CHROMED REVELATIONS

Ms Sandiford to be executed for drug trafficking.

2013-01-22T10:25:00.001+00:00

Lindsay Sandiford was arrested in May last year after she tried to enter the Indonesian holiday island with illegal drugs worth £1.6 million hidden in her suitcase.

Local prosecutors had called for the 56-year-old housewife to be jailed for 15 years. But today there were gasps in the Bali courtroom when a panel of judges announced Ms Sandiford would be executed for drug trafficking.

As the shock verdict was announced, Ms Sandiford, from Gloucestershire, slumped back in her chair in tears before hiding her face with a brown sarong as she was led out of the courtroom.

Nightmare at Nou Camp Spanish press stunned by Barcelona's shock exit

2012-04-25T15:47:00.001+01:00

The Spanish press were reflecting on Barcelona's shock exit from the Champions League against Chelsea, pointing out the Catalans' bad luck and the 'three darkest days' of coach Pep Guardiola's four-year reign.

The holders looked to be on course to overturn their 1-0 semi-final first-leg deficit when they took a 2-0 lead on the night through Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta, and found themselves playing against 10 men for over 50 minutes following the dismissal of Blues captain John Terry for kneeing Alexis Sanchez.

Scroll down for Chelsea Press conference video

El Mundo Deportivo blamed bad luck for Barcelona's exit

But Roberto Di Matteo's side grabbed a crucial away goal on the stroke of half-time through Ramires and then, after Barca talisman Lionel Messi had crashed a penalty against the bar and another shot against the post, ensured their progress as Fernando Torres' stoppage-time strike earned the visitors a stunning 3-2 aggregate win.

Madrid-based Marca revelled in Barca's failure, declaring: 'Nightmare at the Camp Nou'. Their editorial elaborated with: 'CHAMPION is eliminated by 10 MEN OF CHELSEA', and 'Barcelona is out of La Liga and the Champions League after the three darkest days of the Guardiola era'.

Real Madrid's 2-1 victory at the home of their arch rivals on Saturday night moved Jose Mourinho's side seven points clear the Primera Division summit with four games remaining.

El Mundo labelled last night's result: 'Mortal blow at the Camp Nou' and questioned: 'Is this the end of the victorious cycle?'

Barcelona-based Sport took a more sympathetic view, headlining: 'Football punishes Barca'.

It read: 'Unjust, cruel, horrible, unmerited. Any adjective is not enough to define the incredible elimination of Barca at the hands of Chelsea. Few times has a team done so much to deserve to reach the Champions League final as that of Guardiola's. And rarely has a rival, with so little, gained that very prize. The fact is that the Blues scored three goals from three chances in 180 minutes. And they advanced to Munich.'

AS went with simply: 'Adios Barcelona'.

It continued: 'An ultra-defensive Chelsea eliminated Barcelona to reach the final in Munich. The English team played with 10 men for 52 minutes. Fernando Torres made it 2-2 on the night. Messi missed a penalty and struck the post.'

The Madrid-based daily also pondered the future of Guardiola, who has guided the club to 13 trophies since taking charge in summer 2008 but has not yet committed himself beyond the end of the campaign as he prefers one-year contracts.

Spanish Paper AS

'Pep to speak with the president about the future,' it said, before quoting the 41-year-old's post-match thoughts: 'We did not score at the opportune times and we have paid for that. Now, we're thinking about next year. I looked at what we have done wrong to tell the players, and cannot find anything.'

Barcelona have won two of the last three Champions League crowns, but El Mundo Deportivo looked back on their other unexpected defeats.

'FC Barcelona lose to Chelsea, as in Bern [1961 final against Benfica] and against Inter [2010 semi-final],' it read.

'HISTORICAL Barca has fallen in the semi-final against Chelsea in a game full of bad luck, in which Messi missed a penalty and hit the post while the English team took advantage of their two chances.'

It also spoke of Guardiola's contract situation alongside a pained-looking image of the coach on the touchline, saying: 'Now turn to take a decision'. It added: 'Pep Guardiola, who lamented the bad luck throughout the tie, has assured that in the coming hours the president will deal with his and [assistant] Tito Vilanova's renewals.'

Madrid's El Pais went with the headline: 'The most tragic monologue of Barcelona', and followed up with 'Barca crash against the Chelsea wall on a fateful night for Messi'.

police hunt for Michael Brown's missing millions

2012-04-22T22:12:00.001+01:00

British police are still trying to trace £18m allegedly stolen by the Liberal Democrats' fugitive donor Michael Brown, who is expected to be extradited to Britain within the next 10 days. Brown, 46, was in a holding cell near Madrid airport on Sunday, having been deported from the Dominican Republic, where he had been on the run from UK authorities for three years. Brown, who gave £2.4m to the Liberal Democrats before the 2005 general election, is not expected to challenge a formal move to extradite him to London which has already been set in motion. He was convicted of theft and false accounting in his absence in Britain in 2008 and sentenced to seven years in jail. Detectives are still trying to trace around £18m of Brown's stolen money, which had been moved between his accounts in the US, Britain and Switzerland, the Guardian understands. Brown was estimated to have stolen more than £60m in a number of frauds. Most of his assets have been accounted for in property deals, a Bentley, a yacht and the private jet once used to fly senior Lib Dems across the UK. However, more than £18m has not yet been accounted for. "The file at Interpol on Brown and his associates remains open," a source told the Guardian. Brown's return will be another embarrassing development in the long-running saga over the Lib Dems' biggest single donation. The party has refused to compensate any of Brown's victims, claiming it received the money in good faith and spent it on the 2005 election campaign. Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg welcomed Brown's return to Britain but said on Sunday that the party would not be returning his donation because the Electoral Commission had concluded the money had been received in good faith. The deputy prime minister, who pointed out that the donation was made before he was elected to Westminster, told BBC1's Sunday Politics: "I'm very pleased he's coming back to serve his sentence. This is a convicted fraudster. "I should stress that this is something which happened as far as the Liberal Democrats are concerned before I was even an MP, yet alone leader of the Liberal Democrats. What I've been told is that the Electoral Commission in 2009 looked at this exhaustively – as far as the receipt of that money by the Liberal Democrats from one of his companies. They categorically concluded that the money was received in good faith and all the controls, all the checks that should have been made were reasonably made by the Liberal Democrats at the time. If we'd been shown wanting on those accounts then of course we should pay the money back." But Brown's return will increase focus on the Electoral Commission inquiry into Brown's donations. The inquiry failed to call the Lib Dems' former treasurer, Reg Clark, who resigned over Brown in 2005 and warned advisers to the former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy that Brown should be treated with extreme caution. One of Brown's victims said the Lib Dems should return the money. Tony Brown, managing partner at law firm Bivonas which represents US attorney Robert Mann who lost more than $5m (£3m), said Brown may be asked to give evidence as part of his client's claim against the Lib Dems. "The Lib Dems have refused to repay this money to our client even though they know that this is the proceeds of crime. The Electoral Commission has failed to investigate this properly in our view. So now that Brown is returning to the jurisdiction, we can investigate again and establish the basis on which the Lib Dems received this money." Brown is expected to appear before a Spanish court to confirm his name and will then appear before an extradition hearing within 10 days. City of London police, who first uncovered Brown's fraud, confirmed his deportation. Detective Superintendent Bob Wishart said: "We hope that him facing justice will bring some closure to the victims who suffered as a result of his frauds." A close friend of Brown's told the Guardian on Sunday that he had arrived in Spain on Saturday after "volunteering" for deportation from the Dominican Republic, where he has been hiding for three years under the name of Darren Nally. "He asked to return to Britain. He is going home to face the music," the friend said. Brown appeared to come from nowhere when the party was paid £2.4m in the runup to the 2005 election from his company 5th Avenue Partners. A fast-talking and brash Glaswegian, he had walked into the party's then headquarters in Cowley Street and offered it money. He was not registered to vote, had no interest in politics and had never been a party member, but said he was giving the money to create an even playing field. Brown wined and dined with Charles Kennedy and other party grandees, and used his private jet to fly Kennedy across the country during the election campaign. Former Lib Dem insiders say he dazzled them with stories of Gordonstoun public school, St Andrews University and his connections with royalty and the US government. The truth was that he had attended his local school and completed a City and Guilds in catering at Glasgow College of Food Technology. He had no US government links – although he was wanted in Florida for cheque fraud. He was arrested in late 2005 after four former clients said he had duped them out of more than £40m in a high-yield fraud. His victims included Martin Edwards, the former Manchester United chairman, who had invested £8m with 5th Avenue Partners. The court would later be told that 5th Avenue Partners was wholly fraudulent and Brown had given money to the Lib Dems to give himself an air of respectability while duping his victims. The party had been used as part of his cover story, a judge said. In June 2008, while awaiting trial, Brown fled and a warrant was issued for his arrest. In the weeks before he disappeared, from his Hampstead bail address in north London, he changed his name on the electoral roll to Campbell-Brown and allowed his hair to turn grey. He travelled to the Dominican Republic where he enjoyed a millionaire's lifestyle while on the run. He lived in gated communities yards from some of the most pristine beaches in the Caribbean, drove a series of 4x4 vehicles and was a regular at exclusive golf courses. In Punta Cana, an exclusive resort on the eastern tip of the island, he could often be seen walking his dog – named Charles, after the former Lib Dem leader. He was arrested in Punta Cana in January on unrelated fraud allegations.

