Police keep close watch on Ballarat as bikies visit

 

POLICE hit Ballarat’s streets in force on Saturday night for a high-visibility public order operation, coinciding with a visit from the Finks Outlaw Motorcycle Club. While Victoria Police would not confirm the gathering was a prelude to any increased bikie presence in Ballarat, they said they would continue to maintain increased vigilance over any potential illegal activities. As part of the operation, a Victoria Police marked camera van was parked for extended periods in the northbound lane of Doveton Street, with a clear view down Grainery Lane. Men wearing colours and insignia representing the Finks Motorcycle Club and its supporter groups were seen coming and going from a red-brick building in Grainery Lane during the day and into the night. Several men bearing the club’s insignia also stood at the entrance to Grainery Lane for much of the night. Ballarat police divisional superintendent Andrew Allen said there was no confirmation the Finks were establishing a chapter in Ballarat. He also said it was the “first time there’s been any activity from them” in the area. “I can confirm that a number of people who we believe to be part of the Finks Outlaw Motorcycle Club were visiting a location in Ballarat on Saturday night,” he said. “We believe they’re from a Melbourne chapter.” Superintendent Allen said police were aware of the visit well in advance and involved the state’s bikie-gang taskforce to assist with the high-visibility police operation. “We received some intelligence that suggested members of the Finks might be going to visit Ballarat, so we involved Taskforce Echo,” he said. “The use of the marked police camera van was to prevent and detect offences and it has been quite successful in the past.”

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El Hierro prepares for a possible volcanic eruption

 

Canary Island of El Hierro is preparing for a possible volcanic eruption as the Canaries have lifted the alert level to yellow for the first time in the recent history of the archipelago following a group of ever-stronger earthquakes. Saturday night saw a 3.4 quake among a total of 48 seen over the weekend. The fear is that there could be a possible volcanic eruption on the island of El Hierro, but the Councillor for Security, María del Carmen Morales, called for calm. ‘These seismic movements are normal given that we are on a yellow alert and we have never seen a similar crisis’. She said that more movements were expected over the next few days given that the magma has been estimated to be active 15 kms below the surface. They estimate the possibility of a volcanic eruption to be 15%. Despite the low possibility the regional government are carrying out an information campaign in case evacuation of the island is needed. They say there will be plenty of time, in the case of an eruption, to evacuate the population to a safe place.

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Canadian gold diggers look to Coruña

 

Canadian company, Edgewater Exploration, are to reopen an old gold mine in Coruña and say they will employ 100 people in Cabanas de Bergantiños in the efforts to extract a million ounces of the metal. An ounce of gold is currently 1,800 € on the market. The Las Médulas mines have a long and distinguished past, and were responsible for ten percent of the Roman empire, as 96,000 kilos of gold was taken over 250 years as the Romans used thousands of slaves to find the metal. The new gold fever is the first in the area for 2,000 years. Despite their advanced plans the company is still waiting for a licence to proceed from the Xunta de Galicia.

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Spain 'a Top Choice' For Those Thinking Of Moving Abroad

 

Spain has been named among the top five destinations that people would consider moving to if they were going to leave the UK, new research has found. A survey conducted by Post Office International Payments revealed that the European nation, which was the fourth most popular location named in the poll, was a possible choice for ten per cent of those questioned. The firm also pointed out that it was the highest-placed nation where English is not the first language. One of the top reasons given for buying a property in Spain or elsewhere in the world is the chance to have a better quality of life, while other reasons to move included warmer weather, discovering a new culture and the adventure of emigrating. Mortgage provider Conti published figures earlier this month showing that it has received seven per cent more enquiries about relocating to Spain so far in 2011 than last year. Overall, the country accounts for 31 per cent of all queries handled by the organisation, with only France garnering more interest.

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Germans don't like the British, and the British are the majority in Benidorm

 

A spokesman said part of the problem was that the Germans don't like the British, and the British are the majority in Benidorm hotelsPhoto EFE Air Berlin has cancelled five direct flights from El Altet airport as the company puts a tough cost cutting scheme into operation with the goal of saving 200 million €. The plan will leave 18 planes on the ground, and Alicante is reportedly hard hit because of the high seasonality of traffic at El Altet. In addition numbers show a marked fall in German traffic using the airport this August compared to last, down 22% with 78,988 German tourists. A spokesman for the airline is reported by Europa Press of having commented that part of the problem is that the Germans don’t like the British, and the Brits are the majority in Benidorm hotels. The town’s hoteliers have described that as ‘an urban legend’. The cutbacks come into effect in November and will see the number of direct destinations from Alicante reduced by 45%. The lost destinations are Frankfort, Munich, Nuremburg, Stuttgart and Zurich. The airlines connections to Berlin, Hamburg and Palma remain. The Air Berlin decision follows the earlier announcement from Ryanair reducing flights from Alicante, and dispels the opinion voiced by the PP at the time that Air Berlin could take up those vacant slots. Air Berlin is one of five airlines which use El Altet airport currently.

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Spanish jail-house film shows without on-the-run actor

 

A Spanish prison screened a short film made by inmates Friday with one missing ingredient -- a key actor in the jail-house drama is on the run. Inmates spent months making "Guilty", about a murderer haunted by his victim, to show in an annual festival behind bars in Leon, northern Spain, a prison official and media here said. "Among the inmates taking part, there was one in the final stages of his sentence who was allowed out regularly with leave, but who did not come back from one of those leaves," said a prison service spokeswoman. Prisoners completed the film without the missing actor who disappeared at least two months ago, said the spokeswoman for the Secretary General of Penitentiary Institutions. She denied reports he had the leading role. "He may have had some more important scenes but he was not not necessarily the hero." The actor is being sought for breach of a six-year drug-dealing sentence, which had been due for completion in 2012, she said, stressing that he was not considered a danger.

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Costa del Sol’s oldest magazine shuts its doors

 

The Costa del Sol’s oldest magazine is reported to have closed down after running its final edition on Friday. The Friday-Ad – which continues to run a UK operation boasting over 1 million readers a week – had produced a Costa del Sol edition out of its Gibraltar offices since 1975. The reason behind the decision to close remains unclear. When the Olive Press attempted to contact the publication’s office, the number failed to connect. However, a member of staff in the UK office confirmed that it was their understanding that the Costa del Sol edition had closed. “As far as I am aware that was the plan (to close on Friday) but you will need to call back in 10 minutes to speak to someone who can confirm that,” she said.

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Barcelona's last bullfight marks end of an era in Spain

 

