Euro Weekly News - Mallorca 19 - 25 May 2022 Issue 1924

THE BEST FINANCE NEWS ON PAGES 18 - 22 Issue No. 1924

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19 - 25 May 2022

MALLORCA • EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

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HIKING HEROES Sally Underwood ON Sunday, May 15, the annual charity hike or‐ ganised by the Rotary Club Calvia International took place through the Tramuntana mountains.

The event, ‘Charity Walk ‐ walk for those who can’t’ raises funds for charity ASDICA , which looks after dis‐ abled children and their families on Mallorca.

The Charity walk of‐ fered two different guid‐ ed hikes with the first lasting one‐and‐a‐half hours, the second tour about two‐and‐a‐half.

The event started at noon at the bar Sa Vinya in Es Capdella followed by a barbecue and live music by Izzy Newman.

Rotary Club Calvia In‐ ternational is an English‐ speaking club, with members from eight dif‐ ferent nationalities.

They hold meetings from March to October

Ajuntament d’Arta

Students from secondary schools in Arta get to decide.

YOUNG ONES TOGETHER with local councillors for sports and par‐ ticipations, students from school councils in Arta’s secondary schools will decide which are the best op‐ tions for their upcoming youth festival.

The decision will be made via a questionnaire that will be sent out shortly to the respective students of the school councils. The council has proposed differ‐ ent options and earmarked €25,000 from the munic‐ ipal budget to carry out these proposals.

ROTARY CLUB: The walk went took place through the Tramuntana mountains.

every Monday at Golf‐ Club Bendinat starting at 1.30pm.

The Rotary organisa‐ tion was founded in 1905 in Chicago, USA and now has over 1,200,000 members in more than 200 coun‐ tries.

The object of the club

is to encourage and fos‐ ter service and charity work.

Rotary Club Calvia sup‐ ports multiple charities and project throughout Mallorca. It has previ‐ ously donated two Shel‐ terboxes, fully equipped tents which can fit 20 survivors each, as their

contribution to help the thousands left homeless in Nepal. The organisa‐ tion also holds its chari‐ ty walk each year to raise funds for ASDICA. For more information about the work of the Rotary Club Calvia, or for donations, visit www.ro tarycalvia.com.

THOUSANDS OF FLIGHTS FROM Friday, May 13 to Sunday, May 15, 3,335 takeoff and landing operations took place between the three Balearic airports.

A t o t a l o f 1 , 0 7 4 f l i g h t s , a c‐ cording to data provided by the managing body AENA, were scheduled for Sunday, May 15, at the airports of Palma, Ibiza

and Mahon.

At the Son Sant Joan airport there were due to be 748 move‐ ments, in Ibiza 210 and in Menor‐ ca 116.

Saturday, May 14, was the busi‐ est day of the week at island air‐ ports, with 1,189 flights.

This comes as tourist reserva‐

tions in the Balearic Islands have grown by 151.4 per cent com‐ pared to the same period of the previous year, and 13.4 per cent over the last week.

Of the reservations generated in the last week in Spain, the Balearics account for 15.88 per cent of the total.

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19 - 25 May 2022

Laura Kemp THE 24th edition of the sports event Jeux des Îles Calvia ‐ Mallorca 20/22, which will take place be‐ tween May 24 and 29 at different sports facilities in the municipality, was announced on Friday, May 13, at the Magaluf athletics track.

Jeux des Îles is a five‐ day international compe‐ tition for athletes under the age of 16 and includes 13 sports: athletics, bas‐ ketball, football, gymnas‐ tics, judo, karate, hand‐ ball, swimming, tennis,

table tennis, triathlon, sailing and volleyball.

Islands around Europe participate in the event, specifically the Azores, Corsica, Malta, Mar‐ tinique, Sicily, Guayana and Ischia, in addition to the Balearic Islands and, added this year, the Ca‐ nary Islands.

The participation will be higher than that initial‐ ly planned by the organi‐ sation, showing that sports competitions are making a strong come‐ back after the break forced by Covid.

NEWS

Santanyi Blue Flags T H E European Community has once again awarded Blue Flags to beaches that meet the best con‐ ditions of safety and health, cer‐ tifying the quality of the beaches in the municipality of Santanyi.

The beaches of Cala Santanyi, Cala Llombards, sa Font de n’Alis, which is part of the Mondrago Natural Park, the beach of s’A‐ marador, and the beach of Cala Gran in Cala d’Or, will have blue and yellow flags this summer.

This means that there are now five beaches in Santanyi that have received the award, making it the only town on the island of Mallorca to receive this number

Ajuntament de Santanyi

Jeux des Îles

AWARDED: The stunning water at the beach of Cala Gran in Cala d’Or.

of distinctions.

The councillor for Tourism and Beaches of Santanyi, Rafael Ba‐ tle, was pleased to have man‐ aged to repeat last year’s result: “Having a blue flag is synony‐

mous with quality, and that is what we want to offer. And be‐ ing the most distinctive munici‐ pality in Mallorca, once again, shows that we are doing things well.”

Illegal installation on beach removed O N Thursday, May 12, Pollença Council re‐ moved all decking, chairs, tables and other elements not autho‐ rised by the Demarcacio de Costes on Tamarells beach, Port de Pollença.

Following several warnings in 2020, the Demarcacio de Costes was requested to take action. A sanction was imposed with a two month occupancy ban, which ended in Febru‐ ary 2021, however, the illegal elements were not removed.

The council sealed the terrace last year, however, the company broke the seal and con‐ tinued their activity ille‐ gally.

Pollença Council claimed that the De‐ marcacio de Costes has

Ajuntament de Pollença

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The decking, chairs and tables were not authorised by the council.

a double standard for this type of action, as it requires the council to remove disabled access, walkways and flags that are sanctioned by the

council, while on the other hand not enforc‐ ing the legality of busi‐ nesses that profit from occupying public spaces.

70,000 visit Capdepera D U R I N G the three days of the medieval market events in Capdepera this year, more than 70,000 people visited the town to enjoy all the activities that took place, includ‐ ing workshops, fairs, concerts and various cul‐ tural events which filled the local streets with people.

In total, more than 33,000 people visited the Capdepera Castle at some point during the mediaeval market, which was open to the public during the festival.

The main events took place in the Capella del Castell, the Plaça del Sit‐ jar, the Plaça de la Men‐ jua, the Plaça de l’Orient and in the streets of the town centre, with perfor‐ mances and marquees along all the streets where there were more than 170 craft stalls and places to eat and drink.

NEWS

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NIBS EXTRA Cleaning Palma PALMA Council has begun clearing and cleaning plots of land in Palma. A total of 5,183 square metres of the site located on Carrer d’Arago and next to the Miquel Nadal football field have been cleaned and the Cami de les Meravelles has been cleared, among oth‐ ers.

Extended hours WITH the aim of improving the quality of care for fe‐ male victims of domestic vi‐ olence, from June 1 to September 30, Banyabufar Council is extending the opening hours of the Escort Service to all the islands.

For more information, you can contact 971 178 989 or via WhatsApp 639 837 476.

Shining shields THE façade of Can Rata is al‐ ready covered with the shields and ornamentation that have been made by the users of the Capdepera Inte‐ gra Project from the Social Services of the Capdepera Town Hall on the occasion of the Medieval Market 2022. These art works make Can Rata full of the me‐ dieval spirit that envelops Capdepera!

Manacor sports MANACOR Council has presented a public call for grants of €100,000 to indi‐ viduals and sports organisa‐ tions in Manacor. The aim of these grants is to pro‐ mote and facilitate access to competitive sport and its individual and collective practice, as well as to en‐ courage the carrying out of activities by sports organi‐ sations.

Health unit ON Monday, May 17, the plenary session of the Ses Salines Council approved the transfer of a municipal‐ ly owned plot of land in the Colonia de Sant Jordi to the Ministry of Health, so that the Government of the Balearic Islands can build a Basic Health Unit (UBS).

19 - 25 May 2022

Tougher animal laws

O N M onday, M ay 16, the president of the Balearic Association of L awyers for the R ights of A nimals ( A B A D A ), M anuel M olina, demanded a toughening of the penalties for animal abuse.

“The feeling of impunity, both for the abuser and for the rest of society, is terrible, it is the feeling that nothing is happening here,” Molina said at an event to announce the events to celebrate the 10th anniver-

ANIMAL ABUSE: Manuel Molina and colleague Yolanda Marroig demand tougher penalties.

sary of the Commission for the Rights of Animals of the I C A I B (C D A) and

A B A D A on T hursday, May 16, at the Bar Association.

The lawyer stressed that “only six or seven” of those convicted in the thousands of criminal proceedings for animal abuse which were carried out in S pain in the last decade have been imprisoned.

Molina said: “it is essential that the autonomous community change the 1992 law, 30 years ago, for a new animal protection law, it is what can change things at the regional level in generalised abuse.”

Basic vital support

THE Consell de Mallorca has unani‐ mously approved a motion of the Ciudadanos (Cs) group to give busi‐ nesses, hotels and restaurants the ‘basic vital support’ courses that it organises through the Mallorca Acti‐ va platform, to train workers in the tourism sector basic knowledge of first aid and the use of defibrilla‐ tors.

The spokeswoman for Cs in the Consell de Mallorca, Beatriz Camiña, said: “improving the qualification of workers in the tourism sector is im‐ portant, but it is even more impor‐ tant if this training benefits all citi‐ zens because it saves lives.

“Each year around 100 people die in the Balearic Islands due to chok‐

TRAINING: Basic vital support courses for businesses, hotels and restaurants.

ing, and many of these tragic episodes occur in restaurants, so rapid action is vital.

“The main objective of our mo‐

tion is prevention and the potential to save lives, so we are very satis‐ fied with the approval of our pro‐ posal,” concluded Camiña.

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Balearic tourism boom TOURIST reservations in the Balearic Islands have grown by 151.4 per cent compared to the same period of the previous year, and 13.4 per cent over the last week.

According to recent figures, the volume of reservations last week was 2,021 per cent above the same period in 2020, the first year of the Covid‐19 pandemic.

Of the reservations made in the last week in Spain, the Balearics account for 15.88 per cent of the total.

Nationwide, 20.4 per cent of reservations are made more than two months in advance, 15.4 per cent are made more than three months before the trip, and 15.5 per cent about a month before.

