Olive Press Spain - Issue 392 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

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Vol. 14 Issue 392 www.theolivepress.es April 20th - May 3rd 2022

The real story behind the new Colin Firth blockbuster See page 6

VODKA SOUR Local businessman and his vodka firm named on US sanctions list for key links to Irish mafia

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Chri stop her Vinc ent Kina han , Jr. Joseph Kinahan Chri stop her Kina hanDaniel SUBMIT TIPS VIA E-MAIL TO KinahanTCOTips@dea.gov

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HIGH PROFILE: Morrissey and wife Nicola in the local press (left) and (above) the US goverment wanted posters and Christopher Kinahan Jnr, the US has also put Malaga-based Morrisey and Bernard Clancy on its list. They, along with Ian Dixon and Sean McGovern, are said to be a key part of the Kinahan gang, who owned a string of gyms, restaurants and other businesses on the Costa del Sol, before moving to Dubai a few years ago. While the gang still have an important influence here, its leaders started decamping to the Middle East after rival gangster Gary Hutch was killed in Estepona in 2015, leading to a bloody gang feud. But ‘Johnny’ Morrissey, 62, stayed put to help run his high-profile drinks business Nero Vodka, which is owned on paper by his wife Nicola. Based in Spain for two decades, he had moved from Ireland where the country’s Criminal Assets Bureau dealt a hammer blow to his business

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FOR INFORM THE ION OF CRIMINAL KINAHAN ORGANIZATION OR THE ARREST AND/ORATION LEADING TO THE FINANCIAL DISRUPT TO THE FINANCIAL DISRUPT KINAHAN CRIMINAL ORGANIZ ION OF THE FOR INFORMATION LEADING CONVICTION OF ATION OR THE ARREST AND/OR ATION OR THE ARREST AND/OR KINAHAN CRIMINAL ORGANIZ ION OF CONVICTION OF CONVICT

THE boss of a well-known Costa del Sol drinks company has been named as a key member of one of Europe’s biggest mafia gangs. John Morrisey and his company Nero Vodka have been placed on a US Treasury department sanctions list for their association with the Kinahan crime cartel. The American government has placed sanctions on him, alongside other key associates of the Irish gang, who lived for many years between Estepona and Marbella. As well as Christy Kinahan Snr, Daniel Kinahan

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there, seizing €630,000 in cash and property. Now he looks set to come under a similar microscope here, with the US describing him as ‘having worked for the Kinahan Organised Crime Gang (KOCG) for several years’.

Enforcer

The US Treasury claims he is involved in smuggling, money laundering and other key aspects of the Kinahan operation, including as ‘an enforcer’. The sanctions mean he and his partner Nicola, who are regularly seen on the Costa del Sol party circuit, face the same economic sanctions as the gang bosses. Their Nero Drinks Company Ltd, registered in Glasgow, has specifically been put on the list of companies that face sanctions, alongside two others, a sports company, Hoopoe Sports, and a marketing company, See page 21 Ducashew Trading. The highend vodka

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brand is sold at many Costa del Sol beach clubs and is even available in El Corte Ingles after Morrissey fronted a massive publicity campaign over the past few years, with events attracting

many well-known members of Marbella society. He was regularly seen splashed across newspaper pages and was a recent guest at the Marbella Film Festival.

THE GOING GETS TOUGH...

THE sanctions mean any US assets held by those named must be froze and reported to the US treasury. n In effect, US citizens are banned people and their companies – anywfrom doing business with the named This extends to non-US citizens whohere in the world. are resident in the US, or just transiting through. It almost certainly means that they Western countries, who are expectedwill now be blacklisted by most other Explaining the unprecedented mov to follow suit. and Financial Intelligence, Brian Nelse, US Under Secretary for Terrorism narcotics, including cocaine, to Euro on said: “The group smuggles deadly economy through its role in internatiope, and is a threat to the entire licit “Criminal groups like the KOCG prey nal money laundering. bring drug-related crime and viole on the most vulnerable in society and nce, including murder, to the coun in which they operate. tries “The Treasury is proud to have coor dina ted so closely with our international counterparts, and the US governm able resource to dismantle these criment will continue to use every availinal networks.” Among the radical moves, the US dresses and passport numbers of Treasury has even listed the home adall people on the list, including two dresses for the Kinahans in Marbella adand Estepona.

CRIME

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NEWS IN BRIEF

POLICE are still trying to identify a man whose headless and handless body was found near a sleepy rural town near Malaga. Investigators are keeping all line of inquiry open, although the fact that the victim’s genitals were also severed lead them to believe he may have been tortured.

Drugs busts POLICE have arrested eight people in Estepona after four raids found 15 grams of heroin, four grams of cocaine, 41 grams of hash and 13 grams of cannabis.

Hee-horrific DONKEY taxi owners in Mijas are under fire by animal rights party PACMA for ‘chronic mistreatment’ of the animals, who back their claim with a dossier of recent photos and videos to say conditions ‘have not improved’.

Cap doffed A MAN dubbed ‘the Fuengirola cap thief’ has been charged with 29 robberies. He was famed for commiting lightning-quick thefts using a baseball cap to obscure his face before breaking into shops.

April 20th - May 3rd 2022

Gruesome find

Officers believe he was a middle-aged man and that he may have died from a few hours to a few days before the body was found hidden in undergrowth 500 metres from a road.

The mayor of Villanueva del Trabuco – population 5,000 and about 45 kilometres from Malaga – has said none of the townsfolk are missing and police believe the body may have been brought in from elsewhere as there was a lack of blood around the gruesome find.

Kings of hashish on trial Court finally tries the Castaña clan, believed to have made over €30 million from drug trafficking

IT’S taken over a decade, but finally the Kings of Hashish are on trial. Brothers Francisco and Antonio Tejon (pictured right and far right)are facing 20 years in prison over claims they smuggled drugs across the Straits of Gibraltar. Said to be one of Spain’s key gangs, the Castañas, as they are known, long evaded police

Grim toll SOME 26 people died on Spain’s roads over the Easter break, 10 fewer than predicted on the first ‘normal’ Holy Week after two years of traffic restrictions.

By Kimberley Mannion

around the Campo de Gibraltar area. Based out of La Linea and across the waters in Tangier, they sent dozens (possibly hundreds) of consignments of drugs across the Straits. At one stage they were thought to have control of an astonish-

Barbaric head-to-head SIX football hooligans, aged between 18 and 43 and belonging to a radical group of supporters of Malaga football club, have been arrested by the National Police, after violent altercations at the city’s airport. Those arrested have been charged with crimes of public disorder and damage valued at around €3,000. The incident took place last March 18, at around 9:30 p.m., when teh hooligans ambushed Sevilla fans returning from a match against West Ham in London.

E V E N T/ S E M I N A R

ing 70% of the hashish trade between Morocco and Spain. They are on trial in Algeciras alongside 15 of their gang, including two Policia Nacional and one Policia Local officer who are accused of tipping off the smugglers about anti-drug operations and road blocks. The prosecutor is asking for 20 years jail for the Tejon brothers and 11 years each for their associates. The brothers also face fines of €4 million each. The defendants face drugs trafficking, firearms and belonging to organised crime charges.

WUFF JUSTICE THREE people behind an online dog-selling scam have been arrested in Cadiz. The trio were detained in San Fernando and have been charged with 40 counts of fraud after dog buyers never received their new pet. The total amount scammed is said to be over €30,000. Images of cute-looking Pomeranian puppies as well as other breeds were posted on a well-known online selling platform to lure in victims. In the Valencian Community, the Guardia Civil in Castellon got a complaint in November 2020 from a Vilafames resident who paid €600 for a puppy he never received. The scammers used bogus names and once they got money transferred into their accounts, they cut off all communication with their victims.

Looked out Police believe the brothers have amassed a €30 million fortune through their criminal activities. Their nefarious activities are said to have provided livelihoods for hundreds of La Linea’s poor. Despite their notoriety, they managed to stay at large for years, protected by an ‘omerta’ code of silence amongst many of the people inthe town.

A POLICE raid in Benalmadena saw the seizure of thousands of counterfeit goods in a clampdown on street sellers. Officers used a drone to track their targets and discover where the fake items were stored. They seized ‘branded’ items with a street value of €20,000 that included over 200 ‘designer label’ handbags, 125 pairs of trainers, 155 sunglasses and 145 fake football shirts. Six men were arrested.

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NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

April 20th - May 3rd 2022

Looking back at anger

Cross to bear

BAD boy of Britpop Liam Gallagher has apologised after tweeting a death threast to Atletico Madrid player Stefan Savic following their Champions League game with Manchester City. The match between city - who Gallagher supports - and Atletico ended with a pitchside brawl that spilled into the dressing rooms tunnel. Savic - who played 12 times for city but is now an Atletico player - was seen to grab Jack Grealish by the hair and headbutt Raheem Sterling. This was too much to bear for Gallagher who tweeted: “Stefan Savic this is a threat if I come across you ya goofy looking C**T your dead MCFC” [sic]. He has since deleted the tweet and apologised, saying he had let his fans down - so maybe has mellowed over the years.

Hear all about it! EXCLUSIVE: In-depth podcast by TV investigator and Olive Press will blow open the Madeleine McCann case TV INVESTIGATOR Donal MacIntyre has teamed up with the Olive Press for a hard-hitting probe into the case of missing Madeleine McCann. The Irish investigative journalist joined forces with editor

Jon Clarke for an in-depth cold case review of the snatch of the toddler, which is approaching its 15th anniversary. In the podcast, Madeleine McCann: The Chief Suspect, the pair explore the complicated and harrowing disappearance of Maddie, who would be 18 today. The former BBC and ITV presenter turned to Clarke, whose new book My Search for Madeleine is the most comprehensive study of the case and its prime suspect to date. “It’s amazing the depths Jon has gone to to try and solve the mystery,” said MacIntyre, 55, who has visited Portugal many times in connection to the case.

BACK HOME SPAIN’S Princess Leonor flew home to spend Easter with her family after completing her second term at UWC Atlantic College in Wales. The heiress to the throne will not return to her boarding school until April 24 but her trip home won’t just be rest and relaxation. She accompanied her parents King Felipe and Queen Letizia on an official visit to meet Ukrainian refugees at a centre in Pozuelo de Alarcon, just outside the capital. And this week she will make a solo appearance at an event held at a secondary school in Leganes that is designed to warn teenagers about the dangers lurking online.

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HARD TALK: Clarke (left), MacIntyre (right) and team

“There was so much that came out that really points to the current main suspect. It’s so shocking how poor the original Portuguese investigation was. You have to wonder why.” The pair spent hours exploring the likelihood that German Christian Brueckner snatched the toddler while she was on holiday with her doctor parents in Portugal on May 3, 2007. They track his movements around Europe and along the Algarve that month and discuss his dozens of previous crimes, many in Portugal. In particular, they analyse the likelihood that the convicted paedophile and rapist broke in and took the three-year-old to sell to a child trafficking network. They also discuss the shambolic police investigation and Clarke’s recent high-level liaisons with Germany’s crack BKA detectives, who are expected to charge Brueckner this year.

