Axarquia 16 – 22 November 2023 Issue 2002

Axarquia • Issue No. 2002 • 16 - 22 November 2023

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GRATIS

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A MUSICAL DAY

VELEZ-MALAGA Town Hall will celebrate ‘Music Day’on Friday, November 24.

“We are going to cele­ brate ‘Music Day’ on Friday, November 24, with a rich programme of activities and concerts,” Alicia Ramírez, the councillor for Culture ex­ plained in a statement.

“We want it to be a day when residents, fans and music lovers can enjoy a varied route of musical styles and different loca­ tions of important cultural significance in the munici­ pality,” she added.

Ramírez continued: “The Musical Route will start at 7pm at the town’s Museum (MUVEL) in the Pilar dis­ trict. A concert by the Mu­ nicipal Music Band will take place on the terrace, while at the same time, atten­

Credit: velezmalaga.es

Alicia Ramírez, the Velez-Malaga councillor for Culture.

dees will be able to look around the museum’s facili­ ties.

“The route will continue to the Francisco Hernández Contemporary Art Centre (CAC), on Calle de las Mon­ jas. Starting at 8pm, atten­ dees will be able to enjoy an original and avant­garde music and dance show.

“It is an immersive show which attendees can follow from one room to another.”

The show is called ‘Mala­ guerra’, a contemporary fla­ menco work, inspired by the book ‘The Right to Lazi­ ness’, by Paul Lafargue.

“It will be performed by the dancer Amanda Za­ vanelli and the drummer

Dani Vega,” the councillor detailed.

Ramírez added: “We be­ lieve that those who want to attend all the concerts will have enough time to do so, with time between one and the other.

“The musical route will continue at 9.15pm at the Beniel Palace with a concert by the prestigious Veleño musician and composer Daniel Martínez, who will be accompanied by four musicians, in a concert ti­ tled ‘Mardanis’.

“Finally, we will end on the terrace of the Casa Cer­ vantes, at 10.30pm, with the Andalucian music group ‘Mawazín’ performing a concert titled ‘Andalucian poetry of Velez­Malaga and the Axarquia,” the council­ lor concluded.

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Christmas Pickleball Tournament THE second Axarquia Pick­ leball Christmas Tourna­ ment will take place in Rin­ con de la Victoria, with around 100 participants from all over the country.

As reported by councillor Antonio José Martín, the first pickleball tournament to be held in the province of Malaga was a success.

This year’s event has subse­ quently been extended to two days.

Francisco Salado, the mayor of Rincon de la Vic­ toria, highlighted the rise of this sporting activity that continues to gain followers.

Antonio Casquero, from Rincon and a 5.0 elite play­ er, expressed his satisfac­ tion: “for the great recep­ tion that pickleball is having among the athletes who

have just discovered it.

Players come from differ­ ent municipalities in our province to play on the courts that we have set up in Rincon de la Victoria.”

On December 9, the male and female doubles matches will take place, fol­ lowed the next day by the mixed doubles, both from 10am, at the Rubén Ruzafa Municipal Cubierto Pavilion of Torre de Benagalbón.

There will be prizes for the champions and run­ ners­up. Those interested in participating must regis­ ter in advance either by completing an online form or by contacting the Pickle­ ball Axarquia Sports Club on: 651 616 262.

Entry on the two days is free to the public.

50th anniversary of twinning A PLAQUE that gives the name of Almuñecar to a beautiful square in the Zaragoza town of Cariñe­ na has been unveiled.

Located next to the Cul­ tural Centre of the town, it celebrates the 50th an­ niversary of the twinning between the two munici­ palities. Juan José Ruiz Joya and Sergio Ortiz, the mayors of both towns re­ spectively, performed the unveiling on Saturday November 11.

After signing Cariñena Council’s book of honour, the mayor then held a meeting with the local council members. He also met with members of the Association of Elderly People, and a group of young people who had visited the Sexita town a few months ago on an ex­

Credit: X@aytorincon

PICKLEBALL: This sport is becoming more popular.

Credit: Press Ayto Almuñécar

UNVEILED: Almuñécar twinning plaque unveiling in Zaragoza.

change programme.

Both municipalities committed themselves to: “promote a meeting be­ tween their respective as­ sociations to promote ini­ tiatives and collaboration that will benefit the eco­ nomic sectors of Cariñena and Almuñecar,” the mayor reported. ' “We intend to maintain an active twinning, in ad­ dition to being able to cre­

ate synergies and share our culture, gastronomy, and industrial experi­ ences; in short, to share initiatives that have an im­ pact on the two munici­ palities,” he explained.

The twinning of Cariñe­ na and Almuñecar took place in 1973, when José Antonio Bustos was may­ or the mayor. Since then, the Sexita town has had a central street that bears

the name of Cariñena, lo­ cated between the av­ enues of Andalucia and Rey Juan Carlos I.

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Velez-Malaga Fair 2024 THE dates for the the 2024 Velez-Malaga Fair have been announced by Lourdes Piña, the councillor for Popular Traditions.

“Today we announce the calendar of celebrations for the long-awaited 2024 Velez-Malaga Carnival, where I hope all residents participate, dress up and have a great time,” Piña declared.

“Carnival 2024 will kick off on January 13 with the proclamation and on the 20th the traditional ‘mejilloná’ will be celebrated, with the welcome of the crier, which will take place in the Peña Axarquía,” Piña continued.

The councillor explained: “On January 28, the traditional callos event will also take place at the Peña La Axarquía. Thursday, February 1 sees the proclamation of Carnival 2024 at the Teatro del Carmen, during which Miguel Ángel Ruiz

Credit: velezmalaga.es

Presentation of Velez-Malaga Fair 2024.

Castillo ‘Landro’ will sing.

“Usually, the proclamation has been held on the same day as the group competition, but we wanted to separate it so that it has its importance,” she added.

On the evening of Friday, February 2, the murgas and comparsas competition will be held on the same stage as the Tablaos de Carmen.

“There are already five groups registered and the registration period is still open, at the moment with-

out a deadline.

“The Carnival moves to the streets on Saturday 3 when a parade will run through the streets of Velez-Malaga, filling them with confetti and joy,” she continued.

“Finally, on Sunday the 4th the celebrations will close with a party at the San Francisco Market with troupes and chirigotas invited for the occasion.

There will be free paella and a bar to spend the day in the best way,” Piña concluded.

LOCAL NEWS

Heading to Huelva ON December 16 and 17, Motril residents can enjoy the last of this year’s ‘Motrileños Viajeros’ activities.

As announced by Inmaculada Torres, the deputy mayor responsible for Citizen Participation in the municipality, this final activity of 2023 is bound for Huelva. This year’s trips have included Ceuta and Tetuan.

First stop will be the famous Living Nativity Scene of Beas, in Huelva.

It is the oldest in Andalucia, the second oldest in Spain, and is recognised

as one of the seven wonders of the province.

From there, the group will head to the Gruta de las Maravillas de Aracena, described by many as one of the most beautiful natural environments in Huelva Province.

The trip will end with a visit to a well-known ham drying facility in the town. Visitors will be able to enjoy the fascinating and incredible world of Iberian ham production, an extraordinary emblem of the entire province of Huelva.

On December 16, the

coach departs at 7.30am from the Tourist Office located in the Parque de los Pueblos de América.

The price will be €155, or €165 if the coach is incomplete, with a prior reservation fee of €70. Included in the price are the visits to the nativity scene, the grotto and the ham drying room, plus the coach, full board hotel accommodation and travel insurance.

Anybody interested in signing up can do so at the Citizen Participation office during its usual morning hours from 10am to 1pm.

Paraglider crash A 52-Y EA R-O L D female paraglider was seriously injured after a fall in the area known locally as Las Maravillas ravine, in La Herradura.

As reported by Almuñe­

car Local Police, the inci­ dent occurred shortly be­ fore midday on Thursday, November 9.

Local Police and Guardia Civil personnel were deployed to the scene along with the Fire Brigade and Almuñecar Emergency Health Ser­ vices.

After being treated at the scene, the German woman was taken by am­ bulance to the football pitch in La Herradura.

From there, she was sub­ sequently airlifted by he­ licopter to a hospital in the city of Granada due to the seriousness of her in­ juries.

El Majuelo park AN investment of around €15,000 has been made in El Majuelo park, financed through the Agricultural Employment Promotion Plan (PFEA) and Almuñe­ car Town Council.

The installation of a new watering and lighting system was carried out by the local company ‘Tropic Riegos Alonso’.

Juan José Ruiz Joya, the town’s mayor, visited the site, accompanied by Francisco Rodríguez, the

councillor for Mainte­ nance, to inspect the fin­ ished work.

“In addition to this, some 30 lighting bollards have been installed along the edges of the site.

Hundreds of metres of piping were needed to ac­ commodate the pipes and electrical networks. All of this forced us to remove most of the benches, which will now be rein­ stalled,” explained the councillor.

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STORIES IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION

NIBS EXTRA Old town REFURBISHMENT work has been carried out recently by maintenance personnel belonging to Nerja Town Hall. This work has included the repainting of the white walls and black wrought­iron railings in the Isaac Albéniz and Plaza Almedina areas of the Nerja’s old town district.

For everyone ALMUÑECAR Town Hall’s Culture Department pre­ sents its ‘Flamenco Festival For Everyone’ on Saturday, November 18, in El Majuelo Park, from 1pm. Tickets are €15 and are available from Arena Tropical Bar, Travels Eroski, Contreras Library, and the Case de Cultura in Al­ muñécar, the Páramo Li­ brary in La Herradura, and Antonio Gómez in Motril.

In exchange ON Sunday, November 12, Francisco Salado, the mayor of Rincon de la Victoria par­ ticipated in the official pre­ sentation of the new kit of the Victoriano Rugby Club for the 2023­24 season. In re­ turn, the town presented the mayor and Antonio José Martín, the councillor for Sports, with an elasticated shirt each.

