Costa de Almeria 10 - 16 November 2022 Issue 1949

LEST WE FORGET

THE primary aim of the Royal British Legion is to support serving members, veterans and the families of the Armed Forces who are in serious need of medical and welfare sup port. The money raised in Spain is used primarily in Spain to help those who are struggling due mainly to medical reasons.

The Mojacar Branch of the RBL is itself struggling to survive due to the shortage of volun teers needed to run the branch. In par ticular a Chair­per son and a Secre tary are needed. You do not need to have a Forces background, just a desire to keep the Branch, and therefore the Poppy Appeal, from fold ing in the Mojacar area. Anyone interested in helping to administer the Branch is asked to contact the Secretary on Mo jacar.Secretary@rbl.com munity or come to a cof fee morning at 11am on the first or third Thursday of each month at Cokkia Restaurant on the Playa

In support of RBL, Bar Simon in Los Gallardos hold a quiz every Thurs day evening and this year they have saved the prof it from their raffles for the Poppy Appeal. Bever ley Eaves handed over €250 to the Mojacar Roy

al British Legion President, Andrew Richardson; and Lynda Stephenson handed over a further €250 to Nick Allbeury, the Branch Poppy Appeal Organiser. The RBL would like to thank the clientele of Bar Simon for their generous donation.

Taking place today, Thursday November 10, at 2.00pm there will be a Quiz at Carrigans (no 135

on the Paseo, (next to Aegea and El Citio restau rants) to raise much needed funds in aid of the Poppy Appeal.

There will be a short Remembrance Parade on Friday November 11 at 11.00am with a bugler to play The Last Post and Reveille either side of the two­minute silence. The event takes place at the entrance to the Open Air Chapel next to Scottie’s on the Playa.

The RBL Remembrance service will be held on Sunday November 13 at the Open Air Chapel.

DONATIONS: Towards the Poppy Appeal.

Royal visit

Linda Hall

SPAIN’S King Felipe and Queen Letizia will visit Macael on November 11 for the Andalucia Marble Industry’s Awards gala.

This will be the marble sector’s biggest night of the year and a showcase for an industry that con tinues to reinvent itself and conquer new mar kets.

It will also be the first gala with a Sustainability award, reflecting the marble sector’s efforts to protect the environ ment with an ongoing transition towards re newable energy, respon sible use of water and more efficient treatment of waste.

A year ago, Don Felipe visited Almeria when he presented Francisco Martinez Cosentino, president of marble

multinational Cosentino, with the Reino de Es paña (Kingdom of Spain) award. Nor will this be Doña Letizia’s first Macael visit, as she at tended Premios Macael’s 2002 edition when she was still known as Letizia Ortiz, a presenter for the state broadcaster Radio Tele vision Española (RTVE). That year, the Person

age Award went to Ro drigo Rato, who was vice­president of the Spanish government at the time, but later im prisoned for embezzle ment.

Just 12 months after wards, in November 2003, the Royal House hold announced Letizia’s engagement to Don Fe lipe, then Prince of As turias.

Wind in the sails

Betty Henderson

ALMERIA sails into the win ter tourism season as anoth er luxury liner docks, bring ing thousands of tourists to discover the region. More than 1,700 tourists arrived in the city on Friday November 4 on board the Marella Ex plorer cruise ship.

Guests disembarked the liner for the first stop on the cruise journey and received a warm welcome, including an onboard visit from the

president of the Port Author ity, María del Rosario, along with local government rep resentatives and members of the local tourism industry, who tended to guests’ needs during their stay.

Authorities highlighted the Levante dock’s oppor tune location, which allows guests to reach the city cen tre with a short, pleasant walk.

The guests were set to dis cover the unique charm of

the Almeria region, including the historical centre of Alme ria, the Tabernas desert, Mo jacar and the Alpujarra on excursions.

Tourism, particularly dur ing the winter season is a vi tal source of income for Almeria City and the entire region. After concern during the pandemic and economic uncertainty, the travel indus try is proving to be even more resilient than expect ed, as it bounces back.

Oktoberfest becomes Novemberfest

FOR one weekend between November 18 and 20, Albox will become the beer capital of Spain.

Instead of an Oktoberfest, the town has decided to organise Novemberfest Albox which, as well as the obligatory beer, will offer all the German food traditionally served up during these celebrations, accompanied by German beer, live music and tapas, in Albox’s Plaza Mayor.

Entrance will be free and the mar quee with the classic long tables will open at 12 noon each day.

The Novemberfest event, organised by Carpatop with the collaboration of the town hall, will provide all the in gredients of the traditional Oktober fest that has spread from its Munich birthplace to the rest of Europe.

Although these celebrations are usu ally held in cities and large municipali ties, after the organisers’ talks with Heineken, the multinational group agreed to take its format, beers and exuberance to a town and an area which has never yet hosted an Okto berfest.

AWARDS GALA: Undertaking royal duties in Macael.

Image:shutterstock.com/Frederic Legrand-comeo

NIBS EXTRA

Moongazing

ALMERIA Province’s green house system is regarded as one of the world’s most ad vanced and sustainable. It has also inspired the National Aeronautics and Space Ad ministration (Nasa), one of whose experts, Gary Stutte, revealed that Almeria green houses had influenced their plans for cultivating fruit and vegetables on the moon.

Justice done

THE head of the Junta’s Justice department, Maria del Car men Navarro, confirmed when visiting Huercal‐Overa recently that work would start “as soon as possible” on a €1.8 million courthouse com plex. Huercal‐Overa mayor Domingo Fernandez wel comed the news,saying this would improve working con ditions for court employees.

Mine reminder

A €127,000 PROJECT to re store Garrucha’s 21‐metre foundry chimney, nicknamed El Calvario, is scheduled to be gin within days. A vestige of the area’s affluent mining past when there were three Gar rucha foundries, the iconic chimney has provided a vital landmark for the town’s fish ing fleet for many years.

Graffiti groan

THE Ciudadanos party urged Almeria City Hall to solve the problem of graffiti in the Old Quarter and elsewhere in the municipality. Tags and scrawls were defacing buildings, caus ing damage that in some cas es cost €6,000 to repair and in others was irreversible, Ciu dadanos spokesman Miguel Cazorla said.

Light relief

TWELVE Almeria Province mu nicipalities have renewed 2,467 streetlights, electricity ca bles and power control panels, thanks to the Diputacion provincial council’s Efficient En ergy Plans and an investment of approximately €1.2 million. The towns have also cut down on their energy bills, reduced carbon dioxide emissions and curbed light pollution.

Bypass bliss

THE Junta’s Public Works de partment announced that the contract to complete Mojacar’s long‐awaited by pass will be signed early this month.

The document that was signed last May by Carazo, who heads the Junta’s Public Works department, and Mo jacar’s mayor Rosa Maria Cano, automatically gave the go‐ahead for putting the pro ject out to tender.

The €5.3 million contract was awarded in September and Carazo has now con

firmed that work should be gin in December.

The Public Works depart ment will cover 60 per cent of the cost, with Mojacar

World Cup screening

WORLD CUP preparations kickedoff to an excellent start in Almeria as the city council authorised venues with terraces to stream matches for the public. The council made the an nouncement to the delight of football fans in the city on Oc tober 31. Football fans can follow this year’s World Cup in Qatar from the comfort of bars and restaurants in Almeria thanks to a decree signed by city mayor, María del Mar Vázquez, at the end of last month. Venues that are already licensed to televise events, including outdoor terraces will be allowed to stream matches directly to fans in Almeria.

The measure will last for the duration of the World Cup, from November 20 until December 18. Vázquez explained that the council made the decision in light of the recent suc cess of the hospitality industry in Almeria and that screening matches will both boost the local economy and create an ex citing atmosphere during the event.

Some movie magic

A GRAND reopening has been proposed for a council‐run cinema in Huercal‐Overa after the pandemic forced it to close. The council announced plans to restore its Municipal Cinema on Thursday November 3.

The councillor for Public Projects, Adrián Ramos, explained “With this project we hope to get the municipal cinema back up and running within the next few months, we are listening to our community’s ideas and trying to provide the best leisure opportunities possible.” Ramos added “Our cinema in Huercal‐Overa was well‐loved by the community, and we want to bring it back and offer residents an alternative to commercial cinemas that are further afield.”

Since the cinema was well‐equipped with the latest cine matic technology, including top‐quality screens, sound sys tems and HDSDI 3G technology, so the reopening of the cin ema will not be as costly as building a new cinema.

Bringing back the cinema is a popular proposal with resi dents in the town, particularly given a recent population boom, which has now passed 20,000 residents. Reopening the cinema would bring an exciting and varied leisure oppor tunity for locals.

Town Hall providing the re mainder. The regional gov ernment will also pay for the compulsory purchase of the land required for the bypass,

assessments and surveys as well as restoring affected ser vices. The Junta will also pro vide the 1 per cent which is levied on all public works and earmarked for cultural and heritage purposes.

The two‐kilometre section of road between the A‐1203 and Paraje de las Marinas which is expected to take two years to build, will com plete the road that was be gun 30 years ago to decon gest the heavy traffic that collapses Mojacar’s Paseo del Mediterraneo each sum mer.

Champions face-off

I NTERNATIONAL chess whizzes put their skills to the test in the ninth edition of the Juan Martínez Sola Chess Festi val in Almeria between Octo ber 28 to 30. The event has be come a firm favourite on the city’s events calendar, with al most 100 competitors taking part this year.

Ninety‐seven chess players, including international com petitors battled it out over the weekend at the tournament which was held in the Caboga ta Jardín Hotel. Local councillor for Sports, Juanjo Segura, ex pressed pride at the interna tionally recognised event being held in the city and the excel lent results from local and in ternational chess clubs.

Ángel Serrano Almendros was crowned the victor of the ‘2400’ category, with Alejandro Serrano Almendros as runner‐up and Peter Winkel taking third place. The same three competitors made up the podium in the ‘Blitz’ category, while Isidro García took first place in the ‘sub1600’ catego ry, followed by Darío Raya and Fabián Martínez.

The festival was organised by Reverté Minerals Chess

Club, with support from re gional sponsors and the Alme ria Board of Sports. Organisers dedicated the event to an Almerian chess lover, Juan Martínez Sola.

Job boost

ALMERIA Province leads the national employment statis tics for the month of October with 5,519 more people find ing work. Data announced on November 3 revealed a fall in unemployment in 29 Spanish provinces, with Almeria coming top.

The figures reflect changes in the agricultural and ser vices industries which em ployed a further 1,332 and 4,075 people respectively. A boost in the agricultural in dustry has been fuelled by temporal work during the harvest season. Other indus tries recording employment increases include construc tion and industry.

Of the contracts signed in Almeria in October, more than 65 per cent were indefi nite contracts, boosting long‐term employment figures.

Government representa tive, José María Martín, ex plained that the government is dedicated to reducing re gional inequality, particularly related to employment.

Other Andalucian provinces Huelva and Sevilla made up the top three provinces with the greatest employment increases.

On a national level, em ployment figures also soared, reaching levels not seen since 2008. National employment figures were up nearly 8 per cent on September and 2 per cent on October 2021, showing Spain’s economic recovery.

Linda Hall

BYPASS AGREEMENT: Rosa Maria Cano and Marifran Carazo after last May’s signing.

Photo credit: Junta de Andalucia

Contestants testing their strategic skills.

Think about voting

Linda Hall

WITH municipal elections scheduled for next May, it’s time to start thinking about voting. With this in mind, Jim Simpson, who is a Zurgena councillor, recently contacted the Euro Weekly News with some basic information.

Despite Brexit, British resi dents can still vote, and stand, in municipal elections under conditions similar to before.

Potential British voters should be over 18, be regis tered on their municipal Padron and authorised to live in Spain. They must also have

lived here for at least three years. The Electoral Census Office (OCE) obtains this infor mation via each municipality’s Padron and Central Registry of Foreign Nationals.

Those meeting the time re quirements can expect to re ceive a letter enabling them to declare their wish to vote by completing the letter and returning it to the OCE office, free of charge. They can also do this online, using the pass word included in the letter or in person at their town hall.

Residents not meeting the time requirement, but all oth

KEEN rally racing fans will have been glued to the Rallye Costa de Almeria which finished its 47th race on Sunday, November 6.

It was an intense day in which the driv er Pedro David Perez and his co‐driver, Alex Leseduarte, who had just won the last three rounds of the Andalucian Championship, demonstrated their supe riority and achieved victory with great sol vency.

The Rallye Costa de Almeria is the longest‐running rally in Andalucia and one of the best rallies in southern Spain. Dur ing Friday and Saturday, about 30 drivers

ers will receive a letter inform ing them of this. Residents who believe this is an error should, when replying, en close a photocopy of a valid TIE, but they will not at this stage be able to express their wish to vote.

Residents receiving neither letter, or those who do not re turn them, may also express their wish to be included in the electoral census at their town hall.

