Mallorca 27 October - 2 November 2022 Issue 1947

MEAT AND GREET

LOCAL charity Yachting Gives Back has handed over a six­week meat supply to the Associacio Tardor soup kitchen, which feeds some of Palma’s poorest families.

The donation came fol lowing a successful fundraising charity cycle.

The charity said: “The meat budget is a constant worry for Tardor volun teers, whose kitchen not only feeds hundreds of peo ple daily but also caters for residents at their two homeless shelters Llar Kurt and Llar Inge.

“Thank you once again to all the riders, sponsors and organisers of the e3 Sys tems charity ride for mak ing a positive difference to our hardworking friends at Tardor. Your fundraising means we can continue to support Tardor and other food banks and shelters over the coming months! You have made us very proud.”

Yachting Gives Back is a charity aimed at improving living conditions for the most vulnerable across Mal lorca. It said: “The yachting industry is surrounded by in credible luxury and it’s very easy to forget that people are struggling right on our doorstep!

“The superyachts, luxury villas and performance cars provide a stark contrast to an altogether different side of the Balearics.”

Their offices open three mornings a week and col lect toiletries, cleaning ma

terials, meals prepared by the yachts’ chefs, clothing, bedding and other useful items to deliver to various charitable organisations on the island.

Financial support from companies and individuals allows YGB to respond to specific needs like washing machines, fridges and other

equipment in the soup kitchens and homeless shel ters.

Organiser Nick Entwistle said: “The yachting industry is surrounded by incredible luxury and it’s very easy to forget that people are struggling right on our doorstep.”

He added: “Whether

yacht crew or service busi nesses, we are fortunate to make our living from some of the wealthiest people on the planet and many, but by no means all, of us are therefore in a position where we can easily give something back to this beautiful island community we call home.”

Cycling the world

MIQUEL SORELL is a 27­year­old Mal lorcan who defines himself as a ‘nomad’ and has set out to cycle around the world with his bike and his dog Luca.

He started his great adventure in 2019 in Africa and continued it in Eu rope, Turkey and Iraq. His next desti nation will be Mexico, where he will travel with his bike and his dog Luca with the intention of crossing the South American continent until he reaches Argentina.

“The trip could take years. In reality, I’m going to live in America, with a bi

cycle that I can use to get around,” said the Mallorcan, to which he adds that he is in “no hurry” to get to Ar gentina. He defines his lifestyle as “be ing nomadic”: being on the move with the intention of making a living from it: travelling and telling stories (which he broadcasts on his YouTube channel, his website and his Instagram ac count).

Miquel’s first adventure was in 2019 when he made his first big solo trip from East Africa to South Africa walk ing and backpacking, but not cycling.

Trans October

IN support of Trans Octo ber, on Tuesday, October 25, Palma City Council placed a trans flag on its balcony as a show of support.

The councillor for So cial Justice, Feminism, LGBTI and Quality, con firmed that: “This sym bolic act aims to accom pany the visibility of this group, which has been historically ignored and threatened. We, as an institution, must support their demands, promote their visibility and fight for the extension of their rights.”

International Day of Action for Trans Depathologi sation is celebrated every year on the third Saturday of October, an initiative that emerged in 2009 with the aim of eliminating all diagnostic categories that may affect trans people.

CYCLE DRIVE: Yachting Gives Back raised funds with a charity cycle

Showing their support

Image: Palma City Council

No-show charge

THE island’s restaurants are set to charge cus tomers who book a table and do not show up.

The Confederation of Business Associations of the Balearic Islands (CAEB) confirmed on October 23, that the aim is to give early notice of cancellations in order to avoid economic damage to businesses.

Restaurants in the Balearic Islands, particular ly those in Mallorca, are going to generalise the practice of demanding credit card details at the

time a table reservation is made in order to guaran tee that customers will

IF you are applying for a parking permit in Palma don’t expect a quick turnaround.

The Ombudsman for Citizens, Anna Moilanen, claims that she has received numerous complaints regarding the length of time it takes to process resi dents’ parking permit requests. She said the Sustainable Mobility department of Palma City Council is taking between nine and more than 12 months to process re quests and said this is due to a lack of spe

come. If they fail to do so, the restaurant will charge 20 per cent per diner in ac

cordance with the average spend per table stipulated by each establishment ac cording to its category.

The president of CAEB Restaurants, Alfonso Rob ledo, confirmed: “If you don’t cancel well in ad vance, you will be charged an amount of money, ap proximately 20 per cent of an average meal per diner, for not coming and this is legal because there are a whole series of labour and production costs involved that have to be alleviated in some way.”

Permit pussyfooting

cialised staff, to process requests.

The Ombudsman said: “The lack of suf ficient resources has provoked an unac ceptable lack of attention to those affect ed. Those who denounce the department regarding their procedures can not even obtain information on how the process is going. This lack of informa

tion generates uncertainty and defence lessness.”

The Ombudsman confirmed that her office has initiated an investigation to de termine the causes of so many com plaints and has confirmed that the de partment is experiencing a bottleneck for the processing of the parking permits.

Over 60s

THIS a friendly reminder from Age Concern in Mallorca in forming you that the Covid booster jabs are available to gether with annual flu vaccinations for everyone aged over 60.

To make an appointment call the Infocovid hotline num ber on (+34) 971 220 000. They are open daily between 8.00am and 9.00pm. Age Concern confirms that the an swering machine will speak in Spanish, but be patient, and wait until you can press option 3 for English. Should the op erator answer you in Spanish just say ‘English’ and you will be transferred to an English speaker. If you have difficulty Age Concern is happy to organise an appointment for you.

Age Concern also warns that the pandemic is not over so be careful. They recommend wearing masks when enter ing hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, chemists, buses, crowded places and anywhere you think you might need them.

Age Concern can be contacted on (+34) 678 352 040.

THE future of naval engi neering and the Spanish maritime industry will be discussed at a national sum mit to be held until Friday, October 27 in Palma at the Melia Palma Marina hotel.

The aim of the meeting, which will be attended by more than 100 naval engi neers and representatives of the nautical industry, is to

Ship ahoy

shape plans in terms of sus tainability and the commit ment to decarbonisation, energy efficiency, pollution and design.

The technical confer ences will discuss the moni toring of pollutant emis sions from cruise ships amongst many other topics.

CUSTOMERS: Who don’t show up will still be charged.

Clocks back

ON Sunday October 30, at 03.00, Daylight Saving Time ends and the clocks will be turned back one hour to 02.00. There will be more light in the morning, howev er the dark nights will be drawing in.

All aboard

THE world’s biggest cruise ship ‘The Wonder of the Seas’ paid Palma a visit on Friday, October 21. The beast measures 1,188 feet (362 m) in length across 18 decks and accommodates a maximum capacity of 6,988 passengers as well as a 2,300 crew.

Green fingers

GARDENING classes are a part of the curriculum at the International School in Mal lorca. Lucky to have so much outside space, the school hopes that gardening fun teaches children to take care of the earth and respect their environment.

Bed blocking

AN incomprehensible situa tion might stop new hotel bedrooms from being used. Under a recent law for tourism, the Council of Mal lorca is to determine what happens with new accom modation places that are cur rently ‘frozen’ and may not allow any of them.

Greenhouse gasses

THE Balearic government has increased its 2030 target for reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 40 per cent to 55 per cent while it has al so set a slightly more ambi tious target for the use of re newable energy for 40 per rather than 35 per cent.

Rich pickings

CALVIA is the second most expensive place in Spain to buy a home with an average price of €9.4 million, accord ing to data from the real es tate portal Idealista. The title of most expensive place goes to Benahavis on the Costa del Sol.

THE residents of Wifi Park have taken part in the first sowing of the season. The next planting is scheduled for Sunday, October 30, in Son Puig de Dalt park.

Around 30 people took part on Monday, October 24, and were the first partici pants in the planting scheme of the season. It took place in the Wifi Park and allowed 18 trees to be planted in front of the Guardia Civil Headquarters, which was completely remodelled last year.

The councillor of the Lle vant District, Daniel Oliveira, the general director of Ac cessibility, Toni Martín, and the general coordinator of Infrastructures, Lluís Sureda, took part in this day in which

TOURISM experts have predicted an 11 per cent rise in prices and a 19 per cent increase in costs for tourists heading to the Balearic Islands in 2023.

According to the latest survey by ‘Quaderns Gadeso’, there is also the suggestion that tourism activity will fall by 12.5 per cent.

The study details that, “after two years of pan demic and a very posi tive season, the current situation and profitabili

Dearer holidays

ty forecasts are negative and extremely marked by doubts. Inflation will be a determining factor because of its direct im pact on the purchasing power of customers and tourism costs. For this reason, it will have a par ticular impact on smaller companies.”

The survey states that 34 per cent of the busi ness owners dedicated

Breast Cancer History

EVERY year countries across the world observe Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.

The month is marked with events to raise awareness about breast cancer and its detec tion. Breast cancer can occur throughout any stage of life, including in men and pregnant women. Do you know all of the symptoms to be aware of?

Symptoms include thickening or swelling in a part of the breast or the armpit, irritation or dimpling of breast skin, pain in the nipple area, discharge from the nipple, redness or flaky skin in the nipple area and changes in the shape and size of the breast.

There is no exhaustive list of breast cancer symptoms and self‐examinations can be tricky, so make sure to check out any concerns you might have with a medical professional and at tend any breast examination appointments you are offered.

