Intense protests flared up last December in communities opposed to Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa’s plans to build two maximum-security prisons in sensitive ecosystems and Indigenous territories without consulting local populations Indigenous communities blocked major roads and held almost daily marches for more than two weeks The target of their protests is a planned facility slated to be built near an existing prison on the outskirts of Archidona The government’s decision to roll back its plans is a clear “political triumph of the mobilized people,” says Andres Tapia Arias a publication affiliated with the national Indigenous movement CONAIE and former communications director of CONFENAIE “It’s evident that the government has a vision far removed from the needs of local communities especially those in the Amazon,” Tapia Arias tells Mongabay by phone from Archidona But the prison plans are far from scrapped they’ve been moved to the coastal province of Santa Elena — already the site of another controversial prison that’s already under construction they are condemning us to extinction,” Cabrera says reforming and providing prison rehabilitation systems “[Noboa’s] whole plan is isolated and not very technical which will simply widen the context of violence this is worrying,” Bastias Robayo tells Mongabay Neither the Ministry of Environment and Water in charge of undertaking environmental impact assessments and approving large-scale infrastructure projects had confirmed an interview by the time of publication when the community learned it was the selected site for President Noboa’s second maximum-security project and by the beginning of December thousands had joined the fight environmentalists and nearby Indigenous communities with protesters saying a maximum-security prison nearby could intensify this illegal activity “The fact that a prison is also being built is perceived by the population as even more insecurity,” Tapia Arias says a biologist and technical adviser to the Federation of Indigenous Organizations of Napo (FOIN) says the new prison would have been unlikely to drive large-scale deforestation given that it had been planned for an urban area next to an existing minimum-security prison garbage and sewer systems to support a population of 800 new inmates could have had a big impact on nearby forests and rivers as well as on dozens of communities downstream Meza says the community did “not have access to these studies as they have been handled with total secrecy.”  It’s unclear if the quick transition to Salinas allowed for an environmental impact assessment or a consultation with local communities there to be undertaken the Bajada de Chanduy commune learned in March 2024 about the maximum-security prison planned just 10 km (6 mi) north of their community in an area long disputed with the neighboring Juntas del Pacifico commune which also claims ancestral connections to the land saying it acquired it when a Juntas del Pacifico resident put it up as collateral for a loan back in the 1990s — an act that today would be considered illegal Though the president of Juntas del Pacifico signed an agreement to allow the prison in the territory and some residents have benefited from jobs on the construction site many locals told Mongabay last September that they were never consulted and never agreed to the project They expressed concerns about their security and what impact it would have on their community crops Bajada de Chanduy residents have been protesting the construction since March, holding press conferences and denouncing the construction plans They’ve filed requests for access to information about the project and asked a judge to issue an injunction to halt the works In December, they filed a lawsuit against prison authority SNAI and the Ministry of Environment and Water, demanding an immediate halt to construction, saying it violates the commune’s right to free, prior and informed consent, and their right to their cultural heritage. They say the project also violates the Constitution which declares the tropical dry forest a “fragile and threatened ecosystem” that must be protected Experts are also concerned the prison will have irreversible effects on the dry forest, one of the country’s most threatened habitats nearly 30 hectares of the dry forest — an area the size of nearly 56 football fields — have been cleared Commune resident Cabrera says drainage pipes are now being laid down from the construction site to the nearby river which serves as a source of drinking water for many nearby communes Jaime Camacho, a Guayaquil-based biologist and consultant, says that despite its name, the dry forest is rich with wildlife; more than 75 bird species and 19% of its vegetation are endemic to the area Dry forests are also important for maintaining moisture in the soil which many communes depend on for their small crops The new prison would also require the expansion of highways for access the creation of sewage and waste disposal systems and possibly building housing and other infrastructure for the workers — all of which will put even more pressure on the forest It would also open up the area to outsiders facilitating agriculture expansion and illegal hunting Banner image: Women get together in Archidona to create protest signs to accompany their peaceful protest against the construction of a maximum security prison in the region Courtesy of the group Mujeres contra la cárcel FEEDBACK:  Use this form to send a message to the author of this post The “fortress conservation” model is under pressure in East Africa as protected areas become battlegrounds over history and global efforts to halt biodiversity loss Mongabay’s Special Issue goes beyond the region’s world-renowned safaris to examine how rural communities and governments are reckoning with conservation’s colonial origins and trying to forge a path forward […] A 90-year-old man was found dead in his car that had crashed into the façade of a house in the town of Archidona to the north of Malaga province at the weekend The incident happened on Saturday morning and the man was pronounced dead upon the arrival of the emergency services locals alerted the 112 Andaluciá emergency line who sent the Local Police provincial fire brigade and an ambulance to the scene Firefighters recovered the body of the driver A police investigation has been launched to determine whether the death of the man behind the wheel had caused the collision or vice versa Comentar es una ventaja exclusiva para registrados Beatriz Archidona's statements have caused a stir | en.edatv.news, Mediaset LIFESTYLE Urgent statement from Beatriz Archidona host of 'De Viernes': 'A bomb'The host of the Telecinco show has spoken candidly about the future celebrities who will come to the set.08/02/2025 08:38:00h by María Merino All because of an urgent statement she made regarding the show she talked about several famous personalities who are closer than ever to appearing on the show Beatriz Archidona attended the Gen Z awards gala and kindly spoke to the press there she confirmed that she will now be working exclusively on ¡De Viernes! and others that are also good are coming." When asked which figure she would like to have on the set whom I won't name because I'm superstitious Beatriz Archidona has spoken at the Gen Z awards | Instagram @bearchidonaWhen it was suggested that she might be referring to Isabel Pantoja the host smiled without confirming or denying I'm not going to say yes or no about Isabel." she immediately expanded her list of possible interviewees indicating that the singer seems to be one of them And then there's a man who is currently very much in the news and needs to sit down too." The only name Beatriz Archidona dared to mention and would like to have on her set is José Manuel Díaz-Patón "What have we done all our lives without Patón the Ágatha-Patón combo seems like a fantasy." Beatriz Archidona is very clear about the celebrities she would like to see on her show | MediasetThese statements have caused expectations about a possible interview with Díaz-Patón on Telecinco's Friday show she made it clear that working with both Terelu and the rest of the show's collaborators is wonderful "The truth is that right now we've found a very good balance Beatriz Archidona has hinted that her show has interviews prepared that promise to surprise the audience the clues given have caused endless speculation and expectations about who will be the next protagonists And Isabel Pantoja's name is gaining more and more traction Archidona announced a day of mourning after the sudden death of a 19-year-old man on Sunday 2 March He was exercising with his father in the calisthenics area of the park on Avenida Pablo Ruiz Picasso at around 9am when the young man felt unwell and fainted The emergency services called by his dad were unable to resuscitate him The local council in Archidona - a town in the north of the province of Malaga - postponed the carnival activities that were scheduled for Sunday to next weekend as a sign of respect for the young man and his family "The municipal authorities express their deepest condolences and join in the grief of his family and friends at this difficult time," the town hall said in a statement He had already passed the first exam to begin his training with the Guardia Civil and was preparing for the second physical test he began to feel unwell while warming up for the training session on Sunday and collapsed to the ground The young man's family is originally from Archidona but they left to work in Ibiza years ago and later moved to Cordoba he and the rest of the family were visiting his grandparents The interview given by José Manuel Díaz-Patón to ¡De Viernes promised to be one of the most talked-about moments of the night The lawyer broke his silence after his breakup with Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada but no one expected what happened behind the scenes Díaz-Patón appeared visibly affected and broke down in tears something that Bea Archidona did not hesitate to reveal live The host's revelation added an unexpected twist to the story off-camera the situation was very different The emotion and strain after talking about his relationship with the designer took a toll on the lawyer José Manuel Díaz-Patón's unexpected reaction after his first post-breakup interview | TelecincoThis detail has caused a great stir as it shows a more human and vulnerable side of the protagonist What led José Manuel Díaz-Patón to break down in tears away from the media spotlight How has this breakup really affected his personal life José Manuel Díaz-Patón's presence on the show was no coincidence. Since his relationship with Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada ended While the designer had spoken days earlier about the breakup the lawyer explained how his growing public notoriety had been a determining factor in the separation "More like a broken heart," he replied when asked if this was an open-hearted interview The lawyer admitted that he did not watch his ex's interview live but I knew it was going to go that way and since I know how Ágatha is I expected the worst and it was the worst," he expressed there is still evident discomfort between them The real reasons for the separation between José Manuel Díaz-Patón and Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada | TelecincoMeanwhile Ágatha had mentioned that there was still a pending conversation between them something that José Manuel Díaz-Patón confirmed has not happened I think a few days need to pass to return to normal with my friends and my children," he explained making it clear that he prefers to distance himself for now One of the most debated topics has been what exactly led to the end of this relationship what hurt him the most was the lack of support from Ágatha when he was embroiled in controversy because I would have done anything for her," he confessed hinting that he expected support that never came Bea Archidona wanted to clarify her point of view and explained to him that it was not his fame that bothered the designer it was the way he acted at a delicate moment for her José Manuel Díaz-Patón breaks down in tears after talking about his breakup with Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada | Telecinco"What bothered her is not your fame but that at a complicated moment for her when she had messed up Her fear was that it would affect her professionally that you would add fuel to the fire," the host told him José Manuel Díaz-Patón listened alertly but made it clear that his perception remains the same he did everything to protect their relationship while he did not receive the same in return The interview had been intense and full of contained emotions, but what happened during the commercial break was what really made an impact. According to Bea Archidona the lawyer couldn't hold back the tears and sought refuge in the privacy of the backstage you took out a handkerchief," the host revealed bluntly José Manuel Díaz-Patón had no choice but to admit it: "I left because I didn't want anyone to see me," he confessed sincerely reminding him that there is nothing wrong with showing his feelings "It's okay for people to see you cry and express your feelings," she told him Bea Archidona reveals José Manuel Díaz-Patón's toughest moment off-camera | MediasetThese words made the moment even more moving the lawyer showed his most vulnerable side one that the public was unaware of and that has caused a great number of reactions José Manuel Díaz-Patón's appearance on ¡De Viernes has been more than an interview: it has been a reflection of his state after the breakup with Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada Bea Archidona has revealed his most vulnerable moment showing that behind the firmness he exhibited on set Will he be able to overcome this stage or will he remain marked by his story with the designer Editado por Catherin López2024-12-25 15:28:08 The protests in the Amazonian town of Archidona against the plans of the government of President Daniel Noboa to build a maximum-security prison in this area the inhabitants have maintained their mobilizations carrying out various actions such as road blockades and even the occupation of the governor's office of Napo The protests intensified when the indigenous movement and other social organizations of the Andean country joined them and threatened to spread to the entire Amazon region that the project was officially approved in an arbitrary manner and without prior consultation with the communities in the area a right established in the 2008 Constitution approved under the government of then-President Rafael Correa The residents of Archidona also fear for the safety of children and adolescents as there are four schools near the area where the plant will be built which are attended by approximately 4,000 minors They also point out that economic activities essential to their livelihood has criticized the prioritization of such a project and not the execution of works to improve education health and the road system in Napo due to alleged government budget shortfalls Ecuador's National Assembly also approved a resolution calling on the president to desist from building a maximum-security prison in Napo and elsewhere in the Amazon The conflict led to the resignation of the governor of Napo due to the lack of response from the government to the demands of the citizens of the area But Noboa persists in his plans and last week the construction of the second mega-prison was awarded to a company he already made official the construction of another maximum-security prison which will be located in the coastal province of Santa Elena which has also provoked the rejection of the inhabitants of the area These projects are part of the so-called Phoenix Plan Noboa's strategy to confront violence and organized crime which has been questioned by various sectors of society for not developing other actions that lead to the improvement of the living conditions of Ecuadorians and close the door to criminality Para começar a receber notícias pelo correio insira seu endereço no quadro seguinte You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed On Monday 26 February the terrible news reached us that our gifted former Egyptology student – and former student assistant at the Leids Papyrologisch Instituut – Juan Archidona Ramírez had succumbed to cancer Juan had been studying Egyptology since 2012 within the cluster Oude Culturen van de Mediterrane Wereld (Ancient Cultures of the Mediterranean World) Once he had found his niche within Egyptology – viz