Latest news with #Málaga
The Independent
17-07-2025
- The Independent
Almost 3,000lbs of cocaine discovered on ship headed for Spain
Almost 3,000lbs (1,300kg) of cocaine was seized on a container ship bound for Málaga, Spanish officials have said. Footage released by Spain 's Interior Ministry on Thursday (17 July) showed authorities intercepting the drugs on the vessel 40 miles from the Bay of Cádiz. Thirty-eight bales of cocaine were seized, and the vessel is being inspected. The Interior Ministry said the operation took place when authorities learned of the movement of a container ship on the Vigo-Málaga route, which they suspected might be carrying the drug. Authorities discovered that the ship had been attacked by stowaways attempting to extract the bales of cocaine from the containers and then unload them onto another vessel.
The Guardian
14-07-2025
- The Guardian
The kindness of strangers: she bought a new sim card for my mum and installed it on her phone
One week before I was due to fly to Sweden to see my son get married, I got a frantic, jumbled message from Mum. My elderly parents were desperate to attend the big wedding but as they were both in their 80s, they'd decided it would be more comfortable to take a cruise ship from Australia to Europe than to fly. They'd set off two months before the rest of us. Mum's message asked me to call her. 'We're being thrown off the ship,' she wrote. 'Your father's in an ambulance – I think it's pneumonia. We're somewhere in Spain.' They were admitted to a tiny hospital in a small place called Los Álamos, near Málaga. Mum didn't have data on her phone, nor did she know how to get an e-sim or a new sim card. The only time I would hear from her was when she managed to get on to the patchy hospital wifi. Last we'd spoken, she'd told me Dad was in a critical condition. But because the hospital staff spoke very limited English, they hadn't been able to communicate anything else, so Mum didn't really understand what was going on – only that she wasn't allowed to see him. She was beside herself with stress. I quickly moved the date of my flight forward to go and find them. Before I left, unable to get on to Mum to let her know I was coming, I had an idea. I found a Facebook group called Expats Málaga and joined, posting there that my father was in the local hospital and my mother doesn't speak Spanish. Would someone be able to visit and let her know her daughter is on her way from Australia? A wonderful lady named Elizabeth responded straight away to say she lived near the hospital and would be happy to go. Mum later told me that a very tall, stylish blond woman popped her head into the hospital waiting room and said: 'Excuse me, are you Maureen? My name's Elizabeth. Your daughter sent me.' Mum said she immediately burst into tears. She told Elizabeth she just wanted to speak to her children but couldn't get her phone to work. So in 44C heat – Spain was having a horrendous heatwave – Elizabeth went and bought a new sim card for my mum and installed it on her phone. She spoke to the nurses and got a positive update on my dad's health, which she relayed to Mum. I never got to meet Elizabeth, but we had beautiful correspondence – I wrote her a very heartfelt message saying how much I appreciated her kindness and support. I eventually got to Spain, and Mum and I had a week together in the hospital helping Dad get better. He recovered and my parents made it to the wedding, which was beautiful. The ridiculous thing is, it's two years later, and guess what they're doing? Going on another cruise. From making your day to changing your life, we want to hear about chance encounters that have stuck with you. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. If you're having trouble using the form click here. Read terms of service here and privacy policy here
The Guardian
13-07-2025
- The Guardian
The kindness of strangers: she bought a new sim card for my mum and installed it on her phone
One week before I was due to fly to Sweden to see my son get married, I got a frantic, jumbled message from Mum. My elderly parents were desperate to attend the big wedding but as they were both in their 80s, they'd decided it would be more comfortable to take a cruise ship from Australia to Europe than to fly. They'd set off two months before the rest of us. Mum's message asked me to call her. 'We're being thrown off the ship,' she wrote. 