Olive Press Gibraltar - Issue 202

Spain´s best restaurants

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TIME TO CHILL

Dive in and keep cool as the heatwave arrives

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‘Financial Rock’

CHIEF Minister Fabian Picardo called Gibraltar a ‘financial rock’ as he announced the British territory’s fast recovery from pandemic and Brexit woes during his budget speech in Parliament.

Public sector workers in Gibraltar stand to get a lump sum of around £1,000 as part of the new budget discussed in parliament before going to press.

Along with a tax reduction of 1%, it is one of the more concrete features of a budget that has seen public coffers lose just £15 million in contrast to £45 million predicted for 2022/23.

The Gross Domestic Product is up to £2.55 billion this financial year, a growth of 7.5%.

It puts Gibraltar’s per capita GDP at around $103,300 –around third or fourth in the world going by 2023 estimates.

Picardo said that the debt to GDP ratio dropped to 22.4% from 25.6% and predicted it would have a £2.5 million surplus.

Cash reserves in the Savings Bank and the Community Care fund were now at £67.5 million and 38 million respectively, he added.

‘VOX CAN SAY WHAT THEY LIKE’

CHIEF Minister of Gibraltar Fabian Picardo has slammed Spain’s Vox as residents fret at how hard the far-right party could make life for local people.

Vox claims it will exert ‘all international pressure’ to reclaim the Rock in its manifesto, and the rhetoric has had locals scrambling for cover.

It inaccurately labelled the Rock as a ‘web of piracy, drug-trafficking, contraband and money laundering’ and in 2021 said it wanted to ‘suffocate’ Gibraltar by closing the frontier.

And Olive Press reader Marie Ross could not hide her concern in an email to the editor.

“It is obvious that the possible rise to power of the right-wing coali-

Gibraltar begins to circle the wagons as residents fret that a rightwing victory in Spain’s upcoming election could spell doom for the Rock

By John Culatto

tion will significantly complicate the difficult negotiation process on Gibraltar and will actually cancel all the previously achieved agreements,” she wrote.

“Vox will actively promote a strong position on the Gibraltar issue in

the government and in the legislative authorities, which would contribute to an escalation of the situation.”

But Picardo slammed the party directly

in a recent statement to the European Scrutiny Committee at the UK’s House of Commons.

“Vox can say what they like about Gibraltar,” the Chief Minister roared back.

“Gibraltar is never going to be Spanish – that’s the reality.

“Whatever the political rhetoric, that position is never going to change.”

He summed up: “They are never going to get a finger on my land –we will never allow them to.”

The Rock’s leading politician has already successfully sued Vox MP Augustin Rosety Fernandez de Castro for defaming him on Twitter.

Gibraltar’s Supreme Court in 2022 forced the Cadiz MP to pay £20,000 in damages which Picardo then donated to charity. Hope remains

But the Vox party in its manifesto has not completely ruled out a negotiating position in the talks, even if it delivers a narrow mandate.

The far-right party said it would only ‘reject any agreement between the EU and the UK that does not respect the sovereign rights of Spain over Gibraltar’.

And its goal of ‘applying all inter-

national pressure necessary to recover that occupied territory’ is not so dissimilar to the Partido Popular.

In fact, the centre-right party speaks in a similar tone within its manifesto how it wanted to talk to the UK about ‘the decolonisation of Gibraltar and the recovery of sovereignty’.

But Picardo pointed out to the European Scrutiny Committee that in its very next line the party suggests it is still up for negotiation.

“We will address the post-Brexit situation, defending Spanish interests in fiscal, financial, environmental and security matters, and we will pay special attention to the free movement of people,” the PP manifesto pledged.

This prompted Picardo to express hope that a deal is still possible even with the PP in government, as the Spanish conservatives were the ones who kicked off the New Year’s Eve talks in the first place.

“We must not fall into the trap of putting rhetoric over reality,” he said.

“There are opportunities to continue on the same track and I won’t give up on pursuing [them],” the Gibraltarian political leader added.

CHIEF: Picardo speaking at the House of Commons recently

Readers return

THE Book Crossing on Main Street recently attracted such a large number of visitors that organisers are now hoping to arrange another in mid-summer.

Cruise champ

THE captain of the Marella Voyager said the Rock was one of its 2,000 passengers ‘most popular’ stops.

Cancer fighters

ST Bernard’s Hospital is now setting up a new cancer unit at St Bernard’s Hospital.equipped with ‘state-of-the-art equipment and technology’, the GHA said.

Authors return GIBRALTAR’S annual literary festival will once again take place this year on November 17-19 at different locations including Garrison Library thanks to its sponsor Gibunco.

A COURT fined a man £1,000 and gave him a suspended sentence after police found two hunting knives on him when he was riding his bicycle on the pavement in Gibraltar last year.

Jamil Medhurst, 24, of Laguna Estate was also carrying a small amount of hashish.

Officers were patrolling Ocean Village at 2am on August 13 when they saw Medhurst riding his bicycle on a pedestrian path.

KNIFE LIFE

There they searched him and found he was also carrying £23 of cannabis resin, arresting him again. He pleaded guilty to possession of a blade in apublic and possession of a class B drug. The court gave Medhurst a suspended sentence and ordered him to pay £1,000.

Abusers targeted

WHAT A CHOPPER: Hunting knife was confiscated

Justice kicks in

TWO local men who left their boot prints on another man’s face in Gibraltar’s Queensway will spend years rotting in prison after someone caught the robbery on camera.

Long jail time for mindless thugs in unprovoked attack

By John Culatto

THUGS: Life in jail

Aaron Santos, 34, of Laguna Estate, and another man who juvenile at the time, lashed out in what police called an ‘unprovoked and random attack’ on Boxing Day last year. At about 6.30am on December 26 2022, Santos and the juve-

POLICE in Gibraltar seized three shops in Watergardens, a Catalan Bay property and a taxi licence bought using money laundering worth in total £2 million.

The Royal Gibraltar Police made their move after the Supreme Court ruled that they belong to the close family of Clint Serra, who they had been investigating since 2020.

A judge ruled Serra’s family bought the £2 million in assets with cash gained from drug trafficking.

Police first started to look into Serra’s business deals after a Spanish law enforcement agency raised his profile as part of a

nile stopped and got off their motorbike and started to beat a man was walking south along Queensway for no apparent reason. “The two men punched and kicked the victim multiple

Property poach

cross-frontier partnership. A receiver will now sell the properties and the money raised will become part of the newly set up Gibraltar Recovered Asset Fund. This fund will then be used to strengthen police and customs’ operational effectiveness.

“It made no difference if the assets were not in the suspected’s name as this was no bar to an investigation and would not prevent the RGP from targeting criminal assets,” the police said.

times, leaving bruises and swelling all over the man’s body,” the Royal Gibraltar Police said in a statement.

“The assault was so severe that a boot print was left on the victim’s face.”

“I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you here,” shouted the juvenile as they kicked him.

Santos then took his mobile phone and the pair left the scene on their bike.

The man struggled to his feet and walked home.

He later went to the police station and the hospital, kicking off the investigation.

Officers soon detained the two suspects and they later pleaded guilty to the charge of robbery.

The court then sentenced Santos to four years and eight months prison and his young accomplice to 16 months behind bars.

A LOT of people ‘do not even realise’ they are in abusive relationships, Gibraltar’s Minister of Justice warned as her Domestic Abuse Act came into force.

Minister for Justice Samantha Sacramento – who has spearheaded the criminal reform –said it ‘will radically transform domestic abuse in Gibraltar’.

The new law introduces a new criminal offence of carrying out ‘controlling or coercive behaviour’ as well as making strangulation a crime, even if it is not fatal.

It protects children ‘who see, hear or experience domestic abuse’ by recognising them as victims, the government said.

The Rock’s Ministry of Justice has brought in UK experts to train local authorities since November last year.

A lot of effort went into showing how to prove ‘coercive or controlling behaviour’, because it can often be so normalised in marital relationships.

“A lot of victims who are in coercive controlling relationships do not even realise this,” Sacramento said.

“I hope that they work out what we are doing and our awareness campaigns will assist in this respect,” she added.

New powers in the Act that allow senior police officers ‘in urgent circumstances’ to order a domestic abuser to leave his home to protect victims will be put in force after further training later in the year.

Richie’s return

THE seemingly ageless Lionel Richie returned to play Marbella last week after an eightyear hiatus.

Just 72 years young, the crooner, who rose to fame as part of the Commodores in the seventies, performed some of his greatest hits at the auditorium of the Starlite festival. “It's been an amazing night and I hope to see you again soon," Richie said on stage at the end of the concert.

HE had been walking down a Barcelona street in the early days of the Spanish Civil War when a striking figure captured his eye. It was July 25, 1936, and the woman standing on a barricade really stood out. Antoni Campañà jumped into action training his camera on the attractive Spaniard wearing militia fatigues.

Smiling broadly with all the early optimism of the Republican cause, she held up the classic black flag of Spain’s CNT anarchist trade union. The picture - like Robert Capa’s legendary Falling Soldier photo taken in Cordoba - would go on to become one of the most emblematic symbols of the war.

But the famous photo would also spark a decades-long mystery – just who was this iconic woman?

Her identity remained unknown for an incredible 87 years, until a breakthrough five years

Our aunt Anita

ago, when the identity of the photographer was first discovered.

A Barcelona local, Toni Monne, was rummaging around in his old family house in Sant Cugat when he discovered a box containing thousands of wartime photographs belonging to his grandfather, Antoni. And among them was the iconic image. Step forward a few years and Monne began working with the National Art Museum of Catalunya (MNAC) to prepare an exhibition of Campaña's work. Then, as if by fate, when the exhibition finally opened a family member of the unknown woman attended while visiting Barcelona from France.

