Moody's Threatens Spain Downgrade - WSJ.com

Moody's Threatens Spain Downgrade - WSJ.com: "Moody's Investors Service warned Wednesday it may downgrade Spanish government debt, citing the country's refinancing needs next year and the strain of recapitalizing its debt-strapped banks.
The ratings company put on review for possible downgrade the Aa1 local and foreign-currency ratings on the debt of the Spanish government and the government-guaranteed Fund for Orderly Bank Restructuring (FROB) bank-bailout fund. The move hurt the recently steady euro by highlighting concerns over the spread of the European debt crisis from peripheral countries like Greece to bigger nations closer to the euro-zone core.
Moody's said a downgrade could be triggered by 'Spain's vulnerability to funding stress given its high refinancing needs in 2011,' a problem that 'has recently been amplified by fragile market confidence.'"

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American Club of the Costa del Sol celebrate Thanksgiving | Olive Press Newspaper | News Spain

American Club of the Costa del Sol celebrate Thanksgiving Olive Press Newspaper News Spain: "PUTTING to bed any rumours of discontent in the ranks of the American Club of the Costa del Sol, over 150 members and guests gathered to celebrate Thanksgiving in style.
Following a difficult year for the Marbella chapter, which saw some members form a break-away club, the remaining majority still joined in the festivities which included a traditional meal of turkey with all the trimmings.
And the club, which was formed 36 years ago, also took the opportunity to present founding member Dorothy Kravitz with the Dr Paul Castelle Award for her outstanding contribution to the club."

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More suspects revealed in Malaya investigation

More suspects revealed in Malaya investigation: "It’s been revealed by the EFE news agency that four former employees of El Monte, the Seville savings bank which now forms part of Cajasol, have been charged in the Malaya case and are to appear in court next Monday. The suspects have not been named, but they are understood to have been employed in management positions at El Monte."

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Andalucia airports operated all flights were scheduled, both take-off and landing

Ya hay normalidad en todos los aeropuertos de Andalucía - abcdesevilla.es: "Andalucia airports operated all flights were scheduled, both take-off and landing, until seven o'clock Sunday evening after the Sabbath Spanish airspace reopened after the massive cuts in air traffic controllers.
San Pablo Airport in Seville until seven in the evening had operated 61 flights out of 105 planned.
Civil Protection reported yesterday to Spanish Airports and Air Navigation (AENA) to the local police in Seville by the failure to file a claim form from the Junta de Andalucia at the airport and San Pablo, lacking AENA of the document in which intended to express the 'precarious' situation that happened in the early hours of yesterday a group of Saharawi children, two of whom are sick, having to sleep on a cardboard. Rafael Gálvez Head of Civil Protection Moclinejo (Málaga), which cover on their way to these children in poor health, have ensured that even one of them is 'newly operated.'"

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Briton held for alleged sexual attack in Marbella | Costa del Sol | News | The Largest English Language Newspapers in Spain

Euro Weekly News | Briton held for alleged sexual attack in Marbella | Costa del Sol | News | The Largest English Language Newspapers in Spain: "BRITISH man who works in public relations in Marbella has been arrested accused of sexually assaulting a client. The 27-year-old detainee met his client in his place of work, and later shared two drinks with her and invited her back to his home.
Once in his home the man allegedly grabbed the victim by the neck and hair and forced her to have sex with him. The victim was also of British nationality.
After leaving his house the victim contacted a friend and told her what had happened. The victim then went to the police and filed a report and also went to hospital. Investigations to arrest the British man began in October."

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‘Ballena Blanca’ Costa del Sol money

Euro Weekly News | Request refused | Costa del Sol | News | The Largest English Language Newspapers in Spain: "ONE of the accused in the ‘Ballena Blanca’ Costa del Sol money laundering case expressed his wish to change his lawyer, but was refused by the court as they believe it to be a ruse."

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Traffic fines to be pubished on the internet in Spain

Traffic fines to be pubished on the internet in Spain: "DGT traffic authority in Spain is to start publishing traffic fines on the internet. From Thursday this week a list of all those drivers who the DGT have been unable to locate will be placed online.

Until the now the official notification of fines has been placed in the Official Provincial Bulletin, but one in three is not paid as the offending driver is not located. Now it is presumed that the driver does have internet access.

Ramón Ledesma from the DGT said that the current system often resulted in guilty drivers’ first finding out about their fine when their bank account is embargoed."

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Santa María Green Hills, in Las Chapas, and El Palmeral in Nueva Andalucía.Two urbanisations made legal in Marbella

Two urbanisations made legal in Marbella: "Marbella Town Hall has, this Tuesday, given the go-ahead to regularise more than 200 properties which were built illegally during the time the GIL Party was in power in the town. It affects two developments of a total of 225 houses, which are now made legal under Marbella’s new local development plan, the PGOU, and the compensations system set out under the plan.

The Town Hall gave the names of the urbanisations concerned in a press release on Tuesday as Santa María Green Hills, in Las Chapas, and El Palmeral in Nueva Andalucía.

In the first case, the developer’s compensation to the Town Hall for exceeding the ‘buildable’ area is payment of more than half a million €, plus carrying out improvements to the road which passes in front of the urbanisation. The agreement for the developer of El Palmeral, in addition to monetary compensation, is ceding an area of land to be used for social housing and another area for a park. Responsibility for creating the park will fall to the development company itself."

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Marbella will not carry out demolition orders | Costa del Sol | News | The Largest English Language Newspapers in Spain

Euro Weekly News | Marbella will not carry out demolition orders | Costa del Sol | News | The Largest English Language Newspapers in Spain: "MARBELLA Town Hall has informed the courts of the legal impossibility of carrying out demolition orders in the town. The new General Plan for Urban Development (PGOU) in Marbella which came into effect almost six months ago will legalise more than 16,500 homes which were built with licenses handed out illegally during the Gil era.
The aim is to protect the people who bought the properties in good faith from seeing their homes knocked down.
Some 900 demolition orders were sentenced by the court, but with the new PGOU the properties are now legal.
The town hall had already taken its plans, which were approved at a local meeting, to the Andalucian Supreme Court of Justice before the new PGOU was approved."

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Eight international criminals arrested in Spain

Eight international criminals arrested in Spain: "National Police say they have arrested eight international criminals wanted on charges of homicide, drug trafficking, frauds and other crimes including kidnap and people trafficking.

