Olive Press Mallorca Issue 190

CINEMA DEL SOL

Tributes paid

A MEMORIAL for a Stockport couple who tragically died while hiking in Mallorca will be held this Sunday.

Sarah Jane Thompson, 26, and her partner Alexander Barrett, 32,(pictured below) lost their lives when huge floods in the Tramuntana mountain range swept them away on September 3.

The body of Sarah was found in the Torrent de Pareis area the next day. Alex was last seen desperately trying to save his girlfriend from the floods.

On September 6, a Guardia Civil spokesperson confirmed that a body matching Alex’s description had been found.

A total of 10 people were rescued during the flooding on September 3.

Alex’s workplace, a Stockport rock climbing gym called Awesome Walls, shared the following statement: "Alex was known for his warm smile, kind nature, and endless psych in all aspects of life.

“Sarah was a kind, joyful and would regularly make friends with people during her climbing sessions.

“We will miss them dearly."

The memorial will start at the Woodbank and Vernon Park car park at 7.15 pm and head to the lower section of the park.

O P LIVE RESS MALLORCA

Find out where the big stars are filming in Andalucia this week... and learn about Spain’s most famous movie director here for

Battered before the Big Day

A BRITISH groom-to-be is awaiting facial reconstruction surgery after he was allegedly attacked by bouncers at a nightclub in Mallorca.

William Wheatley, 26, can only see out of one eye and may have suffered ear damage following the assault at the M Two nightclub in Port Andratx in the early hours of Sunday morning.

“He has broken his eye socket and nose and will need to have facial reconstruction,” his furious sister Fleur Wheatley, 32, told the Olive Press.

His family, from London, are now seeking legal action and have warned other tourists against entering the nightclub.

William, who is due to be wed in less than two weeks, was out with his sister Fleur, her female friend, 31, and his 21-year-old brother James when the incident occurred at around 4am. There had been a misunderstanding between their group and another group of Germans, and they had come outside of the club to resolve the issue.

Groom-to-be has eye socket shattered by nightclub bouncers just days before his wedding

EXCLUSIVE

By Laurence Dollimore

Fleur explained: “Basically it was all fine. We all kissed and hugged and made up, and we were told we could go back inside.”

But after re-entering, one bouncer grabbed the youngest brother James and yanked him outside, claims Fleur.

As they were leaving, William continued to plead with the bouncers, asking what the problem was. It was then, claims Fleur, that one bodyguard pushed her friend out of the way and called her a ‘b***h’.

James then told the bouncer in Spanish that he ‘must have a small penis’ to treat a woman that way, sparking a violent response.

Fleur recalls: “I was shoved to the ground and hit my head, James was punched in the face and William was

beaten up.

ASSAULTED: William (pictured with sister Fleur) will need surgery after eye socket was broken (left)

“The police were on the scene in minutes, the taxi drivers tried to come to our rescue but it was too late.

“My brother had been pinned down

by one of the bouncers (he has bruising on his shoulders) and was pummelled in the face repeatedly. The doctors believe it was with an object and/or a boot not just a fist.

“He has broken his eye socket and nose and will need to have facial reconstruction.”

Fleur added: “The paramedics, police and taxi driver (who took my other brother to the hospital) said this is a repeat occurrence and the bouncers are all thugs…

“No security guard should ever attack someone or aim for the face, it’s disgusting.”

Fleur said Port Andratx ‘should not have this behaviour’

as ‘it is a family friendly safe spot.’ She said the photos of her brother are ‘gruesome’ but that ‘they need to be shown’.

She continued: “It’s gruesome but this place needs to be shut down and locals and tourists need to know what these people are capable of.

“My brother is happy for his image to be shared in the hope this never happens again.

Shocking

“In addition one of the security guards stole his ring which adds a lot of insult to a lot of injury.”

She continued: “It’s shocking that these incidents are happening in a sleepy, kind port.

“Five hours earlier we’d been eating in our favourite restaurant.. So I know the port is full of fabulous, wonderful, kind people for the most part.”

Fleur said they made preliminary statements to police at the scene but that William has flown back to the UK for treatment.

However they are already seeking legal counsel and plan to press full charges.

The M Two nightclub has been contacted for comment.

Counting cañas

JAPANESE brewery Kirin has revealed Spain ranks 6th globally for beer drunk per capita, consuming an average of 95.1 litres a year.

Legend quits

JOSE Antonio Morante de la Puebla, widely regarded as Spain’s greatest matador has quit, citing his mental struggle with depersonalisation disorder and agoraphobia.

Airb ‘n’ bills

BARCELONA’S Airbnb owners are demanding €1 billion in compensation following the city council’s decision to revoke 10,000-plus tourist apartment licences.

Balearic expansion

THE BRITISH InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) will open a new hotel in Alaro, Mallorca, next year. It is part of a Spain wide expansion including four new hotels.

A GERMAN man has been arrested for putting ‘two apples inside another man’s rectum without consent’.

The victim says he did not consent to the practice and one of the apples had to be surgically removed.

Bad apple

Police agents in Palma the arrested the 40-year-old alleged perpetrator, who had met his victim on a

dating app, on suspicion of sexual assault.

When interviewed by police the victim said he had ‘gaps in his memory’ and suspected the man had drugged him without his knowledge.

BUT I WASN’T DRIVING!

THREE driving instructors have been found giving lessons while under the influence of drugs and alcohol by Guardia Civil. And to make matters worse, one of them had only just

By Walter Finch

got his licence back for being three times the alcohol limit and driving under the influence of drugs while giving a

BAR BRAWL

THREE tourists, two British and one Serbian, have been arrested t the Ritzi Lounge Bar in upmarket Puerto Portals. They are alleged to have caused more than €5,000 worth of damage and assaulting police when a brawl broke out.

The fight reportedly started after the men, aged 22-50, argued amongst themselves. They fled the scene leaving an unpaid bill, but were apprehended by police.

The Britons were released on bail, while the Serbian national is facing extradition for unrelated charges.

lesson in Santanyi last year. The Llevant de Mallorca instructor was found guilty of dangerous driving and banned for eight months. After completing the ban and corresponding safety courses, he got his licence back but was let go by his former employer. He soon secured a posting in a different driving school, despite being known in the in-

Driving instructor was three times over alcohol limit during test

dustry for drinking and doing drugs on the job. He was soon back to his old tricks and this time was accompanying a student during a driving test, with a DGT inspector in the back of his car. He has again been accused of dangerous driving and his licence taken away and can expect a lengthy ban and pos-

sible jail time - especially as he was also banned in 2020 for the same offences, meaning he faces his third ban in four years.

Police had staked out the Manacor (Ma-15) road in an operation targeting driving instructors after hearing that several appeared to be under the influence while taking lessons.

A SPANISH lawyer defending the alleged killer of a British expat insists the victim was a ‘hooligan’ who ‘provoked the incident’ that led to his death. Jose Ramon Cantalejo is representing the man accused of murdering Martin Allwright, 59, who was attacked with a gardening hoe while walking his dog in El Palaces, Almeria at around 1.10am on August 12. He died five days later in hospital.

The 59-year-old suspect was charged with murder and remanded in custody.

Provoked

But his lawyer Cantalejo insists the incident was ‘provoked by the English citizen’, who he claims ‘had already been reported previously and who the neighbours were terrified and afraid of.’ He said: “I’m not one to say how he was, but many say that he was a real hooligan.” He added: “The area of Zurgena, being cheaper, is not the same as Vera Playa or Mojacar, where we see English people with big cars… we are talking about people who even came to work, or who, when they retired, sold their house south of Glasgow or Birmingham and live here like real princes, but they do not fit into the social reality of the country.”

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FAIL!: Boozy instructor faces being banned for the third time in just four years

OSCAR-WINNING director Pedro Almodovar made history for Spanish cinema when his first En glish-language feature, The Room Next Door, took the prestigious Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival. By taking the prize, Almodovar now ranks alongside legendary director Luis Buñuel, who was until now the only Spanish director to have received it, for his 1967 film Belle de Jour

SPANISH LION

The Room Next Door, which stars Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, tackles the subjects of the climate crisis and euthanasia, and received an 18-minute standing ovation when it premiered at Venice.

See What made the magician, P14

Dialing in the stars

Netflix in Ronda for Agatha Christie mystery featuring stars Iain Glen, Helena Bonham Carter and Martin Freeman

IT is a famous 1920s murder mystery that keeps readers guessing until the final page. So unsurprisingly the producers behind the Netflix series Seven Dials filming in Ronda this week were carefully guarding their cast and locations.

But it was impossible to shield one of its biggest stars - Martin Freeman - from the eyes of the

press as he acted in the town’s famous bullring.

An eagle-eyed Olive Press team worked out that you could watch the production from the rooftop terrace of the four star Catalonia hotel opposite.

From the amazing perch - high above the world’s oldest bullring with a backdrop of mountains behind - you could watch the production on its first day of filming.

