Mallorca 10 - 16 November 2022 Issue 1949

HELP AT HAND

WHAT happens if you live on the island, and you are told you have cancer, but you do not speak or un derstand Spanish well?

Apart from the distress caused by the news, you could struggle to deal with treatment options, social security, and insur ances, making funeral plans, sorting out legal papers and so on.

The Cancer Support Group Mallorca (CSG) was founded in order to offer help to those people and their families.

The Group has now launched a short video to present its Bridging Fund to help expatriates affect ed by cancer. The animat

ed film created by Philip Rogan and Aline Win dolph­Nahar explains how residents from

ALLERGY sufferers will know how debilitating severe aller gies can be. Those who suffer will welcome the first public al lergy clinic in Mallorca which has been planned for 2023.

The International Symposium of the Spanish Society of Aller gology and Clinical Immunology (SEAIC), was held at the end of October at the Palma Congress Centre, and gathered more than 1,500 specialists together.

Under the motto ‘Person alised Allergology: Im munotherapy and Drug Aller gy’, the scientific event aimed to address the new advances and challenges in these two highly relevant areas.

The president of the SEAIC, Doctor Antonio Valero, pointed

abroad can get economic and bureaucratic support on the island.

CSG is always looking

for people ready to help, either dedicating their time and knowledge to people affected by cancer or donating money to help them.

For more information call (+34) 659 887 455. To watch the short film head over to the website www.cancersupportmal lorca.com.

Funky furniture

WHILST wandering around Placa Orson Welles you may have noticed the furniture has been upgraded. A group of pupils from Son Gotleu Primary School were given the project to paint the urban furniture.

The mayor of Palma, Jose Hila, stated that “this artistic initiative builds community and promotes dia logue and participation among young people.

“One of the most remarkable aspects of the project was the participation of the pupils. The pupils met in October in Placa Orson Welles and carried out an analysis of the state of the area. At the beginning of the programme, dynamic and participative activities were organised, with meetings between the pupils, which served to bring the young people of the neigh bourhood face to face with the themes and aesthetics of artistic creations related to urban furniture.”

The councillor for Culture, Miquel Angel Contreras, added “the project wants the young people of Son Gotleu to bring their creativity to the reality of the neighbourhood, and to improve the self­perception they have of the place where they live.”

Welcome aid

out, “the public health system needs to have allergy services in all the country. For this rea son, we’re happy that the Balearic government will cre ate the first public allergology service on the islands next year.”

This year, the SEAIC will also carry out an environmental im pact initiative, which will con sist of planting a tree for each congress attendee in an area of Galicia deforested by recent fires and which also pursues the objective of improving air quality , thereby contributing to better respiratory health.

CSG: Was founded to offer help to people and their families.

ALLERGIES: Can be debilitating.

Image: Palma City Council

SPAIN’S

air navigation manager

ENAIRE has recently been tak ing part in SIRIO 22 exercises in the Canary Islands in coordina tion with the Air and Space Force.

This is the most important training exercise for the Air and Space Force as the SIRIO 22 ex ercise tests the ability of the Air Force to defend airspace while evaluating its deployment ca

Flying high

pacity and logistical support.

SIRIO 22 is used to instruct and evaluate air combat units, combat support units and the command and control system in order to ensure their opera tional readiness, as well as to

maintain their operational availability and the staffing lev els required to quickly and ef fectively organise air opera tions.

Around 2,000 people from 21 Air and Space Force units and a

FOR those who have been dreaming about a holiday home in Mallorca, perhaps now might be the time to start seriously considering making the move. Accord ing to IMG, strong price growth continues, although we are past the peak.

Maria Matos, director and spokesperson for prop erty platform Fotocasa, confirmed: “House prices have been rising steadily for seven months now, but so far these increases have been moderate, at less than 4 per cent at the national level. However, the moder ation has been broken and there is a significant in crease, as the rise exceeds 5

total of 35 aircraft from differ ent combat and transport wings took part in the exercise.

Sirio 22 is a highly complex exercise that requires special coordination in airspace man agement, where ENAIRE’s role is essential to safety. Priority is given to efficiency and sustain able coordination of the man agement of commercial and military

Mallorcan dream

Image: Ekaterina McClaud/Shutterstock.com

per cent year-on-year.

“This dynamic increase is probably due to the fact that the demand to buy a property has risen very strongly, as people want to buy a property before mortgages become even more expensive due to the rise in Euribor. This trend will probably begin to sub side as the market finds a balance and uncertainty be gins to subside. Another im portant aspect to be high lighted is the lack of housing stock in the market,” she added.

Free ice-skating

ly ice rink during Christmas with the whole family for free.

Port Adriano has a 300-me tre-squared rink and a 30-me tre-long slide for the whole

family to enjoy. Access to the rink and equipment is com pletely free and children can skate from the age of four years old. (The minimum skate size is size 24).

There will be exhibitions and ice skating lessons as well as a Christmas concert and the little ones will be able to see Father Christmas before he sets off in his sleigh to de liver presents around the world.

The rink will be open from December 22 until January 7. The facilities will be open to the public from midday until 8.00pm (on December 24 and 31 it will be open until 6.00pm).

Image: Shutterstock.com/ Kiryl Lis

Free ice-skating fun for all the family.

flights during the tests. SIRIO 22: Testing Air Force’s ability.

EVERY year, the glamourous marina of Port Adriano gets everyone into the festive spir it with its Christmas Fun Park. Put on your skates and enjoy the island’s largest eco-friend

PROPERTY MARKET: House prices are rising steadily.

Fun for kids

THE children’s playground in the Placa de Can Llimona, in the Viver neighbourhood of Palma, is now open to the public. The council has invest ed €25,423 in installing new rubber paving, a new accessi ble hut and a set of children’s playground equipment.

Bush drunk

IN the early hours of Saturday morning on November 5, a driver crashed his car on Cami de l’Albufera (Alcudia). When police found him he was un successfully trying to hide be hind a bush and was later found to have been three times over the alcohol limit.

James Bond

“THE name is Bond, James Bond” is a signature catch phrase that needs no intro duction. Ian Fleming’s char acter might be fictional but the author once confessed that “The character is a com pound of all the secret agents I knew” including Mallorcabased Alan Hillgarth.

Social workers

FORTY-FIVE new social workers were sworn in on Friday, November 4, at Pal ma City Hall. The vast majori ty of the people who took up their posts were working in the town hall as interns so they had already gained pro fessional security and stabili ty.

Rich Rafa

FORBES MAGAZINE has confirmed that Rafa Nadal, Mallorca’s famous tennis star, is Spain’s richest sports star. Rafa is estimated to be worth about €250 million.

Palma protest

ON Sunday, November 6, 500 people gathered at the El Bungalow restaurant in Ciu dad Jardin to protest against a Costas Authority demoli tion order. The demonstra tors formed a human chain around the restaurant and heard the owner explain that the building is more than 100 years old.

THE Palma International Boat Show ( PIBS) makes the Balearic Islands the nerve centre of profession al and recreational boating and hosts worldwide pre sentations of new products in an industry regarded as strategic for the economy of the Balearic Islands.

In addition to the offer of new boats, equipment and nautical services, the fair has a large exhibition of yachts measuring over 24 metres in length and an area for boat repair and maintenance companies.

