Fake Shieks rip off Spanish football clubs

A Brazilian waiter dressed up as an Arab Sheik defrauded Getafe football club in a million € agreement. Getafe cancelled the agreement last April after detecting that the cheques from the Arabs, who were going to purchase the club, had no funds. The operation was based in Barcelona, where the Mossos d’Esquadra have broken up a network of alleged fraudsters who have specialised in football clubs with false promises of large investments from Arab Sheiks. Seven arrests have been made. Getafe was the main victim although One of the disguises used - Photo Mossos d'Esquadra contacts had also been made with Espanyol, with the club’s previous Chairman, Daviel Sánchez Llibre, even travelling to Dubai. The fraudsters passed themselves off as intermediaries, in exchange for large commissions, convincing the clubs that the Arabs would make large investments. When the clubs realised that they had been had, the fraudsters were long gone.

Diva Isabel Pantoja appears in Court

She is charged with money laundering along with her ex boyfriend, the ex Mayor, Julián Muñoz, and his ex-wife is also accused in the case.  There is maximum expectation at the start of the court case against the Diva, Isabel Pantoja, which gets underway in the Málaga Justice City tomorrow, Thursday. Isabel Pantoja, her ex boyfriend, the ex Mayor of Marbella, Julián Muñoz and his ex wife Mayte Zaldívar, are all accused of money laundering. Pantoja has always maintained her innocence, but is facing a three and half years in prison and a fine of 3.7 million €. She contends that her money comes from her long artistic trajectory, galas and exclusives on TV and in magazines. She has presented a report which claims she earned 19 million € between 1999 and 2010. Julian Muñoz faces seven and a half years in the case and a fine of 7.5 million € for money laundering and bribery.

Six Britons arrested on Mallorca for making threats, extortion and drug trafficking

The Guardia Civil in Palmanova, Mallorca, has arrested six Britons in connection with the crimes of making threats, extortion and drug trafficking. After passing through the court, the judge on Monday ordered the imprisonment of two of the men. In the early hours of June 22 several Guardia went to Calle Punta Ballena after hearing of threats made against several workers in the leisure industry in the nightlife area of Magaluf by a group of English individuals. After being identified by their victims several were detained. Their intention had to be that youngsters who went to find clients for the clubs also offered drug and made threats with knives and physical violence. The Guardia Civil impounded two knives during the arrests, 34 ecstasy pills in several bags, 1.5 grams of cocaine and 340 € in small notes. A search of the hotel where the Brits were saying found 1,000 € in cash, three baseball bats, two knives, a machete and a mask. The Guardia Civil say the investigation continues and more arrests have not been ruled out.

Royal Navy marks King Juan Carlos Saint's Day

Two Royal Navy vessels currently in La Coruña port will be decorated for the Spanish King.HMS Illustrious - Photo Wikipedia It’s King Juan Carlos Saint Day on Sunday, and to congratulate him the Royal Navy are to decorate two of their ships which are currently docked in La Coruña. British diplomatic sources have said that from dawn to dusk the helicopter carrier, HMS Illustrious, and the Hunt-class minesweeper, HMS Ledbury, will be decorated with bunting and the Spanish flag. HMS Illustrious arrived in La Coruña on Friday for a weekend break, allowing the crew of 700 sailors to get a rest period. She leaves for the Atlantic on Monday.

