Olive Press Mallorcia Issue 166

BADGE OF HONOR

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O P LIVE RESS The

A GIANT German accused of heading up a Hell’s Angels crew has been controversially acquitted on all charges following his arrest in Mallorca.

A court in Madrid decided that it had not been proven that Frank Hanebuth, 59, and 12 other defendants formed a criminal enterprise dedicated to drug trafficking between 2009 and 2013.

Curiously, among the 13 to avoid prison were three police officers, who were let off the hook for various criminal charges, including bribery.

Hanebuth relocated to Mallorca in 2012, where he was accused of assuming control of the local Hells Angels chapter, and allegedly indulged in a life of luxu -

Heavens above!

ry while expanding the gang’s reach in Spain.

In 2013, Spanish authorities launched ‘Operation Casablanca,’ resulting in Hanebuth’s arrest on a litany of charges relating to Hell’s Angels activities.

Meanwhile, Khalil Youssafi, a prominent lieutenant within the crime group, received a sentence of nine years and 9 months.

His brother, Abdelghani Youssafi, who did not confess to the charges, faces a two-year prison term related to prostitution.

From between the posts to thousands of bed posts...we salute Latin lothario Julio Iglesias as he hits 80

See feature on page 22

However, he was acquitted of other serious allegations, including participation in a criminal organisation, money laundering and illegal possession of weapons. The legal proceedings also involved local law enforcement officers.

One police officer was acquitted of bribery and charges associated with a criminal organisation.

Another officer from the police force has been temporarily barred from public service for six months due to negligence in prosecuting crimes.

A Guardia Civil officer faced accusations of bribery and failure to prosecute crimes but received a fine for the unauthorised disclosure of confidential information.

SICKENING!

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

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

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

amazingly, within weeks the retired Brit was faced with a whopping bill from the NHS, despite her British citizenship. The Welsh native was diagnosed Winslade, Helen was not expecting to stay in the UK for an extended period and their ‘small pension’ could not fund Helen’s accommodation, food and travel costs.

with a rare form of bowel cancer known as GIST tumours. According to her brother, Karl

Tel: 952 147 834

See pages 5 & 20

By Yzabelle Bostyn

Karl launched a fundraising campaign to get Helen back to Spain, where he said ‘her prognosis would be better’ due to shorter waiting times. She finally returned in late September after a months-long ordeal. Her husband, Carlos, had been left holding the fort in Seron, while she was stuck in the UK short of funds.

The impact of Covid 19 ‘wiped out’ their business, leaving the couple to live ‘on a very small pension’.

MUST GET THE CARD!

PEOPLE resident in Spain are not automatically covered for emergency treatment on the UK’s National Health Service even if they are British citizens. They should get an EHIC (European Health Insurance Card), which is free in Spain and available to people enrolled with their regional health department. This ensures emer gency health care is available during trips to the UK and EU countries on

the same terms as in the visited nation. In the UK this means attention would be free, although in some other countries charges may apply on the same basis as locals pay. It does not cover any private healthcare or costs such as a return flight. It also does not cover your costs if you are travelling for the express purpose of obtaining medical treatment.

The case is a warning to any expats considering visiting home without medical insurance or failing to travel with the correct forms in case of an unexpected health scare.

Under current laws, if you are not a UK resident, you must produce relevant documentation to receive free NHS treatment - including an EHIC (a European health card) or GHIC card, or a so-called S1 or S2 form. Alternatively, you can request a Provisional Replacement Certificate, which will cover healthcare in the UK for the length of your trip.

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

Opinion Page 6

AQUITTED: German Frank Hanebuth

Background checks

IRENE Montero has urged authorities to request criminal background checks before granting visas to tourists. It comes after a British woman was raped by six tourists in Magaluf this August.

Travel advice

THE Foreign Office has updated their Spain travel advice to warn against street crime and burglaries. They advise visitors to check accommodation security and keep photocopies of their passport.

UK heatwave

TEMPERATURES could reach up to 27C in the UK this week amid an October heatwave, two degrees warmer than Spain’s party island Ibiza.

Bike horror

A BRITISH cyclist, 45, has been seriously injured after being hit by a truck and falling eight metres down an embankment on the MA2130 in Caimari. Guardia Civil are investigating.

SO WHO TOOK OUR MONEY?

A DEVASTATED expat couple have slammed the decision to dismiss a giant pension fraud case that saw hundreds of Brits in Spain robbed of their life savings.

They are furious a Costa Blanca court has ruled there is insufficient evidence to prosecute four executives of collapsed financial firm Continental Wealth Management (CWM). However Denia Court hasn’t entirely absolved them of criminal conduct, nor ruled out further proceedings, with the victims set to launch a new case in Madrid.

CWM allegedly defrauded up to 1,000 mostly British expats of €35 million between 2013 and 2017.

The firm placed their pensions in highrisk investments which, initially, paid out huge commissions, but later col-

EXCLUSIVE

By Walter Finch

lapsed leaving them with nothing.

But after a four-year litigation process the judge ruled that a class action by 17 victims failed to bring enough proof of wrongdoing.

The judge added many of them had worked in finance and ‘had the risks explained to them’.

“Surely someone is accountable for what happened,” the British couple, who wish to remain anonymous, told the Olive Press.

Sole director Jody Smart and ex-husband, mastermind Darren Kirby, stood accused of fraud, disloyal administration and falsification of documents.

The pair allegedly forged investors’

signatures and made changes to documents without the investor’s consent, although this was unproved.

CWM employees Paul Clarke, and Stephen Ward were also co-defendants in the complex case that was hindered by the Covid-19 pandemic and also spanned jurisdictions in Ireland, Germany, Malta, and Cyprus.

Angie Brooks, who represented many of the victims, blamed the failure on the complexity of the case.

“Under EU law, it's not enough for the investors to say they accept the risk,” the pensions specialist told the Olive Press.

“They also have to make sure that they spell out what the risks mean.”

However, she is now launching a new claim with fresh complainants in the High Court in Madrid and will also

take on other insurance and pension companies involved in the alleged scam.

“We will work with the prosecutor to make this a proper national case to bring a criminal trial against not just the advisors but also the other parties that are involved as well.

“We need to see somebody going to prison here in Spain, because these people have walked off with millions,” she insisted.

While Kirby failed to turn up at court and his whereabouts are unknown, Smart’s husband, Franco Pearson insisted Jody would not be commenting on the apparent victory.

The chef, who runs a restaurant in Benissa, added: “Go get a life.”

I know where you live!

FAR RIGHT BOLTHOLE

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

FAR-right fanatic Tommy Robinson has threatened the Olive Press after we revealed he has been using a luxury €1.5 million Spanish villa to film his extremist podcast. Robinson used the property in L’Albir during the summer months hosting a

Wheels of injustice

A DRINK-driver who ran over and killed a British expat has once again been absolved of all charges.

In a shocking court ruling, the young driver has avoided jail despite being twice over the alcohol limit when he mowed down Alan James Taylor at a zebra crossing.

By Walter Finch

series of British and American extremist figures.

As we reported last issue, the Costa Blanca villa - owned by billionaire fashion tycoon Philip Day - even saw the likes of

Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes.

In retaliation for the article, Robinson claimed he had ‘found out’ where our reporters live. “I got all your details straight away,” he claimed in a post on his

New witness in Maddie case

A NEW witness claims he saw Maddie McCann suspect Christian Brueckner running from a rape of a young expat in Portugal.

The hotel worker on the Algarve claims he saw the German fleeing the apartment in Portimao at dawn.

He was able to identify him as blonde-haired Brueckner as he had taken off his mask to flee. “He came forward recently with his evidence,” a German source told the Olive Press. “His testimony is very credible.”

The employee had been arriving early for work when he allegedly spotted him.

His evidence comes after ‘others’ identified seeing a man climb up to attack Hazel Behan, 20, in 2004. Behan, now 40, believes she was followed home to her apartment, which had a balcony ‘easy to climb onto’. “I’m sure it was, blondehaired Brueckner, who spoke to me in English with a German accent,” she told the Olive Press this week. She added: “If Portuguese cops had put a ‘call’ out for info at the time, this witness might have come forward then.”

