Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin May 16
TOP STORIES: "Spain finally cracks down on cold callers" & "How to spot watered-down fuel at petrol stations"
First, an apology as there was a bit of a technical hitch last week that meant the bulletin email wasn’t sent out on Friday May 9 as expected, but went out on Tuesday instead. Sorry, here’s hoping it works right this time!
In the news this week – India and Pakistan are on the verge of leading us into World War III, Putin vs. Zelenskiy is the fight that refuses to end, and Trump is making best friends with Xi Jinping. And in Spain, they’re finally making moves to get rid of those annoying cold calls that seem to come through so often.
Plus your usual mix of Murcia, Spain, Alicante and Andalucía news. Here we go!
Escape from Spamalot
It looks like Spain is finally about to crack down on those annoying telemarketing calls. The government promised to sort this out three months ago and now they’re getting ready to actually do something about it. The new rules will mean businesses have to use a specific prefix when they call you, which will let phone operators block any unauthorised calls right from the start.
This should seriously cut down on the amount of spam calls people get every day. To make it happen, the government’s rolling out what they’re calling the ‘National Numbering Plan’.
“There will be a prefix to identify all commercial calls; those without that code will be blocked,” explained the Minister of Social Rights, Pablo Bustinduy. “When someone calls us from that prefix, it will appear as a commercial call.”
Even better, the government is adding a rule that makes any contract agreed to during one of these shady, unauthorised calls completely invalid. So if you ever got pressured into something over the phone, you won’t be stuck with it anymore.
On top of that, companies will now have to check in with you every two years to make sure you still want to get marketing calls. No more giving consent once and getting harassed forever.
There’s also another handy change: businesses will now be required to include any handling or admin fees in the price they advertise. So if you’re buying concert or travel tickets, for example, you won’t get hit with a surprise ‘service fee’ at the checkout. The full price has to be clear from the start.
How to spot watered-down fuel at petrol stations in Spain
A recent incident at a petrol station in the Valencia town of Alaquàs has caught the attention of drivers all over Spain. More than a hundred motorists accidentally filled up their cars with petrol that had been mixed with water, which caused serious damage to many vehicles. Now, a lot of people are left with expensive repair bills and wondering the same thing: how can you tell if your fuel has been watered down?
The situation has made national headlines, and it’s easy to see why. Getting water in your petrol tank can be a big problem. It can really mess up your engine and fuel system. While most fuel, whether it’s from a major brand or a budget station, tends to be of similar quality, a mistake like this can be disastrous. Knowing how to spot dodgy fuel early could save you from a major headache, not to mention a big repair bill.
The company that runs the Alaquàs station, Ballenoil, explained that a technical issue caused water from an external leak to get into their 95-litre petrol tank, which ended up damaging a number of customers’' vehicles. As soon as they realised what had happened, they stopped selling the petrol and took steps to fix the issue but for many motorists, the damage was already done.Unfortunately, there’s no way to tell just by looking at the fuel pump whether the petrol is clean. Stations do have sensors in their tanks to catch this kind of problem, but drivers are pretty much in the dark until the fuel is already in their vehicles. That said, there are some signs you can watch for.
If your car suddenly has trouble starting, if it stutters when you accelerate or if it seems to lose power, especially at higher speeds, those could be early warnings that your fuel might be contaminated.
One way to check is to take a small sample of fuel from your tank and let it sit in a clear container for a few minutes. If there’s water in it, it will separate and sink to the bottom. It’s a simple test, but it can help you catch the problem before it causes serious damage.
If you fancy, you can also join our Driving in Spain Facebook group for all the latest motoring and travel news
Murcia
Following the widespread blackout across Spain a couple of weeks ago, it was with some chagrin that the people of Murcia received the news that Iberdrola would be scheduling power cuts in various municipalities of the Region this week. These were only short, about an hour or so on Wednesday and Thursday, and were due to routine maintenance and upgrades designed to ensure a more reliable energy supply, of course, not another catastrophic grid failure. This was at the same time as Murcia was being battered by hailstorms in mid-May!
