Olive Press Gibraltar - Issue 175 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

OLIVE PRESS

FREE THE Jubilee celebrations were extended in Gibraltar as Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, began their royal visit, bringing a message of thanks from the Queen with them. “Over the years I have watched Gibraltar prosper as a multi-cultural and multi-faith community, proud of its rich history while dynamic and forward-looking,” the monarch said in a message sent from Windsor Castle. The statement was made public just as the Earl and Countess of Wessex began their three day visit to Gibraltar. “In my Platinum Jubilee year, I am delighted that my son and daughterin-law have the opportunity to visit Gibraltar again, and I am pleased that they will represent me at my Birthday Parade in Casemates Square, taking the

Fast lane U -T

U RN

Jubilee thanks salute of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment to whom Prince Edward presented new colours at Windsor earlier this year.” “I am grateful for your continued allegiance and loyalty, and I am pleased to reaffirm the close ties that have existed for so long between the Crown and the people of Gibraltar.” “My thoughts and prayers will remain with you for your future happiness and prosperity.” The arrival of the Wessexes was delayed after their British Airways flight was forced to return to London following technical issues. But they eventually touched down five

June 15th - June 28th 2022

hours later than planned and were met on the runway by the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo before being met by crowds of well wishers in Convent Place. The streets were bedecked in Union Jack bunting and a chorus of ‘God Save the Queen’ rang out as the royal couple greeted onlookers. Many of those in the crowd had also been present when the Wessexes last visited Gibraltar 10 years ago to mark the Diamond Jubilee. Queen Elizabeth II herself has only visited Gibraltar once during her long reign. In May 1954, just a year after her coronation, she arrived with Prince Philip and two young children in tow; Prince Charles and Princess Anne, at the start of a Commonwealth Tour.

WELCOME: Fabian Picardo greeted the Earl and Countess of Wessex

Burning issue CAPTION: XXX

N O W!

Making in-roads, page 6/7

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FIRE SOURCE: The blaze was sparked at the La Resinera finca (above) owed by the Gaddafi family (below)

A GIANT fire that has razed 3,500 hectares of woodland above the Costa del Sol could have been started by four men. However, it is unclear if it was done deliberately

or due to error. While a number of Olive Press sources insisted it appears to be the work of an arsonist, national news agency EFE claimed last night it was caused by negligence. As we went to press, it emerged that three men were interviewed by ALL AREAS the Guardia Civil COVERED yesterday afternoon. 4G UNLIMITED Another man was due to be INTERNET grilled today over the fire IDEAL FOR that began last STREAMING TV Wednesday at 3pm. ALSO What is also IPTV, known is the fire SATELLITE TV

HUNDREDS of readers have been joined by expat councillors to support the Olive Press U-turn campaign helping British residents swap their licences for Spanish ones. Meanwhile various Facebook groups and even a leading fintech guru have backed our campaign, which is gathering speed. It comes tragically however, after one female expat allegedly committed suicide when she found herself isolated in a rural part of Andalucia. The woman, who had recently lost her husband, told friends her life was no longer worth living. Among suggestions to put pressure on both the Spanish and British governments, one reader, Andrew Clark suggested a road protest. “Why don't we all protest by driving slowly around Malaga and other Spanish towns? It seemed to work well for the lorry drivers!” The UK ambassador meanwhile continued to insist ‘an agreement is close’.

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began in a private estate owned by Libya’s Gaddafi family. Suspiciously, just a decade ago plans were issued to build a golf course and nearly 2,000 homes at the giant 6,800 hectare La Resinera finca, which straddles Benahavis and Pujerra. An army fireman, who battled the blaze for three days, told the Olive Press it had started at ‘three points’ on the Sierra Bermeja estate. The UME firefighter said: “My colleagues and the police are working on that assumption. “Arsonists always have an aim and purpose when burning the mountain, they usually want to build

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something.” And he added he ‘strongly believes’ that last year’s neighbouring Estepona fire is linked to this year’s fire. Despite new reports, last night, that the blaze was started accidentally by workers clearing the land, other local sources in Benahavis continued to insist it could be arson. “We all think that the fire was deliberate, but it is still under investigation,” revealed a local estate agent. “I don’t understand why anyone would be working in the very high heat in the middle of the day, with the winds really picking up,” he added. The fire led to the evacuation of nearly 3,000 people in Benahavis and neighbouring Pujerra. Most residents spent between one or two nights out of their homes. Neither Andalucia’s firefighting group, INFOCA, nor the Guardia Civil would comment on the causes of the fire, insisting the investigation continued ‘in secret’. Last year’s blaze was one of the worst seen in Spain this century. It destroyed nearly 10,000 hectares. Oops I did it again, page 7

CRIME

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NEWS IN BRIEF Unlikely luddite A 73-YEAR-OLD Malaga woman is on trial in a Basque court accused of online fraud despite claiming she doesn’t even know how to use Whatsapp.

Shameful stats NEWLY released Government statistics have revealed that since the start of 2022, 64% of women who have sought help from sexual abuse services in Murcia were under the age of 16.

Web of lies A 40 person cabal left a mobile phone operator out of pocket by over €240,000 by using fake credit cards bought on the dark web to order a mass of electronics which were then resold across Spain.

Devil’s lettuce OVER half a tonne of vacuum-packed marijuana worth €3.7 million was seized from an Ireland-bound lorry carrying lettuce in the Basque Country having been due to board a ferry.

THE boyfriend of a Qatari princess found dead under suspicious circumstances on the Costa del Sol claims his phone was hacked days after her body was found. Marbella businessman Bruce Baps also claimed Kasia Galliano, 45, was living in fear of her life over recent months. The expat, who is adamant she did not kill herself, told the Olive Press his suspicions about her ex-partner’s involvement in her death. Galliano, a well known influencer with 500,000 followers, had been in a vicious custody battle with her ex, Abdelaziz bin Khalifa Al Thani, 73, the uncle of the current Emir of Qatar. Convinced of ‘foul play’, nightclub manager Baps insisted: “My telephone was hacked just days after Kasia was found dead. “And my Facebook and Instagram sites have also been hacked.” As well as discovering that videos had been stolen, he said others had been deleted. And he insisted he was sure she was killed by someone, implying it was linked to her ex-husband. “This comes from there, they have so much power that they can do whatever they want,” he said. Speaking at his home in Nueva Andalucia, he added: “She was the most beautiful person in the world, I am sure she didn’t kill herself as she was starting a new wine business. “And just the night before she died she was definitely happy and sent me a picture of herself in bed. It makes no sense.

June 15th - June 28th 2022

SHE DIDN’T KILL HERSELF!

EXCLUSIVE: Boyfriend of dead Qatari princess tells Olive Press his phone ‘was hacked’ following mysterious costa death EXCLUSIVE By Jorge Hinojosa

“I hope karma will pay back the people who killed Kasia”. But he didn’t wish to comment more until the official post mortem results are made public, but added that he was due to speak to the police. Baps, who has three young children, spent a lot of time with Kasia and her three daughters, two of whom went to school in Marbella.

Safety

However, she had recently ‘grown very concerned for the safety’ of her youngest daughter who had stopped coming to Marbella to visit her. “She was not allowed to visit her by her dad, because he knew that she would never go back to Paris, where he lived,” he explained. Things got worse when she was robbed of 50 luxury handbags and hit several

PRINCESS: Kasia Galiano and (left) with Baps times in the robbery at her luxury apartment in Puerto Banus. He added that she had been badly mistreated and ‘felt like she was living in jail’ when she was in Paris, living with her ex-husband. In particular, she was really affected psychologically by the death of one of her best friends who passed away due to cancer. “The death and dealing with the court case against her ex-husband heavily impacted her mental health,” he ex-

plained. Reports in Spain claim she probably died from an overdose of medication combined with alcohol on May 31. Various packages of drugs were found at her home on the seventh floor of the exclusive Playas del Duque complex, in Puerto Banus marina. An initial post mortem failed to conclude how she died, so further studies are being undertaken at the Institute of Legal Medicine in Malaga with further tests at the Toxi-

cology Institute of Sevilla. The tests can allegedly determine whether any alcohol found in her body had been consumed by her or produced after her death ‘as a result of decomposition’.

