Costa Blanca South 10 - 16 November 2022 Issue 1949

A PIECE OF CAKE

AS always the Little Pod Fair was a great success.

The last Fair which took place on Friday, Novem ber 4, had 18 stalls offer ing a good mix of differ ent bits and bobs, most of which were handmade products, perfect for those Christmas stocking extras.

As usual, there was a queue for the homemade cake stall and the brilliant super baker, Jef Koninx, had sold out of stock within 40 minutes of opening.

A brilliant €130 was raised on the day for Lit tle Pods.

The next fair is on Fri day, November 18, be tween 10.00am and 3.00pm and will then be held weekly in the leadup to Christmas. Why not pop along to La Florida in between Waldermars and Arianaz Restaurants in Orihuela and grab your self a bargain?

The fair is held on be half of the Little Pod As sociation which rescues abandoned and mistreat ed animals.

The charity ensures that all the animals re ceive blood tests for dis

eases, vaccinations, a mi crochip and a passport for travelling. They are all neutered/spayed and vet erinarian treatment is giv en to the animals who re quire it.

Animals are rehabilitat ed and rehomed to lov ing, caring homes in Spain, other parts of Eu rope and the UK. The Lit tle Pod Association relies solely on donations, prof its from its charity shop in La Zenia and events like the Little Pod Fair to carry

this invaluable work.

You can find the Little Pod Association charity shop on the first floor of the La Zenia II commercial centre, adjacent to Lidl and above the Mer

cadona supermarket. The shop is open Monday to Saturday from 10.00am until 3.00pm (except Wednesdays when the shop closes an hour earli er at 2.00pm).

out

LITTLE POD FAIR: One of the craft stalls selling handmade products.

Images: Little Pod Association

Cake stall queue!

PLANTING trees is all in a day’s work for the volun teers of the Enamorados de Alicante association and on Saturday, November 5, they spent the day doing just that.

The mayor of Alicante, Luis Barcala, thanked all the volunteers and those in charge of Enamorados de Alicante for their contribu tion to the recovery and enhancement of the city’s environmental areas.

He said: “They do a com mendable job which is of great value to Alicante. They contribute to the planting of native shrub species in emblematic ar eas so dear to the people

Trees galore

pants. This is the second planting that the associa tion has carried out this year.

of Alicante.”

This autumn reforesta tion was staggered to facil itate the participation of the volunteers. The day was complemented by en vironmental workshops and lunch for the partici

The councillor for the En vironment, Manuel Villar said: “We always support this important initiative because as well as fulfilling the objective of enhancing the value of our environ mental areas, it con tributes to improving air quality in the city, as well as the fight against climate change and the preserva tion of the planet.”"

Harvest thanksgiving

MORE than 130 people met at Salt Church, Los Montesinos on Sunday October 30 to celebrate another fruitful harvest season and give thanks to God for his goodness.

Many donations of fresh fruit, vegeta bles and other produce was donated by church members and through Salt Church was passed on to local charities ‘A Helping Hand’ in El Chaparral and ‘Reach Out’ in Torrevieja.

Pastor Chris Knight said “here at Salt Church people collect food each month and distribute to local charities.”

Salt Church, Los Montesinos is an En glish­speaking evangelical church which meets at 10.30am on Sundays. All are wel come.

For further information visit www.saltchurch.es or connect on Face book @SaltChurchSpain

All in a day’s work.

Image: Alicante City Council

NIBS EXTRA

Bin and gone

TORREVIEJA Town Hall is planning a huge mail shot for Los Balcones, Los Altos, Rocajuna, Rocio del Mar and Punta Prima. Letters will de tail their new rubbish bins’ locations after residents complained that the replace ments for the old green con tainers have not been left in the same places.

More staff

THE El Rabaloche and Al varez de la Riva health cen tres in Orihuela have been assigned more staff. El Ra baloche now has an extra 15 personnel, including four doctors and five nurses. Al varez de la Riva now has 17 more staff, including anoth er two doctors and six nurs es.

Power down

ENVIRONMENTALIST

group Amigos de la Sierra de Benejuzar formally appealed against plans for a 23­kilo metre power line from Mur cia to Rojales, linking the Ro jalinda solar power plant to the grid. The high­tension cable’s pylons would seri ously affect the area’s birds of prey and migratory birds, the Amigos said.

National prize

BIGASTRO received a na tional prize for water man agement in the first edition of the Federation of Munici palities and Provinces (FEMP) Circular Economy Awards. The town hall has built a 1,268­square metre storm tank to collect rainwa ter that prevents flooding in side the town and is later used for irrigation.

Rip-offs

CREVILLENT’S Local Police confiscated 7,081 fake de signer items and arrested two people for infringing in dustrial property rights. The haul was the result of swoops by 12 officers on lo cal shops and industrial es tates where they found the pirate products, some of them practically indistin guishable from the originals.

THE annual charity dog show was held at El Rancho, Los Montesinos, on Sunday, Oc tober 30, in aid of Paradise Rescue Kennels in Benferri, and SAT Proctectora de Ani males in Dolores.

The event was a resound ing success with a record number of 99 doggy entries. Over 150 people joined in, some travelling 80 kilometres from as far as Mar de Cristal.

The total raised was a phe nomenal amount of €1,829.24.

The organisers Keith Oakes, Angela Holt, Mary Ann Dunning, Jan Hammond and Louis McCullough wish to thank everybody for their generous donations and hope that next year’s show will raise even more for these

Furry friends fun

rescue centres.

The organisers would also like to express their thanks to Chris Dyson (TKO radio) for compering and keeping the crowds entertained on the day, and also the judges, Pe

Excellent racing

THOSE who have read the recent reports will know that SAMM’s (Sailing Association Mar Menor) first two race days suffered from very light winds which meant the bigger boats could not complete or even start the races.

Finally on Wednesday, October 30, the weather was kinder with the wind at NE 6-7 knots.

Five boats started the first race exactly at 11.15am, all cross ing the start line just over a minute after the gun.

Race two also got off to a good start, with the wind dropping 5-6 knots, but all boats still managed to keep close together for some very tight racing. Once again different tactics and lines around the course, but still together when completing laps.

SAMM run an Average Lap race result system and, after ap plying the handicaps. Shoestrings Dos won the first race just six seconds ahead of Balatons Sirocco. For the second race, the po sitions were reversed with Sirocco beating Dos into second place by 23 seconds. All other boats’ timings were very close behind them.

For information about the sailing opportunities at SAMM go to www.sailingmarmenor.com.

IT can be difficult to know where to find the best places to visit when heading to a city. So Alicante City Council has now made it easier for tourists to do just this! They have produced four easy read brochures showing the most visited main buildings and historical sites of the city.

