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Extra.ie
18 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Irish tourists warned as Spanish town makes plea to stop tourists
A town in Spain has made an interesting plea to stop too many tourists from visiting. Known for its picturesque lavender fields that see influencers and tourists alike flock to get the perfect photos in the purple fields, Brihuega in Central Spain has become increasingly popular over the last few years. But much like many areas of Spain, the town has become inundated with tourists and it's putting pressure on their resources — with Brihuega's mayor Luis Vuego, asking people not to visit on weekends. Brihuega in Spain has made an interesting plea to stop too many tourists from visiting: visit on weekdays. Pic: Rafael Martin/Europa Press via Getty Images 'I recommend visiting us from Monday to Thursday, please,' Mr Vuego said. 'It's more difficult on weekends due to the large number of people who come.' Mr Vuego said that the town 'collapsed' over the weekend, and while they receive over €8million in just a few short weeks when the flowers are in bloom, over 140,000 visitors to the town over such a short period of time means that a lot of pressure is put on its infrastructure. 'We work hard, we have a security committee, but it's still a large turnout,' he told ABC Newspaper. 'That's why I insist: please come from Monday to Thursday.' Known for its stunning lavender fields that bloom in July, the mayor of Brihuega has asked tourists to only visit Monday-Thursday to alleviate some of the pressure that the town is under due to overtourism. Pic: Rafael Martin/Europa Press via Getty Images Despite the influx of overtourism, Mr Vuego added that he doesn't want tourists to stop coming altogether, with a five-star hotel recently opening in the city alongside a park and ride to the fields which will open by next year. The town, which is situated in the Tajuna Valley just an hour outside of Madrid, is also known for its 'amazing heritage and scenic landscapes' according to the Spanish Tourism board, with attractions including the Arab caves of Brihuega, Plaza del Coso and its medieval streets. It's also known for its horse riding and bull running, hosting one of the oldest bull running events in the country. BRIHUEGA, GUADALAJARA CASTILE-L, SPAIN – JULY 10: Lavender flowers on July 10, 2025, in Brihuega, Guadalajara, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. Every July, thousands of hectares of lavender and lavandin, a local hybrid, bloom in the municipality of Brihuega, known as the 'Garden of the Alcarria'. Flowering reaches its zenith between late June and July. (Photo By Rafael Martin/Europa Press via Getty Images) The town also has a dedicated train service while the lavender is in bloom, with the aptly named Lavender Train connecting Madrid to Brihuega during the month of July.
Morocco World
17-07-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
EU, Morocco Bolster Migration and Border Cooperation
Rabat — The European Commission and Morocco are in discussions to formalize a new partnership aimed at strengthening cooperation on migration management and border control, European officials confirmed this week. The European Commission said it is working with Rabat to 'deepen' their bilateral relationship through an agreement modeled on existing deals with Tunisia, Egypt, and Jordan. These agreements set out commitments on both sides, providing financial and technical support in exchange for stronger border management and cooperation on curbing irregular migration. At a press conference unveiling the EU 's Global Europe instrument, which seeks to double aid to North African countries in the next budget, Dubravka Suica, the EU Commissioner for Democracy and Demography, highlighted Morocco as a priority partner. 'We already have partnerships with many of them and are trying to strengthen them all. Currently, we are collaborating with Egypt, Tunisia, and Jordan. We are working on deepening our partnership with Morocco and will also begin working with Lebanon,' Suica said. In recent years, the EU signed memoranda of understanding with Tunisia and Egypt during a surge of migrant arrivals in the Central Mediterranean. These agreements form part of the EU's broader strategy to enhance regional stability while managing migration more effectively. According to EU sources cited by Europa Press, Brussels aims to reach a similar agreement with Morocco. However, they noted that talks are still at an early stage, and no specific timeline has been set for finalizing the deal. Against this backdrop, Morocco's Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita met in Brussels on Wednesday with Kaja Kallas, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Vice-President of the European Commission. During their high-level meeting, both sides reaffirmed the depth of the Morocco–EU strategic partnership, describing it as grounded in a shared vision of stability, prosperity, and co-development. They recalled progress in various areas of cooperation, including security, trade, energy transition, and addressing shared challenges such as terrorism, irregular migration, and climate change. Bourita and Kallas exchanged views on regional and international issues, particularly the situations in the Sahel, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. They also shared their views on the importance of close coordination to confront current geopolitical challenges in a spirit of shared responsibility and open dialogue. Tags: BouritaBrusselsEuropean Union and MoroccoMorocco EU cooperation
Daily Mail
14-07-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Ferocious storms lash Spain with 'two swept away' by flash floods, waterspouts lashing the coast and a woman struck by lightning… as wildfires close in on tourist hotspot
