country bloc. 
 
&quot;The Commission confirms that Spain and Portugal will not correct their excessive deficits by the recommended deadline,&quot; the EU&#39;s executive arm said in a statement. 
 
If endorsed by the EU&#39;s finance ministers, the commission is then legally obliged to propose fines against the two neighbouring countries, which were both hit hard by the financial crisis. 
 
&quot;Lately, the two countries have veered off track in the correction of their excessive deficits and have not met their budgetary targets,&quot; said Valdis Dombrovskis, the EU Commission&#39;s vice-president in charge of the Euro. 
 
&quot;We stand ready to work together with the Spanish and Portuguese authorities to define the best path ahead,&quot; he said. 
 
Many EU powers led by Germany have long hoped for the commission to finally crack down on public overspenders, but with populist fires burning after the Brexit vote, ministers meeting in Brussels on Tuesday could decide to delay their immediate endorsement. 
 
&quot;There is uncertainty creeping in light of the UK vote result,&quot; an EU diplomat told AFP. 
 
France and Italy will be the most willing to delay the penalty process, fearing that their own years of EU rule breaking would put them next in line for a sanction by Brussels. 
 
Ahead of the commission announcement, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa warned that Brussels would foster a rise in euroscepticism in Portugal if EU sanctions are applied. 
 
In a letter to the European Commission, Costa cited &quot;the results of the UK referendum and its impact on the European Union&quot; as reasons why the Commission should refrain from full implementation of the rules. 
 
(AFP)

It's the first step towards the imposition of unprecedented penalties

The European Commission on Thursday officially declared Spain and Portugal in violation of the EU rules on government overspending, the first step towards unprecedented penalties against members of the 28-country bloc. "The Commission confirms that Spain and Portugal will not correct their excessive deficits by the recommended deadline," the EU's executive arm said in a statement. If endorsed by the EU's finance ministers, the commission is then legally obliged to propose fines against the two neighbouring countries, which were both hit hard by the financial crisis. "Lately, the two countries have veered off track in the correction of their excessive deficits and have not met their budgetary targets," said Valdis Dombrovskis, the EU Commission's vice-president in charge of the Euro. "We stand ready to work together with the Spanish and Portuguese authorities to define the best path ahead," he said. Many EU powers led by Germany have long hoped for the commission to finally crack down on public overspenders, but with populist fires burning after the Brexit vote, ministers meeting in Brussels on Tuesday could decide to delay their immediate endorsement. "There is uncertainty creeping in light of the UK vote result," an EU diplomat told AFP. France and Italy will be the most willing to delay the penalty process, fearing that their own years of EU rule breaking would put them next in line for a sanction by Brussels. Ahead of the commission announcement, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa warned that Brussels would foster a rise in euroscepticism in Portugal if EU sanctions are applied. In a letter to the European Commission, Costa cited "the results of the UK referendum and its impact on the European Union" as reasons why the Commission should refrain from full implementation of the rules. (AFP)

EU declares Spain and Portugal in violation of deficit rules

Zimbabwe&#39;s Brendon de Jonge added his name to the list of golfers withdrawing from the Olympics today, as Spain&#39;s Sergio Garcia confirmed he will compete in Rio. 
 
While world number one Jason Day of Australia and Northern Ireland`s Rory McIlroy are among the golfers skipping the Rio Games because of concerns over the Zika virus, de Jonge said his was a &quot;truly a business decision&quot;. 
 
&quot;The reason for my decision is not my concern about the Zika virus. It is truly a business decision,&quot; De Jonge said in a statement to GolfChannel.com. &quot;It would have been a great honour to play for my country.&quot; 
 
De Jonge is currently 160th on the FedEx Cup points list and needs to finish in the top 125 at the end of the season to keep full playing rights. Competing in the Rio Games from August 5-21 would mean missing two PGA Tour events. 
 
&quot;I am truly disappointed, but my current position on the FedEx Cup points list does not allow me the luxury to skip the John Deere Classic or the Travelers Championship,&quot; the 35-year-old added. 
 
&quot;I must finish in the top 125 to gain entry into our FedEx Cup play-offs. This has to be a priority for me and my family.&quot; 
 
De Jonge`s withdrawal means that Zimbabwe will not be represented in Rio, but Spain&#39;s Garcia said he will take up his place as golf returns to the Games for the first time since 1904. 
 
