Got the mid-winter blues in Fuengirola, Spain (video)

It is, quite literally, mid-winter, but yesterday we had the most perfect day at the beach in Los Boliches, Fuengirola, Spain.

Read more about it: http://digitaljournal.com/life/travel/photo-essay-it-s-hell-on-the-costa-del-sol-in-winter/article/364693

Heat Wave forecast on the Costa del Sol, Spain this December!

Haha, we're not talking about the weather here, but with the current climate change situation, I suppose anything is possible.

No, this is about one of the most popular soul bands from the 1970's, Heatwave, who are coming to play on the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca in Spain.

If you are visiting Marbella, they will be playing a show at the Hotel Don Carlos on December 14, 2013. They will also be appearing at the Clock House in San Pedro, Alicante on December 16, 2013.
Famous for a string of hits, including "Always and Forever" and "Boogie Nights", they can still rock your socks off. The band is currently touring with Alexander O’Neal and opened for Earth, Wind and Fire on tour in the UK last year.
If interested in seeing them live, tickets are on sale from the hotline: +34 966 792 595 or at www.heatwavepromotions.com. 

To the source: http://www.bubblews.com/news/1480822-heat-wave-forecast-on-the-costa-del-sol-spain-this-december

Bullwatch: Pamela Anderson speaks out on bullfighting in Spain

Joining forces with animal rights campaigners who want the brutal sport banned, Baywatch's Pamela Anderson has sent a letter to Spain's politicians telling them to stop subsidizing the "cruel pastime."

On the same day that animal welfare organizations met with Spain's politicians to attempt to persuade them not to sign off on legislation that could see bullfighting protected as 'cultural heritage' in Spain, Anderson's letter was delivered to Spain's Parliament....  read more including full letter.
 

World Day for Farmed Animals in Spain: 'A plate of human flesh'

Under the slogan "How much cruelty can you swallow?", a live "performance" took place on Wednesday at the Mercat del Born in Barcelona, Spain, to make the public aware of all the suffering behind their food. 

A giant plate of human activists was posed in front of the market in honor of the World Day for Farmed Animals (WDFA) by activists from the international organization, Animanaturis (website in Spanish).

 

The director of Animanaturalis in Spain, Aïda Gascón, told the Spanish media that actions like this "invite society to reflect on where the food that is on their plates comes from."

 

The performance was held in Barcelona on Wednesday to make sure that people "are aware of all the suffering and all the cruelty that is behind a plate of steak."

 

The action on October 2nd was part of the celebration of the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, a vegetarian for ethical reasons. It is a day dedicated to remembering the suffering of billions of animals that are raised, transported and slaughtered for human consumption.

 

50 billion land animals are killed annually in the world to make food.

 

Since 1983, the NGO FARM (Farmed Animals Reform Movement) has established this day as a day to expose the plight of animals in factory farms and slaughterhouses. In several countries in the world, vigils, offers of information, events, rallies and vegetarian food tastings are held to encourage people to think about the unnecessary suffering of these billions of animals.

 

Besides factory farming and slaughterhouse abuses, the organization, AnimaNaturalis, is dedicated to denouncing animal rights abuses in all forms, including bullfighting, the sale of fur, and the use of circus animals, dolphins etc. for entertainment.

To the source, with video: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/359534

British Expats inspire new Spanish TV soapie

Apparently the new soap, which is being filmed by Antena 3 on the Costa Blanca will be featuring two characters called "Margaret" and "Susan".

The protagonist, Margaret, is a Londoner, who inherits an enormous house inland in the Alicante region.  When she decides to move to Spain, apparently a series of mysteries unravel... 

The series will be aired only in Spanish and it is not clear whether any British actors will actually be involved in the production.

Torrox beach "shell shock" (quite literally)

A lethal mortar shell, of a type used by Republican forces during the Spanish Civil War, has been discovered on a popular family beach in Torrox.

Bomb disposal experts later defused the shell without incident.

However, anyone making a similar discovery should call the Guardia Civil immediately on 062 - and do not attempt to pick up the shell!

