April 2022 | Page 11

News

Spain supports Ukraine

Holiday promotion
Spain is reported to be investigating over 900 individuals and companies with links to Russia . However , the Ministry of Finance has warned that its specialist staff will take , “ months , if not years ,” to arrive at conclusions .
Since early March , investigators are reported to have been trying to unravel the complex assets and interests of those in Spain who are close to Russia ’ s Vladimir Putin . There are around 80,000 Russians registered as living in this country but , according to State security forces , none of these faces restrictions .
Instead , investigations are continuing into those who are close to the Kremlin , those who have visited Spain numerous times and those who have assets here , including luxury yachts . One of these , an 85-metre-long vessel named Valerie ( pictured ) was seized by the authorities in Barcelona port in the middle of March . The owner is reported to have been a close friend of Putin since the era during which both worked for the KGB .
Spain has also agreed to join around 40 other countries in a lawsuit to be brought against Vladimir Putin alleging he is guilty of war crimes , crimes against humanity and genocide . Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said that the main objective of this , together with economic sanctions , is to “ isolate Putin and those around him more and more .”
Meanwhile , refugees from Ukraine began arriving in Spain throughout March , with the province of Málaga reportedly taking in most individuals in the region of Andalucía . The president of the Junta de Andalucía , Juanma Moreno , said that a total of around 1,200 adults and children would be welcomed in private homes , in youth hostels and in other accommodation made available by property owners .

Coronavirus update

All of Málaga province moved to coronavirus health alert Level 0 on March 17 . At the same time , the Andalucía region also dropped to Level 0 , with the exception of the province of Córdoba which remained on Level 1 .
The regional government says , unless things change , no restrictions are likely to be introduced over Easter , and has called on people to act sensibly and wear a mask in crowded spaces .
Meanwhile , the Ministry of Health in Madrid has said it is sticking to plans to end the compulsory use of face masks , even as the coronavirus cumulative incidence rate in Spain showed an increase . On March 13 , Health Minister Caolina Darias repeated that the obligation to wear a mask inside buildings would come to an end “ sooner or later .”
Tasers approved
Spain ’ s National Police force is to be supplied with Tasers . While some local forces already use the tool , Policia Nacional have been asking for the restraining device for some time . The weapon will be used collectively with the intention that one fully trained officer should be on duty during every shift .
A promotional video aimed at bringing to tourists back to Andalucía following the pandemic has won second prize at the Japanese Tourism Film Festival . The film has theme , “ Give yourself a treat , come to Andalucía ” and stars the Málaga-born actor Antonio Banderas . Over 1,700 entries from more than 100 countries were entered in the contest .
Drugs apology
Spanish TV channel TVG has apologised after two contestants on the quiz show Atrapame Se Podes ( Catch me if you can ) were questioned about the price of cocaine . They were asked whether a gram of the class A drug would cost € 6 or € 60 . Both answered correctly € 60 , but producers Voz Audiovisual said later that the question , sourced from a health ministry report on drugs , should not have been asked .
Dolmens Museum
The Dolmens Museum in Antequera was officially opened on March 6 by Juanma Morena , President of the regional government . The complex of ancient cultural monuments was classified as a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 2016 . The Junta de Andalucía has invested € 4.5 million from EU funds to develop what is expected to become an important tourist attraction .
Adif compensation
The railway infrastructure company Adif has been ordered to pay compensation of € 176,239 to the parents of a missing three-year-old whose body was found on a rail track at Pizarra in 2017 . The family of Lucia Vicar opened a civil case alleging a lack of diligence and a National High Court last month agreed with them . The ruling , which can be appealed , criticised Adif for a “ lack of collaboration in the search for the child .”
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