Spain to host the world's first 'Google Glass' monitored surgery

In a world first, a chondrocyte transplant operation will be carried out on Friday in Madrid, using Google Glass to allow remote experts in the USA to consult live on the procedure and viewers to watch in real time on the Internet.

A 49-year-old man will be undergoing a chondrocyte transplant operation (used to treat cartilage injuries) in Madrid on Friday and will enter the record books in the process.

During the operation, the 'augmented reality' glasses will allow remote experts to consult live on the surgery, all the way from the USA.

This will be the first ever operation involving the assistance of Google Glass and will be carried out at Madrid's CEMTRO Clinic, while being monitored simultaneously at Stanford University in the USA.

According to the Spanish national daily La Razón, Dr Hormero Rivas and his colleagues from Stanford University will consult, if necessary, with the Spanish team, led by Dr Pedro Guillén.

On top of the consultation aspect, Internet viewers will also be able to follow the procedure in real time online, thanks to a Spanish Google Glass app development company, Droiders.

Google Glass will thus allow remote experts to see the patients almost literally through the eyes of the wearer, enabling them to answer questions, offer diagnosis and exchange opinions.

Expert believe that this new technology will revolutionize the field of health with the 'smart glasses' allowing doctors to instantly collect and record patient information, take high definition pictures and connect with other doctors.

To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/352886

Madrid public school to be named after former British PM Thatcher

A decision to name a school after the late British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who some call an enemy of public schooling, is causing widespread anger in Spain. This after a similar attempt to name a street after her failed in April.

 

Authorities in Madrid recently gave the green light for the creation of a new, bilingual public school in that city, to be named after the former British prime minister, Thatcher.

 

The school will be situated in the city's Barajas district and is set to open its doors in the next academic year with space for 75 pupils. Spokesperson for Madrid's ruling Popular Party (PP) government, Salvador Victoria, made the announcement of the naming decision on Thursday. Victoria said that the new school will be one of two new institutions, built as part of a wider restructuring program. 

 

However, Spanish daily 20 Minutos reported on Friday that the naming of the school has caused some anger.

 

José Luis Pazos, spokesperson for the local Federation of Parents Associations (FAPA), told The Local :

"Last year they (the Community of Madrid) changed the laws so they would have the final say in the naming of colleges."

"Before that the individual school councils chose their names, with input from staff, and parents and students." 

"Now the regional government has the final say, and there are no limits on the names they use. It's all ideologically based." "My organization doesn't have a personal position on what names they use."

"But we do object to individual schools not be able to choose what they are called."

 Surprise at the plan to name a school after the late Thatcher resonated in Twitter too. 

Twitter user @DyBuenaletra tweeted:

"DespacitoyBuenaletra ‏@DyBuenaletra 21 Jun Madrid bautiza a un colegio público como "Margaret Thatcher", la enemiga de la escuela pública. Viva la coherencia." 

Or in English: "Madrid baptizing a public school with the name Margaret Thatcher, the enemy of public schooling. Long live coherency." 

Another Twitter user Alonso said, "A public school with the name of Thatcher. NONSENSE."

The United Left (IU) politician Alberto Garzón sent his own tweet: "These are the same people who refuse to take down Fascist symbols in Spain."

Baroness Thatcher, who passed away on April 8th at the age of 87, was the first female British Prime Minister. She was also the first British Prime Minister to make an official visit to Spain, in 1988.

Nicknamed "the milk snatcher" when she stopped the distribution of free milk to schoolchildren, she ruled as the "Iron Lady" (due to her uncompromising nature) from 1979 until 1990.

In April this year, the city of Madrid also made plans to name a street after the late Thatcher, and this move also drew strong criticism.

Twitter accounts went a little wild then too, with @JotaInKoelle joking that mayor Ana Botella had forgotten that a street in Madrid was already named after the former British leader, linking to a street map website where "Calle de Brujas" was highlighted ("Witch Street" in English).

To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/352899

Spain's famous 'soldier' con artist arrested in Madrid

Popularly known as "Capitán Timo", and believed to have been scamming for over half a century, Spain's most famous con artist, José Manuel Quintia, has finally been arrested in Madrid.