Junta thinks there are 300,000 illegally built properties in Andalucía

The Junta de Andalucía has identified, over the past four years, 80,422 properties built illegally in the region on non-buildable land. 22,196 of them have been constructed on land with special protection, and 44 of these have been demolished according to the Councillor for Agriculture, Fisheries and the Environment, Luis Planas. The Junta’s inspections have only been carried out in the most problematic districts and they estimate the real number of illegally built properties constructed on non-building land across the region is at least 300,000. There was a debate held in the Sevilla parliament on Wednesday on a decree which will regulate the illegal buildings. Planas told the chamber that almost 80% of the properties would be allowed to stand and can be legalised, provided the owners are prepared to meet a series of demands to meet a decree which was passed last February. Any properties on specially protected land or in river beds cannot be legalised. Over recent years the Junta has applied special plans to certain problem areas, the Valle de Almanzora in Almería, La Janda in Cádiz, South of Córdoba, the Centre of Granada, the Sierra de Aracena in Huelva, the North of Jaén, the Axarquía in Málaga and the Lower Guadalquivir in Sevilla. As early as 2002 the Ombudsmen noted that there were 1,000 illegal urbanisations in Andalucía and warned of the ‘judicial insecurity’ facing hundreds of owners, as well as ‘the serious affect on the environment’. The Ombudsman criticised the Town Planning of the Junta de Andalucía, describing it as ‘deficient’, and now he says the decree on the illegal properties has ‘arrived very late’. Ex I.U. Mayor of Puente Genil in Córdoba, Manuel Baena, has noted the pressures which have been suffered by many local Town Halls from residents associations representing the illegal properties, and he complained about the lack of resources with which they had to deal with the problem.

Lianne Smith confesses to children's murder in Spanish hotel room just hours after crime

Lianne Smith, 45, a former child protection worker, faces up to 34 years in prison after she was found unanimously guilty by a jury of nine at the Provincial Court in Girona on Thursday. She had admitted to suffocating Rebecca, five and 11-month-old Daniel on May 17, 2010 in the Miramar Hotel, Lloret de Mar, after her long-term partner Martin Smith was arrested on child sex offences. During the trial, the jury were shown a video of Lianne Smith confessing the crime to police as she sat in the room at the Miramar Hotel where the murders took place. "I know it's not right taking a life but I felt that I was in a corner. My intention was that my children and me together would go," she said in the video. She added that she had given the children the "perfect" three-day holiday before she killed them.

Spain Waits For 100bn Emergency Eurozone EU Bank Bailout But Could Need More

Spain is about to discover whether 100 billion euros of emergency EU money is enough to bail out its crippled banks. Independent auditors from the US and Germany have been studying the bank balance sheets that have been hit by a collapsed property boom in the eurozone's fourth largest economy. There are already doubts that the EU money set aside will be enough and market relief lasted only an hour after the bailout request was announced. The audit has been carried out by consultants Oliver Wyman and Roland Berger and is the second of three reports. It will be more detailed than the first, which was carried out by the IMF. The third is still expected to be published at the end of July, despite reports suggesting it would be delayed until September. Europe must show a much faster ability to intervene Francois Hollande, France's president Almost two weeks ago, Spain's government asked the EU for money to help prop up its beleaguered financial sector. Although they haven't agreed on an amount yet, the eurogroup of 17 nations has offered up to 100 billion euros and it is widely thought that Spain will need all that and maybe more. Forecasts of how much Spanish banks might need vary widely. The IMF said they would require about 40 billion euros but JP Morgan has estimated 75 billion, as part of a wider package that would cost 350 billion. The most worrying outcome from today's report would be if it concluded that Spanish banks needed more than the 100 billion euros set aside by Europe. This, however, would be consistent with the trend set by previous European bailouts. Greece and Portugal both required additional money after the initial injection of cash, but Europe has insisted that it will give Spain the money it needs and a little bit more to cover unforeseen circumstances. The interest rate that the Spanish government has to pay on 10-year borrowing has twice climbed above the psychologically important 7% mark in recent weeks. It is proof that Spain's fortunes, rather than Greece's, are key to the future of the single currency. Francois Hollande, the new French president, has said that the high borrowing costs for Spain and Italy are unacceptable and Europe must show "a much faster ability to intervene". That intervention might come via the two Euro bailout funds: The EFSF and ESM. Journalists at the meeting of the G20 in Los Casbos, Mexico, were briefed that a plan mooted by the Italian PM Mario Monti might be implemented. It would allow the EFSF and ESM to directly buy Spanish and Italian sovereign bonds in the hope that such action would help bring the yields (interest rates) down. That would require approval from Germany which has so far been opposed to such measures - although it is likely to be discussed further when Angela Merkel meets Mario Monti, Francois Hollande and Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy in Rome on Friday. It could be announced officially at an EU leaders' summit in Brussels at the end of next week.