Violence study FRANCISCO SALADO, the mayor of Rincon de la Victo­ ria, attended the 14th Inter­ national Congress for the Study of Violence against Women, accompanied by Olga Cervantes, the council­ lor for Social Welfare. Fol­ lowing the inauguration of the event at FYCMA, they witnessed a lecture on: ‘Ef­ fective accompaniment strategies for girls and young women at risk’.

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Remembrance Sunday ON Sunday, November 12, the Nerja branch of the Royal British Legion commemorated Remem­ brance Sunday with a ceremony followed by lunch at the Al Andalus Hotel in Maro.

Attendees enjoyed a menu including a starter of onion soup with cheesy croutons. A main course of fillet of pork with Malaga sauce, roast­ ed potatoes, and season­ al vegetables was fol­ lowed by a dessert of strawberry Penna Cotta.

Their next social event

Credit: Nerja RBL

LOCAL NEWS

Nerja RBL Remembrance Sunday ceremony.

French Language Course ALMUÑECAR will train 15 unemployed people in a free French language course. This initiative, with the aim of continuing to improve employability, was pre­ sented by Beatriz González, the councillor for Devel­ opment and Employment. “This is a 20­hour basic lev­ el French course, in face­to­face mode, which will take place from Monday to Friday from 11am to 1pm.

“A total of 15 unemployed people from the munici­ pality will be able to participate in this free course, with the collaboration of the Fénix Academy,” ex­ plained the councillor. “The main objective of this training is to provide attendees with a basic knowl­ edge of the French language when working in the sec­ tors of commerce and hospitality, allowing them to provide a good service to French­speaking cus­ tomers,” González detailed.

The course will run from December 11 to 22, at the Casa de la Cultura. For more information and registra­ tion, contact the Development and Employment De­ partment by email: fomentoyempleo@almunecar.es or by telephone on 958 639 170.

VPO Rental THE 11 VPO protected housing rentals for young people that are being built on Calle Zurbarán in Nerja have entered their final phase.

They are scheduled for completion in December, after the ex­ tension of the initial deadline due to complications in the exca­ vation phase and delays in the supply of materials.

A total of €1,450,269 has been invested in the project, with Nerja Council contributing €1,232,139 and another €218,130 provided by the Junta de Andalucia.

The 11 homes are distributed in a building with a ground floor, basement, and first floor. They have a living room, kitchen, bathroom and two or three bedrooms. There are 14 parking spaces and 11 storage rooms in the basement.

Nerja’s mayor, José Alberto Armijo, visited the site accompa­ nied by Nieves Atencia, the councillor for Housing where they viewed the homes that are being built by Bilba.

“These works are another example of the commitment of this Municipal Government to housing policies and attention to the needs and demands of the young people of Nerja and Maro,” commented the mayor.

Leisure premises A L M U Ñ EC A R Town Hall is putting out to tender the administrative con­ cession of two premises located in the Bajos del Altillo and the Bajos del Fenicio leisure areas.

As announced by Rafael Caballero, the councillor for Contracting and Purchasing, they are Local No 10, known as ‘Versatil’, which is in the Bajos del Altillo, and Local No 4, known as ‘Rincon del Mar’, located in the Bajos del Fenicio.

With regard to ‘Rincon del Mar’, a rising bidding rate is established,

will be a quiz held at Lew’s Fish Restaurant on Torrox Costa on Tuesday November 21. It will start at the usual time of 7pm but participants should arrive by 6.30pm.

Those attending will be organised into teams of four, combining cou­ ples and singles so that everyone will have a place. Prizes will be awarded for the first and second placed teams. Ed­ die Bowe will be the quiz master. The cost for the evening is €26 per couple or €13 per individual.

with a minimum lease of €80,000 and a minimum monthly rent of €874.40.

For ‘Versatil’, the tender budget is established with a minimum lease of €120,000 and a minimum monthly rent of €910.63.

Both premises are located in the afternoon and evening leisure area and are currently unoccupied. “The Sexitano Council intends to reacti­ vate these two frontline spaces, so we encourage entrepreneurs who wish to bid for them,” said Rafael Ca­ ballero.

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Beach cleaning AFTER an intense week of work, Al­ muñecar’s Depart­ ment of Beaches has erased all of the traces left by the re­ cent storms on the municipality’s beach­ es.

It was achieved: “with steps that, in some cases, prevented access or could cause falls,” commented Lucía González, the councillor for Beaches, who supervised the cleaning operation personally.

The official high­ lighted the damage caused to the beach­ es of Cotobro, San Cristóbal, La Caletilla and Fuentepiedra, along with those of La Caleta, in La Herradu­ ra, among others.

“The work was car­ ried out with me­ chanical means since last Saturday in order to correct those areas that were most af­ fected, since there are many visitors who take the opportunity to enjoy these beach­ es. Remember that in our municipality the maintenance of beaches is carried out all year round,” em­ phasised González.

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16 - 22 November 2023

AMD hiking programme

A GROUP of 50 people par­ ticipated in a 17­km hike through the Sierra de Gá­ dor de Almeria on Sunday, November 12.

The route that started from Las Palomas and con­ tinued through the caves and medieval drainage ditches of Los Lobos was organised by the Municipal Sports Area (AMD) of Al­ muñecar.

“The route took place on a very good day for hiking, so we enjoyed a different landscape to the one usual­ ly experienced in other ar­ eas, but being on dry land

in Almeria, it was a must,” said one of the partici­ pants.

This was the penultimate activity in the annual AMD hiking programme. The year’s final hike is planned for Sunday, November 26.

“It will be a circular route starting from the town of Lentegí, passing through Las Viñas, Los Barrancones, Fuente Cascajal, Las Ce­ badillas, Cortijo Melión, Cortijo Lizardo, Caseta los Cazadores, Barranco Arro­ ba, Aguas Blanquillas and Guadajamas, before re­ turning to the starting

point,” said the organisers.

Registrations can be made from Monday to Fri­ day at the Francisco Bonet municipal sports stadium in Almuñécar, from 9am to 2pm and 5pm to 10pm.

For more information, call the AMD Almuñecar office on 958 883 142 or 673 369 309.

68 years: the length of the longest bout of hiccups.

PROVERB OF THE WEEK “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

This proverb highlights the need for steady persistence in achieving any goal and comes from the 6th century BC Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism.

LOCAL NEWS

Carrefour collaboration

RINCON DE LA VICTORIA Town Hall has set up a collaboration with the Carrefour group that is designed to aid the future integration of unemployed people in the municipality.

Belén Gutiérrez, the councillor for Training and Employment, met with Antonio Márquez, the director of Car­ refour in Rincon de la Victoria, along with Gloria Fernández and Álvaro Ruiz, the company’s heads of HR. New lines of collaboration were dis­ cussed, among them, ways to identify Carrefour’s recruitment needs in order to detect suitable candidates for va­ cant positions that the company might offer.

“The objective is to have channels of communication between both entities that allow us to know the training needs linked to the development of certain occupations in order to design training actions that address them,” explained the councillor.

Francisco Salado, the mayor of Rin­

Credit: rincondelavictoria.es

Belén Gutiérrez with representatives from Carrefour.

con de la Victoria, highlighted the im­ portance of: “working together with the aim of creating new avenues of employability that benefit our resi­ dents.

“The commerce sector offers em­ ployment opportunities that should be known and disseminated among those who might be interested in developing their professional life in it,” he added.

Gutiérrez concluded: “We have also planned regular working groups that will allow us to study the feasibility of other future collaboration channels.”

LOCAL NEWS

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ON Saturday, November 25, the Arts Society of Ner­ ja is organising a guided tour to Arab Almeria, one of the biggest Alcazabas in Al­Andalus.

In the 10th century, Abd ar­Rahman III, the then Caliph of Cordoba, ordered the building of one of the most beautiful Alcazabas in Al­Andalus. It was subse­ quently enlarged several times over the years.

This stunning location has been used in various famous films, including Co­ nan the Barbarian, Indiana Jones and the Last Cru­ sade, Never Say Never Again and most recently Wonder Woman 1984.

Scenes of the sixth sea­ son of the HBO TV series Game of Thrones were al­ so shot on location, along with the TV series Queen of Swords.

The cost of the trip is €25 for Members and €30 for Non­Members. Included in

Credit: Nerja Arts Society

Digital training courses Arab Almeria Alcazaba

GUIDED TOUR: To one of the biggest Alcazabas.

the price are: • Coffee on the way to Almeria • Interpretation Centre ‘Puerta de Almeria’ • Rest of the old Mosque Aljama de Almeria • A walk through the old Arab medina • The Alcazaba • The old Arab Aljibe (water deposit) ­ this de­ pends on opening times • The archaeological mu­ seum • Free time for lunch and to visit the city centre

Pick up points and times: • 7.45 Torre del Mar bus station • 7.50 Velez­Malaga Fe­ ria area opposite Lidl (where the Covid tent used to be) • 8.10 Nerja bus station on the side coming in to Nerja • 8.15 Nerja Capistrano, in front of the supermarket Carrefour The trip departs Almeria at around 5.30/6pm and gets back to Nerja at around 6.30pm.

ALMUÑECAR Town Hall will participate in ‘Preparad@s­ Formación Digital Training’, an initiative designed to promote the training of unemployed women in rural areas of Granada Province.

It has the support of the Jun­ ta de Andalucia’s Department of Employment and Develop­ ment, and is promoted by the Ministry of Employment, Com­ panies and Self­Employment.

A collaboration agreement was signed with UTE Capac­ itación Digital Andalucia for the transfer of the use and avail­

ability of the Aula Municipal de Formación, which is located in the Francisco Bonet stadium.

Training will take place in the afternoons, from 4.30pm to 8.30pm, with six courses each totalling 40 hours. De­ pending on the number of ap­ plicants, these course will be programmed to run succes­ sively.

Beatriz González, the Al­ muñecar councillor overseeing the project, explained that the itineraries were designed to: “improve employment oppor­ tunities, master office automa­

tion, make your resume stand out, develop a creative side and design digital content, start your own digital business, sell online and learn to pro­ mote your business on digital channels.”