Head of the Alicante City & Beach Board, Mari Car men Sanchez, confirmed: “Our aim is for Alicante to be an inclusive tourist city so that everyone can enjoy and get to know our heritage and the emblematic places. These brochures have been put together in an easy­read

format, including photos, so everyone can get to know and enjoy Alicante City.”

The Easy Alicante tourist brochures cover four differ ent categories: Religious Buildings, Civil Buildings, Ali cante and its Castles and Ali cante and the Sea. These brochures are available in Spanish, Valencian and En glish.

To obtain a brochure, Ali cante Town Hall can be con tacted online at www.ali cante.es or in person at Plaza del Ayuntamiento, 1, 03002 Alicante.

ARE you thinking of getting an electric car but worried there won’t be anywhere to charge it? Worry no more, Torrevieja now has four recharging points for electric vehicles.

The points are located in Calle Caballero de Rodas, 27; in the municipal parking area of the Hospital of Torrevieja; in the parking area of the Pala cio de Deportes ‘Tavi y Car mona’; and in the Calle Mayor at the top of the Plaza Encar nacion Puchol de La Mata.

The mayor of the city, Ed uardo Dolon, confirmed elec tric points cost €4,235 for the drafting of the project and technical management, and €46,295 in the execution of the civil works necessary for the assembly, wiring, commu nication, supply and commis sioning with remote connec tion.

In order to access each charging station, users must make a prior reservation through the Recarga Publica

Iberdrola app (the only app in Spain that includes verified in formation on all­electric vehi cle chargers, both those of Iberdrola and those of other operators).

The app is available on both Android and iOS and allows you to geolocate charging points with your mobile phone, book and pay.

Environmentally friendly golf

PLAYING golf on an envi ronmentally friendly course is now possible at La Finca. They are the proud owners of the Good Environmental Practices Certificate thanks to their commit ment to ensuring its golf course is run sustainably.

The responsible conser vation of resources such as water and energy is crucial for the resort. This is why water conservation and efficient irrigation are priority goals for La Finca Golf.

One hundred per cent of the water used to irri gate the golf course and all the landscaped areas is recycled, using the latest technology including a weather station and hu midity sensors to calcu late water requirements.

This is the most advanced irrigation management software which can schedule watering down to the second and individ ualised sprinkler control.

As an example of its op timisation of resources, the course has the plan to convert up to 13 hectares of previously irrigated and maintained areas into natural areas.

Native species are being introduced to these areas and they will become new habitats for the local flora and fauna.

dro (Pawsome Dogs) and Ben (Dog Training Costa Blanca) for doing such a difficult job in choosing the winners.

Mention also goes out to

Phyllis, Tracey, Patricia, and Christine at the registration desk and to Alison who pre pared the hampers for the raffle draw.

DOG SHOW: Furry friends fun in aid of charity.

Image: Keith Oakes

New recharging points.

Preparing for ChristmasGo barbarians

TWO fine wins for the Barbarians club at the weekend with the seniors winning at home to Elche on Saturday November 5 whilst the under 16s won away against Castellon San Roque.

The under 16s put on a great all round team per formance against a bigger stronger pack at Castellon and the seniors took on a strong Elche team and got off to a fine start with tries from Andresito and Juan Silva and ended the game 31-14 winners.

If you would like to join the team, training is on Tuesday and Thursday (any age, gender and na tionality welcome).

For non players, the club offer a social mem

bership for €75 per year, where you can enjoy cheap drinks, watch inter national rugby matches and buy subsidised rugby clothing that helps go to wards maintaining the club premises.

For further information please call Santi (Spanish) on 676 612 357 or Mac (English) on 609 646 349 for more information.

ELCHE switches on its Christmas lights on Fri day November 25, deliberately timed to coin cide with Black Friday shopping.

The lights will remain in place until January 8, after the Three Kings’ long weekend, city hall announced. Installation would begin once the €161,700 contract had been signed, Commerce department sources said.

Meanwhile, city mayor Carlos Gonzalez and Fiestas councillor Mariola Galiana visited the Association de Belenistas where more than 30 of the association’s members were finishing work on the municipal Belen (Nativi ty Scene), before they began assembling the tableau on Monday November 7.

CARP-R-US returned to the El Bosquet fishing complex near Elche for Match 13 of their Autumn 2022 series.

After an early morning fog, the day remained over cast, suggesting ideal condi tions. This proved to be the

In 2020 and 2021 it was set up in the Hort del Xocolater owing to the pandemic restric tions, but this year the Nativity Scene returns to its usual location in the Glorieta and will be inaugurated on December 5.

Although work intensifies as Christmas ap proaches, the Belenistas work year-round, preparing the Belen with its 700 figures and features that include fountains and water falls.

Congratulating the association on their “marvellous work” the mayor thanked the as sociation’s members and their president, Jose Perez, for allowing the local population to en joy a symbol of their cultural identity.

Ideal conditions

case for Pegs 8 to 16, where all the anglers weighed in over 10 kilos.

Retired international, Vinnie Smith, came out tops on Peg 12, giving a masterclass demonstration of fishing the 16-metre pole tight to the far bank for 38.7 kilos.

Roy Dainty on Peg 8 fished his usual pole with bread flake (Bimbo) for 20.5 kilos, whilst Tony Flett using feeder and pellet managed 16.2 kilos.

“All three lost some ‘big uns’,” Steve said.

“Dave Hazell, who com

plains he never gets a men tion, was fourth with 14.3 kilos but Steve Higgins, who gets too many mentions, overslept and missed the match.”

With one round left to fish, only a couple of points separate Tony Flett, Jeremy Fardoe and Willie Moons.

“It all depends on next week’s match at Bigastro,” Steve said.

For further information about the visit the www.carp-r-us.weebly.com website or the Carp -R-Us Fishing Costa Blanca Face book page.

All under one roof

ORIHUELA COSTA residents can now lodge a complaint at the Guardia Civil office in the Emergency Cen tre in La Zenia.

This is open from 9am until 2pm, Mon day to Friday but a pri or appointment needs to be made on the www.guardiacivil.es website.

Outside these hours, the service will be provided at the Guardia Civil post in Torre Horadada.

The new Guardia Civil office comple ments the 24-hour Lo cal Police presence at the Emergency Cen tre, together with the National Police office which issues NIE num bers and residence certificates from 9am to 1pm, Monday to Friday and attends to the public between 8.30am and 2pm, also on weekdays.

“We are most satis fied that all the securi ty forces are occupying the installations that were designed for that purpose,” Public Safe ty councillor Antonio Sanchez said,

“Members of the public can now find these services under one roof and this also facilitates coordina tion between the three forces.”

