Joaquín Cortés dances into La Sala Marbella

In the early hours of last Sunday morning, Superstar Spanish dance sensation Joaquín Cortés - the man whose stunning contemporary flamenco dancing and choreography has earned him the accolade of one of the top 10 dancers of all time - headed to La Sala, Puerto Banús to relax and enjoy a little down time with his dancers, musicians and entourage following a performance of his latest stage show, Gitano at the Tennis Club of the 5-star hotel Puente Romano on Marbella’s Golden Mile.

One of the entertainment highlights of the summer, the charismatic Cortés delighted crowds with his innovative flamenco choreography, modern stage sets and a smouldering performance that left women swooning and shouting out his name as his forceful, exhilarating dancing led him to remove his Armani jacket and tie and strip down to his soaked black shirt. Immediately after the event, Joaquín Cortés and his retinue were found enjoying drinks at La Sala Restaurant and Bar in Puerto Banús, the most happening venue in Marbella. The party started straight after the concert and Cortés and friends were royally entertained with live sax, bongos, violin and trumpet, and a spread of delectable La Sala signature dishes and drinks. Despite the rigours of the night’s performance, many of the professionals couldn’t resist dancing sevillanas almost ‘til dawn. Cortés appeared to be in his element throughout, and commented, “La Sala is awesome!”  Many of Cortés’s fans clamoured to the venue to catch a glimpse of the star, following him from his show to La Sala. Other celebrities to be spotted recently at La Sala include footballer Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and girl band Little Mix.  For further details and reservations contact La Sala on Tel: 95 281 4145 info@LaSalaBanus.com

Marbella Michelin stars

MARBELLA is preparing to turn itself into the capital of haute cuisine by hosting the presentation of the Michelin Guide 2015. Campaign promoters have been working towards Marbella hosting the event, which will take place on November 19, for four years. The presentation of the Michelin Guide at the Hotel Los Monteros could have an economic repercussion on the area of as much as €10 million according to Maria Asenjo, director of OAK Power (the organisation which has been lobbying for the presentation to come to Marbella). Asenjo explained that the dream began four years ago when there was a meeting of chefs who have Michelin stars at El Lago. "From that day we knew that we had to get it" explained Asenjo. She then went on to comment that the competition had been stiff and that she and her team had spent more than 600 hours dedicated to bringing the presentation to Marbella. Dani Garcia, local Michelin starred chef and head of gastronomy for the event, said that Marbella should be proud of itself for having achieved this honour.

Super Rich Foreigners soar by 21% in demand for homes over 500,000 euros

The demand for housing over half a million euros, from which granted Spanish citizenship if foreign buyers increased by 21% in the last three months , according fotocasa.es . The search for these homes are especially located in Madrid, Catalonia, Andalusia, the Balearic Islands, the Basque Country and Valencia. These areas coincide with the preferred regions of foreigners to settle. Given the realized purchases, foreigners purchased a flat in 2013 spent on average 381,860 euros . The more money spent on the purchase of property were Russians (678,424 euros), followed by Germans (338,716 euros), Belgians (346,728 euros), English (190,633 euros) and French (171,644 euros). On the other hand, the area claimed by foreigners investing in Spain is the coast of Alicante, which arouses interest especially the British and the Russians.

A woman who works as a professional sex toy tester rakes in £15,000 a year having 15 orgasms a week - all in the name of work.

A woman who works as a professional sex toy tester rakes in £15,000 a year having 15 orgasms a week - all in the name of work.

Cara Houiellebecq has an office crammed with more than 2,000 toys that she test drives for adult companies - before being paid to review each one on her blog.

The mother-of-two from Lincoln, who became an erotic blogger five years ago, spends seven hours every week testing the toys.

 

 

 

 

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Now that's a niche job! Cara Houiellebecq is a professional sex toy tester - and rakes in £15,000 a year from brands who send her their products to review

The 33-year-old has sex toys delivered to her door four or five times a week and the toys have now become part of her everyday life.

Speaking about her job, Cara said: 'Toys have always been a part of my private sex life - it gave me the idea to start writing about my sex life and I had the idea to start testing sex toys.

 

 

 

'It’s a great job, I’ve worked in a bank before but I’d never go back to that now - it’s never boring.'

Cara started her own blog with her toy reviews and began to get more and more hits. 'Gradually my reviews became more and more prolific and I was noticed by a sex toy company who wanted me to work for them,' she said.

Aqwa Mist, the ultimate Puerto Banús super club is proud to announce their latest coup, cementing its reputation as the hippest dance venue in Southern Spain.

Sunday 3rd August 2014

Top Recording Artist & Dancer to Play 1 of 3 European Sets in Marbella this Summer

Aqwa Mist, the ultimate Puerto Banús super club is proud to announce their latest coup, cementing its reputation as the hippest dance venue in Southern Spain.

Chris Brown, one of the world’s hottest and most-talked about R&B and hip-hop stars will be performing a one-night-only set at Aqwa Mist on Sunday 3rd August.

The Award-winning American musician, whose video for his recent track Loyal has had 100 million views, will be rousing the club’s party crowd with a unique, one-off performance in Europe this summer. The talented 25 year-old, will be playing some of his best tracks live to the thrilled public of Chris Brown fans in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The self-taught musician was discovered at 13 and by age 14 had developed a prolific recording career. His first album, entitled simply Chris Brown, debuted at number two in the Billboard charts. With six studio albums under his belt before the age of 25, among the accolades awarded to Chris Brown to date are the American Music Awards, BET Awards and two NAACP Image Awards.

Suspicion of attempting to smuggle drugs arrests in Morocco

The Cyprus Foreign Ministry has confirmed that five Cypriots have been arrested in Morocco on suspicion of attempting to smuggle drugs out of the North African country. The Cypriots – whose ages are still unknown but are said to be over “18 years of age” – were arrested last week as they attempted to leave the country and are said to be looking at criminal charges relating to drug trafficking. Although the exact amount was unconfirmed, sources yesterday suggested that the group attempted to smuggle 15 kilos of hashish out of one of the country’s airports. “We can confirm that five Cypriots have been detained in Morocco and we are liaising with our Embassy in Paris, which is also responsible for Morocco, in an attempt to stay in contact with the individuals,” Ministry official Petros Kestoras told The Cyprus Daily on Tuesday. “We are as yet still unaware as to the exact amount of illegal substances they are said to have reportedly attempted to smuggle. We are also unaware of the exact substances. We do know that criminal procedures are ongoing and that the five individuals are obviously in police custody.” Morocco is one of 32 countries that impose capital punishment for offences involving the illegal importing, exporting, sale, or possession of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. But there has only been only one execution since 1983, and it happened in 1993. A total of 198 people were sentenced to death between 1956 and 1993, although there was an 11 year lull in executions between January 1982 and August 1993. The issue over capital punishment is a hot topic in Morocco. Officially, the stance of the current government is for "de facto" abolition but the Ministry of Justice has declared that terrorism is still an obstacle to "de jure" abolition. Figures from the US State Department claim that – until 2010 - a total of 104 inmates were on death row. According to a United Nations report, Morocco is a major source for cannabis, of which several hundreds tons reach mainly European markets every year.

Cannabis cultivation is concentrated in the underdeveloped region of the Rif in the North, for which the Government has adopted a national five-year development programme. In addition to the significant illicit trafficking of cannabis resin, the country is affected by growing international trafficking of heroin and cocaine and by related organised crime, including money laundering. As the main supplier country, “Morocco has long been a popular route by which drugs enter Europe”. It is a transit point for the ‘hashish’ consumed in Europe, but also of other illegal drugs principally coming from Latin America and East Asia.

