BBC misinforms about Gibraltar queues

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GIBRALTAR This photograph, by the AFP agency (Agence France Press), appeared on the BBCNews (Europe) online page on August 14. Taken, we understand, from the top of the Asur Hotel Campo de Gibraltar, on Avenida Príncipe de Asturias, it purports to show the long line of cars headed for the border. But the long queue shown here includes -and should not- parked cars and a queue that does not cross the frontier (the drop-off queue). While the picture does show a long queue, this can be normal on a busy working day, or on a Spanish holiday. You will also notice the following: 'To ignorant BBC headline writers: GIBRALTAR IS NOT AN ISLAND, it is a peninsula.' This is because we have seen and heard it referred to as an island all too often by the BBC, which should know better. (By the way, the Rock is not so much in the headlines lately, is it? Have the 'inspections' come down at all?)

BBC: Spain party corruption claims

SPAIN The latest corruption storm swirls around Mariano Rajoy, Spain's Prime Minister - one derived from another scandal, the Gürtel Case. The BBC has produced an excellent Q&A piece that carries the under-headline as follows, and goes a long way towards explaining the latest state of this fast moving story: "Allegations of illegal party funding are swirling around Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. The opposition Socialist Party has called for him to resign and there is pressure for him to give a full explanation." Please read the rest of the article here. (You might also like to click on any of the items on 'Spain is in a mess. Here's why', over on the sidebar)

'Gibraltar - Britain in the Sun' series coming up

Not many of these in Britain, surely

GIBRALTAR We are reliably informed (we have to be, we don't have a TV) that a series called 'Gibraltar - Britain in the Sun' is to be broadcast on Channel 5 (The Express calls it 'Little Britain'). The first episode is to be aired on Tuesday 11 - tomorrow! - at 8pm BST, or 9pm in Spain - and on five successive Tuesdays. We are also informed that you can see it online at http://www.filmon.com/#Channel-5, if your soon-to-be-if-it-isn't-already-bollixed sky tv thingy is giving you grief. Please don't ask us about the bollixing satellite problems as we haven't a clue - but we would like your opinion on the programme, please! (Thanks to Simon&Iris for the info.) (Another soon-to-be-released-or-maybe-edited programme is former Conservative Minister Michael Portillo's - he of close Spanish heritage - train travel piece on the Algeciras-Ronda railway - it of British heritage.)

Ana Pastor, sacked by RTVE, goes to CNN

SPAIN On August 28 we reported on the politically-motivated dismissal of several presenters on Spanish TV and radio (a subject BBC Radio 4 featured yesterday, listen to it here on iPod), including one of the country's best interviewers, Ana Pastor (See Changing faces on public television). Today the news is that the former presenter and coordinator of Los Desayunos de TVE (TV Breakfasts) has been signed up by CNN to carry out interviews for CNN International and CNN in Spanish. This is excellent news for those who get CNN because she is really very good. Now we want some good news about the other reporters sacked for political reasons at RTVE.

BBC takes an interest in stolen babies cases

SPAIN (Image: BBC) The BBC broadcast an interview yesterday with the head of Anadir (Asociación Nacional de Afectados por Adopciones Irregulares), the organization that is taking of most if not all the stolen babies cases, which are multiplying throughout the country. (For background, type in 'stolen babies' in Search on sidebar). You can see the interview here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-12912120.

Spanish double-agent crucial to Normandy invasion in WW2

SPAIN/BRITAIN BBC News recently revealed that a memo was found recently that tells of what was an audacious double-cross that fooled the Nazis and shortened World War II. The article also tells of the man behind the memo, Juan (in Catalan, Joan) Pujol García (photo), "an unassuming-looking Spanish businessman who was, in fact, one of the war's most effective double agents." Code named Garbo by British Intelligence, the Nazis considered him one of their prize assets, and gave him the code name of Alaric Arabel. It was Garbo who sent the message that was picked up by the Nazis and made them believe the Allied invasion of Europe would happen at the Pas de Calais, instead of the Normandy beaches. The ploy saved thousands, if not millions of lives by shortening the war. Some fascinating biographical notes on Pujol are on Wikipedia.