With a beer in hand, it was easy to spot Hobbit star Freeman as he marched in wearing a beige

BRITAIN’S richest plumber has revealed he is making a permanent move to the Costa del Sol amid fears of a tax raid on the rich in the Labour government’s upcoming budget.

Charlie Mullins, 71, the founder of Pimlico Plumbers, has already become a resident of Marbella, and now plans to sell his €12 million apartment which has views of The Shard and London Eye.

“I am taking all my investment out of the UK. The

You beaut!

safari suit and Panama hat. So far, there was no sign of fellow actors Iain Glen or Helena Bonham Carter, who are also starring in the production by London-based 72 Films, which

Mullin it over

government is driving people with money away from the country. Why would people stay in the UK?” he said.

Mullins made his money in London, where he grew up - selling his firm for €155 million three years ago.

He has long intended to move to Spain, telling the Olive Press in 2021: “I’m very permanently in Spain now,” adding his lawyers were sorting out full-time residency.

He was buying more properties on top of the seaside villa he owns in La Cala de Mijas.

made the latest James Bond movie.

Mia McKenna-Bruce, from Vampire Academy and How to Have Sex, is also appearing after winning the BAFTA Rising Star award last year.

The production is set to film at at least six different locations, including the Arabic Baths, the Ocho Canos fountain and the Virgen de la Cabeza chapel on the other side of the gorge.

The team, which numbers around 120 staff, includes a separate drone unit with their own uniform.

Seven Dials was an Agatha Christie mystery which tells the story of a lavish country house party, where a practical joke goes murderously wrong. It is up to budding sleuth - the inquisitive Lady Eileen ‘Bundle’ Brent, played by McKenna-Bruce - to solve the mystery.

THIS is the 21-year-old beauty queen who overcame a ‘rough’ childhood and online trolls to represent Spain at the November’s Miss Universe competition in Mexico. Michelle Jimenez, a Business and Marketing student, grew up in various children's homes on the Balearic Islands.

The oldest of nine siblings, she ‘basically raised’ her brothers and sisters, something which she is very proud of. But Michelle hasn’t always received love and support, being criticised for her Dominican ancestry, the colour of her skin and her tattoos.

“The critique started when I was put in the top three. It’s hard to deal with but I won’t give in to bullies,” she said.

Burned at the stake

SHAKIRA has likened her tax fraud ordeal to the Inquisition and accused the Spanish treasury of ‘publicly burning her at the stake’ in her stron gest statement on her highly-publicised crimi nal case yet.

The Colombian pop star blasted the Span ish tax authorities as sexist, racist and manipulative, saying she was ‘persecuted’ by the judiciary system before striking a plea bargain deal last November.

The singer was accused of six separate crimes of defrauding the state of a total of €14.5million in unpaid taxes.

In order to escape a possible eight-year jail term, she agreed to a suspended three-year prison sentence and a €7.4million fine on the first day of her trial in Barcelona.

CREDIT: Michelle Jimenez via Instagram/Jose Urbano

PICTURES BY: Paul Whitelock & Charles Pullan

By Yzabelle Bostyn & Paul Whitelock in Ronda

SNEAKY: We watched filming from a nearby hotel

BRIT IN WATER PARK HORROR

A 15-YEAR-OLD British boy is fighting for his life after suffering a near-fatal drowning at a Mallorca water park. The teenager was rushed to hospital following the incident in Alcudia.

According to Spanish reports, the child was knocked unconscious after hitting his head while going down one of the slides.

The ordeal took place at the Hidropark centre, reports Cronica Balear.

The boy’s ambulance was reportedly escorted by Guardia Civil motorcycles.

Local reports said the boy sank to the bottom of the pool as soon as he exited the slide.

Paramedics rushed to the scene and were able to ‘recover his pulse’, but the boy remained unconscious. He was stabilised but had to be taken to the Son Espases hospital.

CRUISE CRACKDOWN

AUTHORITIES in Ibiza have an -

nounced a crackdown on the number of cruise ships allowed to dock on the island amid a wave of anti-tourist protests.

The Council of Mayors has revealed plans to limit cruise ship arrivals to no more than two at a time.

The move follows in the footsteps of authorities in Palma who last year limited arrivals to just three per day.

Vicent Mari Torres, the president of Ibiza’s council, said the announcement would ensure arrivals were spaced out, preventing the infamous stampedes as tourists arrive, infuri -

KNOCKOUT BURGLARS

A MOTHER-OF-TWO woke up through a haze to catch a pair of burglars who gassed their victims while they slept. In the process, she cut short a crime spree that had terrorised the occupants of luxury villas across Ibiza.

The Albanian duo reportedly robbed their final home in the early hours of August 28 after a reign of terror that saw them knock off 22 properties over the summer.

They even targeted the villa where British radio DJ Nick Grimshaw had been staying with his 81-year-old mother Eileen.

“I was very groggy and barely aware of what was going on, but my 13-year-old daughter saw the whole thing,” Sandra (who asked us not to use her real

Mother-of-two recounts

terrifying ordeal of waking up while men were in the house

EXCLUSIVE

By Walter Finch

name), 47, told the Olive Press.

“There were two men in balaclavas and surgical gloves, creeping around the house in silent slippers for two and a half hours.”

She said she and her two daughters had gone to bed early.

“It’s a big, big house, so I said to them ‘why don’t we all sleep together?’ We were fast asleep before 11pm.”

But then a hazy nightmare took over, as she became ‘vaguely’ aware of there being

strange men in the house, but she could not wake up to do anything about it.

Sandra is sure they were ‘gassed’ using gas canisters sprayed into their faces while they slept, but the gas ‘didn’t work properly’.

“It’s like you’re hypnotised,” she explained. “I finally got up at 5.20am, but I felt so groggy and weird. I thought ‘how much did I drink last night?’”

It was only after she had gone back to bed that Sandra realised something wasn’t right. Someone was in the room

TURKEY HERE WE COME

GERMAN tourists have famously long loved the sun, sea and sand of Mallorca - but it may be time to say ‘Auf Weidersehen’ as new figures have revealed that the nation’s travellers are holidaying elsewhere.

According to booking numbers from TUI, the German travel operator, holidaymakers searching for some autumnal sunshine are ditching the Balearics in favour of a popular resort in Turkey.

Antalya has surged in popularity amongst tourists thanks to its warm temperatures and low prices, according to Stefan Baumert, CEO of TUI’s German division.

“The warm temperatures and excellent value for money have made Turkey an especially attractive destination for families”, he said, adding that Antalya was the most popular destination for bookings amongst customers this autumn.

Flying high

THE Balearic Islands have received over 11,479,118 international tourists between January and August.

This represents a 6.8% increase on the same period last year.

According to Turespaña, the islands have welcomed over 2,484,000 tourists in August alone, 6% more than in August 2023.

That means the Balearics are leading the way in Spain, with 22% of August’s visitors.

Palma airport saw 1.7 million international passengers (up 6%), while 477,643 travelled through Ibiza (up 4.1%).

Brits made up 23.6% of international arrivals in Spain last month, with an increase of 8.1% compared to 2023.

The Balearic and Canary Islands absorbed 49% of total British tourists visiting Spain.

ating local residents and overwhelming infrastructure.

Recently, locals in Ibiza, Mallorca and other tourist hotspots across Spain, have voiced concerns about overtourism. They claim that despite tourism’s importance to the local economy - 84% of Ibiza’s GDP is related to tourism - the arrival of too many visitors is damaging the 21-mile-long island.

RAID: The robbers were caught on CCTV

with her and her daughters, aged 12 and 13.

“Then I got up again, went to the door, and saw something I’ll never forget: the door closing and this guy putting his finger to his lips going shh!

“I suddenly understood our home had been invaded, and I went into the foetal position and just absolutely shivered.”

It was Sandra’s eldest daughter – who had been lying awake watching the men creep around the house for two and a half hours while her mother and sister were out cold – who shook her to her senses.

Taxi fall

A BRITISH tourist is in a serious condition after falling in front of a taxi in Sant Antoni, Ibiza.

According to emergency services, the tourist, 34, had apparently fallen onto the road while drunk and was then hit by a passing taxi.

Paramedics from the SAMU 061 service were quickly dispatched to the scene and provided immediate medical care.

The injured man was stabilised before being taken to Can Misses Hospital, where he was admitted with serious injuries.

DRINK DRIVING CRACKDOWN

SPAIN is considering toughening up drink driving laws that would result in one beer placing you over the limit. Currently, drivers cannot exceed an a level of 0.5g per litre of blood (or its equivalent of 0.25mg/l of exhaled air).

If they are novice or professional drivers, the permitted rate drops to 0.3g/l (0.15mg/l in exhaled air). Under the proposed new law, the limit for all drivers would be 0.2 g/l in blood.

