Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin Aug 8
TOP STORIES: "Swarm of earthquakes makes the Costa Blanca and Murcia tremble" & "Ryanair ground staff extend Spain-wide strike throughout August"
Half of Spain may be on their summer holidays at the moment but we’re still very happy to be here, bringing you all of the biggest news stories of the week. And it’s been quite a week as it happens!
Let’s dive right in...
Up in the air
Ryanair are at it again, and this time we can’t even blame the Irish airline’s bosses! No, this time around it’s the baggage handling staff and they’re promising plenty of travel disruption with a series of strikes throughout August.
Airports in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Malaga, Alicante, Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca, Girona, Tenerife South, Lanzarote and Santiago de Compostela are due to be affected.
Strikes will then continue every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday until December 31.
The union says that workers are being punished for refusing to work outside of their contracted hours. Penalties for this can include up to 36 days without pay or employment.
While Ryanair claims it doesn’t foresee “any disruption to our operation as a result of these third-party handling strikes in Spain,” it’s hard to imagine the industrial action won’t impact flights at the height of the holiday season.
Spanish consumer group Facua-Consumers in Action has reminded travellers that if their flight is cancelled because of the strike, they may be entitled to financial compensation of up to €600, along with a full refund of the ticket price and any additional expenses.
Under Article 7 of the European Regulation 261/2004, "passengers will receive compensation of €250 for flights of up to 1,500 kilometres, €400 for intra-Community flights of more than 1,500 kilometres and for all other flights between 1,500 and 3,500 kilometres, and €600 for all other flights."
Scesimic swarm
A veritable swarm of earthquakes shook the southern Spanish coast earlier this week, causing quite a stir among locals and visitors. Earthquakes are pretty common in this area, especially along the Mediterranean coast, but the sheer successive number is what had everyone talking.
Three main quakes were recorded between the evening of Monday August 4 and Tuesday morning: a 1.3 magnitude in Torrevieja, an earthquake measuring 3.6 in Santa Pola and another 2.1 tremor in almost the same area a few hours later.
But on top of these, a dozen of minor tremors also shook almost simultaneously. They might have been small, measuring between just 1.6 and 2.0 on the Richter scale, but combined they were felt as far afield as Cartagena in Murcia and Jávea in Andalucía.
A sequence of earthquakes in the same area within a relatively short period is known as a swarm.
Seismic activity is quite common in the south of the province due to the Crevillente Fault zone, a major fault system extending from Cadiz to Alicante.
Mystery motor
Now the car has finally been removed – but the mystery is far from solved.
According to the Alicante Traffic Operations Centre (COTA), the crash was reported days ago, but despite efforts from the Guardia Civil and road traffic services, no one was able to contact the vehicle’s owner.
Who on earth crashes their car and just leaves it there?!
Because the car had foreign plates, investigators believed it may have belonged to a tourist. The fact that it wasn’t Spanish-registered made things trickier, and officials have said they’re still in the dark about the circumstances of the accident.
“The car overturned. We don’t know if it was because he was under the influence of some substance or alcohol or because he didn’t have insurance. He just left it there. He didn’t remove it and left; he abandoned it at the scene of the accident,” an official explained.
Seismic activity is quite common in the south of the province due to the Crevillente Fault zone, a major fault system extending from Cadiz to Alicante.
Heatwave horror
And sadly, it wasn’t just July that took a toll. In June last year, 32 deaths were attributed to high temperatures. This June, the figure jumped dramatically to 407. It was around this time that Spain’s State Meteorological Agency, Aemet, issued its first warning of an early summer heatwave.
This July ranks as the fourth deadliest in terms of heat-related deaths in the past decade. July 2022 holds the grim record with 2,217 fatalities, followed by 1,797 in 2015 and 1,087 in 2019.
If we look at the bigger picture across the summer season, 2022 remains the deadliest year with 4,789 deaths linked to high temperatures. Next in line are 2023 with 3,007, 2017 with 2,857 and 2016 with 2,551, according to data from the Carlos III Health Institute.
In the Region of Murcia, the impact is being felt quietly but no less seriously. Since June 1,
six people in the Region have died as a result of extreme heat, according to the Daily Mortality Monitoring System (MoMo). These deaths have been officially attributed to high temperatures by the Ministry of Health.
Last summer, MoMo recorded eight such deaths in Murcia. Between June 1 and August 5 this year, the agency identified six cases of excess mortality due to heat. Since it began tracking seasonal summer deaths from May 15, the Region of Murcia has seen a total of 2,530 deaths from all causes.
