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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.

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30 Apr 2012

14 people arrested for fraud

National Police in Marbella have arrested 14 people for allegedly defrauding elderly, usually foreign, living alone. Among those arrested are employees, managers and owners of six companies involved in maintenance and repair of domestic premises. The investigation was initiated following complaints from several users who informed the police of what they considered irregular practices by some employees of companies that install gas. According to the Provincial Police said yesterday, those arrested allegedly visited the homes of the victims and getting them to give their consent for unnecessary repairs or untimely made. To achieve its purpose, the detainees would have used different strategies coercive, the most common strike fear their customers with a possible accident. Apparently, they came to say that without conducting the inspection, it could explode the kitchen. Police stressed that not hesitate to threaten to cut precintarles or supply to convince them. Charged gas technicians arrived to charge for their work up to three times the usual price, according to the police statement. Those affected include the owner of a restaurant that, according to police sources, grossed an estimated $ 500.

25 Apr 2012

Sergio Garcia, who has won the last two events he has played in Spain, will play in the Sergio Garcia, who has won the last two events he has played in Spain, will play in the Volvo World Match Play

Sergio Garcia, who has won the last two events he has played in Spain, will play in the Volvo World Match Play  in Marbella between 17 and 20 May.

The 31-year-old said: "It is tough to qualify for such an elite field, so I am delighted."

Other members of the 24-man field confirmed yesterday included the 2010 US Open champion, Graeme McDowell, and the 2011 Masters champion, Charl Schwartzel. The world's top two, Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald, will not play this year.

Lee Westwood has followed Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald in deciding not to play next month's Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain

The world's top three all competed at Finca Cortesin near Marbella last May, but with Masters champion Bubba Watson and fellow American Hunter Mahan likely absentees as well, the highest-ranked player in the 24-man field looks set to be German Martin Kaymer. Like McIlroy, Westwood is back as a member of the PGA Tour this season and that has led to a number of changes in his schedule. He is not defending the Ballantine's Championship in South Korea this week, instead taking a week off before returning to the United States for the Wells Fargo Championship and Players Championship. The 39-year-old world number three won the World Match Play at Wentworth in 2000, but went out at the last 16 stage to eventual winner Ian Poulter a year ago. McIlroy was beaten at the same stage by Graeme McDowell while Donald reached the final, but the trio have all dropped the event so that they are fresher for the following week's BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and for the build-up to the US Open in San Francisco in June. The 22-year-old Ulsterman has also decided not to play the Nordea Masters in Sweden the week before he defends his major title. First prize at the Match Play is over £700,000 and those who exit at the group stage still walk away with more than £60,000.

the poker room of Casino of Marbella hosted many poker professionals to compete for the title of this Spanish stage of the WPT

It's the southern of Spain, on the Coste del Sol that the World Poker Tour National Series visited. Since Friday, April 20, 2012, the poker room of Casino of Marbella hosted many poker professionals to compete for the title of this Spanish stage of the WPT. In total, the € 1,650 main event drew 377 participants generating a prize pool of € 547,000, a sum that will tie between the 36 best players of the game. As a reminder, the re-entry system was also proposed in this competition. Following the first two qualifying days, 184 players were allowed to return for the Day 2. And when this second day of competition came to close, there were only 48 survivors for the Day 3. 



The British player Pete Linton was awarded the position of chip leader after having accumulated 658,000 chips. Kelle Daniel holds a stack of 423,500 and Jose Carlos Lopez Manas with 295,000 chips in hands follow him close behind. Note that French players were also present in large numbers at this event. Unfortunately, it remains only two qualified players until here, who are David Hoarau and Anthony Lemonnier, to defend France on gaming tables at the third day. The bubble will certainly burst on Day 3 which begins on Monday from 2:00 pm. It's an interesting event because the champion will walk away with a handsome sum of € 150,000 while the runner-up will pocket the second prize of € 82,000.

no carbs before Marbs

The glam reality TV star has been in the press today saying that she was “obsessed” with her size last year – she talked to STV about the infamous “no carbs before Marbs” diet.

Maria appeared in STV’s online series Ma Way last month, and talked about “no carbs before Marbs”, which became a The Only Way is Essex catchphrase when the show’s stars ditched any carbohydrates in the run-up to a sun-soaked holiday in Marbella.

So did it all go according to plan? As you can see in the video above, Maria told our showbiz reporter Laura Boyd: “No carbs, no veg, no sugar, no salt, no fat.

Maria Fowler exclusive: TOWIE star tells STV about ‘no carbs before Marbs’ obsession

“Chicken, prawns, eggs, low-fat cottage cheese, diet coke, tea with no skimmed milk, no sugar, and water.”

Was the extreme diet fun? Maria shook her head, though added: “It was fun on the beach, like ‘Yeah, look at how skinny I am!’ But you go to Marbella, you have one thing and it all goes back on! It’s not good.”

The star has this month confessed to Closer magazine about her eating habits around that period: “I’m not saying I had an eating disorder, but I was definitely obsessed with my size. The more people told me I’d lost weight, the more I carried on.”

Thankfully Maria is feeling way more confident nowadays, with St Johnstone footballer boyfriend Lee Croft constantly telling her how confident she looks – and we also think she looks fab!

And as it that isn’t enough, it looks like the Perth-based pair might be looking to start a family soon. Maria admitted: “We talk about having a family a lot – and I know that when you’re too skinny it’s hard to fall pregnant.”

World Poker Tour has events winding down in Florida and Marbella

Bertrand Grospellier

Major poker tournaments have been popping up all over world of late. The European Poker Tour has made its way from Berlin to Monaco, the World Poker Tour has events winding down in Florida and Marbella, and the World Series of Poker Circuit is going strong in St. Louis. Meanwhile, a Black Friday informant has been spotted strolling the streets of the Big Apple. We'll bring you that story and more in this edition of the Nightly Turbo.




Tennis star Hantuchova relaxes on Marbella beach

WOMEN’S tennis fans may well have spotted the world number 20 relaxing on the beach in Marbella yesterday afternoon. Daniela Hantuchova, fresh from securing Slovak Republic’s place in the Fed Cup’s top group in a gruelling play-off against Spaniard Lourdes Dominguez-Lino, went to wind down by the sea. The Slovaks fought hard throughout the two-day play-off at the Puento Romano Tennis Club, with the countries finishing 1-1 after Saturday’s matches. But with the help of teammate world number 17 Dominika Cibulkova, the Slovaks eventually outdid a Spanish team led by four-time Grand Slam winner Aranxta Sanchez-Vicario. “They are both relaxing now,” said the Slovak team manager after the match. “Dominika is with her mum and Daniela has gone to the beach.” “It means so much to be back in the World Group,” said Hantuchova after her triumph. “I came to Spain 10 years ago and we won the whole thing. “Leaving the country again with another win makes it very special.”

Reopen Madeleine case, police urge

Scotland Yard has urged Portuguese authorities to reopen the search for Madeleine McCann as detectives said there are 195 potential leads to finding her alive. The detective leading the Metropolitan Police review said the case can still be solved before officers released a picture of what she might now look like as a nine-year-old. Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood said he believes her disappearance was a stranger abduction, as he said there are 195 "investigative opportunities". Police refused to say what evidence they had uncovered to suggest Madeleine is alive. Mr Redwood confirmed that his team of more than 30 officers involved in the case had been out to Portugal seven times, including a visit to the family's holiday flat in Praia da Luz. It will be five years ago next week since the three-year-old went missing as her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, dined with friends nearby. A spokesman for the McCanns said the family was pleased with the image. Mr Redwood said his 37 officers had dealt with 40,000 pieces of information but the "primacy still sits in Portugal" in the attempt to find her. Commander Simon Foy said: "Most significantly, the message we want to bring to you is that, on the evidence, there is a possibility that she is alive and we desperately need your help today to appeal directly to the public for information to support our investigation." Mr Redwood said "evidence that she is alive stems from the forensic view of the timeline" that there was the opportunity for her to be taken. Investigations show "there do appear to be gaps", he added. Detectives in Portugal are also understood to want the case reopened but must gain judicial approval via the courts.

