Two Spanish nationals have been sentenced to a total of 90 years after been found guilty of carrying out burglaries across the Axarquia area of Malaga

costadelsol.st - News - Costa del Sol: "two Spanish nationals have been sentenced to a total of 90 years after been found guilty of carrying out burglaries across the Axarquia area of Malaga Province It is understood that the Provincial Court sentenced ibe of them . to almost 50 years and another to just over 40 years The two carried out a 12 robberies between February and June 2009." :Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim...

Person who was found guilty of fraud and falsifying documents has been sent to prison for one year and also fined

costadelsol.st - News - Costa del Sol: "According to reports in the press a man who was found guilty of fraud and falsifying documents has been sent to prison for one year and also fined It is understood from the reports that the man changed the name to his and the amount on a cheque issued by an insurance company for payment of a broken rear view mirror of a car in 2005 It is reported that the man changed the amount from 201.91 to 28000.91 The...

young British man has been identified as the person who allegedly set fire to a bar in Benalmadena on August 13th.

costadelsol.st - News - Costa del Sol: "According to reports in the press a young British man has been identified as the person who allegedly set fire to a bar in Benalmadena on August 13th. It is understood however that the person remains at large as he returned to the UK the day after the fire It is reported that the National Police believe the fire was started in connection with drug trafficking . According to reports a international search...

woman has died after falling from the sixth floor of an apartment bock in Malaga

costadelsol.st - News - Costa del Sol: "According to reports in the press a woman has died after falling from the sixth floor of an apartment bock in Malaga It is understood that the 56 year old woman fell at around 17.35 today It is reported that despite efforts by the emergency services the woman was declared dead at the scene." DISCLAIMER:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains...

Spain minimum wage to rise, says Zapatero

 Spain minimum wage to rise, says Zapatero: "Spain's minimum wage will rise by 1.3% in 2011, Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has announced. The increase will take monthly minimum pay to 641.50 euros (£551; $851). Mr Zapatero said state pensions would go up by at least the same percentage - and more in the case of those receiving the smallest pensions. He told a news conference the government was making 'a special effort at solidarity'...

Pensioner waits 'two hours' for an ambulance after falling in Sevilla Health Centre

Pensioner waits 'two hours' for an ambulance after falling in Sevilla Health Centre: "pensioner had to wait ‘two hours’ for an ambulance after falling over in his local health centre and breaking his hip. The Junta de Andalucía disputes the waiting time claimed by the family, saying that was 50 minutes. A statement from the Health Department lamented what had happened and described it as ‘a punctual and isolated event’." :Text may be subject to...

76 Civil War communal graves found in Malaga province | Costa del Sol |

Euro Weekly News | 76 Civil War communal graves found in Malaga province | Costa del Sol |  "communal grave at the San Rafael cemetery in Malaga is considered to be the largest in Spain, with 4,461 bodies believed to have been dumped there during and after the Civil War. After seven years of work, the Junta de Andalucia has presented a map which shows the existence of 76 communal graves in more than 50 towns throughout the province. The grim...

Spain Goes on Mosque-Building Spree: Churches Forced to Close :: Hudson New York

Spain Goes on Mosque-Building Spree: Churches Forced to Close :: Hudson New York: "The city of Barcelona, widely known as a European Mecca of anti-clerical postmodernism, has agreed to build an official mega-mosque with a capacity for thousands of Muslim worshipers. The new structure...

Airport confiscate 10lb turkey | The Sun |News

Airport confiscate 10lb turkey | The Sun |News: "AIRPORT security staff confiscated a 10lb turkey when a passenger tried to smuggle it out of Britain in hand luggage. The man claimed he couldn't get a good turkey for Christmas in Spain and asked: 'Why are you making a fuss - will...

Spain prepares for anti-smoking laws

Spain prepares for anti-smoking laws: "Spaniards will wake up on Sunday to find that what many consider an inalienable right - puffing on a cigarette with a drink at their local bar - has overnight become illegal. On January 2, one of the laxest anti-smoking laws in Europe will...

ACS close to reaching a 30 percent stake in Hochtief < German news | Expatica Germany

ACS close to reaching a 30 percent stake in Hochtief < German news | Expatica Germany: "Spain's leading construction company ACS said Monday it now had a 29.27 percent stake in Hochtief as part of its bid to take control of the German group. The offer for Hochtief, which will remain open until midnight Wednesday, would -- if successful -- make ACS the largest public works company in Europe and the third largest worldwide. The ACS initiative, which...

