Mallorca 22 - 28 December 2022 Issue 1955

SUPERYACHT agency Estela Shipping is joining forces with the local charity Yachting Gives Back which provides support and equipment to food banks, soup kitchens and homeless shelters.

If you are still looking for last­minute Christmas gifts, a ticket to the English Movie Night Charity Event is the perfect stocking filler, tickets are selling fast so book soon to avoid disappointment.

Estela Shipping, is hosting a special charity screening of the film ‘Triangle of Sadness’, on February 20 in Palma.

The winner of the coveted Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival will finally open in Spanish cinemas this February. Nominated for two Golden Globes, ‘Triangle of Sadness’ is a satirical black comedy about the world of yachting and the up­

between the super­rich and the crew.

Written and directed by acclaimed Swedish director and Mallorca homeowner, Ruben Östlund, the film stars Woody Harrelson as the captain of a $50 million yacht, playing host to passengers including oligarchs, influencers and arms dealers.

The movie was filmed on board the classic superyacht, ‘Christina O’, named by the Greek shipping magnate, Aristotle Onassis, after his daughter. The former Canadian frigate was launched in 1943 and played a part in the Normandy landings.

After the war, Onassis acquired the surplus vessel and converted it into a 99­metre superyacht.

ANIMAL lovers throughout Mallorca will be pleased to see that Palma City Council has unveiled a new campaign for animal welfare.

The councillor for the Environment and Animal Welfare, Ramon Perpinya, is encouraging citizens to participate in pet adoptions and to prevent them from becoming objects of compulsive consumption and gifts, with the slogan ‘Adopt With Responsibility, Animals Are Not Toys’.

The campaign is being publicised throughout the city and will be posted on social networks and the municipal website.

Ramon Perpinya recalled that adoption should be the first option for people who want an animal: “In this way, we give a second chance to the dogs and cats that arrive at Son Reus. In addition, the Centre helps all families so that the adoption is responsible, as an animal is never a toy.”

stairs/downstairs dynamics

Estela Shipping is hosting a charity night.

Christina O yacht stars in the movie.

Merry

Underwater treasures

PORTO CRISTO is about to embark on an innovative project to create an artificial sculpture and underwater archaeology park.

The Manacor Town Hall has received a grant of €2 million from the Next Generation Funds to carry out the project under the management of the councillor for Tourism, Maria Antonia Truyols.

The councillor explained: “Its objective is to give value to the cultural and natural heritage of Porto Cristo and to provide it with a new infrastructure which is unique in the Mediterranean.”

The artificial sculpture will

reproduce on a real scale four historical vessels whose local remains have been studied by the Balearic Institute of Underwater Archaeology Studies (IBEAM). It also aims to recover biodiversity and marine fauna in an area that has been devastated and impoverished as a result of the excessive extrac­

from Front page

tion of marine resources.

The aim is also to improve the ecological connectivity between the seabirds and the marine areas of the Natura 2000 network. It will include a large area for ecological restoration led by the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA­CSIC).

Safe hands

MORE than 70 parking zone attendants working for Palma City Council have received training to be able to help aid cardiac and respiratory related incidents on the street which may occur during their daily activities. The aim of this training is to improve the medical knowledge of parking attendants so that they can offer a better service to the public. During three, five hour sessions, the workers have received theoretical and practical training on cardiovascular problems and what to do in various situtaions, as well as how to use a defibrillator and the protocol to follow.

Movie night event

Even in the glitzy world of superyachts, where the largest boats can reach up to 180 metres and cost $500 million, ‘Christina O’ stands out as truly iconic. Onassis’

wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, designed the interior and her guest list reads like a who’s who from politics, Hollywood, royalty, business and the arts.

Winston Churchill, Maria Callas, Frank Sinatra, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, Eva Perón, Greta Garbo, Rudolf Nuryev, Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly, and the Aga Khan are among those who have graced the yacht’s 18 staterooms.

Today, Christina O can be chartered from €620,000 per week, plus fuel, food and drink. Introducing his film in Palma at the Mallorca Film Festival in October, Östlund told a packed Teatro Principal that while the cost of chartering the yacht was “bloody expensive,” for him the movie could only be set on board Christina O. She was also used to recreate Prince Charles and Diana’s 1991 visit to Italy in the latest season of ‘The Crown’.

For more information contact by email james.van bregt@estelashipping.net or call (+34) 696 598 403.

PORTO CRISTO: Embarking on an underwater project.

Image: Shutterstock.com/lunamarina

TWO HUNDRED sailors on board a US Navy supply ship will spend Christmas in Palma’s port. The ship named ‘Artic’ can carry more than 177,000 barrels of oil; 2,150 tons of ammunition; 500 tons of dry stores; and 250 tons of refrigerated stores.

Spy blockbuster

THE Bollywood blockbuster, Pathaan, which was partly filmed on the island earlier this year will be screened in India next month to coincide with Indian Republic Day weekend. The eagerly awaited film is described as a gripping spy thriller.

Star move

RUMOURS are swirling around Mallorca that Hollywood movie star, Amber Heard, is looking for a property on the island. The news comes after she spent time in Costix earlier this year after her infamous court case against Johnny Depp.

Tourism tax

A SPOKESPERSON for Unidas Podemos party in the Balearic Parliament has repeated her party’s demand for tourist tax to be increased as part of measures to tackle overcrowding during summer months. The party also want tourist tax extended to cruise ships and yacht charters.

Xmas on beach

GRAB your sun tan lotion as the weather forecast for Christmas in Mallorca predicts sun. The Met Office is forecasting a top temperature of 19º for Christmas Day. Christmas Eve and Boxing Day are also predicted to be the hottest on record.

World Cup fever

ARGENTINA football supporters gathered in their droves in Palma on Sunday, November 18, for the World Cup match final against France. Celebrations were enjoyed when the final result was announced.

EMT PALMA is the municipal company of Palma City Council that manages the collective urban passenger transport in the city of Palma and the surrounding area.

In the first quarter of the year, the company employed a further 64 drivers and conductors in preparation for the increase in passengers from January 2023, when free public transport comes into force.

Free public transport on the EMT Palma from Jan ­

Crocheting Christmas Navy Christmas

the reactivation of employment and the economy.

The new contracts for drivers and conductors will be temporary and, over a period of three years, and drivers will have to undergo a consolidation process.

HOW many people does it take to put up a Christmas tree? In Manacor it takes 40!

uary 2023 is part of the set of measures of direct aid to the local residents, coordinated between different

Chippie tea

FISH and chip fans will be delighted to hear that the municipal fish shop of Manacor has reopened its doors to the public. The opening hours are from Tuesday to Saturday from 8.00am until 2.00pm. The Manacor Town Hall has awarded the municipal fish shop an administrative concession to Ramon Cabot, who achieved the highest score in the public tender for an annual fee of €4,200. The administrative concession is for a period of two years, which can be extended for up to five years. The mayor of Manacor, Miquel Oliver, confirmed: “The municipal fish shop is not only an emblematic space for Manacor, but it is also a way of boosting shopping in the town centre. We are pleased that there has been interest in taking this business and the new owner has confidence in the potential of this area.”

institutions to respond to the economic and social consequences of the war in Ukraine and to promote

It is worth remembering that this summer the incorporation of 140 new drivers to EMT Palma was completed through the drivers’ and conductors’ bursary that was announced in 2019.

Community gardening

IN A bid to make Palma greener, more than 150 volunteering green­fingered gardeners descended on Calle Arago on Sunday, December 18, to take part in the popular plant and tree­growing project.

The councillor for Infrastructures and Accessibility, Angelica Pastor, considered the event a complete success and also joined in the fun. The team completed the planting

Drivers in demand Whose toys?

A NEW campaign to promote gender­neutral play and nonsexist toys has been unveiled by Manacor Town Council.

The Department of Equality presented the campaign on Thursday, December 15, which consisted of a video showing two families in an everyday sit uation that reflects the pres sure and imposition that some adults put on children to continue perpetuating gender roles.

The councillor for Equality, Carme Gomila, said: “We have to question the gender roles some toys continue to reproduce. Girls continue to be presented with make­up, cookers and cleaning trolleys, while boys tend to be given toys that promote strength, competitiveness and aggressiveness.

of 15 trees and more than 100 different types of bushes. The event was the last of the popular street and plant sowing of 2022 which have taken place in different parts of Palma.

The event will begin again in 2023 in Palma before spring and is part of the goal of planting 10,000 trees in different streets, green spaces and natural areas of Palma as an action to combat climate change.

The Christmas tree in Placa de les Verdures is well worth a visit. Standing at six metres high, it took 10 hours to sew it together and around 40 women participated in the construction of the Christmas tree.

The women of the Association Enganxa’t al Fil have made the tree voluntarily continuing with the social project ‘Urban knitting’ as a way of improving the urban environment.

To make the tree the women recycled the materials from decorations that were put up last spring in Calles Peral and Alexandre Rossello.

The town council provided the iron structure of the tree, which stands six metres high and three metres in diameter at the base.

The councillor added: “For this reason, the town council is promoting this campaign. There should be no boys’ and girls’ games.

The councillor for Commerce, Maria Antonia Truyols, thanked everyone involved “for their selfless work to bring colour and joy to the urban areas of the town.”

