Costa Blanca Olive Press - Issue 82 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

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Vol. 15 Issue 368 www.theolivepress.

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May 5th - May 18th 2021

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March 24th

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THE START:

The first edition

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Press in 2006

2021

365 www.theolivepress.es

its 15th Press reaches As the Olive recall a few of our birthday, we and remember such favourite interviews top readers,(above) a couple of our minister Rajoy as ex-prime Paul Gascoigne... and prime joker

a warning after Private school moved to Spain, EXCLUSIVE: and found British paedophile convicted record checks dodged criminal English teacher in Madrid work as an

Spain Fiona Govan schools around after a British INTERNATIONAL most on high alert a new idenof Madrid’s have been put after creating teaching at one after being conpost language academydocuments. man began teaching remonths Lewis got tity, using forged of the sex offender exclusive colleges teacher UK. colleagues name to dodge DANGER: after Ben Lewis, victed in the sumbe- Formerthat he created a new a job as an English secbeen raised he accepted in order to run (concertado)from school despite vealed Questions have semi-private record checks private classes to 2017 to work at the register. at a leading that receives subsidies 31, was able and teach sex offenders Lewis, criminal ing on the UK’s has discovered that sex of- mer camps after ondary school by for child young children. his name to Ben David and the state. name Ben David The Olive Press another awaiting trial changed of taking Madrid V, going by the who is now a He hadconvicted in June 2016of children in “He was was offered the job aftera former Penitenciario schools and being then and fences at Centro mid-term,” the Olive indecent images hoodwink TWO dropped out told possessing managed to England. placed on teacher Natasha Fitzsimons As well as beinglist and be- colleague to fill the posiPress. the sex offender a two-year susthey were desperate as thorough as ing handed he was “I think maybe they weren’t so pended sentence, leaving the tion have been. barred fromworking with they should country or Horrified school for 18 children. weeks he had at the Yet within together goand found worked together moved to Spain as a live- “We on private classes children for months, took of some of the work in Zaragoza summer a family with ing to the homesteaching and ran a said the in au pair tochildren. extracurricularschool during 2018,” horror at three young year he rewith camp at the who is filled The following and bea Irish colleague, located to Madrid had to children. that the day children at the access he his has discovered gan teaching language Olive Press in the UK he changed well-known get- The Lewis Ben David NAMES: two academy afterrecord after sentencing deed poll from that takes just 15 different passports ting a criminalZarago- name by in a process check from show he to Ben David, a British za police to in minutes. applied for and received also preHe then his new name, while he Israeli had no convictions his the previpassport in Spain over photocopy of by a sented a doctoredstamped and verified ous 12 months. showed December passport Then in law firm that non-existentBen David Rose. his name as has seen photocopdegree The Olive Press plus a teaching ies of these, Teaching Status (QTS) the name and Qualified presented in certificates Rose as well as certifCOVERED of Ben Davidoriginal name. ALL AREAS April icates in his is that by a teaching What is amazing applied for 4G UNLIMITED 2019 he had private school in the job at a leading Soria district that INTERNET to the upmarket Arturo IDEAL FOR British curriculum TV teaches the elite. STREAMING children of Madrid’s had a DBS certificate ALSO IPTV, By now he also 6 TV SATELLITE Opinion Page

at the we spend time ...meanwhile,world’s most famous home of thehe announces he’s plumber as Spanish citizen, after becoming a and losing €15m to 15 years here his ex-wives...

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- April 2021 Vol. 15 Issue 365 March

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British Embassy and ConsulaOn behalf of all at the huge congratulations to all to wish tes, I want anniverOlive Press on your 15th at the sary. press The English language UK plays a vital role in keepingAnd nationals in Spain informed. your we very much appreciate help in getting key messages out to UK nationals here. After an incredibly difficult inyear for so many of us, cluding many businesses, it is great to see the Olive Press thriving. We look forward to seeing what the next 15 years bring.

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GREEN CAMPAIGNS: Against golf courses Tel: 952 147 834 (left and top) in issue one and coastal development (above) last year

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EXCLUSIVE: Expat tip leads Olive Press team to snare one of UK’s most wanted paedophiles

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2 FOR 1 ANTHONYS down paedophile 59€ INVESTIGATIONS: Tracking missing Amy Matthew Sammon, probing cruelty (far right) (right) and exposing animal

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Mijas Costa

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(above) and crooked Nigel Goldman IMPACT: Tracking down Costa del Sol fire in 2012 covering the devastating

The

in 2006 ROM its very first issue camthe Olive Press has been paigning for its community.environWhether fighting for the we have ment or digging into crooks, taken some big scalps. (see top right) has Starting from Issue One A decade and a half of campaigning plans to we highlighted the ridiculous the Olive Press golf courses scored some big wins for build 2000 houses, two and two hotels on UNESCO-protected as exposed land near Ronda, as well a 350-room we were legends Ferran Adria the madness of building in AlmeWhen it comes to corruption to write and Gordon Ramsey. and Nigel monstrosity on a virgin beach the first English newspaper maverick Jeremy Griffiths, Junta And it was nice to chat ria’s Cabo de Gata. the ERE scandal at the in Ron- Goldman, a degenerate gold-dealing column about an estimated to Ciudadanos leader Both schemes - Los Merinos, de Andalucia that cost hotel, in Alme- dirt-bag, who had a restaurant while we Albert Rivera, as well he used to da, and the Algarrobico billion euros to the taxpayers,on a local as the only newspaper our stories in a local newspaper, which ria - went into reverse after national also tackled town hall theft cover his tracks. to be able to pose a crook Toni made the UK AND Spanish groups includWe also tackled timesharedeserves a scale on dozens of occasions. of questions to newspapers and green cruelty has been a continual couple en AcMuldoon, who certainly of peo- Animal and we have exposed so many Michelle Obama on her ing Greenpeace and Ecologistas bugbear mention for conning thousands scoundrels visit to Marbella a few to prison for cion joined our protests. crooks, like evil abusers, as well as thekill innocent years ago. ple and eventually went And then there were the Daniel who allowed hunters to a finca in Ex- Indeed, the positives setting up fake escort websites. reporting on Crimestoppers’ Most Wanted circus lions and tigers at and Matthew Meanwhile, our crime far outweigh the neg‘blew open Johnston, a bank robber, paedophile, tremadura (see below). it was great atives and we would missing teen Amy Fitzpatrick of her grandSammon, a dangeroustracked down a more positive front, the case’, to use the words investiga- Oninterview everyone from Princess Di- prefer to be judged who we single-handedlyand a car park to mother, while our continuing cooking over 50 rather than McCann has to a village near Sevilla ex-lover James Hewett to tion into missing Maddie 15 years. with its ana’s in Fuengirola. ‘the dogman’ yielded exclusive after exclusive, As far as we are conAnd fraudsters like David frequent links to Spain. cerned we have only Klein, pet transport just begun.

of ...and our team long-term writers, recall their decade in and a half living the world’s most exciting country. inside. See pull-out

on Page 4

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Sexuales, de Delincuentes del Registro Central la Base de Datos de la fecha, consultada relativa a: Que, en el día información penal NO CONSTA nº 22807454 ROSE con Pasaporte D./Dª BEN DAVID a la organización de febrero, relativa Consejo de 26 Estados miembros, 2009/315/JAI del penales entre los por otros Decisión Marco de antecedentes dispuesto en la las condenas impuestas de los registros sin Conforme a lo de información incluye, en su caso, hayan sido notificadas, del intercambio el presente certificado y al contenido en que tales condenas tipos delictivos ciudadanos españoles, en los mismos términos de condena y los tratándose de delictivos del Estado de la Unión Europea, entre los tipos Estados miembros una equiparación que exista necesariamente su expedición. nacionales. en la fecha de del titular interesado/a refleja la situación El presente certificado de agosto de 2017 Zaragoza a 29

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Documento firmado

yorkshirelinencostablanca.com

U T R U

Olive Press campaign demands urgent action to restore driving rights to thousands

By George Mathias

inside

for there is an opportunity the way in tackhe photographed and filmed. the sick Spain to lead level,” she said. By Fiona Govan He then disseminated on ling it at a global Spain to inin Madrid wants material on paedo forums the world. Her charity an po- the dark web around CEO of troduce the need to present loophole that has allowed British Emily Konstantas, Alliance, original birth certificate alongtentially hundreds of in The Safeguarding Press for side a passport and criminal paedophiles to find work applauded the Olive checks that would allow the issue: “The record employers to unearth Spanish schools. an in- highlighting ALL AREAS COVERED The campaign follows Press Ben Lewis case as revealed by potential change of identity. sserp evilo vestigation by the Olive it was the Olive Press highlights this a a simple way to provide that revealed how easyoffender loophole and as shocking as “It’s extra check,” she insisted. new and that 4G UNLIMITED for a convicted UK sex severity and danger this find this is, it is nothing OLIVE NAMYTDLLIOUGG represents just “The to change his identity and DANGER: Lewis gothelp INTERNET presents to the whole several unfortunately PRESS 15 YEARS work as a teacher in he was the tip of the iceberg as to the loophole teaching post, with OF FUN IDEAL FOR world cannot be underestimatMadrid schools where least 36 magnitude of this problem.” of ‘fake’ papers STREAMING TV Lessons status ed.” arrested for abusing at She warned: “Whilst the signif- An extensive report by The crimes,” states the needed children. quo remains in situ this safe- Safeguarding Alliance is being very serious ALSO IPTV, by the Olive Press. the UK parlia- report, seen icant and very dangerous extensive research and contin- used to lobby SATELLITE TV Criminal guarding loophole will just to ment for a legal change in the Through The Safeguarding Allinot case law Ben Lewis, 31, ue to pose a threat,to the rest of management of sex offenders. how identified that offendreported We 840 Nationals, but how the current ance has tel: (0034) 952 763 by deed had changed his name British UK world putting children and It explains on the registered ers are not notifying as required info@theskydoctor.com poll, applied for a newcriminal the most vulnerable at risk,” system relies to notify the po- and are continuing to abuse chilOP splash those their names sex offender EXCLUSIVE: www.theskydoctor.com + passport, and dodged + of any name dren by changing on she warned. their identities hun- lice with details record checks despite being “There are potentially - of change, alongside any change and obfuscating case of Ben the UK’s sex offenders register. infor- as seen through the a state- dreds - if not thousands overof address and passport Police in Spain issued Lewis/Rose absconding Lew- known sex offenders slipping continue to abuse. UK to mation. ment last week describing as he is under the radar in the they “Currently the onus lies solely seas to is - or Ben David Rose, and although work abroad where seek dangerous offender ‘a the as with known chilnow notify, continue to abuse Undermined it is an offence to fail to a dechild sexual predator’. that he can she continued. this is not effectiveness The National Police saida teach- dren,” loophole is arguably the one could argueoffender already “As a result, the the important legislation, the had used his position as Madrid “This safeguarding scandal terrent as the to commit of Sex Offenders Register, and has the propensity er at private schools in whom biggest the world has ever seen Child Sex Offender Disclosure to gain access to children Violence Scheme, the Domestic DBS are Disclosure Scheme, the renundermined and effectively offence which could states. it criminal a is redundant,” so to dered failure five years imprisperson does not need “The case of Ben Lewis/Rose IN the United Kingdom a to start using a new result in a term not exceeding be highlights why Spain should onment. to follow an official process safe‘deed poll’ to apply for However, evidence demonstrates that not every aware of this very seriousshould name, but they require a such as a new act with honesty and guarding loophole and moveregistered sex offender willas required. or to change official documents pioneer an international from report a change of name discovered through passport. and easily online for ment to protect its childrenunder This can be done simply that takes no longer The Safeguarding Alliance requests to 16 of the those abusers who slip change little or no cost in a process and can even be Freedom of Information 913 people with sex the radar using the name UK’s 46 police forces that gone missing after than 15 minutes to process added. cell. had Konstantas prison a convictions from loophole,” offence completed without informing the Sexual Offences Act of Under section 84 of the report a name change changing their names Opinion Page 6 2003, an offender must to the police, and police. Andalucia within three working days Manolete s/n, 29660 Nueva protecTHE UK’s leading childSpain to tion group is calling for process tighten the recruitment of English teachers. The plea by The Safeguarding the Alliance aims to protect legal country against a British

SKY + + THE DOCTOR

June 2nd - June 15th 2022

REVERSE THIS!