The coast of Spain is the most common landing point of the drug, and to a less extent France, United Kingdom and other European countries Back in December 2012, Spanish police seized eleven metric tons of hashish smuggled from Morocco on trucks with tanks rigged to hide the drugs. Thirty five people were arrested in what was described as the breakup of a major smuggling ring that fed the European market.

King Mohammed VI Pardons 277 Convicts on Eid Al-Fitr

Rabat- King Mohammed VI granted his pardon to 277 convicts to mark Eid Al-Fitr, the Justice ministry said in a press release. 

The detained beneficiaries of the pardon are:
- 242 prisoners had their prison terms reduced.
The other beneficiaries of the pardon are 35:
- Six prisoners benefited from pardon over their imprisonment term or remaining prison term.
- Three inmates benefited from pardon over their prison terms and fines.
- 26 inmates had their fines annulled.
Pardon is granted to a number of prisoners by King Mohammed VI on the occasion of religious and major national celebrations, notably at Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

Related articles

• Moroccan King pardons 385 prisoners on Eid al-Fitr
• Sisi's Eid pardons exclude protest-related crimes
• HM the King pardons 372 convicts on Eid Al-Fitr

French al-Qaida recruiter arrested in Tangiers

Moroccan authorities have announced the arrest in Tangiers of a French citizen of Algerian origin for recruiting fighters for al-Qaida to travel to Syria and Iraq. The statement issued by the Interior Ministry late Sunday described the suspect as a veteran member of the international terror network. It said he had fought in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bosnia and is charged with raising funds and manpower for fighting in Syria. The suspect arrived in Morocco on July 21, traveling via Tunisia and Libya and was arrested on Saturday in the North African kingdom's main container port of Tanger-Med. He allegedly was recruiting for the al-Qaida's Syrian affiliate, the Nusra Front. While Morocco has experienced few terrorist attacks, it is a major source of recruits for conflicts in Mali, Syria and elsewhere.

Is the deadly Ebola virus on the way to the SPAIN threw illegal immigration?

Spreading: The latest outbreak of ebiola has scientists worried

Infected: The location of Ebola cases

Deadly: How the virus takes hold

A fast-spreading virus that liquifies internal organs and kills six in 10 victims.

Ebola is the stuff of nightmares – and horror movies.

academics have even talked about it being responsible for the Black Death plague epidemics of the Middle Ages which killed millions across Europe and Asia.

Now doctors across Spain have been sent letters warning them to to look out for Ebola Hemmorrhagic Fever, one of the most deadly and infectious diseases in the world.

It has killed hundreds in the world’s worst outbreak. Experts now fear it could spread beyond the borders of West Africa. More than 1,200 people have caught the virus and over 670 in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone have died as a result.

On Friday a man died after flying 1,000 miles from Liberia to Nigeria, heightening concerns international air travel could speed up its spread. And experts admit the virus could find its way to Britain.

Cambridge University’s Dr Peter Walsh, a lecturer in archaeology and anthropology and Ebola expert, says: “It’s possible someone infected will fly to Heathrow having infected other people sitting next to them or by using the toilet.

“This strain of Ebola is probably the second most deadly virus in the world after canine rabies. If you get canine rabies, you’re going to die, but we also have vaccines for that.

“This is worse than anthrax, but there are vaccines and treatments for anthrax, too.”

There is currently no cure or vaccine for Ebola. Even the front-line doctors have started falling victim to the disease they are trying to treat.

Last week a Liberian medic, Dr Samuel Brisbane, died after contracting the disease and Kent Brantly, a US doctor from a medical charity working in the region, has fallen ill with the disease.

The infection, spread via bodily fluids, begins with symptoms including a fever and sore throat then develops to vomiting, diarrhoea and profuse internal and external bleeding.

Victims may die of multi-organ failure within days of first contact with the bug. Some strains can kill up to 90% of sufferers.

The body deals with potential outbreaks and Dr Brian McCloskey, its director of global health, said: “There is the recognition this is a problem that is not under control… At the moment its preparatory thinking rather than alarm.”

PHE also has a phone line telling doctors what tests to do on patients who may have symptoms.

The disease was first documented in 1976 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaire, and was named after the river that runs through the country.

It is known to be carried by bats but usually only affects people, and primates such as monkeys, living near the creatures on the edge of the tropical rainforests.

Although conspiracy theorists will tell you that Ebola – along with Aids – was man-made, developed in a lab as a weapon by the CIA and tested in Africa, where it escaped into the wild.

However ludicrous this sounds, Dr Walsh believes the virus does have huge potential as a weapon.

He says: “The bio-terror people are worried about somebody weaponising Ebola and being able to deliver it in an aerosol form.

“In that case it could be seriously nasty, because it would be just as deadly – but this way they’d have a means to really spread it.”

Getty

Little bug: A magnified image of the Ebola virus

The first report of the current Ebola outbreak was in south-east Guinea in February, and infections levels steadily grew.

These are the first cases of Ebola in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.Health experts from the World Health Organisation are trying to educate Africans on the dangers of burial rites, such as touching and washing dead bodies, which may increase the spread of the disease.

Efforts to contain Ebola have also been hampered in areas of Sierra Leone where a distrust of Western medicine and belief in faith healers have seen locals ignore attempts at isolating infected patients.

Dr Walsh believes medics should start using vaccines for Ebola even though they are in the early stages of development.

He says: “They haven’t been licensed for human use but they work very well on lab monkeys.

“If we have the technology to save these people why aren’t we doing it? The answer is that it’s Africa.”

Lionel Messi to be prosecuted for alleged tax evasion

A Spanish court will push ahead with prosecuting the Barcelona forward Lionel Messi for alleged tax evasion despite a recommendation from the public prosecutor the charges be dismissed. The prosecutor argued in June that Messi’s father Jorge was responsible for the family’s finances and not the four-times World Player of the Year. However, the court in Barcelona has decided that Lionel Messi could have known about and approved the creation of a web of shell companies that were allegedly used to evade taxes due on income from image rights. The judge in the case ruled that the case against both Messis should continue. Argentina’s Messi and his father were accused last year of defrauding the Spanish state of more than €4m (£3.1m) by filing false returns for the years 2006 to 2009. They have denied wrongdoing.   One of the world’s highest-paid athletes, Messi earns just over $40m (£23.5m) a season in salary and bonuses, according to Forbes magazine, as well as about $23m from sponsors. The magazine has him as the fourth top-earning athlete behind the boxer Floyd Mayweather, Real Madrid footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and basketball player LeBron James.

Third of holidaymakers fall victim to crime in Spain

A new study shows that one in every three Irish people robbed while on a foreign getaway believe they, or a travelling companion, "looked like a tourist" when targeted by thieves. Men are more likely to be robbed with a map in hand or camera around their neck with 33pc of those targeted admitting they were an obvious target for opportunistic thieves, compared to 25pc of women. Overall more than one in every 10 Irish people (12pc) admitted to being robbed while on their holidays in the study by AA Ireland. Men are more commonly targeted than their female counterparts while abroad.

Spain is the holiday destination where most Irish people are robbed with a third of those surveyed revealing they had been robbed there, followed by France and Italy – three of the most popular places for Irish people to holiday. Of the 3,000 holidaymakers surveyed, more than one in every 10 (12pc) said they had been pick pocketed while only slightly less (10pc) said they had items stolen from their accommodation. Another one in 10 had their bank card stolen while the same number revealed they were targeted on public transport. Only 3pc said they were mugged or had their passport or bags stolen. Nearly three out of four (72pc) reported they have never been targeted by thieves while on holidays.

AA Ireland spokesperson Miriam O'Neill said it was important to "blend in" with the locals as much as possible to avoid being targeted. "It's a question of being conscious of your surroundings and making you and your belongings as inaccessible as possible. I'd always advise travellers to know what's covered in their travel insurance too," she said. The majority of robberies are opportunistic, the survey reveals. However, one couple were raided after culprits punctured their tyre then posed as good Samaritans before robbing them. Another person said they were almost robbed by a woman with a baby strapped to a fake arm, leaving her actual hand free to pick pocket.

