Bay City Rollers bizarre 'fan' is posing as the guitarist in Spain and dining out on tales of pop stardom.

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As the bass player in the Bay City Rollers, Alan Longmuir was part of one of the biggest bands on the planet, racking up a string of hits in the 1970s.
But while 62-year-old Alan is living a quiet life in Stirling, Scotland, a bizarre 'fan' is posing as the guitarist in Spain and dining out on tales of pop stardom.
The Bye Bye Baby bassist admits he had his share of obsessed fans over the years but the fake Alan Longmuir is the first time anyone's gone as far as pretending to be him.
The second Alan Longmuir reportedly lives in the Costa Blanca in Spain and has been telling people he is a former member of the 'tartan teen sensations'.
The imposter bears an uncanny resemblance to the real Alan Longmuir and after telling a string of detailed stories about his time in the band and his personal life, the has managed to convince many that he's the real Roller.
But the suggestion that he's living the life of an ex-pat in Spain has come as news to the real Alan Longmuir, who says he is surprised to hear his identity has been 'stolen'.
'There are some real weirdos out there,' he said. 'I've had them all - from one girl who used to post cornflakes through my letter box every morning so I'd have my breakfast, to people who just follow you around.
'But this is the first time I'm aware of anyone else actually pretending to be me.
'Makes you wonder why someone would do it - after all, it's more than 30 years since the Rollers were famous.'


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Civil Guard breaks atheletes' codes in the Galgo doping case

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Civil Guard breaks atheletes' codes in the Galgo doping case: "Guardia Civil investigation into the Galgo doping case in Spanish athletics continues, and reports indicate that the codes used in the doping charts found in the house of trainer, Manuel Pascua, have now been broken.

Although the name of Marta Domínguez has been making the case headlines in Spain, other athletes are implicated such as Nuria Fernández who was 1,500m European gold medallist, along with Reyes Estévez, Alemaneyu Bezabeh, Digna Murillo, Eugenio Barrios, the Dutch Adrienne Herzog and Miguel Quedasa.

Marca newspaper says the Guardia Civil has established how each sheet of found in Pascua’s house corresponds to the doping schedule for each athlete.

It seems Pascua limited his action to an injection of IGF-1 an insulin growth factor type one, similar to insulin it helps the formation of muscle and improves performance."

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US companies sold subprime mortgages to immigrants in Spain

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US companies sold subprime mortgages to immigrants in Spain: "special report in the English language El País newspaper has highlighted how tens of thousands of immigrants to Spain found themselves with impossible debts thanks to products set up by US companies.

Most would recognise the system as sub-prime mortgages, but here in Spain they were marketed as ‘welcome mortgage’ and designed at the height of the property boom in 2005 specifically for immigrants.

The paper reports on one of the companies offering the product, Credit Services. They once had 600 branches across the country, they now have just 80. The company owner has admitted that he has earned more than one million € in commissions. Although these companies dealt with the immigrant public, the loans were always organised via US companies."

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Central Bank Says Spain Has Up to 1.1 Million Unsold Homes, Prices to Fall - Bloomberg

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Central Bank Says Spain Has Up to 1.1 Million Unsold Homes, Prices to Fall - Bloomberg: "Spain has between 700,000 and 1.1 million unsold homes, an amount that will drag on a recovery in the housing market as prices will probably keep falling in 2011, the Bank of Spain said.

“We will see a process of gradual absorption of accumulated excess supply, which will be slow and mean that housing investment will not contribute to the growth of activity in the near future,” the banking regulator said in its monthly economic bulletin published today.

While new-home construction soared during Spain’s property boom to 750,000 units in 2007, it dropped to 137,000 in the 12 months through September, a figure that probably won’t increase much anytime soon, the Bank of Spain said."

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Tributes to Scottish blues musician killed in motorbike crash in Spain - Herald Scotland | News | Home News

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Tributes to Scottish blues musician killed in motorbike crash in Spain - Herald Scotland | News | Home News: "Nick Johnson, 48, from Edinburgh, was killed in the crash on December 23.

Friends and colleagues have paid tribute to the well known blues guitarist and singer who had moved to the Catalonia region of Spain several years ago.

The crash was the second horrific accident he had been involved in since moving to the coastal town of Vilanova i la Geltru.

He spent six weeks in hospital following a car crash in January 2009 in which he fractured his skull, pelvis, collarbone, wrist and the thumb on his right hand.

He also suffered four broken ribs, memory loss and severe burns to his lower legs.

On his MySpace page, Mr Johnson said his first crash had been a “stroke of good luck” – leading him to lose more than 75kgs in weight.

He is survived by his nine-year-old daughter Lucy."