The arrests come thanks to international cooperation with Interpol, Europol and Sirene, and with help from judicial authorities in Belgium, Italy, France, Romania, the Unites States and here in Spain.

Most of the eight were involved in organised crime, including Richard S.P. from the United States who was arrested close to a restaurant in Barcelona Port. He is wanted for fraud and money laundering and defrauded his victims, most of whom were from the U.K., of 127 million dollars selling worthless shares in fictitious companies.

Also among those arrested are a couple known as the Belgium ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ who were wanted for fraud and other charges. Didier G and Patricia K were arrested close to their home in Peñiscola, Castellón.

40 year old Fabrice David N, from France, who jumped prison after a pass, when serving ten years for armed robbery, was arrested in Las Palmas.

The French authorities were also looking for 28 year old Abdelkader H, who faces two murder and kidnap charges. He was arrested last week in Benalmádena, Málaga"

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BBC News - Morocco 'raided Western Sahara camp to sabotage talks'

BBC News - Morocco 'raided Western Sahara camp to sabotage talks': "prominent human rights campaigner has told the BBC she believes the clearing of a protest camp in Western Sahara by Moroccan forces could be classed as a crime against humanity.
Aminatou Haidar, nicknamed the 'Gandhi of Sahara', said Morocco was deliberately escalating the clashes.
It was a tactic to block UN-sponsored talks on the territory, which was annexed by Morocco in 1975, she said.
At least eight people died in the violence on Monday.
Moroccan authorities have not reacted to Ms Haidar's comments - Morocco's London embassy told the BBC it was not entitled to comment on recent events in Western Sahara.
The region's pro-independence movement, the Polisario Front, said 11 people had been killed.
The Gadaym Izik camp was set up about a month ago outside Laayoune, the capital of the disputed territory, as a protest by displaced Sahrawi people about their living conditions. It was home to more than 12,000 people.
Polisario said Moroccan troops used live ammunition, tear gas and water cannon against thousands of people at the camp."

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French and Spanish car sales plunge in October | Reuters

French and Spanish car sales plunge in October | Reuters: "French and Spanish car sales plunged in October as Spain continued to suffer from the end of a scrappage scheme and France's reduced subsidy was not enough to prevent a drop versus the strong sales this time last year.
The subsidies launched to encourage drivers to trade in old cars were highly successful but carmakers are now facing tough comparisons with the booming sales last year when schemes boosted sales."

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Spain stirs it: New blast at England's 2018 World Cup bid | Mail Online

Spain stirs it: New blast at England's 2018 World Cup bid | Mail Online: "England's 2018 World Cup bid came under serious attack again yesterday in what has become open season since their ill-advised formal letter of complaint to FIFA.The latest broadside came from Spanish bid leader Miguel Angel Lopez, who accused England of colluding with the United States.He also called the London bid's international president David Dein 'telepathic or a prophet' and slammed the quality of England's hotels - all in breach of FIFA rules banning disparaging comments about other bidding countries."

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Russian bears treat graveyards as 'giant refrigerators' | World news | The Guardian

Russian bears treat graveyards as 'giant refrigerators' | World news | The Guardian: "Russian bears have grown so desperate after a scorching summer they have started digging up and eating corpses in municipal cemetries, alarmed officials said today. Bears' traditional food – mushrooms, berries and the odd frog – has disappeared, they added.
The Vezhnya Tchova incident took place on Saturday in the northern republic of Komi, near the Arctic Circle. The shocked women cried in panic, frightening the bear back into the woods, before they discovered a ghoulish scene with the clothes of the bear's already-dead victim chucked over adjacent tombstones, the Russian newspaper Moskovsky Komsomelets reported."

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Guardia Civil in Almeria are investigating the discovery of two bodies in two seperate cases opened yesterday.

Guardia Civil in Almeria are investigating the discovery of two bodies in two seperate cases opened yesterday.

The first was a man identified as a well-known farmer and whose body shows signs of violence and the other, an elderly woman who could have died up to two months ago, whose body was found alongside a highway.

The man's death occurred in Níjar and the victim has been identified as Francisco LP, a well-known local farmer. Locals have said they are horrified at the discovery of his body, which shows clear sign of violence.




The body has been found in the hamlet of San Isidro, an area devoted to growing fruit and vegetables in greenhouses.

The woman's body found at the height of kilometer 446 of the A-7, Huércal de Almeria, and corresponds to a person between sixty and seventy years of age. The body was found yesterday afternoon by a rambler in a ravine and the victim has not yet been identified. Doctors believe she could have been dead between two and three months, but will not say anything more until the forensic evidence is analysed.

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Huge rat attacks baby in cot

At dawn yesterday, the García Vázquez's, a local family from Almeria, underwent one of the most surreal and unpleasant episodes in their lives. Events began on Saturday night at the home in which they reside, located in Calle Federico García Lorca in the town of Huercal-Almeria, just outside the capital city Almeria.

Gonzalo and Ana and their two children, a 5 year old boy and a girl of 3 years, experienced a great shock in the early hours of Saturday night whilst resting peacefully at his home. Apparently, at 22.30 hours, the couple heard a scream from their youngest child who was in her room sleeping in her cot.

When investigating the distress call from his three year old daughter, Gonzalo found the small infant sitting up in bed with a wound on one finger. Gonzalo, who is a doctor, explained that "I took my daughter to the bathroom to heal her cut and then returned to his bedroom to find something which could have made the wound."

After finding nothing unusual, and seeing that his daughter wanted to go back to sleep, Gonzalo put his daughter back to bed and went back to sleep in his own room. "Within five minutes we awoke to another scream from our daughter" said the mother, Ana Garcia, who, with her husband, went running to the bedroom.



When they opened the room, they found another small cut on her finger, this time on the other hand and also realized that the bed and the pillow of the girl had several bloodstains.

"We thought the first cut could have been on a splinter or something on the bed, but when we saw the second wound, we instantly saw it was a bite" said the mother, who began searching the room for anything unusual.

30 centimeters of rodent

During the search, Ana García became aware of the existence of "a strange animal that quickly ran under one of the beds." They looked under the bed and saw it was nothing less than a rat about 30 centimeters long. "Such was the scare that we closed the bedroom door and we left quickly for Torrecárdenas Hospital for them to attend our daughter," said Gonzalo Vazquez.


