Did you put your clocks back>?

It's magic: 3am last night suddenly became 2am all over Europe. Did you remember to put your clocks back? Have you changed your watch, or your car clock? (We hope you've enjoyed the extra hour's sleep - we did.)

Clocks go back tonight

Clocks all over Europe, including the UK, go back one hour tonight at 03:00 hours, which miraculously becomes 2am. It's an extra hour's sleep, people! (Pity it isn't on a week day...)

Gibraltarians still experience difficulties with ID cards

GIBRALTAR - (Agencies) Over the years, there have been numerous reports of Gibraltarians experiencing difficulties when travelling and using their ID cards at airports, ports and other such places, as well as booking hotels, tickets, etc. According to the Gibraltar Chronicle, the Shadow Minister for Civil Aviation, Dr Joseph Garcia, has recently pointed out problems being experienced by Gibraltarians using their ID cards abroad who have had it rejected because it has too many digits. Dr Garcia said that the International Civil Aviation Organization had made recommendations for changes to ID cards in 2004, and that it had taken public complaints and questions in Parliament “for the Government to confirm that all Gibraltar identity cards may have to be withdrawn and new ones re-issued,” adding that Government has been aware of the situation but done nothing about it. An Opposition statement said: "An Opposition statement said:>

Satanic sect threatened victims with 'devil attacks'

CHICLANA - (Agencies) The Guardia Civil arrested six people in Chiclana recently, accused of exploiting and enslaving their victims. With the money they allegedly took from their 'slaves' the accused bought luxury items, including vehicles that were then 'tricked' and sold as almost new. Hijo de Satán, as the group's leader was known to his 'followers', is identified as Carlos Javier R.L., 34, and his partner, María M.P., 24, plus four more people, operated out of a house in the Los Gallos urbanization in the Cádiz town, where they had several men and women doing unpaid maintenance and domestic work.>

Tallest building in Andalucía inaugurated yesterday

LOS BARRIOS - (Agencies) The Torres de Hércules in Los Barrios, the tallest office building in Andalucía, was opened officially yesterday by the Mayoress of Los Barrios, Ángeles Ariza, and Antonio Luque, president of Valcruz Gestión, the developer from Córdoba under whose aegis the building was built. With a total of 20,000 sq.m. of office space and 126 metres in height, the towers are officially taller than the Giralda in Sevilla and the Torres Kia buildings in Madrid. Some 12% of the available space has already been leased and the developers are in negotiations with companies such as Acerinox, Cepsa and Hanjin Shipping, all with local connections, as well as with other national and international corporations wanting a presence in the Campo de Gibraltar. A restaurant is planned for the top floor of one of the towers, which will offer magnificent views of the Bay of Algeciras, Gibraltar and the African coastline. For those who have tried to decipher the letters on the side of the towers, they read non plus ultra in Latin, or 'Nothing Further Beyond' in English, closely associated with the Pillars of Hercules, which according to Roman mythology were built by Hercules, near the Straits of Gibraltar, marking the edge of the then known world. According to mythology the (original) pillars bore the warning Nec plus ultra (also Non plus ultra, "nothing further beyond"), serving as a warning to sailors and navigators to go no further.

Castellar castle lights up

CASTELLAR - (Press release) Municipal workers were trying out the new illumination for the medieval castle at Castellar last night. Financed by the Sports and Tourism Department of the Junta, and by Castellar Council, the new lighting complements the existing one and will make the castle stand out at night from a greater distance. After trials are completed, it is expected that they will be a permanent feature within a few days.

La Tasca

Rubbishhhh ... do we CARE??

JIMENA (By Anna Breeker) Rubbish everywhere, and even more rubbish where the rubbish is supposed to be collected.  Rubbish in the streets, rubbish by the river where lots of people come from the cities to enjoy the countryside for a day or for weekends, for us then to enjoy their rubbish after they leave.  It is left all over the place, or at the very best put in bags which are then left by the side of the road, somewhere near the containers.  Do people really think someone else will pick them up and dispose of them?  Gnomes maybe?

 Stray cats and dogs get in at night looking for food and pull the bags to pieces, result:  rubbish all over the road, including glass.>

Algeciras - Madrid train line cut from October 26

JIMENA - As we announced here, the train line between Algeciras and Madrid will be cut on October 26th for repairs to the Algeciras-Bobadilla section, impacting all stations. Salvador de la Encina, National Deputy and President of the Infrastructure Committee in that chamber, guaranteed that travellers will be transported by bus to Ronda or Málaga to continue on to Madrid. However, there are reports that enquiries at individual stations have resulted in being told that 'we have no information' about buses. Tickets online have been unavailable for several weeks, which means that early-bird discounts are unavailable, as they are at station ticket offices.