Quintia, known throughout Spain as Capitán Timo, presented himself as a high-ranking military official to swindle people into handing over their cash.

 

On Thursday, Spanish police arrested Quintia for his role in six crimes in Madrid over recent months, where he is believed to have raked in around €30,000 ($40,000). 

 

The media describes Quintia as being "around 70 years old" and he has made a living for himself, pretending to be military top brass to win the confidence of his targets. His normal methods are to offer people non-existent military-related contracts for services including washing machines, army hairdressers, canteens etc. and then charges for his services. 

 

He was finally done in when a woman contacted the police a few weeks ago, describing how a man had offered her the possibility of taking over a military canteen at a Madrid army barracks. Reportedly the man asked that she provide personal documentation and a €900 ($1,180) fee to "facilitate the process". The woman handed over the cash, but feared afterwards that she might have been scammed.

 

t seems that Capitán Timo has been going since at least the 1960's and is well-known for his scams. In 1999, facing similar charges of fraud, Quintia faked an epileptic fit. He apparently threw himself to the floor and started shaking violently. However, the court doctor declare him fit and healthy and the trial continued without him present in the courtroom. In the article it mentions that the prosecutor requested 10 years in prison, but no mention is made of whether he actually went to jail. 

 

El País does mention that in 1992 a case against Quintia was tried and he was sentenced to six years in prison, but that this apparently did not put an end to his career.

 

In the 1999 article, El País recalled one of Capitán Timo's more extravagant hoaxes. In 1991, he disguised himself as a frigate captain and, using the moniker José Manuel Cervera de Prada, drove up to the headquarters of a Madrid telecommunications company in a luxury Mercedes Benz, decorated with Spanish flags. Quintia, escorted by four "bodyguards" in suits and dark glasses, then bought 132 telephones for 'military vehicles', using cash "from reserve funds", and through other similar purchases. 

 

With this extravagant purchase, he managed to win over the manager of the business. A while later, the con artist proposed a business plan to the manager of the telecommunications company, saying he could, with his help, buy telephones more cheaply from US army bases in Spain. Quintia asked a mere 20 million pesetas (around €12,000) for this service, and then simply disappeared.

To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/352807

'Krasty Burger' hits Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol in Spain

You might find the logo, nay, the NAME of this new hamburger joint hauntingly familiar, especially if you are a fan of the Simpsons. Just opened on the Costa del Sol for your fast food fancy... but, wait ... "Krasty?"

How legal this is, being so close to the name of the ''Krusty Burger" in the Simpsons' home town, I am not really sure, but "Krasty Burger" certainly has a big Simpsons theme going on.

Their burgers, hot dogs and baguettes look amazingly tasty from the images in the restaurant, but there was no one eating at the time to give a review.

With the writer being a newly-minted vegetarian, this was a problem, but on asking around the locals in the area, the general consensus was that the food is pretty darn good....

For more information and photos:

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/352725

Famous donkey taxis of Mijas, Spain to have new number plates

To boost the quality of their tourist taxi rides, the famous Mijas donkeys must be registered with brand new ID plates. This will also aid recognition of individual animals and improve the service.  Yes, you must register your ass...

Digital Journal reported on this typical "white village" of southern Spain a while back. On visiting the quaint Andalucían pueblo of Mijas, the famous donkey taxis are evident everywhere, and tourists love to ride in the taxis, both to tour the pueblo, and also to get where they want to go.

On Tuesday, the Popular Party (PP) administration of Mijas gave brandnew registration plates to all horse-drawn carriages, donkey taxis and their drivers in the town to aid in their recognition.

Councilman Juan Carlos Gonzales told the media, "In the event of an accident or complaint, the donkey or driver will be able to be identified".

"These rules were made not just to regulate an iconic tourist industry but to improve the quality of the service, protect the rights of customers and guarantee that the donkeys meet health and safety requirements."

In total, 12 horse-drawn carriages, 17 donkey carts and 52 taxi donkeys have been issued with the new plates. 

