longest-standing skate spot has been demo'd ahead of a major renovation skateable plaza that can hopefully stand up to the hallowed history there our thoughts go out to the Spanish skaters and all the visitors over the decades that got to roll on that smooth ground under the wavy veranda and scratch their trucks on those famous benches.  Mackenzie Eisenhour has a great retrospective of photos and clips that made the train station famous: As you may remember in our Barcelona city video, Marcos Lozano and the Sants 4 Ever initiative was constantly doing events and preserving the history of the spot but knew the demo and construction was coming They've posted an update to IG as well: People are experiencing chaos and uncertainty at Barcelona's Sants train station due to Monday's power outage Sants is full of people who were unable to travel on Monday or were forced to spend the night at the station High-speed trains are not running normally and are experiencing long waiting lines to access these trains in particular leaving many people in the lobby looking for alternatives around 40-minute drive south from Barcelona many opted for the express bus lines that connect the town with the Catalan capital Rodalies users were trying to figure out which bus line could get them close to work or their place of study amid widespread confusion "What’s happened these past two days is just another disaster," Anabel said describing the situation with "resignation and anger."   One of the issues first-time bus users ran into was the lack of cash to buy tickets This became a major issue for many Rodalies users especially those without a T-Mobilitat card as they usually travel with a Renfe commuter pass.  Many lines started forming on Tuesday at 7 am at the Vilanova bus station for the express buses heading to Barcelona. The lines saw regular bus passengers and commuters from the rail network, as the Rodalies service is completely halted.   Montse, for example, was supposed to be at work at a high school in Barcelona by 9 am, “but that’ll be totally impossible,” she said. On Monday night, she only arrived home after 10 pm, following a long afternoon of bus rides and walking across Barcelona. "I do not normally travel by bus, and I just wanted to come here to see what to do. But I do not know which bus I need to get or where I am going," she said.  The problems also hit tourists: Selma, from Zurich, who is visiting Catalonia with her mother told the Catalan News Agency (ACN): "I was on holiday here with my mum. We just wanted to go back home to Zurich, and we were here, there are no trains, and now we are trying to find a solution."  The Catalan News Agency (ACN) also visited Mataró’s bus stations early Tuesday morning.   At Plaça de Granollers, where two express bus lines depart for Barcelona, the turnout was noticeably lower than on previous days of Rodalies disruptions in comparison to Vilanova i la Geltrú.  Some regular commuters attributed the drop in passengers to class cancellations at several Barcelona universities, while others pointed to an increase in bus services, which may have helped absorb demand more effectively.  Get the day's biggest stories right to your phone v1.1.0. Copyright © 2025. Powered by EBANTIC. All rights reserved. Catalonia's Rodalies commuter train network partially restored services on the R1 Renfe had halted all services on Tuesday morning due to the "network's voltage instability," which officials said made it impossible to guarantee safe operations That message came a few minutes after a previous statement saying that all services would resume at 60% capacity authorities confirmed that they could not offer a "secure" service the R1 is running a minimum service from Hospitalet to Maçanet-Massanes R2 South and R2 North there are trains running on the entire line The R3 works between Hospitalet and Ripoll with delays but there are no trains between Puigcerdà and Ripoll On the R4 there are also minimal services and delays, and it only serves the stations between Hospitalet and Manresa.  The R11 connecting Barcelona with Portbou via Girona is also in service Trains have also been restored on the R16 with a first train running from Barcelona's Estació de França (4.15pm) to Tortosa (7.05pm) The blackout and the temporary halt of metro services in Barcelona prompted in an increase of bus passengers in the city reaching its all-time high of 1.25 million travelers until midnight Service was not interrupted at all and there were around 900 vehicles working across the network Barcelona's Metropolitan Transports organization far from the expected 1.5 million for a usual Monday Metro was completely suspended during the first hours of the power outage and slowly recovered its service People are experiencing chaos and uncertainty at Barcelona's Sants train station due to Monday's power outage. After the events, Sants is full of people who were unable to travel on Monday, arrived early this morning, or were forced to spend the night at the station.   High-speed trains are not running normally and are experiencing long waiting lines to access these trains in particular.   has been awarded the first three projects for the complete transformation of Barcelona Sants railway station the renovation of the Plaça dels Països Catalans and the adaptation of access points the connection between the railway station and the bus station will be significantly improved making it possible to accommodate a greater number of passengers increase the area allocated to regional commuter trains (Cercanías) improve the sustainability and accessibility of the building and pedestrianize the entire perimeter of the station Work is scheduled to begin later this year The first project involves the enlargement of the station on the Plaça de los Països Catalans side office space and a new access to the Cercanías service to accommodate the increase in passengers There will be a new access from the plaza to the Rodalies (main commuter and regional train system in Catalonia) concourse to organize the flow of departures and create a new area for visitors to stay The surface area of the station will increase by more than 30% increasing the space dedicated to railway uses and Rodalies long-distance and high-speed passengers Three new communication cores will be built with the high-speed platforms and three upper levels with boarding area and direct access to the platforms new waiting rooms for high-speed passengers and technical areas for internal use It is also planned to open two new access points on the sea and mountain sides of the station creating a new multimodal axis that will connect passengers from the bus and metro station to the high-speed and Rodalies concourses The second project focuses on the rehabilitation of the Plaça dels Països Catalans to restore its original design The project includes the adaptation of the children’s play areas the incorporation of new green spaces and rest areas In addition to the intervention on the 9,600 m2 of the plaza ACCIONA and its partners will pedestrianize the existing road for vehicles turning it into an extension of the public space the plaza will be linked to the new extension of the first phase favoring pedestrian access for passengers along this front The third project involves the redevelopment of 8,500m2 close to the multimodal terminal a new pedestrian route will connect Plaça dels Països Catalans and Plaça Joan Peiró providing access from the bus station to the passenger building taxis and city buses will be moved to the seafront in coordination with the new road defined by the Barcelona City Council I accept Information on data protection In compliance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 on Data Protection and with other Data Protection regulations in force you are hereby informed that your personal data shall be processed by Acciona whose identification data are as follows: Tax ID No (NIF): A08001851; Address: Avenida de la Gran Vía de Hortaleza No.: +34 91 663 28 50; email: protecciondedatos@acciona.com Your data shall be processed in order to send you information through the subscription to our Newsletter through electronic means activities and news pertinent to our activity sectors The consent given by the data subject by indicating that they have read and accept this data protection information comprises the lawfulness of processing the subscription Request cannot be satisfied We may also process your satisfaction or preferences Data shall be stored until the elimination is requested we may give access to your data to service providers (such as technology service providers) who assist us in fulfilling this purpose may be located outside of the European Economic Area in territories that do not offer a level of data protection that is comparable to that of the European Union we transfer User data with appropriate safeguards and always ensuring the security of the same The data subject can exercise their rights of access to or rectification and/or the restriction of or objection to the processing of such data by writing the Department of Data Protection located at Avenida de la Gran Vía de Hortaleza 28033 (Madrid) or by sending the form available in the link: FORM If we consider it necessary in order to be able to identify you, we may ask you for a copy of an identity document. Furthermore, at any time the data subject may withdraw the granted consent by contacting the aforementioned address and file a claim to the Supervisory Authority (Agencia Española de Protección de Datos www.aepd.es) You can also unsubscribe from the Newsletter communication For any further information you can visit the Privacy Police on the website https://www.acciona.com/privacy-policy/ A wire failure at Barcelona Sants train station early Saturday morning brought all high-speed train services to a standstill A train operated by the French company Ouigo stopped inside the tunnel as it was leaving the station according to Catalan civil protection authorities however over hour-long delays were reported Adif stated that the incident "had left tracks 1 and 3 without power," affecting "all high-speed and medium-distance trains but only on a single track between Sants station and El Prat de Llobregat Passengers faced many delays surpassing the one-hour in average after the Ouigo train which was scheduled to depart Barcelona at 6:31 a.m One of the affected passengers waiting in Sants was Oriol Salvadó field hockey player from Sant Cugat del Vallès were traveling to Madrid to play a game on Saturday midday "We do not know if we will be on time," he said as they still not "know the planned scheduled or when we will be able to depart." who had to be in Zaragoza early on Saturday highlighted that "until I did not find any customer service staff I was not fully aware of what was going on Villanueva told the Catalan News Agency (ACN) that it had been a while since he last traveled by train and joked that all the things he has read on news outlets is now "happening to me." there was X user Marc Beà who criticized Ouigo's service for "not having any customer service at the station and a hotline saying 'it is not our fault'." The passenger also questioned why they were "being charged for a service that was not offered," while their weekend "was destroyed." another incident was reported on the high-speed network this time between Barcelona and Mollet del Vallès impacting trains going to Girona there had been an issue with one of the repairing units which forced two high-speed trains to stop service announced that the government will hold an "urgent" meeting with the Spanish ministry and Adif in Barcelona to look for "immediate solutions" to the never-ending Catalan rail disruptions Paneque also highlighted that the regional government has had part in the management since 2010 and that regional authorities have had "responsibility on the service for the last years," she told ACN the minister was tackling one of the main complaints filed by Catalan pro-independence parties regarding the lack of investment and the request for a full transfer of management to regional authorities One of the main reasons behind such service is that the network is prepared to accommodate around six million inhabitants while Catalonia is currently home to eight million people we have requested a meeting with the highest ranking officials at Spain's ministry Adif and Renfe to look up for immediate solutions as we need answers and clear improvements from Monday," Paneque told ACN during a visit to the seaside town of Palamós The incident occurred around 24 hours after another wire failure caused a similar issue on the Rodalies commuter train network on Friday Salvador Illa, admitted that this type of incident "is not acceptable" and assured that the government "is focused on solutions The issue forced trains to operate on a single track between Barcelona Sants station and El Prat de Llobregat. As a result, the lines R14, R15, R16 and R17 ran with delays of at least half an hour on Friday afternoon. and the arrival of the Carnival King Elon Muska Collonera at 5.45 p.m. in the auditorium of the Cotxeres de Sants the Reina Belluga will appear and at 6.30 p.m in front of the Headquarters of the Sants District always kicks off Carnival festivities in Barcelona but this year it has a new mission: to bring the festival to every corner of the cosmos this parade with striking visual elements tells the story of a stratospheric journey featuring irreverence The planet is besieged by a wave of repression that’s threatening celebrations And she’s taken action by devising a plan both far-fetched and brilliant: expand Barcelona’s Carnival beyond the reaches of planet Earth If she’s able to turn the entire solar system into an endless celebration of music the forces of repression will have no choice but to back down This interplanetary mission was planned from a secret operations centre on a rooftop near the Cotxeres de Sants a true clandestine Cape Canaveral where former Lindy Hop dancers are working day and night to get everything ready Launch the first Fat Thursday carnival rocket loaded with coques de llardons pastry cakes billions of masks and the unbridled energy of the festivities while she was on an official trip to the United States Queen Belluga arranged a meeting with tycoon Elon Musquito With a hypnotic dance combining the traditional Catalan corranda genre Musquito agreed to build her an interstellar spaceship a true marvel of technology designed to turn Carnival into a truly out-of-this-world experience will make an official stop in Barcelona on Fat Thursday to hand over the keys to this rocket during an event at the Cotxeres-Casinet Auditorium in Sants neighbourhood along with the good company of Barcelona’s carnival gegants the take-off will light up the Barcelona sky and set new intergalactic trends Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of the first festival space mission in history welding masks or anything that will protect your eyes from the brilliant behemoth that will soar into infinity Several Rodalies commuter trains in the Barcelona area were cancelled and many more experienced lengthy delays during the early hours of Monday morning despite the planned strike being called off on Sunday evening Spain's train operator Renfe says the delays and cancellations on the Rodalies network are due to the "last-minute" deal between labor unions and authorities such as the Catalan territory ministry and the Spanish transport ministry Due to the deal being reached at the last minute there have been issues rescheduling some trains that had been canceled beforehand due to the strike A train incident at Plaça de Catalunya station affected the R1 have been seeking alternatives via bus in the morning Upon learning of the strike being called off many were confident they would be able to reach Barcelona by train at the train station they found long waiting periods on the platform Faced with what they described as a “scam” of a situation in the train services some have decided to go to the bus station because for over 18 months now express bus users have been complaining that the service is oversaturated by a daily transfer of passengers who have given up trying to get trains but it ends up being overcrowded between us all,” one passenger lamented to the Catalan News Agency (ACN ) as they tried to run from the train station to catch a bus instead Queues at the bus station in Vilafranca del Penedès have been particularly long since 7:30 a.m and I have been waiting here until 7:30," Maria Dolors told ACN at the bus station She assumed that the strike being called off would mean the train service would run properly just to walk around,” she added while watching the long queue get longer criticized that going to Barcelona from Vilafranca has become “a daily odyssey” for her some Rodalies commuters did not change their routines and used the train to travel but nothing out of the ordinary," Anton Pomés he pointed out that the train was "not very busy." Pomés recognized he was a "little bit worry" if the strike had continued as he did not have any alternative to travel and he would not have been able to arrive on time to Barcelona due to the incident on a train at Plaça de Catalunya "I was expected to get on the 07:20h train He did not have to rush as he had expected the trip to take an hour complained that she did not have enough information and she was "worried" as she did not know if she would arrive at her destination and it will continue to be Renfe," Catalan territory minister Sílvia Paneque told journalists on Monday midday "What is important is that our decisions are user-centered," she said "Whichever is the percentage of the company operating the  trains and it has to continue to be Renfe," she said in reference to the percentages of the joint company between the Catalan and Spanish governments.   is that Rodalies will be managed from Catalonia and will have a director appointed by the regional government A similar system to the one set in the Port de Barcelona enterprise the majority of the largest labor unions at Renfe and public rail infrastructure manager Adif called off a planned nationwide strike originally set to take place over seven days in March and April According to the original deal, Renfe and Adif were to continue providing service to Rodalies, but unions expressed doubt and called for a strike.  On Sunday, the parties involved reached a new agreement, stipulating that Renfe Viajeros will hold a majority stake in the capital of the new company that will manage Rodalies, while the Catalan government will control the board of directors. This was confirmed to Catalan media on Sunday by the Spanish transport secretary, José Antonio Santano.  This model will “guarantee the rights of Renfe and Adif workers” when the new company is created “later this year,” while the Catalan commuter rail service will be managed “locally”, explained Santano.   