Spanish judge: "Women drive worse than men"

Or - how not to make female friends and influence people.  Said judge is now in a little hot water after saying that a driving school was within its rights to charge higher fees to female learners than to their male counterparts.

The Judge in question is Javier Albar from Zaragoza in northern Spain.  He decided in favour of a local driving school which stated that their decision to charge women more than men wasn't discriminatory.

The Judge's reasoning arose from official data apparently from Spain’s Directorate of Traffic, which proved that "every single year, men displayed greater dexterity and better open road skills" than their female counterparts.

The case in question started in 2011, when Autoescuela Zaragoza advertised a deal where, for €665 ($900), prospective male drivers aged 18 to 22 could get as many classes as they needed to obtain their driving license.  However, they said that the price for female learners was €850.

Zaragoza's consumer rights group took the matter to court, which then fined the driving school €4,000 for sexual discrimination.

However, according to Autoescuela Zaragoza, even their own data showed male learners required five practical lessons fewer than female ones, and they took the matter to the city courts.

From there Judge Albar got involved and he agreed with their standing.

Makes one wonder if their female clientele will tend to, well, be driven away?

Romanian footballer playing for Spanish team has problems with "sissy" surname

A Romanian footballer has just signed for the Spanish side, Madrid's Getafe.  However, he is having problems with his new jersey.  The reason?  His surname means anything from "sissy" to "faggot" in Spanish.

Poor Ciprian Marica didn't realize that signing up for the Madrid football team would cause so many problems.

Marica is a Romanian striker, who also apparently plays as a winger, and just got signed by the Spanish First Division team from German club Schalke 04.

Marica will be presented in a press conference on Wednesday at Getafe's Coliseum stadium.  Apparently the Spanish club has decided to use his first name instead of his surname to avoid any possible mocking or abuse.

According to the Spanish National Language Academy, one of the definitions of the word "marica" is being a  homosexual or an effeminate man.  It can be used as an insult against a gay person, or as a joke to tease a friend.

Google translate gives the following varied meanings for the word:

marica-/ noun /
		sissy	mariquita, marica, afeminado, gallina, blandengue
		pansy	pensamiento, marica
		milksop	marica
		queen	reina, dama, marica, maricón, homosexual
		mollycoddle	niño mimado, marica

The surname Marica is apparently quite common back home in Romania.

Photo Essay: Signs of the times in Fuengirola, Spain

Around the town of Fuengirola there are several strong messages quite literally written on the wall. The following is a selection of some brand new, and some older, graffitti, all with an important meaning behind it.

Each morning the writer walks past the Plaza de Toros (bull fighting ring) in Fuengirola with her dog. Today, something had changed — messages had appeared on the main entrance doors of the recently revamped building. 

As more people in Spain protest against the brutal sport of bull fighting, there is likely to be much more graffitti of this nature ...

Read more and see more photos at: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/359188

Video: Nude man runs in front of Spanish Queen Sofia at hospital

Spanish King Juan Carlos was about to undergo hip surgery at Madrid's private Quirón University Hospital. While Queen Sofia was heading into the hospital, a naked protester appeared.

The Spanish King was about to undergo surgery to treat an infection around a prosthetic left hip. As Queen Sofia entered Madrid's private Quirón University Hospital where the surgery would take place on Tuesday, a nude man came prancing out, protesting "secret CIA crimes."

Read more and watch video: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/359092

Lost something? $2 million check found on Madrid's Metro

If you were traveling on line 5 of Madrid's Metro recently, and just happened to lose a check made out for $2 million (€1.48 million), you are in luck. It has been found.

A US tourist must be tearing his or her hair out right now, wondering where that rather large check is.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/359059

Bank error: Wrong home evicted in Azuara, Spain

A family traveled to Azuara in 2011 to stay in their holiday home in the town, only to find that the bank had evicted them and most of their belongings were gone. It seems the bank had cleared the wrong home and are still refusing to reimburse them. 