When Spanish bullfighter Serafin Marin plunges his sword into the back of a bull's neck in Barcelona on Sunday, he will be marking the end of an era. The bull will not only be the last of six killed in the bullfight, but the last-ever to be killed in Barcelona's Monumental bullring, which is nearly a century old. The closure of the Monumental - in keeping with a bullfighting ban in the north-eastern region of Catalonia - reflects the decline of bullfighting in Spain, though fans of the country's 'national fiesta' vow to fight on. 'We have lost a battle, but not the war,' Marin told the daily El Mundo. But animal rights campaigner Aida Gascon said, 'Now that we have achieved (the end of bullfights) in Catalonia, we shall try to finish with them in the rest of Spain.' Catalonia, a wealthy region of 7.5 million people, has spearheaded the campaign against bullfights, or 'corridas,' in a country where animal rights activism is on the rise. The Catalan capital of Barcelona declared itself an 'anti-bullfight' city in 2004. Dozens of other municipalities followed suit, and finally in July 2010 the regional parliament outlawed bullfights from January 1, 2012. The Canary Islands had already done so in 1991, as part of a more general animal protection law, but that decision had gone largely unnoticed. The Catalan opposition to bullfights is explained not only by animal rights activism, but also by Catalan nationalism, many of whose representatives see 'corridas' as an expression of Spanishness. The region with separatist currents 'wants to eliminate everything that represents Spain,' Marin said. Bullfighting remains an important industry in Spain with an annual turnover of more than 2.5 billion euros (3.5 billion dollars), contributing to 0.25 per cent of gross domestic product. It provides direct employment to 200,000 people, including bullfighters, or 'toreros,' bull breeders, managers and others. Yet gradually the spectacle that once inspired artists and writers such as Pablo Picasso and Ernest Hemingway is losing its appeal. Only 37 per cent of Spaniards are interested in bullfights, while 60 per cent dislike them, according to a 2010 poll. 'Corridas' are least popular among young people. Animal rights campaigners see the event, in which darts are stuck into the back of the animal's neck before the 'torero' kills it with his sword, as torture. Some observers attribute the decline also to other causes, ranging from Spain's economic crisis to an alleged deterioration of the race of the Iberian 'brave bull.' Not only are bulls' horns 'shaved' to make them less dangerous, but they are also losing their fighting spirit, some bullfighting commentators complain. Another important reason for the decline of 'corridas' is their image as an old-fashioned form of entertainment. 'Young people do not choose an anachronistic spectacle,' anti-bullfight campaigner Helena Escoda said. Even Catalonia, however, has not outlawed other bull spectacles, such as bull runs. Some Spanish regions have come out in defence of the 'corrida,' describing it as a part of their cultural heritage. Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's government placed bullfights under the responsibility of the Culture Ministry, instead of the Interior Ministry. The opposition conservative People's Party, which is expected to win the November 20 parliamentary elections, has taken legal action against the Catalan bullfighting ban at the Constitutional Court. Catalan bullfighting enthusiasts have also collected 300,000 signatures in defence of the fiesta. Yet it is far from certain that such initiatives will stop what many see as an inevitable social development. Catalan bullfighters, in the meantime, are planning to face the bull elsewhere in Spain or in the south of France.

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Spain fears pain as Ratón the killer bull prepares to enter ring for last time

Ratón the bull at a festival in Sueca, Spain. Photograph: Alberto Saiz/AP

It is the end of a long career, deemed venerable by those who admire Spanish fighting bulls.

In the early hours of Sunday morning, the half-tonne 11-year-old killer bull known as Ratón, or Mouse, will feel a bullring's sand under his hooves and sniff the scent of commingled human adrenaline and fear for the last time.

Those who pay their €2.50 (£2.20) in Canals, eastern Spain, will witness the final chapter of a life spent chasing, and occasionally goring, people. Fans are expected to arrive from around the country.

Many will be secretly hoping Ratón, who has killed two and reportedly gored five others in his career, will draw blood at his valedictory outing in the small town near Valencia. A fiesta poster promises "a show with the presence of the famous Ratón" starting at 12.30am. It does not mention that Ratón killed a spectator in nearby Xátiva last month and another man in 2008.

Canals mayor, Ricardo Cardona, claims to have been unaware of Ratón's bloody past when hiring him. He has asked the bull's owner, Gregorio de Jesús, to prevent members of the public coming face to face with the beast.

Four professional recortadores, or bull-taunters, will instead dodge in front of him in the bullring, encouraging him to chase them over obstacles for up to half an hour.

"It is when someone jumps in spontaneously that things inevitably happen," De Jesús said this month.

Police and security staff will try to prevent enthusiastic amateurs jumping into the ring with Spain's most infamous bull.

The future of Ratón, who is past retirement age, remains uncertain. De Jesús wants to clone the bull but is waiting to hear if he will receive local government funds to pay for it.

 

 

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Spain’s central bank reported this week that things were getting worse for that country’s banks

 

Spain’s central bank reported this week that things were getting worse for that country’s banks — but not because they held a lot of Greek debt or bonds issued by other troubled European economies. The problem, instead, is the same old one. With Spain’s economy weak and home prices falling, bad loans are growing. And the central bank thinks things are getting worse. In a surprisingly frank presentation to investors in London on Tuesday, José María Roldán, the Bank of Spain’s director general of banking regulation, said that Spanish land prices had fallen about 30 percent from the 2007 peak, adjusted for inflation, and that home prices were off about 22 percent. “In both cases, we expect further corrections in the years to come,” he said. For land prices, he said, the bank’s “baseline scenario” was that prices would fall to little more than half of the peak level. The “adverse scenario” indicated that the decline could be significantly worse. That was a significant change from a presentation he made in February. Then, with home prices down about 18 percent from the peak, he argued that the decline was similar to past cyclical downturns and that prices were likely to begin rising soon. Remarkably enough, collapsing home prices have not left Spanish banks holding large amounts of bad mortgage loans, thanks largely to the fact the Spanish mortgage market operated during the boom in far different ways than the American market. But if lending to home buyers was conducted in a far more prudent manner than it was in the United States, lending to real estate developers and construction companies was, if anything, more irresponsible. The higher land prices went, the more eager the banks were to push out loans. The story of how Spain’s banks got into the mess — and the way its mess differs from that of American banks — show that it is impossible for banks to walk away from a collapsing bubble in real estate. It also shows that the structure of mortgage markets can make a major difference in how a collapse plays out. The figures released by the central bank this week showed that by the middle of this year, 17 percent of Spanish bank loans to construction companies and real estate developers were troubled — or “doubtful,” the term favored by the central bank. That figure has been rising rapidly, reflecting the deterioration in real estate values. When the financial crisis first broke out, in 2008 and 2009, it appeared that Spanish banks were in a better position than most, in part because of regulation that had kept the big banks from making some of the mistakes others made. But it turned out that smaller Spanish savings banks were heavily exposed to a real estate market that had outpaced even the United States’ market for a time during the first decade of this century. That market continued to rise after the American housing market stopped climbing. The Bank of Spain has created a program to force mergers of the smaller banks and to bring in better management. It has put about 11 billion euros into the banks to recapitalize them, and is putting in another 15 billion euros in a process that is supposed to be completed by the end of this month, said Antonio Garcia Pascual, the chief Southern European economist for Barclays Capital. But, he added, “our estimate is that the overall number needed is closer to 50 billion euros.” The banks are bleeding from loans secured by raw real estate, and from loans for construction. The pain is made worse because such lending soared during the property boom. It is those loans that are now devastating bank balance sheets, as developers who borrowed to build offices, stores and neighborhoods saw demand dry up and now cannot pay the banks back. Other corporate loans are also showing weakness, as would be expected when unemployment is above 20 percent and not expected to improve for at least two years, but less than 5 percent of those loans are said to be doubtful. There are also signs of trouble in car loans and other loans to individuals.

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Spanish consumers have appetite for grass-fed lamb

 

Spanish consumers have rated English Quality Standard grass-fed lamb highly in blind taste tests carried out by Eblex. Consumers at three different Spanish locations with a tradition of high lamb consumption rated English lamb equally to Spanish lamb, with no clear preference between the two. It is hoped the research, carried out with 476 people in Catalunia, Aragon and Extremadura, will encourage more Spanish buyers to consider fast-growing breeds of lamb reared on rain-fed pastures, which they have traditionally shunned out of a perception that it has too strong a taste compared to their milder, grain-fed domestically produced lamb. Jean-Pierre Garnier, Eblex head of export services, said: “Traditionally, we have faced a wall with some Mediterranean countries, particularly in Spain, who believe the lamb produced in northern Europe is not to the liking of their palate. They have a preference for their own grain-fed lamb.   “This has been a real barrier to trade, but something we felt was based on historic perception rather than people actually tasting the difference, so we put this to the test.” Consumers were asked to rate the lamb on tenderness, juiciness, flavour and overall acceptability. A small majority (51%) of the tasters in Catalonia and Aragon preferred the English lamb, while a small majority in Extremadura (58%) preferred the Spanish lamb, suggesting that there was no real preference between the two. “This really does show that the Spanish consumer has an appetite for grass-fed lamb and we hope this will encourage more Spanish importers to look to buy from countries like England that use this system,” added Garnier.

