Island News

Sunday 5th September

No More Junk Food in Schools

Health minister Trinidad Jiménez is on a crusade to get rid of 'junk food' in schools. The government has said yes to the new Law on Food and Nutrition Safety, meaning certain food and drink that does not comply with stipulated nutritional criteria cannot be served in schools. As well as promoting healthy eating, Jiménez says the law includes 'a ban on discrimination based on obesity'. She says this is particularly relevant since one in two adults in Spain are said to be overweight or obese. Food on offer in schools will now have to take into account specific dietary requirements of children, such as allergies or diabetes.

Friday 3rd September

New UK Passport Revealed

The new 10 year UK passport featuring strengthened security features will be issued from October. The New security measures include: moving the chip which stores the holder's details to the inside of the passport cover where it will no longer be visible. A secondary image of the holder printed onto the observations page, a new transparent covering which includes several holograms to protect the holder's personal details. The personal details page of the passport will be moved to the second page in the passport booklet, in common with other passports in Europe and around the world, to help speed up travellers' passage through border controls.

Thousands Of Traffic Fines Incorrect

The DGT traffic authority in Spain has been inflating thousands of traffic fines by not removing the margin of error of its radar equipment. By law a 4% margin of error has to be applied to fixed radar posts and that increases to 7% in the case of mobile equipment. Ignoring the error margin can in some situations lead to fines being tripled from the correct amount. Since the latest Traffic Law came into effect on May 24, more than 100,000 fines have been incorrectly issued according to the Association of Spanish Drivers.

Aena Rejects La Gomera Air Incident Claims

Spain's Airports Authority (AENA) has slammed air traffic controllers in the Canaries for making false allegations about air incidents said to have occurred in La Gomera since controllers were withdrawn from service recently. Aena says the complaints from the controllers are unfounded and the new AFIS system introduced in La Gomera is working smoothly and incident free. "The controllers are happy to go public with allegations but not attend meetings we have organised to discuss the situation with the only airline that uses the airport" said a spokesman.

Thursday 2nd September

Spanish Unemployment Swings Upwards

Unemployment queues in Spain swelled to nearly four million people in August as summer jobs came to end, reversing four months of declines, the government said on Thursday.The number of people registered as unemployed grew by 1.56 percent, from the previous month. The rise follows four months of falling unemployment, however the government tried to play down the latest figures, noting that joblessness traditionally rises in August, as seasonal contracts and summer sales end and big businesses are closed for the holidays.

Ryanair Dethrones Iberia

Irish low-cost airline Ryanair reported that it has overtaken "Spanish flag carrier" Iberia as the largest airline in Spain in terms of the number of passengers carried. The company quoted official statistics from Spain's airport authority AENA showing that Ryanair transported 2.98 million passengers to or from Spain in July, compared to 2.77 million for Iberia. The budget carrier congratulated itself for having "dethroned Iberia as the preferred company in Spain."

Sleep Well with Olive Stones

A Córdoba company, Charcolive, has started to manufacture and sell pillows containing charred olive pips. The idea comes from a Japanese tradition and the pillows are claimed to help sleep as olive pips are able to absorb odours, avoid allergies, and help avoid back complaints. The idea came from Rafael Pérez after a trip to Japan where more than 90 hotels have such pillows available a la carte. His company can now produce as many as 45,000 pillows a year, although starting levels are just 5,000. He describes the pillows as a 100% natural product and they sell at between 150 and 170 € each.

Car Hire Boom Boosts Sales

The Canaries were one of only two Spanish regions to see an increase in car sales in August. While sales fell 23% elsewhere in the country compared to August 2009, the figure was up 10% here and the better than expected business has been attributed to the upturn in the tourist sector. Car hire firms bought many new cars last month, 250% more than August 2009, which would indicate the sector is on the up after the doldrums' said a spokesman for the association of car importers. Sales of new cars were considerably higher in the province of Las Palmas (Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote) than in the other islands.

Daily "Telegraph" say Papagayo is The Best Beach

One of the most widely read newspapers in the U.K., said in a recent edition that the famous Playa de Papagayo, in the south of Lanzarote, is one of the best beaches in Spain. The president of the Lanzarote tourist board, Susana Perez, said this assessment by the influential British newspaper, which has more than 6 million readers and subscribers online, will help to improve the perception English tourists have about the resort.

Mystery Wounding

A man suffered several gunshot wounds at his home in Puerto del Carmen, in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The man,of Italian origin and a business owner in Puerto del Carmen was shot several times and was also assaulted with a knife at his home, according to Civil Guard, who declined to provide more data. The press office of the police force say they cannot make any comment about the circumstances of this incident.

Wednesday 1st September

Minimum Age For Mopeds Rises

September 1st sees the minimum age for being able to ride a 50cc motorcycle will be increased from 14 to 15. This is bad news for young teens, who now will not get their hoped for freedom on wheels as soon as they would have liked and manufacturers of mopeds fear a drop in sales as a result. The issue of the minimum age has been on the agenda for two years, but the government declared a moratorium to give those affected time to adapt. The Dirección General de Tráfico says the move could help reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries seen among young moped riders.

Spain Needs Pain

Prime Minister Jose Zapatero said that his nation needed to accept temporary pain for a better economic future, but that Spanish workers were unwilling to be flexible."All countries make sacrifices today for a better tomorrow," he told a press conference in Tokyo when asked how he will sell unpopular reform policies to his country, which is mired in soaring unemployment. A general strike (Spain's first since 2002) has been called for September 29 after Zapatero's government said it would press ahead with labour market reforms that would make it easier to hire and fire workers.

Spanish Car Sales Plunge Again

New car sales in Spain plunged 23.8 percent in August, after a similar double-digit drop in the previous month, due to a sales tax rise and the end of government subsidies. The plunge in new car registrations will fuel doubts about the ability of the Spanish economy, Europe's fifth largest, to maintain its timid recovery from its worst recession in decades when government stimulus measures end.

Doctors Call For Tighter Tobacco Sales Restrictions

Doctors in Spain have called for tobacco sales to be banned in machines in bars and from kiosks, and they want the police to be given the power to fine those who break the law. The National Committee for the Prevention of Tobacco Addiction also want smoking to be banned in childrens’ parks and on pavements close to colleges and hospital across the country. Tobacco is thought to kill some 50,000 people in Spain each year, with 1,000 of the victims being workers in the hostelry sector.

Heat Respite On Return To Work

The first day back at work for many people looks set to be accompanied by a noticeable easing of the stifling heat that has affected the Canaries for over a week. Cloud cover and a change in wind direction are already reported in several parts this week, particularly northern areas, and should go some way to alleviating the spell of hot weather, which sent thermometers through the 40ºC mark on several occasions. The Met Office has already lifted the heatwave alert in place since the end of last week. The welcome drop in temperatures will be particularly noticeable at night as of wednesday.

Tuesday 31st August

Spain Concerned Over Arrests

Spain is concerned over the weekend arrests and maltreatment by Moroccan police of 11 Spanish pro-independence activists in the Western Sahara, Prime Minister Jose Zapatero said on Monday. "The government and foreign ministry have expressed their concern." Moroccan police arrested 11 activists from the SaharAcciones association, which supports Polisario, on Saturday evening in Laayoune. The Spaniards were making an attempted protest in favour of the Sahrawi people and respecting human rights. The Canary Islands-based SaharAcciones accused Moroccan police of "savagely attacking" the group, before arresting them and driving them to the police station with two members of the group needing medical attention . The incident comes amid tensions between Morocco and Spain, notably over the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in northern Morocco.

Seasonable Cloudbursts On The Way

The Spanish Weather Agency has warned that the weather phenomenon known as ‘gota fría’ or downpour cloudbursts can be expected along the Mediterranean after September 15. This happens when there is cold air at high altitudes and hot and damp air at ground level, and the start of Autumn is the normal time of the year for it to occur. The risk will continue until the end of October. Fernando Belda from AEMET in Murcia has recommended to take care during the period, especially if they are in the areas of Murcia, Valencia, Eastern Andalucía, and in Cataluña and the Baleares where the torrential rain could reach 200 litres per square metre.

Prolonged Heatwave Triggers Crop Concerns

The week-long heatwave that has made conditions unbearable for all but the keenest sun worshippers but is having devastating effects on fruit and vegetable crops. Producers say the crops are ripening too early and even withering completely due to the scorching weather, which has already led to the loss of half of production in some parts of Tenerife, with lettuces, cauliflowers and pumpkins worst hit. Banana growers fear they will have to harvest millions of kilos ahead of schedule and will be unable to find buyers for the fruit. Tomatoes have also been seriously affected, with many growers having to replant entirely to replace ruined crops.

Boy Killed in Lift Shaft

A 10-year-old boy has died after falling down a lift shaft at a holiday apartment complex in Playa del Cura Mogán, Gran Canaria, at the week-end. The youngster is thought to have been playing on the roof terrace of the building when he climbed into the shaft and lost his footing, falling four floors to his death. An investigation into the tragic accident has been ordered.

Seven in Ten Spaniards Recycle Glass

Over 4,000 tonnes more glass was recycled in the first half of this year than in 2009, meaning more than 350,000 tonnes extra deposited in bottle banks across Spain.According to the non-profit-making association Ecovidrio, which recycles glass, says last year it handled at least three-quarters of a million tonnes. Some 70 per cent of Spanish households say they put glass in bottle banks rather than in the bin.

Sunday 29th August

Holidaymakers From Abroad Spend More

Foreign tourists in Spain spent an average of 90 euros a day last month, claims the ministry of industry and commerce. They say visitors to Spain from abroad in July shelled out around 6.334 million euros in total – or 911 euros per holidaymaker – which represents a 3.7 per cent rise on June's figures. So far this year, tourists have spent 1.4 per cent more than they did in 2009, with a national average of 906 euros each, or 96 euros a day. Holidaymakers were most flash with their cash in Catalunya and the Canary Islands. followed by the Balearics and Andalucía. Those who parted with the most money were from the UK.

Zara Takes The Plunge

Europe's largest clothing retailer, Spain's Inditex, is taking its flagship Zara brand online, but it can expect stiff competition from other giants of high-street fashion already well-established in cyberspace. Zara's virtual boutique will be available on Thursday in selected European markets: Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Portugal and Britain. Zara's late entry to the market may be a surprise, but it may also have anticipated a boom in cyberspace clothes shopping. Inditex, which owns seven other brands including Massimo Dutti and Bershka, sees the move as a "major strategic step" which will boost sales rather than eating into the earnings of the shops themselves.

August - Hottest On Record in Spain

The heatwave across Spain caused by a mass of hot air from Africa, has seen record temperatures in many parts of the country. Looking at the capitals of the country’s provinces, Murcia saw the highest temperature on Friday with 44 degrees, Barcelona saw a new all time record of 39.8 ºC.

Friday 27th August

Canary Island Travel Subsidy Capped

Despite the governments' austerity measures, the minister in charge has given assurances that the 50% traveldiscount for residents will remain in place. José Blanco, did however say that there would be a limit set on the discounts,which also apply to the Balearics and the North African enclaves Cueta and Melilla.Blanco said that it is unreasonable that a minority of passengers travelling business class should receive a disproportionate discount and that the objective is to guarantee the subsidy whilst ensuring those who choose to travel first class will have their subsidy capped.

Sand Death Boy Tribute

The passing away of an Italian boy killed when he was buried under sand on Corralejo Beach has been marked by a tribute to the youngster near the spot. Locals and holidaymakers saddened by the news of the death of young Federico, who failed to pull through a 4-day coma earlier this week, received a message from his family via the local Council that they should celebrate his life rather than mourn his loss. 'The beach should be filled with children, colour and flowers. Even though he died, his rescuers should know he allowed his parents to spend precious moments with him and his donated heart lives on in another person said a Council spokesman in a statement.

Thursday 26th August

Help for Heroes Charity Concert 2010 Puerto del Carmen

After a large number of volunteers worked extremely hard to get this great event off the ground with Karen & Colin of C & K Haulage in Tias. The collection on the night amounted to a total of €17,117.22 and there are still donations coming in. The final total could even reach 20,000 euros which is an amazing result in the current financial climate and reflects the hard work of everyone involved. Help for Heroes, Troop Aid and The Rifles Care are the three charities that will benefit from this successful event.

Spain World’s Highest Number Of Viruses

Spain has the highest number of ‘infected’ emails sent in the world, a chilling report reveals. Some 64.1 per cent of junk mail received by surfers in Spain contains what is known as ‘malware’, a term that covers a multitude of sins including spyware, Trojans, and viruses. And the same report reveals that dangerous spam messages has increased by 95 per cent in Spain alone since last year. But Spain is not the only culprit – the UK is responsible for 4.5 per cent of the world’s spam, a figure that has doubled since April this year, making it the fourth-biggest culprit after the USA, India and Brazil.

Spain's First Double Leg Transplant

Valencia's Hospital La Fe has been given permission by the National Transplant Organisation to carry out the world's first double leg transplant. The report by points out that the patient has had both his legs amputed below the knee and has not been able to tolerate prosthetic limbs. The double leg transplant is still in its experimental stages, as was the case with the recent face transplant and double hand transplant. Once this operation is completed, Spain will have seen a total of seven experimental transplants involving layers of different types of body tissue, including three double hand transplants and three face transplants.

Spanair Crash victims - Momument & White Roses

Spanair flight JK5022 victims will have a monument set up in their memory in Madrid's Juan Carlos Park. And during the commemorative act for the second anniversary of the fatal crash, a heart made of 154 white roses – one for each of the victims – was laid down at the passengers' ground zero on the runway at Barajas airport. A full investigation into the causes of the crash has been ongoing ever since, and the report has now run into 11,300 pages. A definitive answer as to why the plane went up in flames is expected to be published by the end of this year.

Heat To Stay Until Week-end

The latest heatwave to hit the Canaries is set to stay for another few days. With temperatures expected to soar into the low 40s in some parts today, the authorities have raised the heat alert level to orange for Gran Canaria and reiterated warnings to take precautions against sunstroke. The sweltering weather, which is affecting many parts of southern Spain also, has been caused by the arival of a giant mass of warm air from the Saharan Desert in Africa, which has brought with it a blanket of dust. The heat is expected to ease as of Saturday.

El Hierro Threatens AFIS Action

The tiny island of El Hierro is on a collision course with the Spanish Airport Authority over plans to withdraw air traffic controllers from the local airport in a few weeks. The island's Cabildo is stepping up its campaign to block plans by AENA to introduce the Airport Flight Information System (AFIS), which it says will downgrade the island's status and could result in a lowering of safety standards. The system, based on what critics have called 'pseudo-controllers' as opposed to fully trained flight controllers is due to commence in September and El Hierro's 4500 annual flights make it the busiest airport in Europe to be governed by AFIS. Cabildo boss Tomás Padrón says he will launch legal action against AENA and even lobby the EU in Brussels if it continues with the plans.

Wednesday 25th August

No-Frills Airlines Are Tops

Low Cost airlines are still the firm favourites among tourists travelling to Spain, according to a recent survey by the ministry of tourism. In July, some 6.9 million passengers passed through Spain's airports, with a 10 per cent rise in the numbers of those using budget airlines compared to just three per cent more who used 'traditional' carriers such as BA or Iberia. Overall, 58.4 per cent of passengers took the cheap flight option. In the first half of 2010, 32.4 million passengers arrived in Spain – an increase of 2.2 per cent on 2009. No-frills airlines transported 17.94 million of these.

Wandering Child Taken Into Care

A 3-year-old girl found wandering on the street in a resort in Gran Canaria has been taken into care on the instructions of a local judge. The toddler was found wandering in the Sonnenland area by a local woman who contacted police in Maspalomas. She was being looked after by one of her parents but managed to slip unnoticed out of the house as the parent was talking to a friend. After interviewing the parent, police notified the Children's Court, where a judge ordered the girl to be removed pending further inquiries into the incident, which has triggered a mixed reaction among locals, with some accusing the authorities of over-reacting and others criticising the parent for child neglect.

Heat Returns

Less than two weeks after the last heatwave, a fresh spell of hot weather is making a return to the Canaries, triggering a fresh warning by the Met Office. Several parts have been placed on yellow alert as of late Wednesday as temperatures are expected to top the 35ºC mark. The air will feel even hotter for much of tomorrow in a number of areas in southern Gran Canaria and inland parts of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Tenerife and the other western Canary Islands will enjoy considerably cooler weather, says the Met Office.

Industry Body Turns Up The Heat Over Ash Cloud Compensation

The World Travel & Tourism Council is calling for changes to EU legislation over passenger compensation in light of the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud disruption. It says the European Commission needs to re-examine compensation legislation about how much airlines and tour operators should be required to compensate passengers. “While passengers should certainly be reimbursed for out of pocket expenses, the fallout of the volcanic ash cloud is unduly impacting an industry that is already subject to excessive regulation and taxation,” said Jean-Claude Baumgarten, president. “This situation originated from force majeur and not as a result of mismanagement by airlines and tour operators. We believe it is time the EC recognise this and re-examine how the legislation is applied in such circumstances.”

Airline Expands Canaries Schedule

New flights to Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria have been added to Monarch’s scheduled flying programme for next summer. Two flights a week will operate from Manchester to Fuerteventura plus weekly services from Birmingham, Gatwick and Luton. Gran Canaria will be served by two new flights a week from Birmingham and Manchester and a weekly connection from Gatwick. The airline is also stepping up frequency to Tenerife and Lanzarote. The introduction of new services to Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria brings the total number of routes operated by Monarch for summer 2010 to 49.

Sanz A Roaring Success

Alejandro Sanz wowed his audience and performed songs from his repertoire for two hours in his concert attended by around about 8,000 people at the Sports centre in Arrecife - the culmination of the festivities of San Ginés. Tuesday nights'concert was his first appearance in Lanzarote since 1996, when he performed at The Canary Islands Park.

Tuesday 24th August

Spain Heads For Week-Long Heatwave

The latest heatwave of the summer will not be felt in the north of the country, but elsewhere the high temperatures are expected to continue for a full week, with temperatures reaching their highest over the weekend. The ‘heat wave’ is because of the effects of an anticyclone resulting in an increase in temperatures. 40º or 42º can be expected in Andalucía, the south of Extremadura, and in Castilla La Mancha, and 36º or 38º is forecast in the centre of the country.

Adoptions Hit By Crisis

Applications by Canarian families to adopt foreign children appear to have fallen as a result of the economic crisis, says the head of the region's child protection agency. Carmen Steinart says evidence is emerging that, in addition to a noticeable drop in applications, a number of families who were in the process of adopting have asked for the process to be suspended temporarily. 'We can only assume that changing financial circumstances have forced applicants to rethink due to the high cost involved' explained Steinart.

Tourism Numbers Up

More good news has emerged on the tourism front for the Canaries, with the publication of the latest visitor numbers. The number of foreigners holidaying here in July rose by just under 6% compared to the same month in 2009, according to the Spanish Ministry of Tourism. The Canarian figure is better than the national average for Spain overall (4.5%) and is a further indicator that the end of the tunnel may be in sight. Tenerife attracted most foreign holidaymakers, with 240,000 of the 660,000 recorded for July, followed by Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, who were all within the 120,000 -160,000 numbers.

Sanz Arrives For Canarian Tour

Pop idol Alejandro Sanz says he is 'thrilled' to be back in the Canaries as part of his world tour. The singer arrived in Arrecife Monday night to prepare for Tuesday's gig, which is one of three he is due to perform in the Canaries in a week. Following his massive success in the United States and South America, the Spanish heart throb, whose duet with Alcia Keys 'Looking for Paradise' was a worldwide hit last year, says he hopes to relax as much as he can during his week here. 'I have missed out on the Canaries on the last two world tours so I made sure we put the dates in from the beginning. There is nowhere better than here to look up at the stars said Sanz in his first press conference on Monday.

New Equipment And Furniture For Hospital

The Cabildo de Lanzarote is investing a total of € 140,000 in improvements at the Hospital Insular. The President of the Cabildo, Pedro San Ginés and the Minister of Health, Eugenio Hernandez, visited the works in two chambers of the Insular Hospital. In response to rising demand the Health Ministry has made an investment of 10,000 euros to partition different rooms at the facility. "It is about offering more privacy and more comfort to families and friends of deceased patients," said the Health Minister. Tenders are also being issued for public contracts to supply new furniture and industrial equipment for the Hospital.

Monday 23rd August

Salgado Confirms Government To Change Retirement Age

Minister for Tax and the Economy, Elena Salgado, has said she does not rule out any ‘small adjustments’ in the tax revenues in Spain as the fight to reduce the deficit continues. She said that the deficit will be inside the target for this year, but next year’s budgets will be ‘more difficult’and that the government has to be ‘very prudent and demanding’. The main target is to reduce the deficit to 3% by 2013, and Salgado has said that she thinks the target would be met, though she would not say that the thought it could be improved on. The Minister confirmed, the government’s intention to raise the retirement age, declaring that there is no other option. Earlier declarations have indicated a change from 65 to 67.

Spanair Crash - Two years On

Some of the results from the investigation of the Spanair tragedy ,on August 20, 2008, which resulted in the death of 154 people(many of them on their way home to the Canary Islands) at Barajas Airport in Madrid , have been published. It was on August 20, 2008, when a Spanair McDonald Douglas MD-82, with 172 people on board, crashed on take-off. No one has been able to fully explain the reasons for the crash. What is confirmed is that the wing flaps and slats were not correctly configured for takeoff, and that the system which should have warned the pilots of the error failed to operate. A defective temperature sensor which was disconnected after a previous failed takeoff by the removal of a fuse, and the manuals for the MD-82 show that other functions also depended on the same fuse. Among them the cabin warning system, but the failure of the TOWS alert system remains a mystery.

Teide Tops Poll

Once again Teide was the most visited National Park in the country in 2009. Of the almost 10 million visits to the 14 National Parks across Spain, over 3 million were to Tenerife’s crowning glory. The Canary Islands’ four parks attracted over half the total visitors. Lanzarote’s Timanfaya was in third position attracting almost 1.5million visitors, La Gomera’s Garajonay was in fifth place.

Canaries Second Place in Hotel Occupancy

The Balearics was the most popular destination in the country and achieved 85.9 per cent hotel occupancy compared with the Canaries’ 70.2 per cent and Catalonia’s 69.8 per cent. British tourism was up 12.4 per cent over last July and German three per cent with the foreigners choosing the Canary Islands in third place behind the Balearics and Catalonia.