Until 25th April L A ST CHANCE!

They explore a number of recent trips Clarke has made to northern Portugal and three other crimes involving children and the rape of an Irish tourist. Available on Spotify, Apple and other streaming platforms from April 22, the moving eight-part podcast, part of the wider Murdered, Missing, Unsolved series, looks at dozens of characters linked to the case.

Mystery

“With the Portuguese statute of limitations ending this year, it is now only in the hands of the Germans.” Clarke, who was the first national newspaper journalist on the scene in 2007, added: “I really enjoyed doing the series with Donal, who knows how to ask the right questions. “I really hope the German police can finally pull it all together this year and charge Brueckner.”

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ACTOR Antonio Banderas returned to take a leading role in Easter processions in his home city of Malaga. The 61-year-old Zorro star was pictured with his girlfriend investment banker Nicole Kimpel, 40, as he prepared to join the Malaga brotherhood of Maria Santisima de Lagrimas y Favores during processions on Palm Sunday and on Monday. The actor often returns to join in Semana Santa celebrations with the cofradia that he has been linked to since childhood to take part in the traditional marches. Banderas joins the penitents dressed in long gowns as they shuffle through the streets transporting heavy wooden floats carrying religious statues to the sound of mournful drumbeat and wafting incense.

DIOR MIO! THE iconic haute couture brand Dior has chosen Sevilla’s Plaza de España as the spectacular setting to launch its Cruise 2023 collection this summer. The collection designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri, who has been the brand’s creative director since 2016, will be revealed on June 16 on a catwalk in the most famous plaza in the Andalucian capital. The ties between Dior and Andalucia were forged in the 1950s and were strengthened with ‘journeys that led to evocatively named silhouettes dreamed up by Monsieur Dior and his successors’, said the fashion house. “It will be a unique event that will show the excellence of Andalucian crafts and culture through the creativity of local artists and artisans.”

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NEWS

Anxiety

It posted on its Brits in Spain page on Facebook, to say it recognises the anxiety the situation is causing. “We have asked Spain for an extension that will give us enough time to reach a final agreement and avoid a further cliff edge in the future,” the post said. However, it warned that there is no guarantee of a successful resolution and warned British residents who haven’t yet got a licence to prepare for the worst case scenario, which means taking the Spanish driving test.

MALAGA has been selected to host the knockout stage of the Davis Cup for two years. The city had originally been chosen as one of the four venues for the group phase of the 2022 Finals from September 14 to 18 but after a convincing bid to the International Ten- nis Federation (ITF) and Kosmos, the city has

SALT IN THE WOUNDS

Sad find

POLICE in Almeria are investigating the death of a British man whose body was found on a waste tip OLIVE PRESS more than two weeks after Rainbow’s end he went missing. Denis Walker, 82, was last seen on March 24 when he disappeared from Parilla Coffee machine, furniture and even a Hotel in Albox. cement mixer: Brits robbed by neighbours In an appeal launched by after demolition of costa home his family a week after he meant missing, his daughter said he suffered from EXCLUSIVE dementia. By George Mathias Guardia Civil confirmed that his body had been disorange and lemon trees. covered at a rubbish tip in Fortunately, their expat friend Arboleas about 10km away managed to take photos of the from where he was last seen. thieves to send to the HartsInvestigators told Spanish horns who rushed down to the news agency EFE that it approperty. peared he had been dead for Staying in a local hotel, they ‘several days’ and although arrived just in time to see a van loaded with their things it appeared his death ‘had being driven away by a neighnot been natural’ it is underbour. stood there is nothing at this ON FILM: Looters descended on the scene The theft was reported to the stage to indicate Mr Walker Guardia Civil who made a de- locals who had been caught it had already been sold. was the victim of a crime. Property

best mag Spain’s English property in

THE British Embassy in Madrid has requested yet another extension to the deadline on the validity of British driving licences for expats in Spain. At present the deadline is April 30, but the embassy isnists that negotiations for a permanent solution are still ongoing.

A BRITISH couple whose house was demolished after a long legal battle have been robbed by their neighbours. David and Janet Hartshorn were already devastated after they saw their retirement dream on the Costa del Sol smashed to smithereens. But that very same day, neighbours in Torrox used their misfortune to scour through the wreckage and rob the couple of anything that had survived in a part of the house they can still use. “Talk about kicking a man while he’s down,” David told the Olive Press. The looting was discovered by Tom, a friend of the Hartshorns, who popped over to look at the site in the afternoon of the demolition. He was astonished to see the neighbours filling the boot of their cars with whatever they could get their hands on. Among the items stolen were FOUR ladders, a cement mixer, boxes of crockery, two tables, two chairs, a pressure washer, EIGHT sun loungers, and even a coffee machine. The shameless group even stripped all the fruit from their

Discover the favourite villages of Spain’s top architects inside our Property magazine

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April 20th - May 3rd 2022

Life in the shade

THE enclave been described of Zagaleta has often most exclusive as ‘southern Europe’s It’s one of Spain’s most And when youplace to live’. on behind the expensive count on the ties, captains celebrihigh tech fences places to live. But of industry and, global dictators now, the a giant palace. few know what of La Zagaleta, Olive Press Property spaces, that’s no who stalk its privileged goes the second member gated community surprise. The multi-million takes a peekwhere Putin is said to own the of the family,” agent. price tags certainly rity is ‘its number that claims that secu- “Our adds follow suit, as perimeter shielding, “It’s real royal Indeed, security one priority’. course, which does its incredible golf detection tems and security is of so of the locals golf and the attitudes routines will sys- around 240 homes people allowedhas just a few hundred tance that after a late-nightmuch impor- most attempts are to match,” thwart tinued. year, an incident last to play… and have so far there’s its intriguing been snobby, “It’s ultra exclusive he conwhich explains to attack properties, built. then sioned Israeli company was commisand so why way more than “Most to build a new recent links Russian dictator to ‘high tech electric’ 100 times lower thanthe incident rate is lion homes go for around the Chelsea or 7 to 8 mil- Cheshire set. owns a property Vladamir Putin, who fence. euros,” explains in other residential complexes,” “Owners put Expected to one British agent, who has sold The giant 2000 there. 10,000 euros become the The estate washe claimed. there over the a number of properties club bar so they can always behind the originally called the Rock of the sqm palace, known as sive in Spain, it will runmost expen- Baraka’ last year. “And or cigar when and owned by ‘La even doubled around the counts on its King (or Roca del Rey) 900-hectare estate that they want and get a drink in price over some have literally crawling own private vineyard, vis, between Marbella sits in Benaha- lionaire Saudi arms disgraced bil- years.” the place is the last few licopter pad and with Aston Martins, he- of the Serrania and the foothills Khashoggi, who was dealer, Adnan All and DB4s and But it’s the threebowling alley. surrounded said to have held de some of the by deep woodland, Thesedays, theMcClarens.” floors underground “The residents are Ronda. that has got company parties at theworld’s most debauched they have either sea or being charged eyebrows raised euros each in mountain views galeta is run by Ignacio behind Zahunting lodge (or both), while 5,000 Europe’s security two Perez Diaz, afin the equestrian there is also ter his father died and defence among pay for it,” reveals installments to help 1970s. As revealed a private According two years ago. Today it is center and a source. by the Olive elite. to its last available month, it counts Press last not exactly happy about it.” “They are which was the clubhouse of the resort, a second one on the golf course, with in It comes after 2019, its immediate way. acquired by a accounts on armed guards and has a deep group of in- The amazing course, said holding company Zagaleta Miguel NavarroHead of security Jose vestors in 1989 led by Andalucian bunker monitoring the best in Spain, to be one of Straits of Gibraltar International er, Enrique boasted last year UK Inc is 24/7. And this the his team have a that from Huelva. Perez Flores, who bank- members, which only counts on 250 based in Panama, while ‘maximum response in a time of two is because only tities, came owners three minutes home- Alto Soto Properties SA andother encan join. The giant estate to any alert’. SA, are based Campo approximately was then divided into “The price for membership in Switzerland. 420 plots, of 120,000 euros and then it’s alone is See pages which year II and III 10,000 a for the lead member and 7,000 for more on the properties to find out Zagaleta available in

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Vol. 15 Issue 391

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www.theolivepress.e s April 6th - April 19th 2022

But no gold for British couple as their dream home is bulldozed in another sad chapter in Spain’s planning history FOR

two decades it had been the dream retirement home couple David and Janet of British The four-bedroom villa Hartshorn. above the Costa del Sol in the hills hallmarks of the perfect had all the rainy, cold north-west escape from England. The retired publicans from Cheshire,

EXCLUSIVE by George Mathias

had long dreamed of their place in the sun. So when the opportunity the dreamy Torrox plot of buying came up, they jumped at the opportunity. However, Villa Arco Iris (meaning ‘rainbow’) has proved to be anything but its DEVASTATED: Janet and David, as home is demolished namesake and rather than a pot on a plot of land into the of gold it has left treat sizable rethem hundreds of year. they valued at €500,000 last thousands of eu- But just one year after buying ros out of pocket. it, they The couple had that discovered it was illegal. And fallen for the age- Someis where their nightmare began. old trick of trust- 9.01amtwo decades later at exactly on April 5, 2022, a town ing local trades- bulldozer hall men in southern rampage started on a 40-minute to bring it down to rubble. Spain. Their They had Court countless pleas to Malaga to reconsider, even including been as- a request to give up the property to sured by Ukrainian refugees, were all in vain. b u i l d i n g The authorities were adamant firm Ner- should not have been built andthat it See pages 23 & 31 tor nevthat er had they would Despitethe correct permission. be able to pressure enlisting lawyers and local group SOHA nothing could develop a be done. small shack To add insult to injury, the cost of the

BEFORE: The couple’s dream home Arcos Iris

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demolition work will the couple - to the tunebe charged to of €24,000. Now the plot, formerly setting for the Hartshorn’san idyllic family friends to spend and their mers, has been reduced long sumto a derelict building site.

“It is very distressing and a big part of our life’s work has been turned to rubble,” David told the Olive Press, last night.

