Olive Press Mallorca - Issue 145

SHAMBLES

Light at end of the tunnel

THE seven month nightmare being suffered by residents of Spain who hold UK driving licences might nearly be over, according to British ambassa dor Hugh Elliott.

The top diplomat has said that the ‘two outstanding complex issues’ that were still being negotiated between the two countries have been resolved. “We'll now take forward the remain ing steps including legal checks, se curing ministerial approval on both sides – which for Spain, is by the Consejo de Ministros, the Spanish Cabinet – and the necessary treaty processes and formal exchanges,” he added.

The ambassador was not, however, able to confirm how much longer the remaining steps would take.

A TEARFUL prosecutor is facing career ruin after he let 17 defen dants off in a dramatic courtroom fiasco.

In the latest sensational twist to the long running Cursach saga, prosecutor Tomas Herranz begged forgiveness and dropped all the lurid corruption charges against the nightclub impresario.

Cursach - known as the ‘King of the Night’ - has been completely exonerated along with 16 other defendants.

The defendants broke into a round of applause at Herranz’s mea culpa in one of the most baf fling of courtroom occurrences. An emotional and apparently

contrite Herranz admitted that the investi gation and trial

By Walter Finch

had been a ‘total abject failure of justice’ and that the charges had destroyed the reputations of the 17 defendants.

The failed case had centred around the Mallorcan nightlife tycoon, who went on to be the main investor in Mallorca Football Club, and his al leged five-year ‘collusion’ with local police and politicians to the benefit of his business interests.

Acquitted

Cursach and his right hand man, Bartolome Sbert, had already been acquitted in the case when the pros ecutor made his tearful admission.

Just months before, Herranz had led a fierce investigation into Cur sach and his alleged mafia racket that was said to have dominated the island through bribes, threats,

and a vast army of police, lawyers and politicians eating out of the king of the night’s pocket. But, appearing very much a bro ken man, Herranz recognised in court that the defendants had ‘suf fered an injustice’ and that drop ping the charges was the ‘least attempt to make amends for the damage caused.’

“Some might say that the fact that we ended with an acquittal is a failure of jus tice, but any way you look at it, this trial has been an unmitigated disaster,” the prosecutor said in a speech that lasted a breathtaking two hours.

He added that ‘nothing has been proven,’ and that the defendants ‘have not done anything criminal.’

He mentioned that one of the key witnesses in the trial, the owner of a rival night club which had allegedly been subject to 25 inspec tions in 12 days on the or ders of Cursach and Sbert,

had ‘whispered their version of events into the investigators’ ears’, who then ‘lost their senses.’

“The worst thing is that this was all continuously published [in the press] and nothing was done to prevent it, or even disencourage it,” he said.

Herranz railed against the use of protected witnesses, a bias against the defendants and ‘uncritical and irrational follow-up’, insisting that slander had been passed off as ev idence.

Accused

Along with Cursach, the trial had been investigating 22 others in cluding 14 police officers, two offi cials and one other official accused of a range of crimes from belong ing to a criminal organisation, prevarication (abuse of power) and threats.

Right hand man Sbert accepted the apology from the prosecution but emphasised the damage that the trial has done to the reputa tions of himself and Cursach.

“I have lived through terror. I had cameras put up in my house, because I was afraid that they would plant drugs into my garden. The terror, the fear, grief, unreason, hatred...all of that invades you and you stop being you.”

“I was about to commit sui cide. I had my hand on the railing of a bridge,” Sbert revealed.

A series of acquittals on the opening day of the trial brought the number down to 17.

Prosecutions were also dropped against six of the accused, including the di rector of Tito’s nightclub and a former director-gen eral of tourism at the Bale aric tourism ministry, Pilar Carbonell.

Sobbing prosecutor begs forgiveness and drops all corruption charges against Mallorca’s ‘king of the night’

MEA CULPA: Herranz shamed in court

TRAUMA: Cursach’s right-hand man, Sbert (left) opened up about his emotional turmoil during the investigation

Check out the ultimate rock legends that have rolled into Spain over the years

Closing down

THE much-loved Percay’s fashion store on Carrer Constitució hung up a ‘closing down’ sign this week. It will shut for good on January 15, after Aus trian investors bought up the entire building.

Rising Star

MALLORCAN actress Vicky Luengo has been nominated for a Goya award. Luengo is in the running for best lead ing actress for Catalan language film Suro.

HIV alert

BETWEEN 120,000 and 130,000 people live in Spain with HIV, and they don’t know it. The AIDSSEIMC Study Group (Ge SIDA) recently estimated that 3000 new infections occur each year.

Hiker mystery

A HIKER was reported missing on Monday after he phoned police to say he had fallen near Bunyola and needed help. Guardia Civil officers searched the area but could not find him.

Anger issues

VANDALS daubing graffiti on pro tected elements of the Serra de Tra muntana could be fined up to €1 million under plans for a new law.

The stiff penalties feature in a draft bill presented by the Mallorca coun cil on Wednesday in a bid to protect the area’s landscape.

Any graffiti on the facades of build

ings, facilities, monuments, rocks or cliffs will see offenders fined be tween €6,001 and €150,000. The fine catapults to potentially €1 million if historical heritage items are vandalised.

Anybody involved in any daubing will also have to pay for its resto ration to its previous state.

Justice for Carlo

A MAN, 20, has been sen tenced to seven years in prison for landing the fatal blow that eventually killed a Dutch tourist in Mallorca last year.

The Central Court of the Neth erlands found Sanil B guilty of manslaughter after the Dutch man kicked Carlo Heuvelman, 27, in the head during one of two brawls that broke out out side a nightclub in July last year.

Writings on the wall Medical Abuse

Images displayed in court showed a group of young men surrounding Heuvelman about

By Anthony Piovesan

2am on July 14 as they punched him in the face at the seaside re sort of El Arenal.

One of them punched him so hard he fell to the ground, where several men then kicked him, the images showed. It was difficult to clearly see

who kicked Heuvelman amid the chaos, but the court estab lished that the victim’s DNA on Sanil B’s shoe was enough evi dence to rule ‘with total certain ty’ that Sanil B did kick Heuvel man and contribute to his fatal injuries.

Heuvelman died four days later in hospital from his injuries. “You made a terrible mistake

Night raid

He was detained during a Guardia Civil sweep of night venues to stop drug dealing.

The arrested man had co caine, heroin, and hashish

in levels that greatly exceed ed amounts for personal consumption. A search of his premises dis covered an array of weap ons including pepper sprays and a baseball bat.

that night,” the judge told Sanil B. “You have engaged in unprecedented violent conduct. You and your accomplic es have irreparably damaged the lives of many.”

