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Provoke
“Once he calmed down, the situation was de-escalated.” According to the RGP, there has been an increase in illegal activity in the waters over recent months. It has been suggested that the incursions are specifically designed from outside of the Rock to provoke unnecessary incidents that ‘might prevent a more positive political engagement developing between Spain and Gibraltar.’ The incident, which took place in the early hours of July 7 at Europa Point, was deemed ‘regretful’ by the government of Gibraltar.
Dracula
Vol. 3 Issue 75 www.gibraltarolivepress.com July 18th - July 31st 2018
Pepper On the hunt for spray battle GIBRALTAR Police have confirmed the use of pepper spray during an incident with a Spanish fishing vessel. The RGP officers were forced to take the measure, as the crew of the Spanish ship from La Linea got increasingly aggressive. It came after the Department of the Environment ordered the ship to stop fishing illegally in Gibraltar waters, a request that was ignored. “RGP confirms that incapacitant spray was used on one of the crewman in response to his aggressive behaviour.
July 18th - July 31st 2018
How the Rock’s most evil monkey stole five passports and €100 in cash, See back page
MURDER MYSTERY EXCLUSIVE By Bradley Stokes
MYSTERY surrounds the suspicious death of a popular artist in a broad daylight Gibraltar attack. Friends and family of Michael Montegriffo told the Olive Press of their ‘shock and sadness’ when they heard of his death on Prince Edward’s Road last week. They described the 58-yearold father-of-four as an ‘eloquent and friendly’ man, who ‘was a spiritual man, a real child of the Sixties’.
Enquiry
Police launched a murder enquiry on Friday, a full six days after his death, which was caused by head injuries outside Gavino’s Dwellings. While paramedics rushed to attend to him he died a few hours later at St Bernard’s Hospital. The murder enquiry was
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Friends pay tribute to ‘spirited freethinker’ father-of-four following death of Gib artist/ musician
launched after a pathologist report concluded that the injuries to his head were ‘not consistent with having fallen from a height or being struck by a passing vehicle.’ His father Maurice, 85, confirmed that police were working hard to uncover the reasons for his death. Speaking from the police station he told the Olive Press: “I don’t want to say anything else until the investigation is finished.” Friends however were quick to praise the former Christian Brothers Prep School pupil, who later became a well-renowned artist and musician. “He was a great guy - a man of style and quality and a real free thinker”, said a former classmate.
Another friend added: “We are all devastated, he had such a friendly, welcoming approach to people.” Montegriffo - who lived in England and predominantly France for a long time - had learnt to play the guitar at a young age and music played a big part in his life.
Busking
As well as composing music, he was occasionally seen busking on Gibraltar’s Main Street. “He did a lot of things to make a living, but he was
RIP: Montegriffo
a really kind, free spirited man and he would always take in someone who was homeless,” said a friend. Another source said he had returned from France a decade ago, having worked in a series of jobs, including a shepherd and as a grape picker. Police are still appealing for any witnesses who may have seen or been in contact with Montegriffo in the days leading towards his death. The murder is the second on the Rock in the past 12 months. If you know anything to help the Montegriffo investigation, contact Gibraltar police and email newsdesk@theolivepress.es.
Keeping a free flow
IT was an impromptu, last minute meeting. But, for Gibraltar, it will go down as a key moment with Spain’s new leader taking time to meet the UK Prime Minister in Brussels. According to sources, the ‘constructive’ meeting between Pedro Sanchez and Teresa May at the NATO summit involved the subject of Gibraltar. Concerns were raised by Sanchez about residents living on the Spanish-Gibraltar border, who work on the Rock.
He agreed that their livelihoods depend on a frictionless border following Britain leaving the European Union. “Negotiations have being taking place regarding Gibraltar,” May later told the House of Commons. “We have been clear that Gibraltar is covered in the negotiations. We are looking for a deal for the whole UK family.” Sanchez and the PSOE are committed to stabilising the area, after he visited the La Linea area last March.
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NEWS IN BRIEF
Beach Clean-up THE Commonwealth of Municipalities of the Western Costa del Sol has collected nearly 152.5 tons of waste from the coastal waters in a joint effort with its public company Acosol.
New Dog Beach SEVENTH dog beach along the Costa del Sol has opened in Torrox Costa in the province of Malaga near the mouth of River Torrox. Dog owners must have control over their dogs at all times.
LG-Beach-T Wonder Gay Festival, the second biggest LGBT festival of summer, will be held in Torremolinos from July 23-29. A famous drag queen, La Prohibida, will perform on the opening night.
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Stories and features in this edition of Gibraltar’s original community newspaper
Expats warn of ‘dangerous’ UK paedophile moving to the coast while allegedly using social media accounts linked to teenagers POLICE have confirmed they are monitoring a convicted paedophile who has allegedly recently moved to southern Spain from England. It comes after the Olive Press discovered that David Moist, 65, has apparently set up numerous social media profiles linked to underage teenagers. Moist, who has served two prison sentences for sexual offences against children, has been spending time in the Campo de Gibraltar area, it can be revealed. He is apparently able to move freely around Spain and Gibraltar, despite being on the UK Sex Offenders Register for
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Watch out 10 years. But this week a spokesman for Devon and Cornwall police told the paper, that they were liaising with Gibraltar police over his ‘activities and behaviour’. “We continue to work with colleagues at Royal Gibraltar Police. His activities and behaviour, including travel plans, will continue to be monitored,” said a spokesman. He added that he was currently ‘believed’ to be adhering to the conditions of a specific, indefinite Sexual Offences Preven-
Alleged stalker had big cocaine stash GIBRALTAR Police scored big when they launched a probe against an alleged stalker. Officers found a large quantity of cocaine, as well as paraphernalia associated with the intent to supply drugs, when they searched the 27-year-old man’s home. The 14 grammes, which had a street value of £900, led to the Gibraltarian’s arrest. He has since been granted bail, while enquiries into both the drug and stalking offences continue.
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July 18th - July 31st 2018
tion Order, which he was put under in 2010. It came after he was found guilty of making and possessing indecent images of children in the UK, adding to a list of previous similar offences going back to 1975. Our investigation was launched after a hostel owner in La Linea reported strange behaviour from Moist, who had been staying there from June 24. The British owner of the Gib Inn, told the Olive Press both he and various guests had a ‘really bad feeling about him’. “He told us he owned a catering company specialising in red telephone boxes and kept referring to padded cells,” added the British expat. “It just seemed really weird and didn’t add up.” When he Googled Moist the next day he discovered he had various convictions for paedophilia and immediately called the Gibraltar police. “They advised me to evict him from the hostel and said he’s a very dangerous man, get him
Money launderer faces jail
A BRITISH citizen has pleaded guilty to money laundering and false accounting at the Supreme Court. Oman Lamroussi, 38, was facing five counts of money laundering and four counts of false accounting. However, he has now pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering and one count of false accounting. MOVING IN?: David Moist The case has now been adjourned for July 27 out of there,” he continued. “The next day he threatened to eat when a date will be set my guest’s cat,” claimed the own- down for sentencing. er, who allows pets at the hostel. “Enough was enough. I told him I’ve had the police on the phone and he literally ran out of the door,” he added. “We didn’t see him again.” “I’m pleased he has gone. We don’t want a paedophile here, we get a lot of children and families staying. I can’t have him here putting people at risk.” One of the guests, Jason Saggs, a graphic designer revealed that Moist had been looking for long-term accommodation in the area. “He is clearly looking to set up shop here,” he told the paper. A RGP spokesman confirmed that they had spoken to the hostel owner about Moist, but that he is not currently wanted for any crime in the UK or Gibraltar.
Record day GIBRALTAR police have arrested six people connected to a total of 50 warrants in just one day. One of those arrested had an incredible 38 warrants to his name. Many of the offences include failing to make payments to the courts, maintenance payments and monetary compensations to victims.
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Queen Bey BEYONCE couldn’t resist posing for a few snaps as she landed in Spain ahead of her concert. The mother-of-three looked cool as ice rocking daisy duke denim shorts and a geometric print shirt, paired with retro red shades. The singing superstar was in Barcelona to perform her only Spain gig on her On the Run II tour. She was accompanied by husband and rapper Jay-Z, who she is touring the world with. The power couple are now in France.
July 18th - July 31st 2018
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Sibling rivalry ENRIQUE Iglesias is normally the one melting hearts across the world, but this time it’s his adorable baby twins. The Spanish singer, 43, shared a snap of Nicholas and Lucy sporting the Spanish football team’s red jerseys on Instagram. To keep things fair, his wife and former tennis champ Anna Kournikova, 37, also shared a photo of the adorable siblings, but this time sporting the shirt of her home country Russia.The happy couple have been together for 16 years and had their twins in December last year.
CURTAIN CALL GOODBYE: Thousands watch last fight of The Pirate
STAR: Beyonce in Spain
Keeping up with Disick SCOTT Disick and his partner Sofia Richie have taken a break on the Costa del Sol. The reality TV star, 35, who found fame on Keeping Up With the Kardashians, attended a wedding at upmarket Finca Cortesin in Casares. He took his 19-year-old girlfriend and daughter of Lionel Richie to the nuptials of Morgan Curtis, daughter of famed fashion designer Jill Stuart. The couple were seen taking in the sights of Marbella’s old town before Disick gave a speech at the wedding.
DISICK: With Richie
Despite nearfatal scalping last week, as well as losing an eye, Spain’s most famous bullfighter finally takes a bow
A BULLFIGHTER who famously lost an eye when a bull’s horn went through his head has finally hung up his cape. Juan Jose ‘the Pirate’ Padilla appropriately fought his last bull during Spain’s famous San Fermin festival in Pamplona at the weekend. Thousands of fans cheered the Andalucian torero as he raised his red cape for the last time, particularly as it came just days after he nearly died after being ‘scalped’ by a bull. The 45-year-old matador - who lost one eye during a bullfight seven years ago - needed a staggering 40 stitches after a bull ripped off a section of his scalp in Arevalo, near Valladolid. Shocking footage shows Padilla trip over before the bull gores him, leaving a section of his scalp hanging off. Despite the horrifying attack, which tore off around 20 cm of his head, The Pirate was determined to get back into the ring one last time to mark his retirement. “There is no reason why I couldn’t fight in Pamplona,” insisted the brave matador, who lost his eye TWICE in the same ring in Zaragoza. On the first occasion in 2011 his eye was speared out, as a horn went through his head, while on the
second occasion five years later in the same ring a horn popped out his glass eye and severed his cheek, leading to titanium plates being installed. His swansong came despite medics insisting he was lucky to be alive. His retirement comes after a 24-year-long career, during which he has suffered over 30 severe injuries. The Jerez-born torero, who is well-known for his flamboyant matador suits, is considered an ‘icon’ among many of his fans for his fearless, risk-taking attitude in the ring.