Whilst their three year old daughter was being treated by doctors, parents began to make calls to get rid of the rodent that roamed the house. "We were astonished because when we call the Civil Guard they told us they did not offer any such service."
The same thing happened to contact pest control companies. "Despite offering a 24 hour service, they said they only gathered the corpses." So, finally, it was two friends of the couple who, after four hours of searching the house, found and killed the unwanted rodent.

The remains of the rodent has now been sent to Madrid to see if it is rabid and the child is under observation for any symptoms.

Neighbours in the Huercal-Almeria street say they have complained many times to the local townhall about the proliferation of rats due to several empty lots where rubbish has been accumulating, but that the townhall has so far refused to deal with the problem.

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Sean Connery and Micheline Roquebrune’ fight in the Goldfinger case

Sean Connery and Micheline Roquebrune’ fight in the Goldfinger case, the Costa del Sol development deal of Casa Malibu, has taken an unlikely turn. Sean Connery is now ignoring summons to appear, claiming he is too old to travel. Yet, as the Telegraph reports, Sean Connery was not too old in June to fly to the Edinburgh Film Festival (and even dance for the cameras during a news briefing), and he was not too old to fly to New York in April.

The couple have been ordered to appear in a case dubbed the “Goldfinger” case. There are no beautiful ladies in this case, just beautiful real estate. And while the case has sparked international news coverage, the logic of the case remains baffling to U.S. fans. Connery, himself, is equally baffled why he is being bothered over real estate dealings for a former property.

Sean Connery and his wife bought Casa Malibu in 1975 after their wedding, 11 years after Goldfinger. Richard Burton, Michael Caine, Omar Shariff and George Best were among their guests at the famed home.

Then in 1999, the couple sold the property for £5.5 million. The developer tore down their house, and built 70 flats, eventually sold for £45 million. Investigators have since claimed there were
irregularities in the reclassification of the land by the buyer. Police raided the officer of Connery’s local attorney Diaz-Basten & Truan. Multiple local officials are under investigation. Connery now lives in the Bahamas and has an NYC apartment on the Upper East Side, reports the Telegraph.

A “court worker” issues the following news statement to the Daily Mirror that “Mr Connery has informed the court in writing he won’t be coming today. He has cited health reasons and his advanced age and said he has not been able to prepare the journey in time. The court is now considering its next move. The emission of an international arrest warrant is a possibility but a remote one. The most likely scenario is that the investigating magistrate will make a formal request through a rogatory commission to question Sir Sean at his home. The logistics of this will become clearer next week. It could be that a delegation goes to the Bahamas to quiz him. The other option would be that a team based locally is tasked to interview him.”

Connery’s wife has said of the matter “We have nothing to do with this. We sold the property and that is it.” Connery and his wife have not been charged with any crime. But prosecutors claim tax evasion and money-laundering operations were at play with their lawyers and local council of

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TWO IRISH CITIZENS are among a group of people arrested by Spanish police in Ibiza in a major drugs operation.

TWO IRISH CITIZENS are among a group of people arrested by Spanish police in Ibiza in a major drugs operation.
The operation is being jointly run by Spanish and British police, and has resulted in the discovery of around 38,000 ecstasy tablets and 4kg of cocaine, as well as other drugs.
Police also recovered around €56,000.
Fourteen men and 11 women have been arrested, including two Irish and 20 British people.
The nationalities of the other people arrested include Spain, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
The drug racket is believed to have been run from Britain, and local police are saying that they have successfully broken the most powerful drugs ring on the island.
The chief of the European operations of the UK’s Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) said that “every level of a gang that was responsible for supplying and distributing a vast quantity of drugs to Ibiza” has been taken out by the arrests.
Police also said that students had been acting as mules for the gang by bringing drugs to the island packed in their suitcases. Nightclub employees are believed to be among those arrested.

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France: Protests against pension reform over the past month resulted in canceled flights and trains and the closure of the Eiffel Tower.

France: Protests against pension reform over the past month resulted in canceled flights and trains and the closure of the Eiffel Tower. The government refuses to back down from increasing the retirement age from 60 to 62, and some unions declared open-ended strikes that could continue weeks. Travel to and within France may be disrupted at any time for the foreseeable future.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/15/TR891FS71V.DTL#ixzz12W5SMIvT

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In an action that could put him behind bars, actor Sean Connery declined to appear in a Spanish court

In an action that could put him behind bars, actor Sean Connery declined to appear in a Spanish court Friday as requested by the judge investigating an allegedly shady real estate deal involving property the actor used to own in Costa Del Sol.

In a letter, the 80-year-old actor told the judge he cannot travel to Spain because of his age and unspecified health issues.


Connery and his wife, Micheline Roquebrune, had been summoned to testify on Friday. They have not been charged with a crime in the affair known in Spain as the "Goldfinger Case" in reference to Connery's turn as 007 agent James Bond.

The official said the magistrate, who earlier this year had threatened to issue an international arrest warrant against actor, will decide next week how to proceed. His options include sending Spanish officials to question Connery personally, the official said, although he said he did not know where Connery is now. The actor owns a home in the Bahamas and an apartment in New York..

The court official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with court rules.

The probe involves a beachfront mansion near Marbella that Connery used to own and nearby land which was allegedly rezoned to allow condominiums to be built. The court official declined to give details but Spanish news reports says the judge is probing possible tax evasion in the land project.

For 20 years Connery vacationed at his lavish property, Malibu, before selling it in 1998.

Marbella was once synonymous with glitz but in more recent years has been tarnished by corruption.

In 2006 the Spanish government took the unprecedented step of dissolving the entire Marbella city council amid a scandal in which city officials were accused of accepting bribes and other favors in exchange for granting building permits during a nationwide real estate boom that largely fueled Spain's economy but has since collapsed.

A total of 95 people went on trial in that case last month, although the case involving Connery and others is separate.

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Costa del villas - Costa del Sol rentals may benefit as hotels close

Costa del villas - Costa del Sol rentals may benefit as hotels close: "Costa del Sol rentals could benefit from winter hotel closures

Recent data released by Costa del Sol hotel unions has revealed that almost 40 per cent of hotels in the region may be forced to close for the winter due to a lower demand from holidaymakers.

The Costa del Sol has typically been a year around destination with a peak in the key summer months of July and August. Whilst that trend continues the proportion of holidaymakers visiting the Costa del Sol in the winter months appears to be falling.

