A new version of the popular social networking website Facebook could help British expatriates to learn the Spanish language, it has been claimed.

Facebook has responded to demand from its 2.8 million users in Spain and South America by launching a version of the site that includes a full framework in Castilian Spanish, as the website’s main interface was previously only available in English.

Homes Worldwide has stated that the new Facebook could be useful for non-Spanish speakers who wish to learn the language, because users are able to analyse each other’s translations and contribute to a communal dictionary of words and phrases.

According to the property portal, the website will benefit foreign property owners in Spain who are already familiar with Facebook but wish to improve their language skills by participating in a large online community.

People who log on to Facebook from a Spanish-speaking country will automatically see the new version from today (February 11th).

Facebook has revealed that it is also planning French and German versions and stated that 60 per cent of its users are now based outside the US.

People with an appreciation of cartoon art are advised to head to southern Spain this month, as an interesting new exhibition has opened in Alicante.

The Enrique 1972-2005 exhibition contains a selection of drawings by the celebrated Spanish cartoonist Enrique Perez Penedo, who was born in the Costa Blanca city.

Giving visitors the chance to view the work of one of Spain’s most gifted and humorous cartoonists, the exhibition runs until February 18th, according to Communitat Valenciana.

Penedo’s work has appeared in the local newspaper Informacion de Alicante, as well as Spain’s leading sports publication La Marca and the magazine Panorama Azul. He is also president of the Spanish branch of the European Federation of Cartoonists’ Organisations.

Alicante is currently a major attraction for cartoon fans for another reason - the new Asterix movie was shot on location in the city and premiered at the Teatro Principal on Tuesday (February 5th). Nearby areas such as Benidorm and Santa Pola can also be seen in the film.

The Spanish football team travelled to Malaga yesterday ahead of the friendly international game against France.

Luis Aragones’ team take on the French at Malaga FC’s La Roseleda stadium tonight (February 6th) as they continue their preparations for the European Championship in Austria and Switzerland this summer.

The squad gave a high-profile demonstration of Spain’s state of the art transport links by making the journey from Madrid to Malaga on the AVE train yesterday, Typically Spanish reports.

Launched in December, the new high-speed service connects the Spanish capital with the Costa del Sol city in just two hours and 30 minutes.

Included in the squad is the 17-year-old Barcelona striker Bojan Krkic, who will become the youngest ever player to represent Spain at international level if he is selected.

Aragones has also caused controversy by refusing to pick Real Madrid captain Raul for the national side, despite his current good form.

La Roselada has a capacity of 28,963 and was extensively rebuilt in 2006.

Property in Spain has plenty to offer both second home buyers and professional investors, an expert has said.

Editor of independent property website BuyAssociation Paul Collins said that Spain will “always be popular with British overseas buyers” for a variety of reasons, such as the country’s climate, way of life and established status as a favourite holiday destination.

However, he also stated that Spanish property is very useful for investment purposes, particularly as the element of risk is comparatively low compared with other investment markets such as eastern Europe.

“Spain still offers some really good investment opportunities,” he said.

Mr Collins advised people looking for a property in Spain to take time over their decision and research all locations thoroughly, no matter what purpose they are buying for.

“Make sure that the property you find is exactly the right one for you,” he added.

According to a recent survey by pensions provider Scottish Widows, 39 per cent of British people consider moving overseas for their retirement, with many people favouring the warm weather and laidback lifestyle of the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca.

A relaxing break with plenty of sun and sand is still a popular option for newly-married couples, it has been claimed.

Wedding planning service Hitched.co.uk said that “traditional” locations are still preferred by many British honeymooners, despite people generally becoming more “adventurous” with their choice of holiday in recent times.

A large number of couples could be arranging trips to the beaches of the Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol this month, with the company revealing that the start of the year is a peak time for honeymoon bookings, due to the number of competitive travel deals available.

“Some couples like to do the traditional style of honeymoon [and] relax on a deserted beach for two weeks, whereas others opt for the more adventurous type of trip,” explained Hitched.co.uk spokesperson Francesca Moore.