“We got goosebumps,” François Gomez Garbin revealed, on seeing his aunt Anita in the photo. And by chance Monne, who happened to be there at

THAT’S THE PITS!

Formula One hotshot Lando Norris’s Spanish rental villa burgled while out for dinner

HE may be blessed with wealth, good looks and a career as F1 driver, but Englishman Lando Norris’s good fortune seems to have deserted him in recent times.

Not only is the 23-year-old hotshot enduring a less-thanstellar racing season, but he recently became the victim of a very expensive robbery – the second in two years. The McLaren driver revealed he had been burgled while he had gone out in Marbella with a group of friends to eat. The group, that included the

By Walter Finch

popular influencer Jennie Dimova, found their luxury villa in the nearby hills ransacked and most of their possessions gone.

"We were out for dinner, and our place got robbed," Norris, who is currently ninth in the standings, revealed. "A mixture of many things were stolen. Some were expensive and some were not so expensive,” he continued.

“It is still an ongoing investigation so I cannot say too much."

HEDGEHOG RESCUE

A TEAM of unique 'hedgehog-saving' dogs have been trained to rush into action after the first summer wildfires razed parts of the Doñana national park.

The canines have been specially trained by an environmental group to sniff out injured hedgehogs.

Once located, the hedgehogs are treated and cared for and then returned to their natural habitat.

that moment, was told that the woman’s name was Ana Garbín Alonso. And finally her story was known.

Born in Almería in 1915, Alonso was 21 years old when Campaña took her photograph, which was then distributed throughout Europe on the postcard album, The Fight in Barcelona. When the war ended with a win by Franco's fascist army, Alonso was forced to cross the Spanish border and settle in Beziers, France. She became a dressmaker and had a son, Pepito, yet incredibly never once returned to Spain. Despite this, Spanish culture pervaded the walls of her home, its music, food and humour. And now, this month, her story is being told in an extraordinary exhibition in Montpellier entitled; Hidden icons. The Unknown Images of the Spanish War. Alonso died in 1977, but the exhibition remembers her fighting spirit and includes a selection of many other of Campaña's works.

Choli-days

The shocking turn of events left Dimova shaken up, as she shared her anguish on TikTok.

"If you're wondering why I look like this, it's because our villa got robbed," she said.

"Everything I owned - my clothes, my shoes, my bags, my jewellery - everything has been taken.

“I'm left with literally nothing.

I cried for two hours, but what can I do?"

The blow didn’t stop Norris from coming second in the British grand prix at the weekend. It is a big improvement having only managed to secure points in four of the other nine races this season.

DIEGO Simeone has been spotted enjoying a break from the daily pressures of the Atletico Madrid hotseat with the missus.

The 53-year old waded into the shallows with his bikini-clad paramour Carla Pereyra, nearly 20 years his junior, during their getaway in Ibiza.

The Argentine, often known as ‘Cholo’, needed to let his hair down after a so-so season with Atletico. His side notched their customary third place finish and crashed out of the Champions League in the group stages.

A SOLDIER from Gibraltar said it was a ‘dream come true’ to clinch a gold medal at the European Masters Judo Heavyweight Championship in Tampere, Finland.

Ethaniel Jefferies-Mor beat Poland’s Witold Fijalkowski and Spain’s Moises Gomez in his category to take top spot.

“Winning the gold medal at the European Masters Judo Heavyweight Championship is a dream come true,” he said.

The Royal Gibraltar Regiment soldier

Bado done

goodTEEN darts prodigy Nico Bado made Gibraltar proud by reaching the last 16 at the World Darts Federation European Cup boys singles in Austria. He beat Italian Mattia Di Cintio 4-3 to reach the quarters where he lost to eventual England

No.1 Thomas Banks 4-2 in a closely fought match.

It followed Bado’s success to clinch a spot on the coveted Advanced UK Junior Tour at just 13-years-old on the JDC Foundation Tour, the first Gibraltarian to ever achieve such an accolade.

“I’m thrilled to have finished third in the ranking table,”

Bado said.

“It is a challenge I’m eagerly looking forward to!”

The youth team also managed back-to-back wins against both Sweden and Switzerland.

Minister for Sport Steven Linares was generous in his praise for the team.

“Darts and youth darts in particular, continue to go from strength to strength,” Linares said.

Grappling win

is the only Gibraltarian to ever get a personal invite to the European Judo Masters.

He is inter-services heavyweight champion and won gold at the Island Games for Gibraltar.

British Forces Gibraltar saluted his ‘extraordinary display of strength, skill, and determination’.

“With nerves of steel and an unshak-

Fighting tyranny

able resolve, Ethaniel executed stunning throws, precise groundwork, and masterful technique,” British Forces Gibraltar said in a statement.

“Each move displayed his years of dedicated training and experience.”

It was the first time the European Masters Games have been held in Finland.

People decide

THE Chief Minister of Gibraltar admitted that there could be a referendum if issues at EU treaty talks ‘relate to sovereignty’ in a recent UK parliamentary hearing. Fabian Picardo said a referendum could also take place if an area of the deal ‘changes the way things are done in Gibraltar’ at a House of Com-

Picardo tells London Gibraltar could hold a referendum on EU treaty

By John Culatto

mons’ European Scrutiny Committee meeting recently. He denied reports that negotiations were stalled on the

A NEW recovery programme developed will help non-abusive parents and child victims in Gibraltar recover from the trauma of domestic violence.

Minister for Justice Samantha Sacramento said they will put into place a similar system to the UK in partnership with the Care Agency. Many local UK authorities already use the evidence-based Domestic Abuse Recovery Together (DART) to allow children and parents to communicate and build up their relationships.

issue of the airport, instead saying the pause in talks was because of the national Spanish elections on July 23.

“The talks were sticky, difficult and intense, which is exactly what you would expect

Building trust

The programme will give children and parents the chance to meet others who have gone through similar experiences.

Research by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) says children abused in their earlier years are four times more likely to experience more abuse or be violent themselves when they have a family.

in this process as it comes towards an endgame,” Picardo said. He said most of the obstacles to a final deal were not practical issues but ‘political’ ones he believed could be resolved.

The Chief Minister said one particular area which ‘can deliver prosperity’ had to be done ‘in a way that is sovereignty neutral’. He did not mention the issue in particular though, as has been the case throughout the talks. Any such controversial changes could mean a referendum, although this would probably be after the fouryear trial of the EU Treaty, he explained.

DEPUTY Chief Minister of Gibraltar Joseph Garcia likened the death of a Polish war hero exactly 80 years ago this week to the struggle to support Ukraine.

Garcia spoke to a large crowd of locals and Polish visitors about General Wladyslaw Sikorski who died in a freak accident on July 4 1943 in Gibraltar.

Sikorski, Poland’s Prime Minister in exile at the time, died when the Liberator Bomber he was in crashed into the sea 15 seconds after taking off from the local airport. Although various authors claimed his death was staged, they could never prove it. But Garcia dwelt on the common sense of duty, shared principles and values and determination to stand up for what is right between Poland and Gibraltar. He attended a special religious service at the St Mary’s Cathedral and later laid a wreath at the Sikorski Memorial at Europa Point.

Garcia, a keen historian himself, paid tribute to Sikorski, who he said represented the Polish resistance to Nazi oppression.

“Eighty years on, Gibraltar is united with Poland and our European allies in backing the struggle against tyranny elsewhere,” Garcia said. “We are defending the same values in 2023 that we stood for in 1943, as we stand together with the people of Ukraine.”

THE OS 35 bulk carrier will soon leave Gibraltar seas aboard a huge barge nearly 11 months after it beached there following a bay accident.

The mammoth Fjord semi-submersible barge first carried it off to the Eastern Anchorage south of Eastern Beach after weeks of work lifting and securing the two parts of the OS 35.

A controlled oil leak occurred on Tuesday afternoon when the heavy lift platform picked up the stern and bow sections of the bulker that had broken last winter during heavy storms.

Workers then sucked out all the oil from around the Fjord while lifting the barge out of the water.

They then removed the preventive boom that contained the spill and stopped another ecological disaster.

Captain of Gibraltar Port John Ghio has declared the removal by Dutch contractors Koole Ltd a ‘success’ after the ‘detailed planning’ that went into the operation. Workers aboard the Fjord will now make sure the ship sitting atop the barge is se-

WRECK BIDS FAREWELL

Hulking bulk carrier finally to be moved after 11 months beached in Gibraltar

By John Culatto

curely fastened for the next two weeks before it sails to the Netherlands.

Once there, the contractors will likely break it up further, recycle the metal or sink it to create an artificial reef.

Pride

“This is a significant accomplishment for the project as well as for our company,” Koole Ltd said in a statement on its website.

“We want to express our pride in our hardworking crew and their dedication throughout

Fabian Picardo put his weight behind getting a House of Commons MP for Gibraltar as long as it keeps its full autonomy. Picardo said he would give ‘a big yes’ along with other British Overseas Territories.

“We have British citizens who are not represented in the British Parliament and this has to be addressed in some way,” the Gibraltar Chief Minister said.

Ready, steady, go

A TEAM of 73 athletes from Gibraltar will take part in nine different sports at the Island Games in Guernsey starting Saturday.

The Rock’s Minister for Sport Steven Linares wished the departing team ‘all the best’ for the Natwest International Island Games to be held on July 8-14 on the British Channel Island.

A total of 3,000 athletes and officials from 24 territories will take part in the week-long sporting event.

Gibraltar’s team will be eager to better their medal tally of eight gold medals, 12 silvers and nine bronzes when it was the host nation the last time the games were held in 2019. Its athletes will compete in athletics, badminton, cycling, shooting (pistol and clay), sailing, swimming, table tennis, tennis and the triathlon.

Gibraltar excelled in shooting, tennis and athletics at the last event in 2019, and these could bring the best chance for success this time around.