Spanish miners fire rockets in clashes with police

About 200 masked miners set up barricades on a main motorway in northern Spain

Coal miners in northern Spain have fired homemade rockets and hurled rocks at police as weeks of protests escalated into violence.

Riot police retaliated with rubber bullets and smoke bombs.

About 200 miners have been on strike in protest against subsidy cuts which unions say will destroy the mines and threaten up to 30,000 jobs.

There have been no reports of casualties from the clashes which took place in the town of Cinera.

A number of towns in the northern Spanish provinces of Asturias and Leon, where mining is a major industry, have seen tens of thousands of protesters take to the streets in recent weeks.

On Tuesday, masked miners set up several barricades on motorways, setting fire to them and blocking the way.

Unions say up to 30,000 jobs are at risk in the mining industry

When police tried to remove one of the barricades, some of the protesters fired rockets at them and threw firecrackers.

Protesters also fired makeshift rocket launchers propped from behind wheelie bins.

Subsidy slash

Last week, several people were injured in clashes, and a rail passenger was injured in Gijon when his train hit logs that police said had been placed across rails by strikers.

The coal mines are dependent on state aid, and Spain's debt-stricken government wants to cut their subsidies from 301m euros (£243m; $383m) to 111m euros, a move unions say will destroy the industry.

The Asturias regional government has condemned the violence, but asked Madrid to rethink its plans.

Spain is grappling with an economic crisis brought on by a collapsed property boom, and currently has the worst unemployment rate in the eurozone.

On Saturday, eurozone ministers agreed to lend Madrid up to 100bn euros (£80bn; $125bn) to help bail out its struggling banks.

The crisis has prompted Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to impose an austerity drive.

All residents earning less than 100,000 euros a year will qualify for free healthcare

ALL legal residents in Spain who earn less than 100,000 euros per year will have the right to free medical care on the State from September 1 this year, says health minister Ana Mató (pictured). Even foreigners – EU citizens or otherwise – and irrespective of whether or not they pay into the Social Security system or are working – will be able to obtain a SIP card, which lets them register with a doctor and be treated for all ailments, pre-existing or otherwise, by the State. EU citizens or nationals of other countries which have reciprocal agreements with Spain will receive healthcare in accordance with the conditions established by these treaties. Those who fall into one of four categories – State pensioners, employees or registered self-employed workers, those registered on and claiming dole, and those whose dole money has run out but who remain recorded as jobseekers with their unemployment office – are automatically eligible without question. Residents who do not fall into any of these categories – ‘black’ workers who have never earned enough to ‘go legal’, or early retirees not yet old enough to claim a State pension, for example – will only be entitled to free healthcare if they earn less than 100,000 euros a year before tax. These earnings include income from working, businesses owned, capital returns or capital gains, wherever these can be offset against or are taken into account when calculating income tax. All live-in partners of those who qualify for free medical treatment, who are registered on the padrón as such are entitled to State healthcare, as are children or siblings aged under 26 years where they live with the qualifying party. The definition of ‘children’ extends to fostered and adopted children. Non-legal immigrants from outside the EU will be treated provided they pay either Social Security or a similar subscription, to be defined, although they will automatically receive healthcare if they are under 18 or pregnant, including labour, ante-natal and post-natal care.