From Águilas to Abanilla and from Mula to Murcia city, there were power outages, mainly scheduled to take place first thing in the morning to cause the least disruption possible. Did you have any electricity outages in your area?
In other news, Murcia’s population is on the rise. The Region has managed to squeeze in almost 17,000 new residents in the past year, bringing the grand total to just shy of 1.59 million souls, according to the latest census data to be released. This puts Murcia behind only Madrid and Valencia in terms of population growth rate! Impressive, right?And the reason behind this phenomenal growth seems to be immigration. Take Cartagena, for instance, where the foreign population is growing apace. Moroccans lead the charge, followed by Brits, Colombians, Ukrainians, Ecuadorians, Romanians, Venezuelans, Chinese and Germans, plus a whole host of other nationalities. Coastal spots like Los Urrutias and Los Nietos, especially, are practically bursting at the seams with newcomers who have presumably come for the weather and stayed for the real estate. In the Region as a whole, 1 in 8 residents are non-Spanish and that growth rate is on a steady upward curve, as the data show.
But a couple of those foreigners were behaving a bit badly recently. Two German women were arrested near Murcia’s Nueva Condomina shopping centre after staging a sort of amateur adult film in broad daylight, completely starkers, on top of a flatbed truck.
One of the women was spotted by motorists, brazenly masturbating by the side of the road and in full view of passing cars, while the other one filmed it on her phone. It wasn’t long before the police rolled up, of course, at which point the pair jumped in their truck and sped away down the A-7, swerving like mad to shake the cops. Four patrol cars were involved in the naked high-speed chase and eventually managed to stop them, arresting the ladies on charges of indecent exposure, reckless driving and resisting arrest.
Elsewhere on the same road on Tuesday, a lorry full of live pigs overturned on the A-7 near Librilla after a tyre blew out. The lorry was left blocking both lanes of traffic of the dual carriageway, causing a traffic jam that stretched for five miles. While emergency services rushed to treat the injured driver, taking him to hospital and clearing the road, the fate of the pigs remains, shall we say, unpublicised. The sources from the emergency services consulted declined to comment on that, so let’s just assume that they have now gone to live on a farm.
To the coast now, and Águilas has tentatively given the green light to a new large-scale housing development, with up to 2,000 new homes near the picturesque Isla del Fraile area. However, first the developers will need to assure the local authorities that they won’t trample over any endangered plant species or be putting out any protected sea turtles by carrying out the required surveys. If it all goes ahead, it could mean another major front in Murcia’s growing glut of new-build homes.
Meanwhile, down at the Mar Menor scientists have finally cracked the mystery of the infamous ‘white stain’ that has been bleaching parts of the lagoon since 2022. It turns out it wasn’t due to nitrate runoff from nearby farms, or even a sunscreen spill from a very clumsy yacht party. Rather, say the boffins, it’s a naturally occurring phenomenon called ‘whiting’ (original name) which is caused by calcium carbonate crystals forming in the water due to changes in groundwater chemistry.Using electron microscopy and isotopic testing, the researchers were able to prove that the crystals originated in the lagoon itself, not from external sediment or runoff. The root causes of the bleaching, according to the team, lie in long-term changes to the Mar Menor lagoon. Alterations such as a rising water table and higher carbonate levels in the groundwater are believed to have shifted the pH of the lagoon waters, triggering the calcium carbonate precipitation. The result is a ghostly white slick that blocks sunlight and has unfortunately obliterated entire meadows of underwater vegetation. So don’t be surprised if this naturally occurring phenomenon comes back.
And lastly, some good news for weary travellers who have had enough of unreliable lifts and overpriced taxis: the new Airport Buses service is finally ready to launch next week. As of next Thursday, May 22, Murcia airport will have a proper airport transfer system with real schedules, text alerts and stops at all the major urbanisations and even some more obscure ones.