Ironically, despite being the seventh warmest July in the last 65 years, July 2025 also turned out to be the wettest in four decades across Murcia.
And there is no relief in sight. Spain is now in the grip of the second official heatwave of the summer and, although Aemet originally predicted temperatures would begin to drop by now, the forecast shows another scorching weekend ahead.
The thermometers are expected to soar to 44ºC or even 45ºC in some areas over the coming days. Although the intense heat will be felt across much of the country, most weather alerts are in place for inland areas and the Balearic and Canary Islands.
After the month we’ve just had, who knows what August holds in store.
Murcia
The ban is a first in Spain and was introduced by the conservative People’s Party (PP), with backing from the far-right Vox party. The town council recently approved new rules preventing religious, cultural or social events from being held in municipal sports facilities unless they are organised directly by the local authority.
The proposal states that "municipal sports facilities cannot be used for religious, cultural or social activities alien to our identity unless organised by the local authority".
Though the measure does not mention any religion by name, it comes after years in which local Muslims used public venues like civic centres and sports halls to celebrate the two major Islamic festivals. Jumilla has a population of about 27,000, with around 7.5% coming from largely Muslim countries.
Muslim groups say the decision is clearly targeted. Mounir Benjelloun Andaloussi Azhari, president of the Spanish federation of Islamic organisations, labelled the proposal "Islamophobic and discriminatory" in a statement this week.
“They’re not going after other religions, they’re going after ours,” he said.
The backlash has been fierce. Francisco Lucas, the socialist leader in Murcia, wrote on X: “The PP violates the constitution and puts social cohesion at risk simply in the pursuit of power.”
Vox celebrated the move online, writing on X: “Thanks to Vox the first measure to ban Islamic festivals in Spain’s public spaces has been passed. Spain is and will be forever the land of Christian people.”
María del Carmen Cruz, PP’s spokesperson at Jumilla Town Council, defended the decision, saying “this is about using sports facilities for sports events, no more, no less”.
She added that all non-sports events, including food fairs and car shows, would also be affected.
The ban comes just weeks after violence broke out during anti-migrant rioting in Torre Pacheco, around 70 miles away, when a pensioner was reportedly beaten up by three Moroccan men.
One thing’s for sure: the Jumilla issue isn’t going away. The Spanish government is reportedly looking into the ban on Islamic celebrations to see if it qualifies as “hate speech” or “xenophobia”, and more locally, political party Podemos Murcia plans to take the matter to the Prosecutor’s Office.
“Public spaces belong to everyone,” a spokesperson said. “Christians, Jews, Muslims, or those of us who don’t identify with any religion.”
It’s been a month of ups and downs for the Mar Menor, whose waters tend to get particularly stressed this time of year due to the heat. But there was some positive news this week in the latest report from the Mar Menor monitoring system, which showed that
the torrential rain on July 25 actually brought some relief.
“Temperatures have dropped to more normal levels for this time of year, salinity has barely been affected, turbidity has remained stable and oxygen levels have remained at optimal levels,” the report states.
Temperatures in the lagoon had reached a worrying 32ºC during the heatwaves in June and July. Now they have dropped to between 29 and 29.5ºC, which is more typical for August.
But the lagoon isn’t out of the woods yet, so to speak.
The Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC) has warned that while it’s great that chlorophyll levels have dropped this week, they’re still very close to 2016 numbers when the lagoon almost reached environmental Armageddon.
They also note that “in general, these values remain very high compared to the average for the decades prior to 2016, between 3 and 8 times higher.”
The report says that “current conditions are not critical for the lagoon ecosystem, but it is at high risk of deterioration if they return to levels of high environmental stress.”
The Mar Menor isn’t the only part of Murcia under stress. In Cartagena, newly appointed chiringuito leaseholders are rejoicing at finally being able to open their beach bars, but the extensive delays with contracts and a series of tough new rules are eating into their profits.
According to José Luis Gestoso, vice president of Hostecar, one of the worst regulations is the need to place sunbeds at least 50 metres away from the bars and 100 metres away from each other. This means bar staff are having to lug heavy trays of drinks across the hot sand and under the boiling sun, and customers are also left a bit confused.
The new rules also ban storage units, which means beach bars can no longer keep fresh produce close by. Some have had to completely change their menus to work around it.