The next edition of the Palma International Boat Show will take place from April 27 until April 30, 2023 in Palma’s Moll Vell.

Boating fair fun

nies, 21 per cent more than the previous year, and had 264 boats on display at sea.

On the up

LLUCMAJOR Town Coun cil has been granting aid and subsidies for compa nies and self-employed people. In the last call for grants, Llucmajor was awarded €573,482 in direct aid for investment in shops and businesses.

Mayor of Llucmajor, Eric Jareno, highlighted the val ue of the aid and con firmed that: “When every thing is rising due to uncontrolled inflation, that is the time when the Ad ministration must be with those who generate wealth and employment, and these are the self-em

The

fair

Helping out

ployed and businesses in the municipality. We be lieve that it is time to stand by the companies that, without a doubt, have seen their raw materials or fixed costs increase consid erably which can put the companies themselves at risk.”

The mayor did not rule out continuing to lower taxes “as we believe that even more difficult times are coming and it is when everything goes up that a

Pesky pigeons

THE Department of Health and Consumer Affairs has re cently completed the installation of the new ecological colony that has been placed in the Bosc de la Ribera Park. This is the first ecological colony to be installed in Palma and its aim is to prevent the proliferation of pi geons.

The new ecological colony is one more point where pigeon contraception pine will be supplied to the colony. Swimming points have also been installed for the pigeon population to enjoy.

The location of the new ecological colony has been chosen because it is in a part of Palma far from other municipal areas where contraceptive pine is already be ing supplied. Bosc de la Ribera Park also has the right characteristics to keep the colony population intact with it being a leafy, shady spot, free of rust and far from homes.

The Plan for the integral ethical control of pigeons al so drew up a population census that estimates that there are 21,900 specimens living in Palma.

In addition, the Palma In ternational Boat Show was visited by more than 32,000 people, marking a 50 per cent increase over the 2021 boat show. For four days the PIBS was at tended by numerous pro fessionals and nautical en thusiasts, who expressed their high opinion of the quality of the products on display and the new prod ucts presented.

my, Pilar Bonet, added: “This has meant an impor tant effort on the part of the council. It comes at a time when we have also lowered taxes and elimi nated parking fees.”

Cap scrap

COULD the Balearics be scrapping the 90-day stay rule for Britons?

The Schengen area rep resents a border-free zone between several Euro pean countries. In addi tion, these countries issue a uniform Schengen visa for foreign nationals. To control the comings and goings of millions of peo ple who enter the Schen gen area, the 90/180-day rule was established.

The 90/180-day rule states that any foreign na tional who enters the Schengen zone can stay for up to 90 days within any 180 days. At first glance, it seems a very simple rule, but it’s often misunderstood, and many people overstay it, result ing in penalties.

The Spanish tourism secretary Fernando Valdes said: “It is in the interest of Spain to get rid of the 90-day rule, but unfortu nately, this is not some

thing Spain has estab lished by itself or can get rid of it. It is true that af ter Brexit some problems have emerged with peo ple wanting to stay longer

“It is in our interest to lobby and convince (the EU) we can try to work an exception with them, but the solution must come from them.”

TOURISM is on the up in Spain. Newly released da ta from the National Statistics Institute in Spain (INE) confirms that Spain received 7.8 million inter national tourists in September, which is 66.3 per cent more than in the same month of 2021.

The United Kingdom was the main country of residence with over 1.8 million tourists account ing for 23 per cent of the total and an increase of 128.4 per cent when compared to September last year.

Germany and France were the following coun tries with the most tourists visiting Spain. From Germany, Spain re ceived 1.1 million tourists (37.7 per cent more in the annual rate) and from France 932,255 tourists (35.3 per cent more in the annual rate).

Among the other coun tries of residence, the an nual growth was particu larly noteworthy in tourists coming from Unit ed States (140.5 per cent), Ireland (80.0 per cent) and Italy (70.4 per cent).

The Balearic Islands were the main tourist des tination in September, with 24.3 per cent of the total. It was followed by Catalonia (21.1 per cent) and Andalucia (14.3 per cent).

publishes more content both online at euroweeklynews.com

last

represented the recovery after the pan

demic. It brought together 276 participating compa

council should lower tax es.”

The councillor for Econo

PALMA BOAT SHOW: Strategic for the local economy.

Image: Palma International Boat Show

Sporty Calvia

CALVIA headed to London on Monday, November 7, to promote the destination at the World Travel Market (WTM), one of the most important tourism fairs in the world in the sector along with Fitur (Madrid) and the ITB (Berlin).

The emphasis for Calvia will be on sports, promot ing the city as a sports tourist destination.

The mayor of Calvia, Al fonso Rodriguez Badal, and the General Director of Tourism and Coastline, Xavier Pascuet, attended the fair where they held various meetings with spe cialised media, tour opera tors and tourist reserva tion platforms.

There was a meeting with the specialised maga zine Triathlon Magazine , to whom they explained

not only the international sporting events that take place in Calvia, such as the Challenge Peguera­Mallor ca, the Galatzo Trail or the Half Marathon Magaluf, but also the possibilities as a destination for conduct ing training camps.

Calvia will continue its fight against drunkenness tourism, which this year has resulted in 30 disci plinary proceedings in the Magaluf area and which

Winter in Mallorca

THOSE heading to the Mallorcan sunshine in winter will be pleased to hear that travel giant, Jet2, has announced they are increasing their flights by 25 per cent to the Balearic Island over the winter months.

The Mallorcan government has been promoting tourism for the winter months in the hope to boost the economy.

Mallorca has also become the latest European country to launch a programme designated to entice Digital Nomads, through which non­Spanish residents can live and work remote ly from Spain. The Startup Act has been passed by parliament, enables all non­EU citizens to apply for this special visa and be able to work in the country for more than five years.

Moreover, income tax will be reduced to 15 per cent for the first four years that digital nomads are based in Spain, provided that no more than a fifth of their income comes from organisa tions outside the country.

have had the involvement of all the administrations and the close collabora tion between the Calvia Local Police and the Guardia Civil.

THE most important gas tronomic event in Mallor ca, TaPalma 2022, will be held this year from November 23 to 27 in dif ferent areas of the city.

The event, which this year celebrates its 17th edition, is full of surprises and aims to position the city of Palma as the place­to­be of Spanish gastronomy.

The TaPalma contest will be held on November 21 at the Palma Congress Centre, where the best chefs and bartenders on the island will gather to gether.

On November 21, the third edition of the TaPal ma Forum for Profession als will also be held at the Congress Centre, with conferences and round tables where experts from the restaurant and

Recycling rewarded

THE recyclers of Llucmajor have done such a brilliant job that the town hall has lowered the Rubbish Collec tion fees for them by 45 per cent.

The councillor for Environment and Maintenance, Bernardi Vives, confirmed that: “The Llucmajor Town Council want the population to participate in the ben efits of recycling. We firmly believe that everyone needs the Administrations to be at their side at this time. It is also very important that citizens know that recycling is beneficial for the municipality, for the is land and for the planet. This should be rewarded in some way to those who are most concerned about im proving our environment and fight against climate change.”

The mayor of Llucmajor, Eric Jareno, added: “Now is the time to stand by the families of the town. It is a time when inflation and poor financial prospects en danger the economies of households. It is time to low er taxes and ease the burden of day to day living. It is the priority of the council to be with families and busi nesses in the municipality.”

