POLICE are investigating if a man arrested during a mammoth anti-cocaine operation laundered cash through Real Aviles football club.
Officers claim that Carlos Cortes known as El Charly met with the current president of the Asturian team, Diego Baeza multiple times and are suspicious that it was ‘a possible money laundering operation’. The president of Real Avilés , who has
THE anti-tourism movement which began in Mallorca is rapidly spreading to all four corners of Spain, including Tenerife and Malaga.
It all began in 2017 when the Balearic anarchist group Arran shocked diners at the Mar de Nudos restaurant in Palma.
They held banners and flares and showered tourists and foreigners - as well as locals - with confetti.
The group, which claimed to be 500 members strong, blamed foreign visitors for causing ‘contamination and destruction.’
And they told the Olive Press they had a ‘whole summer’ of disruptions planned.
Over the years the movement has grown and spread to Ibiza, Barcelona, Sevilla, Tenerife, the Canary Islands
By Laurence Dollimoreand this month, finally, to the Costa del Sol.
It comes after Mallorca made headlines last summer for putting up fake signs that were designed to steer tourists away from popular beaches and hiking routes.
The signs told tourists in English that a beach or cove was closed, while small print in Catalan revealed it was just a trick to keep them at bay.
Now tourist bosses and businesses in Palma must be bracing for more as the season kicks off officially with Semana Santa (Easter) next week.
Many locals in cities across Spain are blaming the tourism industry for pushing up rental prices and causing pollu-
The latest movement, in Malaga, is allegedly being spearheaded by local Daniel Romero, who was kicked out of his home of 10 years as it was being turned into a tourist rental.
The owner of the Drunk-o-Rama bar is now selling a series of offensive anti-tourism stick-
ers, with buyers in Ibiza and Mallorca already vowing to spread them far and wide. He has been joined by other grassroots groups, including the ‘Guiris go home’ movement, which also operates in the Balearics.
Guiri can be an offensive term for an expat or foreigner, depending on the context.
The crude stickers have also been seen on car park machines, outside Airbnbs and on beach walkways.
Meanwhile other stickers have been created that are a play on the phrase AT - Apartamento Turistico.
The blue square containing the ‘AT’ logo was changed to include many rude phrases including ‘whore’ and ‘arse’.
One reads: ‘AT - Antes de todo, eso era el centro’ (before everything, this was the centre). tion.
Another says: ‘AT - Antes una familia vivia aqui’, meaning ‘before, a family lived here.’
The rudest read: ‘AT - A tu puta casa (go to your f*****g home)’ and ‘AT - A tomar por culo de aqui’, which more or less means ‘get the f**k out of here.’
The most poignant states simply: “ATAntes esa era mi casa (before, this was my home)’.
See Tourism wars and Opinion on page 6
A 69-year-old man has died after he was crushed by his own car in Algaida while doing repairs. Emergency services attended the scene but could only declare the man dead.
A FATHER and son were rescued after becoming trapped on the mountainside at Pas de ses Piquetes. Soller firefighters had to call in a helicopter to save them.
YACHT crews sailing in Palma have been warned about killer whale attacks. The group of 15 orcas have launched assaults against many boats, at least four of which sank.
CALA del Moro has been named Spain’s fourth most Instagrammable beach in a recent poll. The turquoise waters, pine trees and limestone cliffs attract visitors from all over the world.
A CRUISE ship entertainer has been arrested for raping a British tourist..
The woman, 33, complained to the MSC Fantasia’s captain and the alleged attacker was detained by the vessel’s security team.
When the ship docked in Palma after
travelling from Naples’ Guardia Civil officers arrested the suspect - a Kenyan national.
A DUTCH court has acquitted Sanil B for his role in the death of Carlo Heuvelman, 27, who died in a nightclub brawl in Mallorca in 2021.
Sanil B, 22, had been convicted of manslaughter by the Central Court of the Netherlands in 2022 after a judge determined he landed the fatal blow that killed the Dutch tourist.
However, the man, alongside seven other defendants who had been convicted for their role in the violence, has had his verdict quashed by a court in
Arnhem-Leeuwarden after they lodged an appeal.
Waddinxveen-born Heuvelman died after a fight broke out in the early hours of July 14, 2021, in the seaside resort of El Arenal, near Palma.
The brawl began inside the De
Zaak nightclub after Sanil B and his friends got into an argument with
Heuvelman.
The man, 27, appeared in court on Sunday and took advantage of his legal right not to say anything and was bailed.
The 33-year-old Brit said that she and the alleged assailant had been dancing together one evening before he forced her to have sex.
The skirmish spilled out onto the street, with images displayed in court showing a group of young men surrounding the Dutchman at 2am.
One of the men punched Heu-
IRISH police have recommended that mafia boss Daniel Kinahan be charged with the 2016 gangland murder of the brother of rival crime lord Gerry ‘the Monk’ Hutch. Kinahan, 46, is accused of orchestrating the 2016 assassination of Eddie Hutch as part of a brutal gang war between Irish mafia clans that traces its origins to the Costa del Sol.
He is one of 10 suspects the Gardai have recommended be charged with a number of offences.
Kinahan fled to Dubai in 2016 after Span-
ish authorities clamped down on his gang’s activities in Marbella.
The gang war was sparked by the murder of Garry Hutch on September 24, 2015, at the Miraflores complex near Marbella after a reported falling out.
A series of tit-for-tat murders between Spain and Ireland followed, until Eddie Hutch, a 58-year-old taxi driver and father of five - who was not thought to be involved in crime - was gunned down outside his residence in Dublin's Ballybough area.
velman so hard that he fell to the ground, before several of the group kicked him in the head.
Heuvelman, who had been holidaying with his girlfriend Lisa, succumbed to his injuries four days later.
The court originally established that the victim’s DNA on Sanil B’s shoe was sufficient evidence to rule ‘with total certainty’ that he contributed to Huevelman’s fatal injuries, with the judge handing out a seven-year prison sentence for manslaughter.
However, the judge overseeing the appeals process determined that the trace of DNA combined with witness statements was not sufficient to conclude without doubt that Sanil B contributed to Huevelman’s death.
The verdict means nobody has been convicted in connection with the 27-year old’s death.
A MENTALLY-ill British dual-national has been jailed for 10 years after stabbing a six-year-old boy outside the British International Hastings School in Madrid.
The assault happened in December 2021 when the boy was returning to the school in the Chamartin area of the capital after a PE lesson. The victim was said to be lucky to have survived the attack by Albal Z, who was born in Kosovo but also has British nationality. He suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and on the day of the assault, he lost his perception of reality and had a serious decrease in his cognitive ability, a court heard.
A DRUNK driver caught the attention of Palma’s Policia Local after driving at just 30 km/h in the middle lane of the Via de Cintura.
The man’s low speed was a danger to other motorists as they were forced to overtake him.
A police patrol flagged him off the highway and the driver appeared to be clearly intoxicated which was confirmed by a breath test. He faces a €1,000 fine and a six month suspension of his driving licence.
THE god of goth rock will be casting his cloak of darkness over Spain this year.
Nick Cave and his legendary Bad Seeds will play two shows in Barcelona and Madrid, followed by a date in Portugal.
As part of the Australian band’s Wild God tour, they will bring their blend of rock, post-punk and gothic sound to Palau Sant Jordi in Bar-
celona on October 24, the WiZink Centre in Madrid on October 25, and the MEO Arena in Lisbon on October 27.
Support band The Murder Capital’s debut album, When I Have Fears, has had widespread critical acclaim.
Queen Camilla’s secret Spanish holiday escaping the media frenzy back home over Wills and Kate
EXCLUSIVE By
Ben PawlowskiQUEEN Camilla has enjoyed a secret hunting break in a luxury Spanish finca as a royal crisis engulfed the British Royal Family, it has emerged.
King Charles III’s cancer diagnosis and Kate Middleton’s prolonged absence from public duties have provoked a major issue as speculation swirls over the marriage of Prince William and Kate.
