Spain’s consumer watchdog takes Ryanair to court for hand luggage charges
Spain’s main consumer watchdog the OCU (Organización de Consumidores y Usuarios) is taking budget airline Ryanair to court for forcing customers into paying extra hand luggage charges.
The OCU hopes that this additional fee, common on many low-cost airlines, will be declared null and void by the Spanish courts.
This was announced by the organisation in a press release this week, describing the additional charges as an ‘abusive practice’ that generates countless complaints from passengers.
READ ALSO: 'Crazy communist' - Ryanair-Spain row over flight cuts escalates
Tesla sales fall by 10 percent in Spain
Sales of Tesla cars in Spain have dropped by 10 percent, mirroring a decline in sales for Elon Musk’s electric car company across Europe.
The fall, however, is far less severe than in neighbouring European countries amid Musk’s high profile role in the new Trump administration and his Nazi-like salute at a rally. Tesla sales in Germany have plummeted by 76.3 percent, while in Norway, where almost all new cars sold are electric, sales have plummeted by 48 percent.
Despite the more modest decline in Spain, however, the Tesla Model 3 is still the most popular electrical vehicle in the country, with 526 units sold in February.
British man finds Europe's biggest spider in a box of Spanish olives
A British man was shocked to find Europe’s biggest spider in a delivery of Spanish olives to his garden centre, stating that “it was its size that impressed me.”
The Andalusian tarantula, known as a bull spider, can reach a wingspan of up to 10cm.
It reportedly arrived in a shipment of olives from the Andalusian province of Córdoba. The bull spider is native to the southern Iberian peninsula and is commonly found in the olive groves of Andalusia.
US tariffs dampen Zara profits outlook
Zara owner Inditex has posted another record annual profit but investor worries that sweeping US tariffs could hurt its growth prospects caused shares in the world's biggest fashion retailer to slide.
The Spanish group, which owns other top brands including Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear and Bershka, posted a net profit of €5.87 billion ($6.39 billion) in the fiscal year which ended on January 31st.
But sales growth showed signs of waning in the first quarter, rising just 4.0 percent between February 1st and March 10th, compared to 11-percent growth in the same period a year ago.
The slowdown comes as Inditex is facing stiffer competition from low-priced Asian online retailers such as Shein, as well as the threat of higher tariffs in the United States, the company's second-largest market after Spain.
These tariffs "represent a challenge for Inditex, both in its strategy of expansion in the United States and in the management of its global supply chain" since its clothes are partially made in China, said Alfred Vernis, professor at Spain's ESADE business school and a former Inditex executive.
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