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Train across France completes 'hell on wheels' journey

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Train across France completes 'hell on wheels' journey: "Bad weather, a late driver, a bad engine, a blockage on the line and disruptive drunks all played a part.

It was 'hell on wheels', one traveller tweeted as the SNCF offered refunds.

Leaving Strasbourg on the German border at 2130 (2030 GMT) on Sunday, the 4295 had been scheduled to arrive in Portbou on the border with Spain at 0830 on Monday.

Part of the train, which was to split in Lyon, had been destined for Nice on the French Riviera.

However, on reaching Belfort, just 120km (75m) out of Strasbourg, the train decided to replace its driver on health and safety grounds, as the individual had been working for three days.

A replacement had to be brought up from Lyon and did not arrive until about 0600, the SNCF said."

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Spanish Household Power Prices to Jump - WSJ.com

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Spanish Household Power Prices to Jump - WSJ.com: "Spanish government's move to raise household electricity prices by 9.8% from Jan. 1 could stoke inflationary pressures as the higher prices pass through households and into the larger economy.

The increase will affect around 17 million Spanish households that rely on the so-called 'price of last resort,' the only one still set by the government after the sector was liberalized in recent years, Spain's industry ministry said late Monday. This price is available only to households using less than 10 kilowatt hours that decline to negotiate directly with power companies.

The increase adds to inflationary pressures facing consumers. Spain's consumer-price index rose 2.3% in November from a year earlier, a pace that is among fastest in the euro zone and above the European Central Bank's 2% ceiling for the region."

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Latin America considered the most dangerous region for journalists - Glendale Foreign Policy | Examiner.com

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Latin America considered the most dangerous region for journalists - Glendale Foreign Policy | Examiner.com: "During this year, 35 journalists were killed in Latin America, making the region the most dangerous place for the media, denounced this Monday the “Press Emblem Campaign” (PEC). According to the Swiss NGO, a total of 105 Communication professionals were murdered in 33 countries around the world this 2010.

The PEC report noted, however, that this past year was slightly better than 2009, which registered the killing of 122 journalists. PEC Secretary General Blaise Lempen said that this situation “has become an epidemic with no cure (...) The International Community has not found solutions to it, or put in place effective mechanisms for bringing the perpetrators of those crimes against journalists to trial.”"

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Selective WikiLeaks: The Untold Story of Abu Omar | The Weekly Standard

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Selective WikiLeaks: The Untold Story of Abu Omar | The Weekly Standard: "251,287. That’s the number of confidential U.S. diplomatic cables that WikiLeaks claims to have obtained. 1,897. That’s the number of confidential U.S. diplomatic cables that, according to WikiLeaks’s own count, have thus far been published on its website: not even 1 percent of the reported total. At the current rate of publication, the much vaunted “over 250,000” documents should be online and available to the public in their entirety by sometime in 2021—supposing the WikiLeaks website still exists at that time.


But whereas WikiLeaks has withheld the documents from the public, five handpicked media organizations have enjoyed exclusive access to the complete stash. A more glaring violation of WikiLeaks’s supposed commitment to “radical transparency” could hardly be imagined. Moreover, the selection of the five newspapers enjoying privileged access has clearly not been arbitrary."

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Detainees in Morocco subjected to torture | The New Age Online

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Detainees in Morocco subjected to torture | The New Age Online: "More than 150 people remain in detention following last month's deadly Moroccan raid on a Western Sahara squatter camp, and some have been subjected to torture, a rights group said on Friday.

'Some 156 people, including four women, are currently detained - 147 in Laayoune, and nine at Sale, near Rabat, waiting to appear before a military tribunal,' said the Moroccan Association for Human Rights in a report. 'Detainees have been subjected to torture, and inhumane and degrading treatment: beatings, insults, slander ... and threat of rape.'

Moroccan police were investigating crimes such as destruction of public property or violence against security forces.
Morocco said 11 security officers and at least two civilians were killed in the November 8 raid on the camp near the major city of Laayoune, while the Western Sahata's separatist Polisario Front said the toll was much higher.

The Moroccan parliament set up a commission in late November to investigate events after the dismantling of the camp.
The rights organisation called on Rabat to establish a 'neutral and honest' enquiry."

Gibraltar Increases Taxes Tenfold for Top UK Online Sportsbooks

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Gibraltar Increases Taxes Tenfold for Top UK Online Sportsbooks: "During the last few years, several top online sportsbooks in the UK moved their headquarters to Gibraltar in order to take advantage of the low taxes offered by the overseas territory. The United Kingdom taxes online sports betting operations a hefty 15%, while Gibraltar’s tax was a lazy 1%, with a cap of €500,000. All that is about to change.