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Spanish schools hit by strike over staffing cuts

 

Thousands of public school teachers went on strike Tuesday in Madrid to protest staff cuts as anger over government austerity measures spread to Spain's education system. The work stoppage in some 300 schools is to last at least two days and perhaps three, and teachers elsewhere in the country also plan strikes or protests this month against budget cuts. Teachers say education should be spared as Spain tightens its belt to resurrect its economy, allay fears it might need an international bailout and reinvent itself for the future with a modern, educated workforce after the collapse of an economy fueled largely by a real estate bubble. "We are on strike to improve state education. It is not true that we are on strike because we have to work more. The timetable is the same as we had last year. What we want is better conditions for public teaching," Pilar Hortal, a 57-year-old English teacher standing at a picket line in Madrid, told The Associated Press. The teachers' branch of the UGT union said 65 percent of the teachers in Madrid were honoring the strike and up to 85 percent in outlying areas. The Madrid regional government put the overall figure much lower, about 43 percent. Education in Spain is in fact largely run by regional governments, many of which are debt-laden. The one in Madrid hopes to save €80 million ($110 million) with staffing cuts. It and the others making budget cuts are mostly run by the conservative Popular Party. The central government of Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, which has enacted austerity measures of its own, opposes education cuts. The strike's immediate trigger was an order from the Madrid regional government forcing teachers to give two extra hours of classwork per week. Their actual work week remains unchanged at 37.5 hours. Unions say the extra classroom hours mean several thousand backup or temporary teachers will not be hired this year. Teachers will have less time to prepare classes or meet with students and parents, and can't use auxiliary colleagues to break big classes up into smaller groups. Unions say some teachers are being assigned to teach subjects they know nothing about. Spain, meanwhile, easily raised €4.45 billion ($6 billion) in an auction of short-term debt, although higher borrowing rates reflected investor worries over the impact of Europe's debt crisis. The Treasury had wanted to sell between €3.5 billion and €4.5 billion in the auction. It sold €3.59 billion in 12-month bills at an average interest rate of 3.59 percent, up from 3.34 percent at the Aug. 16 auction. Demand outstripped the amount actually sold by a ratio of 2.8. Spain also sold €870 million ($1.2 million) in 18-month bills at an average yield of 3.8 percent, compared with 3.59 percent on Aug. 16. The oversubscription rate was 2.7.

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66 year-old Daniel Healy was found by police to have 100kg of cannabis resin, said to be worth £500,000, hidden in the water tank of the campervan he was driving

 

66 year-old Daniel Healy – or ‘Mad Danny’ as he is known in Ardfern in Mid Argyll – was arrested last week, as he went to drive across the border between Morocco and Ceuta, a Spanish owned city enclave. Healy was travelling under the false name of John McLeish and was found by police to have 100kg of cannabis resin, said to be worth £500,000, hidden in the water tank of the campervan he was driving, protected in metal containers. Since his arrest he has been held in the Moroccan prison of Tetouan, said to be worse than Guantanamo.

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Roche threatens to stop supplying Spanish hospitals

 

multinational pharmaceutical company, Roche, has warned Spain that it may stop supplying its products to Spanish hospitals and clinics. It comes as the company has stopped supplying medicines to Greek hospitals because of the debt they are owed, and that say that what they are owed by some regional administrations in Spain is ‘at the limit’. CEO of the company, Severin Schwan, made the revelation to the New York Times, and El País then asked Roche España for comments. The response was ‘As is happening in other countries, the crisis situation and the debt in Spain is significant and some regional administrations are at their limit’. Regions such as Castilla y León are now paying medical suppliers after two years, but Roche reports delays of 900 days are now happening, while Andalucía, Valencia and Castilla-La Mancha has an average payment time of more than 600 days.

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Mijas Fire NOT arson Bonfire

 

BONFIRE not been properly extinguished near a stream in Entrerrios, Mijas, was the cause of the wildfire which started on Sunday (12th September) night destroying a vast stretch of land. This was the conclusion reached by the regional government’s fire investigation unit, Brigada de Investigacion de Incendios Forestales, on Monday (12th September). Remedios Martel, from the Junta de Andalucia, dismissed rumours suggesting the fire was an act of arson. Five homes were damaged, two of which were completely destroyed by the fire. But witnesses say minor damage has affected several other houses in urbanizations including El Soto de Marbella, Elviria, set in a UNESCO designated nature reserve.   Jan Mansi, former president of Phase 2 at El Soto de Marbella Urbanization described the landscape after the fire as “a skeleton of what it was.” “People mainly come to live in the area for the greenery,” she said. But residents at El Soto should consider themselves very lucky, she said, as the flames spread to just metres from the properties. The blaze affected 6.8 million square metres of in Mijas, Ojen and Marbella – the equivalent of 958 football pitches – according to Infoca, the regional fire department. Around 300 properties were evacuated in these areas but occupants were able to return to their properties on Monday. Twenty five patients at a drug rehabilitation centre in Mijas were also evacuated after the staff were told by Guardia Civil they were at risk due to strong winds, according to Paloma Alonso from the facility. They spent the night at the Las Lagunas sports centre being allowed to return on Monday afternoon. The fire was brought under control at 9am Tuesday, and declared completely extinguished at 10pm. Five hundred people participated in the effort to extinguish the blaze, as well as 11 fire engines, and 22 planes and helicopters. This is the biggest fire in Mijas since 2001 when a car blaze led to a wildfire that affected 700 hectares of land.

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Torremolinos shooter pushed wife off Eiffel Tower

 

THE man, 79, accused of killing another in Torremolinos town centre served time for pushing his wife off the Eiffel Tower in 1963, according to a Spanish daily. He was 31 at the time, she was 28, and they had emigrated to France and were working in a factory on the outskirts of Paris. Although he denied the accusations, he was sentenced to five years in prison. Last week he was arrested for shooting a man of the same age outside the Entreplazas office building in Torremolinos and has since remanded to prison without bail. Apparently some years ago the victim wanted to sell an apartment and spoke to the other man who found him a buyer, although the transaction did not go ahead at the time, but later, in 2006. The shooter asked for commission and although the victim gave him some money, the attacker wanted €12,000, and was sentenced to four years in prison in 2007 for stabbing the buyer. He was released in January 2009 and began to threaten the victim, who reported him to the police last month. When he was caught by police after the shooting he claimed that a bag containing the weapon which he was carrying was not his.

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THE seventh edition of the Marbella Classic poker series was won last weekend by a visitor from the beautiful Emerald Isle, Mr Thomas O’Shea.

 

THE seventh edition of the Marbella Classic poker series was won last weekend by a visitor from the beautiful Emerald Isle, Mr Thomas O’Shea. A highly delighted Thomas picked up a very handy €11,500 for his troubles after beating some of the local poker pros into submission, including last year’s series winner Julian Galan, Miguel Cortijo, Marco Palazon and the very charismatic Pedro ‘El grande’, Spain’s answer to super Mario. Congratulations must also go out to former Marbella Mob Poker founder member Sir Nigel Goldman. In his first European Poker Tour event two weeks ago in Barcelona, he managed to secure his expenses and a little bit more by getting a very respectable 66th place from a record starting field of 817. A nice cheque from the casino for €12k and a jolly decent stay in the fabulous Arts Hotel were just what the doctor ordered. Well done Sir N. Closer to home, the local games are just throwing up amazing hand over amazing hand. Not quite as dramatic as the back to back straight flushes a couple of weeks ago, but none the less very remarkable. How would you feel if you flopped quad tens only to have the monster overturned by a royal flush? Pretty sick eh, actually this is the second time in less than a week that poor Gary has come up against the 650,000 to 1 shot as last week his full house got done by the Royal flush of clubs. Last night his quads got beaten by a royal flush in, guess what? Clubs again!! To specifically hit a royal flush in clubs is a 2,598,960 to 1 chance. He had better buy his lottery ticket now as he’s got more chance of hitting the jackpot than what’s happened to him.