Tasty tapas

Bums on seats

GREAT news for the Balearic Islands as the recovery of air traffic in Spain exceeded the Eu ropean average by sev en percentage points.

Spain’s air navigation manager ENAIRE have confirmed that they have recovered 94 per cent of flights in Septem ber compared to the record levels of 2019.

In the Palma Control Centre, the number of consecutive monthly in creases now stands at seven, with 40,256 flights managed in September which is 0.9 per cent more than in the same month in 2019.

The trend in air traffic puts the number of flights managed by ENAIRE throughout Spain at levels very close to those prior to the pan demic. ENAIRE managed over 191,000 flights (191,069) in September, which is just 6.1 per cent below the average for the entire network for the same month in 2019, which was a record year for traffic be fore the effects of Covid took hold in 2020.

hotel industry will discuss the present and future of the sector.

In addition, from November 23 to 26, sev eral music concerts will

also be held in different parts of the city on the occasion of this great gas tronomic event.

For more information, visit www.tapalma.com.

In September 2022, domestic traffic (37,918 flights) recovered 98.9 per cent compared to the same month in 2019 and international flights recovered to 90.2 per cent (110,706).

TRAVEL FAIR: Promoting Calvia as a sports destination.

Image: Calvia City Council

TAPALMA CONTEST: Where the best chefs will gather.

Big business

SOME great news for tech types looking for work in Mallorca as eDreams ODI GEO, a leading tech company in Spain, is setting up new in novation teams in Palma de Mallorca and Alicante.

The decision is part of the business’s plan to expand its global workforce by 50 per cent in the next three years to fuel its growth as a sub scription­based business

Carsten Bernhard, Chief

Technology Officer of eDreams ODIGEO, con firmed: “Our goal, as the largest online travel agency in Europe and the number one flight retailer in the world, is to continue growing and expanding hand in hand with the best technology tal ent.

“Europe has emerged in recent years as a clear desti nation for tech talent, and we already have outstanding

talent within our tech hubs in Barcelona, Madrid, Porto, Milan and Budapest. The new teams in Palma de Mal lorca and Alicante will be es sential in strengthening our growth as a subscriptionbased business whilst help ing us reinforce our leader ship and further increasing our market share. Our mis sion is to reinvent the world of travel through technology and innovation.”

CULTURE walks are perfect for those adventurous city lovers.

Palma is a city filled with hidden gems that you can only discover when some one introduces them to you. Sometimes we even walk past them, not know ing what’s inside. So ARCA (Association for the Revitali sation of Old Towns) a non profit organisation set out to discover some of these

Cultural walks

places along with a small group of friendly expats, willing to ‘venture’ into Pal ma’s historic district to dis cover its heart.

The meeting point is at Plaza La Lonja, in the old town of Palma, at the gate of the Gothic building.

This is recommended for those city lovers who want

to expand their knowledge about the city they live in and have chosen as ‘home’.

The next walk is being held on Sunday November 13, from 6.00pm until 8.00pm.

For more information send a WhatsApp message to: (+34) 692 316 190.

Community champions awards Sticky protest

COMMUNITY heroes are set to be recognised in a new ini tiative by Age in Spain to find the best neighbours in the country. The initiative was launched on November 5, with nominations staying open until December 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 nomina tions of neighbours that have gone out of their way to help you or someone else.

Announcing the quest for the nation’s best neighbours, the President of Age Spain,

John Rafferty explained, “A good neighbour needn’t live next door. It can be anyone who has gone out of their way to help you, to help

MIR creator dies

THE creator of the MIR training system for doc tors, 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 stu dent teaching techniques.

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

Alonso­Lej’s system was based on a path of in creasing responsibility and decreasing supervi sion.

The programme began in 1963 and in 1984 con solidated as the only legal route to specialisation in Spain.

someone else, or to create a lasting benefit in your com munity.”

The winner will be hon oured with a letter of recogni

tion from the British Ambas sador to Spain, Hugh Elliott and will be treated to a dinner for two to mark their special award.

Age in Spain is a communi ty support organisation work ing to help older, Englishspeaking people, irrespective of nationality.

To make a nomination visit the Age in Spain website: www.ageinspain.org/good neighbouraward, where a short form can be completed and submitted in just a few minutes. Those without easy access to the internet may get help by phoning +34 932 209 741 to make their nomina tion.

€64m haul

SPANISH police have seized their largest­ever marihuana haul worth over €64 million.

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

Through a complex busi ness network, the organisa tion sent “vacuum­packed marihuana throughout the national territory,” as well as to Switzerland, Holland, Ger many, and Belgium, among other European countries.

The Jardines operation concluded with the seizure of 32,370.2 kilograms of the

drug ­ not only the largest seizure of this substance in Spain, but also international ly.

Twenty people ­ nine men and 11 women between the ages of 20 and 59 ­ have been arrested as being part of the organisation, which had offices in Toledo, Ciudad Real, Valencia, and Asturias, and controlled the entire drug production and distri bution process.

Police said the gang dried the marihuana plants, pack aged them, and sent them to parts of Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium.

EXTINCTION REBELLION have struck again, this time protesting at the Prado museum in Madrid.

On November 5, two climate activists glued a hand to the frames of two paintings by Spanish master Francisco Goya, ‘The Naked Maja’ and ‘The Dressed Maja’. In a tweet, the Prado Museum said: “We condemn the protest that took place in the museum.

“The works have not been damaged but the frames have suffered slight blemishes. We are working to get back to normal as quickly as possi ble. We reject endangering cultural heritage as a means of protest.” They had also scribbled ‘+1.5°C’ on the wall between the two artworks in relation to the Paris Agreement target of capping warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre­indus trial levels. Both activists were detained after the incident on Saturday, police said.

Truckers strike

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

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

The ‘platform’ repre sents small transport businesses and self­em ployed drivers who were behind the strikes in March this year.

In response the Minis ter of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda,

Raquel Sánchez, told a national news outlet that the Ministry is preparing an inspection plan in the sector that will be an nounced in the “coming weeks.”

The last time Spanish lorry drivers announced a nationwide strike, some shortages were experi enced in parts of the country.

It did, however, result in a positive for all mo torists of the reduction in the cost of fuel.

This time the strike is to force the government to better police its own laws in protecting those in the industry.

Do you have a great neighbour who deserves national recognition? Age in Spain wants to reward them!

Photo credit: Shutterstock.com/DaisyDaisy

Alicante transformation

ALICANTE is undergoing a major facelift with more works ap proved.

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 section.

The works on Avenida Doctor Gadea are expected to take place over a period of eight months.

The works are part of a wider set of four ambitious projects comprising of pedestrian improvements and access to Avenidas General Marva, Doctor Gadea, Federico Soto, and the section of the Cruz de los Caidos.

Alongside this, the city council continues to carry out impor tant measures that respond to the challenge of the new urban development, promoted to change the city model by prioritis ing pedestrians and with the aim of reducing vehicle emis sions. Alicante City Council is currently 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 directed towards social and economic recovery.

BENIDORM mayor Toni Perez proposed a wage freeze for local politicians and their spe cial advisers. During a November 4 meeting with spokespeople for the parties represented on the council, Perez suggested all members of the corporation and their personnel should for go the 4 per cent, central government­ap proved rise.

