British-registered bookmaker has been searched three times by police in connection with the largest criminal match-fixing inquiry ever undertaken in Europe

The searches were conducted by City of London police at the request of German police as part of an ongoing investigation following a huge European match-fixing ring uncovered by criminal authorities in Bochum.Officers searched the Wembley offices of Samvo Entertainment Limited, a Hong-Kong controlled bookmaking and gaming group, for the first time in November 2009. A second search followed a year later and the most recent was four weeks ago.The Bochum investigation has seen six members of a match-fixing operation convicted for their part in the suspected manipulation of more than 300 club and international matches. Ante Sapina, the Croatian leader of the operation, was jailed for 5½ years.German investigators are investigating whether some of the bets placed on fixed matches were channelled...

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First Moroccan F-16 pilots to complete training in Arizona

In July, the Kingdom of Morocco, a strategic partner for U.S. forces in North Africa, will become the 25th country to own and operate F-16 Fighting Falcons. The pilots tapped to fly them are scheduled to finish training here in time to bring them home, July 30.Four Royal Moroccan Air Force officers, former F-5 pilots, will conclude 15 months of rigorous instruction at the 162nd Fighter Wing; the international F-16 training unit at Tucson International Airport. They are the first from their country to accomplish consecutive courses in basic qualification, flight lead upgrade and instructor pilot certification in the multi-role fighter.A handful of Air National Guard pilots will accompany them as they deliver the first four of Morocco's 24-aircraft purchase. The new planes, block 52 versions...

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Tourists upset Barbary macaque monkeys

The most innocuous interactions with tourists can upset endangered Barbary macaques, say scientists.A study revealed that macaques at a site regularly visited by tourists showed signs of anxiety when people got too close, fed them or tried to attract their attention for a photograph.The scientists monitored the monkeys' behaviour and also tested the animals' droppings for stress hormones.The results are published in the journal Biological Conservation."There's been a lot of interest, recently, in tourism and how it affects wild animal populations," explained Dr Stuart Semple, a scientist who specialises in the study of primates at the University of Roehampton in London, UK.Like humans, macaques fidget and scratch when nervous"But while there are studies that show tourism does affect animal...

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Rothstein's right-hand woman Villegas begins prison sentence

Debra Villegas was Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein's most trusted lieutenant, at his side for 17 years.She was so loyal to him that, on Friday, she followed him into federal prison.In the boomtime of the Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler law firm in downtown Fort Lauderdale, Villegas' power was unalloyed — Rothstein made it abundantly clear to his 70 lawyers and support staff that orders from her were tantamount to orders from him.Now, Villegas' fleeting trappings of success are gone: The nearly half-million dollar home in a Weston gated community, a gift from Rothstein that he conveyed to her with "love and affection"; and her $100,000 Maserati – also a gift – that was auctioned off by the government a year ago.Her new domicile, effective Friday, is the minimum-security federal prison camp outside...

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The new Mayor has been quick to remove the evidence of her predecessor's plans to charge a toll to reach Gibraltar

The new Socialist, PA and IU Ayuntamiento in La Linea on Tuesday started to remove the bollards put down by the previous PP Mayor, Alejandro Sánchez, as part of his failed plans to charge a toll on traffic crossing the municipality to get into Gibraltar.The new Socialist Mayor, Gemma Araujo, thus did away with the so-called ‘congestion charge’ which had generated hostility on both sides of the border.‘With this initiative the new administration has carried out an approach to calm coexistence with the neighbouring population of Gibraltar’, she said.‘For this government an improvement in relations with Gibraltar is fundamenta...

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If you haven’t been following the coverage of John Galliano’s public insult trial in Paris, you’ve been missing out.

