Analysis: Housing market overhang traps Spaniards in debt

Analysis: Housing market overhang traps Spaniards in debt | Reuters: "The bursting of Spain's property bubble has left few winners bar those who have scooped up a bargain at forced auctions of luxury flats in deserted housing estates on the popular coasts.

Most Spaniards have ended up feeling like losers after taking advantage of a mortgage bonanza in the housing market boom that burst in late 2007.

'There is an entire generation of young Spaniards with a millstone round their necks that will have to work their whole life to pay for houses now worth half what they bought them for,' said Enrique Quemada, head of One to One Capital Partners.

Financial markets have kept Spain under intense scrutiny since the much smaller Irish economy -- likewise crippled by a burst housing bubble -- was forced to take an international bailout last year."

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Marbella to establish new land inspection registry

Marbella to establish new land inspection registry: "Marbella Town Hall has taken another step to control building as the PP administration led by Ángeles Muñoz, has established a register of all inspections which will record any possible infringements found.

The register will be open to the public, although you will have to explain your interest to gain access to the data, according to El País. Pablo Moro, the town planning councillor, has said that some data, such as the name of anyone who has made a complaint, will be protected. Moro said the reform would offer ‘greater legal protection’ and would be fully operational by the end of the year."

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Gary Takes Down Bounty Tournament

Gary Takes Down Bounty Tournament: "The Marbella Mob's Gary Collins wins the Sunday Bounty tournament at the Casino Marbella
El domingo, veinticuatro jugadores luchaban por su Bounty en el Mini Bounty Poker.
El carismático Gary Collins, componente del grupo Marbella Mob se proclamaba vencedor del torneo tras elimininar a varios contrincantes y cobrar, además, sus Bounties. Gary, en primera posición cobró 2.140€; Gram. Hugues quedó segundo, con 1.030€ y Carlos Román, tercero, con 520€."

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Marilyn Monroe's dresses on show in Granada

Marilyn Monroe's dresses on show in Granada: "Marilyn Monroe is more alive than ever in Granada thanks to the Retroback International Classic Film Festival which opened on Friday and which continues until April 3.

Along with all the films being shown, two parallel exhibitions show 30 dresses, photographs and 83 other personal objects from Marilyn the legend. The dresses on show were used from the films ‘Gentlemen prefer blonds’, ‘The Seven Year Itch’, ‘How to Marry a Millionaire’ and ‘The Prince and the Showgirl’ and
Retroback poster

include the famous billowing white dress from the street scene with the up-draught.

The exhibitions can be found in the Caja Granada Centro Cultural and the Sala Zaida in the Caja Rural."

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Cyclists to be allowed on (some of) the pavements in Spain

Cyclists to be allowed on (some of) the pavements in Spain: "Following on from the plan announced by the DGT traffic authority to reduce the maximum speed limit in all towns and cities to 30 kms/hour when there is a single lane in each direction, now comes detail on how cyclists are to get greater rights.

The DGT wants to make the pushbike the preferred form of urban transport in Spain and priority is to be given to a reform of the Highway Code, to help pedestrians and cyclists.

Ramón Ledesma, the Deputy Director of Tráfico, commented that ‘The DGT wants to promote the use of the bicycle, not as an alternative transport, but as the preferential, because it is good for mobility and reduces pollution’. Director of Tráfico, Pere Navarro, added that the bike ‘is safe’, noting that in 2009 despite more than two million bike journeys a day, there were only 13 deaths."

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British mountaineer missing in Sierra Nevada avalanche

British mountaineer missing in Sierra Nevada avalanche: "The search for a British mountaineer who was trapped in an avalanche in the Sierra Nevada on Sunday was called off when night fell. Two fellow climbers managed to escape from the avalanche unaided, but the third who is known to be British, but who has not yet been named remains under the snow.

It is known that the 42 year old is a resident of Zafarraya in Granada province.

A full search operation was mounted by the Sereim Mountain Rescue Service of the Guardia Civil, but conditions were said to be too difficult and dangerous to continue after dark.

A helicopter and dog had been searching for the missing man, with seven Sereim members and other volunteers from Protección Civil and the CETURSA company which runs the Sierra Nevada."

