Olive Press Costa Blanca South and Murcia - Gibraltar - Issue 76

HAPPIER TIMES: The Sharpes

Sharpe exit

IT might be a scary time for buyers and sell ers in more ways than one as Halloween ap proaches.

But while purchasers are being haunted by rising interest rates and spooked by the fluc tuating pound, record numbers of foreigners are STILL queuing up to buy in Spain.

According to new figures, the first half of the year saw 73,000 homes sold to investors from abroad, a 53% jump on last year.

And, despite Brexit, the British are still com ing top with over 8,000 home sales this year.

They, along with nearly 14,000 French and Germans, made the first half of 2022 an all-

DON’T GET SPOOKED!

time high for foreign buyers.

Meanwhile, sales in popular expat parts of Spain have seen ‘historic peaks’ and ‘even bid ding wars, something seldom seen before’, re vealed Chris Clover, of Panorama Properties. “While 2021 saw historic sales, the first half of 2022 has seen unprecedented record-break ing sales, in fact an increase of 73%,” he said.

A SPANISH sports bar owned by for mer Manchester United football star Lee Sharpe has closed less than a year after he launched the business.

The father-of-two, who now plays pro fessional golf, opened Sharpey’s Sports Bar alongside wife Lucy in December. They launched the business in partner ship with friends, but it is believed ‘ex tremely high’ rents put paid to making any money.

The British couple had initially had high expectations for the bar, telling the Olive Press it would be the ‘perfect opportunity’ to help establish a life for their family in Spain.

“It’s going to be a real community hub, high on service and atmosphere, and perfect for all the family,” Sharpe told us last year.

Closed

But last week, the business announced via social media that it had shut its doors, without any reason why.

“We have now closed the doors,” a message read.

“Thank you all for the good times.”

The Olive Press understands another local expat family will take over the business in the next fortnight. It is cur rently being advertised on Idealista.es at €3,300 a month.

The deal includes 13 HD TV’s and after a ‘complete reform’ of the kitchens.

Lee, 51, made the decision to move to Spain during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021.

He moved to Javea as a new lockdown threat emerged in the UK.

Renting a villa in the hills above the popular seaside resort, he dedicated much of the winter working on his golf swing - he now plays on the profession al senior tour.

Bomb threat

New pub owners targeted with death threats over ‘unpaid’ rent at front line Costa Blanca bar

THE owner of a new beachside bar claims to have received bomb threats over demands he vacate the property.

Eoin Hennessy has reported mul tiple incidents of extortion and threats since he opened his Irish bar with his wife on the Costa Blan ca this year.

The 48-year-old expat told the Ol ive Press he has been forced to file three police reports and hire a law yer to protect himself and his busi ness, Hennessy’s, in Javea.

The father-of-two, who moved to the upmarket resort with his fam ily two years ago, claims he is being blackmailed over allegations of un paid rent.

This is despite ‘proof’ he paid a €3,000 deposit and a month’s rent to a local expat couple who subleased him the property before opening in May.

It was a month later that ‘things turned nasty’ after he claimed his landlords sent him an electricity bill which ‘didn’t stack up’ to the

EXCLUSIVE By Anthony Piovesan

and check the meter with him, he claims he was threatened and told to pay the bill or leave.

The mechanical engineer from Dublin said he then started to re ceive strange text messages de manding the money, one from an Irish number and the other from the UK.

Danger

One seen by the Olive Press claimed to know where his family lived, and they would be approached for the money owed. Another screamed: “Seven days Eoin. Eyes on your business, home, family in Ireland”. An even more alarming text to his wife stated he had put them all ‘in danger’.

According to a police report a man named ‘Boris’ entered the bar and threatened Hennessy claiming he was a ‘dead man’ and ‘people from Marbella’ would come and evict him.

actual usage. When he politely asked the pair - a British and Chi nese cou ple - to come in was taking an emotion al toll on him and his

Most recently on September 20 four tyres of his Range Rover were slashed, while parked outside. Police were called to investigate, with one officer checking underneath fol lowing another threat that ‘an explo sive device’ had been planted. Hennessy said the ongoing ordeal

wife, who have two kids, one six, the other a baby. “This is pulling us apart,” he said. “Ever since the tyre slashing I’ve had to check un der the car for devices and I drive home a different way each night in case I’m being followed.”

Police confirmed the case was be ing investigated and it had now been transferred to Denia Court.

Legal firm Harvey Lawyers, which represents the family, told the Ol ive Press it is awaiting a court date. Meanwhile, we phoned both num bers that sent threatening texts, but they have now been disconnected.

The landlords, who we are not naming for legal reasons, con firmed that they owned the lease and were indeed trying to obtain ‘unpaid rent’, now using a lawyer.

The wife, a well known local busi ness woman, insisted neither she nor her husband had been threat ening or violent. “This is a lie,” she said. “He actually has not paid

Former Presidents face 25 years over

corruption case

[rent], so we are now waiting for his lease to finish and then he has to leave.”

Fight

She added: “I have businesses here, my children go to school here, I have a house, I have every thing here … we don’t want to fight with him,” she said.

INSPECTION: Officer looks under Hennessy’s car for devices

John Lennon got his look

Spain,

Fire wall

COUNCILS in areas un der risk from forest fires can apply for a share of a Valencia region pot of €50 million for mainte nance and preventative measures.

Breast test

MURCIA will become the first Spanish re gion to extend the age range of female breast cancer testing to cover 45 to 74 yearolds as opposed to the current 50 to 69 age bracket.

On camera

ALMORADI council is spending €127,000 on 60 road cameras to monitor traffic flows in the area. Some of the units also have licence plate detectors to catch speeding motorists.

Sick brit

A BRITISH passenger on a flight from Bournemouth to Murcia’s Corvera air port lost consciousness last Friday. The woman, 80, was taken by ambu lance to hospital.

POLICE in Spain are being urged to re-open any unsolved rape or child abuse cases that could involve a foreigner over the past two decades.

It comes after dangerous pae dophile Christian Brueckner was charged with five more serious sex crimes on the Al garve between 2000 and 2017.

The German rapist, named as an official suspect in the dis appearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann, spent long periods of time in Spain.

He criss-crossed the country on ‘dozens of occasions’, fre quently staying in Granada, as well as Malaga, Almeria and Valencia, from 1995.

Expats and locals have now joined an Irish rape victimallegedly attacked by Brueck ner, 45, in 2004 - who believes there are ‘likely’ many more victims across the Iberian Peninsula.

Hazel Behan, 39, told the Ol ive Press this week: “Given what we know about his past, alongside the crimes he’s now been charged with, surely it makes sense to revisit all un

FRESH EYES

Rape victim and locals clamour for new look at any crimes that may have involved German Maddie suspect in Spain

solved similar cases in areas where he was known to spend significant time.”

Behan, who was raped as a young holiday rep on the Al garve, is due to face her al leged attacker Brueckner in a German court in the Spring. Waving her right to anonym ity, the mother-of-three, from Dublin, added: “If there is any indication that Brueckner could be connected to a crime, then this needs the full atten tion of the police and warrants further investigation.”

In addition to Behan, prosecu tors in Germany have charged

EXCLUSIVE

By Jon Clarke

Brueckner with two further rapes, one of a teenage girl, around 15, as well as a woman in her ‘70s or 80s’.

Assault

He will also face two charges of assaulting young children as far apart as 2007 and 2017.

The Olive Press spoke to wit nesses who believed they saw Brueckner on various occa sions in the Alcossebre area of Castellon.

Thieving builders Dumb move

A GANG of fake builders who robbed ‘cli ents’ homes has been arrested.

The three men offered building and reno vation services on a variety of internet plat forms.

After gaining entry to properties, they never did any work but robbed the homes instead.