Early detection of breast cancer can save lives, so don’t delay in checking out any potential symptoms.

to tourist accommoda tion are uneasy and inse cure. This concern is ex acerbated by the increase in electricity

18 trees of different species were planted: five tipuanes (Tipuana tipu), two eritrines (Erythina caffra), five de lonixs (Delonix regia) and seven trees of l’oli de ben (Moringa oleifera).

For more information email: mesaarbre@palma. cat.

These popular sowings take place in Palma before spring and are part of the goal of planting 10,000 trees in different streets, green spaces and natural areas as an action to combat climate change.

prices which have a di rect impact on transport and the spending capaci ty of visitors.

“It is impossible to seek profitability based solely on an intensive high season,” the survey confirmed.

Toys for kids

THE RED CROSS is looking for 2,000 games and toys to distribute among chil dren in vulnerable situa tions. Under the slogan ‘Their rights at stake’, the donated gifts will be hand ed out at the beginning of the year and they hope to reach at least 1,000 chil dren in the Balearic Is lands.

Toys are not only a source of leisure, they also help to improve their communication skills and social skills. This is the or ganisation’s idea with ed ucational games for chil dren at risk whose right to leisure is not guaranteed.

Red Cross Balears ex plained that the current situation has caused many households in the country to face difficulties in meet ing their basic needs, es pecially in housing, gas, electricity, food and trans port. This progressive in crease can make them in

accessible to the most vul nerable households. As a result, the right to gamble takes a back seat for fami lies, who prioritise basic necessities.

The Red Cross would welcome any donations in the lead‐up to Christmas, for local drop of points please go to www.cruzro ja.es.

Driving mad

BALEARIC ISLAND trans port is struggling to meet the needs of tourists and 200 more drivers are needed to avoid problems by 2023.

During the summer season of 2022, there was a distinct lack of taxis at Palma airport and in other tourist areas of Mallorca. Public transport was also underrepresented.

The mayor of Palma, Jose Hila, said: “In order for everything to be more effective, a greater agree ment must be reached between town councils and inter‐municipalities in terms of transport, espe cially in the specific case of Mallorca, in order to pro vide a better service to residents and tourists.”

The Minister of Mobili ty and Housing, Josep Marí, said that: “We are concerned as a govern ment about the situation we have experienced this summer in the transport sector, with difficulties in covering the service.

“We are obliged to make a joint reflection based on responsibility. From the Directorate Gen eral of Mobility, we are committed to drawing up a plan of measures for the coming season to guaran tee passenger transport.”

The Euro Weekly News

publishes more

action to combat climate change.

Sowing season Image: Palma City Council

both

in

PALMA City Council is set to extend free bus travel for those under 18, main

Parliamentary clash

A CONTROVERSIAL tribute to feminist Aurora Picornell is planned early January on the anniversary of her assassination.

Aurora Picornell, the activist and trade unionist was killed dur ing the Civil War in 1937, on the eve of the Epiphany and her re mains were identified on Thursday, October 20, in a mass grave in the cemetery of Son Coletes de Manacor.

The Vice­President of the Balearic Islands, Juan Pedro Yllanes, has explained that the tribute is pending with a date to be agreed with Picornell family, but has pointed out that it will be close to the Epiphany, coinciding with the 85th anniversary of her death.

This has caused friction among the parliamentary groups as these types of declarations are only made if there is unanimity among all the parliamentary groups. The PSOE, has accused the right of taking a position against it.

Get hooked

tain the 50 per cent dis count on all season tickets and allow the residents’

card to be topped up on line.

The mayor of Palma, Jose Hila, also announced that next year not only will no taxes be raised, but also th e IBI rebates will be extended in certain cases.

IBI (Impuesto Bienes In muebles) is a property tax levied by the local town hall and is usually 0.85 per cent of the cadastral value (valor catastral).

The mayor added that the 50 per cent rebate on property tax for sub sidised housing will be ex tended from five to 10 years. He also verified that for the next three to six years there will be a re bate on property tax for new sustainable facilities, with the rebate being 100 per cent of the investment if the properties are for residential use.

A tax increase of 50 per cent will be implemented for those who accumulate more than 10 properties which are permanently unoccupied.

IN search of the sun Olympic gold medallist, Tom Daley, was spotted building sandcas tles on a beach in Mallorca. Joined by husband, Dustin Lance Black and three-year-old son, the threesome have been seen enjoying walks in the city.

American film director and screenwriter, Dustin, who is 20 years Tom’s senior, first met back in 2013 and have since welcomed their son born via a surrogate, Robbie Ray, into the world in 2018. Following Robbie’s birth four years ago, fans have only ever seen the back of the tot’s head or images which conceal his face.

Tom managed to find time for a spot of tennis whilst on the Balearic Island after working hard to promote his new book on crocheting and knitting. Super crafter Tom in spired the world with his knitting when he competed at the Olympics in Tokyo in 2021 and has recently released ‘Made with Love: Get Hooked with 30 Knitting and Cro chet Patterns’.

Lower taxes Square facelift

WORKS began in the Placa de Paul Casalas de Santa Catalina in a bid to make access to the square better and renovate the paving while preserving the same design, tone and feel.

The Infrastructure De

partment is investing €340,000 in the project which began the week commencing Monday, Oc tober 25, and will last ap proximately two and a half months.

The councillor of Infras tructures and Accessibility, Angelica Pastor confirmed: “We are starting the work that will make this square, which is a nerve centre of Santa Catalina, accessible.”

The Infrastructure De partment will renovate the 2,600 square metres of paving in the square and in Calle Monterrey and Calle Cervantes located just in front of the square. The aim of this work is to im prove the accessibility of this meeting point in the neighbourhood.

The councillor claimed that this request meets a historical demand of the neighbourhood. “These are works that will make this square, which is a focal point for socialising in Santa Catalina, accessible,” he confirmed.

More art please

FOUNDED in 1986 by Jule Kewenig, the Kewenig Gallery is a home to painters and con ceptualist artists alike and establish es dialogues be tween different generations and cultures.

The gallery is the meeting point for a tour, based on dif ferent artists, with an interesting dia logue explaining more about the pro jects that make up this year’s Nit del Art. Alongside this, Art Palma Contem porani and Fun dación ARCO, in col laboration with the city councils of Pal ma, Andratx and Pollença reaffirm their commitment to the public, with a determined desire to bring contempo rary creation closer to all those interest ed in the latest art.

This event pro poses a guided tour, of the exhibi tions shown in the following places: the Kewenig gallery, the Casal Solleric, the Pep LLabrés gallery and the Xavier Fiol gallery.

For one more month, Art Palma Contemporani strives to bring art to the public and donates a boost to a programme bring ing together the artists of the Nit del Art and the public.

Kewenig Gallery 4A Carrer de Sant Gaietà 07012 Palma Friday October 28, 17.00 ­ 18.30

A spot of tennis.

Image: Tom Daley/Facebook

Fatal fall

A 75-YEAR-OLD woman of Irish nationality died on, Sunday, October 23, in the munici pality of Escorca in the north west of the is land. She suffered an accident while on an excursion, in which she fell from a cliff at a height of around 10 metres. As a result of the fall, she incurred serious injuries and tragically died at the scene.

The deceased had departed with a group of friends on a trip through the Puig Roig, near the town of Escorca. The incident that claimed the woman’s life occurred in a mountainous area known as the Pas d’en Segarra.

At the time of the accident, a call was im mediately placed to the emergency ser vices requesting urgent medical assistance.

Units from the Guardia Civil’s mountain rescue department were deployed, along with members of the Mallorca Fire Brigade.

On arrival at the scene of the accident, the emergency services verified that there was nothing they could do to help the woman, who possibly died instantly after her fatal fall.

The woman reportedly lost her balance and fell from the cliff, as reported by the lo cal press.

Mountain heroes

THERE has been a wave of mountain rescues in Mallorca, more than usual for this time of year.

Over the space of three days, the Guardia Civil and the firefighters of Mallorca have taken

part in seven rescues for accidents in wild areas of the island resulting in one fatality and six seri ous injuries.

Various injuries from a young girl suffering from a sprained ankle while out on a school trip to a

woman who had been bitten, probably by a spi der fish, on the beach of Clara, in Betlem.

Several rescues were made in mountainous regions where heli copters were dispatched to assist.

THE Platges Rescue Service car ried out three training events at the beach in Palma.

Five people took part in the training, which involved a rescue boat, a jet ski, a Mar itime Rescue helicopter, an internal ambulance with platforms and rescue materi al, oxygen therapy and AED equipment.

The coordinator of the Envi ronment Department of Pal ma City Council, Nicolau Canyelles, was present at the training and congratulated the entire team for their work

Bay Watch

throughout the season.

“The work of the lifeguard and lifeguard service is essen tial on our beaches,” he said.

The training was carried out as planned and lasted one hour.

Three different test situa tions were simulated. The first was an accident between a boat and a swimmer, resulting in practice on how to deal with an accident due to someone

being hit by a boat.

The second exercise consist ed of transferring a pretend corpse into the water and the third consisted of rescuing a swimmer 100 metres from the lifeguard tower.

These training events allow assessment and improve the performance of the lifeguards in the face of possible emer gencies encountered in their work.

Guided tours

YOU are now able to visit the ‘regenerate’ project in the neighbourhood of Gomila thanks to the guided tours of fered by the Open House Ar chitecture Festival.