Meanwhile, Emer gencies councillor Guillermo Canovas an nounced that Orihuela City Hall would soon be putting out to ten der a contract to mod ify the first floor to ac commodate SAMU ambulance teams as well as Proteccion Civ il.

RUGBY CLUB: Two fine wins at the weekend.

Pesky mosquitoes

FORTUNATELY, those annoying blood-sucking, buzzing little mosquitos are on their way out!

Torrevieja City Council has initiated an emer gency and control action plan to eradicate mosquitoes throughout the municipality of Torrevieja. The work to obliterate the little blighters began on Wednesday, November 2, and will be carried out during the morning and afternoon for as long as necessary.

The councillor of Health and Public Health

ELCHE City Hall has restarted procedures for declaring the Pantano (Reservoir), a Natural Mu nicipal Reserve.

This will provide the protection that the local government first promised for the muchvisited area and the Pan tano itself during the pre vious legislative term.

The reservoir was origi nally built in the 17th cen tury to dam the River Vinalopo, but the protec tion procedures still have some way to go and the project will require a per

for Torrevieja, Diana Box, apologised to all the local residents for the ongoing mosquito prob lem and said she hopes that in the coming days a considerable improvement will be noted and this plague can be completely eradicated.

The councillor also confirmed that a control plan has also been contracted monthly to mon itor the mosquito population in order to con trol all outbreaks at the larval level, preventing the massive hatching of adult mosquitoes.

Dam good idea

the north of the city after deciding to outsource its report on the project, which has been stalled for some time in the Ur ban Development depart ment.

manent maintenance crew, city hall sources re vealed. The Environment department now wants to hear the public’s views on its plans for the Pan tano and the sierras to

A questionnaire is avail able on the city hall web site’s Medio Ambiente (Environment) section where participants will be asked to evaluate five dif ferent proposals and pho tographs, marking them in order of preference.

ELCHE’S PANTANO: Built in the 17th century and in need of protection.

Photo credit: CC/Angel L Valero

Racing for charity

THERE was a fantastic turnout for the charity race organised by the Elche Neighbourhood Women’s Association on Sunday, Oc tober 6. With more than 600 participants the event was considered a great suc cess.

The mayor of Elche, Car los Gonzalez, confirmed that: “This race brings to gether sport and our com mitment to the women of

More than 600 took part.

Image: Elche City Council

because it is a very pleasant route through the Camp d’Elx, but also because of our community’s ongoing fight against gender vio lence and all of us who sup port this cause.”

Camp d’Elx campaign against gender violence.

“We are making a ges ture against the social scourge of gender violence. I have participated not only

The proceeds from the event will be used to carry out prevention workshops against gender violence in schools in Elche. The race ended with lunch, raffles and a trophy presentation.

All in agreement

Linda Hall

ALICANTE City, along with Granada and La Coruña is a frontrunner in the race for Spain’s Supervisory Agency for Artificial Intelligence (AESIA). Officially announcing Alicante’s can didature on Friday November 4, regional president Ximo Puig described the city as the most “solvent, solid and powerful” option.

Speaking at the Distrito Digital technology park in Ciudad de La Luz, Puig revealed that the AESIA command centre would be located

in an “unbeatable” position in a new building on the port’s Quay 5.

“What’s more, Alicante’s interest in Artifi cial Intelligence is not new as it has already succeeded in becoming a reference for inno vation and digitalisation,” he said.

Putting aside their political difference with the Generalitat, Alicante City’s mayor Luis Barcala and Carlos Mazon, president of the Diputacion provincial council, agreed on the need to cooperate in order to secure this.

THE little gremlins that get into your computer and cause untold damage are the stuff that night mares are made of.

For the past year, El Poble Nou de Benitachell has been immersed in a process of improving cy bersecurity and techno logical modernisation to avoid just that.

The main objective of this process of change is none other than to adapt to the National Security Scheme (ENS), which is compulsory for all public administrations. This scheme aims to ensure that the administrations’ information systems pro vide their services ade

Cyber safety

tems, data, communica tions and electronic ser vices, in order to make it easier for citizens and public administrations to exercise their rights and fulfil their obligations through electronic means.

quately and safeguard in formation securely, with out it reaching unautho rised persons or for

Closer to hand

PILAR DE LA HORADADA

Town Hall is currently negotiat ing for residents to receive hos pital attention in neighbouring Murcia, not Torrevieja. The Los Arcos del Mar Menor hospital near San Javier is just seven kilometres and a 10­minute drive from Pilar.

In contrast, it takes 20 min utes to reach Torrevieja hospi tal, which is 22 kilometres away, although the journey can take considerably longer when there is heavy traffic dur ing the summer season.

According to sources quot ed in the local Spanish media, the regional Health depart ment has not received a for mal request from Pilar’s town

hall. “It is impossible to com ment on something of which we have no official record,” they said.

Nevertheless, Pilar’s mayor Jose Maria Perez and Health councillor Nieves Moreno are known to have met Francisco Ponce, director­general of Murcia’s Health service, in Oc tober.

Town hall sources also con firmed that there had been several meetings in the past to discuss the same issue, both with Ribera Salud, which pro vided the area’s healthcare un til October 2021, and more re cently with Dr Jose Cano, the new manager of the Torrevieja Health Department.

malicious purposes.

A series of measures are established to guaran tee the security of sys

The town hall had al ready implemented some of these measures such as the installation of nextgeneration firewalls in all departments to provide integrated and automat ed protection against emerging and sophisticat ed cyber­attack threats.

Longer hours

THE Santa Pola Town Coun cil has demanded that the Post Office in Gran Alacant fulfil the commitment that it made in April and extend their opening hours and im prove customer service con ditions at the Post Office lo cated in municipal premises.

The council has complet ed the improvement works requested by the Post Office itself and by local residents. An access ramp has been in stalled and accessibility im provements have been made. The toilets have been refurbished, a waiting room has been adapted and an

outdoor shaded area has been created.

Oscar Valenzuela, council lor of Gran Alacant has de manded that “as agreed, we have carried out the re quested works, as well as painting the interior and ex terior of the premises. We are now waiting for the Post Office to fulfil its part of the commitment and to comply with our request, and that of the residents, to open at least one and a half hours in the afternoon, three times a week. The interior and exte rior work has been complet ed since the end of July.”

NEW SCHEME: To protect against cyber-attack threats.

Image: Shutterstock.com/ 13_Phunkod

Linda Hall

ELCHE’S L ocal Police are once again using drones to protect this year’s pomegranate crop.

This is the second time they have kept watch from the air, police sources announced, adding that the drones’ powerful lights usually made would-be raiders think twice before strip ping the trees.

Launching a drone and turning on its thermal camera showed them large areas within sec onds, something they could not achieve with traditional foot patrols, officers said.