This year 20,000 fewer visitors are expected in the south of Spain resulting in 5 per cent more hotels planning to close compared to 2009. The figures however don’t show the full story as some hotel chains plan to close only some of their hotels whilst keeping others open in an effort to reduce operating costs.

José Carlos Escribano, President of the Costa del Sol Hoteliers Association, commented on the situation “A drop in occupancy was noted at the end of the summer, and it does not seem that there is any view of a good winter”."

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Pilots from UK and Spain plan closer links and policies - Scotsman.com News

Pilots from UK and Spain plan closer links and policies - Scotsman.com News: "Pilots in the UK and Spain have held talks aimed at forging closer links following similar moves by leading airlines.
The British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) said the discussions with the national pilots association in Spain, Selpa, would strengthen their working relationship against a background of growing transnational operations and a changing regulatory framework in the industry.

Balpa chairman Captain Mark Searle said: 'The two unions believe that whilst there is free movement of capital, employment laws are in the main domestically constrained, leading to airlines playing employees off against each other. We will do all we can to prevent this.'"

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Fomer Marbella Mayor Muñoz sentenced to pay fine |Crime Scene Spain

Fomer Marbella Mayor Muñoz sentenced to pay fine |Crime Scene Spain: "former mayor of Marbella, Julian Muñoz, has been sentenced to pay a fine of €2,160 for failing to pay maintenance to his ex-wife, Maite Zaldivar.
A trial was due to take place, but both parties reached an agreement before it came to court. The public prosecutor was seeking a year in prison for family abandonment, as Muñoz had not paid the €1,800 stipulated in the divorce settlement since the marriage was terminated in March 2004.
Muñoz requested that he be allowed to pay the fine in instalments, but his request was denied. Once outside the courthouse, he refused to answer questions put to him by the press and instead joked about football."

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Alexandra Escat and Prince Andrew fly to Malaga on private jet | Olive Press Newspaper

Alexandra Escat and Prince Andrew fly to Malaga on private jet | Olive Press Newspaper: "SPANISH model has spoken for the first time about her close dalliances with Prince Andrew this summer.
Alexandra Escat has revealed how she flew on a private jet with the British playboy prince to Malaga, after spending a few days with him on a private yacht in Sardinia.
Despite being photographed rubbing cream on his back, the face of Ponds, played down rumours that they had become an item.
Intriguingly, Escat, 25, who is studying at Madrid university, enlisted Costa del Sol-based media svengali Max Clifford, to set up a high-profile media interview with the Mail on Sunday.
It came after Andrew had reportedly texted the student “a dozen times” telling her to keep quiet about their friendship.
In a carefully-worded interview with the paper she revealed how they had shared a plane ride together from Olbia airport to Malaga, where Andrew was attending his daughter Bea’s 22nd birthday party in nearby Sotogrande.
Alexandra said: “Andrew was planning to fly to Malaga the following day because his daughter Beatrice was having a birthday thing.
“He was going by private jet so my friend said I should go with him to get a connecting flight to Madrid from there, so that’s what I did.”
But, the model, who has a Spanish mother and a Filipino father, denied that their few days together had become romantic.
“I’m not stupid,” she said. “I can see what a juicy bit of gossip it must have seemed – one day I’m putting oil on Andrew’s back; the next we’re getting on a private jet together. It all looks so romantic doesn’t it?”"

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Dodgy gold gang target M74 drivers - Evening Times | News | Editor's Picks

Dodgy gold gang target M74 drivers - Evening Times | News | Editor's Picks: "Brazen scam artists are targeting Lanarkshire drivers and duping them into buying worthless fake gold jewellery.
The organised crime gang has already conned two drivers into paying £100 for the “gold” tat with a sob story about being stranded without enough petrol money to visit a sick relative.
Motorists have been targeted on the southbound slip road at Canderside Toll, junction 8 of the M74, in Larkhall.
Police have warned people to be on their guard and report any similar occurrences.
In the first incident, last week, a man in a silver Mercedes Benz E-Class, parked on the slip road, flagged down a driver at 2.15pm.
He told the driver he had run out of petrol and needed money for fuel to visit his sick father in Manchester.
He then offered gold jewellery in exchange for £100, but this turned out to be worthless.
A short time later, another motorist was stopped on the slip road, also by a man in a silver Mercedes Benz E-Class, and told a similar story. The man showed him a Turkish ID card and jewellery.
The driver gave him £100. The man then jumped into his car and was driven away by another man.
The Mercedes has a registration plate with the prefix “N”.
It’s believed the same gang has been targeting people as they leave Bothwell Services on the M74.
Sergeant Claire Campbell, of Hamilton Community Safety, hopes more members of the public come forward to identify the crooks."

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Most Wanted fugitive arrested in Barcelona | Crimestoppers UK

Most Wanted fugitive arrested in Barcelona | Crimestoppers UK: "Crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers can confirm that one of Britain’s most wanted individuals under Operation Captura, David Anthony Stuart, was arrested on Tuesday 14 September 2010 in Barcelona. [15 September 2010]

David Anthony Stuart, from Accrington, was originally arrested in July 2004 for possession of 20,000 ecstasy tablets. He failed to attend his trial at Preston Crown Court in June 2005 and was subsequently charged with two offences of conspiracy to supply a Class A controlled drug, namely MDMA (ecstasy) & possession with intent to supply a Class A controlled drug."

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The Press Association: France 'most popular for UK buyers'

The Press Association: France 'most popular for UK buyers': "France remains the top place for Britons buying properties overseas, accounting for twice as much interest as any other country, research has indicated.
Overseas mortgage firm Conti said 43% of the inquiries it had received so far this year had been about France, up from 31% in 2009.
It was followed by Spain, at 24%, and Turkey, which accounted for 18% of inquiries, up from 13% in 2009 and just 11% in 2008.
The top three countries collectively accounted for 85% of all inquiries received by Conti so far this year.
The group said interest in France from potential British buyers had tripled during the past two years as people took advantage of reduced property prices and low interest rates.
It added that the French mortgage market was also very stable, due to the conservative approach adopted by the country's financial institutions in the past.
Banks in the country are in a strong position to lend and many will still advance 100% of a property's value.
Spain continues to be a popular country for Britons looking to buy a property overseas, despite the problems in the country's housing market."

