Olive Press Gibraltar Issue 255

He shoots, he scores

THE government has won a Supreme Court battle against a local bar owner which clears the way for a controversial new national football stadium – but leaves the small businessman facing massive legal bills.

Allan Asquez, who ran El Murga bar at Victoria Stadium for over 20 years, challenged the government’s decision to terminate his tenancy using emergency public interest powers. The court upheld the controversial Section 66 notice, ruling the government acted lawfully to seize the premises for a UEFA Category 4 stadium development.

Costs

The government claims Asquez demanded £2 million compensation - 17 times his legal entitlement of £115,440. The bar owner denies it. Asquez hit back, accusing the government of ‘intimidation and heavy-handed tactics’ – not least of all in hiring a reported £5,000-an-hour barrister from London at the taxpayer’s expense to prosecute its case. He now claims the government is seeking £200,000 in legal costs from him while pointing out that the beneficial owners of the ‘multi-million pound mixed commercial, residential and sporting development’ have never been disclosed. He is set to appeal the court’s decision.

Man made

37 people arrested and 89 under investigation for sparking fires that have scorched 382,000 hectares of Spain

See Page 4

EYEOPENERS

Discover some of the very best of Spain’s architecture in our property magazine inside

Hard border limbo

GIBRALTAR is facing the prospect of a hard border with Spain for a number of months while the agreement to remove the border awaits ratification.

A date has now been tentatively set for the border fence to be dismantled in January 2026.

However, the EU’s new Entry Exist System (EES) digital border control is due to be incrementally rolled out at different border points within the bloc starting on October 12.

Every entry point into the EU is set to operate the EES by April 9, giving a six month window of uncertainty as to when it will be implemented at the Gibraltar border.

While Spain’s Foreign Ministry has declined to specify when this will be, the Olive Press has already seen the infrastructure expansion carried out on the Spanish side, with rows of brand new biometric scanners having

By Walter Finch

been recently installed.

The original passport control room has also been significantly amped up, taking up around three times the space. It raises the grim spectre that Gibraltar will have to wrestle with the suffocating embrace of a hard border with Spain for a number of months.

Sighs of relief were breathed when a wide-ranging political agreement on the future of the Rock was finally reached in June.

Among many of the complicated issues addressed was the removal of the checks on vehicles and people crossing back and forth between Spain and Gibraltar.

But there will be a lag of several months until the final legal text is ratified and becomes a reality.

NEW: EES border gates

And even the January date is optimistic. El Pais reports that the text must first be translated into 23 languages and then approved by the European Parliament, where unexpected obstacles could still arise thanks to MEPs who might be opposed to the deal. When contacted by the Olive Press, the Gibraltar government pointed out that it

hasn’t endorsed this timeline but it was ‘working towards achieving the earliest timetable possible.’

The EES will oblige entrants to the bloc to undergo rigorous checks, including having their fireprints and faces scanned and entered into a new digital database.

Delays

While this will only be required from travellers just once, it will likely entail initial delays and long queues for Gibraltar citizens and British passport holders.

Reciprocal checks can be expected for the 15,000 EU workers who cross the border each day, posing the risk of huge delays that could temporarily cripple shops and businesses around Gibraltar.

The last time the Rock faced such a scenario, on October 11 when the so-called ‘rogue Spanish police chief’ gave orders to stamp Gibraltar passports, operations at St Bernard’s Hospital had to be postponed because cross-border workers could not make it for their shifts.

When quizzed on whether contingency plans had been made for this eventuality, or if the implementation of the EES might be delayed at the Gibraltar border, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo told the Olive Press: “We are all ambitious for as early agreement on text and ratification as possible in order to achieve the earliest timetable possible for treaty text agreement, ratification and implementation.”

The mayor of Spanish border town La Linea de la Concepcion said he welcomed the plans to ‘demolish’ the bor-

Gibraltar faces possible hard border with Spain for three months as frontier removal date penciled in for 2026 der fence, but the town ‘needs to be informed transparently.’ Having not been kept informed of the supposed timeline, Juan Franco called on the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to set up an urgent meeting ‘to address a matter of utmost importance that directly affects our municipality.’

NEWS IN BRIEF

Bad takeaway

THREE suspects face robbery charges after €57,000 was stolen from a restaurant boss who was heading to the bank in Torremolinos.

Bad cop

A SENIOR police inspector in Mallorca has been remanded in custody, accused of leaking secret intel to a powerful European drug gang linked to a 675-kilo cocaine haul in Valencia.

Fled scene

AN 83-year-old man in Madrid has been arrested for hitting four cyclists on the M-320, leaving two seriously injured, and fleeing the scene, following a twoweek Guardia Civil investigation.

US blow

THE US has removed Spain’s Port of Algeciras from a key Asia-America shipping route, diverting cargo to Morocco, threatening Spanish trade, maritime competitiveness, and the port’s status as a major Mediterranean hub.

POLICE arrested a Swedish teenage suspected hitman just moments before he was allegedly due to carry out a contract killing.

The boy, who flew in from Gothenburg with an adult accomplice, was being watched by Spanish police after a tip-off from Swedish authorities. Dressed in black and riding an elec-

TEEN HITMAN

tric scooter at night, the pair were intercepted near their target.

The hit had been meticulously planned by Swedish crime bosses using encrypted apps. The duo were given a Fuengirola safe house, two

loaded pistols with serial numbers removed, and the scooter for a quick getaway.

It echoes last year’s arrest of a Swedish youth caught strolling through Benalmadena just hours before he was due to assassinate a biker gang member.

Police discovered he was part of a

network run by a Swedish family in Alicante who were grooming teenagers from Sweden and Denmark via Telegram to become contract killers. The family operated as criminal recruiters, posting contract killing advertisements on encrypted channels to target vulnerable children as young as 13 and 14.

Price on his head

Brit ‘double killer’ thought to be hiding among expats

A €12,000 reward is on the table for information that leads to the capture of one of Britain’s most wanted men – feared ‘double killer’ Kevin Parle.

The 6ft 6in man, nicknamed ‘Hemp’, has been on the run for over 20 years after allegedly gunning down two people in

BRIT ARRESTED

A 59-year-old British woman has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting an Italian girl under the age of 14 in Mijas.

The incident occurred on Boulevard de La Cala, when the suspect allegedly sat next to the victim on a bench and struck up conversation to gain her trust.

According to witnesses, the British woman then began touching the child, including intimate areas of her body. Terrified by the ordeal, the young Italian girl fled to a nearby establishment where her aunt was present, who immediately called emergency services.

The victim was first taken to a local health centre for assessment before being accompanied by family members to Guardia Civil headquarters to file an official complaint.

By Walter Finch

Liverpool – and is now linked to a double murder in Estepona.

The Olive Press has tracked the fugitive for years and helped former police officer Peter Bleksley in his hunt for more evidence. Sources confirm Parle was working as muscle for a drug gang in Marbella’s Puerto Banus as recently as 2022. He reportedly teamed up with Manchester gangsters smug gling drugs in crisp pallets from a shady Costa warehouse.

He has also been linked to the Ali cante area.

Now, Crimestop pers is offering £10,000 (€12,000) for tip-offs that lead to his

arrest. The privately educated Liverpudlian is described as white, stocky, with ginger hair, blue eyes, and a distinctive scar on the left side of his head.

In 2004, Parle allegedly blasted 16-year-old Liam Kelly to death over a £200 debt. Just 14 months later, he was linked to the horrific killing of Lucy Hargreaves, 22, who was gunned down as she slept before her home was set alight. Police suspect she was not the intended target – the killers were hunting her boyfriend. Now, Parle is believed to be hiding among thousands of expats in Spain. UK cops also think he may be tied to the 2019 disappearance of Danny and Liam Poole, a British father and son last seen in Estepona during a suspected drug deal. Parle has been spotted as far afield as Asia – but has always slipped through the net. Anyone with info is urged to contact Crimestoppers anonymously.

A BRITISH gang boss who orchestrated violent attacks from a luxury Barcelona penthouse has been jailed for 43 years.

Jamie Rothwell, 38, from Salford, ran a massive drug and gun network from Spain while hiding from UK police.

Using the EncroChat alias ‘livelong’, he boasted of smuggling cocaine, ketamine, and heavy weapons – including AK-47s and rocket launchers – into Britain.

In 2020, he ordered a fake pizza delivery hit on David Barnes, stepfather of rival Liam Byrne. Barnes was shot three times in the leg. Rothwell was arrested in a dramatic raid in Barcelona, then extradited. He admitted conspiracy to supply drugs, possess firearms, and cause GBH.

Judge John Potter called him ‘ruthless’ and ‘at the top of the organisation’. He’ll serve 25 years for firearms and 18 for drugs, backto-back. Nine other gang members were also jailed –two ringleaders got 38 years each.