Urban development and combative movements: can we strike a balance between modern urban progress and neighbourhood identity? This activity consists of a tour through the neighbourhood of Sants to explore its urban and industrial development as a symbol of community unity, while examining the relationship between combative movements and urban growth. Divided into three stages – past, present and future – the tour reflects on how historical memory and local struggles have shaped the neighbourhood’s identity, raising important questions about its future. The tour revisits Sants’ industrial past as a former municipality and a key industrial hub of Spain, taking in sites such as the Parc de l’Espanya Industrial (Park of Industrial Spain) and Carrer de Sants, along with industrial spaces – factories, workshops and warehouses – and their use by the working class, from production to labour organisation. It also explores the residential setting, focusing on functional housing for workers and its impact on urban development. The rehearsal showcased the float that will transport Queen Belluga a spectacular structure nearly 10 meters long which will be one of the main attractions of this year's carnival the Barcelona Carnival presents a major novelty: the Arrival of Queen Belluga is being decentralized and moved to the Sants-Montjuïc district on Thursday at 5:15 pm.  under the theme 'Cosmic Carnival,' will transform Sants Street into a true interplanetary stage With a large galactic theme and the first carnival rocket designed at the Cotxeres de Sants The Carnival aims to take the celebration beyond the edges of the Earth with Queen Belluga as the universal ambassador of culture and freedom of expression After a show starting at 5:30 pm at the Cotxeres de Sants Civic Center when Queen Belluga and her float will travel through the streets of Sants.  The Carnival will go to one of the city's areas with a great carnival tradition it will merge two iconic events: the city arrival and the one from the Sants neighborhood These events will feature the figure of King Carnestoltes who will be received at the Cotxeres de Sants Auditorium.  and somber sardine burials, Carnaval is back The shortest month of the year brings with it one of the longest celebrations of the calendar; Carnaval will be celebrated in different Catalan cities and towns this week.  Learn all about how to celebrate Carnival across Catalonia in our guide. Barcelona as a whole city must be under a big age of redesign as the other famous spot in Barcy there will be a protest to save the rest of the plaza "‼️Next THURSDAY February 27th at 7 pm demonstration in the Plaza dels Àngels to protest against the expansion of MACBA and the destruction of our square we will not let them take away a space that belongs to all of us‼️" Support MACBALife here By Blair Alley is the Content Director for TransWorld SKATEboarding. Several commuter trains were cancelled this morning around Catalonia and others have seen delays due to the partial strikes this Wednesday against the transfer of the Rodalies network The train from Sant Celoni to Castelldefels at 8.15 did not run at all and the R11 from Figueres to Sants at 07.55 stopped at all stations the one from Vilanova i la Geltrú at 8.38 and the one from Estació França to Vilanova at 7.28 also did not run The first train from Sant Vicenç did not run until 6.00 and the one from 7.48 between Estació França and Sant Vicenç stopped at all stations Renfe has assured that these incidents have had little impact on users since they have been informed through all channels and alternatives have been proposed for their journey The strikes are planned in three time slots The strike also tackles the Rodalies transfer to Catalonia which was part of a deal between pro-independence Esquerra Republicana and Socialists to see Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez reelected back in November 2023 called on striking on seven days across March and April: March 17 A day of full strike was scheduled for Monday, March 17, but this was halted at the last minute thanks to a deal. Yet, the service was still severely disrupted. Carnival kicks off in Catalonia with the arrival of Queen Belluga in Barcelona and in Torelló by symbolically cutting off their king's penis Catalonia's carnival celebrations are a whirlwind of color Barcelona's carnival celebration introduced a major change: the traditional Arrival of Queen Belluga was decentralized, moving from the Ciutat Vella district to Sants-Montjuïc due to construction works.   This edition merged two iconic events: the central city's Arrival, and the Arrival from the Sants neighborhood, known for its satire and the representation of King Carnestoltes in the form of a puppet inspired by current figures.  Beyond Barcelona, other cities across Catalonia have also embraced the carnival spirit with their own unique traditions.   In Sitges, a coastal city south of Barcelona, carnival is celebrated like a true local legacy. Their arrival of King Carnival: King Vergala Totarreus Partyhard, was organized by the historic Paperets Club at La Fragata.   The show transported the audience to the 'World of Eternal Party,' a realm created by a fun-loving god who enjoys disturbing the other gods. Sitges will be one of the invited guests to the realm for one week. The coastal city is expected to welcome around 250,000 visitors.   In Torelló, a city northeast of Barcelona, the carnival began with the Pullassu celebration. A playful, festive, and sexually charged event.  The story goes that sorcerer Xapot el Bruixot set out to deceive Margalef, the illegitimate son of King Carnestoltes, into cutting off his penis so that they could feast on botifarra (Catalan sausage) on Fat Thursday (Mardi Gras held on Thursday in Catalonia), while drinking the festival’s signature magical potion. The ceremony, filled with mythical creatures, music, and a lively audience, is a proud showcase of Torelló’s popular carnival culture.  This year, part of the festival’s imagery has been updated, and the four capgrossos (giant heads) representing the four most important carnivals in the country have been restored. Also Margalef, Torelló's main giant and illegitimate son of King Carnestoltes, has been renewed.   All Rodalies commuter train lines were suspended on Wednesday morning due to a heavy rain alert, leaving thousands stranded across Catalonia.  The suspension was announced at 10.40 am and affected all services, although some disruption had begun earlier in the morning on the R2 South and R4 South lines.  The cancellations left hundreds stranded at various stations. At Barcelona's Sants station, one of the main travel hubs, many passengers expressed their resignation.   "The alert came too late," Albert López, one of the stranded travelers, told the Catalan News Agency (ACN). López, who lives in Santa Maria de Palautordera, about 50 kilometers from Barcelona, explained that when he arrived at his office in the Catalan capital, his employer told him to return home.  "When we received the alert, they told those living outside Barcelona to leave, and when I arrived at Sants station, there were no trains or buses available," he said. "Now we have to wait and see if the rain stops and we can go home."    Another affected passenger, Marcel, a university student traveling from Blanes to Barcelona for classes, expressed his frustration at the situation.  "Halfway through the class, we were told to go home," he said. "If the alert had come this morning or even yesterday, I would have saved the trip. It’s not worth attending just two classes." At Sants Station, passengers hoping to board Renfe's high-speed trains were also impacted, as services between the Catalan capital and Madrid were suspended around 1pm due to water accumulation in a tunnel in El Prat.  "We arrived six hours early due to the rain," explained Beatriz, who is hoping to catch a high-speed train to Madrid later in the afternoon when the situation improves and services resume.  Around 2 pm, Spain's Transport Minister Óscar Puente announced that train services were beginning to be restored.  The station also hosted passengers bound for Barcelona airport who found themselves facing canceled flights. "We are left without a plane, without trains, without hotels, without anything," lamented Silvie.  In Girona, many passengers were also stranded as Rodalies trains were suspended, leading many to opt for high-speed trains as an alternative.  "For now, I have no other option than the AVE if I want to get home, because it seems there won’t be any more trains until late afternoon," explained Hassan, who lives in Figueres.  Many passengers were caught off guard by the situation. "They should have warned us earlier to avoid this situation," one traveler said. "There are no trains, and I haven’t found any buses either," said another passenger.  Around 500 people protested at Barcelona-Sants train station on Saturday over the "unsustainable chaos" of the Rodalies commuter train network.  The demonstration was called by grassroots pro-independence group Catalan National Assembly (ANC) criticizing the "colonial treatment from the Spanish metropolis," which he said was "premeditated."  a famous singer-songwriter who became leader of the organization last year said the situation with Rodalies was the result of "Spanish fiscal theft and decades of lack of investment and maintenance."  The protesters stormed the station lobby with signs bearing slogans such as "Fed up with Renfe," (the state-owned railway company responsible for operating Rodalies) "For the trains we deserve," and "Independence is the only way."  Llach stressed that with the taxes it pays Catalonia has "the right to have a good public transport service."  Residents of the Barcelona neighborhood of Sants have reported vandalism and thefts of some street decorations on the first night of the Festes de Sants street festival from the organizing committee of the public festival explained publicly that the neighbors found the vandalism and damage first thing in the morning in different streets For the Festes de Sants, residents of different streets decorate the public spaces with handmade recycled materials in different themes, similar to the Festes de Gràcia, which took place earlier this month. On Alcolea de Dalt street, which was decorated in the theme of the Harry Potter universe, one of the dolls were missing and some structures were broken.  On Papin street, inspired by the pioneering Catalan filmmaker Fructuós Gelabert, a structure has been damaged. Castro regretted the "uncivil" behavior and pointed out that a lot of work goes into every decorated street. "It's sad because the people who come later [in the week] won't see the decorations as [the vandalism] was done at the beginning," he lamented. The festival organizer also thinks there is no solution to the problem, and it may happen again on other nights. According to the secretary of the Federation of the Festes de Sants, the vandalism is not unprecedented, as other years there were also similar situations. Faced with such situations, the festival organizers have always chosen to keep going ahead with the decorations, and chosen against assembling and disassembling them every day. The Festes de Sants began on Saturday and will last until September 1,  with more than 425 different activities planned. with some isolated disruption remaining after power was largely restored to both countries One of Europe's most severe blackouts grounded flights disrupted mobile communications and shut down ATMs across the Iberian Peninsula on Tuesday By 6am on Wednesday (NZT) more than 99% of energy demand in Spain had been restored the country's electricity operator Red Eléctrica said Portuguese grid operator REN said all 89 power substations were back online and power had been restored to all 6.4 million customers As life began to return to normal — with schools and offices reopening traffic easing and public transport restarting — the authorities in Spain had yet to provide further explanations for what caused one of the most serious blackouts to ever take place in Europe The Southern European nation of 49 million people lost 15 gigawatts — equivalent to 60% of its national demand — in just five seconds Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said that the government's priorities were twofold: restoring Spain's electrical system and finding the causes of the blackout so that a similar event "never takes place again" Such widespread electric failure has little precedent on the Iberian Peninsula or in Europe director of services for system operations at Spain's electricity operator back-to-back "disconnection events" before Tuesday's blackout Speaking at a new conference later on Tuesday he said that more investigation was needed to understand why they took place said that it hadn't detected any "unusual meteorological or atmospheric phenomena" on Tuesday and no sudden temperature fluctuations were recorded at their weather stations Portugal's National Cybersecurity Center on Monday dismissed speculation about foul play saying that there was no sign that the outage resulted from a cyberattack European Council President António Costa also said that there were "no indications of any cyberattack," while Teresa Ribera an executive vice president of the European Commission the outage "is one of the most serious episodes recorded in Europe in recent times," she said droves of travelers waited Tuesday morning to board trains or to rebook tickets for journeys that were canceled or disrupted hundreds of people stood near screens waiting for updates wrapped in blankets provided by the Red Cross Similar scenes played out at Barcelona's Sants station The Madrid Open tennis tournament resumed after the blackout caused 22 matches to be postponed on Monday A packed schedule Tuesday included second-ranked Iga Swiatek advancing to the quarterfinals service on Madrid's subway system was fully restored but commuter trains were suspended because of “electrical instability,” the company that runs the service commuter and mid-distance services were still suspended or running at reduced capacity Emergency workers in Spain said they had rescued around 35,000 passengers on Monday stranded along railways and underground The blackout was especially disruptive on transit systems train stations and airports into makeshift overnight refuges Rubén Carión was stranded on a commuter train outside Madrid but managed to open a window and walk to the nearest transit station He and a friend later spent the night in Atocha station after their train back to Barcelona was canceled The 24-year-old Carión said that he chose to wait at the station instead of a hotel so he could stay updated on when he could buy a new ticket home thirsty and tired," Cairón described his experience in two words: "pure chaos" Passengers crowd the train entrances at Sants station in Barcelona The cause of Spain and Portugal's widespread blackouts remained a mystery this morning, with some isolated disruption remaining after power was largely restored to both countries. One of Europe's most severe blackouts grounded flights, paralysed metro systems, disrupted mobile communications and shut down ATMs across the Iberian Peninsula on Tuesday. By 6am on Wednesday (NZT) more than 99% of energy demand in Spain had been restored, the country's electricity operator Red Eléctrica said. Portuguese grid operator REN said all 89 power substations were back online and power had been restored to all 6.4 million customers. As life began to return to normal — with schools and offices reopening, traffic easing and public transport restarting — the authorities in Spain had yet to provide further explanations for what caused one of the most serious blackouts to ever take place in Europe. The Southern European nation of 49 million people lost 15 gigawatts — equivalent to 60% of its national demand — in just five seconds. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said that the government's priorities were twofold: restoring Spain's electrical system and finding the causes of the blackout so that a similar event "never takes place again". A man sells battery-powered radios and torches on a Barcelona street during the blackout in Barcelona, Spain. (Source: Associated Press) Such widespread electric failure has little precedent on the Iberian Peninsula or in Europe. Eduardo Prieto, director of services for system operations at Spain's electricity operator, noted two steep, back-to-back "disconnection events" before Tuesday's blackout. Speaking at a new conference later on Tuesday, he said that more investigation was needed to understand why they took place. 