THE Olive Press is launching a campaign to demand a U-turn in draconian new rules stopping thousands of British expats from driving in Spain. We have been sparked into action after hearing dozens of horror stories involving long-term residents around the country. Most were shunted into the hard shoulder after receiving poor advice from lawyers and gestors. They include pensioners, who have lived here for decades, employees of blue chip companies and even British lawyers, who were unable to get clear advice. The Olive Press’ very own salesperson Tina Brace has also become a victim, despite living here for 24 years. Continues on page 2 “A combination of Spain’s infamous bureauc r a c y and impenetrable laws has left far too m a n y people prejudiced,” said Olive Press editor J o n Clarke. “We inSALES & RENTALS SPECIALISTS tend to Moriara•Calpe•Jalon•Javea•Denia•Altea put pressure on the powers that www.moraira-hamiltons.net

See our special supplement

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voice in Spain

Jávea · Altea

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ANDALUCÍA

voice in Spain

NOW

A BRITISH paedophile who the Olive Press revealed had changed his name by deed poll to forge legal documents to find work as a teacher in Spain has been sentenced to 138 years in prison by a court in Madrid. Ben David Rose was Estepona handed the OLIVE jail term after PRESS being found SCHOOLS guilty of producing child PAEDO pornography CALL involving 36 children after lying his way into one of Madrid’s most prestiFLASHBACK: Our gious private exclusive schools. The case raised serious safeguarding concerns after it emerged he had been convicted for similar crimes in the UK and placed on the sex offenders register before moving to Spain where he found work as an au pair and then as

expat

IN FOR LIFE

Your

electrónicamente

96 649 1883

be in both the UK and Spain to try and get this rule changed.” The problem came about after years of discussions regarding the right for British expats to swap their licences over to Spanish ones. It started after a Brexit transition period begun in January 2020. The apparently straightforward exchange was made more complicated however, due to the confusing rules, which varied by region… and of course the pandemic. While some expats were able to simply turn up and swap their licence others were bogged down by paperwork issues. A series of three extensions to give expats more time came to an end on April 30.

Kick

Marbella lawyer Mark Wilkins, from ROS Abogados, came unstuck after believing that common sense would prevail, as it has in many other EU countries. While he was able to transfer his licence in the nick of time, his wife was left out in the cold and can no longer legally drive here. So angry was the lawyer, who moved here from Surrey a few years ago, that he has had direct contact with UK transport secretary Grant Shapps over the debacle. He told the Olive Press: “It’s excellent you are doing this cam-

Open every day Closed Monday

paign which I fully support. “I have great respect for your paper and its campaigning, but you will need the help of your friends at the embassy to push this through. Go on and kick ‘em!” He does however, remain fairly optimistic and during his conversations with Shapps he was told the problem would be ‘resolved shortly’ and that talks were ‘reasonably advanced’. “They seem to have their legs under the table,” he said, but insisted that no deal was ‘imminent’. “I feel a bit impotent and not sure what else I can do,” he added. The British Embassy meanwhile remained upbeat. “We are hopeful that an agreement will be

reservas:

963 51 49 94

reached in the coming weeks and remain fully committed to making this happen,” said a spokesperson.

Gaffe

She insisted it was untrue that the Spanish authorities had dynamited a deal because the UK refused to give access to its vehicle database to chase up holidaymakers with unpaid fines. The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, which is responsible for the gaffe, refused to comment. See Page 5 Opinion Page 6

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CRIME

www.theolivepress.es

NEWS IN BRIEF Family dispute A VALENCIA man stuck a knife in his father‘s head before kicking him on the ground and pummeling him with a car shock absorber. The aggressor was arrested on a near-by street.

Pet insult FOUR people who got into a fight with baseball bats and clubs because of insults made against a family dog at San Juan beach in Alicante have been charged with affray.

Not wanted JAVEA council has banned motorhomes from overnight stays in an area overlooking Cala de la Granadella. Transgressors have been warned they’ll be fined if they flout rules.

Child taken A BELGIAN man has been arrested after kidnapping his son, 2, and bringing him to Alicante following a bitter custody battle.

June 2nd - June 15th 2022

Live stash

Cold comfort

A PASSENGER planned to fly out of Alicante-Elche airport to Denmark with 46 live turtles, protected tortoises and crabs in his carry-on luggage. Guardia Civil officers ordered the 64-year-old man open his case and found the creatures wrapped in cling-film so that they would not move around. The tortoises fell under Spain’s endangered species classification. All of the animals were taken to the Santa Faz wildlife recovery centre.

A MAN nearly died of the cold after plunging into the sea to hide from police in Alicante. He and an accomplice have been arrested over robbing and sexually assaulting a woman, 25, in the Old Town. Police later spotted the suspects on the El Postiguet walkway one of whom ran into the sea. Officers boarded a firefighting vessel to find the man, who was clinging to a buoy with symptoms of severe hypothermia. He was arrested and taken to hospital.

ON THE RUN

Police appeal for help to find top ten most wanted fugitives in Spain, including Brit suspected murderer A BRITISH alleged murderer and a Belgian drug dealer are included in a list of the top 10 most wanted fugitives in Spain. Spanish police launched a campaign this week appealing for the public to help track down the most wanted

criminals on the run in Spain. One of those on the list is Scotsman, Derek McGraw Ferguson (pictured) who is wanted over the murder of a waiter who was shot in

A BRITISH drugs gang that used UK citizens as drugs mules to take suitcases of narcotics out of the country has been smashed. In a coordinated swoop, over 250 officersraided 30 addresses in Alicante Almeria and Murcia. Police arrested 43 people, including British, Irish, Spanish and South American nationals. A court ordered 14 of them to be remanded in custody. A police spokesman said the ringlead-

ing, although police warned that he may wear a wig or have had a hair transplant to disguise the hair loss and plastic surgery to fix his ear. He also has several tattoos including a heart, arrow and a dagger on his left arm. Also wanted is a Belgian fugitive who goes by a long list of known aliases including Tom Michielsen, Tom Richard, Diane Michielsen. He has also been known to use the names Vermeiren and Heinrich Schmidt. The blue-eyed 46 year old is wanted for drug trafficking, weapons dealing and money laundering crimes. He is described as a dangerous fugitive who could be armed. Information can be emailed to losmasbuscados@policia. es or call 091.

the pub car park where he worked in Glasgow in June 2007. The 58-year-old is described as 5ft 1in tall (1.55 metres) with fair skin and several distinguishing features including alopecia and a piece of his left ear miss-

By Fiona Govan

Brit drug runners er was a British man operating out of a Torrevieja villa and that a ‘very active international group had been dismantled’. Police prevented two shipments of 30 kilos of marijuana from being flown to the UK. Over €500,000, split between cash and bank accounts, was seized in the raids.

PAEDO VICTORY From front

an English teacher in several schools in the capital. The 32-year-old had in 2016 been convicted of sex crimes against children while running a summer camp in the UK when he used the name he was born with Ben David Lewis. In an investigation carried out by the Olive Press last year, it emerged that within days of being handed a suspended sentence and placed on the sex offenders list he changed his name by deed poll from Ben Lewis to Ben David, applied for a new passport and fled to Spain. With a new name and passport he was able to pass criminal record checks which he used alongside doctored education diplomas to gain employment, first at a well known English academy, followed by a teaching role at a bilingual concertado and finally at an expensive British syllabus private school in Madrid’s upmarket Arturo Soria, where he was arrested in June, 2020.

Naked

In a trial that began in early May the court heard how the defendant who used the name ‘Ben David’ and ‘Ben David Rose’ first gained employment as an au pair caring for three young children in Zaragoza. He photographed the children naked, photoshopped images of his own genitals into the shot, and posted them on the dark web. He also took sexual photographs of some 30 students under his care at a private school in Madrid, often by ‘upskirting’ – secretly filming up their skirts – and uploading them onto child porn sites.

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Smoking!

THE Red Hot Chili Peppers are playing the first gig of their new tour in Sevilla. They will take to La Cartuja stage on Saturday, the first venue of a new tour that will see them visit 32 cities. Their second stop will be at Estadi Olimpic in Barcelona on June 7. The group is expected to perform classic hits like ‘Under the Bridge’ and ‘Californication’ as well as new tracks from their forthcoming album. All Spain gigs will feature warm up shows from US rapper A$ap Rocky and funk-rocker Thundercat.

Obama to visit

FORMER US President Barack Obama will be visiting Spain - but if you want to take part in a Q&A session with him it will cost you a cool €1,990. He will participate in the Digital Enterprise Show 2022 (DES 2022) in Malaga from June 14-16. The 44th US President will hold a question and answer session, but the only way to take part is to buy a three day ‘Honour Pass’ for just under €2,000. Obama is no stranger to Spain. He toured the country as a young man and has since visited several times, with wife Michelle and his daughters staying in Marbella and Mallorca.

YOU WHAT?: Pricey!

HOLA MADRID!

England stars herald a bumper summer EXCLUSIVE By Dilip Kuner

SHAKIRA has lost her appeal to dismiss charges that she defrauded Spain’s tax office of €14 million and will face trial, a court has ruled. The 45-year-old singer is alleged to have failed to pay taxes on income earned between 2012 and 2014 when the tax office claims she was living in Spain. But the Colombian pop star‘s legal team claims she only moved permanently to Spain in 2015

STARS: Jack Grealish (left) and Kyle Walker with (inset left) Jordan Pockford and HarryMaguire happy to see them, saying: “They’re coming thick and fast now. Harry and Kyle and Jordan is out for a couple of weeks with his family. I hope to get a round of golf in with them too.” Meanwhile, fellow England star - and team mate of Kyle Walker at champions Manchester City - Jack Grealish arrived in Ibiza.

Shak tax date

and has paid tax here ever since. The prosecutor’s office could ask for a prison sentence as well as a substantial fine but no court date has yet been set. Shakira has been in a relationship with FC Barcelona player Gerard Pique since 2011 and the pair have two children.

