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Laid off TENSIONS are mounting between newly formed political party Together Gibraltar and the Gibraltar Government over the layoff of eight workers at the St Bernadette Resource Centre. The new party claims that the government has laid off the workers at the special needs centre without any prior warning, leaving many of the vulnerable patients with great emotional distress. It claims that the government decision has caused possible irreversible emotional damage for occupants of the centre as they had created strong bonds with the laid off workers.
Vol. 5 Issue 149
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Not again
British expat faces demolition of his 17-year home - and a spell in prison - in repeat of controversial Priors’ case
Vulnerable
“The government’s actions have come at the worst possible time as they are already feeling extremely vulnerable from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” insisted Marlene Hassan Nahon, leader of Together Gibraltar. The party demands immediate answers from the government as to its motives and its plans to minimise the trauma to the children at the centre. However the government branded Nahon’s Continues on Page 5
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DEMOLITION: Expat Gurney Davey is being forced to knock down his own house (top) and faces six months jail
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AN expat is facing prison for failing to demolish his home after he fell foul of a town hall’s ‘laissez faire’ planning rules. Gurney Davey, aged 67, only found out about the six-month sentence when a court document was delivered to a neighbour’s house. “I went straight to Tolox town hall with it. They told me I shouldn’t have received it yet,” he told the Olive Press. “They said they were going to be sending the notification to me once they had stamped it.” The news came as a massive bolt from the blue for Davey, whose wife has just died
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of cancer, which he believes worsened from the stress of the case. He had never been told about the court case that followed on from a Guardia Civil denuncia for an ‘illegal build’. Davey’s two-bed home - built in 2004 - should never have been built according to the Malaga court.
Legalise
In 2016, and then again in 2017, Davey was ordered to knock down his house, but, in common with a neighbour, he waited for more details. While his Spanish neighbour, Irene Millan, 29, did eventually hear from the court again, she was given six months to ‘legalise’ her property - an option Davey was never given.
However, his neighbour’s apparent good luck turned into a poisoned chalice. Having spent €20,000 with the town hall to legalise the dwelling, the court finally refused to accept the new paperwork provided by the council. Instead, demolition was ordered - which went ahead last week. To add insult to injury Irene’s 54-year-old father, Manuel Millan, whose name was on the deeds, was also sentenced to six months jail and handed a fine of €6 a day for a year. Now Davey is terrified he is set to lose his beloved home at any moment. It comes just two months since his wife Diana died from bowel cancer, at the age of 71, in April. “We thought we had done everything right at the time. We got legal advice and went through a lawyer in order to get permission to build the home.
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“Diana fought breast cancer for six years before bowel cancer I am sure the stress brought it on.” The couple, originally from Suffolk in the UK, spent €150,000 building their property. “It came as a package - a plot with a new home on it.” Davey admits he and his wife were perhaps naive to follow the advice of their lawyer. The lawyer, from legal firm Manzanares, told them that planning permission would be applied for as an almacen - or ‘warehouse’. This way it would come under the remit of Tolox town hall, which would give permission and later they could ‘legalise’ the property. The language of one legal letter, seen by the Olive Press, suggests this would be a mere formality. But the property never got legalised. In fact, the Tolox mayor of the time, Juan Vera, has since been jailed and fined for his part in a scheme to allow up to 350 properties to be built on land classified as ‘rural’. In most cases he had used the very same ‘lax’ procedure of applying to build an ‘almacen’
to try to keep the prying eyes of the Junta authorities away. “We thought that was the way things worked in Spain,” said Davey, a retired builder. “We went to see a lawyer and got advice. It turns out that was not the smart thing to do. “Why would we deliberately try to build illegally? It makes no sense that we would sell up everything in the UK and risk it all.” Now Davey’s first thoughts are to avoid serving the jail sentence. He said: “My lawyer is trying to get the sentence suspended.”
Flatten
In the meantime he has been forced to ask the town hall for permission to knock his own property down. “I will do it myself. I will borrow a JCB from someone and flatten my home of the past 17 years. I will not let the town hall do it and charge me more money.” He added: “I’ve no idea where to live afterwards. But the land is still mine - maybe I can live in a tent.” Tolox Ayuntamiento refused to comment, citing data protection laws.
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CRIME
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NEWS IN BRIEF Hand over THE Red Cross of Gibraltar has thanked the Ocean Village Group for a donation of 200 boxes of hand sanitiser to be distributed between the elderly care facilities and local charities. “We are delighted to donate these hand sanitizers to such a worthy cause.”
Open source GIBRALTAR’s government website has welcomed the new public access portal thanks to the recently passed Freedom of Information Act. At a cost of £10, members of the public can now have access to various legal and government documents and forms via www.gibraltar.gov.gi.
Fresh face MAYOR Christian Santos has been inaugurated as Gibraltar’s new mayor in a special ceremony on June 1 at the City Hall. Excited to replace outgoing leader John Goncalves, Santos said: “I am excited to begin this new journey and will do my utmost to represent our community to the best of my ability.”
Crime drops SERIOUS crime rates are continuing to drop across Malaga. The survey found that homicides and attempted murder had falled by 75% from 12 cases in the first quarter of 2020 to only three this year. Meanwhile cases of theft in Malaga saw a dip of 3.6% and robberies with force inside homes fell by 33.8% in the first quarter of the year, going from 808 between January and March 2020 to 535 in the same period this year. Crime in Malaga fell to a historic low in 2020 and serious crime rates plummeted across major expat hotspots including Fuengirola, Malaga city, Torremolinos and Marbella.
June 2nd - June 15th 2021
Old salt nabbed Veteran is ‘crime boss’
A ROYAL NAVY veteran has been arrested as the alleged kingpin of an international drugs smuggling gang. More than one-and-a-half tonnes of hashish, three boats, five luxury cars as well as a fake gun, bladed
VISITORS to Gibraltar job sites on Facebook are being warned of an elaborate phishing scam that has so far conned several thousands of pounds from unsuspecting victims. The RGP’s Economic Crime Unit is currently investigating the scam and have already recovered over £3,000 with the help of local residents. The scam appears to be centered around ‘mystery shopping’ job adverts posted on sites on Facebook pages such as GibJobs and Gibraltar Things for Sale. From the police investigations, they discovered that applicants enquiring about ‘mystery shopping’ roles are persuaded to send the ‘employer’ their bank details so that they can be sent funds to purchase goods at the shops they are supposedly re-
By Dilip Kuner
weapon and a drone were seized in the operation that took in the luxury resort town of Sotogrande. Police and tax inspectors made 10 arrests in the provinces of Malaga, Cadiz and Ceuta as they busted the British-led gang.
Mystery scam viewing. The reviewer is then sent several thousand pounds and asked to purchase items worth a few hundred pounds, returning the surplus funds to an offshore account. However the sting comes as the money involved in the initial transfer was obtained by gaining unsuspecting victims’ bank details via phishing emails. Police have advised to report any mystery shopper advertisement on such sites to 20072500. A police statement reminded people that ‘if something appears too good to be true, it usually is.’
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Busy Night The head is alleged to have used the nautical skills he picked up in the British navy to set up military-style smuggling operations. Officers say he had been on their radar screen for years, although this operation did not start until 2020. Police decided to shine a spotlight on the so-called leader of the gang, who lived a luxurious lifestyle in Cadiz. He owns several companies that buy and sell as well as rent out boats - with the gang using the vessels to smuggle drugs.
Front Police also allege that he created front companies to whitewash the money made from drug deals. Officers say the gang was highly professional, and used private boats to reach secluded spots for meetings in a bid to avoid police surveillance. During the investigation two yachts were seized while being used to smuggle drugs one in Ceuta marina and the other in Sotogrande.
MARINE police in Gibraltar were involved in four high speed chases of suspected drug traffickers on the night of Thursday May 27. The chases took place off the coast of Gibraltar as four inflatable vessels were spotted heading into Spanish waters at high speed and were pursued by the Customs Marine Unit.
Cannabis
No arrests were made at the time but the following morning, an off duty policeman spotted various suspicious items floating near the dock area. The packages were retrieved and found to be 33kg of cannabis resin, two jerry cans and a medical kit. It is thought the suspected traffickers jettisoned their illicit cargo during the chase. Police are investigating the incident.
The Media Group on the move! Gibraltar journalist ? We are seeking a DO you have what it takes a story in Gibraltar. for newshound with an eye providing the best FREE to t en itm mm co r in a As part of ou we are looking to invest newspaper on the Rock reporter. local the a story and your nose to ey You must have an e for und. gro nt itted to REAL news we wa mm co d an , art sm If you are to hear from you. on d/or turn up on a doorstep ras Can you turn a ph e antime? depth working writer with an inWe are looking for a hard-ir local patch - Gibraltar. knowledge of the
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Chinchon cheer HOLLYWOOD director Wes Anderson is heading for Madrid this year as work begins on his newest project Elaborate sets have been spotted under construction in the outskirts of the Chinchon region of Madrid, 46 kilometres south of the
capital. Although very few details of Anderson’s latest masterpiece are known, the sets appear to resemble western style backdrops, complete with a train station. With a budget of €35 million, it is expected that Anderson regulars such as Owen Wil-
June 2nd - June 15th 2021
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son, Willem Dafoe, Bill Murray and Tilda Swinton could be involved in the yet unnamed project. Mayor of Chinchon, Francisco Martinez has welcomed the director and his crew to his town, however remains tight-lipped on details of the new project. “We have all been sworn to secrecy, but the project is really exciting,” said Martinez.
