affect expatriates who are used to buying drugs in Spain

The New law, which in some areas has been brought into force early, will affect expatriates who are used to buying drugs in Spain rather than having to face a Spanish speaking doctor. Many doctors in Spain insist on translators who can charge more than a private doctor.

The legislation is to prevent the over use of medicines and health products, guard against inappropriate use, monitor and control given medical prescriptions
It is hoped that greater regulation will create higher quality pharmacists and allow the government to monitor medicines more effectively. The law also provides disease control mechanisms which could cope to restrain outbreaks of avian flu. The law was approved with the help of the disease prevention units of the government with the consent of heath professionals.

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Property Crash

The dive was precipitated last week when Valencian builder Astroc’s shares fell by 62 per cent after planning laws were changed. Since then panic has spread causing the Madrid Bourse (Spain’s Stock Exchange) to topple. Manuel Romera, Director of Madrid’s Institute of Industry said, “I can see a mortgage crisis building. We have a serious property bubble in this country and everyone is in denial; it’s worse than the US”.

Dismay has also set into the banks that have been key investors in the market. The banks have been buoying the market by granting easy access to mortgages and loans. Both Banco Sabadell and BankInter both lost 5 percent of their value on Monday as part of the ongoing nightmare.
Low interest rates that have been repeatedly set by the European banks have provided fuel for a housing boom which has operated in Spain almost free from constraints since the Euro arrived in Spain in 1999. Miguel Fernandez Ordonez, Governor of the Bank of Spain said, “The single monetry policy has meant that excessively loose conditions for our economy have been almost continuous. A less relaxed tone would have been better for our needs.”
The economy of Spain is now so seriously distorted towards the property market that some observers have now predicted an imminent collapse. If this occurs it will have a knock-on effect to the rest of the economy.
Last year alone over 800,000 homes were built in Spain beating the productivity in the housing sector for every other European country; yet the population of Spain still remains below 41 million. There are over 4 million overseas owners of property in Spain.
The boom has been partially created from within Spain with many Spaniards hurrying to jump on the property investment ladder. Many Spaniards own more than three houses and remain ‘sitting’ until a buyer can be found. This has fuelled demand for new housing for a younger generation of would-be investors. With few restrictions in planning and national capital growth little thought has been put into the lack of available end buyers at the top of the pyramid. Homes now owned by investors are now seen as a long term option.
Murcia, with presently one of the highest rates of new development may be one of the hardest hit by the recession as a glut of unwanted property comes on the market.
Bernard Connelly, Global Strategist for Banque AIG and former head of economic research for the European Commission said, “Spain is going to face the very direst of economic circumstances: a cycle of recession, deflation and widespread private sector default – a depression in fact.

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Dozens of stars from the worlds of sport, music and TV

Dozens of stars from the worlds of sport, music and TV are choosing the elegant Spanish resort as their number one holiday choice.

And many have dabbled in the booming Andalucian property market and bought second homes there.

Marbella and nearby Puerto Banus are favourites with the rich and famous because they boast fine restaurants, exclusive bars and shops full of designer clothes.

David and Victoria Beckham chose the resort's exclusive five-star Marbella Club hotel for a relaxing break when Posh was pregnant with Brooklyn.

And more recently comedian Frank ''Foo Foo'' Lamarr and Coronation Street actress Liz Dawn, who plays Vera Duckworth, have both splashed out on luxury apartments. And Liz's old Street pal Beverley Callard, who played Rovers' barmaid Liz McDonald, has moved to Marbella full-time where she owns a sumptuous villa.

Bury-based You've Been Framed presenter Lisa Riley jets out to Marbella four times a year for party holidays with her pals.

Lisa said: ''I love it. People are so used to seeing famous faces in Marbella that you never get any hassle. I wouldn't go anywhere else.''

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MARBELLA TOWN HALL

MARBELLA TOWN HALL has put a reserve of 34,650 euros on the Rolls Royce that Jesus Gil used during his time as mayor. The present mayor of Marbella, Angeles Muñoz, announced last August that the Rolls was to be auctioned as it is no longer in use and is being held by the Local Police.
The decision was made to sell off the vehicle partly because of its value and also because of what it symbolises. The car was valued by a municipal specialist. The Rolls Royce along with the BMW X5 that ex-Mayor Marisol Yague used were sent to auction last year but not sold due to the lack of interest by the public. The Rolls Royce was valued at 45,000 euros and the BMW at 25,514 euros. The Rolls Royce Silver Spur was registered in 1992; it has eight cylinders and 173 horsepower. The luxury vehicle was used on various occasions for official undertakings and gala openings. Gil also enjoyed the use of limousines and horse-drawn carriages during his mayoral tenure.

