Johannes Staune-Mittet third in La Línea de la Concepción Vuelta a Andalucia final overall podium: Clement Berthet (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) race winner Pavel Sivakov (UAE Team Emirates) overall winner and Thomas Pidcock (Q365 Pro Cycling Team) (Image credit: Getty Images)Andreas Leknessund in the breakaway during the 71st Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol 2025 Stage 5(Image credit: Getty Images)Axel Laurance Ivan Ramiro Sosa compete in the breakaway during the 71st Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol 2025 Stage 5(Image credit: Getty Images) It was a second consecutive success for the breakaway on the fifth and final stage of the Vuelta a Andalucia, and a second win for a Spanish rider on a Spanish team, as Movistar’s Jon Barrenetxea clinched his second career victory at the age of 24 Three survivors from the day’s early break contested the victory in La Línea de la Conception with the Spaniard overturning two Norwegians – Tobias Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) and Johannes Staune-Mittet (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale) – to take the win.  Though Johannessen protested at the line taken in the sprint by Barrenetxea Johannessen finished second and Staune-Mittet third With all the climbing taking place in the first half of the course there was no opportunity for any action on the general classification during the stage.  The peloton rolled in together and Sivikov was crowned the overall winner of the five-day race Clement Berthet (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale) finished second overall and Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) completed the GC podium in third Both riders finished at 23 seconds behind Sivakov Just 86 riders lined up to begin the final stage of this year’s Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol with Sivakov protecting a 23-second lead on the overall classification at the start of the day the day opened with a long climb of over 20 kilometres which included a number of strong riders.  The group lost one member but stayed together over the next climb – the final significant ascent of the race – and split briefly on the descent that followed with a six-man group finding a gap for a short while as the race headed south-west along the Andalucian coast.  UAE upped the pace and the gap plummeted under their powerful acceleration the leader’s team shaving off over a minute to reduce the deficit to around 45 seconds They eased their efforts a while later allowing the break a bit more breathing room though with Johannes Staune-Mittet (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale) the best-placed rider on the general classification at 2:43 behind leader Sivakov Tobias Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) opened hostilities and he found some space ahead of the group with 40 kilometres remaining but was unable to stay away His move seemed to open the floodgates though and several attempts to split the group followed with the gap to the bunch stretching back out to around 1:40 with around 25 kilometres to go to the finish As they passed through the 20 kilometres to go point Uno-X Mobility once again drove the pace at the front of the race pulling a group of five riders clear but once again counter-attacks from the remainder of the group prevented them from going clear though the increased pace began to take its toll on a few of the riders who began to lose touch at the back of the group with Giovanni Carboni of Unibet Tietema Rockets able to bridge across to make it six The group worked together well to carve out a lead over the chasers which grew rapidly as the riders in pursuit continued to attack one another With the rock of Gibraltar coming into view the group were eyeing victory against a dramatic backdrop but two of them would be ruled out of contention as Iker Mintegi (Euskaltel-Euskadi) lost grip on a corner taking Thomas Gachignard (Team TotalEnergies) down with him this meant that the win would be decided between Barrenetxea and the two Norwegians – Johannessen and Staune-Mittet With the peloton led by Ineos Grenadiers sweeping up the chase group the gap to the front of the race began to drop swiftly once again The three leaders rode shoulder to shoulder as they headed into the final kilometre but it was clear that Staune-Mittet didn’t have the legs to go with the other two.  with Barrenetxea the final rider to launch powering to victory as Johannessen protested in his wake and Ben Turner (Ineos Grenadiers) and Maxim Van Gils (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) fought it out for the win from the bunch and sealing the points jersey victory in the process Guillermo Silva (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) won the King of the Mountains classification Results powered by FirstCycling The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox! Katy is a freelance writer and journalist. She has published interviews, features, and previews in Cycling News, Rouleur, Cyclist Magazine and the British Continental. She also writes opinion pieces on her own website writebikerepeat.com and is a frequent contributor to the Quicklink podcast.  She is obsessed with the narrative element of bike racing, from the bigger picture to the individual stories. She is a cyclocross nut who is 5% Belgian and wonders if this entitles her to citizenship. Her favourite races are Ronde van Vlaanderen and La Vuelta. In her spare time Katy is a published short fiction and non-fiction author. 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All rights reserved has expressed his disappointment that the town is not included in the ministry of transport's proposal for the coastal train project which would link the provinces of Cadiz and Malaga He said that the request is "historical" and that he would write to the government about the absence He recalled that a meeting was held in Malaga in July 2024 with all the mayors of municipalities included in the railway project to which La Línea was invited and which he understood meant that the town "had to be present" in this connection between Malaga and Algeciras "We thought it was magnificent news," said Juan Franco of this meeting only to find that "no action is planned for La Línea de la Concepción" as the mayor noted when reviewing the tender documents published by the government His comments came after the announcement by the ministry of the call for tenders for an external consultancy to design the draft project for the route La Línea town hall requested information on whether the town was included in the plan but has not yet received a reply Juan Franco said that La Línea and Gibraltar had a combined population of more than 100,000 inhabitants but still had no rail connection "We find it somewhat surprising that we are not being taken into account in this tender." Comentar es una ventaja exclusiva para registrados 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 As per L’Équipe RC Strasbourg Alsace have seen a €10m bid for Deportivo de la Coruña’s Yeremay Hernandez (22) rejected are showing a strong interest in recruiting Hernandez The winger has a €20m release clause and Les Alsaciens have seen an initial €10m offer (without bonuses) Deportivo de la Coruña are showing themselves to be unflinching in setting their price with the club seemingly holding out until a club comes in and pays the release clause It remains to be seen whether Strasbourg will up their offer for the Spaniard or whether Chelsea will instead come to the table L’Équipe had initially evoked the idea of the Premier League side signing Hernandez before then loaning him out to France one of the current loans between the two clubs would have to be cut short Caleb Wiley would be the most obvious candidate L’Équipe understands that Napoli and Porto are also in for the young Spanish winger GFFN | Luke Entwistle You can register a free account and get 10 FREE premium articles a month please enter your email address in the box below and we will send you an email with a few steps to reset your password and get you back onto your account England U21s and Spain’s U21 team are scheduled to face each other in La Línea on November 15 listed on the official website of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) is one of two matches “La Rojita” will play as they prepare for next summer’s European Championships in Slovakia who have also qualified for the same competition “Spain will play against England in La Línea de la Concepción on Friday at 6:30 PM at the Estadio Municipal Ciudad de La Línea and against Denmark at the Estadio Carlos Belmonte in Albacete on Tuesday at 7:00 PM,” said a statement from the RFEF “These matches are made possible thanks to the collaboration between the Royal Spanish Football Federation and the Football Federation of Castilla-La Mancha along with the Provincial Council of Cádiz the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha the City Council of La Línea de la Concepción the match against England will mark the inauguration of the Estadio Municipal de La Línea which has undergone a major upgrade over the past 18 months “Spain and England meet again after facing off in the final of the last European Championship where England won 1-0,” the statement added “This will be the eleventh historical encounter between the two teams.” The match comes at a time of particular significance politically in the region as talks continue for a UK/EU treaty on Gibraltar It will also be the first time Gibraltar fans will see a match between England and Spain so close to home since the controversy this summer following Spain’s Euro 2024 victory led chants of “Gibraltar es español” during celebrations in Madrid after the win prompting a complaint to UEFA from the Gibraltar FA The GFA described the chants as “highly inflammatory” and UEFA upheld the complaint after an investigation imposing a one-match ban on each of the payers The UEFA sanctions were the subject of three parliamentary questions in the Congress in Madrid tabled by an MP from Unión del Pueblo Navarro Alberto Catalán Higueras asked the Spanish Government whether it had been in contact with the Spanish players and the RFEF after the UEFA sanctions were confirmed and what steps it planned to take in response The written questions were answered earlier this week by the Spanish Government which said this was a matter for UEFA in line with its own rules and statutes “The Consejo Superior de Deportes [the Spanish government agency responsible for the promotion planning and development of Sport in Spain] acts within the scope of its powers and with full respect for the competencies of other international sports organisations,” the Spanish Government said in the response “This matter falls within the jurisdiction of UEFA's Control in accordance with its disciplinary regulations.” The England U21s will arrive with an unbeaten four-match run since the end of summer were described as being “in dominant form in Bristol with six different players getting on the scoresheet alongside an own goal to cap a fine night for Ben Futcher’s players.” took over as caretaker manager of the England senior team during the U21s’ final group matches The team is expected to use the match as part of their preparations for next year’s tournament and some of the top names in English football are anticipated to play against the Spanish team Read our latest newspaper by downloading our app from the link below The Gibraltar Chronicle is a daily newspaper published in Gibraltar since 1801 It is one of the world's oldest English language newspapers to have been in print continuously Our print edition and e-paper is published daily except Sundays The Gibraltar Chronicle (Newspaper) Ltd is licensed by the Gibraltar Government's Office of Fair Trading This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website These cookies do not store any personal information Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website Equipo Kern Pharma attacked breakaway in the final kilometres to win in Alhaurín de la Torre Alan Jousseaume takes second and Connor Swift third The 23-year-old was one of six riders in contention for victory after the early break and was able to stay clear all day, with UAE Team Emirates-XRG content to defend the overall lead of Pavel Sivakov.  With just under two kilometres left to race Uriarte launched a speculative early attack but with the other riders looking at one another he was able to cross the line first after just over four hours of racing to record a surprise win for his team Alan Jousseaume (Team TotalEnergies) was second and Connor Swift (Ineos Grenadiers) completed the podium in third There was no change in the overall classification as the peloton rolled in over 4 minutes behind the winner with Sivakov retaining the yellow leader’s jersey for the third day Clement Berthet (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale) second and Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) third The longest stage of the race at 194.3 kilometres and headed south back towards Spain’s south coast A diminutive peloton of just 97 riders began the race with a further 8 riders withdrawing from the race before the stage started Sivakov spent his second day in the leader’s jersey enjoying a 23-second lead over Berthet in second place on GC with many teams keen to be involved in the day’s breakaway a 14-rider lead group was finally established and they began to build their gap over the peloton It was a relatively modest advantage of no more than 2:30 for most of the race however the Wagner Bazin WB team were driving the pace in the bunch presumably in the hope of eventually making the catch The day’s golden kilometre bonuses were divided amongst the breakaway riders with just over 70 kilometres remaining on the stage too far from the stage finish to have any real impact on the overall classification The gap to the front of the race dropped below two minutes for the first time with around 54 kilometres remaining with the other team to have missed out on the break - the Mexican continental side Petrolike - adding their numbers to the chase and allowing UAE to conserve their energy in defence of Sivakov’s lead the gap began to extend again as they moved closer to the finish extending some hope to the 12 remaining breakaway riders but with UAE taking control at the front of the bunch any hope left within the peloton of fighting for the stage win was extinguished as they put on the brakes allowing the gap to swell and effectively neutralising the race from within the main bunch with the message presumably getting through that the peloton had sat up the attacking began with around 17 kilometres to go Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale’s Callum Scotson was the most animated only five were able to bridge across to Scotson: Uriarte and the finish line in Alhaurín de la Torre Uriarte launched an audacious attack with just under 2 kilometres remaining and his gap began to grow as the group behind looked at each other playing a dangerous game if they hoped to leave enough time for a counter-attack It was too late for them all in the end – with the finish line coming into view Uriarte checked over his shoulder and confirmed that he was about to realise an incredible achievement He clutched his head in shock as he crossed the line to become a Spanish winner for a Spanish team at a Spanish race taking his inaugural career victory in a real coup for his team and with no late attacks from the main contenders there was no change in the overall classification following the stage Katy is a freelance writer and journalist Cyclist Magazine and the British Continental She also writes opinion pieces on her own website writebikerepeat.com and is a frequent contributor to the Quicklink podcast.  