Locals in La Cala de Mijas are happily welcoming the return of Aldi. Its newly refurbished store will be reopened from Monday, 28 April following its extensive upgrade programme.

Aldi has been closed for the beginning part of the year and now after weeks of renovation works the upgraded La Cala branch has gained more than 200 square metres of extra retail space, has new improvements to storage areas and internal facilities and customers will also benefit from 13 additional parking spaces, helping improve access during busier periods.

The popular supermarket is growing its presence up and down the coast

Community discussion on social media has been positive, focused largely on convenience, easier access and having a budget-friendly supermarket back in La Cala. Some also welcomed reports of additional parking spaces, after previous concerns over congestion during peak shopping hours, with many extra pleased to see the supermarket return ahead of the busy summer season.

The popular German discount supermarket chain Aldi also makes its debut in Fuengirola the following day, April 29, just one month after celebrating the inauguration of its 500th store in Spain in nearby Las Laginas. The new Fuengirola store will be located at Calle Malvarrosa, 1, in the Los Pacos neighbourhood, has a generous 1,000 square metre sales floor and a team of 14 professionals, half of whom are newly recruited local hires. 

Shoppers can now again enjoy browsing the chains famous ‘special aisles’

The location of the La Cala store is perfect for residents living around the area who need to do a decent sized food shop without the hassle of trying to find parking in the already difficult center of the town. People will now again have the choice of the large Carrefour and Aldi right opposite each other. 

Shoppers can now again enjoy Aldi’s trademark lower cost high-quality products, fresh produce and everyday groceries and of course their famous few aisles of their seasonal special buys, all back on their doorstep.

Expats and local Esteponeros converged at the Torre Mirador del Carmen area today for the 25th anniversary of Día del Residente Extranjero in Estepona (Foreign Residents’ Day).

Organised by Estepona Town Hall to celebrate the town’s colourful multi-national population, the occasion ran between midday and 9pm with more than 25 stands and participation from 26 countries and the Nordic Club.

This setup turned the location into a multicultural meeting point where attendees could discover gastronomy, crafts, music and traditions from around the world, all present here on the Costa del Sol.

Mayor presents plaques to community publications

José María García Urbano presented plaques to owners and journalists from multi-language publications such as Sur in English, Hola Polacos, Esprite Sud and, of course, Euro Weekly News.

The mayor explained that these outlets help keep Estepona’s large and varied foreign community informed of events in the Costa del Sol town and its surroundings.

Global traditions entertain large crowds

Music and dance typical of the origin nations entertained huge crowds of expats of all nationalities throughout the day. Stalls presented samples of the finest food, drinks and products from around the globe to keep everyone entertained in a party atmosphere celebrating Estepona’s diverse nationalities and togetherness.

Honour goes to long-time stage performer

Event officials paid tribute to Herling Robins, or “H” as he is more commonly known in Estepona, a Columbian resident of 20 years and salsa singer and dancer in honour of his career and his energetic performances on stage for over two decades.

Census data reveals high level of diversity

Figures from the 2019 municipal census show Estepona with a population of around 72,000 residents from over 120 different nationalities. This makes the town one of the most nationally diverse and cosmopolitan places in Andalucia.

Participants took advantage of a unique opportunity to share experiences and discover new cultures while celebrating the diversity that enriches the city. Many attendees expressed appreciation for the opportunity to engage with different customs in such a friendly setting by the Mirador del Carmen building on the promenade.

Additional activities contributed to the success of the day as people continued to enjoy the various elements on offer until the event concluded in the evening.

Passengers on a Swiss International Air Lines service from Delhi to Zurich faced a sudden and terrifying drama early in the early hours of April 26 when an Airbus A330 suffered engine failure and a fire broke out in its undercarriage during its takeoff roll. Crew members detected the problem with engine number one while travelling at around 104 knots on runway 28 at Indira Gandhi International Airport.

Immediate action followed as the pilots rejected the takeoff and brought the aircraft to a halt. Fire crews responded immediately to visible flames and smoke on the left side near the landing gear. Luckily, the plane had not advanced enough along the runway and was thus able to abort takeoff. Flames were seen by passengers coming from the underside of the plane as it drew to a halt at the end of the runway. All systems were switched off plunging the passengers into darkness.

Everyone on board left the plane via emergency slides in a rapid but orderly process. Around 228 passengers, plus four infants and 13 crew members, totalled nearly 245 people. Six passengers received minor injuries during the evacuation and were taken to hospital for checks. Remaining passengers and staff escaped unharmed. Airport officials declared a full emergency, closed the runway, and later confirmed operations continued with little overall disruption. Swiss arranged a replacement flight for those affected while setting up a task force to examine the technical matter.

Crew training & safety protocols perform effectively

Quick decisions by the flight crew prevented any worse outcome in this high-speed situation. Aviation experts note that rejected takeoffs at such speeds test both pilots and aircraft systems rigorously. Delhi airport teams activated emergency protocols without delay. Investigators from Indian authorities and Swiss now review data from the incident involving aircraft registration HB-JHK.

Recent comparable events

European airlines have encountered engine-related issues during takeoff in other recent cases. In September 2025 a Swiss Airbus A330 rejected takeoff from Boston after right-engine failure, with smoke reported as the plane stopped safely on the runway. No injuries occurred in that event.

Lufthansa faced a high-speed rejected takeoff with an Airbus A350 at Denver in March 2026 due to a predictive wind shear alert. Intense braking led to several tyre blowouts, yet all passengers and crew stayed safe. Another Lufthansa flight earlier experienced engine trouble shortly after departure from New York, requiring an in-flight shutdown.