The period for confirming the intention of voting begins on December 1 and ends on January 15.

Rally racing

ran a tough test that was a spectacle to nine municipalities in the province.

The councillor for Sports, Juanjo Segura, confirmed that: “The Rallye is a historic event in the sporting calendar of Almeria and one of the most anticipated and once again it has demonstrated the spectacular nature of the route through the province.

Almeria continues to support important sporting events which in turn promote quality tourism.”

Healthy planning

A HELPING HAND for local residents with a new health care and well‐being pro gramme in Nijar. The town council announced that its community health plan ad vanced to the next stage of planning on November 3.

The town is set to join the major Spanish Network of Healthy Cities with its new plan. A proposal by the Social ist Party got the support of other groups in the town, which is now developing a plan to become a ‘healthy town.’

The council’s commitment to join the national network means that plans advance to the next stage which include a ‘situational analysis’, where authorities will assess differ ent health initiatives that

Residents of Nijar will soon be able to enjoy healthcare initiatives under a new ‘Healthy Nijar’ project.

could be introduced in the town. Nijar’s presence in the network would also mean that it would benefit from health initiatives that have been introduced in other towns and cities in the coun try. Town mayor, Esperanza Pérez Felices, explained “Pro tecting the health of Nijar resi dents is our priority at the council.”

Photo credit: Ayuntamiento de Níjar (by email)

Cash for Nijar tourism

NIJAR’S status as an Andalucia Tourist Mu nicipality has earned it €185,417.

This Junta subsidy is intended to be used for improvements to public places of tourist or cultural interest, upgrading accessibility and making the town’s cultural heritage more tourist‐friendly.

Other recommended actions include signposting aimed at tourists as well as adapting tourism and cultural assets to new technologies.

“The Andalucia government is aware that these municipalities have additional finan cial needs as they are faced with an in

creased population during the high sea son,” explained Arturo Bernal, who heads the Junta’s Tourism, Culture and Sport de partment.

“Quality is one of the hallmarks of the Andalucia brand and with policy instru ments like these subsidies we are guaran teeing that visitors receive the best,” he said. The Junta has allocated €4.8 million to the 38 Andalucia Tourist Municipalities in the region’s eight provinces which are locat ed inland as well as on the coast.

To date, Nijar is the only Almeria Province with this status.

Two traditions combined

CUEVAS DEL ALMANZORA decided to combine a very Spanish tradition with Hal loween.

In Spain, when the nights draw in after the clocks go back and there is a chill in the November air, out come the braziers for roasting chestnuts, best eaten piping hot in the street from a pa per cone.

On Monday October 31 Cuevas Town Hall organised a ‘castañada’, a traditional event where everyone gath ers in the street or a square to get together and eat roast chestnuts.

In the past, October 31 was significant because it was All Saints’ Eve but de spite its links with the dead the date had few ghostly tra

ditions in Mediterranean ar eas.

All that has changed, and Halloween, an imported cel ebration, is fast becoming a Spanish tradition, which is one of the reasons why the town hall deliberately chose October 31 for a ‘castañada’, roasting hundreds of kilos of chestnuts in the Glorieta de Soto Mayor.

Vera tax breaks

Linda Hall

VERA councillors voted at the Plenary Council meet ing on November 4 to re duce the municipal vehicle tax.

This will save Vera resi dents a total of €153,000, with a reduction of ap proximately €26 for a medium‐sized family car.

“This is in line with the policy of tax breaks that we have followed since ar riving at the town hall,” said Finance councillor Al fonso Perez Redondo.

“We have lowered the IBI rates, applied discounts on the Capital Gains Tax and eliminated the Con struction, Installations and Building Works (ICIO) tax,” he added.

“By reducing the munici pal car tax, the town hall

wants to reduce the fiscal burden for Vera residents, bearing in mind that these are complicated times for many families owing to in flation and the rising cost of living.”

Perez went on to say that the local government team was committed to Vera residents and wanted

to help them as far as pos sible in their day‐to‐day lives, assisting them with all that the town hall had to hand.

“These tax reductions are possible thanks to the town hall’s financial strength, its budgetary sta bility and ability to make savings,” he stressed.

Specialist training

ALMERIA City now provides courses in Catering and Tourism at the province’s first specialist school.

Patricia del Pozo, head of the Junta’s Educa tion department, recently visited the Almeraya Vocational Training Centre (CPIFP) where pupils follow specialist courses preparing them for future careers in the hospitality industry and tourism. The Almeraya school, the only one of its kind in Almeria Province, is one of eight simi lar centres in Andulucia.

“This centre provides specific quality training that will undoubtedly have an effect on creat ing employment while responding to the needs of one of the province’s most dynamic sectors,”

Del Pozo said.

“It also means that our young people can have opportunities here and will not need to leave to study.”

The Almeraya centre, which has 619 pupils and a staff of 69 teachers, offers intermediate diplomas in Cuisine and Gastronomy as well as Bakery, Pastry and Confectionary and Catering Services. There are also higher‐level diploma courses in Kitchen Management and Food Ser vice Management.

Tourism higher‐level diplomas cover Tourist Guide, Tourist Information and Assistance, Travel Agencies, Event Management and Tourist Accommodation Management.

Desalination plans

VERA Town Hall approved plans for a €22 million desalination plant in May following its inclusion in Andalucia’s Mediterranean Basin Water Plan.

“This will definitively solve the municipali ty’s water deficit,” Vera’s mayor Jose Carme lo Jorge Blanco said at the time.

A group from the town hall, headed by Jorge Blanco, and representatives from Codeur ‐ the part‐publicly owned company responsible to Vera’s water supply ‐ recently met the regional government’s Almeria dele gate for Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Ru ral Development, Antonio Mena. They were able to give him full details of the desalina

tion project, explaining that Codeur was in terested in carrying out the project, within the framework of the Public Sector Contracts Law, either as a private initiative or a public‐private collaboration.

“Our idea is to put the contract to build this installation out to tender,” revealed Alfonso Garcia, Vera’s Infrastructure councillor and al so Codeur’s CEO. “We are aware that many companies would be willing to construct and subsequently operate the plant,” Garcia said.

“In other words, the contractor would cov er the entire €22 million investment while the town hall would provide the land and promote the project.”

TAX CUT: Reduction of €26 for a medium sized family car.

4 key benefits of effective tax planning

When it comes to your savings and investments, is your main objective to preserve your wealth, provide an income or generate growth? Or all of them? Whatever the answer, tax planning plays an important role in protecting and making the most of what you have.

While the tax tail shouldn’t necessarily wag the investment dog, there are numerous benefits to strategic tax planning. Here are four of them.

1.

A reduced tax bill for you

The most obvious advantage is reducing your overall liability for income tax, capital gains tax and any other taxes on your savings, investments, assets and pensions. If there is a more tax-efficient way to hold your capital and as sets, shouldn’t you explore if it could work for you? Yet many people fail to do just that and unknowingly end up paying more than they need have. This may include income tax on bank interest you are not even with

By Jon Pemberton, Partner, Blevins Franks

drawing, or capital gains tax when switching between invest ments.

Many expatriates are also caught out by not reviewing their arrangements for their life abroad. Once you are no longer UK-resident, certain assets that were tax-efficient back home, such as ISAs, become taxable in Spain. Meanwhile, you could be missing out on structures avail

able here that can legitimately re duce your tax liability as well as providing other potential bene fits.

2. Less taxation for your heirs

The less tax you pay in your lifetime, the more you have to spend or pass on to your heirs. But with some investment structures you may also be able to lower the inheritance tax lia bility for your family. A Spanishcompliant life assurance bond, for example, can be tax-efficient for estate planning purposes. Ide ally you want a solution that will limit inheritance taxes while also providing tax-efficient income and investment growth through out your lifetime, so explore your options.

3. More estate planning flexi bility

Strategic tax planning can also help make things easier for your family when you are gone. Many investment arrangements that provide tax efficiency also offer more estate planning flexibility

and control.

4. Maximising real returns

Effective tax planning also plays a part in helping returns outpace the cost of living.

Ultimately, what counts when assessing the value of investments are actual ‘real’ returns - after all tax, expenses and inflation are taken into account.

With investments, the starting point should always be making sure your portfolio is well diver sified and specifically designed to suit your situation, needs, goals, time horizon and risk tolerance.

But without suitable tax plan ning, returns can be diminished by taxes that could have been sig nificantly reduced.

There are various ways of hold ing your investment capital, so do your research and seek profes sional advice to choose one which is tax-efficient here in Spain.

How to get the best results

It is easy to get DIY tax plan ning wrong, especially with the

regulatory goalposts changing regularly. Expatriates have the added complication of having to deal with the tax rules of more than one country at a time when global tax scrutiny is at its high est.

For the best results, talk to an adviser with in-depth under standing of cross-border taxation, including how the Spanish tax regime interacts with UK rules. As well as offering peace of mind that your tax and wider financial planning is compliant in Spain, they can ensure it meets your in come needs and goals in the most tax-efficient way today, without burdening your family with un necessary tax headaches in the fu ture.

The tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any statements con cerning taxation are based upon our understanding of current taxa tion laws and practices which are subject to change. Tax information has been summarised; individuals should take personalised advice.

Community champions awards

COMMUNITY heroes are set to be recognised in a new initiative by Age in Spain to find the best neigh bours in the country. The initiative was launched on November 5, with nomina tions staying open until De cember 5.

The organisation which provides support for older

people living in Spain wants to acknowledge people who have a positive impact on their local community.

Age in Spain is asking for nominations of neighbours that have gone out of their way to help you or some one else.

Announcing the quest for the nation’s best neigh

MIR creator dies

THE creator of the MIR training system for doctors, Cardiologist Fernando Alonso­Lej de las Casas, has died at the age of 95.

According to a national news site, Alonso­Lej died on Wednesday, November 2 at the Miguel Servet hospital in Zaragoza.

Alonso­Lej who graduated with top honours in 1951, dedicated over 45years of his life to medicine and improving the development of student teaching techniques.

The MIR training system was eventually adopted across Spain ensuring that doctors spent their first year learning the basics and gradually moving through the specialisms and up the ranks.

Alonso­Lej’s system was based on a path of in creasing responsibility and decreasing supervision. The programme began in 1963 and in 1984 consoli dated as the only legal route to specialisation in Spain.

bours, the President of Age Spain, John Rafferty ex plained, “A good neighbour needn’t live next door. It can be anyone who has gone out of their way to help you, to help someone else, or to create a lasting benefit in your communi ty.”

The winner will be hon oured with a letter of recog nition from the British Am bassador to Spain, Hugh Elliott and will be treated to a dinner for two to mark their special award.

Age in Spain is a commu nity support organisation working to help older, En glish­ speaking people, irre spective of nationality.

To make a nomination visit the Age in Spain web site: www.ageinspain.org/good neighbouraward, where a short form can be complet ed and submitted in just a few minutes. Those with out easy access to the inter net may get help by phon ing +34 932 209 741 to make their nomination.

Civil war exiles nationalised

Betty Henderson

A MONUMENTAL memorial law is set to offer millions of Latin Americans citizenship in Spain. Long‐awaited legisla tion came into effect at the end of October which will of fer naturalisation for descen dants of those exiled during the Spanish Civil War and en suing dictatorship.

One Madrid‐based lawyer explained the law saying it offers any descendant of Spanish immigrants before 1985 a route to citizenship. Spain changed its nationality

law in 1985 as it began a na tional reckoning after the Franco dictatorship ended in 1975.

The opportunity to claim Spanish citizenship will even apply to some Latin Ameri

AS rural ‘depopulation’ affects much of central Spain, the oldest Spanish town is experiencing an urban resurgence.

After years of depopulation, authorities an nounced a change in Brañosera’s fortunes on Thursday November 3, recording a steady pop ulation of 270.

After becoming chartered as a town in 724, Brañosera is officially the oldest town in Spain. The town also became the most economically important town in the Palencia region during the 1960s due to mining activity.

Throughout the past 60 years, the town had been losing residents in droves due to changing

cans living illegally in the country. Applicants must provide proof that their an cestors were fleeing political persecution.

After becoming law, con sulates and lawyers offices in Spain were said to be flood ed with requests for informa tion and claims about the new policy.

The law makes striding ad vances on a 2007 law which offered up to 70,000 exiled Latin Americans and their de scendants eligible for Spanish citizenship.

Rural relief

opportunities, but this announcement reveals a change in the tide.

According to one report by the Bank of Spain, there are more than 3,400 towns at risk of completely disappearing, and among them are many notable places of historical and cul tural significance. The phenomenon is increas ingly common in regions in southern Europe as young people seeking better opportunities are drawn to cities by employment, healthcare, public services and social opportunities.

THE coveted Forbes Magazine released its list of the Top 100 Richest People in Spain on Thursday November 3, with movements up and down the list and even a few surprises. Here’s what you need to know.

Amancio Ortega held on to the top position on the iconic list. The biggest shareholder in the fashion company, In ditex clung on at the top, despite his company recording losses.