'Your father's in an ambulance – I think it's pneumonia. We're somewhere in Spain.' They were admitted to a tiny hospital in a small place called Los Álamos, near Málaga. Mum didn't have data on her phone, nor did she know how to get an e-sim or a new sim card. The only time I would hear from her was when she managed to get on to the patchy hospital wifi. Last we'd spoken, she'd told me Dad was in a critical condition. But because the hospital staff spoke very limited English, they hadn't been able to communicate anything else, so Mum didn't really understand what was going on – only that she wasn't allowed to see him. She was beside herself with stress. I quickly moved the date of my flight forward to go and find them. Before I left, unable to get on to Mum to let her know I was coming, I had an idea. I found a Facebook group called Expats Málaga and joined, posting there that my father was in the local hospital and my mother doesn't speak Spanish. Would someone be able to visit and let her know her daughter is on her way from Australia? A wonderful lady named Elizabeth responded straight away to say she lived near the hospital and would be happy to go. Mum later told me that a very tall, stylish blond woman popped her head into the hospital waiting room and said: 'Excuse me, are you Maureen? My name's Elizabeth. Your daughter sent me.' Mum said she immediately burst into tears. She told Elizabeth she just wanted to speak to her children but couldn't get her phone to work. So in 44C heat – Spain was having a horrendous heatwave – Elizabeth went and bought a new sim card for my mum and installed it on her phone. She spoke to the nurses and got a positive update on my dad's health, which she relayed to Mum. I never got to meet Elizabeth, but we had beautiful correspondence – I wrote her a very heartfelt message saying how much I appreciated her kindness and support. I eventually got to Spain, and Mum and I had a week together in the hospital helping Dad get better. He recovered and my parents made it to the wedding, which was beautiful. The ridiculous thing is, it's two years later, and guess what they're doing? Going on another cruise. From making your day to changing your life, we want to hear about chance encounters that have stuck with you. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. If you're having trouble using the form click here. Read terms of service here and privacy policy here
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
🚨Breaking: Málaga pulls out as 2030 World Cup host city!
Málaga is no longer in the running to be a host city for the upcoming 2030 World Cup. The mayor, Francisco de la Torre, confirmed today the city's official withdrawal from Spain's bid to host the event. Advertisement 'The most responsible thing is to withdraw our candidacy,' he stated, citing viability issues and a lack of guarantees regarding Málaga CF's move to the University Stadium during the years of renovation at La Rosaleda, which would operate at 50% capacity compared to the current stadium. 'The most responsible thing is to withdraw Málaga's candidacy for the 2030 World Cup because if the World Cup poses a risk to the club and creates problems for the fans, it's not worth continuing,' said mayor Paco de la Torre at a press conference. Advertisement The news has generated surprise and a range of reactions among the people of Málaga, who had hoped to host matches of the international tournament. With this decision, the map of host cities in Spain is being reconsidered, while the organization of the World Cup continues on its path toward 2030 with new uncertainties that could lead to the emergence of new host cities that had seemed out of the running, such as Vigo. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here. 📸 Fran Santiago - 2021 Getty Images
Forbes
09-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
At Spain's Finca La Bobadilla, Modern Luxury Meets Timeless Traditions
Finca La Bobadilla Courtesy of the hotel Toward the end of the last century, a great many hacienda hotels were constructed in southern Spain in a style that was meant to look old. Their architecture was oriented around central cobbled plazas and decorative fountains—a constant reminder of the Moorish roots of Al-Andaluz. Their windows had heavy iron bars in spite of the modern security systems that rendered them unnecessary. Their terra-cotta floors had a ready-made patina. Finca La Bobadilla is one of them. It's tempting to dismiss the whole lot of them as fake. But in the case of La Bobadilla, that would be missing the point. It's true that no Victorian-era love affairs unfolded here, that no families hid out during wartime, that the entire thing was just fields half a century ago. But La Bobadilla is not fake. Its Andalusian hospitality is as real as it gets. In the 1980s, three Swiss travelers fell in love with Andalusia and bought about 750 acres of land north of Málaga with an eye toward tourism. They started with a restaurant, then opened a hotel with 15 rooms, then added more and more until they had a resort of 73 rooms on nearly 1,800 acres to