Axarquia 7 – 13 December 2023 Issue 2005

Axarquia

• Issue No. 2005 • 7 - 13 December 2023

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ILMAINEN

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PICTURE PERFECT

THE esteemed production house, Ava Content, has handpicked Frigiliana to be part of the Junta de Andalu­ cia’s tourism campaign ­ an honour that has sparked an­ ticipation and excitement throughout the town. This picturesque village nestled in the most eastern part of the Malaga region’s Axarquia, bordered by the Natural Park Sierras de Almijara, Tejeda, and Alhama, has been a proud member of Spain’s most beautiful towns since 2015. Every nook, every pic­ turesque spot, and every cob­ blestone street of Frigiliana will be immortalised through the lenses of these talented artists from Ava Content. The fruits of this unique collabora­ tion will be encapsulated in a breathtaking photography book entitled ‘Frames of An­ dalucia.’ This book seeks to become a visual testament,

FREI

Image: Frigiliana Town

VIDEO TEAM: Capturing the soul of Frigiliana.

capturing the cultural richness and the scenic beauty that de­ fines this beautiful region.

The good news doesn’t stop there. A dedicated video team will shadow the photog­ raphers, meticulously docu­ menting every step of this project. This behind­the­

scenes chronicle will evolve into a documentary, divulging the untold stories behind each photograph, and unveiling the soul of Frigiliana in an entirely novel manner.

Recognising the uniqueness and beauty of Frigiliana, the

Junta de Andalucia has em­ braced this project. It’s not just a visual celebration; it’s an open invitation for all to dis­ cover and fall in love with Frig­ iliana one of the most beauti­ ful towns in Spain.

GRATUITO

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Business hub VELEZ­MALAGA is set to wit­ ness the emergence of a pio­ neering industrial and logis­ tics hub spanning approximately 75,000 square metres alongside the A­7 highway. Led by property owners, and spearheaded by Salsa Inmobiliaria, the green light has been given to kick­ start the development’s ur­ banisation, marked by a whopping investment of €13 million.

Dubbed the El Higueral Velez­Malaga sector, this am­ bitious urban and business project will not only foster the region’s economic ad­ vancement but also enhance residents’ quality of life. Posi­ tioned at a prime location bordering the A­7 highway, facing the El Ingenio shopping centre, and a stone’s throw from Malaga City, this parcel

of land spans 166,890 square metres, with 74,424 square metres designated as net plots and the remainder for roads, parking, amenities, and green spaces.

This development will sig­ nificantly boost employment opportunities by establishing a pivotal business hub for supply chain management, manufacturing, and services catering to the Eastern Costa del Sol. The construction is due to begin soon and is planned to take 18 months.

Following the full occupan­ cy of the Agroalimentary Park, this initiative aims to ad­ dress the current shortage of productive land, catering to the escalating demand for quality facilities attractive to local enterprises and large­ scale logistic and business se­ tups.

Magical Towns Awards THE final stretch of 2023 brought excellent news to the tourism sector in the Axarquia region as Canillas de Aceituno was awarded the prestigious 2024 Active Tourism Award by the Network of Spain’s Magical Towns. Recognising the municipality’s dedication to promoting active tourism, the award highlights its excep­ tional natural environment and commitment to sustain­ ability, notably its renowned El Saltillo bridge.

Surrounded by breathtak­ ing landscapes and offering a wide array of outdoor activi­ ties, this charming magical town has become a must­visit for nature enthusiasts and seekers of authentic experi­ ences. Serving as the lively gateway to the Sierra Tejeda, Alhama, and Almijara Natural

Image: Shutterstock/ Ernesto Rey

Canillas de Aceituno honoured for its active tourism.

Park, it proudly hosts the highest peak, La Maroma, as praised by Spain’s Magical Towns representatives ­ an initiative driven by the Insti­ tute of Local Development and Social Studies, encom­ passing over 120 localities na­ tionwide.

Spain’s Magical Towns Awards, symbolised by a bronze artwork crafted by the Moreno Brothers Sculpture Workshop (Granada), repre­ sent honour and recognition.

Notably, the Moreno Broth­ ers are acclaimed for interna­ tional works such as the Gar­ cía Lorca Poetry Award. The award will be presented at the Spain’s Magical Towns pavilion during the Interna­ tional Tourism Fair, FITUR, next January.

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Image: Shutterstock/ Aquila chrysaetos

Charting a new economic frontier in Velez-Malaga.

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7 - 13 December 2023

Tail Torrox

MARK your calendars for a merry day out at Tail Torrox Animal Charity’s upcoming car boot and craft fair!

On December 10, the event will take place at Vivero Garden Paradise in Torrox Costa, conveniently located next to Lidl. This pre­ Christmas extravaganza promises a delightful array of stalls offering both new and second­hand goods.

However, the organisers are on the lookout for more craft stalls selling artisan and Christmas­themed items,

available at just €8 per pitch.

To secure your spot or learn more, reach out to Gillian Russell on +34 711 070 836. The fair opens bright and early at 8am for stall holders and welcomes the general public from 9am to 2pm. Indulge in the fes­ tive spirit with complimenta­ ry mince pies and mulled wine! Remember, Tail Tor­ rox relies solely on dona­ tions, so your support at this event is invaluable. Come along, shop for a cause, and spread some holiday cheer!

THE Regional Blood Transfu­ sion Centre will conduct a new blood collection drive in Al­ muñecar on December 21.

Scheduled from 10am to 2pm and 5pm to 9pm at the Plaza Mayor building (Carbonell) in Almuñecar, the event aims to encourage blood donation.

Jessica Vallejo Hernández, in charge of the Health Centre, confirmed the visit of the Re­ gional Blood Transfusion Cen­ tre on December 21. The do­

Blood drive nation drive welcomes individ­ uals over 18 years old in good health. Supported by the Al­ muñecar Donor Association and in collaboration with the local municipality, this initiative emphasises the importance of community participation in maintaining a stable blood supply for medical treatments.

Donating blood is a noble act that saves lives.

Grace Meredith APAANERJA, a devoted ani­ mal charity located in Nerja, is committed to rescuing dogs and cats from dire situations prevalent in the area. Their primary objective is to offer these distressed souls a fresh start by relocating them to loving homes across countries like Germany, Sweden, Hol­ land, and Spain.

The team at APAANerja passionately cares for more than 60 dogs and a consider­ able number of cats at any given time. They handle their veterinary needs and housing costs through their Teamers account. Most of these ani­ mals have been victims of

Paws united Image: Facebook/ APAA NERJA Rescue Dog Blog

ANIMAL CHARITY: Small acts make a big difference.

abandonment or severe mis­ treatment, plucked from the streets in need of care.

Your support matters greatly. By contributing just €1 per month through APAANer­ ja’s Teaming account, you can

significantly impact these ani­ mals’ lives.

Consider joining the cause and make a world of differ­ ence. To learn more, visit APAANerja’s Teaming account www.teaming.net/apaanerja

Botanical route THE Sports Department of Rincon de la Victoria’s Town Hall has arranged a Botanical Route tailored for individuals over 65 years old within the mu­ nicipality.

This engaging and free activity will take place on

December 14 starting at 9am. An expert in botany will lead the route, en­ lightening attendees about various plants, trees, and wildflowers encountered during the stroll.

Antonio José Martín, the Sports councillor, highlighted that the aim is “to provide an alterna­ tive sports experience where our seniors can connect with nature, dis­ covering different plant species along the way.”

Mayor Francisco Sala­ do emphasised the initia­ tive’s significance in pro­ moting sports as a

healthy lifestyle habit while relishing the chance to share this nat­ ural experience with oth­ ers.

The three­hour route, of low difficulty level, be­ gins at the ‘Rubén Ruzafa’ Municipal Cov­ ered Pavilion in Torre de Benagalbon.

Those interested, aged 65 or above and enrolled in APAL Sports activities, can register until Decem­ ber 13 at the Sports Of­ fice.

Limited slots are avail­ able.

For more information, contact 951 211 061.

LOCAL NEWS

Charity Gala ALMUÑECAR’s Casa de la Cultura will wit­ ness a heartwarming event as the Associa­ tion for the Integra­ tion of Children and Adolescents (ASINAL) presents its charitable gala today, Thursday, December 7, starting at 8.30pm.

Under the theme ‘Leave Your Mark,’ the event aims to gather support for ASINAL’s cause.

Renowned guitarist Ramón del Paso and vocalist Iván Centenil­ lo are set to perform, promising a delightful evening filled with fla­ menco rhythms and soulful performances.

Organised in collab­ oration with the Mu­ nicipal Culture De­ partment, the gala, hosted by José Daniel Montoro, promises entertainment for all ages.

The lineup includes young talents show­ casing various disci­ plines alongside fla­ menco maestros.

ASINAL emphasises the importance of this event, as funds raised will directly aid chil­ dren and adolescents with diverse abilities.

The proceeds will contribute to thera­ pies, year­round activi­ ties, yoga sessions, music therapy, auton­ omy development, ex­ cursions, family talks, and programmes aimed at raising awareness about func­ tional diversity.

Anticipated tickets, priced at a €6 dona­ tion, are available at the Zeppelín fashion store (Calle Vélez, 5), the Estanco (Calle Re­ al), and Casa de la Cultura.

This gala seeks to celebrate talent, fos­ ter inclusivity, and support ASINAL’s valuable initiatives.

LOCAL NEWS

NIBS EXTRA Market magic THE AAR Local Neutering Christmas Market was a heartwarming success! Held on a beautiful Sunday, it brought together various stalls and charities. The venue and weather were perfect, adding to the festive cheer. Thanks to the gener­ ous support, they raised over €800, clearing their vet bill and leaving them in cred­ it.

Snowy thrills TORRE DEL MAR welcomes a thrilling Christmas addition this year ­ a colossal tobog­ gan by the Sugar Factory.

From December 6 to Jan­ uary 7, thrill­seekers can en­ joy this attraction daily from 4.30pm. While most Christ­ mas delights are free, the to­ boggan promises an exhila­ rating experience for a fee.

Santa-copter EXPERIENCE the thrill of San­ ta’s arrival at El Ingenio Shopping Centre in Velez­ Malaga via helicopter! On Saturday, December 23, seize the moment! Head to the parking area near Burger King from noon onwards.

Witness Santa’s live arrival descending in style by heli­ copter. Don’t miss it!

Holiday spirit ON Thursday, December 14, the spotlight shines on St Michael’s Church in Nerja, hosting a heartwarming Charity Christmas Carol Ser­ vice at 4pm. Following the festive melodies, attendees can enjoy mince pies and mulled wine. Join in the joy­ ous celebration and em­ brace the holiday spirit!

Speedcubing THE First National Champi­ onship of Speedcubing is set to take place from Decem­ ber 8 to 10 at the Pabellón Cubierto in Nerja. This thrilling event welcomes participants and spectators alike all day long, offering free entrance. Get ready to witness incredible speeds and agility in solving the Ru­ bik’s Cube!

euroweeklynews.com Grace Meredith MARK your calendars for a delightful evening on Satur­ day, December 9, to come together to support two in­ credible causes ­ Axarquia Animal Rescue and the Roy­ al British Legion. This joint fundraising event will take place at the picturesque Ho­ tel Arco Del Sol in Colmenar.

Indulge in a sumptuous three­course meal while rev­ elling in fabulous music at this fantastic venue. The ease of on­site parking adds to the convenience of this evening dedicated to giving. Plus, take advantage of discounted

7 - 13 December 2023

Dinner dance

Image: Shutterstock/ Ground Picture

A heartwarming evening of giving back.