The first brawl start ed inside nightclub De Zaak, where Sanil B and his friends first

VICTIM: Heuvelman

got into an argument with Heu velman.

Later in the night a second fight between the same group and Heuvelman spilled out onto the street.

Violence

Seven other defendants were sentenced to lighter prison terms for their participation in the violence, and one other was acquitted.

A WOMAN headbutted her ex-boyfriend on a Palma street then prodded a screwdriver into his abdomen shouting that she was going to kill him.

The assault on Calle Gabriel Llabres in the Pere Garua dis trict was witnessed by their four-year-old daughter.

The victim suffered minor in juries to his face and neck. The woman, 29, was arrested but a judge released her and refused to grant a restraining order to her former partner.

They have shared custody of their child and Sunday’s attack happened when the child was being brought to her father’s home.

STAFF at a Palma health clinic shut up shop on Wednesday in protest after one of the doctors was punched in the face by a 63-year-old crazed husband of a patient who was armed with a 13cm knife.

Another worker and even pri vate security staff came under attack when they tried to inter vene.

For 15 minutes, all the staff gathered outside the clinic with ‘Stop Aggressions’ signs, de manding zero tolerance for the violence they are enduring ‘al most daily’.

A young man has been jailed for a brutal attack that led to the death of a Dutch tourist in Mallorca

A LLEVANT area night club owner has been ar rested for drug trafficking and possessing prohibited weapons.

Three-star success

TWO restaurants in Spain have been upgraded to a maximum ‘three star’ Michelin status in its 2023 guide for Spain and Portugal.

It means 13 eateries on the Iberian Peninsula now have the top Michelin accolade.

Cocina Hermanos Torres in Barcelona gets the top rating for what Michelin says is ‘firing the imagination with ev ery bite’.

Chefs Sergio and Javier Torres - who were recently named in the top 100

Winding down

WHILE many of his Manches ter City team mates are in Qa tar striving to win the football World Cup, star player Erling Haaland is winding down in Marbella.

The 22-year-old Norwegian in ternational - who was born in Leeds where his dad Alfie was a player - has a house in the Costa del Sol city and is taking advantage of the World Cup mid-season break to recharge his batteries there.

He has been spotted out and about enjoying some quality down time - although he would no doubt be much happier to be in Qatar himself.

His Norwegian team failed to reach the finals, with the Neth erlands and Turkey finishing ahead of the Scandinavians.

Best Chefs in the World - have created a ‘magical space’ in which the gastro nomic experience- using the very best seasonal produce - exceeds foodies’ expectations, turning it into a dining extravaganza.

The other new three-star entrant is Atrio in Caceres. Michelin says the ‘ul timate distinction’ goes to it because of its ‘elegant and delicate’ dishes prepared by chef Toño Perez who has ‘shaken up’ local gastronomic tradi tions.

It comes as a welcome boost to the restaurant after it lost €1.6 million worth of wines when thieves plundered its cellar last year.

Deesa (Madrid); Pepe Viera (Serpe, Pontevedra) and El Rincon de Juan Carlos (Tenerife) have all been upgrad ed to two stars.

On the road

Gordon Ramsay spotted filming latest series in Spain

GORDON Ramsay has been spotted filming in one of Mal aga’s more unusual restau rants.

The celebrity chef - who has had 17 Michelin Stars in his career - visited El Tintero to get a taste of a dif ferent way of doing things in the culinary world.

The chiringuito bar) is famous for not having a menu, but instead op erating on a first come first served basis.

Waiters come from the kitch en bringing plates of food and shout ing out what

A new ‘Blanksy’

ed over in drab grey.

The artwork ap peared to be a protest against Russia’s inva sion of Ukraine. It was an ad aptation of Banksy’s famous Girl with Bal

By Dilip Kuner

they have. The first customers to stick their hands up get to inspect the dish and decide if they want to buy it or not.

Ramsay was there to film his latest Road Trip show with pals Italian chef Gino D’Acampo and master maitre d’ Fred Sirieix.

This series is being shot entirely in Spain, and will explore local culture and gastronomy - particularly seafood.

This is not the first time Ramsay has visited the Costa del Sol. In 2014 he roped in Olive Press editor Jon Clarke to help review La Granada Divino in Gaucin, which was featured in the series Costa del Nightmares.

Amazing

Fashionable Sevilla

SEVILLA

TO GREY: From art to drab

loon series, which first cropped up in Lon don’s Waterloo in 2002 and was recreated in Bethlehem in 2006.

Locals have pointed the finger at the town mayor for ‘senselessly’ destroying the work of art.

“I love it down here. It’s amaz ing. And what a place Gaucin is!” said the Scottish chef.”

Ramsay also paid a visit to Fuengirola in an attempt to revive the Mayfair restaurant, which he changed to Jack’s Kitchen Shack.

Both restaurants have since closed.

The city provided the locations for a

of the flamen co-inspired Cruise 23 collection.

It is a double boost for the Andalucian capital, which was cho sen to launch the collection at a special fashion show in June.

For the campaign, photographer Laura Sciacovelli took inspi ration from classical art to frame models Chai Maximus, Maryel Uchida, Miriam Sanchez, Eden Joi, Raynara Negrine, Greta Bult mann, Freja Rothmann, and Yunseo Cho in a series of portraits.

Creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri was in spired by costumes associated with flamenco, bullfighting and equestrian arts.

CHOSEN DUO

THE European Space Agency has chosen two Spaniards for future space missions, which could include a voyage to Mars.

Pablo Alvarez, 34 and from Leon, has been chosen from the hopefuls by the ESA, as well as Sara Garcia, 33 and also from Leon, as a reserve.

This marks the first time in 30 years that a Spaniard has made the cut for a space mission.

The first and only Spanish astro naut until now was Pedro Duque, who was chosen in 1992.

He later went on to become a Science Minister in the Socialist Party government of Prime Min ister Pedro Sanchez.

A popular ‘Banksy’ artwork stencilled on an underpass near El Ingenio shopping centre in Torre del Mar has been paint

FADE

FAMOUS FACE: Ramsay on the Costa del Sol

has been given a world-wide publicity boost in the latest ad campaign by fashion house Dior.

photo shoot

Hero’s final act

A MAN bravely saved his girl friend before being swept away with his friend by a strong cur rent in the Lassarell torrent in Pollenca.

The bodies of Luis Paris Mu solas, 37, and Martin Prado Mestre, 27, were recovered at about 10pm on Monday.

Luis’s girlfriend, Marina Cuevas Jurada, 27, was airlifted to safe ty by a Guardia Civil helicopter. Posting on social media, Ma rina said: “It seems incred ible...a nightmare. Luis has saved me, pulling me out of a deadly waterfall and then throwing his backpack at me which had a phone where I could phone 112.”