1News Europe Correspondent Mei Heron said a Kiwi living in Spain described the outages as "pure chaos". (Source: Breakfast) Spain’s meteorological agency, AEMET, said that it hadn't detected any "unusual meteorological or atmospheric phenomena" on Tuesday, and no sudden temperature fluctuations were recorded at their weather stations. Portugal's National Cybersecurity Center on Monday dismissed speculation about foul play, saying that there was no sign that the outage resulted from a cyberattack. European Council President António Costa also said that there were "no indications of any cyberattack," while Teresa Ribera, an executive vice president of the European Commission, also ruled out sabotage. Nonetheless, the outage "is one of the most serious episodes recorded in Europe in recent times," she said. At Spain's largest train stations, droves of travelers waited Tuesday morning to board trains, or to rebook tickets for journeys that were canceled or disrupted. At Madrid's Atocha station, hundreds of people stood near screens waiting for updates. Many had spent the night at the station, wrapped in blankets provided by the Red Cross. Similar scenes played out at Barcelona's Sants station. The Madrid Open tennis tournament resumed after the blackout caused 22 matches to be postponed on Monday. A packed schedule Tuesday included second-ranked Iga Swiatek advancing to the quarterfinals. Passengers sleep and sit on the ground as they wait for news of train departures, at Sants train station in Barcelona, Spain. (Source: Associated Press) By late Tuesday, service on Madrid's subway system was fully restored. In Barcelona, the system was operating normally, but commuter trains were suspended because of “electrical instability,” the company that runs the service, Rodalies Catalunya, said on X. In some parts of the country, commuter and mid-distance services were still suspended or running at reduced capacity. Emergency workers in Spain said they had rescued around 35,000 passengers on Monday stranded along railways and underground. The blackout was especially disruptive on transit systems, turning sports centers, train stations and airports into makeshift overnight refuges. Power outage in Spain and Portugal affects millions of peopleSpanish power distributor Red Eléctrica's head of operations Eduardo Prieto told journalists it was unprecedented calling the event "exceptional and extraordinary" World Rubén Carión was stranded on a commuter train outside Madrid but managed to open a window and walk to the nearest transit station. He and a friend later spent the night in Atocha station after their train back to Barcelona was canceled. The 24-year-old Carión said that he chose to wait at the station instead of a hotel, so he could stay updated on when he could buy a new ticket home. Sleeping on the floor "hungry, thirsty and tired," Cairón described his experience in two words: "pure chaos". Britain's VE Day parade draws thousands celebrating 80th anniversary A 100-year-old Royal Air Force veteran accepted the thanks of a nation as Britain paused to mark the 80th anniversary of victory in Europe during WWII Kidnappers target crypto entrepreneurs for ransom in France French police rescued the father of a wealthy cryptocurrency entrepreneur in a nighttime raid after he was taken hostage for ransom UK police arrest Iranian men over alleged attack plot head of the force's Counter Terrorism Command said police are still working to establish a motive "as well as to identify whether there may be any further risk to the public" Crime and Justice Russia and Ukraine clash over ceasefire proposals as fighting rages Moscow accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of threatening the safety of dignitaries attending Victory Day celebrations Key takeaways from Prince Harry's raw BBC interview The rift between Prince Harry and his family has burst into the open again with the prince’s raw television interview after losing a court case over his security Trump draws criticism with AI image of himself as the pope The image featuring Trump in a white cassock and pointed mitre was the topic of several questions during the Vatican’s daily conclave briefing Erica Stanford concedes use of personal email 'untidy' 40 mins ago Blues veteran Bryce Heem announces retirement from rugby 11:39am Govt halts all current pay equity claims, makes it harder to lodge new ones 11:32am New Zealand's Cardinal John Dew prepares to go into conclave 10:54am Iwi boss to head new board for Taranaki Maunga 10:49am Kiwi motorcyclist killed in 11-bike British Supersport crash 30 mins ago 1Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one National introduces members' bill to ban social media for under 16s Person dies following morning crash on Auckland motorway The 'Trump slump' boosts the left in Canada and Oz – but what about NZ? Two arrested over alleged plot targeting Lady Gaga concert in RioBrazilian police said they thwarted an alleged bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga's concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. Lady Gaga rocks Copacabana Beach with free concert for over 2 million fansCries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand. Lorde announces new album name, dateThu, May 1 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon, Apr 28 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon, Apr 28 Lorde releases new single after weeks of cryptic teasesThu, Apr 24 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon The cause of Spain and Portugal's widespread blackouts remained a mystery this morning A blackout brought much of Spain and Portugal to a standstill overnight cutting phone service and shutting down traffic lights and ATMs for millions of people across the Iberian Peninsula Spanish power distributor Red Eléctrica declined to speculate on the cause and said restoring power fully could take six to 10 hours Head of operations Eduardo Prieto told journalists it was unprecedented Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said a "strong oscillation" in the European grid was behind the outage but the cause was still being determined He asked the public to refrain from speculation and urged people to call emergency services only if really necessary It was the second serious European power outage in less than six weeks after a March 20 fire shut down Heathrow Airport in the UK and it came as authorities across Europe gird against sabotage backed by Russia The Portuguese National Cybersecurity Centre in a statement said there was no sign the outage was due to a cyber attack European Commission executive vice president in charge of promoting clean energy indicated the same to journalists in Brussels and called the power outage "one of the most serious episodes recorded in Europe in recent times" Offices closed and traffic was snarled in Madrid and Lisbon while some civilians in Barcelona directed traffic It wouldn’t be possible to restart trains later Monday even if the power returned Spain’s Transportation Minister Oscar Puente posted on social media "I don't know how I am going to get home," said Barcelona resident Ivette Corona as she watched a large group people fail to get on a bus that briefly stopped to squeeze in a couple of passengers Hospitals and other emergency services switched to generators It was not possible to make calls on some mobile phone networks People searched for battery-powered radios It is rare to have such a widespread outage across the Iberian Peninsula with a combined population of about 60 million people Balearic Islands and the territories of Ceuta and Melilla located across the Mediterranean in Africa Spain's prime minister convened an extraordinary meeting of the National Security Council The Portuguese Cabinet convened an emergency meeting at the prime minister’s residence Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said he had spoken several times to Sánchez and expected power to be restored by the end of the day Portugal’s government said the outage appeared to stem from problems outside the country an official told national news agency Lusa Electricity was being pulled from Morocco and France to restore power to southern and northern Spain Spain was also increasing the production from hydroelectric and combined cycle thermal power plants A graph on Spain’s electricity network website showing demand across the country indicated a steep drop around 12.15pm (local time) from 27,500 megawatts to near 15,000 megawatts Spanish airports were operating on backup electrical systems and some flights were delayed which runs 56 airports in Spain including Madrid and Barcelona terminals closed and tourists sat outside waiting for news about flights “We haven’t seen any plane arriving or departing in the 50 minutes we've been waiting here," Dutch tourist Marc Brandsma told The Associated Press Play at the Madrid Open tennis tournament was suspended Some took advantage of the lack of connectivity to enjoy the sunshine on restaurant terraces Barcelona’s streets filled with throngs of people milling in front of darkened stores and exchanging information And there is a positive side: We are talking more with each other," said Monste Cortés in Barcelona She said dinner would be sliced bread and cold cuts so did the concern of those unable to reach loved ones "I can't even call my boss because nothing works," said Helen Osorio an industrial town 50 kilometres from Barcelona stores selling generators were out of stock Portugal's National Authority for Emergencies and Civil Protection said backup power systems were operating police placed more officers on duty to cope with increased requests for help including from people trapped in elevators Courts stopped work and ATMs and electronic payment systems were affected A 100-year-old Royal Air Force veteran accepted the thanks of a nation as Britain paused to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day and honour the men and women who fought to save the country during World War II The day featured a procession by 1300 members of the British armed forces accompanied by troops from Ukraine and the UK’s NATO allies The parade didn't begin until Alan Kennett accepted the salute from Garrison Sgt Major Andrew Stokes in front of an audience that included King Charles III “Thank you and your generation for securing our freedom 80 years ago,” Stokes wearing a navy blue blazer with his medals pinned on the left breast This year’s V-E Day events have taken on increased significance because they are likely to be the last major observance to include significant numbers of World War II veterans actor Timothy Spall recited the victory speech wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill delivered to a roaring crowd in central London on May 8 Britain started its V-E Day ceremonies three days early because Monday is a public holiday in the UK “I think we’ve been very lucky that we’ve had 80 years of peace … and we’ve got to think about all those that have (made) the ultimate sacrifice and there’s very few of them left now because they’re all over 100,″ said Michael Burn who wore a suit patterned after Britain’s red “This is the last time we will celebrate the day in this sort of scale.” Then it was time for the parade from the Houses of Parliament through Trafalgar Square and down the Mall to Buckingham Palace won a huge round of applause as their flag swept past the royal viewing platform The event ended with a flyover by British military aircraft including a wartime Lancaster bomber and the RAF’s Red Arrows aerobatic team the Princess of Wales chatted amiably with Bernard Morgan a veteran who worked as a code breaker during the conflict Their place in the front row was a reminder of the gulf between those who fought in World War II and the present generation With even the youngest of those men and women nearing their 100th birthdays and their ranks dwindling rapidly many have said they feel a special imperative to tell their stories and attend events that honour their fallen comrades a mechanic who landed in Normandy to set up an airfield said he was proud to represent the veterans “I just remember those that didn’t come back,” he said the latest alleged criminal effort in France to extort people involved in the management of digital assets The man was kidnapped Thursday morning in Paris (local time) “The victim turned out to be the father of a man who made his fortune in cryptocurrencies and the incident was accompanied by a ransom demand,” its statement said without giving their names or other specifics about their identities Police investigators located the hostage in a house in the Essonne region south of Paris from which he was rescued on Saturday night (local time) It said he was treated for injuries but gave no details French media reported that the alleged hostage-takers cut off one of the man's fingers Police detained five people — four were in or close to the house where the man was held captive while the fifth was at the wheel of a vehicle thought to have been used for the alleged abduction It said the police investigation is looking at an array of possible criminal charges including kidnapping “with torture or a barbaric act.” police said a co-founder of French crypto-wallet firm Ledger was also kidnapped with his wife from their home in the region of Cher of central France Police said they made 10 arrests and that the alleged kidnappers demanded a ransom in cryptocurrency from another of Ledger's co-founders A raid by France's elite National Gendarmerie Intervention Group unit that specialises in hostage situations freed Balland the next day followed the day after that by the liberation British counterterrorism officers arrested four Iranian men over an alleged plot to attack an unspecified target and three others over a national security threat The government called them the biggest "counter state threat and counterterrorism" operations for years The Metropolitan Police force said five men aged between 29 and 46 were detained Saturday in various parts of England under the Terrorism Act on suspicion of preparing "a terrorist act" Four are Iranian citizens and the nationality of the fifth was still being established Police said the attack plot targeted a single location that was not being named "for operational reasons" It said the premises was being given "advice and support" All the suspects were being questioned at police stations and have not been charged Police said they are searching several properties in London the Manchester area of northwest England and Swindon in western England Forensic officers in blue overalls were photographed at a house in Rochdale Three of the counterterror arrests took place in the Greater Manchester area Rochdale resident Kyle Warren told Sky News he "heard a massive bang" and saw "20 or 30 police with guns" drag a man from a neighbouring house "We've seen a man getting pulled out from the back basically got dragged down the side entry and thrown into all the bushes and then handcuffed," he said head of the force's Counter Terrorism Command were arrested in London on suspicion of a national security offence as part of an unrelated investigation Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said "these were two major operations that reflect some of the biggest counter-state threat and counterterrorism operations that we have seen in recent years" Britain's domestic intelligence service has warned of a growing threat from attackers linked to Tehran Cooper said "the ongoing investigation is immensely important" to determine whether the arrests were connected to the Iranian state She said "this reflects the complexity of the kinds of challenges to our national security that we continue to face." the head of the MI5 domestic security service said his agents and police have tackled 20 "potentially lethal" plots backed by Iran since 2022 most aimed at Iranians in the UK who oppose the country's authorities He said at the time there was the risk "of an increase in a presenter at a Farsi-language television station critical of the Iranian government was stabbed in the leg outside his home in London Two men were later arrested in Romania and charged over the attack The UK's official terror threat level stands at "substantial," the middle of a five-point scale Ukraine and Russia are at odds over competing ceasefire proposals as Moscow accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of threatening the safety of dignitaries attending Victory Day celebrations after he dismissed Russia's unilateral 72-hour ceasefire Zelensky instead renewed calls for a more substantial 30-day pause in hostilities He said the proposed ceasefire could start anytime as a meaningful step toward ending the three-year war “Let’s be honest — you can’t agree on anything serious in three Zelensky said that Moscow’s announcement of a 72-hour ceasefire next week in Ukraine to mark Victory Day in World War II is merely an attempt to create a “soft atmosphere” ahead of Russia’s annual celebrations “so that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s guests on Red Square feel comfortable and safe.” He said that Ukraine cannot provide security assurances to foreign officials planning to visit Russia around May 9 warning that Moscow could stage provocations and later attempt to blame Ukraine Zelensky said that some governments had approached Kyiv seeking safety reassurance while their delegations are in Russia “Our position is very simple: we cannot take responsibility for what happens on the territory of the Russian Federation,” he said “They are the ones providing your security and we will not be offering any guarantees.” Zelensky said he had instructed Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry to advise against visiting Russia during this period “We must tell those who approach us: we do not recommend visiting the Russian Federation from a security standpoint don’t ask us — it’s your personal decision.” The Ukrainian leader reiterated that Kyiv’s military actions will remain “mirror-like,” responding to Russia’s moves He acknowledged that implementing a complete front-line ceasefire without robust international monitoring remains nearly impossible but emphasised that the 30-day window offers a credible start He confirmed ongoing efforts to convene the next round of negotiations with the US He also expressed hope that it could happen in Ukraine saying it was a “positive sign” that such a gathering is under discussion despite recent personnel changes in Washington Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that he had “unequivocally threatened the world leaders who are planning to arrive in Moscow on May 9” deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council said Saturday that nobody could guarantee Kyiv’s safety if Ukraine attacked Moscow celebrations on May 9 “In the event of a real provocation on Victory Day no one will guarantee that May 10 will come in Kyiv,” he wrote on Telegram Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russia expects Kyiv to take steps to de-escalate before Victory Day actions aimed at de-escalating the conflict during the holidays,” Peskov told journalists were meant to “test Kyiv’s readiness to find ways for long-term sustainable peace between Russia and Ukraine.” and prompted another appeal from Zelensky for more decisive support from the country’s allies Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said drones hit 12 locations across the city late Friday The Kharkiv Prosecutor’s Office said that Russian forces used drones with thermobaric warheads it said thermobaric weapons create a powerful blast wave and a hot cloud of smoke The prosecutor said its use may indicate a deliberate violation of international humanitarian law nearly every night in Ukraine turns into a nightmare "Strong and real decisions are needed from our partners — the United States all our partners who seek peace,” Zelensky wrote on X Russia fired a total of 183 exploding drones and decoys overnight Russia also launched two ballistic missiles Russia’s Defence Ministry said its air defences shot down 170 Ukrainian drones overnight The ministry said eight cruise missiles and three guided missiles were also intercepted were injured in a drone strike on the Black Sea port city of Novorossiysk overnight The latest wave of attacks comes after the US and Ukraine on Wednesday signed an agreement granting American access to Ukraine’s vast mineral resources It finalises a deal months in the making that could enable continued military aid to Kyiv amid concerns that President Donald Trump might scale back support in ongoing peace negotiations with Russia In a long and at times emotional conversation the 40-year-old prince said he wants reconciliation while re-airing grievances against the royal family Here are the key takeaways from the BBC interview won’t speak to him because of “this security stuff” – a legal wrangle over protection for the prince when he is in Britain Harry has been estranged from his family since he and his wife Meghan quit royal duties in 2020 and moved to the United States alleging hostility and racist attitudes by the press and royal establishment Harry’s tell-all 2023 memoir “Spare,” stuffed with private details and embarrassing revelations But Harry said what’s souring the relationship now is a decision to remove his police protection detail after he stopped being a working royal On Friday the Court of Appeal in London rejected Harry’s bid to restore the protection saying a government committee was justified in deciding that security should be assessed on a case-by-case basis whenever Harry visits the U.K alleging that the decision to withdraw his security had been made at the direction of royal officials who sit on the committee alongside police and government representatives He said they were “knowingly putting me and my family in harm’s way,” hoping that the sense of threat “would force us to come back.” He suggested his father was part of the problem saying he’d asked the king “to step out of the way and let the experts do their job.” has been treated for an undisclosed