Jimena Mayor asks for residents' participation

JIMENA - The Council's website (www.jimenadelafrontera.es), La Novena local TV station, the Guadalinfo computer centre and the blogs TioJimeno Digital, SPB Noticias, JimenaPulse and Noticias de Tesorillo y Secadero are all taking part in a 'macro-interview' with Mayor Pascual Collado. The initiative, called Preguntas para el Alcalde ('Ask the Mayor'), is intended to put together questions or needed information from the inhabitants of the entire municipality, which Collado will answer. He has asked for the cooperation of the more active websites and blogs in the area. The deadline to receive these questions is set for October 29.

Thrifty Malone is back with a gig in Jimena

JIMENA - If you missed him last time, now is the time to see Thrifty Malone and his group at Oba Bar & Bistro this Saturday evening, October 17. They advertise themselves as an Irish group, but will play almost anything from Rock to Blues to Pop as well. It makes a great evening out and you can try one of Caroline's magnificent meals while you're there. There's a convivial bar and a good atmosphere at the Oba, so it's well worth a visit - oh, and in case you didn't know, there's a Quiz Night every Thursday at 8pm sharp.

Ask the Mayor: any questions?

JIMENA - As from today and until October 29th, Jimena Mayor Pascual Collado, will be receiving questions from the people of Jimena. A few details have to be ironed out but it's as well that you, Dear Reader, begin getting your questions down as The Translation People will have to deal with them before they are submitted (if your Spanish is good enough, please send them in directly to the website linked below!).The schedule is as follows>

Algeciras-Madrid train service to be suspended for at least three months

(Agencies) The Algeciras-Madrid-Algeciras train line is to be suspended for at least three months because the track between Algeciras and Bobadilla is being replaced, acording to Renfe. An alternative bus service linking Algeciras with Málaga, Ronda and/or Bobadilla will be set up. There is no firm date as to when work is to begin, but it will probably be on or around the 25th or 26th of this month.

Shopping in the recession - watch out!

(By Anna Breeker. Photo by blogs.diariosur.es) I hardly ever shop at night, but last Saturday I had to go to the supermarket. In the evening, it was not particularly busy. I picked up a few items and put them in my trolley, then I wandered to the next isle looking for a specific ingredient. When I came back to where I thought the trolley was, I could not find it. Thinking that I am a bit of a scatterbrain lately, I walked around the isles again, but no sign of it.>

Rent ... a chicken! What's the price of eggs?

Here's a good business idea for hard times. A company in Navarra, whose name is, surprisingly, Rent-a-Chicken in Spanish (alquila una gallina) will rent you an egg-laying hen for a month. If you like the idea, she lays plenty of eggs and you want to keep her, they will sell her to you at the end of the month. According to a TV report, it can work out at a tenth of the price of eggs at the supermarket. The idea comes from Australia, where a company called - wait for it - Rentachook. Okay, all you campo people, we're waiting to advertise your new business...

What's cooking in the POT?

POT is the Spanish acronym for Plan de Ordenación Territorial, which translates loosely into Territorial Development Plan. It covers districts rather than specific municipalities (these are covered by PGOUs, or General Development Plans, also transalted loosely - the number of acronyms and initials in anything bureaucratic is astoundingly confusing, which we suspect is on purpose), is created and written by the Junta de Andalucía and must be followed (obeyed?) by local authorities. It is important, then, that it be studied carefully by them (municipalities) and that allegations against it are accurate and in the best interests of everyone. Among other things, the POT is where the PGOU comes from - so it decides where and what can be built, developed or otherwise succumb to the hand of Man. A pretty basic document, we venture.>

Fancy a swim, then?

TARIFA - A 75 year old German recently beat the record as the oldest person to swim across the Straits of Gibraltar, and another has crossed it for the eighth time, according to Asociación de Cruce a Nado del Estrecho de Gibraltar (ACNEG).

La Línea mayor resigns 'immediately'

(Agencies) Mayor Juan Carlos Suárez (photo: DiarioSur) of La Línea announced this morning that he is resigning 'as of now' because he has been barred from public office for six months' by the Provincial Court as a result of the Palex financial scandal, whereby he was accused and found guilty of ignoring court orders regarding payments for a hemodialysis service that go back to 1994.