Plane Comes Off Runway At Dortmund Airport

An aircraft belonging to German airline Air Berlin is seen after coming off the runway at the airport in Dortmund, western Germany, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2010. A jet headed for Spain's Canary Islands came off the runway at Dortmund airport in western Germany on Sunday, but no one was injured, authorities said.




A jet veered off the runway at a western German airport Sunday, but no one was injured, authorities said.
The pilot of the Air Berlin Boeing 737-800 had braked to abort the takeoff from Dortmund airport because of a "technical irregularity," but the plane left the runway in wintry conditions, airline spokeswoman Diane Daedelow said.
It came to rest with its nose pointing down a slight, snow-covered slope.
None of the 165 passengers and six crew members was hurt, and the plane was undamaged, Daedelow said. Passengers left the aircraft normally using steps, and were taken to nearby Paderborn airport where another plane flew them to their destination of Las Palmas, in Spain's Canary Islands.
Later Sunday, the airline said takeoff was aborted because the pilot and co-pilot were being shown different speeds by their instruments.
Dortmund airport was closed after the incident at 7:05 a.m. (0605GMT) to allow for the aircraft's recovery. Other flights were canceled or diverted.
Dortmund fire service official Thomas Osthoff said on n-tv television that some 120 officers initially were dispatched to the scene — but "fortunately it turned out that a deployment on this scale wasn't needed."
The plane is the second Boeing 737-800 to leave the runway in recent weeks. On Dec. 22, an American Airlines flight from Washington left the runway as it landed in Kingston, Jamaica, in heavy rain.
In that case, the fuselage cracked open, the left main landing gear collapsed and the nose was crushed as the plane lurched to a halt at the ocean's edge. There were no deaths, but many passengers needed hospital treatment.



A plane of German airline Air Berlin is stuck in the snow behind a runway at the airport in Dortmund, western Germany, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2010. The jet headed for Spain's Canary Islands came off the runway at Dortmund airport in western Germany on Sunday, but no one was injured, authorities said. The pilot of the Air Berlin Boeing 737-800, with 165 passengers and six crew members on board, tried to abort the takeoff because of a "technical irregularity" that is still being examined, airline spokeswoman Diane Daedelow said. The aircraft braked but came off the runway in wintry conditions.


Source:npr.org/

Spanish airline Air Comet suspends all flights

Spanish airline Air Comet announced today that all its flights have been suspended owing due to financial problems due to which it is unable to pay its debts. The airline has a fleet of 13 planes and around 1500 passengers use its services everyday.

The airline, which specializes in flights to Latin American countries, has said that the main reason behind its problems is the decision by a commercial court in London on Friday which allowed the German bank ‘Nord Bank’ to deny the airline the right to redeem the mortgage against its debt. It is reported that the debt amount was close to 20 million dollars or 14 million euro.

This has ruined travel plans for a large number of passengers, and that too at a time of the festive season and holidays. The airline is also gearing up for staff lay-offs and declaring its inability to clear off the debts.

Source:spanishnews.es/

Spanish Inquisition: Is It All Downhill From Here For Barcelona

As the Blaugrana return home to celebrate their sixth title this year, Goal.com’s KS Leong explores the wise old saying that what goes up, must come down.

Not to rain on anyone’s parade, but the future does look rather bleak for Barcelona... but in a good, complimentary kind of way. And besides they were coach, Pep Guardiola’s own words, not mine.

But the former midfield maestro turned prodigy coach does have a very valid point. And he is making those declarations as a pre-emptive measure to play down any expectations from fans and critics that the team will effortlessly waltz away with 12 titles in 2010. Not that that’s possible, even for the wizards and magicians of Camp Nou, but you get the gist of what he’s trying to do.

Everyone at the Barca camp, including Pep himself, had remarked that it would be near impossible to repeat the kind of success that the club attained over the past 12 months.

Everything that Barcelona do from here on out, whether it’s Guardiola’s team or a completely different squad five, ten years down the line, will always be compared to the history-makers of 2009. Real Madrid had to live in the shadows of the Alfredo Di Stefano-led glory era from the 50’s and 60’s for a long time, while Milan had to contend with their own achievements from the 80’s. More recently, Arsenal have had to cope with a barrage of condemnation because the current young stars are struggling to revive the team of ‘Invincibles’ from the 2003/04 season when they won the league title without losing a single game.