the study of Abnormal Hieratic and Demotic the two most cursive scripts ever used in Ancient Egypt – things took off in earnest Already during his MA studies he made his debut as a speaker at a congress in Copenhagen while publishing two very difficult Abnormal Hieratic papyri in the Revue d’Égyptologie and the Bollettino dei Monumenti Musei e Gallerie Pontificie He also attended a Hieratic master class at the Institut français d’archéologie orientale in Cairo and worked as an intern at the papyrus collection of the Museo Egizio in Turin His MA thesis on the use of dots in Abnormal Hieratic is still being cited by colleagues worldwide and after this he still published several articles and chapters in books about cursive Egyptian papyri such as a catalogue of the Demotic collection of the Vatican (with Elena Hertel) the Abnormal Papyrus Vaucelles (with Koen Donker van Heel Cary Martin and several of his mostly international fellow students and – if possible – a PhD on the history of written Hieratic In 2021 Juan became a PhD candidate at LIAS and in the end he found working with big data just as fascinating as the cursive scripts from Ancient Egypt Early September 2023 he wrote that his innocent-looking pneumonia had been diagnosed as cancer but in the end Juan was forced to give up the fight We will severely miss his always spontaneous and open personality R-evolution’s very large solar facility in southern Spain is operational and turning a profit Crucial to the initiative is an array of advanced Hexagon sensor systems and visualization platforms which Hexagon calls the world’s first flying laser scanner The sun rises brightly above the everlasting province of Malaga in Andalusia Revealed to us is the historic town of Archidona where today’s worldly wanderers explore atmospheric streets to find the grand they relax and enjoy a cold drink in one of the hottest and driest climates in Spain ancient hills and fields are dotted with almond But there is also something very new in the foothills of the Sierra de Gracia and it also has something to do with the sun where Hexagon Group’s R-evolution is deploying a range of advanced Hexagon technologies in a commercially viable reality-capture technologies being put to work is the airborne BLK2FLY collecting data for a highly detailed and regularly updated digital twin of the facility “We launched our first solar park in Archidona in June of last year,” said Erik Josefsson Hexagon’s sustainable innovation and green-tech investment subsidiary We’ll combine the two and run them as a single facility.” Altogether the Archidona solar park covers just under 100 acres (about 40 hectares) “That’s like 56 football fields,” Josefsson said “We’re producing a roughly 16.4 megawatt peak you could say we’re able to supply 6,000 households with electricity.” The site’s approximately 40,000 solar panels are mounted on automatic “and that means they take both radiation from the sun directly but also indirectly with what is reflecting from the ground “This has been a journey of development,” he added “It was nearly five years of development for our partner Then R-evolution stepped in and acquired the site we have been moving from what we call RTB—that is ‘ready-to-build’—to COD—’connected-to-the-grid’—and really generating cash.” With the second part of the facility only recently up and running running down to Spain from Sweden (where he’s based) overseeing subcontractors and making sure all the bolts are on tight making sure the site fulfills its mission of becoming a profitable concern Archidona is not a typical use-case for BLK2FLY The most difficult challenge is the sheer size of the area that we need to scan “We’re taking geospatial data and combining that with our digital representation of the solar park,” Josefsson explained “and then we can start to do advanced simulations The first simulations that we’ve done are about how we can actually cool the panels better We use Hexagon’s Leica laser scanning solutions to create a point cloud of the solar park “BLK2FLY is one of Hexagon’s most exciting autonomous reality capture technologies,” said Pascal Strupler Strupler operates the BLK2FLY flying laser scanner at the Archidona site a critical tool in the creation of the digital twin of the park “Archidona is not a typical use-case for BLK2FLY,” Strupler said “The most difficult challenge is the sheer size of the area that we need to scan Flying a pattern with flight paths 10 meters wide and with scanning speeds of 2 meters/second it can take a while to scan the whole area.” so it can plan its own scan trajectory optimally following surfaces while traveling the shortest distance,” Strupler said “The operator just sits back and monitors the flight In case there is some manual flight needed the full spherical obstacle avoidance system prevents the manual user from flying into any impediment in the environment.” Getting the BLK2FLY set up and in the air is a breeze Just take it out of its transportation case start the BLK2FLY Live app and wait for the connection it makes sense to use traditional 2D map area scanning,” he added you open the 2D map and draw a polygon over the area of the solar plant you want scanned A minimum altitude can be defined and in our case we set it at 10 meters above ground.” By scanning up close like this with LiDAR the team can visualize not just the front panel surfaces but also what’s below and behind the panels including mounting structures and power converters “this model can be a useful input for creating wind and cooling simulations.” BLK2FLY automatically adapts its flight altitude based on any structures it perceives while scanning It flies a pattern at a given speed based on scan preferences taking into account desired scan point density the BLK2FLY returns to the take-off location and lands autonomously The battery can be hot-swapped in 10 seconds and the system is immediately ready to take off again “An onboard power system keeps the system running while you’re swapping out the battery,” Strupler said With a set of six batteries—one in operation and five charging—BLK2FLY can go on flying indefinitely.” The BLK2FLY isn’t the only drone you’re liable to spot on a given day at the solar park so it can scan vast areas of land for our reality capture needs,” Josefsson said “we also use drones to just get visual images of the site to be able to look and check that things are going right You don’t need anything specific for that and we often use commercially available drones I always have a small one with me when I go to different project sites get pictures and see how things are progressing.” We’re going to see these systems doing things and reaching spaces that we couldn’t reach before…” The Archidona team also needs thermal imagery “We get data from heat cameras to be able to see if they are any hot spots on the panels,” Josefsson said we have special drones that are equipped with that and can supply specific kinds of data for solar panel inspection software We don’t have that type of drone system at Hexagon R-evolution employs a range of Hexagon-made digital technologies at the Archidona site Hexagon systems in place include OxBlue professional construction cameras Leica RTC360 and BLK2GO handheld laser scanners and the Leica BLK247 smart surveillance system BLK247 is particularly notable as a fully autonomous video and thermal imaging sensors to accurately detect security breaches performing real-time change detection in 3D visualization and collaboration platform for reality capture and geospatial data while the HxGN Content Program provides unlimited access to aerial imagery in the AOI (area of interest) the Archidona team uses Cradle CFD to run simulations of the park “BLK2FLY has a built-in LTE connection,” Strupler said “so the data can be directly uploaded into the HxDR cloud we can also offload the data to a workstation using USB-C.” “It’s quite a big capital investment,” Josefsson said about the Archidona project “The thing with this is that you then have a recurring cash flow that you actually generate It’s not that Hexagon is looking to become a utility company but we are helping to create stability for these new types of ventures very profitable business from the perspective purely of selling electricity.” “We’re seeing more and more autonomous vehicles out there There’s been a lot of wishful thinking so far The prices are getting to where they need to be and the type of new solutions that are getting added to our drone capabilities are just amazing like what we’ve seen recently with cheap and simple commercial drones being used in warfare You don’t need to be an expert to pilot these things because they are so smart And when you start to reach that level of simplicity We’re going to see these systems doing things and reaching spaces that we couldn’t reach before anything from emergency response to what we’re doing in green tech Everyone can use this technology and that’s going to mean significant growth We’re going to see it peaking everywhere.” Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Diálogo Américas Ecuadorian nongovernmental organization Citizenship and Development Foundation (FCD) warns that the corporate structure and presence in strategic infrastructure sectors of Puentes y Calzadas Infraestructuras S.L. a subsidiary in Ecuador of state-owned China Road and Bridge Corporation is a calculated move to strengthen the political influence of China and expand its control in the region “The fact that the final beneficiary is an entity linked to the Chinese Communist Party demands greater scrutiny to avoid the possible geopolitical risks that this relationship could bring to the country,” the FDC states in a February report “It is essential to evaluate not only the company’s technical capacity to execute projects but also the possible risks associated with dependence on foreign state actors.” Another aspect the FDC researchers question is the way in which this Chinese company wins million-dollar contracts In a single process and without apparent competition the National Service for the Comprehensive Care of Adults Deprived of Liberty and Adolescent Offenders (SNAI) awarded Puentes y Calzadas a $52 million contract to build the El Encuentro prison in the Santa Elena province Puentes y Calzadas was invited to bid for the construction of a mega-prison in Archidona The indigenous people of this Amazonian region they blocked access to the province’s main roads and took control of the Governor’s Office Ecuador’s Official Public Procurement System declared the contract for the construction of the Archidona prison void “because it is unfavorable to national interests.” “The [construction] process for Archidona was declared void because there was a breach of contract for reasons attributed to the winning tenderer This means that the government awarded the contract asked them [Puentes y Calzadas] for the required qualifying documents a public procurement expert at Ecuadorian firm Morán Consultores “Something happened; it hasn’t been published and it’s not clear Both the El Encuentro and Archidona prison contracts lack transparency having been declared confidential with no access to information containing characteristics or technical specifications of the works that involve the Chinese company Spanish media Economía Digital Galicia reported “Only if the documents were published would it be possible to see if this corresponds to any international cooperation agreement,” Morán added “Puentes y Calzadas could be declared a failed bidder and would not be able to bid again in Ecuador for at least three years you have to provide performance guarantees of good use of advance payment and documents must be submitted,” Morán said “That’s the part that corresponded to the supplier: to comply in order to sit down and sign the contract Puentes y Calzadas has a history of controversy in Ecuador ranging from allegations of illegal property purchases to irregular procedures in the projects it carries out for the State its success in winning tenders raises questions,” Morán concluded For more on security and defense issues around the globe The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature The National Universities’ Trade Union Front led a protest rally in Buenos Aires on Monday December 2 demanding wage increases for educators and supporting staff so that no one has to spend Christmas under the poverty line according to one of the leaders of the protest The workers are also demanding improvements in working conditions The rally took place at the offices of the Education Ministry in the wealthy Reocoleta district of the city The Education Ministry and the Milei administration have refused to negotiate with educators and supporting staff Wages for both categories of workers increased by 2 percent in November way below the inflation rates for the previous month The government refuses to negotiate on working conditions Protests led by the two factions of the Peronist Central Union of Argentine Workers (CTA) The rallies demanded a “fighting strategy” and a national general strike to fight the austerity policies of the Milei administration Protesting with striking CTA members were students and members of the Mothers of the Disappeared during the 1976-1983 military dictatorship one-day strikes took place by government workers Absent from the demonstration was the General Labor Confederation the largest union federation in the country On November 19 the CGT apparatus declared a “truce” with the Milei administration postponing all strike action at least until 2025 and declaring that a “fighting strategy” was not necessary at this conjuncture slowdowns also took place among railroad workers and press workers Scores of protesters marched and rallied in the industrial city of São Paulo Brazil to denounce the latest instance of police violence and to demand the removal of the regional Security Minister Guilherme Derrite The demonstrators rallied in front of São Paulo’s Municipal Theatre December 2 a group of 13 military motorcycle police had thrown a man that they had been chasing from a bridge into the muddy and infected waters of a river below The victim would have died had he not been rescued by people below This attack was preceded by other incidents over the last few weeks that have also gone viral in social media São Paulo police killed 580 people between January and September 2024 this number represented an increase of 55 percent for white victims and 80 percent for black victims a military police agent fired 11 bullets at the back of a black youth who had stolen some cleaning products in a market a 4-year-old was killed by military police while playing in the sidewalk in the coastal city of Santos Two days later police officers surrounded the 4-year-old’s wake and tried to film the event an unarmed 22-year-old medical student was executed by a military police agent for resisting arrest for vandalizing a police vehicle protested on December 3 and 4 against the construction of a maximum-security prison The demonstrators were joined by representatives of Indigenous communities in Napo Province A statement issued in a leaflet distributed at the protest march denounces the “irreversible impact that this prison will have on the area.” Instead it calls on Napo officials to “prioritize the real needs of peoples in the area declared: “We give the government 24 hours to stop this project we will radicalize our activities and make use of our right to resistance.” Angry demonstrators questioned why they were denied the right to express their opinions before the prison project was launched a year ago The construction of maximum-security prisons was one of the election promises of Ecuador’s President Noboa The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) says that nearly 5,000 healthcare workers at seven Providence hospitals and seven clinics across the state have now voted to authorize a strike as contract talks continue The latest strike vote took place at Providence Seaside An ONA statement said that “dangerous practices like understaffing critical care units and emergency rooms that delay care and endanger patients” were some of the key issues under negotiations The bargaining unit includes newly organized doctors The ONA called a walkout a “last resort.” 