One 330ml beer will likely produce 0.3 grams of alcohol per litre of blood in a man who weighs 70kg, and 0.2 in a man carrying 80kg. It means having just one small beer would put you at risk of being over the limit.

“Mummy, we have to escape!” she said. Her maternal instincts kicking in, the single-mother led the three of them through a balcony window and out into the surrounding fields where they alerted the housekeeper. According to Sandra, the burglars were picked up by the Guardia Civil at 6.30am, less than an hour after they had left her villa after viewing high-quality CCTV from the property. Now the mother-of-two is warning other visitors to Ibiza to avoid staying in isolated villas because burglary gangs are ‘rife’ across the island.

“Gangs that go around the island targeting these luxury villas out in the countryside have become normalised,” she said.

Robbed

“We’re just simple, ordinary people and they robbed us. An actor friend of mine who has a villa on the island told me they’d been burgled while at home three times this year.”

The final burglary of their crime spree must have proven disappointing for the criminals as they only managed to steal ‘€70 and a pair of earrings’ from Sandra’s villa. But a police investigation discovered ‘multiple stolen items such as high-end watches, sunglasses, jewellery, handbags from well-known brands, mobile phones and cash’ worth thousands during a search of the robbers’ home. Two men plus a woman from Romania have been remanded in prison, facing charges of breaking and entering, robbery with violence, and theft.

Summer’s over

THE official end of the summer - or the autumn equinox - starts on September 22, at 2.44pm, according to the National Geographic Institute.

But the changing of the clocks will not happen until more than a month later. We will return to standard time, or winter time, on Sunday, October 27, 2024.

YOUR EXPAT INSURANCE MADE SIMPLE

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OPINION

Lawless

THE Costa del Crime is alive and kicking with fraudsters now taking advantage of Spain’s chaotic tourism market.

Fabri Anton is just one of the many scammers operating in areas saturated by tourism, including Malaga, Mallorca and the Costa Blanca.

The impunity with which the Argentinian has stolen money from expats and locals alike via holiday rentals is shocking but believable at the same time.

We have discovered he started his schemes in Italy, where he ran a dodgy tour company known as Maggiore Tours.

Most likely mistakes there caught up with him and he ran to Spain, a long time safe haven for scammers and criminals alike.

Here, it seems they can operate freely without worrying about the strong arm of the law.

Seemingly a dozen-plus victims have reported Fabri for allegedly stealing their money, but the police have so far done nothing.

Despite the obvious immorality of the situation, authorities claim the issue is purely a ‘civil matter’ and refuse to act.

What is even more disgusting is the fact Fabri targets older and expat women.

Expecting them to be vulnerable, it seems the Argentinian didn’t expect the women to fight back. That was his biggest mistake as eight brave victims told the Olive Press about their ordeal. When the law fails, it is only thanks to newspapers like ours that fraudsters can be exposed.

We hope that with our reporting, one more scammer will be taken off the streets.

Many of the victims are also pushing back with civil suits against Fabri, but unfortunately, not all of them can afford to take legal action.

Live Forever (or nearly)

WANT to live for a century? Consider moving to Galicia, home to the highest number of 100 year olds per capita in Europe.

According to a new study carried out by the Galician Geriatric Society (GGS) and the University of Vigo the northern region has some 75.79 centenarians per 100,000 inhabitants.

But that’s not all: The region is also home to two particular ‘blue zones’ or ‘hotspots’ where, chances are, you can live even longer. Ourense and Pontevedra are now being studied by GGS president Jose Failde alongside fellow group, Ourensividad, to identify why the locals live so long. According to Pablo Garcia, of Ourensividad, the amount of centenarians is certainly connected to the Atlantic diet, consisting of fresh, seasonal produce, including fish. He also credits the water in the region as a ‘fountain of youth’.

Roberto Fernandez, a local GP, says: “Healthy habits and resilience are big factors to longevity in Ourense, although we haven’t yet found any other common factors in the centenarians here.”

Perhaps we need to ask some of the long living locals themselves.

Take 103-year-old Eustaquio Perez, who insists his ripe age is down to physical exertion and resilience.

Living in the village of Beade, surrounded by green mountains, he reckons getting up early, maintaining a routine and not eating dinner helps.

His diet consists of natural products from his garden only and his dinner is often so

light that he skips it altogether (two biscuits and some milk).

Galicia has the highest number of 100 year olds in Europe - and skipping suppers, dancing and writing books might help

GO WITH THE FLOW: Eustaquio advises accepting life’s changes

By Yzabelle Bostyn

“I get up every morning at 5am to look after my sheep. Then, I have a siesta and watch a film,” he explains. Contrary to medical advice, he has almost always avoided medicines and isn’t even vaccinated against Covid-19. However, he has received treatment for hernias and prostate cancer.

When it comes to mental health, he says:

“My philosophy of life is to accept what comes and adapt to the changes, always having a sense of humour and not being scared of death.”

Esperanza Cortiñas (left), is 107 years-old and was born in 1916. She still has the ‘en-

ergy of a teenager’, something which she owes to ‘music and dancing’.

“I love tango, but I am a lover of all music and I have more than seven awards from dance competitions. It’s music and dance that have helped me reach this age,” she explains Despite living for over a century she has glowing skin: “My beauty trick has always been to use a simple cream from the supermarket. Nothing more.”

Although she suffered a broken hip just two months ago, she is recovering with surprising ease.

“My health has always been good,” she says, “I don’t drink besides a shot of coffee with sugar and aguardiente in the morning. I eat everything.”

Ever the socialite, her daughter Aurora adds that she ‘can’t walk more than 20 steps without someone stopping her for a chat.’

Another centurion, 100-year-old Jose Salgado, owes his longevity to working on the land until 97 years old. “I began working at 14 years old and since then I’ve done a lot of things, taxi, businessman, farmer and miller,” he explains. “Until 97 I was working in my orchard, with the same dedication as a young man.”

Despite retiring three years ago, he keeps active by reading the newspaper and carving models.

Jose has also never drank or smoked, although he admits his guilty pleasures are ‘salt and fat’.

He has even started writing a book about his life and says he has three more things to achieve: “Sort out some land, reconnect with a girl I liked and see a bit more of the world.”

The great-grandfather of five advises young people to ‘enjoy the little things’, saying ‘you don’t find happiness in grand travels and adventures’.

PUBLISHER / EDITOR

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es

Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es

Walter Finch walter@theolivepress.es

Yzabelle Bostyn yzabelle@theolivepress.es

Ben Pawlowski ben@theolivepress.es

Laurence Dollimore laurence@theolivepress.es

Alex Trelinski alex@theolivepress.es

Simon Hunter simon@theolivepress.es

Cole Sinanian cole@theolivepress.es

ARE THEY OVER YET?

Sick of the feria season? Looking forward to the cold and the tourists going home? You’re not the only one, writes Lenox Napier

IKEEP hearing the same question now the local fiestas, concerts and sporting events are largely over: ‘Who exactly do they benefit?’

There’s an apocryphal story of my late mother, who moved here in the Sixties, stomping down to the main square in Mojacar wearing her slippers and dressing gown – before slugging the mayor shouting ‘turn the music down, I’m trying to get some sleep!’.

In those days, there’d be a few strings of bunting, a local band and the bars doing a brisk trade for days on end into the early hours. The local families would dance together, from small children to grandparents, all holding hands and bobbing around. There were songs like La Chica Ye

Ye or the grisly Las flechas del Amor… Brandy was just three centimos a tot. A small glass of local tooth-rotting vino cost even less. They were differ-

ent times. The only visitors would be those who had emigrated to Barcelona or France or Germany. There were practically no guiris I remember a family known as ‘los Marseillaises’, who would rock up in their Citröen Ami, look down their noses at their country-cousins, and then disappear again a few days later. These days, the fiestas are a joy for the shopkeepers and barmen who obligingly stay open late, but there’s not much pleasure for the locals. Even if one does attend, and has a pricey beer at the pop up chiringuitos (next to the deafening dance-band), who are you going to talk to? Who are you going to dance with? The music is too loud and too fast. Ultimately these events are not so

much fun even for the locals any more. They don’t live in the centre and they can’t usually park anywhere near when they come in and then, of course, they can’t drink. Ok, they make an exception for the first night’s fireworks, but often that’s it. Really these events are for the business-folk and the tourists, who all stay in the historic centres in their Airbnbs and hotels, the owners rubbing their hands with glee.

I’m guessing they don’t love the noise and nor do us locals who have to pay for the music and the bunting. Meanwhile, there’s no one left prepared to stomp down to the fiesta at three in the morning, waving a handbag around and telling the mayor to go and pull the effing plug.

WORKING: Jose didn’t stop until 97

How architects are creating ultra modern homes out of traditional houses

HAT do you do if you want to live in a modern minimalist house but have to retain the facade of an earlier building? Call in an imaginative architect of course!

A historic 20th-century building has been transformed into a contemporary home that fuses traditional architecture with a complementary minimalist home known as The Empty House.