With a whopping fortune of around €53 billion, the businessman’s wealth is

Spain’s rich list Passing rocket

greater than the following 27 people on the list combined. Ortega is the richest individual in Spain and the world’s third richest person.

This year’s biggest movers were Car men and Luis Riu Güell, who had an as tronomical rise from 90th on the list to 45th after doubling their fortune in their Riu Hotels empire.

The magazine also reported an overall drop in fortunes by 7 per cent, partially due to the war in Ukraine and global economic crises.

Peter McLaren‐Kennedy FLIGHTS were ground ed in Catalonia due to the possible fall of a Chinese rocket. The an nouncement by the Civil Protection authorities on Friday, November 4 said that a 40‐minute restriction in Catalonian airspace was due to the passing of a Chinese

space rocket that was falling back to earth.

Although the earth’s atmosphere will burn up most of the 20‐tonne vessel, the authorities felt it necessary to take the precaution.

The trajectory of the rocket will cross many countries in the Mediterranean before

heading out over the Middle East and into the sea somewhere south of the Indian sub‐continent.

Authorities have said the rocket poses little risk, but that the pre caution was the sensi ble thing to do, with less than an hour’s dis ruption.

Latin American descendants of Civil War exiles could be eligible for citizenship.

Photo credit: Everett Collection / shutterstock.com

€64m haul

SPANISH police have seized their largest­ever marihua na haul worth over €64 mil lion.

Guardia Civil officers have dismantled an organisation that had stored more than 32 tons of marihuana buds in Toledo, Ciudad Real, Va lencia, and Asturias.

Through a complex busi ness network, the organisa tion sent “vacuum­packed marihuana throughout the

national territory,” as well as to Switzerland, Holland, Germany, and Belgium, among other European countries.

The Jardines operation concluded with the seizure of 32,370.2 kilograms of the drug ­ not only the largest seizure of this substance in Spain, but also internation ally.

Twenty people ­ nine men and 11 women be

tween the ages of 20 and 59 ­ have been arrested as be ing part of the organisation, which had offices in Toledo, Ciudad Real, Valencia, and Asturias, and controlled the entire drug production and distribution process.

Police said the gang dried the marihuana plants, pack aged them, and sent them to parts of Spain, Switzer land, the Netherlands, Ger many, and Belgium.

SPANISH lorry drivers have announced a new nationwide strike that will start from this Sunday, November 13.

Announcing the two­day strike on Monday, November 7, the Platform in Defence of Transport said that the strike had been called to denounce those that expect them to work at a loss.

The ‘platform’ represents small transport businesses and self­employed drivers who were behind the strikes

Truckers strike

in March this year.

In response the Minister of Transport, Mobility and Ur ban Agenda, Raquel Sánchez, told a national news outlet that the Ministry is preparing an inspection plan in the sec tor that will be announced in the “coming weeks.”

The last time Spanish lorry drivers announced a nation

wide strike, some shortages were experienced in parts of the country.

It did, however, result in a positive for all motorists of the reduction in the cost of fu el.

This time the strike is to force the government to bet ter police its own laws in pro tecting those in the industry.

Rowdy fans

CELTIC football fans have disgraced their team by leaving trash everywhere on Madrid’s Plaza Mayor.

In a performance worse than their team on the field, Celtic lost 5­1, the fans left the square in an absolute and disgraceful mess on Wednes day, November 2. Although the police and the city were expecting problems, with Celtic fans having a poor reputation, they were over whelmed after more than 10,000 arrived in the city, although only 3,000 tickets had been sold. That left around 7,000 of the Celtic faithful to drink, sing and generally get out of hand much to the annoyance of locals.

The police did contain them in the square, which is the normal tactic as it allows them to be marshalled easily into and out of the Santiago Bernabéu stadium.

Supportive

SPAIN’S Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Al bares has travelled to Ukraine to pay respects to those that have lost their lives and to deliver 30 am bulances.

Albares arrived on Wednesday, November 2 with a busy programme that will seem him hold sev eral meetings with his coun terparts and other institu tions. He will meet with Dmytro Kuleba, his coun terpart and with the coun try’s Prime Minister, Denýs Shmyhal. Albares tweeted on his arrival saying: “I have just arrived in Kyiv to con vey Spain’s commitment and support to the people and government of Ukraine in the defence of their sovereignty, peace and freedom; and support and thank the members of the Embassy of Spain in Ukraine for their work.”

He will also travel to some of the other cities in the country to learn first hand about the damage the war is having on the country.

But that meant many remained overnight in the square leaving a huge amount of litter never seen in the city. A small number also damaged bars and terraces around the square.

As always it is a minority that cause the most problems.

Chocolate champion

THE king of chocolate title has gone to Catalan chef Lluc Crusellas, who has won the eighth edition of the World Chocolate Masters competi tion. The chef took the title on the evening of Monday, Octo ber 31 at an event in Paris, where he beat 17 chefs from around the world to take the title. He is the first Spaniard to be crowned as the World Chocolate Master.

He told the audience: “It has been an incredible journey.”

He continued saying all the hard work had paid off and

A TOTAL of 132 bottles of wine worth more than €200,000 have been stolen from the Coque Restaurant, a two­star Michelin in the Madrid Province. The theft announced by partner Rafael Sandoval on Wednesday, November 2 occurred after thieves burrowed through an adjoining property. They are said to have then entered the courtyard shared by the restaurant and the neighbouring pharmacy, before breaking the glass window to enter the premises.

One­hundred­and­thirty­two bottles were tak en by the thieves, assuming that’s what they

that as a young man his ambi tion now was to make an even bigger impression on the world of cooking.

Crusellas, just 26, said that his chocolate creation was in spired by the natural environ ments of the mountain and his love of cycling. His creation in cluded unique techniques that gave textures to leaves, pro viding an organic and natural touch to the dishes presented. Judges and colleagues praised his work and his techniques in handling chocolate as he be comes the king of chocolate.

Vintage theft

could carry, leaving behind some 30,000 bottles.

The police are investigating the theft, which they say targeted the wine collection. They say there is no evidence that anything else was taken or touched. They add that the people involved knew what they were looking for as the bottles they took were of a very high value. The theft was, however, not noticed until a day later as the restaurant was closed for the public holiday.

AFTERMATH: The litter left behind.

Credit Twitter @ VPmmad

WORLD MASTER: Lluc Crusellas beat 17 world chefs.

Credit worldchocolatemasters

IT was announced on Thursday November 3, that the creators of Celebrations have removed its least popular chocolate in a trial ahead of Christmas.

Mars Wrigley said that the most controversial chocolate, the coconut, chocolate covered, Bounty, will be axed from its fes

Bye bye bounty

tive tubs, after finding 39 per cent of consumers want it to be ban ished for good. To make up for the missing Bounty bars, the lim ited edition tubs will include a

bigger selection of Mars, Snick ers, Milky Way, Galaxy, and Mal tesers. The research also found that 22 per cent liked Bounty the least of all the tub’s options,

while some 28 per cent were of the opinion that coconut had no place in a chocolate bar at all. A whopping 58 per cent believed just finding Bounty bars in the

tub would lead to a family argu ment.

The trial is rolling out across 40 Tesco Christmas Market loca tions, beginning at Baguley Extra in Manchester on Tuesday November 8 and ending at Gal lions Reach Extra in London on December 18.

Staff take paycut

STAFF are taking a pay cut at Britishvolt to stave off bankruptcy as the innovative company only has sufficient funding to see it through un til December.

Just nine months ago, it was announced that the government would invest £100 million in the business alongside other investors in

order to see batteries for electric vehicles being pro duced in the UK rather than being imported from China and other countries. It now appears that the British gov ernment has just refused to part with £30 million of that which had been promised.

In a statement, the com pany said on Wednesday

November 2, “We have now secured the necessary near‐term investment that we be lieve enables us to bridge over the coming weeks. To further reduce our near‐term costs, our dedicated employee team has also vol untarily agreed to a tempo rary salary reduction for the month of November.”

No December elections

ELECTIONS in Northern Ire land, which were due to take place following the failure of the parties to form a govern

ment, may be on hold until af ter the Christmas period. Sec retary of State for Northern Ire land Chris Heaton-Harris said on Friday, November 4 that he will outline the steps which will be taken to resolve the issues in Northern Ireland in parliament, although he is legally obliged to call an election within 12 weeks of October 28, the deadline date for forming a new govern ment. Heaton-Harris who met with the parties in Northern Ireland said that everyone had “sincere concerns” over the cost and the impact of elections

now. A statement issued by the secretary said: “I can now confirm that no Assembly elec tion will take place in Decem ber, or ahead of the festive sea son,” and added “My objective, what the people of Northern Ireland deserve, is the restoration of a strong de volved government. My duty is to create the right environment for the parties in Northern Ire land to work together to re store the devolved institutions and deliver on crucial issues im pacting Northern Ireland’s peo ple.”

Post brexit breach

THE UK’s Europe minister will urge Brus sels to unblock access to EU scientific pro grammes for British researchers, which it says is provided for in the post­Brexit trade deal.

London says that involvement in Hori zon Europe, the EU’s research and inno vation funding programme, as well as nu clear regulator Euratom and the Copernicus satellite monitoring group, were part of a post­Brexit trade deal.

It says that considers the UK’s exclusion to be a “breach of the post­Brexit deal”.

Minister for Europe Leo Docherty will

today meet with EU representatives at the Parliamentary Partnership Assembly to discuss this, and monitor the imple mentation of the post­Brexit trade deal, according to a national news outlet.

“The UK’s participation would be a win­win for the UK and the EU, but the UK cannot wait much longer,” Docherty said.

In August, the UK launched a formal appeal against the EU, accusing it of freez ing British institutions out of the scientific research programmes due to the continu ing row of Northern Ireland.

Yacht plans scrapped

RISHI SUNAK has scuppered the proposed replacement of the Royal Yacht Britannia saving the exchequer some £250 million.

Reported by a national news outlet on November 7, the replacement was ap proved by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson who saw the vessel as a way of once promoting the UK abroad.

According to the report the two compa nies shortlisted to bid for the build were told that the project had been shelved by the new prime minister.

The Ministry of Defence is expected to make a formal announcement, although some are hoping that private funding could come to the rescue.

The news comes ahead of a new budget statement later this month that analysts ex pect to include tax rises and significant cuts in government spending.

The plan was for the vessel to be launched late in 2024 from when it would be used to promote UK interests abroad, as well as to host government events

Celebrity roundup

By Chris King and Vickie Scullard

CONTESTANTS on this year’s ‘I’m A Celebrity’ TV series gathered around the campfire in their new home in the Aus tralian jungle on Monday November 7 for the first time after a twist saw them split on day one.

But that wasn’t the only surpriseMonday’s episode of the ITV show also delivered the news that Love Island star Olivia Attwood was forced to quit the camp after only 24 hours for ‘health rea sons’, according to presenters Ant and Dec.

But she still played an integral part in the show’s first Bushtucker trial, along with Chris Moyles, Boy George, and Scar lette Douglas, who were previously ma rooned on an island together as VIPs (Very Isolated People). They were tasked with taking part in the series’ first trial where they won eight stars for camp be fore joining the rest of the celebs.

After the food package was lowered down, they opened it to discover their tasty offering was mud crab. Charlene decided she was going to be the camp chef, much to the annoyance of Boy George. He stuck with rice and mush rooms, later complaining to Chris that she hadn’t cooked the mushrooms

enough.

Meanwhile, former Radio One break fast show host Chris discovered to his amusement that Hollyoaks actor Owen Warner will believe anything he told him. Owen is now convinced that the radio DJ is a top dancer, and Chris has made it his mission to see how many more brazen lies he can get away with telling the gullible soap star.

Ant and Dec are back in the bush.

Image: Itv.com

Crafts, art, gastronomy

IF you are a fan of crafts, arts or gastronomy then a wander to the market in Roquetas de Mar sounds like the perfect event for you.

An abundance of crafts and arts will be on sale combined with food stalls with the tasti est of treats.

The next market on Sun day, December 4 will start at 10.30am until 9.00pm at the Puerto Deportivo, Torre de Control 04720 Aguadulce (Almeria).

aguadulce.es.

The leisure port of Aguadulce is found in the mu nicipality of Roquetas de Mar, just eight kilometres from the capital. This port houses a great variety of restaurants and has become one of the most emblematic leisure ar eas in Almería Province.

den of Europe.

Local fish such as red mul let, bream, snapper, sea bass, sea bream, gilthead bream, and redfish and seafood such as prawns, langoustine, shrimp and white prawns are the basis of irresistible dishes ranging from fish broth, pick led fish, of Arab origin or rice, a typical seafood dish unique in the province of Almeria.

