Olive Press Gibraltar Newspaper - Issue 7 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

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olive press Vol. 1 Issue 7

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December 10th - 22nd 2015

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FIND HIM! AWOL ‘wheeler dealer’ boyfriend of missing Lisa Brown was jailed over nightclub knife fight in Gibraltar THIS is the first photo of the AWOL boyfriend of missing mother Lisa Brown. Tattooed Brit Simon Corner, 33, is seen luxuriating at La Linea’s Alcaidesa port, where he kept a yacht this summer. Three weeks ago he disappeared from Spain, leaving his boat, Rosa, in drydock at Sotogrande port while police search for him. It is believed he has fled to Thailand, after one source close to the investigation told the Olive Press he had used a credit card there. Corner has a violent history, it can be revealed, and was jailed for three months last year after pulling out a knife during a fight in Gibraltar’s Dusk nightclub. He was later convicted of common assault, death threats and disorderly conduct while being held at a police station, but was only fined. Scottish mother-of-one Brown, 32, who disappeared on November 6, was a regular visitor to Corner’s yacht over the summer, the Olive Press revealed last month. According to one source at the marina, she would turn up and sunbathe after work, and was a ‘lovely, amicable woman’. She was last seen on November 6 though, and was reported missing by her ex Tony Tomillero after failing to pick up their eight-year-old son Marco from school three days later. She had been due to start a new job in Gibraltar at Bet365 before she vanished, having left betting firm

EXCLUSIVE By Tom Powell

Big three: We will take back the Rock MAKING Gibraltar Spanish is a manifesto pledge for three of Spain’s four main parties ahead of this month’s election. Both the PP and the PSOE have committed themselves to seizing control of the Rock, while Ciudadanos have also set out plans for ‘decolonisation’.

Ladbrokes in August. A search of the surrounding area, including helicopters, sniffer dogs and a diver operation in nearby Rio Guadiaro, found nothing. The Guardia Civil has confirmed it is still being treated as a missing persons’ inquiry. Meanwhile, Sotogrande port security guards and dry dock workers have been instructed to call police should they spot Corner. His 40-foot vessel is still there in dry dock after it was discovered tied to a mooring in the port.

Cooperate

Only anti-corruption party Podemos vowed to cooperate with Gibraltar, confirming this during a speech in La Linea. December 20’s general election looks set to be tight, with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s PP currently just out in front. However, all polls suggest political pacts will have to be made in the aftermath of the election in order to reach a majority government.

Suspicious

A source at Alcaidesa marina described the Liverpool man as a ‘wheeler dealer’, who had docked a number of different boats there over the last year. Corner, who looked ‘older than his age’, made his money buying and selling boats and had previously had a local Spanish girlfriend. “He was often in and out of the port and you have to be suspicious about exactly what he was up to,” he added. He left without paying his bills. The Royal Gibraltar Police have been working with the Guardia Civil in the search and confirmed they are looking for ‘a British man who had been docked at Alcaidesa marina and working in Gibraltar’.

LEADERS: Election vow

Election fever sweeps Spain. Pages 6-7 VIOLENT THUG: Lisa Brown’s boyfriend Simon Corner, (top) Lisa

What does the world’s strongest boy order at McDonalds? The Olive Press meets Gibraltar’s world record holder Leon De Roeck Fear is not an option. P16-17

Opinion Page 6

CRIME NEWS

December 10th - 22nd 2015

Comet launches BORDER controls have been tightened for the festive period with the launch of Operation Comet. The aim is to enforce restrictions on fireworks and the collection of import duty. Police dogs will also be in action at the border to aid the clampdown on illegal imports of fireworks. Police are advising the public to purchase approved fireworks available in Gibraltar.

Gold-fingered SEAN Connery’s wife Micheline Roquebrune has been charged with avoiding millions of euros in Spanish property tax. The charge relates to the 1998 sale of the couple’s €6.4 million Marbella property. If convicted Roquebrune, 86, faces up to two and a half years in prison and a €16 million fine.

Inquest hears how John Shannon killed his family with knives and a corkscrew after taking drugs

Drugs cocktail led to murder

A CORKSCREW and eight knives were found covered in blood in the brutal slaying of a family of four in Gibraltar, an inquest has heard. Evidence suggests John Shannon, from Liverpool, stabbed his wife and two children to death before cutting his own throat at a rented home in Boschetti’s Steps, in March. Anarda de la Caridad Perez Friman, 31, and her daughters Amanda Kristofferson, 4, and six-week-old Eve Shannon Perez all died from stab wounds to the heart. Gibraltar court heard how Shannon, 37, father to just Eve, appears to have died after his throat was cut in the shower room, stood in front

By Rob Horgan at Coroner’s Court of a mirror, which is ‘typical of self-inflicted wounding’. High levels of testosterone in Shannon’s urine indicated he was under the influence of steroids, and he had also been smoking cannabis and drinking beer. Blood smears in the corridor between the bedroom where Anarda was found and the shower suggest Shannon was the killer, contrary to reports at the time of the deaths. Leading forensic scientist Luane Lunt described the unsettling details of the deaths to the coroner, Charles Pitto and later showed the corkscrew to

Warship drugs bust

A ROYAL Navy warship was unexpectedly called into action while on the last leg of its journey home days after docking in Gibraltar. The crew on HMS Richmond spotted a drug-smuggling boat bound for the UK. The Royal Marine boarding team successfully recovered 1,015kg of cannabis which would have had a value of around £3 million. The boat had been on duty in the Middle East for nine months, and also rescued more than 100 migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean in October.

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CRIME SCENE: Boschetti’s Steps in March a packed court. Spanish mother Anarda was found by police officers in the master bedroom with a pillow over her face, with 12 stab marks to the chest. Both children - described as ‘normally-developed and well-looked after little girls’ - were found in the living room. Baby Eve died after a ‘single episode’ of violence, while Amanda had ‘defensive wounds’ on her hands and 13 stab wounds, one supposedly inflicted by a corkscrew, to her body. Shannon, from Liverpool, appears to have cut his own throat in the shower room be-

fore crawling into the living room. Strangely he also had six stab wounds to his back. He was found by officers down the side of the bed, with a makeshift knife sheath taped to his leg. Five bottles of Heineken beer were found around the house with Shannon’s DNA on them, which suggests he was inebriated. The family of four were discovered dead in a horrific scene on March 30 by a friend in whose flat they were staying. They were reportedly planning on returning to the UK. The inquest continues.

One-punch killer guilty A BRITISH expat has been given a six-month jail sentence after killing an alleged German paedophile in Sotogrande Gym fanatic Devinder Kainth, 39, punched Sandro Rottman to death after he caught him taking pictures of his children in Spinnaker restaurant, in February. Convicted of manslaughter in Algeciras court, Kainth – known locally as Victor – will ‘likely’ be spared jail time as is the norm with first-time offenders in Spain. Kainth, an estate agent, who also owns an import/export business, has three children all attending Sotogrande school. PR man Rottman, who once worked with model Katie Price, had indeed kept ‘indecent images’ of children on his computer, police confirmed. Judge Raquel Gomez Sancho confirmed that Rottman’s alcoholic lifestyle - he drank up to three bottles of vodka a day - had led to health problems which contributed to his death.

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NEWS

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December 10th - 22nd 2015

Worthy goal Gibraltar footballers join crisis centre in Christmas plea

MOVES ON THE METRO: Lutwyche

Flying home for Christmas GIBRALTAR’S very own lord of the dance will be two stepping in Casemates this new year. Britain’s got talent star Jonathan Lutwyche is heading home after his first term at esteemed Joffrey Ballet School in New York. And after a ‘great’ four months in the Big Apple, the 16-yearold dancing supremo is looking forward to Christmas at home. “Everything is going great in New York,” Jonathan told the Olive Press. “The training is hard but I am loving it.” He added: “I am really looking forward to coming home and catching up with friends and family. “Gibraltar is where I am from and it is never far from my thoughts.”

GIBRALTAR football star Liam Walker is leading a band of volunteers at a La Linea-based homeless charity. The former Portsmouth midfielder has been lending a hand at Hogar Betania alongside fellow Lincoln Red Imps player, Guido Ezequiel Abayián. The charity provides food, shelter and guidance to hundreds of vulnerable Gibraltarians, Spaniards, expats and refugees, including children, victims of violence and of human trafficking. But the centre is desperately short of funds going into the Christmas season. It needs donations of food, clothes and toys as well as volunteers to refurbish bedrooms.

Royal round-up

Thanks… but no thanks

GIBRALTAR won’t be welcoming the Queen any time soon. Her Majesty, 89, has politely rejected a 10,000-strong petition calling on her to visit the Rock. She cited the ‘tight bond’ between the United Kingdom and Gibraltar but said she has no plans to visit with overseas travel very limited. It comes after Deputy Chief Minister Joseph Garcia submitted the petition to Buckingham Palace after gathering huge local support. The Royal snub arrived during the Gibraltar general election but was not publicised until after the results were announced. ROYAL SNUB: Queen Elizabeth

Felip-in marvellous news! WHILE Queen Elizabeth politely declined an invitation to holiday in Gibraltar, she has penned her own invite to King Felipe and Queen Letizia. The Spanish monarchs will make a state visit to the UK, staying in Windsor Castle, from March 8-10 next year. “The State visit will celebrate not only the long and deep historic ties between our

countries but also our strong relationship as partners in the EU, NATO and UN,” said Ambassador Simon Manley. The last Spanish Royal state visit to the UK was in 1986, and Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh’s last trip to Spain was just two years later. It is set to be a memorable event, with pomp and grandeur in abundance.

Fit for a princess

ALL SMILES: Princes Charlotte

A SPANISH designer has had an avalanche of orders from all over the world after Princess Charlotte was photographed wearing one of its designs. The modest €29.90 floral dress was worn by the recent arrival of Prince William, during an impromptu photo shoot taken by her mother Kate. Sadly though fashion designer Margarita Pato Cid of M&H can’t cash in, because the fabric has been discontinued by the factory, and she only has 10 metres left. Nonetheless she described the photo as like ‘winning the lottery’ even though she only has enough material to make ‘22 more dresses at the very most’. Many believe the dress was a gift from the royal tots’ Spanish nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo.

EXCLUSIVE By Joe Duggan “When you see people living in the streets without a home it’s very upsetting,” Walker told the Olive Press. “I think it’s fantastic that these volunteers are here to help. For people in their spare time to help out is a wonderful gesture. “At Christmas, it’s all about being around family,” he added. “A lot of the people here don’t have anyone. So if people can help out here in any way, I think they should.” When the Olive Press visited Hogar Betania, Gibraltar international Liam was hard at work helping families and residents who come to the shelter. People can donate via debit card, bankers draft or paypal on www.hogarbetania.es with more info on the Facebook page. Toys, food and clothes can be donated to Hogar Betania, 152 Calle Gibraltar on every day except Sunday. The Santa Margarita Scout Group is also collecting toy (not second-hand) donations on Saturday December 12, in the Plaza de Iglesias, La Linea

ONSIDE: Walker with Abayian and (inset) playing for Gibraltar from 11.00-14.00. Contact: c_moya_langston@hotmail. com Next issue the Olive Press visits Hogar Betania to discover some of the amazing stories of people

the charity has helped turn their lives around.

NEWS

December 10th - 22nd 2015

NEWS IN BRIEF

Role play GIBRALTAR has undertaken a terrorist attack response exercise which involved all emergency services, armed response police and military units.