A GIANT Christmas ball that was orig inally scheduled to be put up in the Plaça Garcia Orell has had to be relo cated because it is just too big. The sheer scale of the nine-metre, co lour-changing Christmas decoration took the town hall by surprise, who de cided to move it to Passeig Sagrera - to the disappointment of the locals.

Big Balls up

“When the sphere arrived and we saw the size of it, we realised that it would not fit into the square,” a spokesperson said.

“We thought it would look better and brighter in a more open space.”

RED FLAG

Fury and death threats for Catalan teacher who objected to Spain flag in her classroom

A TEACHER in Mallorca has been receiving death threats after she ordered a class of students to remove a Spain flag from the class room.

The youngsters, aged 16 to 17, had put the flag up to support the national foot ball team during the World Cup, but the Catalan teach er objected to its presence.

By Simon Hunter

The incident at La Salle school in Palma was sparked on Friday, before the class in question was due to receive a Catalan lesson.

Previously, the students had requested permission to put up a small Spain flag in support of the foot

ball team, which had been granted.

However, the Catalan teacher refused to teach her class while the flag was there, insisting that displaying such symbols was not permitted in the school.

Among supporters of Cat alan independence, the Spanish flag is an unwel the day, causing a storm of controversy among parents and in the press.

ISLAND OF LIFE Rights violated

A DAMNING report says that budget airline Ryanair violat ed the right to strike for its workers based at Palma airport. Ministry of Labour inspectors visited the airport three times and their report said they discovered ‘serious infringements’. They were acting on complaints filed by the USO union and the Ryanair Crew Association that cabin crews were being intimidated and sacked for striking.

The ministry said rights were broken by Ryanair in 40 cases of staff dismissals, where workers supported strike actions Staff were replaced with workers from other bases.

THE Balearic islands is the Spanish region with the highest life expectancy, according to a new report.

The annual report on ‘life expectancy in Spain’ released by the Ministry of Health analysed data from 2020. It found the Balearics had the highest life expectancy at birth of 83.8 years.

In the case of men, life expectancy was 81.37 years, and for women it rose to 86.29 years.

Behind the Balearics was the Basque Country, Navarre and Aragon, according to the report.

The Catalan teacher has re ceived death threats since the incident from elements of the far right, including being warned on social me dia that she should ‘check underneath your car every time you drive, there might be plastic explosives under neath it’, or calling her ‘to talitarian scum’.

Her name and photo have also been widely circulated.

Book now

RICHARD Branson’s new ho tel at a UNESCO World Her itage site in Mallorca is now accepting bookings.

Virgin Limited Edition, part of the British billionaire’s busi ness ventures, restored the 15th century Son Bunyola Estate fin ca into a luxury 28-room hotel resort.

New photos of the hotel, pro viding a sneak peek into the luxury suites, including two stunning showcase suites boasting 360-degree moun tain and sea views.

The hotel also offers two restaurants, including a tapas bar, lounges, several dining ter races and a spectacular swim ming pool.

Guests can stay from August 2023.

Polar blast

THE Balearics could see snow this weekend as an icy blast sweeps across the region. The cold front will smash mainland Spain in the next few days, bringing ‘unstable weather’ to the Balearic islands this weekend, including cloudy intervals and isolated showers.

The State Meteorological Agency in the Balearics (Ae met) deputy spokesperson Miquel Gili said maximum temperatures would be lower than usual for this time of year, and were not expected to ex ceed 14-16 degrees - the aver age is 17-18 degrees.

End the violence

CARLO Huevelman stood no chance against nine youths when they punched him and kicked him into the curb of the street. The Dutch tourist died from his injuries four days later - he was just 27 years old.

His attackers - all tourists from the Netherlands - were all under the age of 20.

It’s concerning that a group which was in Mallorca to enjoy a holiday, just suddenly became so enraged they all pounced on someone who barely had any defence against nine pairs of fists. Shocking images displayed in court showed the group punch Car lo in the face outside a nightclub in the early hours of July 14 last year.

One of the blows was so hard it sent Carlo to the ground. More images shown in court indicated that Carlo was then kicked in the head.

In a matter of seconds, the lives of ten young people had been damaged irreparably.

We all know that Mallorca is a holiday hotspot for drunken tour ists, but the booze-fuelled violence has gone on long enough and it’s time for the island’s notorious reputation to change.

Mockery of justice

ONE of the most astonishing things ever seen in a courtroom was a prosecutor breaking down in tears and begging forgiveness from the man he was trying to put away.

For a judicial case that stretched back years - actually decadesto come out with a performance lamenting the ‘failure of justice’ is simply unheard of.

Especially from prosecutor Tomas Herranz, who had previously accused Mallorca’s ‘king of the night’, Tolo Cursach, of being a corrupt mafia boss.

Quite a victory for a defendant who stood accused of no less than: drug trafficking, corruption of minors, belonging to a criminal or ganisation, bribery, extortion, threats, coercion, use of privileged information, money laundering, influence peddling, documentary falsification, illegal possession of weapons and crimes against the rights of workers among others.

But Herranz was adamant in his view of Cursach, his right hand man Bartolome Sbert and 15 others - ‘they have done nothing wrong’.

Absolutely baffling after one of the longest trials in Mallorca’s criminal history... The taxpayer will have the right to demand heads to roll and/or an immediate retrial.

It’s time Madrid stepped in and clarified this disgusting waste of public money.

THE KING AND I

By Simon Hunter

AS anyone watching the most re cent series of The Crown will have been reminded, Queen Elizabeth II famously suffered an annus hor ribilis in 1992 as scandal hit her family and there was a fire at Windsor Castle.

For Spain’s former king Juan Carlos I, 2022 has no doubt been proving to be a terrible year – but for him it’s just the latest in a long line.

Since 2020, Juan Carlos has been living in self-imposed exile in Abu Dhabi, after mounting allegations of financial irregu larities forced him to flee.

His son, King Felipe VI, wanted to get some distance between the Spanish roy al family’s past and present.

But rather than escaping the focus of the public – both in Spain and abroad – Juan Carlos has been a regular fixture in the headlines this year.

First, thanks to an HBO documentary ti tled Saving the King , which laid bare not just his financial dealings over the years but also his many affairs.

And now one of those ex-lovers, Dan ish-German businesswoman Corinna Larsen (who goes by her married name of Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn) is telling her version of their time together

in a kiss-and-tell podcast titled Corinna and the King . Here’s what you need to know about the latest in this ongoing roy al saga.

