Arrested at border on a European warrant , another arrested for robbery

LA LÍNEA (Agencies) A Polish man was detained by the National Police when they checked his passport as he tried to cross the border into Gibraltar. M.K.S., 34, was arrested on a European warrant issued by Poland. If and when extradition procedures are successful, he will be charged with causing grevious bodily harm to another driver when he drove on the wrong side of the road while under the influence of alcohol. In another operation, the National Police detained German national P.M., 33, accused of robbery. The victim denounced that she had been robbed at her home, from which a TV, a DVD player, a computer and several other objects, including a gas heater, as well as the keys to her Mercedes, which was also stolen. A few days after the robbery, the victim saw some her possessions being sold in the street; having alerted the police, the man was arrested, whereupon it was discovered that there also was a warrant out for his arrest from the Criminal Court in Algeciras.

Gibraltar documents refused in UK

GIBRALTAR (Agencies) A 22 year old Gibraltarian has presented a complaint to Government arising from problems he had at Glasgow airport when he presented the ID document issued on the Rock. Having gone to Scotland to visit his family there, he was detained for over two hours at the airport after landing there. He was allowed to continue his trip only when his identity was proven with a passport. This is hardly the first time Gibraltarians have had similar problems when travelling to or from the UK. Opposition coalition parties have often complained of the problem, pointing to another such incident at Heathrow. They qualified the new case as 'intolerable', adding that the identity document (colloquially a 'carnet' or 'carney') has been validated by the EU through the UK.

Electricity goes up by 10%, gas by an average of 3.9%

As we announced here, electricity will be going up by 9.8% next on Saturday, January 1. That, according to the Minister of Industry, Miguel Sebastián, is the equivalent of a little over one coffee per month per inhabitant. The fact is, according to consumers' organizations, it actually means just under €7 per family per month (with national unemployment at 20%), taking the number of users as seventeen millions. Equally, the cost of a bombona will also rise by 43 céntimos per bottle. That usually means an increase in the price of petrol as well. The background to the increase is tied up in the Tarifa de Último Recurso (TUR, or Tariff of Last Recourse), in itself a complex system that allows the power companies (many of them producing record benefits) to up their prices independently of the taxes imposed by the government. The latter says it is not touching these taxes.>

Yesterday was April Fool - in Spain

As we have said several times before, practical jokes in Spain have their own day: December 28. This is because it is Innocent Saints Day, which commemorates all those innocent children allegedly ordered killed by Herod, according to the Christian hagiography. Among some of the jokes played in the media yesterday were the following: Ibrahimovich signs for Real Madrid; Michael Schumacher to drive for Ferrari next year; Pep Guardiola launche his own after shave; an obscure blog called Nos Gusta el Vino (We Like Wine) signs up none other than Ferran Adrià (see our perfectly serious article on the chef's heirs taking over London). On a more local level, a press release from San Roque Council nnounced the imposition of a specil tax on households with two or more cars - a note today apologises for any confusion it might have caused. (Prosp note: we forgot all about it! Or hadn't you noticed?)

Briton charged with money laundering

GIBRALTAR (GibChronicle) Royal Gibraltar Police Financial Crime Unit officers on Monday arrested 52 year old Nasser Heikal, a British national born in Lebanon on suspicion of money laundering. The case relates to the laundering of the proceeds of a ‘boiler room’ operation, which had targeted UK victims between November and December 2010. The resulting Financial Investigation identified up to £80,000, which are suspected to have been laundered by Mr. Heikal via a Belize registered company with a bank account in Gibraltar. Mr. Heikal has been charged with four counts of assisting another to retain the benefit of criminal conduct, although the investigation remains open and further charges may be proferred.

