Rocio Wanninkhof's mother calls for letters from Tony King be investigated

Rocio Wanninkhof's mother calls for letters from Tony King be investigated: "Alicia Hornos, the mother of Rocio Wanninkhof, the youngster killed in Mijas Costa in October 1999, has made a request in the Fuengirola Instruction Court, to start investigating the two letters which she has received from the imprisoned Briton found guilty of the murder, Tony Alexander King, who is serving 19 years in prison for the killing.

Alicia Hornos has said that King sent her two letters on January 7, in which he claims that the first suspect found guilty of Rocio’s murder, Dolores Vázquez, took part in the killing. Vázquez, an ex lesbian lover of Alicia Hornos spent 17 months in prison accused of the crime, but was finally found not guilty in a re-trial.

The King letters were sent from the prison in Herrera de La Mancha in Manzanares, Ciudad Real, and total 23 sheets in length. Written in English they are reported to explain ‘in full detail’ how the killing was carried out. King wrote the letters after receiving a request to do so from Alicia Hornos.

King admits his participation in the crime, he claims for money, but only admitting to moving the body, wrapping it in plastic. He claims that Vázquez killed Rocio while his friend, another Briton, Robert Graham, held her down."

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Andalucía High Court throws out planning challenge from the Partido Popular

Andalucía High Court throws out planning challenge from the Partido Popular: "The Andalucía High Court (TSJA) has thrown out appeals made to it by PP leader in Andalucía, Javier Arenas, and the Málaga Partido Popular, together with FADECO, the Andalucía Federation of Real Estate Promoters, against the Territorial Ordination Plan (POTA) for the region.

The High Court ruled that there is no interference from the regional government in the responsibilities of the local Town Halls. The court also noted article 148 of the Constitution which states that territorial planning is the responsibility of the autonomous regions.

Councillor for the Presidency of the Junta de Andalucía, Mar Moreno, described the sentence as ‘very satisfactory’. She said that the Partido Popular had suffered another setback in the courts, and had not managed to impose a town planning model of disorder and excess, which unfortunately had generated so many problems in the past, and which is the model used by many Town Halls where they are in power."

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Mad Dogs on Mallorca

Mad Dogs on Mallorca: "A new mini series from Sky 1, filmed entirely on Mallorca, will be premiered in the O2 Arena in London and in several cinemas across the United Kingdom on Tuesday.

Directed by Adrian Shergold, it starts Max Beesley and John Simm, with the Spanish actress Maria Botto.

Sollér, Pollença, and Palma are among the locations used in the filming which took place in May and June 2010.

The budget for the project was four million €, the Fundación Mallorca Tourism gave a 150,000 € grant, and is estimated to have left a profit of more than 1.25 million €."

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Democracy in Spain is better than in France or Britain

Democracy in Spain is better than in France or Britain: "Democracy in Spain is better than in France or Britain - that is the conclusion of a study, the Democracy Barometer, carried out by Zurich University and the Berlin Social Sciences Centre for Investigation, which compared the state of democracy in the 30 main proponents in the world between 1995 and 2005.

Spain obtained an average 66.74 points, placing it in 17th place, while Britain was 26th with 44.6 points and France was 27th with 42.8 points.

Top of the study was Denmark, 88.3 points, and Finland 87.7 points.
The United States came in tenth.

The study used 100 indexes to measure how each country was meeting obligations on quality, freedom and government, as well as looking at the State of Law, transparency and citizen participation."

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Personal police data published in error

Personal police data published in error: "The names and home addresses of at least eight top policemen on the Costa del Sol have fallen into the hands of mafia organisations after the details were included in a case summary by mistake.

The case dates back to July 2007 when the police concerned broke up a dangerous French criminal gang on the costa.

Police union SUP represents six of the policemen affected, and is now demanding a full investigation as to how the mistake was made. The policemen concerned received judicial citations sent to their homes."

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The Bishops' Spokesman said it's easier to end a marriage contract than the contract with Telefónica

Spanish Bishops compare civil marriage to a phone company contract: "The Bishops' Spokesman said it's easier to end a marriage contract than the contract with TelefónicaJuan Antonio Martínez Camino - Photo EFE


The Spokesman and General Secretary for the CEE, Spanish Episcopal Conference, Juan Antonio Martínez Camino, has said that civil marriage in Spain ‘is a far less serious contract’ than one signed with Telefónica, regarding difficulties faced in rescinding it.

‘Marriage is union of any citizen for three months, and after three months the contract can be dissolved by either party, without giving any reason’, he said.

He described the laws which regulate unions in Spain are ‘irrational, unjust and prejudicial to the common good, above all when applied to homosexual marriage’."

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Illegal Houses – Court overrules the Junta

Illegal Houses – Court overrules the Junta: "According to the ruling the house was constructed several years ago on non urban land without a building permit and any administrative action against it was proscribed as out of time. After satisfying several requirements, Albox Town council granted a license of first occupation to this property under a special ‘ordenanza’ or regulation which was created specifically to deal with this type of housing classified as ‘fuera de ordenacion’; that is to say constructed without a building permit but untouchable by the administration.

The Junta challenged the license of first occupation on the grounds that there was no building permit for the property and that these houses should be regulated by an urban plan. Alfredo Najas de la Cruz, representing Albox Council and Pedro Maldonado Ruiz acting for the homeowners, argued against the Juntas’ interpretation."

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Granada City Hall says 'no subsidy' to Ryanair

Granada City Hall says 'no subsidy' to Ryanair: "Granada City Hall has said that it will not support the Diputación provincial government in the talks which have restarted with Ryanair on reopening flights from the Granada/Jaén airport to London.

The talks started last week, it’s understood at the airline’s request, but the City Hall has said that the strategy of subsidising some airlines and not others could cause others to fell ‘excluded’ and abandon Granada airport.

Councillor for Tourism, Marifrán Carazo, said the way to attract low cost airlines is to ‘improve the destination and invest to create a good airport’.

‘The City Hall has decided not to subsidise Ryanair or any other airline’, she said."

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Spain's top chef outlines gastronomic research centre

AFP: Spain's top chef outlines gastronomic research centre: "World-renowned Spanish chef Ferran Adria said Tuesday his new research foundation is set to replace elBulli, the eatery often hailed as the world's best.
The 'elBullifoundation' will be launched on July 31 under the slogan 'Freedom to Create', the day after elBulli closes, the guru of avant-garde cuisine said at the Madrid Fusion gastronomy fair.
The foundation will combine 'meals, research, landscape and architecture' in a research centre, a documentation centre and a restaurant in a eco-friendly complex that is to open in 2014, he said.
It will be located at the same site as elBulli, at Cala Montjoi, on the coast of Spain's northeastern Catalonia region. Work on the site will begin late this year.
Adria announced last year he planned to close elBulli, on Spain's northeastern Catalan coast, and then reopen it as part of a non-profit foundation.
The restaurant in 2009 came top of the World's 50 Best Restaurants list for the fourth year in a row following a poll of more than 800 chefs, restaurant critics and industry insiders for Britain's Restaurant Magazine.
However last year it slipped to number two behind the Noma restaurant in Copenhagen."