For more information call (+34) 950 341 502 or email contacto@puerto

The gastronomy of Roque tas de Mar is marked by prod ucts from the sea, top quality fish, and those that come from the land, such as the ex cellent fruit and vegetable products of this region, known as the vegetable gar

Action-packed Caravan joy

FOR Sunday fun look no further than The Desert Sultans at Chiringuito’s Extreme Bar, AL­6111 Paraje el gitano s/n, Turre. Celebrate the end of the weekend in style on Sunday, November 13, at 2.30pm and dance along to classic rock, Rock n Roll, RnB and country music. Dancing music for everyone, across the decades! For more information or to book a table call Extreme on (+34) 673 617 372.

On Sunday, November 13, the restaurant in Desert Springs Re sort Ctra, 04618 Las Cunas will offer entertainment by Jack Law. For more information call (+34) 950 091 546.

If you are looking for charitable fun then Thursday, November 17, is Party Night! Southern Impact are performing at Nico Ter raza Bar in Calle Malaga, 6, La Alfoquia, Zurgena. The dazzling husband and wife duo ­ Matt and Lisa Coy ­ will have you on your feet with a mix of disco, pop, rock, funk and soul tunes. The event is to raise money for local charities.

IF you are a fan of campervans, cara vans or anything re lated to camping, the Almeria Adventure & Caravan Exposition is a must­see.

The countdown has begun!

The exposition will be held at the Aguadulce Palace of Congress, C Joaquín Rodrigo, s/n, 04720

Aguadulce, Almeria, from November 24 until November 27.

Opening hours are from 11.00am to 9.00pm.

Entry is free for pensioners and chil dren up to 10 years old, otherwise the cost is €3.00 for a day ticket and this in cludes a beer or wa ter.

For more informa tion call : (+34) 950 181 800.

ON SALE: Crafts, art and gastronomy.

Image: Shutterstock.com/Nerdfox

A 59-YEAR-OLD Brit has been cured after 411 days of living with Covid‐19 in what is thought to be the longest case of someone being cured of the virus.

The case was published in the journal Clinical In fectious Diseases on Thursday, November 3 by medical staff from the Guy’s and St Thomas’

Trump’s Covid cure

Hospitals.

The unnamed patient tested positive in Decem ber 2020 and was unable to clear the infection and continued to test positive until January 2022. Genet

Brexit shift

THE growing majority of Britons think Brexit was a mistake, according to a new poll released on Thurs day November 3, suggesting that the Conservatives will not be successful at the next general election.

The data shows that 57 per cent of the British pop ulation now thinks that the UK’s departure from the European Union was a mistake, with 43 per cent say ing it was a good decision.

However, Professor John Curtice, president of the British Polling Council, said that it was too soon to say that polls have shifted decisively in favour of overturning the vote to leave the European Union.

Prof Curtice told reporters that the shift in opinion became clear in autumn 2021 when shortages of UK lorry drivers demonstrated to many the reality of ending the EU’s free movement of labour.

“Probably Brexit is now less popular than it has been at any point since June 2016.”

ic analysis determined that he had an early vari ant of the original strain that led to the world being shut down.

Once they had identified the strain, they used the

same cocktail of drugs that had ‘miraculously’ cured the American President Donald Trump, Regen eron. Although the cure did not work for everyone, as another patient who

Gifted learner

FOUR-YEAR-OLD Jamie Mohr, from Old Kil patrick, West Dunbar tonshire has wowed family and friends with his incredible language and math skills.

What makes this even more remarkable is that Jamie was born 12 weeks premature weigh ing just 1lb 8oz and spent 11 weeks in inten sive care with doctors fearing that his chances of surviving were unlike ly.

Jamie can count in En glish, Spanish, German,

Japanese, French, and Mandarin. He is ad vanced in addition, sub traction, percentages and fractions, as well as being able to read sev en-digit numbers.

Lorraine, Jamie’s mum told a national news outlet that his abilities were apparent at an ear ly age and added “I can’t wait to see if Jamie ends up winning a Nobel Prize one day.

“It’s a possibility - he surprises me that much every day with his abili ties.”

had tested positive for 505 days, died after being ad ministered the same cock tail of drugs.

Both are said to have caught the virus but were never re‐infected, a situa tion different to those with long Covid‐19 where the symptoms continue but the virus is no longer present.

Inflation bites

FOOD theft has become an increasing problem for UK retail ers as the cost of basic goods soars and people struggle to make ends meet.

Confirmation of those difficulties came when a national news outlet reported on Wednesday November 2 that lead ing supermarket Tesco had resorted to tagging its reduced yel low sticker items.

Some items like pasta and vegetable oil have risen by al most two‐thirds, making them unaffordable for many.

The latest reports suggest that demand for reduced items has become so great that people are grabbing items out of the hands of staff before they can even put them on the shelf. So bad is the problem that they have taken to cordoning off an area while they add the reduced stickers.

The report comes on the same day that Iceland announced that it had introduced 1p meals this week in an effort to help those in need, although response to the launch has been mixed.

Crime in the UK is an increasing problem, but food theft al though not new, is becoming prevalent.

A miraculous cure for Covid.

Credit: Alina Troeva/Shutterstock.com.

Frederiksen fights on Paintball protection

Betty Henderson

THERE were unexpected gains for the ruling cen tre‐left party in Danish elections held on Tuesday November 1. Prime Minis ter, Mette Frederiksen’s Social Democrat party gained its best result in 20 years, passing the re quired 90 seats to form a government

After being forced to call an election over a controversial bio‐security policy during the Covid‐19 pandemic, PM, Mette Frederiksen’s gamble paid off, with the party even gaining two seats unex

pectedly.

The ‘red‐bloc’ of Social Democrats won 87 seats in mainland Denmark, one seat in the Faroe Is lands and were projected to win two more seats in the Danish territory of Greenland, securing their majority status.

Frederiksen now wants

to form a broader coali tion in government and will seek the permission of the country’s monarch to end her current govern ment and form a new one.

Frederiksen’s decision to cull the country’s entire mink population to stop the spread of the pan demic had sparked a furi ous backlash from promi nent members of the mink fur trade. The con troversy caused Frederik sen to announce the snap general election in Octo ber, months ahead of the planned election date.

DRASTIC measures including paintball firing have been authorised by Dutch authorities after reports that overly tame wolves were returning to urban areas. The decision was made on Friday October 28 after sightings were reported in the country.

One video widely circulated on social me dia showed a wolf passing a visibly panicked young family at close proximity in Hoge Veluwe National Park.

A representative for the local government announced that it had authorised the use of paintballs by park wardens to keep wolves more than 30 metres from humans. They

explained that paintballs were chosen since they allowed authorities to see which wolves had already been targeted.

Around 20 adult wolves are believed to be living in the Netherlands, but have previ ously been wild, avoiding contact with hu mans. One pack resides in the Veluwe, an other three pairs and 11 lone animals were reported to live in the country according to a June report. However, the birth of at least 16 cubs this summer and news of more than 372 sightings this year have prompted authorities to act over fears that the wolves could become aggressive.

Frost-free October

Betty Henderson

THE coldest village in France registered a frost‐free October, breaking a record that stood for 140 years. Mouthe, a small village on the Swiss border has previously always experienced frost in October, since records began in 1884. Previously, the town has reg istered up to 28 days of frost during the month of October, and this year’s lack of frost has taken residents and international observers by surprise. Officials in the coun try’s meteorological agency, including

François Jobard, expressed concern, saying that the record, along with unseasonably warm temperatures were proof of climate change. Jobard explained that the weather in the last fortnight of October was warmer than weeks in August during the 1970s.

Officially, the town holds the record for the lowest temperature ever seen in France when it dropped to a shocking ‐36.7 degrees Celsius in January 1968.

French weather authorities said that Oc tober was the warmest ever recorded.

Mette Frederiksen’s party had its best election result.

Photo credit: 360B / shutterstock.com

Cyber assistance

ACCORDING to a report by a national news outlet on Tuesday, November 1, Britain has been helping Ukraine defend its networks from cyberattacks since the country was first invaded by Russia.

Leo Docherty, a Junior Foreign office Min ister said that the damage would have been “very significant” without British assistance, adding that the UK had been forced to strengthen its own defences because of “a very significant cyber threat from Russia.”

He said: “We’re already on the frontline…

We are aware of the threat. We have raised our own preparations and our own de fences.”

Ordinarily such activities, which have so far cost the UK around £6.35 million, would be kept secret, however, the suggestion is that Russia is aware of the UK’s involvement and therefore the need for secrecy has gone.

This is the first time the British have ac knowledged the direct involvement of their spies in defending Kyiv from Russian cyber attacks.

Petrol power prohibition

A HISTORIC moment as the EU moves to ban fossil fuel combustion cars by 2035. The long­awaited an nouncement was made ahead of the United Na tions COP27 climate sum mit, due to get underway on Monday November 7 in Egypt.

The legislation will ban the sale of new fossil fuel combustion cars and vans in the European Union as

part of the organisation’s ‘Fit for 55’ policy. The cata logue of policies aims to re duce global warming emis sions by 55 per cent by the end of the decade.

The decision was made after data revealed that transport was the only sec tor responsible for increas ing emissions during the past 30 years, with a rise of 33.5 per cent from 1990 to 2019.

In the announcement, representatives for the Eu ropean Parliament said it shows that the EU is serious about cutting emissions.

The body said it will now act to try and support the transition to alternative fuel sources, including by in stalling infrastructure in cluding charging points for electric vehicles, after a re port last year found current provision inadequate.

Comedy is Tragedy plus Time

INTERVIEW with award‐winning comedian Nik Cop pin who when questioned admitted that the awards were for swimming and taking part in a football match against a lady’s

team.

From his early days of working for Transport for London, Nik had always fan cied being a comedian and took the plunge into stand‐up in 1998 and he has been

making people laugh on a full‐time basis since 2004.

Like many talented enter tainers, he is also a writer and artist specialising in car icatures and spent part of lockdown enlarging his portfolio.

Comedy is his first love and it has taken him all over the world with perfor mances in much of Europe, parts of Asia, the Middle East, New Zealand and Aus tralia, where he takes part in three festivals every year.

Speaking about his trav els, Nik said “I enjoy Aus tralia and find that my style of banter works well with audiences there, although I did have a run‐in with a ra dio presenter who accused me for being a racist when I told him I supported an Aus tralian Rules Football Club which used to be politically incorrect, but now has more aboriginal players than any other team.

“I found it amusing as I couldn’t be less of a racist as

my mother is English and my father comes from Bar bados, but when he called me a racist in writing and advised people not to go to my show in a local newspa per, part of the Murdoch empire, a lawyer friend ad vised me to sue which I did and won!

“One good thing to come out of that was my next show entitled Nik Coppin is not a racist.”

For some years now, Nik has been organising regular comedy stand‐up events in the Costa del Sol and it all came about because he stayed with a friend and met an aspiring comedian who insisted there was a demand for English lan guage comedy.

Sure enough, there is and he now organises three or four sessions each year bringing over various come dians from the UK and oth er parts of Europe, including his close friend the German comedian Henning Wehn.

The next series of shows take place in December and details of those taking part, dates and venues can be seen at https://www.face book.com/standupcome dy spain / (although one is in Gibraltar).

“I also run stand up com edy courses in La Cala as well as the odd show spe cially for children so there is plenty of reasons for me to keep coming back to Spain.”

Chatting about some of his other projects, it tran spires that he will be ap pearing in the UK at the Gai ety Bar, Southsea on November 27 at the invita tion of comedian Jim David son who is filming a new version of the old TV show The Comedians, with some

of

Nik. Commenting on Jim Davidson who he has worked with before, Nik said “He is a very nice guy but a bit like your favourite uncle who doesn’t always appreciate that what he is saying can be inappropri ate.”

If you can’t get to see the latest shows which are de scribed as most suitable for those aged 18+ (although they are certainly not too blue or offensive) then check out Nik’s latest book

‘Comedy World’ written during lockdown and with a foreword from Henning Wehn.

the originals like Mick Miller, Roy Walker and Bob by Davro together with some ‘youngsters’ like

COMEDIAN: Nik Coppin on stage at Louie Louie, Estepona.

Credit: Nik Coppin

PRESSEUROPEAN

DENMARK

Salt away

AS climate change continues, it is important to understand how to ensure bountiful crops and researchers at the University of Copenhagen have discovered how plants manage to react to avoid the intake of large amounts of salt which can badly affect growth.

THE NETHERLANDS

Train wars

THERE is a great deal of opposition from Dutch MPs across the political spectrum against European Union plans to open the Dutch railway network to foreign companies even on mainline services. The Dutch fear a worsening of the service to passengers if this happens.

BELGIUM

Ferry good news

SHIPPING company DFDS is reportedly considering reintroducing the ferry service between Belgium and Scotland which was terminated in 2018 following a fire on the Finlandia Seaways ferry. Initially for freight, but possibly passengers later, it would run from Rosyth to the port of Antwerp Bruges.

