Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin Dec 3
CLICK HERE FOR THE FEATURE ARTICLES "Letter bombs sent to targets in Spain with links to Ukraine" and "Murcia Airport to get a new flight connection with Manchester in 2023"
A bit of a weird week coming up as Spain actually has two public bank holidays, just one day apart. December 6 and 8 are always national holidays for the Constitution Day and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, respectively, and the law of averages says that one of them will normally fall on either a Monday or a Friday, or if on the weekend that holiday will be pushed back to the next working day to make a long weekend.
Not this year though. These two holidays fall on Tuesday and Thursday, so it’s anyone’s guess if local businesses/schools/shops will be open on the Monday, or the Friday, or the Wednesday, or if they’ll just take the whole week off! You’re best off going round to that particular place in person or phoning them up to see what days they’ll be opening next week.
Looking back at the week just gone, though… WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO THE WEATHER?! Where it was mainly still warm and unseasonably pleasant in the south, it’s now dropped down to zero or sub-zero temperatures at night, and where it was drizzly and chilly in the north, they’re now expecting snow.
Scarier than the snow, though, is that the conflict in Ukraine just got a lot closer to home, as letter bombs are being sent to targets in Spain with links to Ukraine, prompting anti-terrorist investigations.
Ukraine and the letter bombs in Spain
Just after midday this Wednesday, November 30, there was an explosion at the Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid, which is tucked away in a quiet, leafy suburb of the Spanish capital. A package in a brown box had been sent to the Ukrainian Ambassador, but was not opened by him. For some reason, the parcel didn’t go through the metal detector as all of the other post arriving at the Embassy normally does. Instead, it was opened by a security guard in the gardens of the building, where it promptly blew up in his face.
While Embassy staff quickly rang the bomb squad and the police showed up en masse to begin conducting an investigation based on charges of suspected terrorism, the victim of the bomb blast calmly walked himself 20 minutes down the road to the hospital.
Since then, more suspicious packages have been sent to Torrejón de Ardoz military airbase in Madrid, an arms manufacturing company in Zaragoza with links to Ukraine and the US Embassy. Government sources subsequently revealed that President Pedro Sánchez himself and Defense Minister Margarita Robles also had similar letter bombs addressed to them over a week earlier. The bomb was detonated in a controlled explosion and no one was harmed. In fact, the only person to be injured so far was the Ukrainian Embassy security guard.
It seems that all the explosive devices were homemade, packaged in similar brown packaging, containing gunpowder and an electrical ignition mechanism, and all originated from inside Spain, according to police.
Of course, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Spain has blamed Russia for the bombs, though they deny any involvement, insisting that “any threat or terrorist act, especially those that target a diplomatic mission, is to be totally condemned”.
Could it be a Russian state-sanctioned insurgent campaign? Or a lone vigilante Russian patriot trying to do their part for the motherland from here in Spain? After all, the addresses on the letters all seem to be written in the same handwriting.
Regardless of whoever is behind the attacks, they must be found and stopped immediately, or the fear is they will keep happening until someone gets more seriously injured, or worse. So far, though, the terrorist threat level in Spain has not been increased, although security and protection has been ramped up around the public buildings that could be targeted.
Whatever the motive behind the bombs, Spain’s Defense Minister has made one thing abundantly clear: “None of these packages or any other violent act will change the clear and firm support that Spain and other NATO and EU countries have for Ukraine.”
Wintertime: drizzle, snow and rime
Is it wet enough for you? It’s safe to say that winter has well and truly arrived in Spain this week and the coming weeks promise to be a bit of a washout. According to meteorologists though, this is no mere coincidence, as the weather gods have conspired to bring us a phenomenon that hasn’t been seen yet this century.
Aemet predicts that we’re going to experience a triple episode of La Niña this winter for the first time in 20 years.
La Niña is a climate pattern that results in the cooling of surface ocean water in the central and eastern Pacific and tends to disrupt westerly winds, creating extreme episodes of high pressure over Europe. Usually lasting between 9 months and 3 years, it is most often associated with strong storms, devastating floods and harsh temperatures in winter, but it can also result in hotter and drier summers in Spain, leading to drought.
Now, according to forecasts from the National Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there is a 75% chance that La Niña will continue throughout the winter, stretching as far as February 2023.
While it’s unlikely that this unusual phenomenon will continue into the spring, between now and then we can expect a particularly chilly winter and even some devilish storms along the Mediterranean coast.
That’s why Spain’s Ministry of Health has introduced a new national plan in the face of the freezing weather, which was activated this December 1 and will last until March 31. Basically, they will classify the cold according to four alert levels, and take appropriate action to implement safety measures according to how cold it gets.
This can range from merely informing people of how to keep themselves safe and warm in cold weather at levels 0 and 1, to emergency risk mitigation at level 3. They would even consider sending out text messages or email alerts for risky conditions like blizzards, similar to the ones sent out a few weeks ago as a test. The aim is to activate this plan every winter from now on.