Job growth Catherine McGeer ANDALUCIA spearheaded a significant drop in unemployment by removing 8,852 individuals from the registered unemployment lists in November. This decline was widespread across sectors, genders, and age groups.

With this update, the number of unem­ ployed individuals in the community stands at 710,753. Notably, this marks the third­largest percentage decrease for a November in the en­ tire historical series. Spain, as a whole, experi­ enced a decrease of 24,573 people.

Over the past 12 months, unemployment in Andalucia decreased by 38,624 people (­5.15 per cent), marking 31 consecutive months of decline. Andalucia once again records the high­ est absolute decrease in Spain, where unem­ ployment dropped by 146,549 people (­5.09 per cent).

Unemployment declined across all sectors, primarily led by services and agriculture, con­ tributing 80 per cent to the monthly decrease.

Decreases were also noted in the construction, and industry sectors. This consistent improve­ ment highlights a positive trend in employ­ ment across various sectors in Andalucia.

Joy of traditions

Image: Town Hall Almuñécar

EMBRACING TRADITION: Celebrations unite the community.

RESIDENTS of the La Carrera de la Concepción neighbourhood in Al­ muñecar celebrate on December 8 and 9, their ‘Fiestas en Honor de la Inmaculada Concepción’ (Celebra­ tion in honour of the Immaculate Conception).

Alberto García Gilabert, the Cul­ ture and Festivities councillor, along with the Neighbourhood Associa­ tion’s representatives, led by Presi­ dent Toñi Salinas Muñoz, unveiled the event’s poster and official pro­ gramme.

Earth shakes

EARLY on Sunday, December 3, a mi­ nor earthquake measuring 3.3 on the Richter scale rattled the Montes de Malaga in its eastern region, making its presence felt in several municipali­ ties within the Axarquia region.

The Spanish National Geographic In­ stitute (IGN) recorded the earthquake at 7.29am with its epicentre in Co­ mares. This slight tremor occurred northwest of the municipal area, posi­ tioned between Comares and the towns of Riogordo and Colmenar. Ac­

room rates should you wish to extend your stay.

Tickets are a mere €25 per person, ensuring a memo­ rable night filled with enter­ tainment. Contact Peter on 633 125 681 via WhatsApp to secure your tickets promptly. Your attendance will contribute significantly to the remarkable work these charities do.

Let’s make this Pre­Christ­ mas Dinner Dance a heart­ felt celebration of generosi­ ty and compassion.

Accommodation options are available right at the venue for your convenience.

cording to data from the IGN, the quake occurred at a depth of 48 kilo­ metres. Despite its relatively low mag­ nitude and brief duration, residents in the vicinity were able to perceive the tremor. Seismic events like this, while often minor, serve as reminders of the natural activity beneath the Earth’s surface, prompting awareness and readiness in affected regions. Fortu­ nately, no reports of significant dam­ age or casualties have been reported in connection with this occurrence.

“To foster community spirit,” em­ phasised President Toñi Salinas Muñoz, acknowledging the support of the Festivities Council. Alberto García Gilabert praised the Neigh­ bourhood Association for nurturing this festivity, firmly ingrained in the local calendar for over two decades.

The schedule includes morning Mass, free breakfast with pastries and chocolate, entertainment for children, paella tasting, sports tour­ naments, flamenco performances, dance sessions, and much more.

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STORIES IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION

Playmobil Nativity PREPARE to be trans­ ported into the enchant­ ing world of Christmas wonder as Almachar proudly inaugurates its Playmobil Nativity exhi­ bition, adorned with over 1,000 charming pieces!

But wait there’s more ­ the unveiling of ‘ConAL­ MAChar,’ a poignant photography exhibition by the talented local, Javier Pérez. Through heartfelt dedication and a deep reverence for the town’s seniors, Javier has beautifully encapsulated their essence in these captivating photographs.

The grand opening is set for Friday, December 15, at the Centre for Art and Development (CAD).

The exhibitions will be open from Monday to Saturday, between 5pm and 8pm. Please note closures on Saturday, De­ cember 16, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

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7 - 13 December 2023

Operation Green RINCON DE LA VICTORIA is firmly committed to health and environmental protection through various initiatives driven by Greencón.

This includes all actions within the municipali­ ty’s Environmental Sustainability area and has led to a comprehensive transformation in Rin­ con de la Victoria.

This comprehensive strategy has brought improvements across the board, modernising cleaning services to cover more areas with mixed sweeping and sidewalk scrubbing. Al­ most half of the new machinery employed is electric, signifying a step towards a more sus­ tainable future.

The municipality is also replacing machinery, including introducing electric vehicles. New waste containers, friendlier in design with curved lines and lower heights, enhance road

visibility for pedestrian safety. In addition, the municipality has strengthened organic waste collection, introducing brown containers for biowaste and grey ones for residual waste.

Creating spaces for leisure in a healthy envi­ ronment has been a pillar of the municipality’s environmental philosophy. Recently inaugu­ rated parks like El Cantal and Las Viñas provide ample recreational areas, and playgrounds.

Recognising the growing role of pets in society, Rincon de la Victoria is expanding the Huerta Julián dog park, doubling its size with im­ proved lighting, vegetation, dog­friendly amenities, and furniture.

Furthermore, ensuring safety from heavy rains remains a priority. The cleaning and clear­ ing of streambeds and municipal areas pre­ vent hygiene issues.

PROVERB OF THE WEEK “Fall seven times, stand up eight.”

This proverb is from Japan and teaches us that perseverance is one of the most important virtues. Whatever happens - keep on keeping on!

LOCAL NEWS

Hotel boom

Catherine McGeer THE bank holiday five­day weekend is anticipated to wit­ ness high hotel occupancy rates, with Torrox and Frig­ iliana leading the predictions at 83.66 per cent. According to Aehcos (The Hotel En­ trepreneurs Association of the Costa del Sol), the average ho­ tel occupancy in Malaga Province from December 6 to 10 is projected to reach 63.25 per cent.

Aehcos President, José Luque, highlighted that this forecast surpasses last year’s 55.07 per cent, even though the 2022 bank holiday week­ end spanned eight nights com­ pared to this year’s shorter du­ ration. Concerns linger about winter’s seasonality impact, accentuated by 11.4 per cent of closed accommodations in

Image: Shutterstock/ AMJ Fotografia

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FRIGILIANA: Anticipating a bustling bank holiday.

the province and rising costs impacting business profitabili­ ty.

Despite these challenges, lo­ cal hoteliers remain optimistic, drawing from historical trends during such festivities. Aehcos’ executive committee stressed that a lot of visitors wait for the weather forecast before book­ ing and because of this a last­ minute increase in bookings is also expected.

Analysing the projections by regions, Frigiliana­Torrox ex­ pects the highest occupancy at 83.66 per cent, followed by Be­ nalmádena at 66.79 per cent.

1.4 billion The number of insects per person.

LOCAL NEWS

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7 - 13 December 2023

Nativity scene THE festive spirit has ar­ rived in Nerja with the grand inauguration of the municipal Nativity Scene at the Municipal Tourist Office. The event, graced by the presence of Deputy Mayor Francisco Arce, var­ ious council members, and representatives from local groups and associations, marks the official start of the holiday season.

Elena Gálvez, the coun­ cillor overseeing Folk Tra­ ditions, expressed grati­ tude to the Parochial Group of Jesus Cautivo and María Santísima de los Desamparados for crafting and setting up the Nativity scene.

The Nativity was blessed

by El Salvador’s parish priest, Antonio Jesús Car­ rasco. Adding a delightful musical touch to the cere­ mony was the perfor­ mance by Las Protegidas’ pastoral choir group. This heartwarming event has not only unveiled the Na­ tivity but also kindled the joyous spirit of Christmas across Nerja.

Image: Vélez-Málaga Town Hall

Embracing tradition and togetherness in Benajarafe.

Bread crumb fun THE town of Benajarafe in Velez­Malaga embraced the spirit of Christmas over the weekend. Residents and visi­ tors alike enjoyed the festivities of the ‘Day of Migas’, (a tra­ ditional breadcrumb dish) a day filled with games and at­ tractions for the little ones, alongside various activities and performances. Among the attendees were Mayor Jesús Lupiáñez, deputy mayor of Benajarafe and Chilches Rocío Ruiz, and deputy mayor of Almayate, Cajiz, and Valle­Niza, Jesús María Claros, all delighting in this magnificent day.

The heart of Benajarafe commemorated its traditional Day of Migas on Saturday, December 2, followed by Christ­ mas festivities in the Church Square. The activities kicked off with a children’s workshop followed by the tasting of ‘migas’. Each plate cost €1. The rest of the day was filled with musical performances and Christmas carols.

As part of the evening activities, there was a flamenco show ‘zambombá’ and an acrobatic fire show, followed by DJ Nene who ensured a lively atmosphere to end the day.

Catherine McGeer THE Torre de Lagos stands as a sentinel of history, recognised as a watchtow­ er or ‘torre almenara.’

Designated as a Cultural Heritage Site by the Min­ istry of Education, Culture, and Sports since 1993, this tower holds profound sig­ nificance. Nestled in Lagos, within the municipality of Velez­Malaga it overlooks the coast. Originating from the 17th century, the tow­ er’s architectural and his­ torical importance is unde­ niable.

Currently undergoing meticulous restoration,

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Tower revival the tower’s refurbishment for tourism use serves a dual purpose: preserving its cultural legacy and of­ fering an enriching experi­ ence for visitors. Spear­ headed by David Vilches, the deputy mayor of Lagos and Mezquitilla, and Ana Belén Zapata, overseeing the Integrated and Sus­ tainable Urban Develop­ ment Strategy (EDUSI), this project receives joint fi­ nancial backing from the Velez­Malaga Town Coun­ cil and the European Re­

IN a proactive move, Nerja inaugurated the School Absenteeism Technical Team (ETAE) re­ cently. This collaborative initiative, proposed jointly by educational services and the Depart­ ment of Education, aims to combat, monitor, and prevent school absenteeism.

Ana María Muñoz, the councillor for Educa­ tion, highlighted the team’s primary objectives.

Comprising the Nerja Educational Guidance Team (EOE) Coordinator, local school manage­ ment members, representatives from Munici­ pal Social Services and Local Police, along with town council delegates, the ETAE will oversee absenteeism cases in educational centres. Their

gional Development Fund (ERDF).

Valued at €48,393.51, the restoration efforts in­ clude critical elements such as external scaffold­ ing, facade cleaning, con­ solidation, rejointing, waterproofing, and eradi­ cating vandalism. This col­ lective endeavour doesn’t merely refurbish a struc­ ture but safeguards a piece of history, ensuring the Lagos Tower remains a timeless emblem for gen­ erations to come.

Truancy

role involves crafting tailored Action Plans and escalating unresolved cases to relevant ser­ vices. Additionally, they will analyse absentee student records, making crucial decisions con­ cerning their well­being and education.

Furthermore, the decision to establish a Mu­ nicipal Truancy Commission and propose a comprehensive Municipal Truancy Plan in the forthcoming months was unanimously agreed upon, underlining the commitment to address this issue effectively.

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LOCAL NEWS

WORK has begun on the new Salobreña health cen­ tre, which will be located in the TH1 zone.

The building will occupy a usable area of 2,477 m2 over three floors, on a plot totalling 4,500 m2 between the parking and develop­ ment projects.

With a budget of €7.7 mil­ lion for its construction, a completion time of around 18 months has been allocat­ ed under the Primary Care Infrastructure Improvement Plan (MINAP).

