The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has condemned anti-Muslim chants which were heard during the first half of Spain’s 0-0 draw with Egypt in Barcelona on Tuesday.
At half-time, a message warning fans against xenophobic remarks and singing was displayed on the screen at the RCDE Stadium with the stadium announcer also reading out a similar request.
The message was then repeated early in the second half, leading to whistles from some sections of the crowd.
“The RFEF stands against racism in football and condemns any act of violence inside stadiums,” they posted on social media.
The behaviour was also condemned by Spain coach Luis de la Fuente.
“It’s intolerable,” he said. “Violent people use football to carve out a space for themselves.
“They must be removed from society, identified, and kept as far away as possible.”
Tuesday’s game was due to be played in Qatar but was moved to the home of La Liga side Espanyol due to the war in the Middle East.
De la Fuente made 10 changes from Friday’s 3-0 friendly win over Serbia with Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal the only player to keep his place while Egypt were without injured Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah.
The result also saw Spain, one of the co-hosts of the next World Cup in 2030, lose their top place in the world rankings.
Reports say that even police have been called in to deal with angry holidaymakers in TenerifeCredit: AlamyThere have been reports of further travel chaos at Tenerife South due to EESCredit: Alamy
EES is replacing the need for a passport stamp by automatically checking when a person enters and exits an EU country.
Non-EU nationals – which includes Brits – are required to register their details like fingerprints, facial images and scan passports on their first visit to a Schengen area country.
But at Tenerife South, passengers say that only a handful of these EES machines are working with some rejecting fingerprints.
Passengers are even saying they’ve missed flights due to delays in getting through controls.
Some Brits are warning to give as much as three hours before a flight just in case.
One Brit wrote on social media: “The key is to arrive three hours early so at least you are in the front of the queue when problems start.”
Another added: “Love Tenerife but HATE the airport.”
Police have reportedly been called in to the South Airport on several occasions to calm the crowds of angry passengers.
With bad weather and storms hitting the Canary Islands, those who miss flights are having to sleep inside the airport overnight before catching another plane home.
On one particular day, around 100 passengers were stranded there and many were unable to find overnight accommodation, so stayed in the terminal.
Passengers are blaming lack of staff and proper organisation for the chaos, with computers not working.
“Passport control is a disaster,” posted another Brit. “One person for thousands of travellers.”
Only 20 per cent of the biometric machines are working and officials admitted to the Spanish media that there were “computer failures.”
The chaos has been going on for months and tourism chiefs and hoteliers say the island’s reputation is being hit, compounded by the bad weather.
Since last week, the Canary Islands, including Tenerife, have also been struck with flash flooding and snow as a result of Storm Therese.
Even without bad weather, many airports have experienced delays caused by the new travel requirement of EES registration.
Due to their small size, airports on the Canary Islands have seen reports of long queues.
SPANISH sun and a sense of calm was what I was expecting to greet me at Lanzarote Airport – instead I spend the first three hours of my holiday queuing to get out of the arrivals hall.
Because thousands of travellers like myself were stuck in huge queues, thanks to the new EES system – and with Easter and summer season on the way, I can see it getting worse.
Sign up for the Travel newsletter
Thank you!
I had to queue in the arrivals hall at Lanzarote Airport for three hoursThe huge queue led to the EES registration point
My Jet2 flight landed at half past one on a Thursday afternoon in early March and I didn’t get out until just after half past four.
The queues stretched along the corridor and zigzagged all the way through the arrivals hall that took passengers to EES registration.
I’d already signed up to EES, having visited Lithuania a few months ago – but that was no use at all.
There was no separate queue for – or any staff for that matter – advising those who have registered to head straight to the passport e-gates.
While this was frustrating, what was even more so was that only half of the EES machines were actually working.
When I finally made it to my bus transfer, even the Jet2Holidays rep said she’d ‘never seen delays this bad’.
While Lanzarote has had a bad rep for lengthy queues in recent weeks, they are by no means the only ones.
