| Dear Olive Press readers, | | Welcome back to another week of the news in which Spain found itself – once again – in the international spotlight for its role in combating a deadly virus that no one had ever heard of one week ago. | | A hantavirus outbreak on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius killed three people while traversing the Atlantic and caused much uproar on how to handle the so-called plague ship, with memories of the last pandemic – lest we forget our beloved Covid – still fresh in the mind. | | The Olive Press has covered it extensively, with senior reporter Alessio appearing live on BBC News and later BBC radio to explain the row between Madrid and Santa Cruz about whether the ship would be permitted to dock in Tenerife. | | The hantavirus has an extraordinary fatality rate of nearly 40%, so you can perhaps understand why the islanders have been reluctant to receive the passengers. But as Pedro Sanchez so gallantly pointed out, Spain has an obligation to step up, especially since the WHO (World Health Organisation) requested them to. | | Meanwhile, and sticking to the nautical theme, Spain made Europe’s largest ever cocaine bust this week, which I suppose isn’t something to be proud of. Or is it? Initial reports suggested the ship, boarded off the coast of Western Sahara / Morocco (pick your side), was harbouring a staggering 45 tonnes of Colombia’s finest. | | Turns out it was just 30 tonnes, still beating the previous record of 25 tonnes found in Hamburg in 2025, but a good lesson in not hyping things up too much. | | And finally, here at The Olive Press our feelings were a little bit hurt when we learned that the Estepona town hall had dished out awards to all foreign media at the 25th edition of its Foreign Residents' Day – but forgot about the little ol’ OP. | | The mayor, Jose Urbano Garcia, was on hand to award prizes to our friends at Sur in English and Euro Weekly News among a total of 13 outlets. But sadly we didn’t get an invite. | | It may have something to do with the coverage we have done of the mayor’s extensive legal problems and general shady dealings over the years, which have involved bizarre sex parties, allegations of misusing public funds and giving out public tenders to friends and family. | | He has an upcoming criminal trial for handing out a paid town hall job to a lover, although the date keeps getting pushed back. | | Alas, this social stigmatisation is the price that we have to pay to speak truth to power and keep you, our dear readers, informed on what our local leaders are really getting up to with your tax money. | | That’s all for this week. Please do get in touch with any thoughts, gripes, grumbles, or even praise you might have for what’s been going on this week. We love to hear it. | | | | Edificio Centro Comercial El Duque, first floor, Carretera N340, km 144.5 | | San Luis de Sabinillas, Malaga 29692, Spain | | Copyright © 2026 The Olive Press, All rights reserved. | | | |
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