Javier Ortega Prados, the mayor of Salobreña, visited the site where the works are already in the first phase of laying the foundation piles.

“This is undoubtedly one of the most important and ex­ pected projects of the mu­ nicipality, he pointed out.”

He acknowledged that: “While it is not the location most accepted by the resi­ dents, it was the only one possible to meet the de­

Credit: Ayuntamiento de Salobreña on Facebook

New health centre Healthy eating project

A site visit of the new Salobreña health centre.

mands of a centre of these characteristics.”

Ortega also explained the extension of health services that this new centre will bring and asked the Junta de Andalucía to provide the necessary human resources to provide the best assis­ tance to residents and visi­ tors. As detailed in the re­ port, the new health centre will be an emblematic build­ ing, with a strong, modern and recognisable image thanks to its uniqueness and simplicity. It will be a clear reference point for people,

easily identifiable and locat­ able. It will also be very func­ tional, with 18 consulting rooms, two of them for pae­ diatrics. There will be a mul­ ti­purpose room, a breast­ feeding room and also a diagnosis room, plus rooms for minor surgery, physio­ therapy, electrotherapy, re­ habilitation, radiology.

A special area for emer­ gency care with an emer­ gency room and four con­ sulting rooms, a treatment room and an observation room are also included in the project.

TORROX Town Hall has launched the ‘Chiquisano’ healthy eating project for schoolchildren in the munici­ pality.

As indicated by councillor Ana Pérez, the aim is to pro­ mote the Mediterranean diet through educational work­ shops and an educational game like ‘La Oca’.

This initiative is part of the Health Promotion and Pre­ vention Strategy which has the backing of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP), of which Torrox Town Council is a member.

Rico indicated that with the project: “We promote healthy eating through play, and with educational, playful and dynamic material.

“We promote the con­ sumption of vegetable prod­ ucts, fruits, olive oil, lean meats, legumes, fish and eggs, prioritising healthy fats, and avoiding ultra­processed

Credit: radiotorrox.es

‘Chiquisano’ healthy eating project in Torrox.

foods with high levels of harmful fats, as well as sugar and salt in excessive quanti­ ties,” she explained.

The councillor added: “We especially recommend sea­ sonal and local foods due to their freshness, as well as the simplest preparation meth­ ods.”

These workshops, which have the collaboration of Es­ peranza Sanz, the school nurse from the Basic Zone of Torrox for their develop­ ment, are aimed at second cycle primary school students from the five educational

Festive fun THE Christmas 2023/2024 programme in Nerja was re­ leased, featuring over 60 ac­ tivities spanning from Decem­ ber 1 to January 7. The festive period kicked off with the Municipal Nativity Scene in­ auguration at the Tourism Of­ fice on Friday December 1.

Mark your calendars for December 9, 7.30pm, as the Christmas lights will illuminate the Balcón de Europa with a heartwarming display involv­ ing Frigiliana’s Pastoral group.

On December 10, immerse yourself in the Rosary of Car­ ollers dedicated to Mary of the Forsaken.

Join the unveiling of the Liv­ ing Nativity Scene on Decem­ ber 17. Then, on December 22

at Plaza de España, explore the Christmas Park and Mar­ ket, complete with snowfall!

Experience the thrill of Santa Claus’ Parade on December 23. Welcome the New Year on December 31 at Balcón de Europa, a grand end­of­year celebration will take place at 11.30pm. And on January 5, enjoy the traditional Three Kings’ Parade.

From pastoral perfor­ mances to contests for Christ­ mas desserts, workshops, and senior luncheons, the festivi­ ties promise something spe­ cial for everyone.

Stay tuned for timely up­ dates on these delightful events on the Nerja Town Hall website or social media.

centres in the municipality.

It has a budget of just over €2,500, of which 60 per cent is contributed by the FEMP under an agreement signed with the Ministry of Health.

The Health Department of the Torrox Town Hall is also working on an intersectoral coordination table in which various local officials related to prevention will participate within the aforementioned Strategy for Health Promo­ tion and Prevention.

There is also a map of re­ sources on Torrox Town Council’s website and, among other things, healthy walking routes have been signposted in the municipali­ ty.

Set success RINCON DE LA VICTORIA re­ cently played host to a seg­ ment of the filming for ‘Ham­ buro’, a movie produced by Zeta Productions. The produc­ tion boasted a substantial team comprising around 50 production crew members and roughly 30 supporting cast members. Jesús Pérez Atencia, the Vice President of Tourism for the Mancomunidad Axar­ quia Costa del Sol, emphasised the significance of this shoot in solidifying Axarquia as a ‘Cine­ ma Hub’, thereby promoting tourism in the Axarquia Costa del Sol region.

Expressing gratitude, Pérez Atencia acknowledged the in­ volvement of Rincon de la Vic­ toria’s town council in collabo­ rating with Axarquia Film Office in facilitating permits, providing location advice, and implementing safety mea­ sures. Their joint efforts have contributed significantly to the successful execution of this cin­ ematic project while enhanc­ ing the region’s appeal as a burgeoning film destination.

LOCAL NEWS

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7 - 13 December 2023

THE 2023­2024 Christmas programme began in Tor­ rox on Tuesday, December 5, with the nativity scene route and the lighting of the Christmas lights from the Plaza de la Constitu­ ción.

This was announced by the mayor, Óscar Medina, who acknowledged the joint work of both José Luis Ruiz, the councillor for Fiestas, Salvador Escudero, the councillor for Popular Traditions, in organising of ‘one of the best Christmas programmes in the province of Malaga’.

Medina highlighted that Torrox will have ‘several thousand LED lights, more than any other year’, along with the usual festivities, activities, concerts, perfor­ mances and Christmas photocalls.

On Wednesday 6, the Christmas tree made with crochet by the women’s association La Carraca was

Credit: radiotorrox.es

Torrox Christmas programme

Presentation of the Torrox Christmas programme.

inaugurated in Calle Joaquín Coronado in the Venta Espinosa area of El Morche.

At 6pm today, Thursday December 7, the Christ­ mas gala featuring Or­ tigosa will take place at the Teatro Villa de Torrox. A show by the Lidia and Lucía Choir and Dance Academy, will also be held at the same venue on Fri­ day December 15.

Continuing the celebra­ tions will be a parade of the Las Nieves choir

through the historic centre of Torrox on Wednesday December 20.

That will be followed by the first big Christmas par­ ty with a living nativity scene made by the Almed­ ina women’s association which will be held in the Plaza de la Constitución on Thursday December 28.

Finally, the month’s events will conclude on Saturday 30, with a con­ cert in the Plaza de San Roque by the cultural as­ sociation Vive la Música.

Catherine McGeer THE Government Board has given the green light to a project set to begin the con­ struction and contracting of works, including the emer­ gency centre and headquar­ ters of the Provincial Fire Consortium. Malaga’s Diputación will invest €4.5 million in a new fire station building in Rincon de la Vic­ toria, accommodating the emergency centre and Provincial Fire Consortium (CPB) headquarters.

The operational firefight­ er count will rise from 15 to

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7

Fire station 20, with increased vehicles and materials. This will help improve response times for the town and the neigh­ bouring areas.

The CPB Malaga’s central offices will relocate to this new station for administra­ tive and technical service control. Moreover, the Fire Emergency Coordination Centre will house 10 dis­ patchers managing alerts and monitoring the remain­ ing 14 fire stations, catering

IN a significant stride towards safeguarding Nerja’s cat colonies, a pivotal meeting was held between the Costa Animal Society and the Nerja Town Hall. The discussions revolved around ensuring the protection and securing the future of these beloved feline communities within the town. The backdrop to this meeting was the enact­ ment of new animal laws, effective since September 2023, which designate street cats under the protection of town halls.

Crucially, these laws prohibit the removal of existing cat colonies from their habitats.

Despite the upcoming year’s budgetary constraints that don’t include provisions for feline welfare, the meeting marks a

to 700,000 people across 97 municipalities.

Over €30 million has been invested into this project over the last four years, with nearly €16 million di­ rected towards new trucks and vehicles. The new Rin­ con de la Victoria fire sta­ tion, emergency centre, and CPB headquarters will cover approximately 5,700 square metres on Calle Sierra de Ronda, north of the A­7 mo­ torway.

Cat colonies promising initiation. Representatives duly acknowledged the concerns and require­ ments presented. Volunteers nurturing these colonies will soon receive official badges from the town hall.

Additionally, a specialised police force, well­versed in animal rights, will provide support, promptly reporting any hostility towards volunteers or destruction of feed­ ing stations. This development heralds a brighter future for Nerja’s controlled cat colonies, fostering hope and progression within the community.

EWN

euroweeklynews.com

7 - 13 December 2023

Credit: Press Ayto Almuñécar

Online training school

Beatriz Gonzalez, the Almuñecar councillor for Promotion and Employment.

A TOTAL of 26 registrations have been received

by Almuñecar Town Hall for the online training that is being held in collaboration with the company Matrícula 10, under the name of On­ line Training School.

Beatriz Gonzalez, the councillor for Promo­ tion and Employment explained that the initia­ tive which began on December 4, and will run until January 19, aims to continue to promote training without timetables, making it more convenient and accessible.

“Of the 26 registrations, 18 unemployed people have benefited from the subsidy pro­ posed by the Sexitano Town Hall. There will be

29 training modules carried out,” said Gonza­ lez. “When choosing the courses, the most de­ manded training needs in the municipality have been considered, differentiating different blocks to reach all users.

“As a result, we have highlighted sectors such as hospitality, health, IT and languages. Al­ ways with the main objective of improving the employability of the residents of the municipal­ ity and facilitating their incorporation into the labour market,” she concluded.

The courses cost €40 each, with the first 10 unemployed people who provided proof of a registered job receiving a 50 per cent subsidy.

THE recently endorsed Cues­ ta del Cielo Trail, acknowl­ edged by both the Andalu­ cian Board and the Andalucian Mountaineering Federation, leads adventur­ ers to the awe­inspiring Pico del Cielo (Peak of the Sky), standing tall at 1,508 metres above sea level and a mere six kilometres from the coastline.

This challenging ascent from the picturesque coastal town of Nerja unfolds a journey through varying landscapes, culminating in a reward of un­ paralleled panoramic views spanning the Axarquia region and the sea, offering glimpses across the European and African shores.

The trail’s recent designa­ tion as a Sports Trail was a culmination of efforts by the Nerja Town Council, marking its completion with the in­ stallation of new markers and signals by TrakRoot SCA. Reflective rings adorn the path, particularly accentuat­ ed in higher sections, while additional rock­affixed sig­ nage enhances visibility at night and warns of potential hazards like fog and cliffs.

Reaching the summit of Pi­

LOCAL NEWS

Peak glory Image: esnerja.com

8

co del Cielo is a triumph, of­ fering an unparalleled spec­ tacle of landscapes and vistas that capture the essence of natural beauty and geo­ graphical diversity.

Where heaven meets earth.

Coastal kiosks THE Public Works Department of Rincon de la Victoria Town Council has announced a project to revamp the fixed kiosks selling ice cream, sweets, and newspapers across the municipality’s streets. The initial phase has kicked off with an investment budget of €29,947.50 dedi­ cated to renovating six of these kiosks.

This project unfolds in two phases, targeting a total of 12 fixed kiosks catering to the sale of ice cream, sweets, and newspapers throughout the public spaces of the town. The new kiosk design will feature uniform grey roofs and awnings, while the exterior aesthetics will in­ clude an aluminium framework, shutters, and a white finish. Each kiosk will boast perimeter lighting using LED strips and will be named after coastal references, adding a thematic touch. The rehabilitation and modernisation will aim to enhance the visual appeal and functionality of these kiosks, offering a cohesive and attractive streetscape while maintaining a nod to the coastal charm of Rincon de la Victoria.

