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Discover horse riding at Ranch Siesta Los Rubios open afternoon
PUBLISHED: 2025-12-03 06:15:46If you’ve ever thought about trying horse riding, Ranch Siesta Los Rubios in Selwo is inviting you to its open afternoon on Saturday December 13 from 4pm to 6pm. The event is the perfect opportunity to meet the team, have a chat about riding options, and see the horses up close.
Lessons for all levels
Ranch Siesta Los Rubios offers lessons for riders of all abilities. Beginners and those returning to riding can start at age 12, while more experienced riders can enjoy hacks through the stunning Sierra Bermeja mountains. Local regular riders also benefit from a discount.
Explore and experience
The open afternoon is designed for anyone curious about riding or considering restarting lessons. Visitors can explore the facilities, ask questions about lesson plans, and get a feel for the horses and environment. Whether you are new to riding or have some experience, the team at Ranch Siesta Los Rubios is on hand to provide guidance and advice.
How to book
Booking can be made via WhatsApp on +34 645 415697, Facebook message, or email info@ranchsiestalosrubios.com
Directions will be provided so visitors can easily find the ranch, located near Hospiten in Selwo, Estepona.
Reputation and scenic rides
Ranch Siesta Los Rubios has earned a strong reputation for quality and service, being rated number one on TripAdvisor. Their lessons are structured to suit a variety of levels, ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for all. Experienced riders can take part in scenic hacks that explore the beauty of the surrounding countryside.
Start your riding journey
Whether you are looking to take your first riding lesson or enjoy a ride through picturesque landscapes, the open afternoon is an ideal way to discover what Ranch Siesta Los Rubios has to offer.
Don’t miss the chance to meet the horses, chat with instructors, and find out how you can start your riding journey.
For more information search Ranch Siesta Los Rubios on Facebook.
Costa Blanca interior at the centre of investment plans for 2026
PUBLISHED: 2025-12-03 06:30:14The 2026 budget proposals for Alicante Provincial Council place the inland areas of the Costa Blanca at centre stage, with more than €40 million in planned investment aimed at revitalising small municipalities, strengthening essential services and curbing the ongoing depopulation affecting many rural valleys and mountain communities.
The interior of the Costa Blanca stands at the heart of the Socialist Group’s proposed amendments to Alicante Provincial Council’s 2026 budget, with an ambitious package exceeding €40 million. According to deputy Ismael Vidal, the plan represents “a firm commitment to small municipalities and those at risk of depopulation”, acknowledging that a lack of services remains the main driver behind the exodus of residents from rural areas such as the Vall de Gallinera, the Vall d’Ebo and Castell de Castells.
Boost to essential services and infrastructure
A substantial part of the initiative focuses on improving essential public services and infrastructure. More than €21 million is earmarked for new investment in town halls, health centres, multifunctional and social spaces for older residents, alongside the modernisation of sports facilities through the +Sport 2026 Plan, which has a €7 million budget. The aim is to offer a quality of life that encourages young people to remain in the province’s inland towns. The proposals also include technical reinforcement for municipalities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants, providing pools of administrative assistants and emergency technicians to help overcome bureaucratic hurdles that often prevent smaller councils from carrying out works or accessing grants.
Economic measures to counter depopulation
The package directly addresses depopulation with specific measures designed to stimulate local economic activity. These include the creation of coworking spaces under the ‘Smart Villages’ concept, rainwater collection systems for irrigation, designated areas for mobile markets to revitalise local commerce, and direct support for mobility and extensive livestock farming. All these initiatives aim to create employment opportunities and improve daily life in the province’s valleys and mountain communities.
Environmental reinforcement and heritage recovery
In environmental and heritage matters, the amendments increase investment in forest fire prevention to €2.5 million, a particularly significant step following the events of 2024. Additional funding is allocated to the repair of fire-damaged rural paths and the restoration of wetlands and natural landscapes, promoting sustainable rural tourism that makes the most of the scenic value of areas such as the Vall de Laguar. The proposals also strengthen funding lines for the preservation of traditional architecture and cultural heritage, including dry-stone construction—key elements for fostering local identity, attracting visitors and generating heritage-based economic activity.