If you haven’t been following the coverage of John Galliano’s public insult trial in Paris, you’ve been missing out. Over the course of the day, Galliano, his accusers and their various lawyers have been painting perhaps the clearest picture of what fueled Galliano’s racist outburst and what led him to it: Misguided attempts to escape the pressure of his work at Dior and the sadness and depression that came as a result of the death of his partner Stephen Robinson led him to combine alcohol with Valium and sleeping pills. Galliano told the court that it was the “lethal” combination of these substances, not racism, that caused his downfall.Galliano’s lawyer Aurelien Hamelle ushered the embattled designer into a stuffy courtroom at the Palais de Justice in Paris after the presiding judge read...

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French prosecutor seeks 10,000-euro fine for Galliano

A French prosecutor told a court on Wednesday she is seeking 10,000 euros ($14,350) in damages from British designer John Galliano to compensate people he allegedly hurled anti-Semitic abuse at.Prosecutor Anne de Fontette said she is seeking damages of up to 5,000 euros for each plaintiff in two cases against Galliano, whose towering career has been derailed by a series of apparently drunken outbursts to strangers in past months.No prison sentence is being sought.Galliano -- who was fired by fashion empire Dior in March after a video posted online showed him telling a woman he loved Hitler and that her parents might have been gassed in a Nazi death camp -- told the court that he was so out of control on drink and drugs that he cannot recall making the insults.He has apologised for his comments...

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serious incident on Sunday afternoon in Camp Bay when two Spanish vessels came dangerously close to the shore flying the Spanish flag

 serious incident on Sunday afternoon in Camp Bay when two Spanish vessels came dangerously close to the shore flying the Spanish flag, displaying “a complete disregard for the welfare of bathers.” “This is going to provoke a serious accident as more people are using the beaches,” said the Opposition. The Opposition say the Spanish speedboat and RHIB proceeded to leave Camp Bay at high speed when the occupants saw the police at the beach approach them on land. A spokesman added: “The many beach-users who were present in Camp Bay have every right to be annoyed. The issue is now wider that the continuing political controversy about sovereignty and jurisdiction. It has now become one about safety and security as well. People have a right to be able to use Gibraltar’s beaches without...

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John Galliano the Gibraltar-born designer began acting more erratically, the recession forced Dior executives to demand a more buyer-friendly "corporate couture" aesthetic, putting him under yet more pressure.

As the fashion world braces itself for John Galliano's Paris trial on June 22, new details have emerged about the night that sparked the former Dior designer's downward spiral.Claiming access to the "confidential file" used by investigators in the case against Galliano, Newsweek has pieced together the circumstances of the February 24 bar confrontation that resulted in the 50-year-old's arrest for allegedly making anti-Semitic statements.But to understand how one of fashion's brightest stars could fall from grace, it helps to first look at the events leading up to that fateful night.Sources tell the magazine that "the designer's personal decline began in earnest" when his close friend Steven Robinson died in 2007. As the Gibraltar-born designer began acting more erratically, the recession...

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Gibraltar Government has announced that all persons over 60 will soon be entitled to free prescriptions

Gibraltar Government has announced that all persons over 60 will soon be entitled to free prescriptions even if either or both of the spouses continue working.Following representations received by the Gibraltar Government from a number of pensioners, the GHA will be making the necessary legislative modifications which will entitle all persons aged 60 and over to free prescriptions, irrespective of whether they or their spouse are in employment and therefore contributing towards the Group Practice Medical Scheme. A GHA spokesman said: “According to the law, which dates back to 1973, if one of the spouses is in employment and paying Social Insurance, he or she is considered to be a registered contributor to the GPMS, and as such, neither the contributor or his/her spouse are entitled to...

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Tourism and Port Minister Joe Holliday's recent announcement at an international cruise conference that gaming would be permitted on visiting cruise ships while these are docked in Gibraltar

Tourism and Port Minister Joe Holliday's recent announcement at an international cruise conference that gaming would be permitted on visiting cruise ships while these are docked in Gibraltar is patently a move to tempt visiting floating hotels to extend their stays here. In theory the thousands of passengers staying for longer would benefit the Rock's economy. Local legislation in many cruise ports ban ship-board gambling and force the closure of on-board casinos while vessels are in port.But as with so many of Holliday's ploys, this was both another pipe dream, remember the eight airlines clamouring to open routes to the Rock or the ten luxury hotels announced half a decade ago?  and a smoke-screen …to obscure Gibraltar's tarnished reputation as an attractive port to visit.In less than...

