Sunday, 13 December 2009

Málaga stop calling the Cathedral ‘La Manquita’.


The Bishop of Málaga, Jesús Catalá, has called on the people of the city to stop calling the Cathedral ‘La Manquita’.The popular name translates as ‘The Cripple’ as comes as the second right hand tower of the building was never completed because of a lack of money in 1782. The money put aside to finish the Cathedral was spent elsewhere, building the roads to Vélez-Málaga and Antequera. The Bishop has now said that many other parts of the Cathedral were not completed either, not just the tower, and so he considers the name inappropriate. He has now called for a report to be drawn up on finally completing the building. The report will be ready in the first quarter of next year, when it will be presented to the Junta de Andalucía as the start of the process to look for funding.

swapping child pornography images online.

Guardia Civil investigation has led to the arrest of 15 people across the country, including an employee at a juvenile care centre, for allegedly swapping child pornography images online. Another four people have been questioned as suspects in the case.The investigation began after a member of the public contacted local police in Pamplona to inform officers that a music file he had downloaded from the Internet turned out to be a file containing child pornography. The enquiries into the case were passed on to the Civil Guard, who EFE reports have seized thousands of images in the 21 property searches which took place.The items impounded include 60 computers, 24 mobile phones, 160 hard discs, and more than 1,000 CDs. The paedophile content found is understood to be the equivalent of 12 terabytes – more than 12 million megabytes

Socialist Mayor of Estepona, David Valadez, has been indicted on real estate irregularities.


Socialist Mayor of Estepona, David Valadez, has been indicted on real estate irregularities. The Mayor, who was elected himself to replace the previous Mayor, Antonio Barientos, who is implicated in the Astapa corruption case based in the Town Hall, said that he was relaxed about the news and that he had always acted strictly within the law.It’s understood the new charges come in connection with a house built on rustic land by his chief of staff, Luciano Sánchez. The allegations are failure to pursue planning crimes and perversion of the course of justice.
Reports indicate the municipal surveyor, José Antonio Molina, is also a suspect in the caseIt follows a complaint presented to the Málaga prosecution service by the former Partido Estepona councillor, Juan Manuel Rodríguez, concerning a 115 square metre property built on land which Sánchez and his wife inherited in la Loma de la Pontezuela in 2004. He is reported to have declared when registering the property as a new build in 2007 that it had been built more than 5 years previously, with a certificate to that end issued by José Antonio Molina.El Mundo however reports that National Geographic Institute aerial images taken of the area in 2004 show there to be no construction on the site.El País reports on Thursday however that the Mayor started legal action against the illegal property a month before the complaint was presented by the prosecution service.The case is under investigation by Court No. 4 in Estepona.

collapse of the Trampolin Hills golf resort in Campos del Río

100 or so of the hundreds of clients affected by the collapse of the Trampolin Hills golf resort in Campos del Río gathered at the site on Saturday in a protest to demand their money back and for those responsible to be sent to prison. The first of the more than 2,500 units planned at the resort were sold four years ago, but none were ever completed.It’s affected clients in Spain, the UK and Ireland, amongst other countries, and it’s understood from La Opinión de Murcia that a group of those affected have made a formal request in writing to a court in Mula to ask that the two owners – Antonio Martínez and Rafael Aguilera – be imprisoned for fraud amounting to 60 million €. Joaquín Guzmán, a lawyer who represents many of the investors concerned, said he believes the two owners could attempt to flee Spain or to destroy evidence.The company is now in administration, but sources at the Grupo Trampolín told the newspaper that they believe the project will still go ahead. They said a way will be sought to pay those who want their money back, but have proposed to some of the purchasers the idea of forming a cooperative to allow the urbanisation to be built. There was no indication of the response to their proposal.
Trampolín Hills was recently fined the amount of 350,000 € for failing to put in place a bank guarantee for their investors. Such a guarantee is required under Spanish law to cover refunds for unfinished properties.

Frankie Weber 25 year old Martial Arts expert is wanted in connection with the stabbing of three people in a street fight in Marbella

Frankie Weber was in prison on the Costa del Sol last night accused of three attempted murders.Frankie Weber, 25, from London, is alleged to have fled to Gibraltar after stabbing three Spaniards in a street fight in Marbella.
He was returned to Spain where he now faces trial. Spanish police said the wounded were only saved by swift action by medics.25 year old Martial Arts expert is wanted in connection with the stabbing of three people in a street fight in Marbella
A British man has been extradited from Gibraltar to Spain to face charges of three attempted homicides.The 25 year old is accused of trying to carry out the homicides in Marbella, and the extradition comes as a result of a request made by Instruction Court Two in the town. The court has now ordered the suspect to be held in prison on remand.The case dates back to the early hours of January 24 this year when Spanish National Police were called to a fight in the Plaza de los Olivos in Marbella, which resulted in one very serious stabbing and two more suffering serious stab wounds. The most seriously hurt has had to undergo several surgeries. Police found many large knives at the suspect’s home and established that he had fled to Gibraltar. The agents from the UDEV Specialist Violent Crime Unit describe the suspect, who is an expert in martial arts, as ‘very dangerous’. They say a 30cm long machete was found in a nearby rubbish bin shortly after the aggression, which they believe he dumped during his escape.

Wednesday, 9 December 2009

owners of illegal property in Catral, Alicante, have said that they will not pay monies demanded of them to make their homes legal

owners of illegal property in Catral, Alicante, have said that they will not pay monies demanded of them to make their homes legal, and have called a protest. They say the amounts demanded, for infrastructure and basic services, are ‘excessive and unjust’ because they purchased their properties in good faith without knowing that the builders were selling them illegally.The owners of more than 1,300 houses built illegally on the traditional orchard land in Catral say that the local Town Hall and Generalitat regional government are to blame for the situation as neither stopped the construction in 2002 when the situation was highlighted by Seprona, the environmental wing of the Guardia Civil.Between the years 2000 and 2005 thousands of people, most of them British, bought property in the area through real estate offices who said that clearly that the builders had obtained all the correct licences.The demonstration has been called for 11am on Wednesday outside the Catral Ayuntamiento.

Spanish woman of gypsy origin after she was denied a widow’s pension by the Spanish state.


European Court for Human Rights in Strasbourg has agreed, six votes to one, with a Spanish woman of gypsy origin after she was denied a widow’s pension by the Spanish state. It ruled that article 14 which prohibits discrimination, and article 1 on the protection of property of the European Convention on Human Rights had both been violated.The Spanish Government has said that her marriage, under the gyspey rites at the age of 15, was not valid in law.But despite the fact that gypsy weddings are not legal in Spain the court in Strasbourg recognised the arguments of the woman, Maria Luisa Muñoz, known as ‘la Nena’. She had six children with her husband who died in the year 2000, and was left without any payments despite the fact that her husband, a labourer, had paid into the Spanish social security system for more than 19 years.Her battle has taken nine years, but now she will be paid a pension as well as the 70,000 € the EU court ordered she receive in compensation.Commenting to Cadena SER radio after hearing the news she said
‘I am happy, they have realised we are normal’.

Sean Lovelock-Woodhall, 43,body found?

Property developer and father- of-five Sean Lovelock-Woodhall, 43, a friend of Prince Albert II of Monaco, died in May last year.But his father Ron Lovelock, 65, of Parkmill, Gower, has been denied the chance to find his remains after fishermen who picked up the wreckage demanded £300,000 to reveal exactly where they found it.
Mr Lovelock-Woodhall was with three other businessmen in a Cessna light aircraft taking a flight over possible development sites when they crashed.Gower MP Martin Caton said he would work through the Foreign Office to pressure the Brazilian authorities to ensure the location of the wreckage is revealed.Mr Lovelock-Woodhall lived in the same Marbella complex as Mark Thatcher and sold properties to football stars including Manchester City’s Gareth Barry and former Leicester City captain Matt Elliot.Mr Lovelock, who used to run the Carlton Hotel in Mumbles, has been hoping for news of his remains ever since so his family can at last hold a funeral. He was given hope last Friday when a group of Brazilian fishermen told police they had found wreckage in the sea from a Cessna 310 of the type Mr Lovelock-Woodhall and his colleagues were in.But they have informed the Brazilian authorities they want around £300,000 to reveal the exact location where flight PT-JGX’s wreckage was discovered.Mr Lovelock said: “The Brazilian authorities arrested the guys with bits of plane, credit cards and bones but cannot force them to say where they were found.
“I’m hoping publicity over this will embarrass the Brazilian government into taking action.“Sean was a father of five and he has many family members and friends who loved him and want to stage a funeral for him.“But we cannot do anything until we at least get a clue as to where to start looking for remains.”A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: “The Brazilian Federal Police have questioned the fishermen who claim to have found the wreckage and we await further information from the authorities there.”Cambridgeshire-born Mr Lovelock-Woodhall got involved in the booming Costa del Sol property market in the 1980s.His company sold luxury Spanish apartments to British investors, including former England cricketer Paul Nixon.
He planned a £3bn golf and eco-resort, Barra Nova Pearl, near the Brazilian city of Ilheus.He hired a twin-engined plane with three other British businessmen, Nigel Hodges, 52, Rick Every,41, and Alan Kempson, 46, described as a close friend of former Prime Minister John Major, to look at the site.But it lost contact with air traffic controllers eight miles out to sea, nine minutes before its scheduled landing.Rescue teams searched 400km of sea and rainforest for five days but the search was called off.Mr Lovelock-Woodhall’s family have been upset by allegations on websites that he may have faked his death because of business deals that went wrong.His brother Mark Lovelock, who lives in Peterborough, said the stories were untrue.He said: “It’s been hell on earth quite frankly. There’s been allegations made against my brother and he is not here to defend himself.“No one has shown me any evidence to suggest this. He was a good businessman and a good father and doesn’t deserve what has been thrown against him.”Mr Caton said: “It’s appalling that wreckage including personal belongings can apparently be put on sale for a large amount of money.“I know the fishermen involved were arrested and I will be doing everything I can to ensure the grid reference of where the wreckage is found is handed over.”

