Gibraltar Olive Press - Issue 114

OLIVE PRESS

to safety from the water?

It seems me to to have been a January 22th - February 4th 2020 terrible tragic acCheck out our cident; issues if but online at t h e r e h a v e www.theolivepress.es 103 b e e n Readers react to the news that Gibraltar opening p r o b Malaga streets are banned from Issue 113 lems with to noise the pool new bars and restaurants due OLIVE 10) then they PRESS complaints (Online, January should be Stoic sacrifice FINALLY! exposed.

B u t LEAVERS: Trio big city life please, in Spain heart of the Brits the of in live who is this I never understand people If you want to certainly city, wanting perfect peace and quiet.

Otherwise just untime a live in silence move to the campo!

Dear Olive Press, least it’s not 300 when a many reports about why derstand you are a city dweller. At I have read and watched down the streets. in, Issue 334). warning years ago, with raw sewage running this tragedy occurred (Diving every should pool in Benahavis Alex Brown, Malaga a political our communal essentially, as I swim in sees the EU, our7).communiof pg go out to 952 147 834 Rose Moore The as president andproud, Mallorca year and the Issue 325,that of is day pool the (Leave those ensure all to dictatorship Issue 71 are 28 sovereign states, ty have the responsibility Fine balance w h o reality is the opposite. There chose to become three years. safe. voluntarilythe temperature UK, which I lived above a bar in Brussels for come on including theat of year thatwater OLIVE time believes the UK would pool this a pair of ear plugs HoweverSteve Dunne PRESS holiday Sometimes it got a bit much, but associated. to and on Christmas Eve our to 11°C and cafes is now down terms. Not so. I’m not going cold. on WTO to Spain, fair better helped. Cities are not JUST for bars and – this is still,byexceptionally SWORN IN quoting chapter was at 13°C out because water at in the your letters page that just to swimming weigh down though, and when you drive residents looks intogoing persons used that Steve into Only those a dead city.

I recommendshould contemplate because verse, buttemperatures That Trump of noise and overcrowding, you get knows. that he warmer, these industryactually and if you look the council are we have specifics of– any EU-free UKinshould the sea is Balance. Careful planning. I think a pool deal with an the sea at to get a tradeof a bright swimming is trying people trade deals trying to do that and should be supported. know: Trump’s temat the numbers want to realise the sea evenspeaks sunny day that tell you all youyou for will Heath Savage, Galicia Mahler Brent Christmas person.

Finally, to the average – the wahave US-first labels. force into are not enjoyable wary of an EU armed peratures jumping of UK citizens ter tema number ideasshock that can occur to anyone these are rest The reaction a it give serious closer union. However, Caña cause peratures will and an ever am I that temperature not EU policy. and restaurants. water ofspecific people and in clothes and wearing in swimMalaga is now swamped with bars floated by years of prowho jumped40-plus 952 147 834 Blanca Costa products now and anyone at the insidious the water out of their m i n g more worried Hardly any shops that sell everyday thembyinto the Mail, Telegraph, shoes who followed Issue 21 difficulty restored is desthe EEC/EU pools, unpaganda against opinion, be in serious did exist. Almost every building being in my wouldand, depth Times of course, The Sun. What anof electric less heatExpress,quickly. so has to OLIVE tined for holiday lets. Add in the hundreds why he was very say when he was asked but the question PRESS difficult to walk the ed, are Murdochwas I go intoof cold occurrence “When a tragic scooters and segways making it lines of:these ThisSomething along theused degrees has been to to the certainly ti-EU? asked EU.” The they – were SWORN IN narrow streets, and you see how everything be say: when I go what Icompetent do were the family in the not what No. 10 theyJust how water? is that sacrificed for tourism. have any he had to ask for an appointment! you would implication Were they clothed? and did they Andrew Birch, Malaga water? to get someone ever see of lifesaving techniques knowledge in a UK s w i m by emailing letters@ Press? Have your say on the matter Olive week’s m i n g this @olivepress in Twitter interest or r Has anything piqued your on at www.facebook.com/OlivePressNewspape pool. theolivepress.es or message us was GUIDE I brought up in the N o r t h East of England where our outdoor pool was on the beach at Tynemouth and the w a t e r temp was 10°C at the annual opening of the in pool Easter to a maximum of 16°C in the summer. The sea temperature wo u l d never rise above 17°C. These are very different to the levels that we experience here.

John Stephenson, Benahavis

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Vol. 5, Issue 113 www.theolivepress.es January 8th - January 21st 2020

The nearly man becomes the Main Man, as Pedro Sanchez forms a government in Spain after a turbulent two year wait

SERIOUS: Fabian Picardo GIBRALTAR will ‘make a success’ of tough ‘challenges’ in 2020, the Chief Minister has said.

In his New Year’s speech Fabian Picardo mentioned details of a major investment to be announced in the next couple of weeks Picardo said everyone must work together with ‘stoic sacrifice’ by asking for less ‘to secure our children’s future’.

He noted the ‘critical importance’ of the MoUs and Tax Treaty which allowed Gibraltar to take part in the transition period.

Picardo highlighted the ‘dangers and opportunities’ of leaving the EU, pointing out the agreement of a UK common that was a ‘Brexit Bonus’.

Respect

However, the Chief Minister promised to remain firm in agreements over future relations with the EU after the expected final departure date of the end of 2020.

“Any negotiation for Gibraltar for such a deal will be conducted for Gibraltar by a team led by me or by Joseph Garcia,” he said.

“Such negotiations must be based on mutual recognition, mutual respect and an understanding that nothing can ever be imposed on Gibraltar.

“The Government I lead is willing to walk away if the terms proposed do not favour Gibraltar or respect our red lines.”

This would mean Gibraltar could opt out of a deal which gave other countries like Spain a greater say on the future of the overseas territory.

After congratulating Pedro Sanchez on forming a coalition government, Picardo will have breathed a huge sigh of relief he would not be up against a more right-wing Spain.

RELIEVED: Pedro Sanchez after the vote

PEDRO Sanchez has become Spain's official prime minister after winning a second vote of confidence yesterday.

The PSOE leader will govern the country for the next four years, after an agonizing two-year wait and three general elections.

Acting prime minister Sanchez, 47, from Madrid, was forced to recall MPs to sit for the first time over the weekend to confirm his victory.

It was his second attempt at an investiture vote since the PSOE won the most seats in December's general election, but failed to win an overall majority. The vote saw MPs in Spain's congress vote either 'yes' or 'no' to Sanchez's proposed left-wing coalition government, propped up by Pablo Iglesias's Podemos party and a host of other parties.

After a heated afternoon session, he won a knifeedge victory of 167 votes against 165, while 18 MPs, the majority from Catalunya, abstained.

It means Sanchez will preside over the first coalition government in Spain since 1977 after the death of dictator Franco.

The PSOE is propped up by MPs from Unidos Podemos, PNV, Más País, Compromís, Galego

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OVERWHELMED: Podemos’ Pablo Iglesias in tears after the coalition victory

Nationalist Block, Teruel Existe and Nueva Canarias.

It was no surprise who voted against the leftwing coalition, with 165 MPs from the Partido Popular, Vox, Ciudadanos, Junts per Catalunya, Navarra Suma and others saying 'no'.

The left erupted into applause, with some shedding tears, when it was revealed that Sanchez had clinched the vote.

Representatives screamed 'si, se puede!' while Sanchez hugged Iglesias, who was photographed in tears. Spain’s most recent election was the fourth in as many years as the country failed to form a cohesive government.

“It’s great news for Spain,” leading expat Hispanist, Sir Ian Gibson told the Olive Press.

“There are going to be lots of compromises, but also solutions.”

He added: “Sanchez is an amazing man and it’s remarkable to think he stuck it out after being kicked out of his own party and then came fighting back.

“He has the qualities of a true statesman and speaks very well. He will be a great asset for Europe.”

Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo also sent a letter of congratulation to Sanchez on being re-elected, after ‘a tortuous and fractious debate’.

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In his letter, he referred to the two men’s shared desire to look beyond ‘the eternal issue’ of sovereignty and he extended the hand of friendship on behalf of the people of Gibraltar.

He also offered his support for the promotion of ‘policies based on the principle of dialogue, understanding and co-operation between our respective people’.

Key to Sanchez’s victory was the abstention of the pro-independence Catalan Republican Left party (ERC), which agreed to sit out the vote after Sanchez vowed to find a solution to the political conflict that has dogged Spain since Catalunya’s separatist regional government tried to secede in 2017.

The government’s opponents argue Sanchez’ ‘Frankenstein government’ will be too beholden to Catalan separatists and pose a threat to Spain’s national unity.

While Sanchez appealed for calm, and called on MPs to overcome the ‘atmosphere of irritation’, his adversaries went on the offensive.

PP leader Pablo Casado, accused him of being an ‘extremist’ who had left the country’s future in the hands of ‘terrorists and coup-mongers’.

In a tweet sent after the vote, Sanchez wrote: “Spain is entering a time for defending dialogue and useful politics. A government for all people that restores co-existence and fights for social justice.

Today is the dawn of a time of moderation, progress and hope.”

Spain’s new coalition is expected to See page 23 roll out a policy of raising income tax for people in Spain who earn more than €130,000.

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UK ‘failing’ abused kids

The nearly man becomes the Main Man, as Pedro Sanchez forms a government in Spain after a turbulent two year wait

Shocking

offenders ‘figure It found that UK of sex crimes highly’ in the numbers abroad. against British children report, from March According to the 0.2% of the 31, 2018, only around sex offenders in 58,637 registered had their forEngland and Wales eign travel restricted. disclosure and barIt says that the inconsisring service is ‘confusing, of reform’. tent and in need suspected child sex A shocking 361 recorded between abuse cases werealone. In 2018, in 2013 and 2017 five Brits were Spain alone, around sex offences, accordarrested for child Foreign & Commoning to data by the to five more Brits in wealth Office. Up child porn chargSpain were held foralthough the exact es in the same year, figures are not given.

SEALED: Handshake from King confirms Sanchez as leader

support for the also offered his based on the party and a He promotion of ‘policiesunderstanding Pablo Iglesias’s Podemos are going to be parties. principle of dialogue, our rePress: “While there there will also host of other MPs, the majority and co-operation between and painless. The It helped that 18abstained.

“QUICK, simple King Felipe told lots of compromises, Catalunya, over spective people’. victory was the abbe solutions.” who has from pain comes later,” to Sanchez’s Sanchez will preside Minister Pedro San- The Madrid-based writer, add- It means coalition government in Key the pro-independence incoming Prime in ceremony yes- lived in Spain for half a century, of stention of the first ERC, after Sanchez at a swearing He’s an amazing Spain since 1977 after the death Catalan party, the a solution to the ed: “I’m delighted. think he terday. vowed to find Franco. will certainly hope it’s remarkable to Podemos, chez dogged Spain since The PSOE leader endure an agoniz- man and after being kicked out of dictator conflict that has coalition, includes not, having had to and three general stuck it out and then fighting back. The Más País, Compromís, Galego Catalunya’s separatist government his own party states- PNV, ing two year wait far.

Teruel Existe and tried to secede in 2017. been caught after qualities of a true argue Nationalist Block, A THIEF has behind at a crime elections to get thisrecent attempt at “He has the well. government’s opponents Nueva Canarias. leaving his shoes government’ man and speaks very included the The It was his second the Socialists The parties opposingJunts per Cata- Sanchez’ ‘Frankenstein scene. to Catalan sepaan investiture since in December’s a resident of Palwill be too beholden Spain’s PP, Vox, Ciudadanos, It happened after in his garage an won the most seats Frankenstein pose a threat to CasaNavarra Suma. but failed to win the ratists and ma heard rumbling for Europe,” lunya and general election, to investigate he unity. PP leader Pablo recent election was will be a great asset – when he went in a pile by the has penned Spain’s mostmany years as the country national being an ‘extremoverall majority. pulled out all the He the Hispanist, who do accused him of future fourth in as found his valuables And Sanchez, 47, heads at a mam- added on Spain. taken. had left the country’s a cohesive government. numerous books door ready to be also found a pair of Fabian ist’ whohands of ‘terrorists and coupZarzuela failed to form stops as he cracked session in Sanchez was sworn in at vote of Gibraltar’s Chief Minister in the Mysteriously, he of congratula- mongers’. next to them. moth two-day weekend to he finally won Palace after winning a second Picardo sent a letter someone else's shoesand arrived to coalition is expectedtax Madrid, after which on being re-elected, confidence. votes tion to Sanchez and fractious de- Spain’s new Police were calledSpaniard on the raising income the vote by two seats. it is ‘great MPs voted by a knife-edge 167 roll out a policy of who earn more find a barefoot left-wing after ‘a tortuous After years of instability, for people in Spain insisted one of the to 165 to support Sanchez’s street nearby. was already known propped up by bate’. news for Spain’ 15:36 than €130,000. sent a message that 16/06/2017 coalition government, The 26-year-old best known1expats. and has now country’s Untitled-1.pdf told the Olive Sanchez has als0 for similar break-ins is a priority Irish author Ian Gibson economic management by keeping been charged. in his new government, (left) in the on Maria Jesus Montero Treasury. sign of loyalty, However, in a furtherher the new pohe has also awarded of the Coalisition of ‘spokesperson UK BASED C tion Executive’.

M Opinion Page 6

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Vol. 1 Issue 21 www.theolivepress.es

January 9th - January 22nd 2020

EXCLUSIVE

By Joshua Parfitt

ONE of the world’s leading experts on swimming pool deaths has flown to Spain to investigate the tragic drownings of three British citizens on Christmas Eve. Allen Wilson, a health and safety expert who has worked on numerous drowning cases around Europe, arrived on the Costa del Sol yesterday.

He told the Olive Press last night he believed the pool, where British tourists Gabriel Diya, 52 Comfort Diya, nine, and Praise-Emmanuel Diya, 16, died on Christmas Eve, was ‘hazardous’.

He insisted the Club La Costa World (CLC) resort in Fuengirola - which he is set to visit this week - was ‘most likely to blame’ for the shock deaths of the trio.

Vacuum

Wilson claimed the pool’s design with just one floor ‘outlet’ – instead of two – could have created an ‘excessive suction vacuum’ and dragged them under water.

It flies in the face of the Guardia Civil’s official investigation, which concluded the three died as a result of their ‘inability to swim’.

Their controversial report was thrown into jeopardy, however, when mother and wife Olubunmi Diya insisted all three could swim.

Her lawyer, Fuengirola-based Javier Toro, later insisted daughter Comfort had even taken lessons a ‘week before the holiday’.