A total of 60 homes of dif ferent sizes, qualities and prices have been built. The main intention of the project is to buy disused buildings to ‘renovate and give a boost’ to

the neighbourhood and re cover the ‘heyday’ that Gomi la experienced in the 1950s.

In addition, the complex is conceived as a residential pro gramme in which offices, small shops and restaurants will coexist. The intention is to promote life in the neighbour hood and restore the essence of the place.

The president of the El Ter

reno Residents Association, Teresa Alonso, said: “Housing is being offered to long­term residents, it would not suit us if they were converted into second homes because what we want is for the neighbour hood to come alive, for it not to degrade any further and for the blocks not to remain empty for many months and days of the year.”

ESCORCA: The woman died at the scene.

Star magic

LEONARDO DICAPRIO visit ed Barcelona last week in a visit that largely went unno ticed as per the actor’s re quest.

According to a national news site, on Monday, Octo ber 24 the actor had visited a number of venues in the city along with friends and stayed on a luxury yacht rather than in the city.

The actor’s security team ensured that no photographs or news of the actor’s visit were published prior to his departure. He apparently asked that people respect his privacy and allow him to en joy the city without interrup tions or being mobbed.

DiCaprio attended a small 30­minute magic show that was performed at El Rei de la Màgia store. It is understood that DiCaprio also visited the Basilica of the Sagrada Família, and Gatsby restau rant and nightclub.

News of the visit only came to light after images started to appear online, the main one being published on the magic store’s Twitter feed.

Inflation ‘cushion’

RELIEF has been shown at a suggested financial ‘cushion’ of €20 million to counteract the effects of spiralling infla tion in the Spanish govern ment’s new budget. The Spanish government sent their 2023 budget to the Eu ropean Commission on Oc tober 15 and are now await ing its approval.

The left­wing govern ment has introduced an in crease in various taxes to fund special measures to see the country through the cost of living crisis, and aims to raise an extra €10 million in tax in 2023 to fund measures including

the inflation ‘cushion’.

Part of the inflation ‘cush ion’ could be used to fund social services including pensions and minimum wage, but the majority of the funds will be used to fund subsidies including for energy bills, fuel costs and direct aid to the agricultural sector.

The government has not yet revealed its complete plans for the financial cush ion and critics have ex pressed concern that funds raised through borrowing and increased tax will not be sufficient to fund the proposed measures.

BARCELONA: DiCaprio visited various venues in the city.

THE government of Catalo nia on Thursday, October 20, fined budget airline Ryanair €40,000 for making it difficult for users to reim burse flights that were can celled due to the coron avirus pandemic.

Sources from the agency confirmed that following a complaint by the Federation of Urban Areas of the Ca

Airfare fines

nary Islands (Facua), the fine was imposed by the Agen cia Catalana del Consum (ACC). The autonomous body explained that the

Disaster alert test

THE Spanish government is to test its disaster alert system by sending messages to mobile phones over the next three weeks.

The Civil Protection service said from October 24 to November 16, that it would start the ES‐Alert system tests in different regions on different days.

They have assured residents they should not be alarmed by the test nor should they think that it is a scam, but they should take note of how the test will work.

Phones that receive the alert will hear their device whistle and vibrate until the user confirms receipt of the message. The alert will contain a written message which once ac knowledged, the alarm and vibration will stop.

Apart from acknowledging receipt, you don’t have to do anything else.

The government initially considered using text messages, however, they settled on a cell broadcast which has better, faster and wider coverage.

The only downside of the system, is that it only connects to smartphones.

sanction responds to ‘un fair’ commercial practices by action or omission prac tised by the airline that caused, or may have caused, economic issues for users that they would not otherwise have had.

Facua denounced Ryanair in March 2020 for ‘exces sively stretching’ the maxi

mum term for the refund of the amounts. This came af ter the airline informed them that it could take up to 28 days after the refund request, despite the fact that European regulations (Article 8 of European Regu lation 261/2004) require it to be done within seven days.

More strike action

SPANISH airline Vueling is facing three months of crippling strike action fol lowing the call by their main union Stavla for stop pages.

The strike announced on Saturday, October 22 will see cabin crew members walk out every Friday, Sunday and Monday be tween November 1 and January 31.

The crew will also stop work on November 1, 6, 8,

24 and December 31 of this year and January 5, 2023, all key holiday dates in Spain.

A spokesperson for Stavla told a national news outlet that the strike is a result of “the absence of significant progress in the negotiation of the collec tive agreement and the lack of any real intention demonstrated by Vueling to resolve wage demands of cabin crew.”

They added that the union has called for a pay rise of 13.4 per cent and are prepared to continue with the strikes indefinite ly if there is no resolution.

Vueling’s owners IAG have accused the union of being impractical and claim to have already pro vided staff with a 6.5 per cent pay rise.

RYANAIR: Made it difficult to obtain refunds during Covid.

Spain’s 2023 budget and tax plans

The Spanish state and au tonomous community regional governments have been busy plan ning their budgets for 2023. There have been various statements over recent weeks, so here we sum marise the key tax elements.

While Andalucía hit the headlines first with the announcement that it was effectively abolishing wealth tax in the region, this was quickly fol lowed by the national government outlining its plans to introduce a new state ‘solidarity tax on large for tunes’ for the next two years.

With inflation continuing to im pact households, businesses and the economy, the Spanish government is looking to redistribute wealth by in creasing taxes on the very wealthy and reducing taxation for those on low incomes.

Solidarity tax on large fortunes

The biggest announcement so far is the proposed introduction of the new impuesto de solidaridad a las

By Cathal Rochford, Partner, Blevins Franks

grandes fortunas. The bill has not been published yet and details of how it will work are limited, but the key points we know so far are:

• It is proposed as a temporary measure for the 2023 and 2024 tax years.

• It will be imposed on those with a net wealth over €3 million.

• Progressive tax rates will range from 1.7% to 3.5%.

• Taxpayers will not pay both wealth taxes in full – the amount paid in the regular wealth tax will be deducted from the solidarity tax lia bility.

• This tax is being imposed at state level

This all still needs to be debated and passed by parliament, so it is possible these proposals may change or it does not get approved.

Savings tax to be increased

Another key proposal to improve tax revenue next year is to increase the rate applied to high levels of sav ings income. This covers interest, dividends, capital gains made on the sale or transfer of assets, income de rived from life assurance contracts and purchased annuity income.

If approved, the progressive rates applied to savings income above €200,000 will increase from 26% to 27%, and income over €300,000 will be taxed at 28%.

This measure is included in the General State Budget Act for 2023 which will be debated, amended and approved by Parliament.

Tax cuts at state level

The Budget Act also includes re ductions in personal income tax rates for low earners for 2023 and 2024.

If approved, the reduced rate of income tax will apply to individuals earning under €21,000 a year, an in crease from the current €18,000. Those earning less than €15,000 will be exempt from income tax (cur rently €14,000).

Corporate income tax will reduce from 25% to 23% for businesses with net annual turnover under €1 million.

Balearic Islands

Fiscal incentives announced by the regional prime minister include a deduction of 90% of the tax base for corporate and income tax for nonresidents who promote job creation

in the islands.

Besides the local initiatives, Spain’s state General Budget Act 2023 also introduces a special tax system for the Balearic Islands, to bring it more in line with the Canary Islands.

These annual budgets are a good prompt to review your tax planning each year. Consider what rules have changed, bearing in mind that you may not be aware of all of them, and check whether you are making the most of all the available allowances and tax-efficient opportunities. For the best results, and to make sure you have not missed anything, take specialist, personalised advice.

Tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any statements concerning tax ation are based upon our understand ing of current taxation laws and prac tices which are subject to change. Tax information has been summarised; in dividuals should seek personalised ad vice.

Chris King

THE British Netflix series

‘The Crown’ turned Plaza de Francesc Macià in Barcelona into a film set for scenes of the sixth season on Saturday, Oc tober 22. Filming had originally been interrupt ed in September due to the death of Queen Eliza beth II.

Square transformation

Specifically, scenes were being shot in which a replica of the car in which Lady Di died in Paris in 1997 appeared. It was recreating a pa parazzi chase of the

princess, played by the actress Elizabeth Debicki.

There were more than 20 cars, four motorcycles, and a bus from the era, as well as other props that transformed the

street into a boulevard in Paris, along with extras dressed as French police officers.

The filming caused traf fic cuts in a part of Plaza de Francesc Macià, in the

uphill lane of Avenida Pau Casals, and in some sections of the adjoining streets.

Filming continued on Sunday October 23, until late in the evening.

Pipeline plans

PEDRO SANCHEZ, the Spanish President, an nounced on, Thursday, October 20, that an agreement had been reached between Spain, Portugal, and France to construct a pipeline be tween the Iberian peninsula and the rest of Eu rope.

This decision sees a huge U­turn by French President Emmanuel Macron, who had until re cently refused to admit the need for such a pipeline to be built.

The new project has been dubbed a ‘Green En ergy Corridor’ by President Sanchez. Speaking on

his arrival at an EU energy crisis summit on Thurs day October 20, Mr Sanchez explained: “We have agreed to a new project to be called the Green Energy Corridor to link the Iberian peninsula to France and therefore to the European energy market between Barcelona and Marseille.”

These facilities are an asset that will now help the rest of Europe boost imports once the link is completed. France already has a large network of gas connections throughout Europe but Spain currently only has two low­capacity connections to that network.

