The Euribor rate, used for the calculation of mortgage repayment rates, has dropped below 0.9% for the first time in its history (it is just over ten years old), ending today at 0.897%.
High temperatures and changing winds continue to fan the flames
The continuing high temperatures and winds are hampering efforts to extinguish some of the ten serious fires still raging in various parts of the country.
House sales continue to decline
House sales for June, both new and used, were 25,405 units, a decline of 11.4% on the same month last year and the sixteenth consecutive month in decline.
First gold medal for Spain
Marina Alabau Neira has won Spain’s first gold medal at London 2012 with victory in the women’s RS:X windsurfing in Weymouth. She led going into the medal race and won the finale with Finland’s Tuuli Petaja in silver and Poland’s Zofia Noceti-Klepacka in bronze.
391,000 businesses ceased trading during 2011
During 2011, a total of 391,270 businesses ceased trading in Spain, while 334,516 new businesses started up, a negative balance of 56,754.
No tennis medals for Spain
David Ferrer and Feliciano López lost there bronze medal match to the French pairing of Julien Benneteau and Richard Gasquet, the score 7-6, 6-2. It is the first time since 1984 in Los Angeles that Spain has not won an Olympic medal in tennis.
July car sales hit a record low
Sales of new cars in July, normally a month of high sales along with June, were down by 17.2% compared to last year and is the worst July on record.
The ups and downs of crime
A crime report issued by the Ministry of Interior shows that the number of burglaries committed during the first six months of 2012 increased by 24.7% compared to the same period in 2011 and the number of murders rose by 3.2%, although the overall number of crimes and misdemeanors fell by 1.8%.
Spain out of Olympic football competition
There will be no Olympic gold to add to the World Cup and European Championships for Spain as a second successive defeat, this time a 1-0 loss to Honduras, means they are out of the Olympic men’s football competition. The Hondurans won thanks to Jerry Bengtson’s early goal and progress from Group D along with Japan, who beat Morocco 1-0.
Subsidies removed from toll roads
As from today, Sunday, the cost of driving on toll motorways will be 7.5% more expensive after the Central Government decided to withdraw subsidies to the concessionaires. In September, the price will rise by another 3% due to the increase in IVA (VAT).