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El País faces swingeing job cuts

El País faces swingeing job cuts | Media | The Guardian: "Sweeping job cuts will hit Spain's premier daily newspaper, El País, and all outlets of its owner, the country's mighty Prisa media group, following the sale of a majority stake to a group of US-based investors led by Briton Martin Franklin.

The company will cut 2,500 employees, or 18% of its workforce, over the coming year, it said in a statement today. The cuts will fall 'in all countries and all areas', meaning workers at venerable left-wing daily El País will take their share of the pain.

The cuts mark a definitive end to more than three decades of comparatively benign and paternalistic ownership by the Prisa group's founding Polanco family. Among the new faces on the committee that approved the cuts on Friday was Franklin, a serial entrepreneur based in New York.

The Polanco family ceded a controlling share in Prisa to investors in cash shell Liberty Acquisitions Holdings, formed by Franklin and the so-called 'homeless billionaire' Nicolas Berggruen, in December."

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Tory council pays for trip to Spain with taxpayers' cash

Tory council pays for trip to Spain with taxpayers' cash - mirror.co.uk: "TORY councillors in Gosport, Hants, spent £7,344 on a bins “fact-finding” trip to Madrid even though the same firm has a site on the Isle of Wight."

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Unions organise lock-outs over bid to raise pension age

Unions organise lock-outs over bid to raise pension age: "UNIONS are preparing a series of lock-outs in protest over plans to increase state pension age to 67 and have warned the government that there may be further general strikes.

Secretary-general of the workers' commission, or CCOO, Ignacio Fernández Toxo, and of the UGT (general workers' union), Cándido Méndez, say the move is 'unjust' and 'counterproductive', since it forces people to go on working when they no longer feel mentally or physically capable rather than freeing up jobs for younger people.

Today, they organised lock-ins in social security offices in provincial and district capitals.

Although they say they are open to negotiation, as is the government, neither party has been able to come to an agreement.

Fernández Toxo and Méndez told the government to 'be warned', that they are not going to 'take it lying down', and that they are quite prepared to organise more countrywide strikes."

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body of a 45-year-old woman has been found on a main road near Villanueva de las Cruces (Huelva).

"THE body of a 45-year-old woman has been found on a main road near Villanueva de las Cruces (Huelva).
It is thought she had been thrown from a vehicle, but the cause of her death will not be known until the autopsy is carried out this week.
She was discovered at 07.20hrs by Guardia Civil officers, but there was nobody else in the area.
They have ruled out that she was killed in a traffic accident."

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Tivoli World to layoff staff as recession tightens grip

TIVOLI WORLD Theme Park in Benalmadena has revealed plans to temporarily layoff 61 out of its 64 staff. The aging theme park first opened in 1972, and has attracted millions of visitors over the years. The paperwork for the layoffs, known as an ERE, has been processed by the Junta de Andalucia and will affect the next two off-peak seasons, as well as this month and next month.

The procedure guarantees that the staff will be paid, and the company has promised to make up the difference between their unemployment benefits and their normal salary.

Meanwhile, the Mayor of Benalmadena, Enrique Moya, has encouraged the management to take measures to put the theme park back where it deserves to be.

He said, however, that the town hall could not provide money for the park, but would present plans to other bodies which could help."

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DOG owners beware

 "DOG owners beware. Several dogs in the Coin area went missing just before Christmas. I heard that local Guardia and vets believe the dogs were taken from owner's gardens to sell on as Christmas presents.

More than six dogs – all chipped - were reported missing, but there could be more.

The practice could continue as the perpetrators may be looking for easy money by targeting puppies that resemble pure breeds."

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Silvio Berlusconi sex probe: 14 girls evicted from rent-free luxury flats | Mail Online

Silvio Berlusconi sex probe: 14 girls evicted from rent-free luxury flats | Mail Online: "Fourteen women named as guests in a sex probe involving Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi have been evicted from their homes after the residents association complained they ‘lowered the tone.’

The women all lived rent-free in the complex after being given the apartments by Berlusconi, 74, and were regulars at his infamous ‘bunga bunga’ sex parties.

Prosecutors are investigating him over claims he had sex with under age prostitutes and extortion after he personally intervened in getting a 17-year-old guest of his released from custody after she was held for theft."

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Spanish Home Sales Decline as Unemployment Concerns Deter Would-Be Buyers - Bloomberg

Spanish Home Sales Decline as Unemployment Concerns Deter Would-Be Buyers - Bloomberg: "Spanish home sales decreased for a third month in November as concern about unemployment and the outlook for the nation’s economy deterred buyers.

Home transactions fell 6.2 percent from a year earlier, after a 17.7 percent drop the previous month, the National Statistics Institute said today in an e-mailed statement from Madrid. The decline in sales coincides with a 24 percent slide in mortgage lending as Spaniards held off from buying homes until the outlook for employment improves.

Spain’s economy stagnated in the third quarter, leaving the unemployment rate at more than 20 percent, the highest in Europe. The economic recovery may be further undermined by the deepest austerity measures in at least three decades as the government has cut public salaries and raised taxes to stem a surge in borrowing costs.

The gap between Spanish and German 10-year borrowing costs rose to 236.3 basis points yesterday after Spain sold 5.5 billion euros ($7.4 billion) of Treasury bills. The spread reached a euro-era high of 298 basis points on Nov. 30, almost 20 times the average in the first decade of monetary union."

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Spain, the UK, Germany and Italy top European immigration tables

Spain, the UK, Germany and Italy top European immigration tables: "More people from outside of the European Union arrived to live in Spain, Germany, the UK and Italy than any other countries, according to the latest figures to be released.

The figures from Eurostat, the European Union’s statistics department, show these were the only four member states that accepted more than 100,000 immigrants in 2008, the most recent data available.

Spain had 498,900 immigrants from outside the EU, the UK 307,400, Italy 283,700 and Germany 237,900. These four countries took more than two-thirds, 67 %, of all immigrants to any of the EU member states. France used to admit high numbers of immigrants, but it took only 89,000 two years ago.

Overall, EU member states received a total of 3.8 million immigrants in 2008, down 6% from the previous year. Italy is the main destination for hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees from Africa and the Middle East who see it as the easiest route into Europe, and Spain is the choice for immigrants from Latin America."

