American WWII spy's jewels to go under the hammer at Sotheby's auction

Sotheby's says it will auction jewels belonging to a former American World War II spy who married into Spanish aristocracy and rubbed shoulders with world leaders and Hollywood celebrities.
The auction house says the collection of necklaces, brooches and earrings featuring emeralds, diamonds and rubies belong to New York-born Marie Aline Griffith.
Griffith worked for the CIA's predecessor OSS in Madrid during World War II before marrying a Spanish nobleman to become Countess Alina de Romanones.
Sotheby's says the jewels go under the hammer in Geneva on May 17 along with others once belonging to the Duchess of Windsor Wallis Simpson, a $10 million-emerald tiara and an 11-carat pink diamond valued at up to $16 million.

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Lady Gaga’s Twitter account hacked

The Born This Way singer took action after a number of mysterious Spanish tweets made their way onto her feed.
She posted: 'Whoever is hacking my Twitter must answer to 10 million monsters and Twitter police. #Don'tMakeMeCallTheApostles'
The messages appeared early this morning including links to Spanish YouTube-related sites, a mention of fellow pop diva Shakira, and a hashtag leading to a Spanish horoscope account.
Gaga's last post before her account was hacked was about her next video message: 'Gagavision no.44 coming 2morrow night, commemorating the last American MonsterBall. Hurts to write this. The stage is my home. #BornThisWay.'
The singer quickly deleted the tweets ten minutes later and reassured fans that it was back to business.
Gaga was this week seen crying in a clip from a forthcoming documentary on HBO.
She sobbed: 'I still sometimes feel like a loser kid in high school and I just have to pick myself up and tell myself that I'm a superstar every morning so that I can get through this day and be for my fans what they need for me to be.'

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lavish "James Bond" lifestyle of a drug smuggling gang,Eastgate had a very large house in Estepona (on Spain's Costa del Sol).

The lavish "James Bond" lifestyle of a drug smuggling gang first began to unravel in 2009 when police stopped and searched an uninsured BMW at Cullompton Services on the M5 in Devon.

Inside the vehicle, driven by Christopher Leader, officers found 5kg (11lb) of cocaine, worth about £250,000.

The drugs were wrapped up in a parcel made to look "like a present".

The discovery was the start of Operation Stagshaw - in which detectives from Devon and Cornwall Police began work to track down the gang.

Detectives found pictures of the gang's ringleader Timothy Eastgate, 31 and his deputy Paul Flisher, 38, "living a lavish lifestyle".

"They drove around in Ferraris, Lamborghinis, they had a private box at the O2 Arena in London," said senior investigating officer Jim Hinchliffe.

"Mr Eastgate had a very large house in Estepona (on Spain's Costa del Sol).

"He had a yacht called 'Shaken not Stirred', they lived that sort of lifestyle."


The men drove around in sports cars and owned a yacht
Eastgate and Flisher even had mobile phones whose digits ended in 007 and Mr Hinchliffe, who has now retired from the force, said the James Bond image "appears to have been a driver for them".

Gun in freezer
Operation Stagshaw stretched from Essex to Devon as officers used mobile phone records and the number plate recognition system to identify drugs couriers and dealers.

Eastgate was eventually arrested in September 2010 at a hotel in Plymouth.

At his house in Norfolk police found a number of suitcases containing cocaine and benzocaine, a dental anaesthetic which has a similar effect to cocaine.

They also found an X-ray machine, used to test how well the drugs packages were disguised.

In the freezer officers found a handgun, along with a silencer and ammunition.

Other weapons found in connection with investigation included a sawn-off shotgun.


Detectives found an X-ray machine used to test drugs packages
Detectives also found a USB stick belonging to Eastgate, containing a spreadsheet indicating he had delivered more than £3m worth of cocaine to dealers in England.

"Much of that came to Plymouth", Mr Hinchliffe said.

Sean Battle, 42, was Eastgate's man in Plymouth. He owned a large home in Bere Alston, expensive jewellery, cars and property abroad.

Three other men Stephen Procter, 39, from Plymouth, James Wright, 28, from London and Christopher Leader, 54, from Romford, were the gang's couriers, delivering drugs and picking up cash.