The couple, originally from Zaragoza, own a holiday home in the northern Spanish village of Azuara.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/359053

New US ambassador to Spain has arrived in Madrid

One of 16 new ambassadors to present their papers to Spanish King Juan Carlos in Madrid on Tuesday, the new US ambassador to Spain and Andorra, James Costos, is an animal rights campaigner, a vegetarian and is openly gay. 

Costos is one of five openly gay ambassadors appointed by US President Barack Obama and, together with his partner of 14 years, Michael S, Smith, is excited to be back in Spain, a country they both love.

Read more & watch video: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/359045

Spanish film on Beatlemania in Franco era wows film festival

Based on a true story and set in the Franco dictatorship era, a Spanish "Beatlemania" film stunned critics at the San Sebastián film festival in Spain. It tells the tale of how the British band's songs inspired one ordinary Spaniard during hard times. 

The film, dubbed "Vivir es fácil con los ojos cerrados", or "Living Is easy with your eyes closed" directed by David Trueba, tells the tale of Antonio San Roman, a small-town Spanish school teacher who plays the Beatles songs to teach his pupils English...

Read more and watch movie preview: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/358990

Estranged husband kills wife, 5-year-old son in La Luz, Málaga

When Estefanía T. V. failed to arrive at her parents' home where she cared for her grandmother and her young son Aaron didn't show up at school, Estefanía's father went to her home in the La Luz district of Málaga, Spain and made a shocking discovery. 

Estefanía's father arrived at the home at lunchtime, got no answer at the door.

He found a ladder and climbed in through a window of the first floor apartment in Avenida Isaac Peral, where the family has lived since the couple separated during the summer...

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/358960

Arnold Fighters: Arnie's Madrid fight club hit by safety concerns

In a video promoting the event, Arnold Swartzenegger promises that "he will be there" at the martial arts extravaganza planned in Madrid from October 11th to 13th. However, there may be problems as the event hasn't met minimum safety requirements. 

"Arnold Fighters" is billed as a mixed martial arts extravaganza, featuring everything from boxing to Brazilian Jujutsu, and even the great Arnold Swartzenegger himself.

Read more and watch video: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/358944

Spanish journalist hostage in Syria since early September 2013

According to an announcement late on Monday, Marc Marginedas, a special correspondent in Syria for Spanish newspaper El Periodico, has been kidnapped and has been held hostage since September 4 this year. 

El Periodico (Spanish language) announced the abduction late on Monday, in its online edition, with the headline: "Journalist Marc Marginedas abducted in Syria."

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/358943

The hunt is on for Spain's missing €4.7m lottery winner

A Good Samaritan found the winning ticket and handed it in to authorities, rather than claiming the huge winnings. Now the search is on in the Galicia region of Spain for the actual lucky winner.

The lucky numbers were 10, 17, 24, 37, 40 and 43 and the prize a whopping €4.7 million ($6.27 million).

The search is on for the lucky lottery winner in the city of La Coruña in north-western Spain whose ticket was found by an honest man on a different lottery stand in the city.

The numbers were drawn on June 30, 2012, but prize has gone unclaimed ever since. Now everyone in the region of Galicia is wondering who the lucky winner actually is.

According to Spanish daily La Voz de Galicia, the honest man who handed in the winning ticket is one Manuel Reija González, who might just be rewarded for his honesty if the true winner is not found within the next two years.

 Strangely, Rieja himself has been a lottery ticket seller for 30 years, and unless someone can provide key information on the winning ticket itself, he will be a lucky man indeed and will receive the full payout.

 To discourage false claimants, Spain’s National Lottery has revealed very little on the multimillion euro ticket in a bid to make absolutely sure they have the right person.

All that is known about the unsuspecting millionaire is that he or she probably played regularly and did the rounds when buying lottery tickets, as the ticket was found at a different shop to that which originally sold it.

So far, only one man has "tried his luck" to claim the prize and, as the police in Galicia have come to expect, was not the actual winner.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/358517

National Library of Spain discovers rare fragment of Vicenzo Bellini score

Spain's National Library (BNE) announced on Wednesday the discovery of a rare fragment of an opera score, handwritten by 19th century Italian composer Vincenzo Bellini - an outline of seven bars of notes from a duet in the opera "Il Pirata" (The Pirate).

