Costa de Almeria 6 - 12 October 2022 Issue 1944

NEW REGULATION BRINGS CHANGE FOR THE BETTER!

With Funeral Plans now falling under the jurisdiction of the UK regulatory body, the Financial Conduct Authority, there have been widespread changes for plan providers to navigate, both in the UK and in Spain.

But as regulation has arrived at the same time as a cost­of­living crisis, has this made matters easier or more difficult for planning companies and consumers?

Barry Floyd – Golden Leaves CEO commented:

“To be quite blunt, the arrival of this regulation should be hugely welcomed by both planning companies and consumers alike. It has now become evidently clear which funeral planning companies people should avoid and these are essentially any who are NOT FCA registered now. This is the clearest indicator of which companies consumers should consider. Some businesses in Spain and elsewhere will (and have) risen from the ashes of their failed companies in the UK, to trade again in Spain. Consumers should not be fooled and should not take the risk with what is a singular, once in a lifetime purchase.

It has never been simpler, buy from an FCA regulated and authorised company or run the risk of potentially losing your money (If you purchase from an FCA regulated company your funds are covered by the FSCS (Financial Services Compensation Scheme)) – The collapse of Safehands in the UK has clearly demonstrated what could happen if the company you purchase from failed and that company ISN’T FCA regulated.

Make no mistake, there are companies in Spain that could pose a significant threat to consumers. If you are deciding which company to purchase a funeral plan from – do your homework, research the company and ensure that you are comfortable that they are FCA regulated and credible. If they are not, and you purchase from them anyway, at least you will have made that decision knowing the potential risks involved.”

Golden Leaves’s Incredible “unattended cremation” plan coupled with a new “Immediate cover” instalment plan option!

In times of inflationary pressures and rising costs, funeral plans products that combat rising funeral costs are even more valued than ever before. In light of this, Golden Leaves have taken additional steps to help consumers by launching a new more economical “unattended funeral” plan type and a payment instalment option that covers you immediately (with NO outstanding balance to pay, should you die in the repayment term) even though you can pay for it over a period of up to 8 years!

Barry Floyd – Golden Leaves CEO commented:

“It was extremely important to recognise that people want to be covered but many are finding money incredibly tight due to inflationary issues. We wanted to do what we could to help potential buyers at this difficult time and seeing that this type of plan of ours has been gaining attraction in the UK, we believed that now was the right time to launch it Internationally.

We have also launched a totally new and ground­breaking credit financed option that will allow a consumer to purchase our plans over instalments of up to 8 years duration, but they are covered immediately with no more to pay should they pass away in the payment term. This will help not only make monthly payment options more affordable, but will remove the considerable concern surrounding remaining balances, removing those from the next of kin at such a difficult time.”

With quality FCA regulated businesses now easily recognisable from those which are not, consumers should be able to make clearer and more informed choices surrounding the brands that they purchase funeral plan products from and the brands they will not buy from.

Combined with more affordable products and faster coverage payment options available, some brands like FCA regulated and authorised Golden Leaves, are leading the way in making these buying decisions far easier for consumers at this difficult time.

How to choose a funeral planning company that is right for you

Do background checks on the funeral planning company, owners, how long have they been in the industry, etc

Make sure the funeral planning company are regulated by the FCA

How does the funeral planning company invest the money

What services are covered in the suite of plans

Can the plans be changed, upgraded, or downgraded after purchase

Does the funeral planning company provide dual cover with the UK or international cover

Search the company’s details on the FCA’s funeral plans

HOW TO CHOOSE A PREPAID FUNERAL PLAN THAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU

you speak to a funeral planning company

of what you would like for

family and

Contact the funeral planning company

a funeral planning appointment, this can be conducted by, phone, video or a facetoface

to their office or your home.

company works differently, however in general there is a short overview presentation

conversation into your needs and

suite of plans and payment options will be presented to you for your

you decide to take a plan, the funeral planning company will take you through this

you with an

with

Barry Floyd Golden Leaves CEO.

THE BRIGHTEST STAR

AN outpouring of trib utes have been made to well­known Almeria singer, Jill Farmiloe, who sadly passed away on September 24.

A service of Remem brance for Jill’s life took place at Mojacar Pueblo Cemetery on Monday, October 3, at 12pm.

In place of flowers, do nations in memory of Jill were gratefully received by the MACS Cancer Sup port Group.

Tributes to the sad news were quick to flood in to Facebook.

Bedar Village People posted: “Sad news. So very shocked and sad dened to hear of the death of the vivacious singer Jill Farmiloe.

“On behalf of those who knew her and so very many people did, we send our sincere con dolences to her family. Rest in peace Jill. You were a true character.”

Shoestring Produc tions added: “It is with the saddest of hearts that the Shoestring fam ily share with you the passing of our dear friend, member, sup porter and super talent ed unique entertainer

Jill Farmiloe.

“Our hearts are broken and our love and sincere condolences go to Simon and also Jill’s devoted mother Ruth. Rest in Eternal Peace dearest girl. Rock those heavenly

clouds. You will remain in our hearts forever.

Xx”

Born in Edinburgh, Jill had been singing and performing on stage from eight years old, and dedicated the rest of her

life to doing what she loved.

The Euro Weekly News family are saddened to hear of Jill’s death and offers her friends and family our thoughts and prayers.

SINGING LEGEND: Rest in peace Jill Farmiloe.

Linda Hall

ZURGENA’S street map now in cludes Plaza Jim Simpson in honour of a local expat.

This is the town hall’s way of thanking Jim Simpson for his 16 years on the local council, in cluding three as deputy mayor.

How did a former West York shire Police officer become in volved in Almeria politics the Euro Weekly News asked Jim.

He explained that in 2004 he and his wife moved to Zurgena, where 1,000 of its 3,000 popu lation are foreign residents. A year later, prompted by a spate of burglaries, he suggested forming a Neighbourhood Watch scheme, acting as area coordinator once the proposal was adopted.“I visited the town hall regularly, exchanging information with Diego, the Lo cal Police chief,” Jim told us.

“One day, in walked Zurge na’s mayor Candido Trabalon who said he wanted to talk to me.”

“Why me?” Jim wondered.

He soon found out.

“Would you run for council lor in the 2006 municipal elec tions?’” Candido wanted to know.

Initially reacting with a re

NAME IT!

from 10am until 2pm, never drawing a wage, nor wanting to.

“All the same, I was glad of my full­time interpreter Jose Manuel,” Jim told the Euro Weekly News

Jim and Sue moved back to the UK in 2021 for family rea sons, but he agreed to continue working telematically until the 2023 elections.

A busy autumn

CUEVAS DEL ALMANZORA recently an nounced its cultural programme for this autumn.

Exhibitions, walking routes, conducted tours, concerts, book presentations, lec tures and workshops will situate the mu nicipality at the nerve centre of the area, predicted Cuevas mayor Antonio Fer nandez Liria as he presented forthcom ing events accompanied by Culture and Tourism councillor, María Isabel Ponce Sabiote.

sounding NO, Jim declared that he certainly didn’t want to get involved in local politics. Never theless, many expats were wor ried at that time by the plan ning permission scandals which put properties at risk of demoli tion.

“I realised that if I accepted, I would understand more about the situation and possibly be able to help,” he said.

After talking it over with his wife, Sue, Jim took up the offer and found himself on the local council, rising during successive elections to second position on the candidates’ list, which auto matically made him deputy mayor.

By the time Jim was council lor responsible for Public Safe ty, Third Age and Non­Spanish residents, he worked each day

On a recent visit to Zurgena, Jim was asked to attend a council meeting on Tuesday September 27 where he learnt that one of the town’s plazas would bear his name.

“Next day, accompanied by the mayor and councillors, I vis ited Plaza de Los Llanos del Per al and saw that it was now called Plaza Jim Simpson,” Jim said.

“I have to say that it was one of the proudest days of my life and it moved me to tears,” he admitted.

These include concerts by the Senten cia Drum and Bugle Band, the Cuevas del Almanzora Musical Group, the Tomas Luis de Victoria choir, calligraphy work shops and others specifically aimed at children, together with theatre perfor mances amongst other activities.

“Cuevas has always been outstanding for its historic and cultural heritage,” Fer nandez Liria said.

“With this new programme we are ac centuating our commitment to culture, which we consider to be essential to the development of our town,” the mayor declared.

“With that in mind I very much hope that everyone will participate in each and every one of the events that we shall be organising over the next three months.”

A totally new look

ALBOX mayor Francisco Torrecillas announced a new phase in plans for a traffic­free Plaza Mayor and the surrounding area.

Some months ago Tor

recillas revealed that the town hall intended to de molish a property in or der to open up the Plaza Mayor in the direction of Calle Caño San Felipe.

“It will enable us to

pedestrianise all of the Plaza, completely trans forming the centre of Al box,” he said at the time.

“This is another promise we have kept,” the mayor declared dur ing a recent local radio interview.

“It has taken us five years to raze this house and now we can connect the Plaza to Caño San Fe lipe and widen the en trance to Placeta Her manos Fernandez.”

The mayor also conced ed that it would be nec essary to have alternative routes for traffic once the Local Police approved the changes for this part of the town.

Torrecillas went on to say that the town hall team was achieving tan gible goals.

“We have continued to buy up agricultural ter races in the town’s Sector 10 to turn Albox into a huge green lung,” he an nounced.

ZURGENA HONOUR: Jim Simpson with Zurgena’s mayor and fellow councillors.

Photo credit: Zurgena town hall

Local flavours

PROVINCIAL council, the Diputacion attended the Fruit Attraction 2022 trade fair in Madrid between October 4 and 6, supporting Almeria’s agricultural sector. The Almeria contingent headed by Diputa cion president, Javier Aureliano Garcia, was also consolidating and opening new markets for the province’s gourmet brand Sabores Almeria (Almeria Flavours).

Safer walking

NIJAR Town Hall has put out to tender a €99,891 contract to install street lighting and pavements on the Carretera de Nijar road. Work, which is expected to take two months to complete, will improve both accessibility and safety for pedestrians, said Urban Development councillor Ana Martinez La bella.

Huercal fire

THREE people were injured in a Huercal­Overa house fire on September 30. The fire was rapidly controlled although a woman, 46, with serious burns and a 44­year­old male with a suspected broken arm were admitted to hospital, while a woman of 85 was treated for a panic attack.

Postal code

CORREOS will have deliv ered or collected around one million letters and parcels in Almeria Province’s non­urban areas by the end of 2022, Spain’s postal service announced. Thanks to 6,011 postal staff serving rural and isolated districts, Correos is not giv ing in to the Empty Spain concept, sources said.

Sweet talk

ALMERIA City Hall will spend €74,360 on acquiring 13,000 kilos of sweets for distribu tion during the Three Kings procession on the evening of January 5. The gluten­free sweets must have a mini mum fruit pulp content of 4 per cent and wrappers should bear the city’s coat of arms.

Another kind of vaccine

Linda Hall

SO far this year, 2,014 Almeria Province residents travelling to developing countries at tended Almeria’s Internation al Vaccination Centre.

They were there to receive protection about yellow fever, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, polio, rabies, meningitis and central­European en cephalitis.

Africa, Senegal, Mali, Guinea­Bissau and Egypt were the most common African destinations for Alme ria residents receiving the obligatory vaccinations ac cording to the Vaccination

Good Centre’s most recent figures, revealed the central government’s Almeria subdelegate, Jose Maria Martin, during a recent visit.

Those travelling to south­

Listen to them

THE PSOE party in Albox an nounced that it wishes to cre ate a Childhood and Adoles cence Programme.

This would be based on pro moting the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child and organising a local scheme safe guarding children’s rights.

