Portugal substitute Ricardo Quaresma, keeper Rui Patricio and 18-year-old midfield sensation Renato Sanches emerged as the heroes as Portugal beat Poland 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw to reach the Euro 2016 semi-finals on Thursday. 
 
Patricio dived full length to block Jakub Blaszczykowski&#39;s penalty, Poland&#39;s fourth, allowing substitute Quaresma, whose goal late in extra-time beat Croatia in the round of 16, to bang in Portugal&#39;s fifth in the shootout. 
 
Two hours earlier, Robert Lewandowski put Poland ahead with a second minute strike only for teenager Sanches to equalise with a superb shot 33 minutes into his first international start. 
 
Precious little happened from then on but Portugal, beaten on penalties by Spain in the semi-finals four years ago, will not care as they advance to the last four at the Euros for the fourth time in five tournaments to face Belgium or Wales. 
 
&quot;The goal was an amazing moment. I&#39;m happy to be man of the match again, but the individual comes after the team,&quot; said Sanches, who also scored the second shootout penalty. 
 
Cristiano Ronaldo, who four years ago did not get to take his planned spot kick when he was fifth in line as Portugal lost to eventual winners Spain, went first this time. 
 
Joao Moutinho and Nani also scored confidently from the spot before Patricio swung things Portugal&#39;s way with his fine save and Quaresma applied the coup de grace.&nbsp; 
 
But this defeat hurts: Poland coach 
 
Poland had converted all five of their penalties in knocking out Switzerland in the last round, also after a 1-1 draw, but could not repeat the feat. 
 
&quot;The players put a lot of heart into this match and played bravely throughout this tournament and this defeat hurts,&quot; said Poland coach Adam Nawalka. 
 
&quot;We haven&#39;t lost a match at the tournament - we were knocked out on penalties. We&#39;ve moved forward - this tournament has proved that. We played some very good football but this defeat hurts,&rdquo; the coach added.&nbsp; 
 
An all-action first half followed by 75 minutes of inaction 
 
It was a somewhat strange encounter, with an all-action first half followed by 75 minutes of inaction. 
 
Poland went ahead when Portugal defender Cedric&rsquo;s misjudgement allowed a long ball to bounce over his head to Kamil Grosicki. He drove on down the left and squared for Lewandowski to guide the ball in.&nbsp; 
 
It was the striker&#39;s first goal of the tournament and, at one minute 40 seconds, the second-fastest in European Championship history after Dmitri Kirichenko&#39;s for Russia against Greece after 65 seconds in 2004 
 
Poland looked the more confident team for the next 20 minutes but failed to press home their advantage as Portugal settled and began to make inroads. 
 
The Portuguese levelled when Sanches, due to join Lewandowski at Bayern Munich after the Euros, played a neat 1-2 with Nani and found time to shift the ball onto his left foot at the edge of the box and smash it past Lukasz Fabianski. 
 
Both sides came out for the second half seemingly under instruction to slow things down and the life bled from the game. 
 
 
When near-64,000 crowd was drugged into a drowsy-near silence&nbsp; 
 
The only clear chance of the half came in the 85th when substitute Moutinho lobbed a clever pass for Ronaldo who, having taken the time to glance at the keeper&rsquo;s positioning, failed to make any contact on the dropping ball with the goal gaping. 
 
Little changed in the additional 30 minutes, with the near-64,000 crowd drugged into a drowsy-near silence, seemingly knowing what was afoot almost from the restart. 
 
Portugal have failed to win any of their five games here in 90 minutes, having drawn three group matches and beaten Croatia in extra time but midfielder Sanches, on the greatest day of his fledgling career, was in no mood to apologise. 
 
