Local news from Costa del Sol and inland Andalucia plus national news from around Spain.Marbella,Costa del Sol, Daily News in English,News with a twist.
farmer's shots hit one of three intruders, killing him on Saturday night A farmer who shot dead a man who he found with two others on his land last Saturday night at Rute, Córdoba, was released with charges remaining by the judge in First Instance Court in Lucena on Monday. Named with the initials A.T.C., he had faced charges of accidental homicide if there was no intention to kill, or murder if it is considered from autopsy and other evidence that there was. The Guardia Civil says the three intruders were on his land with the intention to rob. Reports say that after threatening them with the gun, he started to fire, hitting one of the men who died a short time after. The other two men are in whereabouts unknown. The accused has to attend the court every fortnight.
Vodafone slashes cost of web browsing in Europe - Telegraph: "UK’s third biggest mobile operator will from Wednesday allow its customers to browse the web on their mobiles while in Europe for £2 a day.
Vodafone said the flat £2 fee for up to 25MBs of data represents a 60pc saving on the current price.
Customers who have signed up to contracts in excess of £40 a month will be able to access the web abroad for no extra cost."
Rick Steves' Snapshot Madrid & Toledo (Rick Steves Snapshot)BA and Iberia agree £5bn merger as Unite announces new strike ballot Business The Guardian: "British Airways shareholders backed a £5bn merger with Spain's Iberia but the Unite trade union overshadowed the occasion by announcing a new cabin crew strike ballot at BA.
Extraordinary general meetings in London and Madrid approved the creation of International Airlines Group – a carrier with 400 aircraft, serving more than 250 destinations and employing about 57,000 staff – that hopes to compete with multinational rivals Air France-KLM and Lufthansa.
In one of his last public acts as chief executive of BA, Willie Walsh told investors that the combined group would have 'considerable scale', including access to Latin American markets via Iberia's Madrid hub.
'We have always identified Latin America as a growth market, one where BA is under-represented,' said Walsh, who will become chief executive of IAG when the company launches in January. 'We are very pleased to have the combined network of BA and Iberia.'"
Secret Spanish mansion of rogue lawyer Andrew Nulty who made millions from sick and dying pitmen - pic - mirror.co.uk: "We tracked down the disgraced solicitor - struck off last year for siphoning off sick pitworkers' compensation - to his turreted home in millionaires' playground Sotogrande, southern Spain.
The vast seven-bedroom mansion has its own pool and a garage bigger than the average semi. But brazen Nulty also has a £1million beach-front apartment in the nearby tax haven, Gibraltar.
In another photo certain to enrage those of his clients still living, the balding 43-year-old basks in the winter sun as he drives the £150,000 Ferrari California he uses to get between the expat hideaways."
AFP: Debt-ridden regions weigh onSpain: "Spain's crisis-struck regions have rolled up a combined 105-billion-euro debt, heightening concerns about the prospects for the entire country's finances.
Senior members of Spain's Socialist government have stressed over past days that the Spanish economy is not the same as that of Ireland, which is being thrown a lifeline worth 85 billion euros (113 billion dollars).
'Of course we are not the same,' said the conservative daily ABC in an ironic commentary.
'Ireland has one state. One. Spain, 17. With all the insane multiplication of expenses that entails.'
The 17 Spanish regions have considerable autonomy, with the right to issue bonds to finance their expenses.
They account for around one-third of general government expenditures -- and just over half of the nation's total number of civil servants.
Now they are collapsing under a debt load of 105 billion euros."
Hedge Funds Target Portugal and Spain, Cautiously - WSJ.com: "As fears of financial 'contagion' resurface in Europe on the back of Ireland's woes, hedge-fund managers are cautiously setting their sights on potential problems in countries such as Portugal and Spain. But they face political and other challenges in placing bearish bets.
The deteriorating economic picture in some corners of Europe clearly has the attention of many hedge-fund managers and other investors who see Ireland's rescue package as little more than a Band-Aid for the continent's woes. They are expecting more bad news to come, predicting that borrowing costs elsewhere will become prohibitive, potentially forcing other countries to also seek a bailout or restructure their debt."
british expat living in Spain was crushed to death when a flat balcony collapsed on her. Angela Kennett, who emigrated to the Costa del Sol from Aylesbury, Bucks, in 2006, was struck by a concrete beam as she tried to climb into her home after forgetting her keys. She had been out celebrating her 27th birthday with friends. Her boyfriend Zac Lloyd - who had returned to the couple's apartment in Capo Pino early because he had work the next day - discovered her lying outside in a pool of blood.
MAN, aged 38, died in Marbella after he was run over by the lorry he was reportedly trying to stop rolling away. The accident occurred at a gas bottle warehouse in the town, where the victim had parked his lorry, loaded with butane gas bottles, which for unknown reasons began to move.
It appears he noticed it moving and attempted to jump into the cab but was dragged along by the lorry with part of his body hanging out of the cab, until he hit the entrance gates to the warehouse, tearing his leg on the lock.
The victim attempted to make a tourniquet for his bleeding leg with his belt.
Minutes later, an employee became aware of the accident and tried to stop the bleeding with his t-shirt while calling the emergency services.
When paramedics arrived, the victim was already dead.
euro strengthened against the dollar as European Central Bank Governing Council Member Axel Weber said the rescue fund for indebted nations is sufficiently capitalized to calm the region’s financial markets.
Europe’s 16-nation currency rose for the first day in four against its U.S. peer after falling to a two-month low yesterday. The euro gained versus 12 of its 16 most-actively traded counterparts, rising for a second straight day against the Japanese yen.
“Weber’s comments may have helped lift some of the gloom surrounding the euro,” said Jane Foley, senior foreign-exchange strategist at Rabobank International in London. “International investors may be looking at the bigger picture, seeing a very strong German economy, and they aren’t so bogged down in the euro monetary union story.”
The euro gained 0.3 percent to $1.3369 at 3:55 p.m. in London. It slumped to $1.3285 in New York yesterday, its weakest level since Sept. 22. It hasn’t declined for four consecutive days since Aug. 24. The euro also appreciated 0.3 percent against the yen, rising to 111.77 yen from 111.40. Japan’s currency was at 83.63 per dollar from 83.54 yesterday.