She is obsessed with the narrative element of bike racing from the bigger picture to the individual stories She is a cyclocross nut who is 5% Belgian and wonders if this entitles her to citizenship Her favourite races are Ronde van Vlaanderen and La Vuelta In her spare time Katy is a published short fiction and non-fiction author Mission Statement: to assist the integration of foreign residents living in Spain and this is never more accurate than when you establish yourself as a foreign resident in a new country Being able to quickly familiarise yourself with the culture and customs can help ease the transition during a challenging time This is why Euro Weekly News makes it our mission to provide you with a free news resource in English that covers both regional and national Spanish news – anything that we feel you will benefit from knowing as you integrate into your new community and live your best life in Spain you can forget about translating articles from Spanish into awkward English that probably don’t make much sense Let us be your convenient and essential guide to all things that will likely affect you as a foreign resident living in Spain around 12,000 protesters in La Línea de la Concepción gathered to demand a Brexit treaty Many residents fear an economic fallout if negotiations between the UK and EU fail to secure a cross-border agreement La Línea’s economy depends heavily on Gibraltar where approximately 15,000 locals commute daily In an interview with the Gibraltar Chronicle Victoria Jiménez – who has worked in Gibraltar for 17 years – said: “We have a lot at stake The whole city needs to be in the streets to demand a resolution to Brexit We are scared because many people depend on Gibraltar.” urged both the Spanish government and Junta de Andalucía for action “The unity on show here in the face of the biggest challenge we have faced since 1969 when the border was closed and we lost nearly 30,000 citizens who emigrated in the space of a year,” Franco said calling for measures to avoid a repeat of history As Brexit negotiations drag on, expatriates in Gibraltar and cross-border workers in La Línea face growing uncertainty. The city council has urged officials for transparency on how the absence of a Brexit deal may impact La Línea’s economy, making swift action essential for those reliant on cross-border work in Gibraltar. Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox! Known as the PEOPLE’S PAPER, Euro Weekly News is the leading English language newspaper in Spain. And it’s FREE! Covering the Almeria, Axarquia, Costa Blanca North, Costa Blanca South, Costa del Sol , Costa Calida, Mallorca and beyond, EWN supports and inspires the individuals, neighbourhoods, and communities we serve, by delivering news with a social conscience. Whether it’s local news in Spain, UK news or international stories, we are proud to be the voice for the expat communities who now call Spain home. With around half a million print readers a week and over 1.5 million web views per month, EWN has the biggest readership of any English language newspaper in Spain. The paper prints over 150 news stories a week with many hundreds more on the web – no one else even comes close. Our publication has won numerous awards over the last 25 years including Best Free Newspaper of the Year (Premios AEEPP), Company of the Year (Costa del Sol Business Awards) and Collaboration with Foreigners honours (Mijas Town Hall). All of this comes at ZERO cost to our readers. All our print and online content always has been and always will be FREE OF CHARGE. Download our media pack in either English or Spanish. The independent mayor of La Línea de la Concepción, Juan Franco, has sent a letter from the town hall to Spain's ministry of the interior expressing concerns about the new biometric control system being introduced on the Gibraltar border. With the support of the two main opposition parties (PP and PSOE), Franco is demanding more information about the implementation of the system with the neighbouring British overseas territory. "According to the information I have seen, it seems that the plan was that this new control system would come into force in November, although new information has recently come to light saying that it could possibly be postponed, as it seems that three of these members of the Union and also members of the Schengen area, such as the Netherlands, Germany and France, had certain difficulties with this system coming into force from that date", said the mayor in a press statement. However, he pointed out that, while passing through the area "in a personal capacity", he was able to see that "on the way back to Spain, the system for controlling access to our national territory has been changed." Franco explained that what they are proposing is "simply a question of getting things right technically, as they are "aware that, once these controls are installed, there will be a period of adaptation and, from then on, there may be some days with queues, hold-ups and problems in what is part of the municipal district of La Línea, which is where delays will possibly occur." Finally, La Línea's mayor said that he hopes that the ministry will provide them with the requested information and he gave assurances that "the town hall is at the disposal of the ministry, as it cannot be otherwise, to try to collaborate in everything that is in its power." Registered office Málaga, Avda. Dr. Marañón, 48. Reporting by Emma Pinedo; editing by Jonathan Oatis According to a report from Fabrizio Romano Deportivo de La Coruña have rejected a €15m offer from BlueCo for Yeremay Hernández (22) The owners of Chelsea and RC Strasbourg Alsace have been keen to add Yeremay to their roster and saw a previous bid of €10 million from the French side rejected by the Spanish club It appears as if Deportivo will not come to the negotiating table The club are standing firm despite intense interest and will not sell unless a club matches the left-winger’s €20m release clause Romano writes that the second-division Spanish team will keep Yeremay on the same contract and thereby the same release clause until the end of the season He further explains that the president of Deportivo believes he has convinced Yeremay to remain at the club for this campaign after receiving bids from Serie A teams GFFN | Nick Hartland Pavel Sivakov wins the overall title at Vuelta a Andalucia(Image credit: Getty Images) Jon Barrenetxea wins final stage(Image credit: Getty Images)Diego Uriarte wins stage 4(Image credit: Getty Images)Alexander Kristoff of Uno-X Mobility celebrates at finish line as stage 3 winner ahead of Ben Turner of Ineos Grenadiers(Image credit: Szymon Gruchalski/Getty Images)Tom Pidcock wins stage 2 of the Vuelta a Andalucia(Image credit: Getty Images)Maxim Van Gils wins stage 1(Image credit: Getty Images) Stage 5: Pavel Sivakov secures overall victory as breakaway rider Jon Barrenetxea wins finale Stage 4: Late-race attack nets breakaway rider Diego Uriarte stage 4 win Stage 3: Alexander Kristoff kicks past Ben Turner in final metres for sprint victory Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X Mobility) exploded past Ineos Grenadiers’ Ben Turner in the final 10 metres to snatch the stage 3 victory Maxim Van Gils (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) then took third just ahead of Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) Stage 2: Tom Pidcock wins stage 2 as Maxim van Gils loses overall lead Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) scored the victory ahead of his former teammate at Ineos Grenadiers Brandon Rivera. Pavel Sivakov (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) rounded out the podium finishing in third place for the second consecutive day Stage 1: Maxim Van Gils wins opener at Cueva de Nerja Maxim van Gils took his first victory in the colours of his new team on a challenging opening day at the Vuelta a Andalucía (Ruta del Sol) stage 1 set the tone for the remaining four days of racing with Van Gils assuming control of the yellow leader’s jersey With a name frequently shortened to 'Ruta del Sol' or even just 'Ruta' the five-day race combines one or two flat stages with numerous hilly stages and short it includes a short individual time trial or heads into the mountains of Sierra Nevada for a summit finish Running concurrently with the Volta ao Algarve in Portugal in recent years Andalucia's increasing preference for a tougher route has tended to attract more allrounders and out-and-out climbers than Classics specialists to its field of favourites its history of winners includes historic one-day stars like Freddy Maertens as well as stage racers of the calibre of Chris Froome and Miguel Indurain Alejandro Valverde holds the current record for overall victories in Andalucia – five – whilst in 2023 Pogačar succeeded in winning three stages of a possible five en route to a crushing outright triumph Join Cyclingnews' coverage of the 2025 Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista del Sol with race reports Data powered by FirstCycling Thousands gathered in La Línea de la Concepción the closest Spanish town to the Gibraltar border alongside representatives from various political parties on Friday evening The demonstrators called for urgent measures to support the town and a resolution to the agreement between the UK the EU and Spain regarding the post-Brexit status of Gibraltar highlighting that its effects will have an "immediate and direct impact" on the local community Fears are that a lack of agreement would cause border control chaos as thousands of Spanish residents in La Línea cross into Gibraltar every day to work started at Plaza Fariñas in the town centre Carrying a banner and chanting "La Línea matters we are not invisible," demonstrators also shouted slogans such as "united people will never be defeated" as they made their way towards the Gibraltar border the mayor had held meetings with local organisations as well as distributing leaflets near the border to inform the public about the march The council described the event as "historic" aiming to demand "an immediate response to the serious problems affecting the town" the route had to be changed to accommodate the number of participants as they progressed to the planned final destination The mayor stated that the lack of an agreement on Gibraltar after Brexit "threatens the economic stability of thousands of families and businesses" "It seems that an agreement is getting closer but it still hasn't been reached." Juan Franco emphasised that La Línea is a "direct reflection of what happens in Gibraltar" explaining that the "unique circumstances" of the municipality should be taken into account in any agreement the Spanish minister of foreign affairs José Manuel Albares held a meeting with mayors from the Campo de Gibraltar representatives from the Junta de Andalucía the Cádiz provincial authority and the Mancomunidad The meeting aimed to update attendees on the current status of negotiations concerning the Rock of Gibraltar although it feels like Brexit was only yesterday no special measures have been taken for the local area," stated the mayor of La Línea He expressed his frustration at having spent years calling for investments in infrastructure employment schemes and targeted tax measures Chelsea hold an interest in Spain youth international Hernandez During conversations with their Spanish counterparts Chelsea’s hierarchy have evoked the idea of a move to Strasbourg on loan with Liam Rosenior interested in the left-winger one of the ongoing loans would have to be cut short who recently underwent a shoulder operation would perhaps be the most obvious candidate to see his stint in Alsace cut short Violence and hashish-carrying speedboats have surged since Spain’s 2008 economic crisis boosted the town’s smuggling gangs Juan Franco asks his driver to slow down as the car swings on to what is reputed to be one of the most dangerous streets in Europe there are few signs of life around the modest one- and two-storey houses “People expect there to be shootouts here,” says Franco who has been the mayor of La Línea de la Concepción for almost three years Franco doesn’t care for the comparison to the Colombian city once held in thrall by Pablo Escobar but it is one with which he is sadly familiar Over the past few years – and the past 12 months in particular – La Línea, which sprawls in the shadow of the Rock of Gibraltar has acquired an unenviable reputation as Spain’s most troubled town The source of its infamy lies the other side of Calle Canarias along the 7.5-mile (12km) stretch of beach from where police seized 145,372kg of hashish in the region and 11,785kg of cocaine Smuggling is hardly a recent phenomenon in this part of the world But a surge in violence against police officers trying to combat the lucrative drug trade has established La Línea as the frontline of Spain’s battle against the traffickers Things escalated further this February, when 20 masked men stormed La Línea’s hospital to free a suspected drug trafficker Locals complain about a rapid loss of control and growing culture of impunity which sprang up after the British took Gibraltar in the early 18th century has long been on intimate terms with contraband tobacco smuggling grew