Even now, Barca are drawing critique after critique for their performances, simply because they do not look as vibrant and as exhilarating as they did last season, eventhough they are still playing beautiful, possession football and getting the required results. One can only guess just how much they will be slandered and disparaged should they walk away with only the Copa del Rey in 2010.

The fact of the matter is, their achievements in 2009 do not need to be topped or even replicated. There’s no official rule in football saying that a club must win the same amount of titles or more one year after the other to join the annals of the all-time greats. The class of 2008/09 won the sextuple and it will be this group of players who will be recognised as the immortals of their generation.

But football, as with all things in life, doesn’t quite work like that. People will celebrate and embrace Barca’s unprecedented success, but in the long run, it is ultimately failure that will be remembered and revisited the most.

Which of these two games will people bring to light more often in the future: the 6-1 mauling of Real Zaragoza or the 2-1 home defeat to Rubin Kazan in the Champions League?



The bar has also been raised monumentally not just for the Blaugrana, but for the next administration who will take over Joan Laporta’s reign. It will be even tougher for Guardiola. There is absolutely nothing he can do that will top his outrageous achievements in his first 18-monts at the job. Such is the exaltation that has been showered on Pep that if and when he chooses to leave Catalunya to coach a different club abroad, he will forever have to carry the six winners’ medas around his neck wherever he goes, and be expected to deliver the same level of success, whether it will be at Roma, Brescia or Rubin Kazan.

While the harshest of critics will demand that Barcelona go on to win another six titles in the new year before they can be convinced that Guardiola’s Drean Team II are a champion outfit, there’s a small part inside the rest of us who do not want the Calatan behemoths to duplicate another hextuple-winning campaign.

Records are meant to be broken and the history books are there to be written on, but it’s always more unique and treasured when a crowning achievement is accomplished only once. If it happens to often and repeated too frequently, the allure and the myth will disappear.

And if everything does go downhill from here for Barca, they will always have 2009.

Source:goal.com

Buying holiday property in Spain

Buying a holiday property in Spain, like buying a property in England, is most likely to be one of the biggest purchases we make in our life. Therefore, it is never advisable to be in too much of a hurry and rush into a deal without full consideration. It is well worth taking the time to look around your chosen area and make sure you have a clear picture of the relative prices and types of property available.

The Costa del Sol is a very popular region of Spain and life can be very different depending on which town you choose to live in. It is also well worth considering spending some time visiting the town of choice to see what amenities, nightlife and places of interest are available. Out of season, holiday resorts can appear very different with few people in the streets, deserted beaches, cold nights and occasional rain. Visiting at this time of year will help you to decide whether this is your ideal holiday destination. With Torrox and Nerja being voted as having the best climate in Europe, the weather is probably the one thing not to put you off living in Spain.

OFF-PLAN & RESALE PROPERTIES
Off-plan involves buying a property yet to be build either from an Estate Agent, or directly from a developer and is typically cheaper than purchasing a resale property. Another advantage of off-plan is that you usually have a say in some of the specifications, fittings, and possibly even the furnishings of the completed property. It is advisable to get a good Spanish lawyer to draw up a cast-iron contract and ensure the developer has obtained all the required licences, owns the land and there are no outstanding mortgages or loans on the property. This is especially important as all loans are taken out on the property itself rather than the owner of the property.

PROPERTY PURCHASE COSTS
The costs associated with a property purchase in Spain are around 10% of the property purchase price. If property values increase at an average of 3% per year, then it will take 3 years to recover the costs associated with buying. There are many fashionable areas in Spain whose properties have greatly benefited from the huge increase in foreign investors over the past 5 years pushing up prices considerably, but there are still bargains to be found.

SPANISH MORTGAGES
Typical loans that are available are 60% for non-residents and 80% for residents of the declared property value. Original documents must be shown when obtaining a mortgage that usually includes passport, driving licence, last 3 months pay slips and P60 for British people buying abroad.