Apart from the athletes, sports officials, physios, media and delegates will also be accompanying the local team. Linares will take part in the opening ceremony at the seafront of St Peter Port on July 8.

He said it was ‘a great honour’ to support the team as the return of the Island Games ‘marks an important point’ after the pandemic.

BULK: Beached for 11 months

this project.”

The beaching of the OS 35 700 metres from Catalan Bay attracted global media attention, especially from interna-

Gib MP idea

“We were represented with the rest of the British people who were within the European continent in the European Parliament,” he said. “We are now not represented in the British Parliament in London, but of course there are other issues that arise as a result.”

operations,” Marine Insight said.

But Gibraltar marine charity

tional shipping media.

“The conclusion of the salvage operation demonstrates the industry’s commitment to safety, environmental protection, and efficient maritime

The Nautilus Group has told The Olive Press that sea life would be hurting for a whole decade after oil leaks from the accident.

The incident sparked off when the OS 35 left the Bay of Gibraltar on August 29 and collided with the bow of another ship, the Adam LNG, forcing it to beach off Catalan Bay.

A Gibraltar court declared the Syrian captain of the OS 35 bulker guilty of negligence for his part in the incident but allowed him to go free with a suspended sentence.

“The Games are a fantastic platform for many young athletes and their importance cannot be underestimated. “Our athletes will, as always, represent us with pride. “I can only hope that their hard work and perseverance is rewarded, and they attain the targets they have set for themselves.”

TEAM: Gibraltar is sending 73 athletes

BULLSEYE: Youth team

Voted top expat paper in Spain

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

OPINION

AWAITING THE STORM

CHIEF Minister Fabian Picardo appeared calm and composed as he faced MPs at the European Scrutiny Committee at the House of Commons recently.

In the face of overwhelmingly poor odds of a neighbouring nation pushing to the far right for a party that hates the very idea of a British Gibraltar, he was even defiant.

Rather than bow to the spectre of fear descending on the Rock’s population at the reincarnation of General Franco’s dream, he slammed Vox’s words as rhetoric and said the EU treaty still had life in it.

And looking at their manifesto pledges, he might have a point.

Vox does not say it would carry out its threat to close the EU’s southern frontier putting into peril thousands of Spaniards’ jobs.

Instead, it is full of angry words towards the Rock’s piracy and hash smuggling, although it is clear most of them are actually Spanish.

And Gibraltar authorities have been doing their level best to seize more money laundering assets too, helping to overturn the FATF grey listing. Picardo was clear and concise about his thoughts at the London committee meeting.

His strong leadership on the international front bodes well for his own electoral chances too.

A lacklustre GSD Opposition that has now combined forces with the remnants of Together Gibraltar is steering its way to another defeat.

The Chief Minister was even permitted a smirk or two at the ignorance of the UK MPs that then urged him to be Gibraltar’s representative in the House of Commons.

But for now, all eyes will turn to the Spanish election on July 23 and its ramifications on the Rock’s future outside the EU.

The PP has vowed not to ally with Vox at national level despite similar partnerships at regional and local levels. What is clear is that July will be a very hot month and we are not just talking about the weather.

ELECTION FE VER

ON July 23, Spaniards will be heading to polling booths for the fifth time in the last 10 years, to choose the next prime minister and the government.

But according to the polling, it is far from clear who will be picked by voters and indeed whether any party or parties will get enough votes to avoid a stalemate.

Here is a complete guide to everything you need to know ahead of this key moment in Spanish politics.

WHY ARE WE HAVING ELECTIONS NOW?

After forming Spain’s first coalition government since the country returned to democracy in the 1970s, PSOE Socialist Party Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has repeatedly stated that he would see out the entirety of his fouryear term. His administration was formed in early 2020 thanks to the support of junior partner Unidas Podemos, and the PM could have called elections as late as December of this year.

But after the May 28 local and regional

WHO ARE THE MAIN PARTIES STANDING?

Sanchez is running for reelection as prime minister, despite his reputation having taken a hit over the last four years thanks to the deals he has done with smaller, nationalist parties such as the Catalan Republican Left and EH Bildu, the former political wing of Basque terrorist group ETA.

His main opponent is Alberto Nunez Feijoo of the PP, followed by Santiago Abas

cal of the far-right Vox.

A newcomer is Sumar, a leftist alliance that has absorbed the two component parts of Unidas Podemos, the United Left and Podemos itself, as well as other smaller leftist parties from Spain’s splintered political spectrum. The candidate for Sumar is current deputy prime minister and labour minister, Yolanda Diaz.

HOW DO GENERAL ELECTIONS WORK IN SPAIN?

Spaniards will be voting for the 350 deputies who will take their seats in the lower house of parliament, the Congress of Deputies.

Spain uses the D’Hondt method, which allocates Congress seats in proportion to the number of votes received, as well as a closed-list system of candidates, meaning that voters choose the party rather than the politicians who are running.

As for the Senate, the 208 seats are allocated using an open-list system, where electors vote for candidates rather than parties.

WHAT DO THE POLLS SAY?

While the predictions vary as to what will happen, one thing seems certain: no single party will win an outright majority of 176 seats in the 350-seat Congress, meaning a coalition is inevitable. The latest poll from Spanish daily El Pais predicts the PP and Vox will fall eight seats short of an absolute majority, with 125 seats for the former and 43 for the latter, a total of 168.

The survey, carried out by pollster 40dB, also predicts 111 seats for the PSOE and 35 for Sumar, for a total of vative newspaper ABC has predicted that the PP tween 175 and 183 seats, potentially paving the way mation of

WHO COULD DO DEALS?

Polling data has prompted analysts to predict that a PP-Vox government is the most likely outcome of the July 23 polls. But if the groups fall short of a majority, they could struggle to find support. This is mostly due to Vox’s hardline policies on issues such as LGBTQ+ rights, domestic violence and illegal immigration (see over). The Basque Nationalist Party, for example, has already made clear it won’t support a PP-Vox administration.

ANOTHER ‘FRANKENSTEIN’ GOVERNMENT?

This paves the way for a repeat of the 2019 election result, whereby the PSOE teams up with new leftist alliance Sumar, and seeks support from a myriad of smaller parties. The current administration has been governing in a minority this way over the last few years, but it has cost Sanchez dear: his concessions to Catalan separatists, including pardons for the jailed leaders of the 2017 independence drive, have come with huge political fallout, while agreements with EH Bildu in order to pass legislation have raised the ire of conservative voters and victims’ associations alike.

A REPEAT ELECTION?

Another possible outcome from July 23 is that Spaniards will be forced to return to the polls: if the result is inconclusive, and no party can find the support in Congress to select a prime minister and form a government, the elections may have to be rerun. This, however, could mean that the country is left with a caretaker administration until well into 2024.

IT is in many ways the Doomsday scenario for Spain … and certainly Gibraltar (you’ll need to read to the end).

But, what seemed impossible a year ago is now a terrifying reality with Spain’s July 23 general election set for next weekend.

As Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez sweet-talks his way around Spain on the traditional campaign tour, he may just be sleepwalking his way into allowing a fascist party into Moncloa Palace.

For (far) right up his rear-end - and with activists shadowing his every move - is the extreme nationalist party Vox, which is odds-on to become the dealmaker by the end of the month.

With an anti-EU agenda and policies to ban abortion, scrap gender violence laws and eject immigrants from Spain, the new party has understandably been labelled as ‘fascist’ and ‘neo-Nazi’.

So it’s alarming that Vox will likely hold the balance of power, expected to win between 11 and 14% of the vote (37 to 40 seats, next week). As, when coupled with the expected 135140 senators (33-35%) for the right

THE COWARDLY HYPOCRITE

Santiago Abascal

Leader Santiago Abascal will once again stand as the party's candidate for the Presidency. The 47-year-old who appeared a-la-Putin, riding a horse during the last election campaign as if he was a Spanish Conquistador is well-known for his blatant hypocrisy.

SURPRISE VOX

The Olive Press analyses four of the most controversial members of Spain’s far right party with the general election looming this month

wing PP party, the chance of Vox getting into a coalition government inches ever nearer.

While left wing coalition, Sumar, is making in-roads and threatening to grab up to 15% of the vote, it may not be enough to save Sanchez.

Here, we take a look at four controversial characters in Vox.

While he strongly advocates the eradication of useless public bodies he refers to as chiringuitos, Abascal actually benefited from one in the past.

In 2013, in fact, he was appointed Director of the Foundation for Patronage and Social Sponsorship in Madrid.

This was a public body with no obvious activity and only one employee, in addition to Abascal, who was assigned a staggering wage of €82,491 per year. Abascal, a former PP member who has never worked outside politics, created VOX on December 17, 2013, the very same day the Foundation for Patronage was dissolved.

He later described this organisation as ‘unnecessary.’ But didn’t, of course, give the money back.

The VOX leader has also - no surprise as a fan of former dictator Francovehemently supported the return of compulsory military service in Spain, which ended in 2001.

Something Abascal never undertook, coincidentally, as he asked for three consecutive extensions that allowed him to postpone his enlistment, until it was scrapped.

THE CLIMATE DENIER

Marta Fernandez

Marta Fernandez is a 56-year-old lawyer who became Chairwoman in the government of Aragon last month.

Fernandez, from Zaragoza, be-

came infamous for her several tweets dismissing the existence of gender violence, the covid pandemic and, even, wait for it, climate change!

Indeed ‘gender violence does not exist,’ she insisted just two years ago, telling feminists ‘you are the granddaughters of the Christians, who kicked Muslims out of the Iberian Peninsula so you can now walk around topless in the street.’ Granddaughters, Marta? How well did you do at history?

Fernandez, who thinks climate change is invented, also thinks that the Covid-19 pandemic was a conspiracy.