Where dreams begin

The England international was in a jovial mood during the celebrations, with instagram footage from his teammates showing him in a somewhat inebriated state and speaking with a hoarse voice. He was photographed alongside Gary Lineker’s younger brother Wayne at O Beach Ibiza, which the 58-year-old owns and is known to be a celeb hotspot. The England stars are not the only ones expected to arrive in Spain on the back of a post-pandemic surge in tourism. Radford said: “We’re trading 25 to 30% up in sales over the winter months. It’s been the best start to a year ever for us - and it beats 2019. “Business is really, really good. La Sala Beach is so far 40% up on our best year. We had over 10,000 pre-reservations before we even opened at the beach.”

Chilling to cool

THE Rolling Stones arrived in true rock n roll style in Madrid, touching down in their very own branded plane ahead of the start of their European tour. Keith Richards, Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood stepped out of their private jet emblazoned with the iconic tongue sticking out of a pair of lips logo. The trio waved and laughed as they made their way down the staircase of the jet and onto a red carpet. This will be the first European tour since the death of the band’s legendary drummer Charlie Watts, who died last August at the age of 80.

BACK OF THE NET!

SPAIN scores with the sporty set and it looks like it’s gameon for another outbreak of footy fever this summer. Barely had the season ended then English football stars had hopped on a plane and headed for the Costa del Sol and the Baleares. England stars Kyle Walker, Harry Maguire and Jordan Pickford arrived at favourite watering hole La Sala in Puerto Banus to finally let their hair down after a long season of kicking a ball around. La Sala boss Ian Radford was

June 2nd - June 15th 2022

HE has long been an acting icon but now at the age of 84 Sir Anthony Hopkins is set to become a fashion icon. The double Oscar and four-time BAFTA winner has been unveiled as the ‘face’ of Spanish brand Loewe in a new campaign. The Welsh superstar, who played cannibal killer Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, Lambs, modelled for celebrity photographer Juergen Teller. Actors, artists, singers, athletes, and models have been portrayed in different locations, both indoors and outdoors. But the one that stands out the most is Hopkins. Here, he poses in a long black coat, gold appliques, an eye-catching T-shirt printed with multicoloured donuts, and is pointing at a brown leather XL bag. It's all a far cry from the prison garb he wore as Lecter - from chilling to cool!

Off again SPAIN’S former King Juan Carlos returned to exile in Abu Dhabi after meeting with son King Felipe VI in Madrid. He came expecting ‘hugs’ but what happened behind closed doors at Zarzuela Palace between him and his son King Felipe VI remains private. It was the first time father and son - the old monarch and the King he abdicated for - have met face to face since he went into self-imposed exile in 2020.

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Bars protest AROUND 300 protesters turned up to support hundreds of workers who face losing their jobs over the closure of seven well known Javea beach bars and restaurants. They bashed pots and pans and blew whistles in a so-called ‘cacerola’ protest. Holding banners and signs of the devil, protestors slammed the authorities and town hall after the restaurants were ordered to shut. The mixed group of expats and Spanish are furious that the Arenal beach joints have been closed, over a licence issue that goes back a quarter of a century. They insist hundreds of other businesses in the town are not properly licenced and the Arenal bars are being victimised.

June 2nd - June 15th 2022

Dogs on the catwalk ABANDONED dogs have been given the chance of a new home at Bioparc Valencia’s annual Abandoned Dog Parade. The 20th edition of the event, co organised with Adopt an Abandoned Dog (AUPA), was held at Bioparc on Sunday. Around 30 dogs paraded down the ‘catwalk’ of the Bioparc path one by one while journal-

ist Silvia Tomas read out their stories to the hundreds of animal lovers gathered to spectate. The purpose of the event is to match the dogs with new owners. Spain has the highest rate of animal abandonment in Europe, with 700 dumped every day. Bioparc and AUPA consider that events like these are essential in changing attitudes and overcoming Spain’s problem with animal abandonment.

NO HELP

Expat pensioner sat in agony for 20 hours waiting for treatment at troubled hospital AN EXPAT octogenarian discharged himself from a costa hospital TWICE after sitting a total of 20 hours waiting for attention. Brain Snell, 84, had suffered a fall on his way back home from the UK and then collapsed while with friends the following day. The widower, from London,

By Simon Wade

was rushed to Torrevieja hospital on the Costa Blanca with his residencia documents and his SIP card. But despite suffering from agonising pain in his back and right arm the former signwriter was ‘abandoned’ for 13 hours, sit-

A BRITISH toddler drowned in a swimming pool at Aigues. The Guardia Civil in Xixona got a report of an incident at a property on the El Paraiso urbanisation. The unconscious 19-month-old boy, named as Freddie Briggs, was pulled out of the pool by his parents. A neighbour then performed resuscitation with Guardia officers

ting in a wheelchair. “I was in agony, they knew that, but they did nothing - I was so let down by them,” he told the Olive Press. Finally, after waiting until midnight he was taken back home in San Fulgencio by a friend. The following day his local GP in La Marina insisted he needed to go back for x-rays.

Toddler tragedy taking over. A helicopter and ambulance were scrambled, but paramedics were unable to revive the youngster. Aigues council declared three days of official mourning and sent its deepest sympathy to Freddie’s family.

After typing out a letter headed ‘urgent’ he was sent back to A&E. But it made no difference and after sitting in another wheelchair for seven hours, he decided to go home in a taxi. “Despite having everything I needed, why did they leave me for so long?” he asked After a week of self-medication, the pain has only just subsided. It is far from the first time we have reported on poor treatment at Torrevieja hospital. Shocking care routines and huge queues have already resulted in one death and an unnecessary leg amputation, according to readers. The hospital refused to comment.

ony and Mandy Heaton both left well-paid jobs in the East Midlands to buy a house in Quesada, Alicante, in August 2020 during the transition period. They were approved for residency in the second week of November, but the post Brexit backlog meant they could not get an appointment to apply for permanent residency until February with their cards only arriving in April.

IN REVERSE

Margaret and Eric Wilkinson, who spend six months a year in Oliva on the Costa Blanca, wanted to make sure they were doing everything by the book. The pensioners, from Leeds, hired a lawyer to help them swap their licence and submitted their applications in September 2020, during the Brexit Transition period. They were told they had to register their intention to swap their licences by December 31 2020. However their lawyer incorrectly insisted they could not register their intention to swap their licences as the system would not accept NIE numbers, only TIE numbers. “Obviously we accepted this as fact so as a result did not register by the deadline,” said Margaret, who retired in 2011. This is the crux of the issue - advice given varied widely depending on the region and in many cases different rules were arbitrarily applied.

They then obtained a medical certificate to demonstrate they were fit to drive from a clinic in Guardamar, which assured them everything was in place. “We were told everything would be fine, but we could not get an appointment with the DGT.’ They were then told the only way to solve it was to drive to Elche DGT, but when they got there they were refused entry as they did not have an appointment. “We are being held to ransom by those at the top,” Tony, a former engineer, said.

To make matters worse, Mandy, who had just secured a job as a chef 10 kilometres away, could not take up her position as she was unable to commute. She even purchased an electric bike and planned on cycling 30 minutes, but by the time it arrived, they had given the job to someone else. “We are running down our savings and we now cannot afford the money it would cost for us to learn to drive and pass our test. We might have to abandon our plans and move back to the UK”, the upset couple explained.

Thousands make demands Brits in Spain launch petition to call for driving licence recognition

THOUSANDS of people have signed a petition calling for the Spanish government to recognise British driving licences. The recently-launched document has so far got 2,500 people demanding action.

It comes after the Spanish government refused to extend a transition deal to swap licences for a fourth time. It meant that from May 1, Brits who have been in Spain for longer than six months are no lon-

DEAD END STREET

OLIVE PRESS sales rep Tina Brace has been driven to distraction by the new ‘draconian’ rules that have stopped her from driving in Spain. Brace, who has lived in Malaga for 24 years, had been hearing ‘continually conflicting news’ about what she needed to do to get a new Spanish licence. As well as talking to a lawyer and a gestor, she sought advice from the British embassy. “I was continually being told that an agreement

ger allowed to legally drive here on a British licence. Instead they must pass the Spanish driving test, an ordeal that has left thousands of expats without a means to drive a car. The petition, titled ‘Seek to ne-

was in place like the other European countries. It made perfect sense and so I stayed optimistic,” she explains. “Then out of the blue as the third deadline approached I was told by friends I had to pay for a medical certificate in order to swap my licence over. Then a month later I was told it wasn’t necessary, but when I scrambled to get things done on time it was too late.” She adds: “As a field saleswoman, I can now only speak to clients over the phone. I’m down to shanks’s pony!”

gotiate mutual recognition of UK and Spanish driving licences’ was launched by a group of anonymous expats.“There are many factors which affected expats' ability to register their intent to exchange their UK licence prior to the December 2020 deadline imposed as a result of Brexit,” explains the petition. “Please help expats who are stuck in Spain and need to be able to drive to access shops, doctors, and hospitals.” The petition can be signed at petition.parliament.uk. Online petitions require 10,000 signatures for an official response from the UK government while 100,000 signatures guarantees it is considered for debate in Parliament.

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June 2nd - June 15th 2022

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MOST European countries are happy to allow Brits to swap their driving licences for domestic ones. And curiously, France - which normally takes a hardline against ‘le rosbif’ - has one of the most lenient rules in place. Here, the Olive Press takes a look at the map: In France if your UK licence was issued before January 1, 2021 then it is recognised in France for as long as it is valid. In Greece if you hold a valid UK licence you can drive around without ANY restrictions. In Germany, Austria and Cyprus you can swap for the local counterpart without taking a test within six months. In Iceland, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, Belgium, and Switzerland you can drive with your licence, but are advised to swap ‘as soon as possible’. Negotiations between Italy and the UK have been less smooth. Currently residents can drive using their UK licence until the end of the year, however they must take an Italian driving test within that time to swap it. Similar to Spain, both the UK and Italian governments continue to negotiate long-term arrangements for exchanging driving licences without needing to take a test.

NEWS FEATURE

www.theolivepress.es Voted top expat paper in Spain

A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in Spain with an estimated readership, including the websites, of more than two million people a month.