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Sixth 'balconing' fatality of the year

Sixth 'balconing' fatality of the year: "practice known in Spain as ‘balconing’ has taken its sixth fatality this summer with the death of a 26 year old Italian who jumped from the 7th floor balcony of a hotel in Playa den Bossa on Ibiza, trying to reach the swimming pool. The tragedy happened at about 0730 on Sunday morning.

It comes just a week after 26 year old Briton, Kevin Anthony, fell in Puerto Adriano on Mallorca, and follows other British victims in Mallorca on July 20, and Ibiza on July 5.

Hoteliers on the Baleares are debating what they can do to stop young guests jumping from balcony to balcony or down to the pool, including the possibility of introducing fines.

Some establishments, such as the Hotel Marina Barracuda, have printed information sheets advising of the dangers and noting that jumping from balconies is prohibited"

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'Balconing' accidents jump on Spain's holiday isles - Feature | Earth Times News

'Balconing' accidents jump on Spain's holiday isles - Feature | Earth Times News: "- Hotel balconies on Spain's Balearic islands are dangerous, it seems. Ambulances on Majorca and Ibiza dash off several times a week after holidaymakers go over railings and plunge to the ground.
Faulty construction is not to blame for the terrible spate of accidents, though. The cause is youthful recklessness fueled by alcohol and drugs.
The scenario is almost always the same. A group of young tourists return to their high-rise hotel in high spirits after an evening of bar and disco hopping. Then, on a dare, someone leaps towards a ground-level swimming pool or nearby balcony, or swings Tarzan-like from balcony to balcony.
So far this summer more than 30 people have had accidents playing this dangerous game, known in Internet forums as 'balconing.' At least four have been killed - eight, according to the Spanish newspaper El Mundo.
Most of the victims are Britons between the ages of 18 and 25. Occasionally they are young Germans or Spaniards."

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‘Expo Gays' festival will take place between 15 and 17 October in the Palacio de Congresos in Torremolinos (Málaga).

Italian actress Claudia Cardinale has agreed to open the first International gay Film Festival on the Costa del Sol next month, where her film "Le Fil ", will be premiered. Also attending the festival will be director Mehdi Ben Attia, along with many of the film's the cast.
The festival which will form part of the ‘Expo Gays' festival will take place between 15 and 17 October in the Palacio de Congresos in Torremolinos (Málaga).
The presence of Italian film icon Cardinale with give a boost to the international aspect of the festival which will see the screening of fifteen films from Mexico, Argentina, Israel, Portugal, United States, Uruguay, France, Spain, Germany, the Philippines and Brazil.
All of them are said to be gay-themed films from different genres says the festival's artistic director, Ennio Trinelli. Four of the films will be screened for the first time in Spain.
Inside the Gay Expo there will also be a meeting place for gay singles and a Gayvisión festival, which will include 19 singers, one from each Autonomous Community.
This song contest is presented by Javier Karmele Marchante and Slovakia and the jury , composed of professionals of the track will be chaired by the singer Karina, organizers reported.
It is expected that about 15,000 people visit the Gay Expo where exhibitors will include 200 companies from sectors such as tourism, town halls, beauty, fashion, transportation, medical and insurance.

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Violent criminal wanted for shooting Irishman in Spain | Irish Examiner

Violent criminal wanted for shooting Irishman in Spain | Irish Examiner: "Europe-wide arrest warrant for Darren O’Flaherty, 35, who is wanted in connection with the shooting of 40-year-old Dubliner John O’Neill outside Coco’s bar in Benalmadena, Costa del Sol, on Wednesday morning.

Originally from Liverpool, O’Flaherty has faced charges of grievous bodily harm, assaulting a police officer, dangerous driving with intent, conspiracy to kidnap, robbery and gang membership dating back to the mid-1990s.

While he has served time in prison for some of the offences, he fled to the Costa del Sol before his kidnap and robbery trial in 2006.

He remained in the Costa del Sol until his disappearance after Wednesday morning’s attack.

In September 1995, O’Flaherty was brought before Liverpool Crown Court on charges of stabbing a man nine times outside a nightclub in a violent, unprovoked midnight assault in December 1994."

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Oportunista.com, a coupon-finding service local to Spain, has just launched an iPhone app (developed by MUBIQUO), an important missing piece for a com

Oportunista.com, a coupon-finding service local to Spain, has just launched an iPhone app (developed by MUBIQUO), an important missing piece for a company that specializes in online coupons. The company was founded two years ago after Rodrigo Gimenez Rico and Alexandra Klein came back to Spain from working in the U.S. and decided to give entrepreneurship a go back at home. Among others, the company is backed by some well known shareholders including Alberto Feliú, co-founder of Infojobs.net, DAD and Gustavo García, founder of Buyvip.com.

A few months back I had a brief chat with Oportunista about their plans for mobile. I thought it was an obvious and well-overdue component for a coupon based model. Rodrigo said they were working on it but that in Spain there was a significant barrier and it wasn’t smartphone market share. Local Spanish shops and restaurants are not keen on accepting mobile coupons because they apparently have no way to account for them.

To counter the issue, Oportunista’s iPhone app allows establishments to validate coupons through EAN13 barcodes, which are apparently used by some 90% of shops. Essentially, when making a purchase, once the barcode is scanned from the mobile, a discount will appear on the receipt. Let’s see if that helps Spanish establishments overcome their mobile coupon fears.

Oportunista aims to attract their user-base of over 100,000 with geo-localized discounts now available in 1,200 establishments via their iPhone, searching by sector or geo-location. The app also allows users to setup alerts, and an Android version is in the pipeline.

A similar offering is available from other locals, such as Qporama, which still has few offers, Tooio and Bliquo. The later two are both focused specifically on mobile, whereas Oportunista is using the mobile as an additional medium and accessory for their user community and advertisers. The model is quite simple, advertisers pay exclusively for each coupon redeemed.

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SPANISH actors Penelopez Cruz and Javier Bardem were married

SPANISH actors Penelopez Cruz and Javier Bardem were married at the beginning of July in the Bahamas, according to People magazine. Only friends and family attended the wedding of the Spanish couple with Cruz wearing a dress by Gibraltar born designer John Galliano.

Bardem was awarded an Oscar in 2007 for his role in ‘No Country For Old Men’ while Cruz received one the following year for her part in Woody Allen’s ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’ in which Bardem had the leading role.

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SPANISH actors Penelopez Cruz and Javier Bardem were married

SPANISH actors Penelopez Cruz and Javier Bardem were married at the beginning of July in the Bahamas, according to People magazine. Only friends and family attended the wedding of the Spanish couple with Cruz wearing a dress by Gibraltar born designer John Galliano.