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Fernando del Valle

Fernando del Valle, the founder of the firm of lawyers in Marbella where he has focused the police investigation linked to the network of money laundering, has been hosting his constitutional right not to testify. El detenido no ha hablado ni ante la Policía, ni ante el juez que decretó el lunes por la noche su ingreso en prisión. The detainee has not spoken either to the Police or to the judge who ruled on Monday evening his detention.

Según fuentes cercanas al caso, Fernando del Valle, ha estado “muy tranquilo y sereno” durante las seis horas que ha permanecido en las dependencias del Juzgado de Instrucción número 5 de Marbella. According to sources close to the case, Fernando Valley, has been "very quiet and calm" during the six hours that has remained on the premises of the magistrate No. 5 in Marbella. El letrado, que desde el lunes por la noche está en prisión incondicional, se ha negado en todo momento a hacer declaraciones. The lawyer, who since Monday night is in prison unconditional, it has consistently refused to make statements.

El juez de Marbella (Málaga) Miguel Ángel Torres decretó en la madrugada del lunes la prisión incondicional para Fernando del Valle Vergara, chileno de 57 años, como presunto "cerebro" de la red de blanqueo de dinero que operaba en la Costa del Sol. The judge in Marbella (Malaga) Miguel Angel Torres ordered in the early hours of Monday unconditional prison for Fernando del Valle Vergara, a Chilean of 57 years, as alleged "mastermind" of the money laundering network operating on the Costa del Sol.

A media mañana del martes, del Valle ha ingresado en la prisión de provincial de Alhaurín de la Torre. At mid-morning on Tuesday, the Valley has entered the provincial prison of Alhaurin de la Torre.

Por el contrario, el juez ha dejado en libertad bajo fianza de 30.000 euros a una secretaria de su bufete, cuya identidad se desconoce. By contrast, the judge has been released on bail of 30,000 euros to a secretary of his law firm, whose identity is unknown.



Nueve de los 49 detenidos ya están en prisión Nine of the 49 detainees were already in jail

Con el ingreso en prisión del abogado Fernando del Valle, el juez Miguel Ángel Torres ha enviado ya a la cárcel a nueve de los 41 detenidos en esta operación, la mayor desarrollada en España contra el blanqueo de dinero. With the detention of lawyer Fernando del Valle, Judge Miguel Angel Torres has already sent to jail for nine of the 41 arrested in this operation, the largest developed in Spain against money laundering. Sin embargo, los arrestados podrían ser diez si se confirma la detención de un ciudadano francés que ha declarado esta madrugada y al que se pudo ver salir de los juzgados en un furgón policial, junto con un marroquí para que se decretó prisión. However, those arrested could be ten if it is confirmed the arrest of a French citizen who has declared this morning and saw that leave courthouse in a police van, along with a Moroccan who was ordered to prison.

El abogado Fernando del Valle, chileno de nacionalidad, de 54 años, se dio de alta en el Colegio de Abogados de Málaga el 10 de enero de 1980 con el número de colegiación 579. The lawyer Fernando del Valle, a Chilean national, 54 years old, was given up for the Bar Association of Malaga on January 10, 1980 with the number of membership 579.

Entre estas actividades ilegales que se podrían haber beneficiado de esta trama constan el tráfico ilícito de drogas, homicidios, tenencia ilícita de armas, prostitución coactiva, secuestros, ajustes de cuentas, estafas internacionales, evasión de impuestos y fraudes bursátiles, entre otras. These illegal activities that could have benefited from this scheme consists illicit drug trafficking, murder, illegal possession of weapons, prostitution coercive kidnappings, the settling of scores, international scam, tax evasion and securities fraud, among others.

Los agentes practicaron 15 detenciones el pasado jueves en ése despacho de letrados, en el corazón financiero de Marbella, mientras otras tres personas fueron arrestadas en la oficina de la misma empresa en el núcleo de población marbellí de San Pedro Alcántara. The players practiced 15 arrests last Thursday of lawyers in this office, in the financial heart of Marbella, while three others were arrested at the office of the same company at the heart of Marbella population of San Pedro Alcantara.

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Allan James Foster, 31

POLICE are appealing to expats and holidaymakers in Spain to help trace a man wanted for murder. Originally from South Shields, Allan James Foster, 31, is known to have spent time in Majorca and the Canary Islands. It is believed he may now be living somewhere on the Costas. Foster, who sometimes uses the name Sean Wilkinson, is 5’8” tall and has a mole on the left side of his face.

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26-year-old British dealer was recently arrested near Marbella with false passports

39 British-organised crime syndicates on the Costa del Sol have been identified as being involved in major drugs supply. A 26-year-old British dealer was recently arrested near Marbella with false passports, eight mobile phones and a British-registered Mitsubishi 4x4.

