Overseas investors in the Spanish buy-to-let property market are suffering a double blow, as not only are property prices plummeting in Spain, but now

In spite of the ‘hard times’ currently faced by the Spanish property market, with much talk of over inflated property prices, combined with increasing interest rates; new and established Spanish property owners are being offered a helping hand, to support them through increasing problems with affordability.

Several key mortgage products have been developed, offering high loan to values and interest only periods, some even with no early redemption penalties. - 21st August 2007 11:01
Spain's property prices show no signs of cooling -

In spite of Spain’s reputedly ‘cooling’ property market, statistics show that property prices in Spain are not coming down.
Spain's Little Britain -

The influx of British tourists and holiday homeowners in Spain is now putting investors off Spanish property according to research conductred by GE Money Home Lending. Spaniards succeed in campaign to prevent local development -

Spain’s large-scale property development has not only been criticised by environmental agencies for destroying its coastline, but has also caused tension between Spanish councils and residents, who claim that excessive construction is spoiling their villages and towns.Spain's overdevelopment causes irreversible environmental damage - Spanish coastlines are being destroyed by overbuilding, announces a report by Greenpeace on Tuesday, which blamed local councils in Spain for failing to protect the environment. Supply outstrips demand in Spain's property market -

According to a report by property consultants R.R de Acuña & Asociados, house price inflation will dive next year as Spain’s already struggling property market is swamped by an excess of one million properties.

Over the last 3 years the Spanish construction industry has been busy producing 300,000 properties more than the required number. Spain's tourism suffers threat of ETA terrorism -

Spanish police have been on high alert following the threat of a resurgence of violence from the militant Basque separatist group, ETA. Spanish mortgage broker arrested for illegal applications -

The Spanish property market has suffered another blow as mortgages for overseas property buyers have been suspended following the discovery of illegal broker practices. - Property owners in Spain face legal action -

Overseas investors in the Spanish buy-to-let property market are suffering a double blow, as not only are property prices plummeting in Spain, but now Spanish tourism and tax authorities are coming down hard on unlicensed properties and undeclared rental earnings.

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new wireless Internet-access networks

Mijas Mayor Agustín Moreno last week officially launched the town’s new wireless Internet-access networks. A series of WiFi networks provides high-speed wireless access to the rural Osunillas, Valtocado and Entrerríos zones, while a WiMAX network links some 20 municipal offices throughout the town.
There are currently 70 pilot users of the rural-areas WiFi networks. The networks have a capacity for up to 60 users in each of the three zones. “This service represents a revolution for the rural areas of Mijas, and will be extended further, with increased capacity,” said the Town Hall in an official statement.
The 322,000-euro project for the newly launched wireless networks is part of the Town Hall’s ‘Mijas Digital’ programme for the promotion of new technologies. Other projects under the programme include the creation of a new Citizen Services Portal on the Town Hall’s Web site (www.mijas.es), which is already partially functioning. It currently allows users to access certain documents and make tax payments, and in the future will allow the online handling of a variety of Town Hall paperwork or transactions, say officials.
At the launch of the new wireless Internet networks last week, Mayor Moreno also announced that Mijas Pueblo’s Virgen de la Peña Plaza is now a WiFi ‘hotspot’, meaning anyone with a WiFi-equipped laptop can access the Internet free of charge from the plaza.

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four year prison sentence handed down to the owner of a bar and restaurant which was causing excessive noise

The sentence issued by the Barcelona Provincial Court has now been confirmed by the Supreme Court in Spain

The Supreme Court has confirmed a four year prison sentence handed down to the owner of a bar and restaurant which was causing excessive noise in an area of Barcelona.

The high court found the establishment lacking measures demanded by law, and guilty of a crime against natural resources and the environment.

The owner will also have to compensate four neighbours with amounts of between 6,000 € and 10,000 €.

The Supreme Court thus supports the ruling from the Provincial Court in Barcelona.

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Benalmádena Town Hall will have to compensate a local Dutch family for the noise coming from the Puerto Marina.

The couple have been awarded more than 15,000 € for the noise from bars in the port, which dates back some eight years

The case dates back to 1999, but the sentence has only just been announced, ordering the council to pay 15,175€.

The Dutch couple purchased a flat in the Marina, with the intention of enjoying the summer there and renting the flat out for the rest of the year, but they say they had to soundproof their home and return the rent to ten people after three pubs opened below them.

Eight years after making their complaint to the courts in Málaga, they have now been told they have won the case. The 15,000 € goes to cover the soundproofing costs and to compensate for the rental money retuned to clients.

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The British on the Costa Del Sol

As the first major ethnographic study of British migrants in Spain, The British on the Costa Del Sol is to be welcomed for the light it sheds on an important but hitherto poorly researched subject. It is a valuable addition to the literature on ethnicity and European migration, as well as on tourism in its mass and long-stay forms. As a pleasant bonus, it also happens to be a very enjoyable read.

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They insist that their lives in Spain are good and that no one ever wants to go home, while individuals are choosing to go home every day.

They don't integrate, yet say they do, or that their children do. They construct and reconstruct strong community boundaries yet talk of community as if it includes the Spanish as well as other nationalities. They deny their isolation. They live fun and leisured lives, often denying or understating the work that goes into the construction of community. They insist that their lives in Spain are good and that no one ever wants to go home, while individuals are choosing to go home every day. They deny their boredom and suppress their loneliness as this contradicts the image they wish to portray of a happy, friendly and exciting experience."

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"Prince of Marbella" because of his opulent lifestyle

Spanish court authorized Friday the extradition of Syrian arms dealer Monzer al-Kassar to the United States on charges of conspiring to provide weapons to Colombian guerrillas. US authorities say Kassar agreed to sell machine guns, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, millions of rounds of ammunition and surface-to-air missile systems to the Marxist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) between 2006 and May of this year. Prosecutors in New York have charged him with conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a terrorist organization, money laundering, and conspiracy to acquire an anti-aircraft missile and to kill US nationals. Kassar, a longtime resident of Spain, has been in jail since he was arrested on June 8 after flying into Madrid airport on a domestic flight. US prosecutors say the FARC wanted to use the weapons to fight Amercian forces aiding Colombia in its battle against drug traffickers. Kassar allegedly also offered 1,000 fighters, plastic explosives, and detonators to use against the US armed forces, who have been in Colombia since 2000. Kassar, dubbed the "Prince of Marbella" because of his opulent lifestyle, faces life imprisonment if convicted

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Pedro Román

The former deputy mayor of Malaga, Pedro Román, may soon get out of jail, if he comes up with the million-euro bail stipulated by the Provincial Court last week. Román was Jesus Gil’s right hand man during two terms in Marbella Town Hall. Earlier in the week, the Attorney General had refused to let out Román or Juan Antonio Roca - the alleged mastermind behind Marbella’s Malaya case because of the risk of flight and destruction of evidence. However, the Malaga court took into account the fact that Román had returned voluntarily from Switzerland to face the charges of corruption brought against him. It also said there was little evidence not already in the hands of the police and courts and therefore there was nothing left to destroy. It is the highest bail imposed so far in the Malaya case.