In perfect timing, the Spanish media went into overdrive over rumours of the split just as Camilla was trying to get away from it all.
It started when Cuore, a women’s magazine, suggested Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley had been ‘having an affair’ with William.
The pub lication added Han bury is ‘said to be divorcing’ her husband, Da vid, the 7th Mar quess of Cholmonde ley. It was followed up by magazine that trumpeted that ‘Kate is asking for a divorce’ over ‘rumours of infidelity’.
With King Charles sidelined as he begins treatment for
SPAIN’S top opera singer is taking to the stage this summer, despite a string of allegations of sexual assault and harassment.
Placido Domingo, 83, will perform at the Starlite festival in Marbella on August 13.
Alongside Luciano Pavaraotti and Jose Carreras, Domin go was one of the Three Tenors, renowned for their spectacular voices.
However, 27 women have accused the Ma drid-born performer of sexual assault and harassment, in-
cluding unwelcome fondling, grabbing and forced kissing in incidents dating back to the 1980s. A 2020 investigation by the LA Opera into the allegations found the tenor had engaged in ‘inappropriate conduct’ with multiple women over the three decades he worked there. Other acts confirmed for the summer include Tom Jones, Keane, Gipsy Kings, Simple Minds, Take That, UB40 and Myke Towers.
cancer, Camilla has been heading up constitutional duties with various official appointments. Formerly Camilla Parker Bowles, she is a long-time fan of Spain and has been a regular visitor over the years.
This has included various trips to Tarifa and Sevilla, as well as a number of ‘secret’ week-
of artists from the world of circus, music and dance.
ends in land when she herself was having an affair with
This included a number of trips to the giant hunting estateSpain’s biggest - owned by the Duke of Westminster that straddles the border of Cordoba and Ciudad Real. Finca La Garganta, near Conquista, has long hosted members of the British royal family for hunting weekends, with Prince Harry once allegedly shooting a rare protected eagle there.
His forthcoming theatre production, Fashion Freak Show, will dazzle audiences with a host
Gaultier, on a visit to Barcelona, said that the fashion shows he stages are like ‘a play’ with himself choosing ‘the music, models, and scenery’.
He said his new venture should not be a total surprise as 'fashion is synonymous with theatre'.
Catch it at the Teatre Coliseum in Barcelona between April 4 and 21.
The giant estate has been caught in various other controversies, including its owner, the UK’s 11th richest man, the Duke, Hugh Grosvenor, blocking public roads through it. Journalist Marisa Martin confirmed to TV show TardeAR Camilla had flown in to get ‘some respite away from the stresses and strains’ of royal life. She said she was ‘hunting partridges’ at a luxury finca used by King Juan Carlos and other members of the Spanish nobility.
FILM star Leonardo di Caprio is well known for his environmental credentials. Now he’s making his first foray into a green business in Spain. The Hollywood legend has pumped an undisclosed sum into Barcelona company SolarMente.
The solar start-up works with solar panel installations - assuring homes get the full benefit of green energy. It was co-founded by CEO Wouter Draijer, who could not believe how few domestic solar panels there were on Spanish properties compared to his native Netherlands. “My support is a responsible move towards a cleaner future and I'm proud to see SolarMente actively shaping a sustainable energy landscape,” said di Caprio.
A PROPOSAL to give resident discounts on charter planes going to the Copa del Rey final has been rejected by Transport and Sustainability tsars.
RCD Mallorca and el Athletic Club de Bilbao are due to battle it out in the final on April 6 in Sevilla.
Balearic Island President, Marga Prohens’ wanted to give a whopping 75% discount on chartered planes jetting off from Mallorca to see the match. It comes as air fares have risen ‘dramatically’ for the event, which some 20,000 Mallorcans are set to attend.
THE Mallorca Film Commission and Palma Pictures have hosted a tour of Mallorca for six six film location managers from the UK . They were shown the unique and varied environments the island has to offer to high profile movie makers.
The four-day excursion was attended by those behind projects such as Game of Thrones, Guardians of the Galaxy and Mission Impossible.
They visited locations including Palma, the Serra de Tramuntana, Andratx, Calvia, Soller, Port Pollenca and Cala Ratjada.
Location manager, Ben McGregor said: “Seeing the island fed our imaginations of yet-to-befilmed sequences - Bond film options naturally flowed into the conversation, and logistical points as to ‘where to land the helicopter’?
MALLORCA has launched a new water saving campaign to save ‘essential’ supplies. It was launched on Wednesday, March 20 by Balearic Island President, Marga Prohens alongside leaders of local water management entities.
The campaign promotes responsible water use in light of the increasing risk of drought. It uses the slogan ‘Why aren’t you valuing your water? Will you only do it when you have none?’
Local leaders have also promised to ‘do all they can’ to save water but says ‘we need everyone’s help’.
MANACOR tennis star Rafa Nadal took centre stage to hand out awards in the second gala staged by his charity.
The event was held at the Es Baluard museum of contemporary art in Palma. It was attended by figures like the Telefonica chairman, Jose Maria Alvarez-Pallet, whose company is one of the backers of the Rafa Nadal Foundation.
The five award winners received €15,000 each to continue their non-profit work
in Spain and abroad covering areas like sport, health, education, and international development.
Rafa Nadal said: “With these awards we can do our bit to help social foundations with recognition and financial assistance.”
Nadal’s family - his mother, father, and sister, were at Wednesday’s ceremonyalong with his wife Mary Perello who is a director of the Foundation.
A BRITISH expat is facing jail and a €10,000 fine two years after trimming a tree overhanging his swimming pool.
Michael Grainger, 56, and his wife, Marina, 52, were dramatically quizzed by police at their €400,000 villa on the Costa Blanca after paying a gardener to cut back the pine tree.
The Welshman told the Olive Press how the tree at his villa in San Miguel de Salinas was ‘spoiling’ his daily swims as any gust of wind propelled hundreds of pine needles into the pool.
He said he was forced to take matters into his hands on March 1, 2022, after repeatedly trying to contact his neighbour and getting no response.
Incredibly, nearly two years later on January 16, Guardia Civil and Policia Local cars pulled up to his
EXCLUSIVE By Yzabelle
Bostynproperty ‘to arrest him’ for criminal damage.
Video footage shared with the Olive Press shows aggressive officers shining a torch into his wife’s eyes before throwing a court summons at her through the gate on the driveway. “It was terrifying and a complete overreach,” Grainger insisted, “They hurled abuse at my wife and tried to arrest me but my lawyer told them we would deal with it at court and thankfully it wasn’t necessary.”
Marina, who grew up in the Soviet Union, added:
“This is something you’d expect to happen in the old USSR, not the EU!” The couple quickly sought help at their local police station, where they claim they were told to “f**k off”. The expat, who has spent 10 years in
Spain, says he tried to settle the matter out of court but his offer was refused. He said: “I’ll give them money, but what I refuse to have is a crimi -
THE UK has appointed a new man in Spain. Alex Ellis, 56,(pictured) will take up his post this summer, replacing Hugh Elliott who has held the position since 2019.
The UK government has not specified Elliott's next job, except to say that he was ‘transferring to another diplomatic appointment’.
Ellis has been the British High Commissioner in New Delhi since 2021.
He was also the Director General for the Department for Exiting the European Union so will well understand the nightmares of Brexit for British expats.
Ellis is married and has a son.
A FARM owner faces a 15 month prison sentence for destroying a protected forest area and killing six tortoises.
He will be tried in November for offences committed after his company took over the holding in the Marina de Llucmajor area in 2016.
The Environmental Prosecutor’s Office says he acted illegally over 12 hectares of land, breaking the Forestry Law and five other statutes since it was a natural habitat for protecting species like the Mediterranean tortoise.
He had been sanctioned three times previously before the most serious transgression was detected in February 2021 when six tortoises were found dead after being run over by a tractor.
nal record. I did nothing wrong.” Grainger learned that locals - ‘claiming to be the owner’ of the property next door - had filed a de -
nuncia against him. But he claims the home had been empty for years after the previous owner died. The Welshman has spent €6,000 in legal fees and interpreters ahead of his date at Torrevieja court on May 3. He said he expects a guilty verdict but is ‘ready to fight back’.