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Des O'Connor is in Marbella topping up his tan.

Des O'Connor is in Marbella topping up his tan. He’s only been here two days, but already he’s an improbable shade of mahogany. 

‘Look at this,’ he says, flashing a generous glimpse of sun-burnished chest.

‘I only have to look at a travel brochure and I go brown. My neighbours see me and say: “Here he comes, the Singing Tan”.’ 

'My wife has mentioned having another baby. But it would be a bit selfish of me at my age, even though I'm in reasonably good nick,' said Des O'Connor

Here we have the measure of Des, 79, one of the nation’s best-loved entertainers: his capacity for self-mockery is matched by an irrepressible facility for fun. 

Inducing laughter in others is a compulsion. And in a world where vulgarity and foul-mouthed parody pass as comedy, Des’s brand of humour is remorselessly clean.

He’s never said a word worse than ‘piddle’ during an act. He doesn’t go in for gratuitous insults. Once he made an unkind joke against Christine Hamilton, wife of the ex-Tory MP Neil, and felt so bad about it after he resolved never to be hurtful towards anyone again. 

Yet when his old friend Eric Morecambe routinely disparaged him on the Morecambe And Wise Show, he joined in the laughter. Each week, there would be a fresh assault on his voice.

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APPLE MEGASTORE IN MARBELLA

Tourists come to know Marbella as one of the most sought after holiday destinations not only in Spain but throughout the European continent; now Apple choose the charming mediterranean town with the highest Millionaires concentration to host its most ambitious project in the Iberian Peninsula.

A series of rumors speak of the future opening of an Apple store in Marbella, something which has been discussed for months, but now with an added extra, since it would be the largest Apple store in Spain.

Recently, Apple opened two of its famous stores in Madrid and Barcelona and everything indicates that the next one will be located on the Costa del Sol, specifically in the shopping center La Cañada in Marbella.

The Apple Store in Marbella would have an area of 1700 square meters, which would make it the largest in the Spanish territory. Its inauguration is expected in November. Thus, Marbella will host the third Apple store in Spain. 

 

 

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Polo Experience at Tres Rosas Polo

 

Tres Rosas Polo offered the chance to try some horse riding as well as the opportunity to play a very popular sport called Polo. Polo is a team sport played on horseback and the players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a long-handled mallet. The traditional sport of polo is played at speed on a large grass field up to 300 yards in length, and each polo team consists of four riders and their mounts.    Personally, I must admit I was a bit intimidated by the whole thing, since my only(and very brief) experience with horses was more than 10 years ago. Getting up the horse and heading to the field already raised a fair amount of adrenaline in me, but the peak was reached once my horse started to gallop. Let's just say it isn't as easy at it looks and for me the fear of falling was the biggest!    Thankfully my horse, Todo, let my first experience be totally positive, even though I was not sure at all what I was doing. What they told me was that the horse can sense if the rider is insecure and totally in charge. That is the reason also why she didn't obey 100%. Nevertheless, riding the horse with the mallet in the right and leading the horse with my left hand made me feel like a polo player, even if it was for only 15 minutes!    I definitely suggest this type of sport to anybody who loves to try something different and Tres Rosas Polo club is the right place to take up this interesting hobby that is played professionally in 16 countries!

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Another shipment of cocaine inside plastic bananas seized in Spain

 

National Police have seized almost half a ton of cocaine which had been smuggled into Spain hidden inside plastic bananas transported in a normal cargo of the fruit. It’s a method which has been used by drug smugglers before, leading to four arrests after 162 kilos of cocaine were seized at Algeciras Port this January. The Interior Ministry said in a press release on Thursday that the drugs were imported from Ecuador in containers of bananas by an import company which was set up for that purpose in San Roque, Cádiz province. The group is understood to have sent over a number of containers of real fruit from Ecuador before sending the cargo of cocaine. The gang’s rented warehouse in San Roque was kept under surveillance and raided after three containers were transported there at the end of June, where plastic bananas containing 448 kilos of cocaine were discovered amongst the fruit. Three people were later arrested in Roldán, Murcia, and in Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, followed by a fourth suspect who was taken into custody in August in Alicante.

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Saudi Arabia: Pretty Maids From Morocco Seen as Threat

 

Back in early September, the recruitment committee of the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry announced that recruitment companies would be established and will be licensed to bring in housemaids from Morocco, East Asia and South Africa. The move has caused outrage in unusual places. The reason for this recruitment move, according to a Saudi chamber official, was that they were turning to Morocco and other countries to get its domestic workers following a dispute with the Philippines and Indonesia, the largest suppliers of housemaids to the Gulf countries. The dispute has centered on pay and conditions, but Indonesia had earlier this year also criticized the Saudi government for beheading an Indonesian maid. Of the 1.2 million Indonesians working in Saudi Arabia, over 70% are domestic helpers. The ban on maids from Indonesia and the Philippines hit Saudi households hard, causing many to resort to hiring illegal maids over Ramadan. The Saudis are reliant on foreign workers to perform their household tasks for them and very few Saudi women will work in such menial positions despite high unemployment, as they would be looked down on by other Saudis. The ban came into effect following the two countries attempts to introduce regulations for the work conditions of their nationals. Trade Arabia said both countries demanded better working conditions for their employees. Saudi walked away from the negotiations abruptly and decided to look for domestic employees from countries such as Morocco who they perceive as not as concerned about imposing regulations to protect their workers. It also became clear that lower rates of pay could be offered to other nationals. Right from the beginning the scheme ran into problems in respect to recruiting maids from Morocco. The recruitment committee said that the immediate employment of Moroccan maids could prove an issue as there were no official recruitment offices in Morocco to process the papers of prospective domestic helps. It was suggested that there could be a way around the problem with Saudi citizens being given work visas to bring housemaids from Morocco on their own. The whole issue of Saudi maids has been at the centre of international protests for years, especially in regard to exploitation, sexual harassment and torturing of foreign housemaids. The notion that individual Saudi's could fly to Morocco and find a young woman and take her back to Saudi, is truly worrying and will, no doubt, offend our readers. The chairman of the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry, warned Saudi citizens against contacting any offices claiming to be able to send housemaids from Morocco to the Kingdom. "They are all fake. You should not heed the false claims of these fake offices." he warned prospective employers. The spokesman of the Labor Ministry, Hattab Al-Anzi, said the recruitment offices would grant citizens work visas for housemaids from Morocco. "It is now the responsibility of the citizen to look for authorized private recruitment offices to bring workers from Morocco," he said. Then, suddenly, the plan to import maids from Morocco ran into even more problems. Those fighting to stop the "maid-trade" got support from an unlikely source - Saudi women. They objected to the importing of Moroccan girls, not because they didn't think they would work hard, or that they were against the exploitation of young foreign women. No - it was because they thought the Moroccan women were too beautiful. At first it sounded like a sick joke, but the Saudi women were serious.     "Many Saudi woman have objected to plans to import domestic workers from Morocco…they say the Moroccan women are beautiful and this will cause continuous anxiety and concern in Saudi families,” - 'Sharq' Daily It is a relatively rare for the voices of Saudi women to be raised in protest. This year there have been notable exceptions as some women protested for the right to drive, whilst others demanded the right to vote. Now they have another common cause - to ban female domestic maids from Morocco. It started slowly, but over a few days the protests grew to the point where the Saudi women inundated the government with complaints that Moroccan women are just too beautiful and may lure their husbands away. According to the website Emirates 24 the Shura Council was “deluged by demands from Saudi women” "Moroccan women are so attractive that their husbands could easily fall for them…others said Moroccans are good at magic and sorcery and that this could enable them to lure their husbands.” - 'Sharq' Daily If the women of Saudi Arabia fail to stop this "maid-trade" then it is imperative that the Moroccan government scrutinize the contracts and conditions of every maid taken to Saudi. They should also take steps to educate Saudi women to understand that while Moroccan women may be beautiful, they are not dangerous.