Two of the trio were detained in Elda and a third in Torrevieja. The men, aged between 32 and 40, always used false names to their clients who they persuaded to pay them ‘up front’ for masonry work.

A COUPLE who reported a robbery end ed up being arrested for drug dealing.

The 31 and 34-year-old told police in Elche that two men entered their home and stole jewellery, money, and a small amount of marijuana.

Police found both of the alleged thieves a short distance from the home and they were arrested.

Officers later found out that the two vic tims made their money by selling drugs. They were then detained.

A local gardener even claimed he saw the German walk out of Tunnels restaurant, in Cap y Corp, WITH the young tod dler and get into his distinc tive white and yellow VW van. We also revealed he was a regular visitor to the Grana da region. He was certainly in the Orgiva area for the Dragon music festival in March 2007 and 2008 and visited on doz ens of occasions ‘until at least 2011’ revealed various former friends.

It was allegedly during a weeklong visit to the Dragon bash in 2008 that he admitted to friends he was involved in the snatching of Maddie, then 3, on the Algarve, in May 2007.

One Orgiva resident, Jo Chip chase, a mother-of-two, is

‘horrified’ that he could be behind crimes in her area. “I often took my kids to the Dragon festival back then, so it is horrifying to think that an international predator was mingling with us.”

Control

The former PR executive, 50, added: “I think there should be more cross-border control of sex offenders to protect us from crimes like this and any thing unsolved, with potential links to Brueckner must be re opened.”

A spokesman for the Guardia Civil said: “We are looking into it, but it will probably take some time. We can’t comment at this stage.”

plans

Now with TRIPLE DATA on all our plans until

CHARGES: Brueckner faces five new sex crimes, including rape of Behan (right)

Dutch reign in Malaga

NETHERLANDS have beaten En gland to be crowned the champions of this year’s Dream11 European Cricket Championships in Malaga.

After five-weeks of cricket at the Carta ma Oval the Dutch defeated the reign ing champions England under the lights on October 14.

The Dutch were right on top from the start as England were 63/7, until Sam Pearce made his way to the crease and

got his country up to 99, setting exact ly 100 for victory.

Strong batting from Boris Gorlee and Ryan Klein left just six required, and Shirase Rasool punished a full delivery into the legside to finish the game in style.

Spain failed to capitalise on two chances to make it into the all-import ant final.

But the home nation has a lot to be

proud of, boasting a win against last year’s champions England and bring ing new eyes to the sport.

MATCH ON

Neymar appears in court hours after scoring winning goal

LIV winner

SPANISH golfer Adrian Otae gui has become the first player from the upstart LIV Golf series to win a DP World Tour event.

Valderrama in Sotogrande hosted the Andalucian Mas ters as part of what used to be known as the European Tour.

FRESH from scoring the only goal in Paris Saint-Ger man’s match against Mar seille, Brazilian superstar Neymar has headed to a Spanish court.

He arrived in Barcelona on Monday for the first day of his corruption trial, related to his 2013 transfer from Brazilian club Santos to the vincial Court of Barcelona cluding his parents and the dro Rosell and Josep Maria

fer process that took place Neymar’s court appearance

By Simon Hunter

was a short one after his lawyer requested he be al lowed to leave given that he had been playing just a few hours before.

The judge raised a laugh in the courtroom, when he stated that ‘it is notable that Mr Da Silva was scoring a goal while I was in bed’.

The public prosecutor is de manding a two-year prison sentence for Neymar, while the private prosecution brought by Brazilian inves tor DIS wants five years.

DIS, which owned 40% of the player’s sporting rights when he was at Santos, claims that the true cost of the transfer was kept from the company and as a result

TRIAL: Neymar is accused of corruption

it received a lower share. Neymar is not the only high-profile foreign football player to have fallen foul of the law in Spain in recent years.

In 2016, then-Barcelona player Lionel Messi and his father, Jorge Horacio, were sentenced to 21 months’ jail time for three tax offences.

Sentence

The Argentine avoided serving any prison time after paying a more than €250,000 fine.

SPANISH teams have dominated the Ballon d’Or with players scooping both top awards in the presti gious competition.

Real Madrid and France’s Karim Benzema was named best men’s footbal ler while Barcelo na and Spain’s Alexia Pute llas took the trophy for best woman.

A Spanish side also claimed the youth crown, with Barce

Home win

lona’s Gavi deemed the best footballer under 21 in 2022.

Robert Lewandowsk of Poland and Barcelona was voted fourth in the main category, but won the best striker of the year award.

Thibaut Courtois for Real Madrid and Belgium was named the finest goalkeeper for the 202122 season.

Dusty drive

A CONVOY of elderly Peugeot 205s and Citroen C15s has been passing through Spain on its way to Morocco for a 3000km rally. Dubbed the Dust Race, it makes entrants en dure the scorching sun, freezing nights in the desert, sand storms and fatigue in what is supposed to be a ‘fun’ event.

Restricted to 205s and C15s, the course covers the Iberi an Peninsula, then heads for the hard tracks of Morocco, into desert dunes and finally finishes in Marrakech.

a response to speculation that the 41-year-

old is in a relationship with a woman called Alejandra Onieva. The incident drew condemnation from sports authorities and rights activists. Puyol also apologised on Twitter for a ‘clumsy joke’.

Meanwhile, former Real Madrid player Cristiano Ronaldo was given a twoyear suspended sentence in 2018 and slapped with a €16.8 million fine for evad ing some €15 million in tax between 2011 and 2014.

Boar rescue

POLICE rescued a wild boar that fell into a canal in Lorca and became trapped for two days.

The animal, weighing in at 80 kilos, was suffering from ex treme exhaustion.

The boar was pulled out with a rope and got on its legs after a few minutes before heading off into the hills.

Cop heroes

POLICE officers in Valencia City saved the life of an un conscious 11-month-old boy who had stopped breathing.

Responding to the boy’s dis traught mother’s plea for help, they rushed the baby to hospital in a patrol car. En route, one of the cops man aged to revive the boy who was handed over to medics for a check up at the hospital.

SNOUTS IN THE TROUGH Ex-presidents face 25 years over €20m corruption case

TWO former Valencia chiefs face lengthy prison spells for their alleged involvement in a €20 million money laundering scandal.

Prosecutors want former pres ident Eduardo Zaplana (top right) jailed for 19 years, while his successor Jose Luis Olivas (right) faces six years.

Both were members of the con servative PP party, which was also behind the infamous Gur tel corruption case.

Zaplana was arrested in 2018 after a probe exposed an exten sive money laundering scheme

By Alex Trelinski

linked to the region’s Wind Energy Plan, as well as its ITV (MOT) motoring centres.

Police discovered that Zapla na was receiving payments to banks in Luxembourg and An dorra, which then came back to Spain to be laundered via property.

The Valencia president between 1995 and 2002, also spent it on fast cars, boats and watches, one costing €20,000.

Detectives have so far tracked

down around half of the esti mated €20 million syphoned off, including €6 million Zapla na personally sent to another bank in Andorra.

Prosecutors insist that under the Wind Energy Plan, the ac cused are said to have chosen areas that ‘merely best matched their personal interests’.

Furthermore there was no jus tification to support the priva tisation of ITV centres in the Valencia region and that the contracting process was highly suspect.

Zaplana had resigned his presi

Constructive, but no U-turn yet

AN angry group of expat motorists who cannot legally drive in Spain have had a ‘constructive’ meeting with the UK am bassador.

While they had originally planned a pro test for last week, the four men from an ‘Invasion of the British Embassy’ group aired their grievances over a cup of tea yesterday.

“We felt we were listened to,” organiser Pascal Siegmund told The Olive Press “We covered who is affected, the financial impacts, health and wellbeing impacts, challenges with the driving test, police

and cost. We questioned the timing and legality of the ban.”