Grainger said the ordeal has left a sour taste in his mouth, adding: “Europe isn’t a good place to live anymore.”
VIEWERS of pirated Spanish football matches could soon be fined following a landmark ruling.
An order from a Barcelona judge means La Liga can take legal action against any individual who watches their games via illegal websites and streaming feeds.
The court resolution will oblige internet operators like Movistar, Vodafone, Orange, MasMovil and Digi to provide details of people who connect to pirate servers.
Until now, laws had targeted service providers, distributors of illegal services, or bars and restaurants that screened the pirated feeds.
THIS winter was the joint warmest since records began, and is likely to be followed by a spring that is also above average in terms of temperatures.
That’s according to Spain’s Aemet state meteorological agency, that revealed temperatures this winter are on a par with that of 2019 to 2020.
Rainfall, meanwhile, came in at regular levels, with 170.5 litres per square metre in the peninsula. While 10% below average, this is still considered to be ‘normal’, according to Aemet. Del Cambio also warned about the ‘speeding up of climate change’ that is being reflected by the weather, given that four of the last seven seasons in Spain have been warmer than average.
“There is a trend for drier winters,” he said. There is a ‘very high probability’ that April, May and June will be very hot, in particular in areas such as the Costa del Sol and the Balearic Islands.
As for the summer, a very hot and very dry season in Spain is also likely, according to Aemet.
THE National Court has ordered a prominent journalist to get on with demolishing an illegally-built swimming pool, jetty, and terrace right on the coast’s edge at his Costa dels Pins home.
Pedro J. Ramirez, 71, is a former editor and co-founder of the El Mundo newspaper and now runs the digital El Español paper.
A permit for the pool was granted in 2001 and then transferred to Ramirez in 2013, with the then-PP government extending the authorisation to occupy 350 m2 of public domain land until 2074.
That was successfully challenged in court by Mallorcan activist Jaume Sastre. Ramirez and his son Tristan have tried to stave off demolition for years but lost a series of court cases, culminating in a Supreme Court decision in 2021 to annul the extension. Now the National Court has stepped in to force the execution of the final judgement.
IT is absolutely laughable that police on the Costa Blanca saw fit to harass and berate a British expat couple after they trimmed a tree that was encroaching onto their property (Special branch, p4) Michael Grainger and his wife Marina had every right to cut back the branches that were literally filling their swimming pool with pine needles - especially after multiple attempts to talk to their neighbour went unrequited.
The video of two police officers flashing a torch into Marina’s face before throwing a court summons at her is quite frankly a disgrace.
It’s hard to believe that the reaction by locals and even the authorities has not been inspired by anti-British sentiment.
We will be following this couple’s story and hope that, come May 3, the Torrevieja court sees this case for what it is; a load of nonsense!
THE wave of anti-tourism movements in Spain should be a cause for concern among business owners and expats (front page and this page). There seems to be a growing anger among locals, particularly the young, who have been priced out of renting or buying homes following a surge in Airbnb rentals.
It is absolutely understandable why some locals may begin to feel this way.
If things continue at their current rate, cities will be filled with holiday apartments that become empty in the off season.
But instead of directing messages towards ‘guiris’ and tourists, locals should focus on local governments, whose strict tenancy rules make it very unappealing for landlords to rent long term.
Hopefully governments across Spain can come up with a model or some form of aid for locals that will stop anti-tourism sentiment from getting out of control.
EXCLUSIVE
By Laurence Dollimore & Walter Finch in TenerifeIT began in Mallorca in the summer of 2017, quickly followed in Barcelona and Valencia and now it has spread around almost all of Spain.
The anti-tourism protests, organised by anarchist group Arran, first gained international headlines when they rocked diners at a portside restaurant in Palma.
As reported in the Olive Press (below), the two dozen masked protesters held banners and flares outside the restaurant Mar de Nudos then showered the mostly foreign punters with confetti.
The following week an unnamed organiser revealed they would ‘continue to carry out’ numerous plans they had for the summer, adding: “We know tourism is something we can’t avoid, but we want people who come to our island to realise they are contributing to its contamination and destruction.”
They claimed to have over 500 members and went on to plaster 1,000 rental cars with anti-tourism stickers.
Soon a sightseeing bus in Barcelona had its tyres slashed and was daubed with graffiti claiming ‘tourism kills neighbourhoods’. The masked protesters were so intimidating the tourists believed they were being attacked by terrorists.
In Valencia, meanwhile, protesters seized a rental apartment used for city breaks and unfurled a banner decrying the
gentrification of the centre caused by tourism.
It led to Spain’s then Prime Minister Rajoy to condemn the ‘crazy’ actions, with Arran hitting back accusing him of ‘giving little importance’ to ‘unsustainable’ tourism. Their message was certainly a reasonable one: that ‘touristification’ destroys neighbourhoods, causes prices to go up and makes long term rental accommodation almost impossible for most locals.
While the protests slowed down, particularly with the pandemic, they came back with a vengeance last year with signs warning tourists off beaches on the Costa Blanca and anti-tourist graffiti being seen around Malaga and Sevilla. Protests were organised in Mallorca, Sevilla and Barcelona.
bling under and it’s likely to spread all round mainland Spain anytime soon.
Locals in Tenerife are furi ous that holidaymakers are turning their paradise into a ‘tourism ghetto’ thanks to soaring rents, inflation and yobbish behaviour.
‘Rents are soaring and people cannot afford to live here anymore’
The latest campaign kicked off in Tenerife this month, when the holiday island made global headlines when a series of graffiti messages were scrawled on walls and buildings, reading ‘tourists go home’, ‘your paradise, our misery’, and ‘average salary in Canary Islands €1,200.’
The Olive Press went out to investigate, discovering that tensions are very much bub-
In 2023, Tenerife received 5.6million visitors, up 600,000 compared to 2019, setting a new record. While some locals attempt to shrug off the graffiti as the work of a disgruntled few, there are many on the island who find agreement with the message.
Josua Garcia-Garcia, 33, who works in a bar in Playas de las Americas, told the Olive Press: “It can be a nightmare when the tourists come, I only get four hours of sleep every night because of the music and noise, which keeps me up until 3am.
“We need stricter rules for tourists, a lot of them are ignorant of how we are suffering. “Rents are soaring and people on average salaries cannot afford to live here anymore, once they pay their rent they have no money
20 years after Spain’s worst bombing the effects are still being felt, writes Alex Trelinski
THE King and Queen of Spain have led a memorial service to mark the 20th anniversary of the Madrid train bombings that killed 192 people and injured 2,000 others.
The Al Qaeda attack - the country's biggest terrorist incident - is regarded as having influenced the general election held three days later which saw the PSOE socialists swept into power.
On March 11 2004, the capital was plunged into chaos as 10 bombs planted by the terror group devastated four commuter trains during the early-morning rush hour.
Although Spain had experienced decades of violence at the hands of the Basque separatist group ETA, it had never been hit by an attack of such magnitude.
There is no doubt that the emergency services and the people of Spain rallied together. Images that are best remembered are of ordinary people who rushed to help.
Neighbours still dressed in their pajamas helping and comforting the wounded , buses being used as ambulances and masses of people queuing to donate blood.
The attacks had a major political impact as before that fateful day, the ruling Partido Popular led by Jose Maria Aznar were strong favourites to stay in office by defeating the PSOE Socialists led by Jose Luis Zapatero.
But within hours of the attack, Aznar’s government was laying the blame at the door of Basque separatists ETA.
This was viewed by many as either a cynical election ploy by the traditionally hard-line anti-ETA party, or an effort to avoid any imagined responsibility for the attacks having supported the US led war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Al Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden, had threatened reprisals against any countries that took part in the operation.