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Disco Inferno, is the 70's / 80's bar

Disco Inferno, is the 70's / 80's bar, in my opinion its one of the best places to go in the port as it is the least pretencious.
Must also mention that Sean Connery does not have a yacht in the port, this one of Marbella's oldest tales......
All of the large yachts are Arab owed and derive from oil money, simple as that!
Also, if you do happen to want to watch any sports whilst your staying, I recommend a bar called Bar Cheers, it became my Spanish local (no lager louts) its between Puerto Banus and San Pedro (only 5€ taxi from Puerto Banus)

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Best Bars in Puerto Banus

Best Bars in Puerto Banus
For hotties & beautiful people
Sinatras Bar in Puerto Banus - small bar, gud funky music
2 bars either side of Sinatras which are full of our age group - also very gud...
Linkers is a fun bar but younger and is located the street behind Sinatras...a small skinny cobbled stoned street full of bars, mini clubs and pizza take outs etc....parisien feel to this street actually!
Glam is the name of a good nite club, its big with a price tag of 20euros admission (includes 1 drink), at main Roundabout beside taxi rank - open til 6am
Olivia Valiere is my favourite night club- bit like American spirit however its 60euros admission and 20 euros for 1 vodka & coke is an expensive night out - unsure of your budget?
Do note its expensive to sit beside dance floor- most expensive drink - 16,000 euros for a fine bottle of champers
Dreamers is a gud spot
Dont go to Scream-bad night club with awful house music- rip off, tiny, pokey room called a club more of a drug fest, vile place wit odd vile people!

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case regarded by many as the most significant of its kind in Spanish legal history

THE massive sum of 600,000 euros has been demanded in return for the temporary freedom of Fernando del Valle in the Marbella money-laundering case which occurred last March. The family of the Chilean-born lawyer, accused of being the mastermind behind the 250 million euro fraud, are now attempting to secure the bond which will lead to his release from the prison in Albolote, Granada. His lawyer, Javier Núñez, admitted that it would not be easy raising the money, a previous attempt to win bail through presentation of his assets having been rejected. In a case regarded by many as the most significant of its kind in Spanish legal history, 50 arrests have so far been made, including a large number of multi-national, high-profile individuals, many of whom are lawyers

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List of developments affected by compensations in Marbella area

Playa de Río Verde. 21 inhabitated dwellings in street Carlos Ponsac. Must hand over 26% of it’s land.

Hacienda Los Caballeros. Residential dwellings. Must hand over 30% of its plot of land.

Urb. La Trinidad. 116 inhabitated dwellings. Must contribute 37% of it’s land.

Villa Parra Palomera. 119 inhabitated dwellings. Must contribute 46% of it’s land.

Los Manchones Altos. Detached inhabitated dwellings. Must contribute 37% of its land.

Hotel NH Alanda. Must contribute its own plot of land.

Llanos de Nagüeles. Detached inhabitated dwellings. Must contribute 38% of it’s plot of land.

Cascada de Camoján. 14 inhabitated dwellings. Must contribute 47% of it’s land.

Monte Paraíso. Arroyo Guadalpín. Residential gated complex. Must contribute 51% of its land.

Viña del Marfil. Detached dwellings. Must contribute 33% of its land.

Lomas del Río Verde. Residential buildings. Must contribute 50% of its land.

Hotel Senator. Hotel and residential. Must contribute 50% of its land.

Molding Clinic. Must contribute 50% of its land.

Las Cañas Beach. 186 inhabitated dwellings. Must contribute its own plot of land plus 25.000 m2 of a plot in street Margarita next to the Carolina Park as well as a plot of land next to street Goya.

Las Jacarandas. In Boulevard King Fahd. 104 inhabitated dwellings. Must contribute its own plot of land plus 6.300 m2 from a plot located in street Carlos Ponsac beside the beach.

Conjunto Costa Nagüeles. 798 dwellings, hotel NH Nagüeles and commercial centre. Must contribute it’s own plot of land plus 63.300 m2 of a plot wedged between Camino de Camoján and street Santa Ana.

Los Pinos de Nagüeles. 239 dwellings and a school. Must contribute 27% of its land as well as 63.000 m2 of a plot wedged between Camino de Camoján and street Santa Ana.

Mansion Club. Rocío de Nagüeles next to the Büchinger clinic. 114 dwellings, clinic and social club. Must contribute 28% of its land as well as 23.500 m2 of a plot in Avenue Büchinger.

Cascada de Camoján. 14 occupied dwellings. Must contribute 47% of its land.

Monte Paraíso. Arroyo Guadalpín. Residential gated complex. Must contribute 51% of its land.

Viña del Marfil. Detached dwellings. Must contribute 33% of its land.

Lomas del Río Verde. Residential buildings. Must contribute 50% of its land.

Hotel Senator. Hotel and residential. Must contribute 50% of its land.

Molding Clinic. Must contribute 50% of its land.

Arroyo de las Piedras. Altavista de Marbella. 55 dwellings. Must grant 17.066 m2 of El Batatal.

Sierra Blanca. Commercial centre. Must grant 1.313 m2 of a plot on corner street Wagner with St Rossini and another plot next to St Litz.

Lagos de Sierra Blanca. Must grant 9.261 m2 of a plot on corner street Wagner with St Rossini and another plot next to St Litz.

Büchinger Avenue. Residential complex. Must grant 2.504 m2 of a plot in Büchinger Avenue.

Miramar. Residential complex. Must grant 1.502 m2 of a plot in Büchinger Avenue.

Hotel Guadalpin. Must grant 3.590 m2 of plots in St Velázquez next to the sea as well as another plot in Guadalpins’ riverbed.

María de Salamanca. Residential complex. Must grant 7% of a plot next to the sea opposite Gil’s building which is a commercial centre.



RÍO REAL

Cristo de los Molinos. 6 dwellings. Must grant 23% of its land.

Bellavista Phase 1 and Bellohorizonte Phase II. Residential complex. Must grant 36% of its land.

Lindasol and Bellohorizonte. 300 dwellings. Must grant 2 plots of their own as well as 12.000 m2 of a plot next to the Cristo de los Molinos.

Incosol. 73 dwellings. Must grant 52% of its land.

Río Real Playa. 9 blocks and a restaurant. Will be able to legalize blocks 1 to 4 granting blocks 5 to 9.

Pueblo Río Real Playa. 60 dwellings. Must grant its own plot of land.

La Morena. 45 dwellings. Must grant 58% of its land and 2.800 m2 of a plot opposite Río Real Golf

Los Monteros St Ciervo. 21 dwellings. Must grant a dwelling.

Golf Río Real in Ave. de la Alcudia. Residential complex. Must grant its own plot.