The Sun travel team has been to various airports across Europe since the start of 2026 and many of them have had much longer queues than usual.
Like in Lanzarote, in some places only half the EES machines are working.
In other destinations, all of the machines are switched off until around midday. So it’ s pure luck as to whether you’ll even get to sign up.
Thanks to its winter sun offering, Lanzarote is one of the first airports to really show what an issue the new system could be for Brits this summer – when millions of visitors arrive for their annual holidays across Europe.
Lanzarote Airport has been subject to ‘bottlenecking’ which is a term used when there are too many flights at once and it causes congestion in the airport.
It’s no surprise really, Lanzarote is a small island with a small airport.
Around 100 planes land at the airport each day and over one million British tourists visit Lanzarote each year, with more heading there over the Easter and summer holidays.
Looking at planned flights on flightradar24 for Thursday 19 March 2026, there are almost 40 from the UK alone, with just under 100 flights in total scheduled for the day.
Between 2pm and 3pm there are 10 flights due from the UK.
Two from Glasgow arrive at the same time, and others are within five and ten-minute intervals.
Delays in the airport in the Canary Islands will be worse during peak summer holidaysCredit: AlamyScheduled Lanzarote flights for Thursday 19 March see 10 arriving within one hourCredit: Flightradar24
With the queues in Lanzarote reportedly reaching four hours, I’ve seen parents fearing travel chaos for their upcoming holiday.
One mum even started a forum on Mumsnet with the subject ‘Lanzarote airport actual chaos or exaggerated drama’.
In the comments, one recent visitor described the airport as a ‘madhouse’.
Another, who went on holiday around the same time as me, described it as an “absolute nightmare” and has even cancelled their booking in April as a result.
The lengthy wait times are likely to crop up at other European destinations too because of the new EES requirement.
Delays have been reported at airports like Brussels, Lisbon and Prague, and officials have even called for the EES to be delayed until after the summer holidays.
As for Lanzarote, if you want to make the most of your arrival on the island, then I’d suggest booking an earlier flight so you’ll still have the afternoon to explore.
Otherwise all there is to do is line up and wait patiently.
Head of Sun Travel Lisa Minot reveals how EES will impact travellers during school holidays…
The impending deadline requiring all EU countries to be processing all passengers using the new Entry Exit System (EES) is looming and as Easter approaches we could see chaos across the continent.
We’ve seen significant disruption already as UK holidaymakers are caught up in hours-long queues to provide their details and unless the right staffing is in place, things could get much worse.
Speaking to the former boss of easyJet last year, he warned me airports could become overwhelmed and airlines may be forced to keep passengers on planes on arrival – throwing tight flight schedules into chaos.
The issue as far as I am concerned is the lack of joined up thinking and common systems. Every airport in every country I have travelled through since the system was launched has a different way of channelling passengers through the passport checking process.
At Rome last week, the kiosk I was directed to successfully took my biometric picture but seemed incapable of processing my fingerprints and I was directed to a customs agent for a traditional stamp.
Returning from Barcelona, no kiosks were in operation at all and we simply went through an e-Gate with no fingerprints checked and again, were directed to an agent for a stamp.
Bigger airports with the resources to invest in the costly equipment are probably going to be easy to travel through.
Whether that will be the same for smaller, regional airports that already struggle to cope with large crowds in busy periods remains to be seen.
Airlines and airports are lobbying the EU to allow the rules to be relaxed should large crowds start to build.
That seems imminently sensible to me as from may recent experiences, the system is not yet up and running efficiently – Head of Sun Travel, Lisa Minot
YOUR holiday sangria or paella could be much more expensive on your next trip to the Spanish islands.
Officials have said that destinations like the Canaries and Balearics will experience a price hike when it comes to food and drink because of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Sign up for the Travel newsletter
Thank you!
Price of food and drink on popular Spanish islands are set to increaseCredit: AlamyThe increasing price of fuel will impact goods heading to the Canary and Balearic IslandsCredit: Alamy
The Spanish islands are incredibly popular with Brits, especially during the summerholidays.
