---
canonical_url: "https://malagaaldia.com/contenido/8336/business-over-tapas-no-647"
title: "Business over Tapas Nº 647"
article_type: "Article"
description: "A digest of this week's Spanish financial, political and social news aimed primarily at Foreign Property Owners: Prepared by Lenox Napier. José Antonio Sierra"
main_image: "https://malagaaldia.com/download/multimedia.normal.af127152f68e8011.bm9ybWFsLndlYnA%3D.webp"
date_published: "2026-09-09T22:40:00+02:00"
date_modified: "2026-09-09T23:32:03+02:00"
tags:
  - "news"
  - "newspapers"
author_name: "Redacción"
author_url: "https://malagaaldia.com/usuario/2/redaccion"
category_name: "News in English"
category_url: "https://malagaaldia.com/categoria/15/news-in-english"
category_description: "News in English is a news service in English for Malaga, sent by José Antonio Sierra in his effort to facilitate the reach of languages to all citizens"
---

# Business over Tapas Nº 647

![london-4412142_1280](/download/multimedia.normal.af127152f68e8011.bm9ybWFsLndlYnA%3D.webp)

****Editorial:****

There’s not really a lot of point to Ceuta and Melilla, Spain’s two inhabited territories in North Africa: fine places as they no doubt must be. Ceuta is small at just 18.5km² and one can walk from one end of Melilla to the other in an hour of so (4kms long, 3kms wide).

Neither of them charges *IVA*; and furthermore, residents and businesses enjoy massive tax cuts, including a 60% reduction in personal income tax (*IRPF*) and major corporate tax reliefs. This represents hundreds of millions in tax revenue that Spain willingly forgives every year to keep the cities economically viable.

…and they don’t really produce anything at all, except occasional trouble.

But there are around 170,000 people living in the two enclaves, which have both been Spanish possessions for the last 530 years (Melilla) and 360 years (Ceuta). As Pedro Sánchez says, they are both *españolísimo*.

Although, for practical reasons, Spain is stuck with two difficult stepchildren that are both a huge financial and political burden.

The total combined economic burden to Spain of Ceuta and Melilla, says *Google AI*, for the 2025 financial period, including structural maintenance, military operations, and foregone tax revenue, is estimated to be between €1,100 million and €1,500 million. This year, with extra protection, subsidies and defence investment, it will be a lot more.

We remember the virulent reaction of Spain in 2002 to the [brief occupation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perejil_Island) of the deserted Spanish island of Perejil, just 250 metres off the Moroccan coast. Then, and on the other hand, and casting back to a couple of weeks before Franco’s death in 1975, there was King Hassan II’s ‘[Green March’](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_March) which took more or less uncontested control of the Spanish Sahara (with Washington’s tacit approval).

In politics, we have the Moroccans claiming the two enclaves (known to them as *Sebta* and *Mellila*) for their own. As happened in the last days of July, this claim can sometimes prove to be a major problem, exacerbated (or maybe encouraged) by Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu plus the usual suspects – Feijóo, Abascal and various nazi troublemakers.

Not that the Partido Popular or Vox want to lose the two cities – far from it. But there are political advantages to them both to go in with guns blazing. There were [major protests](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1mvn2yp9n2o) outside every (PP/Vox) town hall in Spain Wednesday September 2nd against the Government’s admittedly poor handling of the crisis, under [the banner of](https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-09-03/thousands-of-protesters-march-in-spain-over-ceuta-migrant-crisis.html) the Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (*FEMP*), a right-leaning agency. I was in Granada that day and saw a [large number](https://www.granadahoy.com/granada/clamor-ceuta-desborda-granada-miles-personas-toman-centro-grito-defiende_0_2007859533.html) of demonstrators heading towards the Plaza del Carmen, the town hall square, with many people wearing Spanish flags wrapped around their shoulders.

