Mallorca 18 – 24 January 2024 Issue 2011

Mallorca • Issue No. 2011 • 18 - 24 January 2024

National Police ON Saturday January 13, Spain’s National Police celebrated its Bicentenary with the raising of the Spanish flag in major cities across the country.

In Mallorca the event took place in Calle Mirador in the capital, Palma in the presence of the president of the Congress of Deputies, Francina Armengol, the president of the Government, Marga Prohens, and the Government delegate in the Balearic Islands, Alfonso Rodríguez, in addition to other civil, military and police authorities.

A formal review of the massed ranks of National Police officers was undertaken by all of the special guests alongside the Chief of Police in the Balearic Islands, José Luis Santafé Arnedo.

Various speeches told the story of the activities of the force, welcomed the role being played by female officers and the importance of a strong coherent force able to protect the best interests of citizens by enforcing the law.

At the end of the ceremony, a wreath was placed under the raised flag of Spain, in honour of all of the police officers who have lost their lives whilst on active duty.

That evening, as it grew darker, the Consolat de Mar, Bellver Castle and the Balearic Parliament were bathed in blue.

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AMBASSADOR NADAL

Credit: Saudi Ministry of Sport screenshot

NEW COLLABORATION: Rafa Nadal in Saudi Arabia

John Smith THE Saudi Tennis Federation (STF) has unveiled a new collaboration with Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal.

Just when you think that he has just about done everything, the Mallorcan born tennis star has joined the many professional sports stars in hitching himself to the Saudi bandwagon In this partnership, the tennis icon assumes the role of ‘Ambassador of the Federation’, with a goal to inspire the next generation, promote tennis as a sport in the Kingdom, and contribute to the overall development of sports in the region.

Already heading a tennis academy in Manacor, Mallorca in partnership with

Movistar, it is now planned that something similar will be created in Saudi Arabia which will feature state-ofthe-art facilities and employ the latest training methods, aiming to cultivate emerging talents in the realm of tennis.

“The academy in Diriyah represents a long-term commitment to tennis and the Kingdom. Serving as a centre of learning, it aims to expedite the journey of ta-

lented individuals in tennis, providing players with an ideal environment to learn and enhance their competitive abilities,” Nadal said.

As with other sports personalities either moving to or becoming associated with Saudi Arabia, there has been some international criticism of Nadal’s decision although it is fair to say that he plans to create more new tennis academy’s around the world.

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31 million FOR an island with a population of one million, 31 million passengers is an incredible amount of travellers to pass through!

During the peak summer months, Palma airport on the island of Mallorca is one of the busiest airports in Europe. It has seen an 8 per cent growth in traffic, as its number of passengers has now reached an all time record of 31 million.

This figure shows the clear success of the tourist industry, as the island has a permanent population of just under one million.

Maurici Lucena, the Chairman and CEO of the Spanish Airport Authority, (AENA), explained that: “these record figures in air transport are fundamental for the economic and social development of Spain.

“We should all congratulate ourselves on them. Also the airlines that, like Aena, suffered the harsh consequences of the pandemic, and are now carrying more passengers than ever.”

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euroweeklynews.com II LOCAL NEWS

18 - 24 January 2024

Credit: Calvia Council

Cyber attack Calvia Town Hall.

ON Saturday January 13, the Calvia Council website was the victim of a cyber attack from Ransomware which is looking to be paid to release its hold.

The mayor, Juan Antonio Amengual, instituted and chaired a Crisis Committee with the purpose of trying to restore the situation as well as solve that problems that the cyberattack will have created to municipal services.

Specialists were brought in to conduct a forensic survey of what had taken place and the Council made a formal report to the Guardia Civil specialist cyber-crime group.

It was still possible for the

Council to communicate via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and the office was opened to the public in the normal way at the beginning of the working week.

By Wednesday January 17, the mayor reported that the Council continues to try to resolve all of the problems but that whilst some items such as residence certificates can be obtained in person, payment of taxes and other payments won’t be possible at all this week.

He went on the thank the nearly 1,000 people who work for the Council for their commitment as well as those institutions who have offered technical assistance to resolve the situation.

Jessica Sweeting IF you are looking to enjoy watching a combination of the demons being burned, big heads walking and potatoes and sausages being baked, then Calvia has a lot to offer, with events running from now until January 28.

The full programme is - Es Capdella - January 19 from 6pm to 11.59pm in the Plaza de Sa Vinya.

- Portals Nous i Bendinat – January 19 from 6pm to 1am in Plaza Alcazar.

- Galatzó - January 19 at 7pm in Plaza Francisca Revert.

- Palmanova - January 19 from 7pm to 12pm on Carrer Miguel de los Santos Oliver next to Bar Boler.

- El Toro - January 20 from 5pm to 2am in Plaza Europa.

- Cala Vinyes - January 20 from 5pm to 1am on the Cala Vinyes beach.

- Son Caliu - January 20 from 6pm to 1am in the Plaza Nueva in Son Caliu.

- Peguera - January 20 from 7pm to 2am in Plaza Matilde Warning.

- Calvia Vila - January 20

Calvia bonfires Credit: Calvia Council

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FULL PROGRAMME: Food is part of the adventure.

from 7pm to 3am in the Church Square.

- Costa d’en Blanes January 27 from 3pm to 12pm in the car park of the Ágora school and on its football pitch.

- Sol de Mallorca - January 27 from 5pm to 2am on Av. Balear) - Cas Català / Illetes January 27 from 6pm to 12pm in the Plaza de la Conquista.

-Palmanova – January 28 from 8 8am to 7pm in the Plaza de la Fuente.

More flights

THOSE in the south of England who want to holiday in Mallorca will be pleased to learn that Ryanair is not only increasing its UK fleet but is adding a new route.

Effective from March 31 until October 25, the airline will run three return flights a week from Luton to Palma.

Aircraft will modern Boeing 737s and flights will operate on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays with bookings be accepted now.

Luton joins Stansted as the London gateway to Mallorca.

Contemporary art THE CCA Andratx is an organisation dedicated to contemporary arts and is hosting a new exhibition on Saturday January 20 from 11am to 3pm.

The exhibition will highlight the works of renowned

contemporary visual artists Kalin Lindena and Christof John. Based on their work whilst undertaking a residency at the CCA. This promises to be a unique and compelling showcase of their respective talents

Palma music THE Sant Sebastia revetla, which is held on Friday January 19, is one of the most eagerly awaited musical nights for residents of and visitors to Palma.

You will be spoiled for choice as there will be three and five performers at one of five different venues around the city and there will be a total of 22 performances of music which will appeal to all ages.

The evening kicks off at the 6pm in Plaza Mayor with a huge bonfire with visits from a number of giants and big heads as well as the playing of xeremiers (traditional bagpipes known in English as ‘Bag of Groans’).

The venues for the different performances which start at around 8.30pm and run until the early hours are Plaza Mayor, Plaza del Rey Juan Carlos I, Plaza de l’Olivar and Plaza de Cort Then, as part of the celebration, on Sunday January 21, popular Madrid band Hombres G who are celebrating their 40th Anniversary will be playing in Son Fusteret with doors opening at 6pm and the concert starts at 8pm.

and the organisation invites art enthusiasts, collectors, and the public to join them for a morning filled with creativity and exploration.

Delve into a unique showcase born from their collaboration during the CCA residency. Join us on the 20th for a morning filled with creativity and exploration, coinciding with the Open Studios event.

The opening celebration will feature a special DJ set by @jazzpunk, so there are two reasons to visit.

Kalin Lindena was born in 1977, is based in Berlin and her journey, shaped by education at HbK Braunschweig, is showcased in solo exhibitions and prestigious group exhibitions.

Christof John, a dynamic artist was born in 1984 and is currently based in Cologne and Berlin. His practice explores the nuanced relationship between close-up and distant views, creating a ‘never-ending picture’.

LOCAL NEWS II euroweeklynews.com Cheque received

THE Children’s Cancer Charity Aspanob was pleased to receive a cheque for €10,775.04 from El Corte Ingles collected over the Christmas period thanks to donations from those having photographs of Santa’s house and the Royal Postmen bringing the total received since 2010 to more than €130,000.

More water

MORE than 500 businesses based in the part forana (Mallorca excluding Palma) took part in the Christmas Window Contest, promoted by the Consell de Mallorca, in association with the two employers’ associations, AFEDECO and PIMECO. The three most successful window displays saw the business owners receiving gift vouchers to the value of €1,000, €500 and €250 to spend with other local businesses as the promotion was intended to boost local sales.

The first prize, of

Shop window winners Credit: Consell de Mallorca

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18 - 24 January 2024

Happy winners receive their prizes.

€1,000, went to Art i Vases, an Arta based business all things needed by painters such as frames

and paints and their window featured the Nativity with moving parts made in miniature.

The second prize of €500, went to Imprenta Muro a printing and office supplies company based in Muro and all of their decoration was made from recycled material and the cardboard boxes received with orders.

The last of the prizes, worth €250 went to Neumoix Manacor store with its figure of the Three Wise Men, made from cardboard boxes in which baby seats were received.

Property lottery question Palma cycles

Brighter path

HAVING expanded from the USA to the UK, Omaze has been running a series of property lotteries offering houses and additional financial bonuses to British gamblers.

They support the promotion with extensive TV advertising and make a point of saying that part of the proceeds will be given to a UK charity and in this case an Alzheimer’s charity.

Up until now their properties have been situated in the UK but in December they branched out offering a villa in Mallorca, valued

THE Palma Council has installed 32 new streetlights on the bike lane on Carrer Jacint Verdaguer on route to the roundabout that gives access to the Son Fuster industrial estate. It took two weeks to put in the 32 LED lights at a cost of €33,000.

Rising prices

REASONABLY priced housing has always been a problem in Mallorca and latest figures from the College of Registrars confirm that prices in the Balearics as a whole have risen by 55 per cent in the past five years and that is likely to continue due to shortage of stock.

Cars return

PRESSURE from opposition political parties has meant that the Manacor Council has reluctantly decided to reopen the Plaça del Cós so that vehicle traffic will once again have access to the area which means that it will be impossible to relocate the Monday market there.

Credit: Omaze UK

ALTHOUGH Mallorca is not out of the woods as yet as far as drought is concerned, a combination of rain and snow over the previous week has helped bring the two reservoirs in the Tramuntana Mountains to an average capacity of almost 42 per cent.

Mallorcan dream villa lottery may breach Spanish law

by them at €3.5 million as the prize.

The lottery however is only open to UK residents and this could become a major problem for them as it appears that the mayor of Selva, where the villa is situated has approached the Mallorcan authorities asking whether it is legal to refuse to allow Mallorcans, or indeed Spanish residents on the mainland from entering.

The matter is now being reviewed to see whether Omaze’s actions are in breach of Spanish or EU law.

Paul Edwards SOME 3,000 cyclists of all ages are going to take part in the 43rd Sant Sebastià Cycling Day which takes place on Saturday January 20, with cyclists setting off from Plaça de Santa Eulària at noon.

Registrations can be processed online at until January 19 at www.sportmaniacsbalea res.com or in person, on the day of the event from 9am to 11.30am in the tents located in Plaça de Cort and Carrer Conqueridor.

