Man killed by lightning after more heavy rain hits southern Spain | Olive Press Newspaper | News Spain

Man killed by lightning after more heavy rain hits southern Spain Olive Press Newspaper News Spain: "MAN has been killed after his television exploded when it was hit by lightning through a window.
The 31-year-old was in a cortijo in Arroyo del Ojanco, Jaén when the incident happened, as torrential rain, thunder and lightening swept across southern Spain last night.
A nine-year-old boy from Almodóvar del Campo, has also gone missing after floods swept away the car he was travelling in with his parents.
The parents escaped from the vehicle but could not save their child.
Soldiers were called in to help firefighters in Ecija where the heaviest flooding was reported after the river Genil burst its banks forcing thousands of people to flee their homes."

VELASCO CALLS FOR MORE TRANSPARENCY IN MARBELLA TOWN HALL | Spanish Vida

VELASCO CALLS FOR MORE TRANSPARENCY INMARBELLA TOWN HALL Spanish Vida: "At a press conference with the General Secretary of the PSOE, Jose Bernal, the Deputy Secretary for Marbella, Rafael Velasco, has demanded more transparency in the city's affairs particularly with regard to the recent local contract awarded to the brother of the mayor of Marbella, Alicia Jiménez.
'We must set an example of transparency and provide all of the relevant information to the opposition,' Velasco said, adding that although the President of the PP, Javier Arenas, boasts of the good governance code of his party, this does not apply to many of the municipalities such as Marbella. 'Arenas just criticises everything that the board tries to do, regardless of how needy the project might be adding that “problems must be addressed before they are raised by the opposition, not after.”"

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FLYBE intends to seek compensation from Spanish authorities for disruption caused by the wildcat strike by air traffic controllers.

FLYBE intends to seek compensation from Spanish authorities for disruption caused by the wildcat strike by air traffic controllers.: "FLYBE intends to seek compensation from Spanish authorities for disruption caused by the wildcat strike by air traffic controllers.
The Exeter airline said there was no hangover yesterday from the snap industrial action in Spain, but snowfall in the UK again took its toll on passengers' travel plans.
Flights to and from Aberdeen and Glasgow were cancelled yesterday due to adverse weather in Scotland, which closed airports north of the border.
On Saturday, one flight from Exeter to Malaga and back was cancelled as a result of the walkout. The impact for Flybe was exactly the same at Southampton.
As the Echo reported yesterday, passengers who had been due back in Exeter at 12.50pm on Saturday eventually landed at 4.15pm on Sunday.
With 118 people booked to travel on each of the cancelled flights, Flybe had to arrange hotel accommodation in Spain for all those affected, in addition to bringing in staff to operate the rearranged flights on Sunday"

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8 Fun Facts About Spain's El Gordo Lottery -- AMSTERDAM, December 7, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --

El Gordo Rojo8 Fun Facts About Spain's El Gordo Lottery -- AMSTERDAM, December 7, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --: "1. It's mythic: Radios and televisions are tuned to the broadcast, and the cafés are packed with people watching it. The event is carried out with great pageantry, and schoolchildren sing out the results as each number is drawn. The whole ceremony can take up to 3 hours with celebrations lasting through the night.
2. It's a winner-maker: The game was designed to make as many winners as possible. Family members often buy tickets together. Occasionally, whole villages find themselves wealthier after the draw.
3. It's a true lottery: Rather than a lotto, in which players pick a combination of numbers, El Gordo tickets come with the numbers pre-printed on them.
4. It's a number-lover's fantasy: Ticket numbers range from 0 to 84,999 and there are 195 series of tickets. It's traditional to use significant dates to choose a ticket (even unlucky ones). In 2009, tickets printed with the numbers forming the date of Michael Jackson's death - 25609 - were heavily sought after.
5. It's deeply traditional: The game was started as a fundraiser for orphans and has been drawn each year since 1812. The procedure followed for the draw has not varied.
6. It's epic: Because of its unique prize structure, El Gordo can create up to 390 millionaires at a time.
7. It's possible to win up to 7 times on a single ticket.
8. Its players are famously philosophical: After the draw's done, it's customary for non-winners to console themselves with the platitude 'It's health that really matters.'"