1,800 Providence St Vincent nurses in Portland voted to authorize strike for the second time this year 3,000 Providence staff struck at six locations for three days over staffing levels and other issues in a largely choreographed action that allowed the hospital to maintain its operations The walkout followed months of fruitless negotiations The ONA agreed to end the walkout with no contract settlement Some 250 faculty and staff rallied with student support at the University of Massachusetts Amherst December 5 to protest low wages and poor working conditions Chanting “UMass bosses make the money—while workers’ families go hungry,” members of AFSCME 1776 the University Staff Association and the Graduate Employee Organization are all in negotiations with UMass management Workers charge that UMass wages are far behind other institutions A survey of clerical and technical staff workers with the University Staff Association found one out of three suffered from food insecurity When workers quit UMass to find better pay the workload falls on remaining workers as management refuses to find replacements “UMass needs to stop acting like a Wall Street bank and invest in the staff and faculty who help our students succeed,” Andrew Gorry “This campus is seeing massive surpluses—over $100 million excess cash for two years running—while its employees take on second jobs and struggle to put food on the table This is what failed leadership looks like.” UMass has seen well over 100 arrests of anti-genocide protesters this year The Seattle Art Museum (SAM) issued their “last and final offer” December 4 to museum security workers who are in their second week on strike over wages Workers organized back in 2022 and after two years of bargaining are still without a contract SAM VSO (VSO stands for Visitors Services Officers) began bargaining for a wage rate of $27 an hour Museum management’s final offer is $23.25 and in a threat to workers they indicated that offer will expire December 20 But even the SAM VSO request falls far short of a living wage The Seattle Times has reported that a renter in the city would need to make $40.38 an hour in order to rent a one-bedroom apartment Workers are also seeking a union shop and the full restoration of retirement benefits that were slashed during the COVID-19 pandemic About 70 healthcare workers at Essentia Health’s clinic and nursing home in Deer River Minnesota were slated to strike December 9 unless management met their demands members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) carried out a five-day strike in early November that failed to move management Essentia Health is using the excuse that the Deer River facilities service a rural community and therefore require substandard wages bargaining unit member and 20-year veteran at Deer River “We do the same work as other facilities and are tired of not getting paid the same … We’ve seen such a reduction in staffing levels and are so overworked It is unacceptable that we are so undervalued.” Essentia Health workers receive on average 5 percent less pay than their counterparts at other healthcare systems workers outside the SEIU bargaining unit who receive higher pay are allowed to float into their unit and perform SEIU labor But Essentia refuses to adjust workers’ wages upward rakes in $3.07 million in annual compensation About 200 Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) workers are in their third week of a strike for a significant wage increase and job security protections for seasonal workers a city of about 210,000 people just north of Toronto affects roads They have been without a new contract since March 31 The union points out that city management has received massive pay increases while workers are still being offered a pittance Top managers received pay raises from 2020-2023 which boosted their salaries by as much as 49 percent workers were receiving paltry annual raises averaging about 1.5 percent per year After four years of wage erosion due to inflationary spikes city management has only offered a 9.5 percent increase spread over three years Workers are demanding that due to the large percentage of low-paid employees in the bargaining unit a significant wage increase must be made as a flat rate offer for all because percentage increases mean that lower-paid workers receive less That arrangement could average out over two years to up to a 12 percent wage raise for lower-paid workers city management employs a large group of so-called seasonal workers with substandard contracts Yet these workers can work as much as 49 weeks a year Workers are demanding that these members of the bargaining unit be made permanent employees All the action from the seventh stage of La Vuelta where Ben O'Connor takes over the GC hot seat Hola and bienvenidos to Cyclingnews' live coverage of the stage seven at La Vuelta a España 2024 The neutralised start is approximately half an hour away so let's take a look at today's route.  will head inland towards the city of Córdoba The route isn't too arduous but the aptly named 'Alto del 14%' climb at 25km to go named after its 14% pinches on its upper slopes could be the perfect place for a late attack from a GC contender keen to recoup time Some news from the start this morning is that both Andreas Kron (Lotto Dstny) and Damiano Caruso (Bahrain-Victorious) won't start in Archidona.  who this morning was confirmed to be joining Uno-X Mobility for 2025 and 2026 is out of the race on concussion protocols.  here's a reminder of what happened yesterday Ben O'Connor wins stage 6 and takes race lead Here's how the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe camp reacted after they let the maillot rojo slip yesterday 'Things got out of hand' - Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe regret time gap secured by Ben O’Connor at Vuelta a España It's Ben O'Connor's first-ever day in a Grand Tour leader's jersey today All in on red! 🔴🤜❤️ ¡Todo al rojo!@ben_oconnor95 @decathlonAG2RLM #LaVuelta24 pic.twitter.com/CMat1KRrqTAugust 23, 2024 There's plenty of Australian fans at the start in Archidona showing their support for Ben O'Connor on his first day in the red jersey And the riders are rolling out from the neutralised start The start town of Archidona is a picture-postcard destination in the region.  It is a Historical Artistic Complex with the Baroque style Plaza Ochavada And the flag is dropped to give the official start for stage 7 It's a familiar face to make the first move today as Xabier Isasa (Euskaltel-Euskadi) accelerates from the bunch Isasa was the last survivor from a four-rider break on stage three The gap has extended to two minutes for our lone leader it could be a long day for the man from Urretxu The ideal first day in the GC lead for Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale with a sole leader to chase down It looks set to be just Isasa out front for the day - he leads by 4:06 now proved to be a tremendous setting for a stage start The pace has really gone out of the peloton with Isasa now holding a five minute advantage There might not have been many breakaway moves today in Andalusia but there's been plenty of transfer moves this Friday The Olympic road race silver medallist becomes the latest rider to move from Jumbo-Visma to Lidl-Trek Anna Henderson switches Visma-Lease A Bike for Lidl-Trek in 2025 And another British prospect has joined Ineos as they look to steady themselves amidst management changes Ineos Grenadiers sign Samuel Watson on two-year deal Not only did Ben O'Connor put on a Grand Tour leader's jersey for the first time thanks to yesterday's win but he also completed the set of Grand Tour stage wins The Aussie won on stage 17 of the 2020 Giro d'Italia then stage 9 of the following year's Tour de France It means he's the 111th rider to complete the hat-trick We wonder how long the peloton are going to give the 22-year-old The last time Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale held a Grand Tour leader's jersey was at the 2009 Tour de France with Rinaldo Nocentini The Italian held the jersey for a third of the race before eventually finishing 13th on GC Still eight minutes between our sole leader and the bunch.  Let's go through the classification leaders while the pace is low.  There's not much separating them currently but Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) leads Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) in the points classification Pavel Bittner (DSM-Firmenich PostNL) sits in third with 81 with the intermediate sprint the next obstacle on the road Alpecin-Deceuninck and Visma-Lease a Bike are the teams pulling in the bunch In the King of the Mountains classification Sylvain Moniquet (Lotto Dstny) leads the standings with 16 points Filippo Zana (Team Jayco AlUla) isn't far behind with 11 points Fun fact: Xabier Isasa has been in breakaways for 28% of the Grand Tour stages he's raced in...which is a total of seven Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) took over from Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain-Victorious) after his performance from the break yesterday The German leads the Italian by 11 seconds with Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto Dstny) a further three seconds back Interesting comments from Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe rider Nico Denz at today's start we don't want to heap any more pressure on Ben O'Connor after yesterday's stage win his win yesterday mirrors Sepp Kuss' performance last year when the American won stage 6 - distancing rivals on the GC - and then went on to win the red jersey There's 70km until our intermediate sprint in Córdoba We'll then head back out of town to tackle the day's only categorised climb The gap is down to 5:20 as Isasa showers himself with a water bottle supplied by a supporter.  Just over 50km until the intermediate sprint Did you know that it is host to more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other city in the world The Mezquita Catedral is a must-see if you're in the area The last time La Vuelta visited Córdoba was in 2021 when Danish rider Magnus Cort Nielsen was the stage winner from a large bunch sprint but he's giving his team plenty of screen time A fun first morning in the maillot rojo for Ben O'Connor earlier 🇪🇸 @lavuelta - Étape 7En route pour une première étape en tant que leader du classement général 👊🏻First stage as GC leader 👊🏻#DECATHLONAG2RLAMONDIALETEAM pic.twitter.com/yOzHwXrfgyAugust 23, 2024 The gap is down to 4:30 now as the riders roll through undulating terrain situated on a steep hill overlooking the town it's named after makes for a stunning backdrop as the bunch storms towards Córdoba If you're twiddling your thumbs while we wait for the Alto del 14% to arrive why not take a look at one of our latest long-reads A tale of two American Olympic champions 40 years apart we thought we'd look over some of the winners and losers of the red jersey battle so far Even though he lost the red jersey yesterday Primož Roglič has started La Vuelta well with a win on stage 4.  João Almeida and Enric Mas have also shown strong signs while youngster Lennert Van Eetvelt battled well against Roglič on stage 4 The likes of defending champion Sepp Kuss and Mikel Landa have had steady starts.  Ineos' Carlos Rodriguez and Thymen Arensman will be slightly underwhelmed with their displays so far 15km until the intermediate sprint and Isasa still leads by three minutes Isasa is just 10km away from the sprint in Córdoba he'll head down a gentle descent into town and should claim maximum points all being well There'll be some battles for best position in the bunch as the intermediate sprint comes into view This fight for position has increased the tempo further On offer at the intermediate sprint in just over 2km: then 17,15,13 and 10 points for the following four riders across the line Isasa is pretty much guaranteed the maximum 20 points The Basque rider heads through the finish line 40km before we'll pass through it for real.  Isasa gets his first reward for his efforts today as he's swallowed up by the bunch with 38km remaining Just 10km until the summit of the Alto del 14% as the road begins to ramp up there are ramps in the upper section that reach  (yep The bunch distances KOM leader Sylvain Moniquet as Visma-Lease a Bike up the pace in a bid to shake out the sprinters Jay Vine is a surprise casualty from this increase in pace He's dropped from the peloton with 4km still to climb It's now Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe on the front The speed isn't troubling Ben O'Connor currently but it might put some of his teammates to the sword Pavel Bittner is one of the sprinter casualties that won't contest today's finish Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe are burning quite a few matches here with both Martínez and Liopwitz putting in big efforts and then pulling aside.  Aleksandr Vlasov is guiding Primož Roglič now We've got a GC battle for the time being.  Thymen Arensman and Cian Uijtdebroeks are both going backwards.  Despite the GC contenders taking over on the climb Wout van Aert remains in that group.  There's about 20-25 riders left in the peloton Primož Roglič takes the maximum five points and six bonus seconds over the top Kaden Groves hits the deck after clipping Nairo Quintana's wheel as they reach the summit The fact that the Australian was alongside the Colombian shows how well he was climbing who took the four bonus seconds on the climb Marc Soler has managed to move away from the GC bunch on the descent.  He's got a small but solid gap of 17 seconds at the moment Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale are now pulling in the GC group.  Soler has reached the main descent with a lead of just 10 seconds Berthet's efforts have nearly reeled in Soler but he's not making it easy.  Felix Gall and a number of other Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale riders are also in the group.  Edward Planckaert crashes on a sharp corner He's not waiting for cohesion in the GC group as he accelerates off the front Pavel Sivakov is attempting to hunt down van Aert to protect his teammate Marc Soler's lead The defending champion is straight back to the front though attempting to reel in Soler for his teammate Wout van Aert Quinten Hermans is one of the other fast finishers in the chase group Marc Soler is giving off quite a grimace as he continues out ahead but there's only 50m between him and the bunch now The second group on the road have appeared out of nowhere David Gaudu springs a late attack amidst the confusion Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe are trying to reel in Sivakov but it's proving tricky Wout van Aert is in second wheel but the chase pack are still behind the UAE man with 500m to go Wout van Aert launches though and once he takes the lead The Belgian wins another stage at La Vuelta A top teammate performance from the defending champion Sepp Kuss.  The American buried himself in the final 10km to bring the race back together and it paid off for Visma-Lease a Bike with Pau Miquel taking a brilliant third for Equipo Kern Pharma "We always had this stage in mind for Wout but we knew it would be hard especially with the pace on the last climb.  "The pace was hard but when I saw Wout there I knew he was on a good day It was a 'sufferfest' to pull Soler back but it feels like a victory for me too it was really nice to be there with Wout." then takes two wins in the space of a week Now onto the stage winner and green jersey "I expected it to be a way bigger group to go to the finish I knew the climb on the circuit was hard but I didn't expect that the race would explode like it did.  I found myself with Sepp in the front group I don't think people know what it's like when you're below 60kg and you do those kinds of pulls on the flat I had goosebumps in the wheel and just wanted to finish it off." who now leads Kaden Groves by 41 points in the green jersey standings it's not only about winning but performing as a team and making challenging plans A part of that is that everybody is there to sacrifice himself for the other that's a huge example of our team philosophy." A relaxed reaction from red jersey leader Ben O'Connor after today's stage I wasn't surprised he [Roglič] went for the bonus but once again it wasn't like an explosive attack on the climb so I'm pretty comfortable with how it turned out.  "I can't really do much against Primož's sprint for the bonuses but you have to take a lot of bonuses to make up that amount of time." Archidona town hall has opened it's new motorhome parking area with which it aims to promote the popular form of touring Spain is equipped with a water point and drainage outlet system It is fully equipped to accommodate around 30 vehicles although that limit depends on the size of the visiting motorhomes it also provides information about local businesses to the visitors the location will avoid the saturation of the vehicles on the town's streets The opening ceremony was attended by some 230 people and more than 100 vehicles The president of the association of Andalusian caravanners (Asandac) said that the location of the new motorhome parking area near the motorway makes it highly attractive for visitors Archidona has great potential as a destination due to the value of the "cultural and gastronomic heritage" of the area as local businesses can flourish under the influence of tourism Francisco Fernández has owned the restaurant of reference in this Malaga province town for many years a fusion of traditional dishes from the Antequera region using local products and new culinary techniques to update these traditional recipes in more creative or avant-garde elaborations; although if we look at his menu it is immediately clear that most are based on popular and traditional cuisine that never goes out of fashion this restaurant has been committed to innovation since its beginnings The restaurant could not have a better location The square was built in 1786 by two architects who proposed to build an octagonal square following a French model Today this square is an Andalusian Heritage Site and has become a must-see for all first-time visitors to Archidona The establishment occupies four caves on the ground floor of a building in the square and it is in these spaces where the dining rooms and the kitchen itself are located All of this makes this restaurant unique in the region Arxiduna's menu is divided into several sections most of which is grilled over olive wood charcoal Among its specialities are dishes such as picaña de retinta braised venison loin and the so-called 'putaitas ibéricas' But perhaps the most appealing is not the traditional meats the chuletón croquettes or the pastela de salchichón de Málaga are dishes that must be tried on the first visit Don't leave without tasting the 'porra arxidunesa' with some variations on the 'porra antequerana' The wine offer in Arxiduna is a bit sparse although in its favour is the proliferation of wines with D.O Ajoblanco de pistachios (white garlic soup with pistachios) A clear example of Arxiduna's cooking philosophy An ajoblanco to which pistachios are added to give it more flavour and colour The finely chopped anchovies in vinegar add elegance in the mouth Porrilla de setas (cream of wild mushrooms) One of the seasonal specialities that most closely follows the traditional cuisine of the region this porrilla from Archidona where mushrooms Pastela de salchichón de Málaga (Malaga sausage tart) Originality and a restrained touch of creativity in crafting an exquisitely delicate pastry Tarta de zanahoria morada (purple carrot cake) A cake made with purple carrots is an original Address: Plaza Ochavada, 7. Telephone: 951 835 207. Web: www.restaurantearxiduna.com Closed: Monday Prices: Pasteña de salchichón: 5€; Picaña de vaca: 22€; Tarta de zanahoria: 5.50€ Rating: Cuisine: 7; dining room: 6.5; Wine list: 6 Rating: 7 / 10 This weekend's (20 to 22 September) musical lineup includes a tribute to Phil Collins and The Coovers at the Benalmádena municipal auditorium on Friday Alex O'Dogherty & La Bizarrería will present their fourth album Penúltimo Tributo will pay homage to Manolo García and El Último de la Fila at La Cochera the Benalmádena Auditorium will host Tributo a The Beatles en Familia The old cinemas in the centre of Malaga will take centre stage this Friday during a free cultural tour starting from the statue of the Marqués de Larios at 7pm Participants will discover where Disney classics first premiered in Malaga and hear anecdotes from the early days of cinema including the peculiarities of film distribution and exhibition at the time Those interested in taking part must register in advance at info@mickeymania.es The weekend closest to the anniversary of the famous bandit known as El Tempranillo's death marks a historical reenactment in Alameda the village where he died and where his remains are laid to rest will present a dramatisation of his life and death Algarrobo will take a step back in time with a reenactment of the failed burning of the town by the French during the War of Independence The Fiesta de la Quema will be held from Friday to Sunday transporting visitors back to early 19th-century Spain to commemorate the events of September 23 and 24 when the people of Algarrobo successfully prevented the destruction of their town by French soldiers Salares has organised a festival to pay tribute to its Andalusian heritage which returns this weekend for its 22nd edition of the Arab Andalusian Festival Bobadilla has celebrated the arrival of the train over a century and a half ago with its Fiesta del Ferrocarril which will take place from Friday to Sunday This year's event will recreate the unique atmosphere of the late 19th century and the early 20th century the historical re-enactment of the Villa de Casarabonela will take place which recalls the Moorish revolts of the 16th century under the nickname of 'Justicia' (justice) The market schedule in Malaga resumes its activities in September after a summer break One notable event is the Mercadillo del Inglés (English market) which returns this Saturday with an exciting new feature: its first-ever evening edition Tolox is hosting its annual Art Tolox event this weekend which will turn the town into a real open-air museum It will take place from 20 to 22 September and the activities will be free of charge Archidona is set to gather around a hundred vehicles from various parts of Spain for the 5th Classic Car Gathering organised by the Cofradía de la Humildad in collaboration with the local council.This event will take place this Sunday The cars will initially be on display at the local fairgrounds and they will drive through the streets of Archidona until they reach the Plaza Ochavada for a stop the beer festival will also be held in El Llano with musical performances and food truck stalls Yo Sobreviví a la EGB is a show that reminisces about the 1980s particularly highlighting the most outrageous situations experienced in school Jordi Merca will lead this performance at La Cochera which will include references to the television shows and music of the era There will also be comedy at the Selvatic comedy show by Rives which will welcome Mikel Bermejo this Sunday Carlos is serving a 25-year sentence for murder in the prison in Archidona "I lost my pawn; I should have thought about it more," he says Marwan is serving six years for two robberies "And this is my reward for making good decisions and not making mistakes again," he says before putting himself to the test on the 64 squares on the board halfway through his sentence for drug trafficking only thinks about getting out of there and teaching his son to play These men have all just lost a game of chess but they can't stop smiling because prisoners in Archidona escape mentally from their incarceration with a chess demonstration from grandmaster Ernesto Fernández Romero He competes simultaneously with 12 inmates in an activity organised by the Nelson Mandela education centre in collaboration with the Junta de Andalucía's AulaDjaque programme but something much more ambitious: to bring the tools that chess provides to unstructured lives and complex personalities The board helps them "to control impulsiveness" the behaviour which has resulted in many of them being behind bars "it's because you have made a mistake and you have to get better there is no room for excuses," says Fernández Every move you make "has consequences" and you can't go back but when you hear these arguments inside a prison The prisoners listen intently to Manuel Azuaga the founding partner of Ajedrez Social (Social Chess) in Andalucía who helps them to see that this sport opens a path to change for them "How many of you know the Shepherd's Mate?" he asks and a good number of them put their hand up knowing that it is one of the shortest checkmates that isn't knowing how to play chess," announces Azuaga To play a good game you have to think." And he warns them: "When you play Ernesto and they shake hands before and after each one a detail which may seem banal but has meaning in a conflictive environment the noise from more than 30 men turns into silence Their level of concentration is impressive They barely raise their heads from the board There is an occasional sigh from someone who can see the game becoming complicated in the background there is sound from the prison officers' walkie-talkies a constant reminder that this is not a conventional sports hall "I have played with a lot of enthusiasts who are not as good as these guys They have some very interesting basic knowledge," says Ernesto Fernández That's what happens when there are so many empty hours to fill There are two options in their module: parchís or chess he has become hooked again on a game he had given up during the years in which he was tempted by the money to be gained from drugs "It has made me realise that you always have to see the next move," he says Marwan discovered that chess helped him to make difficult decisions "And that is something I am going to keep with me all my life," he says He laughs when he admits that every night in his cell he mentally relives the game he lost earlier "There is no doubt that chess helps you cope with prison because you think about how you played," he says another prisoner is explaining his attitude: "If someone beats me because of my mistakes and not because of their skill at playing I can always say that I have played against the number 20 in Spain," he says the recently named best restaurant in the world The three Michelin-starred Barcelona eatery which this month was crowned at the top of on the 50Best list Paco started in the world of catering because he did not want to study “My story is a little different from others as I started working in a kitchen because I didn’t like studying and I couldn’t find my vocation in anything else,” he said and after attending the Luis Barahona de Soto secondary school he started working as a waiter in a bar in the village He had his first contact with the kitchen at the age of 19 when he was working for a catering company and it was then that he decided that the time had come to train he managed to get into the Hotel Escuela Convento de Santo Domingo in Archidona how to peel an onion...” and soon stood out as one of the best students So much so that before finishing the course But he wanted to continue to grow and Disfrutar a restaurant in Barcelona which already had two Michelin stars With no other sponsor other than his training and curriculum he decided to write to them to ask for an internship and they agreed “I was lucky enough to be accepted very quickly,” he said He arrived in Barcelona in 2018 for a four-month internship and has never left the restaurant since The bosses highly valued his work and he stayed on as an assistant a position he has held for two and a half years He now leads a team of about 50 people and is grateful for everything he has been taught in the restaurant since he joined six years ago “I was lucky to start from the bottom because they taught me everything about haute cuisine,” he explained Disfrutar was placed first on the 50Best list during a gala held in Las Vegas It had been nine years since a Spanish restaurant had topped this global list as the last one to do so was El Celler de Can Roca in 2015 The other Spanish restaurant that has also led this ranking is the now defunct El Bulli Paco Lara remembers that day as one of the happiest of his life The whole team stayed in the restaurant’s kitchen to follow the gala at 5.30am “The repercussion of this award has caused the telephone to ring off the hook!” he said This web page uses its own cookies and the third-party cookies to collect the information which help us make the service as good as possible By no means is our intention to use it for gathering personal data More information Cookies policy Archidona lies on the border with the province of Granada It is one of those charming places where you can stroll among stately homes from past centuries which has been declared a Historic-Artistic site feels like a journey back to the 18th century (the town's golden age) Numerous monuments are to be found in this municipality the most outstanding icon is the Plaza Ochavada square which was built more than 200 years ago and is considered an urban showpiece of the Andalusian civil Baroque from the 18th century Visiting this historic site involves not only visiting its many spectacular buildings but also attending some of the popular events held in town the Feria del Perro (Dog Fair) is a much-awaited event by animal lovers The origin of this encounter stems from the retaking of a traditional livestock fair that had been held in the locality since the beginning of the 20th century and which was lost due to the mechanisation and progress in the countryside it is a remarkable national event and one of the most prestigious exhibitions relating to the world of dogs and hunting on the Iberian Peninsula�it has become very important for Spanish breeds Thousands of people come from all over Spain to take part in the festival's programme: activities for children and teenagers and monographic exhibitions featuring the official C.A.C and the long-awaited �Luis Barahona de Soto� show dog competition for British and continental breeds Over 36,000 visitors and around 5,000 dogs attend this annual celebration of friendship between dog and human it has been declared a �Tourist Event of National Interest� and is attended by all manner of dog lovers from hunters looking for hunting dogs to animal lovers searching for a pet The most attractive dogs take part in a canine beauty contest while others run races or become police dogs for the day play ball games or participate in other activities Thousands of people come from all over Spain mostly with the intention of buying or selling animals so that the show is also a canine version of a cattle fair with prices ranging from 60 Euros to 600 or more A variety of breeds can be found from countries such as Britain The show is considered so important that the Andalusian Hunting Federation itself has its headquarters in Archidona playing an extremely active role in this event most of whose transactions involve hunting dogs Sepp Kuss works for green jersey holder in frantic finale sprinting to glory from a vastly reduced lead group in Cordoba The Belgian beat Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) to the line to conclude the 180.5km stage after the GC favourites and in particular Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe had blown the peloton apart over the late climb of the Alto del 14% Attacks and counters flew on the descent and the flat run back into town but Van Aert was always the favourite to prevail from a group shorn of the other top sprinters in the race Pavel Sivakov (UAE Team Emirates) was caught 200 metres from the line leaving Van Aert in the perfect spot to launch for his second win of the week He easily held off Vacek to cross the line first while Pau Miquel (Kern Pharma) sped past Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) to round out the podium a little further back The result means that Van Aert now enjoys an extended points classification lead with 203 points to the 162 of second-placed Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) “I expected it to be a way bigger group to go to the finish line I knew the final climb on the circuit was hard but I didn’t expect that the race would explode like this,” Van Aert said after his win I found myself alone with Sepp Kuss in the front group I don’t know if people realise what it’s like when you’re below 60kg and you do that kind of pull on the flat I had goosebumps on the wheel and I just wanted to finish it off “I thought maybe they’d let me go if I surprise but I saw UAE chasing behind me and I didn’t want to take the risk to go in the front but still get caught by the others I could count on Sepp who did a magnificent job it’s not only about winning but about performing as a team and making challenging plans A part of that is that everybody dares to sacrifice himself for the others The defending champion of this race pulling for you is a huge example of our team philosophy and because of that both Visma-Lease A Bike – seeking to shed Van Aert’s sprint rivals – and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe – hoping to hurt some GC rivals – forced the pace The race’s major contenders came over the top all in the lead group though previous sprint winners Groves and Pavel Bittner (DSM-Firmenich PostNL) were both out