The government of Gibraltar has announced their decision to raise taxes on internet betting groups to 10%, which is the amount paid by all other businesses in the country. The change is being made in order to comply with European Union laws.

Gibraltar minister Peter Caruana explains, 'To comply with EU law we must phase out the tax-exempt company system in 2010. However, in order to sustain our successful economic model we must retain a commitment to a very competitive corporate tax model.' Companies in Gibraltar that offer internet betting in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world will still be exempt from paying VAT, so despite the raise in taxes, they will still come out ahead."

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Gibraltar raises gaming levy but keeps its tax haven status

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Gibraltar raises gaming levy but keeps its tax haven status: "There is no strip and there is not much neon, but Gibraltar's gambler-friendly laws and tax regimes are turning it into a virtual Las Vegas. The Rock has always had an eye for business that is not entirely mainstream, whether smuggling cigarettes or serving as a tax haven, but in online gambling it has hit the jackpot.

The industry employs 2,000 people , or 12% of the workforce, and has helped to insulate the local economy against Spain's harsh economic climate.

Of 30,000 residents, only 600 people, are unemployed. Across the border in La Línea de Concepción, some 10,000 of the 65,000 inhabitants are out of work.

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

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Barclays has announced its decision to transfer the business of Barclays Private Clients International (Gibraltar) Limited to the Gibraltar branch of Barclays Bank PLC

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"Barclays has announced its decision to transfer the business of Barclays Private Clients International (Gibraltar) Limited to the Gibraltar branch of Barclays Bank PLC, following a rationalisation of the Barclays Gibraltar business.
A spokesman said that it is intended that the transfer of business and clients to the Gibraltar branch of Barclays Bank PLC will take effect by virtue of legislation, once passed by the Gibraltar Parliament. The transfer will take effect from the first quarter of 2011, and will not change the clients’ day-to-day banking/transactional service.

Barclays Wealth Country Manager Franco Cassar said: 'We can confirm that on the passing of the relevant legislation, all Barclays Private Clients International (Gibraltar) Limited contractual relationships with us will be moved to Barclays Bank PLC in Gibraltar. This will not impact our day-to-day service to clients for whom this transition will be completely seamless, nor will there be any effect on jobs. If clients do have any queries, they can of course contact us. We will also be writing to all our clients to explain the change.'"

Fernando del Valle, who faces a possible 17 years in prison and a fine of 36 million € for the millions of Euros allegedly laundered.

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Ballena Blanca money laundering case ready for sentencing: "accused is the Chilean lawyer based in Marbella, Fernando del Valle, who faces a possible 17 years in prison and a fine of 36 million € for the millions of Euros allegedly laundered.

Speaking in the court this Tuesday, del Valle said that in life, ‘I have committed many errors, but I have never committed any crimes’, and spoke of the thousands of hours which he said have been wasted on the case by hundreds of people.

He said he was convinced that the court would recognise his innocence, despite the charges against him which, as EFE reports, he claims to be the result of an agreement between the ‘police as the state’s oppressor, the prosecution service and a judge who many times forgot that his function was subject to the law’.

The Ballena Blanca investigation first hit the news with a raid in March 2005 on Fernando del Valle’s Marbella offices. More than 50 people were taken into custody at the time."

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Vatican Clarifies Pope Benedict’s Remarks on Condoms - NYTimes.com

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Vatican Clarifies Pope Benedict’s Remarks on Condoms - NYTimes.com: "The Vatican on Tuesday issued its most authoritative clarification on Pope Benedict XVI’s recent remarks that condoms could sometimes be used for disease prevention, saying that the pope in no way justified their use to prevent pregnancy.

The statement appeared to be a sign of the lingering confusion — and, perhaps, Vatican infighting — over the remarks. Approved by Benedict himself, it said his words had been “repeatedly manipulated” and did not “signify a change in Catholic moral teaching.”"

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Saudi King Abdullah leaves New York hospital

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 Saudi King Abdullah leaves New York hospital: "King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has left hospital in New York following back surgery.

The official Saudi news agency said the 86-year-old king would spend a period of convalescence at his New York residence.

King Abdullah has undergone two operations to treat vertebrae and a herniated disc. Officials said both were successful.

His half-brother, Crown Prince Sultan, has been in charge in his absence."

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Spain votes for tough smoking ban

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 Spain votes for tough smoking ban: "Spanish lawmakers have voted to approve a tough new anti-smoking law, meaning that from 2 January, bars and restaurants will be no-smoking zones.

Smokers will also not be allowed to light up on television broadcasts, near hospitals or in school playgrounds.

The bill, proposed by PM Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and his governing Socialist Party, was passed in the lower house by 189 votes to 154.

Bar and cafe owners fear the law will adversely affect business."