Bardem was awarded an Oscar in 2007 for his role in ‘No Country For Old Men’ while Cruz received one the following year for her part in Woody Allen’s ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’ in which Bardem had the leading role.

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Peter Andre Shoots New Calendar

Peter Andre Shoots New Calendar: "Pete flew out to Costa del Sol in Spain with a group of friends, where he snapped pics for the forthcoming calendar - at the same time ex-wife Katie Price had her second wedding with Alex Reid.
An on-set source blabbed to the News of the World: 'He was laughing and joking the whole time. If he was trying to forget, it looked like he was doing a good job of it.'
Another insider told the paper: 'It will really hurt him. To use it for the reception is a huge kick in the teeth. She knows that this is like putting two fingers up to Pete.'"

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Price ready for wedding blessing - Celebrity News, Latest Celebrity Gossip | MSN Celebrity UK

Price ready for wedding blessing -  Celebrity News, Latest Celebrity Gossip | MSN Celebrity UK: "Katie Price and cage fighter husband Alex Reid are preparing for a second marriage bash - just months after they tied the knot in a low-key Vegas wedding.
The couple are aiming for a much more lavish affair for the blessing this time around with friends and family invited, rather than the hasty shirt-and-jeans approach to February's ceremony.
The blessing is largely under wraps and will be away from prying eyes as it is set to feature in a three-part television series called Katie & Alex: For Better, For Worse, to be screened later this summer on ITV2.
However, a marquee was spotted being erected at the couple's new country property in West Sussex where it is believed the blessing will take place."

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Benidorm's Geoffrey Hutchings dies - TV news | Breaking News - MSN TV UK

Benidorm's Geoffrey Hutchings dies -  TV news | Breaking News - MSN TV UK: "Benidorm star Geoffrey Hutchings, a familiar face from stage, TV and film for four decades, has died, aged 71.
The Rada-trained star saw his career stretch from Shakespearean theatre to a string of popular dramas, and he was most recently seen in ITV1's Benidorm.
Hutchings's celebrated TV dramas have also included the acclaimed saga Our Friends In The North, as well as Heart Of Darkness and Made In Britain.
But his work took him through a diverse range of roles, including daytime TV dramas, popular series such as Bad Girls and last year he had a brief spell in EastEnders.
The actor, who lived in central London, died suddenly in hospital at around 8am yesterday (Thursday).
His agent Roger Charteris said: 'He is thought to have died from a sudden viral infection. He was fine at lunchtime on Wednesday but he had died by Thursday morning.'"

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Gibraltar marks 40 years of discrimination against its Moroccan community

Gibraltar marks 40 years of discrimination against its Moroccan community: "In a small corner of what was the British Empire, 1,200 Moroccans continue to experience 40 years of multi-layered discrimination at the hands of the Gibraltarian authorities.
The Moroccans, who were invited to Gibraltar to boost the workforce when Spanish dictator Franco closed the border in 1969, continue to be denied such basic human rights as the right to vote and access to affordable public housing.
This is because very few Moroccans have been successful in gaining citizenship rights because of the adoption of an unclear and arbitrary immigration policy by the Gibraltarian government, according to Unite, the largest union in the self-governing territory.
Unite, which is revitalising its campaign for equality of treatment for the Moroccan and other non-dom workers in Gibraltar, has pinpointed five areas of discrimination."

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BILLION EUROS OF COCAINE BOUND FOR COSTA | Costa Blanca | Leader Newspaper - News, Sport, Advertising, Property, Classifieds - Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, Costa Calida, Costa de Almeria, Spain

BILLION EUROS OF COCAINE BOUND FOR COSTA | Costa Blanca | Leader Newspaper - News, Sport, Advertising, Property, Classifieds - Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, Costa Calida, Costa de Almeria, Spain: "Cocaine ALLEGEDLY bound for the Costa Blanca and with a street value estimated at €1billion has been seized by British detectives and Gambian police and twelve suspected traffickers have been arrested in connection with the stash, thought to be the biggest ever seized in West Africa."

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Málaga football club is being purchased by the Qatar Sheik

Málaga football club is being purchased by the Qatar Sheik

A press conference is to be held at the Rosaleda stadium in Málaga at 5pm tonight as the Qatar Sheik, Abdullah Bin Nasser Al-Thiani, takes over the club which he has purchased from Fernando Sanz.
He was at the club yesterday to meet with Sanz and other representatives, and was shown the ground for the first time.

La Opinión de Málaga reports that it is his intention to redesign the stadium, and notes the Sheik was dressed in a blue and white shirt and jeans, and not in the typical Arab dress seen in photos of him upto now.

The club’s sale cannot be made official until July 27, when the statutes will be changed, and a current clause which prohibits a foreign owner will be withdrawn.

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high-speed train passing through a Spanish railway station has hit a group of young people crossing the tracks, killing at least 12 people.

high-speed train passing through a Spanish railway station has hit a group of young people crossing the tracks, killing at least 12 people.

The train was travelling through Castelldefels Playa station near Barcelona when the incident occurred.

At least 14 other people were injured, three critically, officials said.

It is believed they were heading to the beach to celebrate a summer festival and were crossing the tracks rather than using a pedestrian underpass.

They had just arrived on a commuter train from Barcelona. The authorities have said the underpass was signposted and open.

'Brutal'
One witness, Fernando Ortega, told Spanish media the train they had arrived on was "very full" and a large group of people "decided to jump across the tracks and cross to the other side of the station" to avoid the crush.

Continue reading the main story
The euphoria of getting off the train immediately became screams

Marcelo Cardona
Eye-witness
"At that moment a train came from the other direction and ran everyone over."

Another witness, who was not named, said: "The door was closed and we could not get through, so we tried to go through the side of the train, and there was no light and nobody alerted us that the train was coming. We were more than 30 people."

Marcelo Cardona, a Bolivian who was on the commuter train, said the youths had crossed "in a wave" but that he had held back and waited on the platform.

"The euphoria of getting off the train immediately became screams. There were people screaming, 'my daughter, my sister,'" he told the Associated Press.

Mr Cardona said he saw "mutilated people, blood everywhere, blood on the platform".

The owner of a nearby supermarket described the impact between the train and the pedestrians as "brutal".

