BUYERS BEWARE
ROAD signs have appeared in Torrevieja warning that people face €200 fines for people buying from illegal street sellers - but everyone seems to be ignoring them.
The yellow and black hoardings have been erected in areas which see the largest concentration of the so-called ‘looky looky’ men.
Nevertheless they have had close to zero impact as buying and selling has continued as normal right by the signs.
The unlicenced traders mainly sell fake sports-related goods, taking up pitches along the city’s main promenade between Hombre de Mar right up to the end of Avenida de los Marineros at Playa de Cura.
Three warning signs are now in place along the Paseo de Juan Aparicio and two at Los Naufragos beach.
Other areas covered are La Mata, Los Locos, and El Curahas, with more signs planned.
The initiative started last year with signs going up, but they were taken down within hours and there were no reports of any customers being penalised.
The new crop of warning signs has been erected at a higher level and within the viewing range of security cameras.
Increased patrols of plain-clothed police officers have also been promised. Legitimate businesses have complained for years that their livelihoods are being threatened by the vendors. Torrevieja council has been battling the illegal hawkers since 2010 with little success as the authority said it got little support from the Guardia Civil and Policia Nacional.
With a population of just 300, Frias is Spain’s smallest city
See page 14
The little house that has been turned into a picture perfect home
Whitewash claims as former leaders who oversaw Spain’s biggest corruption scandal could avoid prison
THEY oversaw the biggest public money fraud in Spanish history, syphoning €680 million into a pot of cash known as the ‘reptile fund’. Dwarfing all other corruption scandals that have plagued the country, it saw politicians famously redirect public funds from Brussels and Madrid into secret bank accounts.
The enormous slush fund - which was meant to help struggling businesses, create new ones or to help pay redundancies - was instead spent on friends, families and paying off enemies.
Yet the sentences handed down to former PSOE leaders Jose Antonio Griñan and Manuel Chaves, convicted of overseeing the huge theft, could soon be overturned.
By Walter Finch
In an extraordinary judgement, the Constitutional Court in Madrid has already significantly reduced the sentences of 15 politicians who were convicted in Andalucia’s infamous ERE scandal.
The decision has led to the slamming of Pedro Sanchez’s government with claims he is ‘pardoning his PSOE friends and covering up his party’s past.’
The decade-long scandal involved many senior figures of the party, including Chaves, a former vice president of the PSOE in Madrid.
The most infamous abuse of power
saw an ex-Employment Minister and his driver set up two bogus companies, which were handed €350,000 each
REPTILE RELEASE
in grants.
Javier Guerrero and his so-called ‘Cocaine chauffeur’ infamously spent much of the money on prostitutes, cocktails and drugs, after knocking off work at 2pm.
“We knew exactly what those funds were used for, and it was certainly not for the general interest or progress,” said PP minister Ana Mestre this week.
“If they governed today,
Covid returns
the PSOE would just do it all over again.”
But this hasn’t stopped Madrid’s Constitutional court from significantly reducing the sentences of 12 of the convicted 15 politicians.
REPORTED cases of Covid have rocketed six-fold in the Valencian Community compared to a year ago.
The latest figures from the end of June show 221 cases per 100,000 people in the region - a similar figure to last Christmas when mask-wearing was ordered in all hospitals and clinics.
A year ago, the infection rate was just 37 cases per 100,000.
Figures for people hospitalised with the coronavirus are now 2.6 people - average age 79 - per 100,000 admitted compared to a rate of just 0.6 in early June.
Former ministers Antonio Fernandez, Francisco Vallejo and Jesus Rodríguez will now all walk free. And, incredibly, the six year sentence handed to Griñan for his involvement between 2000 and 2009 is to be overturned as well.
A draft ruling, expected to be approved next week, will mean Griñan never sees the inside of a prison cell. Chaves is also likely to see his nineyear disqualification from public office quashed. The rulings, which were confirmed by seven votes to four, were opposed by the four conservative judges, who accused the court of granting ‘immunity’ to former PSOE officials.
Antonio Sanz, a PP minister at the Junta de Andalucia, declared his party would ‘still do everything possible to recover all the stolen money.’ “No matter how much the PSOE tries to erase its past of corruption, it will not be able to cover up the biggest case of corruption in the history of Spanish democracy,” he added.
PARDONED: Chaves and Griñan oversaw €680m corruption scandal
IGNORED: A sign of the times
NEWS IN BRIEF
Beach death
A WOMAN, 70, died from a heart attack while bathing at Los Narejos beach in Los Alcazares on Tuesday lunchtime, with lifeguards and paramedics unable to revive her.
Line boost
A €138m high-speed rail line will be built taking in nine kilometres between Torre Pacheco and Cartagena, as a further step in getting an AVE link to Murcia city.
All out
ROJALES municipal swimming pool reopened on Wednesday after it shut for two days after faeces was discovered in the water - possibly down to a social media challenge.
On parade
THE Vega Baja’s biggest ‘Moor & Christians’ celebration starts in Orihuela City on Sunday with a floral parade in the Glorieta Miro park and ending the following Saturday with a grand evening parade.
THE parents of a 22-year-old Alicante woman have been arrested for allegedly setting up an arranged marriage and accepting a €1,000 fee for it.
The daughter ran off a day before the ceremony, but was found and forced
Runaway bride
to endure assaults which resulted in her having a tooth bashed out.
The Moroccan family arranged the union with her cousin, 40, who was
also detained by the Policia Nacional along with his mother. Despite being caught after escaping the forced marriage, she fled again - this time to a specialist centre for abused women where she filed a criminal complaint.
Brit shootout arrest
Drugs fugitive expat who expanded into arms sales nabbed
A BRITISH drugs fugitive turned alleged gun trafficker has been arrested after a shootout with police.
Anthony Patrick Finnigan, 37, from Liverpool was wanted for possessing 56 kilos of amphetamines and 88 cannabis plants in 2020. He fled the UK with the National Crime Agency (NCA) issuing an international arrest warrant stating that Finnigan had ties to ‘very dangerous groups’ that sold
By Alex Trelinski
arms to finance cocaine purchases.
The NCA tipped off the Policia Nacional that Finnigan was staying at a San Pedro del Pinitar villa.
Officers monitored the home including a meeting between Finnigan and two Turks with British passports, Hasan Topal and Ediz Can, who had links to Lon-
don mafia gangs.
They allegedly brought in the weapons by road from Turkey with Finnigan acting as an intermediary between the men and a Moroccan client, Ahmed Mhanni, who was living illegally in the Cartagena area.
