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

Great music festivals still to come in Spain this summer 2013

Some of the great festivals might be over already, but there is still plenty to choose from:

There is just one more day of Spain's biggest Jazz festival. You may have missed Elvis Costello and Jamie Callum, but there are plenty of other big names on stage at San Sebastián's Jazzaldia festival this weekend. 

Irie mon! Europe's biggest reggae festival is held in Benicàssim every August. This year's biggest name is none other than Bob Marley's most highly-acclaimed son, Damian.  Plenty of time to organize your flights and accommodation!

Valencia's other indie festival Arena Sound also draws in some pretty big names.  Running from 1-4 August inclusive, there is still a little time to organize yourself.

If you fancy some good traditional Flamenco, the 53rd Cante de las Minas music festival will take place from the 1st to the 10th August in the town of La Unión, in Murcia. With high-profile acts like guitarist Vicente Amigo and "cantaor" singer Diego "El Cigala", Cante de las Minas is a sure bet for anyone looking to get an authentic taste of grassroots flamenco.  Olé!

Bilbao's En Vivo festival offers anti-crisis ticket prices for punk, ska and rock lovers. Unfortunately, the Barcelona and Madrid versions have been cancelled.  Dates are 29, 30 and 31 August.

Visiting Madrid?  This Indie Rock event is perfect for those who want to see some high-profile bands in the capital. 

For a little pop.... A blend of Spanish and international mainstream acts will please all kind of music lovers attending Santander Music in northern Spain on 1, 2 and 3 August.

For those in a more classical frame of mind, Spain's oldest classical music festival takes place in the Basque city of San Sebastián, with concerts being held through the entire month of August. 

Indie music... They call it low cost, but not sure if these prices really are... At €55 for Saturday and €41 for Sunday, sounds a tad expensive. But with a strong mix of international and Spanish talent, it'll certainly make Benidorm a bit more bearable.  Only two more nights left to go, so you'll have to be quick!

ART+TECH+ROCK: Barcelona's first ever MOBA festival is set for the 13th to the 15th September. The event, which mixes music, art and new technology, could be headlined by none other than the Rolling Stones. But this isn't confirmed yet.  Hey, but its worth being in Barcelona with or without the Stones!

So, to use a classic, "Be there or be square."  Accommodation can be found for all venues here.

Spanish families trapped in Morocco by adoption problems

Due to the change of government in the north African country, fifty Spanish families who adopted Moroccan babies a year and a half ago are not being allowed to take the children home with them to Spain.

 

Spanish families protest in Rabat

It used to be a fairly straightforward adoption procedure, but Abdelilah Benkirane's moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party, which has been in power since late 2011, has introduced a new law which prevents non-residents from adopting Moroccan children.

Catalan daily, La Vanguardia, interviewed some of the anxious mothers.

Maribel, a Basque woman, told the newspaper: "They don’t want to sign my son’s leaving permit."

"We're not going to abandon our children, as desperate as we may be," Maribel adds.

Monica Díaz, who is sharing an apartment with Maribel, was first introduced to her adopted son Abdallatif in an orphanage in Rabat when he was not even a month old.

Two years later, with the new adoption laws, she has not been able to take her baby home with her to Spain.

"They've asked us to be patient, but it’s been nearly 22 months of suffering," she told the newspaper.

Monica is self-employed, and used to regularly visit Abdallatif in the early stages of the adoption. However, with the problems being experienced, she has now had to move to Rabat to ensure her son is not taken away from her.

Along with 50 other Spanish families, Monica is waiting for a signature on her son’s passport which will allow him to leave Morocco.

20 of these families are now living in Rabat and find themselves in the same “desperate situation.”

They are in regular contact with the Spanish Embassy in Morocco to make sure that this new law is not applied retroactively.

Adoptions in Morocco take the form of Kafala, by which the adoptive parent is seen more as a guardian and children keep their Muslim names to guarantee they don't forget their roots or religion. In most cases Kafala is restricted to Muslims or converts to Islam.