cancer for more than a year Buckingham Palace has given infrequent updates and has not disclosed what form of cancer the king has said “I don’t know how much longer my father has.” He held out little hope of another meeting soon Charles has returned to a full slate of public duties This week he told a reception for cancer charities that being diagnosed was “a daunting and at times frightening experience.” He added: “I can vouch for the fact that it can also be an experience that brings into sharp focus the very best of humanity.” Harry has well-founded concerns for the safety of himself and his family behind his brother William and William’s three children Harry’s lawyer said in court papers that al-Qaida had published a document that said Harry’s assassination would please Muslims Harry said that before 2020 he was placed in the highest tier of at-risk royals alongside his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II he has been stripped of taxpayer-funded police protection and also denied permission to pay for it himself He said that is not as good as police protection which is provided for life to “people who leave public office,” such as former prime ministers “I can never leave the royal family,” he said and they've only increased over time.” He claimed that “some people want history to repeat itself,” an apparent reference to the death of his mother Princess Diana She was killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997 while being pursued by paparazzi and Harry said he “can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the U.K.” The prince said he loves Britain and “it’s really quite sad that I won’t be able to show my children my homeland.” Harry claimed that he and his family are endangered when visiting Britain because of hostility aimed at him and Meghan on social media and through relentless hounding by news media Harry’s explosive memoir “Spare” scattered bitterness and blame at Charles Queen Camilla – Harry’s stepmother – and his elder brother William and even the British press that he reviles and has repeatedly sued “I would love reconciliation with my family There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore,” Harry said Historian Anthony Seldon said Harry had chosen his words deliberately to signal he “wants to make a new start.” “There will be no more spiteful books,” Seldon told Sky News “He has signalled he wants to be back in a way that needs to be worked out.” said it's hard to see how reconciliation can happen “He clearly feels aggrieved at the outcome of this legal action but there is a great deal to be gained by maintaining a dignified silence,” Little said US President Donald Trump posted an artificial intelligence-generated image of himself dressed as pope as the mourning of Pope Francis continues and just days before the conclave to elect his successor is set to begin Trump's action drew rebukes from a group representing Catholic bishops in New York and among Italians shared Friday night on Trump's Truth Social site and later reposted by the White House on its official X account raised eyebrows on social media and at the Vatican which is still in the period of nine days of official mourning following Francis' death on April 21 Catholic cardinals have been celebrating daily Masses in his memory and are due to open the conclave to elect his successor on Wednesday The death of a pope and the election of another is a matter of utmost solemnity for Catholics for whom the pope is Christ’s vicar on Earth where the papacy is held in high esteem even by nonreligious Italians was the topic of several questions during the Vatican’s daily conclave briefing Saturday Italian and Spanish news reports lamented its poor taste and said it was offensive given that the period of official mourning is still underway Left-leaning former Premier Matteo Renzi said the image was shameful insults institutions and shows that the leader of the right-wing world enjoys clowning around,” Renzi wrote on X the US economy risks recession and the dollar loses value which represents the bishops of the state in working with government “There is nothing clever or funny about this image "We just buried our beloved Pope Francis and the cardinals are about to enter a solemn conclave to elect a new successor of St Italy’s left-leaning La Repubblica also featured the image on its homepage Saturday with a commentary accusing Trump of "pathological megalomania.” The White House did not immediately respond to questions about the backlash to the image or why the president had shared the image a prominent far-right influencer and Trump ally who recently participated in a Catholic prayer event in March at Trump's Florida resort We’ve all been making jokes about the upcoming Pope selection all week It’s called a sense of humor," he wrote on X The episode comes after Trump joked last week about his interest in the vacancy That would be my number one choice," the thrice married president “I was excited to hear that President Trump is open to the idea of being the next Pope This would truly be a dark horse candidate but I would ask the papal conclave and Catholic faithful to keep an open mind about this possibility!” Graham “The first Pope-US President combination has many upsides who is Catholic and was one of the last foreign officials to meet with Francis before the pope died also joked about Secretary of State Marco Rubio becoming pope suggesting Rubio could add it to the long list of titles he holds including national security adviser and acting archivist Trump also has put in a plug for Cardinal Timothy Dolan we have a cardinal that happens to be out a place called New York who's very good is one of 10 US cardinals who will be voting in the conclave but Trump’s pitch might have cost Dolan support with cardinals sequestered for the duration is to prevent outside secular powers from influencing their choice There is an old saying about campaigning for the job of pope or of being promoted excessively especially by outsiders: If you “enter a conclave as pope bishops in general and Francis in particular over the administration’s hard line stance on immigration and its efforts to deport migrants en masse Right before he was hospitalised in February for pneumonia Francis issued a strong rebuke of the administration's mass deportation plans and Vance's theological justification of it Francis tried to remake the US Catholic hierarchy more in his image elevating pastors who prioritised social justice and migration issues over culture warriors who were more favoured by his more doctrinaire predecessors St John Paul II and Benedict XVI A new pope who is more conservative could reverse that effort Trump has nominated as his ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch whose Catholicvote.org has been aggressively covering the pre-conclave days at the Vatican It was one of the main disseminators in English-speaking media of a report flatly and officially denied by the Vatican that Cardinal Pietro Parolin had had a health scare this past week that required medical attention Parolin was the secretary of state under Francis and is seen as a leading contender to be pope He is also the main architect of the Vatican’s China policy and its controversial 2018 deal with Beijing over bishop nominations -- a deal that the was sharply criticized by the first Trump administration the Blues' veteran midfielder whose rugby journey took him from the All Blacks sevens Toulon and back to New Zealand with the Blues has retired from the game at the age of 36 who helped the Blues win the Super Rugby championship last year He is turning his professional attentions to facts and figures in his new role as a mortgage broker it’s the people I’ve met and the memories I’ve made that stand out the most I’m grateful for the opportunity to have represented several teams on my journey and to finish here at the Blues and winning a championship last season was something special.” “I want to make special mention of my wife Jocelyn for supporting me through this entire journey holding it all down at home so I could focus on doing what I love none of this would have been possible,” he said known as "uncle" at the Blues due to his age said the franchise had helped extend his playing career “I’d like to extend my sincere thanks to the entire Blues organisation - the coaches and everyone who’s played some part in my career,” he said “You’ve all played a huge role in making this such a special time in my life I’ve learned so much and will be forever grateful for your belief in me.” “A special shout-out to the medical staff.. you’ve worked wonders on my body as I’ve gotten older..." Heem said he had been working towards becoming a mortgage broker as part of his professional development at the Blues “I’ve had the privilege of learning a lot during my time at the Blues and I’m eager to bring that knowledge and discipline to the world of finance,” Heem said The government is making it harder to make a claim for pay equity that will cut costs There have been massive pay equity claims in recent years for nurses and resthome workers Workplace Minister Brooke van Velden announced the moves to raise the threshold for proving work has been historically undervalued to support a claim on Tuesday saying changes back in 2020 had created problems "Claims have been able to progress without strong evidence of undervaluation and there have been very broad claims where it is difficult to tell whether differences in pay are due to sex-based discrimination or other factors." Claims were concentrated in the public sector with costs to the Crown of all settlements so far totalling $1.78 billion a year "The changes I am proposing will significantly reduce costs to the Crown," she said "The changes will discontinue current pay equity claims The nurse's union has this year had at least 10 pay equity claims in play The PSA union has said pay equity claims and settlements had resulted in significant improvements in pay and working conditions for many workers rnz.co.nz Cardinal John Dew is about to go into conclave to vote for a new pope is among the 133 cardinals gathered in the Vatican to elect a successor to Pope Francis Dew and his fellow Cardinals will be locked away from the world as they participate in daily votes in the Sistine Chapel until white smoke billows from the rooftop signalling a new pope is selected Read more about how the conclave works here He follows in the footsteps of Cardinal Reginald Delargey and Cardinal Thomas Williams - Kiwis who had previously entered conclave in 1978 and 2005 Dew said cardinals had been meeting daily to share their perspectives on the needs of the church and what qualities a new pope would need to possess to address said needs “Listening to what everyone is saying and the kind of person they're looking for to hear the passion that people have for spreading the work of the Gospel,” Dew said “I think one of the things that a new pope will need to do is to continue to try and give hope to the world “But as well as being the leader of the Church he needs to be a world leader who's prepared to speak out and in this world of disinformation and misinformation and sometimes lies Dew said other cardinals who had previously participated in conclavce described the centuries-old tradition as "divinely inspired" “A couple of the cardinals actually said you can go into the conclave and even have some ideas but it's only after a vote or two that things start to clarify,” he recalled but it became very clear that he was the one They described that as the work of Holy Spirit “And the fact that you're in a place where you have no contact with anybody else – no cell phones no iPads – the whole thing becomes a bit like a retreat and a real time of prayer.” Dew said finding a successor among a sea of so many contenders also had him feeling some "apprehension" the fact that this only happens once every few years and it has incredible consequences for the Church and for the world A trail-blazing tribal leader today starts a new job bringing together eight iwi to look after Taranaki Maunga Iwi now have equal say with the Crown in running the former Egmont National Park The Minister of Conservation will need iwi agreement to approve management plans for what is now called Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki Wharehoka Wano will lead Te Tōpuni Ngārahu – a new body of representatives from the region’s eight iwi – to govern the park alongside the conservation minister The arrangement is laid out in Te Ture Whakatupua mō te Kāhui Maunga, the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Act passed unanimously by Parliament in January Another group called Te Tōpuni Kōkōrangi – half appointed by iwi and half by the Crown – will develop management plans for Te Tōpuni Ngārahu and the minister to consider Wano has for nine years been the first chief executive of Te Kāhui o Taranaki the agency set up when Taranaki iwi settled its historical Treaty claims Wano has helped shape Taranaki iwi’s future and he’s also a trustee for the neighbouring iwi’s post-settlement agency Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa. He’s one of the dozen counsellors on the Kīngitanga’s Tekau-mā-rua the advisory body for Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po – as he was for her father the late Kīngi Tūheitia At Wano’s farewell from Te Kāhui o Taranaki veteran campaigner Peter Moeahu said Wano was “an ambassador a diplomat extraordinaire,” and reckoned he would need those skills “You might have thought handling one iwi was bad enough referring to South Taranaki’s Te Pakakohi and Tangahoe which are not recognised as iwi by the Crown Te Kāhui o Taranaki chair Jacqui King said Wano had dealt with arms of the Crown on many fronts really challenging because often you get so impassioned by the unjust behaviours and practices “You have to carry that in such a way that you can't be asked to leave - and Whare is an absolute expert at ensuring he says what needs to be said without being offensive.” Te Kāhui’s operations manager Mark Wipatene said he’d known many aggressive cut-throat chief executives – “silverback gorillas who have massive egos” “They wouldn’t last a day in this space because you can’t operate that way.” “Whare has the ability to navigate through that world and bring his kaimahi with him because he has no ego Liana Poutu helped negotiate the maunga settlement and said Wano’s calming influence wasn’t limited to dealings with government “And when we want to take on some whawhai (fight) Whare’s like ‘are you sure that's how you want to do it?’” Wano’s niece and former colleague Puna Wano-Bryant said he would bring impeccable communication to the Maunga job “He has the ability to open new ways for people to heal and reconcile their own relationships with each other.” Wano-Bryant said she often spotted surfboards in her uncle’s car and he would explain he was off to a “board hui” Fellow surfer and new Taranaki Regional Council chair Craig Williamson has known Wano for almost 20 years and praised his work for the betterment of Taranaki communities We’ve had three board meetings this week.” In 2016 the Crown accepted that Taranaki Maunga and the adjacent ranges would become a legal person and own itself as Te Kāhui Tupua the Crown agreed to share management of the national park Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki with iwi There's now a search on for four people to represent the iwi of Taranaki on Te Tōpuni Kōkōrangi serving as the face and voice of Te Kāhui Tupua When Parliament passed the redress law in January it officially recognised the peaks as tupuna maunga – ancestral mountains LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ on Air Shane William Pritchard has been charged with crimes he didn’t commit and chased for debts he doesn’t owe That’s because the Dunedin man is not the only Shane William Pritchard in town While the duo’s shared name and age has sometimes been a handy loophole for one Shane for the other it has caused problems for 36 years It’s been years of fearing every knock on the door Years of wondering if he’ll be hand-cuffed and taken to jail to be honest,” says Shane William Pritchard a scout and a member of the Air Training Corp remembers getting quite a shock when her friend called one evening She'd been acting as a referee for a gun licence for Shane whose friend informed her that the police had a long list of offences against Shane’s name Not long after that the police turned up to where Shane was working at the local tannery to arrest him “You're scrambling in your head to think of ways that you can prove it's not you.” Another Shane William Pritchard had been born in Otago They were separated by just two weeks and about 50 miles – one growing up in Mosgiel the other in Milton – but also by the lives they’d been leading To watch the full video story go to TVNZ+ Shane from Milton had huge problems focusing at school He was raised in foster care and then boys’ homes I just wanted to look cool and get in trouble,” he tells Fair Go Milton Shane was used to run-ins with police he got pulled over in his car and asked about his driving licence one’s got a licence and the other hasn’t.’ And I’m like ‘obviously it must be the one with a licence’.” he went to his bank to draw out an ACC payment and was asked which bank account was his He says that at that point he was trying to figure out what was going on “I thought it was just an error.” But he took advantage of the situation and withdrew a large sum of cash Mosgiel Shane became aware of the withdrawal when a scheduled car payment was declined and when Milton Shane turned up at the bank to withdraw more money Identity fraud was considered but Milton Shane was legitimately expecting an ACC payment so the withdrawal appeared to be a genuine mistake and the police couldn’t take any action 'Anything I could get away with Mosgiel Shane thought the bank incident would have alerted police to the problem But his nemesis had cottoned on to the advantages of having a second identity to use Milton Shane acquired a suite of furniture on hire-purchase Milton-Shane clocked up more driving offences Mosgiel Shane thought about changing his name but realised he’d have to provide his previous name in the process the courts and debt collectors such as Baycorp should be able to distinguish between himself and Milton Shane The police first addressed the issue in the 1990s after Mosgiel Shane went to the media He was given a letter to carry with him should he be apprehended He and his parents felt his situation wasn’t being taken seriously Mosgiel Shane went to the media a second time in the mid-2000s the police gave their word that a record in their system would stop the misidentification from happening again This does appear to have worked as far as police action goes But while Mosgiel Shane was given the same reassurance by the Ministry of Justice he continued to receive demands from the courts for unpaid fines He’d also get stopped and questioned whenever he left the country for work trips or holidays It took a huge toll on Mosgiel Shane’s mental health not realising the constant stress it placed on his life John Pritchard says that at times his son felt his life wasn’t worth living worrying about what he was going to do to himself and that really ate me up.” he and his son were in tears as Shane admitted he was at breaking point He described going for days at a time unable to eat or sleep wondering what might happen next "Am I going to be in a position where they've got me in handcuffs or I've got debt collectors coming to the door?" ...You're spiralling into this black hole." He started taking anti-anxiety medication which helped And events regarding Milton Shane seemed to settle Milton Shane was charged for fishing without a licence in Twizel and failing to comply with fisheries officers But a court registrar incorrectly entered the birth date of Mosgiel Shane in the system both Shanes were being chased to pay the $1530 fine It was Mosgiel Shane who spotted the error and rang the court He also sent a statement from his manager saying he’d not been fishing in Twizel that day The reply he got was to say he’d been given the wrong form and that they wouldn’t accept his proof They just wanted to know how I was going to pay the fine.” The first Milton Shane knew about this was when Fair Go told him Mosgiel Shane had been chased for the fine He was told to pay up or face the consequences feeling he shouldn’t have to pay good money to correct someone else’s mistake But it cost Mosgiel Shane over $5000 in legal fees and took months of back and forth between him “Why should anybody have to pay their own money to right somebody else's wrongs and prove who they are I’m sick and tired of proving who I am all the time.” He wanted the Ministry of Justice to take responsibility and reimburse him for his legal costs saying court staff such as the registrar in this case have immunity if they make mistakes such as the one made here and if I make a mistake and it's affecting my client that it's going to cost them money to rectify a mistake that I've made.” he deserves a million apologies from those guys,” she says Milton Shane told Fair Go he still gets in trouble but wants the other Shane to know he doesn’t use his birth date anymore And he had a message for him: “We’ve got to get it sorted for you so you can have a good life with you and your family because I’m trying to get my life together with my son and my grandson” He offers to meet to see if they can sort it out together but I’m not interested in meeting him,.” says Mosgiel Shane He says he doesn’t hold any grudges and accepts Milton Shane’s apology And he believes the only way for that to happen is for the courts and the Ministry of Justice to give him a guarantee that mix-ups won’t occur in the future Fair Go asked the Ministry of Justice to appear in person to apologise and provide reassurance to Shane of its plans to guard against these mistakes The Ministry declined our request to be on camera saying any comment on an individual case would compromise the independence of the courts as the Ministry operates separately But it did send a written apology directly to Mosgiel Shane It also admitted mistakes can occur in clerical records but said instructions were clear and the importance of getting things right had been emphasised to staff Mosgiel Shane isn’t totally convinced that’s the end of it “All I want is for the Ministry of Justice and the courts to do their job I'd like to live without this hanging over me all the time his criminal check has come back showing a clean slate The National Party has introduced a new members' bill to ban social media for those aged under 16 Christopher Luxon announced the bill alongside National Tukituki MP Catherine Wedd this morning Wedd said the My Social Media Age-Appropriate Users Bill "puts the onus on social media companies to verify that someone is over the age of 16 before they access social media platforms" Key aspects of the Bill would include obligations for the social media platforms defence for providers to rely on reasonable verification measures regulatory oversight and a review after three years there are no legally enforceable age verification measures for social media platforms in New Zealand Members' bills are introduced by MPs who are not Ministers and need to be drawn from a ballot to be debated in Parliament Luxon said he was hopeful of gaining bipartisan support He had spoken with coalition partners ACT and NZ First about it but would let them speak about their position He said this was an issue he had been passionate about since 2018 and as a dad he felt the party needed to do more to keep young people safe from online harm We want to protect our kids from the harms of social media. That’s why today National has introduced a members bill to ban social media for kids under 16 years old. pic.twitter.com/TiQJs87DhQ "It's time that New Zealand acknowledged that for all the good things that come from social media it's not always a safe place for our young people to be and we need to do something about it." He said teachers and parents had raised issues with him including cyber bullying exposure to inappropriate content and exploitation and social media addiction "Social media should not be exempt from social responsibility and it is time we put the onus on these platforms," he said Wedd said social media was "an extraordinary resource" “As a mother of four children I feel very strongly that families and parents should be better supported when it comes to overseeing their children's online exposure The bill closely mirrors the approach taken in Australia which passed the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill in December 2024 At the end of last year, a 1News Verian Poll found more than two-thirds of New Zealand voters supported restricting social media access for under-16s The poll results showed that 68% backed introducing similar legislation in New Zealand as in Australia and 10% were undecided or preferred not to say National Party supporters and women showed the strongest support for the proposed restrictions while opposition was highest among 18-34-year-olds and men Wedd said "other jurisdictions are also taking action" "Texas recently passed legislation which bans under 18s from social media use and the UK the EU and Canada all have similar work in train," she said "This bill builds on National’s successful and successful cell phone ban in schools and reinforces the Government's commitment to setting our children up for success." Family First chief executive Bob McCoskrie welcomed the introduction of the Bill but questioned why it was not a government priority "or at the very least have a parliamentary and public discussion via a Select Committee process" "Family First thanks Catherine Wedd for drafting the Bill but once again calls on all the coalition parties in the Government (ACT and NZ First) to adopt the bill as a Government bill and ultimately walk the talk when it comes to protecting children online “This important discussion needs to be a priority for the Government and not left in a biscuit tin." A person has died following a crash on Auckland's south-western motorway this morning The single vehicle crash was reported to police shortly before 5am the sole occupant of this vehicle died at the scene," a police spokesperson said "Earlier closures of northbound lanes have now lifted and police advise motorists to continue to expect delays as earlier backlogs clear "We appreciate motorists' understanding this morning while emergency services carried out their work." Police said the serious crash unit examined the scene this morning and an investigation was underway into this morning's crash on behalf of the Coroner This is in addition to an earlier crash on Auckland's northern motorway near the Auckland Harbour Bridge Emergency services responded to a two-truck collision on the northern motorway near the Auckland Harbour Bridge shortly after 5am New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) said all lanes south on State Highway 1 were open again following this earlier crash with five lanes available on the Harbour Bridge "Allow extra time for delays on the Northern Motorway to slowly ease this morning three lanes going south were now open again between Onewa Rd and the Harbour Bridge," NZTA said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's landslide win at the weekend following Canadian Prime Minister's Mark Carney's victory less than a week before should indicate to our politicians that the New Zealand "Trump trend" of 2024 may have peaked Trying to capitalise on the electoral success of US President Donald Trump now that his policies are having real-world effects is proving to be a big mistake for conservative leaders Australian voters have delivered a landslide win for the incumbent Labor Party returning Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for a second term with a clear majority of seats When he said in his victory speech that Australians had “voted for Australian values” an unspoken message was that they’d firmly rejected Trumpian values opposition and Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton had such a bad election he lost his own seat While not the only reason for his electoral demise Dutton’s adoption of themes associated with Trump backfired Opinion polls were projecting Dutton’s Coalition to win and exceeded expectations in the election itself the Liberals were “reduced to a right-wing populist party that is all but exiled from the biggest cities” Commentators identified a number of reasons including his “culture wars” and being depicted by Labor as “Trump-lite” Following a Trumpian pathway turned out to be a strategic blunder And Dutton’s downfall mirrors Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre’s defeat in Canada’s election on April 28 Canada’s incumbent centre-left Liberals were heading for defeat to the Conservatives But there were two gamechangers: the Liberals switched leaders from Justin Trudeau to Mark Carney and Trump caused a national uproar with his aggressive tariffs and his call for Canada to become the 51st US state Pre-election opinion polls then did a dramatic flip in favour of the Liberals who went on to win their fourth election in a row Poilievre’s campaign had adopted elements of the Trump style such as attacking “wokeness” and using derogatory nicknames for opponents His strategy failed as soon as Trump rolled out “America First” policies contrary to Canadians’ economic interests and national pride The takeaway for serious right-wing leaders in liberal democracies is clear: let Trump do Trump; his brand is toxic Trump’s actions are harming America’s allies affirmative action and climate change have seen voters outside the US react with self-protective patriotism A perceived association with Trump’s brand has now upended the electoral fortunes of (so far) two centre-right parties that had been in line to win and had been banking on the 2024 MAGA success somehow rubbing off on them what has been dubbed the “Trump slump” isn’t a universal trend the centre-left Social Democratic-led government was ousted in February in spite of Trump ally Elon Musk’s unhelpful support for the far-right anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party the populist Reform UK party has risen above 25% while Labour has fallen from 34% in last year’s election to the low 20s in recent polls But other governing centre-left parties are seeing an upside of the Trump effect In early January it looked like the incumbent Labour Party would be trounced by the Conservatives and the right-wing Progress Party Opinion polls dramatically flipped in early February boosting Labour from below 20% back into the lead Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre will get another term in office Denmark’s governing Social Democrats have enjoyed a small polling boost since Trump declared he’d like to take Greenland off their hands The common denominator underlying these shifts to the left seems to be the Trump effect Voters in countries normally closely allied with the US are turning away from Trump-adjacent politicians people are rallying patriotically around centre-left Trump is harming leaders who could have been his allies the man himself seemed proud of the impact he had in Canada polls in mid-2024 showed support for Trump was growing – heading well above 20% Australia’s election suggests that trend may now be past its peak with debate over ACT’s contentious Treaty Principles Bill behind it and despite NZ First leader Winston Peters’ overt culture-war rhetoric (which may appeal to his 6% support base) the right-wing coalition government’s polling shows it could be on track for a second term – for the time being While the Trump effect may have benefited centre-left parties in Australia and Canada polling for New Zealand’s Labour opposition is softer than at the start of the year While “America First” policies continue to damage the global economy centre-right leaders who learn the lesson will quietly distance themselves from the Trump brand while maintaining cordial relations with the White House could do worse than follow Anthony Albanese’s example of not getting distracted by “Trump-lite” and instead promoting his own country’s values of fairness and mutual respect.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GUGWB5HTRVGGNP5PFWDLBH7SXM","content":"Grant Duncan is a teaching fellow in Politics and International Relations This story is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence ","type":"text"},{"_id":"BMPLRKQ2NRDPZOPKHPADSUD4UE","content":" Lady Gaga gave a free concert Saturday night in front of 2 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach for the biggest show of her career (...) Thank you for making history with me,” Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd kicked off the show at around 22.10pm local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary Cries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand Concert organisers said 2.1 million people attended the show switching between an array of dresses including one with the colours of the Brazilian flag Some fans – many of them young – arrived on the beach at the crack of dawn to secure a good spot “Today is the best day of my life,” said Manoela Dobes a 27-year-old designer who was wearing a dress plastered with a photograph from when she met Lady Gaga in the United States in 2019 Madonna also turned Copacabana Beach into a massive dance floor last year The large-scale performances are part of an effort led by City Hall to boost economic activity after Carnival and New Years’ Eve festivities and the upcoming month-long Saint John’s Day celebrations in June “It brings activity to the city during what was previously considered the low season – filling hotels and increasing spending in bars generating jobs and income for the population,” said Osmar Lima the city’s secretary of economic development in a statement released by Rio City Hall’s tourism department last month Rio’s City Hall said in a recent report that around 1.6 million people were expected to attend Lady Gaga's concert and that the show should inject at least 600 million reais (NZ$178.3 million) into Rio’s economy Similar concerts are scheduled to take place every year in May at least until 2028 Lady Gaga arrived in Rio in the early hours of Tuesday The city has been alive with Gaga-mania since as it geared up to welcome the pop star for her first show in the country since 2012 Rio’s metro employees danced to Lady Gaga’s 2008 hit song LoveGame and gave instructions for today in a video A free exhibition celebrating her career sold out While the vast majority of attendees were from Rio the event also attracted Brazilians from across the country and international visitors More than 500,000 tourists poured into the city in the days leading up to the show according to data from the local bus station and Tom Jobim airport Rio’s City Hall said in a statement yesterday made a cross-continent trip from Colombia to Brazil to attend the show “I’ve been a 100% fan of Lady Gaga my whole life,” said Serrano who was wearing a T-shirt featuring Lady Gaga’s outlandish costumes over the years the mega-star represents “total freedom of expression – being who one wants without shame” Rio officials have a history of organising huge concerts on Copacabana Beach Madonna’s show drew an estimated 1.6 million fans last year while 4 million people flooded onto the beach for a 1994 New Year’s Eve show by Rod Stewart in 1994 that was the biggest free rock concert in history sixteen sound towers were spread along the beach Rio state’s security plan included the presence of 3300 military and 1500 police officers Among those present were Lady Gaga admirers who remember their disappointment in 2017 when the artist cancelled a performance scheduled in Rio at the last minute due to health issues “She's the best artist in the world,” the 25-year-old said I love you” in Portuguese rose from the crowd behind him whose real name is Ella Yelich O'Connor which also displayed what appears to be the album cover art — an X-ray of a pelvis "100% written in blood," the website read The new album's announcement came a week after she released her latest single What Was That The song's music video was filmed at a mysterious pop-up event in New York City's Washington Square Park that was initially shut down by police. The event ended up going ahead after all, and fans who stayed got to hear the new song for the first time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) It was the first sign of a follow-up to Lorde's previous album Her other albums were 2013's Pure Heroine and 2017's Melodrama she collaborated with British singer Charli XCX on a remix of Girl so confusing — on a re-release of the Grammy award-winning Brat Kim Kardashian thought she was going to be raped and killed when criminals broke into her bedroom in central Paris tied her up and stole more than US$6 million in jewellery 10 people will go on trial in Paris over the robbery abduction and kidnapping of the media personality and the concierge of the residence where she was staying during Paris Fashion Week the night of October 2 Kardashian’s lawyers said she will testify in person at the trial starting Monday and scheduled to run through May 23 "Ms Kardashian is reserving her testimony for the court and jury and does not wish to elaborate further at this time," they said "She has great respect and admiration for the French justice system and has been treated with great respect by the French authorities "She wishes the trial to proceed in an orderly fashion in accordance with French law and with respect for all parties to the case." In interviews and on her family’s reality TV show Kardashian has described being terrified as robbers pointed a gun at her In a 2020 appearance on David Letterman’s Netflix show she tearfully recalled thinking: "This is the time I’m going to get raped Twelve people were originally expected in the defendants’ box and another is seriously ill and can't be tried five of the 10 defendants were present at the scene of the robbery The French press has dubbed them The Granddad Robbers because the main defendants are elderly and have careers as bank robbers with long criminal records Kardashian told investigators she was taken to a bathroom next to her bedroom and placed in the bathtub Her