Paco Mira, in charge of the Local Police’s Drone Unit, explained that ther mal imaging allowed them to detect people or even parked cars amongst the trees, and had led to several arrests.

Officers are also con trolling the thefts that

plague growers each au tumn with periodic visits to 62 greengrocers in the city and surrounding ar eas. Greengrocers are col laborating with the force,

Help from above Moving on

tipping them off about the places where pomegranates were sold at unrealistically low prices or without docu mentation.

ALICANTE City by­laws introduced seven months ago took a tough line with prostitution and rough sleepers.

The new regulations, which introduced fines for both, produced the desired effect and while prostitution con tinues, it is hidden from view. Fewer homeless are now seen sleeping in the city centre and many have moved on to neighbouring Elche. Mariano Valera, Elche’s Social Rights councillor, condemned the Alicante City law, ap proved with the votes of the Partido Popular, Ciudadanos and Vox parties, as “shameful” when it came into force.

Valera recently confirmed the presence in Elche of many Alicante homeless, lamenting that people who had to sleep on the streets should be “criminalised” with fines. “This municipality is attending to all the new cases, providing the care they needed,” the councillor said. “Many have addictions or have mental health problems.”

Since 2020, Elche City Hall has kept a census of all the homeless detected by Social Services, Caritas and the Red Cross, Valera said, revealing that 439 people received their attention between January and late October.

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.

Alicante transformation

ALICANTE is undergoing a major facelift with more works approved.

On Wednesday, November 2, the City Council confirmed the award of €2.5 million for pedestrian improvement and traffic calming works on Avenida Doctor Gadea, the last of the three Avenidas in the sec tion.

The works on Avenida Doctor Gadea are expect ed to take place over a

period of eight months.

The works are part of a wider set of four ambi tious projects comprising pedestrian improve ments and interventions in the Avenidas of Gener al Marva, Doctor Gadea, Federico Soto, and the section of the Cruz de los Caidos.

With them, the city council continues to carry out important measures that respond to the chal lenge of the new urban

development, promoted to change the city model by prioritising pedestri ans.

Alicante City Council is also working on reducing emissions given the mandatory entry into Low Emission Zone Operation for cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants. Much of the European funds made available after the pandemic have been di rected toward social and economic recovery.

MOVING a li brary from one site to another is a huge under taking but help was at hand.

Human chain

More than 500 people formed a large hu man chain which facilitated the moving of books enabling the new library facilities in Aspe to open.

The Director General for Culture, Carmen Amoraga, congratulated the municipality on the occasion of the inauguration of the new spaces and contents of the Ruben Daro Li brary, saying “'Investing in a library is invest

ing in the future of a city.”

The new Ruben Daro Municipal Library is now located in the new Cultural Centre in the Parque de la Coca, Aspe.

Public libraries in modern western society may be traced to 15th century England, but it was not until the 17th century that English li braries became public institutions supported by local governments. Benjamin Franklin es tablished the first lending library in America in 1731.

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.

THE coveted Forbes Maga zine released its list of the Top 100 Richest People in Spain on Thursday Novem ber 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

Spain’s rich list

shareholder in the fashion company, Inditex clung on at the top, despite his com pany recording losses.

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

greater than the following 27 people on the list com bined. Ortega is the richest individual in Spain and the world’s third richest per son.

This year’s biggest

movers were Carmen and Luis Riu Güell, who had an astronomical rise from 90th on the list to 45th af

ter doubling their fortune in their Riu Hotels empire.

The magazine also re ported an overall drop in fortunes by 7 per cent, par tially due to the war in Ukraine and global eco nomic crises.

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

After years of depopu lation, authorities an nounced a change in Brañosera’s fortunes on Thursday November 3, recording a steady popu lation of 270. After be coming chartered as a town in 724, Brañosera is officially the oldest town in Spain. The town also became the most eco nomically important town in the Palencia region dur ing the 1960s due to min ing activity. Throughout the past 60 years, the town had been losing resi dents in droves due to changing opportunities, but this announcement reveals a change in the tide. According to one re port by the Bank of Spain, there are more than 3,400 towns at risk of complete ly disappearing, and among them are many notable places of historical and cultural significance.

The phenomenon is in creasingly common in re gions in southern Europe as young people seeking better opportunities are drawn to cities by employ ment, healthcare, public services and social oppor tunities.

Forbes Magazine published its renowned wealth ranking for Spain on November 3.

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 disgrace ful mess on Wednesday, November 2.

Although the police and the city were expect ing problems, with Celtic fans having a poor repu tation, 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.

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 minori ty that cause the most problems.

Vintage theft

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 an nounced 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 neigh bouring pharmacy, before breaking the glass window to enter the premises.

One­hundred­and­thirty­two bottles were taken by the thieves, assuming that’s what they 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 evi dence 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.

Supportive

SPAIN’S Minister of For eign Affairs, José Manuel Albares 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 several meetings with his counterparts and other in stitutions. He will meet with Dmytro Kuleba, his counterpart and with the country’s Prime Minister, Denýs Shmyhal. Albares tweeted on his arrival say ing: “I have just arrived in Kyiv to convey Spain’s commitment and support to the people and govern ment of Ukraine in the de fence 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.

AFTERMATH: The litter left behind in the square.

Credit Twitter @ VPmmad

Jose Manuel Albares train journey to Kyiv

Credit Spain Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Civil war exiles nationalised

Betty Henderson

A MONUMENTAL memorial law is set to offer millions of Latin Americans citizenship in Spain. Long­awaited 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 Madrid­based lawyer explained the law saying it of fers any descendant of Span ish immigrants before 1985 a route to citizenship. Spain

changed its nationality law in 1985 as it began a national reckoning after the Franco dic tatorship ended in 1975.

The opportunity to claim Spanish citizenship will even

apply to some Latin Ameri cans living illegally in the coun try. Applicants must provide proof that their ancestors were fleeing political persecu tion. After becoming law, con sulates and lawyers offices in Spain were said to be flooded with requests for information and claims about the new pol icy. The law makes striding advances on a 2007 law which offered up to 70,000 exiled Latin Americans and their descendants eligible for Spanish citizenship.

Passing rocket

Peter McLaren­Kennedy

FLIGHTS were grounded in Catalonia due to the possible fall of a Chinese rocket. The announcement by the Civil Protection authorities on Friday, November 4 said that a 40­minute re striction 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 20­tonne 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 sub­continent.

Authorities have said the rocket poses little risk, but that the precaution was the sensible thing to do, with less than an hour’s disruption.

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

Photo credit: Everett Collection / shutterstock.com

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

Bye bye bounty

IT was announced on Thursday November 3, that the creators of Cele brations have removed its least popular chocolate in a trial ahead of Christ mas.