The mayor announced the “outright rejec

Doing nicely

THE Oceanographic Founda tion based in Valencia City released 18 ribbed newts in a Benissa pond on Novem ber 2.

These newts, native to the Iberian Peninsula and Mo rocco, are listed as vulnera ble in the region’s catalogue of threatened species and have begun to disappear from some areas.

Bred at the Oceanographic Aquarium, the newts were released by pupils from the Josep Iborra high school into a pond which had been dug

out

No increase

tion” of the increase by the local government team, all of whom belong to the Partido Popu lar.

“We hope this will be seconded by all of the

corporation’s political parties,” Perez added. Town hall politicians and their advisers had re nounced the central government’s salary in creases in both 2021 and 2022, and 2023

The Oceanographic Foun dation experts carry out peri odic controls to assess the evolution and health of the newts in different parts of the Valencian Community and this year were able to compare their 2022 findings with last year’s. As each newt is microchipped in or der to identify them and check their movements, the biologists discovered that they had reproduced over the past 12 months, under lining the success and impor tance of the programme.

would be the third consecutive year their pay would be frozen, he said. “With runaway infla tion and energy prices at an all­time high, many families and businesses are going through a very difficult time.”

Perez stressed that although politicians and advisers might reject the pay rise, the recom mended wage freeze did not apply to munici pal employees.

by Benissa’s Anti­fire As sociation (ABAI). Also pre sent were representatives

from the El Palmar Fish Hatchery Investigation Cen tre.

RIBBED NEWTS: Successful breeding programme.

Image: shutterstock.com/Sergio Gutierrez Getino

Diners shock

DINERS in a restaurant in the Poblenou district of Barcelona suffered a fright on, Sunday, November 6, when a man entered the premises, picked up a knife, and struck himself with it. Two employees of the restaurant tried to disarm him in an attempt to pre vent the man injuring him self further. As explained to

a local news outlet by eye witnesses, the man was tall and well built and is a local resident.

On this occasion, the man reportedly entered decisively and quickly, grabbed a knife and begun to attack himself. The own er of the restaurant and a waiter jumped on him, and, after a few moments of struggle, they managed to snatch the knife out of his hand.

Emergency services were quickly on the scene and they transferred the wounded man to a hospi tal.

They also helped patrons who required assistance due to the shock and stress caused by the event they witnessed first­hand.

Supporting cancer

A GENEROUS company has made a great dona tion to a cancer charity.

The Aragonese compa ny Apartamentos 3000, a leader in holiday rentals, has donated a percentage of the reservations made by its 97,105 customers during the summer of 2022.

Thanks to this dona tion, the Association of Parents of Children with Cancer of Aragon (AS PANOA) will further strengthen its care work

for children hospitalised with cancer in Aragon, of fering 650 meals and 2,009 sessions of psycho logical care focused on family members.

ASPANOA will strength en its psychological sup port service for families of children with cancer who, through various profes sionals, care for children and families in the differ ent phases of the disease: diagnosis, treatment, post­treatment, return to normality or, in the worst

case, grief.

Agustin Jimenez Jardiel, an assistant to the Man agement of Apartamen tos 3000 confirmed: “We want to thank this effort in solidarity with the 97,105 clients who have booked their holidays this summer with us, to the workers of the Aparta mentos 3000 group for their effort in carrying out this campaign, and to all the tenants of our build ings for their collabora tion.”

Alarming diabetes increase

Betty Henderson

THERE  is concern in Spain as the country recorded the second highest inci dence of diabetes on the continent. The findings of a report announced on Thursday November 3

showed almost 15 per cent of the country’s pop ulation between 20 and 79 suffers from the condition.

The report commis sioned by the IDF Diabetes Atlas showed that rates of diabetes in Spain exceed the European average of 9.2 per cent as well as rates in South America and South East Asia, where rates are 9.5 per cent and 8.7 per cent re spectively.

The report states that around five million people in Spain have diabetes, and shockingly up to 1.5 million people are said to

be living with the condi tion without a diagnosis.

Within Europe, rates of diabetes are only higher in Turkey which recorded a similarly high statistic with 15.9 per cent of the popu lation between 20 and 79 living with diabetes. Spain also stands out against neighbouring countries France and Italy with a much higher rate of dia betes.

Health authorities react ed with concern, encour aging anyone with con cerns about diabetes in Spain to visit a medical professional.

Chemical plant fire

RESIDENTS living in the Constanti district of Tarrag ona were instructed by the authorities to stay indoors for several hours and close all windows and ventilation systems on Monday, November 7. The reason for the alarm was a fire at a nearby chemical plant on the Constanti industrial es tate.

The incident occurred at around 2.15pm at the AFEPASA sulphur and fer tiliser plant. According to the Catalan Traffic Service, traffic was disrupted on the TP­7225 road, between the link with the C­14 and the C­422, and also on the TV7211, between Constanti and Reus.

Twenty­seven crews from the Generalitat Fire Department were deployed to the scene, along with a specialised unit to control the levels of sulphur dioxide. Just as the fire had reached the stage of being stabilised, the wind changed, resulting in the municipality of Reus being affected.

By 8pm the fire was de clared stabilised and the au thorities almost completely lifted the confinement. The fire crews then faced the task of ventilating the ware house that had been affect ed by the fire, as reported by a national news outlet.

PATRONS: At the restaurant were shocked by the event.

Credit: Google maps - Antonio Poblador

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 Cathal Rochford, 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.

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 offers any descendant of Spanish immigrants before 1985 a route to citizenship. Spain changed its nationality

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rural relief

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

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

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

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

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

Spain’s rich list Passing rocket

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

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

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

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

space rocket that was falling back to earth.

Although the earth’s atmosphere will burn up most of the 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 pre caution was the sensi ble thing to do, with less than an hour’s dis ruption.

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

Photo

Wild Weekend Feeling festive?

THE Wild Weekend 2023 is back to the beautiful island of Mallorca from April 14 until April 16, 2023.

Expect a creepy kooky fuzzed­out fiesta with three days of monstrous mayhem. The Wild Weekend will consist of retro fuzz crazy costume parties and vinyl throw backs. Get set to twist, stomp and scream the night away.

The original 60s Trash European week ender is the brainchild of The LuWoW cre ator’s Josh ‘Sinbad’ Collins and Babzotica. They bring a wealth of entertainment expe rience and an insane level of production de

MALLORCA’S Classic Car Club are very happy that one of their favourite rallies is back. Car Club fans will re member past rallies with the Crows, the last one being in 2018.

The Crows will fly again as Gordon Cox and Chris Blunt have organised a rally for Sun day November 20.

The meeting point and fin ishing point will be at the Las Rias Baixas restaurant, close to Festival Park. The meeting

tail to this crazy event.

As one of the first and clearly the most over­the­top event of its kind, this insane weekender has blazed a trail for other trash festivals across the world.

The Wild Weekend started in London in 1998, then moved to Spain (via Las Vegas Grind) and then onto Mallorca in 2019. In 2021 it was held for the first time in Aus tralia. Don’t miss the next one, back in Mal lorca next year in 2023.

Only a limited number of tickets are sold so book early at www.thezombiezoo.com to avoid disappointment.