Pardon Another bullfighter, Estepona-based Jose Tomas, was paid an estimated €500,000 to return to the ring in Algeciras last month. Tomas, Spain’s highest paid torero, had not fought for over two years, having received his 57th serious injury in 2015. However, it was fellow fighter Miguel Angel Perera, 34, from Badajoz, who seized the day with a remarkable performance, in which his second bull was given an ‘indulto’ pardon and allowed to leave the ring alive.
Vamos Vega PAZ Vega has wowed the crowds at the world premiere of hit Netflix series Paquita Salas. The 42-year-old Spanglish star donned a sophisticated black satin gown with studded detailing while rocking her trademark pixie crop haircut. She catwalked her statuesque frame in shimmering silver stilettos at the Madrid premiere. The Spanish megastar makes a cameo in the second season of hit comedy Paquita Salas, which follows an embattled talent manager struggling to hold onto her artists in Madrid.
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Government said to be considering lifting abortion ban following pressure from rights groups and media By Elisa Menendez
Abortion U-turn? Est. 1946
THE government is understood to be considering a new abortion law following mounting pressure from the media and local political groups. Together Gibraltar, Choice Gibraltar, and the Secular Humanist Society met with the Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo for ‘productive’ talks on the issue. It comes two months after Ireland voted overwhelmingly to make abortion legal in a referendum and four months since the Olive
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February 14th - February 27th 2018
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Vol. 3 Issue 64 www.gibraltarolivepress.com February 14th - February 27th 2018
GUERRERO: In the dock
Wasn’t me
Campo de Colombia
THE alleged lynchpin in Spain’s biggest ever political fraud claims he made SIX previous confessions up. Former Junta employment boss Francisco Guerrero insists he did not personally gain from the ERE scandal, that saw up to a billion euros embezzled over a decade. He claims he only gave details of the so-called ‘reptile fund’ that he allegedly oversaw, after police put considerable pressure on him.
THE Campo de Gibraltar is becoming the ‘Colombia of Spain’, Spanish police have warned. According to Spain’s United Police Union (SUP), young people in areas like La Linea are idolising Pablo Escobar (right) and becoming increasingly involved in the drug trade. The SUP added that the area was in danger of becoming like Galicia in the 1980s, when it was overrun by
Embezzlement
Guerrero is facing eight years in prison for embezzling €65 million of money from the €647 million emergency public fund that he managed between 1999 and 2008. The money had been set aside to support struggling Andalucian businesses. Instead, Guerrero allegedly awarded fake grants to companies registered in the names of more than 100 of his family members, friends and fellow PSOE politicians. His driver, Juan Francisco Trujillo - nicknamed the ‘cocaine chauffeur’ - claims he set up bogus shell companies to receive public money to spend on ‘cocaine, parties and drinks’. He is also accused of sending ‘retirement money’ to his mother-in-law and the mother of his driver for companies that never existed. On one day alone, Guerrero Continues on Page 4
DECEASED SEE PAGE 4
Life sentences for choosing to terminate a pregnancy ‘must come to an end’ EXCLUSIVE By Joe Wallen
THE Government has refused to consider changing a law, which is forcing women to travel abroad for abortions. It comes after a woman’s group launched an appeal to overturn the ‘draconian’ law, which is the strictest in Europe. Currently, any Gibraltarian plus anyone assisting - faces LIFE imprisonment for terminating a pregnancy. Under Section 16 of the 2011 Crime Act a pregnant woman ‘who, with intent to procure her own miscarriage… is liable on conviction to imprisonment for life.’ The Gibraltar Women’s Association believes it is now time to change the law. The group claims to know of many women who have suffered physical and mental health problems after being
gangsters and drug lords and was used as an entry point to Europe for Colombian cocaine. It comes after 20 masked men successfully stormed a hospital in La Linea to rescue their drug boss from police custody last week. And just a few days ago, a police car was purposefully smashed into by a ‘hitman’ who was hired to intercept a Turn to Page 2
ABORT THE LAW
forced to travel to Spain for poor quality operations. The women then return to
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PRO CHOICE: Suarez (left) and Struggles the Rock, keeping their termi- decriminalise the act. nations secret and not seek- Ireland is also about to hold very conservative place. ing further medical care over a referendum on the issue in The pair say they want to separate religion from the state fears news of their abortion May. and allow women the final say will spread. “We however are the only naComing on the 100th anni- tion in Europe who the UN on their bodies. versary of British women first are not working with,” Suarez “The Catholic church lobby on abortion as they did against being able to vote, its mem- said. bers believe it is forcing many “They might think we have the gay marriage a couple of years women to have abortions in same laws as the UK but in ago. It is wrong.” The assocation is now set to Spain, or worse, undertake fact we are very different.” backstreet treatments on the Suarez and Struggles are ve- write to the UN to plead it opens dialogue with the GiRock. hement their group is pro- braltarian government over “Migrants and refugees are choice, not pro-abortion per the issue. particularly vulnerable as they se. are unable to attain visas to go They believe it should be up to It will also present its findings to Spain,” said spokeswoman a woman to decide what to do to the government. When contacted this week the Anne-Marie Struggles, 51. with her body. She and her colleague Tamsin “The criminalisation of abor- government refused to supSuarez are now fighting to re- tion leads to discrimination port any reform of the law. verse the law and raise aware- and infringes on women’s “Abortion other than in certain, defined, medically certiness of the issue with the UN. dignity,” Struggles told the Gi- fied circumstances, is illegal It comes after they discovered braltar Olive Press. that only three other countries “We’ve gone back 100 years under Gibraltar law,” a government spokesman told the in Europe (Poland, Ireland on this issue!” and Malta) ban abortion and “There is a lack of women’s Gibraltar Olive Press. “The Cabinet has not considered all are in talks with the UN to rights in Gibraltar and it’s a changing this policy.”
REPORT: Previous issue
Press demanded action on our front page. Picardo’s apparent U-turn became clear when he appeared on GBC agreeing that the Rock could no longer ‘duck’ from the issue and that it ‘needs to be dealt with.’ Together Gibraltar, led by Marlene Hassan Nahon, has this week agreed to suspend its current campaign demanding a referendum on abortion. It came after Picardo
Not normal
VILE: Food in vendor’s car
DON’T buy fruit or cakes from unlicensed beach vendors. It comes after Marbella police uploaded a video showing the raid of a vendor’s car showing food sitting beside rubbish during the midday heat. In the angry outburst the policeman is heard to explain: “They cut the fruit in a car full of s**t, and then sell it to us, it’s disgusting.”
(above) told the pro-choice groups that a change was in the pipeline. “The Chief Minister gave assurances that the legal element of tackling the issue will be relatively straightforward,” Hassan Nahon told the Olive Press. “We can be confident that our comprehensive joint proposals ranging from integration into the public healthcare system to counselling and support will be seriously considered as the consultation progresses.”
Religious
Opposition to adjusting abortion laws come from the heavy religious population on The Rock saying ‘there is no need rush the decision’ - over half of the Gibraltar population are Catholics or Jewish. Despite this, Picardo confirmed that the government will discuss abortion at their next executive committee meeting.
July 18th - July 31st 2018
Save our dogs AN expat-run dog shelter is in a race against time to save the lives of dozens of animals after being handed an eviction order. Some 50 dogs are facing death after the APA charity in Nerja was forced to close this week. It came after the charity received a notice from its landlord earlier this month saying it had just 15 days to vacate the rented property. President Laura Downes, 37, told the Olive Press: “We are in a desperate situation and at the moment we are concentrating on getting all of the dogs to safety. “All our rehomers over Europe are backing us and helping us find homes for the dogs in need. “We are being pressurised daily to leave but we will not do this until we know our dogs are in safe hands. “They are our family and we will not let them end up in the hands of the killing stations who have no qualms about putting dogs down.” In a desperate plea to expats
CUTE: Blanca needs a home
ADORABLE: Elsa
and locals, the charity said: “Our landlord has been pressured himself and threatened to evict us, as there is no other choice, after three years of working so hard to save the animals of our town, we have to close. “The dog hotels are full, so are our foster homes, we can’t even afford to pay the hotels if there were spaces.” It comes two years after the charity first faced closure after being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of abandoned animals and the fact that the land could not be concreted, undermining the shelter’s hygiene. It managed to survive and has rehomed hundreds of dogs since. The charity is holding a demonstration outside Nerja town hall this Saturday to fight for its survival. Downes added: “We are gathering at 11am and need as many people as possible to show their support, the dogs need you.”
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Choking!
THIS is the moment a Gibraltar beachgoer filmed a ship releasing huge clouds of smoke shockingly close to the shore. The footage, which was posted on Facebook, shows thick black smoke billowing from the boat, just feet away from children playing on Camp Bay beach. “This is just ridiculous what we have to inhale when they can do this elsewhere and not near a beach full of kids,” said Paul Barnes.
Gibraltar government row with union over privatisation claims THE Government has dismissed claims that it intends to privatise health services on the Rock. Minister for Health Neil Costa hit back angrily against the claims by Unite the Union. He insisted the claims about ‘backdoor privatisation’ are ‘unfounded and misleading’. It comes after Unite claimed the health service had seen ‘plummeting efficiencies’ and staged a 400-strong demonstration calling for an end to ‘backdoor privatisation’ two months ago. Costa however argued that the GHA had seen an increase of over 25% in the number of directly employed staff since December 2011. “Agency workers are deployed to bridge the gap until a post has been substantively filled, following the recruit-
Residents slammed the 30-second clip in which the smoke can be seen spreading. It comes after it was revealed last week that more than 80% of Spain is exposed to air pollution levels deemed ‘unacceptable’ by the WHO. More than 6,000 people die each year in Spain from illnesses related to air pollution. Such figures are not currently available for Gibraltar.