See Countdown, page 6

Telegram channel while walking into the Alicante hills.

“I know exactly where you live. You live at your mum's, you sad little p***k. “What, you want to show pictures of where I live? See if you like it when I come and knock on your mum’s door.”

Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, argued that showing pictures of where he (claims) to live potentially endangers his children. He later alleged that he will have to relocate again, as his children have faced threats from anti-fascist extremists.

However, Olive Press investigations actually reported that Robinson was NOT residing at the €5,000-a-month, six-bedroom villa, but merely using it as a filming location.

Bankrupt

Robinson was declared bankrupt in 2021 and is currently unable to open a bank account or monetise his social media channels. It raises questions about how he could afford to rent and use the villa. The four-time imprisoned ex-convict has previously spent time in Gibraltar and on the Costa del Sol.

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

The 39-year-old victim was walking along Avenida Argentina in Palma when he was struck by a BMW on June 10. He sustained serious injuries and was transferred to Son Espases Hospital, but tragically died four days later.

The driver, whose identity has not been revealed, was initially acquitted by a lower court. Now, the Provincial Court of Palma has, incredibly, upheld the ruling.

The driver, who was twice over the legal alcohol limit at the time of the incident, claimed he was ‘powerless’ and ‘couldn’t avoid’ the accident.

Powerless

The Prosecutor’s Office had called for a two-and-a-half year jail sentence, alongside a three year driving ban for ‘reckless homicide’ and ‘breaking traffic safety laws’. The driver was also accused of jumping a red light and speeding. However a witness later confirmed that the light was green.

It is believed Alan Taylor’s vision was obscured by a council truck when he stepped into the road, the court heard.

Authorities also highlighted alcohol and anti-anxiety medication found in the Briton’s system, which could have stunted his reflexes.

A forensic analyst for the defense claimed the expat’s death was not a direct cause of the incident.

He told the court: ‘He vomited and choked on his own sick, causing a brain death’.

According to reports, the judge stated the ruling was ‘not random, illogical or absurd, especially when you reflect on the facts of the case and what was stated during the hearing’.

SIGN OF CLASS: Tommy Robinson

Panda party

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

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

These well-known pandas have been a

Island nuptials

Football legend Ronaldo marries model Celine Locks in Ibiza

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

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

By Walter Finch

January during a romantic Caribbean getaway, culminated in a picturesque church wedding - the World Cup winner’s third time tying the knot. As Ronaldo and Celina left the church, showered in confetti, they shared matching Instagram posts, proclaiming: “Today we brought our families together for an intimate religious celebration and thus marked the beginning of a week of many celebrations.” The newlyweds held a grand party for 400 guests at Ron-

ROYAL VISIT

major draw for millions of visitors over the past two years and have even gained recognition on Chinese television.

Born in 2021, these two male pandas weighed a mere 150 grams at birth. Today, they tip the scales at around 70 kilograms each, nearly matching their mother, Huazuiba.

By the time they reach four years of age, they are expected to weigh approximately 400 kilograms.

Legend visits

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

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

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

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

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

aldo's home in Cala Jondal.

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

According to Portuguese magazine Nova Gente, Prince Andrew’s 33 yearold daughter and her husband Jack Brooksbank(33) recently bought a home in Melides on the Atlantic coast. Harry (39) and 42 year-old Meghan enjoyed the romantic break after attending the Invictus Games in Germany.

The love story began seven years ago when Celina, a successful businesswoman and model, first started dating the former Real Madrid and Inter Milan striker. One of the first people to congratulate the happy couple, who are honeymooning in the Dominican Republic, was Ronaldo's ex-wife Milene Domingues.

The former footballer wrote: “I'm happy for you. God bless and protect you always. Long live love.”

RAM RAID

THE home of Spanish footballer Sergio Ramos was robbed while his four children were inside, it has emerged. The raid at the sprawling La Alegria estate, in Bollullos de la Mitacion near Sevilla, was targeted by robbers last Wednesday. According to the Guardia Civil, Ramos and his wife Pilar Rubio (pictured)were not at home but their four children and their caregivers were.

The thieves struck while Ramos was away playing a Champions League match against French club Lens. His wife, meanwhile, had been travelling for work. The robbers took luxury watches, jewellery, designer clothes and cash. No one was injured.

HAPPY COUPLE: Ronaldo and Celine tied the knot

A COURT has opened a criminal investigation after 13 people died in a fire at an ‘illegal’ nightclub in Murcia City.

Owners are expected to be charged with reckless manslaughter after the blaze tore through three adjoining clubs in the early hours.

Detectives from the Policia Nacional will now take ‘several weeks’ to determine the cause of the fire and who - or what - should take responsibility.

Prosecutor Jose Luis Diaz insisted if the tragedy arose from recklessness, then those responsible could face up to nine years in prison.

He promised ‘an exhaustive search’ to uncover the truth, adding: “We need to go centimetre by centimetre to check everything,”

“Let’s see how it ends up because there may have been a short circuit not caused by negligence,” he added. It was however, revealed that the

Go-go stop-stop

THE Real Mallorca stadium has sparked a backlash after hiring ‘go-go girls’ to dance in its new VIP section.

The bikini-clad women were recently filmed from the stands entertaining the high-rollers during Mallorca’s 2-2 draw with champions FC Barcelona.

‘Experience a unique journey where fine dining intertwines with captivating performances’ is the euphemistic slogan used to entice punters to the new VIP zone in the North Stand of Son Moix Stadium.

The venue even proudly shared images of users enjoying the show - on the podium, not the pitch - through its own social media account.

The regular punters also got a glimpse of the entertainment, although not everyone was a fan.

"This is degrading and lacks class," wrote one X (formerly Twitter ) user online, while another added: "We're losing the essence of a sports club.”

Another said: “It shouldn't be allowed in a football stadium.”

DISCO INFERNO

Disco Fonda Milagros - which saw the brunt of the fatalities - did not have a licence and was ordered to close in January 2022.

The company that runs the club had advised the council it had divided its buildings into two different establishments: Fonda Milagros and the adjoining Teatre, in June 2019. But the council had rejected the change on the basis a new licence would have to be issued, given the ‘magnitude’ of the modification. It emerged the failure to get a licence led to a closure order being slapped on the clubs in January 2022, with an appeal rejected the following year. Despite this, the clubs remained open for a year, with the council unable to explain why no inspections had subsequently been made.

Police confirmed that a key factor had been the collapsing of the roof, which made it harder for guests to exit and for rescue operations to be conducted.

The majority of the bodies were found in the first floor restaurant area, where a 30th birthday party was being held for Nicaraguan Erick Torres Hernandez, who had a sevenyear-old daughter.

He, his partner Orfilia Blandon (27), brother Sergio (39) and mother Martha (62) all died in the blaze.

An eye-witness described the clubs as a ‘labyrinth’ with just one winding staircase offering limited access. Others claimed that emergency exits were not sign-posted. Family members have supplied DNA samples to identify the bodies

found in the club. The investigating judge is awaiting the results of those samples, once autopsies have been completed.

Opinion Page 6

AFTERMATH:

Buildings were devastated despite the best efforts of firefighters

CRACKDOWN INCOMING

Controversial ‘Law of Excesses’ could be expanded across the Balearic Islands

THE Mayor of Calvia has demanded a tougher crackdown on anti-social behaviour across the whole of the Balearic Islands.

Juan Antonio Amengual met with Marga Prohens, president of the regional government, to discuss changes to the so-called ‘Law of Excesses’, which is only in force in certain areas - including parts of Magaluf and Playa de Palma. The measures mean Brits face harsh punishments for behaviour such as ‘balconing’.

At least five were given €150,000 worth of fines this year before being banned from the islands, for example. But businesses that fall under

MENU DEL DASH

AN expat has been jailed for faking a heart attack to avoid picking up the cheque in at least 20 restaurants in Spain.

The 50-year-old, originally from Lithuania, will spend 42 days behind bars after failing to pay two fines for his series of theatrical dine and dashes.

His modus operandi was identical in almost every eatery he targeted, the majority of them on the Costa Blanca.

He was a man of habit and would always order several glasses of ‘White Label’ whiskey to wash down a Russian salad, a dish ‘he seems to like quite a bit’, said one restaurant owner.