“It's becoming much more difficult for us,” he said, “because the business model has changed with all the restrictions we've had and the police controls we're experiencing.”
Much, much earlier this year, Cartagena city council put 33 beach bars out to tender, but the whole process was complicated by a fresh set of demands from the State Coastal Authority. Several locations had no bidders at all, including San Ginés in La Azohía, Los Alemanes, Poniente, Los Nietos, Punta Brava and El Portús.
Despite everything, there is still a bit of optimism. Mr Gestoso says they are working hard to adapt and are hoping for a better end to the summer.
The schedule for the services until 5th November will now include the following new stops (for full details, photographs and map locations of all pick-up and drop-off points
see the Airport Buses website here):
• Bus stop, Consum, Calle Panticosa, Los Altos
• The Celtic Isle, Calle Pintor Ribera, Playa Flamenca
• Bus stop, Dialprix Supermarket, Los Dolses
• Bus Stop, Villamartin Plaza
• Bus stop by Costa Car Rentals, CTRA San Miguel de Salinas, (El Galon/Filipinas/Blue Lagoon área)
• Petrol Station, La Fuente Commercial Centre
• Bus Stop, Overseas Supermarket, Lomas de Cabo Roig
• Roundabout by the 24 hr Pharmacy, Campoamor
• Calle Raphael Alberti, by the first parking area near Calle Frederico Garcia, Mil Palmeras
• Petrol station on the corner of Avenida Comunidad Valenciana, Torre de la Horadada
In essence, the new route is fundamentally unchanged and timings will remain the same. Anyone booked from Pilar de la Horadada roundabout onwards will be unaffected.
Unfortunately, three stops are being dropped (the bus stop at the entrance to Mil Palmeras, the stop opposite Orihuela Town Hall and Bar YOLO), but each has a replacement stop close by.
Clients who have already booked will have the option to remain at their booked point or move to a more convenient one on the new route. Everyone with an existing booking who is affected by the change will be contacted shortly.
This is the first of a couple of important updates, with significant changes in the pipeline to the routes including a number of new stops for the winter season.
Looking further ahead, plans are being finalised to announce Alicante-Elche airport routes at some point in 2026.
See our EVENTS DIARY for more events and activities coming up soon in the Region of Murcia:
Spain
Spain is in for a truly spectacular couple of years with not one but three eclipses on the horizon, each promising a front-row seat to some of the most breathtaking celestial events on the planet.
But before we get to that, August is about to put on a dazzling show of its own. This month brings the return of the Perseids, the Delta Aquariids, the Pegasids and, stealing the spotlight,
the enchanting Sturgeon Supermoon.
This year’s Sturgeon Supermoon will shine at its brightest on Saturday August 9 and it’s expected to be quite the showstopper.
NASA uses the term “supermoon” to describe a full moon that occurs when the Moon is at its closest point to Earth. It’s bigger, brighter and undeniably dramatic. The August version also carries a name with a bit of history behind it. Native American tribes traditionally referred to this moon as the Sturgeon Moon, a nod to the time of year when sturgeon fish were easiest to catch in North America’s Great Lakes.
In Spain, the Supermoon will reach its peak at 09:55 CET on August 9. Because it’s happening while the Moon is closer to Earth than usual, it’ll appear around 7% larger and 15% brighter than a typical full moon.
If that wasn’t enough, the summer haze will add a beautiful reddish-orange tint to the moon’s glow, giving it a magical, almost otherworldly filter.
The best time to catch it is either early in the morning as the Moon is setting or just after sunset when it begins to rise. And if you want the best view, head away from city lights. A quiet beach, a countryside hillside or even a rooftop terrace will do the trick.
Experts say the increase in sightings is being driven by climate change and human activity. Warmer seas, more pollution and a drop in natural predators like turtles and tuna are all helping jellyfish numbers grow.
Some species are little more than a nuisance, but others can cause painful or even dangerous stings. One of the most worrying is the Portuguese man-of-war, which is often mistaken for a jellyfish. It is actually a colony of small creatures that float together and have long tentacles capable of delivering a strong sting.
In rare cases, a man-of-war sting can be deadly, especially for people who are allergic or have a low tolerance to the toxin.
Other jellyfish such as the fried egg jellyfish, the common jellyfish and the barrel jellyfish have also been spotted more frequently in recent years, but they tend to be less harmful as they can’t usually pierce human skin.
The highest number of sightings tend to be along the Andalucían and Balearic coasts, especially near the Strait of Gibraltar, although they do sometimes appear on the Atlantic side too.