Vista Golf. 24 dwellings. Must grant 50% of its land.

Above Río Real. 56 dwellings. Must grant 6.331 m2 of a plot located in Río Real.

Mansion located in Ave. Balcón. 1 dwelling. Must grant 2.228 m2 of a plot next to Golf Garden.

Las Mimosas in St Cipreses and St Mimosas. 42 dwellings. Must grant 1.922 m2 of a plot in St Buganvilla.

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developments in Marbella, more than 100, affected by town hall compensations due to planning illegalities.MARBELLA AREA

La Concha. 376 inhabitated dwellings. Must contribute to the town hall with 6.645 m2 of a plot of land north of the bull ring with industrial warehouses in use.

Parque Miraflores. 576 inhabitated dwellings. Must contribute over 9.406 m2 of a plot of land north of the bull ring with industrial warehouses in use.

Edificio Belmonsa. 110 inhabitated dwellings. Must contribute 1.774 m2 of a plot of land north of the bull ring with industrial warehouses in use.

Edificio Plaza. 335 inhabitated dwellings. Must contribute it’s own land plus 5.003 m2 of a plot of land north of the bull ring with industrial warehouses in use.

Edificios Puerta Grande. 190 inhabitated dwellings. Must hand over 60% of this land to the town hall plus 13.300 m2 of a plot of land where the McDonald’s in road to Ojén is located as well as a plot of land located close to the bull ring.

Jardines de la Represa. 153 inhabitated dwellings. Must grant 36% of its land plus 13.300 m2 of a plot of land where the McDonald’s in the road to Ojén is located as well as a plot of land located close to the bull ring.

Terrazas de Marina Marbella. 551 inhabitated dwellings. Must contribute 11.930 m2 of banana Beach where 300 families already live.

Plot of land opposite Don Miguel. 221 dwellings under construction. Must hand over 47% of this plot of land.

Urb. La Montua. Various inhabitated dwellings. Must hand over 67% of this plot of land.

Blue Crystal building in Marina Marbella. Inhabitated. Must hand over 78% of this plot of land.

Los Olivos phase V in street José Iturbi. Inhabitated. Must hand over 72% of its plot of land.

La Cañada. Mall. Must hand over 50% of its plot of land.

Mirador de Guadalpín in camino del Pinar. Inhabitated dwelling. Must hand over 47% of it’s plot of land.

Conjunto Valle Azul in Avenue José Manuel Valles. 140 inhabitated dwellings. Must hand over 38% of it’s plot of land.

Urb. La Torecilla. Inhabitated urbanization behind La Cañada mall. Must obtain 20% of it’s land.

Edificio Independencia in Miraflores. 36 inhabitated dwellings. Must obtain 396 m2 from an inhabitated building opposite the Mediterranean building on Marbella’s Paseo Marítimo .

Edificio Parquesol (right across the Marbell Center). 132 inhabitated dwellings. Must obtain 3.269 m2 from the old building where the old post office used to be located in Marbella, from the Radio Nacional building in Marbella centre and from a plot of land north of the bull ring.

Edificio Portillo. 80 inhabitated dwellings. Must obtain 1.035 m2 from the old building where the old post office used to be in, from the Radio Nacional building in Marbella centre and from a plot of land north located in the road to Ojén.

Edificio de Correos (Post office’s new building) located in street Jacinto Benavente. 114 inhabitated dwellings. Must obtain 4.654 m2 from the Siebla petrol station and froma plot of land north of the road to Ojén.

Huerta Belón: 6 inhabitated dwellings. Must obtain 3.576 m2 from a plot in street Hnos Belón Lima.

Buildings in street “Acera de la marina” next to Marbella’s yacht marina (“Puerto Deportivo”). 123 inhabitated dwellings. Must obtain 1.125 m2 from the building where the old Marbella post office used to be, from the Radio Nacional building and from a plot of land located in the road to Ojén.

Edificio Antonio Herrero. 68 inhabitated dwellings. Must obtain 1.487 m2 from the building where the old Marbella post office used to be, from the Radio Nacional building and from a plot of land located in the road to Ojén.

Edificio antiguo Povisa. 48 inhabitated dwellings. Must obtain 3.938 m2 from the Siebla petrol station and from a plot of land north of the road to Ojén.

Urb. Jardines de la Represa in front of the Police Station. 150 inhabitated dwellings. Must obtain 6.491 m2 from Siebla petrol station and from a plot of land north of the road to Ojén.

Industrial warehouses located in the Polígono la Ermita. Must obtain other warehouses from the same polígono.

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tornadoes have been reported out to sea

An English woman thought to be in her thirties died earlier today when she was swept away by a wall of flood water after stepping out of the car she was travelling in. The incident occurred at around midday on the Son Serralta residential estate in Puipunyent on Mallorca. The victim's boyfriend and their baby were rescued uninjured from inside the vehicle.

With torrential rains affecting all the Balearic Islands since last night, the regional government has informed that tornadoes have been reported out to sea. Consequently, orange level alerts have been issued for Mallorca, Ibiza, and Formentera while Menorca is on yellow alert.

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arrested the director of a Gibraltar-based bank

National Police officers have arrested the director of a Gibraltar-based banking agency for his alleged involvement in the Marbella money laundering scam. He is accused of chanelling money into the south of Spain from Russia via Holland. According to a police source, the man, who used to manage a banking office in Marbella, was arrested on the La Alcaidesa residential estate located between Concepción and San Roque, which is one of 251 properties confiscated by police in the first phase of the operation. So far, a total of 48 people have been arrested in the investigation which is code-named "Operation White Whale."

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A British man, Harvey Jeffrey L, arrested last Saturday as part of the "White Whale" money laundering investigation

A British man, Harvey Jeffrey L, arrested last Saturday as part of the "White Whale" money laundering investigation, has been jailed by judge Miguel Angel Torres after an appearance this afternoon at Marbella municipal court. His wife, who was also arrested at the weekend, was allowed to go and no charges were brought against her. Both are suspected of swindling fellow Brits out of hundreds of thousands of euros since setting up a business at the end of 2001, which is being investigated as part of a wider investigation into a money laundering operation thought to be run from the Del Valle law firm based in Marbella.

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dramatic drop in the amount of building going on in the province

Malaga’s Official College of Architects has revealed that there’s been a dramatic drop in the amount of building going on in the province. The College approves the architectural plans for new buildings, so sees first-hand the volume of building work to be undertaken. In the first six months of last year, plans for 25,175 new homes were approved; this year that figure slumped by 34.5% to 16,477. The western end of the province has seen the biggest drop, with house approvals down by over 50%. Apartment building is also affected, with all areas on the eastern Costa del Sol showing a drop in the number of plans approved. In inland Malaga, the number of approved plans is rising.