Insecure websites to be named and shamed after checks

Companies that do not do enough to keep their websites secure are to be named and shamed to help improve security. The list of good and bad sites will be published regularly by the non-profit Trustworthy Internet Movement (TIM). A survey carried out to launch the group found that more than 52% of sites tested were using versions of security protocols known to be compromised. The group will test websites to see how well they have implemented basic security software. Security fundamentals The group has been set up by security experts and entrepreneurs frustrated by the slow pace of improvements in online safety. "We want to stimulate some initiatives and get something done," said TIM's founder Philippe Courtot, serial entrepreneur and chief executive of security firm Qualys. He has bankrolled the group with his own money. TIM has initially focused on a widely used technology known as the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). Experts recruited to help with the initiative include SSL's inventor Dr Taher Elgamal; "white hat" hacker Moxie Marlinspike who has written extensively about attacking the protocol; and Michael Barrett, chief security officer at Paypal. Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote Everyone is now going to be able to see who has a good grade and who has a bad grade” Philippe Courtot Many websites use SSL to encrypt communications between them and their users. It is used to protect credit card numbers and other valuable data as it travels across the web. "SSL is one of the fundamental parts of the internet," said Mr Courtot. "It's what makes it trustworthy and right now it's not as secure as you think." Compromised certificates TIM plans a two-pronged attack on SSL. The first part would be to run automated tools against websites to test how well they had implemented SSL, said Mr Courtot. "We'll be making it public," he added. "Everyone is now going to be able to see who has a good grade and who has a bad grade." Early tests suggest that about 52% of sites checked ran a version of SSL known to be compromised. Companies who have done a bad job will be encouraged to improve and upgrade their implementations so it gets safer to use those sites. The second part of the initiative concerns the running of the bodies, known as certificate authorities, which guarantee that a website is what it claims to be. TIM said it would work with governments, industry bodies and companies to check that CAs are well run and had not been compromised. "It's a much more complex problem," said Mr Courtot. In 2011, two certificate authorities, DigiNotar and GlobalSign were found to have been compromised. In some cases this meant attackers eavesdropped on what should have been a secure communications channel. Steve Durbin, global vice president of the Information Security Forum which represents security specialists working in large corporations, said many of its members took responsibility for making sure sites were secure. "You cannot just say 'buyer beware'," he said. "That's not good enough anymore. They have a real a duty of care." He said corporations were also increasingly conscious of their reputation for providing safe and secure services to customers. Data breaches, hack attacks and poor security were all likely to hit share prices and could mean they lose customers, he noted.

Anti-depressants likely do more harm than good, study suggests

Commonly prescribed anti-depressants appear to be doing patients more harm than good, say researchers who have published a paper examining the impact of the medications on the entire body. See Also: Health & Medicine Pharmacology Birth Defects Mental Health Research Mind & Brain Depression Disorders and Syndromes Psychiatry Reference COX-2 inhibitor Psychoactive drug Seasonal affective disorder Anti-obesity drug "We need to be much more cautious about the widespread use of these drugs," says Paul Andrews, an evolutionary biologist at McMaster University and lead author of the article, published recently in the online journal Frontiers in Psychology. "It's important because millions of people are prescribed anti-depressants each year, and the conventional wisdom about these drugs is that they're safe and effective." Andrews and his colleagues examined previous patient studies into the effects of anti-depressants and determined that the benefits of most anti-depressants, even taken at their best, compare poorly to the risks, which include premature death in elderly patients. Anti-depressants are designed to relieve the symptoms of depression by increasing the levels of serotonin in the brain, where it regulates mood. The vast majority of serotonin that the body produces, though, is used for other purposes, including digestion, forming blood clots at wound sites, reproduction and development. What the researchers found is that anti-depressants have negative health effects on all processes normally regulated by serotonin. The findings include these elevated risks: developmental problems in infants problems with sexual stimulation and function and sperm development in adults digestive problems such as diarrhea, constipation, indigestion and bloating abnormal bleeding and stroke in the elderly The authors reviewed three recent studies showing that elderly anti-depressant users are more likely to die than non-users, even after taking other important variables into account. The higher death rates indicate that the overall effect of these drugs on the body is more harmful than beneficial. "Serotonin is an ancient chemical. It's intimately regulating many different processes, and when you interfere with these things you can expect, from an evolutionary perspective, that it's going to cause some harm," Andrews says. Millions of people are prescribed anti-depressants every year, and while the conclusions may seem surprising, Andrews says much of the evidence has long been apparent and available. "The thing that's been missing in the debates about anti-depressants is an overall assessment of all these negative effects relative to their potential beneficial effects," he says. "Most of this evidence has been out there for years and nobody has been looking at this basic issue." In previous research, Andrews and his colleagues had questioned the effectiveness of anti-depressants even for their prescribed function, finding that patients were more likely to suffer relapse after going off their medications as their brains worked to re-establish equilibrium. With even the intended function of anti-depressants in question, Andrews says it is important to look critically at their continuing use. "It could change the way we think about such major pharmaceutical drugs," he says. "You've got a minimal benefit, a laundry list of negative effects -- some small, some rare and some not so rare. The issue is: does the list of negative effects outweigh the minimal benefit?"

Madeleine McCann, the British girl who went missing while on holiday in Portugal half a decade ago, could still be alive, Scotland Yard said on Wednesday.

Madeleine McCann as she might look aged 9
Madeleine McCann as she might look aged 9  Photo: Teri Blythe

Detectives released a new “age progression” image of the toddler, which they said showed what she would look like today at the age of nine.

On Wednesday, Britain’s biggest police force said that as a result of evidence uncovered during a review “they now believe there is a possibility Madeleine is still alive”.

Officers have so far identified nearly 200 new items for investigation within historic material and are also “developing what they believe to be genuinely new material”.

Scotland Yard urged Portuguese authorities to reopen the search for her amid the new "investigative opportunities".

Police said the image, created ahead of what would have been her ninth birthday on May 12, had been created in “close collaboration with the family”.

Dengue Fever Asian Mosquito Could Invade UK

Asian Tiger Mosquito

The mosquito can carry dengue and chikungunya viruses

 

A mosquito that spreads tropical diseases including dengue fever may be poised to invade the UK because of climate change.

The Asian tiger mosquito has already been reported in France and Belgium and could be migrating north as winters become warmer and wetter.

Scientists have urged "wide surveillance" for the biting insect across countries of central and northern Europe, including the UK.

The mosquito can carry dengue and chikungunya viruses, both of which cause high fevers. The infections usually occur in tropical regions of Africa, Asia and South America.

Scientists led by Dr Samantha Martin, from the University of Liverpool, used climate models to predict how changing conditions might affect Asian tiger mosquito distribution.

They wrote in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface: "Mosquito climate suitability has significantly increased over the southern UK, northern France, the Benelux, parts of Germany, Italy, Sicily and the Balkan countries."

The research shows that parts of the UK could become hot-spots of Asian tiger mosquito activity between 2030 and 2050.

The mosquito has been introduced into Europe from Asia via goods shipments, mainly used tyres and bamboo.

Climate change is now shifting conditions suitable for the insect from southern Europe to central north-western areas.

The mosquito could survive in water butts and vases, and may find winter protection in greenhouses, said the researchers.

24 Apr 2012

Police smash people trafficking gang who smuggled Iranians into Britain for £16,300 each

Police have smashed a gang of people traffickers who sneaked Iranian families into Britain using false passports. The criminals charged each adult £16,300 for passage into the UK via Turkey, Greece and Spain. Twenty-two people including the alleged head of the gang have been arrested in an operation involving the UK Border Agency and Spain's National Police. The Iranians were smuggled into the EU through the border between Turkey and Greece, hidden in luggage compartments on buses or in freight lorries. The gang, who referred to the migrants as 'animals', 'herds' or 'sheep', offered discounts for minors and babies were smuggled for free, Spanish police said. All those making the journey to the UK were first taken to the Canary Islands, where they were instructed on what to do when they arrived in Britain. They were ordered to destroy their false passports during the flight and to delay reaching passport control for as long as possible to make it difficult for British officials to discover where they had come from. They were instructed to claim asylum in the UK and to tell British officials they feared for their lives if they were forced to return home to Iran, Spanish police said. Police launched the operation in February after an Iranian was stopped at Tenerife's Reina Sofia airport trying to board a flight to the UK using a fake French passport and identity card. Hidden: In Spain the Iranians were taken to the Canary Islands, especially Tenerife (pictured) The National Police said in a statement today: 'It was established this was not an isolated incident, that there was an organisation specialising in falsifying documents and trafficking people from Iran. 'Early investigations established the criminal organisation had numerous members not just in Spain but also in Iran, Greece, Germany and Sweden. 'Officers were able to identify the head of the organisation, who directed and co-ordinated the people-trafficking operation from Tenerife.   More... Execution in the name of art: German students plan to decapitate defenceless lamb live online as part of sick project 'Child sex victims were prostitutes with enough business acumen to win The Apprentice', man at centre of sex gang trial tells court 'Locating him was complicated as he used various different identities, using fake British, Italian and Polish passports.' The group forged passports from Britain, France, Italy, Estonia, Greece and Finland to get the migrants onto flights to the UK. Some Iranians were able to fly directly to Spain using genuine passports and holiday or business visas. The group were planning to use a major international fashion fair in Barcelona this July as cover. The police statement continued: 'Once in Europe, the immigrants were put up in safe houses controlled by the organisation. They stayed in these flats until they had prepared the false documents with which they would finally travel to the UK. 'In Spain they were taken to the Canary Islands, especially Tenerife and Fuerteventura. There they were given instructions on how to act during the final trip to the UK. 'They were ordered to destroy the false passports and to delay as long as possible their arrival at the British police control, in order to make it more difficult to identify them. 'Once in the United Kingdom, they had to obtain legal residence by telling the border police they were terrified that they would suffer persecutions for various reasons in their own country, and they feared for their lives and physical safety.' Thirteen people were arrested in Tenerife, six in Madrid and three in Fuerteventura. Detectives seized 22 false passports including two British, as well as eight false Italian and French identity cards, a false French driving licence, various Iranian passports and forging equipment.