"Identification through vehicle registration is one step more in the face of good image to tourists and to protect the rights of consumers", said councilwoman María del Mar Ríos, stressing that, "Donkey taxis are the symbol of Mijas and we must highlight and value them."

In designing the new plates, municipal technicians have enhanced the brand image of Mijas, since "the donkey taxi is one of the most photographed elements of the tourist trade in the municipality", and so "the plates will also promote Mijas", said Gonzalez.

Read more and see more photos: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/352671

Homeless take over abandoned houses in Spanish building site

Around 60 homeless families have taken over an unfinished housing complex in southern Spain. While they have no water or electricity, they at least have a roof over their heads.

 

Plaza in the town of Bollullos Par del Condado

Spain's past building boom left the country with many empty homes, many of which are unfinished. With the recession and economic crisis in the country, the poorest Spaniards are now moving into these abandoned houses, mostly without any electricity or running water.

 

A recent example of this can be found on the outskirts of Bollullos Par del Condado, a town between Seville and Huelva in Andalucia, southern Spain. The urbanization is unfinished, but there are 80 elegantly painted, three-bedroom houses just standing empty.

 

Now several local homeless families are moving in.

 

53-year-old Juana Alonso is an unemployed care assistant. She explains why she has moved into one of the abandoned homes: 

 

"I got to the point where I couldn't pay the rent. It was impossible. This place was open, so we came in and here we are."

 

According to Juana, around 60-70 families have moved into the estate just in the last three weeks. "I'm hoping something will budge and they'll give us light and water and an affordable rent," she said. "That's all we're asking for. We're humans, not dogs." 

 

Many of the houses have no doors or toilets, but at least all have a roof to shelter the families from the hot sun of early summer. 

 

 This urbanization is just one of countless construction projects all across Spain, which were abandoned by property developers when the bank loans dried up during the 2008 financial crisis. 

 

The farming region where the homes are located is suffering from an unemployment rate of almost 37%, which is above the overall Spanish unemployment figure of 27%, so these particular empty homes have drawn the poorest of the poor. 

 

In April, Andalucia's regional government did pass a measure to temporarily stop evictions from homes belonging to banks or real estate companies and to allow poor families to live in them at a modest rent. This new measure also imposes fines between €1,000 and €9,000 ($1,300 and $12,000) on such banks and real estate firms that hold on to empty homes which are fit and suitable for occupation, in a bid to increase this pool of affordable housing.

 

However, the measure came too late for Juana and her neighbors and they now hope that the authorities will allow then to stay in the unfinished homes. One of Juana's neighbors, 23-year-old Toni Garcia has occupied a house with her three-month old baby. Toni used to work as a farm laborer in the region's olive groves, but lost her employment. 

 

She told the media, "We had to come here because we had no other choice." "I don't mind sleeping on a park bench, but I don't want that for my children. I at least want them to have a roof over them."

 

"We were paying €225 a month, which is the cheapest rent you can find."

 

"But since I'm not earning and neither is my partner, they were going to throw us out," added Toni. 

 

"We saw all the doors open here and realized there was no one in the houses. These houses were just going to fall to pieces," she says. "So we moved in." 

 

Close by, residents can fill buckets from a large plastic barrel of water, to use for washing or making coffee, and food and kitchen supplies have been donated by local charities. 

 

Another neighbor, Jose Manuel Rodriguez, 34, has occupied a house with his partner and his 11-year-old daughter. Jose used to work in the strawberry fields that cover much of the surrounding Huelva area, but work has dried up.

 

"We entered here without causing any damage, quite the opposite," he says. "We called the police and the town hall, telling them that we are here. We said all we want is to negotiate a dignified solution, a home - either in this house or another," he adds. "Let the town hall or the regional government, or whoever this place belongs to, get a move on and find a solution to this social problem."

 

However, the mayor of Bollullos, Francisco Diaz, has indicated that this issue was addressed at the last local Security Board and recalled the "legal limbo" of these homes due to the difficult situation of the construction industry.

 

Diaz did point out that the council "may do little" about the situation as the complex is privately owned, but that authorities will collect the data of people who are in the houses in order to somehow control the situation. Diaz further deplored "the lack of responsibility" of the United Left party who "encouraged" these people to take this action without taking into account the "complicated situation that leaves the owners in now" since "27 homes were sold and are now taken over". 