The manuscript was found lying within the archives in "La Biblioteca Nacional de España", Spain's National Library (BNE).

According to BNE, the find, consisting of a single page, shows an outline of seven bars of notes from a duet in the opera "Il Pirata" (The Pirate) and was a rough draft for a small part of the duet scene 'Tu m'Apristi in Cor Ferita' (the original version of which is included below).

The opera debuted at Milan's "La Scala" on October 27, 1827.

An image of the manuscript is included at the foot of this article. 

As proof of its authenticity, the manuscript has annotations at the bottom of the page and a phrase written in the right-hand margin: "Manuscript of Vincenzo Bellini and his brothers Mario and Carmelo". 

The library said in a statement (in Spanish) that this phrase was commonly used as a form of authentication on manuscripts sought after by 19th century collectors of "relics" of the most memorable composers. 

This newly discovered Bellini manuscript is unusual, as the notes do not correspond exactly to the final score of "Il Pirata", even though there were barely any changes.

"This rarity makes it of even more interest from a musicological point of view," the library said. The statement continued that this fragment was found after the library's catalog service requested identification of a "sheet of music bound in an album of 19th century photographs and drawings with landscapes of Malta and Sicily." 

Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835) was born in Catania, Sicily and is said to have composed his first pieces at six years old. Bellini wrote sacred and chamber music but his greatest popular successes came with operas such as "Il Pirata", "La Straniera" (1828) and his most famous work "Norma" (1831). Bellini died in Puteaux, France at the age of 33 on September 23, 1835, nine months after the premiere of his last opera, "I puritani."

With this important find, Spain's National Library has joined the ranks of Catania's Museo Belliniano, New York's Pierpont Morgan Library and the British Library as custodians of Bellini manuscripts. 

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/358637

Spanish bar owner in trouble over "Naked Waitress" raffle

The owner of a bar in Salobreña near Granada got into trouble with the police recently, after offering clients a chance to win a one-night stand with a nude waitress in a raffle, to promote an upcoming party.

Residents of the town of Salobreña were horrified to find out that the owner of a local bar was promoting a party, using posters offering a sexual relationship with a “naked waitress” to one lucky raffle ticket winner.

The party was due to happen on August 10, in a bar situated on the ground floor of an apartment block in Salobreña.

It turns out this isn't the first time the owner has upset his neighbors, who had already had enough of the excessive noise levels coming from the bar. The new competition proved to be the final straw for them.

They took the matter to the local town hall, and Spanish Civil Guard officers approached the owner of the bar prior to the event, which was due to take place last Saturday. The officers warned him of the criminal risks he was running by making such a lewd offer.

Apparently the owner of the bar decided to cancel the party, and says his decision was reached prior to receiving the townspeople’s complaints. 

María José García, Equality Councillor in Salobreña, has labelled the advertising campaign as “sexist and disrespectful towards women.” She told the Spanish news service EFE, “It incites prostitution and views women as mere objects.”

Reportedly, the owner of the bar, "Contrapunto" (or Counterpoint in English), Miguel Ángel Cortés, apologized to all that he may have offended and said that he had been badly advised upon the legality of such a party.

To the source: http://digitaljournal.com/article/356372

Escaped Albino Burmese Python terrorizes Spanish town

Residents in the small Spanish town of Riells i Viabrea (Girona) in Spain's Catalonia region have been watching their step, as a two-and-a-half meter long albino Burmese Python is on the loose.

Digital Journal has recently reported on the incident where a python escaped from a Canadian pet store and strangled two young boys. For this reason, people living in Riells i Viabrea are especially on edge.

 

It has been around two weeks since the python escaped from a house in the town and it is still missing.

 

According to Spain's Antena 3 TV station, a snake hunt has been launched by local police and citizen volunteers to hunt for the albino Burmese python which is two-and-a-half meters long and weighs in at 10kg — not a snake to be played with.