attackers fled on bicycles or on foot and she managed to free herself by removing the tape from her hands and mouth She had also removed the tape from her feet and rushed to her stylist’s room She called her sister Kourtney to tell her about the theft Kardashian told investigators that she had not been injured adding that she wanted to leave France as soon as possible to be reunited with her children According to her testimony and that of the concierge at least one of the suspects had a handgun The gangsters stole many pieces of jewellery estimated to be worth more than US$6 million (NZ$10 million) Only one piece of jewellery — a diamond cross on platinum that was lost during the suspects' escape — has been recovered Two of the accused have partially confessed to the crime is one of two suspected robbers who allegedly entered the apartment his genetic profile was found on the tape used to gag Kardashian who was waiting for him in a parked car at a nearby train station The second robber said he tied up the concierge with cables but did not go up to Kardashian’s apartment said he acted as a lookout in the ground-floor reception area He said he was unarmed and did not personally threaten Kardashian but admitted he shared responsibility for the crime Abbas was arrested in January 2017 and spent 21 months in prison before being released under judicial supervision he co-authored a French-language book titled I Sequestered Kim Kardashian is the second alleged robber suspected of entering the flat although he was filmed by CCTV cameras and numerous telephone contacts with the other co-defendants show his involvement The other defendants are suspected of providing information about Kardashian’s presence in the apartment Others are accused of playing a role in the resale of the jewellery in Antwerp Joe Cocker and Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — in a class that also includes pop star Cyndi Lauper the rock duo the White Stripes and grunge masters Soundgarden the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status and the late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon will get the Musical Influence Award pianist Nicky Hopkins and bassist Carol Kaye will each get the Musical Excellence Award who sang at Woodstock and was best known for his cover of The Beatles’ With a Little Help From My Friends a member of Elvis Costello & The Attractions who argued that Cocker is "about as rock and roll as it gets" Soundgarden — with the late Chris Cornell as singer — get into the Hall on their third nomination They follow two other grunge acts in the Hall — Nirvana and Pearl Jam Bad Company get in having become radio fixtures with such arena-rock staples as Feel Like Makin’ Love Can’t Get Enough and Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy The Ahmet Ertegun Award — given to nonperforming industry professionals who had a major influence on music — will go to Lenny Waronker Some nominees that didn't get in this year included Mariah Carey and subsequent Let’s Twist Again are considered among the most popular songs in the history of rock 'n' roll The 83-year-old has expressed frustration that he hadn't been granted entry before including telling the AP in 2014: "I don’t want to get in there when I’m 85 years old so you better do it quick while I’m still smiling." Lauper rose to fame in the 1980s with hits such as Time After Time and Girls Just Want To Have Fun and went on to win a Tony Award for Kinky Boots have six Grammys and a reputation for pushing the boundaries of hip-hop The White Stripes — made up of Jack White and Meg White — were indie darlings in the early 2000s with such songs as Seven Nation Army Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction The induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall Nominees were voted on by more than 1200 artists historians and music industry professionals The selection criteria include "an artist’s impact on other musicians the scope and longevity of their career and body of work as well as their innovation and excellence in style and technique" Dave Matthews Band and singer-guitarist Peter Frampton were inducted Lorde has dropped her new single What Was That after weeks of cryptic posts and teases that set fans buzzing It's the lead single from her upcoming fourth album and her first original solo release since 2021's Solar Power which is three minutes and 28 seconds in length Some fans had been lucky enough to hear the track in full earlier this week. On Wednesday, Lorde posted a picture of Washington Square Park yesterday with the caption "tonight 7pm". Fans flooded the park an hour before she was supposed to appear, with photos shared of eager fans scaling trees to catch a glimpse of the singer. Shortly before she was to perform, the Royals singer took to social media to tell fans police had shut the event down. "Omg @thepark the cops are shutting us down," the message read. "I am truly amazed by how many of you showed !!! "But they’re telling me you gotta disperse ... I’m so sorry." However, the pop-up event ended up going ahead after all, with fans who stayed getting their first full airing of Lorde's new single. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) Lorde, real name Ella Yelich O'Connor, announced the single last week sharing a headshot-style photo of her wearing a red shirt with a dripping wet face Earlier this month, she dropped a 15-second snippet of the unreleased song. In the video posted to TikTok on April 10, Lorde was seen wearing a white shirt and jeans while walking through New York City. "Since I was 17, I gave you everything/Now we wake from a dream, well baby, what was that? What was that?” she sings over a synth beat. It was the first sign of a follow up to Lorde's previous album, 2021's Solar Power. Her other albums were 2013's Pure Heroine and 2017's Melodrama. Last year, she collaborated with British singer Charli XCX on a remix of Girl, so confusing — on a re-release of the Grammy award-winning Brat. Passengers traveling on Renfe's high-speed trains from Barcelona must be on the platform just minutes before departure the journey begins much earlier—at Renfe's operations offices A new office at Barcelona Sants train station now coordinates all high-speed and long-distance Renfe trains departing from the Catalan capital to destinations across Spain and France This new operations hub manages services like AVE features a large 9.3 x 1.5-meter screen that displays real-time information about various parts of the network The central section of the screen is dedicated to trains at Sants station A dedicated team is ready to address last-minute issues such as arranging alternative transportation like taxis or buses in case of delays The Barcelona office oversees all aspects of high-speed and long-distance train operations in Catalonia from scheduling arrivals and departures to daily service management and long-term planning.  This new hub enables an expansion of the workforce dedicated to managing Renfe's high-speed network in Catalonia, which covers approximately 3,000 kilometers and includes key connections to Lyon (600 km), Marseille (500 km), Madrid (600 km), Valencia (600 km), and Alicante (700 km). According to Renfe president Raül Blanco, the upgraded facility will allow the company to respond "faster and more efficiently" to operational challenges. In addition to this new office at Sants, Renfe operates similar management rooms for the Rodalies commuter train network at Estació de França and Clot stations. prepares for one of its most anticipated festivities: Carnival 2025 illusion and debauchery combine to give life to a week full of colors the Belluga Queen promises to revolutionize the beginning of the celebrations with a show that no one will forget The tradition of inaugurating the carnival with a spectacular event has remained intact over the years the choice of Sants as the main stage for the start of the carnival is a total success Queen Belluga will take the reins of this party making sure that all the locals and tourists dance to the rhythm of her contagious energy as Queen Belluga is not only a figure of joy but also a voice that resonates with messages of diversity and inclusion Her opening speech will be more than mere words: a call to celebrate life accepting our differences and embracing the cultural richness that makes Barcelona unique the carnival will not be limited to the streets of Sants The whole city will become a fantastic stage where families young and old will find their perfect corner to enjoy From parades of sequined floats to performances by street artists Barcelona does not skimp on resources when it comes to offering activities for all tastes There will be costume workshops for the little ones masquerade contests for mystery lovers and even a section of shows dedicated exclusively to the Catalan tradition why it is a benchmark in cultural celebrations The 2025 carnival will not only be a success for the inhabitants of Barcelona The arrival of tourists from all over the world promises a significant economic impact restaurants have reservations for months and costume stores have seen their sales skyrocket Every visitor is an opportunity for Barcelona to show its best face with its streets decorated and its people always ready to welcome you with a smile But this increase in visitors doesn’t just fill hotels: it enriches cultural exchange promoting an environment where different traditions meet and celebrate together This wealth of experiences ensures that every visitor takes a little piece of Barcelona in their heart Barcelona’s carnival is not just a traditional celebration; it is a manifestation of the city’s innovative and welcoming spirit the festivities find new ways to reinvent themselves incorporating modern elements without losing that touch of authenticity that has characterized it for centuries They bring to the table fresh ideas and a renewed commitment to preserving this cultural legacy This ensures that the carnival not only survives adapting to change without losing its essence Barcelona and carnival are a perfect combination the city demonstrates its ability to organize and adapt offering a unique experience for residents and visitors alike 2025 is shaping up to be one of the most memorable carnivals in the city’s history or just a moment to leave everyday worries behind Barcelona’s carnival has something special for you It doesn’t matter if you’re a native Barcelonian or a curious tourist every corner of the city vibrates with the energy of this celebration Stock images by Depositphotos La venta de la nuda propiedad Copyright © 2022 Salirporbarcelona , All rights Reserved. Created by JEZZ Media the Fair of Tots Sants de Cocentaina will celebrate its 678th edition and will have more than 1,000 exhibitors The 678th edition of the Fira de Tots Sants It will be held in the old town of the municipality of Cocentaina on 1 The fair will have about 1,000 exhibitors, making it the largest in the Valencian Community, distributed in 11 commercial sectors In this medieval fair gastronomic samples … and even if you do not buy anything the experience of walking through the small medieval village thanks to the route and the interest of the fair it has been declared a Festival of Regional Tourist Interest a Festival of Cultural Interest and a Festival of International Tourist Interest and each year welcomes about half a million visitors Here we tell you everything you need to know about the Fira de Tots Sants de Cocentaina 2024 such as where to park or what activities there are so you do not miss anything of this great historical fair Below we leave you all the programming of the Fira de Cocentaina 2024 so you do not miss anything the Fira de Tots Sants de Cocentaina 2024 will include a children’s fair and will feature about 20 shows for the whole family You can consult the entire program at this link. in the Fira de Tots Sants de Cocentaina a series of free concerts are scheduled Cactus and Dj Trapella will play the night of November 1 Cocentaina will dance to the rhythm of Henry Méndez The concerts will be held in the parking lot of the Centre Comcercial L’Altet Cocentaina One of the most frequent questions asked by visitors to the Fira de Tots Sants de Cocentaina is where to park paid parking lots have been made available with a total of 1,200 places for all those arriving from various parts of the Comunitat and the country Because of the large capacity that is expected, the parking reservation must be made in advance at this link and will cost 5 € King Pere el Cerimoniós offered the municipality the privilege of holding an annual fair under royal protection it insured the merchandise of buyers and sellers during the round trips it is still celebrated on All Saints’ Day The renowned magazine “Time Out” published the list of the 51 best neighborhoods in the world among which is the neighborhood of Sants in Barcelona only two Spanish neighborhoods appear on the list: Sants in the Catalan capital and Madrid’s Barrio de Las Letras in 23rd place the magazine surveyed some 22,000 people for their opinions on the best places in their cities The opinions gathered were combined with those of the magazine’s editors in 59 countries around the world In this way they were able to develop the ranking It is located in the southern sector of the city It is part of the Sants-Montjuic district and borders the Barcelona districts of Ensanche Les Corts and the municipality of Hospitalet de Llobregat Its inhabitants define the neighborhood as a “welcoming thanks to the mix of lively squares and quiet streets They celebrate their main festival in August with great color and joy It is rated as one of the “coolest” neighborhoods in the world thanks to the fact that it has remained away from the tourist overcrowding Sants is like an oasis just 10 minutes by metro from the center of Barcelona and Las Ramblas In this area there are several metro stops nearby such as Sants and Tarragona the Sants train station is the central point of the area and is one of the best and largest in the Catalan capital It offers direct train service to the airport and to different destinations outside the city there are several hotels near the station that are very suitable for business travelers The advantage is that they are next to the neighboring area of Les Corts an active financial district of the city and the Fira de la Plaça España Convention Center Although the Sants area does not have many tourist attractions it does offer you the facility to travel to the most interesting places in Barcelona From Sants you can even walk to Plaça Espanya and Montjuïc the Fira de Barcelona halls and the Magic Fountain You are also close to Camp Nou or to go shopping at the L’Illa Complex on Diagonal It is an ideal neighborhood for social life returns from August 24 to September 1 with more than 150 concerts when the sun is no longer so scorching and at night we can start to put on a rebequita begins a week of festivities with which to face the arrival of September and the end of the vacations with a better mood the Festes Majors de Sants 2024 will be held from August 24 to September 1 the proclamation will give the starting shot to nine days of activities The traditional proclamation that kicks off the festivities will be followed by nine days of festivities that will end with the Piromusical show at the Parc de l’Espanya Indus trial. Among the novelties of the Festa Major is the transfer of the Fair from the surroundings of the Sants Station to the stretch of the Badal and Brasil ramblas between Daoiz y Velarde street and Madrid Avenue due to the works that are being implemented in the road that separates the station and the Parc de l’Espanya Indústrial So grab paper and pen because we tell you everything you need to know not to miss anything of the Festa Major de Sants 2023 the festivities of Sants will start on Saturday with a parade that will run through the streets of the neighborhood from the street of Sants in front of the Civic Center Cotxeres The festivities s will last until September 1 when they will end with the Piromusical show the town crier of the festival will be the journalist Jesus Rodriguez a local reporter and investigative reporter deeply rooted in the neighborhood of Sants this year is in charge of making the proclamation of this Fiesta Mayor Source: Ajuntament de Barcelona The winner of the 28th poster contest of the Festa Major de Sants is illustrator Susana Soto who grew up in the neighborhood of Sants and of which she says she has many memories of her childhood the artist wanted to convey through a fresh fun and spontaneous stroke all the things that happen in the festival and how the neighbors of the neighborhood live it intensely One of the main attractions of the Festes de Sants is the decoration of its streets The tradition of covering the streets with decorations dates back to 1943 and it is still deeply rooted in the neighborhood and attracts hundreds of visitors the awards for the street decorations contest will be presented at 7:30 p.m This year up to eleven costumed or decorated streets may be visited: In this articlewe explain in detail what are all the streets in costume and the themes of their “guarnits” the streets and squares of Sants become the stages of the Festa Major with more than 150 concerts and musical performances from Saturday August 24 until August 31 concerts and samples of popular culture are organized starting with castelleras exhibitions in the Plaza de Bonet and Muixí at 10:00 am and a children’s correfoc at 18:30 pm in the gardens of Can Mantega followed by an adult correfoc at 21:30 pm from the Plaza de Huesca Among the stages of the festival remain the Espanya Industrial park the awards ceremony of the street contest and the traditional pyromusical that closes the festival; the Castellers Space in Can Climent square where you can experience the festival concerts; the Cotxeres de Sants where you can follow the games of the Chess Open and the Bonet i Muixí square there will be a number of guided tours adapted for people with functional diversity among the facilities that are added to the festival the Lleialtat Santsenca and the Vapor Vell Library are maintained You can consult and download all the detailed program on the webpage of the Town Hall. From August 24 to September 1 circulation will be restricted on the eleven streets that will be decorated for Fiesta Mayor These days will also be restricted the circulation of Santa Catarina street and the stretch of Andalucía street between Sagunto and San Baltasar the use of public transport is recommended the eleven streets that will be decorated (Alcolea de Baix Vallespir de Dalt and Vallespir de Baix ) will be cut punctually to make possible the tasks of assembly of the covers ceiling elements and other decorative elements that make up the trimmings the circulation of the section of the Sants-Creu Coberta axis that goes from Olzinelles to Moianès will be restricted due to the athletic and cycling races of the Festa Major On the occasion of the Plaça de la Farga Race and the children’s and adult Correfocs of Festa Major there will be punctual cuts in the route of both activities scheduled for August 31 is one of the city’s great gastronomic reserves but with a keen eye on traditional Catalan cuisine we leave you a list with some of our favorite restaurants in Sants (and the articles where we mention them) so that you can have a gastronomic party at the same time This menu requires arrow keys to be able to use it Come along on this tour to discover one of Barcelona’s most iconic neighbourhoods through some of its historic shops The Sants neighbourhood was originally a small town next to Barcelona In the 19th century it became an industrial neighbourhood confrontations with employers and its working-class pride The tour will take us right back to the Roaring Twenties and we’ll be joined by some characters who will help us discover the history of this neighbourhood and its social development.  