Community spirit THE charming town of Archez recently illuminated its streets with sparkling Christmas lights, marking the beginning of the festive season. Locals enjoyed a de­ lightful evening along with a

helping of churros and hot chocolate.

The town also presented an array of exciting events lined up. Music enthusiasts can mark their calendars for December 8, as the Nuestra

Señora de la Encarnación church will host a Villancicos gathering (Christmas Carols), featuring choirs and musical groups from neighbouring areas.

For the young ones, a chocolate and candy­mak­ ing workshop awaits on De­ cember 16, while seniors can participate in a macramé Christmas tree workshop. December 21 brings the installation of a Christmas village, Santa’s workshops, children’s enter­ tainment, and a delightful chestnut festival.

Children can deliver their wish lists for Santa while en­ joying various activities.

Post­Christmas, from De­ cember 26 to January 5, the town library will host holi­ day workshops for kids, of­ fering respite to working parents. The grand finale ar­ rives on January 5 with the Three Kings’ Parade, featur­ ing floats, children’s activi­ ties, and the distribution of gifts, candies, and the cus­ tomary King’s Cake.

euroweeklynews.com

7 - 13 December 2023

Xmas concert & dance gala THE Nerja School of Music and Dance is thrilled to announce its anticipated Christmas Concert and Dance Gala, promising to bring the season’s magic to our community, as stated by Nerja’s councillor for Education and Culture, Ana María Muñoz. This unique spectacle will take place at the Villa de Nerja Cul­ tural Centre on Wednesday, December 20 for Music, and on Thursday, Decem­ ber 21 for Dance, both starting at 7pm.

Wednesday December 20 will witness an emotionally charged concert. The School of Music students will offer a di­ verse musical selection, ranging from holiday classics to modern interpreta­

tions that will delight all attendees. The Dance Gala on Thursday December 21, performed by brilliant dance students, will showcase everything from elegant ballet moves to vibrant contemporary choreography and folk dances, the gala will be a visual celebration of these tal­ ented dancers.

The tickets are free of charge and will be available at the Villa de Nerja Cultur­ al Centre’s box office from Monday, De­ cember 18, during morning hours. Tick­ ets will be distributed on a first­come, first­served basis until full capacity is reached, with reserved seats for dance students.

Colmenar Christmas programme COLMENAR Town Hall has unveiled its highly anticipat­ ed Christmas programme for the 2023/2024 period.

Residents can look for­ ward to a festive season brimming with activities that will span all sectors of the population, from cultur­ al events to activities for the children.

This year’s schedule has been designed with the aim of promoting community participation and spreading the Christmas spirit through­ out the municipality.

With that in mind, Colme­ nar Town Hall seeks not only to celebrate Christmas, but also to strengthen commu­ nity ties and spread joy in

every corner of the munici­ pality.

The full Christmas pro­ gramme can be found on the official Colmenar Town Hall Facebook page where the council explained that they had tried to make the programme as balanced as possible, while putting in a lot of love and affection.

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9

‘Black Week’ campaign THE draw to allocate four prizes of €100 vouchers to people who took part in Al­ muñecar’s recent ‘Black Week’ campaign was held on Wednesday, November 29, by the Association of Sexitano Commerce (ACOS).

At the end of the campaign, a call was made to the cus­ tomers of the 80 participating businesses who had deposit­ ed their tickets in the mailbox located in the central Plaza de la Constitución in Almuñecar.

In order to be one of the four lucky winners, the recipi­ ent of the call from Remedios Rico, the president of ACOS, had to answer the question: ‘Do you know what I want?’.

The correct answer was: '’Buy in the Almuñequero store’.

Four people who gave the correct reply will now have €100 each to spend in the 80 establishments that took part in the campaign.

The initiative, which had the support of the Almuñecar Department of Commerce, was described by the ACOS president as being ‘success­

Credit: Prensa Ayto Almuñécar

LOCAL NEWS

Almuñecar’s ‘Black Week’ campaign.

ful’. The response was so much greater than last year that extra tickets had to be printed she revealed.

“The success of this cam­ paign helps us to get our bat­ teries ready for the next Christmas campaign, which we are already working on and which will be a campaign renewing our Advent Calen­ dar and that every year we are going to try to make the prizes even more succulent,” Rico explained.

“We know that people are

already expectant so we are working on it very hard and with great enthusiasm,” the president concluded.

In addition to congratulat­ ing the Sexitana Trade Associ­ ation (ACOS) for the initiative to reward customer loyalty, Lucía González, the councillor for Commerce added: “This type of initiative serves to boost our commerce, which is one of the objectives we set ourselves ‘in order to give life to our people, as I always say’.”

10 EWN 7 - 13 December 2023

NORWAY Fuel duel GREENPEACE and Friends of the Earth’s Norwegian branch launched a lawsuit challenging the government permission to open three new offshore oil and gas fields. Norway should leave the oil "where it is," they maintained, and accused the government of using petrol to extinguish the “climate crisis fire.”

In the dark A SPECIALIST firm was chosen to design minimal lighting for comfort stop toilets along the Hardanger section of the 18 roads included in the Norwegian Scenic Routes. The public loos designed by architect studio Code needed a ‘sensitive lighting scheme’ that would not stop visitors from appreciating the spectacular landscape.

SWEDEN

euroweeklynews.com

EURO PRESS THE NETHERLANDS

Ottoman gift A HANDMADE carpet given to the Peace Palace in The Hague by the Ottoman sultan, Abdulhamid II in 1907, has been sent for restoration to Aksaray (Turkey). Twenty-five people will work for a year on the carpet before it is returned to the Peace Place, which now houses the International Court of Justice.

IRELAND Hygiene poverty A SMALL-SCALE survey carried out by Trinity College Dublin found that 65 per cent of respondents went without basic toiletries or hygiene items this year because they could not afford them. Sixty-nine per cent admitted feeling ‘embarrassed or ashamed’, while 61.2 per cent reported increased stress.

Charge it

NETHERLANDS: Turkey carpet will take a year to restore.

Photo credit: hurimg/i/hurriyet.com

GERMANY

EUROPEAN PRESS

FRANCE

EIGHTY-FIVE per cent of drivers with electric vehicles (EVs) in Ireland said they found running costs were lower than their previous petrol or diesel car. A further 62 per cent of motorists who currently drive an EV said that they would happily buy another when choosing their next vehicle.

PORTUGAL

Fine example

Lucky star

Chanel myth

Fair shares

WHILE Tesla battles Sweden’s IF Metall for refusing to sign a collective agreement, the union’s lawyer, Darko Davidovic, has played a leading role in negotiations. Despite his criticism of the carmaker's stance, insiders revealed that Davidovic’s family currently uses a Tesla Model Y, while he drove a Model S in the past.

WHEN Lucy, a three-year-old tabby disappeared from her Wallensen (Hanover) home in November 2022, her family thought the worst until she turned up 60 kilometres away in Garbesen a year later. A cat lover took her in and, since Lucky was luckily chipped, she was immediately reunited with her family.

HISTORIAN Guillaume Pollack questioned the authenticity of new documents suggesting that Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel was a member of the Resistance as well as a Nazi informant during the Second World War. Chanel possibly used the documents to restore her reputation after the war, Pollack said.

ONE-HUNDRED teachers demonstrated in front of the Portuguese parliament, calling for the government to allocate at least 6 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product on education. The teachers claimed that with tax revenue increased by €2 billion, it was a missed opportunity not to invest in state schools.

Cheaper coffee

Direct route

Metro hike

New foods

COFFEE prices dropped by around 6 Krona (€0.53) a kilo as prices stabilised following a steep rise in 2021 owing to poor crops in Brazil and higher shipping prices during the pandemic.

With the prospect of an abundant 2024 harvest, prices are now falling the Matpriskollen food price comparison website, said.

PART of German Rail’s future 150-kilometre line between Dresden and the Czech capital, Prague, will include the country’s longest tunnel. This will enable passengers to travel between the two cities in 60 minutes at a speed of 200 kilometres per hour once the line is completed in the mid2040s.

PARIS metro tickets will practically double in price between July and September next year to help meet the cost of expanding the city’s transport network for the 2024 Olympic Games.

Millions of people are expected to flock to the capital when the Games are held from July 26 until August 11.

MICROHARVEST, a German biotechnology company producing sustainable proteins through microbial fermentation has opened a pilot plant in Lisbon where it intends to speed up marketing of its single-cell protein additive. This has many uses, the company said, including environmentally-friendly aquafeed for fish farms.

DENMARK

FINLAND

BELGIUM

ITALY Fast fashion LUCA CIUFFREDA, director of Primark Italy, announced €50 million plans for five new stores, bringing a total of 20 nationwide.

Ciuffreda, who joined the fast fashion chain when it opened in Italy in 2016, revealed that the new shops would be inspired by the latest retail innovations and ‘Italian style and architecture’.

Expo letdown ROME lost out to Saudi Arabia which has been chosen to host the 2030 World Expo that hopes to attract millions of visitors.

Members of the Bureau International des Expositions in Paris awarded runner-up Rome 17 of a possible 165 votes, with 119 going instead to Riyadh despite its human rights failings.

Epidemic level

Good dog

Mussel power

DENMARK’S State Serum Institute (SSI), responsible for the prevention of infectious diseases, prevention reported that atypical pneumonia cases had reached epidemic level, particularly amongst the six-to-12 age group.

The Institute’s Hanne-Dorthe Emborg said that a “significantly” higher number of cases were prevalent across the country.

PEPI, a sniffer dog that works with Customs officers in Turku, has been named Customs Dog of the Year. The labrador-retriever was responsible for locating several consignments of amphetamines as well as a stash of ecstasy that was hidden in children’s toys imported from the Netherlands.

BELGIAN scientists and mussel growers are collaborating on an experiment off the La Panne beach to prevent erosion. They have applied for a government grant to install mussel reefs between the shallow coastal waters and the North Sea to halt the powerful currents that strip sand from the beaches.

Getting colder SOME parts of Denmark experienced the coldest November night of the century as temperatures plunged to double digits below zero. Copenhagen’s Roskilde Airport’s weather station registered 15 degrees below freezing, while 7.7 degrees below zero in the city's Frederiksberg district was the lowest since 1919.

Post early FINLAND’S principal postal service, Posti, handled around 1.4 million parcels during Black Friday week, which also coincided with the beginning of the Christmas period. Posti has now opened 37 temporary pickup points and begun Saturday parcels’ deliveries in major cities to guarantee coverage over the holiday season.

Cut the cackle A NEW dating app called Breeze is unlike all others, as it provides no chat function but asks users who match if they are available for a date, which can they confirm for a €9 fee. “Singles no longer want to chat superficially and endlessly online,” co-owner Marco van der Woude said.

Advertising Feature

FINANCE DOUG PUTMAN, owner of HMV who hoped to rescue Wilko which collapsed into ad­ ministration with debts of £625 million (€723 million), said the failed retailer’s suppli­ ers and landlords were ‘super­ inflexible’. They did not think of the 12,000­plus jobs that would have been saved, Put­ man claimed.

Helping out YOUNG Spanish wage­earners are now earning less in real terms than their parents did at the same age, a BBVA­financed survey revealed. It also found that 37 per cent of the over­ 60s had helped their children over the last year to buy the weekly shop or to pay their electricity or water bills.