British residents in demand for free health care

British residents are expected to lead a demonstration tomorrow, Thursday, called for outside the British Consulate in Alicante in demand for free health care. Other nationalities are expected to join the protest as the group then marches to the offices of the Diputacion in demand that the promise of free access to health care be kept.La Verdad reports that the organisers of the protest note that the regional Valencia Government, la Generalitat, issued a law in 2003 promising free access to the health service. But now, in the middle of the recession the group notes another law which says that to continue to get public health care, they have to register with a private insurer at a cost of about 100 € per person per month, including children.The paper continues that the organisers of the protest say they are tired of being abused. ‘They trick us with the houses we buy, many of them illegal, and there are still many with no water or electricity. They trick us in many ways, but the straw which has broken the camel’s back is denying access to the health service, and that is why we are demonstrating. ‘The regional government does not keep its word’.The unnamed organiser tells the Spanish paper that the rumour is already circulating in Britain not to buy homes or come on holiday in the Valencia region.
The protest leaves from outside the British Consulate in Alicante at 10am on Thursday.

1,000 people taken into custody in the 232 anti-corruption operations led by the National Police

More than 80 of the 200 arrested in the province were in connection with Marbella's corruption investigation, MalayaThis Wednesday is designated by the United Nations as International Anti-Corruption Day, and to mark the occasion Spain’s Interior Ministry has released details of the arrests for corruption over the past five years: close to 1,000 people taken into custody in the 232 anti-corruption operations led by the National Police. The value of the items seized amounts to 3 billion €.More than half the 943 arrests were in Madrid, Málaga, Sevilla and Baleares, and Málaga holds the distinction of more corruption-related arrests than any other province in Spain: 25 police operations and 200 people taken into custody. A large number were arrested in the Malaya corruption case centred in Marbella, an operation which the Ministry notes encompasses 18 separate police investigations launched between 2005 and 2008, some of which are still ongoing today. The arrests in Malaya number more than 80 people, and it has seen items seized with the total value of more than 2.4 billion €.Investigations in the Ballena Blanca money laundering case began in March 2005 and has seen the arrest of some 50 suspects, including notaries and lawyers, on suspicion of forming part of a network which is estimated to have laundered 250 million € in Marbella. Assets valued at more than 350 million € were seized as part of the investigation and more than 250 properties embargoed.

Juan Antonio Roca, is claiming unfair dismissal from his post.

It’s been announced that Social Court 11 in Málaga will hear the case on December 15, but before it gets underway the judge will ask those involved if they want to reach an out of court settlement. The legal representatives from Marbella Town Hall previously tried to reach an agreement last September with Roca via the CMAC arbitration service of the Junta de Andalucía, without success.Roca’s defence claimed that his employment was ‘suspended’ while he was in prison, and that any dismissal would be unfair. Roca is asking for his job back, or a payment in compensation. The Town Hall sacked him after opening disciplinary proceedings for ‘the repeated and unjustified fault of failing to show for work’ since March 31 2006, the day he was arrested in the Malaya case.

‘Ballena Blanca’, ‘Malaya’ and ‘Hidalgo’, are now thought to have laundered more than 1 billion € between them

three large corruption cases based in Marbella, ‘Ballena Blanca’, ‘Malaya’ and ‘Hidalgo’, are now thought to have laundered more than 1 billion € between them since 2005 according to their respective court summaries.The 26 frontmen and women alleged used by Juan Antonio Roca, the man at the centre of the Malaya case, are accused of laundering 670 million €. The money came from the backhanders which many real estate promoters and builders paid to do business in the town. A web of companies were set up to accept the cash.
The Hidalgo case saw 220 million laundered and Ballena Blanca some 150 million

Tuesday, 8 December 2009

Jamal Shakir, the leader of the Rollin’ 90s Crips


Jamal Shakir, the leader of the Rollin’ 90s Crips, and more than 40 other defendants in 1998 as part of a massive gang violence investigation.Shakir was accused of killing or playing a role in the deaths of nine people while running part of a massive drug enterprise from his Nashville home. He was found guilty in May of 2008 and faces life in prison.Authorities say he has continued to direct the gang from behind bars. In October, two alleged gang members were charged with plotting to break him out of jail by using a helicopter to lift him off the exercise yard.

Tuesday, 1 December 2009

Calahonda / Riviera del Sol area when a white transit van,another attempted abduction

November 23, at approximately 5.30pm, two young boys, aged 12, were sitting at the side of the road on their schoolbags having a drink of water in the Calahonda / Riviera del Sol area when a white transit van, with at least two male occupants, approached and parked near to them. Suddenly, two men jumped out of the van and tried to grab the boys. The boys panicked and ran off, and one of the youngsters managed to escape their reach, but the other was grabbed by the men. Luckily, the boys are both over 5ft tall and between them were able to fight the attackers off and escape.

Sunday, 22 November 2009

Granada city chunk of his ear was partially severed during the biting attack.

man has been arrested by the Civil Guard for assaulting four people who were changing a flat tyre outside his home in La Zubia, Granada province, last Friday night. Annoyed by the noise they were making as they were putting on the car’s spare wheel, the Civil Guard said one of the four was admitted to the Traumatology Hospital in Granada city after a chunk of his ear was partially severed during the biting attack.Another man had five stitches to a bite wound on his hand, while the third was bitten on the shoulder.Granada Hoy said the fourth man escaped with bruising.

Doctor who was fatally shot while on duty at the local health centre in Moratalla

Doctor who was fatally shot while on duty at the local health centre in Moratalla this March has received a posthumous award with the title of ‘Adopted Daughter’ of Moratalla. The distinction of ‘Adopted Son’ goes to Juan Miguel Moya López, the ambulance driver who was injured while trying to save her life. La Verdad newspaper reports that the extraordinary council meeting which took the decision on Saturday also approved a special mention from the corporation for the three police officers who overpowered the gunman who fired the shots.34 year old María Eugenia Moreno Martínez was shot on 10th March 2009, dying in hospital the following afternoon. The gunman was a 74 year old retired taxi driver who claimed to the judge who remanded him to custody that he had received poor treatment when he had attended the health centre earlier that day.A monument in the doctor’s honour was unveiled on Saturday in the gardens outside the health centre which now bear her name, Doctora María Eugenia Moreno Martínez.

Sixth person has been arrested for suspected involvement in the fatal shooting two years ago of the Partido Popular Mayor of Polop de la Marina

Sixth person has been arrested for suspected involvement in the fatal shooting two years ago of the Partido Popular Mayor of Polop de la Marina, Alejandro Ponsoda, over, it’s thought, his failure to support a real estate project. The suspect arrested on Friday night is identified by El País as the owner of the Mesalina nightclub on the outskirts of Benidorm where the murder is believed to have been planned. The nightclub’s Uruguayan manager was arrested earlier last week and, along with the first two suspects, was remanded to prison by the judge.The two alleged Czech hit men believed to have killed the Mayor outside his home in Xirles on the night of 19th October 2007 were also taken into custody on Friday, in Benidorm and La Cala de Finestrat. They are reported to have had links to suspect No. 1, Raúl Montero Trevejo, who already has drug trafficking charges against him.The lawyer acting for the local businessman from Polop suspected in the case revealed indications last week that there are protected witnesses in the case. According to information from El País, five protected witnesses linked to prostitution were questioned again by detectives on Saturday morning.

Recovered the body of a German man who had been reported missing while paragliding in Barbate

Rescuers on Sunday recovered the body of a German man who had been reported missing while paragliding in Barbate the previous day.The 56 year old, who has not been named in reports, disappeared while paragliding with a friend over Barbate’s Hierbabuena Beach on Saturday afternoon. An intensive search was mounted involving five Civil Guard patrols, two helicopters, a Coastguard boat, Red Cross personnel and a team of specialist Civil Guard divers.EFE reports that his body was found in a rocky area of difficult access on the Barbate coast near the Torre del Tajo.

Friday, 20 November 2009

man was arrested in Malaga for allegedly stabbing another man, aged 37, who threatened him with a knife and attempted to mug him

man was arrested in Malaga for allegedly stabbing another man, aged 37, who threatened him with a knife and attempted to mug him, for which he was also arrested. According to the Local Police, the original victim of the crime struggled with the man who was attempting to rob him of his belongings and managed to take the knife from him, after which, he stabbed him several times in the leg, hand and cheek.
The Local Police found the injured man who told them that his attacker had fled the scene. However, he was later found and identified by the officers, and informed them that it was he who had originally been the victim. The 10-centimetre switchblade knife, which had been thrown down after the attack, was also found.

Friday, 6 November 2009

Bank of Spain will be introducing new rules in the next few weeks to double the amount written off by Spanish banks and Cajas

Bank of Spain will be introducing new rules in the next few weeks to double the amount written off by Spanish banks and Cajas (saving banks) when the banks hold repossessed properties for longer than a year.Currently, the banks and cajas, by law, must have provisions of 10% on the appraisal values for repossessed property that have been owned for a year or longer. This figure will now increase to 20%.
There are currently several theories for the this change being implemented by the Bank of Spain. The first is that this is a warning to the banks to stop trying to disguise their bad debts by swapping debt (from promoters/developers) for properties. Many banks have been successfully swapping debt for property with the long term view of recouping their money instead of simply writing of the bad debt.
The second theory, is to help motivate the banks to liquidate their property assets sooner rather than later by getting them to drop the prices. In theory this is a possibility as it is estimated that the Spanish banks currently hold 36 billion euros with of property assets. So we are talking about an additional write down 3.6 billion! In theory at least. Unfortunately the reality is that several of the largest banks, including BBVA and Santander, already make provision of 20%, so there will be no additional motivation to try and sell their properties faster.

Foreign professional hit men sort Mayor of Polop de la Marina, Alejandro Ponsoda, was killed in October 2007 because he opposed a real estate plan.