Cheesed off

Health fears over Burger King’s ‘irresponsible’ schoolchildren offers

Praise him LEGENDARY Minister Joe Bossano must be honoured ‘now not later’ according to the Equality Rights Group.

No quitter GSD Leader Daniel Feetham is determined to carry on as the Leader of the Opposition for the next four years despite losing a landslide election.

Bay-watch A REVISED £4.5 million plan to develop a leisure area with an urban beach at Rosia Bay has been submitted.

Vote time THE Gibraltar in Westminster Movement has claimed the time is right to push for Gibraltar to represented in the House of Commons with its own vote.

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MEAL DEAL: Casemates

BURGER King has been slammed for encouraging Gibraltar’s schoolchildren to dine on fast food meals with special lunch offers. Described as a ‘shocking’, nutritionist Claudia Norris said: “What’s worrying is that school kids are not seeing this as a treat; it’s being marketed as lunch.” It comes after the Olive Press

Expert’s view – Claudia Norris, Gibraltar’s leading Nutritional therapist “THIS is shocking. The issue

is not just the very high levels of saturated fat in Burger King meals but also the high salt content. What’s worrying is that school kids are not seeing this as a treat; it’s being marketed as their lunch. Often fast food is accompanied by a soft drink, and the amount of sugar in Coke and Fanta is really going to affect concentration in school in the afternoon. The Gibraltar Health Author-

ity has been doing so much to help children with the big drive to cut back on antibiotics but it’s very difficult when you are up against big businesses like Burger King. Gibraltar in general is benefitting from lots of healthy lunch options cropping up so kids don’t have to resort to Burger King. Obesity is tackled by informing and educating the population, starting with the kids. So this is something that needs to be addressed.”

EXCLUSIVE By Tom Powell noticed the fast food giant, in Casemates’ Square, had been promoting its ‘schoolchildren lunch offer’ on a big sign outside its entrance. Under the deal, kids are invited in for special discounts on cheeseburger, hamburger and chicken nugget meals IF they are in uniform. All of which contain high levels of salt and fat, and are usually consumed with a fizzy drink. It comes as UK Prime Minister David Cameron is under pressure from MPs to ban adverts for unhealthy food from the internet and TV shows. A cross-party Commons committee insisted radical action was needed to solve a youth obesity crisis, with 19% of 10-year-olds chronically overweight. The last Gibraltar Health Authority survey found obesity on the Rock is around the same level as the UK. Over the last decade, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has worked tirelessly to change eating habits of schoolchildren through TV shows in the UK and the USA. Both the government and Burger King declined to comment.

Opinion Page 6

NO RETURN: Goldman on way to court and (inset) in Marbella

Guilty and charged - thanks to the Olive Press

INFAMOUS Costa del Sol conman Nigel Goldman has once again been found guilty of fraud. The former Spectrum Radio pundit and Euro Weekly News columnist defrauded online shoppers out of more than £10,000 in a gold coin eBay scam. Having changed his name by deed poll to Howard del Monte, the 58-year-old was arrested and charged with fraud in the UK last year after two enraged customers failed to receive their goods. Having fled Spain accused of an elaborate Ponzi scheme in which he owes millions, he got involved in yet more scams via his online company Bensons Emporium. A jury at Reading Court heard how the Olive Press tracked him down via the details on his eBay account and exposed him in March 2014, followed up by the UK press. Two victims, who never received coins they had purchased, contacted the police after reading our report. He claimed the case was all part of an Olive Press conspiracy against him. The four-times convicted fraudster will now be sentenced on January 8.

Justice at last - Page 22

NEWS

October 15th - 28th

FEATURE

December 10th - 22nd 2015

OPINION

Spain’s most closely-fought general election since the return to democracy marks a new era of multi-party politics, writes Joe Duggan

Spanish steps FOUR weeks after Gibraltarians went to the polls, Spain’s general election gets underway. December 20 is a pivotal date in Spanish politics, with new parties Podemos and Ciudadanos likely to strike hard at the PSOE and PP vote. Whatever the outcome, it must be hoped that we experience a more cordial approach from our big neighbour than what we have seen from Mariano Rajoy’s government until now. But with three of the main four parties - Podemos being the exception - claiming sovereignty over the Rock in election manifestos, this remains to be seen.

No King of mine! BURGER King’s campaign to target school kids is one of the most cynical advertising campaigns to rear its head in Gibraltar. Rightly slammed by leading nutritionist Claudia Norris as ‘shocking’, the fast food joint’s lunch offer is irresponsible at best and health-threatening at worst. In an age where child obesity levels are at record highs, bosses at Burger King should be ashamed to be so blatantly targeting our young citizens.

Best and worst FOOTBALL in Gibraltar has shown its good and bad side in the last week. While one set of fans let themselves down majorly by venting abuse at officials, two players have been preoccupied with the things that really matter in life. Sport is about uniting people in friendly competition, not kicking off when things don’t go your side’s way. Luckily there are people like Liam Walker and Guido Ezequiel Abayián to give the game a much better reputation. In volunteering at Spanish homeless charity Hogar Betania, they are selflessly doing their bit to help those who haven’t been as fortunate as them.

Olive Press payments THE following companies are no longer allowed to do business with the Olive Press (Luke Stewart Media SL - CIF B91664029), due to long standing debts: - MWM Investments Ltd - Petersham Coins, Marbella - Investor Spain - Simple Care - Autotunes Manilva - Hotel Embrujo, Arriate

the EE

- Jaipur Purple, Estepona - Reservatauro, Ronda - Webuycarsinspain.es - Motor Trader - Best Coches The details are being published in support of other companies that may be unaware of the problems that might be faced by providing credit facilities to the businesses and their present individual owners.

GIBRALTAR

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PANIARDS head to the polls on December 20 – and the result is set to bring seismic changes to the country’s political landscape. For the first time since democracy was restored 40 years ago, the uncertainty of a hung parliament and coalition government looms. The traditional duopoly of the leftwing PSOE and the right-wing PP faces a grave challenge from newcomers Podemos (We Can) and Ciudadanos (Citizens). And with the ever-restless region of Catalunya agonising over independence, this year’s general election is the most open in Spain’s modern history. Mariano Rajoy’s ruling PP is hoping the growth of Spain’s economy in recent months will boost his chances. But even with employment on the up, recent polls suggest an overall majority is highly unlikely. Rajoy’s austerity policies, and a slew of corruption allegations involving PP officials, have damaged the party’s standing. Rajoy secured office with 44.6% of the vote in 2011, but just weeks before the elections, polls show his party hovering at around 25%. According to a December CIS poll, the number of PP representatives could be cut from 186 to between 120 to 128, way off the 176 required to take office. Things aren’t looking much better for Pedro Sanchez’s PSOE. The same CIS poll shows their the number of representatives falling from 110 to between 77 and 89. Although a less precipitous drop than the PP’s, their fall is a sign that the Spanish are looking elsewhere for alternatives to the current administration. And that’s where Podemos and Ciudadanos come in. The rise of Pablo Iglesias’s Podemos

Election fever sweeps Spain party has galvanised the left in Spain. Emerging out of Spain’s army of disillusioned, unemployed youth, the Indignados, the party’s meteoric rise began at the start of 2014. Iglesias, the charismatic, pony-tailed leader, a former communist, declared his intention ‘to storm the heavens’, and to fight the corruption and scandals marring Spanish politics. A stunning European election result saw them secure five seats and 1.2 million votes. By November 2014,

an El Pais opinion poll had Podemos on 27.7% of the vote, making it the most popular party in Spain. An anti-austerity rally in Madrid in January 2015 attracted 150,000 devotees. In May’s regional elections, Podemosbacked candidates Manuela Carmena and Ada Colau dealt hammer blows to the ruling elite when elected as mayors of Madrid and Barcelona respectively. But Podemos’s early surge has faltered in recent months. By August the party’s

Front runners Mariano Rajoy, PP Age: 60 Grew up: Pontevedra, Galicia Background: Civil service registrar Fun fact: Rajoy wears a full beard to hide scars from a traffic accident Top three policies: - Get 20 million people into work by 2020 - Defend and support Spanish unity, and oppose Catalan independence - Lower minimum income tax rate from 19% to 17% and the maximum from 45% to 43%

Pablo Iglesias, Podemos

Age: 37 Grew up: Madrid Background: Political science professor Fun fact: He is a huge Games of Thrones fan Top three policies: - Slash MPs’ pay by a third - Rent caps - Supplementary income to working poor, boosting earnings to €900

or admin@theolivepress.es or sales@theolivepress.es A campaigning, community newspaper, the Gibraltar Olive Press represents the local and expatriate communities working or living on the Rock with 10,000 copies distributed fortnightly on a Wednesday. Luke Stewart Media S.L - CIF: B91664029 (+34) 951 273 575 Carretera Nacional 340, km 144.5 Calle Espinosa 1 Edificio centro comercial El Duque, planta primera, 29692 San Luis de Sabinillas, Manilva Printed by Corporación de Medios de Andalucía S.A. Editor: Jon Clarke jon@theolivepress.es Newsdesk newsdesk@theolivepress.es Tel: (+34) 665 798 618 Tom Powell tom@theolivepress.es Rob Horgan

Albert Rivera, Ciudadanos

rob@theolivepress.es Iona Napier iona@theolivepress.es Joe Duggan joe@theolivepress.es Admin / Distribution / Accounts: Maria González accounts@theolivepress.es Mirian Moreno admin@theolivepress.es SALES TEAM: Chris Birkett Head of Sales (+34) 652 512 956 Stephen Shutes (+34) 671 834 479 Sarah Adams (+34) 655 825 683

Age: 36 Grew up: Barcelona Background: Lawyer Fun fact: Posed nude for a Ciudadanos poster in 2006 Top three policies: - Opposed to Catalan independence - Overhaul Spain’s judiciary to depoliticise the institution - Tax credits for workers earning less than minimum wage

Pedro Sanchez, PSOE Age: 43 Grew up: Madrid Background: Economics professor Fun fact: Played basketball for Madrid team El Estudiantes until he was 21 Top three policies: - Repeal gag law - Remove religious education from the school curriculum - Increase funds from €1 billion to €6 billion for the 750,000 households with out incomes

FEATURE

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December 10th - 22nd 2015

Possible political pacts IF polls prove correct, and there is no party on course to win an absolute majority, a pact between two or more parties is inevitable. But a two-party coalition could prove tricky. According to December’s CIS poll of polls, the only two parties guaranteed to have enough combined seats to form a majority are the diametrically opposed PSOE and PP or Ciudadanos and the PP. But Ciudadanos leader Albert Rivera, mindful of how coalition gov-

ernment damaged the UK’s Liberal Democrats, has appeared to rule out going into partnership with the PP. “Ciudadanos won’t be in any government if we don’t win the elections,” said Rivera. “We’ll be in the opposition trying to get agreements.” A threeway coalition between the PSOE, Ciudadanos and Podemos would make up enough seats to govern, although a three-party administration would be unlikely to be stable.

DREAM TEAM: Picardo with ministers outside No6

Four more FABulous years for the Rock!

