Olive Press Gibraltar Issue 208

P LIVE RESS The O

A DISPLAY by the Red Arrows over Menorca has been cancelled at the last minute after Spanish authorities allegedly blocked the team from performing in Gibraltar.

The tit-for-tat decision, by UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, came as the RAF crews were gearing up and the planes were being fuelled on the runway in Sant Lluís.

The Spanish government had earlier objected to a planned performance over Gibraltar, labelling it an ‘act of provocation’ as it would entail RAF Hawk jets entering Spanish airspace.

It obviously caused outrage at the Ministry of Defence, in London, given the team were obviously due to perform later in Spanish airspace over the Balearics.

MoD sources told the UK media the authorities were being ‘dicks’ about the Gibraltar show.

They revealed that Spain had actually threatened to ban inbound civilian flights to Gibraltar from using Malaga as their designated diversion airport during the airshow if it went ahead.

The decision would have seen flights

AIRING GRIEVANCES

to the Rock needing to take on more fuel in order to reach a more distant emergency airport, such as Jerez or Sevilla.

In turn, this would have hit airlines with increased costs, potentially reducing flights to Gibraltar and hurting the peninsula’s economy. Gibraltar officials, facing an upcoming

ELECTION SPECIAL Meet the new candidates

THE main parties contesting the 2023 election have now released their manifestos. The bitter political rivals for the last 30 years will now try to convince the people of Gibraltar to stand with them in the next elections on October 12. On the one hand, the GSLP/Liberal coalition has the slogan ‘Keep Gibraltar Safe’ while the GSD went for ‘Make the change for a Bright Future’. While the GSLP/Liberals are allied to the UK Labour and Liberal Democrat parties, the GSD has been allied to the Conservatives since 2004. They have rung the changes in their respective slates, with the GSLP/Liberals bringing in five new faces and the GSD bringing in six of their own.

CHRISTIAN SANTOS

Created the successful Gibraltar Academy of Music and the Performing Arts. Mayor of Gibraltar from 2021 to 2023.

Preferred post: Health and care

GEMMA ARIAS-VASQUEZ

Former president of the Gibraltar Federation of Small Businesses (GFSB). Led the successful Remain campaign locally. Lawyer.

election, took the threat seriously and requested the Ministry of Defence to cancel the show. The spat prompted Shapps to make the decision to cancel last week’s show in Menorca. The Red Arrows have managed to perform in Gibraltar just twice in the last 30 years, the last time in 2009.

Sickening!

Expat slammed with €23,000 UK hospital bill after bowel explodes during visit

A BRITISH expat has been slapped with a £20,000 (€23,000) hospital bill after her bowel exploded during a trip to the UK.

Helen Winslade, 55, who lives in Almeria, was visiting home in early July when she had to undergo life saving surgery, losing a part of her small intestine.

The procedure went well, but amazingly, within

By Yzabelle Bostyn

weeks the retired Brit was faced with a whopping bill from the NHS, despite her British citizenship.

The Welsh native was diagnosed with a rare form of bowel cancer known as GIST tumours.

According to her brother, Karl Winslade, Helen was not expecting to stay in the UK for an extended period and their ‘small pension’ could not fund Helen’s accommodation, food and travel costs.

Karl launched a fundraising campaign to get Helen back to Spain, where he said ‘her prognosis would be better’ due to shorter waiting times. She finally returned in late September after a months-long ordeal.

Her husband, Carlos, had been left holding the fort in Seron, while she was stuck in the UK short of funds.

LIFE SAVED: But at a hefty cost to Helen and hubbie Carlos

The impact of Covid 19 ‘wiped out’ their business, leaving the couple to live ‘on a very small pension’. The case is a warning to any expats considering visiting home without medical insurance or failing to travel with the correct forms in case of an unexpected health scare.

Under current laws, if you

are not a UK resident, you must produce relevant documentation to receive free NHS treatment - including an EHIC (a European health card) or GHIC card, or a so-called S1 or S2 form.

Grateful

Alternatively, you can request a Provisional Replacement Certificate, which will cover healthcare in the UK for the length of your trip.

Since a Go Fund Me page was launched at the start of August, only €210 of the couple’s €5,000 target has been raised. Karl says he is ‘eternally grateful’ for any contribution.

NIGEL FEETHAM

Top insurance and financial services lawyer. Advised the government at no expense to the taxpayer.

Preferred Post: Financial Ser vices, Training and Employment

PATRICIA ORFILA

Former teacher and GSLP executive member for over a decade.

Preferred Post: Housing, Development and Planning

LESLIE BRUZON

Medical technician at the ambulance service. Former Unite convenor and accountant.

Preferred Post: Traffic and Transport

CRAIG SACARELLO

Family business owner with marketing experience. Former Vice Chairman of GFSB and Together Gibraltar candidate.

Preferred Post: Tourism, Business, Port

Preferred Post: Equality and Youth, Culture Lawyer. “I will continue to embrace values I hold dear in all my relationships: integrity, trust and sincerity,”

JOELLE LADILSAUS

Preferred Post: Health and care

YOUSSEF EL HANA

Studied Biomedical Science with Masters in Cancer Biology and MSc International Relations. Former Student Union activist. Qualified Teacher.

Preferred Post: Housing, Care, Social Security

ATRISH SANCHEZ

Senior Compliance officer. Masters degree in Criminology. Social policy advocate.

Preferred Post: Education and Skills and Training

DANIELLA TILBURY

Academic. Former Vice Chancellor of Gibraltar University. Social policy advocate with the UN and EU. Worked internationally at various universities.

Preferred Post: Environment, Development and Planning

GIOVANNI

Lawyer. Interest in new technology. Advocates protecting individual rights.

Preferred Post: Climate Change, Transport

ORIGO

Youthful promise

THE Youth Service celebrated its anniversary in Gibraltar after starting in 1963 and now having a full staff of youth workers.

Touring times

TOURISM CEO Kevin Bossino took part in a panel discussion with reps from France, Italy and Portugal at the Global Travel Marketplace in London.

Wright chat

CAMBRIDGE University professor Laura Wright discussed her research of the Llanito language with Gibraltar’s acting minister John Cortes recently.

Rock leaver

DIRECTOR of the Gibraltar Health Authority Patrick Geoghegan for the last 20 months signed off from his post for the last time at St Bernard’s Hospital.

A MAN in Gibraltar has been banned from the road for three years after police discovered he was more than four times over the alcohol limit.

Alan Boydon, 48, was working as a delivery driver on September 9 when police tested him in the area of Flat Bastion Road.

ONE

FOR THE BOOKS

“Boydon was unsteady on his feet, his speech was slurred and alcohol could be smelled on his breath,” a police statement said. He blew 158ug on the roadside

breathalyser, one of the highest ever concentrations of alcohol ever recorded in Gibraltar by a driver. A court also handed him 250 hours of community service.

Scooter menace

AN E-scooter has left a nine-year-old child with a broken arm and a serious head injury after mowing them down in Gibraltar. Police are investigating the accident after the electric vehicle was allegedly being driven the wrong way up Willis’s Road. The scooter reportedly hit the child at around nine in the morning, giving him a

Young child hospitalised after becoming latest e-scooter victim

By John Culatto

knee injury along with the head trauma and a broken arm. It comes just days after police stopped two scooter riders who were over the legal

POLICE are investigating the death of a sailor who allegedly fell overboard from a bulk carrier moored to the Detached Mole in Gibraltar’s Port.

The crew of the MV Gladiator bulk carrier reported that a Filipino man, 48, had fallen into the sea as he climbed aboard from the northern side of mole at 9.30pm on September 30.

A Gibraltar fire service diving team fished his lifeless body out of the water an hour later after a frantic search by emergency services.

“At this moment in time, no foul play is suspected,” the Royal Gibraltar Police said.

alcohol limit.

A court ordered the first offender, William Parker, 37, a South District resident, to pay a total of £1,000 in fines.

It was the first ever fine on the Rock for driving an e-scooter while drunk.

Man overboard

New witness in Maddie case

A NEW witness claims he saw Maddie McCann suspect Christian Brueckner running from a rape of a young expat in Portugal. The hotel worker on the Algarve claims he saw the German fleeing the apartment in Portimao at dawn.

Police spotted Parker riding himself and a passenger along Rosia Road on the rented vehicle, before stopping them for a breathalyser test.

He blew 56ug both on the street and at the station, meaning he was more than 20ug above the limit.

Police caught a second man, Daniel Chandley, 27, of Bayside Road at 9pm on National Day, swerving from side to side while ferrying a passenger. He blew at nearly three times the alcohol limit, forcing a court to disqualify him from driving for 20 months and fine him £350.

Gibraltar’s government passed landmark legislation this year to force e-scooter riders to abide by road traffic rules.

He was able to identify him as blonde-haired Brueckner as he had taken off his mask to flee.

“He came forward recently with his evidence,” a German source told the Olive Press. “His testimony is very credible.”

The employee had been arriving early for work when he allegedly spotted him. His evidence comes after ‘others’ identified seeing a man climb up to attack Hazel Behan, 20, in 2004.

Behan, now 40, believes she was followed home to her apartment, which had a balcony ‘easy to climb onto’.

“I’m sure it was, blonde-haired Brueckner, who spoke to me in English with a German accent,” she told the Olive Press this week.

She added: “If Portuguese cops had put a ‘call’ out for info at the time, this witness might have come forward then.”

See Countdown, page 6

Panda party

MADRID’S zoo marked a special occasion as giant panda twins, Youyou and Jiujiu, celebrated their second birthday.

The inseparable duo were treated to a bamboo ice cream cake.