&quot;It takes a lot of hard work to be this lucky,&quot; he said. &quot;People criticise us but we don&#39;t care because in the end we are in the semis.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

The game was described as a 'strange encounter', with an all-action first half followed by 75 minutes of inaction

Portugal substitute Ricardo Quaresma, keeper Rui Patricio and 18-year-old midfield sensation Renato Sanches emerged as the heroes as Portugal beat Poland 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw to reach the Euro 2016 semi-finals on Thursday. Patricio dived full length to block Jakub Blaszczykowski's penalty, Poland's fourth, allowing substitute Quaresma, whose goal late in extra-time beat Croatia in the round of 16, to bang in Portugal's fifth in the shootout. Two hours earlier, Robert Lewandowski put Poland ahead with a second minute strike only for teenager Sanches to equalise with a superb shot 33 minutes into his first international start. Precious little happened from then on but Portugal, beaten on penalties by Spain in the semi-finals four years ago, will not care as they advance to the last four at the Euros for the fourth time in five tournaments to face Belgium or Wales. "The goal was an amazing moment. I'm happy to be man of the match again, but the individual comes after the team," said Sanches, who also scored the second shootout penalty. Cristiano Ronaldo, who four years ago did not get to take his planned spot kick when he was fifth in line as Portugal lost to eventual winners Spain, went first this time. Joao Moutinho and Nani also scored confidently from the spot before Patricio swung things Portugal's way with his fine save and Quaresma applied the coup de grace. But this defeat hurts: Poland coach Poland had converted all five of their penalties in knocking out Switzerland in the last round, also after a 1-1 draw, but could not repeat the feat. "The players put a lot of heart into this match and played bravely throughout this tournament and this defeat hurts," said Poland coach Adam Nawalka. "We haven't lost a match at the tournament - we were knocked out on penalties. We've moved forward - this tournament has proved that. We played some very good football but this defeat hurts,” the coach added. An all-action first half followed by 75 minutes of inaction It was a somewhat strange encounter, with an all-action first half followed by 75 minutes of inaction. Poland went ahead when Portugal defender Cedric’s misjudgement allowed a long ball to bounce over his head to Kamil Grosicki. He drove on down the left and squared for Lewandowski to guide the ball in. It was the striker's first goal of the tournament and, at one minute 40 seconds, the second-fastest in European Championship history after Dmitri Kirichenko's for Russia against Greece after 65 seconds in 2004 Poland looked the more confident team for the next 20 minutes but failed to press home their advantage as Portugal settled and began to make inroads. The Portuguese levelled when Sanches, due to join Lewandowski at Bayern Munich after the Euros, played a neat 1-2 with Nani and found time to shift the ball onto his left foot at the edge of the box and smash it past Lukasz Fabianski. Both sides came out for the second half seemingly under instruction to slow things down and the life bled from the game. When near-64,000 crowd was drugged into a drowsy-near silence The only clear chance of the half came in the 85th when substitute Moutinho lobbed a clever pass for Ronaldo who, having taken the time to glance at the keeper’s positioning, failed to make any contact on the dropping ball with the goal gaping. Little changed in the additional 30 minutes, with the near-64,000 crowd drugged into a drowsy-near silence, seemingly knowing what was afoot almost from the restart. Portugal have failed to win any of their five games here in 90 minutes, having drawn three group matches and beaten Croatia in extra time but midfielder Sanches, on the greatest day of his fledgling career, was in no mood to apologise. "It takes a lot of hard work to be this lucky," he said. "People criticise us but we don't care because in the end we are in the semis." (Reuters)

Portugal beat Poland 5-3 on penalties, are first team to get into Euro semi-finals

Spain&#39;s acting premier Mariano Rajoy said on Wednesday that Madrid would oppose any separate talks with Scotland on its future in the European Union after Britain voted to leave the bloc. 
 
Spain has consistently opposed Scottish independence for fear of setting a precedent for its own separatists, especially in Catalonia, its richest region.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The Spanish government is opposed to any negotiations with anyone else but the British government,&quot; Rajoy said after 27 EU leaders, excluding Britain, met in Brussels to discuss the Brexit vote. 
 
&quot;The United Kingdom leaves and with it, all those who make up the United Kingdom,&quot; he said. 
 
Rajoy was speaking just hours before European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker was due to meet Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. 
 
Sturgeon has said she is ready to defend Scotland&#39; s place in the EU by all means, including another independence referendum if need be. 
 
European Council President Donald Tusk, however, declined to meet the first minister as it was &quot;not the appropriate moment&quot;, a source in the council said on Tuesday.&nbsp; 
 
While Britain as a whole voted 52-48 per cent to leave the EU, Scotland voted 62-38 per cent to remain. 
 
Scots rejected independence in 2014 but since last Thursday&#39;s Brexit vote, there have been calls for another referendum to give Scotland the option to remain in the EU. 
 