provide more privacy. The lobby, which was modeled on the mosque-cathedral of Córdoba Courtesy of the hotel They were 'selling Andalusia,' says La Bobadilla front of house manager Jaime Estellés. They weren't shy about repeating their references: The courtyard, with the (unconsecrated) chapel as its highest building, resembles so many nearby villages. The intricate arches of the lobby ceiling are modeled on the famous mosque-cathedral of Córdoba. Little reflecting pools and fountains evoke the Alhambra. Estellés joined the hotel earlier this year, when it became part of Único Hotels, Barcelona-based hotelier Pau Guardans' new collection of eight ultra-boutique properties around Spain. Guardans, the founder and former CEO of AC Hotels, 'looks for special locations,' says Estellés. 'He likes locations in the middle of nowhere,' the better to connect his guests with nature. And so, even though the hotel makes a handy base for day trips to Málaga, Córdoba, Seville and Granada, its essence is that of rural Andalusia. Native forest slopes down the surrounding hills of the Sierra de Loja. Silvery green olive groves produce the oil that's served in the hotel's three restaurants. New stables house a half-dozen Andalusian horses, a nod to the equestrian traditions of the region. (But lavender, honey and the refreshing house wines come from Único's excellent hotels in Mallorca.) Horseback riding on the grounds Courtesy of the hotel The place wears its age comfortably, but there are plans for a down-to-the-walls refresh of the guest rooms during its annual closure later this year. (The last closure of the sort, they promise; there are plans to go year-round.) This will replace the 1990s geometric pastels with a modern 'calm' style—there were lots of flying linen curtains on the mood boards. It's already on display in the lobby, where everything is nubby textures, soft colors and Assouline Travel Series titles. But the materials are somewhat immaterial. 'The employees are the important piece,' says Estellés, noting that quite a few have been here since the 1980s or '90s. Even the newer hires work with a relaxed confidence and genuine warmth. They live up to that classic-hotel cliché of forming quasi-friendships with the repeat guests—some of whom have repeated so many times that their preferred guest rooms now bear their names. (No word yet on how those loyalists will respond to the upcoming renovations, but the designers are aiming for an evolution that won't alienate the old guard.) Along with the warm hospitality, Único is upping the experience quotient of the hotel, even adding a kids' spa and pickleball courts for its American target market. There's an extensive spa for grown-ups, weekend yoga classes, walking trails and a fleet of electric to explore the grounds (now back down to about 700 acres), and various enclaves that can be set up for winsome picnics of jamón ibérico, local manchego, fluffy tortilla and fresh salads with tinned tuna. A reflecting pool inspired by the Alhambra Courtesy of the hotel They're organizing celebratory theme nights, where chefs grill meats or cook big pans of rice in the courtyards, the better to keep guests entertained onsite. But they're also going all-in on the off-campus experiences. A standout is a visit to the nearby Riofrío, the first certified organic caviar farm in the world, where guests can clamber into the tanks with the sturgeon before tucking into guided tastings of the eggs. That caviar isn't regularly on the menu at Finca La Bobadilla, but there are plenty of other good things to eat. The fine dining restaurant, La Finca, holds a Michelin star, even as veteran chef Fernando Arjona and his team have loosened things up, moving away from a long tasting menu toward a relaxed a la carte approach. At lunchtime, the poolside El Mirador has a somewhat lighter and healthier Mediterranean menu. And at the heart of the hotel, there's Bar La Plaza, modeled on the lively gathering places of traditional villages. The gourmet tapas menu hits all the classics—croquettes, gilda skewers (anchovies, olives, and hot peppers), partridge salad with escabeche (pickled onions and sweet peppers), Russian salad with anchovies—and the execution is solid. Sitting on the terrace, beneath the fairy lights and the stars, with a plate or two and a glass or two, continues centuries of Andalusian life. It doesn't matter when anything was built. Maybe purists will still call some of it fake. But it all feels undeniably real. MORE FROM FORBES Forbes This Uniquely Catalan Luxury Hotel Puts Priorat On The Wine Travel Map By Ann Abel Forbes Portugal's Costa Vicentina: 11 Top Hotels And Restaurants To Know By Ann Abel Forbes Spain's Finca La Donaira Is Reinventing The Luxury Hotel In Andalusia By Ann Abel
