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Marbella to establish new land inspection registry: "Marbella Town Hall has taken another step to control building as the PP administration led by Ángeles Muñoz, has established a register of all inspections which will record any possible infringements found.

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31 Dec 2010

Leon Lann, aka Leonid Kaplan, managed Costa del Sol real estate investments for gang leader Zakhar Kalashov.Georgian mafia henchman extradited to Spain


Georgian mafia henchman extradited to Spain | Olive Press Newspaper | News Spain: "right-hand man of Georgian mafia boss is being extradited to Spain.
Leon Lann, aka Leonid Kaplan, managed Costa del Sol real estate investments for gang leader Zakhar Kalashov.
Kalashov was sentenced in Spain earlier this year and Lann was recently nabbed in Moscow.
Russian-born mafioso is charged with laundering money from arms trafficking through property investments.


Spanish prosecutors believe Lann invested over 5.5 million euros of Kalashov’s money through Costa del Sol firms Suninvest 2000 and Elvira Invest."

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29 Dec 2010

Amy Fitzpatrick is convinced her daughter is still alive and believes she is living with an older man,Mother is convinced missing Amy is still alive | Irish Examiner

Mother is convinced missing Amy is still alive | Irish Examiner: "THE mother of missing schoolgirl Amy Fitzpatrick is convinced her daughter is still alive and believes she is living with an older man who has brainwashed her."

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28 Dec 2010

Bianca Gascoigne's a busty beach babe | The Sun |Showbiz|TV

Bianca Gascoigne's a busty beach babe | The Sun |Showbiz|TV: "LOVE Island star Bianca Gascoigne showed off her beach body as she holidayed in Spain.
The 24-year-old strutted around on a Marbella beach in a tiny bikini and hat.

Glamour girl Bianca, who has had two boob jobs, gave other beach lovers an eyeful of her 34DD breasts as she sunned herself.

The Celebrity Coach Trip stunner enjoyed her vacation away from Britain's freezing temperatures with her best friend and former WAG Charlotte Mears.

Bianca, whose mum Sheryl is divorced from former footballer Paul Gascoigne, had her first breast op aged 19, before following it up with a second one for her 21st birthday."

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Middle East and Terrorism: Terror Threat in Spain Continues

Biography - Al QaedaMiddle East and Terrorism: Terror Threat in Spain Continues: "Police in Spain and Thailand smashed a counterfeiting ring earlier this month, saying it aimed to provide fake European passports to al-Qaida. It's the latest example of Spain's place at the heart of European terrorist activity, serving as a staging ground for multiple plots and enduring the devastating March 2004 Madrid train bombings.

Despite its efforts, American officials have expressed concerns – and at times frustration – about Spain's terror growth, State Department cables released by Wikileaks show."

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24 Dec 2010

ANOTHER MOST WANTED IS CAPTURED IN SPAIN | Costa del Sol | Leader - News, Sport, Advertising, Property, Classifieds - Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, Costa Calida, Costa de Almeria, Spain

ANOTHER MOST WANTED IS CAPTURED IN SPAIN | Costa del Sol | Leader - News, Sport, Advertising, Property, Classifieds - Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, Costa Calida, Costa de Almeria, Spain: "Dennis Patrick O'BRIEN (DoB: 28/07/1949) was arrested on Saturday evening (18/12/2010) in the Trafalgar Bar, Calahonda in the Costa Del Sol. The arrest was part of an ongoing operation by the Spanish National Police and the UK’s Serious Organised Crime Agency targeting bars in the region which are known to be regular haunts of criminals."

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Saving banks clean-up fuels Spain bailout fears | Reuters

Saving banks clean-up fuels Spain bailout fears | Reuters: "Spain's ailing savings banks, struggling to attract fresh investment capital after an overhaul, could become the Achilles heel that forces the country down the same path to a financial bailout as Ireland.

Under new rules the unlisted regional banks, or 'cajas', may sell up to half their equity to private investors -- a key plank of a government scheme to reform a banking system that analysts say needs tens of billions of dollars of fresh capital."