 

According to the regional government, there are as many as 700,000 empty homes in Andalucia and it only makes sense to allow families to move in and have a roof over their heads in these difficult times.

To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/352635

Young bull escapes in Málaga, Spain, caught by pedestrian (video)

Captured on video by a passerby, the young bull had escaped from a livestock area in an industrial estate in Málaga, and caused a little chaos along the way before being wrestled to the ground by a passing pedestrian. Olé!

The young bull can first be seen ramming a car and then a pedestrian (handily wearing a red t-shirt), before finally being subdued in the Avenida de Europa, near the Santa Bárbara roundabout in the southern Spanish city. 

Passersby found out that the calf had escaped from a livestock area of the Guadalhorce industrial estate close by on Monday. A resident on his way to work in the area captured the event on his Android mobile phone and gave the story to the local daily newspaper, Sur.

Pedestrians were finally able to control the animal, wrestling him to the ground, but two people did sustain minor injuries, although the young bull was apparently none the worse for wear after his little escapade.

Relief was expressed that this incident occurred at a time when children from the nearby local school were not out in the streets.

To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/352634

Germany seeks help from Spain on organ transplant systems

In the wake of a series of scandals rocking Germany involving data manipulation to organ waiting lists, a delegation of doctors and government officials from Germany's DSO transplant organization are seeking help from Spain.

There have apparently been more than 30 cases of data manipulation concerning organ transplants at the University Clinic in Goettingen (Germany).

 

According to the head of Spain's National Transplant Organization (ONT), Rafael Matesanz, the German government has ordered a leading lawyer to review and overhaul organ donation systems in Germany. 

 

The lawyer contacted Spain to analyze the Spanish model to see which aspects could be useful in the German operation.

 

"They can't change their system overnight but they can adapt many of the concepts that we've developed and try to modify them to help them improve," Matesanz said. "It's important for a country like Germany, which has always operated its transplant system independently, to come to Spain because we are a leader in this area."

 

An official from the ONT assured the Spanish newspaper El Imparcial, "In Spain, the process of donation and transplant waiting lists are completely transparent."

 

Germany's system varies widely from the Spanish, as it relies on the cooperation of the various German federal states, along with the procurement of organs through the DSO and their distribution, which is done via a company called Eurotransplant.

However in Spain, the ONT is responsible for both the procurement and transplantation of not just organs but also other tissues and cells, while in Germany these are handled separately by "many different private companies". 

 

Reportedly the German Ministry of Health is not involved in the process.

 

"We have urged them to change in this regard," said Matesanz.

 

He added: "Spain was the first country where the department of health got involved with transplants and, after 25 years of working well it has proven to be effective."

 

The visit by the German delegation to Spain was led by the President of the DSO, Rainer Hess; the director general of the DSO, Thomas Biet; the Director of the transplant program of the Ministry of health of the Federal Government, Angelika Huck; the medical director of the DSO in the State of Bavaria, Thomas Breidenbach; the regional coordinator of transplants of Bavaria, Hans Neft; and the head of the University Hospital Essen, Gernot Kaiser transplant program.

 

Matesanz has been invited by the German delegation to visit Berlin to explain the transplant model used by Spain to the federal parliament, and the possibilities of adapting it to the German health system.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/352566

Colombian kidnapping ordeal ends happily in marriage proposal

In the proverbial happy ending, two Spaniards who were taken hostage by a guerrilla group in Colombia on May 17th have finally been freed and are planning a wedding.

 

The couple, Ángel Sánchez and María Concepción Marlaska, were taken hostage May 17th and were held in a remote area of Colombia's La Guajira province near the border with Venezuela.

 

A specialist anti-kidnapping unit finally freed the couple in a raid.

 

At first the couple preferred not to make any public comments on their experience, but changed their minds on Sunday, when they held a press conference in the Spanish embassy in Bogota, according to El Periodico.

 

Now the story of two Spaniards enduring a month-long kidnap ordeal looks set to have a happy ending when their press conference turned into a public marriage proposal. 