Hungry like the wolf
THE wolf has divided society for centuries but now it will be protected in Spain after a ban on hunting comes into action from September. The Spanish government will declare the wolf a ‘wild animal under special protection’ which means hunting it is illegal. It will bring to end decades of hunting which almost drove the wolf to extinction on the Iberian peninsula. Traditionally, the wolf has been portrayed as a figure of evil in popular culture, preying on characters from Little Red Riding Hood to the Three Little Pigs. After progressive measures to preserve the animal in some northern Spanish regions, the wolf has gone from being seen as an enemy to an asset – of the tourism industry. Until now, hunting was allowed in some regions on a strictly controlled basis. Spain and Portugal are thought to be home to about 3,000 wolves, the largest lupine population in Europe, according to data from Ecologists in Action, a conservation group. Yet opposition to the move persists and not just among hunters who believe the wolf must
THE King of Spain has received his first COVID-19 vaccination, joining more than 5 million people who have been given the jab across the country. King Felipe was given his injection in the Wizink Centre in Madrid, according to official palace
HAPPY COUPLE: Carlos and Belen
Walking on heir
LEFT IN PEACE: Wolves will be protected from hunters come September By Graham Keeley
be stamped out. Wolves kill some 15,000 farm animals across the country every year, according to the Spanish agricultural association COAG.
Royal jab sources. It is understood the King went to the hospital for the vaccine after marking National Armed Forces Day alongside the Queen.
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Ban on hunting creatures that devour livestock Lobo Marley, a pressure group which campaigns to protect wolves, estimates that about 300 are killed by hunters every year. King Felipe turned 53 years old in January, making him eligible to get his vaccination alongside the rest of the Spanish population his age. Meanwhile Queen Letizia, who is five years his junior, has not yet been called to receive her jab.
Peru Carlos de Munain, a livestock veterinarian in the Basque town of Errigoiti in northern Spain, said prohibiting hunting will not solve the conflict between farmers and the wolf.
Effective
“There are many other ways to deal with wolves which will be more effective. Creating pens for the sheep at night, or places for shepherds to stay at night, or using GPS trackers to give some warning of wolf attacks might be better ways,” he said.
ESTUCO INTERIORS
ONE of Spain’s richest and most aristocratic couples tied the knot in Madrid. The wedding of Carlos Fitz-James Stuart y Solis and Belen Corsini marked the union of two of Spain’s wealthiest families. Carlos is the youngest grandson and one of the heirs to the late Duchess of Alba, who was known as Spain’s richest woman. Meanwhile Belen is the great-granddaughter of Carlos Corsini Senespleda, the engineer and founder of construction and public works company Corsan, which was sold for €325million in 2004. Their spectacular wedding took place in private at Liria Palace. THE last known survivor of the International Brigades who fought against General Franco and the fascists in the Spanish Civil War has died, aged 101. Jose Almudever Mateu was a dual Spanish-French national born in July 1919 to Spanish parents in Marseilles. Jose lived in Valencia, when aged 17, he joined the republican force, liening about his age to enlist. After being wounded, his deception was discovered, and he returned to Marseilles to sign up for the International Brigades using his French nationality.
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NEWS IN BRIEF Art expo THE Gibraltar Spring Visual Arts Exhibition opened its doors to the public on May 25 to display the best artists in the country in the field of painting, video and sculpture. The exhibition will remain open until June 5 and a full list of prize winners can be found on www.theolivepress. com
Military day GIBRALTAR will for the first time celebrate the UK’s Armed Forces Day in a family friendly day out on Saturday June 19. The day of entertainment will begin with a solemn march from John MacKintosh Square to the Naval Base before the base is opened up to the public from 11.30am until 4.30pm.
Home strait The UK’s Carrier Strike Group passed through the Strait of Gibraltar yesterday, (June 1), with the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier on her maiden operational deployment, as well as five other vessels.
Death at sea A MARINER has died on a boat heading for Gibraltar after a dramatic sea rescue off the coast of southern Spain. The sailor was picked up 30 miles from the coast of Motril in Granada as it made for Gibraltar after maritime rescue received a distress call. Salvamento Maritimo was dispatched with a rescue helicopter after reports that one of the crew members was having undisclosed ‘physical problems’. The sailor was winched aboard but was found to be unconscious with no pulse. As he arrived at the Hospital of Motril emergency services attempted without success to resucitate him. To mark Pride Month, the rainbow flag will be flown at the RGP Headquarters until the end of June. Yesterday, officers carried carry out a joint Community Awareness patrol along Main St wearing rainbow epaulettes. The RGP has said it wants more diversity, and would people to be ‘themselves in and out of their uniforms.
June 2nd - June 15th 2021
Eastern Promise
Airline is back in town
THE first Eastern Airways flight from Birmingham touched down in Gibraltar last Friday after a four year hiatus for the Humberside based carrier. Gibraltar’s link to the Midlands was previously operated by Monarch, which ran charter and scheduled services out of Birmingham airport.
Gibraltar police force say yes to pride month! LGBT+ events are held as a way of recognising the influence LGBT+ people have had - and still continue to have. As well as being a month-long cel-
History, adventure and romance. That’s just the setting.
By James Warren
However the collapse of Monarch in 2017 left the Birmingham area with no direct links to the Rock. But earlier this year Eastern Airways agreed to take up the mantle and introduce two weekly, year-round flights to Gibraltar on Mondays and Fridays. The new route was launched just as Gibraltar was named ebration, Pride Month is also an opportunity to raise awareness of current issues facing the community. The Commissioner of Police Richard Ullger said that he wants to promote more diversity, equality and inclusion in the Royal Gibraltar Police. Sveral organisations on the Rock are taking part with a series of events this month.
Rescued
as one of the few destinations to make it onto the UK’s travel green list, meaning quarantine will not be required on return to the UK. “What a welcome sign of summer and return to enjoying the sun in the Mediterranean this first service from Birmingham to Gibraltar marks,” Roger Hage, general manager for Eastern Airways said. “Our work with the Gibraltar Government and the airports and tourism teams have enabled this new service to start and complement the service from Southampton, highlighting the pivotal role Eastern Airways.” Vijay Daryanani, minister for business and tourism praised the new service. He said: “We warmly welcome Eastern Airways new service, opening up another catchment area for Gibraltar. The service will be another boost to our tourism and business communities.” Those on board the inaugural flight which arrived were greeted with a Water Cannon Salute and a Guard of Honour.
FOR the second time in recent weeks, several boat-bound immigrants have been spotted apparently heading for Gibraltar. In one incident, two men of Maghrebi origin were rescued on board a kayak. Also, over the weekend a dinghy was rescued by members of the Royal Police of Gibraltar, although Salvamento Maritimo was finally responsible for transferring its five occupants to the port of Algeciras.
Waters
The rapid action of the police has been praised, with authorities saying a potential tragedy was averted. The dinghy in which the five men who were rescued were travelling was drifting and appeared on the verge of sinking. “We will have to remain vigilant in the coming weeks to determine whether these two events have been one-offs, or whether they have become a regular occurrence”, said authorities from the Rock. At the moment, there is no excessive concern among the locals or the authorities about these events, which are not common in the waters surrounding Gibraltar. The government and the opposition are wary of what may happen in the coming weeks. The summer, with the arrival of good weather, sees the flow of small boats in the Strait of Gibraltar increase notably.
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www.theolivepress.es GIBRALTAR’s Minister for Education met with St Martin’s Schoolto discuss strategies to improve government involvement in student care on the Rock. Professor John Cortes joined representatives and parents from St Martin’s as part of a series of meetings to discuss topics including the proposed Gibraltar Special Educational Needs Strategy, which aims
Working together to improve support to current and former pupils. “The Government is committed to developing a robust strategy that will meet the needs of these children and their families,” said Cortes during the on-
Migrant crisis EUROPE is facing an unprecedented crisis following a surge in immigration from Morocco, Prime Minster Pedro Sanchez has warned. Speaking in Brussels during an EU summit Sanchez said the decisions made during the meeting of the European Council could seal the EU’s fate. The talks came after some 8,000 people, including around 1,500 minors, risked their lives swimming or wading around the border fence to enter the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco. One man drowned in the BARBECUES and open fires are now banned across Andalucia until at least mid-October in an effort to prevent devastating fires in the region. The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Sustainable Development has announced that from yesterday (Tuesday) until October 15, the use of fire - both agricultural burning and barbe-
process and Spain’s interior ministry has since confirmed that 7,500 people had returned to Morocco while ‘around 1,000’ minors remained in Ceuta. Sanchez said the crisis had ‘triggered a crisis unprecedented in recent years between the European Union and Morocco’. He added: “The relationship between the EU and Morocco, between Spain and Morocco, is a strategic one… but it must be based on two fundamental pillars. “The first is trust and the second is respect, in this case, respect for Europe’s borders.”
line meeting. Cortes also met with the group that proposed the Strategy, and accepted a formal letter from them on behalf of the Chief Minister. “I reminded them that there are ongoing discussions with the Chief Minister which involve their representatives,” said Cortes.