Indeed, the Ceuta ‘invasion’ (if I may quote Vox) [has proven](https://www.abc.es/espana/andalucia/vox-lleva-parlamento-defensa-soberania-espanola-sobre-20260905115747-nts.html) to be the biggest headache for Pedro Sánchez in this entire, complicated legislature.

The Moroccans are backing down for the moment, having caused a huge problem – they don’t [particularly *want*](https://www.eldiario.es/politica/feijoo-apunta-guerra-marruecos_129_13482681.html) a right-wing government in Spain, and Sánchez is [firmly](https://abcnews.com/International/wireStory/spanish-prime-minister-rejects-suggestions-morocco-ceuta-border-136167047) *not*blaming themfor the 72,000 that crossed the border on July 31st (no doubt for sound political reasons), yet the fresh threat of Felipe VI [visiting Ceuta](https://efe.com/espana/2026-09-05/zarzuela-moncloa-visita-ceuta/) and Melilla in the coming weeks is certainly not going to be at all acceptable to King Mohammad VI’s government.

So, what is to be done with the 5,000 migrants currently causing problems in Ceuta? Some are Moroccan, some are minors and some are Sub-Saharans. In theory, the Moroccans should be processed before being either granted refugee status or to be returned; the 1,200 minors, known dismissively as *[los menas](https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menor_extranjero_no_acompa%C3%B1ado)*, should be allowed to stay and sent to shelters on the mainland (although the regional authorities run by the PP [don’t want them](https://www.elplural.com/opinion/atacar-gobierno-sin-propuestas-programa-derechas_399443102)); while the Sub-Saharans can’t be returned from one foreign country to another foreign country (!), so must be checked before being allowed to stay or to be returned to their homeland. This would be following Spanish and EU law.

The Spanish Supreme Court must come in for some blame over these events, as it ruled in July this year that those crossing a frontier may be returned ‘*en caliente’*, but those arriving by sea must be processed. A decision that would have been seen among the Moroccan youth as little short of an invitation.

It’s no doubt a lot easier to resolve the problem of 5,000 anxious migrants killing time in Ceuta than the alternative preferred by the Moroccans on the other side of the wall: to remove 170,000 indignant Spanish residents to the Peninsular.

****…********...****

****Housing:****

Mark Stücklin at ****Spanish Property Insight**** [has](https://www.spanishpropertyinsight.com/2026/09/04/huge-difference-in-property-buying-costs-across-spain/): ‘The huge difference in property buying costs across Spain’. He says: ‘A new app called ****CasaTab**** ([here](https://casatab.com/)) brings home just how wildly the cost of buying property varies across Spain. For a €1m resale, taxes and fees differ by as much as €65,000 depending on which region you buy in’.

****Idealista**** [has](https://www.idealista.com/en/news/luxury-real-estate-in-spain/2026/09/08/910754-international-buyers-already-account-for-30-of-the-luxury-real-estate-market) ‘Foreign buyers now account for 30% of Spain's luxury housing market. The article says that foreigners are buying nearly a third of Spain's luxury housing market, with most purchases completed without financing’.

****Idealista**** [brings us](https://www.idealista.com/en/news/lifestyle-in-spain/2026/09/01/899818-flex-living-it-is-not-a-passing-trend-but-part-of-a-transformation-of-the-residential) ‘*Flex living*: "Not a passing trend, but a market shift". *Flex living* offers a flexible rental solution designed to meet temporary housing needs over the medium term’. We read that this involves lease agreements that are shorter than traditional long-term rentals but longer than tourist accommodation, which is generally rented by the day or the week.

The ****Majorca Daily Bulletin**** [has](https://www.majorcadailybulletin.com/news/local/2026/07/10/143953/want-restore-the-dream-retiring-spain-and-end-the-heartache-britons-forced-into-the-nightmare-leaving-because-the-day-rule.html) “We want to restore the dream of retiring in Spain and end the heartache of Britons forced into the nightmare of leaving because of the 90-day rule". “In an ideal world as part of the alleged reset between the UK and the EU, we would see a return of the freedom of movement, but one step at a time.”