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22 Dec 2010

Britain Scraps Biometric National ID Cards -- Privacy -- InformationWeek

ID CREDIT CARD HOLDER OR CIGARETTE CASE: NATIONAL LAMPOON MAGAZINE #1 SEXY BY PENNY SILVERBritain Scraps Biometric National ID Cards -- Privacy -- InformationWeek: "Britain is scrapping its controversial national identification card. On Tuesday, the government expected the queen to approve a bill that abolishes national ID cards for British nationals. At that point, the country's so-called national identity register would also begin to be destroyed.
In an editorial in the Guardian, the United Kingdom's minister for immigration, Damian Green, said that continuing to pursue the ID cards 'would have been a distraction from the real work that needs to be done in countering terrorism, illegal immigration, or benefit fraud.'"

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OECD: Spain needs huge reform

 OECD: Spain needs huge reform: "Spain, in the eye of financial markets which are shunning its debt bonds, has done much right, is fighting the crisis well, but must reform its labour legislation and employment practices, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said.

The economy, which stalled in the third quarter after edging out of deep recession, is now set for 'subdued' growth but the blows of the last two years will leave 'lasting' scars and the unemployment rate, now about 20 percent, will remain among the highest in the European Union, the OECD estimated.

This regular country assessment is likely to be read in particular detail on financial markets which see Portugal and Spain as being at high risk of eventually needing a debt rescue, as has already been the case for Greece and Ireland.

The sovereign debt crisis in the eurozone took a new turn at the end of the last week when European Union leaders agreed to adjust a basic treaty to create a permanent rescue fund, marking a small but important step towards new EU-eurozone architecture."

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49,000-yr-old Spanish murder site indicates `Neanderthals were cannibals`

The Humans Who Went Extinct: Why Neanderthals Died Out and We Survived49,000-yr-old Spanish murder site indicates `Neanderthals were cannibals`: "Researchers have discovered an ancient mass murder site in Spain that indicates that Neanderthals could have feasted on the bodies of their family members too.

The 49,000 years old site contains butchered remains of 12 men, women, and children who belonged to an extended Neanderthal family and were eaten by their fellow Neanderthals.

After analysing mitochondrial DNA and fragments of Y-chromosomes, they found that the Neanderthals were cannibalised before the ground collapsed beneath their remains and buried them soon after their death.

Additional DNA studies revealed that the members were related to each other genetically, according to lead author Carles Lalueza-Fox of the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-UPF) in Barcelona, Spain.

'This looks like a family. It's similar to what you would find if you went to a wedding and sampled the people in the wedding party. If you sample 12 people in the street, you would never find so many people with the same mtDNA,' Science Now quoted Lalueza-Fox as saying."

21 Dec 2010

Tourbus fire at London's O2 Arena ahead of Kings Of Leon gig | News | NME.COM

Live at the O2 London, EnglandTourbus fire at London's O2 Arena ahead of Kings Of Leon gig | News | NME.COM: "Around 60 firefighters are dealing with a tourbus fire at London's O2 Arena on the day that Kings Of Leon are set to play there.

A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade told NME that the firefighters were called to the scene at 8:18am (GMT) this morning (December 21) to deal with the blaze, with two vehicles on fire.

No injuries have been reported.

The spokesperson explained that the fire is taking place in a loading bay at the arena and is not affecting the seating or viewing area.

Kings Of Leon are due to play the final night of their UK arena tour at the venue tonight."

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Report looks at source of U.S. jet fuel - UPI.com

Report looks at source of U.S. jet fuel - UPI.com: "A company based in Gibraltar used false end-user certificates while supplying jet fuel for U.S. military planes in Afghanistan, Congressional investigators say.

The House Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs plans to release a report Tuesday, The New York Times reported. The panel looked into how the U.S. obtains fuel for its military operations, much of it coming from Russia.

The subcommittee chairman, Rep. John F. Tierney, D-Mass., said the United States should be careful to avoid becoming dependent on Russia for fuel. He said he was troubled by the use of false certificates to evade Russian export restrictions."

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Rock of wages: online gaming keeps Gibraltar's residents at work | World news | The Guardian

Synthetic Worlds: The Business and Culture of Online GamesRock of wages: online gaming keeps Gibraltar's residents at work | World news | The Guardian: "Gibraltar's gambler-friendly laws and tax regimes are turning it into a virtual Las Vegas. The Rock has always had an eye for business that is not entirely mainstream, whether smuggling cigarettes or serving as a tax haven, but in online gambling it has hit the jackpot.