Donaldson enjoyed a lavish lifestyle in Marbella and Tenerife, trafficking accused found hiding in loft with £70k in cash

2012-04-22T11:55:00.001+01:00

A SUSPECTED drug trafficker was found by police hiding in a farmhouse loft in Scotland with a bag stuffed with £70,000, a Spanish court was told last week. Ian Donaldson, 32, is accused of helping fund an international drugs ring smuggling cocaine and speed from Spain to Scotland The former amateur racing driver – who drove a Lamborghini with the distinctive Lambo 88 plate – was tracked down to the farm by officers from the Scottish Crime and Drugs Enforcement Agency. Donaldson – who enjoyed a lavish lifestyle in Marbella and Tenerife– is one of six Brits facing court in Madrid accused of making millions from the drugs trade. Detective Inspector James Wallace of the SCDEA told the court: “I arrested him on February 27, 2009. He was hiding in a loft area in a farm building. We also found £70,000 hidden in a bag.” Eight SCDEA detectives gave evidence to the National Court in the Spanish capital last week via a video link from Edinburgh. The court heard Scottish police mounted a surveillance operation after Donaldson, from Renton, Dunbartonshire, was released on bail. Detectives watched him in a series of meetings in Glasgow and Hamilton in April 2009, as he tried to hide the origins of his fortune, prosecutors allege. Donaldson met with fellow accused Mary Hendry and Joseph Campbell and was observed discussing large sums of money and swapping paperwork for a nightclub in Gran Canaria. It was alleged they were secretly plotting to make it look like Donaldson had made some of his wealth from the club. Meetings took place at supermarkets in Glasgow and Hamilton and the Mitchell Library in Glasgow. DI Wallace told the court: “We saw he (Donaldson) was creating a defence for the Spanish charges. “I believe they (Hendry and Campbell) were both subservient to Donaldson, who instructed them on what to do.” The detective said Donaldson and his company IRD Services were also investigated for money- laundering in Scotland. He added: “There is evidence he purchased seven vehicles in Scotland, worth up to £900,000, between 2006 and 2008.” Mary Hendry told the court she only met Donaldson twice for legitimate business meetings. She said: “Joseph Campbell introduced me to Ian Donaldson because I was trying to sell my restaurant. “I met him the next day and he said he was not interested. I never saw him again.” It is alleged Donaldson was the money man for a gang of drug smugglers based in Tenerife and Marbella, led by Glaswegian Ronald O’Dea, 45. The gang are alleged to have spent millions on luxury villas, fast cars and yachts. In October 2008, police seized a a haul of amphetamines worth £660,000 heading to Scotland after stopping a lorry in Oxfordshire. Donaldson, Hendry and O’Dea share the dock in Madrid with fellow Scot James MacDonald, 62, and Londoners Steve Brown, 45, and Deborah Learmouth, 49. The gang face charges ranging from drug-trafficking to money-laundering. They deny all charges. Two other defendants – Brian Rawlings and Joseph Campbell – failed to show up at the trial. The judges will give their verdict at a later date.

Wayne Rooney launches phone-hacking claim

2012-04-21T13:27:00.001+01:00

Wayne Rooney and England rugby union World Cup winner Matt Dawson are among the new wave of high-profile figures suing Rupert Murdoch's News International over alleged News of the World phone hacking. The England and Manchester United football star, his agent Paul Stretford, Dawson, now a BBC rugby commentator and Question of Sport team captain, actor James Nesbitt and Sir John Major's former daughter-in-law, Emma Noble, are among 46 new phone-hacking cases filed at the high court in London. Times Newspapers, the News International subsidiary that publishes the Times and Sunday Times, is also facing its first civil damages claim, from Northern Ireland human rights campaigner Jane Winter, who is also suing NoW publisher, News Group Newspapers. Winter's claim is related to an article in the Sunday Times in August 2006, her solicitor confirmed. A reference to the article was made in a witness statement she submitted to the Leveson inquiry in February. Winter alleged in evidence to the inquiry that her emails to the former British army intelligence officer Ian Hurst were hacked by NoW. A News International spokeswoman said Winter's case would be "defended vigorously". Others who have filed claims in the past few days seeking damages for alleged invasion of privacy from News Group, the News International subsidiary that published the now-closed Sunday tabloid, include former Conservative cabinet minister and chief whip Lord Blencathra and former Fire Brigades Union general secretary Andy Gilchrist. The list of new claimants also features Michelle Bayford, the former girlfriend of the victim of the 2006 so-called "elephant man" drug trial case. Her then boyfriend, Ryan Wilson, spent three weeks in a coma and lost all his toes and parts of his fingers to gangrene. Another claimant, Anne Colvin, was a witness in the Tommy Sheridan perjury trial. At a case management conference at the high court in London , Hugh Tomlinson QC, representing victims of alleged phone hacking, told Mr Justice Vos that he had 44 new cases filed while two others had submitted their claims via another legal representative. The court also heard that law firm Harbottle & Lewis has a number of "sensitive clients" who wish to remain anonymous. It is expected that up to 200 new claims will be filed over the coming months, Tomlinson told the court in a previous hearing. Claims filed in the past week bring the number of new cases against News International to 46. This figure includes earlier claims filed by public figures including Cherie Booth, Alex Best, the former wife of the late footballer George Best, and Colin Stagg, the man wrongly accused of murdering Rachel Nickell. Others who have filed claims include comedian Bobby Davro, actor Tina Hobley's former husband Steve Wallington, TV personalities Jamie Theakston and Jeff Brazier, the former boxer Chris Eubank, and footballers Peter Crouch, Kieron Dyer and Jermaine Jenas. The cases are part of a second wave of civil actions which Vos is managing following the settlement of more than 50 cases earlier this year including claims by Jude Law, Charlotte Church and Lord Prescott. Tomlinson did not disclose the names of the claimants on Friday, but court documents show that new cases submitted to the high court in the past week bring the number of new actions faced by News International to nearly 50, a number that is expected to rise considerably. Tomlinson told the court that News International had received 100 requests for discovery of preliminary disclosure. He said there were 4,791 potential phone-hacking victims, of which 1,892 had been contacted by the police. The police believed 1,174 were "likely victims". Court 30 in the Rolls Building of the high court was packed, with more than 50 law firms acting for victims. Vos said there were 58 firms of solicitors representing only 100 victims, which he told Tomlinson was "unbelievable". The judge added that he wanted to ensure costs are reduced for claimants. "Many of them have seen the light and have instructed lawyers who have specialist knowledge of this case," said Vos. He suggested possible tariffs of costs for each element of the legal action. This would mean fresh claimants could access to information relating to the News of the World's phone-hacking activity already produced on discovery in earlier cases, without incurring the costs associated with a full action. "I will have no sympathy for outrageous cost estimates," he said. "A claimant is entitled to have a solicitor, but what he is not entitled to have is a solicitor who knows nothing about the case and charges the defendant for that."