(AFP)

Spain has consistently opposed Scottish independence for fear of setting a precedent for its own separatists, especially in Catalonia

Spain's acting premier Mariano Rajoy said on Wednesday that Madrid would oppose any separate talks with Scotland on its future in the European Union after Britain voted to leave the bloc. Spain has consistently opposed Scottish independence for fear of setting a precedent for its own separatists, especially in Catalonia, its richest region. "The Spanish government is opposed to any negotiations with anyone else but the British government," Rajoy said after 27 EU leaders, excluding Britain, met in Brussels to discuss the Brexit vote. "The United Kingdom leaves and with it, all those who make up the United Kingdom," he said. Rajoy was speaking just hours before European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker was due to meet Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Sturgeon has said she is ready to defend Scotland' s place in the EU by all means, including another independence referendum if need be. European Council President Donald Tusk, however, declined to meet the first minister as it was "not the appropriate moment", a source in the council said on Tuesday. While Britain as a whole voted 52-48 per cent to leave the EU, Scotland voted 62-38 per cent to remain. Scots rejected independence in 2014 but since last Thursday's Brexit vote, there have been calls for another referendum to give Scotland the option to remain in the EU. (AFP)

Spanish Prime Minister opposes EU talks with Scotland after Brexit

Just days after a shock Brexit, Spaniards started voting in repeat elections Sunday to decide if they too want a radical change as promised by a far-left coalition led by Podemos. 
 
The polls, which opened at 0700 GMT under a generally blue sky nationwide, are pitting voters hungry for change in a country with sky-high unemployment against those who fear this change would worsen the situation for Spain, which was on the brink of collapse just a few years ago. 
 
Britain&#39;s surprise vote to leave the European Union has further exacerbated this cleavage, with the outgoing conservative Popular Party (PP) insisting on the need for &quot;stability&quot; in the face of &quot;radicalism&quot; and &quot;populism&quot;, in a thinly-veiled dig at the Unidos Podemos coalition. 
 
&quot;If you want a united country and not a radical Spain, think about it, go for what is safe... vote for the Popular Party,&quot; acting prime minister Mariano Rajoy said in one of his last tweets before the obligatory day of campaign silence. 
 
Voters have the choice between four major political groupings after the emergence of Podemos and centre-right upstart Ciudadanos last year uprooted the country`s two-party dominance.&nbsp;This upheaval meant that the last general elections in December resulted in a hung parliament, after which parties failed to agree on a coalition, prompting Sunday`s repeat vote. 
 
Opinion polls suggest fractured mandate&nbsp; 
Opinion polls suggest the results Sunday will also be fractured, with the PP coming first without a majority, tailed by Unidos Podemos, which could replace the 137-year-old Socialist party as Spain`s main left-wing force. 
 
Political leaders will have to go back to the negotiating table, under more pressure this time to form a coalition.Throughout the latest campaign -- and again on Friday after Brexit -- the PP has hammered away at the need for stability in reference to the rise of Unidos Podemos, which like Greece`s ruling Syriza party rejects EU-backed austerity and pledges to fight for the least well-off. 
 
Electorate on lookout for stable party &nbsp; 
The coalition, led by charismatic, pony-tailed Pablo Iglesias, has responded with a message of calm aimed at defusing this criticism. 
 
Unidos Podemos, the &quot;o&quot; of Unidos shaped as a heart, has made &quot;smile of a country&quot; its slogan for an emotional campaign. 
 
Rajoy argues that since the PP came to power in 2011, it has brought Spain back to growth and overseen a drop in unemployment -- though at 21 percent it is still the second highest rate in the European Union after Greece. 
 
But his rivals retort that inequalities have risen, the jobs created are mainly unstable, and they point to the repeated corruption scandals to have hit the PP. 
 
Ileana Vellon Garcia, a 51-year-old cleaner in Madrid, will vote for Unidos Podemos.&nbsp;&quot;They represent change. I was for the Socialists for a long time, but they have really disappointed me,&quot; she says. 
 
Whether Brexit will have any influence on Spain`s election is as yet uncertain. 
 