In addition, 44.3 per cent of reservations in the last seven days in Spain were made by couples and 47.5 per cent of reservations in the country are for stays between two and five days, according to TravelgateX.

New menstruation law and finally...

Laura Kemp ON Friday, May 13, Spain’s Secretary of State for Equality and against Gender Violence, Angela Rodriguez, announced in Palma that those suf‐ fering painful menstruation and serious symp‐ toms will be included in the Abortion Law that the Council of Ministers planned to approve on Tuesday, May 17. Speaking to media after a meeting in Palma with the Minister of the Presi‐ dency, Civil Service and Equality of the Balearic Government, Mercedes Garrido, Rodrígeuz guaranteed that the State will assume “from the first minute” the cost of these temporary inca‐ pacities so there is no discrimination.

The Secretary of State said: “Labour law can‐ not be gender neutral and menstrual health

Those suffering painful menstruation will be included in the Abortion Law.

must be one of the health standards for wom‐ en, adolescents and girls in this country.”

She also stressed that the new law that the government is finalising will place Spain “at the forefront” of women’s health and reproductive rights.

THIRTY beaches in the Balearic Islands will have the distinction of a Blue Flag this summer, with 23 in Mallorca, three in Menorca and four in Ibiza.

Some of the Mallorcan beaches distinguished this year by the Association for Environmental and Consumer Education (Adeac) are Cala Fer‐ rera, Cala Marçal, Cala Sa Nau, and Porto Colom (Platja S’Arenal), in Felanitx; the beach of Muro; Cala Estancia, Cala Major and Playa de Palma (in Palma).

In Mallorca, some of the beaches included are Alcudia Mar, the Calagamba (Palma) Portocristo (Manacor) S’Arenal (Llucmajor) NPPs and the Sailing Club Port d’Andratx Marina Palma Cuar‐ entena.

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PALMA has joined the ‘Municipis Agermanats pel Vidre’ (municipalities twinned with glass) net‐ work and received the ‘clau de vidre reciclat’ (recycled glass key) from Ecovidrio.

The manager of EMAYA, Manuel J Menendez, collected the recycled glass key, awarded by Ecovidrio, at the event held in Can Gordiola, Algaida, on Wednesday May 18.

The aim of the ‘Mu‐

Recycled glass key

nicipis Agermanats pel Vidre’ initiative is to recognise those localities that have been historical‐ ly linked to the material, as well as to emphasise its sustainable qualities.

This initiative also com‐ memorates the Interna‐ tional Year of Glass de‐ clared by the UN. For this reason

Soller clamps down SOLLER Town Hall is clamping down on the exces‐ sive occupation of the public way by bar and restau‐ rant terraces in the centre of Soller and in Puerto Soller following multiple complaints.

During the pandemic, special permits were issued to extend terrace spaces due to social distancing rules, however, these permits no longer apply and the town hall said that it will be strictly enforcing the by‐law governing occupation of the public way.

Those who seriously breach these laws will be fined €3,000.

The town hall also said that it will be making the boundaries of terrace spaces “more visible.”

There are now inspections being carried out, with the town hall adding that some establishments are also not up to date with their terrace tax payments.

One of the parties in opposition of these extend‐ ed terrace spaces is Més, having complained that it is nearly impossible to pass through in some pedes‐ trianised areas due to the space that the terraces occupy.

Ecovidrio, a non‐profit organisation in charge of the management of glass packaging waste recy‐ cling in Spain; ANFEVI (Associacio de Fabricants d’Envasos de Vidre); the CSIC (Consell Superior d’Investigacions Cien‐ tifiques) with the sup‐ port of the Conselleria de Medi Ambient i Territori

del Govern have symboli‐ cally ‘twinned’ seven ar‐ eas of the Balearic Is‐ lands for their historical and socio‐cultural links with glass.

By 2022, up to 50 mu‐ nicipalities in 11 au‐ tonomous communities will join the network of Municipalities Associated with Glass.

NEWS

Plaza de España remodelling

Better sewage networks

ON Tuesday, May 17, EMAYA started paving works in several areas of the neighbourhoods of El Terreno, where the renova‐ tion of the sewage network and drinking water network will be carried out.

Being an area with narrow streets and little space on the public road, the works will involve various changes to road layouts, including cutting off streets and traffic diversions.

EMAYA said it will take all measures to minimise inconve‐ nience to the public, carrying out the works in phases, reduc‐ ing the time of the works to a minimum and informing the public of the changes and restrictions.

The paving of the upper part of Carrer Andrea Doriai in Veneçuela has already been completed, as well as several streets in the Son Armadans neighbourhood.

Paving work has begun in Duc, Amengual, Dos de Maig and de Lacy, which will remain blocked during the works. The work is expected to take three to four weeks to complete.

PROJECT APPROVED: The remodelling of Plaza de España will begin in September.

THE remodelling of Plaza de España in Palma will begin in September this year and will last for 15 months.

The announcement about the renovations was made on Wednesday, May 18, by the spokesman for Palma City Coun‐ cil, Alberto Jarabo, at a press conference following the Gov‐ erning Board meeting.

As explained by the municipal spokesman, the Governing Board has definitively approved the renovation project of the enclave that will involve, with an investment of €3 million, the renovation of 8,100 square metres of pavement, in addition to the renovation of the King Jaume I fountain.

Jarabo has pointed out that the works will affect the tradi‐ tional Christmas market that is installed in the square and for which, he has indicated, a new location is already being sought.

The approval of the project comes precisely after the re‐ jection of allegations from the Christmas market traders, as well as from the conservationist organisation ARCA, a her‐ itage defence entity that considered the cost of the project ‘excessive’.

ARCA also cited the flagrant neglect suffered by the casal publico de Can Serra.

Mailing list

SIGN up to the Santa Eugenia Council’s mailing list to be in‐ formed on activities, concerts, emergencies, water taps... on your WhatsApp. To register, add 618 700 000 to your phone’s contact list. Send a WhatsApp message to 618 700 000 with the text ‘NOM i LLINATGE’. You can also sign up at the town hall of‐ fices.

NEWS

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Expert advice to help you stay safe on the roads TO support UN Road Safety Week (16‐22/05) Specsavers Ópticas are offering recom‐ mendations to ensure drivers stay safe behind the wheel.

Martin Blake from Spec‐ savers Ópticas in Santa Ponça explains, “Good eye‐ sight is a vital part of road safety, which is why the DGT recommends you have an eye test every year and that

you carry a spare pair of glasses in the car if you wear them for driving. As our eye‐ sight deteriorates as we age, you also need to have a medical test, including an eye test every five years if you’re over 65.

There is more research be‐ ing done to show that poor vision is often a cause of road accidents. A study re‐ leased in 2021 led by

Queen’s University Belfast highlighted this link and re‐ vealed a 46 per cent greater risk of having a road accident among drivers with central visual impairment, com‐ pared to drivers with normal vision. This is why it is impor‐ tant to have regular eye tests to check your vision and wear glasses or contact lens‐ es while driving if you have been prescribed them.

Son Dameto Park

INVESTMENT: The Son Dameto Park benefits from renovations.

THE Son Dameto Park in Palma has gained shaded areas and new playgrounds during recent renovations.

On Friday, May 13, the mayor of Pal‐ ma, Jose Hila, together with the mayor’s office of Infrastructures and Accessibili‐ ty, Angelica Pastor, along with other lo‐ cal officials and local residents of Son Dameto visited the new children’s play area and playground that has been built over the last few months through the

‘Renove’ plan for parks.

Hila stressed that this is one more of the investments which are being made in Pal‐ ma to make it a more well‐cared‐for, green‐ er city for all ages.

He said: “It is one of the works we are car‐ rying out to improve neighbourhoods, to have more trees and to be more accessible ‐ the aim is to have a city that is better cared for, better looked after and with parks that are in good condition.”

For drivers who wear glasses, it is also important to ensure that their lenses are suitable for driving. Po‐ larised lenses are a good op‐ tion for driving in daylight as they eliminate glare from horizontal surfaces, such as

roads, water and snow. They also offer 100 per cent UV protection, improve contrast and help ease the strain on your eyes.

There are also lenses which have been specially designed with driving in

mind, like Specsavers Super‐ Drive varifocal lenses.”

Specsavers Ópticas offers free, comprehensive eye tests and can advise you about the right glasses to wear while driving. www.specsavers.es

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19 - 25 May 2022

Spain-France Electrical Interconnection Tunnel in La Jonquera.

THE Spanish government, to‐ gether with Portugal, has as‐ serted its status as an ‘energy island’ to obtain permission from Brussels to limit the price of gas, however, it is a temporary solution to which it is now seeking to add a definitive one through some‐ thing that had previously

European gas been denied ‐ the develop‐ ment of the gas interconnec‐ tion with the rest of Europe via France ‐ something that Spanish and French regulators ruled out in 2019.

Spain is still top SPAIN has maintained its top spot world‐ wide for the most blue flags of any coun‐ try.

With 729 blue flags, Spain has held the top position since 1994 along with Greece and Turkey.

The awards were announced on Tues‐ day, May 10 with Spain being granted blue flag status for 621 beaches, 103 marinas and five tourist boats.

Fernando Valdés, Secretary of State for Tourism, said that blue flags are good for tourism, with 250 municipalities making the grade. He continued, saying that the government had invested €150 million in 2021 in upgrading and promoting beaches and that the number of blue flags was tes‐ tament to the value of the investment.

In total, 89 per cent of the applications received achieved recognition, 15 more

NEWS

With the price of energy sky‐rocketing due to the war in Ukraine, the government in Spain is retracing its steps to pressure Brussels in favour of the construction of the gas pipeline that, unlike what was studied in the last decade, the EU will have to pay for.

It will also have to be adapt‐ ed to transport not only gas, but also green hydrogen.

Training Law

BLUE FLAGS: Spain has 729.

than the previous year. Of the 18 beaches that achieved recognition for the first time, seven of those are inland.

The organisation is paying special atten‐ tion to inland beaches as the popularity of these grows.

ON Tuesday, May 17, the Council of Ministers approved an injection of almost €1,300 million aimed at promoting Vocational Training (VT) and with the main objective of re‐ ducing “intergenerational in‐ equality”, as announced by the President of the Govern‐ ment, Pedro Sanchez .