Manchester City prepare £16m bid for Athletic Bilbao star Ander Herrera

2012-04-15T13:29:00.001+01:00

City’s football administration officer Brian Marwood was joined by the club’s Spanish scout Rob Newman on Wednesday night to run the rule over Herrera as he played for 61 minutes in Athletic’s 2-2 draw with Granada. BLUE MOON RISING 6/1 Manchester City are 10/3 with William Hill to win the Premier League this season. The 22-year-old has been tracked for months by City and also caught the eye of rivals Manchester United during their Europa League matches against the Basque club. But City are acting swiftly in order to take pole position in the battle to sign the Spain under-21 international, who only moved to the San Mames from Real Zaragoza last summer. Herrera is one of a number of Athletic Bilbao players to be interesting Premier League clubs, alongside the likes of striker Fernando Llorente and versatile defensive midfielder Javi Martinez. A powerful box-to-box midfielder, Herrera has drawn comparisons with Steven Gerrard and City have promoted him to the top of their wish-list as they look for players who will adapt to the demands of English football. City are in the market for a central midfielder in the summer to add attacking quality to Roberto Mancini’s squad. Owen Hargreaves will leave after an injury-plagued year at the Etihad Stadium, while the club do not plan to make David Pizarro’s loan move from Roma a permanent one. Herrera played a key role in Spain’s European under-21 triumph last summer, scoring a controversial handball against England before netting in the final.

They said it would never be broken. Telmo Zarra's record of 38 league goals in a Spanish season stood from 1951 to 1990

2012-04-15T13:28:00.001+01:00

They said it would never be broken. Telmo Zarra's record of 38 league goals in a Spanish season stood from 1951 to 1990, when it was equalled by Hugo Sanchez, and subsequently remained in place for 21 more years. But now one of La Liga's longest-standing marks has been smashed - not just once but twice. And not just by one player, but two. SportingMessi goes ahead of CR7 in Golden Shoe Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi cannot both win La Liga this term, but just like the teams they represent, the two talismans have risen above the rest in 2011-12. And on Saturday, both broke the record for league strikes in a single season in Spain. Cristiano had already done it. In 2010-11, both he and Messi netted 53 goals in all competitions, although the Portuguese managed more in La Liga, claiming the Pichichi prize after he hit the back of the net 40 times in the Primera Division. Except Spanish sports paper Marca, who award the Pichichi trophy, attributed another strike to Ronaldo, even though the referee in the match against Real Sociedad had given the goal to Pepe. So the record books say he hit 40, although the trophy tells of 41.

Full-back Fabio Da Silva will leave Manchester United on loan next season

2012-04-15T13:26:00.001+01:00

Full-back Fabio Da Silva will leave Manchester United on loan next season, manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed. The 21-year-old Brazilian has made one Premier League appearance in 2012 despite starting last year's Champions League final defeat by Barcelona. Manchester United loanees David Beckham joined Preston North End on loan in 1995. Current England and United striker Danny Welbeck enjoyed spells in recent years at Preston and Sunderland. Danny Welbeck's team-mate Tom Cleverley gained experience at Leicester City, Watford and Wigan Athletic. "He understands the value of playing regularly at a higher level than we can give him at the moment," the Scottish manager told United Review. "I hope that Fabio will develop the same way as his twin [Rafael]." Patrice Evra has blocked the Brazil international's route to the first-team, and he has also suffered a number of injuries. Fabio has been a regular in the club's reserves in recent weeks, while the majority of the 14 appearances he made for the senior side before Christmas came in the Carling Cup and Champions League.

Thousands of British expats are on the brink of losing everything after being duped by unscrupulous financial advisers.

2012-04-11T12:34:00.001+01:00

The cowboys have persuaded thousands of our vulnerable pensioners — many in their 80s and 90s — to give up huge stakes of their property in exchange for investments that will never make a penny.

The schemes are often sold by rogue financial advisers who exploit weak consumer laws on the Continent by falsely claiming to be bona fide accountants.

Most of the victims are Britons who retired to Spain or France and wanted to use the cash in their homes to help with soaring living costs.

John Parsons, founder of the Costa del Sol Action Group that is helping some of the victims in Spain, says: ‘The effect of all this worry is enormous. The stress has brought on a lot of serious health issues and they are extremely worried about their futures.

‘These people were not greedy or stupid. They were on fixed pensions and being financially squeezed, so jumped at the possibility of solving that situation.’

The latest crisis follows a Money Mail investigation in 2008, which exposed how hundreds of British pensioners living on the Costa del Sol had gambled their homes in a risky equity-release scheme run by failed Icelandic bank Landsbanki.

Now we can reveal how thousands more pensioners have fallen for other risky equity-release schemes on the Continent and are being hounded by banks demanding hundreds of thousands of pounds.

PREYED ON BY ROGUE SALESMEN

During the property boom at the start of this century, around 100,000 pensioners left Britain to live out their days in southern France and Spain — attracted by a warmer climate and cheaper way of life.

Many had a small pension, but hundreds of thousands of pounds from the sale of their UK home, which had soared in value over their lifetime.

This money was used to supplement their incomes and buy a new home abroad. But soon after they moved, the cost of living in some areas soared as hundreds of thousands of Britons and Germans bought second homes.

Many pensioners found they needed extra cash, and became easy prey for unregulated financial advisers who had left Britain to tap into the new wealth in these regions.

Local rules meant they were able to act unchecked, selling investments from banks based anywhere in the world.

Sometimes they claimed to be chartered accountants, but were not — many had never even registered with local authorities.

In Spain in particular, these advisers could largely sell whatever they wanted — including types of investments and equity-release schemes outlawed in the UK. These paid handsome commissions that could net advisers a £50,000 payday.

Banks offering equity-release loans included Icelandic bank Landsbanki, Scandinavian banks Nordea and Sydbank, and UK private bank Rothschild. However, Money Mail understands they are not the only banks involved.

The majority of victims were told they could borrow the entire value of their property. The loan would incur interest, typically of up to 6.5 per cent. It meant that after ten years, a €500,000 (£412,667) loan would balloon to €681,240 (£562,251). To offset this, a large chunk — usually around 75 per cent of the loan — would be invested in a fund sold by the adviser.

