New conflict over pensions for Spanish workers on Gibraltar

New conflict over pensions for Spanish workers on Gibraltar: "Spanish workers on Gibraltar are claiming 200 million €.
Agreement on pensions for Spanish workers was reached some years ago, but now a new front has opened regarding those Spaniards who worked on the Rock during Franco’s time.

From 1943 to 1969, about 12,000 Spaniards were working in Gibraltar, and these people now say they have the right to compensation and a pension.

The La Linea Association of Gibraltar Workers, ALPEG, says that the exchange rate used in calculations is ‘the largest fraud in history’ and now they want to recover the money they consider to be theirs.

An estimate 5,000 pensions are reported, by El Mundo, to be affected, with the disputed money reaching some 200 million €, according to ALPEG president, Manuel García Bado."

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Three Italian Mafia members arrested in Marbella and Almería

Three Italian Mafia members arrested in Marbella and Almería: "National Police from Cádiz have arrested three Italian members of the ‘Ndrangheta’ Calabrian Mafia in Almería and close to Marbella, in connection with a robbery of a branch of the Cajasol savings bank in Cádiz last November and another in the Torremolinos Post Office on January 17.

The arrested men have been named as 36 year old R.P., 34 year old A.M., and 30 year old M.S.

The police statement says the men arrested have a long police record for illegal association, extortion and drug trafficking among other charges. They are thought to have been protected by other members of the Calabrian Mafia in Spain, who supplied them with safe houses before and after the robberies. The police say the group acted with grand professionalism."

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Costa del Sol suffering a continued 'health deficit' because of treatment of foreign residents and tourists

Costa del Sol suffering a continued 'health deficit' because of treatment of foreign residents and tourists: "Experts in cross-border health care consider the new European Directive on the matter will limit the number of programmed operations, but will not solve the problem of overspending.

The problems are highlighted on the Costa del Sol where a deficit in health care costs running into millions is established each year by the treatment of foreign EU residents and tourists.

New Government forecasts think that the Spanish Health Service is suffering from a 2 billion € deficit in funding nationally each year.

Andalucía obtains some 25 million € a year from the EU in compensation for the costs of attending to EU residents and tourists, according to the Andalucía Regional Government. However this amount is well short of the real costs.
An example of this can be found in the pensioners community, with one on four residents aged over 65 in Málaga province, a foreign resident. The regional health service receives just 2,800 € a year for each one."

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Foreign Investment in Spain Fell by 10 Billion Euros in November - Bloomberg

Foreign Investment in Spain Fell by 10 Billion Euros in November - Bloomberg: "Foreign investment in Spanish securities fell by 9.98 billion euros ($13.6 billion) in November, amid contagion from the Irish fiscal crisis.

In the first 11 months, the decline in non-residents’ portfolio investments amounted to 26.2 billion euros, data from the Bank of Spain in Madrid showed today. In the same period a year earlier, investment increased 50.9 billion euros, the central bank said.

Spain’s Ibex-35 main share index fell 17 percent last year, and Spanish bond yields surged as Greece and Ireland sought international bailouts. The gap between Spanish and German 10- year borrowing costs reached a euro-era high on Nov. 30 of 298 basis points.

That spread was 231 basis points today, unchanged from Jan. 28."

Spain Unemployment Rate Surges To Highest In Industrialized World

Spain Unemployment Rate Surges To Highest In Industrialized World: "Spain announced Friday its jobless rate surged to a 13-year record above 20 percent at the end of 2010, the highest level in the industrialised world, as the economy gasped for air."

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Man extradited from Spain in court over 1995 burglary

BBC News - Man extradited from Spain in court over 1995 burglary: "A man who has been on the run for 15 years has appeared in court in Belfast after he was extradited from Spain.

The warrant against Gary Marno from Clonmeen, in Drumgor, Craigavon, was originally issued in 1996 after Marno failed to turn up for sentencing.

He had pleaded guilty to the burglary of a warehouse in Belfast in November 1995 and attempting to steal £80,000 worth of coffee and confectionery.

Marno was remanded in custody to appear at a later date."

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Dermot McArdle, who was convicted of manslaughter by a Spanish court in 2008, appeared before a special sitting of the court today following his arrest arrest under a European arrest warrant.

"Dermot McArdle, who was convicted of manslaughter by a Spanish court in 2008, appeared before a special sitting of the court today following his arrest arrest under a European arrest warrant.

Consent to bail was granted to McArdle, and a court hearing was fixed for February 9th.

Spain is seeking McArdle's extradition to serve a two year sentence he received for causing the death of Kelly-Ann Corcoran. Last October, a Spanish judge signed off on an EU arrest warrant for McArdle after he failed to hand himself in for the start of a two-year jail sentence for manslaughter.

McArdle, from Brookfield, Heynestown, Dundalk, had been asked to turn himself in by September 15th, 2010, to start his jail sentence. The court order followed a series of failed appeals against his October 2008 conviction for the manslaughter of his wife.

Ms Corcoran (29) died in February 2000, two days after falling from room 421 of Marbella’s Melia Don Pepe Hotel.

Mr Justice Barry White was today informed that McArdle was arrested on Saturday on foot of a European arrest warrant issued by a Spanish judge that was subsequently endorsed by the High Court in Dublin last Friday afternoon."

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Roca finca to pay off Marbella's social security debt

Roca finca to pay off Marbella's social security debt | Olive Press Newspaper | News: "Mayor Angeles Munoz has proposed offering an estate seized from former planning Svengali Juan Antonio Roca as collateral towards the debt.
Finca La Caridad, valued at 15 million euros, was taken from Roca, who is currently at the centre of the high-profile Malaya corruption case.
It formed part of a 24 million euro payment imposed by the courts in return for the money stolen from the municipal coffers.
Now, the Town Hall has reached a tentative agreement with the Social Security Treasury to use it as payment of a debt it has with the agency.
The mayor of Marbella, Ángeles Muñoz, travelled to Madrid to discuss the proposal with chief executive, Francisco Javier Aibar and managed to strike the deal."

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Spain's jobless rate above 20%

Spain's jobless rate above 20% - The Irish Times - Fri, Jan 28, 2011: "Spain's jobless rate rose above 20 per cent again in the last quarter of 2010 and hit its highest rate since mid-1997, more than double the European Union average and with little to suggest it will fall sharply soon.

Unemployment remains Spain's key concern and with weak growth prospects, especially consumer spending, it is likely to stick close to 20 per cent all year, economists said.

'The problem now is that household disposable income is collapsing, and the corporate balance sheet isn't in a very healthy position either. In this environment you would expect the unemployment rate to continue high, or in fact rise. Spain's problems really aren't going away,' said David Owen, an economist at Jefferies."

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Spain arrests Pakistani for links to al-Qaida

The Associated Press: Spain arrests Pakistani for links to al-Qaida: "Spanish police have arrested a Pakistani man they say is linked to a cell that forged passports for al-Qaida-linked groups.
Police had been looking for the suspect since seven members of the cell were arrested in Spain in December and three more in Thailand, Interior Ministry said Friday in a statement. It named the suspect as 30-year-old Malik Imtanan Sarwar and said he was picked up Thursday in Barcelona.
The statement said he worked with other group members to send stolen passports to Thailand to be doctored and later distributed to groups linked to al-Qaida, mainly Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based terror group blamed for the 2008 Mumbai, India, attacks that killed 166 people.
The ministry said the group also supplied forged documents to Tamil Tiger rebels who were crushed in 2009 by Sri Lankan troops after a quarter-century war for an independent state.
The seven people arrested in December were six Pakistanis and one Nigerian. The ministry said they stole passports, mostly from tourists around Barcelona.
The ministry said the forged passports allowed members of terror groups to enter European and other countries."

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EU warns Gibraltar and Britain with legal action over air pollution

EU warns Britain with legal action over air pollution | AHN: "Gibraltar, the presence of tiny airborne particles beyond EU limits in the two regions could put the United Kingdom under legal action.