"The noise was like rocks being crushed," he told El Mundo.

The accident happened at around 2330 local time (2130 GMT), the interior ministry of Catalonia said.

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Spanish Banks Slip on S&P Caution - WSJ.com

Spanish Banks Slip on S&P Caution - WSJ.com: "Shares in Spanish banks were lower Tuesday after credit-rating agency Standard & Poor's warned that more of the country's real-estate developers are likely to fail, leading to higher credit losses on lending to the sector.
Shares of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA fell 1.7% and Banco Popular Español SA ended down 1.6%."

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Spain to extend smoking ban to bars, restaurants next year < Spanish news | Expatica Spain

Spain to extend smoking ban to bars, restaurants next year < Spanish news | Expatica Spain: "Spain will amend its anti-tobacco law to extend a smoking ban to bars, cafes, restaurants and all other enclosed public spaces in the country next year, Health Minister Trinidad Jimenez said Wednesday.
The new rules will exempt hotel rooms and private smoking clubs, as well as prisons and psychiatric hospitals because people in these institutions 'do not have the freedom to have private spaces', she told a news conference.
'Smoking will be allowed in terraces, at stadiums, at bullrings, at all open spaces,' the minister added.
Under a law that came into effect in the country of some 47 million people in January 2006, smoking was banned in the workplace as well as at shops, schools, hospitals, cultural centres and on public transport.
Spain's Hotel and Catering Federation has opposed further smoking restrictions. It argues sales would fall by seven percent in restaurants and by 10-15 percent in bars and cafes if a full smoking ban comes into effect.
But the government argues that other European nations have already banned smoking at bars, restaurants and other leisure establishments without harming their economy."

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Radio Mi Amigo returns to the air on Costa del Sol

Radio Mi Amigo returns to the air on Costa del Sol: "Radio Mi Amigo returns to the air on Costa del Sol
May 24th, 2010 - 16:31 UTC by Andy Sennitt.
On 1 January 1974, Radio Mi Amigo started broadcasting to Benelux from the radio ship Mi Amigo on the North Sea. When Radio Veronica and Radio Noordzee closed on 31 August 1974, Radio Mi Amigo continued broadcasting, producing its programmes in Playa d’Aro in Spain.
Radio Mi Amigo is returning to the air on the Costa del Sol in June/July/August 2010 on 100.9 FM from the 900 metre high antenna and 12.5 kW transmitter of Sun FM. Programmes will be aimed at Dutch-speaking adults living permanently on the Costa del Sol. A team led by Leon Balmaekers will ensure that Dutch-speaking residents are properly informed of the activities and attractions on the Costa del Sol. Some well-known names such as Ton Schipper and Peter van Dam will be among the presenters. Listeners outside the FM coverage area can listen online at www.radiomiamigo.eu."

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Sunseekers enjoy scorching weather - Hartlepool Mail

Sunseekers enjoy scorching weather - Hartlepool Mail: "The Hartlepool and east Durham coastlines were hotter than the Costa del Sol on Saturday, with temperatures soaring up to 25C, rivalling average temperatures of 23C in the Spanish resort with ice cream sellers doing a roaring trade."

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Express.co.uk - Home of the Daily and Sunday Express | City & Business :: Pimlico Plumbers heads to Costa del Sol

Express.co.uk - Home of the Daily and Sunday Express | City & Business :: Pimlico Plumbers heads to Costa del Sol: "BRITAIN'S Pimlico Plumbers is expanding its operations in Spain’s Costa del Sol to meet growing demand from ex-pats and holiday home owners.
The company is to open a permanent office in Marbella in July and is recruiting 12 engineers to boost the operation.
Pimlico has been providing plumbing and property maintenance services in the region for two years, handling bookings from London.

From summer projects will be managed from the Marbella office, led by new operations director Craig Bly.
Managing director Charlie Mullins said: “I’m really pleased to be able to establish a much larger presence in Spain. What started out as a small job sending a couple of our vans over to Marbella to work on my holiday villa has turned into a very positive business opportunity."

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Spanish crisis met with muted popular response < News Focus | Expatica Spain

Spanish crisis met with muted popular response < News Focus | Expatica Spain: "deep recession that has led to soaring unemployment and austerity cuts has failed to spark popular anger in Spain, where the unions are reluctant to put pressure on the government, analysts say.Although May Day rallies drew tens of thousands of people protesting the crisis, they were not on a scale or intensity that could alarm the government.Certainly, they were nothing like the violent demonstrations that erupted in debt-ridden Greece on Saturday.
'The (Spanish) trade unions have been quiet for the past several years, and now it's difficult to get the engines started,' said Cayo Laro, the secretary general of the United Left coalition.Spain suddenly found itself in recession in late 2008 after several years of strong economic growth based on its booming property sector.Since then, any possible motives for public anger have grown steadily."

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Irish developer goes bust in Marbella | SpanishNews.es

Irish developer goes bust in Marbella | SpanishNews.es: "Alanda Homes is the latest victim of the property crash in Spain. Alanda Homes, which promotes and sells apartments around Marbella, has requested to enter a voluntary process of creditors in a Marbella court.
The drastic move comes as the Irish group MnInerney, owners of Alanda Homes, stopped funding the subsidiary as a result of negative prospects of recovery in the Spanish property market.
“The group has taken the decision not to invest more funds in its Spanish subsidiary of Alanda Homes apartment development,” McInerney said in a statement to stock exchanges in London and Dublin, where listed. “Therefore, Alanda Homes has requested the appointment of an administrator through the Spanish courts.”
If the judge accepts the request, Alanda Homes may stop payments to creditors until an agreement on debt restructuring is reached.
According to the latest data deposited with the Commercial Registry, Alanda Homes incurred losses of 9.6 million euros in 2008. At the end of the year, the company had a debt of EUR 13 million credit.
McInerney says that the net assets in its balance of Alanda Homes amounted to 4.5 billion euros. The Irish company has other subsidiaries in Spain, “which are not affected by the decision.” One is Alanda Club Marbella, which operates a resort, and another owns land in Sotogrande."

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The fascists are judging the judge

crowd gathered outside Madrid's national court was loud and angry. "The world has been turned upside down," they cried. "The fascists are judging the judge!"

Some carried photographs of long-dead relatives, killed by right-wing death squads in Spain's brutal civil war in the 1930s. Others bore placards bearing the name of the hero they wanted to save, the controversial "superjudge" Baltasar Garzon.