bigger thanks to much lower prices in Gibraltar than Spain and people brought it to the coast on launches When the Spanish authorities cracked down on the trade in the mid-90s some of the smugglers diversified into Moroccan hashish Their numbers swelled after the economic crisis hit Spain in 2008 forcing many of those who had lost their jobs in the construction sector to look for other ways to pay the bills unemployment in the town stands at about 35% “[People] have got little hope of finding work which makes for ideal circumstances for the narcos.” Approximately 3,000 of La Línea’s 64,000 inhabitants are thought to be involved in the 30 or so gangs that run the drug trade Gang members are said to intermarry to consolidate power and to increase their reach and influence Franciso Mena, the chair of the Alternativas anti-drug association says the upshot has been a “lack of security – but it’s in certain places and because of some very determined people” in the longer term is the damage done to the region’s identity “Who’d want to come and start a business here Who’d want to come here as a teacher or a doctor when the image is basically that it’s not safe?” Boxes of hashish on a smuggling boat Photograph: Guardia Civil de InteriorOne local resident wonders whether it doesn’t suit the authorities to turn a blind eye to the situation “The government lets it happen because if they didn’t people would lose it and go around robbing all over the place.” Mena notes that even those on the lowest rung of the narco ladder are well remunerated “The guy with a scooter and a mobile phone who keeps an eye out for the Guardia Civil and the national police will get €1,000 a day,” he says “The guys who haul it off the beach and into cars can get €3,000-€4,000 and the guys who drive the drugboats can make anything between €30,000 and €60,000 a trip but it’s also a very difficult business to leave once you’re in.” who is a little exasperated by the fact that his association is now better known for speaking out about the narcos than for its decades of community work is also lukewarm about the Medellín analogy “Things for people here are normal – they get up for work each day,” he says Many have jobs at the port of Algeciras and thousands more cross over each day to work in Gibraltar “It’s all normal because what’s happening with the hashish trade round here is not new.” a line was crossed when officers were pelted with stones last spring: “It’s basically because the principle of authority has been lost.” Speak to police associations and worries over that lost principle crop up frequently Almost as frequent is the word desanimado – demoralised general secretary of the local Guardia Civil association 0:50Customs boats and a helicopter attempt chase down smugglers headed to La Línea – videoHe also points to the rising number of assault weapons that have been seized and the smugglers’ stark supremacy in the power and speed of their boats “It’s like having a Mercedes-AMG up against a Nissan Primera it’s also the sheer number of speedboats packed with hashish – there can be 10 or 15 crossing at the same time.” acknowledges his officers face unique challenges “It’s not usual in Spain for people to throw stones at the Guardia Civil and it’s not usual for traffickers to ram into Guardia Civil or police cars,” he says Núñez says the recent deployment of the Rapid Action Group (Gar) – an elite Guardia Civil unit – to patrol the beaches has had an impact on trafficking. Similar improvements, he adds, occurred last summer before the Gar was sent to Catalonia to police autumn’s independence crisis Contraband seized in a joint operation with national police customs surveillance and Civil Guard in the Campo de Gibraltar Photograph: Guardia Civil de Interior‘Hostage to geography and economics’According to the interior ministry seizures of hashish across the region rose by 45% last year while the amount of cocaine confiscated was up by 300% “[But] the problem in La Línea isn’t just a police problem,” says Núñez you’d have the same problem elsewhere in Spain.” Few in town would disagree that La Línea is a hostage to its history geography and post-2008 economic circumstances “The solution needs to have a dual focus,” says Mayor Franco a big police deployment and proper long jail terms But you also need social measures – you need training and education and you need to have jobs for people It’s the only way to get rid of this scourge Fishing boats in La Línea’s harbour Photograph: Richard Atkins/SolarPixThe regional government of Andalusia has recently announced it will invest €56.5m in the area this year and is launching schemes to improve workers’ qualifications and give young people skills tailored to specific businesses But a hefty injection of private money and investor confidence will also be needed Franco is keen to show off the mega-yachts moored in the marina and away from the fishermen’s houses and the ageing blocks of flats a big La Línea hotel attracts retired Britons lured by full English breakfast buffets and the proximity of Gibraltar One slick restaurant offers grilled foie gras for €13 and local steak for €17.50 a further hint that this is really two towns and not one Franco wants La Línea to be more than a criminal petri dish the empty land by the Gibraltar border and the huge park that is too much for its gardeners it could reinvent itself as a place that attracts families and older holidaymakers rather than drugs and baleful headlines But the mayor is a realist: “I’ll take Magaluf over narcos.” The women's team of the FC Barcelona Players' Association lifted the title of champions of the First International Veterans Tournament of La Línea de la Concepción on Sunday The Estadio Ciudad de la Línea was the scene of a competition with a high level of all participating teams The final was resolved with a victory against Veteranas Parque Alcobendas (1-0) the same team that beat them in the group stage the team made its debut against the Germans With almost no time to rest and with constant rotations AJ FCB Femenino played its second and final match of the group stage against a team from Madrid that The match between the two triangular rivals was key for the qualification to the final phase the following day On Sunday came the main course at the Estadio Ciudad de la Línea The semifinal ended with a 2-0 win against Real Sociedad with which they reached the final against his tormentor the day before: the Veteranas Parque Alcobendas A very disputed match where the excellent organization of AJ FCB Women's game and a great collective work allowed to give value to the only goal of the match defended by the great saves of Cristina Molina A great end in a fantastic atmosphere of football in the south of Spain The FC Barcelona Players' Association was represented institutionally by president Juan M The winners of the First International Women's Tournament of La Línea de la Concepción are: the players Cristina Molina (captain and MVP of the final) the coaches Joan Carles Hidago and David Forcat the physiotherapist Laura Ruiz and the material manager For ten years or so different voices have been joining forces to recover the so-called 'Camino Inglés' Now named as 'La Ruta de los Viajeros Románticos' (or the route of the travelling romanticists) this was an ancestral route that linked the Strait of Gibraltar with inland Spain via the Serranía de Ronda It became popular in the wake of these artists of the late 19th century as they mentioned it in their accounts of their travels through Europe and beyond Aruviro is the group of supporters that has been pushing for this route to be restored This association includes relevant municipalities various institutions and businesses from the Campo de Gibraltar through to the Serranía de Ronda They have been promoting this project by researching and translating the texts written in the 19th century The whole route will be 92 kilometres long between Gibraltar and Ronda and will pass through the towns and villages of Ronda of which three (58 kilometres) will be in Malaga province from Ronda to Secadero in Casares has announced an investment of 811,000 euros to upgrade the Malaga part of the trail mainly the sections that are not currently passable that amount to around 22 kilometres "The aim is to enhance the value of a historic route with a long tradition to the extent that it was known as the Camino Inglés because it welcomed foreign travellers on their journey from Gibraltar to Ronda and then inland Andalucía," said Diputación president Francisco Salado who added that "a new recreational area will be created in the vicinity of the centres to these municipalities which will allow healthy leisure activities to be carried out." Most of the work will consist of cleaning and clearing the trail to open it up and the municipal public paths and cattle tracks along the route will also be upgraded Slopes will be stabilised and steel and wooden safety barriers will be installed in areas next to roads two fenced-in spaces will be created at the junction of the A-377 and the A-373 roads where horses can take some rest The trail will be signposted along its entire length and will have to meet the approval of Fedme (Spain's main mountaineering federation) and the equestrian authorities a topographical guide will be drawn up containing detailed information on the route and the services and municipalities in the surrounding area In 2022 a monument was installed in Ronda to mark the starting point for this route inspired by Gustavo Doré's engraving 'Contrabandista y su novia rondeña a la grupa' that depicts a smuggler and his bride from Ronda riding on horseback It is located next to Camping El Sur on the road to Algeciras THE Supreme Court of Spain has prevented the Cádiz municipality of La Línea de la Concepción from holding a referendum to become a new Autonomous Community the Fourth Section of the Contentious-Administrative Chamber of the Supreme Court confirmed the agreement of the Council of Ministers of October 25 2022 by which the City Council of La Línea de la Concepción was denied authorisation to hold a popular consultation to become an Autonomous Community The Chamber rejected the appeal of the City Council by considering that a consultation such as the one sought could be protected by Article 71 of the Law Regulating the Bases of the Local Regime ‘It seems clear that erecting a municipality in an Autonomous Community directly affects the state and autonomous community since it affects the territorial organisation of the State (Article 137 of the Constitution) alters the territorial composition of the Autonomous Community and is outside municipal jurisdiction’ following authorisation from the Council of Ministers a session of the town council of La Línea de la Concepción ‘Do you believe it is appropriate that the City Council of La Línea de la Concepción submit a petition to the National Government and the Cortes Generales to urge the conversion of the municipality into an autonomous community in accordance with art 144 a) of the Spanish Constitution?’ the Council of Ministers subsequently denied the requested authorisation for exceeding the provisions of Article 71 of the aforementioned Law Regulating the bases of the Local Regime This precept establishes that in accordance with the legislation of the State and the Autonomous Community: ‘When it has statutory competence for this purpose with prior agreement by an absolute majority of the Plenary Session and authorisation of the Government of the Nation may submit to popular consultation those matters of municipal and local jurisdiction that are of special relevance to the interests of the neighbors with the exception of those related to the local Treasury’ The Chamber expressed that the transformation sought by the City Council of La Línea de la Concepción to become an Autonomous Community through article 144 a) of the Constitution was not part of municipal jurisdiction This case – explained the Chamber – was nothing like the consultation authorised to the Town Councils of Villanueva de la Serena and Don Benito which referred to the merger of both municipalities while the Town Council of La Línea de la Concepción intended to establish itself as an autonomous community ‘Therefore, converting the municipality of La Línea de la Concepción into an Autonomous Community deprives the Autonomous Community of a part of its territory’, the Court concluded, as reported by eldiario.es. National Police have arrested three teenagers who have allegedly committed three robberies in businesses in La Línea de la Concepción. During the investigation, it was found that the criminal gang had pre-arranged the robberies that they carried out in a violent manner, brandishing knives to intimidate employees. The gang, who covered their faces with masks to avoid identification, were mainly after cash. Their method consisted of one of the members entering the premises first, and once he had checked that the place was quiet, he gave the signal to the other two individuals who went in and intimidated the employees, displaying knives at all times and indicating that they were prepared to use them if they did not get the money. Investigations done by the police's urban crime unit highlighted the intimidation and violence used in the robberies; in one of the incidents, one of the shop assistants was injured. The investigations also noted the use of masks and gloves to conceal the identity of the three youths who were all minors, aged 15. The teenagers carried out two more robberies in two other businesses in the town, after obtaining a significant amount of money in their first assault. One of them has a record for previous crimes. Investigations led to their arrest and they have been brought before the Algeciras juvenile prosecution office, with two of them being sent to a detention centre. Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. In an area where youth unemployment is as high as 80 per cent trafficking offers young people an opportunity to make thousands of euros a day I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Last Sunday in the seaport of La Línea de la Concepción the annual carnival finally ended – and the crowds in the centre of the Spanish town many of them amateur groups of singers in fancy dress La Línea had been witness to a far more sinister type of street theatre when 20 alleged drug smugglers and their accomplices stormed into the local hospital to remove an injured trafficker from custody A few days later the judge investigating the assault was surrounded and intimidated by a group of 40 thugs some of whom were said to be participants in the hospital raid Over the years, Mr Mena has witnessed how a trade based on high-speed power boats, plying between Africa and Europe, bearing loads of up to 1,200 kilos of hashish, has proliferated dramatically. “We’re a handful of kilometres away here from one of the world’s top two producers of hashish [Morocco],” Mr Mena says – the highest according to the UN 2017 World Drug Report – “and we estimate only between 10 to 15 per cent of the drugs smuggled through here are seized by the authorities”. Last year was, Mr Mena says, “possibly the worst ever in the history of drug trafficking here”. He cites a landmark incident last April when upward of 100 traffickers stoned police on a beach trying to confiscate a speedboat as the point when the smugglers lost “respect for the authorities, and gained a new sense of impunity”. The confiscation by local police of 145,372 kilos of hashish in 2017, a 45 per cent increase on 2016, sounds promising – but the figure is actually 27 per cent lower than in 2015. Furthermore, assuming unofficial police estimates of up to 10 speedboats operating every night are roughly correct, it would take less than one month for those losses to be replenished. And with some 30 gangs, each with roughly 100 members, operating in La Línea, a seller would not be hard to find. Smuggling has long formed part of the area’s history. “After the Spanish Civil War we’d get medicines from Gibraltar, mostly penicillin,” says a local civil servant. “Later it’d be whisky and tobacco, and nice biscuits from Holland, too.” Although there is widespread praise, including from Mr Mena, for the courage and tenacity shown by police in battling the trade, it’s no secret they are badly undermanned. Recently one local trade union claimed 67 new officers were needed in La Línea for patrols and border work. However, in the latest round of job offers, only two vacancies were made available. Furthermore, as Mr Mena points out, the general tolerance level towards dealing is slightly higher than it might be because “people know the drugs go elsewhere. If you knew the guy living opposite was dealing to your kids, you’re capable of going over and killing him.” “What people don’t get, though, is the damage to La Línea’s image that the trafficking has produced.” Residents confirm the smuggling’s hidden social effects are amongst the most devastating. “People say, wrongly, this city is a miniature version of Colombia,” claims one resident. “I can go for a walk through La Atunara and I’ve never had a single problem.” “But the trafficking has got completely out of control, and the consequences for young people are terrible. How can I tell my son he has to get up at 6am to do a normal job paying €900 a month when there’s so much easy money floating around?” She is so afraid her teenage son could get sucked into the drugs trade she will not allow him to go out at night. Francisco Mena says “three generations of young people in La Línea who couldn’t find a job have been lost to the drug trafficking world”. There is concern, too, at the increasingly violent face-offs between police and traffickers. Last year a policeman died when a smuggler he was chasing caused an accident. In the traffickers’ convoys of stolen Landcruisers, one is present purely to ram any police patrol vehicles that try to stop them. Police sources also say smugglers will cause accidents, too, to keep them busy when there’s a shipment. “My sister says there’s no way she’d shout any more at anybody driving who cut her up in traffic,” reflects the civil servant. “It’s too risky.” Socially, the traffickers have grown to consider themselves a cut above the rest, too. La Línea’s mayor, Juan Franco, told El País: “They think they’re the nobility, they have marriages of convenience” both to cement alliances and extend the smuggling omerta. Other tactics to ensure silence are said to be more brutal: “If they think they can intimidate a judge, how would they behave to a shopkeeper who blabbed?” says one local. “They’d burn down his shop.” Given the gravity of the situation, Spain’s interior minister Juan Manuel Zoido has promised more police reinforcements. But the last big increase in police numbers, 150 last summer, proved only temporary, with officers redeployed to Catalonia in October to handle the independence crisis. The police are not the only ones to leave. “My son works in Malaga and he doesn’t want to come back ever,” says the resident. “What police officer or doctor or teacher would want to work here when so many want to quit?” asks Mr Mena. But Mr Mena refuses to accept La Línea has reached “a point of no return”, pointing to the 1990s when “there was a heroin epidemic, and for a year you couldn’t move for police in the city, and it was sorted out”. He believes that social education programmes and creating legal job opportunities are the best long-term solution “because only cracking down in La Línea with police, the problem will just shift to [nearby] Algeciras”. “There has to be a concerted effort by the authorities in all areas, and that includes the EU,” says Mr Mena. “Because the drugs coming in here are the drugs consumed by people across Europe.” Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies La Linea council seeks clarity on future biometric checks at the Gibraltar border The regional government criticises the central government over a lack of cooperation in Gibraltar talks Juan Franco, the Mayor of La Linea de la Concepción (Cádiz) and leader of La Linea 100×100 – a local community-focused political party in the town of La Linea de la Concepción – announced on Wednesday that the council has sent a formal request to the Spanish Interior Ministry backed by all political groups in the local council – PP and PSOE -seeks clarity on the planned introduction of biometric controls at the town’s border with Gibraltar It’s worth noting that the new Schengen Entry and Exit System (SES) and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) are set to be implemented the Gibraltarian government warned its citizens about these upcoming changes which will reintroduce border checks at “la Verja.” Travellers will be required to scan their passports and provide biometric data before crossing travellers won’t need to repeat the process The plan was for this new control system to be up and running by November there have been recent reports suggesting a possible delay and France -three Schengen Area members – are facing some difficulties in rolling out the system by that date During a recent personal visit to the area Mr Franco noticed changes to the system for re-entering Spain He explained that the issue is “purely technical” and acknowledged that once the new border controls are installed and other issues within La Linea’s municipal boundaries the Mayor expressed hope that the requested information would be provided soon ready and willing to assist the Ministry in any way we can.” British citizens will need to apply for the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) to visit Spain and other Schengen Area countries for short stays (up to 90 days in any 180-day period) if they are not in possession of a biometric residency card (TIE) ETIAS is similar to the American US ESTA and requires an online application the authorisation will be valid for three years or until the passport expires There will be a transitional period after ETIAS is introduced in mid-2025 travellers may be able to enter without an ETIAS but it is advised to apply for one in advance to avoid any issues​ This system was introduced to enhance border security and pre-screen all travellers from visa-exempt countries As Gibraltar Treaty negotiations continue in Brussels tensions rise as locals and travellers alike await clarity on how the new biometric checks will impact day-to-day life at the border With the clock ticking towards the 2025 ETIAS rollout or are even more travel headaches on the horizon Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox The Brits need to find a new vacation/holiday destinations these restrictions DO NOT AFFECT CRIMINALS OR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS They are designed to cause as much problems as possible to locals.It is all about control The People of the EU and the West are losing their freedoms by these useless laws The EU needs to be disbanded and control taken back by the people A technological dystopian system that will likely keep many tourists away Euro Weekly News is the leading English language newspaper in Spain by delivering news with a social conscience we are proud to be the voice for the expat communities who now call Spain home With around half a million print readers a week and over 1.5 million web views per month EWN has the biggest readership of any English language newspaper in Spain The paper prints over 150 news stories a week with many hundreds more on the web – no one else even comes close Our publication has won numerous awards over the last 25 years including Best Free Newspaper of the Year (Premios AEEPP) Company of the Year (Costa del Sol Business Awards) and Collaboration with Foreigners honours (Mijas Town Hall) All of this comes at ZERO cost to our readers All our print and online content always has been and always will be FREE OF CHARGE Download our media pack in either English or Spanish a thrumming line of cars builds up along the Carrer de la Frontera in the Spanish town of La Linea de la Concepcion waiting to cross into the tiny British territory of Gibraltar — home to some 30,000 Gibraltarians a booming offshore financial services industry and one of the world’s leading online gambling hubs Thousands of Linenses — as the inhabitants of La Linea are known — make the commute across each day A line of cafeterias and car rental outlets clustered under a corrugated metal roof stretches back into the concrete jungle of La Linea On the Gibraltarian side there stands a standard issue mid-2000s glass-and-metal airport For a while it was hoped the terminal building designed in an optimistic period in Spanish-British relations when both were members of the European Union Perhaps treating the airport as a shared asset would soften the longstanding sovereignty dispute between London and Madrid about who actually owns the land on which it is built a barbed-wire fence runs along the mile or so of the border The flag of Spain flutters opposite a Britannic trio: the Union Jack along with the Gibraltar and Commonwealth banners a reminder of Gibraltar’s constitutionally semi-detached relationship to the U.K Until three years ago a different emblem also flew here: the gold stars of the European Union On the other side of the runway looms the Rock of Gibraltar itself a mini-Everest rising magnificently 400 meters above the Mediterranean topped with the white dome of a radar station that doubles as a listening station for GCHQ this border has been at the crux of negotiations about Gibraltar’s future relationship with the EU After 13 rounds of negotiation between London and Brussels secured its own post-Brexit deal with the EU Gibraltar’s residents did not want to leave the EU voting overwhelmingly to stay in the 2016 referendum Yet they are now hostages to a political choice they did not make waiting for a resolution over which they have limited control a lifeline; 15,000 workers cross from Spain and back daily they would have overwhelmingly been Spanish laborers going to work in Gibraltar’s docks Now the mix is different: workers from Portugal Gibraltar’s care homes or its finance sector after Brexit this strip of barbed wire has in principle become an external border of the EU subject to a whole panoply of European controls which could be applied more or less heavy-handedly depending on the mood in Madrid A deal with the EU would put things on a far firmer footing reducing uncertainty and opening the way to a far more integrated future in which the barbed wire goes and the existing border becomes more or less invisible Gibraltar feels both hyper-global and oddly parochial The only way to get from Gibraltar to the Spanish capital is to make a seven-hour car journey The only places you can fly to directly from Gibraltar are British cities Why not Barcelona and Berlin in the future The outlines of a post-Brexit deal have long been discussed Gibraltar could be effectively incorporated into Europe’s border-free Schengen zone transferring the EU’s external border from where it currently lies – cutting across the isthmus of Gibraltar – to its southern tip But if the EU’s external frontier were to move south Though the formal negotiating parties on any post-Brexit deal are the U.K most of the heat comes from Gibraltar and Spain What might appear a purely practical question from afar feels very different up close Madrid has long insisted any deal should involve Spanish police at the port and airport; Gibraltarians view that as unacceptable Spanish “boots on the ground,” preferring the minimally invasive involvement of the EU Frontex border agency Even if sovereignty itself is not formally on the agenda in current negotiations Gibraltarians are suspicious of anything that looks like Spanish encroachment a deal has seemed within touching distance The resolution of the Northern Ireland Protocol dispute earlier this year raised hopes an agreement over Gibraltar might be next part of a generalized push to improve relations between London and Brussels Disastrous local election results for Spain’s ruling Socialist Party forced the government to bring forward national Spanish elections from the end of the year to the end of July Gibraltarians are now bracing themselves for what may come next: the possibility that a new government in Madrid might disavow progress on a post-Brexit deal made by its predecessor or even shelve it such twists and turns are simply another chapter in the tortuous But future historians will no doubt take a broader view after the Muslim commander who initiated the Umayyad conquest of Iberia in the eighth century the Spanish ceded it to Britain more than 300 years ago it has survived its metamorphosis from a colony in an age of empire to an offshore finance hub in an age of untrammeled globalization Gibraltar faces another phase of that metamorphosis more the unfinished business of the British Empire 2023 is likely to be a watershed year: either the year a deal with the EU slipped from everyone’s grasp or the year Britain and Gibraltar began to bid each other farewell the accumulated moisture swept in over hundreds of miles of open sea