McArdle extradited to Spain over wife's death

Co Louth man found guilty of the manslaughter of his wife in Marbella 11 years ago has been extradited to Spain.Michael Dermot McArdle from Brookfield, Heynestown, Dundalk, was found guilty in a Spanish court in October 2008 of gross negligent homicide.His wife, Kelly Ann Corcoran, died after she fell from a hotel balcony where the couple had been arguing. Mr McArdle faces a two-year prison sentence in Spain.He consented to his extradition, which is due to take place straight away.&nb...

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Eva Longoria is said to be considering buying a home in Marbella, Spain.

The actress is currently dating Eduardo Cruz, the brother of Hollywood star Penélope Cruz. The pair have been an item for several months, with Eva recently travelling to Spain to meet her beau’s family.She apparently fell in love with the sunny country, and is now considering buying a permanent base there. She particularly loves Marbella and has already started scouting for a suitable property.“Eva loves the idea of sometimes running away from her fishbowl existence,” a source told National Enquirer.Eva and Eduardo were in Spain earlier this month. He took the opportunity to introduce his new partner to his family, who were all said to be enamoured...

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EARTH WIND & FIRE LIVE IN CONCERT IN MARBELLA

Experience 70´s and 80´s Legends. Five time Grammy Award winner & founding member of Earth Wind & Fire, Al McKay brings his Spectacular Earth Wind and Fire to Marbella on August 13th, 2011 in a fantastic concert, at the Tennis Club, Hotel Puente Romano in Marbella.Earth Wind & Fire has touched the hearts of two generations with its incredible melodies and energy.  Between 1973 & 1981 Al McKay was an instrumental force behind the music of Earth Wind & Fire.  He worked together with Maurice White in establishing the sound that would catapult the group to stardom.Al McKay was not only musical director of the band but...

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THE Municipal Museum in Malaga will hold five valuable works seized from the Malaya Marbella corruption case.

The four paintings and sculpture were seized in November 2008 from a warehouse in Cordoba belonging to councillor Rafael Gomez Sandokan, charged for his alleged collaboration with the man believed to be the mastermind of the case, Juan Antonio Roca. They will be kept at the Municipal Heritage Museum until the trial is finished and the courts decide whether they can be used to pay back part of the funds allegedly taken from Marbella town hall.They include the ‘Portrait of William Cavendish’ by Flemish painter Antonious Van Dyck which is valued at more than €1.5m; ‘Antes de la Corrida’ believed to be by Joaquin Sorolla with an estimated value of €1.3m; ‘Fusilamiento del Alcalde’ by Ismael de la Serna; ‘Figura con Mariposa’ by Dali, and ‘Library’ a sculpture by Manolo Valdes.Together the...

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Self-catering villa or hotel?

 Do your own cooking, cleaning and washing-up, or sit back in comfort and let someone else take charge?The decision isn't as straightforward as it seems. There are also questions of cost and quality to consider.Peak perfection: The Costa Del Sol has some splendid sections. But where to stay?Most people have a sneaking feeling that good-quality holiday villa rentals can work out much more expensive than equivalent-standard hotels. But there's also the matter of convenience. If you opt for self-catering, you are freed from the arbitrary times selected by hotels for breakfast, lunch and dinner – and the often eye-watering prices they charge...

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Michael Smurfit's opulent Marbella retreat is up for sale

La Casa Loriana has been languishing on the market for several years but a wealthy buyer -- either Arab or Russian -- might snap it up soon, a local agent suggests."It's being quietly marketed at a certain price and it will move in six to eight months," said Michael Corry-Reid, of Aylesford, a seller of luxury homes on this Golden Mile stretch of the Costa del Sol."With the Middle East being so unstable, Arab property hunters are back in the Mediterranean," says Corry-Reid. "King Fahd [the Saudi Arabian monarch] still has his palace here, and there was a huge Middle Eastern wedding here this week. It wouldn't surprise me if it sold to a Middle...

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Businessman Dr Michael Smurfit is still looking for a buyer for his 3,716sq m (40,000sq ft) villa in Marbella in Spain about seven years after it was first offered for sale.

UK estate agents Fine Country are quoting “well in excess of €30 million” for Casa de Loriana which was built in 2002 along The Golden Mile, where it has its own elevated beachfront. It is within easy walking distance of Marbella town centre.The villa, originally priced at up to €50 million, is one of the largest and most exclusive private residences in the popular resort with facilities to entertain up to 300 guests.It is accessed by a private road and a large security gate. The stylish grounds have a large fountain, terraced gardens and lawns along with a lagoon and a heated swimming-pool with a Jacuzzi and waterfall. Facilities at Casa de...

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Marbella's traffic fines case is ready for sentencing

The prosecutor has maintained the charges against ex Mayor Marisol Yagüe and has upped the sentences requested for the ex police chief and an inspector The Marbella traffic fines case is now ready for sentencing, where the ex Mayor, Marisol Yagüe she faces a possible nine month ban from office and a local police inspector faces four years in prison.Also charged is a local policeman and the ex police chief, Rafael del Pozo, who is implicated in the Malaya corruption case. The prosecutor has now upped the sentence requested for del Pozo from three years up to four.The prosecutor decided to drop the charges against a fourth officer on Wednesday, but kept the charges in place against the ex Mayor.The case relates to traffic tickets which were not processed between February 2004 and August 2005....