Eight months in jail for attacking teacher

SAN ROQUE The mother of a student at the Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe School in Palmones, has been sentenced to six months in jail for attempted bodily harm and another two for bodily harm against a teacher, to whom she was also sentenced to paying him 1,800 euros. The child's grandmother was also sentenced to three days in jail for insulting the teacher during the same incident. This is the first time, in the province of  Cádiz, a jail sentence has been handed down in cases such as this. (Photo: illustration only)

London, the Spanish Main (Dish)

LONDON/SPAIN It was astonishing to realize that several of the people one knows in Spain, who had until then been thought well-travelled and knowledgeable about food and wine, had never heard of Ferrán Adriá or his restaurant El Bulli (photo), a sort of cathedral for gourmands on the Cost Brava where the waiting list for a table was six months long. Some had vague recollections of having read about him and it, others looked blank. Adriá, of course, is the Spanish chef who, with other innovative colleagues and competitors, created a new cuisine that took the feeding troughs of the rich and famous by storm. Until this year, he had been named the world´s top chef for five years in a row. That's like winning the World Cup five times in succession, or five Wimbledons, or ... you get the picture.>

Too slow to work

All of Jimena, and, as we understand, a good part of the Campo de Gibraltar, was without landline connection this morning - and as we write, the connection is a bit iffy, to be very polite. Some people had an Internet connection, others didn't. Banks and the Post Office couldn't operate, and we couldn't do a lot of this work, just as we come back from a couple of days off. Yet Telefónica ain't half fast at cutting you off if you don't pay, as someone said. Yes, we know; we're still on borrowed connections because we can't pay the bill. PLEASE TELL US IF YOU HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS TODAY! (Photo: illustration only - but you knew that.)

Tesorillo man arrested after knifing neighbour

JIMENA/San Martín del Tesorillo (Europa Press) A man responding to the initials M.H.E. is in prison after he attacked a neighbour with a knife last Thursday, accoring to a relese from the Guardia Civil. The man is apparently subject to mental illness and had made previous unprovoked attacks, though without such serious consequences. The victim, a neighbour who happened to be passing by the perpetrtor's door, fell to the ground as was able to shield his chest from the knife by raising his legs, which is where he has severe cuts being treate t the La Línea Hospital. M.H.E. is detained awaiting his appearance in court.

UK's 'Most Wanted' arrested in Calahonda bar

COSTA DEL SOL (Agencies) Dennis O'Brien, from Liverpool, is suspected of leading a gang which plotted to import £166 million of cocaine into the UK from Peru. The 62-year-old was found at a Costa del Sol bar on Saturday after a joint operation by the British Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) and Spanish police. He is one of the fugitives featured in Operation Captura - Crimestoppers' campaign to trace suspected British criminals who are on the run in Spain. Police caught up with O'Brien at the Trafalgar Bar, in Calahonda, a coastal town between Marbella and Fuengirola.>

How did that zambomba get in your ear?

It could, you know. It produces a sound, does a zambomba. An instrument that requires some skill and a lot of practice, although once you have it, you have it. But we should start at the beginning. That is, with the costumes. No, not costumes, which imply fancy dress, but the right clothes. Remember, we're talking Christmas, therefore shepherds. Though in the case of Andalucía, it's more likely to be goatherds (photo below). No matter, the mountains are cold, so they wear sheepskin over a traditional checkered shirt (photo). Trousers (types of) may be optional, but not the chaps. Hang on, we mean the chaps they wear over the optional trousers, like the ones worn by cowboys, less fancy but with the same objective: to protect the legs from pricks - okay, thorns. (Still following us? See more below)>

Boris needs a home...

(Received by e-mail) This is Boris! He was dumped as a tiny kitten at the riverside in the cork forest near Los Barrios this June, with his sister (who disappeared a few weeks later). They were so small and pitiful huddled together in the middle of the road....as always, it was astonishing that someone could do this. He is now approximately ten months old and desperately needs a caring person or family to love him. More info below, please read!>

Gibraltar financial companies have to pay for Marrache debacle

GIBRALTAR The Financial Services Commission (FSC) decreed last month that dozens of local financial companies will have to pay to cover costs stemming from the collapse of Marrache & Co. and its subsidiaries, according to a report by Brian Reyes in The Gibraltar Chronicle. The so-called Special Levy will affect 101 FSC-licensed companies active in investment services, insurance intermediation, money services and fiduciary services. Each will have to pay between £1,500 and £36,281, depending on the services they offer and the volume of business they handle. The companies are furious and have questioned the way the one-off compulsory charge has been calculated, others are asking why they should be forced to pay at all.