Julio Iglesias buys property in Ojén, Andalucia | AboutProperty.co.uk: "Until now, the mere 2,000 residents of Ojén, a petite village in the southern Spanish region of Andalucia, have enjoyed relative peace and quiet in their secluded homes. But obscurity may no longer be an option, as a raft of new developments - not to mention a rather well-known lothario - look set to reinvent the whole area. As Spanish celebrities go, there aren't many with a legacy and timeless appeal quite like global music star Julio Iglesias. Having recently married his partner of 20 years, Dutch model Miranda Rijnsburger, the newlywed has chosen the quaint Andalucian setting of Ojén to call home."
Spanish boat repels pirate attack: "security team on board a Spanish tuna boat Sunday repelled an attack by pirates in the Indian Ocean, sources said. The attack came in the early morning hours about 400 miles from the island of Mahe, the largest in the Seychelles archipelago. The pirates' pursuit in skiffs of the tuna vessel, which belongs to the firm Albacora de Bermeo, lasted about 45 minutes and gunfire was exchanged but none of the crew members were injured. This is the seventh attack by pirates on tuna boats in the past two weeks."
Sean Connery told to cough up cash | Herald Sun: "SEAN Connery has been ordered by a Spanish judge to contribute to a $77 million bond as part of a money-laundering and property fraud investigation. Judge Ricardo Puyol named the former James Bond star as one of the individuals who must deposit the combined sum as surety in the probe into a number of property deals, including the 1998 sale of the actor's beachfront mansion near Marbella, Spain. Connery and his wife Micheline made $8.5 million in the sale but allegedly failed to pay $2 million to the local authority. The property was knocked down to allow for 72 luxury apartments to be built, despite planning permission for just five family houses."
Hubby Shrien Dewani target fear after carjack bride Anni funeral | The Sun |News: "MURDERED honeymoon hijack victim Anni Dewani's funeral was held yesterday - amid fears her husband could be targeted by her killers. British care home tycoon Shrien Dewani, 30, is to fly back to Cape Town this week to help identify two men being held for beauty Anni's murder. But he will be under armed guard as cops there fear he could be targeted in a bid to stop him. The driver of the couple's hijacked taxi is already in hiding, after fearing he would be killed because he too had seen the gunmen's faces. News that Shrien, from Bristol, is to return to Cape Town came as detectives promised 'an explosive revelation' in the case. A police source said yesterday: 'The new information will show this was not a random hijacking.' Tragic Anni, 28, was killed after carjackers seized the cab she and Shrien, who married two weeks before, were travelling in."
"Even as the final details of the Irish rescue package are still being resolved, investors and economists are asking: 'Who's next?' The answer has been plain for some weeks – Portugal is the nation widely regarded as next most in need of assistance after Greece and Ireland, with Spain and, possibly, Italy following behind. There has been intense fear in Lisbon, Madrid and Brussels about what would happen even if Ireland's problems were not resolved rapidly."
Roca has agreed to hand over the La Caridad estate in San Pedro to pay off some of the 23 million euros he owes the authorities. The eight hectare estate has a heliport, chapel, veterinary clinic and bodega. Over 100 pure-bred horses valued at 400,000 euros were housed in the stables and a Miro painting was famously gracing one of the toilets. Roca is currently being tried for his involvement in the Malaya corruption case."
Whitley Bay man's last moments in Gibraltar - Chronicle News - News - ChronicleLive: "James Armstrong, from Whitley Bay, was on holiday in Gibraltar when he died. The 65-year-old was “in a confused state” when he walked into HM Naval Base Gibraltar last July. He walked past the security post and, when challenged by the guard, replied that he had a gun. While the guard called for help, Mr Armstrong walked further into the base before stepping off a quay into the sea. Coroner Charles Pitto recorded a verdict of accidental death. He said the cause of death was drowning, though he also noted medical evidence of a blocked coronary artery and problems with alcohol."
Preparations are underway in Ceuta and Melilla for the Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice which commemorates the prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to God. It’s one of the most important religious holidays in the Muslim calendar and marks Ibrahim’s devotion to God and that God allowed Ibrahim to sacrifice a ram in place of his son.
The Eid al-Adha takes place in the two autonomous cities this Wednesday, 17th November and it will be the first time that the Festival is held there as an official public holiday. The move was recently approved by the Partido Popular governments of both Ceuta and Melilla where, as El Mundo newspaper reports, more than half the local population is Muslim. Up until now, they have had to ask for the day off work to allow them to celebrate the Eid al-Adha with their families."
Ronda to apply for World Heritage status: "A new platform was presented in Ronda on Wednesday, which has been set up to work towards achieving status as a World Heritage city for the Ciudad del Tajo. The group includes the Mayor of Ronda, Antonio Marín and other members of the local corporation, as well as representatives from other political parties. The CEDER Centre for Rural Development and the CIT Centre for Tourism Initiatives are also represented on the platform.
It’s understood from Diario Sur that a motion to support the new platform will be debated at Ronda’s next council meeting."
The most handsome man in the world is from Málaga: "Málaga born Juan García Postigo has been crowned Mister World 2007. A year after obtaining the Spanish title, the 25 year old came out top against 55 competitors in the final held on the Chinese island of Hainan.
He’s now signed a contract which means guaranteed earnings of more than 100,000 dollars. He says he will spend next year living in London to improve his English and study dramatic art.
Before taking part in Mister España, Juan used to work as a wine waiter in his sister’s restaurant in Torremolinos."
The announcement of the royal engagement between Prince William and Kate Middleton has been welcomed particularly in the Huelva town of Valverde del Camino, famous for its footwear.
That’s because it has been revealed that Kate’s favourite riding boots are imported to the UK from the Herce-Valverde company in Valverde del Camino, and she is seen modelling a pair of them in the last catalogue for a top British firm."
"Britain has closed down its military communications centre at Gibraltar, wih such responsibilities having been transferred to Faslane in Scotland.