Authorities have suspended their search for two people believed to have been swept away by violent floods in Catalonia after combing the area five times without results. The Cubelles town hall said in a statement late on Sunday that specialist rescue teams and drones had been deployed to scour the coastline by land, sea and air. A woman and a young girl are believed to have been carried away by the Foix River, running through Cubelles, while crossing a wooden footbridge late on Saturday. The mayor said that water flow through the town had reached 200 cubic metres per second, destroying a bridge and leaving residents without running water. At the height of the rainfall, the Foix surged to 400 square metres per second. Video shared on social media showed waterspouts forming along the coast by Cubelles over the weekend. Others appeared near Valencia and Tarragona. Aragon, to the West, saw 72 litres of rain per square metre in one town and as many as 4,631 lightning strikes across three provinces. A 22-year-old woman was 'injured by lightning' in Valencia, to the south, and taken to hospital before being discharged on Sunday, hospital sources told Europa Press. Storms ultimately forced a flight from Barcelona to the U.S. to turn around moments after takeoff on Saturday, as a violent hailstorm damaged the nose of the plane. As Catalonia grapples with the 'DANA' cold drop, Spain's arid south saw temperatures push towards 40C, with a forest fire breaking out near a popular tourist hotspot. The forest fire in Mijas broke out in the early hours of Sunday morning, sweeping through Mijas Golf, an area popular with tourists, according to the Spanish Eye. The fire began shortly before 1am on Sunday morning and had been brought under control by 7.25am, according to Spain's EFE news agency and the Andalusian Forest Firefighting Service. The fire service said that the blaze had been stabilised in just under an hour, but teams were still working to fully extinguish it by daybreak. A fire in Villanueva de la Concepcion, a town north of Malaga, took 25 hours to be extinguished after a dozen aircraft were brought in to assist fire crews. Teams had brought the inferno under control on Saturday afternoon while fighting against winds of up to 60kmh (37mph). The south of Spain has been lashed by fires since the first major heatwaves in June. More than 21,000 hectares of land have burned so far this year. The national weather agency, AEMET, said last month that it was the country's hottest June on record. Two people died in a wildfire on July 1 in the region of Catalonia, where Tarragona is located. Firefighters from the GRAE team carry out searches on the coast on Sunday Catalonia has experienced turbulent weather, with a cold drop bringing torrential rain and storms to the region in recent days. Meteocat, the Catalan Weather Service, issued its highest possible warning for most of the autonomous community on Saturday, and a phone alert was sent to residents warning of the approaching storms. At its worst, more than 100 litres of rain per square metre were recorded in Vilafranca del Penedès and Igualada on Friday and Saturday. Barcelona province saw 3,198 lightning strikes on Saturday, of a total 16,099 recorded by AEMET. The agency noted many struck the sea. The city itself activated a flood alert and suspended planned outdoor activities. The elevated Tibidabo amusement park was among the attractions closed, local media reports. A Barcelona local said today roads remained dangerous after flash floods. A hospital in the city was flooded and had to refuse patients, roads were blocked, and a plane that took off from Barcelona for the United States had to turn back after its nose was damaged by hail. Cubelles, a town to the south of Barcelona, also saw major disruption as the Foix River burst its banks. Sònia, the owner of a pizzeria, told Catalan News: 'As soon as the phone alert came, the water followed, rising from just a couple of centimetres to half a metre within moments'. The Mayor has stated that no missing persons report has yet been lodged for the two presumed missing, but authorities are urging anyone with information to get in touch. Spain's weather service said about 10 centimetres (four inches) of rain fell in the space of several hours near Barcelona. The Renfe train company suspended all train travel throughout Catalonia for a few hours as a precaution, before resuming service later in the day. Last October, torrential rains sparked devastating floods in the eastern province of Valencia, killing 225 people and causing widespread destruction, the country's deadliest such disaster in decades.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Broadcom scraps microchip plant investment in Spain, report says
MADRID (Reuters) -U.S. chipmaker Broadcom has pulled out of plans to invest in a microchip plant in Spain as talks with the government have broken down, news agency Europa Press reported on Sunday citing unidentified sources. Spain's Digital Transformation Ministry and Broadcom did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Europa Press report did not say why the talks had broken down. The decision will be a blow for Spain's ambition to become a relevant player in the microchip industry in Europe. The government has previously said it would allocate some 12 billion euros ($14 billion) for the semiconductor and microchip industry, using some of the European Union's pandemic relief funds. Broadcom announced the investment two years ago but did not say how much it would invest. The government said at the time the project could be worth $1 billion and include the construction of "large-scale back-end semiconductors facilities unique in Europe". ($1 = 0.8559 euros)
Reuters
14-07-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Broadcom scraps microchip plant investment in Spain, report says
MADRID, July 14 (Reuters) - U.S. chipmaker Broadcom (AVGO.O), opens new tab has pulled out of plans to invest in a microchip plant in Spain as talks with the government have broken down, news agency Europa Press reported on Sunday citing unidentified sources. Spain's Digital Transformation Ministry and Broadcom did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Europa Press report did not say why the talks had broken down. The decision will be a blow for Spain's ambition to become a relevant player in the microchip industry in Europe. The government has previously said it would allocate some 12 billion euros ($14 billion) for the semiconductor and microchip industry, using some of the European Union's pandemic relief funds. Broadcom announced the investment two years ago but did not say how much it would invest. The government said at the time the project could be worth $1 billion and include the construction of "large-scale back-end semiconductors facilities unique in Europe". ($1 = 0.8559 euros)