Mhanni was allegedly going to supply the weapons to criminal groups operating along Spain’s east coast.
Two days later, all four men were arrested in different
Boy kills ‘abusive’ father
A TOTANA boy, 14, has been arrested after he killed his father in defence of his mother. The teenager intervened in a fight between his parents at their home in the Murcia region town.
The 51-year-old victim, named as Joaquin, died after being stabbed five times in the lungs and heart. His mother accompanied the
boy to the Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office in Murcia, where she confirmed that he acted to defend her.
Her statement was enough to have him released without any bail conditions. A decision will be made at a later date as to whether he will be charged or the case will be dropped.
locations with a stash of 35 guns and 750 bullets destined for Spanish criminal gangs found at Finnigan’s villa. Two of the arrests were at a Los Alcazares underground car park where Finnigan and Topal
NABBED: Finnigan was arrested in Murcia
were due to meet a buyer that Mhanni had set up.
They were greeted by five police officers, with Topal firing twice at one of them before he was subdued.
All four men have been remanded in custody and, despite the UK extradition request for Finnigan, he will firstly face arms trafficking charges as well as for attacking a police officer.
Hasan Topal has also been charged with attempted murder.
Twin's deceit
A 20-year-old El Campello man has been arrested for identity theft after taking his twin brother’s car to a party.
A police patrol saw him carrying out an unusual manoeuvre and when asked for his documents, he produced his brother’s driving licence which, because of the identical photo, appeared to be in order.
Officers smelt a rat and checked over the car registration details, which did not match his name.
He was charged with identity theft and driving without a licence plus testing positive for drugs.
Illegal cabbies
SIX pirate taxi drivers face fines of up to €4,000 each after being caught out by the El Campello Policia Local. They were caught red-handed picking up or dropping off customers who always sat in the back of the cars, drawing the suspicion of patrol officers. Passengers admitted to contacting the unlicensed operators on phone numbers advertised via social media. Fares in all cases were lower than those charged by legitimate taxi drivers.
HE may be one of the break-out stars of Euro 2024 having scored a wonder goal in Spain’s 2-1 triumph in the semi-final clash with France, but Lamine Yamal’s prodigious footballing talent can’t excuse him from the rigour and pressure of
Bright and talented
school exams.
Thankfully for the 16year old, who became the youngest ever player at a European Championship, has passed his fourth ESO exam - the equivalent of GCSEs - whilst in
Germany with the Spain squad.
The Barcelona-born starlet had taken to revision classes in between training sessions and matches in order to prepare for the tests, and it seems the hard work paid off after it was revealed that Yamal passed the assessments with flying colours.
BENICASSIM BECKONS
It’s time to party at Spain’ biggest music festival
By Alex Trelinski
SPAIN'S biggest partythe Festival Internacional de Benicassim - kicks off four days of top musical entertainment on July 18. Located in the east coast resort 100 kms north of Valencia, the weekend festival brings in visitors from around Spain and Europe and is regarded as one of the best on the planet!
The event is also very popular with UK music fans due to its seaside location and the guarantee of good weather.
This year's International acts include regular visitors to the country, the Black Eyed Peas, as well as the Libertines, Jess Glynne, and UK Eurovision
July 11th - July 24th 2024
ELLE of a night
EVA Longoria sizzled at the 2024 ELLE Gourmet Awards in Madrid.
runner-up Sam Ryder, The festival focuses mainly on pop, rock, and electronica artists, as well as featuring short films, fashion shows, and art.
FORMER Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says he’s enjoying life and retirement in Mallorca, when he spoke to reporters at a pre-Wimbledon tennis tournament.
Klopp - donning a German football shirt - said he’s been playing a lot of padel tennis since moving to the island with wife Ulla.
He revealed to ESPN reporter Agos Larocca that he has been working on an 'ecological' revamp of his €4m Santa Ponsa villa with a total
It also attracts celebrity visitors like Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, and his wife Begoña Gomez, who attended in 2018 to see The Killers.
The first event was staged in 1995 and is notable for having live music running well
Past performers at Spain's answer to Glastonbury have included The Killers, Blur, Oasis, The Pet Shop Boys, Lou Reed, The Stone Roses, Madness and Bastille.
Klopp happy
rebuild covering 5,000 m2. When asked what he liked about the island he said: “Where can I start? I like everything about it, to be honest, but I'm not long enough here yet. We try to figure out what we like the most.'
They are staying in 'temporary' accommodation, courtesy of the five-star Kimpton Aysla Hotel in the same area.
The Desperate Housewives star stole the show with her stunning look and infectious charm.
Longoria arrived at the event, held at the Italian Embassy, in a black gown that left little to the imagination.
The figure-hugging dress accentuated her curves, while the plunging neckline added a touch of Hollywood glamour.
As always, Longoria's beaming smile was her best accessory.
into the night with a schedule running between 5pm and 5am!
It has three main stages, Las Palmas, Visa, and South Beach Dance, with capacities of approximately 30,000, 15,000 and 8,000, respectively.
A typical attendance for the festival clocks up around 180,000 visitors.
Festival goers who have purchased multi-day passes can camp for up to nine days starting the Monday before and ending the Tuesday after the festival finishes two days earlier.
It's famous for attracting a young, party-oriented crowd and plenty of fun is promised for people of all ages.
PLAN HATCHED
TWO chicks fathered by lockdown star Louis the osprey will be flown from Scotland to Spain after fears for his well being.
The Woodland Trust has made the ‘tough’ decision to remove the chicks from their Loch Arkaig Pine Forest nest after realising ‘something was wrong’ with their father, who appears to be struggling to provide food.
According to the wildlife charity, Louis has not been fishing frequently enough to give the chicks a good chance of survival.
It is thought this could be due to difficult fishing conditions in the area. Now, alongside 10 other chicks, they will be moved to Spain to give them the ‘best chance’ in the Pego-Oliva Marsh Natural Park, near Alicante. Louis became a lockdown star after a live nest camera clocked 400,000 views.
Ospreys were extinct in Spain until they were reintroduced in 2003 using Scottish birds.
AN ELDERLY couple died when their car was driven on the wrong side of a Mar Menor dual carriageway and collided with another vehicle.
The fatal crash happened on the RM-12 La Manga motorway close to the Playa Honda urbanisation.
The car on the wrong carriageway was driven by an 89-yearold man and apparently entered at Cabo de Palos.
Cartagena firefighters freed the octogenarians who were trapped in their vehicle but they died later at Santa Lucia Hospital.
The driver of the car that was hit sustained only minor injuries and was treated at the Los Arcos del Mar Menor Hospital.