But for Vicente Serrano, a 74-year-old retiree in the southeastern port city of Alicante, uncertainty is not a good thing. &quot;At a time of such sudden changes in the world, look at the United Kingdom, I&#39;m opting for the right because it tends to be less fickle,&quot; he says.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

Last elections were held six months ago, failed to throw up a stable government

Just days after a shock Brexit, Spaniards started voting in repeat elections Sunday to decide if they too want a radical change as promised by a far-left coalition led by Podemos. The polls, which opened at 0700 GMT under a generally blue sky nationwide, are pitting voters hungry for change in a country with sky-high unemployment against those who fear this change would worsen the situation for Spain, which was on the brink of collapse just a few years ago. Britain's surprise vote to leave the European Union has further exacerbated this cleavage, with the outgoing conservative Popular Party (PP) insisting on the need for "stability" in the face of "radicalism" and "populism", in a thinly-veiled dig at the Unidos Podemos coalition. "If you want a united country and not a radical Spain, think about it, go for what is safe... vote for the Popular Party," acting prime minister Mariano Rajoy said in one of his last tweets before the obligatory day of campaign silence. Voters have the choice between four major political groupings after the emergence of Podemos and centre-right upstart Ciudadanos last year uprooted the country`s two-party dominance. This upheaval meant that the last general elections in December resulted in a hung parliament, after which parties failed to agree on a coalition, prompting Sunday`s repeat vote. Opinion polls suggest fractured mandate Opinion polls suggest the results Sunday will also be fractured, with the PP coming first without a majority, tailed by Unidos Podemos, which could replace the 137-year-old Socialist party as Spain`s main left-wing force. Political leaders will have to go back to the negotiating table, under more pressure this time to form a coalition.Throughout the latest campaign -- and again on Friday after Brexit -- the PP has hammered away at the need for stability in reference to the rise of Unidos Podemos, which like Greece`s ruling Syriza party rejects EU-backed austerity and pledges to fight for the least well-off. Electorate on lookout for stable party The coalition, led by charismatic, pony-tailed Pablo Iglesias, has responded with a message of calm aimed at defusing this criticism. Unidos Podemos, the "o" of Unidos shaped as a heart, has made "smile of a country" its slogan for an emotional campaign. Rajoy argues that since the PP came to power in 2011, it has brought Spain back to growth and overseen a drop in unemployment -- though at 21 percent it is still the second highest rate in the European Union after Greece. But his rivals retort that inequalities have risen, the jobs created are mainly unstable, and they point to the repeated corruption scandals to have hit the PP. Ileana Vellon Garcia, a 51-year-old cleaner in Madrid, will vote for Unidos Podemos. "They represent change. I was for the Socialists for a long time, but they have really disappointed me," she says. Whether Brexit will have any influence on Spain`s election is as yet uncertain. But for Vicente Serrano, a 74-year-old retiree in the southeastern port city of Alicante, uncertainty is not a good thing. "At a time of such sudden changes in the world, look at the United Kingdom, I'm opting for the right because it tends to be less fickle," he says. (AFP)

Spain goes to the polls

Spain votes again on Sunday, six months after an inconclusive election which saw parties unable to agree on a coalition government.

Here are the key numbers of the election:

4 -- the main candidates standing in the election. Acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, 61, of the conservative Popular Party (PP) faces three younger challengers, the same ones as in the December election: Socialist Pedro Sanchez, 44, 37-year-old Pablo Iglesias of far-left coalition Unidos Podemos and Albert Rivera, 36, of market-friendly Ciudadanos.

176 -- the number of seats needed to form an absolute majority in Spain&#39;s 350-seat lower house of parliament. Polls indicate no party will win an absolute majority on its own.

Most suggest the PP and its natural ally centre-right Ciudadanos will not win an absolute majority even if they form a coalition, nor will the two leftist parties -- the Socialists and Unidos Podemos.

131 -- the number of lawmakers who voted on March 4 in favour of Sanchez&#39;s attempt to form a centre-left coalition government following the December polls. The remaining 219 lawmakers voted against.

189 -- the number of days between the two elections. During this time Rajoy&#39;s government remained in power in a caretaker capacity with limited powers and could not approve projects that involve new spending. Spain is far from the example set by Belgium which went 541 days without a fully functioning government following the 2010 election -- a European record.

11 -- the number of groupings that make up far-left coalition Unidos Podemos. The main parties are anti-austerity Podemos, an ally of Greece&#39;s ruling Syriza, and Izquierda Unida, the heirs of Spain&#39;s Communist party. The two parties stood separately in the last election.