The Canary Islands welcomes up to six million British tourists each year and it’s where you’ll find the likes of Tenerife and Lanzarote.
Meanwhile, around three million tourists visit the Balearics – with over two million heading to Majorca alone.
Both locations are popular thanks to their high temperatures and direct flights from multiple locations across the UK.
Now, industry chiefs have said the increase in cost of food and drink at these destinations will be worse than 2022 when prices shot up after the war in the Ukraine began.
Urgent meetings are already being held in the Balearic Islands and in the Canaries which are very dependent on imports due to their more isolated locations.
In July 2022, inflation climbed to 10.8 per cent in Spain.
President of the Association of Food and Beverage Distributors of the Balearic Islands, Mr Bartolomé Servera is warning of severe increases, which will depend on the duration of the crisis in Iran.
Mr Servera said the new impact will be much greater if the conflict is prolonged as the weight of the Middle East is much greater, especially through the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 per cent of oil and gas pass.
Mr Servera says carriers have already begun to raise prices because the price of fuel has skyrocketed.
Brits flock to the likes of Majorca each year with around two million visitingCredit: Alamy
Diesel has risen by 32 cents per litre, around 22 per cent; while Gasoline 95 has become between 18 and 20 cents per litre more expensive, which represents 12 per cent.
In addition, it is not ruled out that the barrel of Brent will continue to rise: this Wednesday (March 11) it is around 90 dollars, but this past Monday (March 9) it was close to 120 dollars.
This is likely to then effect everything on the island from hotels and resorts.
The association president said “Milk, eggs, bread, fruit will rise.
“Everything needs fuel for its production or transport, so they will not escape the escalation of costs and producers will have to pass them on to consumers.”
The Canary Islands also fear soaring prices and will meet with transport leaders shortly.
President of the Cabildo de La Gomera, Casimiro Curbelo said official need to be monitoring the impact of the war on the islands and prepare contingency plans.
The Government of the Canary Islands says it is “very attentive” to the consequences of the war in the Middle East and plans to hold a meeting with the transport sector in the coming days in view of the increase in fuel prices.
Faced with this situation, the Government of Spain is working on an aid package, as it did at the beginning of the war in Ukraine, to alleviate the looming rise in prices.
WARMER weather is on the horizon, so why wait until summer to visit your favourite holiday hot spots?
Spain is still top of Brits’ holiday lists and the coming months are a great time to visit this beautiful country, with mild temperatures just right for exploring when it’s not too crowded.
Sign up for the Travel newsletter
Thank you!
If you’re a foodie, San Sebastian won’t disappointCredit: Getty
Sophie Swietochowski shares her pick of springtime destinations in Spain and its islands with tips from experts who know the area.
THIS northern port city may not attract as many fly-and-flop holidaymakers as the southern costas, but its coastlines are no less beautiful.
Temperatures can reach the low 20Cs during spring in Bilbao, so Sara Di Lenardo, Destination Manager at British Airways Holidays, recommends hitting the shores.
Bilbao may not attract as many fly-and-flop holidaymakers as the southern costas, but its coastlines are no less beautifulCredit: Getty
She says: “There are several wild beaches in the Basque Country. The rocky shores are dramatic and incredibly photogenic.
“Walk along stunning coastal paths with the Pyrenees as the backdrop — they might possibly still have snowy peaks in spring.”
The month of May is a great time to visit for music fans, thanks to several big concerts and events.
Sara advises to keep your eyes peeled for the Trikitixa, a traditional basque instrument that’s a bit like an accordion.
STAY: Two nights’ room-only at the 5H Melia Bilbao is from £349pp including flights from Gatwick on selected dates in May. Price includes 10 per cent discount. Book by March 31.
THE White Isle only starts awakening for its big party season in spring, after a slow winter hibernation — and for travel expert David Mason, this is one of the best times to visit the party isle.
He reveals: “You have all the optimism of a new season commencing, cheap accommodation and flights, plus lots of local food festivals.”