The industry employs 2,000 people , or 12% of the workforce, and has helped to insulate the local economy against Spain's harsh economic climate. Of 30,000 residents, only 600 people are unemployed. Across the border in La Línea de la Concepción, some 10,000 of the 65,000 inhabitants are out of work.

The low-tax regime attracts the industry but even so last year the government pocketed €12.4m (£10.5m) in online gambling taxes. Next year the Rock will receive 10 times as much when the gaming concerns are brought into the same tax regime as other businesses."

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Spanish Airports Authority, AENA, will continue to meet with the air traffic controllers every day until an agreement is reached

Airport 77 Poster Movie Spanish 11x17 Jack Lemmon James Stewart Lee Grant Brenda Vaccaro
The Spanish Airports Authority, AENA, will continue to meet with the air traffic controllers every day until an agreement is reached.

Both sides have described the resumption of talks, following the wildcat action by the controllers at the start of the month, on Monday as positive. Despite some reports to the contrary, the fact that the State of Alarm and militarisation of airspace remains in place, this does not stop the negotiations from continuing.

During Monday’s meeting a calendar of talks was established, with AENA expressing a desire to solve the conflict as soon as possible, and the USCA controllers union sharing that target. The controllers said they wanted to see the labour conflict solved as soon as possible, as that is all it is.
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National Police operation against a real estate scam for the sale of fictitious properties in Turkey which were sold through offices in Alicante and the Costa del Sol.

Lonely Planet Turkey (Country Guide)
Their victims paid over money to invest in fictitious properties in Turkey

The Interior Ministry has released details of a National Police operation against a real estate scam for the sale of fictitious properties in Turkey which were sold through offices in Alicante and the Costa del Sol.

The only arrest so far in the case is a suspect from New Zealand, who was taken into custody in Calpe, but it’s understood that other suspects from the UK have been identified and that the organisation worked with British real estate companies.

The Ministry said 400,000 € was defrauded from unsuspecting foreigners resident in Spain who thought they were investing in luxury tourist resorts to be built in Turkey. They were even shown plans of the properties which were drawn up by another victim of the scam, a Belgian architect who was never paid for his work.

Other victims included the owners of the premises where the organisation set up offices to run the scam in Spain, but left without paying the rent once they had obtained enough money from their supposed investors.
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18 Dec 2010

Abusos Urbanisticos Lliber - NO! (AULN) action group

Marina and View to Castillo, Alicante, Costa Blanca, Spain Photographic Poster Print by Rob Cousins, 9x12Abusos Urbanisticos Lliber - NO! (AULN) action group, made up of expats who bought 298 family homes in the upmarket, inland village of Lliber on the Costa Blanca more than ten years ago.
The area has been blighted as a consequence of the arrangements made between former town hall officials and builders to build with building licences granted by the town hall but without authority from regional government.
Wholesale construction continued from 1999-2004, by which time an estimated £60 million was handed over to developers by unsuspecting expat families and retired couples.
One of the victims, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: "In 2004 the local environment agency, the college of architects and the guardia civil decided the homes were illegally built so building stopped.
"I took early retirement and with my wife, through an agency in Cheltenham, bought a three bedroom, three bathroom villa with swimming pool and views over the hills but we have no mains water, no electricity and we can't sell because it is illegally built. We are in limbo. The embassy has been great with advice but their hands are tied. The Spanish just don't want to know. It is a dirty, dirty business."
Thanks to the action group and its members' persistence, 2.4 million euros were recovered last year when police arrested the town hall architect and found the money in a private Andorran bank account.
A further 18 people are currently awaiting trial for corruption and fraud relating to the illegal building of homes in Lliber including the ex-mayor José Mas Avellá, British builder Trevor Bourne and agent Miguel Muntaner who had accumulated 100,000 sq of land in the Marina Alta as well as 16 houses and seven cars.
Only this week the Telegraph reported on the 300 Britons who lost an estimated £34 million after paying deposits on off-the-plan apartments in a proposed development called Estepona Beach and Country Club, 20 miles from Marbella.
In some cases, the prospective owners - many of whom were from Northern Ireland - put down an £85,000 deposit. However, the land still belonged to its original owner and the complex was never built.
As the overseas advisor continues to do her best to advise distraught expats and direct them to competent authorities and organisations which may be of assistance, the question has to be asked: why have scams been so prevalent in Spain?
Charles Svoboda, vice president of the Valencian action group Abusos Urbanisticos - No (AUN), who has been advising distraught British expats year after year, tole Telegraph Expat that it is simply because: "The laws are too lax and full of loopholes that tend to favour the scammers.
"There have been too many unscrupulous promoters, developers, estate agents, lawyers, notaries, town halls, etc involved in the process, whose main aim has been to make as much money as fast as possible.
"Their attitude has no concern about the lack of morality, let alone legality or corruption in all this. The sentiment that buyers are suckers who don't understand anything here and can't see past the beaches and bars when they buy is widespread.
"Some expats are naive enough to believe that things should work here as they do in the UK or northern Europe, when that is a pipe dream.
"And finally, the courts are slow and there are very few other recourses or ways to put things right here.":Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