Call to safeguard cash machine services in towns without banks
Alongside the presentation of these amendments, the Socialist Group will tomorrow bring a crucial motion to the full council on behalf of residents in municipalities without bank branches. The party will call on the Generalitat Valenciana to immediately renew contracts guaranteeing the operation of cash machines, insisting that the service must remain uninterrupted during administrative processing, be maintained, and even expanded as an essential resource.
A plan to secure the future of inland Alicante
Finally, Socialist spokesperson Vicente Arques underlined that with this series of initiatives, the fight against depopulation is placed “at the core of action for 2026”, reinforcing public services, accessibility, local employment, and environmental and heritage recovery as key pillars for a viable future in the villages of the Marina Alta and the rest of inland Alicante.
Today in Spain: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday
PUBLISHED: 2025-12-03 05:19:20Spain overpower Germany to win second women's Nations League
Spain defended their women's Nations League title with a 3-0 second leg win over Germany on Tuesday, following a goalless draw last week.
Claudia Pina's second-half brace, either side of a Vicky Lopez strike, secured 2023 World Cup winners Spain a third international trophy.
A record crowd on home soil for Spain of 55,843 at Atletico Madrid's Metropolitano Stadium watched Sonia Bermudez's side claim the first silverware of the new coach's reign.
Spain were shorn of three-time Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati after she fractured her leg on Sunday in training, but swept to victory with a convincing display in the capital.
Environmentalists and residents demand lights be switched off along Madrid river
Recently, approximately one hundred residents and members of environmental groups gathered to protest the new lighting Madrid City Council installed along a section of the Manzanares River.
They are demanding the lights are removed immediately and believe the installation is solely designed to attract tourism and could harm the flora and fauna that live along the river.
This issue is not new, however. The City Council has had plans to illuminate the Manzanares river since the summer of 2024, when the spotlights were installed.
In June, Ecologists in Action took the opinions of 80 scientists from the country's leading research institutions to court and requested precautionary measures, which resulted in the spotlights being turned off until the court ruling.
A month later the ruling was denied, but the plan was delayed until the end of November 2025.
Spain delays Verifactu invoicing system for the self-employed by one year
Spain’s Ministry of Finance confirmed that they would delay the introduction of the new Verifactu invoice verification system by one year to facilitate the adaptations needed.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced that the royal decree that the Council of Ministers has approved will include an extension of the deadline for the digitisation of companies.
This means small companies and the self-employed will no longer have to start using Verifactu invoice verification system for tax purposes next year.
It will not be mandatory until January 1st, 2027 if they pay corporate tax and July 1st 2027 for the rest.
Number of wild boars killed by swine fever in Barcelona increases
Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture has confirmed the deaths of seven more wild boars from African swine fever within a six-kilometre radius of where the first two positive cases were found in the Collserola Natural Park in Barcelona.
The Minister of Agriculture, Òscar Ordeig, explained that the more than 400 personnel are working to stop the spread of the virus, including the Military Emergency Unit.
He said they would mark out another six-kilometre radius to make sure no more wild boar remain in the area.
He also announced that a group of scientists led by the Animal Health Research Center (CReSA) and the Department of Universities of the Generalitat, will be created to evaluate the status of African swine fever vaccine trials, as well as containment measures that have worked in other places.
New Valencia leader sworn in and apologises to flood victims
Juanfran Pérez Llorca has be sworn in on Tuesday as the new President of the Generalitat of Valencia after Carlos Mazón resigned in early November due his handling of the devastating floods that hit the region last year.
Pérez Llorca took the opportunity to apologise to the families of the victims of the floods as dedicated his first words as president to them.
“These are necessary words to set things right,” he said. “Neither on October 29th 2024 nor in the days that followed did the public administration live up to what society deserved, and that is why I begin this address by asking for forgiveness”, he continued.
With additional reporting by AFP.
Spain's PM seeks to win back Catalan separatists to retain power
PUBLISHED: 2025-12-03 05:31:12Junts per Catalunya, led by exiled separatist figurehead Carles Puigdemont, proved decisive when its votes allowed Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to serve another term after inconclusive 2023 elections produced a hung parliament.
After backing the Socialist-led coalition on a case-by-case basis, the pro-business Junts withdrew its support in October, accusing the government of breaking its pledges.
Acknowledging the break represented a \"political crisis\", Sánchez told public television he \"accepted responsibility for those failures to follow through\" but stressed his \"desire to fulfil\" the promises.