The British government is now left with six months to persuade EU officials over meeting European clean air standards in London.
Talking to reporters in London on Thursday, EU Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik said that the UK was at the second stage of a six-stage infringement process. Potocnik said that Britain was not the only EU member facing sanctions over its air quality, adding that 20 out of 27 members were facing the same.
Slovenia and Sweden are already facing a legal action at the European Court of Justice over their air quality levels.
The commission said that industry, traffic and domestic heating create PM10 – a tiny particle that could cause lung cancer, cardiovascular problems, asthma and even death. The commission’s deadline for the UK is due to expire in June.
'States can choose whatever measures they want - they have their own menus. Our concern is the level that should be met,' Potocnik said. 'We work in good faith with governments. We can't look at all the monitoring stations, check every day,' he added."

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Spain agrees plan to raise retirement age to 67

Spain agrees plan to raise retirement age to 67 - Channel NewsAsia: "Under the outline agreement, the retirement age will be gradually raised from 65 to 67, but with a list of exceptions:
-- Special treatment for women who stop work to look after children.
-- Retirement before 67 for workers in dangerous or arduous jobs.
-- Full pension at 65 for workers with 38 and a half years of contributions, and lower pensions for those who retire at 65 with fewer contributions.
-- Early retirement from 63 but with a lower pension for those who have at least 33 years of contributions. And retirement from 61 in 'crisis situations' for those with at least 33 years of contributions, also at less than full pensions."

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Malaga Airport News » Andalucia

Malaga Airport News » Andalucia: "The portal for leisure travel bookings has completed this study among more than 700 people from all over Spain. Thus, 34 percent of respondents believe that the Andalusians are the most hospitable, followed by the Canaries, with 10 percent of votes and the Asturian and Galician, both with nine percent.56 percent of respondents considered that the Andalusians are “the most partying by nature.” Besides the fun, 27 percent considered that the inhabitants of Andalucia are also characterized by their kindness and good education. In this classification the Andalusians are also the most generous, according to 35 percent of the participants in the study."

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Good News for Spanish Morgage holders Property repossession Spain clears mortgage says Spanish court

Property repossession Spain clears mortgage says Spanish court: "The amount of bank loan delinquencies has soared over the last months and it’s at levels unseen in more than 8 years, according to the latest figures of the Bank of Spain.

A court in Navarre, northern Spain, ruled property repossession in Spain clears mortgage that the proceeds from the sale of a home repossessed by Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA (BBVA) are sufficient to clear the former owner’s mortgage debt to the bank, El Pais reported.

BBVA sued the borrower to reclaim 28,129 euros ($38,582) of debt outstanding on a 71,225-euro loan after selling the property for 42,895 euros. Under Spanish law, mortgage lenders have a claim on all a borrower’s assets and not just their home, El Pais said. BBVA plans to appeal, it added.

The judge ruled that the house’s fall in value was a direct result of the financial crisis that stems from financial mispractice and it was 'morally repellent' that the bank should make additional claims on the borrower, the newspaper said.

The case raises the possibility of claims from hundreds of thousands of borrowers who have been left with debts after their homes were repossessed over the past three years, the newspaper said."

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Spain govt to back pension reform after union deal

Spain govt to back pension reform after union deal | Reuters: "Spain's cabinet is due to approve pension reforms on Friday that will raise the retirement age to one of the highest in Europe, measures the government hopes will ease pressure on the country from financial markets.

The government announced on Thursday it had reached a deal in principle with unions under which most Spaniards will retire at 67 rather than 65 at present.

While the reforms will have no effect on the budget before 2015, they mark a further step as the government tries to restructure an economy with the highest unemployment rate in the euro zone and weak growth prospects."

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Garcia suspended two years

Garcia suspended two years - Yahoo! Eurosport: "Spanish cyclist David Garcia has been handed a two-year suspension following his positive doping test during last year's Vuelta a Espana.
The decision was taken at the same time as the that which sanctioned Tour de France champion Alberto Contador to one year of suspension.
Garcia, who was riding for Xacobeo when he finished 11th at the 2010 Vuelta, undertook a test on September 13 last year which a laboratory in Madrid found to contain EPO, the banned blood booster"

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Tour champion Contador reacts to one-year ban

Tour champion Contador reacts to one-year ban | Reuters: "The Spaniard has called a news conference at the luxury Mallorca hotel where his Saxo Bank team have their training base and may indicate whether he plans to follow through on his threat to quit cycling if the preliminary decision to suspend him stands.

The 28-year-old, who has denied using banned substances to enhance his performance, did not train on Thursday.

Instead, he remained at the hotel 20 kilometres outside the capital Palma, and a spokesman said he was disillusioned with the federation's decision.

He will appear before the media at 1500 GMT with Saxo Bank boss Bjarne Riis.

Triple Tour champion Contador has 10 days to appeal before the federation decides on a final verdict and he also faces being stripped of his 2010 title."

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Spain to create first large saving bank - Telegraph

Spain to create first large saving bank - Telegraph: "Under the terms of the expected deal, Caixa Barcelona will transfer all its banking business to Criteria, a listed Spanish holding company it owns a majority stake in, creating a new bank with a market capitalisation of €32bn (£28bn).
The deal would be the first since Spain last week said that 40 of its 45 regional savings banks would be forced to merge or form operating alliances in a bid to strengthen the indebted sector.
Merging the banks to create stronger financial institutions is intended to show the markets that Spain has got a grip on its troubled banking industry.
Arturo De Frias Marques, a banks analyst at Evolution Securities, said the Caixa Barcelona deal marked the 'historic transformation of cajas into banks'.
Mr De Frias Marques expects the new bank to raise about €3bn to strengthen its finances following the merger."

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Eric 'Lucky' Wilson faces 18 years for murder of Dan Smith

Eric 'Lucky' Wilson faces 18 years for murder of Dan Smith | Olive Press Newspaper | News: "Eric ‘Lucky’ Wilson, 26, allegedly shot Smith eight times at point blank range outside the Lounge Bar, in Riviera in June 2010.
The incident happened after Smith, 24, stepped in to defend his friend Georgia who had been groped by Wilson.
A fight broke out and Wilson allgedly left the bar, returning 30 minutes later with a gun.
He was arrested at his farm in Coin, less than 48 hours after the attack.
A search of the house found explosives, grenades and fake passports.
Now, the prosecutor in the case has called for an 18-year prison sentence for Wilson in addition to over 45,000 euros compensation."

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Hugo Chavez phoned an official at Spanish bank BBVA's local unit (BBVA.MC)(BBVA.N) live on TV on Wednesday to threaten it with nationalization if mortgage seekers were not better served.

"Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez phoned an official at Spanish bank BBVA's local unit (BBVA.MC)(BBVA.N) live on TV on Wednesday to threaten it with nationalization if mortgage seekers were not better served.

The socialist president has frequently threatened to take over any banks that stand in the way of financing for much needed home building in the country, and has singled out BBVA'S Banco Provincial unit in the past. [ID:nN07106700]

But he upped the ante on Wednesday when, after hearing complaints by would-be homeowners about lack of attention from Provincial, he phoned the official during a televised meeting.

'If Banco Provincial, which you preside over here in Venezuela, is not prepared to comply with the law and presidential decrees, then prepare to hand me the bank. I'll pay whatever it costs,' Chavez told the official whom he named as Pedro Rodriguez, Provincial's executive president.

'I can expropriate it whenever I want,' Chavez added, in a classic example of the political theater that has been a hallmark of his controversial rule."

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Botafuego jail Algeciras jailed former world boxing featherweight champion Scott Harrison’s bid to return home halted

"A diplomatic investigation is under way after former world boxing featherweight champion Scott Harrison’s bid to be transferred from a Spanish jail to Barlinnie Prison in Glasgow was halted.