No cut backs DENIAL: Costa
ment process,” he insisted. He added that agency workers are ‘essential in the delivery of services’ and that they ‘provide cover when necessary to ensure safe clinical levels of care are maintained.’ He went on to say Unite’s claims threaten to ‘undermine the valuable achievements by the GHA and its
dedicated professionals. Achievements listed in the statement include a 40% decrease in the number of complaints and a record number of beds available at St. Bernards Hospital (81). There have also been no operation cancellations since January 2017.
LYNX DANGER
TRAMPLED: Lynx
MORE than 120 lynxes have been run over on roads in the Iberian peninsula over the last six years. Being hit by a vehicle is the main cause of death for the rare species, accounting for 45% of deaths. Andalucia saw the highest number of lynx road deaths in 2017, with 18, followed by Castilla la Mancha (nine), Extremadura (three), and Portugal (one). Fences have been erected at the sides of some roads in an effort to protect the animals. However, efforts to stop the species going extinct have led them to spread to new areas in Spain and Portugal, putting them in danger of new roads.
July 18th - July 31st 2018
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July 18th - July 31st 2018
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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.
OPINION Have some humanity COMPARING migrants to animals or saying they should be left to drown are just some of the thankfully few - vile comments that have been left on our online stories. Let’s not forget, most of the expats commenting are themselves migrants, who came to Spain searching for a better life. What makes them different to the desperate men, women and children who have fled from sub-Saharan Africa, other than the colour of their skin and how much they had in their bank accounts? They should thank their lucky stars they weren’t brought up in a country surrounded by death, violence and corruption or that they weren’t so desperate that they’d ‘rather die trying to be a nobody here than stay at home,’ as photographer Felipe Passolas poignantly said.
Faces of hope
Doing our duty IT is concerning that a convicted paedophile could be looking to move to southern Spain or Gibraltar permanently. Many may say that he has paid his dues and that everyone deserves a second chance, but let’s face it, those of us with children would want to know if this man is moving in next door. Paedophilia is not something that can yet be cured and David Moist was convicted of making indecent images of children. People have a right to know if a potential threat to their children is thinking about entering their neighbourhood. As the only investigative English newspaper in Spain, it is our duty to report on such dangers, in some cases, no matter the consequences.
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Exclusive set of photos shot in Granada and Almeria highlight the delight and fears of Europe’s new migrants, writes Laurence Dollimore
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ESPERATE, hungry, but full of hope, these are the migrants who have fled war, violence and poverty in search of a better life in Europe. This remarkable set of images, captured at ports in Granada and Almeria this month, shows the determination of migrants - mostly young men - to provide a better life for their families. And they’re not soldiers being sent by ISIS or Al Shabab, as many right wing commentators would have you believe, but brothers, fathers and sons, burdened with the responsibility of finding a job and a home before the rest of the family attempt to make the perilous journey across the straits of Gibraltar or the Alboran sea. “Some of them burst into song when they arrive,” Granada photographer Felipe Passolas, 39, who captured the images, told the Olive Press. “Others kiss the ground of the port.” But most look confused, having arrived in a country they do not know, surrounded by police officers. “They have no idea what will happen to them, they are entering the unknown,” continued Passolas, a former banker, who has worked as a photographer in both Iraq and Syria. Just this weekend alone another 1000 migrants arrived on our Spanish shores, as the route across the Straits continues to become the fastest growing option, with Italy and Malta making their progress more complicated. Luckily for them, Spain is one of the most
welcoming countries in the world. And more so now that new Socialist prime minister Pedro Sanchez is in power. In a recent Gallup Poll, the country was revealed as the 17th most welcoming for migrants in the world and the 7th in Europe, coming just behind advanced democracies like the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Sweden. With a migrant welcoming index of 7.44 (out of ten), it was way ahead of 38th placed UK, which had an index of 6.61. Given Europe’s alleged role in causing the migrant crisis, Passolas argues it’s only right that we treat them with humanity and respect. He poignantly added: “The fact is they would rather die trying to be a nobody here than stay in their home countries.”
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Following yet another front page expose last issue, here The Olive Press presents just some of the other costa criminals we have helped to probe over the last decade, writes Laurence Dollimore HOPEFULLY a few less people will get conned in Spain this month. It comes after a number of alleged fraudsters were exposed in our last few issues and a couple were finally rounded up. One of the biggest scalpings was Britain’s Most Wanted Mark Acklom, who PONZI has conned punters KING out of over €1 million, and was finally tracked down to Switzerland this month. Last issue we exposed Rhys Williams, who is alleged to have used a ponzistyle scam to fleece expats of at least €6 million, while we continue to keep tabs on Paula Neale, who is being probed for countless property scams. Sadly, they are just some of dozens of Jump to it
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July 4th - July 17th 2018
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Police probe launched after expats claim €6 million scammed in dodgy investment scheme
ACCUSED: Rhys Williams has vacated villa
er clothes and Rolexes. A GROUP of British expats have "They live the high life out here EXCLUSIVE called in police after losing more with all the apparent credentials to than €6 million to an alleged Costa prove they are successful and makrency companies. del Sol fraudster. ing money." The unsuspecting Brits invested up "They hooked him in with trips to Not initially convinced, Parsons to €1.64 million each into the al- Wimbledon for the tennis, Sweden flew out to Dubai where he was leged ponzi scheme operating out and to fancy meals out, which was shown around various facilities nothing compared to what they got of Marbella, Dubai and India. that apparently backed up the Welsh expat Rhys Williams, 36, off him," explained son Paul. claims. is accused of snaring various local "They need to be stopped." “He reinforced all this with deexpats, including wealthy parents Another victim, Adrian Parsons, tailed bank statements and lots of at his children's €10,000-a-year 53, from Birmingham, invested official paperwork, which we now €500,000 into the Dubai-based private school in Marbella. think was fake,” he continued. The victims insist the business- recycling company. Initially, the investment seemed man, who was declared bankrupt "He was very convincing," Parsons to be genuine and for the first in the UK, persuaded them to told the Olive Press, "He and his six months he was paid back the invest huge sums into a paper re- partner were living in a €10,000 promised 2% agreed per month. cycling and printing business, as per month villa in Marbella and “But then the money suddenly well as trading platforms in Dubai, were dressed head to toe in design'guaranteeing them a 2% monthly return'. One British pensioner, Brian Livesey, 84, invested €1.64 million in late 2014. The former soldier, who has lived in Marbella for decades, has yet to see any return. son his "It has destroyed him," Paul told the Olive Press this week. "He had a stroke earlier this year from the stress of it, we are barely keeping our heads above water debts." paying off Livesey, who once ran a successful UK construction company, was introduced to Williams by a director at one of Gibraltar's cryptocur- LIFE OF LUXURY: Rhys had Rolex and fancy cars
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ACCUSED: Rhys Williams has vacated villa
declared bankrupt and having his care home company investigated for fraud. Despite this, he has been able to help set up several companies, including Impact General Trading, in Dubai, and others in Panama. According to the victims, Williams and his family have recently vacated their exclusive rented villa in Marbella. “We understand they have now, rather rapidly left the coast and returned to Wales,” added Parsons. "Until last month, they had three kids at private school, were still going to all the top restaurants "Williams promised me I would just like nothing had happened. get my money back, telling me "At the same time he has left a how his mother had also had can- trail of destruction behind him cer and that he wouldn't let us and many lives in tatters." This week, the UK's Serious down," added Parsons. But the money never materi- Fraud Office confirmed to the Olive Press that it is looking into the alised. Another alleged victim, Michael Williams, but could not comment McVicar, claims to have lost any further. €1.5 million, while up to a dozen Following various denuncias, the lost apparently have Guardia Civil, in Estepona, is also other expats between €100,000 and €1 mil- investigating Williams. lion each. Collectively the group After numerous attempts to conclaim they are owed €6.28 mil- tact Williams by phone, he finally replied by email to insist his inlion. The Olive Press has discovered nocence. that Williams left Llys Meddyg "I totally and utterly deny any alLlangristiolus, in North Wales legations,” he wrote, but did not almost a decade ago after being reply to any further questions.
stopped coming in,” he said. “I’m sure this was some sort of Ponzi scheme. Clearly they ran out of investors.” For two years, Williams kept promising the money would be returned, claiming his company Impact General Trading, based in Dubai, had been embargoed and had accounts frozen after 'illegally dealing with Iran'. Parsons has since asked for his €500,000 investment back to care for his sick father, who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
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fraudsters who are operating in Spain and they are anything but the first shady Brits we have investigated and they certainly won’t be the last. We continue to be the ONLY English newspaper in Spain helping to put these crooks behind bars and we uphold to the
NIGEL GOLDMAN
To long-time Olive Press readers, notorious Nigel Goldman will be a familiar figure. Exposing naughty Nige countless times for a string of scams, including selling gold coins and stamps on eBay, Goldman was finally handed a 12-month suspended sentence in January 2016 in the UK. He still has many cases to answer for, with countless victims baying for his head in Spain. Police are still investigating. In December last year we revealed he had set up shop again near Brighton.
TONI MULDOON
Tracked down to a mountain lair in Ronda, the Olive Press exposed the timeshare-style cons conducted by infamous fraudsters Stephen Lawrence and Toni Muldoon and their Costa del Sol cronies way back in 2008. We continued to monitor their scams until Muldoon was finally put away in 2014 for running a bogus escort service. ‘Timeshare Toni’ as he became known to Olive Press readers has since written a string of books on his scams.
DANIEL JOHNSTON Ibusapietur? Con poritat iostius moditenim labo. Nequi occulle ctassequia quia nimposa pideles si que nimus vellorest quidunt estincto ent quosa porepro blautati officiur audam, sanim audaepera volut aliatem con repedit res impor adit litionet volor mos porecat intotaectore et viditis dendebis volupta temqui ut facil et haribus. Oluptatur? Erum iligendi-
FE AT U R E
highest standards of investigative journalism in doing it. And we could certainly not do it without the help of our trusty eagle-eyed readers. Check out our rogue’s gallery of some of the UK’s rotten exports and how we helped keep tabs on them.
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WESTLEY CAPPER
SOCIALMEDIA
Since Latvian waitress Agnese Klavina disappeared in September 2014, the Olive Press has been pressing hard for answers. We were the first ones to link privately-educated Brit Capper to her disappearance, picturing him living it large in Marbella’s Aqwa Mist nightclub in our November 2014 edition. Since then Capper has admitted to killing a Bolivian mother in a hit-and-run incident. However, this slippery character is back at his luxury Marbella mansion having been granted bail.