Local Policeman gives himself up after robbing a bank in Jaén

SAN ROQUE (Agencies) A Local Police agent presented himself  last Saturday at the Guardia Civi;l station in San Roque and confessed to having robbed €600 froma branch of La Caixa in Jaén. The man, aged about 30, has been a policeman in San Roque for some seven years. He was placed under arrest and his case taken to the Judicial Police unit of the National Police in La Línea. The agent allegedly entered the branch at 8.30am and threatened the staff with a broken bottle. He got away with only the €600 in cash there was at the moment in the bank; his face was at all times uncovered. No-one was injured at the scene. The GC believe that the same alleged perpetrator may have carried out a similar robbery at another bank in Marbella. Sources say that his behaviour could be related to the man's supposed drug abuse. San Roque Town Hall issued a statement saying that it does not have details on the subject and would not express an opinion until they were available.

Head teacher is also a 'flamencologist'

ALGECIRAS (Press release) Juan Rondón Rodríguez, head teacher at CEIP N.S. Los Ángeles in Jimena, is also a writer and researcher specialising in Flamenco. As such and as we write, he is at a press conference prior to presenting his third book, Corruco de Algeciras (Editorial La Hidra de Lerna, 2010), about Algeciras cantaor (singer) José Ruiz Arroyo, known as Corruco, who was born in La Línea in 1910 and died in Teruel in 1938 where he was shot  fighting as a soldier in the Nationalist Army of Spain's Civil War. The book presentation is scheduled for 8pm at the Fundación Municipal de Cultura José Luis Cano in Algeciras. (Note: In personal conversations with Rondón, he eschews the description of himself as a 'flamencologist', defined as a person 'studious of the musical art of Flamenco', which of course he is.)

Jimena Mayor signs agreement for castle renovation

The Mayor of Jimena, Pascual Collado, is this morning in Madrid, where he is signing the agreement with the Ministry of Development regarding a substantial grant for restoring the village's castle (first reported here). After several phases of archaeological digs and other activities, it was agreed that the whole castle area is in need of care and attention that will eventually lead to sealing it off against roaming animals, as well as its use as an historical attraction with guided tours. One of the principal results of the €762,931 investment on the part of the ministry will be>t

Reported for having wild species on his farm

JIMENA (EP) The Nature Protection Department of the Guardia Civil (Seprona) has confiscated ten wild animals, six of which are alive, from a farm in Jimena de la Frontera, whose owner has been reported for not being to prove their legal provenance. Alive are four deer and two boars that, according to the GC note, were in 'precarious health condition and unidentified.' Among the findings were also four deer heads 'in an advanceds state of decomposition', also without the proper paper work with which to identify their provenance. The live animals were taken to a centre run by the Environment Department of the Junta. The procedure, says the note, is part of a current campaign against illegal hunting.

270 films in 6 minutes: Filmography 2010

Here are the 270 movies filmed in 2010, summarised into 6 minutes. (Just in case you hadn't seen them, of course.)

El Corchado owners can now legalise their properties

(Agencies) Some 40 owners of properties in the El Corchado section of San Pablo de Buceite, of Jimena, will now be able to buy the land on which their homes sit, as well as get proper title deeds to their properties. The matter has been under scrutiny for over 50 years, the problem being that the properties were on a Cañada Real, or common cattle pass. With the process begun officially in the late 1990s, the section on which the properties stand has now been separated from the Cañada, thus allowing for the regularisation of title documents as well as no further problems in obtaining building licences. The municipal delegate for San Pablo, Andrés Beffa, has requested a meeting with the Treasury delegate in Cadiz to obtain information as to the procedure for the proprietors to buy their land.

Two divorces, one marriage?