Pharmacists Bitter Pill

When the Spanish felt off-colour in the past they would go to the nearest ‘farmacia’ describe their symptoms, then appropriate medication would be dispensed. Antibiotics were notoriously over-prescribed in Spain but they are now more difficult to obtain following EU directives putting an end to over-the-counter sales of antibiotics some five years ago. According to an experiment by doctors in Barcelona, some pharmacists are prepared to give in if customers are unwilling to take no for an answer. They found that smaller establishments were generally more likely to provide over-the-counter antibiotics. In larger chemists’ shops, assistants regularly refused to sell off-prescription antibiotics but they were easier to obtain in smaller establishments where the pharmacists tended to serve customers themselves.

Sunday 22nd August

Child in Fuerteventura Sand Hole Has Died

After 4 days in a coma, the 10 year old Italian child who suffered heart failure on Tuesday after being buried by sand while playing on Corralejo beach has died in Hospital Materno Infantil in Gran Canaria. The hole 3 metres deep and 5 metres wide was made by bathers and the rescue effort took over 20mins to get him out from under the sand.

Bullfight Activists Strip Outside Museum

Dozens of activists stripped naked Saturday in front of the Guggenheim museum in the northern Spanish city of Bilbao to protest against the bullfighting season which starts next week. Around 150 animal rights demonstrators with painted bodies formed the image of a bloodied bull, accompanied by the slogan: "Abolish bullfighting, for the rights of animals." The protest, organised by several rights organisations, took place three weeks after the Catalonian parliament's historic decision to abolish bullfighting from 2012. Last Thursday, a bull attacked seated spectators in an arena in Navarre, injuring 30 spectators and seriously wounding a 10-year-old boy.

Politicians Slash Pension Perks

Canarian businessmen have sent a letter to Minister for Health, Trinidad Jimenéz complaining about a 20% cut to senior citizen's subsidised holidays offered by her department. Last season's 155,000 visitors to the Canary Islands will be reduced to less than 120,000 in the main affecting the already beleaguered island of Tenerife. The institute for Seniors And Social services offer holidays for qualifying senior citizens starting at 246 euros for 8 days.

Friday 20th August

Man Refuses Reward

A 56 year old man from Salamanca who found a case containing 3,250 euros handed it over to the police and refused a reward. He found it in the street and went into a bar to call the police, telling them that it contained wads of 50-euro notes, a Blackberry phone, a sound system, an amplifier, a microphone, a wallet with credit cards and the passport of a 34-year-old British man. The police found the owner in the area, looking for the case, which he said he had lost when he was out partying on Saturday night and had forgotten where he had put it. According to the Local Police, he offered the man a reward which he refused.

Spanair Scare on Crash Anniversary

Airline Spanair was involved in a major scare yesterday in Gran Canaria just hours before today's second anniversary of the Madrid plane crash, also involving a Spanair plane, in which almost 160 people died. An evening flight bound for the Spanish capital was forced to turn back shortly after take-off when a bang was heard on board and smoke detected. According to local media this morning, some passengers had panic attacks after the pilot announced he was returning to Gran Canaria due to engine problems. The plane was later deemed unfit to continue the journey.

Spanish Planes Transport Aid To Pakistan

The Spanish government has sent out two aircraft containing 15 tonnes of aid material for the victims of the recent floods in Pakistan. This mostly comprises parts for re-installing the water supply, medication and food. Secretary of State for International Cooperation, Soraya Rodríguez, has announced the shipping of goods amassed by various charities across the country to help those most in need after the country was devastated by a monsoon. The first plane went out on August 5, and the second went on Friday from Madrid. Spain has invested around 5.8 million euros in helping the flood victims so far.

U2 Concert in Sevilla One Day Later

A rock concert in Sevilla has been called off because of the country-wide strike due to take place on September 29 in protest over the government's proposed labour reform. Anyone travelling to Sevilla on that day to see U2 live should now go on the following day, September 30, for which tickets will remain valid. Although details of the strike have not yet been announced – and it may have quite such a huge impact as predicted – it is almost certain to affect public sector workers. This means cleaning, security and public transport, as well as medical services, are likely to be unavailable or running with a skeleton staff only. All of these are essential services for a major live music concert. Organisers say they want to guarantee that U2's fans 'have the best possible time at the Sevilla concert' and have therefore taken the decision to put it back a day.

Wednesday 18th August

Another British Travel Group Kiss Ceases Trading

Following the collapse of Birmingham travel company Sun4u last week, which left 1,200 British holidaymakers stranded in Spain, Tuesday has seen the announcement that Kiss Flights has ceased trading. Kiss, which was only established at the end of 2008, offered flights to Greece, Egypt, Turkey and The Canaries. It is believed that tens of thousands of British holidaymakers are stranded abroad and many more will have had advance bookings. The company did have an ATOL licence but it is unclear if all the passengers booked to travel in September, some 70,000, will be covered. It is not known at this stage how many travellers to the Canaries have been affected.

More Problems In The Canaries

Hundreds of British holidaymakers face the prospect of a nervous wait in the Canaries following the collapse of another UK holiday firm. Kiss Travel ceased trading yesterday, leaving thousands of clients in foreign destinations, including some in the Canaries, in limbo. The Civil Aviation Authority say that efforts are under way to bring an estimated 13,000 passengers home from their holidays. It is not known how many are in the Canaries at present. Many more customers who have booked to travel to the Canaries with Kiss are likely to lose their money and will have to rebook with another company. According to the UK media, Kiss Travel took on many bookings from Goldtrail, which collapsed last month.

Child Critical After Fuerteventura Sand Tragedy

A 10-year-old Italian child is in a critical condition in hospital after being buried under sand when the hole he was playing in caved in. It is believed the boy and other members of his family, who are on holiday on the island, dug a hole several feet deep on the beach at Corralejo but the walls collapsed, trapping him inside. According to reports, he was buried for at least 15 minutes under the sand before he was pulled out. He suffered cardio-respiratory failure and was air lifted by helicopter to Fuerteventura Hospital. Police are investigating the tragic accident

Woman Drowns on La Gomera

An elderly woman has drowned on La Gomera. The tragedy happened on the Calera beach in Valle Gran Rey at lunchtime. Swimmers pulled her from the water after she was spotted in serious difficulty a short distance from the shore. Paramedics from the town's health centre arrived on the scene within minutes but could not revive her and she was pronounced dead. It is not known at whether she was a foreign holidaymaker or a local.

Alejandro Sanz Concert

One of the biggest music events of the year is happening in the capital Arrecife, to close the festival of San Ginés 2010. The multiple Grammy Award singer Alejandro Sanz will perform to the theme of "Paradise Express" on the 24 August in the City Sports Arena and is being billed as the largest musical production ever held in Lanzarote to date, with a stage 22 metres long and featuring over 20 tons of sound and light equipment

Angel Decapitated At Cathedral

A firework rocket lit by the Mayor of Toledo, Emiliano García-Page, during a fiesta in honour of the city’s patron, decapitated one of the angels on the Puerta de los Reyes of the famous cathedral. It came after the Dean of the Cathedral, Juan Sánchez, had asked several times that the fireworks not be set off so close to the monument. Fortunately nobody was injured by the granite angel’s head which fell a distance of some five metres from the 15th century sculpture.

Tuesday 17th August

Swine Flu: Spain Feels The Cost

Only 3 million people in Spain chose to be vaccinated against swine flu and with the World Health Organisation’s recent declaration that the pandemic is officially over, the Spanish health authorities are stuck with 6 million doses of vaccine worth 42 million euros on their hands. Jose Martinez Olmos, second in charge at the ministry of Health, admitted earlier this week that the government’s only option was to destroy them. “We have no alternative,” he said, “because this winter there will be other types of flu that the population needs to be protected against. The annual vaccination programme against seasonal flu begins in September with high-risk groups like the chronically ill and the over-65s, he said, but added that it remained to be seen how other groups reacted, following the low uptake of the swine flu vaccine.

Stormy Rain Misses Canaries

Heavy Rain expected to affect many parts of the Canaries last Monday failed to materialise, despite severe weather warnings from the Met Office. The islands were placed on a very wet weather alert on Sunday, just hours after the sweltering heat of the previous few days ended. However, late yesterday a Met Office spokeswoman said the storm clouds had dumped their massive load over the sea between Fuerteventura and the coast of Africa, missing the Canaries almost entirely.

Fuerteventura Car Hire Demand Increases

After a couple of years where the economic crisis lowered tourist numbers on Fuerteventura, the tourists have returned in force with occupancy rates up around 90% for August. When things were quiet many car hire companies reduced their stocks of cars, but there were always cars to be found. The increase in numbers now means that demand is outstripping supply. Some holiday makers have arrived with the intention of booking a car when they arrived only to find no car are available.

Air Traffic Controllers Sign

Spanish Air Traffic Controllers and AENA, the Spanish Airport Authority, have signed the ‘minimal agreement’ which still has to be ratified by the workers assembly, and that is now not expected until next week. The document was signed last Friday evening by Juan Lema, the President of AENA, and Camilo Ceal, President of the USCA union. It includes a wage of 200,000 € for the controllers who will have a maximum working year of 1670 hours. Lower positions will have fewer working hours down to 1,200 in some cases. The agreement guarantees the service in airports as well as ‘social and labour peace’ and ends what have been five months of conflicts.

Monday 16th August

Fuerteventura Visitor Figures Soar

Fuerteventura's tourist sector is celebrating the news that the number of holidaymakers in July was a massive 40% up on the same month a year ago. The island's tourism councillor Agueda Montelongo says July was the 'second best month for Fuerteventura since 2003' and the signs are that the recovery will continue further in coming months thanks to the rise in winter flights. Among the traditional markets, Irish holidaymakers posted an increase of more than 200%, with Britons up 44% The biggest rise, however, was noted among Slovakians, whose numbers rose by 315%. The July figure means that tourism overall from January this year is 14% up, an extra 100,000 visitors. Ryanair now accounts for 12% of international flights to the island.

Two Die in Boat Tragedy

Two fishermen were killed yesterday in Las Palmas when their small boat capsized and sank off La Punta. The pair, who were lifelong friends, drowned when the 5-metre boat was hit by a wave just before 7am. A third man on the boat survived and managed to swim to shore to alert the emergency services but by the time a helicopter-led search was dispatched the men had disappeared from the spot. Their bodies were recovered a short time later. Both were in their 60s.

Friday 13th August

Air Controllers - The Spanish Millionaires

Government officials called the ‘millionaire salaries’ enjoyed by Spanish air traffic controllers as “incomprehensible”, and in response to strike threats Spanish Minister Jose Blanco said they will use the military, if required, to man air-traffic control facilities should a strike take place. An audit revealed that the controllers where earning salaries 10 times more than the Prime Minister and 50 times the average salary. Spain’s Prime Minister received an annual salary of around 92,000 euros, while the average worker earns less than 18,000 euros per year. Their current contract stipulates 1,000 hours per year with overtime paid at triple, with many taking up 600 hours in overtime in 2009. According to Aviation Online, an audit of the 2,300 Spanish air-traffic controllers revealed that 10 were paid between 810,000 and 900,000 euros last year and a further 226 were paid between 450,000 and 540,000 euros.

Jellyfish Invasion Threatens Spanish Tourism

The worst jellyfish invasion for two years has led to authorities closing beaches across Spain, leaving holidaymakers shocked. Swarms of Mauve Stinger jellyfish threatened tourists on the beaches of Alicante in the northern Costa Blanca with the Red Cross in Denia treating 50 people in just half an hour. On Sunday alone, the number of people stung by jellyfish throughout Spain was well over 700, reported the Associated Press. Fears are rising that the affected number of people could surpass the 2008 record, when 4,000 people had to be treated for jellyfish stings.

Spain's GDP up 0.2 pct

Spain's economy grew 0.2 percent in the second quarter, adding to 0.1 percent growth in the preceding three-month period. The provisional figures were in line with estimates published last week by the Bank of Spain. For all of 2010, the government expects the economy to contract by 0.3 percent, to be followed by 1.3 percent growth in 2011.

British Holidaymakers Stranded

More than 1,000 British holidaymakers have been left stranded abroad by the collapse of the Birmingham travel firm Sun4u. An announcement on the company’s website advises travellers to contact the travel organisation ABTA about arranging their return journeys home. Reports indicate the firm was hit hard by the ash cloud problems earlier this year, and some 40 members of staff were told of the collapse at their call centre on Thursday. Many of the Sun4u customers, an estimated 1,200, are in Spain. ABTA has said those travellers with ATOL protection packages should probably be able to continue their holidays as planned.

Tourist Spend Up

The Canary Islands' tourist industry turned over more than 2 billion euros in the second three months of this year. However, because of the way the tourist industry is structured, people spent most of that money in their home countries paying up front for their holidays. A lot of the money filters back through to the islands as travel companies pay for hotels and then the hotels pay their staff. The average daily spend on the islands amounts to a little over 39 euros a day, meaning that tourists spent 4% more here than they did last year in the same period.

Stay Indoors!

The Spanish Health Service have warned older people to stay indoors during these heatwaves that are affecting Spain and The Canary Islands at the moment. The excessive heat and winds can quickly cause fast rises in the body temperature without much warning. This can quickly affect internal organs with resulting fatalities in the elderly.

Wednesday 11th August

Controllers Call Off Strike

The holiday industry in the Canaries is breathing a sigh of relief after Spanish air traffic controllers called off an all-out strike planned for the middle of the month. The surprising U-turn, just a week after nearly 99% of the controllers voted to support a walk-out over working conditions, was announced hours after Spainsprime minister made a public plea to the controllers to 'act sensibly and keep the damage of their proposed strike in mind'. The tourism industry has welcomed the change of heart, although it says hotel bookings have already been affected by the uncertainty caused by the initial announcement.

Spanish Property Prices Still Decreasing

As the sale of Spanish property registered an increase of 10.7 per cent in the first half of 2010 compared with the same period in 2009, the property prices have seen a drop of 4.3 per cent in July compared to the same month in 2009. The Spanish Property Market Index, published by Tinsa revealed how prices have seen accumulated drops of 16.9 per cent from their maximum in 2007 with the coastal areas having seen a drop of prices by 22 per cent, 17.9 per cent in urban areas and 17.4 per cent in the capital and other large cities.

More Heat On The Way

The Spanish met office has issued a yellow alert for Wednesday, with temperatures expected to climb to around 34 degrees. Lanzarote and Fuerteventura will be the worst hit islands but some southern regions will also be affected. For Thursday, and through the weekend they have issued an Orange alert as temperatures are due to rise still higher to around 37 degrees.

Two Wild Dogs Captured

Operators of the Teguise dog pound captured two wild dogs, which had been terrorising farms over the weekend killing fifty sheep. The workers managed to catch two of the dogs with sedative shots, which were living in caves on the landfill at Zonzamas. There are still, at least 3 more dogs at large, say workers from the pound.

A Tenerife First

The island of Tenerife will soon be known as the first bioclimatic holiday village in the world. Each of the 25 energy self-sufficient houses has been built in individual designs utilizing different technologies, where it will function as a living experiment in sustainability. The house itself will not only serve as a temporary shelter for tourists, but it will also double up as science laboratories, thanks to a slew of sensors which constantly feed back information on their temperature, humidity and air movement in order to determine which techniques are the most efficient. It took around 15 years of development to realize this dream, where the entire cost has touched a whopping €10 million.

Monday 9th August

Air Traffic Controllers Strike Talks Breakdown

The Ministry for Development has called on the USCA, Air Traffic Controllers Union, to accept their latest proposal for arbitration, or fix a date for their threatened strike action. Following the failure of talks, a statement from the Ministry considered that ‘the culture of blackmail’ is trying to gain ‘priviledges’ which will damage the economic recovery and the citizens. Secretary of State for Transport, Concepción Gutiérrez, said that their rejection of an offer of 200,000 € pay was ‘an insult to the Spanish people’. Meanwhile the union has described, AENA, and the Ministry for Development as ‘irresponsible’ for not negotiating. Latest reports indicate that a strike, if one is called, will be from August 22. The union plans to meet on Thursday when they will decide whether to accept the offer to go to arbitration, or call the strike.

Spain May Bring in Military Air Traffic Controllers

Spain has announced it may bring in military air traffic controllers to guarantee air traffic, as more air traffic controllers are allegedgly on “sick” strike, which has caused chaos at Barcelona airport. Staff shortages have also affected Mallorca and Ibiza airports. Spanish Transport Minister, Jose Blanco told Cadena SER radio network that “In exceptional situations we will employ aerial military controllers to guarantee aviation traffic in our country”. Trade union officials claim the absences are justified medically and that any delays that may have occured are merely a result of poor scheduling. The use of military air traffic controllers would be “rash” and “dangerous” said the head of the union, Camilo Cesa at a press conference.

23% of Spain’s Construction Companies Closed

According to a recent study, around a quarter of Spain’s construction companies have closed shop. A total of 170,000 companies in the construction industry closed their companies during the years 2008 and 2009. The majority of all closures happened in the past year. As a result of the bursting of the ‘housing bubble’, the rate of change in construction has declined more strongly than in the rest of the economy,” says the study. The study also criticised the Ministry of Development for reducing its infrastructure budget by 6.4 billion euros.

Economic Crisis Hits Summer Festivals

Spain's economic crisis has forced authorities to cut back on traditional summer festivals. In the last two summers, the budgets for major festivals has fallen an average of 40 percent, austerity measures mean some have cancelled firework displays and concerts or are using disc jockeys instead of live performers and are being forced to renegotiate contracts to lower costs. But researchers said that residents not only understand the new austerity measures but are the first to ask for savings to be made. In June, Spain's powerful regional governments agreed to tighter deficit limits for the next three years as part of tough austerity measures approved by the Socialist government to rein in the country's massive public deficit.

Spanish Roads Worst Weekend

It has been the worst weekend of the year so far on Spain’s roads with 26 deaths in 24 fatal accidents. A further 30 people were injured. Eight of those killed were motor bikers while seven were pedestrians. There is some concern that given the so-called ‘dropped ball point pen’ strike by the Trafico Guardia, which has resulted in far fewer fines being issued, that drivers could be more ready to ignore speed limits this summer. Despite the tragic weekend, so far this year accidents are 15% down on last year at the same time.

Saturday 7th August

Daylight Robbery!

Depending on the company, car rental prices can vary by as much as 431 per cent in the same town, according to a study by a consumer protection association. This translates into a price difference of between 58 euros and 143 euros per day, depending on the city. Cities covered in the study included Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona, Madrid, Sevilla and Tenerife, and focused on the daily rental prices of cars in all ranges. The daily rental rates reached a difference of 735 per cent when comparing the most expensive with the cheapest in the five cities.

Holidaymaker Charged With Murder

A Britsh man is being held in custody over the death of his girlfriend in Gran Canaria.Christopher Chittock, 36, a British man from Ipswich returned to the UK alone after the couple's fortnight-long holiday.Sarah Shields, 23, was missing but earlier last month, her body was found near Playa Balito. Nearly a week after her body had been found, he had been sending messages to people claiming she was alive. He will appear in court in connection with the case on Wednesday, August 11.

Migrant Boat Intercepted

A small boat with 13 migrants on board and carrying 40 kilograms of hashish, was intercepted by police on Thursday on the shores of La Graciosa. After watching the craft, about 6 meters long, where two people apparently, were fishing a search, revealed more people hidden under a plastic sheet. The small boat had become waterlogged and police had to tow the craft to the shore. Subsequently, the occupants of the boat were transferred to the Port of Orzola, where two people were arrested a total of 11 illegal immigrants were on the craft.

Friday 6th August

Government Vows Legal Action Against Controllers

The Canarian government is set to take legal action against air traffic controllers over the strike planned for later in August. Regional president Paulino Rivero said on radio yesterday that he would not allow the controllers to inflict further damage on the Canarian economy and tourist sector. 'We will not let a group of 2000 people hold the country to ransom' said Rivero, who reminded the controllers that they were a privileged sector earning over 200,000 euros at a time when there are 4 million unemployed in Spain. The government's legal services are looking into ways of blocking the strike. Rivero revealed that the uncertainty generated by the strike threat is already having an effect on the tourist industry here.

South and West of Spain On Alert

Six Spanish provinces are on alert over excessive temperatures. Jaén, as well as the district of Huelva, are on yellow alert over temperatures that could exceed 38ºC. In Extremadura, Badajoz and Cáceres weathermen are expecting to see similar temperatures. Cádiz and Girona residents are also warned to be on the alert for strong coastal winds.A Yellow alert is less than a state of emergency but means there is a high risk of sunstroke – which is often fatal – if people do not take precautions.

Jobless Spaniards Grape-Picking in France

Some 14,000 Spaniards hit by the country's soaring rate of unemployment will cross the French border to take part in the grape-picking season. The number of Spaniards heading for France's vineyards is up 3.7 percent compared to 2009, an increase which the union says has been spurred by Spain's unemployment, which has reached an EU record high of 20.09 percent. The grape-pickers will stay between 20 to 25 days.

Development Minister Declines Meeting

The Ministry for Development has ruled out a meeting between the Minister, José Blanco, and the Spanish air traffic controllers. The controllers’ union, USCA, has said that it will hold a three day strike in the second half of the month, but has still not decided on a firm date, calling instead for a meeting with the Minister to try and avoid the action. But the Ministry has indicated that it is in the talks which are already underway with AENA, the Spanish Airports Authority, where the collective should place their demands. A statement from the Ministry denied reports that such a meeting with the Minister was going to take place. Público newspaper reports that 30% of hotel reservations are now on hold because of the threat of the controllers strike.

New Canada Link For Canaries?

The Canary Islands Tourist Board has signed an agreement with North American, tour operator, Total Vacations with the aim of attracting Canadian Tourists to the islands. The campaign will be supported with a 26 page glossy brochure outlining the many and varied attractions here on the islands. Organisers say that the initial response is positive and that there is a possibility of establishing a direct flight between the islands and a major Canadian airport. Initially, however the campaign will offer access to the islands via connecting flights from London, Madrid and Barcelona.