13 Dec 2010

Something to declare: Morocco’s Kasbah du Toubkal; partying overseas; London to Scotland for 2p a mile; Rome to Rio de Janeiro - News & Advice, Travel - The Independent

Destination of the week: Morocco's Kasbah du Toubkal, with a cause
The luxurious mountain refuge of Kasbah du Toubkal – close to Marrakech and in shadow of North Africa's highest mountain, Toubkal – is a treat at any time of the year. But on two trips in 2011 its founder, Mike McHugo, is offering it as an element in fund-raising for educational projects.
From 26 March to 2 April, a charity bike ride starts by exploring Marrakech then builds up to some more vigorous cycling routes in the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains. The trip includes lunch on the terrace of the Kasbah."

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six-man team to row from Morocco to Barbados

INDEPENDENT online: "Thomas Cremona is aiming to become the first maltese person to row across the atlantic when he sets off with a six-man team to row from Morocco to Barbados in January 2011. Thomas is a cancer survivor and will be taking on the challenge to prove there is life beyond cancer as well as raising money for Puttinu Cares.

As part of his preparation, Thomas is taking on a world record challenge to row for 24 hours on the Concept 2 Rowing machine. Additional rowing machines will be provided for those who wish to row with Thomas for part of his challenge, and there will be collection tins for Puttinu Cares Foundation.

The current record Thomas is attempting to break is known as the Concept2 ‘Longest Continual Row’ and the category he is challenging is the ‘Individual Men 20-29 Heavyweight’ category. The current world record is held by Vincent Brunning, Plymouth, Great Britain, and was established on the 22-23 October 2009 and currently stands at 20 hours.

Thomas will be at Bay Street, St. Julians today and tomorrow from noon to noon (24 hours). Everyone is invited to visit him during his attempt. Kunsill Malti għall-iSport (KMS) is backing him in his attempt to break this world record."

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11 Dec 2010

BA to launch Faro and Malaga flights from London City Airport - Cheapflights.co.uk

BA to launch Faro and Malaga flights from London City Airport - Cheapflights.co.uk: "British Airways (BA) has announced that it will fly to Malaga and Faro from London City Airport next summer.
BA will fly to Malaga, gateway to the Costa del Sol, four times per week, and Faro, gateway to the Algarve, three times per week.
Flights commence on 7 June 2011 and fares start at £75 one way, including taxes and charges. BA CityFlyer, a wholly owned subsidiary of British Airways, will fly the routes.
The airline is also upping the number of flights it offers to Amsterdam, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Flights to Amsterdam will operate six times per day, Glasgow, five times per day and Edinburgh eight times per day.
In a statement, Luke Hayhoe, commercial manager of BA CityFlyer, said: 'We have responded to customer demand adding additional frequency and improving departure times to our existing Amsterdam, Edinburgh and Glasgow routes.
'In addition to this the Palma and Ibiza routes launched this year have proved so popular that we decided to venture further into the summer sun market.'
Book via www.ba.com.
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Málaga court throws out all the defence objections in the Malaya corruption case

MalagaMálaga court throws out all the defence objections in the Malaya corruption case: "The hearings restart in the Málaga Provincial Court in the Malaya case on Monday, after the break for the chamber to discuss the preliminary questions from the lawyers defending the 95 accused in the Marbella corruption case.