JIMENA/CASARES (Agencies) Secadero, at one end of the straight stretch over the bridge, belongs to the municipalitry of Casares,  province of Málaga. At the other end of the bridge road is San Martín del Tesorillo, which belongs to Jimena de la Frontera, province of Cádiz. Both of these villages, however, are in a more or less advanced stage of separation from their mother municipalities. This happens through an ELA (Entidad Local Autónoma, or Local Autonomous Entity), a sort of quasi-independent Council, often of a different political colour to its mother. Such, at any rate, is the case with Tesorillo (as it is known to its friends - others call it San Martin). Given their proximity, there is always the possibility of intimacy despite the river that separates them. Lovers will always find a way. If and when they both obtain their divorces, it is not impossible to imagine that they will marry each other to form their own municipality, or join another one such as rich San Roque. Just a thought probably ahead of its time...

'Cutting the ham', a comment on political correctness and other things

If you've been following our site over the last few days, you will have read something about Muslims and ham. The Alexander Bewick Soap Box did, too, and a major rant was set off to the delight and rubbing of hands by many of our readers. Set right under the photo that illustrates this item, the opening paragraph reads, "This is a Spanish jamón being cut as it should, in fine, almost transparent slivers. Some consider it an art. Others see it as an offence." Worth a read, unless you're a racist who bangs on about how much better the UK is.

The Pink Panther picks - for a Sunday laugh and a thank-you to Blake Edwards

This is by way of paying tribute to Blake Edwards, who died on Wednesday, aged 88, with his wife Julie Andrews and their children by his side. Edwards directed over 40 films in his extensive career, among which are some of the most memorable, including Breakfast at Tiffany's, 10, Victor/Victoria and The Pink Panther series.

'El Riquitrún', how they crossed the river before the bridge

JIMENA Known as 'El Riquitrún', this was the way the people of the village crossed the river before the bridge at Pasada de Alcalá was built in the early '60s. It was a home-built contraption made with half a metal barrel of the old kind; holes were drilled along the top, through which went cables that were tied to a sturdy tree or post on either side of the Hozgarganta river. You pulled hard to get across. It was a dangerous enterprise in the winter when the river was at its highest and strongest. There were several accidents, including drownings.(This item first appeared on Mar 5, 2007, on JimenaPulse, with a different but incorrect illustration.)

Ex-Mediterranean Hotel occupants evacuated

GIBRALTAR (Agencies) The Government ordered the evacuation of  the former Mediterranean Hotel building at Eastern Beach on safety grounds. Some 20 families were moved to the Queen’s Hotel (photo) where they could spend Christmas unless the all clear is signalled. Inspectors would be looking into the building as soon as some areas were made safe for the purpose.

Spanish woman dies suddenly in Gibraltar prison

GIBRALTAR (Agencies) A 39-year old Spanish woman on remand at Windmill Hill Prison (photo) was found dead yesterday afternoon. The Coroner has opened an investigation. She had been on remand for minor offences because she had no local connections, although her family has been informed but no further details have been released at this stage. A forensic pathologist from the UK was due to carry out an autopsy yesterday evening to establish the cause of death.

Muslim family files complaint about 'ham in class'

LA LINEA (Agencies) The family of a first year student of the Instituto Menéndez Tolosa made a complaint against the boy's teacher because the teacher mentioned the curing of ham during a geography lesson that was about the Alpujarras in Granada - where the village of Trévelez is famous for its ham because it is high in the mountains and cold and dry enough to produce excellent pork products. According to his parents, the boy was offended at the mention of the ham because its consumption is against his religion and said so to the teacher, who answered that he was only using ham as an example to talk about climate and did not take into consideration anyone's religion in the classroom when giving a lesson.>

Onda Algeciras attacker is schizophrenic, say parents

ALGECIRAS (Agencies/Photo: EuropaSur) The 21 year old man who attacked the Onda Algeciras TV studios, as we reported on Wednesday, suffers from schizophrenia, according to his parents, who presented documents to that effect to the police who arrested him for the attack. It turns out that the attack was motivated by a comment the aggressor heard two years ago on the radio and which he believed was detrimental to him personally. The damage he caused in his attack amounts to over €100,000, according to the station's managers.