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Málaga singer picks up three nominations in the Latin Grammys

 

Málaga Singer, Pablo Alborán, who had a surprise number one album in Spain this year has been nominated in three categories of the Latin Grammys, including best new comer and song of the year for ‘Solamente tu’. When he heard the news the Málaga singer wrote on Twitter – ‘Family, I don’t know what to say. This is a dream, I love you!’. Shakira, Ricky Martin and Maná also have three nominations this year. Grand favourites at the Latin Grammys this year are Calle 13, a due from Puerto Rico who have as many as ten nominations. The ceremony will be held in Las Vegas on November 10.

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Why some Harley Davidson bikes are 'too American' for Spain

 

The Spanish traffic authorities have impounded hundreds of second hand Harley Davidson motorbikes which had been imported from the United States as they are ‘too American’. Hundreds of Spanish owners of the bikes are angry that they cannot remove them from the Guardia Civil barracks where they are being stored as it has been determined that the bikes do meet the Spanish official approval level. Only the Harleys which are sold via official dealers in Spain are being considered to meet the homologación official. An association has been formed by those affected says most of the bikes have passed the ITV test and are identical to those being sold by dealers. Their lawyer, Francisco Gualda, says that as many as 5000 bikes could be affected. Many bikers have opted for imported bikes to save money; quite how much is not clear. One report that it is 800 € has been dismissed by the lawyer who told El País, ‘Nobody would risk losing their bike for such an amount’. The Guardia Civil says the vehicles need to have the official approval sign assigned on an individual basis, but the bikes owners say it is impossible for individuals to obtain the documents. The DGT traffic authority has denied that there is any campaign against Harvey Davidson’s, saying that when a driver is stopped and his documents are not in order, then the bike is impounded. Josep Grañó, the Managing Director of Harley Davidson in Spain has told El País that the imported bikes are different as they have different engines. ‘That’s why we cannot repair them as they require different tools’. He also says the imported bikes do not meet many standards including CO emission, and noise.

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Spanish police retrieve diamond swallowed by thief

 

 

Spanish police have foiled an attempted robbery from a British woman, after discovering a stolen diamond inside a man's stomach. The woman's handbag - which contained cash and a diamond pendant worth 12,000 euros (£10,500) - was taken as she dined in a restaurant in Marbella. The suspects were caught four hours later with most of the loot. But it took three days to retrieve the most valuable item, the diamond, after one of the men swallowed it. The woman had been sitting in the Marbella restaurant with a friend when two smartly dressed men entered - one of the men taking the table behind the women. Some time later the women realised that both men had disappeared along with the handbag, which contained 2,000 euros and £500 in cash as well as the diamond and other valuables. At 18:00 the same day police were conducting a routine vehicle check about 50km (30 miles) up the coast in Torremolinos when they spotted four men, known to have criminal records for robbery. Their suspicions raised, they inspected the vehicle and discovered jewellery and a woman's purse containing British currency and ID documents. But it was the sight of a suspect raising his hand to his mouth that drew the attention of one sharp-eyed officer. He guessed the man was swallowing some of the evidence. All four suspected thieves were promptly taken to a local clinic, where X-rays revealed a diamond, minus the chain it once hung from, inside one of their stomachs. The British woman was reunited with most of her possessions that same evening. But she only received the precious jewel three days later. According to police spokeswoman Ana Moreno in Torremolinos: "It was retrieved in the simplest and most natural way."

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Enjoying a romantic overseas getaway, Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez looked ever the happy couple while out with Nahla in Palma de Mallorca,

 

The "Dark Tide" co-star couple both dressed casually as they walked hand-in-hand while stopping for coffee in between an afternoon of sight-seeing and shopping.

Halle and Olivier's outing comes just as Warner Bros. has released a new featurette for the romantic ensemble film "New Year's Eve" - in which Halle stars.

Set to open in theaters nationwide on December 9th, the picture also boasts cast members including Zac Efron, Jessica Biel, Ashton Kutcher, Seth Meyers, among many others.

Hollywood Gossip

Enjoy the pictures of Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez out and about with Nahla in Palma de Mallorca, Spain (September 12).

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Spanish townspeople spear bull to death

 

Lance-wielding Spanish townspeople speared a huge fighting bull to the death Tuesday, defying a lone protester who sprayed some of them with an irritant. Hundreds of people, many on horseback, turned out for the combat with a 608-kilogram (1,338-pound) black bull named Afligido — Spanish for Sorrowful — in the centuries-old "Toro de la Vega" festival. The massive beast charged through the fortified town of Tordesillas, central Spain, crossing a bridge over the River Duero and into a plain in a tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages. Before the lancing began, a female protester sprayed an irritant at some of those taking part before being taken away by police, a witness to the event said. The ritual, which has been held every second Tuesday in September since at least 1453, pressed ahead regardless and about a dozen lancers on foot and horseback attempted to spear the bull's flesh. One of the lancers on foot struck the first blow, conferring the right to lead the bloody, half-hour confrontation with the beast as others hemmed the animal in. The bull was finished off with a final blow to the head from a large screwdriver. Some 200 animal rights protesters later staged a rally in central Madrid to condemn the tradition, which predates the introduction of the classic bullfight at the end of the 17th century. The protesters, carrying banners showing their website "rompeunalanza.com", chanted "Tordesillas, national shame" before breaking wooden lances. "We are protesting over the celebration of the Toro de la Vega in which hundreds of people on foot and horseback lance a bull to death," said Silvia Barquero, spokeswoman for animal rights group PACMA. "We want the end of bullfighting and especially the Toro de la Vega which is even more savage than the bullfight," she said in an interview. Barquero said she believed the end of all bullfighting in Spain was approaching. The northeastern region of Catalonia will hold its last ever bullfight September 25 in Barcelona, after voting last year to end centuries of bullfighting — a first for mainland Spain. Opinion polls show most Spaniards do not approve of bullfighting, Barquero added, rejecting arguments that the bullfight is an essential part of Spanish culture. "Culture cannot be based in the torture and death of an animal. This festival is not supported by most Spanish people." PACMA challenges the Tordesillas town hall's decision in May to declare the Toro de la Vega as a cultural asset. Each region of Spain has responsibility for its own animal protection laws, usually with exceptions for bullfighting. The festival in Tordesillas is allowed under the laws of the Castilla y Leon region.

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Expat equity release victims take on banks

 

Tempted by the offer of a salary for life and an inheritance tax reduction, organisers of Equity Release Victims Association, Ian Sherdley, 69, and Euan Armstrong, 73, used their Spanish holiday homes as collateral to buy into the equity release schemes. The schemes were sold by independent financial advisors working the expat communities along the Costa del Sol on behalf of Denmark's biggest bank Danske Bank and Nordea Bank SA. They were told that if they took out full mortgages against the value of their Andalucian homes, which were fully paid for, and then gave the money to the bank to invest, their inheritance tax liability would be reduced and they'd receive a small lump sum, as well as a monthly return on the bank's investment which would cover the cost of the remortgage and provide a small salary. Mr Sherdley, from Lancashire, and Mr Armstrong, from Scotland, followed the advice only to be later told by their Nordic Banks that the investments had gone badly, the remortgaged money had been lost and their homes, with a combined value of €4.5 million, suddenly belonged to the banks. It is thought that there could be hundred of expats in similar positions across Spain and France. A Spanish court has so far suspended the banks' foreclosure and repossession orders on the properties, while a decision as to how the cases will proceed is expected in the near future. According to Mr Armstrong's lawyer, Antonio Flores from Lawbird Legal Services, the schemes were mis-sold, bearing in mind it is illegal to knowingly indebt yourself in order to reduce your inheritance tax liability. He said: "We want to find out exactly how many of the schemes were sold, to who, and on what basis. "As far as I can gather, retired expats were targeted because they had paid off their mortgages, so could use them as collateral and would be tempted by talk of reduced inheritance tax liability." Mr Armstrong added: "We encourage everyone who, like us has been sold one of these schemes to get in touch. "Do not lie down and take this. These banks are making billions every year with your money." A spokesman for Nordea bank said: "We can't comment, but we can say is that Nordea runs its business in compliance with local laws." A spokesman for Danske Bank said: "According to the law we cannot comment on individual customer cases nor questions related to individual customer cases. We have no comment."