Harrison, 33, has served almost two years of his 30-month prison sentence for assault and his legal team said he had been expected to be home before Christmas to serve the remainder of his time in Scotland.


But his devastated family have been unable to establish why the move from Botafuego jail in Algeciras is being held up after it was approved by Spanish and Scottish prison authorities, his lawyer said yesterday."

Harrison’s career fell into decline as he battled addiction problems blamed for a series of high-profile incidents, which culminated in him being sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for assault, involving a police officer and another man.

His girlfriend Stacey, 27, said Harrison, from Cambuslang, near Glasgow, had not seen their 18-month-old son Jack since before Christmas because the family thought he would be in Scotland by now and had not visited.

She said last night: “We were all expecting to get him home for Christmas, but we feel like we’re going round in circles.

“Supposedly, his flight has not been approved because the police are looking at something but it had all been dealt with.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Any prisoner requesting a transfer to a prison in their home country must first of all apply to the jurisdiction in which they are held.

“That jurisdiction then contacts the prisoner’s native jurisdiction to make them aware of the request. We cannot comment on the progress of any individual application.

“However, any transfer can only proceed if the prisoner involved is not facing any outstanding charges in the country in which they are being held in custody.”

The Scottish Prison Service said it could not comment on individual cases.

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Peter Andre gives girlfriend Elen Rivas a birthday treat

Peter Andre gives girlfriend Elen Rivas a birthday treat - mirror.co.uk: "Peter Andre whisked new girlfriend Elen Rivas off for a birthday treat – although he admits he is yet to get her an actual present.

The Mysterious Girl singer began dating Spanish Elen, previously engaged to Chelsea footballer Frank Lampard, late last year.

Elen signed up for Dancing On Ice but was voted off after her first performance – meaning her new man missed out on seeing her in action as it was his night to see his children from his marriage to Katie Price.

But Peter was keen to make her 36th birthday special."

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Spain court favours mortgage debtor over bank

Spain court favours mortgage debtor over bank | Reuters: "A Spanish court has ruled that a debtor who handed over property to a bank with which he had a mortgage was not liable for outstanding debts, Spanish media reported on Wednesday.

El Mundo daily posted a link to what it said was a ruling by a court in the northern city of Pamplona on Dec. 17. The names of the parties in the dispute were removed.

State television broadcaster TVE named the former debtor as Jose Antonio Langarita.

'From owing 28,000 euros ($38,310) to not having to pay makes a worker like me very happy,' Langarita told TVE.

Manuel Pardos, president of the Association of Bank and Insurance Users (Adicae), welcomed the decision.

'Spanish mortgage law has to be changed because it was open to abuse. The valuation when they gave you the mortgage was completely different, as in the case of Pamplona, to what they were giving now,' Pardos told TVE."

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Alleged Scots cannabis smuggler faces trial in Spain,Glasgow man is facing extradition to Spain

Alleged Scots cannabis smuggler faces trial in Spain | Glasgow and West | STV News: "A Glasgow man is facing extradition to Spain for allegedly attempting to smuggle nearly three tons of cannabis into Britain.

Stephen Kane, 30, was arrested in St Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex, in September last year on suspicion of being part of an international drug-smuggling gang.

He and two other people are accused of attempting to transport £8.6m of cannabis on a catamaran bound for the south-west coast of England.

The vessel, named the Cariro 2, was boarded by police in the sea between Spain and Morocco.

Mr Kane, who is currently on remand at Wandsworth Prison, was refused bail after a High Court judge in London heard there was a 'significant risk' he might go on the run.

The offences he is charged with in Spain carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Mr Justice Burnett said: 'My conclusion is that there is a significant risk of absconding here, given the circumstances, and that the combination of conditions offered go nowhere to ameliorate the risk.'"

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EU probes Spain-Portugal telecoms "non-compete" clause

EU probes Spain-Portugal telecoms "non-compete" clause - Monsters and Critics: "A deal between the main telecoms companies in Spain and Portugal not to compete with one another in their home markets may break European Union rules, the bloc's executive said Monday as it launched a formal probe.
EU rules prohibit anti-competitive behaviour, and the European Commission in Brussels is tasked with making sure that member states and companies obey those rules.
The commission 'has opened a formal investigation to ascertain whether the Spanish and Portuguese telecoms incumbents, Telefonica S.A. and Portugal Telecom SGPS S.A., have breached EU rules by agreeing not to compete with each other in their respective home markets,' a statement issued in Brussels read."

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Tunisian police unleash tear gas as government arrests TV boss | World | Deutsche Welle | 24.01.2011

Tunisian police unleash tear gas as government arrests TV boss | World | Deutsche Welle | 24.01.2011: "Police in the Tunisian capital, Tunis, fired tear gas at anti-government protesters on Monday, as the country's interim government struggled to restore order in the city.

Hundreds of demonstrators defied an overnight curfew and camped out in front of Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi's office to force the government to resign. Some threw stones and broke windows in the nearby Finance Ministry.

'We will stay here until the government resigns and runs away like [ousted President Zine El Abidine] Ben Ali,' said 22-year-old student Othmene.

Many protesters came from the town of Sidi Bouzid, where the self-immolation of a fruit vendor triggered unrest that led Ben Ali to flee the country to Saudi Arabia on January 14. Protestors held up pictures of people killed during the former president's authoritarian rule.

The ongoing violence compelled former colonial power France to offer emergency aid to the embattled Tunisian government on Monday, with French President Nicolas Sarkozy commenting the measures should 'be put into place as quickly as possible.'"

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Spanish govt presses unions on pension reform

AFP: Spanish govt presses unions on pension reform: "Spain's government will push this week for a deal with unions on pension reforms which it intends to present on Friday, the employment ministry said.
The country's two main unions, the UGT and the CCOO, have voiced fierce opposition to the government's plan to raise the legal retirement age from 65 to 67.
They have threatened a general strike if the measure is passed by the government of Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.
But the government intends to present the plan to the cabinet on January 28, although negotiations with the unions will continue this week to try to forge a deal with them.
CCOO secretary general Ignacio Fernandez Toxo has warned that reaching a deal would be 'difficult.'
In a bid to reassure nervous investors, Zapatero confirmed on December 30 the government's commitment to the pension reform plan."

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Spanish Police Arrest 10 in Drug Raid

 Spanish Police Arrest 10 in Drug Raid: "Spanish police arrested 10 people, among them two Spanish businessmen and four Colombian citizens, after detecting “a test shipment” of 60 kilos of cocaine hidden in a load of exotic wood from South America, the National Police Administration and Civil Guard said Sunday.

The arrest of the Spanish businessmen, who are from the northeastern region of Catalonia, came within the framework of so-called “Operation Iroco” when investigators verified that they supposedly had placed their company at the disposal of a network of drug traffickers “to provide cover for the illicit shipment.”

This is the eighth big anti-drug operation mounted so far this year, a series of busts that have resulted in the arrests of 66 people and the seizure of more than four tons of drugs, mainly cocaine and hashish.

Operation Iroco was begun in May 2010 when the internal advisory department within Spain’s embassy in Colombia alerted the authorities that traffickers were using wood exports to ship cocaine."

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Plane escorted to ground by RAF jets after Brit's drunken bomb threat

Plane escorted to ground by RAF jets after Brit's drunken bomb threat | Herald Sun: "DRUNK air passenger forced a flight from Abu Dhabi to London's Heathrow Airport to divert its course amid a fighter jet escort after he made a bomb threat on board.

Police arrested the man, a 37-year-old British national, after the Etihad flight altered its landing destination to Stansted Airport, northeast of London, around midday local time due to the incident on board.

Essex police confirmed officers met the passenger on the ground and took him into custody."

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Germany to offer jobs to the unemployed Spanish

Germany to offer jobs to the unemployed Spanish: "German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, is reported to be about to offer work to qualified Spanish youngsters who have been unable to find employment in Spain.