of the reckoning the latter falling after a touch of wheels at the top of the climb Those at the top of GC crossed the line together among the lead group barring Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) The German’s teammate Primož Roglič did manage to claw six seconds back on overall leader Ben O’Connor (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) grabbing the bonus seconds over the top to reduce the red jersey deficit to 4:45 Following Ben O’Connor’s breakaway heroics and the resulting GC upheaval of stage 6 in Yunquera stage 7 of the Vuelta a España was always going to be a more sedate affair with just one classified climb lying on the 180.2km route between Archidona and Cordoba The stage would feature 1,900 metres of climbing including the late challenge of the Alto del 14% (7.4km at 5.6%) With just that single second-category climb and an intermediate sprint coming at the base of the ascent in Cordoba there was little incentive for a large breakaway to take off at the start of the day the break wouldn’t even contain more than a single team with only Xabier Isasa (Euskaltel-Euskadi) venturing out into the move after 2km of racing No other rider joined the Basque rider in his lonely attack leaving the third-year pro entirely on his own as he made the breakaway for the second time in the opening week it was no surprise to see sprinters' teams such as Alpecin-Deceuninck (racing for Kaden Groves) and Visma-Lease A Bike (racing for Wout van Aert) take control at the head of the peloton with a solo breakaway posing little risk at all to those hoping to contest the stage over the day’s late climb Isasa’s advantage grew out to a maximum of nine minutes inside the opening 50km of the stage There was no worry behind on the rolling roads that characterised much of the stage with the sprint squads continuing to lead the peloton as they then worked on gradually closing the gap though the 22-year-old did at least last beyond the day’s intermediate sprint before he was brought back into the fold with 38km to run Visma-Lease A Bike massed on the front to push the pace before Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe took up the mantle speeding up once again as the peloton raced into the final 4km of the hill and the last 30km of the day The German team strung out the peloton on the way up thinning out the group as sprinters sought to hang on or at least stay close enough to chase back on before the run back into Cordoba led by Red Bull men Aleksandr Vlasov and Primož Roglič though names including Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma-Lease A Bike) and Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) were notable names dropping backwards Roglič nipped through to grab six bonus seconds ahead of Sepp Kuss with four and Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) on two Kaden Groves was unlucky and hit the deck after touching Nairo Quintana’s (Movistar) back wheel The Australian was quickly back up and running but the delay meant his chances of catching back on were effectively over Visma-Lease A Bike and Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale sought to control the situation though Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates) sought to play spoiler with a solo attack into the final 20km The Spaniard took a 20-second lead on the way down with the chase effort behind making little indent into his advantage Wout van Aert took matters into his own hands to chase Soler down He’d bring the gap down to 10 seconds but provoke counterattacks in the process Van Aert’s teammate Kuss headed back to the front for the final 8km though the American got little help from others in the group and Soler was finally brought back 3.5km from the finish With no sprint trains present to control the run-in riders including David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) and Pavel Sivakov (UAE Team Emirates) attempted to go clear inside the final 2km with the latter persevering into the closing 250 metres Vlasov led the chase with Van Aert on his wheel the group coming to within touching distance of Sivakov just in time for the launch of the finishing sprint There was little doubt about the outcome of that dash for the line with Van Aert the strongest sprinter standing both on paper and in reality He led from the front to score the 48th victory of his career and fourth of the season while behind him it was Vacek and Miquel who sped to fill out the remainder of the podium placings Results powered by FirstCycling Dani has reported from the world's top races She has interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars and her favourite races are the Giro d'Italia Algerian authorities to open investigation into death of Mohamed B, 36, with incident emblematic of a deeper crisis in who Spain deals with refugees and migrants Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Algerian authorities to open investigation into death of Mohamed B with incident emblematic of a deeper crisis in who Spain deals with refugees and migrants I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice As in thousands of towns and villages across Spain the inhabitants of the sleepy Andalusian pueblo of Archidona cheered and clapped as they greeted the three kings in the annual Epiphany procession while helpers on the kings’ elaborately designed floats threw out handful after handful of boiled sweets to the watching crowds But just a few kilometres away from Archidona’s maze of narrow paved streets and beautiful eight-sided acting as a temporary holding centre for hundreds of migrants is currently providing a much bleaker welcome for some other to what court documents euphemistically called “an internment centre for foreigners” the solution of using the prison in Archidona which Spain’s Ministry of the Interior insists is “exceptional and temporary” Some Spanish NGOs and opposition parties have pointed out that the use of a prison as a holding centre is illegal and – given it initially lacked running water – woefully inadequate has demanded the Minister of the Interior answer questions in parliament about the prison Media reports say around 300 migrants remain there but after the death last week of one of them calls for their immediate rehousing have regained in strength local newspaper El Sur claimed the migrant died after being involved in a scuffle when various migrants began harming themselves in a bid to be transferred to hospital A medical check-up at the time reported only slight injuries but the next morning he was found dead in his cell The Spanish authorities are certain it was suicide after an initial autopsy revealed no signs of external violence a Spanish judge stated there would be no further investigation into the cause of death The judge also overrode concerns expressed by the Andalusian regional government that if the programme of deportations of other migrants continues witnesses may no longer be on Spanish soil to testify However, the Algerian authorities have now said that they will carry out a full investigation of their own. Mohamed B’s family have also confirmed they will appeal against Spain’s legal investigation being ended, with their lawyer claiming in El Sur he was kept isolated and unattended in his cell for more than 15 hours. The unopened prison has itself been the subject of a fair amount of controversy. Falling prison numbers in Spain and the initial absence – only noticed after building work was completed – of a watchtower for its walls meant its inauguration has been repeatedly delayed. “It’s not legal, but they’re not prisoners, and they had nowhere else to house these people. I hear, in any case, that in a couple of weeks, it’ll all be completely empty again.” However, another local resident who did not want to be named told The Independent: “I’ve heard the place is getting trashed.” The local Izquierda Unida (United Left) party, which until recently ran Archidona town council, issued a sternly worded press release last November, pointing out: “They are not delinquents, nor have they been condemned for a crime, to be deprived of their freedom in a prison.” Almost the only thing everybody can agree on is that life in Archidona itself has been unaffected, “barring a lot of talk and what we see on the telly”, says Mr Lara. Conditions are said to have improved considerably since the prison began housing the migrants. However, the rumours of prisoner protests continue and the case of Mr Bouderbala’s death has perhaps yet to be fully resolved. “There is constant humiliation,” one migrant in the prison wrote in a letter sent when the prison was first used. However, by the time the letter reached Spanish newspaper El Pais and was partly published, according to one local NGO, he had already been deported. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies A long row of stalls selling local products honey or even handmade decorative accessories attracted visitors' attention on the fairground in Archidona last weekend Early in the morning the smell of freshly brewed coffee and toasted 'molletes' mixed with the occasional canine scent The barking from different parts of the site in this town in the north of Malaga province also caught the attention of visitors attending this gathering of breeders from all over Spain with their faithful four-legged companions "I learned to walk at the same time as I learned to be around podencos and look after them," young Álvaro Escalante told SUR He travelled from Seville to attend the event an important date on the calendar for hunters In fact the Archidona Feria del Perro dog fair has been declared a festivity of "national tourist interest" by Andalucía as well as being one of "singularidad turística" (unique tourist interest) on a provincial level More than 400 dogs of 70 different breeds were present at this event during the weekend where breeders and hunters shared their passion in three different areas one for competition and one for demonstration If there is something in common among all of them it is that dog breeding remains a way of life for them "In my house we have a roof terrace for the more than thirty dogs we have bred as well as land with kennels," said Escalante who came with six of his podenco breed dogs; of them he brought one to compete and the other five to obtain the RRC the breed recognition to be able to participate in shows and officially register their new litters He was competing in the show with seven of his dogs He officially breeds Brittany spaniels at Bretones de Trassiera although at home he has more than fifty others of different breeds such as border collies "The other day my son showed up with a puppy he found in the rubbish and we took it into our big dog family," said the breeder who added that he has a plot of more than 4,000 square metres for his dogs to run around every day although they then sleep in their respective kennels In the competition ring there was a presentation of Ratonero Bodegueros who described this breed as "comfortable due to its short hair" He highlighted the need to make the breed better known internationally and that children should be encouraged to take part as they are the future of cynophilia - the word the breeders use to define the love of dogs or dog breeds in general there was an exhibition of show dog training by Adiestramiento Canino Scan where the four-legged friends showed the public their ability to obey and understand the handler "The most important thing is to correct them in training we have to work with positive reinforcement but with 20% negative so that the dog learns," explained one of the handlers to the public while Zaida and Tobi from turning around to running after their prey María Garrido and her little toy poodle Lerele were watching the show including Spanish mastiffs and toy poodles some of which are about to become national champions," said the local woman who has been breeding these dogs for six years it has become an event of national importance recognised both by the Diputación and at regional level by the Junta de Andalucía," he said adding that a passion for the canine world is passed on even among the youngest members of the family Single categorised climb poised to launch attacks with 25.5km to flat finish Friday’s stage 7 is a hilly 180.5km from Archidona to Córdoba with a single intermediate sprint and a lone classified climb That one climb is appropriately called ‘Alto del 14%’ for the sharp pitches of 14% on the 7.4km ascent which then launches riders for a short return to Córdoba The stage begins for the first time in Archidona located just 65km from the Mediterranean coast and known for its many white buildings From the Provence of Málaga in southern Spain the route leads north all day on undulating terrain The capital city of the Province of Córdoba will see the peloton pass twice A finish loop leads the way to bonus points on offer for the day - first for sprinters 6km into the circuit and then the lone classified climb at Alto Del 14% from the crest just 25.5km to the fast finish.  Once passing across the Guadalquivir River on the return trip into Córdoba The peloton will take a sharp left turn onto Avenue de Cádiz for almost 2km before passing through a large roundabout Then the riders make one more pass back over the river and that is where the red kite signals the final kilometre of racing on Avenida Vallellano with the finish next to the Vallellano Gardens including a double ascent of the Alto de Hazallanas on Sunday a sports marketing and public relations agency which managed projects for Tour de Georgia a Georgia non-profit to promote safe cycling She is proud to have worked in professional baseball for six years - from selling advertising to pulling the tarp for several minor league teams She has climbed l'Alpe d'Huez three times (not fast) Her favorite road and gravel rides are around horse farms in north Georgia (USA) and around lavender fields in Provence (France) but the pack of elite cyclists was happy after the 41C reached the day before on the Vuelta a España pro cycle race stage between Fuente del Maestre and Seville The 32 degrees on the uphill stretch of the Alto de las Abejas in Malaga province's Yunquera on Thursday seemed like a blessing and it was the Australian Ben O'Connor who surprised everyone by taking the lead to sprint to the finish line It was reminiscent of Marco Giovanetti's breakaway from the leading pack in 2002 in Ubrique (Cadiz) Back then the Italian won the Vuelta overall and now O'Connor is the new leader and the one to watch for the polka-dot jersey The inland areas of the province enjoyed the spectacle of the national cycle race pass through It was a stage with Malaga very much in the limelight Who knows if some day the whole stage will still be remembered for what happened during the race when the Aussie broke away from the pack The 'multicoloured snake' entered Malaga province at around three o'clock in the afternoon once the big challenge of the day had been overcome at Puerto del Boyar a first-category climb between El Bosque and Grazalema in neighbouring Cadiz province The pack passed by seven Malaga towns and villages - Montejaque Alozaina and Yunquera - a high-altitude finish with no major climbs Although RTVE's television coverage of this stage was able to present an impressive round-up of all the major tourist sights including the gorge in Ronda many fans turned out to stand in the heat of the asphalt roads that snaked between each place as the race did not go through urban centres Some even came armed with beach brollies to protect themselves from the searing heat of a mid-August afternoon One of the most applauded cyclists was Luis Ángel Maté from Marbella (the only local professional and a rider for ProTeam Euskaltel) polka-dot jersey that he brought from home his prize for winning all the mountain stages and now only a few days away from his retirement from cycling It was worth the wait for the fans with a spectacular mid-mountain stage of 185.5 kilometres that was covered in a faster time than expected by the organisers and with the final result being a sprint finish - not your typical ending to a modern-day cycling race that goes on for three weeks Today (Friday 23 August) all the Vuelta participants will take to the stage once more in Malaga province The ceremonial start will be at 1.10pm in Archidona but the real start to this stage will be a quarter of an hour later along the A-782 towards Jédula the pack will enter the province of Cordoba and will finish in the provincial capital of the Mezquita after 180 kilometres of hard pedalling Van Aert dominates Stage 7 sprint after 'firework