Garcia, 36, wrote on Twitter: &quot;I know there r some dangers but representing Spain, trying to make golf grow &amp; becoming an Olympian r too important so I`ll be at @Olympics.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Spain's Sergio Garcia said he will take up his place as golf returns to the Games for the first time since 1904

Zimbabwe's Brendon de Jonge added his name to the list of golfers withdrawing from the Olympics today, as Spain's Sergio Garcia confirmed he will compete in Rio. While world number one Jason Day of Australia and Northern Ireland`s Rory McIlroy are among the golfers skipping the Rio Games because of concerns over the Zika virus, de Jonge said his was a "truly a business decision". "The reason for my decision is not my concern about the Zika virus. It is truly a business decision," De Jonge said in a statement to GolfChannel.com. "It would have been a great honour to play for my country." De Jonge is currently 160th on the FedEx Cup points list and needs to finish in the top 125 at the end of the season to keep full playing rights. Competing in the Rio Games from August 5-21 would mean missing two PGA Tour events. "I am truly disappointed, but my current position on the FedEx Cup points list does not allow me the luxury to skip the John Deere Classic or the Travelers Championship," the 35-year-old added. "I must finish in the top 125 to gain entry into our FedEx Cup play-offs. This has to be a priority for me and my family." De Jonge`s withdrawal means that Zimbabwe will not be represented in Rio, but Spain's Garcia said he will take up his place as golf returns to the Games for the first time since 1904. Garcia, 36, wrote on Twitter: "I know there r some dangers but representing Spain, trying to make golf grow & becoming an Olympian r too important so I`ll be at @Olympics." (AFP)

Golf: De Jonge out, Garcia confirms for Olympics

&quot;Tourist go home&quot;. The slogan daubed on a wall in the centre of Palma, the capital of Spain&#39;s holiday island of Mallorca, points to growing frustration with a rising tide of tourists. 
 
The largest island in the Balearic archipelago in the Mediterranean, which is home to one million people, expects to receive over ten million visitors this year, a new record. 
 
The crowds have been so large that French tourist Mathilde Boudet, who visited Mallorca and its neighbouring island Menorca with her partner last month, found access to a popular cove closed off by police. 
 
&quot;We weren`t expecting that,&quot; the 32-year-old said. 
 
Spain is enjoying a surge in tourism, in part as fears over terrorism drive wary travellers away from rival sunshine destinations in North Africa and Turkey and back to former favourites in southern Europe. 
 
But the rise in visitors has led to grumbling from locals in tourist hotspots like Palma, who complain of soaring property prices and rents even as they welcome the jobs they help create.&nbsp;The discomfort was reflected in graffiti messages which appeared in April in the historical heart of Palma which were quickly cleaned up by municipal workers. 
 
&quot;Tourism is destroying our city&quot; was among the slogans spray painted on city walls along with &quot;Tourist go home, refugees welcome&quot;. 
 
Roughly 80 per cent of Mallorca&#39;s economy depends on tourism.&nbsp;The island has long been a popular beach destination, especially with visitors from Britain and Germany who favour all-inclusive package holidays and arrive on low-cost flights.&nbsp;Many foreigners move to Mallorca, drawn by its cove beaches and mild weather. 
 
Foreigners account for 40 per cent of property sales in Mallorca, according to German premium real estate agency Engel &amp; Voelkers. In the trendy Santa Catalina neighbourhood, a former fisherman&#39;s quarter west of the city centre, with traditional homes with forest-green shutters, 14 real estate agencies market properties, often in English. 
 
The neighbourhood is gradually changing as boutiques selling vintage clothing and stores offering Vespa scooters for rent replace traditional shops.&nbsp;A small apartment can fetch hundreds of thousands of Euros. An old fisherman&#39;s house that was converted to a luxury triplex is listed for 577,500 Euros ($642,665).&nbsp;&quot;Islanders can&#39;t afford it,&quot; said Jacinta Galindo, the president of the Santa Catalina neighbours association. 
 
Rents too are on the rise. A two bedroom apartment in Santa Catalina rents for 700 Euros a month, while the average salary for a waiter is 1,100-1,200 Euros.&nbsp;But despite the complaints from locals over rising real estate prices, Galindo said the graffiti was &quot;an isolated case&quot;. 
 