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561 “illegal” building permits

The Junta de Andalucia announced last Friday that it will take Marbella Town Council to court if it does not revise 561 “illegal” building permits issued under former mayor Jesus Gil and his successors. Earlier last week, the council announced it was going to “wipe the slate clean and start again” and would not revise any more illegal licences. A council spokesman said annulling the urban permits and agreements of the so-called Gil and post-Gil years would result in many claims for compensation that the council would not be able to settle.

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A spokesman said sales had dropped 15% this year because tourists had a lower

The Association of Small and Medium-sized Companies of Marbella and San Pedro Alcantara (Apymem) said it expected that between 115 and 130 businesses will close down this autumn.

A spokesman said sales had dropped 15% this year because tourists had a lower purchasing power than in the past and therefore spent less. He also said the small and medium-sized businesses simply could not compete with the big shopping centres. Apymem has also asked the council to give provisional licences to 800 companies which are located in illegal buildings.

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kidnapping an Englishman

Police arrested a Dutch citizen in Alhaurin de la Torre last week and charged him with kidnapping an Englishman who worked for him as chauffeur. The latter started work on June 19th but was forced to work increasingly longer hours until he was finally forbidden to go anywhere unless accompanied by his employer or one of his sons. The Dutchman also held on to his documents. The Englishman managed to give the family the slip during a visit to Torremolinos at the beginning of this month and made his way to Otura in Granada province, where he contacted the Local Police

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Overcrowding at the Alhaurin de la Torre jail as “scandalous”.

The Comisiones Obreros (CC.OO) trade union has described the overcrowding at the Alhaurin de la Torre jail as “scandalous”. It is the second worst prison in Andalucia, with a population of 1,846, that is, 1,000 more than it was originally built for. Only the jail in Albolote,, Granada province, is more overcrowded, with 1,883 prisoners.

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radars installed in helicopters

Those little devices that warn drivers they are approaching speed radars will soon be made obsolete when the Traffic Authority implements its new method of hunting down speed hogs - by radars installed in helicopters. And Malaga will be one of the first provinces to get the service. The helicopters can nail cars with accuracy from a height of 300 metres and at a distance of one kilometre.

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largest open-air cannabis plantation

The National Police in Seville revealed last week that they had discovered the largest open-air cannabis plantation near the town of Dos Hermanas found in Andalucia to date. The police had been investigating a suspected drug trafficker in the town during the course of which they picked up a South American couple who were acting suspiciously. A search of the couple’s house turned up the address of a finca. When the police visited it, they found what they called a cannabis plantation covering just over 1,000m2 of land.

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Four people died, three of them instantly

Four people died, three of them instantly, when the driver of the car they were travelling in from Madrid to San Pedro Alcántara tried to make an illegal turn on the highway in the early hours of Wednesday morning, just as they were arriving at their destination. The car they were in crashed into a taxi which was travelling in the same direction. A Spanish woman and her daughter, who was driving the car, and the baby of the third woman, a 22-year-old Paraguayan, died in the crash. The latter died a few hours later in hospital. It was the worst crash in Andalucia so far this year.

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massages on the town’s beaches

In a joint operation, the National and Local Police in Marbella arrested 17 Chineses nationals last week for giving massages on the town’s beaches without the necessary licences. Two of them were illegally in the country and are in the process of being expelled. The other 15 have their papers in order and were released without charges. A Town Hall spokesman said the operation formed part of this year’s Beach Safety Plan and warned people they were putting their health at risk when they accepted the services of the beach “masseurs”.

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seven fixed radar are to be installed on the roads of Malaga province by the end of the year

The Central Traffic Authority in Madrid announced last week that another seven fixed radar are to be installed on the roads of Malaga province by the end of the year. There are currently four on the A-7 motorway, two on the A-45 and one on the A-357. The new ones will be installed at “black spots” on secondary roads. Since the system was installed a year ago, average speeds are down from 93 kph to 90.7 for light vehicles, and from 86 kph to 85.4 for the heavier vehicles. Road deaths are also down 20%.

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el camino de los ingleses

Antonio Banderas made a film a few months ago called “El Camino de los Ingleses”, the Englishmen’s road. Many people must have wondered about this “road”, which does exist. It all started when George William Grice-Hutchinson, a London lawyer, bought a finca in the Churriana area in 1926. He was very kind to the local people who worked for him, as a well as those who didn’t. When the Civil War broke out in 1936, Grice-Hutchinson helped 80 people escape the wrath of the Republican militia in Malaga, taking them on his yacht Honey Bee to Gibraltar. After Franco’s troops took the area, Grice-Hutchinson then helped many Republicans to escape. After the war, when the area was ravaged by famine and disease, the Grice-Hutchinson family shared out a considerable sum of money - 12,000 pesetas, which was a fortune in those days - among poor families every month. They also bought an X-ray machine to detect the tuberculosis which was rife in the area at the time. The road all these needy people took to the finca was officially called Paseo de Grice-Hutchinson, but the local people knew it as “el camino de los ingleses”, which eventually became the set for the Banderas film. His daughter Marjorie lived in Malaga until her death four years ago.

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nights out

According to restaurant and bar owners, the first cut made by families affected by higher mortgage interest rates are their nights out. Discotheques and bars report an average drop in sales of 20% in the past eight months. Restaurants report that clients study the prices more closely and tend to opt for the cheaper dishes. Many mortgage payers are foregoing their lunches out and take food to work in what they call “tupper”. One said he and his family hadn’t even visited McDonalds in the past five months. Another said a trip to the cinema was now considered an exciting night out. Malaga’s Catering Industry Association said the number of bars and restaurants in the province was dropping steadily. He said that while tourist areas like the Costa del Sol are particularly vulnerable, the situation is the same throughout the country.

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Beachgoers who smoke can heave a sigh of relief

Beachgoers who smoke can heave a sigh of relief. The Junta de Andalucia announced last week that it would not be banning smoking on the beach, after Health Minister Bernat Soria had said the government was studying the possibility of banning smoking in open spaces such as beaches. However, he said law regional governments and local councils will have the last word. Smoking has already been banned on one beach in Catalonia but no other costal town seems in a hurry to follow that example.

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illegal use of water during the first six months of this year

Of the 589 cases opened by Andalucian Water Agency involving the illegal use of water during the first six months of this year, 251 pertained to Malaga, making the province the leader in water abuse. The cases range from illegal sinking of wells and tapping into the municipal water supply to abandoning old vehicles in streams, using them as rubbish dumps or cementing over them. Fines for irregularities involving water range from 600 to 30,000 euros. The Agency is also reminding users of underground water it is now compulsory to install water metres.

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drug trafficking is a major issue in Cádiz

police figures indicating that 77 per cent of all hashish seized in Spain is confiscated in the province of Andulcia, has called upon the Government to carry out a major campaign against drug trafficking. The provincial government agrees that drug trafficking is a major issue in Cádiz and in Andalucía as a whole, and indicates that it is already utilising multiple resources to combat the problem.