finish' no!' – Groves in nasty crash after looking over shoulder A man from Malaga city who had a year and a half left to serve on his jail sentence will be the prisoner who this year will be released by Nuestro Padre Jesús El Rico brotherhood It is a solemn act that takes place on Holy Wednesday on the steps of the atrium of Malaga Cathedral in fulfilment of a deep-rooted Holy Week tradition dating back to the 18th century was approved this Tuesday at the weekly meeting of the government's cabinet meeting at the request of the minister of the Presidency José Manuel was sentenced to three years in prison by Malaga's provincial court in a ruling on 28 March 2023 as the perpetrator of a crime against public health The pardoned prisoner has served a year and seven months in Archidona prison The Spanish government representative in Malaga recalled the executive's commitment to maintaining this tradition of the El Rico brotherhood of releasing a convict something that "reminds of the objective of our Criminal Law for the re-education and social reintegration of convicted persons" Javier Salas met last week with the elder brother of the El Rico brotherhood to analyse the final details prior to the approval of the pardon; for which the reports of the sentencing court and the Public Prosecutor's Office are taken into account as well as the circumstances of the convicted person Salas highlighted "the work carried out both by the brotherhood and the general secretariat of Penitentiary Institutions and the ministry of the Presidency Justice and Relations with the courts to make this event possible as well as the collaboration of the National Police to participate in the processional parade" Jesús El Rico will regain his freedom in an act before the images of Jesús El Rico and the Virgen del Amor at the doors of the cathedral The tradition of freeing a prisoner in Malaga is based on a royal pragmatic decree of Charles III issued after a plague epidemic that had a serious impact on the population of Malaga and led to the suspension of the Holy Week processions in 1759 The inmates of Malaga prison asked the warden to take out the image of El Rico escaped from the prison and carried the Christ on their shoulders through the streets of the city in the longest procession in Malaga's Holy Week in living memory the king granted the brotherhood the royal privilege of pardoning a prisoner every year Visitors come to watch processions and unusual performances The province of Malaga is an ideal place for Easter breaks thanks to the variety of religious traditions combined with other visits that can be made in inland towns In addition to everything that can be seen in Malaga city it is also worth visiting busy towns such as Antequera and Archidona or smaller places such as Riogordo and Casarabonela to get a complete overview of what this tradition means in the province This is the first of the villages in the province of Malaga to offer its own dramatised representation of the Passion of Christ this performance is very different from the rest of those that can be seen in the province in Holy Week it can be seen between Palm Sunday and Tuesday of Holy Week Tickets must be purchased in advance: seating is limited as it takes place inside the church There is also no shortage of unique processions in Holy Week in Casarabonela the most important vestige of the town centre is what remains of its castle It is well worth a visit to see its remains and admire the view Casarabonela also has an interesting network of footpaths which provide access to enclaves such as the summit of the Alcaparaín mountain range or the Tajo San Francisco among other interesting landmarks in the surrounding area Alhaurín el Grande is known for its processions corresponding to two rival religious borhterhoods The calendar of processions and live re-enactments of the Passion of Christ covers practically every day from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday this town offers the visitor an intense tour of its rich historical legacy which in addition to the church of La Encarnación and various chapels includes medieval remains both inside and outside the town centre Outside the town you can enjoy beautiful hiking routes in the area known as Fuente del Acebuche Antequera is famous for the Torcal mountain rock formations and the dolmens that are now a Unesco heritage site It is also a hive of activity at the height of Holy Week The religious traditions of this town include what is known as 'correr la vega': in the processions that end in the higher part of the town the bearers run up the steep streets with the figures of Christ and Our Lady Antequera has a full programme of Holy Week processions Visitors can also enjoy the town's rich historical heritage with ancestral and palatial homes scattered throughout the old town the Royal Collegiate Church of Santa María la Mayor the dolmens complex and the Roman villa of La Estación which includes sites such as the Torcal de Antequera and its various hiking routes There are also very original walks that start from the town itself which goes as far as the Convento de la Magdalena hotel which recalls Antequera's more recent industrial past The iconic eight-sided Plaza Ochavada is one of the urban spaces that shines the brightest during Holy Week in Archidona There are special moments that locals and visitors take away with them in their cameras There is no doubt that the processions and other moments of the Passion of Christ are experienced in a special way in this town thanks to the hard work and enthusiasm of the many brotherhoods that take part every year Archidona is an ideal destination for a Easter Week excursion not only because of its religious traditions but also because you will see one of the province of Malaga's most historical towns in addition to the aforementioned Plaza Ochavada a convent where cakes and biscuits are still made and even the school where Blas Infante once studied Add to this the piece of history that awaits on the hill of the Virgen de Gracia where a large part of an important castle from the Andalusian period is preserved and where the legend of the Peña de los Enamorados (Lovers' Rock) begins there is even a hermitage that preserves part of a former mosque Another incentive for visiting Archidona these days is hiking with the possibility of discovering the Hoz del Arroyo Marín at one of the best times of the year There is also plenty of devotion and dedication to be seen during Holy Week in Ronda with some of Andalucía's most famous monuments The Easter processions provide many special moments from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday in the town Holy Week is also a good reason to enjoy the rest of the time in its squares and streets the Arab Baths and the remains of the walls that once protected the city are just some of the places to visit We must not forget the importance of the world of wine in Ronda with numerous wineries scattered around the town There are also many possibilities for walking from the circular route that starts at the Puente Nuevo bridge and goes down to the Guadalevín before returning to the town centre to the paths that lead to sites such as the cave chapel of the Virgen de la Cabeza Good Friday and Holy Saturday are the days marked on the calendar of many local people who do not want to miss one of the most famous live Passion plays in Andalucía the Paso de Riogordo brings together thousands of people both in the organisation and in the audience in a specially created outdoor "theatre" on the edge of the town centre Riogordo also offers a pleasant route through its streets where visitors can stop to enter the church of Nuestra Señora de Gracia or the hermitage of San Sebastián (also known as the hermitage of Jesús Nazareno) a collection that takes us back to daily life in the home and in the countryside Those who want to enjoy hiking have several options those offered by the great routes of the Gran Senda de Málaga which means that today this village has footpaths to neighbouring towns such as Alfarnate Iznate does not have a live Passion play like the village of Cajiz in neighbouring Vélez-Málaga but this village in the Axarquía district can well boast of having one of the most unique traditions of Holy Week in Malaga in which villagers dressed in very old tunics and masks search for the image of the Child Jesus every Easter Sunday Iznate begins Holy Week each year with the festival dedicated to its patron the Virgen de los Dolores (Our Lady of Sorrows) the Friday before Palm Sunday But this municipality also boasts other attractions in its own streets or in the surrounding area you should stop at the Fuente de los Tres Deseos fountain one of the best viewpoints on the eastern coast of Malaga province although there is a significant climb on the last stretch the effort is well worth it as you can see an unbeatable panoramic view of the Mediterranean at your feet Other towns in Malaga not to be missed this Easter are Campillos A row has broken out between the interior ministry lawyers and NGOs over the decision to hold nearly 500 illegal immigrants in the new Archidona prison in inland Malaga province migrants can only be held in internment centres while their deportation papers are processed The situation arose after hundreds of immigrants arrived in small boats off the coasts of Murcia and Almeria last Thursday the police went to court on Sunday morning and asked the judge for permission to admit them to the 'Centro de Internamiento de Extranjeros de Archidona' in other words referring to an internment centre for foreigners A lawyer assisting the immigrants has said that neither he nor they were told that they were to be taken to a prison received a call on Sunday morning from security minister to advise her that the prison was going to be used provisionally and as an exceptional measure to house the immigrants so she says she was surprised when 464 of them were transferred to the jail on Monday the interior ministry issued a press release in which it referred to the prison as a centre and used the word rooms instead of cells The jail was officially announced as such in the Official State Bulletin (BOE) on 18 March but there is some debate about whether this applies while it is brand new and has never been occupied by prisoners The haste with which the immigrants were sent to Archidona caused considerable logistical problems Internment centres may only be guarded by police officers so those who had started working at Archidona to prepare for the arrival of the first prisoners in January had to be sent back to their previous places of work and others who were due to join them were told not to do so The interior ministry also had to ask for police officers to volunteer to guard the jail while the immigrants are being kept there but many of those who did so will not be able to start work until next week When the immigrants arrived on Monday there was no food or drink available for them because the tap water is not suitable for domestic consumption The mayor of Archidona says the town does not supply water to the jail and although it has its own treatment plant this has not yet been authorised for use On Tuesday the interior ministry remedied this situation by sending 2,000 food portions and thousands of bottles of water to the prison for the immigrants Two doctors and support staff were also assigned to the prison and Red Cross workers are expected to join them this week although the regulations do not permit immigrants to be held in jails there are exceptions to this in situations where no other solution is available and that this is laid down in an EU directive interior minister Juan Ignacio Zoido said that this solution was infinitely preferable to setting up a temporary camp His ministry also says that although the authorities are permitted to keep the immigrants for up to 60 days while their deportation papers are being processed in this case it should be completed within 40 days The situation has caused an outcry among charities and around 30 of them ProDerechos Humanos de Andalucía and Servicio Jesuita de Migrantes have made an official complaint to the Andalusian Ombudsman who said he was surprised and concerned by the government's decision The Junta de Andalucía has warned that a jail is not a suitable place for immigrants and the PSOE and Unidos Podemos political parties have described the move as illegal US authorities predicted the arrival of a major solar storm on Earth the aurora borealis (northern lights) could be seen in Spain They could be sighted from Andalucía to Catalonia warnings were issued about possible disruptions to the power grid and satellite communications Unusual and spectacular polar auroras generated impressive images national weather agency Aemet confirmed the presence of this phenomenon due to "very intense" solar activity "Coronal mass ejections or atmospheric solar flares can intensify the solar wind and reach the Earth's magnetosphere triggering a geomagnetic storm," they pointed out the auroral oval temporarily widens and this allows auroras to be seen from lower latitudes a geomagnetic solar storm of this "extreme" magnitude has not been experienced since 2003 the pink sky could be seen from the mountains very obvious aurora borealis could also be seen while in Andalucía they have been best observed in Almería or Cádiz The Calar Alto Astronomical Observatory in Almería confirmed the phenomenon "Once again we are honoured with the presence of an aurora borealis at Calar Alto," it wrote on X which is expected to last through the weekend comes at a time when the sun is approaching the peak of an 11-year cycle of intensified activity "We've alerted all of our infrastructure operators that we usually coordinate with the power grid in North America," space weather specialist Shawn Dahl said Magnetic fields associated with geomagnetic storms induce currents in long conductors Authorities advised the public to maintain regular measures against possible power outages 🌎 | Impresionantes imágenes de la aurora mas fuerte en 20 años vista en el sur de Suiza, desde la cima del Jungfraujoch. pic.twitter.com/MwKeJ7ESFe The largest solar storm on record is the "Carrington event" of 1859: it destroyed the telegraph network in the United States triggered electrical discharges and the aurora borealis was visible at unprecedented latitudes as far away as central America became the latest headache for the prisons authorities on Wednesday when 17 of the 32 guards expected to be on duty were off work This was the highest proportion of missing staff across ten prisons nationally where the same situation has occurred this week leading management at the Archidona jail to call staff back from holiday leave and make other officers work double shifts While the authorities are unwilling as yet to call it "coordinated action" they have said that they are "monitoring" the situation to see if any of these absences constitute some form of non-authorised protest "We are checking whether these illnesses are genuine or not," said the prisons authority's general secretary This comes a year after the start of a campaign by the prison workers' unions calling for improvements to working conditions and salaries The campaign is ongoing and no concessions have yet been made Ortiz has made it clear that there is no possibility of any changes to wages at the present moment but that they were open to discussions over improving safety providing "they leave extortion and insults to one side" The CC OO trade union has made an official complaint stating that there are many prisoners from Malaga and Andalucía who are being forced to serve their sentences in prisons outside the region and without sufficient medical staff to attend to the mental problems of these inmates The union also claims that there are 310 jobs to be filled in prisons in the province CC OO official Inmaculada González said that "Malaga needs 310 positions to cover the basic needs of the three prisons which are the prison of Alhaurín de la Torre CIS Evaristo Martín Nieto and Archidona prison" CC OO secretary general of penitentiary institutions stated that "60 per cent of the staff positions are unfilled in Archidona and 45 per cent of the positions of workers are also vacant in the CIS This is one of the three prisons with the highest workload in this province and with a serious problem of understaffing" The union also denounced what it considers a "dismantling of prison health services" in prisons in Malaga province Silvia Fernández García said that "Alhaurín de la Torre prison has been left with only two doctors to provide health care