Spain smashes Chinese prostitution ring in Mallorca
Spanish police on Saturday said they had freed 15 Chinese women forced into prostitution in "conditions of slavery" in Palma de Mallorca, the capital of the Balearic islands, and arrested 14 people.
The network profited not only from sexual exploitation, but also from selling stimulants and drugs to clients.
"The victims were kept in conditions of slavery; they had to be available at all times," the national police said.
Some of the women were already on the Spanish mainland or "had travelled from China to Spain after accepting purported job offers as therapeutic massage therapists, with a salary of around 2,000 euros a month, or as cooks or caregivers," the statement said.
The operation ended with 14 arrests: 12 in the Balearic Islands and two in Barcelona.
Seven of those arrested were remanded in custody.
All the detainees are Chinese nationals except one, a Spaniard.
Ex-regional head Puigdemont criticises Catalonia ‘incompetence’
The former President of the Generalitat and leader of separatist party Junts per Catalunya, Carles Puigdemont, has criticised Socialist governance in the region. "After a year and a half of Spanish nationalist and Socialist government" he said, the region has "completely collapsed" due to the “incompetence” of a regional government that "only offers Catalans propaganda".
Puigdemont, a fugitive from Spanish law, made his comments at a press conference after the Junts national council meeting held on Saturday morning in the French town of Perpignan.
The former President also took the chance to mention trains in the northeastern region, stating: "Catalonia is not working. There is growing mistrust in the ability of a government that claims to govern for everyone, but which has no trains for nobody".
Spain calls for Mercosur implementation without court ruling
Spain has called for a trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur group of Latin American countries to be implemented without waiting for a European court ruling. This is despite the European Parliament's recent vote to refer certain sections of the pact to the EU Court of Justice to determine whether or not they are in line with the European Charter.
"We have no time to lose," said Carlos Cuerpo, Spain's Minister of Economy, Trade and Enterprise, from Davos last week.
Following the vote, the European Commission must now decide whether to proceed with implementing the agreement or suspend it until the court rules on its legality.
Catalonia still without fully functioning commuter train services
An incident at the Adif control centre on Monday has once again left Catalonia without Rodalies commuter rail services for almost an hour, despite yesterday's announcement by the Catalan government that service would partially resume today.
The network was scheduled to partially resume service but at 6.45 am Renfe's spokesperson in Catalonia announced the suspension of services.
However, after a few minutes of chaos at the stations, they announced that trains were gradually and progressively moving again. It only lasted a few minutes before services were interrupted again.
Jewish graves desecrated in Barcelona cemetery
Vandals desecrated a number of Jewish graves in a Barcelona cemetery this weekend, Spanish police said Sunday, provoking outrage from Jewish groups and politicians.
Spain's Jewish community reported Saturday's incident in the Jewish section of Les Corts graveyard in Barcelona.
"We are aware of the incident and have opened an investigation," a Catalan police spokesperson told AFP, without specifying how many graves had been defaced.
But a spokesperson for Spain's Federation of Jewish Communities (FCJE) told AFP that more than 20 graves had been desecrated.
In a statement, the FCJE condemned the "despicable antisemitic act", calling on the authorities to "show the utmost resolve in confronting antisemitism".
It linked the incident to a map -- created by pro-Palestinian activists and since removed from the internet -- that marks Jewish or Israeli-linked places and businesses in Barcelona.
"With these events, the level of antisemitism takes an alarming leap, moving from words to actions, from incitement to direct attack," said the FCJE.
Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni denounced the incident in a statement on social media, adding that the authorities were "working to identify those responsible".
"Hate has no place in a pluralistic and respectful Barcelona," he added.
With additional reporting by AFP.
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