Spanish Household Power Prices to Jump - WSJ.com

Spanish Household Power Prices to Jump - WSJ.com: "Spanish government's move to raise household electricity prices by 9.8% from Jan. 1 could stoke inflationary pressures as the higher prices pass through households and into the larger economy. The increase will affect around 17 million Spanish households that rely on the so-called 'price of last resort,' the only one still set by the government after the sector was liberalized in recent years, Spain's...

James Lindsay, 51, and Englishmen David Tricks, 64, and John Hughes, 40, were lifted in the Catral area of the Costa Blanca.

Marbella Times: "James Lindsay, 51, and Englishmen David Tricks, 64, and John Hughes, 40, were lifted in the Catral area of the Costa Blanca. The three suspects are alleged to have used guns to hold up a rival British gang who had smuggled 1.2 tons of cannabis on to the Spanish coast. Half of the drugs haul was still missing yesterday. Police said a group of Brits had been buying huge amounts of cannabis from north African traffickers. A shipment...

Dermot McArdle Wife-killer finally face prison in Spain as European arrest warrant issued

Dermot McArdle Wife-killer finally face prison in Spain as European arrest warrant issued: "WIFE-killer Dermot McArdle may be arrested and brought back to Spain after a judge threw out his latest bid to escape jail. A court in Malaga has issued a European arrest warrant instructing gardai to detain the father-of-three at his home in Heynestown, Dundalk. Spanish officials said the arrest was being delayed by Irish bureaucrats, who have insisted...

Julian Assange: The Twenty First Century ‘Mick Jagger’ of Data: El Mundo, Spain | The Moderate Voice

Julian Assange: The Twenty First Century ‘Mick Jagger’ of Data: El Mundo, Spain | The Moderate Voice: "Besides starring in a tale not to be topped in the world and having exposed more than a few of the mysteries of power – which will not soon be forgotten, Julian Assange has acquired something even more potent: the power to polarize, shake things up, and leave no one indifferent to his visage, just as skanky and provocative as the Rolling Stones’...

Portugal's drug policy pays off; US eyes lessons - FoxNews.com

Portugal's drug policy pays off; US eyes lessons - FoxNews.com: " These days, Casal Ventoso is an ordinary blue-collar community — mothers push baby strollers, men smoke outside cafes, buses chug up and down the cobbled main street. Ten years ago, the Lisbon neighborhood was a hellhole, a 'drug supermarket' where some 5,000 users lined up every day to buy heroin and sneak into a hillside honeycomb of derelict housing to shoot up. In dark, stinking...

Overseas benefit cheats face new crackdown - Telegraph

Overseas benefit cheats face new crackdown - Telegraph: "Officials at the Department for Work and Pensions will work with their counterparts in countries where the most fraud is carried out by British benefit claimants. Top scams are said by the department to include claimants not informing the authorities that they have moved abroad, and those on benefits working overseas while being funded by the taxpayer. In some cases, relatives failed to inform...

WikiLeaks: British Outreach to Muslim Community Fails | FrontPage Magazine

WikiLeaks: British Outreach to Muslim Community Fails | FrontPage Magazine: "According to one of the cables released by WikiLeaks, the U.S. believes that the British have made “little progress” in winning over its Muslim community. The author is right to be alarmed but shouldn’t...

WikiLeaks' Julian Assange Now Making $86k/year - World Watch - CBS News

WikiLeaks' Julian Assange Now Making $86k/year - World Watch - CBS News: "WikiLeaks' main financial arm, the Germany-based Wau Holland Foundation says it has collected about 1 million Euro ($1.3 million) in donations in 2010, the year in which WikiLeaks exploded into public prominence...

Seven hanged on Christmas day; Kurdish political prisoner Habibollah Latifi scheduled to be executed Dec. 26

Seven hanged on Christmas day; Kurdish political prisoner Habibollah Latifi scheduled to be executed Dec. 26: "According to the news from Iran, three men were hanged in two different Iranian towns on Christmas day. According to the state run Iranian news agency ISNA, two men were hanged in the prison of Saveh (southwest of Tehran). The men were identified as 'Ahmad Amini Sangar' convicted of keeping 552 grams of heroin, 40 grams of crack and 20...