These well-known pandas have been a

Island nuptials

Football legend Ronaldo marries model Celine Locks in Ibiza

THE low-key wedding of a struggling second division football club president in Ibiza turned more than a few heads.

But that’s not surprising when the Spanish football club in question, Real Valladolid, is owned by none other than footballing superstar Ronaldo (the Brazilian, not Portuguese player). He was getting married to his bride, Brazilian model Celine Locks, 33, in the small village of es Cubells, just southwest of the island where Ronaldo, 47, owns a luxurious home.

The couple's engagement, which was announced in

By Walter Finch

January during a romantic Caribbean getaway, culminated in a picturesque church wedding - the World Cup winner’s third time tying the knot.

As Ronaldo and Celina left the church, showered in confetti, they shared matching Instagram posts, proclaiming: “Today we brought our families together for an intimate religious celebration and thus marked the beginning of a week of many celebrations.”

The newlyweds held a grand party for 400 guests at Ron-

ROYAL VISIT

major draw for millions of visitors over the past two years and have even gained recognition on Chinese television. Born in 2021, these two male pandas weighed a mere 150 grams at birth. Today, they tip the scales at around 70 kilograms each, nearly matching their mother, Huazuiba. By the time they reach four years of age, they are expected to weigh approximately 400 kilograms.

Legend visits

MERYL Streep has confirmed she will be to Oviedo’s Teatro Campoamor to pick up a top award.

The Hollywood legend has won the prestigious 2023 Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts.

The 74-year-old star already has three Oscars, as well as three Emmys, two Baftas and a best actress victory at the Cannes Film Festival.

It has been announced she will pick up the prize in person at the October 20 event.

A 19 member Asturias jury announced Streep as this year's winner, after considering 44 candidates from 20 countries. Previous winners include composers Ennio Morricone, John Williams and Martin Scorsese.

PRINCE Harry and wife Meghan have been in Portugal at the invitation of his cousin Princess Eugenie.

According to Portuguese magazine Nova Gente, Prince Andrew’s 33 yearold daughter and her husband Jack Brooksbank(33) recently bought a home in Melides on the Atlantic coast.

Harry (39) and 42 year-old Meghan enjoyed the romantic break after attending the Invictus Games in Germany.

aldo's home in Cala Jondal. The love story began seven years ago when Celina, a successful businesswoman and model, first started dating the former Real Madrid and Inter Milan striker. One of the first people to congratulate the happy couple, who are honeymooning in the Dominican Republic, was Ronaldo's ex-wife Milene Domingues. The former footballer wrote: “I'm happy for you. God bless and protect you always. Long live love.”

RAM RAID

THE home of Spanish footballer Sergio Ramos was robbed while his four children were inside, it has emerged. The raid at the sprawling La Alegria estate, in Bollullos de la Mitacion near Sevilla, was targeted by robbers last Wednesday.

According to the Guardia Civil, Ramos and his wife Pilar Rubio (pictured)were not at home but their four children and their caregivers were.

The thieves struck while Ramos was away playing a Champions League match against French club Lens. His wife, meanwhile, had been travelling for work.

The robbers took luxury watches, jewellery, designer clothes and cash. No one was injured.

HAPPY COUPLE: Ronaldo and Celine tied the knot

STAMP OF APPROVAL Cleverly done

UK Foreign Minister James Cleverly guaranteed his support for Gibraltar’s right to decide its future and an EU treaty ‘that works for Gibraltarian people’ at a Tory party conference reception.

Deputy Chief Minister Joseph Garcia hosted the Gibraltar reception at the Conservatives’ annual get-together in Manchester just months from a general election where they face being axed from government.

But despite the discouraging polls that put the Tories 20 points behind Labour, Cleverly was in a buoyant mood. The Foreign Minister visited the Rock on National Day with a family and he said he saw ‘the vibrance, exubrance and passion of the wonderful people of Gibraltar’.

“They have the right to choose their own destiny,” Cleverly said.

“I can assure you as I did those who I met on the Rock, that you will always have the support of a Conservative Government.”

A LOCAL artist’s ‘stunning’ new stamp collection which honours the coronation of King Charles III is now available in Gibraltar.

Graphic designer Stephen Perera is the man behind the collection, which according to the government ‘captures the essence and grandeur of this momentous event’.

The set of six stamps features a series of photographs in chronological order, marking the moments when Charles was or-

dained, crowned and walked down the aisle. Then there are pictures of the crowns themselves shadowed by the Red Arrows aerobatic display team.

The last two pictures feature Camilla Parker-Bowles and another one with her beside her husband in their royal gowns. The stamps were officially unveiled at the Royal Gibraltar Post Office by Caretaker Minister for Postal Services Vijay Daryanani.

MOVING IN

Owners get keys to affordable homes

RESIDENTS of the shiny new towers overlooking Eastern Beach have been handed the keys to their affordable homes.

The first phase of Hassan Centenary Terraces was completed this month and Gibraltar Residential Properties (GRP) gave owners the chance to start to move in.

GIBRALTAR has shown no sign of backing down against illegal fishing boats after investing in a powerful new speedboat.

Caretaker Minister for the Environment

John Cortes said the new 600 horsepower vessel is called ‘Osprey’ and will be used for ‘environmental enforcement’ in Gibraltarian waters.

Cortes said: “The vessel is evidence of the Government’s clear commitment to uphold environmental laws in British Gibral-

By John Culatto

All those in Category 1 will now receive their keys in the following days as they have released government rental flats to buy their properties.

The Hassan Centenary Terraces towers form part of the second batch of afford-

Upping the ante

tar Territorial Waters.”

“This multi-purpose vessel will help the Department meet its obligations and face the ever changing challenges of environmental enforcement and conservation at sea; from engaging vessels to responding to wildlife rescues and environmental incidents.”

able homes provided by the GSLP/Liberals.

Beach View Terraces and Mons Calpe Mews were part of the first raft of affordable homes.

The government released the homes with the 50-50 scheme that allows buyers to pay half the cost price.

Now the first phase of Hassan Centenary Terraces is complete, GRP – which manages the properties for the government – will distribute draft documentation to buyers’ lawyers.

“This will allow for completion by these purchasers

to take place as soon as the purchaser have placed their lawyers in funds for the purchase, either through mortgages or otherwise,” the Gibraltar Government said in a statement.

As well as the second phase of Hassan Centenary Terraces that is already underway, the government is building more homes closer to town.

Constructors already started work on Chatham Views at the site of the old Westside Comprehensive School and Bob Peliza Mews where the old Waterport power station was located.

THE Environmental Safety Group (ESG) has urged both main Gibraltar parties to reduce pollution in the fight against climate change as part of its election wish-list.

Gibraltar’s main environmental group pleaded with the GSLP and GSD to reduce city emissions from transportation, energy production, construction and waste. The election wish-list asks for the next government to work harder on the Climate Change Strategy (CCS).

The GSLP/Liberals published the CCS in 2021 after the 2019 Climate Emergency Motion. “We have lobbied for transparency and independent reporting by this Committee to share its recommendations to Government as well as resources needed,” the ESG said in the statement.

Breakup abuse

A MAN has denied sending or threatening to send private sexual images of his ex to other people without her consent in order to cause her distress.

Jesse Jon Mor, 23, of Moorish Castle Estate, is alleged to have tried to control a woman he was seeing by assaulting and stalking her, threatening her with death and blackmail.

Gaming prowess

A NEW course at Gibraltar college hopes to propel young people interested in developing multiplayer video games into the fast-growing global industry.

The first batch of students on the E-sports course started learning the skills needed to succeed in September 2023, giving them a chance to carve out a career even if they are not successful at academic level.

The Level 2 Certificate in E-sports is the fruit of a partnership between the Gibraltar College and the Gibraltar Digital Skills Academy. Academy Director Stewart Harrison said he was ‘excited’ to deliver the Btec as a practical course offering hands-on experience.

I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE!

FAR-right fanatic Tommy Robinson has threatened the Olive Press after we revealed he has been using a luxury €1.5 million Spanish villa to film his extremist podcast.

Robinson used the property in L’Albir during the summer months hosting a series of British and American extremist figures.

As we reported last issue, the Costa Blanca villaowned by billionaire fashion tycoon Philip Day - even saw the likes of Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes. In retaliation for the article,

Van Fright!

Swapping sides

THE Spanish navy has bought a €15 million ship that is registered in Gibraltar.

Police alerted as Tommy Robinson threatens Olive Press over revelation he uses luxury property to make hateful podcasts

Robinson claimed he had ‘found out’ where our reporters live.

“I got all your details straight away,” he claimed in a post on his Telegram channel while walking into the Alicante hills.

“I know exactly where you live. You live at your mum's, you sad little p***k.

A SPANISH family were stunned to find a family heirloom was a genuine work by Baroque master painter, Anthony Van Dyck.

The painting, ‘Presentation of the Baby Jesus to Saint Barbara’, is expected to be worth between €5 million and €13 million.

According to their lawyer, the Jaenbased family had ‘no idea’ the painting was so valuable.

“They saw it as a part of their daily lives,” revealed Luis Baena, this week, adding the family are not interested in money and their wish is the painting ‘goes to Sevilla’. The family have had offers from

“What, you want to show pictures of where I live? See if you like

PROBE: In our last issue

it when I come and knock on your mum’s door.” Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, argued that showing pictures of where he (claims) to live

auction houses worldwide, but have so far ignored the offers, hoping the Sevilla Museum of Fine Arts will make ‘a fair and reasonable offer’.

The painting is believed to have arrived in Jaen during the 17th century when hundreds of Flemish families lived in Andalucia.

Over four centuries later, the canvas had significant signs of wear and was restored by a team of Andalucian experts.