Restrictions scrapped

THE Spanish Ministry of the Interior announced on Thurs day, October 20, that from 00.01am on Friday October 21, all remaining Covid re strictions for travellers from non­European Union/Schen gen Area countries entering the country are now scrapped, as reported by SchengenVisaInfo.com.

A spokesperson for the Spanish Ministry of Health said that such a decision had been made after taking into

consideration the Covid­19 situation in the country and further in the world, as well as the vaccination rates.

“Taking into account the evolution of the pandemic at a global level and the epi demiological situation, it is advisable to leave without effect the sanitary control measures for people from countries not belonging to the European Union or with the consideration of coun tries Schengen partners,” the

Ministry stressed.

With the UK half­term holidays this week, it means that holidaymakers were free to come and go at liber ty without the need to be vaccinated, prove their vac cine status, or present a Covid test.

Most of Europe had al ready done away with entry requirements, leaving Spain as one of the few destina tions still asking for entry re quirements post­pandemic.

BARCELONA: Filming took place for the Netflix series, The Crown.

AGE IN SPAIN: Moving across Spain

IT’S one thing to move to Spain, find your dream home, and stay put. Learning all the ins and outs of an area is exciting and frustrating at the same time. Eventually, it becomes like muscle memory, and you barely have to think about it.

But what if the first place you land in Spain is n’t your forever home? If you thought moving to Spain proved interesting, moving to another Span ish region will throw you for a loop. Because now you have experience and expectations.

Moving to Galicia from Valencia meant we need ed to relearn all those things we took for grant

ed. Changing the address on our driving licences was almost more chal lenging than getting the permit in the first place. And locating peanut but ter in an unfamiliar gro cery store chain? Good luck. But the most diffi cult is completing our visa renewals in an area where we struggled to find the correct office to begin the process.

After determining how to submit the paper work, we celebrated our visa approvals. But our revelry would be short‐lived. We needed the fin gerprint appointment with the National Police and to determine what we should bring to the meeting to obtain our new NIE cards. Each re gion is different.

I turned to Google, found the office, and made the cita previa on line. Even criminals leave Google reviews for the police in Spain. And I was pleasantly surprised to see they gave the place 4.3 stars. I eat at places and stay in hotels with fewer stars. Welcome news since the province where we lived previous ly had an Oficina de Ex tranjeria with a well‐earned rating of 1.9 stars. Personally, I would have gone lower.

At last, the day arrived, and our NIE appointment in Galicia lived up to the Google hype. Who knew bureaucrats could laugh? Surely, the quickest and friendliest appointment in Spanish bureaucratic history.

Age in Spain. www.ageinspain.org Email: info@ageinspain.org - Tel: +34 932 209 741

End of endangerment

Betty Henderson

A GROUNDBREAKING rewilding project in areas of eastern Spain is bringing back an cient and near‐extinct species. The revival project is introducing animals including se mi‐wild horses, the Iberian lynx, black vul tures and ‘tauro’ cattle to rural areas in the Iberian Chain.

Rewilding Europe is carrying out its first project in Spain, in the Iberian Highlands Rewilding Landscape project, which aims to increase biodiversity and nature tourism opportunities.

Project leader, Pablo Scapira explained “Spanish cities have a lot of people who are

looking for special places to see nature, so the tourist potential of this area is huge.”

The area in the Iberian Highlands is locat ed around two hours from Madrid and two and a half hours from Valencia.

The space was selected due to its low population density, where there are just two residents for every square kilometre, as well as the natural landscape, featuring expansive valleys and canyons with pine and oak forests.

Scientists are releasing the species in small groups and will track them to moni tor breeding developments and move ments.

Record temperatures

AN autumn heatwave has brought record tem peratures in parts of Spain with average tem peratures running at 2.9ºC higher than usual

A meteorologist said on Tuesday, October 17 that the day was the hottest on record with temperatures set to reach near highs in the south, centre and north

of the country.

The highest tempera tures previously record ed on this day were in the Andalucian capital Sevilla in 2017 when the thermometer hit 35.7ºC.

The weather site says that tropical nights have continued into October with temperatures re maining above 20ºC in

many parts of the coun try since May. Both the high temperatures in the day and the night are said to continue, al though storms are set to arrive.

Experts say that glob al warming remains a threat as an autumn heatwave in Spain brings record tempera tures.

Medieval music

THE Música Antiga festival continues on October 29 and 30, where young children will be able to enjoy a puppet and me dieval music show by Ensemble Musi cantes and Grup de Teatre Tantachá.

The aim is to bring ancient and tradition al music to children’s audiences. Among the Música Antiga programme, highlights include the soprano Raquel Andueza and cellist Josetxu Obregón performing in the Xesc Forteza municipal theatre. In addition, Acadèmica 1750 will offer a concert with works by Bach and Mozart.

On Saturday November 5, it will be the turn of the Valencian Harmonia del Parnàs, with a performance centred on the Spanish‐American musical heritage, with historical criteria and instruments. The festival will be brought to a close on

November 26 by Forma Antiqva with the concert ‘Farándula castiza. Cartelera in strumental de corrales y coliseos’.

Full programme: https://www.palma cultura.cat/documentos/D_3318.pdf or call for more information: 971 720 135.

Classic Halloween Symphony Orchestra

THE Mallorca Classic Car Club, ‘Trick or Treat’ October car run will be on Sunday October 30 and will feature a small Halloween themed competition for any drivers that are interest ed followed by a meal at Mallorca Country Club.

Drivers will meet at Café Palmanova, Amadip Esment at 10.30am before taking on a scenic route around locations including Calvia, and Es Capdella.

Drivers will then enjoy a meal at the Mallor ca Country Club in Santa Ponsa, the meal op tions include a salmon teriyaki dish with a vegetable wok, a chicken dish with mush room risotto, and a vegetarian wok. The meal costs €40 for members and €45 for non‐mem bers and includes half a bottle of wine, water and coffee for each guest.

Register at the following link to attend the car run: https://ccc‐mallorca.com/events/hal loween‐trick‐or‐treat‐car‐run/ or send an email to: info@ccc‐mallorca.com

ALTAMENT SENSIBLE is a con cert with the most popular repertoire of the Menorcan mu sician Cris Juanico in symphonic key. It opens and unfolds the most significant themes of Juani co’s career (from the group Ja T’ho Diré to the present day) with the colours, nuances and sensibilities of the instruments of an orchestra.

Tickets are now on sale. The concert takes place on Saturday, November 5, at 8.00pm at Teatre d’Arta, C. de Ciutat, 1, 07570 Ar ta.

more information call (+34) 971 829 700.

Photo credit: https://www.culturalpalma.com

Bar Rumba: Great drinks in a warm and friendly atmosphere

LIKE many of us who have made a new life in Spain, Terina and her husband fell in love with Mallorca while spending their holidays here. Planning on moving to the island when they re tired, the pair questioned why they should wait. So, 13 years ago they left Eng land for Mallorca and never looked back!

After working for the pre vious owner for two years Terina took over Bar Rumba three years ago, and the bar remains somewhere locals and visitors love to frequent for their wide variety of drinks, freshly made sangria and cocktails, a selection of excellent pies, their bright and sunny outdoor seating area, television screens showing music and sports, and the welcoming atmo sphere from the staff.

Having worked in different bars and restaurants before, Terina decided to take over Bar Rumba and her love of Salsa dancing inspired her to keep its long‐standing name ‐ which is known across the island by customers who have been returning for over 30 years!

The bar hosts great events over the winter, including themed quiz nights, darts nights and tarot reading

evenings with the White Witch, where you’ll get to know the locals and visitors and leave feeling like part of the Bar Rumba family.

With their roots from the UK and their time spent in Mallorca, Bar Rumba com bines the two cultures per fectly in a bar that is open all‐year‐round.

When Dolly met Dolly

A BRITISH tribute act lauded by Dolly Par ton and Kenny Rogers love to perform in Spain, but their last tour was cancelled due to the pandemic.

Married couple Sarah Jayne and Andy Crust were delighted when Dolly said “I wish them the best and appreciate them doing Dolly and Kenny so well for so long,” whilst Kenny said “Europe’s lead ing Dolly and Kenny.”

Speaking to Euro Weekly News, Sarah Jayne explained that she had sounded a lot like Dolly since she was a child and joined the great legends show aged 17 in Jersey and has been perfecting her style ever since.

After several years as a solo Dolly trib ute, she started working with her hus band Andy as a duo and then expanded the act to create the Country Superstars fronting a seven­piece band who be tween them pay their respects to their favourite country superstars.

“For some of the Christmas shows, our 11­year­old daughter Lucy who loves to perform will be joining us on stage as the young Dolly Parton,” the proud Sarah

Jayne explained.

They are so popular that their current UK tour is confirmed until Christmas 2023 and they are already taking bookings for 2024.

“We enjoyed our solo dates in Spain and were so looking forward to coming back, but the current demand for the show in the UK means that we just don’t have any spare time at the moment and

whilst it is relatively easy to tour with the band here in Britain, the difficulty and cost of bringing the whole show over is prohibitive,” Sarah Jayne told us.

Dolly met Dolly as she and Andy per formed for her on the BBC One Show a few years ago and since then, they have been sponsored by the Tennessee Tourist Board in the USA and raise funds for sev eral charities including the Dolly Parton

Imagination Library.