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Spain to part-nationalise weakest savings banks | Business | guardian.co.uk

Spain to part-nationalise weakest savings banks | Business | guardian.co.uk: "Spain is to partially nationalise its weakest savings banks, or cajas, amid concern about the impact bad loans to building developers may have on the country's financial sector and to calm market jitters about an Irish-style sovereign debt crisis.

A presentation to investors from the state-backed Orderly Bank Restructuring Fund (FROB) says this could be done using the fund if some of the 17 savings banks are unable to raise capital themselves, which analysts see as probable.

'FROB could provide funds directly taking a stake in the entity on a temporary basis,' the presentation says.

The government will force cajas to become conventional banks and seek stock market listings, according to Spanish media reports today."

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George Clooney has malaria - Piers Morgan announces it on Twitter: 3am

George Clooney has malaria - Piers Morgan announces it on Twitter: 3am: "Those blood-thirsty mosquitoes sure like celebrities - Piers Morgan has just announced on Twitter that George Clooney has malaria.

However, don't panic - he's well enough to talk about his illness on Piers's US TV show, plus his publicist has just told us that George is now over it.

'BREAKING NEWS: George Clooney has contracted malaria following recent trip to Sudan,' reads the tweet. 'Reveals news on @PiersTonight tomorrow 9PM ET. More Clooney - it's his 2nd bout of malaria. Taking medication but feeling rough.'"

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The body of a 13 year old girl, named as Maria Esther Jiménez Villegas found

Body of missing Málaga girl found: "The body of a 13 year old girl, named as Maria Esther Jiménez Villegas, who was reported missing from the Málaga village of Arriate on Wednesday night, has been found in the pump house of a swimming pool.

A fireman made the find on land on the outskirts of the village, which has a population of about 3,500, at 7,15pm on Thursday night. The area is known as La curva de Arriate, close to the municipality of Ronda.

Sources close to the investigation say that the body showed clear signs of violence. The child had been beaten and the body was found with the head covered.

She had last been seen in a four wheel drive vehicle close to the Arriate rubbish tip. Her friends had been helping with the search operation, concentrating on the area of the rubbish tip and on an abandoned house often used for play.

Locals questioned by the Spanish media are in agreement that María Esther was an extrovert child who enjoyed the company of others, and that ‘she had the innocence of not knowing whom she made have gone off with’.

The judge has imposed reporting restrictions in the case, but it’s understood that the autopsy is being carried out today, Friday at the Legal Medicine Institute in Málaga."

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Three Brits arrested after gunpoint Costa kidnap

Three Brits arrested after gunpoint Costa kidnap - mirror.co.uk: "THREE Britons have been arrested after a man was kidnapped at gunpoint in Spain.

Armed officers swooped on a house near Marbella and rescued the bound and gagged victim. They arrested men aged 50 and 47 and a woman from London aged 19.

The victim, a 23-year-old Moroccan, was shopping in Malaga when a gunman bundled him into a car. His captors then demanded nearly £100,000 for his release.

A police source said: “The man was shaking with fear when our officers rescued him.”

An investigating magistrate remanded the three in custody."

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Zapatero's Bid to Lure Investors to Cajas May Prove `Impossible for Now' - Bloomberg

Zapatero's Bid to Lure Investors to Cajas May Prove `Impossible for Now' - Bloomberg: "Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero wants to lure private investors to the country’s savings banks to share the burden of shoring up their capital. It won’t be easy, analysts and investors said.

“Mr. Zapatero can do lots of things like raise VAT or cut social benefits, but something he can’t do is force a private investor to put his money in a caja if he doesn’t want to,” said Pablo Garcia, head of equities at Oddo Sociedad de Valores in Madrid. “I’m afraid it’s just impossible for now.”

Momentum may be building for the state to provide more capital to the savings banks to restore confidence in an industry and economy stricken by lending to property developers, said Inigo Lecubarri, who helps manage about $200 million at Abaco Financials Fund in London. The savings banks, or cajas, are regional institutions run as foundations that helped fund the property boom and account for about half of Spain’s loans"

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Snow, strikes and fuel costs trigger losses at budget airline easyJet | Mail Online

Snow, strikes and fuel costs trigger losses at budget airline easyJet | Mail Online: "Shares in easyJet took a 16pc dive after it forecast a first-half loss nearly twice as heavy as last year, triggered by rising fuel costs and disruption from snow and strike action.

Airlines traditionally lose money in the first six months of the year, but the no-frills carrier predicted a £160m foray into the red, compared with a pre-tax loss of £78.7m last year.

Chief executive Carolyn McCall - recruited from Guardian Media Group in March 2010 - said severe weather and air traffic control strikes in Europe had cost the company some £31m. The disruption saw McCall and her board forfeit their bonuses for 2010, according to accounts released earlier this week."

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Money laundering trial for ex Marbella Mayor and his two exes likely to be this year

Money laundering trial for ex Marbella Mayor and his two exes likely to be this year: "money laundering trial against the former Mayor of Marbella, Julián Muñoz, and his two exes, Maite Zaldívar and Isabel Pantoja, is to take place this year, Europa Press has revealed.

The proceedings are now with Section Two of the provincial court in Málaga and it’s understood that all that will remain, once the proceedings have been studied, and decisions made on whether to accept evidence presented by those implicated, is to set a date.

The case arose from the Malaya corruption investigation in Marbella and charges both the singer, Isabel Pantoja, and Muñoz’s ex wife with laundering money for the former Mayor. Both women face three and a half years in prison, while Muñoz could spend 7 and a half years behind bars.

An additional 7 suspects face charges in the case.

The prosecutor alleges that, during the time Muñoz was at the Town Hall, he diverted an estimated 3.5 million €, and used first his wife, his daughters and his brother in law to launder the money, and then Isabel Pantoja. He claims that both women were fully aware of the ‘illicit origin’ of the money."

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Late deal holiday websites should offer malaria advice

Late deal holiday websites should offer malaria advice | Mail Online: "Health experts are warning holiday deals websites that they should provide specific travel advice on the risks of malaria.

In a letter to the British Medical Journal (BMJ), medical experts cited examples of Britons who'd booked late deals to Gambia and returned with infectious diseases.

They had not sought or received any medical advice about the risk of infection prior to travel and suffered severe malaria within two weeks of returning home."