Doubts over the government's explanation quickly spread across Spain, and during huge demonstrations the following day, pro-
CARNAGE: 192 people died in a series of train bombings
testers expressed hostility towards the authorities who were accused of lying.
On March 14, Aznar's government was swept out of office, with the administration's handling of what happened playing a pivotal part in their defeat- according to political experts.
The Partido Popular stayed in opposition until 2011 when Mariano Rajoy won that year's election - ousting Zapatero.
In early April 2004, seven suspected members of the terrorist cell involved in the atrocity blew themselves up as police surrounded an apartment where they had been hiding on the outskirts of Madrid - with a police officer also killed.
After a three-year investigation, 29 suspects - the vast majority Moroccan - went on trial in 2007 with 18 convicted.
Only three are still behind bars - two Moroccans who were each handed nearly 43,000 years, and a Spaniard, who supplied the explosives and was jailed for nearly 35,000 years.
They will remain in prison until 2044 at least while the others have been released after serving their sentences - the vast majority of them deported or extradited, mainly to Morocco.
www.theolivepress.es
Architects: Gustav Düsing, Berlin, and Max Hacke, Berlin
What the architects say:
“The new build Study-Pavilion on the grounds of the Technical University of Braunschweig is an open space concept designed to accommodate various student activities. The concept follows the principle of a superstructure which allows the user to change and re-configure the layout of the building in order to meet the ever-changing requirements in a fast-developing campus. Through high flexibility in layout, the Pavilion becomes ephemeral and thus responsive, ensuring a long-lasting relevance as a new type of campus building.”
March 2024
Architects: Andres Jaque/Office for Political Innovation, Madrid
What the architects say:
“The design, construction and use of the Reggio School is intended to exceed the paradigm of sustainability to engage with ecology as an approach where environmental impact, more-than human alliances, material mobilisation, collective governance and pedagogies intersect through architecture.”
SPAIN has two incredible properties on the shortlist for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Award for 2024.
Handed out every two years by the European Commission and the Fundacio Mies van der Rohe, it
recognises ‘excellence in contemporary design, sustainability, and innovation’.
The seven nominated projects come from Spain, Portugal, Germany, Poland, France and Norway. The winners will be announced on
April 25 in Brussels, with awards handed out at a ceremony on May 14 at the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion in Barcelona. Here we take a look at some of the finalists and what they have to say about their projects…
The Olive Press brings you top entries for the Mies van der Rohe architecture awards and what they have to say about their projects
PLATO CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY
Architects: KWK Promes, Katowice, Poland
What the architects say:
“By saving a historic building and turning it into an art gallery, we have introduced a solution that makes art more democratic. By rotating the walls in an un-
Continues on page 8
usual way, it goes outside the building. We also transformed the space around the gallery, which had previously been contaminated, into a biodiverse park for the benefit of residents.”
BRITS are still the most significant foreign buyers in Spain’s property sector.
Despite Brexit and only being able to visit for three out of six months, they still make up 15.5% of foreign mortgage applications. Only the Germans come close, making up second place with 14.1% in 2023.
Swiss applicants account for 9% of the market, Americans (8.9%) and the French (7.8%).
Britsshrugoff BrexitandkeeptheGermansinsecondplacewhenbuying inSpain…atleastwhenitcomestotakingoutamortgage
By Walter FinchThe Irish manage to snap up more property (5.5%) than both Belgians (4.5%) and Swedes (2.7%).
The Swiss and Americans, whose average household incomes are €9,527 and €9,097 per month, look for the most expensive homes averaging around €250,000.
The report by web portal Idealista notes that the Costa Blanca and wider Valencian Community is by far the most popular location for property purchases at 27%.
Remarkably, Catalunya and Andalucia rank at 16.4% of property purchases each.
The study discovered the average mortgage applicant was 41 years old with a household income of €5,900 per month.
The average purchase is a prop-
erty of €213,000, notably 20% higher than Spain’s national average.
The report further highlights the disparity in financial firepower between foreign and local buyers. Foreign applicants boast incomes nearly 85% above the Spanish average, aiming for properties that
far exceed the financial reach of their local counterparts.
Homes bought by foreigners are on average 27% more expensive than those bought by Spaniards.
Interestingly, the financial commitment of international buyers is relatively modest.
On average, they finance 61% of their purchase and they prefer fixed-rate mortgages, which account for nearly 70% of the transactions in 2023.
From page 7
Architects: Amelia Tavella Architects France
What the architects say:
“This building, built in 1480, listed as a historical monument, was partially in ruins and dormant. We had to rebuild it without separating from the vestiges of the past. We believe in higher and invisible forces. Housed at height, on its promontory, it was a defensive castle before being a place of prayer, of retreat, chosen by monks aware of the absolute beauty of the site. Faith rallies to the sublime. “
November 29thDecember 12th 2023
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THE Balearic government will have to pay €96 million in compensation over breaching an urban planning deal with a German-owned developer.
The ruling from the Balearic Supreme Court dismisses an appeal by the government over a lower court ruling that ruled that it broke an agreement made in 2013 over the development of the Sa Muleta II urbanisation in Soller.
The Balearic Islands government has two months to pay €63.5 million as a main claim plus another €30 million in interest dating back to the filing of a first lawsuit in 2009.
The vice-president, Antoni Costa, said the award would make ‘a huge hole in its financial coffers’. He did not rule out appealing to Spain’s Constitutional Court but promised that no ‘essential services’ would be cut.
Costa indicated that the administration would have to pass an ‘extraordinary credit law’ to pay the compensation.
The money goes to Birdie Son Vida owned by businessman Matthias Kuhn and is the largest ever fine imposed in the history of Balearic urban planning legal cases.
It brings to an end a 14 year battle over the German developer’s plans to build 33 luxury villas at Soller.
March 21st - April 3rd 2024
Barcelona
Architects: SUMA arquitectura, Madrid
What the architects say:
“The García Marquez is a pioneering and landmark library that culminates a three-decade plan to build these facilities in Barcelona. It sits in a tough working class neighbourhood that has lacked significant investment for years and desperately needed a ‘people's palace’.
Architects: Branco del Rio, Coimbra, Portugal
What the architects say:
“The only flat and open area of hilly Piódão is given back its dignity with this welcoming gathering place. What was previously a parking lot has been redesigned, paved, and partially shaded using traditional materials and techniques.”
www.spanishpropertyinsight.com
IN a mysterious way Covid-19 turned out to be a real tonic for the Spanish property market, boosting local, and in particular foreign demand to extraordinary highs in the wake of the pandemic.
The two best years ever for property
The appetite of foreign buyers for residential property in Spain was the second-highest on record in 2023, writes Mark Stucklin
sales involving a foreign buyer were 2022 and 2023.
Using Land Registry figures (with the Q4 stats just published) we can calculate that 87,365 homes were sold to a foreign buyer last year.
Only 2022 was higher when 94,481 sales involved a buyer from abroad.
And the year-on-year decline of 8% is pretty small and less than the 10% decline recorded by local Spanish buyers in 2023. Indeed, mathematicians among you will work out this led to an increase in the market share of foreigners from 14.6% in 2022 to 15% in 2023, the highest level on record.
So foreign buyers have never been more important to the Spanish property market than last year. Market comparisons with 2022 say more about that year’s extraordinary boom than the year in hand, so comparisons with 2019, before coronavirus distorted the market, are also helpful for interpretation, as are comparisons with the 10-year average. Compared to 2019, sales to foreign buyers were up by a staggering 39% last year, and were up 41% compared to the 10-year average.
In other words, 2023 was a great year when compared to any period other than 2022.
Sales by nationality
As always the biggest foreign market was the UK, with 8,327 residential
property acquisitions in 2023, some 9.5% of the foreign market - a decline of 15% on the previous year - and 5% down compared to 2019.
The UK has been the biggestmarket for property in Spain since records began, though its dominance has declined in the years since Brexit.
British buyers head in the greatest numbers to the Costa Blanca and the Costa del Sol as you might expect.
