Pop singer Shakira, full name Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, could face up to eight years and two months in prison if prosecutors in Spain have their way.
Prosecutors asked a court in Spain on Friday for the pop star to face the lengthy prison sentence if convicted of alleged tax fraud in an expected trial, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-sports-soccer-music-5038d7fbe5db2b54404303acabe7bee1">reported</a>.
The 45-year-old was indicted on six charges earlier this month, but she rejected a settlement deal and opted for a trial.
Shakira allegedly failed to pay the Spanish government what&#8217;s equivalent to about $15 million in taxes between 2012 and 2014, the report said.
On top of the years-long prison sentence, prosecutors want the &#8220;Hips Don&#8217;t Lie&#8221; singer to pay a fine equivalent to about $24 million.
The singer &#8220;has always cooperated and abided by the law, demonstrating impeccable conduct as an individual and a taxpayer,&#8221; Shakira&#8217;s publicists said in a statement released Friday.
The mother of two deposited what she owes to the government, plus millions more in interest, Shakira&#8217;s public relations team claimed this week.
This is a developing story, please refresh for updates.

Dancing With Myself – Season 1

Shakira Could Face Up To 8 Years In Prison For Tax Crimes

Singer Shakira Could Face Up To 8 Years In Prison For Tax Crimes

Celebrities

Crime

Music

Spain

Taxes

Spain&#8217;s equality ministry has launched a new ad campaign in the name of diversity with the message that &#8220;all bodies are beach bodies.” The campaign includes photos of a topless woman after a mastectomy and more.
Minister of Social Rights Ione Belarra said that the idea behind the campaign is for women to stop worrying about how their bodies look, enjoy the summer, and hit the beach no matter what their size, the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62325030">BBC</a> reported in a piece published Wednesday.
&#8220;Summer is ours too,&#8221; the slogan on the campaign poster reads.
&#8220;All bodies are beach bodies,&#8221; Social Services Minister Ione Belarra <a href="https://twitter.com/ionebelarra/status/1552237445407576064">tweeted</a> in promotion of the campaign.
The poster for the campaign can be seen below and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CgghxqFMXOh/">here</a>.
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In the campaign, people can see illustrations of five women at the beach. One goes topless after having a mastectomy, several plus-size models wear bikinis, and another woman lies on a towel in a swimsuit.
The Spanish Women&#8217;s Institute, the organization behind the initiative, said the idea behind the campaign is to show the validity of all bodies, the BBC noted.
&#8220;Today we toast a summer for all, without stereotypes and aesthetic violence against our bodies,&#8221; the ad explained.
However, not everyone was impressed with the move, with many calling it absurd to assume that women need government permission to go to the beach. Junior equality minister Ángela Rodríguez Pam took to <a href="https://twitter.com/Pam_Angela_/status/1552270386125066240?s=20&amp;t=He0p99aXavcYnmvSqw2hVQ">Twitter</a> and wrote that &#8220;of course we go, but we&#8217;re assuming we&#8217;ll attract hatred for showing a body that isn&#8217;t standard,&#8221; the outlet noted.
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Señores diciendo que las gordas ya podíamos ir a la playa sin permiso de Igualdad. Claro que vamos pero asumiendo odio por enseñar un cuerpo que no es normativo Lo que reivindicamos es que todos los cuerpos están bien, también el tuyo Manolo que no es precisamente el más bello
&mdash; Ángela Rodríguez Pam 🏳️‍🌈 ♀️ (@Pam_Angela_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pam_Angela_/status/1552270386125066240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Gentlemen saying that fat women could now go to the beach without permission from Equality,&#8221; the tweet read, per Twitter translate. &#8220;Of course we are going but assuming hatred for teaching a body that is not normative.&#8221;
&#8220;What we claim is that all bodies are fine, including yours, Manolo, which is not exactly the most beautiful,&#8221; the post added.
Others asked if the ad needed to include men who didn&#8217;t have a perfect physique. Then Spain&#8217;s left-wing leader, Cayo Lara, labeled the campaign the height of absurdity, saying it was trying to &#8220;create a problem where it doesn&#8217;t exist.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/get-woke-go-broke-old-navy-takes-massive-loss-angers-customers-after-going-all-in-on-inclusivity-sizing">Get Woke, Go Broke: Old Navy Takes Massive Loss, Angers Customers After Going All-In On &#8216;Inclusivity&#8217; Sizing</a>