Spain’s cave paintings oldest in world; Were they the work of Neanderthal artists

New tests show that crude Spanish cave paintings of a red sphere and handprints are the oldest in the world, so ancient they may not have been by modern man. Some scientists say they might have even been made by the much-maligned Neanderthals, but others disagree. 0 Comments Weigh InCorrections? Personal Post Testing the coating of paintings in 11 Spanish caves, researchers found that one is at least 40,800 years old, which is at least 15,000 years older than previously thought. That makes them older than the more famous French cave paintings by thousands of years. Scientists dated the Spanish cave paintings by measuring the decay of uranium atoms, instead of traditional carbon-dating, according to a report released Thursday by the journal Science. The paintings were first discovered in the 1870s. The oldest of the paintings is a red sphere from a cave called El Castillo. About 25 outlined handprints in another cave are at least 37,300 years old. Slightly younger paintings include horses. Cave paintings are “one of the most exquisite examples of human symbolic behavior,” said study co-author Joao Zilhao, an anthropologist at the University of Barcelona. “And that, that’s what makes us human.” There is older sculpture and other portable art. Before the latest test, the oldest known cave paintings were those France’s Chauvet cave, considered between 32,000 and 37,000 years old. What makes the dating of the Spanish cave paintings important is that it’s around the time when modern humans first came into Europe from Africa. Study authors say they could have been from modern man decorating their new digs or they could have been the working of the long-time former tenant of Europe: the Neanderthal. Scientists said Neanderthals were in Europe from about 250,000 years ago until about 35,000 years ago. Modern humans arrived in Europe about 41,000 to 45,000 years ago — with some claims they moved in even earlier — and replaced Neanderthals. “There is a strong chance that these results imply Neanderthal authorship,” Zilhao said. “But I will not say we have proven it because we haven’t.” In a telephone press conference, Zilhao said Neanderthals recently have gotten “bad press” over their abilities. They decorated their tools and bodies. So, he said, they could have painted caves. But there’s a debate in the scientific community about Neanderthals. Other anthropologists say Zilhao is in a minority of researchers who believe in more complex abilities of Neanderthals. Eric Delson, a paleoanthropologist at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and John Shea at Long Island’s Stony Brook University said the dating work in the Science paper is compelling and important, but they didn’t quite buy the theory that Neanderthals could have been the artists. “There is no clear evidence of paintings associated with Neanderthal tools or fossils, so any such evidence would be surprising,” Delson said. He said around 41,000 years ago Neanderthals were already moving south in Europe, away from modern man and these caves. Shea said it is more likely that modern humans were making such paintings in Africa even earlier, but the works didn’t survive because of the different geology on the continent. “The people who came in to Europe were very much like us. They used art, they used symbols,” Shea said. “They were not like Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble.”

Spain sovereign bailout likely, say economists

Spain will soon follow Portugal, Ireland and Greece in seeking an international sovereign bailout, say a slim majority of economists polled by Reuters just days after Madrid sought up to 100 billion euros to rescue its banks. Thirty-five out of 59 analysts across Europe and the U.S. said it was "likely" or "very likely" Spain will need international help for its state funding in the next 12 months, with the remaining 24 describing it only as "unlikely".

Vélez Málaga Buddah temple celebrates 25 years

There are over 3,500 people visiting from 62 countries.The Karma Guen Buddist Centre near Vélez-Málaga The Karma Guen Buddhism temple was established near Vélez-Málaga in 1981, by Pedro Gómez who purchased a small hamlet. He opened it in 1987 and this year it celebrates its 25th anniversary. Now it is a reference for Buddhism for the South of Europe, and this year’s annual meditation course, for those who want to reach the liberation of the mind and achieve a state of complete and pure happiness, has attracted 3,500 people of 62 nationalities. Pedro Gómez told the EFE news agency that he found out about Buddhism when he was living in Copenhagen, and came into contact with Ole Nydahl, one of the few western lamas, who had been given instructions from the spiritual leader of the Karma Kagyu to spread his teachings to the West. In 1987 Gomez showed Ole the site of his project at Aldea Alta, and they decided to create Karma Geun, an enclave for mediation and retreat. The anniversary events continue until June18, and the normal accommodation with room for 100 people is overrun with visitors in their tents and in lean-tos built against the buildings of the complex. A 400 square metre industrial kitchen has been set up to serve 10,000 meals a day, and those who have no resources take it in turns to collaborate in the work and thus pay for their stay.

