OLIVE PRESS
FREE
Tightening up SPAIN has changed the requirements for travellers arriving from the UK and will now demand a negative COVID-19 test or proof of double vaccination. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced the measures on Monday just before an influx of British tourists was expected to the Balearic Islands as the destination moved onto the green travel list. “What we are going to do is apply to British tourists who go to the Balearic Islands the same requirements we make of other European citizens,” Sanchez told Cadena SER radio on Monday morning. "They will need a full dose of vaccine or a negative PCR,” he added. Spain's Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzales Laya later confirmed the decree would come into force today (Friday).
Proof
The British government had announced that from Wednesday (June 30) the Balearic Islands - Mallorca, Ibiza, Formentera and Ibiza - would be moved onto the green list meaning no quarantine is required on return. However, the rest of Spain, including the Canary Islands, remain on the amber list. Spain lifted all restrictions on travellers arriving from the UK to its territory on May 24 lifting the ban on non-essential travel and allowing entry without proof of a negative COVID-19 test. The tightening of rules for British tourists comes amid growing concern over the spread of the ‘Delta variant’ of the coronavirus which now accounts for 90% of new infections in the UK and is predicted to be the predominant strain within Spain by mid-July. For the latest on travelling to Spain check the rules from the Spanish government at https://travelsafe.spain. info/es/ All arrivals in Spain will need to fill out a health declaration and passenger locator form before travelling which can be found at https://www. spth.gob.es/ Seeing red, page 4
Vol. 4 Issue 109
The expat that took on Tyson
Your expat
voice in Spain
Get the tale of the tape on page 3
July 2nd - July 15th 2021
Plonkers! British Dad discovers teenage guests used his prized wine (worth €3,000) to make tinto de verano at daughter’s party EXCLUSIVE By Fiona Govan in Madrid
Pete Jones is one hell of an understanding father. When he woke up to discover that his daughter and her friends had imbibed his most treasured bottle of wine during a party, he didn’t hit the roof. Rather, he blamed himself for leaving the bottle of Petrus, 1999 vintage, in plain view with a bunch of teenagers in the house. “I am just gutted that after saving it for 17 years, I didn’t even get to taste it,” he told The Olive Press, shaking his head. “And the tragic thing is, neither did they, well not properly. By all accounts it was used to make a tinto de verano”. He refers to the typically Spanish summer drink of red wine mixed with casera or lemon Fanta and poured over ice as a refreshing tipple. Usually the cheapest red wine is used, often from a carton.
Party
The British father, 56, who has lived in Madrid for more than 20 years, had gone out for the evening to allow his youngest daughter Lara, 19, to host a party for her friends at home near the Fuente del Berro park. “They are all a sensible bunch and were at school together so this was a reunion because m a n y w e r e back in the city a f t e r the end of their first year at university,” said the Welsh restaurateur behind The Dough Portals Nous, Thrower in Car07181, diff. Mallorca. During the even i n g ,
Discover hassle-free currency transfers
SP18206EN - Front page Ewn adverts v2.indd 4
www.theolivepress.es
EX CL US IV E
The
MALLORCA
14/02/2020 23:25
HAPPY FAMILY: Despite the loss of his treasured wine dad Pete and daughters Lara (left) and Sele are putting on brave faces Lara texted her father to insist he come home earlier than planned as ‘all her friends wanted to see me’, Jones said. “I got home and the party was in full swing, I had a drink with them, did some embarrassing dancing in the kitchen, then headed up to bed to leave them to it.” He also, stupidly, left the bottle from Bordeaux estate Château Pétrus in the fridge. The famous wine maker only produces about 30,000 bottles of wine a year, and its product is consistently ranked among the most expensive in the world. The 1999 vintage can be currently sourced from vintner for a price tag between €2,500 - €3,000 “I don’t know why it was there really,” he admitted. “It used to be hidden away in the cellar, but I got it out recently to show a friend, showing off that I was waiting for the right occasion to open it. And I hadn’t got round to putting it back.” The story of how he came to have the bottle is a good one. “It was Christmas Eve in 2004 and I suddenly realised that I hadn’t got potatoes so dashed out to this very expensive gourmet vegetable shop that was still open nearby,” Jones recalled.
Special
“There was a long queue and when I got to the front on a whim I asked the chap behind the till to add a bottle of wine from the top shelf behind his head. I couldn’t see the price tag but thought it would be something special to drink at Christmas.” “The man looked pleased as punch over the purchase and then added it up and I gave him my card.
It was only when I looked at the receipt that I realised the potatoes cost €1,20 something and the wine was over a grand. But everyone was waiting in line behind me and I felt too embarrassed to say anything,” he confessed. “My wife, Silv, was furious of course but I explained it away by insisting it was a vintage from the year of our eldest daughter’s birth and so we could keep it to drink with her on a special occasion,” he said. But after 17 years, no occasion had yet seemed quite special enough. This meant he also had to break the news to Sele, who is now 21, that her birthday vintage had been opened without her. “She was very understanding and did her best to mollify her little sister, who has been distraught about it.” Jones discovered the bottle was Continues on Page 4
2
CRIME
www.theolivepress.es
NEWS IN BRIEF Coke arrests TEN people have been arrested for drug trafficking and money laundering where multiple properties in Inca and Palma were raided with large quantities of cocaine and marijuana found.
Bad carer A 32-YEAR-OLD woman has been arrested for defrauding the elderly woman she cared for out of €20,000 as well as stealing prized jewellery from her home in the capital.
Drink up A TOTAL of 1,549 people in Mallorca have been handed fines ranging between €100 and €750 this year for attending ‘botellons’ - strictly prohibited under the Balearics’ COVID-19 restrictions.
Blaze damage IT is estimated that 5.7 hectares of land were destroyed and dozens of homes were structurally damaged in last week’s devastating forest fire in Son Vida.
July 2nd - July 15th 2021
Punched on duty
Barely credible
AN UNRULY passenger has been arrested after assaulting a police officer at a coronavirus checkpoint in Palma airport. The 61-year-old Spaniard had refused to fill out the mandatory COVID-19 questionnaire at the checkpoint in the arrivals area, which under Balearic rules, must be completed to be granted entry into Mallorca. After this was explained to him by an airport worker, he reportedly pushed his way through the queue in an attempt to leave the airport. A Guardia Civil officer tried to stop him but was punched in the face. He was swiftly arrested and has been charged with assault on a law enforcement officer.
UNCLOTHED and wearing nothing more than a ring on his finger, a man, who claimed to have taken narcotic substances, turned up to Palma Local Police headquarters last week, asking about the Martians. He then proceeded to question conspiracy theories and even challenged the officers to shoot him, claiming he had ‘super powers’ which would leave him unwounded by the bullets. Puzzled, officers tried to calm him down, not wanting to provoke him incase of unpredictable behaviour. They asked him if he’d taken any drugs, to which he confirmed he had taken narcotics. Eventually, the police managed to cover him with a blanket and he was taken to Son Espases Hospital.
Sinking feeling Former submariner linked to €93 million drugs bust POLICE have arrested five Brits believed to be part of a major drug trafficking ring led by an ex-Royal Navy officer. Ex submarine officer Robert Mark Benson is alleged to be the ringleader and has been linked to a recent £80 million (€93 million) cocaine bust where three men were arrested after police intercepted a yacht mid-Atlantic, carrying a tonne of the drug. He has also been accused
By Katherine Brook
of involvement in a number of international drug incidents, including the seizure of 1.6 tonnes of hashish found aboard two vessels in the Strait of Gibraltar.
Ringleader
Benson, a 64-year-old who moved to Spain in the 90’s to work as a property consultant has not been
Pick of the bunch SEVEN pickpockets have been arrested in Playa de Palma, for attempting to steal from tourists in the area. Most of the thieves were caught red-handed by officers on patrol. Two Moroccan men, 32 and 43-years-old, were intercepted by police while attempting to steal a bum bag from a tourist, and later, money from a safe.
Tourists
Another two young men, from Morocco and Algeria, were arrested for trying to steal a tourists bag while they were sunbathing, as well as a bike, which was locked up on the street. A minor has also been arrested for stealing two mobile phones from a holiday rental home. Police have increased the number of officers in the area throughout summer, as well as additional reinforcement units and the motorcycle unit, to try and stop the offence, which is common throughout peak tourist season.
BUSTED: Police intercepted the yacht mid-Atlantic
officially named by police, but reports in the Spanish and UK press identify him as the ringleader.
Links
It is thought he briefly worked at Valderrama Golf Club, Sotogrande, in 1998, and owned two companies in Marbella: Yacht Matters and Real Estate Matters. Sources say he also worked for a
brief time in Gibraltar. The UK’s National Crime Agency describes the man arrested as being ‘known to law enforcement agencies for his links to organised crime groups in the UK and Ukraine’. Officers believe he trained the crew and ran several companies engaged in buying, selling and renting sailing vessels that were subsequently used to smuggle drugs.
Fake cop rapist By Isha Sesay
A CONVICTED rapist has been arrested in Mallorca for allegedly raping a woman and sexually assaulting another while posing as a policeman. The 43-year-old Spaniard was taken into custody after a manhunt was launched to catch the man responsible for sexually assaulting two women in Palma. One of the women had been approached by the man on Calle Aragon just after midnight while out walking her dog. The man stopped her on the street and identified himself as a police officer, asking her why she was outside and where she lived. He then told her to follow him to his vehicle and, believing that he was a policeman, she agreed and got inside the car with her dog. Here, he proceeded to grope her and ordered her to remove her clothes. Quickly realising the danger that she was in, she kicked the door open and ran away, immediately calling the police for help. A day later another woman was approached by the man on Calle Manacor who again, identified himself as a police officer. On this occasion he used a different tactic, threatening the woman with violence unless she followed his orders. He then took her to a deserted property nearby where she was raped. The man has been charged with rape and attempted rape as well as kidnapping. He has been remanded in custody due to his extensive criminal record, including two rapes.
Drug baron date BRITISH drug trafficker, Brian Charrington, has got a new trial date after Supreme Court judges quashed his original 2018 trial due to ‘impartiality’ issues. The 65-year-old and his son Ray were convicted, along with two other people, of smuggling 192 kilos of cocaine from South America to the Costa Blanca in 2012 and 2013. All four now have a retrial at the Alicante Provincial Court starting on July 19. Calpe-based Charrington was originally given a 15-year-jail term and fined €31 million.
Branded
One of the defence lawyers in the 2018 hearings, Joaquin de Lacy, appealed to the Supreme Court over ‘conflicts of interest’ involving the Alicante bench judges. The Supreme justices upheld the challenge on the basis that the judges had previously made 26 rulings on the case ahead of the 2018 trial. Charrington has been branded by Spanish media as the ‘Wikipedia Narco’ because he regularly posted internet updates on his activities. In July 2003, a German court jailed him for seven years after convicting him of drug smuggling.
NEWS
www.theolivepress.es HOLLYWOOD star Adam Sandler is set to jet into Mallorca in August to shoot scenes for the new Netflix film Hustle. Produced by Sandler and basketball legend LeBron James, the film finds Sandler starring as a down-on-his-luck basketball scout who discovers a new talent with a turbulent past while abroad.
Hustling in
duction company responsible for producing almost 30 feature films and television series. And this isn’t the first time Sandler has been on the island. In 2010, he chose Mallorca for the European premiere of the box office hit Big Kids.
ACTION: Sandler in Palma
Great Dane Brian Nielsen talks to Andrew McInnes about his battles with Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield
Nielsen also fought Evander Holyfield - who had part of his ear bitten off in a controversial, and highly-lucrative bout against Tyson in 1997EXCLUSIVE in a comeback bout in 2011. It was the last time both would ever compete professionally. The burly Dane added: “The best guy I ever fought was Evander Holyfield (pictured with Nielsen below left). He had everything as a boxer, just the complete package, and you knew you’d been in a real battle when you went a few rounds with him. He beat me fair and square. “A very talented fighter - definitely an all-time great and possibly, for my money, the best heavyweight of all time. BIG MAN: Nielsen in Spain now, and in his glory days squaring up to Mike Tyson The British fighter Lennox already the best in the world. He had a ferocious and in- ponent but I could always Lewis was another from that The brash New Yorker was timidating style that had handle it. Mike did spend era who I really admired. simply unbeatable in the plenty of opponents running most of the fight throwing “Evander and I are still ring for a number of years. for cover from the get-go, headbutts at me friends as well and I’ve met He was the undisputed and professional heavy- though and up with him world champion from 1987 weight boxing has never he eventually a few times to 1990, winning all of his been a domain of the meek. cracked me over the years first 19 professional fights by Nielsen fought him in 2001 with one. for promotionknockout. His seismic impact in Copenhagen and will be “I got an eye al events and Mike did on boxing had to be seen to regaling fight fans about that injury though that sort of spend most be believed. encounter for the rest of his and that’s why thing. life. the fight was “I had 67 of the fight Talking to the Olive Press, stopped. But professionthrowing he said: “Yeah me and Mike he never put al fights and fought for six rounds in Co- me down. I won 64 of headbutts penhagen and he never put “Sure, he them, 43 by at me - he me down, other than illegal- was very fast knockout. ly. and had a big I’m very eventually “He was a very tough op- punch, but proud of it was never that record. landed one enough to “As well as my on me knock me on boxing skills my arse. I’d say my big“I’m still in gest asset in touch with the ring was Mike and he’ll give me a call my heart. I would be relentevery once a while to see less and always keep going how I’m getting on and so we until the bell. can reminisce about the old “I never knew when I was days.” beaten.”