Toro told the Olive Press this week that ‘many lines of investigation remained open’.

Wilson, however, went further to claim the report done by the police was a ‘cover up’ to protect the Spanish tourist industry, the resort and the tour operators.

“It stinks,” Wilson, who has worked for leading European tour operators Continues on Page 4

EXPERT: Allen Wilson

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The nearly man becomes the Main Man, as Pedro Sanchez forms a government in Spain after a turbulent two year wait

“QUICK, simple and painless. The pain comes later,” King Felipe told incoming Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez at a swearing in ceremony yesterday.

The PSOE leader will certainly hope not, having had to endure an agonizing two year wait and three general elections to get this far.

It was his second recent attempt at an investiture since the Socialists won the most seats in December’s general election, but failed to win an overall majority.

And Sanchez, 47, pulled out all the stops as he cracked heads at a mammoth two-day weekend session in Madrid, after which he finally won the vote by two seats.

After years of instability, it is ‘great news for Spain’ insisted one of the country’s best known expats.

Irish author Ian Gibson told the Olive

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to the I brought seven animals back pg UK (a dog is for life, Issue 334, That 10). Two dogs and five cats. have was ten years ago now. I still cats. the two dogs and two of the They’re now all 14 years old. There’s no way I would have left them.

Wales Hargreaves, Susan

from Catalunya, abstained.

It means Sanchez will preside over the first coalition government in Spain since 1977 after the death of dictator Franco.

The coalition, includes Podemos, PNV, Más País, Compromís, Galego Nationalist Block, Teruel Existe and Nueva Canarias.

The parties opposing included the PP, Vox, Ciudadanos, Junts per Catalunya and Navarra Suma.

Spain’s most recent election was the fourth in as many years as the country failed to form a cohesive government.

Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo sent a letter of congratulation to Sanchez on being re-elected, after ‘a tortuous and fractious debate’.

He also offered his support for the promotion of ‘policies based on the principle of dialogue, understanding

and co-operation between our respective people’.

Key to Sanchez’s victory was the abstention of the pro-independence Catalan party, the ERC, after Sanchez vowed to find a solution to the conflict that has dogged Spain since Catalunya’s separatist government tried to secede in 2017.

The government’s opponents argue Sanchez’ ‘Frankenstein government’ will be too beholden to Catalan separatists and pose a threat to Spain’s national unity. PP leader Pablo Casado accused him of being an ‘extremist’ who had left the country’s future in the hands of ‘terrorists and coup-mongers’.

Spain’s new coalition is expected to roll out a policy of raising income tax for people in Spain who earn more than €130,000.

Opinion Page 6

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Not pedantic

want I mention this only because you may (Air to correct it, if indeed you concede is heads, Issue 334, pg 10), 95 klms square klms. a vast area. I suspect it was 95 square than I’m not being pedantic, it’s much more a Freudian slip. I do enjoy your crossword, is not why don’t you do a cryptic one. ThisOthers worthy of print, just a friendly note. will notice.

William Carr, Malaga

The Rock’s only free local paper ryanair model

profits?

Why can’t these airlines make Govern(Airline Flybe saved by British Online, ment deal that includes tax break, look at January 14) Perhaps they should the dreaded Ryanair model.

Neil Hollow, Fuente de Piedra

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Good health

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Vol. 13 Issue 309

January 22th - February 4th 2020

agua del grief-o

drugpushing bloggers pharmaceutical SPAIN’s watchdog has issued a warning over social media influencers pushing dodgy health products.

The CGCF (General Council of Physiotherapist Associations of Spain) has filed a complaint with the Spanish Health Ministry about people promoting medicinal treatments for beauty conditions without proper knowledge or training.

According to Spanish law, such medical promotion is banned and advertising is strictly monitored by industry professionals.

However Spanish social media ‘stars’ have been advocating the use of certain creams, wipes and tablets in order to help with cosmetic issues, unaware of some of the potential health risks that indiscriminate use can cause.

Pharmacist Guillermo Martin Melgar first noticed the problem when a certain brand of prescription facial wipe was suddenly selling out, only to find it was being recommended by a popular Youtube channel as a treatment for acne.

safe to drink, a After decades of believing it was may not be new study finds Spain’s tap water SPAIN’s tap water is one of the dodgiest to drink in Europe.

A major Barcelona study has found it carries the fourth highest risk for bladder cancer on the continent.

Findings suggest that longterm exposure to a group of chemicals in tap water called trihalomethanes may be the cause for one in 20 cases of bladder cancer in Europe each year. Scientists from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) analysed the tap water of all 28 EU countries except Bulgaria and Romania between 2005 and 2018.

At 10.9%, Spain’s tap water came out with the fourth

highest levels of THMs on the continent - behind only Cyprus with 23.2%, Malta with 17.9% and Ireland’s Liffey water coming a surprising third from bottom with 17.2%.

At the opposite end of the H2O horror list, Denmark’s water was the purest, with a

THM count of less than 0.1%, followed by the Netherlands ( 0.1%) and Germany (0.2%).

The scientists also concluded that showering and bathing can also trigger the disease, allowing the chemicals to enter the body via the pores of the skin.

compared odds of being overweight or obesevarieties. with their peers who drank lower-fatmilk causes It has been speculated that whole snacking. reduces are less children to feel fuller, which the results of 28 studCHIlDREN who drink full-fat milk those given The research combined across seven countries, likely to be overweight than ies that were conducted correlation between skimmed or semi-skimmed.

American which had explored the The findings were published in The found that children drinking cow’s milk and the risk of Journal of Clinical Nutrition and they40% lower being overweight. had milk whole drank children who

Milk matters

Across 7 Perch (5) 8 Hug (7) 10 Poorly matched (7) 11 Infectious agent (5) 12 Shout of discovery (6) 14 Mistake (4-2) 17 Showy and cheap (6)

e to OM! Our guidyoga Spain’s bestPage 17 breaks SEE

Yoga retreats, man checks and 12 easy to follow resolutions All in our health supplement inside

19 Hue (6) 21 Mistaken (5) 23 Small bag (7) 24 Cap attachment (7) 25 Fertile area in a desert (5) Down 1 Altercation (8) 2 D-i-y beer (4-4) 3 Hit (6) 4 Exchange for money (4) 5 Two identical things (4) 6 Military dining room (4) 9 Chamfer (5) 13 Some (3) 14 Not sweet (3) 15 Foretell (8) 16 Render immobile (8) 18 Majestic (5) 20 Choice (6) 21 Small songbird (4) 22 Rowing levers (4) 23 Drinks slowly (4)

Vol. 5, Issue 114 www.theolivepress.es January 22th - February 4th 2020

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SEALED: Handshake from King confirms Sanchez as leader

Press: “While there are going to be lots of compromises, there will also be solutions.”

The Madrid-based writer, who has lived in Spain for half a century, added: “I’m delighted. He’s an amazing man and it’s remarkable to think he stuck it out after being kicked out of his own party and then fighting back.

“He has the qualities of a true statesman and speaks very well. He will be a great asset for Europe,” added the Hispanist, who has penned numerous books on Spain.

Sanchez was sworn in at Zarzuela Palace after winning a second vote of confidence.

MPs voted by a knife-edge 167 votes to 165 to support Sanchez’s left-wing coalition government, propped up by Pablo Iglesias’s Podemos party and a host of other parties.

It helped that 18 MPs, the majority

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British children THE UK is failing paedophiles overseas, as numerous to travel overseas are being allowed a new report to commit sex crimes, has found. sex offenders Dozens of dangerous to live around Euare being allowed like Spain. rope, many in countries report, released In the hard hitting expats have reyesterday, Britishassistance numerquested consularchild sex and child ous times over a pornography offences. been released in The findings have the Truth Project, 74-page report by Britain’s in-depth which is part of into Child SexIndependent Inquiry ual Abuse.

ll about

your We will be thinking about you and thought, family at this sad time (Paws for him terIssue 334, pg 30). You will all miss ribly.

Kenda Robson, Edinburgh

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LETTERS

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Gibraltar faces UK resistance to create a free-flowing frontier deal with Spain

By John Culatto

TRAGIC: Brit Paul Aust died in house fire EXCLUSIVE

By Dimitris Kouimtsidis

A BRITISH expat who died in a fire on the Costa del Sol was locked in his home from the inside.

Paul Aust, 50, died after a mystery blaze engulfed the apartment he shared with his partner of 20 years, in upmarket Alcaidesa, on December 30.

The Olive Press understands police are probing the circumstances behind the death, which came just hours after he had rowed with his partner Ben Lake.

According to the next door neighbour, Lake, in his 40s, sat in the back garden while the fire took hold.

“I watched him sitting in the garden as smoke poured out the windows,” said the Irish expat neighbour, who asked not to be named.

“He seemed not entirely there, like he was in shock or something. When I went down and asked him directly if he needed help, he just ignored me,” he added.

Other neighbours backed up the claims that the pair had had a serious row just two hours before the 2am blaze.

“We were woken up by a series of shouts and doors slamming soon after midnight,” said a Spanish woman, who lived upstairs.

“Then less than two hours later we Continues on Page 2

A PROPOSAL for Gibraltarians to cross into Spain post-Brexit without a passport has been firmly knocked back by the UK. The plan to enter the Schengen agreement - despite leaving the EU - would also allow an estimated 10,000 Spaniards to enter Gibraltar every morning without unnecessary delays.

However, the free movement scheme hatched by Chief Minister Fabian Picardo was scotched this week by Boris Johnson’s government.

“After we leave, the UK will be negotiating the future relationship with the EU on behalf of the whole UK family, including Gibraltar,” insisted a spokesman.

Protected

“Working closely together, the UK and Gibraltar Governments have always supported arrangements at the border with Spain which promote fluidity and shared prosperity in the region,” he added.

“The UK, including Gibraltar, is not part of the borderless Schengen zone.”

It came after Picardo spoke on Monday as the Government read the Withdrawal from the EU Bill, which will come into force on January 31.

“We have to hold our noses and vote for an orderly Brexit,” he told Gibraltar’s Parliament.

“It is important we distinguish be-

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FRONTIER: Picardo’s freedom of movement plan batted away by Westminster Brexiteers

tween joining Schengen and freedom of movement under Schengen,” he added.

“On January 31 we will ensure Gibraltar’s interests are protected.

“As the UK will always be European, we will always be British.”

His deputy Joseph Garcia clarified later that the socalled ‘MoUs’ agreements could be used to give reciprocated rights for both British and Spanish citizens crossing the border.

However Johnson does not

want to cut any separate frontier arrangements for Northern Ireland, so it is unlikely to happen for Gibraltar, which has even less clout.

Microstates

Curbing freedom of movement is a core issue in the UK’s exit from the EU, with the UK government determined to lower immigration from the EU. Picardo insisted that his proposal was not new.

“We talked about this issue before Brexit... about Gibraltar becoming part of the Schengen zone,” he told AFP news agency last week.

“If you look at other microstates in Europe, they take the benefit of

common travel areas with Schengen, even if they’re not entirely part of the Schengen information system,” he said.

Liechtenstein is one such tiny state, which is in Schengen but not in the EU. “There is the ability to move fluidly between the territories of the EU and these microstates,” he added.

“All of these things will be considered in the context of the negotiations going forward.”

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Like father like son FOLLOWING the nearly 50 arrests in a Morocco-to-Gibraltar people smuggling ring, father and son, Ahmed Salam and Hamza Salam have been extradited for human trafficking offences.

Rough justice A 16 YEAR-OLD Moroccan boy, who is waiting for documentation, has been detained on the Rock since October, it has been revealed and is to be behind bars for another week.

Cap on the wrist NOTORIOUS killer Westley Capper has been spared jail after admitting to the manslaughter of Fatima Dorado in San Pedro in 2016.

Oh Dia! A CRIMINAL probe has been launched into alleged account-fiddling at supermarket Dia after the retail giant’s former CEO, Ricardo Curras is suspected of helping inflate pre-tax profits.

The Gib connection Smuggling route from Morocco to Spain via Gibraltar brought to an end in joint police operation

NEARLY 50 people have been arrested after Gibraltar and Spanish police smashed a migrant smuggling ring that operated through the Rock. Over 200 Policia Nacional agents worked with the Royal Gibraltar Police through Europol in an operation that spanned Spain and Europe. Five vehicles as well as 12 mobile phones and €19,000 in cash were seized after a number of searches both in Gibraltar and the Campo area. A total of 44 people were arrested in Spain, with three more detained in Gibraltar on European Arrest Warrants.

The people smugglers were believed to have made up to €1million from the scheme, charging each migrant up to €8,000 to bring them into Europe. The alarm was first raised in 2018 after the RGP noticed an unusually large number of people entering Gibraltar with UK short-stay visas. Following further investigation, it was revealed that Moroccans from Casablanca and Tangier had their documents fraudulently arranged by the ring.

They were then provided with flights and accommodation in Gibraltar, being instructed to

Dawn raid

A SUSPECTED cocaine dealer has been busted in a morning raid by the Drugs Squad on a flat in Laguna Estate.

Dylan Trinidad, 23, was arrested for having class A and B drugs at Landport House of over £1,000 in value on January 20 at 7am.

A total of 15 wrappers containing cocaine, a

No way, Jose!

FABIAN Picardo has given a fiery response to a Spanish police chief who claimed Gibraltar is not doing enough to fight tobacco smuggling.

The Chief Minister turned the tables, insisting that the problem was due to Spanish penalties and rules being ‘unhelpfully relaxed’.

It followed claims by former

SINGLE IMPLANT

meet with local contacts. Under cover of night when it was difficult to identify them, they were driven into Spain via the frontier. After a night in La Linea at hostels or the ringleaders’ homes they were then given coach tickets to different parts of Spain. Drivers, taxi-drivers and other members of the criminal group helped move around the migrants at a cost of up to €200 each. The ring, which also smuggled tobacco, proved resourceful in evading police for some time, bringing around 130 Moroccans into the EU.

20g piece of cannabis and MDMA weighing 1.8g were seized.

After being taken to New Mole House Police Station, Trinidad was charged with three counts of possession of drugs and possession with intent to supply the cocaine.

The man pleaded guilty to the charges at the Magistrates Court on January 21.

However, he said the quantity of cocaine was in fact 9g and not 15g, for which the case was adjourned until February.

head of the Guardia Civil, Jesus Nunez, that Gibraltar was ‘not cooperating’ on tobacco smuggling.

“I am very disappointed that Mr Nunez has failed to understand the reality of the work being done in Gibraltar to stop tobacco smugglers,” the Chief Minister added.