Prices start at just €8.99 per person, but there’s a discount if you book early and group deals are available, so there’s really no excuse not to use Airport Buses when flying in and out of Murcia from now on. The buses are designed to arrive two hours before your flight if you’re heading out and if you’ve just landed at Corvera they’ll make sure they won’t leave the airport without you. They’re constantly tracking flights so if they see your flight is delayed, they’ll put on another coach to be there waiting for you.
And remember, the service is not only for the summer, but will be running all year round, and if it all goes well they will be looking to expand this same service to Alicante airport as well. They’ve already altered their planned bus routes to include more Murcia urbanisations, at the request of customers, so do feel free to get in touch with them if you want to make a suggestion for more stops.
To see events and activities coming up soon in the Region of Murcia see our EVENTS DIARY:
Spain
A Ryanair flight to Spain took a surprising turn when a passenger gave birth mid-air, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in France.
The flight had taken off from Brussels South Charleroi Airport right on time, headed for Castellón de la Plana in eastern Spain. Everything was going smoothly until shortly after take-off, when a young woman on board started having contractions.
It didn’t take long to realise the baby wasn’t going to wait. The crew alerted air traffic control and the pilots quickly arranged to divert to the nearest airport. They were sent to Limoges, a regular Ryanair stop in western France, and the plane landed safely just 54 minutes after leaving Brussels.
By the time emergency crews boarded the plane, though, the baby had already arrived. With the help of medical staff on board, the woman gave birth to a healthy baby girl mid-flight.
The dramatic birth also sparked an interesting question: does being born in French airspace make the baby French?
The short answer is not necessarily. In France, being born there doesn’t automatically make you a citizen unless at least one parent is French. Kids born to foreign parents can sometimes apply for citizenship later, but usually that depends on residency and other conditions.
Being born in the sky above France doesn’t change the rules.
Still, it made for a pretty unforgettable flight for everyone on board and quite the first trip for Ryanair’s tiniest new traveller.
A British couple tragically died after their Ferrari veered off a mountain road and crashed into a river in northern Spain during a luxury car rally.
The accident happened at around 2pm on Saturday May 10 near the town of Boca de Huérgano in the province of León. The couple, aged 78 and 58, were driving a black Ferrari 488, worth around £300,000.They were part of a group of about 20 British Ferrari enthusiasts taking part in a driving tour through the region. The group had arrived in León the day before and were travelling along the N-621, a scenic but tricky mountain road known for its sharp bends and stunning views.
Rescue teams had a tough time reaching the car, which had ended up partially submerged and hidden by thick vegetation along the riverbank. Firefighters spent more than six hours trying to access the vehicle and recover the bodies. The car had landed on its roof in the water and had to be flipped over as part of the operation.
At this point, it’s still unclear whether the couple died on impact or drowned after the crash.
The Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) has issued an urgent recall of a batch of the antidepressant duloxetine due to a quality issue.
The recall affects 30mg gastro-resistant capsules made by Pensa Pharma, specifically batch number 240803, which expires on November 30, 2026. Although the issue doesn’t pose a danger to patients’ lives, AEMPS is pulling the medication from pharmacies as a precaution.The problem relates to the presence of impurities, which can affect how safe or effective a medication is. In this case, the detected impurities aren't considered life-threatening, but AEMPS is taking no chances.
All packs from the affected batch are being withdrawn, and local authorities will oversee the process to make sure nothing slips through the net.
Alicante
A major wildfire sparked widespread panic last Sunday evening near the Las Ramblas Golf Club in Orihuela Costa, with flames moving fast through dry scrubland and coming dangerously close to nearby homes.
The fire broke out at around 6pm near the Tajo-Segura canal and quickly spread through the parched vegetation. Given how close it was to several residential areas, officials activated Level 1 of the Special Plan for Forest Fires as a precaution. Luckily, despite the intensity of the blaze, no injuries or major damage to property were reported.Firefighters from Torrevieja and Almoradí rushed to the scene, along with aerial support to help get things under control. The fire was mostly contained by 9pm but ground crews stayed behind to make sure no hot spots flared back up.