Thursday 5th August

Traffic Controllers Offered 200,000 Euros

AENA bosses have offered striking air-traffic controllers an average salary of 200,000 euros a year until 2013 on the condition that they change their minds about downing tools. The airline governing body, AENA – which is part of the ministry of public works – has offered salaries way above staff's European colleagues in a bid to make them re-think. But air-traffic controllers, who have threatened to strike for up to three days starting from either August 18 or 20 – to be confirmed – say AENA has been attempting to bribe them with higher pay and failing to address their real concerns. If the strike goes ahead, it could cost airlines millions of euros and leave holidaymakers heading for the Mediterranean this summer having to forego their holidays.

Retirees Want To Work

Sixty percent of the 2,500 over 65s interviewed in Spain claim they would like to be able to carry on working in paid employment. Most value their independence very highly, with 87 % saying they prefer to live in their own homes even if this means living alone. In fact, only 16 % of the elderly live alone, and they are mostly women living in rural locations. Around 70 % of over 65s regularly look after their grandchildren, often to a greater extent than the childrens parents.

Deputy PM To Holiday in Spain

British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will spend part of his vacation at his wife's home town of Olmedo in central Spain as he has for over a decade. The couple and their three sons will stay at his wife Miriams' family home in the town. Nick Clegg who speaks Spanish was married in the town.

Canarian Government Accused

The Canarian government has been accused by its Andalusian counterpart of sending scores of teenage immigrants to mainland Spain to fend for themselves. The allegations were made yesterday by the Andalusian social services minister, who says she has reliable evidence that recently-arrived African teenagers were given a one-way plane ticket by the Canarian authorities and instructions how to reach care homes in Andalusia. 'Each region is responsible for caring for the under-age migrants who arrive there and unless there is a formal agreement to transfer them, the Canaries cannot simply send them on their way to other parts of the country' said the minister, whose department has identified 40 such cases already and is investigating a further 70 cases.

Cofete Beach Welcomes Turtles

As part of the reintroduction program for the Loggerhead Turtle to Fuerteventura, where they disappeared from three centuries ago, about 700 turtle eggs were transfered and deposited in four nests in the proposed reintroduction of breeding turtles on Cofete Beach on Fuerteventura. Recent references to the presence of these animals nesting on Canarian beaches go back 300 years ago, as there are historical documents that prove their existence on the island until the eighteenth century. The current reintroduction project was conceived a decade ago. The hatched turtles will be transported to the Turtle Nursery in Morro Jable for a year to nurture their development.

Spain Car Sales Fall

Automakers have announced that the sale of private cars in Spain has fallen 50% in 2010 through July. The end of a €2,000 scrappage scheme against a new car purchase coupled with the rise of VAT, has caused industry insiders to describe the situation as “dramatic”. One of the worst hit is the Seat car company, which suffered an operating loss of 157 million euros in the first half of 2010.

Wednesday 4th August

Air Traffic Controllers Set To Strike

The Canaries can expect major flight disruption in the second half of August following yesterday's decision by Spanish air traffic controllers to go on strike. 98% of the controllers voted to support the action in protest at new working conditions introduced by the government. No date has been set for the all-out strike but sources say it is likely to begin around 18 August and last for up to three days initially. In addition to the flight cancellations during the actual walk-out, serious disruption can be expected in the following days due to backlogs of delays. Tourism industry leaders have called on the government to replace the strikers with foreign and/or air force controllers to minimise the impact.

Tuesday 3rd August

Santander Poised To Buy RBS

Santander, Spain's biggest bank, is poised to buy 318 branches in Britain from Royal Bank of Scotland, which has pledged to shrink its network after receiving a huge state bailout. The acquisition would see the Spanish banking giant add to the 1,300 branches it already owns in Britain after its takeovers of Abbey in 2004, Bradford and Bingley and Alliance and Leicester in late 2008. A full price for the deal is still uncertain, said the FT. The final value could be somewhere between one billion pounds (, 1.2 billion euros).

Italian Quad Rider Killed in Fuerteventura

A 48-year-old Italian man died on Monday when his quad toppled over a steep embankment on the Fuerteventura coast. The man, believed to be the driver of the quad, died instantly and a passenger was injured when the vehicle overturned as it sped along the ridge of a small cliff in La Pared around luncthime. The quad plunged down the face of the embankment and landed on rocks on the beach below. Police say the pair had acted recklesly in taking the vehicle so close to the edge.

Monday 2nd August

Party Leader Rajoy in Hot Water

The leader of the PP, Mariano Rajoy, has had to make a public apology after appearing without his seat belt in a short video taken as he left to go on holiday in Galicia. The Dirección General de Tráfico considers it a "serious offence" to travel without a sestbelt, and it usually attracts a fine of 150€, with the loss of three points in the case of a driver. The PP has already been embroiled in a road safety controversy this year, when PP deputy Ignacio Uriarte was involved in a crash in the centre of Madrid and was subsequently found to be over the limit.

Raúl Bids Farewell

Veteran Real Madrid forward Raúl González will make his departure from the team he has served for the past six years official in a press conference at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on Tuesday. His decision to leave Real Madrid will be announced just 24 hours after his team-mate Jose Gutiérrez announced his departure from the club. Guti, also 33 years of age, has been with Real Madrid since he was nine years old. He has yet to announce which club he will be going to.

Fragile Rebound- Warns IMF

The IMF warned last Friday of a fragile economic recovery with an expected growth forecast for 2011 lowered to 0.6 per cent from a 0.9 per cent forecast made in April. The report from the IMF stated that “The particular challenges facing Spain will likely make the recovery slower and more fragile than in the euro area.” The economic challenges facing the Spanish economy include the burst property bubble, a “dysfunctional” labour market, high indebtedness of the private sector, weak competitiveness, “anaemic” productivity growth and a “banking sector with pockets of weakness”. “What needs to happen now is that the economy as a whole has to move away from its past reliance on the housing sector and produce more tradable goods,” said IMF mission chief for Spain, James Daniel.

Spanish Air Traffic Controllers Threaten Strike

Spanish air traffic controllers are threatening to take strike action in the face of Government ‘provocation’. They claim that it is the only way to respond to the Government and defend their jobs and ‘dignity’. It comes as the Ministry for Development has enforced a 40% cut in their pay, taking it down to an average 200,000 € a year and changed other working practices. The USCA, Air Traffic Controllers Union, are to call a national assembly to debate and vote on a strike call on Tuesday. Meanwhile the airport on the Canary Island of La Gomera has become the first in Spain to operate without any air traffic controllers. Computers will now cope with the two flights a day to and from Tenerife.

Sunday 1st August

America's First Lady Holiday

The White House has confirmed that America's First Lady, Michelle Obama and the younger of her two daughters, Sasha, will take a summer break in Spain next week. The First Lady will pay an official visit to Spanish King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, but their holiday has otherwise been described as a ‘private, mother-daughter trip with longtime family friends’, the White House said in a statement. Michelle Obama has reserved about 40 rooms for herself and her daughter, their friends and bodyguards at the five-star Villa Padierna Hotel in Benahavis near Marbella. The hotel, known as one of the most luxurious in Spain, is operated by the Ritz-Carlton group.

Friday 30th July

Air-Traffic Controllers 'Forced' Back to Work

Two-thirds of the air-traffic controllers who all went off sick at once have returned to their duties, meaning chaos and delays in airports across Spain have been dramatically reduced. After having medical checks and being declared fit, they claim the airline governing body, AENA, has forced them to go back to work when they are 'not in perfect health'. Out of the 205 examined, 136 were declared as being fit to return to work. The checks were carried out after the mass exodus provoked suspicions that the air-traffic controllers had staged a clandestine strike. The ministry of work says the level of short-term sick-leave recently among airport workers has exceeded even that seen during times of influenza epidemics and seasonal allergies.

Government Passes Labour Reform

The Government managed to get its labour reform legislation through Congress on Thursday without support from any of the other parties, thanks to the abstention of the Catalan and Basque Nationalists, CiU and PNV. The legislation enables employers to apply for reduced redundancy payments, 20 days pay per year worked, if they are in economic difficulties. Unions have voiced their anger at the move. Under the new regulations Social Security Inspectors can force a person who has taken sick leave back to work in four days, instead of the previous 14 days. In addition companies will be able to sack workers with the lower redundancy payments when there has been poor attendance. If the absenteeism reaches 20% of continuous working days over a 2 month period, or 25% of working days in four months as part of an 18 month period.

One in Three Canarians Jobless

The number of people unemployed in the Canary Islands rose to 317,000 in the second quarter of this year, an increase of 16,100.The new figures show that almost a third of the working population is out of work.this figure is dramatically higher than the national average which is 20.9%. Nationally there are now more than 4.6 million without work.

Beer Gets Thumbs Up!

Drinking beer in moderation can actually keep you hydrated, according to a new study by Spanish scientists. After years of thinking that beer actually contributes to dehydration, we are now told that beer, which is 95% water ,can replace fluids lost on a hot summers day. Also it contains essential vitamins and minerals, folic acid and B vitamins as well as minerals such as pottasium and magnesium. A well timed report with current temperatures soaring to over 30 degrees - and we are constantly reminded to drink plenty of water!

Thursday 29th July

Spain Approves Cannabis Drug

The Spanish Ministry for Health has announced the authorisation of the sale of GW Pharmaceuticals drug ‘Sativex’ in Spain. The drug contains a cannabis derivative and is used for the treatment of muscular spasms in multiple sclerosis sufferers. It is applied via an oral spray. Minister for Health, Trinidad Jiménez, ruled out widening the use of the drug to other patients, such as cancer sufferers for example.

Alan Sugar Under Investigation

Sir Alan Sugar is under investigation by a Marbella judge in connection with the allegedly fraudulent purchase of two buildings of the Byblos Hotel in Mijas, according to a report in El País. The hotel closed down at the end of May, but a year ago the British businessman was awarded the tennis club and the spa of the hotel complex at public auction for three million euro. Instruction Court 1 in Marbella has opened an investigation to see if there was fraud in Sugar’s bid, which was the only one presented to the auction, which had been deserted on three previous occasions.

Islands Claim First Bullfight Ban

Yesterday's headline-making decision by Catalonia to outlaw bullfighting in the region as of 2012 has prompted a flurry of media reminders here that the Canaries were the first part of Spain to ban the sport. No bullfights have been staged here since 1983, although the actual legislation that halted them formally was not passed until the early 1990s. Santa Cruz de Tenerife's bullring still exists but has been used to host various events unrelated to bullfighting since then. The ban here was much less controversial than in Catalonia given the considerably smaller following and the reluctance of bullfight organisers to cover the costs of shipping bulls for fights. Yesterday's decision by the Catalan Parliament has received prominent billing in the world media.

German Television Features Manrique

A special documentary on the work of the artist Cesar Manrique has been made by a German television company. The documentary, lasting 30 minutes, will be shown in the first weeks of the autumn on a German cultural channel. Manrique ,the Lanzarote born artist was awarded 2 prestigious German awards for his work. The documentary tells how the artist "sought harmony between art and nature as a creative space", whist keeping the environmental integrity of the island. The German crew locations filmed in the Jameos del Agua,the Cactus Garden - celebrating its twentieth anniversary, Mirador del Rio, The National Park of Timanfaya Montañas del Fuego and the Monumento al Campesino. The documentary will no doubt help in promoting tourism to the island, at a market as important as Germany.

Cultural Weekend- The Sea Festival in Playa Honda

This weekend there is a music, theatre and story telling event in Playa Honda. Starting on the 30th and 31st July he Festival "Calm Sea" 2010. The event takes place on the Avenida in Playa Honda, at the top of Calle Princesa Ico and commences at 19:00 pm on both dates.

Wednesday 28th July

Next Century Hotter

Temperatures in Spain have gone up by between 3ºC and 6ºC over the last 60 years, and the same pattern is expected to continue towards the end of the century. Experts from the state meteorological agency say that between the years 2071 and 2100, sweltering summers of 38ºC will reach average highs of 44ºC in 60 years time, based upon data they have collected since the mid-20th century. They say this is clear evidence of global warming. Around nine regions in Spain remain on yellow or orange alert for high temperatures after a temporary respite and thunder storms last weekend.

Catalan Parliament Bans Bullfighting

Catalonia's parliament voted to ban bullfighting from January 1, 2012 becoming the first region in mainland Spain to act against the centuries old tradition. The ban was approved with 68 votes in favour and 55 against. The motion tightens Catalonia's animal protection law to remove an exception for bullfights from a ban on killing or mistreating animals in shows. Catalonia is the second autonomous region of Spain to ban the ‘National Fiesta’ following a decision taken in the Canaries in 1991.

Yellow Alert For The Islands

The met office have issued another yellow alert starting Thursday for the eastern islands, with temperatures expected to reach 34 degrees. Worst affected areas are expected to be the south of Gran Canaria as well as the more inland areas of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Weathermen warn that these high temperatures could last until Friday in some areas.

Costa Music Festival Cancelled

Teguise Council has suspended the Annual costa music festival this year due to the economic crisis. The Council want to ensure that the amount that would otherwise be invested in this show should instead be used for social care and the unemployed and will be used to generate new jobs in the municipality. The Corporation has spent months meeting with various institutions and the organizers of the Costa concert in order to seek financial support from corporations and private companies. After failing to reach an agreement, the City Council has finally decided to go it alone .The council say they have in the past funded the event but have decided that the cleaning and general maintenance of Costa Teguise is more important and that when the economy permits, the event will resume.

Tuesday 27th July

Spanish Bag Shock!

Each Spanish person generally takes home about 300 plastic bags a year representing 98,000 tonnes of waste, as highlighted in the presentation of the campaign "Change the bag once," presented by the Environment Minister Elena Espinosa. In Spain there are 13.5 million plastic bags used per year, generating thousands of tons of waste. The solution environmentlists say is that we should all re-use bags and that they should gradually be replaced by biodegradable ones such as natural banana fibre on a polyurethane matrix which can increase the capacity of degradation of plastics whilst reducing their environmental impact, according to researchers at The University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Spain Low Crime Rate

Despite negative reports in the British Press and the unfair "Costa del Crime" tag, Spain is one of the three European countries with the lowest crime rates, with 44 offences per 1,000 people. The United Kingdom has one of the highest rates, with 91 offences per 1,000 people. This is due to the work of the 150,200 National Police and Guardia Civil, who have solved 40.5 per cent of crimes making less than 10 per cent of the population regard crime as a problem in Spain. Since 2003, police operations against money laundering have risen by 121 per cent and last year, 115 operations against this type of organized crime were carried out.

Ban on Bull-Fights

The World Society for the Protection of Animals have handed a petition with 140,000 signatures to the Parliament of Cataluna calling for bull-fighting to be scrapped. Cataluna, the wealthy region, where many seek independence from Spain, has led opposition to bullfighting, in part due to a desire among some Catalans to emphasise its distinct identity. In 2003 it passed a sweeping animal protection law that restricted towns without bullrings from building them and prohibited all children under 14 from attending bullfights. During the right-wing dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, bullfighting was promoted as a unifying national spectacle. The mass appeal has faded, especially among the young, and it has been hit hard by the economic crisis.

Sean Connery Company Described As 'Opaque'

A Judge in a Marbella Court has claimed that one of the companies linked to the Scottish actor, Sean Connery, and his wife, Micheline is ‘opaque’. The magistrate notes that the company, By The Sea S.L., was set up initially by companies based in financial havens, and so the identity of those to profit from the business is unknown. Withdrawals were made from the company as the apartments built on the site of the previous Connery villa, Malibu, were sold, with the court document saying ‘large amounts of foreign currency’ were moved at the end of 2005. The actor and his wife are indicted in two separate cases being investigated.

Is She Or Isn't She?

Penélope Cruz’s management company has said that the weekend reports that the actress is expecting a baby at the New Year are inaccurate. El Mundo had given the story high profile in Spain, but now her representative, speaking on a television programme, has denied the reports. It’s not the first time that such a rumour has been published.

Monday 26th July

White House Denies Obama Spanish Holiday

The White House denied on Sunday reports from Spanish media that US President Barack Obama and his family would take a holiday early August in the posh southern Spanish resort city of Marbella. A White House official told AFP the report by Spanish newspaper El Pais and El Mundo was incorrect. According to the Obamas' official schedule, the First Family has August getaway plans for the disaster hit US-Gulf Coast as well as the northeastern vacation spot off Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard.

Ryanair More Seats to Fuerteventura

Ryanair have announced two new routes to Fuerteventura from November. The two new routes will connect Fuerteventura with Luton and Edinburgh. The new connections will offer 756 more seats each week to the island which will, in total see, 5856 weekly air seats for the island.

Traffic Guardia Civil Assessed By Points

Spain’s traffic Guardia are from this month being assessed for the number of fines they issue. The group which represents them, the AUGG, claims the move is an attempt to stop their so called ‘dropped ball point pen strike’ which has seen a recent sharp reduction in the number of fines being issued, allegedly in action in protest at a cut in wages. Now the agents get two points for every fine they award and four when there is an infraction involving the illegal transport of people or goods. Nine points are awarded for a positive breathalyser test, two for attending an accident, and one for providing help on the road.

Spanish Worldwide

Spanish is spoken by some 450 million people, is the second language in the world by number of native inhabitants, the second language of international communication and the third most used via the Internet, according to a report released by the Instituto Cervantes. If trends do not change in three or four generations, 10% of the world population will speak in Spanish. The most studied languages today in order are, English, French, Spanish and German.

Sunday 25th July

Spanish Savings Banks Fail Tests

Five Spanish Cajas savings banks have failed the European stress tests on banks, and will need 2.043 billion euros between them to put their accounts into order. The test was designed to see if the banks would survive another credit crisis. All the Spanish conventional banks passed the test, with the Banca March emerging as the most solvent. The Bank of Spain said that it had now been demonstrated that the Spanish financial system is solid. ‘We have subjected the entire banking system to tests of maximum tension in scenarios which are more than improbably for their harshness’.

Is Penélope Cruz Pregnant?

Penélope Cruz is four months pregnant according to La Otra Crónica in El Mundo newspaper, and will become a parent, with husband Javier Bardem, before the end of the year. It comes after the recent statement from Cruz’s management company that the couple married in secret in the Bahamas at the start of July. Cruz’s popularity is as high as ever in the United States. Her appearance on Sunday last week on the ‘60 minutes’ TV programme resulted in an audience of 7.6 million making the show the most popular of the night. There however she kept completely away from her personal life, concentrating instead on her childhood.

Tourism Surge

June statistics show almost three quarters of a million visitors to the Islands, of which over two thirds were from foreign markets. The significant drop in holidaymakers from the Spanish peninsula has been more than made up by the recovery of the British and German market. The number of foreign visitors is up by 15.9 per cent on last year’s figures and the Canaries were the most popular choice for foreign visitors in Spain. So far this year the Islands have attracted 4,144,323 international tourists.

Friday 23rd July

Driving Offenders May Lose Cars

Prison sentences for serious road offences could be substituted by impounding the culprit's vehicle instead. Head of the prosecution service for road safety, Bartolomé Vargas, says nearly 500 of Spain's 1,500 prison inmates who are serving sentences for motoring offences are in Catalunya. Most of these inmates have been jailed for driving without a licence, driving under the influence of drink or drugs, or dangerous driving – which includes negligent homicide. Vargas says jailing offending motorists is 'very harsh' and should be kept only as a punishment for 'very serious' offences.

No Cuts for Canaries

The Spanish Minister for Development, José Blanco, has confirmed that the infrastructure budget for the Canaries will not be cut despite countrywide restrictions due to the financial crisis. Whether the support is in recognition of a very real need in the area or as a political payoff for support given, they are welcome words indeed. The Canaries is the only regional government which has not been affected by nationwide cuts, with Catalonia, Cantabria, Aragón and Castilla y León facing the largest reductions.

Save The Summer Season!

The Business Association of Hotels and Apartments Lanzarote as well as the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodation demanded that the Ministry of Development of the Government should seek a prompt and final solution to the conflict with air traffic controllers in order to avoid the potential damage that may happen to the tourism and hotel sector in the period of peak activity of the summer season. According to industry estimates, if a strike happened again this could cause a loss of more than 15,000 million euros to the island and an early solution to the conflict would be the only way to guarantee the maintenance of the positive trend of increased tourist numbers and allow for the strengthening of the Spanish tourism industry against international competitors.

Spain Cracks Down on Dangerous Drivers

Spain is going to crack down on road rage drivers with the prosecutors’ office chasing drivers who, for example, drive too close and aggressively to the car in front. Those caught could face as long as two years in prison, although as an alternative they could find their vehicles impounded. Head of the prosecution service for road safety, Bartolomé Vargas, said such drivers’ actions will be considered dangerous driving. He said they produce stress and hostility’ in other drivers. Vargas called on drivers to collaborate and denounce these drivers to the authorities. He said that they should be called stalkers some of whom continue until they force other driver off the road or cause accidents. Meanwhile it has been revealed that as many as 25% of tested drivers were positive for drugs. The really high rate shows the seriousness of the problem, which has led to 135,000 sentences in 36 months.

Thursday 22nd July

Beach Umbrellas - Solar Radiation Risk

Hiding out under a beach umbrella may offer you far less protection from the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation than you expect, according to a new study by Spanish researchers. As much as 34 percent of ultraviolet radiation, found to cause skin cancer and cataracts, reaches the ground covered by a beach umbrella, the University of Valencia researchers found. This is because the umbrellas catch almost all of the direct rays but not the diffused radiation that penetrates through from the sides. Doctors recommend people use sun creams, hats and clothing when at the beach to guard against ultraviolet radiation and avoid hours when the sun is at its highest.

Santander To Float British Operations

Santander, Spain's biggest bank, hopes to list its British operations on the London Stock Exchange in a move that could raise three billion pounds. The group would like to float 20 percent of Santander UK, a subsidiary formed by bringing together its British acquisitions, Abbey, Alliance and Leicester and parts of Bradford and Bingley, said the Financial Times. The transaction, which could bring in the equivalent of 3.5 billion euros, will go ahead if market conditions are favourable and may take place in the next few months. However if the economy and stock market do not show signs of a stable recovery, it is unlikely that the bank will proceed.

New Reform of Savings Bank Law

Spain's parliament approved Wednesday a reform of the law governing the nation's troubled regional savings banks that reduces the influence of regional politicians on their management and makes it easier for them to raise capital. The new law limits the voting rights that regional administrations and public entities can exercise in the lenders' management bodies to 40 percent from 50 percent previously. The reform law was based on recommendations from the Bank of Spain and the Spanish Confederation of Savings Banks.