Don’t forget to join our Facebook group for regular weather insights: Spain Weather Watch
World Cup
It’s fair to say that Spain has caught World Cup fever (despite the country’s disappointing 2-1 loss to Japan this week) and few have failed to be gripped by the twists and turns that have marked this year’s competition. Spain have squeaked through from the Group Stages into the Round of 16, while England came out on top of its group and Wales bowed out at the bottom.
But the World Cup fever turned nasty for England and Wales fans enjoying the action in Tenerife last weekend, and a video has gone viral of a vicious street brawl between the two nations’ supporters.
Back on Friday November 25, the Three Lions drew in a scoreless game against the USA after a decidedly lacklustre performance and afterwards, all hell broke loose.
England V Wales pre match in Tenerife. 😂 pic.twitter.com/P7vywK9fZz
— Hauve (@Hauvetime) November 25, 2022
The video shows the football fans gathered on the street outside the famous Revolution bar, throwing vicious punches and kicks, and even bar stools. In the two-minute-long clip, one Wales supporter can be seen being completely flattened by a punch to the back of the head, before his assailant aimed a chair at him.
Thousands of World Cup fans flocked to the Spanish Island of Tenerife to watch the fixtures, with many unhappy about Qatar’s alcohol ban and the extortionate cost of accommodation. Social media users have condemned Friday’s display though, with one joking that it’s no wonder the middle-eastern country doesn’t want fans drinking.
Maybe better just to watch the game from the comfort of your own home. But how can you watch the World Cup from your home in Spain? Spanish television channels are showing the footy, of course, but those come with Spanish commentary and analysis. If you want English-language football, your best bet is to either contract a UK TV package to be able to legally watch British television from Spain.
Alternatively, you could get the games online using a live stream or use a VPN to be able to access on demand television from anywhere in the world.
However you watch it, we’re all hoping that England will face Spain in the semi-finals on December 14, provided both of them win their Round of 16 and quarter-finals matches. The atmosphere here in Spain would be amazing. Just no chair throwing please!
Travel news
At the airport, it seems that the days of removing liquids from your bag may be numbered. The UK is leading the race on this one, installing high-tech 3D scanners in several airports that enable security personnel to tell exactly what you’re carrying, without the need to remove it.
Currently, passengers have to remove all liquids from their hand luggage and place them in a sealed plastic bag, which then goes in a tray to be scanned separately at security. This often leads to massive delays as many travellers forget, or simply don’t bother, to separate their liquids.Right now, 3D baggage screening equipment is being trialled at Heathrow, Gatwick and Birmingham Airports and if successful, could be a “game changer” for speeding up the security checks in Spain and around the world, according to travel experts.
And there’s more good travel news, as passengers will soon be able to use their mobiles for phone calls, messaging and browsing the internet when taking flights in the EU through 5G technology, which will connect the plane to the land mobile network via satellite.
The European Commission hasn’t set a date yet, but travellers could be using their phones in the air as soon as the middle of next year. Then again, maybe it’s not such good news and you don’t want to be surrounded by 150 people all gabbing away on their phones while you’re trying to catch 40 winks.
Planes are almost the only place left where you can finally get a bit of piece and quiet and switch off from being constantly contactable and ‘in-touch’. With the introduction of 5G on our planes, nothing will be sacred anymore. But I bet we’ll get used to it pretty fast, and will soon be wondering, in the comfort of being able to text uninterrupted, how we ever managed without it!
Murcia
British expats living in the Murcia Region and UK citizens who own holiday homes in the Region were overjoyed this week to learn that easyJet is going to be putting on a new flight route between Manchester Airport and Corvera Airport in 2023. 
For now, the dates given by easyJet for their new flight route is between May 2 and September 26, 2023, during which time there will be four weekly flights, two going each way. The flights from October onwards have yet to be scheduled.
For now, the dates given by easyJet for their new flight route is between May 2 and September 26, 2023, during which time there will be four weekly flights, two going each way. The flights from October onwards have yet to be scheduled.This route is actually already covered by Ryanair, but many have expressed delight at having extra options, and not being forced to fly with Ryanair, although it has once again brought to the fore the usual grumbles and gripes that there are not more flight connections with other international destinations.
In that vein, the Regional government has announced in its budget for 2023 that they will be pumping an extra 4 million euros into opening more flight connections for next year, as well as improving and extending the ones that already exist. So there may be hope yet for anyone wishing for flights between Murcia and Newcastle, Edinburgh, Southend and more…
Talking of new arrivals to the Region, Primark has also announced the opening of a new store, to be located in the Parque Almenara shopping centre in Lorca. It’s not yet known when the new store will be ready, but it’s already creating a real buzz among those eager for cut-price clothing on their doorstep.This will be the third Primark store in the Region of Murcia after those in the Nueva Condomina in central Murcia and the Espacio Mediterráneo in Cartagena, and comes as part of the company’s grand plan to increase its presence in Spain, where it will invest 100 million euros over the coming years, so you can expect plenty more Primarks coming to a shopping centre near you soon.
