Spain: Thousands march on Madrid over austerity

Spanish miners have converged on Madrid to protest against the cut in subsidies in their industry - which unions say threaten 30,000 jobs.

They were greeted by thousands of supporters as they marched on Gran Via in the centre of the Spanish capital.

At the same time, the prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, announced a 3% increase in taxes for sales and services, bringing VAT up to 21%.

The BBC's Tom Burridge, who is in Madrid, said the march was not just a demonstration about mining, but a show of feeling by the general population.