Local News Round Up - 25.07.2008

Look at what else made the news this week

€338,000 to help public transport

The Cabildo has devoted more than 338,000 euros to help the public transport system.

They are designed, among other projects, to acquire eight taxis adapted for people with reduced mobility.

The Cabildo from Tenerife has approved a grant of 338,797.50 euros for the promotion. The Island Corporation intended this aid to finance several projects. On the other hand, they have allocated 227,047.50 euros to cover, in part or in its entirety, the cost of acquisition of equipment for vehicles controlling the Auriga fleet, i.e, the GPS system fleet management, as well as to cover the maintenance of computer equipment. Finally, they have awarded 63,750 euros to finance the installation and launching of a computerized management system.

The island Corporation adopted last month a grant of 437,371.57 euros for the taxi sector with the object of covering, in part or in its entirety, the cost of acquisition of equipment for vehicles for controlling fleet Auriga, as well as an aid of 512,246 euros for the passenger transport discretionary for the introduction of logistics management system passenger transport by road (Siglovi).

Both systems have an impact on the improvement of the service offered by taxis and buses to transport for citizens.

 

Improving the promenade will begin next year

The work of fitting and rehabilitation between the ravine Aquilino and El Rincon have the involvement of the regional government and Coasts as well as the municipality of Arona.

The work of rehabilitating the promenade of the tourist town between Los Cristianos ravine Aquilino and the area of El Rincon will be conducted jointly by the municipality of Arona, the Government canary and Demarcation of Costs in Tenerife, according to the mayor, Jose Alberto Gonzalez Reveron, who says "this exemplary performance requires a special plan that could be ready by March 2009."

Miguel Becerra, confirmed to the president of the local authority that the regional Executive participates in the process necessary to begin the work on  this stretch of the promenade since the government in the municipality has included it in the agreement to improve the competitiveness of tourism in the Canaries, which reached the regional institution with the Cabildo Insular de Tenerife, municipalities and representatives of the tourism sector. "

This action, would include in the proposed reclamation of public spaces tour by those who have resolutely opted for the municipality of Arona and the Canary Islands Government, with the intent to "maintain Arona as a holiday destination by promoting the competitiveness of our town in the tourist market, "said the nationalist.

 

Unemployment stands at 16% in the Canaries

As of June unemployment has increased in thirteen autonomous communities

Unemployment rose in the second quarter of the year in thirteen regions between April and June and in the Canaries did so on 9.47 percent, bringing the unemployment rate stands at the archipelago at 16 percent.

Unemployment rose especially in Valencia (21.66 percent), Murcia (20.99 percent) and Madrid (20.82 percent), and especially fell in Baleares (-17.58 percent).

According to the Labour Force Survey (LFS), broadcast today by the National Institute of Statistics, in the overall unemployment rose in Spain 207,400 people between April and June and the unemployment rate stood at 10.44 percent.

In addition to increases in Valencia, Murcia and Madrid, unemployment also rose in Aragon (14.69 percent), Castilla y Leon (14.05), and Castilla-La Mancha (11.66), in addition to the autonomous city of Ceuta (16.11).

In absolute terms, unemployment rose more in Andalusia (56,400 unemployed), Valencia (52,200) and Madrid (50,800), while fell in Baleares (-10,300 unemployed), Asturias (-2,500), Extremadura (-1,500) and Navarre (-1,400), Apart from the autonomous city of Melilla (-1,100).

With regard to the same quarter last year, unemployment rose in fifteen communities, most in Murcia (81.22), Canary Islands (65.79) and the Balearic Islands (57.27).

By contrast, unemployment fell in this period in Asturias (-9.45), Basque Country (-7.15), apart from the autonomous city of Melilla (-6.85).

 

Las Vistas Blue Flag

The beach at Las Vistas in Los Cristianos, has one more year with the Blue Flag award. The act of hoisting the fag was attended by the mayor of Arona, Jose Alberto Gonzalez Reveron, and councillor for the Environment, Sosa Antonio Carballo, accompanied by the elected representatives of Public Safety, Manuel Reveron, Construction and Maintenance, Ramon Garcia, Tourism, Marta Herrera and Angel David Melo, in addition to troops from the Tourist Police Unit of the Police Local Arona.

Policy-makers stressed obtaining this award as a security for residents and visitors that this beach has the optimum conditions for their enjoyment, as bathing water quality, rescue teams and adequate signage responding to everything that is needed safety on the beach. In addition, added that this "seal of quality," benefits the municipality in relation to its promotion abroad.

It may be recalled that to get this award, beaches must meet certain requirements referring to media and environmental education, water quality, environmental management and security services. It is a distinction that the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), an independent organization, gives each year to some European beaches.

 

Argentine Cabinet chief resigns

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez last Wednesday accepted the resignation of Cabinet chief Alberto Fernandez, who had close ties to the head of state and her husband and predecessor, Nestor Kirchner, the official Telam news agency reported.

Fernandez named Sergio Massa, mayor of the town of Tigre in Buenos Aires province, as her new top aid; the 36-year-old will assume his post in a ceremony at the presidential palace.

Alberto Fernandez, a 49-year-old attorney who is no relation to the president, was named Cabinet chief in May 2003 at the start of Nestor Kirchner's 2003-2007 presidency.

In recent days, the local media had speculated that the president's top aid may resign in the wake of the worst-ever political defeat for the so-called "presidential couple."

Last week, the president lost a long-running battle with the nation's farmers over a grain export tax hike when her vice president, Julio Cobos, cast the deciding vote in the Senate against the levies.

Fernandez initially enacted her controversial sliding-scale tariffs on exports of soybeans and sunflower seeds by decree, sparking months of on-again, off-again, road-blocking protests that led to scattered food shortages.

She sought to resolve the crisis by submitting the tax plan to a vote in Congress, where her Peronist Party has a majority in both houses, but several members of her party broke ranks in support of the farmers.

The Fernandez administration, which before the vote in Congress had announced measures to effectively exempt small- and medium-sized farmers from the increased taxes, says big agribusiness firms that have enjoyed years of soaring profits can afford to pay higher export duties, whose proceeds have been earmarked for building roads and hospitals.

The government also saw the tariffs as a way to keep more Argentine farm products in the local market and drive down prices, but farmers said they were being unfairly punished as they try to deal with rising costs for materials such as fertilizer.

Agriculture Secretary Javier De Urquiza had been the first member of Fernandez's Cabinet to be replaced following the Senate vote.

 

Boy, two, falls from hotel balcony

A two-year-old boy was critically injured after plunging from a Spanish hotel balcony.

The British child, who was on holiday with his mother and grandparents in Cambrils on the Costa Dorada, fell 16ft after climbing on a plastic chair, it was claimed.

He was flown by helicopter to the Vall d'Hebron Hospital in Barcelona with head injuries, according to the manager of the Best Cambrils Hotel where the family were staying.

It is believed he sustained a fractured skull, but his condition remains unknown.

The manager of the 400-room hotel, who refused to give his name, said: "The accident happened on Tuesday afternoon. Our staff were first alerted when they heard screaming.

"He was flown 100km to hospital in Barcelona with his mother. His grandparents have also gone there to be with him. They told me he was in a critical condition.

"I do not know how he is doing now and I do not know where in England the family are from."

Police based at the beach resort could not confirm that they were investigating.