In this way, Albox would eventually be recognised by the UN as a Child­friendly Mu nicipality, which would result in new opportunities for the town’s children and adoles cents. “Local children, both in the town centre and outlying districts need a dynamic town which understands and at

tends to their needs, bearing them in mind when building the Albox of the future,” the PSOE statement said.

The party went on to sug gest creating both a Childhood and Adolescence Committee and a Centre, with cooperation from schools, parents’ associa tions and the children them selves. “A town with children and adolescents is a town with a future,” the statement de clared. “We believe that this future is only possible by listen ing to what they need and let ting them take part in the deci sions that affect their dayto­day lives.”

Breast Cancer Awareness

A SUBJECT close to many people’s hearts, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Founded in 1985, the international health community marks the month of October with cam paigns, charity fundraisers and educational events to raise glob al awareness of breast cancer and seek a cure for the disease.

Raising awareness is particularly important post­pandemic due to many people missing routine healthcare appointments. Campaigns are organised throughout the month with the goal of improving early breast cancer detection, such as educational initiatives encouraging regular check­ups and breast examina tions. Breast cancer groups also fundraise for their support pro grammes which include financial, emotional and practical sup port through treatment and afterwards for sufferers and their families, as well as raising money for research into the disease and for a cure. Organisations also raise awareness about breast cancer in men.

A variety of events are held throughout the month interna tionally including in­person and virtual challenges, charity walks and runs, bake sales and talks with oncologists and survivors.

east Asia were bound princi pally for Cambodia and Thai land, while Peru and Ecuador were the most frequent South American destinations.

The 2022 statistics are 124

per cent up on 2021 when 1,115 people attended the Centre but still short of 2019’s total of 4,752.

“These figures demonstrate that little by little we are re turning to normality, together with the typical user’s profile,” Martin said.

In 2021, those attending the International Vaccination Centre were either employ ees, aid workers or migrants, the sub­delegate added.

In contrast, the majority of travellers are once again nonSpanish Almeria Province resi dents returning to their coun tries of origin.

Most beautiful villages

The best ever

SUMMING up Vera’s re cent fiestas, Festivities councillor Amparo Garcia described them as “amongst the best” that anyone could recall.

The weather was ex tremely kind, as the pre dicted rain failed to arrive, and all the town hall’s pro grammed activities were able to go ahead, Garcia said.

“Everyone was able to celebrate in style in this first year without pandemic re strictions, with the fair area completely full both during the day and at night,” she added.

“There was a great atmo sphere at the El Palmeral fair zone as well as Vera’s vibrant streets which were full of fun and entertain ment.” All of the traditional activities were present once more, including the Ribbon Races for the young, the procession in honour of San Cleofas and the Giants and Big­heads parade, all accompanied by music from the Municipal Band.

MOJACAR joined together with the 57 municipalities throughout the country that belong to the Associa tion of the Most Beautiful Towns and Villages in Spain on Sunday, October 1 to celebrate their mem bership.

On this occasion the councillor for Tourism, Em manuel Aguero, accompa nied by the local mayor, Rosa María Cano, and by members of the council team, were joined by a del egation from the munici pality of Peniscola, a fellow member of the Most Beau tiful Villages of Spain Asso ciation, as well as local resi dents and visitors who did not want to miss this mov ing act.

The council highlighted the importance of small towns as the guarantors of the country’s heritage and culture.

In a solemn act in the town hall square, they

raised the Most Beautiful Villages of Spain flag, which now flies next to the Spanish and Andalucian flags.

The work carried out by the Most Beautiful Villages of Spain organisation has been of great importance in driving and promoting tourism.

“There were more spec tators than ever, and we’re most happy,” the councillor said.

“But above all, the Feria’s biggest success was the great atmosphere in the marquees and booths, where thousands of people from all over the province came to eat, drink and have a great time.”

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ALMERIA VISIT: Jose Maria Martin at the International Vaccination Centre.

Credit: Subdelegacion del Gobierno en Almeria

MOJACAR: Celebrating their membership.

Image: Mojacar Town Hall

World Tourism Day events

Betty Henderson

EL EJIDO celebrated World Tourism Day in style on Tuesday September 27. A unique programme of events was scheduled to co incide with the international day for tourism and its 2022 theme of ‘Rethinking Tourism’.

Events were designed to get local people thinking about how tourism can operate in harmony to local agriculture and the envi ronment, under a framework of sustain able development. Local authorities held a meeting for local businesspeople in the agricultural and tourism industries at Castillo de Guardias Viejas, taking advan tage of the historical and cultural heritage of the surroundings. Members of the coun cil were present, including the mayor of the town and Council Representative for Tourism. A special culinary event was then held at the site by Michelin starred chef,

José Álvarez from local La Costa Restau rant. Álvarez ‘showcooked’ a meal using lo cally sourced ingredients to demonstrate the culinary attractions of the region for tourists. El Ejido’s mayor also announced an investment in tourism of €3.8 million for the next two years with a tourism sustain ability plan. The plan includes the construc tion of a new museum to show the agricul tural history of the town.

Golfing showdown

MORE than 100 golfers vied for top spot at the seventh Interalmería TV Tourna ment on Sunday October 2. The best golfers from Almería and beyond gath ered at Alborán Golf Course in El Toyo for one of the longest­established tourna

ments in the region.

At a press conference be fore the event city council lor for Publicity, Jesús Luque, explained that the event was important for tourism and the local area due to its position on the calendar. “Golfers from northern Europe come to enjoy our city at the onset of wintery weath er in their own coun tries.”

President of Alborán Golf, Paco Venegas, out lined the competition schedule, saying there would be three mixed categories as usual, with 13 trophies up for grabs!

Venegas also high lighted the popularity of golf in Spain and particu larly Andalucia due to its welcoming climate. The Director of Interalmería TV, Trinidad Gaitán, also spoke, thanking the council for their collabo ration in organising the tournament. The com petition got underway at 9am on Sunday with an awards ceremony at the Hotel Barceló Cabo de Gata afterwards.

Promoting the young

THE PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party) of Albox has announced it intends to cre ate a new project aimed at strengthening the implemen tation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Chidl. Al box will seek to be awarded the title of ‘Child­Friendly City’ by the United Nations, which will result in benefits and new opportunities for local chil dren and teenagers.

According to a statement given by the PSOE on Septem ber 28, the party wishes to create a Council for Children and Teenagers, which will be set up with the participation of schools, parents’ associa tions and young citizens.

The PSOE also hopes to open a new centre for chil dren and teenagers to give artistic and educational work shops, organise cultural events and provide mental health support services. “A town with children and teenagers is a town with a fu ture, and we believe this can only be achieved by listening to their needs and involving them in decisions about their daily lives,” said the PSOE.

El Ejido’s castle was the focus of its activities for World Tourism Day.

Photo credit: Olaf Speier / shutterstock.com

Wind power

Tamsin Brown

THE Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge has consulted with the lo cal governments of Carboneras, Nijar and Almeria City, as well as the Junta de Andalucia, on their opinions re garding the possible ‘significant ef fects’ of a project being drafted to set up an offshore wind farm approxi mately four kilometres from the coastline of the Cabo de Gata‐Nijar Natural Park.

The Provincial Council of Almeria, environmental organisations, fisher men’s guilds, and institutions such as

Ports of the State, the Merchant Navy and the State Aviation Safety and Se curity Agency have also been consult ed for their opinions. The Alwind off shore wind farm is being promoted by the Cobra Group. According to the company, “the effects of the project are mainly associated with the works phase” and will be “temporary and localised,” although there may be “significant” environmental effects on the marine environment due to the anchoring systems of the wind tur bines and the noise generated by them, which “may affect the marine cetacean communities.”

Bringing FICAL to Fines

THE Provincial Council of Almeria and the town hall of Fines, in Almanzora, have joined forces to bring the spirit of the Almeria International Film Festival to the mu nicipality, with six greats of Spanish and world cinema to be screened between September 29 and December 15 in the Javier Aureliano García auditorium.

The first film, Once Upon a Time in the West, was shown on September 29. The upcoming dates are October 13 (The Daughter); October 26 (The Reckoning); November 10 (Living is Easy with Eyes Closed); November 24 (That Was Life); and December 15 (Conan the Barbarian). All films will begin at 8pm.

The deputy for Culture and Film, Almudena Morales, said that FICAL and the Provincial Council aim to “increase the participation of different sectors of society in the province of Almeria through access to audiovisual screenings.” For this rea son, she encouraged all residents of the region to enjoy these films on the big screen.

Tasty memories

ALMERIA CITY’S mayor, María del Mar Vázquez, showed her support for a special commemorative cook ery book ‘Saboreando recuerdos’, or ‘Tasting memories’ which was re leased to coincide with the Interna tional Day for the Elderly.

Recipes in the book were donat ed by elderly people to Clece, an or ganisation that cares for older peo ple in the Almeria region. Over 100 recipe suggestions were given be tween June and July, with 30 mak ing up the final edition of the recipe book.

Manager for Clece in Almeria, Diego Lopéz highlighted the senti

mental aspect of the recipe book saying “We wanted to mark the Day for the Elderly in a tasty way, with local recipes from Almería.” Lopéz added, “All of the dishes are based on traditional cuisine and carry spe cific memories that they evoke for our service users, sometimes with the help of an assistant.”

The recipe book aims to promote healthy lifestyles and was launched at a ceremony in Almeria’s Central Market, at the centre of the Almeri an cuisine. The book also pays trib ute to the work of Clece and its 740 assistants who care for and assist 2,400 elderly service users.

First visit

ON September 27, the may or of Almeria City, María del Mar Vázquez, made her first institutional visit to the Provincial Council of Alme ria since she took office in July. The mayor was re ceived by the president of the Provincial Council, Javier A García, and a num ber of other representa tives from the institution.

The president and the mayor held a meeting to discuss the main projects they are carrying out to gether and ways of collabo rating to improve citizens’ quality of life. After the meeting, the mayor spoke with the government team and the representatives of the different political groups before signing the Provincial Council’s Book of Honour in the president’s office.

Javier A García said that the collaboration between the two institutions is “for the benefit of the residents of the city of Almeria and all the residents of the province.”

Almeria mayor with Clece service users launching their special edition recipe book.

Photo credit: Ayuntamiento de Almería

UAL’s ‘historic’ year

THE opening ceremony of the new academic year at the University of Almeria (UAL) took place on Thursday September 29 and was presided over by the rector, Carmelo Rodríguez, and the councillor for Universities, Re search and Innovation of the Junta de Andalucia, José Car los Gómez Villamandos.

The rector stated that this academic year is “historic” because of two very impor tant events. Firstly, new courses have been added to the medicine degree, making the curriculum “similar to that of some of the most

prestigious universities in the world, such as Harvard,” and secondly, the campus of the Green European University (UNIgreen) has been created.

UNIgreen is an alliance of eight European higher educa tion institutions that share the common vision of pro moting excellence in teach ing, learning, research and in

novation in the fields of sus tainable agriculture, green biotechnology and environ mental and life sciences. The initiative is coordinated by the University of Almeria.

The university also has new double degree pro grammes in economics and mathematics and history and humanities.

Funding for small municipalities

A SESSION of the Provincial Council of Almeria was held on September 29, most of the items on the agenda were approved unanimously, with the Provincial Council approving some im portant investments that will improve and modernise public spaces, infrastructures and services in all municipalities of Almeria.

For example, the deputies expressed their support for the Economic Assistance Plan, an

initiative through which the Provincial Council responds to the requests made by different mu nicipalities by providing funding for areas such as tourism, social welfare, culture and sports. The Economic Assistance Plan includes aid for municipalities with fewer than 1,000 inhabi tants. The Provincial Council has doubled this aid from €10,000 to €20,000 per municipality, with a total investment of €1,040,000.

