Costa Blanca
Vespas take to the road to raise awareness about a neglected disease

The scooter is once more serving as a catalyst for charitable endeavours. The Scooter Rider Costa Blanca will commence in Alcoy on Saturday, March 29th. This event will traverse the heart of Alicante, from the inland to the coast, and will showcase classic Vespas and Lambrettas, all in an effort to increase awareness of a disease that is largely obscure to the general public.
The fourth incarnation of the Scooter Rider Costa Blanca will feature over 140 motorcycles of all colours, brought from various regions of Spain and even Europe, as they ride in large numbers to raise awareness of the reality experienced by individuals with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.
The solidarity route spans 150 kilometres between the mountains and the coast, passing through ravines, emblematic harbours, dream roads, and iconic beaches. It is free of charge.
Approximately 70 individuals, or 50% of the event participants, are anticipated to arrive in Alcoy on Friday, March 28th, and will be allocated to the city’s numerous accommodations. They are from the Balearic Islands, the Valencian Community, the Valencian Community, Madrid, Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha, and Catalonia.
Jordi Linares, the event’s creator, emphasises the significance of the participation of colleagues from Vespa Club Poland, who have strategically scheduled their visit to Spain to attend this event, as well as other colleagues from various nationalities, including France, Italy, and Argentina.
The 140 motorcycles will depart from Plaza de España in Alcoy on Saturday, the 29th. The group will commence a charity route at 10:00 a.m. and will visit iconic locations along the Costa Blanca, such as Alcoy, Barranc de la Batalla, Puerto de la Carrasqueta, Torre de les Maçanes, Relleu, and Finestrat.
The Benidorm Local Police will be present to provide them with a triumphant tour of Levante Beach. The entire group is expected to assemble at Terra Natura Benidorm at 2:30 p.m., where they have been actively participating in the charity event from the outset.
Many local Vespitas will return to their homes in Valencia, Altea, Benidorm, Elche, Alicante, and other cities after lunch and a visit to Terra Natura Park. The main group will return to Alcoy, where they are expected to appear at Plaza de España at 6 p.m.
The organisation of small subgroups or “squads” on the road is one of the event’s distinctive features. “In order to prevent the disruption of regular road traffic, participants will be divided into five groups, each with its own group leader and logistical support. This will foster a sense of community and friendship as they ride towards a common objective,” the organisers explain.
“In order to ensure that no one is excluded from future editions, we will raise a modest sum of money and expand the event to a wider audience next year,” declares Jordi Linares.
Our primary goal is to increase awareness and provide financial support for research on this debilitating, degenerative disease that impacts all organs in the body and manifests over 200 symptoms.
“The condition is akin to Alzheimer’s disease, which was unknown 30 years ago, and was treated as if it were a mental illness.” Linares laments, “They even administered electric shocks to the patients’ heads, as was previously done.”
For more information see here https://www.facebook.com/ScooterRiderCostaBlanca/
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Costa Blanca
In Alicante, three arrested for stealing a gold chain from a man who was working out

Three men have been taken into custody by National Police officers in Alicante on suspicion of violent robbery and resisting an officer. A gold chain was brutally torn from around the neck of a man who was exercising in public after the suspects asked him to take a picture of them. A foot chase and prompt police action led to the recovery of the jewellery and the arrest of the offenders.
The incident started when someone called CIMACC Room 091 to report that he had been robbed. The victim was seen pursuing three males by the patrol sent to the location, but they ran away when they saw the police.
Officers started a foot pursuit right away, and the three males were finally apprehended and stopped. They were charged with violent robbery and resisting arrest. Officers recovered the stolen gold chain, and it was given back to its rightful owner.
The victim informed police that two people approached him while he was playing sports in a public area and requested him to take their picture. While he went to retrieve his mobile phone, one of the criminals violently grabbed him by the neck and pulled his chain. The three accused attempted to escape after physically assaulting him for resisting.
The inmates have been turned over to the Alicante investigating court after police investigations.
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Costa Blanca
Young man arrested in Alicante for murder in France

