Costa Blanca
The best ice cream makers in the world met in Benidorm
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Gelateria Pinocchio’s Alex Fratini, an ice cream maker and representative for Abreca (Association of Bars, Restaurants and Cafeterias), together with Marco Levati, the organization’s director, joined the mayor on a tour of the various stands.
In the Benidorm Ice Cream Grand Prix, 150 competitors vie for the coveted title and exclusive prizes, with a Porsche Boxter taking first place, a Vespa Piaggio coming in second, and a Bravo machine coming in third. The competition blends creativity, technique, and flavour.
Prominent figures from the industry, including Paco Torreblanca, the world’s top pastry chef in 2022 and the recipient of the Generalitat’s Medal d’Or 9 d’Octubre in 2024, as well as 150 participating businesses and over 4,500 operators from throughout Europe, attended the tournament. Among these, Gelateria Pinocchio stands in for Benidorm. According to Marco Levati, the event has doubled the number of attendees each year, with over 6,000 specialists participating overall in 2025.
Toni Pérez’s attendance was intended to highlight Benidorm’s dedication to projects that “boost the projection of the city as a first-class tourist and gastronomic destination.” As the mayor has stated, “The Ice Cream Grand Prix not only highlights the talent of ice cream makers, but also reinforces the image of Benidorm as a place where excellence and innovation have a place.” This event is significant for the town. In a field that has its roots and recognition in the province of Alicante, he has identified this event as the second most significant in the world.
With suggestions that delighted the jury and the general public, the event, which concludes today, has flooded the Melià Villaitana hotel with flavours and scents. The jury has tasted the pros’ chocolate and mango masterpieces in anonymous containers. Twelve of them were chosen, and they have since produced the traditional Cremino ice cream from Piedmont, Italy. The awards ceremony, which is a much-anticipated event that will wrap up two days of fierce competition, will take place today. This new edition of the 2025 Ice Cream Grand Prix solidifies its standing as one of the sweetest and most eagerly awaited events on the calendar, adding to Benidorm’s cultural and economic vibrancy. Other ice cream competitions in Budapest, Hungary, Vienna, Austria, and Split, Croatia, will follow throughout 2025.
However, the event organisers have already said that the winner would receive a Maserati and that the awards will be upgraded to a higher level the following year.
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Costa Blanca
Two people were detained for stealing 1,700 euro worth of gourmet food
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According to a statement from the Armed Institute, the Civil Guard has detained two males in connection with a pending theft case. The suspects are accused of taking gourmet goods worth over 1,700 euros from a Calp (Alicante) store.
Agents from the Civil Guard’s Investigation Department in this municipality of Alicante conducted covert surveillance on the morning of February 26th after noticing “suspicious behaviour” by a man inside a car stopped in front of a nearby supermarket.
A few minutes later, someone else walked out of the store with a backpack full of merchandise, hastily loading everything into the car’s trunk.
The officers then stepped in, recognised the two people, and searched the car. Numerous packages containing gourmet goods, such as fine canned seafood, Iberian gammon and particular pieces of beef, were discovered inside.
The Guardia Civil officers verified with the local supermarket that the items had been stolen and had not been picked up because the accused could not provide proof that they had bought them. The officers recovered the stolen goods and made arrangements for their donation to a charity, which was thereafter in charge of distributing them.
On the morning of February 27th, the detainees—two males of Romanian nationality, ages 40 and 59—were taken before the Dénia (Alicante) on-call court. They had prior convictions for comparable offences in other provinces. After that, they were freed on bail.
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Costa Blanca
Three arrested in Elche for having uncontracted workers and selling drugs
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Three people—two women and a man—were taken into custody by the National Police in Elche on charges of selling illegal drugs from a business and abusing employees without a contract.
Spanish nationals who were arrested oversaw three companies in the municipality, one of which was shut down during the inquiry for irregular operations.
The National Police Corps claims that the inquiry started when the Elche Police Station learnt of evidence suggesting that there were employees operating in two particular establishments without a contract and in an unlawful manner.
The complaint claims that some of the employees who worked weekends and nights were paid five euros per hour. They also experienced issues being paid.
The same individuals who owned the first two establishments may also be selling illegal drugs, according to information the National Police received.
None of the employees employed by the individuals under investigation had Social Security registrations.
However, 120 marijuana packages and 25 hashish packages were found in one of the searched locations. At the time of the inspection, a portion of this material was on display in the institution alongside other food and sweet items, seeming to be different kinds of candy.
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Where’s the best place to see the alignment of the seven planets tonight?
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Tonight, February 28th, 2025, the night sky will provide an unparalleled astronomical experience: a planetary alignment that will bring the Solar System’s seven planets together. An astronomical phenomenon that is “unique” and won’t happen again until 2040. Five of these will be observable with the unaided eye.
From Spain, the planetary alignment will be well visible. The condition of the sky will be the only issue. Since a storm will bring cloud cover to a large portion of the map, the weather will affect how visible the phenomena is from our nation.
Where can Spain get the best views of the aligned planets? Forecasts indicate that because of the reduced cloud cover, the south and west of Galicia, as well as the coastal regions of the Basque Country, Asturias, and Cantabria, will be the ideal places to watch this phenomenon.
How can I see the planets that will be aligned?
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune will all be in the lineup.
Without a telescope, the first five will be visible:
Mercury: Since it will be so low on the horizon, it will be challenging to observe.
Even in places with light pollution, Venus is the brightest planet.
Mars: Its distinctive reddish hue will make it stand out.
Jupiter: Brightness-wise, second only to Venus.
Saturn: Even though it will be the faintest, optical devices can still see it.
To view Uranus and Neptune, you’ll need a telescope or astronomical binoculars.
It is crucial to locate an area free of light pollution and give your eyes at least half an hour to adjust to the darkness in order to fully enjoy this event.
When will Spain be able to see the planetary alignment?
On Saturday March 1st, well before sunrise, between 5:00 and 7:00 a.m., is the ideal time to see the planetary alignment.
At 7:50 p.m., Saturn will vanish from the sky.
It will be 8:22 p.m. when Mercury sets.
At 8:34 p.m., Neptune will set.
Up to 9:52 p.m., Venus will be visible.
It will be 01:21 when Uranus sets.
At 02:55, Jupiter will vanish from view.
At 5:47 p.m., Mars will be the last planet to set.
It is advised to use programs like SkyMap, Stellarium, or SkySafari and to look towards the east-southeast horizon in order to locate the planets in the sky.
Sky conditions on the evening of February 28th
The peninsula and the Balearic Islands are expected to have a lot of cloud cover, according to weather forecasts, which may make it challenging to see the event in many places. However, Asturias, Cantabria, the Basque Country’s coast, and the south and west of Galicia are predicted to have the clearest sky.
There will be periods of cloud cover on the Canary Islands, which may impair visibility.
Until 2040, a singular astronomical phenomena
It is uncommon for planets to align with so many heavenly bodies. Since a similar event won’t happen again until 2040, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to witness an unparalleled celestial display.
If the weather permits, the early hours of Saturday March 1st will be ideal for admiring the sky and the universe.
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