Designed by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos, the four-bedroom dwelling was created to offer a blank canvas for its owners, contrasting starkly with the traditional facade of the existing structure.

“From the outside, the facade maintains its character without modifying the street, becoming a kind of scenery from another era,” explained Fran Silvestre, the studio’s founder. Inside, however, the home is a stripped-back oasis of clean lines and natural light.

The ground floor of the home near Valencia features a spacious living, dining, and kitchen area overlooking a covered terrace and swimming pool. To the east, a smaller wing houses a guest bedroom and workshop. Upstairs, two en-suite bedrooms and a skylit multipurpose room offer additional living space.

The interior design emphasises minimalism, with plain walls, ceilings, and floors. Natural light floods the home, creating a sense of openness and tranquillity. The use of limestone flooring and wooden carpentry complements the minimalist aesthetic, while embedded lighting minimises visual clutter.

Silvestre explained that the choice of materials was influenced by both the property’s history and the desire to create a harmonious connection with the city. “For example, a limestone pavement was chosen, with a tone similar to that of the facade of the existing building,” he said. “The memory of the original construction is still valid and present in today's spaces.”

Mark Stucklin www.spanishpropertyinsight.com

Home sales ebullient in first half of year, but foreign markets off the boil

GOOD NEWS AND BAD

THE Spanish property market had an excellent first half (H1) of 2024 with the second-highest sales level in more than 15 years, up 6% on the same period last year to 350,818 transac-

tions, according to the notaries.

The only time sales were higher was in the first half of 2022, when pent-up demand from 2020 and 2021 fueled a post-pandemic boom.

The second quarter (Q2) figure was even better, with sales up 10% to 189,909 suggesting the trend is turning increasingly positive as the year progresses. With these figures in hand it’s fair to say that the market is one of the most buoyant in Europe.

SALES BY REGION

By regions of greatest interest to foreign investors sales were up the most in Madrid (H1 +10%, Q2 +16%) with most regions showing a similar pattern of accelerating growth in the second quarter.

Only the islands showed negative growth in H1, with transactions falling the most in the Balearics (-9%), and by -3% in the Canaries.

But even in the Balearics the second quarter sales trend showed a slight improvement compare to H1

What factors are driving the strong sales?

The key drivers are a growing population, a change in interest rates, now falling, and a shortage of homes for rent as government interference in the rental market reduces the quantity and quality of homes for rent in hot markets like Madrid, Malaga city and Barcelona.

Spanish house prices are also on the rise. According to the notaries, prices in terms of €/sqm rose by 5% in H1, and 3% in Q2. Rising prices give buyers confidence that they are making a sound investment, and encourage them to buy before prices rise even further.

SALES INVOLVING FOREIGN BUYERS

What about foreign buyers, who have been so active the last few years?

Data from the land registrars based on deeds inscribed in the first half shows foreign demand down 6% in H1, and 4% in Q2, in both cases the third best period for foreign sales on record. So foreign de -

mand is down from a recent peak, but still high by historical standards. By country the biggest increases in H1 came from Poland (+9%), Ireland (+8%) and the Netherlands (+5%), but in Q2 the biggest increase came from the USA (+21%).

However, most countries sent fewer buyers to Spain in the first half. The big three markets of the UK, Germany and France were all down in H1, by 10%, 12%, and 24% respectively (Q2 was generally a bit better), whilst the Russian decline was 27%, no doubt related to that country’s isolation since Putin invaded Ukraine.

What’s driving foreign demand? The data suggests that house prices at home are one important factor that appear to be positively correlated with the number of buyers heading to Spain. House prices are declining in the UK, Germany and France, whilst increasing in Poland, Ireland, and the Netherlands (Source:Eurostat / Gov.co.uk).

TENNIS star Rafa Nadal is serving up a €200 million development in Andalucia.

The Mallorcan wizard is doubling up with Ibiza hotel dynamo Abel Matutes to build up to 100 luxury homes on the Costa del Sol.

Under their new joint venture company, Palya Invest, they will deliver the series of

Height of luxury

A SKYSCRAPER in Benidorm has been crowned the best residential development in Europe.

Benidorm Beach scooped the award at this year’s International Property Awards.

The 126-metre high project, which has 36 floors, is being promoted by Alicante developers Alibuilding, and was designed by Chamizo Arquitectos.

There are a total of 196 apartments with two, three or four bedrooms, with prices starting at €690,000.

It counts on large open, common areas, an indoor pool, gym, spa and jacuzzi - plus two padel courts, a running track and children’s play area.

November 29thDecember 12th 2023

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LIFE’S A BEACH FOR RAFA

villas and apartments at two sites, ready by 2027 and 2028.

The duo plan to build around 50 beachfront houses in Estepona and some 40 in Nagueles de Marbella.

Palladium Hotel Group boss Matutes has long been involved in similar developments, while Nadal has worked with the Melia hotel group on a new brand called Zel. Matutes and Nadal have other business

holdings such as the production company Komodo which is behind the Mad Cool music festival. The name ‘Palya’ is a play on the Spanish word for beach.

Digital delights

A STUNNING inland re-

gion of Spain is offering digital nomads up to €15,000 to move there.

The programme is part of a plan to battle depopulation and help provide a much-needed boost to the economy in Extremadura.

The much overlooked region that borders Portugal has some of the wildest and most beautiful countryside in Europe.

It is also full of Roman ruins and historic gems, like Merida, Caceres, Trujillo and Guadalupe.

Now the regional authorities have set aside €2 million to spend on enticing entrepreneurial digital nomads to live there.

They point out the cost of living is ‘at least’ 30% lower than Madrid and the price of property purchases and rentals is among the cheapest in the country.

While it may not have the best transport infrastructure, the internet coverage is above national average.

“Extremadura offers a

By Laurence Dollimore

high quality of life. It is a natural paradise with exceptional gastronomy,” insisted Economy Minister Guillermo Santamaria.

“Attracting these high-skilled professionals with international incomes will have a very positive impact on our economy.

“They will boost local consumption, enrich regional talent and create significant networks and opportunities.”

Authorities are looking for highly qualified digital nomads who work in the tech industry.

To meet the criteria, you

ing the UK, you can still take part in the scheme if you are part of the digital nomad visa programme. Those who brave the most abandoned towns (less than 5,000 inhabitants), will receive up to €10,000, while everyone else will get up to €8,000. If those in the first group decide to stay on after the first must be able to work 100% from home and online and commit to staying in Extremadura for a minimum of two years.

If you are an EU national, you must be a legal resident in Spain with an NIE. Foreign nationals with a TIE card can also apply. If you are not from the EU, includ -

RESIDENTS of a tower block in Malaga are up in arms over the number of tourist rentals that is creating a ‘living hell’ for them.

There are now an incredible 110 tourist rentals out of 252 apartments in the Martiricos building and the behaviour of tourists is causing despair.

“It's become a living hell,” one resident told Diario Sur. “We're losing our quality of life because of these tourist apartments.”

Residents find themselves powerless in the face of late-night parties, security breaches, noise and aggressive behaviour.

A recent forced evacuation of the building after a fire extinguisher was sprayed by tourists from the 17th floor has led to particular anger.

"We moved here for peace, but it’s become a nightmare," continued the neighbour.

"When one of us complained about a tourist apartment her car lock was broken that night,” he added.

“Another threatened to sue us for being racist and xenophobic.

"The owners claim if their apartments were not full of tourists, they would get squatters in. That’s simply not true.”

The resident group, numbering over 50, are seeking to have the tourist licences annulled.

They are asking for stricter rules and also threatening to take their gripes to court.

“We are willing to risk everything to get this solved,” added the resident.

year, they get another €5,000, while the second group get €4,000 - giving totals of up to €15,000 and €12,000 respectively.

According to reports, people aged 30 and under will be given priority. You can apply online via the Extremadura General Electronic Access Point.

MALLORCA authorities are set to cut off water and electricity to illegal tourist lets. This follows a Sevilla court ruling that councils can legally take the drastic measure. The clarification came after three owners appealed the decision to disconnect six flats. But the judge ruled that as the homes were not the owners’ official residences it was legal. Meanwhile, Majorca council is going ahead with hefty fines when illegal lettings are detected. In August, penalties amounting to €960,000 were announced for 12 flats in one building, and sanctioning proceedings have been initiated against two other buildings which collectively comprise 17 flats without a tourist licence, with fines of €1.36million being asked for..

GRANDEUR: Of cities like Trujillo and Guadalupe (top)

PROPERTY

November 29thDecember 12th 2023

BIG RELAXATION, Tiny house

LOTS of hotels, Airbnbs and campsites promise an ‘escape from it all’ but few achieve it quite like this extraordinary gem hidden in the hills just inland from the Costa del Sol.

The Little Wooden House was built by expat Elizabeth Wynn as a ‘refuge’ surrounded by nature, near the charming town of Monda.