A valid point from ****Eye on Spain**** [here](https://www.eyeonspain.com/blogs/eoscontributers/24626/leaving-the-grey-behind-why-even-spains-cloudiest-cities-leave-britain-in-the-shade.aspx): ‘Leaving the Grey Behind: Why Even Spain’s "Cloudiest" Cities Leave Britain in the Shade. There comes a point every year—usually right as the late-summer evenings begin to draw in or the British skies turn the colour of wet cement—when the pull of the Iberian sun feels entirely irresistible. For anyone who has ever stared out a window in London, Manchester, or Edinburgh and wondered why daylight feels like an optional luxury, new meteorological data offers some staggering perspective…’

****…********...****

****Tourism:****

From ****The Olive Press**** [here](https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2026/09/03/major-change-to-the-eus-ees-system-begins-next-week/): ‘Experts warn of longer airport queues as major change to the EU’s controversial EES system begins’.

From****iNews**** [here](https://inews.co.uk/news/world/magaluf-north-locals-tourists-wreck-spains-gems-4737989): ‘‘Magaluf of the north’: Locals despair as UK tourists wreck Spain’s untouched gems. Holidaymakers are steadily expanding their presence across the north of Spain and resentment among residents is growing. As summer visitors steadily expand their presence across Spain’s lesser-known destinations, resentment among residents is growing in cities such as Santiago de Compostela, Toledo, Logroño and other destinations that received few tourists – until now…’ (*Thanks to Jake*)

Max Jeffery, a British ‘influencer’, says that his fellow citizens have made themselves unpopular for the locals in Tenerife, Lanzarote, Benidorm, Magaluf and Marbella by their behaviour and have contributed towards ‘destroying’ the attraction of those resorts. The story [here](https://www.atlanticohoy.com/sociedad/influencer-britanico-dos-islas-canarias-entre-destinos-espanoles-arruinados-gente-local-no-nos-soporta_1566577_102.html). Max Jeffery’s video on ****TikTok**** [here](https://www.tiktok.com/@maxjefferytalks/video/7681279557588110625).

‘Spain is currently the world's most sought-after destination for digital nomads. According to official government figures, over 300,000 foreign professionals with digital nomad visas and other remote work arrangements reside in the country, and this number is projected to reach around one million by 2030’. ****Noticias de Almería**** has [the story](https://www.noticiasdealmeria.com/almeria-quiere-nomadas-digitales-pero-estos-aun-no-quieren-a-almeria), while noting with dismay that few digital nomads have chosen the region of Almería to set themselves up.

The squabble with Italy isn’t over. From ****Euro News**** [here](https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/09/05/spain-to-maintain-border-checks-on-arrivals-from-italy-until-22-september): ‘Spain to maintain border checks on arrivals from Italy until 22 September’.

Spanish tourism to Morocco has flatlined says ****Preferente**** [here](https://www.preferente.com/noticias-de-agencias-de-viajes/marruecos-se-hunde-en-espana-ventas-paralizadas-y-oleada-de-cancelaciones-351702.html).

****…********...****

****Seniors:****

‘The *Institute for the Elderly and Social Services* (IMSERSO) is an agency of the Government of Spain responsible for the management of social services that complement the benefits of the Social Security System, disability and retirement pensions, in its non-contributory modalities, as well as the exercise of the powers of the General State Administration in matters relating the elderly and dependent persons ([Wiki](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institute_for_the_Elderly_and_Social_Services))’. The *Imserso* is best known for its programs related to tourism for the elderly (over 65s). From ****Preferente**** [here](https://www.preferente.com/noticias-de-agencias-de-viajes/el-mapa-del-imserso-asi-se-repartiran-las-879-000-plazas-351675.html), we read of 879,000 *Imserso* trips: the hotels that have signed agreements with *Ávoris* and *Mundicolor*for 2026. Together, the two operators account for 158 establishments: 47 distributed across the Canary and Balearic Islands, and 111 across Andalucía, Catalonia, the Valencian Community, and Murcia’. *Advice from a reader: ‘Best thing is not to be choosy and just grab what’s available’*.