German magazine, ‘Der Spiegel’, says that in this way the German Government intends to partially solve its national deficit of specialised professionals, and at the same time, help the unemployment situation in Spain.

The reports indicate that the idea is on the agenda of talks between the two countries which have been set for February 3 in Madrid.

The article says that the German Government intends to extend the offer to other countries in the south and east of Europe later, but Spain and Portugal are the preferred countries as they already have many qualified youngsters and because the paperwork involved would be minimal.

Germany is currently short of professionals particularly in the areas of engineering and telecommunications, and some studies say that the country needs as many as 500,000- 800,000 new specialist employees."

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Spanish lawyers suggest selling off excess property stock to foreigners

Spanish lawyers suggest selling off excess property stock to foreigners: "The Spanish Association of Town Planning Lawyers, AEA, have suggested that the Ministry for Development sells off the stock of completed housing in Spain as holiday homes for foreign buyers.

The AEA considers that would eliminate the ‘obstacle’ to the re-activation of the real estate and construction industries. The considers the current ‘Ley de Suelo’ land legislation is acting as a blockage to recovery because banks are currently not in a position to grant mortgages.

Under the plan the banks would receive liquidity and could increase the amount of credit they offer. The properties would be sold to the foreign market as a one-time offer at a ‘very interesting’ price.

The lawyers also consider that the property could be offered as state ‘special protected’ housing."

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Orihuela workshop made illegal firearms to order

Orihuela workshop made illegal firearms to order: "owner of a workshop in Orihuela, Alicante, a Spaniard in his 60’s, has been arrested by the UDYCO organised crime unit of the National Police.

The man has been working for the past 20 years in the workshop, theoretically making wrought iron items.

In fact the man was an expert in the manufacture of illegal firearms, and had made ‘pen pistols’ which he sold on the black market for just 250 €. The device was only single shot, because of its size, but was easily reloaded.

It’s thought that he could have made and sold hundreds of firearms over the last two decades."

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Ryanair escalates row over boarding pass fee - Telegraph

Ryanair escalates row over boarding pass fee - Telegraph: "The move by the no-frills airline is a major escalation in the dispute over the fees it charges for printing the pass at the airport, which were ruled illegal by a Spanish court earlier this month.

Ryanair escalates boarding pass row
Ryanair is appealing the ruling but if it fails to have it overturned, then passengers who turn up at the terminal without a pass will be forced to by another plane ticket before being allowed to board.
Passengers currently face a £40 fee for printing the pass at the airport in Britain. On the continent the levy is 40 euros (£28.78).
Ryanair said that the fee to print boarding passes at the airport would remain in place until the company's appeal has been heard and currently passengers would not have to buy a new ticket.
Stephen McNamara, the airline’s spokesman, defended the charges."

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Ryanair challenges Spanish court over boarding passes

BBC News - Ryanair challenges Spanish court over boarding passes: "Ryanair has threatened to turn away passengers arriving at check in without their pre-printed boarding pass unless a ruling from a Spanish court is overturned.

Currently the airline charges £40 for a boarding pass for those who have not printed out their own.

A judge in Barcelona has ruled that the charge is illegal.

The airline said it might stop issuing boarding passes, hence passengers would not be allowed on the aircraft."

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Killer of María Esther Jiménez Villegas left fingerprints

Killer of María Esther Jiménez Villegas left fingerprints | Olive Press Newspaper | News: "FINGERPRINTS on a padlock could be the key to the brutal murder of Arriate teenager María Esther Jiménez Villegas.
Local sources have told the Olive Press that police have found fingerprints on a lock used to seal the pool pump house where her battered body was found.
Ana Eloy Salazar Marin, 59, believes the killer was both local and “not very intelligent”.
The mother-of-two, who was often visited by the girl, said: “The fact that police have found fingerprints on the padlock suggests the killer was not very intelligent as they would have worn gloves.”
She continued: “I am pretty sure he is local to know this particular spot."
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Body of Murcia businessman found at his home

Body of Murcia businessman found at his home: "The body, with a plastic bag over the head, was found by his wife at their home in Molina de Segura

The body of a businessman with a plastic bag over his head has been found by his French wife in Molina de Segura in Murcia.
She had been away for several days, and found the body on her return on Friday.

National Police say the man worked in the construction industry, and first reports say that first agents at the scene in Ubanisation Los Olivos have not found signs of violence to indicate the case is a homicide.

The 112 emergency service received the wife’s call at 4pm on Friday, but on their arrival at the scene ambulance workers could do no more than confirm the death"

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The last clue places María Esther in an unidentified car on Wednesday, the day before her body was found

The country remains shocked by the death of the 13 year old girl, María Esther Jiménez Villegas, in the Málaga village of Arriate. Reported missing on Wednesday night, her beaten body was found in the pump room of a swimming pool on the outskirts of the village, which has a population of just 3,500 on Thursday.

Some 400 locals, led by María Esther’s grandparents and other family, demonstrated in the village on Friday night. The parents stayed at home as a five minutes silence was held.

The parents of the youngster say they have absolutely no idea or suspicion as to who could have killed their daughter. They have made a call for justice.

Family members and friends of the victim have been called to give statements to the Guardia Civil, who have been given two rooms in the Village Hall for the purpose. It was considered that would be preferable to asking people to make their

statements in the Guardia Civil barracks in Ronda.

The last clue places María Esther in an unidentified car on Wednesday, the day before her body was found"

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Spanish savings banks protest at plan to be converted into banks

Spanish savings banks protest at plan to be converted into banks: "Savings banks in Spain have started to protest at the Government plans to speed up their recapitalisation and conversion into banks.

Deputy Prime Minister, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, said on Friday that the Government would shortly be presenting its plans, so that the savings banks can gain solvency and transparency, and that would include legal reforms if necessary.

Sources close to the Bank of Spain have been reported as taking it as read that the Government will be taking measures to oblige the cajas to become banks, and accept a direct capital injection from a kind of temporary partial nationalisation.

To that the President of the Spanish Confederation of Spanish Savings Banks, and La Caixa, Isidro Fainé, has threatened to resign if reforms are imposed against their wishes"

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British man wanted in the U.K. for sexual crimes arrested in Alicante

British man wanted in the U.K. for sexual crimes arrested in Alicante: "British man, who was object of an international search and capture order in connection with several sexual crimes committed in the United Kingdom, has been arrested by the Guardia Civil in San Fulgencio, Alicante.

The man, said to be in his late 40’s, was arrested on Thursday in his home. When he saw the Guardia he tried to escape over the back roof of the home into an adjacent street.

However the Guardia Civil then arrested him nearby. Guardia Civil sources told the EFE news agency that last August they had notice that a British man wanted for sexual crimes could be living in the area between San Fulgencio and Guardamar del Segura. When the man’s presence was confirmed the international arrest warrant was established via Interpol.

The man, described as one of the most dangerous wanted sexual criminals from the U.K., has not been named, but will now be taken to Madrid where the National Court will handle his extradition back to Britain."

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42 arrested as large-scale mortgage scam uncovered in Seville

42 arrested as large-scale mortgage scam uncovered in Seville: "40 people have been arrested in Seville for an extensive mortgage fraud which used false documents to obtain loans amounting to some 2 million €.

The suspects include local business owners and bank managers, and it’s understood from El Mundo that a notary who signed the majority of the transactions is also under investigation by police. Police give the number of victims identified so far as 60, 15 of whom were also taken into custody.

Fernando Sevillano, Chief of the Seville Police Fraud Squad, said in a press release on Thursday that the network was run through a company based in the city’s Edificio Forúm. The name of the company concerned has not been released, but Sevillano indicated that it is involved in real estate and private equity loans.

The EFE news agency notes that, while all the suspects are from Seville itself, the organisation also operated in Cádiz and Córdoba.