Wrong-way smash Water boost
PLANS to increase output by 50% from Torrevieja’s desalination plant has taken a big step forward with the award of an €89.5m contract to a joint venture company to expand the facility.
The aim is to increase water production over four years from the current 80 hm3 per year to 120 hm3, to counterbalance low reservoir reserves as a result of the drought. The project will double the amount of seawater that will be pumped in from the Poniente dock in Torrevieja.
WASH THEM AWAY!
Expanding motorway
WORK will start this autumn on adding a third lane to the A-7 motorway between Crevillente and Orihuela.
Controversial
antitourist protests see foreigners targeted with angry chants and water pistols
ANGRY protesters have targeted tourists with water pistols during a controversial Spanish demo.
Demonstrators barricaded hotels and restaurants along their route in Barcelona, while others chanted ‘Tourists, go home’, while carrying placards with similar messages. But a small number wielded water pistols and squirted tourists while they were
By Walter Finch
sitting at terraces along the famous Las Ramblas central artery.
Video footage showed tourists in shorts and flip-flops scurrying away from their tables while a group of girls sprayed them with water and shouted at them to ‘go home’.
Other placards read ‘Barce-
WATER ATTACK: Tourists were soaked in Barcelona
lona is not for sale’ and ‘decrease tourism now’.
The protesters were demanding action to curb the number of tourists to remedy high rental prices, overcrowding and antisocial behaviour in the centre.
“We want the city’s economic model to be fairer to us,” said Marti Cuso, a spokesperson for the Gothic Quarter’s residents association.
“And for that we have to decrease tourism,” he added.
The aggressive actions were met with disapproval by many Spaniards however.
“These protests are stupid, especially considering that 99% of the those protesting have travelled low cost around Europe,” one told the Olive Press.
“Throwing water on people
who are eating, or by barricading them into the restaurant, it’s lucky no one got punched.”
The protest came as reports show the cost of housing has increased by 68% over the past 10 years, while wages haven’t increased.
Radical
According to website Idealista, Barcelona and Madrid rents are 18% up this June compared to last year.
A radical move by Barcelona mayor, Jaume Collboni, last month, will see all short-term tourist lets phased out by 2028.
Similar protests have taken place in Malaga, Sevilla, Palma and the Canary Islands, over the last month, each highlighting discontent at mass tourism.
The long-demanded project from the Ministry of Transport will cost just under €90 million. The 17 kilometre upgrade will run from the intersection of the AP-7 Alicante-Cartagena motorway to the Orihuela-Benferri CV-870 exit. Five years have been allocated for the work to be completed which will also include a remodelling of five existing junctions.
Road
battle
ORIHUELA is taking its battle to reopen the La Glea seafront road in Campoamor to Spain’s Supreme Court. Orihuela council is appealing a Valencian Supreme Court ruling that ordered the route - damaged during the 2019 autumn storms - to remain closed to cars under current coastal laws.
The Costas authority implementing those laws is against restoring the La Glea road to its former use and is currently laying down a wooden walkway with the old asphalt road now dug up.
Campoamor residents wanted the road to be reopened as its closure has caused longer car journeys to access La Glea.
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
OPINION
Sea Change!
THE tone of this year’s Black Flag report (right) is a sea change in the right direction.
With the ravages of Spain’s coastline due to incompetence and inaction, Spain’s leading green group Ecologistas en Accion is pulling no punches.
The hard-hitting report details how time and time again local politicians and even regional bodies are blatantly violating environmental laws. Developments are being approved and blind eyes are being paid to barbarities and abuses. In clear infringements of Spanish and European laws, the Canary Islands are allowing four new mega resorts.
This from a political class which flaunts its multi-billion dollar profits while more than 35% of the Canaries population is ‘at risk of poverty’ and the unemployment rate sits at 20%.
It’s little different in Andalucia, where the Junta has sanctioned a beach bar in Fuengirola that grossly violates regulations and threatens the integrity of the coast.
Meanwhile, in Tarifa and Vejer, the battlelines are being drawn in the sand as a phalanx of wealthy developers continue to sniff around for coastal land to raze.
In Valencia the situation is worse, while the Balearics fare no better.
The politicians are committing harakiri on what is left of this country’s coastline.
Already being strangled by a collar of concrete, they continue to court the deep pockets of, mostly, foreign investors, who won’t think twice about carving up what’s left before jumping on their private planes elsewhere.
The majority of developments are not in the interests of the Spanish population and it’s hard not to believe that plenty of backhanders are kicking around.
Madrid must get a grip on the unhealthy relationship between business and politics which has been flourishing in plain sight at the municipal level for years.
Spain’s coasts have a limit. Saving what’s left is vital for the future of the country.
PUBLISHER / EDITOR
Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es
Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es
Walter Finch walter@theolivepress.es
Yzabelle Bostyn yzabelle@theolivepress.es
Humenyuk Makarova (+34) 951 154 841 admin@theolivepress.es
‘SUICIDAL RACE’
THE latest Blue Flag report offered a dazzling verdict on Spain’s beaches. The global organisation created a map that blanketed the country’s coastlines in blue dots, indicating beautiful clean beaches with excellent water quality, compliance with coastal laws, and services such as lifeguards and toilets.
By Walter Finch
flag,” Ecologists in Action coordinator Rafael Yus-Ramos (below left) told the Olive Press
Simon Hunter simon@theolivepress.es
Alex Trelinski alex@theolivepress.es
Ben Pawlowski ben@theolivepress.es
Héctor Santaella (+34) 658 750 424 accounts@ theolivepress.es
theolivepress.es
Out of the 694 beaches that applied for the cherished blue flag, the group merrily handed them to 638 – an approval rate of 91%.
However, an alternative report from local environmental group Ecologists in Action offers a darker vision of the health of Spain’s beaches.
“But we can’t give a black flag to every beach that deserved one because otherwise we would have ended up with too many to count.”
The group’s Black Flags report, released in June, gave out 48 black flags around the country, including 10 in Andalucia, six in Valencia, two in the Balearics and four in the Canary Islands.
But in reality the number should have been even higher.
“Many of the beaches that received a blue flag actually should get a black
The report comes in a year when anti-tourism protests have broken out in hotspots across Spain, ‘excessive’ seafront developments have been approved in the Canary Islands and Malaga, and 26 tonnes of plastic pellets were washed overboard a container ship into the sea off the coast of Cantabria.
The trend causing the most harm to Spain’s beaches, however, is ‘the touristification and urbanisation of our coastlines’, according to the environmental group.
according Canary keen
The Canary Islands come in for keen criticism for leaving an ecological footprint 27 times larger than their landmass.