****…********...****

****Finance:****

‘The power companies in Spain, with their record profits and margins, are responsible for a third of the current inflation. Data from the *Business Margins Observatory* indicates that crude oil refining has boosted its margins and driven up the *Consumer Price Index* in the second quarter of 2026, taking advantage of the price increases caused by the war in Iran’. ****El Salto Diario**** has [more](https://www.elsaltodiario.com/economia/energeticas-espana-record-beneficios-margenes-provocan-un-tercio-inflacion).

I took my driving lessons and test in a *Seat 600* back in 1972. The most ubiquitous car there was. I’ve owned a few over the years (the door fell off one, the window wouldn’t open on another and the cunning anti-thief ignition failed during the Covid on a third). Not the best cars maybe, but certainly part of España. *Volkswagen*, who bought the company in 1986, says they are considering [discontinuing the brand](https://www.20minutos.es/lainformacion/empresas/volkswagen-no-garantiza-continuidad-marca-seat-mas-alla-2030_7032981_0.html) in the next few years in favour of *Cupra*.

****…********...****

****Politics:****

The political year has now begun. ‘Pedro Sánchez is determined to remain in power until 2031 and, speaking in the *Congreso*, he urges the PSOE to "give it their all."’. The President highlighted the "attacks" from the "ultra-international" movement regarding Ceuta and insisted that those who have the right to asylum "will have it in Spain" and that the rest of the migrants "will be returned."’ Quotes come via ****20Minutos**** [here](https://www.20minutos.es/nacional/sanchez-se-enroca-llegar-2031-pide-psoe-echar-resto-saca-pecho-los-ataques-internacional-ultra-por-ceuta_7033697_0.html).

****elDiario.es**** [here](https://www.eldiario.es/andalucia/ceuta-evita-traslado-menores-migrantes-andalucia-pactado-moreno-no-danar-estrategia-pp_1_13493441.html) has ‘Ceuta averts the transfer of migrant minors to Andalucía—already [agreed upon](https://www.eldiario.es/andalucia/moreno-firmo-convenio-estable-tiempo-ceuta-agilizar-traslado-menores-crisis-migratorias_1_13481731.html) with Juanma Moreno in 2021—so as not to damage the PP's strategy’.

****Reuters**** [says](https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/majority-spaniards-unhappy-with-governments-handling-ceuta-crisis-poll-shows-2026-09-07/) ‘Nearly nine in 10 Spaniards blame Morocco for the mass migrant crossings into Ceuta in late July, while a majority rate ​Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's handling of the crisis as "bad" ‌or "very bad", according to an opinion poll released on Monday that also showed a drop in support for Sanchez's party. The *40dB* poll of 2,000 people for ​*El Pais* newspaper and radio station *SER* also recorded an ​increase in voting intentions for the conservatives and the ⁠anti-immigration, far-right Vox party, in line with several other polls conducted ​after the deadly border surge into Spain's North African enclave…’

The Partido Popular is looking for voters from both the PSOE and Vox. It won’t be getting many from the left, so it’s moving to the right. Second Vice President Yolanda Díaz summed up the party on Tuesday as ‘being "arsonists of hate" and Feijóo of "dressing himself up" as a Vox supporter’. The story at ****Europa Press**** [here](https://www.europapress.es/epsocial/migracion/noticia-yolanda-diaz-acusa-pp-ser-piromanos-odio-feijoo-ir-travestido-vox-20260908143151.html).