The mortgages were arranged on the back of false sales contracts for properties owned by the network’s victims, generally people with limited income and little education who, in exchange, had all their outstanding debts paid off by the network."

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Body of missing Málaga girl found

Body of missing Málaga girl found: "body of a 13 year old girl, named as Maria Esther Jiménez Villegas, who was reported missing from the Málaga village of Arriate on Wednesday night, has been found in the pump house of a swimming pool.

A fireman made the find on land on the outskirts of the village, which has a population of about 3,500, at 7,15pm on Thursday night. The area is known as La curva de Arriate, close to the municipality of Ronda.

Sources close to the investigation say that the body showed clear signs of violence. The child had been beaten and the body was found with the head covered.

She had last been seen in a four wheel drive vehicle close to the Arriate rubbish tip. Her friends had been helping with the search operation, concentrating on the area of the rubbish tip and on an abandoned house often used for play.

The judge has imposed reporting restrictions in the case, but it’s understood that the autopsy is being carried out today, Friday at the Legal Medicine Institute in Málaga."

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Three Brits arrested after gunpoint Costa kidnap - mirror.co.uk

Three Brits arrested after gunpoint Costa kidnap - mirror.co.uk: "THREE Britons have been arrested after a man was kidnapped at gunpoint in Spain.

Armed officers swooped on a house near Marbella and rescued the bound and gagged victim. They arrested men aged 50 and 47 and a woman from London aged 19.

The victim, a 23-year-old Moroccan, was shopping in Malaga when a gunman bundled him into a car. His captors then demanded nearly £100,000 for his release.

A police source said: “The man was shaking with fear when our officers rescued him.”

An investigating magistrate remanded the three in custody."

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Spain To Google: Anyone Can Potentially Censor Your Index

Spain To Google: Anyone Can Potentially Censor Your Index: "The Spanish Data Protection Authority is treating Google not as an “intermediary” but as a “publisher” under Spanish law. That brings with it numerous burdens and obligations that potentially create a massive legal and privacy headache for Google. A similar thing happened recently in Italy where YouTube is now being classified and treated as a conventional TV broadcaster.

What’s at stake, simply put, is legal responsibility for whatever appears in Google search results — in other words the entire internet. This is much like a newspaper or magazine that bears legal responsibility for what shows up in its pages. In one of several Spanish cases Google is being asked to remove more than 100 newspaper articles that are allegedly libelous, although it’s not clear if libel has actually been proven rather than merely claimed."

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Spanish court ruling gives boost to ReclaimYourDeposit.com | Easier

Spanish court ruling gives boost to ReclaimYourDeposit.com | Easier: "As news of Spanish property fiascos escalate with many embittered expats losing millions of pounds in deposits for non-existent second homes, a legal lifeline has emerged from a Cantabrian courthouse. The judge deemed the bank responsible for protecting a client’s funds, Caja Cantabria, as having failed in its duty and ordered them to issue a full refund of both deposit and stage payments. ReclaimYourDeposit.com believes this will set a standard for future cases.

Daren Wallbank, Director of ReclaimYourDeposit.com, comments, “Although bank guarantees were seen as the ultimate in security by Spanish property investors, we’ve uncovered many cases where the guarantee has been promised but not delivered and everyone from the bank to the lawyer, notary to the developer has seen fit to relieve themselves of responsibility for the failure. This landmark ruling shows that the Spanish legal system is prepared to apportion blame and will not allow property scams to be brushed under the carpet. It gives us added confidence going forward as ReclaimYourDeposit.com works on behalf of our desperately out-of-pocket clients.”"

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EasyJet's shares hit hard on warning loss could double | Business | guardian.co.uk

EasyJet's shares hit hard on warning loss could double | Business | guardian.co.uk: "Rising fuel prices and airline passengers' apparent frustration with baggage check-in fees hammered easyJet's shares this morning as the budget carrier warned that first-half losses could double.

EasyJet stock tumbled 12% to 400p after it warned of weak sales due to poor takings from add-on charges, fragile demand in continental Europe and higher-than-expected losses from snow disruption and air traffic control strikes. Announcing a £31m loss from the December freeze and union walkouts in France and Spain, easyJet said first-half losses in the six months to March would range from £140m to £160m, compared with £78.7m for the previous year.

However, airlines traditionally struggle to make money over the winter and it was the comments on revenues, both in terms of demand and add-on fees, that shocked market watchers. EasyJet's chief executive, Carolyn McCall, formerly head of the Guardian group, said the airline's trading performance was 'solid'. Nonetheless, analysts said the earnings statement clearly unsettled some investors."

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Spain weighing amount of aid for savings banks

Spain weighing amount of aid for savings banks - Bloomberg: "Spain's Finance Ministry says it will wait for results of a report on the health of the country's troubled saving banks later this month before deciding how much capital the banks need.

The Wall Street Journal says Spain is preparing to issue euro3 billion ($4 billion) in debt in coming days for the banks and could eventually raise as much as euro30 billion. It cites unnamed sources familiar with the situation.

A spokeswoman for Finance Minister Elena Salgado said Thursday that Salgado does not expect the injection to reach euro30 billion. The spokeswoman spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with policy.

Spain's savings banks represent roughly half of the country's financial system. They were left with bad loans after a building boom went bust."

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Crackdown on Tax Evasion Yields Results in Spain

Crackdown on Tax Evasion Yields Results in Spain - NYTimes.com: "Spain’s efforts to clamp down on fiscal fraud yielded a record €10 billion last year, underlining the determination of some of Europe’s financially crippled governments to chase tax evaders to help balance their budgets.

The unexpected haul, equivalent to about $13.4 billion, was 23 percent higher than in 2009 and equaled about 1 percent of Spain’s annual gross domestic product, according to preliminary figures released this month by the government. The Spanish tax agency had anticipated that tax fraud receipts would remain flat."

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Indian businessman wants to buy Racing Santander

Indian businessman wants to buy Racing Santander - The Times of India: "An Indian businessman wants to buy Spanish first-division soccer club Racing Santander and aims to complete the deal by Jan. 24, his office said on Wednesday.

Ahsan Ali Syed, founder and chairman of Western Gulf Advisory Asset and Wealth Management (WGA), failed last year in his bid to buy English Premier League club Blackburn Rovers.

His office said in a statement that he was implementing a long-term strategy of investment in sport, which will be managed by an Amsterdam-based company he owns, WGA Sports Holding."

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Botin sorry on Santander complaints mountain but offers lending promise

Botin sorry on Santander complaints mountain but offers lending promise - Business News, Business - The Independent: "The new head of Banco Santander's British business yesterday publicly apologised to customers who have lodged thousands of complaints about the 'new force' in banking

Appearing before a hearing of the Treasury Select Committee, Ana Patricia Botin admitted that 'we have a lot of work to do' to sort out problems which saw her bank named as the worst bank for customer satisfaction in a recent Which? poll. Data from the Financial Services Authority also gave an unflattering picture of the level of complaints Santander receives.

Responding to reports that the bank has pulled out of 'Project Merlin', designed to get agreement between banks and the Government on measures such as lending to business and the creation of a 'Big Society Bank' to fund social measures, Ms Botin denied this was the case.

However, she said: 'We continue to be in Merlin in our own way and in certain areas. We have been growing lending and we very much support those objectives [lending to small businesses and supporting growing the economy]. Our intention is to be part of lending commitments.'"

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Britain is migrant magnet of Europe: Only Spain admits more non-EU immigrants | Mail Online

Britain is migrant magnet of Europe: Only Spain admits more non-EU immigrants | Mail Online: "Britain accepts more non-European immigrants than any other EU country except Spain, it emerged yesterday.

The latest annual figures showed immigration from Asia, Africa and the Americas running at 307,000, against 284,000 received by Italy and the 238,000 who went to Germany.

