Major wildfire in Malaga leaves elderly Briton dead and his wife missing

<p>One person was confirmed dead and another missing on Friday night after a major wildfire Affected Municipalities of the Coin, Alhaurin el Grande, Mijas, Marbella and Ojén, in Málaga province. The victim is a British man aged 78 was found Whose charred body in the area of ​​Las Blanquillas, inside the city limits of Ojén. His wife has not yet been found. Meanwhile, a couple in late fifties was taken Their hospital with burns to 60 percent to of Their Bodies. Both lived in a detached home inside the Marbella residential estate of El Rosario. A mother and her two children were found hiding inside a cave in Ojén and taken to hospital to be Treated for smoke inhalation. Five other people Were Also Evacuated from Their Homes. The fire was Extending to the Sierra de las Nieves even as the chief of the firefighting department Málaga, Manuel Marmolejo, Announced That a new front had opened up and Reached the area of ​​Juanar, where two hotels had to be Evacuated. Marmolejo said Extending the wildfire was with "great virulence." The blaze Began around 6.50pm on Thursday and soon extended to a perimeter of Between 50 and 60 kilometers, said Marmolejo. An Estimated 1.000 hectares of land Have Been Affected.</p>

Major wildfire in Malaga leaves elderly Briton dead and his wife missing

One person was confirmed dead and another missing on Friday night after a major wildfire Affected Municipalities of the Coin, Alhaurin el Gr...

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Smoke from a fire spreading in the countryside can be seen from Fuengirola on the coast.

<p><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><div id="artis-184740" class="rs_skip flleft" style="float: left; padding: 0px 15px 15px 3px;"></div></div></p><table class="alb_sldr" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr class="odd" style="font-size: 12px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: #dddddd; background-color: #f3f6fa;"><td class="imp" style="font-weight: bold;"><a class="nodecor" style="color: #556699; text-decoration: none;" title="Add another image" href="http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/331858"><span class="imp" style="color: #cc1100; font-size: 16px;"> </span></a></td></tr><tr style="font-size: 12px;" valign="top"><td><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tbody><tr style="font-size: 12px;"><td><div class="imgp" style="cursor: pointer; height: 225px; width: 300px; overflow: hidden; border: 0px solid #cccccc #999999 #999999 #cccccc;"><a style="color: #3366bb; margin: 0px; height: 225px; width: 300px; display: block; background-image: url(http://www.digitaljournal.com/img/3/4/5/1/7/1/i/1/2/3/p-medium/fire1.jpg); background-color: white; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;"></a></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><p><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><div>A brush fire has been blazing almost out of control in the countryside, inland from Mijas on the Costa del Sol in Spain. People have been evacuated from their homes.</div><div>While not currently being reported in the media, a witness, the writer's son Mark Sewell, lives in the countryside near Coín in Andalucia, Spain.He reports that when driving home from work in Fuengirola an hour ago (approximately 8:30 pm Spain time), he first noticed the smoke in the sky.On driving past the La Atalaya township area, flames were seen. The grass is extremely dry, due to the recent heat and lack of rain during summer months, and the fire is spreading, to the left of the main road.Sewell estimates that the fire is currently spreading approximately 5 kms along as far as approximately Coín. Passing Barranco Blanco, he saw several fire engines parked on the scene.He saw people being evacuated from their homes along the way, particularly in an urbanization close to his home.As far as he can see, there are two planes and one helicopter currently involved in fighting the flames, and while he said at the time that this is not enough, now he is home, it looks as though they might be coping with the blaze, as the fire hasn't reached his area.In the area there are many farms and farmhouses and animals, such as sheep, goats and horses, so it is to be hoped that the people and animals in the area are safe.The photos in this article were taken by the writer, of the sky in Fuengirola. While the day had been completely clear prior to the fire, the sky is now full of smoke.More news to follow as it comes in.Update: 10:30 pm Spain timeMore accurate news has now been received.La Opinion de Málaga (Spanish language) reports that the fire originated in Cerro Alaminos in Coín. Due to a strong wind coming from the Sierra de Mijas, it then affected Alhaurín el Grande, Coín and Mijas.Mijas Town Hall advised residents in La Atalaya to urgently evacuate their homes and to go to evacuation centers in the sports center in La Cala de Mijas, Las Lagunas (Mijas) and Mijas Hippodrome.Residents in Entrerrios are also on alert, as the fire could spread to their area.65 troops have been moved in including environmental agents and firefighters. A medical unit is also in attendance.The fire is still burning and officials are on the alert while firefighters continue to fight the blaze. Air units will not be able to work now that night has fallen.Málaga Hoy (Spanish language) reports that the fire started at around 18:50 on Thursday and is also affecting the area around Barranco Blanco and Poza de los Huevos.<br /><div><div><img alt="Smoke from a fire spreading in the countryside can be seen from Fuengirola on the coast." border="0" src="http://www.digitaljournal.com/img/3/4/5/1/7/1/i/1/2/3/p-large/fire2.jpg" /><div><div>Anne Sewell</div><div>Smoke from a fire spreading in the countryside can be seen from Fuengirola on the coast.</div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><br /></p>

Smoke from a fire spreading in the countryside can be seen from Fuengirola on the coast.

  A brush fire has been blazing almost out of control in the countryside, inland from Mijas on the Costa del Sol in Spain. People have been ...

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Thousands flee Marbella as wildfires ravage Costa

<h1><span style="font-size: 1.2em; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Holidaymakers on the popular Spanish coast of the Costa del Sol have been forced to evacuate hotels and villas after wildfires raged there overnight.</span></h1><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; min-height: 1px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;"><span>Flames reached the town of Elviria in the early hours and the wildfires are now heading for Marbella, which is at full capacity with late summer tourists.</span></p><div class="thinCenter" style="margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; min-height: 1px; width: 470px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;"><img alt="Wildfire near Costa del Sol's regional hospital, in Marbella" class="blkBorder" height="286" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/08/31/article-2196244-14C3BAAA000005DC-256_468x286.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 1px solid black;" width="468" /><p class="imageCaption" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; min-height: 1px;">Wildfires, caused by prolonged heatwaves, are seen edging closer to Marbella Hospital on the Costa del Sol</p></div><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; min-height: 1px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;"><span>The blaze began in Coin, near Malaga on Thursday afternoon and quickly spread across the AP-7 highway.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; min-height: 1px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;"><span>Authorities in the resort asked thousands of residents and visitors to leave holiday homes after fire quickly spread across the coast.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; min-height: 1px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;"><span>One of the biggest evacuations was in Ojen, where 3,300 people have escaped. A campsite at Alpujata has also been emptied.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; min-height: 1px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;"><span>Spain has endured heatwaves throughout the summer posing a threat to areas vulnerable to wildfires.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; min-height: 1px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;"><span>There have already been blazes on the Spanish islands of La Gomera and Tenerife, </span><span>in the Canary Islands, and</span><span> wildfires in northern Catalonia, near the Pyrenees.</span></p><div class="thinCenter" style="margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; min-height: 1px; width: 470px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;"><img alt="Inferno: Members of Spain's Civil Protection service search for people trapped as the huge fire rages in Elviria, near Malaga, southern Spain" class="blkBorder" height="286" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/08/31/article-2196244-14C36A2A000005DC-875_468x286.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 1px solid black;" width="468" /><p class="imageCaption" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; min-height: 1px;">Inferno: Members of Spain's Civil Protection service search for people trapped as the huge fire rages in Elviria, near Malaga, southern Spain</p></div><div class="thinCenter" style="margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; min-height: 1px; width: 470px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;"><img alt="Members of Spain's Civil Protection service look for people inside a chalet during a general evacuation as a forest fire rages in Elviria, near Malaga" class="blkBorder" height="286" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/08/31/article-2196274-14C364BB000005DC-39_468x286.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 1px solid black;" width="468" /><p class="imageCaption" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; min-height: 1px;">Holidaymakers at risk: Rescuers look for people inside a chalet during a general evacuation in Elviria</p></div><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; min-height: 1px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;"><span>Some 1,000 hectares (2,471 acres) have already been affected.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; min-height: 1px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;"><span>Hundreds of firefighters have been called to the area to battle the fires, with Spanish newspaper El Pais reporting that 17 aircraft are also being used to try to extinguish the flames.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;"><br /><br />Read more: <a style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; min-height: 1px; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; color: #003399;" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2196274/Costa-del-Sol-fires-Thousands-flee-Marbella-wildfires-ravage-Spain.html#ixzz257WgBUxs">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2196274/Costa-del-Sol-fires-Thousands-flee-Marbella-wildfires-ravage-Spain.html#ixzz257WgBUxs</a></span></p>

Thousands flee Marbella as wildfires ravage Costa

Holidaymakers on the popular Spanish coast of the Costa del Sol have been forced to evacuate hotels and villas after wildfires raged there o...

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Guernsey court has frozen the assets of Glenn Maud, owner of the Ciudad Financiera in Santander.