hits the sheer wall of the rock and forms a long trailing cloud the mirror image of Gibraltar in north Africa They define their surroundings as well as divide them The single most important factor making Gibraltar and La Linea what they are today is their boundary: how hard or soft it is how long it takes to cross and the wealth disparity between them According to Gibraltar’s statistical bureau GDP per head was 76,153 pounds ($99,900) in 2021 and 2022 Much of Gibraltar looks like a property developer’s fantasy A walk along the Westside waterfront takes you past a chain supermarket overlooked by dated tower blocks built on land reclaimed from the sea A studio in the Eurotowers building costs about $400,000 the Spanish region of which La Linea is one of the poorest parts A certain push and pull is inevitable: the mutual attraction of labor and capital a prominent statue erected in 2003 by the Association for Cross-Border Workers of Gibraltar honors the decades of Linenses who have daily crossed the border in search of higher wages on the British side The statue shows a smiling worker in a Lenin-style cap pushing his humble bike in the direction of the rock It is number three on Tripadvisor’s list of local things to see and do Another kind of historic border arbitrage is less visibly commemorated the frame of the honest worker’s bicycle might be empty going into Gibraltar but filled with coffee beans or chocolate or nylons on the way back I went to meet a representative of the cross-border workers’ association in their bar on the ground floor of a La Linea tower block A spry man in his early 70s wearing a bright purple sweater Juan Jose Uceda explains the role of the border in local psychology he tells me over the sound of midmorning reggaeton music Daily uncertainty over how long it will take to cross how much the Spanish will control the flow “the whole day is spent thinking Gibraltar Madrid demonstrated its displeasure with London’s unwillingness to negotiate over sovereignty by enforcing a “go-slow” approach at the border conducting lengthy inspections of documents as well as other time-consuming procedures Workers from La Linea got up earlier and earlier to try to beat the long lines “There were not enough psychiatrists in La Linea,” Uceda tells me the scope for such a “go slow” was limited Uceda remembers an earlier period in the border’s history when it was shut entirely on the orders of Francisco Franco Franco built an oil refinery nearby to employ locals who lost their jobs in Gibraltar and to spoil the view from Gibraltar’s beaches When he came back after the return of democracy to Spain in 1978 he found La Linea in the grip of a heroin epidemic “You couldn’t wear your watch on the street,” Uceda remembers Gibraltar is often caricatured as the British Empire’s most loyal outpost There is no denying Gibraltar’s patriotic British seaside town feel There are fish-and-chips shops galore and Cornish ice cream on sale to weary walkers who make it up the rock A “Heroes Welcome” banner supporting Britain’s armed forces greets arrivals at the border A recent British academic study described Gibraltar as a “simulacrum of Britishness.” Gibraltarian Chief Minister Fabian Picardo tearfully declared “Gibraltar was her rock; and she was ours.” Javier Ortega Smith used the occasion to tweet “Gibraltar to Spain; the Malvinas to Argentina!” using the Argentinian name for the Falklands over which Britain and Argentina fought a short war in 1982 Franco didn’t just cut off the flow of people in 1969 as well as delivery of supplies of oxygen for the hospital Everyone has stories about news of the deaths of family members shouted across no-man’s-land between the Spanish and British border posts The mid-1980s border reopening carries the same resonance here as the fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany — minus the desire for reunification Lush gardens have been planted along the old fort walls; multimillion-dollar houses stand where there were once gun emplacements Some Gibraltarians remember the border-closure era in the way an older generation of British remember World War II Some view the border as a safety barrier against criminality from Spain confirmed Gibraltar’s unshakeable preference to remain British returning 99% votes in favor of sole British sovereignty The result of a third has been more troublesome: the 96% vote to remain in the EU in June 2016 The 19,000 Remain votes in Gibraltar were overwhelmed by 17 million Leave votes in the U.K This has all reinforced a longer-term trend Gibraltar’s history over the past century is not simply a hymn to eternal Britishness It is the story of Gibraltarians dealing with the end of empire and forging their own path alongside London has not always treated Gibraltarians well almost the entire civilian population was evacuated Several thousand were sent to camps in Jamaica They had to fight to return and faced unequal treatment when they did The dockyards had separate bathrooms for British and Gibraltarian workers until the 1960s Gibraltarians were not full British citizens until the 1980s Gibraltarians are as likely to trace their origins to Genoa and Malta as to Plymouth and Bristol In the decades after the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht the territory also became home to a substantial population of Sephardic Jews from North Africa in their Inquisition-era keenness to keep Iberia free of both Jews and Muslims Gibraltar survived two 18th-century sieges through trade with Morocco Things quietened down considerably thereafter The makeup of Gibraltar’s population changed a third of Gibraltarian men married Spanish women One highlight of Gibraltar Day celebrations is a spirited rendition of “Llevame Donde Naci” — “Take Me to Where I Was Born” — a patriotic anthem sung by wartime evacuation committees in Spanish along with the demand that Britain finally recognize Gibraltarians’ basic rights and more a tale of hard-fought emancipation In the wave of decolonization that swept the world after 1945 that might be interpreted as requiring union with Madrid Spain was a much poorer country then; Franco was still in charge For the father of Gibraltarian self-government the lawyer and later Chief Minister Joshua Hassan the notion of Gibraltar finding itself under the control of a man who had won a civil war with Nazi help was abhorrent where he argued that Gibraltar was not somehow an artificial British implant on the coastline of Spain Gibraltarians were not servants of a semi-defunct empire “It is precisely because our culture is eclectic that it has become individual” “And it is precisely because it is individual that we do not desire to allow Gibraltar to be swallowed up by Spain It is not necessarily a question of viability based on size: Gibraltar’s population is not dramatically smaller than Europe’s fully fledged microstates a tad less than that of Liechtenstein and in between those of San Marino and Monaco All three of those states are members of the U.N.; all are rich these countries have a settled political relationship with their immediate neighbors Any push for independence would likely cause Spain to invoke an article in the Treaty of Utrecht giving the Spanish Crown the right of first refusal were the British to ever give it up Gibraltar might claim an inherent right to self-determination on the basis of peoplehood contending that Gibraltarians are a distinct people in their own right But it would be a risky journey with an uncertain outcome Further advantages available to wealthy foreigners include no capital gains or inheritance tax and the largest is a superyacht recently confiscated from a sanctioned Russian oligarch Yet Gibraltar does not feel like a billionaire’s paradise or indeed a place with a per capita GDP twice that of the U.K There are beautiful beaches toward Gibraltar’s southern tip glorious coves magnificently arrayed beneath the rock But they hardly abound with the kind of bougie cafes you’d find on the Cote d’Azur He gestures toward a new building on a downtown walking street The regulations here mandate wooden frames and shutters “The problem with everything in Gibraltar,” the lawyer tells me earnestly Gibraltar’s situation has unique historical and geographic characteristics But it also has elements of a cautionary tale: a small community trying to navigate huge global shifts with potentially existential consequences semi-detached trading blocs — of which the EU is one and the U.K is not — is its current economic and political model right for what lies ahead The world has become a lot colder in recent years for small jurisdictions surfing the waves of financial globalization Gibraltar may increasingly find itself drawn into the orbit of the EU an organization that prides itself on being a regulatory superpower may be less willing or able to provide a degree of protection Variations of the question of enforcement have bedeviled Gibraltar for years it was said to have not transposed a single European directive into local law In the 1990s Spain claimed that Gibraltar was turning a blind eye to cigarette smuggling In 2000 the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development listed it as a noncooperative tax regime: the definition of a tax haven (It was taken off that list in 2002 and has never been on the EU’s equivalent list.) The Gibraltar government regularly pushes back against alleged mischaracterization in the Spanish press It used to be common for wealthy Gibraltarians to pay Gibraltar taxes while choosing to live in Spain particularly in the coastal resort of Sotogrande a Florida-style semi-gated development of expensive flats and villas clustered around a couple of man-made islands and a golf club (Tony Blair was once said to have had a property here) A 2019 tax treaty with Spain — something Madrid had been requesting for years — made that much harder The swirl of headlines around Gibraltar’s financial center even where its regulatory frameworks are only tangentially in question was sacked from his role as chair of the Conservative Party over a scandal involving the use of a Gibraltarian entity as a shield against U.K the collapse of a Gibraltarian-run cryptocurrency trading platform in which several of Gibraltar’s elite were investors — including former Chief Minister Peter Caruana and the current chief minister’s wife — has brought further unwelcome attention “The world has changed,” says Marlene Hassan the first woman to lead a Gibraltarian political party: Gibraltar Together “Whether we like that transformation or not it’s going to be transformative,” she told New Lines when we spoke in February Hassan was fresh back from a trip to Israel where her sister is deputy mayor of Jerusalem Gibraltar’s largest and most influential law firm But in recent years she has become an outspoken advocate of Gibraltar’s need to change the way it does business and what business it does She is her party’s sole representative in the 17-member Gibraltar Parliament Hassan lauds the current government for its progressive stance on some social issues including backing a 2021 measure to legalize abortion But she is a stark critic of what she says is a tendency to accuse those who question Gibraltar’s economic model of disloyalty Many Gibraltarians are struggling to access decent public services or make ends meet Hassan insists she is calling for a rebalance not a revolution in Gibraltar’s relationship to finance “When you’re selling these services as your main economic model you are attracting types that can bring your reputation down.” She calls it “Icarus syndrome,” flying too close to the sun sanctions for alleged corruption relating to Congolese mining interests two of whose companies were once registered at the address of her cousin’s law firm and with whom Picardo worked when a lawyer there The uncle of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad sold property in Gibraltar at a time his assets elsewhere had been frozen pending money-laundering proceedings 75% owned in turn by the family trusts of Gibraltar’s financial services’ minister and his brothers — a leading lawyer and a leading estate agent Gibraltar’s Supreme Court greenlit the deal There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing or neglect But it is hard not to be troubled by the intimacy of it Closeness between business and political interests is a common thread in small societies ultimately making it a global online gambling hub it happened as a result of a chance conversation in the street with a couple of highly concentrated industries greater-good-thinking government should think of ways to reduce our dependence” on the finance sector “We need to reposition ourselves,” she tells me Maybe there should be less focus on finance and gambling and more on local quality of life and on diversifying the economy A deal with the EU could offer a chance for a reset: “There’s an opportunity The results of the parliamentary election are close and neither the Socialists nor the chief parties on the right will be able to form a government without help from smaller parties The way the politics of the next few months plays out will have a direct effect on Gibraltar another to much harder measures that could be disastrous for the territory the representative of Spain’s cross-border workers before the election to ask about the situation he sent me back an unhappy face emoji and a simple message: “very alarming.” Ultimately a U.K.