Euro Weekly News | Euro Weekly News - News/Costa del Sol

Euro Weekly News | Euro Weekly News - News/Costa del Sol: "BENALMADENA - A MISSING three million euros from land and property agreements in Benalmadena dating back six years is being probed by the Court of Auditors. Lack of control over municipal funds is believed to have led to the discrepancies between the amount earned and invested, with any irregularities discovered potentially seeing those in power at the time having to repay the money."

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Celebrity Cruises says it today is dispatching its newest ship, the Celebrity Eclipse, to Spain to rescue more than 2,000 British vacationers

Celebrity Cruises says it today is dispatching its newest ship, the Celebrity Eclipse, to Spain to rescue more than 2,000 British vacationers stranded by the ash-caused shutdown of flights across Europe. The Miami-based line says it is canceling the first leg of inaugural celebrations for the 2,850-passenger vessel, scheduled to begin Thursday in Southampton, England, so the ship can take part in what is becoming a Continent-wide effort to repatriate thousands of waylaid citizens of various countries to their homes. Celebrity says it is working with U.K. tour operators to arrange the repatriation. Some of the British vacationers the ship will pick up, on package holidays in Spain, have been stuck in the country since last Thursday.

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British Royal Navy ship arrived in the northern Spanish port of Santander to pick up troops and civilians stranded

British Royal Navy ship arrived in the northern Spanish port of Santander to pick up troops and civilians stranded due to the volcanic ash cloud grounding flights across Europe.The HMS Albion will transport over 450 army personnel as well as around 280 civilians to the port of Portsmouth in southern England, the British defence ministry said in a statement.Among the army personnel who boarded the ship were members of a field hospital regiment and a RAF squadron who had completed a tour of duty in Afghanistan.The soldiers were able to reach Spain by plane as it is one of the few European nations not to be significantly affected by the ash cloud.Most of the civilians who boarded the ship were holiday-makers who became trapped because of the closure of British airspace, with priority given to those "with a pressing need to return to Britain", a British embassy spokesman said.Soldiers in fatigues entered the boat alongside families with children wearing colourful backpacks, images broadcast on Spanish television showed.Britain's Sky news channel reported another 400 people had turned up at the port, hoping to get on the ship, but were turned away.The HMS Albion, an amphibious landing ship based at Devonport Naval Base in Plymouth, is expected to arrive at Portsmouth on Wednesday night (local time). It is capable of carrying more than 600 personnel as well as vehicles and combat supplies.

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Fake Gastric Banding Surgery Through Hypnosis - ABC News

Fake Gastric Banding Surgery Through Hypnosis - ABC News: "Lindley, 59, weighed 315 pounds and wanted to lose weight before retiring from her position in a school in Keighley, England. So in July 2009, she traveled to a clinic in Spain. She spent days in 'pre-surgery' counseling talking about her food choices and how gastric banding surgery would leave her stomach no bigger than a golf ball and make it uncomfortable for her to eat more than she needed.
In her final session, Lindley went into the 'operating room' where she smelled antiseptics and heard sounds of the doctors and nurses talking. But rather than go under anesthesia, Lindley had actually already been put under, using hypnosis.
Hours later she walked out of the 'hospital' without a single incision having been made. Lindley didn't actually have -- or want -- gastric bypass surgery, she had hoped the hypnotists at the Elite Clinic in Marbella, Spain could just convince her she had one so her body would not let her eat as much."

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The Associated Press: Spanish court shelves Israeli probe

The Associated Press: Spanish court shelves Israeli probe: "Spain's Supreme Court has upheld a lower court decision to shelve a probe of an Israeli air force bombing that killed a Hamas militant and 14 civilians in Gaza in 2002.
The National Court ruled in June that Spain lacked jurisdiction because Israel was already investigating the attack. The Supreme Court said Tuesday that ruling was correct, rejecting an appeal of it by the Arab Cause Solidarity Committee, a Spanish advocacy organization.
Israel had complained to Spain about the probe, which was begun in 2009 by a National Court investigating magistrate under Spain's practice of universal jurisdiction, based on a complaint by Palestinian relatives of victims of the attack."