GERMANY

Dodgy donut

DRUG smugglers try all sorts of tricks to hide their stash but in a first, Bavarian border officials making routine checks on passengers on a train arriving from the Czech Republic were suspicious of a passenger’s donut and found it full of crystal meth.

FRANCE

Chinese police

AFTER the Dutch government was alerted to the existence of secret offices run by Chinese police, France has now become aware of two operating just outside of Paris and the Ministry of the Interior has confirmed that it is monitoring for any breach of the law.

NORWAY

Greedy MPs

IT’S not just British politicians who have been accused of ‘troughiteering’ as a scandal has broken out in the Norwegian Parliament with some MPs being fined for living in state owned properties, whilst renting out their privately owned accommodation for a profit.

FINLAND

Bright idea

A GROUP of enterprising Finnish students in Seinäjoki have come up with a novel way of raising money for a school trip by offering to change motorists’ summer tyres for winter tyres for €20 a car, whilst the drivers enjoy a coffee and snack.

IRELAND

Gate to Hell

MANY believe that the concept of Halloween can be traced to a cave in County Roscommon which for centuries has been known as the Gate to Hell and was the birthplace of the Festival of Samhain, where at the end of October the gate to another world opened.

ITALY

Ponte Vecchio

ALTHOUGH it is not suffering from any structural damage, the Florence City Council has announced that it will, for the first time in the bridge’s almost 700 -year history, spend €2 million to give the world-famous Ponte Vecchio bridge a face-lift to touch up the ravages of time.

PORTUGAL

TAP attraction

NOW that the Portuguese government has made it clear that it could consider some form of privatisation of its airline TAP, front runners of those who appear to be showing interest are IAG, owners of British Airways and Iberia, easyJet and the Air France KLM Group.

UKRAINE

Diverted shells

ACCORDING to a White House spokesperson, North Korea is allegedly helping the Russian military efforts in Ukraine by secretly supplying the Putin regime with artillery shells which are ostensibly due to go to the Middle East or North Africa, but get diverted en route.

SWEDEN

Spelling error

THE head of the Swedish Tourist Board is upset that foreigners interested in taking a holiday in the pretty west coast area of Halland are automatically being diverted by search engines to sites concerning not quite so pretty Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland.

Cutting down FINANCE

BUSINESS EXTRA

Spanish pensions

THE elderly in Spain can ex pect an increase in their pen sion payments of 8.5 per cent next year, even though inflation dropped back to 7.3 per cent in November ac cording to an announcement by the Minister responsible, José Luis Escrivá on Thursday November 3.

Money talks

A UK subsidiary of mining company Glencore has been found guilty of paying bribes to officials in Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Nigeria in or der to obtain rights to obtain oil and a Judge at Southwark Crown Court has fined them £182.9 million and confiscat ed £93.5 million.

Porn fine

GIJON‐based Spanish start‐up tech company Techpump Solutions, which amongst other projects, runs at least five porn sites has just been fined a total of €510,000 in a crackdown by the Spanish Agency for Data Protection (AEPD) for not adequately controlling access to minors.

Capital gains

AS reported in The Tele graph, UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is considering raising funds in a manner which will be more acceptable than in creasing income tax, by cut ting capital gains tax relief which will be seen as hitting those with the most money.

Crumbs

AFTER initiating a review in June of this year, the UK Competition and Markets Authority announced on Fri day November 4 that it be lieves there could be compe tition concerns after Cérélia Group Holding SAS took over the Jus‐Rol business and therefore controls much of the home pastry market.

STAT OF WEEK €3 billion

€10 BILLION GREEN DEAL

SPAIN has struck an initial €10 billion green deal with Maersk to supply energy to fuel its new fleet of ves sels.

The Danish company plans to in troduce 20 new ships powered by green methanol starting in 2023/ 2024 and subsequently increasing the number of vessels, so that by 2040 it is completely green.

In order to achieve this aim, Maer sk needs to be able to ensure an in creasing volume of suitable fuel and its top brass have been in discussion with the Spanish government for several months over the possibility

of Spain supplying part of the supply.

On November 3, President Pedro Sánchez met with the CEO of the AP Møller‐Maersk Group, Søren Skou to announce that a deal had been struck thanks in part to Spain’s acces sibility, availability of renewable en ergy and commitment to the Green Hydrogen strategy.

To this end therefore, the two par ties have signed a General Protocol for Collaboration to explore the op portunities for large‐scale green fuels production in Spain.

The intention is to create two new production plants, one in Andalucia

and the other in Galicia and Sánchez said “This project is perfectly aligned with Spain’s strategy of reindustriali sation, fair energy transition and the green hydrogen roadmap, making progress in fulfilling the European Union’s common decarbonisation commitment.”

If all goes according to plan, the in tention is to create around 85,000 jobs within Spain to supply around 10 per cent of the shipping compa ny’s requirements with a total in vestment from the company and several national and international in vestors.

Black Friday bargains

LIKE many other marketing ideas Black Friday started in the USA and became popu lar, as the day after Thanks giving was when people start to think about their Christmas shopping and took the day off following the public holiday.

This year it takes place on Friday November 25 and will be followed by Cyber Monday on November 28, but with the current eco nomic crisis, specialist con sultancy firm Retail Eco nomics predicts that sales for Black Friday as well as Christmas will be measur ably lower than previous years, based on polls taken in eight countries including

the UK and Spain.

One major international online platform eBay has made a conscious decision to promote the circular economy and on Black Fri day will encourage shop pers towards purchasing

second‐hand items, espe cially clothing and guaran teed refurbished electricals, as it found in 2021 that there was a huge increase in these areas.

Amazon probably has the largest number of special

deals but these are initially aimed at subscription paying Prime Members, although there are without doubt many deals to be had from the company and their affili ates.

One problem however is that as some companies be gin to cut back on instore promotions due to large crowds, so it becomes more difficult to identify whether online price cuts are genuine or if the site posted a higher price on one day several months ago. Consumers can benefit from special promo tions and make savings, but should always do their re search in advance in order to find the bargains.

A SURVEY suggests that more peo ple want refurbished tech due to the global cost of living crisis ac cording to second‐hand mobile phone outlet SellCell.

Of the 6,000 people in America and the UK contacted, a surprising ly large 41.54 per cent indicated that they would be looking to re place existing phones and tablets with refurbished rather than new hardware simply to save money.

Some 28.7 per cent said they will be buying second‐ hand goods as part of an intention to help pro mote the circular economy.

In addition, almost 60 per cent in the UK confirmed they will be visit ing discount supermarkets.

Cheaper Netflix

IN the last year, streaming giant Netflix has lost around one million viewers worldwide and seen its shares drop accordingly. Worried that the current cost of living crisis is likely to see more people saving money by cancelling their subscrip tion or moving to rivals, Netflix is offering a reduced rate in some 12 countries, including Britain and Spain, whereby programmes will be interrupted by advertising.

The company expects that it will not only keep or even attract view ers who feel they can afford the re duced price, but hopes to make up the reduction in subscription fees by selling advertising space to ma jor brands.

Serbian trade

SPAIN’S Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maro to, visited Belgrade capital of Ser bia for meetings with President, Aleksandar Vučić on November 3.

She chaired an economic forum aimed at strengthening trade and investment relations between Spain and Serbia as well as signing two agreements concerning fi nancial and technical cooperation in infrastructure matters.

The agreement includes the identification and execution of pro jects that facilitate the transfer of technology and exchange of knowledge between the countries.

A further agreement concen trated on the financing of studies, consulting services and technical assistance by Spanish companies.

is the amount that the Box2Bit company intends to invest in building two macro data centres in Recas (Toledo) and Torija (Guadalajara)

Credit:

ENERGY SUPPLY: Pedro Sánchez flanked by Maersk executives.

Credit: Jose Cabezudo flickr

BLACK FRIDAY: Consumers benefit from special promotions.

3I Group 1.235,50 1.242,00 1.225,00 53,37K

Abrdn 176,95 177,35 173,30 584,28K

Admiral Group 1.909,5 1.966,7 1.868,8 23,28K

Anglo American 2.941,0 2.972,0 2.919,0 181,59K

Antofagasta 1.258,50 1.281,00 1.249,00 69,24K

Ashtead Group 4.820,0 4.866,0 4.785,0 73,56K

Associated British Foods 1.500,8 1.524,5 1.462,5 206,58K

AstraZeneca 10.652,0 10.652,0 10.576,0 112,71K

Auto Trader Group Plc 541,00 541,00 531,00 121,01K

Aveva 3.139,0 3.147,0 3.130,0 137,47K

Aviva 432,90 433,70 430,00 278,46K

B&M European Value Retail SA358,00 358,20 353,00 102,14K

BAE Systems 787,40 795,20 780,00 302,87K

Barclays 155,42 155,70 152,82 3,24M

Barratt Developments 377,40 378,80 371,10 1,36M

Berkeley 3.510,0 3.527,0 3.450,0 44,86K

BHP Group Ltd 2.276,00 2.295,50 2.267,00 206,14K

BP 493,35 498,25 492,15 4,41M

British American Tobacco 3.355,0 3.370,8 3.350,4 12,50K

British Land Company 375,70 379,20 375,50 469,25K

BT Group 116,20 116,60 114,90 1,36M

Bunzl 2.900,0 2.907,0 2.875,0 18,26K

Burberry Group 1.965,0 1.965,0 1.919,0 115,30K

Carnival 677,3 680,8 665,0 42,56K

Centrica 77,34 77,68 76,44 353,84K

Coca Cola HBC AG 1.986,0 2.007,0 1.960,5 202,79K

Compass 1.865,50 1.870,50 1.852,50 87,31K

CRH 3.189,5 3.219,0 3.186,0 35,90K

Croda Intl 6.486,0 6.504,0 6.414,0 11,42K

DCC 4.659,0 5.000,0 4.512,0 196,27K

Diageo 3.637,5 3.640,5 3.611,5 191,65K

DS Smith 296,90 300,60 296,00 429,84K

EasyJet 373,50 375,10 363,00 361,01K

Experian 2.700,0 2.705,0 2.669,0 47,35K

Ferguson 9.638,0 9.670,0 9.550,0 25,11K

Flutter Entertainment 11.625,0 11.810,0 11.595,0 36,57K

Fresnillo 770,80 776,00 763,00 45,80K

Glencore 521,80 527,20 518,00 4,92M

GSK plc 1.384,51 1.384,51 1.364,61 166,92K

Halma 2.165,8 2.169,0 2.129,0 44,88K

Hargreaves Lansdown 803,60 806,00 797,60 55,24K

Hikma Pharma 1.271,00 1.271,00 1.246,00 25,72K

HSBC 479,35 479,85 475,95 1,47M

IAG 128,20 128,34 126,16 2,26M

Imperial Brands 2.138,00 2.141,00 2.129,00 93,52K Informa 571,80 573,20 568,00 101,27K InterContinental 4.700,0 4.705,0 4.664,0 22,40K

Intermediate Capital 1.133,50 1.140,00 1.117,50 45,85K

Intertek 3.821,0 3.827,0 3.784,0 27,52K

ITV 72,18 72,38 70,36 1,06M

J Sainsbury 217,60 218,40 216,50 399,70K

Johnson Matthey 2.029,0 2.039,0 2.007,0 14,42K

Land Securities 584,20 586,80 582,60 108,25K

Legal & General 237,50 238,10 236,00 591,64K

Lloyds Banking 42,87 43,05 41,95 18,22M

London Stock Exchange 7.696,0 7.732,0 7.652,0 32,90K

Melrose Industries 123,15 123,90 122,15 514,38K

Mondi 1.528,00 1.533,00 1.518,50 82,62K

National Grid 968,40 971,00 956,40 629,03K

NatWest Group 240,20 240,30 236,70 1,03M

Next 5.276,0 5.300,0 5.212,0 29,56K

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

Ocado 659,40 670,80 657,40 155,31K

Persimmon 1.225,0 1.240,0 1.200,0 715,55K

Phoenix 546,80 549,60 546,00 355,86K

Prudential 900,00 904,00 889,20 291,37K

Reckitt Benckiser 5.638,0 5.644,0 5.588,0 66,81K

Relx 2.284,00 2.285,00 2.262,00 152,03K

Rentokil 531,00 532,20 524,80 357,60K

Rightmove 505,20 507,20 499,50 111,60K

Rio Tinto PLC 5.017,0 5.051,0 4.914,0 232,72K

Rolls-Royce Holdings 86,24 86,46 84,40 3,61M

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

Sage 721,00 721,20 709,40 121,98K

Samsung Electronics DRC 1.115,00 1.116,50 1.112,50 1,37K

Schroders 406,7 407,1 402,1 51,17K

Scottish Mortgage 744,80 746,80 734,20 233,05K

Segro 771,40 776,00 764,40 200,92K

Severn Trent 2.570,0 2.576,0 2.549,0 37,59K

Shell 2.464,0 2.483,0 2.460,5 1,06M

Smith & Nephew 1.037,50 1.043,00 1.029,00 158,41K

Smiths Group 1.559,00 1.561,00 1.548,50 63,21K

Spirax-Sarco Engineering 10.930,0 10.985,0 10.865,0 0,16K SSE 1.571,00 1.572,50 1.550,50 97,10K