Mayor of Polop de la Marina, Alejandro Ponsoda, was killed in October 2007 because he opposed a real estate plan.The Guardia Civil on Thursday arrested a suspect in Albatera and reports are now that they are continuing to search for two foreign professional hit men, at least one of them thought to be Czech.
Members of the local Town Hall are under investigation as part of the case.
The movement in the case comes two years after the Mayor was shot outside his home. He died in hospital eight days after the attack.If the police are correct this is the first assassination in Spain carried out because of a real estate deal.
Current Mayor of the town, Juan Cano, has spoken of his ‘personal satisfaction’ that an arrest has taken place in the case, and said he thought more detentions were likely.

Spain Cocaine Consumption Highest In European Union (EU)

Spain is the largest cocaine consumer in the European Union (EU), a report by the European drug monitoring authority showed on Thursday. While marijuana consumption slightly fell among the Spaniards, cocaine consumption has spread in the country.
Over the past year, 3.1 percent of the Spaniards admitted having consumed cocaine, while 1.1 percent said they did it in the past month, according to the report presented by the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction. During the last four of five years, Spain's cocaine consumption has stabilized after registering a large increase in the years before. But "this is small progress, there is still much to do," the report said. In addition, 10.1 percent of the Spaniards aged between 15 and 64 years admitted having consumed marijuana in the past year, compared with the 11.2 percent a year before, while 7.1 percent said they had used it in the past month compared with 8.7 percent a year earlier. Wolfgang Goetz, director of the drug monitoring body, said that cocaine’s easy availability in the European market was one of the reasons for its spread

John Knudsen, the prime suspect sought in the murder of his girlfriend, Kirsten Bay Andersen....

Danish man sought in connection with Jutland woman’s murder reportedly arrested in Spain Spanish police have arrested a 44-year-old man who Danish police say is John Knudsen, the prime suspect sought in the murder of his girlfriend, Kirsten Bay Andersen....

Spanish police have arrested a 44-year-old man who Danish police say is John Knudsen, the prime suspect sought in the murder of his girlfriend, Kirsten Bay Andersen.

The arrest was made late last night in the city of Zaragoza, said Bent Thuesen, spokesman for the police in southern Jutland.

Andersen, 52, disappeared on 26 September after an office party in the town of Haderslev. Her body was found at the bottom of Haderslev Fjord a week later bound to a lead block.
Knudsen had left his home days before the find and was last seen on 29 September, just south of the German border.

Police subsequently arrested Knudsen in absentia and an international warrant was issued for his capture.

Within the next few days Knudsen will be extradited to Denmark and officially charged with the crime

John Knudsen, the prime suspect sought in the murder of his girlfriend, Kirsten Bay Andersen.

Spanish police have arrested a 44-year-old man who Danish police say is John Knudsen, the prime suspect sought in the murder of his girlfriend, Kirsten Bay Andersen.Danish man sought in connection with Jutland woman’s murder reportedly arrested in Spain Spanish police have arrested a 44-year-old man who Danish police say is John Knudsen, the prime suspect sought in the murder of his girlfriend, Kirsten Bay Andersen.The arrest was made late last night in the city of Zaragoza, said Bent Thuesen, spokesman for the police in southern Jutland.Andersen, 52, disappeared on 26 September after an office party in the town of Haderslev. Her body was found at the bottom of Haderslev Fjord a week later bound to a lead block.
Knudsen had left his home days before the find and was last seen on 29 September, just south of the German border.Police subsequently arrested Knudsen in absentia and an international warrant was issued for his capture.Within the next few days Knudsen will be extradited to Denmark and officially charged with the crime

Friday, 30 October 2009

sexual aggressions carried out on a British holidaymaker in Benidorm.

Police from the violent crime squad of the National Police in Benidorm have arrested a 42 year old Romanian man in La Vila Joiosa in connection with several sexual aggressions carried out on a British holidaymaker in Benidorm. Another two men, aged 19 and 20 and also Romanian, who allegedly took part have also been arrested.
The three are accused of holding the woman against her will in a rural house in the Galandú area of Villajoyosa, near the district hospital. She was raped and forced to have sex with the men several times over a period of more than three hours.
After the attack the woman went to the police in Benidorm, and was taken to a health centre for tests.Police say the three men resisted arrest when they were tracked down, and in one case a car chase resulted in ‘a violent crash’ which resulted in an officer in the police car being seriously injured.The three men will appear in court in Villajoyosa shortly.

largest cocaine manufacturing plant in the country, which has been located on a farm in Diamiel, Ciudad Real.


Spanish police has raided what is being described as the largest cocaine manufacturing plant in the country, which has been located on a farm in Diamiel, Ciudad Real.The facilities were capable of producing as much as 50 kilos of cocaine a week.Those running the plant camouflaged the drug with cacao from Venezuela.Members of the GEO Special Operations Group impounded more than eight tons of chemical substances, 275 kilos of substances used to cut the drug, hydraulic presses and other items in the operation which also resulted in 11 arrests, eight of whom were working in the manufacture of the drug at the time of the raid. The owner of the farm is a Colombian national.Police say the centre had only been producing drugs for a week. The Chief of the Organised Crime Anti-Drug squad, UDYCO, Eloy Quirós, said in a press conference that it was as if a grand laboratory had been lifted out of the Latin American forest and placed complete here.

Tuesday, 27 October 2009

Two weeks to go before lines for pay-as-you-go mobile phones will be automatically deactivated if their owners have previously failed to register

Two weeks to go before lines for pay-as-you-go mobile phones will be automatically deactivated if their owners have previously failed to register their details with their operators.The move comes under a new law which came into effect in November 2007 as a consequence of the Madrid train bomb attacks on 11th March 2004, when the bombs were set off by pre-paid mobile phones. Registration has been obligatory since the law came into force, but 20 million such phones bought before that date are estimated to still be in use.To date, 12.5 million people have registered their details, but some 8 million have yet to do so and could find themselves automatically cut off if they fail to register on or before the deadline of 8th November. Operators are then legally obliged to deactivate any which remain unidentified.Registration for each user is at one of their operator’s points of sale, where they must provide either their DNI identity document, passport or foreigners’ residency papers. Businesses must provide their fiscal identification card.

27 year old girl has died in Residencial Monte Marbella at Artola Alta in Marbella

27 year old girl has died in Residencial Monte Marbella at Artola Alta in Marbella after falling to the ground as she tried to get into her own home through a window after forgetting her keys inside.EFE news agency quotes municipal sources as saying the victim is a foreigner, but her nationality has not yet been released. Named with the initials A.K. she was returning home after celebrating her birthday and had climbed a pergola to reach the window. Reports indicate that girl suffered a head injury in the fall, and had already died before emergency services arrived at the scene.

Sunday, 25 October 2009

Benitatxell attacked by hundreds of angry bees

German man out for a countryside walk with his wife in Benitatxell on Wednesday found himself suddenly attacked by hundreds of angry bees while he was passing a site which is used for commercial beekeeping. Diario Información notes that there are warning signs about the hives in the area.Named by the paper as 70 year old Hans Klaus V., a resident of Benitatxell, he was rushed to the local health centre in Teulada, where staff removed 300 stings from his body, before he was sent on to hospital in Dénia. He was kept under observation there for some hours, where doctors were surprised, despite the numerous stings, that he suffered no allergic reaction to the bee attack.

Prostitutes who ply their trade on the public way in Granada City will soon face a fine of up to 3,000 €

Prostitutes who ply their trade on the public way in Granada City will soon face a fine of up to 3,000 € under a new local by-law which comes into force next month. The measure also affects their clients.The new regulations, effective from 10th November, ban sexual relations or their negotiation in all public places, with the maximum sanction to be imposed if they take place within 200 metres of schools and residential and business areas.Granada Hoy newspaper said the money collected in this way by City Hall will be spent on social programmes and helping the women who work as prostitutes, particularly those who want to leave the profession.

Search for a missing 13 year old German boy who fell into the sea at Calpe on Thursday was called off

Search for a missing 13 year old German boy who fell into the sea at Calpe on Thursday was called off last night as rough seas continued to affect the area. The child had fallen into the sea from the breakwater on the Playa de la Fosa.
The weather conditions complicated the search and lead to some of the firemen taking part being injured.Witnesses had reported seeing three people fall into the water, of whom two managed to get out, one unaided and a second thanks to another man who was in the area.These two are both reported to be foreigners, one of them is Senegalese according to reports, who had also tried without success to reach the German boy, but who finally had to be rescued himself.The Alicante Fire Service was called out, generally because of wind damage, some 100 times on Thursday between 1030 and 1930. Most of the calls came from Elche, Alcoy, Concentaina, La Nucía, Benidorm, Orihuela, Torrevieja and San Vicente del Raspeig.

officers allegedly took advantage of a prostitute’s illiteracy by charging her 600 € for a document they claimed was a residence permit

Four National Police officers, including a former Chief Inspector and his deputy, will sit on the accused bench along with a Civil Guard officer after their arrest following an 18 month internal investigation into illegal immigration, prostitution and drugs. The officers are accused of charging payments in return for turning a blind eye to local alternative nightclubs and, in one case, blackmailing the owner of one of the clubs who was in the country illegally.Officers arrested two years ago in the police corruption case in Ronda will go on trial at the Málaga provincial court next March, when 42 witnesses, 14 of them protected, will be called to give evidence in the case.La Opinión de Málaga highlights one instance when two of the officers allegedly took advantage of a prostitute’s illiteracy by charging her 600 € for a document they claimed was a residence permit. It turned out to be a registration form for the municipal register of inhabitants.

Mark Porter, 29, and 24-year-old Michelle Clydesdale died after they left their hotel in the resort of Salou, near Tarragona

Mark Porter, 29, and 24-year-old Michelle Clydesdale died after they left their hotel in the resort of Salou, near Tarragona, to go swimming in the early hours of Wednesday.They were with three other friends when they got into trouble and drowned.
Ms Clydesdale was from Scotland but it is not known where Mr Porter was from in the UK.A spokeswoman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "We can confirm the death of two British nationals (Mark Porter and Michelle Clydesdale) in Salou, Spain.
"The next of kin have been informed and we are offering consular assistance to them. We understand that they went swimming and got into difficulties."It is understood the pair were found on the beach after being washed up by large waves.Their bodies were taken to the regional capital of Tarragona on the north-eastern coast of Spain for post-mortem examinations.They went missing shortly before 2.30am and their three friends raised the alarm.The local fire department said the weather was stormy at the time, with waves some 7ft high.

