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Source:  Miguel Ángel Sanz  on  Unsplash Devastating volcano eruption can be used to lure tourists to Canaries, says minister  Tourism minister derided for suggesting La Palma volcano could lure visitors to Spanish archipelago Spain’s tourism minister has been accused of insensitivity after suggesting that a devastating and ongoing volcanic eruption on the Canary island of La Palma could be used as an “attraction” to lure visitors to the archipelago.  About 5,500 people have been evacuated and at least 120 homes destroyed after the eruption in the Cumbre Vieja mountain range , one of the most active volcanic regions in the islands.  Speaking on Monday morning, Reyes Maroto said the government wanted to reassure tourists already on La Palma – or heading there – that the island was still safe despite the eruption, which began on Sunday afternoon.  “The most important thing right now is reassuring tourists who have been affected, and also those w...

Source: Tanya Grypachevskaya on Unsplash Canary Islands: Volcano eruption on La Palma destroys homes, no injuries   The volcano continued to spew red-hot lava and ash into the sky from the island of La Palma. Authorities have evacuated some 5,000 people, while a hundred homes have already been razed . The volcano erupted on Sunday,after a week of heightened seismic activity. It is located on La Palma, the fifth-largest island in the Spanish archipelago that sits in the Atlantic Ocean off the western coast of Morocco.  The eruption has forced the evacuation of about 5,000 people, including some 500 tourists, according to a Monday update from local officials .   Authorities said they were hopeful more people would not need to be evacuated.  Damage only material   Local TV station Radio Television Canaria (RTVC) showed footage of red-hot lava and dust emanating from the Cumbre Vieja National Park in the south of the island.  No fatalities have b...

Source:  Giorgio Tomassetti  on  Unsplash Spain targets energy firms as European bills surge Spain's left-wing government has agreed emergency measures to cut spiralling energy bills as electricity prices climb to record levels.  It aims to channel €2.6bn (£1.9bn; $3bn) in energy company profits to consumers and slash electricity taxes over the winter months .  Energy bills are climbing across Europe as gas prices soar in particular.  Greece is promising subsidies to consumers and Italy is also aiming to review electricity bills.  But it was Spain that moved first on Tuesday. It has seen some of the highest energy prices in Europe in recent weeks, prompting protests over the summer in a number of cities.  'Shock plan'  Wholesale electricity prices rose during the summer months and have continued to climb, with reports of a record high of €172.8 per megawatt hour for Wednesday, 12.6% up on Tuesday.  Socialist Prime Minis...

Source: Wikipedia (Mons. Novell) Spanish bishop quit for love for erotic writer When Spanish bishop Xavier Novell resigned last month, the Roman Catholic Church cited strictly personal reasons without going into detail .  It has now emerged in Spanish media that he fell in love with a woman who writes Satanic-tinged erotic fiction.  In 2010 at the age of 41, he became Spain's youngest bishop, in Solsona in the north-eastern region of Catalonia.  He has backed so-called conversion therapy for gay people and carried out exorcisms.  Seen as a rising star in Spain's Catholic Church, his decision to resign with the Vatican's approval came as a surprise last month. He is said to have met several times with Vatican officials as well as the Pope himself.  Xavier Novell was traditional in his remarks on abortion but his strident views on homosexuality and outspoken support for Catalonian independence were controversial.  It came as a shock when Relig...