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EU residents in Spain

A new legislation has done away with the requirement of residence cards for EU residents in Spain. European Union citizens will no longer be issued with residence cards.

The new decree was approved on the 16th of February 2007 by the Spanish council of Ministers and will take effect on the 28th of March 2007.

It requires all EU citizens planning to reside in Spain for longer than 3 months to register in person at the Foreigners office in their province of residence or at designated police stations.

They will be issued a certificate stating their name, address, nationality, identity number and date of registration. Those EU citizens who already have residence cards in Spain will not need to re-register until their residence card expires upon which they will be issued with a certificate.



The British Embassy recommends that British citizens in Spain always carry proof of identity; and that recommendation should be applied to all EU residents.

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“The number of people looking to set up a business in Spain is increasing all the time,” his department gets 1,500 enquiries a year. Over the last fiv

Emigration gets easier every day and is, thanks to cheap flights and the internet, not that drastic anymore as it used to be. 320 days a year of sunshine, inviting beaches no more traffic jams and piece of quiet. Jose Morillo, Director of investment at the Spanish embassy stated “The number of people looking to set up a business in Spain is increasing all the time,” his department gets 1,500 enquiries a year. Over the last five years, GDP growth in Spain has been 68% above the European Union average. Setting up a business in Spain is straightforward, but it can be time consuming obtaining the correct forms and licences.



Facts & Figures



“500 Brits leave UK every day. Spain is number one choice in Europe for Brits to live abroad.”



Five hundred Britons are leaving the UK every day to find a new life overseas, according to the Office of National Statistics. In 2006 a record of 410,000 people left Britain to live and work abroad.

Some 75,000 Britons chose to start a new life in Spain in 2006. Out of the 410,000 people who left the country 216,000 were British citizens. In 2001, the figure was 159,000. A large majority of the people leaving the UK said that they intended to stay abroad for more than four years, and over 40% said they were “emigrating” (this is 164,000 emigrants). Almost 30% said they were leaving to look for a job, already have defined jobs or wanted to start their own business (living the dream).

This means in 2006 133,000 Britons looked for a job or started a business in Spain. In 2007 these figures are expected in carry on increasing.

Most reasons for leaving Britain includes, the strict rules in the UK but be aware although the business rules might not be as strict in Spain they are very time consuming. It takes a lot of time and patience to get licences, permits and identification numbers. For people emigrating with children under 18 they will find it easier to fit into the Spanish schools system and society. Spain is the quickest growing economy in Europe (3, 2% a year) is crying out for computer specialists and construction workers

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Brits fleeing the UK

BRITS are leaving the UK in their thousands in search of a better life abroad. Another Brit leaves every three minutes, the Institute for Public Policy Research has estimated. Former immigration control officer Liam Clifford set up globalvisas.com, a visa consultancy firm, 12 years ago. This year, he has seen a 400 per cent increase in enquiries for visas to countries such as Australia and Canada.



He says: “One of the reasons people cite is over-stretched public services in the UK. A lot of the time the trigger is that children are coming up for school age and they are going to be affected by crime and education issues.

“Because of immigration, even rural villages are now overstretched so people can’t just move out of the city any more.

“People don’t want to be seen as racist, but they feel they are not getting the services they require.”

In 2005 the difference between the number of people emigrating and those arriving in the UK was 185,000, the equivalent of adding just over 500 people a day to the UK population. There are now 5.5million expat Britons with the highest concentrations in Australia, Spain, the US, Canada and Ireland. Here we talk to Brits who have left the UK and take a look at the visa requirements for the top five destinations. Are you thinking of emigrating?

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Illegal betting on the Costa del Sol bars uncovered in a National Police operation

Illegal betting on the Costa del Sol bars uncovered in a National Police operation
news date: Monday, April 02, 2007


National Police officers from the eight Andalusian provinces have broken up an illegal betting network which was operating in bars on the Costa del Sol run by British citizens.

Around 30 people are implicated and they could face fines of between 30,000 and 300,000 euros.
Police discovered that illegal betting was taking place in seven bars: four in Benalmadena, two in Fuengirola and one in Torremolinos.

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Malaga and Madrid and Barcelona

AVE high speed train service that will run between Malaga and Madrid and Barcelona. At the beginning of this year the Minister for Development, Magdalena álvarez, announced that the Malaga high speed line would have “the best trains”. Now we can be more precise: the route between Malaga and Madrid will be covered by the S-102 model built by Talgo-Bombardier, more commonly known as “Patos” (Ducks); passengers travelling between the Costa del Sol and Barcelona, on the other hand, will be on the S-103 trains built by Siemens, otherwise known as the “Velaro”.
As from December 23rd the Talgo S-102, capable of reaching speeds of 330 kilometres per hour, will cover the eleven journeys each way between Malaga and Madrid. The journey time will be around two and a half hours and tickets will cost around 70 euros per journey (ten more than the current price). The exact journey time and price will be officially announced at the end of this month.

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Christie’s tells the life story of the Malaga girl turned Indian princess

On offer to the highest bidder will be eight “art deco” pieces, including a diamond and emerald necklace whose estimated value is between 140,000 and 200,000 dollars. The auction house, which will also be selling a grey pearl necklace which belonged to the last queen of France, Marie Antoinette, expects the Maharani’s jewels to fetch more than 400,000 dollars (around 280,000 euros).

Christie’s tells the life story of the Malaga girl turned Indian princess in its publicity for December’s auction. The firm describes the story as so extraordinary “that it could have been written by a novelist”. In fact a number of biographies and novels have already revealed the story of this woman, who is due to be played by Penélope Cruz in the film version of Javier Moro’s novel, “Pasión India”.

Maharani Prem Kaur of Kapurthala’s marriage lasted 18 years, during which time she remained the Maharaja’s favourite. However it all came to a stormy end when, it appears, the princess had an affair with one of her stepsons, Charanjit (the son of the Maharaja and another of his wives).

Any legacy of Anita Delgado’s to have returned to her native Malaga can be found in the Museo de Artes Populares. This includes paintings, photographs and manuscripts. Her jewellery was inherited by the only son she had with the Maharajah, Ajit Singh, who sold them to the current owners.

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60 per cent more Britons now own second homes

The UK’s National Statistics Office issued new figures last week which showed that, compared with five years ago, 60 per cent more Britons now own second homes abroad.In addition, a report from a London firm of analysts says high prices and local corruption is causing Britons to turn away from the Costa del Sol. Richmond Green Marketing presented their findings last Friday at Málaga’s Conference Centre during a session on selling Spanish property in the UK. They called for a marketing campaign to assure potential visitors and purchasers that such problems had to be solved.