Arrested while hitting wife with club

LA LINEA (Agencies) The National Police arrested V.G.G., 49, when they were called to a domestic violence incident on Calle Quevedo. Apparently the woman came to her ex-partner's home to recover clothes that remained in the house after the couple plit up. From a window, the man denied her access, saying he had already thrown the clothes into the rubbish. She allegedly hit the front door with a stick, at which point the man responded by using a club, causing her bodily harm. The man is in custody and 'at the disposal of the courts'. (Photo: illustration only.)

Gibraltar mourns Bishop Devlin, 'the Irish Gibraltarian'

GIBRALTAR (Text & Image: GibChronicle) Bishop Emeritus Bernard Devlin died yesterday at the age of 89, at 6.15am, in the Clergy House at the Cathedral of St Mary the Crowned. His body was taken to St Theresa’s Church at 12 noon by Monsignors Paul Bear and Charlie Azzopardi and other Clergy, escorted by two police riders. The body will now lie in state at St Theresa’s today and until tomorrow. From there it will be taken to the Cathedral of St Mary the Crowned where the funeral Mass will take place at 5pm. He will be buried in the crypt at the Cathedral. (See the full article on The Gibraltar Chronicle)

Red Cross asks for help with toys

TARIFA (Agencies)  The local chapter of the Spanish Red Cross is deep into their annual campaign aimed at guaranteeing that not a single child in the municipality will be without a gift from The Three Kings on January 6. For this to happen, the laws on equality and quality say that the toys must be new, to avoid labelling the receiver as 'marginalised'. So the Red Cross is asking local shops and people in general to help by donating as many new toys as possible; in return, they promise to mention the shop in the media. Donations can be made at the chapter's headquarters from 10am to 1pm up to the day before Reyes, January 5.

Underground rubbish containers to be installed soon

JIMENA Public Works Councillor Fernando Gómez  announced today that work would begin soon on the installation of underground rubbish containers at all the municipality's villages (see exact locations below). This project is included in the Plan E 2010 employment scheme and has a gtotal budget of €222.400. These are the first of this type of container, all of which are aimed at improving the aesthetic value of their location, as well as at bettering public health. The first to be installed will be exclusively for solid urban waste, and others will later be installed for plastic & tins, glass and paper. Locations and costs are as follows:>

Arrested after smashing rear windows of 11 cars

LA LINEA (Agencies) The National Police arrested F. J. D., 35, as the alleged perpetrator of damage to 11 vehicles, of which he supposedly smashed the rear windows. After receiving a 091 call reported a breakage in the Bellavista section of the town, the police searched and found a man answering the description of the call; his hands were covered in blood. Another 10 cars with their rear windows smashed were subsequently found in the Reina Sofía. The man has been arrested 34 times for 'crimes against property' and is once again 'at the disposal of the courts'.

Man bursts into TV station, motive unclear

ALGECIRAS (Agencies) At about 11am a 21 year man burst into the building that houses Onda Algeciras Television while it was being visited by a group of 160 schoolchildren, who were promptly removed  from the zone by staff. The man, who was swearing a hooded jacket, caused considerable damage to the furniture and facilities but, fortunately, did not injure anyone. He managed to escape quickly but thanks to the station's CCTV cameras, he was captured shortly after the incident by the Local Police. Identified by the initials F.G.R., he is from Algeciras and has no criminal record. He is being questioned at the police station,  where a delay occurred because he was not carrying any form of identification. There is no information on his motives as yet.

Christmas flights are safe as military control is extended

The state of emergency decree which has put all Spanish airports under control of the military will be extended until the 15th of January, after a special Council of Ministers authorised the government to extend the measure. The state of emergency was decreed after air traffic controllers made an undeclared strike, causing hundreds of thousands of people to be stranded at Spanish airports during the early Decembers long weekend. Representatives of hotels, travel agencies and tourism organizations were especially pleased with the measure because it "ensures the Christmas travel season continues without illegal activities to disrupt it". Some 600,000 people are expected to stay in hotels from December 22 to January 6th (Feast of Kings), for instance, and this time of year is peak travel time for airlines. Meanwhile, Minister of Development Jose Blanco announced yesterday that the air traffic control system in Spain is to be privatised, with full privatisation scheduled by the end of 2011.