The last signal from 'CommCen Gibraltar' was on Friday; it said: 'I am closing down on all circuits.'
For over 130 years, Gibraltar has been a pivotal link in British military communications maintaning a constant watch - 'from submarine telegraph, through wireless and radio, to computer-controlled automated digital systems,' said a British military spokesman.
Gibraltar has had a permanent physical communications link to the UK since 1870."
AFP: Spain struggles to avoid link to debt-stricken Ireland: "As debt-stricken Ireland heads for a Greek-style EU bailout, Spain is desperately trying to avoid being lumped in the same basket but analysts warn it will have to do more to keep investors happy. There is 'absolutely no reason' to compare Spain with Ireland, Finance Minister Elena Salgado said on Friday. 'We are able to borrow fresh funds at practically the same (cost) as Italy and do much better than Ireland, Portugal and most certainly than Greece. 'I think the markets believe in Spain ... (which) has no need of any extra austerity measures,' she said. In May, the EU and the International Monetary Fund bailed out Greece to the tune of 110 billion euros (150 billion dollars) to prevent a likely debt default that could have torpedoed the entire eurozone project."
The Irish crisis: advice for offshore savers - Telegraph: "Ireland is poised to accept a loan from Europe of many billions of euros. But what about savers with money in Irish-owned banks? Are they in danger - or is the protection they have enough to stop them worrying about the safety of their money? For expatriates, the Irish-owned banks have offered welcome competition for the UK-owned ones, often providing higher rates of interest. But now savers need to decide whether they are happy to get the high rates on offer considering the worries over the financial state of the Emerald Isle."
Euro Weekly News | 8% of Costa del Sol children are stressed | Costa del Sol | News | The Largest English Language Newspapers in Spain: "eight per cent of children between six and 12 in the Costa del Sol suffer from severe stress, a Malaga University study shows. If not cured, this problem, which is often caused by an excess of extracurricular activities or failure to adapt to the environment, can lead to depression, violence and other psychological problems later on in life. Stress if an increasing problem in developed societies in which children are forced to face challenges to which they do not know how to respond, such as reject from classmates, lack of contact with relatives, learning difficulties and excessive demands. Specialists insist that the best way to detect the problem is by talking to children and observing their behaviour, with excessive excitement, anxiety, lack of attention and sudden behavioural changes pointing to possible problems."
Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801: "Mayor of La Linea Alejandro Sanchez has declared that he will be driving a hard bargain for the sale to AENA of the municipal grounds adjacent to the frontier, on which Spain’s national airport authority intends to build an access to Gibraltar’s air terminal.
This is one of the still outstanding measures agreed in 2006 under the Cordoba Agreement. The opening of the Cervantes Institute in Gibraltar is the other, as yet, unfulfilled commitment by Spain.
Speaking about the plot of land, Sr Sanchez said this was “one of the city’s most valuable assets,” and that he would defend “that we obtain everything that we want for selling it, to the last cent of an euro.”
The Mayor said that they had three potential business projects on the cards that would be compatible with the Air Terminal access infrastructure.
Blowing hot and cold once more, Sr Sanchez declared that he would be supporting the agreement noting that this was despite the fact that “La Linea had not been consulted or asked about it at any stage.”
He said the Ayuntamiento would be creating a local negotiating commission to give effect to the agreement he describes as “an administrative concession” and therefore allow the implementation of an international accord."
"All has gone quite in recent weeks on the mayor of La Línea's plan to impose a toll on those entering or leaving the Rock. The day for its promised imposition has long since past but Alejandro Sánchez still has the threat in his armoury and it could now be brought in to play in the argument over land for the AENA terminal at the new airport.
As revealed in Panorama yesterday the project to create a commercial - leisure complex on the land on La Línea's side of the border is moving forward. However Sánchez is adamant there is room within the plans for the Spanish terminal, indeed it could be an attraction for the hotels and other businesses in various schemes for the land.
The land at the border was once military land and whilst it has been handed over to the town hall there have been rows over the past decade as to whether the administration has honoured the terms under which it was ceded.
This again reared its head recently when the mayor suggested he would not hand over the land to the AENA but would sell it to private developers instead. Sánchez accused the AENA of not having shown any interest in acquiring the land, a claim hotly disputed by the airport authority and the ministry of public works that controls it."
Russian woman makes fake bomb threat against plane to stop daughter from getting married in Morocco: "Looks like somebody won't be sending a wedding gift. A Russian woman who disapproved of her daughter flying to Morocco to get married tried to stop the impending nuptials by calling a fake bomb threat on her daughter's plane. Even worse, she told police that her daughter was the suicide bomber planning on blowing up the jet. Authorities at Domodedovo Airport were forced to delay Wednesday's Moscow-to-Morocco flight and question the daughter, who was eventually cleared to travel.
Meanwhile, police traced the fraudulent call to the city of Yaroslavl, where the 56-year-old mother was arrested at home and charged as a 'telephone terrorist,' according to Itar-Tass."
French traveler on Ryanair from Morocco demonstration | French Tribune: "In excess of 100 furious travelers on Wednesday declined to put down a Ryanair flight subsequent to it was sidetracked to Belgium, trying that they be sent home, as per the police force and firefighters. The travelers, mainly French travelers who were thought to land close to Paris subsequent to coming back from vacations in Morocco, be seated in a shady cabin in remonstration hours subsequent to even the crew and pilot had left the aircraft in southern Belgium at the Liege airport."
FT.com / Capital Markets - Contagion fears grow over ‘too big to bail’ Spain: "For some of the world’s biggest hedge funds, typically regarded as the savviest traders in the market, there is now one big question facing the eurozone: what is going to happen to Spain? While Europe’s politicians are grappling with the crisis unravelling in Ireland, hedge fund managers are already turning their attention to the issue of how – and if – a peripheral crisis in Ireland could leap via Portugal and Spain to become a systemic crisis for the eurozone as a whole."