“
Award Winning Rehabilitation Clinic
“
M
OST expat residents in Spain are entirely unaware that they have a legend of professional heavyweight boxing living in their midst. A man who once equalled the fight record of legendary Italian American pugilist Rocky Marciano (49 successive wins), and who went toe-to-toe with both Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, two of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport. Brian Nielsen was an Olympic gold medallist at super heavyweight for Denmark in the 1992 Barcelona Games before he was elevated to the ranks of the pros where he became the IBF World Heavyweight Champion. He currently lives in La Cala de Mijas (Malaga) and runs a Golf and Events tourism business in neighbouring Calahonda. Nielsen, 56, still keeps in touch with some of the biggest names in the sport and was happy to share his memories with the Olive Press when we caught up with him. The fight that he gets asked about the most was his bruising seven-round battle with American icon ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson, once labelled, with plenty of justification, ‘The Baddest Man on The Planet’. Readers of a certain vintage will recall Tyson’s arrival on the world stage in the 1980s. He made his professional debut at the ridiculously young age of 18 and by the time he hit his 20s, he was
Without his team’s approval, Sandler decides to bring his new find back home with him, giving them both one last shot to prove they are worthy for the NBA. Produced by SpringHill Entertainment, the film’s all-star cast will also include Queen Latifah, Robert Duvall and Ben Foster. The scenes for Mallorca will be led by Palma Pictures, a pro-
July 2nd - July 15th 2021
3
The rise and fall of John McAfee HE made a $100 (€84) million fortune, founded the world’s most ubiquitous internet security firm, lived a life of hedonism and claimed to have fathered 46 children. This all came to an end when his body was found in a Catalan prison cell just hours after a Spanish judge ordered his extradition to the US on fraud charges. Police believe he hanged himself. Born on a US army base in Cinderford (UK) to an American father and British mother, John McAfee hit the big time when he developed McAfee anti virus software – then lost it all through a combination of high spending and the financial crash.
Belize
When his fortune dwindled to about $4 million, he made a new home in Belize where he could make his money stretch further and continue his high-spending habits. Thrice married McAfee boasted of having a harem of seven women live with him as he set up a new business. But police suspected him of running an illicit drugs factory and found an ‘arsenal’ of guns when they raided his home. Soon after, his neighbour was shot dead and McAfee fled to Guatemala claiming the police were trying to frame him. From there, he eventually returned to the US, but once more went on the run when told he was subject to a tax investigation.
HAREM: McAfee and co
KIM CLARK
Benefits Consultancy
Are you feeling depressed? Addiction problems? www.villaparadisospain.com
Destination Relaxation
Properties to rent and buy in the sunny Costa Blanca
We have beautiful homes for sale and luxury villas to rent Commission fee is only €2500 tel: (+34) 965 074 546 | email: info@azul-homes.co.uk www.azul-homes.co.uk
If you suffer from... • Mobility problems • Pain / Breathlessness • Falls / Stumbles
Or you need... • Help with washing /dressing • Supervision
You could be entitled to extra income by claiming UK sickness/disability benefits while living in Spain FOR ADVICE OR TO BOOK A CONSULTATION call 950 169 729 or 663 297 568 www.ukbenefitsinspain.com
4
NEWS
www.theolivepress.es
From front
Wasted not in the fridge on Saturday morning, just after daughter Lara had already left to catch a flight to visit family in Germany. He sent her a casual text asking if perhaps she had seen the Petrus somewhere as he couldn’t locate it. “I had this creeping suspicion that it had been drunk but was hoping I had hidden it somewhere and just forgotten where,” he admitted. She wrote back that she hoped it wasn’t expensive as maybe her friends had opened it. He ran to the bottle bank near their home to check as Lara, a diligent daughter, had cleaned up well after the party and disposed of the recyclables.
Dusty
“There it was; a dusty old Petrus lying empty on top of all the beer bottles,” bemoaned Jones. “My daughter didn’t believe me when I told her how much it was actually worth. She thought I was pulling her leg. Then she cried a lot and asked if I could ever forgive her.” He posted about the incident on Twitter and even got world renowned chef Michel Roux wading in: “Hahaaaa serves you right for leaving the cellar door open.” “Yes, I’ve learnt my lesson,” said Jones.
July 2nd - July 15th 2021
O’il have to try this
Migrants rescued
ADDING extra virgin oil to your cocktail is the latest craze to come to Palma. Bartender Jose Luis Alfaro has taken the glistening golden liquid and added it to his latest mixology creation, the Oli de Mallorca 2021 Cocktail or Tierra, for short, named after its green and brown colour. Fusing classic and modern flavours, the cocktail combines vodka, gin, rosemary, lemon, green apple, lemongrass syrup, basil and his secret ingredient, Oli de Mallorca olive oil. It’s finished with black olives from the island, and shichimi, a Japanese spice. Alfaro presented the cocktail at the Santa Restaurant, in Santa Catalina last week for the vice president of DO Oli de Mallorca, Jaume Riera, but if you’re lucky you may be able to taste the unique creation at his main restaurant, Vandal Palma.
TWO small migrant boats have been intercepted in the waters of the Cabrera archipelago and their 26 passengers have been rescued. A total of 316 migrants have been rescued from small boats so far this year. The two boats were detected by radar within five hours of each other. Twelve migrants - 10 men and two women - were on the first boat and 14 migrants - 13 men and one woman - were on the second. They were all taken to Palma police HQ to make a statement and were all tested for COVID-19. If clear of the virus, they will be transferred to the mainland, where several NGOs will take care of them.
Fury as Balearics only region of Spain to be green lighted TRAVEL bosses have reacted with fury at the UK government’s changes to travel plans as the Balearic Islands became the only part of Spain to make the green list. Grant Shapps announced that the Balearic islands - Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca - along with Madeira, Grenada, Barbados, and Bermuda have all been moved from amber to green. Meanwhile mainland Spain, Portugal, Italy and France, were snubbed from the green list.
Seeing red By Kirsty McKenzie
As part of the traffic light system introduced in May, UK holidaymakers are able to travel to countries on the green list without being forced into quarantine for 10 days when arriving back on British soil.
ANNOUNCEMENT: Doesn’t fly well with airlines
drew criticism from airline bosses who slammed the changes for ‘not going far enough’. Sean Doyle, CEO of British Airways, told the BBC: “We cannot afford another
missed summer. There are jobs at stake, Britons separated from family members and we cannot afford to allow the success of our vaccine programme to be wasted.”
Households feel the pinch HOUSEHOLD spending in Spain fell by an average of 10.7% last year compared to 2019 figures. Average expenditure dropped to an average of €26,996 per household according to the Family
COVID infections in the Balearic Islands have soared reaching 202 daily cases. On June 14, the Conselleria de Salut i Consum counted 14 new cases, but since then the number of infections has steadily increased. Just the next day, there were 36 new cases, with the daily rate reaching 202 cases on June 29. Due to this situation, the islands have abandoned the ‘new normality’ situation that made them one of the territories with the most promising scenario from the point of view of the COVID curve. There have been 61,761 confirmed COVID diagnoses in the Balearics since the beginning of the health crisis, of which just over a thousand (1,076) are in hospital, with nine in intensive care.
Early vaccinations
Criticism
The Transport Secretary also said the Government will allow those who are double-jabbed to holiday in amber list countries without having to quarantine on their return - but this rule is not likely to come in until July at the earliest. But the announcements
On the rise
Budgets Survey from the National Institute of Statistics (INE). It’s the biggest decline in the Budgets Survey since it started in 2006. The fall is a consequence of the coronavirus pan-
Baby saved A GERMAN baby boy was saved by the lifeguards of Playa de Muro beach on Wednesday afternoon, after he had been struggling to breath. The lifeguards immediately notified the Operational Centre for Rescue and Safety (COSyS), and then proceeded to give first aid to the 16-month-old. By the time the Playa de Muro ambulance arrived, the baby still had a very weak pulse and was in and out of consciousness. He was taken to Hospital de Muro for further treatment. Later, doctors diagnosed the boy with possible febrile syndrome - a rapid onset of fever symptoms - and believe he suffered a seizure.
DRAMA: Lifeguard sprang into action
demic and lockdown restrictions, in addition to people being furloughed from their jobs. Unsurprisingly the biggest change was on restaurant and hotel spending which dropped by a whopping 40.5%. In contrast,household food and non-alcoholic drink expenditure rose by 6.8% along with a 1.9% rise in utility spending on electricity, gas, and water. The INE says that spending on leisure and cultural activities fell by 31.9%, along with a 29.5% expenditure drop on anything to do with transport like car buying, maintenance, and fuel purchases. The survey shows that the biggest cutbacks in expenditure were in households occupied by a childless couple which produced a 13% reduction. Single people aged 65 and over saw the smallest change with just a 5.2% fall in spending last year. The INE study also threw up some dramatic regional variations. The highest average expenditure per person came in the Basque Country at €13,289 per head. The lowest expenditure of €8,454 was in the Canary Islands.
MALLORCA has brought forward its vaccination appointments for 16 to 29 year-olds, in a bid to catch up with its neighbouring islands. Ibiza, Menorca and Formentera all began the vaccination programme for this age group last week. Eugenia Carandell, who is in charge of the vaccination programme, suggested that the earlier start in Mallorca was due to the high number of incidences in the age group. There are 53,802 gaps available for appointments, though 125,497 people still remain unvaccinated.
Get jabbed IBIZA and Formentera have more vaccinations than people willing to get vaccinated. Now the regional health service is calling for an awareness campaign to encourage young people to get the jab. The director of assistance of the Balearic Health Service, Eugenia Carandell, said that out of 11,614 doses recently offered, 4,000 remained unused due to a lack of patients. In Formentera of the 500 vaccines available, 96 were left over. Carandell warned that if more people don’t come forward to get the jab, they will not reach the percentage of herd immunity which is 70%. She sent out an appeal to people to persuade their friends and family to get vaccinated not only for their own sake, but also for the health of other citizens.
NEWS
By Fiona Govan
Old meets new - explore the costa’s garden city
Estepona
The
OLIVE PRESS
FROM July 9, open air cinemas will once again be opening in Palma, as part of the ‘Cinema de barri’, which will see 15 family-friendly films played over the next six weeks. The first film, Pets 2, will be shown next Friday in the Parque de Son Gibet. Alberto Jarabo, the councillor for Citizen Participation and Interior Government, has said: “Our goal is to reach all the neighbourhoods of the city, especially those where it’s most difficult for municipal initiatives to reach.” Some of the films being shown in the five boroughs include The Legend of Tarzan, How to Train Your Dragon 3, and Yesterday. The films will be in Spanish and Catalan and will all have subtitles.
Your
expat
voice in Spain
SCHOOLS PAEDO CALL FREE
THE UK’s leading tion group is callingchild protecfor Spain to tighten the recruitment process of English teachers. The plea by The Alliance aims to Safeguarding country against a protect the British legal 25 EGAP RATS GNINIHS - ’RATS NILEHCIM TSRIF YM HTIW DEYOJR
EVO‘
egaugnal-hsilgnE ylno dna lanigiro ehT aículadnA ni repapswen evitagitsevni
sserp evilo 5102 dn22 - ht01 rebmeceD
822 eussI 01 .loV
EERF nwodtnuoc noitcelE
s’olbaP ...kcab
ni ssob somedoP kcabemoc evissam
agalaM :EVISICNI tuo stniop ssob PP sserP evilO rehtona yojaR ot evisulcxe
OLIVE PRESS
eh ,hsilgnE kaeps ot ytiliba sih tuoba segar llits etabed elihW a gnidneps erofeb ,egap tnorf tsal ruo ni dessorgne ylraelc saw .eussi eht hguorht gnikcifl etunim ododneB sailE ssob PP s’agalaM htiw ,tseretni fo ytnelp gnidniF -rappa gnihtemos tuo detniop neht eh ,redluohs sih revo gnikool .revoc eht no gniugirtni yltne -refer erutuf rof etisbew eht fo eton a gnikam saw eh spahreP ?dirdaM ot nruter sih no ecne eht no derutcip flesmih gninigami saw eh ,ebyam tsuj ,ebyam rO rebmeceD no yrotciv edilsdnal a gniwollof noitide txen ruo fo revoc .eurt emoc nac smaerD .02
The
ANDALUCÍA
7-6 egaP noitan speews revef noitcelE
nosirp gnitiawA :NAMDLOG
FREE
S
dna hcuot fo tuo si retsiniM emirP hsinapS eht yas EMO .eslup eht ffo regnfi sih nekat sah sih gnitteg yb gnorw sretbuod devorp yojaR onairaM tuB -neg gniticxe tsom eht ot pu-nur eht ni thgiarts seitiroirp .yrotsih hsinapS ni noitcele lare no etabed V T laicurc a ni degagne sredael yt rap rehto eht elihW tnat ropmi erom eht htiw deipuccoerp saw ssob PP eht ,yadnoM .aiculadnA ni gnineppah s’tahw ...fo rettam !no tops saw rettam gnidaer fo eciohc sih dnA ,anopetsE ni lufhtiaf yt rap rof hceeps ngiapmac etonyek a retfA yrev ruoy gnidaer yb swen tapxe no pu hctac ot emit dnuof eh .sserP evilO elbailer-repus ,dlo-edaced ,nwo
.seitrap htob emac saiselgI olbaP GNIMAEB A si yojaR rM nosaer eht si sihT“ VT laicurc a gnirud gnigniws tuo lagelli deviecer oot eh :ereh ton -napS eht wolb ot etabed ’sredael .saiselgI deraor ”,stnemyap .nepo ediw noitcele lareneg hsi ton dluow eh gnitsisni oslA -aR onairaM retsiniM emirP htiW eht tog ylraelc eh ,airyS bmob -deecorp gnihctaw dna - tnesba yoj suovren sih no dnah reppu somedoP eht - samajyp sih ni sgni -lA lavir noitpurroc-itna niam eguh a deviecer ytiralupop s’redael .sonadaduiC fo ,areviR treb -lim 2.9 drocer a fo tnorf ni tsoob -mob anu‘ saw tluser dne ehT VT tsegral s’niapS ,sreweiv noil ,yas dluow hsinapS eht sa ,’ab .5102 fo ecneidua ni elim a yb pot no tuo gnimoc -gnol eht ,raluguj eht rof gnioG .yadretsey sllop suoirav - PP eht demmals redael deriah -nael-thgir eht dedulcni esehT -purroc fo tfar a revo - EOSP dna flah ylraen htiw ,odnuM lE gni deflugne evah taht ,sladnacs noit )%24( sredaer s’repap eht fo .seitrap rieht per PP elihw ,mih htiw gnidis dnoces-15 lanfi gninmad a nI -amatnaS ed zneaS ayaroS -eb dluohs eh yhw fo pu-dnuor dna %22 areviR ,%03 tog air detsil eh ,MP wen s’niapS emoc .%7 tsuj ,zehcnaS ordeP s’EOSP dekcor evah taht sesac yek evfi aL fo sredaeR tnew aidraugnaV ni regnorts neve -vig ,troppus rieht -notsa na mih gni daeha ,%55 gnihsi ,)%61( areviR fo )%61( zehcnaS -naS ed zneaS dna sredael eerhT )tfel morF( :ELTTOB .)%31( airamat airamatnaS dna
emit htruof a rof detcivnoc namdloG legiN retsduarf tapxe suomafnI
NA MDLOG Your expat YTLIUG voice in Spain
Vol. 15 Issue 365 www.theolivepress.es March 24th - April 6th 2021
nevig neeb evah niapS ni SMITCIV namdloG legiN retfa epoh hserf eht ni duarf fo ytliug dnuof saw .KU saw sserP evilO eht woh draeh yruj A -raey-85 eht gnignirb ni latnemurtsni ot ,etnoM led drawoH dellac won ,dlo .ecitsuj owt ,enilno stroper ruo gnittops retfA snioc dlog eviecer ot deliaf ohw nem dellac mih morf desahcrup dah yeht dnuof saw eh ,retal raey A .ecilop ni won dna duarf fo stnuoc owt no ytliug .liaj secaf
ot tekcit yaw enO 4 egaP !liaj
THE START: The first edition of the Olive Press in 2006
15 YEARS OF FUN
As the Olive Press reaches its 15th birthday, we recall a few of our favourite interviews and remember a couple of our top readers, such as ex-prime minister Rajoy (above) and prime joker Paul Gascoigne...