Pedro Romero de Castilla carried a picture of his grandfather, Wenceslao - a former stationmaster taken away from his home in the city of Merida and shot by a death squad at the service of Generalisimo Francisco Franco's right-wing military rebels 74 years ago. The family have never found his body.

Garzon, he explained, had dared to investigate the atrocities of 36 years of Franco's dictatorship and now, as a result, he faces trial for allegedly abusing his powers.

"My grandfather's case is one that Garzon wanted to investigate. He's a brave and intelligent judge, but now the right are out to get him."

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Liverpool Echo.co.uk - News - Liverpool Local News - Notorious gangster Pancake Taylor caught on CCTV sparking brawl at Liverpool bar

Liverpool Echo.co.uk - News - Liverpool Local News - Notorious gangster Pancake Taylor caught on CCTV sparking brawl at Liverpool bar: "Pancke Taylor, who was wearing a distinctive dark top with a metallic logo on the back, was identified after police viewed the CCTV footage from the late-night brawl.
Nicholls was also picked out and the men were arrested on October 7, 2009.
As he left court, Taylor tried to hide from photographers by pulling up his jumper to disguise his face.
Neighbourhood Inspector Mark Morgan, said: ' We note the sentences given. This was a shocking incident, with those convicted clearly having no regard for the safety of others. Merseyside Police is committed to keeping Liverpool city centre safe for everyone to enjoy. Violence and anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated. We will continue to work with the bars and clubs, and have processes in place to ensure that known criminals who have a history of violence are not welcome in the city centre.
'This kind of occurrence is thankfully very rare and I'd like to reassure the public that Liverpool city centre is a safe city, with incidents of recorded crime, including violence, having fallen consecutively over recent years.
'Merseyside Police will continue to patrol the city centre and provide help, advice and reassurance throughout and our firm, friendly and fair style of policing to ensure visitors to the city centre enjoy the night life that the city centre has to offer.'"

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Since 2004, more than 1,100 fugitives have been caught, most of them foreigners from Germany, the UK, South America and Eastern Europe

Since 2004, more than 1,100 fugitives have been caught, most of them foreigners from Germany, the UK, South America and Eastern Europe, and there are hundreds more cases waiting to be solved. Many of them choose Spain due to the quality of life and the climate. Between 15 and 20 per cent have been solved thanks to the help of the public, leading to the arrests of paedophiles, hired killers, fraudsters, thieves, drugs barons, pimps, Mafiosi, forgers, torturers, war criminals and a long list of others.

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body of a 31-year-old Moroccan man was found in the Straits of Gibraltar

body of a 31-year-old Moroccan man was found in the Straits of Gibraltar, some 8.9 miles southeast of Tarifa, Cadiz. Sea Rescue in the town received a call from a ship heading for the Atlantic which had sighted a body floating in the water, and Algeciras Guardia Civil Sea Rescue team and the Salvamar Alkaid Sea Rescue vessel found and retrieved the body some 30 minutes later. The body, which was decomposing, was taken to Tarifa port where the death was certified by a judge and forensic doctor before it was taken to Los Pinos morgue in Algeciras for an autopsy. The man was carrying a work permit in the name of Nouredin Jounamane.

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Maria Jose Carrascosa, a Valencia lawyer who was sentenced to 14 years in prison in the USA for taking her daughter out of the country

Maria Jose Carrascosa, a Valencia lawyer who was sentenced to 14 years in prison in the USA for taking her daughter out of the country, be set free. Maria Jose married Peter Innes in 1999, and their daughter Victoria was born the following year, however, in 2001, Maria Jose was classed as an abused woman, and in 2004, the couple separated and she returned to Spain with her daughter.

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murderer of Sandra Palo, who was released in 2007,

murderer of Sandra Palo, who was released in 2007, continues his trajectory of crime ON the evening of May 17, 2003, 22-year-old Sandra Palo, who was mentally handicapped, was walking home with a friend, also handicapped, after they had missed the last bus home in Madrid. Fate led them to cross paths with four youths in a stolen car, one of them, Rafael Garcia Fernandez, known as Rafita, was just 14, he was in the back of the car, his cousin ‘Malaguita’ was driving, and two other minors, Ramon and Ramoncin were with them. They were looking for some action.

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PASSENGER tried to force his way into the cockpit on a Thomson Airways flight

PASSENGER tried to force his way into the cockpit on a Thomson Airways flight from Cardiff to the Canary Islands. Staff and other passengers had to restrain the man, who was arrested at Las Palmas airport, Gran Canaria. A spokeswoman for the airport said the man, a Spaniard from the Canary Islands, was "nervous" and "panicked" during the flight. He was later freed by police.

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PAOLO DI MAURO, the 58-year-old head of the Camorra’s Contini clan who was arrested in Casteldelfells (Barcelona)

PAOLO DI MAURO, the 58-year-old head of the Camorra’s Contini clan who was arrested in Casteldelfells (Barcelona) on January 26 after seven years on the run, was the country’s third most wanted man said the Italy’s Interior ministry. Arrested at the same time was 50-year-old Luigi Mocerino, who headed the clan’s international drugs network.

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house market crash has seen the value of homes on the Costa del Sol crash to below 65 per cent their original asking price

one million Britons living in Spain some 74 per cent revealed that repatriation is now a distinct possibility, according to a study undertaken by Moneycorp.Some 37 per cent of those surveyed admitted that they were already looking into returning to the British Isles.The house market crash has seen the value of homes on the Costa del Sol crash to below 65 per cent their original asking price.“Brits living in Spain are particularly affected by the struggling property market with many owning holiday homes and letting out their Spanish properties.”
Add the plummeting pound and limited job opportunities, the survey has fuelled fears that there could be a widespread exodus.“Brits living in Europe are feeling the effects of the weak pound as they are more likely to be reliant on income from their British property, UK pension and other regular sources of funds,” said David Kerns, Head of Private Clients at Moneycorp.“Brits living in Spain are particularly affected by the struggling property market with many owning holiday homes and letting out their Spanish properties.”Meanwhile, the survey also revealed that more than a third of expatriates in Italy, Germany and France are also mulling over moving back to the UK.Kerns added: “Our research shows that British expats have had a tough time and the findings reveal that no country has escaped unharmed from the economic downturn.”The survey interviewed 250 Europe-based UK expatriates and was conducted from October to November 2009.

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