The opening ceremony of the new academic year.

Credit: University of Almeria

Los Bandidos trophy

EIGHT Los Bandidos runners participated in the 14th race in the Circuito de Carreras Populares Diputacion de Almeria 2022.

The 8.3km course went through the town and surrounding countryside of Gador on Satur day, October 1. Gador, a pretty whitewashed village, its unique scenery of orange and lemon orchards created an oasis in the middle of the surrounding desert backdrop and, after some of the very challenging routes in this year’s calen dar, was deemed to be one of the easiest.

The Los Bandidos runners and support crew were proud to display the new team colours.

Los Bandidos is a local group, set up by Kevin Rowe in June 2018. The group started with a small number of regulars and has grown with runners, joggers and walkers, from permanent residents to regular visitors and holidaymakers, covering the 5k Mojacar Paseo. All ages, nation alities and speeds are welcome! Los Bandidos also have a road cycling group, a triathlon group and a group of sea swimmers.

you would like more information please contact Kevin at ironmankev08@gmail.com

on Facebook at: https://www.face

First Innovation Forum

THE fruit and vegetable company La Unión, based in El Ejido, and the Provin cial Council of Almeria are jointly organising the first edition of the Almeria Inno vation Forum, to be held at the University of Almeria on Thursday October 27.

The event will bring to gether leaders and experts from different sectors in or der to encourage innova tive collaboration.

The agri‐food sector in Almeria, especially the fruit and vegetable sector, is the main economic axis of the region.

Innovation and new technology will be key for the growth of the sector given the growing global competition, the need to use natural resources in a sustainable way and the new market demands.

The deputy for Agri‐

Food Promotion, María Luisa Cruz, said: “This fo rum will be a meeting point for the whole sector and will serve as a space for the exchange of ideas and knowledge.

“The leadership of our agriculture is based on in novation and technology and this meeting will help us to promote these fun damental aspects of our agriculture.”

Ambassador summoned

ON September 28 the Spanish government sum moned the Iranian am bassador in Madrid to condemn the state vio lence in the country against demonstrators

protesting the death of 22‐ year‐old Mahsa Ami ni.

Mahsa Amini died on Friday September 16 in Tehran under suspicious circumstances after being

Baltic connections

THE Spanish tourism industry will receive a boost as a Baltic airline (AirBaltic) has announced 18 new routes connecting travellers from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia with southern Europe. The airline published a new schedule for the 2023 season on Thursday September 29.

Three Spanish airports are included in the plans; Bil bao, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca with direct flights from Vilnius in Lithuania and Riga in Latvia, with two weekly flights offered to each destination.

The airline’s President, Martin Gauss, highlighted the purpose of the increase in routes, saying the company is “delighted to be expanding existing leisure and city break routes.”

The addition of the three Spanish destinations is like ly to be popular, particularly as a new route to Palma de Mallorca recently became a top American airlines’ most popular destination after only a couple of months. Spain is a top choice destination for travellers from the north of Europe seeking warmer weather and distinct cultural opportunities.

Your Belgian estate agent at the coast!

arrested by ‘morality po lice’ for not covering her hair.

Protests that have fol lowed in the country have seen women uncover their hair and cut off their hair to demand their right to body autonomy and freedom of expression. Up to 60 people have re portedly been killed dur ing the crackdown on protestors.

The Spanish govern ment also released a statement on September 27 in which it expressed ‘strong’ condemnation for the use of disproportion ate force against peaceful demonstrators, particu larly that against women calling it “repulsive.” The government also referred to the death of Amini in its statement saying the Iranian government must undertake an “indepen dent investigation and to assign responsibility in a transparent, objective and complete manner.”

A NEW report released on September 29 has found that Spain is one of the cheapest countries in Europe for learner drivers.

The study found that Spaniards spend an aver age of €1,191 learning to drive.

Only Polish, Por tuguese and Maltese drivers pay less to get their licence. By per centage of yearly in come, Spain remains a cheap country to learn to drive.

At 8 per cent of an average yearly income, Spain ranks as 10th cheapest in Europe.

The report crowned

Cheap licence fees

Malta as the cheapest country in Europe to learn how to drive, cost ing just 5 per cent of an annual income.

The most expensive country is Sweden, cost ing more than 13 per cent of an annual salary.

The report investigated the total cost of learning to drive, considering the costs of lessons, tests, provisional licences and full licence costs, assum ing a driver passes the test on the first attempt.

Car insurance compa

ny, confused.com con ducted the research to investigate learner driv ing trends in Europe.

The full report as well as tips for passing driving tests the first time is available online from confused.com.

Record-breaking siblings

THE Guinness World Records confirmed the new holders of a special record on Thursday September 29. The Hernández‐Pérez siblings broke the record for the highest combined age of 12 living siblings, with a mega total age of 1,058 years, 249 days.

The seven sons and five daughters of Modesto Hernández and Martina Pérez were all born in Moya, Gran Canaria between 1924 and 1946, meaning they are now between 98 and 76.

The siblings were recognised by the local council this summer in a ceremony attended by a notary who recorded their age in preparation for their record attempt. The family said in a statement that the record‐breaking bid began as a joke when the family was gathered in June.

Having their record recognised has helped the

New record holders confirmed.

siblings to develop an even closer bond, with them hoping to bring recognition to their com munity and heritage.

After confirming the siblings’ age, the Guin ness World Records said that the new record holders surpass the previous Pakistani D’Cruz family’s record by 16 years.

Credit Shutterstock/360b.

New wealth tax

ON Thursday September 29, new measures were an nounced by the PSOE leftwing coalition government to tax wealth in excess of €3 mil lion.

The country’s Finance Min ister, María Jesús Montero, announced the measure as a “movement of solidarity” during the economic crisis. The tax is a temporary mea sure to combat rocketing en

MULTIPLE warnings from British expats in Spain sug gest that Sabadell has al legedly put up its banking prices.

“After promising not to charge for using their bank if your pension insurance and savings are paid into your account, this is what Sabadell have decided to do to their loyal cus tomers,” one of the Span ish bank’s British expats told Euro Weekly News.

Upon sharing a copy of a

ergy bills and inflation.

The tax will affect around 21,000 Spanish taxpayers. The measure will tax in incre ments, starting at 1.7 per cent for people with €3­5 million, 2.1 per cent for those with €5­10 million and 3.5 per cent for individuals with more than €10 million.

Income tax is also likely to rise from 26 to 27 per cent for those earning

more than €200,000.

The agreed package of eco nomic measures will raise €3.1 billion during the next two years. Montero de scribed the measures as aim ing to make the economy “more progressive, efficient and fair.”

Opposing regional govern ments with devolved power are likely to introduce mea sures including tax relief.

Bank warning

letter he received from the bank, Geoffrey S said: “Along with rising food prices and petrol costs, Sabadell has decided to im part more costs on their customers.”

He added: “Unbeliev able. I have tried to discuss this with the bank but have been passed from pillar to post or ignored.”

The letter shows that in order for the commission to be 0 euros, customers need to meet four require ments, including having taken out three free or combined insurance poli cies.

However, it appears that if customers do not meet these needs, then prices do in fact go up.

Spain’s oldest man

ANTONIO ALVARADO

LARGO, officially Spain’s oldest man, has died in a nursing home in Veg aquemada, Leon, at the grand age of 110. He had been a resident of the home for several years.

Earlier this year, on January 18, Antonio offi cially gained the title of the oldest man in Spain after the death of Sat urnino de la Fuente, also from Leon, who passed away at the age of 112.

Fuente was recog nised as the oldest man in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records after Puerto Ri can Emilio Flores died on August 12, 2021, at

the same age.

Born on July 8, 1912, in the Leon town of Re molina, in the municipal ity of Cremenes, Antonio was part of a large fami

Science goes wrong

AN explosion caused by a scientific experi ment going badly wrong in Girona’s Casa de Cultura building hospitalised five people and left at least another 12 injured on Fri day, September 30.

A total of two adults and three children were hospitalised suffering from injuries af ter the explosion.

Seventeen people were injured when a drum of liquid nitrogen exploded during a scientific outreach event, which mixed mag ic and science, designed to bring science closer to children.

Video footage that was uploaded onto so cial media showed the exact moment that the massive explosion occurred. Multiple emergency services were immediately de ployed to the location, including six fire crews from Girona, along with units from the Mossos d’Esquadra and ambulances from the Emergency Medical System (SEM).

ly, with 15 brothers.

He was christened El Patriarca in the Leonese wrestling circles for his longevity and is now the patriarch of Spain.

Best in class

ALMOST half of Spaniards aged 25‐34 have a university degree or equivalent, beating the European average.

The figure has risen by more than eight points in a decade, to 48.7 per cent. The data was published in ‘Edu cation at a Glance: The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Devel opment (OECD) Indicators 2022’.

The report was presented by the Secretary of State for Education, Jose Manuel Bar, to the Spanish Govern ment on Monday, October 3. In total, 48.7 per cent of young people in the age group will have a higher education qualification in 2021, 8.4 points more than in 2011 and almost 15 points more than in 2000 (34 per cent). This figure is above the average for OECD countries (46.9 per cent) and for the 22 EU countries (45.9 per cent).

Satisfaction guaranteed

SPAIN has a satisfaction lev el of 96 per cent among tourists to the country this summer, according to the latest Visitor Satisfaction Survey.

The country’s leisure fa cilities were its most highly rated aspect (94 per cent), followed by its infrastruc ture (92 per cent).

North Americans, Latin Americans, British and Irish

tourists were the most sat isfied and more than half (55 per cent) plan to return in the next 12 months, the Spanish government con firmed on Monday, Octo ber 3. The Minister of In dustry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, said: “Lis tening to the opinion of our international visitors is an essential exercise in order to continue improving.

“The high level of satisfac tion shown by tourists who come to Spain is proof of the high level of profession alism and quality of our tourism sector, and should serve as a catalyst for us to continue improving tourism and progressing to wards excellence.”

Spain receives a satisfac tion level of 96 per cent from summer tourists.

OLDEST MAN: Has died in Spain at the grand age of 110.

A TRIAL being carried out in the UK into the effec tiveness of a four­day working week appears to be proving a success for the companies involved.

The largest pilot scheme towards bringing in a four­day working week was launched in the United Kingdom in June. It is a six­month trial that more than 70 companies signed up for.

At the halfway point of the trial, the organisers have conducted a survey of the companies partici pating in the experi ment.

Of the total surveyed, 88 per cent of respon dents said that the fourday week is working ‘well’ for their business

Short working week

at this stage of the test.

Another 46 per cent of respondents said their business productivity had ‘remained at the same level’, while 34 per cent reported that it had

‘improved slightly’, while 15 per cent said that it had ‘improved signifi cantly’.

When it was asked if they would, at this point of the trial, consider

maintaining the four­day week, 86 per cent of re spondents said that they would be ‘extremely likely’ or ‘likely’ to do that after the trial period concluded.

Labour’s poll surge

Credit: Rupert Rivett.

Good news for Keir Starmer.

€16,000 golden find

A METAL detectorist who unearthed an old gold coin was over the moon when it sold for £16,000 at an auction in London on Friday, September 30.

The old gold coin he unearthed on a muddy field was initially expected to go for around £30,000 at Noonan’s auction house in London.

Mick Edwards was enjoying a trip away on his 35th wedding anniversary when he decided to take a morning stroll with his metal detector around the fields of the farm they were staying at in Etchilhampton, near the town of Devizes in Wiltshire. Mick has already agreed to split the proceeds with the Wilt shire landowner.