January 22th - February 4th 2020 From Page 1

tigious Rock Hotel.

They certainly appeared to have had a tempestuous relationship with neighbours frequently hearing them arguing.

“It was an almost everyday thing,” said the Irish neighbour. When the Olive Press located boyfriend Lake, back in England this week, he insisted the fire was an accident caused by a cigarette butt and Paul was ‘never trapped’.

He insisted the pair had exited the house ‘at the same time’, while he fought the fire with a hose from the garden and shouted for the dog.

“Paul and I were both out in the garden together while the fire department fought the blaze.

He was then taken to the ambulance.”

A family friend of Aust said his family in Bath were ‘inconsolable’.

were woken by a huge fire coming from their apartment.

“We were told that it is lucky we got out as the smoke could have killed us too,” she added.

Neighbours called urbanisation security who were unable to break down the front door of the house due to its four locks.

One neighbour told the Olive Press that he had also called the fire brigade who arrived 20 minutes later and rescued both men along with their dog. Aust was seen in his underpants getting into an ambulance a few minutes later.

“I didn’t see a single burn mark on his body, he was a tall man wearing only his boxers and there wasn’t a single mark on him,” said one.

He was proclaimed dead just a few hours later, allegedly of a heart attack.

The pair, who had first arrived in Spain five years ago, lived in Frigiliana and ran a sandwich bar in Nerja.

They moved to Alcaidesa four years ago, when Aust allegedly landed a job at Gibraltar’s presHEARTBROKEN: Ben Lake

Name and shame

LANDLORDS and security firms who evict tenants without court orders in Gibraltar will be named and shamed.

The gauntlet has been laid down by social justice group Action for Housing after a mother and baby were almost kicked out onto the street.

In the incident, Action for

IMPLANT BRIDGE

Housing sent a lawyer to the scene just in time to prevent the family being removed from the home. They were unable to pay their rent because the main breadwinner was on a zero-hours contract. Henry Pinna, former ombudsman, now leading Action for Housing, called it a ‘deplorable and

shameful incident’.

He insisted that while the group would have respected a court order, for the landlord to have ‘taken the law into his own hands’ was not acceptable.

The group is now looking for alternative accommodation for the family as the landlord has filed a court order.

IMPLANT DENTURE

NEWS

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LET’s Go Mad

Woke joke OSCAR nominee Antonio Banderas has bizarrely been labelled a ‘man of colour’ ahead of the prestigious Hollywood awards.

While the Malaga-born star is olive-skinned, the people of colour (POC) category is usually reserved for black, Asian and Latin Americans.

Several US media outlets have been slammed for wrongly categorizing the 59-year-old.

He is nominated as best actor for his role as film director Salvador Mallo in Pedro Almodovar’s Dolor y Gloria, which is also up for Best Foreign Film.

It comes as Academy Awards judges have again been criticised for nominees’ lack of diversity, with only one actor out of 20 Oscar-hopefuls being non-white (Harriet actress Cynthia Erivo).

January 22th - February 4th 2020

3

From power pop to underground electro, Mad Cool Festival has music for all tastes TAYLOR Swift and Kings of Leon are among a long lineup of international artists taking to the Mad Cool Festival stage this summer.

Other headliners at the Madrid bash include Billie Eilish, Khalid, The Killers, Twenty One Pilots and the Pixies.

The event taking place from July 8 to 11 also features numerous British acts, including Indie rock band Wolf Alice, former Pulp guitarist Richard Hawley, soul singer Tom Misch, Charli XCX, Foals, Alt-J, The Struts and Jamie Cullum.

In addition, there will also be some famous Spanish acts performing, including all-girl band Hinds who are huge in the UK. The festival was first launched in 2016 with music legends like The Who and Neil Young performing and is already one of the biggest in Europe.

Last year’s festival attracted more than 186,000 music fans.

The acts are drawn from a wide mix of music genres such as rock, indie, pop, hip

DIVERSE: From Kings of Leon to Billie Eilish, Khalid and Killers (bottom)

hop and underground electronic music, catering for different types of audiences.

Four day tickets have already sold out, but three day tickets are still available.

Bail of a time

PUT on your baggy trousers, because legendary British band Madness are coming to Spain.

The London ska outfit are jetting to Murcia for a gig at the city’s Plaza de Toros on June 26.

Led by frontman Suggs, the group, which formed in 1976, are emblematic of Britain’s iconic two-tone era.

Madness had 15 singles in the UK Top Ten, with House of Fun being their only UK number one.

They also won an Ivor Novello Award in 2000 from the British Academy of Song-

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MADONNA has cancelled another show of her Madame X world tour due to an unspecified injury.

The 61-year-old pulled out from a Lisbon performance just 45 minutes before she was due to go onstage.

The Queen of Pop told fans she needed to ‘listen to her body’, although she didn’t specify what her ailment was.

It comes after Madonna told an audience in San Francisco she was suffering from a ‘torn ligament’ and ‘a bad knee’.

Madonna is currently on the European leg of her tour, which was meant to have 93 dates, but has now been reduced to 85.

They call it Madness

SURREAL British comic Bill Bailey is bringing his unique blend of abstract humour and musical wizardry to the Costa del Sol. He will perform in Torremolinos as part of his European tour, Larks in Transit, which is a healthy mix of travel stories and anecdotes from his 20 years as a comedian The Never Mind the Buzzcocks regular, 55, is well known for fusing musical performances into his stand up routines and regularly gets the crowd to join in.

He will also be performing on March 2 in Madrid and March 3 in Barcelona, before performing in Torremolinos on March 5.

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Queen of pop flops

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writers, Composers and Authors for their ‘Outstanding Song Collection’.

Tickets have gone on sale and start at €35.

NEWS

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NEWS NEWS IN IN BRIEF BRIEF

Young forces THE Voice of Young People in Gibraltar group has met the Minister for Youth Steven Linares to explore LGBTQ+ provisions and changing the voting age from 18-16 years old.

Facilities available TWO sports halls at the new Bayside and Westside schools are now open for use for use by associations through the Gibraltar Sports and Leisure Authority.

Spring to action IF you think you have what it takes to create a logo for this year’s Spring Festival, you could be in line to win £500 in a competition being run from John Mackintosh Hall.

January 22th - February 4th 2020

Get out of the Dark Ages!

Gibraltar slammed for ‘archaic’ abortion law as activists say it needs to go much further than the UK THE current abortion law in Gibraltar is ‘archaic and out of date’ according to a top UK charity.

The Abortion Support NetTWO child-sized cars were presented to Rainbow Ward at St Bernard’s Hospital so that young patients can drive themselves to theatre.

The presentation by Gedime Motors is aimed at making it ‘a more fun experience than a trip on a hospital trolley’.

work was reacting to the start of the campaign by No More Shame Gibraltar before the March 19 referendum on abortion.

Joy ride The photo shows Louis Posso from Gedime Motors (right), the Minister for Health, Paul Balban (left) and two young patients.

Penning powers BUDDING writers could scoop a £1,000 jackpot in a Spring Festival short story competition being run by the Ministry of Culture in

It followed a tweet by Chief Minister Fabian Picardo urging the public to vote yes for abortions which were performed in a safe and legal way.

“We knew that the abortion law in Gibraltar was bad, but we didn’t realise it was quite that bad,” said Ruth Taylor of ASN. “It is archaic and out of date, not to mention anti-women.

“We believe that abortion is a fundamental legal, and human right.

“Women’s reproductive decisions should be theirs alone to make, and legal systems should enable women to make whatever choice they want and need to make.”

Taylor said that forcing women to travel so they can have an abortion ‘creates a class divide’.

“Those who have resources like money, support and time can access the abortion they want,” said Taylor.

“Those who don’t have those resources don’t access the care they deserve, and should be able to get at home.”

The group has received some enquiries from women in Gi-

CALL FOR CHANGE: From Ruth Taylor braltar about online abortion pills in the past.

Taylor now believes that Gibraltar should go further than the UK bill.

“It’s disappointing that Gibraltar has not taken the chance to leap over the 1967 abortion act,” she said.

“It is a 50-year old law that does not make allowance for changes in medicine and society.

“Instead, they should adopt something more progressive that will better serve women, as was the case in the Isle of Man when the law there changed last year.

“The Isle of Man now has the most progressive abortion legislation in the British Isles.”

Taylor believes that the term Pro-Life is wrong and anti-abortion activists are not acting in the interests of lives of women or children.

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4

Brace yourselves RESIDENTS of Gibraltar have been told to brace themselves for power cuts at peak times.

The Gibraltar Electrical Authority announced that this would be the next stage of the testing of the new natural gas power station.

In one of the final stages of the power station at North Mole becoming fully active, the GEA told the public that the ‘control and automation systems’ will now be commissioned.

Lengthy

“Because we operate in an island mode, with no connection to any other countries’ electrical network, these tests must be carried out on the live grid affecting our customers,” said the GEA. “We understand that our customers might ask why these tests need to be conducted during the daytime, and not at night time when the inconvenience caused by a power outage is considerably less.

“Unfortunately given our unique circumstances, it is during the daytime that we experience our peak power demands, and it is only then that we can fully test our systems.”

After a number of lengthy power cuts over the last few months, the GEA apologised for any inconvenience that would be caused.

Across 7 Perch (5) 8 Hug (7) 10 Poorly matched (7) 11 Infectious agent (5) 12 Shout of discovery (6) 14 Mistake (4-2) 17 Showy and cheap (6) 19 Hue (6) 21 Mistaken (5) 23 Small bag (7) 24 Cap attachment (7) 25 Fertile area in a desert (5) Down 1 Altercation (8) 2 D-i-y beer (4-4) 3 Hit (6) 4 Exchange for money (4) 5 Two identical things (4) 6 Military dining room (4) 9 Chamfer (5) 13 Some (3) 14 Not sweet (3) 15 Foretell (8) 16 Render immobile (8) 18 Majestic (5) 20 Choice (6) 21 Small songbird (4) 22 Rowing levers (4) 23 Drinks slowly (4)

All solutions are on page 20

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NEWS

January 22th - February 4th 2020

Time’s up!

Zombie O’wars

DEADLY creatures that wash up on Gibraltar beaches can still cause injuries even if they are dead, a marine expert has warned.

It comes after a number of Portuguese Man O’ War, which are similar to jellyfish, were reported on Eastern Beach following a recent storm.

“The siphonophores commonly known as Portuguese Man O’war differ from their jellyfish cousins because they are wind driven rather than pulsating swimmers,” marine biologist Lewis Stagnetto told the Olive Press.

“They typically arrive on the Gibraltar coastline at around April time driven by strong South Westerlies.”

Stagnetto runs the Nautilus Project in Gibraltar which helps to clean up the seas and raise awareness about its residents.

Business as usual can no longer be the norm if climate change is to be stopped

THE last year has been ‘a game-changer’ for Gibraltar on climate change but more needs to be done, an environmental group has warned.

The Environmental Support Group (ESG) was especially encouraged by the amount of young people who were ‘motivated’ to make the Rock green-

er. Despite this optimism the ESG told the Olive Press that they ‘do not feel enough is being done or at the necessary speed’.

“The ‘business as usual’ approach is still used by most communities around the world including Gibraltar,” said Janet Howitt of the ESG.

POLLUTION: From San Roque petrochemical plant drifts across border into Gib

“If we are to become a model for the world we need to embrace full responsibility for all our impacts today and strategise for an alternative economy.

“We have always advocated that we cannot only tackle our city emissions without including a medium to long-term plan on our fossil fuel dependence and trade.”

The ESG chief, who regularly sits at planning meetings, believes action needs to be taken immediately.

“We would very much like steps to be put in place now for action on pollution from our immediate environment,” added Howitt.

“This would also have a beneficial effect on climate and would improve our health and quality of life.”

She admitted that processes like water desalination, sewage treatment, transportation, food imports and waste disposal are difficult to tackle.

However, Howitt wants the profitable bunkering activity to end, as it contributes to the problem.

“We would like to see all carbon activity linked to Gibraltar included in any action plan,” she said.

“This objective is also supported by the many NGOs that make up the local Coalition for Action on Climate Change.”

5

Bird killer AUTHORITIES are on the hunt for a mystery seagull killer.

It comes after several yellow-legged birds have been found dead on the Rock, with veterinary analysis showing they died of poisoning.

“The public is reminded that the killing of all wild birds including gulls is illegal without a licence,” said the Ministry of the Environment.

“Poisoning results in a slow and painful death that is extremely cruel.”

The government has stated this could even affect other animals, some of which are protected species, or even children that eat the poisoned bait.

“The Department of the Environment is currently investigating all evidence at its disposal and may approach the Royal Gibraltar Police in due course,” said the Gibraltar government.

“If anyone has any information relating to the poisoning of wild birds, this should be shared with the Department of the Environment.”

6

features

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CHasing

Voted top expat paper in Spain

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

OPINION Stormy side up THE shores may be sunnier in Spain, but not everyone sees the storms.

For those who live here through all four seasons the intense rains and gusting winds become a frequent part of life.

Like clockwork, every season another storm hits, sometimes trashing the same beachfront shops and restaurants.

When this paper spoke to a British-owned insurance broker about his broken-in window, he said: “It wasn’t as bad as the first time – back in 2007, we found an octopus in the toilet.”

But as ever, familiarity breeds complacency.

This year one man has died from a falling tile, while a Dutchman broke his leg while out taking photographs on the Costa Blanca.

Weather warnings from Spain’s met office, AEMET, are issued for a reason – don’t go out to danger zones if you don’t need to.

When nature is raging, red alert means red alert.

Take extra care, and the sun will be back out soon.

January 22th - February 4th 2020

As news breaks that the search for missing Federico Garcia Lorca may begin again, we go inside the fleeting life of Spain’s most famous poet, snuffed out for being gay, socialist and ‘undesirable’

CREATIVE: From a young child (far left) Federico showed great talent, while (bottom) writing at his finca just weeks before his execution

Devil in the detail THE death of British expat Paul Aust in a fire at his apartment is a tragedy.

A mother has lost her son and fellow Brit Ben Lake has lost his boyfriend.

However, after dispatching an Olive Press reporter to the fire-ravaged Alcaidesa flat, there are still more questions than answers.

Lake told this newspaper that the ‘accidental’ blaze at the couple’s home was ‘confirmed’ by a police report.

Yet the report in question has never seen the light of day, with neither Lake nor cops having let the Olive Press have access.

On top of this, there are other things that just don’t add up, like the disputed claim that the burning house was locked from the inside.

Details have been scant since the day Paul died, with the cause of death and the cause of the fire still disputed.

