News
More trains
Málaga ’ s metro has increased the frequency of services between 1.00pm and 3.00pm on working days , a period during which there is a peak in demand . Trains will run every six minutes , instead of every 7.5 minutes . The change , which began last month , will apply throughout the year except during the holiday months of June , July and August .
Sustainable city
Málaga has received the Sustainable City Award from the Environmental Forum Foundation . It is the third award in the last two months recognising the city ’ s work on creating a sustainable environment . The latest award was made last month in the category related to air quality .
Fatal accident
Two people died and nine others received mostly light injuries in a head-on collision between a car and a van in Murcia last month . The dead in the incident on the RM-313 near Torre Pacheo are the van driver and one of his passengers . First indications suggest the car with five occupants veered into the path of the van carrying six agricultural workers .
Threats made
A 48-year-old from Barcelona suspected of making threats against Ciudadanos ’ antiseparatist leader Albert Rivera has been released . National Police detained the man after his comments on Facebook last year were brought to their attention . The party says it will not allow people to be threatened “ for thinking differently ” and added that nationalism in Cataluña has caused a social fracture that will take years “ to recover .”
Radar trap
Police in Cádiz have disabled a radar system which allow a criminal gang to track the movements of patrol cars and helicopters . The equipment was found at two properties in La Línea de la Concepción where ten suspects have been detained with firearms , vehicles and cash seized . Investigators say the gang brought in hashish by sea and stored it in warehouses for later distribution .
Fog problems
A number of flights were diverted to Málaga last month after fog blanketed other regional airports . The conditions affected flights from Madrid , Barcelona and Valencia heading for Sevilla , and from Palma de Mallorca scheduled to land at Jerez de la Frontera . A fifth flight from Eindhoven was diverted to Faro while two departures from Sevilla were cancelled .
Palm weevil found in Vélez-Málaga
A survey of 50 palm trees in Vélez- Málaga has detected the presence of the red palm weevil in a number of them . Once the insect lays its eggs in the palm , the tree is killed by the larvae which hatch and feed off its tissues .
Most of the trees examined were along the shoreline of Torre del Mar , but examples showing a presence of the beetle were found in Velez-Málaga ’ s plaza de la Constitución and calle Francisco Jiménez Puertas , plus another two in Almayate ’ s Sagrado Corazón park . Environment councillor Marcelino Méndez-Trelles said that only one tree had to be destroyed because of its poor condition .
The survey which lasted a month began with a visual inspection to determine which palms were most at risk , he explained . This was followed by a test to discover which provided least resistance to bending and were therefore likely to be infected internally . The councillor added that further tests will be carried out in other locations ,
A drought decree in the region will not now be enacted until next month . The government had been expected to introduce wider restrictions during January to ensure drinking water supplies in the face of scarce rainfall .
Andalucía ’ s Environment Minister , Rodrigo Sanchez Haro , said last month that his department and the Environment Ministry now expect the decree to go forward for approval during February . He added that the planned measures are intended to “ alleviate drought ” in the primary sector , with direct aid in the form of rebates and exemptions available to farmers who are in a situation of “ special difficulty .”
In the province of Málaga , an assessment of water storage since the start of the hydrological year on October 1 is underway , along with a series of meetings with those worst affected . The only sector presently but that he is confident most of the municipality ’ s palm trees are in “ good condition .”
Originating in southern Asia and Melanesia , where it is a serious pest of coconuts , the red palm weevil rhynchophorus ferrigineus ( pictured ) has been advancing west since the first insects were recorded in the northern United Arab Emirates in 1985 . In Spain , they first appeared in 1990 with the first victim recorded in Almuñécar .
Drought decree delayed
under restrictions is tropical fruit production in the Axarquía where the reservoir at La Viñuela is presently down to 22 per cent of its capacity . On December 1 , growers in the area had a 60 per cent reduction on water for irrigation imposed , giving them just 10 hectometres of water for the whole of the year to September . Assuming rainfall continues to be scarce for the rest of the winter , this restriction is likely to be increased to 80 per cent .
Police protest
Thousands of National Police and Guardia Civil officers staged a demonstration in Barcelona last month demanding wage parity with other regional police forces in Spain . They fear that government proposals to advance equal pay includes abusive clauses which could lead to the loss of employment rights . The officers plan more protests over the coming two months , the next in Sevilla on February 3 .
1 8