NEWS SNIPPETS FROM VALENCIA - POPULATION = 4.8 MILLION

Francisco Camps, President of the Valencian Government, Luis Valcarcel, President of the Region of Murcia, and Javier Arenas, President of Andalusia, signed a pact to promote the re-routing of excess water from other regions in Spain to their own areas.

500 people lined up for free Valencian Paella in the central gardens of Stockholm, Sweden, as part of a promotion being carried out by Angelica Such, Valencian Government Councillor of Tourism, to promote Valencia as a tourist destination among the Swedes. In 2007, a total of 91,744 Swedish tourists stayed in the Valencian Region - 1.6% of all foreign tourists visiting, and an increase in these numbers is expected in 2008.

Belen Juste, Valencian Government Councillor of Industry, Trade, and Innovation, through the Valencian Export Institute - IVEX, signed an agreement with the Spanish Association of Shoe Accessories - AEC, to promote Valencian shoes abroad.

Councillor Juste signed the agreement after inaugurating the Futurmoda International Shoe Accessories Trade Fair in the Alicante Trade Fairs complex - IFA, and the Idinova Fair for shoe research and development.

Maritina Hernandez, Valencian Government Councillor of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, visited the installations of Guillen Eggs, in Sinarcas, Valencia, with one million hens that produce 900,000 eggs daily - and is the largest egg producing company in all Spain.

Tram technicians from the Bergen Light Rail Berger, in Bergen (Norway), visited the construction work being carried out on the Valencian Government TRAM in Alicante, as a similar TRAM is being built in the centre of the city of Nestum and will be completed in 2010.

Mario Flores, Councillor of Infrastructures and Transport, opened the renovated Underground Station in Carlet, that had been constructed in 1926 after the design of Valencian architect Francisco Mora, while the present renovation has been designed by architects Ana Lozano and Jose M. Lozano.

	Maria J. Alcon, Town Hall Counsellor of Culture, presented the winning posters for the XXIX Valencian Film Festival (Mostra). Of the 48 works presented, the poster for the adult Film Festival was won by Daniel Molero, and that of the Children's Film Festival (Mostreta), was won by Paz Martinez.

Rafael Blasco, Valencian Government Councillor of Immigration and Citizenship, met with Celestino Corbacho, Spanish Minister of Labour and Immigration, to explain the advanced system of integration being implanted by the Valencian Government for its 732,102 immigrants, at an annual cost of 1,816 euro a head.

Alejandro Font de Mora, Councillor of Education, inaugurated the I University and Training on Line Seminar "The University a Click Away" and spoke of the future of on-line universities and the success of those already functioning, such as the University of Phoenix and the Kaplan University of the United States of America, and the Virtual University of Technology of Monterey (Mexico) with over 393,000 students registered.

Concha Gomez, Autonomic Secretary of Education, accompanied by Alfredo Castello, Mayor of Sagunto, inaugurated the Technical Seminar of Study and Debate on the Future Campus of Scenic Arts in the Valencian Region.

Vicente Aleixandre, Valencian Town Hall Counsellor of the Devesa-Albufera and surrounding small towns, met with the 15 local Mayors who presented reports on the progress of projects in their various areas.

Artistic film director Antxon Gomez, visited the City of Light Film Studio in Alicante, where he was taken on a tour of the complex by general manager Jose M. Rodriguez. Antxon Gomez usually works with Pedro Almodovar, Manuel Huerga, or Steven Sonderbergh.

Vicente Farnos, executive director of Cultural Castellon, and Rafael Suescun, chairman of the Tourism Patronage of Peñiscola, presented the V edition of the International Jazz Festival of Peñiscola and announced that Ivan Lins and Diana Krall will head the list of artists participating in the event that will take place in July.

Lourdes Bernal, Valencia Town Hall Counsellor of Health, and Emilio del Toro, of Education, accompanied by Eduardo Nagore, Dermatologist of the Valencian Oncology Institute - IVO, presented a campaign for school children warning them of the dangers of melanoma, and encouraging them to use sun block when exposed to the sun rays during the long summer months.

Tickets are on sale for the general public, at the Queen Sofia Arts Palace in the City of the Arts and Science, Valencia, for the staging of the Turandot Opera directed by film producer Chen Kaige, as part of the Mediterranean Festival that starts the 24th May.

We advise our readers that a fault in the electronic system of the gear shift of Fiat automatic drive cars, causes sudden stoppages that can produce whiplash to the driver. This has been the experience of our editor while driving an automatic Fiat Stilo Abarth. The stoppages are also highly dangerous if they take place when passing out another vehicle, or in heavy traffic.