Bikinis on the beach-2

‘All Bodies Are Beach Bodies’: Spain’s New Ad Campaign Includes Topless Woman After Mastectomy, And More

'All Bodies Are Beach Bodies’: Spain’s New Ad Campaign Includes Topless Woman After Mastectomy, And More

Body positivity

Diversity

Entertainment

swimsuit

Since July 10, at least 360 people have been killed in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/spain">Spain</a> due to a massive heatwave and thousands of individuals have been forced to flee southern <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/france">France</a> due to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fire">wildfire</a> allegedly sparked by a vehicle having mechanical issues.
The Carlos III Health Institute <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/wildfires-rage-france-spain-heatwaves-sweep-europe-2022-07-16/">reported</a> Friday that hundreds have died in Spain as temperatures have skyrocketed to 45 degrees Celsius – or 114 degrees Fahrenheit – in the region. The heatwave has also contributed to massive wildfires in several countries that have scorched thousands of acres of land. In southwest France alone, 12,000 people have been forced to flee to escape multiple blazes.
France&#8217;s Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne <a href="https://www.aa.com.tr/en/environment/fires-in-southwest-france-burn-over-10-000-hectares-of-forests/2638389">blamed</a> the fire in the La-Teste-de-Buch region on an electric vehicle that had some sort of issue near a wooden glen. The second ongoing wildfire in France is also being investigated for criminal activity.
&#8220;80% of the forest fires are estimated to have been started by humans,&#8221; she told France&#8217;s BFMTV News.
The mayor of La Teste, Patrick Davet, the village where the La-Teste-de-Buch fire reportedly started, pushed back on Borne&#8217;s claims, however.
&#8220;What Elisabeth Borne says is totally false,&#8221; he <a href="https://www-sudouest-fr.translate.goog/gironde/incendie-a-la-teste-contrairement-a-ce-que-dit-elisabeth-borne-le-feu-n-est-pas-parti-d-une-voiture-electrique-11671878.php?_x_tr_sl=fr&amp;_x_tr_tl=en&amp;_x_tr_hl=en&amp;_x_tr_pto=sc">told</a> the French outlet Sudouest, according to an online translation. &#8220;The fire started from a van that had broken down and had an electrical problem. Its driver tried to alert the emergency services but the breakdown occurred in an area without a telephone network. He had to walk away to call the fire department. But it was too late.&#8221;
One tourist visiting France told the local press that he and his son were unable to take their belongings as they rushed to avoid the wildfire.
&#8220;We started packing our things but the lady told us, &#8216;No, you have to leave everything as it is,'&#8221; the tourist identified as Matthias <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62175758">told</a> BFMTV. &#8220;You try to keep calm but it&#8217;s hard not to be scared because it happens so fast.&#8221;
The head of France&#8217;s firefighter federation said they are calling for hundreds of thousands of volunteers to help fight the blaze.
&#8220;The situation is highly complex,&#8221; Gregory Allione <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62175758">told</a> France&#8217;s RMC TV. &#8220;Our morale is still good but fatigue sets in fast. That&#8217;s why we&#8217;re calling for a target of 250,000 volunteer firefighters.&#8221;
Allione also blamed the fires on global warming, claiming that frontline workers see its impacts every day.
&#8220;It&#8217;s firefighters, civil security who deal with the effects on a daily basis &#8211; and these effects aren&#8217;t in 2030, they&#8217;re right now,&#8221; Allione told the press.
There are also reportedly at least 20 separate wildfires currently blazing in Spain.