The second biggest market was Germany, with a market share of 7.3% and 6,350 sales, down 25% compared to 2023, but up 42% since 2019.
The extraordinary explosion in the number of German buyers after 2020 was probably caused by changing priorities and lifestyles in the wake of the pandemic.
Mallorca is the most popular destination for German buyers.
France was the third biggest market with a 6.7% share of the foreign market, which translated into 5,824 sales, down 6% compared to the previous year but up 18% compared to 2019. French buyers head across the border into Catalunya in the greatest numbers.
Of the other markets for which figures are published by the Registrars, sales declined the most year-on-year among the Swedes, down 40%, and increased the most with Russian buyers, up 60%, while Polish buyers are up by 5% among Poles and Irish.
SPAIN has been named the fourth most attractive European country for investment in 2024.
Meanwhile, Madrid has claimed third place in the top ten European cities for investment.
Barcelona was just behind, in seventh place, in the report by the Global Real Estate Service.
Only the UK, Germany and Poland rank higher.
The report also praises Spain and Italy for ‘making progress in environmental, social and governance issues’.
It also estimates that by 2025, market activity is expected to return to rates seen before the global rise in interest rates in 2022.
And only 27% of those surveyed believe geopolitical issues will be a major issue for real estate investors, down from 42% last year.
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TENNIS star Rafa Nadal has bought a €4 million luxury Madrid apartment in the city's Colon y Serrano district.
The property is one of 11 luxury homes in the Villa de Paris residential block that he built with businessmen Abel Matutes Prats and Manuel Campos Guallar several years ago.
March 22nd - April 4th 2024 9
The trio constructed the building with direct views of the Plaza Villa de Paris, the Supreme Court, and the Church of Santa Barbara.
It was designed by the prestigious architect Rafael Robledo and is regarded as one of the most exclusive residential projects in Madrid.
The homes were sold on the basis of offering a fusion between classicism and modernity in the finishes and design.
One of the purchasers is the president of the fashion giant, Inditex, Marta Ortega.
The block has a spa and gym, plus an allocation of two parking spaces per apartment.
Nadal's home in the five-storey building
has all kinds of amenities covering 281 m2.
The open plan design features five bathrooms, four bedrooms, a spacious living room and a balcony around five metre long.
The rest of the apartments are far biggercoming in at around 900 m2.
The Calle General Castals complex is part of a portfolio of real estate assets owned by Nadal - worth €30.3 million.
AN ambitious American has revealed her plans to transform an ancient palace in Spain.
Monica C purchased historic Quindous Palace online while surfing the web from her home in California.
The medieval property, in Cervantes, Galicia, had failed
to sell over a four-year period.
Monica, originally from Colorado, flew in at the beginning of January to assess the mammoth task ahead of her.
The castle has more than 20 rooms, which she plans to turn into a cookery school that will teach students how to cook Galician food.
Monica, who had never before visited Galicia, also plans to open a restaurant on the site.
The small village of Cervantes is home to just 1,200 people.
The palace was first built in
the 15th century and was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest in 1949.
It sits atop a 9km winding road and offers stunning views of the Os Ancares mountains.
It was first put up for sale for
STILL STANDING:
But huge amount of work needed
€500,000, which was reduced by half in 2018, before eventually going for €225,000. It was finally sold to Monica at the end of last year via Country Homes, a real estate firm owned by British expat Mark Adkinson.
Quooker, the success story, that is now taking Spain by storm
But the story of the Quooker begins in 1970.
Henri Peteri was in London, at the multinational Unilever’s headquarters, when he had an inspiration that would change his life forever.
It was during a presentation about instant soup. It was shown how to dissolve soup in boiling water in just five seconds.
‘And that includes water that has to be left on the fire for five minutes?’ thought Peteri, ‘What madness!
Why don’t we have boiling water in the house?!”
The rest is history. Peteri went into the basement at home to develop a prototype of the world’s first boiling water tap.
He sold it to friends and acquaintances, who were very enthusiastic.
When son Niels completed his studies and joined his father, the idea became a product.
In 1992, the first Quooker (‘quick cooker’) was introduced, the Quooker Basic.
From the moment son Walter joined the company, Quooker slowly but surely began to gain ground on the market.
From 2000 onwards, Quooker was doing well. The boiling water tap caught on in the Netherlands. In 2004, the first batch of Quookers was exported abroad.
Now: a popular product in the kitchen Quooker currently produces more than 350.000 Quookers per year and there are more than 10.000 dealers. Quooker now has branches in 16 countries including Spain and is the result of years of development, testing and technical innovation.
The Peteri brothers have always aimed for the most responsible, energy-efficient and high-quality product possible.
They now run an internationally successful company.
But, entirely in the spirit of their father, who died in 2007,
they continue to invent.
...whileglobal pricesarealso ontheup
GLOBAL house prices have largely recovered after hitting the ‘deepest property downturn’ in a decade.
Data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shows the property market has ‘hit a turning point’.
Based on data from 37 industrialised countries, house prices grew on average by 2.1% in the third quarter of 2023.
It comes after house prices dropped in many countries in 2022 after interest rates were raised at the ‘fastest pace in decades’ in order to curb inflation.
Overall prices grew by only 0.6% by the end of the year, the lowest rate since 2012.
Experts now predict that central banks will cut borrowing costs to help boost mortgages. A shortage of properties has also helped growth.
As Niels Peteri explains: “The fact that more and more people are embracing the Quooker as an indispensable tool in the modern kitchen is reflected in sales, which are increasing explosively. We are very proud of that. “However, leaning back is not an option. We want to keep innovating. We do this, among other things, by developing our own production resources, which enables us to come up with original solutions.’
In the future: indispensable worldwide
Quooker is about to conquer the rest of the world.
Our ambition is to provide as many kitchens as possible with boiling water, in a smart and responsible way. To this end, Quooker’s head office in the Netherlands works every day on new technical ideas and design solutions to make the products even more economical, even easier to use and even more beautiful. We also think about new products, but we keep our focus on the tap and the sink.
The Quooker system consists of a boiling water-tap on the worktop linked to a small tank in the kitchen cabinet. The tank acts like a vacuum flask connected to the water mains.
The water in the Quooker tank is heated to a temperature of 108°C. The air in the insulated wall is so thin that the heat is unable to escape. It therefore takes very little energy (just 10 watts) to keep the water in the tank at 108°C. The water only starts to boil when the tap is turned on and the temperature of the outflowing water drops to 100°C. While the water is flowing out of the tap, fresh water immediately flows into the tank. A special active carbon filter inside the tank further purifies the water. Alongside the boiling water-tank Quooker also developed a system for chilled- and sparkling water: the Quooker CUBE. This is an extra tank that is installed next to the boiling water tank in your kitchen cabinet.
More information about Quooker can be found at www.quooker.es
Quooker has arrived in Spain. You can now benefit from official technical service and local warranty. Visit www.quooker.es to know more or to find a dealer near you! With a Quooker in your kitchen you always have 100 °C boiling water alongside regular hot and cold. Add a CUBE and you will also have filtered chilled and sparkling water – all from the same tap. The tap that does it all.
info@quooker.es
for food.
“Some areas have been totally saturated by tourism. The police need to be tougher and bring in stricter rules, people are fed up.”
Anti-tourism campaigners claim an increase in holiday lets means an increasing number of homes are unavailable to rent to locals.
This decreases supply and therefore brings price increases. Homeowners are more tempted to rent to high-paying holidaymakers than long-term tenants.
Last May, hundreds of protesters took to the streets, holding up signs reading ‘The Canaries are no longer a paradise’ and ‘the Canaries are not for sale’.
The march was organised by almost a dozen social and environmental groups, who are calling for a tourism ‘eco-tax’.
They claimed the island’s services ‘totally collapsed’, with ‘a coast full of sewage spills, kilometre long traffic jams’ and the ‘destruction of the environment due to the construction of new hotel complexes in coastal areas’.
Olivia Valdiva, 50, who lives in Palm-Mar, said:
“Life is very hard here now, the only people who live well are the foreigners and tourists.