POLL: These are the different pacts that Spaniards would prefer to see in government

popularity had dropped to 15%, and it is currently trailing in fourth place, predicted to win between 45 and 49 parliamentary seats. As Podemos slides, Ciudadanos rises. The popularity of Albert Rivera’s right-of-centre party has been growing steadily this year. Founded in Catalonia a decade ago, the pro-business, anti-independence party has expanded its support base across Spain. In September, Ciudadanos secured the second highest number of seats (25) behind Artur Mas’s Junts Pel Si coalition in the Catalan regional elections. Rivera’s brand of market-friendly policies is spliced with socially liberal ideas, such as legalising prostitution. His role as potential kingmaker in the

December election is boosted by polls estimating party support at just over 20%. If correct, the 36-year-old Rivera could be striding through the doors of La Moncloa as Spain’s new prime minister. Meanwhile, in Catalunyaa, the seemingly endless saga of the region’s possible secession is uppermost in voters’ minds. September’s Catalan elections failed to show a clear majority in favour of independence. The Junts Pel Si coalition leader Artur Mas has been unable to find common ground with fellow independence-party the CUP. This damaging rift means the region is currently without a president, with Mas failing to secure the CUP votes required. And for the first time in 30

years, Esquerra Republicana is poised to win more seats than Mas’s mainstream pro-independence coalition, Democràcia i Llibertat. In November, Catalunya’s rift with Madrid widened when pro-independence MPs voted to begin ‘the process toward the creation of an independent Catalan state’ by 2017. Rajoy has used the courts to block the attempts; December’s election will be yet another litmus test of the Catalan electorate’s hunger to go it alone. With so many permutations, a long night of counting and jockeying for position awaits. But one thing is for certain. Spain is about to enter unchartered political waters. Opinion Page 6

Meanwhile in Gibraltar... Fabian Picardo’s GSLP/ Libs alliance won a landslide election victory

ABIAN Picardo has vowed to continue working hard for the nation he loves following a landslide victory. All 10 of his team finished above rival GSD candidates, although it was Gibraltar’s lowest turnout (70%) since 1980. The GSLP/Libs alliance took 68.03% of the votes, with opposition party the GSD on just 31.37%. With 10,852 votes, Fabian Picardo led the poll, followed by Joe Garcia on 10,661 and John Cortes on 10,529. Former Chief Minister Joe Bossano was tenth with 9,145 votes. Stood outside Number 6 following the swearing in ceremony, an emotional Picardo said: “This is the choice of the people of Gibraltar. “Nothing makes me prouder than to renew the exact same team which won the 2011 election. “Gibraltar has told us what it is she wants us to do and the time has come now to start working again.” Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition Daniel Feetham came 11th with 5,054 votes, followed by Marlene Hassan Nahon on 4,892 and Elliott Philips on 4,784. The three GSD candidates outside of the top 17, who will form Parliament, are Kim Karnani-Santos, Robert Vasquez and Chris White.

CAMPO DE GIBRALTAR

December 10th - 22nd 2015

NEWS IN BRIEF

Gun find AN AK-47 Kalashnikov rifle has been discovered in a ditch alongside a road leading into Algeciras by Guardia Civil officers who believe it belonged to a drug dealer.

Asian Soto SOTOGRANDE’S original creator, Ayala, has launched a domestic airline business in the Philippines and plans to develop an Asian version of Sotogrande near El Nido.

Cyber crooks TWO suspected online fraudsters have been arrested in La Linea after they allegedly defrauded €47,000 out of victims throughout southern Spain.

Double whammy FIREFIGHTERS were called into action when two warehouse fires broke out in one day, one in San Roque and the other in Los Barrios. MarineA4.pdf 1 02/10/2012 08:58:04

Love thy neighbour Podemos Cadiz plans to unite with neighbour Gibraltar

PODEMOS has vowed to improve relations with Gibraltar. The anti-corruption party’s number two in Cadiz, Juan Antonio Delgado, visited the La Linea branch to discuss solving the ‘isolation’ of the Campo de Gibraltar. He told supporters a relationship with Gibraltar is crucial to the area’s economic and

TEAMING UP: Podemos Cadiz call for Gib links social prosperity. “There are so many more things which unite us than separate us. We must em-

Gored A COWBOY has been helicoptered to hospital after being gored by a fighting bull. The 50-year-old farmworker was seriously injured by the animal on a cattle ranch in Facinas, near Tarifa. He was taken by car to a doctor in Benalup, before being airlifted by helicopter to a hospital in Puerta del Mar.

brace Gibraltar as our neighbour,” he said. Delgado, who joined the Podemos ranks last November following two decades in the Guardia Civil, also slammed the lack of transport connections between the Campo de Gibraltar and the rest of Spain. “It is unacceptable that a port as important as Algeciras’s has a rail link from the 19th century,” he said. “It’s the same with the coastal motorway, which began a few years ago in Cadiz but does not yet reach the Campo de Gibraltar. “These works are also vital for promoting tourism on the coast.”

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BACKSEAT RIDER: Moroccan migrant

Flatpack stowaway A MAN who crammed himself into a space police describe as ‘one of the smallest spaces they had ever seen’ for a stowaway has failed to smuggle his way into Spain. The Moroccan squeezed into a hidden compartment between the back seats of a car and the boot, and was nearly poisoned after inhaling exhaust fumes. But Algeciras border police foiled his attempt to enter the country from Tangier, telling the media the car had been ‘extensively modified’, and that the man was lucky to escape with his life. COCAINE with a The car was driven by a Spanstreet value of over iard who has been arrested. €75 million has been seized in San Roque. Guardia Civil made the discovery after members of the public alerted them to four large bags lying TWO women have been inin a scrapheap. jured in a gunfight in La The bags were found Linea. to contain 198kg of coThe women, 67 and 32, were caine divided between caught in the crossfire during packages wrapped in a gunfight between warring duct tape. gypsy families. The illegal substance The brawl took place in the had been smuggled into Los Junquillos neighbourAlgeciras in a shipping hood, late last night. container from Puerto Police have confirmed they Africa in Chile, bundled have made arrests but have in with scrap steel. not disclosed any more information at this stage.

Coke bust

Big fat gypsy shootout

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GREEN NEWS

Leading the way By Tom Powell

BAPTISED: ‘Pope’ blesses protestors

Pope wades in THE Pope has joined a group of masked activists protesting against climate change in Algeciras bay. Or at least someone who looks like him. Members of Verdemar de Ecologistas en Acción wore a variety of costumes for the ‘performance’ protest before submerging themselves in the río Guadarranque. One wore papal regalia topped with a mitre. Pope Francis spoke out against climate change ahead of the recent Paris summit of world leaders. A Verdemar spokesperson highlighted the threat of climate change to the Campo de Gibraltar: “Our extensive cork forests are seriously threatened with extinction,” the spokesman said. “The rise in sea level threatens to erode our beaches and pollute the land with salt.”

December 10th - 22nd 2015 www.theolivepress.es

GIBRALTAR has ranked as the UK Overseas Territory with the strongest environmental governance. An RSPB survey found that the Rock is the only territory rated as ‘strong’ across the board.

Progress

Its species protection, site protection, development regulation and development governance were all given the highest possible rating. The head of UK Overseas Territories Unit of the RSPB, Jonathan Hall, said: “Building on the successful environmental conference that Gibraltar hosted this

Gibraltar is environmental leader of UK Overseas Territories

Overseas Territories’ environmental governance ranking 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Gibraltar, 20 St Helena, 17 Bermuda, Cyprus SBAs, 16 Falkland Islands, Montserrat, British Virgin Islands, 15 Turks and Caicos, 13 Tristan de Cunha, 12.5 Ascension, Pitcairn, 12 Anguilla, 10

summer, we hope that Gibraltar may continue to play a key role in environmental

leadership among the territories.” The survey analysed gov-

THE JUKE JOINTS (NL)

ernments’ commitments to good environmental governance and progress made since 2012. The Olive Press created a points system for the territories based on the different category ratings awarded by the RSPB. Out of the 11 inhabited overseas territories, St Helena came second followed jointly by Bermuda and the Cyprus Sovereign Base Areas. Languishing at the bottom of the table is Anguilla, where the survey identified a complete absence of a system for identifying and managing vulnerable sites.

High and dry IT has been an exceptionally dry November in Malaga, with just half of the expected rainfall levels. A drought is feared while just 45 litres of rain per square metre fell, against the average of 93. Reservoirs are emptier than they were this time last year. AUTHOR: Alan Parks with donkey

Donkey diving th

Saturday the 12 of December at 23:30, performing live at the Rock Bar Louie Louie in Estepona port. Sunday the 13th of December at 23:30, performing live at the Concert hall ZZpub C/ Tejón y Rodríguez, 6 Málaga Dutch blues-rockers and winners of the 2012 Dutch Blues Foundation Award for Best Dutch Blues Band , The Juke Joints have been setting fire to international stages for no less than 32 (!) years. Last year alone they set stages on fire in, amongst others, Spain, Norway, Switzerland and at the Harvest Time Blues Festival in Ireland. Between all those gigs they wrote songs together for their follow-up for the 'Going to Chicago' CD they have recorded in Chicago with producer Ronnie Baker Brooks and 'guests' Eddy 'The Chief' Clearwater and Ana Popovic. The new CD 'Heart on Fire' (European release by Continental Records at the end of January 2015 ) contains 10 infectious Juke Joints originals. The Dr. Ross classic "Cat's Squirrel" and crowd favorite-to-be "Funny Little Valentine", penned by Australian rockabilly singer/guitarist Louis King, receive the passionate, greasy Juke Joints treatment and seamlessly fit in the coherence of the album. On this 9th studio album The Juke Joints have like never before succeeded in translating the steamily hot energy of their live shows into a brilliant studio sound. The Juke Joints played festival and club shows in Ireland, England, Latvia, France, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, USA and shared stages with the best that blues has to offer: Kim Wilson, Buddy Guy, Walter Trout, Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers, The Paladins, The Nighthawks, Bonnie Raitt, Sonny Landreth, Roomful of Blues, George Thorogood, Little Charlie & the Nightcats, Johnny Winter, Alvin Lee, Bernard Allisson, Joe Bonamassa...... THE BAND: Peter Kempe - Lead Vocal / Drums / Mandolin Michel Staat - Guitar AF-bioparcf-paseb!.pdf 1 26/11/2015 16:20:10 Sonnyboy vd Broek - Harmonica / Vocal / Accordion Derk Korpershoek - Bass / Vocal www.thejukejoints.com

CMY

AN expat writer and fierce donkey rights campaigner has launched a book to battle against the abuse and abandonment of Spain’s four-legged mules. In a festive launch laced with mulled wine, mince pies and a raffle, keen readers flocked to El Refugio del Burrito farm in Malaga on December 6. Alpaca farmer Alan Parks wrote Dive for Donkeys after he decided to skydive to raise money for Spain’s donkeys but was too overweight to fly. His fundraising and weight loss journey is chronicled in the novel, with proceeds going to the Refugio charity.

Out of energy THE largest renewable energy company in Spain is on the brink of becoming the largest company in the country to ever file for bankruptcy. Sevilla-based energy giant Abengoa has initiated insolvency proceedings after failing to close a deal with a major new investor. In November, Gonvarri pulled out of a €350 million investment plan with the company, sending Abengoa’s stocks plunging by more than 50%. The firm has just four months to find a buyer or it will be declared bankrupt.

Hazy days MADRID’S suburbs are experiencing record levels of pollution. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels from cars hit 229 microgrammes in Alcala de Henares, 30km from the city centre, 228 in Coslada, 226 in Getafe and 218 in Alcobendas. Madrid’s council announced emergency city centre parking restrictions in November when NO2 levels go above 200, but the measures don’t include the capital’s suburbs.