Yet the villains are not the tourists occupying the hotels and Airbnbs but the political class,
IT’S a sad day for the news industry when one cannot even report on serious crimes without being reported for ‘offensive’ content.
That is what has happened to the Olive Press over the past for months, with Google warning that some of our stories are too risque to appear on the search engine.
These included the conviction of a rapist in Gibraltar, a respected Spanish urologist warning of the effects of smoking on men’s penises and - incredibly - a story about crucifi xes being stolen from cemeteries in Spain. But it’s not just Google trying to censor the news landscape, with Facebook also barraging us with warnings
who ‘flaunt multi-billion dollar profits while more than 35% of the population is at risk of poverty and a 20% unemployment rate.’
In Tenerife, development has restarted on two hotels, Hotel La Tejita and Hotel Cuna del Alma, which were stopped for environmental violations.
And in Fuerteventura a golf course and a wellness centre with more than 2,000 beds each have both been approved.
“These are just a few examples, among many,” the report states, “that demonstrate the suicidal race that our leaders are betting on which exclusively benefits business interests.”
But the Black Flags report saves some of its strongest criticism for the Costa del Sol, which receives two of the unwanted awards.
A number of beach bars have been approved despite receiving negative reports for environmental law violations, the report claims.
Ecologists in Action have pointed the finger at the Junta for ignoring the damning reports and ploughing ahead with development regardless.
In the most shocking case, it gave out a licence to build Bikini Beach Club at the foot of the Fuengirola castle.
Snowflakes!
Google and Facebook censor Olive Press stories about rape and crucifixes for fear of ‘offending’ users
of hits.
By Laurence
over the most basic of stories. These included all of the above plus plans by Spain to bring in restrictions on accessing online porn.
Unfortunately, Facebook and especially Google still have a stranglehold over the news industry. Every newspaper in the world remains dependent on their articles being served to the billions of people who use the tech giants daily.
Google , in particular, can make or break a news site, as placing its articles on its ‘discovery’ page or its ‘news’ section can bring in millions
But what does it say about the future of journalism if important stories about sex crimes and intimate health issues are essentially being blocked?
It runs the risk of newspapers reporting less and less on such topics for fear of losing favour with Google and Meta (the owner of Facebook ). This will reduce the quality of news reporting and it is the reader who loses out in the end.
Google’s power over the media is one of the reasons many sites - including the Olive Press - have introduced subscription paywalls.
With a guaranteed monthly or annual income from loyal readers, websites can continue to report the news without having to adhere to arbitrary rules
Dollimore
The annual Black Flag report is in and it isn’t pretty reading as ‘touristification’ and a greedy political class are blamed for destroying Spain’s coastline
The 440-metre behemoth is being built directly on the sand – with basement included – not far from an archeological site, in plain violation of coastal regulations.
“It all comes down to the country’s laws which regulate coastal developments,”
Yus-Ramos said.
“There are things you can do and things you can’t, and the Junta just ignores it.
“The town halls submit plans for beach developments but it's the Junta which has to approve them.
“The ultimate responsibility for these black flags lies with the Junta.”
The report also pulled Malaga up for the massive plastic waste generated by the San Juan festivities on June 23.
“The night of San Juan left the beaches covered in plastic,” Yus-Ramos said. “In the
PLASTIC : Tonnes of beads were washed overboard in Galicia, while (below) the aftermath of the San Juan festivities
end, much of that plastic waste goes in the sea.”
The group estimates that between 20 and 40 tonnes of litter was left on beaches come the morning.
Ecologists in Action has called for more bins to be placed on the beach for the event and signs warning of the harm caused by litter.
It added: “Ideally, these massive festivities should gradually decline until they disappear.”
Yus-Ramos added that constant construction and development all along the Costa del Sol has led to the disappearance of many beaches, which now have to be regularly replenished with artificial sand.
pumping station located in the ravine, due to overflow and lack of maintenance.
It’s a similar story at Alicante beach, where the population has doubled in the last 40 years without a similar investment in local infrastructure.
MILLION MILESTONE
The Olive Press website is soaring to new heights - so join the conversation!
that seem to change daily. Plus, they will eventually steer away from the disliked ‘clickbait’ articles once they are no longer so reliant on advertising income generated by clicks.
If you’re an avid reader of news sites and believe that proper journalism is worth safeguarding, support your favourite newspapers either via a donation or subscription.
“In Cadiz there are sandy natural beaches that still have dunes,” he continued. “But these have almost completely disappeared in Malaga.
Incredibly, plans are already underway to expand the illegal sites with two waterhungry
golf courses
Cadiz, however, does not escape lightly, receiving four black flags, with said dunes on the Trafalgar coast between Tarifa and Vejer being a particular concern.
“The current urban development between Zahara and Atlanterra is dismantling the natural barrier that has protected the region’s dune systems,” the report states.
It adds that there are nearly three kilometres of formerly pristine beach that are now occupied by illegally-built homes that ‘lack basic infrastructure for water supply and wastewater treatment’. Incredibly, plans are already underway to expand the illegal developments with two water-hungry golf courses. Meanwhile, sewage waste has been seeping into Playa Talamanca in Ibiza and both Playa Granada and Playa Poniente in Granada. This has been killing off the seagrass meadows that grow just off the coast, with over half of the fields in Talamanca Bay now dead. And do not even ask what is escaping onto the Alicante beach of El Barranco del Amerador (see right).
Ok we’ll tell you: “So far this year, there have been two faecal discharges at the Amerador beach from the
“The risk of new discharges could produce not only visible items like wet wipes, plastic bags, or cotton buds but also less visible pollutants such as heavy metals, hydrocarbon residues, and other toxins,” the report says.
“Beaches could be closed if tests reveal high levels of E.coli, as happened last summer at San Gabriel and Urbanova beaches.”
The report does try to offer solutions to each of the environmental or management issues it raises, which often involves upgrading infrastructure such as treatment plants.
But for Yus-Ramos, the ultimate cause of the issues on Spain’s beaches are the commercialisation and poor environmental management of the coastline, the blame for which he plants squarely at the feet of politicians.
THE Olive Press website has reached new heights after pulling in more than 1.4million views in just ONE week.
The start of July saw more than 800,000 people visit www.theolivepress.es over a seven-day period, blowing our competitors out of the water.
It came after an urgent update of our server, which was being overloaded by the rapid surge in visitors trying to access the site.
It makes the Olive Press, definitively, the most popular - as well as trusted - English news site in Spain.