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The Canadian Press: Spain's footballers call off strike over unpaid player wages

The Canadian Press: Spain's footballers call off strike over unpaid player wages: "Spain's soccer players' association (AFE) says it has called off a strike over unpaid wages which could have halted matches in the country's top four leagues.
Luis Rubiales, an AFE spokesman, told journalists that enough progress had been made at talks with the Spanish League, the football federation and Spain's Sports Council to enable his organization to call off industrial action.
The pay disputes applied mainly to players in the lower tiers.
The strike could have disrupted 10 matches in the top division's 33rd round, including Real Madrid versus Valencia and Espanyol versus Barcelona."

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Workaholics escaping personal problems - UPI.com

Workaholics escaping personal problems - UPI.com: "About 8 percent of employees devote more than 12 hours per day to their employer to escape from personal problems, researchers in Spain say.
Lead author Mario Del Libano of the Jaume I University in Castellon de la Plana in Spain says spending more than 50 hours per week working could indicate work addiction.
Del Libano and colleagues confirmed the usefulness of Dutch Work Addiction Scale, a new scale for measuring addiction to work.
Work addiction is characterized by extreme work activity with people working outside working hours, at weekends and holidays, inability to delegate, disproportionate involvement with work and focusing on work to the detriment of their lives."

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Two arrested in Spain after fights break out at former mosque

Two arrested in Spain after fights break out at former mosque: "Two men were arrested after clashes between police and tourists who broke a ban on Muslim prayers at a cathedral in Spain which was once a major mosque, the local bishop's office said this week.
Trouble broke out Wednesday when six members of a group of 118 Muslim tourists visiting the cathedral in the southwestern city of Cordoba knelt to pray and were ordered to stop by security guards.
As they refused to stop praying, they were 'invited to continue with their visit or leave the cathedral,' the Cordoba's bishop's office said.
The security guards called in police, who were attacked by the visiting Muslim tourists, it added. Two policemen were injured and two of the Muslim tourists were detained.
'This was a one-time incident that does not represent the genuine Muslim identity as there are many who display attitudes of respect and dialogue with the Catholic Church,' the statement said.
Despite calls by Muslims for rules to loosen, Bishop Demetrio Fernandez Gonzalez recently reiterated a ban on Muslim prayers at the former mosque that turned into a Christian cathedral in the 13th century"

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Seanie won't clear his name - Irish, Business - Independent.ie

Seanie won't clear his name - Irish, Business - Independent.ie: "OVER four out of five of Ireland's top 300 company bosses feel that former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick (above) will not be able to clear his name.
More than 83.5 per cent of respondents felt that the omens were bad for the disgraced banker. Most of the remaining respondents were undecided.
Mr FitzPatrick was arrested and questioned by gardai two weeks ago. He is now believed to be staying near Marbella in the sunny south of Spain.
In last year's poll, more than 88 per cent of respondents indicated that they felt that bankers should face criminal charges over their conduct."

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Spain to invest billions in rail, road projects - BusinessWeek

Spain to invest billions in rail, road projects - BusinessWeek: "Spain said Wednesday it would invest euro17 billion ($23 billion) in a rail and road project over the next two years in an effort to boost its recession-hit economy and create jobs.
Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said 70 percent of the investment would go toward new passenger and freight rail projects, as well as improvements of the existing network. The remaining 30 percent will be dedicated to highway construction and maintenance.
He said the plan would not affect Spain's coffers for the moment as it would be financed initially by the companies contracted with funds from state credit institutions and private banks.
Zapatero said Spain would begin paying the companies back after 2014 by means of a new tax on users once the projects are finalized and functioning.
'This is the most important collaboration between the public and private sector in the history of our country,' said Zapatero."

