Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin Oct 22

Solar eclipse of the heart

It’s been a pretty sensational year for stargazers so far, with practically a celestial phenomenon a moths to turn the eyes skyward. But October promises to be the crème de la crème offering not one, but two, rare treats: an eclipse of the Sun and another of the Moon.

 

The most anticipated event by far will occur on Tuesday October 25, when the first partial solar eclipse will take place, which will be visible in Europe, Northeast Africa and West Asia.

 

According to the Astronomy portal of the National Geographic Institute (IGN), a solar eclipse takes place when “the light of the Sun is totally or partially hidden by interposing a star between the Sun and the observer”. In our case, what blocks the Sun is the Moon.

 

Where you hang your hat in Spain will determine to what extent you can experience the eclipse though. Tuesday’s event will be a partial solar eclipse which will be visible at a very low magnitude in northern Spain. According to the IGN, magnitude refers to the fraction of the Sun’s diameter that is hidden by the Moon.

 

The best vantage point will be in Girona, where the eclipse will reach a maximum magnitude of 0.12, followed by 0.10 and Barcelona and below 0.10 in the rest of Catalonia, Aragon, Navarra, the Basque Country, La Rioja, Cantabria, Asturias, north of Castilla y León, north of the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands.

 

The solar eclipse will begin at 11.33am in Barcelona and will last for exactly one hour and nine minutes.

 

We will have to wait until March 29, 2025 to see a partial eclipse from all over the country, while the next total solar eclipse will take place on August 12, 2026.

 

Rain, rain, go to Spain...

 

They say that summer is the ‘silly season’ but when it comes to the weather it seems that Spain didn’t get the memo, and it’s determined to deal us a completely bizarre autumn instead. Don’t get me wrong: the summer had its moments. For one thing, it’s already been the hottest year on record, according to the experts, and from mid-June we sweltered through heatwave after heatwave.

 

So it would be only fair to assume that things would cool down a bit come October, right? Well, kind of. Because the weather gods are throwing everything but the kitchen sink at us this month, and while areas in the south are baking in a ‘second summer’, in the north of Spain it’s nothing short of a deluge.

 

Data from Aemet shows that on Tuesday October 18, Granada recorded its highest temperature ever for this month, a stifling 35.3ºC while Jerez de la Frontera also registered its hottest October night, with a kick-the-blankets-off 22.4ºC.

 

In general, the mercury has been 2.9ºC warmer than usual for this time of year, making this the second hottest October in history, only after 2017.

 

Just take a look at the Region of Murcia: it’s been breaking records left and right all summer and the season refuses to let go, bringing temperatures more typical of spring and summer as the rains of last week give way to highs of up to 33ºC. It is thought that these will be some of the last warm and pleasant beach days of the year before the cold sets in once and for all.

 

This couldn’t be more different from the weather forecast in the rest of Spain. Fierce storms and unprecedented levels of rainfall have lashed the north and east of Spain this week, and will continue to do so over the weekend.

 

Down on the Costa Cálida, on the other hand, the probability of rain as forecast by the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) is exactly 0% until well into next week.

 

Over in Alicante, the balmy weather also continues. The outlook this week hasn’t been as summery as in Murcia but it too has escaped the washout landed on some parts of the country, and the thermometers have remained comfortably in the mid to high 30s.

 

Andalucia though is a whole other kettle of fish and the community seems to be the little micro-climate that characterises the mixed weather throughout the rest of Spain. There was good news for everyone on the Costa de Almeria and the Costa del Sol this week as it’s proven to be mainly sunny with some cloudy intervals and daytime temperatures have reached above 30ºC almost every single day.

 

However, those in the province of Huelva in the far northwest of the autonomous community of Andalusia should get their umbrellas out as it’s unlikely to stop raining all weekend, as is the general forecast for most of Spain.

 

Brits behaving badly

 

We all like to think we’re representing our nation whenever we travel abroad but this month the British are sadly letting the side down, and two horrifying stories of in-flight mayhem – alcohol-induced of course – have emerged.