Fiona Govan in Madrid language academy after creating a new identity, using forged documents. Former colleagues of the sex offender revealed that he created a new name to dodge criminal record checks in order to run summer camps and teach private classes to young children. He had changed his name to Ben David after being convicted in June 2016 of taking and possessing indecent images of children in England. As well as being placed on the sex offender list and being handed a two-year suspended sentence, he was barred from leaving the country or working with children. Yet within weeks he had moved to Spain and found work in Zaragoza as a livein au pair to a family with three young children. The following year he relocated to Madrid and began teaching children at a well-known language
NAMES: two different passports
DANGER: Lewis got teaching post 2017 he accepted a job as an English teacher at a leading semi-private (concertado) secondary school that receives subsidies from the state. “He was going by the name Ben David by then and was offered the job after another teacher dropped out mid-term,” a former colleague Natasha Fitzsimons told the Olive Press. “I think they were desperate to fill the position so maybe they weren’t as thorough as they should have been.
Horrified
“We worked together at the school for 18 months, took on private classes together going to the homes of some of the children for extracurricular teaching and ran a summer camp at the school during 2018,” said the Irish colleague, who is filled with horror at the access he had to children. The Olive Press has discovered that the day after sentencing in the UK he changed his name by deed poll from Ben David Lewis to Ben David, in a process that takes just 15 minutes. He then applied for and received a British passport in his new name, while he also presented a doctored photocopy of his Israeli passport stamped and verified by a non-existent law firm that showed his name as Ben David Rose. The Olive Press has seen photocopies of these, plus a teaching degree and Qualified Teaching Status (QTS) certificates presented in the name of Ben David Rose as well as certificates in his original name. What is amazing is that by April 2019 he had applied for a teaching job at a leading private school in the upmarket Arturo Soria district that teaches the British curriculum to the children of Madrid’s elite. By now he also had a DBS certificate
EXCLUSIVE: OP academy after getting a criminal record check from Zaragoza police to show he had no convictions in Spain over the previous 12 months. Then in December
X
Award Winning Rehabilitation Clinic
SKY + THE DOCTOR +
www.villaparadisospain.com
...meanwhile, we spend time at the home of the world’s most famous plumber as he announces he’s becoming a Spanish citizen, after 15 years here and losing €15m to his ex-wives...
splash
ALL AREAS COVERED
IDEAL FOR STREAMING TV
ALSO IPTV, SATELLITE TV
ORS tel: (0034) 952 763 840 info@theskydoctor.com www.theskydoctor.com
Opinion Page 6
Continues on Page 4
...and our team of long-term writers, recall their decade and a half living in the world’s most exciting country. See pull-out inside.
SPONSORED BY CHEAPER, GREENER
Vol. 15 Issue 365
F
ELECTRICITY
March - April 2021
Getting things done
ROM its very first the Olive Press issue in 2006 has been campaigning for its community. Whether fighting for the environment or digging into crooks, we have taken some big scalps. Starting from Issue we highlighted the One (see top right) build 2000 houses,ridiculous plans to and two hotels on two golf courses land near Ronda, UNESCO-protected A decade and a half the madness of as well as exposed monstrosity on a building a 350-room scored some big winsof campaigning has ria’s Cabo de Gata.virgin beach in Almefor the Olive Press Both schemes Los Merinos, in maverick Jeremy da, and the Algarrobico RonGriffiths, and Nigel When Goldman, a degenerate it comes to corruption ria - went into reverse hotel, in Almegold-dealing the first we were English made the UK AND after our stories dirt-bag, who had a restaurant legends Ferran column about the ERE newspaper to write Spanish national in a local newspaper, Adria newspapers and scandal at the Junta and Gordon Ramsey. which he used to de Andalucia green groups includ- cover his tracks. ing Greenpeace and that And it was nice to Ecologistas en Ac- We also tackled billion euros to the cost an estimated chat cion joined our protests. timeshare crook to Ciudadanos Muldoon, who certainly Toni also tackled town taxpayers, while we And then there were hall theft on a local Albert Rivera, asleader deserves a scale on dozens the crooks, like mention for conning well Crimestoppers’ Most of as the only newspaper Wanted Daniel ple and eventually thousands of peo- Animal cruelty hasoccasions. Johnston, a bank to be able to pose went to prison for bugbear been a continual robber, and Matthew setting up fake and we have Sammon, a dangerous escort websites. couple of questions a evil abusers, as well exposed so many who we single-handedly paedophile, Meanwhile, our crime reporting Michelle Obama on to as the scoundrels on who allowed her to a village near Sevilla tracked down missing teen Amy Fitzpatrick visit to Marbella ‘blew open circus lions hunters to kill innocent and a car park the case’, to use the a few in Fuengirola. and tigers years ago. mother, while our words of her grand- tremadura (see below).at a finca in ExAnd fraudsters like continuing investiga- On Indeed, the positives David ‘the dogman’ tion into missing a more positive Klein, pet transport Maddie McCann far outweigh the yielded exclusive after has to interview everyonefront, it was great negatives and we would frequent links to Spain.exclusive, with its ana’s ex-lover James from Princess Diprefer to be judged DON’T MISS OUR 20-PAGE SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT ON ESTEPONA Hewett to cooking over 50 rather the than 15 years. As far as we are FREE cerned we have cononly just begun. Where
olive press
are they?
CAGED! Sick safari hunters jailed for shooting tigers and lions Hypocrisy in Spain
*FREE*
the olive
El Horrible opens
It’s MORE fun in the sun
press
While Brits’ dream home is demolished in Almeria
KAT’Z CAFÉ-BAR
Here’s to the next 15!
On behalf of all at the British Embassy tes, I want and Consulato wish huge congratulations at the to all Olive Press on your 15th anniversary. The English language press plays a vital role nationals in Spain in keeping UK informed. we very much appreciate And your help in getting key messages out to UK nationals After an incredibly here. year for so many difficult of us, including many businesses, it is great to see the Olive Press thriving. We forward to seeing look the next 15 years what bring. BRITISH CONSUL CHARMAINE ARBOUIN
Selling Euros? (
Monkey bites fox
Voted BEST expat paper in Spain
OLIVE PRESS
Mijas Costa PRESS
LAUNCHES
ANDA
CAMPAIGN
LUCÍA
TO PROTECT
834
Your
expat
GREEN
Han Solo,
Franco and
Prince got
OLIVE PRESS JOURNALISMWINS KEY AWARD
OLIVE PRESS
R
See page AND COASTS
AN
2 FOR
1 ANTHONYS Antiques, Jewellers INVESTIGATIONS: & Pawnbrokers 59€ down paedophile Matthew Sammon,Tracking (right) and exposingprobing missing Amy animal cruelty (far right)
Expat’s rescue killed over animals mercilessly ‘hunting row’
ANTHONYS
MASSIVE
LENSES
SALE 100% Certified Green
Energy
Happy 15th anniversary!
7
DS
C O ST
in common?
Voted BEST expat paper in Spain
Bracing for Brexit
SLAUGHTER
In the Serrania
Estepona 952 887 125 952 465 588
SPAIN’S NUMBER 1 GREEN ENERGY BROKER AND SOLAR PANEL PROVIDER IS PROUD TO SPONSOR THE OLIVE PRESS.
SPACES
GREEN CAMPAIGNS: Tel: 952 147 Against (left and 834 golf courses See lopment top) in issue 24 (above) last pageone and coastal year deveWhat have
EXCLUSIVE: Expat snare one of UK’s tip leads Olive most wanted Press team paedophiles to
voice in Spain
THE SKY + DOCTOR +
952 Morente 147
Mafia town
Secret Malaga
OUR LAST
Last stretches by new of pristine law, alongside coast endangered inland beauty spots
INVESTIGATES
A fairway to treat nature?
HEALY 952 575 461 MAC S
Gotcha!
OLIVE
HANDS OFF!
the olive press
The man from Del Monte
IMPACT: Tracking down crooked Nigel covering the devastating Goldman (above) and Costa del Sol fire in 2012
The
4G UNLIMITED INTERNET
ESTUCO INTERI Are you feeling depressed? Addiction problems?
H
INTERNATIONAL schools around Spain have been put on high alert after a British man began teaching at one of Madrid’s most exclusive colleges months after being convicted in the UK. Questions have been raised after Ben Lewis, 31, was able to work at the school despite being on the UK’s sex offenders register. The Olive Press has discovered that Lewis, who is now awaiting trial for child sex offences at Centro Penitenciario Madrid V, managed to hoodwink TWO schools and a
eht
se.sserpeviloeht.www
anopetsE ni saw ohw MP eht sunim etabed V T lanoitasnes htiw s nigeb
yojaR elihw... no pu sehsurb swen tapxe sih
Mijas Costa
Lessons needed
EXCLUSIVE: Private school warning after a convicted British paedophile moved to Spain, dodged criminal record checks and found work as an English teacher
S
4G UNLIMITED INTERNET
IDEAL FOR STREAMING TV
ALSO IPTV, SATELLITE TV
A
ALL AREAS COVERED
X
THE SKY + DOCTOR +
tel: (0034) 952 763 840 info@theskydoctor.com www.theskydoctor.com
Vol. 15 Issue 368
OU
Summer screenings
Mijas Costa
F
This would close a loophole whereby paedophiles change their names so that their crimes do not show up during Disclosure and Barring Service checks to work with children. The Olive Press reported how Ben Lewis, 31, had changed his name by deed poll, applied for a new British passport, and dodged criminal record checks despite being on the UK’s sex offenders register. He moved to Spain and found work as a teacher in several Madrid schools where he was arrested
ANDALUCÍA
OF
THE British government is considering placing danger warnings on the passports and driving licences of convicted sex offenders after an Olive Press investigation. The move would be designed to close a loophole that is allowing dozens of paedophiles to disappear each year, with some securing teaching jobs with children in Spain. Labour MP Sarah Champion called on parliament to add an amendment to a criminal bill that would see the DVLA and the passport office mark the files of Britain’s 100,000 registered sex offenders.
reipaN anoI :OTOHP
BAR owners in Palma have asked the Balearic government to pay out €2million for losses caused by COVID-19 restrictions. Representing the business owners, the Confederation of Business Associations (CAEB) say it is ‘illegal’ that bars have been ordered to close at 11pm each night in the capital. The union explained that on three occasions, the Supreme Court of Justice deemed that this closing time was illegal as 12am had been previously approved in April 2019 by Palma City Council. CAEB warned that this amount will ‘increase exponentially’ if not settled immediately, since the ‘summer season had now begun with more revenue expected to be earned from an influx of tourists’. The multi-million euro compensation was calculated by totting up how much money each bar has lost by closing one hour earlier.