Life

“We have put all our life this work, and now it savings into is all going to be taken away.” He continued: “It beggars belief how this can happen. with certain Spanish Consultation contractors is a downfall from the beginning. They

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bend the truth.” On Monday morning, David, accompanied by daughter Adelle, 46, who had flown over from moral support, finally England for accepted the fate of their beloved home. The only legal part of the house is an uninhabitable 20-square-metre annexe. This was spared by the team but it will come as demolition little consolation to the Hartshorn’s, been forced to move in who have with friends nearby and who will leave the country for good on May 6. The case echoes that of en Prior in Almeria whoLen and Helwatched as Opinion Page 6 Continues on Page

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tailed inventory of the missing items and interviewed the

Tennis galore been selected to host the finals in 2022 and in 2023. The quarterfinals, semifinals and final will all be in Malaga from November 21 to 27 on indoor hard courts, returning to the Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena for the first time since September 2003, when Spain beat Argentina 3-2 in the semi-finals.

red-handed in the photos. One of the neighbours actually denied being there until he was shown the image of himself and admitted the theft. He was told that if all the stolen items were returned then the charges would be dropped. Sure enough, when Janet and David returned to the site the following day most of the belongings had been miraculously returned. A note left by one of the thieves said they would replace an expensive Karcher power hose with a new one, presumably as

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It rounds a fortnight of hell for the Hartshorns, whose dream move to Spain has become a nightmare.

Persecuted

“I’m being persecuted,” David continued. “We used to think we had a good community here, but now we are not so sure.” His wife added: “Maybe the world is telling us it’s time to get out of here.” Opinion Page 6

TRAGIC: Denis Walker

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What’s in a name DURING Semana Santa the town of Fuentes de Andalucia in the province of Sevilla changed its name temporarily to Ukraine in protest at the Russian invasion. And its streets adopted new names to highlight the destruction of Ukrainian towns by Russian forces. For two weeks residents strolled down Calle de Ciudad de Mariupol and Calle Ciudad de Odessa. Replacement plaques have been stuck up on the renamed streets with a line explaining where the cities are and what has happened to them. For example, beneath the name Calle de Ciudad de Jarkov, is written: “Destroyed by massive bombardment by Russian Army.” The town, which is run by a left wing-green coalition, has also renamed streets to show solidarity with conflict zones elsewhere in the world.

NEWS

April 20th May 3rd 2022

Cash police Police on Gibraltar border demand evidence tourists have €100 a day to spend

BRITS trying to enter Spain from Gibraltar are being forced to prove they have a ‘valid reason’ and enough cash to spend, according to multiple reports. Now the Gib government has raised concerns over the reports that Spanish police were refusing entry to British tourists. Policia Nacional officers at the border were demanding non-EU nationals, including British passport holders, provide evidence of onward travel and hotel reservations in Spain before allowing them to cross, according to several people on social media. One British holidaymaker who crossed into Spain on Tuesday

What a scorcher THE forecasts that predicted a sunny and hot Easter Sunday were spot on, with Malaga setting the highest temperature on the Peninsula. According to data from state weather agency (AEMET), the 32.9ºC reached in Coin at 5.50pm was the highest temperatures in all the peninsula, followed by the 32.8 degrees recorded at 4pm by the official AEMET station at Malaga Airport.

LIVE-IN CARERS said all British holidaymakers were also being asked to show proof of funds for the duration of their stay in Spain. “At the border we had to prove we had €100 per day per person for the duration of our stay,” Julie Quartermaine told the Olive Press on Tuesday. “The woman officer was apologetic but said she had to see enough for the 10 days we planned to be in Spain either in cash or in a bank account. “I had to pull up my online banking on my phone and show I had at least two grand to cover me and my husband,” she said. The couple flew into Gibraltar on the early flight from London Heathrow to spend 10 days at their holiday home up the coast in Manilva. “It was quite a shock and God

knows what would have happened if we couldn’t show we had the funds,” added Julie, from Sutton in Surrey. “There was a man ahead of us in the queue emptying out his wallet to show he had the cash.”

Stringent

It appeared that the border guards had suddenly started to apply the more stringent Schengen entry requirements that came into place with Brexit for Brits travelling to Europe through an external border. However, such rules are suspended at Gibraltar’s border with Spain while negotiations for a post-Brexit agreement regarding the future of the Rock are ongoing. Opinion Page 6

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OPINION Love thy neighbour WE’D like to believe that in times of great adversity, one simple act can restore our faith in humanity. That the worst situations often bring out the best in people. That when the going gets tough, communities pull together and neighbours set aside their petty differences and help each other out. So it is particularly galling to report on such despicable behaviour shown towards the British expat couple who had the misfortune of falling foul of planning regulations in Torrox. Not only did they have to suffer the horror of watching their dream home being smashed to smithereens but within hours vulture neighbours were picking over the bones of the wreckage and stealing anything of value. Another example of poor neighbourliness is being witnessed at the border of Spain with Gibraltar. Border officials have suddenly decided to break an agreement to observe the status quo while a post-Brexit agreement is thrashed out, and suddenly impose stringent border checks on those hapless holidaymakers heading to the Costa del Sol. Those who can’t meet Schengen entry conditions and show accommodation plans and proof of funds aren’t being allowed in. It might be a fit of pique on the side of the Spanish annoyed at the arrival of nuclear subs in Gibraltar, but it’s holidaymakers who want to spend their money in Spain that are being stopped. With a bigger Putin shaped common enemy lurking on the edge of Europe, isn’t it time we stopped making life difficult for our neighbours and pulled together to help each other out? PUBLISHER / EDITOR

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SECRETS FROM THE GRAVE A British tomb in a far-flung corner of Spain helps explain how the Allies beat Hitler

‘

By Fiona Govan

IF I should die, think only this of me: There’s some corner of a foreign field that is for ever England,” wrote Rupert Brooke in his seminal poem, The Soldier, published during the First World War. They are fitting words for a new film that tells the strange story behind a grave that

lies in a forgotten corner of southwest Spain. The movie, Operation Mincemeat, starring Colin Firth and Matthew MacFadyen, is about the death - and crucially the body - of a British man, credited with changing the course of the Second World War. His grave can be found in the corner of the Catholic cemetery of La Soledad just outside the city of Huelva. Marked with the name ‘Major William Martin’, it contains a corpse that was found by fisherman during the height of the global conflict in April 1943. However, the true identity of the body was known by only a few behind Operation Mincemeat, an PUT TO REST: Glyndwr Michael is buried under audacious plan by Britthe fake identity of Major William Martin ish Intelligence to hood-

wink Hitler. It involved planting the corpse of a fictitious major, a supposed victim of a plane crash, along with his briefcase full of fake secrets off the Spanish coast with the knowledge that the Franco regime would share any intelligence with the Germans. Papers contained within the case chained to the major’s belt contained documents that were designed to persuade Hitler that the Allies were imminently set to invade Greece and Sardinia. And making him believe it would mean diverting Axis forces away from the Allies real target in Sicily. It was a cunning plan and the corpse was

Where’s our Headspace? Is Spain doing enough to deal with a rising problem exacerbated by the pandemic and now the anxiety caused by war? Jo Chipchase takes a look

ITH the Ukraine conflict following hot on the heels of the Covid pandemic, it’s natural that many people are feeling

stressed. Complaints such as anxiety and depression are becoming more widespread and people, particularly children, are wondering what they can do to alleviate the issues. In the face of rising cases, are Spain’s mental health services up to the job?

Worrying statistics Madrid’s Complutense University found an alarming increase in depressive symptoms from the pandemic last year. It found that up to 3% of the adult population was suffering from mental health issues, while 6.9% had anxiety. In particular, younger people are getting worse depression, while women are more anxious. UNICEF believes children have it the hardest. In its ‘State of the World's Children 2021’ report, it estimates 13% of those aged 10 to 19 have mental health disorders. And in 50% of cases, these disorders begin before the age of 14. In Spain, one in ten over15s are affected and the internet hasn’t helped our anxiety levels. Just as anti-vax videos did the rounds in 2021, in 2022, the world can watch the Ukraine conflict through videos uploaded to social networks, with poor filters against misinformation. Too many people have seen the footage of dead bodies, explosions, and other frightening scenes, because they spent too long on social media and not on the

more reliable mainstream media. It is little wonder then that a professor of psychological science at the University of California, Roxane Cohen insists mental health is influenced by how much social media a person consumes and how graphic the content is.

Spain’s incoming mental health law With mental health on a downward spiral, Spain proposed a new law called ‘Ley de Salud Mental’ at the end of last year. This aims to increase access to relevant services, reduce suicide rates, and destigmatise mental health issues, with €2.5m budgeted to spend on information campaigns. The country also aims to create special clinics for young people. And it’s about time as currently for each 100,000 inhabitants, mental healthcare provision is limited to just 10 psychiatrists, 6 psychologists and 7.5 specialist nurses. Health bodies, including the AEESME believes this should be at least 30 specialist nurses per 100,000 people.

Primitive treatments Treatments in Spain tend to be pretty primitive. Mental health services in most of Andalucia and Valencia are extremely limited, consisting of extremely few psychiatric clinics. Most clinics merely dole out pills for ‘de-

PILLS: There are concerns doctors oversubscribe antidepressants

pression’ - with little actual attempt at diagnosis. One Olive Press reader, based in Lanjaron, revealed that her daughter was merely issued pills when she faked a suicide attempt. “She was then prescribed more pills, instead of dealing with the symptoms of her disorder,” she explained. And when her daughter’s mental health worsened, so did the treatment. “Eventually, she was committed to our hospital's psychiatric unit, which can only accommodate around 10 patients. No treatment was offered, other than being highly sedated. I saw men and women locked up together in a very small ward,” she recalled. “One guy had his groin taped up with gaffer tape - presumably to prevent him exposing himself to fellow patients. It was like something from the days of Charles Dickens – shuffling, muttering, dosedup patients wandering about and largely ignored by the staff, except when they were forcibly made to take showers. The whole ward was like a prison - locks and bolts everywhere and restricted visiting. “After eight days, they said my daughter was being released - although nothing had been done to diagnose or alleviate her condition. She came out unable to even dress herself and certainly no better.”

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W SILVER SCREEN: The cunning scheme has been immortalised in Operation Mincemeat

transported by submarine to just off the coast of Huelva, where British intelligence knew a particularly active German spy, Adolf Clauss, was based.

They knew he would almost certainly be handed the bogus secret documents. And all went exactly according to plan with the Allies soon mounting a successful invasion of southern Europe with minimal loss of life thanks to the diversion. But the mystery as to the true identity of the grave was not revealed until years later. When the MI5 secret files were declassified in 1996 it emerged that Major William Martin was actually a homeless alcoholic Welshman, Glyndwr Michael, who died in London after eating poisoned bread. His body had been removed from St Pancras Hospital morgue, dressed up in the Royal Marine uniform of a major and trans-

80-YEAR TRIBUTE

A raft of pills Maggie Greg, a Cadiz resident who suffers from borderline personality disorder, says: “I've been using the mental health system for a long time. It depends on who you get in terms of therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists. Many will quickly put you on pills without spending long enough to obtain a correct diagnosis. Also, they will give you strong meds, such as Xanax, if you suggest them yourself,” she explained. “I was offered Lithium after being seen just four times for under 30 minutes each time, for a condition that was misdiagnosed. Fortunately, I turned it down. I’ve been on Xanax for over eight years now. A UK doctor told me they would not have prescribed it, as better drugs have been available for some time.”