Classic Car Club

starts at 10.30am and drinks are available to purchase from the restaurant. Depar ture is planned for 11.00am.

You will be given instruc tions of the route and ques tions to answer along the way if you would like to take part in the quiz.

The drive will be along a mountain and flatlands circu lar route exploring a central

part of Mallorca.

Lunch will be at the same restaurant at 1.30pm where an enjoyable three­course meal will be served.

The cost is €40 per person for members and for nonmembers an additional €10 per car will be charged to cov er the administration cost.

For info or to register email: info@ccc­mallorca.com.

GET in the early Christmas spirit and help Cala Nova Can cer Charity by going to visit Santa Claus who is heading to San Agustin on Saturday, November 12, from 11.00am until 4.00pm.

Nova del Mar and Cala No va Charity Cancer have teamed up to bring you a Christmas Market in a bid to get you into the Christmas spirit nice and early.

There will be various stalls with toys, gifts, Christmas

decorations and so much more.

Why not head along, meet Santa and get started on your Christmas shopping?

Food and drinks will be available.

All donations to the charity will be most welcome

To book a table to sell your Christmas products please contact Angela on (+34) 609 848 622.

The Calanova Cancer Care Charity Shop is on the main

Joan Miro in San Agustin opposite the Calano va Sailing School.

There is easy parking right outside the shop and it is open from 10.00am until 6.00pm during the week and 10.00am until 2.00pm on Sat urdays.

They accept donations of unwanted clothes, bric­a­brac and furniture in good condi tion, sell them in the shop and give the money to the cancer charities on the island.

Avenida

SANTA CLAUS: Will be visiting San Agustin shortly.

Image: Yuganov Konstantin/Shutterstock.com

Take time out at No Stress Wine & Prosecco

- A stunning restaurant on the beach

ACROSS from the stunning beach of Palmanova lies

No Stress Wine & Prosecco bar, serving you creative dishes combining the best of Italian and Mediterranean cui sine in a beautiful setting.

Born in Naples, Francesco learnt English in the UK, always working in the food and drinks industry. After moving to Spain at the age of 27 to perfect his Spanish speak ing skills, he went to the airport with the idea of jetting off to the Canary Islands, but a flight to Mallorca caught his eye.

After reading in a book that the beauti ful island he now calls home had just 350,000 inhabitants, stunning scenery, cui sine and good weather all­year­round, he decided to take the flight!

Always working in establishments relat ing to the world of hospitality, including

being a waiter and bartender, the oppor tunity arose for him to take over a beach bar in Cala Viñas ­ and Francesco didn’t give it a second thought. Since 2009, Francesco’s wife has been running the suc cessful summer­season bar Chiringuito Cala Viñas, offering customers a chance to disconnect from their busy lives. Enjoy great music, cooling cocktails, snacks such as wraps, nachos and woks, all in a relaxed atmosphere on the beach.

Five years ago, Francesco took the op

Get running

TO mark the end of the year, Palma is celebrating the San Silvestre race inside the Bellver Castle with two dis tances to choose from, five kilometres and 10 kilome tres.

The price to register for the event is €12. There is a maximum of 1,000 participants and the first 500 regis trants will receive a commemorative gift. Registration closes when all the spaces have been filled or at 23.59 on Wednesday November 23, whichever comes first. The timetable is an 11.00am start. Trophies will be handed out at 12.30pm and the Closing Ceremony will start at 1.00pm.

Early bib collection is from the Tribe shop in the Poligono de Son Rossinyoh on either December 23 be tween 4.00pm and 8.00pm or on December 24 between 10.00am and 2.00pm. Bibs can also be collected on the same day of the race in the event area from 8.30am to 10.30am.

For more information contact: info@sportmaniacs baleares.com.

portunity to take over a restaurant in front of the beach on Paseo de Palmanova ­ and No Stress Wine & Prosecco began ­ a restaurant combining the best of Mediter ranean and Italian cuisine.

With an excellent rating of 4.7 on Tri pAdvisor and in a beautiful location with outdoor dining, it’s no surprise that this restaurant is extremely popular with locals and visitors! With 12 professional, friendly and attentive staff, this close­knit team provides customers with authentic Italian

pizzas with toppings made of the best in gredients, pasta dishes such as tagliatelle with salmon, and vegetarian options like spinach and ricotta ravioli.

Their star dish on the menu is their pac cheri a la Genovese, made of slow­cooked tender beef and fresh pasta topped with parmesan.

And, of course, we can’t forget their tapas for sharing, meat dishes including juicy steak, fish dishes like octopus with potato cream, fresh salads and typical burgers.

No Stress Wine & Prosecco also offers a wide variety of drinks, including cocktails, with the best cocktail maker in the world even holding an event at the restaurant!

With something for everyone, in one of the most beautiful areas of Mallorca, visit No Stress Wine & Prosecco and experience their wonderful food and customer ser vice.

A 59-YEAR-OLD Brit has been cured after 411 days of living with Covid­19 in what is thought to be the longest case of someone being cured of the virus.

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

Trump’s Covid cure

Hospitals.

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

Brexit shift

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

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

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

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

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

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

Once they had identified the strain, they used the

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

Gifted learner

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

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

Jamie can count in En glish, Spanish, German,

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

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

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

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

Both are said to have caught the virus but were never re­infected, a situa tion different to those with long Covid­19 where the symptoms continue but the virus is no longer present.

Bye bye bounty

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

Mars Wrigley said that the most controversial choco late, the coconut, chocolate covered, Bounty, will be axed from its festive tubs, after finding 39 per cent of con sumers want it to be banished for good. To make up for the missing Bounty bars, the limited edition tubs will in clude a bigger selection of Mars, Snickers, Milky Way, Galaxy, and Maltesers. The research also found that 22 per cent liked Bounty the least of all the tub’s options, while some 28 per cent were of the opinion that coconut had no place in a chocolate bar at all. A whopping 58 per cent believed just finding Bounty bars in the tub would lead to a family argument.

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

A miraculous cure for Covid.

Credit: Alina Troeva/Shutterstock.com.

Get your shopping discounts in Calvia!!

ENJOY everything you are looking for in Calvia, with the added bonus of discount vouchers in your favourite establishments!

People over 16 years of age can easily apply for dis counts at establishments such as restaurants, hair dressers, beauty salons and much more through the win ter months ­ even do your Christmas shopping and re ceive discounts!

The campaign aims to sup port small local businesses in Calvia and is a fantastic eco nomic effort from the town halls.

Sound good? Here is all you need to know about this amazing campaign!

• How does it work and where do I get the vouchers?

Every resident in Calvia can purchase four ‘bonos’ each from the town hall website at a cost of €10, with a value of €20. Check the web page com ercio.calvia.com and keep an eye on the Euro Weekly News for the launch date in the first couple of weeks in November.

• How do I get my vouch ers?

To get the vouchers, regis ter in the Calvia marketplace website comercio.calvia. com, buy the voucher for €10 and exchange it for a value of €20 in shops that accept vouchers.

To apply, you will need to be a resident of Calvia munic ipality and input your ID into the website.

• Where can I use my vouchers?

Many types of establish ments will be involved in the

campaign, including veteri nary clinics, health and beau ty shops, cafes, book shops, restaurants, opticians, retail shops, bars and more.