Among the targets were El Buen Comer and Sale&Pepe, in Alicante.

“It was very theatrical, he pretended to faint and slumped himself down on the floor,” said the manager at El Buen Comer. “We have sent his photo around to all the restaurants to try and stop him from striking again.”

A worker at Sale&Pepe said: “We’ve all

School boost

ONE in every three new pupils in the Balearic Islands is an expat, according to a new report.

received a warning with his photo telling us to be careful and to not serve him anything.”

UNRULY: Law of excess to be extended across the Balearics

By Yzabelle Bostyn

the law’s mapped out zones are also under stricter rules compared to their nearby rivals who do not.

They cannot promote any form of drink deals, for example, as this encourages ‘exces-

sive drinking’. This includes having two-for-one happy hours or a free shot with a drink.

Party boat cruises are also banned from being advertised in the areas affected by the law.

This has led many bar owners to claim the map system is unfair, as it discriminates against certain businesses.

Mayor Amengual has therefore asked that the current map system be scrapped, as ‘the law should not apply on one side of the street but not the other’.

It comes after he suggested renaming the law ‘Responsible Tourism’ to reflect its attempts to minimise anti-social behaviour.

The law, introduced in January 2020, was designed to ‘fight against anti-social behaviour caused by excessive consumption of alcohol’, according to Balearic tourism minister, Iago Negueruela.

If Mayor Amengual succeeds, the law will be expanded beyond the party towns of Playa de Palma and Magaluf, affecting many more holidaymakers and businesses.

Sanchez victory looms

While schools across Spain face closure due to a lack of pupils, the student population across Ibiza, Mallorca, Menorca and Formentera continues to grow with 15,360 new expat students. According to the University of the Balearic Islands, the growth is concentrated in state schools where 27% of new students were expats. In the last 20 years, 34 public and 16 private schools have been built in the area. Expat students make up 17.6% of new pupils in private schools, where 10 schools following foreign curriculums have shot up in the past two decades. The only area where pupil numbers have not grown is in preschool education, where numbers have fallen from 41,000 students to 39,000.

Sssscary!

EXPLODING

populations of invasive snakes are threatening local wildlife across the Balearic Islands, experts have warned.

Since Horseshoe Whipsnakes arrived in the region, their numbers have risen dramatically, with 3,000 spotted this year alone.

The snakes are not harmful to humans but are considered invasive as they threaten local wildlife, especially lizards.

HEARTY EATER: but expat never paid bill

Because each incident was considered a small amount of money, they are only considered as ‘minor crimes’. However the restaurant owners are now planning to file a joint complaint which could land the man up to two years in jail.

A lawyer from the prestigious firm Navarra Sancho said: “He has taken advantage of the legal system, with such small fines unpaid it’s difficult to achieve a longer sentence in prison.”

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KING Felipe VI has put forward Pedro Sanchez as candidate for prime minister after the failed attempt of conservative leader Alberto Nuñez Feijoo to take power.

The nomination came after the monarch held a fresh round of meetings with Spain’s political leaders, the second he has had since the inconclusive general election held on July 23.

Sanchez will need the support of the new leftist bloc Sumar as well as smaller groups, including Catalan nationalists who are demanding serious concessions for their pro-independence cause.

He will this week meet with the leader of Sumar, caretaker deputy PM Yolanda Diaz, to explore the possibility of a new leftist coalition.

It is believed the snakes arrived while hibernating in a hollow oak tree and have since flourished thanks to a lack of natural predators. Now they have been seen in Formentera, Ibiza, Mallorca and even swimming in the sea.

Voted top expat paper in Spain

A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in Spain with an estimated readership, including the websites, of more than two million people a month.

OPINION

Warning for all

THE shocking NHS bill sent to expat Helen Winslade should be a warning for all Brits in Spain (Sickening, p1).

Despite having lived all her working life in the UK and having paid national insurance and a host of other taxes, Helen was unable to access free healthcare when confronted with an emergency during a visit home. No one expects to fall ill when travelling, let alone have their bowel rupture, but life is unpredictable.

We sincerely hope that Helen is now on the mend after finally making her way back to Spain with her husband Carlos in Seron, near Almeria.

However let this be a lesson to all of us to ensure we are covered when returning back to Blighty. Get your EHIC card, fill in a so-called S1 or S2 form or make sure your health insurance is extensive enough to cover the worst possible scenario.

Share the blame

THE fire that has claimed 13 lives in Murcia may have been an accident (a lighting short circuit is suspected) but there will be blame attached.

A criminal investigation has been launched against the owners of the three nightclubs where the tragedy unfurled.

And if they have been found to be negligent, the full force of the law should be brought against them.

But they should not be the only ones put under the spotlight. The actions - or rather inaction - of the local authorities should also be closely examined.

How is it that, despite a closure order on the businesses (because they had split one club into two with unauthorised building works), the discos were allowed to operate?

Why were there NO safety inspections in the year since the closure order was made?

The unauthorised removal of a wall may have been partly to blame for the roof collapsing, trapping and killing innocent party goers.

But City Hall must be held accountable too.

PUBLISHER / EDITOR

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COUNTDOWN BEGINS

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

IT’S the case that never seems to close. Now into its 16th year, the mystery over the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann in Portugal, has still not been solved. But, it’s creeping ever closer to coming to trial, after a landmark ruling in Germany. It involves a court in Braunschweig finally accepting it has the jurisdiction to try its former resident Christian Brueckner, 46. As well as the abduction and murder of the British toddler in May 2007, he is also due to be charged with five other serious sex crimes. These are three rapes and two child sex offences, all taking place on the Algarve between 2000 and 2017. Feel like you’ve read that before? You did, almost a year ago on October 11 when

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It came as a big blow to Wolt

FACING HER ATTACKER

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

The remarkable human-led resettling of Ibises to Cadiz is just one of a number of programs to replenish Spain’s critically endangered birds

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AWARDS

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

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

Known for its dark feathers and distinctive bald red head, the Northern Bald Ibis vanished from Spain and Europe three centuries ago. Until recently, there were only two surviving populations left in the wild; one in Morocco, of roughly 600, and another in Syria, with fewer than 10.

A breeding program at the Schönbrunn Zoo in Vienna helped establish northern populations and now hand-reared chicks have been trained to follow a caregiver in an ultralight aircraft to establish a southern migra tion route to southern Spain.

The plucky Ibis is not the only bird species long-extinguished in Spain to have made a comeback, thanks to the efforts of conservationists.

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

Twelve Ospreys were taken from their nests in Scotland and released into the Basque coun try north of Bilbao.

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

As with so many bird species in Spain, numbers of this raptor have been decimated by the illegal use of poisons, hunting and habitat degradation and loss due to high-intensity agriculture. Experts grew alarmed when the breeding population in Spain

dropped to a mere 50.

BIRD BOUNCE

Over the summers of 2022 and 2023 and into next year, around 100 Red Kites from the UK have been carefully released into Extremadura.

However, they are only returning the favour after relocated Spanish Red Kites saved their British cousins from being wiped out in the UK

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

A colossal predator with a wingspan of nearly two and a half metres, the White-Tailed Eagle had not been seen in Spain since Borrowing from the robust populations in Norway, 18 young eagles were extracted from nests earlier this summer and made

their journey to Madrid airport on June 29.

Before taking flight into Spanish skies, these eagles are residing in a specialised enclosure near the town of Pimiango in Asturias. Some 13 of the eagles have been released into the wild so far, with the remaining five not deemed large enough yet.

From predators to scavengers; another grand endeavour is underway, this time to restore the Black Vulture to its historic homeland in Spain’s Iberian Highlands.

Once a common sight, the Aegypius monachus faced dwindling numbers and extinction in the region a century ago due to shrinking forest habitats.

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

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

It is part of a plan to release between 40 and 50 Black Vultures to go with the already-healthy Griffon Vulture population.

INVESTIGATION: Clarke meets Wolters (right)

roperty

On brand

homes are flooding image-conscious Marbella in the latest trend for super-rich investors, see page 10

Designer

ONLY WAY IS UP*

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

In the second quarter of 2023, prices nationwide increased by 3.6% compared to the same period in 2022. It follows a healthy 3.5% year-onyear boost during the first quarter of this year.