<p><br />The Guernsey court ordered, a week ago, the freezing of all the assets of the British real estate tycoon Glenn Maud, whose investment vehicle, ‘Propinvest’, has been bankrupt since last November. <br />‘Propinvest’ was administered by Grant Thornton and, according to Twitter, he had fixed Glenn Maud’s weekly costs a just 500 pounds. <br /><br />Thornton is the man who applied for a freezing order of Propinvest and its subsidiaries last week. He is acting on behalf of creditors DNB Bank AS and the Bank of Scotland. Co Star News says Thornton wants to wrest control of Glenn Maud’s property empire.<br /><br />The company owns the Citi Tower in Canary Wharf in London, the ‘Ciudad Financiera’ of Banco Santander in Boadilla del Monte, Madrid. Proinvest interests extend also to Tokyo.<br />Maud’s real estate empire was valued at 4.5 billion pounds, but he suffered with the arrival of the recession and has now gone to live in Switzerland.<br /><br />Glen Maud and an Irishman called Derek Quinlan staged the most important purchase in European real estate, with the 1.9 billion € Santander headquarters in Madrid in 2008. That deal was financed by a union of Spanish, French and British banks, coordinated by the Banco Santander. It was a sale and leaseback deal with a 40 year lease after which it could be sold again.<br />However, the recession has seen the value of the property fall greatly and the assets are thought to have lost 1 billion € in value. This has become a concern to the investors.<br />Some reports in the Banco Santander could be negotiating to buy the debt which is held by other banks. <br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #3b3b3b; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 21px; background-color: #ffffff;" /></p>

Guernsey court has frozen the assets of Glenn Maud, owner of the Ciudad Financiera in Santander.

The Guernsey court ordered, a week ago, the freezing of all the assets of the British real estate tycoon Glenn Maud, whose investment vehicl...

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Numerous homes have been burnt out and others seriously affected in Ojén and Marbella. The urbanisation La Mairena has flames affecting several properties.

<p><img alt="" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4GnP_g9fgk1NhAZVPBiQjCtdJglnRgIVwowrTKSADyA8R20mAqOspqzFEx1r247Y7kbftSkndSX4BE83sjbLVfojVnORIO-qv730M_lkVgEWGK_doVLWL01rQuRUnjOdRonOEtEyNmHFH/" width="512" /><br /><br />The situation is particularly difficult in the upper part of Calahonda where residents have been evacuated and there are flames in the urbanisation between Calle Cristóbal Colón and the residential complex Princess Park.<br /><br />Some 3,000 residents of El Rosario in Marbella have been evacuated, and German couple in their 60’s have been seriously hurt. Marbella Ayuntamiento says they were surprised by the flames and now have burns 40-50% of their bodies. <br /><br />Those affected by the blaze are being first treated in the Costa del Sol Hospital in Marbella, and then many suffering burns are being transferred to Málaga to the Specialist Burns Unit in the Carlos Haya Hospital.<br /><br />People have been sleeping in sports centre in Monda and Marbella and municipal buses have been laid on as transport.<br /><br />The Junta delegate in Málaga, José Luis Ruiz Espejo, has said today that he suspects the fire could have been started deliberately given its rapid propagation. He said the technicians suspected the fire was man made from the start.<br /><br />Ground fire fighters worked through the night facing difficult terrain and totalled 99 fire fighters distributed in seven brigades, and three reserve brigades, five fire engines, five operation technicians and four environmental vehicles.<br /><br />At first light this morning the 17 fire-fighting planes returned to the air.<br />Five planes which drop earth, four large capacity helicopters, five transport helicopters, two amphibian planes, and a plane for coordination and vigilance.<br /><br />More than 250 professionals from fire fighting organisation INFOCA are working this morning in Mijas, Marbella, Alhauin de la Torre and in Coín where the fire started.<br /><br />The Mayor of Marbella, Ángeles Muñoz, has confirmed that several urbanisations have been evacuated, including La Mairena, Elviria, the area of Las Chapas and Molinillo where the fire is concentrated and continues to advance.<br />Between 25 and 30 families have been evacuated from Alpujata on the outskirts of Monda.<br /><br />The fire broke out on Thursday afternoon and has affected Coín where some 60 homes have had to be evacuated. The fire was still burning overnight as so the terrestrial fire fighters continued to work over night, according to the fire fighting Infoca.<br />The extinction of the blaze is being complicated by the strong hot wind known locally as the ‘Terral’.<br /><br />Three of the four fronts were brought under control just after midnight.<br /><br />The fire is also affecting Alhaurín El Grande and Mijas where homes have been evacuated in the Entrerrios area, according to the Junta de Andalucía.<br />The Barranco Blanco urbanisation in Coín is close to the fire, and there were fears that non-forestry zones could be affected.<br />The Hotel La Cala Resort has also been evacuated of its 200 guests.<br /><br />Those evacuated have been told to go to the sports centre in La Cala, the sports centre in Las Lagunas or the Mijas Hippodrome.<br />13 airborne fire fighting planes were brought in on Thursday afternoon from Málaga, Córdoba and Granada, and they resumed their work at first light this morning.<br /><br />The fire continues out of control and the Mijas Town Hall has told the residents of la Atalaya to urgently leave their homes. A level 1 has been put in place and that indicates that the prevision for the fire could affect non-forestry assets.</p>

Numerous homes have been burnt out and others seriously affected in Ojén and Marbella. The urbanisation La Mairena has flames affecting several properties.

The situation is particularly difficult in the upper part of Calahonda where residents have been evacuated and there are flames in the urban...

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Amber Gold affair is one of the biggest financial scandals to hit Poland since the fall of communism in 1989.