Big bills AROUND seven million square feet (650,321 square metres) of Canary Wharf office space does not comply with environ­ mental property standards, as the UK government imple­ ments its green agenda. Dock­ lands landlords will now have to spend £300 (€347) per square foot to convert proper­ ties and remain within the law.

EV delay SEAT’S Martorell (Barcelona) plant will start building electric vehicles in 2026, instead of mid­2024 as originally planned.

The delay is linked to doubts as to whether the batteries for the cars will come from the gi­ gafactory currently under con­ struction in Sagunto (Valencia) or the Salzgitter plant in Ger­ many.

Looking ahead ROLLS­ROYCE chief executive Tufan Erginbilgic plans to in­ crease medium­term annual operating profits to £2.8 billion (€3.2 billion) measured against the £1.4 billion (€1.6 billion) forecast for 2023. The Rolls­ Royce chief also wants to see a free cash flow of £2.8 billion (€3.2 billion) and £3.1 billion (€3.6 billion).

was spent on soft drinks in Spain last year, with sales that STAT OF were 15 per cent more than in 2021 and exceeded preWEEK €4.3 billion Covid figures for the first time.

Ferrovial leaves Heathrow SPANISH multinational Fer­ rovial is selling its 25 per stake in Heathrow airport for £2.4 billion (€2.7 billion).

Ten per cent will go to Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund run by the Sau­ di crown prince, Mo­ hammed bin Salman, and 15 per cent to the French private equity firm Ardian.

The sale must first obtain regulatory clearance and it is also dependent on the rights of other shareholders in FGP Topco, Heathrow’s parent company. These in­ clude the Qatar Investment Authority and the Aus­ tralian Retirement Trust.

Ferrovial began trimming down its 56 per cent stake

Photo credit: CC/Orderinchaos

Too late

euroweeklynews.com • 7 - 13 December 2023

HEATHROW AIRPORT: Ferrovial sells its 25 per cent stake.

in Heathrow in 2012 and has held an unchanging 25 per cent since 2013.

Heathrow is currently running at a loss but the shortfall began to contract this year as passenger num­ bers returned to 2019 lev­

IBERDROLA, Europe’s biggest electrici­ ty company and the second­largest globally, intends to invest £12 billion (€13.9 billion) in the UK between 2024 and 2028.

The company’s executive chairman Ignacio Sanchez Galan explained Iber­ drola’s plans to the British PM, Rishi Sunak, and Defence secretary Grant Shapps during the recent UK Global Investment Summit.

Galan stressed that thanks to the UK’s stable and predictable regulatory frameworks Iberdrola was “more committed than ever” to continuing to invest in its networks and renew­ ables.

The company had invested approxi­ mately £30 billion (€34.7 billion) over

Chipping in AMERICAN companies are in­ terested in opening semi­con­ ductor factories in Spain, re­ vealed Mark Gitenstein, the US ambassador to the EU. Gitenstein said during a re­ cent visit to Madrid that there was growing interest thanks to the Spanish government’s €12.25 billion PERTE chip pro­ gramme.

“I know of at least two American companies consider­ ing Spain for this type of ven­ ture,” the ambassador said.

Semi­conductor giant Broad­ com announced plans to build an electronic chip plant here last July, suggesting that an­ other manufacturer is also eyeing Spain for future invest­ ment.

els, following the pandemic restrictions which at one stage grounded practically all air traffic worldwide.

The airport received 59.4 million passengers between January 1 and September 30, a 34.4 per cent increase

Iberdrola’s UK projects Photo credit: hbpl.co.uk

BUSINESS EXTRA

12

UK COMMITMENT: Rishi Sunak, Grant Shapps and Ignacio Galan.

the past 15 years in the UK’s electrici­ ty grid and renewable generation ca­

Float for buoyant Puig CATALAN fragrance, cosmetics and fashion company Puig is planning a stock exchange float for early 2024.

Amongst other brands, Puig owns Charlotte Tilbury, Carolina Herrera, Pa­ co Rabanne, Jean Paul Gaultier, Nina Ricci and Penhaligon’s.

Initial market valuations put a figure of around €10 billion on a future list­ ing but sources quoted in the financial daily Cinco Dias emphasised that the company’s plans are still at an early stage.

JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs and STJ Advisors as well as the Linklaters and Cuatrecasas law firms were all named as consultants in the operation.

Puig reported revenues of €3.6 bil­ lion last year and €400 million in prof­ its, which was well ahead of its three­ year plan announced in 2022 that foresaw a turnover of €3 billion by 2023 and €4.5 billion in 2025.

on the same nine months in 2022.

Ferrovial, which has a 50 per cent holding in Ab­ erdeen, Glasgow and Southampton airports and owns 49 per cent of Termi­ nal One at New York City’s JFK, remains ‘fully commit­ ted’ to carry on investing in its airport interests, Luke Bugeja, Ferrovial Airports’ chief executive said.

When markets opened on November 29, Ferrovial shares rose 2.5 per cent while Banco Sabadell ana­ lysts were quoted in the me­ dia as saying that the compa­ ny would now invest in projects “with more attrac­ tive returns than Heathrow.”

pacity, he added.

Meanwhile, ScottishPower was the UK’s first utility to generate 100 per cent green electricity.

Around two­thirds of Iberdrola’s 2024­28 investments will focus on transmission and distribution electrici­ ty networks, with projects including the £2.7 billion (€3.1 billion) Eastern Green Link 1 undersea transmission cable, which received the go­ahead in November this year.

Construction is due to begin in early 2024 and, once completed, will trans­ port enough clean, green, renewable energy to supply up to two million homes while increasing the resilience of the UK’s transmission grid, Galan announced.

Metro rescue METRO BANK shareholders have approved a £925 million (€1.07 billion) rescue deal.

A refinancing proposal re­ ceived ‘very strong support’ as more than 90 per cent of Metro shareholders voted for ‘all resolu­ tions’, the bank revealed on November 27.

Metro announced last month that it had negotiated a £925 mil­ lion package consisting of £325 million (€376 million) in new capi­ tal plus £600 million (€694 mil­ lion) of debt.

The bank’s largest shareholder, Spaldy Investments owned by Colombian billionaire Jaime Gilin­ ski Bacal, increased its stake from 9 per cent to 53 per cent by con­ tributing £102 million (€118 mil­ lion) of the new capital.

Slow to grow BANK OF ENGLAND governor An­ drew Bailey voiced concerns re­ garding the UK’s future growth prospects at the end of last month.

Days after the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) reduced its growth predictions for the next two years, Bailey told a Newcastle newspaper that the “supply side” of the economy had slowed.

“If you look at what I call the po­ tential growth rates of the econo­ my, there’s no doubt it’s lower than it has been in much of my working life,” he said.

Asked about interest rates, the Bank of England government an­ swered that they were unlikely to be cut “for the foreseeable future.”

Telefonica redundancies BETWEEN 2,500 and 3,000 of Tele­ fonica’s 17,000 employees are to be made redundant.

The company, which has not yet announced specific numbers, dis­ cussed the redundancies with union leaders on November 27, the Union General de Traba­ jadores (UGT) confirmed after a meeting to negotiate the collective bargaining agreement.

This was an unexpected move on Telefonica’s part, following last October’s rumours of early retire­ ment and ‘incentivised departures’ for 5,000 staff members.

Negotiating tables to discuss the collective bargaining agreement and the redundancies would be set up in early December, with an official statement regarding the number of workers affected.

Telegraph worries A GROUP of MPs asked minis­ ters to investigate a deal that would give control of the Tele­ graph to a United Arab Emi­ rates­backed consortium.

The call from MPs, who in­ cluded the former Conservative party leader Iain Duncan Smith, asked ministers to use national security legislation to investi­ gate the Barclay family’s pro­ posed deal with RedBird IMI. The Abu Dhabi­backed joint venture is preparing to deliver a letter to the UK’s Culture sec­ retary, giving her 48 hours’ no­ tice that the Barclays’ £1.16 bil­ lion (€1.34 billion) debt with Lloyds Bank is ready for repay­ ment.

FINANCE

14 EWN 7 - 13 December 2023

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CLOSING PRICES 4 DECEMBER

PRICE(P)

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

NET VOL

InterContinental

6.336,0

+32,0

+0,51%

6,08K

Intermediate Capital

1.591,92

+6,00

+0,38%

6,28K

18,31K

Intertek

4.049,0

+15,0

+0,37%

7,77K

-2,36%

296,76K

ITV

60,94

+1,02

+1,71%

1,05M

-15,00

-1,00%

53,20K

J Sainsbury

284,60

+0,10

+0,04%

57,90K

4.903,0

+1,0

+0,02%

21,93K

Johnson Matthey

1.560,5

-11,5

-0,73%

12,16K

Associated British Foods

2.396,0

+9,0

+0,38%

53,30K

Land Securities

638,60

+5,00

+0,79%

125,49K

AstraZeneca

10.198,0

0,0

0,00%

32,28K

Legal & General

228,00

+0,50

+0,22%

431,06K

13,69K

Lloyds Banking

44,95

+0,46

+1,03%

11,31M

204,54K

London Stock Exchange

8.984,1

-10,0

-0,11%

8,39K

COMPANY

PRICE(P)

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

3I Group

2.257,00

+9,00

+0,40%

56,80K

Abrdn

166,70

+2,55

+1,55%

104,24K

Admiral Group

2.695,7

-9,0

-0,33%

Anglo American

2.256,5

-54,5

Antofagasta

1.480,50

Ashtead Group

Auto Trader Group Plc Aviva

724,40 418,20

+3,00

+0,42%

NET VOL

COMPANY

1.16541

0.85804

Units per €

US dollar (USD) ........................................1.0817 Japan yen (JPY)........................................159.71 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................0.9493 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4557 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................11.651