You can find out which shops are taking part by checking on the Calvia mar ketplace website, here in the Euro Weekly News, and es tablishments will also display a fuchsia ‘C’ sticker on their door.

• How do I redeem my vouchers?

To make things easier, no physical vouchers will be is sued, so you will not need to download or print anything. The voucher will be a QR code that will be shown at participating establishments.

For example, if you get a pedicure costing €20 you will give the business one vouch er, and you will have just paid €10!!!

If you go out for a meal at a participating restaurant and it costs €25, pay with a voucher plus €5, which means the meal has only cost you €15!!

If your neighbour or friend is a resident of Calvia and doesn’t use their vouchers, simply apply with their ID and use them yourself to en

joy the discount!!

These vouchers are limited so make sure you keep checking on the Calvia mar ketplace website to see how many are still available. The vouchers will usually be avail able until January ­ February next year.

Head to the website com ercio.calvia.com, and click on the image to choose your language. We will also be printing some of the busi nesses involved each week in the paper!

ADVENTURE PARK: Just one of the many experiences you can enjoy in Calvia.

Calvia Mallorca

CALVIA is one of the most popular destinations in Mallorca for tourists and expatriates to want to either move to or visit for holidays due to its warm climate, stunning white sand beaches, sparkling crystal­clear sea, historical value, and abundance of amenities.

The region is said to be the richest municipality in Spain due to the dis covery of nearby beaches and devel opments with Magaluf and Palma No va. Calvia is rich in its environment, beauty, and grace. It is an exceptional place to live or visit.

What can you do in Calvia?

Relax

There are various beaches to visit throughout Calvia with more than 10 beaches having been awarded and flying the blue flag for quality from the Foundation for Environmental Ed ucation. The beach is the perfect place to go to relax and enjoy the sun, sand, and sea while you are visiting. Go for a walk around the town and experience Calvia in its traditional way. With many of the buildings dat ing back to the 17th century, the homes are a delightful ochre colour and are well­known to the area. The Cruz del Descubrimiento is a beautiful monument to visit with top­class

views of the coast surrounding you.

Spend time at the port, with the luxurious yachts and boats coming in and out of the harbour, take the day to people watch, shop, and visit some of the best restaurants that are exclu sive to only that area.

Are you adventurous?

The adventures in Calvia are end less with the perfect spot for hiking on the CR1 Peguera­Cap Andritxol Trail. With the trail for all abilities, take the afternoon and enjoy what Calvia’s mountains and coasts have to offer.

With ideal spots along the coast for snorkelling, enjoy the wildlife and seas, see if you can spot some of the well­known parquets or chickens that love to free roam or some of the fish from Finding Nemo while snorkelling and discovering the bays.

Historical value is rich in Calvia and because of this, you can go and ex plore the ruins of Tumulo de Son Fer rer. Just a 15­minute drive from the centre of Calvia you can experience what was once a pyramidal plant used as a burial chamber. Dated to the Late Bronze Age. A perfect piece of history to visit while you’re away.

Another top spot to visit to get your heart rate going is Jungle Parc Mallor

ca. A tree­top adventure park with zip lines and climbs for an unforgettable and once­in­a­lifetime experience in Calvia. A perfect date or family day time activity to keep everyone in ‘high’ spirits.

What is there to do in the evening? With various delicious restaurants and exciting clubs, there is no short age on what to do in the evenings.

One club to visit while you are in Calvia is Nikki Beach, this trendsetter club has incredible food, glorious views, the most comfortable cabana beds and day beds to enjoy through out your stay. While also coming alive with music and much more when the sun sets on the horizon.

The best restaurants to visit all de pend on your taste and what you are hungry for.

If tapas, seafood or a real homecooked meal is on your mind there are various restaurants to choose from while staying in Calvia. Typical food are Mediterranean dishes in cluding steaks, seafood, pasta and more.

Many bars also serve creative cock tails and tasty small plates, with nights of live music as the sun is set ting on the terrace. This is a must­do while in Calvia.

TASTY TAPAS: Try out with a lovely cocktail on the beach.

Frederiksen fights on

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

After being forced to call an election over a controversial bio­security policy during the Covid­19 pandemic, PM, Mette Frederiksen’s gamble paid off, with the party even gaining two seats unex

pectedly.

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

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

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

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.

Paintball protection

DRASTIC measures including paint ball 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 coun try.

One video widely circulated on so cial media showed a wolf passing a visibly panicked young family at close proximity in Hoge Veluwe Na tional Park.

A representative for the local gov ernment announced that it had au thorised the use of paintballs by park wardens to keep wolves more than 30 metres from humans. They ex

plained that paintballs were chosen since they allowed authorities to see which wolves had already been tar geted.

Around 20 adult wolves are be lieved to be living in the Nether lands, but have previously been wild, avoiding contact with humans. One pack resides in the Veluwe, another three pairs and 11 lone animals were reported to live in the country ac cording to a June report.

However, the birth of at least 16 cubs this summer and news of more than 372 sightings this year have prompted authorities to act over fears that the wolves could become aggressive.

Betty Henderson

Mette Frederiksen’s party had its best election result.

Photo credit: 360B / shutterstock.com

Ant and Dec are back in the bush.

Image: Itv.com

Comedy is Tragedy plus Time

INTERVIEW with awardwinning comedian Nik Coppin who when ques tioned admitted that the awards were for swim ming and taking part in a football match against a lady’s team.

From his early days of working for Transport for London, Nik had always fancied being a comedian and took the plunge into stand­up in 1998 and he has been making people laugh on a full­time basis since 2004.

Like many talented en tertainers, he is also a writer and artist specialis ing in caricatures and spent part of lockdown enlarging his portfolio.

Comedy is his first love and it has taken him all over the world with per formances in much of Eu rope, parts of Asia, the Middle East, New Zealand and Australia, where he

takes part in three festi vals every year.

Speaking about his travels, Nik said “I enjoy Australia and find that my style of banter works well with audiences there, al though I did have a run­in with a radio presenter who accused me for being a racist when I told him I supported an Australian Rules Football Club which used to be politically in correct, but now has more aboriginal players than any other team.

“I found it amusing as I couldn’t be less of a racist as my mother is English and my father comes from Barbados, but when he called me a racist in writing and advised peo ple not to go to my show in a local newspaper, part of the Murdoch empire, a lawyer friend advised me to sue which I did and won!

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

For some years now, Nik has been organising regular comedy stand­up events in the Costa del

Sol and it all came about because he stayed with a friend and met an aspir ing comedian who insist ed there was a demand for English language com edy.

Sure enough, there is

and he now organises three or four sessions each year bringing over various comedians from the UK and other parts of Europe, including his close friend the German comedian Henning Wehn.

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

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

Chatting about some of his other projects, it tran spires that he will be ap pearing in the UK at the Gaiety Bar, Southsea on November 27 at the invi

tation of comedian Jim Davidson who is filming a new version of the old TV show The Comedians, with some of the originals like Mick Miller, Roy Walker and Bobby Davro together with some ‘youngsters’ like Nik.

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

If you can’t get to see the latest shows which are described as most suitable for those aged 18+ (although they are certainly not too blue or offensive) then check out Nik’s latest book ‘Comedy World’ written during lockdown and with a foreword from Henning Wehn.