His discovery dates to between 1495 and 1521 and is believed to be the first of its kind ever dug up in Britain. A Latin inscription on the gold coin translates as: ‘In this sign shall we conquer’. It weighs around 30 grams and has a diameter of 36mm. The Por tuguese coin was buried in about 10 inches of mud when Mick located it.

Peter McLaren­Kennedy RESULTS from the latest YouGov Times poll on Fri day, September 30 put the Labour Party 33 points ahead, the biggest lead en joyed by the party since 1998 during the early Tony Blair years. Interestingly the poll found that 17 per cent of those who had voted for Boris Johnson said they would now vote Labour.

A Survation poll put the Labour lead at 21 points, the biggest Labour lead the poll sters have ever recorded with 49 per cent saying that would vote for Labour against 28 per cent for the Tories. Similar results came from a Deltapoll / Mirror poll.

Worryingly for the Liberal Democrats, the YouGov / Times poll found that up to 50 per cent of those who voted for the party in 2019 said they would now vote Labour.

It also found that 26 per cent of Tory voters did not know who to vote for.

Movie star Terry Stone

WITH not one but two films premier ing at this year’s Marbella Internation al Film Festival, the Euro Weekly News sat down to talk to actor and producer Terry Stone.

Stone, whose life’s story takes in music, movies and some seriously sharp business moves, explained his road to success was not an obvious one, leaving school with no qualifica tions to start out in a fast food chain. As the actor joked to the EWN , “Ronald McDonald gave me my start in life.”

He quickly wanted more however, moving into sales with a lucrative in come until the recession hit in the 80s, which he said left him with nothing. “For a year it felt like the world had end ed,” said Stone.

Still in his 20s, Terry was determined to enjoy life however and found himself joining the rave scene. At a time when a night out traditionally meant, “a club with a sticky carpet, some bad music and then a kebab,” Terry said he found the music and culture of the emerging rave movement a breath of fresh air.

He explained: “There were no fights, everyone was friendly and there was a great vibe.”

Getting involved, first as a leaflet tout and then as a promoter and or ganiser, Stone turned raves into a mul ti­million pound business, founding the brand One Nation and later Rave Nation and Garage Nation.

Now well­known in the UK for his raves, Terry said was tiring of the non­stop hours and increasingly dif ferent vibe when he met his now wife, who said that at nearly 30 it was time to get out.

Having sold the business, Terry was now in a position to do what he wanted and embarked on a career in acting, finding himself an agent and acting classes. Within his first year he had two appearances in EastEn ders as well as several other main stream TV gigs under his belt.

Realising he had only made €8,000 in that year however, Terry turned his business mind to the problem and after a friend pointed out he’d spent years successfully attracting investors and promoting One Nation, Terry realised he could make his own movies.

Starting with One Man and His Dog, which he says, “was like going to film school,” Terry continued creating his own work until one day he was reading the book Rise of the Footsoldier, and re alised it would make a great film.

Buying the rights, Terry launched the hugely successful Rise of the Footsoldier franchise which has now spread to five films. This enduring series has starred Vinny Jones, Craig Fairbrass, and of

course Terry himself.

Speaking about his life now, Terry said: “I still get offered plenty of roles but I like having control over what I choose to work on or not.

“I get the best of both worlds really now and there is plenty more coming in 2023, so stay tuned.”

The star is continuing to create his own films as well as exploring his musi cal roots with two films at this year’s Marbella International Film Festival.

The Last Heist will premiere at Red Dog Cinemas in Puerto Banus on Friday, October 7, while 25 Years of Garage pre mieres at the same venue on Saturday, October 8.

For tickets, visit www.eventbrite.co. uk

Credit: Terry Stone

TERRY STONE: The actor created the success ful Rise of the Footsoldier franchise.

TONY TUCKER: Stone as his memorable Rise of a Footsoldier character.

Credit: Terry Stone

A NEW admission by the British Home Office on Monday September 26 has cast doubt over claims made by Priti Patel during her tenure as home secre tary. Patel claimed to have made a deal with Albanian authorities to immediately deport Albanian asylum seekers who had made ‘spurious’ asylum claims.

Lawyers from NGO Care4Calais asked the Home Office to review the

PASSENGERS travelling to the USA from Gatwick Airport can now book flights to New York JFK with Delta Air Lines after the operator announced its return to the London air port from next April.

Delta will be operating a daily service out of New York on Monday April 10, 2023, with the first return flight de parting from London Gatwick the following day.

Delta last operated from Gatwick in 2012, flying to At

Deportation confusion

policy and received a con cession in response, that it does not have the power to fast‐track deportations of Albanian refugees. The Home Office also con firmed that immigrants ar riving by boat cannot be classified as ‘illegal immi grants’.

Figures showed that 53 per cent of asylum claims

made by Albanians in the UK were accepted, reveal ing that the Home Office does consider Albania un safe for many applicants. The policy u‐turn means that the UK does accept asylum applications from Albanian refugees.

As Home Secretary, Patel advocated for increasingly draconian policies to com

Gatwick to JFK

lanta, Georgia and has a rich history with Gatwick ‐ the first destination of its inaugural transatlantic flights back in 1978. JFK is Delta’s primary transatlantic gateway hub, providing passengers with the opportunity not only to ex plore the dynamic, vibrant city of New York, but also for onwards travel to many transcontinental destinations,

including Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle.

Stewart Wingate, CEO, of Gatwick Airport said: “We are thrilled to welcome Delta Air Lines back to Gatwick.

“Delta is a huge name in the transatlantic market and being able to offer passengers the opportunity to travel with them between Gatwick and New York City is fantastic.”

Health check-up warning

BRITS are likely to ignore health problems to avoid ‘causing a fuss’ according to a report re leased on Wednesday September 28.

Brits are being urged to check on their health after a report found that nearly a third of British adults have ignored a symptom of a potential condition to avoid ‘making a fuss’. It also re vealed that only a third of British adults regularly check for health problems. Research conducted by Benenden Health asked 2,000 British adults about their health to develop understanding about healthcare use and encourage individuals

to check out potentially dangerous symptoms.

The survey investigated the reasons for ignor ing concerning symptoms, finding that 30 per cent did so due to lack of GP appointments and 28 per cent for being ‘too British’ and not want ing a fuss. The survey also found that the symp tom Brits were most likely to seek medical ad vice for was chest pain, with 59 per cent saying they would visit a doctor for this. The report has been released in partnership with Channel 4’s new ‘Time for a check in’ campaign, encourag ing British people to check on their health.

bat immigration to the UK, including wave machines to push back migrant boats, offshore processing and de tention facilities. The con troversial proposal to de port refugees to Rwanda is still being challenged.

REFUGEES: Outgoing Home Secretary’s Albanian deportation policy facing questions.

Photo credit: Malcolm P Chapman /

Back to school

Linda Hall

BREEZE 97.7FM are hosting a Back to School Disco party at the Albox Polideportivo on Fri day October 14.

“We are thrilled that Albox mayor, Fran cisco Torrecillas, is supporting us by allowing the use of the Sports Centre,” said Breeze presenter and organiser, Mrs M.

“And we’re so excited to be able, finally, to announce the event. The School Disco idea was originally cooked up with our late friend, Lisa George, during lockdown, so it has been a long time in the making.

“It’s an opportunity to relive the happiest days of your life while raising funds for Cari tas, Albox.”

The Fabulous Breeze Retro Disco present ed by live Breeze DJs will be playing music from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, and top local band, Electric Owls will play a live set of clas sic rock.

As well as music and dancing, there will be an authentic tuck shop, school dinners given a tasty makeover and a bar.

Optional school‐themed fancy dress, games and activities, prizes and nostalgia are guaranteed to make the evening memo rable. All profits will go to Caritas, Albox, to help with the food bank and all the other good work they do in the community.

Tickets €5 are available from the Breeze Studio in Albox, as well as various outlets in Albox, Arboleas and Mojacar.

Live opera stream

OPERA lovers can now enjoy a series of live opera shows, streamed directly from New York to cinemas across Spain.

A cinema in Roquetas in Alme ria will be participating in the programme, showing 10 exclu sive shows on the big screen be tween October 2022 and June 2023.

The first show in the series will

be ‘Medea’, streamed live to Roquetas on October 22. Cheru bini’s acclaimed opera dates back to 1797, rising to fame with the great opera diva, Maria Callas. This edition will feature celebrated singers including so prano Sondra Radvanovsky.

Other unmissable operas streamed to the cinema this year include ‘La Traviata’ in Novem ber and ‘The Hours’ in De cember, a unique opera about the fascinating writer Virginia Woolf. Performances will resume in the new year, with a show being streamed nearly every month.

More information about each show and event details, including tickets, is available online from: https://opera.yel mocines.es

Calling all pet lovers

Betty Henderson

A POPULAR festival for ani mal lovers is back for its sec ond year after a successful first edition last year. Al mAnimal returns to the Par que Andarax de Almería be tween October 6 and 8.

The pet festival is dedicat ed to animal welfare and features a diverse spread of events for pets and animal lovers to enjoy.

Activities will have an ani mal welfare focus, such as encouraging the safe adop tions, tips for pet care, activ ities and games for pets, and talks on pet breeds in cluding a cat colony!

Local pet welfare organi sations will lead the festival

with pet‐focused business es also attending to pro mote their work and ser vices. The city welcomes back the event as part of a Sustainable City plan, to raise awareness about ani mal health and welfare.

Local councillor for the Environment, Margarita Co bos, said “we are delighted to continue holding much‐needed training sessions to promote animal well‐being in our community”.

Events start at 9am on both days of the festival, lasting until 7pm, with a busy schedule of activities to appeal to every pet lover! Pets are also wel come to attend the festival!

Spooky murder mystery

GET into the spirit of Hal loween with a murder mys tery event in Almeria Province! A local events company is holding a Hal loween Murder Mystery party on October 24.

The event is set in the at mospheric mountain town of Lubrin, near to El Pilar at Albar Casona Granada and will be held from midday on October 24. An unexpected family gathering called by ‘Grandad’ will descend into chaos as it is discovered a murder has taken place in a family ‘with more secrets than a room full of British politicians’!

Guests will enjoy an excit ing afternoon with a script

that has ‘intrigue, laugh, fun and surprises’ for all! There will also be a series of chal lenges for guests to get stuck into. Guests can choose their level of involve ment before the event, or ganisers will write parts ac cordingly. During the party, guests can also enjoy a Hal loween meal provided by the bar, for an additional cost. The murder mystery party is the ideal way to kick off a week of spooky fun in Almería.

Guests can buy tickets and more information at: www.laughinggoat.net/tick ets/p/halloween‐murder‐mystery‐party‐near‐lubrin‐october‐24

Rocktoberfest

THE Vera and District Lions will be hosting their next fundraising event, Rocktoberfest, at the New Bar International in Arboleas on Sunday October 9 from 6pm. There will be a buffet and a fantastic line‐up of musical entertainment provided by Seldom Sober, Electric Owls, Re flexion and The Best of Three. Tickets cost €10 and are available from the bar. Attending fundraising events such as this one is one of the best ways people can support the Lions, who in turn support many others. Just some of the organisations supported by the Li ons include local food banks; the Red Cross; and Asprodalba. The Lions also provide support to all kinds of individuals in need, doing the small, unnoticed things that can make a huge difference in people’s lives.

The Lions recently presented the Arboleas Community Food Bank with a donation of €500.

Other ways to get involved include regularly volunteering at the shop in Turre, helping out at fundraising events or donating raffle prizes. Many people also donate small, regular amounts by standing order, which helps enor mously.

OPERA FANS: Can enjoy the exquisite atmosphere of New York’s opera from Almeria.