Cubans Get a Dose of Surrealism at Dali Exhibit

Art appraiser Alex Rosenberg has spent decades hanging the forbidden fruit of Cuban art in New York galleries. This week, he opened the minds of Cuban art lovers by exhibiting a collection of the work of the surrealist painter Salvador Dali (1904-1989) in Havana. It is the first time a major collection of the Spanish-born surrealist has been shown on the island. The exhibit is entitled “Memories of Surrealism” and opened at the National Museum of Fine Arts.

Rushkinoff cough vodka gives British holidaymakers inexplicable cough

THOUSANDS of British tourists have voiced their concern about developing an inexplicable cough after drinking a cheap brand of vodka in Mallorca. Its low price has turned Rushkinoff into the preferred vodka brand served in bars and restaurants on the island. It is also the vodka of choice for most holidaymakers enjoying a night out on the town since a one-litre bottle can be bought for as little as €3. The strange cough – nicknamed ‘the Rushkinoff cough’ – has people talking on social media. In fact, a Facebook page called ‘I got the Rushkinoff cough’ has already received as many as 12,000 likes.

Tourists affected by the cough have taken to travel websites, including Trip Advisor, to both warn other holidaymakers and complain about the cheap vodka brand. “Avoid it if at all possible! By the end of the holiday I had stopped buying vodka drinks when out because my throat could not take it. I lost my voice… I spent a week at home with a wicked cough and I could hardly speak.” said Rebecca M on Trip Advisor.

An English Literature student at Glasgow University said: “It was about €3 or €4 for a bottle and we presumed it was ok because it is served in all the bars. On the day we left, my throat started feeling scratchy and it got progressively worse. During the next week, I had a really sore throat and a hacking, rasping cough. It sounded like a smoker’s cough but I do not smoke.”

two sisters running a bakery in a desert

The land in Los Monegros in Aragon in northeastern Spain, is almost as arid as a desert. In the 1960s, it was one of the backdrops chosen for spaghetti western films.

Yet for two twenty-something Spanish sisters, it has become the perfect place for their farming and bread-baking business.
Ana Marcen, the elder of the two, says she had no previous experience in agriculture.
"I studied Greek and Latin and used to work in an orchestra as a singer."
Her younger sister Laura used to work as a waitress and studied engineering.
Their business idea grew out of something their uncle told them - that in times gone by, the bread in this part of Spain tasted different.
It was a flavour he missed.
From seed to loaf

'For the seed we grow, the climate is perfect', two sisters explain why they started a bakery and are growing wheat in a Spanish desert.

The sisters say their uncle was "a very curious person, he used to ask himself why bread didn´t taste any longer as it used to."
They discovered that a type of wheat seed, known as Aragon 03, had been the secret behind the region's distinctly-flavoured bread.
They found an elderly couple who still had a small quantity of the Aragon 03 seed. The Marcens bought two bags of the seeds - and from that their business has grown.
The concept of their business is to control the entire bread-making process.
They grow the wheat, mill the flour and bake the bread, muffins and other bakery snacks.
"Unlike other traditional bakeries that just sell organic products, we control the whole process", says Laura.

Los Monegros may be very dry - but the Marcen sisters' wheat is well-suited to these conditions

'You must be mad'
They set up their business in 2007, just before Spain's economic and financial crisis hit.
They were able to get a bank loan of €250,000, ($335,000; £200,000) which they think would be harder to come by in today's post-recession climate.
In the first year, their business lost lots of money, but by the third year they broke even.
Now, seven years after they first started farming and baking, they own two bakeries and sell their products in eight others.
Whatever profit they make, they reinvest in their business as they want to expand and sell online.
"Many people told us we were crazy for trying to run a business like ours in a (dry) place like this. But we found out that the seed we grow is perfect for this climate", says Laura.
"People think that there is no life in Los Monegros, but in reality the region is rich in plants and wildlife.
"As my uncle used to say, you have to bend your knees and look closely. For example, I see opportunities where others don't."

The niche product has a loyal clientele which has been the key to the business turning a profit

Family idea, family business
From the very start, this was a family-run business.
Their father Daniel harvests the crop, their mother Mercedes, works in one of their shops, and their younger brother, Jesus, mills the flour and bakes the bread.

Spain: Royals' plane food budget to double

The Spanish Ministry of Defence has doubled its catering budget for a fleet of seven planes carrying Spanish royals, ministers and other senior officials, it seems. The government's congressional record has said the annual budget is going up to 133,000 euros (£105,000) from 65,000 euros the year before, news website 20minutos reports, adding that it's not unusual for officials to end up exceeding the budget. The website suggests the final bill for 2014 could come in at around 414,000 euros. Trays of peeled seasonal fruit, sirloin steak, Segovia suckling pig and Bilbao sea bass are among the 29 dishes on the menu - although it's reported that alcohol hasn't been served on board since 2012. Prices will be capped for some individual items - for example, the government won't pay more than 35 euros for a kilo of pecorino cheese - and some of the most expensive items have been taken off the menu altogether. The new budget comes amid a defence department review of the fleet's maintenance procedures following two recent breakdowns, and may consider renewing some of the aircraft in the fleet.

The Guardia Civil has found the largest arsenal of weapons ever seen in Spain on the Costa del Sol

The Nature Protection Service (Seprona) of the Guardia has led the investigation, which has uncovered hundreds of firearms, many dating from the war.
Sat Jul 19, 2014 - 07:26

The operation called ‘Yedra’ has so far seen the arrest of three Spaniards who have been sent immediately to prison by the judge two weeks ago, but more people are thought to be implicated and the investigation continues open. One of the arrested has a record for drug trafficking.

Photo Guardia Civil

A case of money laundering in the Churriana area is thought to be linked to this case.

Now the Guardia Civil have the unenviable task to try and identify the origin of all the weapons, most of which were found in a location in Mijas.
All types of weapons have been found in varying condition and with the corresponding ammunition.

The Guardia Civil Department of Arms and Explosives Inspection, has catalogued several types of shotgun, assault rifles, submachine guns, machine guns and an important number of small weapons

The size of the case has led the Guardia Civil to contact other barracks across Spain to create a multi-disciplined group to extend the investigation, in which Interpol is also involved.

The weapons are believed to be linked to specialists in international terrorism, organised crime and drug trafficking. 

A man has been injured during a robbery in Fuengirola

The man, who manages a currency exchange bureau, was in a supermarket carrying a briefcase when suddenly a man approached and tried to take it.
Wed Jul 23, 2014 - 19:11

During the struggle the victim threw the suitcase several metres in an attempt to get it away from the robber, but the two men clashed again and the attacker brought out a knife and stabbed the man.



Police think the attacker was waiting for the man, and thought the suitcase contained the day’s takings.

The attacker made his escape but most of the event was capture on the supermarket’s cameras, and police are inspecting the tape to try and identify the attacker.

The injured man is recovering in hospital but is not seriously hurt.

Ten people have been evacuated following another fire in Mijas

Ten people have been evacuated following another fire in Mijas The fire started in the area known as El Hinojal 11.25 this morning and was declared under control at 1pm Thu Jul 24, 2014 - 14:25 The ten were evacuated as a precautionary measure during the extinction of the fire. Three helicopters, an earth carrying plane and another coordinating plane, were used in the air, with ground support.