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Local banks in Spain are responsible for a flood of foreclosed properties set to hit the Spanish real estate market in 2011

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Local banks in Spain are responsible for a flood of foreclosed properties set to hit the Spanish real estate market in 2011, it is claimed.
There are now around 100,000 foreclosed homes on the market in Spain according to Madrid based Pisos Embargados de Bancos, a company that lists a quarter of that amount on behalf of 25 Spanish banks. They estimate this figure will triple to 300,000 in 2011 which could see prices fall even further at a time when the country’s economic situation is still fragile.

Whilst Spain’s economics minister, Elena Salgado, has declared that there is ‘absolutely no need’ for an Irish style rescue and Prime Minister Zapatero continues to be confident that the Government is doing enough to avert a debt crisis, the real problems are going on at sub national level.

Although central government spending has indeed been scaled back and national debt this year will ‘only’ be 60% of GDP compared with Ireland’s near 100%, it’s Spain’s 17 autonomous regions that account for over half of the public sector deficit making it difficult to impose reforms. It’s also in the regions where the banking problems lie and the effects of the property crash have been felt the hardest.

‘When the property bubble burst, the larger national banks such as Santander and BBVA were well capitalised but the regional savings banks, the cajas, found themselves vastly exposed to the ailing construction and development sectors. Instead of emulating the national banks and putting the brakes on lending in 2006/07, the cajas did the reverse and tapped the wholesale debt markets to fund themselves,’ explained Greg Butcher, founder of Fairhomes Ltd, a cross sector real estate company with assets in the UK, Germany, Gibraltar, Singapore and the Netherlands.

‘This alone put them in jeopardy but add the fact that they supplied about half of the €318 million borrowed by Spanish property developers, loans which now represent about a fifth of the cajas assets, and you’ll understand why the outlook is so grim for them and for Spain,’ he added.

He explained that the main problem is that the balance sheets of the cajas still look quite healthy as they routinely overvalue their foreclosed property stock. ‘In a bid to make their rapidly depreciating assets look attractive to buyers, cajas are offering 100% mortgages, non payment windows, extended terms up to 50 years, interest free options and rates as low as 0.3 to 0.5% above Euribor,’ he said.

‘In order to do this, however, they’re inflating market prices by 25 to 40% which is not, realistically, going to help shift a glut of hundreds of thousands of homes. Neither is it going to enable us to judge the real price of property in Spain today.’

New accounting rules from the Bank of Spain are, however, expected to force lenders to make provision for bad loans after just 12 months rather than the current 72. ‘This will give banks a huge incentive to lower prices and get rid of the foreclosed homes rather than prolonging the agony,’ warned Butcher.

‘It’s hoped that the capital raised will prevent Spain from requiring an Irish style bailout but, as prices are squeezed down, the caja’s balance sheets will look even more vulnerable making European aid an increasingly likely scenario,’ he added.

‘With experts predicting Spain’s banks and Government having to raise €73 billion in the first four months of 2011 and the Economist reckoning property to still be overvalued by 47.6%, it’s clear that Spain has a painful correction process ahead. We may see Salgado and Zapatero having to eat their words,’ he concluded.
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The Spanish economy will shrink by 0.2% this year and grow by just 0.9% in 2011

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The Spanish economy will shrink by 0.2% this year and grow by just 0.9% in 2011, according to the latest report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The blows of the last two years will leave 'lasting' scars.

Such as?

For a start, the unemployment rate is a shocking 20.7% and is unlikely to fall any time soon. That means one in five people who want a job don't have one. In the UK, unemployment is 7.9%.

The country is also heavily in debt and borrowing hit 11% of GDP last year - more than twice the previous year's spending gap.

Will Spain need rescuing?

Perhaps. Greece and Ireland have already been bailed out and attention has now switched to Spain and Portugal. Borrowing costs in Spain are high because nervous investors are worried about lending it money.

The OECD says Spain is tackling the situation through tax rises and spending cuts but this might not be enough.

Why not?

More than half of the deficit is 'structural'. This means the finances will not improve on their own as the economy recovers. The OECD says Spain needs an 'urgent' overhaul of its pension system and employment laws to make it easier for businesses to hire and fire staff.



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Court upholds death sentence against Bangladeshi drug smuggler

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Court upholds death sentence against Bangladeshi drug smuggler: "Court of Appeals recently upheld the verdict of the lower court and sentenced a Bangladeshi man, identified only as A.H., to capital punishment for smuggling heroin into the country for trafficking, reports Al-Anba daily.
On Aug 25, 2010 the Criminal Court had sentenced the man to death.
Case papers indicate the accused was arrested when he arrived at the Kuwait International Airport. The customs officer suspected the behavior of the man and checked his baggage but failed to find the drugs.
He was then referred to the Farwaniya Hospital and an X-ray showed strange objects inside his stomach. He was given a laxative and he purged 32 capsules filled with heroin."

