Author: Bob James

Floods
PARTS of Malaga including Estepona are expected to be declared a disaster area after devastating floods which left one man dead.
The floods claimed the life of a 47-year-old fireman who died when the engine he was driving overturned and ended up in a swollen river.
Some areas received more than half the rain they normally get in a year in just a few hours, with local reports describing the deluge as “historic”.
Alfonso Rodriguez, the Spanish government spokesman for the Andalucia region, said work was now underway to evaluate the damage so parts of Malaga could be declared a disaster zone.… Read all the news

Migration
Authorities say one migrant has died and 200 others entered Spain when a large group of migrants attacked a fence separating the enclave of Melilla from Morocco.
A representative of Spain’s government in Melilla says the migrant appears to have died from a heart attack. Officials are waiting for an autopsy to confirm the cause of death.
The representative says at least three other migrants were injured when some 300 sub-Saharan Africans tried to climb the high border fence yesterday.… Read all the news

Weather
Spain has been hit by another bout of extreme weather, with the east coast and the Balearic Islands battered by torrential rain and flooding. The conditions are the result of the gota fría – or “cold drop,” a term used to describe a sudden drop in temperatures along the east coast caused by the arrival of cold polar air.
The weather event hit yesterday and will continue to escalate today in Aragón, the north of Catalonia and the south of Valencia.… Read all the news

Weather
National Weather agency AEMET counted over 4 thousand lightning bolts on the Costa Del Sol yesterday as weather alerts were raised from yellow to Amber with many towns across the Med coast implementing emergency flood protection plans.
The local emergency control centres recieved many calls for assistance as heavy rain fell asross the region .. there’s more heavy rain forcast this weekend .. especially Saturday.
Missing Mum.
A SPANISH judge who shelved the case against prime suspect Simon Corner in the Lisa Brown murder investigations in April has reopened the case.… Read all the news

Weather
More extreme weather has been forecast just days after tropical storm Leslie swept across the country and flash flooding in the Balearic Islands left 13 people dead in Mallorca.
The national weather service AEMET has issued a special warning for “rain and intense, generalized and persistent storms” for the eastern side of the peninsula and the Balearic Islands. The extreme weather is expected to last until Sunday.
While the gota fría – or “cold drop,” a term used to describe a sudden fall in temperatures along the east coast caused by the arrival of cold polar air – is “typical” of this time of year an AEMET spokesperson said a drop of this intensity has not occurred since October 2008.… Read all the news

Body Found
A MASSIVE search operation has come to an end in Mallorca after the authorities confirmed that they had found a body ‘that could correspond with that of the child’ who disappeared in the flash floods that swept the island last week.
The five-year-old, Arthur Robinson, disappeared after being swept away by the severe floods on the island on October 9.
Last Night a memorial service was be held by the Bishop of Mallorca to pay tribute to those who lost their lives on the island after last week’s severe flooding.… Read all the news

Brexit
The special chapter on Gibraltar to be included in the Brexit deal is nearly ready, but there are still problems with some of the details.
Madrid and London are racing to reach consensus over a series of issues in order to create a more balanced relationship for the transitional period when the UK and its overseas territory withdraw from the EU. And the price of tobacco products has become one of the last stumbling blocks in these talks.
On Sunday, the government of Gibraltar said there will be “a set of practical measures spelled out in separate arrangements with Spain covering tax cooperation, police and customs cooperation, the environment, citizens’ rights and tobacco.”… Read all the news

Catalonia
The Spanish government is facing calls from Catalan politicians and human rights groups to release jailed separatists, including two prominent pro-independence activists placed in pre-trial detention a year ago.
Amnesty International has called for the “immediate release” of Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart, the leaders of two civil society groups who were jailed last October just over two weeks after an illegal independence referendum was held in Catalonia.
The rights group says their jailing is “excessive and disproportionate,” adding that the rebellion charges they face are “unjustified and, therefore, should be dropped.”… Read all the news

Euthanasia
The PP has decided to unblock a bill to regulate euthanasia that was introduced in Congress by the Socialist PSOE earlier this year.
But the move does not mean the conservatives agree to help patients end their lives. On the contrary, the PP’s new president, Pablo Casado, wishes to showcase his complete opposition to the Socialist bill with a congressional debate and an alternative proposal.
There is a majority of lawmakers in favor of regulating euthanasia
The deadline for amendments ends today, and the PP is planning to propose a substitute text to wholly replace the PSOE’s bill, which views euthanasia as an individual right.… Read all the news

England Fans
England fans face riot shields and police dogs wherever they travel abroad because of the mindless minority who have run amok in Seville, British police said yesterday.
Riot police in the city – who are known across Europe for their zero tolerance of poor fan behavior – fired warning shots, prompting a mini stampede, after fans misbehaved on Sunday night, kicking wing mirrors off vehicles and circling motorists.
As the Football Association condemned the behavior as ‘unacceptable’, Britain’s top football police officer described Sunday night’s scenes as ‘incredibly disheartening’ after traveling fans had enhanced the nation’s reputation at this summer’s World Cup
The FA said in a statement: ‘We condemn the unacceptable behavior witnessed in Seville.… Read all the news