<p id="yui_3_5_1_25_1346154067500_265">It was pretty much all the money <span id="lw_1346150838_2">Bozena Oracz</span> had after a working life as an accountant: the equivalent of $15,000. She placed it in a fund investing in gold, with the hope of paying for her daughter's studies and getting treatment for a bad knee.</p><p id="yui_3_5_1_25_1346154067500_375">Those dreams were dashed when she discovered she had fallen victim to an elaborate fraud scheme that has left thousands of Poles, many of them elderly, facing financial ruin.</p><p id="yui_3_5_1_25_1346154067500_256">The so-called <span id="lw_1346150838_0">Amber Gold</span> affair is one of the biggest financial scandals to hit <span id="lw_1346150838_3">Poland</span> since the fall of communism in 1989. The extent of wrongdoing is still murky, but it seems to have some elements of a pyramid scheme, meaning the <span id="lw_1346150838_8">financial institution</span>used funds from new clients to pay off older clients rather than investing them.</p><p id="yui_3_5_1_25_1346154067500_380">Consumed with anger and desperation, 58-year-old Oracz traveled last week from a small town near Warsaw to a law firm in the capital to consider whether, after losing 50,000 zlotys, she should risk another 3,000 zlotys ($920; €730) on the fee to join a class-action lawsuit seeking to recover some of the losses.</p><p>"This was a lot of money to me — it was my savings," Oracz said, fighting back tears. Now retired and living on a small pension, she sees no way of building another nest egg. "My pension barely covers my needs," she said.</p><p id="yui_3_5_1_25_1346154067500_263">The affair has raised questions about the effectiveness of Poland's justice system and government because authorities failed to act against the scheme despite red flags from regulators and the criminal record of its young owner. Scrutiny has also focused on the prime minister due to business dealings his son had with those running the scheme. The scandal has even touched democracy icon <span id="lw_1346150838_1">Lech Walesa</span>, who fears it could tarnish his good name.</p><p>Prosecutors say investors lost about 163 million zlotys ($50 million; €40 million), a number that has been mounting as more and more victims come forward. Any law suits could take care years to go through the courts, with no guarantee of their outcome.</p><p>"People are desperate," said Pawel Borowski, a lawyer preparing the class-action suit that Oracz is considering joining. "In most cases the clients lost life savings or sold family properties to make investments."</p><p>The financial institution, Amber Gold, promised guaranteed returns of 10 to 14 percent a year for what it claimed were investments in gold. Many of its clients were older Poles who grew up under communism and lacked the savvy to question how a financial firm could guarantee such a high return on a commodity whose value fluctuates on the international market. The promised returns compared well to the 3 to 5 percent interest offered by banks on savings accounts — earnings essentially wiped out by the country's 4 percent inflation rate.</p><p>"These were people with a low level of financial education," said Piotr Bujak, the chief economist for Poland at Nordea Markets. "They think it's still like in the old times, where everything was guaranteed by the state. They underestimated the risk."</p><p>Amber Gold launched in 2009, opening branches in city centers alongside respected banks, with white leather sofas and other sleek touches that conveyed sophistication and respectability. It bombarded Poles with convincing advertisements. Some early investors got out with their expected gains, adding to the fund's credibility.</p><p>The company, based in Gdansk, capitalized on gold's allure while playing on people's anxieties in unpredictable financial times. "We are dealing with a loss of confidence in the entire financial system and an urgent need for safe investments," one ad said. "The environment for gold is perfect."</p><p id="yui_3_5_1_25_1346154067500_270">Amber Gold drew in 50,000 investors over its three years of operation, though the company's founder, <span id="lw_1346150838_5">Marcin Plichta</span>, said there were only about 7,000 at the time of liquidation.</p><p>Soon after Amber Gold began operations, the Polish Financial Supervision Authority put it on a "black list" of institutions that operate like banks without authorization. There are 17 other such black-listed institutions in operation, but the regulators lack the authority to shut them down. This has sparked a debate in the government and news media about whether courts should be more aggressive in intervening.</p><p>According to prosecutors, the company did use some of its money to invest in at least one legitimate business: It was the main investor in budget airline OLT Express. It was this investment that brought Amber Gold down — when the airline filed for bankruptcy, Amber Gold entered liquidation and its scheme of investments unraveled. Its bank accounts were blocked and it was unable to return the money of thousands of its customers.</p><p>Plichta was charged this month with six counts of criminal misconduct.</p><p id="yui_3_5_1_25_1346154067500_272">Prime Minister <span id="lw_1346150838_6">Donald Tusk</span>'s center-right government went into damage-control mode when it emerged that the leader's son, Michal Tusk, had done PR work for the airline. Tusk said he had warned his son against doing business with Plichta but that ultimately he son makes his own decisions.</p><p>Leszek Miller, the head of the opposition Democratic Left Alliance, asked how Tusk could warn his son against involvement in the airline but not warn the thousands of Poles who invested in the fund. Miller has called for a parliamentary inquiry into the scandal.</p><p>Public discontent is also centering on the justice system because Plichta, 28, has past convictions for fraud, and many Poles are asking why authorities — aware of his criminal record — didn't stop him sooner. Born Marcin Stefanski, he took his wife's last name to distance himself from his past crimes.</p><p>The country's top prosecutor, Andrzej Seremet, admitted Monday that prosecutors were negligent in failing to heed multiple warnings since 2009 about Amber Gold from the financial supervisory body. He announced personnel changes in the office he blamed for mistakes.</p><p id="yui_3_5_1_25_1346154067500_268">The affair also has an unlikely connection to the Solidarity leader and former president, <span id="lw_1346150838_4">Lech Walesa</span>, because an Oscar-winning director, Andrzej Wajda, was relying on money from Amber Gold to produce a film about Walesa's struggle in the 1980s.</p><p>Walesa came out publicly to make clear he is not involved in any way, saying he doesn't want his name "dirtied."</p><p>Many of the unlucky investors are not only furious but wracked by shame and guilt.</p><p id="yui_3_5_1_25_1346154067500_402">Engineer Andrzej Malinowski, 61, put three months of salary — 25,000 zlotys ($7,660; €6,100) — into Amber Gold. He made the investment without consulting with his wife, sensing that there was some risk and that she would not have agreed.</p><p id="yui_3_5_1_25_1346154067500_400">Now he is so shaken and embarrassed that he doesn't want to talk about it, leaving his wife, Danuta Malinowska, to help unravel the mess.</p><p id="yui_3_5_1_25_1346154067500_398">"He saw that gold was going higher and higher so he believed that maybe it would be a good deal," Malinowska said. "Now he has so much guilt that I am trying to help — contacting the lawyer, filling in the forms, writing to the prosecutors. But the justice system is very ineffective. I don't believe we will be getting any of this money back."</p>

Amber Gold affair is one of the biggest financial scandals to hit Poland since the fall of communism in 1989.

It was pretty much all the money  Bozena Oracz  had after a working life as an accountant: the equivalent of $15,000. She placed it in a fun...

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Spanish drivers hit by 'council stealth tax'

<div class="zemanta-img" style="text-align: left;"> <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ParkingMeter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="English: A parking meter" border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted zemanta-img-configured" height="263" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/67/ParkingMeter.JPG/350px-ParkingMeter.JPG" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="350" /></a></div> <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Removal of free parking zones and an increase in fines for minor traffic infractions have all dubbed "taxation by stealth" by protest groups. The latest measures to be unveiled in towns and cities across the north-eastern region of Catalonia include the removal of free parking bays. The biggest outcry has been in Tarragona, a city south of Barcelona, where since the start of July, the council has re-allocated 3,700 parking spaces, forcing residents to pay for parking where they could previously leave their car for free. "It's a blatant attempt by city authorities to raise revenue," said Amanda Casas, a spokesman for Plataforma Stop Parquímetres, a local protest group formed to fight against the installation of more parking meters. "And the underhand way they are going about it is shameful," she said. The citizens have mounted a campaign, boycotting the blue zone 'pay and display' areas and painting over the lines.</span>

Spanish drivers hit by 'council stealth tax'

Removal of free parking zones and an increase in fines for minor traffic infractions have all dubbed "taxation by stealth" by pr...

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Hard times hurt Spanish retailer El Corte Ingles

<p>Economic crisis has hit Spain's venerable department store group El Corte Ingles hard, sending many of its once loyal customers to cheaper competitors and forcing it to do the previously unthinkable: slash prices and cut margins. One of Europe's biggest retailers and a barometer of the Spanish economy, El Corte Ingles has ridden good times and bad since the 1930s, catering to the middle class and never stooping to price wars with competitors. But this summer, the group is advertising favourable price comparisons with its rivals for items such as mini donuts, jam and soy milk - a big change for a company previously known for glamorous commercials featuring celebrities such as U.S. film actor George Clooney and Spanish football star Fernando Torres. The privately-owned, family-run business reported on Sunday that sales slipped in 2011 at its department stores, hypermarkets and convenience stores. That contrasts with budget supermarkets DIA (DIDA.MC) and Mercadona, where revenue climbed as they grab market share from costlier retailers. It's a tough new environment for the retailer, one of the country's biggest employers, which has long counted on customer loyalty and its uniqueness. One in four Spaniards has a store card from El Corte Ingles, which is still the only place to go for items such as school uniforms and certain small appliances. "That requires us to...adapt ourselves with realism and a correct management of costs to the new demands of the consumer and the new realities of the market," wrote El Corte Ingles Chairman Isidoro Alvarez, the 77-year-old nephew of its founder, in a letter to shareholders in the group's annual report. The euro zone debt crisis has battered Spain, which could follow Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Cyprus into needing international financial aid after entering its second recession since 2009 in the first quarter. Spanish unemployment has hit 25 percent and consumer confidence is in the dumps, with retail sales down in June for the 24th straight month. El Corte Ingles's turnover, which shrank 3.9 percent to 15.8 billion euros, still amounts to 1.6 percent of Spanish GDP and is higher than the 13.8 billion euros which the country's largest stock market-listed retailer, Zara owner Inditex (ITX.MC), made in 2011. The firm owns swathes of property in prime Spanish retail locations and is also one of the largest owners of car parking spaces in the country, giving it plenty of cushions. "Fortunately, it has the financial strength to survive a crisis which is sweeping all before it," said Carlos Hernandez, an analyst at the consultancy Planet Retail. SPANISH HOUSEHOLD NAME The name of El Corte Ingles betrays its origins. It began in 1890 as a tiny tailor selling suits with "the English cut" in Calle Preciados, a street in the heart of Madrid. Ramon Areces bought the tailor in the 1930s, with the help of his uncle, and built the retail empire. Surviving the Spanish Civil War and the Franco dictatorship which lasted until the 1970s, it blossomed in the early years of restored democracy to become the darling of shoppers with its then groundbreaking money-back guarantee. It swallowed up its only other department store competitor, Galerias Preciados, in 1995, and pushed into all aspects of Spanish life, selling everything from designer fashion to mobile phones, kitchens, car insurance, theatre tickets, holidays and hearing aids. But in 2011, of the company's largest revenue makers, only its travel business held up well, after a competitor went bust. Sales at the 83 department stores fell 4.2 percent and those at its Sfera unit - a clothing store that competes with Zara - fell 8.5 percent, though cost controls helped the business make a net profit of 1.9 million euros. Spaniards still value the money-back guarantee, which allows customers a refund on any unwanted purchases, but this is no longer an exclusive attraction. Its food business has particularly suffered, with its hypermarket business down 13.6 percent and its Opencor convenience shops down 8.6 percent. Spanish revenue at cheaper rival DIA grew 1.7 percent in 2011 (DIDA.MC)while aggressive pricing by supermarket chain Mercadona allowed it to generate more sales and profit than El Corte Ingles's entire business last year. Profits at El Corte Ingles were 210 million euros last year, down 34 percent, according to its results which it reports voluntarily and are not subject to the same regulations as a company listed on the stock market. Belatedly, El Corte Ingles reacted in June with a campaign to offer the lowest prices on 4,500 products such as bread, milk and hake, a fish popular with Spaniards. Hernandez said El Corte Ingles had no choice but to cut prices even though their brand was built on quality and service: "They need to remain in the premium sector, like the UK's Waitrose and Marks & Spencer." STRIVING FOR LUXURY El Corte Ingles is also trying to target high spenders, a potentially risky strategy because it could end up pleasing no one. It has invested in renovating often dated buildings and is using the high number of visitors to its stores to attract luxury labels to set up "corners" within them. With 1.5 million visitors daily and no other national competitor, the brand is the first port of call for labels wanting to dip a toe in the Spanish market. This allows it to insist on 28-32 percent of a brand's in-store sales, according to someone with knowledge of deals signed. At one Madrid store it opened a small wing of luxury shops such as Bulgari BULG.MI, Prada (1913.HK) and Cartier, as well as a section of gourmet cafes and food outlets. Designer Hugo Boss reported its Spanish sales rose 10 percent in the first quarter after it shifted to a shop-inside-a-shop strategy in El Corte Ingles, and may now try this idea in department stores in other countries. However, layout and shopping experience in El Corte Ingles's department stores can be patchy. Groups of shop assistants often stand around chatting, paying shoppers little attention. While women shop assistants wear uniforms in blue, green and white and are called "Miss" even if married, only this month was uniform introduced for male shop assistants. Some analysts think the hit-and-miss nature of the shoppers' experience has much to do with the company's family management culture. Chairman Alvarez, for instance, has not passed over the reins to an outsider, like Amancio Ortega did at Inditex. With no presence in fast-growing markets abroad, the company has little choice but to fight to maintain market share at home. And with Spaniards getting poorer, the company targets tourists with a 10 percent discount card and selected stores offer welcome services to Chinese, Russian and Japanese shoppers. The approach isn't impressing everyone yet, though. At Calle Preciados, where the 120-year-old brand began, two young tourists intended to buy some clothes seen in a window display but left the store without finding them. "There were no clear signs. We went up an escalator and after a few minutes said: 'let's get out of here' - maybe there wasn't enough space or the right lighting," said Zarah Meehl, 28, from New Zealand. "And not a single person acknowledged us the whole time we were in there." The pair have travelled extensively in North America and Europe and Meehl lives in London where she finds department store Selfridges offers a real experience, where individual departments are "practically works of art".</p>

