Olive Press Gibraltar Issue 166 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

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Vol. 6 Issue 166

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February 9th - February 22nd 2022

The most controversial comic of the moment brings his Carr crash act to the Rock after Netflix storm See page 3

SHE'S THE ROCK'S DIAMOND GIBRALTAR congratulated Queen Elizabeth II on her Platinum Jubilee on Saturday. The government issued its ‘warmest and most loyal congratulations to Her Majesty on this outstanding and historic achievement which surpasses any record of longevity’. It added that many Gibraltarians recalled the ascension of a 26-year-old Princess Elizabeth to the throne after the sudden death of her father, King George VI. “For Gibraltarians, the presence of Elizabeth II and her consort, Philip, on the Rock was a special opportunity to show the deep, abiding and unwavering loyalty and appreciation of its citizens,” said Chief Minister Fabian Picardo. “I know that she cares deeply about Gibraltar and its people and that she often reflects on the happy time when she and Prince Philip visited in 1954,” he added. Opinion Page 6

NO COP OUT

Gibraltar has finally convened a public inquiry into circumstances surrounding shock retirement of former police commissioner Ian McGrail GIBRALTAR’S Chief Minister has announced a public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the sudden retirement of a former police commissioner half way through his term. Ian McGrail announced he was retiring as Commissioner of Police in June 2020 after serving just two years of a four year term without revealing his reasons behind the move. The decision to retire early after 36 years with the Royal Gibraltar Police, provoked fierce speculation and questions in parliament with McGrail himself calling for the matter to be properly investigated. Now, more than 18 months after Fabian Picardo first agreed to a public inquiry into the issue, the government has confirmed it will go ahead. Retired High Court judge Sir Pe-

By Fiona Govan & Dilip Kuner ter Openshaw has agreed to chair the Inquiry, to ascertain the facts and report to Gibraltar’s government, which Gibraltar barrister Julian Santos, has been appointed as Counsel to the Inquiry. The Government has appointed Sir Peter Caruana QC to represent it before the Inquiry.

Convene

The Chief Minister said: “As the COVID waters start to recede it is time to start this inquiry.” At the time of first agreeing to the inquiry, Picardo said ‘the Government does not consider that it is necessary to convene an inquiry’. “We do not agree at all with the

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statements made by those representing Mr McGrail about the effect that his retirement and the circumstances of it might have for Gibraltar,” said Picardo. “In fact, we consider that the opposite is the case. “The Government is satisfied that all aspects of that matter have been entirely proper and based on the legal advice received.” Picardo added that despite ‘the public curiosity, rumour and tittle tattle’ he felt it was ‘contrary to the public interest’ to express why McGrail had retired. The Chief Minister hinted that this was because it concerned ‘the recent incident at sea resulting in the death of two Spanish nationals’. “This issue, obviously, has significant political and diplomatic connotations outside of Gibraltar,” added Picardo. “No one can fail to see that or doubt that.” Now McGrail has welcomed the move telling GBC it was of ‘paramount importance in terms of the rule of law in an advanced European democracy such as is Gibraltar’. McGrail first served in front-line policing along with drug enforcement and criminal investigation in 1984.

WELCOMED: McGrail had asked for an inquiry to be launched

He was Gibraltar’s youngest Chief Inspector ever after taking the helm in 2006. In 2009 he became Head of Professional Standards and Training and became Superintendent in 2012, commanding all three divisions of the RGP. Last year McGrail, was recognised by Spanish counterparts with an award. Policia Nacional of Algeciras and

La Linea awarded him an honorary plaque. Representatives praised the former commissioner for his willingness to exchange information across the border and take part in joint operations in the fight against cross-border organised crime. McGrail thanked his counterparts for their recognition and said it was an honour and a privilege to receive the distinction.

CRIME

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NEWS IN BRIEF Boosting up SOME 118 people with weak immune systems have already received the fourth booster dose, the Gibraltar Health Authority reported.

Cops about TRAFFIC officers of the RGP removed eight derelict vehicles and reported 64 driving offenses during the first week of February, while patrolling the Upper Town.

Last episode THE tenth and final episode of the Cops on The Rock police show, aired on February 6 on Dave showed armed officers arresting a man accused of making death threats to police, while the Customs Officers searched a boat.

Get sketching GIBRALTAR Cultural Services is holding a competition to select a Logo for the Gibraltar Spring Festival. Entrants, of all ages, may submit two original works with a simple and suitable printing design before March 4. The prize for the winning entry is £500.

February 9th - February 22nd 2022

THE ex-girlfriend of Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner has admitted she spoke to him on the night the toddler went missing. Nicole Fehlinger confirmed he was on a long drive in his huge winnebago on May 3, 2007. The German, 46, who the Olive Press revealed was dating the dangerous sex offender at the time, said he was driving from northern Portugal.

I spoke to him on the night!

Critical

Girlfriend phoned Madeleine McCann suspect as he drove on long journey through Portugal

But critically, she couldn’t remember if she had seen him later that night at their shared home in Foral, on the Algarve. She said Brueckner, who spent a lot of time in Spain, had rung to say he would be driving his winnebago to Foral ‘from the town of Tomar’, 341 kms north (at least a five-hour drive). “I don’t know if he came late that night and parked his vehicle outside and slept in there, and

left that morning again, or he did not turn up,” she said. She refused to admit if this was the critical 30-minute conversation Brueckner had in Praia da Luz at 7.30pm just hours before Maddie vanished. But she did confirm he was ‘obsessed’ with young girls and liked ‘violent sex’.

Heist fugitive jailed A LOCAL man aged 31 has been sentenced to four years in prison for his part in a €1.5 million armed robbery in Gibraltar. The accused, Hamza Mesmoudi, was initially arrested in June 2017 for the robbery, which took place at a tobacco warehouse on the New Harbours industrial estate. The 25-minute raid on Southease Ltd saw him and two accomplices make off with €1.5 million. The rest of the trio are already in prison for their part in the brutal heist that took place in June 2017. Armed with BB guns and with their faces covered, they assaulted the security guard and tied up the workers. They then filled three bags with €500,000 and fled. Rachid Behdaoui, 53, and Samir Douaoui, 29, were later linked to the hold-up by DNA evidence. Behdaoui was jailed for eight years and five months while Douaoui, got three years and two months.

By Jon Clarke

“He said he liked the bodies of girls before they reached puberty,” she told the Mail on Sunday. The winnebago is the same Tiffin Allegro Bay RV that Brueckner told Fehlinger’s father Dieter he could smuggle 50kg of marijuana or a ‘small child’, adding: ‘nobody can catch you’. Nicole added that Brueckner had speculated that Madeleine was taken by ‘the underworld’, understood to be a paedophile network, while adding ‘the police will never find her’. Police have twice investigated and shut down paedophile rings in the northern Portuguese town of Tomar over the last 15 years, one centering around a priest and another a lawyer. She added: “Looking back, his behaviour did not change and he did not look suspicious after Maddie disappeared – but

he is a person who was good at hiding his feelings.” She had previously told German police that she was NOT a girlfriend of Brueckner and had only met him half a dozen times. A German police source told the Olive Press this week: “She is definitely covering herself and being very selective with what she does and doesn’t reveal. “The German police are certainly closely exploring her links to Brueckner and his crimes.”

Rob

She has already been accused by police of working with him to rob the homes of wealthy Portuguese on the Algarve. The 17-times convicted sex offender, who is currently spending seven years in prison for the rape of a 72-yearold American in Praia da Luz, in 2004, is expected to be charged with three more crimes this month.

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Homeward bound

A BRITISH man wanted by UK authorities after skipping jail for weapons offences, has been arrested in Marbella. The 29-year-old fugitive, with the initials CHTM was detained at a routine police checkpoint. Police said he had been previously arrested days earlier in Estepona for drug trafficking. UK authorities issued a warrant for the man's arrest. He had been serving time for the illegal possession of weapons, ammunition and explosives.

GOT YOUR BACCY A TOBACCO smuggling gang has been dismantled by Spanish National Police. The goods entered through Gibraltar and were stored in Cadiz to be sent to Madrid in vans. So far nine people have been arrested but the investigation is still open and more detentions are expected. Police seized 75,000 packets of tobacco valued at almost €500,000 as well as six high-end vehicles, cash and numerous documents.

