News
More migrants
The number of migrants arriving in Spain rose sharply in July according to the EU border agency Frontex . It reported last month that 2,300 migrants made it onto Spanish soil in July , more than four times as many as a year earlier . Arrivals in Spain in the first seven months of 2017 were “ around 11,000 , already exceeding the total for all of 2016 ,” it added .
Sex network
Police have arrested 14 people linked to a network which lured transsexuals from Venezuela to work as prostitutes in Spain . A statement last month said that 24 victims , “ kept in inhumane conditions ,” had been freed in Barcelona and Palma . It said they were forced to work 24 hours a day and sell drugs to clients to pay off a “ debt ” of € 15,000 to the gang .
Nepal floods
Over 80 Spanish tourists are believed to have been trapped by freak floods in Nepal . They are all reported to have been able to reach Kathmandu safely . They were amongst around 600 tourists who were at the Chitwan nature reserve when the monsoon struck , and at least 70 people have been reported dead or missing in landslides .
Drugs offender
A driver involved in a minor traffic accident in Málaga was found to have no driving licence and false matriculation papers . Local police say they also found seven grams of cocaine in the vehicle , while further quantities of drugs were later found at his home During questioning after the incident in the city last month , officers described the 44- year-old has having a “ fugitive ” attitude .
Fishing attack
Three men fishing at La Caleta beach in Maro last month claim to have been assaulted by 40 or 50 people living in illegal settlements nearby . They say after they were told to leave , the incident became physical . The group reported to police that a fishing rod had been broken while one was bitten on the leg by a dog belonging to the attackers .
Crossing deaths
Two men died last month when their van was hit by a train at an ungated level crossing in Ciudad Real . The train , carrying a load of gasoil , struck the vehicle shortly before 8.00am outside Almargo station . The victims were identified as a 45-year-old local farmer and his 34-year-old employee .
Barcelona closes illegal tourist apartments
The city of Barcelona has ordered more than 2,000 illegal tourist apartments to close . The town council began its drive to maintain sustainable tourism in July last year and last month published the balance of its actions over the first 12 months .
Enquiries opened into 6,197 apartment owners who were suspected of not having a municipal licence authorising their use as rental properties for tourists . Of these , 3,473 were sanctioned and 2,333 properties were ordered to close , 744 of which complied . However , 145 had to be sealed by the local authorities .
Compared with the 30 months before the drive began a year ago , disciplinary proceedings and orders to cease trading have tripled . The maximum fine has also doubled from € 30,000 to € 60,000 , while the number of
A journalist wanted in Turkey in connection with a murder committed in 1989 was arrested in a Granada hotel last month . Dogan Akhanli was detained by National Police under an warrant issued by Interpol on behalf of the national police in Turkey .
Germany , where he was granted citizenship in 2001 , has requested that he should not be extradited and Angela Merkel has warned Turkey against misusing Interpol to attack its critics . When Akhanlu appeared in a Madrid court , he was granted release on condition that he stays in the city .
A police statement said Akhanli was taken from the Granada hotel where he was on holiday but his lawyer described his detention as “ political .” Ilias Uyar claims that the way Turkey has proceeded in the matter is a “ clear abuse of law ,” adding that the government in Ankara uses international police and legal inspectors continues to increase . However , deputy mayor Janet Sanz says there are up to 6,000 more illegal tourist apartments in Barcelona and that the town hall strategy of bringing them in line is “ absolutely necessary .” Sanz , whose portfolio includes ecology , mobility and town planning , confirmed that Airbnb has withdrawn over 1,000 properties in Barcelona from its website because they were not licenced . She added that Airbnb and similar operators are considering amending their websites so that a Barcelona property cannot be advertised unless its registration number from the town hall is entered .
Holiday makers planning to rent an apartment in Barcelona can check on line whether their choice of property is registered by entering the address ( meet . barcelona . cat / habitatgesturistics /) or by calling 900 266 266 .
Turkish dissident writer detained in Granada
standards to silence the opposition and critics of the regime .
Dogan Akhanli is a German national of Turkish origin and since 1992 has lived in Cologne . His has written extensively on human rights issues in Turkey and last year persuaded the German government to agree that the massacre of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire over a century ago was an act of genocide .
He has already been held in detention in connection with the 1989 murder but was freed when it was showed that he was not in the country at the time . However , the decision was overturned in 2013 , making him a wanted man once again .
Since Turkey declared an emergency and suspended the European Convention of Human Rights a year ago , 170 media sources have been closed and over 160 journalists arrested .
1 4