German Hells Angels raided by Spanish police in Mallorca

In what has been described as a major blow to Mallorca's powerful German mafia, Spanish police have raided the Mallorcan chapter of the Hell's Angels Motorbike Club and made several arrests, including Frank Hanebuth, president of the Hannover chapter.

 

"Operation Casablanca" is a combined effort by 200 Spanish National Police and Civil Guard officers, working in conjunction with Interpol, Europol and Eurojust.

 

As part of this operation, 25 arrests have been made in a total of 31 raids on the island of Mallorca in the Balearic Islands of Spain.

These raids included the arrest of 49-year-old German Frank Armin Hanebuth, president of the Hannover chapter and one of the most important Hells Angels figures in Europe. 

Hanebuth is considered by German police to be one of Germany's most dangerous men and was found to be living in a villa in Lloret de Vistalegre on the island.

 

Local newspaper Diario de Mallorca reports that one local police officer was also apparently arrested in raids, capping off a three-year investigation.

The operation targeted alleged extortion, money laundering, drug trafficking, as well as the running of prostitution rings by the Mallorca chapter of the notorious motorbike club.

Reportedly most of the club's members moved to Mallorca from Germany in 2009, when authorities in that country cracked down on the group.n total 25 people were detained and among items seized in the latest raid were a cropped shotgun, older weapons, detonating pistols, a revolver, a pistol, an electric defense weapon, 10 cars, four high-end motorcycles, close to €50,000 in cash, as well as many jewels and drugs, including cocaine, marijuana and anabolic steroids.

Among other things, as part of their prostitution business on Mallorca the group was said to have systematically performed cosmetic surgery on prostitutes.

According to ABC, this was done "to make the product more attractive." These operations were apparently run by the Youssafi brothers, who allegedly 'captured' women, through women already working for them.

The prostitutes were only apparently given a day off when they had earned a specific sum for their "work." 

Several Hells Angels members who were arrested on Tuesday were also wanted for homicide and kidnapping in Germany. Wikipedia describes The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) as "a worldwide "one-percenter" motorcycle club whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles and is considered an organized crime syndicate by the US Department of Justice." 

The club is said to have its origins in California after the Second World War and the group is said to have from 2,000 to 2,500 members worldwide.



To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/355065

Actress Penélope Cruz gave birth to baby girl on same day as Royal baby

It wasn't only royals celebrating on Monday as a great Spanish couple, Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem, welcomed the arrival of their second child on Monday.

The Academy Award-winning couple are celebrating a new addition to their family. Penélope Cruz gave birth to her baby daughter at Ruber International hospital in Madrid on the same day that the Duchess of Cambridge delivered her baby son.

Spanish publicist for 39-year-old Cruz, Javier Giner, said, "She's tremendously happy and very excited."

The new addition to the family is the second child of the celebrity couple. Bardem and Cruz already have a two-year-old son, named Leonardo, who was born in 2011.

As was the case when their son was born, the couple chose not to provide any more details about the newest member of their family. Naturally this low-key media experience is in stark contrast to that of the royal birth, as the UK's Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also saw the arrival of their child on Monday. 

The news comes shortly after Cruz reportedly visited her younger sister, Monica, in a Madrid hospital, where Monica also gave birth to a baby girl.

Cruz married fellow Academy Award winner Bardem in 2010, and Leonardo, their first child was born in Los Angeles in 2011.

The couple are the only Spanish actors to have won Academy Awards, both in supporting roles. The couple first met on the set of a Spanish film in 1992. However, they only actually got together as a couple after starring in Woody Allen's 2008 comedy "Vicky Cristina Barcelona", which was based, naturally, in Barcelona.

Cruz was recently heard to say: "I want my son and my kids - if I have more - to grow up in a way that is as anonymous as possible. 

"The fact that his father and I have chosen to do the work we do doesn't give anybody the right to invade our privacy."

The pair will have joint supporting roles in the movie "The Counsellor," directed by Ridley Scott and scheduled for release later in the year. The movie has a great cast including Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Cameron Diaz, Michael Fassbender and Brad Pitt. 

The teaser preview is included below: 

To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/355014

At least 78 killed as train derails in northern Spain

On Wednesday, a high-speed Renfe train, travelling between Madrid and Ferrol, derailed outside Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain, leaving at least 78 people dead and 130 injured.