Go private or online There are a few good counsellors out there in the private sector, but they are hard to find and the best are very busy. Meanwhile you might try an online website like Betterhelp, which offers registered counsellors for €50 to 70 a week. Many people find the cost of the private sector prohibitive, and are stuck with the public system, which remains under-resourced and has a long waiting list.

ported on ice to Spain. Incredibly, it wasn’t until 25 years ago, in 1997, that his name was added to the inscription of the grave. But today visitors to the obscure graveyard near Huelva can find the tombstone acknowledging the posthumous heroism and the real identity of the man within. ‘Glyndwr Michael served as Major William Martin, RM’ it reads. While the well-tended grave receives the occasional curious visitor, the story will now reach a wider audience with this month’s release of Operation Mincemeat also starring Kelly Macdonald and Penelope Wilton.

Local expat campaigners hope interest generated by the new film will lead to greater promotion of the area and preservation of the tombs of other Allied heroes buried there. For in the British Cemetery adjacent to the final resting place of Glyndwr Michael lie two other neglected graves of war heroes, their headstones overgrown with weeds. Both are Allied airmen who died when their plane, a Bristol Beaufighter, went down near Gibraleon on April 19, 1942. Royal Australian Air Force pilot Sergeant Geoffrey Lennox Avern, 27, and 21-year-old RAF wireless operator Sgt Philip Bernard Crossan lost their lives. “Out of respect for them my wife and I have decided to lay flowers on their graves on April 19, 80 years after they met thei deaths,” local resident Christopher r untimely Wright told the Olive Press. The British expat is also in cont with both the Australian and Britiact embassy to urge them to take actiosh n to restore the cemetery. “Action is needed now to ensure these two young airmen are not that forgotten,” he added. “In the meantime a small group of unteers are clearing up some of thevolundergrowth and generally tidying up the area around the graves and entrance to the cemetery.” Anyone wishing to join can email chris pher.wright@hotmail.co.uk for furthtoer details.

ITH an average age of 25, Elena Gocman, Jorge Hinojosa, and George Mathias are the new blood of the Olive Press. Elena joined the team a year ago, graduating from Madrid University where she studied journalism before returning to her Andalucian roots. Bilingual thanks to an upbringing around Marbella, she already has an impressive portfolio under her belt, including everything from the investigation of a headless body found near Granada to an appeal for a donkey sanctuary. Not content with chasing stories on the Costa del Sol, she has now taken on an additional role as a designer. Jorge joined the team fresh from Spain’s press agency Efe after graduating from the UK’s Chester University with an MA in international journalism. He brings his investigative nous to the paper which has already seen him probe a sex cult in Castellon and a giant villa owned by President Putin near Marbella. Never off the phone, he enjoys a classic bit of ‘gumshoe reporting’ getting out and about knocking on doors. Finally George joined the team from London, having cut his teeth at local paper the Basingstoke Gazette before working for the Mirror group. His passion for journalism zoomed when he spent a week following the court hearing of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange for the Press Association. And in just three months he has written on an expat retirement home bulldozed, gangsters being brought to justice in Mallorca and the European Cricket League. Together, the terrific trio are proof that journalism is far from a dying industry and say seeking out stories, holding people to account, and just generally making mischief is more rewarding than ever.

The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are: stops women going for an abortion 1- Spain being hassled by pro-life protestors outside clinics couple lose legal battle as bulldozers 2- British flatten retirement home in southern Spain the Semana Santa hats conical and 3- Why areare they linked to the KKK never buy pre-cut fruit and 4- Why youvegshould at supermarkets in Spain holidays in Spain 2021: Full list of 5- Bank dates for every autonomous community

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PORT ADRIANO in Mallorca is set to have Spain’s first wave power station. The local authorities have signed an agreement with Swedish/Israeli company Eco Wave Power (EWP) for the potential construction of a two MW plant at the picturesque harbour. Port Adriano will hand over a suitable location to EWP for

April 20th - May 3rd 2022

MAKING A SPLASH Spain’s first wave power project planned for Mallorca 20 years, while the company will be responsible for securing planning permission and licences as well as building the

power plant. Although this would be the first wave power plant in Spain, EWP installed a 5MW

plant in Gibraltar in 2016. At the time Eco Wave Power co-founder David Leb told the Olive Press: “People have been

By Dilip Kuner

talking about wave energy for a while - not only the ability to make electricity

United Nations call for action MUST be heeded

HE human race never learns. Why? Are we stupid, ambivalent, or just downright lazy? Read on and you decide. My vote is for all three. When you know that something is wrong and not tackled with positive action, then this seems the most likely answer. And so it is with the inexcusable way we continue to damage our environment. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scientists say ‘It’s now or never’ to limit global warming. This key United Nations body urges ‘rapid, deep and immediate’ cuts in CO2 emissions. If we don’t stop the upward trend of harmful emissions within the next three years we will all suffer the impacts of inaction. The IPCC has published its guidance on what the world can do to avoid an extremely dangerous future. “Some governments and business leaders are saying one thing - but doing another. Simply put THEY ARE LYING. And the results will be catastrophic,” said UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres this month. Key data from the IPCC report prompted this fiery reaction. Top of the list was that even if all the policies to cut carbon emissions that governments had put in place by the end of 2020 were fully implemented, the world would still warm by 3.2*C this century. THIS SPELLS DISASTER ACROSS THE GLOBE. It really is NOW OR NEVER. If we chose never (and political rhetoric counts as never) we will witness : ● Increased droughts leading to large scale famine ● Unprecedented heatwaves ● Terrifying storms ● Widespread water shortages ● Abnormal flooding ● Extensive fires across habited areas ● Loss of inhabited islands ● Massive destruction to our ecosystem

IT’S NOW OR NEVER

I have never heard such an alarming call for action from the UN. Both governments and us as individuals need to act. Why do governments not grasp the nettle and allocate the funding that is required to tackle this problem? It costs more to rectify the damage than prevent it. Lack of available funding, commitment and resolve create problems that are resolvable. Wind and solar only supply 10% of the world’s electricity. Why? A lack of funding. Farmers do not use green fertilisers. Why? A lack of funding. Massive changes are needed to change transport, industry, production, consumption patterns and the way we treat nature. Again, why? A lack of funding. New technologies are required urgently to remove CO2 directly from the atmosphere. Why has it not been implemented? You guessed it……a lack of funding. When we need more forests, why are we allowing deforestation to continue? We have to reduce our demands on electricity. As the world’s economies rebounded from the Covid-19 pandemic, demand for energy soared. Research shows that the growth in the need for electricity last year was the equivalent of adding a new India to the world’s grid. Maybe we should accept it as a race taking two steps back before we push forward again. Rapidly increase the use of renewables, cut our consumption habits (and also stick two fingers up to Putin’s oil and gas). How can a ‘civilised Europe’ continue to fund Putin’s war machine by purchasing oil and gas from Russia? Sacrifices need to be made. We just need GOVERNMENTS TO HAVE THE BALLS TO ACT.

Green

Matters

By Martin Tye

Buoyed

TAKE NOTICE: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres

SHINING EXAMPLES

There are some countries leading by example.The Netherlands, where the sun doesn’t shine nearly as much as in Spain, has moved a 10th of its electricity demand from fossil fuels to renewable sources in the past two years. Vietnam tripled its solar production in less than one year thanks to attractive government subsidies. Denmark, whose ability to produce electricity from the sun is less than the UK’s, now produces more than 50% of its electricity from wind and solar. So it can be done. Just so long as we don’t allow governments to be stupid, ambivalent or lazy.

PROGRESS: Vietnam has tripled solar production

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from ocean waves, but to make it commercially viable. “That was only just in theory, but now we actually have something that is working.” Fellow EWP Power founder Inna Braverman added: “According to the World Energy Council you can provide twice the amount of electricity that the world is using now through wave power.” “There was a time when wave energy became popular in the 70s when there was a problem with oil and there was a lot of pollution that came to public attention. “But most of the wave companies back then, and even now, were offshore and very expensive, so investors got a bad taste in their mouth.” However, Gibraltar’s new wave energy buoys are easily accessible, with no need for divers or long trips out to sea. The New project in Mallorca will follow similar principles.

Stubbed out

BARCELONA’S beaches will become ‘no-smoking’ areas from this summer. The permanent ban on lighting up follows a successful pilot on four beaches in the Catalan capital last year. The City Council has devised a two-phase plan ahead of the smoking ban across 10 beaches covering five kilometres. Until June, the authority will undertake a campaign to tell people about the health and environmental advantages of having smoke-free beaches with no more cigarette butts left in the sand. The ban will come into force from July with law-breakers getting an on-the-spot €30 fine.

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Just when you thought it was safe to go back on the water

bail all the rainwater out before it sinks. The other problem is that my neighbour’s house is even more ‘challenging’ than mine. You can only access it by boat. Yes really. This worked perfectly until I misSo last Sunday, equipped with a judged my footing, plunged under bucket, I paddled over to finally the water and the boat helpfully ran over me. bring the errant craft home. Nothing is ever that simple, how- Spluttering, I clambered back on ever. Getting across was easy, board and with an enraged snort, with the wind on my back ensur- paddled manically over the short ing that I arrived and had bailed distance back to the Casita. I also the boat in under half an hour. discovered that I had been joined Getting back, however, was an in the boat by a very unhappy entirely different proposition. With toad, who loudly croaked his disthe canoe secured in the bow of pleasure. the boat, the only propulsion that Quite what the Spanish family I had were paddles. Adopting my who were enjoying their Sunday best ‘Hawaii Five O” posture, I val- at the lake must have though iantly zigged and zagged across when a drenched and blasphemthe lake into the wind, which had ing ‘guiri’, accompanied by an unseen ‘Frog Chorus’, splashed of course, picked up. An hour later, extracting myself past them is anyone’s guess. But from an overhanging tree for the at least I have my boat back. third time, and having gone about 500 metres, I hit upon an ingenious plan. I decided to tie a rope around myself and attach it to the bow, and wade effortlessly through the shallows at the lake’s edge. PERILOUS: Boat retrieval featured a toad!

