Latest news with #OKDiario
Daily Mirror
10 hours ago
- Climate
- Daily Mirror
Exact date 'megafire' could engulf Spanish hotspots as locals call for 'urgent' help
The Extremadura region in the west of Spain is experiencing one of the most serious environmental crises in its recent history as forest fires sweep across the area A 'megafire' will engulf a Spanish region if urgent action isn't taken, officials have warned. The Extremadura region in the west of the country is experiencing one of the most serious environmental crises in its recent history as forest fires sweep across the area. More than 30,000 hectares of land have been burned so far, making it one of the worst-hit regions during a summer in which woodlands, fields, and hills across Spain, Portugal, and France have been destroyed. The most critical fire is the Jarilla fire in the province of Cáceres, which has razed more than 15,500 hectares. Now, Extremadura's Minister of the Presidency, Interior, and Social Dialogue, Abel Bautista, has issued a stark alert as firefighters struggle to get the flames under control. It comes after a warning to Brit tourists planning all-inclusive holidays to Spain. Mr Bautista has warned that a "megafire" will take over imminently if more resources aren't provided to tackle the problem. He has criticised the pace of the response after a detailed list of the necessary resources was drawn up last Friday, only for them to arrive days later, OK Diario reports. The politician has argued that today (Tuesday, August 19) is the "key day" to control the blaze. Mr Bautista has requested that Pedro Sánchez's government "urgently send reinforcements," including fire trucks, heavy machinery, and extra firefighters. The dry terrain of the sparse region and strong winds threaten to spread the flames further. The magnitude of the fire has forced the evacuation of several towns and has tested the capabilities of emergency teams, who are working tirelessly to contain the fires. It is feared that towns Jerte and Tornavacas could be impacted next. A 100 soldiers have now been sent into the region to fight the fires, and a Slovak Black Hawk helicopter carrying 3,400 litres of water will be deployed at the forestry brigade base in Cáceres. Given its landlocked position on the Portuguese border, visitors to Extremadura most often head there to enjoy its wild, natural beauty. It is an important area for wildlife, particularly the reserve at Monfragüe, which was designated a National Park in 2007, and the International Tagus River Natural Park. Last night, flames began to spread through the upper part of El Chorro, a steep canyon with a river running through its bed. Firefighters managed to stop the flames before they caused too much damage to one of the region's most strikingly beautiful spots. Firefighting resources will remain on high alert to prevent further damage in the area. Google's wildfires satellite map provides real-time data on the spread of blazes across the region, which now cover hundreds of thousands of acres in Portugal and Spain alone. Last night it was announced that Spain has sent 500 more troops to fight raging wildfires, bringing the total deployed to 1,900, as the death toll from the blazes has risen to four. As habitats are ravaged and lives lost as a result of the fire, it is alarming to consider that such natural disasters are becoming more and more common. The summer of 2024 was the hottest on record for Europe, according to BBC Weather and Copernicus Climate Change Service. This year has been little better. From mid-June to early July, Western Europe experienced its highest average temperatures for this period in decades, and the hottest June on record. Temperatures soared above 40°C, and up to 46°C in Spain and Portugal, Nature reports. Global heating as a consequence of human actions are in large part of blame. Across 12 major European cities this year, about 1,500 of 2,300 estimated heat-related deaths were driven by the extra heat resulting from fossil-fuel emissions, according to a Grantham Institute's report.