The controversial sex on the dance floor bar in Magaluf has been closed for 12 months

The controversial sex on the dance floor bar in Magaluf has been closed for 12 months The Calvià Town Hall said it has had enough of these sorts of activities and has notified the owner of the Playhouse bar, in Calle Martín Ros García in Magaluf, and those responsible in the Carnage Magaluf company that the bar will be closed for a year and a fine of 55,000 € must be paid. Fri Jul 25, 2014 - 13:27 The Town Hall justified their decision after a Local Police investigation which confirmed the controversial video, which was released at the start of this month, was recorded in the bar.

Police are keeping watch on five drug traffickers trapped on a ship in Málaga

The initially eight drug traffickers were released by the National Court following the reform, carried out by Justice Minister, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón which considered the Spanish Court is not competent to judge a ship seized in international waters.
Fri Jul 25, 2014 - 13:50

Following the Supreme Court’s overturning of the reform of Universal Justice Law it could be the drug traffickers involved could now be prosecuted in the Spanish Court, and for that reason the police are keeping watch.

The Mayak in Málaga Port

The vessel was intercepted last March when 30 nautical miles SE of Málaga. The 63.5 metre long ‘Mayak’ was constructed in 1968 and was flying the Sierra Leona flag. The investigators call this type of ship the mother ship, because they receive and supply drugs to other smaller ships which bring the drugs to the European coast.



When customs boarded the ship, she had been loaded up just an hour before and eight crew were caught red-handed introducing the bales of drug into the bodega.

Knife attack hero saves two women

MAN of 52 who was stabbed on Calle Larios in Malaga was trying to help two women who were being attacked. According to eye witnesses the victim noticed that an individual was beating up the two women, 35 and 36, and decided to try to help them and this was when he was stabbed. The events took place at around 1.30am on the central street near the LariosHotel. Apparently the attacker, without saying a word, just started beating up the two women who he had never met, or had anything to do with, before. The victim was just walking past when he decided to intervene on their behalf and was suddenly stabbed. The aggressor ran away as soon as he had stabbed the victim, throwing the knife to the ground as he ran, but was caught a few streets later by the Local Police who also managed to find the weapon used. The victim was taken to the Carlos HayaHospital where he is recovering well as the wounds were all muscular and hit no organs. The aggressor is considered to be very dangerous by the police as he already had a history of attacking women, for no reason, on the street.

NATIONAL POLICE in Malaga have detained three people under suspicion of dealing in cocaine and heroin.

 During the raid on a house in the La Palmilla area of the city they confiscated 97 wraps of cocaine mixed with heroin, 62 grams of rock cocaine and 200 grams of heroin as well as €21,149 in cash, two top of the range cars, five motorbikes, three smart phones, a set of precision scales and other drug related paraphernalia. Investigations began when the police became aware of a drugs sales point which was located in the Palmilla neighbourhood, they mounted a surveillance operation and noticed a high number of people coming and going from the address at all hours of the day and night. When the ‘visitors’ to the flat were stopped they had wraps on them containing a cocaine and heroin mix. After a difficult investigation the police managed to identify the three people involved as well as another address just a few streets away which was also being used as a sales point. The three detainees are all aged between 18 and 31 and stand accused of crimes against public health. They are all on remand until their case can be heard.

Three arrests in Benalmadena

THIEVES broke into three safes in the offices of a real estate company in Benalmadena and got away with more than €17,000 in cash. The National Police have detained two men, 29 and 35, under suspicion of robbery and unlawful association and a third who has been charged with the same crimes. National Police investigations have revealed that on June6 last, unknown persons broke into a real estate office in Benalmadena, disabled the alarm system and then, using a thermal lance, they broke into the safes, taking away a total of €17,800 in cash. One of the safes, which was built into a wall, was badly burned and the metal was mangled; the second safe was on a desk in an office and had also been opened with a blow torch.

The third safe, which weighed between 200 and 250 kilos, was removed from the premises. Police sources have commented that this last safe was too difficult to open and the thieves had had to leave the scene of the crime to return later with a trolley to transport the large safe to another location where they would have more time to work on it. Guardia Civil officers later found the safe which had been thrown away, after being broken into, on an abandoned lot near Mijas.

Torremolinos murderer sentenced

JURY in Malaga has condemned a young man of 22 to 16 years in prison for murder and illegal possession of weapons. The jury consider it proven that in 2012 the young man shot, up to five times, an Argentinian man who lived in Torremolinos. The incident took place at the victim’s house when the aggressor went to visit him and an argument started between the two of them. They went onto the balcony to continue their discussion and, at a certain point in the argument, the aggressor lost control of himself, pulled out a gun and shot the victim to death - the victim then fell to the street below. The jury also consider it a proven fact that the victim died of the gunshots and not the fall. The aggressor had no licence for the murder weapon nor any other fire arm.

After killing his victim, the aggressor fled the scene and was not seen or heard from for another four months until the police identified him as living in his cousin’s house in Las Castañetas in Campanillas. The aggressor’s cousin was cleared of all charges of harbouring a known criminal as he did not know that his cousin was on the run from the law and he had no knowledge of the events which took place in 2012 in Torremolinos. The aggressor’s mother, who was with him at the time of the murder, when he fled and knew his whereabouts when he was hiding, has yet to be processed by the courts but sources close to the case comment that it is probable that she will not be accused of aiding and abetting as the criminal in question is her son.

Torremolinos murderer sentenced

JURY in Malaga has condemned a young man of 22 to 16 years in prison for murder and illegal possession of weapons. The jury consider it proven that in 2012 the young man shot, up to five times, an Argentinian man who lived in Torremolinos. The incident took place at the victim’s house when the aggressor went to visit him and an argument started between the two of them. They went onto the balcony to continue their discussion and, at a certain point in the argument, the aggressor lost control of himself, pulled out a gun and shot the victim to death - the victim then fell to the street below. The jury also consider it a proven fact that the victim died of the gunshots and not the fall. The aggressor had no licence for the murder weapon nor any other fire arm.

After killing his victim, the aggressor fled the scene and was not seen or heard from for another four months until the police identified him as living in his cousin’s house in Las Castañetas in Campanillas. The aggressor’s cousin was cleared of all charges of harbouring a known criminal as he did not know that his cousin was on the run from the law and he had no knowledge of the events which took place in 2012 in Torremolinos. The aggressor’s mother, who was with him at the time of the murder, when he fled and knew his whereabouts when he was hiding, has yet to be processed by the courts but sources close to the case comment that it is probable that she will not be accused of aiding and abetting as the criminal in question is her son.

Smoking traffic bust

LOCAL POLICE in Malaga have detained a man who they caught in flagrante transporting 2,400 packets of cigarettes, 5,584 bags of rolling tobacco and 17 boxes of cigars of various brands; arresting officers calculate the value of the haul to be more than €61,000 if it were to be sold on the open market. The Local Police were performing a routine traffic stop in the Distrito Puerto de la Torre area when they came across the car; after identifying the driver they asked him to open the boot of his car and that is when they found the haul of tobacco products which, they suspect, are contraband as they have no blue tax stickers on them. The products were confiscated as well as the vehicle; samples of the tobacco were taken so that they may be analysed later by police laboratories to make sure they come up to health standards if not tax standards. As the value of the haul is over €15,000 the driver of the vehicle was detained. A police spokesperson has commented that the analysis will reveal if the tobacco is real or falsified, if it is falsified the man detained will be charged with brand infringement as well as avoiding tax.

Renfe in Costa del Sol hit by lack of drivers

Six lines to Fuengirola and Alora have been cancelled due to a lack of train drivers. The termination will affect almost 1,500 people. The drivers union says that many more drivers are needed to keep the services going. On the other hand, Renfe said that part of the problem is that driver absenteeism has gone up by 10%. The company also added that they were doing their best to ‘urgently resolve the problem to get things back to normal as soon as possible’. However, they gave no guarantee or target date on this. The drivers union believe that Malaga requires at least eight more drivers and that Renfe simply need to employ more. They point out that there are 500 unemployed drivers they could hire tomorrow and that they paid €22,000 to take the training course. They also warned that under these current conditions, problems are set to continue all summer long.