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Coin, near Malaga in southern Spain, is, like many towns across the crisis-hit nation, on the verge of bankruptcy with an estimated debt of nearly 30 million euros (£26m)

 

Coin, near Malaga in southern Spain, is, like many towns across the crisis-hit nation, on the verge of bankruptcy with an estimated debt of nearly 30 million euros (£26m) owed by the town council. For more than a week there has been no lighting in public areas after power company Endesa cut services because of an outstanding bill of 280,000 euros (£240,000). Meanwhile some 500 council employees in the town have not yet been paid their August wages, it was reported. The town of 22,000 residents has been ordered to make an urgent payment of 400,000 euros (£346,000) to the Treasury in monthly instalments to cover its debts but the mayor has said the town will be forced to file for bankruptcy. Fernando Fernandez from the conservative Popular Party, who was elected mayor following elections in May, has blamed the debt on the previous socialist administration and asked for more time to meet payments. He claims the council workers wage bill alone amounts to 1 million euros a month and that the town's coffers are empty. It is a problem repeated in municipalities across Spain. In some towns, police officers have been ordered to walk to crime scenes in a bid to save costs on patrol cars. In others, austerity measures meant council services such as public swimming pools did not operate this year despite the soaring summer heat. On Tuesday rating agency Moody's warned that Spain's regions could fail to meet their deficit-cutting targets, a move considered necessary for the nation to meet the EU-agreed public deficit ceiling of 3 per cent of GDP by 2013.

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Chris Stewart has been voted the most influential expat of the past 200 years in Andalucia

Chris Stewart has been voted the most influential expat of the past 200 years in Andalucia Photo: Andrew Crowley

 

Individuals included on The Olive Press's “Expat 100” list ranged from little-known historical figures such as Amelia Loring, the grandaughter of a former British consul who founded Málaga's botanic gardens in the 1850s, to modern-day celebrities such as Sean Connery, who lived for many years in Marbella.

Top of the list was Chris Stewart, ex-drummer of the British band Genesis, whose books about life on his Andalucian farm have, the newspaper said, “completely changed the perception of Andalucia as a region, as well as encouraging thousands to visit".

Mr Stewart said that he was "flattered and privileged" to have been given first place.

“I’m a huge fan of multiculturalism and the presence of foreigners here has really helped the region,” he added.

Stewart was closely followed by the American author Washington Irving, who is credited with rediscovering Granada’s Alhambra palace, Prince Alfonso de Hohenlohe-Langenburg, the Bavarian-Spanish playboy who transformed Marbella from a tiny village into a thriving tourist destination, and Joan Hunt CBE, the British founder of the cancer hospice Cudeca, on the Costa del Sol.

Less famous characters who also made the list included Canadians Scott Abbott and Chris Haney, who invented the game Trivial Pursuits while in Nerja, and Betty Molesworth Allen, a New Zealand expat who became an expert on Andalucia's flowers and plants.

Readers generally responded positively to the choice of expats on the list, which was compiled with help from the British consul in Málaga, a judging panel of prominent local expats, and readers who sent in nominations. Opinion was divided however over the exact ranking order, with one reader complaining that there was an over-prioritisation of "fame and celebrity".

Top 10 influential expats in Andalucia

1. Chris Stewart
2. Washington Irving
3. Prince Alfonso Hohenlohe-Langenburg
4. Joan Hunt CBE
5. Sir George Langworthy
6. William Mark
7. Thomas Osborne Mann
8. Gerald Brenan CBE
9. Sergio Leone
10. Amelia Loring

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Protests over the mistreatment Toro de la Vega

 

Like every year, the Toro de la Vega has sparked debate about whether it is ethical or not to continue with a festival that is spear to kill a bull. While supporters of keeping the tradition defended at all costs the festivities , increasingly anti-bullfighting group of animal rights groups and even politicians critical of the event. The bullfighting event began at 11.00 and was at 11.27 when Zamorano, a resident of Tordesillas, speared to 'afflicted', of 608 kilos, and killed the bull. As reported by the mayor of Tordesillas, José Antonio González Poncela Lancer got imposed on the controversial trophy bull launched after death to strike the bull in the area of pine forest in the surroundings of a football pitch. In parallel, the Party Animal (Pacman) and CAS International have organized an event in Madrid p ara protest against the celebration of the Tournament of the Toro de la Vega, after a similar meeting in this town two days ago.

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Smuggler Tosses Passengers Off Jet Ski

 

Spanish police say a human smuggler trying to sneak two Moroccans into Spain by crossing the Strait of Gibraltar on a jet ski threw them into the water when detected by coastal authorities and that one drowned. A Civil Guard statement Tuesday said the incident happened Sept. 9 near the Spanish town of Tarifa. The Moroccan driver has been charged with negligent manslaughter. One of the travelers managed to swim ashore after being dumped 500 meters from it, but the other did not survive. Spain is a lure for poor North and sub-Saharan Africans because it is Europe's southern gateway. Every year, thousands try to reach the Spanish mainland or Spain's Canary Islands off the coast of west Africa.

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PORTUGUESE AUTHORITIES SEEK TRIAL OF ALLEGED GIBRALTAR DRUGS DEALERS

 

An ongoing investigation dating back well over a year continues after a local man aged 73 was arrested last week and remanded on Friday on the strength of a European Arrest Warrant. On Thursday officers of the RGP arrested Angel Vella of No. 7 Maidstone House. The warrant issued by the Portuguese authorities is for alleged offences of conspiracy to import 6000 kilos of cannabis resin into Portugal. Vella appeared before the Magistrates Court on Friday where he was remanded in custody until September 19. Vella, who was granted legal aid and is represented by Carl Rammage, did not agree to being surrendered to the Portuguese authorities. In court the Portuguese Government was represented by Crown Counsel Karina Khubchand of the International Division EU International Department of the Government of Gibraltar.

 

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Estepona Town Hall debt estimated at 300 million €

 

The Socialist ex Mayor of Estepona, David Valadez, has been accused of using 3 million € of grant money to pay the town hall wages for May, the month of the local elections. There are 1,280 employees in the town hall, a situation which has suffocated the town’s finances. Valadez has admitted, according to El País, that he took the decision to use the funding money to pay the wages, knowing full well it would generate new economic problems for the town. He also now faces a judicial complaint for spending some of the reserve funds on wages. Now the Junta de Andalucía is demanding part of the money, 240,000 € be returned by the PP team which is now running the town. New Mayor, José María García Urbano, has estimated the town’s total debt is some 300 million €, compared to the 160 million which was considered before the last local elections. He has already cut mobile phone and official car costs. Corruption in the town hall came to light with the breaking of the Astapa case in June 2008, which remains under instruction.