Taking action
British sex offenders could have passports stamped with danger warning to prevent travel abroad
X
Pick up the tab
July 2nd - July 15th 2021
www.theolivepress.es
May 5th - May 18th
2021
See our special
supplement inside
OLIVE PRESS EXCLUSIVE investigation child protection leads to United Kingdo plea from m charity
By Fiona Govan
he photographed and filmed. in Madrid there He then disseminated the sick Spain is an opportunity for loophole that has material on paedo to lead the way in tacktentially hundredsallowed po- the dark web aroundforums on ling it at a global level,” she said. paedophiles to findof British Emily Konstantas, the world. Her charity wants Spain to CEO of troduce work in The Spanish schools. Safeguarding Alliance, the need to present inan original The campaign follows applauded an in- highlightingthe Olive Press for side a birth certificate alongvestigation by the passport the that revealed how Olive Press Ben Lewis case as issue: “The record checks thatand criminal would allow revealed by potential for a convicted UK easy it was the Olive Press highlights employers to unearth sex offender loophole to change his identity and as shockingthis a change of identity. as “It’s a simple work as a teacher and find this is, it is nothing way to provide in several unfortunately new and Madrid schools where represents just that extra check,” she insisted. he was the tip “The severity and arrested for abusing of the iceberg danger this at least 36 magnitude as to the loophole children. presents to the whole of this problem.” world cannot be underestimatShe warned: “Whilst DANGER: Lewis quo remains in situ the status ed.” teaching post, got this signif- An Criminal icant and very dangerous extensive of ‘fake’ paperswith help We reported how safe- Safeguarding report by The Ben Lewis, 31, guarding loophole will continAlliance is being had changed his name used to lobby the very serious crimes,” by deed ue to pose a threat, not just UK parliapoll, applied for states the report, seen by the a new British UK Nationals, but to the rest to ment for a legal change in Olive Press. passport, and dodged the Through of management the world extensive research record checks despite criminal those mostputting children and It explains of sex offenders. and case the UK’s sex offenders being on she warned.vulnerable at risk,” system relies how the current ance law The Safeguarding Allihas identified on the registered Police in Spain issuedregister. ers are not notifyingthat offenda state- “There are potentially hun- sex offender to notify the poment last week describing lice with details dreds and are continuing as required of any name Lew- known- if not thousands - of change, is - or Ben David dren by changing to abuse chilsex alongside any change their names now known - as Rose, as he is under the offenders slipping of address and obfuscating their ‘a dangerous and passport inforradar in the UK child sexual predator’. to mation. seek work abroad as seen through the identities case of Ben The National Police can continue to where they “Currently the onus Lewis/Rose absconding abuse chil- with lies solely had used his positionsaid that he dren,” she overseas to continue to the offender and although continued. abuse. er at private schools as a teach- “This loophole it is an offence in to fail to notify, is arguably the to gain access to childrenMadrid biggest one could argue this safeguarding whom is not a deUndermined the world has ever scandal terrent as the offender seen and has the already “As a result, propensity to commit the effectiveness of important legislation, the Sex Offenders Register, the Child Sex Offender IN the United Kingdom a person does not Scheme, the DomesticDisclosure to follow an official need failure to process to start using Violence Disclosure Scheme, name, but they require a new result in so is a criminal offence which could a term not exceeding undermined and the DBS are or to change official a ‘deed poll’ to apply for onment. five years imprisdocuments such as dered redundant,”effectively renpassport. a new However, evidence demonstrates “The case of Benit states. This can be done that not registered sex offender highlights why SpainLewis/Rose little or no cost in a simply and easily online for report will act with honestyevery should be and aware of this very than 15 minutes process that takes no longer The a change of name as required. Safeguarding Alliance guarding loophole serious safecompleted from a to process and can even be Freedom and should of Information discovered through pioneer an international Under section 84 prison cell. UK’s 46 police forces requests to 16 of the movement to protect its 2003, an offenderof the Sexual Offences Act of offence that 913 people with children from must report a name sex those abusers who within three working change changingconvictions had gone missing after slip under days to the police, their names without the radar and police. using informing the the name change loophole,” Konstantas added. Puede verificar este documento en https://sede.mjusticia.gob.es Código Seguro de Verificación Juego de caracteres del Código Seguro de Verificación: SD:Lzou-Jz3F-aZYs-CcBb ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789-$:
www.theolivepress.es
MINISTERIO DE JUSTICIA
REGISTRO CENTRAL DE DELINCUENTES SEXUALES
Gerente Territorial en ZARAGOZA
CERTIFICA:
Que, en el día de la fecha, consultada la Base de Datos del Registro Central de Delincuentes Sexuales, NO CONSTA información penal relativa a: D./Dª BEN DAVID ROSE con Pasaporte
nº 22807454
Conforme a lo dispuesto en la Decisión Marco 2009/315/JAI del Consejo de 26 de febrero, relativa a la organización y al contenido del intercambio de información de los registros de antecedentes penales entre los Estados miembros, tratándose de ciudadanos españoles, el presente certificado incluye, en su caso, las condenas impuestas por otros Estados miembros de la Unión Europea, en los mismos términos en que tales condenas hayan sido notificadas, sin que exista necesariamente una equiparación entre los tipos delictivos del Estado de condena y los tipos delictivos nacionales.
El presente certificado refleja la situación
del titular interesado/a en la fecha de
su expedición.
Zaragoza a 29 de agosto de 2017
Signature Not Verified
Documento firmado electrónicamente
Pagina 1 de 1 Ref: 00003143792/2017
for abusing at least 36 children. Emily Konstantas, CEO of The Safeguarding Alliance, used the Olive Press investigation as a case study in its latest report used to lobby the UK parliament for a legal change in the management of registered sex offenders. THE DEED POLL LOOPHO
LE
Centro Plaza 56-57,
info@estucointer
Avda. Manolete s/n,
iors.com, www.estucointeri
29660 Nueva Andalucia
ors.com, +34 952
810 633
Opinion Page 6
Iceberg
She said: “The Ben Lewis case as revealed by the Olive Press highlights this loophole and as shocking as this is, it is nothing new and unfortunately represents just the tip of the iceberg as to the magnitude of this problem.” By logging sex offenders’ passports and licences, the danger alert would be flagged up each time someone changed their name.
5
Expat pervert A BRITISH English teacher has been arrested after hijacking over 70 home security camera feeds globally to record over 1,000 videos of naked children. He also directly threatened children, some as young as nine years, to behave inappropriately via internet chat rooms. He used the ‘dark web’ to sell some of the obscene images he obtained. The unnamed man has been jailed by a Benidorm court ahead of his trial. The Policia Nacional said he had been previously arrested for similar offences when he was a minor. Police say that the arrested Brit hijacked video feeds from children’s bedrooms across the UK, the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Spain. He worked as an online English language teacher for children, with police saying they found one instance where he behaved inappropriate-
By Alex Trelinski
ly towards a pupil. His detention was triggered by Australia’s Queensland State Police who spotted pornographic images of a local child that had been uploaded from Spain. The Policia Nacional then launched an extensive investigation to locate the originator of the material. The man was very active on the ‘dark web’ and operated under a variety of usernames on paedophile chat rooms.
System
The Brit organised a system of selling child pornography in exchange for bitcoins or for customers exchanging obscene images of their youngsters. Police discovered money routed through to Romania which involved people known for forcing children into prostitution.
6
NEWS FEATURE
www.theolivepress.es 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 Close the loophole IN this issue (see page 5) we report on yet another case of a British man arrested for sex crimes against children, this time in Benidorm. This Brit worked as an English teacher and was reportedly able to carry out his evil deeds by grooming and threatening young people who he was paid to teach online. He was also able to hack into home security video footage which he used to produce pornographic images to sell on the dark web. It is easy to feel powerless against cases like this which highlight how even within our own homes it sometimes seems impossible to protect those we love. So it comes as welcome news that steps are being made to keep a tighter watch on known sex offenders. Months after the Olive Press revealed just how easy it had been for a convicted British paedophile to legally change his name, apply for a new passport, move to Spain and gain access to children so that he could offend again, lawmakers in the UK are finally considering measures to close the loophole. It’s the start of a long legislative process that could eventually see warnings placed on passports and driving licences to make it harder for sex offenders to slip under the radar and carry on offending. What seems like a no-brainer of an idea to keep tags on dangerous criminals comes after years of campaigning by The Safeguarding Alliance and after dozens of cases of re-offenders operating under new identities have come to light. In the meantime how many paedophiles will continue to exploit such loopholes in order to carry on abusing victims? Publisher / Editor
Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es
Fiona Govan fiona@theolivepress.es
Kirsty McKenzie kirsty@theolivepress.es
Alex Trelinski alex@theolivepress.es
Isha Sesay isha@theolivepress.es
Katherine Brook katherine@theolivepress.es
Simon Wade simon@theolivepress.es
Glenn Wickman glenn@theolivepress.es
Graham Keeley graham@theolivepress.es
Cristina Hodgson cristina@theolivepress.es
Office manager Héctor Santaella (+34) 658 750 424 accounts@ theolivepress.es
Admin Sandra Aviles Diaz (+34) 951 273 575 admin@ theolivepress.es
Distribution ENQUIRIES (+34) 951 273 575 distribution@ theolivepress.es
Newsdesk: 0034 951 273 575 For all sales and advertising enquiries please contact 951 27 35 75 Head office
Carretera Nacional 340, km 144.5, Calle Espinosa 1, Edificio cc El Duque, planta primera, 29692, Sabinillas, Manilva Deposito Legal MA 1097-2020
AWARDS
2016 - 2020 Best expat paper in Spain and the second best in the world. The Expat Survey Consumer Awards.
2012 - 2021
Named the best English language publication in Andalucia by the Rough Guides group.
m a Sc alert!
Summer’s here, and the thieving has started
A
LONG with the blazing sunshine the scammers who often target expats and tourists have arrived. The Olive Press has had several calls about unscrupulous conmen attempting to relieve unsuspecting visitors and expats of their belongings. Here we take a look at six common scams to beware of…
The bird poo scam The criminal pours a white liquid resembling bird excrement on your clothes then points it out to you. As they ‘helpfully’ dab at the mess with a cloth an accomplice snatches your wallet or purse while you are distracted.
Taxi scams Make sure either the meter is on or they have shown you the official list of charges. If you don’t there is the risk of being charged an inflated flat fee or bogus surcharges.
The Rosemary scam A woman approaches you thrusting a twig of rosemary under your nose saying its free and to take it. As you do, they grab your palm and ‘read your fortune’ then demand payment for the palm reading. Either you are pickpocketed while distracted, or they start wailing and shouting until you hand over some cash to get rid of them.
Petition charity scam You are asked to sign a petition for a charitable cause. Once you do they then demand a ‘donation’. They are either happy with the cash received or an accomplice pickpockets you while you are distracted.
Fake gas man scam Never let a gasman (or other utility workman) into your home unless you have arranged an appointment. The scam is to do an ‘annual revision’ at inflated prices. Often you need to call in a real gas man to fix the mistake the bogus worker has made.
Highway robbers scam They target rental or foreign cars, often at petrol stations or supermarket carparks, saying that either you have damaged your car or you have a flat tyre. While the victim looks for the damage, an accomplice grabs bags and valuables from the car before making an escape.
THE
WEB OF CORRUPTION?: From left, Maria Dolores
Lead inspector in Caso Kitchen faced death threats to drop PP corruption probe. Shannon Chaffers takes a look at the long-running Gurtel scandal and why it’s raised its ugly head again
I
T was the corruption case that shamed Spain. One of the biggest in European history, it linked dozens of PP party bosses, various cabinet ministers and even the former Prime Minister into a multi-million euro scandal involving murky kickbacks and a sewer of greed. Now it has reared its ugly head again bringing a further spotlight on the mechanisms of the Spanish state as well as the depths it is prepared to go to cover up wrongdoing. In a fascinating trial, which has been rumbling on for nearly a year, one of the main inspectors tasked with probing the Gurtel scandal has been in the spotlight. Manuel Morocho has been giving evidence about the dirty tactics and pressure he came under while investigating the PP party’s black-money payment system from 2009. The boss of Spain’s Economic and Financial Delinquency unit (UDEF), told the judge in the so-called Caso Kitchen case that members and allies of the PP, including former Minister of the Interior Jorge Fernandez Diaz, pressured him to abandon his investigation and withhold information he had uncovered. In particular they offered him plum jobs in the Spanish embassy in Lisbon, or the United Nations, if he dropped his investigation. The case is probing whether an illegal spying operation, including wiretaps, was set up by the state against disgraced former PP treasurer Luis Barcenas, who blew the whistle on his former colleagues. Its aim was to prevent information on secret accounts listing payments to politicians from coming to light. They included thousands each month to former Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. Anti-corruption prosecutors are probing whether former ministers Fernandez Diaz and Minister Maria Dolores de Cospedal, who held two senior cabinet posts, ordered former police chief Jose Manuel Villarejo to ‘carry out tasks that would be paid with PP funds’. The ex-National Police chief Villarejo has been held in pre-trial custody since 2017 and is set to give more evidence this month. The corruption case began in 2009, when several PP members and affiliates were put under investigation for crimes including bribery and money laundering. At the center of the scandal was the influential businessman Francisco Correa, whose name translates to ‘gurtel’ in German (belt in English), hence the codename. It culminated in the highly sensitive political trial of 2018 which sent Correa and various other public figures to years in prison. In a massive embarrassment, the PP party was found guilty of running the illegal bribery scheme operated through a secret slush called ‘caja b’. It led to the then Prime Minister Rajoy to be ousted in a vote of no-confidence. Yet the fallout from the scandal continues in particular how the state tried to stop the probe. It hinged around Barcenas, who highlighted a dual accounting system which involved official invoicing and cash payments (off the books) to help the PP party win elections and/or keep power. While Barcenas was found to have millions of euros
www.theolivepress.es
July 2nd - July 15th 2021
7
Who you gonna call?