Wikileaks: Governments 'sought US wiretapping help'

Wikileaks: Governments 'sought US wiretapping help': "Fresh US diplomatic cables released via Wikileaks suggest governments have pressed the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to extend wiretapping services. Publishing the secret cables, the New York Times said governments wanted information on political adversaries. Panama and Paraguay are two of the nations cited. Panama's government says President Ricardo Martinelli's request on wiretaps had...

Banks And WikiLeaks

Banks And WikiLeaks: "The whistle-blowing Web site WikiLeaks has not been convicted of a crime. The Justice Department has not even pressed charges over its disclosure of confidential State Department communications. Nonetheless, the financial industry is trying to shut it down. Visa,...

WikiLeaks: How U.S. tried to stop Spain's torture probe | Don't indict former President George W. Bush's

WikiLeaks: How U.S. tried to stop Spain's torture probe | McClatchy: "Don't indict former President George W. Bush's legal brain trust for alleged torture in the treatment of war on terror detainees, warned Mel Martinez on one of his frequent trips to Madrid. Doing so would chill...

Spain's auto sector, a key source of jobs, is wrapping up a disastrous year due to a slump Spanish auto sector sector wraps up bleak year

Spanish auto sector sector wraps up bleak year: "Spain's auto sector, a key source of jobs, is wrapping up a disastrous year due to a slump in demand from the rest of Europe and the end of a government trade-in bonus scheme at home. Sales of new cars in the country plunged 25.5 percent...

Spain's stars are leaving the sunshine behind - The National

Spain's stars are leaving the sunshine behind - The National: "Spanish international sipping mineral water in a restaurant on Manchester's Deansgate explained his reasons for joining Manchester City. 'The English Premier League is very attractive to every footballer in the world,'...

Tourist areas such as the Costa Blanca could see price falls of up to 30%

Tourist areas such as the Costa Blanca could see price falls of up to 30% Reports on Spain's ailing housing market show sales volumes are down almost 50% since the summer and prices may suffer further falls of up to 30% — with holiday homes in tourist areas likely to fare worst of...

Ballena Blanca money laundering case ready for sentencing

Ballena Blanca money laundering case ready for sentencing: "main suspect proclaimed his innocence on the last day of the trial The hearings in the Ballena Blanca money laundering trial have now concluded and the case is ready for sentencing, nine months after it began. The main...

Briton arrested following Benidorm hotel fire

Briton arrested following Benidorm hotel fire: "50 year old is accused of setting his room on fire. Nine British people needed hospital treatment. Police have arrested a 50 year old Briton, accused of setting fire to the hotel room where he was staying. Thirteen people, all of them British tourists, had to be treated for smoke inhalation following the fire which also led to the evacuation of six of the ten floors of the Hotel Ambassador in Calle...

'Most wanted' suspect held in Spain

Dennis O'Brien, from Liverpool, is suspected of leading a gang which plotted to import £166 million of cocaine into the UK from Peru. The 62-year-old was found at a Costa del Sol bar on Saturday after a joint operation by the British Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) and Spanish...

The ex Municipal Real Estate Assessor in Marbella is thought to have done a deal with the prosecutor, and appears to be 'spilling the beans'.

A week after first expected by the media, the man at the centre of the Malaya corruption case, the largest ever municipal corruption case ever seen in Spain, Juan Antonio Roca, finally took to the stand in the Málaga court on Monday.Roca started his declaration after 1pm to the anti-corruption prosecutor, Juan Carlos López Caballero.Read more: http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_28386.shtml#ixzz18kBL34Fj:Text may be subject...

Spanish unions protest retirement reform

AFP: Spanish unions protest retirement reform: "Tens of thousands of Spanish workers staged strikes in 40 cities Saturday to protest state plans to up the retirement age to slash public deficit, the highest in the eurozone after Greece and Ireland. The strikers gathered in central Madrid carrying red flags and holding placards such as 'No to retirement at 67', police said giving the estimates, adding they were essentially from the main UGT and CCOO...

Spain becomes Europe's high-speed rail leader

AFP: Spain becomes Europe's high-speed rail leader: "Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and King Juan Carlos opened Saturday the country's fourth high-speed rail line, making the country the European leader in the technology. The 438-kilometre (272-mile) route will...