AFTER a busy year, the Euro Weekly News would love to wish a very merry Christmas and happy New Year to all our readers and clients. We also want to say a huge thank you to everyone for their loyalty, which keeps us the most popular people’s paper throughout Spain year after year.

Now is a time to remember how lucky we are to be part of this caring community of English­speaking residents in Spain.

Not everyone will be spending this Christmas surrounded by friends and family however. If you are alone this Christmas we are sending our love.

And for those of us lucky enough to be with our loved ones over the festive period, let us all remember our neighbours and the vulnerable in our community.

With much love at Christmas, The EWN family x

URBAN TRANSPORT: Increase in passengers.

Image: Palma City Council

New Year’s Eve Fiesta

JOIN Palma in the celebrations on the day on which King James I reconquered Mallorca from the Arabs.

This festival dates back to the 13th century and begins at 10.00am on Saturday December 31. It commemorates the arrival of King Jaume I in Palma, the end of Muslim rule and the reconquest of Mallorca.

This traditional event begins with a ceremony to place the Royal Standard of the Conquest of Mallorca and the Cimera in the Plaza de Cort, followed by a mass in the cathedral. At midday, the poem ‘La Colcada’ is read in Plaza Cort.

The New Year’s Eve Fiesta, The Festa de L’Esten­

dard, is considered one of the oldest festivals in Europe, as it has been celebrated since the 13th century, although it is true that it has undergone

some changes over the years. On the eve of this day, a large floral offering is made in front of the statue of King Jaume I in the Plaza Espana.

Festive shopping

A MASSIVE Christmas market has now been set up in Palma spread over various locations. The market has a whopping 194 stalls which is 62 more than in previous years throughout the pandemic.

The mayor of Palma, Jose Hila, has confirmed that Palma’s Christmas market will be open until January 6, 2023, from 10.00am until 9.00pm.

This year the Christmas market now has five locations as the one in Placa del Mercat has been removed and the ones in Placa d’Espanya, Placa Major, Placa de la Porta Pintada, La Rambla and Via Roma have been kept.

As usual, the markets on the Rambla, via Roma, Placa d’Espanya and Placa de la Porta Pintada will sell ceramics, leather, engravings, jewellery, ironwork, metalwork, textiles, art, etc, as well as food products.

In a bid to get punters into the festive mood, Christmas lighting ele ­

RENOVATION works taking place on the Sant Jordi Square are now in full swing.

The square renovation has a budget of €450,852 and has been designed from residents’ demands to have more open space.

The project incorporates ideas put forward by local residents which are to restrict traffic to the

ments and decorations have been added to the different markets this year.

With regard to the number of stalls, in Placa d’Espanya there will be 58 this year as opposed to 49 last year. In Placa Major there will be 50, compared to 14 in 2021, and Porta Pintada will have 10 stalls, which is two more than last year. As for the Rambla, there will be a total of 49 stalls, compared to 36 last year, and on Via Roma there will be 27, up from 15.

Placa Sant Jordi

surrounding streets and increase the size of the square, improve its accessibility and adapt the space to provide flexibility required for the events that are held there.

The new square will have uniformed paving and two land ­

scaped areas with trees and shaded areas.

There will also be a corridor to separate the road traffic from the pedestrian walkway, thereby increasing the safety of the residents of Sant Jordi.

STATUE: A floral offering will be made in front of King Jaume I.

Image: Palma City Council

Image: Palma City Council

XMAS STALLS: In various locations.

Safer streets

PALMA’S Department of Sustainable Mobility has begun work in recent weeks on the construction and installation of a new pedestrian walkway with traffic lights located between Carrer de Francesc Sancho, number 16, and Carrer de Guillem Galmes.

In addition to the new traffic lights and the new pedestrian walkway on Carrer de Francesc Sancho, new traffic lights were also installed at the end of April at the junction of Carrer de Jaume Balmes, 52, just in front of the school.

With these works, the Department of Mobility is meeting a historical demand from the residents of Carrer de Francesc Sancho and meeting a request from the school, which is mainly attended by pupils from the Arx ­

iduc and Bons Aires neighbourhoods, who walk to school.

“We are completing one more of the many actions being carried out to improve road safety and accessibility on foot to

the city’s schools, and we are responding to a demand that helps to create more pleasant spaces for Palma’s pedestrians,” explained Francesc Dalmau, the councillor in charge of Sustainable Mobility.

Tragic incident

A BRITISH couple found dead in their home on Mallorca are believed to have died from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning. Their bodies were discovered at around 4pm on Monday, December 19.

The tragic incident came to light after their son ­ who lives in the UK ­ called a neighbour who reportedly helped out at the property to say he was concerned as he had not been able to contact his parents.

They were subsequently located in their home located between the small towns of Selva and Mancor de la Vall in the Raiguer district of the island.

One of the bodies was reportedly found in bed and the other, on a chair. It is believed that the couple ­ identified as 56­year­old Sharon G, and 62year­old Michael A ­ could have passed away at least two days ago, as reported by a national news outlet.

According to a spokesperson from the Guardia Civil, investigators were initially working on the hypothesis

that the deaths could have been caused by a faulty butane gas heater in the property. They added that this could not be confirmed until the results of their post­mortem examinations were revealed.

Upon discovering the bod­

ies, the neighbour alerted the 112 emergency services, who deployed Selva Local Police and a team of firefighters to the finca from the local fire station in the town of Inca.

They reported the smell of gas on arrival.

We, Three Kings

A SOURCE for celebration in Spain is the day of the Epiphany which occurs on January 6, and is said to be the day when the Three Kings or Wise Men arrived in Bethlehem to give their gifts to baby Jesus. In Spain, this day is known as Kings’ Day or the Dia de Los Reyes, and is celebrated just like a second Christmas, with feasting and the giving of presents.

Palma’s Three Kings of Orient parade will take to the streets of Palma from 6.00pm on Thursday, January 5, with the route starting from Moll Vell (in front of the cathedral), around and through to Passeig del Born.

The councillor for Citizen Participation has confirmed: “We at the town hall are very

happy to return to full normality after years of Covid restrictions. We will have a parade without masks and see the

joyful return of sweets, where carriages and cars will be filled to the brim with more than 2,000 kilos.”

need to be on the Padron (municipal register)

to have been a

IMPROVING SAFETY: New pedestrian walkways.

Image: Palma City Council

Recovering well CALVIA LOCAL ELECTIONS 2023

DATA released by UNWTO (the World Tourism Organisation) which monitors tourism around the world on Monday, December 19 showed that international travel is making a comeback.

According to the figures provided by the organisation world travel is changing with many popular destinations failing to recover quickly, whilst others have made a full recovery.

The UK is one of those that has struggled to recover its former glory with successive bad news having had a negative impact on its tourism trade. Business is down some 36 per cent on pre­pandemic figures largely driven by the negative news, but perhaps more so by the loss of two of its largest markets.

By comparison Spain’s numbers are down just 16.5 per cent.

Americans have since the pandemic changed the pattern of their travel according to industry insiders, which has pushed the UK

down the list of places to visit. Whereas in the past historical connections and the royals were a major attraction, these have been replaced by more exotic destinations like Mexico.

China has also yet to reopen its borders for outbound travel and that has cost the UK dearly. Prior to the pandemic China accounted for the second highest numbers of visitors to the UK, bringing in more than £1.7 billion in spend.

Spain on the other hand has seen a far quicker recovery with both the industry and the government quick to promote what the country has to offer, abroad.

Add to that the responsiveness of a tourism sector keen for business, one that was willing to offer good deals, reasonable prices, excellent facilities and a wonderful variety of destinations.

Perhaps the main reason is that Spain is open for business, whereas the UK is looking less so.

THE 2023 local elections are fast approaching: they will be held on Sunday, May 28. These elections hold tremendous importance and the result will impact every Calvia resident. That’s why it is essential to vote. This time voters will elect 25 representatives at the Calvia City Hall, and consequently the mayor for the next four years.

But, why should you vote?

1. It’s your right. No voting is giving up your voice. All foreigners resident in Spain who are citizens of the European Union have the right to vote in Municipal Elections and also nonEU foreign residents in Spain whose respective countries allow Spaniards to vote in these elections, under the terms of a Treaty (British Citizens and others).

2. Every vote matters. Elections have consequences. You have the power to make key decisions on the quality of life you want for yourself, your family and your community. Voting is your chance to stand up for the issues you care about: affordable housing, education, local taxes and economic issues, sports, environmental and social protection, tourism, beaches, etc. Low turnout means that local issues are decided by a limited group of voters.

3. It’s your money. Everybody in our community pays taxes. Voting is your chance to choose how your money is going to be used.

4. It is an opportunity for change. If you don’t like how things are going, this is your time. There might be issues affecting you in one way or another. If you are not satisfied about what is happening in your community, change it.

EU citizens who have never voted must register before January 30, 2023. Non­EU citizens (British citizens) must register before January 15, 2023.

Visit https://www.votebaleares.org/ to get details of how to register to vote on Sunday, May 28.

In the case of having a cl@ve (Spanish digital access for bureaucratic processes) you can register through the Online Registration Form.