Photo

Tamsin Brown

Credit: Lions Club

World Heart Day

Betty Henderson

WORLD HEART DAY takes

place every year on Septem ber 29, putting the spotlight on heart conditions which are currently the leading cause of death in the EU and in many countries globally. This year the EU is marking the day by telling residents to ‘Listen to your heart’.

The EU’s Health Commis sioner, Stella Kyriakides spoke

this week to raise awareness about cardiovascular condi tions and the importance of good heart health. She called heart conditions “one of the greatest health challenges of our time”, saying that six mil lion more cases are diagnosed each year, with 1.8 million yearly deaths from cardiovas cular diseases. Kyriakides highlighted the importance of heart health in the context of

the pandemic saying that car diovascular illnesses increased people’s chances of dying of Covid‐19. She encouraged people to take care of their heart health in their daily lives to avoid increased risk of oth er conditions.

Heart health is a crucial part of the EU’s Beating Cancer Plan and the body regularly conducts research into cardio vascular conditions.

Humanitarian solutions

THE EU unites the humanitarian communi ty ahead of the winter and concerns about the fallout of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. A meeting between key EU crisis manage ment figures opened on September 26 to discuss EU strategy to deal with the crisis and its humanitarian issues. The European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič will work with Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister, Olha Stefanishyna to discuss and coordinate responses to the conflict. The delegation will discuss likely

challenges and ways to overcome them. Organisations participating include the Red Cross, the World Bank, EU funded organisa tions and other individual organisations. Lenarčič highlighted the challenges ahead saying, “The upcoming winter will be one of the harshest Ukrainians are ever going to face, they will be threatened by freezing temperatures due to damaged housing and heating systems and the Commission hopes to create a “continue supporting Ukraine through the hardships.”

Wildlife warning

ANIMAL welfare leaders have issued a warning that EU coun tries remain top destinations for stolen wildlife, urging govern ments to close loopholes that allow exploitative practices to con tinue.

A report released on Tuesday September 27 stated that the European Union is a “main hub” for the trade of stolen wildlife and exposed EU countries as “complicit” in the smuggling of na tionally protected species. The report is based on case studies in cluding wildlife trafficked from Cuba, the Philippines, South Africa, Brazil and Morocco. Three animal welfare organisations produced and commissioned the report; the Humane Society In ternational/Europe, IFAW and Pro Wildlife. They argue that cur rent legislation is allowing the import and onward trade of ille gally bred and traded animals into the EU.

The phenomenon is particularly notable in the exotic pet trade where wealthy owners take drastic measures that ulti mately drive wildlife trafficking.

The report demands the EU prohibits the import, sales, pur chase and possession of wildlife that has been illegally sourced in the country of origin. The European Parliament have proposed several motions in support of the EU adopting such a policy in law.

EU remains a top destination for stolen wildlife.

Photo credit: Martin Hibberd/ shutterstock.com

PRESSEUROPEAN

DENMARK

Drone power

RUDOLPH may soon be out of a job as the Danish Post Office is currently testing the delivery of small parcels by fixed wing drones which can travel at more than 100 kmh and if successful, they may be scaled up to allow for the delivery of much heavier parcels.

THE NETHERLANDS

Menthol cigarettes

THE May 2020 European Union ban on the sale of menthol cigarettes saw many menthol smokers in Holland giving up according to research undertaken by scientific journal Tobacco Control, which involved 1,300 Dutch smokers. Those with a craving for menthol can however still purchase them in Gibraltar.

BELGIUM

Winter Wonders

DESPITE the fact that Covid figures are starting to increase, Brussels is already looking forward to its 21st Winter Wonders festivities which will run from November 25 to January 1 to include the light show, cultural activities and ice rink as well as markets.

GERMANY

Difficult future

AS German politicians make it clear that they are in favour of offering asylum to Russians who want to escape being called up to Putin’s reserve armies, the large number of Ukrainians who have already found refuge in that country are worried about their future safety.

FRANCE

Bullfighting

WITH the main focus being on stopping bullfighting in Spain, not many people realise that there are a number of regular bullfights across much of France which are supported financially by the French government. Now one MP is tabling a bill to see the practice abolished.

NORWAY

Crab is King

ONE benefit of the rising prices in shops is that Norway’s King Crab fisherman have not only seen demand rise but also the income they obtain from netting this popular delicacy and by the end of September they had earned more than they did during 2021.

FINLAND

Chinese cards

SAVVY Russians who have been unable to use their MasterCard and Visa credit cards due to sanctions have discovered that if they possess a Chinese card UnionPay, they can pop across the border with Finland and use it to download money from cash machines there.

IRELAND

United Ireland

NOW that the 2021 census figures have revealed that for the first time since partition, Catholics outnumber Protestants in Northern Ireland, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has called for a poll to give Ulster residents the chance to decide on the possibility of a unified island.

ITALY

AstroSam

ITALIAN astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti known by the nickname AstroSam has become the first European woman to command the International Space Station (ISS) with effect from September 28, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced as she assumed control in a televised ceremony beamed back to Earth.

PORTUGAL

Moroccan deal

WITH a continued shortage of labour especially in the agricultural sector, the Portuguese and Moroccan governments have launched a pilot project whereby 400 Moroccans will be granted admission to Portugal to work, after receiving necessary training and will be given help to learn the language.

UKRAINE

Water tax

A DRAFT bill going through Lithuania’s Parliament to slap a 1c tax on water which would have raised €4,000 a day to assist the reconstruction of the Ukraine has been dropped as it was decided that it would be too complicated to implement.

SWEDEN

Sabotage

SWEDISH Foreign Minister Ann Linde has announced that three leaks on the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines were due to explosions and whilst police have been instructed to investigate, the Swedish government has not ruled out the possibility of sabotage by persons as yet unknown.

BUSINESS EXTRA The Break FINANCE

Tax cuts

IN a statement made on Thursday September 29, the Spanish Minister of Finance Maria Jesus Montero confirmed that from next year, the government will reduce income tax for those earning up to €21,000 per year which should benefit some 50 per cent of all those employed and there will be changes for the self‐employed.

Food banks

AS food prices continue to rise, more Spanish families are finding it difficult to afford to feed themselves and are turning to food banks for assistance but in a ‘Catch 22’ situation, there are less donations although the Spanish Agricultural Guarantee Fund has committed to supply 50.7 million kilos of food.

EV problem

A STUDY by researchers at Stanford University in the USA has come to the conclusion that with the expected growth of sale of electric vehicles over the next decade, there will be a problem with a huge surge in demand as owners recharge at night once home, possibly overloading the grids.

VAT reduction

BOWING to a long‐standing wish by Podemos, the Spanish Minister of Labour, Yolanda Díaz announced on her Twitter account that the next budget will include a decision to reduce VAT on feminine hygiene products from 10 per cent to 4 per cent (known as the ‘pink rate’).

Windfall tax

THE European Union has agreed in principle to allow members to introduce short term emergency measures to charge energy firms on their record profits. The plan is to raise funds from taxation to allow countries to increase their support for those most affected by the cost‐of‐living increases and to reduce energy consumption.

King Charles III coin

THE first of the new King Charles III coins have been revealed by the Royal Mint, which will start to enter circulation from December this year.

Announced on Friday September 30, the Royal Mint said that the first to bear the new King’s like ness will be a new 50p coin.

In keeping with tradi tion, the image will show the King looking to the left and in the opposite direction to those bear ing an image of Queen Elizabeth II.

The reverse of the coin features a design that originally appeared on the 1953 Coronation Crown and includes the four quarters of the Roy al Arms depicted within a shield. It depicts the four nations with a rose, a

thistle, a shamrock and a leek.

A commemorative £5 coin is also to be released which features two new portraits of the late Queen on the reverse side, a younger and an older picture.

According to Nicola Howell, Chief Commer cial Officer at the Royal

Mint, King Charles worked closely with the sculptor Martin Jennings to design the new coins. He is also said to have personally approved the designs and the effigy.

Inscribed with the Latin: “CHARLES III: D: G: REX: F: D: 5 POUNDS: 2022” this translates to: “King Charles III, by the

Grace of God, Defender of the Faith.”

Ms Howell said: “We expect customers will start to be able to receive the commemorative range from October and then we expect the 50p memorial circulating coin to be appearing in peo ple’s change probably from December.”

THE Ministry of Industry, Com merce and Tourism, through the Foundation of the School of Indus trial Organisation (EOI) and the col laboration of Impact Hub Madrid, has launched a programme to at tract Female Entrepreneurship in Spain.

The objectives of ‘The Break’ are to contribute to reducing the gen der gap in entrepreneurship, learn ing and improving the projects of the participating women en trepreneurs and the creation of a European network of women en trepreneurs known as the breaker community, to create business and opportunities.

After sharing experiences in their innovation projects, the en trepreneurs will develop them in 12 local communities and the pro gramme, financed by Next Gener ation EU funds, is part of the Gov ernment’s Recovery and Resilience Plan with a budget of €10 million.

Inflation fall

SPAIN’S Consumer Price Index for September is currently at 9 per cent according to an initial forecast released on Thursday September 29 by the National Institute of Statistics (INE). This compares to the final August figure of 10.5 per cent and whilst still high is heading in the right direction.

ON October 1, crucial changes to the UK’s Right to Work legislation became law and this could have a major impact on the already diffi cult process of employing new staff.

According to government‐certi fied digital identity provider Xydus many businesses don’t appreciate the requirements of the new law and could find themselves in consid erable difficulty.

Prior to the pandemic, the majori ty of Right to Work checks were conducted in person as required un der Home Office rules and prospec tive employees showed documents providing evidence of their right to work to employers who stored a copy.

During the pandemic, temporary adjustments were made to these requirements in order for remote work to be facilitated, and help businesses continue to hire in lock down.

For the first time ever, in‐person checks were permitted to be carried

out over video calls, and job appli cants were able to send a photo of their documents to employers via email.

Now all UK businesses must use government certified Identity Ser vice Providers (IDSPs) to complete digital Right to Work checks.

Digital checks require the submis sion of images of personal docu ments using certified ID validation technology to verify the employees

right to work. Any other method is non‐compliant.

Failing to comply can result in a civil penalty of up to £20,000 per non‐compliant check with those found guilty losing the ability to sponsor work visa applications for foreign nationals and even criminal convictions in serious cases.

In addition, records need to be kept for up to two years after an employee leaves the business.

The reduction is mainly due to the fall in electricity prices, which rose in September 2021 whilst the fall in fuel prices, compared with the rise in the previous year, and the fall in transport also played a role, albeit to a lesser extent.

The annual rate of the leading indicator of core inflation de creased by two 10ths of a percent age point to 6.2 per cent.

A STUDY commissioned by lin gerie brand Pour Moi, showed most UK men admit they don’t have a clue when it comes to buy ing new underwear for their part ner.

The lingerie brand conducted the survey after analysing sales and search data that revealed a trend in the rise of men purchas ing underwear for their partners which has been on the up for the last five consecutive years.

COMMEMORATIVE: The new Royal effigy.

FURTHER CHECKS: Job interview is no longer enough.