OP QUICK CROSSWORD 1

8 9

12 13 14

15 17

Across 1 Tag for an out-of-town railway station (7) 5 Bumpkins (5) 9 What the retina’s cones detect (6) 10 Deadeye Annie --- (6) 11 Creeps (6) 12 Oxfordshire power station town, with a railway museum (6) 13 Pivotal (3) 14 Starry-eyed (4) 15 It might be frozen in unfriendly welcomes (4) 17 Chihuahua’s bark (3) 19 Fallacious (6) 21 Cash in Kolkata (6) 23 Cheerless (6) 24 Lifers rampage on aeroplanes (6) 25 Hard as granite (5) 26 Beef (7) Down

OP SUDOKU

Los Caños de Meca

ITH the reservoir now almost full after the recent, much needed rains, and the Casita finally dried out after flooding caused by the downpour, my next pressing task was to collect my sole surviving rowing boat. The Casita originally came with two of these sturdy 17-foot-long Irish built boats, as well as a wooden jetty. Unfortunately ten years of wear and tear eventually meant that the jetty finally gave up the ghost a few years ago, and the boats drifted off, along with the new plastic jetty, at the beginning of the pandemic. Lockdown rules meant that I was not allowed to row out and find them, although they did prove a welcome distraction to residents further down the lake. I was sent photos and even drone footage of the flotilla – with Rod Stewart’s ‘Sailing’ as a backing track, naturally – by my friends in lockdown. A second downpour did for the jetty, which separated into three distinct plastic parts, while one of the boats ended up at my neighbour’s place. The second went missing, and I can only assume that it sank, “Lost at Lake”, if you will. There were two main problems in getting the surviving boat back. The first is that, being 17-footlong and made of solid wood, it is not a question of simply pushing it back into the water. You have to wait for the perfect window of opportunity, when the boat is floating, and then dash over and

2 Future oak (5) 3 Practical skill (4-3) 4 Threatened (2,4) 6 Netanyahu’s party (5) 7 Became extinct (4,3) 8 Far from chic (5) 14 He looks down in the mouth (7) 16 Publishing brand (7) 17 Loud cries (5) 18 Like better (6) 20 Toga sporter (5) 22 Sandwich and Derby, for example (5)

All solutions are on page 19

MALAGA - THE TECH HUB OF THE MED

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APRIL 2022

Digital nomad’s dream SIGHTS OF MALAGA: The Christmas lights, superyachts overshadowed by the cathedral and fabulous seafront have been joined by the tech park

Malaga has reinvented itself as one of the key R&D and tech sectors in southern Europe, discovers Sorrel Downer

UALITY of life, 320 days of sunshine and superb sea views. Then add in good flight connections, affordable housing, and a rich cultural heritage, rooted in the Romans and Phoenicians and it’s no wonder Malaga is attracting dozens of global businesses each year. But the city’s rapid transformation into one of the key tech hubs of the Mediterranean over the last decade also owes a lot to coordinated teamwork, talent, and planning. Andalucia’s key port city benefits from having a

concerted strategy and long term plan, explains Marc Sanderson of the Foreign Direct Investment office (FDI), ‘and the stability of the mayor guiding the city’. He adds: “The strategy has been to diversify the economy so Malaga is not overly dependent on tourism; not that we want to diminish tourism but to balance it with clean industries. “A direct investment department is unique for a city of this size but Mayor Francisco de la Torre was visionary and wanted to promote the city as a tech destination at this level. “Now, after 10 years, the message is resonating globally.”

Last year saw the start of a boom, and an influx of big global tech corporations choosing Malaga as the location for research, development and innovation (R+D+I) centres. While most parts of Spain and other parts of Europe struggled with the pandemic, Malaga’s population grew by over 17,000 people between January 2020 and July 2021… and digital nomads and remote workers form a significant part of that total. “The pandemic added a paradigm shift by proving remote working was feasible,” continues Sanderson, an erudite American, who’s lived in the bustling coastal city

for over two decades. “Businesses became a lot more flexible with their employees, and saw they were happier and more productive by doing it. They began looking for low-cost locations where quality of life was higher, and allows talented people to live in desirable places. “Malaga ticks all the boxes. Citigroup’s recent decision to open a hub here is because they want their analysts to have a good worklife balance. That is a perfect example of the corporate mindset. “While others were suffering we got a boost from the pandemic,” concludes the bilingual father-oftwo. “But we’ve been working hard and it’s finally paying off. Luck is when preparation and opportuniContinues on Page 2

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Málaga TechPark;

From front

TECH COMPANY BOOM ty meet. And Malaga is extremely prepared.” It was certainly a golden 2021 for Malaga, beginning in February when Google announced it would be building a Centre of Excellence for Cybersecurity in the city as part of a €530m investment to support the country’s digital transformation. In May, Vodafone chose Malaga over a shortlist of eight other European cities for a €225m European R+D Centre dedicated to ‘Edge Computing, Open RAN and the Internet of Things’. It prompted Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to tweet: “We are progressing to be-

come a focal point for attracting talent, a benchmark in innovation and digital transformation. Congratulations to Malaga, which has been working in this industry for many years to achieve this.” And the global tech firms kept coming. The Swedish wireless data solutions company Westermo recently chose the city for its first office in Spain, while Derivco from the Isle of Man has arrived to provide support to international partners in the online gaming sector. Then there is venture capitalist company Startup Wise Guys, which launched a business accelerator program for video game and virtual reality startups at Polo Digital Malaga. And, in an agreement brokered by the EU-China Science

GOLDEN: Global tech firms cont

and Technology Committee Association, a leading Chinese sustainability company will open an R+D centre in Malaga TechPark dedicated to renewable energy, ‘robotics 4.0’, the development of car batteries and recharging points for electric

vehicles. The strong public-private collaboration and mutual support within the Malaga Valley area and ecosystem is a major factor for most of these firms. International companies are aided by the office of FDI, which not only promotes the city as a business destination, but provides wide ranging services during the evaluation and setting up period, and maintains contact with regular events to help the international community stay connected. Meanwhile, BIC Euronova offers specialised technical consultancy, financial advice and assistance with logistics and Promalaga helps to foster startups and companies choosing to locate in the specific TechPark area itself.

MALAGA TECHPARK While Google is due to open its centre on the Paseo de Farola, the majority of tech companies, including DEKRA, Oracle, Ericsson, Siemens, Accenture, Huawei, Orange, Bombardier, and Globant, are concentrated in Malaga’s TechPark, on the city’s western fringes. There are currently 624 companies in residence, 62 of them international, many in the AI, blockchain, big data and aeronautics sectors. Between them, they employ over 22,200 people and last year turned over collectively a staggering €2.3bn. The park, formerly known as the Parque Tecnologico de Andalucia, first opened for business in 1992. The past six years have been extremely busy; and now growth is

Explosion of jobs Ikea joins the tech revolution as interest in Malaga ‘skyrockets’, writes Jon Clarke

“

MALAGA is set to explode with jobs,” next few years… and ‘not just in the city, believes the city’s Ikea manager Linus all the way up the coast to Marbella and Frejd. Estepona’. Describing the area as a ‘new silicon His company - now celebrating its 15th valley’ he continues: “Something is defi- year in the city - is also taking a direct nitely cooking and all the ingredients are role in nurturing the expansion through its here for the pot to start boiling.” membership of a new initiative called ‘the In particular he cites the excellent in- Talent Lab’. frastructure, but also the fast-growing “We are one of the main collaborators university and explains how Forbes and and are taking 50 local students to help Bloomberg have recently listthem discover themselves,” ed Malaga as among the top he explains proudly, adding cities in the world to relocate that his management team A hive of for work. will be helping them devel“The interest has sky-rocketop their talents and discover activity with ed and it is not just for the leadership and branding. 600 staff from weather that so many compa“Ultimately we are helping nies are relocating here,” he them build their employabilidesigners to tells the Olive Press during a ty… ready to take jobs in the technicians behind-the-scenes tour of new companies relocating the Swedish giant’s nerve here. There will be hundreds centre, near Malaga airport. of them in a few years,” in“We have a unique situation and can be- sists the father-of-two, 38, from Sweden. come one of the hotspots in Europe. Com- They will certainly enjoy spending time at pared to the big global cities where there the iconic furniture giant that is now rollis a war for talent and you can’t recruit ing out micro-stores up along the Costa unless you pay ten times over salary. Here del Sol, including click and collect and we have as much as 47% youth unemploy- plan and order points at La Canada and ment so there is a big labour pool. And Granada’s Nevada centre. “We are also good, skilled young talent too.” looking at Ronda, Estepona, Nerja and So impressed is he with the way the town Jaen,” he adds. hall is handling the development that he A hive of activity, with up to 600 staff, sees thousands of new jobs being created ranging from designers to accountants in the tech and research sector over the and technical staff, the Malaga store is

JOBS EXPLOSION: Ikea manager Linus Frejd is optimistic for the future

one of the busiest in Spain expecting to turn over €150 million this year. It is set to be a big year for the Swedish giant, which is planning ‘a year of celebration’ to celebrate its 15th year serving the local market. There are 25 stores in Spain and over 450 giant stories globally, although a couple have recently closed in Russia understandably.

On ice “We’ve put all 14 stores in Russia on ice for now but are keeping the staff,” explains Linus, who actually worked in Russia (St. Petersburg) for a couple of years, before joining the ‘expansion team’ in Ukraine. But his move to Malaga two years ago was

his best yet, with his wife Melina getting a job at a smaller furniture company in Mijas and his two boys, 9 and 5, happy at a good local school. “It was a dream come true and we always wanted to move here. It’s such a beautiful area and great for living and working,” he says. A well travelled man, who studied interior design at college in Sydney, he insists on wearing the store’s trademark yellow uniform and also helping out in every different department as much as he can in line with Ikea’s dislike of ‘hierarchies’. “I know my way around a screwdriver,” he jokes. “And I’ve always been interested in marketing, branding and design so I guess I ended up at the perfect job.”

APRIL 2022

tinue to set up in Malaga

snowballing: in the first half of 2021 alone, the TechPark received more than 30 new applications for space from companies from as far and wide as Germany, Finland and Sweden – as well as from Barcelona and Madrid. Expansion plans are underway and the park sits just 12km from Malaga airport and 13km from the ables and alternative energy. The park also has close links with city centre. Sustainability, once a vague goal, its near neighbour Malaga Univeris a mainstream requirement for sity (UMA) and many of its resourclarge businesses with one-third es are open to the park’s compaof Europe’s largest public companies – including the IT and bionies pledging to reach net zero technology facilities at the groundby 2050. Companies locating to breaking Supercomputing and Bioinnovation Centhe TechPark have a tre. UMA research chance of exceeding that goal: the park is No need to look findings are shared via the Research Rethe headquarters of far for data sults Transfer Office the Spanish smart (RRTO) located on city industry and the engineers, AI the TechPark site. ‘eCityMalaga’ project aims to make it and blockchain the first sustainable TALENT experts urban space in the POOL country by 2027. More than 20 international tech companies have so The rapidly-growing university far joined this initiative, including plays a vital role in Malaga’s ecoAccenture, DEKRA, Bettergy, and nomic development, turning out Lynka. The initiative not only en- graduates with future-facing in-deables companies to pursue their mand skills. own goals, but generates new The idea is that companies like business opportunities for innova- Vodafone (which plans to create tors working in the fields of renew- 600 R+D jobs) won’t need to look