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Britons can obtain medical treatment across EU

Britons can obtain medical treatment across EU - Telegraph: "The directive, which comes into force in 2013, enables EU patients to have treatment in another member state, which will be paid for by the health service in their own country.
Liz Lynne, a Liberal Democrat MEP, yesterday (WED) hailed the decision as 'a milestone for cross-border health care in Europe' but health campaigners say the move could lead to NHS trusts chasing higher paying 'health tourists'.
The ruling requires patients to get the approval of a doctor and funding approval from a health authority in their home country before obtaining treatment abroad. They will then pay for the treatment up-front before claiming the cost back.
Ms Lynne said: 'I think we have found the right balance between protecting national health systems and strengthening patients' rights.'
But John Lister, of the campaign group Health Emergency, said: 'Overseas patients could become the sought-after patients for NHS trusts, exactly like foreign students are for universities.'
RELATED ARTICLES"

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Michaela McAreavey murder suspect: Forget me, I've shamed my family - mirror.co.uk

Michaela McAreavey murder suspect: Forget me, I've shamed my family - mirror.co.uk: "Murder suspect Avinash Treebhoowoon told his dad: 'Forget about me - I've ruined my life for ever'.

The Hindu hotel worker, 29, wept in prison as he told his father to disown him over his alleged involvement in Michaela McAreavey's murder.

A police source said: 'Treebhoowoon could barely hold it together. He met his father and other relatives in a conference room inside the police headquarters.

'He broke down completely and told his father to disown him. The prospect of spending many years in prison is obviously weighing heavily on his mind as well as the shame he has brought on his family.'

Officials said Treebhoowoon made his weeping demand to his dad during a weekend meeting in his detention block in Mauritian capital Port Louis."

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Ex-Banker Fined for Threat, Swiss Secrecy-Law Breach - Businessweek

Ex-Banker Fined for Threat, Swiss Secrecy-Law Breach - Businessweek: "A former Julius Baer Group Ltd. banker was fined today by a Zurich court for breaking the country’s client-secrecy laws and making a death threat against a bank employee.

Rudolf Elmer was fired from his position as chief operating officer by Julius Baer Bank & Trust Company Ltd. in the Cayman Islands in December 2002. In 2004 and 2005, Elmer sent copied client data to Swiss tax authorities and the newspaper Cash, and this week gave information on about 2,000 of the bank’s cross- border clients to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in London.

Elmer was found guilty by the criminal court of making a “threat, several counts of attempted duress and multiple counts of breaking banking secrecy,” Judge Sebastian Aeppli said today. He imposed a fine of 7,200 Swiss francs ($7,500), which was suspended for two years. The prosecution had asked he be sentenced to eight months in jail."

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Tunisia Investigates Ousted President's Finances | Africa | English

 Tunisia Investigates Ousted President's Finances | Africa | English: "Tunisian prosecutors have begun investigating the overseas assets of ousted President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, his family and associates.

Officials are said to be looking at bank accounts, real estate, and other valuables held by the former ruler, as well as his wife Leila Trabelsi and her relatives.

Also Wednesday, the Swiss government ordered a freeze on the former ruler's assets, which a news report says may include a building in Geneva and a jet aircraft.

Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey said the order is intended to prevent 'misuse' of funds.

Ben Ali fled Tunisia after weeks of political unrest, which has hurt the nation's key tourist industry, and prompted lenders to worry about Tunisia's economic growth and the safety of its bonds.

Moody's Investor Services downgraded Tunisia's foreign debt one notch to the lowest investment grade (Baa3). Moody's said the increased risk stems from high unemployment, rising prices, and restrictive politics.

Another major rating agency has already warned it may also cut Tunisia's credit rating. A lower credit rating makes it likely that lenders will charge higher interest rates for loans to Tunisia, making it more expensive and difficult to finance new projects or re-finance old debts."

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Tunisia says revolt to boost tourism

Tunisia says revolt to boost tourism: "A popular revolt in Tunisia will benefit tourism in the long term, even though holidaymakers took fright in past weeks, the country’s ambassador to Spain said Wednesday.

'Tourists were a bit worried,' Ambassador Mohamed Ridha Kechrid conceded in an interview on the opening day of the five-day international tourism trade fair, Fitur, in Madrid.

'Now order has been re-established and from now on tourists can come back to Tunisia,' he said.

'There was a crisis of confidence, which is bad for everyone, for Tunisians, for foreign investors and of course for tourists,' he added.

But once democratic elections have been organized 'Tunisia will be even more beautiful, more credible... and this change will be beneficial for Tunisian tourism and for the economy.'

Tourism is Tunisia’s major foreign exchange earner, covering 60 percent of the trade deficit. It accounts for 6.5 percent of total economic output and gives work to 350,000 people in the country of 10 million.

Kechrid said Tunisian tourism should diversify."

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Spain house sales fall 6.2 pct y/y in Nov | Reuters

Spain house sales fall 6.2 pct y/y in Nov | Reuters: "Spanish house sales fell in November for the third straight month, official data showed on Wednesday, reversing eight months of gains as the country's ailing property sector struggles to recover.

House sales dropped 6.2 percent in November from a year earlier to 32,746 units, after falling 17.7 percent in October, though rose 20.4 percent month-on-month, the National Statistics Institute said.

Spain's housing crisis has turned a decade-long economic boom into a prolonged bust, forcing the country's network of savings banks into a costly consolidation process and leaving millions of construction workers without jobs.

Housing prices, which have not fallen as sharply in Spain as in the United States or Ireland, are expected to continue to fall gradually for several more years, aggravating economic stagnation."

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Google appeals Spain mandate to take down links - BusinessWeek

Google appeals Spain mandate to take down links - BusinessWeek: "Lawyers for Google are appealing demands by Spanish authorities that the U.S. company delete links to websites containing information that officials say violate Spaniards' privacy rights.

The cases dealt with Wednesday include a surgeon who was absolved of charges of malpractice in a case in 1991, but a Spanish newspaper reference to the original case still crops up whenever his name is keyed into Google's search engine.

Google Inc. says it's the first case of its kind and that a Spanish decision mandating the deletion of the links could hurt freedom of expression.

Spain's Data Protection Agency says it went after Google on the request of the individuals involved and because the original publishers of the links cannot legally be ordered to take them down."

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Spanish Minister says there will be no fuel prospecting off the Costa del Sol

Spanish Minister says there will be no fuel prospecting off the Costa del Sol: "The ex President of the Junta de Andalucía says the government will not authorise oil and gas prospecting off the Costa del Sol.

Manuel Chaves, who is now the third Vice-President of the government and Minister for Territorial Policy, was responding on Wednesday to the recent news that permission has already been granted by central government. He denied that, saying that no decision has yet been made and, if anything is authorised, ‘it will only be an investigation to determine the existence or not of gas’.

It’s understood from Diario Sur an environmental impact report is currently pending."

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The Malaya Corruption Mini-Series

The Malaya Corruption Mini-Series: "The Malaya court case has only recently got underway in Málaga, but already the Mini-series is prepared.