Wooed

Kasia, who grew up in Los Angeles, had married her Qatari prince after he wooed her when she was a student in Paris. But the pair split in 2007 and soon divorced.

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www.theolivepress.es CRICKET has been added to the sporting itinerary of Madrid in celebration of it being named as the World Capital of Sport. The Madrid Cricket League will be played in T20 format at La

Father of slain hero who fought London Bridge terrorists with a skateboard opens his heart to the Olive Press

On the ball

Elipa in October to raise money for Ukrainian children in addition to a 40th anniversary match planned against Barcelona in September. Cricket in Spain has been growing in the last decade with at

June 15th - June 28th 2022

least 100 teams now playing. Earlier this year, Malaga hosted the European Cricket League, dubbed the champions league of cricket. The La Elipa ground, formerly a baseball-only facility, has undergone a €3 million renovation, making it the new home of Madrid Cricket Club.

COLOSSAL SAINT

THE proud father of a Spanish terrorist victim in London has told how the bravery of his son deserves sainthood. INTERVIEW Describing him as ‘a Colossus, By Jorge Hinojosa a really strong man’, he said his son Ignacio had grown up as a thoughtful and caring man with person, so I think if he gets cana ‘heart of gold’. onised it will be really amazing In a moving interview from his for us and he will become a rehome in Madrid, former engi- ally good natural role model for neer Joaquin Echevarria Alon- society. so, 73, confirmed how the fam- “He will make the perfect saint ily have officially because he died presented an saving the lives application for Despite a number of others and his sainthood to put his life in of the police the Archbishop danger to help of Madrid. a policeman to running away “We are just fight against a starting the pro- from the fight, he few terrorists cess now, but we with explosives. decided to act are really hope“Despite seeing ful as to become a number of the a saint you need police actually to be well known and Ignacio is run away from the fight, he decertainly that, which is a good cided to take part in it and put head start.” his life at risk.” “It can also happen that the The 39-year-old banker was devil’s lawyer decides not to one of eight people killed in the grant the canonisation to him, attack that took place on Lonbut we really hope not,” said don Bridge on June 3, 2017. He Echevarria. was stabbed in the back when “He was a really down-to-earth he swung his skateboard at the terrorists and was pronounced dead at the scene. “Ignacio would never have imagined he’d be canonised… and I’m sure he would be far happier alive.” He continued: “I am pursuing his canonisation because I want real role models for society not just sports people. “We cannot resurrect him so we want to at least make his death useful. “Ignacio was a person who always took care FAMILY: Ignacio in red shirt with his mum, dad and siblings of people and when he

Broken couple

SKATEBOARD HERO: Ignacio fought terrorists saw someone abusing someone else, he would always defend the victim, said Echevarria. “In fact he told us just a few days before his death that had he been skateboarding on the day a policeman died near Westminster a few weeks before, he would have stepped in and saved him. “He said that he often skateboarded near there and that policeman would have been alive.” Much of his humility came from his upbringing going to local comprehensive schools around Galicia. He had gone to live in London to work at HSBC bank having lost a banking job in Madrid. It was a good job looking into money laundering and he loved his life in the city. “He was having the best year of his life. He loved it,” said his father. “He moved there in part for the language and also because his sister, Isabel, lived there for many years and had children

there.” He continued: “In fact we were due for a big family reunion with him and his sister and my nephews and nieces four days after his death.” On the shock of his death, he said it had been an agonising wait. “When Ignacio died, it took the British police more than three days to find out who he was. “The Spanish ambassador in London initially told me my son was killed by the police, but I told him I was convinced that they did not kill him.”

Support

“If my son was killed by the police I would have supported the police as we need to support the west against terrorism. “If anyone is to blame it is the terrorists, not the British people or the police.” He added: “I didn’t want to attend the court cases as I have faith in the British system and British justice.”

ONE of Spain’s most glamorous celebrity couples has announced they are breaking up. Colombian singer Shakira and FC Barcelona defender Gerard Pique confirmed their split in a public statement. “We regret to confirm that we are separating. For the wellbeing of our children, who are our highest priority, we ask that you respect their privacy,” they asked. Shakira, 45, and Pique, 35, have been together since 2011 and have two sons, Milan and Sasha aged 9 and 7 and made their home in Barcelona. News of the split came just days after Shakira lost an appeal to dismiss charges over alleged tax fraud. Prosecutors claim she failed to pay up to €14.5 million in tax on income earned between 2012 and 2014 when she was already living in Spain but filed her taxes elsewhere.

On his way

GARETH Bale’s nine year stint in Spain has come to an end. The Welshman bid farewell to Real Madrid after notching up 258 appearances in almost a decade, saying: “To be a part of this club’s history and to achieve what we achieved while I was a Madrid player has been an incredible experience and one I will never forget.” Bale became the first player in British history to win five Champions League titles when Real Madrid beat Liverpool 1-0 in the final at the Stade de France.

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Dead good WITHAM’S Cemetery has been reopened to the public with a commemorative plaque unveiled by Minister of Heritage, John Cortes. The project to restore the cemetery has taken six years. The Heritage Trust revealed that 16 regular volunteers and occasional workers from local firms have been in charge of the restoration. The cemetery was built in the 18th centuryand was primarily a resting place for officers and their families.

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THE House of Commons’ European Scrutiny Committee has launched an inquiry into the progress of post-Brexit negotiations on the agreement of future trade and border arrangements for Gibraltar. The British MPs have made the move after continued concern over border checks for blue card holders at Gibraltar’s border. Spain has tightened border controls and appears to be applying Schengen rules for non-EU nationals insisting even those with Blue Cards supply reasons for their visit, details of accommodation and proof of funds when entering Spain. The European Scrutiny Committee accuses Europe Minister James Cleverly of ‘downplaying the scale of the problem’ during meetings with him.

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June 15th - June 28th 2022

UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT

Commons’ Committee launches inquiry into treaty progress amid border check controversy By Kimberly Mannion

The inquiry will look at the reasons for delay in reaching a deal and the impact this has had on Gibraltarian businesses, as well as the formation of contingency plans should a deal fail to be reached within the the short to medium term. The Committee is cross-party, but has a majority of nine pro-Brexit Conservative MPs. Committee Chairman is Sir

Bill Cash, who said: “While we are pleased the issue of Spain’s management of the border is now on the Minister’s radar, this is no small matter. The 3,000 people the problem affects equates to nearly 10% of Gibraltar’s population.”

Positive

Meanwhile, Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo continues to maintain that negotiations are moving in a positive direction.

Hollywood on The Rock GIBRALTARIAN film director Ian Serra has signed a Hollywood film deal on three of his movies. And the Rock itself is destined for the silver screen as two of the movies were shot entirely in Gibraltar. Hollywood distribution company Buffalo 8 has purchased Serra’s films The Mount, The Mount 2 and Pandora which will be brought to screens around the world.

History, adventure and romance. That’s just the setting.

The Mount is a horror film which stars an entirely local cast and is one of the few feature length films shot entirely on The Rock. The local cast of the sequel film The Mount 2 even included Minister for Health and Environment Dr John Cortes. The main characters were all extremely young at the time of filming - Niall Evan Serra who plays lead Laran was a law student during filming of The Mount 2, while co-star Mia Sen, who plays Tracey in the film, was still completing her A-levels.

Fags a lot!

GIBRALTAR’S Chief Minister Fabian Picardo has promised the United Nations in New York to put the price of tobacco up. Picardo said the compromise would be made should an agreement be reached on The Rock´s future relationship with the European Union. Speaking to the UN Special Committee on Decolonisation (C24), Picardo lamented the fact that although Gibraltar has been sitting on the Committee for 30 years and despite repeated invitations, the Committee has never visited the territory. The Chief Minister also condemned the fact that despite Gibraltar´s repeated requests, the UN has never removed it from its list of Non-Self-Governing Territories. Picardo said that Gibraltar could never accept the international legal status of its land being judged by a ‘dialogue between the administrative power and a third party’, rather than from their own decision.