-1,60

-0,38%

B&M European Value Retail SA593,60

+4,60

+0,78%

81,56K

Melrose Industries

540,40

+6,60

+1,24%

126,73K

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BAE Systems

1.050,91

-8,50

-0,80%

252,27K

Mondi

1.438,50

-4,50

-0,31%

73,90K

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Barclays

142,82

+0,46

+0,32%

1,70M

National Grid

1.034,00

+1,00

+0,10%

134,71K

Barratt Developments

522,40

+2,60

+0,50%

138,26K

NatWest Group

213,60

+2,40

+1,14%

792,32K

8.082,0

+40,0

+0,50%

11,57K

+19,80

+3,33%

141,23K

Berkeley

4.739,0

+27,0

+0,57%

3,36K

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BHP Group Ltd

2.443,00

-31,50

-1,27%

42,83K

Ocado

614,48

BP

468,35

-10,05

-2,10%

2,28M

Persimmon

1.287,0

+4,5

+0,35%

24,65K

98,47K

Phoenix

471,62

+1,70

+0,36%

69,61K

Prudential

868,00

-0,80

-0,09%

147,77K

British American Tobacco 2.520,0

+12,0

+0,48%

British Land Company

363,20

+2,30

+0,64%

52,82K

BT Group

124,20

+0,55

+0,45%

744,56K

Bunzl

2.984,9

-11,0

-0,37%

2,89K

Burberry Group

1.511,0

+12,5

+0,83%

87,25K

Carnival

1.110,9

+30,0

+2,77%

22,34K

Centrica

151,75

-0,80

-0,52%

410,42K

Coca Cola HBC AG

2.220,0

+1,0

+0,04%

48,84K

Reckitt Benckiser

5.424,0

+8,0

+0,15%

34,80K

Relx

3.040,00

-10,00

-0,33%

135,18K

Rentokil

431,00

+2,90

+0,68%

170,62K

Rightmove

560,20

+8,00

+1,45%

59,28K

Rio Tinto PLC

5.454,0

-145,0

-2,59%

165,92K

Rolls-Royce Holdings

286,75

+10,00

+3,61%

4,23M

Sage

1.153,00

+4,00

+0,35%

76,84K

Samsung Electronics DRC 1.385,00

+7,00

+0,51%

0,69K

Schroders

407,3

+0,9

+0,22%

154,93K

Scottish Mortgage

721,90

+2,40

+0,33%

115,69K

Segro

827,80

+4,40

+0,53%

88,14K

Severn Trent

2.607,5

-9,0

-0,34%

67,25K

Shell

2.524,5

-43,5

-1,69%

568,43K

Smith & Nephew

1.038,73

+2,50

+0,24%

86,02K

Smiths Group

1.652,50

-7,00

-0,42%

23,88K

Spirax-Sarco Engineering 9.298,0

+20,0

+0,22%

3,01K

SSE

1.852,00

+7,00

+0,38%

74,73K

St. James’s Place

665,80

+7,60

+1,16%

63,43K

Standard Chartered

653,40

+0,80

+0,12%

161,60K

Taylor Wimpey

132,05

+0,90

+0,69%

465,78K

Tesco

281,01

+1,40

+0,50%

509,02K

Tui

501,50

+12,00

+2,46%

63,04K

Unilever

3.791,5

+11,0

+0,29%

114,15K 472,37K

Compass

2.035,00

+9,00

+0,44%

84,92K

CRH

5.058,0

+18,0

+0,36%

30,58K

Croda Intl

4.501,7

+23,0

+0,51%

5,19K

DCC

5.500,0

+14,0

+0,26%

3,20K

Diageo

2.816,0

0,0

0,00%

112,99K

DS Smith

302,84

+6,50

+2,19%

593,14K

EasyJet

478,00

+5,80

+1,23%

477,22K

Experian

2.928,0

+4,0

+0,14%

30,23K

Ferguson

13.320,0

-235,0

-1,73%

10,02K

Flutter Entertainment

12.240,0

-355,0

-2,82%

71,72K

Fresnillo

588,47

-3,80

-0,64%

46,20K

Glencore

447,05

-10,65

-2,33%

1,73M

GSK plc

1.454,20

+18,20

+1,27%

167,13K

Halma

2.144,0

+11,0

+0,52%

71,57K

Hargreaves Lansdown

716,00

+3,80

+0,53%

30,23K

Hikma Pharma

1.749,50

-8,50

-0,48%

13,03K

HSBC

603,40

-0,70

-0,12%

880,74K

United Utilities

1.081,00

-11,00

-1,01%

IAG

158,88

+2,38

+1,52%

926,60K

Vodafone Group PLC

71,56

-0,11

-0,15%

2,72M

Imperial Brands

1.876,50

+18,00

+0,97%

75,28K

Whitbread

3.194,0

+12,0

+0,38%

14,47K

Informa

763,00

+6,00

+0,79%

66,63K

WPP

720,80

+10,00

+1,41%

101,54K

DOW JONES CLOSING PRICES 4 DECEMBER

COMPANY

PRICE

CHANGE

CHANGE% VOLUME(M)

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

99,85 173,75 272,45 191,24 233,85 256,76 144,81 48,47 58,63 52,30 348,59 319,68 197,78 160,57 43,74 158,38 156,93 285,92 103,44 374,51 113,48 152,67 259,99 182,01 547,01 38,57 257,05 20,79 154,35 92,55

+0,78 +2,98 +2,81 +1,29 +2,22 +6,04 +1,21 +0,09 +0,19 +0,55 +7,05 +6,19 +1,86 +2,01 -0,96 +3,72 +0,85 +4,08 +0,96 -4,40 +3,58 -0,85 +8,09 +1,39 -4,08 +0,24 +0,37 +0,85 -1,34 -0,14

+0,79% 2,70M +1,75% 2,91M +1,04% 2,02M +0,68% 40,06M +0,96% 6,44M +2,41% 3,03M +0,84% 11,09M +0,19% 18,00M +0,33% 13,74M +1,06% 3,32M +2,06% 1,88M +1,97% 3,23M +0,95% 2,81M +1,27% 4,78M -2,15% 39,51M +2,41% 8,59M +0,54% 8,49M +1,45% 2,90M +0,94% 6,52M -1,16% 29,21M +3,26% 7,69M -0,55% 5,29M +3,21% 14,23M +0,77% 1,16M -0,74% 3,31M +0,63% 17,89M +0,14% 3,78M +4,26% 12,12M -0,86% 11,20M -0,15% 9,96M M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ CLOSING PRICES 4 DECEMBER

COMPANY Most Advanced Elastic N.V. UiPath Inc. Samsara Inc. Upstart Holdings, Inc. Marathon Digital Holdings, Inc. Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Vornado Realty Trust Carvana Co. HashiCorp, Inc. Lyft, Inc. Enovix Corporation

CHANGE NET / %

VOLUME

+37.13% +26.72% +25.60% +20.96% +14.45% +14.31% +13.68% +12.39% +12.14% +12.02% +11.92%

12.197M 53.009M 16.514M 17.616M 57.061M 5.431M 5.428M 12.032M 4.504M 32.276M 5.271M

-34.54% -7.27% -7.22% -6.56% -6.22% -5.26% -5.24% -5.19% -5.12% -4.66% -4.34%

159,078 8.582M 5.529M 836,350 42,995 25.376M 12.614M 14.19M 103.187M 1.485M 95,570

Most Declined Incannex Healthcare Inc. Clearwater Analytics Holdings, Inc. VinFast Auto Ltd. Central Puerto S.A. Pacific Gas and Electric Company Marvell Technology, Inc. XPeng Inc. Dell Technologies Inc. Pfizer Inc. LifeStance Health Group, Inc. BOC Aviation Limited

‘

FINANCE

euroweeklynews.com

ASK THE EXPERT Peter Loveday

Contact me at euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com

• Euro EUR/GBP: Down from £0.87 to £0.86 EUR/USD: Up from $1.05 to $1.09 The euro closed October on the back foot as the European Central Bank (ECB) ended 15 months of consecutive interest rate hikes by leaving its monetary policy unchanged at its latest policy meeting.

Weak Eurozone data and a cooling of inflation placed further pressure on the euro, before the single currency bounced back as we entered November, underpinned by its strong negative correlation with the US dollar.

Further support came from the release of stronger-than-expected German factory orders, while risk-off flows also buoyed EUR exchange rates. The euro then faced resistance in the middle of the month. While Germany reported a stronger-thanexpected rebound in economic sentiment, demand for the safe-haven currency was stymied by a sharp upswing in market risk appetite.

7 - 13 December 2023

US DOLLAR NOSEDIVES ON DISAPPOINTING DATA, POUND BOLSTERED BY HAWKISH BOE EUR exchange rates then struggled to find support in the second half of November, partly due to a warning from the ECB regarding the risks posed by weak growth and high interest rates to the Eurozone’s financial stability. Looking ahead, the immediate focus for EUR investors is likely to be the latest Eurozone consumer price index. Another cooling of inflation could push the ECB to begin discussing interest rate cuts when it holds it final policy meeting.

• Pound GBP/EUR: Unchanged at €1.14 GBP/USD: Up from $1.21 to $1.25 The pound traded in a wide range over the last month in response to mixed data and uncertainty over Bank of England (BoE) monetary policy.

After stumbling at the end of October amid UK recession fears, Sterling was rocked by the BoE’s latest interest rate decision. While the BoE left rates on hold, a surprisingly hawkish split within the Monetary Policy Committee, infused volatility into GBP exchange rates.

CURRENCY OUTLOOK: The pound could end the year on a high.

Dovish comments from BoE Chief Economist Huw Pill, then pulled the pound lower again as he hinted at possible rate cuts by the bank by the end of 2024.

Movement in Sterling then grew even more volatile in light of some mixed UK data releases. While GBP exchange rates were supported by surprisingly positive GDP and employment data. Cooler-than-expected inflation and an unexpected contraction in retail sales countered these releases.

The pound then rocked towards

the end of November. After initially finding support from some hawkish BoE commentary, Sterling sentiment faltered amid an underwhelming response to UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement.

The BoE is scheduled to hold one more policy meeting before the end of 2023.

If the bank continues to strike a broadly hawkish tone this could see the pound end the year on a high.

• US Dollar USD/GBP: Down from $0.82 to

EWN 15

$0.79 USD/EUR: Down from €0.94 to €0.91 The US dollar has fallen off a cliff over the past four weeks, with the currency sliding to new multi-month lows against the pound and the euro.

The collapse of USD comes as some high-impact US data missed the mark, which triggered a sharp pullback in Federal Reserve rate hike bets.

This was initially linked to the latest US non-farm payrolls data, after October’s figures printed well below expectations and shone a spotlight on the slowing US labour market. An even sharper USD selloff was then witnessed following the publication of the latest US CPI figures.

With both headline and core inflation cooling more than expected last month. This not only cemented expectations the Fed has reached the end of its hiking cycle, but also began to stoke rate cut speculation.

Looking ahead, the Fed is set to hold this year’s final policy meeting in December. No policy changes are expected next month, but the US central bank is likely to give a rough outline of its policy plans for 2024.

Could hints of a rate cut see the US dollar test new lows?

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.

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT IS there such a thing as a diversity biscuit? If so the deluge of TV com­ mercial, Christmas­tide presenta­ tions truly does take the full tin. A whole conglomeration of adverts has been sanitised by political correct­ ness, dissected with diversity, mugged by multi­culturist and treat­ ed to a positive blizzard of ‘snow­ flaking’ that is utterly mind boggling.

Mixed marriages and relationships abound.

Bunches of people in cars, restau­ rants and crowd locations, all contain the ‘correct’ number of white and ethnic minorities. Happy families, of carefully selected denominations, gather around tables groaning with Christmas fare; and all is well with the world on the birthday of Our Lord. Unfortunately, this so­called ‘merry’ conception is in no way a true reflection of the main bulk of British society. The great cities and communities of the UK are more seg­ regated than ever. Whole boroughs are dedicated to one particular race or religion. Growing numbers of British citizens don’t even celebrate

euroweeklynews.com

Mind boggling Christmas. Diversity is not working.

Last December, on a short UK visit, I telephoned the Salvation Army, en­ quiring as to why I had noticed their Christmas Carol street appearances seemed to be missing in certain (of­ ten unlikely) shopping areas; they in­ formed me that they were very care­ ful to now only present the Christian Army Bands where they would be acknowledged! Until we face up to the truth, we will NEVER find the Shangri­La of existence so desperate­ ly depicted by these sadly delusional ostriches who are in utter denial of the true state of affairs and seem to worm their way into every nook and cranny of our beleaguered social ex­ istence. It did strike me that the gatherings of those responsible for these ads must produce some of the most racial riddled confusing mish mash of problems imaginable.

Terrified of being declared non­PC, the selection committees, or casting agents, are no longer torn between those who may have more talent and be better qualified for the gig, but more importantly are judged by

their ethnic background and appear­ ance. The young Lady causing all the dissent on ‘I’m a Celebrity’ (some­ thing she most certainly is not!) is a prime example. Thousands of letters and comments on social media are voicing their dissatisfaction over her inclusion and attitude. The whole thing has become utterly ridiculous.

Nothing more than a pathetic at­ tempt to fool the viewing public that good old diversity is truly working and we are all living the paradise of good will and human understanding.