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Failed EU-U.S. data deal to be revived, U.S. says | Reuters

Failed EU-U.S. data deal to be revived, U.S. says | Reuters: "'There are still issues we have to work through,' Holder told a news conference in Madrid following talks with EU officials.
'I am confident that over a relatively short time, the (data sharing) will be once again active.'
Holder met EU officials in Spain this week to discuss security cooperation with the 27-nation bloc, notably the data agreement rejected by the European Parliament in February because of concerns over citizens' privacy. The United States wants access to information about money transfers in Europe, saying it is crucial in tracking suspected terrorists.
Negotiations on a new agreement between Washington and Brussels could start as soon as this month, pending a green light from EU governments.
Washington was forced to seek an agreement on data sharing with the EU when the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), which tracks money transfers, changed its server infrastructure several months ago.
But any new deal will have to address concerns by EU parliamentarians over privacy safeguards such as the right to complain if citizens feel their data is misused. Deputies also want provisions against sending bulk packages of information instead of data on specific cases.
In a debate over the EU's proposed negotiating framework in the European Parliament this week, lawmakers again demanded more stringent protection.
'The Americans are looking for a needle and we basically send them a haystack,' Sophie in't Veld, a Dutch member of the EU assembly, said."

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Spain unveils measures to boost ailing economy - BusinessWeek

Spain unveils measures to boost ailing economy - BusinessWeek: "Spain's government announced Friday a package of measures aimed at boosting its ailing economy and generating more than 350,000 jobs.
Economy Minister Elena Salgado said the initiatives were intended to help medium to small businesses, especially those operating in the hard-hit construction sector.
'These are measures oriented toward creating employment,' Salgado said at a press conference after the government's weekly cabinet meeting.
The 30 measures were designed 'to continue moving forward with our economic recovery,' Deputy Prime Minister, Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega, said.
Salgado said the fiscal impact of the measures had been included in the budgetary stability proposals the Spanish government had presented to the EU in Brussels in January."

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Mayor of Marbella complains about TV progamme

Mayor of Marbella complains about TV progamme: "The Mayor of Marbella, Ángeles Muñoz, has written a letter of protest against the Telecinco gossip TV programme, ‘La Noria’.
She is angry at the contents of last Tuesday’s programme when the subject was Isabel Pantoya and the Malaya corruption case based in Marbella.
Muñoz says it showed an image of the town which does not correspond to reality, and that the treatment of Marbella was ‘unjust’ over the two hours of the programme."

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First Property Choice makes it Easy to Find Information on Cheap Spanish Property and Marbella Prope

First Property Choice makes it Easy to Find Information on Cheap Spanish Property and Marbella Prope: "latest buzz going around in the real estate market is about the reduced prices of prime properties in Spain. Recession is considered the main reason for the reduction in prices of Spanish properties. Most of the real estate companies have thus started listing their Spanish and Marbella properties at much reduced prices. However the downside of these listings for cheap Spanish property and Marbella property is that they fail to give the correct information to the customers.
First Property Choice is a real estate company which aims to become the first choice of people wanting to sell or buy Marbella property, cheap Spanish property, Calabria property, Turkey property and many other properties. Yes, like any other real estate company First Property Choice also lists cheap Spanish properties and Marbella properties with reduced prices. But unlike other companies it has made sure that customers are able to find the information they are looking for regarding the property they wish to invest in."

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The Latest in Luxury Resort & Real Estate News - Real Estate Channel Global News Center

The Latest in Luxury Resort & Real Estate News - Real Estate Channel Global News Center: "Group Metro, the Dominican Republic's leading real estate and transportation company, together with their partner Frank Pimentel of Cotuicar announced March 29 the grand opening of its newest beachfront development: Marbella.

This luxurious development, which includes both residential and hotel units, is located in Juan Dolio beach. For this special event, Group Metro hosted an exclusive event on the beach in front of the stunning new residential property. Among those who attended were the country's most elite figures including the President Leonel Fernandez, Minister of Tourism Francisco Javier Garcia and others.