Just 20 minutes inland from Marbella, the home is perfect for those hoping to recharge in the peaceful surroundings.

The carefully crafted building is nestled among olive trees and vineyards, providing an oasis of calm.

A deep waft of wood hits you as you enter the house, making you feel ins -

By Yzabelle Bostyn

tantly welcome.

I’d first heard about the rental via Channel 4’s hit show George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces and written about it in our Property magazine earlier this year.

So it was great to come back and stay.

Elizabeth has certainly used an eclectic mix of wrought iron and other recycled materials to further add to its charm.

The rustic, warm decoration including deep orange colours further adds to the autumnal feel, prompting a sudden urge to curl up in the sofa nook with a fantasy novel.

Luckily, there’s a whole shelf to choose from, with titles ranging from Bill Bryson to Yann Martel. I’m soon undergoing a Fleetwood Mac moment. Though ‘tiny’, the house makes

Each cor-

ner is illuminated by big, bright windows looking out over olive groves and the Sierra de Alpujata. The calming views make cooking in the mini kitchen

a pleasure and guests can even pick fresh grapes or figs for dessert.

For the resident chef, there’s two hobs, a microwave, fridge and stove top kettle on hand, accompanied by all the spices, utensils and pots you could need to whip up something delicious. Outside, there are two tables to choose from to enjoy your meal and wherever you are, the resident cats are sure to come and say hello. Under swaying branches which catch the last of the summer sun, the garden is the

I was excited to see what the nearby towns of Monda and Ojen offered

Surrounded by small windows looking

‘The Little Wooden House’ is one of the most charming - and unusual - hidden gems just inland from Marbella - and offers the perfect Autumn escape with a classic Fleetwood Mac flavour

out onto the night sky, the cool country air gave me the best sleep I'd had in months.

spend a Saturday morning than drinking a coffee and watching butterflies float by.

After a relaxing lie-in, the next morning I was greeted by bright sunshine through the windows and for once, I did not feel

What better

Although I was heartbroken to leave the Little Wooden House, I was excited to see what the nearby towns of Monda and Ojen had to offer.

A sleepy pueblo, there isn’t much to do in Monda, but it is nonetheless very pretty and the castle is well known for its restaurant.

Ojen, on the other hand, is known for its caves, including the Cueva de Columnas, believed to be an example of a prehistoric home. As well as the local towns, there is plenty of walking to do nearby, being slap bang next to the Sierra de las Nieves National Park.

Elizabeth also offers arts and crafts workshops in her neighbouring property, Eden Whispers Art Farm. At just €82 a night, the Little Wooden House offers an idyllic escape for creatives, dreamers and most of all - anyone that needs a good rest.

AUTUMNAL: The warm ibes make this the perfect September escape

QUIET: The Mirador del Calvario in Monda

BLISS: The tiny house is surrounded by nature

KIDS NOT WANTED

‘RACISM’

ROW

By Yzabelle Bostyn

Facing the facts

By Simon Hunter

“SPANIARDS are fed up with being victims of assaults, machete attacks, robberies and rapes. Almost always at the hands of the same people; illegal immigrants that the PP party and the Socialist Party insist on bringing to Spain with a pernicious magnet effect that is only growing.”

Those were the words uttered by the leader of Spain’s far-right Vox Party, Santiago Abascal, after plans recently emerged to distribute illegal immigrants from the Canary Islands between regions on the mainland.

It has become such a hot potato that Vox has now withdrawn its support for the PP party in some of the regional coalition governments where it was propping up the administrations.

For the Vox party itself however, it is nothing new, with Abascal and his band of extremist politicians long seeking to link immigration with higher crime rates.

But is there any truth to that claim?

According to the centre right newspaper El Mundo there is no connection at all, once the statistics are analysed.

After cross-referencing population data from the country’s National Statistics Institute (INE) with the Interior Ministry stats on jails and crime, the conclusions are clear: there is no direct link between the number of migrants and crime.

The newspaper went back 25 years to 1998 when the population of Spain was just under 40 million, with 637,085 - or about 1.6% - coming from abroad.

By 2023, there were six million foreign-born inhabitants, or around 13% of the 48 million people of Spain.

But crime rates have not grown in step with this ten-fold increase of foreigners, with the proportion of non-Spaniards locked up in prison holding steady.

In 1998, some 7,850 foreigners were locked up in jails, which was 18% of the total prison population, while foreigners accounted for 1.6% of the population.

That means that the percentage of foreign inmates was 11 times greater than the percentage of foreign residents in Spain.

Should that trend have continued, foreign-

ers would now account for 142% of the prison population – an impossible statistic, as the newspaper points out.

Instead, a different trend has emerged.

By 2009, the percentage of foreign inmates had reached 36%, with a total of 27,162 non-Spaniards locked up. Since then this statistic has more or less held steady, with the figure for 2023 dropping to 31%.

In fact, as the migrant population in Spain continues to grow, the statistics have actually improved.

If in 2023 migrants accounted for 31% of the prison population, and made up 13% of the total population in Spain; the multiple between these two figures is just 2.45, or basically, a historic low.

It emerges that this multiple has been steadily falling since 1998.

Another key conclusion from El Mundo relates to the nationalities of migrants.

This year, for example, has seen a spike in arrivals in the Canary Islands.

Between January 1 and August 15 this year, 22,304 migrants reached the islands, compared with 9,864 in the same period in 2023 – an increase of 126 percent, according to Interior Ministry figures.

The phenomenon saw Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez make a three-day visit to West Africa this month, in a bid to address the root of the problem.

But it is not migrants that are arriving illegally from countries that Sanchez visited –Senegal, Mauritania and The Gambia – who are topping the tables for crimes and convictions.

The latest Interior Ministry figures show that only four countries have more than a thousand inmates in Spanish jails: Morocco (5,213), Colombia (1,634), Romania (1,301) and Algeria (1,170).

The next three on the list are Ecuador (584), Portugal (267) and Italy (264).

Alarmingly, despite the recently reported data, Vox is pushing ahead with its anti-immigration stance.

BACK IN THE FOLD

Olive Press entices back former editor Laurence Dollimore from the Daily Mail

THE Olive Press website has undergone massive changes following the return of its former editor Laurence Dollimore.

Over the past year, he has

been overseeing a new design and helping to overhaul our website.

As Digital Editor of theolivepress.es the eagle-eyed London journalist has helped the site reach new heights. We are now seeing at least a million hits per month while the number of registered users continues to soar. There are more than 50,100 people with a registered account on our website, having risen by 20,000 over the past few months alone.

Over 2,000 of you have signed up for an ad-free service 24 hours a day.

“I’m glad to see the Olive Press is now getting the recognition it deserves,” explains Dollimore, who preferred a new role at the Olive Press rather than a posting in New York with the Daily Mail

“We have hired great new talent and have reporters stationed around the country, with our main operations still running from the Costa del Sol.

“It has been a team effort and there are still many things to work on, but I want to thank all our readers for their support, particularly the thousands who have bought a subscription.”

Dollimore first joined the Olive Press in 2016, later becoming our News Editor before helping to launch our editions in Mallorca and the Costa Blanca.

He was Digital Editor from 2019 to 2021, before leaving to work for the Mail Online for two years as a senior reporter.

After learning the ropes in a fast-paced ‘Fleet Street’ newsroom - which these days is actually in Kensington - he returned as Olive Press Digital Editor in August 2023 dividing his time between Marbella and Sevilla. Over the years, the London-born reporter has enjoyed world exclusives on everything from Madeleine McCann to Monkeypox, and is one of the go-to journalists when British newspapers need a story covered in Spain.

He added: “I’ve always loved Spain and jumped at the chance to come back, I’m looking forward to taking the OP to the next level.

“We have a great team of reporters and designers that simply cannot be matched by our competitors.”

The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are:

1 - Irish father loses €1.75m investment in Spain after a Malaga town hall rejects his hotel licence ‘because he’s an expat’

Vox deputy Jose Maria Figaredo asked the government during a debate in Congress last week about the cost to the taxpayer of ‘taking in 250,000 immigrants from the Islamic Republic of Mauritania’. Shocked by this the Government minister for Migration Elma Saiz, slammed her for voicing what she called a ‘hoax’.

“It is not true that we are going to take in 250,000 people from Mauritania,” she insisted, adding Figaredo was ‘making absolutely despicable statements about the migrant population’. She added it was in the ‘purest Trump style’. A fact clearly born out by the real statistics.

2- Passenger successfully challenges €30 fee for printing off his boarding pass at the airport

3 - New hand luggage rules are officially in effect in Spain and the EU – here’s what you should know

4 - Two gorgeous towns in Malaga maintain their positions on the ‘100 most beautiful pueblos in Spain’ list

5 - Tourist couple are hospitalised after being attacked by a persistent street beggar in Spain’s Andalucia

PROTESTS: Vox’s extreme views have led to protests about immigration spurred on by leader Abascal

NEW LIFE: Most migrants want to earn a living

El Mundo

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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.