The first of these itineraries, called ‘Prepare your weapons for the job search: curriculum and other fundamental tools’, has already been launched.

Registrations for future training can be made through this website: https://prepara das.es/local/prep_subscrip ciones/listadoaf.php.

Road markings repainted A CAMPAIGN to replace road markings painted on urban roads in the municipality is being launched by Velez­Malaga Council.

“All the streets where the work will be carried out have the classification of urban land and road. It is important for the safety of our resi­ dents to keep the urban land in good condition, as we are already doing with the resurfacing of several streets in the municipality,” explained Jesús María Claros, the councillor for Infrastruc­ ture.

“An investment of almost €200,000 for the whole of the municipality of Velez­Malaga re­ flects our principles of maintaining the equality of the people of the municipality and I think it should be one of the priorities of this govern­ ment team,” stated David Segura, the deputy mayor of Caleta de Vélez.

“This action is very important to improve both the safety and accessibility of our residents, as well as the road structuring of all our villages,” Segura added.

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Las Azucenas Beach MOTRIL’S Las Azucenas beach area has recently undergone work to trans­ form it into a natural re­ serve.

“We are excited about the transformation that has been made to a land­ mark of our coast, with our sights set on its adap­ tation to become a nature reserve that can serve as an example to the people of Motril and as an em­ blem for visitors,” said Luisa García Chamorro, the town’s mayor.

This project was carried out with an investment of €239,000, within the pri­ mary objective promulgat­ ed in the Participatory De­ velopment Strategy (EDLP). It was designed by the Costa Granada Group within the framework of the European Maritime Fisheries Fund 2014/2020 (EMFF).

The access pathway that runs through Las Azucenas

Credit: motril.es

LAS AZUCENAS: Set to become a nature reserve.

was upgraded to a width of 1.5 metres, with deck­ ing installed to act as walk­ ways. Raised walkways on stilts and beams were placed in the areas most prone to flooding. Second­ ly, the reception area was extended with a covered space doubling that creat­ ed in the first phase of the project. Benches, display boards and litter bins were placed along the entire length of the route.

Finally, a prefabricated

toilet cubicle was installed, fitted with a full­cycle de­ cantation septic tank with a purified outlet to the riverbed. One hundred per cent recyclable materials of a very high quality and low maintenance were used in the whole project.

It was awarded the Blue Angel certification, a Ger­ man ecological system de­ signed to distinguish prod­ ucts with low environmental impact dur­ ing their life cycle.

LOCAL NEWS

Almuñecar: subsidised housing J U A N J O S É R U I Z J OY A, the mayor of Almuñecar, has offered the public company Visogsa, the possibility of building subsidised housing in the municipality.

The town hall is pre­ pared to cede the use of plots of land for this pur­ pose.

The mayor attended a meeting with José Tor­ rente García, the manag­ ing director of Visogsa, accompanied by Javier García, the councillor for Urbanism, and members of the public company.

“This has been a first contact to collaborate, between both local and provincial administra­ tions, and to be able to carry out the construc­ tion of sheltered accom­ modation in our munici­ pality, as we promised in the last elections,” Ruiz Joya said.

NEWS

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THE world of wine often grapples with the unpre­ dictable quirks of Mother Nature. This year, it faced a series of challenges, includ­ ing early frosts, heavy rains, mildew, and droughts.

Global wine production took a hit, declining by a substantial 7 per cent, marking its lowest point since 1961, according to es­ timates from the Interna­ tional Vine and Wine Or­ ganisation (OIV).Amidst this turbulent year, France has once again claimed its title as the world’s leading wine

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Fine whine Spanish gastronomy

supplier, surpassing Italy whose production fell by a discouraging 12 per cent.

However, there’s a glimmer of hope on the horizon.

The OIV highlights the potential for ‘particularly large’ volumes in renowned wine regions such as Cognac, the sun­drenched shores of Corsica, and the lively hills of Champagne.

This is a silver lining that reminds us that even in the face of adversity, the world

of wine retains its capacity to surprise and delight.

Surprisingly, the decrease in wine production doesn’t necessarily spell doom and gloom. The OIV emphasises that, in a world with declin­ ing global wine consump­ tion and sufficient wine stocks in various parts of the globe, this expected low production might actually act as a natural stabiliser, bringing balance to the global wine market.

Munich take-off STARTING in the summer of 2024, Lufthansa is planning to significantly expand its long­ haul flight offerings at Munich Airport. Cur­ rently, Lufthansa operates approximately 150 long­haul flights every week from Mu­ nich. However, in the summer of 2024, the airline intends to boost this number to over 190 flights per week, marking an unprece­ dented growth of more than 20 per cent.

Munich is the second­largest German air­ port and the second­largest Lufthansa loca­ tion, after Frankfurt. As part of this expan­

sion, Lufthansa will introduce new interconti­ nental destinations from Munich. Travellers can look forward to flights to Seattle, Hong Kong, and Johannesburg, along with a signifi­ cant increase in routes to North America and Asia. The airline’s long­haul fleet includes the world’s largest passenger aircraft, the A380, some of which were previously mothballed.

Lufthansa plans to reactivate all eight of its A380s, with four already back in service and the remaining four set to return over the next two years.

THE upward trend of culi­ nary tourism is a testament to the fact that, wherever they are in the world, every­ one loves trying new food.

Europe has long been the centre of diverse and quality cuisine and Spain is a leading gastronomic light in the con­ tinent.

Culinary tourism is grow­ ing increasingly popular, with the market worth €743 billion in 2022 and expected to exceed €872 billion by 2028, an increase of 17.44 per cent.

In an Internet age, for bet­ ter or worse, foodies rely heavily on rating apps and recommendations from So­ cial Media influencers, but the one recommendation that has held the heaviest weight for the last 100 years is that of the Michelin Guide and its star rating system.

A traditional view of Span­ ish cuisine is that it’s simple, cheap, simple food that’s wholesome and varied.

However, Spain holds the fifth most Michelin stars in

MICHELIN STARS: Spain ranks third in the world.

the world and its restaurants rank third in the world for the coveted three­star award.

The Basque Country town of San Sebastian holds the crown for the highest densi­ ty of Michelin­starred restaurants in Europe and is regularly named by many of the world’s top chefs as their favourite foodie destination.

In 2022 Spain boasted 226 one, two and three­starred restaurants, 38 Green Star

restaurants and 232 Bib Gourmand. In 2023 the number of Michelin­starred restaurants in Spain has risen to 248, demonstrating the rise of Spanish gastrono­ my on the world stage.

126 feet: the diameter of the world’s largest pizza.

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HÉCTOR GÓMEZ, Spanish care­ taker Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism has just attended World Travel Market in London.

Having made it clear in a state­ ment that “tourism adds almost three million workers and creates one in four new jobs in the econ­ omy” it has become apparent that the British market is still of major importance despite Brexit.

There is a large body of opinion which believes that action needs to be taken to redress the prob­ lems caused by the 90/180 re­ strictions on visiting Schengen countries by non­EU passport holders and already the French Senate is considering a bill which would grant long stay visas to British second home owners without the usual problems of red tape delays.

It is reported that Minister Gómez took the opportunity whilst in London to visit the For­ eign, Commonwealth and Devel­ opment Office to discuss the very

Credit: WTM

Can Spain change?

LONDON: The very busy World Travel Market.

problem of restrictions on visits

by UK residents to Spain to try to find a solution.

Currently, the UK allows Span­ ish citizens to spend up to six months per visit and this is what campaigners such as the 180 Days in Spain group believes should be the norm for British visitors to Spain. Spain still holds the Presi­ dency of the EU until the end of this year and even with a caretak­

er government still has more chance of gaining traction for a change in the rules whilst in this position.

The argument up to now has been made that Schengen rules can’t be changed for just one or two countries, but with the French precedent already set, this may be the right time for Spain to make its own bid for special treatment.

NEWS

Nail in coffin?

THE European Central Bank has confirmed that it plans to push ahead with the digital euro and the Bank of Spain is not only supportive, but six months ahead of other banks.

It is difficult to trace the movement of cash and many banks like the con­ cept of a cashless society as they can benefit by charging merchants for ev­ ery transaction made by card or transfer. It is inter­ esting that the Bank of Spain, whilst still in favour of the digital euro, has been sounding out public opinion and had market research company IPSOS undertake two tiny sur­ veys of just 1,600 mem­ bers of the public and small businesses about their attitude to digital payment.

Whilst the powers that be may have been sur­ prised by the answers they received; it seems unlikely that they will be swayed from the path of

digitalisation.

Just 20 per cent of the public admitted to know­ ing anything about the digital euro and a similar number of businesses in­ dicated that they would be likely to accept pay­ ment by this method whilst 65 per cent (7 per cent more than those re­ sponded to a similar sur­ vey in 2022) said they pos­ itively didn’t intend to accept the digital euro.

Even in the most pro digital age group (18 to 24) only 36 per cent said they were likely to use the currency and this percent­ age declined as the ages rose with a nominal 7 per cent of those older than 65 being in favour. Whilst the digital euro may be useful for use in major transactions between large organisations, it seems unlikely that you will be invited to pay for your beer and tapas with digital euros in the fore­ seeable future.

euroweeklynews.com

Morel of the story

THE recent story of deadly mushroom poison­ ing in Australia has highlighted Finland’s love af­ fair with Gyromitra esculenta, commonly known as the false morel mushroom.

The false morel mushroom is discarded by many because of its toxicity. However, Fin­ land’s gastronomic scene holds the false morel in high regard, deeply rooted in its cultural palate even making it onto Finnish postage stamps in 1974, despite its potentially harmful nature.

Strict guidelines surround its sale, ensuring that each transaction is accompanied by a stark warning of the mushroom’s toxicity and a com­ prehensive guide on how to eat it safely. These procedures include extensive boiling and rins­ ing to remove the gyromitrin, the mushroom’s toxic compound.