‘Operación Malaya’ is a two part drama of what is Spain’s largest Municipal Corruption case based in Marbella and starts on TVE 1 tomorrow, Friday at 2215.

The series has actors playing all the main characters – Julián Muñoz, Marisol Yagüe, Jesús Gil y Gil and Juan Antonio Roca, but for some reason they have stepped back from characterising the diva Isabel Pantoja.

Directed by Manuel Huerga, it stars Juanjo Cucalón, Fernando Albizu, and Mar Saura. It also features Reg Wilson who plays the character ‘El Inglés’.

It starts when a young judge walks into his new office at Instruction Court 5 in Marbella, prepared to investigate allegations of irregularities in the construction of the Guadalpín Hotel.

The screenplay, by Carlos Molinero, has been based on judicial summaries which have been released to the press over the past nearly eight years."

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Marta del Castillo's parents announce appeal for a single trial for all 5 accused in her death

Marta del Castillo's parents announce appeal for a single trial for all 5 accused in her death: "The lawyer who represents Marta’s parents will be at Juvenile Court No. 3 in Sevilla on Monday, where he will present on their behalf an appeal for the all five charged in the case, including the juvenile, to answer the charges against them at one single trial.

A subsidiary appeal will be lodged, should the first be turned down, to delay El Cuco’s trial until the four remaining accused are tried.

Similar appeals were presented this Tuesday by two of the adults charged in the case: Francisco Javier Delgado, brother of Marta’s self-confessed murderer, Miguel Carcaño, and his girlfriend, María García. They have both been called as witnesses in the case against El Cuco.

Marta’s parents have also appealed a decision for the four adults to be tried by a panel of professional judges in place of a jury. The appeal was being heard at the TSJA Andalucía High Court on Wednesday."

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Pantoja's lawyers argue she had no need to launder money for Julián Muñoz

Pantoja's lawyers argue she had no need to launder money for Julián Muñoz: "Lawyers for the singer, Isabel Pantoja, have presented written evidence to support her claim that she did not launder money for her ex partner, Julián Muñoz, the former Mayor of Marbella.

Her defence argues in the document that Pantoja had an ‘enormous economic capacity’ during the time under investigation – 2003 to 2006 – and generated a high income from her work both before and after her relationship with Muñoz. They say she earned 19 million € over the decade 1999 to 2009.

Her lawyers have presented a financial report into the singer’s accounts as evidence in the case, showing her income for the years in question, which they say proves that she had her own money and, ‘saved it, spent it or kept it without any interference from anyone else, not even Señor Muñoz’. They document adds that at the time the couple lived together, Pantoja ‘did not use, hide or enjoy any money that was not her own’."

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changes at the Gibraltar office in the Spanish foreign ministry

"There have been changes at the Gibraltar office in the Spanish foreign ministry. But observers are asking if these are real changes or just a name change.

Last Friday's Spanish official gazette said that the name of Office of Gibraltar Affairs is changing to 'Gibraltar Office'.

In Spanish, the name change is from 'Oficina de Asuntos de Gibraltar' to 'Oficina de Gibraltar'.

The new Gibraltar Office will come under the director-general of external politics, Europe and security.

Foxed by the changes is Campo MP Jose Ignacio Landaluce, who is asking for an explanationg from the Spanish government as to what these changes are all about."

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Spain's competition body opens mobile price probe | Reuters

Spain's competition body opens mobile price probe | Reuters: "Spain's largest three telecoms operators, which own mobile networks throughout the country, rent to both non-telecoms firms such as department store El Corte Ingles as well as to rival telecoms operators such as Jazztel (JAZ.MC).

Renting allows those companies to then offer services to their customers, either adding mobile services to marketing deals for other products or through targeting niche markets such as immigrants who call or text particular countries frequently.

Spain's National Competition Commission said it would rule within 18 months on whether Telefonica, Vodafone and Orange were setting wholesale prices too high for SMS and MMS."

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Amnesia returns in Minutas Case declarations

Amnesia returns in Minutas Case declarations: "Friday saw two important witnesses giving statements to the court. Ex Marbella Mayor, Marisol Yagüe, said that she could not remember anything from the time, blaming medical treatment she was undergoing. She could give no information at all about the role of Del Nido in Marbella Town Hall.

Ex Socialist councillor, Isabel García Marcos, who has shared a police cell with Yagüe when both were being held on remand in the Malaya case, however repeated in her declaration, that all the decisions were taken by the now late Mayor, Jesús Gil y Gil, who ‘used and abused absolute power and who directed the Town Hall by remote control from his Club Financiero'."

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Marbella Town Hall told to complete demolition of illegally built properties

Marbella Town Hall told to complete demolition of illegally built properties: "The Andalucía High Court of Justice has, once again, ordered Marbella Town Hall to demolish the illegally built properties in the town on which demolition orders have already been issued.
In the latest judgement the Court reminds the Town Hall that it has the obligation to follow firm sentences."

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Junta to levy record fines against Marbella grill which flouts smoking law

Junta to levy record fines against Marbella grill which flouts smoking law: "Junta de Andalucia confirmed on Friday the start of a sanction against the owners of the Grill restaurant 'Guadalmina' in Marbella, for flouting the new Anti-Tobacco Law. The Grill could also face other disciplinary proceedings by the city council.

According to a statement from the Provincial Health Delegation in Malaga, there are two different procedures, one started by the regional government for breach of the General Health Law and the other open to the Consistory for violating the smoking ban.

In the disciplinary proceedings initiated by the Junta, it is stated that the owner of the grill has committed an offense ranked as 'very serious' by the repeated failure of the specific requirements made by the health authorities, which could result in a fine of between 10,001 and 600,000 euros."

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Spain ­introduces toughest anti-smoking laws in Europe | Mail Online

Spain ­introduces toughest anti-smoking laws in Europe | Mail Online: "So we’ve lost Spain now. The last bastion of tobacco-puffing freedom gone.

As the clock turned midnight on ­January 2 — the first day of 2011 was given over to an amnesty, when we imagine smokers gathered over a ­consoling ­sherry and a plate of jamon to enjoy the last ­moments in misty ­melancholy — Spain ­introduced the toughest anti-smoking laws in ­Europe.

By 2012 all EU member countries will have as good as banned public smoking, but Spain’s conversion is particularly spectacular."

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The cocaine in Spain lands mainly by the plane

The cocaine in Spain lands mainly by the plane: "Four Argentines, three the sons of former high-ranking air force officials, have been arrested in Spain for allegedly transporting almost a tonne of cocaine in a private plane, an Argentine official says.

The plane belonging to the Argentine medical transport company Medical Jet took off from Moron, west of Buenos Aires, and landed in Barcelona's El Prat airport on January 2, Argentine Cabinet chief Anibal Fernandez said.

