Some 25,000 Spanish students hold 'macro-botellon' drinking party

MADRID - About 25,000 people took part in the biggest illegal drinking party in Madrid since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, police said on Saturday.

The "macro-botellon," as these outside drinking parties are called, started at the Complutense University in Madrid on Friday.

Madrid's Municipal Police said because of the large numbers involved in the party, they were unable to clear the drinkers until 7 a.m. Saturday.

Video of the party showed thousands of revelers not wearing masks or maintaining social distancing.

"It is the biggest botellon that we have seen since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic," a police spokesman told Reuters.

Madrid's regional government will relax restrictions from Monday so that bars and clubs can stay open until 6 a.m., from the 2 a.m. close currently. People must still wear masks indoors and maintain a distance of 1.5 meters if social distancing is not possible.

However, mass drinking parties are still illegal and punishable with fines for taking part between 500 euros ($586.25) for minors and 600 euros ($703.50) for adults. Organizers face fines of up to 600,000 euros ($703,500.00) if a court judges it is an activity which puts public health at risk.

There were other mass drinking parties in Barcelona and the northern Spanish city of Logroño on Friday night, authorities said. 

-reuters

Flags and cheers greet Spain's new King Felipe VI

MADRID - Spain's new King Felipe VI swore to serve the crisis-stricken nation as he launched his reign on Thursday, cheered on by crowds of revellers in a sea of red and yellow flags.

Thousands of Spaniards put aside their World Cup misery to line the sun-splashed streets, yelling "Long live the king!" as the newly-proclaimed Felipe, 46, and his glamorous Queen Letizia, 41, waved from an open-topped, black Rolls Royce.

A tall, former Olympic yachtsman, Felipe faces the task of polishing the image of a monarchy tarnished by scandals and winning over a country wearied by recession and political corruption.

Swearing his oath in parliament in a dark blue military uniform, Felipe promised "a renewed monarchy for new times", after scandals that tainted the reign of his abdicated father, Juan Carlos.

Felipe pledged his "faith in the unity of Spain", where separatist tensions are high in the northeastern region of Catalonia.

Applause and cries of "Long live the King!" filled the chamber as he finished his speech and turned to kiss Letizia, who wore a white knee-length dress and coat.

After the swearing-in the king stood and waved from the car, flanked by guards on horseback with silver helmets and breastplates winking in the sun, during a drive with his wife through central Madrid to the old Royal Palace where a crowd of thousands was waiting.

Felipe and Letizia -- a former television newsreader -- appeared on the balcony of the Royal Palace with their blonde, blue-eyed daughters eight-year-old Leonor, who is now heiress to the throne, and Sofia, seven, and waved to cheering crowds below.

The celebrations offered a distraction from the national gloom of Spain's humiliating exit from the football World Cup on Wednesday in a 2-0 beating by Chile.

"We have lost the World Cup but that doesn't matter. It is a new day and a new king. We have to celebrate," said Eduardo Chaperon, a 24-year-old economist waving a Spanish flag and wearing a novelty inflatable crown in the street.

Not everyone joined in the party though.

Protests by campaigners who want Spain to be a republic broke out after Juan Carlos announced his abdication on June 2. Police banned a similar protest called by activists for Thursday.

Juana Leon, a 69-year-old retiree wrapped in the red, yellow and purple Spanish republican flag, complained that she and her friends were blocked from demonstrating.

"It is shameful. It is a breach of our freedoms. What kind of democracy is this?" she said. "We spend a lot of money on all this but it doesn't serve Spain at all," she said of the royal family.

source: interaksyon.com

‘Brokeback Mountain’, the opera, makes world premiere this month

MADRID | “Brokeback Mountain”, the Oscar-winning epic about the relationship between two cowboys in the American West, is coming to the stage as an opera, with a world premiere in Madrid this month.

The opera, brought to the screen in 2005 and based on the 1997 short story of the same name by Annie Proulx, opens January 28 at the Teatro Real in the Spanish capital, some six years after it was commissioned.

“The whole opera is about a typical kind of impossible situation, a tragic situation,” said the opera’s 75-year-old American composer, Charles Wuorinen, who was supervising rehearsals in Madrid this week.

“In this case, it is two people who in some way want to have a relationship, which in their time is forbidden by society,” he told AFP in an interview.

Wuorinen said he worked closely with Proulx, whose original short story was published in The New Yorker before being transported to the screen by Taiwanese director Ang Lee.

Depicting the tormented love story of two young cowboys, Jack and Ennis, who meet in the spectacular yet hostile mountainous region in Wyoming, won three Oscars.

“The importance of Annie Proulx’s novel is that great love is great love even if social reflections and conventions are opposed to it,” said the Teatro Real’s departing director, the Belgian Gerard Mortier, who commissioned the adaption to opera in 2008 from the American composer and Proulx.

Mortier said he deliberately scheduled “Brokeback Mountain” to open straight after the performances of Wagner’s opera of the adulterous love tragedy, “Tristan und Isolde”.