See Dirty Dozen, page 6

RUMOURS FLY

HOLLYWOODS’S rumoured new A-list couple, Ana de Armas and Tom Cruise, have been caught soaking up the sun on a summer getaway in Menorca – sending the romance rumours into overdrive.

The pair were snapped sailing along the Balearic island’s stunning southwest coast, enjoying turquoise waters and golden sunshine aboard a luxury yacht.

Their trip began in Ciutadella, a historic harbour town famed for its cobbled streets, Gothic cathedral and buzzing marina packed with bars and restaurants.

Locals enjoying a drink on the waterfront could easily have spotted the Top Gun star and the Blonde actress as they set sail south.

The sighting is just the latest in a string of public appearances by the pair since February, as speculation grows that the Hollywood heavyweights are far more than just friends.

TABLES TURNED

Judge who charged PM Sanchez’s wife with corruption now under investigation

THE judge who charged Pedro Sanchez’s wife, Begona Gomez, with embezzlement is now facing an investigation of his own.

Juan Carlos Peinado, the judge overseeing the corruption probe into Gomez, is under fire after Socialist ally Felix Bolanos filed two formal complaints accusing him of misconduct. The complaints revolve around legal proceedings from April, when Bolanos, a former top official in Sanchez’s office, was summoned to testify as a witness. Gomez is accused of influence peddling, corruption, and misappropriating public

By Ben Pawlowski

funds.

accused Bolanos of giving false testimony under oath, referring the matter to the Supreme Court for further investigation. However, the Supreme Court cleared Bolanos of any wrongdoing in July, citing a complete lack of evidence. It also slammed Peinado for failing to consult the Prosecutor’s Office before pushing the case forward. In his complaint, Bolanos claims Peinado acted irregularly during questioning, even shouting at him for smiling at one point. Meanwhile, Gomez and her

aide, Cristina Alvarez, are due in court on September 11 over allegations that Alvarez used public resources to assist Gomez with private business during her time at Madrid’s Complutense University. The probe into Gomez, which

was launched by the farright union Manos Limpias in April, has already sparked chaos in Sanchez’s government. Despite his claims of his wife’s innocence, the corruption storm has intensified, with growing calls for Sanchez to step down over the mounting scandals surrounding his administration.

MULLINS IT OVER

I ALMOST can’t believe the outrage in my own inner voice. How dare they come over here and concrete over one of the most beautiful and unspoilt coastal paradises in southern Spain!

For a moment, I wondered if I’d lost the plot entirely - maybe developed schizophrenia - and the voice in my head was some demented demon version of me.

But that can’t be right. I know the sort of nonsense that evil voice might come up with, and believe me, campaigning against idiotic town planning decisions wouldn’t be on the list.

No, what’s happened is this: I’ve become a NIMBY in Spain. Or as the Spanish put it, oposición a la ubicación de cualquier tipo de construcción o proyecto problemático en su vecindario. I didn’t see it coming, but here we are. Spain is now officially my backyard - and I’m all for keeping it nice, peaceful, and not sharing it

Paradise lost

with too many others.

It’s a strange headspace to be in, especially for an expat Brit who’s dabbled in property out here. But angry I am - outraged, in fact - and I know I’m not alone.

From what I hear, aside from the local council in Tarifa, there aren’t many fans of the new mega-resort planned beside Los Lances beach - 730 ‘luxury’ homes and 1,360 hotel beds that the council’s shortsighted majority has just voted through. I suppose the 16 councillors had Euro signs flashing in their eyes. Word is, this isn’t even a new idea - it’s a resurrection of an old scheme from the 1990s. Back then, it was rightly shelved, and one suspects the millions clouding judgment now may be

I am outraged at new mega-project plan - but red tape is sure to come to the rescue

Rubles, not Euros.

Thirty years ago, this stunning area didn’t even have a local environmental management plan. That lack helped kill the project then, so it’s hard to see how the current versioncovering the size of 80 football pitches - is going to break ground anytime soon.

Yet, approved it has been, despite 157 formal objections, the presence of two national parks within metres of the site, and dire warnings about environmental disaster - all in a town already struggling to supply water to its existing population.

But don’t panic just yet. As I’ve said before, Spain has its own unique rhythm, especially when it comes to large-scale building projects.

As the old English adage goes: Rome wasn’t built in a day. Which is why I’m 100% certain these 2,000 homes and hotel beds won’t be rising from the sand in my lifetime - or in the lifetime of anyone currently breathing. Why? Because, as I’ve come to appreciate, Spain has one glorious saving grace: layer upon layer of cascading red tape. Yes, it’s maddening at times - but it just might be the very thing that saves Tarifa.

Nazi gibe

SPANISH Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem - married to Penelope Cruz - has sparked outrage after calling Israeli soldiers ‘Nazis’ in a social media post.

The 54-year-old actor shared a 2018 video on Instagram showing an Israeli sniper shooting an unarmed Palestinian youth, while soldiers cheer in the background.

In his updated post, Bardem compared the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) to Nazi officers,

referencing Amon Goth from Schindler’s List and accusing the IDF of applying ‘terror and dehumanisation’ against Palestinians.

While some supporters praised Bardem’s message, others criticised him for comparing modern-day soldiers to Nazis, calling it ‘ignorant’ and ‘offensive.’

The post comes amid ongoing violence in Gaza, where over 53,000 Palestinians have died since October

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China in a bull shop

A STORM has erupted in Benalmadena over plans to demolish the town’s bullring to build a €15 million Chinese-themed cultural park.

The controversial 24,000 sqm ‘Friendship Park’ will feature a Zen monastery, Buddha temple, landscaped gardens, museum-classrooms and Europe’s first eco-friendly Chinese cemetery.

Backed by the Spanish-Chinese Promotion and Exchange Association, the park will also include an organic restaurant and a semi-underground car park for 236 cars and four buses. Mayor Lara says it will attract wealthy tourists and ‘transport us to the most traditional China’.

But right-wing party VOX has blasted the move, calling it an ‘attack on Spanish culture’, accusing the PP-led council of relying on ‘flimsy’ reports to justify bulldozing the 1968 Plaza de Toros.

WILDFIRE ARRESTS

FIRE HORROR: People were largely to blame for many of the blazes across Spain

SPAIN’S countryside is still burning - and police say arsonists are to blame for many of the blazes that tore through forests, farmland and even areas close to homes.

Police have revealed that 37 suspects have been arrested and 89 more are under investigation for suspected ar-

VOTE, OR ELSE

Spain still smouldering as arson suspects add fuel to the fury

By Dilip Kuner

son since June. So far this year, more than 382,000 hectares of land - over twice the average in

recent decades - have been consumed by fire

BRITISH expats in Spain may face a £20 (€23.50) fine for failing to vote in UK elections under a proposal by Labour peer Lord Foulkes. He plans to introduce an amendment to the elections bill, calling for Australian-style compulsory voting. The plan would apply to all eligible UK voters, including the three million living abroad. Foulkes argues the fine would encourage participation, not punish non-voters. Expats recently regained lifelong voting rights under the 2022 Elections Act.

Details on enforcement remain unclear, and the proposal must still pass through Parliament—meaning changes are unlikely before 2026 at the earliest.

Thousands of firefighters remain on the ground tackling the 14 ‘large fires’ still burning. The biggest infernos include the fire in A Rua (Ourense), which scorched 44,424 hectares and became Galicia’s biggest blaze on record, while Uña de Quintana (Zamora) burned through 40,781 hectares

In the Costa da Morte region of Galicia, two men from Olveiroa (A Coruña) were cuffed in ‘Operation Coppair’ over eight separate wildfires. Investigators say the pair sparked the blazes while burning stolen copper cable to strip it for sale on the black market. Using petrol and blowtorches, they allegedly set fires in remote, wooded spots - but left them smouldering and unattended. The resulting infernos caused around €20,000 in damage and threatened towns including Camariñas, Cee, Dumbria, Vimianzo and Zas. Further south in Malaga province, another man has admitted to starting six wildfires in Teba , scorching

roughly four hectares. Some were lit just metres from people’s homes. Locals’ tips led police straight to the suspect, who confessed during questioning. Meanwhile in Castilla y Leon, three separate cases rocked the region. A man in Zamora is accused of accidentally setting off a blaze in Puercas de Aliste–Gallegos del Rio that swallowed 3,000 hectares. In Leon, another is under investigation for an ‘unintentional’ fire in Filiel–Lucillo that burned two hectares. And in Avila, officers say a man deliberately torched land in Cuevas del Valle, Mombeltran and El Arenaldestroying 2,200 hectares. Almost 90 administrative fines have been issued for breaches of fire safety laws.