Wildfire France

European Heatwave Kills Hundreds, Electric Vehicle Reportedly Sparks Wildfire That Has Displaced Thousands In France

Heatwave Across Europe Kills At Least 360 In Spain, Wildfires Displace Thousands in France

Electric cars

electric vehicles

Fire

France

Two Spanish shipwrecks were found off the coast of Colombia near the remains of the “holy grail” of sunken ships, according to government officials. 
The two ships, believed to be hundreds of years old, were discovered by Colombian authorities during an underwater project documenting the wreck of the San Jose galleon (sometimes called the “holy grail of shipwrecks”) which reportedly had about $17 billion of gold onboard. 
&#8220;We have already found two additional vessels: one vessel that is from the colonial period and another that, from the point of view of preliminary analysis, corresponds to the Republican period of our history,” Colombian President Ivan Duque <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/two-ships-found-near-spanish-galleon-full-gold-worth-17-billion-1714432">said</a>. 
The ships were <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/06/08/colombia-shipwreck-san-jose/">found</a> about 3,000 feet under the water off the coast of Cartagena during observation missions by the Colombian navy. Both vessels apparently went down near the 300-year-old wreck of the Spanish ship the San Jose, which was sunk by the British in 1708.
On Monday, Duque unveiled new photos and footage of the two now discovered wrecks as well as the San Jose’s treasure. The footage was taken by a remotely operated vehicle.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Coins found near &#039;holy grail of shipwrecks&#039;" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0AofViHaeiw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
In addition to taking footage of the newly discovered schooner and colonial boat, the operation also procured photos of some of the San Jose’s treasure, believed to be one of the largest ever for a shipwreck. 
“The equipment that our army has acquired and the level of precision have kept this treasure intact, but at the same time, we will be able to protect it for later extraction,” the president stated. 
The Colombian Navy also announced that they do not believe that the wreck of the San Jose, first discovered in 2015, had been disturbed. 
“Under the guidelines of the Presidency of the Republic during the last two years, the Colombian Navy and the General Maritime Directorate, in a non-intrusive observation work carried out at the site where the Galleon San José rests, has verified that it has not suffered intervention or alterations by human action,” the Navy said. 
Who gets the treasure of San Jose is still a question up for debate with Spain, Colombia, and others all claiming the rights to the valuable discovery. 
Swords, hand minted coins, crockery, and 17th century cannons were among the items viewed by Colombian authorities. 
&#8220;What we are talking about is an important wealth that has a lot to tell us about our past,&#8221; Colombian Maritime director Jose Joaquin Amezquita said.

Cityscape of Cartagena, Colombia

Two Sunken Ships Found Near ‘Holy Grail’ Of Shipwrecks, Artifacts From Estimated $17 Billion Treasure Revealed

Two Sunken Ships Include Estimated $17 Billion Treasure

Colombia

History

A woman in Spain falsely claimed her ex-boyfriend kidnapped her in front of her home in October 2016, leading to him spending several days in jail before CCTV footage revealed she lied about the crime.
Vanesa Gesto accused her ex-boyfriend, whom the Daily Wire will not name because he is innocent, of kidnapping her outside her home and then dumping her, semi-naked, elsewhere after pouring superglue into her vagina. She told police that her ex-boyfriend abducted her in a black car.
The ex-boyfriend was arrested and spent several days in jail before Gesto’s lies were uncovered, the Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8697217/Woman-glued-vagina-bizarre-bid-frame-ex-boyfriend-jailed-ten-years.html?ito=social-twitter_mailonline">reported</a>.
CCTV cameras showed Gesto buying what police called a “kidnap kit,” including knives she used to slash herself, from a Chinese-run supermarket in Bembimbre. Additional footage showed that the only vehicle that drove past the area where she claimed she was kidnapped was a garbage truck, not the car she claimed her ex drove.
The Mail reported that on Thursday, Gesto was convicted in the Spanish city of Leon on two counts of making a false police report. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison, a lengthy sentence for a woman who made up a false claim against a man. Typically, women who falsely accuse men of crimes &#8212; especially crimes of a sexual nature &#8212; receive little to no punishment, especially in America.
Prosecutors in the case, according to the Mail, requested Gesto be sentenced to 11 years and eight months in prison.
In addition to her lengthy prison sentence, Gesto was ordered to pay her ex-boyfriend €25,000, or just over $29,000.
The outlet further reported that “Gesto&#8217;s original lawyer Emilia Esteban cut ties with her former client after it emerged she had tried to frame [the ex-boyfriend] over the made-up October 2016 crime.”
“I always believed Vanesa and that&#8217;s why I defended her. I feel humiliated and deceived,” Esteban said.
The brother of Gesto’s ex-boyfriend, maintained the falsely accused man’s innocence, telling police from the minute the accusations were lodged that his brother was sleeping when the alleged attack was said to have occurred.
“Our mum spent days crying after he was arrested,” the brother said.
Gesto was called the “Glue Liar’ in Spain.
A sentence of 10 years is rarely given to women who falsely accuse men of crimes. The most recent similar example is that of Jemma Beale, the British fabulist who made numerous false accusations over a three-year period. Beale accused six men of sexual assault and nine of rape. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison. In March 2019, her appeal for her perjury and perverting the course of justice convictions was upheld. The Court of Appeal denied Beale’s claims that the jury was not provided directions about the “danger of assumptions, myths and stereotypes&#8221; regarding alleged victims of sexual abuse, the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-47738892">reported</a> at the time. An appellate judge argued that usually only applied for victims, not defendants, and that Beale had harmed the justice system with her lies.
&#8220;The idea that a woman could send an innocent man to prison for years solely so she could obtain compensation beggars belief,&#8221; the judge said.