SIMON CORNER
When Scottish mum Lisa Brown went missing in November 2015, it was the Olive Press who exposed her ex-boyfriend Simon Corner’s shady dealings on the coast. We were the first paper to picture Corner, reveal how he uses various aliases and link him to convicted people smuggler Stephen Jackson. His whereabouts are currently unknown, with the court letting out on bail insisting there was not enough evidence to prosecute him.
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PAULA NEALE
BE ‘APPY!
She has to be one of the most prolific and successful fraudsters we have ever investigated. The British mother has amassed a fortune from taking deposits on holiday villas she doesn’t own, and has been getting away scot free for at least four years. Thanks to our probe we managed to kickstart a police investigation and she was eventually arrested in Burgos earlier this year - only to be released on bail! True to form, as we revealed last issue, she is STILL scamming tourists right under the noses of police.
TERRY WRIGHT The Olive Press has been investigating boiler rooms in Spain from day one. In 2011 we revealed that blacklisted British businessman Terry Wright had earned millions of euros by persuading unsuspecting investors to part with their hardearned cash. All from his rural hideout in the Guadalhorce Valley. The following year, with the heat on and police on his tracks, Wright bolted and bought a huge French chateau with his ill-gotten gains.
MARK ACKLOM MATTHEW SAMMON On the back of catching the sinister Sammon, the Olive Press set off on the hunt of fellow mostwanted fugitive Mark Acklom. We found his home and linked his wife to a business address in Murcia, before publishing an expose on his luxury lifestyle in Spain, funded by scams. He was only busted this month in a raid in Switzerland.
Each print issue of the Olive Press can be read in its entirety on www.theolivepress.es July 18th - July 31st 2018 And our site is updated daily with the latest news, making it one of Spain’s most visited news websites.
This Most-Wanted paedophile was snared just hours after his mugshot went out across the media in the annual Crimestoppers Most Wanted appeal in Spain, thanks to an Olive Press stakeout. Working on a tip off from an eagle-eyed reader, our reporters tracked down Sammon in Fuengirola before calling Guardia Civil to arrest him in a dramatic midnight raid in November 2016. The story hit national headlines in the UK.
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LIGHTS, music, and food brighten up the nights at La Línea during the most important festival in Campo de Gibraltar. Official programming can be found at feriadelalinea.com
C
ultural White Night, July 20
THE Russian Museum, Picasso’s birthplace, and the Pompidou Centre in Málaga provide free museum admissions and screening of films from 8.00pm to midnight
L
TRENDING fashion designer Alejandro Gomez Palomo has cut the ribbon on his first pop-up shop in Madrid. The latest edition to his growing empire is based at the Only You Boutique Hotel for the 68th edition of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. It will bring the avant garde Cordoba designer’s unique brand to the capi-
ting in Starlight Festival, July 19
a Línea Fair, July 13-22
a Araña Fair, July 20-22
STREET festivities in La Araña offers various activities for all ages, from fishing competitions to dress parades. Held at Recinto Ferial de La Araña
Malaga’s maestro is being seen too much around the world claim experts THE Son of Pablo Picasso has pleaded for museums to ‘stop producing so many exhibitions’ featuring his father's work. The Malaga maestro’s pieces are all over the world: from London to the US and Morocco, but now critics too, have warned he is becoming ‘over exposed’. France has no less than 21 exhibitions this year alone, while Spain is expected to have up to a dozen or more at his various official museums here. “It’s not a wave of Picasso exhibitions, it’s a tsunami,” claimed Alexis Brezet, the editor of France’s respected Le Figaro newspaper. “Some of the exhibitions are excellent, but others are non-
OlivePressNewspaper
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+TheolivepressEs Palomo’s capital pop up tal with iconic models, accessories BE and T-shirts all on sale. Palomo, who already has stores in Europe, America and Asia, said: "I could not have imagined a better location for this project in the heart of the Chueca neighbourhood, where independent
boutiques are betting on a more inno-
‘APPY! vative fashion, as well as space itself.
“For me there are few places in Madrid that have the personality of this hotel.” Superstar Beyonce wore one of his dresses in her first official photo with her newborn twins.
OVER EXPOSED
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TOO MUCH: Picasso (right) son, Claude, and (top) famous Guernica painting descript and do nothing more than surf on the magic of a great time.”
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SPAIN Calle Regino Martínez 30, 3º, 11201 Algeciras, Cádiz, Spain Tel. +34 956 092 687 | Fax. +34 956 092 697 UNITED KINGDOM Unit 2, Cochran Close, Crownhill Industry, Milton Keynes, MK8 0AJ, United Kingdom Facebook: costaluzlawyers Twitter: costaluzlawyers
July 18th - July 31st 2018
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what’s on 16 TIME Grammy winning artist Sting from the legendary group The Police will perform at the Starlight Festival in Marbella with Shaggy. Doors open at 8.00pm
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Fears are being raised that the new Picasso Mediterranee project - which spreads
A STUNNING rural retreat, recently dubbed ‘Spain’s Best Luxury Hotel’, is hosting a music festival extravaganza. La Donaira, The OliveAward-winning Press near Ronda, will see five days of music as it plays host to the across Spain, France, Italy, TOP for news in Spain! Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Mo- Pause Festival from August 14 rocco, and Turkey - is merely to 19. The festival is described a politically driven motive, a as one of most ‘beautiful and claim shared by Picasso’s son intimate in the world’ and offers a ‘chance to see performers Claude. He has now issued a warn- named as the very best of their ing that he fears some of his generation in laid back spectacfather’s most prestigious and ular surroundings.’ fragile work may get damaged Pianists Julien Brocal and Julien Libeer, cellist Camille in transit. “Many people expect to make Thomas, and pianist Rupert discoveries that, at the end Huber return for a second apof the day, they do not make, pearance at the festival while and they are not satisfied with violinist Caroline Goulding, cellist Lidy Blijdorp and pianist Elwhat is on offer. “Among the exhibitions held, odie Vignon are new additions there is a load that are not for this year. Find out more at www.pausefestival.com. necessary.”
Property
be Gib s r m t p alta ag ro r’ az pe s in rty e
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olive press
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July 2018
9
July 18th - July 31st 2018
Right royal battle for former king and dictator SEE PAGE III
Issue 22
As it’s claimed living by the sea lets you live longer, we dig out some beachside gems SEE PAGE XII
Off-plan forges ahead THE Gibraltar off-plan property market shows no signs of abating, claims a leading property agent. Despite the current uncertainty surrounding Brexit and its impact on the Gibraltar economy, Mike Nicholls, managing director of Chestertons, insists demand remains strong. It comes after it was announced that 900 jobs had been created in the last year alone on the Rock. And with unemployment at just 45 people, that means virtually all new jobs rely on imported labour. “It follows therefore that there needs to have been up to 900 new properties to accommodate these 900 new jobs,” explains Nicholls.
Breakneck
LET IT GROW
“But, just a handful were made available in the open property market over the same year.” It’s this year on year growth in the economy that underpins the current optimism by developers whose properties seem to sell out off-plan at breakneck speed. “We just sold 200 EuroCity apartments in 12 weeks, 99 Hub properties in one week and we are likely to sell out Forbes, the latest off-plan development to hit the market, probably before the full launch to the public later this month. “But it is what Gibraltar needs if it wants to continue growing at the current rate.” Chestertons is also expecting to launch new residential developments in Main Street, Devils Tower Road, Line Wall Road and in the upper town in the near future.
SPAIN’S property market is continuing to grow. The latest figures, for May, show a 7.7% expansion. There were 51,896 sales in total, including social housing, with resale apartment transactions up 6.7% and single family homes up 16.3%.
Mortgages up, prices up and numbers up. The market is looking healthy, writes Laurence Dollimore
Bubble
years earlier. But those talking of a new bubble are off the mark. “Both sales and house prices are still a long way from the peak of the boom years,” Mark Stucklin from Spanish Property Insight told the Olive Press.
The figures mean the housing market in Spain is entering its fifth consecutive year of growth since it turned a corner at the start of 2014 following the devastating collapse some seven
NEW OFF PLAN DEVELOPMENT Launches 26 July 2018 A mix of studios, 1, 2, 3 & 4 beds
“Although those years are not a healthy benchmark, the big gap suggests there is still some room for growth on both fronts, assuming the Spanish economy continues to recover.” The latest encouraging report from the notaries also revealed that average house prices increased by 0.6% to 1,372€/m2, while mortgage lending increased by 9.3%. It comes after estate agents on the Costa del Sol revealed earlier this month that they had seen a 100% growth in Britons buying homes in the holiday hotspot.
