Olive Press Round-Up: The biggest stories in Spain

From The Digital Editor Walter Finch

Dear Olive Press readers,

It seems that it was just moments ago that we were writing about the infernal wildfires that ravaged huge swathes of Spain, yet now we find ourselves reporting on red alert storms and perilous flooding.

Which seems to be the weather-related lot of climate-affected Spain, as it lurches from one extreme to another on the frontlines of rapidly changing weather patterns.

The Valencia Community was once again in the firing line of biblical downpours exactly 11 months on from the deadly Dana which claimed 236 lives.

It was followed on by a red alert warning over Ibiza, which was practically sunk beneath the sea by a record-breaking 254mm of rain that fell in just 24 hours.

But the most critical news to come out from the weather chaos is that there were zero fatalities

Spain on red alert: Torrential rains shut schools and workplaces in Valencia as PM Sanchez urges caution

VALENCIA’s Civil Protection service has issued a red weather alert for the region as the remains of ex-Hurricane Gabrielle sweep across the Mediterranean coast, bringing torrential rains, flash flood risks…

Editor’s picks:

Bargain hunters are in for a treat as German low-cost fashion retailer Kik arrives in Spain, aiming to muscle out Primark and Pepco with its claim to ‘dress you from head to toe for just €30’.

There’s finally been some closure on the sordid story of the Brits who were duped into paying for villas built on illegal land with fraudulent licences in the 1990s. A local Alicante mayor has been convicted of fraud at a very ripe old age, judging from a recent photo of him.

There has been outrage in Andalucia after the Junta admitted that up to 2,000 women may have experienced delays in breast cancer diagnoses following a series of failures in the public screening programme.

Morocco actually arrested a high-level drug trafficker this week, and a capo of the feared Mocro Maffia. Does this mean the kingdom is finally clamping down on the dozens of narco villains that are hiding out in its territory, following in the footsteps of notorious mafia bolthole Dubai? Read on to find out.

Property prices are surging on both the Costa Blanca and the Costa del Sol while renting is also becoming astronomically unaffordable. It might not come as a big surprise to those following Spain’s housing market, but the figures are still eye-popping.

Our most senior journalist, Michael Coy, gives an enthralling first-person account of the unseemly battle he had to go through to secure his Spanish pension and stave off hardship in his later years. The key takeaway? Shady employers might not be paying your social security contributions correctly…

And as ever, at the Olive Press we endeavour to explain to you what you need to know to get deal with some of the trickier aspects of living in Spain. Here we have an explainer on how to claim a €1,200 tax break if you rent your home, and here you can learn about how the new EES border system will work for Brits entering Spain and other EU countries from next month.

Enjoy the weekend folks. And please do get in touch with any thoughts or comments you might have!

Best,
Walt

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Olive Press Round-Up: The biggest stories in Spain

From The Digital Editor Walter Finch

Spain on red alert: Torrential rains shut schools and workplaces in Valencia as PM Sanchez urges caution

Win a €20,000 Solar Energy System

Olive Press Round-Up: The biggest stories in Spain

Win a €20,000 Solar Energy System

Olive Press Round-Up: The biggest stories in Spain

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