Stoking racism

FAR-RIGHT party Vox and eviction company Desokupa teamed up to make false claims a murder in Madrid was committed by an immigrant.

By Alex Trelinski

The Mediterranean is facing prospect of highest temperatures ever recorded that the hot weather could be around for some time - as much as two weeks.

There is nevertheless some respite this weekend predicted for coastal areas, with 31 degrees for Malaga, 30 degrees in Benidorm, and 32 degrees in Valencia.

Higher temperatures of 35 degrees for Torrevieja and 33 for

Palma are forecast.

The high temperatures are being caused by a mass of very warm and dry air known as ‘Cerberus’ travelling from the Sahara desert that has been expanding into Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia towards south Europe.

A LATE night beach walker stumbled upon the near-miraculous discovery of a loggerhead turtle in the midst of laying her eggs. The hard-backed mother was busy laying close to 70 eggs in the middle of summer on one of Marbella's busiest beaches, just west of Puerto Banus.

This is only the second nesting of loggerhead turtles on the Marbella coastline, who usually prefer the beaches of the eastern Med. In August 2020 a loggerhead turtle nested on the beach of Los Boliches, in Fuengirola. And in June this year, one laid 80 eggs in the town of Denia, while another laid 62 in Gandia in Valencia province.

It has been speculated that the progressive warming of the Mediterranean coastline could be one of the causes of these rare nestings.

Heat warnings have been issued both to residents and tourists across Spain.

The Cruz Roja has urged people to check on the most vulnerable during the high temperatures, such as children and older people, while also calling on people to stay hydrated and to watch for signs of heatstroke, which can include vomiting and fainting.

The new heatwave comes after the World Meteorological Organization said the beginning of this month was the hottest week on record for the planet. 'The world just had the hottest week on record, according to preliminary data,' the WMO said in a statement, after climate change and the early stages of the El Niño weather pattern drove the warmest June on record.

El Niño is a naturally occurring pattern that drives increased heat worldwide, as well as drought in some parts of the world and heavy rains elsewhere.

However, a pair of Spaniards are alleged to have stabbed to death the owner of a clothing store in the central Tirso de Mollina square, in what looks to be a robbery gone wrong.

These facts were ignored by both Vox – a party that could end up in a coalition government with the Popular Party after the July 23 general elections – and Desokupa in order to stoke anti-immigrant sentiment.

Both organisations published information on social media stating that the crime had been carried out by immigrants. Desokupa wrote on their Insta: “Today an Algerian has stabbed the owner of this establishment. She died.”

While Vox leader Santiago Abascal later admitted that he had made a mistake by linking to a story ‘that included an error’.

The public prosecutor is reported to be investigating whether the posts could constitute hate crimes.

Voted top expat paper in Spain

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