“The ambassador reiterated he believes they are approaching the end of the ne gotiations,” added Siegmund, who set up the group to highlight the plight of those caught up in the driving licence debacle. The group agreed that all protests would be put on hold until this week’s meeting.

Accompanying Pascal were Mala ga-based Roger Jenkins, from Wales, Irishman Theo Laverty, who lives in Ma drid, and Jokin Mena, who came from San Sebastian.

U-T URN N O !W

dency in 2002 to take up a cab inet post in the PP government led by Jose Maria Aznar.

He was then replaced by Oli vas, who continued his crook ed schemes, insist prosecutors, who have charged them with money laundering, bribery, and prevarication.

Crooked

Six associates of Zaplana and Olivas will also face trial at Va lencia’s court No8.

Prosecutors described Zapla na as a ‘professional politician’ who formed a ‘group of close people in order to obtain illicit benefits’ thanks to his status.

“They used companies abroad, created with the purpose of both receiving bribes for rigged contracts, and to hide the illic it origin of the assets,” said a spokesman.

Poppy parade

THE Royal British Legion Spain North formally launched their annual Poppy Appeal on Saturday with the traditional parade held in Benidorm. The Torrevieja Pipes and Drums featured towards the front of the march between Calle Castellon and the Rincon de Loix.

Benidorm mayor, Antonio Pe rez, led the dignitaries. Other official guests included Captain Stephen McGlorydefence attache at the British Embassy and the British Con sul for Alicante Province, SaraJane Morris.

Airport’s autism move

ALICANTE-ELCHE airport will become Spain's first air port to have a special room for passengers with autism spectrum disorders(ASD).

A lounge will be created close to the boarding area to offer a safe environment for travel lers with ASD.

The new lounge will have an area of over 97 m2 and will contain interactive items to minimise stress that can rise during an airport experienceespecially for children and younger people.

Voted top expat paper in Spain

Chilling thought

THE fear that sex offender Christian Brueckner spent years roaming through Spain on his frequent trips be tween Germany and Portugal is a chilling one.

An official suspect in the tragic Maddie case and with five new sex charges he doesn’t appear capable of con trolling his sick urges just because he is travelling.

We have no idea if the convicted paedophile is guilty of any further offences in Spain. But, what is vital is an in vestigation of any unresolved sex crimes here that might involve him.

It should not be beyond police capabilities to track his movements over the years and check if there are any links to him in heinous local crimes.

After all, the Olive Press managed to connect him to nu merous visits to Malaga and Granada, as well as to Alme ria and Valencia.

As brave rape victim Hazel Behan has urged, all victims and their families deserve for some closure.

It is time Spanish police got on the case. It means extra work, but if we can do it, they can too.

Power corrupts

WHEN the money comes rolling in from Madrid and the EU, we look to our regional leaders to make sure it is spent wisely.

Unfortunately, all too often in Spain, those in a position of power view the vast sums of cash as a way to enrich them selves, not their regions.

Today we report on the criminal trial soon to begin against two former presidents of the Valencian government.

Both are accused of using their position to skim €20 mil lion for themselves and their cronies. Using a complicated series of tax havens, they are alleged to have laundered the cash buying luxury property and many other trappings to live the high life.

That included fast cars, boats and even €20,000 watches. What an absolute disgrace. Should Eduardo Zaplana and Jose Luis Olivas be found guilty, the book should be thrown at them.

Lengthy jail terms - like the 25 years they face - may just dis courage future politicians from succumbing to temptation. We are, however, not convinced.

NOT ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL

NEWanimal welfare legislation has grabbed the headlines for classing pets as sentient beings - but now the governing PSOE wants to introduce a massive loophole.

The new law considers pets to have feelings and be more like children than objects, in the legal sense and has been passed by Con gress.

Under the concept of mistreating a sentient being, owners who have been convicted of an imal abuse could potentially have the custody of their children denied. The emphasis is sup posed to be on the wellbeing of the animal. But now the PSOE wants to amend the incom

By Jo Chipchase

ing laws to exclude ‘non-pets’ – potentially the most abused category of animals. The ‘non-pets’ category would include dogs used for hunting, sports activities, falconry, and herding, as well as rescue dogs. The inten tion is to provide these animals with ‘specific legislation’, in line with European standards.

Patxi López, parliamentary spokesman for the socialists, said this move is to prevent ‘wrong and ill-intentioned interpretations’ of the new laws. Critics, however, say that the govern

ment has bowed to pressure from hunters and wants to placate voters in rural areas by exempting their dogs.

The PSOE’s idea is that ex cluded animals would later come under a specific law, such as a National Game Management Strategy. As a result, the Animal Welfare Act would legislate only for ‘pets that live in a house with their owners’.

Campaign groups, including PACMA, have been protesting about the exemption, with 21 demonstrations so far taking place throughout Spain.

PSOE confirms Orwell’s cynical view on the rights of our four-legged friends as seen from Animal Farm

What will happen next?

The parliamentary processes for the new animal rights laws are grinding onwards. The consultation process initially lasts two weeks, although it can be extended. Lat er, the amendments proposed by Spain’s political parties will be debated. Podemos and some other parties dislike the pro posed amendments about hunting dogs and think these should be withdrawn.

Finally, the entire text of the incoming law is voted in Congress and passed to the Senate. If there are no changes, it is ap proved, otherwise, voting happens again in the lower house. The General Director ate for Animal Rights is hopeful that the process will be completed during 2022. Meanwhile, the penal code is being revised to increase the penalties for animal abuse, from a maximum of 18 months in prison to 36. This might fall short of some people’s expectations in a country where 200,000 animals are abandoned annually.

What are the new rules for Spain’s pets?

In the case of domestic pets, the new rules have been receiving a mixed reaction. In coming laws will insist that owners apply for pet DNI cards, rather like our TIEs. To ensure that they know their ‘ patas ’ from their ‘ pulgas ’, new owners will be obliged

LIFE IS EASY WITH EYES CLOSED

(ButopenedinSpain’sCabodeGata!)

fact: John Lennon had terrible eyesight. By to day’s standards he would have been considered legally blind without his glasses. He was severely myopic, had astigmatism and dyslexia. Op tometrists today call it the Irlen Syndrome. Furthermore, Lennon was self-conscious about this fact and early in his career resisted wearing glasses during performances.

Alittle-known

His personal doctor once said: “Without his glasses, the world was blurred and distorted for John. He could see the end of his guitar and frets but not much beyond.”

Another little- known fact: Rolling Stone Magazine once stated that Lennon’s lyrics, his hair and his ‘granny glasses’ were probably the most enduring and iconic trademarks of the late Beatle, John Lennon. What follows is the Spanish backstory of those very granny glasses that were such an enduring part of his public image.

In 1967 John Lennon had a small, non-musical role in the John Les ter movie How I Won the War. Much of the filming of the movie was

done in the Carboneras area of the Cabo de Gata Natural Park.

His role was very minor and, during the shooting, Lennon had a lot of downtime which offered him a welcome respite from his arduous music tours.

Lennon and wife Cynthia joined actor Michael Crawford and wife Gabrielle Lewis in renting the San ta Isabel Villa.

On the set, John enjoyed observing the production of the movie as just another cast member. He could in teract as a normal person for the first time in a long time.

Lennon would later note that he found the rural setting and time-off from the hectic world of rock and

roll to be profoundly restorative.

To prepare for his role, Lennon got a standard haircut which con trasted sharply with his mop-top image. He was also given a pair of ‘standard metal British National Health Service glasses’ - issued free by the NHS.

