Nine in a row for Spain

It’s nine wins in a row for Spain after a 2-1 win against Armenia in their World Cup qualifier on Saturday.

IVA rates set to rise

The Spanish Cabinet has approved the Government proposals to increase IVA (VAT) rates, remove the €400 income tax rebate and increase taxation on savings income as part of the State Budget.

House sales continue to fall

House sales during the first half of 2009 were down by 31.16% when compared to the same period last year according to the latest report from the Ministry of Housing.

Foreign tourist numbers down 10.3% on last year

According to a report by Frontur, some 30 million foreign tourists visited Spain during the first seven months of this year, a fall of 10.3% over the same period last year.

Inflation at -1.4%

Inflation has reached a record low with the interannual rate now at -1.4%. The underlying inflation rate, which excludes the more volatile prices of energy and food, is now at 0.6%.

Bad year for fires

So far this year, 75,000 hectares of land have been destroyed by fire, more than double the figure for the the whole of 2008. The total for 2008 was 34, 875 hectares.

First heatstroke fatality

A 40 year old man working in El Donadío, Jaén province, has become the first recorded fatality as a result of the current high temperatures in the region. The man was installing solar panels in El Donadio when he fainted due to the heat. He was taken to hospital but died two hours later as a result of heatstroke.