Our visitors are a healthy balance of British, Irish, American, Dutch, German and other Europeans. We even had 49,000 Aussies visit the site in June.
Over the past few months, we have seen nearly 10,000 people register an account on theolivepress.es.
We now have 40,000 users, a figure that is currently increasing by more than 1,000 each week.
Our registered users receive weekly newsletters covering travel, property and health. They also get to comment on stories and get sent special deals and discounts from our growing number of partners. This includes access to competitions, such as entering to win tickets to see Jonas Blue play at Max Beach next week, or Pete Tong DJ in Marbella in August.
The number of subscribers also continues to boom, with many taking advantage of our deal offering three months for the price of one.
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SEWAGE: Has blighted the popular and beautiful Playa Talamanca in Ibiza (above)
HOLY CHRIST: Was ‘banned’ by Google for showing nudity
Feeling fuelish
GERMAN airline group
Lufthansa has announced it is adding an environmental charge to its ticket prices, in a bid to offset the cost of sustainable aviation fuels.
The company is the first of its kind in Europe to introduce such a fee, but other airlines are likely to follow suit. The charge will come into force in 2025 and will add between €1 and €72 to fares.
Lufthansa, needs the extra money, to comply with EU regulations on reducing emissions.
The extra cost of using sustainable aviation fuels has prompted airlines to warn for years now that ticket prices would have to go up.
Green move
GERMAN polymer material maker Covestro has signed a 10-year renewable energy purchase agreement with BP. The multinational will supply the manufacturer with green energy from a solar farm in Teruel in the Aragon region.
The deal will significantly increase the use of renewable energy in Covestro’s Spanish operations, as it tries to become carbon neutral by 2035. The partnership is set to increase its renewable consumption from under 10% to 30%.
WHERE THERE’S MUCK….
Farms get power boost from buried batteries that harness bacteria in the soil
FARMS could soon be powered by dirt thanks to a revolutionary new battery. UK startup Bactery has developed a soil-powered battery that utilises natural bacteria to generate clean electricity.
These ‘install and forget’ batteries are buried underground and harness the
By Dilip Kuner
electrons produced by soil microbes.
This eco-friendly approach offers a cheap and sustainable alternative to traditional energy sources for farms. The long-lasting batteries, expected to last over 25
years, eliminate the need for expensive infrastructure like solar panels or power lines. Additionally, the low cost of €30 per unit makes them a highly attractive option for farmers.
This innovation has the potential to transform data-driven agriculture. By powering sensors and internet-connected devices, Bactery’s batteries will allow farmers to collect real-time data on their crops and land, ultimately im-
proving yields and resource management.
Dr Jakub Dziegielowski was part of the research team that developed the technology in 2019 at the University of Bath in the UK. Since then it has been tested on a water filtration system in Brazil and for the last four years he has been taking the concept a step further by developing ways to scale up electricity generation. He said: “We’ve learned a whole lot more about the
different bioelectrochemical processes, and grasped a better understanding of the roles both bacteria and the soil play in this complex equation.”
The company is currently refining prototypes and expects to launch commercial production in 2026.
OP QUICK CROSSWORD
CLIMATE BEACH BLOW
CLIMATE change has been blamed after winter storms blew away a fifth of Barcelona’s golden sands.
From July 2023 to April 2024, beaches in the Barcelona metropolitan area lost 60 acres of surface area, with experts blaming windy storms, driven by climate change, for the coastal erosion.
Pipelines, used to supply water and electricity to businesses on the seafront, have even been unearthed as sand levels dwindle.
Challenge
In some areas on Barcelona’s long coastline, which measures 26 miles, beaches have lost over 50 metres of width, representing a growing challenge for local authorities and tourism boards. The worst affected stretch of beaches is between Badalona, an industrial heartland just north of Barcelona, and Montgat, considered the epicentre of sand loss where over 36% of its beaches have been eroded away by storms and the sea.
SOIL BATTERIES: are being developed for farmers by Bactery in the UK
LA CULTURA
SANTA POLA'S La Picola archaeological site will get €2.7 million of European Union funding for a visitor centre.
La Picola is an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC) and the new centre will allow visitors to learn about the area’s history going back to being a fort in the Iberian period in the 5th century BC and how it adapted during Roman times.
Mayor Loreto Serrano said: “We will be able to value our great cultural and archaeological wealth in a way that will reinforce our already wide range of cultural tourism.” The centre will act as an access to the site with a reception area for visitors, and spaces for physical and virtual exhibitions to offer a detailed understanding of La Piccola's history.
A perimeter fence will be built to protect the site but in a way that blends in with the surroundings.
Archaeological work at La Picola is expected to be finished by mid-2026.
Down discovery
First ever Neanderthal with Down syndrome is discovered in Spain
THE discovery of the remains of a Neanderthal girl near Valencia has allowed scientists to conclude that she had Down syndrome and was looked after by her prehistoric community.
Researchers have identified ear bone abnormalities from a tiny piece of skull, which are consistent with someone who had Down syndrome, the first Neanderthal with the condition ever found.
“This child would have required care for at least six years, likely necessitating other group members to
By Simon Hunter
help the mother in childcare,” the researchers write in Science Advances magazine.
The Cova Negra cave site in Xativa has been excavated several times between 1929 and 2017, and has yielded human fossil remains dating from between 273,000 and 146,000 years ago, as well as materials from the Middle Paleolithic and Upper Paleolithic.
The remains of ‘Tina’, as the
Concerts by candlelight
CARING: The discovery of the Down Syndrome child is the first evidence of altruism found
subject was dubbed, were found in 1989 among other bone remains of Neander-
EVENTS platform, Fever, is bringing its Candlelight Concerts to Spain. Talented musicians give popular songs from the likes of ABBA, the Beatles and Queen the classical treatment.
If you’re more traditional, they also play classical music like Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Ludovico Einaudi Hosted in beautiful venues across Spainl, the concerts are a treat for the eye as well as the ears. Surrounded by hundreds of candles, they make for the perfect romantic evening.
To find out where concerts local to you are, visit candlelightexperience.com.
thals, many of them children.
The new study concludes that she survived for more than six years thanks to the care and support from her community group.
Her condition would likely have included severe hearing loss as well as incapacitating vertigo.
“What was not known until now was any case of an individual who had received help, even if they could not return the favour. This proves the existence of true altruism among Neanderthals,” Mercedes Conde, researcher of the Chair of Evolutionary Otoacoustics and Paleoanthropology at HM Hospitales and the University of Alcala, explained.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!