Digital Music Sales Rise

Digital music sales now represent 26% of the market in Spain, but the global music sales in the country were down 12.3% over the first six months of the year compared to last because of the decline in the physical market of CD’s. 21.% fewer CDs were sold in the first half of this year compared to last, a total of 57.1 million compared to 76.9 million. Music producers note this is the ninth consecutive fall in sales, although they welcome the 29.5% increase in the digital market.

Wednesday 21st July

Man Dies in Puerto del Carmen

A 62 year old man man has died after suffering cardiac arrest in Playa Chica , Puerto del Carmen on Tuesday. The Emergency services received a call at 5o'clock reporting that a man was lying on the beach and was not responding to first aid on attending the ambulance crew were unable to revive him.

Tempers Flare in Spanish Congress

The Deputy Prime Minister, María de la Vega accused the Partido Popular of wanting Spain not to lose the World Cup, as the resulting optimism in the country would benefit the Government.The political temperature was high in Congress wednesday during questions to the Prime Minister, In a sharp exchange with the PP spokesperson, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, De la Vega accused the PP of ‘disloyalty’. Zapatero ruled out any increase in company tax and noted that the Government had maintained social cohesion and its social promises. Meanwhile, The Government may have got its plans for a spending cap for 2011 through Congress by a single vote, last Tuesday.

Tourism Surge

Lowcostholiday.com say that Tenerife is becoming increasingly accepted as an all year round destination for British travellers. José Manuel Bermúdez, the island’s tourism councillor underlined the importance of this latest report, “which demonstrates that our holiday offer is very competitive and that the Canaries in general and Tenerife in particular stand up extraordinarily well against competing destinations”. According to lowcostholidays.com figures, the increase in reservations are clearly above destinations such as Egypt or Turkey . Among the reasons they give for the astonishing result are the entry into the market of new low cost air companies and the increase in the number of seats available.

Tuesday 20th July

Pension Freeze - Suspension Called

All parties in parliament except for the reigning socialists have called for pensions not to be frozen in 2011 as proposed by the central government. Zapatero's cabinet expects to save 1,500 million euros of public funds by freezing state pensions for retirees, widows and widowers, orphans and the long-term sick next year. Members of all other parties say it will see a 'notable reduction' in the 'confidence and credibility' of the so-called Toledo Pact, which was drafted in 1995 to regulate the future of state pensions. Politicians in Madrid have called for the government to 'guarantee the necessary climate of trust and loyalty' and 'suspend the freezing of pensions' for 2011, since this is 'especially relevant in times of recession'. They want to see the PSOE adopt alternative methods of saving public funds in order to cut Spain's state deficit.

Temperatures to Drop

The heatwave is expected to give tourists and residents in Spain a bit of respite from tomorrow onwards, with temperatures dropping by between 3ºC and 6ºC thanks to a north-westerly wind. According to the state meteorological agency, however, from Friday onwards the mercury will start to rise again with temperatures reaching 40ºC by the end of July. This weekend saw temperatures averaging over 40ºC throughout most of the country, particularly in the south and centre with the provinces of Córdoba and Ciudad Real, and the towns and villages in the south of Extremadura and Andalucía being particularly scorching. By the end of the month, nine of Spain's seventeen regions will be sweating in climates of over 40ºC.

Spanish Minister Confident

Spain's finance minister forecast on Tuesday that the European banking 'stress test' results to be released this week would show that Spain's financial system is solid. The European Union is releasing the results of the tests of the strength of Europe's leading banks on Friday and much focus will be put on the details of banks in Spain, as well as Greece and other nations with high debt levels. "When all the figures are known, we will see that the truth, that our financial system is solid and ready to face the future," Finance Minister Elena Salgado told Spanish National Radio. Salgado said that reorganisation of the banking system has brought "strength and solvency".

Spanish Police Break Internet Pirate TV Scam

Spanish National Police have broken up an international network which was selling pirated television signals. 27 people have been arrested in total, and there are as many as 77 implicated in the scam which had 57 interconnected servers in several EU countries. 25 of the servers were in Spain, in Córdoba, Jaén, Sevilla, Cádiz, Almería, Barcelona, Alicante, Murcia, Gran Canaria, Guipúzcoa, Mallorca, Madrid and Orense. Each server could send the signals to as many as 150 users, who were charged 15€ a month. The Europol police operation remains open and more arrests have not been ruled out. A statement from the Spanish National Police said that the gang used a cutting edge pioneering system to offer pay TV channels over the internet, using a system known as ‘cardsharing’ to redistribute the signal obtained from a single legitimate subscriber. The gang carried out its business using private internet forums and chat rooms.

Hucknall- More Than Simply Red

Mick Hucknall, lead singer of soul-rock band Simply Red, will take away more than just a flavour of the islands when he leaves Tenerife. According to the Diario de Avisos paper, organisers Sun Live Festival have revealed that Hucknall, who runs his own vineyards in Italy, has asked for ten Canarian wines, 5 red and 5 white, so he can try them out after his stay here. Hucknall wants to compare the wines with his own labels, which are also produced in volcanic soils, near Mount Etna in Sicily.

Playa Blanca Boasts Blue Flag

On Monday 19 July, in the presence of the Mayor, Angel Dominguez, Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Tourism, Leonardo Rodriguez, Playa Blanca hoisted its blue flag that has been granted this year. This award recognizes compliance with the standards for water quality, safety, beach services and good environmental management of the resort in the South of Lanzarote. The Canary islands gained 37 Blue Flags in 2010, 34 beaches and 3 marinas- 2 more than in 2009. Spain has 605 blue flags in total.

Monday 19th July

Absentees Cause Serious Delays

The absence of nearly half of Barcelona's air traffic controllers at the weekend, most of them taking sick leave, caused major flight delays in the region. The absence of 28 controllers at the Barcelona control centre, which is 46 percent of the staff, caused delays in air traffic in the Mediterranean zone on Sunday. In February the Spanish government put an end to what it described as the "incomprehensible privileges" of air traffic controllers, including their high rates of pay and benefits.

Greenpeace call for 'Zero Tolerance'

Spain is destroying an area of her coastline equivalent to eight football pitches every day. That is the claim made by the ecologist group, Greenpeace, in its report - ‘Destrucción a Toda Costa 2010’.The claim that it has been an unstoppable phenomenon, and has recently affected some of the last best kept areas of Murcia, Almería, Huelva, Galicia, Cantabria and Asturias. Their new campaign compares how parts of the Spanish coastline looked in the 50’s to how they look today, and say that despite the recession there seems to be no end to the destruction in sight. With so little untouched coastline left they say that there should be zero tolerance for new large urbanisation.

Big Surge In Blood

The amount of blood donated in the Canary Islands has increased by more than 42% over the past 10 years according to a new Department of health report. More than 13% of this increase has come in the past 2 years, while donor numbers have shot up by 35%.This increase has allowed the Canary islands to be almost totally self sufficient in blood transfusions.

Canaries Escape Flight Controller Problems

The delays caused by a work to rule by air traffic controllers in other parts of Spain had little effect on flights to and from the Canaries over the week-end. All airports operated normally on one of the busiest week-ends of the summer and few problems were encountered, in contrast to the delays seen in Barcelona, Alicante and the Balearics.AENA-The Airport Authority have accused the controllers in Barcelona of pacting sick leave amongst themselves to disrupt cover. The government says it will investigate the coincidence and take appropiate action if the controllers have colluded to disrupt flights.

Tourist's Boyfriend In Court

The boyfriend of an English woman found dead in Gran Canaria last week sent messages during the days following her death to dupe people into thinking she was alive, a court in Suffolk has been told today. Christopher Chittock was charged with perverting the course of justice after police confirmed the body of a woman found in the sea on July 7 was that of 23-year-old Sarah Shields from Ipswich. The pair had been on holiday staying at the Balito Beach Apartments in Mogán. Chittock has been bailed on suspicion of his girlfriend’s murder after being questioned by Suffolk detectives.

Friday 16th July

The Sara Concert

Costa Teguise will be the venue for a musical show put on to raise money for Sara,the dogs home charity. The event, coinciding with the program of celebrations of the Festival of Carmen, will take place on Saturday 17th July and will have bands such as "Cumbia Ebria", "Simulacro" and "De Miedo Ahí". Tickets for the event cost 4 euros to go entirely to animal protection and are available at the Department of Culture of Teguise, or at "Sara" in the mornings, or at the door. Volunteers have already sold 500 tickets. Although the concert is due start at dusk, from 17.00 workshops will be held at Plaza de la Mareta withDog training classes for beginners, lectures and a dog grooming workshop will also be held.

Bond In Court

Former James Bond actor Sean Connery and his wife Micheline have been brought before the courts again over an alleged 1.6-million-euro tax fraud following the sale of land in Málaga.The land is thought to have been sold by a company linked to the couple. Judge Ricardo Puyol of the Court of Instruction No.1 in Marbella discovered the second incident which could give rise to fraud charges whilst investigating an ongoing, similar case linked to the Connerys. During their holidays in Marbella, until 1999, Sean and Micheline Connery lived in the seafront villa in question, which is on the same plot of land as a four-storey apartment block built between 2004 and 2005.Now, the sale of the block Colinas del Limonar in the Los Almendrales district of Málaga city is being looked into, since it appears the firm linked to the Connerys did not declare the sale as part of their annual Company Tax bill. A number of bank accounts and shares have been frozen pending the outcome of the trial.

Man Arrested After Suspected Poisoning

Police on the Canary Islands have arrested a nurse who is accused of killing his girlfriend by poison. She died on July 11 on Gran Canaria, after being admitted to hospital with an intoxication. She had not, however, placed any official complaints about her partner. The Government Sub Delegate for the Canaries, Vicente Oliva, thinks it could be another case of domestic violence, but noted that reporting restrictions have been introduced. The 32 year old victim worked as a ATS assistant in the same hospital as her boyfriend and had been admitted there some days before she died. Family and friends think that she was being slowly poisoned.

Mourinho Makes a Third Signing

Pedro Gil has become the third signing for Real Madrid since the arrival of José Mourinho. The deal for the Murcia player has been closed at 10 million euros, and he will sign for six seasons with the club. He joins the earlier new signings, Canales and Di María, and comes from the Getafe team. Mourinho has started work with the side in a first training session where both Raúl and Guti were absent. The two captains have extra holidays while the rest of the players underwent medicals.

Canary Islands Steroid Swoop

In a combined operation police have arrested 4 people including one in the Canary Islands, accused of selling Anabolic Steroids via the internet.The arrests were made in Madrid, Tarrasa, Valencia and Puerto del Rosario in the north of Fuerteventura. Police followed a trail of electronic evidence as the four accused used various body building sites to sell the drug. The accused are also charged with embezzlement as many of their customers did not receive their goods after parting with cash.

Boyfriend Quizzed Over Holiday Death

A 36-year-old man is being questioned by Suffolk police after returning to England following a holiday during which his girlfriend is believed to have been killed. Sarah Shields was on a two-week holiday in Gran Canaria but was reported missing by her family in Ipswich when she failed to return home on Sunday July 11th as planned. Although no official confirmation has been issued, police on the island believe the body found floating off the coast of Mogán early on 7 July is that of the 23-year-old. Her boyfriend spent wednesday night in police custody and is expected to be charged with murder and perverting the course of justice.

State of the Nation Debate

Regional parties have now had their chance to question the Prime Minister. Once again the Prime Minister found himself without support, failing to get approval from either the Grupo Mixto or the UPyD. Rosa Diéz joined the PP call for early elections. Meanwhile the National Court has upheld two appeals against the enforced wage cuts introduced by the Government in the public sector. Unions CCOO and UGT have both welcomed the court’s decision, and note that the same court ruled against a similar wage freeze imposed by the Partido Popular in 1996. The Government wanted to see public sector workers wages fall by an average 5% this year and be frozen next.

Thursday 15th July

Prices in Spain Crash for Holiday Brits

A holiday in Spain is 40 per cent cheaper than it was this time last year, according to the latest Holiday Costs Barometer that charts costs in popular holiday destinations. Prices have plunged in top Eurozone destinations, led by Portugal and Spain - by as much as 42 per cent year on year. In sharp contrast, the new figures show a 31 per cent rise in US prices. Prices have dropped by 42 per cent in The Algarve ,Portugal, which is cheapest in the survey. Sterling’s strengthening against the euro means that Portugal and Spain are at least one-third cheaper than any other country. Feeding one’s habits in Spain costs almost half the price than it does in Britain. A pack of Marlborough in Spain costs 3.18 pounds whereas in Britain 6.13 pounds and a beer in a bar or café here costs an average of 1.77 pounds, in Britain prepare to pay an average of 3.10 pounds.

Tourism Increases

The number of tourists coming to the islands rose in June by more than 16% compared to the same period last year. That is a huge 80,000 more tourists. This increase at least, offers hope to the islands hard pressed tourist industry,and what is most encouraging is that whilst tourism numbers from the main traditional markets of Britain and Germany have been declining the shortfall is being topped up by an increase in visitors from Norway, France and Belgium. Best performer was Fuerteventura with a 30% increase in foreign visitors while Lanzarote was trailing behind with a 17.4% increase.

A World’s First for Spaniard in Costa Blanca

The first total face transplant, including eyelids, tear ducts and lips, was carried out by French doctors on a 35 year old Spanish man known only as Rafael age 35, whose face had been deformed by a genetic disorder. Dr Laurent Lantieri reported that his patient is doing well and that “his beard has started to grow back on his new face.” Lantieri claims that this operation was the first that included the eyelids and tear ducts, which will allow the patient to cry naturally. Considered one of the toughest tasks in surgery, a face transplant requires microsurgery to connect nerves and blood vessels and brings a high risk of rejection from the patient’s immune system.

Spanish Court in Landmark Asbestos Ruling

A Spanish court has for the first time ordered a firm to pay millions of euros in compensation to residents whose health was harmed by exposure to asbestos from one of its factories. Spanish construction materials firm Uralita was ordered to pay 3.9 million euros (4.9 million dollars) to 45 people who for decades lived near its factory in a Barcelona suburb, for "damage to the lungs, leading in some cases to death". The financial compensation will be shared between residents who became sick because of their asbestos exposure, and their families. It is the first time in Spain that a court has ordered a company to compensate local residents. The factory, which made cement, used asbestos for years until the use of the mineral which has been found to cause cancer was banned in 2001. In additional to cancer, asbestos exposure has been found to cause asbestosis, a progressive, debilitating lung disease.

PM Sees Economic Growth in Second Quarter

Prime Minister Zapatero predicted that the Spanish economy will likely grow during the second quarter after it edged out of recession in the first."The numbers show that, probably, we had growth again during the second quarter," he said. He based his prediction on indicators pointing to a rise in exports and industrial production. The Spanish economy, hit by the bursting of a property boom, entered recession at the end of 2008 and struggled until the first quarter of this year when it expanded just 0.1 percent from the previous quarter. The government predicts Europe's fifth largest economy will grow 0.3 percent this year and 1.3 percent in 2011 after contracting by 3.6 percent in 2009.

British Man Arrested

A 36 year old Ipswich man has been arrested for murder after returning home from a holiday on the Canary Islands without his girlfriend. 23 year old Sarah Shields was reported missing when she failed to return home on July 11. The Guardia Civil on the islands say that the body of a young woman was discovered on the morning of July 7. It was found floating in the water at the Playa de Balito in Puerto Rico in Morgán on Gran Canaria by a German man.

In-Flight Use of Mobiles Approved

The Spanish government has given the green light to the use of mobile phones on planes. In a decision which is certain to generate controversy among passengers, the Ministry of Industry gave its approval to the system known as Mobile Communication on Aircraft, which allows phones to be used at all times except landing and take-off. The Ministry says the approval includes detailed regulation of the use of mobiles on flights to harmonise the individual authorisations granted already to airlines for in-flight trials. The decision, which was announced yesterday, has already produced widespread reaction, much of it adverse from passengers who are worried that phone use by chatty neighbours will make flying a misery.

Wednesday 14th July

General Strike is 'Absolutely Necessary'

Unions claim the general strike called for September 29 over the proposed labour reform is 'very fair' and 'absolutely necessary'. Both the UGT and the CCOO say it is a way of workers' 'showing their disapproval' of Zapatero's economic policies, which they say will mean unemployment will continue to grow for longer than predicted. The unions are pushing for 'the preservation of workers' rights' and 'economic growth' as well as the creation of jobs, and for plans to raise state retirement age to 67, freeze pensions and introduce a labour reform to be scrapped. It is predicted that on September 29, a large proportion of the working population will be on strike, and a great number of the unemployed will join them in protest marches in the street.

Inflation Down

Inflation fell in June after three consecutive months of rises, but economists believe the increase in IVA on July 1 will cause the prices index to rocket again very soon. The Consumer Prices Index increased by 0.2 per cent in June, but the year-on-year figures fell by 0.3 per cent – a result which has cut fuel prices and led to cheaper transport, heating and electricity. Unions have called for companies to attempt to absorb the IVA increase in a bid to avoid having to lay off employees, due to a fall in business when their goods and services become too expensive.

Groups Battle for Simply Red Warm-up Honour

The organisers of next week's Simply Red concert are using a novel method to pick the warm-up act that will precede the group on the night. Promoters Sun Festival have given interested bands until tomorrow to show they have the talent required to share the stage with the English group on its Farewell Tour in Costa Adeje Golf Club. A panel will use videoclips submitted to a specially-created website to shortlist several acts, who will be invited to perform at various venues in south Tenerife in the coming days. The final decision will be taken on the eve of the concert by a jury that includes Simply Red's manager and, in addition to the curtain-raising honour, the lucky band will be given a 1-year contract with Sun Festival as well as a 3-day stay in a 5-star hotel.

Pénelope Cruz and Javier Bardem Are Married

Penélope Cruz, the actress is now married to Javier Bardem. The marriage was a secret family affair and held at a friend’s house in the Bahamas at the start of July. Antonio Rubial, the press spokesman for the actress’ agency, Kuranda, issued a brief statement to confirm the ceremony had taken place, after what has been months of speculation. Reports indicate that the bride was dressed by John Galiano; as yet no photos from the ceremony have been published.

Waste Director Responds To Complaints

Problems caused by landfill gas emissions are still causing controversy in Lanzarote. Cleofé Barreto a resident of Valterra filed a lawsuit in protest against the stench, and had to seal up her home, due to an acute allergy to the gases. Barreto, has decided to appeal to the Supreme Judicial Council to verify whether the management of the Zonzamas tip have been negligent. All of this comes months after the president of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, Pedro San Ginés, took office and pledged that the problems at Zonzamas were a priority. The island's waste director, Jose Juan Lorenzo, says that previous problems of both smells and fires have been due to waste not being covered adequately by picon on a daily basis. Picon is porous and allows oxygen to ferment rubbish, it is no longer being used and an alternative is being sourced. The case continues.

Tuesday 13th July

A Sea of Red Welcomes World Cup

Madrid turned into a sea of red on Monday as the capital turned out en masse to welcome home their World Cup football champions. The door to the plane which had brought the team to Barajas Airport opened just after 3pm and revealed Captain, Iker Casillas, holding the cup high. José Zapatero paid tribute to the team, saying that their work as a team showed the best image of Spain abroad. The King thanked the team for ‘making our dreams come true’, bringing Spaniards together, and being an example of ‘sportsmanship, nobility, good play and teamwork'.

Heatwave Over

The Met office have ended the yellow and orange alerts, put in place last friday due to the very high temperatures in the Canary Islands. The stifling heat that has suffocated the Canaries for the past five days should recede slightly as of Tuesday, although many parts will continue to remain relatively hot. Weathermen cancelled the warnings, for the south and west of Gran Canaria and Tenerife after temperatures soared to as high as 40 degrees centigrade over the weekend. The Canarian government has lifted its health alert but asks people to continue to take precautions to avoid excessive exposure to the sun.

Gambling Down in The Canary Islands

Canary Islanders gambled away an average of 690 euros in 2009. No doubt as a result of the financial crisis,that is actually 10% less than the year before, when the average spend was around 771 euros. The figures include all forms of legal gambling including state run charity lotteries, gaming machines and bingo that amount to a staggering 1.45 billion euros. That figure is dwarfed when compared to the rest of Spain, where people blew more than 30 billion euros gambling according to the Ministry for the Interior.

Canary House Sales Up

House sales in the Canary Islands were up by 33% in May, compared to the same period last year,with a total of 1,760 properties sold. With sales so far this year totalling more than 7,300 euros. May figures are the highest according to the National Statistics Institute.

Monday 12th July

Spain Wins !!!!!!!!!!

Spain has won the World Cup in what was more of a scrap than a football match, poorly controlled by English referee Howard Webb. He lost control when he failed to give a yellow card to Van Percy after just 90 seconds of play. The single goal finally came from Andrés Iniesta in the 25th minute of extra time. The Barça player got himself a yellow card for showing his vest in celebration, where he had written a tribute to his friend and Espanol player, Dani Jarque, who died last year at the age of just 26. The Dutch would complain there was an offside play ahead of the goal, but there is no doubt that the best side won in the end. But the 2010 World Cup Final will be remembered for the way the Dutch came out kicking, and the 14 yellow cards presented as a result, but the Spanish side finally won by at least trying to play the attractive football they are famous for, and justice was done.

Thousands Of People Celebrate

Thousands of people in Lanzarote celebrated the triumph of the Spanish football team over Holland (1-0) in the World Cup final. Tension was high in a stalemate match which both players and fans had to endure for 120 minutes, marked by the aggressive play of Holland, who tried to break Spains' morale with fouls, shoves and kicks, with the English referee unable to control the Dutch team. With a last minute goal from Andrés Iniesta, and the final whistle of the match, the party broke out as cars took to the streets of the islands capital, waving red flags throughout Lanzarote. Fans honked their car horns for hours, fireworks and firecrackers were set off by jubilant Arrecife revellers who had been watching the match on a huge screen at Playa Reducto near the Grand Hotel.

Friday 9th July

Spanish Government To Save 250 Million Euros

The Spanish Government is bent on reducing public spending by any means possible. After the recent labour reforms, the government has planned to save an additional 250 million Euros by laying off 5% of administration vacancies. This week the Cabinet approved a bill that was motioned to cut down the number of vacancies in different agencies and departments, over the next 3 years or more. The new measurements will not affect security agencies or the armed forces. The measurements will be affecting different aspects of the State Administration, such as managerial bodies, common services departments, agencies and public organizations.