NEWS

www.theolivepress.es COMEDIAN Jimmy Carr, who has recently caused a storm over a routine about the Holocaust on a Netflix special, is bringing his controversial brand of humour to Gibraltar. His gag about the murders of hundreds of thousands of people from Europe’s traveller and Gypsy communities has been described as ‘truly disturbing’. UK Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said his jokes were ‘abhorrent and they just shouldn't be on television’. The offending line was that people only ever spoke

about the murder of Jews and never about the killing of Gypsies. This he said was one ‘positive’ of the Nazis. He has now added Gibraltar as a venue for his Terribly Funny 2.0 show. And judging by the promotional material for the October 8 and 9 dates at St Michael's Cave, there will be no holding back with his material. He promises that the show will ‘contain jokes about all kinds of terrible things, terrible things that might have affected you’.

Incognito

“We were as surprised as everyone else - they came in incognito and booked a table through the hotel … we had no idea who they were,” owner of Almocabar Monolo Arias told “They were just really friendly…she is Argentinian and spoke to me in Spanish, perfect Castellano, while I spoke to him in English. “They ate wild grilled asparagus, fresh foie with berries, Rabo de Toro and roast lamb accompanied by a €150 vintage of Pago de Carraovejas,” continues Arias, a self-taught chef, whose restaurant has been a local dining secret for two decades. He added they were ‘very normal’ and chatted easily with other diners, even later posing for photographs with staff.

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Like any normal couple’ the King and Queen of Holland booked a restaurant and chatted to tourists and staff in Spanish and English

Elle of a girl

Carr crashes in

CHINWAG OVER THE CHORIZO! IT was a usually busy Saturday night in one of Ronda’s most popular restaurants. As the noise levels were shifting up a gear in came the middle-aged couple, who had booked via their hotel. Squeezed in among their fellow diners, they chose a typical range of local dishes before chatting and joking with the table next to them. They put on no airs and graces and spoke a mixture of English and Spanish. So, it came as a massive surprise for staff at Almocabar when they discovered the couple were the King and Queen of the Netherlands, no less. King Willem-Alexander and Maxima had been on a 20th anniversary tour of the region, where they first met and fell in love in Sevilla.

February 9th - February 22nd 2022

HUNGARIAN supermodel Barbara Palvin has featured on an industry-first NFT front cover for Spanish Elle magazine. The photo shoot, which took place in Sevilla, has been transformed into an NFT which will be sold at auction. NFTs - Non-fungible tokens are virtual collectable tokens that cannot be copied and are bought and sold using cryptocurrency. In recent years they have exploded onto the market, and have been endorsed by a range of high-profile celebrities. The cover was created by Catalan crypto artist Gala Mirissa whose unique brand of photography combines art with ‘motion graphics’. The cover, titled Mujer ELLE, will be auctioned off later this month with the proceeds going to the Childhood Cancer Organisation.

By Jon Clarke

“They were squeezed in like everyone else (it was actually quite uncomfortable as we were very busy that night) but they didn’t complain… they chatted to a couple of tables next to them in English - a British guy and his girlfriend from La Linea and they never guessed they were royals. “However, a Dutch couple sitting on a neighbouring table did a double take when they recognised them! They couldn’t believe it and came HAPPY COUPLE: Willem-Alexander and Maxima over later to say hello.” The culmination of their trip, troversial as Maxima’s fa- The couple have which also took in Cordoba, ther, Jorge Zorreguieta, had three daughters, the Jerez and Granada, found been a prominent member of Princess of Orange, them staying in the Parador of the Argentinian military dic- Princess Alexia, and Princess Ronda at the weekend. tatorship. Ariane. It was a romantic return for the CATE Blanchett will recouple, who ceive the first-ever Interfirst met national Goya Award at the during the Spanish film awards gala SPAIN’s most acclaimed film director Pedro Almodovar could April Fair two go with her two Ossoon add another statue to his already heaving awards cabinet. in Sevilcars. His latest film Parallel Mothers, starring one of his favourite acla in 1999 The Australian actress tors Penelope Cruz, has been nominated for Best Forand marwill collect her award eign Language Film in the 75th edition of the Bafta ried three in person at the cereawards (British Academy of Film and Television Arts). years later mony in Valencia. The film, which has had rave reviews, delves into one on February The Spanish Film of Spain’s most enduring wounds by focusing on the 2, 2002, in Academy has cretens of thousands of people who disappeared Amsterated the award for during the civil war and still are buried across dam. ‘personalities who Spain in unmarked graves. At the contribute to cinHe has already won three Baftas for All About t i m e ema as an art that My Mother (1999), Talk to Her (2002) and The the marunites cultures and Skin I Live In (2011) as well as an Oscar for r i a g e spectators from all Best Original Screenplay for Talk to Her. was con-

Mum’s the word

Goya Cate

over the world’. The 52-year-old was chosen as ‘an extraordinary figure’ and ‘an actor who has played unforgettable characters that are already part of our memory and our present’ said an academy spokesman. Last month it was revealed that Blanchett will produce and star in Pedro Almodovar’s first feature in English, an adaptation of Lucia Berlin's book, A Manual for Cleaning Women.

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

February 9th February 22nd 2022

CLERGY SEX PROBE LAUNCHED SPAIN is launching a nationwide investigation into Catholic church sexual abuse - after its clergy chose to hush up the issue. The country’s ombudsman is being brought in to oversee the investigation after an Episcopal Conference ruled out compiling its own nationwide report in December. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stepped in after the church merely agreed to set up commissions at diocese level to hear complaints from

Spain to probe church sex abuse with independent national commission By Fiona Govan

abuse victims. “The victims cannot be silenced,” said Sanchez this week. “It is time to heal our wound and prevent it from happening again.” He added the government was ‘committed to not letting the abuses go unpunished’.

NEW CHAIR PROFESSOR Ian Cumming has been appointed Chairman of the GHA for the next 18 months. He has worked for the last 25 years in management positions in various local and national agencies in England. In 2020, he was appointed Professor of Global Healthcare at Keele University, Chair of the West Midlands Ambulance Service and UK Ambassador for Healthcare in the Overseas Territories. He has also worked closely with Gibraltar as Chairman of the COVID-19 Vaccination Committee.

It comes after El Pais handed over a dossier to Pope Francis cataloguing abuses of 1,237 victims by priests over a 75year period in Spain. The ombudsman Angel Gabilondo will be joined on the commission by two MPs, one each from the PP and Podemos parties.

Abuse

The move comes a week after Spain’s Attorney General, Dolores Delgado, ordered 17 regional chief prosecutors to send details of current judicial probes into child sex abuse. The regions have been given one week to send their dossiers to Madrid. All criminal investigations involving the Catholic Church must be reported, as well as any other complaints that may not have reached the courts.

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5 Cruising for a partner

February 9th - February 22nd 2022

NO TIERS

Stay safe A NUMBER of local organisations teamed up with the RGP to mark Safer Internet Day. It is supported in more than 170 countries around the world to help make the Internet a safer and better place for everyone, especially children and young people. In Gibraltar and the UK the initiative held on February 8 unites millions of young people, schools and groups to spark conversations on key issues around online safety. Detective Sergeant James Currer, who works in the Public Protection Unit, led this year’s Safer Internet Day on Gibraltar. “Our aim is to raise awareness of issues that affect young people, such as cyber bullying, online grooming and sexting.” If you have any concerns about your children using the Internet, you can call the RGP on 200 72500 and ask to speak to the Safeguarding Team.

A WEDDING planner the Olive Press exposed as a conwoman in Spain a decade ago has been jailed in Ireland. Expat Sue Danker has been found guilty of deception and theft over a series of weddings in Andalucia. The Irishwoman pleaded guilty of fleeing Spain, leaving a trail of debts in 2012, before reappearing on a reality TV show in Ireland. We revealed how Danker had left countless couples high and dry on their big day when she ‘vanished’ from the Costa del Sol after her company, Spanish Dream Weddings, went bust. But rather than coming

Expat wedding planner who shattered dozens of couple’s dreams led down the aisle… to prison By Kirsty McKenzie

clean and telling clients about her financial problems she carried on trading and failed to return deposits. The 48-year-old and her husband Howard Danker had previously featured in an Irish TV documentary in 2007 called The Great Escape, about their move from Dublin to Marbella to set up their wedding business. She later appeared in the reality TV show Clubland, The Wright Venue, in 2015,

THE European Cricket Network, dubbed the ‘Champions League of cricket’ is underway in Malaga. The tournament sees 30 European nations battle it out in fast-paced 90 minute cricket matches at the Cartama Oval. Five Malaga schools are attending the tournament with around 30 students each. The tournament has been designed to inflame the interest of kids in keeping with the tournament slogan: ‘Cricket’s Cool’. Spectators can have their photographs taken with the Eu-

after she fled from Spain amid the financial scandal. We first reported that Danker had run into financial difficulties in October 2012, after a string of expats revealed they had lost their dream weddings thanks to the planning scam. Danker admitted in a Dublin court that she continued to trade until September 2012 when she no longer had enough money to pay contractors. She pleaded guilty to three counts of deception.

