Costa Blanca North 2 – 8 March 2023 Issue 1965

Issue No. 1965

2 - 8 March 2023

COSTA BLANCA NORTH • EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

ONE WOMAN

THE European Union of Wom­ en Marina Alta is celebrating International Women’s Day on March 8 with its AGM fol­ lowed by a presentation by Canadian art historian, educa­ tor and author Karla Ingleton Darocas who will share fasci­ nating information about the plight of Spanish women at the turn of the 20th century when Spain was transitioning from a monarchy to a republic.

Karla, a resident of Beni­ tachell, will also talk about the life and success of one extraor­ dinary woman from the peri­ od whose selflessness and dedication left an indelible im­ pression on those around her, wife of the ever­popular Va­

Karla with students.

lencian painter Joaquín Sor Va­ lencian artist Joaquín Sorolla, Clotilde García del Castillo.

With the country in the throes of the Industrial Revolu­ tion, Spanish women faced sig­ nificant challenges, one of the biggest of which is that they had no rights. They were con­ sidered second­class citizens and had limited access to edu­

cation, job opportunities and political representation. Rele­ gated to a subordinate role in society, they had limited au­ tonomy in their personal and professional lives.

In this dismal context, Clotilde achieved success as a mother of his children, sup­ porting her husband as his so­ cial secretary and his emotion­

al caregiver. She was his painter’s model, his business partner and his marketing manager. She was his driving force, the compass and the key to his social advancement and success. Celebrate Women’s Day, join the organisation and meet new friends at Javea Golf Club on Wednesday March 8 from 10.30am.

FREE • GRATIS

Women, a great inspiration in art WOMEN are the symbol of life. The creators of un­ conditional love. A woman is both gentle and pow­ erful, practical and spiritual.

From March 8 to 31, the ARTE.44 gallery will be showing a curated selection of artworks in Calpe.

Nineteen artists from different countries and art movements will each present a work on this theme.

The official opening will be on March 8, Interna­ tional Women’s Day, from 6pm to 8pm. Everyone is welcome.

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euroweeklynews.com MONTGO Golf Society played a Stableford competi­ tion recently at Oliva Nova Golf course. The sponsors this week were Gerian van Ooijen and Francien Knoops.

Thank you, ladies, for your abundance of prizes.

We had prizes for the 1st and 2nd men and the 1st and 2nd ladies. So, for the men the winner was Keith Cottrell with 39 stableford points and in 2nd place was Alan Mc­ Manus with 35 stableford points. The lady’s winner was

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Montgo Golf

Andrea Hall with 40 stable­ ford points and in 2nd place was Sally Burrowes with 32 stableford points.

We had five nearest the pin prizes on offer ­ the 3rd 5th in two, the 11th 14th in three and the 16th, and tak­ ing home the prizes was Nigel Siddall on the 3rd, 5th in two was Geoff Willcock on the 11th was Andrea Hall, on the 14th in three was Nigel

Siddall again and on the 16th, it was Franz Budnik.

We had no twos this week so coveted Montgo Golf Balls remain intact.

Next week’s competition is the St David’s Day trophy, sponsor is Geoff Willcock, who is not Welsh, but his wife Hilary is, so Geoff is just doing as he is told. Like all of us good men would do. Red attire is the order of the day.

History through photographs VILLAJOYOSA now has a treasure trove of fascinating historical photographs taken by a local photographer between 1845 and 1937, during the civil war which accounts for a part of the collection. The Linares Ortiz is a jewel of Valencian heritage and a photographic chron­ ical of a century in the town.

The Department of Historical Heritage and the University of Alicante have organised a first exhibition in the Municipal Public Library with a selection of more than 40 never­be­ fore­seen photos from the 30s to the 50s. The municipal archive and conservation depart­ ment has already digitised 3,000 images with

a high­resolution scanner, representing a mere 2 per cent of the total donated 11 months ago. The glass plates and negatives are carefully stored in neutral paper in non­ acidic carboard boxes in a special tempera­ ture­controlled warehouse. However, conser­ vation in digitisation is in high resolution, which does not deteriorate over time.

This marvellous find includes panoramic images of Villajoyosa, detailed reports of boats and their manufacture in the shipyards on the beach, and many other topics, as well as weddings, burials, theatre performances, parties and football matches.

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2 - 8 March 2023

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Image: Southworks / Shutterstock.com

International Women’s Day Empowering Women’s Day • “Extremists have shown what frightens them most. A girl with a book.”

Malala Yousafzai • “There is no force more powerful than a woman determined to rise.”

W E B Dubois • “There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.”

Michelle Obama • “I do not wish women to have power over men; but over themselves.”

Mary Shelley In celebration of all women.

IN celebration of all the women in the world, cities and towns across the globe will be celebrating Interna­ tional Women’s Day (IWD) on Wednesday March 8.

The origin of IWD is drawn from more than one historical event and began as an acknowledgement of women’s struggle to make their workplaces better.

Created out of protest and political action, it is a symbol for all those who honour women’s struggles to improve their lives. Originally the day of remembrance symbolised the ef­ forts to end appalling working condi­ tions endured by women in sweat­ shops.

At the beginning of the 20th centu­ ry, many women in industrially­de­ veloping countries entered the labour force taking jobs with low wages, poor working conditions and little or no chance of improvement.

Such conditions led to industrial disputes, involving both unionised and non­unionised women workers.

It was their struggle that created the global impetus for International Women’s Day. Today, it is also seen as a day of celebration of women, of all that they do, and the accomplishments they have made.

Women and men celebrate Inter­ national Women’s Day to honour those who began the struggle and those who continue to work for change and recognition of all efforts to improve the lives of women, both locally and globally.

hings Jayne Harris - Harris Furnis this line of work, I do all of the ortant especially in ‘‘A woman’s touch is very imp ke the home work.’’ n’s touch is powerful, we ma buying and styling, a woma

Rebecca Serwotka, Inmobiliaria Estate Agents

“We continue to live in a male dominated world and that still shows in our industry. It’s important to support women, especially as they offer a tremendous amount of dedication in whatever they turn their hands to. But most of all, women can multitask!

There is never the perfect work/home life balance.

Don’t be hard on yourself and just do the best you can!

Emma Quantrill, Golden Leaves

him what Hanks some time ago, they asked ‘‘I heard an interview with Tom is too shall r self to have known - he said “th would you have liked your younge is e your friend all things pass good and bad, tim pass,” this resonated with me as you the drive, from your experiences it will give not the enemy - learn and grow best in your elop your skills to become the very ambition and determination to dev chosen field of expertise’.’

YOUR EWN HAS

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STORIES IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION

Caroline Smith, Grupo Platinum ‘‘All I would say is women in business are as good or better than men at times. Each person is their own world and have their own ideas and thoughts.

Choose to do something you love and that inspires you. Life should be enjoyable after all.’’

• “How wrong it is for a woman to expect the man to build the world she wants rather than to create it herself.”

Anais Nin • “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

Eleanor Roosevelt • “It’s okay if you fall down and lose your spark. Just make sure that when you get back up, you rise as the whole damn fire.”

Colette Warden • “What’s the greatest lesson a woman should learn? That since day one, she’s already had everything she needs within herself. It’s the world that convinced her she did not.”

Rupi Kaur • “Human rights are women’s rights, and women’s rights are human rights.”

Hillary Clinton • “I don’t like to gamble, but if there’s one thing I’m willing to bet on, it’s myself.”

Beyoncé Knowles • “One is not born a woman, but becomes one.”

Simone de Beauvoir

4 EWN 2 - 8 March 2023 FANS of fine food are in for a treat as Alicante City Council has now confirmed its fourth edition of the Gastronomic Days of Holy Week 2023 Tapa Cofrade.

The event invites you to taste cuisine made by the hand of the best chefs and restaurants in the city on Fridays during Lent.

A total of 25 restaurants will participate in the gastronomic event which is on each Friday until March 31.

For more information or to

Fine food find which restaurants are participating, head to www.jor nadascuaresmaalicante.com.

The councillor for Commerce and Hospitality, Lidia Lopez, confirmed: “Holy Week in Alicante, which has been declared of National Tourist Interest, is an exceptional time for gastronomy lovers to taste traditional recipes which aremade from our local products and the best culinary creations.”

euroweeklynews.com MIXED fortunes for the Barbarians club at the weekend with the under 16s winning away on Saturday against Alicante whilst the seniors lost a gruelling match away to Moncada of Valencia the same afternoon.

The S16s put on a dominant all round performance against an inexperienced Alicante outfit and showed their all round skills winning 50-0 at the final whistle.

The seniors went to Valencia to take on Moncada, currently second in the league standings, in the hope of winning and cementing their position in the play offs.

For 35 minutes it was a bat-

Barbarians Rugby Caterpillar Mixed fortunes this week.

tle between the 22s and with the last kick of the first half, Moncada converted a penalty to go into half time leading 30.

The Barbarians fought back and replied with a penalty and then a converted try to take the score to 13-10 with a few

minutes still to play. However Moncada held out and ran out winners. This weekend the M16s are at home to CAU whilst the Seniors entertain UCV of Valencia in another tough encounter as both are competing for Division 1 play off positions.

The game is Saturday afternoon at 5pm in Denia and everyone is welcome.

For further information please call Santi (Spanish) on 676 612 357 or Mac (English) on 609 646 349 for more information.

PROVERB OF THE WEEK “Behind every successful woman is herself” The origin of the proverb is shown in 2012 by Bart Jackson and his book ‘Behind every successful woman is herself’. The meaning of the proverb is that if a woman has enough grit she can succeed, accomplish and do it on her own.

• Diagnostic imaging and ultrasound Rx • Clinical tests and serological tests, internal medicine, parasitology • Soft Tissue Surgery and Traumatology • Ethology, behavioural disorders and animal behaviour • Physiotherapy, acupuncture, custom recovery and Healing touch • Ophthalmology • Dentistry and dental surgery & more • Import - Export

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danger at its peak

EXPERTS in Teulada Moraira warn that the processionary caterpil­ lars have already left their nests. The bugs have made their way down from their nests in the treetops and are now on the ground in forests, mountains and streets of Teulada Moraira and the region.

The caterpillars have started their search for underground spots to bury themselves and continue with the pro­ cess of becoming moths during the summer.

These caterpillars are ex­ tremely dangerous for pets, but also for people and children.

Prevention is the best strategy, so keep chil­ dren and dogs away from pine forests and the bugs at this time. In case of contact, you may be able to remove some hairs with adhesive tape.

The person or animal in contact should have a hot shower, scrubbing the affected parts. Wash clothes at 60 degrees to destroy the proteins.

Dogs in contact with the caterpillar hairs can die of suffocation or lose their tongues, so see a vet.

Do not bother the caterpillars which can cause them to become stressed.

22% of AI professionals are women.

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Fish fight

PP candidate César Sánchez has vowed to get rid of the fish farms from the Bay of Calpe to protect traditional fishing and the environment if he is elected mayor of the town in the upcoming local elections, and has undertaken to work tirelessly to move the farms to a more suitable location. He is also firm in his support for traditional fishing and the fishermen’s guilds which are “part of the identity, traditions and history of this territory and must not be allowed to disappear.”

According to local activists, the fish farms need to be removed to avoid irreparable damage being caused to the environment and biodiversity of the Bay of Calpe. They also believe they are an eyesore and that they are damaging the prestige and landscapes of the town.

The council has been fighting against the installation of additional floating cages opposite the Morro de Toix for years, arguing that the environmental reports upon which permission was granted by regional government are unsuitable and the lack of preventive, corrective and compensatory provisions.

2 - 8 March 2023

Ukraine support

ON February 24, the Union of Ukrainians in Spain, based in Calpe, organised a demon­ stration to mark the first an­ niversary of the Russian inva­ sion of Ukraine.

The demonstration started at the town hall and ended in Plaza Colón and was led by representatives of the associa­ tion and the mayor of Calpe, Ana Sala.

The Ukrainian national an­ them was played along with the sound of the bombs ex­ ploding in Ukrainian cities were played throughout the event.

Photographs: Calpe Town Council

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CALPE: A demonstration was organised.

At the end of the demon­ stration, the mayor took the floor to say that “Calpe sup­ ports you and says no to this unjust war that we all want to end as soon as possible.”

Natalia Protsuyk, from the Union of Ukrainians in Spain, thanked Spain for its support and talked about how every­ one is now suffering in the country.

ape; courageous, us like a mind-blowing landsc “Strong, fun and adventuro s; responsible and a lioness looking after her cub persistent and a fighter like cessful like your favourite king for their children; suc organised like a parent coo estructible like sionate, memorable and ind grandma’s dish; creative, pas of love and man. A powerful heart full a Dali painting; this is a wo are and your y the o wh te cia world. Appre happiness to share with the of Estepona ss Sara, International School life will be meaningful.” Mi

World Day of Prayer OUR sisters in Taiwan have prepared the service for World Day of Prayer 2023.

Taiwan is an island rich in nat­ ural resources and culturally diverse. The women of Tai­ wan share the issues faced geographically, politically and socially and also their hopes for the future. You are invited to join with them and give thanks for the beautiful is­ land and people of Taiwan.

World Day of Prayer is an international, inter­church or­

ganisation and is celebrated in over 120 countries.

Please join us at the Nor­ wegian Seaman’s Church on Carrer Mart, Albir on Friday March 3 at 3pm.

A service of Holy Commu­ nion is held in Albir every Sunday at 9.30am. You can find us in the centre of Albir.

We have a regular weekday service every Thursday at 11am at the Forum Mare Nostrum, Alfaz del Pi with a healing service on the second

Thursday monthly. For fur­ ther information please tele­ phone our secretary, Elaine Mitchell on 636 164 467 or lo­ cal representative Paul Win­ ter on 602 218 483.

Albir is one of seven churches in the Chaplaincy, from Gandia to El Campello.

Costa Blanca Anglican Chap­ laincy (the Church of England in Spain). Visit our website www.costablanca­anglican chaplaincy.org. Always a warm welcome for all.

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NEWS

A ‘select’ gathering Rare plants

GREAT FUN: Thirty-seven people enjoyed the event.

THE chosen venue for this month’s gath­ ering for Chicas Amigas’ social group was a new one for us called Select, in Moraira. Thirty seven of us packed the nice warm interior to full capacity.

After a welcome cava we all found our seats, and although service was some­ what slow, the staff were charming and the food was very good, including a sur­ prise big tempura prawn amuse­bouche to start.

And it gave us lots of time to chat, a great way to pass a cold grey winter af­ ternoon. Thanks as usual to Lynn and her helpers.

GOOD news for travellers who like to pick up a flying bargain as Alicante­Elche has confirmed that it is adding 10 new air routes to its list this year thanks to low­cost airlines.

These new routes are expected to bring movements of close to one million passengers to the terminal.

At the moment, the airport is connected to 24 countries and more than100 cities around the world. Now that normality is returning, all forecasts indicate that this year could see the best results in many years, after a period marked by health restrictions.

THE Parks and Gardens unit are converting the western side of Ermita park into a recreational area. This new park will be open to the public within two weeks.

The project includes an area for walking dogs, a landscaped area with shade and benches and a third area where rubble has been removed, which will be planted with local plants

Spreading out

At present, it is the low­cost airlines that are bringing the largest number of passengers to the airport. In the next three months, between February and April, the terminal has an air ca­ pacity for 1.83 million passengers, of which 1.63 million correspond precisely to low­cost flights. The new routes include Belfast, Fez and Rome with a weekly frequency of three flights; Frankfurt, Klagenfurt, Lodz, Paderborn, San­ tander and Turin, with two flights a week; and finally, Warsaw, with four flights a week.

New park for Calpe and shrubs.

The entire area has al­ ready been cleared and the park for recreational pur­ poses has been planted.

Mulberry trees, one of the fastest­growing temperate species, are being planted in the area to provide some

much­needed shade.

Part of the park will be set aside as a pet walking area, and in the upper part, closer to the children’s playground and picnic area, indigenous trees are being planted, which are not aggressive with roots and are clean. To close off the area, large planters with aromatic plants such as lavender and rosemary were installed.

THE Cirne Foundation, a pri­ vate initiative set up to pro­ tect natural heritage, among other purposes, has opened a unique exhibition of plants found in Javea.

The town is a model for plant diversity, the second most diverse municipality in Spain with 1,100 species of flora, behind only Trévelez in the Sierra Nevada, while the entire country of Eng­ land has just 800.

It is vital that the herbari­ ums (collections of pre­ served plant specimens maintained for scientific purposes) be conserved in light of climate change and the threat of losing them, as happened in Berlin during the Second World War. There are eight plants in danger of extinction in Javea, one of which, sea lavender, is unique in the world. This is remarkable given the high level of de­ velopment on the Mediter­ ranean coast and the de­ struction of the dunes.

There are currently 324,000 known species of plants on the planet, and the most important herbari­ ums are in France, the US, Russia, the UK and China. In Spain, the best are in Madrid and Barcelona.

The exhibition will be vis­ ited by schools in Javea and will then travel to Pe­ dreguer and Teulada. For a private visit, please contact info@fundaciocirne.org.

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Perfect paella

COOKING for 1,500 peo­ ple sounds like a daunting task but for Alicante it was a walk in the park.

On Sunday, February 26, Casa Riquelme pre­ pared a fabulous giant chicken and rabbit paella dish that was enjoyed by many in the Town Hall Square. On Monday, February 27, the city of Al­ icante then hosted the country’s best chefs.

National gastronomic talent filled the streets of the city in a party that cul­ minated in the Auditorio de la Diputacion de Ali­ cante (ADDA).

This year’s Soles Gas­ tronomy 2023 awards ceremony appeared un­ der the slogan ‘Cuisine fills us up’ with which Guia Repsol, the Generalitat Valenciana, Alicante City Council and the Provincial Council want to vindicate the importance of gas­ tronomy, its cultural and economic value.

In recent years, the Va­ lencian Community has shown itself to be one of the areas with the great­ est gastronomic interest in Spain. This stimulating panorama is very attrac­ tive for the opening of new projects, which serve to promote traditional cuisine.

TEULADA Moraira Town Council has announced it will hold a dog training workshop for beginners in the dog parks in Teulada and Moraira on March 11.

The workshop is intend­ ed for the owners of dogs of all ages and levels of training and will focus on the importance and bene­ fits of this kind of training for humans and animals alike.

Among the advantages of training are increased self­confidence (for both the dogs and their owners)

2 - 8 March 2023

Free dog training and their relationships with other dogs and peo­ ple. The workshops will take place in two locations at two different times.

There will be a session at 10am in the Dog Park in Teulada for puppies and at 11am for adult dogs.

In Moraira, the sessions for puppies and adults will be at 2pm and 3pm, re­ spectively.

U3A Calpe’s new groups

JOAN BRYAN of the U3A has created a new group called ‘Games are Us’. The group meets every Monday afternoon from 2pm to 4.30pm at the Galetamar Hotel in Calpe.

To start with, the available games are Rummikub, Mexi­ can Train, Uno Extreme and Dominos. There is currently one game of Rummikub for four players, but more games will be acquired with demand. Members are also invited to bring along their own games or copies of those mentioned above.

There is a vending ma­ chine available at the venue.

Members wanting to join the group must give their

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name, membership number and contact to the leader.

Contact Joan for more infor­ mation by writing to job ty56@yahoo.com or phone 652 638 974.

If you are more of an out­ door type, you might like to check out the new Walking Group created by Group Leader Claudia, whose first walk was on February 9 along the Sendero Ecológico toward Cala Baladrar. If you would like to join the walk­ ing group, please contact Claudia by writing to choco latecontrol@hotmail.com.

Walkers must read and ac­ cept the conditions and safe­ ty notes and meet other re­ quirements before joining.

The workshop is free, but you do need to regis­ ter in advance by sending an email to participación ciudadana@teulada moraira.org.

You must take a blanket and a chew toy with you.

Puppy owners must en­ sure that their animals are duly vaccinated before at­ tending the workshop.

Workshop for dogs.

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euroweeklynews.com CALPE is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Red Wall, a building that architect Ricardo Bofill was commissioned to design when he was 23 years old. The building is on the La Manzanera Urbanisation and was completed in 1973, with its vivid colours and nods at North African architecture.

As part of ‘Bofill Year’, an initiative to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Red Wall and Bofill’s legacy in

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The Red Wall of Calpe Photos: Calpe Town Council

Canvases on show.