Mars Wrigley said that the most controversial chocolate, the coconut, chocolate covered, Boun ty, will be axed from its festive tubs, after finding 39 per cent of consumers want it to be banished for good.

To make up for the missing Bounty bars, the limited edition tubs will include a bigger selection of Mars, Snickers, Milky Way, Galaxy, and Malte sers. 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 be

lieved just finding Bounty bars in the tub would lead to a family argu ment.

The trial is rolling out across 40 Tesco Christmas

Market locations, begin ning at Baguley Extra in Manchester on Tuesday November 8 and ending at Gallions Reach Extra in London on December 18.

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.”

BACK by popular demand!

Torrevieja’s Natual History Museum opened its doors on Friday, November 4, and will offer free guided tours until December 17.

The Museum of Natural His tory, located on Avenida Esta cion in Torrevieja, will open on Wednesday and Friday morn ings for educational centre tours in two shifts (at 10.00am and 11.30am), and at various weekend hours.

The Museum will be open Friday afternoon, Saturday morning and Sunday morning for families and the general public who have previously reg istered.

A maximum of 30 people will be admitted in each group.

The Torrevieja Natural Histo ry Museum contains specimens of mammals, ornithology, her

Tours galore

petology, ichthyology, marine invertebrates and malacology.

On display, you will find skele tons of bottlenose and striped dolphins and whales.

There are collections of origi nal nests, and replica eggs of a total of 17 species of birds typi cal of the area, loggerhead tur

tles, and marine molluscs from the Mediterranean Sea collect ed over the years on the coast of Torrevieja, as well as dona tions from particularly relevant individuals and several ‘jewels’ claimed by museums in Madrid, Barcelona and Valen cia.

Be a star

EVER watched Stars in their Eyes and thought I could do that? Well, why not dress up as your favourite pop star and belt out a tune for charity?

In support of the Big Reds Animals Association, Bar Ar ianaz proudly presents Stars in their Eyes.

The event is on Saturday November 26 at 8.00pm at Bar Arianaz, C. Escorpio, 6, 03189 Orihuela.

Food and drinks will be available and prizes for the best ‘star’ will be awarded.

Why not join the fun, perhaps have a dabble on the raffle and raise some cash for the Big Reds Animals Asso ciation?

If you would like to be a star register in advance, oth erwise just head along and join the fun.

For more information call: (+34) 602 520 424.

No December elections

ELECTIONS in Northern Ireland, which were due to take place following the failure of the par ties to form a government, may be on hold until after the Christmas period. Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris said on Fri day, 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 government. Heaton-Harris who met with the parties in Northern Ireland said that every

one 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 election will take place in December, or ahead of the festive season,” and added “My objective, what the people of Northern Ireland deserve, is the restoration of a strong devolved government. My duty is to create the right envi ronment for the parties in Northern Ireland to work together to restore the devolved institu tions and deliver on crucial issues impacting Northern Ireland’s people.”

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 nearterm investment that we be lieve enables us to bridge over the coming weeks. To further reduce our nearterm costs, our dedicated employee team has also vol untarily agreed to a tempo rary salary reduction for the month of November.”

NEW FACTORY: Britishvolt staff viewing the site.

Credit: Britishvolt

Not acceptable behaviour

POLICE recruitment has come under the spotlight over vetting failures and reports that police officers accused of crimes, remain on the job.

An HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services report said on Wednesday, November 2 that procedures for re cruitment were missing potential risks to the pub lic.

The report said that there were cases where criminal behaviour had been dismissed as a ‘oneoff’ and that officers had been employed despite family links with extensive criminal records.

With the records of more than 11,000 police officers reviewed, the in spectorate found some staff had criminal records, some had been involved in or alleged to have commit ted serious crimes, others had family links to serious crime and some had sub stantial undischarged debt.

Matt Parr from the In spector of Constabulary told a national news out let: “It is too easy for the wrong people to both join and stay in the police.

“If the police are to re build public trust and pro tect their own female offi

cers and staff, vetting must be much more rigorous and sexual misconduct tak en more seriously.”

The report added that clearer guidance was need ed on workplace conduct and what is acceptable be haviour.

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.”

Show of support

POLAND has doubled down on its support for Ukraine by removing Russian commu nist­era monuments from areas in the coun try. Authorities in Poland announced the de molition of four monuments that expressed support for the Soviet Red Army on October 27. The monuments which dated back to 1945 were demolished by construction workers with heavy machinery including bulldozers and diggers. Most of the four monuments removed were concrete slabs in locations in the south of the country. The head of the Polish national history in

stitute, Karol Nawrocki, had issued calls for the removal of the statues, saying they rep resented a system that brutally murdered and enslaved thousands, including Polish na tionals.

“This is a monument to disgrace!” Nawrocki said, adding “In 1945, the Soviets did not bring liberation, they brought anoth er captivity. They captured Poland and treat ed it as plundered booty.” Many praised the decision, saying that the current brutality of Russian forces is drawn from the same spirit as the Red Army.

Frost-free October

Betty Henderson

THE coldest village in France registered a frost­free October, breaking a record that stood for 140 years.

Mouthe, a small village on the Swiss border has previously always experi enced frost in October, since records be gan in 1884.

Previously, the town has registered up to 28 days of frost during the month of October, and this year’s lack of frost has taken residents and international ob servers by surprise.

Officials in the country’s meteorologi

cal agency, including François Jobard, ex pressed concern, saying that the record, along with unseasonably warm temper atures were proof of climate change. Jo bard 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 shocking36.7 degrees Celsius in January 1968.

French weather authorities said that October was the warmest ever record ed.

Paintball protection

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 au thorities to act over fears that the wolves could become aggressive.

Authorities get tough

Peter McLaren­Kennedy

TURKEY has captured more than 141,000 illegal immi grants this year according to the government.

The figures announced on Tuesday, November 1 show that 7,152 people smugglers were also de tained during the year, a figure that includes those

of foreign origin.

Of those who were caught 97,448 were deport ed leaving just over 50,000 to claim asylum.

The authorities also con fiscated a huge amount of equipment including 2,833 lorries, vans, buses and cars. 1,301 boats and boat en gines were also seized.

Fake identity documents (138) were also seized along with 524 mobile phones, 160 unlicensed rifles and handguns.

Turkey is a popular transit point for those fleeing the Middle East and for those trying to reach Europe. Cur rently there are 3,646,278 Syrians in the country.

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.

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

GIJON­based Spanish startup 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 Jus­Rol 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 Møller­Maersk 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 large­scale 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

second­hand 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 second­hand 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 self­service 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 ever­growing 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, Castilla­La 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.

Halloween is over and you’re still scaring buyers away!

