Marbella biggest charity weekend against cancer returns with a golf tournament and a landmark 41st gala dinner. Organised by the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC), the double bill will bring together hundreds of residents, businesses and institutions on Friday, July 31 and Saturday, August 1, with every euro raised going towards free support programmes for cancer patients and their families.

Council backs “essential” local charity

Social rights councillor Isabel Cintado praised AECC’s work as vital to the community. She highlighted the year-round efforts of staff and volunteers who provide emotional support, social assistance and specialist resources all free of charge, urging residents to get involved since every contribution helps.

AECC Marbella president Santiago Gomez-Villares noted that funds raised from the event sustain services benefiting hundreds of families annually. Last year, the local branch supported 462 patients and 135 relatives, delivering 2,318 care sessions, 847 psycho-oncology sessions for 290 patients, and 732 oncological physiotherapy sessions for 171 users, as well as social support for 127 people.

Politician Borja Semper to collect ‘The Fighter’ award

This year will be the 41st gala, and is among Spain’s oldest charity dinners. The goal is to attempt to draw more than 600 guests at Finca de la Concepcion. National PP deputy Borja Semper will receive the association’s ‘The Fighter’ award, recognising his role in normalising conversations around cancer and giving hope through his own testimony. Hosts Eva Ruiz and Poty Castillo return for another year, with performances from Efecto Mariposa and The Vintage Experience, plus a traditional raffle and charity auction. Comedian Federico de Juan joins the event to assist with the auction.

Golf tournament gathers 120 players at Las Brisas

Proceedings kick off a day earlier at Real Club de Golf Las Brisas, where 120 players will compete in a Better Ball Pairs Stableford format on July 31. Entry costs €130 with a shared buggy for non-members, or €30 without one for club members, participants receive a welcome pack and trophies made from recycled plastic via the Ecomarb sustainability project.

If you would like to participate in this incredible event, tickets and tournament entries can be booked by calling 952 776 800, weekdays from 9am to 2pm.

A valuable painting by Spanish artist Joaquín Sorolla has been recovered after it has an unexpected journey from a pavement in Sevilla to a home in Murcia and back again, after a brief moment of confusion during a family trip led to one of Spain’s more unusual art recoveries of the week. It all began on Calle Rafael González Abreu, where a family had placed the painting outside their home while loading a car for a holiday.

It was meant to be a temporary move, something set down for just a moment. But in that short gap, it was forgotten. A passerby walking through the area stopped when he saw it. Later identified as Andrés, a visitor staying in central Sevilla assumed it had been left behind or discarded. What caught his attention first was not the painting itself, but the frame, which he later described as decorative and worth a closer look. He picked it up and took it back to his hotel. By the time the family realised something was wrong, the painting was already gone.

A mistake during a holiday departure

The family had been preparing to leave Sevilla when the incident happened. The painting was placed outside briefly while they loaded luggage into their car. It was not intended to be left unattended, only set down during the final stages of leaving. That short window was enough. Once they reached their destination, they noticed the painting was missing. At first, there was confusion about where it had been left, then concern when it became clear it was not inside the home or the vehicle,

From Sevilla to Murcia

Unaware of the urgency developing in Sevilla, Andrés continued his journey with the painting and later returned to Murcia with it. At that point, he still believed it was most likely a decorative piece that had been left outside by mistake. It was only after spending more time with it that doubts began to form. From his home in Murcia, curiosity led him to search online for similar works. He compared images, styles, and possible artists using digital tools to narrow down what he had found. The name that repeatedly appeared was Joaquín Sorolla.

Realisation after online search

Sorolla is one of Spain’s most recognised painters, known for capturing natural light in coastal and everyday scenes. As Andrés continued his search, the possibility that the painting could be linked to him became harder to ignore. What had started as a casual find on a pavement in Sevilla now looked more significant. Once he saw that the painting might be connected to a missing artwork being discussed in reports, he contacted police to report that he had it in his possession.

Recovery of the Artwork

Police sources confirmed that Andrés called on Monday afternoon to say he had the painting at his home in Murcia after recognising its possible importance. Officers said initial checks suggested it matched the missing Sorolla work, although verification was still required at that stage. A unit travelled from Sevilla to Murcia to inspect the painting directly and confirm its identity. The family in Sevilla were also informed that the artwork had likely been located, bringing the search into its final stage.

Search and posters in Sevilla

Before the painting was traced, the family had launched their own search. Posters were placed around Sevilla in both Spanish and English asking for help locating the missing artwork. They described it as a piece of strong sentimental value and offered a reward for its return. No mention was made at that point of its artistic significance, with the focus kept on recovering a family item rather than identifying its origin.

Who was Sorolla

Joaquín Sorolla (1863–1923) remains one of Spain’s most important painters. His work is known for its ability to capture natural light, particularly in coastal scenes and everyday life across Spain. His paintings are held in major museums and collections across Europe and the United States, and continue to attract strong interest due to his influence on Spanish art history. Even works outside his most famous series are treated as culturally significant because of his reputation and legacy.