Hopefully the exact details will be cleared up in the fullness of time.

Publisher / Editor

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es Charlie Smith Joshua Parfitt charlie@theolivepress.es joshua@theolivepress.es John Culatto Laurence Dollimore laurence@theolivepress.es johnc@theolivepress.es Dimitris Kouimtsidis dimitris@theolivepress.es Admin Beatriz Sanllehí (+34) 951 273 575 admin@ theolivepress.es

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Special report by Dimitris Kouimtsidis in Granada

T

HE city of Granada is famous for many reasons. The Alhambra Palace attracts myriads of tourists daily, as does the Moorish architecture evident throughout the narrow streets of the last Spanish city to be recaptured by the Christians in 1492.

The provincial capital is also feted for its most famous literary son - the poet and playwright Federico Garcia Lorca.

You may be familiar with the name, and even with his controversial murder, but few people realise the full extent of his legacy.

As the Olive Press reported last issue, a long-term search for his missing body, could be about to begin again.

It comes after family of another victim, allegedly buried in a mass grave alongside him, filed an official demand to start digging again (more of which

later). this sense of magic realism.

It is a sad and moving chapter in the “Even after all these years of studying history of Spain, still coming to terms his plays I’m still amazed. The way he with the legacy of the long and bloody used language is full of similes and civil war. metaphors that ‘trip out’ the audiLorca was born in 1898 in Fuente Vaence.” queros, a small village outside GranaBlood Wedding, considered his most da, into an economically comfortable famous play, is awash with examples family. of magical realism such as the moon The house where he lived until he was speaking as if it’s a human character. ten is now a museum - a perfectly preHis work tended to be quite dark, emoserved early 20th century home where tional and radical for the time. A comvisitors are surprised to see, along with mon theme running throughout is the his writings, some of his artworks and spirit of duende, (passion doesn’t fully his first piano. describe it). Duende controls his largAlthough not as famous for his art as er-than-life characters, most of whom his close friend Salvador Dali, many struggle with a form of suppressed depeople forget that Lorca also drew and sire, like Lorca himself who was homoplayed music. sexual - a factor that almost certainly The family moved twice played a part in his unmore - first to the neartimely death. He was also by village of Valderrubio; an outspoken socialist then, when Lorca was 28, One can imagine and when the Civil War to Huerta de San Vicente, erupted in Spain in 1936, what he must then on the outskirts of he was arrested by FasGranada but much closer have been feeling cist forces and summarily to the city centre today. as he walked to executed.

Both these homes are Prior to his assassination also museums he was held prisoner in his death showcasing the the village of Viznar a few life of this influmiles outside of Granada. ential writer.

He was most likely shot According to the guide at along with other ‘undesirables’ someHuerta de San Vicente, Lorwhere between the villages of Viznar ca described his final home and Alfacar. The exact location is unas the perfect place for writknown and his body has never been ing as it was relaxed. “He found, despite numerous projects to needed this space to clear discover his burial site, the most rehis head after the time he cent in 2016. spent in Madrid and BarceNow there is talk that the investigation lona,’’ explained the guide. may be reopened once more.

His work was ‘crazy, quite Celebrated Hispanist Ian Gibson told out there’, he added, which the Olive Press: “It’s about time they may explain why it so incarried on with his search. It is abhorspired people, and why Lorrent that Spain’s most famous playca remains iconic nearly a wright and poet is still buried in an uncentury later. marked grave.”

Anastasia Revi, an artistic The route from Viznar to Alfacar is only director, theatre director three kilometres but as you walk the and workshop facilitator winding mountain path, you can’t help who has rigorously studied but wonder what the poet was thinking Lorca’s works and run multion this final leg of his earthly journey. ple workshops on the SpanHe wrote of his own death often. These iard, echoed the sentiment. lines from his 1929 poem The Fable “His stories are full of surreand Round of the Three Friends, are al elements and they create particularly prophetic: ‘They looked for

7

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SHADOWS BURIAL SITE: It is not known exactly where Lorca is buried, although Ian Gibson (below) believes it is under the fountain (above). A memorial (right) in the village of Alfacar

MURALS: Line the walls of his Granada home, where he wrote and played music

me in cafes, in cemeteries, in churches, but they didn’t find me. They never found me? No. They never found me’. Could he have known?

Halfway between the two villages, a serene wooded area perfectly representing the Granada countryside hides a grim secret beneath its scented pines. The Barranco de Viznar memorial, erected beside an olive tree, only hints at the untold story – marking the spot where numerous Republicans were mown down by firing squads and buried in unmarked graves.

Just outside Alfacar, a park named after the playwright has become a point of pilgrimage, its memorial stone showered with flowers all year round by visitors who make the trek up the mountain to visit his supposed place of death.

His ‘murder’ is a war crime that has given the poet legendary status.

“He was killed very young and his execution at the hands of fascists for his liberal beliefs has only helped to elevate his sta-

tus,” continues director Revi.

There is a sense that the Spanish, and the people of Granada in particular, are ashamed by the murder of one of the world’s most famous poets and playwrights on their own soil.

It might have been why I wasn’t allowed to take any pictures at his museum homes.

‘You need special permission from the local council’, I was told.

My request to interview the tour guides about their fellow Grenadino also oddly received the same point blank refusal.

Why does the local government have all these rules in place for journalists wanting to write a piece on someone as famous as Lorca? Shame would certainly make sense, and not just because of the snuffing out of an exceptional life barely half lived - he was just 36 when he died.

It is believed that a staggering 115,000 missing souls are still buried in unmarked graves throughout Spain. Federico Garcia Lorca is just one of them.

January 22th - February 4th 2020

7

8

January 22th - February 4th 2020

what’s on Retracing lines A RETROSPECTIVE art exhibition to celebrate the work of Elio Cruz will be held at the John Mackintosh Hall from January 21-February 7.

Yogic connection CONNECT, share and heal at Sammie’s yoga class on Jan 23 at 5.30pm facing the sea on the Camp Bay esplanade for just £5 each.

Facing the facts

LA CULTURA

Giving back

Cheshire Homes child gives back to his Gibraltarian carers in song AN orphan who was brought up by a Gibraltar charity in Morocco has visited the Rock for the first time to perform as a musician.

Wadie Ismail was saved from a life on the streets and raised at the Cheshire Homes project in Tangier.

He finally visited the British Overseas Territory to perform at a Moroccan cultural exchange.

“It was a childhood dream come true to visit Gibraltar,” Ismail told the Olive Press.

“When I was a two-year-old child I had no family and no money.

Fusion

“I was then taken into the Cheshire Home in Tangier, where I grew up.

“I always saw Gibraltar from

Off with his head

GIB DEVS are back with another informative workshop on how to test the User Interface of an application at the Lord Nelson bar on January 30 from 6-8pm.

Getting fit ROCK runners are holding a 4-10km Road Race through town for all athletics enthusiasts this February 2 from 10am in the morning.

my window so it was a dream to finally visit this wonderful place.”

After a lifetime of being sustained by the Gibraltarian charity, Ismail said he feels it is an honour to perform for what he called ‘the good people’ of the Rock.

Ismail’s music is a fusion of traditional Moroccan music and pop.

“Music is all about how you feel its effects,” he said.

“The words are not so important if people can understand those feelings through

RECLAIMED: Picasso’s valuable Head of a Young Woman is back in Spain

A SPANISH billionaire who tried to smuggle a priceless Picasso artwork out of Spain has been fined €52million and handed an 18-month prison sentence.

Ex-banker Jaime Botin was arrested on his yacht with the Malaga artist’s Head of a Young Woman (1906), valued at over €26 million.

Although he is the painting’s owner, Botin was accused of exporting the work to try and sell it, in breach of a ban on exporting an artwork of cultural significance. The 83-year-old former Bankinter chairman, whose family helped found Banco Santander, was convicted after a customs search in 2015 in Corsica revealed he was heading to Switzerland.

HONOURED: Wadie Ismail the music.

“I try to share peace and love through my songs.”

Ismail is currently working on a musical project with two top Gibraltar musicians, Adrian Pisarello and Liam Byrne.

“We are now recording Wadie in Moroccan and Liam with his rap in English,” said rocker Pisarello.

“After that we will be doing the mixing and mastering so it is ready within two months.”

Byrne added: “It’s very modern music with a Moroccan twist, to which I add a bit of hip-hop.

“We hope it will bring different cultures, age groups and musical tastes together in one song.”

Big vibes A NEW app has been launched that lets people listen to the stories of women locked up under Franco.

Created by Madrid artist Toxic Lesbian and the Institute of History, the interactive app lets users listen to the stories of women interned in insane aslyums. Users can even take a selfie with the women from the various sites, including Madrid’s ‘House of the Demented’, Santa Isabel.

The women’s stories were gathered from the book Letters from the Asylum published last year, which details patients’ experiences from 1852 to 1952.

Toxic Lesbian said: “Patients with mental health problems have been marginalized and remain so. Here they are empowering themselves with their own experiences.”

Culture hub SPAIN has been named the third most culturally important country in the world.

According to a highly regarded study it has the second largest cultural heritage, as well as a language that is spoken worldwide.

The report was commissioned by the US News and World Report, the BAV Group and the University of Pennsylvania.

Meanwhile, Spanish adventure holidays were ranked the third highest in the world, with the country being considered perfect for an outdoor break.

A

ll about

Good health 2020

Vol. 13 Issue 335

BLOG OFF SPAIN’s pharmaceutical watchdog has issued a warning over social media influencers pushing dodgy health products.

The CGCF (General Council of Physiotherapist Associations of Spain) has filed a complaint with the Spanish Health Ministry about people promoting medicinal treatments for beauty conditions without proper knowledge or training.

According to Spanish law, such medical promotion is banned and advertising is strictly monitored by industry professionals.

Risks

However Spanish social media ‘stars’ have been advocating the use of certain creams, wipes and tablets in order to help with cosmetic issues, unaware of some of the potential health risks that indiscriminate use can cause.

Pharmacist Guillermo Martin Melgar first noticed the problem when a certain brand of prescription facial wipes was suddenly selling out, only to find it was being recommended by a popular Youtube channel as a treatment for acne.

January 22th - February 4th 2020

www.theolivepress.es

Water worry After decades of believing it was safe to drink, a new study finds Spain’s tap water may not be SPAIN’s tap water is among the worst in Europe.

A major Barcelona study has found it carries the fourth highest risk for bladder cancer on the continent.

Findings suggest that longterm exposure to a group of chemicals in tap water called trihalomethanes may be the cause for one in 20 cases of bladder cancer in Europe each year.

Scientists from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) analysed the tap water of all 28 EU countries except Bulgaria and Romania between 2005 and 2018.

At 10.9%, Spain’s tap water came out with the fourth

highest levels of THMs on the continent - behind only Cyprus with 23.2%, Malta with 17.9% and Ireland’s Liffey water coming a surprising third from bottom with 17.2%.

At the opposite end of the H2O horror list, Denmark’s water was the purest, with a

Milk matters

Children who drink full-fat milk are less likely to be overweight than those given skimmed or semi-skimmed.

The findings were published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and they found that children who drank whole milk had 40% lower

THM count of less than 0.1%, followed by the Netherlands ( 0.1%) and Germany (0.2%).

The scientists also concluded that showering and bathing can also trigger the disease, allowing the chemicals to enter the body via the pores of the skin.

odds of being overweight or obese compared with their peers who drank lower-fat varieties.

It has been speculated that whole milk causes children to feel fuller, which reduces snacking.

The research combined the results of 28 studies that were conducted across seven countries, which had explored the correlation between children drinking cows milk and the risk of being overweight.

OM! Our guide to Spain’s best yoga 17 breaks SEE Page

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10 January 22th - February 4th 2020

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dozen resolutions Make it your healthiest year ever with these good for you goals. Small changes that deliver big results. 2020 - bring it on!

1. Start supplementing

Regardless of your age or lifestyle, these really are a must to maintain good health. These are the basics you need to feel good at any age.

Nature’s cure

With many of us looking at more natural health remedies, you’ve probably heard of CBD oil, but not all products are equal. Rikke Hrab from SativaSana in Fuengirola explains why.

“We’ve been selling hemp products at SativaSana for three and half years.

Our customers have experienced relief after trying the oils for many conditions from stress and anxiety to chronic diseases. We are not doctors, we do however, have a lot of experience and believe in giving our customers face to face advice and support so they can get the best from our products.

Our hemp oils contain Cannabis Sativa L extract.

This is a plant with a low content of THC, and therefore it is legal for many uses. We feel it is important people know to ask for independent laborato-

ry tests on these type of products so they know they get the best quality there is.We are happy to share our tests.

Depending on the health problem customers can start at a low 2.5% or 5% dosage which can slowly increase over time.

You start with just a drop on your tongue each day. We explain it isn’t like taking a pill and the pain goes away instantly, the benefits are more gradual. But its great our customers give us so much positive feedback. We pride ourselves on having a wealth of experience in this area, having high quality products and giving high quality support and trusted advice.

SativaSana Full Spectrum Oils, The Natural Corner, Calle Marconi 41, 29640 Fuengirola Mon- Fri 10am-6pm Sat 10am -2pm

VITAMIN C - It’s a vital support to our immune system and a protective antioxidant. A good daily dose is 500mg. Taking more than 1,000mg a day may cause stomach pain, diarrhoea or flatulence. And of course living in Spain, take advantage of the juiciest citrus fruits and add more to your diet.

B COMPLEX- Essential for energy production in your body and to support your hormones. A good average dose is 25-50mg of each of the main Bs (1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and smaller amounts of B9 and B12) in one B-complex tablet. These nutrients are not stored in the body, so you need to top up the supply every day.

OMEGA-6 EVENING PRIMROSE OIL (or starflower oil) slows signs of ageing, balances hormones and helps with PMS and menopause symptoms. Take 1,000mg daily, increasing to three times a day for hormonal imbalances, such as PMS. OMEGA-3 FISH OIL OR linseed oil can help reduce inflammation and maximise brain function. Take 1,000mg daily or twice a day if you suffer from dry skin or sore joints. Your body’s cells are dependent on Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), such as Omega-3 and -6; without them, your body will deteriorate more rapidly. If you’re getting enough, your skin will be beautifully strong and supple.

VITAMIN D You need this to absorb calcium and phosphorus to keep bones and teeth healthy, most of our body’s vitamin D comes from exposure to sunlight. Thank goodness for the Spanish sun!

2. Disinfect your phone!

We check our phones a gazillion times a day and if you’ve taken yours into the toilets, you’re not the only one! But that means phones carry about 10 times as much bacteria as most toilet seats. And British researchers found that one in six devices were contaminated with E. coli!). Use cleaning wipes that don’t contain bleach as that’s safer for your phones and tablets and do it every week.