We’ll go into some of the shops and learn about the lives of their residents: the fishmonger the cabinetmaker… We’ll also step into a world full of superstitions Meeting point: Mercat de Sants (main entrance on Carrer de Sant Jordi – Mercadona) In collaboration with: Escena Històrica with registration required and limited capacity the building will retain many of its original structural elements to respect its historical value Work is expected to conclude at the end of 2026 with an overall investment of more than 2.3 million euros La Domèstika is a cooperative made up of six homes with a housing model based around community care and mutual support All the homes will be protected and have below-market prices The work is being carried out with the collaboration of various leading organisations in cooperative housing, such as La Dinamo, which has provided the cooperative with comprehensive support, Lacol, responsible for the renovation project, La Ciutat Invisible which has provided legal and economic support The project comes within the framework of the first stage of the agreement signed with non-profit organisations through which Barcelona City Council has granted the leasehold of the land for a period of 99 years the ESAL agreement now covers 20 projects which between them will see the construction of 699 public homes 429 of them offered as rentals and 270 as leaseholds Home » Gallery » Politics » Washim: Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays tribute at the Samadhis of Sants #Gallery 24/02/2025 | 0 comments and Barcelona is bursting with parties and costumes and traditional celebrations across the city Here are the latest updates and the best family-friendly Carnival plans in Barcelona FULL PROGRAM: CARNIVAL 2025 the Arribo event moves to the Sants neighborhood merging two traditions: the classic Arribo of Queen Belluga King Carnestoltes is represented by a puppet symbolizing a well-known public figure WHAT’S THE THEME OF BARCELONA CARNIVAL 2025 This year’s Arribo arrives with a mission like no other: a festive conquest on a cosmic scale This street performance will feature stunning visuals Queen Belluga is worried because forces of repression threaten the festival she’s devised an extravagant plan: expand Barcelona’s Carnival beyond the planet This grand plan has been devised from a secret rooftop near Cotxeres de Sants where the Queen wants to launch the first Carnival rocket on Dijous Gras (Fat Thursday) Queen Belluga sought the help of billionaire “Elon Muska Collonera” during an official trip to the U.S he agreed to build a high-tech spacecraft to spread Carnival beyond the Blue Planet Elon Muska Collonera will personally visit Barcelona to hand over the keys to the spaceship in a grand event at Cotxeres-Casinet Auditorium in Sants accompanied by Barcelona’s Carnival giants in a festive yet formal event 🔹 17:15 h – The event kicks off with a batucada in Plaça Benet i Moixí to set the mood.🔹 17:45 h – The Arrival Ceremony starts at Cotxeres de Sants Auditorium with a performance by Robert Gobern’s company Elon Muska Collonera.🔹 18:20 h – Queen Belluga arrives at Cotxeres beginning the official handover of the rocket’s keys.🔹 18:30 h – A street performance created by Sergi Ots featuring Queen Belluga and her float parading through Sants.📍 Route: Creu Coberta – Cotxeres de Sants / Pg Sant Antoni / Creu Coberta / District Headquarters – OAC.🔹 19:00 h – Parade finale and closing ceremony with the traditional Taronjada (a confetti rain) in front of the District Headquarters Barcelona’s neighborhoods come alive with an array of activities The festivities will take place from February 27 to March 5 with varying schedules depending on the location Events will be held across all neighborhoods and are open to all ages Check all neighborhood parades here: CARNIVAL 2025. as King Carnestoltes and Queen Belluga “pass away” marking the start of Lent’s forty days mourning their beloved Carnival rulers before saying goodbye with the traditional “Sardine Burial” accompanied by communal meals featuring lots of sardines If you want to bid farewell to Carnival in style YES, I WANT This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page The Parc de Can Batlló has nearly 30,000 square metres of greenery is part of the Climate Plan to adapt the city to the challenges of the climate emergency The space has been designed with a central esplanade and a large meadow with paths children’s games and a dog recreation zone Greenery accounts for over 10,000 square metres in all maintained with groundwater from a new tank built in the park itself The new park also integrates the industrial heritage of the area and does away with the urban barriers that existed there The second stage of the project will progress in parallel to the renovation of the industrial buildings that form part of the process an outdoor amphitheatre and an ornamental spring Over 3,500 square metres of solar panelling will also be installed on the industrial blocks In Catalonia we have different ways to celebrate All Saints' Day: eating and visiting those who are no longer with us We tell you all the traditions of this festivity La Castañada in Catalonia is a centenary festivity that is celebrated on All Saints’ Day Catalans have special meals and desserts and up to five different traditions which can be celebrated at the same time or separately So whether you want to be a catalanet com cal or you have just arrived in Catalonia and want to know what this festival is The official day ofLaCastanyada is for Tots Sants on November 1 although as it is becoming increasingly popular to celebrate both holidays the vigil of All Saints is beginning to celebrate Castaween a mixture of the two traditions where costumes it is a tradition that is usually celebrated with friends and family which tend to be more popular and neighborhoods bars and restaurants fill the tables and streets with elongated onions Although that does not mean that there are not bigger parties boys and girls usually dress up as castanyer/a which is the traditional character that made the chestnuts The clothes are usually loose and they wear a sash on the belly a scarf on the head and espardenyes with socks (one of the few times of the year where this aesthetic is allowed So do not wear espardenyes and socks at other times) The adults usually make a dinner or a meal where they make the chestnuts themselves and also eat panellets and sweet potatoes Below we explain all the gastronomic traditions around this festival we can start to notice the smell of burning that comes from the chestnut stalls that are installed throughout the city it is a fruit that you have to eat (and try if you have not done so) during this time of year as it is the one that most defines this time and the name of the tradition means just that One of the most fun parts of this tradition is making panellets at home They are small balls of marzipan very easy to make Although there is also the option of buying them and bakeries and pastry shops are full of them panellets were offered as an offering to the deceased uncle or cousin brings you a few panellets that they have left over It is as much a tradition to eat as it is to give as a gift One of the other typical foods of the Castanyada is the sweet potato You can usually find them in the chestnut stalls as well It is a sweet potato typical of this time of the year And if there is any way in which we Catalans like to celebrate our holidays is with seasonal food It is a tradition that honors the dead and its origin is not so different from Halloween or the Mexican Day of the Dead different cultures around the world have their own way of celebrating and remembering those who are no longer around these dates The new park has nearly 600 new trees and 9,000 plants It also has sports spaces and areas for walking and resting This is the first part of a major project that aims to revitalize neighborhood life and sports in the neighborhood the city will gain 487 more trees and nearly 9,000 plants now the neighbors will be able to enjoy new sports areas spaces for dogs and paths to walk or have a picnic on the weekend since in the same enclosure has been built a reservoir to store it and thus be able to sustainably irrigate the 10,000m2 of trees and plants The creation of this park responds to the objectives of the Pla Clima which seeks to increase the quality of life of citizens and combat climate change in addition to the 10,000m2 of green space the site will have 1,200m2 of cultivation planters to create urban gardens These have been located in a privileged position with respect to the sun with the aim that the harvests will be of better quality the materials used to build the sports and rest areas allow for SUDS These systems ensure that the rain that falls in the city replicates the cycle and behavior of the water that falls in natural spaces photovoltaic panels will be installed on top of the park’s sports facilities which have already been built with polycarbonate Inside the park several areas have been set up so that the residents of Sants and Barcelona can enjoy this new green lung to the full The second part of the project includes the construction of a skatepark and a space with an amphitheater and an ornamental fountain as well as more than 3,000 m2 of photovoltaic panels 20242 min readExtensive smoke damage was caused throughout All Sants’ Parish Church A fire which broke out in All Sants’ Parish Church following the Christmas morning service has hopefully not caused any major structural damage to the 16th century building Smoke damage to the interior of the church, however, is ‘colossal,’ the vicar of Antrim, Archdeacon Stephen McBride, said today, and a GoFundMe page has been set up to raise funds for the repair of the historic church The fire was discovered on Friday December 27 when one of the parish flower arrangers went into the building to put in some flowers for the Sunday services Assessing the fire damage at All Saints’ Parish Church Vicar of Antrim; the Rt Rev George Davison Bishop of Connor; the Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey Councillor Neil Kelly; Mrs Christine Kelly; the Rev Claire Thompson “When she opened the door she was met with the smell of smoke she discovered that the church was filled with dense smoke Thankfully she did not attempt to enter the building but phoned for the Fire Service who were at the church within minutes.” Archdeacon McBride said it is thought that one of the candles at the Massereene Chapel reignited after the Christmas morning service although the church is awaiting a report from the Fire Service to verify this the fire was starved of oxygen and burned itself out “The damage is very localised and we are hopeful there is no major structural damage but will await an architect’s closer inspection,” Archdeacon McBride said The smoke even managed to get inside cupboards that were shut Extensive smoke damage was caused throughout the building “Having just celebrated Christmas with some very uplifting services and also being featured recently on UTV’s Hidden Places Northern Ireland it is so sad to now look at our church building in such a terrible state.” and was joined by the Mayor and Mayoress of Antrim and Newtownabbey Councillor Neill Kelly and his wife Christine The archdeacon said the parish had also been delighted to welcome local MP to the service held in the Parish Centre on the Sunday after the fire “When Robin came in through the door on Sunday morning and hugged me He added: “The messages of support have been so encouraging and uplifting and help ease our pain.” To make a donation to the All Saints’ Fire Damage Repair Fund tap THIS LINK WhatsApp: 07311 700 250 Privacy Policy One of the most fun popular traditions is back and Barcelona will celebrate it with rúas parades and activities from February 27 to March 5 Some say that the carnival dates back thousands of years to the Saturnalian festivities of the Roman Empire the king ceases to be king and the commoner can be whoever he wants That is why the power has always tried to eliminate it as it was in the case of Franco’s regime in Spain the prohibition of the famous Carnival of Venice when the city was invaded by Napoleon If anything distinguishes the Barcelona Carnival is the enormous participation that accompanies it We Barcelonians love to get involved with this party and the amount of activities rúas or parades that are organized is incredible If you do not want to miss anything of this week here we tell you everything you need to know to keep abreast of all the activities that are scheduled If you are one of those who are already wondering what day is Carnival this 2024 Carnval starts seven weeks after the first full moon of winter so this year it will start slightly later than last year For a few days Barcelona will become monarchic because the government of the city will pass into the hands of the Kings of Carnival – King Carnestoltes and Queen Belluga – kings of the madmen and the tarambanas the neighborhood that will welcome the party in Barcelona This year the Carnival has an unprecedented mission: a festive conquest on a cosmic scale humor and debauchery will be the protagonists of this stratospheric journey that wants to be a critique of “the airs of repression that shake the planet threaten the party the Arrival of Barcelona will start from 17.15 h with a tabalada in the Plaza de Bonet i Muixí de Sants and the arrival of King Carnestoltes Elon Muska Collonera at 17.45 h the Belluga Queen will appear and at 6.30 p.m the Arrival of Carnival will close with the Taronjada of confetti and orange balloons) that emulates the battle of oranges of 1333 banned by the Consell de Cent just after the appearance of Queen Belluga inside the auditorium of the Cotxeres de Sants will begin the act of the Arribo with the show of the company Robert Gobern Queen Belluga will arrive at the Cotxeres de Sants will begin the traveling show of the Arrival with Queen Belluga and her float through the streets of Sants Carrer de la Creu Coberta and end at the Sants-Montjuïc District Headquarters the event will close with the traditional Taronjada in front of the District Headquarters of Sants-Montjuïc this Carnival 2025 will be held the neighborhood Carnival rúas schools and popular culture groups from many neighborhoods of the city will organize their own parades Carnestoltes arrivals or burials of the Sardine where better than in our own neighborhoods to set up this racket We tell you the dates, times and routes of all the neighborhood Carnivals in Barcelona a time full of sacrifices where there is no more room for madness and carnival debauchery The city will say goodbye to the Kings of Carnival and the traditional Burial of the Sardine will take place During this day associations and entities of the districts will organize events such as popular meals burning of the sardine and neighborhood parties to say goodbye to this colorful and frenetic week putting the finishing touch to the celebration one more year The plans to celebrate Carnival in Barcelona do not stop appearing, and among them we find the proposal of Poble Espanyol which for this Carnival brings its third edition of the Mascarada party This is their particular updated version of the classic masked balls like the one in Venice perhaps because of the city’s love of fun… There is no clear reason but what is certain is that the costume party in the town of the Garraf is one of the most entertaining One of the graces of this coastal carnival is that its festivities are extended and where in most cities the big days (and nights) are celebrated on the weekend in Sitges the big celebration comes just two days before Ash Wednesday as if the Sitgetans were looking to squeeze the last hours before the end of the disbauxa In this article we’ve explained everything you need to know about the Sitges Carnival: its schedules its main activities and its most important rúas so that you don’t miss out on any of the fun One of the strong points of Carnival in Barcelona is its peculiar gastronomic tradition Are you familiar with the saying Per dijous gras This refers to Dijous Gras or Dijous Llarder a day when some of our culture’s favorite dishes are celebrated with friends and family: tortilla The origin of this day dates back to when the Christian tradition dictated abstinence from certain foods during Lent Dijous Gras became the day where to eat them without restrictions and appeared where it was considered a cheap food that replaced meat in time of abstinence) are some of the other dishes that are worth to be eaten The work will allow the changes in circulation to adapt part of the street on side of the station nearest the sea with one lane for private vehicles and one for buses in each direction and the areas where the streets of Numancia the changes in traffic flow can be applied with the larger volume of traffic concentrated on the side nearest the sea in July The changes to mobility will also affect the routes and bus-stops of various bus services The terminals for lines 27 and 78 will move from Plaça dels Països Catalans to Plaça Joan Peiró where the V5 service will keep its current stop the H10 line will have stops in both directions with the 115 line will have stops in the direction of the Besòs The stops on the 109 line will be modified so that a good connection with Sants station is maintained When the remodelling process promoted by ADIF is completed Sants station will be better integrated with the neighbourhood The building will have a light and sustainable design with the surrounding areas gaining 85% of space for pedestrians Stalls selling real flowers will be operating at the Les Corts cemetery from 8 am to 6 pm until 1 November and at the Poblenou and Sant Andreu cemeteries until 3 November TMB will be laying on extra buses The 21 bus service (Paral·lel-Prat) will be bolstered on 26 October and from 28 October to 1 November the 107 service (follows a route inside the cemetery) will also be stepped up while on 1 November itself a special shuttle bus will be operating between Pl Espanya and the Sant Lluís gate (upper entrance to the site) Eivissa) and 104 (Fabra i Puig) services will also be bolstered on 26 and 27 October To avoid crowding and ensure a more measured visit, Cementiris de Barcelona advise people to plan their visit in advance, to check maps and the locator tool for the deceased, available on their website The cemeteries in Horta and Sarrià have new spaces