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Legal & General Shuns Spain Until ECB Buys Bonds - Bloomberg

Legal & General Shuns Spain Until ECB Buys Bonds - Bloomberg: "Legal & General Investment Management won’t lend more of its $500 billion to Spain unless the European Central Bank takes the lead by buying the nation’s bonds.
The extra yield investors demand to hold Spain’s 10-year debt rather than German bunds climbed to a euro-era high on Nov. 30 as Ireland’s bailout stoked speculation that more nations will seek aid from the European Union. The ECB has bought Irish, Portuguese and Greek securities, though not Spanish, according to traders with knowledge of the situation who declined to be identified because the transactions are confidential."

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Spain may extend state of alert over strike

Spain may extend state of alert over strike: "Spain's prime minister has said his government may extend an emergency decree it has put in place to end a 24-hour wildcat air traffic controllers' strike.
Flights have returned to normal after a weekend of travel chaos which disrupted hundreds of thousands of journeys.
Officials said 250,000 people were hit by Saturday's walkout, amid a long-running dispute about working hours.
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Spain may extend state of emergency after strike | Reuters

Transport Companies of Spain: Talgo, Cintra, Abertis, Alsa, Aena, Titsa, Grupo Agbar, Taxijet-Spain may extend state of emergency after strike Reuters: "Spain will extend a state of emergency if needed to prevent further travel disruption, its prime minister said on Monday, after a wildcat strike by air traffic controllers grounded flights last week.
Controllers only returned to work after the Socialist government sent in the army to take over control towers and threatened controllers with jail.
'Depending on how the circumstances evolve, the government will take the appropriate decision on extending the measure,' said Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.
The walkout on Friday came just hours after the government passed new economic measures regulating controllers' working hours and pledging to sell part of state-owned airport authority AENA for up to 9 billion euros ($12 billion).
The government, which has hit a low in opinion polls, has responded to market pressure with tax rises, asset sale plans and promises of welfare and pension reform as it fights to cut its budget deficit and calm concerns it may need a bailout."

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Unlucky Brit gets trapped in Spain after nightmare week - mirror.co.uk

Unlucky Brit gets trapped in Spain after nightmare week - mirror.co.uk: "A CAR trader was stranded in Spain yesterday after his ­passport expired while he waited for a rescheduled flight.
Richard Hall, 44, was one of thousands of Brits caught in strike action.
He had been working on the Costa del Sol when he was robbed of his passport, wallet and phone.
Mr Hall got an emergency passport on Friday and booked a flight with Flybe to Exeter for Saturday, which was cancelled."

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AFP: Spain's airports, Iberia soothe passengers on Twitter

AFP: Spain's airports, Iberia soothe passengers on Twitter: "Spain's national airport operator AENA and flag carrier Iberia launched Twitter PR operations Saturday to soothe irate and bewildered passengers stranded by a wildcat strike.
AENA created a Twitter account just to handle the inquiries flooding in from some of the estimated 300,000 passengers affected by an air traffic controllers strike during a long holiday weekend in Spain.
Within a few hours of announcing the account, AENA had attracted 2,933 followers.
Throughout the day the airport authority posted scores of messages in English, Spanish, Catalan, Basque and Galician on the progressive re-opening of flight operations."

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Flights from Spain restart after strike - News & Advice, Travel - The Independent

Flights from Spain restart after strike - News & Advice, Travel - The Independent: "Flights from Spain resumed tonight after wildcat strikes by air traffic controllers caused travel chaos and left thousands of British passengers stranded overseas.
The controllers launched their unofficial action in a row over pay and conditions, leading the Spanish government to declare a state of alarm.
Workers returned to their shifts after being threatened with jail terms, but officials say it could take up to 48 hours before flights return to normal.
Dozens of services to and from UK airports were grounded as Spanish air space was closed, with Ryanair, easyJet and Iberia all cancelling flights."