UPDATE 1-Spain to hit targets, promises pension reform in Q1 | Reuters: "Spain's Prime Minister said on Thursday he was committed to presenting a pension reform to parliament in the first quarter, while insisting Spain was on track to meet its 2010 targets for the budget deficit and economic output. Zapatero's comments were aimed at calming investor concerns that Spain could potentially be one of the countries next in line after Greece and Ireland to seek international aid to help resolve its debt problems. 'I want to confirm our commitment (to pension reform) once again. We're not turning back,' Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero told parliament. Spain has implemented tough austerity measures and labour market reforms as it aims to cut its budget deficit to within EU limits and revamp a struggling jobs market. Economists believe a reform of its pension system is also necessary."
Spain is poised to lower the shortfall to 9.3 percent of GDP this year. An EU-led rescue of Ireland and Portugal would leave Spain with less margin for error, said Juan Jose Figares, chief analyst at Link Securities in Madrid.
“If both Portugal and Ireland are bailed out, all eyes will be on Spain and any deviation to their commitments would be a threat,” Figares said.
Austerity measures are choking economic growth, threatening to damp revenue increases the government is counting on to meet its deficit target. The economy stalled in the third quarter as household spending contracted, a government report showed today.
Household spending shrank 1.1 percent from the previous three months, when it expanded 1.5 percent, the National Statistics Institute in Madrid said today.
SEPRONA, the Environmental wing of the Guardia Civil, has who was organising excursions in the Sierra Tejeda Nature Park near Nerja, without being legally constituted to do so, and without paying any tax.
Málaga Hoy reports that most of his clients were other Britons who reserved over the internet for a package of a few days rest in the sierra which included motorbike excursions in the Nature Park at a price of between 400 and 500 €.
SEPRONA say they caught the man, in fraganti during a trip with 13 bikes, which also had foreign registration, and which have now been impounded until they can be released by Spanish customs authorities.
It was the frequent trips by motorbike which alerted the Guardia Civil to the existence of the fraudulent company.
The C. de Salamanca car dealership in Marbella has confirmed the sale of the latest model from the British firm, Aston Martin, which sells at 1.35 million € before tax, about 1.8 million € with tax. The dealership has not named the purchaser, but has described him as a successful foreign businessman, middle aged, and a car fan. He spends a great deal of time in Marbella, and the dealer says has taken five months to decide on the purchase, paying a 400,000 € deposit.
The ONE-77 will be delivered in March next year in a deal which the dealership did directly with the Aston Market factory in Gaydon, Warwickshire, U.K. The client has been to the factory to request the personalisation’s of the vehicle which will come in a blue silver and with the steering wheel on the left for European driving.
Aston Martin are to make only 77 cars of the model which boasts an engine with 12 cylinders and 760 horsepower.
José Carlos de Salamanca, the manager of the Marbella dealership, says that puts it on a par with a Formula One car from just a few years ago.
A British man and the Director of a Marbella lawyers’ office are among those arrested in a new National Police operation against money laundering. French and United States citizens have also been detained in the operation, carried out on Tuesday.
Europa Press reports they are all likely to appear shortly in the Marbella court instructing the case.
The investigation started some six months ago and has been carried out by agents from the National Police Money Laundering Unit together with the UDYCO Organised Crime Unit based on the Costa del Sol. It’s understood investigations were based in both Marbella and Fuengirola.
The Marbella lawyer is described as a specialist in real estate and has been named with the initials P.A. A large amount of documentation, both paper and computer data, has been removed for study.
Gibraltar Confident Of Tax Court Victory: "Gibraltar government has said that it is confident of victory in the appeal to be heard by the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Justice on November 16, brought by Spain in a challenge to Gibraltar's fiscal autonomy from the UK's tax regime. In the European Court of Justice's prior ruling, arguments surrounding Gibraltar's tax system and its autonomy were questioned with the European Commission seeking determination, based on EU state aid principals, how rules regarding regional selectivity and material selectivity could be applied to Gibraltar's territory. The Gibraltar government won in the lower court on both grounds. An appeal by the European Commission, on the grounds of material selectivity, was then dropped as Gibraltar made required changes to its tax regime. Spain however, which has intervened in the case, appealed the lower court’s ruling on the regional selectivity ground. The Commission did not appeal this ground. Spain's argument on regional selectivity seeks to challenge Gibraltar’s right to have a tax system different from that of the UK’s. The Gibraltar government, in a statement prior to the hearing, said that “while the consequences of defeat on this ground would be severe for Gibraltar, the government is confident of success.” The prior case, which confirmed Gibraltar's fiscal autonomy, was crucial in that it has permitted the government to revise the territory's tax regime to one that from 2011 will impose a competitive tax rate of 10% on corporates - whether onshore or offshore, and a 20% tax rate on utility companies."
Morocco accuses W.Sahara activists of killing police | Top News | Reuters: "Morocco on Monday defended a raid on a West Sahara protest camp by its security forces as being 'deliberately peaceful' and accused Sahrawi activists of 'brutal practices' including cutting the throat of a Moroccan policeman.Activists among the Sahrawis -- as the desert territory's inhabitants are known -- have insisted their protest was peaceful and was focused on social demands like jobs and housing, not on political issues. Western Sahara is a former Spanish colony in northwest Africa that was annexed by Morocco in 1975, sparking a rebellion by the Polisario Front. The United Nations brokered a ceasefire in 1991, but a political settlement to Africa's longest-running territorial dispute has eluded negotiators. Morocco said 10 members of its security forces were killed in the clashes that erupted on November 8 when they broke up the protest camp on the edge of Laayoune, the territory's main city, and demonstrations later that day in the streets of the city. Polisario, the territory's independence movement, said in a letter to the U.N. Security Council on Monday that more than 36 Sahrawis died in the clashes and 163 were detained, and demanded a U.N. investigation of the clashes."
One of Britain's 'most wanted' criminals arrested in Spain - Telegraph: "Stephen Henry Pitman, 54, of Chislehurst, Kent, was arrested in a bar in Mijas Costa, near Fuenigorla, on the Costa del Sol. He is accused of fourteen offences of conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs, and could be imprisoned for life if found guilty. Pitman was arrested during a series of raids by Spanish detectives on bars and pubs in the Costa del Sol, including in the resort areas of Marbella, Benalmadena, Fuengirola, Torremolinos, and La Cala."