Nomad numbers

● MalagaTech is also known and signposted as Parque Tecnologico de Andalucia (PTA) ● Location: 13km from centre, 12km from airport, 7km from the UMA university ● 624 companies with a 2021 turnover of €2.3 billion ● 62 foreign companies from 19 ● 22,238 employees from 30 coucountries ntries ● More than 150 startups are bas ● The site features 410,000m2 ed at the park of gardens, with nine restaurants,buildings in 900,000m2 of a helicopter landing pad and a sports centre ● Employee accommodation is under construction

far for data engineers, cloud developers, AI and blockchain experts. Skill transfers go both ways: Malaga’s newly-arrived top tech giants are committed to sharing their own expertise. Google will provide training and workshops in cybersecurity; Telefónica has partnered with the city hall to open ‘42 Malaga’, a non-traditional 24hr a day programming school; while Vodafone is partnering with universities, vocational schools, and local institutions to create an ses hou of n visio a have ll you’ ces are innovation hub around its new up Think of ‘smart cities’ and chan s farm cal verti cles, self-driving vehi centre. r with CO2-sucking algae walls, othe to ns ectio p for 1000km/hr conn This is multiplying its impact the side of offices, and a hyperloo and fostering ‘activity within but destinations. yet, e ther be not ht mig ter, City Clus the city and the digital ecoMalaga, capital of Spain’s Smart ‘zero with omy econ lar to create a circu system that has been develplans are underway for the city 7’. oped in recent years,’ explains ies waste and zero emissions by 202 pan com the 21 international tech Vodafone Spain CEO Colman the Malaga City council, Endesa and ced oun ann ntly rece far so ect proj Deegan. collaborating in the eCityMalaga . The pioneering National Digemy actions they ’ll be taking this year acad omy econ is to get a circular ital Content Hub, opened in ies Among the highlights, the city pan com accumulated so far on how 2017, is another centre with e dedicated to sharing knowledge reus and t men age man te was tion, and a big, transformative impact. can tackle climate change, pollu Full of the latest technologies and recycle resources. com gy ener l loca shared use: The first in 3D animation, virtual realiing There’s an emphasis on local and park in photovoltaic plants installed ty and graphic design, the aim munities will be introduced, with cles. vehi tric elec for ts poin ging areas and char of this coworking and training to is ice serv ling poo cara Meanwhile, facility is to build up Malaga’s s river EV-d non at be launched aimed media and entertainment tion. pollu to reduce congestion and sector, become the industry r Recycling and waste will be bette driver of digital content in logi ‘eco -stop one with d manage Spain. areas with multiple

Everything begins with an E

cal islands’ – containers allowing waste to be sorted at the point of disposal. Finally the city will begin monitoring the pollution emissions and energy efficiency of over 200 buildings across the municipality so that tech teams can find ways to improve them.

SUPPORT FOR START-UPS The city ranked third in Spain for emerging high-potential startups in 2021, according to a report by El Referente, backed by Deloitte and Sabadell bank.

Malaga has already produced notable successes, among them indie App Store alternatives to Google and Apple, Uptodown, image bank Freepik (acquired last year for over €250m) by EQT, and football app BeSoccer, which employs 200, and last year turned over €10m. The next wave of startups is well supported by the city’s network of 13 business incubators. To ensure local entrepreneurs think global, international expertise is provided at the Green Ray building, and the new Malaga startup ecosystem database platform powered by Dealroom, connects bright prospects with potential partners and investors around the world.

VISIBILITY A busy calendar of international conferences, forums and events showcasing success stories cements Malaga’s position as a tech hub. The Trade Fair and Congress Centre alone hosts more than 20 events a year, including Transfiere: the European Meeting on Science, Technology and Innovation and the GreenCities Forum of Urban Intelligence, and will be hosting the Digital Enterprise Show, billed as the world’s leading digital transformation event, this summer (June 14-16). “Some 30 or 40 years and millions of euros have been spent promoting Malaga as a tourism destination,” concludes Sanderson. “Promoting Malaga as a tech destination is just in the infancy stage and look at what we’ve already achieved.”

UPCOMING TECH EVENTS AT MALAGA TRADE FAIR AND CONFERENCE CENTRE (FYCMA) APRIL 27-29 J on the Beach [jonthebeach.com] (Day 1, April 27, will be held at Polo Digital Content Malaga) MAY 11-12 AOTEC, the National Association of Telecom and Internet Services Operators technology fair JUNE 14-16 Digital Enterprise Show (DES) JUNE 20-21 CM Malaga - Culture & Museums International Tech Forum JULY 22-24 Gamepolis - video game festival SEPT 10 eCongress Malaga SEPT 21-22 GreenCities - Urban Intelligence and Sustainability Forum SEPT 21-22 S-Moving - Forum of Intelligent, Autonomous and Connected Vehicles SEPT 29-30 Smart Agrifood Summit OCT 8 TEDxMalaga NOV 2-3 Talent Women NOV 29-DEC 1 Rail Live 2022 DEC 1-4 Mobile Week Malaga

LA CULTURA

Ballet good

A PRESTIGIOUS ballet company in Spain has taken in five Ukrainian dancers who had to flee Kyiv. Kateryna Chupina, Yelyzaveta Semenenko, Anastasiia Hurska, Aleksandra Berozkyna and Marina Lastovyna, were part of the Kyiv-based National Opera Ballet of Ukraine. But they found their professional careers stalled as the Russian invasion forced the closure of their company. They got in touch with The Spanish National Dance Company (CND), which decided to help. The CND provided them with clothes and ballet shoes and welcomed them into the company, with the dancers attending daily ballet classes. Three of the Ukrainian dancers will be hired for the next performances and will debut with the CND at the Royal Theatre in Madrid .

April 20th - May 3rd 2022

SUMMER OF ROCK

Big names billed for music festivals in Malaga on Spain’s Costa del Sol

A HOST of big names including Jamiroquai, Muse, Stereophonics, and Paulo Nutin will be in Malaga this year. Three music festivals will take place on the Costa del Sol this summer with Metal Paradise, Andalucia Big Festival and Rock and Beer festival all announcing big names. Andalucia Big

AN ecological olive mill that is being designed by French architect Philippe Starck will open in early 2023 outside Ronda. The construction is 50% finished and on target for completion by Christmas, said director of the project, Santiago Muguiro. The mill is being built by LA Organic, an artisan olive oil company in Spain, which is seeking to cash in on

Festival will take place on Sacaba beach on September 8, 9 and 10. The festival will run alongside a new initiative called Andalucia Live, with a programme of concerts that will take place in the weeks prior to the festival in different Andalucian provinces. Tickets for the music festival, organised by the Junta

Starck design so-called olive oil tourism by promoting visits in the same way that vineyards offer tours and wine tasting. The mill is the French designer’s third work in Spain, after Port Adriano, a marina in Mallorca and La Alhondiga - a multi-purpose venue in the northern Basque city, Bilbao. Costing around €22 million, LA Organic hopes the mill will attract 150,000 visitors a year. Nicknamed El Toro - the bull - because of the huge horn design feature protruding from the facade, Starck said the design would include elements inspired by painter Francisco de Goya.

de Andalucia and Mad Cool Festival, in collaboration with Malaga city council, go on sale at the end of April. Fuengirola’s Metal Paradise festival returns to Spain in Fuengirola on July 15 to 16. The festival welcomes German veteran metal band Helloween, who’s latest album Bottom Row reached number one in the charts.

Filth

They will be joined by Swedish band Sabaton and In Flames, Norway's Emperor and Steel Panther from the US as well as British band Cradle of Filth. Tickets cost range from €40 to €90. The Rock & Beer festival comes to Malaga city later this month and will feature David Lerman, bass player from Spanish hard-rockers Extremoduro on April 23 and Alfredo Piedrafita, frontman of Basque rock supremos Barricada on May 14. The events take place at the Fabrica de Cervezas Victoria in Malaga from 7.30pm to 9.30pm with locally brewed craft beer also on sale. The event is limited to 60 people with tickets costing €40.

Just Spain is just amazing! Lobster’s new ‘Just Spain’ plan has unlimited calls in Spain and 18GB of data for only €10!

OBSTER, the ‘all-in-English’ mobile network, has Loabnew stemobile launched customers in r laplan unthat ch gives s it s forne Spain even more great options witheLobster themw mobile selves, their familiesSand paforinbusiness. ” w h ic h is just amaz Lobster’s new ‘Just Spain’ plan has unlimited calls in Spain and 18GB of data for only €10. It is aimed at customers who  Lobs predominantly make only in Spain, want lots of data, ter's calls new "Ju st provided ain" plan and want to enjoy completely has unlimin €10! a service that’sSp itetheir d calls in Spain an own language.  It is aimed at cuthe stome The new mobile plan offers same great Lobster all-in-Enrs who predomina data, and want ntlycusmake calls on to enthe glish experience (the website, and aat’ friendly joy bills, a servi ly ce th ovided complet tomer service in native English), with no contract sorprcommitely in ments. Lobster wants its customers to stay because they’re Madrid 6th Ap ril, 2022. happy with the great service. Lobster has built a reputation on providing a first-class mobile Lobster the “al l-in-Enin service for English speakers Itsilecustomers have ratgliSpain. sh” mob gives network has lau customers in Sp nched a new ain even ed 4.6 out of 5 stars on and 4.8grout of 5 stars on more m and for busines Trustpilot, ea t op tio nspage, s. great reviews on its Facebook with Lobster for Google, and have given the makingLo it bs one of the best valued mobile networks in Spain. ter’s new “Just ain”be plamanaged With Lobster, multiple SIMsSpcan from single n has unlim is aimed itedone at custo calls in Spain an me who pred d 18GB accountwamaking easy for rsfamilies and manombusinesses inantly makto nt to enitjoy e calls only in a service that’s Spain, w provided comp age multiple phones. letely in their ow n languag e new moin PeopleTh interested new plan should go to lobster.es or bilthe e pla n offers the sa the bil me gr call Lobster on Lobster will take care ofeamoving them ls, 1661. t Lobster and a all-in-English ex friendly custo mwhilst commi p er servi over from any Spanish keeping their tmother ce in na ents. Lo bster waprovider tive English), nt s its servi w stome ce. Spanish mobile phone number, or theycu can provide rs to a stabrandy because they ’re h new Spanish number. Lobs ter ha s builtplan The new ‘Just Spain’ Lobster’s three popa repcomplements ut ati on on pr Spain. Its cuplans oviding a first-c stomers ular international (Small, Large) that lasoffer s mobile service have Medium rated 4.6and Google, and ha fo out and of 5 other stars on unlimited calls and texts inen Spain, torev the UK counve giv Trustpilot, and gr ea t valued mobile iew 4 s on its Fa ce all-intries, starting from ne €12 and allSpwith twork ok page, mak s in ain. Lobster’s unique bo ing English experience.