The round, small lens, metal framed glasses were the farthest thing from being fashionable but, for reasons known only to Lennon, he felt comfortable in Spain, and was not worried about how he looked in these round granny glasses.

They opened his eyes (pun intended) to some of the beauty of the Cabo de Gata area which surrounded him. The Santa Isabel Villa, with its wrought iron gates and lush vegetation, reminded Lennon of the Strawberry Field - a Salvation Army garden near Lennon’s child hood home in Liverpool.

Lennon, perhaps with the newly found vision aided by his NHS sup plied glasses, was inspired to write his classic song Strawberry Fields Forever during his stay in Cabo de Gata.

John Lennon would have been 82 this month and to mark World Sight Day, Jack Gaioni investigates a little known fact about his famous spectacles and their link to Almeria

VISIT: Ringo Starr with lennon in Almeria, and with Cynthia

NOT SAFE: Even Spanish Waterdogs are at risk

to complete online training courses – al though this could be unfortunate for any one who isn’t tech-savvy (the infamous digital divide).

Under the proposed rules animals won’t be able to be sold in pet shops and it won’t be legal to adopt a pet that isn’t micro chipped – for example, to take one that is found wan dering the streets. The cor rect procedure will be to call the authorities to transport the animal to an approved shelter.

This is causing debate –partly because of a prevail ing belief amongst animal lovers that some ‘approved’ shelters euthanise pets that aren’t found homes.

Another rule restricts the reproduction of pets to registered breeders. Owners who aren’t on the kennel register were previ ously limited to a maximum of five pets, al

though this law wasn’t applied before, and won’t be applied retrospectively. It’s clearly going to be difficult to monitor pet owner ship, especially if families register them under multiple names.

Other rules stipulate that pets must be well cared for and treated ‘like a member of the family’. It will be illegal to leave dogs alone for more than 24 hours, leave them in cars, confine them, restrict their movement, mutilate them for aesthetic reasons (such as cropping ears and tails), fail to de-parasite them or remove their faeces, use them for begging, or subject them to excessive work.

You cannot dump them, re lease them permanently into the ‘natural environment’, eat them (!), or put down healthy animals because you no longer want to be their owner. The ‘adequate care’ rule, however, is arguably something

that should apply to all dogs – not just pets.

Spain’s history of animal abuse –the social mores

According to animal rights activists, the problem with Spain’s historic animal abuse problem is down to social mores and this doesn’t have an over night solution.

Linda Raine, of Valle Verde animal rescue in Alumnecar, says there has always been adequate legislation to protect animals but that Spain doesn’t have the right mentali ty behind enforcement.

The Olive Press has heard anecdotal re ports of Seprona’s reluctance to prose cute negligent owners, even repeat offenders.

The situation for Spain’s working dogs

Dogs used for sports, hunting or as ‘breed ers’ are frequently culled by their handlers when their so-called ‘useful life’ is over: these animals are most at risk.

Tanya Grenfell Williams, who has rescued three greyhounds ( galgos ), says: “The hunt ing lobby is very powerful, and the rescue centres have battled for many years with the government and hunters to stop the atrocities, such as digging out dogs’ chips when they are no longer wanted.

“I think the proposal to use EU laws for this sector is to avoid each autonomous com munity passing a watered-down version of the Spanish law. Although I disagree with a distinction between domestic animals and sporting animals, the Galgueros would not comply with the new law and adhering to some EU laws is better than nothing.”

Elizabeth, who ran a dog rescue shelter in Mallorca, adds: “At the end of the hunting season, we routinely found five Podencos hanging from a tree together, dead.”

Luz María Puga Blanco, president of the NoMayapa rescue centre, says: “The law says that pet dogs will be part of the fam ily but hunting dogs are not. What is the difference between one and the other? Ev eryone feels the same; this is the worst of the new law. And the hunters’ dogs are the most abused.

A public education campaign, like for domestic violence

With Seprona realistically unable to moni tor Spain’s vast swathes of ‘campo’, where dog abuse can be hidden from view, own ers need to change for the better. For example, they could sterilise their bitches rather than dumping unwanted puppies into the nearest bin.

Public castration programmes are import ant – such as the one NoMayapa carries out in La Alpujarra, giving owners an afford able option to avoid unwanted litters.

Luz says: “Regarding the new law, we be lieve it’s good that sterilisation is manda tory, but we do not trust this since the chip has been in place for years. This is also mandatory and many people don’t chip their animals.”

Your award-winning global dirt digger

A focus on Olive Press reporter Anthony Piovesan

ANTHONY Piovesan joins the Olive Press all the way from Australia. He moved to Madrid for three months earlier this year to enjoy a sabbatical after the pandemic kept his home country’s border shut for two long years.

But he quickly fell in love with Spain and didn’t want to leave.

What Anthony loves the most, and why he decided to stay here permanently, was the locals.

Journalism is all about people and the stories they can tell you, and Anthony was constantly amazed at the stories the Spanish would tell.

An award-winning jour nalist in Australia for six years before arriving in Spain, he started reporting at a local newspaper in the outback of the region of Victoria.

He then moved back to his home city of Melbourne where he won a Press Club Quill award at the state media awards for a series of stories that ex posed corruption at his local council (see left).

Moving on to be come a political correspondent for Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, he proudly held the authorities to ac count during the pandemic, ‘a his toric time when the world need ed truths more than ever be fore’ he insists.

“It’s a privilege to join the Olive Press and con tinue the newspaper’s great work bringing all of the amazing stories from around the country to an English-speaking audience,” Anthony said.

During this time, Rolling Stone Magazine covertly obtained a pho to of Lennon sporting a pair of granny glasses and featured the new image on its November 9, 1967, front cover. Publisher Jann S. Wenner would later describe that cover as: “Incredibly fortu itous and symbolic - prophetic of the future.”

It would be hard to find a photo without at least some form of vari ation of those smaller, round glasses for the rest of Lennon’s days. This past week, October 9 to be exact, would have been John Len non’s 82nd birthday. Next December 8 will mark the 42nd anni versary of his tragic demise.

Undeniably, his presence is still with us: his spirit, his cultural sig nificance and his musical vision. But it is interesting to note that his lyrics from Strawberry Fields Forever (think: “Life is easier with your eyes closed”) was born of his time in Spain - replete with his new NHS issued granny glasses!

R.I.P. John Lennon

For example, we are aware of a harrowing case where two dogs owned by a woman with mental health issues were starved to death on a roof ter race, and all the neigh bours were aware of the situation. The police were informed but did not intervene.

There is also a wellknown case of a horse owner starving several animals without being denounced.

Some critics of the new legislation say that only law-abid ing owners will follow the new rules. Those who always mistreat ed their animals will continue in the same manner.

Perhaps a parallel can be drawn with Spain’s history of domestic violence, and how this problem has been tackled at government level with a zero-tolerance campaign, run ning across every town and village. Without such a campaign, how can we expect the prevailing attitude towards animal abuse, dating back centuries, to change?

One local expat is optimistic. Freya Ruth Rogers of Orgiva says: “The campo men don’t like to be embarrassed, not even over animal abuse. So, if younger generations change their attitude, there is hope.”

Says an anonymous reader: “Thanks to the ‘violencia de genero’ campaign, ‘ machista ’ men, who would previously have thought nothing of hitting their wife or girlfriend, now give it some consideration. Not only could they go to prison for three years over a domestic violence conviction, but it’s considered socially unacceptable amongst their male peers. We need this to be the case with animals.”

Without public education alongside bet ter enforcement, it seems that some of Spain’s dogs will literally be sold – or thrown – down the river.