Calpe, canvases have been installed around the town showing photographs of the

young architect during the construction period of the Xanadú and the Muralla Roja.

The exhibition offers a new perspective as it shows the buildings under construction with some unpublished photographs, revealing how everything looked before it was painted. The canvases with the photographs will be dis-

played in the coming months in Plaza Colón, Plaza Manuel Miró and Plaza Beato Sendra.

In addition, it is proposed to complete the visit to these canvases with a trail that starts on the Arenal Beach next to the Plaza de Colón and ends at the Cala La Manzanera cove next to the Bofill buildings.

What Does Jalon Valley Help Do?

FOR those of us living in the Jalon and Orba valleys, Jalon Valley Help is a name we know. It is a charitable organisation, founded in 1992, structured to help anyone in need in our community, irrespective of age or nationality.

JVH provide short-term solutions to people’s problems. For instance: JVH can provide a driver to take you to hospital or a translator to assist you. They have a drop-in centre at the Animo in Alcalali, where you are provided with an opportunity to talk to people if your alone or seek support. Wheelchairs, commodes, walking frames and even

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hospital beds can be loaned free of charge. JVH also provide a weekly cancer support drop-in each Thursday at the Animo. A 24-hour Helpline is available to answer any emergencies.

In 2022 JVH donated €16,000 to local caring organisations, spent €55,000 on social care for individuals, and raised €13,000 to help furnish/equip homes and clothes for Ukrainian refugees.

Currently, in 2023, JVH have more than 160 items of equipment on loan,

in 30 towns and villages, from Castells to Rafol de Almunia, Javea to Benissa.

JVH organises their ‘Carols in the Square’ in Jalon/Alcalali/Orba, to say thank you for your support.

This Help costs money and time from committed volunteers. Could you be a part of this friendly locally based charity? We all have something to give, so let’s volunteer our services today.

See our website www.jalonvalley help.com or call Pam Brooks, JVH President, on 634 310 415 to discuss how you can help with time or donations.

Calpe chooses Acciona

SUSTAINABILITY, waste collection and management are hot topics everywhere, which is why Calpe carried out a thorough study to find the right supplier to perform important tasks in the municipality for the next nine years.

Acciona will provide the service for €38.7 million under a contract to take effect in March.

The supplier was chosen after a tender procedure for urban waste removal, street cleaning and waste management that attracted five bids.

A committee of experts from outside the city council (except for one member) studied and assessed all the offers to make the best deci-

sion for the town. Urban solid waste collection and street cleaning in the municipality of Calpe is a service affecting some 30,000 residents.

The town uses underground containers with a capacity of 12,000 litres or semi-underground containers with a capacity of 18,000 litres divisible into four parts (waste, cardboard, plastic containers and glass).

Acciona has a long-standing relationship with Calpe that dates to 1994. The solutions provided by the company are strongly influenced by technology and innovation to increase efficiency in waste collection, transport and management

Local artist in exhibition

INNOVATIVE art by local Benissa artist Quico Torres has been selected for display at the prestigious 29th Porcelanosa International Exhibition.

Eight magnificent sculptures by the renowned Benissa artist Quico Torres, made with the innovative material KRION®, will be part of the special 29th International Exhibition that will take place in Vila-real. The event, which commemo-

Photo: Porcelanosa

Sculptures will feature.

rates 50 years of the history of the Porcelanosa Group company, is one of the most important in the firm’s calendar, with more than 12,000 expected visitors.

The collaboration between Quico Torres and

Porcelanosa has created beautiful works of art that reflect the characteristics of the company’s work.

The exhibition of the sculptures of Quico Torres in the International Exhibition is a tribute to the dedication and talent of the artist and an opportunity for the public to admire the beauty and originality of his works. The exhibition will last for a whole year at the Porcelanosa facilities in Vila-real.

FEATURE

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We often write about the importance of protecting your wealth and it is worth highlighting that one key element, whether you are looking at tax and estate planning, investments or pensions, is that the arrangements and strategies you use should be designed around your personal circumstances and aims.

Otherwise there may be unexpected future consequences which do not suit what you had in mind for your family, or your investments may not be meeting your needs or are too risky.

Personalised financial planning Your circumstances and objectives change over time. It’s important to re-evaluate your financial planning when you retire abroad to take your new situation and tax regime into account.

A tailor-made strategic approach is key for the success of your investment portfolio, created and managed to meet your objectives, time horizon and risk tolerance.

Many people have portfolios which are unsuitable for them.

They carry a higher level of risk than they realise or want; have inadequate diversification, or own many illiquid assets or unregulated invest-

2 - 8 March 2023

Are your savings and investments suitable for you?

By Mathieu Edwards, Partner, Blevins Franks

ment schemes. Or the investment choices or combination of them may not meet their needs.

Alternatively, being too cautious can have consequences in your later years.

Inflation risk Many retirees leave savings in bank deposits, believing it’s the safe

approach. But there are no ‘safe investments’ and you need to consider the impact inflation and low interest rates can have on cash deposits.

The Bank of England interest rate was less than 1% from 2009 to 2022, and while it is now 4%, this is to combat high inflation – currently 10.1% in the UK. This eliminates the gain and reduces your spending power. Even low inflation rates will erode your value of your savings when compounded year after year.

As a basic illustration, if you have €50,000 in a current account with no growth and inflation is 3% every year, after 10 years its value falls to around €37,000. After 30 years it’s just €20,555 – a 59% reduction in purchasing power.

Managing and balancing risk Some risk is unavoidable to achieve an investment return to keep pace with inflation. To avoid undue risk, obtain a clear and objec-

tive assessment of your personal appetite for risk, for example through psychometric analysis.

You then look at allocation of assets between equities, bonds, ‘real assets’ (eg listed property or infrastructure) and cash to create the most appropriate portfolio to match your profile and objectives.

The tried and tested strategy to mitigate risk is diversification — a well spread portfolio of investments across asset classes, geographic regions and market sectors, to limit your exposure to any single sector.

It is widely acknowledged that asset allocation is of greater importance than the selection of individual stocks and shares.

To take advantage of the expertise of the world’s best investment managers, you need a thorough, critical analysis of funds and fund managers to select the best managers for each area of investment. Specialist advice is essential to select the most appropriate investment strategies and asset

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managers to meet your needs.

Protecting returns from taxation To achieve the best real returns and protect your wealth, use compliant arrangements which shelter capital from tax, provide a tax-efficient income and facilitate the transfer of capital to beneficiaries with minimum of bureaucracy and inheritance taxes.

Regular reviews Reassess your portfolio regularly and adjust the strategy accordingly.

Market conditions change and asset prices rise and fall, affecting the portfolio risk. Also consider any changes in personal circumstances.

For peace of mind, get your appetite for risk assessed objectively and matched to the optimum investment portfolio; diversify across assets markets and investment views, ensure your assets are in a tax-efficient structure, and carry out annual reviews.

This article should not be construed as providing any personalised investment or taxation advice.

You can find other financial advisory articles by visiting our website here www.blevinsfranks.com.

10 EWN 2 - 8 March 2023

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Help for the needy of the Norwegian residential home, Solgården Foundation in Villajoyosa, ‘Hacienda del Sol’, handed over the dona­ tions to representatives of the local council.

The medical equipment will be distributed by the council to needy people who do not have resources or means to acquire it, and who request it through the munic­

ipal Social Services, after as­ sessment of their situation.

The mayor of La Villa­ joyosa, Andreu Verdú, took the opportunity to thank the Solgården Foundation for their support for the town, particularly its most vulnera­ ble inhabitants. In response,

Photos: Villajoyosa Town Council

THE Solgården Foundation has generously donated med­ ical materials for people in in Villajoyosa. The materials will be distributed to eligible indi­ viduals and families by the lo­ cal Social Services depart­ ment. Among the equipment are two wheelchairs and five walking frames.

The President of the Board of Directors and the Director

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MEDICAL EQUIPMENT: Distributed to eligible individuals.

the president of Solgården’s Board of Directors, Dag Brekke, said it is a pleasure to

be able to cooperate with the town council to help people in need.

New website for ITVs SITVAL, Valencia’s motor vehicle technical in­ spection company, has launched a brand new website ­ https://sitval.com/#/cita_previa­ where vehicle owners can make appoint­ ments. The website, sponsored by the Valen­ cian Government, replaces the existing ap­ pointments service. There is also a facility to make changes to existing appointments.

Among other facilities, drivers can book a slot at the centre in Ondara and with the mo­ bile units in Benidorm, Javea, Teulada, Gan­ dia and Benissa, among others. The website can also be used for owners with farm vehi­

cles and mopeds.

The online tool works with all operating sys­ tems and is available from SITVAL, the region’s page for making these types of appointment appointments. Users in the Valencia region can select the most convenient ITV station, fill in their personal data and the particulars of the vehicle in question, and book a date and time (from Monday to Saturday from 8am to 7.30pm) for the inspection.

The service was previously available on sev­ en different websites, so this new technology will streamline the service for the entire region.

Investigation closes down THE Guardia Civil has shut down a criminal en­ terprise that was growing, preparing and traf­ ficking drugs and allegedly responsible for oth­ er crimes against property. The criminals were selling drugs around the province and sending marihuana abroad. More than 150 Guardia Civil officers from Alicante were involved.

The police raided 21 premises and made 19 arrests, seizing €70,000 in cash, seven vehicles, several firearms, more than 600 marihuana plants, and different quantities of cocaine and hashish, as well as IT equipment and jewellery.

Many of the assets seized are thought to be linked to a recent crime wave in the town.

The drug sales came to the Guardia Civil’s at­ tention some months ago, and an investigation ­ Operation Lake 33 ­ began under the court’s authorisation in Denia. Early on February 21, of­ ficers and dogs moved in, arresting 17 men and two women aged between 18 and 62 years of different nationalities.

Fourteen of them were in Teulada Moraira, two in Benissa and the rest in Senija, Adsubia, Elche and San Fulgencio.

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Blue flag MORE than 100 hiking trails in Spain received the prestigious Blue Trail Flag award at a national environmental confer­ ence held in Santiago on Friday, February 24.

The honour was pre­ sented to trails judged by the Association for Envi­ ronmental Education (Adeac) to offer out­ standing heritage and natural beauty creden­ tials.

In this year’s event 104 awards were handed out to trails in 20 differ­ ent provinces and 10 au­ tonomous communities throughout the coun­ tries. The selected trails cover a distance of more than 600 kilometres of countryside, giving walk­ ers plenty of inspiration for new routes this year.

The northern region of Galicia received the most awards in total, home to 35 of the 104 selected trails.

2 - 8 March 2023

No direct combat

Betty Henderson SPAIN will never send troops to fight in Ukraine according to the latest announcement from the Minister for Defence, Mar­ garita Robles made on Sunday, February 26.

The Minister for Defence gave an interview where she highlighted that no troops from NATO countries would be involved with direct combat in Ukraine, including Spain.

She added that Spain’s di­ rect participation in the conflict is “An absolutely impossible scenario,” saying that the Spanish military would only be involved to defend a fellow NATO country.

Photo credit: Ministerio de la Presidencia. Gobierno de España (Pool Moncloa/César P.Sendra) / Wikimedia Commons

Spanish Minister for Defence, Margarita Robles stands by Spain’s decision to send Leopold tanks to Ukraine.

Robles also spoke about Spain’s decision to send Leopold tanks to the country saying “they have one sole purpose; defence against, not aggression towards Russia.”

The Minister for Defence de­ scribed the war as a war being waged against the Ukrainian civilian population rather than

THE average age of the population is rising across Europe and a new report published on Friday, February 24 has revealed that Spain and Portu­ gal have the most rapidly rising average age.

The data collected by Eurostat revealed that the average age in Spain rose 4.3 years in the last decade, surpassed only by Portugal where the average age rose 4.7 years. Meanwhile, the av­ erage age rose across EU countries by just 2.5 years, rising from 41.9 years to 44.4 years.

The statistics also showed a fascinating trend,

a conflict between armies.

Robles added her thoughts that Putin is well aware he is losing the conflict but said he remains “a threat to humani­ ty.”

When asked about the pos­ sibility of nuclear war howev­ er, Robles said that this is un­ likely to happen.

Healthy lifestyle

that the average age in southern European countries like Italy and Greece, has risen much more rapidly than in the north of the continent, possibly thanks to a slower pace of life and the Mediterranean lifestyle.

Spain came eighth in the standings for oldest average age at 45.1 years. Researchers say an ageing population is the result of technological advances and improvements in healthcare.

EWN 11

e and empower all of the ‘‘Having the ability to educat is the reason I adore my students that cross my path man, I strive to be a role profession. However, as a wo and ensure that they know model to my female students ening to and that their they have a voice worth list It is of great opinions and goals matter! t, regardless of importance that every studen s can come gender, feels that their dream s 'little girls goe true. As the famous saying h vision’.” wit n with dreams become wome of Estepona ool Miss Evie, International Sch

Spain’s climate change Linda Hall MADRID­based think­tank Instituto Elcano warned in its lat­ est report that Spain is one of the EU countries most at risk from climate crisis.

Approximately 20 per cent of mainland Spain is already at risk of desertification due to climate change and overex­ ploitation of water, particularly groundwater extraction.

Spain emits around 0.8 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gases and accounts for 9 per cent of the EU’s, making it the sixth­largest emitter.

Per capita carbon dioxide emissions peaked at 8.47 tons in 2005 but dropped to 4.92 tons by 2021, as climate change measures kicked in and the country has become more envi­ ronmentally conscious.

Spain now has a Climate Change Law passed in 2021 which commits the country to cutting emissions by at least 23 per cent by 2030 when compared with 1990 levels.

This law requires companies, banks and other companies to present annual reports on exposure to climate risks and the measures they are introducing to contain them.

The Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demograph­ ic Challenge (MITECO) must also report every five years on risks, policies and measures.

12 EWN 2 - 8 March 2023

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Seven months in prison

A JAEN resident who placed pieces of meat on the street containing concealed sharp objects with the alleged intention of killing dogs was sentenced to seven months in prison.

A court in Jaen sentenced a resident of the municipality of Torredonjimeno for unjustified mistreatment of domestic animals with the in­ tention of causing their death. Specifically, he was sentenced to seven months in prison for leaving meat containing nails and pins in dog walking areas.

In addition, the sentence disqualified him from exercising any profession, trade or busi­ ness related to animals or their keeping for two

years, according to a news outlet.

The judge considered it proven that the de­ fendant carried out his crimes between April and October 2020. On several occasions, he was said to have “left pieces of sausage in which he concealed pins, needles or pointed spikes so that dogs and animals ate them and died as a result of ingestion. These were placed both at the door of his garage and in containers located in front of this.”

He did this with the aim of “causing the death of the dogs that were walking around the place with their owners and any other animal that passed through the area,” added the judge.

Otterly fantastic

THE first images of an otter emerging from the Mediterranean Sea have been captured at Cap de Creus, northeast of Catalonia.

Until now, it was known that some speci­ mens of this freshwater species lived in coastal areas of the Emporda, but it had not been pos­ sible to record them leaving the sea.

The images have been captured as part of the otter monitoring project on the Alt Empor­ da coast that is being carried out by the Depart­ ment of Climate Action and the Barcelona Zoo Foundation.

The specimen recorded is an adult male and would be part of these first family groups of ot­ ters that are already known to live most of the time at sea.

In order to continue deepening the knowl­ edge of these groups of otters that make a liv­ ing at sea, throughout the year of 2023, the monitoring methods of the species will be ex­ panded. The news comes after the EWN re­ ported in February that the otter had repro­ duced in Spain’s Mogent River for the first time after more than four decades.

Betty Henderson THE latest national figures re­ veal that Spain has welcomed almost 170,000 Ukrainian refugees since the beginning of the Russian invasion of the country last February accord­ ing to the latest figures re­ leased from the Ministry of In­ ternal Affairs.

More than eight million Ukrainians have been dis­ placed by the conflict and forced to seek asylum in Euro­ pean countries, and Spain has been one of the countries to THE Spanish government pledged €100 million for a World Bank project to provide health relief in war torn cities in Ukraine in an announce­ ment on Thursday, February 23.

The funding injection will support the World Bank’s HEAL (Health Enhancement and Life­Saving) project in Ukraine, which aims to rebuild healthcare infrastructure and services after the sector was severely damaged by the Rus­ sian invasion.

Specifically, the funds will be used to rebuild hospital and

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Warm welcome

welcome Ukrainians in vast numbers. Authorities in Spain moved quickly to create sys­ tems to integrate Ukrainian refugees into their new home, including robust social support mechanisms and employment opportunities which mean that nearly 13,700 refugees are now in employment in Spain.

Refugees have also been of­ fered health, education and fi­ nancial support.

Of the 167,596 Ukrainian cit­ izens who have been settled in Spain as residents, 63 per cent are women and 37 per cent are men. The Ukrainian resi­ dent population in Spain also more than doubled from 96,687 before the invasion to 193,292. The Valencian Com­ munity has welcomed the most refugees at 45,159 fol­ lowed by Catalonia and An­ dalucia.

Health help

primary healthcare buildings, catch up on childhood immu­ nisation programmes, restore mental healthcare services and improve access to afford­ able medication and expand­ ing online healthcare services.

The Spanish Minister for Economy and Digital Transfor­ mation, Nadia Calviño an­ nounced the Spanish invest­ ment during a G20 meeting in Bangalore saying “Spain’s con­ tribution to this World Bank

project will strengthen health infrastructure and save lives in Ukraine.

“We are deeply committed to a united and coordinated global response to restore peace in Ukraine”.

News of the investment in the World Bank project came as Spain announced more mili­ tary support for Ukraine. with another ten Leopold tanks offered to the country’s government.

14 EWN 2 - 8 March 2023

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FEATURE

Frequently asked questions about Court Claims in Spain

IS it necessary to have a barris­ ter and procurator to act in a Civil Court?

The intervention of a barrister and procurator is always neces­ sary, except in specific cases: ver­ bal trials for amounts of less than €2,000, the initial request for small debt proceedings, when

urgent measures are requested before the trial is held, etc.

What types of court proceed­ ings are there?

The most prominent proce­ dures in civil jurisdiction are ordi­ nary and verbal trials. Although there are other special proce­ dures such as divorce and sepa­

ration, procedures related to the judicial division of inheritance, the liquidation of the matrimoni­ al property regime, small debt proceedings, the ‘juicio cam­ biario’, etc.

What is required for a barris­ ter to represent me in a lawsuit?

In order to be represented by a procurator and barrister, you must sign a Power Of Attorney (POA) before a Notary Public.

There is also the possibility of granting representation directly in court, thought the method known as ‘apud acta, although this system is not as practical.

Can I grant a power of attor­ ney if I am abroad?

Yes, if you are outside Spain, you can sign the power of attor­ ney at the Consulate. Or if you prefer it, also before a Notary Public (not solicitor) in that coun­ try. In this case, it will be neces­ sary for the Power of Attorney to be apostilled. Our firm can help you by providing you with a draft of the POA in different lan­ guages, so that you don’t have to request a sworn translation of it afterwards.

Dothedocumentssubmittedto thecourtneedtobethe‘originals’?

Nowadays, court claims and their attached documents are presented electronically. Howev­ er, you must keep the originals.

The original settlement agree­ ment signed by both spouses, the rental contract agreement, etc.

If the documents are submit­ ted in another language, do they have to be translated?

Yes, documents not issued in the official languages of Spain must be accompanied by a sworn translation. However, it is also possible to provide private translations, and they may be ac­ cepted, as long as the other party does not contest them.

Which party must pay Court costs? The defendant or the plaintiff?

It will depend on the ruling is­ sued by the Judge. Usually, the

losing party is ordered to pay the court costs of the other. Howev­ er, the judge may also agree that each party has to pay their own barrister and procurator expens­ es.

Are the fees of the Barristers and Procurators regulated by law?

Not exactly. The Bar Associa­ tions can establish ‘guideline cri­ teria’ which, although not bind­ ing, are usually considered by the Court when setting the court costs. But these professional as­ sociations cannot establish fee scales or price lists, which are freely fixed by each professional.

How long do court proceed­ ings usually take in Spain?

The duration will depend on the type of proceedings. Howev­ er, the same procedure, in the same court, can have a very dif­ ferent duration. There are many aspects that can influence this.