Opinion Page 6

Unite

FORMER ECB boss Mario Draghi has declared the European nation-state ‘obsolete’ and called for a United States of Europe to survive in a superpower-driven world. Speaking in Rimini, Italy, he warned 2025 marked the death of Europe’s global illusion, citing US tariffs and defence pressure as proof of waning influence. Despite leading Ukraine aid, Europe had little say in peace talks, he said - while China backed Russia and flooded EU markets with cheap goods. Draghi urged joint borrowing for defence, tech, and energy, saying: “Only pan-European projects can justify good debt and give Europe real global weight.”

THE family of a 17-year-old boy who died in Marbella are appealing for witnesses to help find answers to the tragic incident.

Eliah, a German living in Marbella, was found dead on the night of August 18 next to his motorbike on Avenida Juan Carlos I, close to his home in the Los Monteros area.

Police are treating the case as a traffic accident, but his parents and siblings say they have doubts about the circumstances.

They are now asking for anyone who saw what happened to come forward and share information.

ON LOCATION: Lanzarote stood in for the Moon

Thermometer rising

SPAIN’S latest heatwave has officially become the most intense ever recorded, according to national weather agency AEMET.

Blazing from August 8 to 17, the scorching spell was a staggering 4.6°C hotter than average, breaking the previous record of 4.5°C set in July 2022.

It lasted a brutal 16 consecutive days – the longest and hottest mid-August stretch since records began – and produced the warmest run of 10 days since at least 1950.

Over 200 local temperature records were shattered, mostly in the north and west. Health warnings soared and wildfire risks spiked.

Provisional data shows the first 20 days of August 2025 were the hottest since 1961, with AEMET predicting the full month will rank among Spain’s four hottest Augusts ever.

Of Spain’s 20 hottest periods on record, five belong to this single heatwave, with the remaining 15 all occurring since 2022.

GALA SUCCESS

A GLAMOROUS gala in Marbella has raised over €200,000 to help impoverished children in Africa.

Held at the Puente Romano Hotel, the World Vision Gala attracted 360 guests, including Marbella’s Mayor Maria Angeles Muñoz and hotel boss Daniel Shamoon.

The auction alone raised €80,000, with prizes including luxury holidays to Antigua, Marrakesh, and Sierra Nevada, plus jewellery and designer dresses.

Entertainment included 90s legends N-Trance and flamenco group The Gypsies.

Funds will go to sustainable farming projects in drought-stricken regions of Africa.

Danish tech boss Janus Nielsen of AnyTech 365 said it was ‘one of Marbella’s best events’.

Mayor Muñoz called it an honour to host the gala for 13 years, praising its ‘life-changing impact’ across Africa.

Spain boils in hottest heatwave since 1950 as 200 records smashed

By Walter Finch

Since 1975, Spain has logged 77 heatwaves, but the six most intense have all hit since 2019. AEMET’s long-term chart shows clear signs of escalating extremes, with hotter, longer, and more frequent events.

To silence climate change deniers, AEMET stressed the data is ‘measured and official’, not political. The agency also confirmed Spain’s average temperature has risen by 1.69°C since 1961, with four of the five hottest Augusts happening in just the last four years, along with the infamous summer of 2003.

caves to see if humans could one day live in similar tunnels on the Moon or Mars. Researchers from the University of Malaga ran tests in Lanzarote, where the volcanic terrain is similar to the lunar surface.

The lava tubes, formed by ancient eruptions, could protect astronauts from radiation, meteorites and deadly temperatures.

Using remote-controlled rovers and sensors, the bots mapped the caves in 3D, recording conditions inside.

The study, published in Science Robotics, shows how robot teams could safely explore and prepare alien environments before humans land. Scientists say it’s a huge step towards building future space bases, with Spanish tech leading the way.

Voted top

expat

paper in Spain

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

OPINION

Stop, now!

SPAIN is still smouldering. Villages remain under threat, thousands of firefighters are stretched to breaking point, and families are living with the fear that the wind might shift and send flames racing towards their homes.

Yet what is most disturbing is not the sheer scale of destruction – more than 382,000 hectares gone this year, twice the historic average – but the fact that so much of it was man-made.

Police have arrested 37 people and placed almost 90 more under investigation for suspected arson. In Galicia, men allegedly set fire to forests while burning stolen copper cable for resale. In Malaga, another confessed to lighting fires within sight of people’s houses.

Others claim carelessness, yet the result is the same: scorched earth, poisoned air and livelihoods reduced to ashes - and tragically the loss of human life, not to mention the toll taken on wildlife.

The excuses no longer wash. Whether reckless or deliberate, fire-starters are gambling with lives and entire ecosystems. These are not minor lapses of judgment but acts of sabotage against communities already suffering from drought and climate change.

Spain cannot afford to treat arson as a seasonal nuisance. It must be pursued with the same seriousness as organised crime. Tougher penalties, faster investigations and harsher enforcement of fire safety laws are essential. So too is education: rural populations must be reminded, relentlessly, that one match can undo generations of hard work.

Wildfires are not just a natural disaster anymore. They are increasingly a human one – and those responsible must feel the full weight of justice. Spain is burning, but it does not have to keep burning.

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The Dirty Dozen

WHEN British drug trafficker

Brian Colin Charrington died last month in Villajoyosa, near Benidorm, it closed one of Spain’s most notorious fugitive chapters.

The former Middlesborough car dealer, who became an international cocaine kingpin, spent years evading justice amid luxury villas, fast cars, and a sprawling empire on the Costa Blanca.

For decades, Spain’s sun-drenched costas offered a haven for fugitives, particularly while no extradition treaty existed with the

Brian Charrington

The former Middlesborough car dealer turned international drug kingpin died on July 22 while awaiting a court decision on whether he would begin serving a prison sentence in Spain related to a 2013 cocaine bust.

Charrington was first arrested in 2013 at his luxury villa in Calpe, on the Costa Blanca, after authorities uncovered his international drug empire.

In 2018, courts heard how he had shipped 192 kilos of cocaine from South America. Alongside his son, Ray Charrington, he was convicted of money laundering.

Dubbed the moniker ‘El Narco de Wikipedia’ for reportedly editing his own page on the website, Charrington was handed a 15-year prison sentence and fined €31.2million. He died a free man aged 68 while waiting for a judgement on whether he was too ill to serve his sentence.

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BEASTS OF RENEWAL

AS SPAIN struggles in a deadly spate of wildfires, a remarkable success story in Andalucia is giving hope for the country’s scorched countryside - and it is largely thanks to bison.

While other regions struggle with blazes and scorching heat, these mighty animals are helping regenerate the land after last year’s Sierra de Andujar fire that razed 797 hectares, and provide a glimmer of hope in the face of growing environmental disasters.

Following the recent death of notorious British drug trafficker Brian Colin Charrington in Spain the Olive Press highlights 12 expat criminals who took refuge in the country

By Olivia Idle

UK. The so-called Costa del Crime became synonymous with Marbella mansions, lavish parties, and criminals living in plain sight.

Figures like Ronnie Knight, Charlie Wilson, and Freddie Foreman defined the era, mingling with celebrities while laundering fortunes and building criminal empires.

But the era of impunity ended. In 2006, Operation Captura – a joint effort by the UK’s

Ronnie Knight

The villainous wide boy and flashy London club owner - and husband of actress Barbara Windsor - was a key player in founding the Costa del Crime.

After dabbling in several illicit enterprises in the UK, he moved to Spain and established himself in Fuengirola, revelling in the era which lacked an extradition treaty between the two countries.

Years of living the high life with no consequences eventually closed in on the wheeler dealer, and the law was also creeping up on him for his role in the £7million Security Express Robbery in 1983.

National Crime Agency, Spanish police, and Crimestoppers – brought many fugitives to justice. Yet Spain’s allure persists, with criminals still hiding among tourists, adopting false identities, and living in fortified villas. Charrington’s death is a reminder that no matter how high the walls or deep the pockets, the law has a long reach.

Here, the Olive Press revisits 12 of Britain’s most notorious fugitives who were eventually caught in Spain, revealing how their lives of crime unraveled under the Mediterranean sun.

In 1994, Knight was charged with handling £315,000 of the proceeds and left Spain's sunny shores to face up to his crimes. He was sentenced to seven years after pleading guilty to the handling charge. He died in 2023, aged 89.

Kenneth Noye

The infamous gangland criminal, linked to the scandalous 1983 Brink’s-Mat gold heist, went on the run in 1996 after fatally stabbing 21-year-old Stephen Cameron in a road-rage attack on the M25. His dramatic arrest came in 1998 when Cameron’s teenage fiancee, flown to Spain under police protection, identified him in a Costa del Sol restaurant.

The felonious gangster served nearly 20 years before his controversial release in 2019. He now lives quietly in Kent aged 79.

How Spain’s reintroduced bison are helping regrow the land amid the country’s wildfire crisis

By Dilip Kuner

After the blaze the fear was that the once-thriving ecosystem had been lost.