Tuesday, 13 October 2009

670 million euros laundered money in Marbella

Money thought to have been laundered during the infamous ‘Malaya’ case in Marbella has been calculated at around 670 million euros.Most of this involves payments received in exchange for ‘favours’ relating to building development in the city, say police.It is said to have been laundered by up to 26 people who worked according to the orders of the alleged ringleader, former town planning assessor for Marbella Juan Antonio Roca.The suspects are spread across Spain and include six lawyers from a firm in Madrid.In addition to property development corruption on the Costa del Sol – and particularly in and around Marbella – the ‘Malaya’ case is believed to have involved homes built in Los Alcázares (Murcia).

Autopsy carried out on the body of the Boyzone singer, Stephen Gately

autopsy carried out on the body of the Boyzone singer, Stephen Gately, has determined that the 33 year old died from a severe pulmonary oedema, fluid on the lungs, according to sources quoted by El Mundo newspaper this Tuesday. He was found dead on Saturday after a night out while on holiday with his husband, Andrew Owles, on the island of Mallorca, and there has been speculation in the UK press that he may have choked on his own vomit.
A Bulgarian man, Georgi Dochev, told the Sun newspaper that it was he who found the body after accompanying the couple back to their holiday apartment after their night out and found Stephen lying lifeless on the sofa the next morning.

In further information from the Guardian newspaper, a court official on Mallorca is reported to have said the singer’s family will now be permitted to take his body home to Ireland for burial. The paper noted that police on the island have said there are no signs of suspicious circumstances in the 33 year old’s death.

Two ETA terrorists have already been found guilty for the attempted car bomb attack at Málaga Airport eight years ago

Two ETA terrorists have already been found guilty for the attempted car bomb attack at Málaga Airport eight years ago, but a third suspect comes before the National Court this Thursday where he will face a possible 14 years in prison for his part in the attack.The device was deactivated by the Tedax bomb disposal squad before it could go off, but the security lockdown put into place after the warning phone call came early on 26th July 2001 caused extensive disruption to the airport and to the flights which were scheduled that day.The man on trial is Ismael Berasategui Escudero who, with Javier Zabalo Beitia, one of the two found guilty, set up a car washing company in Guipúzcoa as a cover for the stolen vehicles their commando used for the car bombs. The third suspect, Ainoa Barbarín, was responsible with Berasategui for transporting the cars loaded with explosives to the target selected by ETA leadership.The car parked at Málaga Airport, loaded with 53 kilos of Titadyn dynamite, was set to explode at 8am that day, with the warning call coming just under 45 minutes before the explosion was timed.Diario Sur said the bomb attack came in retaliation for the death of an ETA member 48 hours previously, who died in Torrevieja, Alicante province, while handling another bomb.

Delta Airlines direct link between Málaga and New York

Delta Airlines direct link between Málaga and New York, re-launched in June 2008, is to end for the winter, although the company foresees restarting the route at the end of March 2010.The last flight until then will be next Sunday, 18th October, despite average occupancy levels during the time it’s been in operation of 78%. Sources at the company described their basis for the decision to Europa Press as operational and strategic. The news agency quotes figures from the Junta de Andalucía that some 16,000 passengers have flown into Málaga from New York’s JFK on the 119 aircraft which have made the trip to the Costa del Sol since the launch date more than 16 months ago.

Tuesday, 6 October 2009

International appeal to track down fugitive Allan Foster brought in just two calls

International appeal to track down fugitive Allan Foster brought in just two calls, it has been revealed.The gangster was named by police as the man behind the brutal killing of dad-of-seven David "Noddy" Rice at Marsden Lea car park in May 2007.
Mr Rice, 42, from South Shields, was gunned down at close range as he sat in his car.
Foster, of Rushcliffe, Fulwell, is said to have fled the UK soon after and is believed to be hiding out in Spain.But despite an international appeal to trace him, only two calls have been made to Crimestoppers.Last year the 37-year-old was included on a top 10 list of the UK's most wanted fugitives as part of Operation Captura – which concentrated on finding those who had fled to Spain.A photograph of him was released by Crimestoppers, in partnership with the Serious Organised Crime Agency. But despite the high-profile appeal, Foster remains at large.
A Crimestoppers spokeswoman said: "There have been two calls in relation to Allan Foster. But there has been no news of any imminent arrest."Crimestoppers is now renewing its appeal for information on the whereabouts of Foster, who is also known to use the name Shaun Michael Wilkinson.

Former head of Interpol has gone on trial in South Africa accused of corruption

Former head of Interpol has gone on trial in South Africa accused of corruption after he received gifts from an alleged gangster that were bought from Harrods and boutiques in London.Jackie Selebi, who is also South Africa's national police chief, resigned as president of the international police agency after he was charged last year.The indictment paints a devastating picture of alleged corruption at the top levels of policing in South Africa.

John Cunningham is the latest Irish gangland figure to relocate to Spain.

The 57-year-old, who first came to prominence for his role in the kidnap of businessman's wife Jennifer Guinness in the 1980s, moved to the Costa del Sol earlier this year.Gardai now believe that Cunningham, who has served time in the Netherlands and Ireland for drugs offences, is associating with younger Irish expat criminals.Security sources confirmed that the Ballyfermot-born gangster is a target of the Garda National Drugs Unit, liaising with their Spanish counterparts.He was released from prison here in February 2007 and returned to a home address in Tallaght. But sources say he has now relocated to Spain.One source said: "The information is that Mr Cunningham is back to his old tricks, and has opted to base himself in Spain this time." The criminal is known as 'Gentleman John' for his well- spoken manner, and lived a life of luxury in the Netherlands prior to his arrest there in March 2000. He served four-and-a-half years of an eight-year prison term in the Netherlands for trafficking and possession of ecstasy, amphetamines and cannabis. He was then transferred to Ireland, where he spent the remainder of the sentence at Limerick Prison. Cunningham first came to public attention in the 1980s, when he was jailed for 17 years for his part in the 1986 abduction of Jennifer Guinness, wife of John Guinness, a director of Guinness and Mahon bank. While awaiting early release for that crime, Cunningham escaped from Shelton Abbey and fled to the Netherlands in late 1996. There he managed to build a drugs empire worth €50m.A former associate of both Gilligan and Martin 'The General' Cahill, Cunningham developed a multi-million euro drugs empire. After he was caught in 2000, Cunningham was convicted of trafficking over €10m worth of drugs between Holland and Ireland.
At his Dutch trial, the public prosecutor noted: "This man looks like everybody's favourite neighbour, but don't be deceived by his friendly face and tidy appearance."
Investigators discovered how Cunningham had established a life of luxury in the Netherlands, renting a luxury home with its own swimming pool close to Amsterdam Airport, where he lived with his family.

Growing anger in Spain over British "health scroungers" has led to accusations that the country's health services are increasingly being used

Spanish doctors' trades unions are leading the charge against what has become known as "scalpel tourism", with easy-to-get hip and cataract operations allegedly attracting Britons who temporarily install themselves in Spain to skip queues at home.Growing anger in Spain over British "health scroungers" has led to accusations that the country's health services are increasingly being used by the estimated one million British people with homes in Spain to plug holes in the NHS.The Simap trade union said that non-Spanish EU nationals in Alicante, where Britons are by far the largest group, now accounted for 15% to 20% of people treated in local hospitals.
"Spain's health service is quick, free and offers a wide range of services," said Dr Juan Benedito of Simaptoday. "It is not surprising that people come here."
The Socialist former head of the Extremadura region of Spain, Juan Carlos Rodríguez Ibarra, warned this week that "scrounge tourism" was bleeding money out of Spain's health service.Málaga's Costa del Sol hospital is among those to notice an increase in the number of British patients. "We get an increasing number of cases of foreigners who, taking advantage of the fact that they own a home on the Costa del Sol and that their own country does not cover all that we offer in Andalucía, decide to come to a hospital [here]," the hospital's general manager, Antonio Pérez, told Sur newspaper.Spanish media have been filling up with reports of so-called health scroungers. "Thousands of people from Britain, Germany and Scandinavia travel to Spain every year for operations that, frequently, are not covered by their own health system," the ABC paper claimed recently.One letter-writer to the 20 Minutos newspaper, Federico Avila, said his neighbours in Murcia, south-east Spain, travelled to their holiday home for an operation and then went back to Britain as soon as it was done. "As soon as he was allowed out of hospital they packed their bags and went home, not without first thanking us Spaniards for everything," he said.
Charity workers who help Britons with health problems in Spain say there is evidence that some who live in both countries – known in expat jargon as "dippers" – cherrypick the best health services from each place.
"I haven't come across anyone who has come to Spain specifically for an operation, though," said Pat Lee-Patten, of the Help charity in Alicante province, who rejected the idea that expats' activities amounted to health tourism.Lee-Patten said added confusion was caused by British residents who did not bother to sign on with Spanish health authorities and then asked for treatment using health cards meant for tourists.Bryan Arthur, an "on-and-off" resident of Britain and Spain, chose to have an aortic valve operation at a Costa Blanca hospital because he could get it in two months rather than six, he said."The surgeon in the Costa Blanca hospital spoke English quite well, said I was in urgent need of attention and could accept me in two months and the charge would be on their national health service," he wrote on the euroresidentes website. "So I signed the papers, had the preliminary catheterisation and eventually was admitted."Squabbling over funds is at the root of the complaints, with health authorities in Spain saying that they do not receive adequate compensation for treating EU citizens.
Scrounging foreigners? British expats accused of health tourism in Spain
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 19.15 BST on Monday 5 October 2009. A version appeared on p9 of the UK news section of the Guardian on Tuesday 6 October 2009.