47 -- the number of seats up for grabs in Spain&#39;s wealthy northeastern region of Catalonia, where a pro-independence movement has gathered pace.

After December polls, 17 elected separatist lawmakers from this region contributed to Spain&#39;s political stalemate by demanding an independence referendum in exchange for their support for a new government -- a demand rejected by three of the four main parties.

5 -- the number of times Spaniards have been called to the polls since 2014. They voted in European Parliament elections in May 2014, regional elections in 15 of Spain&#39;s 17 semi-autonomous regions in 2015, municipal elections in May 2015 and general elections in December -- to be repeated on Sunday.

22.7 -- the percentage of votes lost by the PP and Socialists between polls in 2011 and 2015, as upstarts Podemos and Ciudadanos leapt onto the scene and gnawed away at their support base, putting an end to the country&#39;s two-party dominance.

73.2 -- the voter turnout in the December election. Polls indicate the turnout could drop to between 64.6 per cent and 72 per cent this time round.

36,518,100 -- the number of eligible voters in Sunday&#39;s election -- 7,148 more than in December. 
 
(AFP)

Voters go back to the polls six months after parties were unable to agree on a coalition goverment

Spain votes again on Sunday, six months after an inconclusive election which saw parties unable to agree on a coalition government. Here are the key numbers of the election: 4 -- the main candidates standing in the election. Acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, 61, of the conservative Popular Party (PP) faces three younger challengers, the same ones as in the December election: Socialist Pedro Sanchez, 44, 37-year-old Pablo Iglesias of far-left coalition Unidos Podemos and Albert Rivera, 36, of market-friendly Ciudadanos. 176 -- the number of seats needed to form an absolute majority in Spain's 350-seat lower house of parliament. Polls indicate no party will win an absolute majority on its own. Most suggest the PP and its natural ally centre-right Ciudadanos will not win an absolute majority even if they form a coalition, nor will the two leftist parties -- the Socialists and Unidos Podemos. 131 -- the number of lawmakers who voted on March 4 in favour of Sanchez's attempt to form a centre-left coalition government following the December polls. The remaining 219 lawmakers voted against. 189 -- the number of days between the two elections. During this time Rajoy's government remained in power in a caretaker capacity with limited powers and could not approve projects that involve new spending. Spain is far from the example set by Belgium which went 541 days without a fully functioning government following the 2010 election -- a European record. 11 -- the number of groupings that make up far-left coalition Unidos Podemos. The main parties are anti-austerity Podemos, an ally of Greece's ruling Syriza, and Izquierda Unida, the heirs of Spain's Communist party. The two parties stood separately in the last election. 47 -- the number of seats up for grabs in Spain's wealthy northeastern region of Catalonia, where a pro-independence movement has gathered pace. After December polls, 17 elected separatist lawmakers from this region contributed to Spain's political stalemate by demanding an independence referendum in exchange for their support for a new government -- a demand rejected by three of the four main parties. 5 -- the number of times Spaniards have been called to the polls since 2014. They voted in European Parliament elections in May 2014, regional elections in 15 of Spain's 17 semi-autonomous regions in 2015, municipal elections in May 2015 and general elections in December -- to be repeated on Sunday. 22.7 -- the percentage of votes lost by the PP and Socialists between polls in 2011 and 2015, as upstarts Podemos and Ciudadanos leapt onto the scene and gnawed away at their support base, putting an end to the country's two-party dominance. 73.2 -- the voter turnout in the December election. Polls indicate the turnout could drop to between 64.6 per cent and 72 per cent this time round. 36,518,100 -- the number of eligible voters in Sunday's election -- 7,148 more than in December. (AFP)

Key facts about Spain's Sunday election

Spain, which goes to the polls&nbsp;on Sunday&nbsp;in a repeat general election, is the eurozone&#39;s fourth largest economy and one of the fastest-growing nations in Western Europe, although it suffers from high unemployment and debt. 
 
GROWTH 
 
Spain&#39;s gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 3.2 per cent in 2015 and growth has remained steady this year despite a political stalemate that has left the country without a government since inconclusive December elections. 
 
GDP expanded by 0.8 per cent between January and March from the previous three months, higher than the average in the eurozone. 
 
Acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy&#39;s conservative government predicts the economy will expand by 2.7 per cent this year, then slow to 2.4 percent in 2017. 
 