Ibiza only starts awakening for its big party season in spring, after a slow winter hibernationCredit: Getty
Throughout this month, up until early April, you’ll be able to experience the Pintxa Run food festival in San Antonio, close to the ocean, David says.
Every Thursday throughout the month, dozens of small bars and restaurants dish up tapas and a drink for just three euros with everything from steakhouses to pizzerias participating.
David adds: “The festival includes a free novelty train that takes you from stop to stop — perfect if you’ve had a few too many cervezas on the route.”
STAY: Seven nights’ all-inclusive at the 4H Invisa Figueral Resort Hotel Cala Blanca is from £562pp including flights from Manchester on April 7.
Sara di Lenardo says this is the top place to sample pintxos in the traditional way (small bites served on a mini slice of bread).
Wash it down with a local beverage for a truly authentic experience.
Sara adds: “Spring is cider season. Try the local drink txakoli — it can be found in most bars in town, but if you have time, make sure to visit Getaria where it’s produced.”
For those seeking seaside relaxation, Sara recommends La Concha, a horseshoe-shaped beach right in the city, offering gorgeous views of the blue Med.
STAY: Seven nights’ B&B at the 4H Bancal Hotel & Spa is from £599pp including flights from Gatwick on selected dates in May. Book by March 31.
THIS vibrant student city, which sits a little south of Alicante, is fascinating for history lovers, with its 14th-century cathedral taking pride of place in the city centre.
Tom Wilkinson, product manager at Explore Worldwide, says: “This lesser-known southern gem enjoys 320 days of sunshine each year, with mild winters and a semi-arid climate.”
Murcia sits a little south of Alicante and is fascinating for history lovers, with its 14th-century cathedral taking pride of place in the city centreCredit: Getty
The sights are best explored on two wheels, says Tom — on a cycle tour you’ll pass through white-washed villages and historic Moorish towns, pausing to watch the sun set.
Fruit and veg are at the forefront of cuisine here and you can expect rich stews as well as freshly baked cakes.
Try Keki, not far from the cathedral, which serves up a Murcian cheesecake to die for.
STAY: A seven-day Cycle Southern Spain tour costs from £970pp including six breakfasts, all accommodation, cycle gear and flights from selected airports on May 10.
HOLIDAYMAKERS jetting off to Menorca in spring can expect rugged landscapes backed by chalky white cliffs and sandy bays overlooking vibrant blue seas.
“The beaches are some of the most beautiful in the world, offering Caribbean-style scenes without the time difference,” says Kate Bigger, destination manager at British Airways Holidays.
Expect rugged landscapes backed by chalky white cliffs and sandy bays overlooking vibrant blue seas on MenorcaCredit: Getty
She suggests strolling the impressive Cami de Cavalls, adding: “This is a walk that goes through the length of the island, with spring being the perfect time to do this.”
Vineyards are scattered across the island and many of them invite visitors to meander among the vines, sampling wines as part of a tasting lunch or dinner.
STAY: Seven nights’ B&B at the 5H Melia Cala Galdana is from £1,099pp (includes €28pp tourism tax, payable locally) including flights from Gatwick on selected dates in May. Book by March 31.
The House of Pies, a Los Feliz institution, is bustling on a chilly January morning.
It wouldn’t be shocking if some of the patrons here for breakfast were casually chit-chatting about the cultural behemoth that “KPop Demon Hunters” has become. After all, the 2025 animated saga about three music stars fighting otherworldly foes is now the most-watched movie ever on Netflix; “Golden,” its showstopping track, has since become the first Korean pop song to ever win a Grammy.
But for Danya Jimenez, 29, who sits across from me sipping coffee, the reception to the movie she began writing on back in 2020 isn’t entirely surprising, but certainly delayed.
“When we first started working on it, I was like, ‘People are going to be obsessed with this. It’s going to be the best thing ever,’” she recalls. But as several years passed, and she and her writing partner and best friend Hannah McMechan, 30, moved on to other projects. They weren’t sure if “KPop” would ever see the light of day. Production for animation takes time.