exploding the common myths about which foods are good for us

Myth: Salt in your diet causes high blood pressure

In the 1940s, Walter Kempner, a researcher at Duke University, North Carolina, became famous for using salt restriction to treat people with high blood pressure. Later, studies confirmed that reducing salt could help reduce hypertension. But you don't have to avoid salt entirely, says Sara Stanner, of the Nutrition Society. "Adults need a small amount of sodium in their diet to maintain the body's fluid balance."

Average salt intakes have come down in recent years, mainly due to product reformulation. But it's still the case that many of us consume too much salt – around 9g a day instead of the maximum recommended dose of 6g per day – around 75 per cent of which is in processed foods such as soups, sauces, sandwiches and processed meat.

"People often think it's really bad to add salt into cooking or on to your plate, but that forms no more than 10 per cent of your total intake," says Stanner. "So you can get people who never have salt at their table, but have a very high salt intake, while others put salt on most meals, but have a lower intake."

Myth: Carbohydrates are bad for you

"Carbohydrate-rich foods are an ideal source of energy. They can also provide a lot of fibre and nutrients," says Sara Stanner. "Potatoes, for instance, are one of the best sources of vitamin C, yet potato consumption in the UK has fallen considerably."

One of the main reasons carbohydrates have fallen out of favour is that they are perceived to be fattening. "Foods high in carbohydrates have had a rough time in the past few years, thanks to the success of low-carb diets, such as the Atkins diet," explains Juliette Kellow.

"But there's no proof that carb-rich foods are more likely to make us gain weight than any other food. Ultimately, it's an excess of calories that makes us pile on the pounds – and it really doesn't matter where those extra calories come from. More often than not, it's the fat we add to carbs that boosts the calorie content, such as butter on toast, creamy sauces with pasta and frying potatoes to make chips."

Myth: Dairy products are fattening and unhealthy

In a study by the Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Australia, slimmers on low- calorie diets which included cheese, yoghurt and milk lost more weight than those on low-dairy diets. Those on the diet including dairy also had the least stomach fat, lower blood pressure and a significantly better chance of avoiding heart disease and diabetes.

Dairy products are packed with essential nutrients that help keep us healthy, says Juliette Kellow. "As well as being good sources of protein, zinc and some B vitamins, dairy products are packed with calcium, a mineral that helps to build strong, healthy bones – and the stronger the bones are, the less likely you'll be to suffer from osteoporosis in later life."

There are loads of low-fat versions of dairy, such as skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, low-fat yoghurts and reduced-fat cheeses, she says – and low-fat versions don't mean less calcium. "Skimmed and semi-skimmed milk actually contain slightly more calcium than full-fat milk."

Myth: Red meat is bad for you

Publishing what it called "the most authoritative ever report of bowel cancer risk" last year, the World Cancer Research Fund recommended that people limit their intake of red meat to 500g a week, or just over a pound in weight. The net result of such studies is always the same – people panic.

But 500g is roughly the equivalent of five or six medium portions of roast beef, lamb or pork. "Red meat is a valuable source of minerals and vitamins, particularly iron, and we know that large numbers of women have such low intakes of this nutrient that they're at risk of anaemia. There's no need for people to think, 'I should be eating fish' when they have a steak,' provided they eat it in moderation," says Sarah Schenker.

Another myth about red meat is that it's high in fat, says Juliette Kellow, dietitian and advisor to Weight Loss Resources. "Thanks to modern breeding programmes and new trimming techniques, red meat is now leaner than ever.

Processed meat of all kinds, however, should be avoided.

Myth: Fresh is always better than frozen

Frozen fruit and vegetables can be more healthy than fresh. "Research shows that freezing vegetables such as peas as soon as they're picked – when they are at their nutritional peak – means they retain higher levels of vitamins, particularly vitamin C," says Sarah Schenker. "Once frozen, the deterioration process stops, locking in goodness. The fresh variety often travel long distances and sit on grocery shelves and along the way, heat, air, water and time can lead to a significant loss of nutrients."

Frozen or canned fruits and vegetables can also be as nutritious as fresh ones, if not more so. Again, they are often packaged within hours of being picked, retaining their nutritional value. "Always check salt and sugar levels though by comparing labels," says Sarah Schenker, of the British Dietitic Association. Even dried fruit can be healthier than fresh. "When you eat dried fruit you usually eat more than the fresh equivalent – for instance six dried apricots instead of three fresh ones. This is more calorific but you get a bigger amount of nutrients," says Schenker.

Myth: Soy eases menopausal problems

For years, the fact that Asian women have fewer menopausal symptoms has been attributed to high levels of soy in their diet. Soy products such as tofu contain natural plant oestrogens and there have been increasing claims that these might help women going through the menopause whose own oestrogen levels are dwindling.

But a University of Miami study has found that soy does nothing to abate hot flushes and bone-density loss. In fact, the women given soy appeared to experience more hot flushes than those given a placebo.

Experts including Dr Malcolm Whitehead, a menopause expert at King's College Hospital in London, aren't surprised. "In my clinical experience, women say this doesn't work for them," he says, adding that HRT is a safe and effective treatment for most women.

Others point to previous studies showing that soy can work, but the British Dietetic Association's Sarah Schenker, says, "This research has always been weak. People got excited about those early small studies, but the more research that was done, the more doubts appeared."

Myth: Brown bread is better for you than white

A darker loaf of bread does not necessarily mean it's made with whole grains – it could simply contain caramel colouring or such a small amount of whole wheat that its nutritional benefits are no different to white bread. "The real health benefits come from eating wholemeal bread instead of white," says Sarah Schenker.

Wholemeal is made from flour containing all the goodness of wheat grains. The outer husk has not been removed, so the resulting bread is much richer in fibre, protein and vitamins B1, B2, niacin, B6, folic acid and biotin. Brown bread, in contrast, is made from finely milled wheat, from which the bran has been extracted.

Look for the words "whole grain" or "100% whole wheat" on packaging and ensure the first ingredient listed is whole wheat, oats, whole rye, whole grain corn, barley, quinoa, buckwheat or brown rice. Seeded bread is even better, since it contains even more vitamins, minerals and healthy fats.

Myth: Everyone needs a lot of protein

Protein is essential for growth and development, but experts agree that most people eat far too much of it. "The Department of Health recommends that protein should make up around 10-15 per cent of your daily diet – that's around 55g for men and 45g for women," dietitian Azmina Govindji says. "Yet, according to the British Nutrition Foundation, men are probably munching their way through an average of 88g and women around 64g."

So what's fuelling this notion that we need so much? "Some diets, such as the Atkins diet, advocate speedy weight loss on cutting the carbs and piling on the proteins", Govindji says.

Another contributory factor is that in the past, it was believed nobody could eat too much protein. In the early 1900s, people were told to eat well over 100g a day and in the 1950s, health-conscious people were encouraged to boost their protein intake. But high protein can put a strain on liver and kidneys and other bodily systems.