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BREXITEER BLOW GIBRALTAR linked multimillionaire Brexit backer Arron Banks has lost his libel action against freelance journalist Carole Cadwalladr. Banks, a prominent backer of the campaign for Britain to leave the EU and the man behind Gibraltar-based Southern Rock Insurance Limited, sued Cadwalladr, alleging that she had claimed that the businessman was lying about his relationship with the Russian state – one in a Ted Talk and the other in a tweet. In a written judgment, Mrs Justice Steyn found in favour of Cadwalladr, ruling that she had successfully established a public interest defence.

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Cadwalladr, who paid for her legal defence through crowdfunding, said: “The fact that his case was brought clearly shows how our libel laws favour the rich and powerful. But this judgment is a huge victory for public interest journalism.” Banks was investigated by the UK’s National Crime Agency over opaque campaign funding, which appeared to come through companies registered in Gibraltar and the Isle of Man in the run up to the 2016 Brexit referendum. However, in September 2019, the NCA published a statement to say it found no evidence that any criminal offences were committed by Banks under electoral commission rules .

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UST half an hour from up Benidorm, builtof the most you’ll find one relaxed seaside By Kimberley towns Mannion Oozing within Spain. of the Costacharm, Moraira fishing villages, is one Blanca’s and it remains classic old of history and tradition, full unspoiled and largely today.

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Insurance company refused to pay expats’ massive health bill because they did not speak Spanish A BRITISH couple slapped with a €14,000 bill for healthcare were not taken to the right hospital because their private insurance hotline staff didn’t speak English. As the Olive Press reported last month, Dawn Bridge, 50, was hit with the huge demand after undertaking a serious operation on her leg which was broken and dislocated in a horror accident. Yet when her husband Adrian, 59, an academic, phoned a

By Jorge Hinojosa

dedicated insurance emergency number, the switchboard didn’t understand his Spanish and couldn’t speak English. After nine minutes of trying to get a private ambulance, the university professor was forced to dial 112 in desperation and they were taken by a normal one to Cartagena hospital. Now the company has admitted its failings and offered Dawn,

Rubbish campaign MORE than 1.2 tonnes of rubbish have been removed from the sea at Ocean Village and Marina Bay. Trash including broken glasses, straws, restaurant chairs, plastic menus and cigarette butts were removed by the Ocean Village & Marina Bay Marina team. Now Marina Director William Bowman is calling for people to be more careful. He said: “Please help us to safeguard the precious marina environment and marine ecosystem by disposing of your rubbish in the bins. This way we can all benefit from better water circulation within our marinas, creating cleaner waters for marine wildlife and for the enjoyment of anyone that visits.”

a writer from Cheshire, a basic settlement, which they say is ‘derisory’. It comes after lawyers for the company had, at first, demanded the expat couple, based in Mazarron, prove they had actually tried to call the hotline. After they were able to provide proof, the company, we are not naming for legal reasons, then fought for time, continually ignoring requests for answers. The English agent who had sold them the €1,300-a-year policy two years earlier vanished on long term sick leave. The couple told the Olive Press she was ‘fully aware’ that they did not speak good Spanish, nor did most of the other British clients she sold the policy to. However, while the company this week finally made an offer of €4,452.96, it refused a full refund, insisting the policy did not ‘specify that attention could be provided in different languages’.

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A BRITISH couple have a huge medical bill for been handed hospital care, By Simon Wade despite being fully covered by their private health insurance the bill which The expats have been company. slapped with a pany REFUSEDtheir insurance comdebt of €14,000 because to pay. This despite pany’s negligence - they of the com- them paying €1,300 a year. claim. The main reason given; Dawn Bridge, a 50-year-old because er, originally from Cheshire, writ- Dawn was treated in ‘the wrong hossuf- pital’. fered a bad fall in her hometown “Yet during that week, of Mazarron, Murcia, I received no in December advice on transferring 2021. her to a hospital recognised by our insurance Husband Adrian, an comacademic, im- pany,” slammed Adrian, mediately went to call a former his nsurance medical the number on history lecturer at York University. emergency staff wouldcard, believing “We had no help in providing addibe on call to tional care, no communication deal with it. and no explanation why our However, after a whole emergency UTES of waiting - NINE MIN- call wasn’t answered.” screamed in agony - thewhile Dawn And over the last half year, he claims 59-year-old they have received ‘not still had no answer. concern or compassionan ounce’ of Eventually he was persuaded regarding an ambulance by a concerned to call their plight. bour and a local emergency neigh- This despite Dawn still being heavily turned up ‘within minutes’. service dependent on a wheelchair for moBETTER DAYS: The bility and having to endure She was soon receiving Bridges on intensive and (right) Dawn after accidentholiday treatment for two bad emergency physiotherapy sessions. fractures at A remarkable email Cartagena’s public hospital stream, the Ol- would have been Dawn to ive Press has seen, demanded treated in St Lucia. if the manner AND without costs.”a timely s e r v i c e s couple could ‘prove the She also had to have a provided [emergency] Thankfully, the Cartagena Hospital or the pakle put back into place.dislocated an- call’, and also questioned if they had has been gracious even rung the right number. enough to offer the tient But, in reality, her problems Bridges a staged payment is not had only “We both feel totally abandoned, scheme registered just begun, as despite and which eases the financial burden. premiums for a policy paying two lost within a spiral of confusion, bu- In the meantime, with Seguridad Social, that promised reaucracy and data ‘immediate access to care’ protection,” con- perience might they hope their ex- quire them to pay the we resave others bill.” payments’ the opposite and ‘no co- tinued Adrian. same pain, cost and anxiety.from the The couple paid €1,300-€1,400 occurred. “If only they’d answered a Indeed, on leaving St Lucia year for their their own “It’s the principle,” insisted Hospital, emergency number Adrian, On deadline insurance health bill. some days later, they (and we’d gone “they’ve just washed the Olive Press received were handed to an appropriate their hands of hospital), my wife us, all down to their own terrible ser- a letter from the insurance company's lawyer saying that vice when we needed them the company most.” A spokesperson from St had acted ‘in strict and rigorous comLucia de Cartagena told pliance with the terms of the policy’. the Olive Press “When PLUMBING & AIR CONDITIONING the insurance compaSPECIALISTS ny does not cover the Opinion Page 6 Giastu Aroma 2 2,5 kw R32 gas refrigerate A+++20db 3 years warranty SPECIAL

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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 Trust no one IT is surely no coincidence that negotiations on a political settlement for the Gibraltar frontier issue remain stubbornly unsolved while a deal on British and Gibraltarian driving licences in Spain continues to elude mandarins of both nations. Add to this the UK government tearing up the Northern Ireland protocol and it is evident that the UK, Gibraltar, Spain and the EU are completely stuck in the proverbial mud. Yes, it’s all to do with Brexit, but it is also a failure of trust on both sides that seems to grow more pronounced every day. The launch of a Commons inquiry into treaty progress amid the border check controversy sounds like a rare sensible move by the government. That is until you realise it is fronted by Bill Cash MP, who was once described by Ken Clarke as the most Eurosceptic MP in parliament.