Four killed as gunman goes on rampage

Police outside the bar/Europa Sur

OLOT/Girona (Agencies) A man armed with a shotgun killed four people this morning, two in a bar in La Canya, near Olot (Girona) and two in a bank branch in Olot itself.  He gave himself up to local police immediately after the second killings. According to the police, the incident began shortly after 8am when the suspect, 57-year-old Pere P.P., went into a bar in the centre of La Canya and shot dead two men - a father and son, who owned the construction company where the suspect worked. Police say that the double homicide was motivated by money as the construction company owed the man a large amount of back pay. After the shoot-out in the bar, the suspect then went by car to the Olot branch of the Caja de Ahorros del Mediterráneo (CAM) and barely ten minutes after the first murders, killed the bank manager and a young woman employed in the branch. The police had already reacted to the emergency calls received after the first shootings, but were unable to stop the gunman before he carried out his second two killings.

Hits six cars, registers five times legal alcohol limit

ALGECIRAS (Agencies) Shortly after 10pm on Monday night, Local Police agents attended an accident on Avenida Ramón Puyol. A driver had hit six cars parked in the road. It turned out to be a 26 year old man, of Algeciras, who was slightly injured and was taken to hospital, where a blood test revealed that he had 2.5 grammes per litre, five times the legal limit and twice the amount for it to be considered a crime. He is 'at the disposal of the courts'. The police continue their breathalyser campaign throughout the week, a practice in all the area's municipalities at this time of year. (Image from an anti-drunk driving campaign on classicruby.blog.com)

Electronic waste up to October, more than the whole of 2009

CAMPO DE GIBRALTAR (Agencies) The electronic waste collected in the Campo de Gibraltar until October last is more than that collected for the whole of 2009, according to Arcgisa, who say that the seven municipalities have collected 168.27 tons of electric and electronic waste in the first nine months of this year, compared to the 150.59 collected in the whole of 2009. Collection points known as Punto Limpio, are where most of this type of waste is sent on for recycling. Jimena and Castellar, with a Punto Limpio nearby, head the list with 2.48 kilos of electric and/or electronic waste per inhabitant, well above the area's average. La Línea is at the bottom with a mere 64 grammes per inhabitant. The Campo's figures are nevertheless below the national average, and certainly bares no comparison to Sweden's, at 17 kilos.

Algeciras, the end of the rainbow

This photo appeared in Europa Sur's online edition this morning. The text that accompanies it says in part, "the majestic view to be seen from Algeciras with the Rock of Gibraltar imposing above the derricks at the port. A beautiful picture for which we can be grateful occasionally, and enjoy." Nice. (Click to enlarge.)

Electricity could go up by 10% in January

SPAIN (Agencies) The Tarifa de Último Recurso (TUR in its Spanish acronym, meaning 'Tariff of Last Recourse'), whatever that is but which is part of the consumer cost of electricity, could be going up by 9.9% in January, according to the National Energy Commission. This has to do with the price paid at the last auction of 'product', i.e. electricity, held among suppliers. A convoluted press release from the commission yesterday (for which an engineering degree is clearly necessary) also said that even with this possible (probable?) increase, power in Spain will still be cheaper than other European countries such as Italia (€67 per MWh, MegaWatt/hour), France (57), Germany (52) and UK (60). What it did not add is that wages and pensions in Spain are on the average well below these countries...

Tobacco goes up 10p in Gibraltar

GIBRALTAR (Agencies) A pack of 20 cigarettes went up by 10 pence in Gibraltar on Friday. The move follows the decision in Spain as part of the Zapatero government’s austerity plan. The price in Spain went up this last week by 40 centimes (0.4 euros) the pack of 20. The move in Gibraltar could raise an additional revenue estimated anywhere between £2m and £3m. A Gibraltar Government spokesman said that the import duty had gone up 10p a pack of 20 yesterday “in response to market conditions.” He confirmed this was a reference to the price hike in Spain.

