News
Bizarre makeover
The Virgin Mary , wearing black eyeliner and cerise-pink lipstick , sports a hot pink robe over her bright blue and white dress , while baby Jesus is clothed in fluorescent lime green and Saint Peter wears wine-red with a turquoise hood and cape . This is the Nativity Scene produced by a parishioner in the Asturias village of Rañadoiro after the priest gave her permission to paint plain wooden statues in the local church . Asturias ’ heritage minister Genaro Alonso said the “ restoration ” looks more like “ a revenge attack .”
Restored portico
The newly-restored La Gloria portico at Santiago de Compostela cathedral opened to the public last month and will be free to visit until the end of October , with group sizes limited to 25 . From November , an entrance fee will be charged . Work began in 2009 on the 12th century archway which had suffered from years of damp and neglect , in a project which has cost € 6.2 million to complete .
Pig problem
The population of pigs in Spain may soon outnumber people . New data from the Environment Ministry says that 50 million of the animals were slaughtered last year , 7 % more than Spain ’ s official human population . Spain has met a growing international demand for pork over the last five years , but each pig needs 15 litres of water a day and the creatures account for 10 % of all greenhouse gas emissions , leading to environmental concerns .
Toddler hero
A four-year old boy in Castilla y León is being lauded as a hero after he called the emergency services when his mother collapsed . Staff who took the call said he was calm and gave them a very accurate address to the family home , as well as caring for his four-week-old baby sister when she started crying . An ambulance took his mother , described as confused and delirious , to hospital but she was allowed home later .
Two Brits savagely attacked on the coast
There were two savage attacks on British citizens in resorts west of Málaga during September . National Police believe both incidents were related to the settling of accounts by rival British and Spanish gangs in the so-called Fuengirola-Marbella- Estepona “ triangle .”
The first victim was named as Craig Moran , a Scotsman who was jailed for 13 years in 2005 following an armed raid on a Nottingham jeweller ’ s in which the shop owner died . Moran arrived in Málaga by train on September 8 and took a taxi to Marbella .
He is reported to have had an appointment in the town but within an hour of arriving in the province had been attacked under a bridge carrying the A-7 autovía . Moran is reported to have suffered gruesome injuries
Football coach denies sex assaults on minors
A football coach accused of abusing 25 minors in Málaga has denied all the charges against him . The 45-year-old has been in prison in Córdoba since December 2016 when the accusations first came to light .
The suspect had 20 years of coaching soccer at various levels in the province of Málaga before he was detained but is now accused by the prosecutor of offences including sexual abuse , exhibitionism , sexual provocation , corruption of minors and harassment of minors aged between 11 and 17 years . He is alleged to have held conversations of a sexual nature with the players on social networks and to have asked some to send him pictures of their genitals .
His victims , the prosecutor continues , were “ uncomfortable ” but “ kept the conversations going to avoid provoking his anger .” In return , he is alleged to have offered them alcohol , cash and even a visit to a brothel , as well as promising them promotion within their soccer squad . However , he allegedly threatened to have them inflicted by knife and firearm , and was taken to Costa del Sol Hospital after being left for dead in a ditch .
In the second incident 11 days later , a 24-year-old British man was attacked with a knife as he left a hairdresser in Puerto Banús . Police say a man stepped out of a car and , without a word , stabbed him twice in the legs before fleeing in the vehicle . He was taken to the same hospital for treatment to his injuries .
There have been a number of other violent incidents in the same area of the western Costa del Sol this summer which police attribute to a struggle for power between international drugs gangs . Tensions began to rise in May after a suspected dealer , known as “ El Maradona ” was shot dead outside a church in San Pedro de Alcantara .
dropped from their teams if they refused to meet his demands .
The prosecutor believes he “ took advantage ” of his position and has called for a prison sentence of more than 100 years . However , the coach ’ s defence say they are dissatisfied with the offences as alleged by both his accusers and the prosecutor , and maintain their client is , “ not the author of illicit actions ,” which they say will be made clear in court . A pretrial hearing was expected before the end of September , with the full trial scheduled for January .
More passengers
The number of passengers using the high speed rail link between Málaga and Madrid increased by 2.7 % this summer , compared with last year . Renfe says that from June 15 to September 15 , 689,000 people were transported on the AVE trains between the two cities . The rail operator said that although the service stops at five stations along the route , 79 % of passengers travelled its entire length .
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