Stig hanging out in Puerto Banus



Stig hanging out in Puerto Banus. Well the Top Gear blog have has now confirmed that the duo were out in the Costa del Sol filming for a new DVD that will hit the shelves in November.The DVD called Duel will showcase a number of speedy challenges and races. The challenge in question involved a night time street race between Clarkson and the Stig from the Ascari circuit to a bar in Puerto Banus.

Antonio Banderas home ‘La Gaviota’ at Los Monteros in Marbella still under threat

Andalucía High Court has overruled an order suspending demolition of part of the propertyThere has been another set back for Antonio Banderas regarding his home ‘La Gaviota’ at Los Monteros in Marbella.The Andalucian High Court of Justice has rejected the ruling which had suspended the demolition of 150 of the 780 square metres of the villa, as well as the swimming pool for the property, considering that the land invades an area marked on the urban plan as being for beach equipment.
It means that the High Court has agreed with an appeal presented by the Community of Owners of the Los Monteros Urbanisation, against the hopes of both the actor and Marbella Town Hall, which had granted the suspension order until the town’s new PGOU Urban Plan is carried out. Under the new PGOU the house would have been made legal.
The lawyer representing the Community of Owners, Inmaculada Gálvez, told El País that to avoid demolition she had offered Banderas a deal under which he would compensate the community with a quantity equivalent to the loss of value of his property should the demolition take place – a sum estimated at 2.1 million €. But now the lawyer says that the talks are over and the demolition must take place. Marbella Town Hall is expected to launch an appeal.

Foreign Mans Death Cause's riots in Roquetas de Mar Southern Spain

Immigrants went on a rampage in a southern Spanish town overnight throwing stones and bottles at police after a Senegalese man was stabbed to death, police and Spanish media said on Sunday. Police would only say that the killing of a man in the town of Roquetas de Mar, had sparked "altercations throughout the night in which immigrants were involved." Spanish media said African immigrants were enraged by the death of the Senegalese man, 28, who was stabbed in a fight. Daily newspaper El Mundo's website said African immigrants threw stones and bottles at police, and burnt down two homes and two police cars. It quoted emergency services as saying that rioters set up barricades, burnt rubbish bins and cars. A policeman who went to the scene told national radio station RNE that firefighters were called to a false alarm and were directed by a group to where a fire was supposed to be. "They began to throw stones at the cars... They ended up destroyed, with broken windows, dents in the doors, at the front. The only thing there wasn't was injuries," policeman Carlos Manuel Ruiz said. Police arrested three immigrants, the media reports said. Madrid Reuters

Richard Henry Roberts, 36,found guilty of the murder of nightclub bouncer Daniel Hastelow

Richard Henry Roberts, 36,found guilty of the murder of nightclub bouncer Daniel Hastelow after a trial.But another Merseyside man, jointly accused of the killing in the popular resort of Palmanova in January last year, was acquitted by the jury of nine because of “lack of proof”.Roberts admitted stabbing the 26-year-old victim, from Walsall, seven times.But he claimed it was self defence when the four-day trial began on Monday.Yesterday, the jury rejected his claim he grabbed a knife from a table to defend himself when Mr Hastelow attacked him, delivering heavy blows.They convicted Roberts of murder, rejecting a defence plea for a manslaughter

Paul Anthony Griffiths aquitted in Daniel Hastelow murder case

The jury accepted the defence argument that evidence was not produced to support prosecution claims that Paul Anthony Griffiths, 23, also from Liverpool, took part in the deliberate killing of Mr Hastelow.It was alleged Griffiths beat the victim with a baseball bat as he lay sleeping in an apartment in the resort on the island’s south coast.Griffiths admitted being present when Mr Hastelow was killed, but denied taking any part in his death.The jury also dismissed a charge against both accused of breaking into the apartment where Mr Hastelow died.After the verdicts, Judge Eduardo Calderon formally acquitted Griffiths and dismissed him from the court.
The state prosecutor then asked for an 18 year prison sentence for Roberts.He also asked Judge Calderon to order Roberts to pay compensation of 90,000 Euros – around £81,000 – to the victim’s family.The judge’s written sentence will be known later.

Daniel Hastelow murder case

36 year old Briton, Richard Henry Roberts, has been sent to prison for 18 years for killing his compatriot, Daniel Hastelow in January 2008. The court in Palma de Mallorca heard how the accused had stabbed the sleeping victim eight times.
A second Briton arrested at the time, Paul A. Griffiths, was found not guilty and released without charge.The court and jury considered it proved that after an argument in a bar earlier the aggressor, Richard H Roberts, went to the apartment where the victim was sleeping under the effects of alcohol and drugs, broke in and stabbed the victim with a 20 cm long and 4cm wide knife eight times. The other Briton Paul Griffiths looked on.The two were arrested at the airport the following day.Richard Robert has also been ordered to pay 90,000 € compensation to the victim’s family. He has a previous record for violent theft, causing injury and robbery.

Monday, 5 October 2009

Torremolinos Arco Iris will become the first real estate project in Spain that is aimed at LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) clients

Arco Iris (Rainbow)will become the first real estate project in Spain that is aimed at LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) clients, with an added condition: residents must be over 55 as the development will also take on the role of a care centre.The building will be located in the very heart of Torremolinos, a town that in recent years has become a favourite holdiay resort for homosexuals. This has given rise to the opening of numerous gay-orientated businesses from clothes shops to bars and restaurants, although nearly always geared towards a younger clientele.
“You would think that all homosexuals are young, beautiful and healthy, but we get old too”, says Antonio Gutiérrez, a veteran gay rights activist who hopes that projects such as this one “will help find a solution for the human dramas suffered by older homosexuals who often have a limited family environment to fall back on as their parents have died and they have no children”.“Loneliness is one of their greatest concerns but many homosexuals we have spoken to believe that moving into a traditional home for the elderly would be like going back to the closet”, explains Íñigo Armengod, director general of Grupo Imnova, the firm promoting the scheme.
The building will have 27 apartments with comforts and services such as cleaners, a social club, a nurse station, and even care for pets, although the main attraction will be a day centre which will be open to residents as well as other members of the general public, regardless of their sexual condition. The apartments will range between 100,000 and 240,000 in price but as yet no date has been set for construction work to start, possibly after next summer.However the gay and lesbian association Colega does

Tax hikes announced by Spain’s Socialist government will increase the cost of the average newly-built property by 2,000 Euros

Tax hikes announced by Spain’s Socialist government will increase the cost of the average newly-built property by 2,000 Euros, thanks to an increase in VAT from 7% to 8% on new home sales. The government will hike VAT (known as IVA in Spain) on new home sales in 2010 to try and plug the country’s gaping fiscal hole.In areas like Madrid and Barcelona, where property is more expensive, the cost will go up by an average of 3,000 Euros, according to José M. Galindo, President of the Association of Developers and Constructors of Spain (APCE). He warns that higher costs will reduce demand for newly built homes, at a time when the market is struggling to digest a glut of them.The more expensive the home, the more VAT to be paid. New homes costing 1 million Euros – fairly common in areas like the Balearcis and upmarket areas of the Costa del Sol, will now cost buyers 10,000 Euros more in VAT, or 80,000 Euros in total.As transaction taxes are not typically financed by mortgages, buyers will have to finance the higher cost from their own capital. The only good news is the increase won’t come into force until July 2010. So if you are planning to buy a new home in Spain, you might want to do so before then.The G-14 group of Spain’s leading developers describe the tax increase as just “another difficulty” for a sector where “all the news is bad”. The G-14 developers (13 of them in total, several of whom are in bankruptcy proceedings) have also revealed that they started just 59 private homes (excluding social housing) between them in the 8 months to August.

Brutal Marbella crime syndicate plotted to snatch and ransom the family of a top UK TV presenter.

Law agencies across Europe fear any celeb is at risk in the Spanish resorts where Britons flock for sunshine holidays.The player, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was targeted while visiting the area at the end of last year's football season. But the plan was aborted at the last minute.Ex-British intelligence agent Paul Grimshaw, now a security consultant in Marbella, said: "Crime gangs from Eastern Europe and Russian are moving in. The area is teeming with wealth."They don't care who they target as long as there is money to be earned. The footballer was picked out for that reason."They got cold feet. But reliable sources are adamant that a highprofile celebrity kidnapping is only a matter of time. Footballers, especially wealthy ones, should be vigilant at all times."Grimshaw revealed the threat of kidnap is scaring the wealthy away from Spain. He said: "Former England manager Steve McClaren sold his villa last year over fears about the rising crime rate. The Qatar royal family has not visited its 14-bedroom home in Marbella for nearly five years and will probably never return."A personal security officer for Spanish-based CCS24Gibraltar said: "I've worked on the Costa del Sol for ten years and crime has never been worse. It's dangerous and frightening. Kidnappings, drug-trafficking and robberies happen all the time."High walls and cameras don't deter these criminals. If they want to get you - they will."Leeds-born Grimshaw, 46, alerted the Football Association and the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) to the soccer star plot. He wrote in August: "An England player was the target of a kidnap plot after the Champions League Final in Moscow in 2008. It is believed the player was pinpointed at either a training camp or during a vacation in southern Spain."Anybody travelling abroad should review their security arrangements. This threat was not limited to one player."Pfa chief executive Gordon Taylor said: "We can't afford not to take information like this seriously in this day and age.