 

49-year-old Sánchez used the press conference to take the opportunity to propose to his partner of seven years, 43-year-old Marlaska:

 

"I'm going to do something I thought I would not ever do, at least under these circumstances, which is to ask for your hand in marriage," he said. "I hope you don't say no." 

 

"Will you be my wife? Will you marry me?" he asked.

 

And to his delight, Marlaska's reply was an emphatic: "Yes."

 

The couple then continued to detail their traumatic experience, but explained that they are both "very well."

 

According to Marlaska, the experience brought them closer together because "it is essential to become a team to stay strong." She said that throughout their period of captivity they had given each other mutual support to keep their spirits up.

 

A visibly emotional Sánchez declared: "I want to say something very important, in public." "I am only alive thanks to her." 

 

He added: "I want the whole world to know, because otherwise I would have gone crazy." 

 

The newly engaged couple, who are from Avilés in the northern region of Asturias, then told the media that they were eager to return to normal daily life on their return to Spain on Monday.

 

A fairytale ending indeed to a horrible ordeal.

 

 --  

 

Background: In May, it was reported by Spain's foreign ministry that the couple, who were tourists in Colombia, had been kidnapped by a group claiming to be part of the country’s notorious armed group FARC.

 

Their luggage was left at a hotel in the Guajira region, which is an area renowned for its heavy paramilitary and drug trafficker presence and their car was found with a broken window at a ranch about 85 kilometers outside of the town of Uribia.

 

While it remains unclear whether the captors were actually part of Colombia’s main “terrorist” group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the abductors asked the victims' families for a ransom the day after the kidnapping. Reportedly, Marlaska is a relative of high-profile judge Fernando Grande-Marlaska.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/352562

Spain's healthcare cuts put Spaniards' lives at risk

According to a study published in the British Medical Journal on Thursday, budget cuts and austerity measures in Spain could cause the dismantling of a large part of the Spanish health system, potentially damaging the health of the population.

According to authors of the report, if this trend continues, there is a risk that Spain will experience a spiral of health problems, leading to a possible increase in infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV. 

 

The report shows that social services and healthcare cuts of almost 14% at the national level, and 10% on the regional level, in 2012 actually coincided with an increase in the demand for care, especially for the disabled, mentally ill and for senior citizens.

 

Part of the research consisted of interviews with 34 doctors and nurses in the Catalonia region, where the majority said they felt “shocked, numbed and disillusioned” about the cuts.

 

Researchers said that others expressed fears that austerity measures would actually “kill people,” identifying an increase in cases of depression, alcoholism-related diseases and suicides in Spain since the crisis began.

 

The journal quoted Helena Legido-Quigly, who is a lecturer in global health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and who worked on the research:

 

Our analysis is the first to look at the overall impact of austerity measures in Spain on the healthcare system and the findings are of great concern. Many of the measures taken to save money do not have a strong evidence-base. We are seeing detrimental effects on the health of the Spanish people and, if no corrective measures are implemented, this could worsen with the risk of increases in HIV and tuberculosis - as we have seen in Greece where healthcare services have had severe cuts - as well as the risk of a rise in drug resistance and spread of disease.

Legido-Quigly and her colleagues also explained:

 

In the face of austerity, a series of disconnected “reforms” could, without corrective measures, lead to the effective dismantling of large parts of the Spanish healthcare system, with potentially detrimental effects on health.

 

Besides cuts in spending, other changes include excluding unofficial immigrants from accessing free health services and an increase in payments by patients for additional treatments, including drugs, prosthetics and some ambulance trips.

 

According to the report, regional cuts have led to a move towards privatization of hospitals, cutbacks in emergency services, longer waiting times and fewer surgical procedures in both Madrid and Barcelona.

 

Co-author Jose Martin-Moreno, Professor of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Valencia, added: 

 

I believe that this article sheds some much-needed light on the details of the cuts we are seeing in the Spanish health system. In fact, the cuts in public health expenditure, which are being implemented in response to a general economic crisis, are coming at a moment when health systems need more - not fewer - resources, among other reasons, to deal with the adverse health effects associated with unemployment. Cuts to essential health services, when insufficiently assessed or supported by evidence, can destabilize the health system, threatening not only equal access to healthcare, but also health care quality, which can even generate increases in other costs in the long term.