Bank of Spain Governor Miguel Angel Fernandez Ordonez said on Monday pressure on markets was partly down to indecision by Ireland over its debt situation, which he expected the country to resolve in an "appropriate" manner.
In Dublin, the Irish government reiterated it would not need a Greek-style debt bailout but faced continued pressure to seek outside aid after reports suggested it could ask for money for its stricken banks from an EU emergency fund. [ID:nLDE6AE0HO]
"We expect an appropriate reaction by the Irish authorities ... to help to calm markets and quell unfounded worries," Fernandez Ordonez said in a speech to a banking conference in Madrid.
SimpleCare Health Plan members to have access to “IMC” New International Medical Center in Torremolinos, Spain
SimpleCare has announced a new partnership with International Medical Center to open state of the art medical clinics throughout Spain, giving SimpleCare members in-network access to IMC physicians and specialists at discounted rates unmatched by other private clinics on the Costa del Sol. Our new IMC Medical Center located in Calle Carlota Alessandra 41, Torremolinos will have its grand opening April 2011, the center comprises 260 mtrs providing radiology services, stat laboratory, day hospital, pediatrics, urology, cardiology, traumatology, internal medicine, general medicine, dental, plastic surgery, family medicine, oncology, gynecology, endocrinology, otolaryngology, psychology, general surgery, weight loss programs, surgical suite and online consultations for those unable to travel and who have internet connection.
“This national agreement with SimpleCare will allow even more people to experience International Medical Centers,” says Angel Giro, M.D. “Our members tell us they come to SimpleCare for our team approach to health care, our affordable health schemes and the peace of mind they have knowing that they receive care from many leading experts in their fields. We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with International Medical Centers commercial plan of opening quality medical centers throughout Spain”
James Hewitt has his eyes on Mayfair... | Mail Online: "Ladies of a certain age might need to reach for the smelling salts. A year after severing his ties with Britain and declaring that he felt more European than British, James Hewitt is coming home.But, thanks to a remarkable transformation in his fortunes, the copper-haired cad is coming back not with his tail between his legs but as a partner in a successful business. Princess Diana’s former lover has been based on Spain’s Costa del Sol on and off for the past five years and last year opened a polo-themed bar and restaurant in Marbella"
The Press Association: 'Most wanted' arrested in Spain: "Suspected drug dealer Stephen Pitman was held by local police in Malaga. Pitman, of Chislehurst, south-east London, was among a list of 10 fugitives thought to be on the run in the region, often dubbed the 'Costa del Crime'. He is accused of seven offences of conspiracy to supply a class A drug and faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment if convicted. He is also accused of another seven offences relating to the supply of a class B drug, for which the maximum jail term is 14 years. A note on the website for the British Embassy in Spain lists his distinctive features as: 'scar on brow; scar on right finger'."
Dutch citizens arrested with cannabis from Morocco - Bikya Masr: "Three Dutch nationals were arrested on Friday off the coast of southern Spain with over 20 tons of marijuana, police reported. The cannabis was seized by authorities and the citizens arrested. The Dutch were discovered with the drug, which was in compressed resin form, aboard the Nancy II fishing vessel some 90 kilometers off the coast after the group had picked up the shipment in Morocco. According to Spanish customs officials, the bust was the largest in over a decade and among the top five biggest in the country’s history. Authorities said they had monitored the boat since it docked in northern Spain earlier this month before sailing on to Morocco. The three Dutch crew members are to appear in court in the southern port of Cadiz. The drug trade from Morocco is large and growing. Morocco is known for its hashish and the ability to smoke in the Rif mountains, which has seen both the Moroccan governments and Europe attempt to crack down on the illicit trade in marijuana."
Dutch citizens arrested with cannabis from Morocco - Bikya Masr: "Three Dutch nationals were arrested on Friday off the coast of southern Spain with over 20 tons of marijuana, police reported. The cannabis was seized by authorities and the citizens arrested. The Dutch were discovered with the drug, which was in compressed resin form, aboard the Nancy II fishing vessel some 90 kilometers off the coast after the group had picked up the shipment in Morocco. According to Spanish customs officials, the bust was the largest in over a decade and among the top five biggest in the country’s history. Authorities said they had monitored the boat since it docked in northern Spain earlier this month before sailing on to Morocco. The three Dutch crew members are to appear in court in the southern port of Cadiz. The drug trade from Morocco is large and growing. Morocco is known for its hashish and the ability to smoke in the Rif mountains, which has seen both the Moroccan governments and Europe attempt to crack down on the illicit trade in marijuana."
BBC News - Police doctor suspended over manslaughter conviction: "doctor working for a Welsh police force has been suspended after it emerged he had been prosecuted in Spain over the death of an elderly patient. Dr Marcos Hourmann, an Argentinian, was convicted of manslaughter in 2009 after he said an 82-year-old seriously ill woman had asked him to end her life. While awaiting trial, he worked at hospitals in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, and in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. The General Medical Council (GMC) and Dyfed-Powys Police have suspended him. Dr Hourmann, who lives near Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, was originally charged with murder after the woman's death in 2005, but this was changed to manslaughter in a plea bargain deal, the Spanish newspaper El Pais reported. He was given a year's suspended prison sentence in Tarragona, Catalonia, and did not serve any time in jail."
Morocco wants four foreigners in Western Sahara to leave < Spanish news | Expatica Spain: "Morocco requested Saturday that four foreigners in the Western Sahara's main town of Laayoune leave its territory, amid ongoing world criticism of its deadly police raid on a squatter camp there. The four -- three Spaniards and a Mexican -- are invited to present themselves to the closest government authority 'to help them leave national territory,' the interior ministry said in a statement published by Morocco's official MAP news agency. It identified the four as Spaniards Javier Sopina Arias, Garcia Diaz Silvia and Terreza Rebollo Isabelle and Mexican Velasquez Diaz Jose. While Moroccan authorities are not actively seeking the four 'given they have committed no legal infraction,' the statement said, a security official described them as being involved in activities in Laayoune supportive of Western Sahara's Sahrawi population. On Saturday, thousands of people demonstrated in Madrid against this week's raid by Moroccan police of a camp near Laayoune housing thousands of Sahrawis."
