Andalusia's Easter processions, Spain's Semana Santa traditions come alive

As incense and candles burn, trumpets blare and drums beat, penitents covered in colorful tunics and conical hoods march slowly through the night toward the cathedral. Life-size statues of Jesus and Mary are carried by porters hidden beneath floats, making the several-ton structures appear to hover through the air.The ritual plays out every year during Holy Week, or Semana Santa, part of an Easter tradition celebrated throughout Spain....

Comedian Johnny Vegas has reportedly married his girlfriend of two years, Maia Dunphy, in a small ceremony in Spain.

Comedian Johnny Vegas has reportedly married his girlfriend of two years, Maia Dunphy, in a small ceremony in Spain.The 39-year-old - who starred in ITV1's hit sitcom Benidorm - is said to have tied the knot with 34-year-old Maia, a PR consultant, in front of 120 guests at a country estate outside Seville.And according to the Mirror, Maia invited her own priest from her native Dublin to preside over the ceremo...

value of pensions has plummeted against the euro, charities like Age Concern and the Royal British Legion - who both operate across Spain - are providing a lifeline for an increasing number of elderly British citizens who have seen their retirement dreams go sour.

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall have met several hundred British volunteer charity workers in Spain on their first official trip to the country as a couple.The meeting has highlighted the difficulties many expatriates now face and the rise in numbers of them being forced to pack up their homes in the sun and return home.It is estimated that a million British passport holders spend all or part of the year in Spain, the vast majority...

POLICE are investigating if the culprits who broke into the Marbella courthouse were common criminals looking for easy money or if a more sinister motive exists.

POLICE are investigating if the culprits who broke into the Marbella courthouse were common criminals looking for easy money or if a more sinister motive exists. Just days before an inventory was due to take place at the courthouse, thieves struck twice in a period of 24 hours.The first occurred in the early hours of Saturday when thieves gained access to the building after breaking a window to the Public Prosecutor’s office, located...

collapsed merger of four savings banks could be a setback for the Spanish government’s efforts to convince the rest of the world that its financial house is in order.

Late Wednesday, the merger of four savings banks, to be called Banco Base, collapsed after Cajastur, Caja Cantabria and Caja Extremadura all backed out.That came after key partner Caja Mediterraneo (CAM), which has heavy exposure to the Spanish property collapse, applied for a cash injection of state funds on Tuesday which was twice what the Bank of Spain had estimated it needed.Those four savings banks will now have to present new plans...

Spain's Crown Prince Felipe told Britain's Prince Charles that their two countries need to solve their "bilateral dispute" over Gibraltar

Spain's Crown Prince Felipe told Britain's Prince Charles that their two countries need to solve their "bilateral dispute" over Gibraltar, during an official dinner in Madrid."Royal Highnesses, your presence in Spain encourages us to deepen our common will to help the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Spain ... expand day by day their understanding and cooperation," Felipe said in a toast at the gala dinner for Charles and his wife Camilla...

half of all British pensioners currently living abroad. The financial implications are huge – a pensioner retiring to a frozen country today stands to lose more than half of their rightful pension over 20 years, leaving some virtually destitute in the long term.

Politicians and the media alike are currently fixated on Britain’s ageing population. According to the Government, the UK will have 626,900 people aged 100 or more by 2080, 53 times the current number of centenarians.This type of shock statistic was released with a very concrete objective – to sweeten the pill of controversial public sector pension reforms. But...

Several protesters were arrested in Saudi Arabia on Sunday at a demonstration demanding the release of thousands of prisoners, held captive for years without trial.

Several protesters were arrested in Saudi Arabia on Sunday at a demonstration demanding the release of thousands of prisoners, held captive for years without trial. They were among dozens of men and women who tried to push their way into Riyadh's interior ministry building, which was fortified with up to 2,000 special forces and 200 police vehicles, according...

Court orders demolition of illegal property in Cártama

Court orders demolition of illegal property in CártamaPenal Court Six in Málaga has demanded the local Town Hall carry out the demolitionA property being bulldozed in Córdoba - Archive Photo EFE Penal Court Six in Málaga has complicated life for Cártama Town Hall by demanding that the Socialist Mayor of the town, José Garrido, demolish a property, which has been built on a protected flood plain at the mouth of the Fahala stream on the edge...

local policeman in the Valencia town of Bétara has shot dead a colleague and then shot himself in the head.

local policeman in the Valencia town of Bétara has shot dead a colleague and then shot himself in the head.The colleague died from his wounds, but the shooter has survived and is now in a ‘very serious’ condition in the La Fe Hospital in Valencia.It happened at the end of the night shift at 6am on Saturday in the police station changing rooms, and a statement from the Government Delegation Office indicated that the motive for the attack...

32 year old doorman of a pub, named with the initials A.C., has been seriously injured

32 year old doorman of a pub, named with the initials A.C., has been seriously injured in Motril after he was stabbed several times. One of the wounds was at the level of the victim’s heart.Reports say a young man approached the doorman as he was working at about 3am on Saturday morning on the Paseo de las Explanadas in Motril, and, without saying a word, stabbed him several times in the chest before running off.Local and National Police...

Who stole plastic bags containing hundreds of thousands of euros that Spanish nuns had hidden in a wardrobe of their convent?

Who stole plastic bags containing hundreds of thousands of euros that Spanish nuns had hidden in a wardrobe of their convent?It sounds like the subject of a detective novel, but the mystery gripping Spain is from real life.The story began unfolding on February 28, when the Cistercian convent of Santa Lucia reported to police the theft of 1.5 million euros (2 million dollars) from its premises in the northern city of Zaragoza.The next day,...