All participants will receive a race number and the ticket for the draw, which, in the case of runners who have applied online can be picked up at Son Moix, Germans Escalas, Son Hugo or the El Corte Inglés offices.

Once the race ribbon has been cut, the cyclists will cover a six-kilometre course that will run through the Parc de la Mar, the Avinguda Antoni Maura, the Rambla, the Camí de Jesús and Carrer Salvador Dalí until reaching the finishing line, located at the Palau d’Esports in Son Moix.

Medical emergency Michael Cano ON the morning of Wednesday January 10, the control tower at Palma Airport received a request from a Lufthansa pilot for permission to make an unscheduled landing.

The aircraft was en route from Sao Paulo in Brazil to Frankfurt but a female passenger had been taken ill and appeared to need urgent medical attention.

Whilst on the face of things, this was a routine emergency and the woman was taken to Son Llatzèr Hospital after receiving treatment at the airport but

security services were placed on high alert.

In November 2021 a flight from Morocco to Turkey announced that it had a similar medical problem but as soon as the plane landed, doors were opened and mobile stairs brought to the aircraft, some 21 passengers simply rushed out of the plane and ‘legged it’ over the perimeter fences, with four never being captured.

Hence the security crackdown, but all ended without further incident with the Lufthansa aircraft departing with all passengers accounted for.

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STORIES IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION

Burns lunch AGE CONCERN Mallorca is encouraging members to celebrate the birthday of Scotland’s premier poet Rabbie Burns with lunch on Wednesday January 24.

It will be held at the Mallorca Country Club from 1.30pm with tickets for the lunch costing €65 per person.

The chefs at the restaurant are creating a traditional haggis which will be piped into the room accompanied by all of the traditions expected at a Burns event.

There will of course be a nip of Scotch served with the haggis and a selection of beer, wine or soft drinks.

Dress code is smart casual or kilt and there will be a raffle of Scottish products.

Reservations are required and may be obtained by calling 971 788 405 between 9am and 1.30pm.

The Euro Weekly News publishes more content both online at euroweeklynews.com and in its papers than any other English news publication in SPAIN Spain.

Even better, our news online and in print is FREE and we promise to always keep it that way.

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euroweeklynews.com II NEWS/FEATURE

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VIEWPOINT BILL ANDERSON SEEMS to me that we are in love with conflict. There was a time when what we fell about was politics, football, or religion, the topics discouraged in social conversation.

How simple life was in those days.

In these times, the topics that polarise us seem to be endless: all of the above, and diversity, positive discrimination, gender identity, vaccines, mask wearing, Israel or Palestine, Ukraine or Russia, climate change. I think this is enough to make the point.

What is more complex about this is that everyone seems to want to inhabit the moral high ground as if their

Ready for a fight?

point of view scores higher on a scale of one to 10 than that of those who hold the opposite opinion I spend a lot of time on social media; too much in fact, and not a day goes by when people don’t get shirty with each other. Everybody knows best and thinks that their opinion is a fact to be adopted by the world as a whole, and god help anyone who disagrees with them. How did we get to the point where no one listens to anyone else’s point of view anymore? There is nothing wrong in changing our perspective on something, but that doesn’t happen by digging our heels in and re-

PROVERB OF THE WEEK Shared joy is double joy; Shared sorrow is half a sorrow.

A Swedish proverb. Human beings are wired to be deeply empathetic. So when we share stories of our joys, happiness and achievement with others, it increases our joy as we see others happy around us.

fusing to listen.

The only topics I don’t hear people arguing about these days are the role of the World Health Organisation and the World Economic Forum. They seem to be met with universal suspicion. I wonder why?

I find the constant obsession with needing to be right, and looking for offence in everything tiresome. Having said that, shutting down one side of any debate, as has been happening on multiple media sources and on several themes recently, is not the way to reach agreement. It only adds to the irritation. I am all for free and open debate, done with respect, and with open ears and receptive minds on both

sides.

After just one week in post as editor there have been many challenges, and to be honest, it is very clear to me that apart from this editorial, where I get to say what I want, opinions are rarely a helpful contribution to any debate. To misquote the great Maggie Smith, ‘Having an opinion is like having a ‘male member’. In private you can hold it as much as you like, but when you start shoving it in other people’s faces, you had better have a dammed good explanation’.

Perhaps these days we should just stick to arguing about politics, football, or religion. All are less precarious than the alternatives.

Bill Anderson’s opinions are his own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors. bill-anderson@euroweeklynews.com

THE weather over the next few days from Thursday January 18 to Saturday January 20 across Mallorca is going to be changeable with a mixture of strong winds, sun and possibly rain.

The cold front which was forecast hasn’t really arrived as yet and it is only on Saturday that the temperature will start to drop according to Spanish Weather Servi-

Weekend weather ce AEMET. Light rain is forecast for the morning of Friday January 19 but the afternoon will see much heavier rain across the whole of the Island with the possibility of thunder storms and torrential rain which can only bee good for the

reservoirs.

It isn’t so good for the open air concerts due to take place in Palma that evening and there are also warnings of very choppy seas and high waves on the north and northeast coasts.

Motorhome homes Michael Cano CAMPER VANS are very popular across Spain and much of Europe but they don’t receive a very warm welcome in Mallorca.

Following a proposal presented by Vox in session of the Consell de Mallorca, the Council has confirmed that it will discuss the creation of designated areas with local councils where camper vans and caravans can stay overnight.

At the moment, there is only one area for those in mobile homes to dispose of waste water and that is in the Son Castello industrial estate so hygiene must be an important matter for councils to consider.

This action is supported by the AMMICCA mobile supporters association and recently some councils had already indicated that they were reviewing the situation anyway.

This consolidated review should result in the creation of a number of small areas designated just for the use of tourers and they will have access to certain necessary facilities.

LOCAL NEWS II euroweeklynews.com

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SPECSAVERS ÓPTICAS in Santa Ponça was proud to be recognised in the first edition of the Calvia Excellence Awards. Store director Andrés Román Romero was presented with the award in a memorable gala held at the Sala Palmanova in Calvia in December.

This event was organised by ibecono mia.com, with support of the Calvia Town Hall, to celebrate their 10th anniversary and showcase the achievements and professionalism of local businesses. It was a tribute to the dedication and innovation which is at the heart of the business community in Calvia.

There were four awards presented at this inaugural event. The Family Business Award went to Gráficas Santa Ponsa, the Innovation Award went to Feels like home, the Tourism Award went to Club BCM International and Specsavers Ópticas won the 365 Award. There was also a special recognition award given to Luis Carrasco.

Finalists and winners were chosen by a committee made up of experts in different sectors and representatives of Calvia Town Hall.

The organisers explained that Specsavers Ópticas in Santa Ponça stood out for consideration for the 365 category, due to its commitment to keeping its services open all year round

Photocredit: Specsavers

Dedication to excellence

María Esperanza Catalá Ribó, Deputy Mayor, Calvia Town Hall & Andrés Román Romero store director Specsavers Ópticas in Santa Ponça.

and making a significant contribution to the wellbeing of the community in the municipality of Calvià.

To find out more visit www.specsavers.es

ON Tuesday January 16, Guillem Mascaró who has spent his career in the Local Police was sworn in as Chief of Police.

This was done in a ceremony chaired by Palma mayor Jaime Martínez Llabrés, which took place in the town hall in the presence of various representatives of government.

The mayor congratulated Guillem Mascaró on his new role and reminded him that he has in his hands “the great responsibility of leading the BOTH the Local Police and Civil Protection Forces in Andratx are now part of the e Re-uniform circular economy programme pro-

THE Classic Car Club of Mallorca will have its first drive, the Almond Blossom Rally, Saturday February 3 with what should be an easy route.

Meet at 10.30am at the car park Restaurant Ca’l Dimoni, Algaida where the route will be handed out and drive will start at 11am with cars leaving at one minute intervals.

The lunchtime stop will be at the Restaurant Maxime at Vall d’Or Golf, S’Horta at 2pm and a three-course menu with water, wine and

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Police chief Swearing in of new Chief of Police.

transformation process of the Local Police, a challenge as attractive as it is

exciting and, at the same time, demanding and complicated.”

Recycling uniforms moted by Insigna.

From now on, officers

Classic rally coffee will cost €40 for members and €55 for non-members.

Members should register in the usual way or email info@ccc-mallorca.com.

New members are always welcome and details of how to join can be found on the club’s website.

will place worn out uniforms in a special recycling bin to ensure that firstly, they are disposed off safely for the environment and secondly, they cannot be purloined by unscrupulous people who wish to impersonate officers.

Hew uniforms will be made solely from recycled material some of which will have been reclaimed from the recycle bin in Andratx.

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euroweeklynews.com II LOCAL NEWS

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Mallorca gears up THE mayor of Palma recently unveiled the upcoming 43rd Sant Sebastia Cycling Day, scheduled for Saturday, January 20.

The event will kick off at noon from Santa Eulalia Square, continuing its tradition of being a family-friendly, community-oriented celebration.

Highlighting the significance of this day, Mayor Martinez Llabres emphasised the importance of private sector support for cultural, sporting, and social initiatives in Palma, benefiting all citizens.

The forecast for the event includes a six-kilometre rou-

Credit: Palma.es

ALL WELCOME: Palma launches cycling event.

te through iconic locations like Parc de la Mar, Avinguda d’Antoni Maura, the Rambla, Cami de Jesus, and Carrer de Salvador Dali, with the finish line at Palau d’Esports de Son Moix.

For a Mallorca-centric twist, the IME will introduce a

sustainable refreshment area to reduce plastic waste. There is also entertainment, including a children’s play area and Zumba activities.

Participants can register online until January 19 or in person on the day of the event. A variety of prizes, including €200 for the largest cycling groups, will be awarded, along with a chance to win children’s bicycles, gift vouchers, and helmets!

With 3,000 free registrations available, the Sant Sebastia Cycling Day welcomes participants of all ages and physical conditions.

It’s a day to celebrate the spirit of Mallorca through cycling.

Palma businesses protest IN a bold move, Mallorca’s association of small and medium-sized businesses (PIMEM) has called for a city-wide shutdown on January 20, Sant Sebastia Day, to protest the removal of this beloved holiday.

Despite it being a regular working day, several establishments are standing in solidarity with the cause and will remain closed.

Among the businesses taking part in this protest are: • La Industrial Toy Store • Lila bookstore and the answers • Botiga Melicoto • Drac Magic Bookstore • Quintana Curtains PIMEM insists that their decision

Michael Cano IT should take the Balearic Government around 14 years to recover the cost of buying a new building thanks to savings it will make on rental outlay.

This new building has cost €20.7 million and is situated on Carrer Ter (Polígon de Son Fuster) in Palma, allowing the Balearic Government to transfer 430 public servants from rented accommodation for which the Government was

to close shop is entirely justified, as they believe that everyone in the city should be able to enjoy the festivities of their patron saint.

They find it inconceivable that Sant Sebastia Day has been relegated to a working day, and they hold all political parties accountable for unanimously agreeing to this change.