 

According to police, the owner allegedly housed the snake in substandard conditions and actually failed to notice that the snake had escaped.

 

Judicial proceedings have also been opened by police against the python's owner for negligence. While the snake is not poisonous, as we know from the previous python story, they do have the habit of strangling small prey to death, especially at night. 

 

Local police apparently have assured residents: Locals have no reason for fear because the animal isn't dangerous and because it would have been difficult for the animal to leave the zone (around the house where it left). 

 

However, anyone spotting the python, who looks pretty much like the photos above and below, is advised to immediately contact authorities. 

 

 

 

To the source: http://digitaljournal.com/article/356317

Leonardo diCaprio spotted flying on vacation in Ibiza

Leonardo DiCaprio was enjoying a vacation on a yacht in Ibiza in the Spanish Balearic Islands last week.

While there, he tried out a Flyboard, which is a wakeboard connected to turbines and jets, propelling him high into the air.  

Someone was lucky enough to catch him on camera, as you can see...

38-year-old DiCaprio was having fun in the sun with a few friends and his new 21-year-old girlfriend, German model Toni Garrn.

Murder of Spaniard in Brazil may be linked to environment crimes

The body of 49-year-old Spaniard, Gonzalo Alonso Hernández, was found on Tuesday night in a park near his home in Rio de Janeiro state in Brazil, where he has been living for the past 10 years with his wife.

According to authorities, he was shot several times in the head.

Alonso Hernández had reportedly denounced alleged crimes against the local environment, relating to hunting and burning of land in the Cunhambebe natural park where he lived. 

48-year-old María de Lurdes Pena Campos, Alonso Hernández’s widow, works in Rio and returns home on the weekends.

She confirmed that her husband was constantly complaining about illegal hunting in the park and the fires started by ranchers.

Initial investigations show that Alonso Hernández, a biologist, was executed at his home and that his body was later dumped in the waterfall in the natural park.

According to police, a computer is missing from Alonso Hernández’s home and his power and telephone lines had been cut.

His wife told the media that he never received any explicit threats, although one time someone flew in a threatening way over the home in a helicopter. She added that her husband had no enemies other than the people he denounced to authorities.

The Spanish consulate in Rio advised that Alonso Hernández had moved to Brazil after he was offered a position with Telefónica.

His funeral will be held on Saturday and his wife said that "his remains will stay here, with nature."

When asked her plans for the future, she said, "I don't know yet what I will do," but stressed that the fight must continue for the environment, adding "We will not be silent."

To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/356132

Spain's loss is Harvard's gain as scientist is offered position

After working for 18 months without pay at Jaén University in Andalucía, Spain, a Spanish researcher has landed a job at Harvard's prestigious medical school.

Thanks to an agreement between both universities, Leticia Díaz Beltrán was snapped up by Harvard’s Computational Biology Department over a month ago and they are happy to have her.

Díaz was doing a PhD on genetics and autism, but is one of many Spanish scientists who have suffered from the cuts in Spain's research and development (R+D). 

 

Díaz has labeled the future of scientific investigation in Spain as “devastating,” stating that she has received no funds since starting her doctorate in January 2012.

 

She told the Spanish newspaper, El País via email:

"It's frustrating that the Spanish state spends money on our training, only for other countries to later reap the rewards. It doesn't make any sense."
"Making cutbacks in R&D is the worst thing you can do at a time of crisis; the logical thing to do is invest in knowledge, science, technology and innovation to increase productivity and export values. To incentivize R&D in universities, centers of investigation and companies is primordial right now." 

Díaz says that the only way she can progress with her work into autoimmune diseases and their relationship with autism genes, is to do this out of her home country.  

Díaz's contract at Harvard is for one year, on a monthly salary of 2,200 euros and despite this, she is keen to return home once her contract is up. However, she doesn't have much optimism for the future in Spain, saying: 

"The situation for R&D in Spain is demoralizing. I would like to go back to my university and open new lines of investigation and put into practice everything I'm learning here, but it all depends on the opportunities available - I hope the situation changes. If not, I'll have to think about going abroad again." 