****elDiario.es**** [notes](https://www.eldiario.es/politica/pp-vox-votan-congreso-ocho-diez-veces-legislatura_1_13471316.html) that ‘The PP and Vox have voted the same way in Congress eight out of ten times this legislative term. The far-right party supports the measures proposed by Feijóo's party three times as often, while the agreement between the two parties has soared to nearly 90% so far in 2026’. *In my opinion, either Sánchez or Abascal will*control*the future government after the 2027 general elections.*

****…********...****

****Ceuta and Melilla:****

****El Mundo**** [says](https://archive.ph/Ujavd#selection-3039.0-3045.140): ‘On July 29, the *CNI* (Spanish intelligence) warned the government—as well as Morocco—of the "extraordinary gravity" of a potential mass storming of Ceuta during the ‘Throne Day’ (July 30th Moroccan holiday) celebrations. Intelligence analysts warned that anything up to 180,000 people, organized via *WhatsApp* and *Facebook* groups, intended to enter the enclave mainly by sea … Declassified reports released so far say nothing regarding the possibility that Morocco was behind the organization of the assault, or that it was an operation orchestrated by an institution of the Moroccan state’.

****Euro News**** [says](https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/09/01/spanish-government-approves-309-million-aid-package-for-ceuta-amid-migrant-crisis): ‘the Spanish government approves €309 million aid package for Ceuta amid migrant crisis’.

****The Guardian**** [says](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/sep/03/ceuta-border-breach-spain-response-europe) ‘The Ceuta border breach was leapt on by Europe’s right. That doesn’t absolve Spain. The government’s sluggish response has been disastrous for everyone involved – and for Sánchez’s message on immigration’.

‘Spanish court the *Audiencia Nacional* is to investigate deadly Ceuta migrant surge as possible ‘hybrid warfare’ operation’ says ****Spain in English**** [here](https://www.spainenglish.com/2026/09/08/spanish-court-to-investigate-deadly-ceuta-migrant-surge-as-possible-hybrid-warfare-operation/).

The ****Majorca Daily Bulletin**** [here](https://www.majorcadailybulletin.com/news/local/2026/09/03/145475/trump-has-another-tantrum-over-spain-slamming-ruined-country-and-says-the-mass-influx-ceuta-sad-see.html): ‘Trump has another tantrum over Spain slamming it a “ruined country” and says the mass influx in Ceuta “is sad to see”. The President has repeatedly lashed out at Spain, labelling it a “terrible partner” and a “wasted cause”’. Another view, from ****The Clash Report****, takes it [even further](https://clashreport.com/world/articles/trump-says-spain-is-going-to-be-destroyed-as-he-attacks-madrid-over-migration-zjcjj1jrnx8): ‘Trump Says Spain is Going to Be Destroyed as He Attacks Madrid Over Migration’.

****Maldita**** [leads](https://maldita.es/desinfo/20260902/ceuta-campanas-desinformacion-injerencia-extranjera-fimi/) with ‘Ceuta and the disinformation and foreign interference campaigns: what we know and what we don't’. ****El País in English**** [here](https://english.elpais.com/culture/2026-08-24/julian-casanova-historian-goebbels-needed-to-occupy-countries-to-introduce-propaganda-elon-musk-needs-three-minutes.html): The historian Julián Casanova: ‘Joseph Goebbels needed to occupy countries to introduce propaganda. Elon Musk just needs three minutes’.

****Sur in English**** has [pictures](https://www.surinenglish.com/malaga/crowds-turn-out-show-support-for-ceuta-20260903075415-ga.html) of the massive Wednesday demonstration in support of Ceuta.

****elDiario.es**** [says](https://www.eldiario.es/politica/feijoo-apunta-guerra-marruecos_129_13482681.html): ‘Feijóo Joins the War Against Morocco. The leader of the Partido Popular has changed his mind and is now opting for total confrontation with Morocco. He has chosen to declare the country an enemy of Spain with the accusation that Sánchez, if he does not accept Morocco's demands, is complicit with Rabat’.