23 Apr 2012

Marbella welcomes hiking and nature enthusiasts to enjoy the Costa del Sol’s unique blend of beaches, mountain trails and small town Spanish charm

As autumn’s cooler temperatures and rain drive us indoors, the idea of hiking in the country can take a back seat to simply trying to stay warm. However, the end of summer does not have to bring an end to exploring the great outdoors as Marbella’s unique mixture of beaches, trails and small-town charm continues to prove this October. Put simply, there are few destinations that offer as many options for trekking and exploring as Marbella, located at the heart of Spain’s Costa del Sol and just a short flight from most UK airports. Nestled at the base of a mountain range that rises up from the Mediterranean coast, the town allows quick and easy access to a host of trails that explore the best of Andalucía’s stunning outdoors, all within minutes of the region’s stunning beaches and village life and Marbella hotels. What’s more, Marbella’s location between the mountain and sea keeps temperatures warm long after the summer crowds have gone home. This autumn, Marbella’s outdoor options will be on display with the second annual 4 Days Walking event, welcoming hikers and nature enthusiasts from around the world to explore nearly miles and miles of beach, villages and mountainside. Held from October 14 through the 20th, the event allows visitors staying at hotels in the Costa del Sol to explore the best of what Marbella has to offer. Marbella’s councilors of Tourism and Environment, José Luis Hernández and Antonio Espada recently joined the event’s organizer Hans Wolf to announce that this year’s walk will include a series of special offers for participants staying at either Hotel Fuerte Marbella or Hotel Fuerte Miramar. Wohl noted that the event came to be three years ago with the idea to bring together Spanish, Norweigian, Engish and Dutch hikers and trekkers for a gathering of sports and social events. Reporting upwards of 700 participants registered for this year so far, Has thanked the town of Marbella for “the cooperaton it has given us since the hiking event was first proposed.” This year, event organizers anticipate a significant increse in interest and participation, with more than 1,000 expected to arrive from around the world to take part. From hotels in Marbella and throughout the Costa del Sol, participants will be able to hike and trek over 20 and 30 kilometere trails that take them seemlessly from moutain to village to beach, navigating through historial and cultural sites, including Vía Verde, el Lago de las Tortugas, Los Altos de Marbella y Nagüeles. Along the way, organizers will be on hand to help participants find their way and help out with medical and supply needs, from water to facilities. On the event’s final day, all participants of this year’s event are invited to Marbella’s seaside promenade, Via Gladiola, where those who hiked all four days will be awarded a medal. Relaxing After the Day is Done As much as Marbella’s natural surroundings have to offer, the town center ensures that those hiking and exploring the Costa del Sol enjoy the most out of their post-trek activities. After arriving at Marbella’s award-winning beaches and sampling the town’s delicious Andalucían dishes and tapas, hikers can enjoy a circuit of saunas, Turkish and steam baths, massages and hydrotherapy at either the Hotel Fuerte Marbella or Fuerte Miramar, both set just steps from the seaside. The Fuerte Hotels also offer access to a sports club for hiking participants intent on getting more fitness out of their day.     Located just 200 meteres from where the 4 days walking event will take place, both Marbella hotels will be offering special prices and packages to those taking part in the trekking event this October. Fuerte Hoteles is a hotel chain with seven locations and a vacation apartment establishment situated in the Spanish cities of Marbella, Estepona, Torrox, Conil, Grazalema and El Rompido. This hotel chain is mainly characterized by its concern for tourism excellence, environment preservation, continuous training for their employees and its commitment with social and cultural development

22 Apr 2012

A Spanish conchero was at the centre of a brief morning standoff with vessels from the Royal Gibraltar Police when it started fishing in the area known as the boquete de poniente.

Underlying tensions were evident at sea yesterday, despite the uneasy truce that is holding while Gibraltar, Spain and Britain work to defuse the row over fishing. A Spanish conchero was at the centre of a brief morning standoff with vessels from the Royal Gibraltar Police when it started fishing in the area known as the boquete de poniente.   The fishing boat was using rakes to scrape the bottom for shellfish, a technique that is illegal under Gibraltar nature laws. Its crew was fishing on the very edge of Gibraltar’s territorial waters in that area and, when asked to move by the RGP, initially refused. The fishermen insisted they were in Spanish waters and it took over an hour to convince them to move on. A Guardia Civil vessel was also at the scene monitoring the exchanges, but its crew did not intervene. Earlier in the morning, the RGP had moved on another Spanish fishing vessel was readying to lay nets. Its crew was asked to move outside British waters and complied without fuss. Politicians and officials from both sides of the border have been working hard to find common ground and avoid a confrontation at sea. A number of meetings have already been held and another round of talks is scheduled for May 3. There are several initiatives under consideration, including the possibility of a registration regime and EU financial support for fishermen.

Second Brit Benjamin Harper dies at Spanish holiday three days after Adam Atkinson perished 'falling down stairs'

BRIT holidaymaker has plunged to his death from a hotel balcony at the same Spanish resort where another UK tourist died just three days earlier. 3 comments Tragic Benjamin Harper suffered a fatal fall on Friday while on a stag do. The 28-year-old’s death at the four-star Sol Antillas hotel in Magaluf, Majorca, comes after Adam Atkinson, 20, from Castelford, West Yorks, was reportedly killed falling down stairs. It is thought roofer Benjamin, from Twickenham, south-west London, had gone out on to the balcony for a cigarette before leaning over and falling. Benjamin’s dad Kenneth, 64, told the Mail on Sunday: "It looks like he popped out on to the balcony for a cigarette, leaned over and fell. No foul play was involved. “His mates are really cut up about it. They are coming home tomorrow and coming here to see me." The hotel declined to comment.

Second Brit Benjamin Harper dies at Spanish holiday three days after Adam Atkinson perished 'falling down stairs'

BRIT holidaymaker has plunged to his death from a hotel balcony at the same Spanish resort where another UK tourist died just three days earlier. 3 comments Tragic Benjamin Harper suffered a fatal fall on Friday while on a stag do. The 28-year-old’s death at the four-star Sol Antillas hotel in Magaluf, Majorca, comes after Adam Atkinson, 20, from Castelford, West Yorks, was reportedly killed falling down stairs. It is thought roofer Benjamin, from Twickenham, south-west London, had gone out on to the balcony for a cigarette before leaning over and falling. Benjamin’s dad Kenneth, 64, told the Mail on Sunday: "It looks like he popped out on to the balcony for a cigarette, leaned over and fell. No foul play was involved. “His mates are really cut up about it. They are coming home tomorrow and coming here to see me." The hotel declined to comment.

21 Apr 2012

Britons living overseas defrauded 43 million pounds in benefit fraud in 2011


The British Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Iain Duncan Smith, has been visiting the Department of Work and Pensions benefits and healthcare team in Madrid. He warned Britons living abroad not to break the strict rules on what benefits they can and cannot claim. People who are pretending to live in the UK so they can collect benefits, but in fact are living overseas cost the British taxpayer 43 million pounds last year. Most of the reports of such benefit fraud came from Spain. Iain Duncan Smith commented, “We are determined to clamp down on benefit fraud abroad, which cost the British taxpayer around £43 million last year. This money should be going to the people who need it most and not lining the pockets of criminals sunning themselves overseas. The vast majority of British people overseas are law abiding, but fraudulently claiming benefits while living abroad is a crime and we are committed to putting a stop to it.” He also encouraged Britons to use the dedicated Spanish hotline to report benefit thieves. 900 554 440 or you report a benefit fraud here. The hotline has resulted in 100 people being sanctioned or prosecuted, and 134 more cases are currently under investigation. 3.1 million pounds in over payments of benefit have been identified and will be reclaimed. Source – UK in Spain - http://ukinspain.fco.gov.uk/en/news/?view=News&id=754530182 Duncan Smith made the most of his visit to Madrid and took the chance to meet with Health Minister, Ana Mato, and the Mayor of Madrid, Ana Botella. They discussed the response to the crisis with Duncan Smith calling for an end to the culture of ‘unemployment and dependency’, increasing the control on public spending and eliminating ‘the subsidies which don’t resolve problems because in some cases ‘they trap the poor’.

Anti-Corruption prosecutors to be strengthened in Málaga

 

The State Attorney General, Eduardo Torres-Dulce, has said that there are plans to designate ‘one or two prosecutors’ more to the specialist Anti-Corruption section in the province of Málaga. He made the comment at an event where Juan Carlos López Caballero took possession as Chief Prosecutor for Málaga, a job which he was sharing with his post as Delegate from the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor, where three prosecutors work. There have been complaints from prosecutors that only 8% of civil servants who work for the administration of justice do so in the prosecutors’ office, a number described as ‘totally insufficient’.