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LETTERS

December 10th - 22nd 2015

How long is mine

POTTED POINTERS

The TV spat between the two party leaders Daniel Feetham and Fabian Picardo was a hilarious example of the uber-male posturing that often marks general election campaigns (A legal spat in the tabloids, Gibraltar Issue 6). They made themselves look ridiculous in arguing over who was the more experienced lawyer. Boys will be boys, I guess, and the ‘how long is mine’ boast is an age-old means of putting someone down. But was I the only one left wondering what exactly a ‘silk’ was? That one had me reaching for my book of legal definitions. Or Google, as it’s more commonly known.

EMERGENCIES Police 199 Medical service 190 Fire 190 EURO EXCHANGE RATES 1 euro is worth 1.08 American dollars 0.72 British pounds 1.47 Canadian dollars 7.46 Danish kroner 8.41 H Kong dollars 9.4 Norwegian kroner 1.53 Singapore dollars ANDALUCIA RESERVOIR LEVELS

Andrew Williams, Estepona

Third party?

This week: 60.68% Same week last year: 76.67% Same week in 2005: 51.83%

CONGRATULATIONS to Fabian Picardo and the GSLP/Libs on a landslide victory. The best party won and the GSD really need to go back to basics and build a proper Opposition, rather than being pernickety and negative. However, I think this election has shown us that Gibraltar could do with a strong third party to put a stop to the constant backand-forth bickering our politics too often becomes.

AIRPORTS Gibraltar 00350 22073026 Granada-Jaen 958 245 200 Jerez - 956 150 000 Malaga - 952 048 844* *For English press 9 Sevilla - 954 449 000

Each print issue of the Olive Press can be read in its entirety on www.theolivepress.es And our site is updated daily with the latest news, making it one of Spain’s most visited news websites.

www.gibraltarolivepress.com

Cheeky monkey!

olive press online October 2015

I HAD my first encounter with the Barbary macaques last weekend in Gibraltar. To the untrained eye the newborns are adorable, jealously guarded by their overbearing mothers. They are less sweet, however, when they steal your belongings. My can of Fanta was snatched from my hands by the mother who proceeded to tip it out onto the road and lick up the drink. So beware the little ragamuffins! George Howlett, UK

Just great!

Rock solid

Harvest hurrah

I THINK the highlight of the year for us Gibraltarians comes every November (Bookworms and stars, Gibraltar Issue 6). What a world-class addition to the Rock’s calendar of events the Literary Festival is. This year’s stellar line-up was no less inspired. Where else can you see the likes of Guillem Balague, Esther Rantzen and Anthony Worrall Thompson engaging face-to-face with their audience? But for me the pick of the weekend was seeing broadcast legend Nicholas Parsons’ Just A Minute. His radio voice is like taking a warm soothing bath in aural ambrosia. Seeing him in Gibraltar was an absolute delight.

ALTHOUGH it has been alarming to see armed police on the streets of Gibraltar (Armed police as Rock goes on alert, Gibraltar Issue 6), I am delighted they are there to protect. While we may like to think we are safe in our little corner of Europe, everyone is now a target to these murdering ISIS animals. And Gibraltar has been a target in the past. I remember the 1988 shootings of the three IRA members.

IT may be true that olive oil harvests have been bad across the country (Olive oil prices to rocket after poor harvest, online), but that certainly isn’t the case where I live in Alozaina. In fact, this year everyone is celebrating what a fantastic crop we have had. The local factory has received so much oil that it cannot take any more in for another month. Local farmers are even having problems harvesting it all.

Joe Holmes, Sotogrande

Alan Cooper, Alozaina

Anon, Gibraltar

David Slade, La Linea

Spain and Gibraltar’s Page views:xxxxxxxxx best English daily news website Visitors: xxxxxxxx Most read this fortnight on www.theolivepress.es  Costa del Sol on weather alert

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DECEMBER 2015

The Big Lighting

ALMENARA HOTEL (GAIA). 7

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pm.

Sotogrande International School Chorus SOTOGRANDE CHURCH.

19.00h.

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pm.

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Europe’s first ‘megapool’ and resort (7,451)

Christmas Eve dinner

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1 pm.

Dec. 31

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Ice Rink Opening

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“WHY USE AN INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ADVISER?” - by Richard Black / International Financial Adviser Costa del Sol

get to know you, your financial situation, your financial goals and your risk tolerance. When searching for an adviser, you should expect to receive these services: Personal attention - Your adviser will take the time to go through a full interview with you, asking questions to get to know your entire financial situation, your risk tolerance and your goals before setting up a customised financial plan.

We believe that you need to do your homework before making any investment decision. That may include reading financial publications, researching online, and discussing options with your friends and family. Many people, however, find the task of selecting investments too daunting to undertake on their own. To invest responsibly, they do their homework, and they seek the professional guidance and advice of a financial adviser.

Help developing an asset allocation strategy - Once you have worked with your adviser to determine your risk tolerance, he or she can help you allocate your money based on a mix of asset classes with varying degrees of risk that fit your time horizon and comfort level. Advice on specific investments that match your goals - When you are comfortable with your financial plan and have determined an asset allocation strategy, your adviser will then make specific recommendations on the types of funds and securities that will best meet your needs. Your adviser should be able to provide research supporting his or her recommendations.

Benefit from the Experience of a Financial Adviser Answers to your financial questions - If the We encourage investors to take a long-term view when they invest. By looking down the road, many people realise that they do not have the experience, time, training or patience to make informed investment decisions alone. That is where the value of an investment professional really makes a difference. A qualified financial adviser: takes the time to understand your goals and investment needs has the experience to help you develop a financial plan designed for your specific situation can help you determine the best way to al locate your assets can offer guidance during volatile market periods will recommend specific investments or investment strategies to meet your goals has experience in financial services, securities licenses and specialized training has access to specialised research on various types of securities spends time tracking potential investments that may fit in your financial plan

markets become volatile, your financial adviser should be available to help you understand the reasons behind the instability. If you hear of an interesting investment opportunity or a new stock offering, your adviser has the knowledge to research and investigate these opportunities and to help you decide if they fit into your overall plan. Proactive management of your account Your adviser can also bring investment opportunities to your attention, based on detailed knowledge of your financial plan and goals. Your adviser can help you manage your expectations by explaining the rewards and risks of any investment.

open and update your adviser when your financial needs or situation changes. Additional things to consider

It is also imperative to deal with an Adviser that forms part of a robust infrastructure; What financial capacity does the company behind the adviser offer, under what Regulatory Body do they sit, what level of Personal Indemnity cover do they have supporting their activities – these are just a few questions you should be considering when selecting YOUR financial adviser.

WHY BLACKTOWER? The Blacktower Group was formed in 1986 to provide independent wealth management advice and a bespoke service for both individual and corporate clients. Next year we will be celebrating our 30th anniversary Many financial adviser firms in the Costa del Sol have come and gone yet we are still here growing our client base and funds under management week on week. Our independent financial advisers continually keep pace with the changing needs of our customers, regulations and legislation. We follow a strict regulatory and compliance framework to ensure protection of client’s assets at all times. Whether it´s the modelo 720 (overseas asset declaration ), offshore bank account closures, requirement for better returns on savings or Pension transfer advice –we are here to help. Should you wish to meet regarding your own individual investment, pension or taxation position please feel free to contact me to organise a meeting.

To contact Richard Black

call +34 952 816 443 or email info@blacktowerfm.com Offices in Spain and throughout Europe

Ongoing, regular check-ups - Your adviser should call on a regular basis to see if your financial situation has changed – this should be at once a year unless agreed otherwise. Your adviser should review your account with you and make any adjustments necessary to ensure your plan continues to meet your situation and goals. Maintaining a Strong Relationship with Your Financial Adviser

What Services to Expect from Your The relationship between you and your adviser Financial Adviser is not just one party’s responsibility. It is a twoA financial adviser should take the time to

way street. Keep the lines of communication

The above information was correct at the time of preparation and does not constitute investment advice and you should seek advice from a professional adviser before embarking on any financial planning activity. Blacktower Financial Management (International) Ltd is licensed by the Gibraltar FSC and the DGS in Spain.

Looking for peace of mind? • Expert wealth management • Effective tax planning • Tailored investments • International Pension Transfers • Private Banking • Discretionary Fund Management Contact the Marbella or Gibraltar Office: O T +34 952 816 443 | +350 200 42353 E info@blacktowerfm.com Blacktower Financial Management (International) Limited is licensed by the Gibraltar FSC Licence 00805B and registered with the DGS in Spain. Blacktower Financial Management Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK.

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la cultura

Radio Gaga

YOU didn’t have to be in Gibraltar to enjoy this year’s literary festival. More than two million radio listeners in the UK also tuned in to the third edition of the increasingly popular Gibunco event thanks to a new initiative. A mix of commercial radio outlets and seven BBC regional stations aired the festival’s interviews with guest speakers Nicholas Parsons and Maureen Lipman. On BBC Radio West Midlands alone, the report reached an estimated 219,000 listeners, it has been revealed.

Gallery growth A NEW ground-floor gallery is being built in the Gibraltar Museum. The updated exhibition space will be revamped and expanded by 2016. An exhibition in the gallery will examine the history of Gibraltar from its earliest inhabitants to the modern day. Phase one of the development, the relocation and opening of the main entrance, has already been completed.

15 December 10th - 22nd 2015

Naked symphony

NUDE models and cello music proved a huge draw as the Cavilla gallery raised £14,000 for charity. Two local artists, Christian Hook and Jane Langdon put on a highly successful life drawing session in aid of the

Two local painters put on charity life-drawing session Guardian Angel Foundation. The event attracted a large crowd who were also treated

to a cello performance by Masenka Srepfler. The two-hour session gave

HISTORIC VIEWS: In Gibraltar Heritage Trust calendar

Planning ahead

HISTORIC views of the Rock is the theme of the newly released Gibraltar Heritage Trust Calendar. The 20th edition of the calendar showcases a variety of different angles and perspectives, as well as illustrations of special events and royal visits. It brings together a mix of media from litho-

graphs, watercolours, military engineering sketches, oil paintings and digitally re-coloured prints. Priced at £6, it is available from the Gibraltar Heritage Trust shop in John Mackintosh Square or from local newsagents and bookshops. Copies can also be ordered on www.gibraltarheritagetrust.org.gi

Hook and Langdon a chance to treat art-lovers to a masterclass in the craft. Afterwards, there was also an origami demonstration. It has been a year to remember for Hook in particular, who was recognised as the man behind one of the 100 greatest masterpieces in Scotland’s national galleries alongside the likes of Botticelli, da Vinci, El Greco and Velazquez in October.