****…********...****

****Crime and Punishment:****

****El Mundo**** [reports](https://www.elmundo.es/espana/2026/09/07/6a9e94a8e9cf4a013a8b4591.html) that ‘Former *Plus Ultra* president Julio Martínez Sola testified on Monday that he agreed to pay a 1% commission to *the Zapatero group* to secure a €53 million state bailout for the airline. Sola appeared as a defendant before the National Court Magistrate José Luis Calama, who is investigating former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero for alleged influence peddling. For over two hours, he answered questions from the investigating magistrate, anti-corruption prosecutor Elena Lorente, and his defence attorney…’ Does ‘*the Zapatero group’* refer to the *ex-presidente* of Spain? It would appear so.

From ****Público**** [here](https://www.publico.es/politica/tribunales/lobby-sionista-acom-despliega-ofensiva-judicial-escritores-periodistas-universidades-inicio-genocidio-gaza.html): ‘The (*Spanish*) Zionist lobby *ACOM* ([here](https://a-com.es/en/)) has launched a legal offensive against writers, journalists, and universities since the beginning of the genocide in Gaza. Between October 7, 2023, and September 2 of this year, the organization, chaired by Ángel Guillermo Mas, reported initiating at least 47 legal actions’. *Apart from ‘genocide’, we read that the ACOM apparently doesn’t like the word ‘apartheid’ either.*

*Hazte Oir* is the extremist group of old Francoists who are always creating lawsuits against anyone who might be a lefty (including [of course](https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2026/09/08/la-defensa-de-begona-gomez-sostiene-que-el-escrito-de-acusacion-de-hazteoir-no-es-valido-para-abrir-juicio-oral-cadena-ser/) Begoña Gómez). *The concept of ‘Lawfare’ must have been invented with them in mind.* From ****El HuffPost**** [here](https://www.huffingtonpost.es/politica/archivan-causa-hazteir-llamar-corrupto-sanchez-dos-semanas-belarra-fuera-condenada-decir-juez-f202606.html): ‘The case against *Hazte Oír* for calling Pedro Sánchez "corrupt" has been dismissed with the courts ruling that there was no intent to insult, but rather that it constituted "political criticism."’.

‘How shameless expat is helping Brit pensioners scam £5k-a-year welfare cash by making false claims about their health’, from ****The Sun**** [here](https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/40214976/shameless-expat-helps-brits-scam-welfare/).

****…********...****

****Media:****

A new TV channel begins broadcasting on November 5th called *La Séptima*. The plan will be live news coverage and political talk-shows. The director is Javier Ruiz (ex-*La Ser*). From ****El Economista**** [here](https://www.eleconomista.es/informalia/television/amp/14011960/javier-ruiz-dice-que-la-septima-sera-la-antifox-todas-las-televisiones-estan-viradas-a-la-derecha-salvo-tve): ‘Javier Ruiz says that *La Séptima* will be "the anti-Fox": "All television channels in Spain are leaning to the right, except for *Televisión Española*". Adding that, ‘if the PP governs, the national television channel will certainly also change course’. Unsurprisingly, the conservatives in Spain are trying to derail the new channel says ****Vibras en Corte**** [here](https://vibrasencorte.es/television/javier-ruiz-la-septima-presiones-canal-5-noviembre): ‘Javier Ruiz has summed up the atmosphere surrounding the channel he's about to lead in a single sentence: "I've never seen such determination to prevent a television channel from launching." The editorial director of *La Séptima*, the television channel spearheaded by José Miguel Contreras that begins broadcasting on November 5th, speaks of "business, political, and media pressures" and maintains that the project aims to be "the third voice" in a landscape currently dominated by *Atresmedia* and *Mediasat*’.