Explaining her research, Díaz said:

"Basically, from the molecular point of view, we are searching for the genes that are implicated in autism and their relation with other auto-immune diseases, with the aim of detecting possible therapeutic and pharmaceutical applications, above all for an early intervention for the illness."

As yet another victim of Spain's research crisis, which has taken the jobs of 10 per cent of Spanish scientists in the official research centres (CSIC) in the last 18 months due to drastic government spending cuts, Díaz will likely be one of many scientists taking the drastic step of leaving Spain.

Díaz's department professor at the University of Jaén, Francisco Esteban, is proud of his pupil's move to such a prestigious university, saying:

"It represents a huge slice of recognition and a very important advance in the investigations she is carrying out."

To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/356129

'Smurfs 2' preview hosted at Júzcar, famous Spanish 'blue village'

In 2011, the traditional "white village" of Júzcar in Spain turned completely blue, as it hosted the the worldwide premiere of the blockbuster US film, "The Smurfs." Still blue today, the town saw the preview of the sequel, "Smurfs 2."

On July 23, "Smurf Town" Spain hosted a special premiere of the Smurfs' sequel movie, ten days before the film hit movie theaters nationwide.

 

Júzcar has benefited in the last couple of years from its Smurf fame, and has even recently repainted all the blue buildings in the previously typical white Andalucían village.

 

Dubbed "Pueblo Pitufo" (or Smurf Town) in Spanish, the town of only 240 residents has seen more than 210,000 tourists, gawping at its blue streets and buying Smurf-themed merchandise. Previous to that, Júzcar saw around 300 tourists per year.

 

The movie preview in the town attracted celebrities like FC Barcelona footballer Andrés Iniesta and former Miss Universe Eva González.

 

The first Smurf movie brought in €560 million in ticket sales worldwide.

 

Below is a photo of Hotel Bandolero in the blue village of Júzcar: 

 

To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/355516

Madrid's Atocha railway station home to 300 turtles

Anyone traveling through Madrid's main Atocha railway station in the last twenty years will remember the beautiful, tropical garden in the station's main concourse. What they might not know is that around 300 turtles have happily taken refuge there.

Basically the tropical garden has now become a welcoming refuge to homeless turtles.

There are many reasons for them being there. Some were brought there because children lost interest in them. Others because for some reason or another they could no longer keep them as pets. Another major reason is that people might not have been prepared, or able, to pay the 40% ticket price to take the turtle on a train and found a quick solution to the problem.

Whatever the reason for them being there, the station's indoor wetlands have been populated with approximately 300 turtles, giving a little glimpse of nature to passengers passing through the station.

The state railway company, Renfe, has employed Aurora Peña to look after the turtles. She told El País: “We give them animal feed, to make sure they are properly nourished.”

Indicating the turtles, grouped on rocks and other platforms in the water, surrounded by fine white sand, she said:

“This is the area we have set aside for them to lay their eggs.”

Explaining that normally turtles living in a tropical sea would head to a remote and protected beach to lay their eggs, and then incubate them, she said that the little expanse of sand in the tropical garden is the closest they will get to a beach in the Spanish capital.

At the last count of the turtles in 2012, when there were 275 animals. “We take them out one by one, we count them and we tidy them up a bit,” says Peña.

According to Peña, the population has stayed relatively stable over the years. Those that have died have been replaced by people's former pets.

Not a bad place for a turtle to end up these days, and as we can see from the video below, definitely a distraction from the boredom of waiting for your train.

The gardens alone are worth the visit. With over 7,000 plants in neatly manicured garden beds, with some reaching the station's domed ceiling, its like another world in the center of the busy city. There are reportedly around 260 different tropical species among the plants, and they even include towering palm trees.

Normally a railway station is somewhere you just pass through when on vacation, but Atocha railway station has actually received reviews on Tripadvisor, mainly for its tropical garden and inhabitants. 