Sanchez said during a visit to the Public Integrated Cen‐ tre of FP of Mislata in Valen‐ cia: “We are committed to Vocational Training because we want the best future for our children and because I be‐ lieve that the pending chal‐ lenge is to reduce all the gaps that the different crises have left in society.”

The objective of the gov‐ ernment is that, in the coming years, some €5,500 million are allocated to VT, strength‐ ening an educational path that they intend to promote through the new Vocational Training Law which was ap‐ proved last March.

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Spain’s bike boom

Spy chief sacked THE government in Spain has dis‐ missed the country’s spy chief, Paz Esteban, following the disclosure of the use of the Pegasus spyware to ‘listen’ in on Spanish officials.

According to reports, unidentified government sources said the deci‐ sion to sack the spy chief had been made but that no date had been set for her dismissal. It is understood that President Pedro Sanchez is keen to draw a line under the issue and to move on, hence the quick decision to remove her from the post.

The decision follows last month’s announcement by Citizen Lab, who said that more than 60 people linked to the Catalan separatist movement had been targets of ‘Pegasus’ spy‐ ware made by Israel’s NSO Group.

Peter McLaren‐ Kennedy SPAIN reached record bicycle sales and manu‐ facturing levels in 2021 accord‐ ing to the Asso‐ ciation of Brands and Bicycles of Spain (AMBE), with the vol‐ umes doubling in just six years.

AMBE reported that demand remains strong following the pandemic, rising 10.7 per cent in 2021 recording a record

THE Spanish goverment reopened the land borders of Ceuta and Melilla with Morocco at midnight on Tuesday, May 17.

The Spanish goverment said in a state‐ ment on Thursday, May 12, that the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande‐Marlaska, would sign the minis‐ terial order on borders to modify the one that has kept these crossings closed since March 2020.

Production of bicycles rose.

turnover of €2,887 mil‐ lion.

The association high‐ lighted the growth in Spanish manufacturers which rose by more than 7 per cent, which was accompanied by a 3 per cent growth in peo‐

Borders reopen The reopening is the result of the bilat‐ eral work carried out with the Moroccan authorities after the recent meeting held

by President Pedro Sánchez, and the King of Morocco, Mohamed IV. The first phase of the reopening began at midnight on May 17, at which time cit‐ izens and residents of the European Union and those authorised to move

ple employed in the sec‐ tor.

Currently, there are more than 3,000 businesses in‐ volved in the sale, repair and rental of bicycles with more than 25,000 families said to living off the industry.

According to the Min‐ istry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, the pro‐ duction of bicycles in Spain increased by 75.1 per cent in 2021 with ex‐ ports rising by nearly 50 per cent.

within the Schengen area will be able to enter Spanish territory through the El Tarajal crossing in Ceuta and Beni Enzar crossing in Melilla.

In order to access Ceuta and Melilla, it will be essential to comply with the health requirements established by the Ministry of Health.

From Tuesday, May 31, legally recog‐ nised cross‐border workers will also be able to enter Spanish territory.

NEWS

Famed lioness dies

MATRIARCH LIONESS: Sortuda was a popular attraction.

THERE was much sadness at the Bioparc in Valencia after Sortuda, their much‐loved matriarch lioness, died on Fri‐ day May 10.

The lioness was put down after developing an untreat‐ able malignant tumour and reportedly showing signs of being in a lot of pain.

Sortuda was transferred to Bioparc 17 years ago from the Jardim Zoologico de Lis‐ boa to form a breeding group of the Angolan lion sub‐ species.

The lioness, who quickly became the matriarch of her pride, was a popular attrac‐ tion after she grew a mane, much like young males do.

Tests later revealed that she had some ovarian cysts that were producing a hormonal change.

This made her more mas‐ culine than normal and en‐ abled to her to become the more dominant lioness.

Sortuda was known for her cohesive role in keeping the pride together as well as for her maternal nature. Dur‐ ing her time at the Bioparc she mothered a number of cubs, some who went to oth‐ er animal parks while two, Tata and Shanga, remained with her.

Together with Luana and Lubango they form the park’s pride of lions.

GO LOCAL

THE EURO WEEKLY NEWS has urged its readers to support local businesses in the community by shopping locally in recent times. Now things are heading back to normal, we challenge you to maintain that habit by supporting local high streets, markets, butchers, greengrocers and all of the wonderfully quirky inde‐ pendent businesses in your area.

Local businesses make our villages, towns and cities what they are. They add unique character. They are convenient.

And they offer excellent produce from known suppliers. The joy of shopping local‐

ly means that independent businesses can support the local community. You may find something a euro or two cheaper on‐ line but have you considered where your money is actually going?By shopping local‐ ly you’re putting food on a local family’s table and there is nothing better than giv‐ ing back to the communities that have giv‐ en us so much. Local stores support chari‐ ties and they sponsor local sports teams. In many cases, they are much more than just a business, they’re a legacy. They may have supported generations of the same family. Likewise, brand new local stores

and bars may help the generations of the future fulfil their dreams and ambitions.

Remember, your local store is going up against multinationals and chains. They can’t win that battle on their own. So give them your support. Spending your money locally will make a real difference to the lo‐ cal economy. Local businesses recirculate a greater share of every euro they receive at local level. They create locally owned sup‐ ply chains and they invest in their employ‐ ees.

So remember, buy local.

When you go shopping ‐ go local!

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NEWS

Digital information Lowest inflation in EU OV E R half of Spaniards feel uncertainty when they put their personal data in the digital envi‐ ronment, saying they are

aware of what can hap‐ pen when information is shared. And yet three out of four citizens, 74 per cent, admit that

All Blacks in Madrid THE legendary All Blacks New Zealand rugby team per‐ formed their traditional ‘haka’ (Maori dance) on Monday, May 16, in Madrid’s Plaza de Oriente, where they were re‐ ceived by the mayor, Jose Luis Martínez Almeida , and the deputy mayor, Begoña Villacis.

The All Blacks are in the capital, which celebrates its San Isidro festivities, on the occasion of the friendly match that they will play on Saturday, May 21, against the Spanish team at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium.

The New Zealand players were accompanied by several members of the Spanish rugby team in an act in which the captains of the two teams, Corey Flynn and Fernando Lopez, took part.

In a busy Plaza de Oriente, the striking Maori dance, which the New Zealand team customarily performs before each match, was watched with great anticipation on the esplanade in front of the Royal Palace.

technologies are ‘ex‐ tremely important’ in their lives.

This is what was dis‐ covered in a survey car‐ ried out by the DYM In‐ stitute jointly with WIN International (the world’s leading associa‐ tion in market research and opinion studies) on the role of technology in our lives. The survey was answered by more than 33,000 people from 39 countries, 1,000 of them in Spain.

According to this re‐ port, more than half of Spaniards (52 per cent) are concerned about sharing personal infor‐ mation via mobile or computer, 4 per cent more than the world av‐ erage percentage. Both men and women show this uneasiness equally, although it is slightly higher in the case of women (53 per cent com‐ pared to 50 per cent).

ECONOMISTS in Brussels suggest that Spain will experience the lowest rate of inflation of all the countries in the EU, in 2023.

The report, released on Monday May 16, suggests that the current rate of inflation in Spain is roughly equal to the average across the European Union (EU) but that it will fall to the lowest of all countries in the bloc by 2023.

Brussels expects inflation to fall back to normal levels in 2023, with the rate’s highest for many decades, fuelled by the combination of the war in Ukraine and the pandemic. That combination has seen energy prices at record highs and shortages of basic supplies, as well as key components

LOW RATE: Will be good news for Spain.

used by manufacturers worldwide.

The EU forecast that Spain will expe‐ rience the lowest rate of inflation in 2023 will be good news for the coun‐ try, which has been hit by high infla‐ tion and a third year of lower than usual number of tourists.

University acclaim BARCELONA has hosted the third UNESCO World Conference on Higher Education (WHEC2022), a world‐renowned event that welcomes around 2,000 people in person and around 8,000 people vir‐ tually. This means the city of Barcelona was the capital of higher education for a week. Jordi Martí, dDeputy mayor for Culture, Education, Science and Community of the Barcelona City Council, said how “the choice of Barcelona to host the UNESCO World Conference on Higher Education for the first time shows the potential of the city as a global benchmark for a university city.” The representa‐ tive of the council highlighted the importance of the events which “makes us debate and reflect on the future of our universities for all people.”

12 EWN

euroweeklynews.com

19 - 25 May 2022

Record-breaking EuroMillions A SINGLE ticket‐holder from the UK has come forward to claim a record‐breaking Eu‐ roMillions jackpot of £184 mil‐ lion.

Camelot said that the win‐

ner came forward on Wednesday May 11, and that the claim will now go through a validation process to make sure terms and conditions are met.

New £1 coin THE Royal Mint has announced that the UK is to get a new £1 coin in 2023, marking 40 years since the modern version first came into circulation.

Retaining the new security features added in 2017, the coins will feature the fifth effigy of Her Majesty the Queen on the back and new designs on the front.

The new coins, which will enter circulation in 2023, have been designed by Kenyan born British artist Michael Ar‐ mitage. Included in the release will be a special collector’s edition. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, speaking at the official opening of the RCA’s Rausing Re‐ search and Innovation Centre, said: “I am delighted that Michael will lend his vision to the creation of this new £1 coin design in its 40th anniversary year.

“This coin will symbolise the rich tapestry of modern Britain and honour our deep heritage and history.”

The winnings have beat the previous record of £170 mil‐ lion won by an anonymous ticket‐holder in October 2019, it was reported, and the win‐ ner is set to receive a huge £184,262,899.10.

The winning EuroMillions numbers were 3, 25, 27, 28 and 29 and the Lucky Star numbers 4 and 9.

Camelot’s senior winners’ advisor at The National Lot‐ tery, Andy Carter, said: “This is absolutely incredible news.

Last night saw history made with the biggest ever National Lottery prize won by a single UK ticket‐holder, and we’re ecstatic that we’ve now re‐ ceived a claim.

“Our focus now is on sup‐ porting the ticket‐holder through the process and help‐ ing them start to enjoy their truly life‐changing and record‐ breaking win.”

NEWS

Advertising Feature

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SOCIAL SCENE

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Football-mad kids FROM July 25 to 29 and from August 1 to 5, the Benett Academy will be or‐ ganising two football camps and two goalkeeper camps in Son Ferrer.