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GIBRALTAR is appealing a decision by the European Court to throw out its claim for exclusive rights to its waters.

Gibraltar and the UK had filed a lawsuit calling for the waters surrounding the colony to become exclusively their territory.But the EU has dismissed the case as ‘inadmissible on procedural grounds.’RowChief Minister Peter Caruana hit back stating that the Rock will fight the ruling.He said that under no circumstances would the waters be treated as anything other than ‘exclusive British sovereignty, under the jurisdiction of the Gibraltar Government.’The row began after Brussels approved Spain’s request to list most of the area around the Rock as a protected ar...

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Nightclub impresario who masqueraded as banker to help Rothstein pleads guilty to fraud

There have been umpteen legal proceedings about the Scott Rothstein fraud, but Wednesday's was unique: a Broward nightclub impresario came to court to admit he had masqueraded as a banker at Rothstein's direction to help him cheat investors out of millions.Stephen Caputi, who co-owned the popular Café Iguana nightclub in Pembroke Pines with Rothstein, said he regrets now having done the convicted swindler's bidding, and pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud.U.S. District Judge William Zloch asked bluntly, "Mr. Caputi, why did you do this?""Mr. Rothstein had asked me to do those things. I've been a friend of his for 17 years," Caputi quietly replied, adding he also had business ventures with Rothstein, which he did not identify. "I did not want to compromise my relationship with...

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A Florida attorney pleaded guilty in federal court to aiding Scott Rothstein in a $1.2 billion investment scheme involving fake court settlements.

A Florida attorney pleaded guilty in federal court to aiding Scott Rothstein in a $1.2 billion investment scheme involving fake court settlements.Howard Kusnick, formerly of Rothstein’s Fort Lauderdale law firm, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kenneth Marra in West Palm Beach, Florida, to a single count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Kusnick, 59, had pleaded not guilty earlier this month. Prosecutors today said they agreed to recommend a prison sentence of 24 to 30 months.Rothstein pleaded guilty in January 2010 to five counts of racketeering, money laundering and wire fraud, admitting he sold investors interests in bogus settlements in sexual-harassment and whistleblower suits. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison.Prosecutors said Kusnick wrote a letter claiming to...

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Container ship capsizes in Algeciras Port

The capsizing of the container ship, ‘Deneb’, in Algeciras Port on Saturday, just a few days after the oil tank fire at North Mole, Gibraltar, has revived concerns in the bay of a future environmental disaster.Ecologist groups are highlighting the problem and demanding a concrete policy to fight against the dangers with more fines or the creation of a control centre of maritime traffic for the Strait which sees more than 90,000 ships crossing the area each year.A salvage vessel, Svitzer, is currently unloading the capsized container ship. It comes from the same company which carried out the salvage operation on the ‘New Flame’ a Panamanian freighter which ran aground on Gibraltar in December 2007.The ‘Deneb’ capsized for a problem of stability which is now being investigated.&nb...

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retail outlets believed to have been undertaking unlicensed Bureau de Change business.

The Royal Gibraltar Police has today, in a joint operation with the Financial Services Commission, carried out a number of targeted actions against retail outlets believed to have been undertaking unlicensed Bureau de Change business.As a result nine premises have been searched and 17 persons have been arrested on suspicion of having committed offences under the Financial Services (Investment and Fiduciary Services) Act 1989.FSC Chief Executive, Marcus Killick said:“ Unlicensed bureaux are not only in breach of the criminal law itself but also represent a risk to the reputation of Gibraltar as they are highly vulnerable to being used by those engaged in money laundering. Whilst licensed bureaux are subject to anti money laundering obligations and are supervised by the FSC, no such controls...

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Northern Ireland man charged with possession of indecent images of children has been returned to Belfast from Gibraltar.