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IN CREDIT

SPAIN’S impressive economic performance has seen its credit rating moved up into the A band.

Currently the poster boy of Europe, Spanish debt has now been rewarded with an A3 rating by credit rating agency Moody’s – the fourth highest rating possible.

The Spanish economy had been labouring under a Baa1 rating for the past five years, although this is the highest rating in the B band.

The upgrade comes just six months after Spain was placed on a ‘positive watch’ thanks to its relatively good growth of 2.5% in 2023.

Robotic deal

A BRITISH robotics company has won a multi-million euro contract in Spain to deliver robotic assembly systems.

Expert Technologies Group, a leader in its robotic field, will be partnering with Sumitomo Electric Bordnetze (SEBN) in the €1.4 million deal to install robotic assembly lines for electric vehicles.

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We hope the information provided in this article is of interest. If you would like to contact Linea Directa please call 952 147 834. More information about Linea Directa online at www.lineadirecta.com

Comprehensive Cybersecurity

It will see the Coventry-based technology company – which has now spread to four continents – deliver two automated auxiliary harness assembly lines. The project is its first contract in Spain since the challenges posed by Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic.

From Jerez to the highlands

The Macallan safeguards its

Spanish barrel supply

By Yzabelle Bostyn

A SCOTTISH whisky brand is joining forces with a Jerez cask producer in a brand new venture promising ‘incomparable craftsmanship and whisky mastery’.

The Macallan, a single malt whisky brand from Scotland, will collaborate with the Tevasa cooperage in Jerez and its sister wood supply businesses, Forestal Peninsular and Forestal Peninsular de Cantabria.

Tevasa creates Spanish seasoned oak casks used in the

production of whisky.

The Macallan will now own 50% of the share capital of Tevasa Forestal Group.

Managing Director Igor Boyadjian said: “This partnership shows our commitment to the

TARIFF PLEA

SPANISH prime minister Pedro Sanchez has called on the EU to ‘reconsider’ its position on tariffs of Chinese goods in an attempt to ease a long-running trade dispute between President Xi Jinping and the European bloc.

craftsmanship in our Sherry cask supply chain.

“As we celebrate The Macallan’s 200th anniversary, this expansion will ensure our reputation for richness and complexity for generations to come.”

vehicles and pork.

In particular, Sanchez suggested that the EU should move to eliminate tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.

Last year, the EU opened an investigation into alleged unfair subsidies within the Chinese EV industry and has proposed to boost tariffs by 37.6%.

Introducing an exclusive partnership between Olive Press and AnyTech365

AI-Powered IT Security

is excited to announce a partnership with the leading IT security and support company Costa del Sol. This collaboration offers Olive Press enhanced tech support and cybersecurity solutions. will receive exclusive discounts on AnyTech365 ensuring their digital safety and worry-free use Internet-connected device, personal, or within the their small business.

Support from UK Export Finance (UKEF) was crucial in enabling Expert Technologies Group to access funding.

The comments came following Sanchez’s second visit to Beijing in 18 months, where he met with the Chinese premier to discuss boosting exports, such as electric

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AnyTech365’s health checks will make sure your computer is not watching cat videos when you’re out

ALRIGHT, buckle up for the digital adventure of a lifetime - your PC’s very own health check!

Introducing an exclusive partnership between Olive Press and AnyTech365

It’s like sending your laptop on a spa day where instead of cucumber slices, it gets diagnostic scans and software massages.

AI-Powered IT Security

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2014 by Janus R. Nielsen, a seasoned IT entrepreneur, AnyTech365 leverages the power of artificial (AI) to offer unparalleled service quality and tech support and cybersecurity, keeping your secure and hassle-free.

Imagine our tech wizards, armed with their virtual stethoscopes and diagnostic spells, delving into the mysterious abyss of your hard drive. They’ll assess everything from whether your CPU is sweating like a marathon runner or chilling like a penguin in Antarctica. And let’s not forget about your RAM - no, not the animal, but your Random Access Memory, where all your multitasking dreams either come true or crash like a clumsy juggler.

Olive Press is excited to announce a partnership with AnyTech365, the leading IT security and support company on the Costa del Sol. This collaboration offers Olive Press readers enhanced tech support and cybersecurity solutions. Subscribers will receive exclusive discounts on AnyTech365 services, ensuring their digital safety and worry-free use of any Internet-connected device, personal, or within the household or their small business.

and their solutions have been widely recognized multiple awards on local, national, and international “The Fastest growing technology company in the 27th fastest growing company in Europe across (Source: Financial Times FT1000), the Andalucía Award in New Technologies, and others.

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Founded in 2014 by Janus R. Nielsen, a seasoned IT entrepreneur, AnyTech365 leverages the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to offer unparalleled service quality and efficiency in tech support and cybersecurity, keeping your digital life secure and hassle-free.

meaningful local impact, AnyTech365 has proud title-sponsor of the Andalucía Open tennis including the ATP 250 tournament in 2021, the sporting event in the region. It has excellent online scores with tens of thousands of end user reviews (4.8/5) and Google Reviews (4.9/5).

Now, onto the serious stuff - security. Our techs are like cyber detectives, sniffing out malware, adware, and spyware faster than a bloodhound on a scent.

The company and their solutions have been widely recognized and won multiple awards on local, national, and international level such as “The Fastest growing technology company in Spain and the 27th fastest growing company in Europe across all sectors” (Source: Financial Times FT1000), the Andalucía Excellence Award in New Technologies, and others.

Think of them as the digital equivalent of Gandalf yelling ‘You shall not pass!’ to those pesky viruses trying to infiltrate your precious data. But wait, there’s more! We’re not just about fixing what’s broken; we’re all about preventive care. That means tweaking your power settings, so your PC isn’t burning through battery life like it’s going out of style.

is currently in the process of becoming publicly the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), with the expected to complete in Q3 of 2024.

Making a meaningful local impact, AnyTech365 has been a proud title-sponsor of the Andalucía Open tennis tournament, including the ATP 250 tournament in 2021, the biggest sporting event in the region. It has excellent online reputation scores with tens of thousands of end user reviews on Trustpilot (4.8/5) and Google Reviews (4.9/5).

In 2023, China imported €1.5 billion worth of pork products from Spain, with Spanish officials fearful that a tit-for-tat trade war would see exports slump.

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sporting event in the region. It has excellent online reputation scores with tens of thousands of end user reviews on Trustpilot (4.8/5) and Google Reviews (4.9/5).

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The company is currently in the process of becoming publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), with

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and international level such as “The Fastest growing technology company in Spain and the 27th fastest growing company in Europe across all sectors” (Source: Financial Times FT1000), the Andalucía Excellence Award in New Technologies, and others. Making a meaningful local impact, AnyTech365 has been a proud title-sponsor of the Andalucía Open tennis tournament, including the ATP 250 tournament in 2021, the biggest sporting event in the region. It has excellent online reputation scores with tens of thousands of end user reviews on Trustpilot (4.8/5) and Google Reviews (4.9/5).

We’ll keep your digital life drama-free and your tech running smoother than a buttered eel on a slip ‘n slide. Cheers to a hassle-free computing experience!

Green screen

LOCAL green groups will present a documentary at film festivals in Amsterdam and Sevilla.

The documentary, Vidas Irreversibles (Irreversible Lives), explores the impact of renewable energy on the ecosystem and rural communities.

“Renewable energy is destroying ecosystems, economies and the rural communities of Spain,” said the trailer.

“Something that was meant to save the environment and bring life back to pueblos has paradoxically become quite the opposite.”

The film is a joint project by the Associacion Valle Natural Rio Grande (the Association for Rio Grande Valley) and La Ruta de la Placa (The Panel Route).

It will premiere at the Universidad de Malaga on October 4.

WATER GOOD IDEA

New invention could reduce home water consumption by 50%

A YOUNG Spaniard has invented an incredible device which reduces home water consumption by up to 50%.

Martin Bello Urbez, a student at the University of Bristol in England, has created an ingenious roof tile to collect and store rainwater for drinking water, say-

Oil disaster

By Yzabelle Bostyn

ing it could cut household water use by 50%.

He has now submitted the device to the renowned James Dyson Award which has produced some revolutionary designs. Martin, who studies Prod-

uct Design, came up with the idea when comparing his hometown, Valencia to Bristol.

He explained: “In Valencia water is a very precious but also very scarce commodity. Here, (in England) on the other hand, it rains all the time, but rainwater is rarely used.”

AN oil spill off the coast of Gran Canaria forced local authorities to close off several popular tourist beaches and declare an environmental emergency. Experts expressed fears over the health of the area’s marine wildlife after up to three tons of IFO 180, a sulphur oil, spilt from Liberian registered ship Akhisar while it attempted to refuel.