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Spanish Northern Rock

Caja de Ahorras del Mediterraneo bank (CAM) has set aside the entire profit of 168 million euros it made from the sale of its share in another property firm, Metrovacesa, putting it into a reserve account instead of banking it as profit. Observers say the move has almost tripled the bank’s reserves and the action has been taken because its directors are anticipating an increase in both business and private loan defaults.
The property developer Llanera, which has 600 employees, declared itself insolvent on Tuesday of last week (see Spain in the UK Press, page 14) leaving six schools and 124 low-cost municipal homes in Valencia unfinished. The Banco de Valencia confirmed that it had granted Llanera 12 million euros of funding and would continue to support the housing project while CAM confirmed it would continue financing another Llanera project in the same region. Like Northern Rock in the UK, Llanera was dependent on the short-term money markets which have had serious problems in recent weeks.

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UK Citizen

who has not been named for legal reasons, who stood accused of murdering a married couple of the same nationality, with whom he lived in Mijas, has been found guilty by the jury.
The slaying took place on March 18, 2005 at the couple’s house in Mijas. The events happened after an argument between the three. First the wife was killed in the home then the husband fled as far as the road where he was stabbed to death. Investigators found 68 stab wounds on his body. The accused man then allegedly set fire to the house, which was completely destroyed, in an attempt to hide evidence. The woman’s body was so badly burned it was only identified after forensic tests.
The Briton is said to have a criminal record in the UK and he has served sentences for these previous crimes. He has denied having murdered the couple, and says he was very good friends with them and refutes ever having had a row with the husband and wife.Now the jury has reached a guilty verdict the man will be sentenced, probably this week. The prosecutor has sought a 28-year prison term, 26 year for the murders and another two for the damage to the house. He will also have to pay compensation to the family of the murdered couple, although the exact amount still has to be decided by the court.

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Campo y Golf de Ronda has announced it will invest over 10 million euros in bringing recycled water to the controversial development.

The treated water will be piped from Ronda’s new water treatment plan to the site at Los Merinos.
During the recent inauguration of the sewage plant, the director of the Andalucía water authority (CMA), Antonio Rodríguez Leal, stated that the treated water could be used for irrigating golf courses. He added that this could solve the municipality’s problem with regard to such developments that had no independent water supplies.
The pipeline from the treatment plant to Los Merinos will run 16 to 20 kilometres, with two or three pumping stations along the way. It will be able to carry around 6,000 cubic metres of treated water a day, which may also be used by other golf courses or urbanisations. The work to lay the pipeline will probably start in the first quarter of next year.

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hotline for anyone in Spain who suffers from domestic violence.

The line, reached by dialling 016, can be used by victims or concerned friends and family members. Not only will the national help-line operate in Spanish and other official state languages but also in English and French.

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SPANISH OFFICIALS

have launched a hotline for anyone in Spain who suffers from domestic violence.
domestic violence hotline to operate in English

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Mayor watches Marbella home demolitions

Mayor watches Marbella home demolitions Ángeles Muñoz, last Wednesday visited a site in Las Chapas where six beachfront homes were in the process of being demolished.

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Connick Jr heads south for Málaga’s 22nd jazz fest

Connick Junior is headed for Málaga. The 40 year old “crooner” will be in the city next month as part of its 22nd International Jazz Festival.

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Poem by Hasan Ali Tokuqin

Love brings sadness all the time
Sex brings self esteem and joy
and longevity to life.
Love is morbid and stressful
Sex is humorus, kinky and easy going.

Sex is something up-beat
Love is plummeting down
Love is larger than life
Sex is life itself.
Sex is like saving money
Love is like spending money.
Love is a game of hide […]

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private club for tolerant couples with interest in groupsex and partner exchange

private club for couples, where only members as well as invited and registered guests, have access. The age of our guests must be over 18 years.
private club for tolerant couples with interest in groupsex and partner exchange. Beginners are sincerely welcome.
Whether you want to enjoy an erotic evening with party disposition, or you want to experience something different or simply to meet other sympathetic couples to spend a lovely evening in a warm, comfortable and elegant atmosphere…
…Everything is possible!
Villa in Marbella is the perfect place for anyone seeking a combination of peace and refined luxury. Nestling amoungst nearly 3000m2 of tropical garden and Palm Trees, this place in the sun invites one stroll, swing, stay and relax for a while.
The villa has 5 beautyful bedrooms. We put a great deal of care in making each room spacial with love to details, so it provides the luxury and comfort expected from a dream holiday.
Our cook presents a unique culinary experience: Span. Gastronomic cuisine and typical mediterranean food, served with a large variety of cava (Spanish Sparkling Wine) in Southern Spain.
In a private ambience, we want to sweeten up your leisure time: Everything is allowed, but nothing is a must!

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Three Britons have been arrested on the Costa del Sol

Three Britons have been arrested on the Costa del Sol for allegedly defrauding European tourists by offering them mortgages and investment plans which in reality did not exist.The man considered to be the head of the group, named by police with the initials J.M.D. was arrested at Málaga airport as he was trying to leave the country with his wife M.D, who has also been arrested.

It’s thought the couple belonged to a group based in Estepona which had been offering ‘attractive conditions’ to investors since 2000 for mortages. The conditions however meant high initial payments. A third person, with the initials M.H. was also arrested in Estepona as part of the operation.

The name used by the group was The Mortgage Group Iberia, a company registered in the Dominican Republic and promised a 98% success rate to find mortgages in 30 days. They used a company called Midas Foundation which supposedly supplied the credit, but never actually made the credit firm, despite charging an initial 650 € for costs and between 1% and 2% of the mortgage in charges, monies which were never returned to the victims.

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Cautionary Tale

CLC called last year. I had won another holiday. Yes I had won in the past, attended the presentation and walked out with my award certificate, but due to work commitments found it difficult to select 3 alternative preferred dates and despite having sent the admin cost on one previos occasion I had not yet benefited from the prize. This time CLc were convincing, they offered a 3yr trial and I gladly paid £3500 for 7 weeks 5* accommodation ( including one free week with hire car thrown in), in the Canries or on the Cost del Sol and a weeks holday at their head office near Fuengerola.

The accommodation at Fengerola was excellent. On our second day we were met for breakfast and underwent a gruelling 7 hour presenmtation by the end of which we had upgraded from or trial holiday to life time membership at a cost of £20,000.

As part of the upgrade I CLC took into account the money already paid, they also offered an oppertunity to buy a repossesion at a discount over the ordinary cost, and we were pursuaded, that the price will only increase, it made good economic sense and once it was paid for we would be quids in.

Having verbally commited to signing up we were told of the annual management and membership fee which for our gold status and 1501 points amounted to approx £800 due in one lump sum each January. After two sleepless nights, which spoiled the entire weeks holiday, reading the small print and the literature provided, I eventually concluded that the the purchase was virtually worthless.

We usually take a two week and a one week holiday each year and have two children that are both in school. On checking the paoints required ourselves we could not manage the same number of holidays each year without borrowing points from the forthcomming year.

The annual charges which come at possibly the most inconvienient time of the year are inflexible and failure to maintain them could result in a breach of contract and you would loose everything you had paid for.