*‘Telemadrid* [has become](https://www.eldiario.es/vertele/noticias/coronel-retirado-llama-telemadrid-derramar-sangre-espana-desobedezca-gobierno-sea-traidor_1_13485538.html) a mouthpiece for a dangerous discourse, repeated twice consecutively on Antonio Naranjo's news program. An anonymous young man encourages viewers on *'El análisis diario de la noche'* to "defend Spain to the last drop of our blood," and a retired colonel then echoes this sentiment: "You must disobey any government that is a traitor and a coward to the nation."’. *There’s nothing like calming the nation’s viewers…*

With so many conservative journalists and politicians visiting Ceuta, Miguel Charisteas [says](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_pkaLOzogQ&list=PL1gXgQKxxI6L8drh5ezDIiEWkLQeFbWnh) ironically ‘How easy it is to cross the Mediterranean from the north side!’.

Óscar Camps, the founder of *Open Arms*, [talks to](https://www.huffingtonpost.es/virales/el-mensaje-fundador-open-arms-sobre-esta-ocurriendo-espana-deja-compartirse-ya-basta-f202609.html) ****El HuffPost**** about hatred. ‘"I think enough is enough. What's happening in this country is far more serious than we want to admit. We're seeing Nazi and unconstitutional symbols in broad daylight. We're seeing threats, attacks, people persecuted because of their origins, journalists harassed, situations that occur right in front of the police, and it's hard to understand how they can be allowed," he stated, before comparing the reality of the real world with that of the digital realm; two places he considers quite separate.

"But there's something we have to understand. Today we live in two worlds, the digital world and the real world: and they're not alike. In the digital world, you can buy advertising, create thousands of accounts, or repeat a hoax 10,000 times. You can also manipulate a video and make 4,000 people look like four million. And that's where they're trying to win. They shout a lot because they need to appear numerous," he added…’

****…********...****

****Ecology:****

From ****Euro News**** [here](https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/09/04/spain-matches-september-heat-record-at-457c-as-extreme-heat-grips-country): ‘Spain matches September heat record at 45.7C as extreme heat grips country. Spain recorded its joint-highest September temperature on Thursday last week, with 45.7C measured in the southwestern town of El Granado as exceptional heat gripped the country, according to Spain's *State Meteorological Agency* (AEMET)’.

One answer is to plant more trees. Shade trees in the towns, and forests in the campo. From ****Cambio16**** [here](https://www.cambio16.com/espana-sembrara-millones-de-arboles-para-sanar-ecosistemas/): ‘The Spanish government has sent its *National Nature Restoration Plan* to the European Commission, which will promote the planting of 3.5 million trees, the recovery of rivers and the protection of the biodiversity’.

On ****YouTube**** [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8tAx-itHUc): ‘How greed is turning Spain into a desert. Spain is Europe's greenhouse. Vast, plastic-covered fields dominate its southern coast to produce up to 25 percent of Europe's fruit and veg. But this has a price. Spain is experiencing its worst water crisis in history, with thousands of illegal wells drilled to irrigate farms aggravating the problem — all for cheap, year-round produce for the richer countries up north’.

****…********...****

****Various:****

Recipes from ****The Guardian**** [here](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/02/how-spain-cooked-war-hunger-years): ‘No eggs, no potatoes but a lot of imagination: how Spain cooked in war’s hunger years. A book called *Recetas de Guerra* ([here](https://www.kailas.es/libros/berta-alvarez-acal/recetas-de-guerra/)) recreates recipes from period following end of Spanish civil war when people faced food shortages’.

‘Andalucía was once Spain's richest region — now it’s one of the poorest, while the Basque Country and Catalonia surged past it. How did geography lock Spain's wealthiest region out of the modern economy? This is the hidden structure behind a regional collapse: land concentrated in a few hands, a powerful elite that resisted industrialization, and a geography that made the obvious path the wrong one. It's the story of how a place's greatest advantage became its cage — and why the same pattern repeats wherever wealth, power, and geography collide’. A short video on ****YouTube**** [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8vc1VzdbOs).