About time! BRITISH citizens who have moved abroad will be given ‘votes for life’ as the UK Government scraps the arbitrary 15-year limit on their voting rights. The new measures which will make it easier for expats to participate in British democracy were announced in the Queen’s Speech and have now been confirmed by the Cabinet Office.
BBQ Ban cues - and the transit of motor vehicles in forest areas is prohibited. All barbecues are banned within 400 feet of woodland and forests, and includes designated barbecue spaces at public campsites. Some exceptions are permitted but may need a licence.
5 Reckless action
June 2nd - June 15th 2021
Long-term expats win right to votes for life in UK elections By Fiona Govan
The news follows a long campaign led by Harry Shindler, MBE, who has been championing the fight for his right to vote in British elections.
COVID Breakthrough
THE Gibraltar Health Authority has announced that for the first time it has used genetic sequencing to discover the exact strain of COVID-19 that was identified in a case last month. The service, in place in Gibraltar since April 22, identified the strain of the virus detected as the Kent Variant (B.1.1.7). The GHA will now share the results with the UK’s genome sequencing consortium based at Cambridge University and be added to the database of cases taken since the start of the pandemic. “Having this genome sequencing service available to us in Gibraltar has meant that we have identified the exact strain of COVID-19 of Saturday’s (May 22) positive case within 72 hours,” said the Minister for Health, Samantha Sacramento.
Shindler, who has lived in Italy for 40 years and will turn 100 in July, has been campaigning for the move for 25 years. Over 5 million UK nationals in Spain and around the world have been denied their right to vote, some for years, if not decades. These changes will come into effect in time for the next scheduled General Election in 2024. Hugh Elliott, the British Ambassador in Madrid said: “In an increasingly connected world, most British citizens living in Spain retain deep ties to the United Kingdom.
Deserve
Many still have family there, worked there for many years, and some have even fought for our country. “They deserve to have their voices heard in Parliament, no matter where they live,” said Elliott.
From front Page
comments ‘reckless’ and said that they ‘prey on the emotions of parents of vulnerable children.’ “Marlene Hassan Nahon specifically asked the rationale behind the layoffs before parliament and received a direct answer to the question,” read a statement from the Gibraltar Government. “It was made clear that the workers in question were frontier workers on shortterm, temporary contracts and they were released once their contracts had expired,” it continued.
Replace
“The agreement was always to replace these workers with qualified Gibraltar residents who had carried out specific training and work placements.” The government has also quashed rumours that the layoffs were made due to financial cuts, explaining that this was always the plan once the contracts had expired. “We hope that the employment of local residents reduces the chances of high turnover of staff at the facility,” it said.
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A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in Spain with an estimated readership, including the websites, of more than two million people a month.
OPINION Who to trust? WHO can we trust when it comes to building in Spain? Yet another case of a British expat who has fallen foul of planning rules highlights the question that has been a persistent one in the 15 years since the inception of the Olive Press. At one time tens of thousands of homes were declared illegal and facing demolition orders across Spain’s Andalucia. Unscrupulous constructors, corrupt planning officials and dodgy lawyers all conspired to line their pockets during a building boom that saw many foreigners naively fall victim and pay the price. And although huge progress has been made in legislation, thanks to campaigning groups such as the AUN, to regularise the supposedly illegal homes and protect those who bought ‘in good faith’, there are still those living with the very real fear of seeing their retirement dreams literally crumble into rubble. Some were all too eager to believe the assertions that planning permission could be sought retroactively, because ‘that’s just how things are done in Spain’. Others did everything conceivable to check that paperwork was in order on a property only to fall between the cracks of Spain’s often labyrinthine planning rules. But are the lawyers who gave bad advice failing jail? What repercussions are there for the constructors who disappeared after declaring bankruptcy only to reappear phoenix-like under another company name? The question is rhetorical for we all know who pays the price. It’s the one who sunk his savings into a place to quietly spend a retirement in the sunshine and who made the mistake of placing his trust in the wrong people. The threat of losing your home and spending your twilight years in jail is surely too big a price to pay? Publisher / Editor
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How the Costa del Sol’s glitziest resort became a global HQ of organised crime, writes Fiona Govan
M
ARBELLA has been fingered as the ‘global capital of organised crime’. At least 113 gangs of 59 different nationalities have sent the crime rate in the celebrity holiday hangout spiralling out of control, according to a
DEADLY: Gangster executed
Mob-ella damning report. And the most dangerous of them all are the British. “The Costa del Sol is a kind of hub, a sort of coworking centre where almost all organised criminal groups in the world have a presence,” a senior member of Spain’s Policia Nacional told national newspaper El Pais in an in-depth report. Describing Marbella as a ‘UN of gangsters in a globalised world,’ the police chief said the Ritzy resort has become synonymous not only with tourism but also with crime. A network of gangs bring in drugs from South America and Africa via the Strait of Gibraltar, for distribution across Europe, he explained. A collaboration of powerful mafia structures and
crime rings involved in house burglaries or armed robberies, each provides different elements in the complex supply chain: such as distribution, protection and money laundering. But, he added, alliances are quick to change and break down, leading to inevitable rivalries, turf wars and revenge violence. “Whoever thinks that criminal organisations are like before, pyramidal and with all the sections covered, is wrong,” a public prosecutor told the newspaper. “They are not cartels, they provide services: we have reached the Uberisation of organised crime.” Each group has an area of expertise, he continued: from the French who bring in hashish from Morocco to the Irish clans controlling cocaine and weapons imports. An enduring feud between two rival Irish cartels – Kinahan and Hutch – is already thought to have led to 20 executions. There are also rival gangs from Serbia and other Balkan countries, as well
Expat in Spain or immigrant: Is there a difference? The term ‘expat’ is loaded. It’s time we moved on, argues Carrie Frais
I
N a quick Google search asking the question: ‘What is the difference between an expat and an immigrant?’ Google tells us that ‘..it usually comes down to socio-economic factors, so skilled professionals working in another country are described as expatriates, whereas a manual labourer who has moved to another country to earn more money might be labelled an immigrant'. The Oxford English Dictionary tells us that an immigrant is ‘a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country'. The original expatriate, around the 19thCentury, tended to be a middle-class, usually white, who moved abroad on a corporate assignment and (generally) chose not to integrate into their local community. If a better economic opportunity came up they would probably move again. Two centuries on, we have moved way beyond that, however. Today’s expats are from diverse backgrounds, from all over the world with different skin colours, and the vast majority of them have a desire to integrate and live in their adopted country for extended periods of time, or indeed permanently. If we adhered to the OED definition then
this demographic should in fact be ter- cioeconomic realities - but maybe that med immigrants, right? should not matter? But it is not just a question of definition. It There are other terms to describe those is also about connotation. who have chosen to move to another The term ‘expat’ carries with it a myriad country through choice, such as ‘memof preconceptions about class, educa- bers of the international community’, tion, privilege and entitlement - just as ‘global citizens’ and ‘global nomads’. the terms immigrant, migrant and to a Some neologisms of the term ‘expat’ certain extent ‘foreign worker’ have a di- have also been put forward such as ‘disfferent set of assumptions. patriate’: an expat who distances themselves from their nation of When used as a noun, the origin; a ‘flexpatriate’: soword ‘expatriation’ can also meone who often travels mean the act of someone renouncing allegiance to The term ‘expat’ internationally; ‘inpatriate’: an employee sent from their native country, which is carries with a foreign subsidiary to not the case for most peoit a myriad of ple. work in the country where Some people also believe preconceptions a company has a presence that being labelled an exand ‘rex-pat’: a repeat exabout class pat sets them apart from pat, someone who chooses their adopted cultures when to return to a foreign country after completing a work in fact they are trying to do assignment. exactly the opposite. The majority of those who today are la- As our travel behaviours change, our belled ‘expats’ have chosen to live away working habits become more fluid and from their country of their birth as a li- the world becomes more globalised, it festyle choice, rather than due to political is becoming increasingly clear that the oppression or economic necessity. term ‘expat’ has probably run its course, So, calling everyone an ‘immigrant’ a sentiment echoed by many living away would not differentiate between so- from their native home.
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WHAT’S IN A NAME?: Are Spaniards in the UK ‘immigrants’ but Brits in Spain ‘expats’?