"Liverpool's Steven Gerrard and Everton's Phil Jagielka were targeted by burglars. Spurs player Wilson Palacios' brother Edwin was kidnapped in Honduras in May. Wilson paid a £125,000 ransom but Edwin was murdered."There is precedent for snatching soccer stars. Manchester United ace Dimitar Berbatov was kidnapped in his native Bulgaria while an 18-year-old with CSKA Sofia. He was freed unharmed but recalled yesterday: "It was a horrific ordeal."Grimshaw, who has lived in Spain for 20 years, warned: "Abduction worries have rocketed, particularly in Marbella."The Russian Mafia has been gaining ground in Spain since the last property boom made it an attractive place to launder money. They prey on the rich - and will stop at nothing.In June, four Russians grabbed a man in the street in Estepona and told him he would die within 24 hours unless he paid them £12,000. He escaped after being tortured for two days. Some gangs are Kosovan Albanians, often ex-soldiers. Others are Romanian and Lithuanian.The family of property developer Frank Capa - a pal of Rod Stewart - paid a £1 million for his release after he was kidnapped in Marbella in 2004.Ian Watmore of the FA confirmed they were reviewing player security after Grimshaw's tip. A security officer added: "Famous footballers and celebrities are sitting ducks. I advise them to choose their friends carefully."

Thursday, 24 September 2009

Three men from Merseyside on the run in Spain


Three men from Merseyside are on a top ten most wanted list of suspected criminals on the run in Spain.Crimestoppers are asking for ex-pats' help to trace the men, who they believe have fled to the Costa del Sol.They include 40 year old Paul Walmsley, from Liverpool, who's suspected of supplying heroin and cocaine.Another Liverpudlian making the list is Mark Ronald Brown - a 44 year old who's believed to have led a gang who smuggled class As into the UK.Jody Michael Flynn, 28, from Birkenhead, is wanted on a GBH charge.

Woman who suffered years of abuse has called for her attacker to be brought to justice from his hide-out on Spain’s Costa del Crime.

Woman who suffered years of abuse has called for her attacker to be brought to justice from his hide-out on Spain’s Costa del Crime.Investigators want the public to help them trace 10 “most wanted” fugitives thought to be on the run in the Costa del Sol region, including Martin Smith, 44, of North Shields, who is wanted in connection with the rape of a child aged under 16 and gross indecency with a girl under the age of 16.The 44-year-old is accused of raping and indecently assaulting a girl, under the age of 16, over a period of 10 years.He was arrested by police in North Cumbria after his victim found the courage to speak out about the years of abuse she endured throughout her childhood. But he skipped bail in January last year and has been on the run ever since.Last night, as pictures of Smith and nine other dangerous criminals were being circulated among the British community in Malaga, his victim spoke out about the years of abuse that left her feeling dirty and worthless.
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she wanted to see her attacker caught so that he would never put another person through the same ordeal.“It was regular abuse. It made me feel awful, small and dirty, and like I had done something wrong and I was the liar and you don’t think anybody is going to believe you. You think it’s all your fault,” she said. “I felt like I needed to have justice done because otherwise it could happen to other people and I don’t want anybody else to go through what I went through. It wasn’t a life, it was torture.”
Smith, who was born in North Shields, but has travelled around the UK, is wanted in connection with the rape of a child under 16, gross indecency with a girl under the age of 16, indecent assault of a girl under 16 and attempted rape of a girl under 16.
The alleged attacks, on one victim, occurred between 1995 and 2005.

Local council in the Costa del Sol resort of Marbella – an area traumatised by years of corruption involving politicians and residential developers

Local council in the Costa del Sol resort of Marbella – an area traumatised by years of corruption involving politicians and residential developers – is seeking to retrospectively "legalise" 18,000 homes, which are now found to have been built without appropriate construction licences. But three schemes, all close to the water, have not been included in this de facto amnesty and instead face demolition.
They were built since the introduction of the 1988 Coastal Law (called the Ley de Costas) designed to protect the coastline by prohibiting construction within 100 metres of the high-water mark. "These buildings are practically in the sea," says Barbara Wood, a buying agent, who runs The Property Finders in this part of Spain.

love padlocks being placed on the Isabel II bridge which links the city centre to the area of Triana.


Sevilla is a pretty romantic place, but the City Hall says it no longer wants to see love padlocks being placed on the Isabel II bridge which links the city centre to the area of Triana.The idea of couples placing a padlock on a fence or bridge is thought to have started in the 80’s in Pécs, Hungary, and has proved very popular in Sevilla where many couples have placed their locks thinking that they would never be opened.But the City Hall considers the padlocks damage the aesthetics of the bridge and have removed more than 1,000 of them already.
Público reports that locals are divided on the move.
‘Is the love represented by the lock broken?’, they ask.
The Municipal Junta for the Triana district has made up its mind and on Wednesday placed a motion that the padlocks be taken away every 15 days. They note that the Triana bridge is the only one in the city declared to be a Monument of Cultural Interest

Benalmádena bullfighter, Josélito Otega, says he’s not worried that many will think he is gay.


Benalmádena bullfighter, Josélito Otega, says he’s not worried that many will think he is gay. There’s little more macho in Spain than the world of the matador, but now that is set to change as Josélito Otega has accepted the sponsorship on his pink cape, of the new ‘Gay Up’ energy drink brand. Not only is it the first time that sponsorship has appeared on a bullfighter’s cape in Spain, but the product itself is sure to lead to a great deal of additional publicity. The 'Gay Up' company is Colombia based, but it is a Málaga company which has the franchise in Spain. They had previously tried to The 'Gay Up' energy drink
sponsor Málaga football team, but the attempt reportedly floundered in prejudice, and quite how Spain’s ‘National Fiesta’ responds to this new 21st century challenge remains to be seen. The purists are not likely to be happy.Gay Up’s Chairman, José María Terrón, told El Mundo that the bullfighting world should open up to the gay market, to renew itself and survive.José Otega himself told the press, ‘I am a bullfighter. That is not going to change. I am going to go out into the ring as I have done until now, to risk my life, and the seven goring wounds on my body prove that,’ he said. ‘If the gay community welcomes me as an image or a symbol, that is fine.’

Religious beliefs cannot be above civil law


witness called before the National Court in Spain on Wednesday in a case where nine alleged Islamists were in the dock, facing allegations of sending Mujahidin to carry out suicide attacks in Iraq, has been expelled from the court by Judge Javier Gómez Bermúdez, after she refused to lift or remove her burka.Before expelling her from the chamber the judge explained that in Spanish courts it is obligatory to declare with the face uncovered, and at the end of the session he called her to his office, with the prosecutor, Dolores Delgado. After some debate the witness has agreed to attend the court again on Monday, wearing her burka, but lifting it to show her face to the judge, but with no cameras and no public.The woman is the sister of Hassan Hssisni, a suicide bomber who carried out his attack in Iraq in January 2005.The judge commented that ‘Seeing her face I can see if she is lying or not, or if any question surprises her or not’. He said that he did not want to charge her with disobedience, but underlined that religious beliefs cannot be above civil law.

Javier Rodrigo de Santos, former town planning councillor, spent more than 50,000 € of public money

ex Partido Popular councillor found guilty of misuse of municipal funds in Palma de Mallorca has been sentenced to two years in prison, for using the City Hall credit card to pay for sex and cocaine.Javier Rodrigo de Santos, former town planning councillor, spent more than 50,000 € of public money between 2005 and 2007 and claimed at his trial that he only went to the alternative night clubs to buy the cocaine. In fact, his addiction to drugs formed a strong part of his defence and EFE reports that Judge Carlos Izquierdo took that into account in deciding the length of the sentence. Also key was the fact that de Santos has paid back the money he spent to Palma City Hall.In addition to the prison term, he gets a four year ban from public office.

Electrical storm in Els Poblets blew an enormous hole in the roof of the Swiss couple’s house

Swiss couple with a holiday home in Els Poblets were fortunately away in Switzerland for the summer when their house was hit by lightning. A German woman who looks after the property while the owners are away visited the house on Wednesday and told Diario Información that she is convinced they would have been dead if they had been inside when the house was hit.The electrical storm in Els Poblets blew an enormous hole in the roof of the Swiss couple’s house, lifted up the floor with the impact and the fire it caused destroyed all the furniture inside.Its understood the owners had renovated the property only recently.

Council meeting in Estepona has approved abolishing three local taxes under the austerity plan presented by opposition Partido Popular councillors

Council meeting in Estepona has approved abolishing three local taxes under the austerity plan presented by opposition Partido Popular councillors which, while good news for the pockets of the people of Estepona, will have a serious effect on the municipal purse.The local tax councillor, Francisca Bernal, told Europa Press that the move approved by the opposition, which has a majority in the local corporation, will reduce Town Hall income by around 20 million € next year: 18 million € in the abolished rubbish collection tax, a further 1.5 million € in the drainage tax and the remainder in opening licences granted to new businesses.Most of that income would normally have been spent on paying Town Hall salaries, the councillor said.
The opposition move is being seen by some of the press as a continued attempt by the Partido Popular to achieve the dissolution of the Town Hall.

Tuesday, 22 September 2009

Armed robbers in Ronda

Police in Ronda are examining CCTV footage to identify the three armed robbers who got away with 300 euros after raiding a BP petrol station on the Campillos road some three kilometres away from Ronda. According to the 46 year old shop assistant who was working at the time, three armed individuals burst into the shop and demanded the contents of the till. They got away with only 300 euros as the petrol station’s policy is keep no more than that amount in the till, while the rest is put into a safe to which employees do not have access. The shop assistant and a customer who was filling up at the time told the police that the three suspects made off in an Opel Corsa driven by a getaway driver.

British director, Michael Radford, has started shooting in Córdoba for his film, ‘La Mula’

British director, Michael Radford, has started shooting in Córdoba for his film, ‘La Mula’ – ‘The Mule’, his movie on the last months of the Civil War. Adapted from the book of the same name by the author from Jaén, Juan Eslava Galán, it’s a true life story which tells the tale of a young soldier who comes across a mule in the middle of a battlefield.He decides to keep the animal so he can take it home with him at the end of the war and allow him to earn a living for his family.The joint production by Spain, Britain and Ireland stars Mario Casas as the young soldier and is budgeted with 7 million €.

Motion of censure will oust the Benidorms Partido Popular Mayor, Manuel Pérez Fenoll.

