NEWS SNIPPETS FROM VALENCIA - POPULATION = 4.8 MILLION

The Valencia Bullring echoed yesterday to the applause of 40,000 pairs of hands as fans of the Popular Party gathered to support Mariano Rajoy, the PP candidate for Prime Minister of Spain at the general election next Sunday, the 9th March.

Francisco Camps, President of the Valencian Government, Rita Barbera, Mayoress of Valencia, Alfonso Rus, chairman of the Valencia County Council, and Esteban Gonzalez, PP candidate to represent Valencia in the Spanish Senate, all attended the rally in the Bullring.

Rita Barbera, Mayoress of Valencia, inaugurated the World Indoor Athletic Championship Valencia 2008, that takes place from today in the Luis Puig Sports Stadium in Valencia.

47 cars took part in the XXXVIII Fallas Vintage Cars Rally organised by the Valencian Vintage Cars Club presided by Felix Crespo, Town Hall Counsellor of Fiestas and Folklore. The oldest car participating was a 1906 cadillac.

Angelica Suchs, Valencian Government Councillor of Tourism, was at the 42nd edition of the Berlin Tourism Show - ITB, yesterday, where she met with the editors of the most important professional tourism magazine in Germany, Fremdenverkehrswirtschaft, who will publish some articles on the tourism offers in the Valencian Region.

The ITB will end Sunday the 9th March, and during that time, 11,000 companies will offer tourism from 180 countries to 180,000 visitors.

In 2007, a total of 525,835 German tourists visited the Valencian Region - i.e. 9% of all foreigners, and the majority sought sun and sea.

The Cure, HIM, and From First to Last, gathered over 35,000 fans at the MTV Winter four hours free concert in the City of the Arts and Science in Valencia, while 506 million homes watched the show on television.

M. Luisa Martin, Ambassadress of Champagne in Spain, led a group of sommeliers and restaurateurs from Valencia, on a tour of Champagne, France, where they visited a number of champagne producers and were invited to sample a wide range of the bubbly refreshment.

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.