These comparisons are striking because Italy is the main destination for hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees from Africa and the Middle East who see it as the easiest route into Europe, and for decades Germany accepted more migrants than any other European country."

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Stoke loan star Jermaine Pennant is said to have forgotten a Porsche he owns but left to rot at a Spanish rail station, according to reports. - News - MirrorFootball.co.uk

Stoke loan star Jermaine Pennant is said to have forgotten a Porsche he owns but left to rot at a Spanish rail station, according to reports. - News - MirrorFootball.co.uk: "Stoke loan star Jermaine Pennant is said to have forgotten he owns a Porsche, according to reports.

Spanish club Real Zaragoza contacted their former star after city authorities called them about the car, which had been parked at a local rail station for five months.

Club officials were forced to open the car and were surprised to discover the keys were on the seat.

Although the vehicle reportedly had a 'P33NNT' vanity number plate, Pennant said he did not remember anything about the car."Botin sorry on Santander complaints mountain but offers lending promise

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Britons arrested for hiding money in Swiss bank accounts

Britons arrested for hiding money in Swiss bank accounts - Telegraph: "two Britons were arrested late last year on suspicion of having hidden money in Zurich-based HSBC accounts. They have since been released on bail.
Accountancy Age believes that the arrests may have been made as a result of analysis of a list of wealthy individuals with accounts in the Swiss division of HSBC which was handed to HMRC last year.
The list, which was stolen by a employee and passed onto French authorities, led HMRC to issue hundreds of letters to well-off UK taxpayers who were thought to have Swiss accounts, warning them to disclose their assets.
The news of the arrest broke just a few days before another former employee of a Swiss bank, Rudolf Elmer, handed over CDs containing the details of 2,000 wealthy individuals and corporations practising tax avoidance to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
A spokesman for HMRC refused to comment on the matter, saying that they did not confirm arrests unless charges had been brought. HSBC also declined to comment."

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A man has been arrested in Spain on suspicion of murdering a Bristol teenager.

BBC News - Bristol murder suspect arrested in Spain: "A man has been arrested in Spain on suspicion of murdering a Bristol teenager.

Abdirisak Mohamoud, 18, from Fishponds, died after being stabbed in the Easton area of the city on 8 July 2010.

An Avon and Somerset Police spokesman said the 20-year-old was detained in Barcelona on Monday.

He is due to appear in court in Madrid where police said a judgement would be made about whether to extradite him to the UK."

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Spanish court suspends town's burqa ban < Spanish news | Expatica Spain

Spanish court suspends town's burqa ban < Spanish news | Expatica Spain: "Spanish court has suspended a town's ban on wearing the Islamic full-face burqa veil following protests from a Muslim rights association, an official said Tuesday.
Lerida, a Catalan town of 120,000 inhabitants, last month imposed Spain's first ban on wearing the burqa in municipal buildings.
That decision was 'provisionally suspended on Monday pending a definitive judicial decision,' a spokesman for the Catalan upper court in Barcelona told AFP.
Ten thousand Muslims, half of them Moroccan, are registered residents of Lerida.
Immigration from Muslim countries has grown in Spain since the 1990s, with Catalonia in particular being home to a large community of Pakistani origin.
There are now about one million Muslims among Spain's population of 47 million"

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BES denies merger talks with Spain's Pastor | Reuters

BES denies merger talks with Spain's Pastor | Reuters: "Portugal's second-largest listed bank Banco Espirito Santo (BES.LS) said on Tuesday it was not in talks with Spain's lender Banco Pastor (PAS.MC), following a similar denial by the Spanish bank.

'Following the news published in Spanish press today about the existance of negotiations with a view to a possible merger between BES and Banco Pastor, BES informs that such news does not correspond to the truth and denies existance of such negotiations,' BES said in a statement"

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Spanish police seize 'largest, most sophisticated' cocaine lab - CNN.com

Spanish police seize 'largest, most sophisticated' cocaine lab - CNN.com: "Police in Madrid seized what they called the 'largest and most sophisticated cocaine laboratory' in Europe known to date, and arrested 25 people, Spain's national police said in a statement on Tuesday.
Anti-drug agents confiscated 300 kilograms (660 pounds) of cocaine ready for distribution, 2 million euros ($2.6 million) in cash, 470 mobile phones, weapons and luxury cars.
The suspected laboratory was located in a farm on the outskirts of Madrid and police took it over 'just before it was to begin operations,' the statement said."

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Belgian debit card users blocked from making non-EU transactions

Infosecurity (UK) - Belgian debit card users blocked from making non-EU transactions: "Reports are coming in that users of Maestro cards registered with Belgian banks and financial institutions are being locked down from making non-EU transactions owing to fraud issues.

According to weekend news reports, the limitations, which started today, are the direct result of the high levels of fraud relating to transactions made outside of the European Union.

Vincent van Quickenborne, the Belgian Minister of Finance, is quoted as saying the lockdown is not fixed, and that Maestro cardholders wishing to make transactions outside of Europe can request that their bank lift the block."

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Turmoil at top of Santander as boss faces a ban for fraud | Mail Online

Turmoil at top of Santander as boss faces a ban for fraud | Mail Online: "boss of Spanish banking giant Santander may be forced to step down on fraud charges, in a move that could see float plans for the UK business being placed on the backburner.

Leaks out of Madrid suggest the Supreme Court will dismiss an appeal by Santander chief executive Alfredo Sáenz against a 2009 conviction for making false claims, in what is a 14-year legal battle.

Reports suggest he will be banned from working as a banker, raising question marks over the succession planning at Santander, which is lead by chair"

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1,500 Britons brave machete mobs in Tunisia: Anger at BA for flying tourists INTO war zone despite official warning | Mail Online

1,500 Britons brave machete mobs in Tunisia: Anger at BA for flying tourists INTO war zone despite official warning | Mail Online: "Anger and terror was growing last night among 1,500 Britons left to their fate in revolution-torn Tunisia.

With gun battles raging, an army curfew in place and machete-wielding mobs roaming the streets, they pleaded for more flights to take them home.

Among them were holidaymakers who were actually flown in to the North African country by British Airways on Friday, when the violence was at its height and the Foreign Office was warning Britons to leave."

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Google to fight Spanish demands to remove 'libelous' links | Technology | The Guardian

Google to fight Spanish demands to remove 'libelous' links | Technology | The Guardian: "Google will this week challenge a Spanish demand to remove links to articles in newspapers, including El País, and official gazettes, in which the subjects of those articles have complained they are potentially defamatory.

The technology giant has been ordered to remove almost 100 online articles from its search listings by Spain's data protection authority, which Google warns would have a 'profound, chilling effect' on freedom of expression.

Google will challenge the orders in a Madrid court on Wednesday, the outcome of which could set a controversial new precedent for internet publishing in Spain.

An injunction against search engines is the only way to block access to sensitive material published by these sites, the Spanish authority argues, as newspapers in the country can legally refuse to comply with more informal requests."

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Spain busts child pornography ring, 49 arrested

Spain busts child pornography ring, 49 arrested: "The Spanish National Police, in cooperation with the US, Britain and Belarus, has arrested 49 people of a gang that had created an international network of over 200 websites that offered child pornography photographs and videos.

Another 15 people were held after they subscribed to the websites to receive the pornographic 'unpublished' and 'high quality' material.

The material was sold for about 75 euros ($97) per month, the National Police said.

'Since they paid a monthly amount, they didn't want photos or videos that had been seen very much or with children that were already circulating on the web. They demanded new material, with recently abused children. For that reason, we think that the material was made to order,' chief inspector Enrique Rodriguez said."

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Almería bank cleaner helps herself to extra pay from the safe

Almería bank cleaner helps herself to extra pay from the safe: "cleaner at an Almería bank has been arrested after she was caught on camera helping herself to the money in the safe.