Cricket showcase ropean Cricket League trophy and even the option to act as ball retriever in the live games. The children will also be able to go ‘behindthe-scenes’ of a live broadcast to see how cricket is broadcast in real time. Students will also be taught the basic skills of cricket with sessions laid on each morning via two qualified coaches including the assistant national team coach for Spain. It is hoped that the tournament will inspire more Europeans to get involved in the sport which remains rather niche on the continent. The event is being shown across 40 different countries.

FLASHBACK: Our previous stories on Danker 2

January 22nd - February 4th 2015

Cop killer ‘on the run’ in Spain A RUNAWAY murder suspect is being hunted in Spain. Merseyside police has issued an appeal for help to track down 30-year-old Timmy Donovan, wanted in connection to the murder of a policeman. A European Arrest Warrant has been issued for Donovan - also known as Timmy O’Sullivan - who is believed to have killed PC Neil Doyle, 36, on a night out in December. He attacked the policeman, who was out on a police force Christmas bash in Liverpool. He later died of massive head injuries. Detectives believe Donovan could be in Spain, after leaving England at about 8:30pm on December 19 through the Eurotunnel. He is believed to have been driving a grey Mercedes A180, with the registration YE62 NWG.

FUGITIVE: Donovam Donovan is described as 5ft 8in tall, broad build, with dark brown hair and blue eyes and has a Liverpool accent. Please contact the Olive Press at newsdesk@theolivepress.es and the Matrix Serious Organised Crime Major Crime Unit on 0800 230 0600, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111

CRIME NEWS

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Wedding runner returns

A wedding scammer who left various couples out of pocket for their nuptials is set to appear in a reality TV show

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Sue Danker with husband Howard and (below) posing for promo photos

EXCLUSIVE By Rob Horgan A WEDDING planner who left a trail of debts in Spain has grabbed a starring role on an Irish reality TV show. Sue Danker (who now uses the name Suzanne Mulvey) ‘vanished’ from the Costa del Sol in 2012, leaving countless couples high and dry on the day of their nuptials. After fleeing to Dublin leaving thousands in debts, Danker apparently disappeared. But now the Olive Press can reveal that Danker has landed herself a plum job as the PA to a multi-millionaire in Ireland. And to add insult to injury, she is starring this week in a brand new TV show based on Michael Wright’s celebrated nightclub, The Wright Venue. In what will comes as a major embarrassment for Ireland’s national broadcaster RTE, the high profile programme Clubland features Danker among the raft of his key staff. Launching tonight, she is already seen in promotional material and sources told the Olive Press, she is expected to be ‘one of the key characters’. Last night, victims of Danker

UNDER FIRE: Christy Kinahan

Blow for drug empire

THE Costa del Sol’s most notorious drug empire could be about to come crashing down. It comes after police cracked down heavily on the Irish Kinahan clan, based in Estepona, freezing their bank accounts and grilling key accomplices. Kinahan brothers Daniel, 36, and Christopher, 33, have reportedly had to return to Ireland in a desperate bid to raise cash, after around €500 million was frozen in both Spain and Brazil. “The Kinahans have a cashflow problem at the moment,” a source told the Irish Sun. “They haven’t got the same access to their wealth in Spain because of ongoing operations against them and they’re getting increasingly desperate.

Murder

in Spain lined up on the Olive Press’s website and a Facebook page, to slam the ‘innappropriate’ decision to feature her. “It is a total shock to see her on the show after what she has done. She must be stupid or have a short memory,” said Danker’s former employee and wedding singer Arran Harding. “My hope is that RTE have to drop her from the show. It would be nice if she lost her

Smack-down

THE leader of a drug gang, which included a Cornish granny who hid heroin in her pasties, has been arrested in Spain. Stephen Blundell, originally from Liverpool, fled to Spain after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin in April 2013, before he could be sentenced. The 36-year-old is now being held on a European Arrest Warrant, after handing himself into authorities in Tenerife. He will serve nine years in jail. Blundell is the 64th fugitive to be caught out of 76 publicised through Crimestoppers Operation Captura.

job altogether.” The Olive Press first reported on Danker and her husband/ business partner Howard Danker in October 2012, after many expats lost out to their company Spanish Dream Weddings. One Irish couple who were scammed out of €15,000 in 2012, last night confirmed they are still taking legal action against the former wedding planner. The bride, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “I don’t know of any cases that have been resolved. As far as I am aware nobody has seen their money returned. “This company left me high and dry on the day of my wedding and should be made to pay.” RTE - who previously followed Dankers’ move to Spain on their show The Great Escape in 2009 - said they will not comment on ‘personal circumstances’ that are ‘not directly relevant to te documentary’.

“The gang isn’t as strong as it once was because Russian and English mobs are now vying for supremacy.” A further problem has emerged after a key enforcer Paul Rice, 44, left the gang to return to the UK to forge linkes with Scottish and English gangsters. Rice split from the gang following the murder of his close friend Gerard ‘hatchet’ Kavanagh in September, in Marbella, possibly because he believes the Kinahans were responsible. Kavanagh was shot nine times in broad daylight in Elviria, when he was summoned to a bogus meeting.

Stubbed out AN illegal factory producing 65,000 packets of cigarettes a day has been smashed by cops near Sevilla. The plant is the largest ever uncovered in Spain and 10 people were arrested in connection to it. More than 30 tonnes of processed tobacco was confiscated along with four vehicles, firearms and €60,000 cash. The tobacco confiscated at the farm in the village El Castillo de las Guardas, on the edge of the Aracena Natural Park, is estimated to be worth more than €6 million. Most cigarette packets bear the brand ‘American Legend’. The organisation – reportedly made up of a number of European nationals – used a farm as a front for the illegal production.

THE Gibraltar Tourist Board has been confirmed as a new long-term partner of the Cruise Lines International Association of the UK and Ireland. As part of the agreement, the office will sponsor CLIA's flagship 2022 cruise conference. It will also gain increased trade exposure through the association’s website, newsletter and yearbook. Cruise ships have been visiting Gibraltar since last August and 175 ships are expected to call at the port this year. Its tourism representatives are keen to highlight the wealth of attractions and activities available to visitors during their visit to the British Overseas Territory.

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O LIVE P RESS

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GIBRALTAR

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 TIME FOR A ROYAL VISIT AS Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her Platinum Jubilee, becoming the first monarch ever to mark 70 years on the throne, isn’t it about time she paid a visit to Spain and Gibraltar? When Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia made their first state visit to the UK in July 2017 it raised anticipation that the British monarch might make a trip to their country in return. It’s been a long time since 1988 when she made her one and only trip to Spain, a country where she is widely respected and shares none of the scandal that taints her distant cousin King Juan Carlos. She received rapturous applause when she addressed Spain’s parliament to pay tribute to the nation’s peaceful transition to democracy on the death of Franco in 1975. “The democratic Parliament before me, and the manner in which it was achieved, will stand out as one of the brightest pages in your nation’s long and proud history,” she said. And there is obvious affection between Her Majesty and King Felipe as revealed in a poignant condolence letter on the death of Prince Philip in which he wrote to his ‘Dear Aunt Lilibet’. Of course she is adored in Gibraltar, where she made her only state visit as monarch in May 1954 joined by the Duke of Edinburgh and their two eldest children Prince Charles and Princess Anne. We can blame the thorny issue of Gibraltar’s sovereignty for preventing her repeat visit to the tiny British outpost at the foot of Spain, fearing a royal visit could flare up diplomatic tensions. But what better sign of the ‘strength of friendship’ and the ‘resilient spirit of cooperation and goodwill’, to quote the Queen’s own speech at the state dinner for King Felipe, than a final tour of the Iberian peninsula? Viva La Reina!