Well I’m sorry, I maintain that truth in these matters, however hard it is to bear, is the only real pathway to the peaceful resolution most of us truly do crave. And for those who would rather not hear the truth, I leave you with an ominous reflection of the great George Orwell, who wrote. ‘The further society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it’! And ain’t that the truth.

Keep the Faith.

Love Leapy. leapylee2002@gmail.com

FEATURE/NEWS

Bank telephone scam

TAKE HEED: Don’t discuss personal matters.

A SOCIAL media alert from a resident in Spain about a recent phone call from someone claiming to be from their bank set off alarm bells.

In this case, the call dis­ play made it actually ap­ pear that it had come from a bank and the person call­ ing said that they had de­ tected an attempt to with­ draw money from a cash machine using the individu­ al’s details.

The whole point of the exercise was to obtain con­ fidential information which will allow them to access your account and of course if you have given this volun­ tarily there is a chance that your bank will decline to re­ fund any money stolen, so

Image: Atlantic Wreck Divers / Facebook

16 EWN 7 - 13 December 2023

take heed.

A British based organisa­ tion UK Finance confirms that individuals may receive an automated call claiming a suspicious transaction has occurred on their account.

The consumer is then in­ vited to press a number on their phone to go through to a supposed agent who is in fact a fraudster.

The fact is that no bank will ever contact you asking for your online banking password, your four digit pin number or insist you transfer money to a new account to avoid fraud.

The best advice is to sim­ ply refuse to discuss person­ al matters with anyone who might call you unex­ pectedly and hang up.

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

INTERVIEW

Catch up with Jesse Meester WHAT does one do when they see a famous face casually walking across the street from them? Shout their name loudly at them of course (as if they didn’t already know it) and take a selfie to post on Instagram to prove it to your friends!

THAT was the story of how this good ‘tapear’. Next question, Euro Weekly News reporter do you prefer swimming in first met actor Jesse Meester, the pool or the sea? who is originally from the I am a sea kind of guy.

Netherlands. He explained The salt is great for the at the time that he had reskin too. Even now, in cently moved to the sunshine the winter, it’s an unCredit: Jesse Meester coast and purchased a propermatched feeling of freeJesse in Estepona. ty in Estepona. One year later dom in swimming in the vast EWN caught up with Jesse again to sea. Like a wild merman with no see how the move from Amsterdam to limits! Cute. So aside from the all year Marbella is unfolding for him. round swimming weather, what is the main Hello again Jesse! So, what attracted you difference between the Netherlands and specifically to the Costa Del Sol? Spain? Climate, culture, pace of life, and even Marbella is quite unique in its fusion of lux- the architecture are starkly different. ury and culture. Its stunning coastline, vibrant The Netherlands might be more known for lifestyle, golf courses and historical charm its bicycle-friendly cities (oh boy I miss that), make it the place to be. Now Malaga just while Spain has a deeply ingrained laid-back turned out to be the best city to live in, in the culture with a love for fiestas and leisurely world that is, did you know? siestas - haha. Got to love the siestas! So We did see that actually! So, what is your Jesse, lastly, but definitely not least(ly), Dutch opinion on Spanish food? girls or Spanish girls?

Spanish cuisine is amazing! From paella to Well, both are wonderful in their own tapas, the rich flavours and fresh ingredients ways. Dutch girls might be more straightformake dining an absolute delight. I love eating ward and open, while Spanish girls are light in the evening with just a few tapas. known for their passion and warmth. Beauty Yes, we agree with you there, EWN loves a truly lies in the eye of the beholder, doesn’t it?

euroweeklynews.com

7 - 13 December 2023

EWN 17

THE Euro Weekly News has teamed up with Age in Spain to uncover some of the great things happening around the country.

We want to find those un­ sung heroes who deserve to be thanked for what they’re doing. Dinner for two, a cer­ tificate for framing, and con­ gratulations from the UK Am­ bassador to Spain await the winner.

Has someone done you a good turn? Nominating them for the Good Neighbour Award is a great way to say thank you.

The outright winner last year was Lucia Miguel Bores from Carrion de los Condes, in Spain’s meseta. The lan­ guage school she founded has become a portal for new­ comers to Spain, not only to learn language skills ­ but through which people get help to deal with the chal­ lenges of life in a new coun­ try. Grateful students nomi­ nated Lucia for the award.

Credit: Holger Kraft/Pixabay

Good neighbour 2023 Shane McGowan passes

Does someone help you with the shopping?

There was a special com­ mendation for Kay Rowbot­ tom in Mojacar who, during lockdown, set up an online support group for women who felt isolated or vulnera­ ble.

Also, Kay Frances Sturdy­ girlsRus, beginning as a local group for Spanish women and incomers, it now has more than 1,500 members throughout the world.

With her late husband, Peter, Pat Love from the Loja area of Granada won special commendation for starting a

group for English­speaking migrants to Spain. Pat co­or­ dinated with UK Consular services in Granada and Malaga to help newcomers find their feet in their adopt­ ed country.

It takes two minutes to nominate someone (that person must live in Spain) and everyone nominated will receive congratulations from Age in Spain.

Go to www.ageinspain. org/goodneighbouraward to say thank you to that special person who’s helped you.

THE legendary Pogues front­ man has died, with tributes from politicians, fellow celebri­ ties and fans pouring in.

On Thursday, November 30, the world lost Shane Mc­ Gowan, one of Ireland’s most iconic singers, following a long­ fought battle against viral en­ cephalitis.

Shane, aged 65, was re­ leased from hospital only last week, but his wife Victoria Mary Clarke posted a message on Instagram to confirm on Thursday afternoon he had sadly passed away and paid her own heartfelt respects: “I am blessed beyond words to have met him and to have loved him and to have been so endlessly and unconditionally loved by him and to have had so many years of life and love and joy and fun and laughter and so many adventures.”

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar posted: “Sorry to hear that Shane McGowan has passed.

He was an amazing musician and artist. His songs beautiful­ ly captured the Irish experi­ ence, especially the experi­ ence of being Irish abroad:

CC - Marcus Lynam

NEWS

SHANE MCGOWAN: One of Ireland’s most iconic singers.

Shane MacGowan, Fairytale of New York singer, dies aged 65.”

Ireland’s President Higgins issued a statement in tribute: “Shane will be remembered as one of music’s greatest lyri­ cists. So many of his songs would be perfectly crafted po­ ems, if that would not have deprived us of the opportunity to hear him sing them.

“It was a great honour for me, as President of Ireland, to present Shane with a lifetime achievement award in the Na­

tional Concert Hall in January 2018 as we marked his 60th birthday.

“A richly deserved honour,” he concluded before offering his deepest condolences to Shane’s family.

Shane’s sister, Siobhan sim­ ply quoted the lyrics from one of Pogues many memorable songs: ‘So I walked as day was dawning, as small birds sang and leaves were falling, where we once watched the row boats landing on the Broad Majestic Shannon’.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPONSOR GO TO WWW.LINEADIRECTA.COM

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPONSOR GO TO WWW.LINEADIRECTA.COM

23

20 EWN 7 - 13 December 2023

euroweeklynews.com

FEATURE

COMMUNITY

COMMENTS

THIS past week, food has caught the imagination of readers of Euro Weekly News and the two hot topics were the launch of the new M&S Spanish Chorizo Paella Croquetas and the love that readers seem to have for Spanish Christmas favourite Roscón de Reyes.

Some of the comments on the croquetas veered back to Jamie Oliver and his proposed use of chorizo in paella and the outcry from Spanish food writers decrying it and a selection follows;

“

Oh yes they are right up my street!!

Samantha Idle

Firstly there is no potato in a croquette. It's just a bechamel, thick and creamy.

All M&S are doing is making a chorizo croqueta (not uncommon these days in modern bars) more cheaply by padding it out with rice. I won't be rushing to try it.

I've never heard of, or seen or tasted this concocted dish in Spain. But if people buy it and like it, then good luck to them. What's the Spanish equivalent of Delhi Belly?

Kevin Barber

Chorizo Paella what is that?? Can't beat a proper Paella, I will not forsake my home country's national dish Kathy Hyett

Liz Kirkham

Looks good to me.

Teresa Tracy Ramsey

Well. The jury is out here. Not sure of the combination, but I love paella and I love croquetas. But it does feel a bit disrespectful.

Still Fusion food is a thing.

Roisin Maire Stephenson

I t's really a simple wording mistake by them.

Don't write Spanish on them. They don't make that flavour here, so it's not Spanish.

Maybe it's Spanish ingredients.

Paella can have anything in it, it is a working man's dish, made with whatever is to hand. Sometimes just vegetables, just fish, in the hills they use squirrel, up until about 25 years ago they sold skinned rats in some carniceros, for paella. Rabbit is also very common... there is more than one recipe.

Alex Murdoch

What on earth is a chorizo paella anyway. A complete mystery here in Mallorca. No doubt the same in Spain. Ridiculous!

Charmaine Mockett

Hand made in Spain? Where in Spain would they make this rubbish.

Let’s be honest, most Spanish food is not that great. I truly believe it too highly overrated and I genuinely mean that. So I will try the M&S dish because it cannot be worse than I get in some local restaurants around the Orihuela Costa.

Doug Haynes

Mike George

Gordon O'Keeffe

Sounds good to me.

Sue Peers

What a load of crap! That is not Spanish cuisine just another abuse of traditional food from another country that's full of crap! Why don't they promote healthy food? And the benefits of the Mediterranean diet!

Christina Ford

Thirty plus years in Spain, eaten with numerous Spanish families and never had paella that includes chorizo. First time I saw paella con chorizo was the food mishandler, Jamie Oliver. No. Alan

Turning to the Christmas delicacy, readers seemed to be in almost complete agreement; I loved both Christmas, and the cake.

Heath Savage

Don't worry Spain, it shall not pass my lips!

Stevie Rayner

I'm definitely the grinch, I hate Christmas Nigel Springall

As an ex M&S man, now living in Mojacar, I think they look brilliant.

Gerry Diamond

Love it. Always go to our Spanish neighbours.

Hopefully I get the king. Not the bean! Lol. Sheila Hounslow

Comments should be emailed to yoursay@euroweeklynews.com or make your comments on our website: euroweeklynews.com Views expressed and opinions given are not necessarily those of the EWN publishers.

No responsibility is accepted for accuracy of information, errors, omissions or statements.

www.euroweeklynews.com • 7 - 13 December 2023

22

PETS

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Love signs CATS, often perceived as mys­ terious and aloof, actually have their unique ways of showing affection. Here are some signs: 1. Purring: Is a sign of con­ tentment and affection.

2. Head­Butting: Cats share their scent as a mark of trust and love.

3. Following You Around: A sign they enjoy your compa­ ny.

4. Bringing Gifts: Is a sign of affection and showing off their hunting skills.

5. Slow Blinking: The cat equivalent of a kiss. It shows they feel safe and fond of you.

6. Sleeping on You: Means they trust you and feel safest in your presence.

7. Showing Their Belly: Their most vulnerable spot.

It’s a sign of trust.

8. Grooming You: If your cat licks you, it’s a sign of deep af­ fection.

9. Kneading: Kneading with their paws on you is a com­ forting behaviour that origi­ nates from kittenhood.

Jake loves a dog-sitter playmate for free THERE are some dogs who, no matter how old they get, love to play and play and play. Meet Jake, he is one such dog and despite his 12 years he needs and loves a playmate.

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Jake is a mature mutt who loves a dog-sitter playmate.

How does it work?