The football field can be reached in about five min‐ utes by car from both Mag‐ aluf and Santa Ponsa. This is a great event for children living on the island or on their holidays.

The football camp is open for children and youth players of all ability levels between six and 14 years.

Participants in the goal‐ keeper camp should be at least seven and no more than 17 years old.

The training lasts Mon‐ day to Friday from 10am to 1pm. Participants from Ger‐ many, Spain and England

There will be an international team of coaches at the football camps.

are expected.

The players will learn and improve their technical and tactical skills in entertaining and exciting games. The in‐ ternational team of coaches

(GER, AUT, ENG, ESP) has international experience and the training has been adapted to different age groups and performance levels.

Nordic Walking THE Municipal Sports Institute (IME) is launching a new edition of the Nordic Walking Saludable programme, an intro‐ ductory course on Nordic Walking.

Created with the collaboration of the General Directorate of Public Health and Participation of the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs and the Primary Care Management of Mallorca, the pro‐ gramme will take place over May and June.

The courses take place at 10am on Sat‐ urday, May 21 at CS Son Gotleu Porta del

CS, Saturday, May 28, at CS Son Cladera Porta del CS, Saturday, June 4 at CS Vall‐ dargent Pl. of Serralta, Saturday, June 11 at CS Son Serra Porta del CS, Saturday, June 18 at CS Sant Agustí Porta del CS, and Saturday, June 25 at CS Santa Catali‐ na Porta del CS. Lasting two hours, the introductory course will teach participants about Nordic Walking, an outdoor activity that is easy to learn and has many health, psy‐ chological, psychological and social bene‐ fits.

19 - 25 May 2022 BINISSALEM Council has launched two conversation groups to promote the knowledge and use of the Catalan language, aimed at newly arrived people, both children and adults, interest‐ ed in learning the language.

In the group aimed at adults, meetings are held twice a week to talk, have a coffee and get to know differ‐ ent spaces and services in the municipality.

In the group aimed at chil‐ dren, different games, work‐ shops and outings around the town are held while they practise conversation in Cata‐ lan in a playful way.

The council said: “It is al‐ ways useful ‐ and sometimes even essential ‐ to learn the language of a new country

EWN 13

Learn Catalan

LEARNING: Binissalem Council has launched two Catalan conversation groups

that you move to, or even for those who have lived in the area for a long time and are looking to learn Catalan.”

To find out more about

these groups, when they are held and how you can join, contact Binissalem City Coun‐ cil Social Services on 971 886 529.

14 EWN

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19 - 25 May 2022

Invisible strength ON May 13, Marratxi Council opened the exhibition ‘Nurs‐ es. The invisible strength of a profession’ at the Marti Serra Health Centre.

The exhibition, which was opened to coincide with Inter‐ national Nurses’ Day, is a tex‐ tual and iconographic journey through the history of Balearic nursing, from the 14th centu‐ ry in 1977, and can be seen until May 31.

The mayor of Marratxi, Miquel Cabot, said during the opening of the exhibition that “it is only fair to recognise the work of nurses and thank them for the work they do for

NURSES: The public can view the exhibition until May 31.

us and for society,” as they are “indispensable to our lives.”

The curator of the exhibi‐ tion is Dr Gloria Gallego Caminero, nurse, historian of nursing, and Doctor in Hu‐ manities and Social Sciences.

Gallego explains that visi‐ tors will be able to see “a se‐ ries of panels illustrated with works of art and photographs that chronologically show, from 1311 onwards, the first documented references to the activity of nursing by nuns and volunteers, identifying the first hospitals or homes for the sick in Palma.”

Manacor artisan markets

MUST-VISIT: New artisan stalls have been added to the Manacor weekly market.

NEW artisan stalls have been added to the Manacor weekly market, which is held every Sunday in the pedestrianised area of the town, adding to the quality of the market, making it even more of a must‐visit attraction.

Manacor Council announced last autumn that it was working to change the location of the weekly market with the aim of im‐ proving its quality, inspired by the model of markets in other municipalities such as Santanyi.

The usual stalls continue to be placed in Plaça de Ramon Llull, however, instead of going up Carrer d’Antoni Galmes Folklorista, they continue along Carrer d’en Jaume Domenge, reach Plaça de les Verdures, continue along Carrer del Mercadal , go around Carrer d’en Bosch to Plaça Weyler, Plaça del Rector Rubi, and the main entrance of the l’esglesia dels Dolors.

General stalls and animal stalls are on Plaça de Ramon Llull, food‐related stalls are concentrated on Plaça de les Verdures, and plant stalls are distributed along the route.

SOCIAL SCENE

Art that talks 2B Art Gallery in Portals Nous is hosting the launch of a new urban art exhibition, ‘Dia‐ logues,’ at 7pm today, Thursday, May 19.

Bringing together works from various artists, the exhibition will display art by Nick Walker, Ben Eine, El Pez, SheOne, The London Po‐ lice, Carolina Adán, Javier Garlo, setde‐ belleza, Gracia Ribal‐ aiga, Joan Aguilo, Twoflü and Ruth M Scheibler.

This group exhibition brings together an array of inspiring, surprising, and thought‐provoking paintings, limited edi‐ tion prints, and sculp‐ tures.

The artists exhibiting have all had an influ‐ ence on the history of urban art and the show highlights the contribu‐ tions made by urban artists and their ap‐ proach to the street art scene.

Free to enter, the ex‐ hibition will also offer a three‐course meal for €35 on the terrace of restaurant Astir put to‐ gether by chef Miguel Clar.

2B Art Gallery is a new art space in Mallorca, displaying contempo‐ rary urban art, Bearbrick and other collectibles.

It offers a mix of art from internationally recognised local and for‐ eign artists , whose mu‐ rals can be seen all over the world as well as in Mallorca.

SOCIAL SCENE

euroweeklynews.com

Evolution in spring

THE Cycle of Spring Con‐ certs, in the Patis de Palma, will this year revolve around the theme of revo‐ lution.

The first of six perfor‐ mances will take place to‐ day Thursday, May 19 in the Misericordia church at 7.30pm.

The first concert will be based on small, trend‐set‐ ting revolutions, with sym‐ phonic dances from Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story, which updated the story of Romeo and Juli‐ et in 20th‐century lan‐ guages.

On May 26 at 8pm, Riu Dolç Brass at will present Modern Visions of Brass at Can Oleo.

The Mixtour Quartet will play on June 2 in the court‐ yard of the Estudi General Lul‐lia with Paris 1920‐1950, where the audience will be introduced to the cultural world of the first half of the 20th‐century in the French capital.

On June 9, Cornucopia and Irene Gili, and Pilar Ri‐ era and Miquel Company will play music in the court‐ yard of the Museu de Mal‐ lorca at 9pm, with a reinter‐ pretation of Mozart.

One June 16, the Arxiu del Regne de Mallorca will be the stage for Neuma’s performance at 9pm with the show Origen, which fea‐ tures original works by the group.

The cycle will end at 8.30pm on June 21 in the Misericordia courtyard with Amores Grup de Percussio and the show El so de la Terra. This group will take you on a journey through contemporary percussion by famous composers such as Albeniz and Piazzolla.

The Cycle of Spring Concerts 2022 revolves around the concept of evolution

19 - 25 May 2022

EWN 15

Binissalem Stone Fair STONE has been essen‐ tial in the history of the town of Binissalem, which is why every year a fair dedicated to it is held.

This year, the fair will be held on May 28 and 29.

Local marble and stone sculptors show their creations and dexterity working with the materials, creating beautiful works of art.

This event attracts many visitors and is one of the more inter‐ esting events of the area.

This year will be the 19th time that this tra‐ ditional stone fair is celebrated, which is ac‐ companied by con‐ certs, dances, family activities and guided tours to some of the most famous houses in the village This fair offers the best opportunity to learn about the tradi‐ tion of stonework of Binissalem.

The location of the event will be available on the town hall web‐ site, usually a week be‐ fore the event.

16 EWN

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19 - 25 May 2022

My super moans NORA JOHNSON BREAKING VIEWS Nora is the author of popular psychological suspense and crime thrillers and a freelance journalist.

GOOD morning, class. No talking at the back, please. I’d like to begin with another few moans.

I did a straw poll among my friends (only the finest of scientific and journalistic meth‐ ods for this column, folks) about their biggest gripes. Top of the list came no‐ choice tasting menus ‐ with dishes as local and seasonal as a polar bear in a bikini. This is currently my pet hate.

And then there’s estate agent jargon, a language you never learned at school. Take this: ‘Charming three bedroom with garden and period features’ that turns out to be a total wreck with one bedroom qualifying only because you can just about squeeze a single bed into it. Thanks to the use of fish‐ eye lens photography to make the rooms look HUGE. The estate agent? An18‐year‐old in a cheap, badly‐fitted suit who knows abso‐ lutely nothing. And the cost? “Price on ap‐ plication to wesawyoucoming.com. We will

For more from our columnists please scan this QR Code

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

We don’t like how they work MIKE SENKER IN MY OPINION Views of a Grumpy Old Man WE’VE had a couple of holiday rental apartments for some years now. Initially it was a very simple thing to do. There were several little websites that we advertised on and business was fine. Then a few years ago all these little indy websites got swallowed up by massive multinational companies who have a whole different way of doing business and were constantly telling us how we should run our little rental business. It used to be so simple. Clients emailed Patti and if dates were available would send a deposit and then pay the balance four weeks before arrival. But the big companies don’t take a deposit; they collect payment and pay us after clients arrive and after they have taken their commission which, of course, means we get less. And now people can cancel anytime plus you are no longer advertising with one company. A booking can be from any one of six or seven companies.

Then Covid happened and we didn’t rent anything for about two years. All our regu-

EUROPEAN PRESS DENMARK

lars moved their dates around. When bookings restarted one elderly couple from Denmark arrived but after a couple of days we were advised that they didn’t like the apartment and wanted a full refund. This was all being done via email and was a nightmare.

Patti decided to go and see them and discovered that they had moved out but left the heating on and not left the keys. We turned the heating off. Patti went back a few days later and was amazed that they had been back and left the heating on again! The real problem was that it had been raining since they had arrived and they couldn’t really get out and about and because of their age needed to be in a hotel.