glue drops

She Glued Her Vagina Shut As Part Of Plot To Frame Ex-Boyfriend For Kidnap. She Was Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison.

According to government officials in Italy and Spain, their countries have reached the top of the inflection curve for the coronavirus.
Spain lost 849 people to the virus on Tuesday, 864 on Wednesday and 950 between Wednesday and Thursday.  8,102 new cases were announced between Wednesday and Thursday, a 7.9% increase, marking the lowest percentage increase in cases since lockdown measures were implemented three weeks ago. On March 13 the rate of increase was 42.7%; the rate has risen as high as 70%.  <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/01/italy-extends-lockdown-amid-signs-coronavirus-infection-rate-is-easing">The Guardian</a> noted that between March 15-25, the number of coronaviruses cases grew 20% per day, but after March 25 therate dropped to 12% and lower. María José Sierra of Spain’s center for health emergencies said on Thursday, “Generally speaking, we can say that yesterday’s rise in cases, which was around 8%, tells us that we’re carrying on in the stabilization phase of the pandemic.”
Spanish Health Minister Salvador Ella said the peak of the curve had been reached, while cautioning of “many difficult weeks ahead,” as <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8179745/Spain-suffers-day-record-coronavirus-deaths-950-killed-24-hours.html">The Daily Mail</a> reported. Ella continued, “I&#8217;m aware that when we speak about the number of deaths, there are no positive figures. But allow me to offer you at least a glimmer of hope. The data shows us that the numbers have stabilized and we have achieved the first objective which is to reach the peak of the curve and we are beginning the slowing down phase. However, because of the very nature of the pandemic, we still have many difficult weeks ahead of us.”
Meanwhile, in Italy, the curve seems to have reached its peak; The Guardian reported:
<blockquote>Italy’s civil protection authority announced on Wednesday that the country’s tally – already the highest in the world – had climbed by 727 deaths to 13,155, and that the number of confirmed infections, including deaths, recovered and current cases, had risen by 4,782, taking the total to 110,574. But the daily rise in the number of deaths was sharply down on Tuesday’s figure of 837, and the 2,937 new active cases represented an increase of 3.8% – more than the previous day, but confirming a declining trend.</blockquote>
Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza stated, “Experts say we are on the right track and the drastic measures we have taken are starting to yield results,” adding it would be “unforgivable to assume this was a definitive defeat” of Covid-19, which he called “a long battle.”
The first confirmed cases of coronavirus in Italy came <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/italy-confirms-two-cases-of-coronavirus">at the end of January</a>; Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said the two individuals were Chinese tourists who had landed in Rome. Spain’s first confirmed case on the Spanish mainland came in late February after a woman in Barcelona became ill after traveling to Italy.
<a href="https://www.vox.com/2020/3/20/21183315/coronavirus-spain-outbreak-cases-tests">Vox</a> reported, “The first positive cases of coronavirus on the Spanish mainland came on February 26, including in both Madrid and Barcelona, the country’s two most important cities. It was then that the heads of Spain’s largest public hospitals told the Health Ministry ‘more tests had to be done, and as soon as possible.’”