HouseSit Match can help you find suit­ able sitters. Join our network for a small annual fee. You get ID checked for safety and then build your advert saying when you are going on holiday. House­sitters see your advert, they respond and you choose the sitter who’ll care for your pets.

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To find a house or pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com

Pets are living longer THE longevity of our beloved pets has significantly in­ creased over recent years.

Various factors contribute to this trend, ensuring a longer and healthier life for our ani­ mal companions.

1. Advanced Veterinary Care: Veterinary medicine has made leaps in progress, offering treatments for ail­ ments that were once con­ sidered fatal. Preventive care, including vaccinations and regular health checks, plays a crucial role in extend­ ing pet lifespans.

2. Improved Nutrition: The quality of pet food has drasti­ cally improved. Now, pet foods are specially formulat­ ed to meet nutritional needs

VETERINARY CARE: Plays a crucial role in extending lifespans.

at different life stages, con­ tributing to overall health and longevity.

3. Awareness of Pet Health: Pet owners are now more knowledgeable about their pets’ health needs. This increased awareness leads to

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timely medical intervention and better care at home.

4. Indoor Living: More pets, especially cats, are liv­ ing indoors, protecting them from external threats like traffic, predators, and dis­ eases.

5. Spaying and Neutering: These procedures can pre­ vent diseases such as uterine infections and certain types of cancer, contributing to longer lifespans.

6. Emphasis on Exercise: Regular exercise is crucial for maintaining a pet’s health. It prevents obesity, which is linked to numerous health problems.

Dog finds happy home IN a surprising turn of events, a dog who unwit­ tingly became embroiled in a major drug smuggling op­ eration has found a new lease of life.

In May of this year, Camila, a two­year­old dog, arrived at Heathrow Air­ port from Mexico with her Mexican owner.

Staff at the Animal Air­ care Reception Centre grew suspicious when they noticed how Camila’s crate was excessively heavy and had unusual dimensions, along with a strong odour of paint stripper.

Their investigation re­ vealed 10 one­kilo blocks of cocaine cunningly con­ cealed within a false base of the crate. This discovery led to the involvement of Border Force and the Na­ tional Crime Agency (NCA).

The owner was appre­ hended when he came to collect Camila. He initially claimed to have adopted the dog from a Mexican rescue centre.

However, the NCA’s in­ vestigation uncovered glar­ ing inconsistencies in his story, including over £3,000 spent on shipping the dog without booking a return trip. He later confessed to importing class A drugs, worth £800,000 into the UK, and was sent to prison.

Since her arrival, Camila has been under the care of the reception centre’s staff.

Darren Barr, NCA senior manager, said: ‘This story now has a happier ending for Camila, who will spend the rest of her life in a hap­ py home.”

The head of Animal Wel­ fare at LHR, Jake Holliday, said: “We decided to foster Camila while the NCA in­ vestigation was ongoing to ensure she was given the love she deserved. It be­ came apparent she was a friendly, affectionate girl.

Now it’s been confirmed Camila can go home with one of our animal welfare officers, who she adores.’”

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CHARITY New Life Church Whether you live in Nerja or are visiting our area, you are very welcome to come and join us at our Sunday gathering. Join us

for a time of Holy Spirit led worship and experience the presence of our God. Our teaching is Bible based as we honour God and obey His Word. During this time of uncertainty, God’s Word reminds us that the Gospel shines brightest in times of darkness.

Our service lasts for about 1 hour and 30 mins. With Tea and Coffee afterwards. Sunday Service 11.00am; Prayer Meetings Wednesdays 11.00am; Pasaje San Miguel, Nerja, 29780 Email: info@nlcnerja.com Website: www.nlcnerja. com Facebook:www.face book.com/nlcnerj

23

Priest in Charge, Father Nigel Thomas. Tel: Church House 951 815 736, Mobile: 608 695 756, e-mail: cofenerja@gmail. com.

CARS FOR SALE

THE ANGLICAN Chaplaincy of Nerja & Almunecar. Every Sunday there is a Holy Communion service at midday in San Miguel church in Nerja.

Every Wednesday morning at 9.30 we have an online ‘Zoom’ HC service - please contact Fr Nigel with an e-mail address if you would like to join us.

MISCELLANEOUS GOLD & SILVER Bought & Sold, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel - 678 716 693

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FOR SALE 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)

CHARITY Shop Pocapecunia we need things for the house/kitchen, decoration, vases, plates, cups, saucers, kitchen tools, paintings, pottery pots and pans etc. Prolongacion Avd. Rodgriguez Acosta, Nr the Parador Roundabout, opposite café Trébol, Nerja (294373)

CHURCH SERVICES

7 - 13 December 2023 • euroweeklynews.com

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INSURANCE STAY SAFE! Abbeygate Insurance Call 971 277 455 For your security www.abbey gateinsure.com (2887610)

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SITUATIONS VACANT DISTRIBUTION DRIVERS wanted for Costa del Sol and Costa Tropical. One day per week. Must be legal to work in Spain, have own transport, know the areas and be reliable.

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24 EWN 7 - 13 December 2023

Spain mourns cyclist THE Spanish cycling world mourns the sudden passing of Jorge Martin Montenegro. At just 40 years old, the ac­ claimed cyclist was found dead at his home.

Martin, an Argentine native who had made Spain his home, was a celebrated figure in cycling. He tragically passed away on November 26, leaving a legacy marked by significant achievements in both the professional and Elite categories.

Notably, Martin had been part of the 2010 Vuelta a Es­ paña with Andalucia­Caja Sur and was actively competing with CC Padrones Cortizo at the time of his passing.

Martin’s journey in cycling began in 2005, making an im­ mediate impact by winning the Argentine U­23 champi­ onship. He soon transitioned to European circuits, show­ casing his talent in various races, including the Vuelta a León and Tarragona.

His move to the Andalucia­Caja Sur team in 2010 marked his debut in the prestigious Vuelta a España. His career continued to flourish with victories like the Spanish Cup and the 2016 Spanish Elite Road Cycling Champi­ onship. Even in recent years, Martin remained a formidable competitor in the Elite category.

The cycling community has expressed its deep sorrow over Martin’s untimely death. The official account of the classic Caja Rural de Zamora shared a heartfelt tribute on social media: “We are very sorry for the loss of the cyclist Jorge Martin Montenegro who said goodbye to us at only 40 years old. The Spanish­Argentine was the winner of our race in 2016 and second in 2012. A huge and heartfelt hug from Zamora to all his family and friends. D.E.P.” Martin’s legacy will be remembered for his extraordi­ nary talent and the significant impact he made on the world of cycling.

euroweeklynews.com

ANDALUCIA WALKING FOOTBALL LEAGUE

This week’s action!

AWFL Over 50s AC Benahavis 5 v 3 Real Calahonda Calahonda started in lethal fashion, scoring in the first few minutes through an audacious effort from Simon Luke. A short time later Benahavis levelled through a rocketed shot on the turn by James Quinn. Mark Cooper then put the home side ahead with a well­executed free kick move from 15 me­ tres out. Huge pressure ensued from the hosts but, against the run of play, Richard Rose clinically grabbed the equaliser for the visitors just before half time. They then went ahead when Darren Canty spun his defender and scored from close range. Jose Bermudez then levelled for the hosts, coming in from wide on the left to slot home in this topsy­turvy game.

Cooper then bagged his second with a fine strike off the out­ side of his left boot and finally Bermudez did the same with a carbon copy of his first to give Benahavis all three points.

AWFL Over 60s AC Benahavis 9 v 1 Real Calahonda Benahavis began strongly and quickly raced into the lead with two penalties for encroachment into the goal area by the visitors. Then David O’Hara added a third for the hosts before half time with a delightful chip. In the second period, although Calahonda fought to try to stay in touch, they soon lost their goalie to injury, and then Benahavis really turned the screw, scoring six more, the best of which was a superb 25­metre strike from Peter Madden, capping a splendid all­ round team performance by the home side. Goals came from O’Hara (3), Colin McGeary (2), Charles Kleimunt, Rob Fitz, Mark Cooper and Madden, with a consolation goal being

Image: Facebook/ Club Natación Axarquía

Swimming champs THE Axarquia Swimming Club emerges as the run­ ner­up in Andalucia and champions in the boys’ category at the Winter Andalucian Underage Swimming Championship.

From December 1 to 3, the finest swimmers born in 2009 and 2010 gath­ ered for the event at Malaga’s Inacua facilities, with 51 clubs and 333 swimmers (156 male, 177 female) participating.

The Axarquia swimming club presented 17 swim­ mers (nine boys, eight girls). Their success was remarkable, clinching the Andalucian title in the

Swimming glory at the Andalucian Championships.

boys’ category and achieving a commendable

SPORT

fourth position among the girls.

This led them to secure the Andalucian runners­ up title and top the medal tally with 27 medals (12 golds, eight silvers, seven bronzes). Luis Anaya (2010) also set two records in the 50m and 200m breaststroke, clock­ ing a time of 32.83 and 2.34.98 respectively.

Their male relay teams conquered the Andalu­ cian championship in 4x100 medley and 4x200 freestyle, securing run­ ner­up in 4x100 freestyle.

The female team achieved fourth place in 4x100 freestyle and med­ ley relays.

Competa San Silvestre Run CHILDREN and adults are invited to take part in the Competa San Silvestre Run on Sunday December 31.

Runners can register online through the tusinscripciones.es website, or at the Guadalinfo Centre off Plaza Almijara. It

should be noted that no registrations will be accepted on the day of the race.

Volunteers interested in helping out along the route can register at Competa Town Hall with their name and telephone number.

Both Benahavis teams won against Real Calahonda.

scored by Steve Muschamp for the visitors. Both games were excellently controlled by ref Oz Fenn.

AC Benahavis would like to dedicate this 60s match to Steve Duffell, a club titan, who tragically lost his daughter re­ cently.

Axarfusion Cup Over 60s Nerja Utd. 3 v 1 Torrox Tornadoes (Sponsored by www.mylawyerinspain.com and www.axarfu sion.es)

From last week, three unreported league results: AWFL Over 50s Malaga WFC 7 v 0 Nerja Utd. AWFL Over 60s Malaga WFC 2 v 2 Nerja Utd. Competa Boca Seniors 2 v 4 Nerja Utd.

Winter Olympics THE French Alps and Salt Lake City in the US were confirmed respectively on Wednesday, November 29, as the sole candidates for the 2030 and 2034 Winter Games.

Karl Stoss, the head of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) future host commission, said Olympic chiefs would now move into ‘targeted dia­ logue’ with the two candi­ dates.

‘The IOC will now start more detailed discussions with the Preferred Hosts, led by their National Olympic Committees (NOCs), with the aim of awarding both editions at the 142nd IOC Session in July in Paris,’ the IOC said in a statement.

Wednesday’s decision was announced at the ex­ pense of Sweden and Switzerland, the two other candidates. Salt Lake City was the only candidate to launch a bid to host the 2034 Games.

Last month, the IOC said that it was aiming to make a double award by picking the 2030 and 2034 hosts together in July when about 100 members meet in Paris on the eve of the 2024 Summer Games.

That plan could now change to avoid a conflict for IOC members to have to vote for a French bid in its capital city.

France has hosted the Winter Games on three previous occasions. Cha­ monix was the location in 1924, Grenoble in 1968, and Albertville in 1992.

Salt Lake City previously hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics.

The French bid for the 2030 Games is based around the resorts of Meribel, Courchevel and Val d’Isere for alpine skiing while La Clusaz would host the Nordic events. Skating events would take place in the Mediterranean city of Nice, which would also act as the Olympic Village.