NEWS FEATURE

The highway to hel It is 85 years since Franco’s forces massacred thousands of civilians as they fled Malaga in the exodus known as La Desbanda, writes Tallulah Taylor

N one of Spain’s darkest along the coast, with orders chapters, thousands of to take Marbella and then civilians were massacred Malaga, before swooping while fleeing from Mala- inland towards Granada. ga to Almeria in what has Just 12,000 troops stood been dubbed ‘southern in their way and, with little hope of holding out, the Spain’s Guernica’. decision was Men, women made to evaand children, cuate Malaga. from babes in Hemmed in in arms to elderly by mountains, Hemmed by mountains, grandparents, were subjecthere was only there was only ted to machine one viable one viable gun fire and escape rouescape route te - the N340 bombing coast road that both from the hugged the sea and air - as they tried to escape to safety shore for 201 kilometres to Almeria. 85 years ago this week. They were making a des- So on February 7, 1937, perate attempt to evade the the citizens of Malaga set clutches of the Nationalist off, carrying what they could forces of Franco bearing as they abandoned their down on the hopelessly out- homes in an event that has numbered Republican units become known as La Desbanda, (the disbanding). defending Malaga. The fascist troops - bolste- The fascists under General red by Italian and German Queipo de Llano showed air support - had crushed little mercy to the city, which the government forces who was severely bombed, and had attempted (and failed) even less to the refugees as a last ditch defence of Ron- they struggled on their long da and were now sweeping trek to what they hoped

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2012 - 2020

Named the best English language publication in Andalucia by the Rough Guides group.

bruary 9 - two days after the refugees had set off and a day after Malaga

Given the bird

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es

would be a safe haven. The general himself made a radio broadcast on Fe-

They share the skies above us but the relationship between birds and airplanes is not a happy marriage

IRD strikes are a growing problem ther of modern-day environmentalism’ as they have become frequent, and television personality, was the first very expensive and sometimes to introduce falconry units to Spanish fatal. airports. In 2019 alone, there were 16,000 report- In 1968 he teamed up with airport safety ed incidents, averaging more than 45 officials with falconers in an attempt to per day. The problem of bird strikes has rid the airport of bird strikes. cost the aviation industry an average of The falcons are trained to circumnavigate $50,000 per incident or more than $1.2 the airport at various times of the day billion a year. making a time-tested stateInterestingly, some creative ment that they, the falcons, efforts are under way at are in control. 95% of major various Spanish Airports Falcons have exceptional airports in to mitigate this problem. powers of vision with a viLet’s take a look…. sual acuity 2.6 times that Spain use Airport safety committees of the human eye. Furtherfalcons as a throughout the world have more, their ability to change experimented with various direction is unprecedented. deterrent methods of controlling the Combine these attributes number of birds that pose with the fact that falcons a danger to air transport. are the fastest moving creaExamples include controlling the number tures on earth with a diving speed of 200 of local bird populations, removing local miles per hour! surface water and eliminating food sourc- Instinctively other birds like pigeons, es (eg, land-fill dumps). doves, sea gulls, geese and other waterOfficials have also tried flying drones that fowl, will sense extreme danger and flee emit sounds to repel troublesome birds. the area to stay well clear of their natural Additionally, they have tried using pyro- enemy. technics, flashing lights, loud speakers, Today, 95% of the major airports in Spain poison, bird detecting radar - all with lim- use falcons as a bird strike deterrent. At ited success. Madrid’s Barajas airport, a ‘fleet’ of 70 Ironically, the most promising attempt at Peregrine falcons have been trained to bird strike mitigation involves bringing in patrol their runways. more birds! In this case, birds of prey - From the Barajas control tower, authorities namely falcons. can call for the help of falcons to keep the Felix Rodriquez de la Fuente, Spain’s ‘fa- sky clear if controllers decide there is a

bird strike possibility. Similarly Barcelona’s El Prat, an airport which averages some 22 bird strikes per year, employs a team of 80 falcons as an integral part of their safety programme. Aside from their regular patrol, the falcons are on alert and often released in response to reported sightings of birds by pilots. This practice has not gone unnoticed at the Castellon Costa Azahar Airport (Valencia Province) where €90,000 of its safety budget is allotted to falconry. Malaga’s Costa del Sol Airport - Spain’s 4th busiest - has an established 30-year falcon programme with a safety record that continually trends positive thanks in part to its falcon fleet. Falconry has a 2,000-year cultural heritage in Spain. Records indicate that the use of falcons was introduced to the Iberian Peninsula by the Moors where it has been practiced as the ‘sport of kings’, a military weapon, and as a way of hunting. To this list we can now add airport safety to the legacy of falcons in Spain.

February 9th - February 22nd 2022

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LEADING FROM THE FRONT A focus on Olive Press editor Jon Clarke

T HORRORS: The people of Malaga fled the bombing of their city that killed many (above) while General Queipo de Llano (top) crowed in a radio broadcast about ordering his airforce to attack the civilian columns

had fallen. His words - that showed not an ounce of compassion -

are chilling. He crowed: “A report from our air force told me that large masses of

DANGER: The perils of birds to planes have long been known (right)

people were fleeing at full speed towards Motril. “To accompany them in their flight and make them run faster, we sent our air force to bomb them, setting fire to some trucks…” The air force did more than set fire to a few lorries. The columns of refugees were gunned down from air, land and sea in a massacre that left around 5,000 corpses lining the highway. Many of them were women and children. No one is quite sure how many people were making the tragic journey. The generally accepted figure is 150,000, but more recent estimates are as high as 300,000,

with the numbers of Malagueños bolstered by around 80,000 refugees from elsewhere in Andalucia. They had fled with good reason. Many of those who chose to stay were killed, raped and buried in many of the mass graves which have come to define Franco’s rule. And those who survived to reach Almeria found no haven. The city closed its gates to the refugees out of fear that Malaga’s fate could be visited on Almeria if it came to their aid. Some managed to get onto trains that took them to Alicante and Valencia, but many had to turn around and make the long walk back home to Malaga and face the forces they had made such a desperate effort to escape from.

Paying respect

William Shakespeare was a falconer and his word choice (especially in The Taming of the Shrew), reflects this fact. For example, to be ‘hoodwinked’ (deceived) is putting a leather hood on a falcon so it can’t see to fly. ‘Fed-up’ (disinterested) is when a bird has eaten too much of its prey.

‘Under my thumb’ (control) comes from falconers holding a falcon in such a way to restrict flight. And American aviation pioneers, the Wright Brothers, noted on their second flight in 1905, that they ‘hit a bird’ with their top wing.

DID YOU KNOW?

To mark the tragedy of memorative mileston La Desbanda a comnext to the Barranco e has been placed route of the old road de Maro bridge on the Each year modern dato Almeria. along a section of they Malagueños march ignated a Place of His route - officially desdalucia - from this sptorical Memory of Anthe thousands of the ot to pay homage to in February 1937, fleir forebears who died eing the violence of the Civil War. The marker post, se tural Association ant up by the Socioculbanda, Nerja City Cod Hiking Club La Desof Education and Cuuncil, the Department honour these civil wa lture, is intended to r refugees.

HE Olive Press counts on over 20 journalists and writers spread around Spain. Over 75% of our staff work in editorial… and there’s a good reason why. The paper’s editor and owner, Jon Clarke, is a journalist who leads from the front on a daily basis. Rolling up his sleeves - particularly around deadline days - he is the driving force in finding exclusive stories and interesting content for every issue. And it’s not just for the Olive Press. The former Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday staffer has been an investigative journalist for over two decades. Passionate about exposing corruption, crime and injustice, he has interviewed hundreds of VIPs and celebrities from Jamie Oliver to Joe Strummer and Gordon Ramsay to Abba. He has also covered some of the biggest global stories, from Chernobyl to the death of Princess Diana and from the Brian Epstein scandal (see below) to the abduction of toddler Madeleine McCann. It’s why he is frequently found on Sky News and the BBC and, most recently, with a German TV documentary on the prime suspect in the Maddie case (see promotional poster above). As well as publishing three books - the most recent on Maddie - he loves travel writing, food and wine, and has penned a lot for the UK national press. He fell in love with Spain after living in Madrid in the 1990s and now divides his time between Marbella and Ronda with a wife and two kids.

The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are: owner who failed to pick up after 1- Errant her dog on Spain’s Costa del Sol tracked down to home. Spain’s Modelo 720 will change in 2- How2022 and can you claim back fines. MUST READ: European court of justice ru3-lesLaw against Spain’s Modelo 720 Foreign Asset including a system of excessive fines. for people traveling to 4- Easyjet warning Spain’s Balearic Islands. of missing American-Russian 5- Body woman found in shallow grave in Spain’s Valencia as husband goes on the run.

