Costa Blanca

The best ice cream makers in the world met in Benidorm

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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Related Topics:2025 Alicante Benidorm Europe Italy Mayor Province Public Tourist

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Costa Blanca

Sextortionists caught by the National Police

Several members of a Nigerian criminal organisation that threatens Spanish citizens with the publication of pornographic videos have been apprehended by the National Police during Operation Teknon.

In particular, victim complaints have been found in Valladolid, A Coruña, Gijón, Albacete, Alicante, Cáceres, and Las Palmas Gran Canaria.

According to the Canary Islands Police Headquarters, this group made phoney social media profiles featuring pictures of gorgeous women and then reached out to individuals, asking for intimate images and videos once they had gained some trust.

After claiming to have access to all of their contacts because they had previously taken the material from their social networks, they demanded payment in order to keep the files private and avoid being reported to the authorities for paedophilia (identifying themselves as minors).

Sextortion

In particular, victim complaints have been found in Valladolid, A Coruña, Gijón, Albacete, Alicante, Cáceres, and Las Palmas Gran Canaria.

The National Police noted that in certain instances, the victims paid to keep their private photos hidden.

When victims lacked the financial means to pay, they were compelled to work as mules for the organisation. They accept money from other victims and transfer it to the criminal organization’s wallets, thereby participating in the original crime and possibly committing another money laundering crime.

Lastly, using specialised applications for tracking cryptocurrency assets, the National Police’s Economic and Tax Crime Unit was able to identify the ultimate destination of the illicitly transferred funds, which were always wallets belonging to Nigerian nationals aged 20 to 35.

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Costa Blanca

In Alicante, a motorcyclist runs over a pedestrian and a worker falls from scaffolding

Numerous incidents that necessitated the involvement of emergency services have occurred in the province of Alicante yesterday. The initial incident happened in Elda’s Calle Padre Manón. A call regarding a worker falling from a scaffold was received by the Emergency Information and Coordination Centre (CICU) around 8.40 am. The 38-year-old victim was taken to Elda Hospital with multiple bruises after an ambulance from the Basic Life Service (SVB) was sent out almost away.

Twenty minutes later, at approximately nine in the morning, the CICU got another call, this time from Alicante’s Avenida Conde de Lumiares. A man, age 21, sustained bruising after being involved in a car-motorbike collision. After treating the victim at the scene of the accident, the Emergency Medical Service (SAMU) medical team took him to Alicante General Hospital.

The hectic day ended at 2:00 pm when a new warning was issued on a hit-and-run incident on Avenida Joan Fuster in Dénia in which a motorbike had ran over a pedestrian. According to the Emergency Information and Coordination Centre, the motorbike rider and the pedestrian were both hurt in the double accident.

The 65-year-old woman who was driven over had a fracture and a head injury, while the 16-year-old biker sustained a head injury. Due to the severity of both situations, the victims have been sent to the Dénia Hospital and are being cared for by the SVB and SAMU.

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Costa Blanca

Alicante couple jailed for offering drugs to a minor in exchange for sex

The Alicante Court sentenced a 35-year-old woman and a 37-year-old man to two and one year in prison, respectively, for the crime of corruption of children, which involves giving a kid a dose of a drug in exchange for sexually abusing her.

Following an agreement with the prosecutor’s office that eliminated a claimed criminal against public health, the two defendants confessed the facts at the start of the hearing, indicating that the trial did not need to be continued.

Both defendants were found guilty of the crime of corruption of children by the Second Section court that heard the case. They were also ordered to pay the victim 6,000 euros in joint and severally compensation.

According to the sentence, both approached the girl, who was 17 at the time, and offered to have her as the victim of the attack in exchange for a dose of an unidentified narcotic on March 29th, 2022, in Alcoy.

The penalty includes a five-year restraining order of 500 meters from the victim, six further years of supervised release, a 12-month fine for the accused at the rate of four euros per day, and a two-year prison sentence for the lady and a one-year sentence for the male.