The Canadian Press: Thousands protest in Spain over Morocco's crackdown in Western Sahara: "Thousands of people demonstrated in Madrid on Saturday against Morocco's recent crackdown that has left at least 10 people dead in the former Spanish colony of Western Sahara in northwestern Africa. Many protesters blamed Spain for not taking a firmer stance against what they see as human rights abuses by Morocco's police and army in the territory. Demonstration organizers said in a statement that the Moroccan government had sent in soldiers and police to quash local demands for better working and social conditions to mark the 35th anniversary of the territory's annexation by Morocco. Among those protesting on Saturday was Hollywood actor Javier Bardem, as well as Spanish lawmakers and other political, civil rights and trade union leaders."
Spanish customs police said Friday they have seized 22 tons of hashish and arrested three Dutch sailors in an operation they described as the biggest drug haul in a decade and one of the five biggest in its history. The government credited an air-surveillance operation for the interception, which was launched after customs officials learned that a 40-meter fishing vessel flying a Dutch flag might try to carry a cargo of hashish to Spain from Morocco, the government said in a posting on its website. On Thursday, the plane alerted a patrol boat, which intercepted and boarded the suspect vessel, called the Nancy II, after getting authorization from Dutch government officials. Once the alleged contraband was discovered, the boat was taken to the Spanish port of Cadiz.
Portugal, Ireland, Spain CDS spreads hit records - MarketWatch: "Fears surrounding sovereign-debt problems on the periphery of the euro zone drove the cost of protecting the debt of Ireland, Portugal and Spain to record highs on Thursday, according to data provider Markit. The spread on five-year Portuguese credit-default swaps widened to 505 basis points from around 491 on Wednesday, topping the 500-level for the first time, Markit reported. That means it would now cost $505,000 a year to insure $10 million of Irish sovereign debt against default for five years. The five-year Irish CDS spread widened 27 basis points to 620, while Spain's spread widened to 294 basis points from 279. Greece's spread was 12 basis points wider at 890."
Healthcare on the Costa del Sol | Marbella | Guide to Marbella: "For someone who is planning to relocate to Costa del Sol, one of the preferred most destinations in Spain, there are various things s/he needs to think about before the final call that also include the healthcare facilities. Just like any other areas of Spain, Costa del Sol has a high standard health infrastructure developed for both the Spaniards and foreign residents. Both public and private healthcare units function in tandem to improve the quality in service delivery. Many people prefer Costa del Sol among some other southern Spain regions in their retirement plan because of the weather, Spanish laid back lifestyle, and of course the healthcare facilities. These days, many Britons and citizens of other European Union countries find it very much appropriate in search of warmer climes and better standard of living. Moreover, Spain guarantees free healthcare to EU citizens under the EEA agreement. The waiting list is probably shorter than UK and most of EU members. Anyone with EU health card can avail free emergency treatment while full medical services are available for registered pensioners and anyone paying their social security bill."
The assaults carried out by Glen Tranter involved three girls over a 16-year period. Tranter, 41, had skipped bail and fled to the Costa Del Sol last summer when he was charged with the sex attacks.
But he was recognised when he was featured on Crimewatch and brought to justice following a citizen’s arrest. Det Insp Dave Groombridge, who led the hunt for the sex fiend, said a combination of quick-thinking and calculated gambles had helped bring Tranter back to Lancashire."
Gibraltar Private Bank & Trust’s losses more than tripled in the third quarter as it paid the price for reducing its amount of problem loans. Federal regulators issued a cease and desist order against the Coral Gables-based bank in October for having an excessive level of problem assets and inadequate anti-money laundering compliance programs. The bank has added staff to deal with those issues. Gibraltar reported a $2.6 million loss in the third quarter, deeper than its $805,000 loss in the second quarter. Although its net interest income increased to $15.8 million from $13.3 million, which was offset by expenses from problem loans as it cleared them off its books. The bank took an $8.6 million reserve for loan losses in the third quarter, up from $2.6 million. Its bad loan charge-offs increased to $8.8 million from $3.6 million.
Read more: Losses triple for Gibraltar Private Bank | South Florida Business Journal
Euro Weekly News | Former Nationwide boss in Marbella | Costa del Sol | News | The Largest English Language Newspapers in Spain: "FORMER Irish Nationwide Building Society chief executive being pursued by Ulster Bank over €13.6 million in unpaid loans is staying at a Marbella apartment his creditors cannot touch. Michael ‘Fingers’ Fingleton, aged 72, was reported by the Irish Independent to be staying at one of two apartments, in his wife’s name and another relative, purchased for €1.2 million five years ago at the Hotel del Golf complex in Las Brisas golf club. Fingleton, was spotted arriving at Malaga airport last week."
Two Britons named in latest Spanish Police 'Most Wanted' campaign: "National Police in Spain have distributed the pictures of the most search for criminals thought to be in the country, and asked for help from the pubic to find them All of those named are considered dangerous and are generally linked to organised crime. They are wanted in Spain or abroad for crimes such as murder, torture, drug trafficking, paedophilia, theft, fraud or crimes against humanity.
A three and a half minute video showing all the men us now on show at the National Police ‘s Youtube page, complete with the backing music from the Dexter television show at www.youtube.com/policia
There are two Britons included in this latest initiative. 41 year old Daren Michael Elarmo, who is wanted for kidnap and paedophile charges. Born in the UK he spent some time in California, but is now thought to be in Spain.
33 year old Christopher More from Manchester is wanted on charges of murder, carried out in Chesire in 2003, and Daren Michael Elarmo - Photo Interpol causing injury among others. He often uses the name ‘Guest’. He acted in company of others who have now been arrested."