“We can’t afford to eat well and maintain a car and house, the locals are tired of having no money.”
Zarite Chinea, 39, described the area as ‘a bit of a tourism ghetto’ due to its fierce reliance on the industry.
“It’s like there are two worlds in Tenerife, the tourists and the locals, and we don’t mix.
“I would try to reduce the number of holiday-
makers and I think we need better quality tourists, who respect our land and nature, who want to explore the real Tenerife and go hiking for example.”
Alex Kelly, 20, is a British expat working in the popular Rejoyce bar in Las Playas de Las Americas. She said: “Living here has gotten tough in the last few years, rent is just unaffordable.
“I’m living with my boyfriend in his parents' home because we can’t afford to move out.
“‘I totally get the viewpoint of the anti-tourism people, a lot of young people feel that way, the prices are crazy.”
Emiliano del Pino, 58, (pictured below), who was born and raised on the island, admitted there were problems but insisted tourism is still very much welcome.
“There is a problem with drought and water since last year, and the government’s priority is to make sure the tourist areas are cared for ahead of the locals in the countryside, and that can obviously rub people the wrong way.”
However, he insisted that tourism is essential to the island’s economy.
The retiree added: “The people behind the graffiti are just kids who have been spoon fed from birth and now there are economic problems, they are lashing out.
“But there are the same problems all over the world, not just here, we can’t blame tourism for that.”
Jorge Sanchez, 58, who works in a local cinema, echoed this sentiment, telling the Olive Press that ‘without tourism, Tenerife is f****d.’ He said: “The whole anti-tourism movement is stupid. Take away all the tourists and what the hell are we going to do? These young people want to blame others for society’s problems, but we need the British, the Germans, the Italians, without them we don’t have an economy.’
Meanwhile, British bar owners raced to defend themselves over what they see as an attack on their businesses and way of life.
Scott Walters, 35, from Stoke-on-Trent, has owned the Havanas bar in Playas de Las Americas for 10 years. He told this paper: “I understand the young people’s point of view,
rents have gone crazy, there are people with five or six Airbnbs and this pushes prices up.
“For a studio around here it can be like €1,200 per month, which is more than the average salary.
“It’s also upsetting to see friends who are local but have to live so far away to be able to afford a place.
“But Tenerife needs tourism and I think we bring a lot to their economy so it’s kind of a Catch 22 situation.”
Dawn Warriner, 33, who owns the Sun Lounge next door, also feels disheartened by some of the anti-tourism comments.
The Manchester native, who opened her bar just before Covid struck, told the Olive
“Some of the locals clearly don’t want us here but I think it’s a minority.
“There were hundreds of protesters a few months ago shouting all this anti-tourism stuff.
“I understand that rents have increased a lot recently and I do get that, but they need tourists here, they’d be nothing without it.
“Police here have also not been friendly to us Brits, when I went to the station to report a crime I had witnessed, they heard me speaking English and shouted ‘Brexit’ and laughed.”
MORE than 500 people have signed an Olive Press petition to keep tourists and expats safe from the deadly painkiller Nolotil.
Our Kill the Drug campaign urges Spanish health professionals to agree to follow the 2018 directive banning the German-made drug for British, Scandinavian and Irish patients.
Since launching on February 12, some 587 people have backed the campaign, with many adding comments.
Despite expanding in recent year, the Olive Press remains a community newspaper at heart.
We are not afraid of ruffling feathers and shining a light on the injustices around Spain.
One supporter wrote: “Well done for tackling this problem. Too many lives have already been lost.”
While Nolotil is now banned in 40 countries, it is still being regularly prescribed around Spain.
Campaigner Christina del Campo of the Association for Drug Affected People (ADAF) claims her group has over 100 cases of British people dying from the drug.
Others have had amputations ‘and worse’.
“Something needs to be done about this as nobody’s taking notice. It’s excellent the campaign is growing,” she said.
We now plan to contact local health facilities to urge them to comply with the official warning from Madrid that urges hospitals and clinics not to hand out the drug to foreigners.
Please sign the petition by scanning the QR code on your mobile device.
Have you been affected by Nolotil? Email us tips@theolivepress.es
The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are:
1- Are Kate and Wills on the rocks? Rumours swirl in Spain and beyond after speculations of an affair and the ‘disappearance’ of the princess
2- This 'sun-drenched' city in eastern Spain is the most affordable 'paradise' for British expats, according to experts
3- Inside Amazon's new pre-fabricated house that's available in Spain for just €27,556but how safe is it?
4- 'We were paid to run the only bar in a tiny town in Spain - and are loving our new life'
5- Drought latest in Spain: Has this weekend's rain helped relieve the pressure on Malaga's reservoirs?
A FLIGHT from Barcelona to Palma de Mallorca was forced to turn around after smoke filled the cabin just minutes after take-off.
The short-haul Vueling Airlines flight swiftly returned to Barcelona El-Prat Airport where it made a successful emergency landing.
The aircraft was attended to by engineers, with the Airbus A320 able to return to service the following day following repairs.
In 2019, a separate Vueling Airlines Airbus A320 plane was forced to make an emergency landing at Barcelona ElPrat after smoke also filled the cabin, with passengers told to cover their noses and stay low.
FIFTY beaches in the Balearics are now smoking-free zones, with the addition of the beaches of Muro near Alcudia and Port de Sant Miquel (Sant Joan de Labritja Ibiza).
‘Smoke-free beaches, healthy beaches’ is a campaign that has been sup-
ported by the health minister and the Spanish Association Against Cancer in the Balearics. The idea is not just to promote healthy living in the fight against cancer, but to also reduce tobacco butts and ash.
LATE night restaurant meals could soon be a thing of the past if Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz has her way.
“It is not reasonable for a country to have its restaurants open until 1am,” said Diaz, who is the leader
ANDALUCIA’S first ever ‘vegan butchers’ has opened in Malaga’s Huelin district. The Catalan business, el Vegans’, offers vegan versions of popular Spanish charcuterie. Its goal is to ‘help publicise the suffering of animals through food, which many people see as an insurmountable barrier’, and has now made its way down south. The ‘butchers’ offers 100% vegan milanesas, serranito sandwiches, seitan cannelloni, soja chunks, croquettes, battered ‘chicken’ breast, ‘fish fingers’, burgers, cheese, black pudding, fajitas, kebabs and sweet treats.
NowCompare.es can help guide you on your journey into Spanish life
NowCompare.es, the gateway for expats seeking comprehensive and affordable health insurance in Spain, stands out with its latest initiative.
As the expat community navigates the dynamic landscape of living abroad, NowCompare.es introduces an exclusive campaign tailored to their needs. With the opportunity to save up to 40% on premium health insurance plans, expats can now secure top-tier coverage without breaking the bank. Moreover, NowCompare.es ensures compliance with Spanish residency requirements, easing the bureaucratic burden for expatriates.
Behind this innovative campaign are the experts at NowCompare.es, seasoned professionals in the international insurance comparison realm. Their dedication to providing unparalleled service to expats reflects their commitment to simplifying the complexities of healthcare access abroad.
Meet NowCompare’s Simon and Nuria, highly experienced and dedicated experts living in Spain, who are always at hand to assist expats with their health insurance needs, with extensive local knowledge of the industry.
SIMON DOYLE
Originally from St Albans in the United Kingdom, Simon moved to Spain in 1991 and has lived in various cities including Malaga, Gibraltar, El Puerto de Santa Maria, and Jerez de la Frontera. He also spent a significant amount of time living in Sicily. Simon enjoys going for walks and spending time outdoors. He also loves playing music and having fun with his kids, especially at the beach. We asked Simon to tell us what he enjoys most about his role at NowCompare. He explained: “I find satisfaction in helping clients find the best insurance plans at the most affordable prices. Our team specialises in finding the right insurance coverage for our clients by conducting market analysis, comparing benefits, and making the process of getting coverage easy and straightforward. We
focus on providing value and protection to our clients.”