The 51 year old, María Coral P.M., was arrested last week after detectives inspected the bank’s CCTV footage for the days the money was stolen. 5,000 € went missing on November 29, and another 1,000 € two weeks later.

She worked at a bank in Huércal Overa and, according to El Mundo newspaper, was able to get into the safe as she knew at what times it was timed to open."

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Spain and the EU preparing for possible evacuation of European citizens from Tunisia

Spain and the EU preparing for possible evacuation of European citizens from Tunisia: "Spain and the European Union are coordinating a plan for the ‘eventual’ evacuation of Tunisia.

There are some 1,600 Spaniards living in the country, and some 200 tourists in addition.

Spanish Foreign Minister, Trinidad Jiménez, commented that it for now it was better to avoid any sort of predictions on the situation.
Speaking in Moscow where she is on an official visit, Jiménez said that Spain and Europe were planning flights to take European citizens out of the country, saying that if an evacuation proves necessary they are prepared. She made a call for normality to be restored in Tunisia, to create the conditions for a democratic solution.

Some Spanish tourists have been complaining. El Mundo reports that one said ‘The Government has done nothing to get us out of here’. 118 Spaniards returned home in the early hours of Sunday, after their tour operators Iberojet and Solplan, chartered a plane.



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Berlusconi's harem of 14 women revealed - Europe, World - The Independent

Berlusconi's harem of 14 women revealed - Europe, World - The Independent: "Silvio Berlusconi maintained at least 14 glamorous young women in apartments in a gated complex outside Milan, leaks from prosecutors in the city revealed yesterday. They lived rent-free in the estate and were given large sums of cash by the billionaire politician in return for sex.

Milano Due was one of the first gated housing estates in Italy, a sprawling complex of flats set in landscaped gardens, built by Mr Berlusconi himself in the 1970s when he was a thrusting young property developer. With underground parking, a supermarket, bars and other facilities, it is one of the most fashionable addresses in the Milan hinterland. When he moved into television, Mr Berlusconi located the headquarters of Mediaset, his television company, here.

But in his declining years the estate has also become the headquarters of what is, in effect, his harem, it is alleged. Its presence was revealed by Corriere della Sera newspaper yesterday in yet another blow to the battered image of the Prime Minister as he prepares to defend himself against what could be the gravest crisis of his political career. Prosecutors in Milan are demanding that he be put on trial immediately for having sex with an underage prostitute."

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Marbella under fire over Antonio Banderas home

Marbella under fire over Antonio Banderas home | Olive Press Newspaper | News: "MARBELLA Town Hall has come under fire from the TSJA for violating a previous ruling regarding the home of Spanish heart-throb Antonio Banderas.
After years of battling in the courts to save his garden, the actor was allowed to keep his sea view intact when the Marbella Town Hall decided to amend the PGOU urban plan last October.
But now the TSJA has issued a six-page warning to the Planning Department reminding them should they fail in their duty “to implement the ruling of a final decision”, they are liable for civil or even criminal charges."

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Andre confirms dating Spanish model

Andre confirms dating Spanish model: "Singer Peter Andre has confirmed Spanish model Elen Rivas is his girlfriend and they are 'happy' together.

'I can confirm that Elen Rivas and I are seeing each other, and everything is going well. I always said that when I found a girlfriend I would tell you all,' contactmusic.com quoted him as saying.

'I'm not going to speak about the relationship in detail - But I will say we're happy. We went out for dinner last week and then went to see 'Flashdance: The Musical'. We totally loved it and had a great night.'

Rivas, 35, has said she has a 'permanent smile at the moment' since she met Andre, 37."

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Spain requests warrant for alleged Nazi war criminal - CNN.com

Spain requests warrant for alleged Nazi war criminal - CNN.com: "Spanish court is requesting an arrest warrant for alleged Nazi war criminal John Demjanjuk.
In a ruling dated January 7 but released Friday, Spanish Judge Ismael Moreno Chamarro said Demjanjuk is accused of being 'an accomplice to the crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity.'"

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Tunisia riots see 3,300 holiday Brits set to fly home - mirror.co.uk

Tunisia riots see 3,300 holiday Brits set to fly home - mirror.co.uk: "protesters hurled rocks at police as the riots in Tunisia intensified yesterday.

The violence prompted travel firms First Choice and Thomas Cook to start flying home the 3,300 Britons holidaying there.

A total of 23 people have been reportedly killed in the chaos this week – though human rights groups fear the toll is 66.

Demonstrators have fought pitched battles with police, torched cars and pelted government buildings with missiles. They are furious at rising unemployment and claim ministers are corrupt.

Thomas Cook, which has 1,800 tourists in the troubled North African country, has now cancelled its next scheduled departures, due out tomorrow.

Advising Britons to board return flights, it said yesterday: “The well-being of our holiday-makers is our primary concern so we’ve taken the decision to bring them back to the UK as soon as we can.”

Some passengers arriving at Gatwick Airport last night said they were relieved to be home."

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Tunisian president arrives in Saudi after mass uprising - CNN.com

Tunisian president arrives in Saudi after mass uprising - CNN.com: "The president of Tunisia landed in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, a day after he fled massive demonstrations calling for his ouster in the northern African country.
A plane carrying President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his family landed in Jeddah, where he was welcomed by the Saudi king. The government said the gesture was to support Tunisia."

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Tunisian president arrives in Saudi after mass uprising - CNN.com

Tunisian president arrives in Saudi after mass uprising - CNN.com: "The president of Tunisia landed in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, a day after he fled massive demonstrations calling for his ouster in the northern African country.
A plane carrying President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his family landed in Jeddah, where he was welcomed by the Saudi king. The government said the gesture was to support Tunisia."

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Irish low-cost airline Ryanair cannot charge passengers for failing to print out their own boarding cards

A judge in Spain has ruled that Irish low-cost airline Ryanair cannot charge passengers for failing to print out their own boarding cards, in a decision made public Friday.
The judge was ruling on a case brought by a Spanish lawyer, Dan Miro, who was charged the standard Ryanair fee of 40 euros (53 dollars) for failing to print his boarding card before a flight.
"The normal practice over the years has been that the obligation to issue the boarding card has always fallen on the carrier," Judge Barbara Maria Cordoba of the Barcelona commercial court said in the ruling.
"I declare unfair and therefore void the contractual clause in which Ryanair obliges the passenger to be the one who brings the printed boarding pass to travel or face a penalty of 40 euros."
Ryanair can still appeal the ruling.
The Consumers Union of Spain (UCE) hailed the decision, describing Ryanair's policy on boarding cards as "abusive."
"International air traffic laws, to which Ryanair is subject, oblige a transporter to provide the travel document," it said in a statement.
Ryanair said in September it had overtaken Spanish flag carrier Iberia as the largest airline in Spain in terms of the number of passengers carried.:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

Marbella mayor joins environmentalists to oppose oil and gas exploration off the Costa del Sol | Olive Press Newspaper | News

Marbella mayor joins environmentalists to oppose oil and gas exploration off the Costa del Sol Olive Press Newspaper News: "MARBELLA Town Hall has rejected the government backed plan to search for oil and gas off the Costa del Sol.
Mayor Angeles Muñoz considers the measure ‘diametrically opposed to tourism’, and has set her Conservative PP party against the measure.
The mayor, who was voted in last year, insists it puts the environment of the area ‘in danger’ and intends to submit proposal to halt the plans.
The Costa del Sol is among a list of new areas where the central government has authorised prospecting to be carried out.
But Muñoz said: ‘It puts our coast and eco-system in danger. We cannot tolerate them playing with the future of the Costa del Sol and our coastline’.
She also laid emphasis on the many families whose livelihoods depend on tourism.
However Diego Lara from the Socialist party called their statements ‘alarmist’ and said that once again the Mayor had used the Town Hall as a ‘missile against the Government’."

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Mauritius honeymoon murder,Abinash Treeboowoon, 29, a cleaner from Plaine des Roches, and Sandip Moneea, 41, a floor supervisor from Petit Raffray have been charged with murder.