Van Dyck was a leader of the socalled Baroque movement and is famed for his portraits of nobility and his biblical and mythological paintings.

potentially endangers his children. He later alleged that he will have to relocate again, as his children have faced threats from anti-fascist extremists. However, Olive Press investigations actual -

ly reported that Robinson was NOT residing at the €5,000-a-month, six-bedroom villa, but merely using it as a filming location. Robinson was declared bankrupt in 2021 and is currently unable to open a bank account or monetise his social media channels. It raises questions about how he could afford to rent and use the villa.

The four-time imprisoned ex-convict has previously spent time in Gibraltar and on the Costa del Sol.

He is currently facing another jail stint back in the UK for contempt of court and will appeal a conviction for the stalking of a journalist at the Independent newspaper. The Guardia Civil has been alerted to the threats against the Olive Press

The Ocean Osprey vessel will be renamed the Ferrol after a major refit, before it is used as a tugboat at the military base in the Galician city of the same name. Built in 2014 by shipbuilders Atlantic Offshore it has been based at both Aberdeen in Scotland and Bergen in Norway while flying the Gibraltar flag.

The Spanish navy’s Logistics Support Headquarters bought the €25 million-valued ship at a cutprice €15 million.

Spain’s Cabinet approved the purchase of the tug in July to tow bigger ships and logistical transportation between its naval bases.

The reported purchase follows this summer’s war of words over Gibraltar’s waters in the Bay of Gibraltar.

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

Hottest race so far

THE election race is hotting up and Gibraltarians are getting ready to cast their votes for one of the most hotly anticipated polls since 2011.

In just the space of four weeks, 11 new candidates have had to get used to the reality of frontline politics, its many challenges and the additional public scrutiny. The newcomers on the GSD slate especially have had to do a lot of readjusting.

Youssef El Hana had to do a very public live TV apology on social media posts he published in his younger days. His support for slogans like ‘Death to Israel’ drew a stinging rebuke from Gibraltar’s Jewish Community, even after his apology.

Former university vice-chancellor Daniella Tilbury was also involved in a war of words with the GSLP/Liberals. The ruling party accused her of professional misconduct which made her accuse the GSLP/Liberals of a Data Protection breach.

For Christian Santos on the GSLP slate, it was a major step up to go from mayor to running for office as an openly gay candidate married to a man.

His bravery and ambition to go on this journey in a relatively conservative society that is still struggling to overcome its post-Catholic taboos is an example to many. Nigel Feetham also had his own personal issues to attend to.

As the brother of former GSD leader Daniel Feetham, it must be strange to be on the opposite side of the fence. But what many people might not know is that their father, Michael Feetham, was in government with the GSLP from 1988 to 1996.

Rumours suggest that Daniel Feetham only jumped ship after disagreeing with the GSLP leadership at the time. Ironically, he stepped down from frontline politics at this election.

Finally, spare a thought for GSLP co-founder Joe Bossano, running for no less than his 12th election, after over half a century on parliament benches.

He might be in his 80s but never shows any signs of tiring, working 364 days a year apart from Boxing Day. All in all, it stands to be an exciting close-fought election with both parties likely to be neck-and-neck at the end.

PUBLISHER / EDITOR

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es

Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es

Alberto Lejarraga alberto@theolivepress.es

Jo Chipchase jo@theolivepress.es

John Culatto

ADMIN

Victoria Humenyuk Makarova (+34) 951 154 841 admin@theolivepress.es

COUNTDOWN BEGINS

When will German Maddie McCann suspect finally get his day in court over the missing toddler? Jon Clarke analyses the timescale, the ‘confession’ in Spain, PLUS five other sex crimes in Portugal?

IT’S the case that never seems to close. Now into its 16th year, the mystery over the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann in Portugal, has still not been solved. But, it’s creeping ever closer to coming to trial, after a landmark ruling in Germany. It involves a court in Braunschweig finally accepting it has the jurisdiction to try its former resident Christian Brueckner, 46.

As well as the abduction and murder of the British toddler in May 2007, he is also due to be charged with five other serious sex crimes. These are three rapes and two child sex offences, all taking place on the Algarve between 2000 and 2017.

Feel like you’ve read that before? You did, almost a year ago on October 11 when

the Olive Press revealed exclusively Brueckner was set to be charged and sent to trial by ‘this Spring or Summer’. The German sex offender - who is currently serving seven years for the rape of a 72-year-old American expat on the Algarve in 2005 - saw complex committal proceedings against him officially begin back then.

It involved getting permission from Italy, the last place he was living as a free man in 2018, to confirm an extradition request to bring him back to Germany.

He had also been made an official suspect (or arguido) over the Maddie case in Portugal.

But then things came to a shuddering halt for prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters and

the victims, including former Irish holiday rep Hazel Behan, 40. Brueckner’s lawyer, Friedrich Fulscher, put a spanner in the works claiming the regional court in Braunschweig had no jurisdiction to hear the case, because their client’s last formal address

was not there but in a backwater of former East Germany.

He claimed he had resided at a derelict box factory in Neuwegersleben and should actually therefore be tried in the nearby regional court in Magdeburg.

While Brueckner bought the factory back in 2008 or 2009, prosecutor Wolters argued he had never actually lived there and was never officially registered there. “He only spent the odd night there in his winnebago,” he told me earlier this year.

But in a bombshell decision, in April, the regional court sided with Fulscher, ruling Braunschweig had no jurisdiction to hear the case.

It came as a big blow to Wolt

FACING HER ATTACKER

ONE of Brueckner’s alleged victims, Irish mother-of-three Ha zel Behan, 40, told the Olive Press she was ‘looking forward to finally facing him in court’. The former Algarve resort worker, from Dublin, was just 20 when she was tied up, beaten and tortured during a four-hour filmed ordeal, in 2004. She is certain the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Brueckner was her attacker. “I’ve been waiting nearly two decades for closure on the attack that changed the course of my life,” she said. “I need this whole saga to end.”

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AWARDS

THERE is a flock of birds that is making its way south from the Alps to Andalucia for an annual migration this autumn - nothing too out-ofthe-ordinary about that.

Apart from the fact that the critically endangered Northern Bald Ibises are being led by a human in an ultralight aircraft on their 2,000km journey to Jerez.

Known for its dark feathers and distinctive bald red head, the Northern Bald Ibis vanished from Spain and Europe three centuries ago.

Until recently, there were only two surviving populations left in the wild; one in Morocco, of roughly 600, and another in Syria, with fewer than 10.

A breeding program at the Schönbrunn Zoo in Vienna helped establish northern populations and now hand-reared chicks have been trained to follow a caregiver in an ultralight aircraft to establish a southern migration route to southern Spain. The plucky Ibis is not the only bird species long-extinguished in Spain to have made a comeback, thanks to the efforts of conservationists.

After going extinct in the 1980s, the Osprey was brought back to Spain in 2013.

Twelve Ospreys were tak en from their nests in Scotland and released into the Basque country north of Bilbao.

More recently, British Red Kites helped to save their Hispanic cousins from going extinct in Spain.

As with so many bird species in Spain, numbers of this raptor have been decimat

ed by the illegal use of poisons, hunting and habitat degradation and loss due to high-intensity agriculture.

Experts grew alarmed when the breeding population in Spain dropped to a mere 50.

Over the summers of 2022 and 2023 and into next year, around 100 Red Kites from the UK have been careful-

BIRD BOUNCE

ly released into Extremadura. However, they are only returning the favour after relocated Spanish Red Kites saved their British cousins from being wiped out in the UK in the 1990s.

Moving up the food chain of birds of prey that have gone extinct on the Iberian peninsula, another is on its way back - the largest and

A colossal predator with a wingspan of nearly two and a half metres, the White-Tailed Eagle had not been seen in Spain since the 19th century.

Borrowing from the robust populations in Norway, 18 young eagles were extracted from nests earlier this summer and made their journey to Madrid airport on June 29.

Before taking flight into Spanish skies, these eagles are residing in a specialised

enclosure near the town of Pimiango in Asturias.

Some 13 of the eagles have been released into the wild so far, with the remaining five not deemed large enough yet. From predators to scavengers; another grand endeavour is underway, this time to restore the Black Vulture to its historic homeland in Spain’s Iberian Highlands. Once a common sight, the Aegypius monachus faced dwindling numbers and extinction in the region a century ago due to shrinking forest habitats.

The revival project has involved releasing sevenof the vultures into Alto Tajo Nature Park in Castilla-La Mancha after a meticulous seven-month acclimatisation period in an aviary.

These birds, equipped with GPS transmitters, are now getting accustomed to their new surroundings.

It is part of a plan to release between 40 and 50 Black Vultures to go with the already-healthy Griffon Vulture population. It has not all been an unbridled success in conservation efforts to return majestic,

INVESTIGATION: Clarke meets Wolters (right)

roperty

On brand

Designer homes are flooding image-conscious Marbella in the latest trend for super-rich investors, see page 9

ONLY WAY IS UP*

IF you’re still wondering whether buying in Spain is a sound investment, the latest figures should give you a clue.

In the second quarter of 2023, prices nationwide increased by 3.6% compared to the same period in 2022.

It follows a healthy 3.5% year-onyear boost during the first quarter of this year.

The latest statistics mean prices have been rising in Spain every quarter since 2014.

That’s almost 10 years of continuous and steady growth.

Driving the uptick has been the construction of new-build homes, which are popping up across the country, but particularly on the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca.

And if you bought a new-build home last year, you will have already seen a tidy increase in value, with the av-

PropertypricesinSpainhaverisenforeveryquartersince2014

By Laurence Dollimore

erage price rising 7% year-on-year. The investment opportunities have not been lost on foreign buyers,

who only purchased 2.7% fewer homes in the first quarter of 2023 compared to 2022. That is a strong sign of demand given the sharp interest rate rises this year and the worsening cost of

AN incredible 90% of luxury homes bought in Marbella are bought by foreigners and 90% are purchased without a mortgage.