Spain in 2014 posted its first full-year of growth since a 2008 property crash sent the economy into a tailspin. 
 
Consumer spending is up as is investment by firms while export growth, which help lift Spain out of recession, has lost some of its steam. 
 
FAVOURABLE TAILWINDS 
 
Spain has benefited from favourable tailwinds that have propelled growth such as low interest rates set by the European Central Bank, a favourable euro exchange rate that helps exports, and falling oil prices that have reduced production costs. 
 
Spain is highly dependent on energy imports and the price of a barrel of oil has dropped to around 50 euros from the record highs of over 140 euros a barrel reached in 2008. 
 
But the Bank of Spain warned earlier this month that these beneficial conditions will progressively fade, leading to a slower pace of economic expansion. 
 
LABOUR MARKET REFORM 
 
The outgoing conservative government reduced the amount of compensation which companies must pay workers that they fire and created a new open-ended contract with a one-year trial period. 
 
The government and its backers argue these reforms helped lower Spain&#39;s unemployment rate from a record 26.94 per cent in the first quarter of 2013 to 21 per cent in the first quarter of 2016. 
 
They say the flexibility it introduced especially helped the auto sector. Spain is the second-largest automobile producer in Europe after Germany. 
 
Critics charge that part of the fall in unemployment is due to the drop in the size of Spain&#39;s total workforce as emigration has risen due to the lack of jobs. 
 
The bulk of the jobs that have been created are short-term and low-wage, they add. 
 
The average duration of a new contract in 2015 was just 53.4 days. Spain&#39;s monthly minimum wage, which is paid 14 times a year as in other southern European nations, is 655 euros ($740). 
 
The average annual income in Spain is 10,400 euros per person, according to national statistics institute INE. 
 
DEBT 
 
Spain&#39;s public deficit came in at 5.1 per cent of GDP in 2015, compared with 2.2 per cent in 2007, the year before the country&#39;s property bubble burst. 
 
Spain is facing possible sanctions from the European Commission for repeatedly violating its deficit targets. 
 
The European Union has set a public deficit limit of 3.0 per cent of GDP. The outgoing government predicts it will take Spain until 2018 to bring the deficit below this limit. 
 
EDUCATION 
 
The other Achilles heel of the Spanish economy is education and professional development. 
 
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), over 27 per cent of Spaniards aged 15-29 are not employed or in school, compared with an average of 15 per cent in the 34 nations that make up the body. 
 
Spain also struggles to retrain unemployed workers, especially low-skilled ones from the construction sector which was hit hard by the collapse of a property bubble in 2008. 
 
(AFP)

Critics say that the bulk of jobs created in Spain in the recent past are short-termed and offer low wages

Spain, which goes to the polls on Sunday in a repeat general election, is the eurozone's fourth largest economy and one of the fastest-growing nations in Western Europe, although it suffers from high unemployment and debt. GROWTH Spain's gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 3.2 per cent in 2015 and growth has remained steady this year despite a political stalemate that has left the country without a government since inconclusive December elections. GDP expanded by 0.8 per cent between January and March from the previous three months, higher than the average in the eurozone. Acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative government predicts the economy will expand by 2.7 per cent this year, then slow to 2.4 percent in 2017. Spain in 2014 posted its first full-year of growth since a 2008 property crash sent the economy into a tailspin. Consumer spending is up as is investment by firms while export growth, which help lift Spain out of recession, has lost some of its steam. FAVOURABLE TAILWINDS Spain has benefited from favourable tailwinds that have propelled growth such as low interest rates set by the European Central Bank, a favourable euro exchange rate that helps exports, and falling oil prices that have reduced production costs. Spain is highly dependent on energy imports and the price of a barrel of oil has dropped to around 50 euros from the record highs of over 140 euros a barrel reached in 2008. But the Bank of Spain warned earlier this month that these beneficial conditions will progressively fade, leading to a slower pace of economic expansion. LABOUR MARKET REFORM The outgoing conservative government reduced the amount of compensation which companies must pay workers that they fire and created a new open-ended contract with a one-year trial period. The government and its backers argue these reforms helped lower Spain's unemployment rate from a record 26.94 per cent in the first quarter of 2013 to 21 per cent in the first quarter of 2016. They say the flexibility it introduced especially helped the auto sector. Spain is the second-largest automobile producer in Europe after Germany. Critics charge that part of the fall in unemployment is due to the drop in the size of Spain's total workforce as emigration has risen due to the lack of jobs. The bulk of the jobs that have been created are short-term and low-wage, they add. The average duration of a new contract in 2015 was just 53.4 days. Spain's monthly minimum wage, which is paid 14 times a year as in other southern European nations, is 655 euros ($740). The average annual income in Spain is 10,400 euros per person, according to national statistics institute INE. DEBT Spain's public deficit came in at 5.1 per cent of GDP in 2015, compared with 2.2 per cent in 2007, the year before the country's property bubble burst. Spain is facing possible sanctions from the European Commission for repeatedly violating its deficit targets. The European Union has set a public deficit limit of 3.0 per cent of GDP. The outgoing government predicts it will take Spain until 2018 to bring the deficit below this limit. EDUCATION The other Achilles heel of the Spanish economy is education and professional development. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), over 27 per cent of Spaniards aged 15-29 are not employed or in school, compared with an average of 15 per cent in the 34 nations that make up the body. Spain also struggles to retrain unemployed workers, especially low-skilled ones from the construction sector which was hit hard by the collapse of a property bubble in 2008. (AFP)