Mallorca’s residents and tourists alike will undoubtedly feel the impact of this protest, as it disrupts the usual hustle and bustle of the city.

PIMEM’s stand is a powerful message of the importance of preserving local traditions, even in the face of modernisation.

New offices

paying just over €1.5 million a year.

It actually employs 1,323 people in Palma and will still have to pay €2.2 million per annum in rent to keep them housed in offices but the long term saving is clear and the Government will have a valuable property which should increase in value.

This action is part of an ongoing program-

me to rationalise spending, cut costs and improve public access by streamlining the administration.

“The goal was to save, we thought it was a necessary purchase, and this was a good opportunity at a competitive market price,” said the Vice President of the Government after completing a visit to the facilities.

Pet blessings IN what is a long time tradition, several hundred pets or working animals with their owners congregated in Palma for the annual blessing on Wednesday January 17.

This is the Saint’s Day of Sant Atoni Abad and a procession wound through the streets of Palma until the participants ended up outside of the chapel bearing his name.

To the sound of the Municipal Band and local bagpipes, the priest blessed LOVERS of fresh flowers will be delighted to learn that new six year licences (extendable by a further five years) are being issued to allow sale of flowers in kiosks on Las Ramblas.

As part of the Plaça Major rehabilitation project, the 10 kiosks will be

the animals, starting first with horses ridden by members of the Local Police who alongside the Guardia Civil brought their own canine units and there were also dogs from ONCE and fire brigade units.

There it was mainly cats and dogs brought by their owners as more exotic breeds are no longer allowed to take part.

There are no reports of any animals or their owners getting involved in any scraps.

Fresh flowers brought up to date and this will be a relief to those who had run businesses from the kiosks for some time as all

licences had expired in 2019, so technically they were trading when they shouldn’t.

With an annual cost of €6,600 existing florists and possibly newcomers will be able to plan their finances knowing that they are covered by proper licences.

NEWS II euroweeklynews.com

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HOW trustworthy are the labels on food items? Recent events in Spain have raised serious doubts regarding olive oil.

On January 15, a joint operation by the Guardia Civil, inspectors from the Junta de Andalucia, and the General Directorate of Public Health and Pharmaceutical Regulation unearthed a fraudulent olive oil operation.

This illegal business, discovered in an industrial warehouse in Mairena del Alcor, Sevilla, was found to be marketing counterfeit olive oils.

The investigation revealed that the products, falsely labelled as ‘Extra Virgin Olive Oil’ and ‘Mild Olive Oil’, were actually blends of various inferior oils.

Documents and products linked to com-

Credit: masa44/Shutterock.com

Widespread oil fraud

IS IT THE REAL THING?: Olive oil warning.

panies across several provinces including Malaga, Cordoba, Sevilla, Granada, and Murcia were confiscated.

During the operation, several brands were identified for marketing these fraudulent oils.

The Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs has initiated control measures across various locations and has alerted the relevant authorities in Murcia and Andalucia for further action.

In the warehouse, 1,000-litre tanks of ve-

getable and olive oils were found, connected to a mixer and packaging system.

This set-up was used to create a blend of seed oils with a base of some type of olive oil, giving it an appearance similar to genuine extra virgin olive oil, and labelled attractively for sale at prices much lower than their true market value.

Consumers are advised to exercise caution and seek verifiable sources for their olive oil purchases.

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Viva Malaga

HAVE you ever wondered which Spanish region welcomes the most foreigners? Statistics show that in 2022 Malaga emerged as the top province in Andalucia for granting residence permits to non-nationals.

Official data, just released, shows that Malaga approved 57,407 residence permits in 2022.

This achievement positions the Costa del Sol at the forefront in the regional rankings.

The figures revealed a diverse regional landscape.

Almeria followed with 30,096 permits, while Huelva and Sevilla granted 24,658 and nearly 15,000, respectively.

These numbers contributed to a total of 123,574 permits across Andalucia, underlining its role as one of the autonomous communities with the highest number of residence approvals in Spain.

The Valencian Community witnessed the most significant annual growth, at 96 per cent.

In 2022, it approved an additional 55,805 permits compared to 2021, with 42,250 (76 per cent) granted to Ukrainian nationals.

It also included those under international protection and stateless per-

Credit: Anton27/Shutterstock.com

UKRAINIANS: 42,250 permits granted.

sons, notably including Ukrainians under the Temporary Protection Directive.

Malaga ranked fifth in Spain for the most residence permits granted. Madrid led with 191,496, followed by Barcelona, Alicante, and Valencia with 181,018, 76,591, and 62,230 respectively.

In 2022, Spain granted a total of 793,067 residence authorisations under the immigration regime, marking a 57 per cent increase from 2021. Initial type authorisations accounted for 62 per cent of the total, showing a 114 per cent increase within a year.

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Arctic Britain - freeze of the century

Credit: Shutterstock/1901352415

AS Britain was blasted by ice and snow this week, officials warned that the worst was yet to come.

With temperatures across the nation dipping well below zero, The Met Office and public health officials issued an amber cold weather warning in place until January 12, alerting residents that there might be an ‘observed increase in mortality across the population’.

As air ‘directly from the Arctic’ hurtled towards the UK, its citizens expected more freezing cold weather for at least a few more weeks, with experts predicting the cold case will last until mid February.

One weatherman from the north of England somberly advised residents that: “you will definitely need your big coat.”

Perhaps some thermal underwear as well?

The wheels on the bus get stuck stuck stuck?

UK to quash Post Office convictions John Smith IT appears that public opinion can have some sway over the Conservative Government as it is rushing in new legislation to quash wrongful Post Office convictions.

This was announced on January 10 and although it will only apply to those wrongly convicted in England and Wales the legislation which is expected to be enacted within a matter of weeks will pave the way for significant compensation of up to £600,000.

It is expected that hundreds of convictions will be overturned finally bringing justice to those who were wrongly accused of theft from the Royal Mail although it will come too late for those who died without restitution.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “This is one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in this country’s history, with hundreds of people having their lives ruined and reputations dragged through mud.

“Too many still have wrongful convictions tied to their name, and we cannot continue to fail them.

“We must do everything we can to exonerate and compensate these innocent people, and make sure they finally get the justice they deserve.”

Credit: Kevin Hollinrake

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Kevin Hollinrake (in dark suit without tie) in Black Swan pub Post Office.

The government has also confirmed that it will take action to make sure the postmasters who played a crucial role in first exposing the Horizon scandal receive the compensation they deserve.

These individuals, known as the Group Litigation Order cohort, who did not receive a criminal conviction but paid out considerable sums of money because of the Horizon failures, will receive at least £75,000 in compensation in advance of any final settlement.

Minister for Postal Affairs Kevin Hollinrake commented “Postmasters have been fighting for years to get the justice they deserve, and today’s announcement will ensure wrongful convictions are overturned and swifter access to compensation.

“The Post Office Horizon Scandal is

widely described as the biggest miscarriage of justice in our history and it’s important that steps like we’ve announced today are being taken to right the wrongs of the past.

“In the coming days, the government will consider whether this blanket exoneration should apply to the small number of convictions which have been upheld by the appeal courts.

“The government recognises that this Bill may lead to the overturning of some convictions that were rightfully brought. In line with the wishes of some of the victims, the government will therefore introduce safeguards to make sure anyone who was rightly convicted, and is now trying to take advantage of compensation schemes, can be prosecuted in the future.”

ADVERTISING FEATURE II euroweeklynews.com

18 - 24 January 2024

EWN

9

Balearics reduces wealth tax

Spanish wealth tax has effectively been eliminated for most residents and property owners in the Balearics. From this year onwards, only those with assets above €3 million will be liable.

In welcome news, the government of the Balearics autonomous region announced significant changes to the wealth tax allowances in December.

As part of the regional budget for 2024, the general wealth tax deduction has increased from the standard €700,000 to €3,000,000.

This applies from the 2024 wealth tax returns, which are submitted in 2025.

This change does not affect the application of Spain’s temporary Solidarity Tax, which applies on taxable assets exceeding €3,000,000.

A reminder of the wealth tax rules

In Spain, wealth tax is calculated based on the value of your assets as at 31 December each year. If you are resident here it

By Cathal Rochford, Partner, Blevins Franks

applies to your worldwide assets. For non-residents it affects Spanish assets only.

The tax is payable on the net value of most of your capital assets, such as real estate, savings and investments, shareholdings, jewellery, art, antiques, cars, boats, etc.

Each individual receives a personal tax-free allowance of €700,000 under state rules.

Spanish residents can get an additional allowance of up to €300,000 against the value of their main home (unless owned through corporate structures).

Importantly, autonomous regions can vary wealth tax rates

and allowances, which is how the Balearics has increased its personal allowance to €3 million. If you are resident in the islands, you also have the €300,000 main home allowance.

Individuals with wealth exceeding the allowances will pay tax at 2.35% for the excess up to €5,454,958, then 2.9%, then 3.45% for anything above €10,909,915.

A second wealth tax, Spain’s ‘solidarity tax on large fortunes’ was introduced in 2022 as a temporary levy. The rules, rates and allowances are the same as the standard wealth tax but only applies on wealth above €3 million, and you then get the two deductions mentioned above.

The major difference is that it is applied at state level and the autonomous governments cannot change it.

If you pay Spain’s regular wealth tax, you deduct the amount paid from your solidarity tax liability, so you do not pay tax twice.

Balearics wealth tax case studies These two examples (for illustrative purposes only) show what a difference this reform will make.

John lives in Mallorca and owns a property worth €1,000,000 and other assets worth €500,000. Before the changes, he would have had to pay the higher of the wealth tax liability of approximately €2,300 or solidarity tax of nil.

For 2024, he will not have any wealth tax to pay due to the increased allowance or any solidarity tax as the liability is nil.

Example 2 Julia lives in Menorca and owns a property worth €3,500,000 and investments worth €800,000. Before Previously she had a wealth tax liability of approximately €50,000 and a solidarity tax liability of €5,100. Therefore, she paid just the Balearics liability since the wealth tax is higher than the solidarity tax. Under the new

rules, her wealth tax liability would reduce to approximately €7,500. Again, the solidarity tax liability is lower than the wealth tax liability so only the liability in the Balearics is payable.

Tax planning This Balearics tax reform is certainly welcome news, offering substantial tax savings.

But it emphasises the need for specialist advice from experienced advisers, to not only take advantage of these changes but also other aspects of the regional Spanish tax system.

Tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any statements concerning taxation are based upon our understanding of current taxation laws and practices which are subject to change. Tax information has been summarised; individuals should seek personalised advice.

Keep up to date on the financial issues that may affect you on the Blevins Franks news page at www.blevinsfranks.com.

10 EWN 18 - 24 January 2024

IRELAND Still driving DUBLIN bus driver Yong Yue Wang, who lost his job for twice using a mobile phone while behind the wheel in less than a year, now awaits a verdict on his unfair dismissals claim to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). Meanwhile, Wang is already back on the road and working as a taxi driver.

Worth a visit THE New York Times recommended Waterford as one of 52 places to visit in 2024, placing it in 30th position. Waterford, described as “sparkling with history and natural treasures”, was the only Irish destination on the list which included Ladakh (India), Dominica (Caribbean) and Salar de Uyuni (Bolivia).