The surprising figure has emerged in a fascinating new report on the resort by leading agent Panorama. It comes as the luxury market - defined by the agency as homes over €2 million - proves to be even stronger than 2022. “Some agencies are reporting an increase in sales of up to 20% at the high end,” explained author of the report Chris Clover. Of foreign buyers, the British are still the main

living and inflation crises hitting Spain’s most important foreign buyer markets in the UK and Germany. In particular, the number of purchases by foreigners fell by just

NINETY NINETY

buyers with 16% of purchases, followed by Swedes, at 12%, Dutch at 8%, with the Belgians and Germans not far behind.

Asking prices in all price categories in Marbella have risen, on average, by about 15% between June 2022 and June 2023, reaching a new alltime high of €4,233/m2 – approximately double the average asking price per m2 of 10 years ago.

2.7% year-on-year in Q1 2023, compared to declines among Spanish buyers of a 9% for second-home purchases and a 12% for first-home purchases.

In addition, this strength in sales among foreigners follows the significant rebound of 2022, when they grew by 30.7% compared to 6.4% growth for home sales as a whole.

As a result, they now account for a much larger portion of total sales (19.5%, according to the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda), and this is partly down to the fact that foreign buyers are less dependent on credit when purchasing property.

*With respect to longterm expat Malaga resident Yazz

ELITE: Homes include Karl Lagerfeld and (below) Dolce & Gabbana

NEARLY 100 stylish homes designed by Italian luxury brand Dolce&Gabbana are set to go on sale in Marbella.

There are already ‘between 40 and 50 buyers’ on the waiting list for the homes that will be completed by 2026.

Preparation work has begun on the site in the Sierra Blanca area and a show apartment will be ready by 2025.

Priced out

MALAGA province has recorded the highest rises in house prices this year. Buying a property is 18% more expensive than it was 12 months ago with the square metre averaging €2,818, according to Pisos.com

The increase is almost three times the national average, which has gone up by 6.8%.

The second highest rises overall were in the Balearics where prices went up 16.8% over the last year.

The islands are also home to the most expensive property, with the average per square metre costing €4,150.

Next comes Madrid at €3,524/m2, the Basque Country’s Gipuzkoa (€3,049/ m2) and Barcelona (€2,993/m2).

In terms of cities, Malaga city prices rose by a whopping 17.2% only beaten by Palma de Mallorca, where prices rose by 19%.

San Sebastian is the most expensive city in Spain to buy a flat, with the square metre averaging at €5,872.

TOP DOLLAR

A TRIO of Malaga resorts have been ranked among the five most expensive to rent in Spain.

Benahavis, Marbella and Estepona are among the country’s priciest spots, according to a study by Idealista Benahavis is Spain’s most expensive municipality, with an average monthly cost of €3,232.

Meanwhile, Marbella ranks third with rental prices at €3,259 per month. Fourth place goes to Estepona, with tenants needing to shell out an average of €2,710.

Meanwhile, fifth is luxurious Sotogrande, just up the coast in Cadiz province, where rentals average €2,665 a month.

Mijas, also on the Costa del Sol, ranks 10th on the table with monthly rentals of €1,777.

Benalmadena ranks 17th (€1,381), Puerto de Santa Maria 22nd (€1,210), Malaga city 26th (€1,127) and Fuengirola 27th (€1,111).

The average rental price for properties in Spain experienced a 9.3% increase from April to July as the country’s residents are facing the highest prices ever recorded.

FASHION HILLS

Developer Sierra Blanca Estates has teamed up with the high end Italian brand to create the development, with prices starting at €4 million.

See On Brand on page 34

DEEP POCKETS

Anoriginalone-of-a-kindPicasso etchinginthepoolhelpsjustify€30 millionvillapricetag

By Laurence Dollimore

THEY say the world’s most valuable homes have a unique selling point. And they don’t get much better than having an original Picasso in situ.

This stunning beachside mansion not only has an original Picasso, but it’s a one-of-a-kind etched into the bottom of its POOL.

Dubbed El Martinete, the €30 million villa is the former home of late flamenco legend Antonio El Bailarin.

Located in Puerto Banus, the beautiful home is said to have played host to many wild parties and secret love af

the years.

Bailarin - real name Antonio Ruiz Soler - named it after his favourite dance, the martinete, a fast and flexible style that resembles the hammer of a blacksmith’s anvil.

It stands on a plot of 4,017sqm, consisting of the main house and two independent outhouses.

There are a total of nine bedrooms, an outdoor jacuzzi, spa area, an indoor heated pool and even a small beauty and hair salon.

The master bedroom measures 120sqm and offers

jaw-dropping sea views over the mediterranean.

The home is surrounded by gardens and boasts a basement and solarium, but the star of show

is the the outdoor swimming pool. At the height of his career, Bailarin was

a global star, having toured the world with his iconic flamenco show.

He would often be seen with the Hollywood elite, including Ava Gardner and Vivien Leigh, the latter of whom he was rumoured to have shared a torrid romance.

Everyone from Rudolf Nureyev to Charles Chaplin fell at his feet - as well as a certain Pablo Picasso.

The story goes that the iconic Malaga painter invited the

dancer to his 80th birthday party and was blown away after watching the Sevilla man dance.

It led to him sketching the dancer, which ended up on the bottom of his pool.

STUNNING: The magnificent property is up for sale

“The artist was so enchanted that he jumped over the table that separated them, began to dance rumbas with Antonio, fell on his knees, kissed him on the

cheek, then got up, took a pencil, sketched a portrait of the dancer and dedicated it to him,” an obituary in the Independent recalled in 1996.

El Bailarin not only preserved that sketch, but decided to engrave it on the tiles of his pool, where it remains to this day.

The original is on display at the Almagro National Theater Museum, in Ciudad Real.

The house is for sale at €30 million.

If you don’t have the cash to buy it, the property can be rented from between €30,000 and €80,000 per week.

Demolition at ‘Rural Marbella’ megaproject

ALL unfinished buildings, including a planned hotel and dozens of half built houses have to be knocked down at a controversial golf macroproject in Extremadura.

The four-star resort, called Marina Isla de Valdecañas, was built on an island in a reservoir near Caceres.

The project, which already has its golf course and a hotel open, must knock down a half built second hotel and other villas and return the land back to how it was found.

It is a win for local green groups, who have been campaigning against the project in Berrocalejo for over two decades.

They argued it had been constructed in a protected area for birds and wildlife and should not have had the backing of the regional authorities.

“In the end all this could have been avoided,” said a lawyer for Ecologistas en Accion. “We maintained from the start that it was illegal.”

The developer, Jose Maria Gea was given a

stay of execution to demolish the rest of the resort in June this year, when Madrid’s Constitutional court paralyzed the demolition over its giant cost.

The decision is being appealed in the Supreme Court, which will make the final decision.

Dubbed a ‘rural Marbella’ by the Spanish media, it was sold as a hidden getaway to wealthy Spaniards, including the son of former leader Jose Maria Aznar.

ETCHING: Picasso sketch was engraved in to swimming pool for Bailarin (right)

STYLISH: Preview of the luxury resort

Dolce & Gabbana

HOMES BY DESIGN

FOR the super rich not content with the latest designer purses, clothes and cars, there’s a new product they can add to their vast collections - homes.

In the latest trend to hit the property market in Spain, a slew of developments designed by some of the world’s biggest fashion labels are popping up across Marbella.

Dolce&Gabbana, Fendi and Elie Saab are just some of the big names fronting luxury apartments and villas in the exclusive Costa del Sol resort.

Icon Karl Lagerfeld started the trend when he helped design five villas in the exclusive Sierra Blanca area before his death in 2019.

The former head of Chanel and Fendi put his stamp on the amazing homes, three of which have already sold for an estimated €15 million.

The latest brand to jump on the bandwagon is Dolce&Gabbana, one of Italy’s biggest fashion exports.

The Design Hills Dolce&Gabbana Marbella is spread across a hillside just inland from the ultra-pricey Golden Mile.

Ranging from €3 million to €20 million, buyers can decide the level of D&G’s influence on their interiors - with the option of having its iconic ‘Maiolica’ design on the kitchen floor, wall and even ceiling, for example.

In conjunction with developers Sierra Blanca Estates, all of the homes - there are 92 in total - will offer jaw-dropping views of the Med and large terraces complete with private pools. Residents will also have a home automation system connecting them with concierge and hospitality staff 24/7.

There will also be access to a private club featuring a cinema, bar, wine, and cigar cellar.

It comes as the neighbouring Fendi Casa development, dubbed EPIC, is also set to be completed soon. Apartments there are starting at more than €4 million and are also being developed by Sierra Blanca.

As too are the final two villas designed by the late German fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld. Elsewhere in Marbella, Lebanese fashion house Elie Saab is selling five villas through Savills, each with a starting price of around €8.3million.

But it’s not just ‘Marbs’ that is seeing an influx of luxury names being attached to developments.

Nearby in Benahavis, in the so-called ‘Golden Triangle’ of property that also includes Estepona, Lamborghini has got in on the act.

The charming mountain town is seeing 53 ‘Lamborghini’ villas going up on the Tierra Viva estate.

The homes, linked to the aspiration Italian sports car brand, are selling from €3.2.million.

Finally, just a hop and skip up the coast towards Sotogrande, you will find yet another global fashion brand getting in on the act.

Within the grounds of the five-star Finca Cortesin hotel, in Casares, developers Dar Global have launched Marea by Missoni, a series of apartments starting from around €885,000.