Hard times hurt Spanish retailer El Corte Ingles

Economic crisis has hit Spain's venerable department store group El Corte Ingles hard, sending many of its once loyal customers to cheap...

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Miguel Angel Trevino Morales new leader is emerging at the head of one of Mexico's most feared drug cartels.

<h1 id="article-title"></h1><div id="introduction"><div><div><ul><li><div><img alt="Mexico Drug War Zetas_Plan.jpg" src="http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/fn-latino/news/660/371/Mexico%20Drug%20War%20Zetas_Plan.jpg" /></div><div><p>This undated image taken from the Mexican Attorney General's Office rewards program website on Aug. 23, 2012, shows the alleged leader of Zetas drug cartel, Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, alias âZ-40.â (AP Photo/Mexican Attorney General's Office website)</p></div></li></ul></div></div><div><h1 id="article-title">Mexico's Violent Zetas Cartel Sees New Leader Miguel Angel Trevino Morales A split in the leadership of Mexico's violent Zetas cartel has led to the rise of Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, a man so feared that one rival has called for a grand alliance to confront a gang chief blamed for a new round of bloodshed in the country's once relatively tranquil central states.</h1><p>Trevino, a former cartel enforcer who apparently has seized leadership of the gang from Zetas founder Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano, is described by lawmen and competing drug capos as a brutal assassin who favors getting rid of foes by stuffing them into oil drums, dousing them with gasoline and setting them on fire, a practice known as a "guiso," or "cook-out".</p><p>Law enforcement officials confirm that Trevino appears to have taken effective control of the Zetas, the hemisphere's most violent criminal organization, which has been blamed for a large share of the tens of thousands of deaths in Mexico's war on drugs, though other gangs too have repeatedly committed mass slayings.</p><p>"There was a lot of talk that he was pushing really hard on Lazcano Lazcano and was basically taking over the Zetas, because he had the personality, he was the guy who was out there basically fighting in the streets with the troops," said Jere Miles, a Zetas expert and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agent who was posted in Mexico until last year.</p><p>"Lazcano Lazcano, at the beginning he was kind of happy just to sit back and let Trevino do this, but I don't think he understood how that works in the criminal underworld," Miles said. "When you allow someone to take that much power, and get out in front like that, pretty soon the people start paying loyalty to him and they quit paying to Lazcano."</p><p>The rise has so alarmed at least one gang chieftain that he has called for gangs, drug cartels, civic groups and even the government to form a united front to fight Trevino Morales, known as "Z-40," whom he blamed for most of Mexico's violence.</p><p>"Let's unite and form a common front against the Zetas, and particularly against Z-40, Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, because this person with his unbridled ambition has caused so much terror and confusion in our country," said a man identified as Servando Gomez, leader of the Knights Templar cartel, in a viedo posted Tuesday on the internet.</p><p>A Mexican law enforcement official who wasn't authorized to speak on the record said the video appeared to be genuine,</p><p>"He is the main cause of everything that is happening in Mexico, the robberies, kidnappings, extortion," Gomez is heard saying on the tape. "We are inviting all the groups ... everyone to form a common front to attack Z-40 and put an end to him."</p><p>Trevino Morales has a fearsome reputation. "If you get called to a meeting with him, you're not going to come out of that meeting," said a U.S. law-enforcement official in Mexico City, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic.</p><p>In two years since Zetas split with their former allies in the Gulf cartel — a split in which Trevino reported played a central role — the gang has become one of Mexico's two main cartels, and is battling the rival Sinaloa cartel.</p><p>Now the Zetas' internal disputes have added to the violence of the conflict between gangs. Internal feuds spilled out into pitched battles in the normally quiet north-central state of San Luis Potosi in mid-August, when police found a van stuffed with 14 executed bodies.</p><p>San Luis Potosi state Attorney General Miguel Angel Garcia Covarrubias told local media that a 15th man who apparently survived the massacre told investigators that both the killers and the victims were Zetas. "It was a rivalry with the same organized crime group," Garcia Covarrubias said.</p><p>The leadership dispute also may have opened the door to lesser regional figures in the Zetas gang to step forward and rebel, analysts and officials said.</p><p>Analysts say that a local Zetas leader in the neighboring state of Zacatecas, Ivan Velazquez Caballero, "The Taliban," was apparently trying to challenge Trevino Morales' leadership grab, and that the 14 bullet-ridden bodies left in the van were The Taliban's men, left there as a visible warning by Trevino Morales' underlings.</p><p>The Taliban's territory, Zacatecas, appears to have been a hot spot in Trevino's dispute with Lazcano. It was in Zacatecas that a professionally printed banner was hung in a city park, accusing Lazcano of betraying fellow Zetas and turning them in to the police.</p><p>Trevino began his career as a teenage gofer for the Los Tejas gang, which controlled most crime in his hometown of Nuevo Laredo, across the border from the city of Laredo, Texas, officials say.</p><p>Around 2005, Trevino Morales was promoted to boss of the Nuevo Laredo territory, or "plaza" and given responsibility for fighting off the Sinaloa cartel's attempt to seize control of its drug-smuggling routes. He orchestrated a series of killings on the U.S. side of the border, several by a group of young U.S. citizens who gunned down their victims on the streets of the American city. American officials believe the hit men also carried out an unknown number of killings on the Mexican side of the border, the U.S. official said.</p><p>Trevino Morales is on Mexico's most-wanted list, with a reward of 30 million pesos ($2.28 million) offered for information leading to his capture.</p><p>Raul Benitez, a security expert at Mexico's National Autonomous University, said that the Zetas are inherently an unstable cartel with an already huge capacity for violence, and the possibility of more if they begin fighting internal disputes. "I think the Zetas are having problems, and there is no central command," he said.</p><p>The Zetas have been steadily expanding their influence and reaching into Central America in recent years, constructing a route for trafficking drugs that offloads Colombian cocaine in Honduras, ships it overland along Mexico's Gulf Coast and runs into over the border through Trevino Morales' old stomping grounds.</p><p>Samuel Logan, managing director of the security analysis firm Southern Pulse, notes that "personality-wise they (Trevino Morales and Lazcano) couldn't be more different," and believes the two may want to take the cartel in different directions. The stakes in who wins the dispute could be large for Mexico; Lazcano is believed to be more steady, more of a survivor who might have an interest in preserving the cartel as a stable organization.</p><p>"Lazcano may be someone who would take the Zetas in a direction where they'd become less of a thorn in the side for the new political administration," Logan said in reference to Enrique Pena Nieto, who is expected to take office as president on Dec. 1. "In contrast, Trevino is someone who wants to fight the fight."</p><p>Referring to Ignacio "Nacho" Coronel, a member of the rival Sinaloa Cartel who died in a shootout with soldiers in July 2010, Logan noted, "Trevino is someone who is going to want to go out, like Nacho Coronel went out, with his guns blazing."</p></div></div><p><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br /></span></p>

Miguel Angel Trevino Morales new leader is emerging at the head of one of Mexico's most feared drug cartels.