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Junta de Andalucía wants to demolish homes built illegally in flood plains

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Junta de Andalucía wants to demolish homes built illegally in flood plains: "Junta de Andalucía has indicated that it wants to move ahead with the demolition of homes built in flood plains across the region. The problem has been highlighted in the Guadalquivir valley by recent flooding and that led to the creation of a commission to investigate.

Regional Councillor for Government and Justice, Luis Pizarro, said that in some cases works to avoid flooding can be sped up, but in others it is clear that hundreds of illegally built properties cannot be protected and should not be in the river beds where flooding is inevitable.

Pizarro said that the Junta has to work with the local Town Halls to ensure that people no longer live in such property, noting that the building added to the likelihood that rivers could burst their banks. However he said that it was too soon to consider there was just one solution for all such cases.

In Córdoba a proposal has been made allowing residents of the illegal properties to opt for renting council housing if they accept the demolition of their homes. The city’s councillor for town planning, Francisco Tejada, said the offer would only apply to those whose main place of residence was under threat. Some 360 properties were affected in the city by the recent floods."

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Spanish Parliament extends emergency measures at airports - Fox News Latino

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Spanish Parliament extends emergency measures at airports - Fox News Latino: "Spain's Parliament voted Thursday to extend emergency measures at airports until Jan. 15 to guarantee air-traffic-control service over the holiday season.
The 'state of alarm,' decreed on Dec. 4, was prolonged thanks to the support of the governing Socialist Party, the Basque Nationalist Party and the Catalan nationalist Convergence and Union coalition.
The conservative, main opposition Popular Party abstained from the vote, while leftist and other minority parties voted against the measure.
The government defended the need to extend the decree, saying Thursday that it would ensure normal air traffic during the Christmas season and that 'mere uncertainty' would exact a high toll on the country and represent a serious threat to Spain's tourism sector.
Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's government militarized the air-traffic-control system Dec. 3 after controllers walked out en masse, grounding hundreds of thousands of travelers at the beginning of a long holiday weekend.
The following day, the Socialist premier declared a state of alarm, which makes the controllers subject to military command and discipline and liable for criminal prosecution if they refuse to work.
This is the first time a Spanish government has resorted to imposing a state of alarm since the end of the 1939-1975 dictatorship of Francisco Franco.
The sickout was a response to the government's adoption of new regulations likely to extend controllers' working hours and the announcement of plans to sell off 49 percent of AENA, the state corporation that manages Spain's airports.
Air controllers will not mount any job actions during the holiday period, their union said last week"

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PSJailbreak ruled legal in Spain - AfterDawn

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PSJailbreak ruled legal in Spain - AfterDawn: "Sony's efforts to obliterate the PSJailbreak USB dongle that enables homebrew code to be launched on some PS3 consoles have been dealt a blow in Spain.
After already scoring some victories against PSJailbreak, including a notable victory in Australia, Sony's efforts have been impacted by a court in Spain.

Sony's decision to kill the OtherOS functionality in the PlayStation 3 (PS3) console may have hurt it badly in this case. The feature had originally been killed off due to concerns about the system's security, which remained strong at the time with the known information.

However, the court No 8 Mercantil de Barcelona noted that Sony originally was selling the PS3 console with the ability to run an operating system that would support some level of homebrew software. More importantly however, the court seems to have been of the opinion that if you buy a games console or similar piece of equipment, then you own it and should be free to do what you like with it, including modify it."

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Marbella starting to see results from urban plan | Costa del Sol | News | The Largest English Language Newspapers in Spain

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Euro Weekly News Marbella starting to see results from urban plan Costa del Sol News The Largest English Language Newspapers in Spain: "316 homes in Marbella have been legalised and around 1,000 should be legal before the end of the year. Thanks to this formula for legalising homes, the town hall has already earnt more than €2 million in fees.
Santa Maria Green Hills and El Palmeral have handed over land and €1.3 million in exchange for the legalisation of 227 apartments, and another 89 on La Corniche urbanization have been approved for legalisation, and thus, the new General Plan for Urban Development in Marbella continues to erase the town’s turbulent past.

In this case, they have handed over €712,000 and 12,031 square metres of land, as well as a fee of €250,000 to guarantee that they will carry out the promised work in the area.
The process is a little slow, as the legalisation has to be approved, and the money and deeds transferred before it is considered official. But the town hall is pleased with the progress."