The incredible upscale hotel, where numerous celebrities stay, including Gareth Bale and Guns & Roses, has just held the prestigious Solheim Cup of women’s golf.

History repeats itself

A TOP real estate agent in Gibraltar has praised Vietnamese developer TNG for investing in the new residential and commercial areas at the site of the old Bayside School and on the Eastside reclamation

NORTH GORGE DEVELOPMENT LAST 8 REMAINING VILLAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION – RESERVE

Within the enclave of the natural backdrop of the historic North Gorge of Gibraltar, this development and terraced houses is underway as scheduled following the successful off plan

BRIAN Francis started the estate agency in September 1986 after 14 years in the Civil Service, culminating in his appointment as Director of the Crown Lands from 1982-86. He was in charge of development and planning just as the frontier with Spain swung its doors open for the first time since 1969.

The North Gorge development has been shortlisted for a Gibraltar Sustainability Award. Few for sale in phase II with prices ranging between £1.450 to £1.895 million.

Brian Francis recalls that ‘busy time’ very well and how challenging it was to be involved in the real estate sector at the time when homeownership was at its infancy stage. “Although it was difficult at first to get into the Gibraltar market, I played an important role in persuading a local group of developers to form a consortium to tackle the grave housing problem. It was a time when homeownership represented only about 5% of the total housings stock,” he tells the Olive Press.

to diversify the economy from its heavy reliance on Defence spending to one based on tourism, financial services and port related activities. For example: “The transfer of surplus MOD occupied land on the western foreshore along Queensway led to construction of the prestigious Queensway Quay (1992-96) and more recently Kings Wharf in three phases known as Quay 27, Quay 29 and Quay 31, which together with other complementary luxury developments in the area known as The Sails and The Island have transformed the western foreshore into a busy hive of commercial and residential activity which will be further transformed when the Victoria Keys development which involves more land reclamation to the north of Queensway Quay takes place.

3 UNITS REMAIN

“The consortium – aptly named Gibraltar Homes Ltd – built around 1,500 low-cost homes on reclaimed land then known as Westside 1 (Montagu Gardens and Montagu Crescent) and Westside II (Harbour Views).”

The Europort reclamation project carried out at the time created some 300,000m2 of development land and marked the beginning of the 50:50 co-ownership scheme that helped local people buy their first homes. It also created a massive land bank for future commercial and open market residential development.

Projects

2 UNITS REMAIN

port and solarium terrace with jacuzzi. Passenger lift serving all levels including roof. PROPERTY

Brian Francis said that the Europort reclamation tackled the ‘scarcity of land’ in the British territory just as the Ministry of Defence started to transfer its own land occupied for Defence purposes to the Gibraltar Government in order

Other reclamation projects also took place in Marina Bay close to the Airport and the very successful Ocean Village Complex which has recently seen the completion of 144 luxurious rental apartments arranged over 5 buildings at the tip of the main Ocean Village Marina pier known as Marina Club. “Fast forward to 2023 and Gibraltar finds itself in a completely different position after Brexit, the pandemic, and the ongoing Ukraine conflict. The experienced estate agent is now hoping for an EU Treaty which could unlock key opportunities in the region. But he fears that the lack of agreement could be ‘detrimental to Gibraltar and the Campo Region’, banking on a deal which could really bring the ‘shared prosperity’ to the area everyone wants.

For more details on the Hotel Development Scheme please contact BFA Estate Agents - Mark Francis - Director MRICS on (+350) 200 71131 or speak with one of our agents.

Karl Lagerfeld

Elie Saab

TO CALPE

AN EARLY EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY FREEHOLD BUILDING BRIMMING WITH ORIGINAL COLONIAL FEATURES.

Calpe Lodge is located in the heart of the Town at 29, 31 & 33 Governor’s Parade. The property has a footprint of 334 sqm and an existing built-up area of approximately 700sqm.

A stone’s throw away from South Central Main Street (with an abundance of retail shops, cafeterias & restaurants) and within walking distance to other landmarks in Gibraltar such as the emblematic Garrison Library and The Elliot Hotel.

Calpe Lodge benefits from full planning permission for a Commercial & Residential Scheme offering the potential to increase the building to approximately 1.430sqm which would include the addition of two floors with a new roof top terrace with its own swimming pool and gymnasium. The Residential Part comprises 23 Apartments involving a mixture of Studio Apartments as well as 1- and 2-Bedroom Apartments. This can be found on e-planning website link provided – Town Planning (egov.gi).

Calpe Lodge also benefits from full planning permission for a 61 room hotel combining a second freehold property named Albany House in an adjoining plot namely 7-9 Town Range, Link also provided - Town Planning (egov.gi).

The Scheme includes the option to create a large basement area which has been designated to be used for storage units accessed via No: 29 Governor’s Parade with lift to lower floor where bicycles can be stored.

The entrance level at ground floor leads to a cafeteria / bar with kitchen and toilet facilities. The ground floor also offers a commercial unit at No: 33 Governor’s Parade.

In addition, the property has full planning permission for a potential 61-room hotel scheme when combined with a second freehold property named Albany House at an adjoining plot of land which has a 189sqm footprint and would interconnect with Calpe Lodge via its easterly boundary wall. Albany House also has its own separate Commercial & Residential Scheme which will be available soon.

A gem in the heart of the Old Town of Gibraltar that deserves to be saved and restored. An exceptional opportunity! Don’t miss out and book your viewing now.

17b The Balcony - Casemates & First Floor Hadfield House Library Street, Gibraltar

ers, who has been working on the case since 2018 and helped convict Brueckner of the rape of American Diane Menkes three years ago.

He was suddenly faced with seeing hundreds of files of evidence sent to the Saxony-Anhalt region.

Worse, it was clear that frustrations were growing among a number of the key witnesses.

As the torturous procedure slowed up even further, one former friend of Brueckner’s, Helge Busching, was said to be ‘considering retracting his evidence’ last month.

It led to a deluge of attacks on the German police and judiciary, with ‘sources’ in Portugal labelling Busching, Helge ‘Bullsh*tter’.

The so-called ‘police sources’ (I’m

FOLLOW THE LEADER: Ibises en route to Spain

BACK

long-extinct birds of prey to Spain, however.

A program to reintroduce the endangered Bearded Vulture to the Maestrazgo area of southeast Aragon has been halted over concerns about proposals for a massive new windfarm in the area.

There are fears that wind turbines, numbering over 100 with some reaching 150 metres in height, could spring up directly in routes known to be favoured by existing bearded vultures in Spain. Windfarms already in the Aragon and Navarra area extracted a harrowing toll on various bird species between 2020 and 2022, according to conservation experts. This includes 1,387 Griffon Vultures, six Egyptian Vultures, 30 Golden Eagles, 58 Short-Toed Snake Eagles, and 76 Red Kites killed.

Thankfully Bearded Vulture numbers have already rebounded, with more than 200 pairs, in no small part due to a conservation and reintroduction program initiated 40 years ago.

sure this is former Chief Inspector Gonzalo Amaral, who messed up the original Maddie investigation) claimed the whole case was flimsy and revolved around an alleged ‘confession’ Brueckner made to Helge in Spain in 2008. This admittance of involvement came during the Dragon Festival, in Orgiva, near Granada, where Buschingalong with many of Brueckner’s friendslived for many years. Busching told German media, in July, that Brueckner had

told him clearly: “She didn’t scream.”

He added the sex offender had got through the front door of her apartment in Praia da Luz using a ‘lock pick kit’ and may well have used a solvent from car paint to knock her out.

But now, after spending four years in Germany’s witness protection scheme, Busching has reportedly grown fed up with keeping his life on hold and is now ‘refusing’ to testify.

This however, is ‘totally untrue’, according to prosecutor Wolters, who told me last week that under German law his testimony ‘still stands’ and he will ‘have to appear in court’.

Speaking to the Olive Press just days after a higher court ruled the cases would finally be heard in Braunschweig, he added: “We have all the evidence we need to prosecute him over the five sex offences and I hope the court agrees with our arguments.

“It should be a formality and I hope we will get a date in the next week or two. It should

THE FIVE SEX CRIMES BRUECKNER IS FACING:

● Rape of Hazel Behan in Portimao in 2004

● Sexual assault of Joana Eilts on Zalema beach in April 2007

● Exposure to four children in Sao Bartolomeu de Messines, in June 2017

● Rape of a teenager - between 16 to 19 - filmed on video on the Algarve between 2000 and 2007

● Rape of an older woman - between 50 and 60 - filmed on video on the Algarve between 2000 and 2007

be in the early part of 2024.”

The calm and unflappable man, with decades of experience prosecuting serious crime, had successfully argued that Brueckner had last lived in Braunschweig, where he ran a kiosk/bar (above) and lived above it, while also renting an allotment home nearby. He also proved he had never applied for electricity or water at the deserted Saxony-Anhalt factory, nor had he put himself on the electoral roll there.

And most importantly, I can reveal, he discovered that Brueckner himself had actually applied for state benefits, via an address in Braunschweig, as recently as 2017.

As he explained to the Olive Press: “It’s been a long process to slow up the case by his lawyers, which has been upsetting for everyone, not helped by the amount of paperwork and the summer break.

“I’ve never seen a case like this and it has personally been very frustrating.”

While he refused to speculate on the exact month for the trial - because there are other suspects on remand, whose trials ‘must come first’ - he added a trial over missing Maddie probably wouldn’t be set until next year.

“We haven’t finished investigating yet and we need a bit more time,” he explained last week.

So it is now all up to the new female judge at Braunschweig court to set her diary for 2024. Either way she is likely facing two trials of the century next year!