He said Spanish security found 900 kilograms on board. Argentine media said the cocaine was almost pure with a value of more than €30 million ($A39.31 million).

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Those arrested included Gustavo and Eduardo Julia, sons of the late former air force head Jose Julia, and Gaston Miret, son of Jose Miret, a former air force brigadier who had been the nation's secretary of planning."

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Spain's national broadcaster bans bullfighting

The Associated Press: Spain's national broadcaster bans bullfighting: "Spain's leading broadcaster said Saturday it will no longer show the country's centuries-old tradition of bullfighting in order to protect children from viewing violence.
Spain's state network, RTVE, lists its new ban on transmitting bullfighting programs under a chapter called 'Violence with animals' in its latest stylebook and says it 'will not broadcast bullfighting.'
One of the reasons given by RTVE is that bullfights 'generally coincide with hours protected or specially protected for young viewers.'
'Children can view violence exerted over animals with anxiety and we must therefore avoid it by all means,' the stylebook says.
Spain has seen a fierce debate over the blood-soaked pageant that has fascinated artists and writers such as Goya, Hemingway and Pablo Picasso.
In July, the influential northeastern region of Catalonia became the second Spanish region to ban bullfighting, joining the Canary Islands, which outlawed the practice in 1991."

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Wikileaks has now revealed how a US solar company could benefit from special treatment by the Spanish government

Renewable Energy Magazine: Latest news - your source for renewable energy news– solar, wind, biomass, biofuel, hydro, CO2, solar thermal, hydro power, climate change, carbon trading..: "Wikileaks continues to throw up surprises and reveal the extent of the US’s influence around the world. After the media organisation exposed secret cables showing that the US had successfully pushed for the UEA to host the headquarters of IRENA and used threats and promises to drum up support for the Copenhagen Accord, Wikileaks has now revealed how a US solar company could benefit from special treatment by the Spanish government."

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WikiLeaks Cables Cited in Lawsuit Over $500 Million Sunken Treasure | Threat Level | Wired.com

WikiLeaks Cables Cited in Lawsuit Over $500 Million Sunken Treasure | Threat Level | Wired.com: "deep-sea treasure-hunting company in Florida says that diplomatic cables recently released by WikiLeaks have exposed the U.S. government’s backdoor interference in a lawsuit over $500 million in silver and gold coins recovered from a Spanish galleon.

According to Odyssey Marine Exploration, based in Florida, the U.S. State Department cables show that the U.S. ambassador to Spain made a quid pro quo deal to assist that country in its battle with Odyssey for the treasure.

In exchange for the United States siding with Spain in the lawsuit, Odyssey says, Spain was asked for assistance in returning a $20 million Pissarro painting to a U.S. family that says it was unfairly obtained by the Nazis in Germany.

Claude Cassirer is embroiled in a lawsuit with Spain over possession of the painting, claiming that in 1939 the Nazis forced his Jewish grandmother to sell it for about $360 in exchange for an exit visa to escape Germany. The painting is currently hanging in Spain’s Thyssen museum."

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Spain is now witnessing the largest corruption trial in its history. More than 90 people, including two former mayors, 15 town councillors and a legion of builders, have been accused of giving and taking a total of €670 million ($1.16 billion) in bribes

 glitzy Spanish resort of Marbella, people are concerned with many things: the state of the golf greens or which spa performs the best liposuction.

But for nearly two decades, nobody seemed to worry about what was going on inside the town hall.

Certainly the builders were not complaining as they clogged the former fishing village with multimillion-euro concrete villas. Northern European sun-seekers were not interested either as they put down deposits for thousands of illegally built holiday retreats.

And resident celebrities and royals, such as the late Saudi King Fahd, were probably too busy docking their yachts at Puerto Bans.

That may help to explain why Spain is now witnessing the largest corruption trial in its history. More than 90 people, including two former mayors, 15 town councillors and a legion of builders, have been accused of giving and taking a total of €670 million ($1.16 billion) in bribes.

The scope of the alleged graft was so great that the entire town council had to be dissolved in 2006, when the police swoop began.

Testimony in the trial began last month. Its most recent development: Marbella town hall was forced to sell its €5 million planning office to help pay its debts.

"Everyone knew what was going on in Marbella, but everyone was benefiting from it too," said Andres Walliser, a sociologist specialising in urban studies at the Cirem research institute in Madrid.

"There is corruption elsewhere along the coast, but in Marbella, there was really big money."

The trial resembles a soap opera with a surreal cast of defendants, including a German aristocrat, a former football team captain and the popular Flamenco singer, Isabel Pantoja, widow of the dashing bullfighter Paquirri. She is accused of money laundering.

A spin-off case, dubbed Operation Goldfinger, involved the former estate of the James Bond star Sean Connery, now cluttered with 72 luxury homes.

Sir Sean was summoned to give evidence last year but told the court he was too ill to travel. There is no suggestion he committed any crime.

Looming in the background of the case: the late Mayor Jess Gil y Gil, a thrice-jailed developer and former president of Madrid's Atletico football team, who governed the town for 15 years from his Jacuzzi, gold chains glittering above his flabby belly.

The alleged mastermind of the money-for-votes system, the former urban-planning adviser Juan Antonio Roca, offered his much-awaited version of the saga last week.

Cool and composed, the stout man with greying sideburns known at the town hall as "the Boss" or "JR", after the character on the television show Dallas, denied accusations that he amassed his €2.4 billion fortune in kickbacks and shady property deals.

Last week, he denied police and media depictions of his ostentatious wealth, which allegedly included vintage cars, 275 paintings, a bull ranch, 100 purebred Andalusian horses and a mansion decorated with stuffed lions, giraffes and other wild game.

Local environmentalists hope the trial deters future graft, but they do not expect much to change. Javier de Luis, president of the Marbella branch of the national environmental group, Ecologists in Action, does not expect to see most of the prominent defendants behind bars.

"They've hired the best law firms in Spain - they'll eat the prosecution with potatoes," he said. "The damage they caused with this development barbarity wouldn't be cured with a trial." The case continues.:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

PP politicians want explanations on Gibraltar's expansionism

PP politicians want explanations on Gibraltar's expansionism: "Partido Popular want explanations in Congress on what two of the party’s MPs describe as ‘expansionism by the British colony in Gibraltar’.

The party’s MP for Cádiz, José Ignacio Landaluce, claimed in a press conference on Wednesday that Gibraltar is expanding its territory by ‘earth, sea and air’, through landfills to reclaim land from Spanish waters. He showed a video to the press conference to illustrate what he said has been happening to reclaim land from the sea."

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Two months home alone in Valencia

Two months home alone in Valencia: "12 year old boy is now in the care of a children’s shelter after police discovered him living home alone in Burjassot, Valencia.

