Select Language

English

Down Icon

Select Country

Mexico

Down Icon

Today in Spain: A roundup of the latest news on Tuesday

Today in Spain: A roundup of the latest news on Tuesday

Man dies in Extremadura due to Spain's extreme heat extreme heat, five years since Spain's ex-king Juan Carlos went into self-imposed exile and more news on Tuesday August 5th.

Man dies in Extremadura due to Spain's extreme heat

An 85-year-old man has died in the western city of Badajoz due to heat stroke, emergency services in the region have announced, the second confirmed heat-related death in the region so far this summer.

According to Spain's health ministry, 19 people died of heat-related causes in the first four days of August.

Exposure to excessive temperatures can cause cramps, dizziness, headaches, dehydration, and most seriously of all heat stroke, which can cause multiple organ damage, seizures, coma, or death.

Spain is currently undergoing its second heatwave of the summer, with temperatures surpassing 40C in many parts of the country.

READ MORE: What to know about Spain's second summer heatwave

Five years since Spain's ex-king Juan Carlos went into self-imposed exile

Spain's King Emeritus Juan Carlos I has spent five years away from Spain since moving to Abu Dhabi amid numerous financial scandals which tarnished the image of the Spanish royal family.

During this five-year period, he has returned to Spain several times, albeit privately , especially to watch the sailing regattas in the northern town of Sanxenxo in Galicia.

Last June also marked 11 years since his abdication in favour of his son, King Felipe VI. Over a decade has passed since the former monarch quit following a controversial elephant hunting trip in Botswana.

Spanish police seize illegal ivory carvings

Spanish police said on Monday they had seized dozens of carvings made from the ivory tusks of endangered African and Asian elephants as part of a smuggling and environmental crimes investigation.

Officers with the Guardia Civil confiscated 126 ivory carvings of various sizes, many featuring Asian-style designs, from a trading company in the eastern region of Valencia, the force said in a statement.

They also seized a 1.77-metre (5.8-foot) tusk weighing 22 kilogrammes (48.5 pounds), believed to date back to the 19th century.

Authorities said the items lacked proper documentation.

An analysis confirmed the ivory came from African and Asian elephants, both of which are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

One woman was arrested and four other individuals were placed under investigation.

The World Wildlife Fund estimates that around 20,000 African elephants are illegally killed each year for their ivory tusks, despite international trade bans.

Ivory -- sometimes called "white gold" -- has historically been one of the world’s most sought-after commodities, used in jewellery, weaponry, musical instruments and ornamental carvings.

Spain breaks up ring smuggling Yemenis to UK and Canada

Spanish police said Monday they have dismantled a criminal network suspected of smuggling mainly Yemeni migrants into Britain and Canada with fake passports.

After obtaining refugee documents in Greece, the migrants went to European airports where gang members would deliver them counterfeit passports to allow them to "irregularly" go to the two countries, police said in a statement.

The group allegedly facilitated more than 40 irregular migration attempts, charging up to 3,000 ($3,250) per person.

Police said they started investigating in September after Canada’s border agency alerted Spanish authorities to multiple cases of Yemeni nationals trying to enter from Spanish airports using forged travel documents.

Officers arrested 11 suspected gang members, including its alleged leader, in raids in northern Spain and Madrid.

Police said they traced flight bookings, money transfers, credit card payments, airport surveillance footage, and electronic travel authorisations as part of their probe into the network.

Authorities in Austria, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland and Britain helped the investigation, and the European Union's Europol agency helped analyse data from mobile devices that were seized from the suspects.

With additional reporting by AFP.

Please, login for more

thelocal

thelocal

Similar News

All News
Animated ArrowAnimated ArrowAnimated Arrow