June 2nd - June 15th 2021
www.theolivepress.es
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Insta-success
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SEXY BEAST: Gang life in Marbella is even worse than the movie version
as dangerous groups from the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden and members of the Italian mafia, such as Do you call yourself an expat? Carrie Frais posed the question on the MumAbroad forum do see what other felt about the word. Here’s what they had to say: “I hate it. For me it says people who had the financial privilege to start a life in another country but who bear no interest in integrating with culture. I have never called myself an expat. Also because I moved when I was 22 with just a suitcase. Immigrant also has negative connotations. Non-native is what I'd naturally use.” Lucy Brown “I don't use the word expat ....I was one when I lived and worked in Malawi because our company sent us there on a contract. Now in Spain, we live and work here (was not sent here or moved here because of a job), we made this our choice of home and country of residence. This makes us immigrants until such time we become / naturalise as Spanish citizens.” Natalie du Plooy-Simoes “Can’t stand it. For me it definitely has connotations of privilege and wealth. And of cliquey groups of people that don’t mix with locals. I don’t use any term to describe myself in that way - it very rarely comes up that I have to define myself like that. I occasionally get asked where I’m from and I just say I’m Scottish living in Italy.” Nicola Mckay “I think I’d like to be called an immigrant. It would to help change the negative and incorrect connotation around the word. I migrated here and built a home here. My daughter is born here. I may pick up my bags and move on, but that’s more of a world citizen mindset and coming from a multicultural family, (so home is where we are at a given moment).” Magda Metwally Carrie Frais is the Barcelona-based writer behind MumAbroad.com and author of #LivingTheDream Expat Life Stripped Bare, which is now available on Amazon. Find out more on www. carriefrais.co.uk/books/
the Naples-based Camorra, continually by a Swedish gang. He refused to tesmuscling in. tify. However, according to one police source Ditto the Irishman who was shot in the quoted by El Pais, by far the most dan- face in Nueva Andalucia a few weeks gerous gangs operating on the Costa ago. Del Sol are British. “He refused to collaborate with the in“The gangs of Liverpool and Manches- vestigation,” said Marcos Frias, Organter have a special fame and are known ised Crime coordinator for the National for their violence and the nightly brawls Police. in and around Marbella,” read the re- “There are quite a lot of beatings and port. kidnappings, which occur in the urbanAdd hitmen for hire into the mix, along isations in the tourist zones, but they with armies of foot soldiers sent by don’t make the press because there is gang bosses to do the dirty work, and no denuncia and the police are hardly the place is ripe for violence. involved,” he added. According to the latest of“The year has only really ficial figures the situation just started and we are had been improving but Marbella police having incidents of guns has significantly worsened and shootings.” receives an since 2018, with 113 orAlarmingly, the violence is ganised groups of half as continuing despite a masaverage of 150 many different nationalsive clampdown on drug ities concentrated along trafficking by the Guardia crime reports the Costa del Sol alone, Civil in the area. daily according to data from the This year alone, there have Intelligence Center against been 536 police raids on Terrorism and Organised gangs between Huelva Crime (CITCO). and Malaga, primarily concentrated in ‘The diversity of criminal groups in such the Campo de Gibraltar. a small space is a unique phenome- Orchestrated by the crack OCON-SUR non,’ CITCO stated. regiment, they have seized 187 vehicles Police consistently claim they don’t and 98 boats alone since January, as have the resources to fight such crime. well as 55 tons of drugs and 19 million The Marbella national police station re- euros of laundered property. ceives an average of 150 crime reports Just last week, over 200 police arrested daily and 32,000 cases a year. 106 members of six different gangs in The figures for a relatively small town of the area. just 140,000 people equate to those of Since July 2018, an eye-watering 5,536 cities double or triple the size. gangsters have been rounded up beAlso soaring is the number of mur- tween Cadiz, Huelva and Malaga. ders and attacks due to ‘the settling Yet despite assurances from Guardia of scores’, although cases have fallen Civil boss Maria Gamez that they are recently during the pandemic. They go ‘attacking the very heart of these organlargely unreported due to ‘a weak press’ isations’, gang rivalry has not stopped in the area or because many of the vic- in nearby Marbella. tims don’t want to talk to the police. “Now the violence is rampant,” says Recently a Polish man was admitted to Antonio Rodríguez Puerta, head of the hospital with bullets in both legs, shot UDYCO Costa del Sol (Drugs and Organized Crime Unit of the National Police). “In times gone by, the criminal groups negotiated. They talked. A stash was lost and an agreement was reached. “Now we see that, if something like this happens, in most cases they go directly to ordering a hit.” RAID: Police search a luxury villa
HE Olive Press isn’t just Spain’s best English news website, we also have a thriving social media presence. And we want you to be a part of it. We have close to 28,000 likes on our main Facebook page and this week reached a landmark 2,000 followers on our Instagram account. At a time when so many people access news through social media platforms, recognising ‘fake news’ has become a growing struggle, which is why it’s more important than ever to make sure you follow trustworthy news sources. Our team of journalists at the Olive Press are dedicated to providing up to date, properly sourced, independent news that you can trust and rely on to inform you about the issues you need to know about in Spain. So by hitting ‘like’ and ‘follow’ on the Olive Press Facebook page, you will get our latest news stories as soon as they are published directly into your newsfeed. This means not only that you can share the most up to date trustworthy news from Spain easily with your friends but also join the conversation that we like to encourage amongst all our readers. We also want to celebrate Spain, and inspire our readers to share their experiences and explore it. For those who live in Spain, visit Spain often or just love Spain, our daily Instagram posts provide snapshots of the country, from bucolic scenes of Iberian pigs rooting for acorns in the dehesa, to dreamy sunsets over beautiful beaches or great shots of Spain’s iconic monuments. Plus we offer a glimpse into our readers’ experiences of Spain by inviting you to share photos taken on your travels around the country or to share those things you love about your corner of Spain. So join our growing Facebook and Instagram community. We hope to see you there! www.facebook.com/OlivePressNewspaper www.instagram.com/olivepressnews
The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are: expects to be included on UK 1 - Spain fully travel green list by June could apply 2 - Spain’s cartatodeBritinvitacion tourists Police in spain investigate mysterious 3 -death of man found trapped inside dinosaur statue - A Place in the Sun’s Laura Hamilton left 4gestion red-faced after house hunters snub sugthey should live in Spain’ss Manilva One last hurrah lightening storm’s Sa5 - haran dust and 35 degrees this weekend in Spain
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BUSINESS Penny 8
pinching
ANDALUCIA has the third lowest average yearly income per person in the whole of Spain according to official figures from the INE. Of the 19 communities in Spain, Andalucia sits slightly behind Castilla-La Mancha and just above Murcia and Extremadura. According to the figures, taken since 2008, Andalucia's average income per person is €13,775 as of the latest data in 2019. At the bottom of the table is Extemadura, with a mean average income of just €12,816 per person, just behind Murcia with €13,637.
Income
At the opposite end of the chart is the Basque region of Pais Vasco with €22,480 annual income. Andalucia’s struggling job market can be directly linked to unemployment and work contract types, with the community having one of the highest rates in Spain. As of last year, Andalucia recorded an unemployment rate of 22.74% according to Statista. It also had one of the highest temporary and low pay contract rates in Spain, almost 55%, thanks to an economy reliant on tourism and seasonal work.
Free cash
ARAGON has passed a law to give every one registered in the region a minimum income of €522 a month. All political parties in the Aragon Cortes (parliament) backed the payments, which will be available to anyone who is either registered in the region whether Spanish or foreign - or who has submitted an asylum and refugee application and has a low income. The payment covers all immigrants including those who have not yet ‘regularised’ their right to be in Spain. All they need in order to register is a passport. An extra allowance is also available for those with families, as well as help with housing expenses.
Hey big spender WANT to earn up to €205,000 a year? Then sign up with the big tech firms. The likes of Google, Netflix, Facebook, Apple and Microsoft are doing whatever it takes to attract the best qualified workers even if it means rewarding them with annual gross salaries of between €131,000 and €205,000. It is a sign of the booming tech sector in Spain. With more than 33,000 IT businesses, Spain is one of the major European IT markets. Recently, investments in startups grew by 45%. Barcelona and Madrid are now the fifth and sixth largest startup hubs in Europe when it comes to the IT sector. Furthermore, Spain has the fourth highest number of jobs in the tech sector in the EU, and 31% of new vacancies in Spain are for digital jobs. There are some 300,000 developers, but that’s not enough. Currently, the number of unfilled IT positions stands at about 10,000 and is growing - as are salaries. But having to pay high wages, is worth it for the tech giants - especially Facebook. The average turnover per employee of these firms ranges from €4.67 million per year registered by Facebook to €283,000 by Twitter and €170,000 by HBO.
June 2nd - June 15th 2021
Bad influence Influencers need to watch out for the tax man, writes Elena Gogmen Rueda
SPANISH YouTube ‘influencers’ have been fleeing to Andorra in a bid to avoid taxes - but the authorities have them in their sights. Andorra applies a maximum tax rate of 10%, well below the 47% rate in Spain for those with an annual income of more than €300,000 - which some of these influencers comfortably surpass.
Flight
The flight of the influencers was highlighted at the beginning of the year with the announcement that the famous YouTuber Ruben DESPITE official advice during the pandemic to use plastic, cash remains king in Spain. The use of contactless payments was encouraged in a bid to slow down the spread of COVID-19. But latest figures show that during 2020 Spaniards spent double the
Doblas, known as El Rubius, was finally moving there. Doblas said that Spain’s tax man had him ‘in the crosshairs’, and that he was being treated as a criminal when he was the ‘only influencer’ left staying in Spain and paying its taxes. But not everyone agrees with the alleged injustice ‘suffered’ by the famous YouTuber. Another influencer from Bilbao, Ibai Llanos, understands that those who earn a lot of money should pay more. Now Hacienda (Inland Revenue) has decided to act against people it suspects
Cash is king amount in real money compared to cards and electronic payments. However, the pandemic did have an effect on spending habits, with the Banco de España providing €87.395 billion in cash to banks.
