Protest in Fuengirola denounces 'genocide' in Ukraine and Palestine (Video)

More than one hundred people publicly denounced the situation in both Palestine and Ukraine in a demonstration Tuesday on the beachfront of Fuengirola, Spain. The writer was on the scene, camera in hand.

The event was organized by La Agenda Roja, an anti-fascist group that stands for the social, political and labor movements in Málaga, Spain, and saw many nationalities joining together to protest, including Spaniards, Palestinians, Belgians, South Africans, Syrians, Moroccans and Swiss.

In their handout, the group speaks of “the creation of the fictional state of Israel,” and how thousands of victims have been killed in the “Zionist genocide” since then. They mention how the offensive has intensified during July, leaving more than 400 Palestinians (including women and children) dead and over 1,500 wounded in the walled enclave, with little medical equipment left and without electricity in the hospitals.

The handout mentions that unlike Palestine, the struggle in Ukraine is characterized by internal conflict. It talks of how in late 2013, the extreme right came into power and immediately began to outlaw leftist parties and began persecuting ethnic minorities. Since then thousands have been injured or killed in what has become an ongoing civil war.

Protesters at the event denounced both situations as nothing but maneuvers of international capitalism by NATO, the US and the EU, saying that as they did in the twentieth century, imperialism continues to safeguard its interests.

Chants were heard including "This is not war, it is genocide," and "arise the struggle of the people of Palestine," among others.

One protester gave an impassioned plea on video (which can be seen below), the transcript of which is as follows:

“The media is at fault with their fake news, calling the Palestinians terrorists, but we're not stupid, thanks God and thanks for the social media. So people can see what's going on now and the truth about what Israel is doing to kids, to women and to Palestinian people that have no guns, they have nothing, they are defenseless.

"People who hear this on the Internet are going to have some love inside of their hearts and humanity. Because we are here for humanity, we are not here for religion. This is very important. We are here screaming out and shouting to the world that they have to stop this genocide and this massacre because it’s not fair. Absolutely not fair. And I hope people will see that.”

Other Palestine news in Europe:

• Impassioned plea to world leaders from Norwegian doctor working in Gaza
• Europe airs concern on Gaza onslaught, aid offered by Denmark 
• What is the Israeli/Palestinian situation actually all about?

King Juan Carlos delayed by plane problems on Middle East trip

It ain't exactly Airforce One it seems. King Juan Carlos of Spain was delayed after a visit to the Middle East on Wednesday, after the military Airbus A310 he was traveling in had engine problems. 

Apparently this is the fifth time there have been problems with Royal and/or Governmental air transportation in recent months.

King Juan Carlos  was on a business trip to the UAE and Kuwait at the time and was delayed for an hour due to an engine fault.

It isn't always the same plane causing the problems, however. The five similar incidents have involved the Airbus A310 as well as Falcon 900 planes which are regularly used to fly the blue bloods and various Spanish politicos around, all giving problems within last five months.

Queen Sofia experienced problems in late March after army pilots needed to make an unscheduled stop in the Dominican Republic due to an engine problem while returning from Guatemala.

In the same month, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was traveling back home from Dublin when the plane was forced to turn back with unspecified problems. He should have flown Ryanair (hey, apparently the UK's David Cameron did when flying to the Canary Islands on holiday recently, whoop-de-doo.).

Back in January, the plane carrying Crown Prince Felipe along with members of the Spanish Government had to divert to the Dominican Republic due to an oil leak.

It makes one wonder whether Rajoy's austerity measures have gone a tad too far and are now affecting Royal transportation, or possibly the Royal family has a secret yen for the Dominican Republic and all its delights?

Anyhow, according to the media the Ministry of Defence in Spain is planning a possible upgrade of the aircraft used to ferry members of Spain's top echelon around in the future. 

20 Minutos reported a couple of months back that the Airbus A310 was bought second-hand by former Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar, so definitely needs an upgrade, as he has been out of power for what, ten years now?

New Ibiza restaurant to be world's most expensive at €1,500 a head

If you are feeling "flush" on your vacation in Spain's party capital Ibiza this summer, you will be able to splash out on a truly exclusive meal at a mere 1,500 euros per person. That is around $2,075 for those of you in the U.S. of A.