Madoff attorney goes after banks to recover swindled money; son found hanged in New York apartment

GIBRALTAR (GibChronicle) The court-appointed trustee seeking to recoup money for victims of  convicted swindler Bernard Madoff has filed complaints against seven global financial institutions in hopes of recovering more than $1 billion. The blunderbuss claim comes just days before an action would have been time barred and has included a limited claim against a local law firm which is categorically rejected. Irving Picard, the trustee for the liquidation of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC (BLMIS), filed complaints against Citigroup’s Citibank, Natixis SA , Fortis , ABN AMRO Bank N.V., Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, Nomura and Merrill Lynch, now owned by Bank of America Corp. None of the banks were available for immediate comment. Madoff's eldest son, Mark (photo), 46, was found hanged in his New York apartment four days ago, the second anniversary of his father's arrest.(Read the full story in The Gibraltar Chronicle, including statements by Gibraltar law firm Hassans)

DNA tests to find 'stolen babies' begin

LA LINEA (Agencies) We reported on this disturbing subject in June (What happened to these babies?) and November (Another 'disappeared baby' in La Linea). Now the National Police's Scientific Division has begun taking DNA samples from families that have reported their suspicions that their babies may have been stolen from them at birth, and sent away for adoption, or sold, mostly back in the 1960s and early 70s. Ten reports on such cases have been filed with the Public Prosecutor's office in Cadiz, while there are at least 20 in La Linea alone, according to the mother who first brought the subject out into the light there, Cristina Díaz Carrasco. Another mother, Carmen, who now lives in the Canaries, says, "They told me it is to find out if my son is still alive. If he's not, I only want to know where he's buried." News reports say that more cases are appearing daily all over the country, although the principal media have yet to show much interest.

Christmas Bazaar raises €1,200 for La Estrella

JIMENA As promised, here are some of the over 450 photos we took at the Christmas Bazaar. But the really GOOD NEWS is that over €1,200 was raised for the La Estrella stars, which will go towards their extra-curricular activities and summer camp newxt year. They have asked us to say thank you to everyone who took part in what was a great day!

La Estrella Christmas Bazaar was a grand success!

JIMENA This year's Christmas Bazaar in aid of the handicapped children of Jimena's La Estrella association was a grand success. Organized by a few expats and the core La Estrella working members, it took place yesterday in the courtyard of the 16th Century cloisters of Nuestra Señora de la Victoria Church in the middle of the old quarter of Jimena. There were fewer stalls than had been expected, which is a shame for those who missed out, as people flocked from all over the village throughout the day, to the amazement of experienced marketeers. The support for this local charity was something to behold: there were stalls that dedicated their entire proceeds to the cause, including one run by small girls who had made bracelets and necklaces "for their special friends." (photo) A tombola -unusual, apparently, other than at expat markets- was a winner. It wasn´t too much to ask for a euro to win something that had been a donation. There were delicious Spanish, English and American cakes and goodies, canaries, Moroccan lamps, jewelry, clothes ... the list is too long. But the atmosphere, that was something else. The spirit of goodwill arrived in force starting early in the morning for the preparations, and never left. (Watch this space for a slide show coming soon!)

Castellar's Ismael Vaca becomes youngest Andalucía deputy

CASTELLAR (EuropaSur) Ismael Vaca, of Castellar, took possession of his seat in the Parliament of Andalucía, which he takes over from Antonio Fernández. At age 23, that makes Vaca the youngest parliamentarian in this autonomous region. He is in the last year of engineering studies in Algeciras, which he says he will put aside for the moment to concentrate on his new position. Ismael, the first person from the village to become a member of the parliament, is a nephew of Castellar Mayor Francisco Vaca, who looked on proudly at the investiture in Sevilla.

Spain pressured US about its ships using Gibraltar, says Wikileaks

GIBRALTAR (Agencies/Photo USS Kearsarge by wn.com) The long-held British suspicion that Spain was concerned about the use of Gibraltar by the US Navy was confirmed by a cable from US Ambassador to Madrid Eduardo Aguirre after a meeting with Spain's Minister of Defence, Carme Chacón, after her first meeting with Aguirre after shortly she took office in 2008. The cable added, “On Gibraltar, Chacón was pleased to learn the US-Spanish Permanent Committee would hold an informational meeting on June 17, and yet expressed the Spanish hope US ships would call at Rota whenever possible.” It is not clear what the June meeting was about.

