News
Nerja fire station
Nerja ’ s new fire station on the link road to the autovía and Frigiliana officially opened last month . A series of disputes between the town hall and the provincial government , which jointly funded the € 1.2 million project , has delayed its completion by around two years . The facility will serve Torrox , Cómpeta and Frigiliana , as well as Nerja and Maro .
Doctor attacked
National Police in Valencia have arrested an 85-year-old man who threw acid in the face of a retired doctor . Last month ’ s incident at a hospital in the region followed the suspect ’ s claims that the doctor was responsible for his son ’ s death during surgery five years ago . The doctor , aged 75 , was left with a redness to his face and a ruined € 500 jacket .
Soccer summit
FIFA and Spain ’ s sports minister agreed last month the “ need to clarify as quickly as possible ” the situation regarding the country ’ s football federation to avoid a World Cup ban . Their meeting follows FIFA ’ s warning to Spain in December that it could be suspended because of government interference . However Federation president Juan Luis Larrea says there is “ no danger ” of Spain ’ s exclusion .
Legal threat
The Spanish Union of Airline Pilots says it is considering legal action against Ryanair . A meeting on changes to working conditions ended in deadlock last month with the union alleging 60 % of the airline ’ s workforce are working “ in an abnormal situation ” which is illegal in Spain . Ryanair , which described the meeting as “ very productive ” officially recognised the British Airline Pilots Association in December .
Nerja raided in drugs gang busts
A criminal gang which imported large quantities of drugs into Europe has been broken up in a police operation in Málaga and Granada . Five distribution points in Nerja have been raided and 16 suspects detained .
The Guardia Civil investigation began 14 months ago when officers became suspicious that activity in the Axarquía could be bringing in significant amounts of hashish from Morocco along the coast . It is believed the drugs were then concealed in cars for onward distribution to countries including the UK and Switzerland .
In one operation off Benajarafe , when three members of the gang were surprised and dumped bales of the drug into the seas , a further seven bales were found on board their abandoned boat . In another , a car with Swiss plates was stopped when leaving a property in Almuñécar and a search found drugs
Docking the tail of a dog , cutting its ears or vocal chords , and a wide range of other practices related to animals became illegal across Spain last month . The move came over a decade after the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals was adopted in Strasburg in November 1987 .
Ratification in Spain was first requested in 2007 by the then Environment Minister Cristina Narbona but it took until last year to complete the debate , with the Partido Popular insisting on an exception for tail-docking in dogs which are bred for hunting . The country ’ s regional governments and individual town halls now have to ensure that Spain ’ s diverse local bylaws on animal care accord with the new national parameters .
From now on , any surgical interventions have to be authorised by a vet for medical reasons or to prevent reproduction , while modifying the appearance of an animal for noncurative purposes is illegal . The new stashed in hidden compartments in vehicles ; two Swiss nationals were detained and 20 kilos of hashish found in the space designed to store the passenger ’ s airbag .
In the raids on five properties in Nerja , 558 kilograms of hashish , two kilos of marijuana and 150 grams of cocaine were seized , along with cash totalling € 358,645 , £ 1,000 and 2,000 Dirham , plus a weapon , GPS trackers and IT equipment .
Police say that by February 6 , the gang had been completely rounded up with the arrests of eight more people , including a British national in his 60s who managed their logistics at an international level . A total of 16 suspects now face charges including membership of a criminal organisation , money laundering , false documentation , vehicle theft , illegal connection to the electricity supply and prostitution .
Animal protection convention adopted
rules also cover ending the lives of suffering animals and require training to be carried out by those with appropriate knowledge .
Giving a pet animal as a prize is totally outlawed , while children under 16 years can only be given a pet with the express permission of their parents . Regulations covering breeding for profit , collecting abandoned animals and general maintenance conditions are also included .
The government says it was necessary to establish uniform animal protection at the state level , although the National Animal Defence Association has described the legislation as “ minimum uniform criteria .”
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