Alternatively, you can fill out the form available on the same web page under the name City Hall Registry and hand it in to the City Hall. To do so, please request an appointment (English and German­speaking) at Calvia City Hall (971 139 188), at Palma Nova Service Centre (971 699 905) or at https://citaprevia. encolate.es/calvia/reservation.

Palma facelifts

SEVERAL areas are undergoing extensive refurbishments throughout Mallorca and the children’s playground at Parque General Riera has joined in the fun.

A total of €40,785 has been invested through the ‘Renove Renovation Plan for Playgrounds’ and has involved installing a new pavement covering more than 375 square metres.

On Saturday, December 18, the Parque General Riera children’s playground was reopened to the public after a complete remodelling carried out by the Infrastructure

Department.

Also jumping on the bandwagon for a facelift was Son Tugores. Palma has carried out an intensive clean­up operation on the plot, located in front of the municipal cemetery, which has 6,037 square

metres of surface area and belongs to the Falca Verda complex.

The cleaning work, which was carried out throughout the week commencing Monday, December 12, with both manual and mechanical means, has consisted of removing the rubble both from the site and from the interior of the Riera stream.

During the week, more than 290 tonnes of rubble and stones have been spread out, as well as abandoned material and a manual clearing of the site and the plain of the torrent and the removal of bulky materials with mechanical means.

REOPENED: The playground at Parque General Riera.

Image: Palma City Council

Peter McLaren­Kennedy

Gas Safety Aware

MARK PADDON Building

Surveyor has investigated gas explosion cases in Spain for leading insurers. Here is his advice for property owners to keep safe:When it comes to gas, a moment of carelessness can literally destroy a building and lives.

The force of a gas explosion should never be underestimated. If a quarter of your standard sized gas bottle (from a heater or hob) dis ­

charged into your home, the explosion could destroy the whole house and even a larger building (if in an apartment block).

The main reasons for gas escape in Spanish homes, other than simply leaving an unlit gas appliance on, are as follows:­

Poorly secured flexible gas pipe ­ Most of us are familiar with the orange flexi pipes which fix to the ribbed metal pipe on the regulator and appliance. It is important that the pipe slides over all ribs and this is impossible to do unless you dip the end of the pipe in a cup of hot water before pushing it on. There must also be a jubilee clip securing the pipe around the ribbed area. Gas pipes have an expiry date on them, if ignored the pipe can perish and crack.

Pipe wear and tear where not sleeved through walls/ floors:Buildings can move slightly through thermal or seasonal ground movement or issues such as subsidence. Gas pipes must run freely via the structure through a larger sleeve, otherwise a few years of movement can finally fracture a metal pipe.

Pipe joint leaks: ­ A good gas fitter will test all joints with a foamy solution eg of washing up liquid and water, to see if bubbles appear, but MOST DON’T TEST! If this test has not been carried out, leaks could well occur from day one.

Ventilation: ­ All rooms, stores or voids that house gas appliances should be adequately ventilated to the outside of the house with an air ­

brick. Check that these have not been blocked in any way.

IF YOU SMELL GAS: Do not turn any lights on!

Open the closest window/door and leave the building, telling all others to do the same.

Do not gather outside the building, move a safe distance away.

Call the emergency services.

If you have any doubts about gas safety get an authorised installer to check your installation.

Good enough

Field

AMERICANS are the kings of capitalism. Consumers extraordinaire. I knew this. But it wasn’t until we moved to Spain that I realised the Olympic­level consumers we truly were.

Living in the US, we always bought the latest and greatest of everything. We knew when the new electronics or fashions would be released because we were bombarded with advertising, and we were ready to buy without thinking about it.

Moving to Valencia, something immediately struck us as different. Where was the advertising? There were ads on bus shelters, subway stations, and shops. A few on local TV. But nothing on the scale of the US. My husband noticed it

first. We no longer knew about the latest and greatest of everything. And those products wouldn’t hit Spain until long after the US, anyway. Sometimes, years. Suddenly, we stopped buying things we didn’t need.

Our life ­ long consumerism hit a bump in the road. We barely recognised each other. One morning, he looked at me across the breakfast table with a creased brow.

“I want to want something, but I don’t know what it is. What would I buy?”

I was feeling the con ­

fusion, too. I had shipped nine boxes of shoes and three boxes of handbags from the USnow wearing none of them. I didn’t need another bag or a new pair of Louboutins.

“I don’t need anything, either.’ I whisperedhardly recognising myself.

Our quest for the newest products soon turned into settling for good enough. And we are better people for it. But, sometimes, I still strap on the Louboutins and a Louis Vuitton bag and go to the grocery store in rural Galicia just for fun.

Kelli

Are you sure you have escaped UK taxation? You may be settled in Spain but if you spend time in the UK each year or retain property there, you could still be treated as UK tax resident, making your worldwide income and gains liable to UK income and capital gains taxes.

The UK Statutory Residence Test (SRT)

The SRT determines your UK residence status for tax purposes. Assessing your position is not just about counting days spent in Britain; you need to work through the following three tests in order. (All references to ‘years’ mean a UK tax year and a ‘day’ means where you are present at midnight.)

1. Automatic overseas test –you are treated as not resident in the UK if you meet any of these conditions:

• UK resident in one or more of the previous three years, and present for fewer than 16 days in the UK in the current year.

The UK tax residence test and expatriates

UK if you meet any of these conditions:

• Present in the UK for 183 days or more that year.

• Only or ‘main’ home is in the UK – available for 91 consecutive days and actually used for at least 30 that year.

• Work – working in the UK at least 40 days in the year.

• Substantial visits – spending 90 days+ in the UK in either or both of the two previous years.

• Favoured country – spending more days in the UK than any other single country (only applies to ‘leavers’).

ceptional circumstances’ to be disregarded, but only where you have no choice and circumstances are unforeseen and beyond your control

Generally, you are treated as tax resident in one country or another, but it is possible to be dual-resident in both the UK and Spain under the respective domestic laws. While the double tax treaty offers protection from paying tax twice on the same income, you may still be liable for taxation in both countries, so take advice.

By Cathal Rochford, Partner, Blevins Franks

sent for fewer than 46 days in the current year.

• Work overseas full-time with no more than 30 days spent working in the UK and present for under 90 days that year.

• Work full-time in the UK for any period of 365 days with no significant break (subject to conditions).

3. Sufficient ties test – if your residence position is not determined under the first two tests, the next step is to consider your connections to the UK.

• Family – spouse/minor children resident in the UK.

• Accommodation – available to

This works on a sliding scale –the more ties you have with the UK, the less time you can spend onshore without becoming UK resident; the fewer ties, the longer you can spend there before UK residency applies. The number of days varies depending on whether you are an ‘arriver’ (non-UK resident in any of the previous three years) or a ‘leaver’ (UK resident in any of the previous three years).

This is just a summary of the rules, which are detailed and highly complex – take specialist advice to establish where you stand. Wherever your liabilities lie, a tax planning review could let you take advantage of legitimate arrangements to minimise taxation while meeting your obligations.

Tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any statements concerning taxation are based upon our understanding of current taxation laws and practices which are subject to change. Tax information has been

THE so ­ called 90 ­ day rule that restricts the number of days any foreigner or nonresident can spend in the Schengen area of Europe, has become an issue since Brexit.

For Brits who own homes in Spain or who were used to spending their winters on the Mediterranean coast, the 90 ­ day rule has become an issue.

But it is not just the Brits who are unhappy, with Spain’s Secretary of Tourism, Fernando Valdés, recently saying that the restriction “goes against the interests of Spain.”

He said: “It is in the country’s interest to lobby and convince the EU to make an exception.”

Here to stay

free movement within their borders and any change to the rules would require the agreement of all members.

Our TV picks

However, the likelihood of any exemption or change to the rule is very slim. The

Schengen area consists of 26 member countries all of whom have agreed to allow

GO LOCAL

By all accounts there is little appetite for changes to this rule which would effectively allow those Brits that Spain wants to stay longer, to freely move throughout all 26 countries. Whilst there is value for member states like Spain and Portugal, others stand to gain little from any change.

They are, however, said to have valid concerns about any relaxation in the rule. The new ETIAS visa system that is being introduced next year is designed to ensure those who visit the Schengen block do so legally and that they do not outstay their welcome.

Perhaps in time it could be used to effect changes that will favour Brits.

CHRISTMAS is always a great time for family gettogethers with good food and company followed by some great TV.

Once your Christmas lunch has had time to settle, ITV will be thrilling audiences in the new year with its latest threepart series ­ now a festive staple and always a ratings winner. Starring Matthew Macfadyen, Keeley Hawes and Pirates of the Caribbean star Kevin McNally, Stonehouse follows the intriguing tale of former Labour MP John Stonehouse who faked his own death in 1974. The series airs January 2, 3 and 4 on ITV1 at 9pm UK time.

For more behind the scenes gossip from the show, watch out for the Euro Weekly News’ exclusive interview with the show’s star Kevin McNally on page 11.

There usual reruns of family favourites will also be gracing our screens, so here is our top picks for your TV viewing this Christmas.