Commenting on the gang's conviction at Exeter Crown Court on drugs and firearms charges, Mr Hinchliffe said: "The work done by the police in conjunction with the CPS is done to protect the communities that we all serve.

"I hope this serves as a salutary lesson to people that are out there doing this sort of thing that we will catch you and, if convicted, you will receive substantial prison sentences."

Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed that work would now begin to seize the assets of the drug gang's illicit lifestyle.

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Posted in: Eastgate and Flisher even had mobile phones whose digits ended in 007

Actor Antonio Banderas, came to Marbella

Actor Antonio Banderas,  came to Marbella to present the new opening of the Coral Beach hotel which had  just purchased the hotel chain.

 Malaga had time to praise the company's international character and family background: "For me it is a pleasure to open this hotel on my land. In a city like Marbella, which has gone through a difficult period

Antonio did not stay to mingle with guests after the official presentation.
Gone are the nineties, when a Nobel Prize for Literature was responsible for first opening the doors of this hotel. Camilo José Cela was elected the Coral Beach sponsor at the time , and memory still retains the sound of major festivals and events first television programs live from Marbella, from this hotel.

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Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Francisco Jiménez Villarejo has made its final report of the trial of the case 'Minutes', on alleged irregularities in the commissions of the City of Marbella

Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Francisco Jiménez Villarejo has made its final report of the trial of the case 'Minutes', on alleged irregularities in the commissions of the City of Marbella (Málaga) the lawyer José María del Nido for the inspection process of the Court of Auditors and noted that counsel was "embedded in the core of government decision" in the town and settled in the Financial Club, where the former mayor Jesús Gil managed.

Enlarge photo

Thus, he explained that he had legal advice and that Del Nido was "front", but added that it is undisputed that it was "not a mere counsel more, not a lawyer with an office open to the public in Seville attending Marbella City Council issues, no connection. " "It was the chief, the chief legal counsel, was the legal adviser of the City Council and exercised from a private home," he said.

He noted that throughout the trial has been that there was "confusion between public and private, which is one of the factors for the emergence and development of corruption.""This process is neither more nor less than a trial on a corruption case pure and simple," the prosecutor has argued in his speech, which made detailed reference to statements made by defendants and witnesses throughout this trial , which began in April 2010.

The prosecutor has indicated that two aspects have led to what happened, first that there was "no contractual framework, which, to be allowed a lawyer to issue an unlimited and uncontrolled minutes with a general concept, without warrant and without prior estimate" and, secondly, the bill could be no prior financial control, indicating that while the defenses have insisted on the controller, "the money was from society."

So, Jimenez Villarejo explained the origin of the procedure, following the audit report of the Court of Auditors and the charge of anti-corruption prosecutor, and has described the context in which events occur, with a mayor, Jesus Gil, who governs the City and its subsidiaries "from an annex to his mansion", the Financial Club, stating that in documents they receive from the law firm of Del Nido direction "as sub-delegation in Marbella."

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Posted in: Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Francisco Jiménez Villarejo has made its final report of the trial of the case 'Minutes',on alleged irregularities in the commissions of the City of Marbella

Irish celebrity DJ Maurice Boland is returning to the airwaves for the first time following his inappropriate relationship with a 16-year-old teenager in Marbella.

DJ Maurice Boland: 'If people want to take a pot shot at me, I've an open line -- they can ask whatever they want...'
Niamh Horan, talks to celebrity DJ Maurice Boland, back on the air after a scandal over his relationship with a teen

Known as 'Mr Marbella', the former Irish nightclub boss, who has been married for 40 years, has been absent from public life for the past nine months since his close relationship with the teenager came to light.

But speaking this weekend, Mr Boland said he is looking forward to re-launching himself on the airwaves and will not shy away from his outspoken views on "issues that need to be addressed".

"Somebody asked me the other day, will I be more humble after everything that's happened, quieter, less controversial. And my answer was 'absolutely not'.

"I'll be as outspoken as ever about serious issues that need to be addressed. And if people want me to answer their questions, or take a pot shot at me, then they can ring my chat show. I've an open line with no delay so they can ask whatever they want."