3. Add some spice to your life

Turmeric should really be known as trendy spice given everyone was talking about it last year.

And not without reason. It’s an incredible anti-inflammatory and can help ease rheumatoid pain.Ginger like turmeric is also anti inflammatory and is a powerful remedy for upset stomachs and nausea

www.sativasana.com

4. A bit of juice

After the excesses of the holiday season, give your body a break and start juicing. It’s a great way of using up leftover fruit and veg and you get an instant shot of nutrients. Some swear by a full on 3, 7 or ten day juicing detox regime, but you don’t have to go that far. Even pledging to start your day with a healthy cucumber juice will make a difference. Check out Gym Junkie cafe in San Pedro de Alcantara, they are the experts on nutritional juicing, detoxing and protein shakes and can whisk you up a tasty drink to get you started..

6. Get a better nights sleep

One in three of us don’t get a good night’s sleep.

Overthinking, the glare of TV, phone and computer screens are all sleep wreckers. Lack of sleep impacts your mental and physical wellbeing. If this is you, try the 4-7-8 breathing method which can help calm before sleep. Breathe in for a steady count of 4 – hold for 7 – breathe out for 8.

5. Look after your mouth

Regular dental check ups and brushing twice a day is a must, but add in flossing once a day and tongue cleaning once a day and you’re on the way to the gold standard in oral health. If you don’t clean your tongue, bacteria can build up on it quickly, leading to discolouration and risking bacteria spreading to your teeth and gums.Tongue cleaning also helps prevent bad breath.

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you can stick to!

8. Key into Kindfulness

7. Hop it!

You may have heard about Mindfulness but in 2020 it’s all about Kindfulness. According to Freud, we all have a part of the mind that is unnecessarily critical. It can make you beat up on yourself over anything - the career you have chosen, your relationshipor lack of, even the huge piece of chocolate cake you just guzzled. Kindfulness is about recognising where YOU come on your to do list. It’s not about treading on others to make sure your needs are met, but its OK to recognise what those needs are and love yourself, even if you’re not always perfect.

Celebrate who you are instead of comparing yourself to others and make yourself the most important person in your life. To find out more, check out Kindfulness by Caroline Millington, available on Amazon Books.

Hopping for five minutes a day may protect women from breaking their hips, according to a new study. It could strengthen bones in the legs, making them more dense and less likely to break. Brittle bones, caused by a condition called osteoporosis which makes holes inside the bones, is a common issue for women who have been through the menopause.

Scientists at Loughborough University, followed 35 women aged 55-70 over the course of six months and told them to do up to 50 one-legged hops each day. At the end they found the density of their leg bones had increased in the hopping leg while it had decreased in the non-hopping leg.

The team also did MRI scans of the women’s knees to check the exercise had not done any damage to the joints, which it hadn’t.

10.Listen Up

Health podcasts are great for connecting with wellbeing issues and research says audio conversations help you retain information. When you listen, as opposed to watching a screen, your brain has to be more active to process the information.

Podcasts are easy to fit into your day; when you’re cooking or travelling, for example. Here are three great ones to get you started.

Ted Talks Health - If you haven’t heard of TED talks, you’re missing out. These fascinating lectures cover all sorts of topics and are given by some of the smartest people around. The health ones are by researchers and doctors who excel in their fields, sharing compelling developments and advice.

January 22th - February 4th 2020

Feel Better, Live More with Dr Ranjan Chatterjee - A presenter, author and GP with more than 16 years experience, Dr Chatterjee believes most of us don’t need a pill, but a lifestyle prescription. He says some of our ills, from menopausal symptoms to IBS, can be related to stress.

With experts sharing insights, you’ll get brilliant advice. Plus, advice from this realist doctor won’t be pie in the sky.

Wellness with Liz Earle - Can you improve your hormonal health? Are walnuts the wellbeing wonder they are made out to be? If you find yourself trying to decide if something is a gem of wellbeing wisdom or a passing fad, Liz Earle MBE and her expert friends will set you straight.

9. Eat superherbs for a brain boost Add sage to your food or simply inhale its scent and you’ll get a brain boost. It’s been known to increase memory recall and retention so may be a superfood for the mind.

Sage is high in Vitamin K - just two grammes provides 43% of your daily recommended intake. It can also help with cholesterol levels, treat symptoms of the menopause and improve blood sugar levels. Fresh rosemary is another herb that can help as a cognitive booster, helping with focus and mental clarity. Its rich in vitamins A, B6, C, folate and thiamine. Phew!

11. Get your eyes tested Our eyes are often called ‘windows to the soul’ but they are also a very effective window to our overall health. Many people first learn they have diabetes, high cholesterol and even cancer from a routine eye exam.

So as well as evaluating whether you need glasses or a new prescription or have glaucoma, an annual eye check could be one of the best things you can do for your health.

Researchers are even working on an eye test that can identify your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

12.Don’t fear fats

Raw nuts, avocados and olive oil are all rich in good fats you should eat them regularly. Avocados are also a good source of Vitamins E and C, which are important for skin health. Vitamin C helps make collagen, the protein that keeps skin plump and elastic, while Vitamin E is an antioxidant which helps protect skin from the sun’s damaging UV rays.

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January 22th - February 4th 2020 January 22th - February 4th 2020

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EW Year, New You? Let me guess, you signed up to the gym and started a new diet that you may have already broken by now and it’s not even the end of January.

You want to get healthier and you’re unsure of a way to do it continuously while also having fun?

Have you thought about taking up a new sport, or going back to one you used to play?

Sport has been an important part of human life since the Ancient Greeks created the Olympic Games hundreds of years before the birth of Christ. Evidently it has endured the test of time but why is it still so popular?

Parents tend to think of it as a way their children can stay healthy and active and make new friends. My mum encouraged me to try every

Sporting chance

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Knocking a ball about is one of the best ways to stay fit, stress-free and happy, writes Dimitris Kouimtsidis sport imaginable when I was young, before I discovered my true calling – basketball. I’ve now been playing for more than 12 years and coaching for four. Even though the phrase ball is life is a massive cliche, it still means a lot to me. There are times when the only thing that can help me deal with

KICK-START 2020

troubling issues is my love for the orange ball.

According to a study by Sport England, sport programmes aimed at youths at risk of criminal behaviour can enhance self-esteem and reduce reoffending.

I’m not saying that basketball was ever that extreme for me, but when I step onto

a great alternative to other establishments.

If you are feeling low in energy Gym Junkie now offer its new ‘miracle’ chaga mushroom shot....to restore and renew both your physical and mental well being. The drink is made up of 100% Wild Siberian Chaga mushroom, harvested from birch trees in the forests of the Northern Hemisphere.

No sugar, No sweeteners, No additives, Zero calories, 100% Natural, 100% Vegan. Contains 19 of the body’s required 20 amino acids.

Highest score for antioxidants in any food on earth. To all the parents out there...don’t forget that opposite Gym Junkie there is a great kids park with lots of free parking.

GYM Junkie Cafe San Pedro is the town’s hottest protein cafe. Its mission is to bring you fresh, healthy food and beverages at affordable prices.

Gym Junkie have added some new and exciting changes to the menu... including a range of delicious vegan gluten-free superfood lattes that will give you that little boost you need.

Flavours include, matcha with vanilla, chocolate with raw cacao, turmeric with black pepper, beetroot and ginger and more....The friendly team use tasty, natural ingredients and superfoods packed with nutrients and vitamins to benefit your mind and body.

With the hectic pace of daily life Gym Junkie Cafe To see our full menu visit: www.gymjunkiecafe. cares for your health and wellness providing you com or call 951 89 99 53

the court I forget everything about the outside world – be that relationship problems or work worries.

Basketball is my escape from the real world and that’s always the feeling I want to instil to my players.

Joining a new team can also help you meet new people and create new friendships, especially if you’ve just moved to a new country – as I have, moving to Spain just three weeks ago. When you have a job with demanding work hours, it can be pretty tough to find time to socialise. But through sport you can kill two birds with one stone, by becoming healthier and making new friends at the same time.

Basketball - the second biggest sport in Spain after football - has helped me do exactly that.

The social side of sport doesn’t only help with mak-

TEAMWORK: Girls let off some steam, while (top) Dimitris defends the ball on court ing new friends; it can help your ‘social skills’ generally, and how you deal with ‘obstacles’ presented by opponents and referees - transferable skills that you can then use in everyday life.

Sport is also a great way of releasing tension and anger.

Many studies show that regular exercise releases endorphins, enhancing mood and reducing depression.

That doesn’t necessarily just mean sport; it could be going to the gym or for a run, although solitary activities may not take your mind off things as efficiently as sport, with its emphasis on teamwork, competition and fun.

If you’re going to get that ball in the net you can’t be stressing about that story you should have submitted to the editor last week!

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Escape from the everyday For the ultimate yoga break, these Spanish retreats offer the very best in health and wellbeing. Gabriella Chidgey checks in and chills out…

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ORE energy, more flexibility, a clear mind and a toned body. There’s a reason why so many of us are switching to yoga instead of powerlifting at the gym or pounding the pavements.

We are lucky enough to be living in an area that boasts many of the world’s best retreat centres. Regularly topping lists of the greatest yoga holidays in UK newspapers such as The Guardian, The Telegraph and The Times.

The centres featured below are all set in stunning locations, with state of the art yoga halls and offer retreats led by internationally renowned yoga teachers.

Shanti som www.shantisom.com Described by The Telegraph as ‘Asia meets Spain’ and featured in both 2012 and 2016 in their articles on the best wellbeing holidays, Shanti Som sits in the mountains above Marbella. It offers twice daily yoga classes in either its indoor studio or outdoor yoga pavilion and a wide range of health and beauty treatments and healing therapies. It also has personal trainers available for private training sessions or pilates lessons.

Kaliyoga www.kaliyoga.com

KING OF RETREATS: Molino del Rey

Molino del rey www.molinodelrey.com Hand built and loving crafted by the owners Anthony and Lidiya, this centre was probably the first founded in Andalucia and has been running since 1994. It hosts a wide range of retreats, including spa and massage treatments, hiking and hillwalking.

I visited about 18 years ago and was impressed by its beautiful location and cave pool area. The owner Anthony assured me that in every year since I had visited they had continued to build and perfect the property.

Testament to their success, guests have been repeating for 20 years, and indeed their retreat calendar is booked out a year in advance.

Laughing, he claimed that there was almost nothing he could do now to improve on the property during the months it is closed !(November-April)

In 2002 yogis Jonathan and Rosie Miles left London in search of a beautiful location for a retreat centre. Their friend Kali predicted that it would be in the Alpujarras, and so it came to pass; Kaliyoga was founded. It has been a success story from the beginning and they have recently opened a second centre in Puglia, Italy.

Testimonials on their website are full of praise and guests repeat year after year. Barack Obama’s staff wrote long and glowing testimonials following their visit in 2019.

Unlike many retreat centres, classes at Kali Yoga are taught by their own in house teachers.

Their blog is well designed and an interesting read, so whether or not you manage

RELAXING: A group at Crisalida

EXCLUSIVE: Marbella’s Shanti Som retreat

to visit, it is still worth a look.

La Crisalida www.lacrisalidaretreats.com Unlike most retreats, this centre in Albir, Costa Blanca is open all year round and offers shorter 3 day courses as well as the usual week long stays. Founded in 2013 by John and Lisa Brant, La Crisalida offer a wide range of yoga, health and wellbeing retreats led by an experienced and professional team.

Lisa, a former epidemiologist, is now a yoga teacher, nutritionist and NLP coach, while John left his job as an actuary to become an NLP, hypnosis and life coach. Together they promote alternative health through their retreat programmes. Their website is professional, detailed and informative.

Other useful websites www.bookyogaretreats.com www.yogascapes.com www.yovada.com retreat.guru

January 22th - February 4th 2020

Yummy yoga girl lands in Sotogrande

AFTER a global tour taking in many of the world’s most spiritual countries, Natalie Farrell settled in Andalucia.

Based out of Sotogrande, the former vocal coach, from London, offers a range of yoga and wellbeing classes, as well as retreats and supper clubs.

Her Cosmic Soul School business offers women a space to heal from the past and reminds them that choice exists so they can learn to move forwards.

Meanwhile, her Yummy Yoga Girl business inspires women to be the healthiest versions of themselves with advice on sustainable and organic living.

Her arrival on the Costa del Sol came after she changed career at the age of 35 to realise her business and personal aspirations.

After selling her thriving vocal coaching business she travelled around the world taking in India, Sri Lanka, Bali, Bhutan and the Philippines, before settling in Spain in 2018.

“Travelling is to plant roots to the soul. It made me want to go ahead in life, discovering how to put down roots and fly at the same time,” she tells the Olive Press.

During her years of travel, she studied as a yoga teacher in Santa Barbara, California, and qualified as a Master Neuro Linguistic Practitioner (NLP) and Wellbeing Coach.

She believes an integrated and holistic approach to life is what people are looking for as well as support and a work, life balance.

She is also no stranger to the barriers people face when changing lifestyle habits as she got over an eating disorder in her late twenties.She now has two businesses which inspire women to make bold decisions, understand themselves and develop their own beliefs to be happy.

Visit www.yummyyogagirl.com, which also has its own yoga fashion brand and www.cosmicsoulschool.com which offers a range of yoga related events and classes.

Contact her at natalie@yummyyogagirl.com

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14 January 22th - February 4th 2020

Olive Press health and wellbeing resolutions Charlie Smith, News Editor I am going to play tennis a lot more this year.

Jon Clarke, Editor and Publisher I am going to conquer my jelly baby addiction - need to cut down on sugar!

Karen Livermore, Features writer Since moving to Spain I have not been to the gym and I was a regular in the UK. So I am determined to join my local gym and start working out again.

John Culatto, Journalist To get fit I am going to ride more waves this year Dimitris Kouimtsidis, Journalist I am going to start cutting calories again (stopped during my first month in Spain) in order to get abs in time for the summer.

Beatriz Sanllehi, Admin I am trying to stay vegan for four days a week - its hard!

Lighting up the way Jon Clarke tries thermal imaging as part of a full body January check up

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LOOKED like a traffic light turning from amber to red.

The top of my body and neck (above right) was a cauldron of red and, on first glance, it looked like I was about to blow my top.

Fortunately my head and face was a little cooler - demonstrated by large swathes of green - and the long slash of red down my spine was also to be expected.