Health Minister announces crackdown on foreigners using the Spanish Health Service


The cabinet on Friday decided to crack down on foreigners using the Spanish Health Service as part of an additional 7 billion € of cuts. They intend to toughen the conditions for inclusion on the Padrón census. Minister for Health, Ana Mato, said ‘We are going to end the abuses committed by some foreigners’. She is going to change the Ley de Extranjería which intends to put a limit to the so-called ‘health tourism’, which has seen family members of foreign residents to come to Spain ‘exclusively’ to receive health attention. Ana Mato insisted that from now it will not be so easy to come to Spain, sign the Padrón census, and obtain a health card, as it has been. ‘Just getting on the Padrón they all had the right to the health card’, said the Minister. ‘Now there will be a series of additional requirements when the Padrón is issued’. She said to guarantee the universality of the Health Service ‘for all the Spaniards’ it was necessary to stop the illegal and undue use which some foreigners have been making of this service. On Thursday the Minister met with the regions and they agreed on a new article which will ‘explicitly prohibit a person moving regions in search of health attention'. The Minister considers these measures will do away with health tourism and save 1 billion €. Ana Mato also said that she was going to revise some international conventions on the matter, given that ‘many’ countries do not repay the money they owe Spain for the health attention given here to their citizens. Among the other measures approved, the end of paying for some medicaments ‘with little therapeutic value’. A list of included medicines accepted nationally is to be prepared. The Minister said ‘We all have to collaborate with those who having a worse time’.

Ryanair threatens surcharge on flights to Spain

 

Millions of its passengers – who have already booked and paid for their flights in full – may now be asked to pay an extra fee upon departure, or be told they are not allowed to board. The airline sent an email to customers this week warning them of the backdated fare. “We may be forced to debit passengers for any government imposed increases in airport charges prior to your travel date,” its message read. “If any such tax, fee or charge is introduced or increased after your reservation has been made you will be obliged to pay it (or any increase) prior to departure”.

20 Apr 2012

France and Germany want to suspend the Shengen Agreement

They say they want a temporary suspension while the crisis continues. Spain will being introducing border restrictions during the European Central Bank meeting in Barcelona at the start of May.Angela Merkel and Nicolás Sarkozy - The Interior Ministers of France and Germany have written a joint letter in which they call for the reform of, and ‘temporary suspension’ of the Schengen agreement which allows for the free movement between most member states of the EU. They say the change is necessary ‘to control the massive flow of immigrants’. The call comes just ahead of the 25th anniversary of the treaty this coming Monday, although many countries signed up in March 1995. France and Germany consider that a ‘temporary suspension’ is needed during the crisis, and Paris and Berlin speak of ‘provisional’ closure of frontiers, and only when a country in the Schengen space cannot control the flow of immigrants. They say they will give the details to their European partners at the next conference. Meanwhile Spain has announced the suspension of the Schengen Treaty and the re-establishing of frontier controls with France ahead of the European Central Bank meeting which is to be held in Barcelona on May 3. It has not yet been decided how long the border restriction will remain in place, but say it will allow the authorities to act if there is ‘a serious threat to public order or interior security’. The measure will only affect the frontiers between Spain and France from the Basque Country to Cataluña. Reports indicate that it was the Catalan Government to step up the controls in the face of possible disturbances and the arrival of anti-system protestors from other countries in Europe.

19 Apr 2012

Montserrat Caballe to perform in Marbella

Montserrat Caballe will perform at The Children for Peace charity gala in Marbella on June 23. She will be accompanied at the Puente Romano Hotel by her daughter, Montserrat Marti, also a soprano, and Russian tenor, Nikolay Baskov. Caballe has performed in Marbella on two prior occasions, once at the Opera Festival in Puerto Banus bullring in 1973, and again two years later in Torre del Duque, Puerto Banus.

Phone data shows romance 'driven by women'

 

A study of mobile phone calls suggests that women call their spouse more than any other person. That changes as their daughters become old enough to have children, after which they become the most important person in their lives. The study has been published in the journal Scientific Reports. It also shows that men call their spouse most often for the first seven years of their relationship. They then shift their focus to other friends. The results come from an analysis of the texts of mobile phone calls of three million people. According to the study's co-author, Professor Robin Dunbar of Oxford University, UK, the investigation shows that pair-bonding is much more important to women than men. "It's the first really strong evidence that romantic relationships are driven by women," he told BBC News. "It's they who make the decision and once they have made their mind up, they just go for the poor bloke until he keels over and gives in!" But the data shows that women start to switch the preference of their best friend from about the mid-30s, and by the age of 45 a woman of a generation younger becomes the "new best friend", according to Professor Dunbar. Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote Human societies are moving back to a matriarchy” Prof Robin Dunbar Oxford University "What seems to happen is that women push the 'old man' out to become their second best friend, and he gets called much less often and all her attention is focussed on her daughters just at the point at which you are likely to see grandchildren arriving," he says. Prof Dunbar also claims that the findings suggest that human societies are moving away from a patriarchy back to a matriarchy. The aim of the project was to find out how close, intimate relationships vary over a lifetime. This kind of anthropological study is normally very difficult to do because it is hard for researchers to get such a big picture of people's lives. But by looking at an at an extremely large mobile phone database, they were able to track these changes extremely accurately. They had access to the age and sex of the callers, who between them made three billion calls and half a billion texts over a period of seven months. Intensely focussed The team wanted to find out how the gender preference of best friends, as defined by the frequency of the calling, changed over the course of a lifetime and differed between men and women. They found that men tend to choose a woman the same age as themselves - which the researchers presumed to be their girlfriend or wife - as a best friend much later in life than women do, and for a much shorter time. This occurs when they are in their early-30s, possibly during courtship, and stops after seven years or so. Women, however, choose a man of a similar age to be their best friend from the age of 20. He remains for about 15 years, after which time he's replaced by a daughter. The pendulum between the two sexes is swinging back towards women, says Prof Dunbar The researchers say that a woman's social world is intensely focussed a on one individual and will shift as a result of reproductive interests from being the mate to children and grandchildren. According to Prof Dunbar, the data suggests that "at root the important relationships are those between women and not those between men". "Men's relationships are too casual. They often function at a high level in a political sense, of course; but at the end of the day, the structure of society is driven by women, which is exactly what we see in primates," he explains. Many anthropologists argue that most human societies are patriarchal on the basis that in most communities men stay where they are born whereas the wives move. But Professor Dunbar and his colleagues are arguing that this only occurs in agriculturally based societies. "If you look at hunter-gatherers and you look at modern humans in modern post-industrial societies, we are much more matriarchal. It's almost as if the pendulum between the two sexes, power-wise, is swinging (back) as we move away from agriculture toward a knowledge-based economy," he says.

18 Apr 2012

Diddy tops hip-hop rich list

Rap mogul and entrepreneur Sean 'Diddy' Combs has topped Forbes magazine's annual hip-hop rich list. The star is worth $550 million, according to the publication. New dad Jay-Z comes in second with an estimated $460 million fortune. Coachella festival headliner Dr. Dre, Bryan 'Birdman' Williams and 50 Cent round out the top five.

10 things not to say to someone when they're ill

Get well soon card
'People really did feel the need to reassure me that my hideousness was plain to see.' Illustration: David McCoy for the Guardian

What no one ever tells you about serious illness is that it places you at the centre of a maelstrom of concerned attention from family and friends. Of course it does. That's one of the nice things. It's actually the only nice thing. But it's also a rather tricky challenge, at a time when you may feel – just slightly – that you have enough on your plate. Suddenly, on top of everything else, you are required to manage the emotional requirements of all those who are dear to you, and also, weirdly, one or two people who you don't see from one year to the next, but who suddenly decide that they really have to be at your bedside, doling out homilies, 24 hours a day. It's lovely to hear from people when you're ill. But it's also lovely when they add: "No need to reply." The biggest shock, when I was diagnosed with cancer the summer before last, was quickly observing that people can be quite competitive in their determination to "be there for you", and occasionally unable to hide their chagrin when some other chum has been awarded a particularly sensitive role at a particularly sensitive medical consultation. Nobody means to be intrusive or irritating. It's all done with the finest intentions. But, God, it's a pain. Yet by not saying 10 simple things, you too, can be the friend in need that you want to be.

1 "I feel so sorry for you"

It's amazing, the number of people who imagine that it feels just great to be the object of pity. Don't even say "I feel so sorry for you" with your eyes. One of my friends was just brilliant at mimicking the doleful-puppy-poor-you gaze, and when I had been subjected to a sustained bout of it, I used to crawl over to the local pub for lunch with him, just so that he could make me laugh by doing it. Don't say "I feel so sorry for you" with your hand either. When someone patted my thigh, or silently rested their paw on it, often employing the exasperating form of cranial communication known as "sidehead" at the same time, I actually wanted to deck them. Do say: "I so wish you didn't have to go through this ghastly time." That acknowledges that you are still a sentient being, an active participant in your own drama, not just, all of a sudden, A Helpless Victim.