SPAIN-HEALTH-VIRUS-PANDEMIC

Italian, Spanish Officials: Coronavirus Has Hit Peak Of Curve

COVID

Italy

Top officials in Spain on Saturday announced that they would declare a nationwide lockdown in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus epidemic, which has exploded in recent days.
There are now 5,232 confirmed cases in Spain, according to <a href="https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6">Johns Hopkins</a>. More than 130 people have died there.
&#8220;According to a copy of the royal decree seen by The <a href="https://apnews.com/1dde718068517f188b3fa65a7edcbf86">Associated Press</a>, Spain’s government was to announce Saturday that it is placing tight restrictions on movement for the nation of 46 million people while declaring a two-week state of emergency,&#8221; the AP reported. &#8220;Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was due to address the nation in the afternoon.&#8221;
&#8220;Residents in Madrid, which has around half the infections, and northeastern Catalonia had already awoken Saturday to shuttered bars and restaurants and other non-essential commercial outlets as ordered by regional authorities. Madrid ordered city parks closed and Seville canceled its Easter Week processions — one of Spain’s most important religious and cultural events,&#8221; the AP wrote.
Spain&#8217;s coming order follows the total lockdown in Italy, which has also seen an exponential rise in the number of cases, which has hit 17,660 with 1,266 deaths, Johns Hopkins reports. Italy is second only to China, where the virus originated.
In Italy, businesses have shut down and residents are not allowed free movement. Mayors of many Italian cities, including Rome and Milan, shut down public playgrounds and parks.
But Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte said production of food and health supplies will continue, and on Saturday, union and industrial leaders in the country reached an agreement on special measures to keep factories running, the AP said.
The coronavirus can cause severe illness, including pneumonia for the elderly or those with pre-existing health conditions. But for most healthy people, the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and dry cough.
On Friday, the head of the World Health Organization declared that Europe is now the &#8220;epicenter&#8221; of the global coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged European countries to use aggressive measures, community mobilization and social distancing to save lives.
&#8220;Europe has now become the epicentre of the pandemic, with more reported cases and deaths than the rest of the world combined, apart from China,&#8221; he said. &#8220;More cases are now being reported every day than were reported in China at the height of its epidemic.&#8221;
The doctor said countries must take extreme measures to address the spread of the virus. &#8220;Do not just let this fire burn,&#8221; he said.
Meanwhile, Denmark and Norway have closed their borders and halted passenger traffic to and from the country until April 13. “I know that the overall list of measures is very extreme and will be seen as very extreme, but I am convinced that it’s worth it,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said.
Poland is also set to close its borders starting at midnight Saturday and will turn away all foreigners unless they lived in Poland or had personal ties there. Non-citizens allowed in will be quarantined for 14 days. The Czech Republic and Slovakia took similar action.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-does-not-need-to-be-tested-for-coronavirus-wont-self-quarantine-white-house-doctor-says">Trump Does Not Need To Be Tested For Coronavirus, Won’t Self-Quarantine, White House Doctor Says</a>