Whether or not the defendant can be located, the workload of the official to whom the pro­ ceedings are assigned, the num­

Carlos Baos (Lawyer) - White&Baos Tel: +34 966 426 185 info@white-baos.com White & Baos 2022 All Rights Reserved.

ber of parties involved, witness­ es, evidence to be taken etc.

Do I have to be present in Spain to initiate a court proceed­ ing?

No. Court claims will be initiat­ ed by your procurator and barris­ ter, who will submit all the docu­ mentation on your behalf.

However, you may need to at­ tend the court hearing. It will de­ pend on each case. If the oppos­ ing party does not request your questioning, you may not have to attend the trial to testify.

Can court judgments be ap­ pealed and appealed?

Yes, when a judgment is hand­ ed down in the first instance, it can be appealed to the higher in­ stance (Provincial Court). Howev­ er, there are exceptions. For ex­ ample, verbal judgments for amounts of less than €3,000 can­ not be appealed.

Can court judgments be ap­ pealed and appealed?

The appeal must be filed be­ fore the same court that handed down the judgment, within 20 working days. This does not in­ clude weekends, public holidays, the month of August or the Christmas period.

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2 - 8 March 2023

Betty Henderson SPAIN made the EU’s top five for the most public electric car chargers in an announcement made on Thursday, February 23. The announcement spells good news for the Spanish green energy transition which is gaining traction.

The data released in a re­ port by the European Obser­ vatory for Combustible Fuels found that Spain has a total of 34,380 public electric car charging points.

The impressive figures place Spain in the top five Eu­

ropean countries for electric car chargers alongside electric vehicle heavyweight coun­ tries Germany and the Netherlands.

Experts have highlighted that Spain still has a long way to go however. The country has stated in its Recovery, Transformation and Re­ silience Plan its goal is to have more than 100,000 electric vehicle chargers by the end of 2023. Spain also has a rela­ tively low volume of electric vehicles, accounting for just 9 per cent of all vehicles.

SPAIN’S pharmaceutical industry expanded by 53 per cent in foreign markets in 2022, making it the country’s third largest exporter according to a new report released by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism.

Data revealed that the industry recorded sales of €2.6 billion to foreign countries, mak­ ing medicine the third most popular export from Spain. The transport industry accounted for the largest income from foreign sales, fol­ lowed by the fuel and mineral industry, then the pharmaceutical industry.

The EU is the biggest purchaser of

Photo credit:Fanattiq / Wikimedia Commons

Charger surge Electric vehicle chargers are good news for Spain.

Although the data shows an improvement in access to electric chargers in Europe, there is still work to be done.

Forty­two per cent of the Eu­ ropean Union’s total chargers are in Germany and the Netherlands, an access gap that needs to be bridged.

Export progress

medicines manufactured in Spain, followed

by Switzerland, the USA, Canada, China, then the UK. Industry representative Farmaindus­ tria released a statement calling the develop­ ment, “a milestone after years of sustained growth.”

Data has been boosted significantly by the manufacture of Covid­19 vaccines, but Far­ maindustria insisted that figures across the in­ dustry suggest that investment and foreign exports are expected to continue.

EWN 17

18 EWN 2 - 8 March 2023

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NEWS

THE DGT has introduced changes that see anyone who wishes to renew their driver’s licence at age 65 re­ quired to undertake an abili­ ty test.

The announcement also af­ fects those aged 70 and over who will need to complete the same ability test every two years in order to retain their licence. Similarly, any­ one aged between 18 and 65 will be required to pass the same test every 10 years.

It is understood the changes are an attempt to re­ duce the number of acci­ dents on the road although there are differing views about the incidence of acci­

Image Yiistocking / Shutterstock.com

Driving ability test.

dents involving those over 65.

María José Aparicio, Deputy Director of Road Edu­ cation and Training, told a news source that the death toll involving drivers rises from the age of 65. However, that is disputed by Línea Di­ recta Foundation which along with Fesvial and Centro Zaragoza carried out research that suggested: “Drivers over

65 years of age respect speed limits more and do not drive abruptly as they have their own age limitations, as well as avoiding driving at night or making long journeys.”

The study also found that the number of accidents in­ volving the over 65s was up to four times less than those involving under 25s and half that of people aged between 35 and 44.

SPANISH police have recov­ ered 24 high­end vehicles stolen in the United States in an undercover operation code­named ‘American Stuff’.

On Monday, February 20, the Guardia Civil confirmed that the stolen vehicles were found in the port of Algeciras with a market val­ ue amounting to €2 million.

The investigators, in the context of the risk analysis carried out in the port of Al­ geciras during the last year, had detected an increase in the illicit traffic of high­end vehicles from the United States through containers.

HIGHEND: The vehicles were found in Algeciras port.

As a result of the control, identification and inspec­ tion of containers destined for or in transit in Spain, which are carried out daily in the container terminal of the port of Algeciras, a phase of intensification of the services aimed at check­ ing containers in transit which could be carrying stolen vehicles from the

Image: Guardia Civil

Ability test for over 65s Operation: American Stuff USA destined for African countries began at the be­ ginning of the year.

The officers have been able to verify that the vehi­ cles were stolen in the Unit­ ed States and have there­ fore been returned to the authorities they are collab­ orating with, in order to continue with the investiga­ tions.

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Joseph Fiennes to star in new play

Image Belish Shutterstock.com

By Peter McLaren­ Kennedy E N G L A N D manager Gareth Southgate is to be played by Joseph Fi­ ennes in a new play that will cover his ‘qui­ et reform of the game’.

The play written by acclaimed playwright James Graham is titled ‘Dear England’ a refer­ ence to an open letter written by Southgate to fans in 2021.

In the letter ad­ dressed to fans at the start of the delayed Eu­ ro 2020 final, he ex­ pressed hopes that no matter what happened supporters would look at the team and say they tried their best.

England went on to lose against Italy, once again on penalties.

According to a news outlet on Tuesday, February 21, the play kicks off with South­ gate’s infamous penal­ ty miss against German at Euro 96 and goes on to cover how South­ gate has transformed the England team and the game they play.

The play will be staged at the National Theatre’s Olivier The­ atre in London initially but could go on to ap­ pear elsewhere.

Tickets go on sale to the public on March 9 with the play currently planned to run from June 10 to August 11.

Gareth Southgate.

2 - 8 March 2023

Eurovision tickets

THE UK government has agreed that around 3,000 tickets will be made avail­ able for those Ukrainians who have been forced from their homes and are living in the UK meaning they can attend one of the live shows and help mark the Ukrainian group Kalush Orchestra’s victory at last year’s Eurovision Song Contest.

While Ukraine won the competition in 2022 it is unable to host it because of Russia’s invasion. The

Image: Image: UK Government / Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Honoured to support the event for Ukrainians.

UK, who finished second in last year’s Eurovision Song Contest with the track Space Man by Sam Ryder, agreed to host and create an event which honoured Ukraine’s cul­ ture and people.

This ticket allocation will

see thousands of Ukraini­ ans attending the live shows and is another ex­ ample of the UK’s stead­ fast support for Ukraine.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: “Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine means the contest cannot be held where it should be. But we are honoured to sup­ port the BBC and Liverpool in hosting it on their be­ half, and are determined to ensure the Ukrainian people are at the heart of this event.”

Marco Pierre White Jr converts

Linda Hall MARCO PIERRE WHITE JR, now a convert to Islam, walked free from HMP Bris­ tol some days ago declaring that he would never touch drugs again.

The problematic Celebrity Big Brother star and son of chef Marco Pierre White spent a year in prison for shoplifting, possessing a

knife, possessing heroin and racially abusing a supermar­ ket security guard.

The 28­year­old an­ nounced in a newspaper in­ terview that while serving his 12­month term he had converted to Islam in his battle to stay clean after years of drug abuse.

He had the full support of his father, he said, and now

hopes to follow him by be­ coming a chef himself.

“Islam has helped me get through everything,” he said, adding that he had been in rehab 17 times. “Be­ ing in prison made me re­ alise that enough is enough.

The only thing that has cured me was being banged up in a cell for 23 hours a day.”

EWN 19

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NEWS

LONDON’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, announced on Wednesday, February 22, that London’s St Patrick’s Day celebrations will return on Sunday, March 12, with a host of events celebrating Irish culture and heritage in

the heart of the capital.

The festivities will kick off at midday with a spectacu­ lar parade of Irish marching bands, dancers and pageantry.

More than 50,000 people are expected to join the an­

nual procession which will wind its way through the centre of London from Green Park through Pic­ cadilly Circus to Trafalgar Square.

From midday until 6.00pm, Trafalgar Square will once again be showcas­ ing the very best of Irish arts, performance, culture, food and dance with Mas­ terchef champion, Riyadh Khalaf, compering an excit­ ing lineup.

Londoners and visitors can look forward to a free afternoon of entertainment with music from Sharon Shannon & Band, Celavied­ mai, The Craicheads, Celtic Youth Orchestra, Biblecode Sundays, and AIS. There will also be perfor­ mances from Maguire O’Shea School of Dance and spoken word artist Leon Dunne, as well as family­ friendly workshops run by the Irish youth creative pro­ gramme Junk Kouture, and a great selection of food and drinks stalls.

GREENER, cleaner jet fuel has become a hot commodity at Heathrow as the airport em­ barks on the second year of its Sustainable Aviation Fuel incentive scheme.

In 2022 Heathrow launched a world first: an air­ port Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) incentive programme which aimed to cover up to 50 per cent of the extra cost, making the fuel more afford­ able for airlines to use.

With last year’s scheme oversubscribed, Heathrow is now aiming to triple the per­ centage used in 2023 to ap­ proximately 1.5 per cent, putting the airport on course to be one the world’s largest users of SAF this year.

Participants of the scheme include IAG, Virgin Atlantic, United Airlines, Air France, KLM and JetBlue.

SAF is a proven technology that reduces carbon emis­ sions by up to 70 per cent compared with traditional jet fuel. It can be made from a variety of sources, includ­ ing waste, animal fat and

cooking oil.

SAF can work in existing air­ craft without the need for technical modifications, and with advancements in aircraft technology like electric or hy­ drogen­powered flight still some way from commercial implementation, SAF is the key to unlocking material re­ ductions in carbon today.

Image: Jack Jelly / Shutterstock.com

St Patrick’s celebrations Green revolution

Cleaner jet fuel.

Prime lending DESPITE recording the second­largest annual increase, the UK’s bank or prime lending rate is only the fourth­ highest among all G8 nations.

Current bank lending rates across G8 nations have been analysed to see how they’ve changed in the past 12 months, and where the UK ranks in this respect when it comes to actual loan interest rates felt by homeowners and borrowers.

While the base rate is the rate at which banks or lenders interact with a given central bank, the bank lending rate is the rate that banks actually charge customers on credit products such as loans or mortgages.

The analysis of G8 bank lending rates found that the UK’s current bank/prime lending rate of 5 per cent is only the fourth­highest among G8 nations, with Russia (9.33 per cent), the United States (7.50 per cent), and Canada (6.70 per cent) all home to higher rates.

NEWS

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2 - 8 March 2023

BRITISH tourists travelling on a sightseeing boat in Portugal’s Algarve had a lucky escape on Monday, February 20, when their vessel capsized in the sea. A total of 36 people were returning from a trip to visit the famous sea caves in Benagil when the incident occurred.

Four children were said to have been among the passengers as the craft started tak­ ing on water before turning upright in the sea.

Sources informed a news outlet that there were at least five British and two Irish nation­ als on board at the time.

“I thought I was going to die. The water wasn’t really high to start with and I was calm but then it started rising very quickly and I be­ gan to panic,” Lila Evangelista from London told the newspaper.

A spokesman for Portugal’s National Mar­ itime Authority said “an alert was received at 1.25pm and members of the Portimao Mar­ itime Police and Ferragudo Lifeguard Station were immediately sent to the site. The people

Credit: Google maps - Gennady Stolyarov

Dramatic escape as boat capsizes

SEA CAVES: Farol de Alfanzina in Lagoa.

who were on the boat were all in the water when they arrived with their life jackets on.”

“Some were showing signs of hypothermia and they were evaluated and assisted by the medical teams at the scene. The damaged vessel was later towed to a shipyard in Porti­ mao.”

Unconventional coffee

ONE of the world’s most fa­ mous coffee chains, Star­ bucks announced a new line of drinks in its Italian locations on Wednesday, February 22.

The new line of products has a uniquely Italian twist, they are infused with olive oil.

The coffee chain is launch­ ing several new drinks featur­ ing the traditional Mediter­ ranean ingredient in its new Oleato range. Drinks include a latte with olive oil, steamed with oat milk, an iced shaken espresso and a cold brew cof­ fee featuring Patanna extra virgin oil blended with a vanil­ la cream foam.

Starbucks Chief Executive Howard Schultz spoke about the unconventional pairing as

the company announced the news, talking of the olive oil’s “unexpected, velvety, but­ tery flavour” which “en­ hanced the coffee and lingers beautifully on the palate.”

Shultz nodded to the un­ usual concept in an an­ nouncement made on the company’s website, saying, “Now, there’s going to be people who say, olive oil in coffee? But the proof is in the cup!”

The global coffee chain is thought to have made the decision to give its products a unique selling point in a tough market, which is domi­ nated by traditional Italian cafes and family­run busi­ nesses.

EWN 21

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SOCIAL SCENE

Advertising Feature

New beginnings for Hereford Meat on Fire Hereford Meat on Fire is set to reopen on March 3!

TWO spectacular events are to take place on the night with a special dinner, a la carte menu with special live music guests and a concert after 9pm to late, consisting of a band from Javier, with an internation­ al touch of pop, rock and blues.

You will be warmly welcomed with a drink on arrival, there is nowhere else you will want to be on Friday to partake in the celebrations and fun that is to be had on the night.

Hereford Meat on Fire welcomes you to their newly refurbished restaurant, with a new mouthwatering menu, highly trained staff and guaranteed enjoyable times at the Hereford Meat on Fire.

As soon as you walk in you are greeted to an open plan, spacious but cosy area where you can enjoy the intimacy of you and the people you are with, but also be surrounded by the great atmosphere that comes with such a place for gastronomy.

Cosy corners and spaces are clustered throughout Hereford’s and you enter your own oasis of fine dining, with delightful gastronomy, succulent wines and more.

Hereford Meat on Fire offers you the op­ tion of dining indoors or outdoors and

with their seamless interior and superb dé­ cor you will feel right at home once seated at your table. With the best top­quality service available and specialty cooking us­ ing olive branches, you will want to order one of everything on the menu.

Juicy, flavoursome and well­prepared gastronomy is what Hereford Meat on Fire specialise in, offering you the option of a classic tomahawk steak, tasty chicken, de­ lightful seafood, fresh crisp salads and more, there is something to appeal to ev­ eryone at Hereford Meat and Fire.

Sophistication is key and with that at Hereford Meat on Fire comes a beautiful bar and a selection of fine wines, elegant cocktails and a special meal to be offered to celebrate their reopening, it will be an evening to remember.

Hereford Meat on Fire make their clients feel welcome from the beginning, with their specialised staff being trained to spot what the client needs before they can even realise it, you are their priority and Hereford Meat on Fire wants you to walk away feeling special, ensuring that you have enjoyed your afternoon, evening or night to the highest possible degree.

To find out more information about the event please visit Hereford Meat on Fire social platforms page or contact 604 433 042 to make your reservation.

The reopening is set to begin at 6pm - Sandija 7pm - Band 9pm Address: Camino Viejo de Altea 39, 03581, Albir. Website: Facebook and Instagram

SOCIAL SCENE

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Next up: I’d Do Anything

THE next best thing to Li­ onel Bart’s musical Oliver! in London, is the Javea Players’ production in the Unión Musical de Gata, from March 27 ­ April 1.

You know the story: or­ phan boy Oliver escapes from an orphanage, bumps into the Artful Dodger and is forced to pick a pocket or two. In case you haven’t read Charles Dickens’ Oliv­ er Twist, we won’t reveal

Photo credit Phil Mansell

Phot credit Javea Players.

The Dodger and Oliver.

the denouement.

It’s a boisterous show

Open mic night

THE open mic night is intended to allow amateur musicians to have an opportunity to per­ form in public and showcase their skills. Doug is a very expe­ rienced guitar player and is a former owner of a musical in­ strument shop. Cazzie runs two groups of amateur musicians and a guitar group as part of the U3A Denia and a ukulele group in El Verger.

They recognised that many local amateur musicians would

love the opportunity to per­ form but do not have the op­ portunity to do so, so they or­ ganised these monthly open mic nights kindly hosted by La Bresca to give them this plat­ form at which to perform.

They welcome anyone with any instrument who wishes to perform, and the evening is meant to be a fun, light­heart­ ed affair where the musicians and members of the public simply enjoy the music.

One of Fagin’s kids and understudy to Oliver: Indigo Armstrong.

with timeless songs includ­ ing As Long as He Needs Me, Food, Glorious Food, and Where Is Love.

Director, Cherry Cabban assisted by Jen Keller Ward, contacted several schools to find talented youngsters. Oliver is played coincidentally by his namesake Oliver Lewis Marconi, the Artful Dodger is George Devlin whilst In­ digo Armstrong is one of Fagin’s kids, but also un­ derstudy for Oliver.

Tickets cost €18 [Gala night €25]. More informa­ tion at: https://javeaplay ers.com/jp/coming­soon/

2 - 8 March 2023

EWN 23

24 EWN 2 - 8 March 2023

euroweeklynews.com

SOCIAL SCENE

Restaurant Review

Black Flame: a warm welcome & a taste of home

THERE are some traditions we easily forget about when we move to Spain, while oth­ ers are harder to let go of… like Sunday lunch. But there’s no need to give up this fan­ tastic British tradition… or

fish and chips… or apple crumble and custard!

If you are hungry when you arrive at Black Flame (make sure you book, they’re always busy), you won’t be when you leave. This family­

friendly British­themed restaurant, with its pretty garden, cosy interior and rooftop cocktail bar for sum­ mer nights, serves large por­ tions of consistently good quality, well­cooked food.

Whether you’ve come for breakfast, lunch or dinner, or some live music and drinks and a bite to eat on Friday night (from 7.30), the cheer­ ful, chatty servers will greet you with a smile. You will find them extremely accom­ modating and the service is great. They even accept large groups if you book ahead of time.

Why not select a bottle of something nice from the short but pleasant wine list, or treat yourself to a cocktail from a long list of tempting creations while you decide what to eat?

Black Flame is famous for its carvery on Thursdays and Sundays, with two courses (starter or dessert) for €12.95 and three courses, with both starter and dessert, for

€15.95. You will be called to the hot buffet, where your roast meat (pork and/or beef) will be served. Now you can help yourself to all those Sunday treats you’ve been miss­ ing, like Yorkshire pudding, gravy, r o a s t potatoes, mash, roast parsnips, green veggies and lashings of gravy, and, of course, horseradish, mustard, and apple sauce galore.

Fancy an English break­ fast? Well, as the name sug­ gests, Black Flame’s signature ‘Greedy Boy Breakfast’ fea­ tures three eggs, three rash­ ers of bacon, three sausages, three slices of toast, beans, tomatoes, mushrooms and hash browns for just €9.95.

However, if you can’t cope with all that, you can order

Visit the Black Flame for a warm welcome.

the items you fancy separately.

The a­la­carte menu fea­ tures many traditional favourites ­ like fish and chips and chicken skewers ­ as well as pan­fried salmon, pulled pork baps and even vegan cobb salad, offering some­ thing for everyone.

The restau­ rant also has a great range of ribs, steaks and burgers, such as the ‘Towering In­ ferno’ and ‘Paul’s Inferno Burger’, and there’s a chorizo and cheddar stuffed burger if you’re looking for something extra tasty.

So, for a warm welcome in winter and fun outdoor din­ ing and drinks in summer, come to Black Flame for a de­ licious taste of home.

NEWS

euroweeklynews.com

2 - 8 March 2023

43% of the agricultural labour force in developing countries is made up of women.

tive days without rain, in what has been one of the country’s driest winters on record, since 1959. The dry winter follows the hottest summer on record which was registered last year by the national weather agen­ cy, Météo­France.

Meteorologists and ecologi­ cal experts called a meeting in response to the news to dis­ cuss policy region by region in an attempt to avert drought later in the year when the country sees the effect of the reduced rainfall on the water supply.