Two Die From Heat Stroke

There have been two deaths from heat stroke in Spain so far as the heatwave conditions continue. A 24 year old Portuguese man died in Villar del Rey in Badajoz on Wednesday, and a 55 year old woman was the second victim in Sevilla on Thursday. She had been admitted to the Virgen Macarena Hospital after suffering multi-organ failure.

Tourism Cheer for Gran Canaria

The latest tourism figures for Gran Canaria have boosted confidence that the sector may at last be emerging from the downturn. The island received over 1.5 million visitors in the first half of 2010, 2% more than during the same period last year. However, the best news was seen in the June figure (145,000), which was up a full 15% on June 2009. The local Tourist Board welcomed the upturn in fortunes, which is attributed to the successful negotiations held with airlines to increase scheduled flights to Gran Canaria.

Beach Boys Success in Tenerife

Legendary band the Beach Boys gave an enthusiastic audience a post World Cup semi-final treat at the Santiago Martín Stadium outside La Laguna,Tenerife on Thursday night. Mike Love and his band, who have been entertaining audiences worldwide for half a decade, offered up one of the best concerts in the venue for several years and showed they still have their flair for the harmony-filled vocals and music that brought them fame and fortune back in the 60s and 70s. The start of the concert was put back slightly to allow fans to watch the Spain-Germany game on big screens at the stadium.

Thursday 8th July

Calima and Soaring Temperatures On The Way

As reported by BuzzFm over a week ago - The Spanish Met office is warning of a heatwave and the strong possibility of a calima starting on Friday. The Canarian Met office have issued a yellow alert, saying temperatures could hit 35 degrees as a warm air mass arrives from North Africa bringing with it a high risk of calima conditions. Worst affected will be Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, although they warn that the south and west coasts of all the islands will be affected. The met office say the weather front will be with us all weekend but will begin to move off by Tuesday of next week.

Football's Coming Home?

Spain are through to their first ever World Cup final after after beating Germany 1-0 in the semi-final in Durban on Wednesday night. The hero of the night was Barça centre half Carlos Puyol, whose bullet of a header handed the Spanish team a well-deserved date with Holland in the final on Sunday night. Spain played their best football so far in the World Cup and deserved their victory after dominating much of the game.

Lanzarote Demands FT Apology

The authorities in Lanzarote say they want a full apology from prestigious newspaper the Financial Times for claiming that the island is under investigation from Unesco and could lose its World Biosphere Reserve status. The local Cabildo is to file a formal protest not just with the London paper but with the British Embassy in Madrid and the Spanish government over what it says are 'totally unfounded allegations that have already caused irreparable damage to the island's tourist image. Spain's Environment Ministry says no investigation has been ordered by Unesco to withdraw the Biosphere distinction due to the number of illegal hotels in Lanzarote.

Wednesday 7th July

Marta Andreasen compares Zapatero to Mugabe

The Euro MP has made a second attack on the Spanish Prime Minister already famous for asking the Spanish Prime Minister, at the start of the Spanish presidency of the European Union, about the Britons under the threat of losing their homes along the Spanish coastline, she has done so again as the presidency has come to a close. Andreasen pounced to ask him whether he intended to confiscate the Briton’s homes, just as was done in Zimbabwe. She compared the demolitions along the Spanish coastline to the colonial repossessions in Zimbabwe, and spoke strongly for the defence of the Britons who have been ‘cheated’ in Andalucía. She went on to criticize the attitude of Spain regarding the houses which are now affected under the new Coastal Laws.

New Direct Flights To Paris

Spains Iberia Airlines has announced new direct service linking Tenerife to Paris. In the past People from the Canary Islands bound for Paris had to transfer via Madrid. The new service will commence on November the 6th and will operate initially only on Saturdays. Flights will leave Tenerife South Airport at 11.55 am local time arriving at the Paris Orly airport at 3pm. Return flights will leave Paris at 15.50 and arrive at Tenerife South at 8.45pm.

Lanzarote Could Lose Biosphere Recognition

Lanzarote is in danger of losing its prestigious status as a world biosphere reserve due to illegal overdevelopment of coastal areas. The warning comes from the Financial Times, which has published details this week of an investigation which could prompt UN body UNESCO to withdraw the distinction, made in 1993. According to the newspaper, the island's biosphere status is under review because of hotel developers breaches of local planning rules. The FT, which highlights the large number of local officials arrested in connection with illegal planning permits, adds that millions of euros in EU subsidies to Lanzarote may have to be returned due to misuse.

More Flights to The Canaries

Managing director of Jet2holidays, Steve Heapy, outlined the latest company news as it affects the Canaries. Heapy told those present that the company owns 10 Boeing 757s and 24 Boeing 737s and operates from seven UK airports: Leeds Bradford, Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh, East Midlands, Blackpool and Belfast. He described Jet2holidays as, “a serious tour operator with a long term commitment to Spain and the Canaries. This summer the companies number of flights from the UK to the Canaries has increased to 24 weekly, seven of these to Lanzarote.

Tuesday 6th July

The PP Calls For 24 Hour Airport

The Popular Party in Parliament of the Canary Islands has put forward an initiative calling for the airports of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura at certain times to operate 24 hours a day and have submitted a non-legislative proposal to be discussed in parliament next Tuesday. They urge the Government along with the Ministry of Public Works to take the necessary steps to enable both airports to operate at night in exceptional circumstances.

Local Police Arrest Robber

Local police officers arrested a 22 year old Arrecife man in Tias last Sunday night for his alleged involvement in two burglaries in Puerto Calero. Local Police said the offender was in a car on a dirt road adjacent to the LZ-2 motorway, and when pursued the driver got out of the vehicle, threw a suitcase away and fled but was later apprehended. On searching the vehicle several valuables were found including digital cameras, video equipment, a womans purse , credit cards belonging to others, and 590 euros in cash.

Barcelona Mulling Tax on Tourists

Barcelona is considering imposing a tax on tourists of one euro (1.25 dollars) per day to cover a cut in state subsidies aimed at promoting the city, tourism authorities said Monday. "We are looking into this possibility, which could be included in our next strategic plan for the city", a spokesman for Barcelona tourism authority said. If the plan goes ahead, it would be the first Spanish city to impose a daily tax on tourists. The Catalan newspaper La Vanguardia said "100 percent" of the funds would be used to promote the city.

Spain To Test Total Body Scanners

Spain is to test full body scanners at some airports. The Minister for Development, José Blanco, has said they will be used on a ‘provisional and experimental basis’ within six months, at some Spanish airports, in order to see how passengers respond. He made the revelation last Monday to the EU Mixed Commission in Congress, but declined to say which airports could be involved. There is some speculation that the trial could start in Cataluña.

Monday 5th July

Nadal Claims Second Wimbledon Crown

Spain's Rafael Nadal blew away 12th seed Tomas Berdych in straight sets to claim the Wimbledon crown and his eighth Grand Slam title. The world number one was too strong for the Czech player and won 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 in two hours 13 minutes in his 14th straight victory at Wimbledon. A delighted Nadal said: "I want to say thank you to the crowd because I was playing the local player on Friday, and the respect on the court was amazing and that doesn't happen on every court in the world so thank you very much".

Spain Reduce Renewable Energy Projects

Spain is widely known for its achievements in the field of renewable energy projects. However, the government of Spain have remodeled these energy plans and announced a cutoff in the subsidies for solar and wind power sectors. The ongoing scheme for wind and solar energy will expire by January 1 – 2013, afterwards, the premiums will be cut off by 30 to 35%. Last month a freeze in the prices of electricity was announced by Spain’s Socialist government, causing a suspension in the 4% hike that was scheduled for July. This move was planned to help business and households cope better with the country’s severe economic crisis.

Spanish Concern on Unpaid Taxes

Three thousand secret Swiss bank account holders are being questioned by the Spanish tax authorities in relation to a pile of unpaid taxes. Furthermore, the Spanish treasury has issued orders to all account holders, demanding a complete detail of their accounts, specifically pointing towards a fair explanation of the origin of the funds. According estimates, the accounts held by some of the wealthiest people of Spain, hold a sum of 4.9 billion pounds. Since 2004, Spain has recovered roughly 28 billion pounds from financial defaulters.

New Abortion Law Comes into Force

Spain's new Abortion Law is now in force amid widespread opposition from conservative sectors and parents. The most controversial provision in the new legislation is the lowering of the age at which girls can abort without parental consent, down from 18 to 16.

4,000 people Celebrate in Arrecife

Saturday evening Playa Reducto became the world cup "centre" of Lanzarote in celebration of Spains'victory over Paraguay at the World Cup. Amongst the revellers many families, young and old flocked to the beach near the Grande Hotel Arrecife. The celebration was attended by members of the Popular Party, the mayor of Arrecife, Candido Reguera, the councillor of Youth, Senator Joel Delgado and María Dolores Luzardo.

Sunday 4th July

Woman Assaulted By Former Husband

A 45 year old woman was injured slightly after her ex-husband allegedly assaulted her with a knife in the streets of Arrecife. According to sources from the Accident Coordinating Center, the incident occurred at 01.45 hours Sunday morning, on El Greco street Arrecife. The woman was taken to hospital and the man detained by police. The detainee will appear in court shortly.

Villa Saves Spain's Skin Again

European champions Spain are through to the semi-finals of the World Cup after a nervy 1-0 win over minnows Paraguay. A late goal from David Villa, his fifth of the tournament, killed off the spirited South Americans but only after a major second-half scare. Keeper Iker Casillas saved a penalty by Cardozo in the 57th minute and seconds later Spain were awarded a penalty, which Alonso scored but had to retake after Spain players were judged to have encroached. Alonso's second attempt was saved by Paraguayan goalie Villar to set up a thrilling last part of the game. Spain play Germany in the semis on Wednesday.

General Strike May Not Be Popular

According to a survey carried out by the Spanish newspaper "El Pais", only 27% of workers would support the September 29th strike called by the CCOO and UGT unions to protest against the changes in employment law. 67% of those surveyed said that they had no intention of supporting the strike. 51% felt the protest was justified in the light of the new policies being introduced by the government and 43% felt it was unjustified.

Famara Hosts Course For Surfers

The Cabildo of Lanzarote has organized a course for beginners surfing for children 14 and upwards, to be held on Saturday July 10th in the Playa de Famara Teguise. The course objectives focus on enabling more young people to have their first contact with surfing and acquire basic information about equipment needed, sea conditions,and basic maneuvers on the board as well as safety and surf etiquette. Surfing and bodyboarding have experienced a "significant rise" in popularity in recent years on the Island with people of all ages, according to the Cabildo of Lanzarote in their press release. Enrollment in the course is free but places "are limited, so pre-registration is essential." Entries must be made via the Youth Office of the City Sports HQ in Arrecife.

Friday 2nd July

Cheers! Thirsty Spain

Spain is the second thirstiest nations worldwide when it comes to drinking bottled water. Statistics indicate that residents annually consume over 156 litres – or on average almost half a litre – everyday of the year, come summer or winter! The only nation topping Spain is Italy, with a 177.1 litre consumption of bottled water per capita.When it comes to alcohol, Spain also figures in the Top 10 of global nations, taking sixth place. The top boozers live in Luxembourg.

Summer Sales Positive Results

The first day of the summer sales has been highly optimistic for the retail sector, with the number of purchases far exceeding those of 2009. Most high-street shops had predicted results this year would be the same as last year, so they have been pleasantly surprised. Prices have been slashed by between 30 and 70 per cent, with plenty in the middle at half price. Some shops are even opening on Sundays to help boost sales.

Spanish Industry, Unemployment Improves

Spanish statistics pointed to a three-month uplift in the troubled economy here, saying that industrial output rose in May and unemployment fell in June. In a week in which rating agency Moody's gave Spanish public debt a gloomy assessment against a background of tough austerity to fight overspending and expected sluggish growth, official data showed that industrial production had risen in May for the third month running. The Canaries were the only region in Spain not to see a drop in unemployment last month, the number of unemployed here rose slightly compared to May.

Lanzarote Flight Delayed by Bird

An Air Europa flight bound for the Canary Islands was forced to return to Madrid after a bird strike. The incident happened just after 10 minutes into the flight enroute to Lanzarote, when a kestrel struck the fuselage causing damage. Flight 9073 left Madrid at 9.20 am and returned at 9.30 am. The Airbus 322 was grounded for repairs and passengers were reallocated a flight from Madrid at 1.45 pm. According to a spokesman no injuries occurred.

Thursday 1st July

Spain's Highcourt Spotlight On Abortion Law

Spain's highest court agreed last Wednesday to hear a challenge from the conservative opposition party over the government's new more liberal abortion law, just days before it is to take effect. The legislation, also strongly opposed by the Roman Catholic Church, was approved by parliament on February 24 and is due to take effect on Monday. It allows abortion on demand up to the 14th week of pregnancy and up to 22 weeks if there is a risk to the mother's health or if the foetus has serious problems, in line with most of the country's European Union partners.

Canarian New Police

The first hundred officers of the new Canarian police force have now completed their training and appeared in a presentation for Canarian president Paulino Rivero last Wednesday. The president said that the intention is for up to 300 officers more to join the force within the next 5 years, rising eventually to 1,700 at a later as yet not specified date. The new regional security force will be initially on duty in the streets near schools and tourist areas.

Rivero No Tolerance To Air traffic Controllers Tantrums

The President of the Canary Islands Government was firm last Monday in saying that he will not tolerate the current dispute by air traffic controllers which may adversely affect Spanish Airports and Air Navigation in the archipelago. Rivero said "The Islands economy can not allow a minority to threaten the upward trends of improvement we have in the tourist sector." He spoke during his visit to the Chamber of Commerce of Las Palmas. The regional president said the government respect that air traffic controllers can strike if they feel their rights are being infringed, but that they will not be allowed to strike illegally, and that everything will be done to monitor that they meet with their obligations.

38 Lifeguards For Our Beaches This Summer

All the main tourist beaches of Lanzarote and La Graciosa are to be looked after throughout July and August with a monitoring system under the supervision of the Emergency Consortium of Lanzarote, according to their spokesman, Stephen Garcia. To maximize the effectiveness of this safety equipment, a team consisting of 38 lifeguards have been recruited. Yaiza has six specialists, whilst the Tias team is made up of ten members and San Bartolomé of two. In addition, Costa Teguise will have a service with a dozen members.

Tuesday 29th June

Tax Return Deadline Looms

Anyone failing to file their annual tax return by the 30th June may face a hefty fine from the Spanish Inland Revenue Even though local Tax Offices have been receiving returns since early May, they expect a major rush in the next 48 hours as people leave it to the last minute to submit the papers. Hacienda reminds taxpayers that they can no longer pay their arrears in two instalments (now and in November). The deadline for choosing the instalment option passed on the 25th March and all arrears must now be paid in a single sum.

Heatwave Due in Two Weeks

The Meteorological Agency predict a rise in temperatures in Lanzarote as in last summer, as a result of global warming. Despite these predictions it is expected that the present cloudy, dull conditions will continue for one or two weeks. Temperatures are expected to rise in the second half of July, with average temperatures of around 30ºC, which could remain during August and maybe even September. It is very likely that Lanzarote will have more Calimas this summer as is typical in the Canaries.

Young Woman Crossing Tracks Fined

Police have fined a young woman for crossing the train tracks at the Castelldefels Playa train station less than 48 hours after 13 people were killed by a high speed train there. Meanwhile 9 of the 13 dead have been identified, according to official sources.

Spanish Inflation Eases in June

Spanish 12-month inflation eased for the first time for four months in June, falling to 1.5 percent from 1.8 percent in May. The inflation rate had been rising steadily since late 2009 except for temporary dip in February. In November, inflation was just 0.4 percent after a period of eight months of declines amid the country's deep recession. The National Statistics Institute did not give not give a detailed breakdown of the figures for June, but said that fuel costs had fallen while food prices rose.

Lanazrote Clean Continues

Slowly Lanzarote is tidying up it's act as the main roads are being cleared of rubbish and the graffiti squad are out cleaning Arrecife and will spread outwards once completed. This is long overdue and the Cabildo are urging everybody to take more pride and keep the island tidy for everyone especially the tourists.

Monday 28th June

Judge Declares Spain's Marsans Insolvent

Viajes Marsans, one of Spain's biggest and oldest tour operators, has been declared insolvent. The judge took the decision on Friday after about 20 companies made complaints over unpaid bills. But the judge ruled that the company Posibilitum, which acquired Marsans earlier this month for 600 million euros (740 million dollars), can continue to run the firm. Marsans' financial difficulties took a turn for the worse in December when a British court ordered it's airline Air Comet to close owing to its massive debts. In March Marsans insurance company Seguros Mercurio went under.

Zapatero Tells The G20

The Spanish Prime Minister has said, at the G20 summit in Canada where Spain is an invited country, that he will not hesitate in making the public spending cuts approved in Spain, because reducing the deficit was primary. He also said that structural reforms are needed to ensure growth ‘without public spending’. Zapatero, speaking at a press conference, said he was pleased at the ‘definitive consolidation’ of Spain at the main economic forum. He defended the idea of a new tax on banks to fund possible new problems in the sector, and admitted that he may have to increase the guarantee fund for Spanish deposits. He described that as ‘something the financial institutions will surely not welcome with great enthusiasm’, but which they have to accept as part of their responsibility.

Sales Begin on Thursday

Shoppers in the Canaries can expect a bumper summer for bargains, although they might have to wait a few weeks for the best discounts to emerge. The forecast comes from the Tenerife Traders' Federation, which predicts that shops may be forced to cut prices by up to 70% to attract custom. 'People are reluctant to spend, given the gloomy news on the economy and shops might have to pull out all the stops to attract business as of 1 July, when the sales officially begin. Many are already advertising juicy discounts 'but some may be holding back to see how the early weeks go' said a spokesman.

Two Wounded in Teguise

A 20 year old and another man, of unknown age, were injured last Sunday morning after a brawl with knives on the streets of Las Olas, in Teguise. The 20 year old was attended to by members of the Emergency Services for cuts to his arms but were not serious. The man was later taken to hospital and local police are investigating the cause of the fracas.

Friday 25th June

Canary Hotel Prices Fall Again

The cost of staying in a hotel in the Canary islands fell by 4.7% in May,compared to the same month last year. The fall in prices was double the average in the rest of Spain and marks 18 months of consecutive falls, according to the latest figures. Good news is that the islands had the third highest occupancy rates in May averaging 58.3 %, topped only by the Balearics and Madrid. The Canary Islands welcomed more than half a million visitors during May spending an average of 6.5 days in the islands.

Aviation Unions Complain at Guacimeta

The Federation of Independent Aeronautical Trade Unions have complained after the Lanzarote airport had to close several departures on the days of the 4th to the 9th June due to a fault in the air navigation system. The union said in a statement that the problem was triggered by a failure of the navaid system for aircraft take-offs which according to the union,compromised in some cases the safety of flights. The failure forced the cancellation of takeoffs on the island due to bad weather and poor visibility. It also suspended night flights from the airport which was technically closed. The union has informed the president of Aena, Juan Ignacio Lema that the system of radio aids for aircraft takeoffs on the Lanzarote airfield is ianadequate.

Bonfires Out Of Control In Yaiza

Two fires were reported on the night of San Juan in Yaiza, as a result of loss of control of bonfires in the municipality. In both cases, despite the ferocity of the flames there were no injuries. The first was in Macher. where the wind spread the flames rapidly to the vicinity of the LZ-2, setting some shrubs and plant remains alight, almost reaching residences. Members of the Fire and Rescue Unit, had the fire under control in about an hour. The other fire was in calle Francia in the tourist resort of Playa Blanca where the flames were battled until 5 am using over 31,000 gallons of water.

12 Die On Train Tracks

12 people were killed and 17 seriously injured in Castelldefels Barcelona, in one of Spain's worst rail tragedies. The deceased were heading to a St John's Eve bonfire on the local beach when they were hit by a high-speed train at 11.30pm Wednesday night. Witnesses say the victims were part of a 30-strong group that crossed the tracks immediately after getting off a local train at the halt near the popular beach. The Spanish authorities say the halt's clearly-signposted underpass was open at the time but was not used by the group. At least two of the injured are believed to be in a critical condition.

Thursday 24th June

New Bus Stops

About 130 bus shelters with an updated contemporary image, designed by architect Alejandro Muñoz, are to be erected whilst also being reinterpretations of traditional architecture and the classic pergola design of Lanzarote. The project with a EUR 1.8 million investment, financed by the Cabildo and the Canarian Government, has not yet to started in Teguise and Arrecife. Tinajo and Haria, are to be the first two towns to have the new shelters. The distribution and placing of them have not yet been finalised in other ares of the island.

Pair Stopped At Airport with a Kilo of Cocaine

Agents of the National Police have arrested two people suspected of a drug trafficking ,after a spot check on their arrival at Guacimeta Airport. Narcotics squad officers observed the couple, a 33 year old Venezuelan and a Salvadoran woman of 30 who were acting unusually nervous. After giving inconsistent information about their trip the pair were subjected to body searches on which the officers found a kilogram of cocaine.

Retirement Age Proposal

Plans by the Spanish govern­ment to raise the retirement age by two years will be “opposed to the death” say the country’s main unions. The controversial measure was announced by prime minister José Zapatero recently and will affect all people born after 1959, who will not be entitled to a full pension unless they remain in work until 67. It is a move which mirrors actions by other European countries including Germany and the UK given the drain on the social security system with an increasing number of retirees living longer. According to Zapatero, the measure is needed as a long-term safeguard for the country’s pension system, which experts have repeatedly warned is close to financial ruin and will be unable to support future retirees in its current format.

Foreign Resident Drivers Beware

The Traffic Department has announced that foreign drivers in Spain will also faces fines and loss of points from their licenses. Their license will not be taken away, but they will no longer be allowed to drive in Spain until they successfully complete a test. The authorities will inform the country where the license was issued of this measure. if they hold an EU license, it will be taken away from them and sent to the state where it was issued, informing the authorities that it is no longer valid and that the driver is forbidden from driving in Spain. All of these measures, however, only apply to foreign residents in Spain, whereas tourists cannot be introduced in the Drivers and Offenders Register and no points can be removed. They can, however, be fined.