Feetham aggressor charged with double assault in prison

GIBRALTAR (GibChronicle) The man accused of stabbing Justice Minister Daniel Feetham was charged yesterday following an assault in Windmill Hill Prison (photo) on Wednesday. David Jesus Bonicci, 40, is alleged to have assaulted a fellow inmate and a prison officer who tried to intervene. He was charged with two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and will appear before the Magistrates’ Court today. He spent last night in police cells. At the time of the assault Mr Bonicci was on remand in prison facing serious charges relating to two separate stabbings. He faces one count of attempted murder in respect of the attack on Mr Feetham and a second similar charge in connection with the stabbing of a doctor at St Bernard’s Hospital in 2008.

Star Spanish athlete arrested on dope ring charges

SPAIN (Agencies) Marta Domínguez, the most successful female athlete in Spanish history, was arrested on Thursday for allegedly belonging to a gang that distributed illegal substances to athletes. Another 13 people were detained in Operación Galgo (Operation Greyhound), including sports doctors, trainers, representatives and other elite athletes. The 3000 m steeplechase world champion was taken in for questioning -which lasted 8 hours- and released on bail.  Anabolic steroids, hormones, bags of blood, documents relating to doping and other material used for blood transfusions were among the material seized in raids on 15 different residences during the operation. The Spanish Athletics Federation, of which Domínguez was a vice-president announced this morning that she had been suspended pending further investigation.

Drunk driver travels 14 kms along A-7 on the wrong side

ALGECIRAS / SAN ROQUE The Guardia Civil managed to stop a driver on the A-7 road because they had been alerted that a vehicle was travelling on the worng side of the road. The man, who showed three times the amount of permitted alcohol in blood, had started out in Algeciras and was finally stopped at San Roque. One driver had an accident when trying to avoid him. The incident occurred in the small hours of Friday morning and the man, whose initials have not been divulged, is now 'at the disposal of the courts'.

Valderrama may not host 2011 Masters: decision on Wednesday

SAN ROQUE/Sotogrande (Agencies) The president of Valderrama Golf Club, Felipe Ortiz-Patiño (photo), has admitted in an interview that there is a possibility that the club (recently bought by Greg Norman but still subject to final completion) may not be hosting next year's Masters tournament. Speaking from his home in Switzerland, Ortiz-Patiño said that a final decision is scheduled for December 15. The decision is apparently the Junta de Andalucía's, the competition's main sponsor, who may take over the event altogether and will thus be able to have it played anywhere it likes. The club president also denied that there was friction with the sponsors regarding lawyer Ramón Dávila, who heads the organizing committee, as reported recentlhy on a specialist website, DobleBogey.

FACUA files EU complaint against Government over air traffic controllers strike

(Agencies/Photo: FACUA website) The consumer organization, FACUA, announced this morning that it has filed complaints with the EU "so travellers can get their money back", according to a press release this afternoon. The organization will try to establish a class action suit in two phases. The first includes filing complaints the airlines, the controllers' unions and the Spanish Government.>

Spanish DPP to request prison for air traffic controllers

SPAIN (Agencies) The head of Spain's DPP (Fiscalía General del Estado), Cándido Conde-Pumpido (photo), said this morning that he will be requesting up to eight years in prison for air traffic controllers who abandoned their work stations and are to be charged with sedition. Conde-Pumpido made the announcement at an interview just before entering a meeting of public prosecutors in Zaragoza this morning. On the urgent agenda was the air controllers wildcat strike of last weekend and its penal repercussions.

Council approves agreement over Casita de Campo

JIMENA / San Martín del Tesorillo Jimena Council this morning approved a development project by Dehesa Montenegral SL that includes the restoration of one of Tesorillo's most emblematic historic buildings. Approval of this agreement will accelerate use of this building by the Town Hall, although it is in desperate need of attention before it can  be used. The Council press release on the subject was not clear about how the development of, presumably, the land that includes the 'summer cottage' that once belonged to the Larios family and is an integral part of the area's history.