MURCIA will be home to one of Europe's biggest film and tv studio complexes at a cost of around €100 million. It will be set up by UK company Stage Fifty in association with Universal Productions Services.
The facility- covering 100,000 m2 - will be called the Murcia Film Studios and is expected to create 1,000 jobs. It will be built 20 kms north of Murcia City at the Los Carmenes industrial estate in Las Torres de Cotillas.
Committed
Last November, Stage Fifty said it was committed to coming to the Murcia region and was looking for a suitable location after being wooed by the regional government.
Murcia president, Fernando Lopez Miras, signed a deal for the project in London with Stage Fifty CEO, James Enright. The company provides production facilities for international companies like Disney , Amazon , Netflix , HBO , and Apple
How green is my valley
THE green valleys, mountains and rugged coastline of Galicia are renowned for their tranquil beauty.
The region is becoming more and more popular as people start to turn away from the busy and scorching costas of southern Spain and search for a cooler, less frenetic alternative.
Galicia is steeped in history and a host of ancient buildings are for sale.
By Dilip Kuner
Indeed, your money goes a long way when it comes to purchasing a piece of history, especially compared to the coastal hotspots. Here we pick five special properties, some ready to move into, others needing a little TLC.
ANCIENT MANOR HOUSE, Cardeixa, Pontevedra
€230,000
FOR those looking for a project, this 16th century Pazo (traditional Galician manor house) could be right up your street.
It needs a complete renovation, although the walls are structurally sound.
Its remarkable features include an enormous granite lareira (traditional fireplace) that covers a significant part of the property, and the balcony is supported by three granite columns.
It also boasts a unique rectangular dovecote. Some stone elements, such as doors, appear to be from a much earlier period, possibly from the 12th century.
The Land covers an area of 3752m2, and the surface area of the Pazo is 400m2.
your cash by buying a little Galician history
ENTIRE VILLAGE
Puebla del Brollon Lugo
€1,510,000
WHY buy a house when you could own the whole village?
It has 15 buildings, including a bar-restaurant on 40 hectares and is operating as a holiday accommodation business, with all the cottages restored and fully
fitted.
In spite of being at a high altitude (nearly 1,100 metres), the climate is good due to the fact that it faces south and to the north it is protected by a large mountain, which gives it a mild microclimate.
VINES AND HISTORY, Monforte, Lugo
€1,100,000
This ancient Pazo actually offers history you can taste!
The estate boasts a rich history dating back to 1376. Once home to nobles and dukes, the Pazo is surrounded by a protective stone wall and encompasses 22 hectares of land, including a productive vineyard and fruit orchards which have been producing wine and fruits for many generations. The 900-square-metre main residence, currently undergoing restoration, features 10 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a fully restored chapel. In fact, all you need to recreate Medieval life!
Located just 10 kilometres from Monforte, 27 kilometers from Ourense, and 85 kilometers from Lugo, the Pazo offers stunning views and easy access to the Jacobean Route of the Camino de Santiago.
HOME OF THE GREAT AND GOOD Pontevedra
€3,250,000 Scan
IF city life appeals to you but you would love a bit of rural tranquility at the same time, then this 17th century palace is just what you are looking for..
Not only is it Pontevedra itself, but it sits on a massive plot of 14,862 sqm including its own private park right in the heart of the historic city. As you pass through the grand stone portal adorned with family crests and flanked by majestic lions, a path lined with magnolias
leads you to the Pazo de La Parda
This is where the Council of Ministers of King Alfonso XIII convened. Deeply rooted in Galician heritage, this estate has long been home to families with immense influence.
The grand granite main building boasts two floors and a crenellated tower. Inside there are 12 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, a dining room, a living room, a salon, a study, a library, a large office, and a beautiful kitchen.
DEFENSIVE POSITION
Near Ourense
€580,000
IF you are worried about burglars, then how about buying a 16th century fortified farmhouse?
This grand Pazo boasts its own defensive tower complete with battlements, from which you can rain arrows down on any potential home invaders just as in days gone by… although the police may not be too sympathetic. It has three bedrooms, two li-
ving rooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen ready to move into, with spacious areas on the ground floor available for conversion, and it sits on 5,800 sqm of grounds.
All properties available at, and pictures courtesy of, https://www.grupocountryhomes.com/
November 29th - LOOKING FOR MORE CULTURE STORIES? Scan to visit our website
in her fairytale Princess
Expat undertakes her childhood dream to build a wooden refuge, now a mustvisit retreat featured on British TV
By Yzabelle Bostyn
WHEN Elizabeth Wynn was a little girl, she imagined ‘living in a magical land, in a wooden house, surrounded by nature, being creative, dreaming and painting.’
But it wasn’t until she ‘lost everything’ 10 years ago, finding herself homeless, that she was finally able to make her dream a reality. Finally finding herself a job, she scraped enough money together to start building her own ‘refuge’. Along the way she learned ‘determi-
nation’ and ‘healing’ as well as how to sand, saw, nail and drill. She sought out second hand materials including wood and an old van chassis and grafted often 14 hour
“Through building the house, I built myself again,” she told the Olive Press . “I am the princess in my own fairytale.”
Now, she lives in a nearby farmhouse and is offering her original Little Wooden House, as a refuge to days in the Spanish sun to craft her casa. others.
Nestled among olive trees on an organic fruit and nut farm, it could be mistaken for a Mediterranean gingerbread house. Part of Eden Whispers Art Farm, the house is just outside Monda, inland from Marbella.
A peaceful, tranquil getaway, the project was recently featured on George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces on Channel 4, in England. During a 2019 episode, Clarke marvelled at the 5 x 2.5 metre space, half the
size of the average living room.
“There’s been an enormous amount of love and passion put into this project. This is small space perfection.
The Little Wooden House has inspired its visitors, some saying ‘it brought their creativity back’
“It’s self-built, full of bespoke innovations and a total life changer for the person who made it.”
The Little Wooden House has similarly inspired its visitors, some saying ‘it brought their creativity back’ and they ‘felt so snug cocooned in the bed at night surrounded by myriad fruit trees and the night air.’
“I am so happy it has become a place of peace and restoration,” said Elizabeth.
“It gives people space and time to reconnect with themselves and nature and remind them of just how wonderful they are.”
SMALL BUT BEAUTIFUL: The tiny house has been featured on George Clarkes’s (pictured with Elizabeth) Amazing Spaces
HIDDEN: Nestled in the Monda countryside, the Little Wooden House is a true escape
FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
Vintage crime
A SACKED ex-employee has been accused of being behind an incident in which 60,000 litres of wine were literally poured down the drain.