The rise in sightings has led to the growth of apps like MedusApp, which lets swimmers report jellyfish in real time. This helps researchers track their movements and warn others.
If you are stung, the advice is to rinse the area with seawater, not fresh water, as this can trigger more stinging. Avoid using home remedies. Any tentacles should be removed carefully and a cold compress can help reduce swelling. If someone feels dizzy, nauseous or has trouble breathing, seek medical help straight away.
Most stings are mild and go away quickly, but some people may react more strongly, especially older swimmers or those with health problems.
A swim in the sea is still one of the best ways to beat the heat, but it’s worth keeping an eye out for jellyfish this summer.
Alicante
Three Turkish citizens have been denied bail and jailed on remand in connection with the fatal shooting of a fellow countryman in Torrevieja town centre at about 7pm last Sunday.
The victim, who was 21 years old, died after being shot in broad daylight at the intersection of Rambla Juan Mateo and Calle Pedro Lorca.
The suspects, aged 23, 30 and 35, are suspected of either homicide or murder, as well as illegal possession of firearms, falsifying documentation, reckless driving and resisting the authorities, according to sources from the Superior Court of Justice for the Valencian Community (TSJCV). All three of them exercised their right to silence, the same sources added.
Investigating officers have indicated that the attack could be related to a settling of scores between Turkish organised crime groups.
A Guardia Civil statement on Wednesday said the suspects’ identities were confirmed by the authorities in Germany, France and the Netherlands.
The force is also collaborating with the National Police drugs and organised crime unit (UDYCO) in Málaga to corroborate the three men’s involvement in other incidents which happened two weeks ago in that province.
They were caught after a dangerous chase involving Guardia Civil and Local Police, which began in cars and ended on foot.
Meanwhile, two Guardia Civil officers started CPR on the victim at the scene until a medical emergency ambulance (SAMU) team arrived and took over, but he was pronounced dead at 19.40.
Two firearms were seized during the arrests, one of which had been thrown to the ground during the pursuit, while the other was found on one of the suspects when he was searched.
A third firearm, which it is suspected was abandoned by the assailants before they were captured, was recovered on Tuesday night thanks to collaboration by the general public and will be examined along with the rest of the evidence gathered.
The Guardia Civil have also confirmed that the suspects were driving a vehicle that had been stolen in France on July 27, and which had been fitted with a cloned number plate corresponding to another, similar car.
Two recent unpleasant surprises in the sea for Costa Blanca beachgoers within less than a week may have been the result of livestock being exported by sea for slaughter.
On Monday evening, a severely decomposed dead cow was found floating in the sea in Altea, at the edge of the bathing area off El Espigón beach, by a local resident on a jet-ski.
This was just five days after crowds on La Mata beach in Torrevieja were horrified when a large object in the water was washed ashore and also turned out to be a dead cow.
Furthermore, on June 28, another dead cow was recovered from the sea around one of the breakwaters at the port of Castellón, in the north of the Valencian Community.
Since no cattle had been reported missing from any farms close to the coast or a river near any of the three scenes, the most likely scenario is that they were thrown into the sea from a cargo ship transporting livestock because they had died from sickness, stress or an accident.
Authorities explain that when an animal dies on board, international legislation prohibits simply throwing them into the sea, and establishes strict protocols: the carcass must be open, weighed down so that it sinks, and thrown in over 100 nautical miles from the coast to avoid health risks.
However, if a boat decides to ignore these rules and disposes of the carcass in waters near the coast, the animal could easily end up drifting with the currents towards the shore, and in this way the bodies of these cows could have ended up on the beaches of the Valencian Community.
Aside from being illegal and a disturbing experience for the people who came across these decomposing carcasses, disposing of dead animals in this way poses a risk to public health and the environment.
If it happens to be that the cows died of infectious diseases (like Salmonella, Brucella, Listeria, among others), their decomposing carcasses could release pathogenic bacteria into the water, which could also affect bathers. These bacteria can survive in coastal marine environments for some time, especially if the water temperature is warm.
Bathers exposed to contaminated water could develop skin infections, conjunctivitis, ear infections, diarrhoea or gastroenteritis, especially if they have open wounds, swallow water or have a weakened immune system.
Andalucía
A London-based hitman on the run from UK police has been arrested in Mijas, after a bizarre string of events ended in a car crash and a weapons seizure that could’ve come straight from a crime thriller.