INMOBILIARIAS (ESTATE AGENTS)
There are many Inmobiliarias in Spain that typically have many different types of property to view including apartments, villas, townhouses, fincas and rural properties. Commissions vary considerably and a typical value of 6% is not uncommon. It is a good idea to ensure that the Estate Agent you choose to buy a property from has a good reputation, is officially registered and holds a licence.

SPANISH LAW
When buying a property in Spain, it is important to check with the local Ayuntamiento (Town Hall) for debts, charges, mortgages and court orders as these are registered against the property and not the owner. If you purchase a property with outstanding debt, then this will be transferred to yourself. Within two months of signing the Escritura (Property Deeds), ownership must be registered with the local Town Hall within 2 months.

TAXES
Wealth Tax is charged annually at 0.2% for residents and 0.7% for non-residents of the value of the property. Residents also have the added benefit of the first 108,000 euros being exempt. Capital Gains Tax is charged on any profit you have made when you decide to sell your property. Residents are charged at the lower price of 20% as compared to 35% for non-residents. A further concession for residents is total exemption from Capital Gains Tax if aged over 65 and have lived in the property for at least 3 years.

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
Above all, when purchasing a property in Spain ensure you get yourself a good Spanish Lawyer who is fluent in your language, and who knows the complexities of the Spanish buying process. The nearest UK Consular Office will supply a list of local Lawyers. Legal fees are typically 1-1.5% of the purchase price, but do agree on a price beforehand. The Lawyer should be able to warn of any potential problems, draw up an initial pre-sale contract, handle the customary 10% deposit and accompany you to see the Notary for final exchange of contracts.

A good Lawyer will ensure you end up with a property that is legally yours and free from financial debt. There are pitfalls with buying a property in any country, but by taking your time and doing a little local research, you should end up with your ideal place in the sun.

Article Source: http://www.travelarticlelibrary.com

How to Manage Your Chronic Pain

If you're one of the many people that suffer from chronic pain you'll need all the help you can get for managing it successfully. Chronic pain is defined as pain that doesn't go away, unlike acute pain that will dissipate as the injury, or other medical condition, heals. After a long period of time of dealing with chronic pain it often becomes a combination of body and mind discomfort that is very painful for the individual.

There are several steps you can take to help you manage the chronic pain in your life. First, one of the most important things to do is discuss the situation with your doctor on a regular basis. You may be taking some kind of medication that your doctor approved, either prescribed or over the counter. If you find that the medication is diminishing in effectiveness over time, you need to let your doctor know so that he can help you find alternatives. It's essential to be in constant communication with your doctors.

Another important thing that you can do to manage your pain is to exercise as regularly as you can. No matter how much pain you're feeling there are some types of exercise that you can engage in. Exercise is crucial to helping you with the pain because it helps to remain flexible and toned. You need to be in as good shape as you can so that you handle the other physical problems that can be the result of chronic pain.

If you are considering trying any food supplements that promise relief from pain you should make sure that you research the product and discuss your findings with your doctor. There are many supplements on the market that claim to relieve pain that have not yet been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Don't fall into the trap of taking one of these supplements that either (1) have no effect on your pain, or (2) can cause complications with the prescribed medications that you are taking under your doctor's care.

Another beneficial technique may be to introduce some relaxation techniques into your daily routine. One activity in particular that is beneficial is Yoga. Yoga not only exercises the body but also strengthens and tones your body. Additional relaxation techniques include meditation, visualization, acupuncture, and acupressure.

These techniques provide relaxation for your whole body and teach you to breathe correctly. They help you in dealing with everyday stress and problems of your life.

Getting support, such as joining a support group for those people suffering from chronic pain, can be helpful to the pain management. By joining a group, you'll be able to talk with other people who are going through the same emotions and feelings that you are deal with everyday. By discussing your own experience, you not only help yourself by finding other people who understand what's happening in your life, but you also help other people who need to hear what you have to say.

You don't have to deal with chronic pain all by yourself. Ask family and friends to support you if there are some things that you just can't do for yourself. By being frank about what you're going through you'll feel less alone and able to cope.

There is quite a bit of reading material that can help you gain as much information that you need for dealing with your pain. The more information that you are about what is going on in your body, the better able you'll be to deal with the pain and tolerate the effects on your life from the result of this pain.

Article Source: http://www.travelarticlelibrary.com