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Power on!

SPAIN has unveiled plans for a massive green energy project in the northeast region of Aragon that aims to meet 30% of the nation’s hydrogen demand. Development has been earmarked to begin in late 2023 led by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners in partnership with Spanish companies Naturgy, Enagas, Fertiberia, and Danish wind turbine manufacturer, Vestas. Dubbed ‘Project Catalina’, the energy plan aims to develop a total of 5 GW of combined wind and solar, producing green hydrogen using a 2 GW electrolyzer. “Once fully implemented, Catalina will produce enough green hydrogen to supply 30% of Spain’s current hydrogen demand,” CIP said. At the moment most hydrogen is produced using natural gas.

February 9th - February 22nd 2022

CASH UP FRONT

THE European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a deal with investment firm Ben Oldman, paving the way for a €114 million fund to finance new solar and wind energy projects in Spain and Portugal. It is estimated that the funding will provide enough renewable energy to provide for 200,000 households.

Multi-million deal for renewable energy investment The agreement will see the project funded by unitranche debt, a form of financing in which secured and unsecured debt are combined into a single loan, meaning they usually have a more predictable repayment schedule.

Ricardo Mourinho Félix, EIB vice-president, said: “The Spanish and Portuguese markets have huge potential for renewable energy, and the EU bank is pleased to lend all our support to the investments need-

As electricity prices soar, end users might like to know about one of the fat cats cashing in

ABUSE OF POWER

PAIN’S electricity giant Iberdrola has in excess of 48 million customers worldwide. It made a profit of €3.6 billion euros in 2020 and is expected to see that figure rise to €3.8 billion euros last year. By 2030 it projects a giant profit of €7 billion a year. Great news for shareholders, but not great for consumers struggling after two years of COVID and an alarming rise in inflation and, in particular, electricity prices. The monstrously high electricity bills of recent months have risen by more than 400% in just one year. But, before you were thinking that a corporate giant like Iberdrola might find a moral and social conscience to help its customers, you better read on. The company, based out of Bilbao, has never been far from scandal for nearly two decades and is back in the news for all the wrong reasons. Let me explain. THE VILLAREJO CASE The links of former Spanish police chief Jose Manuel Villarejo to Iberdrola are depressing and predictable. It is an alarming story that says much about Spain’s lack of transparency and it will gather a head of steam in the months to come. National Police boss Villarejo has been dubbed ‘the Spanish state’s secret fixer’, and is now facing a series of criminal trials over dirty dealings linked to 25 separate cases. Remanded in custody after his arrest in Madrid in 2018, the authorities seized countless files and secretly recorded conversations, which showed exactly to what extent he would go to help his clients beat rivals and get away with skullduggery. A veritable Who’s Who of modern day Spain, these customers include public bodies, corporate giants and many politicians. Some you will already be familiar with.

ed to meet objectives on renewable energy generation and decarbonisation of the economy.” The EIB is one of the world’s largest investors in green energy, having committed to ending its investment in all fossil fuel related energy projects. In January it announced it would finance energy storage company GravGreen Matter s itricity’s plan to build a By Martin Tye renewable energy storage facility in the Moravian Silesian region of Czechia.

Jobs

The main ones to have hit the media are: ●

● ●

The secret taped conversations with the ex-lover of former Spanish king, Corrina zu Sayn-Wittgenstein The Operation Kitchen case involving stealing documents from a former treasurer of the ruling PP party during Mariano Rajoy’s era. And now Iberdrola, after judge Manuel Garcia confirmed, last week, that he would allow a former executive, Jose Antonio del Olmo to give evidence on the company’s wrongdoing.

And there’s more….

The affair began 18 years ago when Olmo deposited a report listing ‘various irregularities’ at a notary’s office in 2004. It has taken a long time to get to court and the investigating judge has now extended the operation for six more months as he plans to summon 16 more witnesses and two defendants to testify… one of them, Enrique Victorero, ex-corporate security boss, when suspicious activity is alleged to have taken place at the company. The whole thing stinks and it is set to come out in the wash. Iberdrola certainly has previous form:

●

Spain’s High Court placed Iberdrola’s CEO Ignacio Galan under investigation for bribery and fraud in 2021 as part of a probe into an alleged spying case dating back more than 15 years. The High Court will also investigate if Iberdrola hired Villarejo to spy on Real Madrid President, Florentino Perez, when his firm ACS was fighting to secure a seat on Iberdrola’s board in 2009 It will investigate whether Iberdrola hired Villarejo to repel local opposition to a power plant in Southern Spain, and if Villarejo was hired to obtain evidence about Manuel Pizarro, the former chairman of utility company rival Endesa.

●

In August 2021 Iberdrola was accused of draining reservoirs to take advantage of high electricity prices in Spain. It was a ‘total scandal’ insisted Minister for Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera. A cyber security company filed a $110million lawsuit in New York in December, accusing Iberdrola of bid rigging and racketeering under an elaborate scheme to generate millions at the expense of its customers in New York, Maine and Connecticut. The company was accused of bribery in Iberdrola’s successful effort to win contracts for two power plants in Latvia in 2004 and 2008. The company was accused of fraud when it failed to tell the World Bank about its employment relationship with an agent in a power plant deal in Albania. Price fixing in Spain led to big fines in 2010 and 2014. It was fined €25 million for altering the price of electricity to make ‘an illicit profit of €20 million’ during a cold winter spell in 2013.

Yes, they are a greedy lot, looking after their bottom line. Corporate greed affects us all. Is it time you took a closer look at your electricity contract?

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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The programme is also expected to create at least 700 jobs in the construction industry. The Spanish government is aiming to source 42% of its energy from renewables by 2030. It announced in December it had met its 2021 target of 20% of energy coming from renewables.

Bad idea SPAIN has said that the European Commission’s (EC) proposal to class nuclear and gas as ‘sustainable energy investments’ is a ‘big mistake’. The new rules would add gas and nuclear power as ‘transitional’ technologies towards the target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. But Ecological Transition Minister Teresa Ribera wants investment in renewables such as wind and solar rather than feeding the nuclear and gas industries. She did not, however, make a commitment to joining Austria and Luxembourg in legal action against the rules.

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LA CULTURA

February 9th - February 22nd 2022

INSPIRATIONAL PORTRAITS Sorolla exhibition brings together private collection artworks for first time A MAJOR new exhibition by Valencia-born artist Joaquin Sorolla has been launched. Held at Madrid’s Sorolla Museum, it features 44 children and family paintings by the renowned artist and is on until June 19. Sorolla was born in Valencia in 1863 and studied drawing at the School of Craftsmen in his native city before he moved to Madrid. THE Sagrada Familia has been crowned the most popular tourist attraction in the world, beating the Eiffel Tower, Sydney Opera House and Empire State building. The cathedral topped the list of both tourist destinations and reviews on TripAdvisor where it currently has over 160,000 reviews. The unfinished work

After his death in 1922, his widow Clotilde Garcia gave the building to the Spanish State for the purpose of establishing a museum dedicated to him, which was inaugurated in 1932. Children were a major inspiration and subject of the painter’s works from the beginning of his career. Curated by Sonia Martinez and Covadonga Pitarch, the

World class of Spanish artist Antoni Gaudi is visited by three million people annually. Antoni Gaudi died in 1926, by which time the church was only a quarter complete. He had finished the iconic crypt and the Nativity facade, which

exhibition is divided into three sections: The Centre of the Family, The World of Children went on to be declared a World Heritage Site. Work has continued on the site since his death, with surviving models and drawings making it possible to continue the architectural feat. The pandemic forced work to be abandoned temporarily but the goal is for the church to be completed to coincide with the centenary of its architect’s death.

and The Other Childhood. The first deals with Sorolla’s family portraits - his wife and his three children Maria, Joaquin and Elena. In addition, the exhibition brings together for the first time a selection of commissioned children’s portraits from private collections.

Beach

The second part shows how the younger children lived, studied, drew and played, with frequent scenes of the sea and the beach. Finally, the last section shows the darker side of being a child, including scenes of illness and children of humbler origins who had to work to help their families.