When Dolly was growing up the family was poor and she realised that her father could not read and write and as she be came wealthy, she decided to do what she could to help children learn to read.

From a local Tennessee programme started in 1995, the library has grown to include Australia, Canada, Republic of Ire land, United Kingdom, and the United States of America and amazingly, the Li brary has for some years been sending books to every child up to the age of five living on the remote volcanic island of Tristan da Cunha.

Having been the voice and face of Dolly for more than 28 years, Sarah Jayne re called that one of the many highlights in her professional life was to be invited to the O2 in London to be part of Dolly’s Better Day tour in 2011 and Blue Smoke tour in 2014 meeting and greeting guests.

In the words of one of Dolly and Ken ny’s song You Can’t Make Old Friends, but it’s clear that Sarah Jayne and Andy are spending their time making plenty of new ones.

PAYING RESPECTS: The Country Superstars on stage.

PRESSEUROPEAN

DENMARK

Flight tax

IT appears that the Danish people are in favour of a green air strategy as a recent survey by Epinion on behalf of DR Nyheder showed that the majority are happy to pay the new tax of 13 kroner (€1.75) with more than half prepared to pay even more.

THE NETHERLANDS

Polly gone

ALMOST as bizarre as the Monty Python dead parrot sketch, a court in Den Bosch fined a balloonist €55,000 plus costs as compensation to the owner of three rare parrots which died of fright as the balloonist fired up his burner just 50 metres above their aviary.

BELGIUM

Car sharing

IN order to try to reduce car ownership in the centre of Brussels, the city council now allows short term rentals (locally referred to as car sharing) of up to 14 days rather than the previous three and is encouraging new companies to offer their fleets.

GERMANY

Royal visit

HAVING had to postpone their state visit to Germany planned for last year due to the pandemic, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia finally arrived to a wet welcome in Berlin on Monday October 17, where they met with both the German President and Chancellor.

FRANCE

Red card

REPORTS have appeared in French media that Qatari owned football club Paris St Germaine appointed an agency to recruit expert hackers and Twitter users in order to carry out a campaign against anyone who criticised the club and targets included PSG’s own Kylian Mbappé.

NORWAY

Shaman shame

THERE is controversy in the Norwegian Royal Family as Princess Martha Louise, fourth in line to the throne, has been accused of exploiting her title to help promote the work of her American fiancé Durek Verrett, a selfproclaimed healer and shaman who sells a coronavirus ‘cure’.

FINLAND

Raking it in

IGNORING Halloween, there is another tradition in Helsinki where volunteers are invited to the pretty Kaivopuisto Park between 11am and 3pm on Sunday October 30 where they will be issued with garden rakes and bags and asked to rake up the tons of dead leaves which have fallen.

IRELAND

Safer Xmas

IN anticipation of a cold winter, the Irish government has introduced a ban on evictions should tenants fall into debt and although notice of termination may be issued now, the earliest date that tenants will be required to leave will be April of next year.

ITALY

Cemetery shock

LUCKILY there were no visitors to the Poggioreale cemetery in Naples on Monday October 17 after a huge wall collapsed (said to be caused by vibrations from subway work) and left a number of coffins literally hanging in mid-air for the second time this year.

PORTUGAL

Showtime

NO need for a dish as SkyShowtime, which arrived in Portugal on October 25 allows those who pay a flat fee of €4.99 per month to view a whole raft of different content including popular series and blockbuster films from a range of studios online.

UKRAINE

No arms

IRANIAN Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani has publicly declared that Iran takes a stance of “active neutrality” in the Ukraine war and was opposed to the continuation of the war from the beginning. In addition, he denies that Iran is sending arms to Russia.

SWEDEN

Green shock

THE new right-wing government in Sweden has decided to reduce the power of the Ministry of Environment and the green movement by scrapping it (previously its minister sat in the cabinet) and making green matters subject to control by a department within another ministry.

is the amount that Credit Suisse hopes to make through the sale of its shares in Spanish investment company Allfunds.

BUSINESS EXTRA Power surge

Pandemic funds not frozen

Wooing Madrid

WITH an eye not just on Spain but also the potentially lucrative Latin American mar ket, a group of business peo ple representing 20 compa nies from Monaco visited Madrid for two days to ex plore avenues of cooperation following a recent meeting between Prince Albert II and King Felipe VI.

Foreign workers

THE number of foreign work ers registered with the social security system in Spain con tinues to rise and by the end of September totalled 2,439,668, an increase of 19,791 on the previous month which represents slightly more than 12 per cent of the total of registered workers.

Zara seconds

FOLLOWING a trend set by a number of other clothing companies, Zara has an nounced that with effect from November 3, customers in the UK will be able to take advantage of an in‐store ser vice to sell, repair or donate second‐hand clothes to help the environment.

Profits down

INSURER Línea Directa’s in come from premiums charged increased by 4.1 per cent in the first nine months of 2022, to €710.7 million but net profit of €58.3 million was 32 per cent down from the previous year, caused in part by increased repair costs.

Sephora returns

IT was 17 years ago that French retailer of personal care and beauty products Sephora exited the UK, but it now intends to return to one of the top three European markets for these products, firstly online and then by opening a flagship store.

CLAIMS that the EU has frozen Span ish pandemic funds are false accord ing to EU Commission spokesperson Veerle Nuyts. For more than a week, there were claims on social media and even through some news outlets that because Spain had not complied with certain audit deadlines, the Euro pean Union had decided not to make any further payments from the Re covery Fund. It is suggested that re spected US news outlet Bloomberg had inadvertently fuelled the rumour after publishing the fact that Spain had missed a deadline last month to implement a new auditing system re

ORDINARY investors can see which banks have green roots and which are continuing to invest in environmentally un friendly operations.

There is a fine line to follow when one consid ers that regardless of long‐term plans for the future, there is still a cur rent need for companies to produce petrol and diesel for vehicles and heating as well as for those who still wish to fly.

Some of us don’t really care about the affect on the environment whilst others want to take a stand and try to support green initiatives wherev er possible and a new website MotherTree has just created a ranking of

quired to unlock money from the EU’s Pandemic Recovery Fund.

Each country is required to supply evidence that they are using the mon ey received in a manner in accor dance with agreements put in place to ensure that they are complying with the laid‐out procedure.

In the event that they don’t then the Commission has the power to freeze the funds until such time as the terms have been met.

According to a statement by Veerle Nuyts, Spain has so far received all of the money that it has requested al though when it asks for the third

tranche of payment, the European Commission will review the situation at the time.

Her actual words were “Spain has satisfactorily fulfilled all of the mile stones and targets linked to all pay ment requests submitted to date, and the financing linked to these has been disbursed, after approval by the Member States.”

It is currently expected that the next request will be placed before the EU sometime in the second week of November and that is when a deci sion concerning payment will be made.

Green roots

and is also the equivalent of the emissions caused if you ate a cheeseburger every day for a year.

MUCH has been said and written about Bitcoin over the years and the price has risen from the cost of a pizza to that of a decent luxu ry car and then bounced back.

Its latest problem comes from the European Commission which is considering inviting Member States to ban the mining of Bit coins (this is done using linked computers to create new Bitcoins) as there is a tremendous use of electricity to do this.

Energy consumption world wide in this mining has more than doubled in the last two years and some miners have resorted to tapping into public cables to steal electricity thanks to the energy cri sis.

Meta sale

GIANT social media group Meta (owner of Facebook) appealed a decision by the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) which instructed them to sell American company Giphy as it ar gued that the takeover would lim it other social media platforms’ ac cess to GIFs. Having taken an in‐depth review of the situation, the CMA is sticking to its guns con cluding that by denying or limiting other social media platforms’ ac cess to Giphy GIFs it could push people to Meta‐owned sites.

In addition, it could require Gi phy customers, such as TikTok, Twitter and Snapchat, to provide more data from UK users in order to access Giphy GIFs.

Britain’s banks and their green credentials.

It might seem strange to accuse a bank of being a creator of CO2, but it’s all to do with where they invest or lend the money that they look after for their customers and it turns out that according

to MotherTree, Barclays Bank creates the equiva lent of 0.29 tonnes of car bon a year for every £1,000 in a current ac count with them.

To put this into con text, flying from the UK to Rome and back seven times produces less CO2

Most of the big banks fare badly and in fairness, the free service does pre sumably receive some form of financial advan tage when it highlights green investments, which it says can offer better interest rates than the ‘big four’.

It should also be noted that MotherTree makes it clear on its website that it does not offer fi nancial advice, but sim ply points out options that exist.

IF you are irritated with all of the ads that pop up on Facebook and other social media platforms, the next step will be when you are being transported by Uber.

The ‘mini cab’ company is up grading its software to create Journey Ads which will target your mobile application prior to the arrival of your car as well as during your journey with differ ent adverts from a single compa ny. This coupled with other new advertising formats means that the company hopes to increase annual worldwide advertising revenue to $1 billion by the end of 2024.

EU FUNDING: Pedro Sánchez and Ursula von der Leyen agreed terms.

