NEWS SNIPPETS FROM VALENCIA - POPULATION = 4.8 MILLION

Rita Barbera, Mayoress of Valencia, accompanied by the 2008 Fallas Queens Gloria Martinez and Victoria Blazquez, hosted the visit to the Firecrackers Show, of Popular Party leader Mariano Rajoy, of Francisco Camps, President of the Valencian Government, and Ramon L. Valcarcel, President of the Region of Murcia. The politicians greeted the public from the Town Hall balcony, posed with the Fallas Queens and their Maids of Honour in the Crystal Ballroom of the Town Hall, and congratulated the workers who organised the Firecrackers Show.

Mariano Rajoy, leader of the Popular Party in the Spanish Government, Francisco Camps, President of the Valencian Government, Ramon L. Valcarcel, President of the Region of Murcia, with their wives, and Rita Barbera, Mayoress of Valencia, visited the Joaquin Sorolla Art Exhibition "Visions of Spain" in the Bancaja Savings Bank Cultural Centre.

The Sorolla paintings are on loan from the Spanish Society of New York.

Mariano Rajoy, leader of the Popular Party in Spain and Francisco Camps, President of the Valencian Government, with their wives, attended the bullfight in the Valencian Bullring

Angelica Suchs, Valencian Government Councillor of Tourism, met with members of the Foundation of James I University to discuss the Tourism Congress to take place at the University in the near future.

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.