Gibraltar
Tel: +350 200 40041 info@chestertons.gi chestertons.gi 20 Ocean Village Promenade
II 10
Property
www.gibraltarolivepress.com
Average sale price on the Spanish costas in 2018
July 18th - JulyJuly 31st2018 2018
But are rising prices on the costas a good thing? asks Mark Stucklin
T
Less than 140,000 euros Between 140,000 and 200,000 euros More than 200,000 euros
HE Spanish holiday home market is enjoying its time back in the sun, reports El Pais. Beachside prices are rising again, and building sites with cranes dot the coasts once again. “Areas with clear signs of recovery in the holiday home market are the Balearics, Canaries, Costa del Sol, North Alicante, and the Maresme,” according to Pedro Soria, Tinsa’s commercial director. House prices are even rising in double digits on several coasts. “Areas where prices have risen the most include Mallorca, Ibiza, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and certain municipalities of Huelva, Alicante, and Malaga,” he adds. But some worry that things may be getting out of hand again and although we are still a long way from the madness of the boom years, I’m starting to hear voices like Campbell Ferguson of Survey Spain wondering how sustainable the latest building boom is. The map (left), prepared by El Pais using data from the property portal pisos.com shows the average asking price, and latest annual increase, for all the main coasts, I assume based on asking prices in the portals data-base (which have to be take with a pinch of salt). The recovery is driven by foreign demand, which started growing again years before local demand. “The British are still the main buyers but other nationalities like people from Nordic countries and Belgians are gaining ground,” explains Samuel Población, residential and land director at surveying giant CBRE. “All of them have had to focus on resales, but now they are starting to buy
HURRAH FOR HOLIDAY HOMES
new builds.” of buyers spend between €100,000 End user demand among locals for and €200,000, with Germans, Rusholiday homes has not yet recovered sians, and buyers from Nordic countries because of worries about job security spending the most, according to trade and salaries. Local investors, on the sources. other hand, are buying again, claims Foreign buyers prefer villas and semiBeatriz Toribio, head of research at the detached homes, whilst 75% of Spanish Fotocasa property portal. “34% of sec- buyers prefer apartments with terraces. ond-home buyers plan Some areas like Casto do short term renttellon still have a large als, compared to 7% stock of unsold homes Foreign buyers thinking of residential left over from the last prefer villas and building boom, whilst rents,” she says. The increasing restriction other areas like Ibiza, semi-detached of holiday lettings in South Tenerife, and tourist hotspots could parts of the Costa de homes but cause problems for this la Luz, in Cadiz, new Spanish like flats home inventories are demand. Despite attention-grabalmost nonexistent. bing annual price inMunicipalities where creases on some coasts, second homes housing stats are highest include Esteare still 46% cheaper on average than pona and Marbella in Andalucia, Torrethey were in 2007, according to Tinsa’s vieja, Orihuela, Elche, Pilar de la Horadata. dada and Benidorm. Though you can find holiday homes in Torrevieja for €50,000 or less, the bulk www.spanishpropertyinsight.com
Property
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July 18th - July 31st July 2018 2018
III 11 11
MONARCH LAUNDERING
UNDER FIRE: Juan Carlos
SPAIN’S former king has been accused of using his alleged ex-lover’s tax status to buy multiple overseas properties. King Juan Carlos I, who is estimated to be worth around €2 billion, is accused of putting several properties under the name of his alleged mistress Princess Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein because she had tax residence in Monaco. The claims came to light after a 2015 recording of a conversation between Corinna and a Spanish police officer in London leaked this month.
In the clip, Corinna can be heard alleging that the king’s lawyers put her name on overseas properties without her permission and complaining that she is being drawn into ‘money laundering’. The aristocrat said she was living a ‘nightmare’ because the king had put various properties in Morocco into her name. He then tried to have them transferred to his cousin when the alleged 10-year affair with Corinna ended. “But if I do it, it is money laundering,” she says in the recording. “They are putting me under tre-
mendous pressure to return these things, but if I do it I am breaking the law and I could go to jail”. Corinna claimed the properties had been put in her name not ‘because he loves me a lot, but because I reside in Monaco’, where such assets did not have to be publicly declared. The aristocrat, an adviser to Prince Albert of Monaco, was named in the Spanish press as the king’s lover after she was discovered in his company when he was injured during a secret 2012 elephant hunting trip in Botswana.
Brits ignored THE Junta has been criticised for not dealing with British homeowners. Senior members of group, AUAN, Urban Abusement Almanzora-NO, have criticised Junta leader, Susana Diaz, for failing to deal with the issue of ‘illegal housing’ across the region. Members of AUAN and the Association of Residents of Albanchez, ARA, are angry that Diaz failed to meet them when they visited her offices in Sevilla this month.
Precarious
They want to see amendments to the Law of Urban Planning in Andalucia, LOUA, which would create AFOs, Assimilated Out of Ordination agreements, to regulate illegal properties, particularly on rural land. The groups hope to solve the precarious housing situation in the Almanzora region, which has 13,000 irregular homes, as well as in the Axarquia and in the area of Chiclana, in Cadiz. The no-show has not sat well with members, who added that Brits in the area mobilised their electorate to support the PSOE in the last regional elections. The amendment has reportedly received support from Ciudadanos and the PP.
PRESSURE: For Diaz
Fit for a bishop!
Franco’s last stand
It’s Galicia v the Generalissimo’s heirs over the rights to a des res in La Coruña, writes Elisa Menendez A HERITAGE property enjoyed for decades by General Franco as a summer pad is at the centre of a tug-of-war between his family and the regional government of Galicia. Pazo de Meiras, a stunning 19th century baronial manor built on the ruins of an old military fort, was seized by the dictator in 1938 and used as a summer retreat until his final days. Franco’s descendants continued the tradition with monthlong visits every year to the property in his birthplace of Galicia, until two years ago. The manor - which once belonged to an aristocratic family in the region - has been the
Fair play
HOME: Of Franco family in Galicia subject of controversy for years, with left-wing parties calling for it to be returned to the public. Built in 1893 to resemble a medieval castle with crenelated towers, it was christened Las Torres de Meiras by aristocrat Emilia Pardo Bazán whose family owned it during the 19th and 20th centuries. The estate in Sada, La Coruña, boasts 10 hectares of farmland and forests and has its own chapel. Franco and his wife fell in love
THE Ministry for housing has announced a massive new refurbishment project for Bishop Canilla House. The scheme comes after further works began earlier this year, with the price of the planned refurbishment not yet disclosed. The 19-year-old building will have extensive work completed, including resolving the issue of damp and helping to improve the environmental footprint of the building. There will be the replacement of all windows with doubleglazing and roller blinds and the redecoration of all common areas, including the replacement of floor tiles. Minister for Housing, Samantha Sacramento, said: "We aim to restore and improve the quality of life of the residents of Bishop Canilla House by improving the environment in which they live.”
with it and drew up a deal with the Bazan family, allegedly raising funds from public coffers and the pockets of Galician taxpayers. Investigators Carlos Babio and Manuel Perez, claim Franco also used state resources to reform, expand and maintain it, while his heirs continued to make millions in capital gains. In 2008 the PSOE in Galicia demanded it be declared a BIC building - a site of cultural interest - meaning it must be open to
the public four days a month. But Franco’s children still consider it a personal asset and put it on sale for €8 million in February. Sada town hall officials have since attempted to block the sale and return it to the public. Last year the feud became yet more heated after the Franco Foundation announced it would be hosting guided tours ‘to show the public the grandeur of Francisco Franco’.
UP to 2,000 property lovers are set to descend on the Costa del Sol for one of the biggest exhibitions of its kind. From October 26 to 28, the Home Fair Marbella will see architects, interior designers, real estate providers and more exhibiting at the Palacio de Congresos. The home and living expo is perfect for those planning to purchase or refurbish a property. Visit www.homefairmarbella.com for more info.
XII 12
Property
www.gibraltarolivepress.com
July 18th - July 31st 2018
€5,000,000
R
Living beside the sea can have some excellent health inducing benefits, writes Laurence Dollimore
ECENT studies have shown that living next to water can promote wellness and relaxation. In fact, according to marine biologist Dr Wallace Nichols, just seeing water induces a flood of neurochemicals that increase the flow of blood to the brain and heart. Meanwhile, the sound of waves
can alter brain patterns, inducing a deeply relaxed state similar to meditation. Data from Wakefield Research, a data company based in the US, also found that four out of five people reported that being around water relaxes them, while 72% of people feel healthier after they’ve spent time on the water.
Club-house You’ll be slipping into a trance with this villa’s panoramic views of the coastline, mountains and the Guadalmina golf course. Inside sees lavish furnishings with the staircase and banisters designed by none other than Versace, complimented by marble flooring with mosaic details and silk tapestry on the walls. Its coolest feature has to be its basement, which includes a fully equipped club with a dance area, chill-out area,DJ booth and bar - not to mention its very own vineyard outback.
Life’s a €3,600,000 €2,280,000
Ibiza pad
Dream pad
REF: 7089 Sotheby’s
This seafront Mallorca pad is just minutes from Cala Ratjada beach. The house was built in 1970 and has a lot of potential and can easily be renovated. More importantly, you will practically have your own private beach with a small property that could be your very own beach club. It’s a perfect opportunity for those looking for a large house facing the sea with direct access. Meanwhile, several golf courses, restaurants, supermarkets and all the services are very close, as well as the towns of Artá and Capdepera.
www.sothebysrealty.com This brand new 5-bedroom, 5-bathroom villa will be finished this year and is just metres from Cala Llenya, one of Ibiza’s most beautiful beaches. It guarantees the latest security system in a gated complex along with gorgeous community gardens and a swimming pool - although it’s unlikely you’ll need it with the sea just five to 10 metres away.
THE
C O S TA
DEL
S O L’ S
REF: 8665 Sotheby’s, Cala Rajada www.sothebysrealty.com
BEST
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SCHOOL
Classes and tuition for all ages Former Olympic and Spanish champion teachers Over a dozen sailing boats to rent from one man Lasers to six-man Gamba Contact (+34) 666 407 921
Find us in the heart of Estepona port www.escueladevelaestepona.com
www.gibraltarolivepress.com Swimming in salty water helps preserve the brain’s melatonin, tryptamine and serotonin levels, all of which stave off depression. Exposure to sea water can also boost the immune system, thanks to the antibiotic and antibacterial effects of the vitamins and minerals within the water. The negative ions of sea air mean-
July 18th - July 31st July 2018 2018
XIII 13
€8,900,000
while enables the body to absorb oxygen more readily and balance serotonin levels. In light of this, we’ve rounded up some of the best beach and waterfront properties in Spain that are sure to induce a deep state of relaxation.
Private
beach
This contemporary mansion is just a few minutes walk from the beach with spacious rooms and high ceilings throughout. It’s situated in the prestigious Guadalmina Baja urbanisation on a very large plot of land, only 200m from the beach and seafront walkway that leads to Puerto Banús. This superb and very private property is an excellent choice even for the most discerning buyer and family wishing to live in quiet, secure and harmonious surround-
ings in one of the finest urbanisations on the coast, yet only a few minutes drive to all amenities, international private schools, championship level golf courses and much more.
€3,300,000
Beach life This unique 5-bedroom villa sits just above the beaches of Manilva, boasting panoramic views of Marbella and Gibraltar while being just a few minutes’ drive away from exclusive Sotogrande. It comes complete with a heated infinity pool, solar power, elevator, under floor heating, rooftop/entertaining area, cinema, jacuzzi and sauna, gym and snooker room. REF: HOS-296 Holmes Sotogrande, Manilva
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Ema
To kick off a new series on the varied interior styles of the Europeans, style writer Lotti Ander takes a wry look at the British versus the Swedes
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Property
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AVE you recently waded in to buy your dream home in Spain? Are you in a need of help when it comes to decide in what style will be your interior? As a real estate agent in Estepona, on the Costa del Sol, I have been into hundreds of homes and it is funny how easily I can recognize where the owners come from… but then I was formerly the editor of an interior design magazine in Sweden. It seems all Europeans have their own unique DNA when it comes to interior styles, like stripes that never go away. So let’s start with an examination of the British versus the Swedish style, they’re quite distinct!