London calling HISTORY students from Bayside school have been sent to explore London on the annual school trip. During the visit, the budding historians also met Education Minister Gilbert Licudi at Gibraltar House. He chatted with the group about their studies, the next step to University and about the trip, which saw them visit various museums as well as the Houses of Parliament.

what’s on

raft & Collectors Christmas Fair, December 12

Get in the festive spirit by enjoying a complimentary mince pie and a glass of mulled wine at St. Andrew’s Church. Info on 350 54023166

he Eve Appeal’s Winter Wonderland, December 14

A jazz, drinks and canapes soiree featuring the Tears Of Joy choir to raise money for Women’s Cancer at Boyd’s, King’s Bastion Leisure Centre. Info on 20067585

ichael Buble Christmas tribute, December 14

Peet Rothwell will perform all your favourite Christmas songs during this tribute to the famous singer at La Sala, Puerto Banus.

hristmas Spectacular, December 20

A Christmas grotto featuring elves, Santa Claus, ice skating and much more comes to Boyd’s King Bastion Leisure Centre. Info: boydsevents@gibtelecom. net or mypartyperfect@ gmail.com

la cultura

Failure is NOT

‘

POWERHOUSE: Leon in Palmones gym

FAILURE is not an option!’ That is 15-year-old weightlifter Leon de Roeck’s motto. Since he was eight, he has had one goal -- becoming the strongest man in the world -and everything he has done since then has been moving towards that goal. Incredibly determined, Leon smashed six world records, claiming three world titles at last month’s WPC Weightlifting World Championships in Portugal. Now officially the strongest ever 15-year-old at his weight, Leon’s drive and focus is rarely seen in someone so young and is frankly quite inspiring. “My name will go down in history; I will be the world’s strongest man,” Leon tells to me, with steely determination in his eyes. “There is no rush. I will go through the age categories and keep smashing records at every level.” He adds: “I am proud of the records I set in Portugal, but there was never any doubt. “It is easy to be so sure and so driven when you do some-

Off the back of smashing six world records at the WPC Weightlifting World Championships, teenage muscleman Leon de Roeck pumps iron with Rob Horgan thing you love. “I have been hitting the numbers in training and I am not just breaking records but smashing them.” With the European Championships in Manchester, UK, in June and the World Championships in Louisiana, USA, next November, Leon is ‘100% certain’ that he will smash more of them.

Battered

Extremely self-assured but by no means arrogant, Leon’s self-confidence comes from the numbers he hits as he blows the competition around him out of the water. In fact, the records set in Portugal are even higher than the current ones in the 16-17 year old age bracket, which Leon will move up to next year. Freakishly strong for as long as he can remember, he was banned from playing with

SIX OF THE BEST: Leon’s World records Bench press raw: 155kg Deadlift raw: 235kg Squat: 200 kg Bench: 157.5kg Deadlift: 242.5kg Powerlifting event: 600kg kids his own age in primary school as he was too much for them. By the age of 13 he was playing rugby with the under 18s at Estrecho Rugby Club in San Roque. Even step-father Cyrus Licudi had to stop play fighting with eight-year-old Leon as it would leave him ‘battered and bruised’. As Leon’s mother Michelle

tells me ‘he came out like the Hulk and hasn’t stopped growing since’. Currently weighing between 103kg and 110kg (depending on competitions) Leon expects he will move up to 125kg in the next two years. Eating five to eight meals a day, Leon’s food bill costs his mother a staggering £250 a week -- mainly in chicken, steaks and rice.

DETE

(Thank and his prehen which h ful’.) And de to a ‘h casiona McDon order i cheese of chip cokes. But Le ing wei that hi has alw “I have he say rounde people my form self.”

At eig worked eye of Baw an chez, w ster the Nowad Gimnas mones eye of stronge Heredia He also ers in compe his wei Outside Gibralta ruo is p my vis closely his trai 180kg A nod I need Leon w painted ruo say

17 December 10th - 22nd 2015

T an option CAREFUL: Safety comes first for Leon, 15

Supersize that! Leon’s typical McDonald’s order: Seven double cheese burgers = 1974 calories Four large fries = 2040 calories Two Extra Large Coca Colas = 620 calories

ERMINED: Leon smashed record in Portugal and (below) pulling van with ease

kfully the government s school, Bayside Comnsive, fund him, for he is ‘extremely grate-

espite usually sticking healthy diet’, Leon ocally treats himself to a nalds, where his usual includes seven double eburgers, four portions ps and two extra-large

eon insists he is gainight at a safe pace and is weightlifting career ways been ‘safety first’. e never had an injury,” ys. “I have always sured myself with good e who ensure I perfect m so I don’t hurt my-

Role model

ght years old, Leon d under the watchful ex-body builder Paul nd then Francis Sanwho showed the younge ropes. days he trains at the sio Municipal de Pals under the watchful f owner and Spain’s est man, Juan Carlos a, AKA ‘El Porruo’. o trains with MMA fightGibraltar but cannot ete as it could hamper ightlifting career. e the gym in the Bay of ar, a mural of El Porpainted on the wall. On sit, El Porruo watches y as Leon goes through ining routine, squatting like it’s nothing at all. and smile tell me all d to know. “One day, will have a mural of him d on the wall,” El Porys.

Leon also pays occasional visits to the Marbella gym of six-time Mr Olympia, Dorian Yates. “The old pros are great to learn from and are always keen to teach me,” Leon says. ‘El Porruo is great; he is always here, offering advice and making sure I look after myself. “Dorian is also a role model for me and is always happy to offer advice if I need it.” He adds: “I have no shame in asking for help. I want to learn from these guys so I can be better than them.” And that is the aspiration of Leon de Roeck in a nutshell: to be the best. When I asked him if the gym was a daunting place as an eight year old, he resoundingly said ‘no’. “I saw these guys in the gym and I always thought ‘I want to be bigger than you; I am going to be bigger than you’. “I want young kids to look up to me and think the same way.”

TEAM: Leon with Spain’s strongest man ‘El Porruo’

Total = 4634 calories

essentialmagazine

18 18

Property the Olive Press June 25th - July 9th 2015

Making waves A UNIQUE form of renewable energy is set to power Gibraltar’s homes. Eco Wave Power (EWP) has received EU funding to install a 5MW wave energy unit at Ammunition Jetty on the Rock’s eastern shore. The power plant will provide Gibraltar with 15% of its energy consumption and help reach its EU renewable energy targets by 2020.

A Gibraltar Icon...

Groundbreaking new wave power installation in Gibraltar

Commitments Health Minister Dr John Cortes told the Olive Press: “It’s a source of clean, renewable energy and it will potentially play a significant role in helping us to meet our EU commitments in this respect. “It will also serve to put

INNOVATIVE: Wave power coming to Gibraltar

Gibraltar on the map as a leader in the deployment of innovative marine tech-

Home finders w w w. e s s e n t i a l m a g a z i n e . c o m

SPAIN’S surplus of new homes should be filled by 2018. There are currently 389,000 vacant new builds across the country, but property appraisal company Tinsa say these hopes will be absorbed in the next three years. A total of 1.56 million new homes have been built since 2008, with around 25% still unoccupied. Almeria has the highest level of excess housing, with 38.9%, followed by Cuenca (37.1%) and Castellon (36.1%).

nologies.” The first phase of the project will see a 100 KW power station installed before Christmas, with eight floaters to harness the waves’ power. The floaters have been specifically designed for Gibraltar. The second phase of the project to bring the unit up to its full 5MW capacity will go ahead after a period of monitoring.

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Property

December 10th - 22nd 2015

the Olive Press June 25th - July 9th 2015

Wheely unacceptable IN spite of international disability day on December 3, seven in ten Spanish properties are still inaccessible to wheelchair users. Online realtor Idealista.es puts the problem down to bad planning, rushed construction and a lack of empathy for people with disabilities. To highlight the plight, CAFMadrid has published a guide to raise awareness and break down both physical and mental barriers connected with disability. It is hoped that the new government will bring through reforms to improve quality of life and inclusivity for Spain’s disabled.

GOLDEN GATE: Luxury pads (from left) Nagueles, Los Monteros, Nueva Andalucia and Mallorca

Marbellous mansions THE priciest pad in Spain may be a modern Mallorca mansion up for €39.5 million, but Marbella properties follow close behind. Five of Spain’s houses with the heftiest price-tags are found in veritable millionaire’s playground Marbella.

The Great Golden Visa

Five of Spain’s 15 most expensive houses are in Marbella Number two is in Nagueles on sale for €32 million, number three in Los Monteros for €29.5 million both with realtors Engel & Volkers, and

The Property Insider by Adam Neale

Recent changes make getting Spanish nationality and residency easier for foreign investors

VER the course of 2015, Spain has introduced new laws and revised existing legislation to streamline processes, extend residency provisions, and grant rights to certain groups of potential new citizens. We recently talked to Blanca Loring Santaolalla, who runs Loring International, a specialised immigration consultancy with offices in Malaga and Marbella, about the changes Spain has made throughout the year that should help investors who want to obtain residency as well as any foreigners who apply for Spanish nationality in the future. This April, the Intensive Nationality Plan 2015 (known as the PIN in Spanish) was introduced. Its goal is to digitalise all applications for Spanish nationality received during 2014 and 2015 and resolve the Ministry of Justice backlog. With 200,000 cases still pending, some date back as far as 2010. The PIN has co-opted notaries and registrars across Spain, Blanca says, in an effort to cut the nationalisation process from an average of three years to less than 12 months. At the end of July, the government enhanced the terms of the Investor’s Law (link: www. terrameridiana.com/blog/2688-polishing-upgolden-visa.html), introduced back in September 2013. The original legislation created the now famous ‘Golden Visa’, which allows foreign nationals to acquire Spanish residency subject to making investments in the country. After receiving just 530 applications in the first 15 months, the programme was enlarged to include common-law partners and other dependent family, as well as simplify the application process, lengthen renewal periods, and provide health and social security coverage for those choosing to work in Spain. Blanca says that, in practice, applying for residency under the Golden Visa scheme is now “becoming more attractive for foreign investors, because Spain offers a program similar to, even better than, other European countries.” A new nationality act for Sephardic Jews was introduced at the start of October, allowing descendants of Jewish families originally from

Spain to claim citizenship during the next three years. To do so, however, they will have to prove links to the country and pass two tests administered by the Instituto Cervantes: the CCSE, concerning Spanish law and culture, and the DELE A2, a language exam that covers reading, listening, and writing. In mid-October, another new law regulating the application process came into force guaranteeing that the whole process will now be managed electronically from the initial application onwards. Applicants can track their status online, via the Ministry of Justice website (link: sede.mjusticia.gob.es). A transition period, means that, for the time being, applicants may present their paperwork the traditional way, in person, if they prefer. All those applying for citizenship will also have to do the Spanish culture and language tests at the Instituto Cervantes. The advantage of standardisation, says Blanca, is that instead of the arbitrary approach previously in place, under which applicants could be asked almost anything by a variety of institutions, this enables those interested to study for set exams, invigilated by a single public body. However, there is still one problem facing those who want to apply for resident status on the Costa del Sol, Blanca notes: lengthy queues at the region’s police stations. The police are responsible for handling much of the paperwork, but each place works in different, and sometimes mysterious, ways. Malaga only issues appointments in person and is currently snowed under with asylum applications, while Marbella has a four-month waiting list for fingerprints. And, if your Spanish is less than fluent, you might have a challenge finding someone who can speak your language. On paper, Blanca points out, the news is all positive, but if the various administrative bodies involved in the process do not work together in a coordinated fashion, efficiently and to fixed standards, and the government does not invest in the people and equipment required, many would-be residents could end up feeling frustrated and treated like secondclass citizens.

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number four is in Nueva Andalucia, at €28 million from Yourviva. Numbers 11 and 14 are found in Puerto Banus and Los

SWANKY: Millionaire’s property in Puerto Banus Monteros respectively after a cluster of properties near Madrid’s priciest suburbs,

Flat’s your lot MORE people live in flats in Spain than anywhere else in Europe. Two-thirds of Spaniards live in flats, putting the country ahead of Latvia (with 65% flat-dwellers), Lithuania (58%) and Greece (57%). Meanwhile, countries such as Britain, Croatia and Norway are at the other end of the scale with just 20% of people living in flats.