INFLUENCER: Ruben Doblas has fled
of tax evasion by setting up ‘residence’ in Andorra while still earning most of their income in Spain. The tax authority has created a ‘big data tool’ that will make the tracking of ‘delocalised’ taxpayers more effective. It will track internet activity to try to detect ‘false residencies’. It will examine more than 70 sources of information and has already come up with ‘several thousand’ people suspected of false residency in tax havens.
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6 Begin (6,2) 8 There's no place like it (4) 9 "--- the word!" (4) 10 Negative aspect (8) 11 "The Cradle of the Royal Stewarts", 6 miles from Glasgow (7) 14 A square mile has 640 (5) 15 Jump with surprise (5) 17 Absolute fanatics (7) 21 Common form of national government (8) 22 Seats for the flock (4) 23 "Oh soldier, soldier, won't you marry me, with your musket, --- and drum?" (4) 24 Messages quietly conveyed (8)
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1 Physician's patron (2,4) 2 Legs (4) 3 Required (4-2) 4 Medical examination (8) 5 Makeup mishap (6) 7 Military captives (1,1,2) 12 Masses of money (8) 13 "If ever, oh ever a --there was ..." (3) 16 Doctoral work (6) 18 Great Greek geometrician (6) 19 In the direction of (6) 20 Emit light (4) 22 Carbonated drinks (4)
All solutions are on page 15
LA CULTURA Gloria’s gain
A MAJOR figure in the American feminist movement, Gloria Steinem, has won the 2021 Princess of Asturias Award for communication and humanities. She gets €50,000 which is one of eight prizes awarded each year by the Princess of Asturias foundation covering the fields of arts, sports, and social sciences. The jury praised 87-year-old Steinem’s long journalistic career; her top-selling books: and her part in US feminism campaigns since the sixties. They described her as ‘one of the most significant members of the women’s rights movement’ in the United States. Her achievements were brought to a new audience last year in the acclaimed American TV drama, Mrs. America, with Rose Byrne portraying her in the 1970s. Steinmen broke down many sexist barriers and was the first woman to speak at the National Press Club in 1972.
June 2nd - June 15th 2021
Favoured son Many thought he was Italian, but Spain wants to claim Columbus as a national
?
RESEARCHERS have announced a bid to settle the dispute over which country should claim Christopher Columbus as their own. It was widely believed that he was the son of a weaver born in the Italian port of Genoa in 1451, but over the centuries he has been claimed as a native son of Greece, Catalunya, Portugal, Corsica, France, Scotland and even Poland.
?
Language
A recent academic study focused on his language and grammar, concluding that Columbus was in fact a Catalan speaking man from the Kingdom of Aragon, an inland region of north-eastern Spain at the foot of the Pyrenees. Others claimed the true origins of the man who discovered the Americas were hidden because he was Jewish or secretly working as a double agent for the Portuguese royal family. “Our aim is to provide objective data that can ... close a series of existing theories,” explained Jose Antonio Lorente, lead scientist of the DNA study at the University of Granada. The research will examine
PUZZLE:Was he a jew born in Mallorca or Aragon? By Fiona Govan
DNA extracted from tiny bone fragments from what are believed to be the remains of Columbus, his son Fernando and his brother Diego. The samples were first collected back in 2004-2005 but the team waited 16 years for technological advances to ensure the research would be successful. “Our team agreed on an ethical approach ... wait for a technological development that has now happened,” said Lorente. The DNA will be analysed in-
dependently by laboratories in Europe and the Americas, and should be published in October. To announce the study, Granada University hosted a meeting looking at alternative theories about Columbus’ birthplace, that include Valencia, Espinosa de Henares, Galicia and Mallorca, as well as Portugal’s Alentejo region. “I hope we will come to the conclusion that demonstrates that Columbus was a Spanish nobleman and not a Genoese sailor,” said Alfonso Sanz, an amateur history researcher and author.
THE pandemic has dashed hopes for completing Antoni Gaudi’s unfinished iconic Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona in time for the centenary of his death. Work at the UNESCO World Heritage Site was due to end in 2026 but tourist revenues, which are paying for the construction, have collapsed. Building was halted for nine months during the COVID pandemic and income from visitors will take some time to build up again for the completion project to return to 2019 levels. When Gaudi died in 1926, only a quarter of the structure had been finished. Before the coronavirus struck, there were genuine hopes that the basilica would be finished to mark 100 years since he died. Additional spires are set to be erected but all of the work is privately funded, hence the delay fuelled by a lack of tourists. It’s now unclear when the project will actually be completed. The Sagrada Familia trustees
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Sagrada setback
director-general, Xavier Martinez, said: “I would be lying if I set a precise finish date. It could be 2030, 2035, or 2040.” A 138 metre-high tower dedicated to the Virgin Mary is still scheduled to be finished by the end of the year.
Arted up MADRID’s Reina Sofia museum is nearing the end of a massive revamp that will see 2,000 new pieces put on display. And the collection - 60% of which has not been put on show before - will include exhibits from all across the world rather than concentrating on Spain. The first phase of the revamp has just been opened to the public and focuses on the USA. Called Nos ven: del modernismo al desarrollismo (They see us: from modernity to developmentalism) - it displays pieces that examine American culture since the Second World War. The reordering started 10 years ago and changes have been made since then, although this project was finally pushed through during the pandemic.
Take care!
New penalty system coming into effect for UK Income Tax by Emilia Carvell
F
ROM 2023, landlords, or self employed taxpayers in the UK, with annual income over £10,000 will be subject to filing their tax position through the Making Tax Digital initiative. Through Making Tax Digital, taxpayers will not only submit one annual tax return, but also quarterly submissions of income and expenditure, to give a real time snapshot of their tax position throughout the year. And with a change of process, also comes a change in the penalty system, With HMRC implementing a new points based penalty system to better align with the new tax system. Speaking in a recent seminar, HMRC spoke of creating a new system, aimed at being more supportive of those with genuine reasons behind mistakes or late filing, whilst still penalising those who are consistently late. GO DIGITAL: Apari makes complying with HM Revenue’s new systems, simple and clear
So how has the penalty system changed? Well some could argue that it is more complicated! Currently the system goes by length of time since late submission, with the amount due increasing over the time period. The new system accrues points per late submission - and points accrued mean penalties! When a taxpayer misses a submission deadline then they will incur a point - these points build up to penalty thresholds, with each submission obligation (i.e quarterly, annually) having a different threshold. Once this point threshold is reached, then a fixed penalty amount of £200 will be issued for every missed submission. The Penalty thresholds are as follows: Submission Frequency
Penalty Threshold
Annual
2 Points
Quarterly
4 Points
If the penalty threshold isn’t passed, then the points will be cleared after two years. If the points threshold is passed, then all the points gained will be wiped only AFTER they have met a period of compliance as set by HMRC (Annual submissions 24 months, Quarterly submissions 12 months) AND submitted all the submissions due from the previous two years. For Late Payment, penalties are issued by length of time passed from the due date - however HMRC have said that they will take a ‘lighter’ approach for the first
year of implementation, and a way of easing taxpayers into the system. The basic structure surrounding penalties for late payment is: Number of days late
Penalty
0-15
No Penalty
16-29
2% of outstanding amount
30
4% of outstanding amount
31+ (2nd penalty only)
4% per day on outstanding amount
But don’t worry - This will not come into effect until 2023, and HMRC will be releasing more information in the lead up to the new system going live - to be the first to find out what’s new, join the APARI Community! For all the latest information and advice visit www.apari-digital.com
10
LA CULTURA
June 2nd - June 15th 2021
Spain has been ruled from 10 different capital cities and some of these ‘iron thrones’ will surprise you, writes Cristina Hodgson
M
ADRID wasn’t always the capital of Spain. The hot seat of power has shifted between 10 cities down the centuries, changing with the Iberian peninsula’s various Roman, Visigoth, Moorish and Catholic rulers and the geographical location of their kingdoms. From mighty metropolises to more miniscule dots on the map, the Olive Press pays homage to the kingdom’s glorious forgotten capitals.
Sevilla
Spain’s fourth largest city was the capital of Spain for two years during the Napoleonic wars. It was a period when Spain was bristling with Napoleon’s troops and some of the heaviest fighting took place around the city.
Founded by the Phoenicians in 1100 BC and the oldest inhabited city in Europe, the mantle of power passed to Cadiz for three years when the Cortes moved from Sevilla. It was during its brief reign as capital of Spain that the Spanish Constitution of 1812, ‘La Pepa’, was proclaimed in this Atlantic coastal city. It was a golden era for Cadiz when it monopolised trade as a central port of call on sea routes. Today valued for its golden beaches as well as its famous sherry, its wealthy colonial past is still evident in its noble architecture, elegant squares and magical gardens.
On December 16, 1808 Count Floridablanca, president of the Supreme Central and Governing Junta of Spain transferred the Cortes to Sevilla, with the Real Alcazar becoming its new headquarters.
1808-10
Capital status ended in January 1810 when the city surrendered to Napoleon’s troops. However since June 30, 1982, Sevilla has been the elected political capital of Andalucia.