Hot temperatures were suffered by several countries in Europe last summer includ­ ing Spain and Italy, where

A NEW report released by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) on Tuesday, Febru­ ary 21 has forecast a sharp recovery of the busi­ ness travel sector following the pandemic.

The European business travel sector was one of the worst hit areas of the whole travel indus­ try during the pandemic, due to the transition to online work and the axing of business trips for the whole of 2020 and much of 2021.

But now, the GBTA says that western Euro­ pean countries are in the best position to recov­ er pre­pandemic business travel spending as

Photo credit:Peccadille / Wikimedia Commons

Danger of drought

METEOROLOGISTS in France issued a warning about drought on Wednesday, February 22, after the country recorded its driest winter in more than 60 years.

France is currently facing one of its driest spells of win­ ter weather with 32 consecu­

France’s dry winter follows a summer blighted by drought in many regions of the country.

drought conditions were also reported. Countries have grappled with resolving their drought issues over the win­ ter which in many cases, has been drier than expected.

Business travel

the sector begins to bounce back. In its report the GBTA explained that Europe was now “making up lost ground” with spending on track to rise 25.3 per cent during 2023.

The excellent data follows a strong recovery which began in 2022 with business travel spending increasing by an estimated 61.7 per cent thanks to the removal of border restric­ tions on travel.

EWN 25

26 EWN 2 - 8 March 2023

euroweeklynews.com

INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW

Anette Qviberg

ANETTE QVIBERG has con­ quered life in the most amazing ways and is an inspiration to women who want to go out and conquer the world one step at a time. From being a stylist, fashion icon, interior de­ signer, respected business­ woman, single mother and more! Women have been an essential part to Anette’s life, and the strong ethos of her hard work and career, her fasci­ nating life story is something to be shared and is inspirational to those who might be going through something similar.

Having been born, raised and educated in Sweden, Anette knew that there was more to the world than what her home­ town had to offer and at the age of 18 moved to New York.

Anette was able to fulfil her love for fashion and not be stuck to the normal societal ways of Stockholm and experience more of life and what it has to offer by stepping out of the box and be­ come the free thinker and doer

Ida and Greta Lundgren.

that she is today.

Previously married to Dolph Lundgren, Anette comes from a long line of inspiration and fash­ ion, her mother was the design­ er to the Queen of Sweden, had her own fashion lines and even made clothing for Anette when she was younger.

When talking to the Euro Weekly News and asked what women she looked up to for in­ spiration, Anette spoke fondly of her grandmother, “She came to Sweden from Norway to escape the war, they had textile facto­ ries back in Norway but had to leave. She was extravagant in the best way; she didn’t fit in a box or category. I can remember

her in her Yves Saint Laurent suit and high heels. She was a mag­ net, she did so much for people and for those in the LQBTQ com­ munity, then they looked to her as an icon, she was such a char­ acter she introduced me to Cabaret on her 60th birthday!”

After 15 years of back­and­ forth from the US to Sweden Anette received her Green Card from the lottery and was able to officially settle down.

Having set her new roots in Los Angeles after New York, to start her own business designing jewellery and continue styling, she has since come to Marbella and gone into the world of interi­ or design with Ida Ayu Design.

When asked what advice she would give a woman in business today, Anette said, “Don’t stop, don’t stop with your creativity if you have something that you know can work, it is worth it, luck does play into it too. Be proud of yourself and have your own style, be your own individual self.

Your friends should be copying you, not the other way around.

Be your own individual self and be proud of what you have done so far.”

Today Anette is an interior de­ signer who styles and dresses homes, apartments, restaurants and more, allowing your vision to become a reality. Anette has her own team and is dedicated to her work, you will be blown away with what she has and can accomplish, “Each project has its own style, whether it be a pri­ vate home or a restaurant, you must take everything into con­ sideration. It is psychological, you have to know the client’s wants and desires, I know how to make it work and have every­ thing come together.”

When talking about her histo­ ry in business and the male dominated industries of fashion and how to get your voice to be heard Anette said, “Work a lot and show up. If you have to be the underdog, be it, be smart, let those around you feel comfort­ able and do the important things asked of you. It is hard but it is worth it when your voice is final­ ly heard. My daughter is an ac­ tress and a model, and she wants her independence. There might be misconceptions be­ cause of who I am, and her fa­ ther is, but she is just like every­ one else and will have to work harder to get over the miscon­

Anette is an inspiration to all women.

ceptions. You need to work from the bottom up or you will never be confident and that is key to getting anywhere. You need to be hungry and take ad­ vantage of what you have in front of you, it’ll help you in so many ways.”

Along with her successful ca­ reer, Anette is also a single moth­ er to Ida and Greta Lundgren.

When talking about the work life family balance Anette said “It made more sense for me to go into interior design, I had time for the projects, and I wanted to spend time with my girls. We’re all very close but it was hard to be mum and dad. It is tough, your kids are going to do what you do, they look to their par­ ents as an example, I wanted them to know I was working for a reason and by working while they were growing up it has made them tough. I have always showed them love, but I have al­ so shown them respect and that there is no shame in asking for help, whether it be if I need a tea or they do, we look out for each other and have an open rela­ tionship and work together.

“If you are looking to have a better connection with your chil­ dren, be open and honest with them and let them be open and honest with you and with no judgement. Don’t restrict them and care about their needs.”

Anette has lived in Marbella now for over 20 years, but it has always been a home from home, having visited the area from when she was little throughout the holidays with

her family, Marbella has always been a part of Anette’s heart.

“When the girls were starting to grow up, I knew I couldn’t do it in New York or LA, I wanted them to grow up around nature.

Here is the best place for me, there is a sense of community, so many different nationalities, you create your own communi­ ty here, it is amazing.”

When asked about the best advice she has ever received, Anette went back to her family and her stepfather and grand­ mother. They said, “Try to live in the moment and try and make the situation as best you can.

The sentence it’s never going to work should never cross your lips. Everyone has a chance, ev­ eryone fails and don’t be afraid of failure, it makes you stronger.

Don’t be scared to be different, do what you can, be true to your word and yourself, there is no harmony in lying.”

When asked what advice she would give women today, she said, “Always focus on positive reinforcement, be an honest person, look at what is in front of you and value it. Be empathetic, value the small things in your community, give rather than show off. Look to those around you who need help and once they are happy, then look fur­ ther afield. Put down your phone, be proud of yourself and know you have the drive and de­ termination to succeed, it doesn’t matter who has more money, everyone has their digni­ ty and show respect to every­ one.”

If you would like to see more of what Anette is up to and her exciting upcoming project with Noti where she will be the new face for the Costa del Sol, putting her own touch on their homes to create a cosy, warm and beautiful environment with her own personal touches. Visit her Instagram @interiorbyanetteqviberg, @anetteqviberg or email anetteqviberg@gmail.com

EUROPEAN PRESS

euroweeklynews.com

EUROPEAN PRESS DENMARK

FINLAND

Green energy

True or false

DENMARK will put nine gigawatts of offshore wind capacity out to tender by late 2023, increasing output fivefold by 2030, the country’s Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities announced. The green electricity would cover the annual consumption of more than nine million households, the ministry said.

FINLAND is less susceptible to fake news than other countries, Bulgaria’s Open Society Institute found. Researchers placed the US, UK, France and Germany in a second group, followed by Italy and Israel in third place, with Georgia, Turkey, Kosovo, Albania, Moldova and Bulgaria ranked fourth.

THE NETHERLANDS

IRELAND

Butt out

Gas guzzler

THE Netherlands’ government is losing its battle against cigarette ends that litter streets and beaches. One filter tip can contaminate 1,000 litres of water, but the current policy of discouraging smoking to limit the toxic plastic waste that they produce was ineffectual, the Environment Ministry admitted.

IRELAND trails Europe in reducing natural gas consumption, figures from Eurostat, the EU’s statistics agency revealed. In the half-year between August 2022 and January 2023, Ireland reduced its natural gas consumption by 0.3 per cent, compared with 19 per cent in the 27 EU countries.

BELGIUM Hello dad BELGIUM’S 88-year-old monarch, King Albert recently embraced his illegitimate daughter Princess Delphine, 54, in public. It was the first display of affection between them since a court ruled that he was the father of Delphine Boel, daughter of his long-time mistress Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps.

GERMANY

ITALY No hassle ITALY has the EU’s best passport and is the third most powerful worldwide behind Singapore and Japan. Travelling on an Italian passport in 2023 ensures entry to most countries in the world, although those who are Italian citizens can enter 45 countries with just a valid ID card.

PORTUGAL

Fast track

Locked out

INTERNATIONAL goods trains entering and leaving Germany via the Decin bridge and tunnel that link the country with the Czech Republic can now increase their speed. Improvements involved replacing the superstructure of the 265-metre bridge, built over the Elbe 1916, and rehabilitating the tunnel.

LOCKBIT ransomware took credit for February’s attack on the public water system in Porto, Portugal’s second-largest city.

Aguas e Energia do Porto announced that it had been hit, but its security team had limited the damage and the water supply and sanitation were not affected.

FRANCE

UKRAINE

Dolphin watch

Keep going

ENVIRONMENTALISTS pressured the French government to protect dolphins as hundreds wash up on France's Atlantic coast and thousands more die in fishermen’s nets each year. The real number could be far higher, scientists said, as 80 per cent of dead dolphins sink or decompose at sea.

BUSINESS for Ukrainian pet food manufacturer Kormotech and its 1,300 employees was initially disrupted by the Russian invasion. A year later, thanks to the Lviv-based company’s agile decision-making and good fortune, sales are up, while also providing Ukraine with muchneeded tax revenue.

NORWAY

SWEDEN

New arrivals

Jobs lost

SCIENTISTS detected 58 new types of midges and 47 water mite species in Norway, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology announced. Finding so many new species was due to increased funding and the presence of two of Europe’s leading experts in the field, the university said.

ERICSSON will cut 1,400 jobs in Sweden, the company said in late February. The telecoms giant had already announced in December that it intended to save nine billion krona (€824.9 million) by the end of 2023 as demand slowed in some markets, including North America.

2 - 8 March 2023

EWN 27

FINANCE Bonus boost UNION leader Sharon Gra­ ham called for a windfall tax on UK banks after NatWest’s CEO Alison Rose received £5.2 million (€5.9 million) in pay. The bank recently re­ ported its largest profits since 2007, increasing its bonus pool from last year’s £298 million (€338.4) to £367 mil­ lion (€416.8).

Leaving home THE Basque Region’s au­ tonomous government is making plans to introduce payments of €300 in 2024 to assist the emancipation and independence of the 25 to 29 age group. The grant will be limited to those earning less than €28,000 a year, an­ nounced regional president Iñigo Urkullu.

Get online THE cost of living continued to strain household budgets, pushing people into digital exclusion, warned Baroness Stowell, chairwoman of the Lords Digital Committee. End­ ing this exclusion could gener­ ate £13.7 billion (€15.5 bil­ lion) in economic benefits over 10 years while costing only £1.4 billion (€1.6 billion).

Backpay time ELDERLY women could re­ ceive nearly £1.5 billion (€1.7 billion) in state pension ar­ rears, the UK government ad­ mitted. Former Pensions min­ ister Steve Webb agreed that some women’s payments were not increased when their husbands reached re­ tirement age or died, or when they themselves reached 80.

Fewer hours BANK OF SPAIN analysis of the country’s working hours concluded that although these had partly returned to normal following the pan­ demic, employees in most sectors worked fewer hours than in 2019. The only excep­ tions were agricultural work­ ers and those in the property sector.

euroweeklynews.com • 2 - 8 March 2023

STAT OF WEEK

€8.2 billion

was generated by Spain’s perfumes and cosmetics sector last year, a figure which industry sources said was “extremely positive” after the sales setback caused by the pandemic.

Zara’s secret weapon Linda Hall AS International Women’s Day ap­ proaches, Marta Ortega prepares to celebrate her first year as Inditex presi­ dent.

She is the 39­year­old daughter of Amancio Ortega, Spain’s richest man and one of the richest in the world, who founded the Inditex empire based on the Zara clothing chain.

Kantar, which ranks world brands, placed Inditex at the head of Spain’s top brands in 2022 for the fifth consec­ utive year, ahead of Movistar, Iberdro­ la or Santander.

Ortega’s daughter succeeded Pablo Isla, who twice received Harvard Busi­ ness Review’s Best­performing CEO award. He was Inditex’s executive SPAIN’S gender pay gap grew to 25.5 per cent in 2021 according to Gestha, which represents tax au­ thority Hacienda’s em­ ployees.

The union’s Brecha salarial y techo de cristal (Salary Gap and the Glass Ceiling) found that on av­ erage men took home €4,713 more than women in 2021, an increase of €120 on the preceding year.

Gestha noted that the difference in earnings was accentuated in 2021 ow­ ing to a reduction in the number of furloughed workers during the pan­ demic.

Short straw THERE are twice as many wom­ en working on temporary con­ tracts in Spain’s public sector than men. By the last quarter of 2022, 352,300 men and 712,000 women were not established workers, announced the CSFI union which represents public sector employees.

These figures were practically identical to those of pre­pan­ demic levels, the CSFI said, and indicated the existence of greater instability than in the private sec­ tor, where there were fewer situ­ ations like these. Women taking leave of absence to look after family members quadrupled the number of men, with six times as many likely to reduce working hours, the union added.

Photo credit: Flick/Paolo Rose

BUSINESS EXTRA

28

GLOBAL BRAND: A Zara store in Sydney (Australia).

president between 2012 and 2022 and when the company announced in November 2021 that Ortega would take over as executive president in April 2022, share prices fell sharply.

Nevertheless, last year’s results have been hailed as ‘spectacular’. With net profits of €3.1 billion in 2022 and a 19 per cent increase in sales, Amancio Or­

tega’s daughter demonstrated the wis­ dom of a meticulous strategy which began in 2011.

After finishing a degree in Business Studies in London, she began working at the age of 23 in Zara’s Chelsea branch, before moving on to Bershka and eventually to the Inditex head of­ fice in Arteixo (La Coruña).

There was never any doubt that Or­ tega, described by the Wall Street Jour­ nal as “Zara’s secret weapon,” would take over from her father.

“She has lived the business from the inside, alongside Amancio,” journalist Jesus Salgado Alvarez said recently.

“He saw that they shared the same in­ terests. She was the one, and insiders never questioned her appointment.”

Mind the gap Photo credit: Pixabay/Rodrigo Salomon HC

WAGE GAP: Will take women 40 years to catch up with men.

It would take 40 years to close the gulf entirely, the union predicted.

The report pointed out that Spain’s minimum wage increases between 2019 and 2021 had “sig­ nificantly” reduced the wage gap and foresaw

that the increases in 2022 and 2023 would produce a “notable reduction.”

The salary differences were especially substan­ tial in Madrid, Gestha said, where women earned €7,511 less each year, compared to €1,956 in the Canary Islands.

The survey also discov­ ered that women actually earned between €226 and €153 more than men on lower­paid salaries of €20,055 and €33,425 a year but received €40,381 less once these rose be­

Sparky idea

MARKS & SPENCER are testing a pre­ mium version of their Sparks loyalty card.

Perks that will come with the £120 (€136.3) fee include free and unlim­ ited next­day deliveries, a monthly £10 (€11.6) voucher and a free cof­ fee each month from any M&S cafe.

Sparks customers will also have a weekly chance of winning their shopping free every week across 1,487 stores and one free drink for every six that they buy in­store.

The retailer explained that the tri­ al involved existing Sparks cus­ tomers and it would await results before widening the service nation­ wide.

Experts said the move would also guarantee M&S upfront cash from regular shoppers.

yond €133,700.

Age played an impor­ tant part, the Gestha ex­ perts found, with a differ­ ence of between €682 and €1,339 for the under 25s which rose to €6,537 from the age of 56 on­ wards, reaching €10,763 for women who were 65 or over.

“This is a clear reflec­ tion on the amount of time that women devote to their families to the detriment of their profes­ sional development,” Gestha said.

Share-out

ANA BOTIN, president of San­ tander Bank, received a 2022 bonus of 736,160 share op­ tions at €3.08 each, instead of their current €3.54 market price.

Payment in options is an alternative to a cash bonus, entitling Botin ­ whose bank made a net profit of €9.6 bil­ lion last year ­ to obtain the shares at a fixed price over a certain period.

Should the share price rise, Botin could then acquire them at the reduced rate be­ fore selling at a profit. But she could also run the risk of seeing the shares fall below €3.08 and reduce the value of her bonus.

Piece of cake

FINSBURY FOOD GROUP, the speciality bakers behind Mary Berry’s cake range, have posted double­digit sales growth.

The company, which supplies supermarkets and makes cakes, bread, buns and snacks wel­ comed an ‘encouraging’ first­ half performance.

Revenues had increased 15 per cent to £191 million (ap­ proximately €271 million), thanks to higher prices although the group warned of challenges, as profits were hampered by cost inflation.

Operating profit was flat at £6.5 million (€7.4 million) which the group, listed on the Alterna­ tive Investment Market (AIM), ascribed to higher input costs which ate into margins.

What it costs Windfall tax

EACH year the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) produces a report on the cost of raising a child from birth to the age of 18.

In 2022 this amounted to approxi­ mately £150,000 (€170,335) for a couple and £200,000 (€227,2145) for single par­ ents.

“Childcare has become an increasingly large component of this outlay for work­ ing parents who are not fortunate enough to have unpaid family care avail­ able,” the November 2022 report said.

“Rising childcare costs now comprise 60 per cent of the lifetime cost of a child for a couple who work full time, compared to around 40 per cent in 2012.”

A study by Raisin Bank put the cost of caring for a child from birth to adulthood in Spain still higher, requiring €300,000 for healthcare, education, food and clothing.

SPAIN’S energy sector has now paid an upfront €817.4 million on a 1.2 per cent windfall tax on 2022 and 2023’s excess profits.

Banks have also provided another €637.1 million through a 4.8 per cent levy on their net profits over €800 million, announced Finance minister Maria Jesus Mon­ tero on February 20 when 50 per cent of the taxes fell due.

Both of the temporary tax­ es were introduced to com­ pensate for the govern­ ment’s anti­inflationary measures offsetting the cost of living crisis faced by many families.

