Author: Bob James

Football
Rowdy England fans had to be dispersed by riot police after vandalising cars during a drink-fuelled night of anti-social behavior on the eve of today’s Nations League match with Spain.
Video footage shows noisy supporters kicking wing mirrors off parked vehicles, aggressively circling motorists and one man throwing a glass at a passing car in central Seville.
Their behavior follows pleas by British police to traveling fans to avoid a repeat of the scenes that followed the England football team’s last away game in Spain three years ago.… Read all the news

National Day
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was booed on Friday during his first October 12 military parade since he took office in June. When the convoy of official cars made its way down the Castellana boulevard in central Madrid, thousands of people began to jeer and whistle at him.
The crowds also chanted “Out, out!” and “Elections, elections!” at the Socialist Party prime minister, who came to power after successfully filing a no-confidence motion against Mariano Rajoy of the Popular Party.… Read all the news

Majorca Floods
The search continues for missing people following flash flooding in parts of Spain, Italy and France.
Twelve died when torrential rain lashed eastern Majorca .. An eight-year-old local boy is still missing .. but a backpack beloning to the boy has been found.
Police in Sant Llorenç say they are dealing with many incidents of looting and have increased patrols.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said it will take months to return the disaster-hit towns to normality.
More than 100 rescue workers searched through the night for the missing boy.… Read all the news

Floods
Rescue workers found the bodies of a German couple who went missing after flash flooding on Mallorca, bringing the confirmed death toll to 12. A young child is still missing.
The Germans’ last communication was a call to a friend on Tuesday evening saying they were caught in a vehicle.
Yesterday around 800 people taking part in Clean Up Operations were still looking for the boy.
The Spanish government has taken the first steps to declaring the area a “zone of catastrophe,” which will unlock funds for recovery, reconstruction and compensation of victims.… Read all the news

Floods
Two elderly Britons killed when their taxi was swallowed by a raging flash flood on Majorca have been named locally as Anthony and Delia Green.
The couple, who were in their 70s, are said to have died along with their cab driver when the car was swept away by a torrent of water.
Rescue teams continue their search today for a five-year-old boy and two German nationals who went missing after torrential rain sparked flooding in the east of the island.… Read all the news

Majorca Flooding
At least 10 people, including two Britons, have died and a child is missing after flash flooding on Majorca.
A huge wave of muddy water engulfed the town of Sant Llorenç in the east of the island, after a river burst its banks following heavy rain.
A woman who had been in her car with her two young children also died. As the waters rose, she managed to get her eight-year-old daughter to safety, but she was unable to save her son aged five.… Read all the news

Flooding
Parts of the Spanish Mediterranean coast have suffered torrential rain in the last 24 Hours
At least five people have died and several are missing in flash flooding on Majorca. The Army have sent more than a hundred emergency workers with sniffer dogs. Among the fatalities are a British couple who were swept away while travelling in a taxi. The driver remains missing.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will visit the areas affected by flooding later today.
The Costa del Sol was battered through the night and early this morning by torrential rain that left streets awash and homes and garages flooded
There are also reports of flooding in Barcelona.… Read all the news

Catalunia
The two main Catalan secessionist parties yesterday voted against each other in the regional parliament for the first time in three years, a sign that tensions over which strategy to adopt towards Spain’s central government are becoming more serious.
Quim Torra, the Catalan regional head of the Junts per Catalunya party last week threatened to withdraw parliamentary support for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in the national parliament, but coalition ally the ERC did not back the move.
ERC leader Oriol Junqueras, who is currently in jail said establishing a good relationship with the Spanish state and finding “dialogue and agreements” was the best way to resolve the secession crisis.… Read all the news

Migration
Spain is putting pressure on Brussels to give more financial aid to Morocco to stem the flow of migrants to Europe.
The majority of north Africans who arrive in Spain are taken across the Med by trafficking gangs based in Morocco. Last month the European Union granted Morocco $275 million in aid to slow the exit of illegal migrants.
In recent weeks Morocco has repeatedly asked the EU for help, saying it had stopped 65,000 migrants from entering Europe last year.… Read all the news

Stolen Babies
A Madrid court has let off a former doctor over stealing newborn babies from their mothers and supplying them to infertile couples.
The court found gynecologist Eduardo Vela, 85, had committed the crimes but could not legally be convicted because too much time had elapsed.
He was the first person to go on trial for illegal adoptions that took place during and after the dictatorship of General Franco.
Thousands more cases are suspected.
Inés Madrigal was abducted and illegally adopted as a baby in 1969.… Read all the news