Cangas de Onis 718-924
A
lthough it has little to show for it, this municipality at the gateway to the Picos de Europa National Park in Asturias was the ‘first capital of the Kingdom of Spain’. It’s where the Visigoth noble Pelayo set up the Asturian monarchy in the 8th century after the Battle of Covadonga, considered the first strike against the Moors in the Christian reconquest. Modern-day Cangas de Onis is more famous for its mountain scenery and has only one major monument standing, the socalled Roman Bridge actually built in the 1300s. But although there isn’t much to it except for two or three major streets, it once formed the nucleus of the Spain we know and love today.
CADI Z 1810-1813
T
his Andalucian city has been a big player since Roman times when it became the capital of the province of Hispania Ulterior. But its true splendour came a few centuries later at the height of the Muslim conquest when it became the capital of Moorish Spain under exiled Syrian prince Abd Al-Rahman I. The Great Mosque, his masterpiece, is one of the world’s most prized Islamic buildings, an authentic architectural treasure declared a World Heritage Site in 1984. By the time Abd Al-Rahman III became ruler in 929, Cordoba was Europe’s largest and most advanced city where Christians, Jews and Muslims co-ex-
766-
Cordoba 1236
isted in relative harmony. Following the Christian conquest it became part of the Crown of Castile.
S
urrounded by orange orchards and sandy beaches, Valencia’s moment in the political sun came between November 1936 and October 1937, when the capital of the Republican government was transferred there amidst fears of losing Madrid. On March 30, 1939, after the fall of Catalunya and most other Republican territory, Valencia surrendered to Franco’s forces.
It remains the third largest city in Spain
Barcelona 507-576, 1937-39
VALENCI A 1936-7
LA CULTURA BURGOS
T
1939
he government of Franco’s rebel Republic moved three times between 1936 and 1939, from Valencia, to Barcelona and finally to Burgos. The city held the title of capital between April 1 and October 18, 1939, coinciding with
June 2nd - June 15th 2021
the end of the Spanish Civil War. After the conflict, the dictator decided to restore capital status to Madrid, a position it has held ever since. Today, the medieval town of Burgos is celebrated for its magnificent cathedral. It also remains an important stop on the Ruta de Santiago (Way of Saint James) pilgrim trail to Santiago de Compostela.
Toledo 576-725, 1516-1561
T
his swashbuckling city has been the capital of Spain at two very important moments in its history. The first was in the 6th century, when
King Liuvigild moved the court to Toledo, locating political power at the epicentre of the Iberian peninsula for the first time in its history. The second, in the 16th century, saw
Madrid
Vallad oli d
Charles I of Spain and V of Germany establish Toledo as the capital of his considerable empire. And so it remained until 1561, when the honour went to Madrid.
especially in the Middle Ages. But the key turning point for Valladolid came in 1601, when the Duke of Lerma, Philip III’s favourite advisor, succeeded in transferring the Court of Madrid to this Castilian city. Although short and sweet, this unexpected royal interval brought the city its moment of maximum splendour. Nowadays Valladolid is known as a major industrial and commercial centre, but it has an impressive architectural legacy laid out in a number of excellent museums. One is dedicated to the life of the great explorer Christopher Columbus who died in Valladolid in 1506.
W
hen the Roman Empire collapsed, its Spanish territories fell into the hands of the Germanic Visigoths who made Barcino, as it was then known, capital of their kingdom. Extensive archaeological excavations from this important period can be found in the basement of Barcelona’s Museu d’Història de la Ciutat, giving a glimpse into its glorious past. The city remained a provincial capital after King Liuvigild moved the Visigoth court to Toledo in 576. During the Spanish Civil War Barcelona enjoyed a second brief fling as capital of the Republic of Spain from November 1937 until January 1939.
kingdom. From this moment the accelerated growth of this city began, although for the next three centuries the Cortes parliament moved around somewhat, with the seat of power passing to different cities including Valladolid, Cadiz, Sevilla, Valencia and Burgos. In 1939, the capital of Spain returned to Madrid on a permanent basis.
1561-present day (with breaks)
Although Philip II took the Spanish court to Madrid in 1561, it was a generation later under his son Philip lll that it became the official capital of both Spain and Portugal. Chosen primarily for its geographical location in the heart of the Iberian Peninsula, its new status transformed the history of what was previously just one more city in the
1601-1606
With a history stretching back a thousand years, the city has always been a point of reference,
11
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12
PROPERTY
AUTHORITIES in Spain are pushing for the family of General Franco to return an 18th-century mansion to the people, arguing that the family’s purchase of the home nearly six decades ago was fraudulent. The government of Galicia is insisting that the northwestern region reclaims La Casa Cornide as part of efforts to remove the last vestiges of the far-right authoritarian regime. The palace, built in an unusual late Baroque style and once home to 18th-century naturalist Jose Andres Cornide, was bought by the dictator’s wife Carmen Polo in 1962. However, the government in Galicia has started legal proceedings to prove that the purchase of the house was not legal. They say that two mayors of A Coruña se-
June 2nd - June 15th 2021
Franco’s home cured municipal ownership only to auction it to Franco’s wife days later for a fraction of the price. They also claim that the sale to the wife of the head of state was illegal. Experts have said in a consultation report that ‘the architects of the sale were well aware of this prohibition’. Spanish authorities want the home to be brought under national heritage protection laws so that the public may visit the property. It would also prevent the family from selling the palace or disposing of its contents without permission. Last year the family put the 11 bedroom, 13 bathroom house on sale but did not
The good news is… DISPUTED: ownership of the house share any photographs of the interior of the property. Luis Felipe Utrera Molina, a lawyer for the family, said they could ‘put up for sale any property that is theirs’.
Cheap deals BANKS are continuing to release discounted properties onto the market. This time they are doing it through Haya Real Estate, which has put on sale 1,200 homes for less than €70,000 The campaign, called Te mereces tu propia casa (You deserve your own home) offers discounts of up to 30%, with a total of 2,900 properties in the scheme.
Bargains
Of these, 850 are located in the Valencian Community, 560 in Murcia and 535 in Andalucia. In Valencia, more 325 units are located in Valencia province, 275 in Alicante and 245 in Castellon. The offer in Andalucia is centered in the provinces of Almeria and Granada, with 190 and more 145 properties in the campaign, respectively. The campaign lasts until June 12.
Live long and prosper IF you want a long retirement, head to Spain. The country has the second longest retirement period according to a recent study conducted by comparethemarket.com which analysed 36 countries by comparing effective retirement age against life expectancy. Top of the list was France, where people have an average 24.8 years in which to relax and enjoy life postwork, helped by a retirement age of 63.3 years. But people taking early retirement push this figure down to an average 60.8 years. In Spain the average age at which people collect their pensions is 61.7 years, giving them 24.15 years in which to sit back in their twilight years. Third on the list is Greece (24.1 years) and fourth Luxembourg (26.65). The UK does not make the top 10.
THE good news after what has been, at times, a challenging 14 months, is that property buyers in Andalucia will benefit from lower taxes. As part of a raft of measures, substantial savings will be made on Property Transfer Tax and Stamp Duty as the Junta has decided, as of end of April, to implement measures designed to boost the real estate market. In the past Andalucia had gained a reputation for being one of the higher taxed regions of Spain, particularly when it came to such things as inheritance tax. In fact, the changes to IHT are not really all that significant – the major changes were actually made in 2019, and since then what was once seen as ‘punitive’ rate has become a bit of a non-issue for people who are properly advised.
Savings
Interest in Spanish properties from UK buyers starting to boom SPAIN remains top of the list when it comes to Brits looking to buy a home in the sun – and it looks like there could be a surge in sales on the horizon. A new report shows that interest in buying a European property is set to boom, even while there is still some uncertainty in the possibility of traveling abroad. Kyero.com, indicates that almost 40% of prospective buyers are now actively viewing or planning viewings abroad. The research, which involved more than 2,500 overseas buyers, found that Spain remains by far the most popular destination for British overseas home buyers, with 90% of all those polled looking to buy in the country. And half of them aim to take the property plunge within
Top of the list
the next three months to a year, and a further fifth (19%) stated that they wish to move ‘as soon as possible’. Moving abroad is a lifelong dream for many people with 28% of respondents saying they have wanted to move abroad for more than five years.
Budget
In terms of budgets, the most common (45%) budget is €100,000 – €250,000, although a significant 35% are looking to spend less than €100,000. Some 13% have a budget in mind of between €250,000 – €500,000 and 3% have up to €1million to spend.
Brits get connected BRITISH buyers of Spanish properties say reliable internet services as well as good views and nearby shops are their top three priorities in sealing a deal. The findings come in the What Buyers Want survey compiled by the Savills Aguirre Newman real estate agency. The study showed that British buyers at 57% are still very much the dominant foreign market for Spanish property purchases. The figures on a wish-list for a property showed that having a good view came top of the list at 94%. Easy access to shops and services came in second at 90% with high-speed internet access not far behind at 87%. Closeness to a beach came fourth with 77%. The rise in demand for a good internet connection has reflected lifestyle changes in the wake of the pandemic. The survey suggests 74% of respondents expect to work from their Spanish home on at least one day per week, compared to the pre-pandemic figure of 50%.