SWEDEN

euroweeklynews.com II EUROPEAN PRESS

EUROPRESS GERMANY New party SAHRA WAGENKNECHT presented her new political party, the Sarah Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) Reason and Fairness, on January 8. The national MP, who retained her seat after abandoning the Left Party, said the BSW - a true people’s party - would run in this year’s EU and German state elections.

BELGIUM Smart people BELGIUM scored 69.12 out of 100 and was ranked seventh amongst Europe’s Top 10 smartest countries, compiled by TutorSpace and based on 17 factors relating to intelligence and development in 44 European countries. Switzerland headed the list with 81.1, followed by Denmark (77.87) and Finland (77.57).

Smoke signals

SAHRA WAGENKNECHT: Her new party avoids ‘leftist’ label.

Photo credit: CC/Ferran Cornella

FRANCE

ITALY

WHILE Belgium intensifies its anti-smoking plan with a 25 per cent price hike on the cost of cigarettes and higher vaping prices, tobacco giant Philip Morris called for better access to alternative products. “Our priority is a smoke free future,” the company’s Benelux managing director Miguel Matos declared.

DENMARK

Watch out

No change

Try it

Earliest Danes

POLICE who announced that a watch had been discovered in a central Stockholm street on New Year’s Day initially believed it was a genuine Audemars Piguet worth 500,000 krona (€44,376). Experts who saw it said it appeared to be a cheap copy, a theory backed by the fact that no-one has yet claimed it.

BRITISH residents who were previously entitled to register free of charge with Italy’s SSN health scheme can continue to do so.

They will not have to pay the new €2,000 fee that non-EU residents now pay to access the SSN, Italy’s Health minister told the English-language publication, The Local.

FRANCE’S postal service La Poste is installing changing rooms in some branches where shoppers can try on clothes bought online and return rejected purchases on the spot. Like postal services everywhere, La Poste hopes to compensate for the nosedive in letters traffic by boosting its parcels delivery division.

AN analysis of 100 skeletons spanning 7,300 years between the Mesolithic period, Neolithic period and Early Bronze Age in Denmark revealed repeated population turnovers. The authors of the study published in Nature also concluded that the present-day gene pool was already in place 3,000 years ago.

On the line

Doggy bags

Hacked off

Learning curve

SWEDEN’S Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson claimed that anybody wanting Swedish citizenship should consider what it meant to sacrifice their life for their country. Speaking at a Defence conference, Kristersson said Swedish citizenship was “not a travel document” but implied defending Sweden, its values and way of life.

ITALIAN MPs from the Forza Italia party belonging to the governing coalition, plan to put through a bill that will oblige restaurants to provide containers for diners wishing to take uneaten food home with them. “This is a common-sense measure that would help tackle food waste,” Giandiego Gatta said.

SEBASTIEN RAOULT, a 22-year-old French hacker and member of a criminal gang which sold hundreds of millions of personal details on the dark web, was jailed for three years in the US. Raoult created fake login pages for the Shiny Hunters group which were used to raid users’ private and financial data.

AFTER meeting Crown Prince Frederik during the 2000 Olympics in Australia, Mary Donaldson signed up for an eight-week programme in deportment skills. “This prepared her for the royal duties that followed,” said her then-coach Teresa Page shortly before Frederik prepared to ascend the Danish throne.

NORWAY

THE NETHERLANDS

FINLAND

PORTUGAL

Ship out

Staying dry

Home-bred

Gold standard

CRUISE ships visiting Norway consume 170 million litres of fuel annually, accounting for 3 per cent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. To tackle the problem, Norway’s parliament has introduced new legislation, requiring all cruise ships and ferries in World Heritage fjords to be emission free from 2026.

EIGHTY-FIVE PER CENT of Rotterdam, one of the world’s largest ports, is seven metres below sea level but has escaped the worst of the floods affecting other parts of the country. “Rotterdam has long worked on climate adaptation, especially with regards to flood resilience,” city mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb said.

WHEN answering a voting guidance questionnaire from broadcaster YLE, the Finns Party’s presidential candidate Ussi Halla-Aho said he was in favour of the requirement that the country’s president should be a native-born Finn. He also suggested that this should apply to cabinet ministers and MPs.

BUYING property in Portugal no longer includes a ‘golden visa’ for non-EU citizens after the concession caused a housing crisis, Reuters reported, adding that it is still possible to obtain residency via investment funds. The initiative has attracted €7.3 billion since 2021, principally from China, Brazil and the US.

Alarm test

Hard times

Longer wait

Coming soon

NORWAY’S Emergency Alert System was tested on the mobile telephone network on January 10, while 1,200 warning systems were activated countrywide during the run-through. Norwegian Civil Defence checks these systems twice yearly to ensure their efficiency should the country be exposed to acute danger.

HOSPITALITY sector bankruptcies doubled in 2023 with 245 companies going under between January and the end of November, compared with 134 throughout 2022, according to figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS). Forty per cent of the remaining businesses said they doubted that they would survive this year.

FINLAND’S parliament approved a series of changes to benefits that will be introduced during 2024 and affect cuts to basic unemployment pay, labour market subsidies and the housing allowance. The interim period before an applicant can receive unemployment pay has also been extended from five to seven days.

THE ‘Tide of Plastic’ threatening the coast and beaches of northern Spain could reach Portugal by spring, warned Bordalo e Sa, a hydrobiologist from the University of Porto.

Dominant currents to the north were likely to bring the minute particles to Portugal once they changed direction later this year, he predicted.

NEWS II euroweeklynews.com

HAVE you recently encountered an unexpected email from Endesa? You should exercise caution.

These emails, which often carry the subject line ‘Customer area - You can now download your invoice No. [bill number]’, are actually a front for distributing malware.

This may compromise your computer and collect vital information.

And if you find this Endesa email in your mailbox? Before deleting it, label it as spam or junk. If you have downloaded the file but haven’t opened it, navigate to your downloads folder and erase it.

Malicious emails are on the rise. Make sure you keep safe.

EWN 11

The past is revealed An unaffordable luxury?

THE dreaded drought in Spain has caused many disastrous effects throughout the nation. However, one small positive that has come from the crisis, is the re-emergence of a sunken 11th century church in the village of Sant Roma de Sau. Due to extremely low levels of water, the historical building has recently emerged from the waters of a reservoir.

‘Drought tourists’ are now visiting from far and wide to see the 11th-century church, which was submerged 60 years ago to form the Sau reservoir, which provides essential water supplies to the city of Barcelona.

“It’s unbelievable how much the water level has gone down,” stated local man Sergio Iberico who visits the reservoir often. Adding that: “I remember paddling here and the water level was

Credit: Facebook

Another email scam - Endesa

18 - 24 January 2024

Credit: Shutterstock/2204092191

RISING COSTS: Is food affordable?

The church standing tall on dry land.

at the window of the church tower.”

Current water levels in January 2024 at the

Sau reservoir are at just 6 per cent of capacity, a stark reminder of the crisis Spain currently faces.

THE rising cost of living is currently affecting people and households in many areas of the world, as life post pandemic has seen wars, drought and financial struggle.

The drought has had a knock on effect with certain foods and vegetables, in particular the nation’s favourite - olives - facing a shortage as well.

On Wednesday, January 10, the government of Spain announced that the elimination or reduction of the value added tax on certain foods such as fruits and vegetables, pasta and cooking oils.

This may not be enough for many working people in Spain, who claim that every month they are struggling even more to buy basic items for their family to eat.

Euro Weekly News spoke to Angel Aguera, a bartender.

“Although my wage has increased over the years, our standard of living has dropped significantly,” he explained, adding that “my wife has to plan our meals for the week diligently and if an unexpected expense arises then we have to go without, it’s very sad to say I work 50 hours a week.”

Another resident of Spain, Claire Hill told EWN: “when I first moved here six years ago I couldn’t believe how cheap everything was, but now it’s very expensive to do a food shop, some things like vegetables are much more here than in the UK now.”

FINANCE STUDENT loans funded by the taxpayer will rise to an annual £10 billion (€11.6 billion) owing to higher interest rates, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said. The loans, which graduates do not repay until they earn more than £25,000 (€29,036) a year, are written off if still outstanding after 40 years.

Repsol stake

JP MORGAN, which acquired a 5.3 per cent holding in Repsol, now has the Spanish oil company’s second-largest stake after Blackrock’s 5.47 per cent. JP Morgan’s announcement follows on from the exit of Norges Bank, which manages Norway’s sovereign fund and sold its 5 per cent holding in late 2023.

Slimmer figures

DEUTSCHE BANK economists predicted that UK price rises would experience a sharp descent from November’s 3.9 per cent. The experts saw inflation dropping ‘a little below 2 per cent in April and May’ and averaging 2.5 per cent throughout 2024 compared with their earlier 2.7 per cent forecast.

New face

FOOD DELIVERY BRANDS named Rafael Herrero as Telepizza’s new chief executive following the September 2023 resignation of his predecessor, Jacobo Caller. Herrero arrives at Telepizza from the Zena Group which owns the Foster’s Hollywood and Gino’s fast-food chains in Spain and Portugal.

Asthma deal

GLAXOSMITHKLINE (GSK) will buy Anglo-American asthma drug maker Aiolos Bio for more than £1 billion (€1.16 billion) as it expands it respiratory diseases range. British GSK will pay around £800 million (€929 million) upfront plus £300 million (€348.4 million) once regulatory milestones are reached.

STAT OF WEEK

€253 million

is due in 2024 from Spanish companies which received financial assistance from the government’s Solvency support Fund for Strategic Enterprises (Fasee) during the pandemic.

Waiting for WASPI justice Linda Hall THE investigation by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) into changes in the state pension age should conclude in early 2023.

This final report focuses on injustices produced by the ‘maladministration’ of changes to the state pension age. Its recommendations to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will apply to ‘everyone’ who has been affected by them, the PHSO announced.

That includes financial redress, which could see 3.6 million women who were born in the 1950s receive compensation.

Photo credit: WASPI

On loan

euroweeklynews.com • 18 - 24 January 2024

PENSION INEQUALITY: WASPI at Downing Street with supporter MP Stephen Morgan.

The PHSO investigation began in 2018, but a legal challenge funded by thousands of women from Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) into the findings of Second Stage of the report on Injustices caused further delays after the Ombudsman agreed to

review its decision.

“We have now looked at our findings and shared our provisional views about injustice resulting from the maladministration we identified during stage one, and our thinking about remedy, with complainants, their referring MPs and the DWP,”

the PHSO said.

Rebecca Hilsenrath, the PHSO’s chief executive, explained to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) in November that the provisional Stage Two and Stage Three findings had been sent in confidence to the UK government and around 500 women who made a complaint.

The final report will be made public once feedback has been received and the PHSO has made any necessary changes. The deadline for responses was around Christmastime and the final report should be published shortly.

Grifols fights back

GRIFOLS, the Barcelona-headquartered pharmaceuticals company, intends to sue Gotham City Research.