About 50 people from the Loire homeowners’ community were evacuated as a safety measure. A large team was involved in the operation, including firefighters, local police, Civil Protection teams and other emergency responders. Several specialised units were also brought in to help.
The Red Cross was quick to respond too, setting up a nearby shelter in case anyone needed a place to stay overnight.
This isn't the first time the area has seen this kind of scare. Last June, another wildfire broke out between the Las Ramblas and Campoamor golf courses and threatened homes nearby. Even more worrying, that fire reignited just as emergency crews were packing up. Fortunately, it was brought under control again with no injuries reported.
A 42-year-old British woman, wanted by the UK authorities for alleged sexual offences against minors, has been arrested in Valencia. Spain’s National Police made the arrest following an International Arrest Warrant issued by Interpol’s Manchester office. Officers from the Expo district’s Citizen Assistance and Operational Response groups had received a tip that a wanted fugitive might be hiding out in the city.
After some investigation, police tracked the woman down to the La Punta neighbourhood. Once they confirmed her identity through official databases and verified the UK’s extradition request, she was taken into custody on the spot.
She later appeared before Valencia’s Court of Instruction No. 7 and the case has now moved into the hands of the Spanish courts, which will handle the extradition process.
Get ready to pack your bags and head back to the Solana hotel, because the rumours are true: Benidorm could be making a comeback! The show’s creator, Derren Litten, has been chatting with ITV about reviving the hit series, which once drew in a whopping 8 million viewers.
During a Facebook Live session, Litten dropped some major hints about the show’s future. He addressed those long-running rumours (thanks for keeping the speculation alive, Sherrie Hewson!) and gave fans a glimmer of hope.
As he said, “Sherrie does this rumour every couple of years, and Sherrie says that the show is coming back, and she is not s*** stirring, she is hopeful because she loves the show as much as I do.”While Litten didn’t make any official announcements, he did let slip that he’s been talking to ITV behind the scenes.
“If I say ITV have not commissioned a new Benidorm series, it is because ITV have not commissioned a new Benidorm series, up to today. Does it mean they might commission a new series in the near future? Possibly,” he teased.
He went on to add, “Have I been talking to ITV in the last few months? Yes, I have. Have ITV commissioned a special or a series at the moment? No. Might they in the next few weeks, couple of months? Yeah, they might. They might.” So, it sounds like things are looking promising, but we’ll just have to wait and see.
The live broadcast was filled with excited reactions from fans, all begging for the show to return. And who can blame them? Benidorm was a staple of British comedy TV for years, known for its raucous humour and larger-than-life characters. After ten series, it’s clear that the show still has a special place in many people’s hearts.
Just last year, Litten seemed to rule out a reboot, but now it looks like the tide might be turning. Maybe we won’t get a full series just yet, but a special could be on the horizon.
Fingers crossed, Benidorm fans!
If you’re around Altea this weekend, you can enjoy a foody trip around the municipality with their Tapas Route, or catch the last few days of the Feria in Torrevieja!
For other events and activities happening in the area, check out the What’s On page of Alicante Today or join the Costa Blanca What’s On and Where to Go Facebook group
Andalucía
Just a week after cable thefts brought major disruption to the high-speed AVE service, rail passengers between Madrid and Andalucía were hit with more delays on Sunday May 11. This time, it was a technical failure on the 12pm Madrid-Seville AVE that left travellers stuck for hours and caused widespread knock-on delays across the network.
The train came to a halt between La Sagra and Mora and remained stationary until around 3pm. It finally arrived at Seville’s Santa Justa station over two and a half hours late. But it wasn’t the only service affected; eight other long-distance and AVE trains to Cádiz, Granada, Málaga and Puertollano also faced lengthy hold-ups as a result.