OPINION Horsepower to the people IT’S time to kick the mandarins into gear! The grey-shirted ghosts of Whitehall (and Madrid) need to pay heed to the shameless way they have again sold thousands of expats down the river! As if dealing with the shambles of Brexit was not enough. We are now, yet again, in the front line of the problems being caused by Boris and co’s disastrous withdrawal agreement. But when the man in charge is Grant Shapps, is it any wonder that talks have stalled this badly? The tricky Transport Minister once ran businesses under the pseudonyms ‘Michael Green’ and ‘Corinne Stockheath’ to avoid declaring income outside of his job as an MP. He was also exposed as having spent significant time editing his very own Wikipedia page. But this is not just Shapps’ failure. Spain must also take the blame. The very fact that it’s the only country, apart from Italy, forcing expats into the hard shoulder, says everything. When even the French are being more favourable to us Brits, you know something, somewhere, has gone badly wrong. The Olive Press is taking a stand and saluting the 95% of European countries who are letting common sense prevail. We hope you will join our campaign and support it. And just like previous campaigns to act on drink spiking, protecting our coasts or the mountains from golf developers, we will not give up. With the backing of you, our readers, who pour tens of millions into the Spanish economy every year, we believe this is a fight we can win. Send us your thoughts at newsdesk@theolivepress.es and, of course, sign the petition at petition.parliament.uk PUBLISHER / EDITOR

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AGE OF THE SUPERFIRE W As temperatures rise and we enter fire season, Sorrel Downer looks back at the 10 most dramatic blazes

ITH a drought and unseasonal high temperatures, no wonder AEMET (the Met Office) has been issuing extreme fire risk warnings. Spain has an average of 11,700 forest fires a year. Small ones are nature’s way of clearing out dead vegetation and making way for the new, but a lot of these are big. In fact, the number of large blazes (anything spreading

Riotinto Mines (Huelva) July 27, 2004 The worst fire in Andalucia in 20 years, started with two bins set alight on the hottest day of the year, and raged through 30,000 hectares of pine, oak and cork forest. A married couple from Sevilla died trying to escape when their car got stuck in a ditch. A man was arrested on suspicion of arson but released.

over 500 hectares) has increased 20% in the last decade. Nearly half the municipalities in Spain are within High Risk Zones for fires, though most fires aren’t where you’d expect them to be, in the hot, dry south, but in the northwest: Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the provinces of Leon and Zamora account for nearly 60% of fires and 86% of the area affected.

Nine hikers from Madrid had a barbecue in the picnic area near the prehistoric Cueva de Casares then left to swim in the river. The wind reignited the embers and fire spread through the surrounding dry scrubland at speeds up to 121/km

Tejeda (Las Palmas) - July, 2007 To persuade his boss that fires were always a risk therefore his summer season contract should be extended, a forest ranger stopped his car en route to work, took out his matches and started an inferno that destroyed 19,200 hectares. Judged stupid rather than mentally ill, the arsonist was sentenced to eight months in prison. "I didn’t want to cause this catastrophe,” he said, “it just got out of hand".

Sometimes the cause is natural, for example, the molten lava spewed by the Cumbre Vieja volcano in La Palma, or lightning, responsible for three in 100 fires. But 95% of the time wildfires are caused by humans making a mistake as they go about their business in extreme weather and a tinder-dry landscape, and occasionally, on purpose. Here are 10 of the worst fires in Spain this century.

Riba de Saelices (Guadalajara) - July 16, 2005 hour, destroying 12,800 hectares. Eleven firefighters – the youngest just 22 – died, just metres away from safety, trapped behind a wall of flames when the wind switched direction.

Horta de Sant Joan, Tarragona - July 21 2009 The fire destroyed over 1000 hectares of the Els Ports Natural Park but it was also one of Spain’s worst this century in terms of human cost: Five firefighters from the Grupo de Actuaciones Forestales died fighting the blaze. A sixth, Josep Pallas, suffered serious burns, but, incredibly, later returned to work for the fire service. The cause wasn’t lightning, as first supposed, but two men who had lit a bonfire.

EXTREME SURVIVOR Earth’s oldest living species gets a helping hand

ITH three eyes, hundreds of legs, and elongated antennae, these critters are not going to win any beauty contests. Yet they are fascinating organisms. In fact, they are the oldest living species on planet earth – 300 million years old (you read that correctly) – out-surviving dinosaurs, mammoths, and mastodons by a long chalk. Known in everyday vernacular as Tadpole Shrimp and scientifically as ‘Triops cancriformis’, these are extreme survivors. Throughout their 300-million-year history, the Triops’ skeletal structure has remained unchanged. Today’s tadpoles are virtually indistinguishable from their distant ancestors. They can survive floods and droughts, boiling water and ice and are found in

the Arctic as well as geothermal waters. They can survive Hiroshima-type radiation because their eggs are able to go dormant for centuries until more favourable conditions resume. Uniquely, triops build ‘egg banks’ enabling their population to persist through bad times. And experiments have shown that the tadpoles can even survive in space!

Poison

They can self-fertilize as they possess both testes and ovaries. First described by Charles Darwin, this reproductive mode has the advantage of allowing a single individual to perpetuate the population. But all is not well with these crustaceans. In spite of the remarkable survivability of the species, there has been a progressive disappearance of the tadpole shrimp. Declining habitat, landscape changes, poisons and pesticides, and climate change have all drastically modified their populations. However, recent research by Valencian scientists dedicated to saving the tadpole shows there is hope. Valencian bodies, in concert with universities, have taken an active role in protecting and preserving the population of

Triops. The Valencian Ministry of Climate Emergency and Ecological Transition has begun breeding them in laboratories and rebuilding new populations in local protected areas. They have achieved success in the Natural Park of the Sierra de Espadan (Castellon) and in Albufera National Park near El Palmar, Valencia. In parallel, local university students have received international recognition for their research. Student scientists at the Santa Maria Vila-Real School won national acclaim for their study entitled Triops Cancriformis: How to survive Climate Change. Their project received a medal at the prestigious Science Genius Olympiad in New York. Meanwhile, student scientists at the University of Valencia, working with the Valencian

June 2nd - June 15th 2022

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BEHIND THE COSTA DEL CRIME

Tejeda (Las Palmas) - September 20, 2017

Corte de Pallás & Andilla (Valencia) - June 28, 2012

Two men chose a 40-degree day to install solar panels at a casa de campo. A welding spark

plus strong wind combined to whip up an inferno that destroyed 30,000 hectares, affected a dozen communities, and resulted in the death of a fire services helicopter pilot. In this one incident, half a million tons of CO2 was released into the atmosphere – the amount produced by 380,000 cars in a year. The next day, in Andilla, 100km to the north, a farmer who had allegedly been burning stubble, started a fire that devastated a further 22,500 hectares. .

Wildlife Service, have developed a ‘thermal insulator’ and provided further evidence that the species has survived due to the incredible resistance of its eggs. Collectively, as a result of these efforts, Triops – the bizarre-looking tadpole – will soon be a protected species, incorporated into the official Valencian Catalogue of Threatened Fauna Species. Given the threat to today’s habitat and climate, the need to pursue and understand the attributes of an extreme survivor is paramount. Carl Sagan once famously said, ‘extinction is the rule, survival is the exception’. Given the work done by the Valencian scientific community, let’s hope that the tadpole shrimp, can challenge Sagan’s theory – at least for the next 300 million years.

Started by a shepherd burning brush to clear a grazing area in the old, traditional – but illegal in summer – way. Rain helped bring the blaze under control after four days, but not before thousands had been evacuated and a Swedish woman, Carin Brigitta Ostman had died.

Galicia and Portugal - October 5, 2017 Not a single fire, but an apocalyptic cluster of fires that jumped and reignited and covered a total of 300,000 hectares on either side of the border in the space of a week. Experts say dry, hurricane force winds pushed in by tropical front Ophelia made a bad situation a disaster. In total, 49 people died.

EURO MONTHLY NEW S

Valleseco (Gran Canaria) August 10, 2019

Navalacruz (Avila) August 14, 2021

A badly maintained power line rubbing against a pine tree at the bottom of a forested ravine caused a fire that lasted 40 days, destroyed 10,000 hectares and resulted in 10,000 people being evacuated. Though not categorised as a sixth generation fire, this inferno created its own weather system, with swirling winds and a column of cloud visible from space.

A motorcyclist saw smoke coming from a vehicle on the Avila-Cordoba road, and flagged the driver down. But the engine was on fire, the grass on the verge caught and, propelled by 70km gusts, a wall of flames rushed across 22,000 hectares of farmland and forest, all dried out after a heatwave of 38-degree days, to become the worst fire in the history of Castilla y Leon.

SIERRA BERMEJA (MALAGA) - SEPTEMBER 8, 2021 This was the first sixth generation fire to be registered in Spain. Linked to climate change, superfires – as they’re known – are extremely explosive, high speed and erratic. It burned through 10,000 hectares in the mountains above the Costa del Sol, caused 3000 people

to be evacuated, and cost the life of firefighter Carlos Martinez Haro. Investiga-

tors suspect it was started with a flammable liquid in three places.

S skilled and courage firefighters are, the ous as Spain’s creasingly dangero y face an inwith the advent of us challenge the superfire. Even more effort is be tion, into making Spaining put into prevenpersuading people no more fireproof, and t to be idiots. Do you part, and keep vigilant. r FOR FIRE EMERGENC

IES CALL 11 2.

RESSED up like spokesmen for ETA - or a pair of armed robbers - the Olive Press has been getting behind the scenes of Spain’s crack National Police detectives this week. At an unknown, unmarked HQ on the Costa del Sol the team of 30 investigators go about their business in secret and with stealth. Getting new orders from Madrid every month and with the group constantly changing means they are among the hardest to corrupt in Europe. Their success rate is staggering and there are only four such teams in all of Spain, we discovered. The Olive Press has been helping to tell their story in a new crime series on Amazon due out this Autumn. Our team of journalists, including Jorge Hinojosa (pictured), are also interviewing their counterparts at the Guardia Civil, as well as grilling a series of politicians this month. All thanks to our knowledge and contacts on the infamous Costa del Crime, where we have been based for nearly two decades. The exciting commission from one of the world’s biggest TV streaming companies comes hot on the heels of various jobs for Sky TV, the BBC and Times Radio over recent weeks. And that’s not to mention a key role for editor Jon Clarke in a recent Sat1 German TV documentary on the Madeleine McCann case.

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Crying wolf A BID to overturn Spain’s wolf hunting ban by Spain’s conservative opposition party has been rejected by parliament. The Popular Party (PP), supported by several farming organisations, were seeking to repeal a law that came into force last September designating wolves as a protected species.

Welfare

The issue has become the latest battleground in Spain’s continuing animal welfare debate with farmers claiming wolves are a menace that cause immeasurable damage to farmers’ livelihoods while naturalists say they are a vital part of the ecosystem. Thanks in a large part to restrictions on hunting Spain and Portugal are now thought to be home to about 3,000 wolves, the largest lupine population in Europe, according to data from Ecologists in Action, a conservation group.

June 2nd - June 15th 2022

MEATY DEMO By Alex Trelinski

GREENPEACE protestors dressed staged a protest at the headquarters of Murcia-based meat company El Pozo. Around 20 environmentalists struck at different areas of the firm’s Alhama de Murcia complex. Protestors blocked off access to the main building and displayed banners opposing macro-farming and demanding a five-year moratorium on such farming. Group members changed one of the company slogans from ‘El Pozo for the environment’ to ‘El Pozo kills the environment’. A Greenpeace statement said

Greenpeace target El Pozo over nitrate pollution

the protest was about ‘exposing a company which benefits the most in Spain from the destructive business of macro-farms’. The lobby group has called for a meeting with El Pozo bosses. They want them to ‘develop a plan to reduce the number of exploited animals’ as the only ‘effective way to reduce the brand’s brutal environmental impact’. Greenpeace claims nitrates from El Pozo’s macro-farms are contaminating drinking water supplies in surround-

ing towns and villages. An investigation last year suggested that slurry from pig farms was a key factor in polluting the Mar Menor lagoon with excess nitrates. Consumer Affairs minister, Alberto Garzon, angered farmers and meat produc-

ers at the start of the year by saying meat production from large farms is ‘causing the end of Spain’. El Pozo in 2018 was among the top 40 richest companies in Spain and one of the 25 main meat producers in the world, according to Greenpeace.