Partido Popular Mayor claims in an open letter to the people of Benidorm that the motion against him is based on liesThis Tuesday is expected to see the end of 16 years of Partido Popular government in Benidorm, when, saving any last minute surprises, a motion of censure will oust the town’s Partido Popular Mayor, Manuel Pérez Fenoll.It was presented by the 12 Socialist councillors at the Town Hall – who have since resigned from the party – and a ‘turncoat’ PP councillor, José Bañuls, who left the ranks of the Partido Popular in June and is now a non-affiliated councillor. El País reports that he hopes to stand as Iniciativa Benidorm’s candidate for Mayor in the 2011 local elections.The candidate for Mayor on this occasion is Agustín Navarro, who until the mass resignation from PSOE after the motion was presented on 11th September was Socialist spokesman at Benidorm Town Hall. La Verdad newspaper reports that he and his 12 fellow councillors have checked into an undisclosed hotel from this Sunday night, where they will remain until the vote takes place on Tuesday.It’s a strategy which opposition councillors in Marbella, Málaga province, also followed in 2003 in the motion which ousted Julián Muñoz from the local Town Hall and elected Marisol Yagüe in his place.Manuel Pérez Fenoll claimed in an open letter to the people of Benidorm printed in ABC newspaper this Sunday that the motion against him is based on lies, predicting that the 2011 municipal poll will, he said, ‘return everyone to their proper place’.

Friend of the 16 year old Spanish girl, Celeste, found dead in her doorway in Valencia early on Saturday has been arrested


Friend of the 16 year old Spanish girl, Celeste, found dead in her doorway in Valencia early on Saturday has been arrested in connection with the teenager’s death. He is understood from the Levante newspaper to be one of the two friends who accompanied her home after attending a botellón street drinking party on Friday night and stayed talking with her in the doorway after the other youngster left at around 2.30 am on Saturday.There are unconfirmed reports that the victim was raped and is believed to have died after hitting her head on the steps at the first floor landing where her body was found.The other friend who was with the teenager before she died told the newspaper that the man in custody, named as Braulio M.R. was born in Colombia and adopted by Spanish parents and had no relationship with the teenager other than their friendship.An autopsy is expected to be carried out on Monday to determine the exact cause of death.

Juan Carlos Benavides faces a possible payout of more than 30,000 Euro over comments he made about a Socialist councillor

The Convergencia Andaluza Mayor of Almuñécar, Juan Carlos Benavides, faces a posible payout of tens of thousands of euros in a slander case which will be heard by Criminal Court No. 1 in Motril in December.The case comes to court after legal action taken by the Socialist Party’s former spokesperson at the Town Hall, Rocío Palacios, over insulting comments the Mayor made about her during a council meeting on 31st January 2006. Benavides suggested at the meeting that Palacios had climbed the political ladder only because of an ‘intimate relationship’ he claimed she had with her party’s provincial secretary, Francisco de la Chica.He also called her a ‘zorra’ – a tart.The prosecution service sees the Mayor’s words as seriously affecting the two Socialist politicians’ family lives, as the press, as they are for each council meeting, were present at the Town Hall meeting. EFE reports the Mayor faces a possible fine of 21,600 € and, in addition to that, 10,000 € compensation to the two politicians.The controversy over the insult led the Mayor to resign from the Partido Andalucista over what he said was a lack of support from provincial party leadership, joining, with most of his P.A. councillors, the new party, Convergencia Andaluza, in March 2006.

Trial starts of two British men, named as Richard Henry Roberts, 35, and Anthony Griffths, 22,

Trial starts of two British men, named as Richard Henry Roberts, 35, and Anthony Griffths, 22,who are accused of killing another Briton, 26 year old Daniel Hastelow, and breaking into his home in Magaluf on Mallorca in January this year.The attack came at 4am on the morning after the victim’s birthday in an apartment in Calle Contra almirante Riviera in Magaluf, but an argument had started before that in a local pup. This allegedly led the attackers to go to the home of the victim, armed with a baseball bat and knife. The victim was stabbed several times and the two suspects were arrested at Palma airport afterwards when trying to flee Mallorca. They have been held in prison on remand since January 15 this year.A statement from the Supreme Court said that the case will get underway at 9,30am this morning with the selection of the jury, and is expected to continue in both morning and afternoon sessions until Wednesday.

Saturday, 12 September 2009

John David W.S. He faces a six-month sentence and a two-year ban from his profession

Partido Popular Mayor of Sorbas faces a possible six months in prison and a 7-year ban from public office for granting planning permission for a development in a protected area of the Sierra Cabrera. The building licence was granted in 2006 for 3 new homes on a plot in Los Pérez, which the prosecution service claims Mayor José Fernández was fully aware was classified as land unsuitable for development.
Other suspects in the case are the municipal technician who drew up the report recommending the licence could be granted, the project’s technical director and the property developer for the three homes. This last is a British man who is named by Europa Press as John David W.S. He faces a six-month sentence and a two-year ban from his profession, as well as having to share the 9,400 € cost of demolishing the illegal construction with his technical director.The construction project had not got past the foundations stage when the prosecution service ordered the building licence to be annulled last year.
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Family of murdered Seville teenager accuse suspects of desecrating the body

Parents of Marta del Castillo, the 17 year old who disappeared in Seville this January, were greeted with applause by the crowd waiting outside Instruction Court No. 4 in the city this Wednesday morning, as they arrived to hear the four accused in their daughter’s death formally informed of the charges against them.Inside the court, the private accusation brought by Marta’s parents added an additional charge against the four adult suspects in the case: desecration of the teenager’s body, which an intensive search has been unable to locate. Her self-confessed murderer, Miguel Carcaño, first claimed her threw the body in the Guadalquivir River, then changed his story to dumping it in a rubbish bin near the flat on Calle León XIII where Marta died.The family’s lawyer charges Carcaño with murder and rape, with a maximum prison sentence of 25 years. The other three suspects –his friend, Samuel Benítez, and his elder brother, Francisco Javier Delgado, and María García, Delgado’s girlfriend – are charged by the family with covering up the crimes.The fifth suspect, a youngster known as ‘El Cuco’, is to be tried by a juvenile court.
Security was tight as the four suspects arrived at court on Wednesday, and it’s understood that police had to intervene to protect Delgado and his girlfriend as they left the court to stop them being assaulted by the crowd.Miguel Carcaño remained inside after the other suspects left the building, making a statement to the judge at his own request.El Mundo reports that Carcaño told the judge that he did not rape Marta, but that he did kill her with an ashtray, thus returning to his first version of his confession.

Liverpool gang questioned by the Spanish Guardia Civil today on suspicion of selling ecstasy and other drugs to young holidaymakers in Ibiza

Twenty-five Britons are being questioned by the Spanish Guardia Civil on suspicion of selling ecstasy and other drugs to young holidaymakers in Ibiza.The suspects, most of them believed to be from Liverpool, were held on Friday after a series of drugs raids in the "party capital" San Antonio. Police seized between 20,000 and 23,000 ecstasy pills, quantities of other drugs including cocaine, ketamine and crystal meth, and €100,000 (£87,000) in cash.An investigating judge was expected to begin questioning the alleged dealers today. They are alleged to have spent much of the summer selling drugs to fellow Britons in the notorious West End neighbourhood of discos and other nightspots in the resort of San Antonio, on Ibiza's west coast.
Those arrested include youngsters allegedly selling the drugs at the entrances to clubs and bars, and older men alleged to be the leaders of the group. Several of those held over the weekend had reportedly been arrested earlier in the summer season.Drug-squad detectives have long suspected Liverpool-based gangs of supplying drugs to the young Britons who descend on Ibiza each summer. In 2006 members of a Merseyside gang were involved in a car chase and shoot-out with rivals in a turf war in San Antonio. Two teenage holidaymakers from Belfast were seriously injured when they were caught in the crossfire as two vehicles sped through West End with guns blazing.

Wednesday, 9 September 2009

Death of Irish boxer Ollie Walsh

Spanish authorities have denied that there any suspicious circumstances involved in the death of Irish boxer Ollie Walsh, 33. Mr Walsh, a former kick-boxing champion from Wexford, had been living in Spain for 18 months before he died in his home in the village of Guaro, 30 miles from Malaga on the Costa del Sol, on August 22.
Police have decided not to investigate the death, and a judge has archived the case. A spokeswoman for the Civil Guard denied reports that fake passports, weapons, needles and hand grenades were found in Mr Walsh's home.

Tuesday, 25 August 2009

Five foreign nationals were arrested in Isla Cristina, Huelva,

Local police in Isla Cristina, Huelva, have released details to EFE of a major drugs haul at the town’s port last weekend, when 5 tons of cannabis were found on board a fishing boat in the early hours of Saturday.Five foreign nationals were arrested by the Civil Guard and, while their nationalities have not been released, it’s understood that the vessel flies under a Portuguese flag, although it is based at Isla Cristina.The Civil Guard investigation remains open and further arrests have not been ruled out.

Tuesday, 18 August 2009

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Fuente Álamo Civil Guard arrest man for a double stabbing on a beach in Mazarrón

Spanish man has been arrested for a double stabbing on a beach in Mazarrón this Saturday, where he attacked his estranged wife and her new boyfriend in broad daylight. La Verdad newspaper said the assault was witnessed by the couple’s two teenage children.The two victims were both seriously hurt – the woman, with a stab wound in the stomach, and her boyfriend in the back. He was prevented from causing them any further injury by witnesses who saw what happened on the Playa del Castellar in Puerto de Mazarrón and threw rocks at the assailant.Named by the paper as M.F.H., he was captured by the Fuente Álamo Civil Guard early on Saturday evening after escaping the beach by car.

Sunday, 9 August 2009

Crackdown on unregistered Spanish pay-as-you-go mobile phones

PAY-AS-YOU-GO mobile phone users have just three months to register their SIM cards, the ministry of the interior has reminded the public today.
Anyone who does not do so before November 9 will lose their number and be left without a phone line.The interior ministry says it is concerned to note that ‘several million’ mobile phone user still have not registered their SIM cards.
To do so, users should go to a point of sale of their telephone operator – such as Movistar, Vodaphone or Orange – bringing photo identification with them such as a passport or residence card.Only around 15 million SIM cards purchased before November 2007 are affected, since those bought since are automatically registered to the user. The main reasons for the change in law requiring mobile users to register their SIM cards is to enable the detection and investigation of serious crimes.
Certain criminal gangs and terrorist groups use pay-as-you-go mobile telephones to remain anonymous.