REBECCA SERWOTKA ­ “We sell houses! It’s what we do, it’s ALL we do!” Your favourite local resale property expert, of Inmobiliaria Real Estate Agents in Ciudad Quesada. Published au thor of ‘Moving Forward ­ 25 Es sential Rules For Buying & Sell ing Real Estate Without Going Crazy’. Request your FREE copy! Featured on Best Buy Spain. Prestige Award Winner for ‘Real Estate Agency Of The Year 2021/22 and 2022/23’.

You may have a home that you think you’ll have no prob lem selling. So why haven’t you had any favourable offers yet? Are you overlooking something that could scare buyers away?

Reality is, it doesn’t

take much to ward off potential buyers, so double check you’ve removed anything that could give a buyer the heebiejeebies.

Here are three items to check: Too many locks. An excessive amount makes buyers think you’re in a high crime area. Half done repairs. What you think looks good, other peo ple may not! Finish all re pair jobs stat, and make your home look like it is n’t actually falling apart.

Priced it too high

This is the number 1 reason for scaring buyers away. Even if you’ve reduced your price, making further adjustments may be the only way to encourage the right buyer forward. Price fixes everything!

Rebecca Serwotka.

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.

Autumn nailcare

AS we head towards winter, many of us experience season al health and beauty changes.

As with all seasonal changes, autumn and winter affects nail health. Here we give some top tips from beauticians on how to keep your natural nails in tip­top condition year­round.

• Stay hydrated

Staying hydrated is crucial to keeping your nails hydrated and maintaining growth throughout the winter. You can also try taking a vitamin supplement such as biotin which boosts hair and nail growth. There are plenty of vi tamins which can naturally strengthen the keratin in nails.

• Moisturise

Skin and nails tend to get dri er and flakier with cooler weather. Moisturise your hands, paying ­particular atten tion to your nails after washing your hands to lock in moisture. Try using a cuticle oil daily to create a barrier between the nail and the outside elements.

• Strengthen

Invest in a nail strengthening

serum. As weather gets cooler, nails become more brittle. A strengthening serum can pre vent breakages by replenishing moisture and reducing natural nail thinning which occurs in winter, building strength.

• Be gentle

Resist the temptation to rip off or bite nails that break. In stead, gently use a nail file or pair of scissors to remove breakages while limiting your risk of infection.

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.

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Ultrasonography is helpful to evaluate soft tissue and fluid structures. Moving organs may be evaluated during motion, such as the beating heart, flowing blood and contracting in testines.

Computed tomography is a diagnostic procedure that us es special x­ray equipment to obtain cross­sectional images of the body. Split­Bolus Single­Pass Multi­phased Abdominal CT is used to visualise hypeiuand hypovascular tumours and vascular malformations.

MRI uses a powerful magnetic field, radiofrequency pulses and a computer to produce detailed images of organs, soft tissues, bones, vessels and virtually all other internal body structures.MRI is commonly used to examine the brain, spinal cord, muscles and soft tissues of the abdomen.

These detailed images allow radiologists to better evalu ate and determine the presence of certain diseases that may not be assessed adequately with other imaging methods, in cluding CT.

CT and MRI can help veterinary internists solve puzzles and enable surgeons to prepare operations with greater ac curacy.

Feeding frenzie

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 reasons

Homecooked food isn’t al ways 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 feel

ing bad for your four­legged friend and feeding them at the dinner table is ensuring that your mealtimes are sep arate. Feed your dog before you have your own dinner and avoid a hungry dog eye ing up your plate.

• Hold your ground

Don’t give in to the puppy dog eyes! Dogs are very intel ligent and know that if you feed them scraps at the din ner 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 occa sions and you will see results.

Accessories for pets

NEWS that designer brand Hermès is launching a line of pet accessories, joining other brands that cater to pets including Prada and Versace reignited a debate about what ac cessories your pet real ly needs. Here we con sulted some expert advice to find out what you need to consider when buying pet acces sories.

Firstly, experts say you should consider your pet breed and personality when de ciding what to buy it. If you have a cat that sleeps a lot, you might not need to buy as many toys as if you have an energetic kit ten. Similarly, with grooming accessories, you should choose combs, shampoos and nail clippers that are appropriate for your pet breed to help them look their best.

Consider the pur pose. While a dog coat might look adorable, it isn’t always appropri ate for the weather. Think about how much use you will get out of accessories before buy ing them.

Evaluate the cost. Pet expert, Sharon Jones said it is worth choosing accessories made from more durable and expensive materials such as a leather­based collar for your dog if you take it on walks often. The more expensive the ac cessory, generally the higher the quality, but it is not always worth it, if you won’t use it.

Betty

Photo credit: Yurii Onyshchenko shutterstock.com

J & J PAINTERS. Insideoutside - clean - fast - low cost. Torrevieja - Orihuela Costa and surrounding ar eas. Tel: 650 363 159 (294244)

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS IS ALCOHOL COSTING YOU MORE THAN MONEY? Drinking to ex cess not only affects your health it can spill over into ev ery other aspect of your lifedamaging everything that is im portant to you. English-speak ing AA meetings are held throughout the Costa Blanca from Valencia City to Murcia. Anyone wishing to attend a meeting or discuss a possible drinking problem contact Costa Blanca North: 648 169 045 or Costa Blanca South: 625 912 078 or Costa Calida 679 385 105 All calls are treated in the strictest confidence. AA in Ger man: 645 456 075; Spanish: 679 212 535; Flemish: 635 047 053; and Scandinavian: 659 779 222. www. aa-costablanca.org (93323)

You can email the San Miguel Centre at office@helpvegaba ja.com. We also have a 24hour Emergency helpline which is available to both members and non-members on 966 723 733 (95456)

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY, TORREVIEJA Calle Beniajan 16, Torrevieja 03185, Alicante Evangelical non-de nominational church. Sunday morning Services at 11.00am. All nationalities welcome - Con tact 966 752 543 / 966 799 273. For other church matters phone: 966 799 273 / /617 215 463 www.icatorrevieja.org (95476)

.uk/branches/orihuela-costacovering from Punta Prima to San Javier. More info can be found on branch website www.orihuelacostarbl.co.uk.