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links between Ibiza and the Costa del Sol

Soca officers confirmed that they have intensified their scrutiny of the links between Ibiza and the Costa del Sol, from where some of Britain's most wanted drug barons run their empires. Co-operation with Spain's Special Central Unit for Locating Fugitives (UCLF) has recently been stepped up. At least six suspected major British criminals have been arrested in the province of Malaga, including Brian Wright, who is alleged to have smuggled £300m of cocaine into Britain.
Among those understood to be wanted in connection with San Antonio's drug supply is Mickey Green, 62,

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Answer Phone in English

This service is not available in all areas and cannot be used on all telephones to check if you can use this service in your area and with your phone you must first activate the service. Pick up your receiver and press * 10 # replace your receiver. Your answering

machine (if available) should now be activated. To check this pick up your receiver and wait about 5-10 seconds. If the service has been activated you should hear a lady speaking (in Spanish of course) this means that the service is available to you if not ring telefonica on 1004.

TO CHANGE THE LANGUAGE

Pick up the receiver and wait 5-10seconds until the lady stops speaking………………………………………….press the number 1 on your phone

When she stops speaking again ………………….press 4

When she stops speaking again…………………..press 0000

(See * below)
When she stops speaking again ………………….press 1

When she stops speaking again ………………….press

1 for English 2 for French 3 for German

To confirm the chosen language press. ……………Press 1 when she stops speaking

Replace receiver when she finishes talking. To test that you have done all correct just pick up your receiver and wait 5-10 seconds for her to start talking hopefully in chosen language

To de-activate the service pick up the receiver and press #10# to reactivate *10# you can do this as often as you wish.

* Your personal code - this has been installed as 0000 but you can if you wish change this

To pick up messages just lift the receiver and wait for 5-10secs if there are no messages you will be told there are no messages. To hear a message again press 1 press 2 to save the message or 3 to erase the massage. Any problems call telafonica on 1004(free phone) for help and advice.

Telefonica´s free phone number 1004 (English speakers are available)

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mobile phones while driving

16 policemen in Marbella and San Pedro Alcantara will be on the look out for people who use their mobile phones while driving. This forms part of a national campaign which aims at reducing the number of accidents caused by distracted drivers. Talking while driving carries a fine of 150 euros and the loss of three points.

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combat violence in the classroom

the National Police and the Guardia Civil will be making their presence felt in schools around Malaga province in an effort to combat violence in the classroom. They plan to give a series of talks to get the message across that bullying fellow students and attacking teachers will be punished, even though perpetrators are under age. In a recent case, a judge split up a group of three bullies, sending them to different schools in Malaga city. The security forces will also warn students of the dangers posed by the Internet, and be on the look out for drug dealers inside and outside the schools.

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garbage bags full of what she liked most: money

the former wife of ex-mayor Julian Muñoz, has now been jailed. Insiders have stated that ever since Jesus Gil y Gil became mayor of the town, Miss Zaldivar regularly used to receive garbage bags full of what she liked most: money – to the tune of somewhere in the region of seven hundred million Pesetas, or about £3.5 million. As she used to brag about how much these garbage bags were giving her, she has now been placed in jail by Judge Miguel Angel Torres, who is now planning to hear her testimony before taking any further action. All in all, since last March when the investigation first started, some seventy people have been placed in jail as a result of Judge Torres’ investigations. Also arrested under orders from Judge Torres yesterday was Jose Maria Gonzalez de Caldas, the director of the Xativa bullring.

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future of houses already built on land too near the beaches

future of houses already built on land too near the beaches, as has happened, for example, in El Palo, Pedregalejo and La Araña. What is going to happen to these houses?

The document proposes that these areas be planned all over again, and this will be the opportunity to do it in a rational way, taking the environment into account much more than before.

Can the local inhabitants of these areas be sure their houses will not be knocked down?

Owners of houses built on public land need not worry; we are working to find a reasonable solution for all concerned.

We have much the same situation in areas like Banana Beach in Marbella, the El Castillo area in Manilva, a building belonging to the Unicaja banking group in Arroyo de la Miel and the La Rada Hotel in Estepona. What’s going to happen in these cases?

First let me say that all cases have to be looked into one by one, and in many cases we are already working on a solution. There are also cases in which we are considering moving the buildings in question, because they have been badly located in the first place. They do nothing for the surrounding areas they are in, and given the possible effects of climate change in the future, they will become a risk. We should not close our eyes, therefore, to any possibility. We must search for urban planning solutions in areas we have no direct control over, and these solutions must respect the rights of property owners, ensuring that they will not lose their properties and have them in less vulnerable areas.

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Paul Durant had initially told an English tabloid newspaper that he had eaten his victim after hacking up her corpse.

A British citizen accused of killing and quartering his girlfriend three years ago in Calpe, Alicante, admitted yesterday in court that he had murdered her but said he did not get rid of the body.