SPAIN-HEALTH-VIRUS

Spain To Follow Italy Into Nationwide Lockdown As Coronavirus Cases Soar

A 65-year-old man who wanted to smuggle more than a pound of cocaine into Spain was arrested after police discovered his amazing and hilarious hiding place: under his toupee.
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">I’ve laughed for five straight minutes at this picture of a Colombian man who got arrested the Barcelona airport after attempting to smuggle cocaine under us toupee. <a href="https://t.co/OUwMY03UMN">pic.twitter.com/OUwMY03UMN</a>
— Annika H Rothstein (@truthandfiction) <a href="https://twitter.com/truthandfiction/status/1151204473164972033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
The man, who hailed from Colombia and had flown in from Bogota, had half a kilogram of cocaine, worth roughly $34,000, when he was arrested in June, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/16/europe/barcelona-cocaine-wig-scli-intl/index.html?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_term=link&amp;utm_content=2019-07-16T16%3A00%3A06&amp;utm_source=twCNN">CNN reported</a>. According to Reuters, “He was rumbled by police officers who noticed him looking nervous as he passed through security after flying in from Bogota.” <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-spain-police-drugs/colombian-caught-in-spain-with-cocaine-under-toupee-idUSKCN1UB0X1">Reuters</a> added that a police statement said, “There is no limit to the inventiveness of drug traffickers trying to mock controls.”
<a href="https://www.lavanguardia.com/local/barcelona/20190716/463512814154/mulero-cocaina-peluquin-aeropuerto-barcelona.html">LaVanguardia</a> reported that the man was charged with a crime against public health.
There have been other strange methods of smuggling drugs into Europe; the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-49002746">BBC</a> noted, “A Brazilian man made an outlandish bid to smuggle drugs into Portugal in 2018 and was arrested at Lisbon&#8217;s international airport, accused of carrying 1kg (2.2lb) of cocaine inside a pair of fake buttocks.”
<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/07/16/if-nerves-didnt-give-this-smuggler-away-it-was-probably-pound-cocaine-under-his-toupee/?utm_term=.2e6eab3d8594">The Washington Post</a> noted, “More cocaine is seized in Spain than in any other European country, according to news outlet <a href="https://elpais.com/elpais/2019/01/29/inenglish/1548758371_648245.html">El Pais</a>, which said interceptions of the drug in the nation have grown by 5,000 percent between 1987 and 2018. Spanish officials have sought to work with other countries to curb smuggling.&#8221;
<a href="https://elpais.com/elpais/2019/04/10/inenglish/1554879472_974974.html">El Pais</a> reported earlier this year that the chief of the Central Narcotics Brigade, Antonio Duarte, said, “Spain is still the second-biggest consumer of cocaine in Europe, lagging only behind the United Kingdom.” The mayor of Vilagarcía de Arousa echoed, ““There is drug trafficking all over Spain. And sure, there are still drug traffickers here, but on a smaller scale. And they are also more discreet.”
Duarte continued, “Their biggest concern is being talked about, but in Galicia they are still the masterminds, the ones who have the links to the Colombians. The Galicians are the only ones who the Colombians can give huge quantities of cocaine to in a boat. The Galicians organize everything. They take their cut at sea in the form of cocaine, and bring it to Galicia. The rest of the shipment is handed over to other buyers in Madrid, Barcelona, and Rotterdam, to be distributed across Europe.”

This Drug Smuggler Arrested In Spain Will Leave You Laughing

Drugs

Early Thursday morning, some 800 sub-Saharan migrants armed with flamethrowers, Molotov cocktails, mallets, shears, and plastic containers filled with feces stormed a Spanish border fence, violently clashing with law enforcement. 
At least 15 Civil Guard officers suffered injuries, five of whom were transferred to a local hospital, according to a <a href="http://www.guardiacivil.es/es/prensa/noticias/6685.html">report</a> from Spain&#8217;s Civil Guard. &#8220;Molotov cocktails have also been recovered, as have bags of hashish,&#8221; the report added. 
More than 600 of the migrants successfully crossed the Spanish-Moroccan border fence into Ceuta, a Spanish autonomous city along the coast of North Africa. 
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(Screenshot: La Vanguardia via YouTube)
After crossings the fence, migrants threw stones at agents and their vehicles, breaking glass on at least three of them.
Sixteen migrants &#8220;have been evacuated to the University Hospital of the city,&#8221; the report says.
WATCH:
<div class="embed video fluid-video"><iframe loading="lazy" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="282" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vbCw5jNj90o" width="500"></iframe></div>

VIDEO: Hundreds Of African Migrants Armed With Flamethrowers And Feces Storm Spanish Border, Injure Law Enforcement