Making inroads

N Olive Press campaign to allow Brits without a Spanish licence back on the road is gathering speed. A pair of expat councillors have joined hundreds of supporters of our U-Turn campaign, we launched last issue. We have been overwhelmed by the support for our campaign from all walks of life, no pun intended. And despite the British Embassy insisting that an agreement is inching closer, we are not taking our feet off the pedal. Indeed, we intend to keep flooring it until a deal has been signed between the UK and Spanish government. Big wig backing A PAIR of popular expat councillors on the Costa del Sol

Steady Eddie If the monarchy wants to reign over the UK for another 70 years, it would do well to put Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, more front and centre at Royal engagements. Far removed from the antics of Harry and the unsavoury links of Andrew’s, the more understated Edward is a back to basics royal rep that the palace PR machine would do well to utilise. The couple’s so-far seamless visit to Gibraltar is striking the perfect tone, reverent without being pompous and celebrating diversity as well as tradition. If the Queen should never set foot on the Rock again, and at this point it looks unlikely, we can at least hope that her youngest son’s visit is not the last. PUBLISHER / EDITOR

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OLIVE PRESS U-TURN CAMPAIGN: Not taking the foot of the pedal, despite claims from embassy that a deal is approaching, writes George Mathias and the Costa Blanca have jumped to support our campaign. Darren Parmenter, the councillor for Tourism and International Relations in San Fulgencio, in Alicante, praised us for our stance and insisted we needed to keep the pressure on. Parmenter, 61, from London, (left) said: “It’s great that someone is sticking up for Brits. And he added: “I am hopeful there will be an agreement soon, there has to be otherwise Spain will be left out in the cold on its own.” He even insisted on bringing up the matter with the ambassador Hugh Elliot as part of the recent Queen’s Jubilee celebrations. Meanwhile the Councillor of

Tourism, in Benahavis, Scott Marshall got behind the cause. “I am amazed there are agreements with almost all other EU countries but not Spain. “How can the Spanish government make driving in Spain easier if you are a British tourist than a resident?” added the British politician, who has worked at the town hall for three years. “The rules have not been clear from the start and there has not been enough information provided to people. Well done for helping them out.” The 47-year-old, who was born in Spain to British parents, added: “This needs to be sorted out now, Brits are being punished for no reason whatsoever. I am fully back-

ing the Olive Press on this.” Official line While nothing has yet been signed, British ambassador Hugh Elliott insisted negotiations ‘continue to progress well’ on an agreement. He added he was ‘confident we are nearly there’, but was once again scant on details. While on June 2 he announced Brits would be given a six-month leeway period to swap their licence once a deal had been struck, he couldn’t say when this would be. Critics also insisted six months would not be long

CASTING AN EYE

Take a look at who is standing to lead Andalucia, with Kimberley Mannion

ITH the regional election campaign now in full swing ahead of polling day on Sunday, June 19, The Olive Press takes a look at the candidates vying to become President of Andalucia. Polls indicate President Juanma Moreno and his Popular Party (PP) are likely to stay in power, and do even better than the last regional election. The right-wing conservative PP currently presides over a minority government sup-

ported by far-right Vox and the liberal Ciudadanos party. The PP´s taking of the Andalucian presidency in 2019 ended decades of political dominance by the Spanish Socialist Workers´ Party (PSOE) in the region. The largest poll carried out in the elections so far, by the Centre of Sociological Investigations (CIS) which interviewed 7539 Andalucians, put the PP very close to achieving an absolute majority of 55 seats, as well as being the most popular party in all eight

provinces. The poll sees the PP winning 47-49 seats, well ahead of nearest rivals PSOE with 32-36 seats. After the two largest parties, the CIS poll predicts Vox to achieve 17-21 seats, Por Andalucia with 9-10 and Ciudadanos with 1-3. The Olive Press looks more closely at the leaders of each of the main parties and what they propose for Andalucia:

Inma Nieto Por Andalucia

Teresa Rodriguez Adelante Andalucia

Juan Espadas PSOE

Juan Marin Ciudadanos

Inma Nieto, born in Algeciras, has been a regional deputy in Andalucia since 2012. During the TV debate, her calmness was noted by commentators, essential when trying to keep such a wide coalition happy after the fallout of left wing parties in the region. For Andalucia is a coalition of left wing parties who have come together for the 2022 Andalucian elections, including Podemos, the left wing populist party founded by former second Vicepresident Pablo Iglesias. The coalition was born after the breakup of the other left wing coalition, Adelante Andalucia, who they ran with in the last regional elections, after a row with its leader Teresa Rodriguez.

The other left wing coalition, Forward Andalucia, is led by Teresa Rodriguez. This is the third time Rodriguez will lead a party in an Andalucian regional election, under Podemos in 2015 and the Adelante Andalucia coalition in 2018. Active in left wing politics since her student days at the University of Sevilla, Rodriguez started her own party, Anticapitalistas, which broke away from the rest of Podemos, now part of the Por Andalucia coalition, ahead of this year’s election. One policy on Adelante Andalucia´s agenda is to make the Sierra Bermeja, where the recent fire in Benahavis on the Costa del Sol broke out, a national park.

Former Mayor of Sevilla Juan Espadas is hoping to win back Andalucia´s support for his party. After being elected PSOE leader last year, he left his position as Mayor at the beginning of 2022 to concentrate on the upcoming Andalucian elections. If elected President of Andalucia, Espadas has promised to create 100,000 jobs for young people over four years, as well as launch a programme to help young people ‘access the world of work’. Alongside this the PSOE will defend universal healthcare, the welfare state, and, among other things, the Andalucian accent.

Serving as the Vice President of the current g ove r n m e n t and Minister for Tourism, Regeneration, Justice and Local Administration, Juan Marin is leading his liberal Citizens party in this month’s Andalucian election. Born in Cadiz, Marin was a businessman before entering politics, and also a keen volleyball coach and referee. If elected, Marin has promised that ‘for every euro of taxes Pedro Sanchez raises for Andalucians’, he will lower it. Campaigning on an agenda of low taxes, Marin is aiming to keep his party represented in the Junta, which some polls have said, may be difficult.

U -T U R

www.theolivepress.es

June 15th - June 28th 2022

N NOW

OOPS, WE DID IT AGAIN!

G enough. “It should be more than a six month time period,” councillor Parmenter insisted. “At the very least, it should be six months to allow Brits to declare their interest alone, given how many examples there are of people getting stuck in bureaucracy.” A wheel for a wheel? British fintech entrepreneur Paul Roberts told the Olive

Press it is time to play hardball in negotiations. “It is time for tough measures. All Spaniards driving in the UK should have their licence suspended until we have a resolution to this disgraceful situation,” the 54-year-old insisted. The tech maestro, who runs a startup from his home on the Costa del Sol, had been considering moving his entire team over from Wales to Malaga city, which is styling itself

as Spain’s answer to Silicon Valley. “I have now beached these plans. Not only is it extremely inconvenient for us Brits, it also makes us all feel extremely unwelcome,” he said. “They all need their heads banging together and take more decisive action if the Spanish carry on their intransigence.” He said the UK government should give’ a week’s deadline’ to agree the deal and then stop all Spanish drivers in the UK. He is furious as despite trying on many occasions to swap his licence, calls to Spain driving body, the DGT, were left unanswered. The father-of-three now has to rely on taxis to get his kids to school. He also took aim at the UK ambassador. “The British government and Hugh Elliott have been far too lax on this. The time has come to take a firm line or this is going to go on forever. An eye for an eye… a car for a car. “Well done to the team at the Olive Press for putting the pressure on!” continued the Welshman. Girl Power pressure

Juanma Moreno Popular Party

Macarena Olona Vox

Moreno is asking voters for another term in office as head of the Junta and the PP, which he has led through its rise to success in the region since being elected leader in 2014. Aside from his positions in Andalucian politics, Moreno was also previously Secretary of State for Social Services and Equality in the national government. In his campaign message Moreno wants to emphasise that given the progress made in this term while facing the challenge of the pandemic, his PP could achieve so much more if given another term in what will hopefully be easier times.

Currently General Secretary of Vox in the Congress of Deputies, Macarena Olona is also leading the far-right party in the Andalucian elections. From Alicante, she has previously been state attorney for the Basque Country. As a lawyer, she was involved in an investigation which found public officials from the PP and PSOE to have participated in corruption involving foreign contracts. Olana is known for her extreme criticisms of the Spanish government, calling President Pedro Sanchez´s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic ‘genocidal’, as well as downplaying the severity of the problem of gender based violence.