The local police were called out to the flat last Thursday when a concerned neighbour contacted social services, saying he had seen no sign of the boy’s family for the past two months. Officers described conditions inside the flat as ‘dreadful’, although it’s understood that the child was in good health when he was found."

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Ferrari sack the man blamed for Fernando Alonso missing World Title

Ferrari sack the man blamed for Fernando Alonso missing World Title: "Ferrari has sacked the man that many think was responsible for Fernando Alonso not winning last year’s Formula One World Title.
Chris Dyer decided that Alonso should follow Mark Webber into the pits on the last race of the season, but that left the way clear for the other Red Bull driver, Sebastian Vettel, to go on and claim the title."

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Reporters Share Tips on Celebrity Interviewing - FishbowlLA

Reporters Share Tips on Celebrity Interviewing - FishbowlLA: "German correspondent once stood up in a Beverly Hills hotel conference room and asked Sean Connery, on satellite from Marbella, Spain, for an assistant job. A freelancer kicked off a roundtable discussion with actor Peter Sarsgaard by tying his name to the SARS epidemic.

There are just two examples of poor celebrity interviewing FBLA has witnessed first-hand over the years. Another line that is often crossed by entertainment journalists is the one involving personal autograph requests. But freelance Las Vegas journalist Vincent Schilling, one of a number of experts interviewed by Kristen Fischer for her January 3rd mediabistro.com piece Under Pressure: Nailing the Celebrity Interview, thinks it’s OK to tactfully express admiration for an interview subject."

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Spanish Judge Summons Iraqi for Alleged Killings - WSJ.com

Spanish Judge Summons Iraqi for Alleged Killings - WSJ.com: "Spanish judge has summoned a top Iraqi military commander, accused of having directed a 2009 assault on an Iraq-based camp holding Iranian opponents of Tehran's regime, to face charges of breaching the Geneva Convention, a spokesperson for Spain's National Court said Tuesday.

According to the writ signed by Judge Fernando Andreu, Lieutenant General Abdul-Hussein Shemmari must appear before the court March 8 to answer questions about his alleged role in the attack against the Ashraf refugee camp, which left 11 people killed and 450 wounded, the spokesperson said, confirming an earlier report in Spanish newspaper El Pais.

The indictment, the latest in a series of controversial summons by Spanish judges applying the 'universal justice' principle to take on international cases, comes amid a growing controversy over Iranian influence on Baghdad's government.

A statement from the chief lawyer in the case, Spain's Juan Garces, explicitly cites Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki by name, saying that Lt. Gen. Shemmari worked during the operation under the supervision of a committee responding to the prime minister's office. Mr. Maliki himself, believed by many to be close to pro-Iranian elements in Iraq, isn't accused or cited in the court summons."

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Morocco arrests six men suspected of planning attacks | Earth Times News

Morocco arrests six men suspected of planning attacks | Earth Times News: "Moroccan police have arrested six men suspected of planning to carry out attacks in Morocco and overseas, the Interior Ministry said on Monday.
'A six-strong terrorist network involved in cybernetic terrorism was recently dismantled,' according to Morocco's state news agency MAP.
The ministry, which released a statement to MAP, did not specify when the six Moroccans were arrested, nor which countries they were targeting.
Members of the cell were making explosives and planning to use them in attacks, including car bombs targeting foreign interests in Morocco and security buildings, according to the ministry's statement."

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Spain will only discuss Gibraltar sovereignty issues with the UK — MercoPress

Spain will only discuss Gibraltar sovereignty issues with the UK — MercoPress: "She said sovereignty was a bilateral matter for Spain and the UK.
“The Forum has been, and is, very useful in order to try and bring the communities in the Rock and the Campo closer together” Trinidad Jimenez told the newspaper ABC.
“But we cannot accept that one of the vertex’s of the forum try to introduce matters that are outside and that affect sovereignty”.
“On questions of sovereignty, Spain only deals with the UK”.
The issue of Gibraltar was raised by the journalist during a wide-ranging interview on Spanish foreign policy."

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US warships try to avoid docking in Gibraltar to keep strong relation with Spain — MercoPress

US warships try to avoid docking in Gibraltar to keep strong relation with Spain — MercoPress: "Its release follows that of an earlier cable in which US officials recorded how Spanish officials had asked that US warships avoid Gibraltar wherever possible in favor of Rota and Spanish ports.
Spanish military cooperation matters,” the latest cable said. “The bases of Rota and Moron are strategic hubs, midway between the US and Afghanistan and Iraq”.
“US planes and ships account for around 5,000 flights and 250 port calls a year in Spain.” It added: “The Spanish military is pro-US and pro-NATO. We need to keep this relationship strong”."

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Night time skiing comes to Spain's Sierra Nevada

Night time skiing comes to Spain's Sierra Nevada: "You can now ski under floodlights at night on the Sierra Nevada.

Weather permitting the night time slopes of ‘El Rio’ open every Saturday night from 7pm to 9,30pm during the months of January and February.

The daily preparation work by the Cetursa company which runs the resort ensures that the El Rio piste, 3.258 kms long, can offer good quality snow at night."

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Church thief rescued by helicopter

Church thief rescued by helicopter: "man who broke his leg while trying to break into a church has been rescued and arrested.

It happened in Alcalá de Guadaira on New Year’s Eve when a 112 emergency helicopter had to be called to get the man off the roof of the Santiago el Mayor church in the town after he had slipped and broken his leg while trying to break into the building in the early hours.

Reports indicate that he could not move because of the pain, despite the attempts of a fellow thief to help him down. He had first decided to stay the night on the roof while the friend found a way to get him down, but by 4am he phoned the police on his mobile and confessed to his crime, and location.

Once back on firm ground he was arrested and then taken to hospital for treatment."

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Marbella Town Hall hands over property to help clear debt

Marbella Town Hall hands over property to help clear debt: "Marbella is to repay part of its debt for a loan from the Junta de Andalucía by handing over property.

The town planning offices of Marbella Town Hall, on Avenida Ricardo Soriano in the town centre were where Juan Antonio Roca had his office, and was from where the corrupt Malaya case was allegedly controlled.

The building is a symbol of the excesses of the GIL era and now the Town Hall hands it to the Junta as part payment for a 106 million € loan granted to the management committee who took over the running of the Town Hall in 2006 before new local elections were held in 2007.

The building has been valued at 5.2 million €."