Buying tickets in advance will not mean you miss paying the extra airport taxes once they have been brought in.

Airlines such as Iberia or Vueling could see themselves ‘being obliged’ to increase the price of tickets acquired before the increase of taxes which has been introduced by the Spanish Government. The increase would apply on the date of the flight in a Spanish airport, and was included the State Budget. The legislation says that the passenger has to pay the difference between the money paid for the tickets purchased in advance, and the price applicable, with the higher taxes, on the date of the flight. Both Iberia and Vueling have said they will offer more information to their clients when the measure comes into effect. Iberia will include the extra tax in the cost of their tickets once the measure is in effect. There is no date as yet as to when the higher taxes will actually be charged.

Spain accepts a European loan for the banks in trouble

A bank rescue for Spain could be as much as 100 billion €, and has been accepted by the Spanish Finance Minister, Luis de Guindos. European Finance Ministers held a video-conference on Saturday night, and agreed the deal. The exact amount will not be known until several independent auditors complete their reports on the size of the banks’ shortfall. It the worst case scenario it’s thought that Santander and BBVA will be the only banks not to need any financing. The Eurogroup want Spain to act quickly. Spain’s banks got into bad debt when the real estate bubble burst in 2008, after the previous property boom leading the banks to over lend, and many of those loans have no chance of being repaid. Luis de Guindos gave a press conference on Saturday night to say he had accepted the rescue plan reached and said ‘It is a loan in very favourable conditions, better than those of the market, and it will not leave the slightest glimmer of debt’. The rescue is different from those seen in Greece, Ireland and Portugal because the idea is the money goes to Spanish banks and not the Government. In fact the money will arrived the FROB Spanish Bank Rescue Fund, for distribution, and FROB will act as an intermediary with the Government, diverting the funds to those entities in need. The only conditions imposed by the Eurogroup are on the banks, which are thought to consist of a limit of their dividends policy and in the wages of the Directors. The International Monetary Fund will supervise the program and make sure the money goes only to the financial sector.

Julio Iglesias, despite his 43 years in music, said that he is still motivated to go onstage

Julio Iglesias, despite his 43 years in music, said that he is still motivated to go onstage, that he would not sing if it did not move him and that he will rest "in 30 years when I'm on the other side." His reason for singing is none other than "feelings," he said, adding that "if I didn't sing what would I do, I don't know how to do anything else," his remarks coming in an interview with Efe in the southern resort city of Marbella before beginning a concert tour in Spain. For an artist, he added, the public is "a commander and boss in our lives," who decides "if it's OK or not OK." He said that he wants "to continue creating and producing" because the jobs of "thousands of people" depend on him. Regarding the music in Spain, he said he likes "the authentic, that which is born in the roots, flamenco, copla, that mixture of the electric with the ancestral, with the acoustic; to see Chick Corea with Paco de Lucia" and he lamented the fact that the economic crisis is affecting music and "the commitment the record company has to the artist." He also said he was concerned about "the marginal situation that Spain has within the European community," although he said he did not want to give a sense of catastrophe and emphasized that "much money has been spent, much energy has been spent and now that money and that energy must be recovered."