Olive Press editor Jon Clarke is the author of My Search for Madeleine

is celebrating the roaring success of its brand new GERMAN edition on the Costa del Sol.

The leading expat newspaper is now offering its brand of exclusive stories and original content to the millions of German speakers who live in – or like to visit – Andalucia.

It follows seven successive years of expansion that have seen the newspaper launch fortnightly editions in Gibraltar, Mallorca and along the Costa Blanca north and south.

The latest addition is the first ever FREE German newspaper on the coast, and can be found at all good outlets, including hotels, restaurants, golf courses, petrol stations and supermarkets.

The first edition last month was met with praise after being dropped at more than 750 locations.

“It looks great and has the usual interesting varied mix of content of the main English paper,” said Karen Wolfson, of leading restaurant company Metro Group.

Proud

“We are proud to have Nomad Restaurant in Aloha on the cover.”

Silvia Jensen-Lindemann, owner of leading construction company Grupo Protec added: “It looks really good, I’m sure we’ll be using it. I like it a lot!”

Meanwhile Karl Elschner, of estate agency Melrose, based in Estepona, added: “It’s a great new addition for the expat German market.”

German-speaker Paul Whitelock, whose wife is from North Rhine Westphalia, was really surprised when he found a copy in the Ronda tourist office.

“Well done. My wife really liked the Lorca piece (below), while I was very impressed with the balance of news stories and features.”

The former schools inspector, who lives in Montejaque, also posted an appraisal on popular website, Eye on Spain, adding: “I am fluent in German and I can assure potential readers it is done by native German speakers.”

The venture came about after a German family picked up a copy of our English edition this Spring and, insisted, it needed

They immediately contacted publisher Jon Clarke to broach the idea of a similar product for the German market and voila, the Olive Press Aleman Clarke said: “They insisted that while Germans can speak English and read it, they are so much happier doing it in their own language.

“They insisted it was a no brainer and with all the Austrians and Swiss moving here now I agreed.”

He added: “I was delighted when the launch issue came out looking so great, even if I couldn’t under stand it!

“Thanks so much to all the advertisers who have queued up to support it.”

Waldrappteam Conservation and Research/L Kern

HOME?: Maddie suspect Brueckner claims this was his residence

ACTUAL HOME: Clarke outside his Braunschweig kiosk

LA CULTURA

History goes online

THE Garrison Library has marked 230 years in Gibraltar with the launch of an exhibition that traced its history from a military institution to a public source of knowledge.

The oldest library on the Rock now boasts a growing digital collection of historical books, maps and photographs that give researchers fast access to this mine of knowledge.

Caretaker Minister for Heritage and Culture John Cortes opened the 230th anniversary exhibition titled ‘1793 – 2023: From the Analogue to the Digital Age’. A digital studio funded by the Kusuma Trust is being used to put the artifacts online.

“Digital access will offer greater protection to the original paper archive whilst ensuring the history and information contained within will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come,” a Ministry of Heritage spokesperson said.

People from all over the world will soon be able to search the archives from early newspapers to reports from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Along with Jennifer Ballantine, the library director, Cortes marked the ‘historic occasion’ with a presentation to the current governor, the patron of the institution.

Sir David Steel will soon leave the Rock after starting his term in June 2020.

Wordsmiths unite

TICKETS went on sale for this year’s Gibraltar Literary Festival as it announced five new speakers that would be on the Rock for the popular cultural event on November 17-19. James Naughtie (top left), spy novel writer and BBC journalist, Ann Bryant (left), children’s fiction author and Martin Brown (top right) creator of the Horrible Histories series that racked up sales of 35 million copies are just three of the vis-

iting authors.

Award-winning illustrator and story-teller Sally Gardner (right) will also be present along with Esme Young of Great British Sewing Bee fame with her new book, ‘Behind the Seams’. They will joinTanya Goodin, Ann Cleeves, Nigel Biggar, Rory Cellan-Jones and Puneet Bhandal during the weekend event. More names would be announced soon, Gibraltar’s Ministry for Culture promised.

TOO FAMOUS

Iconic Alhambra was axed from Indiana Jones filming schedule

STEVEN Spielberg was ‘very sad’ after being forced to give up the Alhambra palace as a filming location for Indiana Jones, it has emerged.

The legendary Hollywood director had hoped to use gardens of the 14th century wonder for the 1989 hit Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, starring Harrison Ford. However in a letter from Lucas Films to the palace, obtained by Andalucia Informacion, producer at the time Robert Watts laments that

OP QUICK CROSSWORD

By Laurence Dollimore

the sprawling estate is simply ‘too famous’.

The team had reportedly been willing to pay 900,000 pesetas (roughly €5,000) a day for the palace.

However in a letter they wrote: “We feel that the Alhambra is one of Spain’s most magnificent architectural wonders attracting many thousands of visitors annually and (is) famous

Across

1 Rugby Union’s --- Crown (6)

5 Charge (6)

8 Stronghold (8)

9 Fish eggs (3)

10 Distribute cards (4)

11 Parched (3-5)

13 Disorganised, easy-going clot is one for the ladies (13)

18 Slower than Mach 1 (8)

22 Retinal cells (4)

23 Female deer (3)

24 Towards sunrise (8)

25 Minister (6)

26 Literary ridicule (6) Down

2 Avian canopy colony (7)

3 Kneecap (7)

4 Level pegging (5)

5 Club nicknamed “The Invincibles” in 2003-4 (7)

6 Insect stage (5)

7 They fly in skeins (5)

12 Colourful carp (3)

14 Arrest (3)

15 Link (7)

16 It’ll keep you in stitches (7)

17 Dr Slade shook up leather worker (7)

19 Below (5)

20 Explorer who named Lake Victoria (5)

21 Prices paid (5)

All solutions are on page 15

Gateway restored

THE iconic Southport Gates to Gibraltar’s Main Street that date back to 1883 have been restored to their former glory by the Ministry of Heritage.

National museum restorer Manuel Jaen led the works, dismantling and cleaning the coats of arms and shields before returning them to their place.

Helped by government archaeologist Dominic Lopez, Jaen used materials which would fit in well with the ancient walls and pillars that make up the gates.

The team took out roots that were damaging the decades-long neglected gates and sprayed them with herbicide.

Acting Minister for Heritage John Cortes said the repair was part of his ‘policy of investing in small scale but highly valuable projects’.

throughout the world.

“But it is almost too visually familiar for us to attempt to use it as a location supposedly somewhere else.

“Our other major fear leading to our reluctant decision is that since we would be filming at a time when there are many visitors in Spain – and understandably they wish to include a trip to the Alhambra in their itinerary – our soujourn within

Women win

your territory would prove to be too disruptive to the smooth running of normal business.”

It added: “We are sad and very sorry about this, and Steven Spielberg asked me to assure you personally that we hope one day to be able to use the Alhambra for a location on an other picture. “Please allow me to thank you once again for your hospitality and kindness.”

Wreck dive

THE remains of a sunken ship, potentially a Spanish warship dating back to the 18th century are being investigated by divers. It is believed to be the El Fernando, which was constructed between 1750 and 1751, and historical records indicate it sank in 1760.

A team of nine archaeologists are analysing the remains off the coast of San Pedro Alcantara.

The study is focussed on identifying the wreck and assessing its condition.

A ‘GROUNDBREAKING’ new book charting the lives of 25 women who lived in Gibraltar hopes to reshape traditional views on the gender divide. Caretaker Minister for Equality Samantha Sacramento said Women of Gibraltar, Forgotten Narratives would ‘lift women from Gibraltar’s past from obscurity’.

Chief Executive of the Gibraltar Heritage Trust Claire

Montado wrote the book in its entirety with Beatrice Garcia providing illustrations.

It features women who were either born in Gibraltar, worked or stayed there for a while, the government said in a statement.

The stories tell of women’s contributions to the city’s history and society which may have been overlooked at the time.

Montado called the task of writing the book ‘a great privilege’ which she wrote to ‘honour a small proportion of the women’ who played a part in Gibraltar’s history.

“The book is essentially a compilation of research and writings by many others who have had the foresight to record events, anecdotes and details,” the author said.

Sacramento said the ‘groundbreaking’ book aimed to ‘bring to light stories that may very well have otherwise been lost to the passage of time’.

She emphasized it is ‘a book by women, for women’ which made it even more significant in the present day.

The wreck is located on a sandy and gravelly seabed at a depth ranging from four to seven metres.

Swan Kiev

ALGECIRAS’ autumn cultural lineup for 2023 includes several stand out events, among them, the performance of the Kiev Ballet at the Florida Theatre.

On Friday, October 13, spec tators will have the opportunity to enjoy the timeless master piece ‘Swan Lake,’ the famous work by Tchaikovsky, starting at 9pm.

ICONIC: The Alhambra palace

Corruption crackdown

THE GSD has launched an anti-corruption programme that it said would ‘deliver value for money, transparency and standards’ in the lead-up to the October 12 election.

The Gibraltar Social Democrats (GSD), who are trying to get back into government after a 12 year period in Opposition, said it wanted to ‘clean up’ the Rock. But independent candidate Robert Vasquez accused the party of copying his policies after he had written about the anti-corruption measures for many years.

“What the GSD are saying now is covered in the manifesto I published last week,” Vasquez told GBC.

Abuse

The GSD failed to support a 24 point anti-corruption plan put forward by the GSLP/Liberal government in January this year, branding it ‘weak’ at the time.

Instead it proposes to set up a public Inquiry on anti-corruption to look at land deals, tendering processes and contracts. It will make recommendations on improvement of processes, identify and pursue wrongdoing, the party said in a statement.

Finally the party led by Keith Azopardi vowed to introduce an anti abuse law ‘to regulate who can apply for public contracts and control conflicts of interests’.