After a negative Gotham City report wiped €2.2 billion from the company’s market value on January 9, Grifols said it would seek compensation through the courts for damage to its ‘financial and reputational’ image.

The notorious short-seller fund, remembered in Spain for provoking the 2014 collapse of telecom firm Gowex, shed doubts on Grifols’ reported debt and earnings and questioned its purpor-

Photo credit: CC/Zarateman

BUSINESS EXTRA

12

GRIFOLS: One of the pharma company’s centres in Vizcaya.

ted assets-to-debts ratio of 6 to 7.

This was closer to 10 to 13, maintained Gotham City, while querying financial links with Scranton Enterprise, the

Grifols family’s investment vehicle.

Grifols, which manufactures plasma-derived medicines, denied all the Gotham City allegations and claims, which the company insisted were ‘based on false information’.

The family company also declared its ‘full support’ for chief executive and executive chairman Thomas Glanzman.

Wealth management group Mirabaud Research, described the Gotham City report as ‘partial, shady and leading to conclusions whose only purpose is backing its short position’.

Papered over A year of growth Vogue House

PRE-TAX profits for wallpaper and fabrics company Osborne & Little nose-dived from £1.5 million (€1.7 million) to £30,000 (€34,840) in the year ending March 31, 2023.

The company co-founded by ex-Chancellor George Osborne’s father attributed the slump to double-digit inflation, higher energy costs and repeated increases in interest rates that affected the property market on which the business depends.

As a result, operating expenses grew by 14 per cent to £19.1 million (€22.2 million) although sales rose 11 per cent to £32.3 million (€37.5 million).

SPAIN’S economy is expected to continue growing in 2024 although with less vigour than in 2023.

The KPMG Global Economic Outlook predicted a 1.5 per cent increase, one percentage point below its 2023 forecast although the professional services group said it believed the country’s economic situation would gradually improve.

Inflation predictions were positive, falling from 3.6 per cent in 2023 to 3.4 per cent this year, although KPMG said its evolution depended ‘to a great extent’ on whether the government maintained or withdrew subsidies introduced to offset soaring energy and food prices.

These have been extended, although IVA on electricity has increased from 5 to 10 per cent, while the value-added tax on gas - currently 10 per cent - will rise gradually to 21 per cent over the year.

CONDE NAST has sold Vogue House in Mayfair to Eyal Ofer, a Monaco-based shipping magnate whose fortune is estimated at $23 billion (€21 billion).

The iconic seven-storey building in Hanover Square, which was built in 1958, had an initial £70 million (€81.3 million) price tag although sources close to the transaction revealed that the businessman paid £75 million (€81.1 million) for the property.

Ofer’s Global Holdings Management Group (GHMG), confirmed the sale on January 8.

Staff working on Vogue and other Conde Nast publications that include Tatler and GQ will move to the equally historic Adelphi building on the Embankment.

Tendam’s India launch

WOMEN’S SECRET, Cortefiel and Springfield owner Tendam is collaborating with Indian company Myntra to open at least 20 stores over the next three years.

Mynta already handles franchises for H&M, Puma, Nike and the Spanish fashion chain Mango, which has 80 outlets in India.

Womens’ Secret will be Tendam’s first label to launch in India, with three shops opening in Pune, Ludhiana and Bangalore in January and another in Bombay in March.

“Myntra is the ideal partner for us,” said Tendam’s Franchise director general Antonis Kyprianou. “They are aligned with our omni-channel strategy and have the capacity and expertise to fully develop it in India.”

First profit DONALD TRUMP’S golf complex in Ayrshire (Scotland) has made a profit for the first time in almost 10 years.

Trump Turnberry, an 800-acre (324-hectare) resort in Ayrshire with three golf courses and a hotel, made a £571,000 (€663,242) profit in 2022, newly-filed accounts revealed.

This was considerable progress compared with £3.7 million (€4.3 million) in losses in 2021 and is the first time Trump’s resort has been out of the red since he bought it for $60 million (€54.7 million) in 2014.

Meanwhile, the Trump International Golf Club Scotland in Aberdeen posted a loss of approximately £738,000 (€857,205) in 2022.

Pay as you go FERROVIAL moved its headquarters from Spain to the Netherlands in June with a view to being listed on the New York stock exchange.

To do so, it merged with its Dutch subsidiary, but recently admitted in forms registered with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that should Ferrovial decide to leave the Netherlands, it could be liable to an Exit Tax. This new law, still in its early stages, would not affect companies that move their head offices inside the European Union but would apply to those leaving it.

14 EWN 18 - 24 January 2024

euroweeklynews.com II FINANCE

LONDON - FTSE 100

Closing Prices 15 January

Company

Price(p)

Change(p)

% Chg.

Net

3I Group.....................................2.277,00.............+23,00........... +1,01%......... 220,58K Admiral Group.............................2.567,0................+5,0............. +0,19%.......... 55,03K Airtel Africa................................. 128,00................ -0,40.............-0,31%.......... 425,75K Anglo American...........................1.833,2................ -1,4..............-0,08%.......... 526,07K Antofagasta................................1.597,50.............+14,00........... +0,88%.......... 92,32K Ashtead Group............................4.863,0............... -37,0.............-0,76%........... 87,87K Associated British Foods.............2.266,0...............+26,0............ +1,15%......... 197,18K AstraZeneca...............................10.814,0................0,0............... 0,00%.......... 104,19K Auto Trader Group Plc................ 697,40................+0,40............ +0,06%......... 414,76K Aviva........................................... 423,40................+3,90............ +0,92%...........3,72M B&M European Value Retail SA... 556,40................+5,00............ +0,90%...........6,75M BAE Systems..............................1.170,50.............+17,83........... +1,53%...........1,16M Barclays...................................... 146,28................+1,12............ +0,77%...........8,70M Barratt Developments................. 535,60................+5,40............ +1,01%......... 825,82K Beazley........................................ 502,00................ -0,50.............-0,10%.......... 406,57K Berkeley......................................4.758,0................+3,0............. +0,06%.......... 42,08K BP............................................... 455,65................+5,70............ +1,25%...........8,05M British American Tobacco...........2.349,9................+4,0............. +0,17%......... 376,18K BT Group.................................... 114,70................+0,35............ +0,30%...........3,99M Bunzl...........................................3.216,0...............+40,0............ +1,25%.......... 60,10K Burberry Group...........................1.162,5.............. -134,0............-9,85%............1,99M Centrica....................................... 149,80................ -2,55.............-1,67%............3,24M Coca Cola HBC AG......................2.336,0...............+15,0............ +0,64%.......... 73,33K Compass....................................2.177,00.............. -7,00.............-0,32%.......... 237,19K ConvaTec Group......................... 244,80................+2,80............ +1,15%...........6,17M Croda Intl....................................4.492,0............... -13,3.............-0,30%........... 85,66K DCC.............................................5.616,0...............+20,0............ +0,36%.......... 25,66K Dechra Pharma...........................3.864,0................+4,0............. +0,10%......... 742,09K Diageo.........................................2.774,0............... -35,0.............-1,24%.......... 845,69K Diploma.....................................3.320,00.............+30,00........... +0,90%.......... 43,09K DS Smith.................................... 293,80................+2,00............ +0,69%......... 384,32K Endeavour Mining......................1.435,00.............+27,00........... +1,90%......... 110,67K Entain.......................................... 943,40................ -0,40.............-0,04%.......... 214,61K Experian......................................3.116,0...............+15,0............ +0,48%......... 109,42K F&C Invest.................................. 940,00................ -2,00.............-0,21%........... 65,29K Flutter Entertainment..................12.700,0.............+130,0........... +1,03%......... 112,02K FRASERS.................................... 824,50................+6,00............ +0,72%.......... 83,51K Fresnillo...................................... 517,20................+5,00............ +0,97%......... 157,00K Glencore...................................... 445,05................+0,65............ +0,15%...........6,45M GSK plc......................................1.558,20..............+6,60............ +0,42%......... 700,59K HALEON...................................... 337,55................+2,15............ +0,64%......... 992,40K Halma..........................................2.176,0................+0,1............. +0,00%.......... 48,14K Hikma Pharma...........................1.904,50..............+6,50............ +0,34%......... 322,55K Howden Joinery.......................... 773,00................+5,80............ +0,76%.......... 77,41K HSBC.......................................... 610,30................+0,30............ +0,05%...........3,39M IAG.............................................. 143,60................ -4,30.............-2,89%............7,70M IMI PLC......................................1.565,00..............+1,98............ +0,13%.......... 80,49K Imperial Brands..........................1.862,50.............+27,00........... +1,45%......... 402,53K Informa....................................... 751,20............... -14,40............-1,88%.......... 488,62K InterContinental..........................7.160,0...............+12,0............ +0,17%.......... 38,43K

Company

Price(p)

Change(p)

% Chg.

Net

Intermediate Capital...................1.567,00..............+7,50............ +0,47%......... 291,38K Intertek........................................4.292,0...............+25,0............ +0,58%.......... 38,87K J Sainsbury................................. 281,10................+1,50............ +0,53%...........3,20M JD Sports Fashion....................... 110,70................+3,23............ +2,93%...........4,90M Kingfisher.................................... 216,60................ -0,90.............-0,41%.......... 353,94K Land Securities........................... 684,20................+1,20............ +0,17%......... 194,07K Legal & General.......................... 248,90................+3,59............ +1,45%...........3,44M Lloyds Banking............................ 45,33.................+0,20............ +0,44%..........19,30M London Stock Exchange..............9.118,0................ -3,2..............-0,04%........... 48,24K M&G........................................... 220,30................+1,00............ +0,46%......... 660,65K Marks & Spencer........................ 259,50................ -3,30.............-1,25%............5,79M Melrose Industries...................... 571,80...............+10,00........... +1,75%......... 798,28K Mondi.........................................1.436,39..............+4,00............ +0,28%......... 200,16K National Grid..............................1.049,00..............+6,00............ +0,57%......... 733,06K NatWest Group........................... 211,70................+2,30............ +1,09%...........7,78M Next............................................8.484,0...............+42,0............ +0,50%.......... 22,97K Ocado.......................................... 645,40............... -15,60............-2,36%.......... 359,08K Pearson....................................... 968,86...............+10,20........... +1,06%......... 190,83K Pershing Square........................3.578,00.............+12,00........... +0,34%.......... 47,74K Phoenix....................................... 509,60................+0,40............ +0,08%......... 296,37K Prudential.................................... 825,00................+1,80............ +0,22%......... 539,15K Reckitt Benckiser........................5.598,0...............+40,0............ +0,71%......... 131,39K Relx............................................3.167,00.............+38,00........... +1,20%......... 496,45K Rentokil....................................... 417,50................ -2,40.............-0,57%.......... 817,92K Rightmove.................................. 549,80...............+10,40........... +1,89%......... 577,12K Rio Tinto PLC..............................5.479,0...............+45,0............ +0,82%......... 404,32K Rolls-Royce Holdings................. 298,90................+5,90............ +1,99%...........2,90M RS PLC....................................... 754,00................ -2,20.............-0,29%.......... 140,72K Sage...........................................1.163,50.............+11,50........... +0,99%......... 260,69K Schroders.................................... 420,4..................+0,5............. +0,12%......... 217,32K Scottish Mortgage....................... 780,40................+2,80............ +0,36%......... 733,77K Segro.......................................... 869,00................ -1,00.............-0,12%.......... 216,80K Severn Trent...............................2.542,0...............+27,0............ +1,06%.......... 57,05K Shell............................................2.454,5...............+42,0............ +1,72%...........1,42M Smith & Nephew........................1.066,91..............+0,50............ +0,05%......... 153,22K Smiths Group.............................1.685,00.............+13,50........... +0,81%.......... 25,94K Smurfit Kappa.............................3.012,0...............+10,0............ +0,33%.......... 32,81K Spirax-Sarco Engineering...........9.810,0..............+117,1........... +1,20%........... 7,55K SSE............................................1.788,00............. -16,00............-0,89%.......... 360,44K St. James’s Place........................ 633,80................+1,20............ +0,19%......... 353,14K Standard Chartered..................... 614,80................+3,60............ +0,59%...........1,39M Taylor Wimpey............................ 143,99................+0,50............ +0,35%...........2,19M Tesco.......................................... 293,20................+1,10............ +0,38%...........2,62M Unilever.......................................3.817,0...............+42,0............ +1,11%......... 482,12K Unite..........................................1.008,00..............+7,00............ +0,68%.......... 69,30K United Utilities............................1.033,00..............+7,50............ +0,73%......... 174,46K Vodafone Group PLC.................. 66,850............... -0,206............-0,31%............6,94M Weir Group................................1.822,00..............+7,00............ +0,38%.......... 23,24K Whitbread...................................3.651,0...............+19,0............ +0,52%......... 144,27K WPP............................................ 728,60.................0,00.............. 0,00%.......... 793,94K