What is of more interest to people buying property are the reductions to ITP and AJD. The reduction in ITP TO 7% (on resale properties only) is intended as a temporary measure for 2021 to help the property market recover from the COVID-19 slow down. the new rate applies to all price-points so, benefits those buying higher priced properties where the tax previously paid was up to 10%. similarly, the reduction of the AJD rate to 1.2% really only benefits those buying brand new property as this tax doesn’t apply to resale properties at all. So, if you are looking to buy a resale or a new home in Andalucia, you have a great incentive to do so soon!
Landlord boom EU enquiries for Buy-ToLet mortgages up 34%
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KIPTON INTERNATIONAL has enjoyed a rise in enquiries for its UK Buy-To-Let mortgages over the last year. The Guernsey-based bank saw a 34% increase in enquiries from residents of the EU in the period January to May 2021 compared to figures from August to December 2020. In contrast, there was a 16% increase during the same period for the rest of the world. Skipton International’s mortgage offering is available to British Expats and Foreign Nationals purchasing Buy-To-Let property in the UK. The largest percentage increase came from the EU, with Hong Kong and the UAE also proving popular jurisdictions for UK Buy-To-Let enquiries.
DEMAND: Roger Hughes has seen growth
The increase came against the backdrop of Brexit and a reduced number of UK-based lenders supporting EU residents. Skipton’s enhanced mortgage proposition, the UK Stamp Duty holiday and the sharp demands within the UK rental market are also contributing factors. Roger Hughes, Business Development Manager of Skipton International, said: “We have some of the most attractive UK Buy-To-Let mortgages on the market for Expats and Foreign Nationals. “This year the demand has continued to grow and we will be exploring ways to make our mortgage proposition even more attractive, allowing more overseas residents to access the UK property market for long term investment purposes.” To see how much you may be able to borrow you can visit Skipton’s online UK Buy-To-Let mortgage calculator at: www.skiptoninternational.com/mortgage-calculator/uk
For more information about the services Skipton International can provide, visit www.skiptoninternational.com
FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
Andaluz ambassador
MALAGA’S very own Antonio Banderas will be the new image of Turismo Andaluz, according to Vice President of the Junta, Juan Marin. The announcement came at the unveiling of the FITUR tourism fair where details of a new €3.5 million promotion campaign were given. The campaign, to which 12 companies submitted tenders, aims to renew Andalucia’s image and adapt it to the new coronavirus times.
Dynamic
“We wanted a dynamic, flexible campaign that is committed to storytelling, stories which will be told over the next three years,” said Marin. “For Andalucia, there can be no better ambassador than Banderas,” Marin said. In a pre-recorded message Banderas himself referred to his ‘unconditional support for tourism’, which he recognised ‘is so important for the region’. OYSTER farms in Santoña can reopen after they were initially shut because of toxins. The Regional Ministry of Fisheries, Food and Environment has suspended a temporary ban on the harvesting and marketing of oysters in the Cantabrian town. The ban was lifted after
High flying MALAGA, Alicante and Palma de Mallorca are among the most popular holiday destinations for Brits this summer. Research from easyJet revealed that Brits were desperate to visit Spain as well as Faro, Lisbon, Madeira, Porto, Malta and Gibraltar. The average Brit has not been overseas for 630 days, according to data uncovered in the study. That could be set to change soon, following Spain’s announcement that it would be the first EU country to welcome vaccinated Brits back to its shores. Data from the airline also showed that Brits had saved around £4,889 during lockdown and 61% said they will be making their holiday ‘extra special’ this year to make up for the lack of travel, while 68% said they are planning to make up for lost time by exploring new
What the shell water analysis confirmed that the levels of toxins in the molluscs had returned to normal after the oysters were affected by algae blooms known as red tide. The blooms usually appear on the coasts of Cantabria during the spring months.
Spain’s most popular destinations
June 2nd - June 15th 2021
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Head inland TOURISM bosses are promoting three ‘new’ attractions to try and draw visitors away from Costa del Sol beaches and into Andalucia’s beautiful interior. Turismo Costa del Sol hopes to take advantage of an expected surge in tourists in a post-COVID world to lesser known destinations, surrounded by nature. The Provincial Council will lead the tourism promotion of the Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park. In addition, the Diputacion provincial authority is working on promoting the Guadalhorce Corredor Verde (green corridor), and the creation of a new path between the Caminito del Rey and the Guadalhorce bridge - considered to be the largest wooden footbridge in Europe – is also in the pipeline and with it, the making of another top attraction in inland Spain.
+34 951 566 192 Duquesa Port, Manilva By Kirsty McKenzie
places. The nationwide study found that two-thirds (67%) of the UK said being in lockdown has made them crave new holiday experiences, with a third (35%) Once it has receded, shellfish products are safe again and the Regional Ministry continues its surveillance work, which allows it to be detected quickly. While the oyster farming ban has been lifted it remains in force for the other bivalve molluscs including clams and mussels.
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of those surveyed said they have already booked a summer holiday abroad. Johan Lundgren, easyJet chief executive, said: “We know how much people value travel and can see the pent up demand every time restrictions are lifted. “This research shows just how much of a priority travel is after such a long period where it has been out of bounds. Brits cannot wait to get away on a sun filled holiday and have been saving hard to make their holiday a trip to remember. “We look forward to welcoming customers on board for a well-deserved getaway and remain hopeful that the Government will add many more European countries onto the Green list and allow safe travel this summer.”
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FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
Castles in the air THEY are majestic testaments to Spain’s past, capturing multiple layers of history between the crevices of their wind-battered battlements and time-worn turrets. Often Roman and frequently Phoenecian in origin, what we see today was mostly built in Medieval times to guard the frontiers between Moorish and Christian Spain, many of them drawn through what is modern Andalucia today. Hence, the region’s castle count runs into the hundreds and Malaga has its fair
Over 90 legendary fortresses loom over the landscapes of Malaga province, conjuring up days of old when knights were bold. Cristina Hodgson raises the drawbridge on her own High Five. share. Sadly, many fortresses were destroyed or abandoned after the Reconquest and despite best efforts to restore the most iconic examples, all the money in the Spanish treasury wouldn’t be enough to put every one of Spain’s 2,500
castles back together again. Today their stone battlements and flying buttresses are mere filigrees of their former glory. Yet despite the ravages of time, their striking silhouettes leave a lasting impression that can still inspire dreams …
June 2nd - June 15th 2021
This ‘working’ concert hall castle at the mouth of the Fuengirola River is in excellent nick thanks to multiple refurbishments down the centuries. The Moors built a fortress here in the 10th century, the Christians did it up to become one of the most economically efficient military outposts
in the land. And in 1730 it was remodelled again as a squadron base tasked with stemming smuggling between Spain and the newly British Gibraltar. Finally, in 2000 the town council rescued it from ruin to become their cultural emblem and it hosts concerts and spectacles year round. Bob Dylan, Sting and Rod Stewart all swear by the acoustics!
Castillo Sohail, Fuengirola
Malaga Alcazaba and Gibralfaro Castle
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residing magisterially over Malaga city and port, the alcazaba below the castle is the best-preserved citadel in Spain and one of Malaga’s most visited monuments. Set on a hillside protected by the Montes de Malaga mountain range which has natural park status, the castle was built in 929AD by Abd-al-Rahman III, Caliph of Cordoba, on a former Phoenician defence post and lighthouse. From here the rulers could keep watch on the local population scrabbling a living at its feet as well as enemies trying to invade by land and sea. A tour takes you to the ruins of a neighbouring theatre built by the Romans who also knew a dramatic location when they saw one.
Castillo de Marbella You may be forgiven for wondering why you have never seen it. But if you can take your eyes off the designer merchandise in the cute whitewashed boutiques of Marbella Old Town you can spot the telltale crenellations of castle walls. Sadly they are all that remains of the most important vestige of Muslim civilisation in Marbella. The castle was originally built in the 9th or 10th century during the reign of Abderramán III, first of the Caliphs of Al-Andalus.The walls were reinforced with eleven rectangular towers of different sizes to protect the city from attack. In the 19th century, the castle ceased to be used for military purposes and became inextricably entwined with the town growing up around it.
Castillo Bil Bil, Benalmadena This one’s a cheat as the delightful terracotta-pink Arabian Nights-style castle on the seafront is merely neo-Moorish. Although, as Benalmadena is one of the few town’s in Spain to have hung onto its Arabic name, it chimes with the local heritage. Originally built in 1927 for a wealthy French family, it was taken over by the town council in 1980 and turned it into a cultural space for exhibitions, concerts, conferences. Ornamental gardens with Moorish-inspired fountains and nocturnal lighting afford it a singular romantic beauty. No wonder it’s the most popular public building in Malaga for civil weddings.
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ominating the hilltop and remarkable for its size, its robust honey-coloured walls once guarded one of the most important frontier castles in the Kingdom of Granada. Inside the gates there’s little but gardens and ruins to evidence
its status today but the views through the horseshoe shaped windows of the Torre Blanca tower are as spectacular as ever. Noted for its unusually wide keep with its angular floor plan, its insidious dungeon also leaves an impression - a hell hole six me-
tres deep by three metres in diameter, covered by a metal grill and completely exposed to the elements. In 1582 a bell tower was added above the keep to house what was then one of the largest bells in Christendom.