Spain struggles to reduce unemployment, debt despite growth

Most people in Gibraltar are British citizens with British passports and a majority voted for Britain's continued membership in the EU

Spain will seek co-sovereignty on Gibraltar following Britain's vote to leave the European Union, acting foreign minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said on Friday, saying the vote completely changed the outlook on the future of the peninsula. The small peninsula off the South coast of Spain, a British Overseas Territory since 1713 and known to its 30,000 residents as "the Rock", is a major point of contention in Anglo-Spanish relations. "It`s a complete change of outlook that opens up new possibilities on Gibraltar not seen for a very long time. I hope the formula of co-sovereignty - to be clear, the Spanish flag on the Rock - is much closer than before," he said. A spokesman for Gibraltar's government declined to comment on the Brexit vote and referred to previous statements made on how co-sovereignty had already been rejected by around 99 per cent of Gibraltarians in a previous local referendum. Spain will push for Gibraltar to stay out of any general negotiations with the European Union following Britain's exit from the bloc and will aim for bilateral talks to seek co-sovereignty and eventually Spanish control of the peninsula, Garcia-Margallo said. Gibraltar voted overwhelmingly in favour of Britain remaining in the European Union on a large turnout in the first result of the EU referendum vote count on Thursday evening. The majority of those living in Gibraltar are British citizens with British passports, although thousands of Spaniards cross from mainland Spain to work on the peninsula every day. Spain's acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Friday that Britain's vote to leave the EU would not affect the rights of these Spanish workers, who he said would be able to continue to move freely between the two territories. Spain itself is facing an election on Sunday, its second in six months after an inconclusive vote in December. Polls forecast a fragmented result with no clear winner, potentially leading to weeks of negotiations over the formation of a coalition government. (Reuters)?

Spain to seek co-sovereignty on Gibraltar after Brexit

An airplane powered solely by the sun landed safely in Seville in Spain early today after an almost three-day flight across the Atlantic from New York in one of the longest legs of the first ever fuel-less flight around the world. 
 
The single-seat Solar Impulse 2 touched down shortly after 7.30 a.m. local time in Seville after leaving John F. Kennedy International Airport at about 2.30 a.m. EDT on June 20. 
 
The flight of just over 71 hours was the 15th leg of the round-the-world journey by the plane piloted in turns by Swiss aviators Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg. 
 
&quot;Oh-la-la, absolutely perfect,&quot; Piccard said after landing, thanking his engineering crew for their efforts. 
 
With a cruising speed of around 70 kilometres an hour (43 miles per hour), similar to an average car, the plane has more than 17,0000 solar cells built in to wings with a span bigger than that of a Boeing 747. 
 