The best was still to come - they left a terrible review on the website which was a total nonsense. How can you give a one for location for a beachfront apartment? In 15 years of renting we have never had anything but great reviews on the various websites which now of course don’t exist. We complained to the company but they said they couldn’t do anything because the booking came via a third party site. Since then we have had a few cancellations and have now decided not to rent anymore as we just don’t like the way these big companies do business.

Email: mikesenker@gmail.com.

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

FINLAND

Firestarter

Bizarre fact

ALTHOUGH he denies being responsible, the head of the local fire brigade in the town of Egtved has appeared in a local court charged with starting 11 wildfires and if found guilty may be charged with starting more, as an additional 29 were started in the past two months.

A STUDY by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare highlighted a strange fact in that of 2,400 suicides which occurred between 2016 and 2018, 21 per cent of suicide victims attended a health care appointment in Finland on the day of the suicide.

PET HATE: No-choice tasting menus.

append the appropriate number of zeros when we reply to you.”

Basically, buying a house in the UK is like internet dating. The pictures are selling you Nicole Kidman or Ben Affleck but when you get there it’s Nurse Ratched or Billy Bunter waiting for you... Next scandal, please!

Nora Johnson’s critically acclaimed psy‐ chological crime thrillers (www.nora‐john son.net) all available online. Profits to Cude‐ ca cancer charity. Email: norajohnson3@ hotmail.com.

EUROPEAN PRESS

THE NETHERLANDS

IRELAND

Beached whales

Vegetable fuel

DEAD beached whales should be left where they are because they improve biodiversity, a study by the infrastructure ministry and Wageningen Marine Research has shown after they recorded the results over seven months of a cadaver washed up on the uninhabited Wadden island.

IN a bid to go green, the Irish postal service has introduced a number of electric vehicles, but there are no electric options for its lorries so it is trialling the use of specially treated vegetable oil in Co Galway in order to reduce diesel usage.

BELGIUM

ITALY

Royal stock

New blood

TRAIN buffs will be pleased to follow in the footsteps of King Filip and visit the latest exhibition at the national rail museum Train World in Brussels to view the story of the Belgian Royal Family and their trains which is open until January 2023.

ACCORDING to a report by CNN, 80 per cent of those who ended up purchasing 26 houses being offered for sale at €1 to €2 in Sambuca di Sicilia are from America and the plan to reinvigorate the town by bringing in ‘new blood’ has proven successful.

GERMANY

PORTUGAL

Mighty Mann

Tuk Tuk

NOW aged 81 years old, the first internationally acclaimed rock star from South Africa, organist Manfred Mann is back on the road again having reformed his Earth Band and will be in and out of Germany during 2022, performing no less than 21 concerts.

VISITORS to Thailand will recognise the name tuk tuk as it is the tiny three wheel ‘taxi’ that transports people precariously through its streets, but a Dutch company which manufactures electric tuk tuks there is relocating production to Santo Tirso, Porto to save transport costs for European sales.

FRANCE

UKRAINE

Less privileged

Gas cut

DESPITE the fact that France moved very quickly to ensure that refugees from Ukraine would be admitted to the country and given help and support, this is not the case for around 1,000 French speaking African students who were at universities in Ukraine who want to continue their education.

A SIGNIFICANT amount of Russian gas is still being pumped through Ukraine to Europe, but to add to the problem of inflation and higher energy costs, it has been announced that due to Russian presence the Sokhranivka gas distribution station is going to stop transmission.

NORWAY

SWEDEN

Not welcome

Security pact

NORWAY celebrated Veterans and Liberation Day as usual on May 8, with one major difference as Russian officials were not invited to ceremonies in the city of Kirkenes, even though it was liberated from Nazi German occupation by the Red Army of the former Soviet Union.

BRITISH Prime Minister Boris Johnson signed a mutual security agreement with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson on Wednesday May 11 which could result in Britain sending troops to the country in the event of an invasion by Russia or any other belligerent.

FEATURE

euroweeklynews.com

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT AT long last a touch of common sense emerges to strike back at the murky mire of dangerous woke indoctrination. After complaining to management of what they considered ‘controversial content’ in their Closure series production, a number of Netflix employees have been told that, ‘if they don’t agree with the broad spectrum of the company output perhaps it would be better to seek employment elsewhere’.

Apparently this woke inspired Trans segment of the corporation planned to stage a walkout in protest of the crime series ‐ which has been one of the most successful programmes in Netflix history. The bosses subsequently issued a statement, which read in part that the company would ‘not censor specific artists or voices, even if some employees do find them ‘harmful,’ and will never allow these people to ‘silence artistic expression’. This ultimately led to the sacking of the leader of the group of employees ‐ Yaay!

It’s money of course, which has actually triggered these actions of common sense. They have finally

19 - 25 May 2022

So misguided

realised that to pander to 3 per cent of dissenters and ignore the 97 per cent of viewers who consider their protests nonsense, is not good business at all!

‘Go woke, Go broke’ is the new battle cry echoing around the corridors of this highly successful media company.

Let’s just hope that other large and influential organisations take up the same cry and put this misguided and often highly dangerous bunch, back down to the bottom of the priority list where they all belong. Left wing minorities have been given far too much credence and credibility over the last few years. Because the simpering media has given them such disproportionate attention, they have become drunk with power, they are also totally undemocratic. People of this ilk are generally insecure and often angry to be part of a minority. In their efforts to become the majority they will basically stop at nothing (their ‘cancel culture’ is a nothing less than pure malicious evil!)

The more appeasement they get the more they’re encouraged; give them an inch and they’ll take a mile. Well let’s just hope the sooner rather than later the woke species of our societies are

given enough rope to hang themselves (metaphorically speaking of course!) ‘Go woke, Go broke’. Dontcha just love it?

Great result for Ukraine in the Eurovision song contest. Of course the song was absolutely ghastly, but the lift for the citizens of this beleaguered land must have been magical. This competition has always been influenced by politics and it was interesting to see the UK finally coming out of the wilderness and into second place.

Although I felt the British entrant was pretty good, I couldn’t help feeling that the recent actions of the UK government, with its overwhelming support of the Ukrainian nation, had something to do with it. The only problem now is where to hold next year’s event? Let’s just hope it’s in Kyiv!

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

Expatradioscotland.com Mon. Fri. 1pm till 4.

For more from our columnists please scan this QR Code

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

EWN 17

BUSINESS EXTRA Final countdown ALTHOUGH Spanish banks Unicaja and Liberbank legally merged 10 months ago after initially, severing ties, it is only now following, a number of further disagreements, that the 1.8 million Liberbank clients will by the end of May have their accounts transferred to Unicaja.

euroweeklynews.com • 19 - 25 May 2022

STAT OF WEEK

(€2.33tn) was the value of Saudi oil and gas producer Aramco on May 12, making it the most valuable company in the world after trailing Apple for two years.

$2.44 trillion

War in the air

Bitcoin battered

Credit: Heathrow Airport

FINANCE

18

BIBA conference GIBRALTAR FINANCE has been attending and exhibiting at the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) annual conference and exhibition at Manchester Central. The BIBA conference is one of Europe’s largest insurance gatherings and was last held as an in‐person event in 2019 when more than 8,300 visitors attended.

Shein shines NOW valued at more than Inditex and H&M combined at just short of €100 billion,Chineseonlinefashioncompany Shein attracted more downloads on its App in the first few months of 2022 than Amazon Shopping and saw a 50 per cent increase in customer visits.

McColl’s rescued ALLIANCE PROPERTY HOLDINGS LIMITED, part of the Morrisons Group has agreed a rescue deal for struggling retailer McColl’s that will see all 16,000 staff transferred, alongside more than 1,100 outlets with the added bonus that Morrisons will take over its two pension funds which have 2,000+ members.

RENFE investment SPANISH train giant RENFE is committed to innovation and supporting new technology and in 2018 launched TrenLab, a call to startup companies to carry out different challenges in areas such as logistics, transport or accessibility.

Now it has announced it is to move a step further and plans to make its first financial investment in an undisclosed start up company sometime this year according to Business Insider Spain.

Also in September it will launch its mobility platform to allow access in a single app to journeys by train, commuter trains, buses and other types of public and private travel.

One way of earning extra income.

THERE’S war in the air as Heathrow and UK flag carriers fall out over the cost being charged per passen‐ ger travelling.

A report, commissioned by Virgin Atlantic, British Airways and IATA from WPI Economics blasts both the management of Heathrow Air‐ port and the Civil Aviation Authori‐ ty (CAA) over proposed increased charges.

Understandably during the lock‐ down and suspension of interna‐ tional flights caused by the pan‐ demic, Heathrow as the UK’s main airline hub suffered a significant loss of income as fewer flights meant fewer travellers and less

airport revenue.

Anxious to start to recoup some of its lost income, Heathrow pro‐ posed increasing the amount charged per passenger from £19 to £43, a huge 117 per cent hike and in the event, a temporary rise to just over £30 (56 per cent) was ap‐ proved by the CAA to give it a chance to consider the long‐term situation.

Britain’s two major flag carriers oppose this increase arguing that as the UK economy is already in a difficult position and the airlines are struggling to recover their own lost income, it would be un‐ feasible to increase prices signifi‐

cantly to passengers.

They argue that the end result will be to make the UK’s global avi‐ ation industry less competitive, un‐ dermine the hub operation at Heathrow and reduce the domestic and international connectivity that is vitally needed to achieve Global Britain.

Not unsurprisingly, Heathrow Airport which is owned by a con‐ sortium of overseas investors from Canada, China, Qatar, Spain and the USA dispute the airline claims as well as the suggestion that it is deliberately underplaying the cur‐ rent number of travellers in order to try to justify increased charges.

Spanish inflation anomaly EXPERTS at Caixa Bank spotlighted an anomaly in Spain’s inflation calcula‐ tions which suggests that the figure is regularly overstated.

Spain and Portugal have been work‐ ing together to persuade the European Union to accept their proposals on cap‐ ping energy prices and the two coun‐ tries share a wholesale electricity mar‐ ket according to Reuters.

Although the April inflation figures show a drop from almost 10 per cent to 8.4 per cent, this is still higher than neighbour Portugal which calculates its electricity costs in a different way.

In simple terms, Spain assumes that all consumers are contracted on a vari‐

FINANCE

Casting light on inflation calculations.

able rate, so that if the price of electrici‐ ty rises so does inflation but this is real‐ ly not the case anymore as a significant number of individuals and more im‐ portantly companies have opted for fixed rate contracts.

