Table of Contents
Today in Spain, Police academy in salmonella outbreak, King to meet Palestinian refugee representative, and new initiative hopes to help small businesses reach commercial centres. Industrial production and labour costs will lead the financial news on Friday
Contents (click to jump ahead)
- Spanish News Headlines
- Business, Markets and Statistics
- Things to Do Today
- Local Markets
- Traffic and Travel
- Weather
- On This Day
- Video of the Day
- Follow Mark Nolan’s Podcast
Spanish News Headlines
The Minister of the Presidency, Interior, Social Dialogue and Administrative Simplification of Andalusia, Antonio Sanz, confirmed an outbreak of salmonellosis detected at the Aznalcázar Local Police Academy in Seville this week.
Specifically, as reported by Sanz, at the moment there are 67 people affected, although none have required hospitalisation. However, he has pointed out that some of those affected had been under observation, but have been discharged.
King Felipe VI will receive the commissioner general of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) today, Philippe Lazzarini, who is visiting Spain, as reported by the Royal House.
Don Felipe will receive Lazzarini in audience at the La Zarzuela Palace at 11:30. Previously, the head of UNRWA plans to meet with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, at the headquarters of his department.
The Government has defended the work of UNRWA at all times, after Israel denounced that some of its workers participated in the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7 and the UN agency proceeded to fire them and open an internal investigation. That accusation led to a small number of countries penalising the help agency, including the UK.
As the commercial infrastructure of town and cities evolves, there has been an increase in commercial centres throughout Spain, often at the detriment to the high street, but with other benefits, but as units in commercial centres are prime locations, it has been almost impossible for small or start-up businesses to find a foothold, having to resort to traditional locations, but that might all soon change thanks to a new initiative that hopes to make it easier for small businesses to move into commercial centres.
The multinational Carmila company, which is the third largest owner of shopping centres in Europe, with more than 200 large stores spread across France, Italy and Spain, has proposed to bridge the gap by promoting and training self-employed workers so that they can establish their businesses on their surfaces.
The firm has launched an initiative called Sale Up, within its Carmila Innovation Hub program, aimed at incubating and assisting, during all phases of its implementation, different business projects of the self-employed in its shopping centres, in collaboration with the Madrid Chamber of Commerce. Drawing on its extensive commercial real estate portfolio, which totals a gross leasable area (GLA) of close to 500,000 square metres.
To read these articles in full, visit SpainToday.news
Business, Markets and Statistics
On the day we celebrate women around the world on International Women’s Day, labour costs for the fourth quarter and industrial production for January end the week of statistics and markets news in Spain.
Meanwhile, GDP and the evolution of employment in the fourth quarter will be the main references in the eurozone.
On the other side of the Atlantic, investors will be attentive to the publication of the February unemployment rate in the US.
The day in Spain will start with the Institute of National Statistics (INE) publishing the harmonised labour cost index for the fourth quarter, followed by the industrial production for January.
In the Eurozone, Eurostat publishes the GDP and the evolution of employment for the fourth quarter. Next will be overnight stays in tourist accommodation establishments in December, and then salaries and labour costs for 2023.
Just a reminder for our UK friends that Sunday is Mother’s Day, so if you haven’t already, this could be your last chance to boost the cards and gifts sector and get that special gift.
Things to Do Today
In Torrevieja, you can enjoy Peter and the Wolf on 10 March, then take a Trip to Oz, with the kids, on 15, and then the Magical world of Disney concert on 16. Classical music fans have a Beethoven concert in the International Auditorium on 23 March.
Sports fans in Torrevieja have lots to look forward to with the likes of a solidarity race on the 10 March, World Football on 15th, a rugby competition from 22 to 24, football on the 28 to 31, and handball on the same weekend.
For runners, on 10 March, Elche has both as 7.2k and half marathon, Crevillente on 6 April has a 6k race, and the Dama de Guardamar half marathon, which takes the form of both a 10k and 21k variant (10.5 and 21.1 kilometres, respectively, to be pedantic), and will take place in Guardamar del Segura on 14 April 2024.
For petrolheads, Guardamar del Segura will host a wide range of classic motors, cars and motorbikes, in the XII Fiesta del Motor Clásico de Guardamar del Segura taking place on 23 March 2024, starting at 10 a.m. in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento where, in addition to the exhibition of participating classic cars and motorcycles, there will be live music, paella to eat, and drinks.
Prior to the Guardamar event, the IFA exhibition centre (near Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernandez Airport) will also have a classics event, Antic Auto, taking place on 9th and 10th of March.
You might also be interested in the classic scooter ride around Alcoy on 9 March, or further afield, the Scooter Rally in Madrid on the 15th.
Finally, the Iberia Motor Fest brings classic and unusual vehicles together at La Vila Joiosa on 22nd, 23rd, and 24th of March 2024.
Aircraft fans can look forward to RACEFEST, Madrid, taking place on 16 March, where the Patrulla Aguila aerobatic team from San Javier will be taking part, before showcasing their skills locally in the San Javier Airshow, taking place from 3rd-5th May – Festival Aéreo San Javier – over the playas de Santiago de la Ribera, San Javier, Murcia. They are also at the DIFAS 2024, taking place in Oviedo on 1 June, and on 15th June, the 50º Aniversario del ALA 14, in Albacete, where a competition is open to design a Eurofighter livery.