-EU treaty would offer protection against the ups and downs of Spanish politics or indeed the ups and downs of British politics but the fundamental question for Gibraltar remains the same as always: the extent to which Gibraltarians will have the power to shape their own destiny or whether their destiny will be shaped for them or by the ebb and flow of other global forces far beyond their control Will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy Mayor Franco warned that Spanish citizens who work in Gibraltar could be waiting up to 14 hours Workers and travellers crossing into Gibraltar from Spain could be held up in 14-hour-long queues if a post-Brexit deal can't be reached the mayor of the Rock's Spanish border town has warned said that if Britain and Spain couldn't agree on a deal his own city - which relies on its economic ties to Gibraltar - would face drastic consequences Franco has said that a no-deal situation could push property prices up and funnel thousands of people away from legitimate work and into the throes of organised crime the mayor warned that Spanish citizens who work in Gibraltar could be waiting up to 14 hours if Spain follows through with its threats of enforcing full Schengen border rules People cross the border between Spain and Gibraltar at La Linea He also urged Spanish officials to reach an agreement - but Madrid is still holding out on what it has called its own "generous" terms Echoing warnings from Gibraltar's own Chief Minister Fabian Picardo the mayor pleaded against a return to the conditions enforced under his unfortunate namesake He said: "We will go back to a similar place to where we were after 1969," referring to when the Generalissimo shut the border with Gibraltar - decimating La Linea's economy He added: "Decisions should have been taken before this moment to find solutions that benefit the whole area on both sides of the border The mayor of La Linea said that if Britain and Spain couldn't agree on a deal his border city would face drastic consequences "Now we are up to our neck and close to drowning." His comments came just under a week after draconian Spanish officials kicked off a brief diplomatic war between Spain and Gibraltar after checking and stamping the passports of those heading to La Linea Gibraltar's Government said that a rogue officer had started the fracas - which left Spain "unable to cope" with the building queues of travellers forcing Spanish guards to revert to the interim UK-Spain rules Gibraltar soon followed suit - but Spain was at it again just hours later despite having been explicitly instructed not to do so Gibraltar and Spain eventually managed to find a way through the border chaos Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told the UK "to say yes to a balanced and generous agreement" Spanish officials had apparently wanted their instructions in written form - as the initial instruction to renege on the border rules had been written down too Gibraltar and Spain eventually managed to find a way through but Chief Minister Picardo called on Spain to accept the UK's "reasonable balanced and imaginative" proposals for a post-Brexit deal on Gibraltar adding the "ball is in Spain's court" Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares has said: "It's time for the United Kingdom to say yes to a balanced and generous agreement that we have put on the table a long time ago "It is the UK that now has to choose whether it wants a system of restriction of movement for the people of Gibraltar or the generous and balanced deal on offer." and will present the ordinary plenary session on July 8 an agreement to initiate the procedure that allows a popular consultation to take place The question to be asked in the said consultation is the following “Do you think it is convenient for the Town Hall of La Línea de la Concepción to raise a petition to the Spanish Government to urge the conversion of the municipality into an autonomous community in accordance with the article 144 a) of the Spanish Constitution?” Achieving this would allow this municipality to enjoy an organic-functional and political government regime similar to that established in the autonomous regions of Ceuta and Melilla In any case, as stated by the Town Hall in its press release, it would be up to the Cortes Generales to grant the opportunity of providing La Línea de la Concepción, through an Organic Law, the condition of becoming an autonomous community, as reported by sevilla.abc.es ___________________________________________________________ Thank you for reading, and don’t forget to check The Euro Weekly News for all your up-to-date local and international news stories. Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said on Monday.Madrid and London are negotiating how to police the land border between Spain and Gibraltar a British Overseas Territory on the southern tip of the Iberian peninsula as it is excluded from the last-minute exit deal reached between Britain and the European Union last week."Our biggest priority is to prevent the Gibraltar border from becoming a hard border," Gonzalez Laya told a news conference.However there will be provisions in place for those who work on one side of the border and live on the other."Cross-border workers who have registered their status before 1 January 2021.. will be able to cross by identifying themselves with a document prepared for this purpose," she said.Other travellers will need to have their passport stamped.About 15,000 people commute daily from Spain to Gibraltar The port also welcomes some 10 million tourists per year a sector accounting for about a quarter of its economy.Spain will continue to assert its claim to sovereignty over the territory ceded to Britain in 1713 after its capture during the War of the Spanish Succession regardless of the outcome of the negotiations Gonzalez Laya said.Reporting by Nathan Allen and Inti Landauro editing by Andrei Khalip and Angus MacSwan Man believed to head Castañas gang involved in alleged Moroccan hashish operation Spanish police have arrested a man alleged to be one of the biggest drug-smugglers operating on the violence-ridden stretch of southern coast close to Gibraltar is one of the two brothers who head the Castañas gang which allegedly brings huge quantities of hashish over from Morocco on powerful speedboats He was detained in the early hours of Thursday after a 19-month search More than 100 police officers and customs agents were involved in the operation, which took place in La Línea de la Concepción, a town close to the Gibraltar border. “After numerous investigations, officers learned that the suspect often visited a house in the town and [they] set up a surveillance team to gather information,” the national police force said. “The operation was complicated by the area where the suspect was found, which is a neighbourhood of narrow streets inhabited by his associates.” officers had to move quickly because of the limited time the man spent at the house The police said the man had been on the run since the end of 2016 when a major investigation resulted in 30 arrests and the seizure of one tonne of hashish three semi-rigid boats and a number of guns The area around the town known as the Campo de Gibraltar has been a smuggling hub for centuries Recent years have seen a surge in trafficking – and in clashes with police officers 100 people threw stones at police officers as they tried to seize a consignment of hashish on a beach Four months ago, 20 masked men stormed the hospital in La Línea to free a suspected drug trafficker while a group of off-duty Guardia Civil officers was attacked by a crowd armed with baseballs bats and broken bottles in nearby Algeciras in mid-May Unions representing local Guardia Civil and national police officers have called for urgent reinforcements to address the security situation amid fears it could escalate further Community leaders, meanwhile, say the Campo de Gibraltar, which has one of the highest unemployment rates in Spain needs investment in both jobs and education Juan Ignacio Zoido, who was interior minister until last week’s change of government had insisted the authorities were making progress police seized 145,372kg (320,490lb) of hashish in the region and 11,785kg of cocaine while an elite Guardia Civil unit has been redeployed to the area Two officers died and two others injured when their patrol craft was rammed by speedboat off the coast of Barbate Eight people have been arrested after two Spanish Guardia Civil officers were killed and two more injured when their small patrol boat was rammed by a speedboat driven by suspected drug smugglers off the southern port of Barbate Video of the incident, which took place on Friday night, showed a large speedboat hitting the police inflatable launch at high speed. Stretches of Spain’s southern coast have seen a series of violent clashes in recent years between police and smugglers bringing in drugs from north Africa said two of the speedboat’s passengers had been arrested as had three others who had fled and two others who had been waiting on land It said one of the two injured officers remained in hospital but was out of danger offered his condolences to the families of the dead officers of its special subaquatic activities group “I send my hopes for a swift recovery to the wounded agents,” Sánchez said “I would also like to recognise the great work of the state security services in their fight against drug trafficking.” The dead men were posthumously awarded the gold cross of the Guardia Civil’s order of merit for “acting resolutely and rationally to undertake the contingencies and dangers inherent in the fulfilment of their duty “Our deepest condolences go out to the families of the two Guardia Civil officers who were killed last night and we hope for a quick and full recovery of the third officer who was severely injured,” he said “We are all united in the fight against drug trafficking Their deaths – which have once again laid bare the scale of the violence in the Campo de Gibraltar and the surrounding area – elicited a furious response from a Guardia Civil officers’ association The AUGC called on Spain’s interior minister saying he was no longer fit to remain in post we’ve been calling for a real plan … that would provide the Guardia Civil with the means and resources they require to pursue drug-traffickers,” the AUGC said in a statement about 40 people attacked nine off-duty officers outside a restaurant in Algeciras dispersing only when one of the agents drew his pistol and fired it into the air Flooding was reported in towns and cities along a stretch of the coast from Malaga to Gibraltar Spain’s meteorological agency Aemet issued a red alert (highest level) for the provinces of Malaga and Cadiz early on Sunday An amber alert remained in place early Monday 05 December but was later downgraded to yellow level Heavy rain is also expected in parts of Valencia province One fatality was reported in the tourist area of Estepona on the Costa del Sol where the victim died in the flooded basement of a building a man died when his car was swept away in flash flood on the outskirts of La Línea de la Concepción Many schools have also been closed in the affected areas Emergency services in Andalusia responded to more than 1,400 flood and rain related incidents Guardia Civil helicopters were called into operation to rescue stranded victims Figures for a 24 hour period to 04 December #LaLinea La precipitación torrencial deja calles inundadas, autovia A-7 cortada,caídas de muros y línea férrea cortada vía @europa_sur pic.twitter.com/ziSHqx45aN — La Línea Meteo (@lalineameteo) December 4, 2016 El Guardia Civil procurará ser siempre un pronóstico feliz para el afligido…sin distinción de especies#trombaMLGpic.twitter.com/5Ub2zwwxCc — Guardia Civil (@guardiacivil) December 4, 2016 https://twitter.com/guardiacivil/status/805453600084336640 Precipitación acumulada prevista para sábado y domingo (48h) por el @ECMWF pic.twitter.com/7Zark3Ld0y — AEMET_Andalucia (@AEMET_Andalucia) December 3, 2016 Richard Davies is the founder of floodlist.com and reports on flooding news Cookies | Privacy | Contacts © Copyright 2025 FloodList LONDON — The tiny territory of Gibraltar poses an outsized problem for Brexit negotiators The rocky outpost on the southern tip of Spain has been a British territory for three centuries and its service-based economy relies heavily on the free flow of workers across the border from Spain which account for around half its workforce While it may not be discussed as much as the Irish border it still poses a serious problem which needs addressing before the EU signs off on a Brexit deal with the UK And the European Commission is clearly worried too highlighting last week that the Gibraltar issue is a "serious" one which "remains pending." Gibraltar is a self-governing territory with 34,000 residents most of whom are British citizens and 97% of whom voted to remain in the European Union in 2016 Gibraltar is physically connected to Spain and mainland Europe which frequently challenges the UK's legal claim to the territory When the UK leaves the EU in March next year Gibraltar's border with Spain will become a divide between EU and non-EU territories Brexit is likely to severely disrupt the free passage of goods and people across the border — something currently facilitated by membership of the European single market Gibraltar isn't part of the EU customs union so tariffs already exist on the flow of goods at its border with Spain but the real issue is the flow of people for a heavily services-based economy More than half of Gibraltar's 27,000 jobs are currently staffed by those crossing the border from Spain every day Any significant change to that would likely cause severe economic disruption on both sides of the border few workable solutions are on the table from the UK government mired as it is in Cabinet infighting and stagnant progress on even bigger issues "I worry that issues around Gibraltar haven't been given enough consideration in London; that [a solution] will come in at the very end of negotiations and perhaps not be the best solution because it's been cobbled together at the last minute," said Julie Girling Here's the most significant part: Because Spain's relationship with Gibraltar is so politically sensitive Brexit negotiation guidelines dictate that "no agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom may apply to the territory of Gibraltar without the agreement between the Kingdom of Spain and the United Kingdom." That means any agreement or proposal the UK comes up for Gibraltar with has to have the full approval of the Spanish government That effectively hands Spain a veto over Britain's exit deal with the EU both the UK and Spain are striking an optimistic tone about the prospects of finding a workable solution And although Spain does not look likely to try and delay wider negotiations it could hand Theresa May another significant headache before October when both sides intend to sign off the final Brexit deal The EU's mantra bears repeating: "Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed." Our Brexit Insider Facebook group is the best place for up-to-date news and analysis about Britain’s departure from the EU, direct from Business Insider’s political reporters. Join here. The president of the Mancomunidad de Municipios in the Campo de Gibraltar the consortium of towns that comprises Tarifa there will be a reduction in water pressure in the area depending on the time of day Susana Pérez Custodio explained that there will be a reduction in pressure between 6am and 11pm and a "drastic drop" between 11pm and 6am depending on the location of the home or the