The revelations

The podcast, which was produced by bestselling authors Tom Wright and Brad ley Hope, is an eight-part series based on extensive interviews with Larsen, as well as journalists who followed the story over the years and other key figures. Episode one explains how the two met and their relationship began; episode two delves into Juan Carlos’s past; epi sode three examines the role of Queen Sofía, who is to this day still married to the self-styled emeritus king; and epi sode four covers the infamous hunting trip in Botswana that sparked a crisis in the royal family.

How they met

“It's a Shakespearean story about power, money, and sex,” explains Larsen in the first episode of the series, during which she tells the story of how the pair were at a hunting trip together at the Duke of Westminster’s property, La Garganta, in the Sierra More na mountains of Castilla-La Mancha and Cordoba, a favoutite hunting retreat of the princes William and Harry.

Tired after a long day, Larsen broke with pro tocol and asked for the king’s permission to leave.

“You're not supposed to retire to bed until the head of state leaves,” she explains. All eyes ended up on her, including the king’s.

How it started

Larsen explains how the king’s phone calls, first about business, became gradually

Expat Guide to voting in Spain’s 2023 elections

cal deal with Spain, such as the UK.

But in a change from the pre-Brexit era, UK nationals now have to go through a procedure to get onto the electoral roll every four years.

WHO WILL BE ABLE TO VOTE?

Spanish nationals, citizens of the European Union, and citizens of countries with a reciprocal agreement, namely: the United Kingdom, Norway, Bolivia, Cape Verde Islands, Colombia, South Korea, Chile, Ecuador, Iceland, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and New Zealand. IN ORDER TO VOTE YOU

Be of legal age (18 years and over) on the day of vot ing 4 Not be illegally in Spain 4 Not be deprived of the right to vote 4 Be a resident in Spain and registered on the padron at your local town hall

4 Have expressed the intention to vote and be registered on the local Electoral Census at the town hall.

ELECTORAL CENSUS REGISTRATION DEADLINES

The registration deadlines vary depending on whether you are an EU citizen or from a country with a reciprocal agree ment with Spain.

EU citizens can apply between December 1, 2022 and Jan

uary 30 2023. If you have previously voted in the same mu nicipality, your details should be registered already.

For non-EU citizens (such as those from the UK) there is an earlier application deadline of January 15, 2023. Unlike EU residents, you now have to register EVERY four years before voting in the municipal elections. Previous pre-Brexit regis tration does not count.

KEY POINT SUMMARY

4 If you come from a country that has a reciprocal agree ment – for example, the UK – you must register on the electoral roll at the town hall.

4 In order to exercise the right to vote you have to bring along your passport and residency document/TIE card to confirm you are living legally in Spain.

4 You will need to have held valid residency in Spain for three years at the time of application.

4 You must be registered on the padron of the municipal ity in which you reside.

4 Registration dates and times may vary: Check in ad vance at your local town hall.

In an eight-episode kissand-tell podcast series, Corinna Larsen, the exlover of Spain’s former king, reveals intimate details about their private life, his finances and marriage

more personal and more regular. “It was kind of surreal, because [a relation ship] hadn’t really crossed my mind. But he was very funny and sort of very persistent, but in a humorous way. He’s clearly known as one of the greatest seducers amongst royalty.”

When they share a meal together in a hunt ing lodge near the Zarzuela royal palace, he confesses that his marriage to Queen Sofía is just for show.

The anger of the queen

In episode three, Larsen tells the story of being given a private tour of the Zarzuela palace, having been promised that Sofía was not home.

“Suddenly, Queen Sofia burst into the room. And with a face like thunder,” she explains. “She pointed at me and said, ‘I know who you are!’”

The ‘court of miracles’

Larsen tells of the ‘unusual’ things in Juan Carlos’s life, what she calls the ‘court of mir acles’.

“I would see him coming back from trips and be happy as a five year old, and there’d be bags full of cash.”

Asked about them, the then-king would say: ‘Oh, this is from my friend so and so.’ “He’d say you are so dramatic, you don't under stand how Spain works. And no, clearly I didn't.”

The affairs

Larsen makes clear in the podcast that she demanded Juan Carlos be faithful to her, being aware of previous affairs he had such

as with Barbara Rey, an actress who later claimed she was receiving death threats af ter having broken up with the king.

But, Larsen explains, after the death of her father who she cared for in his dying days, the king had an unpleasant surprise for her: “The king somehow in a conversation men tioned something about me not having been available much during those eight months when my father was in his last stage of can cer. And then he’d been seeing someone else.”

The hunting trip

Then comes Larsen’s account of the infa mous 2012 hunting trip, news of which set Juan Carlos on the path to his 2014 abdi cation.

She and the king were both on the safari to gether, despite having broken up. According to Larsen, the king woke up one morning after a night of heavy drinking and realised he must have had a fall and said he would spend the day in bed.

His medical team, however, thought he had internal bleeding, and he was rushed back to Spain on Larsen’s chartered private jet. Despite the severity of the situation and his condition, the king requested a glass of wine.

Larsen tried to reason with him, but, she ex plains, “he was like, ‘I am the king. I can do whatever I want’. And it was like a petulant child.”

Fallout

The hunting trip alerted the press to the exis tence of Larsen in Juan Carlos’s life, and all hell broke loose – especially given the tough economic times Spaniards are suffering.

Larsen recounts the ‘complete fabrications’ about her in the press, and thinks she knows who is to blame.

“This has the fingerprints of Queen Sofia all over it,” she states, although as the podcast points out, there is no evidence to back up that claim.

Princess Di

In episode five of Corinna and the King, Larsen reveals how Juan Carlos instructed his friends to stage a ‘fake Christmas’ given that he could no longer stand his own family. She also details the threats she claims to have been subjected to by the Spanish secret services, including a book about the death of Princess Diana being left in her apartment.

What’s the damage?

While the podcast heaps yet more shame on the already disgraced emeritus king, the fact that it is available in Spanish and En glish, and has been widely covered in for eign publications such as The Times and The Daily Mail, also does Spain’s reputation few favours.

It paints a picture of an out-of-control mon arch, a press that is turning a blind eye to his antics, and state machinery that swings into action to protect him. And there is no doubt worse to come in the remaining episodes.

“It’s like Spain, oh it's such a nice coun try, go on holiday there, we’ll have some tapas, so fun... It's almost more dangerous because people are completely unaware,” says Corinna Whatever the case, its release is yet anoth er in a long line of embarrassments for the exiled emeritus king.

BEING SOCIABLE

AS the world moves on the Olive Press moves with it.

While proud of our quality print editionnow in five regions and having just won a Google award - we have not been one to rest on our laurels and were quick to notice the impor tance of social media.

With approaching 30,000 followers on Facebook and 9,600 more on Twit ter it’s clear more and more peo ple have been turning to these Olive Press platforms to find trusted news.