To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/355469

Sean Penn and Javier Bardem movie blocked by Barcelona bullfight ban

Javier Bardem and Sean Penn have been in Barcelona filming their new movie, "The Gunman," for most of July. However, they have run into a problem filming the bullfighting scene, due to the Catalan ban on the sport.

The film is being produced by French director Pierre Morel, well known for the action movies "The Transporter" and "Taken."

Morel ran into a problem while filming the latest film "The Gunman", which is set partly in Barcelona. The city's Town Hall stopped him from staging the bullfight scene in Barcelona’s La Monumental bullring, saying it would go against animal right laws recently introduced in the region.

Film producer Adrián Guerra told Catalan daily El Periódico, “The scene wasn’t actually going to take place on the arena."

“All we wanted to film were a few bullfighting passes with the cape in the streets and the bullpens, not to actually fight the animals,” he added. 

However Barcelona's Town Hall wishes to disassociate the Catalan capital from Spain’s image of a bullfight-loving society.

It now seems that Morel will get around the problem by using oxen in the scene rather than bulls. His team will have to use computer-generated imagery to make the oxen resemble Lidia bulls on screen.

The bullfighting ban in the Catalunya region was passed in Parliament in 2012 and was supported by animal rights groups, but was opposed by detractors who claimed the practice was “an asset of cultural interest.” 

The video below shows scenes of the filming in Barcelona.

The film is an adaptation of Jean-Patrick Manchete's 1981 war novel, "The Prone Gunman."

The plot of the movie is an international spy must clear his name in order to save himself from the organization that he used to work for. Main stars: Idris Elba, Javier Bardem, Sean Penn.



To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/355441

World's oldest man credits Anacin and a banana a day for longevity

Born in Salamanca, Spain in 1901, and now living in the USA, 112-year-old Salustiano Sánchez Blázquez has now been announced the world's oldest man, as Japan's Jiroemon Kimura passed away on June 12 at the age of 116.

Now officially named the oldest living man on Earth by the Guinness Book of Records, Blázquez has credited his longevity to a combination of pain killers and bananas.

 

Succeeding Japan's Jiroemon Kimura, who died on June 12 at the age of 116, Blázquez is currently the only male born in 1901 with proof of birth, giving him the award of being the oldest man alive. 

 

Nicknamed Shorty by his friends, the 112-year-old former coal miner now lives close to Niagara Falls in upstate New York in the US. 

 

However, he was born on June 8, 1901 in the village of El Tejado de Béjar in Salamanca province, Spain. As he was growing up, Blázquez was well known for his musical prowess, playing a "dulzaina", (a Spanish double reed instrument in the oboe family). 

Blázquez earned pocket money playing the instrument at weddings and village celebrations and attended school until he was 10. He now considers himself self-taught. 

 

At the age of 17, he moved to Cuba to work on the sugar plantations.  He then traveled to the US, entering via the iconic immigration center on Ellis Island in 1920. 

Blázquez worked as a miner in Kentucky before finally settling in the Niagara area, close to the Canadian border, where he has lived ever since. Blázquez married the love of his life, Pearl, in 1934 and his children include a 76-year-old son, John, and 69-year-old daughter Irene. He also has seven grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and five great-great grandchildren. 

 

His hobbies include crossword puzzles, nightly gin rummy games with friends and gardening. 

 

He remains humble despite the prestigious award and “does not feel he has accomplished anything special because he happens to be living longer than other men.”

 

In a statement, Blázquez said that he had lived to such an old age due to a daily dose of six tablets of Anacin (a pain-reliever containing aspirin and caffeine) and a banana. 

 

However, his daughter, 69-year-old Irene Johnson, says, "I think it's just because he's an independent, stubborn man." 

 

Anacin's manufacturer, Insight Pharmaceuticals was happy to hear that their product may have helped him live so long and will now be exploring the possibility of a new product: 

 

"Historically, apples are the fruit most associated with staying healthy and avoiding doctors," said marketing vice-president Jennifer Moyer.