2 "If anyone can beat this, it's you"

Funnily enough, it's not comforting to be told that you have to go into battle with your disease, like some kind of medieval knight on a romantic quest. Submitting to medical science, in the hope of a cure, is just that – a submission. The idea that illness is a character test, with recovery as a reward for the valiant, is glib to the point of insult. Do say: "My mum had this 20 years ago, and she's in Bengal now, travelling with an acrobatic circus." (Though not if that isn't true.)

3 "You're looking well"

One doesn't want to be told that one's privations are invisible to the naked eye. Anyway, one is never too ill to look in a mirror, and see a great big moon-face, bloated with steroids and sporting the bright red panda eyes that are triggered by that most aggressive and efficient of breast-cancer drugs, Docetaxel. I knew I looked like death warmed up, not least because I felt like death warmed up. Nobody wants to be patronised with ridiculous lies. They are embarrassing for both speaker and listener. If your sick pal wants to discuss her appearance, she'll ask you what you reckon. It'll be a leading question, so take your cue from her.

4 "You're looking terrible"

 

I know it sounds improbable. But people really did feel the need to reassure me that my hideousness was plain to see. One person told me that while I'd put on a lot of weight, I'd of course be able to go on a diet as soon as I was better. I wouldn't have minded quite so much, if she hadn't arrived bearing a giant mound of snacks and cakes, a great, indiscriminate pile of stuff that suggested she'd been awarded four minutes in Whole Foods by Dale Winton, in a nightmarish haute-bourgeois version of Supermarket Sweep. And, in fact, I haven't gone on a diet. Somehow, being a size 10 doesn't seem tremendously importantany longer. On the other hand, when I said: "Don't I look monstrous?" I was asking people to help me to laugh at myself – which many did – and to tell me that this too would pass. One of my friends took photographs of me, behind a curtain in the hospital, looking comically interfered with by surgeons, and festooned with tubes and drains full of bloody fluid. We laughed so much that I probably came nearer to death right then than at any other point.

5 "Let me know the results"

 

Oddly, one doesn't particularly want to feel obliged to hit the social networks the moment one returns from long, complicated, stressful and invasive tests, which ultimately delivered news you simply didn't want to hear. Of course, this request is made because people are worried. But, a bit of worry is easier to bear than the process of coming to terms with news that confirms another round of debilitating, soul-crushing treatment. If people do want to talk about such matters, they really need to be allowed some control over when, how and to whom. Contacting their very nearest and dearest instead is fine, as is volunteering to spread the bad tidings to others who are also anxious.

6 "Whatever I can do to help"

Apart from anything else, it's boring. Everybody says it, even though your assumption tends to be that people do want to help, of course. That doesn't mean that help should not be offered. But "Can I pick the children up from school on Tuesdays?" or "Can I come round with a fish pie and a Mad Men box set?" is greatly preferable to: "Can I saddle you with the further responsibility of thinking up a task for me?" If you do happen to be on the receiving end of "whatever I can do to help", be shameless. Delegate with steely and ruthless intent.

7 "Oh, no, your worries are unfounded"

Especially when those worries are extremely founded indeed. Like a lot of women, when I was first diagnosed, I was disproportionately focused on the prospect of losing my hair. One friend, every time I tried to discuss this with her, would assert – baselessly – that this wasn't as likely to happen as it used to be. Actually, it's still very likely, and indeed it came to pass. But the crucial thing was this: I didn't want to talk about how pointless it was to be fearful. I wanted to talk about how sorely I dreaded the day when I was bald. When people want to talk about their fears, they want to talk about their fears, not to be told, quite blatantly, that their fears are imaginary. Even when they are imaginary, there are more subtle ways of offering assurance than blank rebuttal. Usually, an ill person brings something up because they feel a need to discuss it. Denying them that need is a bit brutal.

8 "What does chemotherapy [for example] feel like?"

 

It is staggering, the number of people who find it impossible to restrain their curiosity. Swaths of folk appear to imagine that exactly what you need, in your vulnerability, is a long and technical Q&A during which you furnish them with exhaustive detail pertaining to the most shit thing that's ever happened to your body in your life. If someone wants to talk about their procedures or their symptoms, they will. If you have to ask questions, that's prima facie evidence that this is not what they'd discuss, if only they could be gifted with just a smidgeon of control over the conversational initiative. Again, the golden rule is: take your lead from the person undergoing the experience. I tended to want my mind taken off all that stuff, and have a nice chat about nice things. One of my friends, asked by another what she had been up to lately, found herself saying she'd had a great time visiting Deborah in hospital after her mastectomy. It had indeed been a lively visit. Eight lovely people had turned up all at once, and it had been quite the rambunctious gathering. When she told me that it had been an absurd social highlight for her, I felt fantastically proud.

9 "I really must see you"

Don't say it, particularly, if you are then going to indulge in some long and complicated series of exchanges about your own busy life and the tremendous difficulty you have in finding an actual window, even though this appointment is so awfully important to you. At one point, I was sitting in a chemotherapy suite, large and painful cannula in the back of my hand, pecking out texts to somebody who had to sort something out this week, and wouldn't take "Let's do this later" for an answer. When I reluctantly picked a particular time from the list she had bossily pinged over, she replied that she'd have to bring her toddler son with her if itreally had to be then. I knew I couldn't handle a tiny visitor (and wasn't sure about the ability of the tiny visitor to handle it either), so we then arranged something else. A few days later, at the very time of predicted childcare crisis, I saw a tweet from her, declaring that she was wearing a new cocktail dress and held up in traffic on her way to a long-anticipated and very glamorous do. She had clearly just buggered up her dates and didn't want to say: "Whoops. Actually, I'll be at a PA-A-ARDEEEEE." Fair enough. Sweet, really. Nevertheless, the planning thing is an arse. I liked it when people just said, "Can I come by after work this evening?" or, even better, "I've got tickets to the theatre on the 25th. Tell me on the day if you can face it."

10 "I'm so terribly upset about your condition"

One friend, when I told her the initial news, blurted out: "I can't cope without you!" and unleashed a flood of tears. (I hadn't sobbed myself at that point. I never did.) Ages later, when she emerged from the loo at the pub I had designated as Telling People HQ, she explained that she'd been caterwauling unrestrainedly when a kind lady asked her what was wrong. Having sketched out her troubles, she got this reply, or something like it: "What? You're weeping in the lavatory, while your friend is in the bar having breast cancer? Pull yourself together, and get out there." This had inspired another torrent of waterworks. And that is the most important thing to remember, when your friend is facing a frightening and possibly fatal illness: it's not, not, not about you. If you're too upset to be in a position to comfort your friend, send cards, send flowers, send presents. But don't send your ailing chum a passionate storm of your own wild grief, personally delivered. It's a little too needy, under the circs.

If you recognise things that you have said or done yourself within this list, don't feel bad about it, at all. I most certainly have, and I've said and done much, much worse too; it took being on the receiving end before I realised what it could feel like. The thing is this: giant illness is a time of great intensity, and even the most cack-handed expressions of support or love are better than a smack in the face with a wet tea-towel. People feel helpless when they see that their friend is suffering. Sometimes – often – they say the wrong thing. But they are there, doing the best that they can, at a terrible, abject time. That's the most important thing of all. I look back on those grisly moments of ineptitude and clumsiness with exasperated amusement and tender, despairing, deep, deep fondness. The great lesson I learned from having cancer, was how splendid my friends were, whatever their odd little longueurs. They all, in their different ways, let me know that they loved me, and that is the most helpful thing of all. I'm so lucky to have them.