Social media group, L a d i e s Driving in Spain, has also joined the campaign. The advice page has provided a litany of testimonies from its 700-strong membership. They revealed they had heard ‘countless horror stories’ in particular lawyers telling members they couldn’t exchange their licences until they received their residencias. “All of them applied before the deadline but by the time they received recidencía it was too late to register intent,” said founder Trinny Vickers. The mother-of-two, 34, was told by the DGT not to worry, as she is Irish but holds a UK licence. However, she has since discovered the law applies to all UK licence holders, irrespective of their nationality. Consequently she is now stuck in Albox, Almeria in a deeply rural area with no public transport.

“Thousands have done the medicals which should have allowed them to exchange before the deadline but this is apparently not registering intent, which many people thought it was.” In a truly shocking state of affairs, she revealed that one of her members - an elderly woman who lived in a rural area with no public transport - recently committed suicide following her husband’s death. After the woman - who she didn’t want to name - became stranded at home because of the licence debacle, she felt life was no longer worth living. “Thank you for sticking up for us, we are fully behind the Olive Press”, Vickers said. Unhappy camper Another victim, Deb Lee, 63, told the Olive Press: “Thank you so much for taking up this fight.” Lee has had a nightmare since she retired to Spain in September 2020 and immediately tried to get her residency and licence sorted via a local British expat, who styled herself as an ‘independent advisor’. However she turned out to be ‘a charlatan’ and had no idea of the rules in place. Astonishingly, Deb was told that the deadline had passed, when in fact the DGT allowed Brits to register their intention to exchange their licence before December 30, 2020. This left her stranded in the small inland town of Crevillente on the Costa Blanca. “I was so isolated. I had no one to help me and the shops were too far away,” she explained. So bad was her situation, with her husband working full time in England as a lorry driver, she recently had to move to a campsite in Catral just so she has a food supply nearby. “If it hadn’t been for the support I have got from the Ladies Driving in Spain facebook group, I honestly think I would have done myself in,” she added. “We are simply pawns in a political game. They keep saying it’s a matter of weeks, but they have been saying that for months now.”

ETTING close to the flames and talking to victims and firefighters. While other expat newspapers watched it from afar, translating stories from Spanish websites, the Olive Press was in the thick of it. Yet again, we were on the ground reporting on the horrendous fire that left 3,000 people evacuated from their homes last week. Our team of George Matthias, Jorge Hinojosa (pictured below) and Kimberley Mannion tracked down the best human interest stories over three days. Setting up a base in Benahavis, it is exactly the sort of good old-fashioned gumshoe journalism that the Olive Press is proud of. And not only do our website subscribers appreciate it, with a dozen stories in total, so do the UK nationals, who used our words and pictures. They included, as normal, the Daily Mail as well as the Mirror this time. And our job didn’t just end when the fire got under control. Right up until late last night we were checking and updating our front page to ensure we had the latest news on the suspicious fire. It was the same with the huge Fifth Generation fire in the nearby Sierra Bermeja last year. We had feet on the ground within hours and followed it through for almost two weeks. As well as getting right up into the hills, we were the first media group to report that it was started by a balding man at two sides of the peak around 9.30pm at night. That’s why WE pay journalists and why YOU pay to subscribe for what we do. At just ONE EURO for an initial month’s trial, what are you waiting for?

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Time to recharge

THE regional government has drafted a plan to install 12 charging points for electric cars at 12 ports in Andalucia. The project is set to cost nearly €80,000 and will be funded by European REACT-EU funds. Three ports on the Costa del Sol (Marina La Bajadilla, Caleta de Velez and Fuengirola) will have new charging points installed. This project acts as part of the national scheme to tackle climate change and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Spain’s electric car project offers customers up to €7,000 towards the purchase of an electric vehicle. Andalucia’s new scheme hopes to further incentivise the movement away from fossil fuels and towards the use of green energy. The cash to be spent is a drop in the ocean compared to private

Shark attack A five-metre high rubber shark has been hung by Greenpeace protestors outside a ministry in Madrid to coincide with UN World Oceans Day. Activists scaled the gates to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and erected the shark in front of the entrance. They also hung reused fishing nets to represent the 100 million specimens that die each year and the ‘hundreds of thousands that Spain catch in international waters’. The UN begins talks on trying to negotiate a treaty on banning shark fishing in August.

Junta reveals plans for electric car charging points By Livia Cockerell

sector investment. Repsol has pledged to spend €42.5 million installing 610 electric recharging points at its service stations in Spain

and Portugal. The project is part of the multi-energy company’s goal of reaching 1,000 public recharging points by the end of 2022. The current recharging network consists of over 350 points.

DON’T think I’m alone in thinking the world has gone mad. Certainly not when you consider the climate and the unbelievable things going on. We live in a world that exhibits inexplicable and contradictory aspects.

AIRPLANES BACK IN THE SKY…….GOOD THING OR BAD ? This highlights the quandary we face. On one hand, economies suffer and tourism is decimated when air travel is restricted. Those of us that live on the Spanish Costas can easily testify to that. On the other hand the atmospheric pollution caused by planes is harmful to our health and other living beings as it mutilates our climate. It is a major cause of diseases like cancer, respiratory disorders and all too often leads to death. It is a difficult conundrum. Most of us like to travel, but at what cost? Governments are developing relatively fast and dense rail networks. Over one third of the busiest short-haul flights in Europe have viable train options as alternatives to flying. Serious investment is required to reduce the emissions from aviation fuels and it is time to step up renewable options. Other industries have been forced to take steps to contain pollution but the aviation industry has not. Airplanes run on kerosene, which when burnt emits carbon dioxide and other poisonous gases into the atmosphere, taking a huge toll on the climate system. It is predicted that by 2050, the aviation industry will produce 25% of all emissions. Part of the problem is that fossil fuels provide better efficiency when compared to sustainable aviation fuels

The aim is to have a point every 50 kilometres along the main road corridors of the Iberian Peninsula. Repsol says that the move is a step forward towards it becoming carbon neutral by 2050. The 610 electric recharging points (18 ultra-fast and 592 fast) will be located at 577 Repsol service stations in Spain and 33 in Portugal.

June 15th - June 28th 2022

World Environment Day ‘Think Global but Act Local’ is the principal focus of this year's World Environment Day on the Costa del Sol, according to ecological activist and spokesperson, Angela Lafferty. In an attempt to raise awareness for local environmental issues, more than 50 people took part in a 13 km coastal walk from Marbella to Guadalmina. The walk was organised by Ecologistas en Accion following concerns regarding the lack of local measures to counter the climate emergency. Despite heavy rainfalls in March, the responsible use of water was at the heart of World Environment Day. Acosol (a public water company on the Costa del Sol) created a campaign that highlighted the value of water and its preservation.

Should you staycation this year, asks Martin Tye

WORLD DILEMMA (renewable energy). Can we, or should we go along with this? The concept of ‘staycation’ re-emerged in Covid times. Do we always need to fly to far flung destinations, when beauty abounds on our doorstep ?

Green

Matters

By Martin Tye

“THE WORLD IS COOKED” So says John Kerry, the US Envoy on climate change. Prolonged use and reliance on coal is fuelling climate change. This month climate experts meet in Bonn amid new energy security worries. (I’ll cover the Ukraine war later.) Kerry stated ‘wholesale elevation of effort by countries all around the world is needed’. We all know that. Yet still we choose inaction. It’s a mad, mad, world when we know something is fundamentally wrong and we still concoct reasons to excuse inadequate action. The Bonn conference is the midpoint gathering between last year’s COP-26 in Glasgow and COP-27 to be held in Egypt. It is analysing the progress made since COP26. PUT BLUNTLY - NOT A LOT.

irony is that with prices of fossil fuels soaring, Russian energy profits are increasing meaning more funding is available to finance his war machine. The EU currently imports around 40% of its gas from Russia. THIS HAS TO STOP. No pain, no gain. Richer nations are still not focusing fully on alternative options. Why? Because the controlling politicians are fearful of losing power. I’ll say it again - no pain, no gain. The Ukraine war has prompted a fossil fuel ‘gold rush’. Two weeks ago, for example, the UK government approved the development of a gas field in the North Sea, east of Aberdeen, capable of producing 6.5% of Britain’s gas output. The site, licensed to Shell, was originally rejected on environmental grounds last year. The UK Business Minister, Kwasi Kwarteng, said that Britain is turbocharging renewables and nuclear. Is there a ‘snail version’ of a turbocharger? All European governments seem to have opted for this model.