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Spanish 'internet nun' kicked out of her convent

Spanish 'internet nun' kicked out of her convent: "A statement from the Archbishop of Toledo has confirmed that the 54 year old nun, María Jesús Galán, better known in Spain as ‘Sor Internet’ because of the friends she has made via Facebook, has been asked to leave the Toledo monastery of Santo Domingo El Real and to enter another. But the statement says that she has said that she now prefers to leave the order where she has spent the last 34 years of her life and where she learned how to use the computer and surf the internet."

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more than fifty and up to one hundred satanic sects in Spain

apparently there are more than fifty and up to one hundred satanic sects in Spain, the most dangerous are Los Adoradores de Seth (‘Seth’s Lovers’) aka Amigos de Lucifer (Lucifer’s Friends). This group is known for its kidnappings, sexual abuses and assassinations."

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Spanish 'Hair' production face fine for onstage smoking

Spanish 'Hair' production face fine for onstage smoking < Spanish news | Expatica Spain: "Health authorities in Spain have threatened to fine the producers of a Spanish adaptation of the rock musical 'Hair' because cast members smoke on stage in violation of a new anti-tobacco law.
Under the new law, which took effect on January 2 and is one of the most strict in Europe, smoking is banned in all enclosed public spaces, including bars, restaurants and night clubs, as well as in children's parks or anywhere on school or hospital grounds.
Health department officials have told the producers of the play, which opened at Barcelona's Teatro Apolo on December 22 just before the new law came into effect, that the smoking scenes violated the legislation and they could be fined up to 10,000 euros ($13,500).
But the play's director, Roger Pena, said the actors are not smoking tobacco, but cigarettes made from basil, mint leaves, dried walnut-tree leaves and other herbs."

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Duncan James - James Sued Over Spanish Apartment Majestic Hills development

Duncan James - James Sued Over Spanish Apartment - Contactmusic News: "British pop singer DUNCAN JAMES has been hit with a lawsuit over allegedly unpaid fees on a luxury home in Spain.
The Blue star is being sued for $35,250 (£23,500) in maintenance charges on a four-bedroom apartment near Marbella on the Costa del Sol, which James purchased in 2006.
He sold it over a year ago, but owners at the Majestic Hills development insists he still owes the sum.
A spokesperson for James says, 'That matter is in the hands of his lawyers, who are working out the exact amount owed which, when agreed, he will duly pay.'"

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Norway and Morocco Bring in bmi

Norway and Morocco Bring in bmi: "Cheap flights UK carrier bmi has announced that it will be offering cheap flights to Morocco and Norway from London Heathrow Airport.

The airline said that from the beginning of April this year it will begin operating cheap flights to Bergen and Stavanger in Norway, as well as cheap flights to Marrakesh. They will also be providing more flights to Casablanca from Heathrow.

Cheap flights to Morocco will be available four times a week, whereas the Norway will occur on a daily basis."

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The website www.islamtimes.org said the king had died of a heart attack

AFP: Saudi minister says King in 'excellent health': "Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah is in 'excellent' health and anxious to return home from convalescing in Morocco following surgery, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said Thursday.
'He's in excellent health, he's undergoing therapy,' the prince said in Morocco.
'The doctors are suggesting a certain amount of therapy and he's doing twice as much as they tell him. ...he is his usual self, assured of what he can do and ready and looking forward to going back to work and going back home.'
Earlier the Saudi embassy in Morocco, where King Abdullah arrived on January 22 after surgery in the United States, strongly denied rumours that the octogenarian monarch had died.
'I can assure that the health of King Abdullah is excellent and gives no cause for any concern,' a senior embassy official told AFP.
The website www.islamtimes.org said the king had died of a heart attack the previous day after a heated telephone debate with US President Barack Obama on the situation in Egypt."

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After lull, job protests resume in Morocco capital

After lull, job protests resume in Morocco capital | Top News | Reuters: "At least 1,000 protesters took to the streets of the Moroccan capital on Thursday to demand public sector jobs after a relative lull following the ousting of neighbour Tunisia's president by a popular uprising.

