In this week’s news stories, at least two British pensioners have been killed and a further eight admitted to hospital after an outbreak of Legionnaires disease at a hotel in Calpe, the relatives of victims of the Franco era relive their horror and hoteliers and bar owners in Benidorm want ‘Las Vegas rules’ for smokers.

This week’s recipe with a Mediterranean flavour is for paprika-glazed sausages and full details can be found on our recipe page.

The news stories this week include a report on the collapse of Spanish airline Spanair, how even Spanish TV is feeling the effects of government spending cuts, the tragedy of the ‘lost generation’ as youth unemployment reaches 50% and the deadly advance of the red palm weevil.

I’ll be bringing you more stories of the financial crisis in Spain, including the most indebted village in Spain, where the public debt averages €20,000 per person, the scandal of the ‘ghost airport’ which has spent €30m on advertising but which doesn’t have a licence to operate and how Spain could veto an independent Scotland because it would embolden separatists in Cataluña and the Basque Country.

This week’s recipe with a Mediterranean flavour is for delicious chicken with orange and ginger and full details can be found here on our recipe page.

The news stories this week include how less land in the Marina Baixa is being used for farming, a warning to British tourists by Benidorm tobacconists of contraband cigarettes, a report puts Spain at no. 12 in the world’s economies, local farmers are leaving mandarins to rot on the trees this year and Russian settlers are now being attracted  by the Spanish good life.

This week’s recipe with a Mediterrean flavour is for the tapas favourite albondigas or Spanish meatballs. Full details of the recipe can be found here.

In this week’s news stories, I’ll be reporting on how homeowners in Alicante Province are facing the prospect of seeing their annual IBI – the Spanish equivalent of council tax – rise by up to 10 per cent this year, British holidaymakers vote the north of the Costa Blanca as one of their top 10 favourite summer destinations, 50-year old buildings in Spain are to get an ‘MOT’ inspection and can Valencia afford to host this year’s Formula 1 GP event in the city.

Fancy a taste of the Mediterranean? I’ll be telling you how to make lemon curd very simply in the microwave and full details can be found on our recipe page.

In my special news features, I’ll be telling you how the King of Spain’s son-in-law has been summoned to appear in court in an embezzlement case, telling you how the government plans to cut public spending by €8.9bn this year and how it will move midweek public holidays to Mondays and Fridays in a bid to boost productivity. I’ll also be revealing that a hospital in Valencia has successfully carried out the world’s first double leg transplant.

I’ll also be telling you how New Year’s Eve is celebrated in Spain and why Spanish children are looking forward to 6th January.

I’ll be playing some Spanish Christmas music and telling you how the Spaniards will be spending Christmas Day.

I wish all my regular listeners a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

The news stories this week include a report on the fraud scandal which is hitting the Spanish family, the Down’s syndrome actor who picked up Spain’s best actor award, a record number of transplants carried out in Spanish hospitals and Barcelona is ranked in the top 50 of the world’s best cities to live.

In addition, I’ll be bringing you a recipe with a Mediterranean flavour, which this week is crispy garlic chicken pieces and you can find the details on our recipe page.

The news stories from Spain this week include a report on the arrest by the Royal Navy of seven suspected pirates after a Spanish fishing vessel came under attack off the coast of Somalia in the Indian Ocean, the jobless total reaches a fifteen year high and the region of Castilla la Mancha cuts spending in a bid to meet tough central government budget deficit targets.

This week’s recipe with a Mediterranean flavour is chicken with apricots and almonds, details of which can be found on our recipe page.

S.pain’s jobless total reaches 15 yr high