This undated image taken from the Mexican Attorney General's Office rewards program website on Aug. 23, 2012, shows the alleged leader o...

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Laurence Kilby, 40, of Cheltenham, who built and raced cars, was arrested after police seized cocaine with a street value of £1m.

<p id="story_continues_1"> </p><p>Laurence Kilby, 40, of Cheltenham, who built and raced cars, was arrested after police seized cocaine with a street value of £1m.</p><p>A "privileged" racing driver has been jailed with 11 other drug smugglers. Crown Court heard he was head of a gang moving drugs from Eastern Europe along the M4 corridor to London, western England and south Wales.</p><p>Kilby was heavily in debt and turned to crime to maintain his lifestyle of fast cars and high living.</p><p>Raids on properties</p><p>Kilby was jailed in June but his conviction, and those of the rest of the gang, can now be reported following the conclusion of another trial.</p><p>In an undercover operation between Gloucestershire and Avon and Somerset Police, officers seized 3kg of cocaine as it was being ferried between London and Cheltenham in October 2010.</p><p>Another 1kg of the drug was intercepted in Cheltenham in February 2011 and 2.5kg was discovered in raids on properties in Cheltenham, Staverton, Bristol and London in July 2011.</p><p>The gang of 12 drug dealers from Gloucestershire, Bristol and London received sentences of between 18 years and four years seven months.</p><p>It can now be reported Kilby, who was jailed in June, and Vladan Vujovic, 43, of Grange Road, London were found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. Both were jailed for 18 years.</p><div><img alt="Laurence Kilby racing in the 2009 Castle Combe Saloon Car Championship" height="171" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/62452000/jpg/_62452259_62452258.jpg" width="304" />Kilby built and raced cars with the company he owned, Ajec Racing</div><p>Richard Jones, 42, of Bradley Stoke, Bristol, was sentenced to 15 years for the same offence, and Mark Poole, 47, from Portishead, was sentenced to nine years seven months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.</p><p>Police said Kilby sourced the drug in London from an East European criminal gang, which included Vujovic.</p><p>Vujovic ran a baggage handling company at Heathrow Airport and was said to receive the cocaine before it was distributed around the South West and Wales.</p><p>Kilby is the former husband of Flora Vestey, daughter of Lord Vestey, and was owner of motor racing firm Ajec Racing which was based in Staverton.</p><p>He was heavily in debt and turned to crime to maintain his lifestyle of fast cars and high living.</p><p>'Well-connected socialite'</p><p>In a separate charge, Kilby also pleaded guilty to stealing money from the charity Help for Heroes and was sentenced to 10 months, to run concurrently with his 18-year sentence.</p><p>He organised a charity race day at Gloucestershire Airport in July 2010, but failed to pass on between £3,500 and £4,000 in proceeds to the charity Help for Heroes.</p><p>Det Insp Steve Bean, from Gloucestershire Police, said Kilby was the main man.</p><p>"He portrayed himself as a well-connected socialite and businessman, whilst indulging his ambition as a minor league racing driver.</p><div><img alt="Drugs wrapped in plastic packages" height="171" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/62448000/jpg/_62448230_62448229.jpg" width="304" />Police seized 6.5kg of drugs during the operation</div><p>"Despite a privileged background, the reality was that his lifestyle was funded by the ill-gotten gains of drug dealing.</p><p>"He continually lied and blamed others in an attempt to distance himself from the conspiracy.</p><p>"He displayed an air of arrogance and thought he could get away with it because he didn't get his hands dirty."</p><p>The majority of the gang were jailed in June, but reporting restrictions meant it could not be reported until now, after the sentencing of the remaining gang members.</p><p>Others members of the gang to be sentenced were:</p><ul><li>David Chapman, 29, from Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply and was sentenced to nine years.</li><li>William Garnier, 31, from Cheltenham, pleaded guilty to supplying Class A drugs and was sentenced six years and eight months.</li><li>Garry Burrell, 46, from Easton, Bristol, and John Tomlin, 28, from Newtown, Gloucestershire both pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine and were sentenced to six years and six months and four years and six months respectively.</li><li>Timothy Taylor, 40, from Bristol was found guilty of supplying Class A drugs and was sentenced to four years and seven months.</li><li>Brian Barrett, 48, from Keynsham was found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and was sentenced to 10 years.</li><li>Scott Everest, 39, from Clevedon was found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and was jailed for seven years.</li></ul><p>Jonathan Tanner, 45, from Warminster was sentenced to 18 months for possession with intent to supply of cannabis, but was cleared of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.</p><p>Darren Weetch, 38, from Bristol, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply. He was sentenced to 16 months.</p><p>Officers also worked with Thames Valley Police and the Metropolitan Police during the operation.</p>

Laurence Kilby, 40, of Cheltenham, who built and raced cars, was arrested after police seized cocaine with a street value of £1m.

  Laurence Kilby, 40, of Cheltenham, who built and raced cars, was arrested after police seized cocaine with a street value of £1m. A "...

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Estepona Wild Fires rage on a 2km front

<p>Police and Ambulances hurried to evacuate as wild fires quickly spread our reporter on the scene photographer the devastation</p><p> </p><p><img alt="" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Jj921wZRp2zly8pIZneVfzXjG0vv0ZOQ3S_tdirmaQBIXHl0hUupHfTUI3w6JAvBjNUi8R7sGt4OhfL1uuCIAgEep7ry3gsBFQ7euhoMPQ4uShyGDPj9frAWPoCkKFu-pc6ukRFtR7_3/" width="512" /><img alt="" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jynbYrOdz5Xao35_rO2fSOJOoOCKf-gF_U-kYYS8O5XqDvqMaHJKjNXT7-2savBDVtfo0oDSYfCtrkm0y_twEac8pBasxNsFC1vLnop1Mv6L6YQ6pZDg8XBRomDt0iwYIx1WeQlrsHf8/" width="512" /></p>

Estepona Wild Fires rage on a 2km front

Police and Ambulances hurried to evacuate as wild fires quickly spread our reporter on the scene photographer the devastation  

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Estepona on Fire

<p><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #ffffff;">We had a tiny little fire today, which they put out.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #ffffff;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #ffffff;" /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #ffffff;">Then an hour later, it restarted, and spread along 2 Klm of the coast.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #ffffff;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #ffffff;" /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #ffffff;">It was horrible seeing old people being run out of their homes, and carried through the smoke by police and ambulances.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #ffffff;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #ffffff;" /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #ffffff;">The pictures really doesn,t do show bad it really was.many houses have gone</span></p><p> </p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #ffffff;"><img alt="" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXZn2hN5r7AdhtHuIIIphyNy2fHpYqVYJI6VtrZfbW0ytbJhQrvFUDGBJTX282RAOWRpi1Bb9mnl3S0EsGD2MZnjWjAd2hnqHvDAQ3dXOPIJJWLgK0Jg4G8VQQWMC7u2JLVteSxVQNF8J/" width="512" /><img alt="" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizhYiV8d9xPYjDDIRAWh2QG0IU2b7g2rShaa5fUoOm70uTTmcw3I4yhiXP0Pf_EkVNd9nusvyt88_Rst0wkHT9BD_Dy-4V7pwm7UYCcgxRgCAMsCi_-8Yl5ozN8f6wzxQePde5kKuvOjW9/" width="512" /><img alt="" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIGg-TIKL4ihlSDKoh6kPY1_CaLOMFpBRLsix-gYiG4sDa-vCQyjv8k2AReXE3LIA39GNWCH1Jq2KHOdydpVz2PR_4OZ5QHw6ALMDX6t3bv6mJ2qTfYjiIbuGCrEbQJrRyPyu3XgU-C_aS/" width="512" /></span></p>

Estepona on Fire

We had a tiny little fire today, which they put out. Then an hour later, it restarted, and spread along 2 Klm of the coast. It was horrible ...

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U.S investigations have not dampened enthusiasm for Las Vegas Sands Corp in Madrid and Barcelona, as the cities vie to host a gambling complex the casino firm claims will trigger a jobs bonanza in a country where one in four is out of work.