Hot and cold SPAIN will impose limits on air-conditioning in public buildings this summer in a bid to slash its energy bill as prices soar. Civil servants will have to endure a minimum temperature of 27ºC during the hottest months under measures published in a government decree. In winter, offices will not be heated above a maximum of 19ºC. The plan is part of an EU-wide effort to reduce dependence on Russian energy designed to reduce Spain’s central administration’s energy usage by 25%.

Cigarettes don’t just poison smokers - they poison the environment too I’VE never understood smoking. My father died when I was 14 of throat cancer caused by smoking. I could not see what was big, clever, or attractive about poisoning yourself. I accept the freedom of choice argument. If you want to adversely affect your health, all well and good. However, polluting the environment is not acceptable. Some 4.5 trillion cigarettes are discarded every year worldwide. That’s 4,500,000,000,000. That’s a lot of noughts! They are the most littered item on Earth. According to the World Health Organisation, tobacco waste contains up to 7,000 toxic chemicals. The plastic in the filters takes up to 10

A BUTT TIME

Green

years to biodegrade. Commonly found in the bodies of dead fish and seabirds, they can also be lethal to freshwater and marine species. A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR CATALUNYA In a bid to reduce pollution, smoking will be banned on all of Barcelona’s beaches from next month. The Spanish government is also planning to make it illegal to smoke on the outside terraces of bars and restaurants, and at open-air sports venues. Their next initiative is pure genius. Catalunya will introduce cigarette butt recycling as a source of income. The Catalan government is planning to pay €4 to people who hand over a pack’s worth of cigarette butts at nominated recycling points. WIN WIN This initiative could become a source of income for homeless people. Sreets and beaches will become cleaner. The stroke of genius is that all of this will be funded by raising the tax on every cigarette sold by 20 cents. The environment wins, and people

SAY NO: For the sake of the environment are deterred from smoking as the cost of a packet of cigarettes will almost double. This isn’t about revenue generation. It’s to reduce the environmental impact of these filthy fag ends. The Spanish government is introducing a law that will prohibit the sale of plastic cotton buds, cutlery, and plastic straws. Cigarette butts are not yet covered by law, so this is a great initiative. Why should the minority pollute the majority? (19.7% of Spaniards smoke on a daily basis).

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OLIVE PRESS ALL EDITIONS - PROMO 2 - FP 342 X 256 - JUNE 1, 2 & 3, 2022

LETTERS

Dear Olive Press, le I was one of the lucky (I think!) peop that to witness the rip roaring fireball. The travelled over Jaen on Saturday ever spectacle was nothing like I haveing in seen before, part of me was bask wonits beauty while another part was logdering whether this was a meteoros tell ical close call. Can the Olive Pres me what on earth it was?

Marnie Ludlow, Name and address supplied getEditor’s note: Thank you for de, boli The nie. Mar h touc ting in at spotted over Spain on May 28, d by 3:19 am local time was observe can several of our readers, and we that confirm that it was a meteor d entered the atmosphere at a spee and of 56,000 kilometres an hour,sudhad come from a comet. The th’s den friction as it met the Ear us atmosphere at this enormo seem speed made the meteoroid of incandescent, creating a ball infire which is what you saw. Begres ning at an altitude of 93 kilomet ed over the province of Jaen, it mov ht of southeast, and ended at a heig e of vinc pro the r ove km 59 around comAlmeria. Though scary, the 0 by et was discovered in May 193Arno Arnold Schwassmann and long Arthur Wachmann and has s the been predicted to safely pas stial earth’s orbit - even if, in cele ve. terms, it was a pretty close sha

ll about

Moraira MARVELLOUS

June 2nd - June 15th 2022 www.theolivepre

ss.es

May 2022

HOT TOPICS While our inbox is brimming with people making their voice heard about UK driving licences in Spain, that is not to say it is the only thing on our readers’ lips…

Close to Benidorm

yet a world apart

- discover the Spani sh charmer with

UST half an hour up Benidorm, you’llfrom builtBy Kimberley Mannion of the most relaxed find one seaside towns in Spain. Oozing with charm, Moraira is one fishing villages, and it remains full of the Costa Blanca’s of history classic old unspoiled and tradition, and largely today.

When will it end?

You won’t find signs for English breakfasts or lager pint here, this is an at one euro a as popular with upmarket resort refined Spaniard as it is with upmarke s t foreign tourists-in-the-know.

expat appeal

This is not to say

vered by holidaymaMoraira is undiscoThe demographics kers – far from it. confirm its status as a popular tourist destination . Continues on next

With your newspaper seemingly reporting drunken Brits falling off of balconies while on holiday here in Spain, there surely has to be some kind of inquest into what it is about the British psyche when aboard that leads to such dangerous behaviour. While some have pinned blame on package holiday hosts, is it really reasonable that they should be made to cordon off all their balconies just because Brits under 30 cannot be trusted not to throw themselves off? Worse still such actions are so common that the term ‘balconing’ has been coined to describe the dimwitted act of jumping into a swimming pool directly from a balcony. The UK is surely the first and only country whose foreign office has been forced to actively warn people not to jump off balconies. Alex Brundle, name and address supplied Editor’s note: We are also shocked about the numbers of Brits we hear about who do serious or even fatal damage after falling off hotel balconies in Spain. Indeed, in the Baleares many hotels are taking preventative measures, such as closing terraces or raising the height of walls while Magaluf has been forced to regulate drinking in an attempt to control reckless behaviour. But until Brits learn to pace themselves when abroad, we are sure we have not published the last story on a terrible accident of this kind.

Rot at the top There must be something in the aristocratic water. I have been following Alejandro Cao’s, of gentry stock, and his listing on the government’s most wanted list for his work for the North Korean dictatorship. From Juan Carlos to Prince Andrew, it seems that the most privileged of society are often the most corruptible and abusive. But to work for Kim Jong Un himself is surely a new low for those with old money. His involvement in a number of Spanish TV programmes also requires an inquest. There needs to be a more rigorous approach from the media giving a platform to such a bizarre man. Charly Spencer, name and address supplied

Editor’s note: You are right to point out the many times he has been on television and radio, but most of the time he has been rightly criticised by decent journalists, as is vital to a healthy democracy.

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Why, why, why Moraira After reading your article on Moraira we decided to have a run up there to check the place out. As you said it is a lovely place and relatively untouched by the tourist sprawl. However, we must have picked a day when everyone decided to visit because it took over 45 minutes to find anywhere to park in the town. Now 30 minutes or so back towards Benidorm is Albir - now that is an unspoilt gem with its wide tree-lined streets making for the perfect evening stroll.

Jean Barker, name and address supplied Editor’s note: Thank you Jean for your letter, but we love Moraira and cannot be convinced otherwise! We can only assume that many of our readers felt compelled to visit at the same time after reading our supplement.

OP QUICK CROSSWORD 1

10 11

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25/1/22 16:49

PROPERTY

June 2nd - June 15th 2022

IMPRESIVE Rags and FIGURES riches

PEOPLE living in the south of Spain are more at risk of poverty than those in the north, a new study has confirmed. Spain’s poorest towns are all located in the south of the country according to the latest data from Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE) Researchers discovered that, apart from Madrid, Spain’s richest towns were all located in the northern half of the country.

Salary

Four out of five towns with the highest average salary are located in the Madrid Community, topped by Pozuelo de Alarcon where the average annual salary is €26,367. The upmarket commuter town of Sant Cugat outside Barcelona is also in the top five. The poorest municipalities on the peninsula are Nijar and Vicar in Almeria, Los Palacios and Villafranca in Sevilla, Barbate in Cadiz and Alhaurin el Grande in Malaga.

MONEY FOR LA MANGA MURCIA’S La Manga is to receive a bumper investment from a developer. La Manga Properties is putting up €3.5 million for a new housing and shopping centre project in the exclusive resort. The investment will see the creation of an estate called El Boulevard, comprising two villas, five apartments and a new shopping centre.

Home sales soar to same rate as 2007 property boom HOME property sales in Spain soared to their highest March level since 2007 according to official figures. The National Statistics Institute (INE) reported 59,272 registered sales in

By Fiona Govan

March 2022, with twothirds of the deals coming in Andalucia. The latest figure shows a 25.6% year-on-year rise

POPULAR: The Costa del Sol in Andalucia SPANISH architects have created a Google maps style platform displaying the accessibility of housing across the world. The group from the Superior Council of the Associations of Architects of Spain (CSCAE) has invented the tool which utilises 4,000 financial, urban context and development indicators to rank how accessible housing is in cities across the world. The indicators correspond to barriers hindering accessibility to housing such as mismatch between building of houses and demand, poli-

and a 10.5% increase on February’s total. It’s the 13th consecutive monthly rise in home sales in Spain and the best figures since the height of the property bubble. It’s also the fifth time that the 50,000 monthly mark has been passed since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic over two years ago. The highest number of

Easy access

cies and regulations, and finance. The tool uses data from major international organisations including the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and World Health Organisation. It has never before been possible to view all this information in one place, making the Spanish architects’ creation the first of its kind in housing analysis.

transactions came in Andalucia, accounting for 39,846 sales, followed by the Valencian Community and Catalunya. The main concern is the reduced supply of raw materials for new builds, which took up just 19.4% of the March 2022 sales total.

Savings

One reason for the rise in sales is that during the pandemic lockdown people cut spending and now have the savings to buy a home rather than rent. Fotocasa property portal spokesperson, Maria Matos, said: “Home sales continue to be very solid as the sector continues its recovery.”

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Manuel Lopez Gilabert, project manager of La Manga Club Properties said: “This development is for buyers who want it all: a privileged location, shopping and dining options, and an impressive contemporary home with the quality guarantee of La Manga Club Properties. The community offers spectacular views over the northern area of the Calblanque park”. It is thought the project will create around 120 jobs. La Manga was recently deceased TV star Dennis Waterman’s h o m e where he was frequently seen on the golf greens.

LA CULTURA

June 2nd - June 15th 2022

Dodgy tales on show in new exhibition

BUÑOL hosts its annual medieval market this weekend on the Paseo de San Luis with a chance to see artisan craftsmen demonstrating their wares. There’ll be a lively atmosphere between June 3 and 5 recreating the days of old with an array of live entertainment including fire jugglers and concerts.

Artisan

FAKING IT

News

And the fake news even pre-dated newspapers, with crazy tales of mermaids and children with horns, printed on single sheets of paper. The BNE holds a valuable collection of old documents littered with propaganda from the 16th and 17th centuries encompassing around 4,000 documents

One of the main attractions will be the chance to buy genuine artisan goods from pottery and handbags through to hand-crafted toys and jewellery. The artisans will have all the necessary equipment on site to make a special design or etch a name on a specific piece. Visitors will also be able to watch their skills and patience in crafting items. Children can also take part in a series of special craft workshops.