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Mixed up
VS
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THE BRITS
Cosy, charm and meeeeetres of fabric!
T
HE Brits love their aristocratic, colonial style with rooms overloaded with furniture, decorative items, textiles and, um, more textiles. The fireplace is a must, whatever the weather, and symmetry a religion. Two bookshelves, two sofas, two table lamps, two armchairs, two dogs, yeah you get it. A balance that can only be upset by quirky items such as a two foot high wooden servant holding a tray or a colorful stuffed parrot on a stick. Cosyness and charm are the keywords and to create the style you just follow this list; • • • • •
Unlimited curtains, cushions, pillows, wallpapers and upholstery in cotton floral prints - preferably in different prints. The more the merrier! Chesterfield sofas - yes two of them - and puffy armchairs with curved legs Throw in some arches and pillars to enhance the colonial feel... And don’t forget the portraits of ancestors. The older the better! Naked beams are a must to remind you of the cottage heritage not to mention the country-style kitchen with an Aga stove and paneling painted in dove blue The bedroom is often an orgy in fabrics and there is not a spot that can’t be covered! Put your floral printed blindfold on if its too much to handle!
TRADITIONAL: Brits love naked beams and varied prints • • •
All rooms very much have their function, no open space solutions here! After all, who want to see the dishes? Colours are mostly natural tones in dusty pink, blue and green and to go a bit wild paint the walls in Tartan scarlet or British racing green Don’t forget the carpets! They have to be large, preferably in sisal and wall to wall
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July 18th - July 31st July 2018 2018
Minimalist THE SWEDES White, bright and anxious
U SLEEK: And simple for a Swede
T
HE Swedes believe they are very individualistic. But the truth is most of the homes in Sweden look like they are done with carbon copy paper between them. That is partly IKEA’s fault, but mostly it’s because Swedes do not want to stand out. The word lagom, meaning ‘not too much’, is appropriate and means less is more and as long as its white, bright and fresh, it’s safe. Style is minimalist, clutter free, with ‘exciting’ details being in black and white, patterns in zigzag or just plain stripes. To make it homely a Swede brings in plants and handicrafts in ceramic and wood, showing off his or her heritage. To design like us Swedes then follow this; •
• •
•
Paint all walls, floors and ceilings white. Maybe you can be bold with one wall in a grayish or eggshell-ish tone. The brave use some wallpaper with a ‘crazy’ pattern in the guest toilet - wow! Cool is king, so do not show too much emotion, use natural fabrics in linen or cotn in beige Choose a design sofa which while beautiful and expensive, will probably not be very comfortable to sit on for more than 10 minutes Understatement artefacts are crucial to
•
•
the style. And whether you bought it in an expensive design shop or your kid did it at daycare, it looks intellectual The open plan living room/kitchen gives you space and an overview, but you’ll need a housekeeper 24/7 if you want to live a spotless life without dishes in the sink, fingerprints on the dressers and the smell of fried herring The bedroom is designed in a sacred, minimalistic way. A peaceful, non cluttered space for the soul, a sanctuary away from the world. But beware, do not take this concept to a monastery level if you want to share your Hästens double bed!
Next Property Magazine in September, Lotti takes a look at the Spanish versus the Germans
Lotti works at Nest Bostadsmäklarna, in Estepona. Contact her at 650 202 970 or lotti@nestbostad.com
The one stop shop
P and down the coast furniture and decoration stores have come and gone over the years, but Furniture World Estepona has continued to operate successfully on the Costa del Sol for more than 30 years. That in itself is some feat, but especially so for an expat enterprise. The business was founded in 1986 by the family’s patriarch, now happily retired, and is now continuing to prosper under the long time management of his daughter and son-in-law, Corrinne and Richard. Throughout the 3,000m2 showroom you can find a vast selection of indoor and outdoor furniture, decorative pieces, kitchen utensils and electrical good. Also they have a huge selection of rugs, fitted carpets and other flooring to choose from. The company has decades of experience in the laying of all flooring including carpets, astroturf, wood and vinyl. They have provided flooring for restaurants, boats, shops, football pitches, offices and of course private homes and they have a dedicated in house flooring specialist on hand to answer all your questions. More recently they have launched their online shop at www.esteponafurniture. com, allowing you to browse their products and purchase from the comfort of your home. Also, to keep up to date with all the latest news and offers you can like or follow them on Facebook at www. facebook.com/furnitureworldestepona.
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Property
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Skywalking
July 18th - July 31st July 2018 2018
XXI
GUARD: Monkey rail
P
ERCHED high above one of the highest peaks on the Med, this is not an attraction for those suffering from vertigo. The skywalk, installed at the top of the rock of Gibraltar offers 360 degree views taking in the mountains of north Morocco, as well as inland Cadiz and Malaga. Conceived by Arc designs, it comprises a 2.5-metre wide glazed walkway plus a balustrade.
From here you can walk up to the famous O’Hara Battery, which is the home to a big troup of the Rock’s famous macaque monkeys. They are very much part of the whole experience of visiting the new Skywalk, which took six months to build. If you look down below the only thing you will see is the ground and the sea, like you were floating.
But beware winds up here can easily reach 93mph, or 150km/h. And keep your eyes peeled for the cheeky monkeys, who will stoop at nothing to grab your bag to look for a tasty snack, dispensing with anything else they cannot eat. It recently happened to a family of UK tourists, who lost not only their money for the day out, but also no less than FIVE passports which are still visible on the steep cliff face to the south.
ON THE EDGE: Monkeying around
HOMESHARE: With Gibraltar’s famous macaques
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olivepressnews +TheolivepressEsPolitical parties
in Spain call for BE ‘APPY! legalisation of cannabis
PODEMOS has renewed calls for the legalisation of cannabis now that the PSOE is in government. Download our app now and The party’s leader, Pablo begin enjoying the best Spanish Iglesias, said legalising the drug would lead to a news on the go. much bigger budget for healthcare. He said: “We wouldn’t have to spend money on security arrangements EASYJET has announced a against illegal trafficking, new Gibraltar to London- which generates crime Luton Airport route will start and exploitation.” operations in December. According to the blueprint The Olive Press The airline has now added for regulation, Spain could Luton to its growing list of raise €177 million per year TOP for news in Spain! routes to Gibraltar alongside Bristol, London Gatwick and through a cannabis tax, Manchester, with twice week- plus a further €1.2 billion on indirect taxes. ly flights. NEW ROUTE: Easyjet
New EasyJet route
EasyJet’s UK Country Manager, said: “We’re delighted to be increasing services from Gibraltar and adding a fourth UK service to our network from the airport.” The Minister for Tourism, Gilbert Licudi welcomed the news, adding: “The North London region will once again count on convenient access to Gibraltar, be it for business, leisure or visiting friends and relatives.”
COMING SOON?: Legalisation of cannabis
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High time for legalisation
Welcomed
The proposed measures have been largely welcomed by parties on both sides of the political spectrum, except for the PP, which has long fought against the idea. The battle to regulate cannabis began in 2017 when Podemos put forward a non-legislative motion.
July 18th - July 31st 2018
Last month, Podemos, the PSOE and Ciudadanos jointly put forward another motion calling for personal amounts of the drug to be legal. Other countries have already benefitted from the legalisation of cannabis. The Netherlands’ capital, Amsterdam, collected €400 million in indirect taxes in 2017. Meanwhile, several states in the US have made a fortune from legalising the non-lethal drug, with Colorado alone selling €1.28 billion of the green drug last year.
Cruzcampo vs La Roja CRUZCAMPO has threatened to cancel its sponsorship of Spain’s football team after Luis Rubiales’ ‘offensive’ comments. The threat came after the head of the Spanish football federation said paying for the travel costs of senior management and the relatives of footballers to the World Cup was a ‘waste of money’. A Cruzcampo spokesperson said Rubiales was effectively reneging on something that was already agreed, before pointing out that the federation didn’t pay for such travel costs at this World Cup. Rubiales has yet to comment.
ROW: With Spain team
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What to do if you don’t get your predicted grades for university... how about considering Gibraltar university?
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HEN it comes to securing a university place on results day, it’s really important to have a backup plan. Whether you exceed your predicted grades, or don’t quite get the ones you wanted, now is the time to get ahead of the game. Here’s University of Gibraltar’s 7-step plan to securing a space at university this year.
July 18th - July 31st 2018 June 20th - July 3rd 2018
GOING CLEARING
Step 1: What is clearing? Clearing is an important part of the UCAS university application process. It allows universities a chance to fill any spaces they may have left ahead of the academic year. University applicants who don’t hold offers essentially get another chance of securing a university place.
Step 3: Revisit your original choices Do your research. Think back to what you were looking for in a course all those months ago and revisit the list of what was important to you at the time. For
A-level results are released on Thursday 16 August, ensure that you don’t have any fixed plans on that day just in case you need to make some phone calls. Step 6: Don’t panic and stay positive! You may need to make some fast decisions on results day, but try not to panic. If you’ve done your preparation you should have some idea of which universities to contact first. While it can be tempting to make a decision based on location, make sure you understand what the degree actually involves.
Step 2: Clearing is not the only option Clearing is run by UCAS which means it only affects applications made through their system. If you’re hoping to get a space at university this year, it’s a good idea to explore all the options available – this includes direct application routes.