The court has now resolved all the questions, one by one, and dismissed the defence claims that the first judge to instruct the case, Miguel Ángel Torres, broke the rights of the accused.

In a 198 page note released on Friday, the court validated the instruction of the case in its entirety, and is a severe setback to the accused who had asked for evidence or the even the entire case to be declared null and void. The court does allow for future changes of opinion regarding phone taps and house searches carried out, but nevertheless expresses the ‘firm conviction’ that rights were not violated"

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GCP Course for Spain Now Accredited - PR.com

GCP Course for Spain Now Accredited - PR.com: "Infonetica Ltd.’s recently launched Spanish GCP training online has been accredited by The Commission on Continuing Education (Comision de Formacion Continuada), National Health System in Spain.

The accreditation provides 1.5 credits and is another important step by the company in providing high quality education for clinical research professionals worldwide. The new course gives the ability to obtain expertise in the international principles of ICH Good Clinical Practice, while focusing on regulatory requirements, as established by the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices, AEMPS.

The Spanish GCP training course is developed in collaboration with Dr. Lola Briones, PhD, MBA, Regulatory and Training Senior Consultant in Madrid, who has an extensive expertise in international clinical research industry for the last 15 years. It contains not only regulations but also useful documents and practical case studies, which give trainees both theoretical and practical knowledge. The exam provides a certificate, which is officially accepted by The Ministry of Health (Ministerio de Sanidad, Politica Social e Igualdad) in Spain."

8 Dec 2010

Bernie Ecclestone uses black eye to advertise £200k Hublot watch | Mail Online

Bernie Ecclestone uses black eye to advertise £200k Hublot watch Mail Online: "Trust Bernie Ecclestone to manage to turn a mugging into a money-making opportunity.The Formula One boss, who is worth an estimated £2billion, was attacked by four men outside his office in Central London last month.
But even before he'd had his four stitches removed, Mr Ecclestone contacted Formula One's official watchmaker, Hublot, and suggested they used pictures of his battered face as part of an adverting campaign."

7 Dec 2010

Morocco's royal family is using the institutions of the state to "coerce and solicit bribes" in the country's lucrative real estate sector

Morocco's royal family is using the institutions of the state to "coerce and solicit bribes" in the country's lucrative real estate sector, according to a leaked report from American diplomats.

Information about high-level corruption involving the rulers of Washington's closest ally in north Africa was brought to the attention of the US consulate in Casablanca, Morocco's commercial capital, by a businessman in 2009, leading diplomats to describe "the appalling greed" of those close to King Mohammed VI.

According to the US report, decisions involving Omnium Nord Africain (ONA), a holding company owned by the king, are made only by the king and two of his powerful associates. "To have discussions with anyone else would be a waste of time," the head of the company is quoted as saying.

Royal involvement in business is a hot topic in Morocco but public discussion of it is sensitive. The US embassy in Rabat reported to Washington in a separate cable that "corruption is prevalent at all levels of Moroccan society".

Mohammed, who succeeded his father, Hassan, in 1999, is said to have cleaned up the royal family's act, but it appears he has not done enough.

"While corrupt practices existed during the reign of King Hassan II … they have become much more institutionalised with King Mohammed VI," one cable quotes a businessman as saying. Institutions such as ONA – Morocco's largest conglomerate, which clears most large development projects – regularly coerced developers into granting beneficial rights to ONA, the businessman was quoted as saying.

In 2008 ONA dismissed Saad Bendidi as chief executive for mismanaging Wana, the company's telecommunications subsidiary – a move that drew public attention to the king's business activities. "Despite the intrigue surrounding Bendidi's firing, members of the business community in Casablanca did not find it particularly unusual," the consulate reported. "A long-time franchise holder pointed out that Bendidi's predecessor … also did not last more than a few years at ONA's helm. As one businessperson put it, the palace can be very demanding. When the palace calls, 'if you don't pick up the phone on the first ring you're in trouble'."

Media comment included calls on the king "to exit the business world, citing the inherent conflict between his role as ultimate arbiter of the Moroccan system and leading businessman and banker within it".

The affair "cast doubt on the transparency of the king's business affairs", an "explosive situation" at a time when Moroccans face rising prices for goods whose production and distribution is often assured by the king's own companies. There has long been hushed debate of these issues in Moroccan business circles but "few expect the royal role in ONA to change anytime soon".