If you are wondering what on earth you would get for this exorbitant fee, diners at the SubliMotion restaurant at the upcoming Hard Rock Hotel Ibiza in Spain's Balearic Islands will be treated to the very latest in “avant-garde gastronomy” in a literal "theater to the senses."

 The restaurant, opening on June 1, will be in the tender, expert hands of Paco Roncero, a master chef with two Michelin stars and three Repsol Suns under his belt, previously at "La Terraza del Casino de Madrid."

You will be in limited company, as SubliMotion only serves 12 guests per night. You and the other 11 guests can indulge in a "gastro-sensory" spectacle which includes not only excellent gourmet dishes, but also lights, sounds and levitating dinner plates. A unique experience that "transcends dining."

Of course there is also "location, location, location," as the restaurant will be found at Ibiza’s emblematic Playa d’en Bossa.

While the language is Spanish, the video below shows the planning stages of the restaurant. Introduced by Paco Roncero, it gives an idea of the decor and special effects that will be used, all backed by beautiful music from the music collective (and beach bar), Cafe del Mar (the "head office" of which is also in Ibiza incidentally).

Of interest is the fact that Spain already has the best restaurant in the world, after the prestigious UK magazine Restaurant gave the award to the Celler de Can Roca restaurant in Girona.

There is also Spain's most exclusive restaurant in Barcelona, which only serves one group per night. Mercès One offers a unique experience whereby guests can choose not only the cuisine, but also the decor to go along with it.

By the way, if SubliMotion is a tad too expensive for your tastes, the hotel is also offering a branch of the famous Estado Puro restaurants (Pure State), which already has two locations in Madrid. This restaurant will offer creative cuisine at more affordable prices and can seat up to 300 diners.

Oh yes, and if "party capital of the world" sounds a bit too hectic for your vacation, while the capital city on the island of Ibiza is famous for its incredible dining and nightlife, the island does also offer beautiful and traditional rural landscapes and villages for your more peaceful pleasure, all within easy driving distance of Ibiza city.

Videos of SubliMotion:


 


Sublimotion 3d from Sublimotion on Vimeo.


Original article by Anne Sewell

Previously unseen Gaudí stained glass windows found outside Barcelona

In a stunning discovery, two stained glass windows, made in the distinctive style of Antoni Gaudí, have been found hidden away in a chapel outside Barcelona.

Gaudí, famous for his modernism and many beautiful works all over Barcelona, including the emblematic Temple de la Sagrada Familia has two more masterpieces, which have been hidden away for decades.

During an inventory by the Institute of Catalan Studies, they unearthed two beautiful pieces. One is an immaculate rose window containing imagery similar to the Masonic ‘all-seeing eye’ placed against a hand.

The other masterpiece depicts a sword-clenching archangel on a beautifully ornate stained glass window, 75 x 25 cm (30" x 10") in size.

According to the rector of the chapel where they were found, they had been hidden away.  Until the Institute of Catalan Studies found them, he had no idea his predecessor had ordered the pieces from Gaudí himself.

Source

Man signs up as organ donor, shoots himself in the head

It happened at the University Hospital La Fe in Valencia, Spain on Monday morning. A 50-year-old man walked into the transplant unit with a revolver concealed under his belt. He approached two nurses and told them he wished to donate blood. He then asked for forms with which to be signed up as an organ donor.... read more

Jazztel, their special offers & why they really shouldn't phone me

So, for a while now, Jazztel (my Internet service provider) has been sending me loads of text messages, trying to get me to change my mobile provider over to them.

I'm old-school... I have a mobile phone mainly for banking purposes (the bank sends me pin numbers to confirm my transactions) and I sometimes remember to take it out with me, just in case of emergencies.  More often than not, however, I tend to leave the damn thing at home. 

Anyhow, Jazztel has been hotting up their "special offer" and trying to contact me on the landline.  Up until now, I managed to cut them short by telling them I don't understand what they are saying (the advantage of being a foreigner), even though I knew exactly what they wanted... but tonight they caught up with me. 

The landline rang, but I got that awful holding-on music and immediately hung up.  Then, yeah, you guessed it, the mobile rang.  It was 9:45 at night and I'm pretty darn certain there is some kind of law that says they can't phone that late. Anyway, this guy spoke excellent English, so I had no excuse but to talk to him. LOL.   And talk to him I did.

