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 of a number of guests to the Valencia Town Hall to view the Firecrackers Show from the balcony.

In the top photo Mayoress Rita Barbera poses with Architect Antonio Nieto, his wife Carmina, and children Marina and Nicholas; the second photo shows the Troubadour (Tuna) Music Group from the Law School of Valencia University; third photo depicts the Mayoress with the conductor of the Naples Opera and in the following photo she is seen with members of the cast from the Marriage of Figaro Opera; the fifth photo shows a moment during the Firecrackers Show, while in the final photo Mayoress Barbera poses with the two Fallas Queens from Valencia and the Fallas Queens from Alicante.

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.