Yet, the health implications of long­term con­ sumption, including the risk of carcinogenic ef­ fects, remain a subject of scientific debate. This uncertainty underscores the Finnish approach to the false morel which is a delicacy to be re­ spected and feared.

The hazards of gyromitrin, once they have metabolised into monomethylhydrazine (MMH) within the human body, are severe.

MMH poses a significant risk to the liver, diges­ tive, and nervous systems, potentially leading to convulsions, unconsciousness and organ fail­ ure. Interestingly, MMH does have its uses, its high reactivity has been harnessed as an ingre­

Credit: Post of Finland/Public domain

FINNISH POSTAGE STAMP: False morel.

dient for rocket fuel by space agencies including NASA and Elon Musk’s SpaceX. To counteract the dangers, Finnish legislation enforces strict culinary protocols for handling false morels. Consumption of the mushroom in its raw state is expressly forbidden, and specific preparation methods must be followed to the letter to avoid the risk of serious health implica­ tions.

The Finnish affinity for the false morel mush­ room exemplifies the complexities of local tastes balanced with global health perspec­ tives. It is an extreme example of the lengths to which cultural traditions will go to preserve their culinary heritage, even in the face of po­ tential danger. One can only assume they taste amazing.

16 - 22 November 2023

EWN

9

Iceland volcano threat ICELAND has been bracing itself due to the high risk of a volcanic eruption, with many of its citizens now prepared to evacuate if need be. This follows a series of potent earthquakes on the Reykjanes peninsula in the southwest of the country.

Iceland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs an­ nounced on X/Twitter: “The Government of Iceland continues to monitor the situation in close collaboration with the Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Manage­ ment and the Icelandic Meteorological Of­ fice,” later adding: “The Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management has declared an Emergency/Distress Phase on the Reykjanes peninsula, due to in­ creased seismic activity. All residents of Grindavik are obliged to evacuate the town.” Experts are closely monitoring the escalating seismic events, which according to the Icelandic Met Office (IMO), could cause an eruption within days. The village of Grindavik, located about three kilometres southwest of the quake’s epicentre, is on high alert. Approximately 4,000 residents are ready to evacuate if needed.

Late on Friday, two powerful tremors were felt, the largest measuring a magni­ tude of 5.2, affecting areas as far as Reyk­ javik some 40 kilometres away.

In light of the recent seismic activity, local

Credit: Nasa Public Domain/Creative Commons Attribution

NEWS

Eyjafjallajökull Volcano, Iceland in 2011.

authorities have taken precautionary mea­ sures. A key road to Grindavik was shut down after suffering damage from the earthquakes. The region has experienced over 24,000 tremors since late October. The Reykjanes peninsula has witnessed three eruptions since 2021, occurring in March 2021, August 2022, and July 2023. Each of these eruptions was safely distant from populated areas and critical infrastructure.

Iceland, with its 33 active volcanic sys­ tems, holds the record for the most in Eu­ rope. The current threat is reminiscent of the events of 2010 in which a series of erup­ tion in Eyjafjallajokull affected travellers around Europe and further afield.

The danger lay in the volcanic ash and its effect on jet engines, hence the closure of European airspace in what was the largest air­traffic disruption since the Second World War.

10 EWN 16 - 22 November 2023

DENMARK 3D flats DANISH design company SAGA Space Architects working with 3DCP Group have announced that they will build the largest ever 3D produced building in 2024 which will consist of 36 student homes, situated near to VIA University College’s Holstebro campus.

The apartments will include wood floors, a bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and living room.

Green fuel LIKE some other countries, the Danish government has announced that it is considering imposing a tax of around Kr100 (€13.4) on all domestic air travel in order to help finance the transition to 100 per cent sustainable fuel by 2030 with the cash collected being used to reduce the cost of fuel to the airlines operators.

NORWAY

euroweeklynews.com

EURO PRESS BELGIUM

Credit: volleyballworld.com

Got the gold BELGIUM had never won a medal at the FIVB Beach Volleyball U21 World Championships before setting foot in RoiEt, Thailand. The pressure was on for young Belgians, Van Langendonck and Vercauteren, as they faced a wellexperienced and confident Austrian pair.

However, they emerged from the ashes to clinch the gold medal, following their down-to-the-wire win. “We are world champions,” Van Langendonck exclaimed.

GERMANY

EUROPEAN PRESS

IRELAND Health Fest THE 'Keep Well, Keep Movin' Older Persons Community Health Festival will be held at Mallow GAA and Sports Complex on November 15. Organised by Cork Kerry Community Health Care, it offers older adults a chance to connect with health services, featuring activities like drum fit, relaxation exercises, and talks on nutrition and brain health.

THE WINNERS!

Dire display A SCOOTER rider, aged 20 was arrested in Linkeroever, Antwerp last week. He was found to be carrying over 13 kilograms of fireworks and was detected by Local Police due to his erratic behaviour whilst riding his electric scooter against traffic on the Beatrijslaan cycle track. The confiscated fireworks are set to be destroyed in the near future.

FRANCE

Dubliner honoured DUBLIN-born Richie Baneham, a two-time Oscar winner for visual effects, will be honoured at the 18th Oscar Wilde Awards. A Ballyfermot College of Art & Design alumnus, Baneham's notable works include 'Avatar' and 'The Lord of the Rings'. The US-Ireland Alliance event celebrates the contributions of Irish Americans to cinema.

PORTUGAL

National Park

Cyber winners

Country of origin

Minimum wage

AFTER 11 years of argument, it has been confirmed that a new National Park will be declared in Østmarka a popular recreational area to the east of Oslo. Apart from having to gain agreement from five different local governments bordering the area, those behind the scheme also had to combat farmers frightened by the protection given to predators such as wolves.

GERMANY is the winner of the 2023 European Cybersecurity Challenge (ECSC) followed by Switzerland in second place and Denmark in third place. The ECSE held in Hamar, Norway had a total of 34 teams representing EU Member States as well as five guest teams: Canada, Georgia, Serbia, Costa Rica, Singapore and the USA, took part in this year’s challenge

ON supermarket shelves around France, consumers are becoming increasingly concerned. For several days now, a number of Internet users on TikTok have been reporting the presence of avocados from Peru or Mexico that actually come from Israel. While the display shows a different producer country, the boxes where the avocados are stored indicate the opposite: ‘Country of origin Israel’.

'THE Council of Ministers has now approved the decree-law that determines the increase in the national minimum wage to €820 from January 1, 2024, in compliance with the commitments assumed within the scope of the Reinforcement of the MediumTerm Agreement on Improving Income, Wages and Competitiveness', indicated a government statement.

Housing crisis

Last journey

90th Anniversary

THERE is a bit of a housing crisis in Norway, not as is sometimes the case, a shortage of property but a glut with almost 20,000 properties currently unsold and with that number due to increase as new builds are completed according to Estate Agents Association Eiendom Norge and this is the highest figure since 2009.

BERLINERS affectionately dubbed them ‘Coke Cans’.

For decades, the Model Series 485 trains dutifully traversed Berlin's S-Bahn tracks. These stalwart vehicles, initially commissioned and constructed in the German Democratic Republic during the era of the Berlin Wall, are bidding farewell. On November 12, the final 22 of these iconic trains will make their last journeys through the city, marking the end of an era.

MARKING 90 years of elegance in Paris, Air France extends its jubilation globally. Commemorating this milestone the airline highlights a legacy of technology, innovation, and comfort. Exhibitions featuring vintage memorabilia and fashion shows spotlighting uniforms, past and present, adorn iconic locations in Rome, Delhi, Accra, Washington, Shanghai, and Buenos Aires.

THE death of a Groundforce/TAP worker at Porto Airport has been blamed on the facility's emergency policies. After being taken ill while taking a shower at the end of his shift, the Transport Workers Union of Portugal claimed that protocols prevented him from receiving immediate medical assistance. Airport rules state that an internal nurse must first be called and only then can the INEM medical emergency service be alerted. They arrived 40 minutes after he was taken ill.

FINLAND

SWEDEN

ITALY Italian refugees PRIME MINISTER Giorgia Meloni and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama have reached an agreement on building centres for refugees and asylum seekers in Albania. Once rescued in the Mediterranean by Italian ships, these people will be sent to the other side of the Adriatic Sea, where procedures will be started to verify whether or not they are entitled to international protection.

Unpaid taxes AIRBNB is alleged to have evaded taxes in Italy on more than €3.7 billion. The accusation comes from the Milan Public Prosecutor's Office, which is investigating for tax fraud the short rental giant and three top managers of the company. According to investigators, Airbnb did not pay 21 per cent withholding tax between 2017 and 2021. Guardia di Finanza has seized over €778 million in assets.

THE NETHERLANDS

Unusual location AFTER the collapse of the Dutch coalition government earlier this year, the Netherlands are hosting elections on November 22, with an unexpected twist. One of the poll stations available will be none other than the iconic Anne Frank House! It will be closed to the public on that day and open to voters from 9am to 7pm.

Better beds THE Dutch Cabinet plans to improve the status of sex workers with a new proposed plan. This is necessary as these workers often face unequal treatment due to prejudices about their profession, stated State Secretary for Justice and Security Christophe van der Maat. A plan of action has been sent to the lower house of the Dutch parliament.

Airport death

Game Oscars

Going strong

THE highly acclaimed video game 'Alan Wake 2'

by Finnish company Remedy leads The Game Awards nominations and is aiming to be crowned Game of the Year. This horror adventure, blending Finnish culture, got rave reviews, scoring 87-94 on Metacritic. Released for PS5, PC, and Xbox, the game is reportedly, ‘Finland's most expensive cultural product of all time.’

IT has been reported by Sweden's national export credit agency that North Korea owes Sweden $267 million (€249) for 1,000 Volvo cars that were sold to North Korea in 1974 but although they have never been paid for, it appears that several are still in service as taxis in the capital Pyongyang.