'After three years in development, we are very pleased to announce the grand opening of Marbella,' exclaims Dr. Luis Jose Asilis, chief executive of Group Metro. 'It is always such a great feeling of accomplishment when a vision becomes a reality. Today, we are overjoyed to finally welcome all the new residents and guest to Marbella who will enjoy it for years to come.'"

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Britons return to sun, sea, sand and Spain - Times Online

Britons return to sun, sea, sand and Spain - Times Online: "They became a symbol of the global housing market crash, unsold, half-built, lining the Mediterranean like skeletal relics of a bygone, more prosperous age.
But villas and apartments on the Spanish Costas are suddenly hot property again as Britain’s second-home buyers rediscover the attractions of life in southern Spain.
Fresh from a chilly, dismal winter, drawn by falling prices and apparently undaunted by the low sterling-euro exchange rate, a new generation of would-be buyers has descended on Spain, according to the Spanish division of Taylor Wimpey.
Typical holiday home buyers are no longer “stereotype retirees”, the UK’s biggest housebuilder said. Instead, executives with families who spend an average of 60 days a year in Spain have emerged as the dominant British buyers in a region that enjoyed huge popularity during the credit-fuelled boom years."

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SPAIN rampant piracy and legal commercial P2P has put the country on the verge of “no longer being a viable home entertainment market.”

Sony boss Michael Lynton complains that rampant piracy and legal commercial P2P has put the country on the verge of “no longer being a viable home entertainment market.”
According to Michael Lynton, chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, piracy is so rampant in Spain that Hollywood studios are considering discontinuing the sale of DVDs there altogether.“People are downloading movies in such large quantities that Spain is on the brink of no longer being a viable home entertainment market for us,” he told the LA Times. In the last few years illegal movie downloads have soared from 132 million to 350 million while DVD sales have declined by some 30%. This means Hollywood could soon find itself in a situation like South Korea where they simply gave up and left.“It is very sad and very shameful for Spain that we should reach the stage where companies are thinking of leaving,” said Octavio Dapena of the Spanish film rights association Egeda. “I hope it doesn’t happen and that Spain reacts in time.”Spain faces the rare juxtaposition where the courts there have ruled on numerous occasions that individual file-sharing is legal so long as there is “no talk of money or any other compensation beyond the sharing of material available among various users.”To do what it can to prevent people from profiting from copyright infringement the govt recently passed legislation that will allow a judge with the National Audience, the country’s federal court, to close or block websites accused of facilitating copyright infringement within 4 days as compared to the current year-long process.The real problem in all of this is that studios bosses like Lynton don’t seem capable of monetizing the future of content distribution. Lynton, if you recall, is the same person who said last year that he “doesn’t see anything good having come from the Internet” so it’s not surprising that he hasn’t developed a way to formulate an effective online distribution model to compete with illegal alternatives like file-sharing and streaming.In fact, he said he’s “worried” about the spread of faster broadband connections, even in the US.The only words of wisdom seem to come from an unlikely source, Bob Pisano, the MPAA’s interim chief executive.“We need to get a handle on it (piracy) if we don’t want to end up like the music industry, where their business model didn’t keep pace with the realities of the new marketplace,” he said.Retooling the business model is the key to competing in Spain. All businesses that don’t heed the marketplace will fail unless artificially supported by govt intervention. If Hollywood wants to maintain a viable home entertainment market in the country then it ought to focus on giving consumers what they want, which seems to be online content distribution.Delivering a digital product is far cheaper than producing and a physical one, and so it could even afford to drop the price dramatically and make the product more enticing. Spaniards may not be willing to pay $10 for a physical DVD, but surely they’re willing to pay $1 to stream or $2-3 to download it at home or on the go.
I’m no fancy movie boss, but even I could figure this one out.

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