Having paid £20,000, for the 1501 points per annum whow could a £149.00 pa membership fee be justified, on top of which RCI membership costs a further £50 pa plus a charge if you select one of their destinations.

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One in five holidaymakers who claimed on their travel insurance policy last year fraudulently boosted their application

One in five holidaymakers who claimed on their travel insurance policy last year fraudulently boosted their application, according to research from the insurer Direct Line.

One in five holidaymakers who claimed on their travel insurance policy last year fraudulently boosted their application, according to research from the insurer Direct Line.

A lost or smashed camera was the most common false claim made, followed by jewellery, clothing and iPods. More than 10 per cent of the fraud was committed by holidaymakers knowingly inflating a genuine claim, often by as much as £100, Direct Line reported.

While receipts showing proof of purchase are usually requested by insurance companies when a claim is made, many policyholders get round this by pretending to have lost the relevant paperwork.

Figures from the Association of British Insurers show that fraudulent claims cost insurers at least £50m a year. This expense is usually borne by the consumer, in the form of an increase in premiums.

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victims of an alleged property fraud that has rocked the town of Marbella on the Costa del Sol

A short drive from the centre of the glitzy resort of Marbella on the edge of a banana plantation with views over the Mediterranean, the newly built beach front apartment seemed too good an opportunity to miss for Jack and Yvonne Burditt.

The Devonshire couple were looking to invest their life savings on a home to spend their retirement in so they handed over more than €250,000 (£170,000) and moved in right away.

Three years later they are still there but instead of enjoying sunsets from their terrace they are keeping a watchful eye out for the bulldozers they fear will come to demolish their home.

The Burditts are among the many victims of an alleged property fraud that has rocked the town of Marbella on the Costa del Sol and landed more than 50 people including the mayor, councillors, developers, estate agents and lawyers in prison, pending trial for fraud, embezzlement and other charges.


In April the Madrid government took the unprecedented step of dismissing the entire town council after an investigation, dubbed Operation Malaya, claimed that it was embroiled in a network of bribes and corruption, siphoning cash from the huge construction boom of Spain's southern coast.

It is alleged that under the chief of urban planning, Juan Antonio Roca, the town hall accepted bribes for, among other things, granting building permits on land not designated for construction.

It is thought that about 30,000 of the 80,000 Marbella properties built in the past decade have been constructed illegally, and at least 4,500 of these face court decisions on whether they should be demolished or legalised.

Those in most danger of being flattened are buildings constructed too close to the sea or on public parkland such as the Burditts' home at Banana Beach.

''It came as such a shock to us to hear that our building is on what is essentially green belt land and shouldn't be here," said Mrs Burditt, 83, who was assured by a local lawyer that everything was above board when she and her husband made the purchase.

''Our block was listed on the local news as one of those likely to be demolished but we have heard nothing official. It's torture not knowing what is going to happen."

That sentiment is shared by scores of other British investors left in limbo as to the fate of their properties. Christopher Winter, a music producer from Rangeworthy, near Bristol, and his wife have £40,000 invested in a rural property in the hills above Marbella that they had hoped to rent out as a holiday home before reselling at a profit.

''We paid the deposit in March 2003 and were due to take possession last spring but before we paid the final £100,000 we found out that the land was not designated for this type of building and it was therefore illegal," he said.

''The decision we have to make now is do we pay the rest and possibly throw good money after bad in the hope that the building is approved or do we pull out, lose the £40,000 and hope for compensation?"

It is not only foreign purchasers who are suffering. Thousands of locals have also been affected. Antonio Banderas, the Spanish actor, made headlines when it emerged that one of his properties could also face demolition for not having the proper authorisation.

Gwilym Rhys-Jones, an adviser and investigator at the Costa del Sol Action Group, which helps expatriates in the region to fight fraud, estimates that it could cost almost £4.5 billion to compensate those caught up in the swindle. ''That's the minimum figure officials say it will cost them to indemnify innocent parties caught up in Marbella's building scandal," he said.

''It's a nightmare for everyone involved as there is no way the council can afford that.

''As we now know, the town's coffers have been drained by all the embezzlement and Marbella has been left poor."

The true extent of the scandal is not yet known but is thought to run into billions. Initial raids as part of the ongoing Operation Malaya seized large amounts of hidden cash along with 200 fighting bulls, 103 thoroughbred horses, 275 works of art, a helicopter and four Porsches.

According to one local lawyer it was only a matter of time before such things were discovered.

"Of course everyone knew to some extent what was going on but there was so much corruption on all levels that it was impossible to fight it," said Rafael Berdaguer Abogados, a property law expert.

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Nearly a third of all crimes committed in the province of Málaga last year occurred during July, August and September

Nearly a third of all crimes committed in the province of Málaga last year occurred during July, August and September, according to data from Spain's Home Office. As populations boom in Benalmádena (80,000 in winter to 160,000 in summer), Torremolinos (52,000 to 300,000), Marbella (110,000 to 500,000) and Vélez-Málaga (45,000 to 200,000), criminals are attracted to the relatively easy targets posed by tourists in town for a little fun in the sun.

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The notorious Nazi sympathiser, Gerd Honsik,

The notorious Nazi sympathiser, Gerd Honsik, was arrested in Málaga yesterday on an international arrest warrant issued in Austria. Honsik was sentenced to serve eighteen months in jail by a Vienna court in 1992 for repeatedly denying the holocaust and that the Third Reich used gas chambers to exterminate the Jewish people. He never served this sentence after escaping to Spain where he set up home.

The opinions were expressed between 1986 and 1989 in his book 'The Absolution of Hitler', and in the 'Halt' magazine in which he stated that: "there is absolutely no evidence of the existence of gas chambers" and "the chimney of the supposed Auschwitz gas chamber rises just thirty sad centimetres above a one-storey house."

The Spanish High Court turned down an application to extradite Honsik in November 1995 on the grounds that legislation outlawing justifying genocide was not introduced in Spain until May 1995, and does not apply to crimes committed before this date.

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A man was arrested in Torremolinos yesterday after attacking his girlfriend and her 21 year old daughter with an axe.

A man was arrested in Torremolinos yesterday after attacking his girlfriend and her 21 year old daughter with an axe.

The incident occurred at an address in the El Calvario district at around 11.30am.

The elder of the two women sustained serious neck wounds while her daughter is in a critical condition following surgery.

Both women were taken to University Clinic Hospital in Málaga

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timeshare owners

The fraud operators typically telephone timeshare owners telling them that there is a buyer for their weeks who is willing to pay a high price. Many owners are taken in by the scam and agree to sell, at which point they are asked to pay a fee of 1,500 euros to cover the costs of the transaction. Once the money is paid over, the fraudsters are never heard of again and the company closes down and moves on.
The National Police estimate that more than 12 million euros have been lost to the largely British scammers since 2001. From the start of the operation, police have eliminated an astonishing 207 illegal companies carrying out frauds on the Costa del Sol. In one such company, Sr Titos said they found 25 girls making calls to timeshare owners in Great Britain.