Ex-PM’s book FORMER Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, who at 34 became Finland’s youngest prime minister has now made the transition to author with her book: ‘Our Turn: Fearless Leadership for a New Generation’. Marin continues to maintain a strong media presence and recently signed with Range Media Partners. As yet no release date for her book has been confirmed.

Exotic taste THE Swedes are well-known for their love of food and those living in Gothenburg now have the option to enjoy a different culinary experience at Restaurant Saga which is run by a young chef from Singapore Pearly Teo. Her tasting menu features special dishes based on the taste of her grandmother’s cooking.

FINANCE Cleaned out BRITISH STEEL, owned by China’s Jingye Group, plans to close its Scunthorpe blast furnaces, putting up to 2,000 jobs at risk.

They will be replaced by an elec­ tric arc furnace in Scunthorpe and another in Teesside in a £1.25 billion (€1.43 billion) pro­ ject to turn British Steel into “a clean, green and sustainable business.”

Ill wind SPAIN’S Association of Petroleum Product Operators (AOP) warned that extending Spain’s windfall tax on large en­ ergy companies endangered €16.5 billion in investments. Rep­ sol has already delayed plans for a hydrogen plant in Bilbao, while Endesa’s chief executive con­ demned the tax as “discriminato­ ry and unjustified.”

Naked truth NAKED WINES shares plummet­ ed more than 30 per cent after the group cut its annual fore­ casts, with adjusted pre­tax earn­ ings cut to between £2 and £6 million (€2.3 and €6.9 million).

The company’s chief executive Nick Devlin announced he was stepping down from the busi­ ness “with immediate effect.”

Settle up MADRID’S Provincial High Court handed Carlos Iglesias, brother of singer Julio Iglesias and his former manager, a six­month prison term and a €30 million fine for failing to pay corpora­ tion tax on land he sold in Madrid. The transaction was carried out by a Panama­regis­ tered company where Carlos Iglesias was also the manager.

Prime time ASSOCIATED BRITISH FOODS, which owns Primark, attributed rising profits and sales to al­ liances with celebrities who have included Rita Ora. The group’s total revenue grew by 16 per cent to £19.7 billion (€22.6 billion) in the first three quarters of 2023 with Primark sales rising 15 per cent to £9 bil­ lion (€10.3 billion).

euroweeklynews.com • 16 - 22 November 2023

STAT OF WEEK

paid by Inditex founder Amancio Ortega’s investment company Pontegadea for the purchase of a 49 per cent stake in Repsol’s Spanish windfarms and solar power plants.

€490 million

M&S recovers its spark Linda Hall MARKS & SPENCER share­ holders will receive £20 mil­ lion (€23 million) in dividends next January for the first time since 2019.

Pre­tax profits climbed by an unexpected 56 per cent to £326 million (€374.5 mil­ lion) in the six months end­ ing on September 30 as the company focused on re­ vamping stores, clothing lines and its digital offer.

Clothes sales rose 5.5 cent while profit margins in­ creased to more than 12 per cent compared with 9.8 per cent during the same period in 2022, with fewer items sold at reduced prices.

Food sales have increased

Photo credit: marksandspencer.com

BUSINESS EXTRA

12

TURNAROUND: Marks & Spencer’s pre-tax profits rose 56 per cent.

by almost 12 per cent while the Remarksable budget range rocketed by 45 per cent.

Despite the buoyant half­ year results, chief executive Stuart Machin viewed the remainder of 2023 and the coming year with caution,

TELEFONICA will spend approximately €1.97 billion on buying up the 28.19 per cent of its German subsidiary Telefonica Deutschland it does not already own.

The Spanish multinational has con­ firmed an offer of €2.35 per share, a 37.6 per cent premium on the closing price of November 6.

Telefonica said the takeover bid, which involves 838, 452,647 shares, would reinforce its position in its four strategic markets together with Spain, Brazil and the UK. This would also sim­ plify the structure of the group while im­ proving its cash flow in euros.

Responding to the offer, Telefonica Deutschland, listed on the Frankfurt

warning on November 8 that the recent and favourable market condi­ tions might not persist.

High interest rates, slower price rises, global conflict and erratic weather could hit trading, he said, although he was “hopeful” that the com­

pany’s growth would contin­ ue.

“Against more challenging comparatives, we expect profit before tax and adjust­ ing items to be weighted to­ wards the first half,” the chief executive added.

One drawback for Marks & Spencer has been the company’s association with online grocer which regis­ tered a £23.4 million (€26.9 million) operating loss in the first six months of the year.

Although the company admitted earlier that it “was not happy” with the online grocery retailer’s perfor­ mance, Machin said he re­ mained positive about its po­ tential.

Plans to fully control Deutschland Telefonica fol­ low on from the loss of a major roaming contract last August when the 1&1 mo­ bile operator announced stock market since 2021, an­ that it would be nounced that its “management switching to the and supervisory boards” Vodafone Ger­ would consider the bid. many network in It would comment after June 2024.

Photo credit: telefonica.com the full­offer document The company’s TELEFONICA: had been approved by share price fell by Multinational’s the financial services 18 per cent, which chairman Jose Maria regulator and pub­ resulted in a 7 per Alvarez wants lished, the company cent drop in the par­ Telefonica added. ent company’s shares.

Deutschland takeover.

Telefonica takes over

Mapfe in Turkey

Christmas cheer

Debanking rise

SPANISH company Mapfre is selling its Turkish life insurance division to Swiss group Zurich.

The Madrid­based firm headed

by Antonio Huerts will now cen­ tre its Turkish operation on the non­life segment, company sources told the financial daily, El Economista. “We aim to guar­ antee stable growth and main­ tain financial sustainability by concentrating on the long­term strategic areas where we will develop our activities,” said Ed­ inc Yurtseven, director general of Mapfre’s Turkish subsidiary, Mapfre Sigorta. The amount in­ volved in the Zurich sale has not been revealed and awaits ap­ proval from Turkey’s Regulatory and Supervisory Authority for Insurance and Private Pensions.

A SCIENCEDIRECT study used Spain’s Gor­ do de Navidad to gauge the impact of lot­ tery winnings on consumer sentiment and consumption.

Researchers found that residents in win­ ning towns or cities ­ even those who won nothing ­ were “significantly” more opti­ mistic about the Spanish economy than people elsewhere.

There are now 180 series of each num­ ber sold in the Christmas lottery and as the participants usually buy at least one Deci­ mo (10th), the distribution of the biggest prizes influences local spending. The Sci­ enceDirect article noted a 10­percentage point rise in the number of cars sold in mu­ nicipalities where a big prize had been sold, while unemployment dropped 0.3 of a percentage point. Both were linked less to an improvement in the region’s overall wealth than to increased optimism, the study’s authors concluded.

THE Nigel Farage debanking scandal has opened the door to a spate of complaints regarding unilateral ac­ count closures.

The GB news presenter and the Brexit party’s former president changed to Lloyds after Coutts, now owned by NatWest, closed his account for motives that ranged from his financial position to his po­ litical views.

Figures quoted in the UK media show that the Financial Ombuds­ man opened 1,613 cases linked to bank account closures between March and September alone.

With 2,708 debanking cases re­ ported throughout 2022, com­ plaints are likely to have risen by 20 per cent to approximately 3,200 by the end of 2023, Financial Ombuds­ man sources said.

Call for openness BANK OF ENGLAND governor An­ drew Bailey said on November 8 that Brexit had modified the UK economy’s “openness.”

Speaking at the Financial Sys­ tem Conference in Dublin, Bailey said that as a public official he took no position on Brexit, which had been the British population’s decision.

But he stressed that free trade required “strong regulation” based on agreements with for­ eign supervisory bodies.

He hoped to see further close regulatory cooperation with his counterparts in Ireland, Bailey said, to “minimise fragmentation of financial markets after Brexit.”

Bad loser AIRPORTS operator Aena said on November 8 that it hoped Iberia would not hinder the imminent changeover to new handling com­ panies.

Although it retains Madrid­ Barajas, Iberia Airport Services lost its licences for eight airports after the contracts were put out to tender. These have gone to Menzies, Aviapartner and Groundforce, a decision which Iberia has now appealed against to the Central Appeals Tribunal, (TACRC), attached to the Finance Ministry (Hacienda). The TACRC has now suspended the alloca­ tions while it investigates Iberia’s objections, a process which could take weeks to complete.

Chipping in PENNSYLVANIA­BASED Vishay Intertechnology paid $177 mil­ lion (€168.5 million) for the UK’s largest microchip factory in Newport (Wales). The sale ar­ rived after the UK government blocked a Chinese­backed takeover on national security grounds and ordered Dutch company Nexperia to sell New­ port Wafer Fab in November 2022. Nexperia, which is owned

by Chinese giant Wingtech, ap­ pealed against the order, but put the plant up for sale. The compa­ ny has done well out of the deal which doubled the worth of Newport Wafer Fab when Nex­ peria bought the 86p per cent that it did not own for £63 mil­ lion (€72.3 million) in 2021.