Daily Mirror
13-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Jet2 warning that cost of Spain holidays will rise if protests continue
Jet2 CEO Steve Heapy has warned that anti-tourism protests in Spain could lead local politicians to introduce or raise taxes on visitors, bringing up the cost to holidaymakers Jet2's boss has warned that taxes slapped on tourists could rise as a result of ongoing protests. Steve Heapy expressed fears that tourist levies could rise in response to overtourism protests in Spain, which have been rumbled on for years and are due to disrupt key destinations this summer. The CEO told a roundtable event at the Spanish embassy in London that he opposed tourist taxes, but feared rises would prove 'irresistible', Travel Weekly reports. 'It worries me greatly that it will constantly creep up in response to overtourism protests,' he said. Others at the table defended the tax form, including Pere Granados, mayor of Salou. He argued the €1 per person, per day levy at work in the region is a good thing. Mayor Granados said: 'The tourists pay tax in the same way as the residents pay taxes. If I come to London, I generate waste.' On the flip side of things, Benidorm mayor Antonio Perez, argued that things should be kept "reasonable" when it came to how much tourists contribute. 'I'm against a tourist tax because it's stigmatising the visitors as the ones who are preventing me from having a better city or better services. We need to be the best place to live," he said Interest in Spanish holidays continues to rise, despite the protests. Last year, the country saw a record-breaking 94 million international visitors flock to its mainland and many popular islands. Demonstrations have continued in recent months- with one shocking sign threatening to 'Kill a Tourist' popping up in Tenerife. Reports also suggest anonymous locals set fire to rental cars - often used by tourists to explore the island - to make their message clear. In March, protesters took to the streets of Spain's second city, targeting a sightseeing bus in Barcelona, which they blocked and squirted with water. The organizers of many of the anti-tourism protests held in 2024 in Mallorca launched a protest in the Northern Spanish city. Catalan Police were called when the campaigners blocked a bus packed with tourists close to the famous Sagrada Familia. Members of Més turisme, Menys vida (More Tourism, Less Life) launched the action after holding an international press conference. After stopping the bus in its tracks for several minutes, the protesters doused it with water pistols. According to OK Diario, police dispersed some of the activists and detained others. This tourism-phobic group from Mallorca carried out several pressure actions against tourists last year, both in Palma and on iconic beaches like Caló des Moro, as well as two demonstrations with thousands of people protesting against tourism in the streets of the Balearic capital.
Local Spain
13-05-2025
- Business
- Local Spain
FACT CHECK: No, Spain does not fine you for withdrawing €3,000
There have been several posts doing the rounds on X and Facebook claiming that the Spanish tax authorities will fine you for trying to withdraw €3,000 or more from your bank. Some posts have even gotten up to 20,000 likes each and were shared more than 5,000 times. Take this post, for example: 'If you wish to withdraw more than €3,000 in cash, you must notify the Tax Agency at least 24 hours in advance of the withdrawal. You must also specify the purpose of the withdrawal. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in fines of up to €150,000'. A false X post claiming that Spain will fine you for withdrawing €3,000. There have even been some very misleading headlines in the Spanish press such as in right-wing OK Diario ,which wrote 'Fine of up to €150,000 for withdrawing cash from an ATM', or in the widely read 20Minutos newspaper, which wrote 'Up to €150,000: these are the fines imposed by the Treasury for unjustified withdrawals or deposits of money from the bank'. These posts are categorically not true, the tax authorities won't fine you for withdrawing €3000 from the bank. Here's where the confusion comes in. What does happen is that banks are obliged to report any transactions above €3,000, whether that's deposited or taken out. This is to help fight against tax fraud and money laundering. The law specifically states bank communication with Hacienda "must include information on deposits, withdrawals of funds and collections, when the amount exceeds €3,000'. You can read the full law here. This is nothing new. This law came into force back in 2010 and it hasn't been amended since. So while your bank may inform Spanish tax authorities if you withdraw more than €3,000 from the branch, it is not necessary that you justify it and you will definitely not be fined €150,000. The truth is that no bank in Spain will even let you withdraw more than €3,000 in one go from an ATM. Bank ATMs have a limit that varies depending on the institution. For example, Ibercaja has a daily ATM limit of €1,000, while Banco Santander's limit is €600 and BBVA has a limit of €2,000. If you do want more than €3,000 in cash, you will have to go to your local branch and do the withdrawal over the counter with a bank teller. This is so they can have a record of it to send to the Tax Agency. As CaixaBank's blog explains: "There is no legal limit for withdrawing money from an ATM, although if you want to withdraw more than €3,000 at once, you will need to speak to a bank employee and prepare a receipt, which will be sent to both the Tax Agency and the Bank of Spain'. You must however make sure that you file all your tax declarations accurately and include all your necessary transactions correctly, otherwise you could be fined for tax fraud, but not simply for withdrawing money.
