Latest news with #southernSpain
News.com.au
7 days ago
- News.com.au
Shocking moment cop slaps sunbather amid major crackdown on beach vendors
This is the shocking moment a Spanish police officer slapped a sunbather during a major crackdown on beach vendors. The jaw-dropping footage, captured in the holiday hotspot of Marbellain southern Spain, came as two people were arrested in police operations. The cop, who was wearing a helmet to protect his head, slapped an elderly man twice around the face despite the fact there seemed to be no prior physical provocation. The unidentified holidaymaker appeared to yell 'Hijo de puta' which in English would translate as 'Son of a b***h' before being slapped. Despite the video footage appearing to identify the police officer as the aggressor, the elderly tourist is understood to have been arrested. Stunned tourists looked on in horror as tensions between local police and street vendors in Marbella boiled over. Video clips show confrontations between the cops and vendors playing out. But the viral footage of the policeman slapping a bather is now being reviewed by the authorities. This incident is reported to have happened at around 4pm on Saturday, July 19, at Faro Beach in Marbella. Another holidaymaker in swimming trunks, filmed being surrounded by seven officers and pinned to the ground after a shouting match and a lot of fingerpointing, tried to intervene but also ended up getting arrested. Sources claimed today that one of the detainees threw a bottle at cops. He denies the allegation. An operation against street vendors of counterfeit goods was taking place there at the time of the clips. Other videos of the operation show cops riding around the area on quadbikes. One clip shows a cop riding up on his quadbike to a man carrying handbags on the beach. The man quickly sprints away from the police officer as he dismounts. The police officer stumbles and trips over in the sand as he attempts a pursuit. Other videos show bewildered tourists looking on as a chase is underway. Another appears to show a police officer pushing a man out of a cafe door as he pursues enquiries. Marbella Town Hall has not yet commented on the actions of the police officer seen slapping the tourist filmed insulting him at the weekend. They said the incident had happened during a routine police inspection against itinerant street trading. Police officers on quads are carrying out more regular inspections during the summer in Marbella.
Daily Mail
12-07-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The Costa del Sol gangster pub guide: Where criminals from Liverpool, Glasgow and beyond hang out between drug deals and hitjobs
If you're a gangster on the hunt for cash, concubines and cartel connections, you probably only have one destination in mind: the Costa del Sol. It is here in the seedy bars of southern Spain that some of the world's most deadly mafiosos gather to discuss huge drug deals and order gangland hits. Your browser does not support iframes.
Daily Mail
25-06-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
ROLAND WHITE reviews Why Cities Flood: Spain's Deadly Disaster - 'Astonishing footage of Spain's killer flood was an hour of non-stop drama'
One of the reasons that television is not an entirely reliable guide to world affairs is that it can't resist a dramatic picture. The news is very good at fires and rocket attacks and waves lashing the coastline in high winds, but less confident about issues that involve dull people in suits sitting around a table. Why Cities Flood: Spain 's Deadly Disaster was pretty much an hour's worth of non-stop drama as it recalled flash floods which overwhelmed parts of southern Spain in October last year, killing more than 230 people. There were people dangling from balconies over raging waters as neighbours frantically tried to pull them to safety. One street scene had so many cars piled up on top of each other that it looked more like a scrapyard. A lot of the drama came from mobile phone footage. As a motorist tried to escape from an underground car park, he filmed the water rising rapidly up his door and noted (in Spanish), with admirable understatement: 'This is getting tricky.' Tricky? He was lucky to escape with his life. In another basement car park, seven people died. British visitor Karen-Marie Loftus and her husband were on a motorway near Valencia when they were caught in the storm. 'I had never seen rain quite like it,' she said. Just five minutes after the storm began, water started seeping into the car. Then the engine cut out. By now, the water was so high that they couldn't open the doors. They managed to escape through a window, and a Moroccan lorry driver let them into his cab and carried them to safety. Four hours later, they received a mobile phone alert, letting them know heavy rain was on the way. Those alerts weren't the only way that the people of the region felt let down by government. As one flood victim complained: 'The army, police, civil guard — they were nowhere to be seen.' It was a civilian army of neighbours — arriving in their thousands with mops and buckets and spades — who began the clear-up work. When King Felipe and Queen Letizia visited the area, they were pelted with mud. In between the astonishing footage, Why Cities Flood wasn't short on analysis. The mobile phone alerts were late, it appears, because sensors were giving misleading data. And U.S. severe storms expert Jonathan Gourley explained how difficult it was to predict intense rainfall. Is it going to be a catastrophic event, or just a normal thunderstorm? Global warming got a brief mention, but the biggest danger seems to be our bizarre appetite for building on flood plains. Why Cities Flood should be required viewing for any councillor who is about to grant planning permission for a housing estate.
The Sun
17-06-2025
- The Sun
Spanish ‘beach' in lesser-visited city is one of Europe's warmest with average highs of 31C
THE hottest and sunniest European beaches have been revealed - and an honourable mention goes to one that isn't even on the coast. Saga Holidays has put together a list of Europe's sunniest beaches, and has revealed that Valdearenas Beach in Córdoba is one of them - despite being nowhere near the sea. 5 5 Valdearenas Beach is in the landlocked city of Córdoba - which was one of the top trending European destinations in 2025. The beach is completely man-made, sits on the banks of the Iznájar Reservoir and has sandy shores. But the best part is that in the high season, average temperatures reach up to 31C. According to Saga Holidays, Valdearenas Beach outperforms two coastal competitors in Badajoz, Playa de Cheles and Playa de Orellana, by 1C. One visitor on Tripadvisor described it as being a "great lakeside beach with lovely lake for swimming or kayaking or pedaloing! Not crowded or touristy." Another said: "The views are incredible. Some mornings it is just so quiet, you feel like the only person on earth." Anyone wanting a dip will be happy to know that you can enjoy swimming, rent kayaks and pedal boats, or try paddleboarding. During the summer months, the water turns a vibrant blue and the golden sands become a sunbathers paradise. Some visitors remarked it can appear even hotter as there is no shade apart from some provided by the sun umbrellas that pop up during the summer. The beach is about an hour inland from the southern coast of Spain. The Spanish beach resort named the best in the country 5 5 As for the city of Córdoba, it is known for having the most UNESCO sites in the world. These include the Mosque-Cathedral, the historic city centre, the Festival of the Patios (Courtyards), and Medina Azahara. The culture capital is popular for anyone wanting to take a close look at history with the Mosque-Cathedral being built in the 8th century. For anyone who wants to see something particularly spectacular, schedule a visit to Córdoba during the Festival of the Patios. The event is held during the first two weeks in May - and has been since 1921. This annual event showcases the city's most beautiful and historic courtyards, which are decorated with flowers and are opened to the public. Córdoba is an hour's drive away from Seville where Sun Travel found cheap wine and beautiful royal palaces. Down towards the coast is also this underrated Spanish beach destination that's popular for winter sun.