The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are:

- Hispanic day gets underway as Spain celebrates Christopher Columbus first voyage to America

- British tourist dies after fatal 20 metre cliff leap on Spain’s Ibiza

German Madeleine McCann suspect accused of a string of rapes and two child offence charges this week

- Irish rape victim reveals delight at finally seeing Maddie’s suspect Christian Brueckner in court after 18 long years

- Fugitive wanted over sexual crime used Malaga hostel as hideout

Get in touch today at sales@theolivepress.es or call us at 00 34 951273575 for more info

ON SET: Lennon takes a break during filming of How I Won the War

HAPPY: This greyhound and podenco (right) are well cared for, but many suffer a grim fate

The problem with the animal abuse problem is down to social mores

POWER PLAN

SPAIN’S new energy con tingency plan has been approved by the Council of Ministers with 73 mea sures to reduce energy consumption.

Ecological Transition min ister, Teresa Ribera said the government will try to cut natural gas consumption by as much as 13.5% in the full period between August and March under the strategy.

The plan promotes self-generated energy and the government will pro vide aid and tax breaks on renewable energy as well as subsidised loans for small businesses investing in en ergy efficiency.

One of the measures calls for a review of all outdoor lighting but does not estab lish any limit on Christmas lights put up by individual municipalities.

There’s also good news for condominium residents - numbering some 1.6 million households - who share a community boiler.

ENERGY SAVING

DENIA council is hop ing to save up to 70% on its outdoor lighting bills by outsourcing lighting maintenance and in stallation to a private company.

The council has ap proved a 15-year con tract costing €871,000 per annum to Sitelec Global.

The firm will convert nearly 5,500 street lights to LED technolo gy and also be respon sible for lighting in mu nicipal buildings.

Lighting, using solar en ergy, will be increased on the Carretera de les Marines and in the Montgo area.

Scheme to cut energy use with grants and cheap loans approved

By Alex Trelinski

Previous rules meant peo ple in condominium prop erties were not eligible for the regulated TUR gas rate that’s cheaper than free market tariffs. Teresa Ri bera, said a price cut had

been approved, but did not specify how the dis counts would be offered. “It is time to find a solu tion for community boilers, which consume more than 50,000 kilowatt hours per year and, therefore, are outside the regulated rate,” she added.

Free Charly, Flecha & Cris

THREE loggerhead sea turtles rescued by sailors have been released in Huelva.

Some 50 schoolchildren and members of the Rumbo Fijo as sociation participated as the sea creatures were released at Punta Umbria.

The event was part of the ‘SOS Caretta’ project, which prop motes sea turtle rescue by the fishing sector in the Gulf of Ca diz and Strait of Gibraltar.

So far the association has overseen the rescue and release of 33 sea turtles.

The latest release ‘Charly’ and ‘Flecha’, weighed 20 and 35 kilos respectively, were freed. They have both been taken to port by boats of the Cofradía Santo Cristo del Mar.

The third turtle release was ‘Cris’, a small specimen weighing 2.7 kilos, which had been found on Cortadura Beach (Cadiz).

READY FOR THE NEXT ‘COP OUT’?

when heads

attend the United Nations Conference of Parties (COP) to discuss, debate and agree on tangible actions to reduce the impact of climate change.

government

This year’s conference is to be held in Sharm elSheikh, Egypt.

Replace Sharm with Sham and it will more accu rately reflect the hollow promises and commitments that are about to be announced.

The whole feeling that surrounds this year’s event just feels wrong.

● Egypt has an appalling record on human rights

● The event sponsor is Coca-Cola….. which, to gether with Pepsi, has been branded the largest plastic polluter on the planet!

Coca-Cola uses more than 3 million tonnes of plas tic packaging a year. Its products are found in the oceans and on the beaches of every continent.

Some 99% of plastic is produced from fossil fuels.

The organisation Earth Uprising said: “This action by the COP27 presidency goes against the purpose of the conference.” I agree.

What a difference a year makes

The whole landscape has changed.

Last year, the conference was held in Glasgow. The UK government banned fossil fuel companies from sponsoring the event.

When the conference concluded there was an air of optimism. I felt that maybe, just maybe, countries would follow through on their promises. Not so now.

Everyone is blaming the psychopath Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing fallout. The UK’s actions reflect what other wealthy coun tries are doing.

● The ban on fracking has been lifted

● Up to 100 new licenses look set to be awarded to companies to ramp up exploration of new oil and gas reserves in the North Sea

Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg says the new exploration will boost energy security and support skilled jobs. Bla Bla Bla…..earlier this year the gov ernment’s own advisers stated in a report that the best way to ease consumers’ pain from high energy prices was to stop using fossil fuels rather than drill for more.

Greenpeace called it right, saying: ”The govern ment’s energy policy benefits fossil fuel companies, and no one else.”

The embattled, ambivalent new UK prime minister Liz Truss hasn’t announced whether she will attend. She has, however, banned King Charles from going. The last thing she needs at COP27 is a monarch who actually cares passionately for the environ ment.

We are now beginning to hear world leaders talking about not placing the burden of achieving net zero targets on consumers and businesses. I interpret this as: “Hang the environment – safe guard votes to keep us in office.”

ACTION: Teresa Ribera announces new measures to slash energy use

Green MattersBy Martin Tye

What’s in a name

FIGURES from the National Statistics Agency (INE) have revealed that TV and films are influencing what some Span iards call their children.

While 1,062 women in Spain have been named Leia, at least it is a real name (from He brew).

The 29 men called AnakinLeia’s father in the Star Wars franchise - are not quite so lucky.

Not only is it a made-up name but the fictional Anakin fa mously becomes super-villain Darth Vader.

Looking at other franchises, Daenerys is the name of 189 girls.

Sticking with Game of Thrones, Arya is a clear winner with 1,168 females given the moniker, although it is tradi tionally a male name in parts of India, Iran, Indonesia and Bali.

And the Lord of the Rings has also been immortalised in chil dren’s names, with 177 women named after Arwen, although they could conceivably be the children of expats as it is a name with a long and proud Welsh history.

Not so in the case of the 58 Galadriel’s in Spain - this name was invented by Tolkein.

IMPRESSIVE: There will be six new works costing a total €10 million on show

25 YEARS ON

BILBAO’s Guggenheim Muse um has unveiled an exhibition of works to celebrate its 25th anniversary.

Sections/Intersections. 25 years of the Guggenheim Mu seum Bilbao Collection, which will open on October 19, fea

Guggenheim launches anniversary exhibition

By Dilip Kuner

tures many of its best-known pieces as well as six new works costing a total of €10 million

Festival countdown

TOP British acts will be headlining next year’s Benicassim International Festival between July 13 and 16. Spain’s answer to Glastonbury will be bringing in festival stalwarts Franz Ferdinand, along with Bastille, Clean Bandit, and the Kaiser Chiefs as some of the top attractions. They’ve been named in the initial list of 20 acts playing the three-day festival next summer.

The hugely popular indie music event is especially popular among British fans, who descend on the Castellon town in their droves every year.

Tickets went on general sale after 5,000 tickets for local resi dents were sold. General tickets start at €39.99 per day with additional fees for camping, showers, transportation and re freshments.

by the artists El Anatsui, Alex Reynolds, Ellsworth Kelly, Al yson Shotz, Esther Ferrer and Jenny Holzer.

The acquisitions have been paid for by the Basque Govern ment and the Provincial Coun cil of Bizkaia.

Museum's director, Juan Ig nacio Vidarte said: “It was felt appropriate to commemorate our silver jubilee by highlight ing one of the fundamental ele ments - the collection that had been created thanks to the sup port from Basque institutions.

It is a way of highlighting the collection and giving a small nod to the inaugural exhibi tion in 1997, which showcased works from the Guggenheim collections in New York and Venice.

“This time we wanted to give it a twist, but exclusively with

works from the Bilbao collec tion to show the maturity that the collection has now reached.