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1.16364

Units per € US dollar (USD)...................................1.0950 Japan yen (JPY)...................................159.04 Switzerland franc (CHF).......................0.9349 Denmark kroner (DKK)........................7.4564 Norway kroner (NOK)..........................11.279 currenciesdirect.com/mallorca • Tel: +34 687 906 226 THE ABOVE TABLE USES THE CURRENT INTERBANK EXCHANGE RATES, WHICH AREN’T REPRESENTATIVE OF THE RATE WE OFFER

DOW JONES

Closing Prices 15 January 3M.............................................. 107,22................+0,61............ +0,56%...........2,48M American Express....................... 182,04................+0,08............ +0,04%...........2,81M Amgen........................................ 300,00................ -1,47.............-0,48%............2,02M Apple........................................... 183,62................ -0,60.............-0,32%...........45,89M Boeing......................................... 222,63................ -5,18.............-2,27%...........11,16M Caterpillar.................................... 289,41................ -1,34.............-0,46%............1,87M Chevron...................................... 144,62................+0,83............ +0,57%...........7,31M Cisco............................................ 50,04.................+0,20............ +0,40%..........14,85M Coca-Cola..................................... 59,69................. -0,38.............-0,63%...........13,45M Dow............................................. 52,74.................+0,26............ +0,49%...........3,68M Goldman Sachs........................... 374,68................ -2,35.............-0,62%............2,11M Home Depot................................ 353,27................ -0,34.............-0,10%............3,30M Honeywell................................... 199,55................ -0,73.............-0,36%............1,88M IBM............................................. 160,30................+0,92............ +0,57%...........2,21M Intel.............................................. 46,73.................+0,17............ +0,36%..........23,86M J&J............................................. 160,78................ -0,71.............-0,44%............4,79M JPMorgan................................... 168,64................ -0,67.............-0,39%...........11,26M McDonald’s................................. 290,65................+0,01............ +0,00%...........1,97M Merck&Co................................... 117,08................ -0,47.............-0,39%............5,54M Microsoft.................................... 380,38................+1,86............ +0,49%..........26,38M Nike............................................. 103,73................+2,15............ +2,07%...........8,26M Procter&Gamble......................... 149,30................+0,56............ +0,37%...........4,69M Salesforce Inc............................. 265,10................+7,26............ +2,75%...........8,85M The Travelers.............................. 191,92................+1,79............ +0,93%......... 984,65K UnitedHealth............................... 534,53................+2,00............ +0,37%...........2,62M Verizon......................................... 37,57................. -1,17.............-2,99%...........27,74M Visa A.......................................... 262,42................ -0,45.............-0,17%............3,66M Walgreens Boots.......................... 23,99................. -0,65.............-2,63%...........14,78M Walmart...................................... 160,17................ -0,20.............-0,12%............4,67M Walt Disney.................................. 88,68.................+0,16............ +0,18%...........8,48M M - Million Dollars

NASDAQ

Closing Prices 15 January

Company

Change Net / %

Volume

Most Advanced Aritzia Inc........................................................... +4.14.......................... +21.03% Oscar Health, Inc................................................ +1.50.......................... +15.53% DocuSign, Inc.................................................... +5.24........................... +9.34% Celldex Therapeutics, Inc................................... +2.54........................... +6.60% BDO Unibank, Inc............................................... +1.52........................... +6.41% Meituan.............................................................. +1.00........................... +5.45% Veeva Systems Inc............................................ +10.34.......................... +5.33% Meituan.............................................................. +0.49........................... +5.27% MakeMyTrip Limited.......................................... +2.27........................... +5.00% Budweiser Brewing Company APAC Limited...... +0.31........................... +4.66% M - Million Dollars

Most Declined Cytokinetics, Incorporated.................................-16.68..........................-16.41% Riot Platforms, Inc..............................................-2.46...........................-15.82% Grifols, S.A..........................................................-1.39...........................-14.68% Grifols, S.A..........................................................-1.29...........................-13.95% Marathon Digital Holdings, Inc............................-3.23...........................-12.60% Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Inc..........................-1.24............................-9.93% Vertex, Inc...........................................................-1.99............................-7.73% Coinbase Global, Inc..........................................-10.13...........................-6.70% Upstart Holdings, Inc..........................................-2.34............................-6.58% Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infr Capital, Inc..-1.73............................-6.45% Frontier Communications Parent, Inc..................-1.54............................-6.43% M - Million Dollars

FINANCE II euroweeklynews.com

BUSINESS EXTRA Water, water

PENNON, owner of South West Water fined for illegal sewage dumping last year, bought Sutton and East Surrey Water (SES Water), with 745,000 customers, for £380m (€441.4m). “SES Water is a fantastic growth opportunity for Pennon, demonstrating our commitment to the UK water industry,” the chief executive Susan Davy said.

Puig ponders

COSMETICS and toiletries giant Puig paid more than €160 million in dividends over the past two years to shareholders, all belonging to different branches of the Catalan family. Having recovered from the slowdown imposed by the pandemic, the multinational owner of leading brands including Carolina Herrera is currently assessing a future stock exchange listing.

18 - 24 January 2024

Greggs’ tasty sales Linda Hall

HOW people shop says a great deal about inflation and Greggs sales reflect the present situation.

UK bakery chain Greggs declared that inflationary pressures were now diminishing as it posted 2023 like-for-like sales that were 13.7 per cent up on the previous year. Total sales rose by 19.6 per cent to £1.8 billion (€2.09 billion).

In line with plans to home

Photo credit: CC/Mtaylor 848

GREGGS: Bakery chain’s sales rose 20 per cent in 2023

in on retail parks and travel hubs, the baker opened

220 new shops last year and closed 75, of which 42

Seat takes off

SEAT has just ended the second-best year in its history, with 519,200 in sales.

The 34.6 per cent increase was possible to the impact of the Cupra brand whose 230,700 sales were 50.9 per cent up on 2022. It was aided by Seat’s recovery with 288,400 models sold after a year in the doldrums owing to the microchip crisis.

Seat was especially affected by the

shortage of microchips when parent company Volkswagen prioritised its premium models with their greater profit margins. “These sales figures demonstrate that Seat has the right strategy with its two marques,” Seat’s chief executive Wayne Griffiths said.

“Despite the difficult economic context at present, we are confident about the future.”

were relocations. It proposes to open a further 160 stores throughout 2024.

Inflation has boosted retailers’ sales growth over the past two years and Greggs’ own fourth quarter growth slowed with like-for-like sales up 9.4 per cent owing to a ‘reduced contribution from price inflation’.

The slowdown in rising prices was likely to continue, Greggs’ fourth quarter report suggested, with no current plans for 2024 increases.

“As expected, inflationary pressures are reducing and with good forward cover on food, packaging and energy, we anticipate a more stable cost base in the coming year,” Greggs’ chief executive Roisin Currie said.

“Wage inflation remains, although higher rates of pay across the economy will also provide support to consumer incomes.”

EWN 15

Not so pretty ONLINE fashion company Boohoo will close the Leicester factory opened two years ago to showcase efforts to improve working conditions for employees producing its clothing. Fewer than 100 staff would be affected by the closure while some would be relocated, said a spokesperson for the Boohoo Group which owns the Debenhams, Pretty Little Thing, Oasis and Burton labels.

Alierta death CESAR ALIERTA, former Telefonica chairman and chief executive between 2000 and 2016, died aged 78 on January 10 in a Zaragoza hospital where he was admitted with respiratory problems over Christmas.

Originally from the banking and finance sectors he headed Tabacalera, the Spanish government’s tobacco monopoly between 1996 and 1999, negotiating its privatisation and merger with France’s SEITA.

16 EWN 18 - 24 January 2024

euroweeklynews.com II FEATURE/NEWS

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT I TRULY can’t make up my mind whether society reflects the media, or the media reflects society (re the recent Post Office drama). I suppose, when it comes down to it, they’re all actually in it together. I remember the 50s, when BBC radio comprised the Light and Third programmes and the Home Service. In those early days, they flatly refused to play anything with a modern ‘beat,’ and utterly scorned the new, and to their mind, utterly degenerate ‘Rock n Roll’.

The presenters wore dinner jackets and tuxes to the studio - even though they couldn’t be seen. Television was also strictly controlled. Dress codes were strongly adhered to, Elvis Presley was only filmed from the waist up, and even mild swear words were utterly taboo.

After the Epilogue, the National Anthem always preceded the ‘test’ card which followed at around midnight.

(Many families stood to attention in

their living rooms while God Save the King rang out!) Was it all a good or a bad thing? Well I’m sure we all have our own opinions about that. It was however a fairly accurate reflection of society as it was during that post war recovery period. A time when we had absorbed all the violence we could stomach, and patriotism was paramount to those who had survived the conflict.

Fast forward to the present day.

With the advent of scores of channels and wavelengths - all trying to create their own money tree - the first thing that goes completely by the board is any semblance of responsible or moral obligations. In fact, in their endeavours to attract more attention, some of the offerings of today’s media are almost beyond belief. (‘My own role in OAP’s Behaving Badly’ simply pales by comparison!)

I recently heard some radio station play a song whose lyrics comprised of nothing but the F word, chanted over and over again. Then there is the long running TV ‘dating’ programme that actually presents couples to each other stark naked. Apparently some male contestants are picked as possible

contestants merely for the size of their manhood! Cilla Black must be positively spinning! Although I never even viewed the Mallorca involvement in the show, to me the rules for the highly popular ‘Love Island’ truly do take the whole tin.