HEAT IS ON
de Cospedal, former PM Mario Rajoy, Manuel Morocho and Jorge Diaz
hidden in Swiss bank accounts and is now in prison for 33 years for fraud and money laundering, he decided to expose the entire operation and refused to be the only fall guy. In 2013 El Pais revealed the so-called dual payment system existed, before El Mundo published the so-called Barcenas papers in a IN COURT: Barcenas was later sentenced to 33 years in jail for corruption hard-hitting exclusive. Operation Kitchen was later launched to look between 2013 and 2015 Villarejo, together post outside the country. into the behaviour of Villarejo – who is believed with another police chief, Enrique García Casta- Morocho, who now lives in Huesca, also exto have run a spying network against judges, no were ordered to steal documents that would plained that he was given considerable work on politicians and journalists for 20 have implicated high-ranking PP other cases in attempts to delay his progress on years. officials. the investigation. Villarejo was found to have a It was left up to brave Manuel He further explained how he was pressured to Villarejo was series of hidden bank accounts Morocho, at UDEF, to investigate modify aspects of his reports to satisfy PP memfound to have exactly what happened. and 92 properties in many parts bers, and told not to mention the names of key of Spain, including an incredible Last week he described the vari- bosses including Rajoy. a series of 48 in Estepona. ous pressure tactics he faced in He refused and last week told the court how his When police raided various attempts to sabotage his inves- team worked in ‘harsh conditions’ while working hidden bank properties in the Costa del Sol tigation. on the probe. This included subtle death threats accounts resort two years ago they found In particular he revealed that and other disgraceful behaviour. “The aim was one had a safe with €300,000 officer Rivera offered him a role to pressurise us to bend and I received different in it. at the Spanish embassy in Por- attempts to voluntarily withdraw from the invesIf all this, it would suggest he was up to his neck tugal in exchange for leaving his job as inspec- tigation.” in corruption too. tor. He told the court that he was offered a ‘high Last week the judge described his contribution Court documents state there is evidence that salary’ of around €6,000 a month to take up a as ‘very important’.
T
HE former president of Catalunya is to face trial along with his seven children over an alleged fortune which was not declared to the tax authorities. National Court judge Santiago Pedraz has charged Jordi Pujol and his family with criminal association, money laundering, false documentation, and filing false company documents. While his wife Marta Ferrusola was not charged because she is suffering from dementia, Pujol was given 10 days to lodge €7.5 million with the court as bail. Some 10 other businessmen are also charged in relation to the case. The once prominent family allegedly cashed in on their ‘position of privilege’ in Catalan society to accommodate ‘disproportionate’ wealth. He garnered the nickname ‘Mr 3%’ through illegal commissions of 3% that companies had to pay in order to secure regional government contracts and other favours, court documents said. These activities went on between 1980 and 2003 when Pujol was president of the regional government, the judge said in a ruling.
Catalans were at it too!
Just this week our story of the man whose daughter opened a €3,000 bottle of wine by mistake (see front page) made a page lead in the Daily Mail. And the Mirror, the Sun, Mail Online were just a few of the international media outlets who followed up on our scoop about Gurney Davey having to demolish his home. The Telegraph took on board the solar panel protests that have erupted in Andalucia, which we reported in our last edition. And it’s not just the newspapers. TV networks that need an inside line on events or just the expat community in Spain make the Olive Press their first port of call. This year alone Editor Jon Clarke flew to Ibiza to help on a TV investigation for Australian TV and reporter Kirsty McKenzie helped MTV make a programme about Louise Brown, who died after falling from a balcony in Benidorm. And earlier this month our new reporter Elena Gogmen Rueda accompanied Ritva Rönnberg and Claes Isander, reporter and cameraman of the Swedish national television programme C MORE from TV4, to get to know Marbella.
‘Mr 3%’ faces trial along with seven children over ‘hidden fortune’
When you want the best, call the Olive Press!
The eight-year investigation targeted bank accounts hidden in tax havens which were allegedly used to move millions of euros. In 2014, Pujol admitted publicly that he had offshore bank accounts containing several million euros in Andorra. Prosecutors allege that the cash held did not come from an inheritance received from Pujol’s grandfather, Florenci, as he had claimed. When he released a letter in 2014 admitting the bank account in Andorra, Pujol claimed that Florenci had made the money on the currency black market during the Franco dictatorship and left it to his grandchildren. The revelation caused a political storm as the independence movement was gathering pace in the region.
The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are:
Wealthy
TRIAL: Jordi Pujol with wife Marta Ferrusola
W
HO do the UK nationals turn to when they want the best exclusives from Spain? The Olive Press of course! Time after time we find our stories picked up by the Mail, Mirror, Sun, The Telegraph and many more.
Pujol, 90, who led the conservative Democratic Convergence of Catalunya party, had never supported independence but instead negotiated greater autonomy for the wealthy region. The court investigation alleges the illicit payments were disguised by a complicated system of front companies, using tax havens and contracts for alleged services or advisory work whose existence is not backed up by any reliable documentation. The judge noted Pujol and his wife - who liked to call herself the ‘Mother Superior of the Congregation’ - allegedly organised the criminal organisation along with family members.
you need to know about 1 - Everything Spain’s new face mask rules Everywhere you have to wear a face 2 -mask in Spain as rules get set to change on Saturday Andalucia in favour of wearing 3 - Spain’smasks until at least August rules on UK travellers to 4 - Spain tightensBalearic Islands - Expat dad discovers his vintage Petrus 5Sangria (wine worth e3000) was used to make at daughter’s friends at house party in Spain
Get in touch today at sales@theolivepress.es or call us at 00 34 951273575 for a special quote
8
GREEN
www.theolivepress.es
Sludge alert
Warning over brown algae clogging Spanish beaches
SCIENTISTS have sent out a warning over the damaging environmental effects of a thick brown algae which is invading Spanish beaches. Known as rugulopterix okamurae, it arrived on beaches near Malaga, Granada, Cadiz and Tarifa in southern Spain, threatening the struggling tourism industry, marine biodiversity and the local fishing industry. With the same texture as seaweed, it does not cause health problems but the tonnes of the algae is an unwelcome sight for any tourists. Francisco Ruiz Giraldez, who is mayor of Tarifa in southern Andalusia and also a biologist, said that last year officials cleared 5,000 tonnes of the algae from the beaches of the town alone. “It is aggressively taking over the entire sea floor of the Straits of Gibraltar because the algae takes up 50% of the space between five and 25 metres in depth,” he said.
Martin Tye explains why environmental concerns should be top of the list when choosing power suppliers
Reasons to use green electricity
Green Matters
By Martin Tye
YUCK: Messy shore He added: “It’s like Groundhog Day. You take the (algae) away one day and the next day it’s back again.” Similar clean up operations have been mounted along the Costa del Sol and other parts of southern Spain. On the other side of the Mediterranean, the same brown sludge has appeared in northern Morocco and the Spanish North African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. Scientists said this algae naturally exists in the Pacific Ocean but it has been transported in the sluice water of tankers which travelled through the Mediterranean. Felix Lopez, a professor of ecology at the University of Malaga, said similar algae invasions in Mexico and China were greater but they did not spread as fast.
Sun shines on Repsol OIL giant Repsol has opened its first first PV solar farm as it moves towards decarbonisation. Located in the town of Manzanares in Ciudad Real, the farm, called Kappa, cost €100 million and boasts a total installed capacity of 126.6 MW distributed across three plants. Two of these, Perseo Foton I and Perseo Foton II, are now operational, with a combined capacity of 90.5
July 2nd - July 15th 2021
S
O why should we use green electricity? Rather than give the obvious answer – to save the planet - I will explain more comprehensively. Electricity has created industry and been responsible for shaping modern life more than anything else. In many ways the history of electricity is in a large way the history of modern society. The search for electricity can be traced back to the mid 17th century. Benjamin Franklin’s 1752 experiments proved that electricity was a natural occurring force. In the early 1800’s the work of Nicola Tesla led to the development of alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC). The mid 19th century saw electric power gradually replace steam power as the catalyst for the Industrial Revolution. The use of electric power has grown exponentially since then.
MW. The third plant, Perseo Foton III, is still under development. It will add another 36.1 MW. The new solar farm consists of 285,331 solar modules capable of supplying renewable power to 71,000 homes — around 177,500 persons. This will help avoid the emission of nearly 107,600 tons of CO2 each year, or the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide as that absorbed by 13.5 million trees.
SOLAR PV PANELS
So what’s the problem? So much electricity is produced by the burning of coal and the mining of natural resources. Most electricity is generated with steam turbines using fossil fuels, nuclear, biomass, geothermal and solar thermal energy. Over 30% of electricity provided by Endesa comes from carbon fuel and gas. So, in short , the excessive demand the world has for electricity directly contributes to – pollution, climate change and global warming. Together in Electric Dreams A hit song back in 1984 , sung by Phil Oakey. Now we all dream of cheaper electricity from renewable sources. Back in 1984 electricity was less than 5 cents per Kwh. Look at your bill now – you’re in for an electric shock! One of the obvious solutions if you have a roof is to install solar panels and make free use of a natural resource – the sun. In October 2018 , the Spanish Energy and Environment minister Teresa Ribera said: “This country is finally freeing itself from the great absurdity,
scorned by most international observers, that is the ‘sun tax’. At that time Spain only had 1,000 solar panel installations, compared to more than 1,000,000 in Germany. Electricity prices in Spain are amongst the highest in Europe, and the recent changes in the tariff system will not help the majority of consumers. The Government needs to invest more now in renewable technologies – solar and wind. We as individuals need to look at our own roofs, and make sure the electricity provider we use supplies 100% certified green energy.
Martin Tye is the owner of energy switch company Mariposa Energy. +34 638145664 ( Spain Phone ) Email him at martin@mariposaenergia.es
100% Certified Green Energy
GENERATE YOUR OWN ELECTRICITY Make huge savings Get paid for any surplus
Make free use of the sun!
FULL INSTALLATION & REGISTRATION - MAINTENANCE - 20-YEAR GUARANTEE - LOW-COST FINANCING
GET A FREE NO OBLIGATION QUOTE TODAY! +34 951 120 830 | INFO@MARIPOSAENERGIA.ES | WWW.MARIPOSAENERGIA.ES
LA CULTURA
July 2nd July 15th 2021
9
The 45 cms long and 31 cms wide stone artefact with an engraving of a warrior on has been described as being of ‘exceptional quality’. The farmer discovered it in the Derramador area of the Camp d’Elx (Costa Blanca). It has been kept at Elche's Archaeological and Historical Museum after the farmer handed it over to the Guardia Civil’s environmental division, Seprona.
Find
EXAMINED: Rock was X-rayed
Elche experts and a team from the Valencian Institute of Conservation have been analysing the find. They’ve used noninvasive techniques like X-rays and microscopes to work out the com-
Y
QUALITY: Piece is high quality position of the sculpture without the need to touch it. A Valencian Institute spokesperson said the work had been ‘meticulously crafted’. An attempt will be made to detect any polychrome, which is a term used to describe colouring on sculptures and pottery.
Off the air
British TV shows seen as ‘threat’ to cultural diversity A FRESH Brexit consequence threatens the amount of British TV shows that might be screened on European Union and Spanish television screens. That in turn could threaten lucrative sales deals to countries in the 27 nation block. It’s a new potential blow to UK culture with British-based performers struggling to get work visas to do gigs and shows in the EU. The Guardian newspaper has seen an official EU document that expresses ‘concern’ that ‘cultural diversity’ is threatened across its member nations
By Alex Trelinski
by the high number of British TV shows that are screened. Nothing will happen immediately but the European Commission is said to be working on a report into the ‘risk that British programmes ‘pose' to such diversity. A Brussels directive already insists that the majority of the schedules on the main free-to-air channels in each member state like Spain has to be for ‘European’ productions. Since the UK is no longer part of the EU, it does not make up the old ‘Europe-
FIND: Skeletons were unearthed
Struck bone
EXCAVATION work to renovate a stretch of Islamic wall in Valencia city has unearthed 60 skeletons – and counting. Neighbours overlooking the site in Angel square, located in the Carmen district, look on in amazement as the archaeologists have continued bringing to light human remains since work began in March. The skeletons were not even the purpose of the dig in the Carmen district of the city. The original aim was simply to restore the 11th century wall and place it on public display. During a recent visit by Valencia Mayor Joan Ribo,archaeologists explained that they had come across the old cemetery of the long-gone Santa Creu church. The local authorities banned burials in churchyards and built the first municipal cemetery in 1805, but it now appears that the original graves at Santa Creu were not moved to the new premises.
Take care
Make sure your paperwork is put in order by a reputable company
Buried warrior dug up
A FARMER has found an ancient sculpture in his field, which experts believe dates back to the Iberian age of the fifth century BC.
Dear Jennifer:
CULTURE WARS: British TV faces restrictions
an’ quota and in theory may have to fight it out with US producers to get onto Spanish and other EU main channels if Brussels insists on tightening up quotas.
Aired
There are also figures of at least 30% for European shows to be aired on streamers like Amazon and Netflix, with some countries like France doubling that number to 60%. Another point that seems to have been overlooked by the European Commission is that all imported TV shows are dubbed into Spanish, providing an important source of income for sound recording studios and actors.
Ring open BULLFIGHTING has restarted in Madrid with seating capacity restricted to 50%. The regional government had previously restricted capacity to 6,000 people but now 11,899 people will be able to enter the Las Ventas arena, almost double the previously planned capacity The public must remain seated, with pre-assigned seats, there may be groups of up to six people and the use of masks will be compulsory. The next bullfights announced for the reopening are on July.
OU must be so careful with your documentation and paperwork in Spain. It has become far more complicated and involved, since the finalisation of Brexit. For example, it is now necessary to have the TIE or a Work Visa to be able to get employment in Spain At present, there is no easy way. Firstly you will need the padron and I understand there have recently been a number of fraudulent padrons issued. So be very careful. Health cover is necessary with the complete documentation and certificate. It is no good selecting the cheapest health option – the authorities require a certificate to confirm health cover with your application and there are a limited number of companies whose policies are accepted and authorised by the police. Despite what others may advise or recommend, please ensure you use the correct company to do your application – both lawyers and gestors are experienced and there are a number of individuals who specialise in the process of applying the TIE’s/ residencia/visas. This is where my company can be very helpful, as we do supply a fully recommended health insurance and my company works very closely with many authorised legal associates. Imagine finally reaching the stage where you present all your documentation, only to discover that your application is rejected because your documents do not meet all the legal requirements. The correct advice and help is essential to avoid this happening. Exactly the same situation applies when you are talking about investments and pensions held in the UK. Once again, it is necessary to be sure the company you are using has full authorisations and credentials for both Europe and Britain. This becomes more important with your applications for residencia and visas, as you are required to have an amount in the bank and proof of income as part of your application. However, if you purchase a property in excess of €500,000, you can apply for a Golden Visa and the process is slightly different Please do not attempt to do any of this yourself or be persuaded by people who tell you it is not necessary to do anything. In both instances, this would be wrong and would have a detrimental effect on your dream to live in Spain.