The exhibition features piec es from Frank Gehry’s archi tecture, as well as pieces that highlight key moments in the history of the museum.

The sculpture Tulips by Jeff Koons has been moved inside to occupy a key place in the ‘Pop Art’ room alongside Andy Warhol work One hundred and fifty multicoloured Marilyns.

Jubilee

It also includes the museums latest acquisition Growing Sea by Nigerian artist El Anatsui. This is the first sculpture by an African artist acquired by the museum and is made entirely from recycled materials from spirits bottle caps.

No justice

JUSTIN Bieber has can celled his Justice World Tour concerts for the next four months, including the two dates scheduled for Spain.

In September Bieber, one of the best-selling music artists of all time, said he would put the tour on hold due to health problems re lated to Ramsay Hunt Syn drome, which paralyses part of his face.

Cancelled

Subsequently, 12 shows were cancelled, affecting all those scheduled until Octo ber 18.

However, the health issues continue and promoter Doc tor Music has announced the post pone ment has been ex tend ed, af fecting 28 con cert dates including Madrid and Barcelona, on January 23 and 25 respective ly.

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Winter welcome

AFTER two pandemic win ters, around 88% of tourist accommodation will remain open in the Valencian Com munity during the next few months.

The Hosbec hoteliers associ ation says that Alicante and Valencia Provinces will have close to 90% of facilities open with popular centres like Valencia City operating at 100%.

Benidorm will keep 88.4% of its hotels, 88.3% of its tourist apartments and 90.3% of its campsites open, with reports of foreigners eyeing up long breaks to save money on do mestic energy bills, as well as enjoying warmer weather.

A Hosbec spokesperson said: “The need to operate, to gen erate activity and income after two years of inactivity has led the hotel and tourist accom modation boosting openings to maximum levels.”

Cheers to that

A SPANISH bar has been voted the Best in the World, the first time one from outside New York or London has earned the No. 1 spot on the list.

Paradiso in Barcelona scooped the accolade at The World's 50 Best Bars awards staged in the Cata

EXTREME weather conditions have caused big falls in Alicante Province lemon and orange har vests.

Growers have been forced to count the cost of a very wet spring and re cord-breaking summer high tem peratures in the area.

The Verna lemon variety has been the worst hit with just 50,000 tons

Spanish bar is the Best in the World

By Alex Trelinski

lan capital.

Over 650 cocktail bar ex perts cast their votes with another Barcelona barTwo Schmucks - coming in

Sour figures

harvested - a 50% fall on last year. Harvest numbers for the Fino vari ety of lemon are 15% down on 2022 figures. Oranges have suffered as well with the 'Lane Late' and 'Pow ell' varieties falling by 30% over 12 months.

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seventh place. The awards were staged in Barcelona’s Cupula de las Arenas and cemented the city’s increasing reputation for providing outstanding drinking experiences.

It was the first time that the annual gathering of the international cocktail trade had moved outside to London.

“Passion! That’s what got us here,” said Giacomo Gi annotti, co-owner of Par adiso. “We are so proud. It’s the best recognition we could ever have – for us, for our team and for our clients.”

Accessed by opening a

false fridge door in a pas trami shop in Barcelona’s El Born district, Paradi so offers its version of an American speakeasy, com bining inventive drinks with the lively personality of its staff.

Innovation

“Each day for seven years we have tried to be the best version of ourselves,” says Margarita Sader, Giannot ti’s partner and co-owner of Paradiso. “We started with three people in our team, and now we are 40. We are so proud of them and we just want to be the most cre ative and innovative bar that we can.”

The great escape

SPAIN is hoping to capital ise on cold winters and ener gy bills elsewhere in Europe, including the UK, by pro moting its warmer weather as winter approaches.

Southern Spain and the Ca nary Islands are hopeful of taking advantage of ‘thermal tourism’, a new trend for fly ing to cheaper, warmer cli mates to escape the winter and the cost of living crisis in the UK.

Cheaper

The president of the Spanish federation of tourist departments Miguel Ángel Sotillos said: “From what we’re seeing, people are realising that it’s cheaper to come here than to put the heating on at home.” Several travel agents are of fering deals of three or four weeks or more to popular Spanish destinations.

Packages for three-week half-board stays in Costa del Sol hotels are averaging between €900 and €950 per person.

WHEN

it comes to choosing an insur ance policy, price will (of course) be a significant factor, but you really need to consider what you’re going to get for your money.

Are you paying for what you actually need? Will you have the backing of a reputable company that really understands your requirements –and can they offer the right advice on the right product(s) for you?

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CHIN CHIN: Paradiso is the first bar outside of London or New York to be crown ‘World’s best bar’

FAMILY JUSTICE

THE mother of a 6-year-old girl denounced the Spanish justice system after finding that officers failed to properly investigate her daughter's death.

In 2010, a 6-year-old was involved in a road accident in Orihuela As a result of the incident, the young girl was left quadriplegic and was connected to a ventilator. But as the assisted breathing system contained numerous failures in it, the girl fell into a coma and passed away in 2013. The faulty respirator was later found to be the cause of her death.

After this incident, the mother of the 6-year-old girl de nounced the Spanish justice system after finding that of ficers failed to properly investigate her daughter's death.

Judges at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) eventually ruled in favour of Garrido Herrero, as he is the one who denounced the incident and compensated the family with 32,000 euros following a Strasbourg court ruling.

In said ruling, the European judges stated that the investi gation took five years and was abandoned in 2019 after the deadline placed for the determination of the cause of death was exceeded and their time frame for finding out what caused the little girl's death had expired.

TRYING TO COPE

NEARLY half of Spanish civil servants use anti depressants, anti-anxiety drugs or sleeping pills on an almost daily basis.

This is according to the CSIF trade union, which blames overwork, low wages and ‘lack of profes sional recognition’.

The most common profile of civil servants with a prescription drugs problem are women aged between 45 and 54 working in the health and ed ucation sectors, claims the union.

The CSIF is now calling for psychological care to be provided to public employees.

Gift of life Hospital carries out pioneering intestine transplant on one-year-old girl

A SPANISH hospital has suc cessfully performed an intes tine transplant on a toddler in a world first.

The recipient was a oneyear-old girl who had been diagnosed with intestinal failure aged just one month. This is the first time a socalled asystole transplant of the intestine has been per formed.

This means that after doc tors confirm the absence of a heartbeat and breathing functions, the donor’s organs are artificially preserved through a system known as Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO).

An intestine is very difficult to preserve after death, given its unique characteristics.

The operation was carried out at the La Paz hospital in Madrid after three years of research.

Spain is a world leader in or gan transplants, with more than 102 carried out per

By Simon Hunter

million inhabitants in 2021, according to Health Ministry data cited by Reuters. Only the United States exceeds that figure.

As well as the intestine, the young patient, named Emma, also received a new liver, stomach, spleen and pancreas.

Discharged

She has already been dis charged from hospital and is in ‘perfect’ health at home with her parents, according to a statement from the Ma drid regional government.

La Paz hospital is one of the leading centres in Europe for paediatric transplants.

Of the 3,149 transplants carried out there, 1,754 were for child patients, ac cording to the Madrid re gional government.

Stubbed out

BARCELONA has issued zero fines for smoking on beaches, despite a ban be ing in place since July.

The City Hall imposed the ban with potentially fixed penalty fines of €30 pay able for anyone breaking the rules.

Despite the lack of punish ment, Councillor for Envi ronmental Transition Eloi Badia has hailed the initia tive a success. He report ed that anyone told not to smoke on the beaches has responded respectful ly, and has either put out their cigarette or moved off the sand.

He added that just 1% of Barcelona beach-goers smoked while on the sand.