17 Apr 2012

Energy-rich Qatar seeks la dolce vita with purchase of luxury resorts on Italy’s Sardinia isle


Qatar signed a deal Monday to buy the operator of four luxury resorts and other properties on the island of Sardinia as the wealthy Gulf emirate looks to bolster ties with Italy. The purchase coincided with a visit to Rome by the country’s emir. It is the latest deal in a European shopping spree that has given the natural-gas rich state a stake in European banks, energy companies and some of the continent’s best known brands. 0 Comments Weigh InCorrections? Personal Post State-owned Qatar Holding, an arm of the country’s sovereign wealth fund, said it will acquire resort operator Smeralda Holding from Los Angeles-based real estate investment firm Colony Capital. The deal includes the Cala di Volpe, Pitrizza, Romazzino and Cervo hotels, a marina and shipyard, a golf club and a 51 percent interest in 2,290 hectares (5,660 acres) of undeveloped land nearby. Qatar Holding plans to keep Smeralda’s existing management, and said Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc. will continue to run the hotels. Financial terms were not disclosed. The deal must still be approved by Italian regulators. The deal was announced as Italian Premier Mario Monti held talks with Qatar’s emir Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani at a government villa in Rome. Monti hailed the visit as way for the countries to strengthen their friendship. “I am very happy for this meeting because it was (an) occasion to consolidate a strategic relationship between the two countries,” Monti told a news conference after the talks. The emir told reporters that Qatar’s sovereign fund is looking for ways to invest in Italy. When asked what factors discouraged investment in Italy, the emir said “corruption, first of all,” according to Monti. Among the accords signed Monday was one aimed at boosting efforts to fight graft and crime. Another raises the number of passenger flights between the countries from 14 to 35 weekly, and cargo flights from two to seven, Monti said. Monti promised Italian help to Qatar as it prepares to host soccer’s 2022 World Cup. “Italy has unique know-how and can contribute to the success” of the sporting event, the Italian leader said. Over the past several years, Qatar has used its vast energy wealth to amass a diverse portfolio of European properties. Its holdings on the continent include stakes in Barclays PLC, Credit Suisse Group, Volkswagen AG, and the London Stock Exchange. It acquired stakes in Spanish power utility Iberdrola SA and electric company Energias de Portugal last year. Qatari investors control French soccer team Paris Saint-Germain and Spanish club Malaga, while the logo of state-sponsored nonprofit Qatar Foundation graces the jerseys of another Spanish team, Barcelona.

16 Apr 2012

Spain's real estate crash gathering speed


Spain’s property market has been crashing in slow motion. Now the decline is accelerating. House prices are down between 22 and 29 per cent from the 2007 peak, according to various indexes, against roughly 50 per cent in Ireland. But there was an 11.5-per-cent year-on-year fall in March, according to Tinsa, the surveyors. And the trough probably still hasn’t been reached. An average family still needs 6.2 years of its combined annual income to buy a house, well above the long-run average and more than double the U.S. ratio, according to estimates by Exane BNP Paribas. Unemployment is at 23 per cent and still climbing as the economy falls back into recession this year. Given the combination of still-high prices and the ongoing credit crunch in Spain, net mortgage origination has predictably fallen off a cliff. Banks might give house prices another downward nudge this year. Lenders own nearly 20 per cent of the country’s estimated one million empty homes, according to Cheuvreux estimates. They have been understandably weary of selling houses and crystallizing losses. But they effectively have little choice. The government is demanding haircuts on foreclosed properties of 35 per cent on average. Once banks start to write down the value of the properties, the theory is that they will be more willing to sell at large discounts. And anecdotally, banks are already flooding the market with cheap property. Santander, for example, launched a fire sale of flats in Sesena, Toledo, at less than half the original asking price. The good news is that Santander’s subsidiary, Banesto, managed to sell more units than it foreclosed in the first quarter of this year. Strong banks such as CaixaBank or BBVA will follow suit, but thereby lowering prices further. Of course, not all lenders will dump their stock. The new provisioning requirements may not be severe enough to force everyone to take the pain. Lenders that merge are allowed two years to make the writedowns, in turn limiting new supply. The simple reality is that the housing market is heading lower, and banks sooner or later face further losses. The adjustment is necessary, but will only sustain the sense of crisis in Spain.

14 Apr 2012

Surf Air: Can an all-you-can-fly airline possibly work?

 

SURF AIR, a Californian start-up, has a novel business model: for a monthly fee you can fly with the airline as much as you want. Is buffet-style air travel the wave of the future? JetBlue and Sun Country Airlines have both already tried offering all-you-can-fly passes, but so far no carrier has built its business model exclusively on a buffet plan. The idea isn't bad, but some scepticism is warranted. At $790 a month, Surf Air's flying plan will probably only appeal to business travellers who often go to the same places and rich Californians in long-distance relationships. Will that customer base allow Surf Air to make a profit? Maybe: 20m frequent flyers jetted between San Francisco and Los Angeles in 2011, according to the company's numbers. The airline plans to launch with service between Palo Alto, Monterey, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, but it still needs to secure regulatory approval, according to a company press release. Frequent flyers make up a huge portion of the business-traveller population, and almost every airline relies on business travellers to get (and stay) in the black. There is surely some group of private-jet-sharing business travellers who might be attracted to an all-you-can-jet airline as a cheaper alternative. A lot will depend on how many flights and how much convenience Surf Air can offer, and how quickly it can expand service. The company's promises certainly seem attractive: [Surf Air will offer] its members 30-second booking and cancellations, travel to and from uncongested regional airports, and an easy arrive-and-fly process with no hassle, no lines and no extra fees. It's easy to make promises, though. It's much harder to run a profitable airline. As Gulliver often notes, the American airline sector overall has never really made any money—in fact, total earnings over the entire history of the industry are minus $33 billion. That, of course, suggests that existing airlines might be doing it wrong. Maybe all-you-can-fly really is the way to go. It's at least worth a shot. I'll be eager to see what people think of the final product—assuming regulators give the go-ahead.

Worrying is good for you and reflects higher IQ

It evolved in humans along with intelligence to make them more adept at avoiding danger. A study of 42 people found the worst sufferers of a common anxiety disorder had a higher IQ than those whose symptoms were less severe. Scientists say their findings published in Frontiers in Evolutionary Neuroscience, suggest worrying has developed as a beneficial trait. Psychiatrist Professor Jeremy Coplan, of SUNY Downstate Medical Centre in New York, and colleagues found high intelligence and worry are linked with brain activity measured by the depletion of the nutrient choline in the white matter of the brain. He said: "While excessive worry is generally seen as a negative trait and high intelligence as a positive one, worry may cause our species to avoid dangerous situations, regardless of how remote a possibility they may be. "In essence, worry may make people 'take no chances,' and such people may have higher survival rates. Thus, like intelligence, worry may confer a benefit upon the species." The researchers made the discovery by monitoring activity in the brains of twenty six patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and eighteen healthy volunteers to assess the relationship between IQ, worry and the metabolism of choline. In the control group high IQ was associated with a lower degree of worry, but in those diagnosed with GAD it was linked with more. The correlation between IQ and worry was significant in both the GAD group and the healthy control group. But in the former it was positive and in the latter negative. Previous studies have indicated excessive worry tends to exist both in people with higher and lower intelligence, and less so in people of moderate intelligence. It has been suggested people with lower intelligence suffer more anxiety because they achieve less success in life. Worrying has also been shown to lessen the effect of depression by countering brain activity that heightens the condition.

Eating nuts can help stave off obesity, says study

 

Dieters often dismiss them because of their high fat content, but research suggests that snacking on nuts can help keep you slim. A study found that those who consumed varieties such as almonds, cashews and pistachios demonstrated a lower body weight, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference compared to non-consumers. They were also at lower risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Experts are now recommending a daily intake of 1.5 ounces, or three tablespoons of nuts as part of a healthy diet. Lead researcher Carol O'Neil, from Louisiana State University, said: 'One of the more interesting findings was the fact that tree nut consumers had lower body weight, as well as lower body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference compared to non-consumers. 'The mean weight, BMI, and waist circumference were 4.19 pounds, 0.9kg/m2 and 0.83 inches lower in consumers than non-consumers, respectively.' In the study, published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, researchers compared risk factors for heart disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome of nut consumers versus those who did not consume nuts.

13 Apr 2012

Jaime de Marichalar will have to talk to the Guardia Civil over shooting accident


Jaime de Marichalar, will have to declare to the Guardia Civil regarding the accident of his son, Froilan, grandson of the King, who shot himself with a twin bore 36 calibre shotgun. The ex husband to the Infanta Elena, faces a fine of 300 to 6,000 € for a ‘serious fault’ according to the arms control law in Spain, as the court has opened the usual investigation seen in such cases. It has been established at the age of 13, Froilan is not authorised to fire any gun, with Guardia Civil permits required for 14-18 year olds. The Soria Guardia Civil are also expected to inspect the gun from the accident and to take a look at where it happened, the Marichalar family home in Soria. The Ombudsman has commented meanwhile that ‘Shotguns are not for the children’. Froilan is expected out of hospital on Friday having made good progress after the injuries suffered to his right foot. It’s thought the King may visit on Wednesday night. Infanta Elena has remained at his side since the accident on Monday.

Swiss account linked to Urdangarín is blocked by Spanish court


Investigations in the Palma Arena corruption case have been following the money, and have now blocked an account in Switzerland, linked to the Duke of Palma, Iñaki Urdangarin. He allegedly used the account for ‘opaque payments’ from other opaque European funds, and the movements of 350,000 € are being followed. Judge José Castro and prosecutor, Pedro Herrach, have blocked the Swiss bank accounts, and after interviewing six other people in the case are to send letters rogatory to Switzerland.