According to the president of Gran Canaria’s governing council, the oil slick produced by the spillage was approximately 2km long and 400 metres wide.

The beaches of La Restinga, San Borondon, El Baranquillo and La Restinga were closed to the public due to the risk of contamination.

The state of emergency was declared over after 73 personnel spent two days on the clean-up operation. The Akhisar has not been allowed to leave Gran Canaria until its owners pay €340,000 damages and fines.

QUICK CROSSWORD

The main tile component captures rainwater and filters it through a two-stage process.

Firstly, a filter removes large particles and pollutants, followed by a second filter which ensures the water is suitable for storage in a modular tank of up to 500 litres.

The design includes water spillways in case of overflow, thermal insulation and barriers to stop rodents or insects getting in.

The only prerequisite to install Martin’s device is that the house has a roof and uses tiles.

Awards

His innovative roof tile has already been widely recognised, winning the Panasonic Design Impact Award and being shortlisted for the Royal Society of Arts, Student Design Awards, which will be presented at the end of the year.

Sun power

SPAIN’s renewable energy sources accounted for more than half of the country’s electricity generation in August. According to power grid operator Red Electrica de España (REE), renewable sources supplied 52.6% of Spain’s electricity – although that is slightly lower than the 55.3% seen in July.

Overall the country’s green energy complement produced 12,341 GWh of electricity in August, 13.6% more than in the same month in 2023.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology took centre stage, generating, at 5,400 GWh, 24% of Spain’s power mix in August –a 20.8% increase compared to the same period last year. This marked the fourth consecutive month that solar PV has been the number one source of energy for the country.

In terms of renewables, wind power also contributed significantly, generating 17% of August’s power output at 16 3,889 GWh – although this represents a slight decline of 9% compared to the previous year.

The lack of strong wind blowing across the Spanish hills and plains likely accounts for the dip in green energy production from last year.

Other renewable sources, such as hydro (8.57%), Concentrated Solar Power (3.12%), and renewable waste (0.36%), also played a role in the overall energy mix.

Nuclear accounts for 22% of power generation with 5,092 GWh.

November 29thDecember 12th 2023 LOOKING FOR MORE CULTURE STORIES?

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WHAT MADE THE MAGICIAN

He is one of Spain’s most prolific and celebrated filmmakers, renowned for his bold, vibrant storytelling and willingness to tackle taboo subjects such as sexuality, death, and religion.

Pedro Almodovar has worked with actors of the stature of Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Antonio Banderas and most recently Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, and won countless awards, including two Oscars. But throughout his career he has worked exclusively in Spanish, until now that is.

As he launches his 25th and ‘final film’, we look at Spain’s most prolific filmmaker Almodovar

By Yzabelle Bostyn

when he was eight years old, his family sent him to a religious boarding school in Caceres, Extremadura.

supreme with a repressive government that was certainly not open to boundary-pushing young filmmakers.

The 74-year-olds 25th film, has won critical acclaim, swiping the coveted Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival and receiving an 18-minute standing ovation.

They hoped he would become a priest, but it was there that Almodovar fell in love with cinema.

Not bad for a man who was born in the impoverished La Mancha town of Calzada de Calatrava, where he lived with his parents and three

“Cinema became my real education, much more than the one I received from the priests,” he later said.

In 1968, Almodovar moved to Madrid against his parents wishes. There he found a vibrant underground arts scene while he supported himself by working at the Rastro flea market.

These were in the days where Spanish dictator Franco reigned

Despite the closure of the National School of Cinema under Franco’s regime, Almodovar, then aged 19, persisted in learning the craft of filmmaking on his own.

He took a job with phone company Telefonica and bought a Super 8 camera with his first paycheck. He then produced a series of short films that gained attention within Madrid’s Movida Madrileña, a countercultural movement that flourished after Franco’s death in 1975.

GET A HEAD START

AS students across Europe return to school, many families begin to consider how they can give their children a head start in an increasingly competitive academic landscape.

Unlike many traditional schools, CGA offers academic acceleration - allowing students to take on additional subjects or advanced courses like A-Levels or Advanced Placement (AP) beyond what is required for graduation or university entry.

So how does this help? Through a flexible curriculum and personalised learning environment, students have the opportunity to broad-

The key to accelerated learning in Europe

en their knowledge, showcase their ability to handle advanced study, and strengthen their university applications.

THE BENEFITS OF ACCELERATION

For students who want to excel academically or have clear university ambitions, acceleration offers a chance for them to deep dive into subjects of interest, take on additional courses, and build an impressive academic portfolio.

For example, student Caterina from Italy, has been able to pursue her flexible studies with CGA to advance her academics while balancing her career as an equestrian.

“The previous online schools that I had found did not have anywhere near a program like CGA does. And I really like that you could choose what type of programme you want to work with, for example, if I wanted to continue doing A-Levels or if I wanted to go with the American system, that was a very big plus for me.”

The Da Vinci program allowed her to progress at her own pace, excelling in areas of strength and receiving support in others. Her ability to take advanced courses, like calculus, despite a long hiatus from Maths, demonstrated the effectiveness of CGA’s approach.

As Caterina says, “If I wanted to do something more advanced, have fewer classes, or do a bit more on my own, then I could choose the Da Vinci program and tailor my program according to my needs.”

For students aspiring to attend prestigious universities in Europe and beyond, acceleration offers a significant advantage. By completing

Almodovar became a key figure in this cultural renaissance exploring taboo topics such as sex, death and religion.

Without the support of big studios, he could not add soundtracks to his films. He said: “I remember that I

became very famous in Madrid because, as the films had no sound, I took a cassette with music while I personally did the voices of all the characters, songs and dialogues."

Finally, in 1980, Almodovar made his first feature film Pepi, Luci, Bom and Other Girls Like

Mum

The film had a tiny budget of 400,000 pesetas (€2,404) and told the story of Pepi, a woman seeking revenge on a corrupt policeman who raped her.

It quickly grew a cult following in Spain and is often compared to the films of American filmmaker John Waters, which pushed through moral and social boundaries.

Just two years later, Almodovar

released Labyrinth of Passion, another cult success.

The film marked the director’s first collaboration with actor Antonio Banderas. Then in 1983, he released Dark Habits, a film about a cabaret singer seeking refuge in a convent of eccentric nuns.

The controversial film marked Almodovar’s first moderate critical and commercial success.

Following a spate of equally shocking cult films, Almodovar established his own production company in 1987 alongside his brothers, Agustin.

El Deseo’s first film, Law of Desire, received great critical reception, scooping the first ever Teddy Award for LGBT representation at the Berlin International

advanced subjects earlier than their peers, students can prove their ability to thrive in a demanding academic environment - something that is particularly appealing to universities looking for candidates with a strong academic track record.

KEY BENEFITS OF ACCELERATION AT CGA:

● Ability to take advanced subjects beyond the standard curriculum

● Personalised learning pathways tailored to each student’s strengths and needs

● Flexibility to explore different academic systems, like A-Levels or the American (AP) system

● Opportunity to build a stronger academic profile for university applications

● Support to balance advanced studies with personal interests and extracurricular activities

DEVELOPING ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE

Taking extra courses not only enhances academic achievement but also helps

students develop key skills such as time management, discipline, and independent learning. CGA student Eva from Russia demonstrates how balancing a demanding academic workload alongside her music career has made her more organised and independent in her studies.

“During high school, I want to achieve a deep knowledge of all my subjects… to do well on the external exams and at the same time I want to have enough time to work on my music… because of CGA I can at the same time focus on my academics and on my musical career,” says Eva.

For families across Europe considering academic acceleration, CGA offers a flexible and supportive environment where students can study at a pace that suits them, rather than having their courses and class schedules determined by their age.

This approach allows students to excel in their areas of interest and pursue a more challenging academic experience.

LA CULTURA

Film Festival. His international breakthrough came with Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988), a feminist action-comedy that earned over $7 million at the US box office, garnered five Goya Awards, and earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. This film established Almodovar as a filmmaker of global renown, known for his vivid visual style and intricate, emotionally charged narratives.

By 1997, Almodovar’s worldwide reputation was growing. That year, he released Live Flesh, based on the book of the same name by British author Ruth Rendell.

The film marked Almodovar’s first collaboration with actors Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem. By this point, the Spaniard had

HEALTH

BABY BOUNTY

THE parents of babies born in Valencia after January 1, 2025, will receive €300 from the city council, it has been revealed.

Maria Jose Catala, the conservative Partido Popular (PP) mayor of Valencia who governs in a coalition with far-right Vox, announced the support package as part of a series of 50 measures to improve ‘the state of the city’. Some €3 million has been allocated to Catala’s Maternity and Conciliation Plan, designed to support young families and promote higher birth rates.

Vow

Among the measures is a vow to extend the free education of 0-3 year-olds until July, subsidise nurseries, increase grants for canteens, provide free summer schools, and make a direct payment to the families of newborn babies. Catala also pledged to build 4,600 new homes, 1,000 of which will be designated as social housing, as part of an updated General Urban Development Plan (PGOU).