Pozuelo de Alarcon and La Moraleja. The Banus property is up with Kristina Szekely for €18 million and Gilmar is selling the Los Monteros pad for €17 million. The list also features one property in Alicante and another near Barcelona. All 15 properties cost more than €16 million and all have outstanding facilities, and confirm the news that Spain’s luxury sector is back on track… and here to stay.

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Burn up A ROW has broken out between Gibraltar’s government and the firm which supplies the Rock’s electricity. Both sides are now threatening legal action, after Spark Energy accused Picardo’s government of failing to pay its bills for five months. The firm released a statement strongly refuting allegations that it had deliberately caused power cuts and claiming the government owes £3.2 million. However, a government spokesman responded that Spark was already indebted to them to the tune of £15 million following ‘operational failures’. “The damages which the Government has notified Spark it is claiming are a conservative estimate of the losses potentially due to the failure to produce the guaranteed output,” the spokesman said. “The Government will not hesitate to commence legal action against Spark.” However, Spark was quick to defend itself, claiming the government was avoiding paying and inviting them to commence legal proceedings.

Le Breton’s Briefing

N the last issue I wrote about the Commonwealth and, in particular, the twoday 2015 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). This biennial event was attended by government leaders from all 53 Commonwealth countries, with several other VIP guests, including UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, also travelling to Malta. Preceding the main event, the Commonwealth Business Forum (CBF) attracted more than 1,300 delegates from 75 countries. I was delighted to have the opportunity to represent my firm, together with colleagues from our Malta and London offices. Due perhaps to Gibraltar’s general election being held the same week, I was the sole accredited representative from the Rock. CBF 2015 certainly lived up to my expectations. It was addressed by no less than 15 heads of government and 180 leaders from government and the private sector, and provided an incomparable opportunity to network with professionals and public officials from all corners of the Commonwealth. HRH The Prince of Wales gave the closing speech at CBF – and a very stirring and inspirational address it was. At a fringe meeting I was also delighted to meet Baroness Scotland, who was subsequently elected unanimously as the next Commonwealth Secretary General, the first

the Gibraltar Olive Press September 17th - 30th

December 10th - 22nd 2015

Gibraltar criticised over corporate transparency

Leaders in London CHIEF Minister Fabian Picardo has pledged his full support for David Cameron’s plan to keep Britain in the European Union. On the back of his re-election victory, he got straight to work by meeting the minister for Europe, David Lidington, to discuss the ‘Brexit’ issue. In a private session in London, Picardo explained that Gibraltar is already carrying out the necessary legislative work for a referendum on EU membership. Earlier in the day, Lidington had addressed a gathering of British Overseas Territories leaders at the Joint Ministerial Council. Economic development and safeguarding children were the main issues discussed.

All for the Commonwealth cause

The recent Commonwealth meeting was a roaring success woman to hold the position. This is all very interesting, you may say, but what relevance do these international meetings have for us locally? In common with the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, Gibraltar’s foreign affairs are managed by the UK. So there was perhaps less at stake in this respect than for some other Commonwealth member states. Even so, I can’t deny it was exciting for a ‘news junkie’ like me to meet so many well-known public figures. For my firm, and many others from the private sector, the real attraction in attending CBF 2015 related to the potential commercial opportunities. There was a wide-ranging series of speeches and panel debates on international trade and plenty of occasions were provided for networking and one-to-one meetings. I was pleased to meet with a number of delegates who were interested in Gibraltar and, in particular, our financial services offering. It was equally beneficial meeting private sector firms in other Commonwealth jurisdictions with whom we hope to cooperate in future years. I was able to establish a number of new, meaningful relationships that I hope will stand the test of time. Of course being in Malta gave

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me the opportunity once again to contrast the jurisdiction with Gibraltar. The two are often compared, although at more than 311 square kilometres and a population of 420,000, Malta is hardly similar in size. For the past two decades, however, Malta has sought to distance itself from the world of “offshore finance’ and has instead successfully repositioned itself as a European Union financial centre with a very commercially active government. This is a track that Gibraltar, albeit from a different starting point in terms of its EU status, has also been following with increasing success. So it was encouraging to discover how well our officials and professionals measure up to their Maltese counterparts – in terms of both vision and performance. As I flew out of Malta, I found myself congratulating the country, its government and people for hosting such an event. It had to accommodate the 53 Commonwealth heads of government, a state visit by HM The Queen, as head of the Commonwealth, together with the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales, not to mention the French president and UN secretary general – all skilfully handled even in these days of the highest security. Not something Gibraltar could, nor necessarily would, want to take on. Nevertheless I was delighted to have been a part of it.

November 12th 25th 2015

It comes with the Territory PALS: Lidington and Picardo

GIBRALTAR has been criticised for ‘financial secrecy’ in a new report by the Tax Justice Network. Produced in conjunction with Global Witness and Transparency International UK, the report claims British Prime Minister David Cameron is failing in his pledge to lead the global fight against corruption. It alleges that the seven UK Overseas Territories, whose representatives recently met in London, are ‘some of the most notorious purveyors of financial secrecy’. This relates to the extent to which bank accounts can still be hidden from other countries’ tax authorities, and the extent to which tax evaders and other criminals can hide behind anonymous companies. Furthermore, a study by the World Bank into more than 200 cases of grand corruption concluded that compa-

nies form the UK’s Overseas Territories are most popular with the corrupt. As a member of the EU, Gibraltar has vowed to make the names of company owners (known as beneficial owners) available to anyone who can demonstrate a legitimate interest for knowing.

Transparency

Indeed, the report did concede that Gibraltar ‘deserves credit’ for its actions to improve corporate transparency so far. However, Alex Cobham, of the Tax Justice Network, said: “For all the talk about beneficial ownership transparency, and there has been a lot, there has not yet been enough action. “Gibraltar should make this data fully public, and the other territories should do the same.”

NEWS IN BRIEF

Port side THE Port Authority has benefitted from an exchange of information on port security operations and organisational structures at the first Port Security Officer Forum in the UK.

Youth unite UNITE the Union and the Gibraltar Youth Service have released a new staff handbook on ‘delivering youth work in Gibraltar’.

Bank on it GERMAN startup Number26 is offering Spaniards the chance to avoid Spanish banks via their smartphone banking service.

Shipping in REPRESENTATIVES of Malaga’s port authority have met with UK cruise companies with the aim of enhancing international ties.

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December 10th - 22nd 2015

Powering up

Size is everything

THE University of Gibraltar is already buzzing. The Department of Environment and Climate Change recently held a week-long training course on energy auditing. Successful participants will go on to become certified energy auditors, helping local businesses reduce energy costs and fulfill requirements.

SPAIN would be richer than Italy if its companies were bigger. A study from Madrid’s Complutense University has revealed that Spanish productivity and GDP would be 1015% higher if its average business size matched that of its neighbours. While an average Spanish company employs 4.6 workers, Italian companies have 5.8 and the UK and Germany lead the way, with 10.4 and 12 respectively. “The size of a company has a strong relationship with Spanish productivity problems,” revealed researchers. In general, larger companies have easier access to capital, are more intensive in their use of labour and technology and more likely to export.

Empty victory A LARGE number of travellers are choosing Europe over north Africa in their quest for winter sun. Several travel experts have warned that concerns over terrorist attacks are at the root of this shift and that travellers prefer to stay closer to home. This was dubbed the ‘9/11’ effect on the tourism industry.

Spanish tourism benefits hugely from ‘9/11 effect’ on north African travel Meanwhile, Spanish tourism has boomed this year, welcoming a mind-boggling 200% more tourists this year than in 2014. While bookings remain high for Spain, the Canary Islands, Greece and Italy, more exotic destinations are losing out.

In spite of cut prices in Egypt and Morocco with tourist visa fees waived for visitors to Petra, bookings for these areas are slow. Contributing factors include the bombing of the Russian aircraft flying out of Sharm el-Sheik in November, the jihadist attacks in Paris

and the terrorist attacks in Sousse, Tunisia. Despite the British tourist being characteristically resilient, many are choosing to stay closer to home. All EasyJet and British Airways flights to and from Sharm el-Sheikh have been cancelled until at least January. “We are seeing something similar to what we saw after 9/11,” said Bournemouth University risk and tourism expert Yeganeh Morakabati.

AGONY ANT YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS ADDRESSED BY ANTONIO FLORES

Justice at last Thrice-convicted fraudster Nigel Goldman could serve time in UK and Spain

ONVICTED pathological fraudster Nigel Goldman, aka Howard del Monte (after visiting the deed poll office), must be regretting the very day he decided to pack his bags and return to England. In record-breaking time – by Spanish standards – he has been arrested, tried and found guilty on two counts of fraud. Goldman, who was arrested at his home in Berkshire on May 24 2015, has already been convicted and is due to be sentenced inJanuary at Reading Crown Court. Goldman is also facing criminal prosecution in Spain, but the pace of a case through the Spanish Courts is a fair bit slower than that in the UK. Of the two Spanish criminal cases started in January 2014, in which he is accused of running a Ponzi scheme worth hundreds of thousands of euros, one was dismissed (although the decision later reversed following an appeal) on the grounds that the case appeared to be more of a ‘civil’ dispute. More embarrassingly, the second case has been travelling aimlessly between courts, looking for a suitable jurisdiction, passing from Marbella to Barcelona, from where it

was dispatched to Fuengirola, as Goldman had an account. Goldman has not yet been summoned to attend a police station or court, lawyers have not been asked to provide an address for him and the Marbella police, where the fraud was initially reported, is waiting for an order from whichever court finds the time and interest to deal with the case. If the ‘Vinaros’ (Castellon province) swindle case is anything to go by, Goldman could be sitting in the dock in 2041: two grey-haired pensioners have just been tried for an alleged real estate fraud that took place in…1989. For its part, Anthony Muldoon was found guilty of a timeshare scam 10 years after the case started in a case involving hundreds of victims. On average though, five years seems realistic for an open and shut case such as the Goldman/Del Monte. Goldman could be imprisoned in the UK following which, he could end up serving time at Alhaurin prison. When that will happen is anyone’s guess but every effort is being made to speed up the ´investigation´ phase and transfer the case to a criminal judge, or the Court of Appeal where the possible sentence exceeds five years.