Bodega
Grainy CCTV footage showed how, back in February, a hooded figure opened the taps of stainless steel tanks at the Cepa 21 winery in Valladolid, flooding the bodega with €2 million worth of plonk. Now the Guardia Civil has arrested a female ex-employee of the winery, who had been fired two days before.
A BAR WITH A VIEW
November 29th - LOOKING FOR MORE TRAVEL STORIES?
COSTLY MOORING
PUERTO Banus is the most expensive port in Europe for mooring a yacht.
The up-market port came top of the Engel & Volkers Yacht Rankings, which list the basic day
rates of moorings for a 55-metre craft during the high season.
If you fancy mooring your yacht for a day, then you will need to pay €4,289 for the privilege - considerably higher than for
marinas in exclusive parts of the Balearic Islands.
Charges at Puerto Banus easily exceed second-placed Porto Cervo in Italy, which is a mere snip at just €2,900 per day. It’s closely followed by another Italian location, Marina Grande at €2,880.
You’re welcome!
BRITISH tourists continue to be the most important foreign visitors to Spain in terms of volume and value, new figures have revealed.
According to the National Institute of Statistics (INE), tourists who flew into Spain in May spent a total of €11.68 billion - up 19.7% on the same period last year.
It means the average tourist is now spending €1,263 during their stay, a year-on-year in-
British tourists have injected €7.3bn into the Spanish economy so far this year crease of 7.3%.
When expanding the data to cover the first five months of 2024, the INE puts foreign tourist spending at a whopping €43.2 billion. That represents a 21.8% increase compared to the same period in 2023. And despite a surge in an-
TWO rooftop bars and terrace gardens in Spain have been included in Forbes magazine top 10 in Europe.
The SkyBar (left) on the roof terrace of Madrid’s Hotel Picalagartos gets a recommendation for excellent views of the capital's Gran Via.
It’s said to be the perfect location to enjoy the skyline along with the cuisine of chef Manuel Berganza and cocktails prepared by mixologist Luca Anastasio.
The other Forbes entry for Spain is the Eleven BCN terrace at NH Collection Barcelona Gran Hotel Calderon.
The review says it ‘is a perfect place to relax and enjoy the exclusive Barcelona sunsets’.
Located on the 11th floor in a central position on the Rambla de Catalunya, the terrace offers 360-degree views of the city and a creative cocktail menu, designed by bartender Marlon Ruocco.
ti-tourism protests, the number of holidaymakers flocking to Spain is continuing to surge.
Between January and May, some 33 million people from abroad visited the country, up 13.6% on last year.
Leading the way in terms of spending were the Brits, who accounted for 18.8%
of all foreign tourist expenditure in May, bringing in more than €2bn to Spain's coffers. In fact the amount of money spent by Brits surged by 16.2% compared to last year.
In a distant second were the Germans, accounting for 12.1% of spending followed by the French, on 8.5%.
When analysing January to May this year, Brits accounted for 17.1% of all foreign tour-
ist spending, or more than €7.3bn.
The regions making the most money from foreign tourists so far this year are the Canary Islands (22.3% of total expenditure), followed by Catalunya (18%) and Andalucia (15.1%).
In May alone, however, the biggest earners were Catalunya (19.9%), the Balearic Islands (19%) and the Community of Madrid (15.1%).
GOLDEN GEESE
TOURISTS visiting Barcelona are set to be hit by a rise in charges after the city council agreed to increase visitor levies by over 20%.
The Catalan capital, which receives almost 10 million visitors annually, will increase its tourist tax from €3.25 to €4 a night on tourist accommodation in a move that is expected to generate an additional €20 million in revenues. When introduced just three years ago it was €0.75 a night.
Security
Currently, Barcelona collects €95 million annually from the tax, but spends €142 million on tourist expenses, including additional transport, security and cleaning.
The Deputy Mayor for Economy, Tax and Tourism, Jordi Valls, expects the new surcharge to come into force in October.
The proposal is supported by all parties present in the city council bar the conservative Partido Popular (PP) and far-right Vox.
FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
CITY LIFE but not as you know it
November 29thDecember 12th 2023
Scan
OP Puzzle solutions
Quick Crossword
Across: 4 Astonishment, 8 Uh-uh, 9 Imagines, 10 Alphas, 12 Tarzan, 13 Tremor, 14 Nieces, 15 Phone-ins, 16 H T T P, 17 Prime suspect.
Down: 1 Gogh, 2 Civil Service, 3 Pedigree, 5 Scholarship, 6 Heart and soul, 7 Therapeutic, 11 Humanoid, 16 Hops.
Forget the bustling plazas and sprawling avenues –Frias offers a city experience unlike any other
Nestled in the heart of the Castilla y Leon region, this charming settlement holds the title of Spain's smallest city, boasting a population of just under 300. But what Frias lacks in size, it more than makes up for in character.
It may not have a cathedral, but it was granted city status by King Juan II of Castile in 1435 by royal charter and these days it is a popular tourist spot. Taking a stroll through cobbled streets time seems to be frozen in a bygone age.
Quaint houses precariously perch on the edge of a crag, two historic churches, and a convent all contribute to Frias' medieval atmosphere. As you wander, it's easy to forget you're in the 21st century. Frias’ location is no accident. Perched atop a hill overlooking
By Alex Trelinski
the Ebro River, the town served as a crucial crossing point on ancient routes leading to the Cantabrian Sea.
The imposing Velasco Castle, dating back to the 12th-15th centuries, dominates the river crossing and would have protected the surrounding region from raiders during the uncertain and war-torn days of the medieval age. Frias is aptly named in homage to the cold temperature of the water that flows from the mountainous peaks draining into the Tobalina Valley.
To explore the narrow, winding streets
leave your car behind - the charming alleyways are far too narrow for vehicles. As you climb to the summit of the escarpment you can take in breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside. Step outside the city walls and discover a picture-perfect landscape. Rolling fields, fertile farmlands, and the ma-
jestic Obarenes Mountains paint a breathtaking backdrop to this unique city. Spain is a country brimming with vibrant cities and sun-drenched beaches. But for those seeking a unique and unforgettable experience, Frias beckons. This tiny city offers a glimpse into a bygone era, breathtaking natural beauty, and a chance to slow down and truly appreciate the charm of a simpler time.
SMALLEST ‘CITY’: Frias population of just 300 live in houses perching on a hill and with a castle at the top
Rock solid advice THRICE BITTEN
IF men don’t want their penis to get smaller the secret is to not get old!
