Iberdrola’s Bolivian blow

TWO Spanish owned electricity companies have been nationalised by the Bolivian government. The Iberdrola subsidiaries were accused by Bolivian President Evo Morales of overcharging consumers in rural communities. He said people in the countryside were paying up to three times as much for their power as...

Spanish take on world

SPANISH fashion group Inditex has taken €1.65 billion between February and October of 2012. This is 27 per cent more than for the same period in 2011, and is mainly thanks to improved sales in the Asian market. When asked about the secret of their success, a company spokesperson said: “We can’t see any...

The rich are getting richer

SPAIN’S rich are now 8.4 per cent richer than a year ago. The 200 richest people in Spain have €145 billion between them according to El Mundo special feature ‘Spain’s Greatest Fortunes’. In just 12 months, the stock exchange assets of Inditex owner Amancio Ortega, 76, have increased by 64 per...

Repsol chairman is named top boss

REPSOL Chairman and CEO Antonio Brufau was named Chief Executive Officer of the Year at the Platts Global Energy Awards.  This annual award, held in New York, recognises industry leadership, innovation and excellence in the energy industry. Antonio Brufau was honoured for his strategic vision and leadership...

Ship stops here… Malaga cruising up the Spanish port rankings

CRUISE LINERS are helping buck the recession in Malaga as more passengers visit the city. Dilip Kuner looks at the 2012 success story. With 700,000 passengers due to have landed at the new Malaga port by the end of the year, foreigners for the first time now outnumber Spanish tourists to the city. Cruise...

Zara secret lurking in half of Spanish women’s wardrobes

ONE in every two Spanish women wears clothes from Zara. Next in popularity are Blanco (21 per cent), Inditex-owned Stradivarius (20 per cent), H & M (17 per cent) and Primark (16 per cent). Zara, the Spanish-owned clothing giant, is now the best selling label in the UK, France, Italy and Portugal as well...

Pizza deal hard to swallow

A US fast food chain has been forced to tweak a ‘free pizza for life’ contest after criticism for daring the crowd at a debate to ask Barack Obama and Mitt Romney to reveal their favourite topping. Tweet

Split view

BRAD PITT’S debut as the first male face to advertise Chanel’s iconic No.5 fragrance saw fans and fashionistas split on his latest role. Tweet

New chapter

ACTOR Johnny Depp has teamed up with HarperCollins to publish books by both famous and relatively unknown authors. Tweet

Star menu

FRENCH chef Alain Ducasse invited 200 top global chefs with a combined 300 Michelin stars to a culinary summit in Monte Carlo celebrating Mediter-ranean cuisine. Tweet