SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Wednesday April 21 2010 TOURISTS left stranded by the Icelandic volcano eruption began flying out of Tenerife on Wednesday. by JAMES TWEEDIE Some 12,500 holidaymakers left the island on 70 flights after airports in Britain, Ireland, Germany, Belgium, Denmark Norway, Sweden and Finland re-opened. But authorities warned that some parts of the continent were still affected, and advised passengers not to go to the airports until they have confirmed their flights with their tour operators. Tourists can call the Spanish airport authority AENA’s telephone helpline on 902 404 704, or +34 91 321 1000 from overseas. Turismo de Tenerife has also provided a freefone number for information about discounted accommodation and useful telephone numbers in English, Spanish, German and French on  00800 100 101 00. This line is open  from  9am to 7pm. Transport companies, hoteliers and tour operators were urged to confirm all flights before transferring their custome...

SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Saturday April 17 REPUBLICANS marked the 79th anniversary of the Second Spanish Republic in the Canarian capital Santa Cruz on Saturday. by JAMES TWEEDIE Some 100 members and supporters of the Tenerife Platform for the Republic gathered in Plaza Weyler, before marching to Plaza del Príncipe to demand an end to the Borbón dynasty of King Juan Carlos I and and a return to the pre-fascist democracy of the Republic. The demonstration was just one of many taking place across Spain as part of a week of action for the founding of a third republic. Marchers waved red,yellow and purple Republican flags, shouted anti-fascist and anti-monarchist slogans and carried a banner reading: “Without the Republic there is no democracy.” The Second Spanish Republic was born on April 14 1931 when Borbón King Alfonso XIII fled the country after Republican victory in municipal elections, and died on April 1 1939 when the last republican forces surrendered to General Francisco Franco...

SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Friday April 16 2010 AUTHORITIES opened phone lines on Friday for passengers on flights cancelled following Wednesday's volcanic eruption in Iceland. by JAMES TWEEDIE The second eruption of the  Eyjafjallajökull volcano in four weeks spewed a massive cloud of volcanic ash into the atmosphere. South-easterly winds have carried the ash across most of the European continent north of the Mediterranean. Volcanic ash, which contains minute shards of glass, can cause engine failure when sucked into aircraft jets. Thousands of flights have been cancelled as a safety precaution. Tourismo de Tenerife has asked hotels and tour operators in the south of the island not to take passengers to the southern Reina Sofia airport without first checking with airport operator AENA's crisis room by phoning 922 759 027 or 922 759 028. Passengers seeking information should call AENA on 902 404 704 or +34 91 321 10 00 for those outside Spain.  Tenerife's tourist board Turismo...

SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Wednesday April 14 2010 CANARIAN TV workers protested outside the regional parliament on Wednesday on the second day of their strike over pay. By JAMES TWEEDIE Some 288 staff at Videoreport Canarias – which produces regional government broadcaster RTVC's news programming – are on strike over management's imposition of a wage freeze which will see their earnings lag behind inflation. Dozens of strikers gathered outside the parliament building in the centre of the capital Santa Cruz, raising a deafening din and booing regional president Paulino Rivero as he emerged and hurried into his chauffeur-driven BMW. The company, which has an €18 billion annual budget from the government, claims that the wage cut is necessary to guarantee jobs in the face of  La Crisis . But one staff representative, who did not wish to be named, said: “They are trying to use the crisis as an excuse for cutting our wages. “But they don't have a crisis – they have a massive guar...

SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Monday April 12 2010 PHOTO: Cabildo economy minister Carlos Alonso (third from left) marking a minute's silence for Polish president Lech Kaczynski and other government officials killed in the weekend's Smolensk plane crash on Monday. TENERIFE'S government demanded central state funding for its planned railway on Monday as the scheme came under renewed fire. by JAMES TWEEDIE Tenerife Cabildo vice-president and economy and competitiveness minister Carlos Alonso announced that his nationalist Canarian Coalition (CC) party had presented a motion calling on the Socialist Party (PSOE) federal government to set aside money from its Plan Extraordinario de Infraestructuras (PEI) for the northern branch of the Anillo Ferroviario rail ring. The document charged that central government funding of rail schemes in the Canaries had been “historically non-existent,” although it conceded that Madrid had part-financed the recently-completed Santa Cruz-La Laguna Tran...

Socialists demand service guarantee from government SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Thursday April 8 2010 NEARLY 300 staff at Canarian TV news provider Videoreport Canarias are set to strikes after pay negotiations broke down on Thursday. by JAMES TWEEDIE The 288 employees at the company – which provides news programming for regional public service broadcaster RTVC – will walk out in a dispute over pay on April 13, 14, 20 and 21, followed by an indefinite stoppage from May 4, if management does not re-open negotiations. The company's board of directors wants to impose an 18-month pay freeze, with no wage increases in line with Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation until June 2011. The firm said that it regretted the measure, but that it was necessary in order to guarantee 243 permanent jobs. But staff representatives at Videoreport said that the move was “invalid” and that management had refused to resume negotiations, instead imposing the freeze without agreement. Opposition Socialist Par...