Credit: The Royal Mint

3I Group 1.077,00 1.091,97 1.072,00 24,21K

Abrdn 135,73 138,48 135,38 238,05K

Admiral Group 1.883,0 1.901,7 1.876,8 6,27K

Anglo American 2.704,5 2.723,5 2.657,0 29,62K

Antofagasta 1.104,00 1.108,00 1.091,50 11,82K

Ashtead Group 3.976,0 4.063,0 3.963,0 92,14K

Associated British Foods 1.238,2 1.261,8 1.237,3 16,00K

AstraZeneca 9.720,0 9.824,0 9.673,1 29,78K

Auto Trader Group Plc 509,60 516,20 503,80 41,48K

Aveva 3.136,0 3.140,0 3.128,0 7,15K

Aviva 384,60 391,40 380,56 537,40K

B&M European Value Retail SA311,10 316,27 304,30 123,44K

BAE Systems 783,55 793,60 779,13 233,89K

Barclays 142,02 144,50 141,34 2,75M

Barratt Developments 351,00 352,80 338,11 465,58K

Berkeley 3.351,0 3.374,0 3.252,0 84,37K

BHP Group Ltd 2.236,00 2.249,93 2.223,50 27,76K

BP 441,00 443,75 432,13 890,72K

British American Tobacco 3.221,5 3.231,4 3.153,0 66,45K

British Land Company 351,40 354,90 345,59 44,46K

BT Group 122,00 123,45 120,67 663,93K

Bunzl 2.739,0 2.748,0 2.721,0 96,80K

Burberry Group 1.793,0 1.810,0 1.773,0 157,71K

Carnival 532,6 558,5 531,9 320,20K

Centrica 70,74 71,89 69,60 791,65K

Coca Cola HBC AG 1.837,1 1.864,7 1.823,0 31,70K

Compass 1.768,50 1.788,00 1.765,00 349,78K

CRH 2.880,0 2.884,0 2.855,0 2,18K

Croda Intl 6.325,0 6.436,0 6.316,0 11,46K

DCC 4.673,0 4.675,0 4.619,0 36,70K

Diageo 3.703,4 3.766,0 3.695,0 46,27K

DS Smith 254,73 257,61 251,46 230,96K

EasyJet 282,10 288,80 280,70 524,44K

Experian 2.584,6 2.635,7 2.572,0 12,24K

Ferguson 9.182,0 9.342,0 9.170,0 1,30K

Flutter Entertainment 9.821,5 9.884,0 9.688,0 2,35K

Fresnillo 765,00 773,22 753,32 18,77K

Glencore 477,44 480,39 469,19 739,77K

GSK plc 1.301,00 1.304,15 1.286,20 112,39K

Halma 1.978,5 2.042,0 1.978,1 23,12K

Hargreaves Lansdown 834,60 879,40 833,60 287,80K

Hikma Pharma 1.343,00 1.360,00 1.330,00 96,68K

HSBC 454,96 462,25 454,75 278,86K

IAG 91,54 95,68 91,52 2,57M

Imperial Brands 1.836,56 1.850,00 1.831,79 45,09K

Informa 508,60 516,40 506,40 150,55K

InterContinental

Intermediate Capital 975,80 998,40 964,20 313,53K

Intertek 3.591,0 3.694,4 3.591,0 2,07K

ITV 57,00 58,18 56,09 394,45K

J Sainsbury 173,90 175,55 171,40 359,16K

Johnson Matthey 1.846,5 1.854,0 1.807,5 4,54K

Land Securities 521,60 524,40 513,40 16,15K

Legal & General 212,00 218,20 211,44 1,86M

Lloyds Banking 40,63 42,20 40,59 21,15M

London Stock Exchange 7.548,0 7.560,0 7.464,0 4,51K

Melrose Industries 98,33 101,27 98,30 257,83K

Mondi 1.377,05 1.395,50 1.367,50 132,78K

National Grid 925,60 933,80 916,40 159,38K

NatWest Group 221,03 225,90 220,93 425,33K

Next 4.708,4 4.810,0 4.648,0 86,58K

Norilskiy Nikel ADR 9,10 9,10 9,10 0

Ocado 455,40 474,35 455,00 49,81K

Persimmon 1.260,0 1.269,5 1.221,5 78,16K

Phoenix 516,00 526,80 514,30 156,88K

Prudential 864,20 884,40 859,80 71,15K

Reckitt Benckiser 5.930,0 5.946,8 5.884,0 36,73K

Relx 2.160,34 2.192,00 2.159,00 34,26K

Rentokil 465,61 473,30 465,60 24,04K

Rightmove 465,12 480,80 465,12 34,07K

Rio Tinto PLC 4.830,0 4.882,3 4.787,5 24,16K

Rolls-Royce Holdings 68,21 70,01 67,98 1,95M

Rosneft DRC 0,20 0,20 0,20 0

Sage 683,00 694,00 682,00 10,34K

Samsung Electronics DRC 903,00 913,20 903,00 2,38K

Schroders 386,0 389,2 382,0 341,53K

Scottish Mortgage 749,19 765,97 745,26 539,18K

Segro 747,40 759,40 737,36 151,53K

Severn Trent 2.321,0 2.365,0 2.295,8 12,49K

Shell 2.273,5 2.289,9 2.247,5 133,81K Smith & Nephew 1.024,32 1.054,95 1.020,72 44,71K

Smiths Group 1.479,00 1.499,50 1.475,00 69,91K

Spirax-Sarco Engineering 10.070,0 10.255,0 10.005,0 0,48K SSE 1.565,00 1.574,50 1.516,50 80,16K

St. James’s Place 995,30 1.023,50 994,80 18,25K

Standard Chartered 552,20 559,60 549,70 228,07K Taylor Wimpey 89,56 90,52 86,76 1,81M

Tesco 204,40 206,30 201,70 783,28K

Tui 102,65 107,65 101,91 576,73K

Unilever 3.904,0 3.924,5 3.893,3 42,41K United Utilities 869,98 888,60 860,00 83,13K

Vodafone Group PLC 100,24 100,92 99,64 2,12M Whitbread 2.259,6 2.298,0 2.248,0 83,27K

WPP 728,87 742,60 727,40 58,74K

DOW JONES

3M 110,50 113,15 3,10M

American Express 134,91 138,67 134,62 3,71M

Amgen 225,40 230,00 225,17 2,54M

Apple 138,20 143,10 138,00 123,56M

Boeing 121,08 125,47 120,99 8,28M

Caterpillar 164,08 167,78 163,89 2,95M

Chevron 143,67 145,13 142,49 9,38M

Cisco 40,00 41,04 39,96 27,88M

Coca-Cola 56,02 57,13 56,00 15,89M

Dow 43,93 44,84 43,80 5,72M

Goldman Sachs 293,05 301,09 292,70 1,93M

Home Depot 275,94 281,79 274,76 4,77M

Honeywell 166,97 171,20 166,63 3,76M

IBM 118,81 122,43 118,61 5,33M

Intel 25,77 26,57 25,74 43,37M

J&J 163,36 165,74 163,32 8,96M

JPMorgan 104,50 107,62 104,40 15,86M

McDonald’s 230,74 234,83 230,58 3,61M

Merck&Co 86,12 87,62 86,10 9,01M

Microsoft 232,90 240,54 232,73 35,48M

Nike 83,12 86,20 82,50 47,92M

Procter&Gamble 126,25 129,04 126,21 9,39M

Salesforce Inc 143,84 148,63 143,75 7,54M

The Travelers 153,20 156,45 152,94 1,40M

UnitedHealth 505,04 516,55 504,84 3,10M

Verizon 37,97 38,79 37,95 23,40M

Visa A 177,65 182,92 177,60 9,44M

Walgreens Boots 31,40 31,79 31,34 7,99M

Walmart 129,70 132,36 129,70 6,48M

Walt Disney 94,33 97,48 94,28 12,01M

Most Advanced

FingerMotion +82.16% 31.73M

Golden Falcon Acquisition +56.32% 6.60K

SAITECH Global +43.36% 5.34M

F45 Training Holdings +41.10% 37.04M

Avenue Therapeutics +39.03% 27.39M

Sobr Safe +38.86% 27.50M

Ainos +36.96% 35.10M

Alset Ehome International +30.85% 3.64M

O2Micro +30.15% 1.79M

Gold Royalty Wnt +29.64% 10.00K

Polarityte +27.94% 909.44K

Most Declined

Natural Order Acquisition -50.00% 113.31K

Laser Photonics Unt -48.40% 7.08M

Atlis Motor Vehicles -39.91% 315.92K

Aterian -37.06% 15.38M

Edesa Biotech -35.12% 7.47M

American Virtual Cloud -32.41% 10.89M

Antelope Enterprise Holdings -32.00% 669.15K

Fednat Holding Co -27.63% 2.09M

5E Advanced Materials -27.58% 676.18K

Epiphany Technology Acquisition -24.81% 7.64K

Panbela Therapeutics -24.71% 1.81M

Currency outlook: Euro rocked by energy price volatility, US dollar storms to new multi-year highs

Euro EUR/GBP: Up from £0.84 to £0.87

EUR/USD: Down from $0.99 to $0.98

The euro traded in a wide range over the past month, with the single currency initially coming under pressure at the end of August following a sharp surge in European energy prices.

EUR exchange rates then rebounded at the start of September. Supported by the EU’s promise to intervene in energy markets and rein in prices, in additional to a stronger-than-expect ed Eurozone inflation print as it bolstered expec tations for a 75bps rate hike from the European Central Bank (ECB)

While the ECB delivered a 75bps increase as hoped, this was overshadowed by the bank’s bleak forecasts and concerns over the indefinite closure of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline.

EUR exchange rates then then recouped some ground following reports of Ukraine’s suc cessful counteroffensive against Russian forces.

However, the euro then faced another set back after Vladimir Putin announced a ‘partial mobilisation’ of Russian forces. EUR investors fear this could prolong the conflict in Ukraine and place even more pressure on the Eurozone economy.

Looking ahead, the immediate focus for EUR investors will be the Eurozone’s next inflation re lease as another record jump in prices is likely to increase the chances of another 75bps hike from the ECB.

Pound GBP/EUR: Down from €1.18 to €1.14

GBP/USD: Down from $1.18 to $1.13

The pound found itself on the defensive through much of the past month amid an in creasingly gloomy outlook for the UK economy.

GBP investors were spooked by reports sug gesting domestic inflation could climb as high as 22% in 2023 and warnings that the UK is already in recession.

Sterling then found some brief respite after Liz Truss was confirmed as the UK’s new Prime Minister and promptly announced a plan to freeze household energy prices for two years.

Some mixed UK economic releases then re sulted in some volatility in mid-September, be fore the pound came under renewed pressure as the Bank of England (BoE) delivered its latest interest rate decision.

The BoE’s 50bps hike came as a blow to GBP investors hoping for a 75bps increase, although its hints that further hikes could be more ‘force ful’ help to keep a lid on Sterling’s losses.

With GBP investors fearing the UK faces sig nificant economic hardship in the coming

months, we may see may see this gloomy out look continue to limit interest in the pound over the next few weeks.

US Dollar

USD/GBP: Up from $0.84 to $0.88

USD/EUR: Up from €1.00 to €1.01

The US dollar trended broadly higher over the past month, with demand for the currency being underpinned by risk-off flows and Federal Reserve interest rate speculation.

The prevailing risk-off mood came amid growing global recession fears, in addition to re newed uncertainty over the situation in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Fed rate hike expectations were turbocharged after August’s US inflation print beat forecasts, with the US dollar skyrocketing as some investors went so far as to suggest the Fed might pursue a 100bps hike.

The Fed ultimately delivered a 75bps hike, with the US dollar striking a new multi-year high shortly thereafter.

Looking ahead, the increasingly uncertain out look for the global economy is likely to see the US dollar maintain its upward trajectory through the coming month. Especially amid the prospect of US interest rates rising to 4% before the end of 2022.

Currencies Direct have helped over 325,000 customers save on their currency transfers since 1996. Just pop into your local Currencies Direct branch or give us a call to find out more about how you can save money on your currency transfers.

EXTRA

Turning off

A SURVEY conducted by re search platform quantilope has revealed 23 per cent of all British households indi cated that they intended to cancel contracts with video streaming companies in or der to try to save money.