Cabinet would approve reforms affecting local government spending and the digitalisation of company accounts, which Sánchez said Junts \"had already proposed to us months ago\".
A key sticking point is an amnesty law for those prosecuted in the northeastern Catalonia region's failed 2017 secession bid, Spain's worst political crisis in decades.
Although MPs approved the law last year, it does not apply to Puigdemont because he faces embezzlement charges that do not come under its scope, preventing his return to Spain from exile in Belgium.
Sánchez said he hoped Puigdemont, who led Catalonia's regional government during the secession crisis, could \"return soon\" and remained open to meeting him in the future.
The crisis with Junts compounds difficulties linked to separate corruption investigations into Sánchez's wife, brother and former Socialist heavyweights that have dogged the government.
One of the Socialist suspects, former transport minister Jose Luis Abalos, implied in an interview with El Mundo daily that Sánchez's wife Begoña Gómez irregularly intervened in the bailout of airline Air Europa during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sánchez, who has always defended his wife's innocence, told a separate interview with RAC1 radio on Tuesday that he would never accept \"threats\" or \"blackmail\" from individuals or the right-wing opposition, which demands his resignation and early elections.
Villajoyosa secures €141,862 to protect Bou Ferrer shipwreck and upgrade Vilamuseu
PUBLISHED: 2025-12-03 05:00:51Villajoyosa has been awarded two new grants under the Generalitat Valenciana’s Plan Restaura, aimed at supporting the preservation of the Bou Ferrer shipwreck and modernising various technical services at Vilamuseu. In total, the town will receive €141,862 for projects considered a priority in safeguarding its cultural heritage.
Major funding for Bou Ferrer protection system
The larger grant, worth €111,862, will fund 60% of a new protection system for the Bou Ferrer, the first shipwreck in the Valencian Community to be declared a Cultural Interest Asset (BIC) and one of the most significant underwater archaeological sites in the Mediterranean. Since 2017, it has been included in UNESCO’s World Register of Best Practices in Underwater Cultural Heritage, a recognition it still holds today.
Modernising a pioneering modular system
The current system, installed in 2001, was pioneering for its modular design, which facilitated both scientific campaigns and guided visits. After more than two decades, it now needs replacing. The new model has been developed through research by the University of Alicante in collaboration with local company Redsinsa Redes Sintéticas S.A. for Villajoyosa Town Council, and it is registered as a utility model with the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office. The structure combines high durability, strength, and lightness, preventing direct contact with the ship’s cargo while maintaining a modular design that will allow future campaigns and authorised visits to continue.
Reviving the Bou Ferrer Project
This upgrade marks the revival of the Bou Ferrer Project, led by the Regional Secretariat of Culture through the Directorate General of Cultural Heritage, in partnership with the Town Council, the University of Alicante, and the Villajoyosa Yacht Club. The site is also continuously monitored by the Special Group of Underwater Activities of the Civil Guard, which oversees its conservation.
Vilamuseu modernisation grant
The second grant, worth €30,000, is aimed at modernising Vilamuseu, with key improvements including the installation of two BMS and UPS systems to manage the building’s automation, updating the Domus inventory system, upgrading the multimedia room audio shared with the University of Alicante campus, and replacing obsolete computer equipment. It also covers painting at Vilamuseu and the Casa Museo La Barbera dels Aragonés, servicing the generator to ensure essential services during power cuts, and installing an accessible handrail in the reception area.
Strengthening Villajoyosa’s cultural heritage
These investments reinforce the town’s strategy to strengthen its cultural profile and safeguard the archaeological heritage that distinguishes Villajoyosa in the Marina Baixa. The modernisation of Vilamuseu and the upgrade of the Bou Ferrer protection system represent a decisive step in ensuring the preservation of a unique site, whose scientific research is still in its early stages.
Christmas Train in Palma launches for family festive tours
PUBLISHED: 2025-12-02 10:29:50As Palma's festive lights illuminate the city, the highly anticipated Christmas Train has returned as one of the main attractions of the \"Palma, Tot un Centre de Diversió\" campaign. Organised by local business associations AFEDECO and PIMECO, this initiative not only provides entertainment for families but also aims to boost local trade in the city centre during the coming weeks. The Christmas Train will travel through the most emblematic streets of the historic quarter, all decorated with lights and seasonal motifs that invite visitors to immerse themselves in the holiday spirit.