He added: "If people want to address the issue, then we'll address it."

The flamboyant presenter will return to Radio Leinster for a two-part special documentary entitled My Story, which will cover his colourful life to date -- from his time in Dublin right up to the aftermath of the scandal surrounding his relationship with a teenage girl.

However, he will not be returning to his long-standing show with Talk Radio Europe on the Costa del Sol, which suddenly terminated his contract when his relationship with the teenager came to light.

"I will be starting a chat show on a different radio station, details of which will be announced in the coming weeks," explained Mr Boland.

Speaking of his dismay at the way in which his former employers handled the controversy, he drew comparisons with the way in which shamed DJ Neil Prendeville was given a second chance by his bosses at Cork 96FM.

"I have to say that the way in which they handled the Neil Prendeville situation was very good," he said. "I know the two situations are very different, but they never commented on the matter and they re-instated him to his old job. I certainly didn't get the same from my side. I'm disappointed with the way it was handled."

Mr Boland was helping the young entertainer prepare to sing in his Marbella talent competition, The Wow Factor, which he set up in aid of a cancer charity, when the inappropriate relationship took place.

Speaking exclusively to the Sunday Independent at the time the scandal broke, Mr Boland admitted he had made a "terrible" mistake.

"I made an error of judgment," he said. "I got involved with someone. I have been married for 40 years next year. I have been in the media and nightclub business for many, many years and I've never had an affair.

"This is the first time it's happened. I made a very bad misjudgment, which is terrible and hurt a lot of people, including my own wife and her family and my children. And all I can say to those people who are hurt -- I am sincerely sorry."

After spending the past nine months rebuilding his relationship with his wife Wendy, Maurice has described this weekend how the controversy had affected his wife of 40 years.

"She's put up with me. It's been very difficult but we've gotten through it because we love each other very much."

He went on: "It's different now. Things happened that shouldn't have happened and just because I'm back on radio soon, I'm not saying that I'm walking around with a smile on my face, thinking 'ha, ha, ha'. Things have been very difficult."

At the time, the news sent shockwaves around those who knew Maurice Boland from his days as a high-profile nightclub owner when he launched the late-night club culture on Dublin's Leeson Street. Later he joined forces with La Stampa owner Louis Murray to launch Barbarella's nightclub.

He later went on to manage Mandy Smith, the 13-year-old 'Lolita' girlfriend of Rolling Stone Bill Wyman. The convent-school girl met Wyman in 1984 and when the romance cooled two years later, she hooked up with Boland, who got her modelling jobs and a record deal for a song titled I Can't Wait. She later dropped Boland and ended up marrying Bill Wyman in 1986.

Mr Boland and his wife Wendy were a glamour couple of Dublin's social set and moved to Marbella, Spain, in the Eighties, where they became part of the ex-pat Irish social scene. Wendy is very well-known among the ladies who lunch and has her own business as a party organiser, mainly for Irish people.

Mr Boland himself is well-connected with the ex-pat Irish community and frequently has guests over from Ireland as well as interviewing a string of famous people, including British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Speaking about the liaison with the young girl, he explained at the time the scandal broke how he had set out to help her build on her musical talents, but their relationship eventually turned into something more.

He said their relationship started off as a working relationship while he helped her with her music career, saying, "It was a very short involvement and it was never planned. Some of these things just happen.

"It came about through circumstance. The wrong time at the wrong place. There's nothing planned about it."

Asked how his working relationship crossed the line, he replied: "I can't answer it. I can't answer because there was no plan. How do these things happen? I don't know.

"It came to light, people found out and that was it," he said.

"There is no rape involved, no illegality involved, so there's nowhere else to go with that."

Drawing on the young girl's age, he said, "The reason that anyone is showing any interest is because of the girl's age, but I've done nothing illegal. She is of legal age. I have done nothing illegal."

"She's 100 per cent over 16. Not that I feel any better. I'm feeling awful about everything. I didn't set out to have a relationship with anyone, or to have it with someone so young. It was just a misjudgment on my behalf."

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Morocco has no Libyan assets, the central bank governor said on Tuesday at a news conference.

Morocco has no Libyan assets, the central bank governor said on Tuesday at a news conference.