Daily Mirror
28-04-2025
- Daily Mirror
Police intervene as protesters target tourists with new tactic in Spanish hotspot
Tourist aboard a sight-seeing bus in Barcelona were blocked and squirted with water by protesters. The organizers of many of the anti-tourism protests held in 2024 in Mallorca launched a protest in the Northern Spanish city on Sunday. The Catalan Police were called when the campaigners blocked a bus packed with tourists close to the famous Sagrada Familia. Members of Més turisme, Menys vida (More Tourism, Less Life) launched the action after holding an international press conference. After stopping the bus in its tracks for several minutes, the protesters doused it with water pistols. According to OK Diario, police dispersed some of the activists and detained others. This tourism-phobic group from Mallorca carried out several pressure actions against tourists last year, both in Palma and on iconic beaches like Caló des Moro, as well as two demonstrations with thousands of people protesting against tourism in the streets of the Balearic capital. Fed up locals in holiday hotspots across Spain, Italy, France and Portugal have refused to rule out targeting terminal buildings to deter holidaymakers this summer. They say mass tourism has fuelled soaring rents and a lack of affordable homes - as accommodation is snapped up for tourist lets and land bought for building resorts. The alert comes as millions of us are planning sunshine getaways. At the Més turisme, Menys vida summit, protestor Elena Boschi yesterday told the Mirror: 'We want tourists to have some level of fear about the situation – without fear there is no change.' The English language teacher, 46, a campaigner from Genoa, on the Italian riviera, continued: 'Our cities and regions are not for sale and there is an urgent need to limit the growth of tourism, demand a change of course and decide on a path to tourism de-growth as a way out.' When questioned by our reporter about demonstrations at airports, which have been mooted by activists, leader Daniel Pardo added: 'It is a possibility – but, it is difficult to say because each territory will decide how they want to take action, there is no one set strategy.' Issues relating to tourism have been felt particularly keenly by those living on the Canary Islands. In 2024, the Canary Islands saw a record 17.9 million visitors, a combination of international and domestic tourists. This included 15.5 million international tourists, a 10% increase from the previous year, and around 1.8 million domestic tourists from mainland Spain. This year activists - who argue that house prices are too high, roads too busy and the way of life being eroded by mass-tourism - have pledged to target popular tourist hotspots, disrupt public events and "confront political leaders". A fresh campaign is set to commence from May 18. "From now on, we will take our fight to the very spaces where their predatory model is perpetuated," declared activist group Canarias tiene un límite (The Canaries Have a Limit)."
Morocco World
12-03-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
Spain's Arms Exports to Morocco Increase Thirteenfold, Totaling €21 Million in 2024
Doha – Spain has increased its arms exports to Morocco by 1,264.77% in 2024 compared to the previous year, reaching a total value of €21 million, up from €1.5 million in 2023. According to the Spanish news outlet OKDiario, which analyzed data from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Commerce, this substantial increase comes at a time when NATO is urging member countries like Spain to increase their domestic defense spending. The majority of these exports consisted of bombs, grenades, and torpedos, which increased from €1 million in 2023 to €12.8 million in 2024, representing a 1,096.33% rise. The most significant growth was recorded in parts and accessories for weapons, which expanded from €10,015 to €8 million, marking an exceptional 79,739.22% increase. The data also shows that rifle, gun, and spring pistol exports to Morocco increased by 10% in 2024, reaching €205,564. In contrast, Spain's arms imports from Morocco remained minimal, totaling only €1,277 euros in 2024, with €660 spent on rifles and spring pistols, and €617 on sabers, swords, and bayonets. This trade imbalance is reflected in Spain's overall arms trade figures for 2024, with total exports reaching €858.4 million while imports stood at €290.76 million. Meanwhile, Spain's Minister of Economy, Carlos Cuerpo, has requested that the European Commission either finance domestic defense investments through loans and grants or exclude such investments from public deficit calculations if funded by the state. Spain's expansion of arms exports occurs while NATO and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have criticized the country for failing to meet its domestic military spending commitments. Read also: Spanish Media Frets Over Morocco Apache Acquisition Tags: Military modernizationMorocco spain