Spanish Government Cars With an Unsavory Past

A nationwide raid on a criminal group recently netted the Spanish police an extensive booty: 52 cars and motorbikes, as well as two boats, and 6.5 tons of gold and silver. Rather than let the spoils go to waste, the Spanish interior minister and other top security officials lighted on a novel cost savings in these hard economic times.

Four of the cars, it turned out, were newly armored and better than the ones they had. So they decided to use them. Jorge Fernández Díaz, the interior minister, got special permission in April from a court in Valencia to use the armored cars for police purposes. The court is handling the investigation into the criminal group and overseeing its seized assets. Confirming a report published this week in the newspaper El Mundo, Mr. Fernández Díaz stressed the cost savings of the unconventional vehicle upgrade.

Four bulletproof cars used by the criminals are valued at about 400,000 euros, or nearly $540,000. “We are saving money for the public treasury, for citizens, and we are raising our means to fight these gangs with greater efficiency,” the minister told reporters. The secretary of state for security and the director general of the Spanish police are also using confiscated armored cars, which are far newer as well as lighter than their previous cars. In any case, officials said, the previous cars had been due for expensive maintenance and repair work. A 2011 cease-fire by ETA, the Basque separatist group, prompted significant cuts in government spending on armored vehicles and bodyguards to protect officials. The cease-fire also coincided with a financial crisis that put the spotlight on unjustified government spending in a time of austerity, which left many Spaniards struggling with tax increases and salary cuts. During a four-decade campaign of terrorism, ETA killed more than 800 people in bombings and assassinations. José María Aznar, a former Spanish prime minister, escaped with light injuries when his armored car was bombed in Madrid in 1995. At the time, he was the leader of the opposition Popular Party. But ETA, which issued a statement this month saying it had dismantled its military wing, has not killed anyone on Spanish soil since 2009. Spain’s government, however, says that the group must surrender unconditionally and turn over all its weapons. Defending the use of the confiscated armored cars, Mr. Fernández Díaz said it was not unusual for crime money to aid Spain’s public finances, or for the Spanish state to make use of “decommissioned” assets after criminal cases are closed.

Last year, for instance, money seized and accounts frozen as part of drug trafficking cases added €22.1 million, or nearly $30 million, to the Spanish treasury. Before getting the armored cars, the minister said, his security forces had already inherited some boats and aircraft from criminals, without providing a detailed listing. “This is not the first time, and hopefully not the last,” he said. What has become of the boats, he did not say.

Six Russian oligarchs – possibly including Putin himself – are building a €19 million mansion inside the walls of one of the world’s most exclusive residential estate – Marbella’s own Zagaleta.

 

Six Russian oligarchs – possibly including Putin himself – are building a €19 million mansion inside the walls of one of the world’s most exclusive residential estate – Marbella’s own Zagaleta. Putin is rumoured to have visited the area a number of times over the last few years. Marbella town hall statistics revealed that there has been a significant increase in Russian expats and holidaymakers over the last year. In that time, two Russian magazines and a radio station have opened, as well as various businesses entirely geared towards the Russian enclave.

lRussian president Vladimir Putin is close to finishing a €19 million palace built within its borders. The soaring mansion, sitting atop its very own peak, was revealed to be owned by a group of six incredibly wealthy men. Whether one of them is Putin cannot, and might never, be proved. What is for sure though is that this 2,200-acre enclave – actually in Benahavis and not Marbella – is exactly the kind of place one could imagine a Russian president residing. Flying in by helicopter and luxuriating at his 10-bedroom mansion, taking a dip in the infinity pool before entertaining the elite.

Dream Warrior Recovery: Individual selfhood is expressed in the self's capacity for self-transcendence

Dream Warrior Recovery: Individual selfhood is expressed in the self's capacity for self-transcendence

Individual selfhood is expressed in the self's capacity for self-transcendence and not in its rational capacity for conceptual and analytic procedures." Reinhold Neibuhr - Theologian/Author of the "Serenity Prayer"

Tramps bikie club loses appeal to get back its guns because of link to Hells Angels Motorcycle Club

MEMBERS of a small-town motorcycle club linked to the Hells Angels have failed in their appeal to retrieve their confiscated guns. A decision was handed down today by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal upholding a decision to cancel four Tramps bikies’ gun licences because of their membership and social associations with other gangs. The verdict comes almost a year after nine current and former members of the Tramps MC fronted the Firearms Appeal Committee, one of which is a mobile butcher, arguing that Victoria Police had no right cancel their licences. Club head Ronald Harding, who took leave to withdraw, butcher Michael Oxenham, Malcolm Dinsdale and David Windsor are now considering appealing the decision to the appeal court of the Victorian Supreme Court. In August 2012, Chief Commissioner Ken Lay made a controversial decision to seize more than 100 registered guns from members of “outlaw’’ bikie gangs across the state. The VCAT appeal, taken on by four Tramps members, was seen as a test case for other “outlaw’ bikie members who also had their gun licences cancelled. The guns were seized under the test to whether the licence holder was a “fit and proper’’ person.

New Magaluf sex video: 'British tourist' caught romping in broad daylight between parked cars

A shocking new video has emerged of a couple having sex in broad daylight apparently filmed on a Magaluf street. The couple's romp between two parked cars was captured on film by someone recording them through a window. The footage is too shocking to broadcast but during their two-minute encounter they are failed to be put off by passing cars. The nationality of the copulating couple is unknown, but the title of the video describes a "British Tourist". It is not clear how old they are, but they appear to be in their 30s. When he has finished he kneels on the ground as the woman slowly gets to her feet and re-arranges her mini-skirt before he passes her a tissue.

SFO investigates price rigging in foreign exchange market

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has launched a criminal investigation into allegations of price rigging in the £3tn-a-day foreign exchange market. The probe will look into allegations of "fraudulent conduct", the director of the SFO said in a statement. Around 15 authorities internationally are investigating allegations of collusion and price manipulation. It is alleged that traders used online chatrooms to plan the fixing of benchmark prices. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said in October it had joined other regulators around the world in scrutinising firms over the potential manipulation of the foreign exchange market.

A small tornado causes widespread panic on the beaches of Huelva

A quiet evening beach became just seconds into "absolute chaos." It happened Sunday at the beach of La Bota, around three p.m. . A small tornado surprised people quietly sunbathing and enjoying the sea. The air lifted by this atmospheric phenomenon took everything he found his way, dragging chairs, floats and umbrellas , and lifting more than 20 meters. A few hours earlier, about half past one p.m. , a gust of wind affected similarly Portil beach . The phenomenon s and known as "dust devil" , and is a spiral airflow caused by rising warm air masses from the surface. In appearance and their effects may seem a small tornado and vary in intensity and height . According to Civil Protection caused no injuries , and coincided with the role of a northwest wind blowing southwest at that time.

Alleged leader of cocaine cartel arrested in Spain

Spanish police have arrested one of Colombia's most-wanted criminals, a 40-year-old man nicknamed the Rat who is one of leaders of a ruthless drug cartel linked to 400 murders and the shipment of largest amounts of cocaine to Europe and the United States. Hernan Alonso Villa was arrested Friday while driving on a highway on the outskirts of the southeastern Mediterranean port city of Alicante, police said in a statement. He was found carrying 40,000 euros in cash, police said. Police in Colombia said Alonso Villa is leader of the military wing of the so-called Envigado Office, named for the district in Medellin where one of the country's largest and most-violent drug trafficking organizations arose in the 1990s following the dismemberment of Pablo Escobar's Medellin cartel. The criminal organization is linked to more than 400 murders, police said. Saturday's statement says Alonso Villa had 200 people under his command and was responsible for exporting cocaine to Spain, United States and the Netherlands.

