Spanish officials continue to take action against British expats in Andalucia. As reported on Telegraph.co.uk, Chris Bryant, the Foreign Minister for Europe, visited with expatriates in Spain and talked to Spanish officials to address the situation:

“Obviously it’s not for the British Government to tell the Spanish what to do. But I’m pushing the message hard at all government levels that I meet here that they have got to put political willpower into these problems, whether it’s an amnesty, whether it’s a change in the law, whatever the solution is that is needed. That is the point I am pushing.”

As noted by AFP via Yahoo! News, the expats are also getting help in the form of a civil servant appointed by the British government to Andalucia to help with integration into that region.

Canadian expats all over the world are celebrating the gold medal in ice hockey that was snatched out of the hands of the upstart youngsters of the American team who thought they were mounting a historic comeback. Well, as an avid American hockey fan, it pains me to do it, but I have to give props for the Canadian hockey team. I almost wish that the U.S. would have lost in regulation rather than get teased with the near come from behind victory that would have only been bested by the 1980 miracle on ice team. That being said, congrats Canada, and also to the Americans who should feel better about the silver as time goes on.

The earthquake in Chile this weekend was one of several major geological disasters in 2010. Clearly the year will be remembered as one in which there was unimaginable loss of life and enormous financial and infrastructure devastation as a result.

Here are a few articles to consider in relation to the earthquake this weekend in Chile and what has happened since the start of the year:

Following the earthquake, Canadian expats in Chile have yet to contact their loved ones, who are anxiously waiting to hear from them. From Yahoo Canada via Edmonton Sun.

Many might wonder why the earthquake in Haiti was so much more devastating than the one in Chile, even though it was not as powerful an earthquake (according to the Richter Scale). This article from CNN.com explains why.

The earthquakes in Chile and Haiti were the only major ones this year, right? Wrong. This article on SFGate.com describes an alarming trend for earthquakes in 2010.

A growing number of British expats are returning home, according to the Office for National Statistics. The TimesOnline.co.uk article also highlights the findings that fewer British expats are also leaving in the first place. As one would think, a drop in job opportunities due to the economic downturn is being blamed.

A tragic house collapse has resulted in the deaths of two British expats in Spain. Christine and Christopher Martin, both in their 60s, were both pronounced dead at the scene, according to Mirror.co.uk.

The last few weeks, we’ve reported about several surveys that have “determined” the best countries and cities to live throughout the world. It was all happy and syrupy and fun for everyone.

But what about the opposite?

Forbes Magazine has put together a list of the world’s most dangerous countries, and the list is not likely to surprise many people. For example, nobody will find himself or herself saying, “geez, who would have thought Somalia is one of the most unsafe places to live.”

Here is the top four most dangerous countries as reported by Forbes.com:

1. Afghanistan
2. Iraq
3. Somalia
4. Pakistan

Most expats know that they can check in with the U.S. State Department’s web site to get travel warnings, but in case you don’t you can also visit them on our ExpatExchange.com’s travel warnings page.

Ever read an article written by someone that just flat out doesn’t like British expats? No? Well, now you can. Brian Reade has written a commentary about the British expats he’s met, and it includes this gem:

If I was offered the choice of being castrated with a broken cider bottle or spending a night with an expat there is only one request I’d make.

Can you make it a bottle of Magners and give me a slug before you smash it?

Here are a couple thoughts about each side of the immigration issue mentioned in the piece:

If a person doesn’t like “foreigners” coming to their country, does he or she stop to think what the natives will think when he or she moves to their country?

On the other side of the debate, however, I wonder about Mr. Reade’s assertion that most of the immigrants want to integrate. Well, how many don’t? How was this established? And what impact will they have on Great Britain over time? Is there a political impact? What might it be?

As always, it’s a controversial issue, and one that is not likely to go away any time soon.

I’d love to hear some comments from British expats about this, and of course, about the assertion that fuel allowances should be pulled from pensioners living abroad.

It seems like every week there is a new report out that crowns a city or nation as the best place to live in the world.

Last week, we let you know about International Living’s report that declared France the winner. This week, a report by the Economist Intelligence Unit declares that Olympic Host city Vancouver is the most livable city on Earth is featured in ExpatExchange.com’s blog.

Canada and Australia should be especially proud, according to the report, as they have placed seven in the top 10.

New York and London? Forget it. You don’t even want to know. (Just according to THIS report, mind you.)

For the fifth year in a row, France has been voted the best place in the world to live for the fifth year in a row by International Magazine.

Here is an excerpt from an article about the report on CNN.com:

“The bread, the cheese, the wine,” Dan Prescher, special projects editor at [International Living] magazine, told CNN, when asked why France just keeps on winning year after year. “That weighs pretty heavily in quality of life.”

And, of course, there is a personal story about health care in France. As usual, too, it’s about a woman who recently gave birth and loved it. It’s actually pretty amazing how consistent the praise is for having a baby in France.

Remember that Expat Exchange has reports from all over the world about Having a Baby Abroad

Here’s a little bit of cultural commentary…

In a recent commentary piece, a professor in Canada writes about his perspective on a few separate topics. One, his view about the differences in Indian vs. Western students:

“I tell [my current students] about how the students at JNU take their education much more seriously than do students in Western universities, about how they don’t complain about extra work or the difficulty of classes, but rather appreciate the increasing competitiveness of a globalised economy and therefore the importance of every small iota of knowledge or skills an educator can provide.”

And, he also writes about whether China or India will be the dominant force in the world economy.

“I would like to respectfully suggest that it will be India, not China, which will take the world’s economy and culture by the collars and shake it till the human race takes note.”

Did I even have to point out that this is commentary?

Read more about “Lazy Western Students and China vs. India

A Bit of History: As a World War II history buff, I was interested to see this book review of Lynn Olson’s Citizens of London: The Americans Who Stood with Britain in Its Darkest, Finest Hour. This 496 page book is about Key Americans in London during the blitz that helped push America toward “entry into the war.” Anyone interested in the Kennedy family’s political history should familiarize themselves with this part of their story. (As a side note, JFK’s travels in Europe in the run up to WW II are also fascinating and worth researching. Michael O’Brien’s John F. Kennedy: A Biography is a great place to start.) Olson’s book is important to highlight as a tribute to the importance of those that are actually on the ground at critical times in history. Then again, nobody knows that more than expats themselves!

On the Forums: An interesting discussion on our Global Forum about Pickpockets and Thieves. This is a topic always worth revisiting, even if just to remind us to take appropriate precautions while abroad.