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Mijas fire stabalised

 

The fire, which started at 8,35pm on Sunday night and affected land in Mijas, Ojén and Marbella, is now stabilised. INFOCA removed their level 1 alert at 12,39pm on Monday, noting that the evolution of the fire was favourable and that there was no further danger to inhabited areas. The Councillor for the Environment of the Junta de Andalucía, José Juan Díaz Trillo, said that there were suspicions that the fire had been started deliberately. The Guardia Civil and experts from fire-fighters INFOCA have started a full investigation. The Councillor said that we have to be prudent as to the cause or motive. He congratulated the fire services for their work and noted the coordination between Town Halls, local police in what had been a difficult night. He also thanked local residents for their ‘collaboration and patience’, and while there had been material damage, there were no reported injuries. First data indicates that some 400 hectares have been burnt by the blaze, and a total of 900 hectares have been partially affected. The fire started in the Parque de Entrerríos, Mijas Sierra and then moved rapidly on a front towards Ojén and Marbella. Residents in the Mijas area are now returning to their homes, and reports indicate that a total of only four properties have been destroyed or seriously damaged by the flames, when the possibilities were for a far greater number than that. 260 specialist firemen from across Andalucía are remaining at the scene to continue to dampen down the site. A total of 22 planes were used to fight the fire including four amphibious planes, three earth dumping planes, 11 helicopters and four coordination planes. 14 were contracted by the regional environment department and 8 came from the Ministry for the Environment. In total 200 people were evacuated in Mijas, 500 were evacuated from Marbella and 200 more from Ojén. Mayor of Marbella, Ángeles Muñoz, said all had now returned home and there were no injuries, ‘even though the flames had arrived at their doorways’.

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Parts of Coín without electricity because of Town Hall debt with Endesa

 

Monday was the seventh day with no power supply to four public areas of Coín, because of the Town Hall’s failure to pay its debt to the Endesa electricity company. El País gives the amount owed as 280,000 € and said the local Partido Popular Mayor was negotiating with Endesa to re-establish supply. This summer Mayor of Coín, Fernando Fernández, announced a total debt to suppliers of more than 27 million € which had been run up by the previous local government. One of the Town Hall’s largest monthly costs is the municipal workforce, whose wages come to around 1 million € a month. It’s understood that the 500 employees have not yet been paid their August wages, although La Opinión de Málaga indicates that part of the amount owed will be paid next week. The Hacienda tax authority has meanwhile agreed to stay its tax embargo on Coín’s monthly share of state taxes next month, which will free up just under 300,000 € towards the September wages. The remainder will come from the Town Hall’s share of local taxes and a restructuring of the municipal workforce.

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Only professional bull dodgers will be allowed to meet Ratón the bull at next appearance in Valencia

 

Ratón, the bull who gored a man to death at the local fiestas in Xàtiva, Valencia, this August, appeared in the ring again at the weekend for the first time since then when he performed in the fiestas in Sueca. It was a sold-out event, where the 11 year old half ton bull was greeted by cheers from the 2,700 people who bought tickets to see him in the ring in his home town. Security was tight, and no blood was shed on the night. Ratón has killed two other people during his career on the bull dodging circuit. His next appearance will be at the fiestas in Canals on the 24th of this month, where he will be met by professional bull dodgers, a group of four who will be the only people allowed into the ring during his performance.

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Investigation launched as forest fire destroys four homes on Costa del Sol

 

investigation is under way into a forest fire which destroyed four homes and 400 hectares of land on the Costa del Sol. The blaze – which affected parts of Mijas, Marbella and Ojen – saw more than 300 people evacuated from their homes after starting at around 8.30pm on Sunday evening in the Entrerrios area of Mijas. Andalucia’s Councillor for the Environment Jose Juan Diaz Trillo, suggested the fire had been started deliberately, before confirming that nobody had been injured. Around 300 firefighters from across Andalucia were hampered by high winds as they tackled the blaze, which caused the temporary closure of part of the A7 highway. Residents of La Mairena and La Bugancilla urbanisations were evacuated and parts of Calahonda were also briefly affected, although residents are now being allowed to return to their homes. Around 260 firefighters are involved in dampening down the fire, which is understood to have affected 900 hectares in total.

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Mouse ('Raton') has already killed two people this year at Spanish bull-dodging events

. Photograph: Alberto Saiz/AP

A half-tonne Spanish bull drew crowds of fans to the eastern town of Sueca on Sunday after building up a reputation as the biggest killer in the popular summer game of bull-dodging.

The bull, called Ratón, meaning mouse, was appearing for the first time since goring a man to death in the nearby town of Xátiva on 15 August.

Debate has raged in newspapers over the exact number of people killed by Ratón, who is let loose in bullrings where people are encouraged to jump in and taunt him.

He is known to have gored a 30-year-old man to death in Xátiva, and to have killed a man in Puerto de Sagunto in 2006. Reports that he had killed a third man in 2004, in the village of Benifairó de les Valls, were denied by the mayor.

Bull-dodging is popular in many summer village and town fiestas. In parts of eastern Valencia and Catalonia, bulls sometimes have flaming torches attached to their horns to enrage them further. Unlike in traditional bullfights, however, there is no matador and the animal lives on, getting wiser and more dangerous as he becomes more experienced.

Eleven-year-old Ratón's fame as the deadliest of fiesta bulls has made him one of the most expensive to hire, with prices reaching €15,000 for a single appearance.

The bull was greeted in Sueca by cheering crowds and music from the soundtrack of Sergio Leone's For a Few Dollars More.

Professional bull-dodgers and local amateurs baited the animal and ran in front of him for half an hour. The town hall delegated a group of experienced runners to stop drunks joining in, and police had to bundle off two people, according to the local Levante newspaper.

Bull games at local fiestas claim up to half a dozen lives across Spainevery summer.

"Ratón showed, once more, both exceptional agility and intelligence," Levante reported after noting that the sellout crowd of 2,700 people had witnessed no bloodshed.

But some politicians have called for Ratón to be banned and for stricter control of those who try bull-dodging under the influence of drink or drugs. "Someone must be held responsible if this happens again," said Marina Albiol, an MP for the United Left party in the regional parliament of Valencia. "The only reason the town hall at Sueca has hired this bull is to encourage cruelty and ghoulishness."

The town hall replied that it had hired Ratón because he belonged to a local farmer. "That way the bull can say a final goodbye to its hometown, as he is due to retire soon," a statement said.

The bull's owner, Gregorio de Jesús, wants Ratón to follow the example of Got, a fighting bull who was cloned recently.

The bull is due to appear at two more fiestas this summer.

Bullfights with matadors are to be banned in eastern Catalonia at the end of this year, but bull-dodging will remain legal.

Ratón's re-appearance in Sueca proved a draw for local media, with half a dozen television stations and some 40 radio and newspaper reporters in attendance.

The bull also has his own travelling fans. One of them, Manuel Martin, has Ratón's head tattooed on his right arm. "Now I'm going to have the whole animal tattooed on my leg," he told El País

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Spain to bring back Patrimonial Tax

 

The Spanish Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, will bring back Patrimonial Tax at next Friday’s cabinet meeting, following a request to do so from the Socialist candidate for the November General Election, Alfredo Pérez-Rubalcaba. A Royal Decree will be used, and no new law will be needed to reactivate the tax, although the new tax will be modified so as not to affect the middle classes. However press reports indicate that Rubalcaba is not entirely happy with the tax which will result, although it is the only option which can be introduced so quickly. The new Socialist manifesto was to promise that Patrimonial Tax would become a state controlled and not regional tax as present. Even so Rubalcaba considers the re-introduction of the tax as ‘just’. It is expected to generate 1.4 billion €.

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Woman stabbed to death in Marbella

 

47 year old woman was found stabbed to death inside a flat in Marbella on Saturday. The woman had Spanish nationality but was of Ecuadorian origin. Reports indicate the victim did not live in the flat in San Pedro de Alcántara where her body was found, but she was a frequent visitor. Police sources say there was a lot of blood at the scene and she had been stabbed more than a dozen times. Some 20 National Police have taken over the investigation of the case, and reports are that they are considering it a crime of passion. Neighbours say the woman worked as a prostitute, inviting her clients to the flat. They note that there was no forced entry to the flat. Last August 11th, another woman, aged 45 and of Argentinean origin was found stabbed in a flat in nearby Mijas. That case remains open and is being investigated by the Guardia Civil.