<p> Regulators in the state of Nevada are investigating if Las Vegas Sands (LVS.N) broke bribery laws in China, two sources said earlier this month. That follows two existing probes by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Authorities in Spain's two biggest cities are taking a hands-off view of the probes, mindful of the boost that the Eurovegas casino project and its estimated 15 billon euros of investments would bring to an ailing economy whose Achilles' heel is Europe's highest unemployment rate. Madrid Mayor Ana Botella, a staunch Eurovegas supporter, recently told reporters: "This issue doesn't affect us because really we don't know anything about these investigations." "We don't assess private companies abroad," a spokesman for the Treasury of the Community of Madrid, the region that includes the capital, told Reuters. The government of Catalonia, the coastal region that is home to Spain's second city, declined to comment on the probes. A spokeswoman said the project continued on track in the run-up to the firm's decision, due in September. Madrid and Barcelona have been on months-long charm offensives since Las Vegas Sands Chairman Sheldon Adelson proposed building the 12-hotel, six-casino complex in one of the cities, investing $18.5 billion. He visited potential sites early in 2012. Adelson, whose company draws most of its revenue from Macau, the gambling capital of the world and the only area of China where casinos are legal, has become an increasingly prominent political figure in the U.S. over the past year as a large financial supporter of Republican presidential candidates. HARD TO RESIST For Spain's politicians, poor economic health makes Adelson's proposal difficult to resist. The country has already accepted a 100 billion euro bailout for its stricken financial sector and Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has indicated Spain could ask for more European Union aid as borrowing costs stay punishingly high and the economy shrinks. Tourism is a sector Spain already excels in - it accounts for around 10 percent of the country's economic output and is one of the only drivers of growth. Eurovegas would tap into that, and Las Vegas Sands claims the project would eventually create a quarter of a million jobs in Spain. But community and environmental groups are opposed. Activists have cited fears it would encourage corruption and illegal activities, and questioned how beneficial it would really be in swelling state coffers and providing jobs. Last week a small leftist party in Catalonia, ICV-EUiA, called for Adelson to appear before the Catalonian legislature to answer questions about the investigations. But without support from other parties, which has not emerged, the petition is unlikely to go anywhere</p><p><a href="http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/08/21/uk-eurovegas-idINLNE87K01D20120821">Spain still dreams of mega-casino despite U.S. probes | Reuters</a></p><blockquote>U.S investigations have not dampened enthusiasm for Las Vegas Sands Corp in Madrid and Barcelona, as the cities vie to host a gambling complex the casino firm claims will trigger a jobs bonanza in a country where one in four is out of work. Regulators in the state of Nevada are investigating if Las Vegas Sands (LVS.N) broke bribery laws in China, two sources said earlier this month. That follows two existing probes by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Authorities in Spain's two biggest cities are taking a hands-off view of the probes, mindful of the boost that the Eurovegas casino project and its estimated 15 billon euros of investments would bring to an ailing economy whose Achilles' heel is Europe's highest unemployment rate. Madrid Mayor Ana Botella, a staunch Eurovegas supporter, recently told reporters: "This issue doesn't affect us because really we don't know anything about these investigations." "We don't assess private companies abroad," a spokesman for the Treasury of the Community of Madrid, the region that includes the capital, told Reuters. The government of Catalonia, the coastal region that is home to Spain's second city, declined to comment on the probes. A spokeswoman said the project continued on track in the run-up to the firm's decision, due in September. Madrid and Barcelona have been on months-long charm offensives since Las Vegas Sands Chairman Sheldon Adelson proposed building the 12-hotel, six-casino complex in one of the cities, investing $18.5 billion. He visited potential sites early in 2012. Adelson, whose company draws most of its revenue from Macau, the gambling capital of the world and the only area of China where casinos are legal, has become an increasingly prominent political figure in the U.S. over the past year as a large financial supporter of Republican presidential candidates. HARD TO RESIST For Spain's politicians, poor economic health makes Adelson's proposal difficult to resist. The country has already accepted a 100 billion euro bailout for its stricken financial sector and Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has indicated Spain could ask for more European Union aid as borrowing costs stay punishingly high and the economy shrinks. Tourism is a sector Spain already excels in - it accounts for around 10 percent of the country's economic output and is one of the only drivers of growth. Eurovegas would tap into that, and Las Vegas Sands claims the project would eventually create a quarter of a million jobs in Spain. But community and environmental groups are opposed. Activists have cited fears it would encourage corruption and illegal activities, and questioned how beneficial it would really be in swelling state coffers and providing jobs. Last week a small leftist party in Catalonia, ICV-EUiA, called for Adelson to appear before the Catalonian legislature to answer questions about the investigations. But without support from other parties, which has not emerged, the petition is unlikely to go anywhere</blockquote>

U.S investigations have not dampened enthusiasm for Las Vegas Sands Corp in Madrid and Barcelona, as the cities vie to host a gambling complex the casino firm claims will trigger a jobs bonanza in a country where one in four is out of work.

 Regulators in the state of Nevada are investigating if Las Vegas Sands (LVS.N) broke bribery laws in China, two sources said earlier this m...

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Saviour of the Costa del Sol Sheik Abdullah Al Thani puts Málaga F.C. up for sale

<p>The surprise decision from the man who, not that long ago, was being seen as a saviour of the Costa del Sol, Sheik Abdullah Al Thani, when he purchased Málaga Football Club, and announced plans for a new 400 million € marina at La Bajadilla in Marbella, to sell the club raises concerns that other projects on the Costa del Sol are at risk. It’s not clear why he has made the decision when Málaga is in the qualifying section of the Europa Cup this season, but it could be something to do with the departure of Fernando Hierro from the post of General Director. It seems people were paid at the club, but not always on time. A Marbella councillor has denied the popular rumour that he needs the money from Málaga Football Club to build his marina in Marbella. Mayor of Marbella, Angeles Muñoz, is talking to the Ministry of the Environment to try and ensure the marina project goes ahead. It contains a commercial centre and a 200 room hotel in the plans.</p>

Saviour of the Costa del Sol Sheik Abdullah Al Thani puts Málaga F.C. up for sale

The surprise decision from the man who, not that long ago, was being seen as a saviour of the Costa del Sol, Sheik Abdullah Al Thani, when h...

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Ryanair could lose its licence to fly in Spain for three years

<p>The Irish low-cost airline has been repeatedly mentioned in the Spanish media since July 26 when three of the planes were diverted from Madrid to Valencia because of storms over the capital. Because of an alleged lack of fuel it’s reported that the three pilots issued ‘Mayday’ calls, but all managed to land safely on Runway 12 at Manises Airport in Valencia. The company said that it had activated the alert when there was enough fuel left for 30 minutes. The three planes had to wait in a queue before landing. Ryanair claims that the three planes were flying in the stack over Valencia for 50, 68 and 69 minutes. Now the State Agency for Security, which depends on the Ministry for Development, announced yesterday (Tuesday), that they started an investigation as to why Ryanair had to make three emergency landings in one day. The investigation was opened on August 9 after they received a denuncia from AENA, the Spanish Airport Authority. Ryanair says that it operates with fuel levels demanded by the European Authorities and that its fuel levels had never fallen below the permitted level.</p>

Ryanair could lose its licence to fly in Spain for three years

The Irish low-cost airline has been repeatedly mentioned in the Spanish media since July 26 when three of the planes were diverted from Madr...

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Two people die from the heat in Córdoba last weekend

<p>A man and a woman have died from the heat in Córdoba last weekend, according to the Junta de Andalucía. Archive The man was 54, but he was morbidly obese, while the woman was 83 and suffered many pathologies. Both were in their homes at the time in Córdoba and Cabra. The man was found unconscious at 7.30 am on Saturday and was taken to the Reina Sofia Hospital in Córdoba where he died later in the day. The woman was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Infanta Margarita Hospital in Cabra on Sunday, and she died on Monday from heat stroke. She was taking several medicines every day such as insulin and diuretics. She lived with two family members and stayed inside when it was hot outside, but there was no air conditioning in the home.</p>

Two people die from the heat in Córdoba last weekend

A man and a woman have died from the heat in Córdoba last weekend, according to the Junta de Andalucía. Archive The man was 54, but he was ...

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Buddah bust-up on Costa del Sol

<p>ANGRY residents of a once quiet residential zone are demanding action over a Marbella nightclub, which stays open till 7am. The British homeowners – many who have lived there for decades – are furious that police have not acted over the noise issue created by fashionable club The Funky Buddha. “We have called the police so many times, but nothing gets done,” explained Paula Hymanson, 53, who is now spearheading a petition against the club. “Half the time they turn up with megaphones and spend an hour directing traffic. It actually makes the situation worse. “The problem isn’t the noise alone but what accompanies it: swarms of people running through the streets into the morning, vandalism, and unbelievable traffic,” added Hymanson, a massage therapist, who moved from the UK 20 years ago. “These people are screaming and breaking glass and generally make nuisance of themselves until the early hours.” Neighbour Michael Brooker added that the situation had become a ‘complete nightmare’. “People are frightened to park their cars along the street or go outside in the evenings,” he said. “It is totally inappropriate for a residential area.” The residents have so far got hundreds of names on the petition against the club in Camino de la Cruz. It is now in the hands of lawyers. The club, which opens at midnight, was only recently granted a licence to operate legally. Neighbours insist this means it was running illegally for two years. “We can’t understand how they were able to get away with it,” added another neighbour Jackie, who asked not to give her surname. The Funky Buddha, which has a sister club in the UK, was unavailable for comment when contacted by the Olive Press.</p>

Buddah bust-up on Costa del Sol

ANGRY residents of a once quiet residential zone are demanding action over a Marbella nightclub, which stays open till 7am. The British home...