Businesses and organisations have also cottoned on to its far reach and have been eager to get on board.

This includes Gibraltar University that has been using our Facebook site to attract new stu dents, knowing we have a wide and young audience on the costas.

Linea Directa has also recognised its reach and effectiveness and conduct ed a campaign solely online, while nu merous other big financial companies have booked sponsored posts.

But the power of social media is best underlined when we team up with businesses for local com petitions.

In the past we offered a two-night stay with sup per at the five-star hotel Kempinsky hotel in Es tepona and the post reached a massive 29,000 people on Facebook - and garnered 982 ‘likes’. The bosses of the hotel were even more delight ed with the 9,000 hits it got online, as well as the incredible 4000-plus entrants for the com petition.

A similar prize with a hotel in Casares got ‘more bookings than an article in the Times’... worth ‘over €10,000’ for the price of a few sponsored posts.

Winning combination

We recognize the power of social media - but also know that it works best with print media in all its guises.

For this reason we have a range of different and highly flexible marketing strategies that can be combined on various platforms for businesses to get a higher profile.

With a website that attracts tens of thousands of unique visitors a day, many thousands of social media followers a week and Spain’s best English language printed newspaper every fortnight, we have a winning platform for your business.

Get in touch at sales@theolivepress.es or call 951 273 575 to see what we can do for you.

PLAYERS: Queen Sofia was furious when she encountered Larsen at the Zarzuela palace

SCANDAL: The king’s hunting trip led to the exposure of his affair with Larsen

Flood alert

Valencia and Sevilla in top three danger zones

WHILE Spain is frequent ly wracked with fires and droughts, there is a third horse man of the apocalypse that stalks the country: flooding.

With climate change, the risk of flooding is increasing and the cost of property damage is also soaring.

Two people are already known to have died in 2022, including a policeman trying to rescue a trapped motorist in Alicante.

In Murcia one man drowned when he was swept from his home by water as he slept on a sofa.

The regions of Spain most at risk of flooding and most sus ceptible to flood damage have been documented in a new re port, with Valencia and Sevilla coming in the top three, just behind Barcelona in first place.

Risk

The report, from Gamma Lo cation Intelligence, combines the risk of flooding with the po tential damage to property that would be suffered to determine which provinces have the most properties at risk and an esti mated cost of flooding.

It is the Mediterranean coast that presents the biggest risk of suffering massive damage.

It is estimated that on average some €17,531,757 of damage to property in the province of Bar celona is caused by floods each year.

Valencian home owners have reason to worry with an average €13,878,134 worth of damage

By Walter Finch

caused annually.

This figure is €12,473,571 in Sevilla and €6,686,007 in Ali cante.

Overall, Spain can expect an av erage annual loss from flooding of nearly €200 million, Canary Islands excluded.

QUACKING NEWS

The bird is considered the most threatened duck species in the whole of Europe.

To reverse the risk of extinction, the LIFE Cerceta Pardilla project has undertaken a series of ac tions to reinforce its popula tions, including the release of captive-bred specimens.

This year some 146 chicks have hatched and are being released in different wetlands throughout Andalucia.

Look at what is going on in Africa and Germany

GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS

AFRICA has vast gas reserves. As many countries in the African continent now look to exploit the value of this resource, Euro pean super powers are actually encouraging, supporting, and financing this ‘Dash for Gas’.

As the scramble for gas reaches dizzying heights, due largely to Russia’s atrocious attack on Ukraine, the very important fight to control rising temperatures across the world takes a back seat again.

I fully understand the African countries point of view. Western countries benefitted and pros pered from exploiting dirtier fossil fuels.

Why shouldn’t African countries reap the re wards of exploiting cleaner natural gas?

Everyone knows the answer….to save the envi ronment. Fossil fuels need to be phased out and left in the ground. Africa’s backyard should not become Europe’s forecourt. The ever powerful cabal of fossil fuel companies

along with corrupt elites of Africa have another agenda.

The effects of global warming have been devas tating in parts of Africa, yet still greed triumphs over commonsense.

The developed world has to stand up and fi nance a move to renewables to support emerg ing nations.

There are better ways to reduce poverty and power Africa.

It is hard to argue the case for gas to stay in the ground when many European countries are returning to coal powered electricity production.

GERMANY ENDS RELIANCE ON RUSSIAN GAS

When the lunatic Putin switched off the gas tap to Europe, Germany faced a winter of dis content. Power cuts, industrial decimation and economic disaster loomed.

But now Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz (left) has declared that ‘energy security for this winter is guaranteed’.

Germany’s gas stores are full thanks to frantic and expensive buying in the world markets.

Good news for Germany, bad news for poorer countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh, who lack the finances to compete in an overheated market.

Germany’s call to action has been fast and im pressive, even by German standards.

A new floating storage and regasification termi nal has become operational in 200 days.

Bureaucracy - the ‘condom on the prick of prog ress’ - was removed. And five more storage facil

ities will become operational next year. It proves that where there is a will there’s a way.

COP 27

I would dearly like to report bundles of good news about the outcome of this years United Nations Conference of Parties (COP). Sadly, the bad news is there’s little good news.

• No reference at all to phasing out fossil fuels.

• Rich countries once again pledged to pay poorer countries for the damage and eco nomic losses caused by climate change…30 years on from huge climate impacts.

• Lots of powerful political rhetoric.

• Talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words.

Martin Tye is the owner of energy switch company Mariposa Energy.

ENVIRONMENTAL officials in Andalucia have released 25 rare marbled ducks into the wild at the Desembocadura del Guadalhorce Natural Park, in Malaga.

LEAVE: fossil fuels in the ground

Green Matters By Martin Tye

OLAF SCHOLZ: says energy supplies are secure

AT RISK: map shows the areas most in danger

Roman necropolis

A REMARKABLY well-main tained Roman necropolis, dating back to the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, has been un earthed in southern Spain.

The discovery, located on the construction site of the fu ture Dry Port of Antequera, has been recently announced by the Mayor of Antequera, Manuel Baron, the munic ipal delegate for Heritage, Ana Cebrián, and the director of the Antequera Museum, Manuel Romero.

The burial mound includes both cremations and inhuma tions, 24 and 30 respectively.

BIG BEAST

WRITE LIKE AN EGYPTIAN

Ancient Egypt comes back to life with new exhibition in Palma de Mallorca

By Walter Finch

winter period.

‘Treasures of Egypt, it is timed to celebrate two cru cial dates in the development of Egyptology: the 200th an niversary of the decipherment of the hieroglyphic language thanks to the Rosetta Stone, and the 100th anniversary of the discovery of the tomb of

Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Featuring Fundación Sophia’s collection of Egyptian art re productions, it includes several recreations and dioramas of Egyptian tombs, videos, work shops and guided tours for schools and groups interested in this fascinating civilisation. Among the pieces to be high

SCIENTISTS have identified fossil remains dating back 70 million years as belonging to the largest-ever turtle recorded in Europe. A set of bones were found by a hiker in the Pyrenees.