Pensioners were told returns would be so good that not only would they cover the interest on the equity release, but give the borrowers a little extra to spend.

INVESTMENTS THAT TURNED TOXIC

But the promises made turned out to be very different to the theory. This meant returns did not cover the cost of the interest repayments on the equity release.

As the fund fell in value, it ate into the capital that borrowers needed to repay the debt. Charges for fund managers and commission also reduced the returns further.

Worse was to follow when house prices in Spain fell. They had risen by 44 per cent between 2004 and 2008, when many of the victims had bought their homes. They have since plummeted by around 20 per cent.

Those who had borrowed almost all of their property value were soon in negative equity — where the value of the property value was less than the money owed on it — leaving them unable to sell to clear their debt.

In theory the borrowers were expected to pay off their loan at the end of four years. But because the value of the investments plunged so low, it triggered small print in the equity-release contract that allowed banks to demand repayment early.

In the case of those expats with Landsbanki, the bank collapsed and the investment fund was snatched by company liquidators. Then a further problem struck — the value of the pound plunged against the euro.

Many of the victims were paid pensions in pounds and relied on converting the money into euros every month. The drop meant the value of their pensions fell by a third.

RETIREMENT DREAMS LEFT SHATTERED

Campaigners estimate thousands of British pensioners have lost money through these schemes. Former actress Julia Hilling, 88, fears her home will be swallowed up in repayments to her mortgage from Rothschild Bank.

She was sold the mortgage in 2005 by a Malaga-based British financial adviser. Today, this company is classed as unauthorised by the Spanish authorities. Her property was valued at €300,000 (£249,966) and she took out a loan for €262,000 (£217,827). Around €17,000 (£14,138) was used for living expenses and she put €245,000 (£203,693) in an investment fund.

Tempted: Julia Hilling, pictured was an actress in the 1940s, says she went for a scheme because she needed to pay bills

Mrs Hilling, who starred in musicals in the Forties and in revues with Sir Bruce Forsyth at the Windmill Theatre, London, had never invested or even had a mortgage before.

Since 2005, the fund has plunged by around a third and will no longer cover her mortgage. She owes €330,000 (£274,362) and the debt continues to grow. Mrs Hilling says she is unable to cover these costs and fears the bank will take her property when she dies.

‘I needed the money desperately to pay everyday bills while I was out here, as I didn’t want to rely on my family,’ she says.

Rothschild told Money Mail it would not repossess Mrs Hilling’s home. It stressed it had not sold the investment to her and was not demanding repayment nor had it paid commission. It urged her to contact the bank.

Another victim is Eric Mould, 64, who after a career in sales moved to a seaside villa in Puerto Banus, near Malaga, in 2007. He and his wife Mary, 60, sold their four-bedroom detached house in the UK to buy a three-bedroom villa with a swimming pool for €1,188,000 (£990,000).

But five years later they are living in a friend’s flat in the town and battling to pay €2,100 (£1,745) a month in mortgage repayments to Danish bank Nykredit.

Shortly after arriving in Spain, the couple borrowed €1 million against their villa with the bank. They say the British financial adviser who sold them the equity-release mortgage told them it would be a ‘win-win’ situation.

They were told they could free up hundreds of thousands of pounds from the mortgage, and the fund would pay off the loan. They believed the investment they were sold separately through Danish bank Sydbank would leave a little extra to boost their pensions.

To cover the mortgage, the Moulds have rented out their dream home. Their friend is letting them live rent-free in the apartment. The couple fear it is only a matter of time before their home is repossessed. And because property values have dropped, they could lose up to €300,000 (£249,966)

‘This has totally devastated us. It is heart-breaking — we face losing the home we worked for a lifetime to buy,’ says Mr Mould.

Sydbank would not comment on the case.

Others who took out equity-release schemes with collapsed Icelandic bank Landsbanki have been told it will settle — as long as they pay part of the money owed, in some cases hundreds of thousands of pounds.

One couple, Linda and Frances Barlow, aged 63 and 75, who live in Nice in the south of France, believe the bank’s liquidators will repossess their home by May unless they stump up €1.3 million (£1.08 million).

The liquidators proposed a compromise deal, but it would have required the couple to find €500,000, which they do not have.

The Barlows took only a small proportion of the loan as cash. The rest was invested by the bank, and lost when it collapsed in 2008.

‘We wanted some cash to renovate,’ says Mrs Barlow, a musician from London. ‘We didn’t want to take out a big loan, but the financial adviser told us we were foolish to be sitting on an asset and that we should get an equity release to have an income. Now we are going to lose everything.’

Pensioners fight to keep their homes

Scores of pensioners have launched legal action against the banks and financial advisers who sold them the loans. Solicitor Antonio Flores, of Spanish law firm Law Bird, who is representing some of them, says: ‘Many people are left with huge bills and in fear of losing their homes.’

In February, the European Commission announced plans for an independent ombudsman to deal with mis-selling cases against financial advisers working in the Costa del Sol.

Meanwhile, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has issued official warnings about mortgage schemes advertised as a way of cutting tax bills.

Any expats thinking of signing up to an equity-release scheme in Spain should check the company is registered with the agency in charge of the Spanish stock market, the Comision Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV).

It will also provide a list of companies that are not authorised to operate in Spain and those that have warnings issued against them.

Remember to seek independent legal advice before signing a contract.

If you believe you have been a victim of a fraud involving an equity-release scheme, then register a statement with the police.

Seek independent legal advice about taking action through the courts.

If you wish to complain about the performance of your investments, you should first complain to the equity-release company.

After two months, if you are not happy with the response, take your complaint to the Spanish Investors’ Complaints Office: Oficina de Atención al Inversor, Miguel Ángel 11, 28010 Madrid.

There is also an office at Paseo de Gràcia, 19, 4ª Planta, 08007 Barcelona.

THE FIGHT TO KEEP THEIR HOMES

Easter airport 'gridlock' warning

2012-04-04T13:23:00.001+01:00

Airlines have warned the Home Secretary that Britain "risks gridlock" at airports including Heathrow and Gatwick over the Easter break due to staff shortages. More than 370,000 passengers will leave Heathrow airport between Good Friday and Easter Monday, and 200,000 will pass through Gatwick. A spokesman for Heathrow owner BAA told the Daily Telegraph: "Immigration waiting times during peak periods at Heathrow are currently unacceptable and we have called on the UK Border Force to address the problem as a matter of urgency. "There isn't a trade-off between strong border security and a good passenger experience. UK Border Force should be delivering both." Meanwhile, Britons attempting to travel by rail and road face delays because of engineering works taking place on motorways and train lines. Stretches of the M1 and M25 will be affected, and the seven million passengers travelling by train over the weekend will see disruption to travel to and from Euston, King's Cross, Liverpool Street, and Waterloo stations in London. British Airways and Virgin Airlines are among 11 firms that have written to Theresa May in anticipation of "unacceptable" delays to hundreds of thousands of passengers travelling over the long weekend. The UK Border Agency is under fire for a lack of staff able to carry out full security checks, which the airlines say must result in a recruitment drive or the relaxing of some of the more stringent measures currently in place. A spokeswoman for Virgin Airlines said: "While the decision on what level of check should be made at the border is, of course, a matter for Government, we are concerned that there is currently a mismatch between policy and resource. "After years of reducing frontline staff, returning to a 100% check system will undoubtedly mean lengthy queues at UK airports over critical holiday periods such as Easter and the Diamond Jubilee."