If your love of the sky means watching people jumping out of planes, then there´s good news for you too, as on 19th March – Fiestas Patronales de Puerto de Mazarrón 2024, in Murcia, sees the Patrulla Acrobática de Paracaidismo del Ejército del Aire (PAPEA) parachutists perform, and on 31st March they are at the Conmemoración de “El Encuentro” de Alcantarilla, also in Murcia, before the team head overseas in April to attend the 5th FAI World Indoor Skydiving Championship, in Macau, China.
Musically, James Blunt is back in Alicante on 19 July, as is Tom Jones on 25. Other popular groups coming to Spain in the near future include AC/DC, Depeche Mode, and Simple Minds.
Down south, the Malaga Film Festival takes place from 1 to 10 March, where one of the stars is the Valencia Region, with the tourism department showcasing the area, followed by the Granada Tango Festival from 12 to 17 March.
Fallas season is on now across Valencia, culminating in the celebrations around the middle of March, not forgetting of course we have San Jose, Spanish Father’s Day, on 19 March, a big event in the Spanish cultural calendar. The main fallas event is around Valencia, where this year the calendar is from 25 February to 19 March.
We must also remember that Easter is earlier this year, Good Friday is 29 March, and one of the big draws is Elche, and in particular Palm Sunday, on account of the history of the city in relation to palm trees. A huge Palm Sunday procession takes place in the city each year.
For more local events, pick up The Leader newspaper every Monday, and This is Torrevieja for Torrevieja events.
Local Markets
On Friday there’s are weekly market in Dolores, Jacarilla, Los Montesinos, Pilar de la Horadada, Torrellano (Elche), and Torrevieja.
On Saturday, you can get your bargains at the markets in Alicante, Almoradi, Catral, Elche, Moncayo (Guardamar), Orihuela, Playa Flamenca (Orihuela Costa), San Anton (Elche), San Fulgencio (La Marina), and Santa Pola.
And on Sunday, Algorfa (Zoco), Campoverde (Pilar de la Horadada), Corvera (Murcia), Guardamar El Limonero (Lemon Tree Road), Guardamar (N-332), Elche Mercadillo del Martínez Valero, La Aparecida (Orihuela), La Murada (Orihuela), and Pilar de la Horadada (El Toro).
The roads will of course be busy around those locations.
Traffic and Travel
A special focus on seat belt use will take place in Spain next week. We will give you all of the details in The Week Ahead and here next week.
On the roads of Spain, coinciding with the weekends of the winter months, an increase in traffic is expected on the main routes, national roads, and motorways towards rest areas, second homes and mountain areas for practicing winter sports.
FRIDAY
Movements out of large urban centres and increased circulation on the main communication routes towards rest areas, second homes and mountain areas, the least favourable time being between 7 and 9 p.m.
SATURDAY
Travel out of large urban centres, many of which will be short trips to recreation and leisure areas close to large towns, as well as increased circulation on the main communication routes to rest areas, second homes and mountain areas, the busiest times being between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
SUNDAY
Movements in the entrance direction to the large urban centres along the main communication road axes that channel the entire return movement, in particular on motorways, as well as along the access roads to areas of mountain with winter sports practice, at an unfavourable time between 6 and 10 p.m.
If you are going to the mountains, remember to take snow chains (click this link to browse snow chains on Amazon). Winter tyres are also permitted. If you come across a blue circular sign showing snow chains, it is obligatory to have them fitted on your wheels before passing the sign. In accordance with Spanish Traffic Law, you are not permitted further without having them installed. It is both dangerous, and illegal.
For information and updates about driving in Spain, visit N332.es
Flight wise, industrial action in Germany, and in the control tower at Lanzarote, strong winds at Heathrow, and also affecting Gatwick, replacing of equipment at Bordeaux, capacity issues through much of French airspace, capacity reductions at Alicante from 9 p.m., and all day around Seville, could all add to a complicated day for the 25,700 fights scheduled across Europe, many of which are on the UK to Spain route.
Plus, as we expand on the weather beyond the wind around the south of England, high pressure over northern and central Europe with a risk of localised low visibility issues in the morning for Scandinavia. Low pressure over southern France and the Iberian Peninsula bringing windy conditions.
Military exercise NORDIC RESPONSE 2024 will take place in North Scandinavian region until 15th March 2024, and in the case of this exercise, that includes weekends.
Gun Firing will take place over the Black Sea until 11th March 2024.
Military exercise DRAGON 24 will take place in Poland until 13th March 2024, not expecting to have an impact on commercial traffic. A training exercise is also taking place in Poland, but again, not expecting to impact flights.
Official Websites for Travel Information
- For live traffic reports, visit the DGT traffic map
- For weather warnings, consult AEMET
- DGT Twitter account
- AEMET weather related road information
- Aemet Twitter account
- For flight information, check the AENA airport operator’s website
Weather
Always check the weather where you are before embarking on a trip. Here are the official sources for alerts and warnings.
- Click here to visit AEMET for weather alerts and forecasts.
- Click here to visit the DGT for live traffic and road conditions.
- AEMET weather related road information
On This Day
2018, the first feminist general strike took place in Spain on the occasion of International Women’s Day, highly supported (5.3 million workers) and resulting in massive demonstrations throughout Spain.
2006, in Valencia, a court discovers four million euro in bank accounts of companies supposedly related to the former Pakistani prime minister, Benazir Bhutto.
2005, five Guardia Civil officers are run over and killed while dismantling an anti-terrorist checkpoint on the Burgos highway by a heavy truck, whose driver fell asleep.
Video of the Day
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The post Spain Today – Friday 8 March 2024 first appeared on Mark Nolan´s Podcast.