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Long-time Spanish resident Monzer al-Kassar

A Syrian businessman wanted in the US on charges of conspiring to provide weapons to Marxist guerillas in Colombia challenged his extradition request Thursday in a Spanish court.

Long-time Spanish resident Monzer al-Kassar has been in jail since he was arrested in June as he arrived at Madrid airport on an internal flight.

New York prosecutors have charged him with conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization, money laundering and conspiracy to acquire an anti-aircraft missile and kill US nationals.

They say rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, wanted to use the weapons he supplied to fight US forces aiding Colombia in its battle against drug traffickers.

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search of fantastic weather, a full range of unusual activities and the unrivaled nightlife to be found in the popular resorts and major cities.

Andalucia is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Spain and it is unsurprising that so many people come here to have fun. Andalucia is growing in popularity as a destination for Stag and Hen parties/weekends. A mere two and a half hours budget flight from the UK, future brides and grooms flock here with their friends in search of fantastic weather, a full range of unusual activities and the unrivaled nightlife to be found in the popular resorts and major cities.

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The hunt is on for a large black panther spotted by a member of the public in a park near the Los Claveles residential estate in La Cala de Mijas at a

The hunt is on for a large black panther spotted by a member of the public in a park near the Los Claveles residential estate in La Cala de Mijas at around 7pm last night.

Since then, three other people have corroborated the sighting.

Suggestions that the animal was a large dog were ruled out after the man, who managed to photograph it on his mobile phone, told how he saw it climb a tree.

Several Guardia Civil environmental officers armed with tranquiliser guns were deployed to hunt down the animal, but the search was called off for safety reasons at nightfall.

A Guardia Civil spokesman said that the animal probably escaped from a private property.

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"In Franco's day, you'd already be dead, you commie poofter."

A corporal who was denied permission to take the regulation fifteen-day leave of absence to marry his transsexual sweetheart was told by his commanding officer, a Spanish Navy captain: "In Franco's day, you'd already be dead, you commie poofter."

The corporal, who is seeking political support for his request for a transfer away from the El Ferrol navy base, was subsequently demoted and subjected to continual bullying.

He is currently off work suffering from depression and is receiving psychological counselling.

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Trawler nets grisly catch

The crew of a fishing vessel based in Carboneras found a badly decomposed corpse in their nets as they were fishing in waters off San José (Níjar, Almería) last Monday lunchtime.

The crew advised the Guardia Civil, who have confirmed that the dead man, who has not yet been identified, was wearing tracksuit bottoms, a blue shirt and a jersey.

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THE N-340 ROAD BETWEEN MÁLAGA CITY AND MARBELLA ACCOUNTS FOR MORE DEATHS THAN ANY OTHER SECTION OF ROAD IN THE PROVINCE OF MÁLAGA.

Between 1989 and 2001, road deaths in Málaga Province have almost halved from 228 to 117, but mortality figures for the first four months of this year are showing a worrying increase.

Last year, Málaga urban roads and ring road accounted for 21 deaths; Marbella counted 21 fatalities. The N-340 between the two towns recorded another nine deaths with Torremolinos (4), Benalmádena (3) and Fuengirola (2). Estepona reported nine road deaths and Manilva two. The area from Málaga to Manilva totalled 62 of the province's 117 road deaths.

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Mr Checa making Torredonjimeno the laughing stock of Spain

In Regina’s bar in the main square of Torredonjimeno on Thursday night, Rafael Sanchez, a farm worker, clutched his glass of beer with white knuckles.

I am not going home. They can’t make me. This town has gone totally silly, he said defiantly.

It was the first night of a new regime in which the town’s mayor, Javier Checa, has banned men from going out on Thursday evenings. All men found out of their houses between 9pm and 2am on a Thursday will be fined five euros.

Mr Checa said the new policy was designed to free women of domestic shackles and to raise people’s awareness of sexual equality, but the scheme has bitterly divided the town. He expects the town’s menfolk to stay at home to look after the children and do the washing up.

In the bars, people muttered darkly about Mr Checa making Torredonjimeno the laughing stock of Spain. I would send men who break the ban to jail if I could, but there is no jail in the town, said Mr Checa.

Steadfastly ignoring the ban, Mr Sanchez said that people did not mind that Mr Checa had declared himself to be a homosexual, But this is going too far, he said, and next he wants to ban television one day a month.

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Timothy O’Toole and James Carabini were arrested in Marbella and Ian Davenport was detained up the coast in Frigiliana, near Nerja.

The tobacco smugglers who made their money in Galicia, in northwest Spain, now realise that there are far more generous profits in handling cocaine shipments from Colombia and have formed alliances with foreign gangs. Spanish police and British customs officers allege that this is precisely what the latest three British detainees were up to. Timothy O’Toole and James Carabini were arrested in Marbella and Ian Davenport was detained up the coast in Frigiliana, near Nerja.

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Richard Monteith, 50, from Whitley Bay, is to plead guilty to murder.

Richard Monteith, 50, from Whitley Bay, is to plead guilty to murder.

Spanish police have charged Monteith and his wife Anne-Marie, with the murder of 63-year-old Diana Dyson, from Sheffield.

But according to Stephen Jakobi, a director of Fair Trials Abroad, Monteith has confessed to the contract killing of Mrs Dyson in the Spanish resort of Torremolinos in March 2002.


Richard Monteith is being held in Spain

Mr Jakobi said Monteith told his Spanish lawyer he had been offered up to £30,000 to carry out the killing.

He said the charity would still act for Monteith's 48-year-old wife as long as she maintained her innocence.

Mr Jakobi said: "Some admissions have been made. The Spanish lawyer said that developments in DNA testing had led to a confession.

"She said what he said was that it was a contract killing and that he was offered a large sum of money to do it."

Mr Jakobi confirmed the amount in question was between 25,000 and 50,000 euros (£16,600 - £33,200).

Tests had shown the DNA of hair found under the victim's fingernails was Mr Monteith's.

'Serious crime'

He is now expected to plead guilty at the forthcoming trial, expected to take place in "a month or two".

But Mr Jakobi said he was worried about the possibility of Mrs Monteith receiving a fair hearing.

He added: "The concern is that there is no money to pay for the legal defence of Mrs Monteith, who still declares her innocence and whose husband still declares her innocence.

"The Spanish legal system is useless for serious crime. Only the young and inexperienced take legal aid cases. The rates are so rotten that serious lawyers don't do it.

"On a murder charge, particularly one where her husband has pleaded guilty, you need a good lawyer."

The couple have been held in prison in Malaga since being charged after Mrs Dyson's body was found in her apartment in Torremolinos on 10 March, 2002.

Detectives believed she was dead for four or five days before she was found.

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