Air Miles

SPANISH Minister of Indus try, Reyes Maroto, travelled to Australia to inaugurate the first Queanbeyan bat tery energy storage system built by Naturgy, whilst Min ister of Transport, Raquel Sánchez flew to Quebec to inspect an Airbus facility.

Water wars

AFTER entering into an agreement to allow rivers to flow undisturbed between Spain and Portugal in 1998, the Spanish government re portedly plans to cut the amount of water to Portugal in the River Duero.

Tax cuts warning

THE IMF has warned Britain that tax cuts could be damaging to the economy in an almost unprecedented criticism of the monetary policy of a G7 nation.

Some observers suggest the tax cuts amounting to £45 bil lion announced by new Chan cellor Kwasi Kwarteng as part of his Growth Plan on Friday September 23 are more akin to a gambler placing all of their money on black in the hopes of winning.

As the government reduces the amount of tax it will be able to collect and continues to promise aid during this time of worldwide economic crisis, the only solution will be to borrow even more money.

The actual statement from the International Monetary Fund which was issued on September 27 included the ob servation: “We understand that the sizeable fiscal package an nounced aims at helping fami lies and businesses deal with the energy shock and at boost ing growth via tax cuts and sup ply measures.

“However, given elevated in

Chancellor Kwarteng leaves No 11 to deliver his Growth Plan.

flation pressures in many coun tries, including the UK, we do not recommend large and un targeted fiscal packages at this juncture, as it is important that fiscal policy does not work at cross purposes to monetary policy.”

The Chancellor reportedly chose not to take note of any advice from the Office for Bud get Responsibility which is a non­departmental public body funded by the UK Treasury, that the UK government established to provide independent eco nomic forecasts and indepen

dent analysis of the public fi nances.

It is expected the Bank of England will urgently consider increasing bank rate yet again as both sterling and the FTSE share index tumbled and rat ings agency Moody’s warned it may cut Britain’s credit rating.

Clearly the increasing criti cism of the decision to reduce income tax top rate to 40 per cent from 45 per cent hit home as on Monday October 3, Chan cellor Kwasi Kwarteng con firmed his first u­turn so that will no longer take place.

Supermarket sweep

THE annual survey of the cheapest supermarkets in Spain was published by the Organisation of Con sumers and Users on Tuesday September 27 after visiting more than 1,100 stores in 65 cities across the country.

Overall, the cost of products from supermarkets has increased by 15.2 per cent when comparing May 2021 to May 2022 and that will have increased since the survey was compiled.

Although some individual Alcampo stores gave best value for money, the two cheapest chains were Tifer located in Castilla y Leon and Dani found in An dalucia.

None of the big names such as Aldi or Lidl featured in the top 10 cheapest, whilst prices at Dia and Mer cadona had risen the most.

Mass demonstration

EXPECT a number of ral lies across Spain on Octo ber 7, 14 and 28 by mem bers of the country’s largest trade union CCOO union followed by a mass demonstration in Madrid on November 3.

The union which repre sents workers at numer ous supermarkets and stores believes that with the ever­increasing rise

of the cost of living, ne gotiations starting in Jan uary should be based on inflation plus an agreed 18 per cent increase in wages over the next four years.

Working with the UGT union, the CCOO believes that big business should already be making signifi cant offers rather than ig noring the situation.

Credit: HM Treasury flickr

AT the time of writing, I am truly not too happy with the UK’s Conservative government. However, one thing I am satisfied with is that in no way would I ever consider actually replacing them with a Labour regime. The lefty’s con ference this week was absolutely de plorable. They had no true ideas of how to actually rescue the UK from the turmoil it finds itself in. The singing of God Save the King instead of the Red Flag rather summed up one of the pa thetic ways they consider drumming up support.

Nothing they came up with was a true answer to any real problems, merely ways of making the public think they would be financially better off if they voted them in. Of course the BBC absolutely revelled in it. In complete league with the Labour party’s enrap tured anti conservative attitude; their presentations were completely crammed with derogatory reports, opinions and concerns of a beleaguered public, many afraid they could be con fined to the workhouse this winter.

Once again of course, every single member of the dissenting public they

No Labour fan

interviewed was white! They obviously have no intention whatsoever of show ing other cultures who could be facing financial or personal hardship over the ensuing months. Why not? I can only assume it’s because over the next two years they will be promoting left wing ideals to non­white residents, purely because they want to paint a glowing picture of everything in the garden looking lovely ­ as long as they vote Labour!

As further proof of the conspiracy now taking place in the UK, I have just observed three British TV commercials, each advertising fairly important com panies and products. The first advert featured a number of young, obviously gay black men, all partying and enjoying themselves in a carefree brightly coloured environment.

The next presented two attractive mixed race ladies enjoying a kiss and sharing a romantic moment. The third introduced a mixed race family sharing a splendid meal at the table of their pretty luxurious abode. Nothing wrong with any of that. I personally enjoy dif ferent cultures and the varied points of view of fellow human beings; but who

are these companies actually trying to sell their commodities too? Three per cent of the population? Of course they are not, that would be ridiculous.

Thousands of illegal immigrants have now entered the country. According to records, none have been sent to Rwan da (the first plane was cancelled in June). These people are still costing the country millions of pounds a week; money which funnelled into the correct resources could help thousands of struggling British residents in these troubled times.

Believe me, somewhere up there in the anonymous high echelons of televi sion, businesses and Leftie politics there is a heavy conspiracy to change the face of the UK into an easy to manage, mixed race of citizens, all voting for a left wing society. And they’re gonna take some stopping!

Keep the faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com.

For more from our columnists please scan this

Code

LeapyLee’sopinionsarehisownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

Love is not only words DISCOVERING EMOTIONS WITH

BETINA VON HOHENDORFF

MOST people think that to love some one is always to say, “I love you”.

Love is not only words…

Words are like a summer breeze… you feel something, you remember, but with the time you forget.

Love is to know when is the time to speak, time to listen or time to be silent.

To love is to give your time, to give an understanding of your opinion with out forcing the other to accept yours.

To share good and bad times, to ac cept the strengths and the weakness es.

To cry without showing a tear, to fight without showing the fear…

To be sometimes the shadow, even when you know you are the light.

To help in silence.

To accept the edges and imperfec tions.

To love is not to change someone to fit your idealisation.

To love is to give without expecting

To love someone is priceless.

anything in return.

To love is to surprise with small ac tions…

To love someone is priceless, a dia mond can never be a substitute of a hearty cuddle or kiss.

To love is not only to share mo ments.

But also, to create memories.

My advice:

Listen to your heart before you say “I love You.”

These three words can change a life.

Love Betina www.mindovers.com 0034‐699 327 363

Preventing sore feet

BUNIONS are bony lumps that form on the side of the feet.

Surgery is the only way to get rid of them, but there are things you can do to ease the pain they cause.

Symptoms of bunions include hard lumps on the sides of your feet, by your big toes, your big toe pointing towards your other toes and/or hard or swollen skin.

The bunion may look red or darker than the surrounding skin.

You may also have pain along the side or bottom of your feet. This is usual ly worse when wearing shoes and walking.

You cannot get rid of bunions or stop them from getting worse your self, but there are things you can do to relieve any pain such as wearing wide shoes with a low heel and soft sole.

Bunion pads which are

soft pads you put in shoes to stop them rubbing on a bunion can help, and can be bought from most pharmacies.

An ice pack (or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a

tea towel) to the bunion for up to five minutes can also help ease the pain.

The cause of bunions is unknown. It’s not clear if you can do anything to prevent them.

Walking for health

WALKING can be one of the easiest ways to get more active, lose weight and become healthier.

Sometimes overlooked as a form of exercise, walking briskly can help you build stamina, burn excess calories and make your heart healthier.

You do not have to walk for hours. A brisk 10‐minute daily walk has lots of health benefits and counts to wards your recommended 150 minutes of weekly exer cise.

How do I know if I’m walking fast enough?

A brisk walk is about three miles an hour, which is faster than a stroll. You can tell you’re walking briskly if you can still talk but cannot sing the words to a song.

Before you start

Any shoes or trainers that are comfortable, provide adequate support and do not cause blisters will do.

If you start going for longer walks regularly, you may want to invest in a waterproof jacket and some special ist walking shoes for the more challenging routes. Please also ensure that you keep hydrated.

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.

TOTAL MADNESS

GIVEN the unrest in the UK and Spain’s economy, it is fair to predict that a sum mer holiday for 2023/2024 will be the very last thing on people’s minds .

There are an estimated 800,000 British home own ers in Spain, does it not make sense to allow these home owners (those that can afford to) to visit their properties and help boost the Spanish economy.

This 190­day rule is abso lute madness with people selling up in their droves be cause of it and is a very well­ known fact that the Brits spend the most when abroad. If your tourism is going to be hit hard (you don’t need a degree in eco nomics to know it will) then do something about it AND LET THE HOME OWNERS USE THEIR HOMES !

Susan Hannah

Good work

Even though I am only here for a couple of months at a time, being non­resi dent, I thoroughly enjoy your newspaper comments. Keep up the good work, especially the anti woke, politically correct and snowflake comments. You only have to watch the BBC programmes like Strictly Come Dancing and Channel 4 Bake Off to see how woke the TV programmes have become!

Paul Slaughter.

Unhinged

Having just read the Leapy Lee rant I believe you should contact a medical

specialist of a specific race acceptable to the obviously unhinged Lee.

The BBC are blamed for all the self inflicted disasters of a government able to successfully find a worse re placement than the previ ous incumbent. All the peo

ple who contributed are now neo fascists because they don’t agree with his opinion. Then it’s the fault of the BBC that people in adverts are black… adverts do not appear on the BBC!

Stephen Hunt

FACT OR FICTION OUR VIEW

SOCIAL MEDIA and even the comments section of the Euro Weekly News website appear to be full of observations concerning the reasons for the unex pected and often unexplained death of people young and old around the world.

The general opinion expressed by those who both er to comment is that all of those who died were vic tims of the vaccines introduced by the various gov ernments around the world and some people go further and suggest that this is part of a global con spiracy to hoodwink the public and manipulate them for some, as yet unexplained long-term end.

This seems to be a popular trend with the infer ence that the major pharmaceutical firms were in cahoots with governments to ensure that their prof its were greatly inflated to the detriment of individu als at large.

Moving on, there is a groundswell of opinion that there was no serious illness caused by coronavirus and that if the governments hadn’t over reacted the majority of those who caught whatever the virus might have been would found their anti-bodies fighting it off.

Looking back to before the pandemic it seems that although unexplained deaths were taking place, there was less inclination by the media at large to report the fact except locally and the fact that for ex ample a 10-year-old in Belgium had died unexpect edly whilst playing soccer, it was unlikely that it would have been mentioned in the media outside of Belgium.

Nowadays however any unexplained death espe cially of a young person or someone involved in sports is regularly picked up by the media around the world and it is possible that this coverage is in turn fuelling the social media observations.

Unrivalled furniture and decoration specialists in Spain

AT Muebles Martos, they know that each client is unique, which is why their main objective is to make you feel comfortable that you are in good hands when choosing your pieces for your home.

Decorating your home can be a costly and time‐consuming process, but Muebles Martos has a wide range of furniture pieces, rugs and acces sories of all styles, de signs and prices to help you create your own space ‐ always with honest and experienced advice from the team who will study your project at no cost. With 30 shops in different areas, no job is too big for Muebles Martos, whether you are looking for a com plete redesign of your space or just a few pieces to update your home. Cre ate a new modern space with clean, bright furniture using contemporary pieces, furniture in classic styles, pieces to create a rustic‐style home and much

MUEBLES MARTOS: Amazing furniture for your home, style and budget.

more. Not only this, Muebles Martos will pay your fuel on purchases over €500!

