WEEKLY DIGEST – 28 JULY 2014

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SPECIAL PROTECTION

The Spanish government has increased its Marine Protected Areas 20-fold with the establishment of 39 new marine protected areas. The new sites are classed as ‘Special Protection Areas for Birds’ (SPAs) under the European Birds Directive.

MONKEY BUSINESS

Benidorm´s Terra Natura animal park has welcomed a new attraction. Having spent the last couple of weeks settling in after their arrival from Zurich Zoo, the two male specimens of loris pygmy sloths (Nycticebus pygmaeus), a native species of Southeast Asia, are now a firm fixture in the facility.

DUCK GROWTH

The Jar White shelduck (Tadorna Tadorna) population of La Mata, a bird afforded “special protection” status, has tripled in numbers during this year´s breeding season, according to the latest census by the environment department. Some 400 birds have been responsible for 137 eggs, 39 more than last year. The duck and goose like cross is heavily dependent on irrigation ponds and the food they produce, feeding on small crabs and shrimps, insects such as mosquitoes, tiny fish and other invertebrates.

HOT BOX

A horsebox belonging to the Spanish national police caught fire in Seville this week, although there were no injuries as a result. Critics have persistently complained about the age and maintenance conditions for these vehicles, although the cause of the fire is under investigation.

POPPY BOX STOLEN

Last Saturday two women of gypsy appearance, one heavily pregnant and the other wearing loose clothes, both with lank, greasy hair, stole the poppy appeal charity box from Britmart Convenience store in Cabo Roig. Information to the Leader Newspaper please.

THE SELFIE QUEEN

Still maintaining their “break from tradition” attitude, the King and Queen of Spain visited the cinema last weekend, blending into the background like any normal couple. However, one rather excited cinema goer took the opportunity to ask Queen Letizia for a photo, with her majesty agreeing to pose for the “selfie” with her fans, commenting later about the importance of trying to fit in with the people of Spain.

MISSING ART

According to Spain’s Audit Commision the Prado Museum, one of the world’s biggest art galleries, cannot find 885 of its works. The number used to be even higher, but between 2008 and December 2012 the museum located 41 of them. They claim that many of the works were destroyed long ago.

FACING UP

The Reus city council, in Northern Spain has approved new bylaws that will ban people from wearing a burqa, niqab or any other kind of full face veil in public places. The measure is the first to go so far in Spain, with other such local legislation only banning such clothing on municipal-owned premises.

OIL SPILL

A marine wildlife reserve in Gran Canaria, near to the beach of El Cabrón, has suffered an oil spill along a kilometer of its coastline. Although the origin of the slick is still unclear, authorities think that it probably came from a ship that cleaned out its bilge while passing through the area. This is an area known for its diverse marine wildlife and is popular with divers.

EATING OUT

Although hotel occupancy across the Costa Blanca is once again looking favourable, with many hotels reporting that they are filled to capacity, one anomaly that the hoteliers didn´t anticipate is the fact that more of their guests are choosing to eat out. In fact, spending on dining in hotels is down by 33% compared to last year, despite the increase in patrons.

TAKE AWAY

Two people have been arrested with a further three facing charges in Leon and Cantabria, accused of the illegal theft and slaughter of at least 2,000 horses which were then sold as meat to the overseas market.

CHILD CARE RULES

The Spanish government approved new rules on how to deal with unaccompanied immigrant children arriving in the country, establishing a basis to deal with the near 3,000 who have already arrived, mainly from Morocco, Algeria and Romania, as well as those in the future. They will now only be repatriated if it is clear there is somebody in their home country to care for them, and in the event of risk of sexual exploitation, they will be dealt with through the social welfare network via the police.

NO EMERGENCIES PLEASE

Residents of the city of Elche are once again concerned about the availability of emergency ambulances, after medical staff denounced the fact that one of their paramedic SAMU units has been transferred to the coast for the summer season. The move means that there is only one functioning paramedic ambulance to cover the 300,000 residents of Elche.