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AFP: Spanish flamenco star Enrique Morente dead at 67: family

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AFP: Spanish flamenco starEnrique Morente dead at 67: family: "One of Spain's leading flamenco singers, Enrique Morente, died Monday at a Madrid hospital where he had been in coma following an operation for an ulcer, his family said. He was 67.
'After several days of a tough struggle against death, Enrique Morente, a unique performer and a wonderful person, has left an enormous void in our hearts and in the world of music, to which he devoted himself entirely and with delivery throughout his life,' his family said in a statement.
Morente had been in a coma since he underwent emergency surgery at La Luz private hospital on December 6, just two days after having the ulcer operation.
Earlier on Monday his family had said the singer had been diagnosed as brain dead although his vital signs were stable.
Criticised by some of his peers for having played with musicians from other musical styles, his admirers hail his constant efforts to modernise the centuries-old musical style that has come to represent Spain."

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Malaya case reopens with the questioning of Marbella lawyer Juan Germán Hoffman

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Malaya case reopens with the questioning of Marbella lawyer Juan Germán Hoffman: "German lawyer from Marbella, Juan Germán Hoffman, who is considered to be one of the front men for Juan Antonio Roca in the Malaya case, has been declaring in Málaga today, Monday, as Spain’s largest municipal corruption case restarts.

He told the court that Roca, the then municipal real estate assessor in Marbella Town Hall, was ‘one of the partners’ in the Lispag A.G company which was established in Switzerland in 2001 using the capital from the Spanish company Yambali, which was the owner of land in Puerto Banús.

This is the plot of land which the ex Mayor, Julián Muñoz, is said to have used, to make six million € thanks to its reclassification to allow 11,000 square metres of building. It was purchased for 4.3 million € but only 800,000 € was declared on the escritura, and then José Avila Rojas purchased it for ten million €.

Hoffman is considered to have been Roca’s stooge in the purchase of a luxury boat used by the man at the centre of the case, as well as his private jet, officially purchased by him with other partners. It’s alleged the lawyer dealt with moving some of the funds to fiscal havens, and it is this money laundering side of the case which is now the centre of attention of the court."

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Britons lose millions on the Costa homes that never existed - Telegraph

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Britons lose millions on the Costa homes that never existed - Telegraph: "Investors bought off-the-plan apartments in a proposed development called Estepona Beach and Country Club, 30km west of Marbella.
In some cases, the prospective owners – many of whom were from Northern Ireland – put down an £85,000 deposit for their Spanish homes
However, the land still belonged to its original owner and the complex was never built."

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Spain is reeling at evidence that the US embassy in Madrid sought to strong-arm judges and prosecutors in cases that involved Americans.

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Spain is reeling at evidence that theUS embassy in Madrid sought to strong-arm judges and prosecutors in cases that involved Americans. Germans know that Washington sees its Foreign Minister as ''arrogant'' and vain.
The Poles have discovered their government got empty missile batteries - ''potted plants'' - rather than a step towards a defensive shield.
On runs the list of controversies, engulfing nearly every government. More is to follow; only a fraction of the leaked cables has emerged. The US will struggle to find room to advance other items on its foreign policy agenda.
But the erosion of trust in the US is only the beginning. Other countries have learned much about how Washington sees the world - its priorities, and perhaps most importantly, the gaps in its knowledge."

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US Forced Spanish Companies Cancel Contracts With Iran: Wikileaks Documents Reveal

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US Forced Spanish Companies Cancel Contracts With Iran: Wikileaks Documents Reveal: "Spain’s largest circulating newspaper El Pais revealed yesterday, that major Spanish banks and businesses were forced to leave Iran by the former Bush administration officials.
El Pais quoted a newly released Wikileaks document saying Spanish companies under constant pressure from Washington began to cancel out vital business cooperation with the Middle Eastern nation. The enormous damage caused o Spain as a result of following in the footsteps of the Uncle Sam can only be estimated.
The US diplomatic cables show Spanish officials were busy discouraging major companies to halt set up businesses in Iran while blocking investments and contracts already signed between large Spanish corporations including Repsol, Iberia, Union Fenosa as well as the Santander and Sabadell banks and Iran."

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Latest Wikileaks reveals Ambassador’s displeasure with Spanish prime minister - National Middle East Affairs | Examiner.com

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Latest Wikileaks reveals Ambassador’s displeasure with Spanish prime minister - National Middle East Affairs Examiner.com: "Five years after the 9/11 attacks, Spain seemed to be wavering in its commitment to the War on Terror. On April 4, 2004, newly elected Spanish prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero suddenly withdrew all 1,300 of his nation’s troops from Iraq. Since then, he continued to criticize the war, labeling the Iraqi occupation as a “huge disaster.”"