He said he had a really special offer for me. A free Smartphone!  With a free line!  It would cost me absolutely nothing!  Wow!  So I said, "What's the catch?"  He didn't understand what that meant, so I explained.  "Ah." he says, "there is no catch.  Its free."  "Ah," I says, "but nothing comes for free, buddy."

He insisted it will cost me nothing, it is free. "You have been a loyal customer of Jazztel since 2011, you deserve it! Er... but you have to sign a contract that says you will stay with Jazztel for another two years."  Aha, therein lies the darn catch!

Hmmm.... OK, now last year I accepted a special offer from Jazztel that tied me in for a year.  In December, I had to move apartment (the owner was in trouble with the bank and needed to sell it urgently).  I kept the Jazztel service at my new address and even kept the same phone number, but they FINED me 95 euros.  After a little argument they agreed that I hadn't actually broken my contract and agreed to refund me.

However, as you can imagine, I don't want to have to go through that sort of nonsense again, and how do I know if I won't want to move in the next two years or change service provider?  So I said no.  Thanks, but no thanks, I don't want the darn thing.  Keep it.

So he kept saying, "But its absolutely free and its a great phone!  You can use the Internet outside of the apartment!" 

I said, "I sit on the damn Internet the whole time at home doing my work, why the hell would I want to be on the Internet when I am outside?" 

I explained that I am not like the average person these days, sitting at the beach thumbing away at my little screen getting "WhatsAppitis" with all that beauty surrounding me. (Read up on that great new affliction right here).  Its like the café that put a sign outside saying, "We have no WiFi, talk to each other."  I would rather watch the passing parade, chat to people, look at the mountain views and the waves than glare at some damn little screen.

Oh, forgot to mention, he asked me how much my current mobile service is costing me.  I said, maybe 5 euros a month for a recharge.  He couldn't believe me.  I said, I am pay as you go, and I don't go far!  I explained that I use Skype (free) and for local calls, my landline free (courtesy of Jazztel!).  Why should I pay for a mobile contract and all those darn calls?  Egads, I AM old-school aren't I?  And a cheap-skate too!

So anyway, eventually the guy caught my drift and understood why I didn't want their magnificent "free" offer.  He was a nice guy, just doing his job, so I wasn't rude (for a change) and actually enjoyed our little back and forth.  I did say that, of course, they will stop sending me text messages?  I think he agreed to that but they'll probably keep on coming. 

By the way, I just had a look at their ad on their website, and look at the guy they have promoting the offer there!  Look to the left... dodgy, or what?  LOL

So, what is the old expression, beware of Greeks bearing gifts?  Also beware of ISP's offering them too, not that they are your enemy of course, as in the old saying.  Well not so far anyhow.  And I will continue to use my semi-ancient, non-high-tech little Nokia for as long as I can.  I know, one day, like my beloved Windows XP, I will have to advance, but I am in no hurry, thank you.

Anne Sewell

Prince puts luxury Marbella mansion up for sale

If you have a cool 5.6 million euros handy, you too could live in the style of the legendary artist formerly known as Prince.   

Bought as a present for his former wife, Prince has decided to get rid of his luxurious Marbella mansion.

Mayte García, Prince’s former wife, was the ‘you’ in his first and legendary hit ‘For you’.  Considered by Prince to be “the most beautiful girl in the world”, the former Latin dancer became his wife on Valentine’s Day of 1996.

Prince held a concert in Marbella in 1990 and fell in love with the city and its luxurious side, including Rolls Royces, Ferraris and luxurious villas.  He bought a plot in an area of Marbella known rather appropriately as “El Paraíso” or the paradise.  Located in an ideal position close to the beach, he later built the perfect mansion as his wedding gift to Mayte.  The house was a place where Prince was at his happiest and also at his most miserable.

With the tragic loss of his son, a week after birth, and later breakdown of his marriage, Prince vowed never to set foot in the house again

The house still retains some of the original detail from their days of living there, but has now been renovated and is up for sale at 5.6 million euros.

Covering 890 square meters on a plot measuring almost 6,000 square meters, the house exudes luxury from every angle.  The property has a huge imperial staircase and a spectacular chandelier.  The floors in all eleven bedrooms (with en suite with private terrace) are marble.  On site there is an outdoor swimming pool (heated) together with Jacuzzi, as well as a gym and tennis court right next to the beautiful tropical garden.

So there you go, luxurious home or perfect holiday getaway all for you, if you have that kind of money!