The route connects the busiest commercial areas of the city, starting from Plaza de la Reina and passing through Antoni Maura and Plaza Abu Yahya. During the journey, passengers can admire the decorated shop windows of local businesses, many of which are offering promotions, special tickets and discounts for those who shop along the route. These initiatives aim to strengthen the local economy and increase visibility for Palma's traditional businesses.
The Christmas Train will run daily until early January from 4.30pm to 9pm, timed perfectly for families to enjoy after work or school. Additional departures will be available on weekends, especially during key dates, to ensure everyone has the chance to climb aboard.
Additionally, on 12th, 19th, 20th and 27th December, the Christmas Train will conduct exclusive solidarity rides for elderly people. The objective, according to Pimeco and Afedeco representatives, is to bring the magic of Christmas to groups who might find it difficult to participate in city centre activities.
Additional festive attractions across the city
More than 40 fairground attractions will be set up at various points throughout the city, alongside children's activities and entertainment. Participating shops can provide invitation tickets to their customers to encourage purchases and participation in the activities. The campaign programme includes additional events, a new Christmas market in Sa Feixina and two ice rinks, all aimed at revitalising the city and local commerce.
New Christmas market in Sa Feixina
One of this year's main innovations is the Christmas market in Sa Feixina, which opened its doors last Friday. The space features craft stalls, gastronomy options and children's activities, as well as an ice rink.
Storm to hit Mallorca on Wednesday with cold temperatures and snow
PUBLISHED: 2025-12-02 11:34:39A storm system is set to arrive in Mallorca this Wednesday, bringing colder temperatures and snowfall to the peaks of Serra de Tramuntana, with snow expected at elevations above 1,300 metres. Jorge Rodríguez, deputy spokesperson for the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) in the Balearics, has indicated that conditions will be \"more reminiscent of winter than autumn.\"
The forecaster highlighted that cloudy intervals with occasional, scattered showers are expected, potentially accompanied by thunderstorms and hail. It's worth noting that these downpours could be locally intense, particularly in northern Mallorca. Thus far, Aemet hasn't deemed it necessary to issue any weather warnings.
Regarding temperatures, Rodríguez pointed out they'll be dropping considerably. Minimum temperatures will range between 4°C and 10°C, below the seasonal average. The cold will be particularly noticeable during daylight hours, as maximum temperatures won't exceed 13°C-16°C—significantly lower than the typical early December values of around 17°C. Meanwhile, moderate winds will blow from the northwest and north.
Thursday's forecast for Mallorca
The weather outlook for Thursday, 4th December, predicts cloudy intervals with occasional precipitation, increasing during the afternoon or evening to overcast skies with widespread and locally persistent rainfall. Night-time temperatures will continue to fall, while daytime temperatures will see little change. Winds will be light to moderate from the west, strengthening in the afternoon to moderate-strong, with gusts reaching 60 to 70 kilometres per hour.
Friday's conditions
On Friday, 5th December, forecasters anticipate cloudy intervals with scattered showers that may be accompanied by thunderstorms and hail. It's important to note that the snow line will remain at about 1,300 metres. Temperatures will continue their downward trend, with the lowest readings expected by the end of the day. Additionally, moderate to strong north and northwest winds will prevail, with gusts between 60 and 70 kilometres per hour.
Zelenskyy’s Chief of Staff quits following anti-corruption raid
PUBLISHED: 2025-12-03 00:00:00KYIV, Ukraine: Andrii Yermak, Ukraine's powerful chief of staff and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's lead negotiator in talks with the United States, has resigned following a search of his residence by anti-corruption investigators.
The search was a blow for the Ukrainian leader and risked disrupting his negotiating strategy at a time when Kyiv is under intense U.S. pressure to sign a peace deal nearly four years after Russia's full-scale invasion.
Yermak was Zelenskyy's trusted confidant, and the president had resisted persistent pressure to replace him.
Referring to the controversy over Yermak's extended stay at his side, Zelenskyy said Russia was waiting for Ukraine to make missteps that would upset the delicate, tense peace negotiations.