Wednesday 23rd June

Canary Lollies This Summer

Canary island banana producers have come up with a novel new promotion for their home grown delights. Growers association Asprocan say their bananas provide the perfect cooler for our sweltering summer heat. Forget ice lollies they say, cut a banana in half shove in a lollipop stick and leave it in the freezer for a while for a super healthy cool you down treat. Sweating,apparently causes mineral loss from our systems and bananas provide 29% of our vitamin c intake to fight skin ageing caused by the sun, as well as being a valuable source of magnesium 83%,and pottasium, there is nothing better than a Canary Island banana to fight the summer heat, said a spokesman.

Islands Prepare For Bonfire Night

The fire brigade is bracing itself for one of the busiest nights of the year as the finishing touches are put to the hundreds of midsummer bonfires that will be lit wednesday night in celebration of St John's Eve. The authorities have reiterated warnings to organisers of the bonfires to take extra care due to the windy conditions in many parts of the Canaries. Particular caution is urged in allowing the popular 'fire jumps', which see teenagers leap over the flames, often with unfortunate consequences. As usual the biggest bonfires will be on the beaches at Las Canteras in Las Palmas and Las Teresitas in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Honduras Win Lifts Morale

The win over Honduras has lifted World Cup morale throughout the country, although Spain may yet regret missing golden scoring opportunities. The 2-0 win means Spain will qualify from their group if they beat leaders Chile on Friday, but they could end up facing Brazil in the last 16. The final placings will almost certainly be decided on goal difference and the five clear chances missed in the second half could well come back to haunt Vicente del Bosque's men. Both the side's Canarian players, David Silva and Pedro Rodríguez, were on the bench for the crucial win.

Taste Of Spain

The Spanish tourist board has joined together with local companies, including The Daily Telegraph, to offer a taste of what Spain can offer visitors. Following on from the successful event in Liverpool in April a further two events are scheduled in London and Edinburgh throughout the summer. Flamenco dancers, medieval food markets and giant paellas head the popularity stakes and many of the country’s regions will be taking part. Paco Fernández will be playing with all his virtuosity on the Spanish guitar and various more modern upcoming stars will be performing in addition to the more tradition flamenco from Andalusia.

Government Announce New Desalination Plant

The works on the first phase of a new sea water desalination plant will take approximately 18 month, as announced by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport of the Government and will cost 9 million euros. The President of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, Pedro San Ginés, expressed his satisfaction, that the project has been agreed by the Directorate General of the Regional Water board at the request of the Cabildo. San Ginés stressed that in just over a year and a half with a new desalination plant the demand for more quality water on Lanzarote will be met.

Tuesday 22nd June

Lansaldo Fair 2. 3 millon Euros Taken!

Lanzarote Lansaldo, which was held last weekend, beat the previous years figures. A total of 32,580 persons, compared with 30,000 who visited-last year, came to the fair in search of a bargain. 60 shops and stalls formed offerd highly discounted goods starting last Thursday, June 10, and remaining until Sunday 13th. The fair had three areas of entertainment and leisure. Wireless zone, live music and batucada, and children's entertainment, bar and television towatch the World Cup.

Spanish Banks Get Credit Warning

Standard & Poor's report held steady the credit ratings of six top Spanish banks on Monday but warned of future downgrades as loans suffer amid the country's "uncertain economic environment." The announcement followed market tension last week over rumours of strains within the Spanish banking system. Spanish banks got off relatively lightly from the global credit crunch in 2008 as the country's strict rules meant they did not invest heavily in the high-risk US home loans that hurt financial institutions elsewhere. However, many regional savings banks have been badly exposed to bad debt following the collapse of the property sector at the end of 2008. The government has encouraged their consolidation in order to maintain liquidity.

Mercury Rises As Summer Begins

Monday's temperature rise across much of Spain officially welcomed in the summer and says goodbye to one of the coldest springs of the 21st century. In accordance with weather forecasts, clear blue skies and very few clouds were the order of the day at 13.28 hours, when summer time officially began. Summer will be the longest season this year, lasting 93 days and 15 hours, with today, Monday, being the longest day of the year. There will be two eclipses of the sun over the summer months, but neither of them will be visible from Spain.

Camping Papagayo About To Open

The Camping site at Papagayo is about to open its' gates This was confirmed on Tuesday by the Town Planning and Environment dept of Yaiza Council. works are being carried outquickly so that campers enjoy the beauty spot, however, the City Council say that the opening may be delayed. Prices, will be 7 euros for a large plot, used for caravans, motor homes and large tents, and 4 euros for small tents and igloos.

Monday 21st June

Lanzarote Bids Farewell to Saramago

Lanzarote took its leave at the week-end of its most famous resident, Nobel prizewinner José Saramago. A Portuguese Air Force plane was sent from Lisbon to collect the body of the elderly author, who died on Friday after a long illness. Saramago's coffin ,complete with glass cover, was visited by hundreds of mourners in Lanzarote during the hours prior to his departure for a state funeral in Portugal. He and his wife Pilar lived on the island for 20 years. The local Cabildo declared three days of official mourning to mark his passing away.

Man Drowns in Puerto del Carmen

A 62 year old man drowned last sunday in the Waters of Playa Chica, Puerto del Carmen. The accident occurred about 16:18 pm. The victim was a native of Asturias.

Hiker Rescued From Cliffs

A hiker was rescued in the early hours of Monday morning after a falling from the cliffs of Famara where he became stuck and was unable to return to the path. The Emergency Services received a call at around 3 am that the man was missing. The 54 yearold man suffered lower limb trauma which was not serious and was was moved by ambulance to the Emergency Department of the Hospital in Arrecife.

The City Council Cleaning Campaign

The mayor of Arrecife, Candido Reguera, has announced a new graffiti cleaning initiative in the capital. The campaign, which began three days ago on the outskirts of Charco de San Ginés, currently covers the center of the city, with about 6353 sq metres of walls, continuing on to repair all facades in Arrecife. Reguera said city government, like the vast majority of the residents of Arrecife, have argued for the city to clean up graffiti, posters, signs, etc for some time. The work has begun on the outskirts of the town and will continue throughout Arrecife for a month. Article 31 of the law reads that "graffiti is prohibited on public buildings, structural elements, roads, sidewalks, street furniture, walls and ceilings". Offenders are to be given a fine of 180 euros and will be obliged to clean up their mess.

Saturday 19th June

Soldiers Lawyer Slams The Spanish System

The case of the British soldiers who pleaded guilty to wrecking a Costa Teguise restaurant and attacking diners and staff was blown up out of all proportion, says a defence lawyer hired by the soldiers families. While expressing satsifaction at the outcome this morning, particularly the news that the soldiers will be allowed to return home after receiving suspended sentences, the lawyer said that a similar incident in the UK would have been handled very differently. 'They would have been fined after appearing in court but here they have spent four months in jail already before the case was tried he is quoted as saying by the Voz de Lanzarote newspaper.

Rampage Soldiers Allowed Home

Six British soldiers convicted of wrecking a Lanzarote restaurant during a brawl last February can return to the UK after receiving suspended sentences of between 11 and 18 months. The soldiers, from the Welsh Guards, pleaded guilty to seriously assaulting diners and staff at the Argentine-owned Vaca Loca restaurant in Costa Teguise on 8 February after they were challenged over the theft of a bottle of wine. Two of the six also pleaded guilty to resisting arrest and attacking police officers called to deal with the fracas. The trial was halted within minutes of starting this morning when the judge announced that the public prosecutor had accepted the soldiers' plea bargain. It is believed the six have had to pay compensation to their victims as part of the deal as well as individual fines of 1500 euros to the court. The soldiers are also likely to face further disciplinary action once they return to their unit.

Living On A Fault Line

One of the largest volcano conferences of the year in Tenerife, attracted hundreds of delegates from all over the world to the conference centre in Puerto de la Cruz. Canarian volcanologists worked hard to bring the biennial conference to the islands, to help underline the general lack of preparation in the islands in the face of future eruptions. The Canaries are volcanic islands and sooner or later a new eruption will break out somewhere. Out of the seven islands, only Tenerife has a fully drawn up emergency plan and experts emphasise that even that has not yet been tested or published. The longest period that the Canaries has gone within recorded times without an eruption is 85 years, but the average time between volcanic episodes is 40 years. The last eruption was in 1971 in La Palma.

Canary Islands - High Underachievers

The Canary islands have the poorest education system in Spain according to a new report. Subjects looked at by the suevey were maths,languages, science and social skills. The islands also top the lists of pupils who are held back a year to catch up. Some educationalists argue that this is only a reflection of the low amounts of cash given to the sector, which at 5,874 Euros per student and is amongst the lowest spend in Spain.

PP Politician Attacks Reform Bill

The PP Undersecretary for Communications, Esteban González Pons, said on Friday, that the government's reform of employment law was "no good" because it "doesn't serve" to create jobs or to reduce layoff costs: "If the reform does not create jobs, it's not worth anything", he stated. During a visit to Palma, the PP MP told the press that if the reform bill was not intended to create jobs, "you might as well file it away now", but he was careful not to disclose which way his fellow PP members would vote in Congress on this initiative.

Friday 18th June

Rampage Guards On Trial in Lanzarote

Six British soldiers accused of wrecking a Lanzarote restaurant during a brawl last February go on trial in Arrecife. The soldiers, from the Welsh Guards, are said to have seriously assaulted customers and staff at the Argentine-owned Vaca Loca restaurant in Costa Teguise after they were challenged over the theft of a bottle of wine. The headline-hitting rampage led a group of victims of the alleged attacks to write an open letter to the British prime minister accusing Britain of training 'killing machines'. One woman customer told journalists at the time that she was convinced she was going to die during the rampage.

France's Sarkozy Says 'No Problem'

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said last Thursday there was "no problem" with Spain's finances, as European leaders concluded a summit focused on cross-border economic governance. "We consider that there is no problem with Spain, we are showing full confidence in the Spanish authorities," Sarkozy said, a day after reports Madrid was preparing to request bailout aid, which were roundly denied.

Financial Resolve Pays Off For Madrid

Spain's embattled government emerged last Friday from a tumultuous week, in which rumours flew of a bailout, with an IMF vote of confidence and a plan to convince sceptical markets of the health of its banks. A successful auction of long-term government bonds further eased investor fears that the country was heading for a Greek-style financial crisis. The Socialist government Thursday also received support from the International Monetary Fund, which said it was "very impressed" by Madrid's efforts to tame its debt and deficit problems.

Spain's Ex Housing Minister Turnabout

The Spanish ex Minister for Housing, María Antonia Trujillo, has told readers of El País in an online interview that she would not buy a flat in Spain now. The questioner asked whether she agreed with her successor’s view; Beatriz Corredor has declared that now is the best time to buy a home. María Antonia Trujillo replied she would not do so now as she expected house prices in Spain to fall by a further 30-50%.

Spain Set For a Hot Summer

The summer, will be between one and two degrees hotter than normal according to the long-range weather forecast just released by the Spanish State Meteorological Agency. The forecast says that the next three months will be ‘markedly warm’ both across the mainland and on the two groups of islands. It also is expected to be drier than normal.

Thursday 17th June

Spainish Patients To Know Treatment Costs

The idea, presented to Congress on Wednesday by the Minister for Health, Trinidad Jiménez, is to build awareness about the high costs of treatments. She explained that from September patients will be presented with a document outlining the real cost of the treatment that they receive. The "symbolic bill" will be given whether the patient has just received a prescription, x-ray or has had a stay in hospital. It’s hoped to educate the public on the ever spiralling costs facing the health service, and to generate a more adequate use of the facilities by patients.

Radar Speed Trap Detectors To Be Made Illegal in Spain

The DGT traffic authority in Spain has announced that it is to ban all types of radar speed trap detectors in cars. Until now radar detectors have been allowed, while radar inhibitors which stop the devices from working and issuing speeding tickets were not, but now the head of the DGT, Pere Navarro, has said that all devices are to be banned despite the fact that new Traffic Law made no changes. Navarro gave the news at the opening of a conference on road safety in Getafe, Madrid, on Wednesday.

Abuse Father Jailed For 17 years

A Lanzarote man who sexually abused his teenage daughter for over four years has been sentenced to 17 years in jail by the Las Palmas Criminal Court. The court found that the girl endured repeated abuse at the hands of her father between 2003 and 2007, when she asked her grandparents to take her in to protect her from him. During the trial she described how her father made her kneel for hours with her face to the wall and without food if she refused to give in to his demands. In addition to the jail term, the defendant has been ordered to stay more than half a mile away from his daughter for the next 20 years and pay her 18,000 euros compensation.

Wednesday 16th June

European Commission - More Cuts

The European Commission today called on Spain to take make additional cuts, equivalent to 0.75% of the GDP in 2011 to achieve the goal of reducing the deficit to 6%, in accordance with today's assessment by the EU executive on the stability plan for Spain for the period 2010-2013. "Spain needs to achieve the 2011 objectives by taking concrete action. The ceiling set for expenditure (122 billion euros) will help in that process, because it already represents a reduction of 1%. But a further 0.75% reduction is needed.

Spanish Unions Call General Strike

Spain's two main unions called a 24-hour general strike for September 29th to protest over a government plan to overhaul the labour market and ease market fears over the fragile economy. It will be the country's first general strike since 2002 and the first since the Socialist government of Jose Zapatero, which has so far maintained good relations with the unions, took power six years ago. The general strike date coincides with a European "Day of Action"

Tuesday 15th June

Spanish Bailout Bid Denied

A string of leading European figures denied persistent press reports that Spain is preparing a request for bailout aid last Monday. Since last Friday, a string of reports in Germany but also in the Spanish media have said that Madrid was ready to apply for help, with a Frankfurt daily paper writing that Barroso and European Central Bank chief Jean-Claude Trichet were worried about Spanish bank positions and wanted euro partners to intervene. Madrid "is working to ensure that these rumours remain unfounded, as is currently the case," they added.

76 Arrested in Spain in Credit Card Cloning Operation

76 people have been arrested in Spain in connection with an international operation against a gang which cloned credit cards which has seen as many as 178 arrests in 14 countries. It is estimated the gang could have made profits of more than 20 million euros. The investigation started in Valencia where one of the bosses of the gang has also been arrested by the National Police. The same gang also carried out violent robberies, frauds and extortions, sexual abuse and money laundering. Most of those in the gang were unaware who they were working for, and those who had information did not collaborate with the police, fearing reprisals against them or their families.

La Gomera Airport Loses Controllers

La Gomera has been chosen by Spain to trial a new air traffic control system which the government says will lead to massive savings and lower landing charges at small airports across the country. The island airport is to lose its current team of five controllers, who cost the taxpayer 850,000 euros annually. They will be replaced by AFIS (Aerodrome Flight Information Service) operators, who will provide the information required by pilots to land and take off. The AFIS system is to start at the end of July in La Gomera, which currently has just two flights daily. Critics of the system say it places extra responsibility on the pilots to take decisions normally taken by ATCs. However, the government says air safety is in no way compromised by AFIS.

Monday 14th June

Spain Admits Economic Recovery Slow

Spain's finance minister admitted that the country's economic recovery would be slow due to the government's austerity drive. "The austerity measures and spending cuts will have an effect on growth," Elena Salgado said in an adding that it was unlikely there would be a significant increase in employment in 2010. Financial restructuring and the approval of the proposed labour market reforms would first be necessary to establish the foundations for a potential return to growth.

Spain's Conservatives Lead

Spain's conservative opposition party has widened its lead over the ruling Socialists since the government passed unpopular austerity measures, according to opinion polls. If elections were held today, the opposition Popular Party (PP) would win 45.3 percent of the vote to 33.5 percent for the Socialist Party (PSOE) of Prime Minister Jose Zapatero,Such a result would give the PP an absolute majority in parliament.

Cash Boost For Tourism

The Canary Islands' tourist sector is to receive a 122 million euro boost from central government over the next three years. president of the Canary Islands government, Paulino Rivero, was in Madrid to sign an agreement with the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Commerce, Miguel Sebastián, which will cover the years from 2010 -2012. The Minister said the agreement was the extension of an established strategy for the improvement of tourist facilities in the Canary islands, agreed in 2008.

Tax Office Issues Phishing Warning

Spain's Inland Revenue is urging people to be on their guard against a massive internet fraud designed to dupe computer users into disclosing their bank details. Thousands of people have received messages alegedly sent by the tax authorities informing them of a problem with their tax return and asking them to confirm their bank account details, including their password for online access, for their refund to be paid. Anyone receiving the phishing message is asked not to reply.

Sunday 13th June

Labour Reform 'Will Benefit Workers' - Zapatero

Despite criticisms that the wording does not make it clear under what legal motives a company can dismiss employees, Zapatero stresses that the plan is 'balanced' and 'maintains workers' rights'. Part of the labour reform involves creating a mutual pool of funds, made up of regular contributions from companies, in order for redundancy payments to be made out of this staff salaries and hours are cut where necessary to avoid redundancies. Zapatero says it will 'allow companies to adapt to economic circumstances', whilst 'benefiting employees' since they can choose reduced hours and pay over redundancy'

Bancaja Joins Caja Madrid Merger

Directors at Bancaja have announced that it will join the merger of Caja Madrid with five smaller savings banks, to create Spain's largest savings bank. The merged entity was to have total assets of about 340 billion euros. The chairman of Caja Madrid, Rodrigo Rato, a former head of the International Monetary Fund, is expected to chair the new entity, which will allow the participating banks to retain their brands and legal structures. Caja Madrid is currently Spain’s second-largest savings bank, after La Caixa. Spanish savings banks have speeded up merger plans in order to be able to get financial support from the bank restructuring fund FROB.

Arrecife Mayor Announces An Alejandro Sanz Concert

The mayor of Arrecife, Candido Reguera announced last Friday that an Alejandro Sanz concert will be held on 24 August as part of the San Ginés festival. The concert has two objectives: to promote employment and enhance the festival of San Ginés."Spending € 275,000 will have a win to win" result, he said coining a popular English expression . He also noted that the concert will create employment for 300 people who will be working on it for ten days and will generate demand", for bars and restaurants in the area and also will promote Arrecife tourism in general.

Beatles Memorabilia Fetches Thousands

Rock fans and record collectors descended en masse on Saturdays International Music Fair in Madrid, where they were able to find 12” and 7” vinyls for prices ranging from three euros to 2,000 euros. The star attractions were original vinyls by The Beatles, together with a lock of John Lennon's hair which was auctioned off for a cool 5,000 euros. A pipe that Lennon used to use to smoke marijuana, sold by his first wife, Cynthia, also fetched thousands of euros. This is the first international record fair to be held in Madrid, and its roaring success means it is likely to continue every year.

Friday 11th June

Spain Denies EU Is Planning a Financial Intervention

The Spanish Ministry for Tax and the Economy has roundly denied a report in the German edition of the Financial Times today which claims the EU is preparing an intervention into Spain as the country faces bankruptcy. The article is titled, ‘The EU is preparing for the bankruptcy of Spain’, and claims that the fund to protect banks and savings banks is on the edge of collapse because of the huge debts of private companies. It says that more Spaniards than originally thought will be unable to repay their bank debts and this will make the situation in the financial system even worse, and that more funds will be needed for the banks to survive. The paper claims that ‘For some days the interbank trade in the South of Europe is at a practical stand still’. It says that unlike in Greece where the main concern is the large public deficit, in Spain the concern is for the debts in the private sector following the bursting of the real estate bubble.

Widow Gives Husband a BBQ Send-Off

The widow of an Englishman who died on Fuerteventura recently at the age of 58 is holding a giant barbecue at their home to give him 'a proper send-off'. Although the funeral of Tony Tree, held just over a fortnight ago, was a very quiet affair, his widow Sandie was adamant that his life should be celebrated by family and friends from the island's large ex-pat community, of which he was a prominent member. 'He absolutely loved barbecues at home and I can't think of a better tribute to him than to hold one in his honour' said Sandie, at her home in Costa Golf (Caleta).

Hunt Launched for Missing Teenager

The family of a teenage girl missing in Las Palmas since Sunday have issued a public plea for information on her whereabouts. The 13-year-old has not been seen since she left a children's home in the city to meet friends. Her family have placed posters with her photograph throughout Las Palmas and want anyone who might have seen her to get in touch with them or the police. 'We are frantic with worry. Although she has absconded occasionally she has never done anything like this' said her mother. According to unconfirmed reports she was seen getting into a white car in the Guanarteme district.

Thursday 10th June

Spanish Police Lose The Right To Tow!

A legal error in the drafting of the new Highway Code, Ley de Seguridad Vial, in Spain, which came into effect last May 25, has taken away the authority of local police to tow away a badly-parked car. Under the current wording of Article 85 of the law, all the local police can do is denounce the offence, be it double parking, or in a loading area etc, but they cannot order the tow truck. That has to be done by the local Mayor as the ’ autoridad encargada de la gestión del tráfico’. With all this confusion if you find your car towed away, the advice is to pay to get your vehicle back from the pound, and then place an appeal saying that the police did not adhere to article 85.

Labour Reform Talks End Without Success

The last round of talks between Government, Employers and Unions on labour reform have broken up without an agreement. The unions have refused to move on the Government and Employers wish to offer cheaper redundancies, and it seems that the talks remain as deadlocked as they were months ago. The Prime Minister has warned that he will be approving legislation in the area next week, agreement or not, and now that document will have to be formally drawn up.

Wednesday 9th June

Ricky Gervais Speaks Out

British actor and comedian, Ricky Gervais, well known in Spain for his series "The Office", has recorded a video supporting the legal iniciative launched by the people's pressure group "Prou!", demanding an end to bull fighting in Catalunya. His protest video, posted on YouTube, has already received 22,000 hits. "What pleasure can there be in seeing an animal mortally wounded?" he asks."Bull fighting should be stopped; its cruel. I'm glad animal rights activists are pressurising the Catalan government," he went on, "and they have my full support".

Clegg's Wife Lands Top Job with Spanish Firm

The appointment of Miriam Durantez as an independent adviser to Acciona, the world’s largest provider of wind farms, a company with substantial interests in the UK, has raised a few eyebrows, according to The Daily Telegraph. The company, one of the biggest in Spain, with annual revenues of over five billion pounds, specialises in energy, construction and services, and was recently awarded a contract to run Britain’s first desalination plant on the site of the Thames Barrier and is currently building four wind farms in the UK.

Unions Suffer Strike Humiliation

The low turn-out for Tuesdays public sector strike in the Canaries has been interpreted as a further sign that union power is on the wane. Official figures put the support for the 1-day action in protest at civil service wage cuts at just 11%. The stoppage caused very little disruption to local government, schools and hospitals. The turn-out for the demonstrations held on all the islands yesterday evening was equally poor, with just a small fraction of the region's 165,000 public sector workers attending.