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

That’s almost 10 years of continu-

PropertypricesinSpainhaverisenforeveryquartersince2014

By Laurence Dollimore

ous and steady growth. Driving the uptick has been the construction of new-build homes, which are popping up across the country, but particularly on the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca. And if you bought a new-build home last year, you will have already seen a tidy increase in value, with the av-

erage price rising 7% year-on-year. The investment opportunities have not been lost on foreign buyers, who only purchased 2.7% fewer homes in the first quarter of 2023 compared to 2022.

That is a strong sign of demand given the sharp interest rate rises this year and the worsening cost of living and inflation crises hitting Spain’s most important foreign buyer markets in the UK and

Germany.

In particular, the number of purchases by foreigners fell by just 2.7% year-on-year in Q1 2023, compared to declines among Spanish buyers of a 9% for second-home purchases and a 12% for first-home purchases.

In addition, this strength in sales among foreigners follows the significant rebound of 2022, when they grew by 30.7% compared to 6.4%

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

*With respect to long-term expat Malaga resident Yazz

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

MOST foreign buyers in Spain go for second-homes, but some nationalities more than others

If you look at the data for Spanish home purchases by foreign buyers, and break the numbers down between residents and non-residents, and assume that residents are buying main homes (which most of them are, though some will be buying a second-home or investment), and assume that non-residents are buying holiday-homes (which most of them are, though some will be buying with a view to future relocation) you get a reasonable idea of how each foreign

SECONDS

Which nationalities go more for holiday homes in Spain?

market breaks down between first and second home buyers.

So which nationalities go more for second-homes/investments, and how have the preferences changed over time? The chart answers the question.

Using data from the notaries going back to 2007 it looks at non-resident buyers from the main foreign markets for property in Spain (excluding markets like Morocco, which are in a completely different segment).

In 2022 the Swedes had the biggest

proportion of second-home buyers, with almost 90pc of Swedish buyers being non-resident, followed by the Danes at 83%, and the Belgians at 80pc. At the other end of the scale were the French at 60% (meaning 40pc of the French who buy a property in Spain are already resident), and the British at 61pc. The Germans and the Dutch were at 72pc, both having increased significantly since

2020.

The interesting thing about the British (in this context) is they have gone from the highest proportion of all nationalities in 2007 buying second-homes/investments abroad (77pc at the time) to the second-lowest last year, a hair’s breadth ahead of the French. Why? I suppose that many British buyers back in 2007 were ‘investors’ who got inveigled into flipping and other such folly, and they disappeared from the market when the bubble burst between 2008 and 2010 (Swedish and Danish second-home buyers remained constant through that period). British second-home buyers recovered somewhat between 2013 and 2016 (Brexit referendum time), and have been declining ever since, a small uptick in 2022 notwithstanding.

FOREIGN BUYER BAN!

ANDORRA is taking action to combat property speculation and banning foreigners from buying property.

The bid to battle soaring prices has been introduced in the Pyrenean principality until a new tax can be introduced.

The microstate, between France and Spain, has decreed the temporary moratorium as it has become increasingly hard for its 84,000 inhabitants to buy a home.

“We are faced with a real estate epidemic,” explained politician Cerni Escale.

“Some of our citizens are being forced to leave the country because

they can’t afford the luxury of living here any more.”

Prices have risen by 12.8% in the six months up to April, with an estimated €1 billion of foreign capital being invested in real estate last year. The moratorium will look into setting up a new tax on foreign buyers, which will then be used to build affordable housing for residents.

It comes while there has actually been a rise in construction in Andorra over the last year, albeit most of it luxury homes.

Estimates say that there are around 3,000 empty apartments owned by foreign investors.

Office: Spacious Villa 7 bedrooms | 5 bathrooms | build: 447m2 | plot: 1250m2 14044415 | Price: 1,450.000€

House, Costa de la Calma, Santa Ponsa Villa for sale Santa Ponsa Villa for sale Santa Ponsa

State of the art refurbishment 4 bedrooms | 5 bathrooms | plot: 366m2 | plot: 1089m2 15911565 | Price: 4,700.000€

This luxurious 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom house, with a separate studio and basement apartment potential, is located only a 2-minute walk from the beach in a highly sought-after area. Enjoy breathtaking sea views from the large roof terrace and unwind in the small pool while taking in the scenery.

The stunning circular dining area is perfect for entertaining guests, and off-street parking for 3 cars ensures convenient access. This super family home is ideal for those seeking a relaxed beach lifestyle with all the amenities close by.

Don’t miss out on this rare opportunity!

ThIs stunning property has undergone a state of the art refurbishment by top international architects, ensuring that it boasts the latest modern features and luxury finishes. It offers four beautifully appointed bedrooms, each with its own en suite bathroom, ensuring that privacy and comfort are paramount. The master bedroom is a particular highlight, offering breathtaking sea views from its balcony, perfect for soaking up the sun and taking in the coastal scenery. Additionally, the property boasts an office/study, which provides the perfect environment for those who need to focus on work or study whilst still enjoying their holiday.

This property has a tourist licence for 8 people.

1.2 mio Costa de la Calma / Santa Ponsa...for location

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

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

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

Rental increase woes

THE average rent on the Balearic Islands has risen by 17.5% compared to this time last year, new figures show.

Residents now pay €3.8/m2, making the island more expensive than Madrid (€3.5/m²) and the Pais Vasco region (€3.02/m²).

Although prices have fallen by 0.7% compared to last quarter, the data, released by property company Fotocasa, has revealed high renting costs persist across the islands.

Maria Matos, Director of Studies at Fotocasa, said: “The year-onyear rise continues to indicate a high increase in housing prices at the national level and still shows worrying figures, in the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands and the Valencian Community.”

Buying

The property company claims the problem is caused by a housing shortage, exacerbated by a lack of new builds.

The most expensive properties are found in Eivissa, where the average price is 6.264 €/m². The cheapest properties are found in Inca, with an average price of just 1.883 €/ m².

The study indicates that prices will continue to rise. Buying property has become increasingly difficult in recent years, pushing the rental market to its limits. According to property expert Matos, prices are mirroring the 2008 crisis and experts are calling for government legislation to control the issue. For now, experts suggest prices will calm towards the end of year, reaching a national average increase of 6%.

FASHION HILLS

2025.

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

DEEP POCKETS

Anoriginalone-of-a-kindPicasso etchinginthepoolhelpsjustify€30 millionvillapricetag

By Laurence Dollimore

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

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

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

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

affairs over the years.

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

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

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

The master bedroom measures 120sqm and offers

jaw-dropping sea views over the mediterranean.

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

is the the outdoor swimming pool.

At the height of his career, Bailarin was

a global star, having toured the world with his iconic flamenco show. He would often be seen with the Hollywood elite, including Ava Gardner and Vivien Leigh, the latter of whom he was rumoured to have shared a torrid romance. Everyone from Rudolf Nureyev to Charles Chaplin fell at his feet - as well as a certain Pablo Picasso. The story goes that the iconic Malaga painter invited the dancer to his 80th birthday party and

was blown away after watching the Sevilla man dance. It led to him sketching the dancer, which ended up on the bottom of his pool.

“The artist was so enchanted that he jumped over the table that separated them, began to dance rumbas with Antonio, fell on his knees, kissed him on the cheek, then got up, took a pencil, sketched a portrait

of the dancer and dedicated it to him,” an obituary in the Independent recalled in 1996.

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

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

The house is for sale at €30 million.

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

Demolition at inland island megaproject

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

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

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

It is a win for local green groups, who have been campaigning against the project in Berrocalejo for over two decades. They argued it had been constructed in a protected area for birds and wildlife and should not have had the backing of the regional authorities.