As is the case with Portugal, it means that even if the price of energy contin‐ ues to surge, those in fixed rate con‐ tracts continue to pay the agreed rate and would only lose out if the whole‐ sale price dropped below that amount.

In April of this year, the Bank of Spain said government plans to reform public pensions so that they increased annually in accordance with the Con‐ sumer Price Index (CPI), would cost €1.8 billion extra for each 1 per cent in‐ crease.

Assuming that inflation is overstated by 2 per cent (then this year will mean that the government will need to find an extra €3.6 billion for pensions alone.

ALMOST since the first up‐ turn in the value of cryp‐ tocurrency, the Bank of Spain has been warning investors to be very aware of the risks of investment.

For more than a year, the leading cryptos have seen a huge increase in value and investors have been jumping in, buying and selling and making really good profits.

However, like the 17th cen‐ tury Black Tulip disaster in The Netherlands and 18th century pricking of the South Sea Bubble, Bitcoin suddenly this May saw a dramatic halving in value from its all‐ time high of around €58,000 to just over €26,000.

It has dropped and bounced back before, so time will tell whether the de‐ cision by El Salvador and the Central African Republic to make it legal tender was a wise one.

Charge to return goods THE lockdown saw a huge growth in shoppers in the UK purchasing fashion online and this has to some extent contin‐ ued even though shops are now open and easily accessible.

One problem however for re‐ tailers is that it appears con‐ sumers have got used to order‐ ing more than they actually require and then returning un‐ wanted items in larger volumes than if they bought in store.

Now, Spanish fashion giant Zara has joined Uniqlo and Next in making a returns charge (in Zara’s case £1.95) for items sent by post, although there is no penalty if goods purchased on‐ line are returned to one of their stores.

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20 EWN

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C LOSING P RICES M AY 16

COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) 3I Group 1.321,00 1.323,00 Abrdn 188,85 189,15 Admiral Group 2.251,0 2.252,0 Anglo American 3.387,0 3.389,5 Antofagasta 1.392,32 1.393,00 Ashtead Group 3.922,0 3.955,0 Associated British Foods 1.659,0 1.666,0 AstraZeneca 10.292,0 10.322,0 Auto Trader Group Plc 557,80 558,80 Avast 493,20 499,90 Aveva 2.104,2 2.119,0 Aviva 401,05 401,35 B&M European Value Retail SA464,20 468,30 BAE Systems 753,60 754,40 Bank VTB DRC 1,000 1,000 Barclays 151,36 151,54 Barratt Developments 481,30 485,60 Berkeley 3.970,0 4.001,0 BHP Billiton Ltd 2.611,50 2.612,50 BP 414,41 415,55 British American Tobacco 3.435,0 3.445,5 British Land Company 505,60 506,00 BT Group 183,85 184,85 Bunzl 2.924,0 2.930,0 Burberry Group 1.566,5 1.574,5 Carnival 1.077,0 1.080,5 Centrica 79,72 79,90 Coca Cola HBC AG 1.752,5 1.762,0 Compass 1.829,50 1.829,50 CRH 3.183,5 3.189,5 Croda Intl 6.852,0 6.872,0 DCC 6.228,0 6.230,0 Diageo 3.824,5 3.847,0 DS Smith 308,20 312,40 EasyJet 489,70 498,70 Experian 2.660,0 2.664,0 Ferguson 9.752,0 9.794,0 Flutter Entertainment 8.900,0 9.036,0 Fresnillo 744,80 744,80 GlaxoSmithKline 1.762,06 1.764,60 Glencore 476,00 477,09 Halma 2.196,0 2.210,0 Hargreaves Lansdown 876,20 892,80 Hikma Pharma 1.734,50 1.737,50 HSBC 501,86 502,20 IAG 122,00 123,24 Imperial Brands 1.699,00 1.707,00 Informa 544,40 544,60 InterContinental 4.840,0 4.862,0

% CHG. 1.296,50 187,00 2.234,0 3.237,5 1.339,00 3.849,0 1.650,0 10.136,0 553,00 492,50 2.088,0 384,00 456,90 736,00 1,000 148,94 480,00 3.964,0 2.559,50 407,05 3.404,0 497,80 179,80 2.897,0 1.552,0 1.054,5 77,70 1.735,5 1.796,00 3.127,0 6.790,0 6.176,0 3.816,0 307,50 483,10 2.624,0 9.648,0 8.790,0 719,80 1.747,00 458,75 2.167,0 862,40 1.699,00 495,45 120,04 1.688,50 537,40 4.788,0

NET VOL 202,46K 408,57K 50,89K 277,88K 34,54K 72,19K 46,10K 204,74K 151,14K 63,25K 34,29K 2,34M 339,64K 513,22K 0 6,16M 84,54K 9,43K 425,86K 5,48M 422,29K 183,10K 2,24M 52,34K 79,18K 65,36K 1,40M 98,48K 297,71K 104,51K 22,50K 17,81K 240,58K 1,18M 741,28K 132,27K 67,87K 23,17K 125,57K 422,30K 1,01M 83,27K 141,60K 164,85K 3,77M 5,59M 204,06K 172,72K 35,87K

ºCOMPANY

PRICE(P)

Intermediate Capital Intertek ITV J Sainsbury Johnson Matthey Land Securities Legal & General Lloyds Banking London Stock Exchange Meggitt Melrose Industries Mondi National Grid NatWest Group Next Norilskiy Nikel ADR Ocado Persimmon Phoenix Prudential Reckitt Benckiser Relx Rentokil Rightmove Rio Tinto PLC Rolls-Royce Holdings Rosneft DRC Sage Samsung Electronics DRC Sberbank Schroders Scottish Mortgage Segro Severn Trent Shell Smith & Nephew Smiths Group Spirax-Sarco Engineering SSE St. James’s Place Standard Chartered Taylor Wimpey Tesco Tui Unilever United Utilities Vodafone Group PLC Whitbread WPP

1.439,50 4.922,0 69,80 241,06 2.335,0 733,80 249,01 43,58 7.238,0 775,60 115,90 1.551,00 1.215,00 210,30 6.456,0 1,89 814,20 2.093,0 631,20 971,40 6.362,0 2.300,00 515,00 564,60 5.381,6 81,99 0,60 676,20 1.294,00 0,0453 2.864,0 798,50 1.119,50 3.088,0 2.308,5 1.278,50 1.495,50 10.950,0 1.865,78 1.244,50 587,60 125,25 283,32 240,90 3.688,5 1.116,00 121,66 2.665,0 982,80

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

NET VOL

1.441,00 4.946,0 69,86 242,10 2.358,0 734,00 249,50 43,87 7.270,0 776,80 116,20 1.561,00 1.223,00 210,70 6.488,0 1,89 816,80 2.119,0 633,00 972,20 6.458,0 2.300,00 519,00 565,00 5.384,6 84,25 0,60 688,60 1.300,00 0,0453 2.868,0 800,40 1.121,00 3.097,0 2.316,5 1.280,00 1.497,00 11.185,0 1.871,50 1.247,50 588,20 126,10 284,10 241,10 3.706,0 1.123,00 122,80 2.668,0 984,00

1.410,00 4.875,0 68,68 238,00 2.326,0 726,40 244,70 43,20 7.210,0 772,20 114,30 1.535,00 1.210,00 207,80 6.388,0 1,89 794,80 2.087,0 623,00 940,00 6.328,0 2.270,00 508,80 557,60 5.226,0 81,34 0,60 673,20 1.292,00 0,0453 2.832,0 792,80 1.105,00 3.063,0 2.292,0 1.265,50 1.487,00 10.895,0 1.848,00 1.230,00 572,80 124,25 279,70 234,90 3.653,5 1.110,50 121,06 2.642,0 971,40

77,96K 17,03K 1,52M 398,59K 35,99K 107,38K 361,75K 15,88M 19,34K 39,91K 529,94K 226,59K 430,45K 2,18M 32,09K 0 128,80K 30,94K 880,77K 564,81K 102,48K 343,18K 260,37K 222,88K 23,54K 4,99M 0 202,97K 3,34K 0 15,48K 588,99K 212,59K 28,90K 2,38M 136,01K 49,22K 8,48K 269,55K 71,95K 1,21M 1,32M 2,22M 586,13K 515,40K 72,49K 17,25M 33,86K 203,64K

1.17394

0.85245

Units per €

US dollar (USD) ........................................1.0544 Japan yen (JPY)......................................158.332 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................1.0468 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4413 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................10.207

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 C LOSING P RICES M AY 16

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

PRICE 149,30 158,75 243,40 147,11 127,20 204,33 167,87 49,56 65,72 67,56 306,99 296,03 193,53 133,60 43,60 176,85 119,09 245,04 90,41 261,12 113,01 153,62 166,91 172,78 485,40 48,18 199,23 43,55 148,05 107,33

CHANGE 150,35 160,09 245,00 148,10 130,80 206,46 168,79 49,63 65,80 68,32 309,63 299,42 194,95 133,80 43,84 178,89 120,25 247,18 91,05 263,04 113,11 153,73 168,68 174,23 487,00 48,45 200,54 43,71 148,38 107,69

CHANGE% VOLUME(M) 147,97 2,73M 155,88 3,33M 241,29 2,63M 143,11 113,99M 122,38 20,82M 202,92 2,32M 164,88 9,20M 48,53 18,77M 64,12 15,46M 67,26 3,89M 303,57 2,10M 288,45 3,92M 190,93 3,23M 131,05 4,18M 42,97 31,99M 175,80 7,26M 117,96 10,33M 242,28 3,25M 89,26 10,10M 255,35 34,67M 108,67 9,57M 150,42 5,65M 162,01 6,18M 171,37 1,19M 475,81 2,40M 47,61 20,67M 196,50 6,68M 42,97 5,74M 146,14 6,58M 105,31 16,64M M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES M AY 16

COMPANY

CHANGE NET / %

VOLUME

+154.87% +49.60% +44.51% +43.96% +42.77% +38.70% +38.38% +37.21% +34.58% +34.51% +34.45%

180.55M 14.40K 78.25M 108.91M 20.47M 7.87M 1.45M 18.15M 2.02M 25.78M 1.39M

-45.36% -40.00% -36.44% -33.63% -26.67% -26.41% -25.39% -24.98% -20.89% -20.00% -18.71%

6.69M 3.92M 2.70M 2.29M 21.04K 1.39M 1.29M 22.42M 2.85K 0.15K 7.97M

Most Advanced ShiftPixy Epiphany Technology Acquisition Polarityte Veru Calithera Biosciences Inc View Inotiv Amyris Leap Therapeutics Molecular Data Expensify

Most Declined LiqTech Actelis Networks Jupai Holdings Ltd Brilliant Earth Immuron Tenon Medical Vallon Pharmaceuticals Figs Otr Acq Lixiang Education Armstrong Flooring

euroweeklynews.com

19 - 25 May 2022

Lazy gits NEVER one to mince his words, business guru and presenter of The Appren‐ tice Lord Sugar took a snipe at working from home as accountancy firm PWC an‐ nounced that their accoun‐ tants could take Fridays off in the summer, tweeting “This is a bloody joke. The lazy gits make me sick.”