Career development

healthy

sauna

WORLD’S FIRST: Asystole transplant patient Emma

PIC CREDIT: EFE

FORGING AHEAD

FLAT-PACK giant Ikea has seen anything but flat sales in Spain over the last year.

The company is to now cre ate 1,500 jobs in the coun try after seeing record 8.2% growth in sales.

The record turnover of €1.82 billion between Sep tember 2021 and August 2022 has been driven large ly by online sales.

A record 22% of its Span ish turnover (€406m) was brought in online.

The Swedish firm will now open a total of 90 new sales

Massive growth planned by Ikea with 1,500 jobs to be created

By Dilip Kuner

points, varying between ur ban stores, smaller stores, design and planning centres and collection points.

It means launching its larg est recruitment drive in the Spanish operation’s history.

The workforce is set to ex pand by 15% to 11,230 em ployees by 2024.

Mind the Ga-uge

The CEO of Ikea in Spain, Nurettin Acar, explained the growth as ‘the result of the work of a committed team’ and Ikea being an ‘agent of change’.

“The outbreak of the Ukrainian war, interrup tions in the logistics chain and supply difficulties have brought great challenges,” he said.

“I am really proud to see how we have managed to learn and become even stronger in this situation,” he added.

Parent company Ingka group earlier this year said it would invest more than €3 billion in new and exist ing stores world-wide. Its main focus is on making its physical locations double as e-commerce distribution points.

The plan will cover all 32 of Ingka’s markets, including the U.S., France, Finland, Canada, Germany and Spain.

Uncertainty reigns

GBP/EUR exchange rate remains volatile amid uncertain UK fiscal outlook

A key focus for GBP investors will be the publication of Kwarteng’s medium-term fiscal plan at the end of the month.

If this fails to assuage concerns over the government’s tax cut and borrowing plans, Sterling could fall sharply.

THE

pound euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate continued to trade with a high levels of volatility at the start of October amid an increasingly uncertain fiscal outlook in the UK. Over the last two weeks, GBP/EUR has traded in a range between €1.15 and €1.12.

WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING?

Following the six cent swings we witnessed at the end of Sep tember. Trade in the pound euro exchange rates has been rel atively subdued in comparison, despite the pairing trading in a range of around three cents.

A U-turn from Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng regarding his plans to cut the 45p tax rate for the UK’s highest earners, brought some initial relief to Sterling.

While the reversal still left plenty of concerns over the parts of his mini-budget GBP investors were hopeful the Chancellor may be open to rethink other parts of his fiscal plan.

However, the pound almost immediately relinquished these gains following a warning that the UK’s credit rating could be downgraded after Fitch joined S&P in cutting its outlook for the UK’s credit rating from ‘stable’ to negative’.

Subsequent movement in the pound has remained erratic as the Bank of England stepped up its emergency bond purchas es, but warned that its temporary bond buying programme would end on 14 October as initially planned. While rumours regarding further U-turns from Kwarteng also bolstered Ster ling.

Meanwhile the euro has fluctuated over the past couple of weeks amid fears an escalation of the war in Ukraine will place even more pressure on the Eurozone economy.

The single currency has also been undermined by some un derwhelming Eurozone data as well as concerns over Europe’s energy security.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR?

UK fiscal and political uncertainty are likely to see the pound continue to trade with notable volatility over the next couple of weeks.

A negative response could also raise questions over the future of Liz Truss’s premiership, potentially placing even more pres sure on the pound.

If the Russia-Ukraine war continues to escalate, then the euro may face an uphill battle. A renewed Russian offensive, fur ther sanctions, or signs that the conflict is spreading beyond Ukraine’s borders could all spell trouble for the single currency.

As we approach the end of October, the focus is likely to switch to the European Central Bank (ECB) as it prepares to deliver its latest interest rate decision.

If the ECB delivers another 75bps rate hike, whilst also signal ling plans to continue raising rates through to at least the end of the year, the euro is likely to strengthen.

PROTECTING AGAINST VOLATILITY

This kind of volatility can cause some nasty surprises if you need to transfer money overseas. On a £200,000 transfer, that two-cent gap between €1.15 and €1.12 translates to a €6,000 difference. And the larger the sum, the higher the dis crepancy.

Fortunately, there are ways that you can protect against volatility. Specialist currency brokers, such as Currencies Direct, offer different tools to help you navigate the ups and downs of the currency market.

For instance, you can use a forward contract to secure an ex change rate for up to a year. This way, you won’t lose out if the market moves against you.

Services like rate alerts and daily updates make it easy to keep track of what’s going on in the forex world so that you can make informed decisions. And with Currencies Direct you’ll have a dedicated account manager there to provide guidance and support whenever you need them.

At Currencies Direct we’re here to talk currency whenever you need us, so get in touch if you want to know more about the latest news or how it could impact your currency transfers.

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QUESADA

MAZARRÓN

Avenida

MOJÁCAR

Avenida

A suburban train network will once again include a stop at El Caminito del Rey in its itinerary.

From the first quarter of 2023 trains that run onthe C-2 Málaga-Álora line will stop at the El Chor ro-Caminito del Rey train station.

The recovery of the train to El Caminito del Rey, a spectacular walkway that has become one of the jewels of Andalucia, is an action that has been in cluded in the General State Budget. A budget that has allocated €225.8 million for investments in Malaga.

Site resurrection

A DEVELOPER wants to resuscitate plans for an 1,800 home urbanisation in San Miguel de Salinas.

Bogey Mediterraneo has asked San Miguel coun cil to take control of the SUS-A Los Invernaderos site.

The original developer went bust in 2008 leav ing 700,000 square me tres of deserted streets, green areas and facili ties to be abandoned and vandalised over the last 14 years.

Just four properties were built on the site, with Bogey Mediter raneo buying 51% of the area last month for €4.3 million - roughly half the price at which it was valued.

HIDING OUT

Johnny Depp ex Amber Heard, goes incognito as ‘Calamity Jane’ renting Mallorca mansion

SHE has had over a year of hearing her name dragged through the mud.

So it was no surprise that Hollywood actress Amber Heard would look for some where closer to the stars.

By Simon Hunter

Fresh from her costly €10 million London lawsuit with her ex Johnny Depp, she has moved to Mallorca.

The 36-year-old Aqua man star has moved to the tiny village of Costitx, just five miles from where the Olive Press prints its newspaper on the island.

Going under a pseud onym, Maratha Jane Cannary, an 18th century explorer better known as Calamity Jane, she has rented a luxury mansion,

OP Puzzle solutions Quick Crossword

Across: 1 Detain, 5 Abrupt, 8 Periodic, 9 Lace, 10 Cynic, 11 Reckon, 13 Coy, 14 Pie, 15 Oho, 16 Pseudo, 18 Oscar, 21 Wild, 22 Employee, 23 Insert, 24 Toecap.

Down: 2 Emery, 3 Ability, 4 Nude, 5 Accursed, 6 Relic, 7 Piccolo, 12 Opponent, 13 Cushion, 15 Onshore, 17 Undue, 19 Arena, 20 Spot.

which was recently on the market for €2.8m.

Living with her daughter Oonagh, one, and her part ner, the film photographer Bianca Butti, locals in the vil lage of just 1,270 inhabitants didn’t at first have any clue who she was.

“She’s just like everyone else, she buys fruit and vegeta bles, she speaks Spanish with a Mexican accent and she’s very polite,” a local shop keeper named Miguel told El Mundo.

“She always says good morn ing,” he added. For now she has rented the former home of disgraced politician Maria Antonia Munar, who was sentenced

to 14 years in jail for corrup tion.

The 479 square metre villa has an infinity pool and won derful views of the surround ing countryside (see left).

Celebrity watchers had known she had moved to Spain when in January she posted on Instagram a photo of herself in a typical Spanish alley, with the caption: ‘hola Madrid’.