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

The developer, Jose Maria Gea was given a

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

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

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

STUNNING: The magnificent property is up for sale

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

STYLISH: Preview of the luxury resort

Dolce & Gabbana

ON BRAND

Designer homes flood image-conscious Marbella in the latest trend for super-rich investors, writes

Laurence Dollimore

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

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

Dolce&Gabbana, Fendi and Elie Saab are just some of the big names fronting

In the latest trend to hit the property luxury apartments and villas in the exclusive Costa del Sol resort. Icon Karl Lagerfeld started the trend when he helped design five villas in the exclusive Sierra Blanca area before his death in 2019. The former head of Chanel and Fendi put his stamp on the amazing homes, three of which have already sold for an estimated €15 million.

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

Karl Lagerfeld

ports.

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

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

In conjunction with developers Sierra Blanca Estates, all of the homes - there are 92 in total - will offer jaw-dropping views of the Med and large terraces complete with private pools.

Residents will also have a home automation system connecting them with concierge and hospitality staff 24/7.

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

It comes as the neighbouring

Elie Saab

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

As too are the final two villas designed by the late German fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld. Elsewhere in Marbella, Lebanese fas-

hion house Elie Saab is selling five villas through Savills, each with a starting price of around €8.3million.

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

to developments.

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

This stunning front-line seaview apartment it is a unique opportunity, offering spectacular views of the Mediterranean Sea from its spacious terrace. The apartment located on the 6th floor, boasts three big bedrooms and two bathrooms that offer just the right amount of privacy, while the kitchen on the right-hand side is perfect for cooking up your favorite meals. The living room is an open and inviting space that lets in plenty of natural light,and it offers unobstructed views of the sea. The master bedroom is situated on the right side of the terrace and featuring an en suite bathroom withbeautiful brown stone. The terrace itself is a true gem, providing the perfect spot to relax and take in the stunning surroundings. From here, you can enjoy front-line seaviews of the sparkling turquoise waters and golden sands of Cala Major beach. Walking down the building from the apartment you have private access to Cala Major beach. The apartment also has alarge storage room for all the things you need to store, and elevator.

ref: RH-53900

Type: Penthouse

Location: Cala Mayor

Constructed area: 100m²

Terrace: 15m²

Bedroom: 3

Bathroom: 2

View: Sea

Price: €990.000

Real estate boutique specialising in the promotion and sale of luxury housing in Majorca; with an extensive knowledge of the island and widespread experience in luxury real estate.

+34 971 694 055

info@lovianproperties.com www. lovianproperties.com

Avenida Rey Jaime I, 109, D5, 07180, Santa Ponsa, Mallorca, Spain

TOP PARTNERSHIP

Luxury Estates Mallorca - Exclusive Affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate

LUXURY Estates Mallorca's distinctive edge lies in its exclusive partnership with Christie's International Real Estate, a globally renowned name in luxury real estate.

As Mallorca's exclusive affiliate, we've seamlessly integrated into a vast network of luxury real estate experts, granting us access to unparalleled resources and connections.

Christie's International Real Estate, known for its global presence, extends its reach even to the United States, with offices in key cities and luxury real estate markets. Our affiliation empowers us to effortlessly bridge Mallorca's exclusive properties with US investors seeking overseas opportunities.

Andrea Berchtold, Managing Partner of the Portals office, voiced her excitement, saying: "Our new Portals Nous office strategically enhances our service in southwest Mallorca. We're immensely proud to be the sole affiliate of Christie's International Real Estate on the island. This partnership not only unlocks international avenues but also establishes us as the preferred agency for U.S. investors eyeing Mallorca real estate."

This expansion is a testament to Luxury Estates Mallorca's commitment to providing a discreet, professional, and personalized service. With our dedicated team and access to an extensive network of luxury real estate professionals, we're primed to consistently exceed client expectations.

From page 11

Lamborghini Designer villas

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

The homes, linked to the aspiration Italian sports car brand, are selling from €3.2.million. Finally, just a hop and skip up the coast towards Sotogrande, you will find yet another global fashion brand getting in on the act.

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

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

For more information on EXCLUSIVE properties from Christie’s and the best the island has to offer, please consult www.luxury-estates-mallorca.com

Situated on a generous 1095 m² plot, this house boasts a total built area of 386 m². The living space is all on one level, providing comfortable and ample spaces for you and your family to enjoy all that Mallorca has to offer.

The thoughtfully designed layout includes 3 bedrooms, two bathrooms ensuring that everyone has their own private sanctuary. Private pool and garage and excellent central location.

IP9-10188 - Family home for sale Santa Ponsa - 3 bed, 2 bath, pool & garage -2.200.000€

IP9-10188 - Family home for sale Santa Ponsa - 3 bed, 2 bath, pool & garage -2.200.000€

Situated on a generous 1095 m² plot, this house boasts a total built area of 386 m². The living space is all on one level, providing comfortable and ample spaces for you and your family to enjoy all that Mallorca has to offer.

Click on our QR code to see full information, photos, virtual tour and floor plan

info@imperial-properties.com

971 692 434

The thoughtfully designed layout includes 3 bedrooms, two bathrooms ensuring that everyone has their own private sanctuary. Private pool and garage and excellent central location.

Situated on a generous 1095 m² plot, this house boasts a total built area of 386 m². The living space is all on one level, providing comfortable and ample spaces for you and your family to enjoy all that Mallorca has to offer. The thoughtfully designed layout includes 3 bedrooms, two bathrooms ensuring that everyone has their own private sanctuary. Private pool and garage and excellent central location.

Click on our QR code to see full information, photos, virtual tour and floor plan

FINCA FANTASTIC

THE resort-style mansion Finca Azur has just been sold for a stunning €17.95 MILLION - and it wasn’t even officially on the market yet. This is being hailed as the highest price achieved for a property in Marbella this year and the most expensive property ever sold by a Finnish Real Estate Agency in the region.

Strand Properties agents

Resort style mansion sells for a whopping €17.95m

Cristina Galan and Sorin

Mailat closed the deal to an undisclosed buyer, much to the delight of developer Matterhorn, who designed and built Finca Azur.

It occupies a fantastic frontline golf location overlooking Aloha Golf, La Concha Mountain and the Mediterranean Sea and its built space of 1,300m2 ensures plenty of room for the new owners to relax in.

Cristina commented: “Se -

lling luxury properties is a fine art, one that demands an intimate

understanding of the market, unwavering dedication, and a passion for crafting extraordinary living experiences.

“This recent record-breaking sale was a testament to this commitment. It wasn’t just a transaction; it was a journey that pushed boundaries and redefined excellence in luxury real estate.

“This achievement solidifies Marbella’s place among the world’s elite in luxury real estate. It’s not just about selling homes; it’s about creating legacies. This is what drives me every day.”

Cristina added: “If you wish to hear more about properties that have not even hit the market yet, contact us. If you are considering selling your property, we would love to help you with that.

“Strand Properties sells homes in a new way with modern and fresh marketing to a wide

international client base.

“Our high-quality pictures, sales styling and exceptional marketing concept will bring out the best of your property.”

She concluded: “This achievement solidifies Marbella’s place among the world’s elite in luxury real estate. It's not just about selling homes; it’s about creating legacies. This is what drives me every day.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR OFFICES IN PUERTO BANUS, MALAGA, FUENGIROLA & PALMA DE MALLORCA. CALL +34 676 901 519, EMAIL: INFO@STRAND.ES OR VISIT WWW.STRAND.ES

This resort-style villa was sold off market. Congratulations to our lovely buyers and to the developer, who designed & built this extraordinary property.

If you wish to hear more about properties that have not even hit the market yet, contact us. If you are considering selling your property, we would love to help you with that. Strand Properties sells homes in a new way with a modern and fresh marketing to a wide international client base. Our high-quality pictures, sales styling and exceptional marketing concept will bring out the best of your property.

Come and visit us at our office in Carrer de Can Verí 6, 07001 Palma.

Into the trees

Stunning new green home is built seamlessly into an olive grove

THIS is the remarkable minimalist property that has been etched into an olive grove in a small town in eastern Spain. La Casa en los Olivos blends in seamlessly among the rows of olive trees in the tiny municipality of Quesa, Valencia.

Designed by Balzar Arquitectos, the one-level home boasts three patios and floor-to-ceiling windows, which flood the interior with natural light. But a partially-covered outdoor pool is the piece de resistance, extending from a terrace towards the trees. Meanwhile a second pool sits on the other side of the home, and both can be heated during the winter months.