 

Last month, on the day of the Queen’s funeral no less, 47-year-old Hampshire man Mark Warne had a few too many while waiting for his flight back to the UK at Barcelona airport. He was so obviously drunk that flight attendants refused to serve him any more booze.

 

As a result, the entire journey was dominated by his abusive rants, during which he told the flight attendants to “f**k off”, to go “f**k themselves” and that they were “f**king nothing”. At one point, he even squared up to a cabin crew member while shouting in her face.

 

So disruptive was Mr Warne’s behaviour that the pilot alerted air traffic control to the problem before the flight touched down. Police officers were waiting when it hit the tarmac at Bournemouth Airport and escorted the passenger off the plane in handcuffs.

 

Mr Warne’s defence was that he’s mortally afraid of flying and needed a few drinks to steady his nerves before getting on the plane. This didn’t wash with the judge though, who told the boozy Brit to find a better way to deal with his phobia and slapped him with an 800-euro fine for his “appalling” behaviour.

 

Not long before this, another UK man succeeded in reducing a flight attendant to tears and assaulted two cops at Newcastle airport before the Jet2 flight even left the tarmac for Ibiza. Sunderland man Reese Nelson, 31, again decided to start his holiday early with a few bevvies at the airport but he clearly overdid it, since the cabin crew told him he wouldn’t be getting any more booze once the plane took off.

 

It’s fair to say this didn’t go down to well and the passenger kicked off, prompting the airline staff to call the airport police, who arrived on the plane at 7.30am to escort him off. Mr Nelson was none too pleased when told he could catch another flight once he’s sobered up and roared: “Are you winding me up? It’s her taking the p***, it’s her attitude”, referring to an air steward.

 

He then threw several punches and even bit one police officer on the arm before he was manhandled to the ground and dragged off the aircraft. On his way back to the tarmac, Mr Nelson turned back and called the cabin crew member a “fat b**ch.”

 

He was hauled to court in the UK this week and the magistrates heard that although the accused claimed to only have had “three pints,” he continued his tirade in Forth Banks police station in Newcastle, where he had to be put in leg restraints.

Mr Nelson was sentenced to 14 weeks in prison, suspended for 2 years. He will also have to complete 25 days of rehabilitation and pay compensation to the injured officers.

 

Of course, it’s not just UK tourists who get a little out of hand while on holiday in Spain and far from discriminating, the government in the popular holiday hotspot of Mallorca have decided to crack down on all holidaymakers.

 

The Balearic Island authorities have made no secret of their desire to stamp out so-called drunken tourism and several tough regulations have been introduced in recent months to cut down on disorderly behaviour. Even so, locals have complained that the streets were taken over this summer by boozy travellers and the Mallorca Council has responded to their protests by confirming that, from now on, a limit will be set on the number of beds marketed to tourists.

 

The island president claims that Mallorca is looking for quality tourism over quantity, so the plan is to invest 10 million euros to buy up “lesser standard holiday accommodation” – one and two-star hotels, essentially – with the view to renovating and marketing them towards a more upmarket clientele.

 

However, not everyone is happy about the controversial decision, and the Spanish Association of Hotel Managers and Directors (AEDH) claims that 321 businesses will be ruined and 2,500 jobs lost in the process.

 

In practical terms, the decision means that there’s likely to be a shortage of accommodation in Mallorca next summer, so best book that holiday early.

 

Another day, another virus

 

More than two years have passed since the coronavirus pandemic began, but the WHO has warned this week that we’re certainly not out of the woods yet. This is partly because the disease keeps mutating, each new strain becoming a little quicker to spread and slightly more immune to the existing vaccinations.

 

One of the latest to hit the headlines is known as BQ.1, a subvariant of Omicron, and although no cases have been diagnosed in people yet, this is not to say that isn’t already spreading across Spain and causing the recent upsurge in infections.

 

So far, it’s only been detected in wastewater in Catalonia, but health experts point out that many people with no symptoms, or only mild illnesses, aren’t bothering to get tested anymore, so the true reach of this worrisome strain is hard to pin down.

 

As for the symptoms, BQ.1 doesn’t differ too greatly from the other Covid strains that have come before it, but health experts urge anyone suffering from severe headache, throat pain, loss of appetite or diarrhoea for more than a day or two to get themselves tested.