Spanish PM Insists on Raising Retirement Age to 67 - ABC News

Spanish PM Insists on Raising Retirement Age to 67 - ABC News: "Spain's prime minister said Friday the government is set on raising the retirement age to 67 from 65 in the new year, despite strong resistance from some opposition parties and labor unions who are threatening another general strike. Spain's central bank and other financial institutions have urged Zapatero to make changes in the pension system as part of reforms crucial to helping the...

Head of Malaga's drug squad arrested for trafficking

Head of Malaga's drug squad arrested for trafficking: "head of the Guardia Civil's Anti Drug and Organised Crime Squad in Málaga has been arrested, along with another officer and an ex-officer in an investigation in drug trafficking. The investigation, initiated in the spring by the Guardia Civil internal affairs branch, resulted in the arrest of the first officer and the ex-officer in Mijas (Málaga) on Wednesday, before the lieutenant was arrested...

Spain risks firestorm over pensions in an effort to impress the markets | City A.M.

Spain risks firestorm over pensions in an effort to impress the markets City A.M.: "THE Spanish government’s desperation to calm financial markets means it will risk a political firestorm to impose new pension rules that may not even help its budget for at least a decade. Urged by Brussels and economists, the cabinet is bringing forward the reform, which raises the retirement age -- aiming to show it making the hard choices needed to secure public...

Spanish banks face new reporting requirements - Fox News Latino

Spanish banks face new reporting requirements - Fox News Latino: "Spanish banks have been more candid about their balance sheets than their Irish counterparts and will now be required to publish quarterly reports on bad debt ratios and financing needs, the head of Spain's central...

Home sales fell 17.7 percent year-on-year to 27,198 units in Spain in October

Home sales fell 17.7 percent year-on-year to 27,198 units in Spain in October, hitting the lowest level since January 2007, when the National Statistics Institute, or INE, first began reporting figures on property closings. The October figures indicate that the downward trend in sales that started in September, ending eight months of rising sales, has not changed, the INE said. Of the 27,198 housing units sold in October, 13,400, or some 49.4...

US Embassy in Madrid proposed setting up an intelligence hub in the northeastern region of Catalonia to counter a "major centre of radical Islamist activity"

The US Embassy in Madrid proposed setting up an intelligence hub in the northeastern region of Catalonia to counter a "major centre of radical Islamist activity", according to a US cable obtained by WikiLeaks and published on Saturday by the newspaper El Pais. The cable, dated October...

As Assange Indictment Looms, WikiLeaks Cables Tie Two Treasure Cases Together

As Assange Indictment Looms,WikiLeaks Cables Tie Two Treasure Cases Together: "British lawyers for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said Friday they are preparing for the possibility that their client will be indicted in they U.S.Jennifer Robinson, an attorney at London's Finers...

WikiLeaks: Hindering Spain-Cuba Relations, a U.S. Priority

WikiLeaks: Hindering Spain-Cuba Relations, a U.S. Priority: "The United States took advantage of alleged disagreements among Spanish diplomats to hamper relations between Spain and Cuba, according to U.S. embassy cables released by the WikiLeaks website. Preventing an improvement...

Something to declare: Morocco’s Kasbah du Toubkal; partying overseas; London to Scotland for 2p a mile; Rome to Rio de Janeiro - News & Advice, Travel - The Independent

Something to declare: Morocco’s Kasbah du Toubkal; partying overseas; London to Scotland for 2p a mile; Rome to Rio de Janeiro - News & Advice, Travel - The Independent: "The luxurious mountain refuge of Kasbah du Toubkal – close to Marrakech and in shadow of North Africa's highest mountain, Toubkal – is a treat at any time of the year. But on two trips in 2011 its founder, Mike McHugo, is offering it as an element in fund-raising for educational...

Why counterfeit Christmas presents aren’t such a bargain | The Sun |Features

Why counterfeit Christmas presents aren’t such a bargain The Sun Features: "Counterfeit goods - costing a fraction of the price of genuine versions - are more popular than ever in these tough times. Hard-up shoppers, hungry for trendy brands yet desperate to save cash, are forking...