Palaeontologists have confirmed they are from a ‘beast’ of a turtle roughly the size of a Volkswagen Beetle car.

The experts discovered the giant creature’s pelvis, along with the back section of its shell.

More bones will need to be found before

further details about the turtle can be con firmed, including a more accurate estimate of its size.

lighted are the reproductions of Tutankhamun’s throne, sar cophagus and funerary mask, the Seated Scribe and a lifesize reproduction of the Roset ta Stone, which, like the rest of the collection, were made by cultur al volunteers at the Fundación Sophia’s fine arts workshop in Palma.

There will also be a space for chil dren to write their name in hieroglyphics, while adults will be able to deepen their knowledge with the exhibi

tion’s information panels, lec tures, guided tours with the curator of the exhibition and various specialised workshops that have been organised around this exhibition.

It is being held at the Centre for History and Military Culture of the Balearic Is lands on Calle San Miguel 69 and runs until 7 Jan uary 2023, Mon day to Friday from 10:30am to 1:30pm and from 6 to 8pm, and on Saturdays from 10:30am to 2pm.

Digging for truth

THE bones of a 15th cen tury cleric from Galicia have been exhumed in a bid to prove that Chris topher Columbus was not Italian but in fact Span ish.

It is widely believed that he was born in Genoa in 145. But alternative the ories about his birthplace include Valencia, Espino sa de Henares, Galicia and Mallorca.

Origin

Now the proponents of a Galician origin for the explorer have opened the tomb of Johan Marinho de Soutomaior, a noble man and archdeacon who, according to the Galician Columbus camp, may have been the navigator’s cousin.

DNA will be extracted and then compared with samples from the remains of Columbus, his son Fer nando and his broth er Diego, to see if he has close ties to the re gion.

Fantastic house situated on a plot of approx 862m2, a constructed area of approx 480m2 and is distributed over 2 floors and a basement.

The living area is approx 200m2 and the different levels can be accessed via a lift. On the first floor is the living-dining room with open kitchen, from which we have access to the terrace and the pool.

There is also a double bedroom with bathroom en suite, dressing room and a guest bathroom.

The stairs or lift lead to the lower level where there are three double bedrooms, all with bathrooms en suite, one of them with dressing room. Finally there is the basement with a double garage, the laundry room and a utility room.

THE GOLDEN THRONE: A seat fit for King Tut’s butt

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El rock and roll

The

However,

WHAT a bonus it would have been to stroll into Madrid’s Retiro Park and catch sight of a linen-clad Mick Jagger posing in true guiri style in front of the fallen angel statue.

The 78-year-old has not been shy about espousing his love of every thing Castilian on social media, even posing for a snap in front of Picasso’s Guernica earlier this year during the Rolling Stones’ recent European tour.

They had chosen Madrid as the opener for a tour 10 countries in celebration of the band’s 60th an niversary.

Some 53,000 people flocked to

THE BEATLES

As an attendee recounted: “Being gen erous, the capacity was at 50% and there were at most 100 people, 50 or 60 of whom were US Marines. It so happens that in those days the American fleet in the Mediterranean was making landfall in Palma de Mallorca.”

Oddly enough, one of the few attendees at the 1968 gig was footballing legend George Best.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience, who played the concert for free, remained for several days in Mallorca and frequented the Plaza Gomila, also finding time for go-kart races, bullfights –and beach visits, naturally.

IN

Their A

IN

THE Beatles came to Barcelo na in July 1965 as part of the band’s first ever vis it to Spain, and stayed at El Avenida Palace hotel where they had access to a special fire exit so as to avoid the main entrance, which was swarmed by fans, leaving traffic gridlocked.

John Lennon allegedly had to exchange his trousers with hotel proprietor Joan Gaspar before the start of the show because his own had been too crumpled and mauled by overly-zealous fans.

The first was at Sarria Stadium Barce lona, and the second took place the following day at the Estadio Vicen te Calderon in Madrid.

The band was mired in internal disputes at the time. Roger Waters had left the band in 1985 and threat ened Gilmour and Mason with legal action if they continued to promote any shows under the Pink Floyd name.

Despite the behind the scenes drama, the gigs were a success. Gilmour lat er included the Barcelona gig among the his top five performances with the

band.

Pink

Spain has been jam-packed with international superstars entertaining enthusiastic crowds this year, but the rock and roll legends have been coming for decades. We cast an eye over the lineup

IN 1988, Michael Jackson came to Marbella on his Bad World tour and played to 30,000 fans.

show received many plaudits with the singer making use of a crane to fly over the crowd during his classic Beat It number.

Jackson’s behind-the-scenes requests created more column inches. Chief among them were his de mand for all the plants in his room to be plastic so as not to ‘deprive him of oxygen’, and the accommodation needs of his 150-strong en tourage.

May 2016, over 200,000 people watched Coldplay at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis in Barcelona over two nights on what would become one of the highest grossing tours in history.

Head Full of Dreams tour was at tended by over five million people in total.

ARATHER more intimate gig took place in Mallorca at Sergeant Pepper’s club in Palma featuring a relatively unknown Jimi Hendrix.

July 1988, Pink Floyd embarked on their first full tour since 1977 and played their first ever gigs in Spain.

the Wanda Metropolitano stadium for the special event, but Spain has quite a history of hosting the biggest names in music.

JIMI HENDRIX

MICK JAGGER

MICHAEL JACKSON

PINK FLOYD

COLDPLAY

DAVID Bowie’s infamous 1987 Glass Spider tour was described as hav ing the largest touring stage set in history. It was Bowie’s first time perform ing in Spain, and he played at the Vicente Calderon Stadium,

supported by The Stranglers. While the tour was panned as overblown and pretentious, it has been credited with paving the way for the integration of music and theatrics that has defined popular music tours ever since.

DAVID BOWIE & THE STRANGLERS

Floyd’s A Momentary Lapse of Rea son tour made $60 million (equal to the combined total made by U2 and Michael Jackson on their tours that year) and be came the highest-grossing tour of the 1980s.

CHEAP AS CHIPS

Granada named as cheapest destination in Europe

FOR those who are struggling to figure out how they can still squeeze in that dash to New York or Bali to hard-pressed budgets, it may be time to look at some budget options.

A new survey has revealed the cheapest travel destinations in Europe, and Andalucia comes out of it exceedingly well.