Mauritius honeymoon murder:Police said Mrs McAreavey, who had been married less than a fortnight, had fought back against her attackers.
She was found strangled in a bath with the water still running, the court heard. Detectives believe this was part of an attempt to make her death appear like a suicide.
Skin tissues were also discovered underneath the young teacher's fingernails after she fought for her life when she disturbed thieves who had broken into her hotel room. These are being tested for DNA.
Abinash Treeboowoon, 29, a cleaner from Plaine des Roches, and Sandip Moneea, 41, a floor supervisor from Petit Raffray have been charged with murder.
A third man, Raj Theekoy, a 33 year-old cleaner, from Ramnarain, Cottage, has been charged with conspiracy to murder.
It is understood that Mrs McAreavey, a former beauty queen, caught the employees in her room after she returned for some biscuits to go with her tea. The Irish national's husband is not a suspect.
The development came after her heartbroken father spoke of his devastation over the death of his "beautiful" daughter.
"This is the worst nightmare that anyone can imagine. If you think things can be bad, then you go beyond that because that is where we are," he said. Mr Harte said his family had been left shattered.
"This is the worst nightmare that anyone can imagine. If you think things can be bad, then you go beyond that because that is where we are."
In his home near Ballygawley, Co Tyrone, he stood flanked by two of his three sons, Matthew and Michael. l
He added: "This is too horrible to contemplate. We are just all devastated. It is the worst of the worst and our hearts are broken."
His son Mark is expected to arrive in Mauritius tomorrow with a brother of Michaela's husband, John McAreavey, who is a Down senior Gaelic footballer.:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

Mauritius honeymoon murder: Michaela McAreavey found dumped in bath, police say - Telegraph

Mauritius honeymoon murder: Michaela McAreavey found dumped in bath, police say - Telegraph: "The 28 year-old, whose father Mickey Harte is one of Gaelic football's most high profile team managers, was strangled in her luxury hotel room earlier this week.
Three hotel workers appeared in court on Wednesday charged with the teacher's murder. They were remanded in custody to reappear in court in a week.
One of the defendants asserted in court that he had been beaten while being questioned by police.
The former beauty queen, was found dead by her husband John McAreavey, 30, on Monday at the popular five star Legends Hotel on the Indian Ocean island's northern coast.
The Daily Telegraph understands that despite valuables in her room, nothing was stolen after her killers gained access to the room with an electronic key card."

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James Whalley named as British man killed in avalanche

BBC News - James Whalley named as British man killed in avalanche: "British man who was among four people killed in an avalanche in French Alpine resort of Val d'Isere has been named as James Whalley.

Mr Whalley, 32, was born and educated in Guernsey and had worked as a captain with the airline Easyjet since 2004.

His parents, Dave and Sue Whalley, have travelled from the island to the resort.

The avalanche on Tuesday also killed two French citizens and a Swede, while a fifth skier was rescued unscathed."

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EU: Spain Must End Tax Scheme Favoring Foreign Acquisitions - WSJ.com

EU: Spain Must End Tax Scheme Favoring Foreign Acquisitions - WSJ.com: "The European Commission Wednesday said Spain must end a tax law that appears to give an advantage to Spanish companies making acquisitions in other European Union countries.

The scheme allows Spanish companies to amortize goodwill on foreign acquisitions, even when the company being acquired isn't fully merged into the acquiring company.

'Spain argued that the measure was needed to offset fiscal and other legal obstacles allegedly faced by acquirers in the non-EU countries,' the commission said. 'However, the commission could not identify any such explicit obstacles in the vast majority of the more relevant third countries whose legislation it examined.'"

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TWO Britons and an Irish national have been arrested on the Costa Brava for allegedly smuggling millions of pounds worth of cannabis into the UK inside air conditioning units.

TWO Britons and an Irish national have been arrested on the Costa Brava for allegedly smuggling millions of pounds worth of cannabis into the UK inside air conditioning units.

According to the Typicallyspanish.com website, Spanish police raided a warehouse in Las Atalayas, Alicante at the weekend. There they found half a ton of hashish with an estimated street value of £2.5m.

Reports in the Daily Telegraph say the men, who have not been named by police, are linked to another gang of Britons arrested last month after stealing more than a ton of cannabis worth an estimated £6m from Moroccan suppliers.

This is not the first time air conditioning units have been used in connection with drug smuggling. Early last year a Birmingham gang was jailed for a total of 16 and a half years for smuggling cannabis worth £270,000 into the UK hidden in air conditioning units. The arrests were made in 2009 when officers intercepted a consignment from the Netherlands.

The recovered drugs were concealed in specially constructed air conditioning unit access doors. Some 380 blocks weighing 94.8kg in total were recovered.

In 2007 30kg of heroin was found hidden in the pallets of two adiabatic air coolers at Birmingham airport. The coolers had been supplied by a Turkish firm and bound for a freight forwarding firm in the West Midlands.

Two men were subsequently jailed for a total of 43 years for smuggling offences after Police recovered eight further units that had come into the UK via the same route.Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

Three British drug traffickers arrested in Alicante

Three British drug traffickers arrested in Alicante: "Agents from the judicial police in Alicante have dismantled a warehouse which was being used to store hashish, in an industrial estate at Las Atalayas, Alicante.

Three Britons were arrested with half a ton of the drug which was to be sent on to Britain.

The operation was carried out last weekend, according to sources close to the case.

The three Britons were in court in Dénia on Monday, where the judge is coordinating the investigation.

The National Police arrested another three British men in Catral at the end of December, again impounding more than half a ton of hashish, and it seems that case led to the discovery of the warehouse at Las Atalayas."

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PP oppose the search for oil and gas off the Costa del Sol

PP oppose the search for oil and gas off the Costa del Sol: "Marbella Town Hall has, along the Partido Popular on the Costa del Sol, voiced its objection to the search for petrol and gas off the coast.

The Costa del Sol is among a list of new areas where Central Government has authorised the prospecting to take place, but Marbella Mayor, Angeles Muñoz, considers that a measure ‘in a head-on collision with tourism’.

‘It puts or coast and eco-system in danger. We cannot tolerate that they play with the future of the Costa del Sol and our coastline’, she said in a statement which also noted the many families whose livelihoods depend on tourism"

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New ferry link between Las Palmas and Huelva

New ferry link between Las Palmas and Huelva: "new ferry service is set to link Huelva with the Canaries from March, bringing a new commercial link to the islands.

The crossing will take 28 hours when the service is up and running, and the ferry being used ‘Volcan del Teide’, has been constructed for the purpose in the Naviera Armas shipyard in Vigo.

The 175m long vessel has a capacity of 1,200 passengers and 700 vehicles, and has a cruising speed of 25 knots.
125 million € has been invested in the route which will leave Palos every Saturday morning and arrive in Las Palmas at 4pm on Sunday. The cargo is expected to be mainly fish and fruit and vegetables.

Single ticket price is 90 € for a simple seat and 200 for a VIP cabin. Tickets go on sale via the internet in a few weeks, and a complementary bus will take passengers to the ship from the centre of Huelva, some 10kms away."

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Briton arrested for drug smuggling at Málaga Airport

Briton arrested for drug smuggling at Málaga Airport: "The Civil Guard have released details of the latest drug smuggling arrest at Málaga Airport, a 31 year old man who is named as D.J.R., who was caught trying to bring 4 kilos of cocaine into the country.

He is understood from El Mundo to have been born in Málaga, but holds a British passport.

He was pulled over for searching last Wednesday evening after landing on a flight from Bogotá via Madrid when the x-ray machine showed up suspicious items in his luggage.

The first package of cocaine was discovered in a false bottom built into his laptop computer. Further searching revealed another eight packages hidden in his luggage, with a total weight of 3,992.4 grams."

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