\"We don't have a right to retreat or argue between ourselves. If we lose unity, we risk losing everything — ourselves, Ukraine, our future,\" Zelenskyy said. \"We must unite, we must hold on. We have no other choice. We won't have another Ukraine.\"
\"To preserve our internal strength, there must be no reason to be distracted by anything else except for the defense of Ukraine,\" he added. \"I don't want anybody to be questioning Ukraine, and that's why we have today's decisions.\"
Zelenskyy also announced that he was \"resetting\" the presidential office. He said he would begin consultations to appoint a new chief of staff after Yermak resigned.
Yermak will no longer be a part of the Ukrainian delegation for the next round of negotiations with the U.S.
Head of Ukraine's armed forces, Andrii Hnatov, will now lead the delegation. The others in the team will be Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine's foreign minister, and Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine's Security Council.
Two national anti-corruption agencies in Ukraine said their search was directed at Yermak. His spokesperson, Oleksii Tkachuk, said the agencies had not issued a notice of suspicion against Yermak, meaning he is not considered a suspect. Yermak was also not informed about the purpose of the searches, Tkachuk added.
Yermak confirmed that investigators searched his apartment inside the presidential compound in central Kyiv, an area with restricted public access. Media outlets reported that his office was also searched, though investigators did not comment on that claim.
It remained unclear where Zelenskyy or Yermak were during the early morning raid.
\"The investigators are facing no obstacles,\" Yermak wrote on the messaging app Telegram. He said he was cooperating fully with them and that his lawyers were present.
In an interview with The Atlantic this week, Yermak said that as long as Zelenskyy is president, \"no one should expect us to give up territory. He will not sign away land.\"
He said Ukraine is willing to discuss only the issue of which areas each side currently controls, based on the front-line positions.
\"All we can realistically discuss right now is defining the line of contact,\" Yermak said.
Meanwhile, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office are conducting a major investigation into a US$100 million energy-sector scandal involving senior Ukrainian officials.
It was unclear whether the searches were linked to that investigation. NABU spokesperson Anton Tatarnikov declined to comment, citing legal limits on sharing information about an active probe.
Anastasiia Radina, head of Ukraine's parliamentary anti-corruption committee, wrote on social media that Yermak's resignation was \"Better late than never.\"
HSBC to deploy Mistral AI models in broad tech overhaul
PUBLISHED: 2025-12-03 00:00:00LONDON, U.K.: HSBC is stepping up its use of artificial intelligence, striking a multi-year agreement with French start-up Mistral AI to embed generative-AI tools throughout the bank's global operations.
The London-listed lender said that it will integrate Mistral's commercial models, along with future upgrades, on a self-hosted basis, combining its own engineering capabilities with the start-up's model-building expertise.
Under the partnership, the two companies will jointly develop AI-driven solutions for a range of functions, including financial analysis, multilingual translation, risk assessment, and tailored client communication.
HSBC said the technology could sharply reduce the time staff spend on time-consuming tasks. Credit and financing teams, for instance, will be able to process complex, document-heavy transactions far more quickly than before.
The bank already uses hundreds of AI applications across fraud detection, transaction monitoring, compliance, and customer service. It expects the Mistral tie-up to further speed innovation cycles and support the rollout of new AI-powered products.
The move comes as financial institutions around the world increasingly compete to integrate generative AI despite ongoing concerns around data privacy and governance. HSBC said it will deploy Mistral's tools within its existing responsible-AI framework to ensure transparency and safeguard customer data.
The sad story of the Palma Christmas tree
PUBLISHED: 2025-12-02 14:27:00Residents in the El Molinar area of Palma, just next to the seafront, are not exactly happy eventhough it is The Season To Be Jolly. Much to their delight a large christmas tree was erected in the park and it looked set to be a bright Christmas.
But all soon turned to darkness. The large tree with its hundreds of lights was left in the dark. Initially residents were bemused but it soon turned their initial Ding Dong Merrily on High into Silent Night.
And then the final message. \"O Come, All Ye Faithful,\" the Port Authority, responsible for the tree, called everyone together. Not even the power of Christmas could light the tree.
There was not enough power in the area to bring light to it was the excuse from the Port Authority. There was no Christmas Carol from residents who clearly proclaimed that Scrooge was at work.
But in the spirit of Christmas residents came round and told the officials from the Port Authority to \"God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen\" afterall it is the festive period with or without a Christmas tree.
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