Tuesday 8th June

IPhone 4 in Spain by July

The new iPhone 4 will arrive in Spain in July, after going on sale in the United States, UK, Germany, Japan and France on June 24. All indications are that for the first time the Apple device will not be tied to any single operator here. There have been tweets today from two of the three main companies in Spain, Vodafone and Orange, who have said that they will be financing the iPhone 4 in Spain, but as yet there has been no official statement from Movistar who have had the exclusivity on the iPhone in Spain up to now, but some reports say they will be selling the device as well. None of the three companies have issued any pricing plans as yet.

Public Sector Strike Figures Disputed

The strike by public sector workers on Tuesday was supported by 75% of civil servants, according to trade unions, but the figure is hotly disputed by the authorities, who say the backing barely reached 16%. Like the rest of Spain, the sector in the Canaries is protesting at the Spanish government's decision to cut salaries by 5% as part of its multi-billion austerity package to reduce public spending. Schools appear to be worst hit by the walk-out, although the Canarian Department of Education says cover was provided to ensure pupils were looked after even if normal teaching was seriously disrupted. Elsewhere, local and regional government offices reported of business as usual, despite union claims that the strike was hitting hard.

Direct Miami Flight Set To Resume

Tenerife's direct flight to Miami is due to resume on 19 June after a lay-off of several months. The Air Europa link from Los Rodeos Airport will take just over 7 hours, well below the flight time needed via Madrid. The Saturday flights began last year but were suspended in February. The Tenerife tourism authorities say the route carried around 6000 passengers and the airline hopes to repeat the load factors of approximately 80% this summer. Return fares for flights in June are currently on offer at less than 750 euros.

Monday 7th June

Alicia Keys GiG Draws 10,000

Fans of R+B/soul singer Alicia Keys had to wait a while for their idol to appear on stage last night but soon forgave the New Yorker, who gave a top-notch performance. Local media today describe the 90-minute concert as one of the best in Tenerife for a long time, making up for the disappointment of the Whitney Houston pull-out a few weeks ago. 10,000 fans packed the open-air venue in Santa Cruz's port, many of them queuing since early afternoon to get a good spot for the gig, which was due to start at 9pm but was held up for just over an hour. Some fans complained that the rows of empty seats, which went unfilled due to the ticket prices, prevented them from having closer contact with Keys and dampened the atmosphere.

Lanzarote Tough On Drugs

Courts in Arrecife have held the trial of a Lithuanian who was arrested in Lanzarotes airport by agents of the National Police on October 14, 2009 with 1.8 kilos of cocaine hidden in a suitcase on a flight from Madrid. According to the prosecution, the drugs seized had a market value estimated at 12,000 euros. The prosecution called for the imposition of a of six year and six month sentence, disqualification for the right to appeal and a fine of 26,000 euros.

Sunday 6th June

Spain Should Learn From Greece

President of the opposition, Mariano Rajoy, says Spain should 'learn something' from the economic situation in Greece and Hungary. The PP leader and opponent of Spain's current president, said the country's leaders should 'not hide the reality' and 'tell the truth, however hard it is'. We need to create a national reform plan so that we don't fall into the same trap as others, such as Greece and Hungary.He called Spain 'a country on conditional liberty' which is 'receiving orders from outside', which 'has never occurred before in Spain's history'.

Public Spending Cuts

Cutbacks in public spending could mean unemployment will rise and growth will fall in Spain until as late as 2013. Far from helping the economy to recover, Spain's duty to reduce its state deficit to three per cent within three years in accordance with EU regulations means the reverse is likely to happen. Reducing pensions, state benefits and salaries of public sector workers will mean reduced income tax and less consumer spending, potentially putting even more jobs at risk, which will in turn reduce productivity.

Questions Asked Over Cancelled Concert

The sudden pull-out by Irish singer Sinead O'Connor from a concert in Las Palmas has triggered more concerns that the Canaries are not attractive enough as venues for top stars. The organisers of the concert reported that the 43-year-old Dubliner had been taken ill, but photos in the Daily Mail yesterday evening showed O'Connor leaving a Dublin cinema with a mystery man after attending the opening of the new U2 tour film. Readers comments in several local Tenerife papers suggest that ticket sales for the concert had been slow. The cancellation comes just weeks after Whitney Houston pulled out of her Tenerife gig on 30 April. The organisers of the Alicia Keys concert in Santa Cruz on Sunday insist there is no chance of a late disappointment.

Lanzarote's Guacimeta - First "Green Airport"

Spanish Airport and Air Navigation group (Aena) announced in their project Lanzarote Green Airport, coinciding with the celebration of World Environment Day. With the project, Aena wants to implement, at all airports a network of technologies that will progressively enable a more efficient use of energy and reduction in consumption, cutting CO2 emissions and wherever possible from renewable energy sources. An airport which has minimal impact on its environment is the objective and to become a carbon neutral facility. Aena expects to have the first evaluation of the results obtained at Lanzarote's Airport within two years.

Friday 4th June

Spain's Reforms Severance Pay

Spain's government will cut severance pay and make it easier for employers to dismiss workers on permanent contracts under planned reforms of its rigid labour laws. The government has been negotiating with unions and employers over the reforms, which the International Monetary Fund has said are urgently needed. Prime Minister Jose Zapatero, said last Wednesday that the government would approve the new measures on June 16, whether or not there was an agreement.

Unfenced Pools Dammed

95% of all drownings that occur in private pools could be avoided if pools were fenced off. These are the findings of a study published by the Spanish Association of Paediatricians, whose 59th annual conference opens in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria last Thursday. According to their spokesperson, Jorge Parise, accidents of this type increase considerably over the summer months and after traffic accidents, it is the leading cause death for children between the ages of one and four in Spain. There was also a special mention of tourist hotspots, the Balearic and Canary Islands, where children are often left unsupervised, especially after meal times, which "should never happen" if these "silent deaths" are to be avoided.

Thursday 3rd June

Spanish Beaches Fly The Blue Flag This Summer

A total of 521 beaches and 84 marinas in Spain been awarded the blue flag this summer, with special mention being made of Galicia, Catalunya, the Balearic Islands (94), Canary Islands (37 beaches)and Murcia. The list of blue-flag beaches and marinas (34 more than last year) was made public this week in a press conference given by the Association of Environmental Consumer Education.

Spain Extends Smoking Ban to Bars and Restaurants

Spain will amend its anti-tobacco law to extend a smoking ban to bars, cafes, restaurants and all other enclosed public spaces in the country next year, Health Minister Trinidad Jimenez said last Wednesday. The new rules will exempt hotel rooms and private smoking clubs, as well as prisons and psychiatric hospitals because people in these institutions "do not have the freedom to have private spaces" "Smoking will also be allowed in terraces, stadiums, bullrings and all open spaces," the minister added.

Four Spanish Savings Banks Agree To Merger

Four regional Spanish savings banks said last Wednesday that they had agreed to merge ahead of a June 30 deadline to tap a government rescue fund aimed at shoring up the country's weaker banks. In a joint statement Caja Murcia, Caixa Penedes, Caja Granada and Sa Nostra said the merger would create a lender with 73 billion euros in assets, 1,703 branches and four million customers. The announcement comes two days after Caixa Girona agreed to merge with Spain's largest savings bank, La Caixa.

Labour Reform Talks Break Down

The UGT union claimed last Wednesday that the announcement of a fall in unemployment during May confirms that the Government is mistaken with its plans for labour reform. The May unemployment numbers showed a fall of 76,223, in what was the second consecutive monthly reduction. The talks between the unions and the employers organisation broke up on Wednesday evening without agreement, and reports say the only thing that was agreed by both sides was to meet again on June 9, the day after the unions have called civil servants across the country out on strike.

Stark Warning for Canary Islands

Sea levels have fallen, while water temperatures have risen over the last several years as a result of global warming, warned professor of ecology Antonio Gonzalez Ramos of the University of las PalmaS De Gran Canaria. Sea levels have fallen by an average of 13 cm over the last 10 years leading to beach erosion and the loss of eco-systems dependant on sand dunes. He also warned of a noticeable change in direction of the Trade Winds which have also diminished in the last 50 years resulting in the increased incidence and severity of Calimas. This change of direction is especially worrying as the Trade Winds act as a cooling system for the islands, so inevitably we will begin to see more heatwaves. Ramos said that these changes will lead to the islands gradually becoming more Tropical with an increase in rainfall leading to changes in fauna and flora on the islands.

Street Vendor Fights Police Officers in Puerto del Carmen

A street vendor from Senegal was involved in a fight with local police officers after resisting arrest after it emerged that he was engaged in the the sale of prohibited goods. During the struggle, he tried to snatch the pistol of one of the agents, according to a press release. When questioned he began insulting the officers and resisted arrest. Whilst trying to escape he attempted to remove the weapon of one of the policia hitting and biting his hand. The man was eventually arrested and taken into custody.

Wednesday 2nd June

Jobless Breather for Canaries

The steep rise in unemployment in the Canaries appears to have been halted, although analysts warn the respite may only be momentary. The latest monthly jobless figures show that the rate fell by 0.5% in May compared to April. The drop, well below the falls seen in regions such as the Balearics La Rioja. The total number now registered as out of work in the Canaries is at just under 265,600.

Gas On The Up in Canaries

The cost of filling up at the petrol pump went up in the Canary Islands by 1.8% in May. Prices in the province of Las Palmas remained static, meaning that in real terms,prices in Santa Cruz de Tenerife actually increased by 3.88%. Meanwhile diesel prices increased by 1.3%.

Scorcher To Continue

Tuesday's sweltering heat in most parts is set to continue until the end of the week. Temperatures soared to the high 30s, touching 40ºC in areas without a sea breeze, and although the Met Office initially predicted a 2-day heat wave, it now seems the situation will last until Friday. The effect of the heat has been compounded by a change in wind direction, which has brought even hotter air in from the coast of Africa, along with a massive dust cloud which is hovering over Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria and parts of Tenerife and causing visibility problems in some cases.

Housing Market Improving

The Minister of Housing, Beatriz Corredor, gave a small boost to the housing market recently confirming the government’s view that the sector is on the rise. Her report covered the rapid growth experienced between 1997 and 2007 in re-housing poorer families and April was the second consecutive month to see an improvement in this sector of the State Housing and Rehabilitation Plan.

Tuesday 1st June

Hit And Run Driver Remanded

A Lanzarote man has been remanded to the island's prison in connection with the horrific death of a British holidaymaker who was killed in a hit and run in the early hours of last Friday. According to local press reports, the victim was one of five people hit by a speeding car outside a hotel in Calle Francia (Playa Blanca). The driver, who is known in car racing circles on Lanzarote, was detained several hours later thanks to information provided by witnesses. He appeared before a judge in Arrecife and was sent to Tahiche prison while the police investigation continues.

Women Smoking-Related Deaths Doubled in Ten Years

Approximately 6,000 deaths each year amongst women in Spain are attributed to smoking, a figure that has doubled over the past ten years. Predictions suggest that by 2020, lung cancer will have replaced breast cancer as the leading cause of death amongst women in Spain. Its a fact that women are more susceptible than men to the carcinogenic effects of cigarette smoke.

Labour Market Reform By End of June

The struggling Spanish government vowed to push through reforms of the labour market aimed at reviving the economy by the end of June if unions and employers fail to agree on the terms. The government had set last Monday as the deadline to reach an agreement but said it and the unions and employers would continue meeting over the coming days. Financial markets have been closely watching the talks. The government is planning to cut severance pay to 33 days per year worked for people on permanent contracts from the current 45 days and would impose greater restrictions on the use of temporary workers.

Troubled Spanish Savings Bank Agrees Merger

Troubled Spanish savings bank Caixa Girona agreed Monday to merge with Spain's largest savings bank, La Caixa, in the latest merger aimed at shoring up the nation's weaker banks. The two banks, which are both based in Spain's wealthy north eastern region of Catalonia, announced last week that they were in merger talks. Spanish banks got off relatively lightly from the subprime mortgage crisis in 2008 as the country's strict regulations meant they did not invest heavily in the high-risk loans that hurt financial institutions elsewhere.

Weather Hots Up!

June kicks off in the Canaries with a noticeable rise in temperatures anticipated as of Tuesday. The Spanish Met Office has issued a warm weather alert for the islands, which will see a mini heat-wave in many parts for the next 48 hours. Gran Canaria, upper parts of Tenerife, and both Lanzarote and Fuerteventura can expect temperatures in the mid-30s both today and tomorrow. The Canarian Department of Health has advised people to avoid strenuous exercise in the open and to take planty of liquids to combat the effects of the heat. Weathermen are warning that the very high temperatures will be aggravated by calima -like conditions, particularly in the high zones of the islands.

Monday 31st May

Spanish Economy Stutters Ahead in April

The Spanish economy, which edged out of recession in the first quarter, showed some signs of recovering further in April according to The Bank of Spain report. Fitch said that the economy was set for weak growth owing notably to an overhang of private debt. In the last few weeks there has been high tension on the Spanish debt market because of high Spanish budget deficits.

Smoking Laws in Spain Not Working

There are now more smokers in Spain than when the 2006 anti-smoking legislation came into effect. According to the Eurobarometer, 35% of Spaniards still smoke, going against the reduction seen in other parts of Europe, where the average number of smokers has fallen to 29%. It means that if the Government’s intention was to reduce the number of smokers with the current law, it has failed, although new tougher regulations banning smoking in all closed public spaces including all bars and restaurants is expected to come into force this summer.

President Defends 'Responsible Decision'

Canarian president Paulino Rivero has used the extensive media coverage of this week-end's Canary Islands Day Celebrations to justify his party's decision not to topple the Spanish government in last week's austerity package vote in Parliament. Spanish PM José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero would have faced a no confidence vote if Rivero's Canarian Coalition Party had joined almost every other party in voting against the package. Speaking in Telde, Rivero said the decision by the CC's two MPs to abstain and thus give Zapatero a majority of one was an 'act of great responsibility' for the sake of the country.

Volcano Conference in Tenerife

One of the biggest conferences of the year in Tenerife has opened in Puerto de la Cruz. Hundreds of delegates from all over the world converge on the resort for the 6th Cities on Volcanoes Conference which runs until Friday. The event, which is hosted by the Tenerife Cabildo and the Institute for Renewable Technologies, brings together top international experts in volcanic risk management from countries as far apart as Japan and Chile. The programme includes a special session on Friday on the lessons to be learned from the management of the crisis caused by the ash cloud from Iceland's notorious volcano.

Friday 28th May

Pilots On Stop

June 7th will see pilots in Spain cease activity for half-an-hour between 9am and 9.30am in protest against the report regarding Spanair flight JK5022 which was leaked. The protest has been called by union Sepla which claims that it violates the constitutional right to privacy as well as breaking national and international laws which stipulate that an investigation into a plane crash must remain confidential. The contents of the recording from the cockpit of flight JK5022, which crashed at Barajas airport in Madrid on August 20, 2008, and claimed the lives of 154 people, were leaked by national Cadena Ser. The pilots have said that they don’t intend to damage the airlines, which they know are going through a very rough patch, but simply draw attention to the problem so a solution is found.

IPad launches in Spain

Apple's new computer, the iPad, arrives in stores in Spain amid great consumer expectation, with 300,000 sold the day it was launched in the USA and a million altogether over its first month on the market. Advance orders have been taken via Apple's wesbite since May 10th to avoid possible queues today, and although the company has not released any figures, the iPad is not now available for delivery until June. The price in Spain for this small touch-screen laptop, with no keyboard will be between 479 and 679 euros. The iPad is only 1.34cm thick, weighs 680g and has a battery that lasts for up to ten hours.

Self-Employed Win Right To Unemployment Benefit

The lower house of the Spanish parliament, today unanimously approved a bill to allow autónomos self-employed people to claim unemployment benefit for between six and twelve months if they have to stop working. Self-employed people who have paid social security for under 43 months will receive six months' benefit, and those who have made payments for between 43 and 48 months will receive benefit for eight months. Those who have been paying social security for over 48 months will be entitled to a year's unemployment benefit. Employment and Immigration Minister, Celestino Corbacho, said that new payment would afford some guarantees to entrepreneurs and recognise "their entrepreneurial spirit and their contribution to society".The bill still has to pass through the Senate before becoming law.

Officials Pocket 3000 euros For Driving Licences

The arrests of over a dozen people, including officials at Tenerife's Traffic hq, in connection with massive irregularities in the processing of driving fines have lifted the lid on another large-scale fraud committed by the officials. According to police, several of the people detained in raids earlier this week are behind a major driving licence fraud, which has seen scores of Spanish licences issued to South Americans who have moved to the Canaries. Sources close to the investigation say the officials earned around 3000 euros for each licence issued, supposedly in exchange for licences from the applicants' home countries but which did not exist. In addition to the Traffic officials, several Civil Guard officers are also being quizzed in the ongoing investigation.

Arrecife Drafts First Gastronomic Guide

The Department of Tourism Reef City Council is working on developing the first gastronomic guide to the capital, under the title "The taste of Arrecife", collecting details on the main local restaurants in the city and their most typical dishes and tapas. The capital's mayor, Angela Hernandez said, "our food is becoming a major tourist attraction. Arrecifes' Tourism Department invites all those interested in being included in this restaurant guide to contact the Department of Tourism, City Hall, located on Calle Academia, Arrecife, or by phone 928 812 750 on extension 415.

Thursday 27th May

Immigration Numbers Slow

The number of new non-EU residents in Spain has slowed down along with the economic recession, affecting the Latin Americans in particular. Last year saw 137,470 new residency cards issued to non-EU nationals taking the total to 2,573,347 just 5.6% more than the previous year. Back in 2005 the number of such non-EU permissions grew by over 50%.The number of British residents continues to grow, up by 13,093 over the year, many of them retired. The over 65’s make up just 3.8% of immigrants on average in Spain, but the British here make up 27%.

Spanish Mortgage Lending On The Rise

The Number of mortgages granted in Spain in March rose by 2.4%, compared to the same month last year, to stand at 53,513. The March figure shows that mortgage lending has increased for the third consecutive month compared to last year up 2.3% in January and a whopping 8.5% in February. The average amount lent in March was a little over 116,000 euros.

Wednesday 26th May

Savings Banks Merger Finalised

The administrative boards of Caja Mediterráneo, Cajastur, Caja Extremadura and Caja Cantabria will meet today to finalise their merger, which was announced last Monday. The new banking group will be the third largest savings bank in Spain after La Caixa and Caja Madrid and the fifth largest financial institution in the country, with 135 billion euros in assets, 2,300 offices and 14,000 employees. Their decision to implement an Institutional Protection System has been well received by the regional governments. The four will retain their boards of management and office networks, while combining functions such as risk control and credit assessment.

MPs Salaries To Be Cut By 10%

A unanimous decision by the Board of Spokesmen means that members of the Spanish parliament will see their salaries reduced by 10% and the Speaker of the house will see his salary reduced by 15%. The spokesmen and committee members will have their salaries cut by 12%. Furthermore, at the suggestion of the PP and the PNV and in an attempt to further reduce the public deficit, the Board of Spokesmen has also suspended all international travel by members of parliament, except in cases of absolute necessity for their jobs.

New Tax On The Rich

Speaking at the control session in Congress, the Prime Minister Zapatero announced that new higher taxes for high earners will be enforced ‘in a few weeks’ as part of a tough austerity package proving hugely unpopular. The government aims to ask those better-off citizens to do more for the country, socialist leader Zapatero told parliament. The government is now looking at this gesture of solidarity on the part of the rich and details will be announced in the coming weeks, he said. The government is trying to bring the overall public sector budget shortfall down to the eurozone limit of three percent of Gross Domestic Product by 2013 from 11.2 percent last year.

13 Held Over Missing' Traffic Fines

After announced changes in the The new Traffic Law, meaning, amongst other things, that a traffic fine may be paid directly to a traffico officer, employees of the Civil Guard's Traffic Department in Santa Cruz are amongst 13 people arrested, since Sunday after a 6-month investigation into traffic fines that disappeared from the force's records. A switch-over to a new computer programme for processing payment of fines for a range of driving offences led to the discovery in November that many fines had been deliberately blocked and not followed up by staff. The employees include a departmental manager and several clerical staff. Police have carried out extensive checks into the suspected culprits' bank accounts as part of the inquiries.

Tuesday 25th May

Ban On Town Halls Credit Delayed

It was thought that the measure, imposed by Central Government, was to have had immediate effect. The Government has announced that it is to prohibit local Councils from asking for any fresh credits until 2012. Town Halls across the country have accumulated a debt of over 34 billion euros, and the ban imposed is for both public and private credit. The ban does not come into effect until January 1, 2011, and will last the entire year. Already questions are being asked how many Town Halls will find the wages to pay their staff.

Tourists Drink 30 Percent Of The Beer in Spain

The 60 million tourists who come to Spain each year drink 30% of the beer consumed in the country, although consumption has fallen over recent years. The World Health Organisation has called for more taxes to be levied on alcohol, as a way of reducing consumption, quoting that alcohol related deaths amount to 2.5 million a year.

Spanish Savings Banks Rent Out Property

Following the collapse of the CajaSur savings bank over the weekend, the second failure in Spain, the rest of the cajas are looking to alleviate their financial situation by renting out some of the many properties they now find on their books, either from repossessions after failed mortgage repayments, or from broke builders. At the end of 2009 there were 137,000 flats on the books of the savings banks across the country, which will now be offered to rent via the Sociedad Pública de Alquiler, SPA thanks to an agreement reached with the Savings Bank Confederation.

More Jail Time For Mayor

The former mayor of Haria who is already serving three and half years for the "Villa Dolores" case, has been sentenced a further year and three months in prison for granting 15 illegal licenses. The fifteen illegal planning permissions were granted by Juan Ramirez between 1997 and 1999 and are related to permits and authorizations to segregate farm works and land, some of which is situated in the beautiful unspoilt Charco del Palo area in the north of Lanzarote. Ramirez apparently granted licenses and took further advantage by buying a farm adjacent to his own property.

Monday 24th May

New Driving Law

From May 25, a new Traffic Law comes into effect. The Interior Minister, announced during a press conference that the law, will be simpler and fairer, but that people who fail to pay fines will have to face the consequences. Fines paid within 15 days will be reduced by 50 per cent, and it will even be possible to pay the officer at the time the fine is issued. The main aim of the change is to make the points system really work, and to make sure that fines are paid quickly. All monies from fines will be invested into road safety projects.