"We don't have any (Libyan) assets," Abdellatif Jouahri told reporters in response to question on ties to Morocco's fewllow North African state. "We haven't been approached by anyone to freeze any assets."

He made a distinctions between Libyan foreign investments in Morocco and state assets.

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Posted in: Morocco has no Libyan assets,the central bank governor said on Tuesday at a news conference.

thousands of British criminals had made Spain their home and given the coastal area the reputation of being "the bit of Europe that fell off the back of a lorry."

more than 20 years since a young Englishman hopped off his mountain bike outside a villa in Llanos de Naguelos, near Marbella, went round to the swimming pool and shot dead the great train robber, Charlie Wilson. The murder represented the Costa del Crime writ large and was a reminder that thousands of British criminals had made Spain their home and given the coastal area the reputation of being "the bit of Europe that fell off the back of a lorry." It was the collapse of the extradition agreement between Spain and the United Kingdom in 1978 that first encouraged villains on the run to settle there and although that has long since changed, Spain remains an unwilling haven to thousands of Britons on the run.

The scope of British criminality in Spain has been well illustrated over the past month. Last week, (MAR 22) three Britons were arrested in Benidorm for allegedly importing three kilos of mephedrone from India. Two other Britons in Spain have just launched an appeal against their conviction for killing an ex-pat playboy criminal, Colin Nobes, whose body was dumped, wrapped in a tarpaulin, under a flyover in the province of Alicante in 2006.

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Posted in: three Britons were arrested in Benidorm for allegedly importing three kilos of mephedrone from India.

Shipwreck experts are evaluating a centuries-old-101-centimetre gold chain plucked from the sea floor while searching for a 17th-century sunken Spanish galleon off the Florida Keys.

Shipwreck experts are evaluating a centuries-old-101-centimetre gold chain plucked from the sea floor while searching for a 17th-century sunken Spanish galleon off the Florida Keys.

The piece is tentatively valued at about $250,000. It is believed to be from the Nuestra Senora de Atocha, which sank during a 1622 hurricane. It was found Wednesday by divers from Mel Fisher’s Treasures about 55 kilometres west of Key West.

The chain has 55 links, an enameled gold cross and a two-sided engraved religious medallion featuring the Virgin Mary and a chalice.

In 1985, the Fisher crew recovered more than $450 million in artifacts and treasure from the Atocha shipwreck, but part of the ship has not been found.

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Posted in: Shipwreck experts are evaluating a centuries-old-101-centimetre gold chain plucked from the sea floor while searching for a 17th-century sunken Spanish galleon off the Florida Keys.

Nueva Andalucía has become the preserve of Britons with criminal connections.

British criminal gangs have always been involved in turf wars or acts of revenge but these used to take place in their own backyards. In recent years Nueva Andalucía has become the preserve of Britons with criminal connections. There have been a number of shootings, some deadly, in what the National Police call the “settling of accounts” largely amongst drug traffickers.

The latest of these cases was the Thursday of last week just before 15.15 when the 091 emergency room of the local police in Marbella received a call to say there had been a shooting in the calle del Califa. A number of shots were discharged and a person injured.

When officers arrived there was no injured man to be found but eyewitnesses informed them the shooting had indeed taken place with the victim shot in the leg. It is understood the gunman arrived on the back of a motorbike; had got off and shot the victim as he talked with another man in the street. The gunman was then driven off at speed whilst the injured man was taken away in a four wheel drive vehicle.

Police searched the scene and found two spent cartridges which corresponded with the number of shots heard. However there was no sign of blood and no hospital or health centre had treated anybody for gunshot wounds.

From speaking to witnesses police say they are sure those involved were British. Tragically this is nothing new for Nueva Andalucía where one of the more serious shootings was in December 2009 when a Briton was shot three times, with one bullet entering his head.

However the worst case was back in December 2004 when gunmen shot and killed a 7-year-old boy and a 36-year-old hairdresser outside the Andalucía Plaza Hotel. Also injured in the hail of bullets were three other people. This case probably did not involve Britons although one of the gunmen spoke in English.