St. James’s Place 1.074,00 1.078,00 1.064,00 36,64K

Standard Chartered 560,80 562,00 554,00 370,31K

Taylor Wimpey 93,88 94,04 92,18 3,42M

Tesco 227,40 227,90 225,30 1,11M

Tui 138,95 139,45 137,60 222,75K

Unilever 4.032,5 4.036,0 4.009,0 117,89K

United Utilities 958,40 961,20 949,20 130,68K

Vodafone Group PLC 105,44 105,56 104,60 5,99M

Whitbread 2.525,0 2.530,0 2.501,0 20,89K WPP 808,40 808,80 792,20 405,36K

DOW JONES

3M 124,68 125,15 1,91M

American Express 146,98 147,54 143,76 2,85M

Amgen 277,02 277,48 267,75 2,92M

Apple 138,92 139,15 135,67 83,01M

Boeing 164,91 166,70 160,63 10,18M

Caterpillar 228,61 229,13 222,67 3,38M

Chevron 185,61 186,38 182,11 7,52M

Cisco 44,55 44,98 44,40 21,36M

Coca-Cola 59,49 59,77 59,24 8,83M

Dow 49,50 49,53 48,31 5,85M

Goldman Sachs 362,56 362,96 358,52 2,51M

Home Depot 290,27 291,70 282,84 3,06M

Honeywell 209,77 210,24 207,14 2,67M

IBM 138,34 138,70 136,51 4,02M

Intel 28,41 28,47 27,89 33,71M

J&J 172,98 173,85 171,44 6,23M

JPMorgan 131,37 132,29 130,48 11,96M

McDonald’s 276,41 278,08 275,07 2,84M

Merck&Co 100,07 100,36 97,67 8,29M

Microsoft 227,87 228,41 221,28 32,83M

Nike 93,44 96,87 92,67 7,75M

Procter&Gamble 136,50 137,19 135,06 6,72M

Salesforce Inc 144,59 144,93 138,77 7,22M

The Travelers 184,13 184,54 182,92 1,27M

UnitedHealth 545,02 546,95 535,47 2,43M

Verizon 37,19 37,44 36,98 19,68M

Visa A 200,10 200,44 197,17 7,81M

Walgreens Boots 38,59 39,13 37,70 12,45M

Walmart 142,45 142,97 141,26 3,59M

Walt Disney 100,43 101,56 98,99 11,30M

Most Advanced

Genting Hong Kong Limited +0.0391 +358.72%

Swedish Match AB (publ) +2.42 +29.95%

Telecom Italia S.p.A. +0.0560 +29.47%

Accelleron Industries AG +3.49 +24.93%

Certara, Inc. +2.09 +19.58%

Syneos Health, Inc. +4.30 +16.73%

Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. +3.79 +16.18%

LATAM Airlines Group S.A. +0.0538 +14.69%

CEMEX, S.A.B. de C.V. +0.0500 +14.29%

Eurobank Ergasias Services and Holdings S.A. +0.1260 +14.25%

GDS Holdings Limited +1.32 +13.79%

Most Declined

Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated -17.70% 7.228M

PT Hanjaya Mandala Sampoerna Tbk -11.72% 65,610

Palantir Technologies Inc. -11.48% 98.445M

Beam Therapeutics Inc. -11.43% 1.874M

Choice Hotels International, Inc. -9.12% 1.285M

Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A. -8.97% 1.458M

Maravai LifeSciences Holdings, Inc. -8.70% 2.376M

TELUS International (Cda) Inc. -8.53% 264,542

Natura &Co Holding S.A. -8.45% 670,971

Evolent Health, Inc. -7.88% 1.94M

Aurora Innovation, Inc. -7.54% 2.03M

BUSINESS EXTRA

Closing down

HAVING taken over the failed McColl’s 1,160 stores, Morrisons has now announced that whilst it plans to convert the majority into small Morrisons Daily conve nience stores, it will close 132 as there is little chance of them ever be coming profitable, but will redeploy their 1,320 staff.

Dearer loans

THE Federal Reserve, America’s Central Bank has increased its lending rate by 0.75 per cent to range from 3.75 to 4 per cent, the highest figure since 2008 and this may encourage European Central Banks including the ECB to follow its ex ample.

Everyone out

THE Communication Workers’ Union has sug gested that its 115,000 Royal Mail members should choose Black Fri day (November 25) and Cyber Monday (Novem ber 28), two of the com mercially busiest days of the year to strike, after rejecting a pay offer of 9 per cent spread over two years.

GetGo coming

TESCO announced on November 1 as it opened its second GetGo store, which is in Islington, that it will expand the trial with additional stores in London and Birmingham.

The idea is that shop pers use an App to shop and pay without scan ning a product or using a checkout, although for customers who prefer to know exactly how much they are spending there will be the option of us ing a self‐service or at tended checkout if they prefer.

Staff will also be on hand to check the age of those purchasing alco hol.

Brits top tourists

BRITISH tourists are still the top spenders in Spain as the government confirms ever‐growing figures for both September and the first nine months of the year.

According to Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, during September some 1.8 million Brits visited Spain, spending €1.96 billion (an average of €1,185 per person).

The September overall number of visitors stood at 7.8 million which is 88.4 per cent of the number who came to Spain in September 2019, but their spend of €9.243 billion was 96 per cent of the September 2019 figure.

Reyes Maroto, said that “the data confirm that in September the re covery trend in tourism activity was maintained, cutting the difference

with 2019 even more than in August.

“Taking into account the current climate of general economic uncer tainty and high inflation, these fig

ures demonstrate the great re silience that Spain is showing as a destination, which continues to pre sent positive prospects for the re

UK interest rate hike

mainder of the year, as reflected by indicators such as airline schedules and reservations.”

The main destinations for tourists in September were the Balearic Is lands, with 1.9 million tourists; Cat alonia, with 1.65 million and Andalu cia with 1.1 million.

Cantabria, Castilla‐La Mancha and the Principality of Asturias received more international tourists in September than in the same month of 2019.

The number of British visitors in the first nine months was almost double that of the second and third placed countries, Germany and France and with the expectation that Spain could well be a great place for British ‘energy tourists’ this winter the figures are expected to continue to grow.

Inflation down

Credit: Bank of England flickr

ALTHOUGH core inflation in Spain re mains at 6.2 per cent in October ac cording to the initial forecast by the National Statistics Office (INE), overall, when factoring in food and energy prices there is a downwards trend.

The September inflation final figure was 8.9 per cent, but the INE expect the October figure to drop to a health ier 7.3 per cent, which will be the low est in eight months and is well below the massive 10.8 per cent recorded in July.

The October figure can be attributed to lower electricity costs as well as (to a lesser degree) a drop in the cost of gas.

More jobs

UK interest rates jumped 0.75 per cent to 3 per cent, the largest increase since 1989 in a bid to re duce inflation, which in Septem ber stood at 10.1 per cent.

The Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee (MCP) wasn’t unanimous in its decision an nounced on Thursday November 3 and although all nine members wanted to see a rise, one want ed 0.25 per cent and another 0.5 per cent.

To some extent, the MCP was following on from recent increas es by both America’s Federal Re serve and the European Central

Bank, but it was also making the decision without being fully aware of the contents of the Chancellor’s next budget which now falls on November 17.

The intention to increase inter est rates is to make borrowing more expensive and therefore see less demand from both con sumers and businesses which the MCP hopes will reduce the demand for certain goods and keep prices down.

The problem of course is that by reducing demand there is the risk of companies making fewer sales, investing less in growth

and development and if the country topples over into long term recession, then jobs will be at risk and the government will need more money for social sup port.

The reversal of the majority of the poorly considered tax cuts announced by former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng on September 23 has given the MCP some guidelines concerning the likely content of the November 17 statement, but it does not rule out further interest rate hikes if it considers the UK economy needs them.

OVERALL, the employment situation in Spain continues to be encouraging with a further 16,095 enrolled in social security in October, with some 20,240,450 in work which is 400,000 more than at the beginning of the year.

There have been more jobs for wom en as well as graduates and the num ber of unemployed has also fallen by 27,000 with the total of 2.91 million the lowest October figure since 2008.

The negative however is that unem ployment amongst those aged 25 or under, whilst still historically low com pared to previous years, stands at 212,118 and the figure continues to rise slightly each month.

TOURISM ACTIVITY: Minister Maroto at the opening of a new Parador Hotel.

Credit: Reyes Moroto Twitter

RATES INCREASE: Andrew Bailey Governor of Bank of England.

THE BBC’s editing of Sunak’s first ap pearance on Prime Minister’s ques tions was a positive disgrace. Even though I’m not too keen on this man, who has not been too commendable on his trip to the top, I am however a tremendous advocate of fair minded comment and opinion.

The BBC shows exactly the oppo site. To my mind Sunak was pretty compelling in his first appearance. Apart from a rather limp response with his reasons for reselecting the home secretary, his replies to Starmer were lively and pretty much on the ball. Not too difficult when you’re re plying to the hypocritical queries of a phoney politician.

The PM question time was followed as per usual by the BBC’s ‘Politics Live’, which had of course hastily edit ed the piece so they could immediate ly demean the new Conservative leader. With their usual barely con cealed hatred of the right, the editing woke mob had totally cut most of the new PM’s, often sensible answers to Starmer’s ridiculous demeaning ques tions. In the BBC news editions later

Woke editing mob

in the day however, they had of course subsequently readjusted some of their utterly biased editing to make a little more sense; a disreputable practice which they have been prac tising for years.

Some eons ago, I clearly remember getting up early one morning, and, af ter turning on the BBC news, wit nessed then PM Tony Blair giving an inconceivably miss­directed speech that could have seen him completely hounded out of the Labour party. It was so bad that I actually woke up the wife and inveigled her to into get ting up, so we could watch the repeat on the next newscast.

Unbelievably, when it came on they had edited it so intently that all the damaging baloney had been eliminat ed; so much so that the wife and I had a bit of a tiff and she went back to bed! It’s time the BBC was replaced. The lefties and wokes all need sacking and it must be put up for sale to a re spectable ownership, one that be lieves in free speech and proper democracy.

The present licence needs to be re placed by one that contains strict reg

ulations. They should of course pre sent properly cast, non­biased pro grammes to comply with all compos ite demands and non­racist protocols.

Ol’ Elon Musk would be about right. His purchase of Twitter may be a good example of how a free speaking unbiased TV company needs to be run. Just this week he published the following quote. ‘At its heart, woke ness is divisive and hateful. It gives malicious people a shield to be mean and cruel. Armoured in false virtue’.

Let’s see how he goes. His directives for freedom of speech certainly get the thumbs up from this ol’ boy. If I had a few billion I’d put myself up. Still, at least I’m with a great publica tion that enjoys similar obligations.

Keep the faith.

Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com expatradioscotland.com Mon. and Fri. 1pm till 4.

LeapyLee’sopinionsarehisownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

THIS is a fantastic opportunity to obtain a SOUTH FACING first floor apartment with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, situated in a privileged location and urbanisation.

It consists of a large lounge diner area with glazed, sliding doors opening to a south fac ing terrace with lovely views over the com munal gardens and a water feature, a fully equipped kitchen (fridge freezer, dishwash er, microwave, hob, vitro ceramic fire and washing machine), two double bedrooms with built­in wardrobes and two bathrooms.

An allocated park ing space is in cluded in the price and the apartment comes fully fur nished with air conditioning ready to start your first holiday!

The Al­Andalus Thalassa residen tial complex has a full range of in­house

leisure and relaxation facilities that can be enjoyed throughout the year, including swimming pools, tennis and paddle

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Jacuzzi, hydro massage cabins, a well equipped gym and heated swimming pool.

Al Andalus Thalassa is located midway be tween the historical market town of Vera and the beautiful and unspoilt blue flag beaches of Vera Playa.

Vera Playa is about five minutes away, with white sand and crystalline water. There are also numerous bars, shops and restau

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• 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms

• South facing terrace

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• Air conditioning (hot/cold)

• 2 Outdoor pools and covered pool

• Sauna, gym, tennis and paddle courts

• READY TO MOVE IN!

ones with an Iberian Funeral Plan

THINKING about what will happen when we pass isn’t something most of us want to do, and even though we may choose to live in the sunshine of Spain or Portugalwe don’t get to decide where we are when we pass away. That’s why it is so important to choose a funeral plan that will help your loved ones during this stressful and upsetting time, especially if you are an expat living abroad.

An Iberian Funeral Plan will take care of all the funeral arrangements with their 24­hour English­speaking Bereavement Helpline, giving you time to spend with loved ones rather than arranging services, trav el, flowers and other aspects of a funeral. Iberian Funeral Plans are there for you in the language that you understand, so that you can have the reassurance that every thing is taken care of. With 17 years of experience in funeral planning,

you can be sure that you are in the best hands with Iberian.