company "There will be areas where there will be a kind of trickle of water and others where the water supply will be cut totally due to the location," she said we especially ask for responsibility from consumers from eleven at night to six in the morning we ask that the the restriction be total on the part of the users themselves," added the president of the Mancomunidad at a press conference on Monday she pointed out that there are certain uses of water that are banned with serious legal consequences if this is not complied with such as the watering of gardens and green areas the filling of private swimming pools and the washing of vehicles outside authorised establishments Pérez Custodio has asked for the collaboration of the general public and the eight municipalities in the Mancomunidad as "the different town halls have known since last week that the restrictions will begin on Wednesday 10th" "We ask the eight town councils to work with the Mancomunidad to keep their citizens informed and also to set an example in terms of restrictions and responsible water use," she added the delegate for Services at the Mancomunidad pointed out that there has been a "dramatic drought situation for almost five years and unfortunately the latest measure is the one that has to be adopted now "It is a measure that nobody likes to announce but which is absolutely necessary in the situation we are in," he added explained that there is a critical level of 41.5 hectometres of water in the Charco Redondo and Guadarranque reservoirs and "today we are below that level" explaining that the "worst-case scenario" put on the table at a drought committee meeting in October had been reached "because it has hardly rained at all and the contribution to the reservoirs has been minimal" he added that these measures aim to achieve a saving of 20% in consumption "This first set of measures and this first scenario of restrictions is intended to do just that to see how things evolve between now and spring," he said Smugglers monitored for possible police presence as hashish shipments approached Police in Spain say they have smashed a drug smuggling ring that used drones to monitor law enforcement and try to ensure the coast was clear to unload shipments of hashish Officers arrested 12 suspected members of the gang in the southern town of La Linea de la Concepcion, which lies on the border with Gibraltar and has become a hub for drug smuggling in recent years. Read more“Some of those who were arrested were highly trained in the use of unmanned drones which were used when a boat full of hashish neared the coast to land in order to monitor a possible police presence,” police said They suspect the ring smuggled more than six tonnes of hashish into Spain from Morocco in recent months Officers seized a drone along with a radio frequency inhibitor and several high-end smartphones as part of the operation The 10 men and two women who were arrested face charges of drug trafficking and membership of an organised crime group Spain’s proximity to Morocco, a key source of cannabis, and its close ties with former colonies in Latin America, a major cocaine-producing region, have made it an important gateway for international drug dealers The biggest drug trafficking trial for the largest drug clan to exist in Spain started on Monday (10 April) at the Algeciras headquarters of the Provincial Court of Cadiz The fifty defendants in the Operation Nécora from the early 90s against drug trafficking in the Galician estuaries now seems small in comparison to the 152 defendants of the Los Castañas clan who sit in the dock accused of running drug trafficking networks in the Campo de Gibraltar and along the Andalusian coast The Anti-Drugs Prosecutor's Office has asked for sentences totalling 1,787 years in prison and huge fines for Antonio Tejón and his extensive network of collaborators The Public Prosecutor's Office described it as “a criminal spider's web” which managed to bring in huge quantities of hashish onto the mainland It is claimed that Tejón directed the network from prison and even managed to keep it running during the strictest days of the Covid-19 pandemic The first session in the remodelled court complex which the Junta de Andalucia has had to spent more than 150,000 euros to be able to host the trial ended on Monday with agreements of compliance with the Prosecutor's Office for 62 of the accused who faced lesser sentences such as two years' prison The court also withdrew accusations for 20 defendants The Public Prosecutor's Office asked for a sentence of 15 years and 9 months for Tejón as well as a fine of 104 million euros for crimes against public health receiving and smuggling drugs and membership of a criminal group he arranged at least 9,000 kilos of hashish to be brought onto Spanish shores according to the Public Prosecutor's Office Tejón's network was organised on two levels; a top tier which was made up of 45 people and a second level who were mainly in charge of surveillance work or collecting bundles on Andalusian beaches The Los Castañas network had its own jetties drones to monitor the trips and security forces Tejón returned to the dock on Monday just four months after being acquitted in another case along with his brother 'Isco' and fourteen other people for their alleged links to two shipments intercepted in 2016 in La Línea de la Concepción Published: Invalid Date police officers swarmed on a boat full of drug traffickers as they raced towards the beach for a drop off in the dead of night It sounds like something you'd see in a Mexican cartel movie but it was actually happening in a popular British holiday destination in Spain - known as the drugs gateway to Europe with Narcos travelling in by high-powered speedboats every night from north Africa to drop off several tonnes of hashish and tobacco It was the ideal location for drop offs due to its close proximity to Morocco - which was producing more than 36,000 tons of cannabis Police also began to discover large quantities of cocaine in recent years too mainly shipped in via containers on larger vessels - with some even found hidden in crates of bananas in nearby Algeciras Port in 2017 The dire situation left locals fearing to venture onto certain beaches at night while many saw their cars and properties destroyed amid gang wars on the mainland It's now the focus of a hard-hitting new Netflix miniseries with cameras following police officers in bullet-proof vests as they battle to take back control of the area - before finally busting the country's biggest drugs gang Much of the four-part documentary follows the Castañas gang and its alleged former leaders brothers Antonio and Francisco Tejon - with the latter better known as Isco The gang, a coalition of several clans, was based around La Linea and was thought to have adopted methods and structures similar to Pablo Escobar's ruthless Medellin cartel in Colombia They used speedboats to smuggle hashish from Morocco through beaches and ports such as Algeciras and are thought to have made an estimated fortune of more than 60million euros that “could be buried somewhere” The brothers - who were known for flaunting their £30m fortune with fast cars yachts and hotels - soon became the most wanted men in the country and sparked a series of police investigations A violent raid on a local hospital in 2018 was previously linked to the group while one man claims he was left fearing for his life after becoming caught up in the gang He says on camera: "I’ve had to move twice They told me [they] knew everything about me but just letting me know [they] knew about my circle.” Public security guard Salvador Urriagli adds of the alleged leader: “Here Antonio is almost a God he has a whole group of people around him that support him to death." the documentary touches on an increase in gang turf wars in the area with some groups forced to defend their homes with guns against rivals Harrowing footage also reveals the moment a man is found stabbed in the street while officers describe having firecrackers and molotov cocktails thrown at them This is a lawless city," one resident says While one agent explains: “Many times when we enter these homes we find guns more and more often for protection and security for themselves and their family in case a gang or somebody wants to break into the house and wants to settle scores.. "Now they [gangs] wait for you to get away from the house and if they have to murder you they do it in the street." reveals how she fled her former job as a drugs trafficker after a dispute with her boss - and went into hiding She doesn't specify who her boss was or which group she worked for “I used to move hashish round the peninsula," she explains “I got in the business for my kids because if I had a regular job I wouldn’t spend much time with them and wouldn’t earn much money either." she could earn anything from 130,000 to 150,000 euros she admits she soon spent most of the money with lavish meals out and spa days with her kids after stealing a 1,300kg stash from her bosses “I felt they were taking advantage of me and one day I got fed up with it," she says on camera “The owners of the stash suspected me and came looking for me But when you’re in it and you’re on the receiving end Unable to get work in the months that followed she was forced to squat with her two kids and struggled to find food who previously spent 10 months in a "Medieval" Moroccan jail on drugs charges eventually reached desperate levels and felt there was no way out but to return to Morocco and risk her life by getting more work in the drugs trade "I’ve told my mother I’m going south in case anything happens to me Cameras follow her as she attempts to explain to her young son that she will be back soon but ends with him crying as she leaves him with her mum and forces herself to walk away The drugs wars resulted in tragedy in June 2017 when Spanish police officer Victor Sanchez was killed on duty The 46-year-old father-of-two was hit by a vehicle while in pursuit of tobacco smuggling suspects It was claimed by Gibraltar Chronicle that it was accidental as he was thought to have been struck by a police van amid the pursuit La Linea mayor Juan Franco read a statement at the time saying: “We are witnessing dangerous situations that are becoming increasingly common and are putting at risk citizens’ lives including those of the law enforcement agencies." around 100 people gathered and hurled stones at Civil Guards when they tried to intercept drug traffickers that were unloading hashish from a speedboat on the coast According to El Mundo two guards and a policeman suffered minor injuries and several cars were destroyed by the stones The troubles continued into the following year and in February 2018 around 20 masked thugs stormed in to La Linea Hospital to free an injured suspect who was under arrest The raid was linked to the Castañas mob at the time The documentary features CCTV footage from inside as staff scream and run away as the men storm in “They held an officer against the wall while they liberated the suspect," one agent explains on camera Officers eventually arrested the alleged leader of the Castañas gang in June 2018 in a dramatic raid on his home His brother Francisco later handed himself in in the October two weeks after he appeared in a raunchy music video on YouTube He had allegedly taunted cops by writhing with girls in G-strings in a brothel near Gibraltar - sparking a fresh push to capture him The documentary features footage throughout of drugs boats loaded full of packages as they speed past police boats and empty beaches It's a stark reminder of how many believe themselves to be above the law they don’t care," warrant officer Brigado Ramon says “We don’t want to kill anyone but sometimes we get the feeling that they wouldn’t care at all.” an officer says at one point: "They’re not afraid of police." The problem grew so bad at the end of 2017 and start of 2018 that police were said to be confronting Narcos every night they felt unable to stop the growing problem with a lack of resources available It's also thought to have grown worse due to many citizens not finishing school and therefore turning to the drugs scene to bring in money fast who are recruited as "lookouts" stationed on rooves and balconies across the town to keep an eye on police officers' movements explains: “They’re [gangs] all benefactors in the neighbourhood They get the kids out of misery and social failure at the time of finding employment.” However one anonymous trafficker says he stayed in the industry due to the adrenaline rush it brought We always try to lead a life that is as normal as possible Nobody in my circle knows what I do… This is a job where you have to be the most honest And we live outside of the law," he says “I started out of necessity and continued for the adrenaline rush “We always try to lead a life that is as normal as possible In response to the hospital raid at the start of 2018 the Spanish government set aside 7 million euros for the fight against drug trafficking - with 346 more officers and 112 vehicles purchased It resulted in them managing to finally bust a cooperative of gang leaders in the area Officers had made around 84 arrests at the time of filming Police previously revealed that cocaine from South America and hashish from northern Africa are two major driving forces behind the escalating violence in southern Spain Mayor Franco says in the show: “There’s a geographical component Morocco is 30 something kilometres away and Morocco has the world’s largest hash production." Dutch author and journalist Ivo Teulings, 52, who lives in Malaga, previously told Sun Online that La Linea was the number one spot for trafficking until 2018. “80 per cent of the Moroccan hashish comes to Europe through Spain," he siad. "It would come to the beaches of La Línea de la Concepción, which is bordering Gibraltar. approximately 10 or 12 inflatable boats would arrive carrying three tonnes of hashish each that method was halted last year when police finally clamped down - forcing smugglers to go elsewhere focusing instead on places north of the Costa del Sol Some residents in La Linea are now keen to rescue their hometown's reputation following years of turmoil with one woman saying: "I find it sad that instead of being on TV for our beaches La Linea: Shadow of Narco is now available to watch on Netflix Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/ A wildfire broke out at La Línea de la Concepción in the Andalusian province of Cadiz at around 12.3opm this Tuesday afternoon