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Christopher Kinahan and his two sons, Christy Junior and Daniel walked out of the Albolote Prison in Granada on Friday

Christopher Kinahan - Archive Photo

Christopher Kinahan and his two sons, Christy Junior and Daniel walked out of the Albolote Prison in Granada on Friday

The alleged drug trafficker known as the ‘Irish Godfather’, Christopher Kinahan, has been granted bail by the judge, María del Carmen Gutiérrez Henares, in Court Number 3 in Estepona. She also authorised the release from prison for his two sons, Christy Junior and Daniel, with bail set at 60,000 € for each one of the three.
Reports indicate that they all left the Albolote prison in Granada on Friday

They have been held on remand since May when the police arrested them as part of an operation, codenamed Shovel, which extended across five countries.

Kinahan has been ordered to present himself to the court every Monday as part of the bail conditions, and has had his passport withdrawn. He is accused of heading a grand network of organised crime, which distributed drugs across Europe and offered money laundering services to other drug dealers.

Intelligence services from five countries took part in the Shovel operation, which saw some 30 arrests in Spain, Ireland and the UK. Most of the arrests were in Marbella, Estepona and Fuengirola. 60 properties worth 150 million € were impounded and the ownership of some 50 others in Brazil is being investigated.

Kinahan is also linked to the February 2008 shooting of a 28 year old in an Estepona urbanisation. 

Police consider him to be highly intelligent and say that is why he has managed to appear distant from the criminal activities, although he has been sentenced in Ireland for both drug trafficking and financial crimes. Irish police say he spent his time in jail perfecting his Dutch and Spanish languages.

Police and Civil Guard in Málaga, are currently investigating whether it was adulterated cocaine that is responsible for the deaths of seven people in Malaga

Euro Weekly News Youths into ecstasy, again Costa del Sol News The Largest English Language Newspapers in Spain: "Two years ago it appeared as if the youth’s thirst for party drugs was fading, when in 2008 records showed a significant fall in the use of ecstasy (MDMA). But those in the know have just released figures that show that the presence of the drug has re-emerged with force.
The brief drop in ecstasy use over the last two years was down to a lack of supply, as well as the fact that excessive mixing was tampering with the quality and purity of the drug, according to Claude Vidal, a psychologist at Energy Control – a independent group of professionals concerned about youth drug use, who also provide information to reduce the risks of consumption.
“Both in quantity and quality the presence of ecstasy has returned to 2008 levels,' said Vidal.
“The tablets cost between Euros 5 and 7 a gram and they have always been linked with clubs and raves and mostly very young people.'
Energy Control has also pointed to the return speed and amphetamine sulphate in a recent report, as well as ketamine, which they say has “burst onto the Andalucia drug scene”.
As for cocaine, experts warn that more and more adulterated cocaine is on the black market, making it especially dangerous.
In fact, the Police and Civil Guard in Málaga, are currently investigating whether it was adulterated cocaine that is responsible for the deaths of seven people in Malaga.
Vidal stressed that cocaine is no longer a drug for an elite. 'It is now available to all, although it is true that consumption in some sectors has slowed due to the economic crisis.'"

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

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.

Read more: http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_28094.shtml#ixzz16nLL3adc

Vodafone slashes cost of web browsing in Europe - Telegraph

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."

BA and Iberia agree £5bn merger as Unite announces new strike ballot | Business | The Guardian

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

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."

Debt-ridden regions weigh on Spain

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

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."

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

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.


Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/11/25/flat-balcony-fall-crushes-brit-expat-115875-22738710/#ixzz16JTwpaQr

MAN, aged 38, died in Marbella after he was run over by the lorry he was reportedly trying to stop

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.