INSIDE: Gib university
Step 7: If you can, go and visit them
PLACE TO STUDY: Gibraltar University is a great option example, does the course offer industry placements? Will you miss home? Think about which courses/universities you would consider if you don’t get the grades you need. Step 4: Keep an open mind Do consider alternative options. For ex-
ample, instead of Marketing would you consider Business with a Marketing major? If you have your heart set on a particular location because you were close to friends, it may be time to be flexible on where the course is located. You may be setting off for a different university, to study a different course, but the opportunities to meet new friends and get in-
volved in student life remain the same. Step 5: Don’t wait for results day If you want to get ready for the big day, or perhaps already have your results, start contacting universities now and ask them about what courses they still have spaces on. If you would rather wait,
M
MATHSTONE
The best way to decide if a university is right for you is to go and visit as you’ll speak to staff and find out exactly what they have to offer. For those students hoping to study business-related subjects, University of Gibraltar is accepting direct applications to its undergraduate Bachelor of Business Administration course so call their Clearing Hotline on +35020071000 Ext. 901 to find out more. www.unigib.edu.gi/clearing
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FOOD, DRINK & TRAVEL WITH DINING SECRETS OF ANDALUCIA.COM
WAITING GAME
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MAESTRO: Puig-Pey
our app now and Food Download begin enjoying the best Spanish news onlives the go. changes Book in to
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A SPANISH chef has reached the final of the Basque Culinary World Prize. Marc Puig-Pey, an elBulli alum, is fighting with nine other chefs for the €100,000 IF you’re hoping to treat cash prize, which will go to his that special someone to a The Olive Press meal at one of Spain’s best Fundacio Alicia in Barcelona, which educates children and restaurants, you better not things until the last adults with dietary TOP restrictions. for news in leave Spain! The winner will spend the cash minute. prize to ‘devote to a project or The country’s best dining institution that expresses the hotspots have been officialethos of the prize: to transform ly ranked in order of waiting lists, with some being society through gastronomy.’ This year's finalists were se- almost a year long. lected on they showed ‘how Sitting at the top - and pergastronomy could become a haps unsurprisingly - is transformational force in ar- Celler de Can Roca, Spain’s eas ranging from innovation most famous and top to education, health, research, ranked restaurant. sustainability, social entrepre- The brainchild of the iconic neurship and economic devel- Roca brothers, you can expect to wait 11 MONTHS for opment.’ The winner will be announced a table at the Girona eatery. DiverXO, in Madrid, and on July 24.
Top 10
1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1.
El Celler de Can Roca, Girona - 11 months DiverXO, Madrid - 9 months Kiro Sushi, Logrona - 7 months Sant Pau, Barcelona - 5 months + 3 weeks Disfrutar, Barcelona - 5 months Arzak, San Sebastian - 4 months La Boscana, Llerida - 4 months Ostage, Madrid - 4 months Adrian Quetgla, Palma - 3 months + 1 week Noor, Cordoba - 3 months
Kiro Sushi, in Logrono, round off the top three with waiting lists of nine months and seven months respectively. Closer to home, Cordoba’s Noor, headed by Paco Morales, is shooting up the waiting list stakes. Last year you could have expected to wait five weeks for a table, now, it has the 10th
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longest wait in the country, meaning you’ll have to book at least three months in advance. Luckily for us, local culinary king Angel León’s Aponiente, in Cadiz, has managed to reduce its waiting time, from six weeks in 2017 to five weeks in 2018. It comes despite the restaurant receiving two Michelin stars this year.
July 18th - July 31st 2018
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June 20th - July 3rd 2018
Deliver-boo BRITISH food delivery company Deliveroo is set to fork out €1.31 million after Spanish courts ruled their workers were not selfemployed. It means the company will have to sign up hundreds of its staff to the Spanish social security system and pay their monthly quotas, plus a fine of 20% on what is due.
It comes after a labour inspection found that the company had ‘ordinary labour relations’ and that staff were not functioning as self-employed, since the company ‘controlled every aspect’ of their working life. Deliveroo has two weeks to present arguments in its defense.
Expensive taste A MADRID restaurant had a good night this week after a dinner party spent a whopping €50,000. The group of eight splashed out on two bottles of vintage Louis Roederer champagne - costing €15,000 EACH - while feasting on Nalon eels, barnacles, sea bass and sirloin steak. The Casa Parrondo restaurant, which has been serving Asturian food in the capital for more than 40 years, shared the receipt on social media. The total came to €49,292, meaning each diner paid €6,161 each, assuming they decided to go Dutch.
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FOOD, DRINK & TRAVEL
July 18th - July 31st 2018 June 20th - July 3rd 2018
POINTING THE WAY A new Gibraltar restaurant is gaining kudos for both style AND creativity, writes Jon Clarke CHEF: Patrick and Federico
I
’M overlooking two oceans at the most southerly tip of Europe. In the lee of a catholic church and a fabulously sited mosque, I watch as a police launch speeds out into the briny, shortly followed by two enormous oil tankers. One of the mythical Pillars of Hercules Jebel Musa stands as the perfect backdrop. This is Europa Point in Gibraltar and I’m sat eating one of the best meals I’ve ever had on the Rock. A wonderful addition to the local food scene, Bistro Point could be one of the perfect places to head for lunch on a hot summer’s day. Not only is there a lovely breeze, but inside you have a great open-plan space maximising on the views. A sophisticated space with green walls and salmon-pink wallpaper, it sits at the side
of the wonderful new University of Gibraltar, which is well worth a visit before lunch. Even better, you have an excellent chef in Patrick Taylor, a Yorkshireman, 48, who has travelled the world working for all and sundry from Rocco Forte to the Thistle Group, in particular in Saint Petersburg, in Russia, where he picked up more than a few tricks. “You can really learn a lot from them and communism taught them much more than you would think,” explains the chef, who now lives up the road in Torreblanca, near Fuengirola. One thing it probably didn’t teach this, if you’ll excuse the pun, Commie chef, was the super-rich beef carpaccio (left), marinated overnight in herbs and served with rocket, parmesan and a shot of Bloody Mary. I only got the faintest taste of it sadly, as my 13-year-old
FINE DINING: With Morocco in the distance
daughter necked it, including the vodka chaser in one gulp! I however, got to graze on the bon-bons of duck; crunchy balls filled with rillettes of delicious duck and with a sweet hoisin sauce to compliment them. They were the surprise winner of the day, only matched by some fabulous Moroccan spiced lamb koftas (right), appropriate for the view, which came with some delicious aromatic couscous and minted yogurt. I also enjoyed the splendidly-cooked haddock and chips with minted pea puree, and my daughter’s choice, the Bistro Point burger, summed up the place to a tee: perfectly grilled and beautifully served. The place is the brainchild of the talented Hunter brothers, who are best known
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for their string of successful pubs, dotted around the Rock. This is something of a gamble and a bit of a departure for them, but I suspect they’ll do very well if they keep this quality up, particularly as the new cricket and rugby pitches are under construction next door, as well as the university’s new hall of residence. Either way, I got the point.
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HEALTH
July 18th - July 31st 2018
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olivepressnews
+TheolivepressEs Insulin pillsBE ‘APPY!
Hypno-sized
AN expat couple from Fuengirola have appeared on ITV’s This Morning to discuss their Gastric Mind Band procedure. Martin and Marion Shirran of the Elite Clinic in Fuengirola run a unconventional four-day course to help change clients’ relationships with food. The procedure, also known as the ‘imaginary gastric band’, combines cognitive behavioural therapy and hypnotherapy. The couple have completed nearly 8,000 hours of one-to-one client treatment time. One of their converts is British ac-
DIABETICS may soon be able to take their insulin doses orally instead of jabbing themselves with a needle. Researchers from Harvard University have developed a pill that could substitute the Downloadcurrently our app now and syringes sufferers HEALTH STARS: Martin and use to controlbegin theirenjoying condition. the best Spanish Until now, pills didn’t work Marion Shirran news onacids the go.disbecause stomach solved their glucose content, preventing the insulin being absorbed correctly by the body. The new pill has been developed with components that could resist the acids and could be a lifesaver for sufferers who experience side- Press The Olive effects from injections, have a phobia about needles or TOP news in Spain! find it difficult to fitfor treatment around their daily routine. According to the researchers COCAINE is taking over from cluding the increase in pro“The pills are biocompatible, alcohol as the addiction most duction of the white powder easy to produce and can be people in Spain seek help in throughout Europe, the end of the financial crisis and stocked for two month with- quitting. According to the Observato- the normalisation of its conout degradation”. They are yet to go to human rio Proyecto Hombre report, sumption in daily life. trial but are already being suc- the number of cocaine addicts The study also contradicts the entering rehab (34.3%) now long-held theory that cocaine cessfully tested on animals. exceeds the number of alco- is a high class drug. “Cocaine holics soliciting treatment is consumed by all social (31%) for the first time in the classes. People who go into organisation’s history. rehab could be a member of Only five years ago, alcohol- your own family or the nextics represented 41% of rehab door neighbour”, said Felix patients. Rueda of Proyecto Hombre. Multiple reasons explain the According to the latest prorise of cocaine addiction, in- file studies, most cocaine
There are now more cocaine addicts than alcoholics in Spain
tress and comedienne Helen Lederer. Speaking on This Morning, the couple said: “Imaginary gastric band is a lifelong commitment to changing your habits and behaviour around food and eating, creating new behaviour patterns and habits. “It’s making sure you eat when you’re hungry and not for other reasons like eating just because you’re bored or stressed.” Treatment prices range from £1,495 up to £4,995 for VIP packages.
WHITE LINE FEVER users are men in their mid-30s with stable family backgrounds, a basic education and a job. They work in fields like the food and beverage industry, surveillance, special care and jobs which demand long hours and a high level of concentration. Contrary to other drugs like alcohol or heroin, cocaine addiction is not accompanied by instability in personal life, which reinforces the idea of
its use as a party drug, rather than a way out. This could explain why almost half of addicts are under the age of 30. The ‘normal’ appearance of users makes it more difficult to detect their addiction and help them.
Rainbow reform
FREE fertility treatment for lesbians and single women is coming back under Spain’s new socialist government. The benefit taken away by Mariano Rajoy’s PP in 2014 is to be restored effective from January 2019. The cabinet pledge in Madrid came as the capital celebrated LGBTQ+ Pride Month last weekend. "Today the misogyny is over," tweeted Minister for Equality Soledad Murillo. It is just the latest socialist measure Pedro Sanchez's new government has announced following his first month in power. The move could help towards increasing birth rates in Spain, which has one of the lowest in Europe. Last year the total number of births were outnumbered by the death rate which is running at its fastest in almost eight decades.