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WikiLeaks: US concern about terrorism in Spain

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The Associated Press: WikiLeaks: US concern about terrorism in Spain: "The U.S. grew so concerned about the possibility of an Islamist terrorist attack in Spain in 2007 that it proposed setting up a counterterrorism center in the country's second-largest city, according to confidential cables.
The three U.S. cables, released by WikiLeaks on Saturday, say the U.S. planned the 'counterterrorism, anti-crime and intelligence center' at its consulate in Barcelona.
The goal was 'combating the target-rich environment of terrorist and criminal activities centered in the region,' which has a 'presence of over 1 million Muslims,' a 2007 cable says.
In March 2004, a total of 191 people were killed and more than 1,800 wounded in bombing attacks on Madrid commuter trains. Islamic militants claimed responsibility.
One U.S. cable, dated 2005, sets the scene, saying that 'Spain is both a significant target of Islamic terrorist groups and a major logistical hub for Islamic extremist groups operating across the globe.'"

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US embassy feared Barcelona was an Islamist hub | Europe | Deutsche Welle | 12.12.2010

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US embassy feared Barcelona was an Islamist hub Europe Deutsche Welle 12.12.2010: "Fears that Barcelona was becoming a hub of terrorist activity prompted the US embassy in Spain to consider setting up a counterterrorism center in the city. The news is the latest WikiLeaks revelation to hit the media."

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WikiLeaks reveals a secret deal against Tampa's Odyssey Marine Exploration

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WikiLeaks reveals a secret deal against Tampa's Odyssey Marine Exploration: "A story of sunken treasure, Nazi art thieves and secret diplomatic cables would make a pretty good movie, but it's a true story playing out right here in Tampa. And like so much in the news lately it also involves WikiLeaks.
In 2007, Tampa based Odyssey Marine Exploration announced an historic discovery - a half billion dollars worth of gold and silver coins on the floor of the North Atlantic. The treasure was brought to the U.S., but Spain immediately claimed ownership sparking a legal battle.
Enter WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange whose massive release of classified documents revealed a secret deal between an American ambassador and Spanish officials.
The Guardian online found a diplomatic cable in which the American suggested he might be able to help Spain repatriate their coins if they would return a rare painting claimed by an American couple in San Diego.
Claude and Beverly Cassirer claim the Camile Pissarro painting “Rue St. Honore” was stolen from their family by the Nazis before it ended up in a Spanish museum. The American diplomat seemed to be suggesting a swap- the painting for the coins.
Odyssey Marine Exploration first learned about the leaked arrangement through the Guardian report."

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Wikileaks' Julian Assange: The most dangerous man in the world? - Telegraph

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Wikileaks' Julian Assange: The most dangerous man in the world? - Telegraph: "Julian Assange experienced something this week that he has not known since boyhood: a prolonged period without a computer. The editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks has spent the past four nights in Wandsworth Prison deprived of the laptop that constitutes one of his few possessions, waiting for the next stage in the extradition process that could result in his being put on trial in Sweden for the alleged sexual assault of two women.
Outside, the liberal establishment is rallying to his cause. John Pilger and A  L Kennedy were among those calling for his release yesterday, and there are allies of another kind: computer hackers from all corners of the world who have teamed up to attack websites that, under pressure from the American government, have withdrawn online donations and other facilities from WikiLeaks.
Mass releases of classified US material on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and now an avalanche of State Department cables, many embarrassing, have catapulted Assange and WikiLeaks to global prominence. Supporters say the sexual assault allegations are part of a campaign orchestrated by the US, which has suffered enormously from leaks, to discredit the creator of what has been described as “the most dangerous website in the world”."

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The Brooklyn Paper: WikiRabbi! Leaked diplomatic cables make a star out of Niederman

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The Brooklyn Paper: WikiRabbi! Leaked diplomatic cables make a star out of Niederman: "Brooklyn has its own “victim” of the WikiLeaks dump — Rabbi David Niederman!
Buried in the 251,287 just-revealed diplomatic cables and no-longer-secret documents was a message from the United States embassy in Madrid detailing an effort by Niederman and his Williamsburg-based United Jewish Organizations to protect 15th-century Jewish gravesites discovered during construction projects in the Iberian peninsula, one of the cradles of modern Jewish civilization.
Across the world, governments have been reacting with outrage about the WikiLeaks dump — but in Brooklyn, Niederman laughed about the suddenly unsecret three-year-old cable from the embassy to Sen. Joe Lieberman (D–Connecticut).
“This is terrible!” he joked. “There are no secrets anymore.”
Rep. Ed Towns (D–Fort Greene) was also caught in the WikiLeaks net.
“Based on the interest of concerned Americans … among them Rep. Ed Towns and Rabbi David Niederman, [we] have expressed our concern to the Spanish government that these culturally and religiously sensitive sites need to be protected and handled in a manner in keeping with the wishes of the Jewish community in Spain,” read the diplomatic cable from then–Ambassador Eduardo Aguirre."