Originally from Córdoba, Argentina, Nuria journeyed across Europe before finally settling in Malaga, which she now proudly calls home.
Having lived in bustling cities like Barcelona and London, she gained a diverse cultural perspective that enriches her daily life. In her spare time, Nuria finds joy in indulging in her favourite pastimes: reading with a good cup of coffee, travelling, going to the movies, and of course, walking around the beautiful city of Malaga.
As an insurance advisor, she enjoys working closely with her dedicated team at NowCompare. When asked what she loves most about her role, she replied, “I thrive on the challenge of crafting personalised solutions for our clients, ensuring they have the coverage necessary for a smooth transition to Spain.
It's incredibly fulfilling to have a meaningful impact on people's lives through my expertise and dedication, providing them with peace of mind as they embark on new chapters in their lives.”
NowCompare.es invites expats in Spain to embark on a journey towards cost-effective and comprehensive health insurance. Seize the opportunity to save, compare, and secure the best health insurance before it's too late.
NowCompare.es: Your gateway to a healthier and more affordable expat experience in Spain.
By Simon Hunter
of leftist alliance Sumar, which is the junior partner in the Socialist-led coalition government.
“We cannot try to keep extending timetables until who knows what time,” Diaz, who is also Spain’s labour minister, added, arguing that working beyond 10pm can be a risk to mental health.
The minister described Spain’s famous late-night dining culture as being out of step with the rest of Europe.
But Madrid premier Isabel Diaz Ayuso, from the conservative Partido Popular, was quick to take to X to slam Diaz’s comments.
“We are different,” she wrote in a tweet.
“Spain has the best nightlife in the world, with the streets full of life and freedom. And that also brings jobs. They want us to be puritans, materialists, socialists, with no soul, no light, and no restaurants because they feel like it. Bored and at home.”
Diaz, in response, dismissed Ayuso’s comments as ‘frivolous’. She said that her party was ‘in favour of leisure time’, and that proof of this was that ‘we want to reduce the working day’.
PASSENGERS have been warned to expect delays at Palma airport this summer due to maintenance work.
A Jet2 Holidays spokesperson said: “We are working with the airport to ensure that any disruption to your airport experience will be kept to a minimum.”
Palma is the third largest airport in Spain after Madrid and Barcelona.
Millions of passengers could be affected by the work but Jet2 has introduced ‘customer helpers’ to assist passengers in need at the airport.
BUDGET airline Jet2.com has begun trialling cash-free flights. Passengers onboard flights to and from Manchester will have to purchase food, drinks and other items using card and contactless payments only. The low-cost airline has emailed customers who are part of the trial to inform them of the change. A 2020 study found that over two-thirds of major airlines were now operating cash-free on board.
Jet2.com is the third largest airline in the UK, behind easyJet and British Airways.
ONE of Spain's most prolific dubbing actors, Montserrat Miralles, has died at the age of 67.
Miralles' range was broad and included TV and movie voice dubs of mainly-English speaking roles into Spanish.
The Barcelona-born actor became Victoria Principal's character of Pam Ewing in the epic soap Dallas and took on the vivacious Marilyn Monroe in the classic comedy film, Some Like It Hot.
Miralles started acting in the theatre and then developed a career in dubbing movie legends like Claudia Cardinale, Olivia de Havilland, Ingrid Bergman, Sophia Loren, and Barbra Streisand.
SPANISH police have smashed a counterfeit art ring that was selling fake Banksy pieces around the world.
Officers arrested two people at a workshop in Zaragoza for allegedly creating the forgeries.
They also arrested another two people for selling the artworks.
The suspects are under suspicion of continued fraud and infringement of intellectual property.
Each piece, supposedly by British street artist Banksy, sold for between €80€1,500.
AT WORK: Painter went too far
By Yzabelle BostynAccording to the Mossos d’Esquadra Catalan police, the scammers made up to €10,000 in the scheme.
Mossos d’Esquadra seized nine works and have identified another 25 in Scotland, Spain, the US, Germany and Switzerland. The group sold the pieces, often spray painted onto cardboard, in specialist shops, Barcelona auction houses and online. Officers also seized the various stencils and paints used to create the artworks.
A PRIEST has apologised to angry locals after ordering workers to paint over historic frescoes during a church’s restoration.
Hector Lunar, a priest on Tenerife, has asked for forgiveness following an outcry by churchgoers, claiming that he never knew that the 300-year old artworks, fragments of which survived, had been given protected status over a decade ago.
The Church of St Anthony of Padua, which dates back to the 16th century, was being restored when
BRITISH LGBT campaigner
LOOKED GOOD: but were counterfeits
The group claimed the works had been created as part of Banksy’s Dismaland project, a temporary exhibition resembling a dreary theme park.
Named ‘The UK’s most disappointing new visitor attraction’, the exhibition was held in Weston-superMare near Banksy’s native Bristol.
the walls were ordered to be repainted.
“No one told me about the frescoes. All I wanted to do was add another coat of paint to that bit of the church to get it ready for Holy Week events”, Lunar insisted.
The frescoes were discovered two decades ago during separate restoration works, with the church listed in 2011.
The scammers reportedly included stickers, stamps and certificates from the exhibition to make the product seem more authentic.
According to police, the creators were ‘young Banksy fans in economic trouble.’
The investigation remains open and police could make further arrests.
They are working with Pest Control, the only official company to verify authentic Banksy pieces. Banksy, an anonymous artist, is famous for his murals, critical of modern politics and art, often found in unexpected locations like the West Bank and Gaza.
Peter Tatchell has urged Spain’s first pansexual matador to ‘turn his back’ on the ‘oppressive’ bullfighting industry.
Mario Alcalde, a 31-year-old matador from Madrid, came out as pansexual in January. Now Tatchell has sent Alcalde (below) a letter imploring the bullfighter to see ‘the obvious parallels between the oppression of LGBTQ+ people and that of animals’.
“Bullfighting is the ritualised killing of innocent animals, who have no choice but to enter the ring. They stand no chance of coming out alive. It is the killing of living, feeling beings for entertainment and pleasure," writes Tatchell.
"Our LGBT+ community has long fought against oppression and injustice.
“Not only is torturing animals to death in a bullring morally indefensible, it also flies in the face of the altruistic values we stand for as a community."
To help you stay safe here is a checklist of some important safety items in the event of a breakdown. This emergency breakdown kit should be kept in your vehicle at all times. The kit includes: a torch and spare batteries, warm clothes and blankets, high-visibility jacket, first aid kit, jump start cables, empty fuel can, food and drink, two reflective warning signs, a road atlas, and a mobile phone charger.
recta and allows breakdown recovery and roadside assistance services to pinpoint your location and send help directly to you. This service is available throughout mainland Spain, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands. The technology is simple to use and really useful when you need it most.
As Spain’s most experienced provider of insurance for British expatriates, Línea Directa has been keeping motorists on the move for over 20 years.
We hope the information provided in this article is of interest. If you would like to contact Línea Directa please call 952 147 834. More information about Línea Directa online at www.lineadirecta.com
A POPULAR meal-skipping plan could increase the risk of cardiovascular death by 91% according to new research.
Fasting for 16 hours has been linked to 91% more risk of cardiovascular death in comparison with those who eat within a 12-16 hour window.
Those who fast limit their eating time to four to 12 hours, often spend the majority of the day without eating anything.
Eating during an eight hour interval and fasting for 16 is the most popular version of intermittent fasting.
However, research carried out by the United States Heart Association has warned that fasting for this long, even if you sleep during this time, could be dangerous.
Previously research had shown that fasting can reduce blood pressure as well levels of sugar and cholesterol.
Now, a study using over 20,000 US adults has found fasting for 16 hours or more increases the risk of cardiovascular death by 91%.
It also found that fasting is not associated with living longer.
Researchers say they were ‘surprised’ by the findings.
The study concluded that although there was a correlation, there was no direct link between fasting and cardiovascular issues.