The tragic events took place at 17.30 on a Saturday afternoon when three heavily armed men got out of an Audi car parked outside the hotel leaving a fourth man at the wheel. They walked to a BMW parked outside the Cosmo hairdressers, which is part of the hotel building, and fired at a man sitting in the passenger seat. Eyewitnesses then say that the trio ran to the entrance of the hotel and one of the men fired a hail of bullets inside. The men were armed with automatic rifles and reports state that police found over 100 spent shells at the scene of the shooting.

Killed in the outrage was the 36-year-old Italian male owner of the hairdressers. Slain too was a seven-year-old boy from Sevilla who was on a short holiday to Marbella. He was waiting in the interior of the hotel for members of his family when around 6 bullets hit him in the abdomen. His aunt and another family member were amongst those injured.

After the shooting, an Algerian-born French businessman, without any known previous convictions, went to Marbella National Police station and told officers that he believed that he was the target of the killers. The businessman is involved in the exclusive fashions industry and commutes between Paris and Marbella. He was in the hairdressers at the time of the shooting.

He claims that he did not know the identity of the four men but they appeared to be looking for a second man after shooting his colleague sitting in the BMW. The injured man, who also has no previous convictions, has been described as the Frenchman’s friend and bodyguard. A pistol was found beneath the BMW car and officers have arrested him in his hospital bed on charges of alleged possession of an illicit firearm.

Today the Costa del Sol is a shooting gallery for rival gangsters. British criminals there are a plenty plus various Italian mafias, Russians, Eastern Europeans and bad guys and girls from other nations. The only difference is now the Spanish police work closely with their counterparts in these countries. Hence if you turn a corner and face a man or woman with a gun they are just as likely to be from the police as a gang member.

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Posted in: Costa del Sol is a shooting gallery for rival gangsters.

Britisher shot and has been injured in yet another shooting incident in Nueva Andalucía, Marbella.

It happened on Thursday afternoon at 3,15pm in Calle Califa in the centre of the urbanisation.

Several witnesses reported that a person riding a motorbike with his face covered, approached the victim, who was an English speaker and who is thought to be British, and fired two gunshots.

The first shot missed because the victim ducked, and ended up in the wall of a local shop. The second bullet however hit the victim in the leg.

The National Police were called to the scene but on their arrival the victim had vanished. Witnesses told the police that another man had picked him up in a four wheel drive vehicle.
Police say that it appears that the injured man has not asked for treatment at any local hospital.

The shooting took place in Nueva Andalucía where there have been several shootings over recent years, usually with drug trafficking as a backdrop. One of the most serious was in December 2009 when a British man was shot three times, once in the head.

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Posted in: Britisher shot and has been injured in yet another shooting incident in Nueva Andalucía,Marbella.

The Terra Sana group, which has been going for over a decade, is suing the owner of the branches at Nueva Andalucia, Puerto Banus and on the Golden Mile.

The Terra Sana group, which has been going for over a decade, is suing the owner of the branches at Nueva Andalucia, Puerto Banus and on the Golden Mile.
Terra Sana claims he has not paid any of the two million euro asking price, since they were sold in September last year.
And since then, the founders of the green, health food-style chain, claim they have had at least 100 complaints from diners at the trio of restaurants.
Owner, Steve Sweeney, told the Olive Press: “It is really damaging our brand and it breaks my heart to have to go through all this. This is the worst time in the history of the chain.”
The American – whose parents have run restaurants in Marbella since the 1960s – has now gone to court to get the new owner out of the restaurants.
“He is not respecting the of the franchise, nor the look of the restaurants,” said Sweeney.
“It’s so hard seeing the business I’ve nurtured since day one, now being slowly destroyed by one man. We just want him to give us our restaurants back so we can start restoring our reputation.”
The franchise – which was set-up in 2000 with the concept of offering ‘healthy and creative food’ – allocates part of its revenue to planting trees and conferences in schools.

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Posted in: is suing the owner of the branches at Nueva Andalucia,Puerto Banus and on the Golden Mile.,The Terra Sana group,which has been going for over a decade

Spanish house prices fell for the twelfth straight quarter in the final three months of 2010,

Spanish house prices fell for the twelfth straight quarter in the final three months of 2010, but came close to break-even as the property market struggles to emerge from an extended slump.