The 41-year-old was detained after the PSNI issued a European warrant for his arrest.He left Northern Ireland before his trial got under way.The man had been remanded in custody in Gibraltar accused of separate offenc...

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Betfair, the world's largest online betting exchange, is under pressure on growing worries about European gaming regulation.

The company - which joined the stock market in October at £13 a share - dipped 5p to 825p as Spain became the latest area to cause concern. Paul Leyland at Investec issued a sell note following signs from Spain that approval of betting exchanges could be delayed. He said:A conference took place yesterday in Madrid, during which Spanish regulators gave more colour on the potential future shape of the online gambling market. One of the suggestions was that not all products would be available in the first wave and some may have to wait, including exchanges. This reinforces our view that even 'positive' regulation can have a sting in the tail, which could materially impact 2012-13 forecasts. We therefore reiterate our sell recommendation and 445p discounted cash flow based price target.We see...

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Oil tycoon’s Eclipse in Gibraltar

Owning third place in May’s Sunday Times Rich List, Roman Abramovich may be empty-handed of footballing silverware this year, but he has still managed to amass a £10.3 billion fortune – £3 billion up on 2010. Whilst running for re-election to Russian parliament this year, Abramovich declared his assets as seven properties in Britain, four in Russia, three in France, two in the US, £71 million in cash and £25 million in shares. Funny there was no mention of the ‘Abramovich Navy’, a fleet of superyachts that includes 162.5 metre ‘Eclipse’ – recently anchored in waters off Gibraltar’s Ocean Village.Holding the distinction of being the world’s largest superyacht, knocking the 162 metre vessel ‘Dubai’ belonging to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum into second spot, Eclipse left the Blohm +...

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Gibraltar-Morocco Rally into the diary – Friday 24 to Monday 27 June.

For a chilled weekend away from the hurly-burly, exploring another coastline with old friends and new, it’s essential to pen the dates of the Gibraltar-Morocco Rally into the diary – Friday 24 to Monday 27 June.  Dubbed 'the world's most sociable yacht rally' and now in its 11th year, the event departs from Ocean Village marina and offers a chance for non-racing sailors and motorboaters to get together on the water and cruise in company.   From the first Rally in 2004 when a petite throng of just nine boats sailed the Strait to Morocco, the event has grown significantly in popularity over the years.  The 2011 Rally is expected to attract up to 50 participating yachts with boats coming from as far as Barbate to the west, and Marbella and Benalmádena to the east and individual...

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Rallying behind the death of its first martyr at the hands of police, tens of thousands of supporters of Morocco’s protest movement took to the streets over the weekend brandishing posters of 30-year-old Kamel Amari

Amari’s alleged death on Thursday by police in the city of Safi, 200 miles south of the capital of Rabat, has given new momentum to anti-government movements, as the effects of the Arab Spring reach across north Africa.  The protesters' agenda was mixed. In Casablanca, some 60,000 demonstrators marched, carrying banners reading "The people want an end to tyranny," and chanting slogans against the government and the constitution, which they claimed left too much power in the hands of King Muhammad VI. Following Amari's death, the new agenda of police brutality was added to the list of grievances. "We are all Kamel Amari, the martyr of the February 20 Movement," read one man's sign, while others carried a white mock coffin with Amari's portrait taped on its lid. Riot police were markedly...

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Oil has washed up on six kilometres of coastline in and around Algeciras.

Although tests have yet to formally confirm this, it is widely assumed that the source of the fuel was Tuesday’s fire in the port of Gibraltar.Despite efforts to contain as much oil here using booms and cleanup equipment, some appears to have escaped into the bay.Pushed by levanter winds, it has ended up tarring the Spanish coastline. A major cleanup operation was under way in Algeciras yesterday, watched by a steady stream of local and regional Spanish politicians who headed down to the beach to monitor events and grab a quick photo opportunity.Officials in Gibraltar and Spain were in contact yesterday to “evaluate the damage”, according to Francisco Menacho, justice and governance spokesman at the Junta de Andaluc...

