Costa Brava News

Barça Supercopa Champions

dianew — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 11:33:50 +0000

Barcelona beat Sevilla 4-0 at Camp Nou in the second leg of the Supercopa, canceling out Sevilla’s first leg 3-1 win. Their 4 goals included a hat-trick from Leo Messi, who now equals the 130 official goals of Eto’o and Rivaldo.

Cataluña eagerly awaits the commencement of the new football season, hooping Barça can repeat their success of the last couple of years.

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Catalans Vote to Abolish Bullfighting

dianew — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:39:55 +0000

The Catalan Parliament today passed the abolition of bull fighting in Catalunya, by a margin of 68 votes to 45. The ban will become law from 1 January 2012. Detractors claim that Catalans see this veto as just another way of distancing themselves from the rest of Spain, while others applaud it as the beginning of the end of bullfighting worldwide. Many Spaniards, Catalans included, object to the ban as stepping on historical Spanish traditions, citing the age-old argument that matadors are so expertly trained, bulls are killed without suffering; indeed if they suffer the matador is booed. They claim that Spaniards have nothing but respect for these noble beasts. The majority however , are moving with the times and general respect for all life, and while happy to eat the meat; do not want to watch their dinner being slaughtered. The overwhelming support for this total ban throughout Cataluña, proves that at least in this area, voters are against cruelty of any kind, regardless of “traditions”. Although the law is dated from 1 January 2012, many smaller towns have already begun the destruction of their local bullring, most of which have not been used for many years. While there are obviously some dissenters; the majority of Catalans are proud to be the first to put an end to this spectacle.

Spain Celebrates World Cup Win

dianew — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 21:47:11 +0000

The streets of Spain are alive tonight, with revelers celebrating the Spanish football team’s historical win of the World Cup, after also winning the European Cup 2 years ago.

The entire town of Lloret de Mar took to the streets, the majority at the roundabout and in the fountain at it’s centre.

Police closed the streets to traffic due to the number of pedestrians, and the town is one big party!

Similar scenes are reported all over the country, while the celebrations will surely continue for some time to come.

Well done Spain !

GOAL !!! from INIESTA !!!!

Nocturnal Bus Service to Run Between Blanes, Lloret and Tossa de Mar

admin — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 21:56:00 +0000

A nocturnal bus service will begin this Saturday night, and continue every weekend until the end of September. The service will run between Blanes, Lloret de Mar and Tossa.

The idea behind the service is to provide more mobility for young people, as the bus will connect with connecting buses to Tordera, Palafols and Santa Susana via the bus terminal in Blanes.

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Salou Businessman Caught Laundering Money for the Mafia

dianew — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 18:24:45 +0000

Six Eastern Bloc Mafia bosses were arrested on Tuesday in Cataluña in a police operation, aimed at the eastern mafias using Spanish businesses to launder millions of euros from their illegal activities. This money was obtained from drug trafficking and arms sales, and large amounts were laundered on the Catalan coast through building societies, and legal businesses like restaurants and hotels created by the group.
Also among those arrested was the owner of a Gestoría (a solicitors/accountants) in Salou, Tarragona: Juan Oyonate, 40, is suspected of laundering money for these groups over a period of 10 years, and was also responsible for the financial engineering of the group. In 2003 he created an independent local political party, but without any success.
The Mafia groups arrested are from different countries: Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. They installed themselves in Barcelona and Tarragona with the idea of living a quiet comfortable life with false papers, to launder their money. One, Ladus Unayan, was an ex-commandant of the Armenian police.
One more suspect in the case was not arrested, although officers knew he was in Catalunya during March, he had the foresight to return to Kiev before the operation was put into motion. The six arrested were part of an operation all over Europe against Russian-Georgian Mafia which resulted in a total of 80 arrests, of Mafia bosses between 27 and 49 years of age, all enjoying a high lifestyle.
The arrests in Catalunya resulted in the capture of €42,000 in bills of 500, and 14 high range vehicles; one of the arrested having just bought two Mercedes in recent months.