This is the ‘contestant’s code,’ insisted on by the producers of a programme that has been rated as one of the most successful reality shows ever.

Rule1. No masturbating. 2. No total nudity. 3. No sex while drunk (Presumably it’s perfectly acceptable whilst sober!) And, in an almost ludicrous effort to take the moral and hygienic high ground - rule four and five informs the contestants that there is to be, ‘no smoking’ on camera and that ‘condoms must be used at all times’!

And if all that doesn’t reflect the attitude and priorities of our modern society, nothing does. Thank you for all your letters. Although none appear to be published, I do peruse everyone.

Keep ‘em coming and always.

Keep the faith.

Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com

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

INTERVIEW

An easier way of living CONTINUING our weekly interview with someone who has moved from Europe to settle in Spain it’s the turn of Tina Skotland-Jönsson.

TINA moved to Spain with joy the surroundings as she has her partner after training set up a very successful as a hairdresser in hairdressing salon at El Sweden where she Campanario Golf and grew up, although Country Club, Esteshe is actually Dapona but as a newnish by birth. comer to Spanish The couple had bureaucracy, Tina owned a holiadmits that she day home on the found it somewhat Costa del Sol but frustrating, howeafter their four chilver, all went through dren had grown up eventually and Hair by and moved away, they Tina is now well-establiCredit: Hair by Tina Facebook decided that the time had shed.

Tina Skotland-Jönsson come to make the move to Although she speaks Spain. fluent Danish, English and “There’s a much easier way of living Swedish, Tina is taking weekly Spanish here in Spain, it’s relaxing and because of lessons and has plenty of homework the climate and the fact that it stays light when she isn’t playing padel, at the gym, longer than in Sweden, when I finish work dog training or crocheting in her spare I can still make the most of the day.” time.

In February the couple will have been “Once my Spanish is better, I hope to here for two years and apart from being be able to make new Spanish friends to separated from friends and family, there go with my mainly English and Swedish is nothing else in Sweden that they miss. friends, many of whom started out as cusTina has not come to Spain to just en- tomers,” she explained.

IT seems like there’s an International Day for everything so don’t be surprised that recently January 7 was once again the International Day of Silly Walks.

Based on the famous and much loved Monty Python Ministry of Silly Walks sketch featuring John Cleese, the event started in the sometimes dour Czech Republic and the capital of Silly Walks is now Brno.

The events were held in that city and Prague in 2012 and has carried on in Brno since then (except for during the pandemic) and there are now members of the Silly Walks Facebook page across Europe.

This year saw the return to Prague of a flash mob undertaking the Silly Walk but Brno had the largest gathering of Silly Walkers.

Whilst anyone was allowed to join in, it was recommended that to

Credit: Silly Walk Brno Facebook

They’re in it together International Silly Walks A scene from the 2023 event in Brno.

really get the flavour of the original that men should dress in a dark suit with a bowler hat (although most participants found it easier to obtain a top hat) and a dark brief case would be appropriate but was not obligatory.

Those who wanted to take it ‘seriously’ were advised to concentrate on their leg movements and not be silly enough to wave their arms around at the same time.

A bit of harmless fun which either amused or bemused those onlookers who were caught up in the walk.

Voting in the UK

AS from Tuesday January 16, 2024, British citizens living abroad are now eligible to register to vote in UK general elections, regardless of how long they’ve been living outside the UK. A new law has removed the previous 15-year time limit.

Those who have previously lived in or been registered to vote in the UK now have the right to vote in UK Parliament elections. They can register online at www.gov. uk/registertovote and will need to confirm their personal information every three years. Anyone on a UK electoral register is also considered a permissible donor to UK political parties and campaigners.

British Ambassador to Spain, Hugh Elliott said: “This law means that more British citizens living in Spain will now be eligible to vote in UK

NEW LAW: British citizens living abroad can now vote.

Parliamentary elections, which is good news.

We’re asking the British community here to help us spread the word, because it’s important that eligible people are made aware of the changes so that they can register and cast a ballot when the time comes.”

More information is available on the Electoral Commission’s website.

Voters living overseas can

find contact details for the relevant local council by entering the postcode of the last place they lived in the UK, using the Commission’s postcode lookup tool.

UK Parliament elections covers UK parliamentary general elections, UK parliamentary by-elections and recall petitions. Eligibility for other types of election has not changed.

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

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

22

20 EWN 18 - 24 January 2024

euroweeklynews.com II FEATURE

COMMUNITY COMMENTS

MOST loyal Scots will be looking forward to Burns Night which is celebrated on January 25 (his birthday) each year. A little tongue in cheek, we asked readers whether they would eat haggis having described what goes into it and the response was a resounding vote in favour of haggis with plenty of observations about the importance of the celebration to Scotland as well as a couple of hints on how best to serve the dish • Absolutely! A good haggis drizzled with warm whisky is delicious.

Jan Urquijo

• Done properly, haggis is very tasty and of course a Scottish tradition.

Patricia Strange

• Yes, I blooming love it! I live in Spain and there’s plenty of offal based foods here too, if it tastes nice get it eaten.

I bet the squeamish about Haggis are happy to ram sausages and burgers in their faces and they contain some unexpected bits of animals too.

Rachel Warnes

• Cooked Offal, in my opinion, is probably one of the tastiest, most mis-represented of the basic healthy meat-feasts available. Now, raw fish, included as Sushi is a relatively new attraction - No Thanks, bring on the Offal for me any day.

Tony Benton

• Personally I don’t like it, but then again I don’t like offal, of any sort. I don’t think saying you don’t like it is trying to take away tradition, it’s just being honest. There are many foods throughout the world, not all the palatable choice of others.

Lynda Christopher

• Love haggis. You’re right they are trying to take away Scottish traditions. Hogmanay on UK TV was a disaster. It was not even worth watching. They are eroding all things Scottish.

We are just an exploited English colony. We need to get out of this toxic so called union.

Paul Steel

• Absolutely, dinner of champions!!!

Ian McKenzie

• Haggis was a cheap and nourishing staple when I lived in Scotland and we all looked forward to the day the butcher made them fresh.

Melanie Kitson

• Yep love it. This year I am piping the Haggis in at two local Burns suppers Craig Badley

• Absolutely gorgeous and most are not In sheep’s stomach these days which you don’t eat anyway.

Dave Pealing

• Beautiful dish and at a Burns Supper it’s the best dinner ever.

Lorraine Wylde

• Plenty do. Not me personally but my husband loves it.

Jane Frances

• It’s just a big, high quality sausage. Hot dogs contain much lower quality ingredients David Middleton Grenfell

• Yes, and if it is cooked properly it is lovely.

Stop trying to take our Scottish traditions away!!

Johan Ross

• Most definitely! With whisky sauce or even neat whisky poured over it.

John Bruce

• In Germany, Palatinate region, there we eat ‘Saumagen’. It is similar to haggis, but a stomach of a pig is filled. The filling is the important thing.

Donate Fink

• I love haggis but can’t stand bagpipes!!

Christine Smith

This is just a small sample of those who responded and overall 92 per cent said that they loved haggis and everything that accompanied it although one or two weren’t so sure about bagpipes and one enjoyed a Vegan version. We want to say to everyone who plans to celebrate Burns Night “Oidhche Bhlas Burns” (Happy Burns Night in Scottish Gaelic).

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.

21

euroweeklynews.com • 18 - 24 January 2024

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Coping with loss LOSING a beloved cat is an emotionally challenging experience that many pet owners unfortunately face.

The pain of saying goodbye can be profound, leaving a void that seems impossible to fill.

Allow yourself the space to grieve. Embrace the sadness, remembering it’s a testament to the love you shared.

Share your feelings with friends or family who understand the unique bond between humans and their feline friends.

Create a memorial to celebrate your cat’s life a photo collage, a written tribute, or a special place in your home.

Consider reaching out to pet loss support groups or professionals who specialise in grief counselling.

Time is a gentle healer, and with patience, the pain will gradually fade.

Pet owners warned THE Helsinki Animal Welfare Society (HESY) recently issued a critical alert regarding the dangers of Finland’s extreme winter weather for pets.

With the Nordic region experiencing its coldest temperatures this winter, reaching lows of minus 40 degrees Celsius, the safety of pets, particularly those left outdoors for long periods or abandoned, is in danger.

Recently, the harsh weather started disrupting transportation across the region, causing significant challenges for rail traffic in the Arctic north and leading to school closures in southern Norway.

This perilous cold snap not only affects human activities but poses a lethal threat to pets. Exposed to the severe cold, animals are at risk of frostbite and potentially deadly hypothermia, especially if they are outside for prolonged periods without suitable protection.

Hypothermia can cause vital organ failure, while frostbite may lead to tissue damage and loss, particularly in extremities like ears and tails.

Different dog breeds have varying levels of cold endurance. Breeds like Huskies and Lapland Reindeer Dogs are more adapted to the cold, unlike Finnish Hounds, Dobermans, and Pugs, which are more vulnerable to the cold’s adver-

Credit: EtaKarppa/Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0

VULNERABLE: Finnish Hound.

se effects.

HESY stresses the importance of knowing the breed-specific needs and vulnerabilities of pets to ensure their safety.

Pet owners are advised to keep their pets indoors during severe weather and provide protective clothing and footwear to short-haired or hairless pets.

If a pet is found alone in the cold, the recommendation is to bring the animal inside to warm up before taking it to an animal shelter.

Cats are particularly prone to frostbite injuries in winter, especially those that seek shelter in unheated environments.

The situation demands increased vigilance and responsibility from pet owners to protect their pets from these dangerous conditions.

Photo credit: Pixabay/lisaleo

DOMESTIC CATS: Environmentalists recommend collars with bells to warn vulnerable wildlife

Bell the cat THE city authorities in Amsterdam plan to ask cat-owners to add a bell to their pet’s collar .

When outside, this would warn birds and other wildlife that they were around, explained officials keen to ensure that the city is completely animal-friendly.

Cats, the officials said, are one of the few animals allowed to roam without supervision and they kill around 18 million birds each year in the Netherlands.

The Huiskat Thuiskat foundation launched legal proceedings in 2021 to persuade the government to take action against owners who allowed their cats to roam freely outdoors.

While applauding the proposal to introduce bells, the organisation said that research has shown that these reduce a cat’s victims by only between 33 and 50 per cent.

Meanwhile, a 2019 paper

by Environmental Law professors Arie Trouwborst and Han Somsen maintained that the domestic cat “poses a serious threat” to around 370 species in the Netherlands.

They also pointed out that under the EU’s Bird and Habitat Directives, member countries are legally obliged to protect wildlife, and allowing cats to roam and kill was breaking the law.

Amsterdam will also campaign to ensure all of the city’s domestic cats are chipped and registered, allowing lost animals to be reunited with their owners more quickly.

This would also help to solve problems caused by the feral population, officials said, adding that feral cats would no longer be released into “ecologically vulnerable” areas after they were trapped and sterilised.