However, a year later, the European Bison, which were re-introduced to the region five years earlier, are at the heart of an ecological recovery.

The giant herbivores, along with other wildlife like deer, wild boar, and lynx, have re-

turned to the scorched earth to play an essential role in restoring the ecosystem.

Fernando Moran, a key figure in the European Bison Conservation Centre said: “The bison have been crucial in helping the land regenerate. They didn’t just survive – they recolonised the area almost immediately.”

Moran, who has worked with the bison since their reintroduction in 2020, explained that the animals are helping nature heal by feeding on the undergrowth and preventing the build-up of vegetation that could fuel further fires.

“The bison act as nature’s gardeners –their grazing prevents overgrowth, and their manure helps fertilise the land. They also trample the soil, aiding the growth of new grass.” The bison didn’t just survive the flames; they thrived. “The fire didn’t touch the soil, so the oaks regenerated quickly. About 80% of the encinas (oak trees) survived and started growing again,” said Moran. With the heavy rains that followed the fire, the regrowth in the region has been astonishing. “The rain was a blessing,” Moran added. “It soaked the land, and the bison were quick to help everything

EXPAT homeowners are being urged to review their mortgages as more people switch their loans to different banks.

The trend has taken hold as lenders are offering increasingly attractive deals following eight consecutive interest rate cuts by the European Central Bank over the past year.

Moving your mortgage - known as ‘subrogacion’ in Spain - rose to 4.5% of all new mortgage operations in the second quarter of 2025.

This is the first increase since late 2023, according to data from idealista/ hipotecas.

The surge comes as the ECB has driven eurozone interest rates down to just 2%, prompting Spanish banks to offer increasingly attractive fixedrate mortgages.

Meet the architect whose elegant designs are as breathtaking as they are modern

BUILDING BEAUTY INTO NATURE

Malaga gets the Zaha Hadid touch

IT’S not just the sun that’s sizzling in southern Spain

- Malaga is getting a bold architectural makeover, and it’s as glamorous as it is groundbreaking.

The global icons at Zaha Hadid Architects have just unveiled pictures of a new 21-storey residential stunner set to rise in the El Bulto area, and it's nothing short of architectural theatre. Sculptural waves of glass and concrete wrap skyward like a luxury yacht caught mid-sail - and each floor is a fluid ripple of balconies, soft lines and seamless design.

Perched along the sparkling Mediterranean coast and right beside Malaga’s busy marina, the new tower is part of a wider regeneration scheme. From the renders alone, it’s clear the project is going for a bold aesthetic statement. The tower’s sleek, undulating façade plays with light and shadow throughout the day, blending a futuristic edge with soft organic curves.

Floor-to-ceiling glass ensures that views of the marina and coastline are uninterrupted and truly panoramic.

The development promises 153 high-end residen-

ces alongside 80 subsidised homes for long-term local residents - bringing a balance of luxury and community to what was once an industrial pocket of the city.

The streetscape at ground level is equally considered. Cafes and shops spill out beneath dramatic white overhangs, while landscaped courtyards and public plazas invite both residents and locals to mingle.

Think balmy evenings under golden lighting, palm trees swaying, and diners clinking glasses on sleek terraces nestled between sculptural forms. In true Hadid fashion, it’s all high-concept fluidity and no harsh angles. Interiors haven’t been fully revealed, but expect ultra-modern minimalism paired with elegant natural finishes, all tuned to the rhythm of the coast.

With the addition of this showpiece, Malaga is fast becoming a design destination to rival Barcelonaproof that even a once-grim industrial zone can be reimagined with vision, investment, and a whole lot of architectural swagger.

MAKE THE MOVE

By Walter Finch

Several lenders are now offering deals at around 2.5% with maximum bonuses, with some operations being signed at close to 2% or even below. Switching will undoubtedly reduce monthly payments and provide greater stability.

“After the wave of mortgage changes in 2022 and 2023 caused by soaring Euribor rates, there are now excellent fixed and mixed-rate conditions being offered,” said Juan Villen, at Idealista “Banks are even actively encouraging those with variable mortgages, as well as some who signed fixedrate deals at higher levels, to review their mortgages.”

The trend has seen fixed-rate mortgages dominate the market, accounting for 80% of all new home loans - a historic high. Among those moving their mortgages to new banks, 75% are opting for fixed-rate deals, the highest level since early 2022.

Madrid leads the charge in requests to move mortgages to new banks, representing 26.7% of all applications nationwide, followed by Catalunya at 22.8% and Andalucia at 14.2% - key expat property markets. Those seeking to move their mortgage

in Madrid have an average monthly income of €4,600, well above the average nationally of €3,900, while the average amount requested for the bank transfer stands at €288,000 in the capital.

The data suggests expat homeowners could save significant money by reviewing their current mortgage arrangements.

However, experts don’t expect bank-switching activity to return to the record levels of autumn 2023, when it peaked at over 16% of all operations.

Height of luxury

WELCOME to the very pinnacle of prestige - stunning Villa Makena, perched high up in the opulent hills of Marbella.

Based in Altos de Los Monteros, the sweeping sea views, 20-metre infinity

All

up at the Castillo

A

PROPERTY company has announced plans to build 45 new sustainable homes on the Costa del Sol.

Madrid-based Metrovacesa will develop Castillo de Lagos into eco-friendly residences in Velez-Malaga.

The new residential development, Proa, will feature 45 modern, sea-facing, three-bedroom detached homes, each with a private garage and spacious terrace.

Prices will range from €388,000 to €464,000 and are expected to be completed in the second half of 2028.

The complex will also include landscaped communal areas and swimming pools.

Experience

Metrovacesa is one of Spain’s oldest developers with over 100 years of experience.

In December 2024, the market value of its assets reached €2.38bn.

The company currently manages 115 active projects throughout Spain, collaborating with local partners to meet the needs of each market it operates in.

Buy or sell favourites

MADRID, Valencia, and Zaragoza were the most ‘in demand’ municipalities in Spain for buying and selling properties during the second quarter of 2025.

Provincial capitals continued to dominate the list with eight of the top 10 towns and cities coming under that category.

Once again Madrid topped the standings ahead of Valencia in second and Zaragoza third.

The Valencian region town, Torrent came fourth, followed by Santa Cruz de Tenerife (5), Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (6), and Barcelona (7). Sevilla is in eighth followed by Gijon and A Coruña.

pool and a rooftop built for sipping champagne are the order of the day.

The 750 sqm villa - costing a

cool €7.9 million - is designed across multiple levels to showcase the uninterrupted Mediterranean views.

Not only does the villa boast a south-facing infinity pool that disappears into the horizon but also a rooftop terrace with a lounge area, bar, and a fireplace - creating the ultimate entertaining hub.

The five bedroom residence also offers a wellness zone that rivals

five-star spas, hosting a private gym, yoga studio, and a calming candle lit Turkish bath.

For those who appreciate luxury, space and silence, the area provides peace, security and privacy yet is just minutes away from fabulous beach clubs, golf courses and fine dining

spots in central Marbella.

The villa, nestled among a canopy of palm trees, is ready for turnkey delivery within 16 to 22 months through the design-focused team at Solvilla properties.

Rental rip-off?

LANDLORDS across Spain are booting tenants into costly short-term lets to get around housing rules – leaving punters hundreds, even thousands, out of pocket.

New figures reveal a surge in so-called ‘seasonal’ rentals –11-month contracts that dodge rent caps, and legal limits brought in under Spain’s 2023 Housing Law.

The 2023 law has been controversial as it encouraged shortterm rental listings, which

Landlordsditchlong-termlets tododgenewhousinglaw

By Walter Finch

soared by 26% last year, now making up 15% of the total. The law was meant to protect tenants from being squeezed – but it’s ended up pushing them into a grey zone of rolling 11-month contracts, where rules don’t apply and prices

keep rising. Barcelona is the worst hit city, with nearly half of all rental listings now seasonal, up 31% from last year. That means thousands of renters are shelling out eye-watering agency fees of €1,500 to €3,000 – fees their landlords would have to cover if the contract were longterm.

San Sebastian (39%), Girona (37%) and even Badajoz (33%), in Extremadura, are seeing landlords make the same switch, ditching proper leases for loophole contracts.

The trick? By calling the contract ‘seasonal’, landlords avoid strict rules on rent rises, eviction rights and who pays the estate agent.

It’s a growing problem across Spain – Bilbao’s seasonal listings are up 29%, Madrid 25%, and Malaga 24%.

MALAGA’S housing market is hotter than ever and prices are now nearly 50% more than at the peak of the 2007 property bubble.

In just 10 years, the price of a standard 80m² flat in Malaga has rocketed from a relatively modest €125,000 to a jaw-dropping €331,609.

That’s a 164% increase, putting the coastal city in the upper echelons of Spain’s property hotspots.