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According to reports in the press an accident on the A-7 motorway in Benalmadena has left one woman dead and three people in hospital

costadelsol.st - News - Costa del Sol: "According to reports in the press an accident on the A-7 motorway in Benalmadena has left one woman dead and three people in hospital

It is understood that the car they were traveling in crashed at 15.20 this afternoon at KM 215

There is no information of the woman but the three injured are a 54 year old man and two youths aged 14 and 15 years who were taken to hosptial"

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Moroccan writer Taia challenges homosexual taboo | My Sinchew

Moroccan writer Taia challenges homosexual taboo | My Sinchew: "Novelist Abdellah Taia, who has won acclaim in France and readers abroad, has challenged a taboo in his native Morocco and won't back down: he is the first writer to come out as gay in a country that bans homosexuality.

For 37-year-old Taia, who has lived in Paris for the last decade, being homosexual and Muslim are not mutually exclusive. He 'feels Muslim' and is from a country where Islam is the state religion.

'I am the first Moroccan writer who has spoken openly about his homosexuality, to acknowledge it, but without turning my back on the country I'm from,' he said.

'My homosexuality, I already felt it from the age of 13,"

'US losing power in Latin America'

PressTV - 'US losing power in Latin America': "analyst says US aggressive stance against Latin American and Caribbean countries shows Washington's anger over its diminishing influence in the region.


The region 'is no longer directly under the thumb of the US corporate power and US military power,' Co-Director of International Action Center Sara Flounders said.

'That certainly is infuriating US policy makers, the Pentagon, and the corporations that are used to treating the economies of Latin America as extensions; as sources of cheap raw material and cheap labor,' she told Press TV.

Flounders specifically referred to the US attempts to rig Venezuela-Colombia relations as an evident example of Washington's agenda for destabilizing the region.

'Any reconciliation or improvement in relations between Colombia and Venezuela would be to US detriment, and certainly to the detriment of the US military presence in Colombia,' she added.

Flounders argued that the US has, for many years, used fighting drugs as an excuse for its military presence in Colombia."

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Spain: Big turn-out expected for pro-family demonstration | Spero News

Spain: Big turn-out expected for pro-family demonstration | Spero News: "The Plaza de Plaza de Colón in Madrid will be filled with worshippers on Sunday, January 2 as thousands from Spain and elsewhere in Europe come to the Spanish capital to participate in the Mass for the Christian Family. This is the fourth year that the Mass is to be celebrated by Spain's Cardinal  Antonio María Rouco Varela.

Organizers are expecting over more than a half million to attend the Mass, bearing the motto 'Christian Family: the hope of Europe,' to be concelebrated by 50 bishops from Spain and elswhere. Among these will be Cardinal Antonio Cañizares, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, Cardinal Carlos Amigo of Seville, Cardinal Agustín García Gasco of Valencia, military Archbishop Juan del Río, Papal Nuncio Renzo Fratini. Also coming are Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes, the President of the Pontifical Council on the Family Ennio Antonelli, as well as bishops from France, The Netherlands, and Poland. ,"

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Muslims in Spain Rise to Absurd Levels

Muslims in Spain Rise to Absurd Levels: "Spain, during a class discussion of geography, the teacher noted that areas of Spain have the perfect climate for curing Spanish ham.  At that point a Muslim student in the class interrupted the teacher stating that even discussing ham offended his religious beliefs.  The teacher informed the student that he was not discussing religion, but simply used the mention of ham in reference to climate.

While this may have shut the Muslim student up in class, it did not keep him from informing his parents, who then turned around a sued the teacher for that they call 'abuse with xenophobic motivations.' [1]  This means 'hatred or fear of foreigners or strangers or of their politics or culture.' [2]

Essentially, the parents are accusing the teacher of a hate-crime, by abusing the young man because of the teacher's alleged fear of him.  I feel badly for the teacher and I'm quite sure that the suit will (hopefully) go nowhere.  The reality is that the more these incidences of stupidity occur, perpetrated by radical Muslims, the more the world will grow sick and tired of radical Muslims and their charades."

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Spain holds Europe's fate in its hands in 2011, say analysts - Channel NewsAsia

Spain holds Europe's fate in its hands in 2011, say analysts - Channel NewsAsia: "For financial markets the doomsday scenario in 2011 starts with Spain buckling under its debt and unleashing a Europe-wide crisis that dwarfs anything seen so far in Greece or Ireland.

Financial analysts disagree on the likelihood of such a Spanish sovereign debt crisis but they agree the risk is real and that existing European and international rescue mechanisms would be unable to cope.

In part to avert just such an outcome, Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's Socialist government is slashing spending to lower the public deficit from 11.1 per cent in 2009 to 3.0 per cent in 2013.

He vowed in an end-of-year address Thursday to meet his targets. And many in the markets believe the plan is credible, especially coupled with announced sales of big stakes in the national lottery and airport operator.

Spain's government has repeatedly stressed that the accumulated public debt is below the European Union limit of 60 per cent of annual output, or gross domestic product. It rose to 57.7 per cent of GDP at the end of September from 53.2 per cent at the end of 2009."

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Spain enacts tough anti-smoking law

The Associated Press: Spain enacts tough anti-smoking law: "The tapas bar — the noisy and bustling Spanish success story that combined delicious morsels with good wine and, often, an ever-present cigarette — is now smoke-free. So are restaurants, discos, casinos, airports and even some outdoor spaces.
Spain on Sunday introduced an anti-smoking law that is likely to turn the EU's fourth largest tobacco producer from a cigarette-friendly land abounding with smoky bars and restaurants, into one of Europe's most stringently smokeless.
The law prohibits lighting up in enclosed public places, although hotels are allowed to reserve 30 percent of their rooms for smokers. In a particularly tough measure, outside smoking is banned in open-air children's playgrounds — even those set inside parks — and at access points to schools and hospitals.
'It's a step that should have been taken four years ago, but I think the government got cold feet,' said bakery worker Inma Amantes Ramos, 29."

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Spanish officials honor Hilton Head woman for economic development efforts | islandpacket.com

Spanish officials honor Hilton Head woman for economic development efforts | islandpacket.com: "Windmill Harbour resident and expatriate Laura Stanbridge sees many similarities between Hilton Head Island and Marbella, Spain, where she has been honored for her efforts to forge international business relations.

Both rely heavily on tourism and real estate industries to drive the local economy, she said.

'Marbella is very similar to Hilton Head. It's a residential-tourism community. ... It has that close-knit community feel, but is welcoming to visitors, which is very similar to Hilton Head.'

Stanbridge, 49, is president of CCG, a firm of accountants, lawyers and payroll specialists based in Marbella. She has been working in southern Spain since 2002 to provide services to Spanish and international companies. She divides her time between Hilton Head, London and Marbella, spending two weeks overseas and then three weeks on Hilton Head, on average.

In October, the Andalusia state government in Spain and the Malaga Chamber of Commerce gave her their top annual awards for her contributions to economic development in the country."

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