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

Credit: Nik Coppin

PRESSEUROPEAN

DENMARK

Salt away

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

THE NETHERLANDS

Train wars

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

BELGIUM

Ferry good news

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

GERMANY

Dodgy donut

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

FRANCE

Chinese police

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

NORWAY

Greedy MPs

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

FINLAND

Bright idea

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

IRELAND

Gate to Hell

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

ITALY

Ponte Vecchio

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

PORTUGAL

TAP attraction

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

UKRAINE

Diverted shells

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

SWEDEN

Spelling error

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

Cutting down FINANCE

BUSINESS EXTRA

Spanish pensions

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

Money talks

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

Porn fine

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.

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.

Viajes Week Tours: All the travel excursions you can imagine!

SINCE 1989, Viajes Week Tours has been providing the most excit ing experiences, trips, cruises, ho tels and rentals that you can imag ine ­ all year round! Perfectly located in Santa Ponsa, Calvia, Vi ajes Week Tours will take you and your group on incredible boat trips around the crystal clear coves, to awe­inspiring entertain ment shows, adrenaline­fuelled theme parks and a huge range of other experiences.

If you and your group are interested in history, Viajes Week Tours will take you on guided routes through beautiful charming towns where you can discov er legends and tales, through the spec tacular Cueves del Drach and Drach and Hams Caves, the salt marshes and southern cliffs or to discover the hid den marvels of Serra de Tramuntana.

For lovers of the turquoise seas that Mallorca is famous for, take a once in a lifetime trip dolphin watching, a paradise cruise with lunch included,

do in the evening, get on board La His paniola and enjoy a magical jour ney in a time when pirates ruled the seven seas ­ an entertaining night of excitement for the whole family to enjoy!

Whatever you prefer to do on your holidays, whether it be explor ing the culture of Mallorca, discov ering the deep blue seas and marine life, having fun around water parks, wandering around markets such as Alcudia or Formentor ­ Viajes Week Tours has the perfect experiences for you and your friends or family!

As experts in providing groups and hotels with experiences that are pro fessionally planned and carried out, booking your trip has never been easi er with Viajes’ new QR code scanner or instant ticketing service on their web site.

Get in touch with Viajes Week Tours via phone, email, social media or their website to find out their exclusive spe cial offers for groups and hotels.

MYTHS, LEGENDS AND RUMOURS

NORAJOHNSON BREAKINGVIEWS

I RECENTLY came across a story of vaguely green­coloured garments and human remains found in Nottingham Forest. The newspaper article shrewdly identified the remains as ‘believed to be those of Robin Hood’. Presum ably because everyone who’s seen the movie knows Robin Hood wore green. Frequented Not tingham Forest. And is dead.

And the photograph? A bleached white skeleton bearing a remarkable likeness to those in any biology class dressed re splendently in Lincoln green with all teeth in tact. This incredible find by a ‘Nobel­winning sci entist’ was originally pub lished in one of the UK’s tabloids.

myth simply doesn’t stand up to closer examination?

‘Ne’er cast a clout till May be out’. Or: don’t break out the UK barbie until May’s over. Really? Apart from the past exceptional year, it’s more like July/Au gust before it’s warm enough to moth ball those winter woollies.

Basically, these ‘myths’ are just metaphors, never meant to be taken lit erally. Straight out of the ‘I saw you coming’ school of coffee table books…

Give me crime fiction any day ­ seeing the good guys win, loose ends tied up and final justice (as happens, fans assure me, in all my 11 thrillers).

Nora’s latest thriller.

Which made me wonder which other

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

at Palma Aquarium, or a snorkelling trip in the incredible Malgrats Marine

Reserve. Lovers of sport and activi ties can experience a trip to Fantasy Golf Palmanova, paddle boarding or kayaking around Palma Bay, or how about a fun­filled day at Western Water Park? For something to

NoraJohnson’sopinionsareherownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

Noraistheauthorofpopularpsychological suspenseandcrimethrillersandafreelancejournalist.

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.

OUR VIEW

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.

FOLLOWING the hugely suc cessful inaugural National Camping Conference held in Malaga last year, the event re turns this month, from November 15­17. The event has become one of the most important weekends on the calendar for the up­and­com ing camping aspect of the tourism industry.

This year’s edition is set to be hosted by Asturias city, Gi jon and will see businesspeo ple from across the industry discuss all manner of camping experiences in the country.

This year’s conference will have a sustainable focus, con sidering eco­tourism and cy cling­tourism options to cater towards a changing market with an increasingly environ

Camping showcased

discuss the future of camping in Spain in fascinating talks, discussions, workshops and exhibitions.

Winter hot spots

mentally­oriented audience. Conference hosts will also discuss economic strategy for camping experience hosts in cluding how to save on energy

A FASCINATING report has revealed the camping trends experts expect to be biggest in Spain in 2023. A leading camping website commissioned a re port to discover the latest styles in the industry, and there were some surprising additions…

Back to basics

Survival skills, foraging and wild cooking are just some of the experi ences campers seek. The pandemic and natural disasters like wildfires are encouraging people to leave

bills and campsite costs as well as attracting tourists who want cheaper holidays that traditional resorts experience. Industry experts will also

An exhibition space at the conference will serve as the perfect window into the in dustry for anyone who works in the industry, anyone who goes camping regularly or that would like to try their first camping experience. Industry experts will be on hand to showcase the most exciting camping activities available in the country, as well as tourist attractions and tantalising treats from diverse cuisines.

The latest trends

creature comforts behind.

Retro glamour

Nostalgic getaways including with retro caravans were a top pick, as people try to escape reality, off­grid.

Culture shock

More than 56 per cent of Spaniards want to leave their comfort zone, experiencing a dif

ferent culture.

Virtual camping

Thirty­two per cent of Spaniards said they would consider a virtual break, with an online experience.

Wellness retreats

Mental health is a focus for many, searching for the balance between ‘mind, body and soul’

As one end­of­season report found that more than 64 per cent of people in Spain planned to take another trip before the end of the year, camping remains a top choice due to sustained warm temperatures, long in to autumn. Here we take a look at some top destina tions for a camping trip in Andalucia before tempera tures drop.

El

Palmar

The town in Cadiz Province is a top choice with surfers and beach lovers, with warm temperatures lasting this year past the All

while camping.

Pleasure and Business

Unlike before when people took advantage of business trips to take a break, now travellers want to take advantage of business opportuni ties even while on camping holi days.

Budget breaks

As the cost of living crisis bites, many still want to travel but will now opt to do so on a tighter bud get.

Saints’ bank holiday, and ex pected to continue. The town is perfect for family and friend camping trips, with plenty of accommoda tion choices available and beaches within walking dis tance. Don’t miss out!

Orgiva

Orgiva in Granada is the perfect autumn camping lo cation, with beautiful forests offering colourful orange and red seasonal hues. As well as being surrounded by stunning scenery, campers can take delightful walks in the Sierra Nevada National Park and take in gorgeous views.

Olvera

Also located in Cadiz Province, a distinctive An dalucian style is present ev erywhere in this town. Campers can soak up culture this autumn in the town with its whitewashed houses steeped into the hillside, rolling hills covered with olive groves, narrow winding streets, iconic church towers and stunning castle.

EXCITING: The National Camping Conference in Gijon will exhibit the best experiences in the industry.