According to the latest figures from Fotocasa, Malaga has hit an all-time high, with the price per square metre now standing at €4,145 - nearly 50% higher than the peak of the 2007 property boom. Back in the heady days of April 2007, the cost per square metre was €2,778. Following the bubble burst, prices plunged by more than half before starting to gently recover in the following years. While the market took a brief breather during the pandemic, the boom began again in mid-2015, with year-on-year increases regularly pushing past 20%. In fact, the Malaga property market has been seeing uninterrupted growth since the pandemic’s end in 2021, with no sign of slowing down anytime soon. Malaga is now officially one of Spain’s hottest property markets - and it shows no signs of cooling off.

Local experts claim that this rapid growth is largely down to a combination of factors: high demand from both national and international buyers, a limited supply of new housing, and the city’s appeal as a prime destination for both remote workers and foreign investors.

The city’s transformation over the past decade - from tourism hub to business hotspot - has turned it into a real estate goldmine, but it’s come at a cost.

At the peak of the 2007 property bubble the same 80m² apartment in Malaga would’ve set you back an ‘unaffordable’ €222,232 - still a far cry from today’s staggering €331,609. Experts claim that Malaga’s meteoric rise reflects a structural shift in the demand for housing. Maria Matos, head of research at Fotocasa, explained: “Malaga is now one of the most dynamic and tensioned residential markets in Spain. The fact that property prices are 49% higher than the peak of the 2007 real estate bubble shows just how much demand there is, both locally and internationally. The city’s transformation over the last few years has made it a magnet for foreign investment, tourism, and remote workers.” Malaga’s housing market is now 53% more expensive than the national average, and while prices have started to moderate slightly in 2025, they’re still historically high.

Even smaller cities like Ourense have seen a massive 600% jump in short-term lets.

“Tenants are being left with less protection, higher costs, and nowhere to turn,” warned one housing watchdog.

TWO coastal cities in the Basque region are among the most expensive places to buy or rent properties in Spain.

San Sebastian and Bilbao both sit in the top five priciest spots in the country.

The new study by Idealista shows the top 10 is more or less the same as it has been for years.

After San Sebastian come Spain’s two biggest cities - Madrid and Barcelona, before Palma, in Mallorca, makes an appearance. Malaga comes in sixth, with Valencia in seventh and Sevilla eighth.

The major change, is that the high prices are getting even higher, making it even harder for people on modest incomes to get into the property mix.

The top 10 list is:-

● San Sebastian

● Madrid

● Barcelona

● Palma de Mallorca

● Bilbao

● Malaga

● Valencia

● Sevilla

● Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

● Girona

PRICES for new homes in Spain will continue rising in the second half of 2025.

It comes after prices reached an average of €3,151 per m2 in June - a yearly rise of 7.5%.

And a report by appraisal company, Sociedad de Tascion, predicts the price will be €3,291 by the end of the year.

New properties - around a fifth of the market in Spain - cost 44% more than second-hand homes.

Reasons for the variation include higher building standards and better energy efficient structures, along with a lack of supply.

Consuelo Villanueva from Sociedad de Tasacion, said: “The availability of new builds is seeing a slight improvement after a 19% increase in the number of new construction permits in the first quarter of 2025 compared to last year.

“However, it still remains well below the levels necessary to meet the demand of the market,” she warned.

Villanueva added that inflation had put pressure on household purchasing power and that the rise in property prices ‘structurally limits the ability to access housing’,

BUILDING BEAUTY INTO NATURE

How a Valencia architect is making a global name by working with the landscape around him

DRAWING inspiration from the natural beauty of the landscapes they inhabit, Fran Silvestre designs properties that seamlessly integrate while maintaining their signature style. His Valencia-based architecture studio is known for its playful geometric design, luxe swimming pools and impeccable white walls - elements that can be found throughout its properties. However, the studio also values connecting each property to the nature it is set in.

The firm boasts a diverse array of designs, from vineyards to citys -

By Maia Pak

capes, jungles to mountainsides… and in each, the location and design varies greatly; some properties mimic the natural curve of the land while others use shallow water to reflect the landscape back to its owners.

Silvestre’s designs demonstrate a commitment to balancing multiple interests with a united product. This focus is not only reflected through the homes, but in their impact on the users and the builders involved in its development.

Casa Sabater

style, the residence spreads around a series of existing large

Though the large windows remain minimal, they are juxtaposed by the eye-catching shape which contours to the gentle curve of the land.

Five circles of various sizes may appear as a typical family home, however, Villa Noon boasts the very same kitchen, bedrooms and dining

Villa Noon

room as many other residences. The cylindrical volumes are of various heights, contouring to the slope of the land and overlooking

the La Reserva development, in Sotogrande. It carefully maximises on the views towards the sea and Africa beyond.

Bodegas Dominio D'Echauz

Aligned perfectly to the curvature of the vineyard it sits atop, Bodegas Dominio D’Echauz melds unique architecture with functionality as a winery. The long design of the property reflects the process of making wine, from the arrival of the grapes, to fermentation, aging and bottling the wine. Thoughtfulness defines this property, even down to the building's elements using a cork-based mortar, which pulls together the design visually, as well as optimising the conditions for wine aging.

Casa Piera

A striking wall of thin, vertical panels line the side of Casa Piera. The residence draws inspiration from what many may see as a limitation: a set maximum height for opaque fences surrounding residences in many municipalities. The unique fence veils Casa Piera, allowing just the right amount of light to pierce through, while also allowing its residents to keep their privacy.

Vacia

Constructed within a small portion of excavated mountain, La Montaña Vacia, boasts a low-impact focus. From an outside view, only the deck pool and a sliver of the minimalist living area can be seen, peeking out from the lush,

mountainous range. The virtually unobstructed topography mirrors the overall focus on sustainability, as the residence itself has a naturally regulated temperature from the mountain’s high resistance to temperature changes.

INSPIRATION: Ray Winston’s character in Sexy Beast (right) was based on Mickey Green (above)

NOTORIOUS: Ronnie Knight (pictured left with wife Barbara Windsor) was never far from the front pages

Paul Monk

British drug lord, Monk, who ran a £60million cocaine empire for over 20 years, was finally arrested in

2015 at his luxury hideout in Javea.

Living under a false identity, the 54-year-old fugitive ran his operation from his fortified villa, rarely stepping outside for fear of rivals and arrest.

Police say he led the life of an ‘authentic fugitive’, relying on friends to smuggle in food. He was jailed for 18 years in 2017.

Palmer

This British criminal was best known for his suspected role in the 1983 Brink’s Mat gold heist, earning his nickname after being accused of melting down some of the stolen gold.

Originally a market trader and gold dealer, Palmer later built a multimillion-pound timeshare empire in Tenerife, which authorities believe was funded by his criminal activity.

Mark Acklom

Serial conman and fraudster, Acklom, began his career as a criminal at 16, posing as a stockbroker to steal £1million with his dad’s AmEx card.

bounce back.”

GRAZING: Keeps undergrowth down, reducing the fire risk

As fires continue to ravage large parts of Spain this summer,the recovery of the sierra serves as a reminder of the importance of natural processes and wildlife in restoring destroyed ecosystems.

In the face of wildfire seasons, conservationists are turning their attention to reintroducing large herbivores like bison in fire-prone areas. These animals play a key role in keeping vegetation under control and ensuring the land can regenerate after disaster strikes.

“We’ve seen firsthand how the bison can help restore a burnt landscape,” Moran said. “With wildfires becoming more frequent, their role in these ecosystems will only become more important. It’s proof that even in the worst of times, nature can recover if given the right tools.”

Mickey Green

Mickey ‘The Pimpernel’ Green, a British expat gangster who built an €80million empire, dodged capture for decades before dying at 77 in his luxury hideout near Estepona.

His drug empire, dubbed The Octopus for its vast reaching tentacles, made him a criminal mastermind and the inspiration for Ray Winstone’s character in Sexy Beast.

To escape investigation and enjoy his wealth, Palmer lived in the perceived safety of Spain’s lawless playground. In 2015, he was shot dead at his home in Essex in what was widely believed to be a targeted gangland killing. He was 65.

Curtis Warren

Notorious drug baron, Curtis ‘Cocky’ Warren, once Interpol’s Target One and a Sunday Times Rich List name, built a global illicit empire worth tens of millions. Warren was jailed but released in 2022 after 14 years. Now 61, he remains under strict crime prevention orders in the UK.

divorcee, Carolyn Woods, of her £850,000 life savings.

Jailed five times in Spain, he was behind bars when UK police learned he had allegedly romanced and fleeced

Sarah Panitzke

The British criminal and fraudster, who was often referred to as ‘The UK’s most wanted woman’, spent years evading capture when she fled the UK in 2013.

Panitzke spent almost a decade on the National Crime

In 2017, the Olive Press tracked the fugitive to Murcia, tracing his wife to a business address and discovering his rented home. We just missed him as he fled to Switzerland, where he was finally arrested in 2018. Now 51, he is serving a prison sentence in the UK for fraud.

