Migrant Boat
Eleven migrants who were stranded on a Spanish fishing boat for more than a week after being rescued off Libya were brought to Malta yesterday ending an international stand-off, but Valletta said they would later be taken to Spain.
The vessel was initially refused entry by Italy, Malta and Spain.
The fishing boat, Santa Madre de Loreto, rescued 12 migrants in international waters off the coast of Libya 10 days ago. Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms, which has been assisting the boat and migrants aboard, said it would not have been safe if they were returned to Libya.
A young man among the group was flown to Malta by helicopter on Friday after he fell unconscious due to exhaustion.
Madrid Rally
Thousands of people waving Spanish flags rallied in Madrid on Saturday in support of national unity and against Catalonia´s ongoing campaign to secede from Spain.
The Catalan Independence crisis and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez´s decision to take a more conciliatory tone with pro-independence parties, whose votes are crucial to his minority government, has angered many conservatives in Spain.
Protesters carried signs reading “Stop Sanchez. Elections now!”.
Hunger Strike
Two jailed Catalan separatist leaders awaiting trial for their role in the region’s failed bid to secede from Spain began a hunger strike on Saturday to protest over their treatment by the courts.
A lawyer for two — Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Turull — said the pair had started refusing food to protest at the failure of Spanish courts to process numerous appeals in relation to their cases.
Gang Bust
A HIT man group linked to a spate of murders and fires this summer has been busted in Malaga.
Seven men and two women have been arrested on suspicion of murder, drug trafficking and falsification of documents.
It comes after a 4X4 was stolen from a Marbella gym on March 25 – a car owned by a known drug trafficker in the area.
Later that day, investigators revealed that the same thieves were the arsonists who tried to burn down an Estepona beach bar.
Almost two months later a man was shot several times by a hit man on a motorbike, at the gates of a San Pedro church, before another man was shot in front of his home in Estepona on August 20.
Investigators have now linked the crimes to an organisation headed up by two pairs of brothers.
The joint Spanish and Swedish police operation, saw nine properties raided in Malaga and four in Sweden.
Officers found a bulletproof vest, more than €4,000 in cash, a pistol, 11 mobile phones, luxury watches and diamonds valued at almost a quarter of a million euros.
Demolition
TWO iconic apartment towers located in the area of Punta Llisera, in Benidorm are set to be demolished.
The skyscrapers each have 22 floors and contain 168 apartments.
The Supreme Court overturned an appeal and ruled the towers were constructed on unauthorised ground which did not comply to Costal laws.
The 2012 ruling rendered the towers illegal and forced all inhabitants to vacate the premises.
Ximo Puig, President of Valencia, announced the notice of demolition in the Valencian Parliament.
The Valencian Government will now be forced to compensate the owners of towers, a figure which will likely exceed 100 million euros.