This was my first experience of thermal imaging, a modern way to check someone’s general health, without the need to be invasive, give blood or other bodily samples.

As part of Bodyworks’ Full Body Check Up I spent a morning having my entire body catalogued from top to tail, before the images were sent off to a team of American radiologists to analyse.

“It’s part of our ‘whole body’ approach,” explains Estelle Mitchell, who set up the clinic on

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LIT UP: Jon Clarke gets a peek inside his body and (right) with a friend

the Costa del Sol in 2004. all picture without any side effects and the “I liken it to switching the overhead lights on images are always taken under specifically set rather than using a torch.” conditions for consistency.

She continues: “And best of all, Using thermal imaging the body is there is no radiation, as used in checked for issues and problems X-rays or CAT scans, no clausin major organs, muscles, nerves My headaches and arteries. trophobia (as with MRI), and no pain, as with PET scans and enof all though, Estelle conducts were probably First doscopies.” a detailed consultation exploring The Consultant Physiotherapist, stemming from health issues and any factors that who trained with the RAF three may cause current or future probtension in the lems. decades ago, is particularly keen on the method, as it helps In my case, recent headaches may neck to screen issues in the lymphatbe because of worsening eyesight, ic system and for nerve pain. as well as, perhaps, to do with a “This is difficult to see in other car crash I suffered in the Middle tests and often helps to identify ‘persistent’ East two decades ago. pain that is resisting treatment elsewhere,” And, hey presto, the results entirely backed up she continues. my concerns showing deep red, and most imporThe useful general health guide gives an overtantly, a white spot in my left tear duct.

The ‘Thermographic Interpretation’ explained that my headaches were probably stemming from tension building up in the neck and shoulders and possible dental inflammation in my jaw.

While my lymphatic and immune system was a little out of kilter and would benefit from treatment, my images showed that I was mostly in the clear for cardiac issues moving forwards.

I was also in need of a serious alignment of my body and to learn how to run, and even walk, better.

ADVICE: From “You are clearly tense in your back, which is not surgeon David an uncommon finding,” explains Estelle.

Deardon “You also have nerve issues around your neck, which could be to do with your car accident.

The body remembers even if you forget.”

She continued: “But some of your issues could be to do with the way you walk, the way you shift your weight. Your body is like a chain, like Jenga, and something wrong at the bottom can go all the way up.”

She recommended addressing this as well as a good clear out of the lymphatic system, likening it to a cleaning lady.

“If your drains are blocked your cleaning lady can’t do a good job. You need to get someone in to clean the pipes.”

And finally she insisted that I needed to drink far more water. At least two litres a day!

Well, well, well man M

The Specialist Medical Clinic in Gibraltar is a great place for a full-body ‘well-man check’ OST doctors will tell you to eat well, drink lots of water and exercise regularly if you want to live to a grand old age!

Surgeon David Deardon, who owns Gibraltar’s Specialist Medical Clinic, isn’t any different.

Yet, he appreciates that most men of a certain age need the occasional full-body MOT. Not every year mind!

His popular ‘well-man’ clinic offers a comprehensive top-totoe health check, not dissimilar to ‘a full service of a car’.

“It’s not a complete diagnosis, but it is an ideal indicator for the next decade and looks for all the tell-tale signs of wear and tear in your body,” he explained.

“Through a range of tests, we check for various cancers and cardiovascular issues.

“Most people’s problems boil down to losing weight, taking more exercise and keeping an eye on things like blood pressure.”

He explained that the key issues for men in their fifties and sixties are heart attacks and strokes, and the earlier you address any issues the better.

“It’s like a car, for the first few years everything is fine, but as it starts to get wear and tear, you get the odd rattle and shake.

“It’s the same with the body and if we address that wear and tear early it will prepare you for a much healthier life through into your 70s and 80s.

“If you leave it until problems present in the late 60s or 70s the chances of reversing them is much lower.”

His team of doctors will have a close look at a range of issues.

These include a spirometer to measure lung function and an electrocardiogram (ECG) to measure the heart.

Your blood pressure will be checked, as well as your PSA (prostate specific antigen) while blood tests, urine and stool samples are sent off to a lab to be analysed.

The results normally take a week and you return to find out if you have any signs of illnesses including anaemia, diabetes, as well as thyroid or liver malfunction.

You will be checked to see if you are HIV positive and if you have syphilis and other STDs. You will then be told what percentage chance you have of getting cardiovascular issues over the next ten years and how you might prevent them.

For information on the Well-Man check contact the Specialist Medical Clinic on 00350 200 49999 or visit www.specialistmedicalclinic.com

Bodyworks Clinic is based in San Pedro de Alcantara, where a multidisciplinary team offers a wide range of specialist health treatments.

For more information visit www.thebodyworksclinic.com

What health checks does the well-man clinic offer?

The range of tests and health checks will look at the following: · your lifestyle, including diet, exercise, alcohol and smoking · medical history · weight and height · Blood pressure · cholesterol · a urine test for diabetes and kidney infection · hearing and vision · lung function · An ECG to check for heart problems · a chest X-ray if you’re a heavy smoker

ANALYSIS: Estelle Mitchell looks over images

Good health

15

Is it hot in here?

Karen Livermore explores some of the natural ways to cope with the menopause

ADVICE: Slender boss Teresa

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MALL armies of women are becoming HRT tourists to stock up on patches due to severe shortages of this menopause

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E are what we eat. It’s an old saying but never truer.

Reawakening to the facts that health lies in the quality of everything we consume, Omega Pharmacy has inventively taken on the task of providing a more fulfilling service in the name of health. The pioneering Gibraltar pharmacy takes an innovative approach based on the principles of modern medicine while providing anti-inflammatory, Omega 3 rich foods and fresh, nutrition-packed juices that counteract chronic illness.

Locally-renowned pharmacist Louis Calvente continues his expansion at Euro Towers, projecting his vision of an improved, healthier lifestyle. “The root cause of most chronic diseases (sinusitis, rheumatoid arthritis and bronchitis to name a few) lies in the inflammation of

treatment in the UK according to the Daily Mail. In a panic over empty shelves back home, they are making mercy dashes to Spain where they can pick up a four month supply for as little as €58.

We may be awash with HRT supplies here, but many women prefer more natural remedies. We look at the alternatives that can help.

Menopause - all women go through it, yet for years it seemed a taboo subject. Something you just got on with. The lucky ones sail through without much ado, but for others, this upheaval of hormones can spark many symptoms - physically and emotionally. Much is written about hot flushes, night sweats and mood swings. Many women say they feel angry with

the body’s tissues, leading to the build up of mucus, acidity and the eventual onset of disease,” he says.

The ratio of Omega 3s to Omega 6s in the average diet ranges between 1:10 and 1:15, when in fact it should be little more than 1:2, he also reveals. This imbal-

ance of Omegas in our body contributes to high blood pressure, heart attacks and heart disease, the world’s leading cause of death. Omega Pharmacy aims to combat these diseases with alkalizing, nutritious juices that neutralise acidity in the body to reduce inflammation. Their range

the world - for no reason.

There is HRT, but these days more and more women are looking for natural solutions rather than putting synthetics into their bodies. Teresa Henry who runs Slender Health Clinic in Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol, says she has seen an increase in women coming to her for natural solutions to help ease menopausal and peri menopausal symptoms.

“As a nutritional therapist, I look at what my clients eat, their lifestyles, their emotional wellness and from there I can

January 22th - February 4th 2020

work with them to rebalance their hormones.

“Often just being able to talk about how you are feeling and have someone listen can be of enormous help. It’s about having the permission to put yourself first and take care of yourself. Something women are not always good at doing.”

She continues: “A client came to me recently as her mood swings and feelings of anxiety

Pharmacy of the future

BOOST: From Omega Pharmacy’s range of healthy products

includes green juice (from green vegetables), sweetened green juice (with orange and strawberry), and red juice (main ingredients beetroot and carrot). Omega has applied the same concepts to the latest selection of healthy, homemade foods using alkalizing ingredients that are also high in Omega 3s. The collection includes vegetarian options such as kidney bean and quinoa chilli, pescatarian delicacies (prawn curry with zucchini is the latest), appetisers and desserts - think chickpea hummus with carrots and home-baked granola and coconut bars.

Omega Pharmacy stocks many other alternatives to give your

lifestyle a health upgrade: energising shots to help you kick-start your day, cold-pressed kombucha which contains naturally occurring probiotics for a healthy gut and powdered ‘super-foods’, such as acai and spirulina to give your protein shake that extra boost or snazz up your smoothie.

Together with their service of prescribed and over-the-counter medicines and broader perspective on health, Omega Pharmacy is pioneering the way for pharmacies of the future.

Call, find them on Facebook or pop into Cooperage Lane (20044544) or Euro Towers (20048584) for more info.

and anger had got worse.

“She was skipping meals, not getting quality sleep, drinking three bottles of wine a week. As a mum of three, she was juggling family and work life and taking on more and more. She was feeling emotionally and physically overwhelmed. Her anxiety levels were getting out of control. She was overly worrying about her kids - not just the natural day to day worries parents have. This was much more. She was also struggling with her weight and wanted to lose 12kgs.

“I was conscious of not overwhelming her even further with a complicated plan. Instead I looked at how best to balance her blood sugar levels oestrogen levels with a simple eating plan combined with nutritional supplements. “I also asked her to keep a journal about her moods, feelings and eating patterns.

Rebalancing

“Six weeks later, she had lost 7kgs and said being aware of what she was putting into her body and journaling her emotions and eating patterns had really helped.

“With a consistent rebalancing eating plan, she was able to start getting control back over her body and hormones and felt much more positive.”

For the top ten obscure symptoms of menopause and their remedies, visit www.theolive-

press.es and search menopause

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL Malaga calls time on late nights al fresco and bans new hospitality outlets from city centre

Sagrada showstopper THE Sagrada Familia in Barcelona has been crowned Europe’s top ‘must-see’ attraction.

Eurochange has analysed data from TripAdvisor for some of Europe’s top attractions and compiled a list, including ratings from previous visitors.

The famous Catalan Basilica takes the top spot with 160,964 TripAdvisor reviews.

Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi is the maestro responsible for designing the church, beginning his magnum opus in 1882.

Construction only passed the halfway mark in 2010 and it’s anticipated that the unfinished church will finally be completed by 2026.

Spain’s next two highest attractions are Park Güell in Barcelona, in 10th place, and the Alhambra in Granada, 11th.

Rute to success

HUSH - you’re in Malaga. The province’s party capital is turning down the music, closing its late-night terraces earlier and banning new food and beverage businesses from the city centre for the next five years.

A total of 103 streets considered to be the noisiest in the city - mostly in the centre - are on the five-year banned list, meaning they won’t get an Opening Licence from Malaga City Council.

They include the hospitality hotspots of Calle de Sanchez Pastor, Calle Caldereria and Calle Angel - most of Malaga’s historic dining district - which collectively house 34 bars,

THE Machaquito Distillery in the humble Cordoban farming town of Rute has won a prestigious award for its famous anis.

The liquor - favoured by farmers on winter mornings for its warming qualities - bagged a ‘Spirit of Spain’ award from the Spanish Association of Wine Journalists and Writers (AEPEV).

A judging panel of 170 wine and spirits experts tasted over 1,500 different creations from across Spain to form this years awards list.

The distillery in Rute, a small farming town in the depths of the Subbetica hills, has been creating the Anis for 160 years.

According to locals; it has a warming ‘sherry-type quality’, perfect for preparing for a cold day in the fields.

17

January 22th - February 4th 2020

You’re barred!

restaurants and hotels.

The streets that have been included in the ban are all considered to have high levels of noise pollution. Noise levels exceed 55 decibels during the night and 65 in the daytime, with some places even hitting 90.

So Spar so good UK supermarket giant, Spar, has confirmed it is opening four new stores across western Spain and in Andalucia. The four new stores, are set to join the newly opened store in Spain’s Murcia and the newly renovated store in Aleje, Tenerife.

The plan is to open four new stores in Badajoz, Zarza de Granadilla, Caceres and Jerez de los Cabal-

leros, as well as a new Eurospar store in Castuera.

Spar’s increasingly large presence is Spain has bolstered the UK’s infiltration into the Spanish market, with Iceland stores, operated by Overseas Supermarkets, already a popular feature on Spain’s Costa del Sol, and a new Tesco stores popping up across Andalucia operated by The Food Co.

Local resident Oscar Argudo said: “Rest is impossible”.

Not everyone is pleased with this new measure however.

“It’s an intervention into the free market in a key area of the city,” said Javier de Frutos, president of the Malaga Association of Hoteliers, describing the consequences of the ban as ‘unpredictable’.

Hoteliers are worried that jobs will be lost and that tourists will have a bad image of the city centre.

Another measure against noise pollution likely to prove unpopular is that from Sundays to Thursdays, terraces will now close half an hour earlier at 12.30am, instead of 1am, and one hour earlier on Saturdays at 1am, instead of 2am. Also, restaurant windows and doors must be closed after 11pm, regardless of whether any music is being played or not.

Lucky No: 13 million THE Costa del Sol welcomed a historic 13 million visitors last year - a whopping 4.2% increase on 2018’s figures.

It comes after the region of Andalucia as a whole experienced its most successful summer in the annals of tourism, with more than 26 million overnight stays in hotels between the months of July and September.

Out of those 13 million, 98% would recommend the area as a holiday destination. A survey by the Costa del Sol Tourism agency recorded an average score of 8.87/10 in overall satisfaction.

Hospitality

“The best barometer we have in order to judge if we’re doing things correctly is that the tourists who visit our destination give us such high marks,” said the agency’s CEO, Margarita del Cid. “They recommend us to others and then visit us again.”

The principal crowd pleasers of a Costa del Sol holiday were climate and the beaches, closely followed by hospitality, nature and food.

Malaga, followed by Marbella and then Ronda were voted the coast’s top three destinations to visit. It comes aqs the Junta de Andalucia has launched a post-Brexit tourism plan that includes a €29.7 million cash boost.

