DIVORCE RATE SOARS

According to the National Family Policy, Spain now has the highest divorce rate in the EU - one every 3.7 minutes. There were 141,817 divorces in 2006, 51% more than in 2005. Last year's rise was blamed on the so-called quickie divorce law that came into effect early that year although the fact that the divorce rate has risen 277% in the past five years takes some of the sting out of that theory. Italy and Ireland have the lowest divorces rates - 0.79 and 0.83 respectively - while the UK is fifth on the list, after Belgium, Denmark and Germany.