to 930 inmates and the prison of Archidona [left with just] one doctor to attend to more than 400 inmates This situation leads to an overload of work for the nursing and auxiliary staff and they have to assume functions that are not [within] their competence" It is one of the jewels in the crown of Malaga province's plant life despite not being as well-known as the Spanish fir (pinsapo) or some other plant species Ophris atlantica attracts many orchid enthusiasts every spring Among them are those who travel around different regions and even countries with a spotter's list so they can note down which of these unique plants they have seen with their own eyes members of an Italian association will be coming to see it" an expert on the subject and author of a substantial collection of books on these plants The latest book - Orquídeas Silvestres de la Provincia de Málaga - came out just a few days ago and was presented at the Jornadas Andaluzas de Orquideoflora one of the most important events for this area of botany in Spain This particular orchid has been chosen for the cover of this new essential guide that shows the diverse range of these plants in Malaga province "It is the orchid with the largest labellum [the central larger flower petal where bees land to feed and pollinate] in Europe" this one tries to trick insects into pollinating it the plant has a labellum that resembles the dark blue abdomen of bumblebees so that they land on them in preference to other surrounding plant species shiny hue to it and is shaped like a saddle making it easy to identify for those in the know or for anyone with a guidebook such as that written by Becerra and Robles which can also be found in Morocco and Algeria the province is home to 90% of all orchid varieties found in Europe it is a species that is not always easy to find as it is typically located in mainly limestone areas among wild thyme and rosemary or close to pine trees Although Malaga can be considered privileged to have this plant here this species is currently flagged as 'vulnerable' in the Andalusian List of Wild Species in Regime of Special Protection and in the Andalusian Catalogue of Species Under Threat The orchid is not exclusive to the province and can be found in other parts of Andalucía such as certain areas of Granada but orchid enthusiasts are more likely to find them in Malaga It is just one of the many possible orchids that can be seen in the province Among the spring varieties is the Ophrys alpujata (yellow bee orchid) it is only known to grow in the area around Monda and El Juanar (Ojén) Another much-sought-after orchid is the Ophrys quarterae endemic to the south of the peninsula with confirmed sightings and samples from both Malaga province and Portugal although To this list can also be added ophrys vernixia (mirror orchid) protected in Andalucía and with one of the largest clusters in the world in Archidona the Malaga town that has done plenty in recent years to promote scientific studies of this type of plant which has helped to increase the popularity of these plants across Europe For the seventh year running Jornadas Andaluzas de Orquideoflora the annual event organised by Savia (a company of specialists in plant health) with support from Archidona town hall Over four days (4-7 April) participants were able to attend talks interspersed with more practical activities including outings to different parts of Malaga and Granada provinces to view different types of orchids The sites chosen for 2024 were Archidona itself Sierra de las Nieves and Alhama de Granada attendees were given the chance to photograph some specimens to take part in the hotly-contested annual photo competition to conclude the event that turns Archidona into the epicentre of this wave of passion for orchids More than seven million people in Andalucía will be connected by the end of this year to Vodafone's 5G network on the 700 Mhz frequency The telecommunications company has announced that 182 municipalities in the region will be connected to its network by the end of 2024 another dozen areas will benefit from this high-speed technology and Álora Riogordo and Sierra de Yeguas will all be added to the Vodafone 5G network These new areas are in addition to 22 deployed last year In a statement released on Tuesday 12 March Vodafone said that the new municipalities are in addition to the 174 that had 5G in 2023 more than seven million people in Andalucía will have "better coverage especially inside buildings" and "high availability of bandwidth and data transmission as well as in rural areas and small towns in the region" this extension of coverage will include municipalities in all eight provinces of the region it will reach towns with more than 15,000 inhabitants but above all towns with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants of the 182 new Andalusian municipalities with a 5G network Vodafone's regional director in Andalucía and Extremadura said: "With this new 5G network deployment we are once again demonstrating our intention to drive digital transformation reduce the digital divide and provide connectivity to all businesses the general public and administrations in Andalucía whether in large or small municipalities." more people in the region "will be able to download content five times faster than with the 4G network and enjoy better coverage indoors as well as lower latency for accessing content," the company added Battlefields with flour or talcum powder as weapons of choice and scenes of burning dolls in bonfires are just a few of the many traditions that form part of the carnival festivities taking place in towns and cities across Malaga province It is one of the oldest and most unique traditions celebrated during the carnival festivities in Malaga province Those who have gone to Tolox this Monday and Tuesday are likely to have left completely covered in talcum powder locals threw powder at whoever crossed their path This odd way of celebrating carnival is thought to have its roots at a time when bachelors would find a way to cover their sweethearts with flour as a declaration of their love Some stories recount these young men going to great lengths to achieve their goal such as coming down chimneys or breaking through windows alludes to a morisco woman (after the Spanish Reconquest) and a Christian woman with their feud intensifying to the extent that they ended up hurling flour at one another the only strange tradition that takes place at the carnival in Tolox as there is also the so-called 'Bailes de la Guasa' (literally If in Tolox they use talcum powder to turn passers-by completely white on the Monday and Tuesday of the festivities in Alozaina they do it with flour on the Friday The event is thought to have originated in the 19th century and currently manifests itself as a battlefield on which locals and visitors cover each other with flour the festival will take place on Friday 23 February from around 2pm Other unique moments from the festivities of the 'pecheros' - a nickname for the residents of Alozaina - is when people perform 'el baile de la rueda' (literally the "Burial of the Sardine," which marks the end of the carnival season and consists of a sardine being carried around the streets on a special float While other places in Malaga province mark the end of the carnival season with the Burial of the Sardine the tradition in the town of Ronda is the Burning of the Doll The event may evoke the burning of the 'júas' (similar to the 'guys' on 5 November in the UK) celebrating the summer solstice or the Burning of Judas on Easter Sunday in the village of El Burgo which is common in other parts of Spain (although some aspects may vary) Spectators can also throw into the bonfire pieces of paper with their written wishes for their new year where it is customary to burn an oversized straw doll in order to bring winter festivities to a close in the run-up to Lent the Burning of the Doll in Ronda will take place at midnight on Saturday 17 February in Plaza de Teniente Arce there will be culinary events with chorizo and paella both locals and visitors will taste 'callos' a typical stew Malaga province has so many culinary traditions related to its carnival celebrations remains an important part of the culinary heritage of most villages in the Sierra Norte district the village of Villanueva de Algaidas holds an annual tasting event which can be found almost all year round in butcher's all over the region The Carnival of Archidona is one of the most important in Malaga province People of all ages join in the festivities the most unique of which take place on the very last day people will take part in a traditional game involving pottery jugs by which locals remember a time where many Spanish towns had no running water People needed to go the nearest fountain to fill up their jugs and other containers with water participants pay tribute to this time with a game played mostly by women who were then in charge of carrying the water Players must put their skill and strength to the test by tossing clay jugs to each other with the winner being the one who finishes without dropping one the event will take place at Caños de las Monjas This traditional game is also celebrated in February in Montejaque although there it is more often linked to the Day of Andalucía Malaga province will welcome the Vuelta a España cycling grand tour next summer for the first time in two years - and two small inland towns will take centre stage which will take place from 17 August to 8 September 2024 will get under way in Lisbon (Portugal) before winding its way through Spain and finishing in Madrid Yunquera (in between the Guadalhorce valley and the Sierra de las Nieves near Ronda) and Archidona (near Antequera) The announcement extends Malaga's historical connection with cycling having previously hosted 42 starts and 33 finishes of La Vuelta stages throughout history president of the Diputación provincial authority welcomed the news and emphasised the international exposure La Vuelta will bring to Malaga The province's landscapes will be showcased to nearly 400 million people in around 200 countries highlighting the economic impact La Vuelta can have for smaller municipalities like Yunquera and Archidona Each town has fewer than 20,000 inhabitants but will receive a revenue boost next summer through increased tourism hospitality and visibility as a cycling destination The main man walks down the central aisle of the hall as though he were at home being surrounded by hundreds of bird-cages is yet another fond memory of a life dedicated to his greatest passion in life yellows and many other varieties of canary watch him closely from the corner of one eye They know that Rafael Nuevo is considered a master of breeding and showing canaries in his home town and they are not mistaken - this resident of Archidona is one of the founding members of the town's Canariculture Association a group of about six bird-loving friends met up in Archidona and decided to form this group which is now the second oldest in the province,” the canary breeder tells SUR The passion for canaries is a hobby that is passed down from generation to generation in Archidona I would always go to my grandfather's house see his birds and they’d fill me with delight Now I feel both passion and a sense of duty to continue with this because he created it and The reason for all the singing in the hall is the same reason that so many people have gathered there Archidona’s traditional canary breeders’ show has just blown out 60 anniversary candles in celebration of this significant milestone “This year more than 800 specimens have been exhibited about 75 breeders have come from all over Andalucía,” says Francisco Sánchez Bringing together so many canaries in competition means that bird-keeping is still alive although plenty has changed in 50-plus years Black and white cages are set out in pairs but as you walk through the three exhibition rooms what is striking is that they are all classified by colour “Before there were less varieties of colour We were one of the first to cultivate the red-coloured canary that arose from cross-breeding the Red Cardinal from Venezuela with a standard canary,” recalls Nuevo this particular breeder would have up to 100 pairs of canaries at home but nowadays he keeps himself busy watching over his grandson’s birds which are kept together in the same room at his house where it all started After a life dedicated to rearing canaries Nuevo admits that the hobby has changed: “We were few in number but we bred in a different way bird-keeping isn’t as straightforward as it was then I would rear the canaries on softfood made with carrots nowadays everything is more up-market and has changed completely” Morales is a breeder too and has won awards at national level for him there is nothing more special than the bond he has with his grandfather for their shared passion but it makes me happier that they are at my grandfather's house and I get to go there to take care of them that gives me more satisfaction than the quality of the birds,” he says When asked about the future of this special hobby the young man stares at one of the canaries as if he were looking at his most treasured possession and responds: “Today everything is more difficult I’m finding it tough because there are fewer and fewer young people who are into this and yet it’s a very healthy hobby because you learn about biology and it’s good for personal growth” Morales too has had to reduce his breeding pairs to 70 specimens due to the challenging environment for the trade Competition canaries are sorted into prize categories according to their colour Lipochromes (no pigmentation - only the basic ground colour of white ticked and variegated are some category examples One of the canaries tagged with a first prize is a lipochrome yellow that belongs to Sánchez “This year I have reared about 115 canaries but I want to try to breed fewer because local breeders are having a hard time Previously a breeder would trade with others Preparing a canary for competition requires an exhausting level of care As the president of the association explains price increases have meant that keeping so many canaries can be an impediment for their breeders "The truly committed breeder in this profession will carry on but others are going to try to breed as little as possible because you cannot make a living from a hobby and needs must,” concludes Juan Antonio Ramos treasurer for the association and owner of 100 specimens of the yellow canary This local man has backed the association to help keep this hobby alive and to ensure this traditional contest held in the town will not be lost Sánchez mentions that more and more breeders are no longer breeding due to price increases in vitamins or ready-made softfood for the chicks What remains singularly clear to him is that this meeting up with friends who are fanciers of all things canary will always provide a good reason for celebration in his town where rearing canaries is more than just a hobby Travelling out of season to sunny southern Spain can make for a superb short break as our writer discovers when he explores Andalucía’s hill townsPlus: off-season breaks to Corsica minutes passed before another vehicle appeared On the horizon the Sierra Nevada rolled along in the sunlight Outside the car was the countryside of rural Andalucía cobbled roads into Alhama de Granada’s main square ready to explore this small hill town with its Moorish quarter the Iglesia del Carmen and dramatic views of Los Tajos (the gorge) The joys of this out-of-season break extended beyond the uncongested roads other tourists were few and the pace of life had shifted down a couple of gears I had not driven to the back of beyond to get here: around 45 minutes’ drive in a hire car from Málaga airport had taken me to my base The capital of Málaga province during Moorish rule it’s now a regular working town with a population of around 9,000 and a reassuringly light dash of tourism Los Tajos, Alhama de Granada. Photograph: Robert HullI checked in at Almohalla 51 a five-bedroom boutique guesthouse – comprised of two renovated townhouses – run by David Matthews and Myles Rainford exposed beams and stone-tiled floors make for a calming retreat The house is on several levels and has a higgledy-piggeldy feel a terrace to soak up the sun and a plunge pool I preferred to keep cosy by the woodburner – the daytime was mild but after sundown there was a chill My fireside reading included Washington Irving’s Tales of the Alhambra; first published in 1832 the book’s essays and short fiction detail the American writer’s