From ****Diario de Sevilla**** [here](https://www.diariodesevilla.es/andalucia/eeuu-prepara-425-millones-euros-bases-moron-rota_0_2007873726.amp.html): ‘The US is preparing up to 425 million euros to reinforce its bases in Morón and Rota over the next eight years’.

From ****20Minutos**** [here](https://www.20minutos.es/internacional/patrimonio-millonario-mohamed-vi-primero-africa-quinto-mundo-mansiones-jets-una-coleccion-600-coches_7032915_0.html?mrfcid=202609066a9d0fefc6ea3555dd98c769): ‘The multimillion-dollar fortune of Mohamed VI, the wealthiest king in Africa at 5,700 million dollars: mansions, jets and a collection of 600 cars’.

Spanish students (15 and 16-year-olds) have ‘lost’ the equivalent of a year in maths, comprehension and science says the latest European-wide PISA report on education. Social media must bear some of the blame, although the use of screens over pencil and paper must also [be an issue](https://diariodeuninterino.wordpress.com/2026/09/08/lo-que-nos-dice-el-informe-pisa/). The story at ****La Vanguardia**** [here](https://archive.ph/dGm5s).

****El HuffPost**** [quotes](https://www.huffingtonpost.es/virales/en-the-new-york-times-fijan-esta-pasando-espana-cenas-camino-pais-mas-feliz-f202609.html) *The New York Times* as ‘looking at what's happening with dinners in Spain: it could be the path to a "happier" country. A change in the Spanish lifestyle?’ In short, they’re eating their late meal earlier!

****Luxury Launches**** [here](https://luxurylaunches.com/other_stuff/abandoned-747-in-spansih-airport-09042026.php) has ‘Abandoned by its owner, this bright purple Boeing 747 has been gathering dust and rotting away at Manises airport (Valencia) for 18 years, becoming an attraction as rumours float it has amassed 200 million euros in parking fees’.

From Mexico’s ****El Independiente**** [here](https://elindependiente.mx/opinion/2026/09/04/malaga-en-la-orbita-de-la-diplomacia/): ‘In the last five years, Málaga is more fashionable than ever: not only is it a magnet for digital nomads and thousands of tourists, both national and foreign, but it also experiences art, culture and, of course, diplomacy in its own unique way…’ The article introduces the book ‘*Historia del Cuerpo Consular en Málaga’* by Rafael Pérez Peña.

****…********...****

****See Spain:****

From ****The Salt Lake Tribune**** [here](https://www.sltrib.com/news/2026/09/05/tribune-journalist-takes-spains): ‘This Tribune journalist is taking a hike — 525 miles across Spain, to be exact. Reporter Mark Eddington is leaving deadlines behind for a few weeks to walk the Camino de Santiago’.

[From](https://www.surinenglish.com/what-to-do/discover-andalucia/medina-azahara-majestic-shining-city-20260904094654-nt.html) ****Sur in English****, ‘Medina Azahara: A majestic 'shining city'. The magnificent and enigmatic city that Abd al-Rahman III commanded to be built at the foot of the Sierra Morena, is just eight kilometres from the city of Cordoba’.

From ****The Guardian**** [here](https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2026/sep/01/walking-tour-andalucia-spain-historic-white-villages-pueblos-blancos): ‘A walking tour of Andalucía’s historic white villages: ‘Nightingales serenade us as we wind along lush river valleys’. *¡Muy bonito!*

****…********...****

****Finally:****

From ****La Marea**** [here](https://www.lamarea.com/2026/08/29/silvio-rodriguez/): ‘Silvio Rodríguez and the Revolution. The Cuban singer-songwriter begins a tour of Spain while his island faces an unprecedented crisis due to US aggression. He has said he wants to defend it rifle in hand, just as he has always done in his songs’. [Here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u80ocuvZxmY) on ****YouTube**** he sings *Ojalá*.

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