New info about statin safety affects millions

2012-04-04T07:12:00.001+01:00

U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued new safety information about these cholesterol-lowering drugs that are prescribed to millions of Americans to lower the risk of heart disease. If you're among them, you should understand what the FDA's new guidance means for your health. "Before anyone gets too concerned, you should know that statins are so widely used because they have a long track record of safety and effectiveness," says Dr. Mark Taber, a cardiologist with SSM Heart Institute at St. Joseph Health Center. "All in all, statins have a very high benefit to risk ratio.Â The widespread use of the drugs, when indicated, probably accounts to a significant degree for the improvement in life expectancy in this country." The FDA called attention to the threat of liver damage as a rare side effect of statins and advised that regular liver enzyme testing is no longer considered useful in predicting or preventing liver injury. "Actually, in general they liberalized the follow up needed for liver function tests on patients taking statins, due to the very low incidence of true liver issues," Taber says. The main warnings related to a slightly higher incidence of developing diabetes while on statins, and a poorly substantiated claim that statins could result in cognitive impairment. Taber points out that cognitive problems, such as confusion or memory problems, were not documented in clinical studies, only by patient reports to the FDA website. "By stating these concerns, the FDA is raising awareness about the potential side effects of statins, but cardiologists already know that there are inherent risks, and we monitor patients appropriately to help ensure that side effects do not occur or are dealt with quickly," Taber notes. "If there is any evidence of a side effect that could be problematic, we can change the medication. But the fact remains that it's important to decrease risk of heart disease, and for many people statins are needed when diet and exercise alone don't result in acceptable cholesterol levels." Whenever a new prescription medication is started, you should look over the package insert to learn about potential side effects. Signs of liver damage, for instance, include fatigue, loss of appetite, right upper abdominal pain, dark urine and jaundice. Any of these symptoms should be reported to your doctor for evaluation. It is important to remember that you should not stop taking a medication without consulting your doctor first. Discontinuing use of a prescribed drug can be far more dangerous than the side effect you're worried about. "All the side effects listed by the FDA are rare, and the risk of heart attack is far more concerning," Taber says. "Some patients may need extra monitoring or may need to try more than one statin before we find the optimal choice, but in general statins are very well tolerated and don't cause problems for the people who take them." The advice above is universal when it comes to your health. Concerns should be discussed with your doctor, and decisions should always be made as part of a team approach to creating a healthy life.

Why don't GPS warn you that statins can harm your memory?

2012-04-04T07:03:00.001+01:00

John Holliday had been on a higher 40mg dose of cholesterol pills for only a few weeks when he started to lose his concentration. ‘I’d be watching TV and suddenly find myself unable to follow the plot of a drama,’ says John, 52, a telecoms project manager who lives in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, with his wife Jill, 51, and their two children Adam, 20, and Emma, 16. ‘I’d have to read the same page of a book over and over because I couldn’t take any information in. ‘I’d always been known for my amazing memory — I was great on trivia and had total recall of events that happened 20 years ago, but suddenly I couldn’t remember things and my brain felt fuzzy.’ Just like up to seven million other people in Britain, John had been prescribed a statin to lower his blood cholesterol levels. The drugs are credited by the British Heart Foundation as contributing towards the dramatic 50 per cent fall in deaths from heart attacks in the past ten years. But while there is consensus that statins are lifesavers for people who have previously had a heart attack, concern is growing over their debilitating side-effects. They include muscle weakness, depression, sleep disturbance, sexual dysfunction, muscle pain and damage, gastro-intestinal problems, headaches, joint pains and nausea. Now, official bodies here and in the U.S. have ordered that the drugs must carry warnings for cognitive problems, too. Worryingly, it’s claimed GPs are failing to warn patients of the effect statins can have on the mind — meaning they may mistake them for signs of ageing or Alzheimer’s. ‘When I went back to my doctor after six weeks for a blood test, I told him how dreadful I was feeling,’ says John. ‘But he just said all drugs had side-effects and didn’t mention reducing the dose.’ It's claimed GPs are failing to warn patients of the effect statins can have on the mind - meaning they may mistake them for signs of ageing or Alzheimer's Things came to a head when a friend showed John an electrical circuit he’d built for his car. ‘I’d worked with circuits since I was 16 but it made no sense,’ he says. So John insisted on seeing his doctor again and repeated his concerns about his rapidly declining memory. This time the GP told him he could start on another type of statin when he felt well enough, and so John stopped taking the drugs immediately. ‘It took a few months, but gradually my memory returned and I’ve got my concentration back. I can’t say for sure statins caused these problems, but it seems like too much of a coincidence.’ Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. ordered statins must carry warnings that some users have reported cognitive problems including memory loss, forgetfulness and confusion. This followed a decision by the UK’s Medicines Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to add memory problems to the list of possible statin side-effects in late 2009. The FDA said reports about the symptoms were from across all statin products and age groups. Those affected reported feeling fuzzy or unfocused in their thought process — though these were found to be rare and reversible. The FDA also warned, following U.S. research, that patients on statins had a small excess risk of developing Type 2 diabetes — but stressed that the benefits of taking a statin still outweigh this. The MHRA had 2,675 reports for adverse drug reactions connected with statins between 2007 and 2011. Officially, side-effects are rare —affecting only 1 per cent of people on the pills — but some doctors say they are under-reported. Dr Malcolm Kendrick, a GP and author of The Great Cholesterol Con, says he frequently sees patients suffering from mental confusion in his job in hospital intermediary care for the elderly. ‘Many of the patients I see will have been admitted to hospital after a fall or similar crisis,’ he says. ‘If they appear confused I’ll often advise taking them off statins to see if it has any effect — in my experience, about 10 to 15 per cent of people who appeared to have memory problems experienced an improvement in their memory symptoms after being taken off the drug. ‘I had one dramatic case where a lady was admitted to hospital on 40mg a day of simvastatin with such poor memory function her family asked me about power of attorney. 'I suggested taking her off statins and within a week her memory had returned to normal. She went home a fit and independent 83-year-old.’ Dr Kendrick says cholesterol is the main constituent of synapses (structures that allow signals to pass between brain cells and to create new memories) and is essential for brain function. ‘It is still not proven that statins have a significant effect on mortality — it has been calculated that a man who has had a heart attack who took a statin for five years would extend his life by only 14 days. 'Too many statins are being given to people at low risk. ‘Even in the highest risk group you need to treat 200 people a year with statins to delay just one death. 'One day the harm these drugs are doing is going to be obvious — the benefits are being over-hyped and the risks swept under the carpet.’ While Dr Kendrick’s controversial view is in the minority, one large review of 14 studies by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, published by the highly respected Cochrane Library last year, concluded there was ‘little evidence’ cholesterol-lowering drugs protect people who are not at risk of heart disease. This review has been criticised by other doctors who say side-effects are rare and that there are still benefits even for people at lower risk who do not have established heart disease. These defenders of statins include Professor Colin Baigent of the Clinical Trial Service at Oxford University, who published research in 2010 showing statins reduced deaths from all causes by 10 per cent over five years. ‘There is relatively little evidence of cognitive impairment — what evidence there is all comes from observational studies. ‘People read about side-effects and then put two and two together and blame the statins for their muscle pain or other health problems — it’s just not reliable evidence. ‘If you look at the best-quality randomised controlled trial where patients don’t know if they are taking a statin or placebo, there is no evidence of memory problems. 'Even the FDA says the risks of cognitive problems are very small and go away when statins are discontinued. ‘We’re in danger of forgetting just how effective these drugs are.’ Dr Dermot Neely of the charity Heart UK, and lead consultant at the Lipid and Metabolic Clinic at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, agrees side-effects with statins are rare. ‘I’ve been dealing with patients on statins since 1987 and I can count on the fingers of one hand the number whose memory symptoms turned out to be caused by statins.’ However, he said he often saw patients who had not been told about side-effects. ‘It’s important GPs are clear about the drugs statins can interact with, such as certain antibiotics, as this can get overlooked. ‘If a patient notices an adverse effect after starting statins, they should discuss this with their GP —but not stop their drugs suddenly because this can be dangerous.’ Sonya Porter, 73, decided to stop taking statins after her memory problems became so bad that she walked away from a cashpoint leaving her money behind. ‘I was permanently fuzzy-headed and just couldn’t seem to concentrate,’ says Sonya, a retired PA from Woking, Surrey. Then I started to get scared I might have Alzheimer’s. After reading about memory problems associated with statins, I thought it was at least a possibility. I decided to come off the pills to see if it made any difference. ‘I didn’t ask my GP, I just did it — I’d rather die of a heart attack than Alzheimer’s disease. Within a month I felt normal again and didn’t have any problems with memory. ‘I’m terrified that I could have been misdiagnosed with Alzheimer’s.’ John Holliday is also reluctant to go back on statins. ‘I wouldn’t rule it out completely — my latest test showed my cholesterol levels have gone up,’ he says. ‘But on balance, I’d rather take my chances with heart disease than feel as confused as that again. It’s all very well living slightly longer — but it’s about quality of life, too.’