Migrants

In Spain, whose parliament called on the Spanish government to recognize a Palestinian state <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-decries-spanish-vote-on-recognizing-palestine/">only hours after two Palestinian terrorists used meat cleavers and a gun to murder four rabbis at prayer </a>and a policeman in 2014, and a country at the top of the list of the Anti-Defamation League&#8217;s 2015 anti-Semitism index in Western Europe, suddenly there has been a sea change regarding Israel.
Spanish courts have struck down the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement efforts to have Spanish municipalities target Israel.
According to the Lawfare Project, a court in Oviedo blocked the Castrillon&#8217;s city council boycott against Israeli products. A Barcelona court struck down the boycott of Israeli products from El Prat de Llobregrat&#8217;s city council. Last July, Spanish courts overturned motions in the city councils of Teo and Catarroja. Of roughly 50 municipalities in Spain that have passed pro-BDS resolutions, 20 have been dismissed by either courts or the municipalities repealing them themselves.
Ignacio Wenley Palacios, Spanish counsel for The Lawfare Project, has gotten 46 writs of injunctions and decisions against the BDS movement in Spain. He told <a href="http://jewishjournal.com/news/world/229190/spanish-courts-strike-bds-policies-municipalities/">The Jewish Journal</a>, &#8220;The project to defeat boycott decisions by public bodies is coming out fine. It is part of a 3-5 year strategy that includes transferring the legal reasoning to other EU countries as the grounds are by design, based both on EU and International Law, and in core constitutional tenets.&#8221;
Brooke Goldstein, executive director of The Lawfare Project, stated, &#8220;The Lawfare Project stands on the front lines fighting against discrimination targeting Jews and Israelis. We will not rest until as long as any organization attempts to legalize anti-Semitic policies, whether it&#8217;s a local government or an international airline company. We will continue to stand up in defense of the freedoms and liberties of every individual and to advance justice for the pro-Israel community.&#8221;
One of the salient reasons for Spain&#8217;s sudden warmth for Israel may be that Spain&#8217;s economy is suffering, and <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/why-spain-is-standing-up-to-bds-for-now/">350,000 Israelis visit Spain every year</a>.

Spain Suddenly Tilts Toward Israel, Strikes Down BDS Boycotts

Donald Trump

Israel

The political climate has become volatile in Spain with Catalonia, the wealthiest region in the country, voting to secede from Spain and become its own separate country. The independence referendum this week passed with an overwhelming majority of the vote; Spain and Catalonia are now in a standoff over whether the vote is binding.
Here are five things to know about the Catalonia independence referendum.
1. Around <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41463719">90%</a> of those who voted approved of the referendum. However, the voting turnout was only 42%, which is low. This might have been due to the fact that some didn&#8217;t turn out after the Spanish government declared the vote to be illegal; under the Spanish Constitution any referendum must be voted on by Spain as a whole. Over 2.25 million people voted; there are 5.3 million registered voters in Catalonia.
2. Catalonia&#8217;s <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/09/30/catalonia-independence-referendum-spain/?utm_term=.699243331651">quest for independence</a> dates back to the 1700s. Catalonia was conquered by Spanish King Phillip V in 1714, and ever since the region has clamored for independence. There have been two instances prior to Sunday&#8217;s vote where Catalonia has come close to independence; the first was in 1932, when Spain recognized Catalonia as a Catalan Republic. But Catalonia lost its autonomy in 1939 when Spanish dictator Francisco Franco purged Catalan nationalism. The second instance was in 2006, when the Constitutional Court invalidated Spain recognizing Catalonia as its own nation.
3. The Spanish government sent police to shut down polling booths in an attempt to suppress the vote; voters resisted the police and violence ensued. According to <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/02/europe/catalonia-independence-referendum-explainer/index.html">CNN</a>, nearly 900 people were injured. Here&#8217;s how CNN described the scene:
<blockquote>
Police fired rubber bullets at protesters and voters trying to take part in the referendum, and used batons to beat them back.
Police smashed their way into polling stations, and were seen pulling voters out by the hair and restraining elderly people.
</blockquote>
Catalan leaders have responded to the violence by slamming the Spanish government for &#8220;returning Spain to authoritarianism,&#8221; per <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/02/world/europe/catalonia-spain-independence-referendum.html">The New York Times</a>.
4. What happens next is <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/09/30/catalonia-independence-referendum-spain/?utm_term=.699243331651">unclear</a>. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy refused to acknowledge that the vote even happened on Sunday evening. Spanish Justice Minister Rafael Catalá has suggested that the Spanish government could go as far as seizing control of Catalan through exercising the government&#8217;s emergency powers and implement snap elections for new Catalan leaders. That hasn&#8217;t deterred Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont from planning to have the Catalan regional parliament approve the result of the referendum. Needless to say, the road ahead for Spain is quite bumpy and will likely result in <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/10/02/spains-rajoy-sets-the-stage-for-a-bigger-battle-over-catalonia/?tid=sm_tw&amp;utm_term=.274288f23af0">protests and strikes</a>.
5. Losing Catalonia would be a major blow to Spain&#8217;s economy. Catalonia consists of around a fifth of Spain&#8217;s economy and a fourth of Spain&#8217;s exports and rakes in foreign investment, per <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2017/09/29/news/economy/catalonia-independence-spain-economy/index.html">CNN Money</a>. It&#8217;s no wonder then that there has been a recent decline in the euro and in Spain&#8217;s stock market.
Catalonia&#8217;s exit could have even wider consequences for Spain. As CNN notes, Spain &#8220;has 17 regions with varying degrees of autonomy, and losing one may inspire other regions to begin, or revive, separatist movements.&#8221;
Clearly, Catalonia&#8217;s independence vote has caused serious political turmoil in Spain that doesn&#8217;t appear to have an end in sight any time soon.
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5 Things To Know About The Catalonia Independence Referendum