Travel website Omio has branded Granada as the cheapest holiday destination in Europe for its range of free

activities, cheap sightseeing tours from €6 The city’s most famous landmark, the Alham

Foodies delight

FOOD lovers in the Bale aric Islands have been spoiled by the latest Mi chelin Guide for Spain, with two restaurants gain ing Michelin stars - one in Ibiza and another in Mallorca.

Fusion19, which can be found on one of the main promenades of Muro, is headed up by a well-travelled young chef Javier Hoebeeck, who directs the fusion of Mallorcan, Mediterra nean cuisine with influences from Asia and Latin America from an open kitchen.

A short hop across the Balearic Sea, inside the luxury Hotel Bless Ibiza, you will find Paco Budia’s Etxeko Ibiza, a disciple of Basque masterchef Martín Berasategui. Offering two tasting menus (Short and Long), Budia brings the textures and presentations of Basque cuisine to the Balearics.

bra, is free to enter, although you do have to pay to see its most famous Nasrid palaces and Generalife.

The Andalucian city has dozens of free activities – 112 to be exact. That in cludes 10 free museums.

An evening out in the city is a bargain, with 86 bars and nightclubs where beer costs just over €2.

The study also found that Granada has 1,011 free Wifi spots and 143 public drink ing fountains.

A regular bus ticket is one of the cheapest in Europe at €1.40 and acquiring a travel card reduces the cost to €0.83.

The rankings threw up a few surprises, with tour ism-heavy Bruges com ing in second, but Sevil la and Malaga ranked eighth and ninth respec tively and Barcelona in eleventh place.

What to see in Granada

The Alhambra palace complex is Granada’s crowning attrac tion.

The spectacular Moorish for tress was originally built as a walled citadel and then be came the luxurious residence of the Nasrid emirs.

You can spend several hours marvelling at the opulent Is lamic decoration and ornate horseshoe arches of the Nasrid Palaces, as well as the explo sion of colour in the flower-filled garden of Generalife - the sul tans’ summer residence.

Another of Granada’s most important historic attractions is the Cathedral, an imposing structure of Gothic, Renais sance and Baroque architec ture that took over 180 years to construct.

It remains unfinished as two towers were originally planned for the facade, only one of which has been half-built.

In the evening, take a stroll around the Albaicín neighbour hood, the oldest in Granada.

A labyrinth of winding streets is lined with white-washed houses and the hilly area af fords magnificent views of the Alhambra.

This area is a great place to stop in at a few inexpensive tapas bars for low-cost drinks and free food.

By Walter Finch

GOOD DEAL: Granada’s top attraction the Alhambra

GBP/EUR exchange rate fluctuates as UK unveils Autumn Statement

THE pound euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate has continued to trade erratically over the past couple of weeks. During this time, we have seen GBP/EUR trade in a range between €1.16 and €1.13.

WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING?

Trade in the pound euro exchange rate remained choppy over the past fortnight, with the pairing initially fluctuating in re sponse to some mixed UK data releases and the publication of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s long-awaited Autumn Statement. While Hunt’s tax and spending plans appeared to receive tacit approval from bond markets, his confirmation that the UK is in a recession spooked GBP investors Sterling then began to grind higher following the release of some upbeat UK retail sales figures, which coincided with posi tive UK economic developments as UK mortgage rates fell and two workers’ unions suspended strike action.

This uptick in GBP exchange rates then accelerated sharply after the Supreme Court ruled that the Scottish government can’t legally hold a second independence referendum without approval from Westminster.

Meanwhile, the euro faced a major setback in mid-November following the news a stray missile had killed two people in in eastern Poland. While cooler heads prevailed and an escala tion between Russia and NATO was avoided, EUR investors raised concerns that the conflict in Ukraine – which has al ready wrought untold damage to the Eurozone economy - is spilling over into the rest of Europe.

Concerns over the war in Ukraine left the euro vulnerable to the pound’s advance over the past week. Although hawkish signals from the European Central Bank (ECB) helped to cush ion the single currency’s losses somewhat.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR?

Looking ahead, with the UK data calendar looking sparse, any movement in the pound is likely to be linked directly to UK economic and po

fine move

BARCELONA-based SA Damm, which produces the Estrella Damm brand of beers, has bought its first UK brewery. The firm will take over the Ea gle Brewery in Bedford after strik ing a deal with current owners Carlsberg Marston.

The transfer is expected to be completed by the end of the year. It will be SA Damm’s sec ond brewery outside of Spain.

SA Damm’s executive president Demetrio Carceller Arce said: “This deal will strengthen our position in the UK market and help drive our brand in the UK, a key market for the company’s international growth.”

Estrella Damm beer is currently sold in over 10,000 British bars and restaurants.

Friendly Fire

Struggling Cadiz shipyard wins contract to help build new generation of British warships

A NEW fleet of warships for the British Royal Navy will be partly constructed at the shipyards in Cadiz.

Navantia UK, the British subsidiary of the Spanish public company Navantia, was part of a consortium of shipbuilders which won the coveted £1.6billion (€1.8bil lion) contract to build three crucial support ships for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA).

The Spanish company, along with British partners BMT and Harland&Wolfknown as ‘Team Resolute’will manufacture the future Fleet Solid Support (FSS)

OP Puzzle solutions

Quick Crossword

Across: 1 Sceptre, 5 Swede, 9 Motorize, 10 Else, 11 True, 12 Artery, 13 Comet, 15 Mat, 16 Abe, 17 Ionic, 18 Manual, 20 Claw, 23 Turf, 24 Overseer, 25 Pests, 26 Cheddar

Down: 2 Choir, 3 Protect, 4 Rain, 6 Wheat, 7 Deserve, 8 Megaton, 14 Mailbox, 15 Measure, 16 Accused, 19 Unfit, 21 Arena, 22 Mesh

By Walter Finch

ships, designed to provide munitions, stores and pro visions to the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers, destroyers and frigates while deployed at sea.

Most of the shipbuilding will take place in the same shipyards that produced the Titanic in Belfast, where the three 216-metre-long ships will also be assembled.

But vital components will be built at the Puerto Real shipyard in Cadiz, which has not heard the hiss of a weld

er’s blow torch in almost two years.

Although built to British de signs by BMT, Navantia will bring its program manage ment expertise and transfer some of its skills and tech nology from designing frig ates and submarines for the Spanish navy.

British Defence Minister Ben Wallace said Navantia would ‘bolster technology transfer and key skills from a world-renowned ship builder, crucial in the mod ernisation of British ship yards’.

Backlash

Despite being slated to cre ate 1,200 new jobs in Brit ish shipyards, together with another 800 indirect jobs, there has been a predictable backlash within the UK at the government awarding a contract to a foreign ship yard.