journey through this part of Spain and helped inspire David and Myles’s Andalucía: the Roads Less Travelled package off-season itinerary explores some of Andalucía’s lesser-known small towns beautiful and architecturally interesting as the region’s big hitters: Seville None were much more than an hour or so from Archidona and easy to explore on the empty roads I’d never thought a dish of breadcrumbs would make such an impact but these – slowly fried over a fire with garlic chorizo and black pudding – were a robust and flavoursome experience Setenil de las Bodegas where dwellings are built into rock overhangs above the Rio Trejo Photograph: Kevin Rushby/The GuardianIn Osuna I explored ornate former duke’s palaces on Calle San Pedro its cathedral and 16th-century university building But I could also have searched out its bullring the routes from Almohalla 51 could have taken me to Estepa What I discovered was that there was always another hospitable town to visit pork shoulder crunch (€12) and a distinctive take on a New York cheesecake (€4.50) were simply breathtaking in their flavour sense of fun and eye-catching presentation Plaza de la Iglesia de Santa Ana Archidona - with La Peña de los Enamorados in the distance Photograph: Robert HullNot every traveller is looking for solitude and tradition - for some there is a need for hubbub and activity I was aware of that on the occasions I sat in uncrowded cafes strolled along empty ramparts or chatted to locals as I watched the sunset from the summit of Sierra de Gracia – a brief hike from Archidona – I knew this affordable out-of-season adventure had delivered far more than I had expected and reinforced the idea of how small can often be so beautiful Dramatic mountain views from the medieval fortress town of Marvão Photograph: Alex RobinsonDreamy castles and ducal palaces Fragrant meadows brilliant with salvia and silene Perhaps it’s because temperatures - away from the coast - soar to a 40C in summer when it’s pleasantly warm in the village of Marvão on the Spanish border I drove here in just under two hours via an empty motorway then a winding mountain road into the Serra de Estrela hills which cut through little whitewashed villages and terraces of vineyards green with young leaves I stopped at the Roman ruins of Ammaia: a shamble of rubble that was once a great trading town a seven-metre-high digit of weather-worn neolithic stone towering over a lonely landscape of butterfly-filled fields Then I saw Marvão and it looked spectacular even from a distance: a jagged crenulation of church towers and fortified walls silhouetted against a deep yellow afternoon sun The city walls and waterfront at Calvi. Photograph: AlamyThe way Parisians talk about it, Corsica is the place to come to in summer. July heralds the electronic music festival Calvi on the Rocks while August empties the city of its locals and dumps them on Mediterranean beaches My partner and I had always longed to experience the island’s dramatic landscape but peak-season flights were too expensive Corsican friends from Calvi and the surrounding Balagne region let us in on a secret: the year-round temperate climate makes the area great for off-season sunshine Many of its businesses are open year-round and the town is all the more delicious without the crowds Calvi’s pièce de résistance: a fortified labyrinth of cobblestone streets with impressive views of the city and the sea The Ceri run through the streets of Gubbio Photograph: Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty ImagesHaving escaped the crowds of tourists in nearby Perugia brings a sense of discovery and achievement But while it remains largely off foreigners’ radar Italians flock to Gubbio during the country’s insufferably hot summers The cooler spring months are undoubtedly the best time to visit when the lush countryside is at its most beautiful and Gubbio hosts its two most important events when men charge through town bearing three huge wooden structures topped with statues of saints on the Ceri run Another unmissable day comes on the last Sunday in May when the town’s Crossbow Festival sees locals compete in the main square Expect period dress and ceremonial flag-waving We headed to the 15th-century Ducal Palace whose wooden study was deemed so exceptional it was shipped off to New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art the replica produced by the town’s artisans is equally impressive where we sought out the bronze Eugubine Tablets written between the third and first centuries BC in the local language This grand palace also affords views across to Gubbio’s ancient theatre a sign of the importance of the town to Rome A springtime trip to Gubbio wouldn’t be complete without a lengthy lunch along one of its narrow streets, and so we grabbed an outdoor table at Taverna del Lupo for its truffle-infused dishes A hearty plate of pasta can be walked off by climbing the mountainside (or taking the cable car if you’ve over-indulged) - up to the Basilica of Sant’Ubaldo Gubbio is a 25-mile drive from Perugia airport, which has direct flights to the UK. In central Gubbiom, Hotel Gattapone has doubles from €90, and Hotel Bosone Palace has double rooms from €71 and 13 people were hurt in a bus accident near Tena Two of the injured people were reportedly in critical condition #ATENCIÓN La tarde de este domingo se reportó el choque de 2 buses en la via #Tena - #Quito Varios son los heridos y también personas fallecidos. Via: Medios de Riobamba pic.twitter.com/dukYimr0JC Two buses collided with each other on the road between Tena and Baeza The bus carrying the Dutch tourists suffered the most damage The deceased are a 74-year-old woman from Haarlem and a 73-year-old man from Hilversum Their deaths were confirmed by a spokesperson for the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs a day later A total of 21 Dutch people on the bus taking part in a group trip 12 of whom were injured and taken to a hospital An Ecuadorian is also said to have been injured Two of the injured are in critical condition the director of the hospital in the city of Tena said the injured people were between 41 and 75 years old The ministry announced that it will provide consular assistance to the victims and their families in the Netherlands They also have had contact with the local authorities and the Eurocross emergency center which is coordinating practical assistance from the Netherlands Eurocross has opened a special telephone number for those involved which can be reached on +31 (0)71 364 18 41 Road accidents are one of the leading causes of death in Ecuador. Since the beginning of this year, nearly 1,500 people have been killed in traffic accidents there. In July, a bus overturned in a suburb of the capital Quito, killing eight people and injuring 20. © 2012-2025, NL Times, All rights reserved. The A-92 motorway as it passes through the municipality of Archidona in Malaga province remained closed for several hours today (Friday 5 January) after an accident involving 15 vehicles, according to a spokesperson for Spain's Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT) traffic management centre. The accident happened at around 9.30am at kilometre 169 of the A-92, in the direction of Seville. Emergencias 112 Andalucía operators received several calls alerting them to a chain collision. Apparently, at the time there was heavy fog and hail was falling. Guardia Civil traffic police, 061 ambulance services and road maintenance personnel were quickly on the scene. One person had to be taken to hospital and ten others were assisted at the scene by health services after the multiple collision. Due to the accident and the road closure, an alternative diversion has was opened on the A-92 M. The road was eventually cleared and reopened at around 2pm. 112 Andalucía has urged motorists to use extreme caution if driving in the Archidona area, since snow, hail and fog have already caused several accidents on the A-92, A-92M and A-7202 roads. "Follow the instructions of personnel and information panels," the emergency service coordination centre warned. Registered office Málaga, Avda. Dr. Marañón, 48. En door het gebeuk van Kuss had hij een extra motivatie om het grandioos af te ronden. Met gemak regelde onze landgenoot de sprint nadat ook Sivakov zijn aanval niet tot op de streep kon rekken.  Fase per faselaatste update: 9 maanden geleden17:51In de herhaling zien we dat Van Aert het met de vingers in de neus haalt. Ze komen niet eens uit zijn wiel, alsjeblieft! Hij doet een gouden zaak voor groen door de nulscore van concurrent Groves.  17:49Net op tijd werd Sivakov nog gegrepen, onder meer dankzij een ultieme knal van Lidl-Trek voor Vacek, die tweede wordt. Pau Miquel is knap derde. Wout van Aert maakt er een hele lange sprint van en rondt die met verve af! Ze komen niet uit zijn wiel, perfect afgerond voor zijn eerste zege op Spaanse bodem.  17:47Vacek komt opzetten met een ploegmaat voor zich uit. Sivakov is weer binnen bereik!  17:46Laatste km.Nog een lel erop, denkt Vlasov. Roglic zit ook klaar om mee te sprinten. Het wordt een nagelbijter.  17:46Sivakov weg UAE stuurt Sivakov in de aanval op 2 km van de streep. Dat krijgt Vlasov niet meteen gedicht, hij kijkt in de ogen van Van Aert.  17:45Gaudu brengt de aanvalsdebatten weer op gang, Vlasov dicht het gat met Van Aert in het wiel. Ideaal voor de groene man.  17:45Het slot is grotendeels vlak en telt relatief weinig bochten, met wel nog een rotonde net voor het ingaan van de slotkilometer. De laatste rechte lijn gaat lichtjes bergop.  17:44Is dit dan het juiste moment, goed getimed door Kuss. Op 3,5 kilometer komt het weer samen, wie is de volgende die probeert?  17:43Liever zo laat mogelijk erbij komen dan te vroeg. José De Cauwer17:42Nog 5 kilometerSoler heeft het moeilijk op een strook vals plat omhoog. Met de grijns op het gelaat ziet hij de groep achtervolgers naderen.  17:40Van 10 gaat het naar 5. Soler komt stilaan in beeld.  17:39Het blijft status quo met 10 seconden voorsprong voor Soler. Kuss moet het doen voor Van Aert.  17:38Kuss met de aanval!Meteen nadat Van Aert teruggenomen wordt, gaat ploegmaat Kuss aan. Heel wat volk op het wiel dus dat zal niet lukken. De Amerikaan moet tempo maken.  17:37Nog 10 kilometer en Van Aert moet nog een tiental seconden overbruggen bij het binnerijden van Cordoba opnieuw. UAE rekent hem weldra in.  17:37Straffe versnelling van Van Aert: “Kijk, hij gaat zelf jagen”17:36Van Aert knalt wegDan probeer ik het maar alleen. Wout van Aert knalt weg uit de elitegroep en gaat in zijn eentje op zoek naar Soler. UAE beseft dat ze tot op zijn wiel moeten gaan om de aanval van hun ploegmaat te beschermen.  The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers When you purchase through links on our site Two derelict houses in the quiet town of Archidona have been transformed in cool Almohalla 51 was recently voted the Best B&B in Spain by TripAdvisor users less than an hour from both the beaches of Malaga and Granada's Alhambra making it an easy option for a weekend break or a good base for a tour of Andalucia more boutique guesthouse than B&B – two derelict houses converted into a comfy warren of whitewashed walls Throughout there are loving nods to the history of the house and the area A roof terrace with a small pool and a few loungers is a suntrap during the day cushions and a fridge full of Cruzcampo beer There are five rooms – a mixture of doubles The conversion means that each is quirkily shaped – a sloping roof here The design is deliberately simple: antique brass bedsteads and dark wooden furniture set alongside white walls and modern bathrooms thick stone walls and a standing fan help to combat the summer heat Each room has an iPod dock and there is free Wi-Fi Guests are given front door keys to come and go as they please beer and snacks in the dining room and on the roof terrace and shelves stuffed with books and DVDs in the snug that won Almohalla 51 its recent plaudit and breakfast is a shining example Served on a shady terrace or in the dining room then the fruit salad of the day (watermelon and mint Londoners David Matthews and Myles Rainsford It is their first guesthouse but not their first property conversion Both have backgrounds in travel and marketing and Myles spent his childhood nearby Their local knowledge deserves a prize in itself They offer advice on everything from the best tapas bars in Granada to the most convenient car parks in Malaga They are also evangelical about the sleepy pleasures of Archidona Having helped the neighbourhood restaurants translate their menus into English they are well placed to give tips on the best places and times to eat an unusual octagonal focal point bordered by bars and restaurants is five minutes' walk down the hill from Almohalla 51 the dazzling cities of Granada and Cordoba are an hour's drive away Archidona has a handful of tapas restaurants The oldest and best is Bar Central (00 34 952 717 469) about four minutes' walk from Almohalla 51 The chargrilled asparagus with jamón and fried aubergines drizzled in cane honey are highlights the cave-like Arxiduna (00 34 667 916 148) offers fusion tapas featuring duck and venison Sit outside for the full Plaza Ochevada experience Calle Almohalla 51, Archidona, Malaga, Andalucia, Spain (00 34 952 716 370; almohalla51.com) Stay for four nights or more during July and August and receive €40 (£32) off the bill a bottle of cava on arrival and an introduction to local tapas Spain: B&B and Beyond","description":"Two derelict houses in the quiet town of Archidona have been transformed in cool A strong magnitude 5.5 earthquake hit 78 km (49 mi) away from Quito, Provincia de Pichincha,  Ecuador 2025 at 6.02 pm local time (America/Guayaquil GMT -5) The depth of the quake could not be determined but is assumed to be shallow.The earthquake was felt over a large region. The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicenter than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would Beatriz Archidona has broken her silence to say what all of Telecinco thinks about Terelu Campos: "she's a professional." The host of ¡De Viernes attended the GenZ Awards and spoke at length about her program colleague she noted how the Campos family is always in the spotlight and the way Terelu handles being in the limelight highlighting the value of María Teresa Campos's daughter denying the rumors about the bans Terelu imposes "There's no problem," the communicator replied There's not a day when the Campos aren't in the news and this has ensured that María Teresa's daughters don't lack work Beatriz spoke on the red carpet of the GenZ Awards "She's a professional," Archidona revealed thus saying what all of Telecinco thinks about Terelu Campos Beatriz Archidona considers Terelu a professional | Instagram, @bearchidonaRecently, part of the content of ¡De Viernes! has revolved around the Campos family and their latest controversies Beatriz is aware of this and considers that Terelu has a lot of patience to endure every week on the show the collaborator's long professional career has made her take with philosophy the need to put out daily fires that arise Alejandra Rubio's mother is willing to participate in the controversies aware of the "world we dedicate ourselves to." This attitude of Terelu helps the rest of her colleagues to find working with her much easier Especially when dealing with more delicate topics It has always been rumored that working with Terelu isn't easy due to her airs of grandeur and her desire to stand out above the rest Beatriz revealed what it's really like to work with the collaborator she always respects her colleagues," Archidona clarified highlighting the camaraderie of Carmen Borrego's sister is a joint project where all collaborators "row in the same direction." So there's no room for favoritism nor for bans as has been speculated recently there's a very good vibe," Beatriz defended Beatriz Archidona states that Terelu is a good colleague | TelecincoAlthough there are occasional clashes between collaborators showing herself as just another member of the group even though she has had to be the protagonist on some occasions it's easy to work with Terelu despite the voices raised against María Teresa's daughter What started as a timid project has gradually positioned itself as the weekly bet Much of its success is owed to controversies like Bárbara Rey's or those starring the Campos clan   NEW ON FACEBOOK! 📲 Click here to receive the hottest royal and celebrity news directly to your Facebook, for FREE and EXCLUSIVE! Don't miss out! Archidona promises juicy content for later with "a top star woman." For now