UKRAINE WAR IMPACT “But the thought of being a lunatic did not greatly trouble him…” George Orwell’s 1984. Now let’s consider the actions of the arrogant lunatic Putin. With Peter the Landgrabbing Great as his role model, it is little wonder the economies of the world are suffering and the world’s climate ambitions lie in tatters. (Three centuries ago the Russian Tsar waged never ending expansionist wars.) Putin believes the West is unlikely to reject Russian energy for years. So far he’s proving to be right. The sad

ON A LIGHTER NOTE - THE SUPERWORM I never thought I would read about this in last week’s news. The world’s addiction to plastic is well documented. The enormous pollution caused as a direct result makes even bigger headlines. But guess what? Scientists have created a SUPERWORM. It can live off, and gain weight, from an exclusive diet of polystyrene. I know - you’ve heard it all now. Wouldn’t it be better to tackle the root cause of the plastic pollution problem? Why not just ban polystyrene? It’s a horrible plastic anyway.

Martin Tye is the owner of energy switch company Mariposa Energy. +34 638145664 ( Spain Phone ) Email him at martin@mariposaenergia.es

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LA CULTURA FOLLOWING a two year delay, the ancient festival of Romeria del Rocio has returned to Andalucia. Before the pandemic, the religious pilgrimage had taken place each year for centuries, but Covid put a halt to the popular festivities. But this year tens of thousands of pilgrims returned to accompany the effigy of the virgin on foot and horseback through the streets to the small village of El Rocio (Huelva).

Legend

Legend has it that many centuries ago the statue of the virgin was found in a hollowed-out tree trunk. Pilgrims come from throughout Spain and typically travel for one to seven days beforehand, generally sleeping outdoors. Many count the journey as the most important part of the pilgrimage.

SECRET CODEX

Priceless manuscript reappears after 84 years

A RARE codex dating back to the 13th century has been recovered 84 years after it disappeared. The last time it had been sighted was in 1938 when a soldier stopped the priceless Fuero de Brihuega from being burned when his military unit took over Brihuega in Guadalajara during the Civil War. Now the Guardia Civil has revealed that a father and son have found the ancient codex and had its authenticity confirmed by a Barcelona auction house. How and where the document was discovered has

Gong ho!

By Alex Trelinski

not been disclosed. It was officially returned to Brihuega mayor, Luis Viejo

TORRE DEL MAR in Malaga is hosting the Expo Dino XXL - a dinosaur themed exhibition - at Matrona Candelaria Park. The exhibition showcases over 100 different dinosaur models Styling itself as ‘a journey through history’, the exhibition has toured Europe since its inception in 2010 in Belgium. A spokesman said: “People will learn and discover how these giants of the planet lived, and why they disappeared as well as a multitude of

Esteban, in a ceremony at Piedra Bermeja castle. Experts described the codex as being of ‘incalculable value’ and said it had been well preserved. The

Jurassic Park scientific information that will help them understand more about this amazing species who inhabited our planet millions of years ago.” Ending on June 19, the event is open every weekday afternoon from 5pm to 10pm with the same hours at the weekend plus an additional three hours from 11am - 2pm. Entry costs €9 for adults and €7 for kids.

Fuero de Brihuega catalogues the laws of 1242 and the penalties for breaking them. It is over 70 pages long and is written on parchment with its pages sandwiched between two thick walnut panels that are bound by four strips of leather.

Medieval

The manuscript is signed by the archbishop and other clerical officers. The medieval handwriting is in what is described as ‘French’ typeface and in various colours.

ACTRESS Penelope Cruz has won the 2022 National Film Award. The prestigious honour is awarded each year for the ‘most outstanding contribution to Spanish cinema’ by the Institute for Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts, which is part of the Monostry of Culture, with a prize of €30,000.

Success

Cruz (pictured) is amongst the Spanish actors and actresses to have reached the greatest international success, this year achieving her fourth Oscar nomination for the film Parallel Mothers and having won one Academy Award in 2009 for Best Supporting Actress in Volver. She is the only Spanish actress to have won an Oscar as well as to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

OP QUICK CROSSWORD 1 5

10 11

19 20

Across

OP SUDOKU

Virgin’s back

June 15th - June 28th 2022

5 Finnish capital (8) 7 Tibetan holy man (4) 9 Precipitous (5) 10 Talk too much (6) 12 Alumnus, for short (4) 13 Kind of reaction (8) 15 Discovers (5,3) 16 Combustible matter providing useful energy (4) 17 Roman emperor (6) 19 Muse darkly (5) 21 Financial burden (4) 22 Donkey Kong creator (8) Down 1 When necessary (2,6) 2 South African party (1,1,1) 3 Negative asset (9) 4 What you fight when on a diet (4) 6 Wipe out (11) 8 Very short time (11) 11 Leaning toward (9) 14 Directed to another doctor (8) 18 Represents a constituency (4) 20 Yardstick for explosive power (3)

All solutions are on page 13

LA CULTURA

Meet the 20-yearold female matador forging her way in a macho world as Spain turns it back on bullfighting

June 15th - June 28th 2022

SWEET FACED KILLER

HERE are few spheres left in the modern world that remain predominantly the realm of men, but one of the last vestiges of machismo must surely be the bullfighting ring. This does little to deter Miriam Cabas, a sweet-faced 20-year-old from the small town of Los Barrios across the bay from Gibraltar in southwestern Spain. Miriam, who describes herself as an animal lover, is in her first year at university studying to be a vet but in her spare time she is pursuing her lifelong dream of becoming a bullfighter. “I have always known exactly what I wanted to do in life – to study veterinary medicine and train to be a bullfighter,” she said in an interview with the Olive Press. “I love animals and I love the ‘toro bravo’ fighting bull - above all!” It was her grandfather who first piqued her interest in the bulls and enrolled her in a bullfighting school in Algeciras at the tender age of five. “My grandfather Gregorio was the one who introduced me at a very early age and taught me all about it. “He wanted to be a bullfighter when he was young, he was one “In terms of the spectators I feel of the old ‘maletillas’ and I inherit- that I am being looked at under a ed his dream, which is now mine,” magnifying glass and a lot is exshe explained. pected of me.” There’s no doubt her grandfather But she refuses to would be proud. classify herself as a Last summer she defeminist, believing Bullfighting is buted in the ring in such labels are pointAracena where she booming again less. performed so well "No, I am neither femwith many she was awarded two inista nor machista. I ears and was carried believe and fight for young people out of the arena on equality. We have to the shoulders of her attending get up each day and male colleagues. fight for our dream, “It was and I think no matter what. Genit will remain as one of the most der is not a problem or a differamazing days of my life,” she re- ence." calls. Perhaps a bigger challenge is that Asked if it was harder for a fe- Miriam is attempting to forge a male bullfighter to succeed, she said: “It doesn’t matter to the bull if you are a man or a woman, so the challenges in the ring are the same.” But she admitted that as a woman she feels extra scrutiny.

career at a time when the tide of opinion is well and truly turning against the most traditional of Spain’s cultural traditions. Polls reveal that public opinion is increasingly against bullfighting as Spain’s animal rights lobby has grown in strength and found political allies in the left-wing coalition government. But Miriam doesn’t agree that bullfighting is on the way out. “Bullfighting is booming again and it shows in the number of people, and young people, who come to the bullfights again and again,” she said. “We have gone through a few years where people were inhibited, and admitting that you were a fan

of bullfighting was almost a crime. But everything is changing and people have realized that you have to have the freedom to decide for yourself.”

Love

“As long as there are aficionados who love bullfighting, it will continue,” she insisted. “And there are many of us who are madly madly in love with it.”