The rail disaster is one of the worst in Spanish history and authorities have said that the death toll could rise.

Reportedly the train had 240 passengers on board.  As the incident occurred, 13 cars derailed – at least four of which caught fire.  

Initially there were rumors of a terrorist attack, but  the Ministry of the Interior has now ruled out that possibility.

A government spokeswoman told Reuters that Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is due to visit the scene of the accident, 

"In the face of a tragedy such as just happened in Santiago de Compostela on the eve of its big day, I can only express my deepest sympathy as a Spaniard and a Galician," Rajoy said in a statement. 

La Voz de Galicia reported that Sergio, a witness to the accident said, "I did not suspect an attack of any sort. When the train took the curve, I had the sensation that it was traveling too fast, and then it derailed."

It has since been established that the train was traveling at twice the speed limit. Alvia trains can reach a speed of 250 kilometers per hour while traveling on high speed rails, though they typically travel at 220 kilometers per hour over normal lines. 

According to the Spanish news agency EFE, citing sources close to the investigation, the driver of the train has since admitted to speeding when he hit the bend in the tracks.

Renfe, the company which operates the train, confirms that this is the most serious train crash to happen in Spain in over 40 years and it is the first time a high-speed train has derailed in the country. 

Witnesses at the scene said that bodies were scattered around the scene of the crash, covered in blankets, as emergency services worked to try and rescue people still trapped in the body of the train.

"Neighbors in the area tell Spanish and European media they heard 'an explosion' at the time of derailment", said Actualidad. 

"The wounded are being transferred to nearby hospitals in Galicia from the Clinical Hospital in Santiago as it has exceeded capacity", said Cadena SER radio station.

La Voz de Galicia was relaying accounts from the train's passengers, which claim that one of the cars went up into the air and literally flew over the wall that runs along the train tracks, landing on a road.

RTVE has reported that the region's most important holiday, the Dia de Santiago - which was due to be held on Thursday - has been cancelled. 

Update:  The moment of the crash caught on CCTV:

Spanish PM to give his 'version' of slush fund story to Parliament

After massive demonstrations throughout Spain, together with pressure from the opposition party, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Monday that he will appear in the Spanish Parliament to give his side of the "slush fund" story.

 

Digital Journal reported on the story of Luis Bárcenas, former treasurer to the ruling Partido Popular party, being arrested and thrown in jail without bail on fraud charges. 

 

In court recently, Bárcenas admitted that he had made cash payments to the Spanish Prime Minister from a "slush fund." Bárcenas said that he handed €25,000 ($33,000) in 500 euro notes to Rajoy in March 2010.

 

Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, leader of the opposition PSOE party then called for the “immediate resignation” of Rajoy, and warned that his refusal to stand down was causing “incalculable damage to a country that is living through difficult moments.”

 

YouTube

18J - Spaniards in 30 cities across Spain protested against Government corruption and called for Rajoy's resignation.

As Digital Journal reported, on July 18, thousands of Spaniards hit the streets in 30 cities across Spain, protesting government corruption and calling for Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and his government to resign. 

 

On Sunday the Spanish daily, El Mundo, published a poll which showed 89.1 percent of people surveyed thought Rajoy should answer allegations that he accepted secret payments from the PP. Only a small 2.4 percent of poll respondents didn't think Rajoy needed to offer up that explanation.

 

Rajoy has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has rejected calls for him to resign over the scandal.

 

However, it seems the pressure is now finally getting to Rajoy, and on Monday he said in a press conference that he would appear in the country's parliament to answer questions about the scandal involving alleged illegal funding of his party. Rajoy said that he would appear in Parliament to give his "version" of events relating to the slush fund scandal, under which former PP treasurer Luis Bárcenas alleges he operated a second set of books for the PP party over a period of many years.

 

However, Rajoy did not actually specify when he would appear in Parliament other than saying that this would take place either at the end of this month or next month.

 

No doubt protestations from the opposition party and the Spanish people will continue until such time as he does appear.

To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/354935