When 18 you take out an advertising campaign with4th the Olive Press, January 22th - February 2020 you get a lot more than just the printed newspaper te l ee ia 00 si Fr tor 0,0 eb i 1 w ed ur ay o -d in r-a to si vi

Veggie survival in Spain Veganuary is upon us and we are all being encouraged to be more herbivore but just how easy is it? Dawn Brierley (right) reveals how she does it

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hen I left the UK in you don’t eat fish either, tuna is 2014, being vegetar- then suggested with a pitying ian was not particu- look. Is it any wonder that chips larly difficult - unlike and vino tinto became my primathe days of lone nut roasts on ry diet (at least this is the argu1980s supermarket shelves ment I use). and the ubiquitous goats cheese My staples of Linda McCartney starters and mushroom stroga- sausages and vegetarian bacon noff mains on 1990s restaurant also became a heartbreakingly menus. Nowadays, British super- distant memory. Every counmarkets and restaurants have try has its own food culture, of extensive choices course, and with for both vegans a much lower perand vegetarians. centage of vegeMany menus Moving to Spain tarians in Spain, only seemed felt like going it’s also a case back in time - one of supply and deto include the of the reasons I mand. fell in love with my veggie option Eating out as a adoptive country. vegetarian was gazpacho For me, life here (and is) an onseems simpler going challenge. and happier. HowHaving only previever, being vegetarian suddenly ously visited larger tourist destibecame more complicated. nations in Spain where vegetarTell a waiter in any restaurant or ian travellers were catered for, tapas bar you want a meat-free the sudden lack of options in a option and, confusingly, they will small town came as a bit of a offer you fish. When you explain shock.

History, adventure and romance.

That’s just the setting.

One hot summer’s day shortly after arriving here, I searched through the menus of chiringuito after chiringuito desperately looking for a viable lunch option. Yet, despite the numerous fish and meat dishes on offer, many menus only seemed to include the vegetarian option of gazpacho. And so began my journey…

I quickly learnt to adapt dishes on menus - perhaps a mixed salad minus the tuna, a Spanish tortilla with a side of vegetables, cheese and onion toastie or often, in stereotypical British fashion, good old egg and chips.

Once my Spanish improved and I was able to decipher the menus more easily, I found there were a few more choices than I’d previously thought. I also discovered

that whilst a meat-free philosophy may seem odd to many chefs, they were more than happy to accommodate me. Special dishes would be proudly created such as the chef who offered to rustle me up a dish of chickpeas, various beans and egg.

To my English ear, this didn’t sound particularly appetising, but he was so kind that I agreed and and my misgivings were unfounded - it was delicious! In short, in cases where a vegetarian option doesn’t seem obvious, ask and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how cooperative waiters and chefs can be.

Of course, Spanish cities offer

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MEAT-FREE: Dawn swapped wine and chips for veggie stables like tortilla and padron peppers, while even Venus Williams (far right) is a fan of plant-based foods. And (right) her favourite vegan joint in Malaga

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

Traditional Spanish meat free dishes

Help!

Q. Where can I buy vegetarian and vegan products in Spain?

A.Supermarkets generally sell plant based meat alternatives and options such as tofu and seiten (a wheat gluten meat substitute). For more typical UK style products such as Linda McCartney or Quorn, visit one of the overseas shops or venture into Morrisons in Gibraltar. Health food stores are great for items such as soya mince, nuts, seeds and vegan cheeses. Alternatively, companies like Fate Food Deliveries on Facebook can deliver full vegetarian/ vegan meal solutions to your door. the most choice with numerous vegetarian or vegan restaurants such as Canadu on Plaza Merced in Malaga. Just steps away from here is the similarly wonderful La Plaza which offers a varied vegan/ vegetarian menu alongside meat and fish dishes. Their vegetarian shepherd’s pie is so delicious that this place is now a regular haunt for me when I visit the city. Nearby there are also heaps of non-vegetarian restaurants offering fabulous and healthy Spanish dishes you can eat.

Awakening

Ultimately, in the six years I have been in Spain, I’ve seen a major awakening regarding the availability of healthier plantbased food and growing awareness of animal rights with even bull fights dying a much needed death. All this is a positive step towards a sustainable future for Spain, one that mirrors the global awakening and acknowledges that rather than simply being a trend, meat and dairy free living is the future. Not only because of the suffering the meat and dairy industries cause to animals, but because of their devastating impact on the environment.

The growing list of famous names in the plant-based camp is also exploding globally, topped by sporting heroes like tennis star Venus Williams, boxer David Haye, Spanish footballer Hector Bellerin and Grand Prix ace Lewis Hamilton, as well as celebrities like Woody Harrelson and Camilla Cabello.

Add to this mix the fact that Spain’s former Queen Sofia doesn’t eat meat and is anti bullfighting and, from where I’m standing, the future’s looking bright and green for Spain. So now I am joining in Veganuary - wish me luck!

Q. I’m considering going vegan but how do I ensure I eat all the nutrients my body needs?

A.Going vegan is similar to starting a weight loss diet - it requires initial planning as you need to understand how to consume all the nutrients your body needs. Don’t despair though, for help is at hand. Join Veganuary via Facebook or look up www. veganuary.com - a non-profit organisation providing a wealth of information including dietary checklists, recipes, shopping tips and meal plans.

Q. Will I get enough protein from plant-based foods?

A. It’s a common myth that it’s difficult to get protein from plant foods. In reality, they can provide all the essential protein building blocks that we call amino acids. Good sources include beans, lentils, chickpeas, soya products, peanut butter, cashew nuts and pumpkin seeds.

Q. What about vitamins and minerals?

A. If you are going vegan, it is important to make sure you get enough vitamin B12 – commonly found in meat, eggs and fish – as without it, you will feel exhausted and weak. You can get B12 from fortified foods including dairy alternatives, breakfast cereal, dairy-free spread and yeast extract. Alternatively, you can take a B12 supplement, which you can buy in most health-food stores. Fortified plant milk contains the same amount of calcium as cow’s milk, while fortified yoghurt alternatives, calcium-set tofu, and a soya and linseed bread fortified with extra calcium are also really rich sources.

Q. What about children? Is veganism safe for them?

A. Children can be healthy vegans. It is possible to provide all the nutrients needed for growth and development without animal products. It’s worth looking at the Vegan Society website which has detailed guidance on vegan diets for children of all ages, including infants.

19

January 22th - February 4th 2020

Pimientos de padron - Green peppers fried in olive oil and salt Croquetas de queso y berenjenas - Cheese and aubergine croquettes Espinacas con garbanzos - Spinach with chickpeas Salmorejo - Cold tomatoes and garlic soup Berenjenas con miel - Aubergines with honey Paella vegetariana - Vegetable paella (worth the wait) Tortilla de patatas - Traditional Spanish omelette Patatas Bravas - Potatoes in a spicy sauce

BUSINESS

20

January 22th - February 4th 2020

New suit in town STAR criminal lawyer Dorian Lovell-Pank QC has joined the Chambers of Charles Gomez in Gibraltar as a consultant.

Internationally recognised Lovell-Pank specialises in criminal work, defending and prosecuting cases including commercial fraud, bribery, corruption and conspiracy.

Professional magazine The Lawyer has described him as an ‘exceptional jury advocate’.

The prestigious law directory Chambers and Partners said that he is ‘irrepressible and able to navigate his way through a sea of details effortlessly’. As a bilingual lawyer in English and Spanish he has given lectures in Central and South America, as well as taking part in the reintroduction of jury trials in Russia.

Promised land Entrepreneurs get the chance to enter the UK market via Gibraltar ISRAELI companies could help Gibraltar overcome the Brexit fallout, the Gibrael Chamber has claimed. A number of Israeli companies have already

moved to the Rock, with others looking to follow in the next few years. These have been made possible by the Gibrael group, which has business links with

Israel and is based on the British territory. “Since 2015 when Gibrael started, we have witnessed a huge increase in the number of Israeli companies

Thriving

Reform

He is recognised as one of the United Nations’ advocacy trainers at the International Criminal Tribunal at the Hague.

He has been widely involved with the Bar Council, the Criminal Bar Association, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the British Council in programmes of judicial and legal reform.

The consultant has advocacy training of prosecutors and defence lawyers, particularly in Europe and Latin America.

that currently do business on the Rock,” said Ayelet Mamo Shay of Gibrael. “These include Eco-Wave-Power, cosmetic retailers Kedma, online gaming giant Playtech and many Cryptocurrency related companies like eToro.” Shay believes that Brexit will not halt this arrival, with the common market agreement being a real achievement. “I think the agreement with the UK is an important one, because Gibraltar itself is rarely the ultimate target market for Israeli companies, but rather a stepping stone,” Shay said.

Pesetas from heaven

TURN out your pockets - seven old pesetas coins collectively worth €50,000 are still in circulation.

The old Spanish currency ceased to be issued 18 years ago, but €1,610 million worth of the currency is still out there.

The Bank of Spain will officially stop exchanging pesetas for euros on December 21, 2020, so you have more than 11 months to round up your old coins and maybe bag yourself a windfall. Make sure you check the years they were minted because they could be worth a fortune. The most valuable coin still in circulation is the five pesetas franco trial version coin from 1949 - worth €36,000 to collectors.

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OP Puzzle solutions

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Down: 1 Argument, 2 Home-brew, 3 Struck, 4 Sell, 5 Pair, 6 Mess, 9 Bevel, 13 Any, 14 Sec, 15 Prophesy, 16 Paralyse, 18 Regal, 20 Option, 21 Wren, 22 Oars, 23 Sips.

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Looking to the future, the Gibrael Chamber believes Israel can help out in plans for a Smart City, presented by Fabian Picardo at the last election.

“There are many Israeli smart city solutions that Gibraltar can benefit from, such as smart parking apps, tourism management solutions, smart monitoring of infrastructure and emergency control technologies,” she added. “Another area which Israel excels in is regulatory technologies that can help both financial services and insurance companies and the thriving real estate market that Gibraltar offers.”

Very Important Problem BETTING companies are coming under fire yet again after the head of mental health services in the UK blasted VIP schemes.

Claire Murdoch told CEOs of William Hill, BetFred, bet365, GVC - which all have offices in Gibraltar - about the ‘vicious gambling cycle’ created by VIP treatment.

Murdoch’s claims come after a Gambling Commission report earlier this month recommended VIP schemes be banned.

“I have seen first-hand the devastating impact on the mental wellbeing of addiction,” said Murdoch.

“The gambling industry has a responsibility to prevent the occasional flutter turning into a dangerous habit.”

More than £5billion is gambled every year in the UK via online betting.

The Gambling Commission banned credit cards from being used to top up online gambling accounts this month.

AGONY Property ANT YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS ADDRESSED BY ANTONIO FLORES

Spanish headaches Lawbird’s Antonio Flores explores Manchester Building Society’s loan problems in Spain The story of Manchester Building Society’s (MBS) venture in Spain is threatening to end in tears.

What was devised – and sold to the public – from 2008 onwards as a responsible, safe and law-compliant lifetime mortgage ‘from a prestigious UK Building Society available to European Nationals who are Spanish residential property owners and are fully fluent in English’, has turned into a serious financial drag that is jeopardizing the future of the company.

MBS executives already knew that lending overseas (up to £58m) was a risky business, risk that was to be mitigated – intentionally – by entering into ‘swap’ contracts, which are complex financial instruments designed to hedge risk of adverse interest rate fluctuations.

Time proved them right: already in the first half of 2016, MBS posted losses of £1.4m, half of which was related to Spanish lifetime mortgages. Those losses were mainly attributed to a technicality on how those ‘swaps’, used to limit the risk of Spanish mortgage loans and others, were accounted for. So, in 2011, a review on the methodology of accounting the cost of the swaps meant that MBS’s profit of £6.35 million for 2011 became a

loss of £11.44 million. Grant Thornton got sued for purportedly providing wrong advice but won.

Fast forward seven years to the society’s 2018 annual report and accounts when, quite apart from mentioning the word Spanish 24 times, identified the Spanish loan book as the first ‘key judgement area most significant for the group’. In 2019, the society auditors expressed doubts as to the viability of the company as a going concern, after posting losses of circa £1 million.

For its part, and this is probably the most relevant aspect, Spain-based borrowers have found that they are no longer receiving any more payments under the schemes, despite MBS contractually undertaking to significant loan advances, on the par with home valuations. One such borrower contracted a €200,000 loan of which only €30,000 was advanced, leaving him in a precarious financial situation.

Borrowers (over 200 across Spain) now have an opportunity to terminate these agreements and clear the mortgages on their properties, due to MBS defaulting on their contractual commitments, but still retaining the advance payments as compensation.

Email Antonio at aflores@lawbird.com

Chartered Financial Planner Jonathan Holdaway explains the importance of passive income

I

BUSINESS

21

January 22th - February 4th 2020

the Key to true wealth

mentioned in an earlier article that I had 10 years you can provide a consistent income recently read Rich Dad Poor Dad by Ro- stream of over €1,000 per month for as long as bert Kiyosaki, and in his book he talks a you keep the account (assuming the 7% returgreat deal about the importance of gene- ns continue).

At 11% returns a €1,000 per month saving will rating ‘passive income’.

Passive income is an income received on a re- give you over €2,000 per month for as long as gular basis, with little effort required to main- you need it. tain it. Creating passive income is one of the quickest ways to improve your overall wealth So let’s look at some examples of passive incoas it means your money is earning more mo- me that you can invest into: ney.

The bigger the percentage return you can ge- 1. Bank Account Interest. This is interest nerate, the faster your wealth will grow, espe- paid to you by the bank for depositing your cially when that income is reinvested to create money with them and maintaining a positive balance. Currently the returns from bank more income. interest are quite low but they Let’s look at how your money are fairly secure and prediccan grow, let’s assume you invest €1,000 per month into The excellent Rich table although by shopping around or using term deposits income producing assets for Dad Poor Dad you may be able to get 2% or a period of 10 years (total investment €120,000). book particularly 3% per year.

The examples below show returns at 3% per year, 7% per looks at passive 2. Dividend Stock Investing.

What is better than a stock year and 11% per year, with income that goes up in value? How the income reinvested. about one that pays you along the way. That’s the idea be@ 3% annual returns your account is worth €140,090 after 10 years hind dividend stock investing: Picking stocand will generate passive income of 4,202 ks that not only have a high potential to show growth (capital gains) but will also per year. @ 7% annual returns your account is worth pay you a handsome cut of the company €174,094 after 20 years and will generate in- earnings every quarter (the dividend payment). If you can manage to collect enough come of 12,186 per year. @ 11% annual returns your account is worth shares of these high quality stocks, then €218,987 after 10 years and will generate in- you could set yourself up to receive thousands of dollars in annual income for doing come of €24,088 per year.

Let’s look at the middle one again - by inves- nothing more than being a shareholder ting €1,000 per month with a 7% return for (now that’s passive income!)

3. Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT). If you like the concepts of receiving dividends and owning real estate, but would rather not directly own physical property, then an REIT might be a better choice for you. REITs were very popular during the housing boom (as you might imagine), but they lost a lot of steam after prices fell. However, don’t rule them out as there are still some excellent investment choices available.