One of the first seven Iberian lynx released into the wild near the Guadalmellato River, in Córdoba, has died of starvation after one of her legs became caught in a hunting trap

One of the first seven Iberian lynx released into the wild near the Guadalmellato River, in Córdoba, has died of starvation after one of her legs became caught in a hunting trap, preventing her from hunting for prey.She was released in the area in December 2009.The Junta de Andalucía’s environment department said in a press release on Tuesday that the animal was found dead near Villafranca de Córdoba after technicians monitoring the four...

Three people have been arrested after almost a ton of cannabis was seized in two separate Civil Guard operations in Málaga province on Sunday.

Three people have been arrested after almost a ton of cannabis was seized in two separate Civil Guard operations in Málaga province on Sunday.Nine hundred kilos of the drug were found on board a suspicious boat spotted moored off Guadalmansa Beach in Estepona, and a 34 year old Moroccan man was taken into custody.Two other Moroccan suspects, a 22 year old and a 43 year old, were arrested at the port in Málaga after 46 kilos of cannabis...

pre-agreement between management of AENA, the Spanish Airport Authority, and unions representing the workers has been reached

formal annoucement about the cancelling of the planned 22 days of strike action will be announced after the agreement is put to the workers in a referendumPresident of Aena, Juan Ignacio Lema (left) with Isaías Táboas - EFE A pre-agreement between management of AENA, the Spanish Airport Authority, and unions representing the workers has been reached overnight, with AENA tweeting this morning that the agreement would see the calling off...

Juan Antonio Roca’s defence has been attack, criticising the prosecutors’ office and the police investigation of presenting him in their reports as ‘a defeated person, burnt out and on the dole’,

Juan Antonio Roca, the ex Marbella Municipal Real Estate Assessor, and the man at the centre of the Malaya case currently underway in the court in Málaga, has insisted that there is proof that he arrived in Marbella with money.Roca’s defence has been attack, criticising the prosecutors’ office and the police investigation of presenting him in their reports as ‘a defeated person, burnt out and on the dole’, before he arrived in Marbella...

Telecinco television presenter, has been called to give a statement to Court Number 43 in Madrid over how her programme team treated Santiago del Valle’s wife, Isabel García, and obtained a live interview during which she confessed that her husband had killed the Huelva five year old

Ana Rosa Quintana, the top Telecinco television presenter, has been called to give a statement to Court Number 43 in Madrid over how her programme team treated Santiago del Valle’s wife, Isabel García, and obtained a live interview during which she confessed that her husband had killed the Huelva five year old, Mari Luz Cortés.She has been called before Judge Coro Cillán on Friday at a time when she should be hosting her live programme,...

boss of publishing firm, Forward Press, has been arrested at Málaga Airport on suspicion of fraud.

59 year old Ian Walton faces accusations that he cheated thousands of parents in Spain with his publication of children’s poems. Childrens poems were selected for publication in books that Forward Press ‘offered to parents but never handed over once they had paid’ according to a Civil Guard spokesman. Walton has denied the claim that he was planning to expand operations to Italy, France and Germany.Peterborough based Forward Press, which...

British expert in security for the Royal Family

British expert in security for the Royal Family has now seen his home at La Hoya, Cantoria, Almería, burgled five times, and he watched the latest attack from the U.K. via security cameras installed in his Spanish home.Ideal newspaper reports that Federick S.G. said he had been robbed five times in the last 18 months, with the thieves breaking doors and windows to gain entry. In the latest theft two hooded men got off with items worth an...

cabin crew on the AVE high speed train and long distance train services in Spain have called six days of strike action

Workers from the company Cremonini who work as cabin crew on the AVE high speed train and long distance train services in Spain have called six days of strike action, which includes days over Easter.Strikes have been called for the San José weekend, March 18th and 19th, and on the 20th and 21st of April in Holy Week, as well as on May 1st and 2nd.Some 2,700 workers who work in customer service, and the train cafeterias among other areas,...

The quality of Spanish semen has reached a record low because of a worsening lifestyle.

The quality of Spanish semen has reached a record low because of a worsening lifestyle. Researchers say that sperm quality has been falling for the 30 years, caused by increase stress, pollution, and alcohol consumption. It’s resulting in increasing numbers of infertility.The problem has been debated in the 26th annual congress of the AEU Spanish Urology Association, being held in Barcelona. AEU President, Humberto Villavicencio, noted...

Known by the codename King Wolverine, Vara Velastegui is regarded as the 'king of kings' among Spain-based gangs, according the the country's El Pais newspaper.

"Known by the codename King Wolverine, Vara Velastegui is regarded as the 'king of kings' among Spain-based gangs, according the the country's El Pais newspaper. Jose Fabricio Icaza, known as The Prince, was given a three-and-a-half-year term, while Maria Torres - The Godmother - was sentenced to two years. As well as jailing the three gang leaders, the Madrid...

Spain jails Latin Kings gang boss Vara Velastegui

 Spain jails Latin Kings gang boss Vara Velastegui: "The three most senior leaders of a Spanish gang that grew out of a violent Hispanic organisation have been jailed by a court in Madrid. The gang's Ecuadorean boss, Eric Javier Vara Velastegui, is already in prison but prosecutors said he continued to run the gang while under lock and key. He was sentenced...