FINANCE

30 EWN 2 - 8 March 2023

euroweeklynews.com

LONDON - FTSE 100

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MONEY WITH US See our advert on previous page

C LOSING P RICES 27 F EBRUARY

COMPANY 3I Group

PRICE(P)

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

NET VOL

Intermediate Capital

1.402,50

1.406,00

1.391,50

62,38K

Intertek

4.434,0

4.440,0

4.403,0

32,51K

36,14K

ITV

89,52

89,88

88,64

983,88K

PRICE(P) 1.627,00

CHANGE(P) 1.636,50

% CHG. 1.624,50

NET VOL 95,68K

Abrdn

211,02

212,40

210,26

1,31M

Admiral Group

2.216,0

2.218,0

2.198,0

ºCOMPANY

Anglo American

2.916,0

2.993,5

2.916,0

972,01K

J Sainsbury

263,96

264,70

262,90

335,37K

Antofagasta

1.590,50

1.599,50

1.573,00

194,04K

Johnson Matthey

2.170,0

2.182,0

2.166,0

1,39K

Ashtead Group

5.530,0

5.530,0

5.482,0

34,69K

Land Securities

685,40

686,80

681,60

93,71K

1.13485

0.88195

Units per €

US dollar (USD) ........................................1.0589 Japan yen (JPY)........................................143.11 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................0.9896 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4438 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................10.913

Associated British Foods

1.960,0

1.960,5

1.944,0

184,42K

Legal & General

256,00

256,12

253,10

603,82K

AstraZeneca

11.218,0

11.228,0

11.170,0

223,41K

Lloyds Banking

51,84

52,16

51,64

20,72M

Auto Trader Group Plc

603,80

605,00

600,60

129,54K

London Stock Exchange

7.540,0

7.557,8

7.494,0

3,92K

Aviva

442,70

442,80

440,00

503,54K

Melrose Industries

148,00

150,15

146,80

1,58M

B&M European Value Retail SA484,60

484,80

482,40

154,90K

Mondi

1.435,50

1.442,50

1.404,50

245,78K

BAE Systems

913,60

914,20

902,80

1,62M

currenciesdirect.com/moraira • Tel: +34 966 265 072

National Grid

1.069,77

1.072,00

1.062,50

345,05K

THE ABOVE TABLE USES THE CURRENT INTERBANK EXCHANGE RATES, WHICH AREN’T REPRESENTATIVE OF THE RATE WE OFFER

Barclays

171,88

174,40

171,80

4,18M

NatWest Group

282,70

286,00

282,10

1,88M

Barratt Developments

460,70

462,00

458,10

372,68K

Next

6.894,0

6.904,0

6.866,0

21,70K

Berkeley

4.169,0

4.174,0

4.138,0

20,63K

Norilskiy Nikel ADR

9,10

9,10

9,10

0

BHP Group Ltd

2.549,00

2.591,00

2.549,00

142,15K

Ocado

633,00

642,00

628,60

232,02K

BP

553,40

555,80

551,20

4,99M

Persimmon

1.422,5

1.424,5

1.410,0

128,18K

British American Tobacco

3.198,0

3.208,0

3.193,5

260,07K

Phoenix

630,60

631,60

625,40

159,19K

British Land Company

441,70

442,40

439,10

133,35K

Prudential

1.236,00

1.241,00

1.232,50

133,39K

BT Group

138,75

139,35

137,80

2,33M

Reckitt Benckiser

5.808,0

5.812,0

5.770,0

72,85K

Bunzl

3.016,0

3.018,0

2.994,0

62,17K

Relx

2.553,00

2.565,00

2.539,00

401,41K

Burberry Group

2.444,0

2.473,0

2.439,0

265,44K

Rentokil

518,80

519,60

512,40

609,73K

Carnival

811,6

815,0

811,2

112,15K

Rightmove

568,40

569,60

565,40

253,61K

Centrica

104,05

104,05

101,55

2,63M

Rio Tinto PLC

5.752,0

5.853,0

5.728,0

358,63K

Coca Cola HBC AG

2.144,0

2.152,0

2.140,0

55,29K

Rolls-Royce Holdings

140,31

142,32

129,90

57,90M

Compass

1.953,50

1.960,50

1.945,00

189,71K

Sage

756,20

756,20

747,80

104,48K

CRH

3.906,0

3.913,5

3.887,0

101,07K

Samsung Electronics DRC 1.171,00

1.176,00

1.170,50

1,76K

Croda Intl

6.986,0

6.992,0

6.924,0

22,20K

Schroders

492,4

495,2

490,2

938,04K

DCC

4.626,0

4.638,0

4.611,0

12,88K

Scottish Mortgage

703,90

711,20

703,73

403,87K

Diageo

3.612,5

3.625,0

3.600,0

425,28K

Segro

837,80

846,20

833,20

349,32K

DS Smith

333,79

334,20

331,80

399,08K

Severn Trent

2.782,0

2.784,0

2.745,0

53,37K

EasyJet

485,30

495,00

480,50

420,93K

Shell

2.509,0

2.516,0

2.491,0

1,32M

Experian

2.930,0

2.936,5

2.919,1

17,17K

Smith & Nephew

1.231,50

1.236,00

1.224,50

357,59K

Ferguson

11.935,0

11.970,0

11.905,0

14,02K

Smiths Group

1.772,00

1.776,50

1.765,50

40,82K

Flutter Entertainment

13.580,0

13.875,0

13.565,0

54,16K

Spirax-Sarco Engineering 12.110,0

12.120,0

11.945,0

13,69K

Fresnillo

778,40

780,80

771,20

77,05K

SSE

1.781,50

1.795,00

1.765,50

438,21K 91,06K

Glencore

493,65

499,00

491,40

3,94M

St. James’s Place

1.224,00

1.226,00

1.216,50

GSK plc

1.450,00

1.464,50

1.443,00

175,60K

Standard Chartered

767,00

768,20

760,40

1,00M

Halma

2.223,4

2.225,0

2.191,0

47,20K

Taylor Wimpey

122,40

122,55

121,60

293,97K

Hargreaves Lansdown

856,00

857,20

841,20

112,39K

Tesco

248,10

249,70

246,90

2,71M

Hikma Pharma

1.735,50

1.742,50

1.673,00

56,81K

Tui

1.587,60

1.723,00

1.576,80

54,00K

HSBC

633,05

637,10

631,30

263,84K

Unilever

4.197,0

4.213,0

4.191,5

297,32K

IAG

157,53

170,62

155,12

22,85M

United Utilities

1.028,50

1.030,50

1.014,00

594,33K

Imperial Brands

2.055,00

2.057,00

2.037,00

210,40K

Vodafone Group PLC

99,65

99,93

98,72

13,48M

Informa

676,60

677,80

676,00

24,97K

Whitbread

3.129,0

3.133,0

3.100,0

31,33K

InterContinental

5.568,0

5.592,0

5.546,0

87,58K

WPP

1.048,00

1.056,00

1.041,00

386,59K

DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES 27 F EBRUARY

COMPANY 3M American Express Amgen Apple Boeing Caterpillar Chevron Cisco Coca-Cola Dow Goldman Sachs Home Depot Honeywell IBM Intel J&J JPMorgan McDonald’s Merck&Co Microsoft Nike Procter&Gamble Salesforce Inc The Travelers UnitedHealth Verizon Visa A Walgreens Boots Walmart Walt Disney

PRICE 108,91 175,14 237,62 149,40 208,13 237,95 161,93 49,21 60,09 57,19 363,54 299,31 195,02 130,79 25,61 157,73 139,67 266,78 110,59 254,77 119,96 140,05 164,12 185,47 491,69 38,53 221,13 36,21 142,09 101,73

CHANGE 110,29 176,60 237,86 150,34 209,69 240,83 162,84 49,68 60,42 57,72 367,88 299,88 196,04 131,70 26,08 158,59 140,17 267,87 111,24 256,84 120,76 141,14 165,47 187,82 493,33 39,32 222,09 36,50 144,37 102,05

CHANGE% VOLUME(M) 108,01 2,94M 172,85 2,57M 234,75 2,21M 147,24 48,28M 205,76 3,79M 235,60 3,22M 160,56 6,42M 48,55 13,10M 59,81 11,37M 56,33 4,15M 359,61 1,91M 294,62 4,34M 192,58 2,45M 128,86 3,72M 25,32 56,08M 156,67 8,05M 137,94 7,93M 263,96 3,50M 109,10 6,84M 250,48 28,99M 118,55 4,10M 139,10 5,83M 161,57 4,68M 183,08 1,02M 485,87 2,44M 38,52 16,71M 218,93 5,51M 35,94 4,48M 140,71 7,34M 99,61 10,95M M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES 27 F EBRUARY

COMPANY

CHANGE NET / %

VOLUME

+24.57% +22.78% +22.23% +20.55% +20.34% +20.15% +20.00% +16.76% +15.39% +15.24% +15.11%

5.346M 730,472 5.566M 2.21M 2.773M 4.188M 13.195M 4.898M 15.445M 75,000 550,171

-23.05% -16.46% -15.90% -11.92% -11.65% -11.47% -10.42% -9.56% -8.69% -8.45% -8.29%

27.513M 124,550 31.424M 66.383M 3.803M 1.36M 5.186M 4.444M 28.992M 1.16M 26.774M

Most Advanced NeoGenomics, Inc. Rolls-Royce Holdings plc Remitly Global, Inc. TransMedics Group, Inc. Rolls-Royce Holdings plc Lantheus Holdings, Inc. Rolls-Royce Holdings plc ACV Auctions Inc. Permian Resources Corporation News Corporation N-able, Inc.

Most Declined Wayfair Inc. Techtronic Industries Company Limited Unity Software Inc. Lucid Group, Inc. Domino's Pizza, Inc. Stericycle, Inc. Dutch Bros Inc. Five9, Inc. Medical Properties Trust, Inc. Denali Therapeutics Inc. Grab Holdings Limited

32 EWN 2 - 8 March 2023

www.euroweeklynews.com

FINANCE

Currency outlook: US dollar firms in risk-off trade, Pound rocked by fluctuating BoE rate expectations

ASK THE EXPERT Peter Loveday

Contact me at euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com

Euro EUR/GBP: Unchanged at £0.88 EUR/USD: Down from $1.08 to $1.06 Trade in the euro has been erratic over the past month amid a repricing of European Central Bank (ECB) interest rate expectations and concerns over the conflict in Ukraine.

EUR investors were confident going into the ECB’s February policy meeting that the bank would deliver several more hikes this year.

While the bank delivered a 50bps hike and signalled it would pursue another increase of equal size in March, it indicated it’s March hike might be its last for now. Triggering a slump in EUR exchange rates.

The euro was then subsequently pressured by concerns over Russia’s next moves in Ukraine, amid considerable speculation Vladimir Putin would launch a new ground offensive to coincide with the first anniversary of the war.

Coupled with the single currency’s negative correlation with the US dollar this kept the pressure on EUR exchange rates.

Going forward it’s likely that events in Ukraine may continue to dictate movement in the euro.

Any escalation of the conflict is likely to exert more pressure on EUR exchange rates.

STERLING: Heading into February the pound enjoyed relatively robust support.

Pound GBP/EUR: Unchanged at €1.13 GBP/USD: Down from $1.23 to $1.20 Heading into February, the pound enjoyed relatively robust support amid Bank of England (BoE) interest rate speculation.

Sterling then quickly fell from grace at the start of February, with the GBP/EUR exchange rate plunging to a four-month low after the BoE’s first rate decision of the year. While the bank raised rates by 50bps, its dovish signals lead to speculation the BoE might be nearing the end of its hiking cycle.

Trade in the pound was then choppy in the

weeks that followed. Buoying Sterling sentiment were some hawkish comments from BoE policymakers in addition to confirmation the UK narrowly avoided slipping into a recession at the end of 2022.

A softer-than-expected inflation print in January then placed renewed pressure on GBP exchange rates in mid-February. Before a surprisingly strong PMI release helped to revive BoE rate hike bets and catapult the pound higher again.

Looking ahead, it’s likely BoE rate speculation will remain a key catalyst of movement for the pound. If GBP investors grow more confident

the bank will deliver at least two more hikes and Sterling is likely to strengthen.

US Dollar USD/GBP: Up from $0.80 to $0.82 USD/EUR: Up from €0.91 to €0.93 The US dollar traded sideways through the end of January as a prevailing risk-on mood countered a stronger-than-expected US GDP print.

The start of February then saw the US dollar briefly plunge to a nine-month low against the euro after a dovish 25bps interest rate hike from the Federal Reserve.

However, the ‘Greenback’ was quick to find its feet as January’s non-farm payroll release smashed expectations. Coupled with a hotterthan-forecast inflation print these revived expectations for at least two more interest rate hikes from the Fed this year, and underpinned USD demand through the first half of February.

The US dollar then extended these gains in the second half of a month as a stark rise in geopolitical risks bolstered the currency’s safehaven appeal.

The US dollar now looks well positioned to extend these gains into March as the currency is likely to be underpinned by Fed rate hike bets and souring risk appetite.

Visit us at our Spanish offices in Costa del Sol, Costa Almeria, North Costa Blanca and South Costa Blanca.

Telephone UK +44 (0) 207 847 9400 Spain +34 950 478 914 • Email euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com • www.currenciesdirect.com.

On the scent SPAIN is the EU’s second most­affected country re­ garding counterfeit per­ fumes and cosmetics, los­ ing 16 per cent of genuine sales amounting to €1 bil­ lion each year, revealed Spain’s National Perfumer and Cosmetics Association (Stampa). As well as dam­ aging the firms’ reputa­ tions, the fakes also de­ stroyed an annual 8,000 jobs, Stampa said.

Strike off THE Inditex retail cloth­ ing chain has agreed to pay a fixed minimum salary of between €18,000 and €24,500 a year for all employees, the majority of them women, who work in their shops. The wages pact, described as “his­ toric,” arrived only hours before a strike was due to begin.

Her father’s daughter Brexit-hit farmers

Linda Hall JUANA ROIG, the 32-year-old daughter of Mercadona’s owner Juan Roig, heads the supermarket chain’s online division.

Responsible for leading the company’s digital transformation for the last five years, she was recently asked if she ever considered taking over from her father.

Speaking during a podcast for the Barcelona Itnig startups hub, Roig immediately answered no.

She said she hoped that particular moment would be a long time in arriving.

She added that it made sense for an executive to be a family member before declaring that shares, not the post, were inherited. “We’d see who was bestprepared when the time came although we’re not there yet,” she said, echoing her father’s pronouncement that legacies can be bequeathed but not management or jobs.

Juana Roig also dismissed the possibility of floating Mercadona on the stock exchange or selling the chain.

“Right now, it wouldn’t be

Photo credit: Juana Roig, Mercadona

BUSINESS EXTRA

JUANA ROIG: In charge of Mercadona Online.

sold for anything in the world, it’s like my father’s fifth daughter,” she declared.

She admitted that being her parents’ daughter was probably her career’s most relevant achievement, emphasising that it had not been exactly easy.

“Being the boss’s daughter is hard, as it has its good side and its bad side. You wear a label, you know that and you accept it.

Nobody sees the real you,” she said.

MINETTE BATTERS, president of the UK’s National Farmers Union, urged the government to support food producers.

This was the only way that farmers could supply British households and a growing world population, she said.

Batters, who owns a cattle, sheep and arable farm in Wiltshire, said farmers and growers had “an opportunity and a duty” to make the most of Britain’s maritime climate by producing food for consumers at home and abroad.

Farmers, unenthusiastic about the government’s postBrexit subsidies introduced to compensate for the loss of the EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP), were also affected by a chronic labour shortage, Batters said.

Agricultural overheads had risen by nearly 50 per cent since 2019 and this, together with huge cost inflation, could trigger a slump in UK food production, she warned.

Ask uncle for a loan Full nest syndrome

ANYONE looking for a pawnshop can still find one by looking for three golden balls hanging outside.

According to legend, the balls honour St Nicholas who saved three girls from destitution by lending each a bag of gold as a dowry so she could marry. Dowries are no longer a necessity but pawnshops remain and two pawnbrokers, H&T and Ramsden, are quoted on the stock market.

As the cost of living rises, they and others are doing a roaring trade, and not only with those of modest means.

The well-heeled are increasingly pawning Rolex watches, diamonds and fine art in preference to pay-day loans when needing some ready cash, sector insiders said.

THE empty nest syndrome that hits mothers when children leave home no longer affects 20 per cent of British families.

Research by credit card firm Capital One UK found that around one in five parents expect at least one of their adult children to move back as inflation and high rents put a strain on their finances.

Seventy-five per cent of the 2,000 parents taking part in the survey told Capital One that they would welcome their children with open arms if they were struggling financially.

Researchers also learnt that nearly half the participants already had friends whose adult children now lived in the family home again. However happy parents might be to re-accommodate their offspring, the cost could hit them hard.

The average family expected energy and food bills to rise by £272 (€308.8) a month, Capital One found.

34 EWN 2 - 8 March 2023 LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT WHAT a dreadful state the human race now finds itself in. Every week I mentally rumble on through possible subject matter to feature in my weekly blurb and every week I gener­ ally leave all the turmoil behind and revert to some other focus of inter­ est. One of the problems is that world events now seem to proceed at such a pace that we sometimes re­ quire daily publications, simply to keep up. This month has been no ex­ ception.

Delilah, a song, written by pals of mine and loved by millions, is banned because it offends a handful of woke numbskulls. Biden visited the Ukraine. All well and good; if Presi­ dent Roosevelt had offered the same aid to Poland in 1939 Hitler would have been stopped in his tracks. Let’s just hope that China doesn’t decide the time is right to join Russia and go nuclear.

The horrendous earthquakes in Turkey have caused supposed illegal­ ly erected buildings to crumble. Let’s trust those responsible are brought to book and punished accordingly.

euroweeklynews.com

FEATURE

VIEW I’m a poster boy OUR WOMAN POWER

The tragic case of Nicola Bulley has been a terrible strain both on her family and a caring public. I will be in­ terested to hear why the police took so long to find her body in the river and if there is any evidence of assault or criminal intent. Then we come to the heart­ rending murder of Brianna Ghey.

This was the 16­year­old transgen­ der girl, fatally stabbed to death last week. Two 15­year­olds have since been charged with her murder. To me crimes of this intensity are un­ doubtedly instigated by the woke in­ surgents, who are attempting to change the society and culture of the West at such a gangbuster rate that is causing alarm and a whole multitude of misgivings and issues to spread among the heterosexual and white majorities ­ particularly the young.

Over 70 per cent of media adver­ tisements and documentaries now contain non­white actors, who actu­ ally represent only 15 per cent of the population. Ads depict large numbers of mixed marriage and relationships, with many black actors cast in the leading roles of those giving advice

and information to white members of the community. This is more woke indoctrination, promoting minorities, causing more harm than good and creating a rising tide of racist violence and gender antagonism by the day.

Oddly the advertisement which actu­ ally shows the true make­up of British culture is the one which de­ picts the post code lottery. As this takes place among true, non­typecast members of UK neighbourhoods, the winners from all these areas are pre­ dominately white. A true and non­ woke example of what the majority of UK districts truthfully represent.

Just to round off this week, I re­ cently had the oddest occurrence.

LBC, which is of course one of the UK’s biggest radio stations, broadcast a caller who weirdly announced that Leapy Lee had become the ‘poster boy for the anti­woke society’.Yaaay.

And Nicola Sturgeon has finally given up. Yaaay.

Keep the faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com expatradioscotland.

Mon. Fri. 1pm till 4.

Leapy Lee’s opinions are his own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.

ON Thursday, March 8, nations across the world celebrate International Women’s Day. Created in 1977 by the UN as a day to raise awareness of different women’s is­ sues globally, International Women’s Day shows us how far the world has come; and how far it has left to go.

Think of the world just 100 years ago when women couldn’t vote, mothers could­ n’t work, and women couldn’t apply for loans without a male guarantor, or evenly inherit money if there was already a male heir. In short, anything that allowed women to have what we would now consider an ac­ tual life of their own.

There were always exceptions of course (Gentleman Jack, Beatrix Potter) but as well as being generally wealthier to start with (giving them considerably more freedom than many other women), they really were the exception, not the rule.

In the western world at least, freedoms, rights and equalities really are now the rule.

While there is a lot to celebrate in this though, let’s not allow this success to make us forget the same is not true to women ev­ erywhere in the world. And that we can only truly celebrate equality when it actual­ ly applies equally to all women.

euroweeklynews.com

ADAPTIVE YOGA specialist Miranda McCarthy has lived with rheumatoid arthritis since she was two.

“I have experienced chronic pain for a life­ time,” she said recently.

“But yoga shows you how to re­inhabit the body with greater harmony and ease, no matter how painful it might feel,” she explained.

She also recommended beginning the day by rub­ bing the palms of the hands together before getting out of bed each morning.

“It might sound strange but doing this for a minute or two each morn­ ing increases energy lev­ els, helping us to perform with more efficiency,” she said. “It’s a good starting point for anyone who is feeling stiff or struggling with mobility.”

Not so dangerous

SMOKED SALMON’S omega­ 3, selenium, and Vitamins A and D all boost the immune system, especially in women.

The bacteria is easily de­ stroyed through cooking, ex­ plaining why many of the lis­ teriosis food poisoning cases reported involved ready­pre­ pared food and smoked fish.

As a rule, listeriosis is rela­ tively benign with mild symp­ toms of diarrhoea and nau­ sea. But in people with weakened immune systems, the bacteria can spread from the intestines into the blood­

SMOKED SALMON: Boosts the immune system.

stream, causing potentially life­threatening conditions that include sepsis and meningitis. Over­65s are re­ garded as being at greatest risk from listeriosis, which is

regarded as particularly dan­ gerous for the over­80s.

Health professionals also pointed out that listeriosis is unusual in healthy people, in­ cluding the over­65s.

Sleepless nights INSOMNIA affects one in three Britons and most are women, although comparatively little research and few trials have concen­ trated on why they are more affected than men.

Sleep expert Dr Lindsay Brown attribut­ ed this lack of interest to the common ­ and traditional ­ assumption that female insom­

nia is a ‘woman’s problem’ linked to hor­ monal fluctuations caused by menstrua­ tion, pregnancy and menopause.

“There’s a catastrophic lack of knowl­ edge about women’s health as a whole, and this is just one more life­altering con­ cern that’s been left on the side­lines,” Dr Brown said.

By Clinica Britannia

Help in choosing a new Dentist

OUR DENTAL TEAM: Treatment at a realistic and affordable price.

