Janet Anscombe

A 77-year-old man, said to be a foreigner in Spain, died this afternoon at Fañabe beach. The tragedy happened at 5.20pm and emergency services were called out with reports that a man had been pulled from the water after drowning. Beach lifeguards tried to resuscitate him, their efforts being taken over by paramedics when they arrived, but nothing could be done to bring him back and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Update 16 May: The National Police have arrested two Spanish youths for the attack in what is now confirmed to be a bar in the Apolo Centre. They are expected to appear in Court this morning. The victim, also Spanish, has been released from hospital after being treated and kept under observation for at least an hour and a half.

Original post 15 May:  A 35-year-old man received serious head injuries shortly after 7am this morning in a bar in Los Cristianos. Emergency services were called out to a fight involving an individual behaving threateningly with a knife, and National Police got the situation under control while paramedics assisted the injured man. He was stabilized at the scene and then transferred with a heavily bleeding head wound to Hospiten Sur where he remains in serious condition. The bar was in a commercial centre in Calle Hermano Pedro Bethencourt, which runs from the main Los Cristianos roundabout up to the Hotel Paradise Park.

Photo IGN

IGN (Instituto Geográfico Nacional) recorded two earthquakes today between Gran Canaria y Tenerife. The first tremor, of 3.3 on the Richter scale, was registered at 5.31pm at a depth of 33km. The second occurred just three minutes later, and was of 2.6 on the Richter scale at a depth of 26km. The first tremor was felt by the public in Candelaria, and the Gran Canaria municipalities of Agaete y Gáldar. IGN says that no damage was reported, and that such tremors are normal in that location because of the fault line between the two islands.

Update 15 May: As things stand, the orange alert is reduced from 7pm this evening. Tomorrow is still under alert, but yellow, for temperatures up to a maximum of 34º. Thursday should see temperatures reduce back to below alert level.

Update 14 May: It’s not giving up. The orange alert has been extended to tomorrow now, with temperatures of up to 37º expected.

Meanwhile, one of the two women taken to hospital in Gran Canaria in critical condition yesterday was released today. The other, though still seriously ill, is progressing favourably and is expected to be moved to a ward in the hospital from the Intensive Care Unit tomorrow.

The Canarian Government says that the walkers were part of an organized group and that it is investigating whether the tour company had complied with all the necessary requirements. Viceconsejero de Turismo, Ricardo Fernández de la Puente, said that tourism inspectors were looking into whether there were any irregularities in the excursion, given that tour companies would have known about the orange alert at the time the walk started.

The minister said that Turismo would only be involved if it transpired that the excursion organizers had everything in order, because if any kind of negligence were apparent, then it would be a matter for the Policía Nacional and the Courts.

Update 13 May 11.50pm: Several teams of bomberos fought a forest fire today in the El Cabezón area of Los Realejos. Some 16,000 square metres of gorse and pine forest were affected before the Cabildo declared the fire under control. Cabildo Environment Councillor Ana Lupe Mora is overseeing the firefighting efforts, and says that bomberos will remain in the mountain area until the fire is completely extinguished.

Update 13 May 11.15pm: Aemet has extended the orange alert for Tenerife with temperatures of up to 38º expected tomorrow.

Update 13 May 11pm:  There are more details and a correction about this walking party.

The person who died was a 78-year-old British woman.

Another English woman of 66 was resuscitated from a heart attack and transferred in critical condition by helicopter to Hospital Universitario de Gran Canaria Doctor Negrín.

A 65-year-old English woman with breathing difficulties was transferred in critical condition by helicopter to Hospital Universitario de Gran Canaria Doctor Negrín.

A 61-year-old woman, and three men of 64, 65 and 69, all English, suffered minor difficulties due to the heat and were attended at the scene.

Update 13 May 5.30pm: A hiker has died and another seven have been affected, one seriously, in Gran Canaria’s Mogán municipality as a result of the heatwave. The group was walking in the barranco de San Andrés when they were overcome by the heat just after midday. Emergency services, including a search and rescue helicopter, attended the scene, but could do nothing for the man who died, and confirmed his death at the scene. A woman in the group was treated for respiratory problems and was taken by helicopter in serious condition to Hospital Universitario de Gran Canaria Doctor Negrín. The others affected received assistance at the scene.

Update 13 May: Aemet has increased the alert level to orange for Tenerife and all islands in the eastern province. The alert level, which represents temperatures up to 37º, at present lasts until 7pm this evening, when yellow is re-established for Tenerife, though the eastern province remains on orange through tomorrow, Monday. As things stand at the moment, the yellow alert for Tenerife and the western provinces is lifted for Tuesday, when the eastern province reduces from orange to yellow alert.

Update 12 May: The Canarian Government has issued its general advice for public health during calimas and heatwaves, as above. The public is advised to keep doors and windows closed, and for those with respiratory illnesses to stay indoors; to be sure to take any habitual medication; to drink a lot of liquid and avoid dry environments; not to do any hard physical exercise; and to go to the doctor if there is any suspicion of feeling unwell. Finally, since visibility is often considerably reduced, to drive with extreme care, with lights on and reduced speed.

Update 11 May 10pm: Aemet has issued a yellow alert for heatwave for Tenerife on Sunday. The yellow alert will apply to the eastern islands of Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote from tomorrow, Saturday. Temperatures of above 34º are expected.   ... Read more...

Update 15 May: The pair have been released on bail with their passports confiscated. They must stay in Tenerife pending their trial, or an extradition request from the UK.