It wasn’t until she learned that her Mexican parents were organically aware of the movie that Jimenez considered it could actually live up to the potential she initially had hoped for.
“Without me saying anything, my parents were like, ‘People are talking about this’ — like my dad’s co-workers or my aunt’s friends — that’s when I started to realize, ‘This might be something big,’” she says.
“But never in my life did I think it would be at this scale.”
“KPop Demon Hunters” is now nominated for two Academy Awards: animated feature and original song. And that’s on top of how ubiquitous the characters — Rumi, Mira and Zoey — already are.
“Everyone sends me photos of knockoff ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ dolls from across the border,” Jimenez says laughing. “My friend got me a shirt from Mexicali with the three girls, but they do not look anything like themselves. She even got my name on it, which was awesome.”
After graduating from Loyola Marymount University in 2018, Jimenez and McMechan quickly found their footing in the industry, as well as representation. But it was their still unproduced screenplay, “Luna Likes,” about a Mexican American teenage girl obsessed with the late chef and author Anthony Bourdain, that tangentially put them on the “KPop” path.
“Luna Likes” earned the pair a spot at the prestigious Sundance Screenwriters Lab, where Nicole Perlman, who co-wrote “Guardians of the Galaxy,” served as one of their advisors. Perlman, credited as a production consultant on “KPop,” thought they would be a good fit.
Jimenez didn’t see the connection between her R-rated comedy about a moody Mexican American teen and a PG animated feature set in the world of K-pop music, but the duo still pitched. Their idea more closely resembled an indie dramedy than an epic action flick.
“If [our version of ‘KPop’] were live-action, it would’ve been a million-dollar budget. It was the smallest movie ever. Our big finale was a pool party,” Jimenez says. “We had all of the girls and the boys with instruments, which obviously is not a thing in K-pop, and everyone was making out.”
Even though their original pitch wouldn’t work for the film, Maggie Kang, the co-director and also a co-writer, believed their voices as two young women who were best friends, roommates and creative collaborators could help the movie’s heroines feel more authentic.
“Maggie had already interviewed all of the more established writers, especially older men,” Jimenez says. “She knows the culture. She knew K-pop, she’s an animator. She just needed the girls’ voices to come through, so I think that’s why we got hired.”
Kang confirms this via email: “It’s always great to collaborate with writers who are the actual age of your characters! Hannah and Danya were exactly that,” she says. “They were very helpful in bringing a fresh, young voice to HUNTR/X.”
Neither Jimenez nor McMechan were K-pop fans at the time. As part of their research, they both started watching K-pop videos, but it was McMechan who got “sucked into the K-hole” first. Still, it didn’t take long until the video for BTS’ “Life Goes On” entranced Jimenez.
“K-pop is a river that you fall into, and it just takes you,” Jimenez says. BTS and Got7 are her favorite groups. For McMechan, the ensemble that captivates her most is Stray Kids.
In writing the trio of demon hunters, the co-writers modeled them after themselves. The characters’ propensity for ugly faces, silliness and a bit of grossness too, stems from the portrayals of girlhood and young womanhood that appeal to them. Jimenez, who says she was an angsty teen, most closely identifies with the rebellious Mira.
“I have a monotone vibe,” says Jimenez. “People always think that I’m a bitch just because I have a resting bitch face,” she says. “But as you can see in the movie, Mira cares so much about having everyone be really close. I feel like that’s how I’m with all my friends.”
Characters with strong personalities that are not simplistically likable feel the truest to Jimenez. In “Luna Likes,” the prickly protagonist is directly inspired by her experiences growing up, as well as the bond she shared with her dad over Bourdain’s “Parts Unknown” show.
“There’s a pressure to show that Mexicans are nice people and we’re hard workers. I was like, ‘Let’s make her kind of bitchy and very flawed,’” Jimenez says about Luna. “She’s a teenager in America and she should be given all the same opportunities — and also the forgiveness for being an ass— and [as] selfish at that age as anybody else.”