In a combined operation by the Spanish National Police and French authorities, S. AB, an 18-year-old Algerian immigrant, was found and taken into custody on Tuesday 25th March in Alicante, in the Valencian Country, about two months after he fled France, where he was wanted for murder. A 25-year-old security guard at a popular nightclub in the city of Saint-Étienne took in the youngster, who had entered the country illegally. The individual who was arrested is being held by the police while they wait for him to be extradited to France, which may take up to a month.
After failing to get in touch with the victim for days, a relative went in search of him and discovered him dead inside his flat on February 9th. There were no indications that a knife or gun had been used. The autopsy’s forensic specialists determined that strangulation-induced cardiac arrest was the cause of death. Although the motive for the crime is still being investigated, investigators discovered evidence of drugs next to the body, which could indicate retaliation for a drug debt or another disagreement involving drug trafficking.
Searching for a “very dangerous” fugitive for a month
SAB was always the main suspect in this case; the victim’s family knew he had provided him with shelter in the days before her death, and they didn’t hear from him again. Officers from the Specialised Organised Crime Division tracked the suspect’s potential exit from the country after learning that he had departed Saint-Étienne in the hours immediately after the murder. Hundreds of bus and train station cameras were examined, yet SAB used covert means to enter Spain and continued to travel till he arrived in Alicante.
Two weeks after the crime, on February 22th, Interpol released a Red Notice, which is an arrest and surrender warrant that permits worldwide cooperation in the apprehension of dangerous criminals, along with the suspect’s information and photo. This information, along with other details regarding his potential movements throughout Spain, was gathered by the Spanish National Police’s Fugitives Squad. A few weeks later, police were able to track him down, and they conducted close surveillance in the Alicante region until March 25th, the day he was arrested.
There were no problems during the arrest process. The police are currently working to determine the motive behind the murder while his extradition is pending. At this point, it’s unknown if it was a personal conflict or anything related to drugs.
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Costa Blanca
Alicante health centres are restricting phone appointments

Phone medical care was promoted during the pandemic to conduct pre-screenings for coronavirus cases and provide information about the disease. It subsequently became established as a useful tool to expedite consultations that did not require in-person visits and to relieve congestion in overcrowded health centres. However, in recent weeks, some patients have encountered difficulties requesting a telephone appointment through the Ministry of Health’s app, GVA SALUT+, as this option is not available in some health centres, leaving only an in-person choice.
The regional government explains that this is because telephone consultations may experience “long delays” due to congestion, but denies that this option has been eliminated in any health area. In cases where telephone appointments are not available on the app, patients who wish to be seen by their primary care physician by phone must request it directly from the admission staff at their reference health centre, according to healthcare professionals consulted by this newspaper.
Medical sources explain that in some health centres, telephone appointments have been restricted to certain professionals due to their widespread use and the “frequent” lack of response from some patients when the doctor called. This situation especially affects people who study or work outside their city of origin and cannot attend their health centre in person.
Affected People
“I always made a telephone appointment with my doctor. For example, the other day I had a urinary tract infection, and although I was treated at another emergency room, I usually followed up with my doctor so she could prescribe more medication if necessary,” explains O.P., a patient who has been unable to access this option for at least three weeks.
A similar case is that of V.F., who lives outside his city and needed to process a medical leave after suffering a severe blow that landed him in the emergency room. “I had to go to my health centre in person for the appointment with my doctor,” he notes. Despite these testimonies, the Regional Ministry of Health insists that telephone consultations are still available at all health centres and attributes the incidents to “specific technical adjustments to the schedules.” Furthermore, they emphasise that they consider this resource “very valuable” and that they do not intend to eliminate it.
Differences between in-person and telephone appointments
Regarding the time difference between in-person and telephone appointments, a notable difference can be observed at some health centres in the province. At the San Blas health centre in Alicante, in-person appointments are available same day with several times to choose from, while telephone appointments are delayed by two weeks.
At the Plaza América health centre, also in Alicante, the telephone option with some professionals does not offer appointments, and at the I de Villena health centre, it is not even available. In Elche, at the Doctor Alberto GarcÃa auxiliary office, appointments by phone are delayed by almost two weeks.
In-Person
It’s worth remembering that the Ministry of Health has prioritised in-person care over telephone calls in the provinces of Alicante, Valencia, and Castellón in the last month, as part of the new scheduling model implemented by the Directorate General of Primary Care. According to doctors consulted, the new schedules limited telephone consultations to a maximum of six per day, which has significantly reduced their availability.
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