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Gran Alacant & La Marina Branch. For info, contact the branch Secre tary at granalacant.secretary@ rbl.community

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

CAMPELLO CONTRA CANCER in conjunction with AECC Asso ciation Español Contra Cancer. Please support your local Can cer charity and if you wish to obtain literature or simply talk to someone. Please contact Mi na or Trisha. Tel 650 071 278 or 610 921 413 e-mail aecc_campello@hotmail.com (95475)

CANCER SUPPORT GROUP (MABS) MURCIA/MAR MENOR Help and support is just a phone call away, Avda Rio Nalón, Tel: 693 275 779 (95462)

CHURCH SERVICE IN EN GLISH Tel: 950 617 549 www.givinglight.com.(10006)

FREEMASONRY . Are you aware that Freemasonry is thriving on the Costa Blanca? There are various Lodges meet ing up throughout the Valencia region. If you already are a Ma son or simply wish to know more about Freemasonry in Spain please contact sec@glp valencia.com Tel 600 841 064 (95477)

LA SIESTA EVANGELICAL CHURCH on Urbanisation La Siesta, Torrevieja is a friendly, English-speaking church. For more information, including de tails of our services, see our website www.lasiestaevangeli calchurch.org (10005)

PHILIP SCOTT LODGE No 10671 of the RAOB. Please call the secretary, Colin Bird on 693 287 614 for further information. (95459)

PILAR CHRISTIAN COMMUNI TY CHURCH. All welcome from any church background or none. For further information, www.pilarchurch.org Reg No: 2009-SG/A (95463)

ROYAL Air Force Association Costa Blanca Registered Mem bers Group: The RAFA Costa Blanca RMG replaces the RAFA Costa Blanca Branch 1359 which is now closed. The RMG is a social group of caring peo ple and remains affiliated to the parent Association. Contact with the Royal Air Force Association and the RMG can be made via the RAFA website rafa.org. uk Tel:0044 800 018 2361. (238593)

ROYAL MARINES ASSOCIA TION (Costa Blanca) The aim of the Association is to bring to gether not just ex Royal Marines, but ex Service person nel with an affinity to the Royal Marines. For further details con tact Hon Sec P S Wilkins Tel: 966 194 158 email: inkin spain@yahoo.co.uk (10004)

ROYAL NAVAL ASSOCIATION For information please contact Chairman Anthony Jenkins +34 693 866 709, Vice Chairman Dusty Miller +34 711 006 670, Secretary Mike Cockman +34 670 224 822, Treasurer Carl Louden +34 678 518 202, email rnatorrevieja@aol.com (95455)

STROKE ASSOCIATION Spain (formally known as Torrevieja stroke support) Our aim is to help and support stroke sur vivors and their carers, with re habilitation, speech therapy, OC therapy and a very active social group. For info please contact 653 588 475 English and 620 907 474 Spanish or email strokesupportgroup@hot mail.com, website: torreviejas trokesupport.org. We are al ways looking for volunteers who have the skills and knowledge to support. (95473)

MOVERS AND SHAKERS We are a non-profit organisation that supports people and their families with neurological dis eases such as; HUNTINGTON’S, ATAXIA, MOTOR NEURONE, MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS and PARKINSON’S. Our MOVERS AND SHAKERS CLUB held every Friday @ 1pm – 3pm, is a chance for members to meet up socially, for a drink and a chat on a full range of topics and to exchange ideas and informa tion. The club is held at O’Briens Bar in El Raso, Guardamar del Segura (except July and August). For more de tails, contact Marion Smith on 711 008 250, or email: marion.smith@amscb.org.es, or you can find us on Facebook : fb@movers and shakers www.amscb.org.es (295976)

PERSONAL TRAINER, WEIGHT LOSS, TONING, RESULTS GUARANTEED. CERTIFIED WITH 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE. FORMER US KICKBOX CHAMPI ON. CALL 747 438 225

BATHROOM & KITCHEN Con versions Costa Blanca, contact 698 320 434. (291660)

MOBILE homes & static cara vans bought, sold and trans ported. +34 630 055 418 or elsyd7@hotmail.com (294686)

CARE home in Torrevieja, full care, full board from €800 per month. Call 747 438 225 (295552)

HELP VEGA BAJA. We are a non-profit making organisation that helps and supports anyone, without prejudice, in times of need or crisis within the Vega Baja area. Our offices are based in San Miguel at Calle Lope de Vega 46 (Tel 966 723 733), Tor revieja at Rambla Juan Mateo Garcia 4 (Tel 965 704 282). We are online at www.helpvegaba ja.com and also on Facebook.

ROYAL BRITISH LEGIONWhy not make this year the year you volunteer? See how you can help either as a case worker (with full training) or as a Telephone Buddy. We also vis it beneficiaries who are house bound 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 serv ing, and you feel you need help or support then contact us us ing the details on the card, we are here for the small things as well as the big, sometimes talk ing to someone is the first step to feeling more in control. It can be a personal need or some help with your home or infor mation on what or who to speak to on a medical issue, we help with signposting if we can not 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, http://branches.britishlegion.org

THE AIRCREW ASSOCIATION COSTA BLANCA BRANCH. For mer & serving aircrews of the UK or Allied Armed Forces are welcome to join this convivial & friendly organisation, now in its 21st year. www.acacostablan ca.org or call the Secretary on: 966 495 042 (95465)

THE ANGLICAN CHURCH, La Fustera. For more info: contact Frank Bentley on 966 495 188.

THE BAKER Foundation Spiri tual Centre Playa Flamenca. Calle Luis Gordillo, 1 Playa Fla menca Alicante 03189. You can join us on Facebook, The Baker Foundation spiritual centre. Or contact Linda Schug Tel. 606 990 665 for more details (95458)

THE PATIENCE LODGE No 2177 of the R.A.O.B Please call Secretary Dave Tonge on 688 704 091 for further information. (253807)

THE SPIRITUALIST CENTRE, Benijofar meets at Hamilton’s Bake House, 62 Calle Vicente, Blasco Ibañez, Benijofar 03178. We hold a Sunday Sevrice at 11.30am. For further information: www.spiritualist centre-benijofar.com . Tele phone 711 060 171. Email mar tindroute66@hotmail.com. Fis cal G54713789

MR FIXIT. For all your electri cal, plumbing, general & appli ance & boiler repairs. No call out charge. 698 320 434 (290228)

FED UP OF NOT BEING SENT YOUR RENEWAL? CUT YOUR INSURANCE COSTS AND STILL HAVE 100% COVER. YOU HAVE TRIED THE REST NOW TRY THE BEST WITH SOS INSUR ANCE. WE CAN EVEN IN SURE YOU FOR UP TO A €1,000 OF WATERLOSS. CALL 686 116 297 (WHAT SAPP TO) OR VISIT www.sosinsuranceinspain. com or email tracey@sosin suranceinspain.com

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

BENEFICIAL INSURANCE SER VICES. Car, Home, Business, Travel, Life, Funeral, all insur ances available. Policies in En glish. BEST rates, covers & ser vice. Immediate quotes. Tel 961 129 215 / 622 275 561, (What sApp) info@beneficialinsuran ceinspain.com or visit www.beneficialinsurancein spain.com for online quote.

