In order to safeguard its facilities, Elche has implemented a prohibition on the sale and consumption of sunflower seeds on the stadium grounds, commencing with the upcoming match against Levante on May 10th. According to Elche’s statement, the measure is also being implemented to ensure hygiene and to reaffirm the club’s dedication to environmental sustainability and respect.

Recently, the green-and-white team has asserted that the substantial consumption of sunflower seeds at matches has resulted in a structural issue. The club’s statement asserts that “the shells clog drains and pipes; they damage the seats and affect the paint and finishes on multiple surfaces; they significantly increase cleaning and maintenance costs; they attract infestations of rats and pigeons; and, above all, they jeopardise the health of the stands.”

Elche also emphasises that “it is not feasible to eliminate the waste entirely” despite the cleanup teams’ endeavours. Furthermore, Elche states that the sunflower seed husks “contribute to the erosion of the concrete floor and the accumulation of debris in hard-to-reach areas.”

Finally, the club acknowledges that the decision is not “intended to punish any fan” and expresses gratitude to its supporters for their comprehension.

The contract for the draughting of the project and construction management for the development of land as park-and-ride parking has been approved by the Local Government Board of Torrevieja City Council. OWNplan – JARS, a joint venture, will be responsible for contracting the project. The project will be developed within a month, with a budget of €57,952.26.

Six publicly owned and presently vacant plots of land will be the subject of construction. These plots are located in various regions of the municipality. The municipality will receive over 150,000 additional square metres of temporary parking as a result of these initiatives, which are designed to alleviate traffic congestion in the city centre and promote the use of more sustainable modes of transportation.

The new parking sites will be located in strategic locations. One of them will be situated near the N-332, between the Acequión Canal, Calle Urbano Arregui, and Avenida de la Estación. Another will be situated at the intersection of Avenida de la Estación and Calle Ciudad de Barcelona, adjacent to the Acequión Public School. In addition, a plot of land will be established adjacent to the residential area of Parque de las Naciones, near the same national highway. A location will be established in the Torreta area between Avenida Ramón del Valle Inclán and Calle José María de Pereda and Emilia Pardo Bazán. An additional plot of land will be developed in the vicinity of Calle Juan Valera, between Avenida Rosa Mazón Valero and the CV-905. Lastly, the most expansive location will be situated on Avenida Delfina Viudes, adjacent to Antonio Soria Park and the weekly market, with a total surface area exceeding 90,000 square meters.

The initiative is in response to the increasing demand for parking spaces from both residents and visitors, as noted by the City Council. The provision of these spaces also aims to stimulate active mobility on foot or by bicycle, as well as to promote more efficient modes of transportation, such as public transport, shared mobility, and high-occupancy vehicles. The objective is to enhance the purity of air, reduce air pollution levels, improve traffic flow, and reduce the occupation of public space by private vehicles. This will contribute to the general well-being.

In Guardamar del Segura, Madrid, Barcelona, and Tarragona, the National Police have apprehended 27 putative members of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS13) gang. The Salvadoran criminal organisation intends to broaden its influence in Spain through violent means. The individuals apprehended were members of numerous cliques or factions that were organised under the leadership of the “Adams Clique” and were supervised by the Americas. The U.S. has classified this Latin American gang as a terrorist organisation. Drug trafficking sustained the gang, and the police have linked some of the arrested individuals to attempted and completed homicides.

The province of Alicante has apprehended a single individual, while Madrid, Barcelona, and Tarragona have each seen 18 arrests. The police have accused them of homicide, bodily harm, robbery with violence, and offences against public health, as well as belonging to a criminal organisation.

This is the Mara Salvatrucha gang’s second significant setback in Spain. The 37 defendants from the Mara Salvatrucha gang, which was based in Ibi, Girona, Madrid, and Barcelona, were sentenced to a total of 89 years and six months in prison by the Alicante Court in 2018.

The investigation commenced with the detection of individuals associated with the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang in Spain by agents from the National Police’s General Information Commissariat, which was made possible by international collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

In collaboration with the National Civil Police of El Salvador and the aforementioned US law enforcement agencies, the police were able to identify all members of this organisation, which is predominantly located in the cities of Madrid and Barcelona.

Drug Financing Investigators have determined that this criminal organisation maintained a hierarchical structure with clearly defined roles. The primary source of funding for this MS13 “program” that was dismantled by the police was narcotic trafficking, and its objective was to acquire firearms. Previous investigations have implicated its members in attempted assassinations and completed homicides.

The exploitation phase commenced on March 27, following the identification of the members of this group. Consequently, authorities apprehended 27 individuals and searched six residences.

The General Intelligence Commission, the Provincial Intelligence Brigades of Barcelona, Alicante, Tarragona, and Madrid, the FBI, representatives of the National Civil Police of El Salvador, and the Barcelona Urban Guard were all involved in the operation, which was overseen by the Prosecutor’s Office against Corruption and Organised Crime and led by Madrid’s Investigative Court No. 3.

During the searches, the officers confiscated symbols, knives, simulated firearms, narcotics, items for sale, and mobile phones.

They convened a court to hear the detainees. Seven of them were incarcerated, while two others were still in custody. They were arrested in distinct penitentiaries and held in pretrial detention for actions related to the organisation’s activities. The Torrevieja duty court heard the case of the individual apprehended in Guardamar, who did not reside in the municipality.

The U.S. State Department declared Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) a foreign terrorist organisation in February of last year, taking the same course of action as El Salvador in August 2015.