FIGHT: Miriam takes on bulls while studying to be a vet

LA CULTURA MADRID-BORN Cristina Sanchez is considered a feminist icon within the world of tauromaquia. As the first woman in Europe to complete her alternativa (the official graduation of a bullfighter), her career boomed throughout the nineties until she retired in 1999.

Mari Paz Vega

AWARD-WINNING Mari Paz Vega has had an extensive career as a Spanish torera spanning over 20 years. During this time, she has been recognised with many victories and honours, including the Trofeo al Mejor Toreo in Malaga, 2005.

Lea Vicens

VICENS was 20 years old when she watched her first bullfight in Plaza de Nimes, a fight which ignited a passion that completely changed the course of her life. At the time, she was studying biology in France at the Universidad de Montpellier. However, just two days after receiving her diploma, she moved to Spain and was set to become one of the most successful rejoneadoras of the modern day. Unlike traditional matadoras, rejoneadoras are mounted on horseback. Vicens claims to have always felt a connection with horses, having ridden since the age of four. However, a career as a rejoneadora was never something that had been on the cards. “When I was young, I did not like bulls. But when I grew up I saw it as cultural and historical. I was excited by it. I fell in love with it.” Vicens worked her way up from the bottom. She began working as a horse tamer for rejoneador Angel Peralta who advised her that within the world of tauromaquia, if you are not born into money, you must be prepared to start from scratch.

Cristina Sanchez

June 15th - June 28th 2022

Conchi Rios RIOS is most renowned for being the first ever woman to take both ears of a bull during a fight. Since her debut in 2007, Rios’ career has flourished and in 2016, she was chosen as one of the BBC’s 100 Women.

Beauties and the beasts Miriam Cabas is not the first woman to infiltrate the macho world of bullfights - Livia Cockerell takes a look at some of Miriam’s predecessors

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BUSINESS COUNTING THE COST 12

Spain makes controversial step towards costly ban on prostitution

THE Spanish parliament has voted to draw up wide reaching legislation in a bid to crackdown on prostituion. The controversial move is targeted at those who benefit financially from the exploitation of prostitutes, through pimping and human traf17:01 ficking, and moves towards treating prostitutes as victims rather than criminals. The bill would not make prostitution itself illegal but proposes prison terms of between three and six years, as well as fines, for both pimps and those who pay for prostitutes in the street. It also proposes penalties for those who profit from knowingly providing illegal premises where prostitution is carried out. With the bill, the government wants to introduce longer jail sentences for pimping and to remove the present require-

ZIGZAGGING RATES V

No confidence means Pound slips lower against Euro, writes Peter Loveday

OLATILITY in the pound euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate continued in late May and early June as UK politics and European Central Bank (ECB) policy caused sharp movements. Over the last two weeks, GBP/EUR declined steadily before zigzagging in early June. The pair fluctuated between €1.165 and €1.177, settling around €1.166 after the ECB decision.

WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING?

As May shifted into June, the pound slipped lower against the euro, despite some headwinds for EUR. Economic sentiment in the eurozone remained low while the bloc’s retail sales unexpectedly contracted. Still, following the ECB’s hawkish shift the previous week and surging eurozone inflation, rate rise bets helped the single currency climb. Meanwhile, Sterling fell amid UK economic concerns. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) warned that half a million British firms could go bust in a matter of weeks and urged the government to deliver more support. In addition, new lending data indicated that Britons were taking on more debt in order to cope with the increased cost of living, and UK business confidence slumped. Following the bank holiday weekend, GBP/EUR managed to recover. News that Boris Johnson would face a no confidence vote boosted the pound. Investors expected Johnson to win, and he did, effectively securing his position as PM for the next year and thereby creating political stability. However, the eurozone’s GDP growth rate for the first quarter of this year was revised significantly higher, from 0.3% to 0.6%. This sent EUR soaring. Then came the ECB decision. The bank signalled that rate rises were coming in July and September, as expected. However, the ECB also suggested that a 50-bps hike could be on the way. This surprised markets, and EUR surged to a near one-month high against GBP, before trimming its gains somewhat.

June 15th June 28th 2022

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR?

As for the euro, the ZEW economic sentiment index could cause some movement. Low morale may weigh on EUR. The Russia-Ukraine crisis might also impact the singThe next two weeks could be particularly eventful for GBP. We kick off with UK GDP for April, followed by latest unemployment figures, the Bank of England (BoE) interest rate decision and May’s retail sales. GBP investors will be scrutinising the data to gauge how much trouble the UK economy is in. If the results indicate the country is heading for a recession, then Sterling could stumble. The economic data could also impact how markets respond to the BoE decision. If policymakers vote to raise rates but the economic data is poor, economists may grow even more worried about the future of the UK economy. The UK inflation rate is also a key focus. Will price pressures continue to surge higher? le currency. If tensions continue to escalate, EUR could come under pressure. 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 onecent gap between €1.17 and €1.16 translates to a €2,000 difference. And the larger the sum, the higher the discrepancy. 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 market. For instance, you can use a forward contract to secure an exchange 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. Since 1996 we’ve helped more than 325,000 customers with their currency transfers, just pop into your local Currencies Direct branch or give us a call to find out more.

By George Mathias

ment for police to demonstrate an exploitative relationship exists with the sex worker in order to prosecute. “People who turn to women in a situation of prostitution participate directly in the network that shores up this serious violation of human rights,” the Socialist party said on its Twitter account. But the proposed law has divided opinion within the women’s rights movement. Medicos del Mundo, which estimates that 80% of the 350,000 women working as prostitutes in Spain are foreigners without legal papers,

insists such a law is required and will make women safer. Antigona however, a group of academics in favour of legalising prostitution, argue that it would force undocumented migrants underground and make them even more vulnerable.

Backing

The bill has won backing from the conservative Popular Party and sailed through parliament with 232 lawmakers voting for it and only 38 against. It will likely go through a raft of amendments before it will be finally approved by parliament, a process that could take many months.

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FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL Delayed payout

A MALLORCA court has awarded six Ryanair passengers €1,533 in compensation after their flights were delayed in the summer of 2018. The Irish budget airline refused to cough up payments after a five-hour delay on a flight from Sevilla to Palma. Damages claimed by the passengers included additional costs for hiring a car. The Palma Commercial Court condemned Ryanair for ‘recklessness’ in dragging its heels over compensation, which it said should have been paid automatically. Rules state that compensation of between €250 and €600 is payable if a flight is delayed by more than three hours. The payment also depends on the length of the flight. Since it was below 1,500 kilometres, each passenger on the Sevilla service was entitled to €250.

HAM slicers have a prominent role in Spanish bars and restaurants - and now they can have the certificate to prove their skills. The Academia Española de Jamon (Asejam) is striving to create a qualification for professional ham cutters. This is following an announcement from the Ministry of Education anticipating that by 2025, over 49% of jobs will require qualified professionals.

Fines of up to €1 million threatened for ‘wasting food’ SUPERMARKETS will soon have to sell cut-price ‘out-ofshape’ fruit and vegetables as part of new government rules to reduce food waste. The move is part of a new food waste bill approved by the Council of Ministers which now goes forward for approval to Congress. Around 1.3 million tons of food is thrown away every year in Spain, dominated by fresh produce. Food stores will

be obliged to dedicate part of their shelf displays to selling cut-price fruit and vegetables that have an imperfect or unattractive shape. Retailers will also have to offer reductions on products that are

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“We have always been hindered by not having any academic certificate that recognises our profession,” said Sergio Bellido, Asejam president. Earlier this year Robert De Niro showed off his ham carving skills in preparation for Madrid Fusion.

By Alex Trelinski

close to reaching sell-by dates, with price cuts of at least 50% to ensure shelves are cleared. Non-compliance with the food waste law will see fines of between €6,000 and €150,000, rising up to €1 million in cases of repeated serious infractions. The food waste bill aims to deal with the whole chain from farmers through to consumers with the aim of stopping all food dumping at landfill sites. F o o d storage, transportation and conservation facilities will have to be optimised

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June 15th - June 28th 2022

with the end of practices that cause food to be thrown away. Supermarkets, as well as restaurants and industrial caterers, will be ordered not to throw away food that has passed expiry dates. Instead they will have to sign agreements with food banks and charities to get the surpluses. Food that is not suitable for human consumption is expected to be used to feed livestock and to make fodder. Alternatively, food will be converted into fertilisers and biogas.