Agency’s most-wanted list after fleeing the UK during her trial for involvement in a £1billion tax fraud scheme.

Living under a fake identity in Santa Barbara and Tarragona, she evaded capture until her time at large came to a dramatic halt in January 2022, when a tip off led to her arrest while walking her dog. She is serving a sentence for fraud and will be eligible for parole in 2027. None of the money has been recovered.

Freddie Foreman

Once dubbed the Godfather of London and largely associated with the Kray twins, British gangster Foreman fled to Marbella’s infamous ‘Golden Mile’ after the 1983 Security Express robbery. There, he bought a nightclub to

blend into the local scene. But his serene Spanish hideaway came to a halt when police ‘illegally’ defied non-extradition laws, detaining him and flying him back to the UK in the late 1980s. Now aged 93, he lives in London, one of the last surviving figures of the Kray era.

DIGITAL DELIGHT

Stunning success of our latesummer sale shows the power –and primacy? – of digital news

WHILE the Olive Press is staunchly committed to the community values and merits of a physical newspaper, we have to admit that the digital world is coming up fast.

Charlie Wilson

Wilson, a key player in the Great Train Robbery and the Brink’s Mat heist, fled to the Costa del Sol, settling in Marbella with his wife, Pat. There, he was suspected to have been involved in a drug smuggling network of cocaine suppliers threaded through Europe, leading to Pablo Escobar’s cartel in Colombia.

In 1990, Wilson was gunned down at the age of 57 during a family BBQ at his luxury villa in Marbella. His killer’s identity remains buried in the shadows of the clandestine criminal underworld.

Patsy Adams

Patrick Adams’ Clerkenwell Crime Syndicate operated in London’s underworld throughout the 1980s and 90s.

In the late 80s, at the height of their notoriety, they controlled the majority of cannabis, ecstasy and cocaine entering the capital.

In 2015, an international manhunt targeted Torremolinos for leading gangster Patsy who was wanted in connection with a gangland attempted murder two years prior.

The then 59-year-old, known as the ‘enforcer’, reportedly owned a luxury villa near Torremolinos with his wife Constance, who was also wanted. He was later sentenced to nine years for causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

There is something intangibly important – and not just in a nostalgic way – about a newspaper that you pick up and read, knowing that your friends and peers have picked it up too.

In the digital world, on the other hand, we all tend to hive off into our own bubbles and echo chambers, united with people far away but separated from those around us.

SUCCESS: The sale may be over but you can still get three months for the price of one

But the success of our recent late-summer sale shows that more and more people are consuming news through their phones and computers.

And the Olive Press seeks to unite these digital consumers with our unbeatable online reporting that doesn’t approach the news from one angle or one political ideology.

Over seven days from Monday to Sunday August 24, we offered readers the chance to get an annual subscription to the Olive Press website with a 50% discount.

This was full and unfettered access to all our breaking stories, news features, restaurant and trip reviews, in-depth investigations and so much more which – due to the physical constraints – don’t all make it into the newspaper.

It’s a wealth and breadth of information about Spain and life in this beautiful country for visitors and expats that can’t be found elsewhere. And the response was immediate. As soon as the first email went out advising our readers of the sale, sign-ups spiked.

Hundreds of people signed up over the course of the week, with the line graph going off the chart on the final day of the sale.

It is the dedicated subscribers who are willing to pay to read our reporting that are fast becoming the life blood of the business – and we thank them all.

But we also want to thank the readers of the newspaper too – some long and loyal people who’ve been with us for the nearly 20 years we’ve been around on Spain’s costas.

Scan the QR code to subscribe to the Olive Press

WARMING WARNING

THE Mediterranean Sea has been hit by the most extreme marine heatwaves ever recorded this summer - putting the region’s delicate ecosystem at serious risk, experts have warned.

Sea surface temperatures in parts of the Balearic Islands, including off the coast of Majorca, soared above 30ºC in late June and early July - more than seven degrees higher than the seasonal average.

Marine heatwaves - defined as prolonged periods of unusually high sea temperatures - are becoming more

By Josie Sharp

frequent and severe due to climate change, with serious implications for marine life, fishing industries and even tourism across southern Spain.

“We have a lot of evidence showing that rising temperatures are driving ecological changes every year,” said Dr Oscar Esparza Alaminos, Coordinator of Marine Protected Areas at WWF España.

“The first and most important impact

Recordbreaking Mediterranean heatwaves risk marine ecosystem collapse

the Mediterranean ecosystem.”

While warm water may be welcomed by beachgoers, scientists warn that these conditions can supercharge the spread of harmful bacteria, algae and invasive species, while threatening native marine life that cannot adapt.

The Alboran Sea, between the Costa del Sol and northern Morocco, is already seeing major shifts in marine populations. Warmer waters are attracting tropical species typically found in the Canary Islands, such as grouper, lionfish and even whale sharks, into Spanish wa-

is the loss of biodiversitywe have many local species that are vital to ters.

HEAT WORRY: As the Med warms up invasive species like Japanese Seaweed are moving in

the Costa del Sol.

“The loss of keystone species unbalances the ecosystem, and at the same time, we are seeing a tropical species invasion,” warned Dr Alaminos.

But the changes aren’t all exotic and exciting.

The soaring temperatures are also driving blooms of nuisance jellyfish and invasive tropical Asian seaweed, which is disrupting local ecosystems and causing headaches for beach resorts across

“These changes also affect ecosystem services like fishing, with consequences for both local economies and food security.”

The Mediterranean - already one of the world’s most vulnerable climate change hotspots - is warming 20% faster than the global ocean average, according to climate experts.

Over the past 40 years, the region has gone from experiencing one marine heatwave per year to an average of four, covering vast areas of the sea.

About 90% of the excess heat from global warming is absorbed by the oceans, while shifting wind patterns have reduced natural cooling, meaning these heatwaves are now harder to

avoid and more damaging.

Globally, the effects have been devastating: Western Australia saw its worst coral bleaching on record, and Norway’s salmon farming industry has suffered massive losses from sea lice outbreaks - both linked to rising sea temperatures.

“We need a global response to this problem, because climate change is not a local issue,” added Dr Alaminos.

“We must implement protective measures in marine areas before it’s too late.”

As the Mediterranean continues to heat up, scientists are urging urgent international cooperation, sustainable fishing practices, and better monitoring of protected areas to safeguard one of the world’s most diverse - and most fragile - marine environments.

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Powering up

SPAIN’S public debt dropped to 103.4% of GDP in June, down 1.9 percentage points from a year ago, the Bank of Spain has revealed.

SPAIN is making renewable energy history as work begins on the country’s first floating solar platform, set to be deployed off the Port of Valencia.

The keel for the pioneering structure was officially laid this week at the Factorias Vulcano shipyard in Vigo, with Astilleros San Enrique leading the build.

The project, known as PV-BOS, forms part of the ambitious BlueNewables initiative launched in March 2025, which will eventually see two floating solar units producing 1 MW combined. Final assembly and testing are due

in 2026, with annual output expected to hit 1,500 MWh.

Unlike land-based solar farms, the floating design preserves valuable land while using Spain’s vast coastline to deliver renewable energy at sea - a concept already hailed as a blueprint for global expansion.

BlueNewables celebrated the milestone on LinkedIn, calling it a ‘major leap forward’.

Meanwhile, Astilleros San Enrique is also building six offshore wind vessels for UK operator Tidal Transit, further cementing Spain’s role in Europe’s green transition.

TAKE CARE

Bank of Spain warns heirs could be liable for the deceased’s debts

Boom stock

SPAIN’S IBEX 35 stock index has topped 15,000 points for the first time since the 2007 property boom. The milestone sparked comparisons with the lead-up to the housing crash and recession nearly two decades ago.

But Transport Minister Oscar Puente insisted the rise is ‘based on solid foundations’, not a bubble.

The IBEX has surged nearly 30% this year, fuelled by strong corporate profits and hopes of interest rate cuts.

Investor optimism has soared on falling inflation and global growth hopes.

By Walter Finch

DEBT DOWN Looking east

Despite the drop, the total debt was a staggering €1.691 trillion, marking a 4% annual increase.

The central government accounted for most of it, with the state alone holding €1.534 trillion, or 93.9% of GDP.

Social Regional governments owed

€342.6 bn, and local authorities

€23.4 bn, while the social security system’s debt jumped 8.6% to €126.2 billion.

Debt held across multiple public administrations rose

3.4% to €371 bn.

Long-term bond issuance grew by 4.6%, while longterm loans dropped slightly.

Short-term borrowing rose 3.8% year-on-year.

HEIRS in Spain who don’t formally reject an inheritance could find themselves personally liable for the deceased’s debts - including outstanding mortgages, credit card bills and even unpaid utility bills.