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Columnists

Olive Press blogger Luke Andrews meets Syrian refugees in Jerez

E know absolutely nothing. Everyone has heard of Syria. Almost every day the news is filled with horror stories of massacres, mutilations, and bombing raids. We all think that we know what’s happening and what should be done about it, and our naivety only emerges when we hear the story from a Syrian. Through my work in Seritium School, I heard about a campaign to donate toys to refugees that had got into Andalucia, and travelled with the team to meet them where they are being housed in Junta de los Rios. The initial meeting was somewhat peculiar, with everyone standing around unsure who spoke what language, but all was smiles and good humour. I got talking to a 21-year-old,

Taking refuge EYE-OPENING: Refuge my own age, who spoke fantastic English. We joked casually, and his brother did an imper-

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EGENDARY climber Mallory was asked before his fatal ascent of Everest why he wanted to climb the world’s highest mountain. “Because it’s there,” was his famous reply. And that has been my mantra and get-out clause for much of my behaviour ever since. “Mr Brown. Please tell the jury and myself. Why did you have that last tequila shot/slice of pizza/speak to the blonde at the bar with the steroid enhanced boyfriend who was already annoyed with you?” “Because he/she/it was there M’lud”. I’m currently going through one of my health freak periods - before the traditional Christmas blow out - so when Glenn Ward suggested that we tackle Marbella’s iconic La Concha mountain to raise money for Positively Pink and Positively Blue Cancer Screening Charity, I thought I’d give it a go. The Hottie Hippy was up for the challenge as well. The only downside of this was that she was bringing Satanito with her, but she viewed this as an opportunity for him to work off some of his energy. (The kid could power a small town with his manic energy, trust me.) Of course the most important thing about any ascent is getting an early start. Which our intrepid team totally failed to do, oversleeping and setting out almost two hours behind the main group. Satanito shot off into the pine forest that skirts the lower slopes of La Concha with a blood curdling yelp and we were kept informed of his progress by the sounds of franticly freeing fauna (goat, deer, boar, the odd Yeti, that sort of thing). He also perfected the art of mountain ambush in minutes, leaping out from behind boulders and setting off small avalanches on unsuspecting hikers beneath. (Manic energy etc). In the meantime the Hottie Hippy was also learning some vital mountain survival skills herself, the most important being to check for brambles and thorns should you need to suddenly use a bush. Extracting her took several minutes, mainly because I was laughing so much. In the meantime I had assumed the important role of Sherpa. The Hottie Hippy had seemingly packed for a polar expedition, and I was soon lugging the bags up at the rear of our intrepid trio, muttering darkly to myself. Eventually we caught up with the main group and reached the summit of La Concha just in time for lunch, to take in the views and snap a huge group selfie. And as promised, I got naked on the top of La Concha for charity wearing nothing but a pink headscarf as the photo proves! Huge thanks to Glenn, Henrietta and Rob for organising the event, and making sure that everyone got down the mountain safely. If you would like to donate, please send via PayPal to info@positively-blue.com

sonation of Donald Duck. Conversation gradually turned towards Syria. Junta de Los Rios houses one family from Aleppo, once Syria’s commercial hub, and one from Homs. “The country is gone; it is nothingness now,” was how the subject opened. My new acquaintance told me how the press is riddled with lies. One afternoon, when students at his university were heading home, a government plane flew over and opened fire. They weren’t even protesting. They were attacked because they were young and at a university. That evening, the story was reported as a terrorist attack. “I was there; I saw it. How can they say that this was terrorists”, asked the youth, tears welling up in his eyes. As the country has unravelled, millions have fled abroad. They knew families that had made the crossing to Greece, others that had come to Spain, students that had found a temporary home in Germany. One of his best friends from childhood had gone over to ISIS. “We don’t talk anymore,” he said. “He tells me I am a nonbeliever and a bad person for leaving Syria instead of staying to fight the Holy War.”

Imagine

When asked how he felt about Syria now, he fought to keep back the emotion. Imagine you have a nice house, friends nearby, a good family life and are studying for a promising degree. Your whole future is ahead of you. Then try to picture it all disappearing in little more than a fortnight. Rubble lies across your path and you don’t even know if your house is still there. The families had travelled with the people traffickers, eventually arriving at Melilla. The facility there is only designed to house 450 people, yet it currently has more than 2,000 and the EU is doing little to help them. All of them still had their eyes peeled for a potential destination in Europe, but none with plans to stay in Spain. “We will go on to Madrid, and from there possibly to France or Germany,” one told me. France was very close to being crossed off the list. The family was just as shocked by the events in Paris as any Westerner. That is something ISIS wants, and something we should not let happen. I have always supported the British government, including the current one, but my ‘loyalty’ instantly melted away when I met these refugees. It’s embarrassing how we think 20,000 over four years is enough. This experience has made me realise how fortunate we are just to live in Europe, and I honestly feel like our response to the crisis has been pathetic. I felt so much for this guy and his family, their hopes and dreams smashed. The only thing they can do is fix their eyes on a destination and hope against hope that they will get there.

Christmas in Gibraltar 25

Lots of great Christmas gifts now in store Pop in to see our full range Make your Christmas special!

Only joking!

HEY’RE corny, repetitive and – unlike the bottle of whiskey under the tree – don’t improve with age. And yet Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without awful cracker jokes. Here are eight of the best to whet your appetite.

Who can tell you what secret presents the elves are making? Mince Spies! What did Father Christmas do when he went speed dating? He pulled a cracker! Why are Christmas trees so bad at sewing? They always drop their needles! Why did Santa’s helper see the doctor? He had a low ‘elf’ esteem! How does Good King Wenceslas like his pizzas?  Deep pan, crisp and even! Which athlete is warmest in winter?  A long jumper! Why did no one bid for Rudolph and Blitzen on eBay? They were two deer! Why is it getting harder to buy Advent calendars? Their days are numbered!

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Sperm crank

SPANIARDS shopping for sperm on the internet are being warned about the risks by a health group. The Spanish Fertility Society (SEF) issued the warning in light of the growing number of people buying sperm online from foreign countries and self-inseminating at home. These websites are illegal in Spain because they are not regulated and do not guarantee the anonymity of the donor. Among the shortcomings are a lack of medical monitoring, including the evaluation of semen quality prior to insemination, treatment in centres that assure quality and security and that provide insurance in the case of complications, said Dr Rocío Núñez. SEF chairman Agustin Ballesteros said: “It’s very risky and it does not guarantee pregnancy, because studies say home inseminations only work in one in 20 cases.”

alud

www.theolivepress.es December 10th - 22nd 2015

Coffee coffin dodgers Spanish coffee drinkers are battling major illnesses, says Harvard report TAKE another guilt-free sip of cafe con leche or even order another, because a major new study says coffee can prolong your life. The Spanish love of a well-roasted bean is legendary, and the Harvard School of Public

Health report says coffee can reduce the risks of diabetes, cardiovascular illness, neurological disease and even suicide. As well as its possible antidepressant effects, the study found that a moderate amount of coffee can benefit Parkinson’s’ sufferers. But Harvard scientist Dr. Frank Hu said the study of coffee was complicated by FORGET apples or antibacterial hand gel, because five cups the fact that so many coffee of tea a day are the latest way to keep the doctor at bay. drinkers smoke. The Dutch health council claims that three to five cups “We found that the health of tea per day can protect you from strokes, diabetes and benefits of coffee are more high blood pressure. pronounced, or evident, in But the tea must be green or black, as herbal teas and the people who don’t smoke,” Dr. rooibos variety do not count Hu said. “In other words, smoking actually masks the potential health benefits of drinking coffee.” The data was obtained from tracking more than 200,000 men and women for about 30 years. Old glasses donations are vital to those in developing countries by Amrik Sappal, Store Director from Specsavers Opticas Fuengirola

Vitali-tea

Ask the Optician Giving the gift of vision this Christmas

WE all know that Christmas is the time for giving and many people want to help charity at this time. What many people don’t know is that the old glasses that are kicking around at home or in the car can help someone else to see. How can my old glasses help someone? There is always a shortage of glasses in developing countries as they have no medical support or access to opticians, so donations of old glasses are absolutely vital to people with poor vision in countries such as Africa and India. Specsavers have collection points in all their stores so that it’s easy for people to drop off their glasses and these glasses are then donated to the Lions Club. But surely my glasses won’t be right for just anyone? You’re right, it takes a lot to get the glasses ready to use! After the glasses are donated in store they are sent to the Lions Club’s recycling plant in Alicante where they are first separated into single vision, bifocals, varifocals and sunglasses. They are then graded according to prescription strength, cleaned and boxed for distribution. Lions Club representatives are located across many developing countries including Africa and India. They test the eyes of locals and send requests for the required prescription glasses onto the fulfilment plant. So each pair donated is hand selected for specific people in need. How can I donate my glasses? All Specsavers Opticas stores have a strong relationship with their local Lions Clubs and glasses can be donated at any of their Costa del Sol stores in Marbella and Fuengirola throughout the year. All stores will also be supporting charities close to their hearts over Christmas. Fuengirola will be supporting the Costa del Sol’s Food Bank Bancosol by collecting food and raising funds in store. To find your nearest store visit www.specsavers.es

Deaths cause panic

THOUSANDS of pregnant women are coming forward to be vaccinated against whooping cough following the death of two babies. Andalucian health authorities announced they were supplying 14,800 extra doses as concerned mothers-to-be rushed to be vaccinated. One of the babies died in Sevilla in September with a second dying in Malaga in October. The new raft of vaccinations for women who are at least 28 weeks pregnant started on November 30, a month earlier than planned.

AST time, I wrote about us being co-creators of our own lives. Everything you see in your life right now – the ‘good’ and the ‘bad’ – you actually created, even if you are not aware you are a co-creator. So why do so many of us create a life that is not really desirable? Deep-rooted emotions around beliefs and values stand in the way of us becoming the best we can be. These values and beliefs are not rooted in the ‘reality’ of who we really are: lovable, powerful and all-deserving co-creators of our lives. Instead, they have been handed down to us from generation to generation and, ultimately, from our parents. They are deeplyrooted in our subconscious, and, unwittingly, we accept these beliefs and values as our own, allowing them to shape our lives by MY driving our emotions. The most destructive belief I come across while working with my female clients is that to have female desires is to be ‘a bad girl’. This is so destructive, because desires are the all-driving force behind our sparks of inspiration. Desire is the ‘place of conception’, where humans become ‘pregnant’ with visions of how life should be, before taking whatever action is needed to turn that vision into reality. To state it bluntly: no desires, needs or wants – no life creation. Where there is no desire, there is no need to create anything, and so we stop fulfilling our life purpose – which is to be co-creators of our lives, to grow, to learn and become the best we can. However, I am aware it is hard for a woman to shake off this idea of being ‘a bad girl’ if she isn’t devoting her whole life to her family, because this belief runs so deep in our society. I apologise for leaving men out of this discussion, but, for men, it is socially acceptable to have desires (for power and for money, for example), and men follow their desires most of the time. Hence our society is male-driven, and we have such inequality between the sexes. The good news is that we have the power to reconfigure everything in our lives, and to become powerful beyond measure. It is possible for a woman to shake off the notion of being a bad girl, accept her desires and start creating a fulfilling life. Today, we have many female role models who, despite what society thought of them, followed their desires and created great things. In order to help women who are ready to step out of the ‘bad girl’ mindset and finally take charge of their lives, we run a support group. On the first Saturday of every month powerful women share their stories and support each other in the face of adversity. For further information about the group, or awareness coaching to change your life, contact Martina Willis on martina@martinawillis.com or call +34 951 20 43 06.

Embrace desire

Women, don’t deny yourself a fulfilling life

Landline: +34 951 20 43 06 Mobile: +34 673 293 333 www.thesourceofwellbeing.com martina@thesourceofwellbeing.com

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OLIVE PRESS – 105mm x 256mm – Colour

9th December

The Olive Press’

monthly youth and education section

treme

Trading places Pablo Iglesias calls for all Spanish children to be able to learn country’s regional languages

Testing times

Heritage

“Spain is a multinational country with different languages, and we must use that because it is enriching for children,” said a Podemos spokesman. The party’s manifesto says all Spain’s languages are a ‘cultural and linguistic heritage of the state’, not just the official language, Castellano.

‘Vaccine’ against violence

EDUCATION is the best weapon in the fight against domestic abuse, a former Spanish government minister has said. Inmaculada Montalbán claims the axing of civic education classes from schools over the past decade has entrenched gender stereotypes and led to an increase in attacks against HUNDREDS of Spanish teachwomen. 48 women have been ers are packing their bags and killed by their partners heading to North America. in Spain so far this year The Spanish government has and in 2014, complaints struck a deal to provide 735 against partners grew to Spanish-language teachers to 126,742, a 1.5% increase American and Canadian state schools for 2016/2017. on 2013. “The justice system acts American schools are aiming to when violence has already boost Spanish learning among taken place,” she says. “The their pupils. best vaccine against vio- Applicants are expected to be Spanlence is education,” she said. ish nationals with good English.