In the central La Seu neighbourhood, home to Palma&#39;s main monument such as its imposing cathedral that dominates the city&#39;s palm-lined waterfront, residents want the arrival of cruise ships to be more evenly spread out. 
 
The ships, which are avoiding Tunisia and Turkey due to terrorist attacks, can pump thousands of tourists into the city for just a few hours, said Luis Clar, who heads the La Seu neighbours association. &quot;There is a percentage, which is not yet very high but which exists, of people who question the effects of tourism,&quot; said Biel Barcelo, the tourism minister in the regional government of the Balearic islands. 
 
The left-wing government in charge of the archipelago since 2015 began charging in July a tourism tax of up to two Euros for overnight stays, which is expected to bring in 60 million Euros per year. 
 
The money will be used for environmental projects and to restore historical sights. 
 
Local green group GOB feels the tax is not enough. They fear rising tourism is putting too much pressure on natural resources like water and demand a limit on the number of tourist lodgings. 
 
There are 230,000 hotel beds available in Mallorca, according to industry figures.&nbsp;But this does not count beds available through home rental sites such as Airbnb &quot;contributing to a sense of saturation, which has grown in the past two years,&quot; said GOB spokeswoman Margalida Ramis. 
 
Mallorca has become &quot;Barcelona&#39;s granddaughter&quot;, she added in a reference to Spain&#39;s second-largest city which has struggled to deal with the effects of a visitor boom. 
 
Barcelona mayor Ada Colau in July 2015 halted the issue of new hotel licences for one year and has introduced hefty fines for illegal rental of apartments to tourists. 
 
(AFP)

'Tourism is destroying our city' was among the slogans spray painted on city walls, along with 'Tourist go home, refugees welcome'

"Tourist go home". The slogan daubed on a wall in the centre of Palma, the capital of Spain's holiday island of Mallorca, points to growing frustration with a rising tide of tourists. The largest island in the Balearic archipelago in the Mediterranean, which is home to one million people, expects to receive over ten million visitors this year, a new record. The crowds have been so large that French tourist Mathilde Boudet, who visited Mallorca and its neighbouring island Menorca with her partner last month, found access to a popular cove closed off by police. "We weren`t expecting that," the 32-year-old said. Spain is enjoying a surge in tourism, in part as fears over terrorism drive wary travellers away from rival sunshine destinations in North Africa and Turkey and back to former favourites in southern Europe. But the rise in visitors has led to grumbling from locals in tourist hotspots like Palma, who complain of soaring property prices and rents even as they welcome the jobs they help create. The discomfort was reflected in graffiti messages which appeared in April in the historical heart of Palma which were quickly cleaned up by municipal workers. "Tourism is destroying our city" was among the slogans spray painted on city walls along with "Tourist go home, refugees welcome". Roughly 80 per cent of Mallorca's economy depends on tourism. The island has long been a popular beach destination, especially with visitors from Britain and Germany who favour all-inclusive package holidays and arrive on low-cost flights. Many foreigners move to Mallorca, drawn by its cove beaches and mild weather. Foreigners account for 40 per cent of property sales in Mallorca, according to German premium real estate agency Engel & Voelkers. In the trendy Santa Catalina neighbourhood, a former fisherman's quarter west of the city centre, with traditional homes with forest-green shutters, 14 real estate agencies market properties, often in English. The neighbourhood is gradually changing as boutiques selling vintage clothing and stores offering Vespa scooters for rent replace traditional shops. A small apartment can fetch hundreds of thousands of Euros. An old fisherman's house that was converted to a luxury triplex is listed for 577,500 Euros ($642,665). "Islanders can't afford it," said Jacinta Galindo, the president of the Santa Catalina neighbours association. Rents too are on the rise. A two bedroom apartment in Santa Catalina rents for 700 Euros a month, while the average salary for a waiter is 1,100-1,200 Euros. But despite the complaints from locals over rising real estate prices, Galindo said the graffiti was "an isolated case". In the central La Seu neighbourhood, home to Palma's main monument such as its imposing cathedral that dominates the city's palm-lined waterfront, residents want the arrival of cruise ships to be more evenly spread out. The ships, which are avoiding Tunisia and Turkey due to terrorist attacks, can pump thousands of tourists into the city for just a few hours, said Luis Clar, who heads the La Seu neighbours association. "There is a percentage, which is not yet very high but which exists, of people who question the effects of tourism," said Biel Barcelo, the tourism minister in the regional government of the Balearic islands. The left-wing government in charge of the archipelago since 2015 began charging in July a tourism tax of up to two Euros for overnight stays, which is expected to bring in 60 million Euros per year. The money will be used for environmental projects and to restore historical sights. Local green group GOB feels the tax is not enough. They fear rising tourism is putting too much pressure on natural resources like water and demand a limit on the number of tourist lodgings. There are 230,000 hotel beds available in Mallorca, according to industry figures. But this does not count beds available through home rental sites such as Airbnb "contributing to a sense of saturation, which has grown in the past two years," said GOB spokeswoman Margalida Ramis. Mallorca has become "Barcelona's granddaughter", she added in a reference to Spain's second-largest city which has struggled to deal with the effects of a visitor boom. Barcelona mayor Ada Colau in July 2015 halted the issue of new hotel licences for one year and has introduced hefty fines for illegal rental of apartments to tourists. (AFP)