Shadow defence minister, Labour’s John Healey called the decision ‘a betrayal of British jobs and British business’.

litical headlines.

This could see Sterling face an uphill battle as we enter De cember as the outlook for the UK economy grows increasingly bleak. Any news about more businesses in distress could pile more pressure on GBP exchange rates.

In terms of data, the primary focus for EUR investors is likely to be on the Eurozone’s latest CPI release.

November’s inflation release will be key in gauging how ag gressively the ECB is likely to raise interest rates in December.

An above forecast print could stoke expectations for another 75bps increase and bolster the euro in the process.

Otherwise it’s likely the single currency will remain highly sensitive to Ukraine developments, with EUR exchange rates potentially falling if there are signs that the conflict could be escalating further.

PROTECTING AGAINST VOLATILITY

This kind of volatility can cause some nasty surprises if you need to transfer money overseas. On a £200,000 transfer, that three-cent gap between €1.16 and €1.13 translates to a €6,000 difference. And the larger the sum, the higher the discrepancy.

Fortunately, there are ways that you can protect against vola tility.

Specialist currency brokers, such as Currencies Direct, offer different tools to help you navigate the ups and downs of the currency market.

For instance, you can use a forward contract to secure an ex change rate for up to a year. This way, you won’t lose out if the market moves against you.

Services like rate alerts and daily updates make it easy to keep track of what’s going on in the forex world so that you can make informed decisions. And with Currencies Direct you’ll have a dedicated account manager there to provide guidance and support whenever you need them.

At Currencies Direct we’re here to talk currency whenever you need us, so get in touch if you want to know more about the latest news or how it could impact your currency transfers. Since 1996 we’ve helped more than 325,000 customers with their currency transfers, just pop into your local Currencies Di rect branch or give us a call to find out more.

THE sperm concentration of European men has halved in just 50 years, according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of Murcia (UMU) participated in a global study which analysed the sperm of men from 53 coun tries around the world during seven years and concluded that there was a decline in

Sperm crisis

sperm count in men on all continents, and the problem had ‘accelerated’ since 2000. Researchers said this was caused by degra dation of the environment and a stressful pace of living.

Patient patients

Shorter hospital waiting times but pandemic still bites

THE average waiting time for a hospital operation in Spain is 113 days according to the latest Ministry of Health figures. Its twice-yearly report shows an improvement of 10 days com pared to June and 57 days less than during the Covid pandem ic in June 2020.

The average wait to see a spe cialist stands at 79 days- 10 days less than December 2021.

Breaking it down to disci plines, the highest number of

By Alex Trelinski

people(187,404) are waiting to see a trauma surgeon, but the longest delays are 226 days for plastic surgery.

Sergio García Vicente, from the Health Economists Associa tion, believes that waiting times are still being impacted by the pandemic.

He told the El Pais newspaper: “This created a traffic jam that

SPANISH hospitals are experiencing an un expected spike in bronchiolitis cases among children.

The early symptoms of the infection - caused by the respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV)are similar to a cold, but can cause difficulty breathing, difficulty eating, wheezing and irri tability.

During the week ending November 13 there were 76 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, but the worst affected group by age was children

still has repercussions like for ophthalmology where there are almost 160,000 patients wait ing to be seen.

“Many people stayed away be

Virus spreading

aged four and under, for which the figure was 12 times higher than the rest of the population.

Experts believe that the virus is now spreading widely after it was suppressed by Covid pandemic protection measures such as facemasks and lockdowns.

cause of Covid in 2020 and are entering waiting lists now,” he added.

The Federation of Associations for the Defense of Public Health described the new figures as ‘'intolerable’. It said delays in diagnostic and pre-surgical tests are making the situation worse.

Figures vary dramatically be tween the regions as surgical waiting lists reach 151 days in Aragon compared to just 64 in the Basque Country.

People in Andalucia have the longest wait to see a specialist (107 days) as opposed to just 50 days in the Balearic Islands.

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FINAL WORDS

Sweet surprise

A ROJALES man, 19, has been arrested for selling drugs in sweet wrappers outside a Guardamar school. The teenager tried to run away but was caught by Guardia Civil officers.

Grave affair

THE Department of Health and Ed ucation surveyed 267,000 students in Catalunya between ages 9-18 and found that 8.8% expressed daily desires to die.

Happy meal

TWO men enjoyed a €1,080 slap-up meal at a Maritim district restaurant in Valencia but refused to pay what they owed. They offered just €400 before police came and arrested them for fraud.

Manolo no go

Drum beating face of Spanish football stuck at home

HE’S been Spain’s most fa mous football supporter for more than 40 years, but it looks like Manolo ‘el del bom bo’ won’t be going to the Qa tar World Cup to noisily cheer on his favourite team.

Manuel Caceres Artesero, to give him his real name, is ‘the one with the drum’: the be ret-wearing former bar own

By Simon Hunter

er who has been a pitchside fixture at Spain games for 44 years, and is known for his distinctive beret and large drum (pictured) that he bangs with great enthusiasm to the delight of other fans. Manolo was due to travel to

Catch the pigeon

TWO men have been arrested for stealing 120 racing pigeons worth €100,000 from a Benidorm pigeon club.

The Policia Nacional said the pigeon rustlers - Spaniards aged 20 and 32struck twice in 10 days.

Plain-clothed officers caught the men red-handed walking down an Alicante street with boxes containing some of the pigeons stolen just hours earlier.

Some 74 pigeons were recovered within two

bought him his plane tickets and he’d even purchased a new drum. But then tragedy struck.

‘I’m very sad because I had ev erything sorted out and two days before I left they told me that I have to have a hotel booked,’ he said. At previous tournaments the federation has paid for his accommodation.

Stuck

But for Manolo, all might not be lost.

The Federation has told him that if Spain gets to the semi final of the tournament, they will give him tickets and also pay for his hotel.

HAVING a cuddly guin ea pig, hamster or even rabbit as a pet could land owners with a €10,000 fine if proposals in a new Animal Welfare Law are enacted.

Numerous popular pets face a ban under the reg ulations which aim to protect native flora and fauna.

The new Animal Welfare Law, which is due to come into force by the end of the year, expands the list of prohibited pets to include quite a few furry friends that, for generations, have been common family ad ditions.

Hefty

The proposed list includes rabbits, guinea pigs, ham sters, mice and parakeets, amongst many others, but it needs to be ratified.

It has not been made clear whether people will be al lowed to keep existing pets or face a fine for hanging on to them. Penalties for a ‘minor infraction of the law’ vary between €500 and €10,000.

days as investigations continue to find the remainder of the stolen birds - unless they find their own way home.

Doha to see Spain’s bid to win the World Cup. The Span ish Football Federation had