 

According to the report, Spain has one of the lowest healthcare budgets as a proportion of GDP in the European Union.

To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/352391

UK's 'Paella Prisoners': English & Spanish media stories differ

In a UK tabloid story, we can read about a British couple who were unfairly imprisoned and fined while on holiday, for refusing to pay a restaurant bill. In the Spanish media, we can read about what actually happened.

 

What the Daily Mail is saying is that Geoff Cox and Bridget Keys were "mistakenly charged" €15 ($20) for an extra portion of paella at a restaurant in Granada in southern Spain, which they visited on their recent cycling holiday.

 

They apparently told reporters that when they offered to pay €105 instead of €120, the waiter "went off like a firecracker."

 

The UK's Daily Mail newspaper ran a feature on the paella incident in which a British couple told of their arrest, imprisonment and fine as a result of an allegedly erroneous restaurant bill. Police were then called and the couple were apparently taken straight to jail, then stripped of their shoes and left without food and water for the night.

 

However, the Granada daily newspaper, Ideal, decided to contact the local police and were given a very different version of the events.

 

Ideal reported in their article titled "The paella of discord", that police spokesman, Mariano Valbuena told them, "Our services were required in a restaurant because two people didn't want to pay part of their bill."

 

"The owner said that he wanted to prosecute the couple so we needed to identify them." 

 

When asked for their identity papers, the British couple told the police that their documentation was in the hotel. Police ordered them to return to their room and collect their passports, in the company of an officer. This is apparently when the problems really started. 

Reportedly Cox was said by police to have "lashed out at one officer", while his partner, Ms Keys, kicked another in an incident that was described by the Daily Mail as "some shoving and pushing."

 

It was at this point (around 2 am) that the couple were arrested for attacking law enforcement officers and taken to the police station.

 

Cox and Keyes insist in the Daily Mail that they first found out about the assault charges when they were given access to a translator and a lawyer the morning after their arrest. 

 

Then the Granada newspaper contacted the restaurant owner himself, who eventually decided not to prosecute the couple, but explained the whole story.

 

"They asked for a paella but, as it says on the menu, it's for a minimum of two people, €15 per plate, so €30 in total."

 

"They had a lot to drink then they went to leave without paying."

 

The whole thing led to a court hearing on May 20, where the couple avoided custodial sentences, but were ordered to pay €78 in fines plus damages of €250.

 

In the UK version, they were fined despite the charges being dropped, but in the Spanish version, charges were dropped because the couple agreed to pay the fine.

 

While the restaurant owner mentioned that the couple had had a lot to drink, the Mail made no mention of their alcohol consumption.

 

The tabloid quoted Cox as saying, "I'm an ordinary, middle class, respectable citizen who has never had any trouble with the police". 

 

He apparently added: "It's a bloody outrage."

According to Cox, who is in his late 50s and from Newdigate in Surrey, the total cost of the incident, including travel and legal expenses, is in excess of €700 and the couple are now demanding compensation for this amount, for the inconvenience caused. 

 

"That messed up our holiday plans as we were off to Seville," said Cox. "We came back to Granada at a cost of €200 to have our day in court."

To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/352380

Mallorca police nab 'radical' hairdresser as suspected terrorist

A German national of Tunisian descent was arrested on Thursday after claiming he had been sent by Allah to "kill all the Spanish." The alleged terrorist was arrested in Alcúdia, Mallorca, and charged with a number of crimes.

 

The "radical" hairdresser apparently also said that he had "terrorist friends who could plant bombs" and added: "I don't mind dying; if I have to die, I'll die, but I'll take plenty of others with me."

 

According to an official report from the Baleares Civil Guard, the accused was a student of a well-known hairdressing academy in Palma, the capital of the island of Mallorca. 

 

The report said that, "He became radicalized in the last year after making a trip to his country of origin," and further pointed out that he had made "constant threats of death and references to being a Muslim."