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Wildfires that drove thousands from their homes raged uncontrolled

<p>Wildfires that drove thousands from their homes raged uncontrolled Sunday at a World Heritage park on Spain's Canary Islands, while in Greece rain helped douse a fire near another protected site. In Spain elderly villagers spent the night in hotels and student halls after thousands of people fled fires on the Atlantic islands of La Gomera and Tenerife, part of the Canaries archipelago. The fires on La Gomera have forced the evacuation of more than 4,700 people in the past two days, the regional government said. Some people in the west of the island were evacuated by sea in boats since the fire had cut off the road. The fire continued unabated Sunday, sending up plumes of black smoke as fresh flames erupted on the wooded hillsides and planes dropped water on them, an AFP photographer saw. Apolonia Garcia Castaneda, an 83-year-old mother of 10 who was evacuated overnight on La Gomera, said she had to leave behind her chickens, sheep and crops as well as her dog. "I haven't been able to sleep. I rested a bit, but the fear doesn't go easily," she said. Her village of Los Loros is in the Garajonay nature reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage site that is home to rare subtropical forests in the centre of the island. The flames had charred more than 500 hectares (1,200 acres) since they revived on Friday after devastating 3,000 hectares earlier in the week, authorities said. Flames on Tenerife have spread over some 370 hectares, the regional head of the Canary Islands emergency services Juan Manuel Santana told a news conference Sunday. He warned that high temperatures and low humidity on Sunday made it harder to control the blaze. "It is going to be a difficult day for everyone, most of all for those fighting the fire," he said. Emergency services spokeswoman Lourdes Jorge told AFP: "We are still on alert for high temperatures on the archipelago, and that makes the extinction work more difficult." The maximum temperature on the islands was forecast to reach 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit) on Sunday after a sweltering week across Spain. In Vallehermoso on the north of La Gomera, 150 people who fled nearby villages overnight spent the night in hotels and school accommodation, an AFP photographer there said. Many others were housed by friends and relatives. "Most of the people we've taken in are over 65 or children," said Maria Dolores Arteaga Amaro, a local social worker in charge of looking after the evacuees. "Most require regular medication, so a volunteer nurse has worked around the clock taking care of them." Spain is at extra high risk of fires this summer after its driest winter in 70 years. The government says 132,300 hectares of land have been burnt so far this year and blazes have broken out across the country in recent days. On the mainland, officials in the northwestern Galicia region said that among a series of wildfires there, the biggest one had ravaged 1,200 hectares. Among several other fires reported, one erupted Saturday in Ger in Catalonia, northern Spain, one in the Cabaneros national park in central Spain and another near the Donana park in Andalucia in the south. Meanwhile in Greece, rainfall overnight helped hundreds of firefighters to bring a blaze under control near Mount Athos, another World Heritage site housing a remote monastic community in northeastern Greece. The region houses some 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries which are self-governing and date back more than 1,000 years to Byzantine times. The rain "has saved us", said Ana Aristos Kasmiroglou, a state representative for the monastic community. That blaze, which may have been the result of arson or negligence, destroyed 1,500 hectares of forest and consumed olive trees and vines.</p>

Wildfires that drove thousands from their homes raged uncontrolled

Wildfires that drove thousands from their homes raged uncontrolled Sunday at a World Heritage park on Spain's Canary Islands, while in G...

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Spanish terror accused held in UK

<p>A suspected Basque terrorist has been arrested in London. Spanish national Kemen Uranga Artola, 43, was arrested by officers from the Metropolitan Police's extradition unit. They executed a European arrest warrant alleging his involvement in terrorism-related offences in Spain. Artola, who featured on a 2002 American government's list of terrorists, was arrested in the NW5 area and will appear on Wednesday afternoon at Westminster Magistrates' Court for an extradition hearing. His arrest is unrelated to the Olympics, Scotland Yard stressed. More than 20 suspected Eta members have been arrested across Europe after the terrorist group announced an end to violence last October. The last suspect taken into custody was Inaki Imaz in France on Monday. The latest arrest was made after detectives liaised with Spain's Comisaria General del Informacion de la Policia Nacional. It is believed Uranga Artola used false documents while living in London. Artola has been on the run for 12 years, according to Spain's Interior Ministry. It said that in 2000 he aided previously unknown members of Eta by finding them accommodation and storing explosives. He then fled Spain after his branch of Eta was broken up. His arrest takes to four the number of Eta suspects who have been taken into custody in the UK in the last few months.</p>

Spanish terror accused held in UK

A suspected Basque terrorist has been arrested in London. Spanish national Kemen Uranga Artola, 43, was arrested by officers from the Metrop...

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Spanish parents to be charged three euros for packed lunches

<p>A daily fee of up to €3 (£2.36) will be introduced when the new term begins next month. The charge — which reflects “the relative cost for the use of the dining room and the supervision that entails” — has been condemned as “barbaric” by parents. Traditionally, Spanish children have eaten hot meals in the school canteen during a two-hour lunch break for a monthly fee paid by parents that averages about €4.50 (£3.50) a day. The economic crisis has left Spain with a 25 per cent unemployment rate and many parents have opted to save money and send their children to school with home-made lunches. Until now, low-income families have been eligible for grants for school meals but austerity measures introduced by the conservative government of Mariano Rajoy have forced regional education boards to make stringent cuts and impose the charges.</p>

Spanish parents to be charged three euros for packed lunches

A daily fee of up to €3 (£2.36) will be introduced when the new term begins next month. The charge — which reflects “the relative cost for t...

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Wildfires rage in Spain and islands

<p>Wildfires fanned by fierce winds and high temperatures have raged across a western Spanish region and on the Canary Islands, threatening to cut off phone contact with one island and forcing the evacuation of hundreds of people, officials said. A 35-year-old man from an army emergency services unit died in a vehicle accident while battling the wildfires in the Extremadura region, and three others were injured. A fourth firefighter had to be treated after inhaling smoke. About 300 holidaymakers had to be evacuated from a campsite in the heavily wooded hills of the Sierra de Gata area near the Portuguese border, said Extremadura Interior Ministry spokesman German Lopez Iglesias. Forest fires were also raging on the Canary Islands of La Gomera and La Palma and there were hundreds more evacuations there, said Javier Gonzalez Ortiz, a security official for the islands off the north-west coast of Africa. A statement on the Canary Islands government website said a large fire had affected the south-eastern area around Villa de Mazo in La Palma, where some 70 people had been moved to safety by the Red Cross and close to 1,000 hectares (2,470 acres) had been affected by flames. "Firefighters are finding the greatest difficulty in La Gomera," and at least 600 people had been evacuated, the statement said. Nancy Melo, an agricultural technician for La Gomera's winemaking authority, said residents from five villages had been ordered from their homes and flames were rising up to the centre of the island near the Garajonay National Park. "The fire has now entered the park and the problem is that area is where the island's telecommunications antennas are located," she said. "When the flames reach them we'll be left without communications." The causes of the fires are unknown, but several days of high temperatures have contributed to dry conditions throughout Spain, even on the normally verdant La Palma - one of the least developed and greenest of the Canary Islands. Pop singer Madonna praised La Palma by its local name in her song La Isla Bonita.</p>

Wildfires rage in Spain and islands

Wildfires fanned by fierce winds and high temperatures have raged across a western Spanish region and on the Canary Islands, threatening to ...

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Brad Pitt is reportedly utilising his free time to plan his wedding with Angelina Jolie.

<p><br /><img align="left" alt="Brad Pitt busy planning wedding" class="bor-pad-ab" src="http://zns.india.com/upload/2012/8/5/pitt301.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d9d9d9; padding: 4px; margin: 0px 8px 0px 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;" /></p><table style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;" align="right"><tbody><tr><td></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">The 48-year-old has taken charge of preparations for the wedding that is expected to take place end of September. He has flown in a team of builders to renovate the home he shares with Jolie in southern France.</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">"Angelina isn`t so bothered about when they tie the knot, it`s Brad who is piling on the pressure," a website has quoted a source as saying.</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">"He wants the main house to be finished when the event takes place, even though the close friends and relatives who are invited aren`t the types to care. He wants everything to be absolutely perfect," the source added.</span></p>

Brad Pitt is reportedly utilising his free time to plan his wedding with Angelina Jolie.

The 48-year-old has taken charge of preparations for the wedding that is expected to take place end of September. He has flown in a team of ...