Among these the premieres of Trolls 2 World Tour (BBC 1 ­ December 23, 1.45pm UK time), Farmageddon, A Shaun the Sheep Movie (BBC1Christmas Day, 1pm UK time) and 1917 (BBC 1December 27, 9pm UK time). There is of course always the soap Christmas specials on December 25 (Eastenders, BBC1, 9.25pm UK time, Coronation Street, ITV1, 7pm UK time, and Emmerdale, ITV1, 6pm UK time).

Channel 5 is also getting in on the act with classic favourite Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at 3.10pm UK time on Christmas Day.

Netflix has a whole new range of Christmas movies and series that are worth watching including Falling for Christmas with Lindsay Lohan and Operation Christmas Drop, based on a real­life story.

Series wise there is Elves, a classic gremlin tale and Nailed it! Holiday! a Christmas themed home baking competition.

Amazon Prime goes with a load of reruns including the Holiday, Love Actually and Bad Santa 2.

On Spanish TV there is a good mix of series including The Rookie (also on Netflix) as well as Nightmare in the Kitchen on Mega.

SCHENGEN VISA: To be introduced next year.

Credit MA8 shutterstock.com

IN September, the Euro Weekly News exclusively revealed the news that Pirates of the Caribbean, Downton Abbey and The Crown star Kevin McNally is set to film upcoming blockbuster Musketeer in Marbella.

Ahead of filming, the EWN this week sat down again with the Alister to discuss his other latest project, Stonehouse, set to be ITV’s must­watch series over the festive period.

Following the bizarre real­life story of John Stonehouse, the Labour minister who attempted to fake his own death in 1974, the three ­ part drama features McNally as prime minister Harold Wilson as he handles the fallout for his cabinet. Spooks stars Matthew MacFadyen and Keeley Hawes also star as Stonehouse and his wife Barbara as their ill­fated plot unravels spectacularly.

“When I read it I adored the script and when I watched the first episode a few weeks ago I was very pleased that they’ve brilliantly managed to achieve the balance between genuine jeopardy and very high comedy,” McNally told the EWN. ful in it. He’s one of the best ac

Actor Kevin McNally talks Pirates of the Caribbean, politics, and ITV drama Stonehouse

tors in the country and maintains the jeopardy of Stonehouse brilliantly.”

This is the second turn for McNally as Harold Wilson after playing him in ‘Legend’ alongside Tom Hardy. Kevin said: “It was lovely playing him again.

“The very clever writer of Stonehouse has given Wilson a bit of an arc in this series from being on top as new prime minis­

tive abilities.”

Speaking about the parallels between the 1974 plot and the UK’s current state of politics, Kevin explained: “I was thinking a lot while playing Wilson how easy it is to get dragged into the quagmire of politics and not be able to get out.

“It makes you think, if you don’t pay your mortgage you lose your house but if you’re a

your job.”

Next up on the star’s work diary is a new series of the popular Alex Rider teen spy franchise which he begins filming in January. He told the EWN: “I’ve got a great part as a likeable baddy and I’m looking forward to it immensely.”

After a 50 ­ year acting career, McNally told the Euro Weekly News he also has plans to make

pandemic, to much critical acclaim. Now looking at scripts for two films, he explained he will make both into shorts with a view to directing one as a feature length film.

In a boost for Spain’s own film industry, McNally also told the EWN the script for Musketeer, in which he stars as Porthos as he gets the trio back together, is now ready ahead of filming in Spain.

Other big names are also slated to be appearing in the film.

Watch Stonehouse on ITV1 on January 2, 3 and 4 at 9pm UK

STONEHOUSE: A new three-part drama starring McNally. NEW SERIES: McNally is appearing in a new ITV drama.

HOLLYWOOD STAR: Kevin in Pirates of the Caribbean.

Credit: ITV Credit: Shutterstock.com/Featureflashphotoagency Credit: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

• December 22, all day, free ice skating, Port Adriano

• December 23, 7pm, Christmas Jumper Party, Cantina, Santa Ponça

• December 23, 8pm, Jaakji Live, YezzBo, Porto Petro

• December 31, 8pm, New Year’s Eve Fiesta, Cantina, Santa Ponça

• December 31, New Year’s Eve Celebrations and Fireworks, Plaza de Cort

• January 5, all day, Three Kings Celebrations, across Mallorca

THE Treasures of Egypt, Tesoros de Egypto, exhibition will commemorate two very important events for Egyptology: the 200th anniversary of the discovery of the Rosetta Stone by Jean Françoise Champollion, and with it the hieroglyphic writing, and the 100th anniversary of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun

Ancient treasures

by Howard Sump.

La Fundacion Sophia celebrates the Year of Egyptology with the exhibition Tesoros de Egypto, installed at the Centre for Centro de Historia y Cultura Militar de

Baleares de Palma. It occupies several rooms on the first floor and the basement.

The aim is to bring the civilisation of Ancient Egypt closer to the general public

in a visual, entertaining and educational way.

All the recreations have been created by volunteers from the Department of Egyptology and the Fine Arts Workshop of the Fundacion Sophia de Palma.

Entrance is free to the Centro de Historia y Cultura Militar de Baleares, Carrer de Sant Miquel, 69, Palma de Mallorca which you can visit from Monday to Friday: 10.30am until 1.30pm and from 6.00pm until 8.00pm. Saturdays: from 10.30am until 2.00pm.

For more information email histomilbal@et. mde.es or call (+34) 971 227 058.

A sight to behold

IF you are struggling to get into the Christmas spirit then head to Palma and gasp with delight as their Christmas lights twinkle around palm trees and sparkle in the main streets. They are certainly worth a visit.

Palma’s decorations and lights set the scene for Palma’s Christmas markets which provide festive cheer with their smells, flavours and tempting gifts.

The market at Plaza Mayor is now open and this year will run until January 7. You’ll find figurines for the nativity, Christmas trees and garlands, candles and artisan toys.

Plaza Espana and La Rambla also fill with stalls selling a tempting array of original goods. Ceramic, glassware, handmade jewellery and leather bags demonstrate the creativity and scope of Mallorca’s artisan scene.

The aroma of roasted nuts and sweet potato wafts in the air. There are vans selling churros and chocolate to be eaten from paper cones as you explore the offering of the markets, which open every day from 10.00pm until late.

Treasures of Egypt

Image: Palma City Council

Spectacular success as the Euro Weekly News and British Chamber of Commerce join forces for festive fun

ON Friday December 16, the British Chamber of Commerce in Spain and Euro Weekly News joined forces to host a stunningly fantastic evening at the Sea Grill, Puente Romano Hotel Marbella.

With glorious views of the beautiful Mediterranean Sea, the sun setting on the horizon, and the hum of festive music in the background, guests arrived dressed to impress.

Mingling among the Christmas decorations, guests caught up on a successful business year while making new contacts from across the Andalucian business community.

The British Chamber of Commerce in Spain was established in 1908 and is one of the largest foreign chambers of commerce in Europe while also being the only independent British Hispanic trade association in Spain and with over 300 member companies and regional offices across Spain and the UK.

With speeches given by British Chamber of Commerce Vice President Derek Langley, Euro Weekly News publisher Michel Euesden, Euro Weekly News Sales Director Benjamin Wickham, and Euro Weekly News online editor Sally Underwood, guests learned how much passion and care goes into both the Chamber and the Euro Weekly News.

Derek Langley said: “The Costa del Sol and Andalucia is currently one of the fastest growing regions and is continuing to grow with dynamism and growth in the area. As a leading member of the European chambers, we have a very powerful network in Spain as

well as also very well respected and strategic business partner with businesses across all the UK and Spain.”

Proud sponsor of the event, Michel Euesden said: “The one thing I can’t tame is the passion I have for the Costa del Sol, one year ago today we were all on Covid passports, the hospitality, and finance sectors were worried. We were all worried. We would have been broken in spirit if we had continued the way we were, but that’s what made us different.

“And the difference is that we had passion, we had a passion for our business, we have passion for the future, and we have a true passion for this cause and with that passion, I want to say to you to have an amazing Christmas. We have all survived something that we never thought we would have imagined. We’ve dug deep and we’re all still here today.

“Our passion makes us do extraordinary things, that passion means we don’t look at the clock, and that passion means when a client calls, we jump, that’s what having passion means to me.”

Presentations of bouquets and special gifts were handed out for the dedication of the hardworking team of both the Chamber of Commerce and of the Euro Weekly News.

Networking was done at its finest, in luxury, class, and style. As Derek Langley said it was an “eat, drink and be merry night” and the perfect way to end the business year.

Calvia Mallorca

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

With various beaches to visit all throughout Calvia and more than 10 beaches having been awarded and flying the blue flag for quality from the Foundation for Environmental Education.

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 dating 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 and shop.

The adventures in Calvia are endless 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 fish from Finding Nemo while snorkelling and discovering the bays.

Another top spot to visit to get your heart rate going is Jungle Parc Mallorca. A tree ­ top adventure park with zip lines and climbs for an unforgettable and oncein­a­lifetime experience in Calvia. A perfect date or family daytime activity to keep everyone in high spirits.

With various delicious restaurants and exciting clubs, there is no shortage

evenings. One of the best clubs 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 throughout your stay.