SQUIDS IN A SPANISH YouTuber has won almost €90,000 in a virtual competition inspired by Netflix’s Squid Game. The six-day event involving 12 matches was organised by two of Spain’s most famous youtubers, El Rubius and AuronPlay and was live streamed on the Twitch platform. The tournament brought together all the top Spanish-speaking content creators, setting a new record in terms of audience. More than two million spectators tuned in to watch the live streams of participants playing Squid Game Minecraft, which maintained an average attendance of one million, breaking the previous record by more than 200,000 viewers. Some 150 participants fought it out in the pseudo ‘life and death’ competition to win the biggest prize to date, a whopping $100,000 (€89,480). OllieGamerz, whose real name is Sergio Carbonell, a 26-yearold from Murcia, scooped the cash.

A MAN faces prosecution after he was allegedly caught red handed trying to steal part of an ancient tile from the Alhambra palace. An investigation was launched after security guards spotted the man apparently trying to take a small fragment of tile from the historic Patio de Comares. The suspect could now face jail time for nighthawking after the complaint filed by the body that manages the Nasrid mon-

Nighthawk nabbed

ument. Nighthawking is the theft of archaeological artefacts from protected archaeological sites and areas under the cover of darkness. Police were called to the World Heritage Site and a man was arrested on suspicion of theft.

OP QUICK CROSSWORD Across 6 Long-distance digits (4,4) 7 Hue (4) 9 American aviator --- Earhart (6) 10 How one may be repaid (2,4) 11 Public passenger vehicle (7) 14 Men of the future? (4) 15 Strongbox (4) 16 Jogged along (7) 20 Attempt to tempt (6) 21 Harbour guides (6) 23 Very productive (4) 24 “Riders on ---” (The Doors) (3,5)

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Down 1 Black Sea peninsular (6) 2 Be toppled from power (4) 3 One of 32 written for the piano by Beethoven (6) 4 Examination starting command (5) 5 Police surveillance (5-3) 8 Almost-perfect scores? (5) 12 Served at 30,000 feet (26) 13 Automated performer of computer tasks (3) 15 Mountain also known as Horeb (5) 17 Super toned (6) 18 Restaurant clientele teased teaser (6) 19 Manuscripts (5) 22 Diet-friendly (4)

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COLUMNISTS

February 9th February 22nd 2022

New Year, New You!

Urologist James Allan explains why men shouldn’t shy away from having a prostate examination

ONGRATULATIONS on having the courage to come and see us. The most important fact is that the vast majority of men that pay us a visit can be easily helped with relatively little bother. You will have a diagnosis and a treatment plan very quickly. The first stage is for us to listen to you and your story so that we understand your symptoms, the trouble they cause and the So we pop a finger into your tail end and impact on your lifestyle. We ask you to fill in a validated question- feel your prostate through your rectum. We naire, called an IPSS score, which allows are looking to assess the size and consisus to objectively assess the severity of your tency of your prostate to make sure it is problem. We will ask you lots of questions normal and doesn’t feel suspicious! to make sure you don’t have any ‘red flag’ Once this is done we will look at your blood symptoms, whether you have had any tests to make sure that your kidneys work bloody or red urine, any waterwork infec- well and will check whether you have had tions and if there is any history of prostate your Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) done. cancer in your family. PSA is a controversial test We may get you to pee into that your GP may have chaMost men are tted to you about. It is not a a clever bucket that records test and has weakhow quickly you wee and hugely relieved perfect nesses and strengths. then scan your tummy to see if you are absolutely empty. to be told that This week we will concentraon gentlemen with normal You’ve never had this much they don’t have te PSAs. fun and it’s all evidence to base our treatment on! prostate cancer So we have listened to your story, examined you, asAnd yes we will examine sessed the severity of your you! Men are notoriously bad at engaging with healthcare and yet symptoms and now it is all about making they have so much to gain by taking ad- you better. vice. They can minimise symptoms that Most men are hugely relieved to be told would otherwise compromise their lifestyle, that they don’t have prostate cancer. Even helping them have the best quality of life though they don’t verbalise the anxiety it’s possible. the elephant in the room and until we look Importantly, examinations spot problems you in the face and reassure you that we are earlier and so help maximise the possibility simply dealing with an older bigger prostate, you and your loved ones will worry. of a good prognosis.

Mr. James Allan FRCS

We classify symptoms into mild, moderate and severe. There is a ladder of treatment and we start on the bottom rung with simple advice about lifestyle issues and education. The simplest treatment is to start some tablets which may help you quite a lot. There are two groups of tablets for prostate problems, one relaxes the muscle in the prostate and is called an alpha blocker. The other group shrinks the prostate and blocks one of your male hormones. If your prostate is larger, then we may use both drugs together to have the optimum result. If you have ‘irritative’ symptoms, with a naughty bladder secondary to the blockage from your prostate, we give a drug to dampen down the bladder’s irritability. After a couple of months, we will meet again to see if you are happier. If the drugs worked then great, stay on them and stay away from a surgeon! However, if they didn’t, or if you had side-effects, then we need to start talking about operations and the risk benefit equation. The skill of surgery is getting this right. Luckily there have been some huge improvements in minimally invasive prostate treatments that have radically changed the risk benefit equation for men. Probably the most important is ‘The Urolift’ and that’s what we are going to discuss next month. So pluck up the courage and join Mr Hughes and Mr Allan at HC Marbella or at www.theurologyclinic.gi

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ll about

Education

BLACKBOARD JUNGLE After years of being criticised for its antiquated curriculum, Spain makes a bid to prepare its students for the modern world. But will it succeed, asks expat mum Heather Galloway

XPAT children have long been faced with a significant challenge when taking the leap from the Spanish Baccalaureate to the UK university system. Or that of most northern European countries. Bombarded with reams of stodgy material to learn verbatim for the final school exams, 18-year-olds emerge from their schooling with the ability to reel off every date in Spanish history WITHOUT mostly questioning why any of it happened.

Meanwhile, 17-year-old language students are asked to identify the grammatical use of every word in a sentence, but are never taught how to link information or build an argument. Literature students paradoxically miss the actual reading of classic novels while in Maths, formulas abound, but not so the explanations of their potential application. According to Maia Taylor-Firth, a marketing graduate from Edinburgh’s Napier University

who grew up in Spain: “I was never taught to think or reason at school so I was at a complete loss as to how to write an essay when I got to university.” The student, who passed her Baccalaureate in Madrid, adds: “I had to keep badgering my tutors, but there wasn’t much help. “I simply learned from what feedback we got and a process of trial and error.” As a mother, who has brought up two children in Madrid, I railed against the Spanish education system during my children’s entire schooling. The relentless rote-learning always struck me as senseless and it felt like Spain was languishing in the UK or Germany in the 1970s. And it is a notion echoed by Andreas Schleicher, the man behind The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s PISA re-

port, known as the most influen- excessive and the curriculum tial international assessment of needs to be revised.” students’ worldwide. The amount of time students Of course, now that my chil- here are expected to spend dren have graduated from high poring over facts and figures school, it’s typiamounts to an cally all about to annual 1,045 change. Or at When I was at hours compared least that’s the to a European school, I was theory; a draft of average of 893 the Baccalaureahours, and that’s working so te element of the before knuckling hard, I couldn’t down to the two new education law, variously or three hours of breathe known as the homework per LOMLOE or the evening. Celaa Law, has just been pla- As Carla Smith, a second year ced in the hands of the regions Biomedicine student at Southampton University, says: to finish hammering out. “It’s obvious that the system “When I was in Madrid doing needs to be updated,” Rai- the Baccalaureate, I was wormundo de los Reyes, President king so hard, I couldn’t breathe. of Spain’s Public Secondary I woke up at seven and went to Schools Federation (FEDADi), bed at midnight. At uni, there’s tells the Olive Press. “In general, a lot more time to do things. the teaching community agrees Now I can go to bed at nine if that the amount of material tau- I want.” ght in Baccalaureate has been But what’s particularly of note

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13 February 9th - February 22nd 2022

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quality as quantity.”

came 35th in Maths and 31st in Sciences on a par with Hungary and Lithuania. Asked if the new Baccalaureate might reduce the actual hours students spend behind a desk, FEDADi’s Raimundo is doubtful. “I’m afraid the number of hours will remain the same for now,” he says. “What will change is the material which was deemed to be excessive by experts but will now be more in line with students’ hopes for the future. The changes will be as much in

stream into two: Music and Performance Art, and Visual Arts and Design. Besides new subjects, there will be an overhaul of the old to boost the students’ engagement in the learning process, with the emphasis on skills, application of acquired knowledge and analysis of more current ‘woke’ material, if you like. It means more study of identity diversity and sustainability, as well as more on climate change and global migration. Spanish history will now have

students in Spain still score In essence, r is establishing itself as ait will become a below average on the PISA more General Baccalaureate, d quality standards, a focus test – an assessment generally allowing students to create a carried out every three years. personalised curriculum. ersonal learning experience. In the last test, in 2018, Spain It will also divide the Art

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skills (e.g., computer programming and software project management), business and entrepreneurial skills (e.g., opportunity recognition, developing a business plan, financials, marketing) as well as the opportunity to gain professional IT certifications in areas such as programming, networks and cloud computing. *Programme commences in September 2022.

second year, and a 10-week work placement in their third year; providing work experience and industry networks that offer significant competitive advantage to graduates seeking employment.