LOOKING for a new dentist or just want a second opinion, then why not visit our Den­ tal Team at Clinica Britannia. When choosing a dentist, it is important to take various things into consideration, one important thing being can they offer advanced dental treatment at a realistic and affordable price.

Our dental professionals invite you for a first free consultation to assess and then fully explain exactly what treatment is necessary so you can understand and feel at ease during it. The quality of the materials used are of the highest standard and a guarantee is offered

on work carried out. At Clinica Britannia we al­ so have a 24­hour emergency number to help put your mind at rest just in case you need it in the future.

We have onsite an Orthopantomography, an X­ray scan that gives a panoramic view of the lower face. It displays all the teeth on both jaws, including those that have not erupted yet, such as wisdom teeth. It also offers a view of the jawbone and the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which connects the jaw to the rest of the skull. This can be crucial to detecting major oral health issues.

Contact us now to book your Dental Check­up, we will have you smiling confidently in no time at all.

EWN 35

It’s a pain being ill Photo credit: Pexels/Karolina Grabowska

Get started

2 - 8 March 2023

Photo credit: PublicDomainPictures

NEWS

GENDER GAP: Women’s pain taken less seriously than men’s

THE Gender Pain Gap not only exists, but is a com­ mon problem.

A UK study of more than 5,000 men and women aged between 18 and 65 regarding their ex­ periences and percep­ tions of pain found a no­ ticeable disparity.

Fifty per cent of the women taking part in the survey reported lack of support from GPs when trying to get help for pain, compared to only 36 per cent of men, ac­

cording to the Gender Pain Gap Index Report published by painkillers manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser.

Sixty­three per cent of the women said that they believed men’s pain was taken more seriously ow­ ing to ‘gender discrimina­ tion’ by healthcare pro­ fessionals. A further 56 per cent said they felt they were ignored or merely dismissed as ‘emotional’ compared with 49 per cent of men.

36 EWN 2 - 8 March 2023

euroweeklynews.com

Express Repair Service AT Clinica Britannia we are happy to offer our existing and new patients an Ex­ press Service for the repair of any type of dental pros­ thesis (denture) within as little as one hour, due to our onsite laboratory and technicians.

If you already have ex­ isting dentures and want them to look like new again, then why not have them cleaned and pol­ ished, we can make that happen whilst you wait.

Did you know that a completely new set of dentures can now be made within four days, allowing you to enjoy your NEW smile within record time, you could even have them made without interrupting

DENTURES: Have them cleaned and polished.

your vacation.

Now available is a new flexible denture, which is made of a material known as nylon. This se­ mi­flexible high­quality material is almost trans­ parent and can be made to mimic the natural colour of the gums, giving a completely natural look.

Thanks to the techno­ logical advances in the

world of dentistry, the materials used for the creation of dental pros­ theses has improved im­ mensely, making them last longer, much more comfortable and easier to use.

For further information contact our Dental Team at Clinica Britannia who will be happy to answer all your questions.

Appointments Landline: 965 837 553 / 965 837 851 • 24H/365D Emergency Number: (+34) 607 255 755 • Opening Times: Mon - Fri: 9:00am / 5:00pm

Clinica Britannia Calpe Av. Ejercitos Españoles 16 BIS, 1st Floor, Calpe

Work out with weights

AS women’s bones lose their density, the best way to pro­ tect them is by retaining mus­ cle mass.

Building strength in middle age contributes to defining the shape of your old age and a good way to do this is with weights, trainers say.

For absolute beginners who haven’t worked out for some time, low­resis­ tance body­weight exer­ cises like walking or danc­ ing are a good start.

This prepares muscles for the change in routine. Then, when you first pick up a weight, start light and level up as you become more comfort­ able.

Give senna a miss BLOGGERS and influencers claim that detox teas can help to lose weight, achieve a flatter tummy and banish bloating. Many contain senna, a natural laxative which should be avoided, warned Dr Gunter Kuhnle, Professor of Nutrition and Food Sci­ ence at Reading University.

Using laxatives was po­ tentially dangerous, lead­ ing to constipation and an increased risk of colorectal cancer, he said. “There is no need for ‘detox’ as the body is fairly capable of do­ ing this alone.”

Creative women A STUDY published in Fron­ tiers in Psychology involved 72 women completing vari­ ous tasks.

In one, they were asked to list as many uses as possible for an everyday object. In an­ other they were shown three words and asked to produce a fourth word relat­ ed to them.

After the women’s ideas were scored by four inde­ pendent evaluators, the re­ sults showed that they dis­ played most originality during the ovulatory phase, suggesting this could be when females are at their most creative.

Photo credit: Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio

By Clinica Britannia

HEALTH & BEAUTY

WEIGHT TRAINING: Protects women’s bones by retaining muscle mass.

Fat load of good HEALTH experts increas­ ingly question whether a low­fat diet benefits ev­ eryone.

By the 1980s doctors, di­ etitians and even the food industry regarded fats as the villain of the piece, al­ though according to Dr Vi­ jaya Surampudi, assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of California, not all fats are bad.

Certain types including saturated and trans­fats, can increase the risk of heart disease or stroke but

healthy fats found in olive and other plant oils, actual­ ly help reduce the risk, he said.

5.5 years is the average amount of years that women live longer than men.

A wee problem

IN 2015, a German court recognised a man’s right to urinate while standing.

In a country where men are now encouraged to sit while peeing, his landlord wanted economic compensation for urine damage to the marble bathroom floor.

Despite lacking reliable data for the UK, an informal poll re­ vealed that about 70 per cent of men still stand.

Urologists explained that there are many advantages to sit­ ting, and not only to men’s partners who have to clean the bathroom.

“The bladder empties faster and for men with lower urinary tract symptoms the sitting position is preferable to standing,” they maintain.

STANDING ROOM ONLY: Men are encouraged to sit.

38 EWN 2 - 8 March 2023

euroweeklynews.com

We all need a helping hand THE British Benevolent Fund was founded over a century ago with the aim of providing assistance to those British na­ tionals in Spain who face se­ vere financial issues.

We work with the UK con­ sular network and many charity partners from www.supportin spain.info/ across the country in order to do this.

The issue of Brexit is a real one for many people who al­ though have lived in Spain years did not for whatever reason complete the paperwork to be considered officially resident under the terms of the UK with­ drawal from the EU. For elderly and vulnerable people requiring medical treat­ ment in Spain from the public health system this can be an acute issue.

For those unable to afford private health schemes the payment for medical treatment can be an enormous and, in some cases, insurmountable amount.

Last year we were ap­ proached by one of our part­ ners to help a British lady who

Olaf Clayton of BBF.

had been living off a small pen­ sion and found that post Brexit she was no longer eligible for Spanish health and state bene­ fits as she had not registered as a resident by the deadline.

As she was facing several se­ rious health issues which need­ ed treatment this was an acute issue that needed resolving.

We were being asked to pay for her medical treatment which was a considerable sum as well as being an ongoing one and it was necessary that she had her paperwork in order or face the difficult decision of repatriation to the UK. Thankfully we were able to provide some initial sums for her medication whilst her pa­ perwork was being done .

Even so it was not a straight­ forward process ­ even to get an appointment let alone the

considerable documentation that was required now that the deadline had passed.

However, working with the partner charity we were able to provide a grant for her medical expenses and she was then for­ tunate to be able to access the Spanish public health system.

Please visit our website www.britishbenevolentfund.or g or email olaf.clayton@british benevolentfund.org for further information.

FEATURE/LETTERS

DEBBIE JAMES

WHAT an inspiration to women and young girls, pursuing her passion and making it her life’s work. It is so easy these days to go down the route of a normal job. There is one thing that doesn’t get enough attention to it, and it is the arts. If you have a passion, hobbies and think it could be something, do it. You don’t know where you could end up. You could be like Debbie and have a fantastic career and create a spectacular community. I hope I’ll be able to go to one of the workshops she was talking about some day. Thank you, Debbie, if you’re reading this, you have inspired me to pick up my paintbrushes after so long and I have just bought your book, I can’t wait to read it.

Victoria, Arboleas

Thinking of Estela IT is such a tragic thing when you hear about people getting into accidents, Estela was going to be one of the greats and you can tell. It is so awful when this happens, it makes you think about everything and just how lucky you must be and feel to be able to get up in the morning. After reading the story I felt an over­ whelming sense of I need to get up and enjoy my day because she would only love to be here to do that. Such a young woman too. I am only sending best wishes and strength to her family and the cycling community.

Emily, UK

Dear Leapy YOU’D certainly get my vote. A brilliant Mani­ festo, especially about the ‘Asylum seekers’.

Don’t reply because I’m not online, sending this by mail boxes email.

Regards Marcia van der Wal, Altea MY husband and I are absolutely with you and love your manifesto.

Little worried about overseas aid as, if we don’t, then the Chinese or the Russians will.

But otherwise fabulous.

Go on, go for it.

Love love love.

Jeff and Jane

Judi Dench IT is sad to hear that Judi Dench is no longer able to read her scripts due to her failing eyesight, but I find that with her expertise, charm and quick wit that Judi might not have needed a script anyway. She is a strong and powerful woman and the fact that she has said that she isn’t thinking of giving up acting anytime is just what we need to hear. Imagine being 88 and as fit and as amazing as she is, going to the Os­ cars, filming movies, my favourites must be

the Bond films and her role in Philomena, well it was just so heartwarming and break­ ing. The fact that she can play so many characters and wear so many ‘hats’ is stu­ pendous, she has worked in the film indus­ try for a very long time and even on stage in shows!

Saddened, Benidorm

Bee stings I THINK some people just don’t know what to be at these days. The fact that Gwyneth Paltrow has said that bees’ stings are natural Botox, I don’t know what to believe. Ladies, gents or anyone who thinks they need any of these enhancers or take awayers just re­ member that you are beautiful inside and out. I can understand that it can increase confidence and that you can feel better about yourself but your little quirks, the smile lines are what show that you have had a fantastic and happy life, that you have character and something special too. Do as you please, but think about what you do and where you get it done, I have seen too many of those botched programmes and I hope that nobody ever experiences that.

Alexandra, Fuengirola

Hip fractures LINDA if I had known that I think I would have had some better luck and I would have drunk more tea! If anyone doesn’t know what I am talking about apparently more protein and tea, or coffee could reduce hip fractures in women. So, if you don’t drink tea, get drinking it now! The pain of a hip fracture is something you should take seri­ ously, and I am telling you now, it is no joke.

From here on out I’ll be making sure the girls and granddaughters are drinking more tea and coffee. I am so glad to hear about this and if you have any more tips, keep them coming! If we can avoid more things like that with something so simple, then I’ll be getting all the tea bags I can get.

Vanessa, Almeria

Leapy laws I HAVE just read your manifesto ... I agree 100 per cent with the laws you would like to introduce to England. I feel sure if you could send this as a questionnaire to every adult in England, the majority would tick yes to each ruling.And to those who dis­ agreed they could return to their original homeland. I wish you every succes.

Although we have lived in Spain for some 22 years and would never wish to return to England, we still keep up with how life is for family and friends back there.

Regards Wanda

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51

euroweeklynews.com THERE are many ways of pro­ viding water in the garden, but the simplest way is a bird bath. This is essentially a dish of water, the aesthetic aspects are there to please us, not the birds!

A good bird bath has a sim­ ple, sturdy construction, but is light enough to make it easy to clean and refill.

The location of your garden and the type of vegetation im­ mediately around it will deter­ mine what birds will visit your bird bath, and in what num­ bers. Siting of the bath is very important as birds will only use it if they feel safe.

Birds get excited and preoc­ cupied with bathing, and tend to be more vulnerable than at other times.

HOROSCOPES/LIFESTYLE

Bird baths

Image: scooperdigital / Shutterstock.com

42 EWN 2 - 8 March 2023

Providing water.

Make sure birds have clear visibility as they bathe, with bushes or trees nearby to pro­ vide cover if alarmed, and perches to use when preen­ ing.

Ensure cats cannot use the cover to attack bathing birds.

You can do this by placing a thick layer of clippings from thorny vegetation, such as rose or pyracantha, beneath the bushes.

Try placing the bath at dif­ ferent points around the gar­ den to find the best site.

Community woodland

THE National Trust is putting down the roots of its first major community woodland, with 90,000 trees due to be planted over the next three years.

The conservation charity aims to create a 120­ hectare future­proof woodland at Wembury Bar­ ton Farm on the stunning south Devon coast which is equivalent in size to 168 football pitches.

This will not only become a haven for wildlife but also for individuals and the wider community around Plymouth. With tree planting now under way, the existing 36 hectares of woodland at A CONSCIENTIOUS lifestyle is an important step in coun­ teracting the consequences of global warming.

This also includes promot­ ing the diversity of plant life.

Plants filter pollutants out of the air, the biomass of a single, mature, medium­ sized tree, for example, stores up to 500 kilograms of carbon dioxide.

Plants cool down heated large cities and provide food and shelter for numerous an­ imals. In the garden, there is an immense variety of flow­ ering perennials, hedge plants, trees and shrubs.

According to Gardena: “It inspires, makes happy and excites because plants are ca­ resses for the soul.”

Factors such as the loss of green spaces, monocultures or environmental pollution are putting the diversity of animal and plant life in dis­ tress. That's why the topic of biodiversity is more topical than ever.

What exactly does the word mean? Simply put, Gar­ dena says: “If there are as

Wembury will be expanded by 84 more hectares of new planting over the coming years, forming a rich mosaic of woodland and wood pasture.

Nearly four kilometres of new hedgerow and banks will also be planted. The area will also se­ quester a significant amount of carbon as the trees mature.

A wide range of people will be able to access and enjoy this woodland on a network of new multi­user and other paths, bringing them closer to nature and helping to improve both mental and physical well­being.

Important step

many different species of plants, animals and organ­ isms as possible in the world, nature is at its most bal­

anced. But natural habitats are fading, and the number of species is declining sharply worldwide.”

Feeding the birds HELPING garden birds can be as rewarding for you as it is for them. By using bird tables and hanging feeders, you can bring wild birds right up to your window.

Here’s what to feed them so you can enjoy having birds in your garden all year round. These feathery friends love to tuck into seeds, grains and peanuts. With peanuts it is best to buy from a reputable feed shop to ensure they’re fresh, unsalted and suitable for birds.

To protect chicks from being fed whole nuts and chok­ ing, provide peanuts in good quality mesh feeders.

Birds also like to tuck into cooked pasta, rice and boiled potatoes. They are also partial to cheese, raisins and sul­ tanas.

Apples, pears and soft fruits are popular and are a great autumn food as are insects such as mealworms or wax­ worms.

Fresh, clean water is essential for birds, so keep water bowls full of clean water and make sure you place bowls and feeders far away from bushes and other areas where predators might hide.

FEATURE

euroweeklynews.com

2 - 8 March 2023

EWN 43

I JUST WANT TO SPEAK TO A HUMAN! NORA JOHNSON BREAKING VIEWS

Nora is the author of popular psychological suspense and crime thrillers and a freelance journalist.

THERE are so many things wrong in the UK currently that it is practically impossi­ ble to get numbers down to even a top 10. Whenever back in the country, how­ ever, one of my almost daily frustrations is attempting to speak to a human in any organisation via any medium.

Some have removed phone contact, others email addresses and even chat messages (although that point may not be a bad thing with banks, with which you ‘live chat’ only to discover that the agent is actually dealing with some 300 ‘chatters’ and may get back to you tomor­ row). And why are so many actual staff still working from home, especially gov­ ernment agencies like HMRC, DVLA etc?

Question: Why is it so difficult to speak to a human in wealthy, successful organi­ sations?

Answer: Because they become success­ ful initially by being small, flexible and customer­focused. Then they trade on that reputation to grow to a size where

Nora’s latest thriller.

they’re bought out by MegaGlobalCorp Inc, who keep those direct debits rolling over whilst sacking everyone and closing down most of the back­office operation.

Customer service will be an irrelevance,

and if they spend any money at all it will be on daft advertising campaigns.

And speaking to a human is almost as difficult as getting to see a GP in the UK. At the age of 101, my mother had to see her doctor for a check­up. At the end of the consultation he decided to check for Alzheimer’s, asking her if she knew the date. She promptly responded with the correct day, date, month and year which elicited the response ‘brilliant’. “No it isnt,” she replied. “You have a large cal­ endar on the wall behind you.” There were no further questions.

A friend’s mother, at 86, gave a similar response. She was then asked who was the Prime Minister, and was gleefully able to respond correctly: “I’ve just been watching news about him on TV!” Yet another mother, when asked for her birthday: “22nd March.” Doctor: “What year?” Mother: “Every bloody year!”

And talking of nannying, Bill Giles, re­ tired MET forecaster, accused his succes­ sors of behaving like nannies for issuing so many storm alerts, saying that the pub­ lic would soon become immune to them.

Let’s take a quick look at the evidence: October 15, 1987

Michael Fish denied that a hurricane was on its way just before it arrived in the worst storm for three centuries killing 18 people.

May 25, 2009 The Met Office warned of “a threat of showers and thunderstorms” on Bank Holiday Monday. It turned out to be the hottest day of the year up to then. Re­ sorts lost millions in revenue because visi­ tors were put off by the forecast.

April 30, 2009 The Met Office predicted a ‘barbe­ cue’summer with temperatures exceed­ ing 30C. It rained on 42 summer days and was the wettest July on record.

November 2014 The Met Office reassured councils and the Environment Agency they should ex­ pect a ‘drier than usual’ winter. It would be the wettest winter since records began in 1914 and some of the most severe flooding Britain had seen in decades.

Lordy, another lie down needed!

Nora Johnson’s 11 critically acclaimed psychological crime thrillers (www.nora­ johnson.net) all available online including eBooks (€0.99; £0.99), Apple Books, au­ diobooks, paperbacks at Amazon etc.

Profits to Cudeca cancer charity.

Nora Johnson’s opinions are her own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.

Moving & retiring to Spain?

CONSULAR MATTERS SPAIN is a country with one of the most at­ tractive lifestyles and climates. The health­ care system, quality of life and culture makes living in Spain one of the best places to live at any time in your life. Spain as a member of the EU offers safety and securi­ ty to its citizens.

Spain also could be the perfect location for setting up your own business. Spain of­ fers you a huge range of opportunities from being a café owner or tradesperson serving other expats and holidaymakers or starting a new online venture.

It can be a wonderful experience to head to Spain for a healthier way of life or any other of the great reasons for making Spain the best place for you to live and work. Whether you are moving here for a career opportunity, working from home, planning for your retirement or you are simply looking for a change, Spain is a great choice.

Following Brexit the UK is now consid­

ered as a third country so you need a visa to live and/or work here.

At last we now have the Digital Nomad Visa that allows you to work remotely from Spain which makes it much easier to get a residence permit if you comply with the legal requirements.

Of course, we still have the work permit (as an employee and as self­employed), the non­lucrative visa, the Golden Visa and the student visa amongst others.

Your options depend on your personal and financial situation, so always take ad­ vice from a lawyer here in Spain, lawyers are qualified, regulated professionals. Al­ ways ask for their bar registration number.

On the coast you will find advisers, con­ sultants and experts ,but you should put your legal matters in hands of profession­ als with the right expertise to help you.

Your peace of mind and your future life de­ serve it. Of course you can make a visa ap­ plication without a lawyer.

For more from our columnists please scan this QR Code

Marisa Moreno Castillo Consul for Denmark and Senior Lawyer at Just Law Solicitors. www.justlawsolicitors.com • contact@justlawsolicitors.com

Prohibition Era LINDA HALL

YOU’D need to be well advanced in years to remember the ‘You’ve come a long way, baby’ advertisements.

They appeared in American maga­ zines which, when I first lived here, were a welcome change from Woman and Woman’s Own and light years away from Teresa ­ published by the Movimiento, the only permitted po­ litical movement at that time ­ or pi­ ous Telva. The US adverts featured Virginia Slims, marketed exclusively for women, although in Spain women hadn’t even begun, let alone come a long way.

Females, ‘nice’ females, didn’t smoke although I did. They most cer­ tainly did not smoke in the street which, again, I did, although decades later I look askance at women smok­ ing in the street. To be fair I also look askance at men who smoke in the street too, as no­one is more intoler­ ant than somebody who has kicked a 60­a­day Ducados habit.

In the late 60s there were so many things that a young woman didn’t do.