“Wash your hands regularly, because the Government and media are responsible for brainwashing,’ she railed.

And of course, she is also against the LGBT movement and, predictably, defined the arrival of migrants as an ‘invasion.’

ANTI-ABORTIONIST Javier Ortega Smith

Simon Hunter simon@theolivepress.es Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es

Alberto Lejarraga alberto@theolivepress.es

Jo Chipchase jo@theolivepress.es

John Culatto

‘GET TXAPOTE TO VOTE FOR YOU’

Cristina Hodgson cristina@theolivepress.es

Walter Finch walter@theolivepress.es

‘QUE TE vote Txapote’, roughly translated as Get Txapote to vote for you. This seemingly innocent Spanish phrase, which is nice and catchy thanks to its rhyme, is causing an ongoing headache for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, and pain for the victims of terrorism.

But who is Txapote? And who came up with the slogan that has dominated the ongoing electoral campaigns in Spain?

The slogan first appeared on September 3, last year, when Sanchez was making a visit to Sevilla.

While he was received warmly by supporters, the Socialist Party leader was also confronted by a group of protestors, likely Vox supporters, who whistled, jeered and proffered insults.

Among the group was an older, portly gentleman, who was carrying a sign above his head with the now-immortal words: ‘Que te vote Txapote’.

Txapote’s real name is Francisco Javier Garcia Gaztelu, and he is a convicted terrorist from the now-defunct Basque group ETA.

Aged 57, he is currently serving a 152-year prison sentence for his crimes, which include some of the most shocking murders during ETA’s decades-long bloody campaign for an independent Basque Country.

Among these was the killing of Miguel Angel Blanco, a local PP councillor who was kid-

The slogan about ETA that is plaguing the prime minister and victims alike

napped by ETA, who demanded their prisoners be brought to jails in the Basque Country, closer to their families, in exchange for Blanco’s release.

The then-PP government of Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar refused to negotiate, and Blanco was shot twice in the head and left to die.

The kidnapping and the murder shocked Spain, and galvanised social rejection of ETA and its bloody campaign.

In fact, more than 500,000 people turned out to a demonstration in Bilbao while Blanco was still alive and being held by ETA, a phenomenon that was repeated in several other parts of Spain.

So what does Txapote have to do with Pedro Sanchez?

The reason why the slogan works, and why it has stuck, is to do with the political deals that the prime minister has had to make over the last nearly four years of his government.

After the inconclusive elections of 2019, Sanchez formed a government with junior coalition partner Unidas Podemos (United We Can), but the administration still lacked a working majority in Congress.

As a result, to pass legislation – including the

all-important budget – Sanchez has done deals to gain the support of a series of smaller parties, including EH Bildu, which is the former political wing of ETA.

This has caused huge controversy among victims associations, as well as opening up a political flank where the opposition can attack him – and also gave rise to the now-infamous phrase, ‘Que te vote Txapote’.

EH Bildu is a legitimate political party, but its history and its often-timid condemnation of ETA violence means it is anathema for parties such as the PP and Vox.

The appearance of the slogan has prompted hundreds of column inches in Spanish newspapers, and it became a regular phrase used on social media.

It gained further traction on January 25, when a man who was being interviewed by broadcaster TVE about a speed camera issue suddenly started shouting it and other insults against Sanchez.

It has also been seized upon by far-right party Vox, and members of the PP. The regional premier of the Madrid region, Isabel Diaz Ayuso, cited the slogan during a debate in the Madrid assembly as a way of criticising the Socialist Party.

Sanchez himself is outright furious about it. He recently insisted: “It’s evil, it’s making use of the suffering of the victims without scruples nor principles.”

And ETA victims are equally unhappy. “The victims deserve to be treated with RESPECT,” wrote the sister of Gregorio Ordoñez, who was killed by ETA and heads up the victims association.

“Using a hashtag to trivialise the murder of so many innocent people, including my brother Gregorio, shows a lack of principles and how

unimportant we are,” she added.

As for the man who carried the sign first using the phrase, no one has been able to track him down. But sources at El Confidencial claim he is a keen Vox supporter.

Whoever he was, he has created a slogan that has likely done untold damage to Pedro Sanchez and his electoral hopes.

As fellow politician, Pablo Iglesias, the former deputy prime minister and founder of Podemos, insisted: ‘the phrase has won the elections’.

Javier Ortega Smith is one of the VOX founding members and most controversial characters. Smith, a 54-year-old lawyer, became well-known in 2018 after swimming (yes splashing in the briny) to Gibraltar to erect a Spanish flag of 180 metres wide. “Gibraltar is Spain. Pirates out of the rock,” he later He also has an unserved arrest warrant, only effective in Gibraltar, for stealing a concrete block in British waters in 2014.

The councillor for VOX in Madrid, he was criticised for boycotting a minute of silence for the victims of gender violence by carrying a banner that said ‘gender has no violence.’ Smith, who will be number four in the Madrid list for the general election, also believes ‘abortion is not a right’.’ “A woman can decide what to do with her own body. She can decide what haircut she wants, her nail colour, or what to eat, but when you have created life, it is not your body, but an independent living being.”

WIFE-ABUSER

Carlos Flores

Carlos Flores, who led the party’s list for the Parliament of the Valencian Community, was sentenced for gender violence in 2002.

Although many VOX members, including Marta Fernandez, don’t believe in gender violence, Flores was convicted for this offence as he ‘insulted, coerced and harassed’ his ex-wife, a staggering 21 times a court heard.

The 59-year-old was handed a prison sentence and given a threeyear restraining order against the

mother of his three children.

According to the court sentence, he once told her ‘I will be screwing you all your life until you die and am done with you.’

Flores who is also coincidentally a former member of pro-Franco party Fuerza Nueva - was forced to step down from the PP-VOX coalition for the Valencian Parliament because of his conviction…

However, it has not stopped leader Abascal placing him as number one in the list for the Valencian Commu

nity in the general election. Be careful what box you tick, fine people of Valencia!

The polls put the conservative PP in the lead, but deals will likely have to be done with farright Vox in order to govern

VOTE WINNER?

THE Conservative opposition Partido Popular (PP) will create a National Water Authority to deal with Spain’s water supply issues for farmers and other sectors should it win the July 23 general election.

The proposal would provide ‘governance, investment, and management’ solutions to water problems right across Spain as the country grapples with the worst drought in decades.

A potential PP government would want a uniform approach to water policy and to do away with local governments coming up with ad hoc initiatives.

Its manifesto also talks about ‘the use of technologies to optimise resources’.

Despite opposition from some environmentalists, the party feels that defending farming and irrigation is a potential vote winner ahead of the snap

Climate goals

THE Spanish government has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 32% of its levels in 1990, after receiving a backlash against the previous target of 23%.

The decision came after pressure from Greenpeace España, which has brought two lawsuits against Madrid demanding a 55% reduction of emissions. They accused the government of failing to create a national climate strategy for the end of 2030 required by EU law.

The Spanish government countered they are not bound by law to meet a specific reduction percentage and the Ukraine invasion has led to a step back in climate change efforts.

Toxic spill bill

election.

The PP, led by Alberto Nuñez Feijoo, wants the ‘participation and collaboration’ of the regional governments along with a ‘scientific and social consensus’ to set up the new national body.

It also aims to make the maintenance of irrigation for agriculture compatible with natural areas like the Doñana Natural Park, and those badly affected by farming overexploitation such as the Mar

Menor lagoon. The commitment to irrigated crops is clear with the PP electoral programme: “We will promote a modern and sustainable irrigation, efficient in the use of water and energy, which generates an agriculture of greater added value and capacity to generate employment.”

It also mentions collaboration with the 17 regions and municipalities for a ‘more efficient’ use of water and fertilisers in irrigation and to modernise supply channels to cut water losses in distribution chan-

nels. The PP plan talks of ‘priority investments’ for sanitation, supply, and flood control, as well as ‘guaranteeing’ water needed for irrigation.

The proposal also refers to a plan to modernise the country’s infrastructures and to use resources to minimize flood and drought risks.

Over flooding the manifesto mentions the ‘prioritisation of restoring riverbeds, especially urban ones, which allow increasing the protection of people, property and the environment’.

Rising from the briny deep

THE junta is suing mining company Boliden for €90 over the 1988 toxic spill that contaminated the wetlands in Andalucia’s Doñana National Park.

The disaster occurred when a wastewater reserve pool burst at Boliden’s mine in the city of Aznalcollar. More than five million cubic metres of heavy metals escaped into the river, devastating the aquatic life. The junta spent millions on the clean up in the national park, although Boliden claims that it voluntarily supported the clean up, spending €80 million of its own cash. The case is underway after failing to go through in 2001 when a Seville court ruled that Boliden was not criminally responsible.

NOT FIRE….BUT ‘TYRE EXTINGUISHERS’

IT is quite amazing the way civil obedience can take on new formats.

Especially when it comes to climate protest. Get this.

There is an international climate direct action group called The Tyre Extinguishers.

They target SUV vehicles as this type of vehicle has disproportionately high carbon emissions. Their aim is to ban large 4x4 vehicles in the world’s urban areas.

ATTACK THE POSH/MIDDLE CLASS AREAS (all you need is a lentil and a leaflet)

That’s what they say online, along with detailed instructions on how to stick a lentil or other type of pulse into the tyre valve of a car, then replace the cap, leaving it to bleed air overnight.

The activists / saboteurs then leave a leaflet on the windscreen with an explanation of why the owners have been targeted.

The group is not the first to embrace this type of action .

Back in 2007 a Swedish group called ‘The Indians of the Asphalt Jungle’ targeted 1,500 SUVs.

The Tyre Extinguishers kicked off last year and the movement is snowballing.

Last September the group claimed to have deflated over 600 tyres in the UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, the Czech Republic and Canada.