PURSE FRIENDLY

A MAJOR study has revealed the cheapest supermarkets in Spain. The OCU, a leading consumer organisation, priced up the average shopping basket filled with everyday goods in more than 1,100 stores across the country.

As it does every year, it visited 65 Spanish cities, including

Cheapest supermarkets for a weekly shop revealed

By Laurence Dollimore

all the provincial capitals and large towns, and recorded a total of 155,788 prices to discover which chains were the cheapest. At the national level, that title this year has gone to Family Cash, followed closely by Alcampo.

Shakira shaking!

SINGING superstar expat Shakira is facing a new fraud probe in Spain.

The Colombian sensation evaded another €6 million from the taxman in 2018.

This is in addition to the €14.5 million she allegedly avoided paying tax on in her early years in Spain.

The new allegations include the ‘fake’ transfer of her music rights to a ‘web of firms’, which allegedly turned out to be shell companies with no employees.

The fraud includes €5.3 million of income tax (known as IRPF in Spanish) as well as another €700,000 in capital gains tax. The public prosecutor has called on Interpol to advise the singer in the United States where she has lived since moving there with her children.

She previously lived in Barcelona, with her ex Gerard Pique.

Union mourns

Family Cash has around 40 stores spread across Andalucia, Valencia and Madrid, and the average shop there will cost you €103.

Meanwhile at Alcampo, which has more than 500 stores across Spain, it will set you back €104.

The cheapest local chain is Dani, which is found in Andalucia, including along the Costa del Sol. The OCU basket there cost €100.

According to the data collected, every single chain has increased their prices by between eight and 17%.

The report explains: “E Leclerc, Supeco, Carrefour Express and BM Urban are the chains that have increased the most, by more than 15%.

“On the contrary, Eroski and Eroski City and the Masymas chains have increased the least, remaining below 10%.”

On average, the cheapest cities to get your shopping are Cordoba and Teruel, followed by Burgos, Cadiz, Castellon, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Jerez, Lugo, Palencia, Vigo and Zamora. The highest prices in Spain are in Las Palmas in Gran Canaria, followed by Madrid, Palma de Mallorca and Getxo.

TRIBUTES rained in as Gibraltar mourned the death of one of its great trade unionists Jose Netto at the age of 92.

Unite the Union called him ‘one of the driving forces behind the growth and success of the TGWU and its predecessors’ in a statement.

Born in 1931, he smuggled anti-Franco publicity into Spain after meeting up with Spanish Civil War refugees and feeding on their dissent before organising the first ever general strike. “Jose’s achievements are many, but the General Strike which marked its 50th anniversary last year was chief amongst these,” Unite said in their statement.

As a key campaigner for the rights of Moroccan workers in Gibraltar and a fighter for the most vulnerable in society, his leadership was a foundation for many of the civil liberties working people won.

Netto received the Gibraltar Medallion of Honour in 2009 for his services to trade unionism after retiring in 1996.

Acting Chief Minister Fabian Picardo called him ‘a pillar of trade unionism in Gibraltar’ in a government statement.

Finally GSD leader Keith Azopardi called him ‘a legend of trade unionism and an astute analyst of people and labour situations’.

On the up

HOTEL occupation in Spain this summer was within a hair’s breadth of that registered in 2019, before the pandemic hit.

Occupation over the summer months was just under 75%, compared to 77% in 2019.

The number of overnight stays was also close to the number registered in 2019, coming in at 46.67 million – 99% of the figure from four years ago.

That’s according to the latest figures released by the National Statistics Institute (INE), which also show that the average price of a hotel room hit a record high this summer.

In August, people were paying an unprecedented average of €136.45 for a hotel room, which is 25% up on 2019.

Forecasts within the sector are predicting that these strong figures will continue for the rest of the year, with hopes that the final performance will resemble that of 2019, when an all-time record for tourist arrivals was broken.

BIG BROTHER DELAYED

A PASSPORT tracking system that will keep tabs on how many days Brits have spent in the EU has reportedly been delayed yet again until May 2025.

The so-called ETIAS, and its accompanying Entry/ Exit System (EES), was supposed to be up and running by the middle of 2024. However an EU official has now confirmed this has been pushed back to May the following year, reports SchengenVisaInfo.com.

The 90/180 rule means that since Brexit, UK citizens can now only visit the EU for a maximum of

JUST PERFECT

By Laurence Dollimore

90 days, with the clock resetting every 180 days (essentially, three in every six months).

Currently, dated stamps in passports are the only way for border patrol officers to know how long a person from a ‘third country’ has spent in the EU. However, in theory, if someone were to order a new passport after clocking up 90 days in the EU, the new document would have zero stamps and the border officer would be none the wiser. This is because the workers often do not have the time to count up all the stamps and calculate whether or not a visitor has exceeded the 90-day limit in the past 180 days.

A SPANISH wine has hit a perfect score of 100 points from a host of renowned wine critics. Castillo Ygay’s outstanding 2012 vintage stands as one of the world’s most acclaimed wines, having earned a perfect score from leading industry critics 15 times, including James Suckling, Robert Parker, Decanter, and Falstaff

In 2020, the 1986 vintage of Castillo Ygay Blanco became the first Spanish white wine to receive Robert Parker’s highest rating. It also reshaped the perception of Spanish wine, being crowned as the Best Wine in the World by American publication Wine Spectator.

ETIAS tracking system launch put back to 2025

Tourism Triumph

Torremolinos has achieved record-breaking tourism figures in August, welcoming 145,603 travellers

This was a 6% increase from the previous year according to the National Institute of Statistics (INE).

The town also saw an 8% surge in overnight stays, totalling 730,595, surpassing even Sevilla by 207,940 stays.

When it came to international visitors, the British market took the lead with 19,482 travellers, followed by 10,142 French tourists, 8,425 visitors from the Netherlands, and 4,212 German tourists – all a substantial increase over the previous year.

Takes the cake

PASSPORT CHECKS: Not automated until 2025

making it virtually impossible to avoid the 90/180 rule.

A GROUP of diners have sparked debate online after blasting a restaurant for charging them €17 to eat their own cake.

The EES, however, is an international database that would do the hard work for them, counting every time a person crossed an EU external border. This data would be instantly accessible when scanning your passport,

CAPITAL WINNER

TRYING to find a good restaurant in Malaga capital has been practically a mission impossible for the last decade.

A combination of an increase in cruise liners and the domination of Trip Advisor has seen an almost total homogenization of the city’s central restaurants.

So disappointed was I during a trip with my mother five years ago, I actually went out for a long stroll before supper to see if I could spot something a little different. To avoid booking yet

KALEJA: Jon Clarke finally finds a good restaurant in Malaga city to jump up and down about

another average place - with all the usual Malaga fried fish, etc - I literally scoured the menus and even went in to chat to a couple of chefs.

The result was a rousing success and we ended up with the last corner table at what is now the very successful La Cosmopolita and I’ve been back various times since.

Step forward five years and I finally found a day to visit the highly-rated, Kaleja, which won its first Michelin star, the second for the city (the other being Restaurante Jose Carlos Garcia), in November.

It has been on my food-dar for a couple of years, but what hadn’t clicked was that head chef, Dani Carnero, happens to be the owner of La Cosmopolita. It certainly boded well. Location-wise it couldn’t get better; the small inti-

mate space of just six tables is accessed via a tiny door in a back alley between the Picasso Museum and the Cathedral.

Soon we are diving into the lunch menu degustacion, some 13 courses at a good value of €80.

It kicks off with a lovely warm mackerel soup, cooked with mayonnaise, served alongside an anchovy, with fresh lemon and warm bread, from the wonderful Pan Piña bakery in Algatocin, Next is a ‘toasted’ gazpacho in an oyster shell, a pretty dish, washed down with a glass of €5 house wine, a splendid Godello and Txeidura from Ourense, called Volatil.

This segways nicely into a curd cheese dish, with white prawn and cucumber soup, an explosive number with the cucumber really matching the richness of the soup.

Next we are into a white bean stew coming with green peppers and cod from nearby La Caleta de Velez. Served on an original potato puree, this is the very vernacular of Andalucia, no frills, but delicious. The next dish, leeks with chicken wings sounds extremely odd, but when served with a labneh sheep's cheese it turns out to be a real winner.

Before we know it we are ushered into the

But an EU source said: “We had initially hoped for the EES to become operational by the end of this year or, at the latest, the beginning of next year.

“Due to unforeseen delays, it has become evident that this timeline is unattainable. As a result, the implementation of the ETIAS has been rescheduled to May 2025, with the possibility of further postponement.”

The youngsters had brought their own dessert to the eatery in Almeria and ate it at the establishment following a meal.

However when the bill arrived, a charge of €17 had been applied for so-called ‘cake service’. As there were 17 people in the group, it amounted to €1 each.

In a social media video one of the young diners can be seen reading the receipt in shock. She shouts: “€17 to have the cake or for each plate… just to use a plate?!”

kitchen, where it turns out there are seven people sitting at a long bar, serving as a chef's table. This is where I’ll eat next time for sure.

Sadly, it turns out the seasoned Malaga chef, who followed his hotelier parents into the trade at the age of 15, is not around.

Either way, Dani, who trained alongside famous Spanish chef Alberto Chicote and did stints with Martín Berasategui and Ferran Adria, has instilled his skills in his team.

They look happy and one ushers us over to the grill to take an obligatory photo and witness our next course, a fillet of hake spitting away, set to be served with a ‘lettuce gazpachuelo’.

I love it more than the next dish, which is guinea fowl served with an oyster, a sort of surf and turf idea that, quite frankly, doesn’t work. The trio of puddings more than makes up for it though. The almond ice cream with pistachio is amazingly good, as is a fabulous bowl of

curd with figs in a parsley ice cream that shouldn’t work, but really does.