By Kimberly Mannion

from Spain as well as other European cities and Spanish colonial cities. Many of the stories fall into the same categories covered

by modern journalism: politics, war, religious events and sporting events like bull fights, the latter of course being in 16th century Spanish fashion. The types of propaganda found in this early journal-

OP Puzzle solutions Quick Crossword Across: 7 Libretto, 8 Rags, 9 Gland, 10 Tipping, 12 Mother Teresa, 14 Combinations, 16 Deplete, 18 Medal, 20 Gels, 21 Effected. Down: 1 Rialto, 2 Grantham, 3 Ltd, 4 Policeman, 5 Prop, 6 Agenda, 11 Braintree, 13 Eminence, 14 Chewed, 15 Neared, 17 Lest, 19 C F O.

SUDOKU

Old time crafts

WITH the coming of the internet came an explosion of ‘fake news’ but a new exhibition shows that there is nothing new about it. The exhibition at the National Library of Spain (BNE) in Madrid shows that fake news was a thing hundreds of years before former US President Donald Trump popularised the phrase during his 2016 election campaign.

ism is perhaps more obviously false than the fake news of today. Popular stories during the ‘Golden Age’ included appearances of monsters, mermaids, giants and talking fish.

Enemies

Institutions like the Church were among the first in society to recognise the power of the printed word with military tales or cases of non-believers printed under the words ‘enemies of the church’. Elsewhere in Spanish printed media at the time, popular falsehoods included military victories which did not actually happen.

In the dark CAMPAIGNERS are up in arms over plans to destroy a century-old lighthouse at the entrance to Valencia Port described as a relic from the past. A local cultural heritage association, the Círculo por la Defensa del Patrimonio, is urging the city council to postpone the decision to tear it down asking for a full assessment on its cultural importance to be carried out first. The demolition of the faro is part of a plan for redevelopment of the port area.

Safely

The 24 meter high tower, which for more than a century guided ships safely into port,is no longer in use having been replaced in 2015. The author of the 2017 report described it as having ‘outstanding value’ in historical, architectural, and technological terms. The Circulo is calling for the structure to be given ‘protection, conservation and enhancement as part of Valencian cultural heritage’ and for it to be opened to the public. Instead council authorities are considering constructing a replica of the lighthouse closer to the centre of the town

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LA CULTURA

June 2nd - June 15th 2022

Granny lessons

12 timeless homemade remedies from abuelas that really work, writes Elena Goçmen Rueda

APART from lending a shoulder to cry on in bad times or spoiling us with our favourite foods, grandmothers are also offer a font of knowledge with words of wisdom to offer for every occasion. Perfected over centuries and passed down through the generations, don’t just dismiss the, sometimes frankly, bizarre homemade remedies as non-scientific Sometimes they actually work! The Olive Press has collected 12 of the most well-known tips from Spanish abuelas.

No more cramps

ananas are the most potassium-rich fruit par excellence, and Spanish grandmothers know it. This is what an abuela will advise for cramps. Rafa Nadal – winner of 21 Grand Slams - is famously seen snacking on a banana mid-match, something we’re guessing his abuela wholeheartedly approved of. Thus, this fruit will help you recover your energy after training, but it will be its potassium - an electrolyte mineral present in some foods - that will help you with the sport-related aches and pains. In addition, bananas are great due to being easy to digest as well as energy-boosting, but the high level of nutrients also makes them a good way to stimulate muscles.

Mosquito bites

e’ve all suffered long summer nights being plagued by mosquitos. Spanish grandmothers know best which essential oils to use to repel mosquitoes. You can choose between citronella, eucalyptus, tea tree, basil or lavender, depending on your smell preference. In particular, lavender essential oil is not only able to soothe the discomfort of insect bites, but can also protect the skin by preventing new mosquitoes from biting the skin. There are certain types of essential oils that must be diluted in water before being worked on the skin, although in the case of tea tree essential oil and lavender essential oil, there is no need. Just take a few drops and apply them to the bites until you notice that the discomfort is relieved. Hand hygiene should be taken into account when applying any essential oil in order to avoid any infection due to dirt on the hands.

Big hair problems

here once was a time when hairsprays and hair gels weren’t widely available, or heaven forbid, hadn’t yet been invented. But grannies had their own trick to keeping unruly hair in place: using lemon and sugar. These two natural ingredients are both easy to obtain and pretty good at taming the barnet. The first option is to fill a glass with hot water and dissolve four tablespoons of sugar in it, once it has cooled you can put it on your hair. On the other hand, if the sugar plan doesn’t suit you, you can do another trick: apply a few drops of lemon juice to the part of your hair you want to fix and it won’t move a hair. But be warned: A perfect trick to use at night, be careful of adding lemon during the day as combined with the sun’s rays it can have a bleaching effect and lighten the hair… another grandmother trick if you didn’t know.

Homemade natural bleach

o lighten the hair in a nourishing and natural way without resorting to damaging bleach, grandmother’s advise using chamomile. Boil a cup of water with between two to five bags of chamomile tea, depending on how strong you want the result. Leave the tea to cool completely then apply it to the hair using a spray bottle. Leave it to act for about 30 minutes using a shower cap if desired to enhance the effects and then rinse the hair. It is quite effective, although bear in mind it works better the fairer the hair to start with, as it could cause an orange tone with dark hair.

Minor burns

urns are one of the most common domestic accidents. If it’s a mild burn then salt is the grandmother’s secret potion. The best measure to soothe sore skin from a burn, for example from splashing oil or taking a dish out of the oven, is to use products that you have in your kitchen. First, soak the wound under lukewarm water for a few seconds and then sprinkle the area with sea salt, but do not rub it in. Leave the mixture to act for a few minutes and then rinse with water. However, if it’s a more severe burn, the salt could worsen the wound.

Sore throats

very time you mention a sore throat in front of a Spanish grandmother, she will always advise you to ‘wear a pañuelito’, asking you to take care of your throat by covering it with a light scarf. As banal as it may seem, with the throat warm and covered, the discomfort will cease a little and prevent it from worsening. The heat relaxes the muscles and effectively helps to relieve the pain. If the pain is very intense, you can also use a cloth dampened with hot water to speed up the process. This light garment does a similar job to a hot tea or a hot bath - also recommended in these circumstances.

Dreaded hiccups

he main culprit for those dreaded hiccups is the diaphragm, the muscle that lies just below the lungs and marks the boundary between the chest and the abdomen. And it is precisely in this organ that hiccups originate, as it is the out-of-rhythm contraction of the diaphragm that causes hiccups. One of the most popular and effective tricks to get rid of hiccups is to drink water, but the funny thing is how to do so: upside down. By ingesting the liquid upside down we hold our breath for a few seconds as well as distracting ourselves - the two most effective methods to get rid of this annoying condition convined.

Mouth ulcers

anker sores or mouth ulcers are always quite uncomfortable, sometimes even painful. Although they usually disappear on their own within a few days, grandmothers have a trick to speed up the process. There are several reasons why these annoying wounds can appear: bites, orthodontics, bacterial infections or nutritional deficiencies of iron, folic acid or vitamin B12 among others. For all of these, salt water is the most effective remedy. Dissolve a spoonful of salt in a glass of warm water and rinse with it. It is recommended to do this process at least three times a day. This remedy works very well, as sodium chloride is a natural antiseptic that is very effective against sores. The aim is not only to relieve the pain and discomfort of mouth sores, but also to prevent their occurrence. One way to effectively prevent mouth sores is to eat a varied, balanced diet rich in iron, vitamins and minerals. This is achieved by eating fresh fruit and vegetables on a daily basis, as well as cereals.

LA CULTURA

June 2nd - June 15th 2022

THE INTELLIGENT CHOICE FOR ALL THINGS GLASS

Delicious period pains

Cure for tummy troubles

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very abuela’s favourite secret. Believe it or not, chocolate is made up of healthy chemicals and nutrients that have the ability to soothe menstrual pain and improve your mood. So next time you need to stock up on menstrual supplies, don’t be afraid to give in to your chocolate cravings. Dark chocolate, which is one of the richest sources of magnesium, is an awesome muscle relaxant. One ounce of dark chocolate contains 95 mg of magnesium, more than an average-sized banana, which contains 32 mg. Eating it also releases endorphins - a natural painkiller - serotonin - improves mood - and dopamine - provides a sense of well-being.

ne of the simplest and most effective remedies for a bad stomach is homemade lemonade. Mix water, lemon juice, a pinch of salt, a pinch of baking soda, and a little sugar to sweeten it. This mixture is proven to replenish fluids and minerals lost when we have a bad stomach and can prevent dehydration.

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HIS is one of the more bizarre home remedies but there are those who will swear it works. Rub a gold ring between your palms until it is warm, and then place it on the infected eye for several seconds. It’s actually the heat that proves healing rather than the secret qualities of the precious metal, so if you don’t have a gold ring to hand, a warm damp cloth will likely prove just as effective (just don’t tell abuela!).

NK stains on any fabric are usually difficult to remove… although not for grandmothers. All you need is milk. Yes: milk. Soak the stained garment in a container of milk for at least 60 minutes, then rinse and wash the piece of clothing as usual.

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FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

Beach bum

June 2nd - June 15th 2022

FLIGHT THREAT

Travel chaos in store after strike call by Ryanair staff

PLANS have been unveiled for the largest artificial beach in Europe. Permission has been given to create a giant water park with 25,000 square metres of pools surrounded by 15,000 square metres of sandy beach in Alovera in Guadalajara province. The beach will include water slides, zip lines, as well as a sailing school, watersports, beach volleyball courts and chiringuitos. The project has been drawn up by Grupo Rayet with a budget of €15.6million and if it all goes ahead as planned, it should be open in time for summer 2023. While the local town hall is poised to approve the project which has met environmental regulations, there is much local opposition. Ecologistas en Accion has criticised the project over what it said was ‘unsustainable water management’, saying it will use treated drinking water and need emptying every five years. One of the most frequent complaints by those who live in Madrid is its distance from the coast.

RYANAIR flights across Europe could be disrupted by strikes this summer over cabin crew working conditions. Spain’s USO and SITCPLA unions have joined forces with counterparts in Belgium, France, Italy, and Portugal to coordinate protest action. They argue the budget Irish airline has not listened to

By Alex Trelinski

demands first made four years ago to improve work contracts for cabin crews. One-day walkouts in September 2018 led to some concessions, but unions now want more substantial changes. They say European strikes will be called this summer if no progress is

SPAIN has eased entry restrictions for unvaccinated tourists from outside the European Union. Until now, third country nationals including Americans and Brits, were only allowed to enter Spain for non-essential reasons if they had a valid Covid vaccination certificate or proof of recovery. But in a move lobbied for by Spain’s tourism industry to boost visitor numbers ahead of the summer holidays, entry will now be allowed with just a negative test. It means travellers over the age of 12 can enter if they present a PCR test that must be carried out in the 72 hours prior to departure to Spain or an antigen test 24 hours prior to departure.

made. Union demands include the application of basic non-ne-

Getting easier “This is excellent news, much awaited by the tourism sector, which will make it easier for tourists outside of Europe to visit us during the high season,” said tourism minister Maria Reyes Maroto. Children under 12 and those travelling to Spain with an EU COVID passport or equivalent (including NHS COVID travel pass) no longer need to complete the Health Control Form. Those without an EU COVID pass or equivalent must complete the Health Control Form to show evidence of their vaccinations or certificate of recovery.

gotiable worker rights and to recognise the right of staff to organise as union members to participate in collective bargaining. The unions say Ryanair has lost court cases over the way it employs people but governments have been slow to take action.