They also come with outdoor showers and an indoor spa area, also fitted with showers, and large windows. The house is a subtle shade of terracotta, helping its steel frame structure to blend in with its natural surroundings.

And thanks to its Passivhaus status, it is both very well

Key to your own business

Pass the Keys is searching for Franchise Partners to expand in Spain

Pass the Keys is currently seeking Franchise Partners in Spain to meet the growing demand from homeowners in need of a comprehensive short-let property management service.

Founded by Alex Lyakhotskiy in 2015, Pass the Keys has revolutionised the UK’s short-term rental industry by offering a hassle-free, fully managed solution for homeowners who are unable to handle the management of their own properties.

Their services encompass everything from guest communication to cleaning, linen, and invoicing, providing homeowners with a seamless experience. Today, Pass the Keys is not only the leading short let management company in the UK but also the most trusted. Their franchise partners work closely with property owners to fully manage their properties, including listing them on popular platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo, handling bookings, communicating with guests, and overseeing cleaning and maintenance. Initially operating in London and York, Pass the Keys expanded into a franchise model in 2019, allowing them to establish a proven business model based on their own successful processes. In September 2022, they launched their services in Spain, further expanding the company’s reach.

To streamline operations, a dedicated in-house tech team has developed bespoke systems to automate various aspects of the end-to-end process, such as optimising listings, contacting guests, and organising cleaning services.

Additionally, the operations team provides comprehensive training and guidance to franchise partners, offering support at every stage of the process.

On average, franchisees earn 20% of each booking, providing them with a lucrative opportunity. In the UK, Pass the Keys have already partnered with over 80 entrepreneurs who have chosen to become their own bosses. Remarkably, more than 30% of them generate over £100k per year, and 15% earn over £200k, all within a span of three years or less. In Spain, the company currently has franchise partners in Ibiza, Orihuela, Valencia, and Marbella. To ensure their success, Pass the Keys has two dedicated team members based in Spain: Partner Account Manager Sonia Compagnet and Pilar Orti, the Marketing Manager. They provide ongoing support and guidance to partners, ensuring their businesses thrive. Pass the Keys is excited to continue expanding its franchise network in Spain, and they welcome

HEATED POOL: is a focus for the spectacular landscape

ventilated and insulated, guaranteeing minimal energy usage.

So-called ‘Passivhaus’ buildings provide a high level of occupant comfort using very little energy for heating and cooling.

Homes can only label themselves as such after being officially certified by the Passivhaus Trust.

motivated individuals who are eager to join the successful team.

The company’s objective is to establish itself as the leading global full-service short-let management company.

Spain, with its substantial expat population and abundance of British-owned holiday homes, presents a market with immense demand. In the past year alone, Spanish Hosts have experienced an average net rent increase of 180% in the short-let market compared to what they would have earned in the long-let market. Pass the Keys’ cutting-edge technology is accessible from any location worldwide. The management of a significant number of properties across various platforms, along with the coordination of numerous guests, clients, and contractors, necessitates a level of system and technological investment that sets them apart from many of their competitors.

For those interested, visit the website franchise.passthekeys.com/es to access the prospectus and schedule a call.

https://franchise.passthekeys.com/es/

CLEAN LINES: Bring a relaxing vibe to this superb villa

THE COMM, an exclusive resort for people who know what life is about

THE COMM is the freedom of living in your own space, with an international community and the facilities of a resort.

We are a private residential complex composed of 233 apartments, with a large central services building that offers medical assistance, sports activities (aquagym, pilates, wellness area...), restaurants and common areas dedicated to promoting creativity and leisure (reading room, live concerts, painting room...).

The protection of our residents is important to us, therefore, the urbanization has security cameras and security guards.

Enjoy your home, a personal space to live independently and to share time with friends or family.

A personal space in which to live autonomously and independently and decide when to share time with friends or family.

Our medical center, open to the public, has 7 specialties attended by renowned professionals (General Medicine, Cardiology, Physiotherapy, Dentistry, Podiatry, Internal Medicine, Nutrition)

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

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

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

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

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

The so-called ‘police sources’ (I’m

FOLLOW THE LEADER: Ibises en route to Spain

It has not all been an unbridled success in conservation efforts to return majestic, long-extinct birds of prey to Spain, however. A program to reintroduce the endangered Bearded Vulture to the Maestrazgo area of southeast Aragon has been halted over concerns about proposals for a massive new windfarm in the area.

There are fears that wind turbines, numbering over 100 with some reaching 150 metres in height, could spring up directly in routes known to be favoured by existing bearded vultures in Spain.

Windfarms already in the Aragon and Navarra area extracted a harrowing toll on various bird species between 2020 and 2022, according to conservation experts.

This includes 1,387 Griffon Vultures, six Egyptian Vultures, 30 Golden Eagles, 58 Short-Toed Snake Eagles, and 76 Red Kites killed.

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

Waldrappteam Conservation and Research/L Kern

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

ACTUAL HOME: Clarke outside Brueckner’s Braunschweig kiosk

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE FIVE SEX CRIMES BRUECKNER IS FACING:

● Rape of Hazel Behan in Portimao in 2004

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

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

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

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

be in the early part of 2024.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Olive Press editor

Jon Clarke is the author of My Search for Madeleine

deos gefunden und Zeugen befragt haben, die sich zur fraglichen Zeit in der Gegend aufhielten. Sie wartet noch auf den Autopsie- gutachten und möchte sich vorerst nicht zur genauen Todesursache äußern. Die Leiche der Frau wurde angeb- lich ohne Ausweispapiere aufge- funden, obwohl ihre Handtasche auf der Straße neben ihr

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

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

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

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

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

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

Proud

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

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

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

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

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

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

wiki Orte auf

Fuente Vaqueros, einem kleinen Ort in der Nähe von Granada, geboren. Eine aufregende neue Route, einschließlich seines renovierten Familienhauses, markiert das Jubiläum Chipchase dalusien, seinem Wunsch getragen sind, in entlegene bringen Kluft zwiStadt und überwinden. von

wohlhabenden Landbesitzers einer Lehrerin, und arbeianschiedenen Orten, Franco-Regime 1936

ca-Pfad" besichtigt Lorcas Orte des Schaffens Zeit

queros zog die Lorca 1906 Valderrubio, Vega de Granada. Dies blieb SommerAb 1926

öffnet. Laut Berichten war in ihrer Jugend im Skiclub Ringebu- Fåvang aktiv und nahm unter an- derem NM-Staffel 2018 Sie besuchte das Sportgymnasium in Gausdal arbeitete in einem lokalen Feinkostladen. -

sie Huerta San am Rande Die lebte

Zentrum

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

zunächst Acera del Darro später in der Casino. Die Verbindung zu Granada sein ganzes lang erhalten. besuchte die

städtische und von galt als Piasein Rechtswissenschaften abschloss, es neun 1919 zog Lorca ResiEstudiantesdie ein Jahrzehnt lang sein und künstlerischen förderte. Kommilitonen gehörten der Filmemacher Luis Buñuel der große Salvador zu einem Weggefährten womöglich zu romantischen wurde. Aufenthalte

They immediately contacted publisher Jon Clarke to broach the idea of a similar product for the German market and voila, the Olive Press Aleman was born.

Clarke said: “They insisted that while Germans can speak English and read it, they are so much happier doing it in their own language.

Madrid, und Südamerika vergaß Lorca Wurzeln. Lorcas Werke bekannt Gedichtsammlung "Romancero von 1928, "Llanto por Ignacio Sánchez Mejías" über seinen berühmten Stierkämpferfreund, der aufgespießt und wurde) "Bodas sangre" (Bluthochzeit) von 1933, von casa Alba" (Bernarda Albas Haus). den frühen JahLorca ein

"goldenes Zeitalter" spanischen Theaters. Er engagierte sich mit großem Enthusiasmus seine

www.glasscurtains.direct GLASS CURTAINS ALUMINIUM WINDOWS AND DOORS STAINLESS STEEL UPVC WINDOWS AND DOORS BI-FOLD DOORS STEEL CONSTRUCTION

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

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

HOME?: Maddie suspect Brueckner claims this was his residence

Oil woes

OLIVE oil production in Spain will not exceed a million tons in the 2023/24 crop year, according to Agriculture Minister, Luis Planas. However, he said production would almost certainly surpass the historic low of 663,000 tons produced in 2022/23- 54% below the average of the previous four years.