For instance, when lunching or dining out you didn’t directly address the waiter, but told your (male) compan­ ion what you wanted, who relayed your choice. And you never, never paid.

It was frowned upon for a young mother to carry a baby on her hip: “That’s what gypsies do,” my ap­ palled mother­in­law told me, al­ though I continued doing so for con­ venience’s sake in the days before baby slings.

You didn’t raise your voice in public and the last thing you could do was to cry.

“Why?” I wanted to know.

“If you ever see a woman crying in public, it’s because her husband beats her,” my own husband explained. “It looks bad,” he added vaguely.

It wasn’t hard to see the logic, al­ though neither was it hard to per­ ceive that it was the beater, not the beaten who looked bad, laying the blame unfairly but traditionally on the woman.

Spain has come a long way since then and is much further on than that. I hope.

44 EWN 2 - 8 March 2023

euroweeklynews.com

FEATURE

WE MUST BE JOKING

DAVID WORBOYS THINKING ALOUD BEFORE the laws of political cor­ rectness, we told jokes. Many were profane. They could be sacri­ legious, obscene, racist or down­ right sick. Some of these I found funny while at school and shortly after, but no longer do. Others are still funny but not very pleasant.

Looking back I chortle or snigger at the clever ones, many of them two­liners. But it is a long time since I heard anybody tell a joke. Is it because we stop telling them as we age or is it that we no longer have the same sense of humour?

We need to laugh. We must be joking.

It is difficult to imagine any ‘snowflake’ being offended by this: Customer: “Fish and chips twice, please.” Waiter: “I heard you the first time.” Or the Sunday night weather forecast: “Tomor­ row will be muggy, followed by “Tuegy, Weggy, Thurgy ….”

Maybe such jokes turn up on so­ cial media, but I very much doubt it.

Photo Credits: bbc and Kremlin.ru

The quality of comedy and humour is compromised by obsessive yielding to sensitivities. We need to laugh.

On the other hand, many peo­ ple today would be outraged by this: Customer: “I’ll have the pis­ soles and chips.” Waiter: “Sorry?”

Customer shows waiter the menu: “Here; pissoles and chips!”

“That’s not a P, it’s an R.” “Okay, then; arseholes and chips.” And yet the F­word is used as fre­ quently on television today as the word ‘never’.

In the past, comedy shows com­ monly raised their laughs by the

way the lines were spoken. In many cases, as long as a poor ‘joke’ was delivered in a Cockney or northern accent, audiences would howl with (canned?) laugh­ ter. Today, it seems that a gay ac­ cent has the same effect.

More recent popular television comedies included ‘Mrs Brown’s Boys’ while today’s most popular comedian seems to be Michael McIntyre. I rest my case.

On the other hand there used

to be many very funny and very clever comedians and comedy sketches. From the respectable Two Ronnies and the saucy Benny Hill to Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, and from Monty Python to Spitting Image and the situation comedy of Fawlty Towers, they were very amusing. And we had unique stand­up comedians rang­ ing from Bob Monkhouse to Les Dawson and from Spike Milligan to Jasper Carrott. And we should

not overlook the scriptwriters.

Today, comedians are treading on eggshells. It’s not only the more risqué that need to be care­ ful, but the inoffensive as well.

This is because there are so many sensitive groups who object to the mildest hint of criticism or discrim­ ination. Is this why they are no longer so funny? Or is it me?

Recently, a sitcom from the 70s ‘Rising Damp’ may be edited to be rerun for modern audiences on the grounds of racial slurs. Like­ wise a proposed resuscitation of Fawlty Towers is to be scrutinised for gratuitous violence (against Manuel)!

If shown again unedited, it would be an interesting test of how far we have come ­ up or down ­ since the 70s.

For more from our columnists please scan this QR Code

David Worboys’s opinions are his own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.

HEDGEHOGS are one of Britain’s most recognisable and well­loved wild animals.

The European hedgehog is one of around 16 different species found throughout the world.

Hedgehogs are widespread throughout England and Wales. They live in a range of habitats such as farmland, woodland and urban areas, where they’re a favourite with gardeners. Individual hedge­ hogs can travel as far as one or two miles in one night!

Hoglets are born blind and deaf, and their spines are pure white when they first appear soon after birth. They’ll start leaving the nest to forage with their mother around four

Happy Hedgehogs

Division bells SALLY UNDERWOOD

Well-loved animals.

Image: supakrit tirayasupasin / Shutterstock.com

weeks old and will be indepen­ dent by about eight weeks old.

Hibernation usually takes place between November and mid­March. The exact timings will depend on the weather and in mild years, hedgehogs have been active as late as De­ cember.

Hedgehogs will often wake

BALCONIES, terraces, and front and backyard gardens have one thing in common: space is scarce. Therefore, instead of large trees, low­ maintenance plants that cope well with con­ fined spaces can be used.

To make it bloom richly in the dream garden, plant selection is based on factors such as soil conditions, location, amount of rainfall and the number of hours of sunlight that the plants re­ ceive.

On a shady north­facing balcony, plants that are sun­worshippers will weaken. The same is true if ferns, ivy or funkias are to grow in a south­ facing bed.

up from hibernation and for­ age for food or move their nest site at least once, before they go back to sleep.

The nest they build to hiber­ nate in is called a hibernacu­ lum, which helps to keep them warm when their body tem­ perature drops during hiberna­ tion.

Balcony gardens In concrete terms, this means that plant selec­ tion depends on how much sunlight the balcony or garden receives and its climatic region.

The structure of the soil ­ loamy or more sandy ­ and its pH are also decisive factors.

In addition, there is water. While bamboo has a high moisture requirement, evening primrose and oxeye like it rather dry.

It is therefore important to combine plants with similar water requirements and to irrigate according to the requirements in a resource­sav­ ing way.

POLITICAL ANIMAL IT seems appropriate that in Parliament the alarm that goes off when a vote is called in the House of Commons is named the ‘division bell’.

From slanging matches at Prime Minis­ ters Questions to battles on Question Time, we know that politicians are normal­ ly divided on… well pretty much every­ thing.

What we’re not so used to though is the public being quite so politically at odds with itself.

From old to young, rich to poor, Brexi­ teers to remainers, and pro to anti vaxxers (and don’t even get us started on the immi­ gration issue), I can genuinely say I’ve never seen us this… divided.

Apart from being simply wearing though, history tells us that internal fight­ ing is an ultimately fruitless task.

Surely then the answer is something we can all get behind. A new national holiday (I suggest something both heartwarming

and totally uncontroversial; ‘Hug a grand­ ma day’ or similar), or a particularly good Richard Curtis film.

In seriousness though, while we are all so busy pointing fingers at each other we’re less likely to be focusing on what we could all be doing to fix, well almost everything.

Perhaps that’s because it’s far easier to tear down than it is to build, and at least criticism makes us feel like we’re doing something in an increasingly chaotic world.

While we’re busy fighting each other too though, we’re also less aware of the bigger issues.

And when we’re refusing to listen to each other properly we’re less likely to share the ideas and discoveries that trans­ form our worlds.

After all, if Alexander Fleming had left pencillin in the petri dish exactly where he’d found it ­ only occasionally syphoning some off for personal use ­ where would we be now?

If the result of embracing each other’s view points and ideas then has the poten­ tial to genuinely make the world a better place, roll on the next Richard Curtis rom com.

Sallys opinions are her own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.

euroweeklynews.com

Helping rural economies CAMPERS and caravanners increase their contribution to rural economies, accord­ ing to the UK Caravan and Motorhome Club.

Despite the continuing cost of living crisis, Caravan and Motorhome Club mem­ bers are still intending to make the most of their holi­ days and spend in local economies in 2023.

Over 80 per cent of re­ spondents in a recent survey said they intend to eat and drink out whilst on their UK touring holiday this year and over 90 per cent said they will buy food shopping local­ ly.

A further 60 per cent said they would be purchasing takeaways and food from

local restaurants whilst on their holiday.

According to the recent Centre of Economics and Business Research (CEBR) re­ port commissioned by the Caravan and Motorhome Club, owners of leisure vehi­ cles feel more in control of the cost of their holiday and whilst they are saving on ac­ commodation, they are like­ ly to spend money on shop­ ping, eating out, visitor attractions, etc.

Owners of leisure vehicles also tend to stay away for slightly longer, increasing lo­ cal spending. The CEBR re­ port shows that motorhome owners’ average holiday length is nearly a whole day extra at 8.5 nights.

Image: anatoliy_gleb / Shutterstock.com

Campers buy food locally.

Hi de hi campers

Happy camping.

CAMPERS are planning longer holidays this sum­ mer, spending more nights under the stars for breaks booked between June and September.

Since 2019 the Camping and Caravanning Club has reported an increase in the average length of stay for summer stays on its nearly 100 Club Sites across the UK, as campers look to switch off and reconnect.

It appears the trend is set to continue in 2023.

The open door CASSANDRA NASH SPAIN’S government has 23 ministers and 14 of them are women, successors to Federica Montseny, Spain’s first female minister and one of the first in Europe.

Montseny was born in Madrid in 1905 although her parents, both teachers and both anarchists, were Catalan by birth.

She was initially home­schooled but studied Philosophy and Literature at Barcelona University where she joined the National Confederation of Labour (CNT) and wrote for anarchist publica­ tions.

The Republican Prime Minister, Fran­ cisco Largo Caballero offered Montseny the Ministry of Health and Social Assis­ tance in November 1936, four months af­ ter Franco’s uprising had precipitated the Civil War. She remained there until May 1937 when she resigned in protest at the gov­ ernment’s treatment of anarchists in Barcelona. During that time she intro­ duced a short­lived Abortion Law and opened centres where prostitutes found accommodation and training to help them seek alternative employment.

2 - 8 March 2023

Image: Anetlanda / Shutterstock.com

CAMPING/FEATURE

Montseny and her family fled to France in February 1939 when the Civil War was all but lost. She died in Toulouse in January 1994 and one of her daugh­ ters, Vida, later said ­ not without bitter­ ness ­ that Federica had turned her back on the role of wife and mother to devote herself to politics and the rights of wom­ en.

Forty­five years were to pass before Spain had another female minister, when Soledad Becerril was Minister of Culture in Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo’s Union de Cen­ tro Democratico (UCD) government from December 1981 until December 1982.

In all there have been 61 female minis­ ters since the Transition to democracy on Franco’s death in 1975.

The majority of Montseny and Becer­ ril’s successors have belonged ­ or belong ­ to the PSOE socialist party and the con­ servative Partido Popular.

There have also been Independent ministers affiliated to no party at all, two from Podemos and one from Spain’s PCE communist party.

What Federica Montseny would have made of her successors and their policies is beside the point. She was there first and she held the door open for them.

Camping is officially the home to happier holidays according to the Outjoy­ ment Report, which was commissioned by the Club and carried out by Liverpool John Moores University and Sheffield Hallam University.

The report confirmed that “campers are 23 per cent less anxious than non­ campers, with 97 per cent saying happiness is their top motivator for going camp­ ing, caravanning or motor­ homing.”

“It appears that pitching up on a campsite this sum­ mer will have measurably positive effects on our health and well­being.”

Nicola Simpson, the Club’s Director of Communi­ cations, said: “Even though we are seeing booking pat­ terns normalising more compared to the last three years, our membership lev­ els are still holding up really well and we have some 750,000 members of the Club.”

EWN 45

Caravan challenge

HARDCORE caravanning fans will know the Bailey of Bristol Sahara Challenge is set to be­ gin in March.

The challenge is a 19­day, 2,735­mile intercontinental road trip using two Bailey cara­ vans and a motorhome.

The Sahara Challenge aims to inspire caravan and mo­ torhome owners to explore new countries and demon­ strate that owning one means you can have holidays in many locations across the globe.

The ‘Sahara Challenge’ will start at ‘World’s End’ in south­ west Portugal across the Strait of Gibraltar into Morocco over the Atlas Mountains and as far south as the edge of the Sahara Desert before returning home.

The Sahara Challenge will take 19 days to complete with the team experiencing a wide range of road and weather con­ ditions en route.

As they travel towards the Sahara the team will post regu­ lar blogs/vlogs and social media updates using the hashtag #Sa­ haraChallenge.

46 EWN 2 - 8 March 2023

euroweeklynews.com

Hidey holes THERE are lots of reasons why a cat might hide. Cats hide to feel safe, and in order to protect them­ selves from things they perceive as dangerous or

stressful so it’s important to find out the reasons why your cat is hiding.

Cats as a species are self­reliant, so when faced with a difficult situation

your cat would naturally prefer to avoid it rather than charge in and fight.

Your cat will hide when there is something, or someone, nearby that is

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PETS

Advertising Feature

Image: Koldunov Alexey

PEEK-A-BOO: Cats like to hide.

causing them concern.

They may be frightened or just wary about some­ thing unfamiliar and might want to keep out of the way, just in case.

If you leave them to it you will usually find that they will come out of hid­ ing once they have re­ alised that whatever it was they were frightened of isn’t actually scary at all.

Hiding places are one of your cat’s basic needs.

Providing a selection of possible options, such as some open cupboard doors, areas under beds, cardboard boxes and gaps behind sofas will give your cat a choice of places to go when they feel like hiding.

Brain tumour in dogs and cats CANCER that affects the brain is not uncommon in old dogs and cats. The problem of the need for ad­ vanced diagnostic imaging techniques such as High Field Magnetic Resonance (MRI) to detect a tu­ mour in the brain means that it is often not diag­ nosed. Although it occurs more frequently in ad­ vanced ages, there are breeds in which it occurs in young dogs, such as the Boxer and Boston Terrier.

The diagnosis of a brain tumour involves a coor­ dinated effort between the vet who usually cares for the patient, the neurologist, the radiologist, the oncologist and the surgeon. Given this situa­ tion, it is necessary to advise the owners of the af­ fected pets in the best way.

Signs of brain tumours are: seizures, abnormal behaviour, loss of vision, head tilt, wobbly gait, etc.

They vary widely in their degree of malignancy hence the importance of advanced diagnostic techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging or, failing that, Computerised Tomography (CT).

There are three ways of treating brain tumours: neurosurgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy.

In Costablanca Norte: Anicura Marina Baixa Hospital Veterinario www.veterinariamarinabaixa.com

Crufts TV takeover DOG lovers will be treated to a record­breaking 16 hours and 30 minutes of Crufts coverage as the world’s greatest dog show returns to Channel 4 and More4 this March.

With an additional 15 minutes more coverage than last year and over 100 minutes more than the 2020 show, viewers can look forward to a to­ tal of nine and a half hours of Crufts on Chan­ nel 4 alone!

Clare Balding will host daily highlights of the world’s most famous dog event live from the NEC, Birmingham and will be joined by a team of re­ porters including Radzi Chinyanganya and, return­ ing for her second year, Sophie Morgan, along with canine experts who will be covering the show.

Vanessa McAlpine, Crufts Show Manager, said: “We are delighted that Channel 4 and More4 will be offering viewers at home the opportunity to enjoy this year’s Crufts,

with more coverage than ever. The event celebrates everything that we love the most about dogs and highlights the benefits

that dogs bring to our lives, so it’s no surprise that it holds such a special place in dog lovers’ hearts.”

Furry friend exhibition FANS of our furry friends will be pleased to hear that a new dog photography exhibition has opened at the Kennel Club Art Gallery.

A special capsule exhibition by Lincolnshire­based photographer, Kirsty Bevan, has just opened at The Kennel Club Art Gallery, showcasing and celebrating the different breeds of Setter.

The capsule, which is open for public viewings at The Kennel Club in London until the end of May 2023, features photographs from various locations around the UK of all four Setter breeds: the Irish Red Setter, the English Setter, the Gordon Setter and the Irish Red and White Setter.

Kirsty shared the inspiration behind her latest project: “I have always been around Setters, so I knew that my first photography project had to be on them!

“The sole aim of this project is to capture the in­ quisitive personality of the four Setter breeds and showcase their naturally regal appearance.”

The exhibition is open to the public at The Kennel Club Art Gallery at 10 Clarges Street, Mayfair, W1J 8AB, from Monday to Friday between 9.30am to 4.30pm.

To book your visit, call (+44) 20 7518 1064.

SERVICES

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2 - 8 March 2023

AIR CONDITIONING

CONSTRUCTION

PLUMBERS

PLUMBING

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REMOVALS & STORAGE

INSURANCE

SOLAR ENERGY

SERVICES

SERVICES

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2 - 8 March 2023

REMOVALS & STORAGE

POOL SERVICES

TV & SATELLITE

EWN 49

CLASSIFIEDS APP REPAIRS WASHING MACHINE BROKEN? Call Bluesky Repairs for ALL your domestic appliance repairs. 626 430 671 (WhatsApp) (303019)

ARCHITECT

FOR SALE VARIOUS music CDs, DVDs and Box sets available. Job lot €100.

Listings available. 604 185 014 (294630)

CARAVANS

50

Thursday at 11am in Jose Llorca Social Centre C. Goya s/n.

Benidorm. We loan out mobility and medical equipment including oxygen concentrators on a short-term basis. (288658)

CLUBS/SOCIETIES BRIDGE CLUB ALBIR: Hotel Rober Palas, Calle Jupiter 7, Albir. Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

2.00pm registration for 2.30pm start. Richard: 965 848 434. Henriette: 661 744 423. (294628)

DOG BOARDING

BUY & SELL PRIVATE collector will buy your Gold, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel - 678 716 693 (288662) I BUY RECORDS 50s to the 90s.

Best prices for good records. Tel: 622 750 117 / 962 851 809 (302022)

CARS FOR SALE

MOBILE homes & static caravans bought, sold and transported. +34 630 055 418 or elsyd7@ hotmail.com (302142)

CHARITY El Campello Christian Community Life and Family Sunday Service at 11am Bilingual (English and Spanish) at C/ San Bartolome, 35 (Bajo No. 6), El Campello. For more information visit www.elcampello c h r i s t i a n c o m m u n i t y. o r g , email campellocc@gmail.com or call Juan Zúñiga - 686 203 183 (Spanish) or Sue Bishop - 610 639 426 (English) (233602) THE SALVATION ARMY English Speaking Church of Denia Worship Service. Sunday 10.30am followed by a time of Fellowship. Everyone is welcome. Come as you are! For more information: Dieter Zimmerer +34 698 609 658 or Barbara Zimmerer +34 652 319 810 Email dieterzimmerer@hotmail.com, www.centrosaron.com (10008) www.helpbenidorm.org and on Facebook VOLUNTEERS NEEDED, particularly if you speak Spanish, and have a car (although this is not essential). Tel President 607 387 040. We are an English-speaking charity that assists residents and tourists of all nationalities in times of crisis. We meet every

BEDDING

DOGGY DIGS MORAIRA. By the day or week. Large secure garden.

No cages/kennels. 677 828 577 / 689 489 794 (295261)

ELECTRICIAN MB ELECTRICS. Approved electrician. Any electrical repair. Iberdrola paperwork. Affordable prices. Miquel 655 282 175 www.mbelectrics.es (286325)

FOR SALE/WANTED

INSURANCE FED UP OF NOT BEING SENT YOUR RENEWAL? CUT YOUR INSURANCE COSTS AND STILL HAVE 100% COVER. YOU HAVE TRIED THE REST NOW TRY THE BEST WITH SOS INSURANCE. WE CAN EVEN INSURE YOU FOR UP TO A €1,000 OF WATERLOSS. CALL 686 116 297 (WHATSAPP TOO) OR VISIT www.sosinsuranceinspain. com or email tracey@sosin suranceinspain.com (301484) BENEFICIAL INSURANCE SERVICES. Car, Home, Business, Travel, Life, Funeral, all insurances available. Policies in English. BEST rates, covers & service. Immediate quotes.

Tel 961 129 215 / 622 275 561, (WhatsApp) info@benefi cialinsuranceinspain.com or visit www.beneficialinsuran ceinspain.com for online quote. (302516) MOTOR INSURANCE. For the most competitive quotes in English call Linea Directa on 952 147 834, you could save as much as 30% and you can transfer your existing no claims bonus. Call Linea Directa on 952 147 834 for motor insurance with a human voice in English from Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and save money now! (200726)

METALWORK

PETS

MOBILE WELDER , all repairs. All metalwork. +447787 585 414 (302745)

MISCELLANEOUS GOLD & SILVER Bought & Sold, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel - 678 716 693 (288662)

MOTORBIKES Peter Zwaan Motorbikes, A+ Occasions showroom, Yamaha FZ1 Fazer, 1000cc, yr 2009, 33.000 kms, Euro 3.750. CostaBlan caMotorbikes.com (302078)

MOTORING

WANTED Gold, Silver, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel - 678 716 693 (288662)

HEALTH & BEAUTY CHIROPODIST/PODIATRIST, Philip Mann, clinics in Benissa, Moraira, Javea, Calpe and Albir.