For help, advice and information, please contact one of my offices or visit my website www.jennifercunningham.net
10
LA CULTURA
July 2nd - July 15th 2021
Basque Magic
How is it that six Basque refugee children could end up in England and be counted among the best footballers in the world?
W
AS it a cultural thing? Nature vs Nurture? Was there something in the water? Their DNA? What follows traces the plight of six Basque adolescents, their time in England and the very positive role football played in their lives. In the spring of 1937, the Spanish Civil War raged and the Basque Country was under siege. It was fiercely Republican (anti-Franco) surrounded by Nationalist held territory. The Basque Country had become the testing ground for the concept of ‘total war’ replete with Franco-ordered bombing raids over civilian population centres (think Guernica!). Thousands were killed. Local authorities decided to evacuate 4,000 children to spare them from the nightmare which surrounded them. Most were
brought to Southampton and held in ‘detention’ camps. Slowly the children were dispersed throughout Britain into the homes of all levels of British society. Sabino Barinaga was one of those boys. He arrived in Southampton at age 15 accompanied by two of his siblings. Before long he was spotted as an athletic talent by school officials and later, by Southampton Football Club. At age 18, he spent time with the club’s reserve team scoring 62 goals in 18 games (you read that correctly!) in one season. In 1940, as WWII threatened England, Sabino returned to Spain to join Real Madrid, where he had the honour of scoring the first goal ever at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. Loaned to Real Valladolid as an inside forward, he scored 38 league goals in 48 games.
STARS: Jose ‘Coventry’ Bilbao (inset) while Raimundo Perez Lezama (in goal) and Sabino Barinaga train for Southampton
He retired in 1955 but coached at the highest level of international football for the next 27 years. He died in 1988 in Durango, Spain. He was known locally as ‘El Ingles de Durango’. At Southampton, Barinaga had goalkeeper Raimundo Perez Lezama for company. At age 18, Rai-
mundo made his first-team debut with The Saints in 1940. Like his teammate Sabino, he eventually would return to Spain, signing with Athletic Bilbao. He helped the La Liga club retain the cup in 1944, 1945 and 1950. Raimundo won the Ricardo Zamora Trophy (1946) as the league’s
best goalkeeper. Antonio and Jose Gallego were sent to a family home in Cambridge after their father was killed in Guernica. Known as ‘Tony and Joe’, the two became local celebrities. Both brothers were recruited by local coaches who recognised their
Yellow Submarine How Villarreal football club rose from humble beginnings to European triumph by torpedoing Manchester United
O
N May 26, Villarreal CF pulled off a stunning upset over Manchester United in the Europa League Final, triumphing in the penalty shootout to claim their first major European title. Their striking victory in equally striking yellow kits had everyone singing the praises of the so-called Yellow Submarine. But how did the club acquire this catchy nickname? It’s not only a story of a coincidental chan-
By Shannon Chaffers
ging of kit colours and a famous song by The Beatles, but also that of a club that has risen from their decades-long existence in the lower tiers of Spanish football to etch their name into European football history. Competitive mens’ football in Villarreal began in 1923, when a handful of local citizens decided to form Club Deportivo Villarreal with the goal of promoting sport in the area. The founders were, uniquely at the time, keen on promoting women’s football fandom, and they allowed women to attend matches for free, while men were charged 0.5 pesetas and children 0.25 pesetas. For the first 20-odd years of their existence, the players wore traditional kits: white shirts with black shorts. Yet the stop-start nature of club football in Villarreal was anything but traditional. The Spanish Civil War in the 1930s forced CD Villarreal to stop competing. The destruction from the war left the club with neither a suitable field nor suffiTRIUMPH: Celebrating their Europa League win cient funds, and the club dissol-
PRIDE: Villareal fans are proud of their nickname and the stadium has embraced it
ved in 1942. the song on a record player during the matThe year 1946 saw CAF Villarreal emerge ches. as the city’s new football team. In 1954, the Perhaps the new nickname inspired the team’s Board of Directors changed the club’s name to subsequent successes, as they won promotion their current moniker, Villarreal Club de Futbol. to the third division that season, before achieThe club’s name was not the only change to ving promotion to the second division for the first time in club history in the their image during this time, as 1969/70 season. the team changed colours as After bouncing between the well. Ahead of the 1947/48 seaThe club was son, so the story goes, the son of second and third divisions, Villarreal’s fortunes changed for the club president traveled to the promoted to good in 1997, when current preregional capital, Valencia, to purLa Liga for the chase the typical black and white sident and owner Fernando Roig kits, but had to resort to yellow took over, and the club gained first time as shirts, as they were the only ones promotion to the first division (La late as 1997 in stock. Liga) for the first time. This change to yellow shirts set While they were relegated to the the stage for the team’s ‘Yellow second division the following Submarine’ nickname. year, they managed to win promotion again During the 1967/68 campaign, some fans ahead of the 2000/01 season. made the connection between the lyrics of The Upon returning, the club established itself as a Beatles’ hit 1966 song Yellow Submarine and consistent competitor in La Liga. their teams’ colours, and they began playing They finished third in the 2004/05 season, be-
LA CULTURA
HEROES: Tony Gallego claims a cross for Cambridge while Emilio Aldecoa (inset) takes a corner for Wolves. Basque players were valued members of several English teams (right) and Sabino Barinaga (below inset) scored 62 goals in just 18 games
special talents. Left-winger Jose’s career started with Colchester United in the Second Division. He finished his professional playing
fore reaching their height domestically in the 2007/08 season, when they finished second behind giants Real Madrid. In the 2011/12 season, Villarreal suffered a shock relegation, despite competing in the Champions League. This turned out to be only a blip, however, as the club won promotion the year after and returned to the top flight, where they have been ever since. Villarreal’s Europa League triumph capped off years of solid performances in La Liga and European competitions that followed a remarkable rise through the lower ranks of Spanish football. It also means that despite finishing seventh in La Liga this year, the team has earned a spot in next year’s Champions League. Will the upcoming season bring more European glory for the now famous Yellow Submarine?
days with Cambridge United and played scorer in an already high scoring Covcompetitive minor league football well entry team. But homesickness and ininto his 50’s. juries ultimately brought Jose back to Brother Antonio, aka Tony, was in goal his native Biscay Province. for the Norwich City team for two sea- Locals remember Coventry (his nicksons but returned to his ‘beloved Cam- name) as he always proudly displayed bridge’ (his words) shortly his league honours. thereafter. He is the only Coventry enjoyed his reone of this group of Basque tirement years picking They were footballers to remain in the mushrooms in the nearby UK throughout his adult mountains while often welcomed by life. enjoying the local drink their English Emilio Aldecoa was the patxaran (aniseed and very first Basque refugee wine). host families footballer to play in the EnInitially, life could not and fans glish professional leagues. have been easy for these In the 1943-44 season, young Basques. They Emilio was the top goal were separated from scorer for Wolverhampton Wanderers their parents and their country and (Wolves) with 11 goals in 30 games. He worried about their fates. moved on to Coventry City, scoring on There were language and cultural difhis debut against Portsmouth. ferences and, although welcomed by His practical skills were also much ap- their English host families and footpreciated when he helped repair the ball fans, they lived with the stigma Blitz-damaged Highfield Road stadium of being outsiders. as well as the home of the family he was But the young Basque footballers staying with. found solace in the form of football. By 1946 Emilio returned to Spain and They excelled and thrived using footjoined his hometown team Athletball as a venue for success. ic Bilbao. He finished his career Their experience serves as an with FC Barcelona and won the example of how sport can be league twice and three Copa del a powerful means of posiRey titles. tive integration both for For the better part of the next the participants and their three decades, Emilio coached fans. and managed the Girona FC The Tokyo Summer Olympics team. are but weeks away (July 23). As a young boy in his small It is interesting to note that Basque village, Jose Bilthe International Olympic bao was said to be Committee defines its so coordinated that official mission as he could trap a ‘recognising sport five-peseta coin as a metaphor for tossed high into overcoming obstathe air. This athcles and achievleticism translating against aded into extraorversity’. dinary dribbling o Sabino, Raiskills on the pitch. mundo, Tony & For two years with Joe, Emilio and Coventry City , he Coventry we bamboozled desay: “Well done fenders as the key boys!”
July 2nd - July 15th 2021
11
BUSINESS Tax Roaming’s back slashed
12
July 2nd - July 15th 2021
Merger approval
MASMOVIL’S €1.99 billion takeover of rival communications operator Euskaltel has secured Spanish government backing. The friendly merger, which received the greenlight from Spain’s competition watchdog, would reinforce Masmovil’s position as the country’s fourth-largest telecoms firm. Spain has one of the most advanced fibre networks for internet users in Europe but the telecoms sector has suffered from increased overheads and more competition, which have reduced profit margins and increased debt.
Data charges for holiday-makers to shoot up due to Brexit deal BORIS JOHNSON’S rushed Brexit deal released on Christmas Eve, now means millions of travellers will pay higher phone bills when travelling in the EU. O2 customers have all been told that from August they will have to pay £3.50 for every gigabyte (GB) of data used over a new limit of 25GB. EE has also announced new charges, being introduced in the new year. Roaming charges were
SPAIN’S competition watchdog, the CNMC, is investigating possible dodgy behaviour by the country's top banks over distributing COVID-19 loans. It is looking into Banco Sabadell, Santander, Caixabank and Bankia. The body is trying to find out whether loans given to struggling businesses came with strings attached like forcing clients to buy additional financial products. The Spanish government approved last year up to €100 billion in so-called ICO liquidity lines, where the state guaranteed up to 80% of the loans. They were filtered through banks mainly to small and mid-sized companies and the self-employed. Santander said it had complied with reg-
By Alex Trelinski
scrapped by the EU in 2017, but the UK Prime Minister’s deal left open the possibility of a return for additional fees.
Bad news
The phone giant told customers the bad news on the fifth anniversary of 2016’s Brexit referendum. At the time, Johnson said: “The decision to leave the EU
PAY UP: UK operators reintroducing data charges
may now be part of our history, but our clear mission is to utilise the freedoms it brings
Banks investigated By Simon Wade
ulations governing the ICO loans and that it had not made ICO-guaranteed financing contingent on any product or service. The CNMC added that it was also analysing whether loans were used to restructure pre-existing financial debts. Last year a study by small companies’ pressure group Pimec accused banks of misusing a government loan programme intended to help small businesses survive the coronavirus crisis.
D
O you think of Ibiza as merely a party island? You’d be so wrong. Ibiza is the home to thousands of expatriates who value its warm climate, rich cultural heritage and peaceful environment which allows them to ‘disconnect’ from their busy lives. So here are a few reasons why you should consider buying a home in Ibiza and possibly even becoming a permanent.
Ibiza’s culture is more than just nightclubs Ibiza has an established gastronomic culture fuelled by fresh and organic food sourced from local markets. From five-star international dining experiences to rustic Mediterranean restaurants, there are options for every taste and budget. There are also lots of options to relax, from high-end yoga retreats to beautiful art galleries, providing a rich and active Ibizan cultural scene.
Ibiza is a place for community and family Ibiza has an exceptionally diverse culture which attracts many nationalities as residents. A very friendly island, there is a strong sense of community, a good expat social scene, and the respectful nature ingrained in Spanish culture makes for a good place for families. Despite being a small island, it has a range of good public and private schools, several of which use the British educational system leading to internationally recognised qualiofications.
Ibiza as a place to work Traditionally people used to focus on finding a job ‘in Ibiza’ but in our virtual, digitally-connected world, many expats moving to Ibiza have found they can run their business remotely from the island. Many of our clients are consultants, professionals, writers, or artists who have found the work-life balance is embraced in Ibiza. And if you do have to travel for work, Ibiza is a mere two-hour flight from most European capitals.
It said that banks were using the funds to pay off risky debt first rather than providing new loans as they were supposed to. The idea behind the scheme was to give small businesses who were badly hit by lockdown an instant credit lifeline. But according to Pimec about 37% of loans granted through the scheme in Catalunya went to pay off old debt rather than provide liquidity to help struggling businessmen pay their bills. This had the effect of shifting the risk on existing loans from the banks to the government.
to shape a better future for our people.” But December’s trade agreement with the EU merely encouraged phone operators to have ‘transparent and reasonable rates’, without any obligation to maintain the ban on roaming charges.
Value
O2 announced in December that ‘we’re committed to providing our customers with great connectivity and value when they travel outside the UK’. Rival network EE has also announced a daily charge of £2 for customers using their service in 47 countries from January 1 2022.
Ibiza for expatriates
SPAIN’s government has revealed it will cut IVA (VAT) on electricity bills from 21% to 10% until the end of the year but there are strings attached. Consumers defined as ‘severely vulnerable’ will get the discount regardless of their contracted power and the price of electricity on the market. For others, IVA will also go down, but only for customers who have a contracted power of 10 kilowatts or less and as long as the average price is above €45 per megawatt-hour.
Save
So far this month, the price has been an average of €93. It will also temporarily suspend in the third quarter a 7% tax on energy production that companies pass on to customers. The Minister for Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, said that the average household will save €36 by the end of the year at an average of €6 per month. These measures will be adopted as a matter of urgency ‘without prejudice to the reforms that may be adopted on a permanent and structural basis’, according to the government.