STAY SAFE! Abbeygate Insur ance Call 971 277 455 For your security www.abbeygatein sure.com

FRENCH, ELÉGANTE , slim, Sophie, 3 languages spoken. Experienced in a large variety of full body massages. Villamartin apartment or can travel to all areas. 693 357 526 (295405)

EXPERIENCE the best with a 1hr unique massage with Veronica. Shaving or permanent hair removal available. For ap pointments call 679 292 678 (295446)

CLASSIC SPANISH LADY , Playa Flamenca area, private premises, all massage services from 40€. Ana 657 603 495 (302112)

ATTRACTIVE, Girlfriend, Professional Masseuse relax ing and therapeutic Masseuse. Tel: 693 357 526 (295448)

RELAXING MASSAGE FOR MEN - Mario qualified masseur in Alicante - Spe cial Massage for Men - 7 days 10am to 10pmAPPOINTMENTS visit : www.masajeyrelax.es/en or WHATSAPP 649 761 607 (296490)

DIANA from Greece. Masseur. Call for relaxing & therapeutic massage. Torrevieja. Call 663 817 943 (302072)

LA ZENIA AREA English Masseuse offering therapeutic one to one massage. Also En glish Masseuse/Masseuser avail able for Men/Women. Appoint ments at nice apartment or visits within 20kms of La Zenia. Call 711 059 849 (302322)

TORREVIEJA Miriam. Gives re laxing body massage. Speaks English. Call 604 382 799

MISCELLANEOUS MOTORING

GOLD & SILVER Bought & Sold, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel - 678 716 693

WE ARE currently the market leader in our country in the sale of direct car, motorbike, home and company fleet insurance. Since we started out in 1995, our philosophy has always been to offer an excellent service with the best prices in the mar ket. For the most competitive quotes in English, call Linea Di recta on 952 147 834. (200726)

MOTORHOME / Campervan wanted. Left or right hand drive. Cash waiting for right van. Tlf 650 722 905

PET CHARITY PLUMBERS TELECOMMUNICATIONS

MAINTENANCE EWN10 - 16 November 2022CLASSIFIEDS euroweeklynews.com 53

PIANO , Keyboard, Organ, Qualified Teacher. Please call 606 984 535 (294805)

MOTORHOMES MUSIC TUITION OTHERS

KAMAGRA Gold 100mg plus Kamagra Jellies. Collection or Delivery. ROY HAS A NEW TEL. - 613 584 915 (295447) tp

Male/Female viagra, cialis, ka magra jelly, mixed trial packs available, all areas mail or der. 604 385 476. viagra4you19@gmail.com

EASYHORSE CARE RESCUE CENTRE. We aim to rescue HORSES. If you would like to DONATE please call 965 967 033 or sales@easyhorse care.net www.easyhorse care.net or call Sue 652 021 980 (95706)

GATAMI ORGANISATION, to help kittens and cats, looking for good homes, also spaying wild cats in the community. Kittens require adoption, fully vaccinated, de-wormed, deflead. volunteers to Tel Anna: 966 806 976 / 654 729 977 (95709)

MR FIXIT. For all your electri cal, plumbing, general & appli ance & boiler repairs. No call out charge. 698 320 434 (290228)

POOL MAINTENANCE Repairs, Spares and Leak Testing. Call 965 725 565 / 676 945 360 www.pooltechspain.com (289147)

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

TAILOR-MADE in durable can vas, pergola covers, sails, um brella, spa and CAR COVERS. 10% off Cushions. Mazarron to Costa Blanca. RETIRING SOON DON’T MISS OUT Google: KrugerCanopies.com What sApp: 667 879 399 kruger canopies@yahoo.co.uk (293646)

If you can read it, so can your clients. Contact us and have your businessgrow at + 34 951 386 161

P.E.P.A. VOLUNTEERS & FOS TER HOMES URGENTLY NEED ED. By fostering an abandoned dog or spending a few hours each week on our telephone helpline, you could help save the lives of many animals. Please call: 650 304 746. For more information browse our website: www.pepaspain.com (95708)

SPAMA GANDIA SHELTER. Dog and cat rescue regis tered charity, La Safor area. 500 animals awaiting rehom ing. Phone Gail 962 896 118. Visit our website for directions. www.spama.org and view our new blog at www.spama-safor. blog.com.es PLEASE HELP US TO HELP THEM (95707)

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.

Emergency triangle going October’s most popular

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.

SUV car sales continue to dominate the motoring market in Spain during Oc tober, selling more units than any other type of car.

A report released by car associations in Spain re vealed that the most popu lar new car in Spain during October was the hatchback, Dacia Sandero, followed by SUV models, the Hyundai Tucson and the Kia Sportage. The Hyundai Tuc son is also the most popular new car sold in Spain this year, with nearly 19,000 units sold since January.

Car sales data revealed that 65,966 SUVs were sold during October, an 11.7 per cent increase on the same statistic in 2021.

Alongside the SUVs, the second most popular style of car was supermini cars, designed to be more com pact and better at short journeys for city driving.

Following the Dacia Sandero was the Citroën C3, as the fourth most popular new car in October, fol

lowed by the Toyota C­HR. Following global trends, car sales in Spain during Oc tober of this year were a fraction of pre­pandemic years, at nearly 30 per cent lower than the same month in 2019.

The decrease is associat ed with increased inflation and global energy crisis due to the war in Ukraine. Man ufacturing problems includ ing raw material shortages have also reduced new car production.

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.

COSTA BLANCA WALKING FOOTBALL LEAGUE

CBWFL action resumed last Monday, November 7 when the first ever League game in Murcia took place, where the Red Lions of Fortuna took on League Champions, Portobel lo Campoverde.

Result and report in next week’s edition due to the pa per going to print on Tues days.

Thursday November 27 is the date for what should be an interesting ‘derby’ CBWFL match, when League Champi ons Portobello Campoverde host local rivals Portobello Shamrocks.

This will be a strong test for the ‘new boys’ taking on the undefeated League Champions, who added the Torrevieja Tournament tro phy to their honours list on Saturday October 29.

Kick off is 10am at Avenida de la Torre, Pilar de la Ho radada.

These League matches will bring an end to the first half

of the season, with the League taking a break in De cember and January.

All clubs will continue their normal weekly sessions where newcomers will be more than welcome.

Occasional friendly match es will also be arranged dur ing the break to ensure play ers keep up fitness levels for the resumption of the League.

A mini tournament will be hosted by Pinoso on Monday November 14 with Formen tra, Hondon Valley Flyers and the Red Lions participat ing.

For further information about Walking Football con tact cbwfl@gmail.com , or the club’s Facebook pages.

That’s it for this week ex cept to thank the Euro Week ly News for their continuing and valuable support for Walking Football.

Make sure you get YOUR copy.

WALKING FOOTBALL: The League is taking a break during December and January.