FINANCE

14 EWN 16 - 22 November 2023

euroweeklynews.com

LONDON - FTSE 100

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

CLOSING PRICES 13 NOVEMBER

COMPANY

PRICE(P)

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

NET VOL

47,79K

InterContinental

288,85K

Intermediate Capital

5.944,40

84

1,43%

19,97K

1.390,50

3,5

0,25%

16,73K

Intertek

16,20K

3.822,00

15

0,39%

1,29%

293,00K

3,41K

ITV

59,82

0,08

0,13%

517,58K

8

0,62%

46,58K

J Sainsbury

268,1

1,1

0,41%

61,05K

4.979,00

53

1,08%

203,95K

Johnson Matthey

1.513,90

-26

-1,69%

53,18K

Associated Brit Foods

2.334,00

3

0,13%

75,26K

Land Securities

614,4

14,6

2,43%

222,80K

AstraZeneca

884,47K

COMPANY

PRICE(P)

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

3I Group

2.038,50

12

0,59%

Abrdn

165,6

-0,15

-0,09%

Admiral Group

2.559,30

9

0,35%

Anglo American

2.044,50

26

Antofagasta

1.307,00

Ashtead Group

NET VOL

1.1454

0.8729

Units per €

US dollar (USD) ........................................1.0690 Japan yen (JPY)........................................162.21 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................0.9642 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4587 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................11.892

10.286,00

196

1,94%

244,65K

Legal & General

224,17

3,6

1,63%

Auto Trader Group Plc

690,2

8,2

1,20%

282,45K

Lloyds Banking

42,03

0,28

0,67%

7,12M

Aviva

409,5

5,2

1,29%

339,51K

London Stock Exchange 8.512,00

-42

-0,49%

55,84K

B&M European Value Ret SA 525,8

2

0,38%

197,67K

Melrose Industries

528,4

13,4

2,60%

186,60K

currenciesdirect.com/marbella • Tel: +34 952 906 581

BAE Systems

1.109,59

6

0,54%

515,94K

Mondi

1.387,25

5

0,36%

47,65K

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

Barclays

136,6

1,02

0,75%

3,02M

National Grid

990,3

6

0,61%

341,71K

Barratt Developments

446,5

2,3

0,52%

102,05K

NatWest Group

196,3

-0,65

-0,33%

1,27M

Berkeley

4.273,00

31

0,73%

5,51K

Next

7.434,00

52

0,70%

13,14K

BHP Group Ltd

2.395,50

34,5

1,46%

114,90K

Ocado

512,4

-2,2

-0,43%

118,45K

478,9

0,95

0,20%

2,04M

1.158,10

7,5

0,65%

61,15K

BP

Persimmon

British American Tobacco 2.519,50

42

1,70%

209,77K

Phoenix

497,6

33,1

7,13%

896,78K

British Land Company

331,1

17,4

5,55%

593,38K

Prudential

BT Group

122,95

1,45

1,19%

493,67K

Reckitt Benckiser

893,6

11,2

1,27%

151,50K

5.564,00

72

1,31%

Bunzl

2.936,00

15

0,51%

11,68K

Relx

66,77K

2.968,00

13

0,44%

192,27K

Burberry Group

1.678,30

-0,5

-0,03%

28,83K

Rentokil

452,4

5,9

1,32%

313,13K

Carnival

921,2

17,8

1,97%

31,61K

Centrica

152,2

0,05

0,03%

659,53K

Rightmove

485,12

3,7

0,77%

201,84K

Rio Tinto PLC

5.323,00

64

1,22%

Coca Cola HBC AG

2.096,00

11

0,53%

24,33K

155,55K

Rolls-Royce Holdings

237,6

5,6

2,41%

Compass

2.100,00

18

0,86%

2,09M

129,42K

Sage

993,2

-1

-0,10%

46,69K

CRH

4.841,00

27

Croda Intl

4.513,00

2

0,56%

50,03K

Samsung Electr DRC

1.338,00

0

0,00%

1,62K

0,04%

7,24K

Schroders

388,3

0,3

0,08%

32,68K

DCC

4.624,30

23

Diageo

2.852,00

2

0,50%

4,11K

Scottish Mortgage

691,71

6

0,88%

225,03K

0,07%

655,16K

Segro

774,8

0,8

0,10%

92,88K

DS Smith

297,6

EasyJet

400,5

3,3

1,12%

135,68K

Severn Trent

2.647,00

12

0,46%

23,13K

6,4

1,62%

134,33K 30,27K

Shell Smith & Nephew Smiths Group

2.632,50 1.010,00 1.638,50

3 21 5,5

0,11% 2,12% 0,34%

393,11K 222,54K 23,80K

Spirax-Sarco Engineering 8.522,00 SSE 1.685,50 St. James’s Place 649,2 Standard Chartered 625,4 Taylor Wimpey 118,1 Tesco 279,5 Tui 449,93 Unilever 3.961,50 United Utilities 1.076,00 Vodafone Group PLC 77,18 Whitbread 3.278,00 WPP 702,6

-14 5,5 -1,6 3,6 1 1,7 5,6 12,5 7,5 0,77 14 1,8

-0,16% 0,33% -0,25% 0,58% 0,85% 0,61% 1,26% 0,32% 0,70% 1,01% 0,43% 0,26%

6,77K 162,23K 172,84K 212,86K 1,05M 531,88K 40,11K 207,55K 91,65K 3,98M 53,65K 71,56K

Experian

2.680,00

-3

-0,11%

Ferguson

13.030,00

60

0,46%

1,91K

Flutter Entertainment

12.415,00

260

2,14%

24,18K

518,4

1,8

0,35%

77,23K

Glencore

432,05

4,95

1,16%

1,48M

GSK plc

1.413,60

15,2

1,09%

262,76K

Halma

1.932,00

0,5

0,03%

64,86K

Hargreaves Lansdown

711,33

-1,8

-0,25%

82,78K

Hikma Pharma

1.758,50

5

0,28%

12,11K

HSBC

607,2

8,1

1,35%

1,84M

IAG

151,75

0,25

0,17%

1,94M

Imperial Brands

1.788,50

34

1,94%

390,64K

711

-0,8

-0,11%

159,39K

Fresnillo

Informa

DOW JONES CLOSING PRICES 13 NOVEMBER

COMPANY

PRICE

CHANGE

CHANGE% VOLUME(M)

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

92,81 154,38 267,31 186,4 196,65 239,68 142,95 52,59 56,72 49,48 325,51 291,59 186,71 149,02 38,86 147,25 146,43 267,79 101,39 369,67 106,11 151,41 213,63 169,96 541,21 35,71 245,25 20,76 166,19 88,27

+1,11 +2,01 +3,25 +4,23 +3,32 +5,53 +1,01 +0,59 +0,06 +1,12 +4,73 +3,72 +3,03 +2,4 +1,06 -0,17 +2,14 +0,88 -0,99 +8,98 -0,89 +1,06 +3,62 +1,37 +2,21 +0,09 +3,61 +0,31 +2,27 -2,07

+1,21% 2,39M +1,32% 2,02M +1,23% 2,02M +2,32% 64,87M +1,72% 4,76M +2,36% 2,51M +0,71% 11,36M +1,13% 17,00M +0,11% 11,66M +2,32% 3,80M +1,47% 1,56M +1,29% 3,55M +1,65% 2,13M +1,64% 3,17M +2,80% 37,58M -0,12% 6,92M +1,48% 7,38M +0,33% 2,60M -0,97% 7,19M +2,49% 26,85M -0,83% 8,89M +0,71% 5,23M +1,72% 3,90M +0,81% 880,68K +0,41% 2,46M +0,25% 12,78M +1,49% 4,04M +1,52% 8,55M +1,38% 4,75M -2,29% 25,04M M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ CLOSING PRICES 13 NOVEMBER

COMPANY Most Advanced Doximity, Inc. James Hardie Industries plc Light & Wonder, Inc. Synaptics Incorporated AppLovin Corporation Onto Innovation Inc. Alarm.com Holdings, Inc. FormFactor, Inc. Stantec Inc. Palantir Technologies Inc. Isuzu Motors Limited

CHANGE NET / %

VOLUME

+16.24% +15.77% +11.21% +10.75% +10.36% +10.14% +9.95% +9.91% +8.98% +7.66% +7.65%

8.462M 20,701 1.789M 944,585 5.643M 1.026M 545,569 776,132 304,294 92.956M 49,911

-19.79% -16.66% -11.72% -10.33% -9.77% -8.05% -7.95% -7.45% -6.90% -6.85% -6.64%

1.893M 42.502M 3.155M 5.549M 27.811M 9.077M 173,632 130,867 4.698M 36,27 7.239M

Most Declined MSP Recovery, Inc. The Trade Desk, Inc. Diageo plc RB Global, Inc. Affirm Holdings, Inc. Illumina, Inc. Shiseido Company, Limited Nitori Holdings Co., Ltd. Flowers Foods, Inc. Worldline SA TKO Group Holdings, Inc.

‘

FINANCE

euroweeklynews.com

BUSINESS EXTRA High rise Levi’s LEVI STRAUSS’S Spanish subsidiary reported sales of €45.5 million last year, 12 per cent more than in 2021 but still 9 per cent below the €49.9 million registered in 2019 before the pandemic hit. Spain accounted for 96 per cent of the company’s 2022 turnover, while Portugal’s 4 per cent was one per­ centage point more than in 2021.

PwC cuts ACCOUNTANCY firm PwC announced that it is prepar­ ing to lay off between 500 and 600 employees, explain­ ing that it finds itself over­ staffed owing to a reduced call on its services. The group will cut between 500 and 600 jobs via a voluntary re­ dundancy scheme, in a move affecting 2.4 per cent of its 25,000 employees in the UK..

16 - 22 November 2023

Food inflation slims down FOOD price inflation in the UK fell to single digits for the first time since July 2022.

According to data compa­ ny Kantar, inflation on gro­ ceries dipped to 9.7 per cent between October 1 and 29.

Describing the reduction as a “big milestone” for shoppers and retailers, Fras­ er McKevitt, who heads Kantar’s Retail and Con­ sumer Insight department, said people were still “feel­ ing the pinch.”

He also pointed out that

FOOD INFLATION: Supermarkets have cut some prices.

Madrid hotel venture BRITISH private equity investment firm Maya Capital is finalising the purchase of Hotel Mayorazgo in Madrid’s exclu­ sive Gran Via. According to sources quoted in the fi­ nancial daily Cinco Dia, Maya Capital made a formal offer of €60 million last August for the 200­room hotel, and at the same time requested a comprehen­ sive “due diligence” audit.

Normally completed with one or two months, this is taking longer than ex­ pected, the same sources said.

According to the latest accounts pre­ sented by the hotel’s owners, Salazar Hermanos, the hotel was back in the black last year, with a turnover of €8.62 million and a profit of €1.7 million, com­ pared with 2019’s record €8.01 million and €1.45 million.

year­on­year price reduc­ tions were limited to major staples like milk, butter and dried pasta.