What you need to know if you own a house on the White Isle
By Malini Peñalva, Spanish Abogada at Del Canto Chambers Ibiza Ibiza Property Market Ibiza is distinguished by many exclusive, high-end properties and the real estate market has remained a safe and solid place for foreign property investment – the last five years have seen property values increase by 56.5% right across the island. International buyers drive demand in Ibiza real estate, raising property values and improving the overall infrastructure. However, new planning permission regulations have made new build licenses more difficult to obtain and legal guidance is essential to move the process forward. If you are a foreign national (expat) with Spanish residency who owns a property in Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza or Formentera you are liable to pay a number of taxes consisting of personal income tax on property or any rental income, capital gains tax, city council tax and tax on assets such as boats. Del Canto Chambers, the go-to set of chambers for international tax and legal matters with offices in both the UK and Spain, outlines some of the key issues concerning Spanish assets and why specialist advice should be sought so that your residency status and global wealth is also taken into account.
Property Income Tax in the Balearic Islands Spanish income tax and residence rules must be considered carefully when owning property or investing in Ibiza. For example, in the case of a holiday home or rental, you are liable to pay taxes to the Spanish tax authorities on property
you own and other assets and investments. If you do not pay the appropriate tax to the Spanish authorities your property may build up a debt against it on which interest is also due, which often leads to difficulties in selling it and your bank account could be embargoed. In 1998, the Spanish non-resident income tax law introduced a tax liability on properties in Spain owned by non-residents. Tax on property transfers ITP (Impuesto Sobre Transmisiones Patrimoniales) is applied to the purchase of ‘second-hand’ properties, and value-added tax IVA and AJD (Impuesto Sobre el Valor Añadido and Impuesto sobre Actos Jurídicos Documentados) to new build properties bought from the developer. To mitigate their tax liabilities, some people buy their property in Ibiza through a company. Whilst this can be effective, it obviously has tax and legal implications that need to be considered, and professionals should review the structures used to buy property to ensure compliance. Unfortunately, many Spanish property owners created corporate structures to purchase their property years previously and have given them
little consideration since. The Spanish tax authorities are aware of this and if a company was created before 2018 and the tax position has not been assessed recently, they are likely to investigate. Get in touch and tell us about your Spanish Tax & Legal requirements. With Spanish tax inspections and investigations on the rise, it is more important than ever to have a qualified international tax and legal team who have expertise in both areas if you have property or assets in Ibiza. Del Canto Chambers has a team of expert lawyers who are dual-qualified in the UK and in Spain, meaning we are perfectly positioned to support our clients with any legal or tax requirements. We help ensure you are fully compliant with your tax position, helping you plan and protect your income as best as possible.
To make a no-obligation enquiry, please either call Del Canto Chambers now on: +44 2070 430648 or complete our online form on our website’s contact page, which after receipt we will come back to you within 24 hours. Our office in Ibiza are located on: Calle Illa Plana 7, 07800 Ibiza, Islas Baleares. You can contact us directly on 971 761 171
FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL Markets are back
THE Sunset Market in Puerto Portals has returned for the summer months, opening every Wednesday and Thursday, from 6pm to midnight, until August 19. Guests can spend their evenings strolling along the promenade, browsing collections from over 20 stalls and enjoying live music from local artists. The ‘Artists Corner’ will feature the work from guest painters, including Luciana Roman, Belen Pez, Clara Rival, Marina Pipkin. Children will also find plenty to do, with multiple activities to take part in, including how to be more sustainable and kind to the planet. Puerto Portals is a lively port, lined by restaurants and cafes, which locals pile into for an evening drink of tapas. If you’re still there in late August, for the 7th year running, the port is also playing host to the 52 Super Series, between August 24 - 28. A competition that draws some of the best sailors from all over the world.
Just a small one
Beer is good for the gut, but only in moderation
AT long last, the news we’ve been waiting for has finally arrived: Beer is good for you! Thanks to the fermentation process, which is used to make the refreshing golden liquid so many people love, it actually contains quite a few gut-friendly compounds.
July 2nd - July 15th 2021
13
The perfect location Ocean Drive Port Portals, the perfect hotel for your holidays in Mallorca
G
iven OD Hotels’ commitment to being present in fabulous spots, there was only one suitable place for Ocean Drive Port Portals: the most exclusive yacht harbor on the island. Located in Portal Nous, Ocean Drive Port Portals opens onto the marina with breathtaking views, a taste for design and technology in equal measure, a flair for architecture and an ability to be Mediterranean and sophisticated, fresh and delicate, all at the same time. The identity of OD Hotels is clear in each of the 77 rooms of this gleaming hotel, in its lobby lounge, the swimming pool, the à la carte restaurant serving health-conscious cross-over cuisine with Asian & European influences and the OD Sky Bar, a unique summer venue where, this summer, you can yoga class with the finest views over the bay of Palma. Ocean Drive Port Portals offers 365 days of exclusivity with services such as breakfast till midday, late check-out upon request, WiFi, three connecting meeting rooms with a total capacity of over 150 people. With its celebrated bars and restaurant, Puerto Portals serves as a meeting point for the international jet set, being close to beaches, golf courses, best tennis & pa-
ddle courts with sea views, antique shops and art galleries in Palma, unique and exclusive wineries and spectacular cycling routes in the Tramontane mountains (Unesco World Heritage Site since 2011). Every element is an authentic expression of aesthetic design and is combined with local elements of the island of Mallorca. The architectural studio of Victor Rahola Vidal and the interior designer Mayte Matutes created the sleek architecture and refined interiors for a fluent, congruent appearance, together with a selection of design furnishings and textiles made exclusively for the hotel. The design concept and the good location is complemented by state-of-the-art technology and many sustainable features. For work or for pleasure, Ocean Drive Port Portals is a veritable symbol of quality and this hotel is everything you can ever wish for.
For more information and bookings, see www.od-hotels.com or call (+34) 971 67 59 56
Good
OP QUICK Crossword Across Nutrition Science and Technology (ICTAN-CSIC), in Madrid, beer is just one of many fermented beverages that could have ‘potentially
Top travel trends SPAIN continues to be one of the preferred holiday destinations for British, German, French and Italian visitors. One in four travellers from those countries plan to spend the summer at a Spanish destination. With regards to international air travel, Alicante and Valencia airports have improved their rating compared to previous years and are now respectively ranked sixth and seventh on the list of preferred places to land in Spain. Although business is still said to be slow, airlines are maintaining their summer slots awaiting the reactivation of the market as the COVID vaccination campaign advances and full normality is expected at some point this year. Turespaña director Miguel Sanz predicts a ‘steady recovery’ this summer, adding that the global desire to travel this year is comparable to 2019.
Flights
This news is backed up by search trends data that shows Google searches for holidays to Spain have increased by 50% since mid-May. It is especially good news for the Balearics, with the top five most searched cities in Spain being Palma de Mallorca followed by Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga and Ibiza. The opening up to tourism, both nationally and internationally together with the COVID-19 vaccine rollouts globally are driving increasing demand for summer vacations - with Spain, Italy and France topping the list of desirable destinations. In fact, searches for holidays to Spain have increased by 203% compared to the same period in 2020. According to a travel insights tool funded by Google, since mid-May, search interest has grown by more than 50% for flights across Europe, with Spain, Italy and France topping the list of desirable destinations. European outbound markets are consolidating, with countries such as Germany and France leading in searches for travel to Spain while the UK moves into third place.
beneficial effects on intestinal health’. “Beer provides a multitude of compounds such as fluoride, silicon, choline and folic acid in significant quantities, [so consuming] two units [per day] could provide up to 10% of the recommended daily amount of these compounds,” said researcher Natalia Gonzalez Zancada. Beer is also a source of dietary fibre and rich in polyphenols, from the malt and hops, which have antioxidant properties.
6 Microsoft search engine (4) 8 Still sealed (8) 9 Supermarket sights (8) 10 "Meet Joe Black" star Brad --- (4) 11 Breed of red cattle (5) 12 Baddies in "The Lion King" (6) 14 She doesn't play with dolls (6) 16 How Frank Sinatra did it (2,3) 18 Rate of flow (4) 20 Swells up (8) 21 Bent coin ain't moving (2,6) 22 Civil wrong (4)
Health
Therefore, Gonzalez Zancada suggests that when consuming alcoholic beverages in moderation, the ‘harmful effects of ethanol, if any, could be counteracted by the beneficial effects of bioactive compounds’ - these are what help to promote good health. This is because the fermentation process (the extraction of energy from carbohydrates) in the intestine produces energy for microbial proliferation (the process by which an organism produces another of its kind) and the production of metabolites, such as shortchain fatty acids (SCFA), which regulate inflammatory responses and intestinal hormone secretion. Basically, drinking a (small) beer a day could actually be good for us - that’s enough confirmation for us. ‘¡Una cerveza por favor!’
Down
OP Sudoku
But before you get too excited, as with anything, it’s only good for you in moderation. And in beer’s case, moderation means one 330ml-440ml (ABV 5.5%) glass a day, alongside a balanced and healthy diet. According to a recent study by the Institute of Food and
1 Most intense (8) 2 German automatic pistol (5) 3 Cozily warm (6) 4 Stay on the alert (4,2,3,3) 5 Endless loop (4) 7 View from Key West, almost all round (4,2,6) 12 Cut and dried grass (3) 13 Image digitizers (8) 15 Awaiting trial, maybe (2,4) 17 Architectural drawings (5) 19 Connection (4)
All solutions are on page 14
14
I
COLUMNISTS
Terenia Taras
Burgess
Telling it like it is
Jabbing hell
DON’T know if you’ll remember, but when I was growing up there was a comedian called Jimmy Cricket and his catchphrase was: “Come here, there’s more.” Well that reminds me of the Spanish bureaucracy, except it’s really not funny! Despite jumping through all the legal hoops to become a Spanish resident and having a Spanish driver’s licence, Like me, many people have private healthcare and it felt like I was back at the beginning this week because therefore aren’t in the Spanish system. Coupled with the I was told I needed to get a new empadronamiento (or fact that my partner and I aren’t married and I’m pracpadron). tically an alien. I only recently discovered it expires after six months and Now I’ve already learned to brace myself and my paneeds to be renewed. No one seems able to tell me why tience when I have to do any kind of admin here beand what an empadronamiento is for. I think it’s like a cause you know it’s going to be more complicated than catch all form and if no-one knows what you need, then first anticipated, and you’d better have your best Spanyou need one of these to get it. Confused, glish and Google Translate ready. you bet! That’s another thing I’ve discovered, When we first came to Mallorca back in since Brexit many Spaniards love to play Since March 2020 I remember having to get an the Spanish card, so even if they can NIE number and the empadronamiento. speak English and possibly be helpful Brexit many I vaguely remember us paying €500 to they won’t! Spaniards love Anyway, after phoning the vaccine helpa Spanish lawyer and thought that was that. But oh no, that was just the start of line for about the sixth time I was told to play the it. that I needed a new empadronamiento, Nearly a year and a half later, there I was and was also given a number that I had Spanish card again, back in Calvia town office queuing to give to my Centro de salud. for yet another empadronamiento. The So off I went to Calvia. On arrival I manreason being, I haven’t been able to have my vaccine aged to explain to the nice lady on reception what I was here yet. I’d love to write it’s because I’m not old enough, there for and understood that I should have emailed to but I’m clutching onto my 40’s by my fingernails. make a cita first. I know I’m not alone in that there are other Brits here However, she took one look at my world-weary face and who are struggling to get the vaccine. After trying several let me in. I got my ticket and was relieved to see my numtimes to book a vaccine appointment online I was faced ber was up next, result! with a load of red writing roughly translated by Google The same lady came back over but this time I played saying my details were wrong and the computer says no! the English card and pretended ‘no comprehende’ when
MESSY: Organised chaos or a finely tuned filing system?
July 2nd - July 15th 2021 Lisa
How to get a vaccine when you’re not on the list
she explained that I did in fact need to email and make an appointment. But very quickly she realised it was better to just give up on me when I looked blankly and waved my number at her in the practically empty waiting area. She just looked in despair at us English people and walked off. Without too long a wait I managed to get a new empadronamiento after explaining in my very best Spanglish that I needed it for my vaccine, or vacuna in Spanish, I thought that was mincemeat! Next up, the Centro de salud, or the doctors to you and I, where I was asked for my NIE number after shoving my empadronamiento and the paper with some magical number on it given to me from the Vaccine Helpline person, into the plastic tray. After about 20 minutes of watching the receptionist converse with her colleague and tap away on her computer I was handed yet another form and told I needed to fill it in and email it along with my empadronamiento, a copy of my passport and TIE card. Having done all this, fingers crossed I might now be able to finally get on the vaccine list. But in the short time I’ve lived here I’ve learned not to expect anything to go simply, quickly, or according to plan with any bureaucracy and in the words of comedian Jimmy Cricket …C’Mere YOU CAN FOLLOW ME There’s (always) More! @tereniataras
Smiling again! Lisa Burgess remembers her slightly embarrassing encounter with a football legend
M
Get thee to a sluttery Hold your horses - it’s not what you think, writes Giles Brown
Distribution wizard The Olive Press is looking for a magician to distribute our amazing newspapers in Mallorca. You’ll be an energetic, resourceful individual, with a sound knowledge of how to get around Mallorca or at least a smart phone and some physical strength. At this point we are looking for a Spanish or UK citizen once every other Friday. If you think you have what it takes to help the Olive Press expand to the next level please get in touch with accounts@theolivepress.es, sending your CV and a covering letter. This job would be a part time job and will suit either man or woman of any age or colour or background.
of Wittertainment, aka the graph proves, I am hardly goconsiderable audience of ing to appear in an episode of Kermode and Mayo’s Film Through the Keyhole (I wonReview. der who lives here? Withnail Thanks to Simon Mayo, last and I?) week I discovered a new fa- My personal style is somevourite word. Previously that what ramshackle. When a USword had been eclectic, while based friend came to visit with my best friend’s is esoteric, her children for the first time, even if his wife assures me she took one look around my that he does not know what it house and said ‘See kids, this actually means, although he is what happens when a man spends a lot of his time wan- lives alone…’ dering around Last week I had old buildings guests up to the looking for arcasita for lunch. A sluttery is cane symbols Their 11-yeara room where old son was and muttering to himself… at the at first glance amazed In a recent poddisorganisation cast, Simon things seem to on display in my mentioned space. be in disarray working the word Another friend, ‘Slutter y’. who has known Stop sniggerme for two deing at the back – it is not cades explained that my what you are thinking. abode was ‘not like a real A sluttery is a room where house. It’s a grown up den!’ things at first glance What may look like organised seem to be in disarray, yet chaos to the casual observer, it is a laboratory for creative however, is a finely tuned filthought. ing system with everything to As a freelance writer, I tend hand. I can find most things to live by chaos theory and blindfolded, which is especrisis management at the cially handy when the generbest of times. As the photo- ator breaks down. As it did a
OP Puzzle solutions Quick Crossword Across: 6 Bing, 8 Unopened, 9 Trolleys, 10 Pitt, 11 Devon, 12 Hyenas, 14 Tomboy, 16 My Way, 18 Flux, 20 Balloons, 21 In action, 22 Tort. Down: 1 Fiercest, 2 Luger, 3 Toasty, 4 Keep an eye out, 5 Belt, 7 Gulf of Mexico, 12 Hay, 13 Scanners, 15 On bail, 17 Plans, 19 Link.