The Bank of Spain has warned that many people wrongly believe debts die with the deceased, when in reality Spanish law passes all financial obligations directly to inheritors alongside any assets.

Under the country’s inheritance laws, heirs automatically receive both the good and the bad – unless they take specific legal action to protect themselves.

Those who accept an inheritance where debts exceed assets will be forced to pay the shortfall from their own personal wealth, potentially putting their homes and savings at risk.

The warning comes as legal

LA CULTURA

BENALMADENA Pueblo will transform into a medieval wonderland for its Arab Souk, running from Thursday to Sunday (August 28–31).

The event immerses visitors in the sights, sounds, and aromas of the Middle Ages, featuring over 40 craft stalls, traditional cuisine, parades, and live music.

Highlights include daily Sephardic concerts by Al Folk, a special performance by Ziraj on Saturday at 11pm in Plaza de Andalucia, and falconry displays in Plaza del Alguacil. Families can enjoy henna, Arabic calligraphy, wood-carving workshops, a medieval boat, and a children’s play area. This year also spotlights local talent through the Alma y Esencia artisans association. Spread across the old town, the souk celebrates culture, supports local trade, and draws visitors during the peak season, boosting both heritage and the economy.

experts report growing confusion among expat families about their rights and obligations when inheriting Spanish property and assets.

“If you don’t formally renounce or accept with conditions, the law assumes you’ve accepted everything,” explained lawyers from Altima Abogados. “This can be financially devastating for families.”

The most common inherited debts include personal loans, outstanding mortgages, unpaid taxes to the Hacienda (Tax Agency), Social Security contributions, credit card balances and even community fees or utility bills.

Spanish law offers three options for handling problematic inheritances. Heirs can accept everything outright, renounce

BANK OF SPAIN: Has issued a warning to inheritors

completely, or choose the safer ‘beneficio de inventario’ route. This third option allows inheritors to settle debts using only inherited assets, meaning they keep whatever remains but aren’t personally liable if debts exceed the estate’s value.

If heirs renounce entirely and debts outweigh assets,

However, analysts warn of ‘excess optimism’, as such gains have rarely come without a slump in company earnings.

exports to the US dropped 5% in early 2025, as Donald Trump’s trade war began to bite. Official figures show total exports hit €197.1 bn in the first half of the year – up 1%

the Spanish state assumes responsibility for outstanding obligations.

Legal experts advise all potential heirs to seek professional advice before making any decisions about Spanish inheritances, particularly where property or significant assets are involved.

In response, Madrid has leaned east – deepening ties with China, defending Huawei contracts, and boosting agri-food exports. But with Chinese imports also surging, Spain’s trade deficit has now hit €25.1 bn.

November 29thDecember 12th 2023

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THE first-ever San Diego Comic-Con Malaga kicks off September 25–28, promising cosplay, comics – and some seriously undead drama.

Around 60,000 fans are expected to flock to the Palacio de Ferias y Congresos to join in. There will be screenings, cosplay contests, gaming zones, comic book launches, and celebrity appearanc-

es.

Top of the billing is the presentation of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Stars Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride (pictured) will bring zombies to life as their characters crash-land on the Spanish coast, facing both the undead and humans desperate to survive. Spanish actors Eduardo Noriega and Óscar Jaenada join the cast, with local produc-

tion company Anima Stillking helping shoot the season. Also on the menu is a showing of AMC’s Talamasca: The Secret Order, from Anne Rice’s vampire universe. Actor Nicholas Denton and the creative team will unveil a secret society hunting supernatural creatures – witches, vampires, ghosts and werewolves.

ROMAN LUXURY

AFTER nearly a decade of painstaking excavation, archaeologists have finally revealed a giant Roman bathhouse in its full glory - and it’s one of the grandest ever found in Spain.

The discovery, made at La Alcudia (Elche) by a University of Alicante team, has exposed the

full scale of the so-called Eastern Baths – a 1,300-square-metre complex dripping in luxury that once catered to the citizens of Iulia Ilici Augusta, a Roman colony founded in the 1st century BC.

Led by Professor Jaime Molina Vidal, the eight-year dig has uncovered mosaics, pools, steam rooms and saunas –a snapshot of

the kind of pampered lifestyle enjoyed by Hispania’s wealthy elite in the 2nd century AD.

“These are among the largest Roman baths unearthed in the Valencian region,” said Molina. “Their scale and decoration reflect the prosperity of the city during its golden age.”

The complex included icy cold plunge pools (frigidaria), steaming hot caldaria, saunas, and even one of the biggest preserved swimming pools

(natatio) in Roman Spain. Two stunning mosaics have also been uncovered: one mimicking marble slabs, the other decorated with acanthus leaves and floral patterns.

But the baths – once bustling with chatter, politics and pleasure – eventually fell silent. Decline set in by the 3rd century as the empire faltered, with partial repairs attempted before the site was finally abandoned by the 6th century.

COLLECTOR Sasan Ghandehari has filed a lawsuit against Christie’s, claiming the auction house failed to disclose that a Pablo Picasso painting he purchased was previously owned by a convicted drug trafficker.

The work, Femme dans un rocking-chair (1956), was guaranteed by Ghandehari’s Brewer Management Corporation (BMC) for £14.5 million during a London evening sale in February 2023.

The lawsuit, filed in the High Court of England & Wales, alleges Christie’s misrepresented ownership, stating the painting belonged to Jose Mestre Jr., while concealing that his father had served nine years in prison for a €14 million cocaine seizure.

Ghandehari claims he would not have signed the third-party guarantee had he known. He seeks cancellation of the contract and return of a £4.8 million partial payment. Christie’s says it will ‘robustly defend’ the claim.

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

Baeza

and Ubeda,

at the pinnacle of Spain’s Renaissance attractions

By Dilip Kuner

ONE of the delights of Spain is visiting its unspoilt interior where historic buildings are often set in a landscape virtually unchanged for centuries. While the coastal regions of Andalucia and Valencia are well known and the famous cities of Sevilla, Cordoba and Granada too, a trip inland to the unfashionable province of Jaen is well worth the effort.

For lovers of history, architecture, and timeless beauty, it is full of hidden treasures. Among its crown jewels are the twin towns of Baeza and Ubeda, just five miles apart, which together have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2003. Their streets, squares, and palaces have seen centuries of art, culture, and wealth – and they remain surprisingly unspoiled by mass tourism.

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TWIN PEAKS

Baeza feels like a slice of Italy transplanted to southern Spain. Its wealth in the 1500s came from the booming textile trade, and with riches came a taste for Renaissance architecture.

The town’s University Building (1533) is a shining example of this style, while the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin and the Nativity showcases exquisite plateresque details – a Spanish tradition of ornate decoration inspired by silversmith work. Wandering Baeza, you’ll stumble across the Fountain of the Lions, one of the town’s oldest

monuments. Its sculpted lions pay homage to local legend, with carvings said to depict Hannibal’s wife, the Carthaginian general famous for marching elephants on Rome. Every

corner of Baeza exudes charm: sunlit squares, stone-paved streets, and hidden courtyards make it a photographer’s dream. Just a short drive away, Ubeda claims

UNTOUCHED: Both towns are a warren of ancient streets

QUICK GUIDE: Baeza & Ubeda

Top Sights in Baeza:

● University Building (1533): Stunning Renaissance architecture and a must for history buffs

● Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin and the Nativity: Plateresque details and centuries of history in one magnificent building

● Fountain of the Lions: One of Spain’s oldest fountains, with sculpted lions said to depict Hannibal’s wife

● Plaza del Populo: Picturesque square perfect for cafés and people-watching

● Palacio de Jabalquinto: A Gothic-Renaissance gem with intricate stonework

Top Sights in Ubeda:

● Vazquez de Molina Square: A monumental Renaissance plaza surrounded by palaces

● Parador of Ubeda: Sleep like a 16th-century aristocrat in this former churchman’s palace

● Water Synagogue: Medieval Jewish architecture, including ritual baths and a Women’s Gallery

● Palacio del Dean Ortega: A stunning example of Renaissance urban palace design.

to be even older than Baeza, and some historians suggest it is one of the oldest continuous settlements in western Europe. Conquered by the Romans in 206 BC, it became the colony of Betula During the early

Middle Ages, while England was under Norman rule, Ubeda thrived as a Muslim community – until 1212, when Christian crusaders seized the city.

HEALTH

Bat advice

HEALTH authorities in Catalunya have issued an urgent warning urging residents to avoid all contact with bats following a spike in potentially dangerous encounters across the region.

Officials recorded 22 incidents in the first seven months of 2025 – a quarter of all animal attacks reported by July.

Rabies

While no human rabies cases have been detected in Spain, bats remain the main carriers of the European strain, capable of transmitting the fatal disease through bites or scratches.