 

"Our scientists had never looked into the banana before. But now that the certified oldest man in the world credits bananas and Anacin as his life-extending combo, we're certainly going to explore whether a new 'Bananacin' product makes sense.

 

To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/355439

Memorial service for Spain's train crash victims set for Monday

A spokesman for the local archdiocese has announced that a memorial service for the 78 dead in the train crash will be held at the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela on Monday evening. The American victim of the crash has been named.

"We expect the service to take place on Monday at 7:00 pm [1700 GMT] in the cathedral," the spokesman said.

Three days after the crash, 81 people remain in hospital and 31 of these are in a serious condition, after the worst railway accident in Spain since 1944.

Flags have been flying at half-mast countrywide as the people of Spain mourn for the dead.

In Spain, the dead are normally buried one or two days after passing away. Officials confirmed on Friday that funerals were being organized for the victims as quickly as possible. However, their "priority remains attending to the injured, supporting the families and identifying the victims".

While the cause of the accident is still unconfirmed, officials suspect that the train was traveling at twice the speed limit when it jumped the tracks, slamming into a concrete wall. As reported by Digital Journal earlier on Saturday, police have detained the train driver, Francisco José Garzón Amo, on suspicion of reckless homicide.

American victim named:

The American victim has now been named in the media. According to Catholic Church officials from the diocese where she worked, a Virginia woman, 47-year-old Ana María Córdoba, was on her way to visit her son, who had just completed a Catholic pilgrimage, "Way of St. James," known in Spanish as "El Camino de Santiago." This pilgrimage was featured recently in a film, "The Way," starring Martin Sheen.

Córdoba was the only American killed in the crash and she was traveling with her husband Philippe and her daughter, who are both in a stable condition in hospital.

Reportedly there were at least five Americans injured in the train crash. 18-year-old Stephen Ward, a Mormon missionary from Bountiful, Utah told the media that the train lifted off the tracks "like a roller coaster" before smashing into the concrete wall. According to Ward, an information screen for passengers showed the train's speed as 194 kph (121 mph) moments before the crash.

To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/355319

Spain to limit visitor numbers for 'La Tomatina' festival

Foreign party-people wishing to participate in the crazy La Tomatina festival in Buñol, Valencia in August will have to reserve a spot first through a newly introduced ticket-only system.

Buñol Town Hall has decided to restrict the number of international revellers at this year’s event by only offering 15,000 tickets to non-locals.

While previously organizers of this world-renowned and crazy event had allowed unlimited access to both locals and tourists alike, the whole La Tomatina festival has apparently become just too big for comfort. 

Crowds of up to 50,000 people partying in the narrow streets of this small Valencian town are just too much. When watching videos of the event, it does, indeed, look like an accident just waiting to happen.  

Estefania Palacios, organizer for the ticket distributor Spaintastic told The Local:  

"Although there haven’t been any incidents, it was starting to become unbearable for the locals and also potentially more dangerous for everyone."  

"As the tomato-pelting will only take place within one fenced off street, Buñol Town Hall has decided to halve the number of participants to ensure their safety and enjoyment."

For those who want to participate, but do not yet have a ticket, apparently 90 per cent have already been sold for this year's event. People will be traveling from as far away as Australia, India, Japan and the US to attend the madness on August 28th. 

The last tickets are avalable on this website, and cost €10. Attendees will be asked to show their ID before entering the “fight zone”. 

About the festival: 

La Tomatina is a food fight festival held on the last Wednesday of August each year in the town of Buñol in the Valencia region of Spain. Buildings in the street are lined with plastic as protection from the mess.

In exactly one hour, tens of metric tons of overripe tomatoes are thrown in the streets, with revellers slipping and sliding in the mess and throwing tomatoes at each other. Normally around 20,000–50,000 tourists come to find out more about the tomato fight, multiplying by several times Buñol's normal population of slightly over 9,000.

There is limited accommodation for tourists attending La Tomatina, and thus many participants stay in Valencia and travel by bus or train to Buñol, about 38 km outside the city. 

 

Most of these images courtesy flydime

 To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/355135