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Paintings embargoed in Marbella's Malaya corruption case to be exhibited in Málaga

 Five paintings embargoed from the businessman Carlos Sánchez in the Marbella’s Malaya corruption case are to form part of the collection of the Málaga Municipal Museum.They are amongst the most valuable of the paintings which were seized during the Malaya investigation, and include a Van Dyck and a Sorolla - ‘Portrait of William Cavendish’ and Sorolla’s ‘Antes de la corrida’ – ‘Before the bullfight’.The remainder of the 400 works of art which were seized from a warehouse in Córdoba in November 2008 are to be returned to Carlos Sánchez. EFE indicates that the court has named him as the designated depositary for the entire collection, including the five paintings which will be in the custody of the Málaga museum.It’s understood that he must pay for their transport to Málaga and for their...

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The Road to Mecca’ - Travelogue of a nomad in search of Islam

Traveling to the desert makes one closer to god,” said Leopold Weiss, who was born on July 2, 1900, in lvov, modern day Ukraine.Having descended from a line of rabbis in family tradition, Weiss was educated profusely in the study of Talmud, Hebrew and Jewish theology.The rich academia however left him with no serious religious inclinations. Weiss then embarked on an Arabian nights inspired sojourn that paved the way for his rise as a modern Islamist, commentator, diplomat and author.Last week, Bridges, a book/culture café, held a documentary screening by director George Misch. Considering no biography has yet been written on the spectacular life...

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Tom Jones, 71, will be heating up the summer with an exclusive show on August 18 at Hotel Puente Romano, Marbella.

Welsh singing legend and 60s sex symbol Jones will perform classics such as ‘It’s Not Unusual’, ‘Kiss’, ‘Delilah’ and ‘Sex Bomb’ as well as tracks from his critically acclaimed album ‘Praise & Blam...

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The lavender Alexander McQueen gown that the Duchess of Cambridge wore to a glittering red carpet event in Los Angeles has been the pinnacle of all the outfits worn during her first royal tour

The lavender Alexander McQueen gown that the Duchess of Cambridge wore to a glittering red carpet event in Los Angeles has been the pinnacle of all the outfits worn during her first royal tour, according to fashion followers.The glamorous Grecian-style scoop neck dress Kate wore at the Bafta dinner in aid of British creative talent made her stand out among Hollywood's elite.Tom Hanks, Barbara Streisand, Jack Black and James Gandolfini were among the others drawn to the dinner — and such was |the sense of excitement among |them that Duncan Kenworthy of Bafta felt compelled to urge the guests to “be cool” and not all rush at once to meet William and Kate.Now a global fashion icon, Kate’s floor-length pleated dress with a floating skirt, nipped in at the waist with a shimmering belt, was hailed...

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An Australian man was gored in the leg and six other people were injured Friday as daredevils ran with fighting bulls at the San Fermin festival in Pamplona.

The second of eight mad dashes at Spain's most famous summer festival featured bulls known for being fast and prone to poking people with their horns.The Navarra regional government said on its website that besides the 25-year-old gored man, six other people were treated at hospitals, most of them foreigners. None of their names or hometowns were given.Two Americans aged 22 and 21 — the first with an injured right leg, the second with a hurt lip — were treated and released.The other four were a Briton from Birmingham, an Italian from Rome, another Australian and a Spaniard, all with minor injuries from falls or being trampled.Taunted bull The Australian who was gored had taunted a brown bull from close up in the bullring that marks the end of the sprint.He suffered an injury to an artery and...

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Globe-trotting expedition hopes to prove the value of old-fashioned scientific seafaring.

In the age of networked buoys and remote-sensing satellites, a global oceanographic cruise might sound like a relic from the golden era of exploration.But the seven-month trek of Spain's BIO Hespérides, which concludes next week when it docks in Cartagena, aims to deliver a global, comprehensive portrait of the ocean and how it is changing that the project's backers say could not be assembled in any other way.The Malaspina expedition, organized by Spain's National Research Council (CSIC), set out on 15 December last year. Named after Alessandro Malaspina — who led a five-year survey of the Spanish empire's natural history, economy and geography in the late eighteenth century — the €17-million (US$25-million) effort unites contributions from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation,...

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Driver Fined In Spain For Going To0 Slowly

A driver in Valencia, Spain. thought he would beat the system. Suspecting the presence of speed cameras, he slowed way down. A few months later, he was shocked to get a ticket in the mail for driving too slowly.&nb...

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Spanish Rapa Das Bestas festival to tame wild horses

Wild horses are rounded up, trimmed and groomed in different villages in Spain's northwestern region of Galicia for the Rapa Das Bestas event every year on the first weekend of July.Rapa Das Bestas, which means taming the beast, is an ancient festival of the region during which people wrestle untamed horses to the ground without using any weapon and cut their manes and tails.The horse hairs collected during the festival are used for making household items such as brushes and mattresses.Rapa Das Bestas festival 2011 took place in the village of Sabucedo in Spain on July 2, as visitors and locals gathered to watch the event.Horses fight during...

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