For more information, visit www.lobster.es or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or YouTube

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PROPERTY OF THE WEEK ET LLA L A VI CH LE Y ST

PROPERTY

Hard to find Shortage of homes on the market as prices rise 6.4% THE Spanish property market is seeing a lack of options to buy, with house hunters outnumbering the number of properties for sale. Figures published in El Mundo show the number of properties for sale in Spain since March 2020 has reduced by 13.89%. Sales picked up for an interlude between 2020 and 2021,

By Kimberley Mannion

but this spell of increased buying along with a lack of new homes being built, has left a shortage of properties which is now hindering the market. These trends are also causing inflation, with prices having increased 6.4% in the last trimes-

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April 20th May 3rd 2022

THE Islazul shopping centre located in Madrid’s Carabanchel district and one of the largest in Spain is up for sale with a €320 million price tag. Its current owner, the US management company Nuveen, is 250,000 square metre complex, with 90,700 square metre of gross leasable area. Its sale price is €60 million more than the construction cost of the shopping centre (around €260 million), and almost €88 million higher than the purchase price. Located in Madrid’s Carabanchel district, Islazul - which advertises itself on its website as the largest shopping centre in Madrid - has 180 shops and almost 50 restaurants. Its current owner bought it in 2014 from Ivanhoe Cambridge and Grupo Lar for €232 million.

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ter of 2021. With a h i g h e r number of buyers than sellers, properties stay on the market for much less time than previously and the final price is brought down by buyers much less - between just 5-8% compared to 10-15% previously. Locations along the Costa del Sol are amongst some of the worst hit for property shortages. Benalmadena features in the top 10 municipalities worst affected, with available properties up for sale dropping by 39.9% between 2021 and 2022, whilst neighbouring towns Fuengirola and Estepona have experienced a 30.3% and 29.9% drop respectively.

Shrink

FIT FOR A KING! A SPECTACULAR Medieval castle boasting crenellations, turrets and its very own chapel is up for sale for a mere €11 million. Parts of Foixa Castle date from the 13th Century but the entire complex has been fully renovated to ensure all modern-day comforts including a swimming pool and jacuzzi. Located in El Bajo de Ampurdan in Girona province of Catalunya northeastern Spain, the property has been given Bien de interes cultural (BIC) or ‘heritage interest asset’ status which guarantees its conservation.

Tower

The complex includes a six-bedroom family home, with access to the tower direct from the living room as well as private access to the castle chapel. Another six bedrooms are located in what would once have been the servants’ quarters. As a whole it offers 1,696 square metres of built living space in a plot of almost 4,897 that include landscaped gardens.

Valencia follows closely behind Benalmadena, with a 39.8% decrease. Two other municipalities within Valencia’s autonomous community, Vinaroz and Manises, both land in the top five worst hit areas in the country after seeing their property markets shrink by 54.4% and 48.5% over the last year.

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BUSINESS

MALAGA Airport is the best recovering airport in Spain post pandemic. Last month 9,677 planes landed and took off at Malaga airport, which was only 1.1% fewer than in March 2019, according to official data published by Airport operator Aena. It is worth noting that 2019 was an all-time record for flight traffic at Malaga airport. Despite the resurgence in flights in March, the first quarter saw 2.74 million passengers pass through the terminals, 19.7% fewer than in the same period before the pandemic. In Madrid, Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca the decrease compared to 2019 has been 32%, 39% and 22% respectively.

RISING FROM THE ASHES

Spain’s hottest megaclub Pacha moves into Estepona

THE Laguna Village shopping centre which was devastated by a fire two years ago is set for a bold redevelopment after the site was bought by new owners. The burnt out ruin of the commercial centre in Estepona is to be reopened as a tourism complex, including a beach resort, shopping zone, restaurant area, kids play park, and yacht club. It has been bought by Sevilla-based entrepreneur

FINANCIAL services company Holborn Assets is hosting three talks in Andalucia on investment planning for expats living in Spain. Each event will be serving champagne, canapés alongside a hefty dose of industry leading insight. The talks will cover how to invest wisely, why big companies with local reach are essential, how to reduce capital gains taxes and how Holborn can help its clients.. They will also detail an investment update from partners at Tilney Smith & William-

Photo Credit: Greg Brennan

Flight favourite

April 20th May 3rd 2022

DEVASTATED: Puro Beach will rise again as Pacha

Rosauro Varo as part of his entertainment enterprise Grupo Pacha and is set for a €25 million redevelopment.. On 29 August 2020, a fire ripped through the village, made even more worrying by the fact that it sat directly op-

Money talks

son, who manage in excess of $85 billion between them. The events are taking place on April 26 7:30pm at So Hotel, Sotogrande, April 27 1pm at the Super Yacht on Sotogrande port and 7:30pm the same day at the Puente Romano Hotel, Marbella. To register your interest call 0034 602 535 611 or email Robin.Thornton@holbornassets.com

posite a petrol station. It left the resort reduced to rubble and the Junta declaring a level 1 emergency. According to neighbours the fire began close to the former Prado World waterpark, leaving burnt-out fields covered in ash, a charred electricity line and scorched homes. Sparks from the blaze landed in the thatched roofs of Laguna Village, where flames took hold. It is thought the fire started because of an illegal electricity connection at a shack in the area. The 13,000m2 site was also home to iconic Puro Beach Club before the fire. Grupo Pacha, credited as being a pioneer of the Ibiza clubbing scene, has said it hopes to welcome people to the resort in 2023.

War in Ukraine continues to infuse volatility in GBP/EUR, writes FX specialist Peter Loveday

Events in Ukraine have largely driven movement in the GBP/EUR exchange rate in the past couple of weeks, resulting in some dramatic swings in the pairing. This has been particularly notable in the euro, due to the Eurozone’s sensitivity to any economic fallout from the war. EUR exchange rates rocketed higher at the end of March amidst reports of ‘constructive’ progress in Ukraine-Russia peace talks. However, the euro also immediately relinquished these gains after evidence emerged of alleged atrocities committed by Russian troops in the Ukrainian town of Bucha and other areas in the North of the country. This cast doubts over the peace process and prompted the West to impose new sanctions on Russia. Also undermining the euro was the European Central Bank’s (ECB) latest interest rate decision, with EUR investors disappointed by ECB President Christine Lagarde’s insistence that the bank’s asset purchase programme will not conclude before the third quarter. Fears of a prolonged war have also taken their toll on the pound in recent weeks as GBP investors fear this could exacerbate the UK’s cost-of-living crisis. The squeeze in household incomes has also been highlighted by the latest UK economic releases as inflation soared to a new 30-year high while wage growth continued to lag.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR?

It seems safe to assume the GBP/EUR exchange rate will continue to trade with a high degree of volatility as the war in Ukraine continues. Fears of a massive new Russian offensive in the east of Ukraine could subdue the euro in the

If you suffer from... • Mobility problems • Pain / Breathlessness • Falls / Stumbles

Or you need... • Help with washing /dressing • Supervision

You could be entitled to extra income by claiming UK sickness/disability benefits while living in Spain

ESTUCO INTERIORS

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HE Pound Euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate has traded erratically over the past couple of weeks as events in Ukraine infused the pairing with considerable volatility. This has seen the pairing trade in a range of between €1.17 and €1.20.

WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING?

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CASTING DOUBT T

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FUENGIROLA near-term. Elsewhere we will see the focus on the Bank of England (BoE). The bank is expected to deliver another rate hike in May as domestic inflation continues to surge. However, the focus is likely to be on the BoE’s forward guidance as GBP investors seek to gauge policymakers’ appetite for further rate hikes. Could a more dovish outlook from the BoE pile pressure on the pound?

PROTECTING AGAINST VOLATILITY

This kind of volatility can cause some nasty surprises if you need to transfer money overseas. On a £200,000 transfer, that two-cent gap between €1.18 and €1.20 translates to a €4000 difference. And the larger the sum, the higher the discrepancy. Fortunately, there are ways that you can protect against volatility. Specialist currency brokers, such as Currencies Direct, offer different tools to help you navigate the ups and downs of the currency market. For instance, you can use a forward contract to secure an exchange rate for up to a year. This way, you won’t lose out if the market moves against you. Services like rate alerts and daily updates make it easy to keep track of what’s going on in the forex world so that you can make informed decisions. And with Currencies Direct you’ll have a dedicated account manager there to provide guidance and support whenever you need them. At Currencies Direct we’re here to talk currency whenever you need us, so get in touch if you want to know more about the latest news or how it could impact your currency transfers. Since 1996 we’ve helped more than 325,000 customers with their currency transfers, just pop into your local Currencies Direct branch or give us a call to find out more.

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MEND YOUR ROOF WHILE THE SUN SHINES Mr. James Allan FRCS

opefully the tide is turning and we are beginning to see the back of COVID. But while the earthquake may be in our rear mirror, the tsunami of growing disease generated by 18 months of healthcare neglect is fast approaching. Combine this with the anxiety of finding good quality healthcare post Brexit and a big challenge looms. However, it’s not all gloom and despair, two doctors have decamped from London to revolutionise urological care on the Costa del Sol. After setting up a unit in Gibraltar, British urologists Paul Hughes and James Allan are taking their skills into Marbella. So what are the red flags on your urological beach? Well first of all most problems are manageable if they are picked up early enough, don’t bury your head in the sand! Men are notoriously bad at engaging with healthcare and the idea of discussing what happens in the lavatory, bedroom or indeed your boxers isn’t a great vote winner for the average bloke. Let's start with your prostate! If you are getting up at night, always in the loo, your fuse is getting shorter and certainly, you can't put out a fire, then it is time to get help.

Worried about the big C? The vast majority of problems are so much better when addressed and shared. If you have any sign of passing pink or red urine then it’s not fine wine but a big red flag. If your urinary habit has changed and you have to memorise all the local public loos then it is time for a chat with your favourite plumber! This is especially true for those of you who enjoy or used to enjoy a cigarette. Just because you are over 21 does not mean you cannot enjoy a high quality of life. The male menopause, testosterone, sexual performance and erectile dysfunction are all problems that have solutions. Ladies should not be plagued by urinary tract infections. And incontinence is a terrible curse, don’t tolerate it! Put the last two years behind you and mend the roof before it rains!

You can now meet Mr Hughes or Mr Allan at HC Marbella hospital or in Gibraltar or simply check out www.theurologyclinic.gi

CARE4AIR

HEALTH

April 20th May 3rd 2022

Watch out

THREE children in Spain have been diagnosed with acute hepatitis of unknown origin. Aged between two and seven and from Madrid, Aragon and Castilla-La Mancha, all three were admitted to hospital with one child reportedly receiving a liver transplant at La Paz Hospital in Madrid. They are now recovering well. Regional governments have now received notice of an international health alert f, which warned of cases of acute hepatitis. Meanwhile, doctors across Europe have been warned to stay alert by the European Centre of Disease Control.