For years, there has been a growing movement for independence from Spain in Catalonia, a prosperous region that includes the city of Barcelona. Since 1977, Catalan has enjoyed limited autonomy from the Spanish government, and in 2006, Catalonian citizens approved the Statute of Autonomy for Catalonia by referendum vote, establishing the framework for Catalonia&#8217;s autonomous government. In 2010, the Statute of Autonomy was struck down by Spanish Government Constitutional Courts, which reignited the independence debate. And now, on October 1, 2017, citizens of Catalonia will vote in a major referendum that could decide the future of the region.
Well &#8230; if they&#8217;re allowed to vote that is.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and the central government in Madrid have declared that any referendum which poses the question of whether to secede from Spain is unconstitutional and illegal and will not be allowed to take place. After the central government&#8217;s announcement, huge protests sprang up throughout the region, especially in Barcelona.
The local Catalan government, which has not faltered in its insistence that the vote will still take place, is now experiencing huge pushback from the central government as the referendum date nears. According to <a href="http://www.euronews.com/2017/09/20/explained-catalan-controversy-as-independence-referendum-looms">Euro News</a>, &#8220;Spanish police have already seized Catalan government-produced leaflets and posters urging voters to back the &#8216;yes&#8217; campaign.&#8221; <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/protests-police-detain-catalan-officials-referendum-crisis-104629056.html">Yahoo News</a> reported that &#8220;police had seized &#8216;close to 10 million ballot papers&#8217; destined for a vote deemed illegal by Madrid and the courts.&#8221; And then, on Wednesday, Spanish police began <a href="http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-09-20/we-are-state-siege-spanish-police-arrest-top-catalan-officials-referendum-raids">arresting top Catalan officials</a>, leading Catalonia&#8217;s Minister of Labor, Social Affairs and Family to say, &#8220;Catalonia is now in a state of siege.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/20/world/europe/catalonia-referendum-spain.html">The New York Times</a> notes that Catalan separatist leaders &#8220;have accused Mr. Rajoy of plunging Catalonia into a state of emergency rather than negotiating the terms of a referendum.&#8221; Tensions are growing, and according to the Times, Catalonia&#8217;s Foreign Affairs Chief Raül Romeva said that &#8220;Catalonia would hold the referendum as planned, and that Catalan lawmakers would act to honor the result within 48 hours &#8212; meaning they would declare independence unilaterally if people voted for it.&#8221;
And the people may well vote for it. <a href="https://sg.news.yahoo.com/catalan-govt-says-referendum-plans-dealt-blow-112812488.html">AFP</a> reports that polls show that &#8220;while Catalans are sharply divided on whether they want independence or not, a large majority would like to vote to settle the matter.&#8221; If the region does choose secession, it could result in civil war.
Catalan&#8217;s independence would be a large blow to Spain&#8217;s economy. In 2015, a <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/05/catalonia-is-critical-contributor-to-spains-economy.html">CNBC</a> report found that Catalonia was responsible for about 20% of Spain&#8217;s 2013 GDP. The small region also &#8220;represents about 25% of all Spanish exports, and it accounted for 23% of all Spanish industry.&#8221;
With many officials and separatist supporters doubling down on their commitment to the vote, and the country&#8217;s central government using increasingly heavy-handed tactics to quell the movement, Spain may be lighting a fuse that will be difficult to put out.
For now, the United States appears to have chosen to stay out of the mix, issuing a brief statement from the U.S. Embassy in Madrid that described Catalan independence pressures as an &#8220;internal issue&#8221; for Spain to figure out on its own.

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