Not everyone is into large corporations, however, and shoppers who prefer to leave their money to local businesses and traders often go down to any one of Murcia’s countless street markets. In Cabo de Palos last Sunday, an attempt to relocate the mythic weekend market failed spectacularly after vendors decided not to even set up their stalls due to problems with loading and unloading at the chosen location, and many were left disappointed and confused that there was no market on.
The Town Hall of Cartagena reacted promptly, taking note of the traders’ displeasure, and has made the decision to extend the existing area of the market to include an extra street this Sunday December 4, to ease the loading/unloading situation. This weekend, then, the market should be back in its usual place and open as normal so regular shoppers can enjoy their Sunday morning stroll through the stalls as usual.
Lastly, over on the Camposol urbanisation, a proposal by the Mazarrón PP opposition party to revoke the Parks & Gardens service contract was finally shot down after a tense, hour-long council debate, which means that, barring any further challenges or delays, the contract can now be awarded.
The service contract, which is worth 5.5 million euros over the next four years, includes a plan to place more public green areas in the Camposol urbanisation and was put out to tender a full year ago, but was held up by a series of technical, legal and political snags. The new contract will start the day after it is signed, and locals hope they can finally get a stable service to clear and maintain their trees and green areas on public land, and get some more green areas to enjoy.
Be sure to check out our EVENTS DIARY for everything that’s going on in Murcia in the coming days and weeks:
Spain
While it’s getting much colder, it’s true that the weather in Spain is still a fair bit better than in the UK, and there are still plenty of Britons flocking to the peninsula for a bit of winter sun. More still will make the trip over for Christmas with the hope of spending the festive season on the beach.
It’s no secret that many of our favourite treats from home can be a little (read: a lot!) more expensive in 
Spain, but before you begin filling your suitcase with goodies, remember that since Brexit, passengers from the UK are restricted on what foods and drink they can bring into the country.
Spain, but before you begin filling your suitcase with goodies, remember that since Brexit, passengers from the UK are restricted on what foods and drink they can bring into the country.Dairy and meat products are strictly prohibited, for example, but travellers flying to Spain from Britain can actually bring in limited amounts of processed fish and plant products, although the latter will require official certification that it’s pest-free. A certain amount of baby food is also allowed, as is medically prescribed pet food.
It’s a lot simpler travelling the other way, and you can pretty much carry any food or beverages from Spain to the UK. A word of warning about alcohol though: while there’s technically no restrictions on the amount of plonk you can bring home, questions might be asked if customs believe it’s not for your personal consumption, so be prepared to be quizzed.
Meanwhile, as if the driving licence situation in Spain wasn’t complicated enough, for those who already have a Spanish driving licence, renewing it has just become a little harder. The DGT has introduced new psychophysical tests to show that you are still capable of driving safely. These exams have always been in place, but the traffic authorities have now updated them for the first time since 2007 to reflect the recommendations of specialists throughout the EU.
The new tests will include questions about your general health but will also include a series of exams on things like blood pressure, vision and hearing, to name but a few.
To find out how to renew your Spanish driving licence and for regular updates on all aspects of motoring and travel, join our Driving in Spain Facebook group.
Alicante
A spectacular blaze at a high-rise block of flats in Benidorm saw at least 60 homes evacuated and a 39-year-old man hospitalised with third degree burns. Tragically, the victim’s pet dog perished in the blaze, and firefighters discovered the animal’s charred body inside the property while extinguishing the flames.
A large column of smoke could be seen from quite a distance as flames ripped through the flat on the 9th floor of the 19-storey Coblanca Building in Calle Asturias. Falling embers fell to lower floors and flames spread through the façade of the building and damaged neighbouring awnings.
Benidorm’s Councillor for Security, Lorenzo Martínez, praised “the rapid intervention” of firefighters, who he said “prevented greater tragedy from occurring”. Initial inquiries suggest a faulty stove may have sparked the fire, although a full investigation will be carried out by the fire department to determine the exact cause.
Elsewhere in the province, it’s all been about Christmas this first week of December, with festive lights being switched on and traditional nativity scenes (belenes) unveiled. In Orihuela, excitement was running high with two special events to bring festive cheer to the municipality.
The streets were first lit up in Orihuela Costa on Thursday with typical Christmas recitals by the Coro de Voces Ginés Pérez de la Parra, and a dance show. The municipal nativity scene at the Security and Emergency Centre, Playa Flamenca, was also inaugurated “so that they can be enjoyed during the long weekend, when, especially on the coast, we receive many tourists,” according to Councillor for Festivities, Antonio Sánchez.