Last month direct action started in Australia.

The elegant upmarket zona de Sarrià in Barcelona was attacked last month.

The disciples of this group have now stepped their approach… many tyres are not just deflated, they are being slashed.

PROUD LLANITA

Gibraltarian artist keen to preserve the Llanito language

AN archaeological team has made an extensive survey of a 2,500-year-old Phoenician ship to work out the best way to extract it from the sea.

The Mazarron II is named after the town in Murcia, where it was found off the coast in 1994.

Eight metres in length it is regarded as the most complete ancient ship to be discovered, but unless raised, it risks further damage from currents and storms.

The vessel was found largely intact with a cargo of lead ingots weighing 2,820 kilos.

A total of nine archaeologists have worked for over a fortnight to log any cracks and fissures across the ship, which lies 60 metres from Mazarron’s Playa de la Isla.

Later this year, the experts from Valencia University will recommend how to protect and retrieve the wreck. Its new home would be the National Museum of Marine Archaeology in Cartagena where Mazarron I - restored 30 years ago - is currently on display.

It was discovered by chance in 1988 during the construction of a new marina. Historians have used the Mazarron II, probably made around 580 BC, to document how the Phoenicians shipped metals such as lead from the Iberian Peninsula. After it sank, it remained buried in sediment for more than 2,000 years until changes in currents unearthed it in 1994. It now lies under about 1.7 metres of water.

Vandalism in the name of climate action does not sit right with me.

The level of activity has increased since the lockdowns (Covid-19) have been lifted.

CHAOS IN MARBS

Just imagine the devastation that will happen if this movement takes hold in Marbella and Puerto Banus.

The Yummy Mummies will miss their Yoga classes. Mrs Oligarch will not get new nails. Wayne will not be able to race between the speed bumps in his Wange Wover. Oh dear, oh dear.

A SINGER from Gibraltar says she is doing her own little bit to preserve the Llanito language as she launches her new afro-beat flamenco EP, Madre Mia. Karima Azzopardi describes herself as ‘a proud Llanita’ who wants to spread the messages of her personal experience through her music in both English and Spanish.

By John Culatto

Azzopardi told The Olive Press that her interest in music started at just three, when she took part in a local TV show and then studied it at university.

“I sing because it is my passion,” Azzopardi reveals.

“It’s not about the publicity or how well a song does,

THE ever-popular Gibraltar fair will take place on August 19-27 at the old Rooke site on Queensway featuring rides, tombolas and stalls.

The Self Determination for Gibraltar Group (SDGG) announced Gibraltar Cultural Services will jointly organise the nine-day fair before National Day on September 10. Works will begin shortly on the site to prepare the area for the fair that normally attracts attractions from Andalucia’s summer ferias. The SDGG said it would have ‘a varied range of attractions for different age groups’. It will set the price of all rides at a fixed

but how it makes me feel when I produce it.”

Inspired by

such varied artists as Niña Pastori, Pablo Alboran, Mocci, Antonio Orozco, and Omar Montes, she wants to put across her own ethnic fusion to the world.

“Being Gibraltarian is a huge benefit because I can

Fair game

£3 and give community groups an opportunity to run their own stalls.

“There will be tombolas, games and other side stalls including those being put up by local charitable and sporting organisations,” the SDGG organisers said.

“Eating and drinking outlets will also be provided as well as the ever popular Churros stall.”

Visitors to the Rock will experience the strong close-knit community spirit that the Rock is famous for.

proudly say I belong to a place where diversity in culture is so welcome and supported,” she says.

Azzopardi says that she wants to promote the unique Llanito fusion in her songs, especially as she also has Moroccan

roots.

“I will continue to promote this in my songs because I feel the Llanito language is being lost in our younger generation and Spanish is being used less and less,” she says.

“People find it very easy to sing along to my songs so perhaps this could be a great way to keep our llanito trait going.”

And far from being shy of live shows, she says she is the first to say ‘yes’ when she gets asked to perform on stage.

“It brings me a lot of joy to engage with the public and have them sing along to my sets,” she adds. Minister for Culture John Cortes says Azzopardi, whose stage name is Rima, produces ‘a unique sound’ that ‘will make her a very successful Gibraltarian artist’.

Martin Tye is the owner of Mariposa Energía, a green energy company specialising in solar panel installations. Email him at martin@mariposaenergia.es or call +34 638 145 664

New style of climate activism is a real let down

Green Matters By Martin Tye

By Alex Trelinski

BATTLEGROUND: Barcelona’s Sarrià

Taxing tech

INCOME tax payments and returns will now be simpler than ever in Gibraltar after the government added the service to an online phone app.

Workers and employers will no longer have to do their tax on endless amounts of paper or even by attaching statements to emails.

Past tax assessments will be on the app too, making it easier to fill in the basic or repeated details rather than starting from scratch each time.

The app, called ‘Gov.gi eServices’ is available for both major smartphone systems.

This latest technological jump has been a major petition from business groups and unions alike.

Its strength is that it has integrated both the tax return and claim allowance forms into one service.

This is not the case in other bigger countries where finding the forms online can cause some major difficulty.

People can also send their tax return by email or on paper if they want, with forms available to download on the gov. gi website or to take at the tax office at the end of Main Street.

“Simplifying the tax filing experience has always been among our top priorities,”

Commissioner of Income Tax John Lester said. Mtions’ in the future.

Impressing businesses

GIBRALTAR is hoping to attract more conferences and corporate events after tourism chiefs put on a stand at the Meetings Show in London.

Gibraltar Tourist Board (GTB) CEO Kevin Bossino led the UK’s leading exhibition for events, business meetings and incentives.

Held at the Exhibition Centre in East London, it brought together up to 1,500 meeting and event planners that showcased their products and services.

“People were impressed when they saw all that Gibraltar had to offer,” Bossino said.

He boasted that Gibraltar was ‘an excellent destination’ for conferences and business meetings, as everything

is in English and it is sunny 300 days a year. Bossino added that as Gibraltar has ‘plenty of interesting team building opportunities available’, it is ideal for the smaller groups that attend these sorts of events.

Minister for

Business and Tourism Vijay Daryanani, said it might take some time to gain people’s trust.

“There are some very good opportuni-

Mañana mañana

Jobs

A NEW survey seems to confirm what some might long have suspected: Spaniards prefer cushty government jobsfor-life over high-risk high-reward entrepreneurship.

OP QUICK CROSSWORD

Grey days

ties for Gibraltar in the niche and boutique space,” the minister said.

“Destinations take a long time to build up a reputation in this sector.”

Dear Jennifer:

PROTECTION

By Alex Trelinski

The polling, conducted by Funcas, found that only a small minority of the Spanish

public (13%) would advise a young person to become an entrepreneur and go into the private sector. Instead, over half would recommend young people to put their feet up in the public sector as civil servants.

The survey also reveals that 20% would advise young individuals to work as employees for others, 7% would suggest self-employment, and the remaining 13% were uncertain or opted for an alternative option.

The results surprised the researchers behind the study, Elisa Chuliá and Juan Carlos Rodríguez.

“It is striking that the proportion of respondents revealing a professional preference for the public sector exceeds the combined responses related to occupations in the private sector,” they said.

They went on to speculate that preference for government jobs may be rooted in a perception of increasing uncertainty across various aspects of life, particularly in the last decade.

The public sector offers stability and shorter working hours - often clocking off at 2pm - in a time of economic insecurity.

It is also more compatible with other responsibilities and appealing to the rising value of leisure time.

However, the researchers voiced concern about the findings.

“Is a society that overwhelmingly encourages its young people to work in the public sector forgetting that the income to pay these civil servants depends decisively on private sector businesses and workers generating sufficient wealth?”

GIBRALTAR is continuing its work to fight financial crime through its Quad Island Forum after it failed to convince the FATF to remove it from its greylist.

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Plenary on June 21-23 noted the ‘progress’ Gibraltar has made in ‘taking more enforcement actions, imposing financial penalties, and publishing the results of cases’. But it said the Rock needs to ‘address its strategic deficiencies by showing it is able to pursue more final confiscation judgments commensurate with the risk and context of Gibraltar’.

The FATF report said that as ‘all deadlines have now expired’ and it ‘encourages Gibraltar to continue to implement its action plan’. But the British territory’s government said there is ‘nothing more’ it can do to raise the importance of the issue on its own initiative.

Entangled

It said in a statement that the delisting process is now outside its remit and it would have to let the regulators and enforcement agencies take their own path to fighting financial crime.

Only last week, Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) from Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man and Jersey met in London to discuss how they could continue to step up their game.

Over three days, Gibraltar’s FIU experts learnt how Jersey and Isle of Man had raised the bar before Moneyval assessments. The four authorities are now exploring links between tax offices and the FIUs to catch entangled tax fraudsters who use the system to their advantage.

Director of the GFIU Edgar Lopez said the Quad Island Forum ‘links up technical experts in specialised fields to learn from each other’ and improves ‘existing measures’.

Going down Good job

INFLATION in Spain has dipped to below 2% for the first time since March 2021, according to provisional June figures published by the National Statistics Institute.

Inflation fell by more than one percentage point in June, reaching 1.9% year-on-year, down from 3.2% in May, with fuel, electricity and food price increases easing. The June inflation rate puts Spain in a better place than most of its neighbours within the eurozone, where inflation reached 6.1% year-on-year in May.

It’s a significant change from a year ago when inflation in Spain hit 10.8% in July 2022- its highest level since 1985.

Electric incentive

SPAIN will pay back up to 15% of income tax to people who buy an electric vehicle before the end of the year in a bid to encourage sustainable driving. The maximum income tax deduction would be €20,000.

“The aim is to place Spain at the forefront of Europe’s rollout of electric vehicles,“ said Economy Minister Nadia Calviño.