Hannah McMechan, left, and Danya Jimenez, co-writers of “KPop Demon Hunters,” met in college.
(Carlin Stiehl / For The Times)
Though their upbringings were markedly different, it was their shared comedic sensibilities that connected Jimenez and McMechan when they met in college. The two were close long before deciding to pen stories together. “Having a writing partner is the best. I feel bad for people who don’t have a writing partner, no offense to them,” says Jimenez.
McMechan explains that their writing partnership works because it’s grounded on true friendship. And she believes they would not have gotten this far without each other. While McMechan’s strong suit is looking at the bigger picture, Jimenez finds humor in the details.
“Danya is definitely funnier than me,” says McMechan. “It’s really hard to write comedy in dialogue versus comedy in a situation because if you’re putting the comedy in the dialogue, it can sound so forced and cringey. But she’s really good at making it sound natural but still really funny.”
Though she had been writing stories for herself as a teen, Jimenez didn’t consider it a career path until as a high schooler she watched the romantic comedy “No Strings Attached,” in which Ashton Kutcher plays a production assistant for a TV series.
“He is having a horrible time. But I was so obsessed with movies and TV, and I was like, ‘That looks incredible. I want to be doing what he’s doing,’” she recalls. “And my dad was like, ‘That’s a job.’”
Danya Jimenez grew up in Orange County.
(Carlin Stiehl / For The Times)
As an infant, Jimenez spent some time living in Tijuana, where her parents are from, until the family settled back in San Diego, where she was born. And when she was around 5 years old, Jimenez, an only child, and her parents relocated to Orange County. Until then, Jimenez mostly spoke Spanish, which made for a tricky transition when starting school.
“I knew English, but it just wasn’t a habit,” she recalls. “I would raise my hand and accidentally speak Spanish in class. My teachers would be like, ‘We’re worried about her vocabulary.’ That was always an issue, so it’s really funny that I turned out to be a writer.”
As she points out in her professional bio, it was movies and TV that helped with her English vocabulary, especially the Disney sitcom “Lizzie McGuire.”
Jimenez describes growing up in Orange County with few Latinos around outside of her family as an alienating experience. She admits to feeling great shame for some of her behaviors as a teenager afraid of being treated differently and desperate to fit in.
“I would speak Spanish to my mom like in a corner because I didn’t want everyone else to hear me speak Spanish,” Jimenez confesses. “If my mom pulled up to school to drop me off playing Spanish hits from the ‘80s or banda, I was like, ‘Can you turn it down please?’”
Like a lot of young Latinos, she’s now taking steps to connect with her heritage, and, in a way, atone for those moments where she let what others might think rob her of her pride.
“During the pandemic I cornered my grandma to make all of her recipes again so I could write them down,” she recalls. “Now I have them all written down on a website. Or if my mom corrects me for something that I’m saying in Spanish, I now listen.”
At the risk of angering her, Jimenez describes her mother as a “cool mom,” and compares her to Amy Poehler’s character in “Mean Girls.” Raised in a household without financial struggles, Jimenez doesn’t often relate to stories about Latinos in the U.S. that make it to film and TV. Her hope is to expand Latino storytelling beyond the tropes.
“That’s very important to me, to just tell Latino stories or Mexican stories in a way that’s just authentic to me and hopefully someone else is like, ‘Yes, that’s me,’” she says. “A lot of people have certain expectations for Latino stories that I’m not willing to compromise on.”
Though they still would like to make “Luna Likes” if given the chance, for now, Jimenez and McMechan will continue their rapid ascent.
They’re “goin’ up, up, up” because it is their “moment.” They recently wrapped the Apple TV show “Brothers” starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson that filmed in Texas. They are also writing the feature “Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman” for Tim Burton to direct, with Margot Robbie in talks to star.
“I feel like I’ve just been operating in a state of shock for the past, I don’t know how many months since June,” says Jimenez in her signature deadpan affect. “But if I think about it too much, I’d be a nervous wreck.”