The protests resumed as the government's February 10 deadline expired for recruiting 4,500 highly-qualified graduates, Youssef Hdidou, who heads one of several groups of unemployed graduates, said.

'In a meeting with authorities on January 24, they asked us for a truce in the daily protests out of consideration for what they said was happening in the region,' Hdidou told Reuters.

Authoritarian Arab leaders are watching carefully for signs of unrest spreading through the region after revolts in Tunisia and Egypt. But Credit rating agencies Standard & Poor's and Fitch have said Morocco is the least likely Maghreb state to be affected by the wave of popular unrest.

Before the protest began, Communication Minister Khalid Naciri said the government was showing 'a lot of willingness' in trying to solve the issue of jobless graduates quickly.

Morocco witnesses at least 21 protests nationwide every day, he said. 'We consider this to be a normal average ... It's an indicator that reassures us,' Naciri told reporters"

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Marbella Magazine rates Isabelle Adjani most beautiful woman in film

Magazine rates Isabelle Adjani most beautiful woman in film |  "French actress Isabelle Adjani has ranked first in a list of the Most Beautiful Women In Film.

The 55-year-old is known for her roles in Queen Margot and Possession. She headed off Brigitte Bardot, Kim Basinger and Monica Bellucci in the list compiled by the Los Angeles Times Magazine.

Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry landed the number five spot thanks to her role as a Bond girl in Die Another Day, closely followed by new mother Penelope Cruz - who gave birth to her first child with Javier Bardem last month -"

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Tom Hanks to present at the Oscars!

Tom Hanks to present at the Oscars! | HollywoodNews.com: "Two-time Academy Award®-winning actor Tom Hanks will present at the 83rd Academy Awards ceremony, telecast producers Bruce Cohen and Don Mischer announced today.

Hanks, who is a governor of the Academy, won consecutive Oscars® in 1993 and 1994 for his leading performances in “Philadelphia” and “Forrest Gump.” He also has been nominated for his leading roles in “Big,” “Saving Private Ryan” and “Cast Away.” Hanks recently lent his voice to the character Woody in the Best Picture nominee “Toy Story 3.” He will be seen next in “Larry Crowne,” on which he also served as director, co-writer and producer. His other film credits include “Charlie Wilson’s War,” “The Da Vinci Code,” “The Terminal,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “Road to Perdition,” “Apollo 13” and “A League of Their Own.”"

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Gary Moore, Thin Lizzy guitarist, found dead in hotel room in Spain

Gary Moore, Thin Lizzy guitarist, found dead in hotel room in Spain: "Rock legend Gary Moore was found dead Sunday in a hotel room in Spain, where he had been vacationing. The Thin Lizzy guitarist was 58.

The rocker was found laying unconscious in the lavish Kempinski hotel on Spain's Costa del Sol by his girlfriend and later pronounced dead, according to several reports.

Considered one of the greatest blues-based rock guitarists of the '70s, an era that also boasted the likes of Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton, Moore joined Thin Lizzy in the mid-1970s and later enjoyed a successful solo career.

'I still can't believe it,' ex-Thin Lizzy guitarist Eric Bell told the Belfast News. 'He was so robust, he wasn't a rock casualty; he was a healthy guy. He was a superb player and a dedicated musician.'

Though an official cause of death had not been released, London's The Sun reported that Moore was a casualty of a rock 'n' roll lifestyle, having choked on his vomit after a drinking binge."

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Bacardi to fight Havana Club ruling in Spain

- Bacardi to fight Havana Club ruling in Spain: "Beverage giant Bacardi said Friday it will fight a Spanish Supreme Court ruling in favor of French rival Pernod Ricard in long-running legal wrangling over the rights to the Havana Club rum brand in Spain.
Bacardi said it was “disappointed” that Spain’s top court on Thursday rejected its claims over the brand “on the legal technicality of a statute of limitations”.

“Bacardi has and will continue to defend its position in the wake of ongoing and inaccurate allegations by Havana Club Holdings surrounding the legitimacy of Bacardi’s rights and ownership of Havana Club rum,” the company said in a statement."

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