Officials and producers across the country have blamed the historic drought for the poor harvest last year and the low expectations for this year.

Rainfall in recent weeks has slightly improved the situation in the olive groves, but many producers warned that it came too late to save this harvest, instead improving conditions for 2024/25.

SHAKIRA SHAKING!

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

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

This is in addition to the €14.5 million tax she is accused of illegally avoiding in her early years in Spain.

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

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

Purse friendly

A MAJOR study has revealed the cheapest supermarkets in Spain.

The OCU, a leading consumer organisation, priced up the average shopping basket filled with everyday goods in more than 1,100 stores

SPAIN’s Ecological Transition minister Teresa Ribera hasn't ruled out imposing tariffs on imports of materials used in solar power generation despite industry warnings that disrupting supplies of products from China could hamper Europe's ability to rapidly install clean energy.

"We are currently in a complex scenario where we have to find the most appropriate point of equilibrium," Ribera said,

Cheapest supermarkets for a weekly shop revealed

By Laurence Dollimore

across the country. As it does every year, it visited 65 Spanish cities,

Tariff warning

when asked about possible tariffs. She added that some products imported into Europe were "probably priced below cost", which could stymie innovation. "Spain considers that we have to guarantee that balance,” she said at a solar industry event in Madrid.

OP QUICK CROSSWORD

Across

1 Rugby Union’s --- Crown (6)

5 Charge (6)

8 Stronghold (8)

9 Fish eggs (3)

10 Distribute cards (4)

11 Parched (3-5)

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

18 Slower than Mach 1 (8)

22 Retinal cells (4)

23 Female deer (3)

24 Towards sunrise (8)

25 Minister (6)

26 Literary ridicule (6)

Down

2 Avian canopy colony (7)

3 Kneecap (7)

4 Level pegging (5)

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

6 Insect stage (5)

7 They fly in skeins (5)

12 Colourful carp (3)

14 Arrest (3)

15 Link (7)

16 It’ll keep you in stitches (7)

17 Dr Slade shook up leather worker (7)

19 Below (5)

20 Explorer who named Lake Victoria (5)

21 Prices paid (5)

All solutions are on page 22

including all the provincial capitals and large towns, and recorded a total of 155,788 prices to discover which chains were the cheapest. At the national level, that title this year has gone to Family Cash, followed closely by Alcampo. Family Cash has around 40 stores spread across Andalucia, Valencia and Madrid, and the average shop there will cost you €103.

Meanwhile at Alcampo, which has more than 500 stores across Spain, it will set you back €104. The cheapest local chain is Dani, which is found in Andalucia, including along the Costa del Sol. The OCU basket there cost €100.

According to the data collected, every single chain

has increased their prices by between eight and 17%.

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

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

Prices

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

THE Balearic Islands were the most visited holiday destination in Spain in August, new figures show.

Some 2.3 million tourists flocked to Ibiza, Mallorca, Menorca and beyond, representing a quarter of all visitors to Spain.

This year has so far seen more than 10 million holidaymakers descend on the Balearics, mostly from the UK and Germany.

Visitors spent more than €3 billion in August alone, with the average person parting with €1,385 during their stay, a 13.6% increase compared to August 2022.

Overall, 57.7 million tourists have visited Spain so far this year, an almost 25% rise from 2022. The country is making a steady recovery after the pandemic, with a 15% rise in visitors and 7% more tourism profits.

Simply the best Business to flat

A NEW ‘Emergency Housing Law’ will allow entrepreneurs to convert their premises into living spaces. Approved on Monday, October 2, the law is designed to provide affordable housing. The measures make it easier to convert properties but business owners need the approval of the local community and conversions will be limited in historic areas.

24/7 EMERGENCY ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE

BREAK DOWN COVER

If your car breaks down it can be an upsetting experience, especially if you don’t have roadside assistance cover. But they are also the most common type of problem on the road.

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GEOLOCATION SERVICE

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902

BREAKDOWN KIT

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.

OVER 20 YEARS OF EXPERTISE

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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

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

ARCHAEOLOGISTS have made a momentous discovery at Valencia’s Cova Dones, caves, unearthing over 100 ancient paintings and engravings believed to be at least 24,000 years old. This remarkable find is considered one of the most significant Palaeolithic cave art sites in Europe.

While Cova Dones has long been known to locals and frequented by hikers and explorers, the Palaeolithic paintings remained unnoticed until researchers from the universities of Zaragoza, Alicante, and Southampton studied the cave system.

Dr Aitor Ruiz-Redondo, Senior Lecturer of Prehistory at the University of Zaragoza, remarked: "When we saw the first painted auroch (wild bull) we

Ancient art

immediately realised it was important."

The study identifies 19 different types of animals, including stags, horses, aurochs, and deer.

Ruiz-Redondo explained: "Animals and signs were depicted simply by dragging the fingers and palms covered with clay on the walls. The humid environment of the cave did the rest: the 'paintings' dried quite slowly, preventing parts of the clay from falling rapidly, while other parts were covered by calcite layers, which preserved them until today."

ANCIENT: Exploring Cova Dones

Almost finished Van fright!

BARCELONA'S Sagrada

Familia, Antonio Gaudi’s famous yet incomplete landmark, is moving forward toward completion.

As of last week, five out of the six central towers have been fully constructed, and since January, when the towers of Luke and Mark were finished, two additional towers, dedicated to Matthew and John, have been crowned with statues by sculptor Xavier Medina-Campen.

The ambitious project has been under construction for over 140 years- attracting millions of visitors every year.

Construction is planned to end in 2026- the centenary of Gaudi's death.

Wreck dive

THE remains of a sunken ship, potentially a Spanish warship dating back to the 18th century, are being investigated by divers.

It is believed to be the El Fernando, which was constructed between 1750 and 1751, and historical records indicate it sank in 1760.

A team of nine archaeol -

Spanish family discover multimillion value

Van Dyck painting had been hanging in their living room for DECADES

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

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

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

By Yzabelle Bostyn

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

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

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

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

British art historian discovered a painting he had bought for £60 was actually a Van Dyck. The owner of this painting also decided to donate the painting locally and it now hangs in the Cannon Hall Museum, Barnsley.

ogists are analysing the remains off the coast of San Pedro Alcantara, (Marbella).

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

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

Van Dyck was a leader of the so-called Baroque movement and is famed for his portraits of nobility and his biblical and mythological paintings. Although the Museum of Fine Art has stated their interest, the future of the masterpiece is not confirmed.

It comes just a year after a

Just

champion!

THE Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba has clinched the title of the most beautiful cathedral in Spain on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter

The Relatando Historia profile (@RelatandoHistoria) on the X social network initiated the competition, structured like a football tournament akin to the Champions League, urging its followers to select the most beautiful cathedral on the platform. After several weeks of voting, the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba has emerged as the victor over Sevilla Cathedral, securing the title of the 'Champions League' of Spanish cathedrals.

WORTH MILLIONS: But family want painting in Sevilla

A Ruiz Redondo_V Barciela_X Martorell

LA CULTURA

SUPERSTAR CELEBRATION

JULIO Iglesias has been recorded celebrating his 80th birthday at his jaw-dropping mansion near Marbella.

The video was a rare insight into the life of the iconic singer, who has endeavoured to live out his golden years away from public view.

After all, since selling more than 150 million records worldwide - and in 14 different languages - the ‘King of Latin’ arguably deserves a break.

The Begin The Beguine singer was gifted a video, which featured personal messages of congratulations from some of the world’s biggest names - including King Felipe of Spain.

Tennis ace Rafael Nadal and former PM

Jose Aznar were among the other 450 celebrities to wish Julio a happy birthday - in a clip that took his team six months to create.

They branded him ‘the greatest Latin star in history’, and they weren’t wrong. Here the Olive Press unpacks everything you need to know about the legend.