 

It’s been a bit of a pandemic roller-coaster these past few months: at the height of the summer, when everyone assumed an influx of tourists would send the virus spiralling out of control, the data actually started to improve and now, just when we have flu and other respiratory illnesses to contend with, the numbers are exploding.

 

Hospitalisations have increased by 21% in the last week and although the situation is still far from overwhelming, the experts have once again warned that Spain is in for a tough winter of combined flu and Covid infections.

 

This week, infections in the over 60s doubled and the cumulative incidence rate in Spain has been growing steadily, now standing at 195.61 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

 

Apart from the north African enclave of Melilla, Andalucia is the community which is faring the best in Spain, with an average incidence of just 83.20. The Valencian Community is hovering right around the national average, with an incidence rate of 187.86 cases per 100,000.

 

Unfortunately, the Region of Murcia has also refused to buck the national trend, and hospital pressure has risen significantly this week, while intensive care admissions have doubled. The incidence rate is also well above average, at 242.64 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

 

For all the latest coronavirus news and updates in Spain, use the following link: CORONAVIRUS LATEST NEWS

Murcia

Murcia was the scene of a grisly crime this week, when early on Monday afternoon a man collapsed dead in the middle of the street in Puerto de Mazarrón with a stab wound in his neck. The man, known for now only by his first name, Eric, was just 21 years old when he was cut down in broad daylight for reasons that are still unclear.

 

Eric is said to have run into a nearby house straight after the attack, but came back outside shortly afterwards, where he collapsed and died on Calle Emilia Pardo Bazán in Mazarrón. The aggressor fled on foot, but police were able to capture him a few hours later.

 

The alleged perpetrator, a 34-year-old man of Spanish nationality, has been arrested after he was found hiding out in a Mazarrón house, and an investigation is ongoing to find out what relationship – if any – he had with the deceased and why he killed him.

 

From the brutal to the bizarre, one man made headlines this week for his unique (to say the least) proposal to his girlfriend in public. The small Murcia town of Fortuna after a funerary procession of young men carrying a coffin followed by the Fortuna municipal band paraded solemnly through the town centre, in an area of busy bars and restaurants.

 

As diners and drinkers popped their heads out to see what was going, the men put the coffin down on the ground in front of one particular bar where the bride-to-be was sitting having a drink with a few friends and, while the band struck up the tune to the Imperial March from Star Wars, out popped… Darth Vader himself!

 

The young man dressed as Darth Vader promptly launched into a rendition of the Elvis Presley hit ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’ and held up a sign reading “I hope you say no” before getting down on one knee and presenting a ring to his teary girlfriend. The girl said ‘Yes’ to riotous applause from the gathered crowd before the two youngsters left Fortuna on the back of a truck. Who said romance is dead?

 

One thing that’s definitely not coming back to life is the old San Javier Airport. Once a main hub for people flying in and out of Murcia, San Javier Airport was replaced by the less popular and (for many) much less convenient Murcia International Airport in Corvera in 2019. Lots of people have been hoping against hope that the airport will reopen to passenger flights at some point, but a new project for the old site has put paid to that idea.

 

Instead, San Javier has set its sights on becoming the new home of the Spanish Space Agency, training astronauts and generally being the Spanish equivalent of NASA. Although its competing with other Spanish towns like Elche, San Javier is actually an obvious choice since it’s been the home of the General Air Academy (AGA), which trains army pilots and astronauts, since 1943 and is also the headquarters of the first air-naval base in Spain.

 

As part of the new plans, the Ministry of Defense is ceding ownership of San Javier Airport to the Region of Murcia this week for it to use over the next 75 years. So, far from being the end of the road for travel from San Javier Airport, we may be able to journey to the moon from the base by 2097!

Spain

With all the doom and gloom surrounding inflation and rising prices it’s a welcome change for have some good news once in a while, and this Wednesday brought us just that. The cost of electricity plummeted by more than 30%, reaching 80.50 euros per megawatt hour (MWh), its lowest price so far this year.