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini must conjure up something extra to beat United to Premier League title

2012-03-26T08:11:00.001+01:00

Make no mistake, the final eight or nine games of the season, when it is tight and you are locked in a battle for the title, are a wholly different challenge to games in the opening months of the campaign. People talk about mind games, but the reality is that winning a league all boils down to the mental strength of the players on the pitch and there are certain elements that never change. You should never talk about tiredness, you must not give your opponent any kind of encouragement by dropping points and you have to dredge something extra – fight, belief, grit – that will enable you to win games in the final 10 minutes when they are there to be won. If you start getting involved in mind games, make sure that what you say is based on fact and allows the other side no room for a reply. Manchester City, who, let us not forget, find themselves sitting on top of the Premier League, still have a terrific chance to win the title this season.

Sir Alex Ferguson confident Ferdinand can prolong Manchester United career

2012-03-26T08:10:00.001+01:00

The defender has managed 29 appearances this season despite suffering from back problems and the Scot believes Ferdinand is still a key member of the squad. Manchester United are 2/5 with Paddy Power to retain their Premier League title this season. Ferguson told reporters: “I think how long he can play is all down to how he feels physically himself, but what he is doing at the moment is good. “His form has not surprised me in the sense that he’s still young for a centre-back. In normal terms you would expect a centre-back with his athleticism to play well into their thirties anyway.'' Ferguson confirmed that the 33-year-old's injuries are closely monitored but believes it is a risk worth taking as he is able to pass his vast experience on to the club's younger players. “He has no issues at all," he said. "I think from time to time he gets the odd tweak in his back and we have to manage it and look after it. "He’s adapting really well to the challenge of making sure he is fit and fresh to play in the games we need him. "The younger players can take an example off older players in terms of the example they set. “He’s taken on that role of being the influential person in the dressing room. He’s great in the dressing room with the players – brilliant.”

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew is refusing to contemplate challenging for a Champions League spot

2012-03-26T08:08:00.001+01:00

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew is refusing to contemplate challenging for a Champions League spot despite closing the gap on fourth-placed Tottenham to five points after a 3-1 win at West Brom. The Magpies moved level on 50 points with Chelsea in the Barclays Premier League after first-half goals from Papiss Cisse (2) and man of the match Hatem Ben Arfa disposed of the Baggies. Pardew believes that is a "phenomenal" achievement with just eight games remaining and Newcastle showing signs of mounting a strong finish to the campaign. But he feels breaking into the top four will be beyond them this season. He said: "I didn't think we'd be level with Chelsea with eight games to go. Maybe it might happen in the first 10 games if you get a fantastic start, which is what we did. "To have the same points at Chelsea at this stage is phenomenal really and you have to take your hats off to the players. "But are we Champions League contenders? I don't think so. I don't think we've got the depth of squad to challenge for that." Pardew will be without skipper and key defender Fabricio Coloccini for up to three games after he suffered a hamstring injury, including next weekend's clash with Liverpool. He said: "Fabricio is so important to us and, to lose him for the next two or three games, will hurt us." But Pardew can take encouragement from the performance of Ben Arfa, who set up Cisse's double as well as scoring himself, and feels he is worth a place in the France squad. Pardew said: "I think there are not many players who can do what he can do and it might be a nice wild card for France to have him in the squad. "He really has knuckled down and there is a much more controlled person in his manner and the way he is around the training ground. "I can say that publicly so it registers with the French manager. "We've not had one issue with him but in the past in France there was some reputation that he was an enfant terrible but not here."