SAN CRISTOBAL DE LA LAGUNA, Thursday March 8 2010 A NEW exhibition of comic art  which opens in La Laguna on Friday  promises to take visitors back to their childhood. by JAMES TWEEDIE The display of original artwork from children's comics and graphic novels at the Museum of History and Anthropology (MHAT) in Tenerife's historic old capital will chronicle the long history and cultral influence of the genre. It focuses on the role of grown-up comics – with their recurring themes of heroes and superheroes, horror, eroticism, exoticism and the urban jungle – and their development in the Spanish idiom. The show, which was produced by Prop-Art Orotava with designs, narratives and settings contributed by Miguel Hernández and Toño Mesa, debuted in the north Tenerife town of La Oratava and has toured the island. The exhibition will run from April 9 to April 30 at Lercaro House in Calle San Agustín, near the Avenida Trinidad tranvia stop and La Laguna bus station.

SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Thursday April 8 2010 TENERIFE was in the running for the Luxury Tourism Award at the Swiss International Tourism Fair in Lugano on Thursday. by JAMES TWEEDIE The winner will be named during the trade fair which runs from Thursday to Saturday, in some 120 companies from thirty countries will take part. The 'Tenerife Select' stand will showcase the island's luxury tourist accommodation, culinary delicacies and leisure activities such as theme parks, golf courses and shopping centres. The delegation will meet about 40 tour operators and travel agents specialising in premium holidays. Turismo de Tenerife director José Manuel Bermúdez said that that the nomination: “confirms that we are one of the leading luxury destinations throughout Europe." He added that: "The presence of the island in this event will also enable us to present our most exclusive offers to thousands of professional luxury travel buyers who are scheduled to attend the fair....

SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Tuesday April 6 2010 GOVERNMENT agency Tenerife Innova announced a two-day business innovation and investment conference in the capital Santa Cruz on Tuesday. by JAMES TWEEDIE The Innovacción and TF Invierte forums will be held in the capital's cavernous Recinto Ferial centre on April 28 and 29, under the optimistic slogan si cre@s, puedes – if you believe, you can. The initiative by Tenerife's Cabildo government aims to put inventors and entrepreneurs in touch with specialist investors and other financial entities, arguing that the sector needs an “economic boost” from the private sector. University of La Laguna Department of Innovation Promotion and Management and Business Funding Madelon Van Oostrom said that the twin events would presentations by leading innovators in various sectors and workshops and debates where participants could share their experiences. Asked if the event would help educate prospective entrepreneurs in how to avoid the pitfalls...

SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Monday April 5 2010 BRITISH publishing franchise IN Magazines has announced the launch of a bright and dynamic new title InTenerife. The new on-line and print magazine will combine high quality content with striking design for English-speaking residents and visitors to the island along with charging cheap advertising rates to businesses. InTenerife joins IN Magazines' stable of successful franchises in London , Essex, Cornwall and Cannes in the south of France. InTenerife Magazine is supported by Bartercard, the business-to-business cashless trading exchange. InTenerife Editor James Tweedie previously worked as editor of the Canaries Free Trader newspaper – a sister-title of classified advertising paper La Ocasión de Canarias – and as a reporter and foreign editor for the British national daily newspaper the Morning Star. He said: “I am delighted to be at the head of this exciting new venture for this fascinating island. “I can assure our readers that we wi...

EL MEDANO, GRANADILLA DE ABONA, Sunday April 4 2010 TEN naked runners braved a bracing Easter morning for the inaugural Playa la Tejita Nudist Race on Sunday. by JAMES TWEEDIE Competitors could leave their hats on – along with their running shoes – but nothing else for the 3000-metre race across the hard sand of Tenerife's southern La Tejita nudist beach, next door to Reina Sofia airport. Winner Frederic Jolly romped home with a time of  13 minutes and 54 seconds, followed by Derimán Ichazagua at 14 minutes 18 seconds and Christian Vah Vymcki at 14 minutes 34 seconds.  Sole female contestant Beatriz Penedo came in fifth with a time of 16 minutes and 4 seconds. The event was organised by the regional Hara group of sport leisure companies and television broadcaster VKS for pro-physical fitness campaign Agita Mundo's World Day for Physical Activity, and supported by Granadilla council and the island's nudist and naturist groups AGRACAN, ANUDISCAN, NATURATA ...

SAN CRISTOBAL DE LA LAGUNA, Friday April 2 2010 WORSHIPPERS marked the day of Jesus Christ's crucifixion in the traditional Spanish style at the Iglesia de la Concepción in Tenerife's historic former capital La Laguna on Good Friday. by JAMES TWEEDIE Men, women and children of all ages participated in the local 'Brotherhoods' which led and carried the  pasos,  or sculptures of scenes of the crucifixion, from the ancient church to the nearby La Laguna cathedral. Each brotherhood wore its own variation on the traditional robes, cloaks and pointed hoods - which were misappropriated by US racist militia the Ku Klux Klan in the 19th century. Among the holy artefacts carried the high northern door of the church was the 500-year old Christ of La Laguna, the most revered depiction of Christ in the Canary Islands.