Water

Criticisms range from cabin crew having to work without access to water on planes, poorly prepared payrolls and a lack of transparency over job transfers and promotions, which unions claim is used as a form of pressure on staff to accept worse employment conditions. Ryanair employs 6,000 people in Spain.

Back on track ONSITE construction to bring back rail services between Denia and Gandia that ended in 1975, could start in four years time. A study published by regional train operator, FGV, describes restoration as ‘feasible’. The Valencian government wants to go forward with the project which could cost as much as €250 million. The FGV study was presented to local mayors at a meeting in Gandia with Valencian Public Works minister, Rebecca Torro. She suggested that commissioning work and studies could be completed by 2026. Construction would then take place over three phases with up to 12 stations along the 35 kilometre route. Torro said: “It is the only area that is not connected in the entire Valencian Community and it will be a very useful connection between the municipalities of the Marina Alta and Safor.”

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FOOD, DRINK & TRAVEL

June 2nd June 15th 2022

Stag and hen gripe

Enjoy Mediterranean cuisine in a beautiful environment

Fun for many but are party holidays getting out of hand?

PAIN is one of the es during a sombre religious world’s top destina- procession at Semana Santions for stag and ta. hen weekends. Meanwhile, Costa Brava But not everyone is a fan town Tossa de Mar banned of the large groups who companies promoting stag descend in their droves, weekends, booze cruises normally in the late Spring, and pub crawls. before the And it is not summer wedjust foreignding season ers who are to The continual begins in blame for the northern Eunoise and nonshouting, rope. sense, as these clapping Plenty of pictures show cities have of Spanish and singing been crackgroups running ing down on annoyed plenty amok in Granathe groups, da and arriving with Sevilla in Malaga. and Malaga leading the One group arriving at Malway in Andalucia, while aga from Mallorca at the Ibiza and Mallor- weekend dressed up its stag ca also try and as a mop and made him go restrict them. up and down the plane aisle Sevilla cracked ‘to clean it’. down with fines The continual shouting, clapin 2018 after a ping and drinking annoyed group of hens plenty of fellow passengers whacked each and there is no doubt the other with giant ‘despedida de soltero’, as it inflatable penis- is known here, is getting rowdier each year. Ultimately, the authorities need to find a balance between keeping locals happy and not losing the economic benefit such tourism undoubtedly brings.

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FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

June 2nd - June 15th 2022

CULTURE IN THE OPEN AIR Poble Espanyol, Barcelona The Spanish Village museum at Montjuic in Barcelona is unique in that it combines architectural styles from all over Spain. The exhibition feels like a pleasant stroll through a quintessential Spanish town, but being a museum, offers the opportunity to learn about Spanish architecture at the same time. The Spanish Village was built in 1929 for the World Fair being held in Barcelona, but has been kept to this day thanks to its popularity with tourists and locals alike. Montjuic Hill, where the museum is located, can be reached by cable car, allowing gorgeous views of the Catalan capital to be enjoyed.

Museo Vostell Malpartida, Extremadura

Discover 9 of the best ‘roofless’ museums to visit, with Kimberley Mannion

Museums are a great way to spend a rainy day in winter, but there is no reason the cultural immersion and chance to learn something new cannot be enjoyed in summer. To get the best of both worlds - the summer weather and the museum experience - here is a list of 9 of Spain’s top outdoor museums for days out during the summer holidays.

To save yourself reading the roughly 800 page beacon of Spanish culture and Spain’s best selling novel of all time, visit the Don Quixote mural project in the book’s setting of rural La Mancha. The project involved 12 international street artists and was also a major social inclusion project, with 450 people with disabilities involved. The colourful murals depict scenes from Don Quixote making for a cultural tour around the region.

Valley of the Fallen, Madrid Located in the Sierra de Guadarrama mountain range north of Madrid, the Valley of the Fallen is a striking monument that dominates the landscape, commemorating all the Spaniards who died in the bloody civil war. Approximately 40,000 soldiers, interestingly both Republican and Nationalist, are buried at the site. It also has a basilica to visit, and being wrapped in the beautiful surroundings of the Sierra makes a wonderful trip from Madrid.

This museum’s car sculptures will make you feel like you are flying along famed US road Route 66 with the windows rolled down, rather than an open air museum in Extremadura. The collection also encompasses a section inspired by trendy retro Berlin. Founded in 1976 by Hispano-German Wolf Vostell, the towering sculptures of modern art can be admired walking around the museum’s park.

Titanes Project Don Quixote Murals, Castilla-La Mancha

Fundacion Montemedio is a haven for lovers of both art and nature located in Vejer de la Frontera, a stunning white moorish town slightly off the traditional tourist trail, and well worth paying a visit on its own. The outdoor museum combines contemporary art with nature in perfect harmony, and is also dog friendly. The most popular attraction is the Impression of the Sky, a striking white ellipse structure inspired by the contrast between the rainy and dry months of the Andalucian town.

Fundacion Montemedio, Cadiz

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL Museum of Erotic Sculpture, Girona A visit to the Musuem of Erotic Sculpture is an unusual stroll through the Can Girona Forest with erotic scultpures rather than the usual hills or trees to admire. The sculptures themselves are moulded from a range of materials including concrete, recycled objects and scrap metal. The pieces are more than the comical element they seem on the surface though, with the intention of connecting nature and intimacy and invoking religious symbolism.

June 2nd - June 15th 2022

Fundacion Cerezales Antonino y Cinia, Leon

Museo Atlantico, Lanzarote As the only underwater museum in Europe, this is sure to be a unique experience. Getting a look at the underwater sculptures requires a journey 15 metres underwater. British sculptor James deCaires Taylor opened the first museum of its kind in 2006 on the Caribbean island of Grenada, before opening the Lanzarote site 10 years later. Sculptures based on residents of Lanzarote, as well as the refugee crisis in Europe and others experimenting with the entwining of man and nature are all housed in the museum designed as an artificial reef under the sea.

An exhibition focused on nature, this large open air museum in Leon brings a vast range of flower species and nature all together in one place. The museum also offers visitors their own chance to get into the wild with paths leading to the countryside where they can pick their own flowers after being inspired by the displays produced by the professionals.

BUSINESS

PRIME Minister Pedro Sanchez has said he believes the EU should front cash to pay for any new gas connections between Spain and its European allies who are trying to source alternative supplies to Russia. Spain, which has a relatively low dependence on Russian gas supplies, wants a new pipeline to be built between it and France. Sanchez told a news conference in Brussels after a meeting of EU heads of state and government it was the bloc’s

June 2nd - June 15th 2022

Pipe dream turn to pay for the infrastructure after Spain has heavily invested over the past decades into capacity to unload and regasify LNG. “We are talking about capacities that were financed by the efforts of the Spanish tax payer and that we will make available to the European Union,” he said.

Open the gates SPAIN has opened the borders of Ceuta and Melilla, allowing workers from Morocco back in after two years. What started as a Covid restriction morphed into a diplomatic row over migration and the sovereignty of the disputed Western Sahara. Prior to the border closure, it was thought some 5,000 Moroccans regularly made the crossing without a visa for business purposes. Authorities in Ceuta said: “Spain is hoping for a progressive and orderly reopening, and most of all, an end to the underground economy in the region.” The crossing is the EUs only land border in Africa.

Food gloom Pockets hit by €200 a year and more price hikes to come

ANNUAL food costs are expected to rise by an average €200 per family in Spain this year according to an Allianz Food Inflation survey. The yearly food spend is projected to go up to €2,300 due to rising prices but the study says further hikes are likely. Food costs in Spain are lower than the EU average, which comes in €200 higher per annum at €2,500. Increases in fuel, electricity, and fertiliser costs caused firstly by the Covid-19 pandemic and then the war in Ukraine, are seen as the main contributory factors to the price hikes.

Events in the Ukraine have affected the supply of basic foods such as wheat and sunflower oil, with prices going up for alternative sources. The Allianz report warns the situation could get much worse as current food prices are not rising at the same proportion as increases in raw material costs over the

BIO FLIGHTS BIOFUEL produced in Spain has been used to power long haul flights from Madrid to the United States. Iberia flew its first long haul flight using the eco-friendly fuel from Madrid to Washington, and will fly two more this week to San Francisco and Dallas. The biofuel is produced at the Repsol refinery in Bilbao, Basque Country. The more environmental fuel means that these three flights will emit 125 tons less CO2 than they otherwise would have.

LANGUAGE, LAW AND INTEGRATION

past 18 months. It warns that food and beverage producers in the EU have already increased their prices by an average of 14% since the beginning of 2021.

Pasta

In supermarkets, the most significant price increases have been for oils (+53 %), flour (+28%) and pasta (+19%). The average of a full food shopping trip though has only gone up by 6% as retailers have absorbed around 50% of price hikes to consumers. Allianz warns that high inflation coupled with reduced sales will add pressure to the profitability of businesses, which will probably work its way into a further 'increase in consumer prices'.

Many title deeds (escrituras) in the Valencia province are inaccurate. The most common errors are under-declaring purchase prices, which used to be common practice, also incorrect sizes for plots or constructions. Demarcation disputes can be long and protracted if not handled correctly, setting neighbours against each other. There discrepancies can also affect a potential sale of the property. Most errors can be corrected if dealt with properly. Also, due to changes in legislation for British citizens there are many Last Will & Testaments which were drafted to cover assets in Spain that would not comply with current changes in Law.

DISPUTES & INTEGRATION

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BUSINESS

June 2nd June 15th 2022

IN THE POOR HOUSE SPAIN has received yet another warning from the European Commission over its high debt and unemployment risk It has called on the country to exercise restraint in public spending, warning that Spain could see public indebtedness reach a higher level in 2026 than in 2021. Spain’s public deficit soared in 2020 from 3% to 10% fuelled by mass public spending during the pandemic, although it was reduced to 6.9% in 2021 as the economy bounced back. But to avoid rising debt as the government tackles issues caused by the war in Ukraine, such as energy price hikes, the EU called on the Spanish government to ‘ensure prudent fiscal policy’ in 2023. Debt jumped from 95.5% to 120% of GDP in 2020. Since then, a fall in health costs post-pandemic and the rebound in GDP have helped to bring the debt down to 118.4%. The target is to lower the figure to 110% in 2025, but SPAIN'S government will spend €12.25 the EC fears Spain could billion over five years to develop the actually see an increase in country's micro chip and semiconductor debt by 2026. sector. The investment has gone up by over €1 billion from what Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, first proposed in early April. A lot of the money is coming from EU Covid-19 funding to develop new projects and revitalise industries following the pandemic. Economy Minister, Nadia Calviño, revealed that €9.3 billion will be used to build new component factories.

Getting chippy

Billion

The five-year investment will subsidise domestic semiconductor production capacity in leading-edge and mid-range semiconductor manufacturing. Over €1.1 billion will go to research and development with chip design getting €1.3 billion.