Alcazaba of Antequera
HEALTH Taking a toll
THE COVID pandemic has increased mental health problems among vulnerable children, with financial strain on parents a major factor, a study by Cardiff University has found. During the pandemic, researchers interviewed 142 five to 10-year-olds who had been identified by schools as ‘at risk’ of mental health problems, and they then compared the information to pre-pandemic data.
Link
There was a strong link between financial stress and mental health problems in parents, which was in turn associated with worsening mental health issues among children, the researchers discovered. The study showed children living below the poverty line face more anxiety, stress and even abuse because of the temporary shutdown of different public services, such as free meals and daycare, which are often a safe haven for vulnerable children.
HAY fever sufferers have been warned that pollen levels will soon exceed the ‘risk threshold’. Levels of olive and grass pollen have
June 2nd - June 15th 2021
Soothing the nerves
A SPANISH biologist has discovered a new protein that helps regulate anxiety and could open a new chapter in mental health treatment. Javier Gilabert Juan, winner of the Valencian Young Scientific Talent award in 2016 and currently Anatomy and Neuroscience professor at Madrid University, has been working on the protein known as OTX2 for the past three years. Gilabert and his team first discovered that OTX2 was involved in the development of abilities such as sight and hearing during childhood. Their investigation then led them to check whether it could have an effect on depression,
‘Breakthrough’ in treating anxiety and depression
Generation X Jab ANDALUCIA is to begin scheduling vaccination appointments for people aged under 50 next week. Junta chief, Juanma Moreno, has announced that vaccination for the under-50s will begin the week of June 7. According to Moreno, more than 4.5 million doses have
already been administered in the region and that ‘well over’ 40% of the target population—some 3.1 million Andalucians—has had at least one vaccine. In fact, the Junta is expected to set a new record this week with 800,000 people vaccinated in seven days.
Something to sneeze at already been high enough to affect allergy sufferers in several parts of Spain, with the
Gib’s COVID Journey AFTER almost two months of no active cases of coronavirus, Gibraltar registered at least five cases during the last week of May according to data from the Department of Health. The first case was discovered on Saturday May 22 in an unvaccinated woman who lived on the Rock. The case was quickly identified and contact tracing protocol initiated with all of her recent contacts informed and told to self-isolate. On Tuesday May 25, two more positive cases were discovered among residents, one of whom was already vaccinated, causing seven of their close contacts to self isolate. Two days later, two more people were diagnosed with the virus, again one being a vaccinated individual and the other, an unvaccinated cross border worker. It is thought that one of these new positives was linked to three of the other positives, establishing a clear link in the spread of the new outbreak. Finally last Friday, a fifth positive was recorded in an unvaccinated elderly resident. Alongside the five positives currently active on the Rock, 77 further residents are currently in self-isolation.
Doctor
SPANISH scientists claim that the Mediterranean diet acts as a shield against COVID-19. This is according to a Spanish study published in the journal Clinical Nutrition. It claims that protection against infection increases significantly when people stick to a diet heavy on vegetables, fruit, lean meat, nuts and olive oil. Experts monitored 9,677 middle-aged people for the study. They found a clear association between a mediterranean diet and a reduction in the risk of infection of up to 64%. Martinez explained that a Meditterranean diet boosts people’s immune system as well as being anti-inflammatory, thus helping people who do succumb to the virus.
By Glenn Wickman
vealed that those injected with OTX2 had a less anxious behaviour than ‘normal’ mice. The next step, says Javier Gilabert, is to move onto more complex mammals to check exactly how the protein works to modify behaviour. Previous studies showed that OTX2 was easier to regulate when the brain was still being formed but it has now also been found to work for adults.
Effect
The team aims to study the effect of the protein in cases of stress, post-traumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia. If successful, the trials could open a new chapter in mental health medication, as the protein could boost the effect of existing drugs and help create new ones.
Visit your loved ones VISITORS will once again be welcomed to Elderly Residential Services (ERS) and Gibraltar Health Authority Sites (GHA). The move comes as the country initiates Phase 5 of its COVID-19 de-escalation plan. At ERS, residents are now allowed two designated visitors per day. If the two visitors attend together, the meeting must take place outdoors, if visiting on separate occasions, they can do so indoors. All visitors must provide proof of at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine within the last 14 days.
MORE than 283,000 people have signed a petition calling for a smoking ban on all of Spain’s beaches. Environment minister, Teresa Ribera, received the petition organised by the No Fumadores group. They want beach visitors to be protected from the effects of passive smoking. They are also worried about the environmental problems caused by cigarette and cigar butts being discarded at the seaside. Some 475 beaches have already banned smoking with more joining the list this year. No Fumadores president, Raquel Fernandez, said: “The thousands of people that have signed the peti-
Stub it out
tion sends out the message that we just cannot wait any longer. “A new law would stop children and people with respiratory diseases from inhaling smoke,” she added. “It would also send out the strongest possible signal to youngsters that it’s wrong to smoke on beaches which are public spaces.”
Pollution
A 2018 survey by the European Environment Agency showed that cigarette butts were the biggest source of pollution on beaches on the continent. Besides the mess, the butts can kill marine life if swallowed. Many municipalities have staged annual campaigns handing out ash trays and containers to collect fag ends to reduce the levels of beach debris.
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concentrations continuing to rise across the country. Now scientists are warning that olive pollen levels are expected to soar, especially in the southern half of the peninsula. Places like Andalucia, Extremadura and Madrid will be the most affected areas, where concentrations are expected to exceed 200 grains per cubic metre. Experts recommend people prone to hay fever should use masks, keep windows closed as much as possible and stay indoors when pollen levels are the highest. Usually those hours are between 5am and 10am. They also recommend avoiding hanging clothes outdoors and taking medication when it’s not prescribed by a doctor.
OP Puzzle solutions Across: 6 Strike up, 8 Home, 9 Mum's, 10 Downside, 11 Renfrew, 14 Acres, 15 Start, 17 Zealots, 21 Republic, 22 Pews, 23 Fife, 24 Whispers.
Staying healthy
EXCITED: Javier Gilabert is hoping for a breakthrough anxiety and learning difficulties as adults. Experiments with mice re-
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For more information call Jayne on +34 634345685 or email Jayne.Nuttall-Blake@thegoodcaregroup.com
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FINAL WORDS
NUTTY Spanish sweet, Turron, could be given its own United Nations World Day, as Alicante Provincial Council looks to make November 7 World Turron Day.
Bus-ted TWO robbers attempted to dodge police by using buses as their getaway transport across Costa Blanca. However, they were soon arrested - along with the stolen hotel bag - on an Alicante bus.
Boar off THERE was traffic jam chaos in Barcelona, as a mother boar and her cubs ran wild along one of the main streets. The humbug-like animals held up traffic for over two hours, during rush hour.
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A GIANT Poodle has become the first pet in Spain to be infected with the British ‘Kent’ COVID-19 variant. Experts at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) have been studying coronavirus infections in pets for a number of months. They have confirmed that a 14-year-old giant poodle tested positive in PCR tests for the ‘Kent’ variant which first came to light last December. AN unscrupulous businessman has been thrown in the slammer after he sold 800,000 kilos of horse meat as beef. The 60-year-old from Castellon has been sentenced to four years in prison and
June 2nd- June 15th 2021
In a hole By Kirsty McKenzie
Feeling ruff
The Rock’s only free local paper
FOLLOWING an argument with his parents, aged 14, hotheaded Andres Canto took a pickaxe into the garden and started digging to work off his frustrations. Six years later, the hole is now a den with a bedroom, wifi and sound system. Andres, from La Romana in Alicante says he can’t remember what the fight was about - but is delighted his bizarre act of petulance became an obsession, even enlisting a friend with a pneumatic drill to blast the 10 foot deep cave. The excavation was done by
What a mare! ordered to pay €470,000 in compensation by the Supreme Court. The conman supplied meat to a company in Torrent (Valencia)
Row leads to Hobbit style ‘home’
hand using buckets, but as Andres went deeper and deeper he developed a homemade pulley system. between the years 2011 and 2013. Although the contract was for beef, the supplier began surreptitiously introducing horse meat into the batches he sent the firm in order to increase his profit margin.
The layout of his retreat was often determined by the obstacles that got in the way of the project and authorities even paid him a visit to make sure the build was legal. Like his parents, they found no issue with Andres’s unique project, which he estimates has cost him a grand total of €50. The aspiring actor said the labour of love was inspired by his passion for building huts and tree houses as a child.
Good thrashing A POLICE car was given the ‘Basil Fawlty’ treatment when an angry man attacked it with a branch. In a scene that was almost a carbon copy from the famous UK TV comedy of the seventies, a 64-year-old man appeared outside the Alcantarilla police station in the Murcia region. Police officers saw him clutching a one-metre-long tree branch. He then started to give a police car ‘a damn good thrashing’, to use the line uttered by John Cleese.
Agog
They watched agog as the Portuguese national did substantial damage to the car’s bodywork. He also smashed the front and rear windows of the vehicle. The irate attacker was eventually calmed down and hauled in front of a judge. It’s unclear why he decided to vent his anger on the police car.