Lionel Messi may have just been named the most valuable player at the World Cup in Brazil but that is unlikely to soften the blow of having to pay Spain's largest tax bill

Lionel Messi may have just been named the most valuable player at the World Cup in Brazil but that is unlikely to soften the blow of having to pay Spain's largest tax bill — a whopping €53 million ($71 million)On top of that €53 million, the FC Barcelona star could also have to pay an extra €3 million on undeclared advertising and sponsorship earnings for the years 2007 to 2009.

 The huge sum paid by Lionel Messi this year covers taxes on his salary, as well as on his assets and advertising deals. It also includes €22.4 million in outstanding tax for 2010, 2011 and 2012. 

 Over the past seven years, the Argentina captain has paid more than €100 million to Spain's tax office, Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia reported. 

 This amount has increased proportionally to the player’s income.  

 According to the business magazine Forbes, Lionel Messi earns more than €48 million a year from salary and sponsorship, making him the fourth highest-earning athlete in the world. 

 He’s also the highest-paid football player with a €20 million annual salary, ahead of Real Madrid’s player Cristiano Ronaldo.

 Last year, Lionel Messi and his father were accused of defrauding the Spanish tax office of over €5 million ($7 million) but cleared the tax debt before a court appearance.‏

Named 'businessman of the year', José Mestre headed Barcelona's biggest port container operator before being charged with smuggling 186 kilos (410lb) of cocaine.

Named 'businessman of the year', José Mestre headed Barcelona's biggest port container operator before being charged with smuggling 186 kilos (410lb) of cocaine. The Local looks at his fall from grace and takes a sneak peek at his impressive mansion, Barcelona's most expensive.

Fifty-seven-year-old Mestre was once the toast of the town, his company Tercat managing two container terminals at Barcelona’s busy port.

In June 2010, just months after receiving the accolade, Mestre was arrested after Catalan police found 186 kilograms camouflaged in one of his scrap metal containers, Spanish national daily El País reported.

Police surveillance found Mestre had been holding talks with an international drug ring for several months.

Four years on, Spain’s High Court found him guilty of drug trafficking, sentencing him to 12 years in prison and slapping him with a €14.6 million ($19.76 million) fine.

As the tycoon turned drug villain is not yet behind bars, he’s taken the time to try to sell off one of his most prized possessions: a 2,500sqm (27,000 square feet) property described as “an architectural jewel from the 1920s”.

The money raised via the sale will be used to pay off Mestre's obligations, including mortgages he holds with banks.      

Spain’s biggest home sale and rental website Idealista has posted an ad for the opulent property, located in Barcelona’s Pedralbes neighbourhood,The €30 million mansion is split into two buildings, which have a wine cellar, gym, garage with space for 12 vehicles, pool, nine bedrooms, seven bathrooms and even a watchtower.

Wildfires ravage Spain villages

 100 firefighters backed by planes and helicopters battled a blaze in scrubland near the town of Bustares in the central province of Guadalajara, east of Madrid, the regional government said. The blaze, which was accidentally started by a beekeeper, forced the evacuation of 140 people from two villages, it added. The wildfire has destroyed around 200 hectares of land, including part of the Sierra Norte national park. More firefighters aided by water-dropping aircraft fought another blaze raging near the town of Cogolludo, also in Guadalajara province. This fire, accidentally sparked on Wednesday by a combine harvester, saw 40 people evacuated from two villages. The blaze has so far destroyed over 800 hectares of scrubland and pine forest. High temperatures, strong winds and low humidity levels were fuelling the two wildfires, officials said.

The TOWIE cast returned to Marbella last night as The Only Way Is Marbs made a typically explosive comeback.

And if the TV show has got you itching for a holiday to the Spanish resort, Lauren Pope has given us an exclusive run-down of her favourite nightspots.
The TOWIE beauty is a huge dance music fan and is currently promoting the show’s first ever CD; The Only Way is Marbs: Marbella Anthems.
Stars from the show including Lydia Bright and James 'Diags' Bennewit attended the The CD’s launch party at The Brickyard in Essex on Friday.

Magaluf puts 50-person limit on pub crawls

The local mayor announced the new legislation today after a video surfaced last week showing sex acts being performed by a young British holidaymaker at a club night called Carnage. The resort’s reputation has been steadily deteriorating for years, but recent revelations about bars and clubs where tourists are encouraged to get drunk and engage in sexual behaviour in public proved the tipping point. Manuel Onieva, the Mayor of Calvia, a region including Magaluf, said the new law was an expression of his “total rejection and anger at the activities which were carried out in a video which is currently on the social media circuit.” In an attempt to clean up seedy bar crawls, any company wanting to operate one in the area will now need to apply for a licence through the town hall. In order to be granted a licence they will have to “prove their responsibility and show that they have the appropriate civil insurances in place,” the mayor said.

Shakira is first person ever to reach 100 million Facebook likes

Shakira is officially the most liked person on Facebook after becoming the first person ever to reach 100 million likes. The superstar songstress hit the staggering social media milestone on Friday and was clearly delighted with the news.

Barcelona To Tackle Dog Walkers: Get a License Or Receive a Fine

The Catalan capital is set to unleash a new law that will force dog owners to get a license or face fines up to €600. From October, dog owners will be required to obtain a “civic license” before letting their pets walk around without a leash within one of Barcelona’s 103 designated dog parks. An “animal abuse” register will also come into effect with a prohibition of leaving animals tied up for more than two hours or leaving animals locked in a car for more than 20 minutes.

A woman who set off a bitter custody dispute after moving her young daughter to Spain was paroled from state prison on Wednesday

A woman who set off a bitter custody dispute after moving her young daughter to Spain was paroled from state prison on Wednesday, five years after she was convicted and sentenced on criminal charges related to the case. But she has not been set free. María José Carrascosa was turned over to Bergen County authorities and is expected to face a hearing soon on outstanding contempt-of-court orders. She is also wanted by federal authorities, who could move to deport her. If so, she could be returned to Spain and reunited with her daughter. The child's father, Peter Innes, has fought to be reunited with his daughter in U.S. and Spanish courts. He told The Record that he has decided not to participate in the upcoming hearing. Innes lives in Hasbrouck Heights and runs a graphic design and advertising company. Carrascosa, 48, a native of Spain who had lived in Fort Lee, was sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2009 after being convicted by a jury of "interference with custody." She had been accused of violating a court ruling to return the child to her father in New Jersey. The couple were in a custody dispute over their only daughter, Victoria, in 2005 when the girl was taken to Spain, where she remains, living with her grandparents. The couple separated in 2004 and signed a parenting agreement that prohibited each from taking the girl out of the country without the consent of the other. The girl was 4 at the time. Courts in New Jersey ordered Carrascosa to bring the girl back in 2006, but she refused. Carrascosa returned to New Jersey and was promptly arrested for contempt of court. Prosecutors later charged her with criminal interference with child custody. Carrascosa also failed to comply with orders to dismiss all litigation in Spain and to get a psychiatric evaluation. Technically, she is still in contempt and can be incarcerated until she complies. The judge could decide to continue her incarceration in Bergen County or release her. Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities, meanwhile, have alerted state and local authorities that they intend to assume custody of Carracosa before she is released. "I want nothing to do with this woman, and whatever the courts or ICE decides to do with her is fine by me," Innes said. "As for my daughter, she was 4 years old when she was taken, and she's now 14," he said. "Soon enough she'll figure this all out on her own. When she does, I'm sure she and I will be fine."

Spanish police arrest UK gangland murder suspect

Police in Madrid have arrested William Thomas Robert Paterson, wanted over the murder of a gangland enforcer in a car park in Scotland.