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Crackdown on sale of counterfeit goods being sold on the beach

<p>The Costa del Sol is to crack down on the sale of counterfeit goods on the beach. The Mancomunidad de Municipios on the Western Costa de Sol from Torremolinos to Manilva have put together a joint plan with the slogan, ‘Unity is Strength’. Under the plan cooperation between the local police and the eleven local councils is being stepped up, and they work together in outlying areas. The Vice President of the plan, Féliz Romero, said ‘The counterfeit sales are becoming a very serious problem, mainly in tourist areas, and at this time of the year the number increases dramatically’. He said that many of the sellers come from to Madrid to the coast ‘to make their august. The Mancomunidad says the practice is not only prejudicing the traditional shops as their sales fall, but some holidaymakers are bothered when someone comes to sell them something, and this gives an erroneous image of the coast. Félix Romero also thinks that the counterfeit sellers are also victims, often working as slaves in a mafia network which is exploiting them. There is another practice on the beach which is affecting the Alicante area in particular. Earlier this year 11 Chinese were arrested on the El Postiguet beach where they had been selling drinks, food, and giving massages. They charged between 10 and 20 € for a massage and those arrested have to find a 600 € fine. Barcelona has issued more than 4,000 fines for selling on the beach this year, upping the police pressure, and already doubling the same period in 2011.</p>

Crackdown on sale of counterfeit goods being sold on the beach

The Costa del Sol is to crack down on the sale of counterfeit goods on the beach. The Mancomunidad de Municipios on the Western Costa de So...

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yellow jacket stun gun case for iphone

<p><p><img alt="" height="570" src="http://www.designboom.com/weblog/images/images_2/andy/yellow_jacket/yellow_jacket01.jpg" width="818" /><br /><br />yellow jacket is a case that transforms the iPhone 4 & 4S into that 650,000-volt stun gun you've always needed.<br /><br /><br /><br /><iframe width="818" height="460" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/44116436?portrait=0" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p><br /><br />scheduled to hit the US market in fall 2012 the case is advertised as being able to <br />easily stop an aggressive male attacker, and ready for use in less than two seconds. <br />its designer seth froom, a former military policeman came up with the product after <br />being robbed in his home at gunpoint.<br /><br />what is the demand for such a hostile product you might ask? well, yellow jacket <br />has managed to receive over 100,000 USD worth of backing on the crowd-funding <br />website indiegogo which means that there must be quite a few people out there <br />who feel the need to transform their phone into a weapon.<br /><br /><img alt="" height="356" src="http://www.designboom.com/weblog/images/images_2/andy/yellow_jacket/yellow_jacket03.jpg" width="818" /><br />detail of the stun gun nodes <br /><br />the iPhone's designers could never have conceived half of the the weird and wonderful accessories <br />that have been designed for use with the iPhone since its launch, but even in the name of self defense <br />a stun gun seems a bit much, doesn't it?</p></p>

yellow jacket stun gun case for iphone

yellow jacket is a case that transforms the iPhone 4 & 4S into that 650,000-volt stun gun you've always needed. scheduled to hit the...

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Now You Can Buy a $250,000 Nail Polish

<p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.45em; color: #363636; background-color: #ffffff;"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-277604" height="369" src="http://cdn.fashionista.com/uploads/2012/08/bottle-150x369.jpg?9d7bd4" style="margin: 0px 20px 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: #cccccc; max-width: 100%; float: left;" title="bottle" width="150" />Remember that time when everyone got all freaked out about thatsnakeskin pedicure that cost $300? Well, get ready to completely lose it, because we just got a press release for the “most expensive nail polish in the world.”</p><p>That title was previously held by Models Own, which produced a $130,000 bottle (featuring a 24-carat gold, diamond-encrusted lid) back in 2010. However, the self-professed “king of black diamonds,” Azature, has doubled that figure. A bottle of black nail polish containing a whopping 267 carats of black diamonds in the actual polish will go for $250,000. Yikes. You won’t be able to just walk into Duane Reade and buy this sucker, however–only one bottle of the stuff will be produced.</p><p>For those of us who can’t afford a quarter of a million dollars for a manicure, Azature is offering a $25 version (see, now doesn’t $25 nail polish sound downright cheap in comparison?) containing one measly black diamond. You’ll be able to pick it up in LA at Fred Segal starting this month.</p>

Now You Can Buy a $250,000 Nail Polish

Remember that time when everyone got all freaked out about thatsnakeskin pedicure that cost $300? Well, get ready to completely lose it, bec...

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Estepona Town Hall sacks 176 municipal workers

<p>The news was given on Wednesday by the Councillor for Personnel, Pilar Fernández-Figares Estepona Town Hall has sacked 176 municipal workers. The PP Councillor for Personnel, Pilar Fernández-Figares, announced on Wednesday that the 176 workers are victims of the ERE Employment Regulation which the Town Hall put forward in June. The workers will be compensated with 2.5 million € and they will be given their ‘finiquito payments of 408,000 € between them. Pilar Fernández-Figares said one they were sacked the Town Hall will start to work on a new ‘training program for the reinsertion of the sacked workers’.</p>

Estepona Town Hall sacks 176 municipal workers

The news was given on Wednesday by the Councillor for Personnel, Pilar Fernández-Figares Estepona Town Hall has sacked 176 municipal workers...

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The workforce request the dismissal of the Chief of the Local Police

<p><img alt="The workforce request the dismissal of the Chief of the Local Police Andaluz TV News" src="http://www.andaluz.tv/news/crea_tn.php?gd=2&src=../img_andalucia/fotos_noticias/news_andaluztv_9649.jpeg&maxw=600" style="border: none; color: #000066; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left; background-color: #fcfcfc;" /><br style="color: #000066; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left; background-color: #fcfcfc;" /></p><p style="color: #000066; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left; background-color: #fcfcfc;"><span style="color: #000000;">For months andaluz.tv has been reporting on the situation of the Local Police of Marbella. For example, police cars that have no vehicle inspection certificates, the lack of equipment & personnel to guarantee the security of the City. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: #000000;">Also, the Local Police have a Chief who worked under the Gil & Gil Party in Marbella & has, because of being a trustworthy person of the present Mayoress, Angeles Muñoz, a lot of freedom, that has provoked some serious accusations. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: #000000;">andaluz.tv is going to omit, at the moment, to give any details about the accusations, but what happened last Wednesday during a General Assembly of the Local Police of Marbella, says a lot & has never happened before in the history of Spain.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #000000;">At the Assembly were 286 police, which is 85% of the workforce. These voted, after a heated discussion, for the dismissal of the Chief of the Local Police, Rafael Mora, with a majority of 96%. During the discussion, words like liar, coward & incapable popped up time and time again. Others were more explicit, but as previously mentioned, we are not going into more detail now. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: #000000;">This joint action from the Local Police is a clear indication that some really bad things have been accumulating over sometime, to cause almost 100% of the workforce to vote for the dismissal of their Chief.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #000000;">andaluz.tv has been requesting the resignation of the Mayoress, Angeles Muñoz, for months. Muñoz has led a product such as Marbella into bankruptcy & has shown with a series of scandals, that she is not capable to govern the City. At these levels, where even the Local Police of the Townhall are confronting the Mayoress, now would be the moment for Muñoz to present her resignation. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: #000000;">andaluz.tv asked the Townhall for a statement on these events, but as what always happens, there is no “official commentary".</span></p>

The workforce request the dismissal of the Chief of the Local Police

For months andaluz.tv has been reporting on the situation of the Local Police of Marbella. For example, police cars that have no vehicle ins...

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Kym Marsh's hen weekend ended in controversy when one of her friends was pushed into the path of an oncoming car during the break in Puerto Banus

<p><img alt="Kym Marsh" height="401" src="http://files.list.co.uk/images/2012/02/19/22cc62f6357a011038da7f8f92cb01ef29feed8d.jpg" width="618" /><p>Kym Marsh</p><p>Kym Marsh's hen weekend ended in controversy when one of her friends was pushed into the path of an oncoming car during the break in Puerto Banus on the Costa del Sol.</p><p>Kym Marsh's hen weekend ended in controversy when one of her friends was pushed into the path of an oncoming car.</p><p>The 'Coronation Street' star - who is to tie the knot with former 'Hollyoaks' actor Jamie Lomas in September - rushed to help her pal Nicola Martone, who narrowly avoided being seriously injured after a drunk reveller shoved her towards a 4x4 vehicle during their stay in Puerto Banus on the Costa del Sol.</p><p>An onlooker told the Daily Star newspaper: "He was staggering all over and pushed one of Kym's friends forcefully into the path of a car as he bumped into her."</p><p>Following the altercation, which occurred when Kym and her friends were returning to their hotel after partying in nightspot News Café, a local resident grabbed the drunk and handed him over to the authorities.</p><p>Kym was joined on her hen do by a number of soap stars including 'Coronation Street' actress Beverley Callard - who played Liz McDonald in the ITV show - as well as Shobna Gulati, Charley Webb and Sheree Murphy.</p><p>During her hen weekend, Kym wrote on twitter: "Having an AMAZING time for my hen do! Just got back from a fab day in the sun, now gettin ready to Party party! Missing my j and babas tho! (sic)"</p></p>

Kym Marsh's hen weekend ended in controversy when one of her friends was pushed into the path of an oncoming car during the break in Puerto Banus

Kym Marsh Kym Marsh's hen weekend ended in controversy when one of her friends was pushed into the path of an oncoming car during the br...

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