3I Group 1.085,50 1.105,50 1.084,50 101,60K

Abrdn 149,75 152,50 148,85 590,97K

Admiral Group 1.949,0 1.975,0 1.943,5 57,06K

Anglo American 2.663,0 2.717,5 2.647,5 336,09K

Antofagasta 1.103,00 1.145,50 1.096,50 47,62K

Ashtead Group 4.253,0 4.347,0 4.234,0 48,56K

Associated British Foods 1.317,5 1.348,5 1.314,5 69,19K

AstraZeneca 9.660,0 9.747,7 9.630,5 8,14K

Auto Trader Group Plc 502,60 505,40 493,10 540,54K

Aveva 3.143,0 3.154,0 3.139,0 70,51K

Aviva 408,40 417,50 407,10 717,54K

B&M European Value Retail SA301,39 308,90 300,60 369,08K

BAE Systems 802,00 813,40 799,20 808,33K

Barclays 146,88 150,50 145,44 5,38M

Barratt Developments 350,90 359,90 349,90 608,71K

Berkeley 3.340,0 3.412,0 3.330,0 42,77K

BHP Group Ltd 2.158,00 2.193,00 2.146,00 323,74K

BP 461,05 467,85 458,29 403,37K

British American Tobacco 3.330,0 3.347,5 3.314,5 234,18K

British Land Company 342,80 353,50 341,50 297,36K

BT Group 124,20 126,55 124,03 630,63K

Bunzl 2.720,0 2.741,5 2.724,0 4,30K

Burberry Group 1.830,5 1.839,5 1.805,5 103,08K

Carnival 622,4 636,6 620,6 60,24K

Centrica 67,34 68,80 66,96 1,73M

Coca Cola HBC AG 1.935,0 1.950,0 1.930,5 30,12K

Compass 1.841,00 1.853,00 1.829,50 198,62K

CRH 2.980,5 3.023,5 2.962,5 73,92K

Croda Intl 6.606,0 6.652,0 6.554,0 27,41K

DCC 4.766,0 4.822,0 4.752,0 8,57K

Diageo 3.589,0 3.624,5 3.581,0 259,45K

DS Smith 282,40 285,30 278,30 403,87K

EasyJet 320,90 332,20 319,37 163,06K

Experian 2.704,0 2.735,0 2.699,0 128,10K

Ferguson 9.226,0 9.308,0 9.166,0 38,48K

Flutter Entertainment 10.665,0 10.880,0 10.625,0 16,04K

Fresnillo 704,20 724,40 700,60 172,87K

Glencore 492,30 501,60 489,45 5,43M

GSK

1.373,70

89,09K

Intermediate Capital 999,40 1.018,50 993,40 50,83K

Intertek 3.709,0 3.744,0 3.697,0 16,06K

ITV 65,36 66,70 65,05 242,81K

J Sainsbury 185,35 189,80 184,70 434,11K

Johnson Matthey 1.917,0 1.942,0 1.903,0 104,23K

Land Securities 527,40 545,40 526,00 248,76K

Legal & General 230,00 235,60 229,50 637,83K

Lloyds Banking 42,05 43,01 41,94 26,70M

London Stock Exchange 7.370,0 7.516,0 7.318,0 58,28K

Melrose Industries 103,95 106,50 103,35 3,04M

Mondi 1.473,50 1.479,00 1.447,00 85,14K

National Grid 905,00 916,20 902,00 1,01M

NatWest Group 237,70 242,70 236,00 3,86M

Next 4.790,0 4.897,0 4.783,0 33,15K

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

Ocado 478,30 495,80 472,80 473,29K

Persimmon 1.241,5 1.268,0 1.227,0 338,94K

Phoenix 537,20 546,00 536,40 228,97K

Prudential 828,80 867,60 820,00 1,87M

Reckitt Benckiser 5.909,0 5.964,0 5.888,6 4,81K

Relx 2.241,00 2.255,00 2.222,00 282,40K

Rentokil 508,00 510,20 503,60 477,90K

Rightmove 470,20 472,70 464,80 259,37K

Rio Tinto PLC 4.710,0 4.765,0 4.674,0 32,52K

Rolls-Royce Holdings 73,26 75,94 73,10 3,54M

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

Sage 712,60 720,00 710,00 103,38K

Samsung Electronics DRC 987,40 996,00 986,00 1,88K Schroders 380,0 386,9 380,0 8,17K

Scottish Mortgage 732,29 748,98 731,00 309,69K

Segro 734,40 753,20 731,40 766,44K

Severn Trent 2.348,0 2.396,0 2.329,0 136,96K

Shell 2.290,0 2.308,5 2.268,2 204,00K

Smith & Nephew 1.007,50 1.016,50 1.004,00 171,24K Smiths Group 1.509,50 1.523,00 1.501,00 66,81K

Spirax-Sarco Engineering 10.480,0 10.530,0 10.370,0 5,82K SSE 1.472,50 1.489,50 1.467,50 283,66K St. James’s Place 1.001,50 1.025,00 1.000,50 51,63K

563,20 552,00 154,13K

88,90 2,89M

3M 116,81 116,94 3,34M

American Express 140,04 141,32 132,21 11,67M

Amgen 251,94 252,38 247,01 3,53M

Apple 147,27 147,85 142,65 85,64M

Boeing 141,32 141,33 136,62 5,35M

Caterpillar 190,22 190,41 179,21 3,47M

Chevron 173,19 173,84 168,85 7,96M

Cisco 42,80 42,97 41,81 23,27M

Coca-Cola 55,96 56,10 54,99 14,90M

Dow 46,87 46,92 44,95 7,43M

Goldman Sachs 325,10 325,77 309,49 3,49M

Home Depot 275,53 275,71 268,00 3,43M

Honeywell 182,81 183,31 176,52 2,96M

IBM 129,90 130,85 127,59 7,18M

Intel 26,97 27,05 25,79 52,05M

J&J 168,71 169,37 164,43 8,12M

JPMorgan 122,23 122,39 116,33 20,37M

McDonald’s 254,55 255,36 249,50 3,25M

Merck&Co 95,67 95,96 92,64 10,23M

Microsoft 242,12 243,00 234,50 25,91M

Nike 88,50 88,78 86,71 7,85M

Procter&Gamble 128,58 128,95 126,48 6,30M

Salesforce Inc 160,17 160,43 154,82 6,13M

The Travelers 176,23 176,38 171,10 1,47M

UnitedHealth 533,73 536,53 518,01 2,80M

Verizon 35,35 35,70 34,55 50,20M

Visa A 190,37 190,95 185,05 7,57M

Walgreens Boots 34,30 34,54 33,21 9,80M

Walmart 136,80 137,41 134,00 6,04M

Walt Disney 102,04 102,30 97,89 9,82M

LMF Acquisition Opportunities -27.48% 4.84K

Sientra Inc -26.40% 7.24M

SVB -23.95% 5.60M

Starry Holdings -22.72% 1.55M

Xos

-21.33% 11.68K

Windfall tax

FORMER Spanish Minister of the Economy and now Vice‐President of the Euro pean Central Bank, Luis de Guindos has called in a team of experts to study the sol vency of Spanish banks and expects to issue a non‐bind ing opinion on the proposed banking windfall tax.

Greenwashing

IN what is believed to be the first action against a bank for so‐called green washing, the UK Advertising Standards Authority has told HSBC that it may not run advertisements claim ing it is active in reducing harmful emissions as it ‘omitted material informa tion’ about its activities.

Fishing aid

ALTHOUGH announced ear lier in the year, the granting of aid totalling €49.5 million to compensate Spanish shipowners and aquacul ture companies for the ad ditional costs they have had to face due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine will now be allocated to those eligi ble.

Baking money

INSURANCE companies in the UK will be worried about an initial Court find ing in favour of a claim by Greggs the Bakers against Zurich.

The claim revolves around business interrup tion insurance and the amount that should be paid out due to closures during the pandemic.

Zurich argued that there should be a one‐off payment under the policy with a maximum of £2.5 million, but lawyers for Greggs successfully con tested this, claiming that each time there was a change in government pandemic policy that a further £2.5 million claim should be accepted.

The next step is to agree the final pay out but this could be as high as £150 million.

Wasting energy

ON Sunday October 30, Spain will waste €300 million by putting the clocks back by one hour according to calculations by the Institute for the Diversification and Saving of Energy (IDAE).

By abandoning this move from Summer Time to Winter Time, the evenings (when people are more ac tive) would remain lighter for one hour and could ensure a reduction in energy consumption of around 5 per cent.

In theory the decision to intro duce Summer Time was to give more light to farmers at the height of their sowing and harvesting times, but there are two interest ing facts about Spain, as during the Civil War, both sides observed dif ferent time zones and even today, the Canary Islands are one hour

ahead of the rest of Spain.

Well before the current energy cri sis, the European Union had studied the time changes and in 2018, the

European Parliament voted to give each country the right to decide if it wished to continue to change time zones twice a year.

Good and bad news for Spain

With Spain championing a green energy revolution, investing billions in subsidising energy costs and cur rently rumoured to be about to withdraw from the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), which protects invest ments in fossil fuels and other ener gy infrastructure, a simple decision to stay in Summer Time would be another way of saving energy.

There is a move in Italy to take the same action and a petition on web site change.org which concentrates on the Spanish situation already has nearly 250,000 signatures.

There is also a health issue as ac cording to US medical research, the number of people suffering heart at tacks on the day following the start of Summer Time can jump by 25 per cent compared to other Mondays in the year.

New stores

UK supermarket Asda plans to open some 30 Asda Express stores during the next year which will create some 500 new jobs.

Until now Asda has not owned any stan dalone convenience stores, but believes that there is a market for small shops situated in convenient neighbourhood locations and each will stock around 3,000 products.