Fixed price WITH sales of more than €8 billion in the first quarter of 2022, Spanish energy company Naturgy has de‐ cided to offer its gas cus‐ tomers a supply at a fixed price for relatively long‐ term periods, emulating what it did with electricity in 2021.

Gold standard IN an unusual step to try to avoid the impact of the rise in the cost of living, the CEO of e‐money provider Tally‐ Money, is offering his 20 staff the option of being paid in gold rather than sterling although they will be taxed as if paid in cash.

Financing Cabify SUCCESSFUL Spanish start‐ up Cabify is a ridesharing company which provides vehicles for hire via its smartphone mobile app.

Set up in 2011, its busi‐ ness is aimed at supplying vehicles to self‐employed drivers and is gearing up for the move to greener driv‐ ing.

It has created a wish list in order to purchase 1,400 new electric vehicles for its fleet and estimates the likely cost as €82 million.

Thanks to the sustain‐ ability of the project, it made a successful ap‐ proach for funds to the Eu‐ ropean Investment Bank which has confirmed that it will provide financing of €40 million to help the company achieve its aim.

David and Goliath D AV I D A N D G O L I AT H lawsuits make fools of large corporations and history is littered with pointless actions seemed destined to not only make money for lawyers but to make corporations look extremely stupid.

Previous examples include the attack in the UK on a Chinese take away called McChina which did Mc‐ Donald’s no favours es‐ pecially as they lost, then there is the cor‐ ner shop owner in Newcastle who was made to change the name Singhsbury’s but seems to be ok with the new moniker of Morrisinghs.

Latest to feel the pain of a lawyer’s let‐ ter, according to Corn‐ wall Live, is a pub go‐ ing by the name of The Star Inn at Vogue which has been open in the village of Vogue for

Credit: Star Inn Facebook

BUSINESS EXTRA

200-YEAR-OLD: The Star Inn at Vogue.

200 years or more.

According to Vogue magazine, there is a fear that their readers might get confused by the name which doesn’t really say much for the compa‐ ny’s opinion of the in‐ telligence of its read‐ ers.

One of the most pub‐ licised arguments be‐ tween large companies saw Marks & Spencer

launch launched an in‐ tellectual property claim in the UK against supermarket giant Al‐ di, citing alleged simi‐ larities between its Colin the Caterpillar cake with Aldi’s Cuth‐ bert the Caterpillar.

In this case, the two parties agreed in November of last year to a secret deal where‐ by the lawsuit was dis‐ continued.

Although M&S intro‐ duced the first cater‐ pillar cake some 30 years ago, they could be in for an expensive time, considering that there is Calli the Cater‐ pillar from Tesco, Wig‐ gles the Caterpillar from Sainsbury’s, Cecil the Caterpillar from Waitrose, Charlie the Caterpillar from the Co‐op and Clyde the Caterpillar from ASDA.

Flexible office space from Tesco T ES CO i s o f f e r i n g o f f i c e s p a c e and a shopping option in one location as it has partnered with flexible working company Regus, part of the IWG Group.

In an experiment to utilise un‐ used space and earn money from its properties now that more people are shopping on‐ line, the Tesco Extra store in Beverley Way, New Malden, Surrey has seen a transforma‐ tion to its mezzanine floor.

Ef f e c t i v e f r o m M o n d a y M a y 23, those who prefer not to work at home but equally don’t fancy a long commute, will be able to rent flexible office space at this large property which has plenty of parking and business‐ es can even rent meeting spaces by the hour.

There is a lot going on around the area, so users can enjoy all of the facilities offered by Tesco or pop out for coffee or lunch

FINANCE

Credit: Regus

22 EWN

EXPERIMENT: A typical Regus workspace.

and then return to the newly refurbished office space.

Clearly if this proves to be a success then more stores will have rooms converted as it ap‐ pears that the concept of flexi‐ ble working space gathers mo‐ mentum following the recovery

from the pandemic.

According to the BBC, a sur‐ vey from the Chartered Insti‐ tute of Management found more than 80 per cent of firms had now adopted hybrid‐work‐ ing since the end of the pan‐ demic.

NEWS

Cheaper electricity IT was confirmed on Friday May 13 by Min‐ ister for Territorial Policy, Isabel Ro‐ dríguez, that the Span‐ ish government was now able to formally cap the price of natu‐ ral gas.

This follows a special agreement reached by the Portuguese and Spanish government with the European Union for the two countries to move out‐ side of the normal col‐ lective decisions made by the EU. It now seems likely that users of electrici‐ ty in all areas in Spain will be able to expect a reduction of up to 30 per cent in the amount that they have to pay, although this agree‐ ment may be reviewed should wholesale gas prices fall.

Call for help SPEAKING on the Pe‐ ston Show on ITV on May 11, Dame Sharon White who was at one time a senior civil ser‐ vant in the UK Treasury called on government to do more.

Now the Chair of the John Lewis Group which also owns Wait‐ rose, she explained that something has to be done to help all of those who are currently suffering from the huge jump in the cost of liv‐ ing.

Comparing the prob‐ lems with those faced during the pandemic, Dame Sharon said “The time has absolutely come for action whether it is an emer‐ gency budget or whether it is another vehicle.”

to read more FINANCE scan this QR Code

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19 - 25 May 2022

LETTERS

EW YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE - YOUR OPINION Letters 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.

LICENCE DEMANDS

LICENCE EXCHANGE: Not as easy as it’s made out to be.

HAVING read your article on licence demands. I moved to Spain in Novem‐ ber 2020 unaware that you had to register with the DVLA about intending to change your licence for a Spanish one. I’ve been trying to exchange my licence since January 2021 and been told by my solicitor and agents who would nor‐ mally help you exchange your licence that they are no longer able to help and I like thousands of others are stuck in this situation, it’s not that we have had plenty of time to do it. We haven’t been allowed to do it.

Thank you. Rita

Dear Mr Leapy Lee (Assuming you are more than a pseudonym): YOU must undoubtedly be right: among conspiracy the‐ orists, as well as anti‐con‐ spiracy theorists, there must be sufferers of rampant in‐ security or inferiority com‐ plexes. Yes sir. But what does that have to do with the truth or falsity of their claims?

Recommended reading: Introduction to logic, Macmillan Publishing, Co.

Inc, New York, 1953.

By the way: Lord Bertrand Russell, Nobel Prize winner, was a conspiracy theorist about the John F Kennedy

assassination… Do you find Lord Russell a typical case of inferiority complex… or just ‘dangerous people’?

Jose

OUR VIEW ERRATIC POSTAL SERVICE BACK in 2020, the Spanish Post Office, Correos launched a campaign under the title Live Where You Want in which it promised to recruit 6,000 new postal delivery officers to ensure that those who live in rural areas would have their post delivered. Nowadays, a huge amount of correspondence is undertaken via email, WhatsApp and the like, but there is still a large amount of traditional mail that needs to be delivered through the post. To a great extent, mail delivery appears to be erratic even at the best of times, with mail from the UK often taking up to a month to arrive even in relatively large towns and cities but what is more difficult to understand is how Correos decides who to deliver to and why.

In some urbanisations, communal mailboxes for streets of houses have been done away with and each resident required to obtain their own individual mail box with delivery taking place every few days. In other areas and suburban Madrid is a good example, Correos has decided to suspend home delivery and residents are required to travel to their local post office to see if there is any post to collect.

Not a major problem one might think, but a large number of post offices are only open from 8.30am to 2pm on weekdays, so if you work and commute, then there is a problem, especially as mail is generally only held for 15 days before being returned or disposed of.

There is a petition on Change.org which has already collected several thousand signatures asking Correos to change its mind otherwise, in theory, everyone affected would need to either take time off from work or arrive late twice a month.

FEATURE

euroweeklynews.com

DAVID WORBOYS

THINKING ALOUD AN invitation to lunch is one of life’s plea‐ sures, assuming good company, a good set‐ ting ‐ and good food. Whether privately in a summer garden or in public by a winter log fire in a restaurant, it should always be an occasion to look forward to.

And so, I had great hopes when we both arrived at a friend’s house in Belgium to cele‐ brate a family birthday. We were the guests of Jean‐Pierre and Isabelle with their son and three daughters for the 20th birthday of daughter Susanne. The proceedings started well enough with mini‐vol‐au‐vents, olives, walnuts and slivers of Parmigiana, accompa‐ nied by chilled Campari, Fino or Muscadet and relaxed small‐talk. Then the time came to sit at the table. We were confronted by oysters with lemon juice and cracked black pepper and crispy French bread.

I like oysters but only if they are alive and kicking. I can recognise a dead, diseased or dodgy one from half‐a‐dozen goose‐steps away. While I was fumbling with my table napkin, everybody started to tuck in. Then, after downing my first one, I noticed an unfa‐ miliar taste, by which time the other guests had swallowed several of them. I sniffed at a second one. This was definitely an ex‐oyster.

19 - 25 May 2022

EWN 27

A FLUID EXPERIENCE

Most of us associate a dodgy oyster with a demand for a lavatory.

I asked our hosts when they had bought the oysters. The response was three days ago but Jean‐Pierre had decided, unbe‐ known to Isabelle, that they should be frozen then thawed. I explained that freezing raw oysters kills them and they cannot then be consumed raw. In such circumstances, es‐ cape from the dreaded stomach gurgles was about as likely as Mick Jagger becoming an operatic baritone.