The team really care about their clients and ensure everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

They use only reputable funeral di rectors who are fully knowledge able regarding the Spanish and Por tuguese systems, and treat services with the utmost care.

All funeral arrangements are put into place from day one and there are no age or health restrictions, unlike many other funeral plans.

Everyone deserves the send­off they desire and, although Iberian Funeral Plans have set their stan dards high, their prices are competi tive and affordable to all. You can take the worry and stress away

from your loved ones by taking out a plan with Iberian, where you will only pay a fixed price without wor rying about interest rates.

With offices throughout Spain and Portugal, Iberian Funeral Plans provide all aspects of pre­paid fu nerals. This includes all legal docu mentation required for a funeral in Spain or Portugal, offering much­

needed help and advice to families in their time of need.

You will never pay more than the price plan you see, giving you the peace of mind that you won’t have any surprise fees to consider. Pay ment is taken easily in Euro or Ster ling and can be paid via cheque, debit or credit card, or electronic transfer in either a lump sum or in stalments. The deposit for an instal ment plan is negotiable and inter est free, Iberian will work to your needs. Iberian Funeral Plans cover mainland Spain, mainland Portugal, Tenerife and the Balearic Islands.

Plans include administration, the funeral director’s professional ser vices, supply of coffin robe and fit tings, death certificates, transporta tion of the deceased and more.

To find out about special offers or promotions with Iberian, contact the head office or take a look on their Facebook page.

Trust you are worth loving

DISCOVERING EMOTIONS WITH

TALKING about love changes nothing. Expe riencing it and talking about it changes ev erything.

Nothing is more transformative than knowing that we are loved.

To love is to give each new day a chance without always talking about past mistakes.

Sometimes in human relationships we look for reasons not to be at peace. We look for reasons to doubt.

The only power we have against unbelief is trust.

And trust is a decision.

It is knowing how to trust, knowing that we may or may not be betrayed.

Distrust generates emotional chaos, dishar mony, doubt, disbelief, and insecurity. Not only for the one who does not trust, but much more for the one who suffers constant accusations of mistrust.

Love is not only to be given, but is also to be received. Accept love without casting every conceivable doubt upon it. Love has to circu late in two directions, giving and receiving.

The hardness of old failed relationships has unsensitised us.

The fear of suffering prevents us from feel ing and re‐feeling love in us again.

Avoid harshness as it solves nothing and give rise to chaos.

Life is full of colours, and you must allow yourself to feel and see these colours.

You have had a bad relationship and you put up walls, you only believe more in black or white and live in grey.

Allow yourself to be loved and allow your self to feel and remember the feeling of love. Allow yourself to trust your heart again.

My advice:

Give you heart a chance to be open for love.

Trust that you are worth being loved again.

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

Give your heart a chance at loving.

BETINA VON HOHENDORFF

Well-being in retirement

HEALTH and well‐being is crucial at every stage of life, but particularly in retirement. After busy careers, it is un derstandable that re tired people want to re lax and do less activity. But experts say that in corporating some physi cal activity into your daily routine can do wonders for your health and well‐being, avoiding later health problems.

Physiotherapists say that older people should switch from sit ting to standing as much as possible throughout the day to avoid back problems. Sitting puts a lot of stress on the spine, so experts recom mend standing and walking around more regularly throughout the day.

Try a fitness class. Re search says that over 65s should do 150 min utes of exercise a week to maintain a healthy

lifestyle. There are plen ty of fitness classes available in Spain for all ages. Many gyms offer varied programmes throughout the day in cluding gentle classes such as yoga, as well as more intense exercises. Taking a fitness class is also an excellent way to

make new friends and enjoy social time.

Spend time on an ac tivity you enjoy. Retire ment can be a good time to try a new hobby or spend time on an old pastime you love. Doing activities that bring us pleasure is an excellent way to boost well‐being.

STAY HEALTHY: Experts recommend doing things you enjoy during retirement to boost your well-being.

Photo credit: giuseppelombardo / shutterstock.com

Stunning Villa in La Alfoquia

& EXCLUSIVE TO VOSS

HOMES ­ A recently mod ernised, beautifully present ed, larger than average, two bed, two bath villa with 8m x 4m swimming pool, conser vatory, H&C air con, central heating, amazing views and full size sunroof on a low maintenance, private garden of approx 370m2.

Walking distance to all the cafes, restaurants, shops, mini supermarkets, doctors, vets, banks, walking football and bowling club etc in the popular village of La Alfoquia.

Three mins drive to Zurgena village, eight mins drive to Arboleas, 12 mins drive to main market town of Huercal­Overa and 25 to 30 mins drive to the beaches at Mo jacar, Vera and Garrucha. A lovingly cared for property and has the extra bonuses of having stunning views, as it is on the edge and raised part of the development. It is also the last villa at the end of a no through road meaning it is

not overlooked and has no passing traffic... but quick walking distance to amenities.

The villa consists of a large, light and airy liv ing room with wood burning fire, H&C air con, central heating, ceiling fans and storage wardrobe. A glazed double door leads into the conservatory giving you a second living/ dining room and has amazing views over the

Perfect timing

MANY of us tend to neglect the garden during autumn, opting to spend more time indoors. But interior design ers say now is the perfect time to prepare your garden so you can enjoy it to the full

when spring and summer come back around. You can also continue to enjoy your outdoor space by adding a few extra touches.

Take advantage of end of season sales to stock up on

Flaunting flowers

FLOWERS aren’t only for the springtime! As we head towards a new season, sprucing up your home with a floral decoration can give it a fresh appearance and even give you a new per spective.

We consulted expert advice to find out how to decorate with flowers in November.

• Decide on a location

Flowers look amazing in any part of the house, but the right placement will get you compliments from every guest. Vases placed on side tables can add a burst of colour to a room, while an eye­catching table arrangement can wow guests!

• Get size right

Consider the size of your vases when choosing flowers, too many flowers can be overwhelming. Balance the size of larger floral pieces with leaves to keep proportion and harmony in your arrangement.

• Consider the season

Think about which seasonal flowers would work well in your house. Experts recommend begonia, azalea and hydrangea plants at this time of year, and these flowers can look beautiful in a vase at this time of year too.

garden furniture. Black Fri day and January sales are al so the perfect time to buy garden furniture.

Online retailers offering substantial discounts and delivery options for garden furniture, even during win ter periods when it isn’t available in the shops.

You can also continue to enjoy your garden as it gets cooler by investing in some garden furniture such as a canopied area where you can eat meals or share a drink with friends and fami ly, or a fire pit where you can enjoy autumnal evenings.

Another top tip to get the most out of your garden at this time of year is to do some rearranging. Autumn and winter can be some of the most enjoyable times to spend in your Spanish gar den. Place hammocks or garden chairs in sunny spots to make the most of warm parts of the garden and cooler temperatures.

develop ment, countryside, swimming pool area and garden.

A door leads out to the stairs to take you up to the huge sunroof with 360º views. From the living room a door takes you into the re cently fitted kitchen with plenty of worktop and storage space plus a central heating radi ator. Next is the utility room. Also from the living room a doorway leads to the two double bedrooms and shower rooms. To the right is the main bedroom with

fitted wardrobes, H&C air con, ceiling fan and recently fitted ensuite shower room. To the left is the guest bedroom with H&C air con and ceiling fan and the recently fitted guest shower room. Outside to the front and side is a tiled driveway for one car and there is also lots of safe on road parking. Next is the pri vate swimming pool area. Attractive iron rail ings and gates around the pool area give ex tra safety. The surrounding around the pool is tiled with plenty of room for sunbathing and entertaining. In the corner overlooking the pool is a covered seating/dining area.

The rest of the gardens are a mixture of tiled and gravelled areas for low mainte nance. There is an outside block built storage room/workshop and understairs storage cup board which are great for storing bikes, tools etc. There is also a covered log store and small cupboard to store gas bottles for the heating.

Voss Homes is a British family­run business with offices just round the corner from this property and also in the thriving, market town of Huercal­Overa. We concentrate in selling properties around Huercal­Overa, Zur gena, La Alfoquia and Taberno.

SALLY UNDERWOOD POLITICAL ANIMAL

Bully boy?

Williamson MP’s expletive­laden messages

AS the fallout of Sir

exchief

rumbles on, it poses the question; do we need to wait until all the facts are out be fore we remove someone from public office?

Or is a serious complaint in itself enough to mean public figures should be ousted immediately?

Rightly, politicians face more scruti ny ­ at least from the press ­ than head honchos in many other sectors. It’s difficult to imagine the boss of, say, Waitrose being doorstepped by paparazzi in similar circumstances.

But where’s the line between holding public figures to account and turning the whole process into a trial by me dia?

Certainly, if the leaked messages are true and there is a pattern of ag gressive behaviour, there is no place for a bully in cabinet or anywhere else.

But by making allegations like this public first, does it actually help the process of getting to the bottom of what’s happened? Or does it just add fuel to the already raging fire of pub

lic contempt for politicians, even be fore all the facts have come out?

On the other hand, for any hard ened bullies, scoundrels, or other general miscreants lurking on the par liamentary benches, will the threat of public shame ­ whether found to be in the wrong or not ­ serve as a deter rent for potential misdeeds?

Maybe a better question is, given the current low opinion of politics in general, does the average person even care? Or has the time for view ing politicians as human beings ­ with all their flaws, frailties and frustra tions ­ already gone forever?

Time will only tell. But one thing is clearer; even if the former defence secretary ­ who has expressed “re gret” at the messages ­ isn’t found to have acted improperly and keeps his job, the public furore makes it diffi cult to see a meaningful way forward for him back into public graces any time soon.

Sally Underwood was previously an aide to several former cabinet mem bers and now contributes her news and views on the Houses of Parlia ment in her Euro Weekly News col umn.

NEW

MODERN VILLA: A lovingly cared for property with private pool.

Gavin

to

whip Wendy Morton

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.

LEARN FROM THESE FACTS

IN reply to Susan Farrell Han nah’s complaint about Ger man nudists on the beaches in Mallorca, firstly, the Spanish Constitution permits public nudity, virtually anywhere, as long is there is no sexual activi ty or deliberate provocation to cause offence…

I am also concerned about your comment relating to ‘Germans’/’Men & Women’ being naked in front of chil dren… Interesting to note that Germany has a low sex crime rate and most of those are car ried out by foreigners.

Also, 70 per cent of USA sex crime prisoners admit that they were raised in a family environment where they were taught that the human body was something to be ashamed of and that nudity was immoral.

Perhaps we should learn from these facts that we need to re­educate ourselves and our children respecting other na tions’ more mature attitude to wards nudity and stop trying to connect it to sex / immorality.

Patrick Walker

No balanced view

Not only do I concur with A Fowles’ comments in EWN Issue 1947, but I won der why you allow the likes of Mr Lee to write such ab surd right­wing clap trap in support of the British Con servative party, without any other dissenting views to be published regularly as a bal ance.

Charles Markuss

Excuses excuses

Why has our attitudes changed so much. It doesn’t

seem like we are capable of taking responsibility for our ac tions anymore. There is a rea son or excuse for everything, why can’t the politicians or celebrities just take ownership,

if they screw up, as we all do, just put your hands up and say I was wrong or it was my fault, I just think that some people need to get a backbone.

S Cole

OUR VIEW

REMEMBER THE FALLEN

NEXT Sunday, November 13 is Remembrance Sunday in the UK and is particularly poignant for a number of reasons.

It will be the first since the Russian invasion of the Ukraine and therefore as it is intended to honour those who have fallen, it will highlight once again that whilst we remember those who were killed in earlier wars, that there continues to be fighting in different parts of the world all of the time.

Secondly many will look back at the numer ous occasions that Her Majesty Queen Eliza beth II took part in the laying of wreaths over the decades and it is only when she was preg nant and in 2021 that she was unable to per form that duty, even though her presence was always felt.

This year however the King will lay a wreath in his own right as Britain’s monarch which will be different in design from that which his mother used to lay.

Whilst he will be accompanied by many mem bers of the Royal Family, both Prince Andrew and Prince Harry will not be taking part and it is reported that Prince Andrew was told prior to the death of the Queen that he will never be invited again to take part in any event as a member of the Royal Family.

The majority of other countries commemorate their losses on different dates but here in Spain, many branches of the Royal British Legion in ar eas with significant British residents will per form their own ceremonies and as usual there will be a major event taking place in Gibraltar which has been so connected with the British Armed Forces.

New

ONLY two villas available.

Don’t miss this fantastic opportuni ty.

Unique opportunity to purchase a New build detached villa with three bedrooms and three bathrooms, pri vate pool and underbuild in the heart of Palomares, just a few minutes to the beach with amenities on your doorstep. This high­quality build is finished to the highest quality and standards. A blank canvas just waiting for the new owner to put their stamp and turn it into a wonderful home.