The mayor, who described the previous iteration of the plan as ‘exhausted’, will also facilitate urban development in Tendetes, Marxalenes and La Zaida in an effort to provide accessible and affordable housing for all residents.

earnt an unshakeable reputation as a controversial, vanguard filmmaker unafraid of taboos.

In the next few years, he would release some of his best known works including All About My Mother, which won him his first Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1999, Volver and The Skin I Live In In 2002 he picked up a second Oscar for Talk to Her, scooping Best Original Screenplay, alongside a Bafta and a Golden Globe. This was also the year that he met his partner, actor and photographer Fernando Iglesias.

Following the Covid-19 lockdown, he and his brother released Parallel Mothers

leased on October 18, is the filmmaker’s call for the international legalisation of euthanasia.

In the film, British actress Tilda Swinton plays a journalist suffering from cancer.

Swinton’s character asks an old friend, portrayed by Julianne Moore, to help her end her life.

Spain legalised euthanasia in 2021 and is one of only 11 countries in which a form of assisted dying is legal.

It is all a long way from his roots in a sleepy town in La Mancha

The 2021 film follows the lives of two mothers who give birth on the same day and is the precursor to Almodovar’s upcoming movie. The Room Next Door, to be re-

At a press conference at Venice Film Festival, the filmmaker said: “There should be the possibility to have euthanasia all over the world.”

With numerous Goya Awards, two Academy Awards, and countless other accolades under his belt, Pedro Almodovar remains a vital and influential voice in contemporary cinema.

It is all a long way from his roots in a sleepy town in La Mancha.

LOOKING FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES?

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BE PREPARED

he Importance of understanding your insurance documents

The ongoing issue of not reading and understanding insurance policy documents remains important for all your insurance needs.

Very few people seem to be aware of the importance of first checking that their policy documents are completely accurate and contain all the correct information. Especially for car policies, ensure the licence plate number is correct. These documents should be kept in the car; however, it’s far better to ensure you have copies as well, in case the vehicle is stolen. For your home insurance policies, verifying that the address is correct and matches the catastral reference will make things much easier if you need to make a claim.

Without understanding your insurance documents, you won’t be fully aware of your exact coverage in the event of an incident. Many people underinsure their properties, which is a very unwise decision. This is especially true now, with climate change and the ever-changing, unpredictable weather. With rising inflation and the increasing cost of living, burglaries are unfortunately on the rise, particularly for unoccupied properties. Make sure you understand what you need to do to not only protect your property but also guarantee that you are covered by your insurance.

It’s well worth knowing what to do in case of an incident - have the necessary phone numbers readily available and understand what information you will need to provide. Health insurance can be a bit more complex. Ensure you know what information is required, keep contact details with you at all times, and consider storing phone numbers and your policy number on your phone. If you’re unsure how to use your health in-

surance, ask your agent or broker for clarification.

In case of a car accident, by default, emergency services will be called and you’ll be taken to a public hospital (Seguridad Social).

From there, you can choose to be transferred to a private hospital, or you can stay at the public hospital and pay the bill if you don’t have a SIP card (Spanish health insurance card).

I understand that insurance documents aren’t easy to read, but taking the time to understand your policy will always pay off. It will make your life easier, less stressful, and in some cases, will prevent unexpected and expensive bills.

Dedicated

To assist you with claims, we have a dedicated claims administrator for Liberty Seguros (now Generali), an ASSSA administrator for your health policy, and a renewals department to ensure your coverage remains accurate and up-to-date.

All insurance companies also provide emergency contact information outside of our office hours, which is included with your policy documents.

The Legacy Continues Mark, Jennifer’s son, will be taking over the company to continue Jennifer’s commitment to excellent customer service and providing valuable information. This is just one of Jennifer’s insightful articles that remains relevant even today.

Nolotil setback

THE European Medicines Agency (EMA) has ruled out banning or bringing in tougher restrictions on controversial painkiller Nolotil - for now.

The EMA has been studying metamizole, the main ingredient in Nolotil, over its potential to cause a severe or total loss of white blood cells in patients (agranulocytosis). It comes after hundreds of deaths of British expats and tourists - and other northern Europeans - have been linked to the drug. The cases have been compiled by health campaigner Cristina del Campo, who has been fighting against the drug for years and who is now seeking compensation for family members of those who died after

By Laurence Dollimore

taking it.

KILL THE DRUG

The Olive Press has also launched multiple campaigns to raise awareness of Nolotil and to plead for tougher regulations. Despite this, the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS), says the EMA found the benefits of Nolotil ‘outweigh the risks’.

The EMA began a review of medicines containing metamizole in June 2024, at the behest of the Finnish Medicines Agency - after the country reported multiple cases of agranulocytosis.

Based on the evaluation of all available scientific evidence, the European Pharmacovigi-

OP Puzzle solutions

Quick Crossword

Across: 1 L C Ds, 4 Spiral, 8 Magnum, 9 Cleric, 10 Recreate, 11 Tito, 12 Seals, 14 Scorn, 17 Cher, 18 Impolite, 20 Abound, 21 Cowboy, 22 Stasis, 23 Sine.

Down: 2 Control groups, 3 Simian, 4 Soccer, 5

Identical twin, 6 Aviator, 7 Tape, 13 Exhibit, 15 Diodes, 16 Epochs, 19 Took.

Health bosses turn down ban on killer drug

lance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) of the EMA has concluded that the benefit of medicines containing metamizole outweighs the risks. It said measures must be reinforced to facilitate the early identification of symptoms and diagnosis of agranulocytosis. However, the information available to date does not allow them to rule out or confirm a higher risk in populations with specific ethnic or genetic characteristics.

British and other people of northern-European descent are believed to be more at risk from the drug.

The conclusions of the evaluation carried out by the PRAC must be ratified by the Coordination Group (CMDh) of the EMA, which includes all the European medicines agencies.

VIRUS STRIKES

THE West Nile Virus is thought to have claimed yet more lives in Andalucia after two more fatalities were reported. Health authorities have confirmed that a man and a woman, both from Jaen, have passed away in hospital in Cordoba. If the deaths are confirmed to be from the virus, it will bring the total number of deaths in the region to eight this summer. Mosquitoes carrying the disease have been detected in Cadiz, Cordoba and Huelva.

Shell shock

SCARY SOCIALS: Posters thought the giant crabs are real

Try again mate

TWO Australian TikTokers have gone viral after trying and failing for two days to get pickpocketed in Barcelona.

Dog days

A DOG owner in Haro, La Rioja, has been fined €2,500 for ‘causing social alarm’ after their dog jumped into the La Vuelta cycle race.

Big mistake

THE family of a car crash victim in Madrid has been left in shock after they discovered they did not have the body of their loved one at his funeral, but instead another of the

GREENHOUSE EFFECT

‘Sea of plastic’

in

Almeria ‘wins’ NASA prize of being the most visible man-made object from space

IT is a grand prize but won for the wrong reason. The notion that the Great Wall of China is the only human-made structure visible from space has long been a myth. Despite being one of the Won-

A BRITISH woman heading to Paris from Leeds Bradford Airport was shocked when she arrived in Alicante. The woman claims her boarding pass was checked at least

By Walter Finch

ders of the World, at about 21,200 kilometres long and with its tallest towers reaching just 800 metres, the Chinese marvel is just too narrow to be

FLIGHT FAIL

Alicante before heading to Paris. She said: “If you’re ever in Spain I would recommend Alicante.

seen from space. Instead, according to NASA, the most easily discernible manmade object from Earth’s orbit is something far less wondrous: the vast expanse of the greenhouses of El Ejido on Spain’s Almerian coast.

But the achievement is far from a laudable one – the region represents 370 square kilometres of white plastic so bright that it stands out against the Earth’s surface, even from the Interna

ant crabs on Indonesian shores was deemed a dark omen that was sure to sow panic.

A social media post appeared to show a pair of enormous crustaceans emerging from the sea and went viral in Kupang. The 17-second video –which has racked up more than 7,900 views –had a local commenting ‘That’s not a good sign brother,’ while another chipped in, ‘That’s terrifying’.

towns of El Ejido and La Mojonera.

The sea of plastic even extends south to Motríl and north to Níjar.

Activists have long criticised it for the enormous quantities of plastic employed which seeps into the surrounding environment as it degrades.

Other large human-made structures, such as the Bingham Canyon mine in Utah and the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai,

Giant

But in fact, the photos were taken on Spain’s Atlantic coast in Chipiona, Cadiz.

They showed not real giant crabs, but an artwork by artist Alfredo Zarazaga of metal sculptures crafted from recycled materials. The ‘crabs on the coast’

2 for 1 from 69€ including free sun and UV tint in one pair of glasses

BLANK SPACE: The white mass of plastic can be seen from space