Master in Marine Science and Climate Change Postgraduate

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Students focus on applying academic theory to practical work situations, developing their knowledge alongside equally driven individuals to become the leaders of tomorrow.

Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) Undergraduate Postgraduate Bachelor in Business Administration (Hons) - Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons) Undergraduate Students spend approximately 120 days of this 1-year or programme on placement in Gibraltar - BSc (Hons) Maritime Science –Nautical Engineering First year students complete a work-based project schools, under the guidance of school-based menwith a Gibraltar-based company, before moving on tors. Applications close Friday 18th March 2022. - BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing to complete an 8-week work placement in their

Postgraduate The Marine Science programme embeds theory - Postgraduate Certificate in Education – PGCE BSc (Hons) Maritime Science with Cadetship and practice through laboratory and fieldwork restudents studying the role of programme - MA Leadership and Management search skills to prepare students to be ‘work-ready’ women in society and their Undergraduate their chosen career path, be it academic, - Masters ofasBusiness Administration -whatever MBA NGO/Governmental or consultancy roles. struggle for equality as well This three-year programme contains nine to 12 examining the Second Repu- MSc Marine and Climate Change months of sea or shore-based industry placements Master in Business Administration (MBA) blic and Franco’s 1936 power Science with major operators, allowing students to gradu- Postgraduate grab, which will be termed a - PhD ate with a BSc qualification and an Officer of the ‘coup d’état’ forResearch the first time ever. Maths, meanwhile, aims to broaden the subject’s appeal and reduce ‘stereotypes and preconceived ideas’ with regard to ‘gender’ and ‘aptitude’ with lessons revolving around problem solving and with ‘special attention to non-mathematical areas and their relationship with other subjects and with reality’. Above all, the new Baccalaureate curriculum aims to make learning a more meaningful process.

BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing Europa Point Language Centre Undergraduate - English and Spanish classes Students spendlanguage approximately 50% of their time Master in Leadership and Management on this three-year programme in clinical environ- Postgraduate - General or specific classes ments, supported by experienced registered nurs- In addition to face-to-face learning, students have es and health care practitioners. Applications close Thursday 17th March 2022.

Visit unigib.edu.gi today BSc (Hons) Computing and Entrepreneurship* Undergraduate

Practically orientated, the BSc provides technical

the opportunity to complete relevant online modules delivered via King’s College London International School for Government. Applications for September 2022 are now open for all University of Gibraltar programmes. Find out more at unigib.edu.gi

GET CAREER READY WITH UNIGIB

Undergraduate - Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons) - BSc (Hons) Maritime Science with Cadetship - BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing - BSc (Hons) Computing and Entrepreneurship

Choose the University of Gibraltar for UK-aligned quality standards, a focus on employability and a personal learning experience.

Postgraduate - Postgraduate Certificate in Education - PGCE - MSc Marine Science and Climate Change - Masters of Business Administration - MBA - MA Leadership and Management - PhD Research

Students benefit from living in a safe, sunny environment within a vibrant business hub. Discover why more people are opting to study closer to home. Contact us today to arrange a campus visit.

Access to Higher Education (AHE) This 12-week programme is designed to assist students to transition on to an undergraduate degree.

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THE NEW KIDS ON THE ROCK!

PROPERTY

A Unique Vision

February 9th February 22nd 2022

Give us our cash back!

Attias Blue Properties are rapidly gaining a first class reputation

FAST BUCK

INCE opening its doors in the heart of Gibraltar town in June 2021, Attias Blue Properties have taken pride in the CUMBERLAND STEPS – GIBRALTAR HARBOUR VIEWS – GIBRALTAR THE Spanish tax man has fact that their small, family-run business aims to provide a 5 BED TOWNHOUSE – £995,000 3 BED APARTMENT – £355,000 announced plans to modify 5 BED | 3.5 BATH | 251M² 3 BED | 2 BATH | 82M² premium, personal, yet affordable service. IN many cases, it pays to Modelo 720 rules for declaring This has generated huge interest with clients looking to buy, sell or spend a bit of money on foreign assets before the March invest in property in Gibraltar and the surrounding area. home improvement. 31 presentation deadline this Their proactive, professional team has over 40 years of combined A property located in year. industry experience, and they are focused on assisting you on your the centre of Madrid has Spain’s minister of the treasury property journey in Gibraltar from the moment you contact them. increased in value by al(Hacienda) Maria Jesus MonManaging Director, Mark Douglas, along with his team of profesmost €200,000 followtero told reporters of the rapid sionals, are ready to help advise, and provide every service you ing renovation work. about-turn within 24 hours of may need if you are considering investing in, renting or selling a It was bought for a crushing sentence from the property on Gibraltar. The team can assist you with everything €776,000, but after EU’s Court of Justice. from recommending the best legal team to help in furnishing your spending €52,635 on its The changes announced would new property. renovation - which took LA LINEAforeign – SPAIN assets each year via SOTOGRANDE – SPAIN ‘contrary to EU law’. the affect Spanish tax residents in Their in-depth local knowledge of the Gibraltar property market, **commission rate only applies to five months - the owner 3fines BED APARTMENT – 182,000€ 4 BED LUXURY VILLA – 1,150,000€ The sentence labelled for Modelo 720. two major ways: significantly properties based in Gibraltar combined with their proactive and innovative marketing approach, 3 BED | 2 BATH | 150M² 4 BED | 3 BATHnow | 358M² enjoys a home that reducing fines related to late or late or erroneous declarations Spanish headlines are already which utilises YouTube and social media platforms, Facebook and has appreciated in value as both ‘highly punitive’ and ringing with the opportunity erroneous Modelo 720 declaInstagram, makes Attias Blue Properties, a professional and solid by €193,800. to win back cash already paid rations; and opening the door ‘disproportionate’. choice for all your property needs on 'The Rock'. tel: +350 200 66644 Mob/WhatsApp: +350 5800 8532 enquiries@attiasblueproperties.com www.attiasblueproperties.com Suite 3, 6 Irish Place, 1AA to sell the If GIB he GX11 wished to reclaim fines - although not Though the full effect of the in fines – for example, former Attias Blue Properties are focused on providing the very best in house today, he could new laws might not be seen Catalan president Jordi Pujol’s everyone will be eligible. customer service to their clients, while remaining competitively attiasbluepropertiesgib Properties do so for more than untilBlue 2023, there is important family will mount a case to get It follows the verdict on the Attias priced. They are currently offering, for a limited time only, a 1% €900,000. case of the EU Commission vs news for the 60,000 Spanish back nearly €2 million paid to commission rate on all properties sold and as a Thank You when The flat, located in the tax residents declaring their Hacienda over Andorra-based Spain that the Modelo 720 was the property is sold, they give a £250 MH Bland Travel Services Salamanca neighborassets following declaration voucher for FREE. The typical multi-agent rate charged by Gibralhood, has an estimated errors. tar-based estate agents is 2%, and exclusive rates at 1.5%, so in price of €923,800, a rise However, only certain cases choosing Mark and his team in Attias Blue Properties, you’ll not of €147.800. will be eligible to claim their just have an excellent service with 24/7 customer care - you’ll “The property of 137 slice of the €230 million colalso end up with more pounds in your pocket and a free holiday square metres has a terlected in Hacienda fines since CEMENT usage in Spain increased by 11% in 2021, to a voucher! race, three bedrooms, the declaration was introduced level not seen in a decade as construction boomed. two bathrooms and lots in 2012. The recovery of the construction sector, which stalled of light”, explains Spain’s According to social media during the coronavirus pandemic, is further expected to To find out more on Attias Blue Properties and the web portal Idealista. comments on Citizen’s Advice grow by an estimated 5% by the end of 2022, experts preservices they offer, check out their professional, In addition, the owner Bureau Spain, many British exdicted. comprehensive website, complete with a useful morthas managed to reduce pats were fined €1,500, €1,600, This would take cement consumption to 15.6 million gage calculator on: www.attiasblueproperties.com. energy consumption by €2,500 and €3,000 due to late tonnes, according to data issued by the employers’ assoAlternatively, give them 40% - €370 a year in savsubmissions of the Modelo 720. ciation Oficemen. a call on: +350 200 666 ings - after changing the According to current legal adHowever, cement use in the current construction boom 44, and chat with Mark windows, insulating the vice, these people will not be is still below the 2011 level when it exceeded 20 million or one of his team or walls and switching to able to receive their money tonnes a year and far below the 60million tonnes used in message them via their LED lighting. back unless they had appealed 2008 before the bubble burst. Facebook page. and the case was still ongoing.