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ENJOY YOUR TRIP! Make sure you have peace of mind when you make travel plans

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STILL VOLATILE GBP/EUR exchange rates fluctuates on recession fears, ECB rate hike bets

THE Pound Euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate continued to trade in a wide range through the second half of May as fears of a UK recession were stoked following a dramatic surge in UK inflation. Elsewhere a hawkish shift by the European Central Bank (ECB) has also infused volatility into the pairing. This has seen the pairing trade in a range of between €1.16 and €1.18. WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING? The past couple of weeks have seen the GBP/EUR exchange rate continue to trade unevenly, with the pairing fluctuating in response to mixed UK data and signals from the ECB that it will soon begin tightening its monetary policy. In terms of UK data, the pound found itself coming under considerable pressure after the UK’s consumer price index revealed domestic inflation soared to 9% in April. The surge exacerbated concerns over the UK’s cost of living crisis and revived recession fears. A surprisingly upbeat retail sales reading and Bank of England (BoE) rate hike bets helped the pound to quickly bounce back, before a worrying drop in the latest UK services PMI then erased a good portion of these gains. Meanwhile, a more hawkish tilt from the ECB has helped to underpin the euro through the second half of May, with ECB President Christine Lagarde signalling the bank is likely to start raising interest rates in July. This has helped to offset heightened tensions over the war in Ukraine, with Russia’s threats against Finland for applying to join NATO stoking fears the conflict could spread to other parts of Europe. What do you need to look out for? Looking ahead, it seems safe to assume that the pound will remain highly sensitive to negative UK data as this would likely feed into recession fears. Any more signals that consumer spending is faltering could leave GBP exchange rates vulnera-

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ble to significant pressure. For EUR investors the focus is likely to be on the ECB. Markets will be looking for additional hints as to how aggressively the bank will look to tighten its monetary policy. Expect to see the euro strengthen if ECB policymakers grow increasingly hawkish. Meanwhile the war in Ukraine will no doubt continue to impact the GBP/EUR exchange rate. While the euro is likely to be more sensitive to any developments, any risk-off flows could weigh on Sterling sentiment. PROTECTING AGAINST VOLATILITY This kind of volatility can cause some nasty surprises if you need to transfer money overseas. On a £200,000 transfer, that twocent gap between €1.18 and €1.20 translates to a €4000 difference. And the larger the sum, the higher the discrepancy. Fortunately, there are ways that you can protect against volatility. Specialist currency brokers, such as Currencies Direct, offer different tools to help you navigate the ups and downs of the currency market. For instance, you can use a forward contract to secure an exchange rate for up to a year. This way, you won’t lose out if the market moves against you. Services like rate alerts and daily upJune 2nd - June 15ths make it easy to keep track of what’s going on in the forex world so that you can make informed decisions. And with Currencies Direct you’ll have a dedicated account manager there to provide guidance and support whenever you need them. At Currencies Direct we’re here to talk currency whenever you need us, so get in touch if you want to know more about the latest news or how it could impact your currency transfers. Since 1996 we’ve helped more than 325,000 customers with their currency transfers, just pop into your local Currencies Direct branch or give us a call to find out more.

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HEALTH

June 2nd - June 15th 2022

ALARM RAISED

Monkeypox worries grow as more cases found

Smokiest regions EXTREMADURA and Murcia have the highest percentage of daily smokers in Spain’s regions according to figures released to coincide with last Tuesday’s World No Tobacco Day. The AECC cancer charity says 25% of people in Extremadura smoke every day, closely followed by Murcia on 24%. Andalucia, the Balearic Islands, Catalunya, the Canary Islands and Castilla la Mancha come equal third on 21%. The number of daily smokers in the Valencian Community is 20%. The fewest smokers are found in the North African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla(15%) and in the Basque Country(16%). A 2005 Smoking Law backed up by EU measures in 2010 to stop smoking inside bars and restaurants has produced a substantial lowering in people consuming tobacco. Some 28.1% of people in 2003 were smokers but that fell to 19.8% by 2020.

GLOBAL health officials have sounded the alarm over rising cases in Europe and elsewhere of monkeypox, a type of viral infection more common to west and central Africa. The first cases in Europe were detected in the UK with Spain now accounting for more cases than anywhere else, although cases have now been identified across Europe, the US, Canada, Israel, and Australia.

Rose

The number of monkeypox cases in Spain rose over the weekend by 22 confirmed cases to 120. Spain now has the most cases in Europe followed by the United Kingdom with 106

By Fiona Govan

and neighbouring Portugal where 74 cases have been confirmed. The majority of cases within Spain have been detected in Madrid and are linked to an outbreak traced to a gay sauna in the capital. One woman has tested positive but all other cases confirmed in Spain are among men. Another spike in cases is believed to stem from a Pride festival on Gran Canaria in Spain’s Canary Islands. Protocol issue by health authorities require that those diagnosed with monkeypox self-isolate and wear face masks to stem the spread. Although most of the known cases in Europe have been

SPAIN’S government has approved a new draft law to regulate the sales of electronic cigarettes. It means that e-cigarette shops will disappear within five years with tobacconists becoming the only outlet for the product. The law aims to bring e-cigarette standards in line with conventional tobacco products. Quality control, advertising and the prevention of online sales and

Munchausen mother A 24-year-old Alicante woman has been arrested for allegedly mistreating her baby daughter by depriving her of air as a pretext for hospital visits. The mother is suspected of having Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy which is a psychological condition where a parent seeks medical help for exaggerated or madeup symptoms of a child under their care. Pediatricians reported their concerns over the woman’s baby, aged under 20 months. The latest incident saw the child admitted to hospital for convulsions - something that had happened before on a number of occasions.

Epilepsy

among men who have sex with men, experts are emphasising that it can be spread by

Vaping change availability to children all come under the measure. The government says the move will bring Spain into line with European regulations. The draft law now needs to be approved by Congress before hitting the statute book.

any close bodily contact. Spain’s LGBTQ community has expressed fears that the recent outbreaks of monkeypox could lead to an increase in homophobic sentiment based on misunderstandings of the disease.

Sexual

Although the recent outbreak has affected men mostly involved in sexual relations with other men, it is not defined as a ‘sexually transmitted virus’ and is in no way limited to gay men.

Medics investigated possible epilepsy but tests found her convulsions were caused by external factors. A police probe discovered the baby had no underlying medical issues and her problems were deliberately created by her mother. Every convulsion happened in the presence of her mother and not her father. In two instances, doctors noted markings on the baby’s mouth which could have been caused by a sheet or towel. An Alicante court has given full custody of the child to the father, as legal proceedings continue.

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HEALTH Safety first June 2nd June 15th 2022

Ticking time bomb THE number of people admitted to hospital with lyme disease has tripled in the past 15 years. The National Association of Environmental Health Companies announced the worrying findings in a newsletter from the Lyme monitoring group at the National Epidemiology Centre at the Carlos III Health Institute. The illness is spread by ticks and usually causes an expanding red rash as well as fever, headaches and tiredness.

Pains

If untreated, the disease can cause the loss of the ability to move one or both sides of the face, joint pains, severe headaches and joint pain and swelling may occur. Ticks are found in vegetation where there is dense wildlife with most people contacting the disease after visits to rural areas.

Remember the blue cross code

NEW painted signs are appearing by Valencia City pedestrian crossings to help people with autism cross the road safely. A pilot project has been launched in the La Torre district of the city. It involves painting a series of pictograms on crossing entrances. The high-visibility floor signs are intended to help people logically work out the correct sequence to cross safely to the other side of the road. Some 44 crossings have been chosen in La Torre, which

LIVE-IN CARERS By Alex Trelinski

lead to the area’s occupational centre for people with ASD.

The signs consist of a sequence of four pictograms in blue - a colour representing autism - which are located on the first strip of each side of the pedestrian crossing.

To follow

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The images display movements to follow before going to the other side. Wording includes ‘Stop, look, traffic light, cross’, for crossing with traffic lights, and ‘Stop, look, car parked, cross’, if there are no lights. Valencia’s Sustainable Mobility councillor, Giuseppe Grezzi, said: “This project will help in the understanding of road rules and improves the independence and safety of people with autism.”

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Olive Press Alicante– 170mm x 256mm – Colour

June 2nd

The

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No pain no game

FINAL WORDS

MALAGA’S maternity hospital has begun using virtual reality technology to help distract kids in their own virtual world while they are being administered drugs intravenously.

Worth a try SPAIN has lodged a formal appeal against being thrown out of the 2023 Rugby World Cup for fielding an ineligible player in two qualifying matches.

Spaced out A TEAM of Basque engineers has received funding from the European Space Agency to develop a concept that will attempt to convert the CO2 on Mars into methane for rocket fuel.

COSTA BLANCA NORTE / VALENCIA Vol. 4 Issue 82 www.theolivepress.es FREE

Your expat

voice in Spain June 2nd - June 15th 2022

POETIC JUSTICE

Eurovision comeuppance for Spain 54 years after rigged vote THE UK has been accused of robbing Spain of second place at Eurovision thanks to a dodgy algorithm. After six countries voted for each other in the semi-finals of the contest in a pact, the organisers opted to scrap their votes and instead use an algorithm. Had this algorithm not been used, a report by the BBC says, Spain would have pipped the UK to second. Some may see this as a long awaited reckoning for Spain as

Sad ending

in 1968 Massiel famously beat English crooner Cliff Richard and his classic Congratulations with her somewhat repetitive La, La, La. It was later revealed the singer had a helping hand by none other than Spanish dictator Francisco Franco who had rigged the competition. He reportedly had the competition fixed to improve Spain’s image abroad, buying television programmes from European neighbours in exchange

54 YEARS LATER: Cliff’s revenge on Chanel for ‘douze points’ on the night Charlotte McDonald a Euroof the contest which was held vision reporter, told BBC Rain London’s Royal Albert Hall dio 4’s More or Less: “If I was Spanish, I would certainly be claiming that Spain beat the UK. I think it would have been a really big scandal if Ukraine hadn’t blown everyone away HAMSTERS which have been in contact with suspected caswith an extraordinary audies of monkeypox will have to quarantine in Andalucia ence vote.” The Junta has confirmed that the furry creatures will have to The contest, normally a disstay behind bars in isolation to stop the spread of the virus. mal failure for the British, was The region’s health advisor Jesus Aguirre explained that deturned on its head as Sam Ryspite being named monkeypox, other animals such as squirder’s Space Man outstripped rels - and hamsters - can also transmit this virus. And their is Chanel’s ‘SloMo’ by seven a high chance of humans passing the disease on to their pets. points to come in second.

Hamsters jailed

A HUMPBACK whale who made international headlines after being freed from illegal netting off Mallorca has died off the Valencia coast. The 12-metre long whale was spotted in difficulty in shallow waters off Tavernes de la Valldigna beach. It eventually washed up on Friday, with Valencia's Fundacion Oceanografic planning an autopsy to determine what caused it to die. The whale was originally saved by divers after getting entangled in illegal fishnets two kilometres off Cala Millor in Mallorca. Experts said it swam to the Valencia coast with several cuts on its dorsal fin and was 'extremely weak' before it eventually died.

Too slow F1 driver Sebastian Vettel was in a race of a different kind when he unsuccesfully tried to chase down thieves who had snatched his bag. The four-time world champion hopped on an electric scooter and weaved through the streets of Barcelona after his possessions were grabbed.