Fire In Tias

A 49 year old woman is in a serious condition after jumping from a blazing first floor apartment in Tias, Lanzarote. A second woman in the apartment managed to escape unharmed from the blaze which is believed to have started by an electrical fault in the hallway and spread to the kitchen. Residents in neighbouring apartments were evacuated by fire crew at around 5 am Monday morning. The injured woman was taken to hospital where she is being treated for multiple injuries.

Ironman Lanzarote

The Spanish athlete Eneko Llanos, in line with forecasts won the title XIX Lanzarote Ironman Triathlon, which was held on Saturday, finishing in Puerto del Carmen.

Sunday 23rd May

Volcanic Ash Cloud Blamed

The number of foreign tourists visiting Spain dropped 13.3% in April because of problems caused by the cloud of volcanic ash, that closed European airspace for a week. According to FRONTUR, this drop compared with the same month last year can be "largely attributed" to the cloud of ash coming from the volcano in Iceland, after tourist figures had seen a 3.2% rise in March, the largest increase for almost two years. During April, however, the number of foreign tourists arriving in Spain dropped by 3.9 million, due mainly to the huge number of flights cancelled, most of which were on the routes to the UK and Germany, where most of Spain's foreign tourists come from.

Spanish Post Office Two Million Euro Loss

The loss could have been much higher had it not been for the “rigorous adjustment” of expenses. The Post Office had profited by 77.9 million euro in the year 2008. As postal flow has reduced and is gradually being replaced by electronic mail, the overall turnover was down 4.5% over last year.

Friday 21st May

Spain Lowers 2011 Growth Forecast

The Spanish government has lowered its 2011 growth forecast from 1.8 percent to 1.3 percent due to the impact of its tough new austerity measures aimed at slashing the deficit, the finance minister said Thursday. She made the announcement as the cabinet approved a two-year 15-billion euro austerity plan aimed at slashing the deficit and easing concerns that Spain will follow Greece into a debt crisis.

Simply Red in Tenerife

Sun Live, the people who brought Elton John and Rod Stewart to Tenerife have just announced that Simply Red will play one concert only in the south of Tenerife on July 20th. Details and ticket sale points will be available soon, more information here on Buzz when it's released.

Lanzarote Prepares for Canary Islands Day

Lanzarote is preparing to celebrate another Canaries Day, on May 30th, several institutions and groups on the island have organized a schedule of events between 27 and 30 May. The big event online will be the opening of www.GangasExtra.com on Canaries Day with a thousand euro giveaway in shopping credits.

Thursday 20th May

Jet 2 New Routes

Low cost airline Jet 2.com began flights to the Canary Islands from East Midlands airport on May 20th. Jet 2.com's new services will operate out of the East Midlands airport, with the first flight being to Lanzarote adding to the airlines sevices from Manchester, Leeds And Newcastle. Flights to Tenerife begin on Friday 21st May, strengthening their commitment to the island by adding to the routes already in operation from Manchester, Leeds, Belfast, Newcastle and Blackpool.

Wednesday 19th May

Spanish Economy Recession Over

Spain scraped out of recession in the first quarter with growth of 0.1 percent, ending six quarters of contraction, final data from the national statistics institute showed last Wednesday. The economy, which is struggling to rein in a ballooning public deficit, shrank on a yearly basis by 1.3 percent after declining by 1.8 percent in the previous quarter. It is the last major world economy to emerge from recession.

Blackouts For Canaries

The transportation director general of Spain Red Electrica (REE), Carlos Collantes, warned that the Canaries are entering a period of a "risk of blackouts . The state electricity systems are to change over transmission lines on the islands and updating of equipment and software, which will mean they have to adopt to new standards, a situation that will involve risk of blackouts which may take some time to settle into new routines.

Tuesday 18th May

Control Spanish Fraud

The technicians union in the Ministry for Tax and Hacienda are calling for greater measures against fraud. Controlling fraud in Spain would bring the Government far more money than that saved in the recently announced Austerity Plan. Reducing the black economy from the current estimated 23% to 13% would bring in 38.5 billion a year, more than double the Government’s plan. Only Greece has a higher level of fraud than Spain.

Migrant Death Trial Begins

The trial has begun in Las Palmas Criminal Court of three men accused of organising a migrant boat crossing from Morocco to Lanzarote which ended in tragedy last year. 25 Africans were killed when the small boat capsized just yards from the shore near Teguise on 15 February 2009. Pictures of the recovery of the bodies from the water, a short distance from a tourist beach, made the world headlines at the time. The three defendants, all Moroccans, face prison terms of 58 years each if convicted of causing the deaths of the occupants through their negligence.

Car Sales Up 18%

The latest figures show that sales increased by just under 18% compared to the same period in 2009. The 1036 vehicles registered give cause for optimism that the sector may be emerging from the doldrums, says the regional asociation of car dealers. However, it warns that the end of the current government incentives will inevitably cause a major slump in business.

Ash is Back

Flight woes have returned for the Canaries with the decision by the authorities in Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands to partially close several airports as of Monday due to ash cloud fears. In Britain, the closures of Manchester, Edinburgh and Bristol were followed by partial shut-downs in Heathrow and Gatwick, which will seriously disrupt traffic today. Although Canarian air space is not affected by the return of the ash cloud from Iceland, the delays and cancellations from further north are expected to produce a considerable knock on effect for several days.

Monday 17th May

Spanish Demonstrate Against Austerity

Thousands of Spaniards demonstrated last Sunday in central Madrid against austerity measures that a new poll showed has dented the support for the Socialist government of Jose Zapatero. As many as 15,000 people joined the march against the belt-tightening measures worth 15 billion euros that Zapatero announced in a new bid to shore up Spain's public finances after stocks plunged over fears it could follow Greece into a debt crisis.

On Your Bike, But With A Helmet

The Traffic Guardia can now confiscate any bicycle from a rider found on inter-urban roads without a helmet. Under changes to the new Ley de Tráfico, cyclists in Spain become obliged to wear a protective helmet when on inter-urban roads.The new article 42 explains also that the Guardia Civil have the power to remove the bicycle or moped from any person found to be riding without a helmet. Most of the new traffic law comes into effect at the end of this month.

Friday 14th May

Inflation Rises to 1.5 Percent

The IPC Consumer Price Index in Spain rose by 1.1% in April from the data released today by the INE National Statistics Institute. It takes the annual rate to 1.5% It’s the highest annual level of inflation since December 2008. The biggest contributors to the increase were clothing and footwear, up 9.5%, transport up 1.5% and housing up 0.7%. Underlying inflation, which excludes food and energy prices, fell by three tenths to -0.1% in April, taking it back into negative territory for the first time since August 1986 when the index was first introduced.

Strike Calendar Announced

Unions in the Canaries have given their full backing to plans for a series of actions aimed at forcing the Spanish government to reverse its decision to cut public sector wages and freeze pensions. The actions begin on 20 May with protests outside government buildings on the islands and will be followed on 2 June with a general strike. The two biggest unions, UGT and CCOO, have called on other unions to throw their weight behind the actions to force a U-turn before the cuts take effect, in the case of public sector workers at the end of June.

Thursday 13th May

Spain The 'Telefonica Reports Slight Increase in Earnings'

Spanish telecommunications group Telefonica reported a 2.0 percent gain in first quarter net earnings, as well as a slide in operating profit, and maintained its targets for this year. The company said net earnings came to over one and helf billion euros compared with first quarter 2009 while operating profit before depreciation fell 4.1 percent to over 5 billion euros.

Unions Ponder Austerity Cuts

Unions in the Canaries have warned that education, health and other sectors could be brought to a standstill by stoppages in protest at and unprecedented decision by the Spanish government to cut all public sector wages by 5% as of next month. The measure, the most controversial in a deficit-reduction package announced in Parliament, will affect 125,000 public service workers at all levels in the Canaries, from doctors, teachers and firemen to local council workers. The unions admit they did not see the move coming and have convened urgent meetings to decide on a concerted course of action, which is likely to include strikes and mass demonstrations.

General Strike Called by Spanish Civil Servants

The proposed strike is in response to the Government's plans to impose a 5 percent wage cut from June and to free wages in 2011 as part of new plans to cut the deficit, announced by the Prime Minister in Congress on Wednesday. Speaking on Antena Tres TV on Wednesday night, Domingo Fernández, president of the CSI_CSIF union, has announced a general strike by civil servants, in response to the announcement in Congress. José Zapatero, listed the move, along with a wage freeze into next year, as part of the new measures from the Government designed to reduce Spain’s debt at the insistence of the European Union. The International Monetary Fund has however applauded the Government’s plans describing them as ‘very good'.

Fast Web Connections On Track

Installation of the cable to improve computer connections in the islands is running on schedule. According to the latest report by Carlos Alonso the Tenerifes councillor for the economy, the submarine cable link from Cadiz to Tenerife, La Palma and Gran Canaria should be completed in the first half of 2011. The new connection will mean a vast improvement in the number and quality of broad band connections on the islands and give support to new services and applications. The new connection is designed to make the Islands, the communications axis between Africa Europe and America.

A Cat Cuts The Power!

The municipalities of Arrecife, Teguise and Haria lost power on early Tuesday evening for about an hour, due to an incident at the substation in Punta Grande. According to Unelco sources, the problem, which happened around 18:30 hours, was caused by a cat crawling into a transformer, so that the system automatically stopped. The emergency cut-outs were slowly replenished, so that even after an hour the power was not reset in all parts of the three municipalities. It is not the first time there have been problems with the electricity supply this year in Lanzarote a failure on 24 March at the substation in Punta Grande left much of the island without electricity.

Wednesday 12th May

Spain The 'Second Happiest Country in Europe'

People in Spain are apparently some of the happiest in Europe according to a survey of 12,500 people carried out by Coca-Cola in 16 countries across the globe. Romania is the only European country where people are apparently happier than those in Spain, where friends, partners and the family are evidently the principle sources of people's good cheer. According to the survey, 89% of young Spaniards are happy with their lives and chatting with their friends is the best moment of the day for almost half of them . The Happiness Barometer, which put young people in 16 different countries across four continents to the test, showed that food and friends were a fundamental part of most Spaniards' happiness.

Spain Out of Recession in First Quarter

Spain eased out of recession with 0.1 percent growth in first quarter compared to the preceeding quarter, according to government statistics. The figures from the National Statistics Office confirmed a provisional report from the Bank of Spain released last week. Spain, Europe's fifth largest economy, entered its recession in the second quarter of 2008 as the global financial meltdown compounded a crisis in the Spanish property market, which had been a major driver for growth in the preceding years.

Zapatero To Cut Wages

Spanish prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero faces the prospect of a strike by civil servants after announcing that their wages are to be cut by 5% as part of an ambitious deficit reduction package. Other measures revealed in Parliament include the scrapping, as of 2011, of the 'baby bonus' of 2,500 euros payable to all new mothers. Pensions are also to be frozen as the country tries to slash its deficit, which is currently running at 11% of GDP. US President Obama telephoned Zapatero to urge him to be bold in his measures, in order to prevent a repetition here of the situation faced by Greece.

Government Prepares Ferry 'Evacuation'

The Canarian government is considering laying on extra ferries to help passengers stranded by the ash cloud disruption to reach the mainland in the coming days. Around 200 flights have already been cancelled, affecting over 28,000 passengers, during the last few days as a result of the return of the plume from the Icelandic volcano. If the situation repeats itself in the next few days, the authorities are prepared to schedule special ferry trips to Cádiz to allow onward travel by road.

Tuesday 11th May

Property Sales Up

Property sales in Spain increased for the third month in a row, going up by 9% in March according to figures published by the National Institute of Statistics. The latest figures published today reflect the 37,561 sale & purchase transactions carried out in March, and although they show an increase, it is not as big an increase as was seen in February when sales increased by 18%, the biggest increase in over two years.

Military Airspace Opened

The Spanish Ministry of Defence has opened its airspace to commercial traffic to try and ease the situation with the volcanic cloud, and the Ministry for Development has created a coordination commission to try and guarantee air services across the country. 32 flights to Portugal, and 19 to the U.K. out of a total 305 flights were cancelled on Monday 5.7% of the total because of the restrictions, but far more will be lost if the airports remain closed or if the ash cloud expands over Spain and The Canaries.

Two Canarians in Spain World Cup Squad

Spain manager Vicente del Bosque has included two Canarian players in his 30-strong preliminary squad for the World Cup in South Africa. Regular David Silva (Valencia) is joined by the season's most improved player, Barcelona's Pedro Rodríguez, who gets his first squad invite. The Tenerife-born forward has been tipped as a certainty to go to South Africa after his record-breaking performances on the field for Barcelona, where he has dislodged Thierry Henry from the starting line-up. Del Bosque will cut the 30 players to 23 on May 20.

Monday 10th May

The Deal To End The Battle?

Spain's foreign minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, who currently holds the EU chair, said on Monday a trillion-dollar deal to rescue euro countries was one in the eye for speculators. "I hope that this will mean the end of the battle" against speculators, Moratinos said as European Union foreign ministers gathered for planned talks in Brussels, with markets surging on the back of the news. As one of the countries most at risk after Greece, Spain hopes the deal, officially running to more than 750 billion euros with IMF input and central bank backing around the world, will represent a game-changing financial war chest. It is a reply to "all those who try to drag down the economic and financial situation in the EU," he stressed.

Stick To The Pool!

Just when you thought it was safe to get back into the water, Spain is to be denounced by the European Commission for polluting the sea with untreated sewage. Thirty eight different places across the country, including the Canarian zones of Valle de Guerra, Valle de Güímar, Valle de la Orotava and Los Llanos de Aridane, have been included in a report claiming that 39.5 per cent of the sewage that is pumped into the sea is untreated and is illegally dumped, a situation the European Commissioner for the Environment, Janez Potocnik, considers, “inadmissible”. According to Greenpeace’s annual report, 5,500 tons of dangerous substances are dumped into the sea every year in Tenerife.

Travel Firms Call For Urgent Funds

Travel agencies across Spain have called for 'urgent financial assistance' from the government following the air travel disruption caused by the Icelandic volcano eruption. Head of a leading travel agent governing body José Manuel Maciñeiras, says the sector has lost 18.5 million euros in direct costs alone. “We need to be classed as one of the industries most affected by this crisis,” states Maciñeiras, who suggests a moratorium on social security payments for staff, business tax and IVA. He says that on top of the direct loss of 18.5 million euros, there will be more economic loss due to holidays sold and then cancelled and others that could not be sold during the week when the volcano, to the south of Iceland, forced the airspace across most of Europe to be closed.

Friday 7th May

Confusing Figures Coming Out Of Spain

Unemployment figures in Spain have become a nightmare. In the province of Malaga over 233,000 are out of a job, pushing the jobless rate to over 30 per cent – the second highest in Spain. On top of the list is Cadiz with an unemployment rate of 31.87 per cent according to the latest statistics released by Spain’s National Institute of Statistics. PP provincial president and parliamentary Cadiz Andalusia, José Loaiza, has described the latest figures as “alarming”.

Tourism Board Signs Agreement

The Tourist Board of the Cabildo and the airline Air Nostrum, Iberia's franchise company, have signed an agreement that has enabled, a new direct route between Lanzarote and Valencia. The connection will start with one flight per week on Wednesdays from 23 July to 5 September. This is the first time that the airline has connected the two cities. In addition, the company has scheduled two more weekly flights daily on a route to Sevilla until 31 October. The third new route will connect Lanzarote with Albacete with a weekly flight every Saturday to the capital of La Mancha.

Thursday 6th May

Grandpa On Shift

Statistics gathered for a ministry of Health and Social Policies White Paper to be issued later this year reveal that Spain’s 84-year life expectancy for women and 78 for men continues to be one of the highest in the EU, after Sweden and France. There are now nearly 8 million people aged 65 or over living in Spain, of these, 28 per cent are over 80 and more than half of the country’s pensioners are women. 83 per cent - owned their own homes and the vast majority prefer to live at home even if this meant living unaccompanied. Half of the pensioners said they had few obligations and spent a lot of time watching the television, listening to the radio although there was a greater tendency to lead a full social life and get involved in physical activities.

Canarian Jobless Tops 28%

There are 98,000 households in the Canary islands where every member of the family is out of work. This was the message from Juan Franscisco Fonte Secreatry General of the UGT union who said that many families are having to take refuge in the "black" economy to survive the recession. He described the situation as a social crises of uncalculable dimensions and went on to say that 52% of young people under 25 had been without work for 3 years, while unemployed women over 45 were taking a year to find work. Whilst unemployment in Spain fell last month, The Canaries did not, with 40,000 people added to the dole queue,leaving the islands with a jobless rate of 28% the highest in Spain.

Health Minister Argues

Spain's health minister has openly challenged the Canarian government's claim that the region's health service is owed over a billion euros by Madrid. Trinidad Jiménez, who is on an official visit to the islands, said she knew nothing about the claim 'except for what she has read in the newspapers'. The regional government has long insisted that Madrid got its figures wrong when calculating the funding for the Canaries after health powers were devolved. It also wants compensation for the costs of providing treatment to tens of thousands of tourists down the years. However Jiménez said there is no commitment to review the funding except for a minor adjustment to take account of population growth in the Canaries.

Ex-minister Urges For 'Major Changes'

A former Spanish government minister warned last night that Spain's credibility on world financial markets could fall further unless far-reaching changes are implemented in the country's economy. Jordi Sevilla, now a senior adviser with Price Waterhouse, told a conference in Santa Cruz, Tenerife that the changes were needed to prevent Spain following Greece as the target of massive market attacks. Yesterday say the Spanish share index slump by almost 6% amid media speculation that Spain may seek a bail-out from the EU, a claim flatly denied by the government. Share prices continued to tumble as panic sets in.

Wednesday 5th May

Spain Doesn't Need Financial Bailout

Spain does not need the kind of financial bailout package which has been offered to Greece, the EU's Economic Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn said last Wednesday, damping down market expectations. "There is no need to propose financial assistance," for Madrid, Rehn told reporters as he unveiled the commission's new economic forecasts for 2010 and 2011. The rumours echoed around the markets on Tuesday, many suggesting that Spain was on the point of turning cap in hand to its EU partners or the IMF, provoking a sharp falls on European stock markets.

Lanzarote Road Deaths Up

Lanzarote's Roads had seven fatal accidents in the first four months of the year. These figures are alarming, considering that in the first quarter of 2009 only one person died on Lanzarotes roads in April. According to Road Safety experts, much of this dramatic rise is down to bad luck,inexperienced youngerdrivers and the mood of drivers affected by the impact of the crisis on their lives.

Spanish Industrial Output Rises

Spanish industrial production rose in March for the first time since April 2008, official data showed on Wednesday, in a sign that Europe's fifth largest economy may have started to emerge from recession. Industrial output rose by 5.4 percent in March on a 12-month basis after declining by 1.9 percent in February, the national statistics institute said in a statement. French bank BNB Paribas said the rise in industrial production in March "indicates a very clear rebound in activity."If these positive results are confirmed in the coming months, Spain could emerge from the recession during the first half of 2010,"

Trip Advisor Names Top Destinations

The website community Trip Advisor has named its top 25 cities in Spain and prizes were awarded last Tuesday, for the best destinations in Europe and the World. 1- Granada – came out top followed by Sevilla with Fuerteventura coming 13th, also of note from the survey, Barcelona is considered the 6th best city in the world for a night out and Palma de Mallorca, Salou, Lanzarote, Tenerife, Fuerteventura and Maspalomas are named as best family destinations. Sitges and Fuerteventura are named for their beaches and San Sebastián for its gastronomy.

Tuesday 4th May

Spain Must Learn from Greece

Spain should learn from Greece's fiscal crisis and take adequate measures to reduce its public deficit, Bank of Spain Governor Miguel Angel Fernandez Ordonez has said. "Spain should draw lessons from the Greek case and do what we have to do, many countries would like to have Spain's debt," he added. While Greece's public deficit was equal to 13.6 percent of its gross domestic product last year, in Spain it was 11.2 percent.

Spain's Jobless Total Falls

Unemployment in Spain went down by around 24,000 in April according to Government figures, the first drop since last July last year.This data brings an end to a depressing 8 month period of month on month increases and comes as a welcome relief when compared to April of last year when unemployment increased by almost 40,000.Despite Spain's jobless total standing at more than 4.6 million,or 20% of the working population. Prime minister Zapatero said he expects this upward trend to continue in the coming months, with the jobless total dropping slowly but steadily.

Helicopter Row Reignites

Canarian president Paulino Rivero has been caught up once again in a storm over his use of an emergency services helicopter for official engagements. Local media report today that while the region's vice-president and health minister took a scheduled inter-island flight from Las Palmas yesterday and then travelled 60 km by road to the south of Fuerteventura for the opening of a health centre in Morro Jable, Rivero landed just yards from the venue in a helicopter which is supposed to be on permanent stand-by for emergencies. Rivero is expected to face tough questioning again in Parliament by the opposition, who say he has now used the helicopter around 50 times.

Couple Remanded Over Killing

An Irish couple have been remanded to a Tenerife prison in connection with the brutal killing of a local man last Friday morning. Keith Burke and Sara Stuart from Dublin appeared before a judge in Arona after being held by police for 48 hours, following their arrest in Playa de Las Américas. Both are being formally investigated over the death of 25-year-old ferry employee Abraham Baez during a row near the Tropical Playa Hotel at 6am on Friday. Stuart faces a charge also of causing bodily harm to the girlfriend of the deceased, who suffered a nervous breakdown after the incident and had to be admitted to hospital. The pair have been in Tenerife for just over a month, having moved here from Ireland to start a new life. They are believed to have been working casually in local bars and clubs since their arrival.

Monday 3rd May

Hundreds Protest in Fuerteventura

Hundreds of Fuerteventurans turned out Sunday afteroon to voice their anger at the brutal killing of 20-year-old Yessica Dos Santos in La Lajita last week. Crowds of mourners gathered outside the apartment where the Brazilian was raped and stabbed approximately 30 times, allegedly by a Moroccan neighbour who was infatuated with her. After a silent tribute to the dead woman, who was a member of the local Evangelical Church, some of the crowd publicly urged the authorities to use the full force of the law to punish the culprit for the horrific murder.