When we are brought out what is called a ‘suso Malagueno’ with our coffee, the icing is well and truly on the cake. This wonderful small donut, full of Chantilly cream, is delightful.

One final point of note is the staff, who are excellent. In particular our waiter Carlos couldn’t have been more welcoming and was full of stories and analysis through the meal. Wine wise the list is varied and interesting.

ARTISTIC: Dani (right) has an eye for presentation

ARTISTIC: Dani (right) has an eye for presentation

Kaleja, Calle Marquesa de Moya, 9, Malaga 952 600 000

Waiting game

A NEW Gibraltar hospital strategy slashed waiting list times by 89 weeks for knee and hip replacements and by 32 weeks for orthopaedic surgery.

Gibraltar Health Authority (GHA) Director General Patrick Geoghegan hailed the ‘real success story’ of ‘patients being able to see a clinician when and where they need to’.

The GHA said the Waiting List Strategy was ‘a core element’ of the Reset, Restart, Recover’ programme after the pandemic, as it tried to work through the backlog of operations postponed because of COVID-19.

It used ‘principles and best practices’ borrowed from the UK’s NHS to shorten surgery waiting times.

It means hip and knee replacements now take seven weeks instead of the 96 weeks in January and orthopaedic surgery eight weeks rather than the previous 40 weeks.

“We recognise that we may not have caught up for everybody, and that systems are not always perfect,” said Geoghegan, who will leave the post this month.

Pointless death

A BRITISH woman who flew to Mallorca for cosmetic surgery has died after the operation went wrong. Now a court has launched an investigation to examine if there was any malpractice involved in the tragedy. The woman – who has not been named – was under the surgeon’s knife at a private clinic in Palma when complications arose. She was rushed to Son Espases Hospital in a critical condition but doctors were unable to save her and she died shortly afterwards.

Judicial sources say the incident happened earlier this month when the victim travelled from the UK to undergo several cosmetic ‘enhancements’. The surgeon – described as having a ‘distinguished career’ spanning several decades –also flew in as he lives in an undisclosed country. It has not been revealed what cosmetic surgery she was undergoing at the time. Her family have been to the island to claim the woman’s body.

HEALTH chiefs in Gibraltar have partnered with the local Morrisons supermarket and the NHS to put cancer awareness messages on underwear labels.

Tags on branded boxer shorts and bras will advise people who spot potential symptoms of breast or testicular cancer to report them to their doctors.

They include a QR code that links customers to more detailed information on the NHS website.

“Symptoms of breast cancer can include a lump or change in the look, shape or feel of one or both breasts,” a GHA spokesperson said.

“Symptoms of testicular cancer can include painless swelling or a lump in one of the testicles or any change in shape or texture of the testicles.”

UK figures show 91% of women sur-

IF you want a healthy skin then stay out of the shower.

This is the message from a Harvard University study that says a daily shower can lead to skin problems such as dryness, irritation, itching, and infections. The research, led by Robert Shmerling, indicates that daily cleansing can disrupt the balance of microorganisms on the skin. And it may even promote the emergence of antibiotic-resistant organisms. While the study warns against daily showering it does emphasis that neglecting personal hygiene altogether is probably even worse news with the growth of fungi between the toes and body odour the main risks.

According to experts, two to four showers per week are generally sufficient for maintaining hygiene, except for individuals with weakened immune systems. The study also suggests that shorter showers, lasting approximately three minutes, with lukewarm water, are preferable to long, hot showers.

Underwear cancer care

vive breast cancer for at least five years if it is discovered in stage one.

Only 39% of them survive a diagnosis at level four, the statistics show.

“Diagnosis is the key that unlocks the door to cancer survival,” Director of Public Health Helen Carter said.

“It is the crucial first step that empowers individuals with

CANCER BUSTER

knowledge, enables timely intervention, and paves the way for effective treatment.

“Please look out for lumps or bumps or anything else that is unusual for you. A timely detection and accurate diagnosis not only saves lives but also offers hope, strength, and the opportunity for a better future.

STINKING ADVICE

Harvard study warns against taking a daily shower

By Dilip Kuner

It recommends paying attention to the ingredients in skin-cleaning products, urging consumers to avoid products with petroleum derivatives or excessive fragrances, which can erode the skin's protective layer and cause irritation. For maintaining healthy skin, glycerin-based products with moisturising properties are recommended to soothe itching, create a natural protective barrier, and exfoliate while maintaining a pH-neutral balance. This report may reignite a

BABY BOOSTER

BABIES in Andalucia are to receive a new immunisation shot to combat a contagious respiratory illness that causes 200,000 annual hospitalisations nationally.

The vaccination campaign aims to protect 63,600 children under six months from bronchiolitis, which is caused by the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). RSV is responsible for putting 70% of child hospitalisations due to respiratory infections.

Experts have said that the shot, budgeted to cost €13.8 million, should drastically reduce the numbers of children in hospital with this issue by 80%.

OP Puzzle solutions

Quick Crossword

Across: 1 Triple, 5 Allege, 8 Fortress, 9 Roe, 10 Deal, 11 Sun-baked, 13 Gynaecologist, 18 Subsonic, 22 Rods, 23 Doe, 24 Easterly, 25 Priest, 26 Satire.

Down: 2 Rookery, 3 Patella, 4 Evens, 5 Arsenal, 6 Larva, 7 Geese, 12 Koi, 14 Nab, 15 Connect, 16 Garment, 17 Saddler, 19 Under, 20 Speke, 21 Costs.

lively online debate about how often Spaniards shower compared to their European counterparts. The discussion began when a Twitter user named Xavi Ruiz shared a graphic based on data from The Global Index and Wiki-

pedia with percentages of inhabitants who shower every day.

For Spain, the figure is 75 to 84%, while in Italy the figure was 95% and above. France and the UK, meanwhile, came in at 65% or below.

GIBRALTAR will have a new £2.4 million chemotherapy clinic at St Bernard’s Hospital by summer 2024 after health chiefs agreed to start construction in the New Year.

Plans for the new clinic that will attend to 10 patients at a time on the fifth floor of the hospital will boost recovery times, the Gibraltar Health Authority (GHA) said.

The facility will include four consultation rooms for patients and will benefit from ‘spectacular sea views, which in itself will help patients with their recovery,’ a GHA spokesperson said.

Medicine

It will also house an asceptic suite which is where chemotherapy medicine is prepared. Chief Pharmacist Melanie Gordon said: “This is a major advancement and the aseptic suite will make a real difference for those staff who have to prepare medication.”

Departing GHA Director General Patrick Geoghegan said the new chemotherapy suite was part of a long term ‘promise’ to improve cancer services locally.

REuse REduce REcycle

We use recycled paper

Eclectic eclipses

SPAIN is to be treated to not one but two eclipses this autumn. A partial solar eclipse will darken skies on October 14, while a partial lunar eclipse will strike on October 28.

Have a car

A YOUTH who went viral after making a TikTok extolling the virtues of working 15 hours a day to feed his family sparked an inequality debate when he was gifted a free car by a wealthy Malaga CEO.

Doggy train

A SPECIAL big dog service has transported 1,800 hounds weighing up to 40kg on the Renfe this year.

IN FOR A PENNY

By Laurence Dollimore

opposite the hotel.

Long arm of the claw

boutique hotel, near Sotogrande on the Costa del Sol.

The footage was recorded by a father and son, who had parked their car on the side of the road

Another image of the cyclist appeared to show him travelling up a steep hill.

The images have left social media users in stitches, with ‘obsessed’ spectators demanding to know his backstory. However others questioned if

Ibiza send off

AN unrepentant British woman has been on the end of an online backlash after she spread her brother’s ashes among a sea of revellers at an Ibiza pool party. The Scot was fulfilling her brother’s last wishes at a music festival taking place at Ushuaïa Ibiza.

In a brief seven-second clip on social media that quickly went viral, the woman can be seen calf-deep in the pool, dancing to the music before scattering the contents of a small container in the water.

the centuries-old technology was legal to ride, particularly on the N-340 coastal road. One viewer insisted it was legal ‘even though it was suicide’, adding: “It is absolutely crazy what he is doing, but as far as I know, he can legally do it.” The penny-farthing was popular in the 1870s and 1880s but soon became obsolete. Its name comes from old British currency, in which a ‘penny’ was much larger than a ‘farthing’. Hence from the side, the huge front wheel resembles a penny leading a small farthing (the back wheel).

Drone’s the limit

A TOURIST could face a fine of up to €225,000 after he crashed a drone into Cordoba’s historic cathedral. Police were called in after the broken remains of the small remote-controlled flying machine were found in the famous Patio de los Naranjos courtyard at the UNE-

KILLING a rat could see you end up in jail for 18 months under Spain’s new animal cruelty crackdown. Under the regulations that came in at the start of the month, rats will enjoy protection from cruelty on the basis that they are vertebrates. Killing one could land you anywhere between six and 18 months behind bars.

But there is a loophole. If killing the creature is considered to be self-defence, or the perpetrator of the foul deed has a phobia, then they can get away with the ‘crime’ scot free. And professional pest controllers have an exception. In the case of rats, each case would depend on common sense and the circumstances would be taken into account by any judge.

SCO heritage site. They discovered that the dronepiloted by a foreign tourist - had crashed into the cathedral tower but caused no damage. Flying drones around the Mosque-Cathedral is not permitted. It is unlikely he will face the full mega fine, with penalties for unauthorised flying of drones starting at €60.

is the bizarre moment a man was seen riding a penny farthing bike along a major road. A clip shared on Instagram shows the individual pedalling past the Milla de Plata