Football career

Before reaching international fame as a sensual singer, Julio had hopes of being a football player and even a diplomat. At just 19 years -old, he made his debut with the Real Madrid first team in 1962, sharing the locker room with icons such as Velazquez, Ramon Moreno Grosso, De Felipe, Luis Costa, Espejo and Hernandez.

He was a great goalkeepr of the beautiful game, an agile and fast mover between the posts.

He was also very close to finishing his law degree when he and his friends were involved in a car crash on the eve of his 20th birthday - leaving him almost paralysed for a year-and-a-half.

However while recovering, his nurse Eladio Madaleno gifted him a guitar as a

therapy exercise and to ‘kill the time’, and well, the rest is history.

Latin lover

Julio has long been dubbed the ‘Latin lover’ for his well-documented affairs with beautiful women, with one myth claiming he has bedded more than 3,000 in his lifetime.

His first real love was said to be Gwendolyne Bollore, a woman of French origin whom he met during his stint in England in 1970.

Gwendolyne was born into a rich family and it was, by all accounts, love at first sight, with the young woman even inspiring one of his biggest hits - Nathalie However their love affair ended after a few months when Julio met Isabel Preysler, a stunning and distinguished young Filipina woman who he met by chance at a party. They would have three children together before separating in 1976 (one of them being future sex symbol and pop star Enrique Iglesias).

He was also tied to Venezuelan model Virginia Sipl, aka Miss Amazonas 1975, who came fourth in that same year’s Miss Venezuela pageant.

Their tryst lasted for five years, and she was holed up in his mansion on Indian Creek island in the Stateswhere multiple women spent time.

A string of other lovers ensued until he met his current wife Miranda Rijnsburger in 1990.

Julio had five children with the now 57-year-old Dutch model: Michael, Rodrigo, Guillermo and twins Victoria and Cristina. They finally married in 2010.

The ‘illegitimate’ son

Maria Edite Santos, a former ballerina from Portugal, hit the headlines when it was claimed she had given birth to Julio’s son, Javier

Sanchez Santos.

For decades, Javier has sought to have the singer recognise him as his child, in a claim that reached the courts of Spain, where a DNA test established a genetic link with 99.9% accuracy.

Despite this, the music legend refuses to confirm his paternity - despite their remarkable likeness.

In March this year, Javier said he will renounce any inheritance just for his father to acknowledge his lineage.

In a heartfelt open letter, he said: “I don’t want any money… I would be very happy if a meeting occurred, because we both have the same DNA. There have been many years of suffering and sadness and it is time for this face-to-face dialogue to take place.”

Julio has never responded.

The estranged son

When soon-to-be pop icon Enrique Iglesias needed 500 dollars to create his first album in 1995, he asked his nanny to lend him the cash, instead of his father Julio.

Julio took it personally and the pair have had a tense relationship ever since.

Enrique’s nanny, Elvira Olivares, had been his faithful companion, taking care of him and his brother Julio Jose and his older sister Chabeli from a very early age.

Enrique once told El Pais:

difficult. I left and for 10 years I had absolutely no contact with my father.”

The two resumed slight contact when Enrique’s grandfather died. He added: “Many years. I suffered a lot. But what I felt about my music gave me strength. And, above all, I pursued the goal of doing it my way.” There are no signs the two have reconnected, with Enrique renouncing his inheritance of Julio’s €700m-plus fortune.

The troublesome twins

Julio’s twin daughters are thought to have given up their dreams of becoming influencers following a stern telling off from their father.

Victoria and Cristina launched their careers in 2019, keeping their hundreds of thousands of fans updated on their every move via Instagram and other social media channels. They posed for the cover of magazines - including Hola - and hoped to make a business out of their family name.

However, according to reports, Julio did not approve, and gave the pair a strict telling off.

Rumours in the US claimed he even threatened to remove them from his will. Safe to say, the pair quickly took note and have not posted on social media for over a year, and are very rarely pictured in the press.

English connection

When Julio recovered from his near fatal car accident, and after perfecting the guitar, he travelled to England to study English.

To earn money, he would

OP Puzzle solutions Quick Crossword

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

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

perform at pubs, singing the biggest hits of the day, including those by Tom Jones and The Beatles.

Fortune

Julio has pushed out an incredible 80 albums over his career, which has seen him become a household name around the world and one of the richest artists ever, with a staggering net worth of more than €700million.

He owns bottles of wine worth €15,000 and a mind-bending 700 private islands and multiple farms.

His property portfolio includes a 450-hectare estate in Ojen, Marbella, which cost a whopping €18million. It features his famous ‘Cuatro Lunas’ mansion, complete with 12 bedrooms (five for staff), a recording studio, eight bathrooms, two helipads and three swimming pools.

He has also made his investments in the US, and owns, along with millionaire Jaime Gilinski, a large part of Indian Creek island off the coast of Florida, featuring 200m of private beaches. He has also invested in a five-star hotel and 262 luxury homes in Spain.

PIN UP: Young Julio before his near-fatal crash

MARRIED: Julio with Miranda Rijns- burger and (left) his private Indian Creek island

150 million-selling Julio Iglesias bash in Marbella mansion for 80th birthday

STUNNING: Julio’s Marbella pad

LOVED: Julio with Priscilla Presley (far left) Isabel Preysler (middle) and Yolanda Hadid, while (inset) Virginia Sipl

“At

the age of 18 I separated from my family completely. And it was

On the up

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

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

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

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

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

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

BIG BROTHER DELAYED

A PASSPORT tracking system that will keep tabs on how many days Brits have spent in the EU has reportedly been delayed yet again until May 2025. The so-called ETIAS, and its accompanying Entry/ Exit System (EES), was supposed to be up and running by the middle of 2024.

However an EU official has now confirmed this has been pushed back to May the following year, reports SchengenVisaInfo.com.

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

JUST PERFECT

By Laurence Dollimore

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

Currently, dated stamps in passports are the only way for border patrol officers to know how long a person from a ‘third country’ has spent in the EU. However, in theory, if someone were to order a new passport after clocking up 90 days in the EU, the new document would have zero stamps and the border officer would be none the wiser. This is because the work -

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

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

ETIAS tracking system launch put back to 2025

Babymoon boom

MANY couples are joining the trend of taking one last holiday before becoming parents.

The craze started in the United States and spread across Europe, with Mallorca becoming a star destination.

According to Ilonka Moljin, CEO of BabyMoon Travel: “Like a honeymoon, couples relax and spend time together before the baby arrives”.

The Danish entrepreneur says Mallorca is popular with Northern Europeans due to the tranquil atmosphere.

Blogger Julia Berolzheimer said her Mallorcan babymoon was ‘truly wonderful’.

“It’s so nice to take some time just the two of us before one of life’s biggest changes,” she said.

ers often do not have the time to count up all the stamps and calculate whether or not a visitor has exceeded the 90-day limit in the past 180 days. The EES, however, is an international database that would do the hard work for them, counting every time a person crossed an EU external border.

This data would be instantly accessible when scanning your passport, making it virtually impossible to avoid the 90/180 rule.

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

Result

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

Takes the cake

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

The youngsters had brought their own dessert to the eatery in Almeria and ate it at the establishment following a meal. However when the bill arrived, a charge of €17 had been applied for so-called ‘cake service’.

As there were 17 people in the group, it amounted to €1 each.

PASSPORT CHECKS: Not automated until 2025

REuse REduce REcycle

We

Eclectic eclipses

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

Have a car

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

Doggy train

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

O P LIVE RESS The

IN FOR A PENNY

THIS is the bizarre moment a man was seen riding a penny farthing bike along a major road.

A clip shared on Instagram shows the individual pedalling past the Milla de Plata boutique hotel, near Sotogrande on the Costa del Sol.

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

By Laurence Dollimore

opposite the hotel.

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

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

Ibiza send off

AN unrepentant British woman has been on the end of an online backlash after she spread her brother’s ashes among a sea of revellers at an Ibiza pool party. The Scot was fulfilling her brother’s last wishes at a music festival taking place at Ushuaïa Ibiza. In a brief seven-second clip on social media that quickly went viral, the woman can be seen calf-deep in the pool, dancing to the music before scattering the contents of a small container in the water.

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

Long arm of the claw

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

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

Drone’s the limit

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

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