(Reuters)

The flight of just over 71 hours was the 15th leg of the round-the-world journey piloted by Bertrand Piiccard and Andre Borschbe

An airplane powered solely by the sun landed safely in Seville in Spain early today after an almost three-day flight across the Atlantic from New York in one of the longest legs of the first ever fuel-less flight around the world. The single-seat Solar Impulse 2 touched down shortly after 7.30 a.m. local time in Seville after leaving John F. Kennedy International Airport at about 2.30 a.m. EDT on June 20. The flight of just over 71 hours was the 15th leg of the round-the-world journey by the plane piloted in turns by Swiss aviators Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg. "Oh-la-la, absolutely perfect," Piccard said after landing, thanking his engineering crew for their efforts. With a cruising speed of around 70 kilometres an hour (43 miles per hour), similar to an average car, the plane has more than 17,0000 solar cells built in to wings with a span bigger than that of a Boeing 747. (Reuters)

Solar plane lands in Spain after three-day Atlantic crossing

A solar-powered airplane left the United States today, taking off from New York City to fly across Atlantic for its historic bid to circle the globe. 
 
The spindly, single-seat experimental aircraft, dubbed as Solar Impulse 2, left New York&#39;s John F. Kennedy International Airport at about 2:30 am local time (0630 GMT) &nbsp;today. 
 
The flight is expected to take approximately 90 to 110 hours before landing in Seville Airport, Spain, said&nbsp;the project team. 
 
The Swiss team flying the aircraft in a campaign to build support for clean energy technologies hopes eventually to complete its circumnavigation in Abu Dhabi, where the journey began in March 2015. 
 
The solar craft&#39;s cruising speed, akin to that of a car, required pilots to take up meditation and hypnosis in training to stay alert for long periods. 
 
Andre Borschberg alternates with fellow pilot Bertrand Piccard at the controls for each segment of what they hope will be the first round-the-world solar-powered flight. 
 
On April 24, Piccard landed in San Francisco, completing a trans-Pacific crossing after a nearly three-day trip that began in Hawaii. The flight took more than three times the 18 hours for Amelia Earhart to fly solo from Hawaii to California in the 1930s. 
 
The propeller-driven Solar Impulse flies without a drop of fuel and its four engines are powered solely by energy collected from more than 17,000 solar cells built into its wings. 
 
Surplus power is stored in four batteries during the day, to keep the plane aloft on extreme long-distance flights. 
 
The carbon-fiber plane, with a wingspan exceeding that of a Boeing 747 and the weight of a family car, is unlikely to set speed or altitude records. It can climb to 28,000 feet (8,500 m), and cruise at 34 to 62 mph (55 to 100 kph). 
 
In a precursor of their globe-circling quest, the two men completed a multi-flight crossing of the United States with an earlier version of the solar plane in 2013. 
(Reuters)

The solar craft's cruising speed, akin to that of a car, required pilots to take up meditation and hypnosis in training to stay alert

A solar-powered airplane left the United States today, taking off from New York City to fly across Atlantic for its historic bid to circle the globe. The spindly, single-seat experimental aircraft, dubbed as Solar Impulse 2, left New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport at about 2:30 am local time (0630 GMT) today. The flight is expected to take approximately 90 to 110 hours before landing in Seville Airport, Spain, said the project team. The Swiss team flying the aircraft in a campaign to build support for clean energy technologies hopes eventually to complete its circumnavigation in Abu Dhabi, where the journey began in March 2015. The solar craft's cruising speed, akin to that of a car, required pilots to take up meditation and hypnosis in training to stay alert for long periods. Andre Borschberg alternates with fellow pilot Bertrand Piccard at the controls for each segment of what they hope will be the first round-the-world solar-powered flight. On April 24, Piccard landed in San Francisco, completing a trans-Pacific crossing after a nearly three-day trip that began in Hawaii. The flight took more than three times the 18 hours for Amelia Earhart to fly solo from Hawaii to California in the 1930s. The propeller-driven Solar Impulse flies without a drop of fuel and its four engines are powered solely by energy collected from more than 17,000 solar cells built into its wings. Surplus power is stored in four batteries during the day, to keep the plane aloft on extreme long-distance flights. The carbon-fiber plane, with a wingspan exceeding that of a Boeing 747 and the weight of a family car, is unlikely to set speed or altitude records. It can climb to 28,000 feet (8,500 m), and cruise at 34 to 62 mph (55 to 100 kph). In a precursor of their globe-circling quest, the two men completed a multi-flight crossing of the United States with an earlier version of the solar plane in 2013. (Reuters)

Solar-powered plane takes on Atlantic as part of round-the-world bid

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