 

In fact, to find a cheaper month we’d have to go all the way back to October 31 of last year, when electricity dipped to just 79 euros/MWh.

 

The savings are made possible by the cap the government placed on the price of gas used to generate electricity; without this mechanism, each megawatt hour would have been four euros more expensive.

 

Portugal, which shares the market with Spain and is part of the ‘Iberian exception’ also enjoyed a cheap energy day, with the wholesale price hovering around the 80 euros/MWh.

 

Consumers in the United Kingdom are also enjoying slightly cheaper energy bills thanks to the government’s recent intervention, although financial experts believe this won’t be enough to ward off a ‘technical recession’ that could last well into the summer next year.

 

 

A big shopping spree often involves packing the car to the brim with bags and boxes – anyone who’s ever been to IKEA will understand. If the boot is full, it seems like common sense to place any additional purchases on the back seat but in Spain, where the DGT are coming down heavy on practices that hinder road safety, this could land you with a costly fine.

 

Essentially, having unsecured bags or packages on the back seat poses a risk to the driver, passengers and other road users, according to the Traffic authorities, and the owner of the vehicle will be slapped with a 200-euro sanction if stopped by the police. Even groceries in the back of the car are a no-no, since article 14 of the General Traffic Regulations (RGC) stipulates that any cargo must not “drag, fall totally or partially, or move in a dangerous way”.

 

It’s also important not to try to reposition or secure any items while behind the wheel, as this could be construed as a road safety risk, which is punishable with a fine of 80 euros. Having something fall off of or out of your vehicle is actually considered a very serious offence given the danger it poses to other drivers, and will cost you more than 200 euros.

Alicante

Once again, Alicante is making positive waves on a national and international level. The province was rated amongst the top Spanish destinations for overseas home buyers last month and boasts 30 establishments in the 2022 Spain Repsol Guide's comprehensive list of 500 'best hidden' bars and cafes dotted around the country.

 

And this week, travel platform Tripadvisor crowned a restaurant in Alicante the fifth best eatery in the world. The platform gives Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn shining reviews for fine dining from travellers around the world.

 

And the Michelin star restaurant El Xato in La Nucia, less than 10km from Benidorm, has made it onto the coveted list of the very best dining establishments on the planet, according to reviews from the public.

 

El Xato, which was recognised in the Repsol Guide in 2021, stands out for its history, with more than 100 years of tradition, dishes that mix contemporary and Mediterranean food, and for the service. One reviewer wrote: "An absolutely wonderful gem with sublime food and exceptional service."

 

No prestigious titles are likely to be awarded any time soon to a huge unfinished development that has become a total eyesore and magnet for vandals in San Miguel de Salinas in the Vega Baja area of the province.

 

The 'ghost' urbanisation was abandoned 14 years ago when the developer went bust, leaving behind 700m2 of deserted avenues and streets, green areas and facilities without maintenance, desolate and vandalised.

 

However, plans to build homes on the plot could be resurrected. Developer Bogey Mediterráneo has asked the local council to take control of the SUS-A Los Invernaderos near the town centre, which was initially earmarked for 1,800 homes.

 

Should the council approve the new developer's plans, rebooting the project won't be easy. First of all, the company must provide guarantees that it can carry out the necessary works; a weighty guarantee that will cost millions. And then there are legal issues. The 'provisional' liquidation of the urbanisation debts of the owners, which date back to 2008, is still being carried out.

 

In other news, a Dutch handyman who brutally beat an elderly British woman to death in her Alicante home has been handed a prison term of 14 years and nine months. The 71-year-old pensioner, who weighed just 57 kilos, was subjected to a horrific and sustained attack by the man she had trusted in her home for four years and had lent money to on numerous occasions.

 

The burly 1.8 metre killer, twice his victim's weight, strangled her and placed one of his knees on the woman's neck and chest, "pressing and squeezing them hard and intensely."

 

The deceased suffered multiple cranial, rib and sternal fractures, and rupture of the cardiac and a complete section of the spinal cord, injuries that led to her death. After the horrific attack, the defendant fled with 600 euros, leaving the woman's body on the kitchen floor. He was arrested for murder three months later.

Andalucía

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