The experience of the US consulate's informant "demonstrates a reality, of which most Moroccans dare only whisper – the influence and commercial interest of the king and some of his advisers in virtually every major real estate project here", the cable records. "A former US ambassador to Morocco, who remains closely connected to the palace, separately lamented to us what he termed the appalling greed of those close to King Mohammed VI. This phenomenon seriously undermines the good governance that the Moroccan government is working hard to promote."
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6 Dec 2010

Foreign investors push property investment sales up in Spain - Fly to let news

Foreign investors push property investment sales up in Spain - Fly to let news: "While most recent reports about Spain’s property market have been about the collapse, news is now merging that the volume of Spanish property sold increased by 13 percent year-on-year in the third quarter of this year according to figures out this week from The Spain Property Registry.
The Overseas Property Professional organisation reports that statistics show residential property transactions were up by 13 percent with new builds increasing by 9 percent and re-sales by 17 percent.
The Instituto Nacional de Estadística (the Spanish National Statistics Institute) also revealed this week that the average value of mortgages constituted in September increased 4.2 percent.
These figures were mirrored by Taylor Wimpey de España which announced this week that 2010 has seen increases of up to 50 percent in sales from last year – and many of these purchases have been made by foreign buyers."

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Flowers cools on Spanish bank deal amid crisis | Reuters

Flowers cools on Spanish bank deal amid crisis Reuters: "J.C. Flowers has cooled its interest in investing in a Spanish caja until Spain has restored faith in its finances, the head of the U.S. private equity firm said on Monday.
If Flowers backs away from Banca Civica it would be a blow to the troubled savings banks, or cajas, as Spain attempts to accelerate consolidation of the industry seen as needing capital after a severe recession.
J.C. Flowers is led by Christopher Flowers, who told the Financial Times that any investor would have to be 'pretty brave' to move into Spain or Ireland at present. A spokesman for the private equity firm confirmed his comments."

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It's adios to those sweet dreams of Spain, Annie | Mail Online

: It's adios to those sweet dreams of Spain, Annie Mail Online: "Annie Lennox is selling the two townhouses she bought three years ago in the Andalucian town of Olvera.The singer bought them with a friend as a development project in 2007, but her agent says Spain's economic crisis scuppered the plans.
One is under offer for £26,000 - even though it has holes in the roof, damp walls and uneven floors."

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In Spain, Gypsies Find Easier Path to Integration - NYTimes.com

In Spain, Gypsies Find Easier Path to Integration - NYTimes.com: "Encarnación Rómero Bastante, a manicurist, was not sure what to expect when she was hired by a government-financed program to train a 33-year-old Gypsy woman.
Amedeo Modigliani (Gypsy Woman) Art Poster Print - 24x36Carina Ramírez Montero, 24, lives in a shantytown in Seville and is part of a theater troupe of Gypsy women touring the country. But within a few weeks, Ms. Romero said her student, Emilia Jiménez González, knew all there was to know about cuticles and French tips. She was so good and so nice that Ms. Romero went a step further than required and persuaded a friend to give Ms. Jiménez a job.
“She proved herself to be a real professional,” said Ms. Romero, who had never gotten to know a Gypsy before.
Throughout Europe, Gypsies (who are often called Roma, but not in Spain where the Spanish word for gypsy, “gitano,” is uttered with pride) frequently survive in isolated encampments, reviled as beggars and petty thieves. In some Eastern European countries, they face such deep prejudice that they are chased off municipal buses, and in school their children are relegated to classes for the mentally handicapped.
Even in Western Europe, France’s president, Nicolas Sarkozy, could count on shoring up his popularity when he decided to deport thousands of Roma to Romania earlier this year.
But things are different in Spain."