Update 13 May: The pair will be tried in Spain thanks to an international treaty, specifically article 5.1.c of the Montreal Convention - Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air, concerned with crimes against civil aviation security.

The Spanish press is saying they have been “saved” by the treaty because the maximum possible penalties for their crime are shorter in Spain than in the UK. Many may think, however, that Spain will be a far less favourable option for the two, as opposed to what is often seen as light justice in the UK.

The two men were transferred from the TFS cells yesterday and are now in Granadilla Police custody. They are expected to appear in Court tomorrow.

Update 12 May:  The pair has been identified as Airam Paul Jerus and Nathan Levi Trippier, 20 and 21 years old respectively. The argument they were involved in with flight crew was based on demands for more alcohol when they had already been amply served. At one point the pilot was considering landing in Morocco, the country over which they were flying when the incident occurred, but radioed ahead to TFS to advise of the emergency nature of the approaching flight.

The punishment in the end will depend on where they are tried. In Spain, they would face between six months and a year in prison and a fine under the terms of 2003′s Ley de Seguridad Aérea. In the UK, though, under the 1982 Aviation Security Act, they would face anything from a minimum of five years imprisonment to a maximum of a life sentence. It is not impossible that they will be tried in Spain, but more likely that they will be returned to the UK for trial because the plane itself is “British territory”. As of last night, the pair were still in the police cells in TFS, not having set foot in Tenerife proper.

Original post 11 May:  Two 20-year-old Britons were arrested around lunchtime today at TFS Reina Sofía after getting into an argument with the flight crew of a plane from Manchester to Tenerife and claiming they had carried a bomb on board. The crew alerted the Guardia Civil who then met the plane having activated the emergency protocol involving their own Grupo Rural de Seguridad número 8 and the Unidad Orgánica de la Policía Judicial e Información, as well as civilian security patrols. The threat was not clearly genuine, and the two men were arrested for false alarm, though the plane was thoroughly searched as a matter of routine procedure in such cases.

Update 10 May:  As Diana posted in the comments below, the police now seem to be issuing NIEs, but for non-residents only. Residents still need to obtain a Certificado de Registro and this is on hold for the moment. The NIEs that are being issued, however, are no longer just for three months, but are instead for non-resident “economic purposes”, e.g. buying a property or opening a bank account.

Original post 9 May:  Due to new regulations announced on 25 March 2012, EU nationals who wish to remain in Spain for more than 3 months must comply with certain conditions before a Certificado de Registro will be issued. I updated my page HERE a little while ago, but there is now a problem in the Extranjería part of the Comisaría in Playa de las Américas. Until the rules are clarified, along with the necessary procedures the police must follow, the issuing of Certificados de Registro is on hold. Even worse, so is the issuing of NIEs. I will update as and when there is further information, but anyone now considering applying for a Registro should not do so, and anyone needing a NIE will need to go to the tax office to acquire a transitional one which will be ratified by the police in due course when they start processing them again.

Mootoo Model Management have made a Casting Call for children for a German catalogue shoot in Tenerife in the first week of June. The agency is specifically looking for boys and girls with the following heights:

• 96-106cm
• 126-136cm
• 138-148cm
• 151-158 cm

If you would like to take part in this casting, please send an email to booker@mootoo.eu and please include a RECENT photo, your name, height, age and telephone number. The client will be making a pre-selection. (Parents: please double check heights before sending emails).

I’ve always made it a general policy not to report on every single burglary or robbery that I come across because this just creates an attitude of fear and does not do anything for Tenerife. My policy has been reinforced in my own mind as crime figures have risen, and I’ve restricted myself to generalized warnings of hotspots, or localized crimewaves. Now, however, there is no avoiding it.

The Canaries is suffering a “spectacular increase” in forced entry burglaries, with the figures from the Ministerio del Interior showing a rise in the first quarter of 2012 that is almost double the national average. This is a national problem, but like the crisis and unemployment, we are seeing the worst effects here, and the national rise of 22.3%, which is itself appalling as one quarter’s figures, is 38.8% in Tenerife province. This is even worse in Las Palmas, where it’s 44.4%, but the rise in Tenerife is the greatest – across the board for robberies, not just forced entry burglaries.

All we can do is protect ourselves as best as we can. Lock doors and, particularly now that summer’s coming, keep windows closed or barred if open overnight. Be alert and vigilant when out and about, keep bags and personal belongings closed and under tight control, and I suppose, keep copies and records of relevant document numbers so that replacements can be acquired with the minimum of pain if the worst should happen. Above all, remember that these are things: don’t try to defend your property when faced with violence. Your papers and belongings can be replaced. Your life can’t.

For many, it doesn’t take much of an incentive to visit the beautiful town of La Laguna, and one such motivation is now the offer of tapas and culture every Thursday during May and June in 41 restaurants in the historic centre for just €3. The offer applies every Thursday except fiesta days, and each of the participating establishments will have a placard clearly placed outside.  There is more information on the Facebook page La Laguna en directo tapa y cultura, with a map to plan a route and menus. Apart from the tapas, there will be theatrical and musical entertainments in the streets of the town, which is a delight at the best of times, let alone when it offers events like this.

A national education strike has been called for 22 May. The stoppage will affect all levels of education from infant schools to Universities, and Unions say there is complete support for it. Canarian Government vice president and Education Minister, José Miguel Pérez, has also said he supports it “absolutely”. The strike is in protest at Government cuts in education.