SPAIN has the second lowest fertility rate in Europe, with just 1.16 live births per woman in 2022, according to new figures by Eurostat, the EU’s statistics agency.
The country also has the second highest ‘mean age’ at childbirth, at nearly 31 years and seven months.
The country with the lowest birthrate in Europe is Malta, with just 1.06 children per woman, while in Italy the average age at birth is 31 years and eight months.
THE Spanish government has announced a string of new health equality measures. Women will now be able to choose where they access abortion healthcare.
The plans are part of a document which will be presented to regional health leaders at the Inter-regional Forum for National Healthcare next month. It will advise health professionals on how to ensure equal access to abortion rights across the country.
SCIENTISTS have revealed the optimum number of steps per day to reduce your risk of heart disease.
Research from the University of Sydney found that walking 9000-10,000 steps a day could reduce the risk of early death by 39% and the risk of cardiovascular events by 21%.
Just 4,000-4,500 steps could be enough to give you half of these benefits. Any step count higher than 2,200 a day was associated with lower mortality rates and cardiovascular events.
THE EU has issued a food safety alert after a 1.5 tonne shipment of strawberries entering Spain from Morocco was found to contain traces of hepatitis A. The risk was classified as ‘serious’ by the EU’s RASFF (Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed) after officials conducted tests on the haul after it arrived in the port of Algeciras.
The Valencian association of farmers (AVA-ASAJA) called on the government and the Eu-
ropean Union to enact ‘urgent measures’ to prevent a dangerous repeat of the situation.
Officials believe the strawberries contain hepatitis A, which can cause a highly inflamed liver, due to the irrigation of fruit farms in Morocco with fecal water.
STEPHEN Fry has blasted popular weight loss drug Ozempic after it made him ‘throw up five times per day’.
The medication, prescribed for obesity and type two diabetes, is soaring in popularity in Spain.
While some celebrities have praised the ‘miracle’ drug, Fry said it made him ‘sicker and sicker’.
In just five months, the 66-year-old lost five and a half stone as he simply ‘didn’t want’ to eat or drink.
But soon he ‘couldn’t take’ throwing up anymore and stopped taking Ozempic.
SPANISH researchers have come up with an innovative way of easing gout.
They’ve patented a treatment based on a molecule found in coffee and cocoa.
Dr. Antonia Costa and Dr. Felix Grases from the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) have revealed the benefits of 7-methylxanthine. This increases the solubility of sodium urate and stops the formation of uric acid crystals, which cause pain and inflammation in the joints of affected people.
The breakthrough comes after a decade of research to find a solution to the condition that affects up to 5% of the world’s population.
The success of the two doctors has its origins in the discovery, in 2014, of theobromine as a substance that inhibits the crystallisation of uric acid.
That research led them to study substances derived from theobromine - namely caffeine - to stop crystals forming in joints.
Quick Crossword
Across:
Down: 2
EMERGENCIES:
Cristobal Aguado, head of the AVA-ASAJA, has sent a letter to the Minister of Agriculture, Luis Planas, urging him to “urgently ask the Moroccan government for explanations and to specify what measures it intends to take to prevent this type of thing from happening again”.
He also lobbied the under-fire minister to insist that all strawberries coming from Morocco should undergo a thorough health inspection and, in the event that more health alerts are detected in other fruit and vegetables, controls should be extended to those products.
Junta president Juanma Moreno stated that ‘those strawberries should never have entered Spain’.
Authorities have confirmed that the strawberries were detained at the Andalucian port and prevented from entering general circulation.
The UIB says that the pharmaceutical industry has already expressed major interest in their discovery.
It hopes that a licencing agreement will make the treatment widely available to gout sufferers as a safer and more effective option to combat this painful disease.
People with gout have to follow a strict diet that helps prevent excessive uric acid production.
At the same time, there are various medicines based on anti-inflammatories to reduce pain, diuretics to increase urine excretion, and medications to reduce uric acid production.
All of these have notable side effects, including increased cardiovascular risk, which makes the UIB discovery even more appealing.
YOUR property is likely to be your most valuable asset, and needs the right protection. I have regularly extolled the virtues of Liberty’s fully comprehensive house policy. When asking the right questions, you will discover that many house insurance policies are inadequate.
You do need to read the small print on your house policy, including checking that you have all the coverage you require. One of the very important issues when discussing house insurance is the amount of contents cover, always remembering that with Spanish Home insurance the kitchen is included in the contents, not the buildings.
Also there is a wonderful extra you can add to your policy and that is accidental damage, which is unique to Liberty Seguros and covers many breakages and claims within the home.
Therefore can I please ask you all to double check the coverage of your home policies, whether you are with Jennifer Cunningham Insurance and Liberty, or another company, to understand the cover you actually have. Finding out you have the incorrect and insufficient coverage when you want to make a claim is far too late.
My consultants are currently working on assessing the home policies, and if they feel you would benefit with increased, additional coverage, they will contact you at renewal. In the meantime, if you have any concerns or questions, please contact one of my offices and we will be able to give you the advice you require and answer any questions.
We also have optional guarantees available, which include dangerous dog liability, public liability for mobility vehicles, cover for electric vehicle chargers, and illegal occupation if the policy is for a second home and unpaid rent if you are a landlord renting your property.
If you have expensive garden furniture, we can increase the cover for these. We can also offer increased cover for valuable objects and jewellery in event of theft with violence. We can tailor your house policy to suit your own individual needs.
AN autonomous robot police dog will soon be using artificial intelligence to patrol the streets of Malaga on its own, sniffing out crimes with a suite of stateof-the-art sensors.
SPAIN’S leading pollster, who was widely ridiculed after misjudging the recent Galician regional elections, has blamed conservative nuns for boosting the rightwing vote.
DORITOS Spain have dumped Spanish transgender influencer Samanatha Hudson, 24, after tweets emerged - from when she was 15 - detailing her ‘depraved’ desires towards under-age girls.
ferent accents’. Published in Behavioral Ecology magazine, the re-
search was carried out by the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour and Evolutionary Anthropology.
AN e-scooter rider has been filmed carrying a door and huge slats of wood on the base of his two-wheeled vehicle in southern Spain.
The viral video is alleged to have been recorded in San Fernando, Cadiz.
The middle-aged rider can be seen travelling in between cars on his scooter while trying to balance the large number of items perched on the electric vehicle by his feet.
He is then seen taking on a roundabout, as travellers in the car behind him record a video on their mobile phones.
According to the study author, Stephen Tyndel: “Similar to humans, monk parakeets have developed unique ways of communicating according to where they live.”
The birds are the ‘ideal’ subject
to study the evolution of communication in a non-human species.
The birds originate in South America, but escaped pets have established colonies around Europe.
The researchers carried out their study in Spain, Belgium, Italy and Greece.
Each city had a different dialect, with variances in the structure and frequency of each call. Although difficult for humans to distinguish, it was discovered that the Brussels parakeets had the strongest dialect.
The results surprised researchers, says Tyndel: “This suggests the dialects came out passively, as birds copy each other, they make mistakes and over time these become a new dialect.”
The team believes accents could develop actively as a form of social communication to help birds recognise their friends in big groups.
City parakeets live in very crowded nests, leading researchers to think ‘slang’ could have developed.
A VULTURE has won a legion of fans online after being pictured ‘taking over’ an apartment balcony on the Costa del Sol. Pictures shared on Instagram show the bird of prey seemingly posing for pics as its claws clutch onto the railing of the terrace in Fuengirola. The snaps were taken from an apartment in the Stella Maris building next to the Paseo Maritimo on Sunday. Commentators joked that the vulture was ‘a new type of squatter’.
TWO men doing Spain’s famous Camino de Santiago pilgrims walk had to take refuge up an oak tree after being charged by several cows.
The hikers, aged 28 and 64, were in the Caceres area when they were surprised by the animals.
One of the cows was with her calf and took an instant dislike to the men and charged them. They climbed to the top of an oak tree and stayed there for 20 minutes until the Guardia Civil arrived to help them.