“Tristan, Isolde, Jack, Ennis; they all don’t understand what’s happening to them but are all prepared to die for the love they feel,” Mortier said in a statement.





The author of more than 260 orchestral, choral, piano and percussion compositions, as well as of electronic music and ballets, Wuorinen, a New Yorker, denies creating “Brokeback Mountain”, in which the two heros kiss on stage, as a message in favor of homosexual rights.

“If that helps, that’s good. But I’m more interested in the fundamental human problem because I would not want the opera to be thought as an ideological or propaganda piece for a particular point of view,” he said.

Composed in two acts over two hours, with dialogues in simple English with some swearing, “Brokeback Mountain” is scheduled to run at the Teatro Real until February 11.

source: interaksyon.com

Without injured Gareth Bale, Real Madrid maintains chase of leaders Barcelona, Atletico

MADRID – Real Madrid shrugged off the loss of the injured Gareth Bale as they beat Valencia 3-2 on Sunday to move back to within five points of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid at the top of La Liga.

Barcelona were also victors as an eight-minute hat-trick from Pedro Rodriguez helped them come from 2-0 down to win 5-2 away at Getafe.

Bale’s replacement Angel di Maria put Madrid in front with a fine left-footed drive on 28 minutes, but Pablo Piatti headed home an equaliser for the hosts six minutes later.

Cristiano Ronaldo then headed home Di Maria’s free-kick to put Madrid back in front five minutes before half-time, only for Valencia to level once more when Jeremy Mathieu met Dani Parejo’s corner.

However, Madrid were not to be denied as substitute Jese Rodriguez grabbed the winner with a low drive that beat Vicente Guaita at his near post 10 minutes from time to condemn Nico Estevez to defeat in his first league game in temporary charge of Valencia.

“When a team changes its coach they always play with a lot of desire so it was a difficult game,” said Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti.

“In general I thought we did very well. We maybe needed to maintain a higher tempo after the first goal, but we had the will to win until the last minute and the result is a very important one.”

With Bale sidelined for a second consecutive game by a calf injury, Di Maria made his presence felt in style as he controlled Marcelo’s cross-field pass before firing past Guaita into the far corner.

Valencia, buoyed by the news earlier in the day that Singaporean businessman Peter Lim may be on the verge of taking over the club, responded almost immediately as the diminutive Piatti found space inside the area to head home Juan Bernat’s cross.

Madrid were back in front six minutes later in somewhat controversial circumstances as Ronaldo’s goal was allowed to stand despite the Portuguese appearing to be slightly offside as Di Maria delivered a free-kick from wide on the right.

The hosts were level once again, though, just after the hour mark when Mathieu outjumped Sergio Ramos to flick home Parejo’s corner.

However, Madrid found the goal they desperately needed to keep their title hopes alive as Luka Modric picked out Jese inside the area and his fiercely driven effort slipped through the grasp of Guaita.

Barcelona were also made to work for their victory as goals from Sergio Escudero and Lisandro Lopez had given Getafe a 2-0 lead inside 14 minutes.

However, the Catalans responded like champions as Pedro scored three times in quick succession before the break.

Cesc Fabregas then gave Barca breathing space when he volleyed home Pedro’s cross and the former Arsenal captain doubled his tally from the penalty spot moments later.

“I am just happy for the victory, the goals and to help the team,” said Pedro, who also overtook Lionel Messi and Alexis Sanchez to become Barca’s top scorer in La Liga with 10.

“It was important to finish the year well. It is always difficult coming here due to the way they play, the pitch and the fans.

“We didn’t start how we would have hoped, but we turned the game around which is the most important thing.”

Without the suspended Neymar and injured Messi, the spotlight was on the Catalans’ fringe players in attack to make their claim for a regular starting spot.

Barca boss Gerardo Martino hailed Pedro’s impact having previously seen his opportunities limited this season.

“Pedro has a great eye for goal, everyone in Spain knows that,” said the coach.

“He has a great attitude, he never gives up and he understands that he is an important player, even if he does play in an area of the field where Barcelona have other great players.”

The Barca revival began 10 minutes before half-time when Fabregas released Pedro in behind the defence and his chipped finish had just enough elevation to take it past Miguel Angel Moya.

Pedro then curled home into the top corner from the edge of the area and pounced on a defensive error by Juan Valera to give his side the lead at half-time.

Fabregas made the game safe 22 minutes from time when he finished off a wonderful team move involving Pedro and Sergio Busquets.

Pedro was also involved in Barca’s fifth as was clipped inside the area by Borja Fernandez and Fabregas sent Moya the wrong way from the resultant spot-kick.

source: interaksyon.com

Spain recession deepens as austerity weighs

MADRID - Spain's economy shrank further in the second quarter of the year and a slump in domestic spending accelerated, signaling a protracted recession as the country presses on with efforts to slash its public deficit.

