Openleaks -- a rival to the secret-document-leaking website WikiLeaks -- is set to launch on Monday, according to a report.

The new site, which will be found at openleaks.org, has "been underway for some time" and was founded by "several key figures" who once worked at WikiLeaks but have resigned in protest of its controversial founder, Julian Assange, according to the Swedish news website DN.se.

Just as WikiLeaks, Openleaks will focus on leaking sensitive documents from governments, corporations, organizations and religious groups to the public, the report said.

"Our long-term goal is to build a strong, transparent platform to support whistleblowers -- both in terms of technology and politics -- while at the same time encouraging others to start similar projects," an anonymous source at Openleaks told DN.se.

"As a short-term goal, this is about completing the technical infrastructure and ensuring that the organization continues to be democratically governed by all its members, rather than limited to one group or individual," the source said, according to the report.

But, unlike WikiLeaks Openleaks will not publish information it receives on its own, DN.se said.

Instead, other organizations will be given access to documents Openleaks obtains and be responsible for publishing that information, the report said.

The intent is for Openleaks to become a neutral liaison "without a political agenda except from the dissemination of information to the media, the public, non-profit organizations, trade and union organizations and other participating groups," according to DN.se.

"All editorial control and responsibility rests with the publishing organization," an unnamed source told DN.se. "We will, as far as possible, take the role of the messenger between the whistleblower and the organization the whistleblower is trying to cooperate with."

By not publishing the documents itself, Openleaks is hoping to avoid the backlash from global political leaders that WikiLeaks has received.

"As a result of our intention not to publish any document directly and in our own name, we do not expect to experience the kind of political pressure which WikiLeaks is under at this time," a source told DN.se. "In that aspect, it is quite interesting to see how little of politicians' anger seems directed at the newspapers using WikiLeaks sources."

The news of the new website comes as Assange is in custody in Britain on allegations in Sweden that he raped two women.

In the last two weeks, thousands of secret U.S. diplomatic cables have been published by WikiLeaks that have embarrassed and angered global political leaders. The press has labeled the fiasco "cablegate" and WikiLeaks has promised to release thousands more documents.

Last week, anti-WikiLeaks hackers temporarily brought down WikiLeaks' website in response to the release of the government cables.

This week, a group of pro-WikiLeaks hackers, calling themselves Anonymous in a campaign called "Operation: Payback," momentarily disabled the sites of businesses such as MasterCard and Visa that have stopped doing business with WikiLeaks.

Earlier this year, WikiLeaks.org was crashed not by hackers but by WikiLeaks employees, according to DN.se's report.

The move then was a sign telling to Assange to step down by, the report said. Assange didn't, so some of those unhappy at WikiLeaks left and started Openleaks, the report said.

Despite the site being launched as a rival to WikiLeaks, those behind Openleaks told DN.se that the two websites are working toward common goals, although through different methods.

"The two organizations are similar in that aspect that both are focusing on providing means for whistleblowers to anonymously provide the public with information," an insider told DN.se.

RELATED:




:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

Royal Air Maroc fly with the cockroaches

Royal Air Maroc deteriorating customer service has resulted in some unexpected types of passengers on board lately, cockroaches.
These critters do intermingle with passengers in search for food, as shown in this video, and customers were forced to play exterminators.
Customers have complained for some time that unless Royal Air Maroc recruits its personnel based on merit and not on nepotism, and works to instill work ethics in its work force, where good work is rewarded and mediocrity is punished, it will not realize its potential and become a trusted international airline with Casablanca as a major hub.
An analyst, M. Zakaria, said  "Royal Air Maroc prices keep going up while its service continues to go down. on the topic of high fares, Royal Air Maroc management's Mistakes are causing the high fares and accentuating bad service.
RAM made four major mistakes. The labor agreement with their pilots, the bad investment especially when they purchased Air Senegal and also starting  low budget airline, Air Atlas (A flagship airline should not be in low cost business) and lastly the high price of Fuel (RAM pre-payed for the fuel back when the barrel was almost $100), , So the customers are paying for RAM mistakes.
RAM pilots are amongst the highest paid pilots in the industry. They average is about  $100K/Yr where as EasyJet, Jet4U and Air Arabia pilots make less than $40K/Yr. It's not just the pilots that are burdening  Royal Air Maroc overall payroll, their higher Managers are also getting paid higher than average. So RAM need to charge more to pay the high salaries/benefits. Shipping with Royal Air Maroc is also problematic,  their Cargo business has been in the red for many years.
There are  tough choices to be made when flying to Morocco from North America, either one pays the high fare for the non stop flight with Royal Air Maroc, but need to deal with the bad service, delays, cockroaches as seen in this video, etc...or pay little less but have to go through some European country where it will cost less, takes longer and most likely will have to spend a night on the way back."

:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

Should holiday home owners stay put during 'PIGS' storm? | Mail Online

Should holiday home owners stay put during 'PIGS' storm? Mail Online: "The dream is crumbling for tens of thousands of Britons who have bought holiday homes in Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain - the countries worst hit by the eurozone crisis.
About 425,000 Britons have homes abroad, according to market research company Mintel, with 6.5 million more dreaming of owning a place in the sun. Four in five of these overseas properties are on the Continent, with half in either Spain or France. Now that Ireland and Greece have accepted bailouts from Brussels, there are fears that Portugal and Spain could follow them into national bankruptcy."

:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

US Embassy in Madrid proposed setting up an intelligence hub in the northeastern region of Catalonia to counter a 'major centre of radical Islamist activity'

Cable: US intel hub to counter Islamism in Spain - Israel News, Ynetnews: "Cable: US intel hub to counter Islamism in Spain

The US Embassy in Madrid proposed setting up an intelligence hub in the northeastern region of Catalonia to counter a 'major centre of radical Islamist activity', according to a US cable obtained by WikiLeaks and published on Saturday by the newspaper El Pais.

The cable, dated October 2, 2007, said US and Spanish authorities had identified Catalonia as having a 'large Muslim Population Susceptible to Jihadist Recruitment' following increased surveillance after the 2004 Madrid train bombings, which killed 191 people"

:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

WikiLeaks Protests Planned in Spain, Latin America

 WikiLeaks Protests Planned in Spain, Latin America: "-- Demonstrations are planned Saturday to protest the detention of the founder of secret-spilling website WikiLeaks and the closing of its Swiss bank account.
The Spanish-language website Free WikiLeaks says protests are to be held in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Seville and three other Spanish cities. It also says demonstrations are planned Saturday in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and in the capital cities of Colombia, Argentina, Mexico and Peru.
'We seek the liberation of Julian Assange in United Kingdom territory,' the organization said on the website. It called on protesters to gather at 6 p.m. (17:00 GMT) in Spanish cities."

:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

http://marbellavida.blogspot.com/

http://marbellavida.blogspot.com/



:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

Spain prosecutors to seek stiff sentences for air controllers - Fox News Latino

Spain prosecutors to seek stiff sentences forair controllers - Fox News Latino: "Spanish prosecutors will seek eight-year prison sentences for air traffic controllers charged with sedition in connection with a massively disruptive sickout last week, Attorney General Candido Conde-Pumpido said here Thursday.
The wildcat work stoppage, which caused the closure of Spanish airspace and led the government to declare a state of alarm, is a 'very serious' crime, he said before presiding at a meeting of the prosecutors council in Zaragoza.
Conde-Pumpido confirmed that there are more than 20 judicial proceedings that have been opened nationwide in the matter and more than 400 potential defendants.
Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's government militarized the air traffic control system late Friday after controllers walked out en masse, grounding hundreds of thousands of travelers at the beginning of a long holiday weekend."

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has defended his use of the military to break a strike by air traffic controllers.

Use of emergency measures had been "essential to correct a disastrous situation", he told parliament.

The Socialist prime minister criticised the "stubborn attitude" of the strikers, who were protesting over their hours and benefits.

The emergency took effect on Saturday and is to last at least 15 days.

Facing the threat of prison sentences, strikers began returning to work after the emergency was declared.

Hundreds of flights had been cancelled during the strike, which began on Friday afternoon at the beginning of one of Spain's busiest holiday weekends and affected hundreds of thousands of travellers.

"It is no exaggeration to say that the situation was in open conflict with the rule of law and involved a constitutional affront to public order," Mr Zapatero said.

"As such, it had to be dealt with."

He promised to ensure the situation could not recur.:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

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.”"

:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

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"

DISCLAIMER:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

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.'"

:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

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."

DISCLAIMER:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

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.
DISCLAIMER:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

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."

:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

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."

DISCLAIMER:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

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."

DISCLAIMER:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

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."

DISCLAIMER:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

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.'"