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Last Monday was the final straw with the cyclists, writes Giles Brown
G
RANTED most Monday mornings can prove to be the last straw, especially when I am running late, again, for my radio show and only on my second coffee of the morning. Three café solos are normally needed to get me even near to a functional level. Having bumped up the track that leads from the Casita to the main road, I was thundering down towards the coast. I broke hard before the first bend, letting
COLUMNISTS
July 18th - July 31st 2018 July 18th - July 31st 2018
Tour de Farce the momentum take Zappa – my trusty Ford Focus – smoothly around, the new tyres doing their job. And there he was. Head to toe in pink Lycra that was unzipped to the navel, sweating profusely with his matted ginger hair sticking out from under his pink helmet, his mouth gulping in air, a stran-
ROAD RAGE: Giles Brown has officially had it
gled cry issuing from his lips, his eyes bulging wildly. A Monday morning cyclist, obviously competing in the Tour de France in his imagination and smack on the wrong side of the road. One of the things about Istan, the nearest pueblo to where I live, it that it is a
dead end village. Having defeated the Moors in the mid-15th century, the Christian rulers decreed that they could not live in sight of the sea. This was to stop them being able to signal to their brethren across the Mediterranean and many were moved to Istan. Since then the village has - the failed Moorish uprising several years later notwithstanding - enjoyed a sleepy existence, evidenced by the fact that the road dwindles from two lanes to, if not one lane, one-and-three quarter lane width and ends in Istan, with a camino rural winding around the back of La Concha to Monda. This makes it a perfect route for cyclists, with considerably less traffic than the Marbella to Ojen road or the Ronda road and means that they don’t have to try the, frankly suicidal, main coast road in summer. The problem starts in summer season, and especially when the Tour de France, Giro de Italia or Vuelta de España are on. It inspires every weekend cyclist to don his (or her) Lycra and have a bash at the Istan road. While I normally try and channel my inner Jack Nicholson’s Joker ‘Why can’t we all get along’, when you get stuck behind yet another arse in Lycra as you try and wind your way home, you can lose the
plot somewhat. If I want to see a sweaty man’s bum gyrating in front of me, then there are several clubs in Torremolinos that cater for such activities. Or so I have been informed. With the planned construction of 30 luxury villas and 200 units starting later this year, it’s going to get even more ‘interesting’, as cement lorries, never the best at leaving space, start trundling up on a daily basis, not to mention the luxury SUVs, normally with Russian or German plates, who have their own ‘challenging’ interpretation of the Highway Code. But back to Monday. I slammed on the brakes, swore profusely, and the cyclist wobbled off with not so much as a sideways glance. “Why the feck are they allowed to practice this sport all the time?” I shouted at my startled passengers, “When I’ve been banned by Trafico for my own hobby of naked street luge?!”
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Thailand cave boys invited to Spain to watch La Liga
CHAMP: Tennis pro
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Rosell’s prison anger
FORMER Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has reportedly signed a deal to become a management consultant at Juventus. The 46-year-old, who left ENEMIES: Rosell his management role at Los Download our appwill now and Blanco’s this summer, team up begin withenjoying ex-Madrid the best Spanish star Cristiano Ronaldo who news on the left Spain to join thego.Italian champions in a €105 million transfer. The move would see Zidane return to Juventus where he won the Serie A twice from 1996-2001 as a player. SPAIN’S football league Reports coming from Spain has invited the rescued suggest that Zidane will take Thai school team to watch a up his new role in October. match once they have made The Olive Press a full recovery. President of La Liga, Javier TOP for news in Spain! Tebas, said he would like to ‘personally invite’ the Wild Boars and their coach to attend a game and watch their ‘heroes in action in person’. "We'd like to host them and share with them the joy football can give, and I hope this gesture can help after the events of the last few weeks," added Tebas. He added that the children, who had undergone 10 days of starvation while trapped MOVE: Zidane in the cave in northern Thailand, are welcome to watch a Spanish game once they have made a full recovery.
SPAIN’S Rafael Nadal has retained his world number one spot despite his semi-final Wimbledon exit. Nadal, who lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic, lost 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, 6-3, 10-8 in a nail-biting semi-final encounter. The 32-year-old Spaniard managed to keep his place at world number ahead rival Roger Federer as he continues to impress this season. Victory at the French Open earlier this year - his 11th to date - helped Nadal bridge a 2,300 ranking point gap. Nadal will now look to increase his ranking points as prepares for the next Grand Slam, the US Open, in August.
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FORMER Barcelona president Sandro Rosell has claimed that he world not be in jail had he not run the club. Rosell is facing trial on charges of corruption for misappropriation of funds from the €57 million sign-
ing of Neymar three years ago. The angered 54-year-old, said: “It is inexplicable and unheard of, I have been on remand in jail for 14 months waiting for a trial. “I am not in prison for being FC Barcelona president but if I hadn't
been then I would not be here. As president I found myself with enemies due to my commitment with the club but I do not know who I did so much harm to." Rosell was arrested in 2017 without bail.
HEROES’ WELCOME
One of the 12 school boys had even been wearing a Real Madrid shirt when he was rescued. It comes after the last members of the team and their coach were successfully rescued from the cave on Tuesday night after a 17day mammoth international rescue mission, involving the Thai Navy Seals. La Liga announced it had asked all clubs to participate in the gesture.
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RESCUED: The Wild Boars before getting trapped
Special Olympics GIBRALTAR has been selected as a landmark to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Special Olympics, it has been announced. Moorish Castle is to turn red in a global display on July 20 alongside cities across Europe and Asia. As part of the celebrations, Special Olympics Gibraltar will also be hosting a black-tie gala dinner in November. Minister for health, Samantha Sacramento, said: “Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar is very honoured to associate itself with the 50th Anniversary of the Special Olympics Movement and very proud to be lighting up the Castle for this very important occasion”. Athletes and supporters will gather at Casemates Square at 9.30 pm on Friday for the evening's proceedings. The Special Olympics was founded in 1968 by John F. Kennedy’s sister, Eunice, to help empower people with disabilities to come together through sporting programmes.
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Unlucky for some
FINAL WORDS
A REPORT has shown many in Spain regard Tuesday 13 unlucky as opposed to Friday 13. Martes translates from Mars who was the Roman God of War.
Thunderbirds! THUNDERBIRD 4 has rocked up in Spain during a 1’800 mile journey. A charity bought along the famous vehicle after travelling across Europe in aid of Alzheimers Research.
Clock off CARLOS Recio has been banned from public service jobs after skipping work every day for ten years. Arriving for work at 7.30am, he would clock on then leave, before returning to work at 4pm to clock off.
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Family loses five passports and money at the top of Gibraltar to an ape named Dracula EXCLUSIVE By Jon Clarke
IT is possibly the last place you would want your handbag grabbed by a monkey. And particularly when it contains your entire family’s passports, not to mention holiday spending money. But this is what happened to one unfortunate British family when they took a trip to the newly-installed Skywalk in Gibraltar last week. Having made their way up to the top of the Rock they came face to face with one of the enclave’s cheekiest monkeys, appropriately named Dracula. As they made their way along the death-defying glass installation, the aggressive As
CHEEKY MONKEY quick as a flash he climbed down below the see-through glass walkway and proceeded to empty it out, throwing all five of the family’s passports and around 100 euros out of the bag. “There was literally nothing they could do,” explained staff member NAME. They could only watch as their documents got scattered on the nearly vertical slope and the money blew away. “There was no way they could go down and get them and they had to go to the police station to report them missing. It took a shine off their day trip from Marbella,” he added. “That Dracula is a really evil one and was only after food. As soon as he realised there wasn’t any he ran off.” This week the Olive Press managed to track down
NAUGHTY: Dracula
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Dracula, who looked entirely unperturbed by his actions. Two of the passports could still be easily seen. “They were just lucky that the father had kept the hire car keys in his pocket or they wouldn’t have even got back to their hotel that night,” added Shaun Williams. Last year, the Olive Press reported how a British tourist had filed a sexual assault claim against a Gibraltar monkey at the local police station, only to be told there was no law against it. She was furious after police allegedly asked her if she expected them to arrange a line up to pick out the guilty ape.
THIS is the second snake to be captured by terrified homeowners in Malaga this month. It came after an alarmed family came home to find it on their patio on Calle Subida San Cristobal. In a video shared by the Policia Nacional, one plucky office grabs the serpent, measuring more than a metre in length, and puts it into a plastic bag. It was released into its natural habitat in the fields nearby. Another snake was found sleeping in a baby’s pram, last week, also in Malaga.
Special delivery A WOMAN has given birth in a Madrid street while temperatures to 30 degrees. Two Police officers assisted the 34-year-old who had already gone into labour on Saturday afternoon. Neighbours called the emergency services after hearing the mother screaming for help. An ambulance arrived to find her holding the newborn baby, with the umbilical cord still attached. Paramedics managed to stabilise the mother and baby in the street, before they were sent to the Gregorio Maranon Hospital in Madrid.
The presidential tour IT was the very epitome of a cultural Spanish tour. A day in the Prado, a day in the Reina Sofia looking at Picasso’s famous Guernica and Velazquez’ Las Meninas, and then a night watching flamenco. Add in meetings with the country’s most famous actress Penelope Cruz and film director Pedro Almodovar, not to mention the king AND prime minister, and you’ve scored the perfect ten. That was all part of the two-week sojourn the Obama family have been taking in Spain this July. The former US president was joined by wife Michelle and daughters Malia, 20, and Sacha, 17, for much of the tour, which also took in a climate change conference in Portugal and a leadership event in Madrid. His Spanish-speaking daughters have taken a number of trips to Spain over recent years, including holidays in Mallorca, as well as Marbella and Ronda. This time, they saw a lot of the capital, after attending the wedding of tech tycoon Elon Musk’s brother in Girona.
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WHAT A VIEW: Leaders with Guernica
BUDDIES: Obama meets King In particular, they had a private tour of the Reina Sofia museum by King Felipe, where they took in various Picasso and Dali paintings, before spending a couple of hours the next day at the Prado. The following night, then headed to El Pardo, a village near the capital, where they watched flamenco star Pitingo, alongside Spanish icons Penelope Cruz and Pedro Almodovar. Oscar-winner Cruz shared a snap of herself with Michelle and Pedro on Instagram, saying: “What a pleasure and honor it has been for Pedro and I to meet the most inspiring couple.” Also in attendance was close friend, former US ambassador to Spain James Costos, with whom they later travelled to Mallorca for a few days of R&R. A Marbella businessman, who met the famous family in Portugal, told the Olive Press how working with former US president Barack Obama has been a ‘real honour’. Pancho Campo helped to organize Obama’s appearance at the Climate Change Leadership Summit in Porto, two weeks ago. “Yes we can, yes we did,” he explained. “It was a great opportunity for me and my company.”