MORE CRASH INJURIES

Four people, including a child and a pregnant woman, were injured in an accident on the N-332 near Santa Pola on Monday evening. Firefighters, who had to come from Elche, had to rescue the child, who was trapped in the vehicle. The car had rolled over and was embedded into a wall opposite the hotel Rocas Blancas. The injured were rushed to the General Hospital of Elche.

DATE IN SAN ANTON

Residents of San Anton have denounced the Orihuela council for negligence in their failure to prune the area’s palm trees. They say that residents are continually being hit by clumps dates that are falling from the palms that in some cases are bearing up to 250 kg of the fruit.

NEW INSPECTORS

Four new Local Police Inspectors were appointed by the Mayor, Eduardo Dolon, in Torrevieja last week. On welcoming them into office Dolon said the new appointments would allow the force to better divide and supervise its resources in the city. He urged the new inspectors to work with greater dedication so that they could improve the image of the local police in Torrevieja.

WAITING ON

The Regional Secretary of Tourism and Commerce, Daniel Marco, visited Torrevieja last Tuesday when he met with the mayor, Eduardo Dolon. He was in the city to present diplomas to 97 students who have completed the training courses at CDT Torrevieja in restaurant management, catering and other service sector work.

ALL TALK

The Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, met with the President of Murcia, Alberto Garre at the Moncloa Palace on Tuesday. The pair discussed issues related to the Region of Murcia and especially the effects of the drought on agriculture in the region. This was the first visit by Garre to Moncloa Palace since he replaced Ramón Luis Valcárcel in April, who stood down in order to join the European Parliament.

MRS ROBINSON

Spain has sent a message of congratulates to Irish politician Mary Robinson on her appointment to the post of United Nations Special Envoy for Climate Change, while also thanking her for her excellent work as Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa.

EXPORT OUTLOOK

The Synthetic Index of Export Activity [ISAE] stands at +23.1 points for the second quarter of the year, the second highest value since 2007, surpassed only by the figure posted in the previous quarter, which was 1.6 points higher (+24.7 points).

DRUG BOOTY ARREST

Officers from the Guardia Civil have arrested a 46 year old British man who was stopped at a roadblock in the Granada town of Baza. The vehicle was travelling in the Murcia direction when the officers stopped the hire car at a routine patrol. Noticing the driver becoming agitated, they asked him to open the boot and found 257 transparent bags containing 64 kilos of marijuana, along with 3 mobile phones and cash.

MORE PP PRISONERS

The former President of Castellón, Carlos Fabra, as well as the former President of the Balearics, Jaume Matas, have both had their clemency appeals rejected and must both now commence their prison sentences. Fabra will serve 4 years in prison, whereas Matas was sentenced to 9 months. Both are members of the Partido Popular political group.

TOP COP ARRESTED

The Asociación Unificada de Guardias Civiles has reported that a senior officer from the Judicial Police of Torrevieja was arrested last Sunday, for the second time, for alleged domestic violence against his ex-partner, also an officer of the force. The organization said that the victim had called for assistance previously, later to withdraw her complaint as the case approached trial due to “fear”. The officer was stripped of his weapons and issued with an injunction prohibiting communication.

AN APOLOGY

As the first anniversary of the Santiago de Compostela train crash, which resulted in the death of 79 people, the driver has apologised and asked for forgiveness in an open letter to the victims sent to a newspaper. “I feel a great deal of pain and sorrow”, said Francisco Jose Garzon Amo, provisionally charged over the accident, “It distresses me to think of what words I can say to you, if they will be adequate, if what I say could bother you. All I can do is ask for forgiveness”.

ACCESS ACTION DEMANDS

The mayor of Santa Pola, Miguel Zaragoza of the Partido Popular, has called for urgent action by the ministry of development to improve access and egress to the N-332 coastal road, after a spate of serious accidents over the last few weeks. The town hall has submitted a number of plans that they believe will ease the problem, including at Gran Alacant, and are advising drivers to try to avoid the most dangerous junctions, seeking alternative routes.

Filed under: http://www.theleader.info/article/44434/

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