Ten days later she posted a pic of a square in Palma and she has posted many other Spanish pictures to her five million followers since then.

In March she posted a lovely photo (above) in Palma port with the caption: ‘It’s a-boat time I posted something’.

Injury time

AS if his family didn’t have enough problems.

Barcelona star Gerard Pique has received a stop order on his new hotel project in Malaga.

Coming just months after his split from pop star Shakira, who is facing a giant tax probe, the Spain defender has had his Cine Andalucia project halted. It comes after human remains from Spain’s Islamic period were found at the central Mal aga city site.

Construction has been stopped while a full archeological survey of an apparent cemetery is un dertaken.

The number of burials are un known, but the town hall be lieves that it is a Muslim grave yard because so far around 100 graves have been found facing towards Mecca.

The company Kerald Holding, owned by Pique and his family, bought the site near Plaza de la Merced - where Pablo Picasso was born - for €20 million in July 2020.

Plans to build a luxury five-star hotel have al ready had to be downgraded to four stars due to permit issues.

Once the 176room hotel is finished at an es timated cost of €50 million, it will be man aged by the Melia group.

RELOCATING: Amber in Palma

THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN CHIMNEYS Madrid

LOCATED

by Plaza del Rey in the heart of the ca pital, the Casa de las Siete Chimeneas belonged to Captain Zapata and his wife Elena in the 16th century. After Zapata died while off with the Ar mada in Flanders, Elena was discovered dead in her bedroom. The cause of death was never determined because her body vanished without a trace, however, the servants believed it was murder. Rumours circula ted that Elena had been having a secret affair with King Felipe II and that he had killed her. In the end, her fa ther was accused of Elena’s death and hung from the rafters of the house.

Since then, many claim to have seen a woman dres sed in white on the roof, pointing towards the Alcazar, home of the King. Despite this damning indictment, noone did anything about it and, after a while, the ghost gave up. But Elena’s story was revived in more recent times when, during work on the building, the corpse of a woman was discovered, buried with a handful of gold coins dating from that era.

WE DARE TO

AGUAS DE BUSSOT - Alicante

By Amber Edirisinghe

FROM piercing wails to ghostly faces in the mi rror, if you are on the hunt for paranormal activity this Halloween, you will find more than enough in Spain.

Right across the country –probably in a town near you – eerie buildings with violent and grisly pasts stand aban doned (or are they?) waiting and watching.

Here’s our definitive list of Spain’s most haunted.

CHILDREN

with tuberculosis were treated at this sanitorium in Alicante. It is claimed that it was a place of cruelty where nuns would inflict punishments on the children – those who wet the bed, for example, were forced to wrap the sheets around their heads, and were paraded around the dining hall at breakfast time.

Years after its closure in 2002, researcher Pedro Amoros reported seeing a white lady appear in the mirror, which led many more to go and investigate – and yes, they saw her too, along with creepy shadows. They say that if you see the white lady in the mirror and she laughs, you’ll be alright. But if she is crying, something bad is coming your way.

SANATORIUM OF SANTO ANGEL DE LA GUARDA MADRID

BUILT

in 1941, this Madrid sa natorium was dedicated to the treatment of illnesses like tuberculosis, leprosy, polio, fibrosis and lung cancer. It later be came a mental health facility and was finally closed in 1995. Daring individuals who have explored its halls in search of patient records and hospital paraphernalia have re ported seeing strange figures in the corridors, hearing voices and slam ming doors, and – perhaps worst of all – have had their electrical devices suddenly powering off.

THIS

spooky mansion, located in the Cam panillas district on the edge of Malaga, was once the home of the Here dia family. At least 30 women disappeared between 1890 and 1920, and all were found dead on the river banks near the house, covered in marks of torture suggestive of sata nic rites. There were said to be tunnels running from the river to the house, and suspi cion fell on the family. To this very day, people often claim to hear haunting moans and to have seen shadowy figures in the windows.

It’s that time of year again when we dress like monsters, eat sweets, and think about bodies beneath the floorboards. Happy Halloween!

CORTIJO JURADO Malaga

SCARE

THORAX HOSPITAL Terrassa, Catalunya

SPECIALISING in patients with respiratory conditions, this former sanatorium in Terrassa was credited with having the highest suicide rate in Spain. Apparently, the suicides were triggered by a psychosis that patients developed during the course of their slow decline and, throughout the 1950s in particular, patients would throw themselves to their deaths from the ninth floor windows with alar ming regularity. They are said to haunt the gardens below, while the empty corridors are haunted by victims of the infamous ‘nurse of death’, a middle-aged woman who had a thing for injecting her patients with lethal doses.

THE FACES OF BELMEZ Jaen

SINCE

1971, marks have been appearing and di sappearing on the walls and floors of a house on Calle Real in the village of Belmez in Jaen. From some angles they look like human faces, hence the name and the constant flow of parapsychologists and sceptics. Some people believe the phenomenon could be linked to the presence of a 13th century ce metery believed to be lying deep under the kitchen.

Four-legged help

SOME 18 ‘firefighting’ donkeys have started for est fire prevention work for next year’s summer by chomping their way through vegetation in hard to access areas.

Wrong turn

A wheelchair-user has been filmed getting stuck in a stream of Marbella traffic with cars swerv ing round him before a pedestrian pushes him to safety

Trump chum

FORMER US presi dent Donald Trump supported Vox, as the far-right Spanish par ty celebrated its year ly festival. “I wanna begin by thanking Santiago Abascal for the incredible job that he does,” Trump said.

Turn to the dark side

Man dressed as Darth Vader asks girlfriend to marry him

A MURCIA man channeled the Force to pluck up the courage to ask his girlfriend to marry him in the most bi zarre way.

In a video posted on so cial media the unnamed man emerged from a cof fin garbed in a Darth Vad er costume and singing an Elvis song to his would-be

By Simon Hunter

fiancée.

The offbeat footage, which quickly went viral, included a moment when the man, who had been carried into the scene in the coffin by four other men, held up a chalkboard on which was

Dedicated cheat

A LAW professor at the University of Mal aga has revealed a bizarre way that one of her students tried to cheat in his exams.

Yolanda de Lucchi posted photographs on social media of 11 pens confiscated during an exam several years ago where the can didate had painstakingly etched answers along the barrels in tiny writing.

Yolanda posted: “The criminal procedural law in BIC pens. What art!” “Cheat sheets aren’t what they used to be,”

VIRAL: Darth Vader proposal was a huge hit

written: “I hope she says no”. The soundtrack to the whole

scene was provided by a full band, which played, among other tunes, the Imperial March from the Star Wars saga.

A BABOON surprised residents of Murcia City's Agridulce ur banisation after they spotted it dodging traffic to cross a road. With the Terra Natura theme park in the area, suspicions pointed to it coming from there, but it had actually escaped from a veterinary farm belonging to the University of Murcia. The primate ended up on the roof of a warehouse. It was anaesthetised with a tranquiliser rifle and returned to the farm unharmed.

Short arm of the law

she added. The neat lettering pays testament to the en graving skill of the cheat - but it may well have been easier to simply learn the an swers to start with.

While it was unclear wheth er the woman – who was visibly emotional when presented with the ring –actually said yes, the pair were then seen in the vid eo happily dancing on the back of a flatbed truck to the accompaniment of Abba’s Dancing Queen, played by the band.

News of the dress code for the wedding is yet to emerge.

A LACK of height will no lon ger be an obstacle to budding recruits for Spain’s National Police force.

In a bid to attract more women to the force, the Spanish Cabi net has done away with the 1.65 metre mini mum height for male ap plicants and 1.60 metres for women. The height standards re main for spe cial units.