North Africa

WATCH: Spain’s Canary Islands engulfed by 800-mile ‘calima’ dust wave as visibility vanishes – but it’s set to clear soon

LOCALS and tourists visiting the normally sun-drenched Canary Islands for the Easter holidays have been forced to take precautions after the popular archipelago was engulfed

1 Apr, 2026 @ 10:23

Canary Islands·Lead·Weather

Human and drug trafficking gang which brought illegal immigrants to Spain by boats is brought down in Alicante

Human and drug trafficking gang which brought illegal immigrants to Spain by boats is busted in Alicante

FIVE members of a human and drug trafficking gang that operated between Spain and Algeria have been arrested in Alicante. Several homes and a warehouse

22 Nov, 2023 @ 14:15

Alicante·Costa Blanca·Crime & Law·Lead·Valencian Community

Spain deploys more than 19,000 police officers to monitor return of millions of Moroccans to home country

FROM TODAY, Thursday, more than 19,000 Spanish police officers will begin to monitor what is known as Operación Paso del Estrecho, or Operation Crossing the

15 Jun, 2023 @ 15:45

Andalucia·Lead

Bodies of seven migrants discovered on Costa Blanca and Mar Menor beaches in Spain

Tragic discoveries of seven drowned migrants on Costa Blanca and Mar Menor beaches in Spain

SEVEN bodies of North African migrants who may have shared the same capsized boat have been discovered on Costa Blanca and Mar Menor beaches. One

29 Aug, 2022 @ 18:30

Costa Blanca·Lead·Mar Menor·Murcia·Torrevieja·Valencian Community

Human trafficking gang planned fleet of charter boats for dangerous sea trips to Spain’s Murcia coast

FIVE members of a people trafficking and drug smuggling gang looking to expand in the Murcia region have been arrested by the Policia Nacional. Four

13 Jul, 2022 @ 11:05

Crime & Law·Lead·Mar Menor·Murcia

Network of overcrowded unhygienic flats housed trafficked migrants on Spain’s Costa Blanca

THE Policia Nacional have raided six flats crammed with trafficked migrants in the north of Alicante City. The living conditions were described as ‘very poor’.

31 Mar, 2022 @ 15:00

Alicante·Costa Blanca·Crime & Law·Lead

People smuggling boat service between Spain's Murcia and Algeria is stopped before picking up first passengers

People smuggling boat service between Spain’s Murcia and Algeria intercepted before picking up first passengers

FOUR Algerian men have been arrested in Murcia after plans to smuggle in people on boats from North Africa were rumbled by the Policia Nacional.

23 Feb, 2022 @ 15:29

Crime & Law·Lead·Murcia

Andalucia migrant death tragedy in Spain as dinghies sink off Almeria coast

SPAIN’S Salvamento Maritimo(Maritime Rescue) is searching for ten migrants who disappeared from two dinghies off the Almeria coast. The Salvamar Spica is spearheading the search

3 Jan, 2022 @ 12:56

Almeria·Lead

POLICE have smashed the Spanish end of an international people smuggling gang that charged Bangladeshi nationals an average of €12,000 per head to get into Spain. The Policia Nacional have arrested two people in Alicante Province and one in the Madrid area, who was one of the organisation's bosses. They've been charged with homicide and infringing the rights of foreign citizens Police believe the gang netted millions of euros in their people trafficking operation. Besides Spain, members of the crime ring operated in Algeria, Bangladesh, Dubai, Mali, Morocco, and India, Journeys from Bangladesh would take over a year and culminate in a perilous sea crossing in unsuitable crafts from Morocco to Spain. One journey in November 2019 saw nine Bangladeshi and North African nationals die after the boat's engine stopped working and the vessel sank. The police probe has succeeded in dismantling the Spanish and Moroccan legs of the international enterprise. The Madrid leader personally supervised clandestine crossings of the migrants from Algeria into Morocco. He also organised accommodation for them in Fez, Rabat, and Tangier. The dangerous sea crossings cost were valued at €5,000 per person and the man got a commission on each boat fare.

People smugglers arrested in Costa Blanca and Madrid areas who charged €12,000 per person for journey to Spain

POLICE have smashed the Spanish end of an international people smuggling gang that charged Bangladeshi nationals an average of €12,000 each to get into Spain.

1 Dec, 2021 @ 19:30

Alicante·Costa Blanca·Crime & Law·Lead·Madrid

DRUG BUST: Civil servant who led multi-million euro drug empire between Spain’s Costa del Sol and Morocco one of 57 arrested

The town hall worker imported 62 tonnes of hash a year to the Costa del Sol

10 Dec, 2018 @ 11:53

Crime & Law·Lead·Malaga

How Andalucia’s ‘de la frontera’ towns got their names… and what they mean

Lenox Napier pores over medieval maps to discover how Andalucia’s ‘border towns’ got their names

10 Jun, 2018 @ 15:00

La Cultura·Lead

ISIS and Boko Haram plotting massacres on the Costa del Sol as suspect in Majorca arrested

The news comes as a man is arrested in Majorca on suspicion of commissioning the attacks

20 Apr, 2016 @ 10:13

Crime & Law·Lead·National News

British holidaymakers warned of terror threat to Spain

France, Turkey, Tunisia and Egypt are also deemed 'high risk'

1 Jul, 2015 @ 14:19

Featured·Travel News

First ever solar powered aircraft to fly into Spain on world-wide trip

Swiss pioneers Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg started their global adventure in Abu Dhabi on March 1

9 May, 2015 @ 17:10

Environment·Lead·Travel News

Al-Qaeda terror suspects detained in Spain

Two men with links to the North African branch of Al-Qaeda are being held by Spanish police

24 Apr, 2013 @ 16:15

Lead·National News

Tourists will ease economic recovery in Spain

But Spain must become more competitive and improve on quality, say experts

26 Apr, 2011 @ 10:00

Lead·Travel News

Jamie’s silly Spanish spoof

Celebrity chef Oliver dons prawn costume in wacky advert to promote Andalucia cooking show

8 Apr, 2010 @ 10:37

Food & Drink

Last of the frogmen

On Remembrance Day, the last surviving frogman tells of his courageous feats more than 60 years ago

11 Nov, 2009 @ 19:13

Malaga