The Partido Popular vetoes all the open hearings on Bankia

The Partido Popular has vetoed any appearances in Congress by anybody linked to Bankia. There were procedures open against the main managers of the bank and the still Governor of the Bank of Spain, Miguel Ángel Fernández Ordóñez will no longer be able to explain the crisis to Congress. The veto was produced in the FROB emergency fund sub commission which met behind closed doors in Congress. At the end of the meeting the PSOE said it was their intention to attend no more such closed meetings which the PP want. Ex employment minister, Valeriano Gómez, said the Socialists wanted open and immediate declarations from the ex President of Bankia, Rodrigo Rato, the current President, José Ignacio Goirigolzarri, and the Governor of the Bank of Spain, Miguel Ángel Fernández Ordóñez. Gómez said the PP was proposing ‘an immense fraud and they would not assist’. He said it was a farcical and a Mickey take. The CiU representative, Josep Sánchez Llibre, also expressed his objection to the PP attitude which he described as ‘hardly serious, hardly transparent and incoherent’. The PP veto means there will be no appearance from anybody in responsibility in Bankia or the Bank of Spain until at least after the summer.

Prosector calls for a three million € for the ex Mayor of Manilva

The Prosecutors’ Office has called for a three million € fine for the ex-Mayor of Manilva. They consider that Pedro Tirado and his brother in law ‘accepted an important sum of money’ in exchange for signing a real estate agreement. The case is called ‘La Parrada’ and is investigating the real estate on the land of the same name. It’s alleged that agreement was made by the ex Mayor and his brother in law to up the price of the land involved. The case was being heard today, Thursday, in the 8th section of the Málaga court, when the prosecutor modified his initial accusation and asked for two years in prison and a seven year ban from public office. In addition a fine would have to be paid of 3 million € for the crime of bribery for a businessman who acted as an intermediary and for the brother in law who in addition faces a two year prison sentence and an additional fine of 2.2 million € for money laundering. The prosecutor considers Royal Marbella Estates acquired several fincas to then try to obtain plusvalías on the sale, but for that to work that land had to be ‘attractive’ for the promoters. 10 properties per hectare were planned but this was increased to 18 properties per hectare later. Royal Marbella Estate paid 9.7 million for the land which La Opinión de Málaga says was sold later for 117 million. The prosecutor considers that rather the money going to the town, the Mayor wanted the money for his own enrichment. The businessman and representative of the company now are subject to a search and capture order.

Spanish Treasury gets more money, but pays more interest at bond auction

At the first debt bond auction held in Spain for a fortnight, the Government has this morning obtained more funds that forecast, but at a higher interest. The treasury obtained 2.074 billion € in the auction of two, three and ten year bonds, which was being seen as key by the markets. 611 million was placed at ten years at an interest of 6.044%, with demand 3.3 times supply. 638 million was placed in two year bonds at 4.335% with demand 4.3 times supply, and 825 million was placed in three year bonds at 5.353% which were 2.6 times oversubscribed. Meanwhile the Risk Premium, the difference between Spanish and German ten year bonds has fallen below 480 today, and the Stock Market has been climbing, following the news of a possible direct rescue of the Spanish banks from European funds.

Spain seeks direct EU bank aid, Germany resists

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is pressing for a direct European rescue for Spain's banks with moral support from the European Commission, but Germany appeared to rule out such a "bailout lite" for the euro zone's fourth biggest member. A source with knowledge of the matter said Madrid is working along with European institutions to find a way to directly refinance banks using rescue funds without the government having to come under a full EU/IMF adjustment programme.

40 homes evacuated because of fire in La Duquesa

40 homes had to be evacuated on Saturday in the Hacho district of Manilva after a campo fire broke out at 11am. The residents from the properties were asked to leave their homes as a precaution, and by 4pm in the afternoon were able to return as the fire was brought under control. Despite the flames, strong gusts of wind, and smoke close to the properties, the fire only affected five hectares of scrub and low mountain land close to the La Duquesa Golf Course.

Spanish miners fight furious battles with riot police as they protest austerity cuts

Striking Spanish coal miners set up burning barricades and fought running battles with riot police as they protest harsh austerity cuts to coal subsidies. In violent scenes, the masked protesters lit barricades of burning tyres and launched home-made rockets at groups of police bringing traffic to a halt along key roads in the north of the country. Riot police retaliated with tear gas grenades and baton charges as they desperately tried to bring the situation under control.