Go west

PODEMOS is calling for schoolchildren all over Spain to be taught Basque, Catalan and Gallego. Under the party’s general election manifesto, children from Malaga could, for example, swap places with children from Bilbao to learn Basque for a term. Pablo Iglesias’ radical leftwing party has pledged to set up specific schools and student exchanges to ensure children can study the difSPAIN is one of the only ferent regional languages. few advanced countries that doesn’t regularly assess its teachers, a new study shows. The OECD report on 37 economies lists Spain, Ireland, Italy and Israel as the only four that don’t require regular assessment of their teachers. “In Spain, the only consequence of underperformance noted in an appraisal is the failure to progress to registered or certified teacher status,” the report says.

University daze

LANGUAGE LOVER: Pablo Iglesias

SPAIN’S minister for education has complained that there are too many youths attending university. Íñigo Méndez de Vigo said Spain needed more students in vocational education and training. But Spanish university rectors have rejected his statement. “If they compare Spanish figures with those of the OECD, what the minister has said isn’t exactly correct,” said the head of Universidad Ramon Llull, Josep Maria Garrell. Only 52% of university-age youth are in higher education, compared with an EU average of 56% and an OECD average of 58%.

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FOOD & DRINK

- June www.gibraltarolivepress.com the OliveOlive PressPress JuneJune 11th -11th June 24th 24th 20152015 www.theolivepress.es www.gibraltarolivepress.com 29 www.gibraltarolivepress.com 29 29 the Gibraltar

December 10th - 22nd 2015

Taste test WE knew men were from Mars and women were from Venus, but who knew that sex affects our tastebuds? Women have an emotional reaction to food as soon as they lock eyes on it whereas men have to taste it in order to engage cerebrally, Madrid neuroscientist Miguel Valdeolmillos has discovered. Men reacted most strongly to chocolate and steak tartar, ahead of tortilla or casserole, while women had the strongest response to traditional dishes such as jamon, followed by chocolate. Images of chocolate stimulated the brain more than pictures relating to sex, travel or sport in 69% of men and 62% of women.

November 12th - 25th 201511th 2015 October 28th - November

The only newspaper in Gibraltar with a dedicated food and drink section in every issue

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A festive favourite for when the masses descend is a hearty joint of ham. Perfect to fill up after a blustery Boxing Day walk or a quick fix in the mad run-up to Christmas day. Only those who haven’t tried Coca-Cola soaked ham raise an eyebrow and, once tried, it quickly becomes part of the Christmas repertoire, writes Iona Napier

Coca-Cola ham Serves 8 Preparation: 10 minutes Cooking time: Two hours 40 minutes THE HAM 2kg mild-cure gammon joint One onion (peeled and halved) Two litres Coca-Cola (full-fat)

THE GLAZE A handful of cloves One large tbsp black treacle Two tsp English mustard powder Two tbsp light brown Demerara sugar One tbsp Dijon mustard

THE PROCESS

Peel and cut the onion in half.

DELICIOUS: Christmas ham

Ham it up

Great app-etite FAST food is being made even faster in Gibraltar. The days of taking a trip down Main Street to grab a slice at Pizza Hut or a sandwich at Ramsons are in the past. Now, Gibraltarians can order and pay for their favourite restaurants and takeaways from the comfort of their homes. Hungry Monkey Gibraltar is a smartphone app which allows Gibraltarians to order and pay for their favourite foods in a matter of seconds. Named after the famous resident macaques, the likes of Pizza Hut, Dominoes and Ramsons have already signed up to the service. And founder Mat Caldwell

expects ‘many more’ restaurants to sign up in the coming weeks. “I’m very excited to be introducing such innovative technology to Gibraltar,” he said. “It was about time that Gibraltar’s variety of cuisine was made available for smartphone ordering. “I am already looking forward to how we can take Hungry Monkey even further by including online ordering as well as expanding to the nontakeaway market such as retail, corporate caterers and even hotels.” The app is currently available on the App Store and Google Play.

HE old adage ‘don’t knock it until you’ve tried it’ has never been more apt. Because this Christmas, tasty shortcuts are the order of the day so you can consecrate more time to the important things… like necking bucks fizz and unwrapping presents. The sweet drink infuses the meat keeping it incredibly moist and succulent without it being identifiably ‘Cokey’. Forget the turkey and scorn the nut roast, because gammon is a crowd-pleaser with heaps of flavour, and it really lasts. Pair it with elaborate potato dauphinoise to impress your guest, then hoover up the left-overs with a baked sweet potato or alternatively a fresh carrot, celery, apple and walnut salad to bring the new year in with a healthy kick. Two important tips: don’t even think about using diet coke – it’s full-fat or nothing, and be sure to remove the cloves before you tuck in!

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Put the ham in a large pot with the onion and pour the CocaCola all over it. Over a medium-high heat, bring the Coke to a boil. Then, reduce the head to medium-low and cover with a lid, leaving it partially ajar and allow to cook for 2 hours 30 mins – leave one hour for every two pounds. Preheat the oven to 240 degrees Centigrade. Remove the ham from the pot, leave to rest on a chopping board and reserve cooking liquid. Trim the skin with a sharp knife leaving a thin layer of fat on the ham. Score the fat diagonally with the knife to resemble large diamonds. Pierce each ‘diamond’ with one clove Next, spread the treacle over the skin, watch out for the cloves, before gently patting the mustard and sugar on to the sticky fat. Cook it in a roasting tin for around 10 minutes or until the glaze is browned and bubbly

FOOD & DRINK

Gran gesture CHRISTMAS is a time of plenty, but not for everyone in Spain. The annual festive Gran Recogida mobilised 4,500 volunteers in Malaga and 29,000 throughout Andalucia to help feed hungry families. Organisers were hoping people would donate up to 750,000 kilos of food in the event’s fourth year. Last year, 688,000 kg of rice, olive oil, milk and non-perishable products were collected to help poor families.

Grape gripes Spain’s traditional New Year’s Eve grape feast is being threatened by climate change ON the chime of every New Year’s Eve midnight bell, Spanish revellers gobble down an uva. But one of Spain’s most cherished celebratory traditions is being threatened by climate change. Grape farmers in Alicante’s Valle del Vinalopó, where the grapes are grown, are reporting that unseasonably warm weather is causing grapes to ripen too early. “Climate change has been fatal,” said farmer Ismael Pastor. “The heat is bad for the grapes, as they mature earlier. Then we have to carry on until Christmas using fertilizers and other products. “Then heavy rains arrive and the grapes rot. This year, many crops have been ruined.” While climate change caused

TRADITIONAL: Grapes headaches for Mediterranean grape farmers, Alicante police are flying in a novel way of guarding a New Year’s’ grape stash from wandering hands. A drone is patrolling the Novelda grape crop ,covering more than 1,000 hectares, which yields 25 million kilos each year. The move comes after thieves pilfered large quantities of grapes in previous years.

www.gibraltarolivepress.com December 10th - 22nd 2015

Shining star C

AVIAR king Diego Gallegos breaks out into a hearty laugh. The 31-year-old Brazilian chef is fondly recalling the night he learned his Fuengirola restaurant Sollo had won its first Michelin star - and the drunken revelry that followed. The Brazilian flew to Santiago in Galicia for November’s awards ceremony, unaware he was going to win cooking’s most coveted prize. But the champagne corks were soon flying. “I went there not expecting to win, just to be at the.party,” he says. “It was a wonderful surprise. We drank a lot until the next day. I didn’t sleep at all, then the next morning I caught a flight from Santiago and came back to prepare everything at the restaurant.” He pauses, more serious now. “The clients and the restaurant always come first,” he says. This single-minded devotion marks Gallegos’ innovative cooking, which focuses strongly on river fish and caviar. The 31-year-old’s reputation for fish-based wizardry was already skyhigh following his award for most ‘revolutionary’ chef at this year’s Madrid Fusion. Now his 16-cover Sollo (there are 24 more seats outside) has scooped one of eight Michelin stars awarded to Malaga as the region’s burgeoning food scene goes from strength to

As Malaga’s march to restaurant supremacy gathers speed, with eight Michelin stars dished out in the region, Joe Duggan meets the caviar conjuror who ‘risked everything’ on his way to stardom MICHELIN MAN: Diego Gallegos

After-eight: Malaga and Cadiz’s Michelin-starred dining delights

Messina, Marbella Sollo, Fuengirola Kabuki Raw, Casares Dani Garcia, Marbella Jose Carlos Garcia, Malaga El Lago, Marbella Skina, Marbella Restaurante Alponiente (two stars), Puerto de Santa Maria, Cadiz

strength. Gallegos’ exquisite fish dishes, such as sturgeon skin dippers and garlic, caviar and goat nectar have earned worldwide-accolade from the likes of Gordon Ramsay. His radical take on sturgeon and caviar pays more than a nod to Spain’s culinary past. Sollo, an old Andalucian word for sturgeon, is mentioned in Don Quixote.. And a visit to a matanza, a traditional Andalucian pig slaughter where every part of the animal , inspired him to adapt this centuriesold custom to his fish dishes. “Last year my first 12-course tasting menu was based on a matanza,” he says. “I changed all the pork meat for sturgeon meat. Everything was made in the traditional way of the matanza. Chorizo, black pudding, salami - everything they make with the pork, but with sturgeon. It was very difficult. To produce three kilos of black pudding I had to kill 25 or 30 sturgeons.” Thirteen years ago, it was the more prosaic art of frying fish that sparked an 18-year-old Gallegos’ career in professional cooking. Gallegos came to Spain to study law, but swapped his books for a set of knifes during a spell cooking in a Malaga beach restaurant. He would later work alongside two-Michelin starred chefs Dani Garcia, in Marbella and An-

gel Leon, in Cadiz, where he honed his talent.But he developed his passion for sturgeon in particular while cooking in Granada at his wife’s uncle’s restaurant, Casa Piolas.

Brazil

“I decided to make sturgeon my restaurant speciality. I’m from Brazil, where river fish is very big, In Spain they don’t really use it,” he says. “I also started to use tilapia, which is very popular in South America. I found a supplier in Cordoba. It’s an old fish that originally comes from the Nile. It’s very good for ceviches.” Gallegos opened Sollo in November 2013 (they moved to their current venue seven months ago) where he ‘risked everything’ by removing meat completely from the menu. Sturgeon and caviar take pride of place on Sollo’s 15-course menu, available for €60, and the 22-course tasting menu. A glance at the dishes and you can see why Michelin judges were licking their lips. The glittering firmament of stars bestowed on Malaga in the 2016 guide doesn’t surprise Gallegos. Asked for the secret of the region’s success, he doesn’t hesitate in locating the source. “It’s because we have a very good and famous school, La Consula. Most of the chefs come from that school,” he says. Gallegos is himself an alumnus of the school. But despite his exciting talent, Gallegos is adamant the Michelin award was a surprise, and is mindful of the need to keep a steady head. “I never expected in seven months to take a Michelin star,” he says. “After one or two years, we will try for the second Michelin star. But not this year or next. It’s not a 100-metre run. It’s a marathon,” he adds.

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