 

The report also stated that he had said that, "Soon the Muslims will be the kings of the world."

 

The suspect was arrested previously, on February 15th, for trying to attack a local policeman. He apparently followed the police officer's vehicle, attempting to crash into it, and then threatened to kill the officer.

 

During the past week, he is said to have threatened to "blow up the hairdressing academy and kill everyone" and to kill one of the center's administrators, while holding scissors to her neck. 

 

When police officers searched the man's apartment, they discovered a Samurai sword, documents in Arabic about the forgiveness of sins and also material considered by the police to show "signs or evidence of family tensions or changes in behavior, withdrawal and social polarization". 

 

There were also reportedly self-help books for low self-esteem. 

 

All of the evidence, together with constant references to his radical religious ideology, have resulted in his arrest. The man is accused of crimes of threatening agents of authority, attempted homicide with aggravating circumstances of acting for reasons of discrimination, relating to ideology, religion, beliefs or the nation. 

 

The image above shows the Samurai sword and other personal effects found in the home of the suspected terroris.

To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/352351

Spanish scientists protest against spending cuts countrywide

Friday saw hundreds of Spanish scientists along with their supporters, marching through the streets of Madrid, as well as 18 other cities including Barcelona and Seville.

The march on Friday was a nationwide protest against government cuts to research and development which scientists say are forcing them to leave the country.

Some wearing their white lab coats, the protesters blew whistles and chanted as they headed to the Economy Ministry.

Once there, they delivered a petition signed by more than 40,000 people, demanding that the government reinstate and raise spending on science.

Public spending on research and development has been cut by 40% since 2009 according to the petition, which calls on the government to boost spending on science "to avoid the massive exodus of our human capital".

Part of the petition reads:

"The government cutbacks are causing the Spanish science and technology sector to suffocate." "We are on the brink of the collapse of what we believe to be one of the essential ingredients of the recipe that will allow us to get out of the economic crisis."

The protest marches were organized by "Open Letter for Science," a platform grouping the main scientific bodies in Spain including unions, universities and societies that specialize in science.

One of the protesters was Irene Amigo, a 25-year-old biotechnologist. She told the media, "The cuts have been brutal. Many labs can't carry out research because they don't have the means."

Amigo was seen to be wearing a hat made from styrofoam and cardboard, which depicted a human brain as a symbol of the "brain drain" Spain is facing. She said that she plans to seek work outside of Spain once her internship at a public research center ends early in 2014.

It was not only scientists protesting, as many academics also joined the march, due to the effect of the cutbacks on disciplines across universities. A 32-year-old Spanish linguist, Xose Alvarez, has been working in Portugal since 2009 because he could not find a job in Spain.

He attended the march in Madrid with a sign on his back that read: "Researcher for rent. Good price". 

Alvarez said, "I would like to work in Spain, it is my homeland, it is the country that invested in my education. Spain could benefit from my work, from my training. It was Spanish taxpayers who paid for my education."

One protester said: "Our situation? Well, as the song goes, we have three solutions. By land, by sea or by plane. Currently there is no future for us in Spain and its not because we lack the will."

Another said: "We are just asking for funding in the research field and for the deadlines of the projects already approved to be met."

"Today these projects are paralyzed. The whole field of science if paralyzed in Spain."

However, despite the brain drain, which must have a serious effect on the country as a whole, Spain is struggling to trim bulging annual deficits, which are rapidly pushing up the overall public debt.

Mass demonstrations countrywide have been ongoing, as Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy vows to find €150 billion ($195 billion) in savings between 2012 and 2014 through a painful austerity program. The big question is, what will be left should these savings finally be found? 

To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/352313

Spanish mayor volunteers for second job as music school caretaker

Rafael García Guerrero is the socialist mayor of Noia in the A Coruña province of Galicia. The caretaker of the local music school resigned, so Guerrero is giving up his evenings to do the man's job, with no pay.

Due to the latest government rules and austerity measures, Guerrero is unable to replace the caretaker at the music school. 

 

The previous incumbent resigned at the end of the 2011-2012 school year, and Guerrero felt he had to do something about the problem.