In the October to December period prices fell 0.1 percent quarter on quarter, national statistics institute INE said on Tuesday.

That was the smallest drop since quarterly prices began to descend in the fourth quarter of 2007 and much less than the 2.2 percent decline registered in July-September 2010.

However, official data underestimates the weakness of the market and final sale prices, rather than valuation prices used by INE, may have fallen much more sharply, economist at Global Insight Raj Badiani said.

"Despite recent indicators suggesting that the rate of decline in housing activity has been stabilising, the fundamentals point to weak activity across the sector," Badiani said.

"This is a concern for the household economy, given that housing equity constitutes around 90 percent of total household wealth."

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Posted in: Spanish house prices fell for the twelfth straight quarter in the final three months of 2010

The dream of living in Spain is one held by many Britons of all ages and from all walks of life

The dream of living in Spain is one held by many Britons of all ages and from all walks of life.  For some, the thought that you can live in perpetual sunshine and not have to learn the local lingo is a draw, for others it’s the other side of Spain away from the tourist beaches that appeals to them most.

Spain is also quite close to the UK geographically speaking, it does enjoy excellent weather on the Mediterranean coastline for example, and because may Brits already live there, integration can be relatively smooth.  However, parts of Spain such as Mallorca practically die in the winter because tourists drift away and everything gets boarded up – and it does get cold!  Other parts of Spain such as Marbella are currently a crime hotspot.

The nation has been extremely badly impacted by the economic downturn, entire developments remain unfinished and some people are truly stuck living in Spain when they’d rather flee back to the UK.

To live in Spain you need to love the nation – ideally you’ll have a comfortable pension or income to live on, you’ll speak Spanish and your move will be a permanent one if you buy a house in the country.  Otherwise, try renting instead of buying so that you’re not tied to one location if it becomes less desirable.

Just like France, Spain can represent the fulfilment of the dream on every level – but do your homework and research to ensure you get your move right.

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David Valadez, the Socialist Mayor of Estepona, is to appear in court next month,

David Valadez, the Socialist Mayor of Estepona, is to appear in court next month, where he’s to be questioned as a suspect for allegedly using funds from land sales to pay the wages of the municipal workforce.

El Mundo newspaper gives his date in court as April 1. It’s understood that the municipal secretary, Francisco de Paula, the Town Hall treasurer, Javier María Marín, will be in court with him on the first of next month.

The complaint presented by the Partido Popular in September claims that most of the funds used to pay Town Hall wages are income resulting from planning agreements and should only be spent on planning matters.

El Mundo notes that Andalucía’s LOUA land law prohibits using funds from planning agreements to cover general expenditure.

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Posted in: David Valadez,is to appear in court next month,the Socialist Mayor of Estepona

'Bargain Properties' Available In Spain

'Bargain Properties' Available In Spain: "Substantial price falls in the Spanish property market have meant that there are plenty of opportunities for buyers to pick up a bargain at present.

Official government figures released by the Department for Housing show that the average price for a house in Spain have fallen by 3.5 per cent over the course of the past 12 months.

However, real estate professionals have suggested that the declines have been underestimated.

'The problem with the government's data is it tends to understate price falls, which have been more like 30 per cent or more [peak-to-present] in coastal regions like the Costa Blanca and the Costa del Sol,' said Mark Stucklin of Spanish Property Insight."

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Posted in: 'Bargain Properties' Available In Spain

Selva Pascuala cave murals 'show man may have used magic mushrooms 6,000 years ago' | Mail Online

Selva Pascuala cave murals 'show man may have used magic mushrooms 6,000 years ago' | Mail Online: "For all those who thought hallucinogenic drugs took off in the 1960s, think again: scientists believe they have found evidence of magic mushroom use 6,000 years ago.

Cave murals found in Spain appear to depict them in religious rituals - which would be the oldest evidence of their use in Europe.

The Selva Pascuala cave mural near the town of Villar del Humo has a bull in the centre, but researchers from America and Mexico are focussing on a row of 13 small mushroom-like objects."

:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

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Posted in: Selva Pascuala cave murals 'show man may have used magic mushrooms