Customers will also enjoy a range of hot and cold ‘food for now’ options from Asda and partner brands as well as ‘food for later’ choices such as ready meals and a selection of £10 meal deals for two people.

Stores will also offer parcel collection and return services and shortly after the first two are opened this year, they will also offer a rapid delivery service through Uber Eats.

Royal visit

SPANISH exports and imports both reached record highs in the period January to August 2022 according to a recent statement by Xiana Méndez, Secretary of State for Commerce.

Compared to the previous year, exports increased by 25 per cent to €252 billion and Méndez said “Spanish foreign trade continues to show dy namism despite the uncertain ty in a less favourable global context, reaching historical fig ures in the value of exports and imports.”

Conversely and equally im

portantly for the economy, im ports rose by 40.5 per cent to €298.5 billion so there is a sig nificant negative balance of trade which needs to be ad dressed especially as the cost of living continues to rise.

The bulk of the statement was devoted to information concerning exports with the biggest market being the Euro pean Union (62 per cent of the total) which was up by 26.1 per cent.

It was notable that the bulk of growth was to other mem bers of the euro zone with

much lower growth to those in the European Union who still keep their own currencies al though in August the situation had started to reverse.

The main positive contribu tions to the annual variation rate of exports came from the sectors of energy products, capital goods, food, beverages, tobacco, automobiles.

The autonomous communi ties with the highest year‐on‐year growth in their exports were the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands and the Com munity of Madrid.

KING FELIPE VI visited the European Central Bank in Frankfurt on Wednesday October 19 during his State Visit to Germany.

Accompanied by Spanish Minister for the Economy and Digital Transformation, Nadia Calviño, Minister for Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares Bueno, and the Governor of the Bank of Spain, Pablo Hernández de Cos he met President of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde.

After discussions concerning the current state of the world’s economy and its impact on the eurozone, the king accompanied Christine Lagarde to the ‘Holocaust Memorial’, which is located under the offices of the European Cen tral Bank and is a basement in which Jews were held before they were to be taken by train to the extermination camps.

ADJUSTING CLOCKS: Changing time zones also affects the body.

Credit:

XIANA MÉNDEZ: Issued a statement regarding Spanish foreign trade reaching record highs.

TYPICAL Labour attitude; always attack adversaries when their prob lems run high. Rather like a boxer endeavouring to compete in the ring after his rival has sprained a wrist or twisted an ankle. They are actually fully aware that their chances of winning a general elec tion on their own are virtually nonexistent. The best result they could possibly expect is a coalition with a couple of other parties, all piling in to number 10 in an effort to gain as much power as possible.

They accuse the Conservatives of ‘in fighting’; believe me, if a coali tion occurred it would be akin to WW3! You could forget the poor old British public. Things would be crumbling around them for years.

Can you imagine this whole mob of power happy, cross party individu als, screaming at each other around the number 10 ministerial table, or brawling for positions in the house as the country went to the dogs?

Give us a break. The lefties don’t actually care of course. They are in reality, at this present moment, ful

Complete chaos

ly prepared to let the country sink into chaos while they concentrate their whole resources on at least three months of electioneering. Starmer has stated that should he be elected they could fix some of the worst problems in one day!

How ridiculous to expect the long suffering British public to vote them in because they offer to repair many of the enigmas which are ac tually affecting the whole global economy, in 24 hours? Typical left wing propaganda slurry of course.

The last time they won an elec tion they took the country and its public for mugs and ultimately fin ished up on the floor. That same re sult of a left wing communistic atti tude, which is also as we speak crushing the American constitution under the Biden administration.

That is of course one of the rea sons he keeps decrying the UK. They too want a lefty government to prevail as political partners in global affairs; making it easier to adopt the attitude of Republican crook George Bush when he sided with ‘New Labour’ Blair to nick the

Iraqi oil. This resulted in thousands of our troops dying in a war that finished up precisely nowhere.

Don’t get me wrong, as stated re cently I don’t really give a toss for any of them. Having stated that I wouldn’t have minded Penny Mor daunt, already leader of the house getting in; I truly do enjoy the pre sentations of highly intelligent beautiful ladies. If I had the oppor tunity and was 30 years younger, I probably would have voted to elect her. Ah well, dream on Leapy. Sunak is in. Never fancied him of course! Ah well. Keep those mails arriving; I promise I do read every one.

Keep the faith. Love Leapy. leapylee2002@gmail.com expatradioscotland.com Mon. Wed and Fri. 1pm till 4. (Noon UK time)

What have sunflowers done to deserve this?

NORAJOHNSON BREAKINGVIEWS

CLIMATE activists who threw tomato soup at Van Gogh’s Sunflowers in protest against new oil and gas projects then joined Extinction Rebellion’s protests.

Such hooliganism, such disrespect for someone who never benefited from his art. How did poor old Vincent and his sunflowers contribute to climate change? Why don’t eco­terrorists protest/glue themselves to the shiny skyscrapers where business decisions GET made?

Or go to Ukraine and help with aid efforts? If that’s too ‘boring’, then get THEM to manage the British economy without destroying the whole thing in the pro cess.

Couldn’t make more of a mess of it than the current lot. You might call it a U­turn, I couldn’t possibly comment.

But regardless of their hypocrisy, since they use many items derived from oil, there’d be mass starvation within six months if oil was removed from all our lives. We can feed the world population because of fertiliser, made from fossil fu el, enabling the planting, harvesting and processing of crops. Re move that, and no food will be cultivated with disastrous consequences.

Can these idiots prac tise what they preach and make themselves EXTINCT? Now, that’s a thought: that’s what might well happen in my next thriller...

Nora Johnson’s criti cally acclaimed psycho logical crime thrillers (www.nora­johnson.net) all available online in cluding eBooks (€0.99; £0.99), Apple Books, au diobooks, paperbacks at Amazon etc. Profits to Cudeca cancer charity.

NoraJohnson’sopinionsareherownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

LPL Commercial embraces new generation

EXPERTS in all Worldwide Debt Recovery related issues including the recovery of out standing Community Fees in Spain, Cyprus and Portugal. The respected 45­year­old UK debt collection agency enters a new digital era under the new management of founder’s sons. Following the untimely demise of founder Alan Levene and retire ment of business partner Stephen Lewis, respected Essex­based commercial debt collection agency LPL Commercial Investiga tions is resurgent under the leadership of Alan’s sons Gavin and Richard. Trading as LPL Commercial Investigations, the new en tity is not only maintaining the legacy of transparency and integrity the brand is known for, it is also undergoing a major modernisation of the company’s processes and systems, and a greater shift online.

Personal touch + new tech “Dad and Stephen established the busi ness in 1978 and were brilliant at their jobs. Having been mentored and trained in their ethos whereby the approach of a profes

credit policy procedure, ensuring ‘the cash flow cogs continue to turn’ for our clients,” comments Gavin Levene, Director. “While the personal touch and relationships LPL is known for will remain, we have invested heavily in a new website and customer rela tionship management systems that will mean our growing customer base will have an even speedier resolution to their aged debtor requirements.”

Continuing the legacy

The brothers may be new company di rectors, but they are not new to commer cial debt collection. “Gavin has been in the industry for 30 years, and I’m still the new boy with ‘only’ seven years’ service,” laughs Richard. “But in reality, this business has al ways been part of our lives and it is an hon our to continue our father’s legacy.”

Noraistheauthorofpopularpsychological

Nora’s

Richard Levene

Brian O’Sullivan Daredevil

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.

TAXI FIASCO

WE went to Frigiliana on October 20, by bus.

Being our first visit there we went sightseeing, had lunch and decided to re turn to our hotel by taxi.

We waited for over one hour and not one, I repeat not one taxi came.

The couple in front rang all the numbers suggested on the rank board.

And was told “he’s on his way.”

“He’s a minute away,”

What sort of service is this?

Very angry. A good day spoiled

We shall not be return ing.

Steve Wagstaffe

Fed up

Absolutely fed up and shocked by Leapy Lee’s continued enabling of the racist LL. Presumably you will justify this hate speech all in the name of free speech.

Your disclaimer does not convince.

A Fowles

Correcting confusion

Am glad you printed Alan Robinson’s letter cor recting the confusion which some people seem to have regarding the re strictions that have arisen since Britain left the EU. Previously you printed an earlier letter (30 June this year) in which it offensive ly accused Spain of ‘pig headedness’.

Clearly, this person has still not got the message! Please do not print any more of the informed let ters... it would be much more helpful to use the

Our View column to set the record straight and prevent further misunder standings.

OUR VIEW

FACT NOT FICTION

OLDER readers will probably remember TV comedy The New Statesman starring Rik Mayall as Conservative MP Alan B’Stard which ran from 1987 to 1994.

According to Wikipedia, B’Stard was a selfish, greedy, dishonest, lecherous, ultra-right-wing Conservative back bencher who intentionally mismanaged a Tory election campaign so Labour would be blamed for an economic crisis.

During the period that the comedy was first on TV and then took to the stage, almost anything and everything happened to take the rise out of the Tory Party and politi cians in general, but even the writers Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran would have been hard pushed to dream up what has now become reality.

In 1865, politician and reformer John Bright said “Eng land is the mother of parliaments” and certainly until re cently, Westminster was considered a beacon of democra cy around the world for centuries, but sadly no longer.