A TOP sommelier has been given a two-year prison sentence for secretly selling luxury bottles of wine in Spain’s Basque Country. Guillermo Cruz, who was named the best sommelier in Spain in 2014, sold a number of high-end bottles from a two-star Michelin restaurant where he worked in Gipuzkoa. The 39-year-old wine expert worked at Mugaritz restaurant from 2012 to 2019, where he was the dining room manager. Cruz has now been sentenced for selling a number of the restaurant’s most expensive bottles - worth €22,487 - to third parties. The accused admitted to the deeds, but he claimed the bottles belonged to him and the restaurant consented

FROM HEAVEN TO HELL

to the sales. Cruz added that he had his own wine collection in the restaurant’s cellar and that he had even bought some of them himself from the establishment.

He claimed he had bought over 200 bottles of wine from Mugaritz, which he paid with cash.

But the court dismissed this version and ruled that the sommelier ‘was not authorised to sell wine bottles from the restaurant for his own benefit’. However, it could not be

proved that all the bottles he sold belonged to the two-star restaurant. Mugaritz initially asked for a compensation of over €60,000, but it was decided that Cruz would only need to pay €22,487.

However, the sentence is not final and the wellknown wine expert can appeal to the High Court of Justice of the Basque Country.

Pizza the action

IF you think of pizza, then thoughts inevitably turn to Italy, but Spanish pizzerias are having a louder and louder say these days.

So much so that Sartoria Panatieri in Barcelona has been declared the best pizza restaurant outside of Italy, according to the prestigious Italian pizza ranking guide, 50 Top Pizza. The restaurant has notices around the premises informing customers of its farm-totable pizzas with the majority of its ingredients coming from nearby farms. The restaurant features specialities with a number of unlikely ingredients including cauliflower, Brazil nuts, and even egg yolk. Rafa Panatieri, the man behind the pizza - and onehalf of the Sartoria Panatieri team - had an interesting journey into the world of gourmet pizza making.

Spain’s winning pizzas to challenge Italy

By Alex Trelinski

The chef first discovered his passion for pizza during his childhood in Brazil where he learned to embrace his Italian heritage while cooking with his grandparents. Panatieri briefly worked as a veterinarian before trading the operating room for the kitchen when he opened his now-famous pizzeria in the Gracia district of Barcelona. Even though Italy is still largely known as a pizza heavyweight, Spanish pizzas have been giving their

Little suns rising

SPAIN’S Repsol restaurant guide has updated its Soletes category for the summer with 88 in Malaga, including chiringuito beach restaurants and ice cream parlours.

Unlike the acclaimed ‘Suns’ that mark a certain exclusivity, the ‘Soletes’ (little sun) are given to eateries that are popular locally, for appealing places that you would recommend to a friend and within reach of any pocket.

In Spain some 3,300 establishments have been included in the Soletes category since it began in June 2021.

This is so important – are you prepared to protect your family?

We can assist you with our bespoke life and mortgage protection policies to protect those that are most important to you, should the worst happen.

The first question would be – have you taken out life insurance?

You may have a mortgage protection policy, which means on your death the mortgage will be paid. But of course, this is does not provide your family with financial security when they really need it. Mortgage protection is a good policy to have as it will pay off any mortgage you have on your house, keeping your family secure in their home. This is death-only cover, however there are some additional options you can add on if you require them.

For example, for mortgage payment protection, for €100,000 of cover for a 50 year old can be as little as €305 per year.

Whereas life insurance provides a payment to your family.

You can tailor the life policy to your own requirements and create a bespoke life insurance policy – whether to cover the initial costs incurred on your death or give your family a lump sum to provide for their future.

For example, life cover of €50,000 for a 50 year old, can be as little as €155 a year.

Our bespoke life policies can give you the cover most suited to you needs with standard death only cover and additional covers to include:-

● Repatriation

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You do need to be resident in Spain for these policies and there will be a simple health/medical questionnaire that you will need to complete online. These policies are available with monthly direct debit payments, and our policies will be in English. Alongside the life policies, we can provide various Accident Policies to give your protection throughout your life and provide support should you sadly experience a life changing accident.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR A QUOTATION, PLEASE CALL ONE OF MY OFFICES, EMAIL INFO@ JENNIFERCUNNINGHAM.NET OR VISIT THE WEBSITE WWW.JENNIFERCUNNINGHAM.NET

Italian counterparts some stiff competition, even before Sartoria Panatieri’s big win. While Italian pizzas focus on the subtle flavours of a few carefully selected ingredients, Spanish pizzas incorporate a myriad of creative elements that bring complementary flavours together.

Italy who?

IN more great news for the purring Spanish economy, the jobless total has fallen by over 50,000, to 2,688,842 in June. It is at its lowest level since 2008, just before the financial crash.

Government figures show that 54,541 new workers were registered in the Social Security system, making a total of 20,869,940 - the highest number ever. And unemployment among people under 25 also fell by 3,552 last month, leaving the number at a new low of 184,491.

“These data are very positive,” Yolanda Diaz, Spain’s Ministry of Labour said. She insisted: “Unemployment has been reduced in all sectors and in every region of the country.”

THE Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba - a World Heritage Site since 1984 - is on the verge of breaking its record for number of visitors. The monument, the first stone laid in the 8th century AD, is already at 92% percent of visits compared to its best year, 2019, at just past the halfway point of 2023.

In 2019 a total of 2,079,160 people visited the monument and though the high season for tourist trips to Cordoba is late spring - early summer (April to June), everything points to this year being the best for visitors in the ancient mosque’s history.

In addition to the first place spot on the Top 50 list, Spain also snagged six additional spots on the 50 Top Pizza list, more than any other country. The other honoured Spanish outlets are Frateli Fugurato(Madrid); La Balmesina(Barcelona); Baldoria(Madrid); Demaio(Bilbao): Oro di Napoli(Tenerife); and Infraganti Pizza Bar (Alicante).

Great Mosque

King of the mountains

Halfway up the windy road to Ronda, is one of the most exciting openings this year on the Costa del Sol, writes Jon Clarke

T was listed as an ‘Experience of tomatoes, consomme, sorbet & confit’... and on the hottest night of the year (plus the absence of gazpacho) it was about all fancied

Fortunately, if anyone understood this it was head chef Clive Rogers, who insisted drolly: “If it’s 35 degrees out here can you imagine what it’s like in the kitchen?” (actually pretty cool and calm, if you really want to know). And off he went to reappear 15 minutes later with one of the stand out dishes I’ve tried this year (and certainly this summer).

Beautifully presented, like a crow’s foot, its colours alone cooled me down. Comprising half a dozen types of tomato in five different guises, its textures were as interesting as its flavours. started with the consommé in a shot glass, before being blown away by the intensity of the sorbet and then a crunch of skins.

“After we mix up the ingredients we then filter it all through a muslin cloth for 48

Party. The South African knows a thing or two about cooking, having done his time in the UK, helping win a Michelin star for charming Feathers hotel in Oxfordshire, before heading to the Alps, where he ran various Michelin-starred kitchens.

Alongside sous chef Sam Tineo the cousin of celebrity chef Dani Garcia, no less, and a former charge at Sketch, in London, plus Calima, in Marbella) they have sculpted a short, but varied menu, heavy on local ingredients and top quality produce.

“And we are working really hard to keep the prices down,” continues Rogers, who estimates the average spend is only about €50 to €60 a head.

On first glance it does seem extraordinarily cheap for its location, sandwiched between the two most expensive urbanisations in Andalucia, La Zagaleta and Madronal, 15 minutes up the Ronda road from Marbella. The costliest dish on the menu was a splendid beef fillet and foie gras with lemon thyme Rosti potatoes, spinach, carrot and ‘Coto jus’, at just €37.60… a ‘real winner’ insisted my dining partner, Olive Press sales executive Matt Jones.

up from the nearby Golden Mile and even Sotogrande, 30 minutes away. Word is spreading.

It is certainly one of the most exciting openings of the year so far. Not to mention most costly, with the renovation and interior design alone, coming in at ‘well over €1 million’.

But the money spent really shows the moment the place appears on a bend of the windy A-397 to Ronda. Nestled in oak woodland, interspersed with carobs and umbrella pines, the original claret-coloured building is really striking.

2. Disfrutar, Barcelona

MODERN techniques and personal talents come together in Disfrutar’s gastronomic experience.

Set up by the trio of chefs, Mateu Casañas, Oriol

Castro and Eduard Xatruch, it sits behind a typical tapas joint, unfolding into a cavernous space behind. This is the first of ‘many surprises’ in what the judges describe as some of the ‘world’s most modish dishes’. Punters experience the classic tasting menu,

3. Diverxo, Madrid

which takes four hours, with its wine pairing options.

Playing with shapes, textures, and flavours, Disfrutar’s experimental style has earned it two Michelin stars and its place as Europe’s best restaurant.

TOP OF THE WORLD

Spain has officially ground down its rivals to once again prove it’s the global dining capital, insists Jon Clarke

4.

THE bold, rule-breaking flavours by chef Dabiz Muñoz are part of a greater, more marvellous story.

Immersed in a fantasy-world of outlandish decor, staff dressed in punky uniforms serve a range of stunning, creative dishes. For foodies, the DiverXO experience makes dreams feel tame. Passing through the hands of five or six chefs before plating, the gastronomy follows Muñoz’s love for avant-garde art from conception to completion – he describes the experience as ‘something like the Cirque du Soleil’.

A unique dining experience in a inspiring location boasting stunning views of the Andalusian landscape all the way down to the Mediterranean Sea

RESERVATIONS:

+34 951 74 47 77 / +34 627 12 14 43 clive@cotorestaurante.com www.cotorestaurante.com

Monday to Saturday: 11am-12am Sunday: 11am-6pm

Ctra. de Ronda, A-397, Km. 44, 29679 Benahavís, Málaga

The ‘Tomato experience’ at €12.81 was an absolute steal, while another delicious starter of smoked mackerel, with roasted peppers and parsley on toast came in at €12.48.