A SHORTAGE of wheat is driving up the price of bread and biscuits in Spain. Estimates from ASAJA show that, on average, Spain requires approximately 36 million tonnes of grain each year to meet the demands of animal and human consumption. This year, the country will be fortunate to produce 15.4 million tonnes. Exceptionally high May temperatures, in addition to damage caused by pests, has left farmers in Spain concerned about potentially low harvests this winter.

Ukraine

Spain normally imports much of its wheat and grain from Ukraine. However, shipments have been impeded due to the war with Russia. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament that around 20 million tonnes of grain is currently unable to be exported from Ukraine. This is following the blockages of ports preventing exports, as well as the bombings of several grain warehouses.

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June 15th - June 28th 2022

Nowhere to Lorca, everything to me After a series of holidays in the Alpujarra, journalist Jo Chipchase upped sticks and moved her family to the region over a decade ago

EDERICO Garcia Lorca once described La Alpujarra as ‘the land of nowhere’, and this remained true when I first visited in the early 2000s. It was as if time stood still in the charming, white villages and the vast, open spaces with the background hum of crickets. Our trip was to see friends who had bought land near the village of Lobras, a 45-minute drive from the spiritual, central hub of Orgiva, where they could enjoy a slower pace of life, restore a ruin, and keep animals. Fresh off the plane from Malaga Airport, I was immediately impressed by the Alpujarran landscape with its imposing

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mountains that dropped down to leafy terraces laden with olive groves, and just about any fruit tree you could name. While the winding roads seemed to go on forever, the views and closeness to nature more than compensated for the distance. The endless sunshine and – of course - the local vino and tapas was a great bonus. On a later visit to the village of Almegijar, my friends and I lost the booking itinerary and our sense of direction. Hopelessly wandering the Sierra de Contraviesa, miles off-route, we passed through a small village where people were laying down what looked like twigs in the road (years later, I discovered this was esparto grass, used for

SNAPS OF THE ALPUJARRA: From left, Lanjaron, goats are still a way of life as are ancient Arabic irrigation channels, and (right) the beautiful villages of Pitres and (below) Canar in Spring

weaving the likes of shoes and blinds and lampshades). As the designated driver, I couldn’t decide what to do – continue over the unknown material or stop and wait for guidance. The famous book on the region, Driving Over Lemons, by Chris Stewart had taken over a new meaning: Were we driving over someone’s livelihood? On that occasion, we waited, I am pleased to report. We eventually found Almegijar, and discovered that our accommodation was a rustic farmhouse, shared with several generations of the host family. The traditional Spaniards looked bemused as we downed a five-litre bottle of grandpa’s ‘costavin’, before passing out on the lawn, in the true style of mad dogs and Englishmen in the midday sun. Back in those days, I was a ‘townie’ and had few skills that could apply to rural settings. Changing bottles of butane gas to shower and cook can be difficult if you’re used to England’s

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

piped supply. Going out in the mountains with friends, it took me a while to realise that a hot day didn’t automatically equate friend from Brighton didn’t share my enthusito a warm night. I remember trying to borrow asm, pronouncing it ‘like a dusty Mad Max’ and dragging me away, crestfallen, to a someone’s yoga mat as a cover, quiet bar. because I was shivering, and was I eventually relocated with my curtly told to give it back. The Dragon young sons to the spa town of LanAt that time, the Alpujarra was Festival was jaron, which is best known for its markedly different to the more spring water and annual festival of modern, tourist savvy destinations described as water and ham that coincides with of today. The villages had few ame‘like a dusty the saint’s day of San Juan. nities and some hadn’t seen many Although I’ve enjoyed the mass extranjeros (foreigners). Mad Max’ San Juan water fight on June 24 Outside the main towns of Orgiva - when thousands of revellers run and Lanjaron, shopping was very around, throwing water at each limited and there were no fancy goods. Most shops stocked largely lo- other while shouting, ‘oi oi, mucho agua, mucho cal produce, which was great agua’ - I’m getting too old for such shenanigans. A if you were a massive car- night-time soaking, even in summer, is bracingly cold. These days, I prefer photographing the conivore. In the mid-2000s, Orgiva lourful event from a vantage point, away from the reminded me of a frontier powerful municipal water hoses. town, where locals rode Over the years, we saw Lanjaron become increasaround in dodgy old Land ingly busy, with the introduction of mountain bike Rovers and attended all- events, car rallies, and growth in the tourism secnight parties in the nearby tor. Although I still love the town, it was time to settlements of Cigarrones move onwards… and upwards. or El Morreon. There were Seeking a more tranquil setting, we relocated to a dozens of New Age types mountain idyll at 1,700m, among the pine, oak, around and I was reminded and roble trees, and with ample room for dogs of Glastonbury festival, but and horses. I love the high sierra, where you can drive through in the hot sun. I’ll never forget the legendary a shady pine forest, head up a steep mountain Dragon Festival in Cigarrones - a track, go over the ridge, and look down on the vilweek-long bash that almost never lages of Capileira, Bubion and Pampaneira nesstopped. Unfortunately, a visiting tled below.

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A BRITISH man had a wedding night to forget in Mallorca after hitting his bride and being carted off to jail from a property in the Calvia municipality, though his new wife refused to press charges.

Chipper chimp A CIRCUS monkey dumped in a Ukraine dog shelter after his owner was killed in the war has a new home 1,000 kilometres away in Villena, Alicante.

Feeling blue PUERTO BANUS has been awarded its first blue flag in two decades after The Jose Banus Marina scooped up the prize to make Marbella the leading municipality for the coveted award.

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The Rock’s ONLY free local paper June 15th - June 28th 2022

Rock n Roll Pres Barack Obama heads for hotel where Guns N’Roses stayed HE is easily the hippest of ex-presidents, so it’s no surprise to learn he’s staying at a hotel normally frequented by rock and football stars. US legend Barack Obama has checked in at five-star Finca Cortesin on the Costa del Sol, this week. The Casares hotel, near Estepona, is celebrated for being the chill out spot, post tour, of fellow American rock legends Guns N’Roses.

By Kimberley Mannion

As the Olive Press revealed in 2014, both singer and guitarist Slash (pitured with Obama) and Axl Rose have taken €1,000-a-night suites for a week at the end of their European tours. Also a highly-rated golf course, it is no surprise that footballers including Gareth Bale, James Milner and Jamie Carragher

Lazy postie A BUILDER doing renovation work on a Biar house that used to belong to an Alicante postman, discovered over 20,000 undelivered letters dating back to 2012. The previous homeowner worked for Correos in 2012 and 2013 on a temporary contract.

have stayed over recent years. And we can reveal that Obama himself is taking full advantage of the testing 18hole course, as well as the

even more famous Real Club Valderrama, just up the road, where a round of golf costs around €400. The president is following in the footsteps of his wife, Michelle, who came to Andalucia in 2010, with their daughters, staying nearby in Hotel Villa Padierna. Barack is this week set to be the keynote speaker at an international forum on innovation and digital transformation in Malaga. The Digital Enterprise Show 2022 (DES) costs around €1990 to attend.

A WILD boar caused chaos when it emerged from the sea after a cooling dip and BIT an elderly woman. Lifeguards spotted the animal swimming off Albir beach on the Costa Blanca and blew warning whistles to get bathers out of the water. But as they set foot on dry land, so did the boar. It charged down the beach and bit a 67-year-old woman in the leg. She was taken to a health centre for treatment and the boar continued on its merry way and disappeared inland.

Tick tock gone A tourist had a Barcelona trip to forget after thieves tore off his €800,000 wrist watch in the street. The theft happened in the C i u t a t Vella area of the Catalan capital.