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British company wants to buy La Manga Club

 

British real estate fund asked for a price for La Manga Club in Murcia. La Manga is one of the main tourist and sports complexes in the region and is under bankruptcy protection. The fund which is showing an interest is London and Regional (L&R) Properties. They talks with the owners, MedGroup, are reported to be currently on hold, but La Verdad reports that the workers’ union CGT consider the sale as signed and sealed. The union would welcome the purchase, and notes that L&R already has some 60 hotels including the Hilton chain. Antonio Ros, the General Director of La Manga Club, told the paper that ‘It’s true that there were conversations, but at this time we have no information’. L&R Properties are reported to be interested in a greater holding in the Spanish market. The fund is owned by Ian and Richard Livingstone, and completed their first purchases in Spain last June with the purchase of two FCC offices in Madrid and Barcelona, to then rent them back to the same company. La Manga Club applied for bankruptcy protection at the end of 2008 when it was unable to finance its debt of 97 million €.

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Three Britons face a total of 27 years in prison for drug trafficking

 

Málaga Prosecutors’ Office has asked for a total of 27 years in prison for three British men who are accused of trafficking in cocaine. The three, who also face a 3.6 million € fine each, were found with some 15 kilos of the drugs, and one of them is also accused of document falsification for being found with fake passports. The value of the drugs intervened has been estimated at 900,000 €. Europa Press reports that the provisional conclusions of the prosecutor reveal that one of the men was caught by the National Police in Alsasua, Navarra ‘when he was transporting 15 packets of the drug in a rucksack, while driving an articulated lorry. The prosecution alleges that the transport had been agreed with the other two Britons, and the three had intended to sell the drugs to a third party. The oral hearing for the case is expected to get underway in Section Nine of the Provincial Court in Málaga on the 14th of this month.

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Spanish police said their criminal assets agency was investigating properties worth millions including a holiday resort in Brazil.

 

Dissident republican crime gangs in Dublin have split and are feuding in ways similar to the bloody factionalising of the remnants of the terror group the Irish National Liberation Amy (INLA) in the late Eighties and Nineties. Since former Real IRA man Liam Kenny, 53, was shot dead at his home in Chapelizod, Dublin, in June a series of serious incidents including several attempted murders have taken place. Kenny, a former Provisional IRA member had been a member of the Real IRA in Dublin but fell out with other members after it split acrimoniously into two factions in the city. Last Wednesday, an associate of Kenny's, Frank Nolan, 49, was shot and seriously injured when a teenager on a bicycle pulled up beside him at Oranmore Road in Ballyfermot and shot him at close range. There had been a pipe bomb attack on Nolan's home in July. Nolan, who served a term of imprisonment for reckless endangerment in an incident in which a man was shot in the thigh in a Ballyfermot pub in 2000, is recovering in hospital. The incident has created more tension and gardai expect there were will be more attacks. The reasons for the attack were not clear but gardai say there had been a public meeting of republicans last weekend and threats had apparently been exchanged afterwards. It is believed that after his row with his former dissident republican associates, Liam Kenny left the Real IRA faction and moved to the group styling itself as the Continuity IRA. This group has now split in two as well, with one group led by a Limerick man in his late fifties but with support in Dublin and which is opposed to another faction also still styling itself with the same name based in Dublin. In traditional republican style, the various groups send coded claims to newspapers making allegations and threats against each other, followed by counter-claims that the initial statements were from "gangsters" or "drug dealers" and not republicans. This is exactly what went on when the INLA went into its finally destructive round of feuding in the late Eighties. All the Dublin dissident groups are aligned in one way or another with the city's drug gangs and gardai are concerned that they are adding an extra dimension to the already violent state of organised crime in the city. The investigation into Kenny's murder has become highly complicated with detectives trying to work out the reasons behind the killing as Kenny was at odds with not only his former dissident associates but also with drug dealers in the west of the city. There was initially suspicion last week that there might be a dissident link to the murder of Thomas McDonagh, 49, a traveller shot dead at his caravan in Ballymun last Saturday night. Gardai have known for some time of tensions between Traveller and settled gangs in north Dublin and believe that Travellers have been selling pipe bombs to both ordinary criminal and dissident republican gangs. However, Mr McDonagh was not involved in these activities and is believed to have been murdered by a Finglas-based gang of settled criminals involved in the drugs trade and in armed robberies including tiger kidnappings. It is believed he had been involved in drug dealing and had a heroin problem and was shot because of an unpaid debt of €15,000. One of the main current concerns among gardai in Dublin is the re-emergence of the gangland figure Freddie Thompson following a fire-bomb attack on his mother's house in the Coombe area. Gardai in the Dublin South Central Division have been on high alert since the attack on the home of Lisa Thompson, who has no involvement in criminal activity, but is believed to have been targeted by her son's rivals. Freddie Thompson had spent most of the previous 15 months in England, returning only for brief visits to Dublin and the gang violence in the south city had reduced. It is believed he was concerned that he would be arrested and extradited to Spain after Spanish police said they had issued a warrant for his arrest and extradition at the time of a series of high- profile raids in May last year on the mainly Irish gang led by Dubliner Christy Kinahan, who has been living in Estepona, Spain. However, the warrant has not been sent to gardai even though they have informed the Spanish authorities of his presence here. Thompson had been staying in Estepona up until shortly before the launching of Europe-wide raids aimed at the organisation, which Spanish, British and Europol police said was headed by Kinahan. There were 78 raids including 45 here, 21 in Spain and 12 in Britain. Some 34 people were arrested and €1m in cash seized. Spanish police said their criminal assets agency was investigating properties worth millions including a holiday resort in Brazil. Thompson was questioned in February 2007 when his associate, Paddy Doyle, 27, from Dublin was shot dead in Estepona but Thompson was not at the scene and it is thought the murder was carried out by Turkish mafia

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Marbella Casino board face charges of document falsification

 

TWELVE of the Marbella Casino’s 14-strong board face charges of document falsification. The Casino, one of the town’s oldest but with no links to the Casino de Marbella in Nueva Andalucia, has been at the centre of internal conflict for several years. Differences over renting out of part of its La Alameda installation to a restaurant business resulted in the sacking of the Casino’s former president Antonio Ric and ex-secretary Manuel Porras in April 2010. Both started legal proceedings against the remaining board members, claiming that their rights had been violated and they were excluded from the meeting which decided to remove them. After examining the dismissal document, the judge from Marbella’s Number Two Court decided there were grounds for suspecting forgery. He has now summonsed 12 board members, including the current president, Agustín de la Fuente Perucho, for questioning on September 19.

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Puerto Banus Saturday market Marbella shopping

 

The Puerto Banus street market in Marbella is on every Saturday from 9am to 2-3pm. It’s next to the Plaza de Toros (bullring), 10 minute walk from the port.

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The STR6 livery as well as the Toro Rosso drivers' suits will carry Cepsa branding for the rest of the season after the team signed a sponsorship deal with the Spanish oil company.

Toro Rosso sign deal with Cepsa

The Faenza-based squad confirmed on Tuesday that it has strengthened ties with the Abu Dhabi-backed Cepsa. Abu Dhabi government fund International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC), which also owns stake in Daimler through state-owned subsidiary Aabar Investments, owns Cepsa. Aabar and IPIC in turn own Swiss-based Falcon Private Bank and Canada's Nova Chemicals who are both Toro Rosso sponsors.

Although no financial details of the deal were released, the team revealed that Cepsa's logo will appear on the drivers' race suits and on the nose, rear wing and rear wing endplates of the cars from this weekend's Italian Grand Prix.

Toro Rosso are currently owned by Red Bull but the Austrian energy drinks company is ready to offload the team and Spanish paper AS reported last week that Cepsa could become a full title sponsorship from 2012 and beyond.

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