for ashes in addition to the existing ones in the cemeteries of Collserola with more to be added progressively at the rest of the city’s cemeteries The cemetery in Sarrià will be offering a first-ever night-time tour on 1 November to introduce one of the city’s least known funerary sites. The Funeral Carriage Collection at Montjuïc Cemetery will be open from 10 am to 2 pm on 1 November. There’s also a chance to visit the exhibition of Mexican catrinas loaned by MEXCAT The same cemetery will also be hosting a concert making the 150th anniversary of the death of Anselm Clavé The municipal government will transform the facilities of the well-known 'Isla Citroën' to create a large urban park This agreement has its origin in an agreement between the municipal government and Stellantis España SL, which establishes the basis for a specific modification of the General Metropolitan Plan. The modification will allow the urban renewal of an area that goes beyond the 19,000 m² of the ‘Citroën Island’, covering nearly 35,500 m². In addition to the urban park , this project will include some 210 new apartments, public and commercial facilities, the expansion of the Cavall Bernat school and improved connectivity between neighborhoods and with L’Hospitalet de Llobregat. For the time being, it is expected that the area dedicated to Verde zones will be more than 21,000 m². The site will also have about 3,000 square meters for public and community facilities . This will be achieved by changing the soil classification. In addition, the plan contemplates the possibility of creating green areas in the form of ramps to overcome the height differences between the railroad zone and the new Verde area. Another relevant aspect of the project is the construction of a residential Zone. Approximately 45% of the available space will be used for public rental housing and 55% for private real estate developments. This means that about 100 public housing units and 110 private housing units could be built, in total about 210 apartments. Approximately 1,800 square meters on the first floor of these buildings will also be used for business and commercial activities. This new development plan is expected to be initially approved during the fall of 2024, and then proceed with the necessary paperwork and licensing to get the transformation underway. During this process, the Stellantis facilities will remain operational, offering the usual automotive services. The elevated park and walkway is the result of the redevelopment of an old rail corridor in the city's southern neighbourhoods  Linking the residential districts of Sants and La Bordeta, this is Barcelona's version of the New York High Line Modern landscaping, leafy planting and clever lighting at night make this public urban space popular with visitors The green gardens on top of the concrete structure range from Mediterranean bushes and herbs, to miniature forests of rosewood and flowering Koelreuteria trees Large light boxes illuminate the promenade and rooftop gardens in the evening Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox. Catalan authorities and emergency services took part in an anti-terrorist operational drill at Sants train station in Barcelona The simulated attack featured multiple fatalities and injuries and aimed to test the operational response of the security forces and the healthcare system for victims of a terrorist attack several mock terrorists entered Sants train station and started firing guns and using knives to attack commuters Catalan Mossos d’Esquadra police and local Guàrdia Urbana police had to intervene while reinforcements were called The exercise was part of the drills that sites such as Sants station develop each year and this year authorities were conducting a simulation of a terrorist attack to better their response to a potential real-life situation “The drill is not a result of current international affairs it has been an ongoing project for months,” Joan Ignasi Elena told media outlets during a press conference ahead of the drill Even though Catalonia remains at level 4 out of 5 in its terrorist alert level, law enforcement agents have in fact increased security around places related to Israel and Palestine. Around 500 people took part in the drill, including members of the emergency services, security teams, train station staff, and extras. The events took place in several areas of the station, including the entrance, the platforms, and some establishments. During the drill, Mossos had to activate checkpoints across Catalonia as one of the terrorists escaped in a white vehicle. More than 170 troops and 30 vehicles from different units of the Mossos d'Esquadra took part in the drill. Guàrdia Urbana and Civil Protection officers also participated. Among those deployed were officers from BRIMO and ARRO, the highest trained law enforcement agents in the force. Healthcare professionals from the SEM, Red Cross and CAT112 were also deployed, as were workers from Barcelona Social Emergency and Emergencies Center (CUESB). For the first time in this drill, authorities implemented what they learned from the Barcelona and Cambrils 2017 terrorist attacks. Once all the injured were in a secure area, psychologists attended to those who needed immediate attention. Around 250 students of health emergency responses and security were part of the simulation, playing the roles of passengers and people who were at the station at the time of the attack. Professional make-up students also participated. “It is a very complex drill,” Ignasi Elena said, something that Josep Saumell, head of the Mossos d’Esquadra police in the drill, agreed with: “It’s the most complicated and extensive simulation we have ever done.” During the night, hundreds of volunteers played the roles of injured people, forcing agents from both Guàrdia Urbana and Mossos d’Esquadra to coordinate with emergency services who arrived on the scene minutes after the first fireguns were heard. The drill continued for hours well into Friday morning until 3 am. The Spanish Commission of Transport has approved a non-law proposal to rename Barcelona's Sants station.  The People's Party (PP) proposed to name the Catalan capital's central station after world-famous soprano Montserrat Caballé The proposal received 17 votes in favor (PP and and far-right Vox) left-wing Sumar and pro-independence Junts) and Catalan pro-independence Esquerra Republicana party voted against.  The non-law proposal says that Caballé "was one of the best sopranos in history and someone who has spread Barcelona's name to the world with talent and strength."   Montserrat Caballé started her career in the fifties Barcelona in 1962 to debut at the Liceu opera hall In 1987 she ventured out of the opera world and into pop music to release a collaboration with Freddie Mercury, lead singer of iconic British rock band Queen, titled 'Barcelona'. The song became an anthem ahead of the1992 Summer Olympic Games in the Catalan capital.   The opera singer declared that she is a supporter of "Spanish unity" in 2008, she later also said that she is "an ambassador for Spain" after the Catalan independence movement started coming up.  In 2015 she was sentenced to six months in prison for tax evasion, after admitting she defrauded the government for one million euros by being listed as a resident in Andorra, while still living in Barcelona, so she could pay less taxes.  Caballé gave her last performance in June 2018, a few months before passing away.  Her past controversies have caused people to criticize the proposal to name the station after the opera singer.  Many are now proposing to name the station after Núria Feliu, a Catalan singer who was a part of the Nova Cançó movement, an artistic movement promoting Catalan music in Francoist Spain.  Feliu released a song in 1978, 'Cançó De Sants', to express her love for the Sants neighborhood, where she was born and lived her entire life.  The Spanish government is already studying the possibility of renaming the train station, as the transport minister, Óscar Puente, said during an interview in Catalunya Ràdio radio station.  "We have to study this possibility. It is not an outlandish proposal. We have been considering putting the names of notable women on train stations for a while now," Puente said.   In the last years, the Spanish executive has been renaming train stations after famous women, such as Madrid's main station: Atocha, which is now named after writer Almudena Grande, who passed away in 2021.  Puente has said that the government will have to discuss with Barcelona and the Catalan government to agree on a name.  In the same proposal, PP criticized the Catalan independence push. They say naming Sants after Caballé is a way "of reversing the damage the Catalan independence push has caused."  "The name change of Sants station to incorporate the memory of Montserrat Caballé is much more than a recognition of a universal Catalonia. It is a commitment to a specific vision of Barcelona and Catalonia: cosmopolitan, tolerant, bright and open to the world," the text reads.  Left-wing Sumar MP Júlia Boada has accused the PP of trying to "use" Caballé for their own political vision. She says the name change can't be decided by congress, it must be in "dialogue" with the territory.  Catalan pro-independence Junts MP Isidre Gavín said that "it's offensive that PP wants to change the name of a station instead of worrying that investments are fulfilled."  The Spanish government invested €176 million into remodeling Sants station. The entire cost is expected to exceed €400 million, including other changes made in the area around the station.  The plan is to see the station completed "before 2026," as Óscar Puente said.  Part of the works are financed with NextGenerationEU funds and they "depend on the works being executed before a certain date."  The remodeling includes "a bigger entrance hall and more open station, which is what the neighbors have asked for," the minister said.   we explain what works will be carried out in Barcelona this September and their effects on traffic Barcelona has its charm although it is under construction the new tramway stops or the arrival of the AVE to La Sagrera are moments of traffic chaos but that will give us a better communicated and more sustainable city. Therefore, and as we know that the start of the course can be a bit chaotic, we explain what are the works that are underway this september so that you take it into account before moving around the city The union of the streetcars TramBesòs and TramBaixwill connect nine municipalities and although at the moment there is still time to complete the 4 kilometers of track missing between Glòries and Francesc Macià it is expected to start running in autumn between Glòries and Verdaguer Tram users will gain 3 new stations: Monumental The tests of this section have begun this summer the new line will soon be opened to the public there is still no definite date for the completion of the works that will reach Frances Macià Source: Wikimedia.commons Every Barcelonian who has taken the car the last few months has suffered the traffic jams caused by the works to cover the Ronda de Dalt the stretch from exit five to exit six has been covered and one of the three lanes of traffic in both directions has been restricted the works will continue in the Llobregat direction 350 meters more will be added to the almost 200 already completed These covering works are expected to be completed in 2027 and the new space will be considered a tunnel which is why emergency exits will also be installed La Sagrera it is going at a good pace and it is expected that the first non-stop trains can start passing soon When the project is completed, the la Sagrera station will be an intermodal connection point since in the same station we can find high-speed trains it will be one of the largest stations of its kind in Europe On the other hand, the works are part of a larger project in which a linear park of 4km is planned The aim of this project is to put an end to these barriers that separate Sants from its station Although there is still a long way to go before we can see this new station one of the first phases of the project has already been completed moving traffic so that Adif can begin work on the concourse at Plaça dels Països Catalans as traffic lanes have been closed and others have changed direction Until now, in La Rambla de Barcelona coexisted the busy traffic of the city and the hundreds of passers-by walking around The works on La Rambla are expected to be finished in 2027. So we still have three years of seeing asphalt machines and operators on either side. The end result will be a uniform Rambla, where cars will fit, but fewer, and where the central pedestrian lane will occupy most of the space. Ridesharing platform Cabify displayed 200 suitcases at the entrance of Barcelona's Sants train station on Wednesday to protest the city's "mobility problems."  According to the company, travelers arriving at the station by high-speed train have difficulty finding transportation due to a "lack of taxis and ride-hailing services (VTC)."  Javier Dorado, Cabify's public affairs director, said that Barcelona has become the "most hostile and restrictive" city for the development of the VTC sector, noting that the platform itself has "many operational problems."  "We are an ally in making Barcelona a more sustainable city in terms of mobility, improving air quality and ultimately allowing citizens to do without private vehicles," he said.  Cabify argues that there are fewer taxi licenses in Barcelona today than in 1979, with about 10,500 compared to the previous 11,000.  The company denounced the "restrictions" imposed by the Catalan government and the city council and warned that demand will increase from May with the arrival of summer, concerts and sporting events expected in the coming months.  "We ask the authorities to solve the mobility problem to provide Barcelona with the sustainable and shared mobility service it deserves," Dorado said.  Representatives of the taxi sector also turned up at Sants station to challenge Cabify's protest.   The spokesperson for the Élite Taxi union, Tito Álvarez, warned that the platform is "constantly challenging the taxi, the Barcelona city council and the Catalan government." "I do not understand how a company can continuously break the law," he said.   Álvarez warned that in the coming hours the sector will decide whether to return to the streets to mobilize to denounce the delay in the approval of the so-called taxi law.   The taxi union spokesperson recalled that last January they already called off a protest at the world's largest audiovisual fair, Integrated Systems Europe (ISE), because of the Catalan government's commitment to approve a decree to regulate the sector.   "We are tired of waiting," said Álvarez, adding that the taxi sector has shown "a lot of patience." The Élite Taxi leader criticized the model of ridesharing platforms for operating illegally, accusing them of not complying with insurance, labor and tax regulations.  Travel restaurateur Areas has hosted a Valentine’s Day event at its Como restaurant in Barcelona’s Sants Station for members of the Dinder Club the social transformation project and first dating app for people with an intellectual disability The intiative was facilitated as part of Areas’ commitment to diversity The event was promoted under the slogan ‘Diverse Love: All you need is love – all you need is Dinder Club’ on the Dinder Club app Areas and Dinder Club put together a creative confectionery workshop for the 30 participants The guests also had the opportunity to make customised afternoon teas and enjoy them in what Areas described as “a cheerful and supportive setting” The event enjoyed the collaboration of Fundació Prevent’s Remedios Labella who encouraged the group and supported them during the activity It also featured a concert by the group From Lost to the River led by neurobiologist and science personality Mara Dierssen known for her research into Down’s Syndrome The band presented a repertoire of songs penned by people with intellectual disabilities exploring themes of love and heartbreak Culture and Organization Officer Òscar Cuadrado said: “Our commitment to diversity is not just a statement of intent as well as the standard operating practice in the organisation and our ‘Areas For Change’ sustainability strategy in the People area.” while also connecting with society and the community where we provide our services in a sincere Dinder Club Chief Executive Max Roures welcomed the initiative as a way to continue generating tools and promoting safe spaces where social affective and loving relationships can be fostered between people with an intellectual disability Areas Chief Marketing and Expansion Officer Mireya Muñoz commented: “This initiative is in line with the Areas commitment to shaking up its outlets and promoting them among customers as well as the company’s desire to offer different and unique experiences Note: The Moodie Davitt Report publishes the FAB Newsletter events and campaigns from around the world of airport and travel dining Please email Kristyn@MoodieDavittReport.com to subscribe. Subscribe to our newsletter for critical marketing information delivered to your inbox HMSHost will debut six new restaurants spanning over 725sq m, beginning in 2025. Hudson separately captured a seven-year contract to launch a Manhattan-inspired retail store and Terminal 5’s first immersive video gaming lounge. The Australian Airports Association Retail & Commercial Forum, scheduled for 21-23 July in Sydney, will include a blockbuster programme of seven extra-curricular activities. Today’s images come courtesy of Düsseldorf Airport, which is currently sporting an orange theme and playful signage renaming it ‘Luchthaven Düsseldorf’. Copyright © The Moodie Davitt Report | Website by Yellowball We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Please click on one of the buttons below to accept, or customise your cookie settings. We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. 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' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " Taxi drivers are determined to "paralyze" traffic in Barcelona next Tuesday in protest against the "threat" posed by ride-hailing services (VTCs).  plans to march its taxis slowly through the city center from 10 am to 1 pm Élite Taxi spokesperson Tito Álvarez announced this in a press conference on Thursday calling on the government to speed up regulations to control VTCs Álvarez claimed that there are "numerous" VTC companies seeking city permits to operate in Barcelona entering "through the back door of Catalan legislation" The announcement follows Cabify's installation of 200 suitcases in front of Sants station on Wednesday to highlight the lack of transportation options in Barcelona.  Representatives of the taxi sector attended the installation and warned that they were considering returning to the streets in response to this "challenge". Álvarez criticized Cabify for launching an advertising campaign that "denigrates" taxi services. "We will not allow this blatant attempt to corner us to succeed," he said.