Warehouses and Villas raided in Marbella drug gang leaders arrested


Drugs Gang with clients all over Europe has been broken up in a police operation which has seen 3 arrests in Marbella. The Interior Ministry said most of the gang’s clients were in the UK, Belgium and Italy, where the drugs smuggled in from Morocco were delivered by road.The group stored the cannabis in warehouses in Marbella and laundered the proceeds through companies set up in Spain which invested the money in property and construction, both in Spain and abroad.The three men in custody are a Russian man, A.K., A Danish citizen originally from Morocco, R.N., and his brother, H.N. Police seized three top range vehicles and 50,000 € in cash in property searches which took place in Marbella and Ceuta.

Andalucía High Court of Justice has ordered the demolition of 80 homes and a 4-star hotel in the Guadalmina area of Marbella

Ruling from the Andalucía High Court of Justice has ordered the demolition of 80 homes and a 4-star hotel in the Guadalmina area of Marbella, which contravene current planning regulations in force in the town – the local urban plan of 1986. The hotel is named as part of the Barceló chain.News of the sentence was published by El Mundo newspaper this week, a ruling which was given this June when, the paper said, the magistrates who took the decision were aware that the town’s new urban was shortly to be approved. In fact, Marbella’s new PGOU general urban plan was approved by the Town Hall last week and it makes these two buildings due for demolition legal.
Speaking to the EFE news agency, the Junta de Andalucía’s territorial planning and housing councillor, Juan Espadas, said the aim is to push through regional government approval of the plan as soon as possible, hoping to pass it in half the time set down by law. Legally, the Junta has a time limit of five months to give its definitive approval.Felix Romero, spokesman for the Partido Popular local government in Marbella, told Europa Press on Wednesday that the Town Hall will ask the court to postpone carrying out the sentence, saying there is ‘no common sense or logic’ in demolishing the buildings.

16 year old Briton, Alex Hughes. is in a coma

16 year old Briton, Alex Hughes. is in a coma after being stabbed by a group of three Spaniards in Palma de Mallorca. He was on holiday in Puerto de Andratx, and witnesses say he was hit for talking to a group of Spanish girls outside a bar at 3am on Saturday morning. They say he was first punched and kicked and then hit over the head with a bottle, which left him unconscious. Local police called the emergency services.His parents Dermot and Helen have flown to the island from their home in Wales to be with their son. The father told the Sun newspaper ‘All we can do is wait with fingers crossed’. Alex remains in a serious condition, while a group of his friends have opened a page for him on Facebook.El País reports that the Guardia Civil has identified the aggressors, and expect to make arrests shortly.Alex Hughes, 16, from Radyr, near Cardiff, was hit over the head with a bottle as he left a nightclub in the Port d'Andratx resort. The Spanish Civil Guard confirmed Alex, who was staying with three friends and their parents, was injured in the attack and is in a coma. The boy's grandmother said he remains critically ill. "We are just praying that he will make it," said Pauline Simms, who lives in Aberdare, in the Cynon Valley. "He was over on holidays with friends and their parents for a nice break after doing their GCSEs. Alex was trying to escape but was hit on the head with a bottle Dr Dermot Hughes, Alex's father "They went to a little nightclub which was (in) a very quiet resort in Majorca and these Spanish boys set upon them after they came out from the nightclub on their way home. "Alex was the unlucky one to be hit on the head with a bottle." Mrs Simms said a parent of one of his friends had been waiting up for them to return, and called paramedics who took Alex to hospital in Palma. "They decided immediately to operate on him and at the moment it is still a very serious situation," added his grandmother. A Civil Guard spokesman said: "Police are investigating the incident. There are three male suspects but no arrests have been made." Police on Majorca say there are three male suspects in the case The Sun newspaper said the attackers targeted Alex and his friends because they had been dancing with local girls. Alex's father Dr Dermot Hughes, a consultant anaesthetist in neurosurgery, and his mother Helen flew out to be at their son's bedside. Dr Hughes told the paper: "All we can do is wait with our fingers crossed and pray he comes out of his coma. "Unfortunately for our boys, they waited for them to leave, drove up in a car and attacked them. "Alex was trying to escape but was hit on the head with a bottle. "Alex is a lover not a fighter. He has a quiet manner but is quick-witted - a lovely boy." Well wishers and friends from Radyr Comprehensive School where Alex is a pupil have set up a Facebook group supporting him.

Friday, 31 July 2009

Costa del Gangster editorial staff


The Costa del Gangster editorial staff have been earning a well earned rest after the amazing success of the last 18 mounth on the Costa del Sol. After carousing around our well known watering spots and entertaining our stringers. We have found a new watering hole away from the bright lights of Puerto Banus 15 minutes up a mountain road to Istan a white village nestling in the Sierras.Entre Sierras is the only place to eat, drink and be merry.Their speciality nights are the talk of the coast with many well known faces,you know what I mean, dropping in.Their webpage is www.entresierra.blogspot.com

Tuesday, 28 July 2009

Official limousine stolen in Spain

Ulla Schmidt flew to Alicante at her own expense, but her driver drove the nearly 2410km journey in her $196,000 limousine to Spain from Berlin to ferry her to and from official meetings with German retirees in southeastern Spain.
"Her chauffeur's accommodation was broken into and the car keys were stolen," said a Health Ministry spokesman.

Germany's Social Democrat (SPD) health minister came under pressure to explain why she took her official limousine, complete with chauffeur, to Spain where the vehicle was stolen.Opposition politicians demanded Ulla Schmidt provide more details about the affair.The incident could damage the SPD who trail Merkel's conservatives by more than 10 points in opinion polls in the run-up to a September 27 federal election.

Increased usage of antidepressants and tranquillizers

In Spain, 24 percent of women use antidepressants and 31 percent use tranquillizers -- sometimes used to help people sleep, researchers said. Lead author Sonsoles Perez of the Las Aguilas Health Centre in Madrid and colleagues studied 121 women in Madrid ages 25-65 using family dysfunction surveys and the additive scale used to evaluate social readjustment. The psychopharmaceuticals analyzed were antidepressants and benzodiazepines -- sedatives, anxiety reducing, anti-convulsant or muscle relaxants. Although one might think that family conflicts lead to greater consumption of psychopharmaceuticals among women, we did not find any such relationship Perez said in a statement. Some people with family, work-related or financial problems do not feel able to tackle their problems and fall back on the use of drugs.The study, published in the journal Atencion Primaria, also found in 78.6 percent of cases, these drugs are prescribed in primary health centers. The diagnosis is recorded in the patient's medical records in 64.5 percent of cases, with the primary causes being depression at 11.6 percent, anxiety at 9.9 percent and 3.3 percent of insomnia. The researchers found benzodiazepine use increases with age, but there was no similar finding with antidepressant use.

Friday, 10 July 2009

Marbella constructor José Ávila Rojas, arrived at the prison in Albolote

Marbella constructor José Ávila Rojas, arrived at the prison in Albolote on Wednesday morning to complete an eight year sentence for four counts of tax fraud. His appeal against last year’s sentence from the Granada provincial court was turned down by the Supreme Court last month, and it left no other means open to try and avoid entering prison.The fraud relates to the purchase and sale of two properties in Marbella, Málaga province, at the beginning of this decade, calculated as amounting to 3.5 million € in unpaid IVA and income tax. The sentence from the Granada court last summer also ordered the businessman to pay a fine of 10 million €.
EFE reports he was due to spend Wednesday in the prison’s admissions department before being assigned to a cell at some stage on Thursday.

Beach sewers and pumping stations that are still in use on the Western Costa del Sol.

Old concrete structures covered in graffiti they have to take a detour around while strolling along the shore are sewers and pumping stations that are still in use. And they may never learn, unless perhaps just after a spell of rough weather, that beneath their feet is a fragile network of pipes. Some of these structures have been there for 40 years, but it is only now that serious plans have been made to remove them. After all the authorities are not short of reasons. The sewers and pumping stations are not only an inconvenience to bathers but they are also in a kind of legal limbo as they occupy the strip known as the public maritime domain protected by the Coasts Law. They also complicate beach regeneration work and are in places so fragile that breakages and sewage leaks onto the beaches are not uncommon.
The plans for the first phase of the 60 million euro scheme have already been drawn up by Acosol, the water company that belongs to the Mancomunidad de Municipios on the Western Costa del Sol.

No official figures for the number of Britons going home, because nobody is counting.

The change from the peseta to the euro caused inflation that ended the "cheap living" forever.

No official figures for the number of Britons going home, because nobody is counting. But Spain is certainly counting its unemployed, up to 17% with more than four million out of work. And that has a painful effect for the Britons who prospered during Spain's boom times. Jim and Caireen Candlin met in Spain, married in Gibraltar and decided to raise their young children on the Costa Brava.Estate agent Marion Atkins is quitting Spain to run a pub in Britain Aberdeen-born Caireen says: "I think Spain is ideal for bringing up children. That's why I'm staying here while he goes back to the UK." Jim is heading home to retrain as an electrician after building work dried up. He says: "We've both worked for firms that have gone bust in the past year. "When we couldn't pay the rent one month and had to phone our parents for help, we realised economically it wasn't working here. We couldn't carry on like that." So now the couple have decided to leave the area, and possibly the country.Like Jim and Caireen, Barnaby Griffin and his wife Rebecca have been forced to live apart by a search for work. Rebecca returned after two years in Orihuela Costa to do temping in London, while Barnaby stays on as a performer in the local bars. "All my friends our age are struggling," he says. "People talk about living the dream but all it seems to be is sunshine, cheap cigs and wine. This area had low wages anyway and we're fed up living hand to mouth."

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