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5 Dec 2010

Legal poker on the Costa del Sol | David Dancey | Columns | The Largest English Language Newspapers in Spain

The Theory of Poker: A Professional Poker Player Teaches You How To Think Like OneEuro Weekly News Legal poker on the Costa del Sol David Dancey Columns The Largest English Language Newspapers in Spain: "CLOSING down the poker clubs here on the Costa del Sol seems to be norm at the moment and I read this week that a bar in the Benalmadena area was closed because they were playing afternoon BINGO. This was apparently a game that had been going for six years and filled up the afternoon for a great number of ex pats who paid 50 cents for a book.
Hardly a group of hardened criminals and likewise every recreational young and old poker player sitting around a poker table, paying €10 or €15 for a fun game are never going to undermine the economy and bring down the government.
The issue is the Junta (the regional government) is acting on behalf of the Casinos who have had to pay for gambling licenses and therefore believe that as they are the only legal entity allowed to hold poker, that they have the monopoly.
OK, unfortunately it appears at the moment they do but this is not right for the development of a game that will inevitably create a huge income for the government in the future.
In truth, monopolies are frowned upon as they are open to abuse and in European Courts there are always issues as to giving freedom of human rights so people have choice.
The Casinos have indeed paid money for the right to hold poker games, but who says we can’t pay some money too and have small games."

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Spanish prime minister uses military law to get airports moving again | World news | The Observer

Spanish prime minister uses military law to get airports moving again World news The Observer: "Spanish government declared a 'state of alarm' yesterday for the first time in three decades, assuming sweeping powers that allowed the military to take control of the country's airspace and order Spain's striking air traffic controllers to work or face prison.Easy Spanish Phrase Book: Over 770 Basic Phrases for Everyday Use (Dover Easy Phrase) (Spanish and English Edition)
The extraordinary move by the Socialist government of prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was expected to allow some of the thousands of British tourists trapped in Spain to start returning home this morning.
Up to 20,000 were trapped by the sudden closure of local airspace on Friday afternoon after Spain's air traffic controllers walked out in a dispute over working hours. Military law was applied from midday yesterday, allowing them to be arrested and charged if they did not return to work. Spain's military code allows sentences of up to two years for those who disobey an order to work from the defence ministry. 'If they do not go to work, they will be committing a crime of disobedience according to the military penal code,' the deputy prime minister, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, warned after an emergency cabinet meeting.
The measure appeared to work. By late yesterday evening, Rubalcaba said that more than 90% of the controllers had returned to work. But he added that it could still take up to 48 hours for air traffic to return to normal after Spanish airspace reopened during the afternoon. It was also unclear if strikers would seek fresh ways to continue their protest.
Airlines warned that the chaos would take several days to sort out. Airlines Ryanair and Iberia said that they would not resume flying until this morning."

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3 Dec 2010

Spain's government is planning to raise tobacco taxes

 Spain's government is planning to raise tobacco taxes, a government source said on Friday, as it fights to cut its high budget deficit and calm investor concerns that it could need a financial bailout like Ireland and Greece.
Proposals for such new austerity measures come just over a week after Spain's prime minister insisted it would not need a new round of cuts, and said those betting the country would end up going the same way as Dublin or Athens would lose.
The source, who asked not to be named, did not comment on newspaper reports that the government is also mulling higher taxes on fuel and alcohol.
The new tobacco tax to raise an estimated 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion) a year in revenue could be announced as early as Friday after Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's weekly cabinet meeting, newspapers reported.
The cabinet meeting is expected to approve other measures announced by Zapatero this week involving the sell-off of parts of its airport and lottery businesses to raise funds.
Spain's cost of financing has risen to record highs in recent days on fears it could end up needing a bailout like Greece or Ireland, throwing the euro currency deeper into crisis.
But the yield on benchmark Spanish 10-year bonds ES10YT=TWEB was lower on Friday, at 5.1 percent, as the European Central Bank said its bond-buying programme has been energetic this week [ID:nFAE005845].
Economy Minister Elena Salgado told BBC radio on Friday that the euro zone could not exit its current crisis unless its members adopted common economic policies, a controversial idea not shared by all the currency zone's leaders.
"We have to improve economic governance in Europe. You cannot have in the long term a common currency without a common economic policy," she said in an interview.

1 Dec 2010

Primal Scream recently played a gig in London,

Primal Scream recently played a gig in London, which was followed by a fashion-pack filled party at the lush W Hotel. The band is good friends with our favourite über model Kate Moss, Jade Jagger and Liam Gallagher to name a few. Add to the stylish mix super stylist Katy England (who's married to lead singer Bobby Gillespie), lingerie maestro Joe Corre from Agent Provocateur, and legendary milliner Phillip Treacy and you've got one hot diggity looking bunch of party people! 

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