Kantar found that Lidl was again the fastest­grow­ ing retailer, with sales over the quarter ending on Octo­ ber 29 up 14.7 per cent.

Aldi, where sales in­ creased by 13.2 per cent, at­ tracted 207,000 more cus­ tomers than during the same period in 2022. To­ gether with Waitrose, where sales rose by 5.4 per cent, it was the only super­ market which increased its number of shoppers year­ on­year. Aldi and Waitrose took 9.7 per cent and 4.6 per cent of the market.

Sainsbury’s was the fastest­growing traditional supermarket in October, and sales increased by 10.1 per cent over the previous quarter. Sainsbury’s also an­ nounced recently said that it had spent £118 million (€135.5 million) since March on trying to keep prices down.

EWN 15

Record results CAR component manufactur­ er Gestamp’s turnover grew by 17.9 per cent to €9 billion by the end of 2023’s third quarter with net profits of €225.3 million, up 23 per cent on the same period last year.

These were the best results since the Spanish multination­ al was floated on Madrid’s stock exchange six years ago.

Normalised METRO BANK deposits fell by 5 per cent from £16.4 billion to £15.6 bil­ lion (€18.8 billion to €17.9 billion) during the third quarter of this year. Cus­ tomer withdrawals have normalised after Octo­ ber’s emergency £325 million (€379.2 million) rescue deal from in­ vestors and bondholders plus £600 million (€688.4 million) in debt refinanc­ ing, the bank said.

FEATURE

euroweeklynews.com

Christmas Day ritual

No kids allowed

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT AND so this is Christmas. Well perhaps not quite, but if you’re reading this on the day of publication you have just 39 days to gear yourself up for yet another precious celebration of the Christian majority. Surrounded by family and friends, hopefully many of you will, once again enjoy this time honoured and much loved occasion.

I’m pretty sure most of you will also observe the ritual Christmas day tradi­ tions that we have become familiarised with over the generations. In the begin­ ning we are the babies, crawling around the base of the tree with the young mums of the family lightly ad­ monishing us as we endeavour to pull baubles and shiny bits of tinsel from the lower branches.

Over the next few years we morph into the youngsters, excitedly tearing off the paper from presents, brought by a Santa we are becoming slightly

more sceptical about but still prepared to give the benefit of the doubt ­ just as long as we receive at least a proportion of the presents we asked him for!

The next stage in our Christmas gen­ eration game sees us become one of the young and mid aged adults who, having finally got the youngsters off to bed, are pouring copious measures of alcohol and consuming about a million calories in Quality Street and mince pies, while relating what we consider hilarious tales of past Christmas turkey disasters. All being played out against a back drop of East Enders, Coronation Street, the Monarch’s message and yet another rerun of Dr Zhivago on the box.

Generations later, if we last long enough, we find ourselves in the twi­ light of our years, quietly enjoying the utterly spoiled and most loved exulted position you can attain. You become Grandpa/Grandma. And that’s actually just where this ol’ boy has finally found himself. Grandpa (or in my situation Great Grandpa) is expected to do just about nothing. He is not required to wash up, clear up, lift up furniture or

top up the drinks. He occupies the most comfortable chair in the room (general­ ly in the corner).

Periodically, he is asked by various family members if he ‘wants anything’.

He is then allowed to doze off, without being labelled a party pooper and is subsequently not particularly worried that his chair is a little out of the way ­ just as long as he is close enough to oc­ casionally interject the conversation with an ‘I remember when’ recollection of his own.

These narratives are usually deliv­ ered to reassure the room (and him­ self) that he hasn’t actually ruined the whole Christmas celebrations by self­ ishly deciding to slip away and meet his maker; thereby decidedly becoming an ‘I remember when’ subject for a whole host of future family Christmas gather­ ings. Let’s also hope our religious and peaceful beliefs have not by this com­ ing yuletide, been ripped asunder by those who consider violence and may­ hem the true answer to any future exis­ tence on our precious planet.

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.

THE owner of a restaurant in Italy has banned un­ der­14s from his establishment saying: “They break everything” The restaurateur went to say, “I am exas­ perated. When I tried to report it to the parents, they just defended the out of control children.”

A notice on the premis­ es of the ‘Hostaria Oasi Marina’ in Bacoli near Naples reads: “For reasons out of our control, we are forced to not accept bookings with children or young people under the age of 14.

Don’t hold it against us, but it is the fault of many parents who are irre­ sponsible.”

The restaurateur de­ fended his choice and, speaking on ‘Uno Matti­ na in famiglia’ broadcast on Raiuno, said: “I am ex­ asperated by various

Photo: Shutterstock

16 EWN 16 - 22 November 2023

Children banned.

events. To name a few, I had to remove all the wine glasses on the ta­ bles, because they were breaking everything.

They were chasing each other between tables and it’s dangerous. With the parents undaunted, unmoved. In fact, when I tried to point it out, they defended their children.

“I want to add that I am also a teacher and encounter the same diffi­ culties at school. There are children who are an­ gels. I am also a father.

But with certain parents, it is difficult to inter­ vene,” the restaurateur concluded.

INTERVIEW

Speaking European - Claudio Casal This week Euro Weekly News caught up with Claudio Casal from Switzerland.

CLAUDIO, aged 49, has been living in Estepona for the past year, after buying a property here in January 2022.

This smooth Swiss arrived to meet EWN on his limited-edition Harley Davidson, which he tells that he has embarked on many an Andalucian adventure with.

Claudio explained that “I was at a point in my life where I wanted to make a change, then I found the Costa del Sol and I thought, yes, this is it”.

When asked what his favourite thing about the coast was, he replied “well, apart from the fact that it changed my whole life, I would have to say the food, all the fresh produce. The culture of tapas too, to share, to talk, it’s like a mentality, like the coffee culture in Italy.”

He did however note that food tends to take a while to actually arrive at the table, which is something he was not used to in Switzerland.

Claudio smiled as he recounted this difference, then added “but the beauty

CLAUDIO CASAL: What a life!

of living somewhere new is acceptance.

To understand there will be differences but to accept this new way of life.”

As EWN said ciao for now to Claudio Casal, he swiftly mounted his motorbike and said he was off to the mountains. “I ride often, the landscape here is beautiful and the salty sea air, it’s just… wow.”

What a life!

FEATURE

euroweeklynews.com

16 - 22 November 2023

EWN 17

Advertising Feature

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Close to La Herradura, this haven stands as the perfect setting for special moments, from intimate weddings to vibrant private parties, all against the backdrop of the sea. Picture saying “I do” with the sea breeze gently kissing your face and the sound of the waves as your soundtrack. At La Barraca Can­ tarriján, we bring this dream to life.

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attend to every detail, turning your day into a unique and unforgettable experi­ ence.

Our goal is to infuse elegance and good taste into every corner, creating the perfect stage for your love story.

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23

20 EWN 16 - 22 November 2023

euroweeklynews.com

FEATURE

COMMUNITY

COMMENTS

WHILST music is a force that often unites people who love a particular band or individual, it can also cause friction between those who love a type of music and those who don’t.

The Beatles are generally accepted as being one of the great musical forces of the 20th century but in a recent article entitled ‘Beatles Final Song Released: Now Can We Let It Be?’ our writer expressed her own personal opinion calling them ‘the drab four’.

She suggested that the releases of an until now overlooked last number Now and Then was really the thin end of the wedge and that contemporaries, the Rolling Stones were much more exciting and entertaining.

This certainly encouraged a number of responses from readers which you can read below and go to the Euro Weekly News website to read the original story and let us know if you agree or disagree.

“

Instant Karma’s gonna get you Gonna look you right in the face Better get yourself together darlin’ Join the human race Lyrics by John Lennon from the song ‘Instant Karma’!

John Zennon

‘… the Drab Four are possibly one of the most overrated bands in music history’. What an absurd piece of rubbish is this article - written by some nobody.

D Bath

I’m adding to this because the latest song, not album, in fact the last song is very poor. Like much of some of the other musicians mentioned here. It is sad because it gives the Beatle bashers leverage. All bands and musicians have bad songs. I’m not going into details but believe I could. My take is that the Beatles that are left did this as a kind of eulogy. Just leave it be. And please don’t pretend to be a music expert critic. I am very sad that so much nastiness comes out so easily.

Don’t we have enough problems?

I think this vitriol is out of order. A totally one-sided out pouring of negativity. And I guess you are going to praise the latest Rolling Stones album. A bit of balance please.

all over the world. It is still better for me to know that before girls were screaming for them and not taking drugs to go and see their preferred group of musicians.

And as the song ends you can hear these words ‘you’re welcome’. All the songs from The Beatles reflected positivity.

Ericoo

No, no and thrice no. If you want to hear regurgitation of Beatle-esque songs just go out and buy a couple of Liam Gallagher albums. Sorted. To coin a wellknown phrase, ‘Let it Be’.

Geoff Atkins

It certainly sounds like a Beatles song but is nothing special, just another pop song. I don't know why they did it, maybe just because the technology now allowed them to include Lennon? Most Beatles songs sound dated today although at the time they were superb.

Brian Wall

It is good Now and Then but Hey Jude and Imagine are better.

Tim McMahon

From a Beatles fan… it’s very dated.

Judy Breadmore

I heard it this afternoon and thought it was crap.

Most overrated band ever.

Richard Webb

Stephane de Leng

Unlike Emna Mitchell, who has obviously had a bad day, I’m looking forward to buying the Beatles’ last record, they have given a lot of pleasure over the years.

Its good, but… just a b-side.

Peter Mack

Definitely not needed.

Bill Shearer

S Ede

I can also assure you that several great composers have given their findings about the song, it would have been better that you did read them first before posting your negativity.

Respect is what this group has earned many years ago and still have from many fans but also performers

Fabulously written piece… but I guess you have stepped on a lot of toe.

Eleni Lolkema

Not the same just two of them.

Mark Free

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

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

www.euroweeklynews.com • 16 - 22 November 2023

22

PETS

SPONSORED BY

Pet adoption surges AMIDST increasing aware­ ness of mental health, pet adoption rates have surged, highlighting pets’ significant role in providing companionship and emo­ tional support.