We have all been there, you are looking for furniture for a new home or to update your current property, you go to the furniture shop and they tell you that you will have to wait months

for your delivery. Well, this is not the case with Muebles Martos! With stock replenished weekly, Muebles Martos can guarantee a delivery time of two weeks, and always having something

new in stock for your home that you can enjoy immediate ly!

Our living area is one of the most important places in the home, it is some where we can relax af ter a long day, somewhere to entertain guests and somewhere to simply un wind.

Muebles Martos can help you to cre ate wonderful spaces to enjoy with friends and family, offering you high‐quality furniture such as sofas, chaise

longues, dining chairs, dining tables, coffee tables and accessories, so that you can have a space you really enjoy.

Create a clean, organised and practi cal work environment with their range of bookcases, shelves, office chairs and desks, so that you have a space where you can experience maximum produc tivity as well as enjoyment!

Muebles Martos also have incredi ble top‐quality mattresses for your body type, ensuring support and com fort to help you have the best night’s rest.

After being taken over by the biggest and most successful furniture compa nies in Europe, Muebles Martos are now offering an incredible 50 per cent discount on ALL high‐quality furniture!

The experienced and friendly staff at Muebles Martos speak Dutch, English, Spanish, French and German, so that you can be sure you are speaking to a professional team in a language that you can understand, giving you the best advice on amazing furniture for your home, style and budget.

GO LOCAL

WHEN YOU GO SHOPPINGGO LOCAL!

BUY LOCAL: By shopping locally, independent businesses can help support the local community.

Muebles Martos

Origin of the Spanish Water Dog

Your pet makes you healthier

PETS come with many ben efits and who doesn’t ap preciate a furry friend to cuddle or a loyal compan ion so you’re not just talk ing away to yourself!

Pet owners will often shout about the joy of sharing their home with a feline friend or puppy pal, and in fact pets do have in credible mental health benefits, according to re cent studies.

Many dogs especially have developed to under stand their owner’s mood and behaviour through the close bond that they share. They’re also remarkably good at interpreting hu mans’ tone of voice, body language and gestures.

This is why dogs and cats especially can often reduce our stress, depression and anxiety levels by easing loneliness and encouraging us to get up off the couch!

Traditionally used as a sheep dog.

THE Spanish Water Dog (Perro De Agua Es pañol) is a dog breed originally from An dalucia, used tradi tionally as a sheep dog and on hunting excur sions.

The breed was recog nised by the Real Ca nine Society of Spain in 1985. It is believed that the Spanish Water Dog has strong genetic links with other water breeds, such as the Portuguese water dog, the French water dog, the Irish water dog and the poodle.

There exists various theories about this dog’s origin but the most generally accept ed is that this archaic breed was introduced to Europe during the Islamic invasion of the Iberian peninsula in 711.

Naturally, this meant the dogs entered Spain from the South and were established in Andalucia as a result.

Despite being one of the oldest breeds of dog in Spain, little in terest was shown in the Spanish Water Dog

until the early 1980s.

In 1982, through its presentation at the World Canine Exhibi tion in Valencia, the Spanish Water Dog was recognised as an official dog breed.

Studies suggest that not only are there lower rates of depression amongst pet owners, but people who have a pet also have lower blood pressure in stressful situations compared to people who don’t own a pet.

Caring for a pet can also help children develop more responsibility and a better attachment style as they grow up.

Photo credit: otsphoto/shutterstock.com

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TURRE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

We meet every Sunday at 10.30. For wor ship. We believe you’ll find us ‘relaxed’, welcoming’ and ‘informal’. Find us on Turre’s main street, to wards the motorway at the far end on the left. To know more contact 617 914 156 (10021)

PRIVATE collector will buy your Gold, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel – 678 716 693 (288662)

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as the big, sometimes talk ing to someone is the first step to feeling more in control. It can be a per sonal need or some help with your home or infor mation on what or who to speak to on a medical is sue, we help with sign posting if we cannot help directly, just call and have a chat with Pam who will try to guide you to where you need to be. If you would like to go to a branch meeting then find your nearest one at, www.britishlegion.org.uk/ counties/spain-north ZUR GENA Branch meeting on the first Thursday, Coffee Morning on the third Thursday and Buffet & Quiz Night on the last Tuesday of the month all at Bar Trinidad, Arboleas, for further details please email zurgenarblchairman@ gmail.com - (253989)

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WE ARE currently the market leader in our country in the sale of di rect car, motorbike, home and company fleet insur ance. Since we started out in 1995, our philoso phy has always been to offer an excellent service with the best prices in the market. For the most competitive quotes in En glish, call Linea Directa on 952 147 834. (200726)

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UPHOLSTERY - UPHOLSTERERS

INSURANCE

Suzuki Vitara - lots to like!

THE colour palette of cars seems to consist of largely black, grey or silver with little variation unless you start tick ing the extra cost option box es. With all the differing colours available you might wonder why a potential buyer would pick Suzuki’s solar yel low and pay an addi tional €959/£835 for the privilege. It’s very bright! Thankfully for those without the need for a look at me car there’s a range of less vi brant paint finishes.

Luminescent paint apart, the Vitara is a delight and comes with lots of standard equipment, even on the leadin version, and offers an ad mirable absence of digitisa tion except for the sensible things you might expect to be placed on a touchscreen.

Buttons are easier to use than having to dive into nu merous sub menus on a

the case these days.

Power comes from 1.4 or 1.5­litre, four­cylinder petrol engines, manual or automatic gears, two or four­wheeldrive, mild or full hybrid pow er and two trim levels, with prices starting at a very com petitive €24,195/£20,999.

comes with adaptive cruise, smart phone integration, au tomatic air conditioning, auto lights and wipers,

My test model was the SZ5 full hybrid priced at €28,514/ £24,749 and adds a superb panoramic opening roof as standard along with keyless

parking sensors and a rear parking camera to name but a few of the standard features.

The SZ5 test model also came with all­wheel­drive and Suzuki’s automatic gear box, which is actually an auto mated manual transmission.

Rather like the CVT automatic

gearboxes this system is fine unless you are under hard ac celeration when the engine revs rise, with a delay before the transmission effec tively catches up and changes the gear. Your ears end up being des perate for the next ratio.

The other issue is that were you to buy the mild hybrid Vitara in the same trim level, still with allwheel­drive but a six­speed manual gearbox, the compari son is interesting. Instead of the 1.5­litre engine you get

the 1.4­litre Boosterjet unit. It provides 62 mph some three seconds faster, the same level of Co2 emissions and 0.3 mpg less. In my view it’s also a nicer drive.

All told the Vitara is an im mensely likeable SUV, practi cal, plenty of equipment and nicely bolted together, along with sensible and competitive pricing. My advice would be to opt for the manual version unless you need an automat ic. It’s a nicer engine, nicer drive and handles surprisingly well.

Facts at a Glance

Model: Suzuki Vitara SZ5 AllGrip Hybrid AGS

Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol

Gears: automated manual gearbox

Performance: 0-100 kmh (62 mph) 12.7 seconds/Maximum Speed 178 kmh (111 mph)

Economy: 5.3l/100km (53 mpg) Combined driving (WLTP)

Emissions: 121 g/km (WLTP)

Model tested was UK-specification and equipment levels and prices may vary in other markets.

VITARA: With plenty of equipment and sensible pricing.

Bond car goes to auction

A STUNT car used in the latest James Bond film raised more than €3.3 million at auction on Thursday September 29. The Aston Martin DB5 is one of eight replicas made especially for the film’s exhilarating opening sequence which sees 007 engaged in a car chase and shoot­out in winding Ital ian streets.

Being 007’s vehicle of choice, the car is not without exclusive features worthy of an MI6 agent. This particular

model features rotating num ber plates, pop­out prop ma chine guns, prop bomblets and retractable headlights.

The car went to auction at a special edition ’60 Years of Bond’ memorabilia auction at Christie’s in London. The event also saw a classic V8 Vantage, a new DBS Superleggera 007 Edition and 25 pieces of iconic Bond memorabilia sold to the highest bidder for charity.

Aston Martin donated the replica for the auction with

Marek Reichman, Executive Vice President saying, “We are incredibly proud to be part of James Bond’s DNA and are delighted to celebrate this 60th anniversary with the sale of a truly unique Aston Mar tin.”

Experts speculated that the high selling price may be due to the film being the last Daniel Craig Bond film as well as the car’s ravishing design and exciting on­screen fea ture.

BOND CAR: The Aston Martin DB5 featured in the thrilling chase that opened ‘No Time to Die’.

Photo credit: wjarek

Shutterstock.com

MotoGP Kazakhstan

MOTOGP has confirmed that there will be a race in Kazakhstan which marks the start of a new five­year deal.

The FIM MotoGP World Championship is coming to Kazakhstan, event or ganisers announced on Tuesday, September 27.

“2023 marks the start of a new five­year deal that sees MotoGP touch down in a new region of the world as the stunning Sokol International Race track joins the calendar,” they said.

They added: “Located just outside Kazakhstan’s largest city, Almaty, Sokol is a brand­new mo torsport complex con structed in the heart of Central Asia.

“The region will be a new pitstop for MotoGP as the sport continues to expand around the

world, engaging with new markets and fanbas es.

“Kazakhstan will also become the 30th country to host a motorcycle Grand Prix since 1949, a perfect landmark number to celebrate the ever­ex panding history of the world’s first motorsport World Championship, and Sokol International Racetrack will be the 74th venue to host a pre mier class Grand Prix.”

Incident-packed Grand Prix

RED BULL driver Sergio Perez led from the first corner to take the chequered flag on Sunday, October 2, in an incident­packed Singa pore Grand Prix on the Marina Bay street circuit. Charles LeClerc had started the race in pole position, but the Mexican got the jump on him as the lights turned green.

A Singapore GP would not be the same without the introduc tion of the Safety Car and on Sunday it excelled itself. There were two regular Safety Car periods, and three under the Virtual Safety Car. One of these could see Perez stripped of his victory.

He is under investigation for a possible safety car infringement. Should Perez receive a time penalty from the subsequent stew ard’s enquiry then he would drop down the finishing order.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc brought the Ferrari home in second place in the treacherous wet­dry conditions.

Wolves manager out

BRUNO LAGE has been sacked as manager of En glish Premier League side Wolves. His departure came after the team lost 2­0 to West Ham United in London on Saturday, October 1, which plunged the Molineux club into the relegation zone.

The former Benfica manager had only been in charge for 16 months, having replaced his fellow countryman Nuno Espirito Santo in the hot seat. Lage guided Wolves to a very credible 10th posi tion in the table last season. A poor run of form saw his side pick up just six points from eight games so far this season though, with only three goals scored.

A meeting took place which resulted in the Midlands hierarchy deciding to part company with the 46­year­old Portuguese boss. Under Lage, Wolves have made their worst top­flight run since the 2011­12 season.

Lage spent in excess of £100m in this summer’s transfer window. Among his new signings were Portuguese internationals Goncalo Guedes and Matheus Nunes, with the latter breaking the club’s transfer record at £38m.

Lage’s number was probably up after the fans started chanting ‘you don’t know what you’re do ing’, at the London Stadium on Saturday.

Speaking after the match, Lage said: “The only thing I can say is that I’m sorry about the situa tion.”

MotoGP/Official

SOKOL RACETRACK: MotoGP signs five-year deal to race in Kazakhstan.

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My thanks to Golden Leaves Interna onal for the wonderful service they gave following the death of my dear husband. They came to the rescue and rushed the paperwork through, so that I could use the funeral plan rather than have the awful business of sor ng it out myself.

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