It was then the turn of Orihuela town centre with the big switch-on of extended lights this year taking place in Calle San Pascual and the opening of nativities in Plaza Nueva and Episcopal Palace. Again, there was music, with ballet and a parade, and the public were treated to a special reading by the winner of the 15th Christmas Story Competition, Doha El Khayati, a pupil at CEIP Andrés Manjón school who read her winning entry, ‘A star for Olivia’.
While thoughts are firmly fixed on Christmas in much of the province, the public have been busy casting votes to determine the name of a new beach in Altea. A stretch of sand has recently been totally reconstructed for public use with incredible views over the Marina Baixa coastline, and locals were invited to choose between two options through Altea Town Hall’s Citizen Participation website.
The choices were El Sardinal and El Bol, and residents opted overwhelmingly for the latter. Some 2,185 people registered their vote with 1,304 favouring El Bol. The term El Bol has been used since the 18th century to refer to this coastal area after a Franciscan monastery was built in 1728 in the Bol district. It also refers to a beach or coastal area where fishing nets are spread out.
The discarded toponym, El Sardinal, also dates back to the 18th century and refers to a type of fishing with special nets to catch sardines. Six years ago, residents were involved in the naming of another sandy area, now affectionately known as L'Espigó, inaugurated in mid-September 2016.
Andalucía
In Andalucía, 11 criminals in Seville were arrested after they were accused of illegally supplying driving licences to foreign citizens living in an irregular situation all across Spain. The gang specialised in trading existing permits as well as falsifying documentation to get new driving licences for people who weren’t actually entitled to them, in order to help regularise their living situation.
The migrants reportedly paid up to 3,000 euros for the service, in which an impersonator sat the exams for them, which police said was exploiting them and abusing “their defenceless situation with the aim of enriching themselves”.
On the other end, a British migrant was arrested in Dubai as the drug kingpin of a massive, Europe-wide cocaine smuggling ring based out of the Costa del Sol. The two-year-long investigation, code named ‘Operation Desert Light’, was one of the biggest drug-busting operations in Europe ever and involved the authorities from Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates.Forty-nine people were arrested, including the Brit at the top – who had recently fled from his Malaga hideaway to the UAE – and 30 tonnes of narcotics were seized. Despite the scale of this seizure, one expert warned that it is “unlikely to have a significant impact on the cocaine market in Europe”. The “resilient market” continues to grow, with an estimated 3.5 million people using cocaine in the past year alone.
In Malaga capital, CCTV footage has gone viral of a German tourist being strangled in a side street until she passed out by a thief who was hoping to rob her. Thankfully, a nearby hotel employee rushed out to the scene and chased the man off while he was rummaging through the woman’s bag, and was able to help her as she regained consciousness.
The whole thing took just a few seconds, but it was enough to leave the victim shaken and scared. A female accomplice, who was acting as lookout, has been arrested but the male attacker is still on the loose.
Finally, as a heartwarming counterpoint to all this seedy crime, the best story of the week has to be that of the off-duty doctor who was sitting in the back of a taxi on his way to work at Seville’s Virgen del Rocío Hospital when he saved a life.
While driving down the road, the taxi driver suddenly had a heart attack, losing consciousness and crashing into two parked vehicles. The quick-thinking doctor immediately called the police, pulled the driver from his vehicle and began to perform CPR. He managed to recover the man’s vital signs on two occasions with the help of a defibrillator before he was taken to hospital, presumably with the doc hitching a ride in the ambulance to go and start his shift. More everyday heroes like this please!
You may have missed…
- Balearic Islands takes steps to limit house purchases by non-residents.
After several months of delays, the government of the Balearic Islands has set the wheels in motion to try to limit the sale of homes to non-residents. - Príncipe Felipe de La Manga Club hotel closes for extensive renovations.
The 5-star Príncipe Felipe de La Manga Club hotel will close its doors this month to accommodate an extensive refurbishment, and won’t reopen until May next year. - Murder investigation launched over British father and son missing from Costa del Sol.
A double murder probe has been opened in Spain three years after a West Sussex father and son disappeared without a trace while house hunting in the Costa del Sol. - Ryanair in Spain found guilty of staff rights violations during cabin crew strikes.
Irish budget airline Ryanair is in deep water having been found guilty of several workers’ rights violations during the cabin crew strikes in Spain this summer. - Marbella mayor accused of hiding assets of 12 million euros.
The finances of Marbella’s Mayor are being questioned after her latest declaration revealed that she has assets worth more than €12 million, despite working solely as a politician for decades and not receiving a salary for her official duties.
And that’s it again for another week. Thanks for reading, enjoy your weekend and the bank holidays next week, and we’ll return as usual for next time.
See you next week!
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