 

"The situation came about because we are forbidden from hiring anyone else," the mayor of Noia explained to the media.

 

The ban on replacing staff is part of the recent austerity cuts which have seen budgets of local authorities across Spain slashed.

 

"Now, whenever a municipal worker resigns, or someone goes on leave, we have to fill the post any way we can," said Guerrero. "The thing is, we have the money. We just can't spend it." he added.This in a country with a 25 percent unemployment rate.

And so, to give the children's parents some peace of mind, he spends a few hours at the school daily.

 

"I spend three hours a day at the school," Guerrero told The Local on Thursday, explaining that he works from 5pm to 8pm each evening. 

 

"My main role is just to be there and supervise the children between classes," he added. "I don't mind doing it," he said. "The kids play their instruments well and it's quite pleasant." 

 

But the PSOE mayor did add that the situation in Noia shows that "the current system isn't working."

 

He did tell ABC.es that he will have a short vacation soon. "Now I have a vacation because the school year ends."

 

"But it's all a bit contradictory," lamented the mayor, reiterating the fact that his local government could easily afford the caretaker, if only he was allowed to employ one.

 

Noia is a historic, coastal town, located around 40 kilometers from the city of Santiago de Compostela.

 

 

To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/352155

Singing pilot takes passengers on sightseeing tour from above

A pilot working for Spanish airline Iberia asked his passengers for permission to change his flight plan, so he could take them on a tour of the historic Galician city of Lugo from the air. He accompanied the tour with song.

The in-flight entertainment reportedly started at take-off at Madrid's Barajas airport with the pilot, Ángel Aznárez, warmly greeting passengers with a song in English.

One of the passengers told the media that it was a big surprise "but nice."

It was then quiet for a while, until both pilots started the singing again. And this was just the beginning.

According to passengers on flight IB 0512 from Madrid to A Coruña, "He asked if we could divert from our route a little to take in the beauty of the walls of Lugo."

Lugo is the only city in the world with intact Roman walls. These date from the 3rd century and are a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Passengers could hardly believe their eyes when moments later, there they were, poised in the air above the famous Roman walls of the city. The knowledgeable captain also gave details of each city along the plane's route and even provided some historical information. 

According to passengers, even the stewards enjoyed the show. "They told us the captain's joyful behavior was normal and that he was a really nice guy to both the crew and the customers," one of the passengers told La Voz de Galicia (Spanish language). 

On landing at A Coruña, Aznárez' show was given a hearty round of appreciative applause.

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Video: Experience a stop motion tour of the Roman Walls of Lugo:

To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/351924

Spanish police gear up for 'summer of crime' with extra staff

Spain is a pretty safe country to visit, with only one in every thousand tourists likely to be affected by petty crime. However, the country is deploying over 29,000 police officers to ensure tourists' safety and security during July and August.

The Interior Ministry in Spain has dubbed July 1st as the beginning of "Operation Summer," which will see an additional 1,341 new police officers hitting the beat across Spain.

 

These additional forces will be spread over the regions of Andalucía, Asturias, Canary Islands, Cantabria, Valencian Community, Galicia, Madrid, Murcia and the Balearic Islands. 

 

"Spain is a safe country", Francisco Martínez, Spain’s Secretary of State Security, told online daily 20 Minutos. 

 

"Ensuring tourism safety guarantees a higher quality of tourism."

 

While less than one in every thousand tourists are likely to be affected by crime, the number of petty thefts rises during the summer months, especially in the coastal areas. 

 

For example, Spain's Interior Ministry says that 57 percent of robberies in the Málaga province happens during the months of July and August. A veteran police officer told La Opinion de Málaga, "These thieves thrive in the busy streets of the Costa del Sol during the high season."

 

"They are the same ones who prey on shoppers during Christmas or holidaymakers during Easter week."

 

In many cases, pickpockets pretend to be tourists, so as to blend in with the crowd, and have been known to spend a week or two in every tourist hotspot. Tourists should always be wary of strangers approaching them with flowers, as these people, normally women, are likely to try and take a euro or ten from their wallet while "selling" them a flower.

To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/352092