No more were consumed but, in a nutshell (or an oyster shell), it was too late. As soon as the foie gras appeared, Isabelle the hostess and chef, eased her way from her chair and, with a tight‐lipped apology strode purpose‐ fully from the room.

There followed a concerted family assault on the three lavatories, including the two up‐ stairs. Most of the foie gras remained un‐ touched, the baked turbot never made it to

the table and the bought‐in crème brulee never saw the light of day. Even the Meur‐ sault was not in demand. Ashen faces tried to put on a brave front, but conversations had to be interrupted throughout the after‐ noon as ‘nature’ repeated its calls. I gave thanks that I had consumed only one oyster and wondered what plans would be made for Susanne’s 21st.

Of course, not all my luncheon experi‐ ences ended like this. The evening dinner has some advantages over lunch. If the wine is too tempting, an early night and a morning hangover can be had, as distinct from a hazy, soporific afternoon and evening ‐ with or without siesta.

But, in the last 20 years, most of the enjoy‐ able meals out have been lunches. This is partly because, becoming more health‐con‐ scious, I try to eat more lightly in the evenings. And I avoid oysters on the Mediterranean.

For more from our columnists please scan this QR Code

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

Emotional Vampires SUZANNE MANNERS

THE TV series ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ depicts vampiric house‐ mates living in a quiet suburban neighbourhood in the US. One of the characters is an emotional vampire.

He doesn’t suck blood, he sucks the joy and pleasure from the lives of those around him, instead of sharp‐ ened canines, he uses a deadpan and monotone diatribe containing the most boring detail.

How many of us have met people like him? Seemingly innocuous folk who carry with them an aura of de‐ spair, woe and despondency. I’m not talking about those suffering from de‐ pression, but the people who take great pleasure in dampening the mood or metaphorically stamping on moments of joy and passion.

Some people cannot help their neg‐

plain about any and everything at full volume and who trample on any early morning excitement with announce‐ ments of impending doom or admin.

These people are also known as lemon suckers, but not in a shot of tequila, salt and lime, sense of it.

As humans we all need a moan or to let off steam as it prevents us from storming into the bosses’ office and giving them a piece of our minds and leaving with a P45.

Historically, bitching about people helps the members of a tribe to filter out the predators (or those who would bore you to death around the campfire). So by all means bitch away but please remember unless what you say is constructive you’re not a ro‐ mantic vampire, you’re just a troll.

BITCH AWAY: But remember, you’re not a romantic vampire, you’re just a troll.

ativity, I myself am quite a pessimist and a fully paid up member of the cynics club, but I desperately try not to trample on anyone’s joy (unless

they are racist, homophobic, sexist, loudly opinionated, or just boring).

At work they are the colleagues who tut and moan at new initiatives, com‐

For more from our columnists please scan this QR Code

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

28 EWN

euroweeklynews.com

19 - 25 May 2022

T H I N K I N G of getting a dog but can’t decide on the breed? Of course, there are so many dogs in rescue centres that need loving homes and it is always best to adopt rather than shop, but it is still possible to choose the breed of dog if you do decide to go down the adoption route.

So, here is a list of some of the most train‐ able dogs ‐ whether you are looking for a small lapdog or a dog you can train for commands.

Goldendoodle A favourite breed

Most trainable dogs across the world, the Goldendoodle looks like a teddy bear, comes in all shapes and sizes and has an amazing temper‐ ament ‐ being a cross between a golden re‐ triever and a poodle.

This breed is highly trainable and can learn new commands and be‐ haviours quite quickly.

German Shepherd One of the most high‐ ly trainable dogs in the

world, German Shep‐ herds originated in Ger‐ many as working dogs.

German Shepherds are also confident, loyal, in‐ telligent, obedient, watchful and sometimes stubborn!

Because of their intel‐ ligence and desire to please, as well as have

a purpose, puppies can be trained to under‐ stand basic commands and house training within two to three months.

Border Collie Another highly train‐ able dog that was also bred for herding is the Border Collie, which is

considered a more en‐ ergetic breed and soft‐ er in nature German Shepherd.

Because they are so trainable, Border Collies are also used for search and rescue missions, narcotics, and bomb de‐ tection by law enforce‐ ment.

WORKING DOG: The German Shepherd is one of the most trainable and loyal breeds.

PETS PAGE

PETS

Reptiles as pets WHILE dogs and cats are the most popular pets, reptiles can be a great addition to homes as a unique and fun pet that have a long life‐span. So, we have taken a look at three of the best rep‐ tiles to have at home.

Leopard Geckos These little guys are one of the best options as a pet, they are in‐ credibly low mainte‐ nance, easy to care for and docile. They don’t climb or have sticky feet and can live up to 10 years.

These geckos are nocturnal, so they will need caves or struc‐ tures to stay in during the day so that they are covered up.

Snakes Although many peo‐ ple are afraid of snakes, they are still a popular pet. As long as you are gentle with them, they are quite docile and easy to care for. Many snakes can live for decades and come in all different shapes, sizes and colours.

Of course, not all snakes make suitable pets, the smaller ones are easy to look after and actually make a great pet for children.

Bearded Dragons One of the most pop‐ ular reptiles to have as a pet is the bearded dragon. They are quite outgoing, gentle, active during the day, can be trained and even like being picked up ‐ mak‐ ing them the perfect pet for beginners.

Bearded dragons eat fruits, veggies and a va‐ riety of other things.

They need a lot of space as they can grow to between one to two feet in length, and can live for over a decade.

to read more PETS scan this QR Code

19 - 25 May 2022 • euroweeklynews.com

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euroweeklynews.com

19 - 25 May 2022

Liverpool’s FA victory

ON Saturday, May 14, Liverpool beat Chelsea 6‐ 5 on penalties, winning the Emirates FA cup for the eighth time.

In a nail biting final, Liv‐ erpool won the 2022 FA cup after beating Chelsea, 6‐5 on penalties, taking the trophy for the eighth time.

“WE ARE THE #Emi‐ ratesFACup WIN‐ NERS!!!!!!!,” read a tweet posted by the team’s offi‐ cial Twitter account.

Liverpool Football Club’s official website stated: “The Reds got their hands back on the trophy for the first time in 16 years by beating Chelsea 6‐5 on penalties follow‐ ing a goalless draw in the 2022 final at Wembley on Saturday afternoon.”

“Substitute Kostas Tsimikas tucked home the winning kick after Alisson Becker had saved

FA CUP: Liverpool were winners for the eighth time. from Mason Mount to clinch the cup for Jürgen Klopp’s men.”

“Victory in the FA Cup final secured Liverpool’s second piece of silver‐ ware this season follow‐

ing their Carabao Cup success ‐ also against Chelsea ‐ in February.”

“It is the sixth honour of Klopp’s managerial reign and brings up 50 major trophies for Liver‐

pool’s men’s team in his‐ tory.”

“The Reds had previ‐ ously been FA Cup win‐ ners in 1965, 1974, 1986, 1989, 1992, 2001 and 2006.”

EWN 31

WWE walkout

WWE women’s tag team champions Sasha Banks and Naomi both walked out of a scripted fight for real during the middle of Monday night, May 16 due to ‘creative differences.’

Due to apparent ‘disrespect’, the pair, who were headlining the show, reportedly handed back their title belts and left the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia.

Following the incident, WWE were forced to release a state‐ ment after the script of the show had to be changed.

“When Sasha Banks and Naomi arrived at the arena this af‐ ternoon, they were informed of their participation in the main event of tonight’s Monday Night Raw,” the statement read.

“During the broadcast, they walked into WWE Head of Tal‐ ent Relations John Laurinaitis’ office with their suitcases in hand, placed their tag team championship belts on his desk and walked out.

“They claimed they weren’t respected enough as tag team champions. And even though they had eight hours to rehearse and construct their match, they claimed they were uncomfort‐ able in the ring with two of their opponents ‐ even though they’d had matches with those individuals in the past with no consequence.”

32 EWN

euroweeklynews.com

19 - 25 May 2022

TRANSFER RUMOURS

Matthew Roscoe TRANSFER rumours have contin‐ ued to circulate as domestic sea‐ sons are coming to a close around the world, but one that is catching everyone’s attention is speculation that Kylian Mbappe could be on his way to Liverpool.

Speaking to reporters ahead of Liverpool’s trip to Southampton on Tuesday, May 17, Reds’ boss Jurgen Klopp responded to ru‐ mors that PSG’s Kylian Mbappe could be joining the Anfield club in the summer.

The 23‐year‐old, who has been widely tipped to join Real Madrid in the transfer window, is one of the world’s best players and is highly regarded by the Liverpool manager.

However, much to the disappoint‐ ment of the club’s fans, Klopp has ruled the Pre‐ mier League title‐chasers out of the running for the France inter‐ national striker ‐ although he did

SPORT

suggest that they would be inter‐ ested.

“Of course, we are interested i n Ky l i a n M b a p p e , w e a r e n o t b l i n d ! B u t w e a r e N OT p a r t o f this Mbappe race… we can’t be part of these battles,” he said.

He added: “Actually nothing to say about that. Between Kylian and Liverpool, it’s all set. It’s all fine.

“We of course like him, if we didn’t like him we’d have to question our‐ selves.

“But we are not, we cannot, be part of these battles.

“There must be other clubs involved but that’s fine.

He’s still a great player,” he said.

KYLIAN MBAPPE: Could be on his way to Liverpool.

SPORT

Phil Mickelson withdraws Matthew Roscoe ON Friday, May 13, the PGA announced that de‐ fending champion Phil Mickelson had withdrawn from the US PGA Championship, which is set to start today, Thursday, May 19.

The two‐time PGA Championship winner beat the field at Kiawah Island last year, making him the oldest winner of a men’s major champi‐ onship.

“We have just been informed that Phil Mickel‐ son has withdrawn from the PGA Championship.

Phil is the defending champion and currently eli‐ gible to be a PGA Life Member and we would have welcomed him to participate.

“We wish Phil and [his wife of him] Amy the very best and forward to his return to golf,” a statement read.

It is believed that the 51‐year‐old elected to extend his hiatus from golf following his com‐ ments about a Saudi‐funded rival league he sup‐ ports in which he accused the PGA Tour of greed.

The PGA apparently blocked Mickelson’s in‐ volvement in the LIV Golf Invitational series ‐ a new, Saudi Arabia‐funded golf league headed by former Australian golfer Greg Norman ‐ and this did not go down well with the American.

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