Over-drinking can be deadlier than dehydration

2012-03-26T08:06:00.001+01:00

Like many marathon runners, Kate Mori always drank plenty of fluids before, during and after a race, rather than waiting until she got thirsty. “I’d always been taught you had to 'stay ahead’ of thirst and that being thirsty was a sign you were already dehydrated,” says the 42-year-old sports scientist. In 2007, Mori took part in the London Marathon – her fourth, and the hottest on record, with temperatures peaking at 23.5C. Conscious of the repeated advice to maintain fluid intake coming over the PA system, she took frequent drinks at the water stations along the route. By the 18th mile, Mori felt “quite poorly” but was determined to finish; she was raising funds for a children’s cancer charity and wanted to ensure they got their sponsorship money. Near the end, she needed help from other runners to stay upright; hours later she was in casualty at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, suffering from severe diarrhoea, vomiting and increasing confusion, with her legs endlessly mimicking a running motion. “I thought I was still in the marathon,” she says. Mori was not dehydrated from drinking too little fluid, as might be at first assumed. She had drunk too much. As a result she had developed a dangerous but little-recognised condition called exercise-associated hyponatraemia (EAH). Sometimes called water intoxication, EAH is marked by a low blood sodium concentration and can cause the brain to swell, causing confusion, loss of consciousness and seizures. Mori made a full recovery after intravenous treatment with sodium chloride to redress the low concentration of sodium in her blood. Another contestant in that year’s marathon was not so fortunate. David Rogers, a 22-year-old fitness instructor, died of EAH after finishing the race in three hours 30 minutes. Mori isn’t sure how much she drank during the race. “But the consultant reckoned it was probably about three litres of water,” she says. “Ironically, at the finish I was taken into a first aid tent and offered more water. “I feel ashamed that with my job [she teaches an MA in sports development at Gloucestershire University] I did not have the awareness about this condition,” she adds. “It is far more dangerous than dehydration.” With the 2012 London Marathon taking place next month, most would-be runners will be similarly advised on the need to avoid dehydration, especially if temperatures rise. Dehydration occurs when the body’s normal water content is reduced and its balance of salts and sugar upset. But according to many medical experts, thousands of runners could be risking their health if not their lives by drinking too much rather than too little. Timothy Noakes, professor of exercise and sports science at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, who has spent the last 30 years researching the topic, says that the dangers of dehydration during endurance exercise have been exaggerated, with the result that cases of EAH are on the rise. He says runners need to be warned that overconsumption of fluids (whether water or sports drinks) before, during, or after exercise can have a potentially fatal outcome. “There is not a single report in the medical literature of dehydration being a proven, direct cause of death in a marathon runner,” adds Prof Noakes. “But EAH, caused by drinking excessively, has resulted in at least 12 deaths among sportsmen and women.” As well as Rogers in 2007, fatalities include a female US marathoner in 1993 and an American footballer, Paul Allen, in 2010. “In addition,” says Noakes, since 1981, “there have been over 1,600 documented cases of EAH worldwide.” Although the symptoms of EAH were first noted by Prof Noakes and colleagues in the 1980s, the cause – voluntary over-drinking – was finally established in 1991. The condition results from abnormal water retention throughout the body, which reduces the blood sodium concentration, causing excess fluid to move from the blood into tissue cells, including those in the brain, and makes them swell. Consultant cardiologist Professor Sanjay Sharma of St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust, London, and the London Marathon medical director, warns that the higher temperatures rise, the more people are encouraged to drink – especially, he says, by sports drinks advertisements – and the more cases of EAH can be expected. “Many runners feel they need to drink at water stations whenever they can, regardless of how thirsty they feel,” he says. Slow runners are particularly at risk because they are on the road for longer – and it usually takes four hours of over-drinking to accumulate the excess fluid which causes EAH. So how much fluid should runners drink? Guidance from the International Marathon Medical Directors Association (IMMDA), drawn up by Prof Noakes in 2003, advises that “drinking to thirst” is enough to maintain the body’s fluid balance – and that to drink more than that contradicts our natural biological signals. However, the influential American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) argues that to avoid dehydration, athletes should not lose more than two per cent of body weight while exercising, a position also taken by the big sports drinks companies, Lucozade and Gatorade. The Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) advises would-be athletes to “drink before you’re thirsty or you’ll just be playing catch-up. Drink before, during and after exercise.” Athletes should “train their guts” to tolerate more fluids in the same way “they train their muscles to tolerate more exercise”. But Dr Courtney Kipps, specialist in sport and exercise medicine and the London Marathon’s assistant medical director, argues that in a marathon one should expect to lose up to two per cent of body weight and that “losing less than two per cent body weight after a marathon means that you’ll probably be over-hydrated and at risk of EAH.” Prof Noakes sees a conflict between science and commerce. “Promoting an abnormal and unphysiological behaviour – drinking to stay ahead of thirst – produced a novel disease, EAH, with tragic consequences,” he says. However Dr Ian Rollo of Gatorade argues that Prof Noakes “does not factor in the dangers associated with the more common condition of dehydration”, while a spokeswoman for the ACSM told The Daily Telegraph that “if anyone is at fault, it’s the marketing teams for the commercial sports drink companies.” Given the controversy, perhaps it’s not surprising that many runners know disturbingly little about the dangers of over-drinking. Dr Jonathan Williams is a marathon runner and sports physician at Bristol University who has himself suffered symptoms of EAH. His recent research published this month in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, found that 12 per cent of 217 runners in the 2010 London Marathon planned “to drink volumes which would put them at risk of EAH, and that only 35 per cent had a basic understanding of the cause and effects of EAH.” Kate Mori, now pregnant with her second child, will be watching this year’s London Marathon from the sidelines. “I haven’t felt like running a marathon since I had EAH,” she says. “But I would like to do another eventually. I am very fortunate to have made a recovery.” Advice for marathon runners To avoid dehydration, drink when you feel thirsty. Sticking to a rigid drinking plan is potentially dangerous. Weigh yourself before and after training runs of different lengths and intensity and in different weather conditions to understand how your body responds to drinking fluid during exercise. If you weigh the same (or more) than when you started, you have drunk too much. Over a marathon expect to lose up to two per cent of body weight due to depleted energy stores. Sports drinks may contain a low concentration of sodium but they will not prevent the development of EAH in runners who drink to excess. If you have bloating, vomiting, nausea or a headache, get medical help. These could be early warning signs of EAH.

Borat anthem stuns Kazakh gold medallist in Kuwait

2012-03-24T00:10:00.001+00:00

Kazakhstan's shooting team has been left stunned after a comedy national anthem from the film Borat was played at a medal ceremony at championships in Kuwait instead of the real one. The team asked for an apology and the medal ceremony was later rerun. The team's coach told Kazakh media the organisers had downloaded the parody from the internet by mistake. The song was produced by UK comedian Sacha Baron Cohen for the film, which shows Kazakhs as backward and bigoted. The original Borat movie offended the Kazakh authorities Footage of Thursday's original ceremony posted on YouTube shows gold medallist Maria Dmitrienko listening to the anthem without emotion and finally smiling as it ends. Coach Anvar Yunusmetov told Kazakh news agency Tengrinews that the tournament's organisers had also got the Serbian national anthem wrong. "Then Maria Dmitrienko's turn came," he said. "She got up on to the pedestal and they played a completely different anthem, offensive to Kazakhstan." Continue reading the main story Anthem gaffes Instead of singing "we love your mountains" in his attempt on the Croatian anthem, an English opera singer sings "my penis is a mountain" Swiss TV runs obsolete "Deutschland uber alles" subtitles over the German national anthem Grenada plays Taiwan's anthem at a ceremony inaugurating a China-funded stadium Saudis play Syrian anthem for Lebanese football team Belgian party leader Yves Leterme sings French anthem when asked to sing the Belgian The spoof song praises Kazakhstan for its superior potassium exports and for having the cleanest prostitutes in the region. The film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, released in 2006, follows Baron Cohen's character, the journalist Borat Sagdiyev, as he travels to the US and pursues the actress Pamela Anderson. The film outraged people in Kazakhstan and was eventually banned in the country. The government also threatened Baron Cohen with legal action. Reports say the film is also banned in Kuwait.

Chelsea have received a huge boost with news that captain John Terry looks set to be fit for this weekend's vital Champions League clash against London rivals Tottenham.

2012-03-23T08:34:00.001+00:00

Terry missed the 2-1 defeat to Manchester City due to calf cramps and has not been able to train fully since last week's win over Napoli, which was only his second appearance since returning from knee surgery.

The 31-year-old looks as if he will be able to face Tottenham, however, after taking part in a training session on Thursday morning.

Captain's job: Terry has been passed fit to face Tottenham at the weekend

Pep Guardiola to be offered Chelsea deal of £40m

2012-03-23T08:32:00.001+00:00

ROMAN ABRAMOVICH is ready to hand super-coach Pep Guardiola a four-year deal worth £40million AFTER TAX to become Chelsea boss. 131 comments Related Stories Barca boosted by Pep talk PEP GUARDIOLA is close to agreeing a new one-year deal to stay at Barcelona The club's billionaire Russian owner refuses to give up on his quest to lure Barcelona's all-conquering manager. And that includes making Guardiola the highest-paid boss in the world with a money-no-object offer worth £10m a year in cash, according to one Blues insider. Guardiola's Nou Camp deal is up at the end of the season and Abramovich will not call off the chase while the manager leaves his future up in the air. He currently earns around £8m a year NET at Barca but Rom can eclipse that with his staggering offer. Sacked Andre Villas-Boas was paid about £4.5m a year and Chelsea coughed up £13m compensation to his previous club Porto to release him last summer

Kenny Dalglish has accused his critics of lacking intelligence and not understanding what he is trying to achieve at Anfield,

2012-03-23T08:30:00.001+00:00

Kenny Dalglish has accused his critics of lacking intelligence and not understanding what he is trying to achieve at Anfield, pointing to the success of the academy and Liverpool’s Carling Cup triumph, as well as the FA Cup semi-final to come.