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Murder Mother Planned her Weekend

dianew — Sat, 29 May 2010 17:21:52 +0000

Lianne Smith sent a package of photos with a letter to a publicist in England, before carrying out the cruel acts which are now known to all of us. The fugitive mother compiled an album of their ‘wonderful holiday’ together on the Costa Brava, then sent it off with a farewell letter before allegedly smothering Rebecca and 11-month-old Daniel with a plastic bag.

The letter and it’s contents make it clear that she planned events well in advance, and this was not a spur-of-the-moment act.

She claimed to have tried to smother herself with the same bag, and it is also reported that she later tried to cut her wrists. Latest reports have her refusing food or drink in prison, in an attempt to “join her babies”.

The photographs show the children blissfully unaware of their Mother’s state of mind as they enjoy their ‘holiday’ in Lloret de Mar.

Picture and letter fragments from Daily Mail exclusive.

The wording of the letter, as well as the dates, shows she took the photos, developed them, wrote the letter and collected all together before ending the lives of her children. It would seem this was a very carefully planned weekend, not a sudden desperate act as was initially thought.

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Lianne Smith on Suicide Watch

admin — Thu, 27 May 2010 12:43:01 +0000

The bodies of the two children are removed from the Lloret de mar hotel

Lianne Smith the mother who has admitted to murdering her two children in a Lloret de Mar hotel, is allegedly refusing food and water in the Girona prison where she is being held.

Last Friday Lianne admitted suffocating her two children with a plastic bag. She then said she tried to commit suicide by using the same method.

Smith who had been on the run with her partner, wanted pedophile Martin Smith since 2007, has claimed she does not want to live, but “wants to join her children on the other side.” Martin Smith was eventually arrested in Barcelona on May 7th, which led to Lianne Smith booking into the Lloret de Mar hotel.

Prison guards have 43 year old Lianne on 24 hour suicide watch.

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More Details Emerge on the Child Murders

dianew — Wed, 19 May 2010 20:38:48 +0000

According to the Spanish newspaper, El Mundo, The 11 month old child was son of the arrested Martin Smith, while the 5 year old Rebecca was fruit of an earlier marriage, though daughter of Lianne Smith. This explains why Rebecca was on a missing child list since 2007.

Apparently the Smiths were living in Barcelona, at an address in Travessera de Grazia, until Mr Smith’s arrest on Friday, after which Lianne took the children with her to Lloret de Mar and booked into the Hotel Miramar.

It turns out Lianne Smith has another daughter, who now is 20 years old, who was one of the alleged abuse victims named in the original case against Martin Smith, who jumped bail and fled to Spain in 2007.

The Times claims that the Police are looking for another English man involved in the case; which case? remains unclear.

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Father of Murdered Kids Arrested in Barcelona

dianew — Wed, 19 May 2010 11:34:12 +0000

New details emerged this morning, that the Father of the 2 murdered children, Martin Smith, 45, of North Shields, was arrested in Barcelona on Friday, having been on Britain’s most wanted list for some years, charged with sex offences including rape and child sex abuse. He was extradited to the UK yesterday, possibly triggering a series of events that led to yesterday’s tragedy.

The Mother, Lianne Smith confessed to Police and a Judge yesterday that she smothered the children with a plastic bag, stating she was afraid they would be taken from her. She is due to appear in court Thursday morning.

The 5 year old girl, Rebecca, was reported missing from Staffordshire in 2007, and it would appear that 11 month old Daniel was born while the Parents were on the run, since Martin Smith jumped bail in 2007.

Autopsies are being carried out on the two little ones today, Wednesday.

This very sad tale has captured the hearts of the Spanish people, who consider their children to be special gifts to be treasured, and are unable to comprehend how a Mother could do this.

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2 Children Dead- Holidaying Brits Mourn the Little Ones

dianew — Tue, 18 May 2010 19:59:28 +0000

The first British tourists came forward with a floral tribute to the two little British children who lost their lives today in their holiday hotel in Lloret de Mar, Costa Brava, apparently at the hands of their own Mother.

The local news channels all ran stories this evening, claiming the Mother has been charged and has confessed to the crimes. No further details have emerged as to who the family were, or where they came from, but the children’s Father is reported to be on his way to the Beach resort.