A chain of small decisions

A moment during a move in Sevilla quickly became something more complicated, as a painting placed briefly on a pavement was mistaken for something discarded, picked up for its frame, and taken to Murcia before anyone realised what had happened.

From there, a few online searches, a closer look at the painting, and a phone call to the police were enough to bring it back into official hands. It was not theft, nor intention, just a series of small decisions made in passing that carried a Sorolla painting from one city to another and back again, ending where it began, on a family wall in Sevilla.

Nine days after Venezuela’s devastating earthquakes, most disaster responses around the world would already be shifting from rescue to recovery. But not here. Rescue operations have entered what urban search and rescue specialists describe as one of the most difficult and emotionally demanding stages, where every passing hour makes survival less likely, yet rare rescues continue to show why teams refuse to stop searching. 

Just hours earlier, security guard Hernán Alberto Gil Flores was pulled alive from beneath the rubble after spending eight days trapped inside a collapsed shopping centre, reinforcing why British and Spanish rescue teams remain among those working around the clock alongside international colleagues in the search for survivors.

Why day nine matters

The first 72 hours after an earthquake are usually the most critical for survival. After that, dehydration, injuries, extreme heat, limited oxygen and unstable structures all make survival increasingly difficult. But experienced urban search and rescue teams know survival is still possible.

Air pockets formed inside collapsed buildings can preserve life for days if even small amounts of air and water are available. These rare cases are why teams continue working long after optimism fades. Every site is different, and rescuers will not assume there are no survivors until every realistic possibility has been checked.

Britain’s rescue mission

Britain has deployed a 68-strong UK International Search and Rescue team after Venezuela requested assistance. The deployment includes firefighters, structural engineers, medics, veterinarians, search dogs and specialist equipment designed for self-sufficient operations in disaster zones. Firefighters enter unstable structures to carry out rescues, while engineers assess whether buildings are safe to access and identify the most stable entry points.

Medical teams are positioned close to extraction zones to treat survivors immediately, while veterinarians ensure search dogs remain fit to work in extreme conditions. The team also carries cutting tools, lifting equipment, communications systems and specialist detection devices used to locate life beneath rubble. National Fire Chiefs Council Chair Phil Garrigan said the deployment reflects the UK’s commitment to supporting partners “in extremely challenging conditions” and helping save lives wherever possible.

Spain’s rescue effort

Spain has also deployed specialist emergency teams, canine units and technical rescue equipment as part of the international response. Spanish rescuers are working alongside other nations, combining urban search expertise with engineering skills to reach areas where survivors may still be trapped. The mission carries added significance due to long-standing cultural and historical ties with Venezuela, as well as the large Spanish community living there.

Many families maintain close personal connections across both countries, giving Spain’s involvement additional emotional weight. Spanish teams are experienced in earthquake response and structural collapse operations and are working in coordination with international partners to expand search coverage across heavily damaged areas.

The technology searching for life

Modern urban search and rescue relies on a mix of advanced technology and human skill. Rescue dogs are often sent into collapsed areas first because they can detect human scent trapped beneath tonnes of debris. When a dog alerts handlers, teams use sensitive listening devices capable of picking up faint tapping, movement or voices. Thermal imaging cameras can sometimes detect body heat in accessible voids, while fibre-optic cameras are inserted through small gaps to inspect spaces too dangerous for entry.

Importantly, rescue teams do not dig at random, they combine dog alerts, structural assessments, technical readings and eyewitness information to identify the most likely survival zones. A single signal can redirect hours of carefully planned work.

A rescue that renewed hope

The rescue of Hernán Alberto Gil Flores has become a defining moment of the operation. He survived for eight days beneath collapsed concrete inside a partially intact structure that created a small air pocket.

Rescuers established contact with him days before extraction and carefully tunnelled through unstable debris while providing water and support through narrow openings. The operation required more than 100 hours of precise work to avoid further collapse. When he was finally brought out alive, exhausted but conscious, rescue teams reacted with relief after days of continuous effort. His survival has reinforced belief among rescuers: even on day nine, hope cannot be lost.

The human cost

Behind the technical operation is a deeply human reality. Rescue workers operate for long hours in dangerous conditions, often making decisions where every choice carries serious consequences.

Families continue to wait near collapsed buildings, hoping for news and refusing to abandon the possibility that loved ones may still be alive. Meanwhile, rescue coordinators must balance urgency with safety as aftershocks continue to threaten weakened structures.

Giving everything 

Despite exhaustion, teams continue because experience shows survival remains possible in rare but real cases, even after extended periods. Every passing hour reduces the chances of finding survivors, but it does not remove them entirely. That is why British and Spanish rescue teams, alongside international colleagues, continue their work as day nine unfolds in Venezuela. 

The rescue of Hernán Alberto Gil Flores has reinforced that extraordinary survivals can still happen when hope appears to be fading, and until every viable space has been checked, the search continues.