Paterson, nicknamed Buff and Billy, was wanted over the 2010 death of  Kevin 'Gerbil' Carroll in a supermarket car park in Glasgow.

The 34-year-old fled to Spain after that crime where he remained in hiding until his arrest, Spain's El Diario newspaper reported on Thursday.

Paterson appeared on a ten most wanted crime list released by  the UK's Serious Organised Crime Agency and Crimestoppers as part of a campaign known as Operation Captura.

Malaga counts cost of 'Hidden Cash' chaos

Authorities in the southern city of Malaga are less than thrilled after being hit with a €2,000 ($2,700) clean-up bill after in the wake of a chaotic 'Hidden Cash' treasure hunt organized by eccentric US millionaire Jason Buzi.

Spanish beaches reopened after shark alert

Six beaches in Barcelona were reopened on Wednesday morning after being closed when lifeguards spotted several sharks very close to shore on Tuesday.

Airbus's folding saddle seat could be the cattle-class future for cheap flights

Airbus's folding saddle seat could be the cattle-class future for cheap flights As Airbus files a patent for a new space-saving design to jam many more economy class passengers in.

If you thought low-cost air travel couldn't get any more bleak, then Airbus has a treat in store for you. The aeroplane manufacturer has now filed patent for the what looks like a human battery-farm, but is in fact the future of budget flights: racks upon racks of folding saddle-seats for even more passengers to be jammed onto aeroplanes, packed in knee-to-rump.

While some airlines have already removed their folding tray tables and squeezed leg-room down to brutal knee-capping levels, Airbus have gone one step further, doing away with the idea of proper seating altogether. In their ultra-economy vision, seating aisles will instead take the form of long horizontal poles, from which bicycle-like saddles and small back and arm rests will pivot out, on to which humans will be placed, skewered together like table-football players.

“The design of the seats has to be optimised so that they present the smallest possible bulk,” says Airbus, explaining that the saddle-style seat has been developed “in order to reduce the distance needed to accommodate the legs of passengers between two rows of seating devices.”

Gas reps detained for defrauding the elderly

THE Guardia Civil have arrested two representatives of a ‘gas company’ who were thieving in people’s houses when they went to make their inspections. The victims, always elderly, would get a phone call a few days before the inspection; during the phone call the representatives would always inquire as to the age of the people in the house. The victims would be informed that two representatives would visit the house to make sure that everything conformed to standards and was safe.

They would charge €356 for this service and, when the victims would go in search of the cash, the reps would follow them to find where they hid their money and then go back later, while their colleague distracted the elderly person, and steal whatever cash they could find. Investigations began when a complaint was made to the Guardia Civil, by an 84-year-old man, who claimed that after a gas inspection he was left €3,000 short - this was money he had been saving in order to buy a hearing aid. Police rapidly identified and arrested the two individuals who made the visits as well as the woman who would make the preliminary phone calls and the appointments. Investigations into the matter are ongoing as the police suspect that there are a lot of victims who have not yet spoken up about the matter. All three are out on bail until their case goes to court.

THE Local Police in Benalmadena are one of the most tech savvy forces on the coast.

They regularly use the social networks to inform the public about crimes ranging from drug dealing to paedophilia and have an open communication policy on their Twitter account (@policia_benalm).   They tend to shy away from using institutional language and communicate in the same manner as the rest of the users of the social networks. #avoid accidents - grab a cab is one of their usual Saturday night reminders to the general public to avoid drink driving.   Benalmadena Local Police opened their Twitter account last year in April principally to send out press notes and official information but they soon realised that the system had enormous possibilities and started to send out messages about cyber bullying and domestic violence, as well as the usual warnings not to drive drunk.   Because they are a local force they can send messages which directly relate to the residents of the municipality on local matters like which roads are fluid, where there may be any problems around the town or if there may be a wave of pick pocketing going on.  

Police headquarters in the town commented that the decision to use the social networking site, which is not used by any of the other Local Police forces in the area - not even in the capital, was not an easy one as there are many ‘trolls’ online who can hack into an account and ruin it.   They decided to take the risk anyway as they thought it would heighten their profile with the public, which it has done, and help them to improve their image of helping the community rather than just handing out parking tickets.   In other Costa del Sol policing news, the Malaga police force are ageing, with no replacements in sight.   Currently, the average age of a local police officer in Malaga is 45.   Malaga Council is said to be concerned about the ageing force as, due to cutbacks, there has been no ‘new blood’ since the recession started.   Although the council is aware of the problem, they have stated that they are not going to do anything about it for the moment as they do not have the budget to remedy the generational handover needed.   The number of police officers on the roster in 2003 was 980, but the force now has only 924 officers. Of these 924, 40 per cent are over the age of 45 and another 130 have had to be given light duties due to physical problems.  

Due to the budget cuts the council has decided to ‘in the short term’ open up another 30 places, the same as they did when a similar problem happened with the fire brigade in 2008.   Francisco de la Torre, mayor of Malaga, has commented that even though experience is a good thing in a police officer, there is a need for a younger generation to take over in order to bring the average age down. He underscored the fact that all police officers over the age of 50 are given light duties unless they can pass a stringent, yearly, physical test.

British family recount moment forest fire forced them to flee Spanish hotel in Costa del Sol

'It was like Pompeii': British family recount moment they were forced to evacuate Spanish holiday apartment as raging forest fire sent hot ash raining down on them Family arrived at resort and were unpacking when they were forced to flee Clarks were alerted when Spanish porter looked up at hillside and swore Hot ash rained down and smoke obliterated the sun Eight-year-old Isla screamed that the family was going to die

THE Costa del Sol hospital has announced that it will be closing three operating rooms in the afternoons in July and four in August.

THE Costa del Sol hospital has announced that it will be closing three operating rooms in the afternoons in July and four in August.   Ana Corredera, spokesperson for the PP health department, commented that the works being done to expand the hospital have also been blocked for more than two years.   Corredera went on to underscore the fact that there would be no reduction in the number of beds available during the summer but that, due to the reduced budget this year, the summer reinforcements, brought in to cover the four-fold increase of the population, would be “minimal.” The PP spokesperson added that, in her party’s opinion, the delays in the expansion were due to bad local government by the PSOE.

Costa Del Nightmares

Costa Del Nightmares (4×60’), which wrapped filming in Spain last week, has been pre-sold in 110 territories, including BBC Global (Africa, Poland, Asia), FX (India), Planet TV (Slovenia), SIC (Portugal), TV Joj (Slovakia), ABS (Philippines) and VTM (Belgium). The show follows Ramsay as he tries to help expat Brits living on the Costa Del Sol to turn around their struggling eateries

MARBELLA taxi drivers have warned the council about the rising growth of the pirate taxi industry and are threatening a strike if something is not done about it.

MARBELLA taxi drivers have warned the council about the rising growth of the pirate taxi industry and are threatening a strike if something is not done about it. More than 150 cars stopped outside the fairgrounds for two hours to protest the situation about the amount of unauthorised vehicles which abound every summer in the town. “There are around 40 private individuals and companies endangering the livelihoods of the 316 legal taxi drivers in Marbella,” commented one driver at the two-hour protest. David Piquer, spokesperson for the taxi association of Marbella commented that this situation repeated itself every summer and the association was now asking for a sit down with the mayor in order to discuss the situation and find a remedy that would work for everybody. “We just want to be listened to and have our petitions taken into account by the council,” added Piquer. The petition, which summarises the association’s concerns along with the licence number plates of the rogue cars and photographs of their drivers, has been handed in to the council. One of the main bones of contention between the taxi association and the council is the Puerto Banus area which, according to one demonstrator, the police know about but have not taken any action on.