The Press Association: Minister in airport liquids blunder: "Britain's security minister Baroness Neville-Jones was left red-faced after she was asked to remove liquids from her bag by airport staff, it has emerged. The blunder was picked up during security checks that were introduced in 2006 to prevent would-be terrorists from using liquid bombs to bring down planes. Passengers are restricted to 100ml bottles of liquid in their hand luggage. The Home Office minister, who is responsible for national security, had been on her way to a summit in Washington, according to the Sunday Mirror. The newspaper said the Baroness, 71, had flown to the US from Heathrow Airport just two days before explosives were discovered hidden in an ink cartridge on a US-bound plane at East Midlands Airport. She was reportedly carrying liquids that exceeded the limit. A Home Office spokesperson said: 'Liquids were inadvertently left in a bag while the minister was travelling through airport security."
Pope meets Spanish king and queen in Barcelona Pope Benedict XVI defended religion from critics Sunday as he dedicated the Sagrada Familia church, a still-unfinished emblem of the Spanish city of Barcelona. "This is the great task before us: to show everyone that God is a God of peace not of violence, of freedom not of coercion, of harmony not of discord," he said. And he pushed back against what he sees as increasing secularism in the world, saying, "I consider that the dedication of this church of the Sagrada Familia is an event of great importance, at a time in which man claims to be able to build his life without God, as if God had nothing to say to him." He also defended the traditional family, after Spain's Socialist government legalized same-sex marriage. "The generous and indissoluble love of a man and a woman is the effective context and foundation of human life in its gestation, birth, growth and natural end," he said. Spain's King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia were in the full-to-overflowing church as the pope poured oil on the altar and rubbed it in with his hand, then swung incense over it.
He was surrounded by four rows of priests in white robes and pointed white hats, their mitres the same shape as the pope's own headdress, as he honored the architect of the church. He praised Antoni Gaudi for "overcoming the division between human consciousness and Christian consciousness, between living in this temporal world and being open to eternal life" in designing the church. "Gaudi did this not with words but with stones, lines, planes and points. Indeed, beauty is one of mankind's greatest needs," Benedict said, speaking in Spanish. "Beauty also reveals God because, like him, a work of beauty is pure gratuity; it calls us to freedom and draws us away from selfishness," he said. The pope is on his second visit to Spain, a historically Catholic country where he considers the traditional religion to be under threat. A recent government survey showed just 74 percent of Spaniards still consider themselves Catholics, and only two in 10 regularly attend mass. The Vatican officially considers Spain to be more than 92 percent Catholic. The Sagrada Familia itself was full for the Mass led by the pope, but the overflow area was not. The country has largely been spared the sex abuse scandals that have rocked the church in much of the rest of western Europe. Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, a Socialist, is out of the country on an unannounced visit to Afghanistan. He is due to meet the pope briefly at Barcelona's airport at the end of Benedict's visit. Deputy Prime Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba greeted the pope Saturday in Santiago de Compostela, the first stop of his two-day visit. Santiago de Compostela, in Spain's northwestern tip, has been an important pilgrimage site for centuries. The cathedral there was built 900 years ago atop what is said to be the tomb of St. James, an apostle of Jesus. After praying there, the pope presided over Eucharist in the square outside, to celebrate the city's jubilee year. "I come as a pilgrim on this Compostelean Saint Year ... I want to join to that long line of men and women that all over the centuries had come to [Santiago de] Compostela from different places on the peninsula and Europe," the pontiff said at the airport earlier in the day. Saturday night, the pope headed all the way across Spain to Barcelona, the Catalan city on the Mediterranean. The Sagrada Familia, or "holy family," church, is still being built after more than 100 years. Gaudi, a Catalan architect, only lived to see one tower and most of one facade finished by the time he died in 1926. "The interior space of the church, the sacred space of the church, is finished, and for that, the pope comes here to consecrate the church," said Jordi Fauli, the deputy architect. Gaudi planned the church to have 18 towers -- 12 for the apostles, four for the evangelists, one for the Virgin Mary and the tallest for Jesus. Only eight are finished. Fauli said the privately-financed work may be done by 2026, on the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's death. Asked once why it was taking so long to finish the Sagrada Familia, Gaudi replied, according to his assistants, "My client -- meaning God -- is not in a hurry."
Spain wants to renew bilateral talks with UK on Gibraltar’s sovereignty — MercoPress: "She was speaking in the Madrid senate ahead of a planned political meeting of the Tripartite Forum (UK, Spain, Gibraltar) with Chief Gibraltar Minister Peter Caruana in relation to police, customs and judicial cooperation and territorial waters. Responding to criticisms of the Tripartite Forum made by the opposition PP spokesman Javier Arenas, Ms Jimenez declared that Spain’s objectives in respect of sovereignty “could not be modified as this is a consequence of the defence of Spanish national interests, which are above situations and people”. However she reaffirmed the Spanish Government’s support for the Tripartite Forum as an instrument that could deliver agreements “that benefit the population on both sides of the fence without entering into sovereignty discussions.”"
The Canadian Press: Morocco's historic Mamounia hotel reopens in Marrakech after 3-year makeover: "Winston Churchill invited Franklin Delano Roosevelt here to relax after strategic talks during the Second World War, and Alfred Hitchcock shot some of 'The Man Who Knew Too Much' in the hotel's lobby, which also has been a haunt of the Rolling Stones, Charlie Chaplin, Sharon Stone and many other Hollywood stars for nearly a century. Now, after a three-year, $176-million makeover, the Mamounia is open again for business in the oasis gardens of Marrakech in southern Morocco. A top interior designer has refurbished its rooms in Art Deco and Arabo-Andalusian styles, star-studded chefs have opened restaurants and a sprawling spa has been added to the eight-hectare gardens of palm and olive trees to lure again the rich and the famous to this legendary hotel set inside the medieval ramparts of a world heritage site. 'There are only three golden rules about a palace of this standing,' says Jacques Garcia, the star French decorator who led restoration efforts: 'Elegance, elegance and elegance.' Built in 1923, when Morocco was a French protectorate, the Mamounia merges the sober lines of Art Deco architecture with the intricacies of traditional arabesque decorations. The hotel long has been considered the masterpiece of this fusion of styles, unique to a handful of Moroccan buildings."