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Bluetongue disease puts Morocco, Algeria livestock at risk

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gulftoday.ae Bluetongue disease puts Morocco, Algeria livestock at risk: "MOROCCO and Algeria have been added to the list of countries whose livestock are affected by Bluetongue disease. Importing susceptible animals from these countries, therefore, should be under preconditions, said the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water (MoEW).

Bluetongue disease or catarrhal fever is a non-contagious, non-zoonotic, insect-borne viral disease afflicting ruminants mainly sheep and less frequently cattle, goats, buffalo, deer, dromedaries and antelope. It is caused by the Bluetongue virus.

The MoEW has attached the names of Morocco and Algeria to the Ministerial Decree No.(192) for the year 2009 on animals affected by Bluetongue disease.

The adoption of the resolution was based on information received from the World Organisation for Animal Health as both countries are the hotbeds of the Bluetongue disease."

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easyJet flight boost for Gibraltar Airport | Easier

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easyJet flight boost for Gibraltar Airport Easier: "As the eagerly awaited £100 million terminal nears completion, easyJet has announced its intention to launch a brand new route into Gibraltar Airport from Liverpool’s John Lennon. The three times a week service, to begin 29 March, will complement easyJet’s existing London Gatwick schedule and compete against Monarch Airlines’ Manchester route – also three times a week.
Brian Stevendale, Sales & Marketing Director for Ocean Village, an award-winning mixed-use marina development within literally a few hundred metres of the runway, comments, “With so much expansion underway in Gibraltar at the moment, it comes as little surprise that airlines are keen to cash-in on the Rock’s success. We are experiencing a huge influx of gaming, financial services and entertainment enterprises attracted by Gibraltar’s low-tax environment. Office space is at capacity, so much so that we are building a 15,000m² World Trade Centre to satisfy demand. With global commerce comes international travel and easyJet will have the business traveller in mind as much as the holidaymaker keen to experience Gibraltar’s unique history, culture and warm Mediterranean climate.”"

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150 gypsy families fled following a fight between two men over the same girl

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 in Torneiros and Tui, in Northwest Spain, were practically empty of stalls last week after 150 gypsy families fled following a fight between two men over the same girl. Despite the mass exodus, the details of this romantic drama have remained a secret to the outside world. It is thought the love triangle involved rival families.



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Spain PM allows army to take control of air space | Reuters

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Spain PM allows army to take control of air space Reuters: "Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has allowed the army to take over control of Spanish air space following the mass walkout of air traffic controllers, a Public Works Ministry spokeswoman said on Friday."

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Spanish airport workers announce Christmas strike action

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 Spanish airport workers announce Christmas strike action: "Employees of the Spanish Airports Authority, AENA, have announced strike action at Christmas against the Government’s plans for partial privatisation.
AENA say they are yet to decide on the exact dates and form of their protests, but these will be announced after the Constitution Bank Holiday on December 9.

Unions CCOO, UGT and USO will hold a coordinating meeting next week with members of the USCA air traffic controllers union, to decide on exact dates and action.

Members of the AENA board have described the announcement of the granting of concessions for the private management of Madrid and Barcelona airports as amounting to ‘bumping off AENA’."

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Missing costa girl seen in Thailand

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Missing costa girl seen in Thailand: "Natacha Zabell went missing on Wednesday night and has now been seen in Thailand

We were contacted by a reader who reported that a two year old girl had gone missing from Benahavis on the Costa del Sol.

Natacha Zabell was last seen at 7,20pm on Wednesday night, but has now been seen in Phukett, Thailand, with her mother.

Her father has released the following official statement...

Kuno Zabell, a loving father to 2 year old Natacha is today in great distress. On the 1st of December his daughter disappeared and his close friends have tried to do their upmost to help him find her. The facebook event created under the name of 'HELP FIND NATACHA - Disappeared in Marbella 1st Dec 7PM', has reached a staggering 24,000 people in just 13 hours, and everybody wanted to know further info and the exact circumstances, for passing onto many more.

Danish Kuno, a resident of Marbella, has lived in Thailand for the last few years where he also found romance. Having met a Thai girl he thought could be his life partner, he settled down and shortly after a baby girl, Natacha, was born. Kuno explains that he loves his child dearly but soon realised that her mother was not sharing these emotions and circumstances were not at all adequate back in Thailand for bringing up Natacha. He thought she could benefit from being based in Europe, allowing her a chance for what he thought of as a better life."

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