These are keen prices cleverly worked out on market costs and overheads and it’s perhaps no surprise that they are starting to finally see diners driving

And its views, particularly from the top floor terrace towards the Serrania de Ronda and the emblematic La Concha mountain, are incredible, while surprisingly you don’t hear the road, thanks to a clever use of fountains.

“When first saw the place I thought it was too big,” explains Rogers. “It was expensive for just a huge shell with everything stripped out. But my business

hours to create the concentration of flavour,” explained Rogers, 42, who is also the co-owneralongside Lord Stanley Fink, the former chairman of the UK’s Conservative partner thought otherwise.”

That was four years ago and, after a combination of hic

cups, including the pandemic and the war, it finally opened this Spring.

And what a stunning intervention the architects have made; a wonderful use of space inside, with original artworks, natural wood floors and un

usual recessed ceilings and skylights, maximising on light in winter.

The only thing that didn’t change was the wine cellar by the front door, which today is stocked with some incredible chestnuts. Part of Rogers collection that includes a 2015 Mouton at €2,200 and

a 1994 Petrus at ‘many thousands’ more, but thankfully with plenty of local Spanish wines, some starting at €25. Back to the food. And, well, it’s exceptionally good, as it has to be half way up a mountain and with Andalucia’s dining capital of Marbella right on its doorstep. would have tried one of the specials of the day, in particular the spicy ginger and carrot soup, if it hadn’t been for the heat.

The lobster ravioli with a samphire and shellfish bisque, plus the pork belly and pigs cheek with kimchi, were tempting as starters, while the fish pie with tempura pickled clams as a main did tickle my fancy. A vegan dish of strudel, filled with sweet potato also intrigued me. But plumped for the pan-fried turbot, with beetroot, fennel and orange salad, vanilla and cardamom and was certainly happy, if there wasn’t quite enough actual fish (and yes, do get the cost of proper line-caught fish these days). must give a mention to the stunning lemon cheesecake which was very light, coming in a crunchy shell of white chocolate with delicious lemon rind. A real work of art… as was head waiter Andy, who grew up in George Formby’s house near Manchester and went off to fight as a helicopter pilot in Afghanistan, next to Prince Harry, and ended up with 750 stitches in ‘first contact’ hand to hand combat. But that’s a whole different story. My advice: get in there now, nice and early, while the average price per head is far too reasonable, and before it wins anything silly like a Michelin star.

www.cotorestaurante.com

WITH a trio of restaurants in the World’s Top Five, it’s fair to say that Spain is still leading the way in the kitchen.

20. Quique Dacosta, Denia 22. Elkano, Getaria

JUST two years after he began his career as a chef in 1986, at just 16 years of age, Quique Dacosta began working at a restaurant that would later share his name. His food takes an artistic approach to the geographies and cuisines of the Mediterranean and nearby Montgo Natural Park. Putting Valencian cuisine very much on the map, his respect for nature — the roots of the restaurant — comes forth in every bite.

The three long-time competitors have been jostling for their positions in the prestigious 50 Best list since 2019… but it’s the first time they all made it so high. Indeed, it’s the first time for over a decade that a trio of Spanish joints have dominated the top five in the 50 Best poll. You have to go back to 2010 when legendary El Bulli, Mugaritz and Cellar de Can Roca were in the top five. The trio this year Disfrutar, Diverxo and Asador Etxeberri have been consistently leading the charge creatively for decades.

The team at Disfrutar, at number two, fittingly worked together under Ferran Adria’s incredible guiding eye at El Bulli from the late 1990s

AT this incredibly picturesque spot, Aitor Arregi uses his method of whole-grilling fish over a wood fire as the foundation of his flavour. Playing off Getaria’s gastronomic heritage, this method of cooking has become an integral part of the town’s cuisine and a tradition for Arregi, whose father, Pedro, opened the first Elkano back in 1964. There is a distinct emphasis on sustainability and the local connection is reflected within the dishes and maritime decor.

and when it shut they set up together in 2014.

At Diverxo, Dabiz Muñoz and his exwife even slept on the floor of their legendary food factory so dedicated were they to getting their first Michelin star.

While at Etxeberri, Victor Arguinzoniz just did his own thing on his rustic Basque grill for 30 years as he slowly found the world starting to beat a wooden spoon to his door.

But there is more. In the 50 Best list

31. Mugaritz, San Sebastian

AT Mugaritz, presentation is anthropomorphic in the most intimate and wondrous ways. Take the dish ‘heart that does not feel’ which is a flat, almost 2D slice of meat with ribbons of fat representing the aorta. Mugaritz has long taken a phil-

64. Aponiente, Cadiz

osophical approach to food thanks to its intellectual chef Andoni Luis Aduriz. He’s probably now one of the world’s most boundary-pushing cooks and has been in the 50 Best list for well over a decade.

CHEF Ángel León is recognized as “The Chef of the Sea” for utilising ingredients from the Mediterranean and Atlantic sea in his evolving menus. The current rendition, based on the infinite sea, commits to sustainability and new techniques. Even in the dessert section, the restaurant blends together traditional sweets with seafood.

82. Enigma, Barcelona

ENIGMA uses seasonal ingredients in their monthly menus and offers different wine experiences. The finishing touches on the meals are added right at the table so guests can witness the ever changing techniques.

IN the small village of Axpe in the Basque region, the asador is a total contrast to its rivals on the list, favouring simplicity over experimentation. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t magic and his place has become a true destination restaurant noteworthy for its grill techniques.

Chef Victor Arguinzoniz’s more than 30 years of experience with ‘fire cooking’ contributes to his traditional approach and meticulous style –every dish that exits the kitchen is given his signature touch. The restaurant thrives off local produce and elevating ingredients by highlighting their natural flavours.

this year Spain once again has six revolutionary restaurants… with Valencia’s Quique Dacosta very much back in the limelight, Elkano picked for its amazing use of turbot (and other fish) and Mugaritz, thanks to the legendary Andoni Luis Aduriz, Spain’s genius extraordinaire! And finally, four more restaurants make the Top 100 meaning 10% of the world’s best places to eat are in Spain.

Here the Olive Press tells you everything you need to know about them:

A NOSE FOR SUCCESS

DIVERXO’S Miguel Ángel Millán has been voted the Beronia World’s Best Sommelier of 2023.

Millán has been working in the restaurant since 2019, expanding the wine cellar to include rare sakes, amongst other wines, and creating two pairing menus to complement Diverxo’s unique culinary experience.

81. Azurmendi, Biscay

AZURMENDI’S emphasis on sustainabili ty has contributed to its standout rela tionship with its environment, including its use of new technologies to develop dishes.

96. Ricard Camarena Restaurant, Valencia

THE different proposals offered here emphasis utilising every part of an ingredient, with menus based on homegrown vegetables that are added to sauces and even drinks.

After graduating top of his class in sommelier training, he gained experience at Spain’s Santceloni and Kabuki, a Japanese fusion restaurant. His acclaim is in part due to his dedication and perseverance as he often travels across the world in search of specific vintage wines.

In the dining room, his connection with diners allows him to meet their needs and cater to their experiences.

The award recognizes individuals who demonstrate knowledge of the craft and excellent customer service, showing how influential Millán has become in the dining world.

It is certainly one of the most exciting openings of the year so far

Asador Etxebarri, Atxondo

The road to Ronda is graced with (affordable!) elegance and fresh flavour.

TATS: Head chef Clive Rogers shows off matching El Coto tattoos with sous chef Sam Tineo

TIME TO CHILL

AS the weather heats up, nothing is more enticing than spending time in the water to cool down.

For those looking for a change from busy, sweaty beaches, there are dozens of natural bathing spots around inland Spain.

Be they rivers, reservoirs or man-made pools, they offer an amazing alternative and usually with scenic views and a decent walk around them. These naturally-forming hideaways, most within an hour or so of the coast, offer visitors the ability to not

MAJACEITE RIVER TRAIL, BENAMAHOMA TO EL BOSQUE

Change your cool down routine in Spain with these dozen inland natural swimming spots, writes Regina Roberts

only swim, but also participate in watersports or hiking. From adventure seekers to those just wanting to take a dip to cool down, there are so many options from Andalucia to Valencia.

The upper part of the Majaceite River between El Bosque and Benamahoma is found in the heart of the Grazalema Natural Park, in Cadiz, and offers one of the most magical midsummer walks. Mostly in the shade, the walk follows the course of the river, criss-crossing it with bridges. But best of all - with a dozen fantastic places to jump in for a swim. Even better, there are superb restaurants for a cool, shady lunch at either end, in particular in Benamahoma.

Quitters win

A UK government agency has recognised Gibraltar’s work to cut down smoking in the community during a recent presentation.

The UK Health Safety Agency Overseas Team presented Minister for Health John Cortes and Public Health Director Dr Helen Carter with a plaque for cutting down tobacco use. It made Gibraltar one of only two countries to be singled out for promoting the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on tobacco control.

The Gibraltar Health Authority has taken what the government called a ‘renewed and refreshed’ approach to help smokers kick the habit.

“I’m delighted that Gibraltar’s work on smoking cessation has been recognised internationally,” Minister Cortes said. “Gibraltar is proud of its holistic, cross-departmental efforts on tobacco control.”

The WHO has declared tobacco an ‘epidemic’ that kills more than eight million people a year throughout the world.

PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY

By Walter Finch

A NEW terror is stalking the south of Spain after a Costa del Sol expat had a painful encounter with a swarm of highly aggressive hornets. Trevor Hamilton, 72, from Nottingham, had the terrifying run-in with what have been identified as Oriental hornets while he was out walking his dog in Estepona on Monday. The first inkling that the ex-professional drummer had of the world of pain he was about to enter was when he heard a ‘very loud’ buzzing sound. And then one giant hornet flew at his head.

“I don’t know who pissed on their cornflakes, but they were very, very agitated,” Trevor told the Olive Press.

CHECK-A-MOLE

RESIDENTS of Gibraltar walked into St Bernard’s hospital to get their moles checked by skin cancer experts recently as experts pointed out what to look out for.

The Dermatology Department of the Gibraltar Health Authority listed the warning signs on Annual Skin Cancer Screening Day.

“Early review of moles is important,” Gibraltar’s Director of Public Health Dr Helen Carter said. The start of the summer season is often a time when the sun can hit the hardest, the health services said in a statement.

WATCH OUT: Man suffers horrific hornet attack in the Costa del Sol

“I shied away and within about five seconds I was surrounded by a lot - dozens and dozens.”

“I don’t think I can explain how it felt. It was like being stabbed with a hot knife, multiple times.

“I screamed - and I don’t scream.”

The incident resulted in four stings to his ankle but thankfully Trevor, who has owned his property in Estepona for over 20 years, managed to protect his dog and run away before things got worse.

Swelling started within minutes and both legs from the knees down turned bright red.

Two days later and his feet are ‘a little better.’

“It has been said that if they had been Asian hornets or ‘murder hornets’ - I would have been dead,” Trevor said. “I was probably in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“But my concern is that I’m pretty sure it would kill a dog and I’d be very concerned if it was a four or five year old kid because the pain is excruciating.

Farewell masks

SPAIN has said goodbye to the last remaining Covid-19 pandemic restriction dating back to spring 2020. Last week’s meeting of the Council of Ministers abolished mandatory mask wearing in areas like hospitals, health centres, and pharmacies. The wearing of masks on public transport was abolished in February and the 17 regional health ministries that form the Interterritorial Council voted in favour on June 23 to end all remaining mask wearing rules.

CUEVA DEL GATO, BENAOAN

Formed by a cavern that gives way into the Guduares river, this natural pool has icy cold water that is derived from the cave itself, which visitors can explore while wading in the water. After leaving the mouth of the cave, the water creates a natural pool that is shaded by the nearby forest and mountains.

SWARMING: Oriental hornets are aggressive when defending their nests and can pose a serious threat

hornets - ‘four times larger than a wasp’ - will present a public health threat in an area where families live and children play.

The hornet’s nest, set into a wall, is located in the Puerto Romano urbanisation in Calle del Pinsapo.

The local Linea Verde (Green Line) have been notified of the presence of the giant in-

sects.

Oriental hornets, despite being native to Asia, are also found in Europe, especially the south of Spain. When threatened, Oriental hornets can be aggressive in defending their nests. They possess a potent venom and can sting multiple times, causing pain and potential allergic reactions in humans.

Health Minister, Jose Miñones, said: “We have a totally different situation compared to 2020 with more than 90% of the population with a full dose of vaccination (105 million doses), and less than 1% of deaths and hospitalisations are down to Covid.” He nevertheless appealed for mask wearing to continue when close to vulnerable people who have symptoms of infection, as well as in hospital ICUs.

CANON DE LAS BUITRERAS, CORTES DE LA FRONTERA, MALAGA RIO GUADALMINA, BENAHAVIS

POZA DE LOS PATOS, NERJA

This natural pool is formed by the Chillar River, which has created small canyons that can be so narrow that visitors can touch both walls at once. In order to access it, visitors must embark on a short hike that runs along the river and leads to the wider portion meant for swimming. Since there is only one main area for swimming, it is best to go earlier in the day to avoid the crowds.

An official natural monument since 2003, this canyon makes for an adventurous swimming spot due to the Guadiaro river that runs through it, with its winding watercourse and vertical stone banks more than 100 meters in height. Visitors here can easily transition from swimming, to hiking and to canoeing. Due to its occasional fast-moving water, visitors are advised to wear a full wetsuit, to really enjoy the water.

Some of the signs that a mole is malignant are irregular edges, rapid growth and bleeding. If it has different colours, is oozing and is over 5mm in size, it is best to get it checked out, they urged.

And the Rock’s Director of Public Health warned about the dangers of UV rays for the skin and how to avoid them.

“Prevention of skin cancer is something we can all do by using sun cream, reapplying frequently and avoiding spending too much time in the sun,” Dr Carter advised.

“So I think it’s quite a serious issue and I’m gonna get it dealt with one way or another.”

Trevor puts down the fact that he got off relatively lightly to the strong insect repellent he had sprayed on his body before heading out of the house. A nest of highly-aggressive

LIVER CANCER BOOST

A NEW combination of immunotherapy treatment could be used to fight liver cancer, and tests on mice are underway.

Are you suffering from anxiety?

Are you depressed?

While the Guadalmina River is 28 km long, this wider portion of the river offers a great place to swim or go on an exciting 30-minute river tour. The river can be easily accessed from the A-7175, where visitors can park in the lower area of Benahavis and take a short walk down to reach the starting point. Keep in mind that it has been growing in popularity due to visitors' ability to safely jump from the small rocks surrounding the water. Unlike other natural swimming ponds, this river is regulated for swimming use and is only open between 10am and 8pm.

OP Puzzle solutions

Quick Crossword

Dr. Ignacio Melero at Navarra’s Cima University said: “We are using mice with a gene transfer from the liver where we have been able to test new immunotherapy combinations,” he added.

Liver cancer is one of the fastest growing cancer types and the sooner it is detected, the higher the survival rate.

Symptoms include loss of appetite or losing weight when you’re not trying to; increased tiredness; a lump on the right side of the stomach; and the skin or whites of the eyes turning yellow.

Are your children having social issues?

PERHAPS YOU NEED SOMEONE PROFESSIONAL TO TALK TO I HOPE WE CAN HELP. CALL US IN CONFIDENCE.

Change through relocation abroad can also add to mental health pressures and these life changes are never easy.

Counselling and therapy has changed the lives of many. Getting in touch is the first step.

Across: 7 Beaches, 8 There, 9 Odium, 10 Cobwebs, 11 Monkhood, 13 Bees, 15 Time, 16 Unbutton, 19 Colonel, 20 Rifle, 22 Loser, 23 Species.

Down: 1 Mali, 2 Thimphu, 3 Psychoanalyse, 4 Stubs, 5 Tenement, 6 Senses, 7 Bloom, 12 Nameless, 14 Guarded, 15 Tackle, 17 Needs, 18 Inert, 21 Fail.

Recognising that there is an issue is the first step on the road to recovery.

Help is available through our confidential counselling service.

+34 664 666 252 info@counselling4anxiety.eu www.counselling4anxiety.eu

In case you missed it

CONTRARY to all perceptions, last month was actually the second-rainiest June of the 21st century, according to Aemet.

Dead body

A GROUP of kids in Cantabria fulfilled the plot of many an 80s movie by stumbling across a dead body while playing around in an abandoned wasteland.

Tone deaf

THE speaker in the Congress of Deputies, Meritxell Batet, was forced to apologise for claiming that ‘most of the population has no problem paying their rent’.

BUS TO HELL

BRAD PITT-FALL

A BRAD Pitt fan suffered anguish after her dream of starring in a movie with the Hollywood icon turned out to be a very expensive fraud.

The middle aged Granada woman was wooed by a charming con man, posing as the A-lister, into an online relationship that ended up costing her €170,000.

The victim joined a Brad Pitt fan club on social media and, over the course of exchanges

Heartbreak for Brad Pitt fan scammed out of fortune by smooth-talking imposter

By Alex Trelinski

with an online figure, began to believe that she was actually in direct contact with the actor himself.

The fake Brad Pitt sent her images of his alleged attendance

at red carpet premieres and even some photos with a message addressed directly to the money to fund the bogus production costs.

woman. He even made grand promises that he would come to Spain and make a movie with her, if she would just transfer him

Look but don’t touch

BEACHES along Spain’s east coast are reporting strange fried eggs appearing in their waters - but not ones you would be advised to eat.

Thousands of jellyfish that resemble huevos fritos have been appearing in increasing numbers, according to authorities. Warmer temperatures are thought to have caused the proliferation of this unique species.

And although bathers won't enjoy spotting one of them, it should be noted their sting has little or no effect on humans, at most mild burning sensation and irritation of the skin. Handily, the Spanish Ministry of Ecology recommends washing the affected area with sea water - something which should not be hard to find.

The woman's lawyer, Antonio Estella Aroza, said that the fraudster gained the 'trust, friendship and even the love of the victim' with a relationship that became almost like that of a couple. However, over time the victim began to realise that the man’s promises were not materialising and that perhaps something was off. The penny eventually dropped for the fan, who instigated legal proceedings after she realised she had been scammed out of a six figure sum. Her solicitor has filed a legal complaint for fraud, identity theft, and money laundering, but no arrest has been made.

VETERAN rockers Kiss have been playing to adoring crowds in their trademark black-andwhite face paint and outlandish costumes since 1973. But the curtain was pulled away a little when the members of the band were snapped heading to their gig in Cartagena on an Alsa bus.

The scene - with Gene Simmons and company in full regalia looking bored - went a little way to puncturing the image of the septuagenarian rock gods.

A flight to remember

A BRITISH woman on a flight home from Ibiza got the VIP treatment after she was the only passenger on a flight to Jersey. Staff with carrier Blue Islandssome of whom had not heard of the destination - doted on lucky Hannah Maden-Adams. The cabin crew entertained the 38-year-old personally while private cars met her at both ends of the flight.

“It was very surreal, but it was just fun as well — how often does something like that happen?” Maden-Adams said.