Spain's Mallorca struggles with rising tourism tide

Spanish police arrested three brothers of Pakistani nationality suspected of spreading Islamic extremist propaganda via social media networks. 
 
Officers detained the men, aged between 25 and 31, in an early morning raid on their home in the northeastern city of Lleida, a police spokesman said. 
 
The brothers operated several social media accounts to upload videos praising group executions carried out by Islamic State, the Taliban and other Pakistan-based extremist groups, police said in a statement. 
 
Police said the brothers had attracted a large number of followers in their attempts to spread jihadist ideology. 
 
The raid comes three days after a gun attack by a suicide bomber at Istanbul&#39;s Ataturk airport killed 44 people and which Turkish officials said appeared to have been carried out by the Islamic State group. 
 
(AFP)

The brothers used social media profiles to upload videos in support of executions by Islamic State, Taliban and other extremist groups

Spanish police arrested three brothers of Pakistani nationality suspected of spreading Islamic extremist propaganda via social media networks. Officers detained the men, aged between 25 and 31, in an early morning raid on their home in the northeastern city of Lleida, a police spokesman said. The brothers operated several social media accounts to upload videos praising group executions carried out by Islamic State, the Taliban and other Pakistan-based extremist groups, police said in a statement. Police said the brothers had attracted a large number of followers in their attempts to spread jihadist ideology. The raid comes three days after a gun attack by a suicide bomber at Istanbul's Ataturk airport killed 44 people and which Turkish officials said appeared to have been carried out by the Islamic State group. (AFP)

Spain arrests 3 Pakistani brothers for propagating Islamic extremism

Second seed Garbine Muguruza, gunning to add the Wimbledon crown to her French Open title, was sensationally beaten in the second round on Thursday by a Slovakian qualifier, removing one of the biggest obstacles to Serena Williams defending her title. 
 
Jana Cepelova pulled off the shock of the tournament so far, downing the Spaniard 6-3 6-2 in a nerveless Court One display. 
 
Spaniard Muguruza, who lost to Williams in last year&#39;s final, looked lacklustre and struggled with the accuracy of her powershots that had thrilled the French crowds. 
 
&quot;I think my energy was missing a little bit today,&quot; she told reporters. 
 
&quot;Today during the match, and after the match, I&#39;m like, it&#39;s a tough day today. I feel empty a little bit, and I start to be sick. But I think it was a little bit of a combination,&rdquo; she added.&nbsp; 
 
Muguruza had laboured in the first round against Italy&#39;s Camila Giorgi on Monday, eventually winning through in three sets, but had not lost against a player ranked outside the top 100 since last August on the hardcourts of Cincinnati. 
 
Cepelova played fearlessly:&nbsp;Muguruza 
However, Cepelova, ranked 124th and having come through three rounds of qualifying, had served notice that she could cause an upset, having a two-two record over top-five players. 
 
The 23-year-old brought all the pedigree that helped her down then world number three Simona Halep in the first round last year, racing through the match in 59 minutes. 
 
&quot;I like to play on the big courts and today and also last year, my performance on the big court was pretty good. I think I played today well,&quot; Cepelova told reporters. 
 