686 912 307 (287331)

WIGS WWW.WIGS-R-US.ES Indoor Market Rincon de Loix, Benidorm.

Monday-Saturday 10-3. We also have Scrunchies, Extensions, Ponytails. Catalogue orders. Private appointments after 3pm. 681 049 502 (302420)

PROPERTY FOR SALE

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NEED YOUR PETS TAKEN CARE OF? Not kennels, just a friendly home. Large fenced area. 699 790 080 Altea (294597)

PROPERTY WANTED RETIRED couple looking for long term rental in La Marina Baixa - prefer two beds. Needed urgently - call Janice on 0044 7736 251 800 2/3 BEDROOM HOUSE FOR LONG TERM RENT ASAP. 2 BATHROOMS/GARAGE. CONSIDER SHARED POOL. FOR RETIRED COUPLE IN MORAIRA/CALPE/TEULADA AREA. APPROX €800 - €1000 PM. EMAIL: marianshort.france @gmail.com. TEL: 0034 623 373 426 (294629)

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Two-man removal. 622 658 992 (295658) MAN & VAN for hire, cheap & reliable. Jalon Valley & surrounding area. Call/Whatsapp 636 100 873 (302625)

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If you can read it, so can your clients.

Contact us and have your business grow at + 34 951 386 161

CAMPING

2 - 8 March 2023 • euroweeklynews.com

AUTO BASTIAN mobile mechanic. Tel 608 860 725.

(295111) WE are currently the market leader in our country in the sale of direct car, motorbike, home and company fleet insurance. Since we started out in 1995, our philosophy has always been to offer an excellent service with the best prices in the market. For the most competitive quotes in English, call Linea Directa on 952 147 834. (200726)

NURSING

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Calpe + 50 kms. 659 464 992 www.toldosalchemy.com

STRUCTURAL SURVEYS MARK PADDON BSc Hons.

MCIOB, CAAT – for buyer’s survey & defects advice. Tel: 653 733 066 / 962 807 247 www.costablanca surveyors.com (292966)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS FED UP PAYING TOO MUCH FOR YOUR MOBILE PHONE CALLS? THEN CONTACT TELITEC TODAY. CALLS TO SPAIN 7C PER MINUTE INCLUDING MOBILES. CALLS TO UK 5.3C PER MINUTE. NO MONTHLY FEES, NO CONTRACT. WWW.TELITEC.COM TEL: 902 889 070 (2001)

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CLASSIFIEDS INSURANCE

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MOTORING

A superbly accomplished package ROAD TEST

by Mark Slack SO many people think that unless you have owned an Alfa Romeo you are not a true petrol head, and you can kind of see their point.

While classic Alfas proba­ bly still deserve their repu­ tation for being tempera­ mental, newer models have in theory left that reputation behind.

The trouble is reputa­ tions can take a long time to disappear and that’s a shame because it prevents many people from enjoy­ ing some cracking cars, and they don’t come any­ more cracking than the Stelvio Quadrifoglio.

The ‘standard’ Stelvio range is by no means back­ ward in accelerating for­ ward, with even the least athletic engine producing 190hp and the most pow­ erful 280hp. It is the 510hp Quadrifoglio that is the re­

al star though, it’s like an automotive Summanus.

This is an SUV very defi­ nitely designed with per­ formance, rather than off­roading in mind, and it REAL­ LY performs.

It doesn’t come cheap though with prices starting at €90,247/£79,619, which puts the Alfa against some very stiff competi­ tion from arguably much more premium badges.

Standard fare on the Quadrifoglio is suitably generous, as you would expect on a car of this price, and the interior is a heady mix of leather.

On the road the Quadri­ foglio has a bit of a dual personality. It is quite hap­ py to potter through urban streets, but show it an open road and its inner darkness is revealed.

Reaching 62mph in 3.8

STELVIO RANGE: A well-honed, hugely entertaining car.

seconds is good in any­ one’s book, but when you’re talking about a large SUV it is particularly impressive. The Quadri­ foglio is light thanks to the use of aluminium and car­ bon fibre but it’s the all­ round performance, not just speed, from the way it puts the power down, to the handling and steering.

It’s a superbly accom­

plished pack­ age.

The power delivery is nothing short of vicious and the exhaust note de­ livers a much more tune­ ful, if equally loud, output as many a supercar.

This is a well­honed, well­crafted and hugely entertaining car. It man­ agesROLLS to combine so many ROYCE: One of the positive attributes and is a

delight to drive.

It’s achilles heel is price, the competition is just so much more premium in not just badge but build quality and feel.

The Stelvio isn’t bad by any means, but it just isn’t £80k worth of quality. It’s for this reason that I suspect many premium badge drivers will stay loyal to their usu­ al fare, but the few that don’t will not be dis­ appointed.

Facts at a Glance Model: Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio Price €90,247/£79,619 Engine: 2.9-litre, bi-turbo, V6-cylinder, petrol Gears: 8-speed automatic Performance: 0-100kmh/62mph 3.8seconds. Maximum Speed 283kmh/176mph Economy: 11.8 litres per 100km/23.9mpg combined driving WLTP Emissions: 267g/km WLTP Model tested was UK-specification and equipment levels and prices may vary in other markets. .

MOTORING

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EWN 53

SPECIAL ORDER: Powered by a hydrogen combustion engine.

THE world’s first digger, pow­ ered by a hydrogen combus­ tion engine, will soon be on UK roads and building sites following recent government approval, helping to decar­ bonise the UK’s construction industry.

The UK government has given special dispensation, under a vehicle special order, that allows JCB, the British construction equipment man­ ufacturer, to test and use its world­first hydrogen­pow­ ered backhoe loader on UK roads.

With 25 per cent of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions coming from the built environment, it’s vital the entire construction indus­

try looks to decarbonise at ev­ ery stage.

Technology and Decarboni­ sation Minister, Jesse Nor­ man, said: “From cars to con­ struction sites, the industry has a vital role in decarbonis­ ing our economy and creating green jobs and prosperity.”

JCB Chairman Lord Bam­ ford confirmed: “Securing this vehicle special order from the Department for Transport is an important first step in get­ ting JCB machines that are powered by hydrogen com­ bustion engines to and from British building sites using the public highway.

“It’s an endorsement that JCB is on the right path in pur­ suit of its net zero ambitions.”

SPANISH Industry minister Reyes Maroto has been very busy lately.

Speaking at a recent press conference in Paris, Sra Maroto confirmed that Re­ nault and Stellantis are due to launch new production lines in Spain in the near future.

“We are generating a cli­ mate of confidence for such important companies as Re­ nault and Stellantis to contin­ ue investing in our country,” she said.

More specifically, the Span­ ish government is working to improve conditions for elec­ tric vehicle manufacturers, enabling more firms to apply for development loans with

70% of women who are of the legal age to drive in the UK

zero interest.

The first part of the scheme was unsuccessful, with 75 per cent of the funds reserved for the loans left unclaimed due to the short timeframe for companies to carry out the necessary investments ­ the deadline was June 2025.

Manufacturers called for the period to be extended by three years until 2028, which the ministry led by Sra Maro­ to has confirmed will be done as it has already been given the go­ahead by the Euro­ pean Union.

Stellantis currently has three electric vehicle assem­ bly plants in Spain, located in Galicia, Zaragoza and Madrid.

The Industry ministry is cur­ rently negotiating with the firm to boost production and guarantee employment at the three plants for at least another 15 years.

On the other hand, Renault does not currently manufac­ ture electric vehicles in Spain, with production taking place in France. However, the com­ pany is negotiating with Sra

Image by Fernando Astasio Avila/Shutterstock

Image: UK government / Department of Transport

It’s a world first Busy times for Spanish Industry minister

Industry minister and PSOE candidate for Madrid, Reyes Maroto.

Maroto’s department to ex­ tend the loan scheme to cov­ er hybrid vehicles ­ which does not look likely, as the EU is focusing its efforts on 100 per cent electric mobility.

But Reyes Maroto has also been in the news for different reasons lately. The Industry chief is planning to leave the ministry shortly in order to stand for the local elections in Madrid for the PSOE on May 28.

Her main rival will be cur­ rent mayor Jose Luis Mar­ tinez Almeida (PP), whose popularity has waned signifi­ cantly in recent months due to revelations concerning al­ legedly fraudulent business practices during the Covid pandemic.

The PSOE hopes that Sra Maroto will help put the par­ ty back on the map in the Spanish capital after years of very poor results.

Image: Alberto Zornetta / Shutterstock.com

Uptick in demand EV charge points

Positive motoring news.

POSITIVE news arrives for the motoring industry as it has been confirmed the UK used car market continues a positive trajectory in February 2023 as prices, sales and demand record an uptick.

According to the latest data from Auto Trader, the health of the used car mar­ ket is continuing to build momentum, with growth recorded in demand, sales,

and retail prices.

In fact, Auto Trader’s Re­ tail Price Index, which is based on daily pricing anal­ ysis of circa 900,000 vehi­ cles across the market, shows the current average price of a used car is £17,880, which marks a 1.7 per cent year­on­year in­ crease on a like­for­like ba­ sis.

Although the rate of growth is down significant­

ly from a peak of 32 per cent year­on­year in April 2022. This current rate is on top of the massive 31.9 per cent year­on­year increase recorded this time last year.

It also marks a month­ on­month increase of 0.7 per cent, which is not only ahead of the 0.3 per cent recorded last month, but also the 0.4 per cent Febru­ ary average between 2011 and 2019.

GOVERNMENTS across the world are ploughing funds into the green agenda which involves electric vehicles.

The UK is set to spend £56 million of public funding for electric vehicle charge points. Electric vehicle drivers from Cumbria to West Sussex will benefit from the continued expan­ sion of electric vehicle charg­ ing points across the coun­ try.

The funding will expand the current Local Electric Ve­ hicle Infrastructure (LEVI) pi­ lot, boost the existing On­ Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) and help councils secure dedicated resources to de­ velop in­house expertise and capability to coordinate charge point plans and deliv­ er a more comprehensive and reliable network of charge points for drivers.

The government has al­ ready spent over £2 billion to support the move to ze­ ro­emission vehicles, help­

ing drive forward the decar­ bonisation of the UK’s entire transport system.

Running out of gas or electricity produces the same result: your car will stop. In the case of a gas car,

a roadside service truck can usually bring you a can of gas, or tow you to the near­ est gas station. Similarly, an electric car can simply be towed to the nearest charg­ ing station.

54 EWN 2 - 8 March 2023

SPORT

Power hockey New head coach Image: Sportcal

DENMARK has now been officially appointed as the hosting nation for the IPCH European Championship which will be hosted in Musholm from October 20 to 28, 2024.

IPCH is the international IWAS committee that rep­ resents powerchair hockey all over the world and it is happy to announce that the hosting nation for the IPCH European Championship 2024 has finally been select­ ed.

Denmark will host the competition in Musholm: a

euroweeklynews.com

Denmark to host.

unique holiday, sports, and conference centre in the middle of Denmark. Locat­ ed by the Danish coastline,

Howell takes LIV golf title CHARLES HOWELL III claimed his first LIV Golf title in im­ pressive style, with a stunning final­round score of eight­un­ der­par 63 to finish 16 under at the season­opening Mayakoba event in Mexico on Sunday, February 26.

The LIV Golf series features 14 events which combined are worth a whopping €380 million. The tournament’s team for­ mat added an extra layer of excitement, with Howell playing alongside former US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau and India's Anirban Lahiri to secure the team event victory for Crushers GC. Speaking after his victory, Howell explained, “I had a lot of experience here. I think having played it in the wind for so many years helped a little bit..

With the first event of the season providing plenty of thrills and excitement, golf fans around the world are eagerly antic­ ipating the second LIV Golf event later in March in Arizona.

just an hour’s drive from Copenhagen, Musholm is designed as one of the world’s most innovative and inclusive holiday and sports resorts.

Musholm resort and the sports hall will be the beat­ ing heart of the competi­ tion hosting the Team Dele­ gations and the games.

Training will be organised in a nearby sports hall.

Eight national teams will participate in the European Championship 2024 which will be held from October 20 until 28, 2024, and the competition will serve as Regional Championship to define the qualification slots for the World Champi­ onship 2026.

A LEGENDARY German footballer has been ap­ pointed as the new head coach of South Korea’s na­ tional football team, who replaces Paulo Bento after he resigned following the World Cup defeat to Brazil in the Qatar World Cup’s last 16.

Legendary German foot­ baller Jurgen Klinsmann has been appointed as South Korea’s new head coach, as reported on Monday, February 27.

Klinsmann said in a statement: “I know that the Korean national team has been improving and achieving results over a long period of time.

“I am honoured to fol­ low in the footsteps of the great coaches who have led the Korean national team, from Gus Hiddink to my predecessor, Paulo Bento.

“I look forward to doing my utmost to help the team achieve success at

JURGEN KLINSMANN: Honoured to follow in footsteps.

the upcoming Asian Cup and the 2026 World Cup.” Klinsmann, who scored 47 goals in 108 appear­ ances for Germany, won the World Cup as a player and led Germany to the se­

mi­finals as a coach.

The German is set to ar­ rive in Seoul next week. He will take charge of South Korea’s friendly match against Colombia on March 24.

SPORT

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EWN 55

M A N C H ES T E R U N I T E D and Newcastle United faced off in the Carabao Cup Final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, February 26. Erik ten Hag’s side eventually ran out 2­0 winners to land the Red Devils’ first piece of silverware since 2017.

Casemiro broke the deadlock in the 33rd minute. The Brazilian playmaker met Luke Shaw’s free­kick and headed it beyond Loris Karius to give United the lead. Just six minutes lat­ er it was 2­0 when a shot from Marcus Rashford was deflected into the net by Sven Botman.

Eddie Howe has done a fantastic job since taking charge of the Magpies, but his strikers seem to have become goal­shy re­ cently. His attempts to stage a comeback in the second half proved fruit­ less. His club has now gone since 1969 without winning any trophies.

Image: Saudi Tourism Authority

Manchester United win Lost by a split decision

MAN UTD: Continued to play in fine form.

United continued their fine form on all fronts in today’s match. Jose Mourinho was in charge the last time the club won anything, which was the exact same trophy.

One can only feel though that under the control of their new Dutch manag­ er, this will not be the last time.

50% of women worldwide are interested in sport.

YOUTUBER Jake Paul lost the biggest fight of his short boxing career so far on, Sunday, February 26, in Saudi Arabia. Up against the professional boxer Tommy Fury, he eventually succumbed to a split­deci­ sion defeat after eight rounds in the Diriyah Arena in Riyadh, broadcast on BT Sport.

This was Paul’s first time in the ring with a real boxer and he held his own in all fairness. He even put Fury on the canvas in the final round with a left­handed jab, producing the only knock­down of the fight.

“That wasn’t a knockdown, that was a slip. That was genuinely a slip. I got up … I came right back into it,” claimed Fury.

Speaking in the ring after the decision was called, an emotional Tommy Fury said: “All the way through these two and a half years, I had a dream, I had a vi­ sion that I would win this

NOVAK D J O KO V I C has done it again. The Ser­ bian tennis superstar made history by break­ ing Steffi Graf’s record for the most weeks spent as World No. 1 on Monday, February 27.

With 378 weeks under his belt, Djokovic has surpassed Graf’s previ­ ous record of 377 weeks, a milestone which has cemented his status as one of the greatest play­ ers of all time. Djokovic has snatched up the record, beating Steffi Graf’s achievement which had stood since 1999.

Djokovic’s ascension to the top of the ATP rankings was swift and sure, and he has been a fixture there for over a decade. In fact, he al­ ready held the record for most weeks as No. 1 on the ATP Tour, com­ fortably ahead of Roger Federer (310 weeks) and

Photo credit: djokernole (via Instagram)

Djovic reigns supreme

Djokovic took to Instagram to celebrate his impressive title with a sweet treat.

Pete Sampras (286 weeks).

The achievement is a significant one in Djokovic’s career, and it’s clear that he places a high importance on his time at the top. He has even adjusted his sched­ ule in the past to focus on maintaining his posi­ tion as world No. 1 and breaking Federer’s record.

Djokovic’s impressive feat is a testament to his unparalleled skill, deter­ mination, and consisten­ cy on the court. Since claiming the top spot for the first time in July 2011, he has managed to maintain his position at the summit of men’s tennis for over a decade.

The world tennis rank­ ings are released each week by the ATP, with players aiming to amass weeks in the number one spot for a shot at the prestigious prize.

TOMMY FURY: If he wants a rematch, he can have one.

fight, and no one believed me.

“Now I can stand up and everybody can take note. In my first main event, at 23 years old, I had the world on me. I had pressure on my shoulders, and I came through,” he added.

Although Fury is a pro boxer, coming into this fight with an impressive 8­0 record, the half­brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury had not really been tested. “If he wants a rematch, he can have a re­ match,” Fury told the fans.

56 EWN 2 - 8 March 2023

euroweeklynews.com

Image: World Rugby

Agriculture & rugby

FARMING FAIR: Two different missions.

SOME might consider agriculture and rugby an odd combi­ nation but together they are stronger and have decided to collaborate for the 59th edition of the Farming Fair.

They are two events, two distinct spheres, two different missions but both rooted within the French regions, sharing common values (team spirit, drive, strength of the collective) which naturally led to this union.

Until March 5, at the Parc des Expositions Porte de Ver­ sailles in France, for the first time, the Hall 1 entrance will be dressed in the colours of the Rugby World Cup 2023.

From September 8 until October 28, 20 teams from every continent will face each other on French soil, creating unique moments of emotions, celebration and sharing.

Rugby World Cup 2023 will also be the occasion to shine a light on its regions, its craftsmanship, and the local products of French territories on display during the International Agri­ cultural Fair.

This will come to life thanks to the involvement of the French Chefs of the XV de la Gastronomie, who will put local products at the heart of the competition and its Official Hos­ pitalities.

NEWS

30 countries propose ban

THE governments of 34 countries worldwide have spoken in favour of a ban on the participation of repre­ sentatives from Russia and Belarus in international sports competitions. It comes as a result of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

This news was announced in a joint statement pub­ lished on Monday, February 20, on the website of the British Ministry of Culture, Media and Sports of the

United Kingdom.

“There are serious con­ cerns about how justified it is for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in neu­ trality given that they are di­ rectly funded and support­ ed by their respective states,” the statement said.

It also emphasised that “there are no grounds for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to recon­ sider the decision.” This re­ ferred to the decision adopted last year on the

Credit: kovop/Shutterstock.com

OLYMPIC GAMES: Other countries wish to ban Russia.

non­admission of athletes from Russia and Belarus.

The statement also al­ leged that there are “strong ties and jurisdiction of Rus­ sian athletes with the Rus­ sian armed forces.”

In the statement, the

countries called for the IOC to explain the definition of neutrality towards athletes from Russia and Belarus.

Until this is done, it is pro­ posed not to allow them to participate in international competitions.

Copenhagen calling COPENHAGEN is preparing for an urban festival with street activities in the heart of the Danish capital when the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) 3×3 Europe Cup Qualifier and 3×3 Europe Cup 2025 take place.

“We are really happy and proud of bringing the 3×3 Eu­ rope Cup to Denmark for the first time,” Kamil Novak, FIBA Europe Executive Director said, adding: “Copenhagen and Denmark are perfect matches to 3×3 as one of the missions of this discipline is to bring basketball to the people and show that every­ one can be successful in 3×3.”

The 3×3 Europe Cup will be staged in September 2025 in a public square in central Copenhagen with a venue large enough to accommo­ date 1,200 spectators.

In 2024, the Copenhagen­ ers can warm up with the 3×3 Europe Cup 2024 Qualifi­ er. The activities and side events also include school programmes, exercise, and competitions enabling the children to try the urban and Olympic disciplines.

Denmark’s Basketball Fed­ eration expects between 7,000 and 8,400 paying spec­ tators for the Europe Cup 2025 and up to 90,000 spon­ taneous spectators.