But, after Wednesday’s implosion at Loftus Road, when they lost a Premier League game after leading 2-0 for the first time in 11-and-a-half years, and after buying nearly £115million worth of players in just over a year, the club sit seventh, a place above Swansea (who have spent around £10m in that time). So, we ask Sportsmail’s experts — has King Kenny delivered?

After spending more than £100million on players, Kenny Dalglish must realise his Liverpool side have seriously under-performed this season. Six defeats in the last 10 Barclays Premier League games, nine in all, as well as eight draws at home, is simply not good enough.

The widely-held view that the Carling Cup would be enough to satisfy the club’s American owners this season is not shared by many inside Anfield. Not even a Carling Cup and FA Cup double will keep them completely happy when the main objective was to qualify for the Champions League.

Kop legend: But with Liverpool 12 points off the Champions League spot, Kenny Dalglish does not seem to know how to turn around the club's League fortunes

But that does not mean Dalglish will be sacked, or indeed should be sacked, particularly when it has never been more difficult to secure a place in the top four and particularly when we are talking about Dalglish here. These Americans are not half as daft as their predecessors.

The pressure, however, will be on next season, with so much more required from those marquee signings.

Andy Carroll has been a disaster so far, while Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam just don’t look like Liverpool players; nothing like as good as Xabi Alonso or Fernando Torres, prior to the latter getting injured, anyway.

Stewart Downing has had his moments but needs to perform with more consistency, especially for £20million.

Chelsea will have to fight to keep David Luiz this summer, with Barcelona preparing to offer £35million for the Brazil defender.

2012-03-23T08:26:00.001+00:00

The Catalan club have long been admirers of the 24-year-old centre half, dating back to when he was impressing at Benfica. In 2010 he was player of the year in the Portuguese League.

Wanted: Barcelona are preparing to offer £

500,000 passengers allowed to enter Britain on Eurostar without border checks

2012-02-20T17:14:00.001+00:00

Home Secretary Theresa May told the House of Commons that border security checks at ports had been suspended regularly and applied inconsistently for more than four years. Mrs May also said students from low risk countries had been allowed to enter Britain even when they did not have visa clearance. She said the practice was unlawful and discriminatory. John Vine, the independent chief inspector of the UK Border Agency, launched an investigation after it emerged the UK's border checks were being relaxed at ports and airports without ministerial approval. His report found that border staff went "over and beyond" any scheme approved by ministers. It also discovered that the biometric chip reading facility had been deactivated on 14,812 occasions at a number of ports between January and June 2011.

Spending on health per patient in Spain is down ten percent in two years

2012-02-20T12:04:00.001+00:00

The spending cuts in the health service are causing a deterioration in patient care, as the regions reduce the budget by 5 billion €. The cost per inhabitant has fallen 10% over the past two years, waiting lists are getting longer, and a shortage of beds and a lack of payment to suppliers is ever more common. Supplies are also being rationed. Unions claim there are some hospitals which are rationing the use of bandages. There are already hospitals which no longer operate in the afternoons, and emergency departments are often saturated. All the staff has met the brunt of the cuts, there have also been cut backs on medicines, technology and maintenance. Professionals and patients are starting to notice the cuts. At the Ramon y Cajal emergency department in Madrid, some 100 workers have denounced the saturation, and say there is a shortage of beds. Patients are being placed in overcrowded rooms. The amount owed to suppliers by hospitals by the regional health authorities has now risen to 11.6 billion €.

Teenagers jailed for south London murder

2012-02-17T12:46:00.001+00:00

teenager accused of two gang murders at the age of 16 has been sentenced to a life term. Jordan Williams was told on Thursday he would serve a minimum of 18 years for murdering Daniel Graham, 18, who was stabbed 24 times in 45 seconds. Williams, who turned 17 last month, was part of a gang which attacked Graham as he stepped off a bus on 29 January last year. Williams was later arrested for the murder of promising athlete Sylvester Akapalara, 17, who was shot dead in Peckham, south London, a month before. But a jury cleared him of that killing, which resulted in Sodiq Adeojo, 20, being jailed for a minimum of 30 years, also on Thursday. Williams, Colin Aghatise, 16, and Lennie John, 24, all from Peckham, were found guilty on Wednesday at the Old Bailey of murdering Graham. Williams and Aghatise were ordered to be detained during Her Majesty's pleasure, with Aghatise given a minimum term of 15 years. John, 24, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years. They were said to be members of the GMG gang, which is said to stand for various names, including Guns, Murder and Girls. Graham was attacked with knives and a broken bottle in front of horrified passengers as he got off a bus in East Dulwich, south London. He was helped back on to the 176 bus by passengers, but died from his injuries. Judge Timothy Pontius told the defendants: "Daniel Graham was murdered in circumstances of horrific and merciless brutality. "He was killed in an attack which, for all its brevity, was intensely ferocious. "At least four, and probably more, played an active part. They were acting like a pack of hyenas." Williams had taken one of two lock-knives he kept at home to a party where violence was likely to arise at the meeting of two opposing groups. Williams and Aghatise were both 15 at the time. All three defendants were from decent homes and had good academic achievements. But on the night "they all too readily followed the pack instinct". The court was told that Williams was a server at his local church and had been elected chairman of his school council. And John's mother was said to work at a central London magistrates court. Duncan Penny, prosecuting, said trouble flared at an under-18s event at Dulwich Hamlet football club and a gun was fired, hitting a youth in the leg. He said a row broke out between Graham's friends and another group of youths. Penny said: "Daniel's group was punched and knives were produced and it appears a firearm was discharged and at least one shot was fired. "Daniel's group fled the party and their escape route took them past East Dulwich railway station. They were pursued by members of the defendants' group." Graham had tried to take refuge on the double-decker bus before changing his mind and jumping off. But he was attacked in front of passengers by a large group of youths who subjected him to "a volley of punches, kicks and stamps" to the body and head. Penny said CCTV on the bus showed the time of the attack as 12.09am. "It lasted in the region of 45 seconds," he added. "In that short period he had received 24 stab wounds, having been descended upon by a group of murderers." Passengers made the driver drive off while Graham, who was covered in blood, was laid across two seats by a nurse and her sister. After seeing some of the attackers at the next stop, the bus drove on until police and an ambulance reached it in Lordship Lane. Williams and John were identified by a youth who had viewed them rapping on YouTube. Aghatise's DNA was found on a broken bottle with Graham's blood on it. Graham had gained seven GCSEs and was doing business studies. He did voluntary work for the NSPCC children's charity in his spare time. His mother, Stephanie, said in an impact statement to the court that she had been devastated by his death. She added: "Everyone loved Daniel. He was instantly likeable to all who knew him."

Hells Angel charged over Sydney ice labs

2012-02-16T16:20:00.001+00:00

Police say they have charged a senior member of the Hells Angels bikie gang over the discovery of two illegal drug laboratories earlier this week. The 33-year-old man was arrested with an alleged Hells Angels associate on Wednesday afternoon at an apartment block at North Ryde, in Sydney's north-west. Police say they found drugs and a loaded handgun at the unit. The apartment was raided by officers investigating the discovery of two methylamphetamine labs on Tuesday in the city's south-west at Catherine Field and Narellan. Specialists from the Drug Squad's Chemical Operations Team are still working to dismantle the equipment and chemicals used in the manufacture of ice. Both men arrested yesterday have been charged with drug manufacture and other drug offences, while one has been charged over the pistol. Two other men who were arrested at the lab sites on Tuesday, aged 36 and 41, remain before the courts.