She broke Muguruza at the first opportunity, forcing a backhand error, and never looked back, sassing her opponent at the net, outdoing her on the baseline and sealing both sets on the first set points. 
 
&quot;I think she played great, with no fear. She was trying a lot of stuff that was working. My energy was not really there. I was trying, but didn&#39;t work at all,&quot; Muguruza, 22, said. 
 
Her defeat removes one of the major challengers to Williams&#39;s bid the equal Steffi Graf&#39;s Open era record of 22 grand slams by lifting the trophy next Saturday. 
 
French open champ dismisses defeat as &#39;no drama&#39; 
Muguruza had achieved the rare feat of overpowering world Williams to claim her maiden grand slam title on the Paris clay with a 7-5 6-4 win over the world number one and many had thought she could go all the way at Wimbledon. 
 
She ruefully dismissed Thursday&#39;s defeat as no drama, and the sunny, relaxed demeanour that has won her legions of fans was still in evidence. She scotched suggestions she had buckled under pressure heaped on her after her Paris triumph. 
 
&quot;No, not pressure. I think for sure more expectations from other people. But honestly, for me, I just was very clear it was going to be a rough tournament for me after winning a grand slam and coming here. Everybody likes looking at me,&quot; she said. 
 
&quot;One day it&#39;s going to go my way, another day no. Hopefully, my consistency will improve and I&#39;ll be able to be deep in all the tournaments.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

With the second seed out of the tournament, Serena Williams' path to defending her title just got easier

Second seed Garbine Muguruza, gunning to add the Wimbledon crown to her French Open title, was sensationally beaten in the second round on Thursday by a Slovakian qualifier, removing one of the biggest obstacles to Serena Williams defending her title. Jana Cepelova pulled off the shock of the tournament so far, downing the Spaniard 6-3 6-2 in a nerveless Court One display. Spaniard Muguruza, who lost to Williams in last year's final, looked lacklustre and struggled with the accuracy of her powershots that had thrilled the French crowds. "I think my energy was missing a little bit today," she told reporters. "Today during the match, and after the match, I'm like, it's a tough day today. I feel empty a little bit, and I start to be sick. But I think it was a little bit of a combination,” she added. Muguruza had laboured in the first round against Italy's Camila Giorgi on Monday, eventually winning through in three sets, but had not lost against a player ranked outside the top 100 since last August on the hardcourts of Cincinnati. Cepelova played fearlessly: Muguruza However, Cepelova, ranked 124th and having come through three rounds of qualifying, had served notice that she could cause an upset, having a two-two record over top-five players. The 23-year-old brought all the pedigree that helped her down then world number three Simona Halep in the first round last year, racing through the match in 59 minutes. "I like to play on the big courts and today and also last year, my performance on the big court was pretty good. I think I played today well," Cepelova told reporters. She broke Muguruza at the first opportunity, forcing a backhand error, and never looked back, sassing her opponent at the net, outdoing her on the baseline and sealing both sets on the first set points. "I think she played great, with no fear. She was trying a lot of stuff that was working. My energy was not really there. I was trying, but didn't work at all," Muguruza, 22, said. Her defeat removes one of the major challengers to Williams's bid the equal Steffi Graf's Open era record of 22 grand slams by lifting the trophy next Saturday. French open champ dismisses defeat as 'no drama' Muguruza had achieved the rare feat of overpowering world Williams to claim her maiden grand slam title on the Paris clay with a 7-5 6-4 win over the world number one and many had thought she could go all the way at Wimbledon. She ruefully dismissed Thursday's defeat as no drama, and the sunny, relaxed demeanour that has won her legions of fans was still in evidence. She scotched suggestions she had buckled under pressure heaped on her after her Paris triumph. "No, not pressure. I think for sure more expectations from other people. But honestly, for me, I just was very clear it was going to be a rough tournament for me after winning a grand slam and coming here. Everybody likes looking at me," she said. "One day it's going to go my way, another day no. Hopefully, my consistency will improve and I'll be able to be deep in all the tournaments." (Reuters)

French Open champ Muguruza faces shock defeat in second round of Wimbledon

spain

Spain, News on Spain, stories on Spain, articles on Spain, Spain stories at Wion, Spain news, Spain latest news