Photo credit: JGA / shutterstock.com

DAVID WORBOYS THINKING ALOUD

“GREATER love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” It is not clear to me whether it means to die for them or to devote one’s life to them. And does it include strangers and family, or sim ply friends? And did Jesus go further and lay down his life (die) for his enemies? Or did he perceive those torturing and humiliating him as friends? Either way, this is all about sacrifice and charity. The virtues of charity and sacrifice are closely related.

Most of us will be touched by the ap palling loss and suffering caused by humans and by nature that are constantly besetting the world today. Through the media we saw the floods in Pakistan and, for various reasons, we wanted to help. So we might donate €50 which can provide a food pack for one family.

What are the sacrifices? We have taken the trouble to think of the victims and to ar range the transfer of money to help them. Does the gift make any financial difference to us? Does it affect our aspirations? Per haps no, but it shows that we care about the plight of others.

On the other hand we could donate

DEGREES OF CHARITY

comed them into their homes. For the ben efit of complete strangers of an alien cul ture, they surrendered many comforts, con veniences and their privacy. The same is happening in England and elsewhere for refugees from Ukraine. This is an astonish ing expression of charity.

Which brings us to Mother Teresa. Hav ing left her native Albania, never to see her family again, she became a missionary, learned English and went to India where she took her vows and learned Bengali in Calcutta. There, in the 1940s, she sensed a calling to serve the poor of India, prompted by suffering caused by famine followed by religious conflict in the city.

€5,000 and consequently have to cancel a planned holiday or delay the purchase of a new car. Even that would not significantly affect our way of life, but it would make a lot of difference to flood victims or those suffering from the drought in Somalia.

A €50,000 gift that we cannot afford could mean we could forget the new car altogether or even have to move home. But imagine what €50,000 could do for an

entire village.

There are also those who sacrifice more than money. They go out to deprived com munities or poor countries and give their time to organising relief and distribution, setting up projects for the benefit of people they have never met.

As hundreds of thousands of immigrants crossed into Europe, many families in France, Germany and other countries wel

At great risk to her health, from leprosy, tuberculosis and AIDS, she dwelt among the poor and the sick, comforting the suffering and the dying for the rest of her days.

She lay down her life for her ‘friends’.

SALLY UNDERWOOD POLITICAL ANIMAL

AS the fallout of Sir Gavin Williamson MP’s expletive­laden messages to exchief whip

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

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

Rightly, politicians face more scruti ny ­ at least from the press ­ than head honchos in many other sectors. It’s difficult to imagine the boss of, say, Waitrose being doorstepped by paparazzi in similar circumstances. But where’s the line between holding public figures to account and turning the whole process into a trial by me dia?

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

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

Bully boy?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Charity can range from a fiver for a homeless person to devoting your life to the hopeless.

Photo credits: The Tablet and terrycralle.com

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Wendy Morton

Feeding frenzy

Betty Henderson

ONE of the biggest joys of having a dog is spending time together. But it is likely that you don’t want to do every single thing with them.

One of those things is eating, and sometimes it can be tricky to stop your dog from wanting to eat with you.

Here we share three top tips on how to stop your dog begging for your dinner.

• Remember your rea sons

Homecooked food isn’t always meant for dogs and can actually be bad

for them. Dogs that al ways eat from their own er’s dinner plates can end up suffering from health issues such as being over

Pet accessories

NEWS that designer brand Hermès is launching a line of pet accessories, joining other brands that cater to pets in cluding Prada and Versace reignited a debate about what accessories your pet really needs. Here we consulted some expert advice to find out what you need to consider when buying pet accessories.

Firstly, experts say you should consider your pet breed and personality when deciding 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 kitten. Similarly, with grooming accessories, you should choose combs, sham poos and nail clippers that are appropriate for your pet breed to help them look their best.

Consider the purpose. While a dog coat might look adorable, it isn’t always appro priate for the weather. Think about how much use you will

get out of accessories before buying them.

Evaluate the cost. Pet ex pert, 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 of ten. The more expensive the accessory, generally the higher the quality, but it is not always worth it, if you won’t use it.

weight and high blood pressure.

• Separate mealtimes

The best way to avoid feeling bad for your four­

legged friend and feeding them at the dinner table is ensuring that your mealtimes are separate. Feed your dog before you have your own dinner and avoid a hungry dog eyeing up your plate.

• Hold your ground

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

New rules

A PROPOSED law change in Spain aims to improve animal welfare and safety for pet owners. But what does the law actually mean for current and prospective pet owners? We investigated what the changes will mean.

Currently, Spain has a list of banned species, that people cannot have as domestic pets. The Catalogue of Invasive Species contains animals such as the Vietnamese pig and lovebirds which are prohibited as pets due to the risk to Spain’s natural flora and fauna or their risk of extinction.

The law change is set to instead create a ‘posi tive’ list of permitted species. Though the list has not been released, it is likely to be formed of four ‘blocks’; mammals, reptiles, birds and fish.

Owners of pets that become banned under the new law will be permitted to keep their pet, al though it must be registered and neutered.

Similar to lists developed in Luxembourg and Belgium, it is likely that the list of permitted pets will take years to draw up, particularly as lawmakers are facing controversy over how the ‘scien tific’ decisions will be made on which pets are per mitted.

However, there will certainly be plenty of ad vance notice for those thinking of getting a new pet.

It can be hard to resist the puppy dog eyes, but human food can actually be harmful for dogs

Photo credit: Yurii Onyshchenko / shutterstock.com

The world of pet accessories can be tricky to navigate if you don’t know what you are looking for.

Photo credit: New Africa / shutterstock.com

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ROAD TEST

byMarkSlack

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

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

This pocket rocket will reach 62 mph in 6.2 sec

Hyundai i20N - a supermini sporting benchmark

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

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

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

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

Facts at a Glance

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

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

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

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

Model: Hyundai i20N

Engine: 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol

Gears: 6-Speed manual

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

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

Emissions: 158 g/km (WLTP)

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

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

Barca legend retiring

BARCELONA and Spain legend Gerard Pique announced in an emotional video on his official Twitter profile on Thursday, November 3, that he is retir ing from football after 14 years at Camp Nou. He revealed that the LaLiga match on Saturday November 5 was his last.

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

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

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

By Football.ua, CC BY-

Saturday was my last game in the Camp Nou,” said Pique in his video.

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

Sacked after 5 games

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

“I have always said that after Barcelona there wouldn’t be another team and that’s the way it will be. This

He joined Barca in 2008 after a spell in England with Manchester United. Pique was an integral part of the allconquering Spanish international team that won the 2010 World Cup, followed by the 2012 European Championships. Between both club and country, Pique has collected a staggering 37 trophies.

Spanish moto2 champion

The Mallorcan is the 24th Spanish world champion.

Fernandez was leading by 9.5 points and had enough points to claim the title with a third­place finish, even if

his Japanese rival won. However, he did not need to cross the finish line to be come champion, as on the eighth lap Ai Ogura crashed out. Fernandez finished sec

ond behind teammate Pe dro Acosta.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Credit: Wikipedia

Spanish football legend Gerard Pique with the 2012 Euros Trophy.

LaLiga side sack manager after just five games in charge.

Image: rarrarorro/Shutterstock.com