4. Bond Interest. Bonds have much more stable returns. That’s because unlike a stock, a bond is a payment of debt where you collect interest for being a lender to a company. If you can manage to purchase enough bond coupons, you could create a steady stream of passive income. That is the idea behind a bond ladder: Basically each year you buy one set of long-term bonds with a fixed high paying interest rate and then stagger them over a long period of time. After a while each year a bond will become due and you can use the proceeds to buy into another long-term bond; preferably at a higher interest rate.

5. CD Ladders. Similar to the Bond Ladder, you could use the same strategy with Certificates of Deposit (CD’s). In this day and age, online banks seem to offer the best interest rates for CD’s.

6. Rental & Commercial Property: Renting

out a house or shop/office is one of the oldest passive income ideas. You not only collect monthly rent and make a profit from it, but you can also use the rent to pay off the actual mortgage of the property. This type of investment requires more time to manage than the above ideas, however, if that bothers you, there are also rental management companies you can hire to take care of the dirty work at a cost. The only thing to keep in mind is that the risk is that much higher if you struggle to find any tenants and the property can be hard to liquidate should you require your money back and the initial purchase costs are significantly more.

7. Business Owner. Owning a business that you do not work in can also be a lucrative way to generate passive income – if you choose the right one! Many of my clients own small hairdressers, restaurants, and niche companies where they are either an investor and thus receive a share of the profits or are the full owner but install managers to run thing day to day. The returns can be very good but it does require more time and some business knowledge.

In summary, there is no better time to start building a passive income than now. The simplest way is to buy some high quality dividend paying stocks or bonds.

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to contact me directly.

Jonathan now has an office Malaga, which can be found here: Alameda Colón, 9, 1, 7. 29001 Málaga, Spain. Phone: +34 951 579226

Contact me for a no obligation investment product and/or portfolio review and at my expense on +34 654 898 303/+44 77230 27864 or email me at jonathan.holdaway@chasebuchanan.com I’ll even buy the coffee.

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COLUMNISTS

22

‘

January 22th - February 4th 2020

EAT, EAT and ALWAYS stay thin’, promises an advertisement for weight-loss pills in an American newspaper published in 1898.

It sounds like every dieter’s dream until you find out the ‘miracle pills’ contained the eggs of ‘Sanitized Tape Worms’.

Presumably the Victorians could stomach the idea of 30-foot parasitic worms taking up residence in their guts but are this century’s crop of fad diets and fitness fetishes any better? Maybe not, when they include donning your great grandad’s gas mask for a more heightened hypoxic workout or drinking a substance used in cat litter…

The Clay Cleanse involves taking bentonite, a volcanic ash that swells in the stomach to curb hunger pangs. Model Elle McPherson and American actress Zoe Kravitz are ‘Claylisters’ who’ve tried the grey goop.

Grey is the new black in fitness too. New York personal trainer Kristen James hit the best-sellers list with her sexercise manual, 50 Shapes, inspired by the bedroom moves in Fifty Shades of Grey.

“People weren’t talking about what the characters were doing but how and all I would hear was, ‘Are you kidding me? How

Live and Let Diet New Year is the season for daft diets and fitness fads and 2020 looks like being another vintage year, writes Belinda Beckett did she bend over like that?’” says James.

One in three of us will try out at least one new diet or fitness regime this year; one in 20 of us will try six! Further proof that the market is expanding at the rate of our waistlines

comes from Amazon. Key in fitness and dieting and over 50,000 titles will be thrown back at you, with more coming next week! To say nothing of all the wacky workouts promoted by some celebrity’s personal trainer and every imaginable gizmo in the fatosphere to help you do them.

Guru

In a world where ‘globesity’ is the new malnutrition, diet and fitness gurus are making a killing selling us emperors’ new clothes (and that fit all sizes) and quite literally ‘living off the fat of the land’.

Meanwhile, here’s my pick of the daftest trends not to follow: Karaoke Yoga Down dog while belting out a Gloria Gaynor number. You will survive, promises Personal Trainer Jennifer Pastiloff: “It’s not about alignment; it’s about connecting to your joy.” She’s from L.A. of course.

The Thigh Master Two pieces of metal tube bent in a loop, con-

Too much hand washing MIJAS MATTERS

By Bill Anderson

nected with a hinge that you squeeze between your legs to tone thighs. Watch it doesn’t pop out, fly across the room and knock the dog unconscious.

The Shake Weight Upper Body Workout A dumbbell with a thrusting mechanism so hilariously suggestive (it’s all in the wrist action) that the infomercial clips went viral on

YouTube.

Stiletto Calisthenics Trash the Nikes and don your best Jimmy Choos for a high-heel workout. You’ll improve balance, tone legs and strengthen core muscles although you could also shorten your Achilles tendons and fall flat on your face.

Altitude Mask Training As your great granddad will

confirm, exercising in a gas mask (on which this concept is based) restricts oxygen intake, resulting in a ‘seeing stars’ effect. Exponents claim it has cardio benefits and boosts lung capacity. Detractors say it’s like being strangled. And, of course, you’ll look stupid.

Birthday blues

After a gloomy January, Marbella’s mountain (below) made Giles Brown realise that it isn’t such a bad place to live after all

Mijas British councillor Bill Anderson blames ‘Pontius Pilate councils’ for the problems facing homeowners Sometimes I need to remind myself that the 1960s and 70s were not 30 years ago! Nevertheless, back then Mijas Pueblo was nothing more than a small, barely accessible, mountain village and La Cala del Moral - as La Cala de Mijas used to be known - wasn’t even a one-horse village; just a sparse scattering of fishermen’s houses near an old watch tower, a scenario repeated all along the Costa del Sol. Now Mijas is classed as a municipality of large population with circa 85,000 inhabitants, and the third largest municipality in Malaga Province.

This has not come without a cost. Mijas seems to have been one large building site for the last 50 years. I have been conducting Councillor Surgeries for the last few months and every week people have come to me with queries or problems to be solved. It is staggering how many of these relate to Urban Planning: houses over 30 years old with no First Occupation License; houses from the same era not connected to the sewage system; houses, and complete urbanisations, whose reality does not reflect the original building projects.

Many people bought their ‘place in the sun’ with no idea that all of these irregularities would one day come back to bite them.

Frankly, I do not blame the predatory builders, nor the investors who wanted a return on their capital. I blame the local authorities who, instead of protecting buyers, were more

interested in the money that occupied houses would bring in to the municipal coffers.

It is true that things have changed, especially in the last 10-15 years when regulations have become stricter or at least better observed, and that should be good for the future. But it doesn’t help those who are currently in these situations and having to fork out a fortune to lawyers or builders to so much as put their homes on the market.

Councils, like Pontius Pilate, wash their grubby, money-stained hands of all responsibility and claim ‘Not my fault’. Caveat Emptor (Buyer Beware) comes to mind - but for many this warning has come many years too late.

I say to the local authorities, “You let this happen. You failed in your due diligence.

Now, the least you can do is facilitate the process to allow people to get things back on track.”

Councils are multi million euro businesses and, although the Chief Exec may change every few years, this does not relieve them of the culpability of their predecessors. I sometimes think of Councils as the MSPP (Municipal Society for the Prevention of Progress). I would like to see them working with people to solve their problems, not creating new ones for them; not building barriers but opening doors to solutions.

I would like to see them manning up - or should that be personing up. I have hit many brick walls in attempting to help people with their problems. It has to change!

I

t was my birthday last weekend. Not a milestone event like my Rock n Roll 50th two years ago – and if you are good with numbers you will have worked out how old I am – but just an ‘early to mid fifties’ day.

Back in the day, of course, my birthdays were rather liquid affairs. As Spain celebrates Christmas until Three Kings on January 6 and my birthday is on January 19, I tended to single-handedly carry on the festivities.

My hangover would be so severe after my birthday weekend that I like to think that I personally discovered the term ‘Blue Monday’,

which describes the general depression and existential angst felt by most of the population in mid-January.

A combination of events, including the usual chasing of clients for cash – present company excepted – more car trouble in the form of the brakes, which are rather important as the track leading down to the Casita is frequently described as ‘something out of an Indiana Jones movie’, and the tragic and traumatic death of Lilly, a friend’s Yorkie that I looked after over Christmas – left me with the growing feeling that Marbella was losing some of its ap-

peal for me.

The pre-Brexit scramble of getting my paperwork together didn’t help much either and I coined a new noun, ‘Marbellaise’, for the way I was feeling, even contemplating a move to pastures new.

Driving back through the hills at the end of the week, I turned a corner just as the last of the sun’s rays hit La Concha mountain, turning it a gorgeous pink. The view was so outstanding that I pulled over to admire it. I took a deep breath and a look around and realised that, as a place to live, Marbella isn’t so bad after all.

SPORT TRIUMPH: For Europa

Europa victors MID-season Gibraltar footballing pacesetters Europa FC have beaten a former European great. Borussia Monchengladbach were vanquished by a solo goal in a friendly during the winter break. “It was a great performance from our boys in a high-tempo match with Juampe scoring the winner in the second half,” said Europa FC. Thanks to Borussia for the match and good luck for the rest of the season, Viel Glück!” The former champions top the Gibraltar National League after winning all but one of their games this season. Off the pitch the club also had success, picking up first prize for its Harry Potter float in the Cavalcade on January 7.

23

January 22th - February 4th 2020

You’re NOT the special one

Barcelona waste no time in appointing new manager after sacking Valverde BARCELONA have sacked manager Ernesto Valverde and wasted no time in finding a substitute.

The 55-year-old was in charge of the Catalan giants for two-and-a-halfyears before being replaced by former Real Betis boss Quique Setien.

Txingurri – Valverde’s nickname – had led the Blaugrana to two successive league titles and back to the top of the pile this

season on goal difference.

However, the Catalans had been criticised for their style of play and had failed to reach the final of the Champions League during his tenure.

Dedication

Valverde had previously managed other Spanish teams such as Espanyol, Valencia and Athletic Bilbao.

Aceing it

NADAL: With mates Williams and Djokovic

RAFAEL Nadal and his ‘Rally 4 Relief’ friends have raised nearly €5 million for the Australian bushfire appeal.

Some of the biggest names in tennis played an exhibition match in Melbourne to raise

The Extremeño had also previously been in charge of Greek giants Olympiacos, winning the Greek AXED: Valverde dropped League with for Setien them twice.

In a statement, Barca said they had ism, his commitment, his reached an agreement dedication and his always with Valverde to terminate positive treatment tohis contract and thanked wards all that make up the him for ‘his professional- Barca family.’

Setien led Betis to their highest finish since 2005 funds for the aid proand to the semi-finals of gramme. the Copa del Rey before They included the likes leaving in May. of world number one He has agreed to a twoNadal, Roger Federer, and-a-half-year deal.

Novak Djokovic and The 61-year-old was preSerena Williams. sented to the media on At one point there were Tuesday and said: “My up to eight players on goal is to win everything court in a four against that can be won, in addifour matchup. tion to playing well.”

New goal for Reina

PEPE Reina has returned to the Premier League in goal for Aston Villa.

The Villans have signed the Spaniard on loan from AC Milan for the remainder of the season.

The 37-year-old is no stranger to England’s top flight, having spent eight years with Liverpool, during which his side won the FA Cup, the League Cup, the European Super Cup and the Community Shield.

Villa needed to add to their goalkeeping options after Tom Heaton was ruled out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury at the start of the month.

Foul result SERGIO Ramos has led 10man Real Madrid to a 4-1 win on penalties over rivals Atletico to claim an 11th Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia.

The Galacticos captain put away the decisive spot kick at Jeddah’s King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.

The dramatic derby finished 0-0 after 90 minutes and was still goalless after half an hour of extra time.

One of the match’s main moments was the dismissal of Federico Valverde, the Real midfielder taking a red card to keep his team in the tie.

The

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Gummy wars

FINAL WORDS

HARIBO has launched legal action against a group of young entrepreneurs in Bilbao, over claims their alcohol-infused gummy bears were ‘copied’ from the sweet giant.

New ride A GROUP of kind-hearted policemen have bought a man a new bike after they hit him with their car, while running a red light in Malaga.

Starry TORREMOLINOS is set to receive a brand new planetarium in 2021, it has been revealed, with companies given until February 8 to fight for the contracts.

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Wiping Spain off the map

Vol. 5, Issue 114 www.theolivepress.es January 22th - February 4th 2020

White out

Heavy rain and snow arrive on the Costa del Sol as warnings stay in force for week WHEN you talk about ‘whiting out’ on the Costa del Sol, many things come to mind.

Most people don’t associate that with snow.

But this week snow fell for the

ANDALUCIANS are lazy, Madrileños are clowns and Valencianos are drug addicts.

These are the amusing - but highly offensive - stereotypes featured on a controversial new ‘emoji map’.

Ivan Grad has created the map of social media icons to rile Spain’s 17 autonomous communities, posting it on Twitter.

Starting with the capital, Madrid, he has chosen the clown emoji to describe the local politicians. Andalucia is illustrated with a sleepy face and a bed, hinting at a love of siestas. The Spanish flag is used all across Catalunya, in direct contrast to the sentiment of the Catalans.

Valencia and the Balearic Islands are described as being drug-infested with the use of the pill emoji.

Not stereotyping!

first time in years in Mijas.

The Sierra de Mijas was left with a dusting of snow as infamous Storm Gloria ploughed through on Sunday.

There were also snow falls in El Torcal, near Antequera, in the Axarquia, the Sierra Bermeja, above Estepona, and in the Serrania de Ronda.

The A-397 between San Pedro and Ronda was cut off for a few hours (pic left) with heavy snowfall above 700m.

It comes after the weather system left metres of snow on the Costa Blanca as well as serious floods.

The amount of snow falling even caused the closure of Alicante airport for an entire day.

The storm claimed the lives of two people, with the latest victim being a Romanian expat living in Valencia.

Red alert warnings were issued in different regions of Spain, with Andalucia finding heavy snow falling in Jaen and Granada and parts of Almeria. Weather alerts are set to be issued this week for more snow and heavy rainfall around Andalucia and particularly the Costa del Sol.

CHECK out this amazing view of Gibraltar! It almost looks like a Caribbean island from this angle! Shot from the air, the Rock in the distance, it is really a much more intense perspective from its southern corner.

See if you can spot the people on the new rifle shooting range!

Pride

A NEW LGBT+ Liaison Officer has been appointed at the Royal Gibraltar Police. PC Allan Bartram (below) will wear the rainbow colours on duty to ‘raise awareness and promote understanding about the needs of the LGBT+ community’.