Vigilance called for after children diagnosed with hepatitis By Kimberley Mannion

Some 74 cases of the disease amongst children in the UK since the start of 2022 are being investigated by British public health officials. Medics in the UK believe the cases could stem from the common adenovirus, but are continuing to investigate other potential causes including environmental factors. Although cases in Spain are not at the stage of being at

Biting problem A MOSQUITO discovered floating within a vial containing the Moderna vaccine has forced 760,000 doses to be recalled. A nurse in Malaga discovered the insect as she prepared to administer a booster and reported it to the regional health ministry which in turn alerted the Spanish Medicine Agency. As a consequence the entire batch that included the contaminated vial had to be recalled. However, many of the doses from the batch, which was produced by the Rovy laboratory in Madrid in January, had already been administered to members of the public.

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unprecedented levels as in the UK, the hepatology working group of the Spanish Society of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Paediatric Nutrition (SEGHNP) believes an increased awareness and vigilance among doctors and the public will lead to more isolated Spanish cases being diagnosed.

Unusual

Cases of hepatitis in childhood are highly unusual. Connections with the Covid-19 vaccine or infection have been ruled out, and all children in the UK are unvaccinated. None of the five main types of hepatitis (known as A, B, C, D and E) are believed to account for any of the children’s cases so far.

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FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

Dining by design

A UNIQUE new restaurant has now opened its doors to Puerto Banus residents. Leone, located on the seafront, offers an open-air dining experience with a show-stopping retractable glass roof. The casual fine-dining menu was designed by Chef Patrice Godino and combines influences of both western and oriental cuisine. The sophisticated interior design is the latest project by interior designer Nezha Kanouni. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner 12am 12pm everyday, with reservations recommended. Leone told the Olive Press: “Leone sits on a prime location on the harbourside in Puerto Banus providing a lively, yet unobtrusive ambiance.”

Canary Island of La Gomera has been ranked among best destinations for winter sun

THE Canary island of La Gomera has been ranked on The Times' list of the 15 best destinations for winter sun. The second smallest island in the archipelago off West Africa was named in seventh spot by the prestigious British newspaper and appears among destinations in the Caribbean, southeast Asia and South America. La Gomera was declared a Biosphere Reserve in 2012, while its Garajonay National Park, a densely forested are in the centre of the island was the first place in the Canary Islands to win Unesco World Heritage status in 1986. The park is misty and humid and home to rare laurel forests and many subtropical plant species. The island is also famous for its steep craggy cliffs towering

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ISLE OF THE TIMES

over small coves where crystal-clear waters meet soft volcanic sand. Three beaches on the island have earned Blue Flag certificates while tourists are also attracted to the wide range of activities available from diving to hiking and a warm climate that makes it a popular desti-

nation at any time of the year.

Seduced

According to the newspaper, Christopher Columbus was so seduced by it in 1492 that he delayed his seminal voyage to discover America by a month while exploring this lesser-known Canary Island. “Some 370 kilometres of trails wind through the misty ra-

vines of the Garajonay National Park showcase palm groves and three black-sand beaches with Blue Flag status for cleanliness,” sates The Times in its entry on La Gomera. “The views of Tenerife's volcano, Mount Teide, are magnificent, and you can visit the house where Columbus stayed, and to which he returned twice.”

FOR years campaigners have been calling for Spain to make it a legal obligation to provide free tap water on demand at bars and restaurants. While the rule was in place in some of Spain’s regions it wasn’t compulsory in all of them. Until now. The new legal requirement came into force across the country this month.

Easter attractions BARCELONA, Malaga, Alicante and Palma were the most popular Easter destinations in Spain, according to new research. Jetcost, a travel metasearch engine for finding flights, hotels and car hire, claims that the Catalan capital was the most searched city by French, Italian and Portuguese tourists. Alicante was preferred by Brits, while Germans chose Palma, while Malaga was the most popular destination among those travelling from the Netherlands. Spain was the most sought after holiday destination ahead of Italy and P o r tugal t h i s Easter.

Bottling out The law states that bars and restaurants must provide free tap water, a measure that has been brought in with the hope of reducing plastic consumption by cutting down on the sale of single use containers of bottled water.

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL Peaks of perfection 20

April 20th - May 3rd 2022

Buitrago de Lozoya, Madrid

Discover 8 of the most beautiful mountain villages in Spain with Elena Gocmen Rueda

FROM white washed pueblos clinging to rocky crags in Andalucia and golden stone-built villages nestling in verdant hidden valleys in Asturias, the mountain settlements of Spain are amongst the most beautiful places in the country. They offer a tantalising glimpse of old Spain, many unspoiled by the ravages of uncontrolled development that has blighted parts of

the Spanish costas. Spring is a wonderful time of year to explore these spectacular towns and villages as temperatures start to rise but before the full blast of the summer heat. Not only are each of the pueblos we throw the spotlight on well worth a trip in their own right, but also their spectacular settings are perfect for mountain hikes for the ramblers amongst us.

Cudillero, Asturias THIS is a mountain village with a difference - it actually lies on the coast! Traditionally it was - and remains - one of the most important fishing ports on the Cantabrian Sea, but despite its nearly sea-level altitude, we think it qualifies as a mountain pueblo. The houses cascade down steep slopes giving a real mountain feel to the municipality, with the Asturian architecture reinforcing the mountain vibe. The result is a landscape with great sea views in one direction, while the Asturian mountains provide a scenic backdrop.

LOCATED in the Sierra de Guadarrama - an hour’s drive from Madrid - this village has several points of interest that gave it the status of historic-artistic site and cultural interest in 1993. From the ancient walls to the Mendoza castle and from the clock tower to the church of Santa Maria del Castillo there are many enchanting and striking nooks and crannies to explore.

THE most outstanding feature of this village is its Romanesque-style architecture. Two of its churches, San Clemente and Santa Maria, have been declared World Heritage Sites and attract thousands of tourists every year. The apse of San Clemente de Tahull is one of the main jewels of the Bohi valley, a place with the highest concentration of Romanesque art in Europe.

THIS small Extremaduran hamlet is surrounded by towering mountains, with agricultural terraces many hundreds of years old. It attracts hikers for long walks through the spectacular scenery. One of the most famous routes is the path of Maja Robledo, which is a perfect walk to discover the stunning vistas of the landscape and views of the village itself.

Alquezar, Huesca

FOUNDED in the 9th century, Alquezar is considered one of Huesca’s most beautiful towns. It is located on the right bank of the Vero river and part of its municipal area is occupied by the Sierra y Cañones de Guara natural park. It owes its name to the castle built to defend the access to the Barbitania - a district of al-Andalus that extended over the northwest area of the current province of Huesca - al-qasr.

Tahull, Lleida

Alcala de Jucar, Albacete

Huetre, Caceres

THIS pueblo is one of the most picturesque and preserved villages of Castilla-La Mancha, spread out on the slope of a canyon, formed by the erosion of the river that has shaped the landscape. Its streets are steep and narrow slopes that invite you to go for a walk, while its houses are carved into the rock or cling to the slope. The Almohad castle stands proudly on a hill formed by the sickle of the river Jucar.

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FOOD & DRINK

April 20th May 3rd 2022

MISSING SOCKS AND INSURANCE

Línea Directa gets you the best possible price for the right kind of insurance

Illueca, Zaragoza THE city that saw the birth of Pope Luna (Benedict XIII) in 1328 - considered an antipope by the Catholic Church - is brimming with art in every corner. It is dominated by its most famous monument: the castle-palace of Pope Luna. This enormous building, which was begun in the 14th century, is a renaissance palace of Italian influence with its interior a masterpiece of Baroque-Mudejar plasterwork. The village is an excellent destination as it has beautiful natural surroundings for hiking, both along the banks of the river Aranda and around the Sierra de la Virgen, a beautiful mountain range that forms part of the Iberian system.

Ochagavia, Navarra

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IN the heart of the Salazar valley, in the Pyrenees, this small village has the Arduña river flowing through it. Its historic stone bridge is emblematic and its streets filled with mediaeval palaces and coat-of-arms emblazoned facades. The architecture is typical of the Spanish Pyrenees, although it is not far from the French border.

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Underwater cops

FINAL WORDS

POLICE in Sanlucar de Barrameda in Cadiz were left embarrassed after they drove onto a beach and got stuck fast in mud before the tide came in leaving the vehicle submerged.

Niche crime A THIEF aged 35 who stole €20,000 worth of brass ornaments from cemeteries in Elda and Petrer only netted €200 from scrapyards before he was nicked. All the stolen goods have been returned.

Big spenders ACCORDING to official stats tourists from the UAE, Philippines and China are the biggest spenders in Spain, while Italians, Poles and Argentinians are the most stingy.

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Vol. 14 Issue 392 www.theolivepress.es April 20th - May 3rd 2022

SPLIFFER DOGS

Spanish dogs dabbling in recreational drugs after storm DOGS on the Costa del Sol have been scoffing hash and getting high thanks to fallout from storm Ciril. According to Borja Hoz, a vet in Marbella, dogs have been inadvertently consuming hashish that has been washed up on the beach. The storm destroyed beaches, businesses, and promenades but now it seems not

By Cristina Hodgson

even canines are safe as the remains of bales of hash that traffickers throw overboard when caught by police have been swept onto the shore. According to Hoz, the drug’s strong smell attracts the hounds, leading to serious symptoms and even death if

ARE the old ways the best? Barcelona’s city council is hoping to find out by bringing in a flock of sheep and goats to keep undergrowth down in a bid to prevent forest fires in a natural park. A total of 290 of the animals have been introuced – along with two shepherds and four dogs – in a pilot scheme in the Barcelona section of the Collserola

eaten. It was Hoz himself who alerted the police about the

CHEW ON THIS Natural Park. It has an area of 84.65 square kilometres and is on the outskirts of Bthe city. City bosses hope that the ruminants will do what they do best and munch their way through overgrown grass and herbs to keep fire breaks in the massive park clear and effective. The flock will be active in the mountainous part of the district of Horta-Guinardo, above the neighbourhoods of Font del Gos and Montbau.

beached dope after going for a walk with his pooch along the popular shore of Dunas de Artola. Since then, several dogs, including an eight-monthold border collie, have been admitted to veterinary care after consuming the drug.

Extreme

Hoz says symptoms usually start one or two hours after consumption which include vomiting, shivering and disorientation. In extreme cases of poisoning dogs may even convulse.

PACKING for a holiday on the sunshine isle of Mallorca is pretty straightforward. Swimsuit? Check. Sunglasses? Check. Gigantic blow-up pink penis? Check. A pair of tourists arriving at Palma airport for an Easter break provoked much merriment when they inadvertently walked into the background of a live news bulletin carrying the unusual piece of luggage.

Huge

While the journalist, Lluis Mestres, reported on the huge numbers of tourists expected to fly into Palma at the start of Semana Santa, the two women could be seen emerging through the arrivals gate with one casually carrying the pink plastic phallus under her arm. The image was broadcast on the busy lunchtime slot of the Telediario news programme on Spain’s state broadcaster TVE.