Morocco Plans 800 Acre Resort Hotel Funded by Fertilizer Cash - Bloomberg: "Béatrice Montagnier, a hotel specialist with consulting firm Horwath HTL, snapped pictures of an old warehouse and a jumble of sun-baked two-story concrete block homes outside the Moroccan town of Khouribga. It was May 2009 and Paris-based Montagnier was scoping out a planned site for an 800-acre hotel resort and museum. While she worked on details of project layout, one issue -- funding -- was not a concern. The estimated $1 billion needed to build the resort would come from the ground beneath her feet, Bloomberg Businessweek reports in its Nov. 8 issue. Khouribga and elsewhere in Morocco are home to the world’s biggest known deposits of phosphate, used in fertilizer, detergent, food additives, and more recently lithium-ion batteries. Sold for decades in its raw state for less than $50 per metric ton, it’s currently at about $125, according to World Bank figures."
UPDATE 1-Spain, Ireland bank shares hurt on euro zone fears | Reuters: "Spanish banks traded lower on Friday, dragged by fears on the weakness of peripheral euro zone economies after Bank of Ireland (BKIR.I) (BKIR.L) shares slumped in Dublin and London. Spanish bank shares .IBAN.BC fell 2.9 percent against a 1.5 percent fall in the European bank index .SX7P. Bank of Ireland stock fell 9.5 percent to its lowest level since mid-2009 due to concerns on the state of the Irish economy. 'A lot of that is about insecurity,' said Tom Shaw, an analyst at Ireland-based brokerage house Goodbody."
Spain's Recovery Stalls Amid Austerity Push - WSJ.com: "Spain's timid economic recovery stalled in the third quarter as the result of government austerity measures, but should soon pick up again, the Bank of Spain said Friday. The Spanish central bank estimated in its monthly economic report that third-quarter gross domestic product was unchanged from the second quarter. 'It's likely the stagnation of the Spanish economy in the third quarter will be transitory,' the Bank of Spain said."
McNamara dispute for retrial in Spain - The Irish Times - Mon, Nov 01, 2010: "Bernard McNamara has secured some breathing space in his fight against bankruptcy. The former billionaire has had freezing orders totalling nearly €400,000 lifted from his Costa del Sol homes after winning an appeal over a dispute with a Spanish interior designer. A judge has ordered a retrial of a case Mr McNamara lost two years ago because a technical fault meant the original hearing was never recorded. The retrial is set for December in Marbella. Its outcome will determine whether Mr McNamara’s properties in the upmarket resort are embargoed again, or he is left with the option of keeping the cash from any eventual sale. The developer, who has admitted having debts of around €1.5 billion, is currently fighting a bankruptcy petition against him in Ireland. His legal problems in Spain relate to a 2005 dispute over payment for work on a property called the Villa Magna near the five-star Marbella hotel Puente Romano. The Clare builder sued interior design firm Marbetexsa, claiming it owed him €232,000 after he made an additional payment to them in error. Marbetexsa counter-sued, claiming he owed it an additional €298,000 on top of the €298,000 he had already paid."
Bulgaria: Bulgarian FBI Seizes Illegal Box-Sets Worth EUR 19 M - Novinite.com - Sofia News Agency: "Bulgaria's Unit for Combating Organized Crime (GDBOP) has busted Bulgarian producers of pirate CDs and DVDs worth EUR 19 M, the Interior Ministry has announced. Police officers from the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium and Europol have participated in the international operation. They were alarmed about the an illegal box-sets production on Bulgarian territory at the beginning of October. The police established that the pirate CDs and DVDs came from two legal production lines in the Bulgarian capital Sofia and the city of Plovdiv and were intended for distribution in the Netherlands. The Dutch police have seized boxes, containing box-sets with the newest music, movies, software, games, TV shows, etc."
Paul Nicholson, 40 years of age and originally from Widnes, was imprisoned in March 2009 for illegal money lending and money laundering. His partner Tracey Rogers, 39 years of age, was found guilty of three like offences and sentenced to three years imprisonment.
Today, at a confiscation hearing held at Warrington Crown Court, Nicholson has been ordered to surrender almost £1 million pounds worth of assets. This includes the capital from his sprawling mansion in Delamere, his luxury villa in Spain, £26,000 cash found at the house, his Porsche sports car, his horses, his quad bikes, and even expensive jewellery will be sold off to pay this amount back to the Court."
Property News | Spain deficit progress rewarded: "Spain is cutting its deficit faster than Ireland, Portugal or Greece, seeking to reassure investors that the nation deserves cheaper borrowing costs than its peers... Spain's central government trimmed the deficit by 42 percent in the first nine months, compared with 31 percent in Greece and a widening budget gap in Portugal. The figures were released yesterday as budget talks broke down in Portugal, and Greece said its shortfall was bigger than reported, pushing up the yield premium investors demand to hold sovereign debt of the so-called euro peripherals over comparable German bunds. "
Ryanair share price dips as profits miss forecasts - Scotsman.com Business: "Europe's largest low-cost airline, Ryanair, failed to impress investors after missing market forecasts for second-quarter net profit. Shares in the Irish airline dropped more than 4 per cent in early trade after a hefty fuel bill dashed expectations for a 40 per cent increase in quarterly profit, and the increase in full-year guidance, which had been expected, failed to compensate.
Second-quarter profits fell short with a 25 per rise to €313 million (£271m) while the six-months figure was 17 per cent ahead at €452m."
The Spanish Untouchables
-
[image: Busto del Rey Juan Carlos I de España en su vi...]
A new tell-all book that details what led to Spanish king Juan Carlos
giving up the throne woul...
Colombian cocaine smuggler gets 15 years
-
A federal judge in Tampa sentenced a cocaine smuggler on Friday to more
than 15 years in prison. U.S. District Judge James S. Moody Jr. sentenced
Luis Al...
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The Spanish Untouchables
-
[image: Busto del Rey Juan Carlos I de España en su vi...]
A new tell-all book that details what led to Spanish king Juan Carlos
giving up the throne woul...