WikiLeaks: U.S. helped Spain fight treasure hunter - Local News - Tampa, FL - msnbc.com

WikiLeaks: U.S. helped Spain fight treasure hunter - Local News - Tampa, FL - msnbc.com: "Sunken treasure, WikiLeaks documents and a priceless French painting. Suddenly, a great deal of international drama has touched down in Tampa and reads like a diplomatic thriller — with half...

Spain's Salgado says no VAT, fuel tax increases | Reuters

Spain's Salgado says no VAT, fuel tax increases Reuters: "Spain's Socialist government last week said it would raise taxes on tobacco as it seeks to reduce Spain's deficit. But Salgado ruled out co-payment on medicines by patients to raise revenues. Another of the measures announced...

one in ten cars on Costa del Sol roads is not insured

one in ten cars on Costa del Sol roads is not insured, a Spanish Traffic Department report shows. With over 1 million vehicles registered in Malaga Province, 150,000 vehicles (14 per cent) are not insured. However, in at least 50 per cent of cases, the uninsured vehicles are not actually on the roads, experts say.This means there are 74,000 vehicles on the road without insurance. Driving without insurance can lead...

BUILDING licenses in Marbella have seen a 40 per cent increase in the past six months

 BUILDING licenses inMarbella have seen a 40 per cent increase in the past six months, according to the town hall. This has been attributed the new urban plan or Plan General (PGOU).Since the new PGOU came into effect on May 22, more than 100 major building licenses have...

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

Spain PM allows army to take control of air space Reuters: "Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has allowed the army to take over control of Spanish air space following the mass walkout of air traffic controllers, a Public Works Ministry spokeswoman said on Friday." :Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright hold...

Spain: Military Could Take Over Air Traffic Control - WSJ.com

3rd UPDATE: Spain: Military Could Take Over Air Traffic Control - WSJ.com: "Spain's government on Friday said the military could take over the country's air traffic control after controllers throughout the country walked off the job and forced the closure of Spanish airspace, stranding thousands of travelers on the eve of a long weekend. In a statement, the government called on the controllers to 'immediately return to their jobs,' warning that legislation...

22 suspects called to court in Baleares fraud case

22 suspects called to court in Baleares fraud case: "It’s been revealed that more than 20 suspects are to be questioned in court over the coming months in the tenth proceeding in the Balearic Islands’ Voltor case, the case which is investigating the alleged misuse of public funds. It centres on suspects linked to the Unió Mallorquina party and suspected fraud in subsidies paid from public funds. Those appearing in court in the weeks up until March...

Spain and Portugal criticise the decision to hold 2018 World Cup in Russia

Spain and Portugal criticise the decision to hold 2018 World Cup in Russia: "Spanish and Portuguese bid team has criticised the FIFA decision to hold the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Russia won in the second round of voting, but the win had already been made public to the Russian media ahead of the announcement by FIFA Chairman Joseph Blatter. The same thing happened with the 2022 decision which was also decided in Zurich today, with Al Jazeera in...

British man stops schoolgirl being snatched in Benalmádena

British man stops schoolgirl being snatched in Benalmádena: "Detectives from the National Police are investigating an attempted kidnapping in Benalmádena recently where the victim, an 11 year old schoolgirl, was saved from being snatched by a passerby. Reporting on the incident this Thursday, Diario Sur said the child’s rescuer is believed to have been British. It happened near La Paloma school in Arroyo de la Miel, after the victim had left the...

Spanish airport workers announce Christmas strike action

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

Fernando del Valle faces a possible 17 years in prison and a fine of 36 million €,

Defence lawyers acting for the Chilean lawyer based in Marbella, Fernando del Valle, the man at the centre of the Ballena Blanca money laundering case, have called for the case to be declared null and void.Horacio Oliva said in his final comments to the judge that his client suffered ‘unjustified interference’ of his basic rights during the instruction stage of the case. He said the arrest warrant issued against his client by Judge Miguel...

Christopher Kinahan and his two sons, Christy Junior and Daniel walked out of the Albolote Prison in Granada on Friday

Christopher Kinahan - Archive PhotoChristopher Kinahan and his two sons, Christy Junior and Daniel walked out of the Albolote Prison in Granada on FridayThe alleged drug trafficker known as the ‘Irish Godfather’, Christopher Kinahan, has been granted bail by the judge, María del...