SUDOKU
‘
Hello to Jason Issacs’. If you recognise that greeting then you are most probably a member of The Church
Y Irish grandfather was an i n te r n a t i o n a l referee so my mum caught the football bug early on and Match of the Day featured heavily in our household. She was a fierce Liverpool and Ireland supporter with a daughter who followed Manchester United and England. I remember leaving Ireland to visit mum in London to watch a cliffhanger England versus Portugal match with her. On my Ryanair flight, I met a pleasant and jovial chap and we got chatting. I babbled on about my excitement about the forthcoming game and rabbitted on about football. He let me rant on without interruption till I asked if he had any interest in football? I wanted the plane to take a nosedive when he said ‘yes I do know a bit about it - I am Liam Brady’.
Laugh
Brady was capped 72 times for the Irish national football team and found success with Arsenal where he won the FA Cup in 1979 and in Italy with Juventus. I was mortified but we had a laugh about it. Now we have England in Euro 2021 and top of their group. My heart goes out to Scotland but the sounds of cheery ‘Enggggland’ chants after their win against the Czech Republic could be heard throughout Fuengirola. After this dreadful pandemic, it was thoroughly wonderful to see happy smiling faces. And after last night’s fantastic win for England against Germany an even broader smile has been put on our faces, which we can be thankful for!
HEALTH
July 2nd - July 15th 2021
Target missed
SPAIN just missed out on its target to vaccinate 15 million people by June 20. In total, 14.4 million had had their jabs by that date. The health ministry explained that the reason for the ‘small lag’ was due to delays in deliveries of the Janssen vaccine. Of the 5.5 million doses expected in the second quarter of the year, just 1.5 million were
shipped due to a problem at its main factory. AstraZeneca’s second shot can be injected between three to 12 weeks after the first, but is being advised to wait 10, preferably 12 weeks. Also, the deadline for those under 60 years was extended to 16 weeks for precautionary reasons, as these intervals have been observed to generate increased immune responses.
THE European Union COVID-19 digital travel certificate officially comes into force across the EU today (July 1) with over 2.7 million documents so far issued in Spain. The so-called ‘digital green certificate’ was formally approved by the 27 EU member states on May 20. Some of Spain’s regions start-
Digital day ed to offer downloads of the document from early June, but the start dates have varied across the country.
Pilot
The certificate’s aim is to allow free movement across EU countries. It displays the vaccination record of a holder or, depending on which option is chosen it can show details of a recent negative PCR test or ‘recovery’ from the coronavirus. Figures obtained by the Efe news agency show that Catalunya has
Demographic time bomb
MORE people died in Spain during 2020 than in any year since records began in 1941 due to the coronavirus pandemic, while the number of births fell sharply. Experts warned that Spain is facing the biggest demographic crisis since the Spanish Civil War. New data released by Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE) showed the official number of deaths
Spain’s mortality rate hits record high as birth rate plunges in 2020 totalled 492,930, up a whopping 17.5% from the previous year.
Life
While the average life expectancy in Spain - which is the highest in Europe and second highest in the world after Japan - fell by
1.24 years to 82.3 years, the data showed. Spain’s Health Ministry officially recorded 50,837 deaths in 2020 from COVID-19 with more than 900 deaths recorded in a single day during April when the virus hit its peak. But the true number is thought to be much high-
Taking over
er as many deaths outside hospitals in the first months of the pandemic weren’t confirmed as COVID-19 through testing The new data also revealed, not surprisingly due to the restrictions on social gatherings, that 2020 saw almost half the number of weddings of the previous year with just 90,416 marriages being celebrated. And despite predictions that lockdown could see a baby boom, the birth rate dropped by almost 6% to 339,206, another record low as people postponed having children as the economy and employment became precarious.
Ticked off WORRIED: Carla Prat and (inset) Josep Maria Argimon
HEALTH officials in Spain have warned that the Delta variant of coronavirus, first identified in India, will become the dominant strain across Spain within a month. The variant, which is thought to be more transmissible than other recent strains is still not officially recorded as a ‘variant of concern’ (VOC) in Spain but is listed as a ‘variant of interest’. Spain’s Health Ministry published data that showed the Delta variant accounted for less than 1% of national new cases, but experts have said delays in sequencing mean it is difficult to know its true spread. Catalunya’s health chief
Josep Maria Argimon said that in the northeastern region around one in five new cases had been found to be of the Delta variant and predicted that it would be the predominant strain within ‘two to four weeks’.
Cases
Clara Prats, a researcher from the computational biology and complex systems group at Catallunya’s Polytechnical University (UPC) said this was the nature of the epidemic. “New variants arrive and when one is more transmissible than the earlier one, it overtakes it,” she told El Pais. “That is what happened with the Alpha,” she said
referring to the variant first identified in Britain where it is known as the ‘Kent variant’. The Delta variant has been detected in 74 countries, accounted for over 90% of new cases in the United Kingdom, and at least 6% of total cases in the U.S. Researchers pointed out that ‘one of the defining features of the Delta variant has been enhanced transmissibility with increases estimated at 40-60%above the Alpha variant. Early data from Scotland suggested that the risk of hospitalisation doubled following infection with Delta (compared to Alpha), especially in those with five or more other health conditions.
TWO cases of a potentially deadly viral disease have been reported in Spain. Both instances of CCHF (Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever) were discovered in the Castilla y Leon region. The first case was identified in Salamanca in April, and then last month in Leon. CCHF is an infection spread by tick bites that can cause a severe viral illness accompanied by bleeding. It has a fatality rate of between 10% and 40%, according to the World Health Organisation. It is uncommon in Spain, although a small number of cases have been identified in recent years.
15
the highest total of certificates issued at 681,600 followed by Andalucia with 462,394. Numbers have not been made available for the Valencian Community while the Madrid region will begin issuing certificates today after a few days of pilot testing.. The Balearic Islands have already started to accept the document from travellers entering the area. The certificate is available as a download from regional health department websites by inputting SIP health card details and using a passcode sent to mobile phones. The document with a QR code can be printed off or stored on a phone.
Back in business
FOOTBALL fans in Spain will be able to return to stadiums ‘en-masse’ when the new La Liga season starts this August. The stadium rule change was included in a recent Royal Decree which loosened outdoor mask-wearing rules. A very limited number of supporters were allowed into some stadiums to watch several La Liga Segunda division games towards the end of last season, depending on regional COVID-19 infection rates. Unless outdoor stadiums are half-empty, soccer fixtures for the time being will have to be watched by fans wearing masks, on the assumption that they cannot maintain at least a distance of 1.5 metres between each other.
Happy anniversary Celebrating 10 years helping the community in Mallorca
C
OLLEAGUES at Specsavers Ópticas in Santa Ponca are celebrating the store’s 10th birthday this summer, having carried out more than 30,000 eye tests over the past decade. The store was opened by the Councillor for the European Community, Angela Guerrero, on July 14, 2011, and since then it has welcomed in thousands of customers, generated local employment and supported the community in many different ways. Store director, Martin Blake, said: “We’d like to thank all our loyal clients for supporting us over the last 10 years and our team for their passion and dedication to helping protect and maintain our client’s vision to enable them to lead full lives.” Throughout the past decade, the store has been very active in the local community. Since August last year, it has been collaborating with Calvia Town Hall to provide free glasses to people who are facing hardship. They have donated 50 pairs of glasses so far, to people with poor vision who cannot afford to purchase them. The social services department of the Town Hall identifies the most urgent cases and refers them to the opticians. The team will continue to donate five pairs of glasses per month until August. They have also been raising money for charities including The Dogs Trust and SOS Animales Calvia and recently held a virtual dog walk to raise money for the ONCE Foundation for Guide Dogs. There are collection tins in the store and they will continue to support these charities to ensure they can do their important work, even in these difficult times. Local residents are also welcome to pop into the store to fill their reusable water bottle from the Cleanwave filter in store, to reduce the need for single use plastics. Specsavers Ópticas Santa Ponca has a long-standing, international team working at the store, with optical professionals who speak English, Spanish, Mallorquin and German. Mallorquin Lab Technician Mari Angeles Ferragut has been with the store since it opened in 2011 and said she was ‘proud to be part of the team and able to offer a good quality product, at an affordable price, with good service’. She adds: “The store has evolved a lot in the last 10 years and we’ve worked hard to keep improving our ways of working, training to increase skills and professionalism and have never lost the passion for helping others in our community.”
The store is located in Avda. Rei Jaume 1, 117, Santa Ponça and complete eye tests are free. For more information, or to book an eye test, visit www.specsavers.es or call 871 964 331.
We use recycled paper
Fugitive caught
FINAL WORDS
A 55-year old Dutchman who fled to Spain after getting five years in jail for importing cocaine hidden in banana boxes, has been arrested in El Campello (Alicante).
Cashing in SPAIN now has an incredible 1,147,000 millionaires, accounting for 2% of the world’s total, with North America leading the way with 12.4% and Europe as a whole having 9.2%.
Barking mad A MAN in Granada who tied his dog called Nube to his car and dragged it along for three kilometres because he was too lazy to walk has been identified as a 59-year-old man with a history of animal neglect and abuse resulting in death.
OLIVE PRESS
The
Reuse Reduce Recycle
FREE
MALLORCA
www.theolivepress.es
Vol. 4 Issue 109
expat
voice in Spain
Wuff justice
July 2nd - July 15th 2021
Price of love
What’s in a name FORGET traditional names like Pedro and Maria, Spain’s most popular baby names are now Hugo and Lucia. The news shows that Spain is continuing to move away from more traditional Biblical names and instead opt for names which have a more international feel and are pronounced more or less the same in English. The top three girl names chosen in 2020 are Lucia which was given to 3,432 babies, Sofia, (3,190) and Martina (3,042). While for boys, 3,313 were given the name Hugo, 3,248 were called Mateo and 3,144 were named Martin. Hugo was back in the top spot for a third year and had been in 2013 when it was overtaken by Lucas.
Much more than four stars.
Your
By Alex Trelinski
A MAN has lost his dead wife’s inheritance because he ‘broke a promise’ not to marry another woman - even though he never has. A court in A Coruña ruled against the man with his exwife’s brothers now getting the money. He has also been or-
Man loses inheritance from dead wife after moving in with lover dered to pay back what he has spent. The amount of cash involved has not been revealed but the legal battle is not over as the widower can appeal to the Supreme Court. Public details of the case have
Look who’s talking
ARTIFICIAL Intelligence machines could soon be given a pat on the back for being well spoken in Spanish. The Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) has proposed a certificate to show that the technology is up to scratch when it ‘speaks’ castellano. The director of the RAE, Santiago Muñoz Machado, said: “Perhaps in the near future machines will learn to write novels. “In the world of AI, we have missed the boat: technology has been created mainly in English, where Spanish has not been important but the use of these technologies is still very high in our language and we must demand that the level of interaction is equivalent to the importance of Spanish in the world.”
Friends.
been minimal. What has been revealed is that the man’s wife died in 1996. He pledged to her that he would not start a new life with another woman if she passed away. The stipulation in the will referred to a ‘second marriage’ and a lower A Coruña court found in his favour at a previous hearing. The matter was taken on appeal to the region’s Provincial Court by the dead woman’s relatives. The judges ruled that since he had been living with another woman ‘for years’ it was a de facto marriage, and therefore the conditions for getting the inheritance had been broken. Police reports were used to confirm that he was cohabiting at a single address. It’s not known how long his current relationship had been going on for.
A JUDGE has refused to rule on the custody of a tug of love dog involved in a bitter divorce dispute The Benidorm magistrate won’t grant an interim joint custody order for the Maltese named Bimba because changes to the Civil Code over animal welfare have not yet become law. The joint-owners separated in December 2019 but an initially amicable split ended up with the man being refused access to his beloved Bimba.
Good life.
Reset.
Comfort.
At Ocean Drive Port Portals we have our own star rating. Because, we like the stars of the Majorcan sky, the stars that form the lights of the harbour or the star service provided by each member of our team.
Music.
A hotel that maximises the destination to it's full potential, thanks to it's excellent location. It offers great local experiences at any moment. With art, design, relaxation and comfort. A hotel full of life.
Sunset.
Love
His solicitor filed a petition on the grounds that his client was suffering ‘serious non-financial damage, such is his love for Bimba’, and used the Civil Code as the basis for the legal action. But the judge ruled the new laws were not yet in force, so he could not make a ruling on interim joint custody. Bimba’s owners had agreed to an ‘out of court’ joint custody arrangement for their daughter. The dog would go along with the girl to stay with her father on his access days. But he was then told Bimba actually belonged to his ex-partner’s other daughter.