The best restaurants to visit all depend on your taste and what you are hungry for. If tapas, seafood or a real home ­ cooked meal is on your mind here are just a few of the best restaurants to go to while staying in Calvia.

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

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 discounts at establishments such as restaurants, hairdressers, beauty salons and much more through the winter months ­ even do your Christmas shopping and receive discounts!

The campaign aims to support small local businesses in Calvia and is a fantastic economic 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 comercio.calvia.com for information, but the scheme is now up and running.

• How do I get my vouchers?

To get the vouchers, register 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 municipality and input your ID into the website.

• Where can I use my vouchers?

Many types of establishments will be involved in the campaign, including veterinary clinics, health and beauty shops, cafes, book shops, restaurants, opticians, re­

tail shops, bars and more.

You can find out which shops are taking part by checking on the Calvia marketplace website, here in the Euro Weekly News , and establishments 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 issued, 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 voucher, 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 enjoy the discount!!

These vouchers are limited so make sure you keep checking on the Calvia marketplace website to see how many are still available. The vouchers will usually be available until JanuaryFebruary 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 businesses involved each week in the paper!

BUSINESS EXTRA Joint award FINANCE

Block bots

IF you keep receiving telephone calls from unknown numbers that often start with a 9, then hang up if you answer then it is probably a ‘bot’ calling to see if your line is active. It is possible to block these numbers on both Android and iPhone.

Retail sales

ALTHOUGH perhaps not really bad news as yet, the UK Office of National Statistics has revealed that high street retail sales dropped by 0.4 per cent in November and despite Black Friday, online sales suffered even more with a 2.8 per cent decline.

Bah Humbug

WITH Christmas and Three Kings coming, it’s not unusual for friends and distant relations to give small gifts of money to children so that they can then save up to purchase something special, but technically any such gift should be declared in Spain for tax purposes.

Shocking figures

ELECTRICAL retailer Currys has cut its profit forecast after recording a pre­tax loss of £17 million for the half year ended October 29, 2022, down from profits of £45 million the year before, blaming weak performance outside of the UK and discounts offered by competitors.

Christmas box

EMPLOYEES of Inditex, Spanish owner of some of the world’s favourite fashion brands have become used to a rather tasty Christmas bonus and this year they will receive a recycled cardboard box stuffed full of edible and drinkable Spanish goodies worth around €200.

STAT OF WEEK €10 billion

Virgin Atlantic experiment

THE first net zero transatlantic flight will take off from the UK next year, with Virgin Atlantic receiving UK government funding to fly across the ‘pond’ using solely sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

In 2023, one of Virgin Atlantic’s flagship Boeing 787s, powered by Rolls ­ Royce Trent 1000 engines, will take off from London Heathrow and make the journey to New York’s John F Kennedy Airport ­ a journey made by thousands of people for business, family and leisure every week. But this will be no ordinary journey.

When fully replacing kerosene, SAF can slash lifecycle carbon emissions by over 70 per cent compared to conventional fossil jet fuel.

This flight is expected to be fuelled by SAF made primarily from waste oils and fats, such as used cooking oil. The use of 100 per cent SAF on the flight, combined with carbon removal through

biochar credits ­ a material which traps and stores carbon taken from the atmosphere ­ will make the flight net zero.

The government claims that not only will SAF be key in decarbonising aviation, but it could create a UK industry with an annual turnover of £2.4 billion by 2040 and will support up to 5,200 UK

jobs by 2035.

SAF is more expensive to produce and in the long run there may not be sufficient waste material to fuel all flights out of the UK, but the government will introduce an SAF mandate requiring at least 10 per cent of jet fuel to be made from sustainable sources by 2030.

Donald Trump collector cards

DONALD TRUMP NFT collector cards sold out in 12 hours after 45,000 were put on sale priced $99 (€93) each.

Trump supporters were waiting for a promised ‘major’ announcement on Thursday December 15 and most thought that he would reveal the name of his running mate in the 2024 Presidential election.

This however wasn’t the case as he announced the release of a selection of non ­ fungible tokens (NFT) showing Donald Trump in a series of poses as superhero, golfer, politician, hunter, cowboy, astronaut and much more.

NFTs are created using the same type of programming used for cryptocurrencies but they are normally used to depict

art as they are not considered cryptocurrency.

On the website offering the NFTs for sale, there

were several special offers so that the more that were purchased, the better the incentive, one of

which promised a personal dinner with the president.

In his announcement on his Truth Social media platform, Trump explained that the NFTs are “very much like a baseball card, but hopefully much more exciting,” adding that the cards “would make a great Christmas gift.”

Although happy to promote the sale of the cards which certainly make him look very slim and netted around $455,000 (€427,000), a statement on the site selling the cards went to some pains to distance itself from the president saying that he didn’t own the site although he has licenced his image to the company promoting the cards and funds raised would not be used for political reasons.

THE CEO of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane Luigi Ferraris and José Bogas Galvez, CEO of Endesa, received the 2022 Tiepolo Award in Madrid on December 12.

Since 1996, this award has been celebrating the achievements of successful Spanish and Italian entrepreneurs and their important contribution to the strengthening of economic and trade relations between the two countries.

The award was presented by the Spanish Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Reyes Maroto who said that the Tiepolo Award “is an example of the close economic relations” between Spain and Italy.

Cash delivery

MANY small towns and villages particularly in rural Spain have seen the closure of banks and post offices making it increasingly more difficult for individuals to obtain or deposit funds.

Correos Cash is a service being offered by the Spanish Post Office which not only allows customers of certain banks to obtain cash (with no additional charges) from post offices but money can also be delivered to the home.

By using its team of more than 6,000 rural postal staff, customers can request cash through their bank’s app, order money which will be delivered by the postman (or woman) during their rounds.

SPANISH civil engineering company Prointec, part of a consortium with two other Spanish companies, Aertec and Airia, has been awarded a contract by airport management company Aena, initially worth €25 million.

The Spanish government Airport Regulation Document (DORA) established conditions that oblige Aena to offer a quality service and with sufficient capacity to meet demand during the five­year regulatory period (2022 to 2026) and to develop an efficient service which is sustainable in the long term.

These companies will develop the necessary programmes to meet the requirements of DORA at some 12 regional airports.

in total is the amount that American investment company Goldman Sachs has now confirmed that it has pumped into Spanish groups Santander, BBVA and Iberdrola.

Credit: Bill Abbott flickr

Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787 will undertake the first net zero flight.