A Spanish urologist has released a new book called Everything you need to know about the penis and never dared to ask (Todo lo que necesitas saber sobre el pene y nunca te atreviste a preguntar) that contains a few un- comfortable home truths for men.
Blanca Madurga, a doctor from Hospital del Mar in Cadiz, has claimed that men’s penises shrink as they get older due to their decreasing testosterone levels.
In further bad news for smokers, Madurga claims that the habit causes the blood vessels in the penis to shrink.
This can weaken a man’s erection by as much as 25%.
The urologist emphasises the importance of addressing taboos about sexual organs, offering men advice on when and how to seek professional help for sexual dysfunctions, which are often more treatable than they believe.
TICK WATCH
SPAIN is increasing monitoring of two potentially fatal diseases transmitted by ticks, but states that it is good practice, rather than a response to a medical crisis.
Health authorities have introduced tick monitoring into the National Plan for Surveillance and Control of Vector-borne Diseases. This focuses on measuring instances of Lyme disease
and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF).
Ticks are carriers of viruses, bacteria, and protozoa, which they transmit to humans when they pierce the skin to draw blood.
Top killer revealed
Cancer biggest cause of death in Spain for first time
CANCER has become the biggest killer in Spain for the first time, according to 2023 mortality figures compiled by the National Institute of Statistics (INE).
Last year, 115,013 people died from some kind of tumour - representing 26.55% of all deaths.
Until then, it had been diseases of the circulatory system that had the highest mortality rate, but those fell by 5.3%.
Lung cancers were the most prominent with 22,717 deaths, followed by colon cancer, with
By Alex Trelinski
10,891 fatalities - 2.3% fewer than in 2022. There were a total of 433,163 deaths in Spain in 2023, some 31,254 (6.7%) fewer than the previous year. Among men, ischemic heart disease was a leading cause of death (17,038), while among women it was dementia (12,817).
The INE says the diseases that increased the most were respiratory diseases.
THE Spanish Medicines Agency (AEMPS) has warned that just using suncream is not enough to protect children from the harmful effects of sun exposure. It comes as it launched a campaign in partnership with the Spanish Dermatology Academy.
Titled Advice for adequate sun protection for kids, the campaign aims to avoid burns,
Deaths from pneumonia went up by 17.1% and chronic lower respiratory diseases by 2.6%.
SUN WARNING
sun allergies, eye injuries, visible ageing and, most importantly, skin cancer. A spokesman said: “Just applying sun cream without other physical sun protection methods like glasses and hats is not enough to protect against sun radiation.”
Strokes accounted for 23,173 deaths - 6.1% lower than in 2022.
The figures show that 95.9% of the deaths registered last year were down to natural causes.
Another change compared to previous years is that accidental falls appear as the main cause of external death, surpassing suicides for the first time.
Nevertheless, suicides average nearly 11 per day in Spain with 2,962 cases last year and a larger prominence among males.
THE venomous violin spider has bitten its first recorded victim in Spain.
A 42-year-old resident of the northern Pais Vasco region was the unlucky recipient, being bitten at least three times between May and September in his own home.
The man was later diagnosed with a cutaneous necrotizing condition, prompting doctors to drain the wound and put him on a course of antibiotics. The health authorities said that it was important to recognise this kind of bite so that it can be properly treated in this way.
The violin spider is one of three venomous varieties out of 1,400 documented species that inhabit the Iberian Peninsula.
The spiders measure between one and three centimetres, have six eyes in the shape of a half moon, are a reddish brown colour, and have very thin legs.
“Its popular name derives from the violin-shaped pattern it has on the front of its body called prosoma,” biologist Claudia Isabel Navarro Rodriguez told the magazine Unam Global.
“Beyond its physical characteristics, it can be said that the violinist is shy, so it avoids contact with humans and, if necessary, can self-injure to escape human presence,” she added.
THE
THE
Come again?
Government wants to limit people to 30 porn sessions a month in order to combat children being exposed
THE Spanish government is seeking to introduce a ‘digital card’ that will give users ‘tokens’ in order to view porn websites. The online card, set to arrive in late summer, will require users to identify themselves and verify their age when they top their cards up.
It will give them 30 tokens to visit porn websites over a period of 30 days before needing to identify themselves again. But the user can renew their set of tokens as many times as they want, so in effect there will not be limitations on how much porn a person can watch. Heavy users of online porn will even receive alerts reminding them to renew their tokens if they max out their sessions before the 30-day period. The idea of the tokens is to
FURIOUS locals are demanding action over 200 rogue goats, which have taken over the picturesque mountain towns of Cox in the Sierra de Callosa mountain range in Alicante.
By Walter Finch
O.A.Prix
RACING legend Johnny Herbert is swapping the high-octane world of Formula 1 for the thrilling world of...Benidorm's mobility scooters.
Baa-stards!
but a recent drought has made things even worse.
The brazen baa-stards are munching through gardens and leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.
For years residents have endured the hoofed hooligans,
Apparently, British holidaymakers have earned a reputation for being a tad too enthusiastic with their electric steeds, leaving the local council clutching their pearls. That's where Herbert comes in. Forget champagne showers and podium finishes, this summer he'll be facing a different kind of g-force: Granny power. The 1991 Le Mans champion is being enlisted by package holiday company, On the Beach, to teach the over-55s the finer points of mobility scooter etiquette.
The feral goats are now descending on the town in ever larger numbers in search of food and drinking water from the town’s fountains.
As a temporary measure, the town council has created areas with supplies of water and food in the hills out of town.
avoid the need for identity checks every time someone wants to watch porn, which would in turn create privacy issues for the government’s policy planners. The stated purpose of the new ‘digital card’ is to stop children under 18 from accessing porn. “The data we
see on minors’ access to adult content and its possible consequences are what have led us to develop this tool as quickly as possible,” said Jose Luis Escriva, Spain’s digital transformation minister, A report published by Spain’s Ministry of Justice in January found that seven out of ten young people between the ages of 13 and 17 regularly watch porn, with 30% saying it is their only source of sexual education. The tokens will be issued by a ‘trusted government entity’ which ‘will not generate a trace of the request’, according to sources from the Ministry of Digital Transformation.
The National Cryptologic Centre will ‘ensure there is no record’ of users’ porn habits’.
The good news for Brits (and their possibly terrified ankles) is that these lessons will come with a free scooter rental. Herbert himself, now a sprightly 60, sees the humor in the situation. “I never thought I’d be teaching Brits how to drive scooters in Benidorm,” he chuckled (hopefully not while trying to outrun a particularly feisty octogenarian on a mission for discounted marmalade).