The disruption happened to coincide with the final day of Seville’s famous Feria, leaving platforms packed with frustrated passengers. Social media quickly filled with photos of long queues and complaints about the lack of information.
This latest incident follows the chaos that we spoke about in last week’s bulletin when thieves stole cable from four different locations in Toledo province, paralysing about thirty services and affecting more than 10,000 travellers. Transport Minister Óscar Puente called it “an act of serious sabotage” and confirmed that multiple security boxes had been damaged.
Sunday’s problems, however, were unrelated to vandalism, leading to sharp criticism from opposition politicians. Toni Martín, PP spokesperson in the Andalusian Parliament, wrote on social media: “Let’s see who you blame today... It’s not sabotage, it’s incompetence.”
An 83-year-old British man has died after choking on food aboard a cruise ship off the coast of Cádiz. The passenger, Kenneth Edward Cooper from Bournemouth, fell ill on while dining on board. Although medical staff tried to assist, the ship made an emergency docking so he could be transferred to a nearby hospital. He sadly died the following day.
Details of the incident have only just been made public. The name of the cruise liner has not been confirmed, and a formal investigation into the circumstances is now under way.
Mr Cooper’s body was returned to the UK, where a post-mortem was carried out, confirming the cause of death as hypoxic brain injury resulting from asphyxiation. No further information has yet been released by the cruise company or local authorities.
And lastly, as we always try to end on a high note, the happiest place in Spain has just been named as the town of Chipiona in Cádiz. If you’ve been to Chipiona, you might already understand the hype, and now there’s research to back it up. The pretty coastal town has officially been crowned the happiest place to live in the country, according to a nationwide study by polling firm YouGov for sugar company Azucarera.
Locals and visitors rated the town highly for its sunny climate, strong sense of community and relaxed pace of life. Golden beaches, fresh seafood and famously friendly residents clearly make a strong impression.
Chipiona sits proudly on the northwest tip of Cádiz province and is part of the Network of Magical Towns of Spain, thanks to its cultural heritage and natural charm. Its most iconic landmark is the Chipiona Lighthouse, at 69 metres, the tallest in Spain, which offers panoramic views of the Atlantic coast.
The town is also home to the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Regla, an important pilgrimage site, along with several historic churches and the former Santa Clara Sanatorium. Its mix of scenic beauty and cultural depth helped it beat out tough competition from across the country.
It wasn’t the only bright spot in Cádiz, either; both Tarifa and Zahara de los Atunes also featured in the top 10 happiest towns. But Chipiona came out on top, and with good reason. So, if you’re looking for a cheerful escape, this might just be your next stop!
You may have missed…
- The new overtime rule that Spanish workers have been waiting for.
As part of the country’s new labour reform, businesses will have to provide their employees with a monthly receipt that details all the extra hours they’ve worked. - Murcia invests in attracting international talent to its universities.
The Region of Murcia is rapidly gaining ground as a top destination for international university students. With its blend of Mediterranean charm, academic excellence and forward-thinking strategies, Murcia’s three major universities are making bold moves to attract students from all over the world. - 1 in 5 foreign digital nomads chooses the Valencian Community.
The Valencian Community is fast becoming one of Europe’s top landing spots for international digital nomads. In 2023, more than 1,000 remote workers from abroad chose the region as their new home, making up one in five of all digital nomad visas granted across Spain. - British nationals among 17 arrested as Guardia Civil shuts down cannabis clubs in Alicante.
Six cannabis clubs in Alicante have been closed and 17 people arrested following a major investigation by the Guardia Civil into what authorities say was a drug trafficking operation posing as legal cannabis associations. - The new Social Security measure that could boost your Spanish retirement.
If you’re planning to retire in Spain or already thinking about your pension, there’s a new Social Security option you should know about. It could help you get more money in retirement, even if you’re no longer working.
And that’s the end. Hope you enjoyed! See you next time.
Bye!