11 Apr 2012

Body of missing 54 year old Briton is found

 

The search for the 54 year old Briton who vanished from Urbanization Villamartín in Orihuela Costa last Wednesday night has ended in tragedy today, Tuesday. His body, showing no apparent signs of violence was found at 10am on Tuesday under the water of the Tajo-Segura water channel, close to Pilar de la Horadada. The family denounced his disappearance on Friday and since then the security forces have been searching. The decision to bring in the Civil Guard divers from the GEA special sub-aquatic group today to inspect the water channel, led to the body’s discovery. The body has been transferred to the forensic scientists who will carry out an autopsy to try and establish the cause of death. Reports have not given the name of the victim, only that he was 54.

10 Apr 2012

Its been almost a month since the taxi's in Marbella have changed to the metered system. With this has also come a massive increase in the prices charged

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Its been almost a month since the taxi's in Marbella have changed to the metered system. With this has also come a massive increase in the prices charged and a lack in consistency. For example a trip that I would have done by taxi from time to time, would have cost €5 during the day or a little over €6 at night, Now with the meter system the cost has varied from €8 to over €10.
I took a taxi into town on Saturday afternoon which I had called to my apartment, when he arrived the meter was already on and was at €4.70 instead of the standard starting rate of €3.75. the driver claimed that he is allowed to start the meter from when he gets the call from the central office to come to my apartment, because he is not allowed to pick up anybody else along the way. But he reluctantly reset the meter, then I discovered that he had started the meter at rate 2, which is for night time and holidays(Saturday was not a holiday).

Of course all the way into town he crawls along hoping for the lights to change so that he will get delayed and the meter would continue to go up while sitting at the lights.

Has anybody else had experience of the taxi rip off recently?

7 Apr 2012

Townsfolk in a Spanish village have been banned from farting, burping and slurping their soup in public in a new charter to combat rude behaviour.

They are among 65 indelicacies that have been outlawed by the Mayor of La Toba, 70 miles northeast of Madrid.

Touching genitals, adjusting underwear or picking noses are strict no-nos, while coughing or yawning without covering mouths and speaking when eating are also barred.

Quiet: They are among 65 indelicacies that have been outlawed by the Mayor of La Toba, 70 miles northeast of Madrid

Quiet: They are among 65 indelicacies that have been outlawed by the Mayor of La Toba, 70 miles northeast of Madrid

Children will get into big trouble with the local authority if they fail to regularly visit their grandparents.

Mayor Julian Atienza Garcia, of Spain's United Left Party, drew up the guidelines, which have been signed off by the local council, to combat the erosion of public civility.

 

'It is a compendium of basic rules of politeness that are being lost and should not be forgotten,' he told the Sun.

Shake up: The guidelines were drawn up to combat the erosion of public civility in the picturesque village

Shake up: The guidelines were drawn up to combat the erosion of public civility in the picturesque village

But the guidelines have not been welcomed by all.

Some villagers have called for his resignation after publishing the "courtesy charter" in the village newsletter.

One critic posted an online rant saying the next move would be to 'insert microchips in everyone’s brain to control them'.

Flouting the rules is not punishable, however, and any violations will be simply frowned upon.




5 Apr 2012

Freedom near after years in hell but Schapelle Corby is too scared to hope


CONVICTED drug smuggler Schapelle Corby last night said she was "too scared to get my hopes up" after Indonesia's Justice and Human Rights Ministry recommended her jail sentence be slashed by 10 years - meaning she could be back in Australia within weeks. Her family is now anxiously awaiting a decision by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who will have the final say on whether Corby is released. From her cell at Bali's Kerobokan prison, Corby last night said she was waiting for more information about the ministry's recommendation. Her sister Mercedes, who was visiting Schapelle when the news broke, said that if Dr Yudhoyono did agree to cut 10 years from Corby's sentence, she would be eligible to go home immediately. "She will have done eight years in October, plus she's had two years reduced in good behaviour, so that's 10 years," she said. "So if another 10 years is cut, she should be pretty much eligible for release immediately." Mercedes said, if released, her sister planned to head straight back to Australia to live with her mother Rosleigh in Queensland. Corby was jailed for 20 years in 2004 for attempting to smuggle 4.1kg of marijuana into Bali in a body board bag. The announcement of the major breakthrough in the former Gold Coast beautician's drug saga came as a "pleasant shock" to Corby and her family yesterday when The Daily Telegraph told them of the ministry's recommendation. Mercedes was at the prison having a small birthday celebration with Schapelle for their younger sister Mele, who had just turned 22. "Oh wow, have they recommended clemency? I hope this is true. I better make some calls," she said. A few hours later Mercedes said the family was "too nervous" to get their hopes up and would await the President's ruling before they celebrated. Corby first launched her bid for clemency two years ago, appealing for an early release on the grounds she was suffering from mental illness which could endanger her life. "She's on anti-psychotics to keep her stable, but she goes up and down," Mercedes said. A Justice Ministry official yesterday revealed the recommendation to slash Corby's sentence was based on humanitarian grounds: "Our office agreed with her clemency. We recommended granting it." Corby's lawyer Iskander Nawing described it as a "huge development" and a breakthrough. The recommendation also includes an approval for clemency from the director-general of prisons. Dr Yudhoyono's decision will be based on the recommendation from the Justice Ministry, as well as advice from the Attorney-General's Department, Foreign Ministry and National Narcotics Board. Print

Whitney Houston 'Powdery' substance in hotel bathroom

 

Drug paraphernalia and a white powdery substance were discovered in Whitney Houston's hotel room on the day she died, according to a coroner. The full report says the 48-year-old was found on 11 February lying face down in an overflowing hotel bathtub. Investigators said they recovered a rolled-up piece of paper, a small spoon and a portable mirror in the bathroom. The autopsy concluded that the singer had drowned due to the effects of cocaine use and heart disease. The report also indicated the singer had a perforated nose, a sign of long-term substance abuse. The 42-page document gave more details than an initial report released last month. Houston was found dead hours before she was due to attend a pre-Grammy party. One of the world's best known singers in the 1980s and 1990s, Houston had a long battle with drug addiction. Friends and family have said she appeared committed to a comeback, including a new film, during the time before her death.

3 Apr 2012

Brian Belo is launching a TOWIE rival show set in Marbella

There is set to be another TV show to try and compete against those stars of Essex.

Brian Belo will head out to TOWIE holiday favourite Marbs to shoot Marbella Beach, with Channel 5 believed to be leading the bidding to screen the programme.

Following a group of gorgeous guys and girls – including professional David Beckham lookalike Andy Harmer, ex-Big Brother babe Amy Alexandra and former Miss Great Britain Rachael Tennant – who have moved to Marbella, the show will document them both and work and at play.

An insider told The Daily Star: "Marbella Beach will score where other reality shows fail.

"It will have sun, sea and lots of sexy action with bikini babes and hunks in trunks."

The launch of Brian's new TV show comes after he issued a High Court writ against ITV and Lime Pictures claiming TOWIE was originally his idea and demanding more than £100,000 in compensation.

Whether he succeeds or fails there, we're not sure - but this new show sounds like it could be good viewing.

And as it's set in Marbs, we could see a glimpse of a few TOWIE stars in the background!

Youth unemployment passes 50pc in Spain


The unemployment rate among Spain's under-25s rose to 50.5pc in January, and to 50.4pc in Greece in December, according to the latest available data from Eurostat, the European Union's statistics office. It compared with an average eurozone youth unemployment rate of 21.6pc. One of the lowest rates of youth unemployment is in Germany, where it remained at 8.2pc in February. The rise in Spain and Greece reflects the deep financial woes of both countries, which are in the midst of far-reaching and highly unpopular austerity programmes, considered necessary by the broader EU to reduce huge deficits. Spain's unemployment rate now stands at 23.6pc, compared with a eurozone average of 10.8pc. The extent of Spain's problems are further underlined by a housing market in crisis, with prices expected to fall the most on record this year. One-in-four homeowners in the country owes more than their property is worth. Andrea Broughton, Principal Research Fellow at the Institute for Employment Studies, said EU policymakers were facing an "uphill struggle" to reverse rising unemployment. "Present concerns over the euro, the debt problems of some member states, public spending cuts and austerity measures across many EU member states mean that the unemployment rate is unlikely to fall significantly in the EU in the near future," she said.

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