Extremist Arrests
Authorities in Catalonia said 17 people, including five alleged members of an extremist Islamist cell, were arrested yesterday as part of an ongoing anti-terror operation.
As well as having terror links, the suspects also allegedly participated in theft, drug trafficking and other crimes, according to the Mossos regional police.
More than 100 agents took part in the operation.
The spokeswoman said six venues had been searched in and near Barcelona.
The Investigating magistrate of the National Court ordered the arrests and will be interrogating those in custody later this week.
Also yesterday authorities in Malaga arrested a 27-year-old Moroccan national who police said they suspect could be linked to the Islamic State group. The man allegedly used several social network profiles to express violent views and allegiance to the extremist group.
Well Rescue
Rescuers are digging a horizontal tunnel in an attempt to reach the bottom of a deep and narrow borehole where they hope to find a 2-year-old toddler, two days after he disappeared.
The 100-meter deep shaft is too narrow for an adult to enter. It was drilled last month during water prospection works and was left unmarked.
Maria Gamez, Spain’s top official in the Malaga province, says the new tunnel will help rescuers who failed to extract soil from the well with heavy suctioning machinery during overnight works.
The boy disappeared on Sunday at a family gathering in a mountainous area northeast of the provincial capital.
Anti Far Right Demonstrations
HUNDREDS of feminist activists have gathered at the Andalucian parliament to protest against the far- right supported government being sworn in.
Juanma Moreno of the PP is set to be the first non-Socialist leader of the region for 36 years and has been bolstered by the far-right Vox party.
Yesterday he began giving his maiden speech, before a vote today which should see him be sworn into power on Friday.
Over 50 feminist groups are camped outside the Parliament under the slogan, ‘not a step back in equality and diversity, our rights are not negotiated.’
Their rallying cries are a response to the pro-life, anti-immigration rhetoric of Vox, who pushed to repeal laws protecting women from gender violence.
Anti Satan Protest
A planned sculpture of Satan in Segovia has been criticised for being too jolly.
The bronze statue was created as a tribute to a local legend, which says that the devil was tricked into building the city’s famous aqueduct.
But residents say that the devil – who is smiling and taking a selfie with a smartphone – looks too friendly.
A judge has now ordered the artwork to be put on hold while he looks into whether it is offensive to Christians.
Almost 5 and a half thousand people – have signed a petition calling for the sculpture to be cancelled.
The petition says that because the devil is shown in a “jovial” way, with a phone in his hand, it “exalts evil” and is therefore “offensive”.