3I Group 1.296,00 1.335,00 1.295,00 355,69K

Abrdn 182,40 189,25 182,35 3,35M

Admiral Group 2.015,0 2.049,0 2.012,0 372,91K

Anglo American 3.095,5 3.121,5 3.065,0 1,74M

Antofagasta 1.448,50 1.468,50 1.425,50 682,48K

Ashtead Group 4.759,0 4.873,0 4.732,0 594,27K

Associated British Foods 1.552,5 1.573,0 1.550,0 353,37K

AstraZeneca 11.102,0 11.366,0 11.062,0 1,46M

Auto Trader Group Plc 536,00 551,20 536,00 1,12M

Aveva 3.210,0 3.214,0 3.207,0 41,64K

Aviva 435,60 446,00 435,50 11,89M

B&M European Value Retail SA406,30 411,90 404,60 2,70M

BAE Systems 834,00 846,40 827,40 4,00M

Barclays 154,24 155,74 153,84 54,83M

Barratt Developments 397,10 410,60 396,60 1,67M

Berkeley 3.776,0 3.876,0 3.772,0 363,23K

BHP Group Ltd 2.502,00 2.528,50 2.489,50 34,34K

BP 457,50 468,25 456,30 28,41M

British American Tobacco 3.257,0 3.312,0 3.231,5 2,14M

British Land Company 389,80 400,30 387,90 1,32M

BT Group 112,57 114,70 112,50 10,32M

Bunzl 2.850,0 2.924,0 2.819,0 44,43K

Burberry Group 2.039,0 2.079,0 2.033,0 700,77K

Carnival 612,0 622,4 606,4 281,41K

Centrica 91,72 92,90 91,54 8,89M

Coca Cola HBC AG 1.921,0 1.943,5 1.915,5 227,80K

Compass 1.897,00 1.909,00 1.889,50 1,98M

CRH 3.154,0 3.213,5 3.138,5 616,36K

Croda Intl 6.708,0 6.880,0 6.634,0 204,03K

DCC 4.114,0 4.240,0 4.110,0 232,49K

Diageo 3.610,0 3.690,0 3.589,0 2,49M

DS Smith 310,59 314,30 310,40 1,81M

EasyJet 355,05 365,10 354,60 1,01M

Experian 2.849,0 2.911,0 2.824,0 1,03M

Ferguson 10.185,0 10.320,0 10.120,0 169,97K

Flutter Entertainment 11.375,0 11.635,0 11.340,0 234,67K

Fresnillo 852,40 853,20 828,20 421,72K

Glencore 530,00 536,10 524,20 20,72M

GSK plc 1.428,40 1.448,20 1.419,40 3,80M

Halma 2.081,0 2.128,0 2.072,0 425,81K

Hargreaves Lansdown 852,40 877,80 850,00 502,79K

Hikma Pharma 1.503,98 1.520,00 1.491,50 223,96K

HSBC 489,70 496,30 481,00 18,75M

IAG 131,12 134,06 130,90 6,17M

Imperial Brands 2.031,00 2.059,00 2.028,00 1,33M

Informa 607,20 618,80 604,40 1,96M

InterContinental 4.811,0 4.897,0 4.808,0 299,36K

Intermediate Capital 1.162,50 1.193,00 1.155,00 529,78K

Intertek 3.963,0 4.045,0 3.933,0 176,31K

ITV 69,49 73,72 69,40 11,31M

J Sainsbury 217,20 221,60 217,20 4,08M

Johnson Matthey 2.072,0 2.113,0 2.063,0 214,78K

Land Securities 620,40 639,00 616,40 965,77K

Legal & General 246,80 254,10 246,50 22,53M

Lloyds Banking 45,11 45,63 44,88 75,13M

London Stock Exchange 7.306,0 7.460,0 7.258,0 452,57K

Melrose Industries 124,95 126,45 123,90 4,12M

Mondi 1.413,00 1.431,50 1.414,00 45,17K

National Grid 1.004,50 1.019,00 1.000,50 4,02M

NatWest Group 259,05 260,70 258,50 6,96M

Next 5.614,0 5.756,0 5.608,0 223,07K

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

Ocado 649,40 661,20 640,00 903,94K

Persimmon 1.218,0 1.262,5 1.217,5 526,35K

Phoenix 595,20 612,60 595,00 1,13M

Prudential 1.045,00 1.068,50 1.043,50 3,23M

Reckitt Benckiser 5.686,0 5.758,0 5.676,0 775,94K

Relx 2.301,00 2.327,00 2.286,36 41,43K

Rentokil 513,40 531,40 512,80 2,73M

Rightmove 527,80 541,40 527,80 1,62M

Rio Tinto PLC 5.628,0 5.700,0 5.584,0 1,66M

Rolls-Royce Holdings 87,63 89,42 86,53 17,11M

Sage 772,40 783,80 767,80 902,47K

Samsung Electronics DRC 1.123,50 1.131,50 1.117,50 5,23K

Schroders 440,9 454,0 440,5 1,09M

Scottish Mortgage 744,20 755,80 739,40 1,80M

Segro 757,40 801,60 756,80 2,91M

Severn Trent 2.701,0 2.741,0 2.683,0 387,57K

Shell 2.254,5 2.325,0 2.242,5 8,13M

Smith & Nephew 1.086,50 1.103,00 1.080,00 1,01M

Smiths Group 1.590,50 1.611,00 1.585,00 1,45M

Spirax-Sarco Engineering 10.860,0 11.140,0 10.845,0 100,19K SSE 1.698,50 1.724,00 1.690,50 1,32M

St. James’s Place 1.102,00 1.127,50 1.095,50 1,84M

Standard Chartered 614,40 618,60 605,60 3,00M

Taylor Wimpey 100,25 104,00 100,00 5,26M

Tesco 222,10 225,70 222,10 22,79M

Tui 134,00 138,06 133,07 175,15K

Unilever 4.117,0 4.173,0 4.073,0 2,45M

United Utilities 1.019,50 1.038,50 1.012,00 701,55K

Vodafone Group PLC 84,52 85,94 84,26 46,04M

Whitbread 2.593,0 2.666,0 2.581,0 336,02K WPP 801,60 813,60 801,00 1,34M

3M 122,38 125,08 3,19M

American Express 150,22 152,28 146,47 4,10M

Amgen 266,14 271,12 263,45 3,14M

Apple 136,50 141,80 136,02 96,27M

Boeing 183,72 187,98 181,28 5,26M

Caterpillar 230,66 232,93 227,72 2,88M

Chevron 171,04 171,37 168,05 6,85M

Cisco 48,15 49,05 47,74 19,16M

Coca-Cola 63,11 63,89 62,49 11,76M

Dow 49,53 50,56 49,36 6,11M

Goldman Sachs 349,83 356,11 347,94 2,90M

Home Depot 327,60 330,02 323,37 4,96M

Honeywell 208,97 213,72 208,03 3,14M

IBM 142,36 148,98 141,58 6,64M

Intel 27,15 28,00 27,12 45,27M

J&J 177,49 179,84 176,40 6,91M

JPMorgan 130,10 132,08 129,05 11,93M

McDonald’s 271,73 274,38 269,21 2,65M

Merck&Co 109,63 110,77 109,23 9,78M

Microsoft 249,01 254,20 247,34 34,98M

Nike 108,51 109,62 107,73 7,30M

Procter&Gamble 151,11 152,00 149,74 6,82M

Salesforce Inc 130,44 134,12 129,68 10,72M

The Travelers 183,57 185,91 182,94 1,20M

UnitedHealth 527,68 534,07 525,47 2,73M

Verizon 37,77 38,34 37,66 32,82M

Visa A 207,91 211,82 206,82 10,72M

Walgreens Boots 39,53 40,28 39,33 5,59M

Walmart 145,36 146,42 143,63 5,76M

Walt Disney 90,49 93,12 90,11 14,43M

Most Advanced

Akbank T.A.S. +6.82% 15,312

Agricultural Bank of China Limited +5.01% 25,700

Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. +4.98% 813,799

Lennar Corporation +4.64% 116,821

LGI Homes, Inc. +4.49% 311,319

CLP Holdings Limited +4.34% 33,000

Cytokinetics, Incorporated +4.08% 1.723M

Most Declined

TransAlta Renewables Inc. -17.95% 47,340

First Quantum Minerals Ltd. -16.01% 76,195

Roblox Corporation -15.76% 39.946M

PT Hanjaya Mandala Sampoerna Tbk -13.82% 70,124

Pilbara Minerals Limited -13.30% 554,465

AMTD Digital Inc. -11.94% 357,502

Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. -11.78% 197,746

Liontown Resources Limited -10.84% 22,800

Megacable Holdings, S. A. B. de C. V. -10.65% 31,200

Super Micro Computer, Inc. -10.51% 1.662M

Western Digital Corporation -10.10% 10.835M

BUSINESS EXTRA

Saw it first

ALTHOUGH only recently announced, Frasers Group, (the company whose main stakeholder is Mike Ashley, former owner of Newcastle Football Club) continues on its acquisition path, taking over online fashion company I Saw It First for just £1 and debts in July of this year.

Folding phones

HAVING seen the success that Samsung is having with promoting its folding mobile phone, two Chinese companies Oppo and Xiaomi have now made it clear that they intend to restyle and relaunch their own folding phones in Europe in 2023 to capture some of the market.

Inditex grows

SOME worried that after a change of top management, Spanish multinational clothing company Inditex would see profits slump, but it has now reported a 19 per cent growth in sales to €23.1 billion in the first nine months of 2022 and gross profit of €13.5 billion.

UK bank rate

THE Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) sets monetary policy to meet the 2 per cent inflation target and in a way that it believes will help to sustain growth and employment.

At its meeting held on December 14, but not announced until the following day, the MPC voted by a majority of 63 to increase Bank Rate by 0.5 percentage points, to 3.5 per cent.

Two members preferred to maintain the Bank Rate as it stood at 3 per cent, whilst a third member wanted to increase it by 0.75 per cent.

Spanish trade deficit

THERE’S good and bad news for Spain’s international trade with the announcement of record exports and imports at the end of October.

Spanish merchandise exports were up 23.6 per cent at just under €320 billion but at the same time, the value of imports outpaced exports, rising 38 per cent to €380 billion for the period January to October 2022.

Secretary of State for Trade, Xiana Méndez said on Thursday December 15, “In a complex international context where there is a slowdown in world trade, the Spanish foreign sector continues to show dynamism and trade flows remain at high levels.

“We must continue adding so that our sector abroad is ever broader, more and more companies are exporting and that exports are of greater added value. “The interannual

Soaring mortgages

SOARING mortgage rates could see house prices plummet and with the announcement of a further hike in UK interest rates to 3.5 per cent, KIS Finance has been looking at how this ninth consecutive rise since last December could hurt the housing market.

The UK economy is currently reeling from a barrage of problems. With inflation running at 10.7 per cent and the cost­of­living soaring, households are under extreme pressure.

KIS argue that in the normal scheme of things, the Bank of England would usually reduce interest rates in a recession to try to stimulate growth.

Similarly, in times of high inflation they would use the same form of monetary policy to raise interest rates, to control inflation by reducing spending.

However, the economy is currently in the challenging situation of facing

both high inflation and a recession at the same time.

The Office for Budgetary Responsibility (OBR) is forecasting a record ­ breaking 4.3 per cent drop in disposable incomes per person, the largest fall since the Office of National Statistics’ records began in 1956.

Recent data has shown that one in four mortgage customers have seen their repayments increase every six weeks since De­

cember 2021, with those on variable rate or tracker mortgages being the first to feel the impact.

House prices are already being affected, with the average annual increase in house prices falling in November to 4.7 per cent from 8.2 per cent the previous month.

At the same time Zoopla have reported a 44 per cent decrease in demand for housing since the mini ­ budget which saw interest rates soar.

than that achieved by France (20.5 per cent) and Germany (14.6 per cent).”