The British suspect, wanted for murder, was tracked down to Riviera, a residential area between La Cala de Mijas and Marbella, after reportedly harassing two Dutch women at a petrol station and asking them to buy him cocaine.
Not long afterwards, he crashed his car and tried to flee the scene, but was intercepted by officers. Inside the vehicle, police uncovered a disturbing haul: two pistols, a silencer, ammunition, a notebook full of names and addresses, and a copy of Practical Buddhism and the Search for Self. He’s now behind bars while the investigation continues.
Just along the coast in Nerja, a pair of Irish holidaymakers had a terrifying experience of their own when they were violently mugged by a gang of teenagers in the early hours of Saturday August 2.
The men were heading back to their hotel after a night out when they were approached by the group, who threatened them with a knife before launching a brutal assault.
Both suffered serious facial injuries, including fractures, and had to be taken to hospital. Witnesses reported hearing screams from the street and seeing blood on a nearby building.
Four local youths, one reportedly a minor, are being investigated but no arrests have yet been confirmed. Locals were left shaken, as incidents of this kind are rare in the usually peaceful seaside town.
While tourists in Nerja faced threats on the street, thousands of travellers across Andalucía found themselves in a different kind of crisis - stuck onboard trains for hours as the region’s rail system broke down yet again.
More than 2,000 passengers were trapped inside carriages as a major power line failure brought high-speed AVE trains grinding to a halt. Services between Seville and cities like Madrid, Córdoba and Huelva were disrupted from Tuesday night through to early Wednesday morning.
Some passengers were stuck for up to 10 hours, and several required medical help for anxiety and stress.
This latest bout of chaos follows other delays just the day before and has drawn furious criticism from regional politicians. Antonio Sanz, the Regional Minister for the Presidency, described it as “outrageous.
He didn´t hold back in his criticism as he continued: “People are tired and fed up with the lack of a response to this railway chaos… It’s every week now - if it’s not a breakdown, it’s something else. It’s turned train travel into a life-threatening situation.”
At the same time, Rocío Díaz, Minister for Development, slammed the collapse of what was once “a reliable and efficient system”. With tourists stuck in sweltering carriages and timetables in tatters, pressure is mounting on the national government to urgently step.
Meanwhile, in the more peaceful countryside of Cádiz, an unusual visitor has finally been caught after two weeks on the run.
A young African wild cat, a caracal, was spotted roaming near Sanlúcar de Barrameda in mid-July. Locals first saw the striking feline, with its long black ear tufts and sandy coat, walking along rural roads.
A careful search effort led by the Guardia Civil’s nature unit and local officials, using cage traps and trail cameras, finally paid off when the cat was safely captured on Tuesday 29 July.
Nicknamed Sorgo, the cat is just a few months old and is now being cared for at a specialist rescue centre in Alicante.
Experts believe he was likely kept illegally as an exotic pet before being abandoned.
You may have missed…
- Shark sighting sparks beach drama in Mazarrón. Swimmers enjoying a sunny afternoon at La Reya beach in Puerto de Mazarrón got quite a shock on Thursday August 7 when a shark, estimated to be around two metres long, appeared just metres from the shoreline.
- Grandfather and grandson attacked by Irish teens in Mallorca bar row. A 71-year-old man and his grandson were left seriously injured after being violently attacked by two Irish teenagers in the tourist hotspot of Calvià, Mallorca.
- Watch! Between tradition and charming absurdity lies Benidorm.. and three dogs in a toy car.
In a city where chaos and charm go hand in hand, even the most unexpected scenes, like dogs on wheels by the beach, feel perfectly at home.
- Spanish fuel plummets to lowest price since 2022
In what many are describing as the most expensive summer in history, drivers across Spain got a bit of a shock when filling up in July as fuel costs surged in response to the conflict in the Middle East. But motorists can keep a few euros in their pockets this month since fuel has fallen by 0.2% this month.
- Las Dunas shopping centre in Cartagena should be ready in a year
Even though things are moving quickly, the company behind the build is sticking to its 2026 timeline. They still have to fit out the interior, install refrigeration units and set up the electrics before the doors can open.
And that’s all we’ve got for you this week. Thanks for reading and we’ll be back next week.
Happy weekend 
Airport Buses, the new shuttle bus company offering routes to and from the Region of Murcia International Airport in Corvera, have announced exciting changes to the route which connects the airport with Torrevieja in the south of Alicante, taking effect from Saturday August 9.
