Spain Credit Ratings Moody’s Cuts to Aa1, From AAA Moody’s Investor Service cut Spain’s credit ratings to Aa1 from AAA on Thursday, with a stable outlook, saying it sees weak economic growth prospects for the euro zone’s fourth biggest economy. Moody’s said it expects the economy to grow 1 percent annually on average for many years to come. It also said Spain would meet... 

The CCOO and UGT trade unions handed in their proposal for minimum transport services for the general strike day (September 29th) to the Ministry of Public Works this morning, a proposal that includes cancelling flights into and out of Spanish airports and intercity trains. The proposal suggests maintaining one return flight between each of the Spanish islands and the mainland and only accepting the... 

“I believe that the debt crisis affecting Spain, and the euro zone in general, has passed,” Mr. Zapatero said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday. European debt crisis is over Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero declared Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero declared that the European debt crisis is over but said that the governments... 

Spanish marine biologists say that in general they are seeing fewer jellyfish this summer than in other years. Jellyfish hit Spanish beaches about 700 people stung Spain says a vast flotilla of jellyfish has stung hundreds of swimmers on Mediterranean beaches in recent days. Juan Carlos Castellanos, an official in the town hall of Elche on the Costa Blanca, said 700 people were attacked over three... 

Automakers have announced that the sale of private cars in Spain has fallen 50% in 2010 through July.  The end of 2000E Plan (€2,000 for your old car to be scraped against a new car purchase) coupled with the rise of VAT, has caused industry insiders to describe the situation as “dramatic”. The automakers association ANFAC, said in a statement, that trading volume returned the sector to “levels... 

The public is asked to report those seen driving too agressively Spain is going to crack down on road rage drivers with the prosecutors’ office chasing drivers who, for example, drive too close and aggressively to the car in front. Those caught could face as long as two years in prison, although as an alternative they could find their vehicles impounded. The coordinating prosecutor from Seguridad... 

Overall drinking levels among the young are stable The Ministry of Health is drawing up a new plan, in coordination with the autonomous regions of Spain, to reduce alcohol consumption among the young. Latest data shows that while under-age alcohol consumption has stabilised, youths are tending to concentrate their drinking into more intensive and hence drunken sessions at weekends. The Minister, Trinidad... 

“The English-style pubs and cafés have really felt the impact,” he says Spanish costas feel heat crisis hits Spain ’s all-important tourism sector As befits the civic leader of a city made famous for its cheap and cheerful holidays, Agustín Navarro, Benidorm’s mayor, seeks to put a positive spin on the crisis in Spain’s all-important tourism sector. Despite a sharp drop in occupancy rates,... 

The number comes from the ‘Padrón’ local census for 2009 The latest ‘Padrón’ census in Spain shows more than 5.6 million foreigners living in the country. Despite the effects of the recession the recorded number is 400,000 more than a year ago, according to the INE, National Statistic Institute. It shows a total of 5,648,671 foreigners are registered at their local town hall, some... 

Spanish prisons are seriously overcrowded The Spanish Ministry of the Interior has announced plans to reduce the number of foreign prisoners being held in Spanish jails. They want to try to get prisoners to serve their time in the jails of their country of origin. In Spain there are 27,091 foreigner prisoners from 110 countries currently, 242% more than in 2000. The numbers include Cataluña where... 

Elena Salgado, Minister for Tax and the Economy, presented a new document in English to London investors The Spanish Minister for Tax and Economy, Elena Salgado, was in London on Monday together with the Secretary of State for the Economy, José Miguel Campa, to try and convince the City that Spain is making the ‘necessary adjustments’ to reduce the state deficit. A presentation was made during... 

The markets have taken note of a wave of poor forecasts on the state of the Spanish economy The IBEX 35 index on the Madrid Stock Market was hard hit on Thursday as investors took note of the recent avalanche of poor predictions on the state of the Spanish economy. The index fell by 5.94%, it’s largest fall in a single day since November 6 2008 when interest rates were reduced to fight the recession....