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ROAD TEST

By Mark Slack

18 - 24 January 2024

EWN 23

Armchair motoring

HERE in the UK many of our less mainstream television channels show some excellent motoring programmes. From the long running Wheeler Dealers with host Mike Brewer, through to Salvage Hunters Classic Cars presented by Drew Pritchard and Paul Cowland.

Despite such good motoring coverage there’s always a point in the viewing year when there’s a dearth of such programmes. When that happens there’s another viewing option, YouTube! A wealth of motoring awaits, from traditional approaches to more offbeat motoring related videos.

Car detailing, new cars, classic cars, road trips, must see museums and more, they’re all there to quench your motoring thirst. Some of my favourite YouTube channels are ones where the presenters know their subject,

have a calm presentational style and don’t spend their time leaping around the screen screeching

tyres and whooping every time they get a perceived cool car. Now don’t get me wrong, if that’s what

presses your pedal it’s fine, everyone has their own likes and dislikes.

For me it’s the knowle-

ON Thursday, December 4, at the Madrid headquarters of the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT), the Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, alongside department undersecretary Susana Crisostomo and General Director of Traffic Pere Navarro, revealed the

provisional statistics for road accidents in Spain during the past year.

The report showed a slight decrease in fatalities, with 1,145 lives lost in 1,048 fatal accidents - a reduction of three from 2022.

However, there were 4,495

individuals who sustained injuries requiring hospitalisation. Out of the total fatalities, 849 (74 per cent) occurred on conventional roads - an increase of 21 from the previous year.

High-capacity roads saw a decrease in deaths,

with 296 fatalities in 2023, 24 fewer than in 2022. The data suggests that three-quarters of road deaths still occur on conventional roads.

Vulnerable users, including motorcyclists, pedestrians, and cyclists, experienced a 9 per cent rise in fatalities, totalling 463.

Motorcyclist deaths rose by 19 per cent compared to 2022.

Notably, pedestrian deaths were almost equally distributed between highways and conventional roads.

The 45 to 54 age group saw an 11 per cent increase in mortality, with 228 deaths representing 20 per cent of the total fatalities.

Child fatalities also rose, with 22 deaths recorded among 0 to 14-year-olds. The elderly (aged 65 and over) constituted 18 per cent of fatalities, showing a 10 per cent decrease from the previous year.

Men comprised 79 per cent of the fatalities, while women accounted for the remaining 21 per cent.

MOTORING PROGRAMMES: Whatever your taste, there’s something for everyone.

How safe are Spanish roads?

DGT’s new driving laws for 2024 IN a major announcement by the Spanish government, significant changes to driving laws have been introduced, aimed at enhancing road safety and driver training.

On Thursday, January 4 at the DGT headquarters, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska unveiled these changes as part of the 2023 road safety report.

The key change permits individuals under 17 years of age to drive when accompanied by an adult over 24 with at least five years of driving experience.

Grande-Marlaska emphasised the success of similar policies in France and Germany, highlighting their positive impact on road safety.

This initiative allows 17 to 18-year-olds to gain driving experience under supervision, a move Grande-Marlaska believes will ‘improve the training of younger drivers.’

Moreover, a significant shift in motorcycle licensing was announced. The B1 car licence will no longer cover low-displacement motorcycles or mopeds.

Instead, a mandatory course will be required for those wishing to drive motorcycles up to 125cc, addressing the distinct skills needed for different vehicle types.

The DGT plans to revise the points recovery courses, incorporating specific modules for motorcyclists focusing on safe and efficient driving.

Additionally, the use of a full-face helmet and approved gloves will become mandatory for motorcyclists on the road.

In response to ongoing concerns around impaired driving, Marlaska disclosed a 10 per cent increase in alcohol and drug controls. These changes reflect a concerted effort to improve road safety in Spain.

dgeable and arguably more professional channels that attract. Harry’s Garage is fronted by Harry Metcalfe, founder of the classy UK performance car magazine EVO. Although a publisher and not a journalist in the traditional sense, he’s a calm, knowledgeable and interesting presenter. He has his own car collection but presents on an encyclopaedic range of cars and bikes that in my view make this a must-see channel.

Another very different channel is High Peak Autos, presented by Matt Goodwin who has a used car business and features videos of his purchase and preparation of cars ready for sale. It’s an incredibly honest channel where failures have equal billing with the successes, and it makes for fascinating viewing not only for

the cars but as an insight into the used car business. He’s recently ventured into new car reviews, on which I’m not so keen as in my view it dilutes his channel’s USP. There are so many channels featuring new cars High Peak Autos USP is a stand-out feature along with its professionalism. Other favourite channels include The Late Brake Show with Jonny Smith, Vermijl Car Detail, Decotamin, JayEmm on Cars and Tyrrell’s Classic Workshop.

Whatever your motoring taste there’s something there for you, whether on television or online with platforms such as YouTube. There is much said about social media and online platform being poisonous places and very negative. They can be but there’s also a lot of positive viewing experiences too.

Credit: Interior.gob.es

Spanish road death statistics revealed.

24 EWN 18 - 24 January 2024

ANA MONCADA from Estepona has qualified Spain in ILCA6 (Women’s Laser) for the Paris Olympics in 2024.

The 34th place of the athlete in the absolute general classification of the World Championships in Mar de Plata, Argentina was the key to the qualification for the Olympic Games.

This young 22-year-old sailor, born in Estepona (Malaga) is currently number 40 in the world ranking and is the reigning Spanish champion, European under-21 and 2019 youth champion.

The Spanish team’s Olympic preparation director, Xisco Gil, said: “This is a new milestone for Spanish sailing that places us as a major international power, being the European country with the highest number of classes classified so far.

“We surpassed Great Britain, Italy and the Netherlands who currently have eight places and we are getting closer to the goal of being in Paris 2024 with representation in all 10 Olympic classes,” he added.

With six months to go until the Olympic Games, only France, as host, is represented in all 10 Olympic sailing classes. They are followed by Australia, China and New Zealand with nine places, and Spain, which is the leading European country.

The next international events for the Spanish Olympic team will be the ILCA 7 Class World Championship to be held in Adelaide, Australia, between January 26 and 31, and the iQFOiL World Championship to be held in Lanzarote from January 29 to February 3.

Pioneers of women’s football THE women’s football scene in Saudi Arabia now infused with Spanish expertise, is a striking example of how the sporting culture of one nation can change for the better.

Saudi Arabia has made significant strides since September 2017, when women were allowed to drive and cinemas reopened after 35 years.

Progress continued with the launch of the first women’s league in 2021, and the national team playing its inaugural international match in 2022. This evolution represents a remarkable shift in a nation that is currently the Super Cup’s host.

The transformation of Saudi women’s football has been significantly influenced by Spanish professionals. Lluis Cortes, former coach of FC Barcelona and the Ukraine national team, took charge of the Saudi women’s team in December.

Credit: easternflamesfc/instagram.com

Spain qualifies

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BASED IN DAMMAM: Eastern Flames FC.

The first division of Saudi’s local league further underscores this influence, with Ana Junyent leading Al-Riyadh as the sole female coach, and David Cabildo at the helm of the Eastern Flames, the pioneering Saudi women’s soccer team.

Based in Dammam, the Eastern Flames, also known as Shulat Alsharqia FC, signify the starting point of women’s football in the region.

“The football stadium is very initial. There is no prior training. They are starting from the bottom, with very

basic things,” said David Cabildo, outlining the nascent stage of development.

Despite the primary nature of their setup, the passion and dedication of the players is noteworthy.

“Patience is needed. But in women’s football, the players are already very eager to learn... They put a lot of passion,” Cabildo observes, highlighting the players’ enthusiasm and rapid progress.

Cabildo’s experience in Saudi Arabia reveals cultural nuances, especially in player-coach interactions

and attire. However, these differences don’t hinder the spirit and ambition within the team.

The broadcasting of all matches on television and the involvement of Saudi Telecom Company, a major stakeholder in Spain’s Telefonica since September 2023, underscores the growing popularity and support for women’s football in Saudi Arabia.

The Eastern Flames, though currently underdogs in the league, are crucial to the strategic development of Saudi women’s football.

This strategy is bolstered by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation’s collaboration with German Monika Staab, renowned for her role in developing Qatar’s women’s team.

Looking ahead, Saudi Arabia plans to introduce a third category in women’s football, further expanding the sport’s reach and impact.

Foreign teams

AS 2024 ushers in, the International Cycling Union (UCI) has revamped its Coronavirus protocol, removing some outdated restrictions.

With the arrival of 2024, cycling was the last major sport to adapt to post-pandemic norms.

The UCI’s decision, long awaited by the public, marks a significant change.

This move aligns cycling with other sports that had already discarded pandemic-era measures.

Previously, cycling clung to a mix of confusing rules, which even baffled competitors. The UCI’s 2024 protocol upda-

SPORTS tourism has made a strong start in 2024 in Torremolinos on the Costa del Sol. More than 500 sportsmen and women will arrive throughout the first month of the year in the town to train in the municipal sports facilities. Specifically, 13 football teams and three swimming teams will be the first foreign teams to train in the town’s sports facilities in the new year.

Most of the foreign visitors are football players from the Netherlands and Switzerland, who are taking advantage of the winter break in their respective competitions to travel and carry out training in milder weather.

Among the teams that have already passed through the town during the first days of January, FC Dordrecht from the Dutch 2nd division, for example, have chosen the El Pozuelo municipal stadium to prepare for their return to competition. Berkel Women, from the Dutch women’s first division, have also been training at the municipal sports facilities.

Swimming is the other sporting discipline that will be present, specifically in the indoor pool where three teams will hold training sessions, including the swimming team from Cardiff Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom and the team from the University of Limerick in Ireland.

In 2023, sports tourism generated an economic impact in Torremolinos of more than €3 million.

In total, 3,065 athletes passed through the sports facilities of the municipality, contributing with their stay to the deseasonalisation of the town.

Credit: UCI_Cycling/X

Cycling embraces new normal in 2024

POST PANDEMIC NORMS: UCI’s 2024 ruling over Covid-19.

te includes more relaxed Covid-19 regulations, alongside the existing Concussion and High Temperature Protocols.

No longer are cyclists compelled to withdraw mid-competition upon a positive Covid-19 result.

The UCI’s initial Covid-19 Protocol, launched in June 2020, was crucial for resuming seasons amidst the pandemic.

It featured closed bubbles, regular health

checks, and mandatory masks. Over time, these measures became less relevant, causing confusion and operational challenges in events like the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France.

In 2023, despite the easing of restrictions in other sports, mask-wearing remained mandatory in cycling events.

David Lappartient, UCI President, stressed the importance of evolving

protocols: “The health, safety and well-being of our riders is of the utmost importance.

“That is why the UCI continually works to respond to new situations and adapt its protocols to the changing environment in which cyclists evolve.’

In its 2024 iteration, the UCI protocol no longer mandates isolation for those testing positive. However, it still recommends pandemic-era practices like mask-wearing, hand hygiene, and ventilating indoor spaces.

Responsibility for monitoring an affected cyclist’s health now solely lies with the team’s doctors, focusing on standard prevention against respiratory infectious diseases.

This change reflects the broader shift in sports towards a more nuanced approach to health and safety in the current era.