The property is set behind private gates, with a completed walled plot, accessed via a video intercom. On the ground floor, bright and spacious fully fitted kitchen with plenty of work and storage space. The living­dining room has full wall to ceiling patio doors leading to the garden with a private 5x3m swimming pool, surrounded by astroturf leading from the large ter race area, makes the outdoor space a

perfect place to be. Back inside the house, two spacious bedrooms on the ground floor and two complete bath rooms, one ensuite. Onto the first

floor, one further bedroom and bath room. Leading out to a lovely terrace with views of the area. Plenty of space to enjoy the endless days of sunshine

in this fabulous part of Almeria. Stairs leading down to the basement, a com plete underbuild, plenty of space for more rooms, a home gymnasium, cin ema or just parking. You can also ac cess the property via the road access down to the private underbuild. Con tact us now to organise a viewing at 950 466 112 . The property is conve niently located close to the quaint town with all of the local facilities you need for everyday living, the beach not too far away.

Palomares is a traditional village, with tranquility and charm. The vil lage has several shops, bars and restaurants. On the other hand, the coastal towns of Garrucha and Mo jacar Villaricos are a few kilometres and at a radius of 10 kms are three golf courses, two marinas, airfield, gokart track, water park and 20 kms starts the Cabo de Gata natural park and magnificent beaches. Only 45 minutes from Almeria airport.

GO LOCAL

WHEN YOU GO SHOPPING -

Betty Henderson

ONE of the biggest joys of having a dog is spending time together. But it is likely that you don’t want to do every single thing with them. One of those things is eat ing, and sometimes it can be tricky to stop your dog

from wanting to eat with you. Here we share three top tips on how to stop your dog begging for your dinner.

• Remember your rea sons

Homecooked food isn’t always meant for dogs and can actually be bad for them. Dogs that always eat from their owner’s dinner plates can end up suffering from health issues such as being overweight and high blood pressure.

• Separate mealtimes

The best way to avoid

feeling bad for your fourlegged friend and feeding them at the dinner table is ensuring that your meal times are separate. Feed your dog before you have your own dinner and avoid a hungry dog eyeing up your plate.

• Hold your ground

Don’t give in to the puppy dog eyes! Dogs are very in telligent and know that if you feed them scraps at the dinner table once, you will do it again. If necessary keep your dog out of your dining room while you eat. Stick to your routine, even on special occasions and you will see results.

ALMERIA BUILDERS : Fully Legal, Fully Insured, All Work Guaranteed. 659 685 133 www.almeria builders.com (253556)

MOBILE homes & static caravans bought, sold and transported. +34 630 055 418 or elsyd7@hot mail.com (302142)

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

LOCAL ANGLICAN (C of E) church services at Mojacar Los Llanos Del Peral and Alhambra. Communion every Sunday in Mojacar at 11am. Communion at Los Llanos every Sun day except the last Sunday in the month when there will be Prayer and Praise all at 11am. The services that were be ing held in the South American church Albox have now returned to the chapel and Communion is held on the second Thursday of the month at 11am. Priest in charge Rev Canon Alan Bennet telephone number 680 243 436. For further information, please go to The Anglican Chap laincy of Costa Almeria and Costa Calida web page. Or contact Tony Noble 950 069 103. (10002)

TURRE EVANGELICAL CHURCH We meet every Sunday at 10.30. For wor ship. We believe you’ll find us ‘relaxed’, welcom ing’ 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)

ROYAL BRITISH LE GION - Why not make this year the year you volunteer? Call and see how you can help either as a caseworker (with full training) or as a Tele phone Buddy. We also visit beneficiaries who are housebound or in hospital. If you feel you could support us here in Spain, and you have a Spanish phone number then why not email us for more info tbuddyh hvisits@gmail.com. If you or your partner served or are serving, and you feel you need help or support then con tact us using the details on the card, we are here for the small things as well as the big, some times talking to someone is the first step to feeling more in control. It can be a personal need or some help with your home or information on what or who to speak to on a medical issue, we help with signposting 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 ZURGENA Branch meet ing on the first Thursday, Coffee Morning on the third Thursday and Buf fet & Quiz Night on the last Tuesday of the month all at Bar Trinidad, Arboleas, for further de tails please email zurge narblchairman@gmail. com - (253989)

ABBOTT ELECTRICS

From a Light Fitting to a Full Rewire. Tel: 950 137 208 / 638 010 691

MOTOR INSURANCE

For the most competitive quotes in English call Lin ea Directa on 952 147 834, you could save as much as 30% and you can transfer your existing no claims bonus. Call Lin ea Directa on 952 147 834 for motor insurance with a human voice in English from Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and save money now! (200726)

STAY SAFE! Abbeygate Insurance Call 971 277 455 For your security www.abbeygateinsure. com

GOLD & SILVER Bought & Sold, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel –678 716 693 (288662)

FOR SALE

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)

VOSS HOMES are a pro fessional, British family-run Estate Agents with an of fice in Huercal-Overa town. They specialise in selling and renting properties in the Huercal-Overa, La Alfo quia, Zurgena & Taberno area. Andy, Anna, Jess, Adele, Hannah, Amy & Karen look forward to help ing you buy, sell or rent your ideal property. Please call 678 002 006 for more information (283824)

WANTED Gold, Silver, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel – 678 716 693 (288662)

Male/Female viagra, cialis, kamagra jelly, mixed trial packs avail able, all areas mail order. 604 385 476. viagra4 you19@gmail.com

THE FIVE BONE HOTEL, TURRE. Little dogs €7.75, medium dogs €8.50, big dogs €9.25, cats from €7.00 a day. 630 234 556 / the5bonehotelturre@gmail. com fivebonehotel.com

PLUMBERS

KNOWLES PLUMBING No 1 for all plumbing jobs big or small. Central heating, solar hot

PROPERTY MAINTENANCE

water and water deposits. Tel: 606 807 797 or 684 143 560

SOLAR ENERGY

SOLAR WIND POWER SO LUTIONS. Over 20 years in stallation experience. Estab lished 17 years in Spain. Call Phil for competitive prices on 636 261 240 or email info@sunergyalmeria.com (295779)

PROP FOR RENT WANTED

REMOVALS & STORAGE

SITUATIONS VACANT

REMOVALS

ROAD TEST

byMarkSlack

IF you have a limited bud get yet want an ‘interest ing’ car, what do you choose? There are many excellent super minis on the market, but arguably many are transport rather than some thing to raise a smile. Well, Hyundai may have the answer with the i20N. The N range is Hyundai’s sporting line up and as my previous test of the i30N proved they are incredibly quick, well han dling cars, yet retain the practicality needed for workaday usage.

Hyundai’s i20 prices start from €21,742/ £19,035 but the N, it’s a single model, with its 204PS, 1.6­litre tur bocharged petrol engine costs €28,839/£25,250.

This pocket rocket will reach 62 mph in 6.2 sec

Hyundai i20N - a supermini sporting benchmark

fortable on the motorway and longer journeys. It feels very grown up inside and doesn’t show any sign of budget cuts to fund its performance. There are some hard and scratchy plastics, but it’s a much nicer interior than Ford’s Fiesta ST.

Standard equipment on the i20N includes keyless entry and go, heated front seats, high beam assist, auto dipping

rear view mirror, heated steering wheel, powered and heated door mirrors, air conditioning, the list is lengthy and comprehen sive.

I am fortunate to drive many different cars, but this little Hyundai is with out doubt one of the most enjoyable and memo rable. In terms of equip ment, performance and fun for your money it’s pretty much unbeatable.

Facts at a Glance

six­speed manual gear box. No automatic option here. There’s real sporting pedigree to Hyundai’s N range and the i20 makes for a highly entertaining drive. It’s a properly grown­up performance hatchback.

Launch control enables you to set up for the quickest standing start possible, it’s fun but in re

use on the road. Enter some track days, which you could with the i20N, and it potentially be comes a much more use able feature. A more onroad performance feature is Rev Matching, which is effectively double declutching, that makes smoother, more sporting gear changes.

There’s a limited slip

lent power to weight ra tio. However, even in ‘econ’ drive mode the ride is pretty firm, but you know what you’re buying into with this kind of car. This is not only one of the most entertaining cars for the money, but one of the quickest cross country hatches money can buy. Yet unlike many cars of this ilk it’s perfectly com

Model: Hyundai i20N

Engine: 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol Gears: 6-Speed manual

Performance: 0-100 kph (62 mph) 6.2 seconds/Maxi mum Speed 230 kph (143 mph)

Economy: 7.0l/100km (40.4 mpg) Combined driving (WLTP)

Emissions: 158 g/km (WLTP)

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

SPORTY: In terms of performance and fun for your money, it’s pretty much unbeatable.

Emergency triangle going

AFTER a change to Spanish motoring rules last July, meaning that the emergency triangle is no longer necessary, its replacement V­16 emergency light is be coming more popular.

Authorities an nounced that the V­16 will completely replace the emergency triangle, becoming obligatory from 2026. Here we out line the change, so you can be prepared for any situation.

What is the V­16?

The V­16 is a small flashing light, used to alert other vehicles of your presence. The light, which is visible from more than 1,000 metres away, is placed on top of the car’s roof above the driver’s window.

Why is it replacing the triangle?

Authorities are mak ing the V­16 light obliga

tory for motorists in Spain to reduce the risk of pile­ups and further crashes after an initial emergency.

Unlike with its prede cessor, drivers only need to place the light on their car roof, rather than standing on a po tentially dangerous road, trying to set up a piece of equipment to warn other cars. It is al

so visible from further away.

When will it be com pulsory?

The Spanish Driving and Licensing Authority, the DGT, announced that the light will be obligatory for drivers from January 1, 2026. By this date, drivers will have to ditch any re maining triangles and carry a V­16.

Photo credit: jordi.magrans / shutterstock.com

EMERGENCY WARNING: A new light will replace the triangle which was previously compulsory after it was described as ineffective and even endangering.

BARCELONA and Spain legend Gerard Pique announced in an emotional video on his official Twitter profile on Thursday, November 3, that he is retiring from foot ball after 14 years at Camp Nou. He re vealed that the LaLiga match on Satur day November 5 was his last.

Pique has had a trophy­laden career with the Catalan giants, winning a total of 31 medals, while making over 600 ap pearances for the famous Spanish club. The 35­year­old defender has won the Champions League four times and picked up eight LaLiga winners’ medals.

“I have always said that after Barcelona there wouldn’t be another team and that’s the way it will be. This Saturday was my last game in the Camp Nou,” said Pique in his video.

SPANISH rider Augusto Fer nandez has become the new Moto2 World Champi on after Ai Ogura crashed in Valencia.

“And just like that, Au gusto Fernandez is the 2022 Moto2 world champion!” wrote Freelance MotoGP journalist Simon Patterson on Sunday, November 6 fol lowing Ai Ogura’s crash.

The Mallorcan is the 24th

Barca legend retiring

“I will become a regular fan. I will sup port the team. I will pass my love of Bar ca to my children like my family did with me. And you know me. Sooner or later. I’ll be back. I’ll see you at Camp Nou. Long live Barca. Always.”

He joined Barca in 2008 after a spell in England with Manchester United. Pique was an integral part of the all­conquering Spanish international team that won the 2010 World Cup, followed by the 2012 European Championships.

Between both club and country, Pique has collected a staggering 37 tro phies.

Spanish moto2 champion

Spanish world champion.

Fernandez was leading by 9.5 points and had enough points to claim the title with a third­place fin ish, even if his Japanese ri

val won. However, he did not need to cross the finish line to become champion, as on the eighth lap Ai Ogura crashed out.

Fernandez finished sec ond behind teammate Pe dro Acosta.

VR46 rider Celestino Viet ti was 59 points ahead of the Spanish rider as the championship leader after the Portuguese Grand Prix on April 24, however, Fer nandez’s excellent run of form and results means he ended up 106.5 points ahead of Vietti.

Sacked after 5 games

LALIGA side Elche FC have sacked their manager after less than a month back in the job.

The decision to sack their manager was announced on Monday, November 7 via a statement from the LaLiga side.

“Elche CF an nounces that Jorge Almirón has decided to step aside as coach of the first team. The Club sincerely appreci ates his work during this second stage in which he as sumed, with great professionalism, the responsibility of managing the first team at a delicate moment,” it said.

“The Club’s Technical Secretary, Sergio Mantecón, temporarily takes charge of managing the team to gether with the Club’s staff and coaching staff, and was in charge of managing the game on Tuesday November 8, against Girona FC.”

Almirón was sacked in 2021, but brought back after the Costa Blanca club sacked Francisco Vílchez last month.

Since his return, however, Elche have failed to win.

The side based in Alicante’s Elche drew twice against Espanyol and Valencia and lost to Real Madrid, Getafe and Real Valladolid.

Image:

Spanish football legend Gerard Pique with the 2012 Euros Trophy.

LaLiga side sack manager after just five games in charge.