A record number of people travelled to Spain last year, according to figures from the Industrial, Tourism and Trade Ministry, with the country receiving 59.2 million visitors in 2007.

An area of the Valencia region will soon be protected as a national park, according to plans unveiled by the Spanish government.

The Sierra de Escalona, which provides a home of large number of rare animal species, will become Valencia’s first national park when it is established later this year, Homes Worldwide reports.

Maria Angeles Centeno, director general for the management of the environment, stated that the Sierra currently contains one of the largest populations of wildcat in the country, as well as a significant number of the Bonelli’s eagle.

The area’s new status as a national park will prevent major building projects in the area and ensure that the animals’ natural habitats are maintained, according to the website.

IberiaNature.com states that there are only about 1,000 pairs of Bonelli’s eagles in the whole of Europe, with 750 of these found in Spain.

Fans of Asterix may like to head to Alicante this week, as the comic character’s latest film instalment is set to premiere in the Costa Blanca city.

According to Typically Spanish, Asterix at the Olympic Games will be shown for the first time at Alicante’s Teatro Principal on Tuesday, having been shot in several locations around Alicante.

Made at a cost of €78 million (£58.5 million), the film is said to be the most expensive movie production in European history and was mainly shot at the Ciudad de la Luz in Alicante, while nearby locations such as Santa Pola and Benidorm were also used.

Gerard Depardieu reprises his role as Asterix’s faithful companion Obelix, while Clovis Cornillac takes the title role. Veteran French actor Alain Delon also stars as Julius Caesar.

The film is adapted from the popular series of comic books by French artists Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. According to Time magazine, the new movie also features cameo appearances from Zinedine Zidane and Micahel Schumacher.

Some 87 per cent of Britons say their lives have turned out better than they expected after moving abroad, new research reveals.

According to the NatWest international personal banking (IPB) quality of life report, 91 per cent of those who have left the British Isles for foreign countries such as Spain are happier in their new location.

Moreover, the survey shows that British expatriates are wealthier, happier and healthier whichever country they now live in.

Dave Isley, head of NatWest IPB, said: “There are a number of different reasons why people relocate abroad, to be nearer to family and friends, to start a new job, or as the study demonstrates, to increase their quality of life.”

He added that this phenomenon is “only likely to increase in the future”, with a rising number of older people deciding they would rather be “sipping sangria in Spain” or sampling other foreign food and drink, than living in Britain.

A British family have relocated to the Costa Blanca and claim that it has enabled them to enjoy a more active family life.

John Chessher, a software businessman, decided to take a life changing decision to relocate and invest in a Spanish property on the coast after he found that he was working long hours and not spending enough time with his family.

The Chessher family now live on the Costa Blanca and have fallen in love with Spain’s inclusiveness, the friendly people and its rich traditions and customs, Homes Worldwide reports.

Mr Chessher, 40, is delighted to have swapped the executive lifestyle in England and Hong Kong for life in Spain, which gives him a chance to enjoy life outdoors because of the sunny climate.

“I used to go to work in the dark each morning and come home after my daughter had gone to sleep,” he explained. “Now I balance work with family trips to restaurants and scuba diving - it’s quite a change.”

An exhibition of ancient glass pieces has opened at the Archaeological Museum (MARQ) in Alicante, showcasing some fine examples of glasswork dating back hundreds of years.

Entitled La fragilidad en el tiempo: el vidrio en la Antigüedad (Fragility through the times: glass in ancient times), the exhibition of glass pieces from antiquity runs until March 4th 2008 in the Costa Blanca city.

The artefacts featured in the exhibition include pieces of jewellery, vessels, amulets, fragments and cooking utensils, have all been temporarily donated by the Catalonian Museum of Archaeology as part of a project on glass sponsored by the European Union, according to Communitat Valenciana.

Arranged to take visitors through different periods in the history of glass, use of the material and fabrication techniques, the exhibition features over 150 items made between the eighth century BC and the sixth century AD.

The city of Alicante is a Mediterranean port overlooked by the stunning Castle of Santa Barbara, with a population of more than 300,000 people and beautiful Costa Blanca beaches. The city is popular with both tourists and people buying homes in Spain and enjoys year round sunshine.