The last 10 years or so have seen so many scandals and misjudgements by the UK parliament especially with the Brexit referendum that for many of us it reinforces the fact that we are lucky to have found a new home in our adopted country of Spain.

Naturally, not everything is perfect here and there have been plenty of allegations of corruption, nepotism and simple mismanagement, but things don’t appear to be as bad as they are in the UK.

There will be a general election in Spain before the end of 2023 and there could well be some changes, but whilst many are calling for a British general election now rather than another leadership competition, it seems unlikely when so many Conservative MPs face losing their seats according to opinion polls.

Hispanophile Cabopino

ALONG with exercise and mental health, diet has the most significant impact on your dog’s well‐being. A healthy diet can be the dif ference between a long, fulfilling life and life‐limit ing health conditions. So what should you be feed ing your four‐legged friend for the best quality of life possible?

Try out different things. No two dogs are the same, and the same goes for di ets. Some dogs do better on meat‐based diets and others on plant‐based di ets. Speak to your vet and research diets for your breed of dog.

Introduce fresh foods. Fruits and vegetables can give your dog a new burst of energy. They contain en zymes and nutrients crucial for digestion and energy levels. But avoid citrus, grapes and onion which can be toxic for dogs.

Avoid processed foods.

Doggie diet Pet safety

PLANTS might not be your first thought when getting a pet, but some house plants can cause problems for our animal companions. Keep your interior de sign how you like it while keeping your pet safe by following these top tips.

Just like for humans, pro cessed food is not nutri tious for your pet. Dry food can be a more convenient and affordable option for your dog, but try to supple ment it if you can with some fresh food or raw meat.

Doris Rämisch, a canine

nutritionist based in Mal lorca said “You notice the difference of feeding your dog a natural diet, their hair shines more and they are more active among other benefits.”

Rämisch recommends meat‐based natural diets for optimal dog health.

Comfort for cats

AS expats, many of us have to travel often, and as a pet owner it can be difficult to ensure your pet’s comfort and safety while on the move.

Here we share some vet‐approved tips on how to have the best travel experi ence with your cat.

1. Bring a comfortable and secure carry‐case

Stressful and uncomfort able situations can be trig gers for anxiety, which makes cats run away or squeeze into tight spots. Make sure your travel carry‐case is a comfortable but snug fit to keep your cat safe, don’t spend your trip chasing after your cat!

2. Pack some cleaning supplies

The changes while travel ling can cause confusion,

and sometimes, accidents. Make sure you are pre pared for accidents by bringing some wipes and cleaning supplies.

3. Pack familiar items

A familiar blanket or toy can help to ease the confu sion and disorientation your cat might feel when travelling. Having a familiar scent can be soothing for

your cat in new and foreign situations.

4. Be prepared for anxi ety

Travelling can be a terrify ing experience for some cats. If you are concerned about a particularly nervous pet, speak to your vet who may be able to prescribe some calming medicine to reduce your cat’s anxiety.

Choose plants that are not toxic for your pet

Keep the most curi ous members of the household safe. Avoid hydrangeas, aloe vera, ivy, holly, rhododen dron and daffodils in side the house as they can have dangerous side effects for pets. Take care with non‐toxic plants like cacti, that can cause injuries. Instead, opt for plants like fern, orchids, bam boo or money plants which have no toxic ef fects for pets.

Distract your pet Buy your pet a new toy to keep their paws off your plant and keep them busy. Alter natively you could try training your pet to stop them battling your plants.

Out of reach

Your first line of de fence against damaged plants is keeping them out of your pets’ way. Try putting your plants on a shelf or a ledge. If you want to keep plants at ground level, consider a plant that doesn’t need soil that could stain your floor if knocked over.

ON THE MOVE: Avoid having a ‘scaredy cat’, keep your cat comfortable in a cosy carry-case while travelling.

Feeding

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

LEARN TO DRIVE IN MALLORCA . Scottish Dri ving Instructor now qualified to teach in Mallorca. Classes in English or Spanish. Obtain your Spanish licence easier or have refresher lessons and get behind that wheel. Interested? Call 648 133 929

WANTED Gold, Silver, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel678 716 693 (288662)

STAY SAFE! Abbeygate Insur ance Call 971 277 455 For your

www.abbeygatein

MISCELLANEOUS

GOLD & SILVER

Watches

with the best prices in the mar ket. For the most competitive quotes in English, call Linea Di recta on 952 147 834. (200726)

REMOVALS/STORAGE

OTHERS

Male/Female viagra, cialis, kam agra jelly, mixed trial packs avail able, all areas mail order. 604 385 476. viagra4you19@gmail.com

&

& Patek

- 678 716

WE ARE currently the market leader in our country in the sale of direct car, motorbike, home and company fleet insurance. Since we started out in 1995,

philosophy has always been

MOTORING

FED UP PAYING TOO MUCH FOR YOUR MOBILE PHONE CALLS? THEN CONTACT TELITEC TODAY. CALLS TO SPAIN 7C PER MINUTE IN CLUDING MOBILES. CALLS TO UK 5.3C PER MINUTE. NO MONTHLY FEES, NO CON TRACT. WWW.TELITEC.COM TEL: 902 889 070 (2001)

PAINTERS

byMarkSlack

WHEN you find the flagship model of a range is priced from just under €29k/£25k you’re looking at a manu facturer who knows how to package cars. When you find out we’re talking Skoda it comes as no surprise. The Scala sits between the Fabia and Octavia in terms of size and is a five door hatchback that looks a little bit more like an estate than tradi tional hatch.

My test model was the Monte Carlo finished in op tional, and rather smart, Race Blue Metallic. Add the standard panoramic glass roof and extended glass of the tailgate and this is an unusual and rather stylish bargain.

The range starts at €23,210/£20,120 and comes with a good range of standard equipment, al though not navigation, but you can link your smart phone. The Monte Carlo

Skoda Scala Monte Carlo

counter are almost identical, so a quick glance can be con fusing. Thankfully there is a digital speedometer and you can remove the rev counter with one of the view changes.

The build quality on the Scala is excellent and it feels and drives like a more ex pensive car. With superbly comfortable seats and a spacious interior for both

passengers and luggage, it makes the Scala a bit of a bargain. If you don’t need the slightly larger frame of the Octavia, then the Scala fits the bill perfectly.

I’m lucky to be able to drive a different car every week, and some very nice cars, but the Scala Monte Carlo is definitely one I’d be happy to keep in my garage.

Facts at a Glance

Model: Skoda Scala Monte Carlo

including 18­inch black al loys, powered, heated and folding door mirrors, priva cy glass, navigation, air con ditioning, rear view camera and very comfortable sports seats that look the part for a car bearing a Monte Carlo badge. It’s a very nice place to be seat ed.

choice of 1.0­litre, threecylinder turbocharged petrol engine or, as in my test car, a 1.5­litre fourcylinder petrol. Mated to a six­speed manual gearbox, with nicely slick gear change, it’s a pleasant drive that rides well with rather decent handling too.

Despite the Monte Carlo

certainly pick its feet up when required, yet returns around 50 mpg.

The interior, unlike so many VAG cars, has a pleas ing number of buttons and sensible digitisation. One mi nor issue with the instru ment panel, which has a multitude of optional views, is the speedometer and rev

Prices: €30,356/£26,315

Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol developing 150PS

Gears: 6-speed manual

Performance: 0-100 kph (62 mph) 8.2 secs

Maximum Speed Petrol 223 kph (139 mph)

Economy: Petrol 5.6 l/100km (50.4 mpg) WLTP

Emissions: 133 g/km WLTP

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

One I’d definitely be happy to keep in my garage.

ASTON VILLA, on Mon day, October 24, con firmed 50­year­old Spanish coach Unai Emery as their new manager replacing Steven Gerrard. He will join the club from LaLi ga side Villarreal, but will reportedly not start his new role until Tues day November 1.

The Midlands club is believed to have paid the £5.2million release clause in Emery’s Villar real contract to secure the services of one of Europe’s most accom plished coaches.

A statement on Aston Villa’s official site read: “Aston Villa is delighted to announce the ap pointment of Unai Emery as the club’s new Head Coach. Unai joins from Villarreal, whom he led to Europa League success by beating Manchester United in the final in 2021 as well as the semi­finals of the Champions League last

Out with the old New leadership

RICHARD GOULD has been announced as the new England and Wales Cricket Board CEO. The 52­year­old will take up the post at the end of January 2023 moving from his current role as Chief Ex ecutive Officer (CEO) of Bristol City Football Club.

Position starts in January 2023.

He brings significant leadership experience from major organisa tions across sport, having served as CEO at first Somerset County Cricket Club and then Surrey County Cricket Club before taking up his current role in 2021, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Sunday, October 23.

The Nominations Committee unanimously recommend ed Mr Gould to the ECB who ratified the decision. Clare Connor will continue as Interim CEO until Mr Gould’s ar rival.

season.”

It continued: “A highly experienced top­level coach who has managed over 900 games, Unai

has also previously managed in the Premier League during a spell with Arsenal, leading the Gunners to a Europa

League final. Unai will take over from Novem ber 1 after his work per mit formalities are com pleted.”

As CEO, Mr Gould will work to deliver the vision set out by ECB Chair Richard Thompson to make cricket the most inclusive sport in the country.

Richard Gould said: “I am honoured to have been given the opportunity to lead our game forward in England and Wales.”

Image: EWB

UNAI EMERY: The Midlands club paid the £5.2 million release clause.