Gross domestic product fell by 0.4 percent in the second quarter of the year, according to final data that confirmed a preliminary reading. But on an annual basis it dropped by 1.3 percent, worse than initial estimates of 1.0 percent.

Spain's economy fell back into recession in the first quarter of the year, when output fell 0.3 percent, and government estimates show GDP will probably fall for this year and next year as it pushes through further measures aimed at slashing a bloated deficit.

The data came a day after Spain said its economy performed less well than expected in both of the last two years.

On Tuesday, the National Statistics Institute, INE, also revised down 2011 fourth quarter GDP to -0.5 percent from -0.3 percent.

Close to record high borrowing costs and an economy showing little sign of picking up any time soon is nudging Spain closer to calling for a European bailout, which analysts say is only a matter of time.

"With much more fiscal austerity in the pipeline and unemployment at astronomic highs, the risks are clearly tilted towards a more protracted recession," said Martin van Vliet, economist at ING.

He expected Spain to make a formal request for additional external financing in mid-September or October. Spain has already negotiated up to 100 billion euros in aid for its ailing banks.

Tuesday's data showed exports provided a degree of support for the economy, growing by 3.3 percent year-on-year in the second quarter. That compared with a fall of 3.9 percent in national demand, after a revised fall of 3.2 percent in the first quarter.

Spain's government is hoping that exports will put the economy on the road to recovery. But a slowdown in the wider euro zone, where most of the country's goods are shipped, could test that theory.

The country desperately needs to stimulate growth to help it meet the public deficit targets agreed with the European Union.

source: interaksyon.com

Three UP students win IT competition in Madrid

Three students from the University of the Philippines (UP) won first place in “Indra Future Minds Competition,” an international Information Technology (IT) contest held in Madrid, Spain on April 26.

According to a report of Bloomsberg Businessweek on Tuesday, the UP team beat participants from:

• the Universidad Politcnica de Madrid's (UPM) School of Telecommunications in Spain, who came in second,
• the Sao Paulo Faculty of Technology in Brazil, and the UPM's School of Industrial Engineers who both shared the third place.

The UP team is composed of:

• Erwin Soleta, a Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Communications Engineering (BS ECE) student;
• Maria Katrina Volante, also a BS ECE student, and
• Benedict Ivan Andrade, a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering student.

UP’s Assistant Vice-President for Public Affairs Danilo Arao congratulated the winners.

“The recent achievement of our students in the Indra Future Minds Competition shows that UP can compete with the best and the brightest globally,” Arao told GMA News Online.

“This achievement, together with UP topping the recent licensure examinations for electrical engineers and teachers proves the students’ adherence to their values of honor and excellence in the service of the people,” he added.

The second edition of the “Indra Future Minds Competition” is launched by an IT multinational in Spain aiming to have students compete with the challenges that are faced in the current business world, such as globalization, multiculturalism or collaborative networking.

The UP team earned their victory by resolving the final Smart Cities case based on actual Indra projects for the Barcelona City government such as the design of a cloud computing solution, a simulator to optimize water management, and unmanned vehicles (UAVs) project, the report said.

Winners of the competition will join the IT multinational company in the subsidiary of the office of the students’ choice, upon completing their studies, the report added.

They will also be given monthly travel allowance for one year. - with Jon Lindley Agustin, VVP, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

'Thelma' wins at Mexican film fest, to compete in Madrid

MANILA, Philippines – The Paul Soriano-helmed indie flick, “Thelma,” was among 10 films that bagged the Bronze Palm Award at the 2012 Mexico International Film Festival.
“Thelma” was part of the festival’s Feature Film Competition. The nine other winning films as listed on the festival’s official website are “Dia de Preto” by Marcial Renato, Marcos Felipe Delfino, and Daniel Mattos; “Guadalupe the Virgin” by Victoria Giordana; “Nijiiro Hotaru” by Kounosuke Uda; “Random 8” by Kathryn Millard; “Salsa Tel Aviv” by Jorje Weller; “Teenagers” by Paul Verhoeven; “The Custom Mary” by Matt Dunnerstick; “The Last Cry” by Reza Ghassemi; and “The Pact” by Matt Toronto.
Time Horizon Pictures that produced the movie wrote on its website that the film won “for demonstrating excellent and outstanding film-making.”
More, also from to the THP website, “Thelma” will be competing at the 2012 Madrid International Film Festival in June, where it scored Best Feature Film and Best Cinematography nominations. In August, it will be screened at the 3rd New York City International Film Festival.
Prior the MIFF win, “Thelma” clinched three awards at the 28th PMPC Star Awards for Movies held in March: Digital Movie Screen Writer of the Year (Froilan Medina and Paul Soriano), Digital Movie Director of the Year (Soriano), and Digital Movie of the Year.
The Maja Salvador-starrer based on the lives of Filipino runners had also been invited to various international film festivals since its release on September 2011, including the 22nd CineQuest Film Festival, the 36th Cleveland International Film Festival, and the 31st Hawaii International Film Festival.
source: mb.com.ph