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BETFRED.COM, based in Gibraltar, will not pay out on the bets placed by Barney Curley’s relatives aspart of the Newmarket trainer’s £4 million coup last May

BETFRED.COM, based in Gibraltar, will not pay out on the bets placed by Barney Curley’s relatives aspart of the Newmarket trainer’s £4 million coup last May.This comes despite the fact that Betfred’s UK betting shops have paid out and that, following an investigation, the BHA concluded that no rules ofracing had been breached. Betfred, who on Friday were declared the new owners of the Tote, declined to comment, stating: “It is with our lawyers.”On June 1, Betfred.com’s lawyers informed the five account holders, four of whom are related to Curley, that bets showing a profit of more than £823,000 would be voided under the company’s rule 10, which states: “Any person or group of persons acting in an attempt to defraud Betfred.com will have their bets voided.”The decision followed a letter dated...

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Kieren Fallon banned from Derby ride

Kieren Fallon will not ride in Saturday's Epsom Derby after the owners of horse Native Khan obtained an injunction to prevent him.Owner Ibrahim Araci said three-time winner Fallon had reneged on a deal to ride for him but Fallon said it was an "innocent misunderstanding".On Friday a judge refused Mr Araci an injunction but on raceday two Court of Appeal judges reversed the ruling.Fallon's ride on his preferred mount, Recital, now goes to Pat Smullen.Mr Araci's solicitor Mehmet Ali Erdogan said his client was "thrilled" by the verdict."My client entered into a contract with Kieren Fallon, and Mr Fallon promised to do two things - to ride Native Khan, or if not asked to do so, not to ride a competing horse in a race where Native Khan is racing," he told the BBC News Channel."The court decided...

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Gibraltar is being blamed in Spain for an oil spill affecting the beaches of Algeciras

Gibraltar is being blamed in Spain for an oil spill affecting the beaches of Algeciras. They say that the spill is from the tanks that went up in flames in Gibraltar port and that 6 kilometres of beach are already affected.The Junta, the Andalusian regional government, say they are consider claiming damges from the Gibraltar government, while a laim is also being sent to the company that owns the sullage plant.While nothing was being said in Gibraltar, the Spanish were saying that their foreign ministry was asking Britain if the appropriate measures were taken in Gibraltar to combat any damage to the environment.The Algeciras municipality said that they had put in a claim in the courts against Shell as they may be the owners of the tanks.Meanwhile, fishermen in Algeciras say they are being...

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The conclusion of the protracted sale of the Tote could see up to 150 jobs axed

The conclusion of the protracted sale of the Tote could see up to 150 jobs axed from the betting group formerly owned by the Government. A £265million wager from bookmaker Betfred has ended one of the longest privatisation processes ever seen.The Warrington-based firm, founded by brothers Fred and Peter Done, saw off Sports Investments Partners, a consortium led by British Airways chairman Sir Martin Broughton, to end a process that has been on and off for more than 10 years. High stakes: The Tote deal will see the number of Betfred shops increase from 840 to 1,350Billed as ‘the flat caps beating the top hats’, the offer reduces down to a net £180million after £25million in pension contributions and debt repayments. The Government said it will return £90million to the racing industry, leaving...

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Twelve passengers on a cruise ship moored in Gibraltar were injured Tuesday after a towering dockside tank holding used oil and water exploded

Twelve passengers on a cruise ship moored in Gibraltar were injured Tuesday after a towering dockside tank holding used oil and water exploded as workers were welding it, sending plumes of black smoke into the air and shrouding the British outpost's famed "Rock" from view.A Spaniard who was welding atop the tank suffered life-threatening burns and was scheduled to be transferred to a burn unit at a hospital in the Spanish city of Seville, Gibraltar's government said in a statement. A second Spaniard suffered less serious injuries.The passengers aboard the "Independence of the Seas" cruise ship operated by Royal Caribbean suffered injuries ranging from minor burns to a fractured shoulder, the statement said.Gibraltar's government said the ship sailed away from the burning tank immediately after...

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