The Junta de Andalucía's Plan Infoca brigade has several helicopters and water-dropping planes on the scene and their crews have been joined by regular firefighters from La Línea The fire started in an area of scrubland in the Santa Margarita area and it forced the preventative evacuation of the Venta Melchor residential development said the fire is heading towards the beach and the La Alcaidesa area and winds are "blowing strongly" although he trusts that the work of the firefighters will prevent it affecting this area there are three helicopters working to control the blaze a co-ordination aircraft and two amphibian water-dropping aircraft On the ground are six teams of Infoca specialist firefighters At 7.15pm Infoca declared the wildfire was stabilised and just 15 minutes later it was described as 'controlled' Ground crews will remain on the scene until it is fully extinguished as seen from the Spanish town of La Linea de la Concepcion Gibraltar has been British territory for 301 years Fresh squabbles over fishing rights cropped up recently a mile-long line of cars waited to cross the international border separating Spain from Britain's Rock of Gibraltar Spanish border guards were stopping every car resulting in long lines that could take up to six hours to cross Spain said it was checking for tobacco smuggling across the international border But these increased checks were Spain's retaliation in a spat over fishing rights and access to nearby waters "Fishing with nets is illegal in Gibraltar waters The Gibraltar government enforced that law — to the anger of Spanish fishermen," Reyes explained "Britain claims three miles of water around the rock It's not about fishing — it's about jurisdiction." And so it goes at this iconic spot where legend says that Hercules separated the continents A quintessentially British phone booth greets those arriving on the British side of the border with Spain Nearby is a palm tree — a reminder that this is not in the British Isles Great Britain and Gibraltar (left ot right) fly over a former military post in Gibraltar The British peninsula has Europe's only wild monkey population The animals were brought to the rock by British soldiers or Arab traders centuries ago Britain and Spain summoned one another's ambassadors over the incursion of a Spanish research vessel into the waters off Gibraltar Rival navies face off almost weekly — though no shots have been fired for more than 300 years the hostility on this border reinforces Gibraltarians' British identity The first thing you see when you cross the border into Gibraltar is a typically British red phone booth The small peninsula is home to dozens of British pubs "We have your typical Sunday Roast with Yorkshire pudding who rattled off the menu of typical British fare "And we also do the typical fish and chips here as well That's the pub favorite." Despite their British tastes and accents only a fraction of Gibraltar's 30,000 residents — all British citizens — actually have ancestors from the British Isles Their ancestors were Mediterranean traders from places like Venice as a great trading post," said Patrick Sacarello who runs a coffee house his ancestors founded here in the 19th century "The first Sacarello had a little sailing boat where he carried goods around the Mediterranean This Italian influence can be seen in the stratas the doorways — combined with English colonial architecture." To Spain Gibraltar is just that — a colony — left over from the British Empire It's a peninsula physically attached to Spain so it should belong to Spain — or so the thinking in Madrid goes But Gibraltarians have voted twice — overwhelmingly — to stay with Britain The most recent referendum was 98 percent in favor And they say those were mistakes," laughed Tito Vallejo That's what they say." There's just something about this Rock of Gibraltar People here identify themselves at British The identity of this people is intimately linked to this rock," said Reyes And it's a pretty iconic rock." The Rock of Gibraltar is made of limestone which formed from prehistoric shellfish that died and sank to the bottom of the sea The limestone was pushed up by the movement of African and European tectonic plates creating this rock some 200 million years ago and has been home to settlements of Phoenicians The 1713 Treaty of Utrecht awarded Britain sovereignty over the rock which continues today Gibraltarians pay taxes to local British authorities vote in local elections and rely on London for foreign affairs and defense only No story about Gibraltar would be complete without a mention of Europe's only wild monkey population brought to Gibraltar by either British soldiers or Arab traders Hundreds of Barbary Apes chomp on carrots scamper over the rock and then nap in the sun "The legend is that whenever the last monkey disappears from Gibraltar we'll give this back to Spain," said Mark Varjaque a local guide who drives van loads of tourists to the top of the rock every day "But I don't think that's going to happen." Because the monkeys have been mating and multiplying like crazy Become an NPR sponsor A monkey that crossed from Gibraltar into La Linea de la Concepción and wandered through the Spanish border town's streets for two days was finally captured on Tuesday 6 February The primate even wandered around two secondary schools Menéndez Tolosa and Virgen de la Esperanza The sight came as a surprise as the animals live in the upper part of the Rock of Gibraltar so it is not known how it reached the town in Spain In the British colony it is common to see the macaques in the lower parts of the Rock looking for food and surprising tourists The primate is still at large with the Gibraltar macaque management team and the Rock's environment department confirmed to SUR they were in constant contact with Spanish police about capturing the primate Social media lit up with hundreds of comments and memes about the bizarre incident with some joking that the macaque has "colonised" La Línea de la Concepción or is sending a clear message for a Brexit deal to be done now Legend has it that as long as there are monkeys on the Rock Former British minister Winston Churchill commissioned elite soldiers in 1914 on a secret mission to repopulate the colony with animals from Africa as there were fewer than ten monkeys left on the Rock Jupiter (below) and Saturn pictured in the sky during their closest visible conjunction New York: The evening sky over the Northern Hemisphere treated stargazers to a once-in-a-lifetime illusion on Monday as the solar system’s two biggest planets appeared to meet in a celestial alignment that astronomers call the “Great Conjunction“ The rare spectacle resulted from a near convergence of the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn that happened to coincide with Monday’s winter solstice For those able to observe the alignment in clear skies the two frozen-gas spheres appeared closer and more vibrant – almost as a single point of light – than at any time in 800 years Jupiter – the brighter and larger of the pair – has been gradually nearing Saturn in the sky for weeks as the two planets proceed around the sun each in its own lane of an enormous celestial racetrack an astronomer at National Aeronautics and Space Administration headquarters in Washington Also read: All You Need to Know About This Year’s Winter Solstice and the Great Conjunction we’ll be able to be to see Jupiter on the inside lane approaching Saturn all month and finally overtaking it on Dec Jupiter and Saturn appeared to be just one-tenth of a degree apart roughly equivalent to the thickness of a dime held at arm’s length the planets remained hundreds of millions of miles apart A conjunction of the two planets takes place about once every 20 years But the last time Jupiter and Saturn came as close together in the sky as on Monday was in 1623 an alignment that occurred during daylight and was thus not visible from most places on Earth The last visible great conjunction occurred long before telescopes were invented halfway through construction of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris The heightened brightness of the two planets as they almost merge in the sky has invited the inevitable speculation about whether they formed the “Christmas star” that the New Testament describes as having guided the three wise men to the baby Jesus acting director of Vanderbilt University’s Dyer Observatory in Brentwood said a Great Conjunction is only one of several possible explanations for the biblical phenomenon “I think that there is a lot of debate as to what that might have been,” Teets told WKRN-TV in Nashville in a recent interview Astronomers suggested that the best way to view Monday’s conjunction was by looking toward the southwest in an open area about an hour after sunset “Big telescopes don’t help that much and even the eyeball is okay for seeing that they are right together,” Jonathan McDowell an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics The next Great Conjunction between the two planets — though not nearly as close together — comes in November 2040 A closer alignment similar to Monday’s will be in March 2080 with the following close conjunction 337 years later in August 2417 General enquiries: science@science.thewire.in 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.  My NewsSign Out Sign InCreate your free profileSections news Alerts NBC News contributorA Spanish fisherman (R) speaks with members of the Spanish Civil Guard after they blocked his boat's path to the main site where an artificial reef was built by Gibraltar with concrete blocks during a protest against this construction La Linea de la Concepcion in southern Spain August 18 2013.Jon Nazca / ReutersA pile of concrete blocks dumped into the sea has reignited centuries of tension between Britain and Spain over a rocky outpost at the mouth of the Mediterranean Three Royal Navy warships set sail for Gibraltar – a rocky outcrop connected to the Spanish mainland that was ceded to the U.K. 300 years ago – in a move described as "routine" by the British government but branded "gunboat diplomacy" by the press. The latest diplomatic spat began late last month when the Gibraltarian government placed 70 concrete blocks off the 2.6 square mile territory's coast claiming they were hoping to create an artificial reef for fish The move sparked fury in Madrid and the Spanish government accused Gibraltar of laying them "without the necessary authorization" in "waters that are not theirs." “Spanish fishermen have fished there for years and the throwing of those blocks prevented them from doing so so they have lost their revenue,” said Alfonso Barnuevo the deputy spokesman for Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Gibraltarian officials accused their Spanish counterparts of increasing border checks and creating lengthy delays for the thousands of people who travel to and from the British overseas territory for both work and tourism A driver sits on the roof of his car as he and other drivers wait in line to enter to Spain at its border with the British territory of Gibraltar on August 9.Jon Nazca / ReutersAfter calling in Spanish Ambassador Federico Trillo for talks a British government minister called the delays “unjustified and unacceptable.” But Barnuevo denied that there was any connection between the concrete blocks being laid and the border checks “We are obliged to control (the border) in order to prevent illegal trafficking,” he said because you don’t know what is coming across.” which governs itself but leaves defense and foreign policy to Great Britain had not signed up to the Shengen Agreement which permits people to travel freely between 26 countries on the European mainland Ratcheting up the rhetoric, in an interview with Spanish newspaper ABC Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo announced that he was considering a 50 Euro ($66) fee for anyone crossing the border from Gibraltar into Spain "The party is over for Gibraltar," he said adding that Spain may also explore the possibility with Argentina of a "united front" at the United Nations Argentina is immersed in its own dispute with Britain over the sovereignty of the south Atlantic islands that Britain has ruled since 1833 and the countries fought a brief war over in 1982 But Professor Damien Chalmers at the London School of Economics said he would be “very surprised” if Britain and Spain took up arms over Gibraltar the European Union and the country’s have a history of cooperation,” he said “I would be very surprised if they went to war.” He added that he was sure that a diplomatic solution would likely be found The British government said it was considering their own legal action against Spain citing European laws about freedom of movement The political posturing is just the latest round of diplomatic wrangling over Gibraltar – known as "The Rock" – since it was signed over to Britain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht in return for their withdrawal from Spanish War of Succession Spain ceded "the full and entire propriety of the town and castle of Gibraltar without any exception or impediment whatsoever." “[Gibraltar] was one of the least important parts of that treaty,” said Dr. Chris Grocott a lecturer at Britain’s University of Leicester "The most important thing was stopping the war There was all sorts of other stuff in there which have long since ceased to be important Ironically it’s the thing now that’s still in play." A Modern History," there was no mention in the treaty about territorial waters Spanish fishing boats sit moored in La Linea de Concepcion fileAlthough in the past Spanish armies laid siege to the territory during the 20th century they have resorted to diplomatic methods in their attempts to claim the territory they have argued that Gibraltar’s location takes precedence over the provinces right to self-determination The British government points to referendums in 1967 and 2002 in which Gibraltarians voted overwhelmingly to remain part of Britain both countries agree that talks really are the best way to defuse the tensions "But we also have a certain number of legal measures to be in place." Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague said "a political solution" was needed to defuse the tension Britain's helicopter carrier HMS Illustrious leaves Portsmouth naval base in southern England bound for the Mediterranean on August 12.Andrew Cowie / AFP - Getty ImagesReuters contributed to this report Click for complete coverage of international news from NBC