Punitive fines over foreign asset declarations outlawed

Concrete figures

A Unique Vision

HARBOUR VIEWS – GIBRALTAR 3 BED APARTMENT – £355,000 3 BED | 2 BATH | 82M²

LA LINEA – SPAIN 3 BED APARTMENT – 182,000€ 3 BED | 2 BATH | 150M²

SOTOGRANDE – SPAIN 4 BED LUXURY VILLA – 1,150,000€ 4 BED | 3 BATH | 358M²

**commission rate only applies to properties based in Gibraltar

tel: +350 200 66644

Mob/WhatsApp: +350 5800 8532

enquiries@attiasblueproperties.com Attias Blue Properties

www.attiasblueproperties.com

Mob/WhatsApp: +350 5800 8532

Suite 3, 6 Irish Place, GIB GX11 1AA

attiasbluepropertiesgib

**commission rate only applies to properties based in Gibraltar

tel: +350 200 66644

A Unique Vision

CUMBERLAND STEPS – GIBRALTAR 5 BED TOWNHOUSE – £995,000 5 BED | 3.5 BATH | 251M²

HARBOUR VIEWS – GIBRALTAR 3 BED APARTMENT – £355,000 3 BED | 2 BATH | 82M²

LA LINEA – SPAIN 3 BED APARTMENT – 182,000€ 3 BED | 2 BATH | 150M²

SOTOGRANDE – SPAIN 4 BED LUXURY VILLA – 1,150,000€ 4 BED | 3 BATH | 358M²

enquiries@attiasblueproperties.com Attias Blue Properties

www.attiasblueproperties.com

attiasbluepropertiesgib

Suite 3, 6 Irish Place, GIB GX11 1AA

FOOD, DRINK & TRAVEL

End of Travel Tests

TRAVELLERS arriving in England and Scotland from Spain will no longer need to buy day-two COVID tests, if they are fully vaccinated. The rules will change at 4am on Friday. It follows the axing of a pre-departure test for fully vaccinated travellers from abroad to the UK back in January. The moves may save families about £100 on visits abroad over the half-term period and boost the travel industry. UK Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps added the passenger locator form would be ‘easier’ and the window extended to three days for submission prior to departure. Unvaccinated travellers will still be required to do a pre-departure test and a Day 2 test, but will no longer have to quarantine on arrival or take a second PCR test after arriving.

February 9th February 22nd 2022

Just terrible NO-FRILLS airline Ryanair has been named the worst for short-haul flights by a consumer watchdog. The budget airline was slammed as ‘consistently terrible’ by three-quarters of passengers quizzed by Which? Ryanair is the one carrier they would steer clear of. Flights from many of Ryanair’s UK hubs to destinations in Spain, including tourist favourites Sevilla, Malaga and Barcelona are available for less than a tenner. Yet with an overall score of 55 out of 100, just 47% of passengers told the watchdog they were satisfied with the way Ryanair handled refunds during the pandemic. It also received just one out of five stars for seat comfort and two for categories including the boarding process, cabin cleanliness and range and quality of food

OP Puzzle solutions Across: 6 Area code, 7 Tint, 9 Amelia, 10 In kind, 11 Taxicab, 14 Boys, 15 Safe, 16 Trotted, 20 Entice, 21 Pilots, 23 Rich, 24 The Storm. Down: 1 Crimea, 2 Fall, 3 Sonata, 4 Begin, 5 Stake-out, 8 Nines, 12 In-flight, 13 Bot, 15 Sinai, 17 Ripped, 18 Eaters, 19 Texts, 22 Lite.

SUDOKU

Quick Crossword

Ryanair and BA slammed by passengers in survey of shame

and drink, along with three stars for value for money. BA was second from bottom with a customer score of 63% - just behind TUI Airways. Their disappointing twostar ratings for food and drink and poor customer

service led one passenger to describe BA as ‘a budget style airline at premium prices’. However, BA’s cabins ranked as joint cleanest alongside KLM and Jet2. Meanwhile Jet2 topped the charts, receiving the highest ranking score from airline customers. More than eight in 10 were satisfied with the outcome when their flight was disrupted. The editor of Which? Travel, Rory Boland, said: “Ryanair’s consistently terrible customer service has made it a fixture among the worst performers in our surveys for many years - but the airline plumbed new depths with its handling of COVID refunds.”

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Forecourt special

FINAL WORDS

A MAN is in custody after stealing a car from an Elche dealership after a test drive before driving his new vehicle home only to find tipped-off police waiting for him on his doorstep.

Crops cops VOLUNTEERS at a food bank were left stunned after they were paid an unusual visit by well-meaning Malaga police who donated 19 tonnes of peppers and tomatoes seized during a drugs raid.

Silly politico A LABOUR reform was passed into law by a one vote margin thanks to Popular Party opposition MP Alberto Casero accidentally voting ‘yes’ in the chamber instead of no.

The FREE

‘

REuse REduce REcycle

OLIVE PRESS

Don t push it!

GIBRALTAR

Vol. 6 Issue 166

www.theolivepress.es

The Rock’s ONLY free local paper

February 9th - February 22nd 2022

Estrella Damned?

THEY say that no publicity is bad publicity and while a photograph showing Boris Johnson clutching a beer during a lockdown event at Downing Street might not be good news for the PM it certainly isn’t doing any harm for the Catalan brand Estrella Damm. Since the story broke that police had been handed footage showing Johnson kicking back with a can of lager in hand at his lockdown birthday bash last year, the brand rec-

How Boris birthday bash is proving great publicity for Catalan lager brand Estrella Damm ognition of Estrella Damm has soared. A can appeared on the cover of British tabloid The Mirror last Friday, with Estrella Damm tweeting out the story with a guilty ‘oops’ and an emoji with clenched teeth representing awkwardness.

In raTure

COUNCIL officials are hunting an anonymous sculptor after his latest work ‘two rats mating’ appeared overnight on a roundabout in Leon. Some wags have dubbed him the ‘Banksy of León’ but locals are less impressed after several ‘works of art’ with a sexual theme have appeared out of nowhere in the past few months. A previous one featured a concrete penis that was set up on a roundabout on the approach to the local hospital. Now council bosses say the artist faces a fine of €80 for ‘irregular occupation of the public road’. But they have to catch him first.

The photograph forms part of the ‘partygate’ investigation by Scotland Yard when alleged boozy get-togethers were held among staff at Downing Street at a time when such gatherings were forbidden under COVID rules. True aficionados of Spanish

A CONVICTED murderer, who escaped from prison and became known as Rambo because he survived in the woods using his army training, has finally been arrested after almost a year on the run. Alfredo Sanchez Chacon, 63, was caught breaking into a home in the town of Valdoviño in La Coruña province to steal food.

Raiding

lager might question Boris’s choice of tipple – many would argue that Spain has far superior brands, not least the rival Estrella Galicia, Alhambra or Madrid’s Mahou. But some jokers thought the scandal could be the focus of this year’s famous Estrella Damm summer campaign. One quipped that the new slogan should be:” Estrella Damm: Official supplier to the British government” while another thought” I’d break the rules for Estrella” could be a good tagline.

The homeowners alerted their nearest neighbour, who happened to be an officer in the Guardia Civil, after they heard someone raiding their kitchen in the dead of night, and he gave chase as the fugitive attempted to leave. He had been on the run after he failed to return to jail after day release last March and is thought to have been hiding out in woods ever since. His survival skills were gleaned while serving in the Spanish Legion and Army Special Forces which is why he earned the nickname ‘Rambo’, after the movie role made famous by Sylvester Stallone.