Authorities urge residents never to touch bats, even if injured, and to seek immediate medical care after any contact.

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The 16th century brought new prosperity as aristocrats flocked to Ubeda, commissioning grand stone and marble buildings that define the town’s

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character today. Its Vazquez de Molina Square is monumental, lined with Renaissance palaces, while the Water Synagogue remains a remarkable remnant of Ubeda’s medieval Jewish heritage, complete with ritual baths and a Women’s Gallery. And if you’ve ever heard the Spanish phrase andar por los cerros de Ubeda (‘to wander around the hills of Ubeda’), you’ll know the town even lent its name to a saying about going off at a tangent. The Parador of Ubeda, once a palace of a high-ranking churchman, offers visitors a chance to stay inside this Renaissance masterpiece.

GETTING THERE

By car, the easiest route from Granada is the A44 motorway, followed by the A316 road, which winds through both Baeza and Ubeda. Rail travellers can alight at Linares-Baeza station, just a 20-minute taxi ride from Baeza (taxis are available right outside). Buses are less convenient: while services run from Malaga, they are slow, often requiring one or two changes. For anyone seeking a journey through history, culture, and Renaissance splendour – all without the crowds of Sevilla or Granada – the twin jewels of Baeza and Ubeda are Andalucia at its most enchanting.

Your health in their hands

Japanese company responsible for UK Post Office Horizon scandal to develop AI in healthcare

THE Japanese tech giant behind the UK Post Office’s notorious Horizon system – which saw hundreds of innocent subpostmasters wrongfully convicted – has struck a deal to provide AI software for Andalucia’s health service. Fujitsu, whose faulty Horizon programme led to one of Britain’s worst miscarriages of

FOOD FACTS

SPAIN’S sweltering August temperatures may have you reaching for that ice-cold gazpacho, but don’t fall for the summer diet hype flooding social media.

Nutritionist Vanesa Cortes advises sticking to fresh, local Mediterranean foods – watermelon, melon, cucumbers, tomatoes, and cold legume salads – and listening to your body rather than following internet ‘cleanses’ and ‘detox diets’..

By Dilip Kuner

justice, will establish an AI research lab in the region as part of efforts to modernise public healthcare and improve disease diagnosis.

But its involvement has sparked alarm. The Horizon system misrepresented financial data,

Endocrinologist Belen Silveira warns that hydration is the real priority, especially for the over65s, whose sense of thirst declines. Plain water is sufficient, though fruit, mint or cucumber can add variety. Exercise is fine if timed sensibly, avoiding the 11am – 5pm sun.

Cortes sums it up: “Taking care of yourself is compatible with enjoying yourself. Eat well, hydrate, and trust your body – extremes aren’t necessary, even when temperatures soar above 40C.”

leading to over 700 subpostmasters being wrongly convicted of fraud, theft and false accounting. Many lost jobs, homes and even their freedom before the courts overturned their convictions. A UK parliamentary inquiry condemned Fujitsu for failing to act sooner,

and although the company has apologised and pledged compensation, campaigners argue it has not done enough to repair the damage.

Alan Bates, founder of the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance, warned Spain to tread carefully. “Fujitsu’s involvement in public services should raise alarms,” he said. “They’ve caused immense harm here in the UK, and yet they seem to be moving forward with little accountability.”

Digital health experts have also voiced concern. Dr Peter Bradley said: “Fujitsu’s history with the Horizon system raises legitimate concerns about its ability to handle critical data like medical records. Trust is essential in healthcare, and given their past failures, there are serious questions about whether they are the right fit for this kind of work.”

Fujitsu insists the Horizon errors were unintentional and says its technology is now more reliable.

● Both towns are highly walkable – explore the narrow streets on foot

● Stop by local artisan shops for ceramics, lace, and olive oil

● Don’t miss a coffee or tapas in a sunny plaza – the perfect way to soak up the atmosphere

A WARNING has been issued that killer mosquito-borne diseases like West Nile Virus will soon be the ‘new normal’ in southern Spain.

Health chiefs at Europe’s ECDC say rising temperatures, longer summers and wetter winters are turning Andalucia into a breeding ground for tropical bugs.

Sevilla is the worst-hit hotspot, with Puebla del Rio and Coria del Rio plagued by repeated West Nile outbreaks. Cases have also spread to Cadiz, Huelva, Cordoba, Malaga and Jaen. Officials have urged people – especially kids, pensioners and the vulnerable – to slap on repellent, cover up with long sleeves and sleep under nets to avoid potentially fatal bites.

WOMEN give off a more fragrant scent when they ovulate –and men can’t help but notice, a Japanese study reveals. Researchers at Tokyo University discovered three compounds in underarm sweat that spike during ovulation, turning the smell from ‘vinegary’ to downright alluring. Men who sniffed the ovulatory scent rated photos of women as more attractive and feminine – and even relaxed more, with stress levels dropping in their saliva.

The ‘magic trio’ includes geranylacetone (floral-green aroma), tetradecanoic acid (linked to newborn feeding responses), and palmitoleic acid.

Phone return

CATALAN police have dismantled several Barcelona phone-snatching gangs, seizing 1,000 mobiles, and launched an online database where victims can enter their IMEI number to reclaim stolen devices.

At it again

JEREMY Clarkson has sparked outrage in Spain after branding A Coruna ‘one of the worst places’ he’s visited, despite the Galician city attracting nearly one million tourists in 2024.

Hook charge

AN Ibiza restaurant faces a watchdog complaint after allegedly adding a €12 ‘bag hook’ charge to diners’ bills, with consumer group FACUA slamming the undisclosed fee as illegal and outrageous.

A SPANISH influencer cou-

ple’s dream trip to Puerto Rico descended into chaos after they blindly trusted ChatGPT for travel advice –and ended up stranded at the airport.

In a viral TikTok clip, which has smashed past 6.1 million views, tearful Mery Caldass is seen sobbing while her partner Alejandro Cid tries to console her (right).

“I always do research, but I asked ChatGPT , and it said no,” Caldass wailed, referring to whether they needed a visa. “I don’t trust that

BLOW HERE: Test went horribly wrong for examiner

AI travel fail

Spanish influencer left crying at airport after blindly trusting ChatGPT visa advice anymore.”

Here’s the kicker: Spanish citizens don’t need a visa for Puerto Rico, but they do need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ESTA) – a tiny but crucial detail the AI apparently forgot. The result?

Stranded influencers, online ridicule,

BURNING RAGE

A MAN has been arrested for allegedly dousing a bar in petrol and setting it ablaze because staff did not have mayonnaise for his sandwich.

The incident unfolded in the tiny town of Los Palacios y Villafranca, in the province of Sevilla.

According to police sources, the man first

By Dilip Kuner

and a stark warning about relying on robots for real-world travel planning.

TikTok users were ruthless.

“Natural selection, I guess,” one wrote. “If you’re taking a transoceanic trip and rely entirely on ChatGPT, you get what you deserve.” Others noted the couple may

asked for mayonnaise with his order but was told by a waiter the bar did not have any. Undeterred, he went to the terrace and asked a waitress who gave him the same answer. Enraged, he stormed out of the bar before returning minutes later clutching a bottle of petrol. He then allegedly doused the bar counter in the flammable liquid and lit it, setting the bar on fire.

The man, who was the only one hurt, was taken to a health centre to be treated for burns.

have phrased their question wrong, but the message is clear: AI is no substitute for official sources.

Adding insult to injury, Caldass joked the AI might be exacting revenge for her past insults: “Sometimes I call it useless – maybe this was payback.”

This isn’t an isolated case. A 60-year-old American was hospitalised for three weeks after ChatGPT told him to swap table salt for sodium bromide – a toxic chemical. Doctors confirmed the AI still recommends it without warnings.

Experts warn: “AI is only as reliable as the data it’s trained on,” said Dr Elena Torres, digital ethics researcher at NYU. “Blind trust can have real-world consequences.”

Despite the fiasco, Caldass and Cid eventually made it to Puerto Rico in time for a Bad Bunny concert – but one thing’s for sure: ChatGPT will never get their travel trust again.

WHAT should have been the most stressful day of their lives turned into a farce when a driving instructor was caught over the limit during his pupils’ test in Palma, Mallorca.

Three hopeful learners had just set off for their test when Guardia Civil officers stopped them at a checkpoint near the airport. To their shock, it wasn’t the rookie behind the wheel who failed – but the instructor in the passenger seat.

Alcohol

He blew over the legal alcohol limit, forcing the exam to be scrapped on the spot. Furious parents blasted him for ‘risking the kids’ lives all morning’. Learners claimed he’d been ‘laughing too much and touching people, and not being himself’ throughout the lesson. To make matters worse, the school is refusing to pay for retests, insisting families cover the fees again. Guardia Civil chiefs have launched a probe after similar boozy scandals rocked the island last summer.