Paul Durant had initially told an English tabloid newspaper that he had eaten his victim after hacking up her corpse.

This is the first time since 1983 that a person has been put on trial for murder without a corpse being found.

Paul D. told the judge in Alicante that in February 2004 he killed Karen Durell, a 41-year-old British mother of two who had moved to the resort of Calpe a few months earlier. But he said that after the murder, he left the body "in its place."


The accused, who had fled Britain after being sentenced to a 20-year prison term for theft, admitted that he tried to withdraw money with the victim's credit card, and that he entered a home belonging to one of her friends.

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Janette May Grocutt, was stabbed to death last Friday by a gang of burglars

A 74 year old British woman, identified by the Foreign Office as Janette May Grocutt, was stabbed to death last Friday by a gang of burglars during a break-in at the home she shared with her bed-ridden husband, Douglas, who was not attacked, but who is now being treated in hospital for stress.

The results of the autopsy will confirm suspicions that Mrs Grocutt was killed when she bravely tried to fight off the gang.

It seems that the couple moved to Spain from Cornwall around six years ago, and ran a campsite.

Mrs Grucott's body was found by a close friend of the family last Friday evening at the couple's home, which is located on a small independent plot surrounded by a metal fence in the village of Paredón, close to the town of Pinoso (pop. approx. 7,350), which, in turn, is located in the Medio Vinalopó borough of Alicante province.

No arrests have yet been made, but police believe that the attack may have been perpetrated by a gang blamed for a number of similar recent attacks in the area, who appear to be targeting expat residents.

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Puente Romano and the Marbella Club

The Marbella judge responsible for the Hidalgo money laundering case, Manuel Martín Hernández-Carrillo, has interviewed another five suspects, among them two directors of Marbella’s main hotel group. They are all accused of money laundering and tax fraud, pointed out court sources at the end of last week.
Among the five who appeared before the judge last week were the finance director of the group that owns both the Puente Romano and the Marbella Club, the manager of one of these two hotels, a tax consultant connected with the group and a former public notary, explained the same sources. The fifth new Hidalgo suspect is the lawyer Juan Germán Hoffmann, who also faces charges in the Malaya corruption case. Hoffmann, the son of the founder of the Marbella German school of the same name, apparently has links with some of the foreign connections that allegedly laundered money through the Cruz Conde law firm, at the centre of the Hidalgo investigation.

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several concrete blocks chained to his feet.

The body of a 34 year old man, who was reported missing ten days ago, was found last Sunday lunchtime by a fisherman at the bottom of the River Júcar with several concrete blocks chained to his feet.

The victim, who was from Cullera, but worked in a meat processing factory in Torrent, was found in an inaccessible spot located roughly halfway between Cullera and Sueca, known locally as 'L'Astut'.

Attempts to contact the victim by mobile phone immediately following his disappearance were unsuccessful, and his car was subsequently found parked in the nearby town of Sollana.

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30,000 illegally constructed homes in Marbella

The ex Prime Minister, José María Aznar, is now known to have purchased an attic in an illegally built urbanisation in Marbella in 2005. The building, Hoyo 15 in Guadalmina Baja, goes against the 1986 Urban Plan, and is part of an estimated 30,000 illegally constructed homes in Marbella.

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Julián Muñoz deposited a €50,000 euros bail payment

Julián Muñoz deposited a €50,000 euros bail payment pertaining to charges arising from a money-laundering investigation unrelated to the 'Malaya' investigation into property development-related corruption, at Marbella court this morning.

On the 21st September, Muñoz's lawyers posted a first bail payment of €50,000 euros pertaining to the 'Malaya' case itself, but their client will remain behind bars for the forseeable future as Muñoz is currently serving two consecutive 12 month sentences having already been convicted as part of the 'Proinsa' and 'Moansa' urban fraud and corruption investigations.

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Europe's wunderkind

In the late 1980s, Spain had become Europe's wunderkind: its foreign investment ballooned, its 4% cumulative annual growth was the Continent's highest and, with the help of European Community subsidies, it built $30 billion worth of highways and other public works. No longer did Spaniards have to emigrate north for jobs: their income rose to 79% of the E.C. median. Culturally, Spain became fashionable: the campy fantasies of filmmaker Pedro Almodovar; the sunswept abstractions of painter Miguel Barcelo; the postmodern extravaganzas of architect Ricardo Bofill; the prankish sexiness of fashion designer Sybilla. Madrid promoted itself as the eye of a creative tornado known as la movida, whirling all night long. Novelist Camilo Jose Cela won the 1989 Nobel Prize for Literature. "In the 1960s, we felt like second-class Europeans," says Juan Sanchez-Cuenca, director of the U.S.-affiliated advertising firm Bozell Espana. "In the 1980s we felt proud to be Spanish."

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