At 8:51 am the red planet passed the earth at a distance of 55.75 million kilometers

Mars and the Earth were at their closest point of proximity today, a phenomenon that last occurred 59,000 years ago and that will not be repeated for another 284 years (the 29 of August of 2287). The moment when the two planets were closest - 55.758.000 kilometers apart, took place at 08:51 (Canary time) and tonight Mars can be seen by the naked eye as a very bright shining point, comparable to the size of a ten cents piece seen from 130 meters.
According to Fernando Moreno, from the department of the Solar System of the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia and a member of the Council of Scientific research, you will be able to to see the details of the red planet with binoculars or a telescope with about a 10 centimeters lens. The distance that will separate Mars and Earth will be 140 times more than the distance that separates us from the Moon.

What will happen today is that Mars will align in a straight line with the Earth and the Sun, something that happens approximately every two years, but what is especially interesting, because because the Earth and Mars will be in their respectively most remote and near positions to the Sun, thus making the distance distance between the two planets the shortest it can be, exactly 55,758,000 kilometers, something that will not occur again until 2287. The average distance between both planets normally is around 70 million kilometers.

A Fireman attempts to enter the burning building from the balcony.

A boy of three years old , identified as M.D.C.D., passed away yesterday evening due to cardio respiratory difficulties. He had been admitted to the University Hospital at La Laguna with severe burns to 90 percent of his body, after his home at number 7 Calle Barcelona, in El Casco de La Laguna caught fire, according to ACN press agency
The Emergency services stated that the fire took place around 12:30 yesterday on the first floor of the building, The boy was trapped in one of the rooms and had to be rescued by La Laguna Firemen. Once evacuated from the burning building, the the ambulance personnel successfully attempted resuscitation techniques, although the boy unfortunately subsequently died in the University Hospital.

In addition to the child, a neighbour , Jose V.B., 30 years old, was also affected. He was taken by ambulance to the Mercedes Health Center in La Laguna. Two women, Guadalupe S.M., 35 years, who was suffering from shock, and Candelaria B.R., 67 years, diagnosed with a slight smoke inhalation poisoning were treated at the scene

Iván Rodriguez Ramallo jumps a hurdle during yesterday's race .

The Tenerifan athlete beat his personal best of the season and manages to qualify.

Tenerifan Iván Rodriguez Ramallo managed to qualify for the semifinals of the 400 meter hurdles race in the World Athletic Championships in Paris. The hurdler ended in sixth place with a mark of 49,37, thus beating his personal best of the season. However, he had to wait until the other quarter final races had been run before it was confirmed that this time was good enough for him to to qualify for the semifinals, that will take place today (19:30 hours, TVE2).

26th August 2003

The mayor of Icod de los Vinos demands the management of the Boquín and "Cave of the Wind" properties be returned to the local authority.

Pool and house of the Boquín property.

The Town Council of Icod de los Vinos plan to take responsibility for the running of the Boquín and the Cueva del Viento small holdings on the outskirts of the town, after having been advised by the The Mayor, Juan Jose Dorta, that both places are in a state of total disrepair. Mr Dorta is quoted as saying " the only thing we wish is for that which rightfully belongs to the local authority should be returned to them so that the sites can be returned to working order as before"

"This is not going to be an easy task, but it is clear to see that the Town Council are the most competent authority to take over the running of the properties in question. we are in the process of negotiations to bring this to fruition".

The Island council has purchased the properties but has not attempted to put in to effect the projected clear-up plans- which were intended to exploit the tourist potential of the sites, putting them on the same tourist route as the famous Dragon Tree, in the centre of the town.

With respect to the Cueva del Viento (cave of the winds) "one section would be open to tourists, whilst the remainder of the site would be designated as an area for scientific study, as it is a region of particular interest" The mayor promised"If I obtain the necessary permissions from the Island government, the proposals would be able to be implemented in less than six months, but if we are not given control of that which is rightfully ours, then nothing can be done"

Agricultural museum project

The Town hall project for the Boquín property centres around building an agricultural museum displaying items particularly pertinent to the area. The museum will include a permanent living display showing visitors the way of life of the farming community and their equipment over the ages. Their would be Crafts, Silk Making, and Wine production centres, where the wine making process will be able to be seen as it was in the XVII century and also the Cochineal centre. In addition it is hoped eventually to allocate space to the process of tobacco cultivation.

The Island council bought the properties (some174,573 square meters) in 1996 and to date nothing has been done

A breakdown at a reservoir in the Caletillas area of Candelaria has left about 10,000 inhabitants without water since Saturday night.The water supply was not resumed until 6 o clock yesterday afternoon. Even though the breakdown occurred on Saturday night, once the location and what had caused the breakdown were known ,crews worked all Sunday to repair the problem at the Chacorche well (reservoir),

Part of the affected area near to Candelaria

but it was not until Monday morning that the were able to reconnect the pump and allow water through this part of the system again, finally completely resolving the problem yesterday evening.

FLU JABS AVAILABLE

The Department of Health are initiating a campaign of anti-flu vaccination next month (October)

The Canary Service Health Service(SCS) of the Department of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands hopes to start the Campaign of Anti-flu Vaccinations next month.

Like every year, the campaign will be specially directed at the 65 or over age group, chronically ill patients with any type of cardiac or pulmonary disease (bronchitis, enfisema etc) , and health and general support personnel who care for these categories.

The SCS has been provided with 175,000 doses of influenza vaccines, to cover the month of October, in addition to another 30,000 that will be centered on the prevention of pneumonia. The allocated budget is 682,500 Euros

The Main directorate of Public Health, will publish 50,000 informative pamphlets and 2,000 posters, in order to promote the anti-flu vaccination as well as broadcasting advertising slots in the local media.

Also, l the informative material will be available at Health Centres and Local surgeries, Hospitals and Pharmacies

The Town Council of Santiago del Teide through its department of Education and Culture has announced its intention to commence various public works to renovate, expand and generally improve the facilities available at local schools and colleges by the next scholastic term (2003-2004)

The department of works has had various meetings with the head staff of each and every educational facility in the area during the course of the last term, thereby finding out exactly the requirements at each location. As the department of Education had promised it would be,this detailed study was the 1st step in the implementation of the proposed improvement work.

Two women and a young man died yesterday in two traffic accidents.
Firemen, yesterday, extracted the bodies of two women from a car involved in an accident on the Tf-1, in the county of Adeje. The other occupant of the vehicle, a man is severely injured. Also, at virtually the same time another motorist crashed into a house in LaVictoria.

The 1st event took place in the morning at 6:30 between kilometer 75 and 76 of the Tf-1 motorway.

The emergency services at the scene, Firemen, Civil Guard and Local Police units, could not do nothing to save the lives of the women, who died before reaching hospital. The injured man was transferred to the Las Américas Hospital

In the other incident, a young person of 19 years, name Jose F.I.R., passed away yesterday, after crashing his motorcycle against a house in the La Victoria de Acentejo.

An ambulance and paramedics attempted resuscitation which was unfortunately unsuccessful.

A total of fifty three people have been killed in the forty registered fatal accidents on Spanish highways on the long weekend of the 15 of August, according to data provided by the Main directorate of Traffic (DGT). 28 people have also been seriously injured and twenty more, less so, in the accidents which occurred between 15.00h on Thursday and to 20,00 hours of Sunday.

The most tragic day on the roads was Friday, the day of Festival of Asuncion, when fifteen people were killed in thirteen fatal accidents, other ten sustained serious injuries.