Libya in shock after Tripoli airport attack

Libyans are stunned after two days of fighting between rival militias leaves the country's main international airport out of action. At least eight people have died in the clashes and 12 planes were damaged. The airport remains in the hands of the Zintan militia which has controlled it since Muammar Gaddafi was ousted. The government has been unable to disarm the numerous armed groups that took part in the 2011 uprising and which have divided the country.

Expat Britons storm hotel after staff kill stray seven-month-old puppy in waste crusher

Expat Britons storm Cyprus hotel after staff kill stray seven-month-old puppy in waste crusher Holidaymakers found 'Billy' the poodle with horrific injuries in the bin - including a broken back and brain damage Thousands have signed petition calling for Cyprus to enforce animal cruelty laws and bring animal abusers to justice Expats and UK tourists call for boycott of Anastasia Beach Hotel

Dale Cregan paid the Russian mafia on the Costa del Sol to protect him when he went on run

It is understood he hid on the Costa Del Sol and police intelligence suggests he was paying the Russians to protect him on the Mediterranean coast while a huge manhunt was under way in Manchester.

 he was paying Russian gangsters to protect him after he fled to Spain during his 42 days on the run.

It is understood he hid on the Costa Del Sol and police intelligence suggests he was paying the Russians to protect him on the Mediterranean coast while a huge manhunt was under way in Manchester

He was also in phone contact with serious Salford gangsters.

He returned to Manchester, not because he missed his family as he suggested, but because he simply ran out of money and could no longer pay the mobsters to keep him in hiding, according to the intelligence.

Police suspect Cregan escaped England to Northern Ireland before heading south over the border to the Irish republic and then by sea to mainland Spain when he went on the run.

First he fled to Leeds where he spent 12 days holed up in an apartment in the city centre. None of the other residents realised there was a killer in their midst. Later, Cregan and his associates travelled south and spent time ‘chillin’’ in Herne Bay, near Dover. Again, no-one spotted him.

Meanwhile, back in Manchester, police were involved in some of the 60 armed raids they carried out in a vain search for the fugitive. They also put up a £50,000 reward for information leading to his arrest and issued a series of public appeals.

He managed to escape the law for so long with the help of a network of criminal friends, and because of the fear he had created thanks to a summer of bloodshed.

The masked Cregan had coolly walked into Droylsden’s Cotton Tree pub on May 25 last year and shot dead amateur boxer and fellow criminal Mark Short, 23.

Cregan had wanted to kill his great rival David Short, 46, Mark’s father, but his main target was in the toilet. When Short Snr returned from the toilet, he cradled his dying son in his arms. Cregan also shot three other members of the Short clan, Ryan Pridding, Michael Belcher and John Collins.

He celebrated the assassination with friends by flying business class to Thailand for a holiday at a luxury resort on the paradise island of Koh Samui.

Among the trips he enjoyed was a day out at a gun club, with Cregan posing for pictures with his weapon. When he stepped off the return flight into Manchester, detectives were waiting and arrested him on suspicion of murder.

He said nothing during interview and was released on bail pending further enquiries.

Cregan had been due to answer bail in the middle of August but when scientific tests implicated him, detectives brought forward their plans and tried to arrest him and others on August 7. DNA and gunshot residue evidence suggested Cregan had been at a house in Hollingworth, Tameside, where Cregan and others had cleaned up after the murder and after torching the Ford Focus getaway car.

While police managed to arrest others, Cregan was nowhere to be seen. He wasn’t at his mum’s house in Droylsden, nor at any other address linked to him. Police didn’t know that, at that point, Cregan was enjoying a trip to the Lakes.

With his girlfriend Georgia Merriman, son and mother Anita, he had booked into a hotel in Bowness overlooking Lake Windermere when his accomplices were being arrested in Manchester. He soon found out and fled to Plas Coch, a resort on Anglesey, north Wales.

Cregan layed low before murdering his great rival David Short, who is said to have threatened to take his revenge for his son’s killing by raping and murdering Cregan’s son and sister.

Cregan couldn’t go home so instead went to a friend’s house in Newton Heath, where he watched the Olympics as he made preparations for the murder of David Short.

With his accomplices in The Cotton Tree murder now charged he organised a hire van which he would use for the murder. On the morning of August 10, Cregan and his friend Anthony Wilkinson, who is also said to have owed Short Snr £20,000, gunned down their target at his home in Folkestone Road East in Clayton.

They had staked out Droylsden Cemetery where he would visit his son’s grave three times each day but changed their plans when he failed to show.

David Short had been loading furniture from his car when he was attacked. Cregan and Wilkinson chased him through the house, shooting at him. Trying to get away, he collapsed behind a gate in an alley where more shots were fired into him.

Cregan finished the job by lobbing a grenade at his victim.

Later that day police named Cregan for the first time and issued a picture of the one-eyed fugitive. He fled to Failsworth then Bradford and then on to Leeds, where he, Wilkinson and their getaway driver Jermaine Ward spent 12 days holed up in a one-bed apartment.

Cocaine valued at £25m found in banana delivery

Cocaine with an estimated street value of £25m has been found hidden in a consignment of bananas from Colombia. Scotland Yard said 150kg of the drug was found packed into plastic bananas following an "intelligence-led" operation. Officers said they forced entry into a Kent warehouse they had been monitoring on 10 July and found the cocaine hidden amongst real fruit. Four men were later arrested in London and Kent and remain in police custody. The Metropolitan Police said the bananas arrived at Dover at about 06:00 BST on 10 July and were taken to Oast Park Trading Estate in Hartlip, Kent. The force said the lorry driver was not implicated. A 48-year-old man was later arrested in Kent. Police also arrested three Colombian men, aged 36, 39 and 46, outside an internet cafe in Stockwell, south London.

Sabinillas Full Moon festival comes under fire

AN ‘irresponsible’ beach party is set to see the release of hundreds of ‘illegal’ Chinese lanterns, despite a clear fire risk, claim campaigners. The Sabinillas Full Moon party will see the launch of the candle-lit lanterns at midnight, watched by an estimated 5,000 revellers. However opponents have criticised Manilva Town Hall for not banning the release, with the coast on high fire alert after an extremely dry Spring. It comes after the coast saw three infernos last week – with Competa, Casares and Torremolinos all experiencing serious fires.

Expat group on guard for fires

EXPATS have set up guard over Andalucia as the summer wildfire season gets underway. Founder Jill Leonard set up the Local Fire and Weather Watch Facebook group on the Costa del Sol in 2012, after noticing that up-to-date information was hard to find on the internet. “I think it’s such a valuable resource,” Jill told the Olive Press. “When there’s a fire threatening your home, you want clear information, not rumour and panic. People come to us as an organised source of useful information.” The group has already expanded to include branches for the Balearic and Canary Islands, and now boasts nearly 7,000 members in total who can share their experiences and tips online. As well as news updates the group publishes emergency telephone numbers, advice on fire prevention and local laws on fire use.

Spain arrests 32 in swoop on suspected members of Italy's Camorra

Spanish police have arrested 32 suspected members of Italy's Camorra crime group they say were involved in drug trafficking, extortion, fraud and money laundering, the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday. In raids on 14 homes and businesses across Madrid, police seized 1.13 million euros ($1.54 million) in cash, properties worth around 8 million euros and firearms. Police did not specify the nationality of those arrested, suspected of supplying drugs to their partners in Naples, home of the Camorra, one Italy's biggest mafia groups. There were also four arrests in Italy, the ministry said. There was no immediate word from Italian authorities. The swoop was the culmination of a cross-border investigation launched in November, 2011 into criminals operating in and around the Spanish capital with connections to Italy, the Netherlands, France and Colombia, the ministry said. Since the operation began, 2,800 kg of cocaine has been confiscated. The investigation, which Spain said included cooperation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, is ongoing.