Valencia Initiates Special Traffic Control for Solar Eclipse
In preparation for the solar eclipse on August 12, the Valencia City Council has activated a special operational plan. Due to the forest fire risk being elevated to its highest level (Level 3), the Albufera Natural Park (Parc Natural de l’Albufera) and the Devesa del Saler forest will be closed to the public on the day of the event.
Traffic control measures will be in effect, with several roads leading to the southern beaches and forest areas closed to general traffic. Access will be limited to residents, authorized personnel, and public transport. The Devesa del Saler forest will be closed all day, while its nearby beaches and restaurants will close by 6:00 PM. From 6:00 PM, the V-15 exit to El Saler, relevant intersections on the CV-500, and the underpass on Avenida del Profesor López Piñero will be closed. Traffic on the V-30 will also be affected. For official viewing spots like Malvarrosa beach, traffic control will begin at 4:00 PM and will be adjusted based on crowd size. Officials advise the public to prioritize using EMT public buses or the metro for travel.
To prevent fires, the fire department conducted cooling operations by spraying water in the forest areas early in the morning.
Spain to Implement ‘400’ Prefix to Regulate Commercial Calls
The Spanish government has announced that starting October 17 this year, all commercial marketing calls must use the ‘400’ prefix. This measure aims to help consumers identify the commercial nature of a call before answering, preventing unnecessary disruptions to their daily lives and work.
Under the new regulation, any incoming call starting with ‘+400’ will be identified as a telemarketing call, and users will not be able to call these numbers back. Additionally, consumers have the right to report any commercial calls that do not use the mandated ‘400’ prefix.
This initiative is part of a government plan to combat phone scams, launched in February, which has already successfully blocked over 300 million nuisance or fraudulent calls. As a complementary measure, starting in September, commercial text messages sent from numbers not registered with Spain’s National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) will also be systematically blocked.
Powerful 7.4 Magnitude Quake in Colombia Kills 224
On August 10 local time, Colombia was struck by a powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake. The epicenter was located in San José del Palmar in the department of Chocó, at a depth of approximately 82 kilometers. The earthquake caused devastating damage across multiple regions of Colombia.
According to official statistics as of August 11, the earthquake has resulted in 224 deaths, over 900 injuries, and hundreds more missing. Cities such as Cali, Pereira, and Quibdó were hit particularly hard, with the death toll in Cali alone reaching 85. Numerous buildings collapsed during the quake. Rescue teams, alongside civilians, are working through the night to search for survivors in the rubble. Spanish Foreign Minister Álvarez confirmed that 164 Spanish citizens were temporarily unaccounted for after the earthquake. Colombian authorities are continuing to assess the damage and conduct search and rescue operations.
Sex Trafficking Ring Targeting Underage Migrants Dismantled in Canary Islands
Spain’s Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) recently dismantled a criminal network on Gran Canaria involved in luring and sexually exploiting underage migrants. In the operation, police arrested five suspects and have identified at least five underage girls from sub-Saharan Africa as victims.
Investigations revealed that the criminal group specifically targeted girls from a reception center for minors in Firgas, luring them away with false promises of ‘earning money by working in France.’ The gang then provided the victims with forged passports, transported them to Paris, and held them captive in an apartment, forcing them into prostitution. The case broke when one victim managed to escape and seek help from her original reception center. Of the five victims found so far, one is only 16 years old and had an infant with her when she escaped. Police suspect that about 10 other minors who have gone missing from the center in recent years may have also fallen into the hands of this network. The investigation is ongoing.
Anti-LGBTQ+ Movements in African Nations Worsen AIDS Prevention Crisis
In recent years, several African countries, including Uganda and Senegal, have tightened laws against LGTBIQ+ communities, posing a severe challenge to local AIDS prevention efforts. For example, a new law in Uganda imposes sentences up to life imprisonment or even the death penalty for homosexual acts. This has led many LGTBIQ+ individuals to avoid seeking medical care for fear of discrimination or being reported, while some healthcare workers refuse to provide services due to legal risks. Data shows that HIV treatment coverage among gay men in Uganda has plummeted from 72% to 58% in three years.
In Ghana, a survey of nearly 300 people showed that 27% of respondents had been threatened with being reported to the police because of their sexual orientation, and over 22% had consequently stopped participating in health programs. Experts point out that while new long-acting antiviral drugs like lenacapavir offer new hope for high-risk populations, persistent fear and discrimination are pushing the most vulnerable groups away from the healthcare system.
Iran Threat Revelation: Trump Used Catering Truck for Secret Plane Swap
Details of a secret plane swap undertaken by former U.S. President Donald Trump a month ago due to a security threat from Iran have recently been revealed by the media. The incident occurred on July 8, after Trump concluded his attendance at a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. Intelligence agencies detected a potential security risk, prompting the execution of a highly classified extraction plan.
According to reports, Trump did not depart on the presidential aircraft ‘Air Force One’ as scheduled. Instead, he was secretly transferred via a catering service truck on the tarmac to a smaller C-32A military aircraft. Meanwhile, ‘Air Force One’, carrying journalists and some White House staff, took off on time to act as a decoy, concealing Trump’s real movements. Trump then flew on the C-32A to RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom, where he re-boarded ‘Air Force One’ and returned safely to the United States. The operation was so highly classified that most of the accompanying personnel were not informed.