Animal shelters across the country report a re­ markable increase in adop­ tions, especially for dogs and cats.

Veterinarians emphasise the mutual benefits, as pets not only receive a lov­ ing home but also positive­ ly impact their owners' well­being.

This rise in pet adoption underscores the growing recognition of the thera­ peutic value of pets in fos­ tering happiness and re­ ducing stress in people’s lives.

Pet-sitters care for your pets at home WE help to match pet­sitters with the pet owners for free safe pet care in the pet’s own home, for free!

Those of you familiar with us know that we have maintained good value for our customers in the last 10 years ­ Yes, we are nearly 10 years old! And in all that time we have only ever raised our prices once. Standard member­ ship is still only £69 per year! Not bad for free pet­sitting in your own home.

If you’re planning a trip in the next few months register now to find pet­sitters in time. Earlier is better than later. Whether your trip is short or long, you need to prepare. All pets in particular ben­ efit from staying at home, so they can follow their routines undis­ turbed. Join our pet and house­ sitting network, and the sitters come for free!

A petsitter cares for your pets at home

Choose Housesitmatch.com for affordable travel, home and pet care. These are the steps to take: 1. Register as a homeowner on HouseSitMatch.com 2. Choose a Standard account (£69GB per year) to ensure you can help online when needed 3. Create a profile with photos of your pet and the house 4. Post an advert for the dates when you want to go away. Sit­ ters apply and you choose.

How does it work?

HouseSitMatch can help you find suitable sitters. Join our net­ work for a small annual fee. You get ID checked for safety and then build your advert saying when you are going on holiday. House­ sitters see your advert, they re­ spond and you choose the sitter who’ll care for your pets.

Trustpilot Testimonials ­ 4.9 / 5 Excellent Pure Joy ­ I have completed two house­sits so far so early days.

Both sits have been well suited to me and my dog.

Thoroughly enjoyable experi­ ences with beautiful homes and well­rounded animals. I’m looking for more!

Lisa Stimpson, Pet­sitter from the UK How do you join?

Please register online via our website www.Housesitmatch.com

Need a pet or housesitter? Get in touch. House-sitting can be a win-win for both parties, free house and petsitting, and the experienced and checked sitters get free accommodation! Register as either housesitter or homeowner with a 20% discount using coupon code 20EWN – Reader exclusive offer.

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

Companions for elderly PET ownership can bring a host of benefits for seniors which is all the more important for us here in Europe where the ageing population is growing. For many seniors, pets offer companionship, unconditional love, and a sense of pur­ pose, helping to com­ bat feelings of loneliness and isolation that can be Pets offer companionship. common in later life.

As well as this, pet owner­ ship helps people stay fit with help to improve cardiovascu­ daily exercise. Whether taking lar health, maintain muscle a dog for a walk, playing with strength, and enhance overall a cat, or caring for a bird, pets well­being. Additionally, pets encourage seniors to stay ac­ can have a positive impact on tive and engaged. This can mental health. Studies have

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shown that pet ownership can reduce stress, anxi­ ety, and depression, leading to improved mood and a better quality of life. The companionship and affection that pets provide can also help to boost self­esteem and foster a sense of pur­ pose and routine.

Furthermore, and per­ haps not so obvious, pets can provide social opportunities for seniors. Whether it’s strik­ ing up a conversation with a fellow dog walker, attending a pet­related event, or simply sharing stories and photos of their pets with friends and family, pets can help seniors to stay connected and en­ gaged with their community.

The overwhelming benefits certainly outweigh any draw­ backs and even these, such as pet care and rising pet food costs are being eased by a wealth of new charity founda­ tions dedicated specifically to facilitating pet care for the ag­ ing community.

A round of appaws AS the importance of pets within modern society grows so too do the indus­ tries that serve their well­ being, providing goods and services that just a decade ago would have been un­ heard of. easyJet has re­ cently launched a pet­sitting service, a Hyatt Regency in Japan offers pet rooms with 100 per cent occupancy and the CEO of GCH Hotel Group, has noted that one call in 10 to his hotel chain is now related to pets, leading the company to develop a programme that includes dog walkers and other pet services.

Within this changing landscape, specialised pet hotels are a relatively new phenomena, with a fore­ cast market growth of 6.0 per cent CAGR over the coming years according to the Europe Pet Boarding Market.

From welcome treats, grooming facilities and on­ site veterinary care, to be­ spoke walking services and special pet menus, these hotels are going above and beyond to ensure that our furry friends feel just as wel­ come and comfortable as their human counterparts.

At the Arbre a Chats (Cats’ Tree) hotel in Paris, prospective guests need to reserve well ahead, as all its 24 ‘contemporary and comfortable’ cubicles are fully booked. The hotel of­ fers ‘a la carte’ services such as massage, brushing, and a transport service to pick up guests. As an extra, the ho­ tel management sends owners a picture and a message twice a week about what their pets are eating and how they are getting along with the other guests, “like when your kids are in summer camp” hotel owner Veronica Colson said: “you like to know how they are doing, right?”

This growing trend of pet­friendly hotels and ac­ commodations is a wel­ come development for pet owners and their four­ legged family members.

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CHARITY New Life Church Whether you live in Nerja or are visiting our area, you are very welcome to come and join us at our Sunday gathering. Join us for a time of Holy Spirit led

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

Our service lasts for about 1 hour and 30 mins. With Tea and Coffee afterwards. Sunday Service 11.00am; Prayer Meetings Wednesdays 11.00am; Pasaje San Miguel, Nerja, 29780 Email: info@ nlcnerja.com Website: www.nlcnerja.com Facebook:www.facebook.com/ nlcnerj CHARITY Shop Pocapecunia we need things for the house/kitchen, decoration, vases, plates, cups, saucers, kitchen tools, paintings, pottery pots and pans etc. Prolongacion Avd. Rodgriguez Acosta, Nr the Parador Roundabout, opposite café Trébol, Nerja (294373)

CHURCH SERVICES THE ANGLICAN Chaplaincy of Nerja & Almunecar. Every Sunday there is a Holy Communion service at midday in San Miguel church in Nerja. Every Wednesday morning at 9.30 we have an online ‘Zoom’ HC service please contact Fr Nigel with an e-mail address if you would like

23

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

CARS FOR SALE

16 - 22 November 2023 • euroweeklynews.com

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24 EWN 16 - 22 November 2023

euroweeklynews.com

ANDALUCIA WALKING FOOTBALL LEAGUE The League goes on and Malaga win their second tournament of the year!

• AWFL Over 50s League AC Benahavis 1 v 2 Marbella Marbesula This game began well with the home side taking an early lead through Andrew Sweeney with a strike into the bottom corner. Shortly after, the same player scored again but this was chalked off for a running offence. Benahavis then managed to hit the woodwork three times in a hard fought first half, although it end­ ed with Marbesula netting the equaliser through Pepe Luque after mounting a decent spell of pressure.

The second half turned into a prickly affair with several players sin­ binned from both teams for dissent, a visiting player for violent conduct, and a visiting official sent off alto­ gether… it’s not always pretty!

A wonder strike from Paco Fernan­ dez from inside his own half gave the visitors the lead and, helped by a dis­ allowed goal from Benahavis and be­ ing able to disrupt any rhythm which the hosts tried to mount, Marbesula hung on for the win, much against the run of play.

MALAGA: The Cup winners.

• AWFL Over 60s League Real Calahonda 2 v 1 Competa Bo­ ca Seniors This was an extremely close game throughout and a cagey first half saw no goals being scored and few chances created. In the second peri­ od, Calahonda had a player sidelined for running offences, but it was dur­ ing this time that the hosts’ Scott Cousins scored what could be termed a controversial goal due to a free kick mix up. The home side cer­ tainly thought so and made the ulti­ mate sporting gesture by allowing

Competa’s Lee Nye to walk the ball into the home side’s goal to redress the balance, 1­1! Eventually, in­ creased pressure from Calahonda en­ abled Malcolm Hopwood to score what was probably a deserved win­ ner in a game played in the best of spirits by both teams.

Rojales Walking Football Cup (or­ ganised by Esquina Park Rangers) This annual tournament has be­ come well­renowned for the top teams it attracts and this year was no exception with entries from Scotland and Wales, as well as from northern

and southern Spain, including two teams from our own AWF League and two who also played in our league last year. After an exciting Day 1, no team appeared to be running away with the Cup, with the leaders Malaga having been beaten in their first match by Pollok Utd from Glas­ gow. The Glaswegians continued to keep up the pressure and, although The Walking Dead and Red Lion For­ tuna continued to try to make up the points difference, it seemed that Pol­ lok would overtake Malaga, who, de­ spite putting massive pressure on their adversaries, were splendidly held to a couple of draws towards the end of day’s play. Everything de­ pended on the last game between Pollok and Red Lion. Despite the Scots being heavy favourites, The Reds held out heroically, cheered on, not surprisingly, by the entire Malaga team and a 0­0 draw was enough to hand the Cup to Malaga, to emulate their achievement in the Eurocopa earlier in the year.

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SPORT

Star dies aged 28 RAPHAEL DWAMENA, who previously played in Spain’s LaLiga for Levante and Real Zaragoza tragically passed away on Saturday, November 11, aged only 28.

The former Ghana interna­ tional striker reportedly col­ lapsed on the football pitch in the 23rd minute while playing for KF Egnatia against Parti­ zani Tirana in the Albanian Su­ per League.

Dwamena’s death was con­ firmed by his club on social media. The player was report­ edly rushed to a nearby hospi­ tal in the city of Kavaja after Egnatia’s medical team failed to revive him. Sadly, he suf­ fered another heart attack on the way to hospital and passed away.

The star previously suffered numerous heart­related is­ sues. He was diagnosed with a heart defect in 2017. After collapsing in an Austrian Cup match in 2021, Dwamena was fitted with an im­ plantable cardioverter­defib­ rillator.