At the end of the day however, to have such an enormous and regular trade deficit can not be good for the Spanish economy and whilst there is plenty of money sloshing about thanks to the EU Recovery Fund, it will eventually run out and repayments of part of the Fund which was made as a loan will have to be made.

One bright spot is that the October monthly deficit of €6.8 billion was less than the previous month thanks to a fall in energy prices.

Interestingly, despite all of the hoo ­ ha about the difficulty of trade for the UK following Brexit, imports to Spain from Britain grew by 21 per cent whilst sales from Spain stood up by just 10.7 per cent.

Spanish success

Speaking about her appointment Ms Serrano said, “I am passionate about brands, the consumer and the fashion industry, and throughout my career developed the skills and experience to win in this increasingly competitive market.

The opportunity to lead the iconic Calvin Klein brand and unlock its full potential across the world is a dream come true. I look forward to working with Stefan (Larsson, CEO of parent PVH) and the PVH and Calvin Klein teams to propel the next chapter of growth for the brand.”

NI trade

OFFICIAL trade data on the Northern Ireland Protocol has disproved claims about its negative impact on flows between Northern Ireland and Britain according to a statement by Sinn Féin.

Its spokesperson explained that the Northern Ireland Economic Trade Statistics (NIETS) recorded the value of trade between the north and Britain during the first year of the post­Brexit agreement.

It showed sales between Britain and the north increased by 7 per cent in 2021 and new research from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) shows the £14.45 billion in sales between Britain and the north last year was £1 billion more than both 2020 and 2019.

growth of

Spanish exports between January and October was higher

DYNAMISM: Xiana Méndez spoke about trade flows remaining high.

Credit: Secretary of State for Trade Twitter

MALAGA born Eva Serrano who has spent more than 20 years with Inditex, ending up as President for China is to move to become Global Brand President of Calvin Klein from March 2023.

HOUSING MARKET: Showing signs of the times.

Credit: Stephengg

flickr

LEAPY

OTHERS

AS an ol’ Bayswater lad of the 60s, I can categorically state that Trans gendering and diverse sexual preferences are not merely a phenomena of the 21st century. This whole merry gambit was actually labelled in the late 40s and 50s, when those who practised it were known as Transsexuals or Transvestites.

In those days the drag queens and ‘female impersonators’ were, in the main purveyors of fun and frolics (how can we ever forget the outrageous antics of the highly talented Danny LaRue?).

Well it’s not the same anymore is it? We are now asked to accept and regard as ‘the norm,’ and are made to feel we are in some way unfairly victimising another minority group if not.

Why should I now be made to feel bad because I don’t actually agree with three and four ­ yearolds being taught transsexualism? Or object to gender free toilets, which are making young children so embarrassed they would rather

IS CASH KING? OUR VIEW Merry The norm

wet themselves than visit the loo?

The thing that truly sticks in my craw is the fact that minorities are allowed to shout their beliefs and opinions from the rooftops, while those of the majority are chastised for merely stating their opinion.

One victim of this one ­ sided attitude was a lady named Maya Forstater, who lost her job after questioning the UK government plans to let people choose their own gender.

She had stated that in her opinion ‘sex is a biological fact and is immutable; therefore Transgender people cannot change sex’. The employment tribunal judge deemed that her view was not worthy of respect and ‘may even constitute unlawful harassment of trans people’.

Now whether she was right or wrong is irrelevant, this is not about homophobia. This woman had been sacked merely for expressing her firmly held views. Once again it appears that free ­

dom of speech is only reserved for those who hold minority status.

In fact, after this tribunal decision, even author JK Rowlings came out in support of this woman, despite predictably becoming the victim abuse on social media.

Delighted to report that Ms Forstater has finally won her claim that she was unfairly discriminated against. Yaay, does this mean the traitorous woke brigade are at last becoming routed? Don’t hold yer breath. By the way, where have all the global warming brigade got to?

Have a great Christmas. Remember whose birthday we are celebrating. And always Keep the faith.

Love Leapy. Leapylee2002@gmail.com.

THERE is no doubt that more and more people find it convenient to pay with debit cards for small transactions and generally speaking most business seem to be comfortable with this even though they do have to pay an element of commission and wait for payment to be received.

In many ways, this suits large organisations better as their risk of theft either by staff or robbery as cash is transported to banks is greatly reduced.

For smaller businesses however, there seems to be a groundswell of preference for payment by cash as it is immediate and saves bank charges as well as making ‘cash flow’ more immediate.

In Spain, the government has upset the European Union by passing a law which means that it is illegal to make a cash payment of more than €1,000 for any service provided by or involving a professional company.

Clearly this is to cut down on the so­called black economy where work is undertaken without charging VAT or declaring the income for general tax purposes, in addition, it makes it just a little more difficult for money launderers to dispose of cash.

On the other hand, there is another law that means that all businesses are required to accept payment in cash up to the allowed level.

Some want to see a cashless society, but no matter how honest you are, not everyone wants to have ‘big brother’ recording every transaction they may make as they see this as yet another example of government snooping.

Hopefully the day will never come when cash disappears completely.

Moving made easy since 1871 with White & Co

AS one of the UK’s largest privately­owned removal companies, White & Co PLC have been making relocating easier since 1871. With more than 145 years of experience and offering a range of professional services, the knowledgeable team carries out moves between the UK, Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and throughout Spain.

No matter where you want to live and what you need to move, White & Co has the experience and solution for you! Their professionally trained surveyors in Spain and the UK will visit your home and provide you with a free no­obligation quote, answering any questions you might have. Their fixed quote service means you can budget your move efficiently, advising you on packing, storage and any items that cannot be moved.

If you are planning a move to or from Spain, Whites operate a large fleet of vehicles, including Scania Road Trains to Mallorca. Their smaller vehicles can deliver to some of the more difficult locations in Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza. Managing your move with care and consideration, the professional and experienced team are trained in packing everything from chinaware to items such as

pianos and antiques. Carefully planned packing will keep your possessions safe and sound throughout the entire journey.

With the many changes and complications brought on by Brexit, moving overseas has become increasingly difficult. However, Whites have been at the forefront of these changes and can guide you through all of the documentation and completion of customs

paperwork. With their lorries and road trains travelling between the UK and the Balearic Islands since the 1970s, no one has more experience in this than Whites.

Upon arrival at your new home, the team will unwrap your possessions and place them where you choose, removing all of the packaging and wrapping to be recycled or reused.

Looking for somewhere to store your belongings securely and safely? With 34,000 cubic feet of storage in their purpose­built container warehouse in Calvia, Mallorca you can store short or long term to fit in with your move, giving you the peace of mind that your personal possessions are in the best hands. For storage in the UK, White & Co have 19 dedicated locations across the country, all of which are clean, dry, safe and European standard BS EN 14873 accredited.

Having moved thousands of happy families to their new homes throughout the years, you can trust White & Co PLC, and all of the staff would like to wish everybody a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

LeapyLee’sopinionsarehisownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

HELP! ARE YOU GUILTY TOO?

NORAJOHNSON BREAKINGVIEWS

A YOUNG man arrested at Windsor Castle with a crossbow on Christmas Day last year was charged under the 180­year­old Treason Act (introduced under Queen Victoria after two men fired at her in the space of two days in 1842. It created a new offence that’s less serious than high treason, the punishment for which was death).

Well, what about other ancient UK laws that have never been repealed ­ even though statutes may have rendered some obsolete?

Among the weirdest are the ones banning you from eating mince pies on Christmas Day. Guilty as charged, m’lud! But if you lock me up, you’ll have to imprison at least half the UK

population too...

Other bizarre laws still in existence include a ban on firing a cannon close to a house, the use of any slide upon ice or snow, or driving cattle through the streets of London. But a pregnant woman can legally relieve herself anywhere she wants!

Finally, it’s illegal not to tell the tax man anything you don’t want him to know, but it’s perfectly legal not to give him information you don’t mind him knowing (umm, yeah. I think I’ve got that).

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

Nora Johnson’s 11 critically acclaimed psychological crime thrillers (www.norajohnson.net) all available online including eBooks (€0.99; £0.99), Apple Books, audiobooks, paperbacks at Amazon etc. Profits to Cudeca cancer charity.

Life after loss

THE death of a life partner is traumatic enough, sometimes made far worse by financial worries.

Peter and Gillian had been married for 30 years when they moved to Spain after retiring.

They both found a new life with new friends and enjoyed new hobbies. He learnt fishing and she learnt Spanish.

One spring morning Peter went fishing in the mountain streams that were full from the previous weeks rain.

Gillian called his mobile when he didn’t arrive to help prepare the lunch, they had planned that day at the house, but he didn’t answer.

She was beginning to worry when her phone rang ­ it was Peter’s number calling.

She immediately picked up and was about to speak when a voice asked in broken English if she knew a person called Peter.

It was the ambulance

crew who had first arrived at the scene ­ Peter had had a massive heart attack whilst driving home. He had been taken to the hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Gillian was too numb with shock and disbelief. Her Peter was gone.

As Gillian started to deal with her loss it was clear that Peter’s finances had not been well managed, he owed significant amounts and had no life or funeral insurance.

Their savings had gone into the house and the small pension would not cover the bills.

She borrowed for the fu­

neral and had no money left over for the thousands of euros of debt that had accumulated.

She took the decision to sell the house and downsize and buy a small one bedroom apartment for herself. Even after selling furniture and other belongings she was still short for the removals.

She was put in touch with the BBF to see about helping with the removal costs to her new home, which we were able to do.

Gillian still lives there today and has a new life.

AT Safari Kids, you’ll find everything you need during maternity through birth, from babies and toddlers to children’s products. The perfect place for all your parenting needs, Safari Kids also has wonderful Christmas gifts for parents­to­be and their little families.

Ana, the owner, has always loved children and has worked as a dance teacher, recreational instructor and in two schools in the town where she lives. After becoming a mother three years ago, Ana decided to change careers and her son inspired her to open Safari Kids!

This beautiful store sells high quality, lovingly made products for babies, toddlers, children and moms­to­be. Here you will find maternity backpacks and parenting books, feeding products (bottles, lunch boxes and cutlery), walkers and accessories, children’s furniture, books and

wooden toys, as well as everything related and focused on the development and learning of the little ones.

Ana invites you to visit her store, whether you are a future parent buying for yourself or if you are looking for gifts for family and friends.

Olaf Clayton of BBF.

NoraJohnson’sopinionsareherownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

Noraistheauthorofpopularpsychological suspenseandcrimethrillersandafreelancejournalist.

Nora’s latest thriller.

DESTROYING OURSELVES

POLLUTION: We are not doing enough to address the problem.

GIANT windmills, electric vehicles, Stop Oil, Insulate Britain, Extinction Rebellion and Greta Thunberg all do their best, but are unable to address the real problem.

This is that our planet is overpopulated and pollution will increase as it grows, causing demand for new products which have to be manufactured to satisfy the populous.

Unfortunately we are inexorably destroying ourselves as we drift into oblivion.

Also we all know that the principal polluters are China, Russia, India and the USA, with Britain being a very minor contributor.

Merry Christmas to all, Brian Johnston, Benalmadena

Loving Leapy

Couldn’t have put things better myself. Well said.

Shirley Hunt

Not just for Christmas

After reading the article last week Pets are for Life, I am gobsmacked. It would be interesting to know out of the 80 per cent of children that ask for a pet for Christmas, how many actually get one. I mean what are parents thinking when they agree to buying a pet as a present, I understand that you don’t want your children to be disappointed at Christmas, but please first consider the massive amount of time, dedication and love any animal needs!!

Victoria Green

Stella job

I read the articles week in week out about the local councils winning awards for clean beaches or glass recycling, I just hope that the recognition is passed down to the men and women who work so hard day in, day out to keep our

streets and beaches clean. You do a stella job. G McConville

The rain in Spain

Sick to death of hearing people complain about the rain and the cold weather, it has been around ­5 back in the UK and seems like it rains every other day. The resevoirs are filling up and in Spain we are blessed with over 300 days of sunshine a year. Give it a rest.

M Sinton

World Cup widow

Hate football, I usually find it totally underwhelming and boring. Thought I would be relegated to watch TV in the bedroom while the hubby watched the World Cup in the living room, this was true for the best part but wow did I enjoy the final. I found it thoroughly entertaining and a little nail biting as I always want the under dog to win. So pleased for Argentina.

Simon Thomas

Supporting the nurses

I am a resident in Benidorm but I just wanted to say how I support the nurses with the strike action in the UK. How they put their lives on the line through the pandemic is just commendable and that is what we should be doing now. Our clap of appreciation was a great gesture at the time, but now nurses need to know that they are supported. It is not just salary increases, why shouldn’t nurses get discounted petrol, hospital parking, free university tuition fees etc. It takes a certain type of person to be a nurse, not everyone is cut out for it, so for those who do make it surely the government should make it rewarding for them. These people save lives.

Harry Hunt

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.

WITH two years of the pandemic behind us, we’re used to taking steps to reduce our own risk of infection, particularly against seasonal sicknesses and colds, but how can we protect our pets? Today, we’re sharing some top tips to help keep your pet healthy during the winter.

Staying warm

Just like humans, cats and dogs feel the chill as the weather takes a turn for the worse. Take care not to cut your pet’s fur too short, it’s a necessary form of protection against the elements.

In some cases an extra coat is appreciated, but take care not to let them

overheat, our fourlegged friends can’t regulate their body temperature in the same way we

can.

Keep an extra eye on elderly pets, puppies and kittens as they can’t reg ­

ulate their temperature so well.

General health

The best way to care

for your pet’s health is to keep up a healthy routine and diet. Keep up daily exercise, but take extra care in cold or rainy weather. Visit your vet

regularly, especially if you’re concerned about sickness.

Daily habits

Observe your pet during the day. Are they spending more time in a warmer part of the house? If so, this could be a sign that you should move their bed to a warmer place.

Photo credit: Gladskikh Tatiana / shutterstock.com

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It’s a bullseye

THE 2023 World Darts Championship got off to a flying start last week, as play opened on Thursday, December 15 in London’s Alexandra Palace. This year’s competition saw 96 players arrive in London, seeking to win the top prize of £500,000. The gruelling competition lasts until Tuesday, January 3, and heads into its second round this week.

‘The Iceman’, Gerwyn Price soared ahead to qualify for the third round with the highest overall score in his section of 92.88. The Welsh former Rugby Union player won the competition in 2021 and is looking for a comeback in this year’s competition after entering as top seed.

Price was followed into the third round by Portuguese José de Sousa and Scottish Alan Soutar.

‘Bully Boy’, Michael Smith topped his section with a score of 96.62, closely followed by Australian, Damon Heta with 96.17.

Meanwhile, English player, Nathan Aspinall secured the highest score so far in

the bottom half with a formidable score of 97.80. Aspinall is currently followed by former World Youth champion, Dimitri Van den Bergh with a similarly impressive score of 97.20.

Defending champion, Peter Wright was also one of the first to qualify, alongside Belgian Dimitri Van den Bergh.

With it all to play for, the competition heads into the third round next week.

Southgate to stay

GARETH SOUTHGATE has allegedly made up his mind that he will stay on as the manager of the England men’s football team.

Gareth Southgate will remain as manager of the England men’s international football team. The news was revealed exclusively on, Saturday, December 17, by a UK news publication, and tweeted @JBurtTelegraph by Jason Burt, the publication’s Chief Football Correspondent.

The 52­year­old will apparently inform FA bosses of his decision before Christmas to make himself available to coach the national team in preparation for Euro 2024. It is believed that he was convinced to

stay after meetings with the players.

His future as boss of the Three Lions had been up in the air following the recent World Cup defeat in the quarter ­ finals against France. He asked for some time to think his future over and now the decision has been made.

While England did not disgrace themselves against the current holders, many were left frustrated by the fact the Three Lions were unable to overcome one of the top nations in the business end of the World Cup. However, Southgate is reportedly keen to give it another go as manager of the national team.

Young player, Nathan Aspinall has set the highest score of the tournament so far, heading into the third round.

Photo credit: Professional Darts Corporation (Via Facebook)

Position untenable

BERNARD LAPORTE, the World Rugby vice­president and France rugby president has been convicted by a French court for corruption and has been given a two­year suspended prison sentence.

Laporte, who said on Wednesday, December 14 that he intends to appeal his conviction, remains president of the French Rugby Federation.

Montpellier owner Mohed Altrad was also given an 18month suspended sentence and fined along with Laporte. The two were found guilty of an illegal conflict of interests, influence peddling and four instances of passive corruption.

Many have called on Laporte to step away from rugby just nine months before France is due to hold the 2023 World Cup. They say his position is untenable, however, his appeal could take as long as 2024 to be heard which means that he is unlikely to step down.

Following the news of the conviction, New Zealand rugby instigated an investigation into the sponsorship deal they have with French construction company Altrad. The insinuation is that Laporte had a hand in the deal.

Neil Hallet, the former All Black, has been asked as an expoliceman to investigate the case and to report his findings. Hallett, a former detective inspector in the New Zealand police, is expected to report before the end of January.

Sir Bill Beaumont, the World Rugby chairman, will take on Laporte’s committee duties whilst the investigation takes place.

The timing could not be worse with ongoing investigations into Qatar and the bribery of European Union MEPs and FIFA officials.

World Cup winners

FOR the first time since 1986, Ar gentina are the world champions in football. After a pulsating match in Doha’s Lusail Stadium, in which the 2022 Qatar World Cup final went to penalties, the South Americans won on penalties.

Inspired by their enigmatic captain Lionel Messi, the game looked to be all over until France made an incredi ble comeback in the closing stages of the main 90 minutes. Their talisman, Kylian Mbappe proved why he is the successor to Messi’s title as one of the best players on the planet when he notched a hat trick. After extra time and with the score 3 ­ 3, it was time for the dreaded penalty shoot out, this being only the third time that a World Cup final had been de cided by penalties, the two previous finals being in 1994 and 2006.

Argentina beat France 4­2 to take the title and many will say it is a fit ting end for Lionel Messi, finally lift ing the one trophy that had been missing from his incredible haul during his glittering career as it draws to

a close. The Argentinian government declared Tuesday December 20 a Na ­

tional Bank holiday so that the whole country could celebrate their sporting heroes return.

Credit: EWN