Mallorca 29 December • 4 January 2022 Issue 1956 by Euro Weekly News Media S.A.

CHAMPION’S WELCOME Gifting wonders

RECENT World Cup champion, Lionel Scaloni touched down in Mallorca on Tuesday, December 27. Fresh from World Cup victory in Qatar, the Argentina’s manager arrived back on the island where he spends most of the year, as a resident in Calvia.

Football fanatics welcomed Scaloni with cheers and posters as he arrived in Son Sant Joan Airport on Tuesday morning. Some asked for autographs, while others took photographs with the latest manager to lead his team to victory at the World Cup.

Scaloni also had an emotional reunion with his wife and two sons who welcomed him back home.

The World Cup champion has a long history with the island, playing as a rightback for Mallorca during the 20072008 season. He is best

known for his nineyear stint playing for Deportivo La Coruña until 2006.

The 44yearold trainer celebrated Christmas with fami

ly in his hometown of Pujato after returning to Buenos Aires to a hero’s welcome.

Although his contract as national trainer has not yet

Season for giving

BUSINESSES in Pollensa showed it is the season for giving with several generous donation campaigns to kick off the Christmas holidays. Several businesses and local groups donated money and essential items to Centre de Distribució d’Aliments councilrun food bank at Port de Pollença.

Bar Bony, located in Port de Pollença, organised a donation drive of essential supplies including cooking oil, milk and seasonal goods for the food bank. The donation which was taken to the centre on Friday, December 23 was worth more than €1,000 and will ensure that no one spends the festive period hungry or without basic items.

Local school, IES Clara Hammerl, also organised a donation drive for the same centre which saw schoolchildren bring essential supplies to school during the last week of classes. Food and essential products were taken to the centre for use in food packages over Christmas.

Pollença Council took to Facebook to thank the local organisations for their generosity over the Christmas period which has allowed council social services to provide support for vulnerable people in the local area.

been renewed, the President of the Argentinian Football Association assured he will remain in the position on Monday, December 26.

MANACOR’S Christmas campaign has brought smiles to lots of faces in the town thanks to the generous donations of local residents. The local Red Cross embarked on a donation drive for children with the local council which ran until Thursday, December 29.

The ‘Cap infant sense illusió’ is a nationwide campaign organised by the Spanish Red Cross to ensure than no children spend the Christmas period without a toy or gift. The Red Cross’ campaign has helped to make sure that the Three Kings and Santa don’t miss out any houses in the town and no children miss out on gifts because of poverty.

Local residents got stuck into the campaign by collecting boxes from points in local libraries and the town hall, before filling the box and returning it to the Red Cross’ Manacor headquarters. The campaign deadline was extended for a week after volunteers saw its popularity.

After the gift delivery deadline, Red Cross volunteers will deliver the gifts directly to parents in the town.

MALLORCA • EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM FREE • GRATIS Issue No. 1956 29 Dec 2022 - 4 Jan 2023 THE BEST FINANCE NEWS ON PAGES 18 22

WELCOME

Photo credit: Estación Deportiva (Via Facebook) Photo credit:

HOME: Argentina team manager, Lionel Scaloni arrived back in Mallorca fresh from victory at the World Cup in Qatar. shutterstock.com/Ppictures POLLENSA: Local businesses have given generously to help those less fortunate.

UNTIL now public transport in the Son Espanyol area has not received positive reviews, but a new minibus will change that.

The head of Sustainable Mobility, Francesc Dalmau, has confirmed the residents of Son Espanyol now have new, accessible, energyfriendly buses. The eight metre long buses will cover the route of the L9 that connects Eusebi Estada (Plaza de Espana) with the neighbourhood of Son Espanyol and, during the weekends, will serve the route that goes to the UIB.

Dalmau explained that four eightmetre minibuses have been added to the fleet. They are more comfortable vehicles, with fewer emissions and lower emissions, and will allow diesel to be phased out progressively. He also stressed that “these buses will provide service to the more rural neigh

Travelling in style

Council

A TRIATHLON challenge in Calvia has received international acclaim after it was revealed that it had won a prize at the Challenge Family Awards 2022 at the end of December.

The local council expressed its delight at receiving the award on Facebook, where local residents shared their own praise for the triathlon. This isn’t the first time the challenge has received a prize, it was also recognised in 2019 for the same prize, showing its continuing quality as an event.

The Challenge Peguera Mallorca Triathlon was recognised for the top prize as ‘The Race of the Year’, as well as for having ‘The Best Finish Line Party’. Challenge Peguera received the award at a ceremony in Gran Canaria on Saturday, December 10.

Challenge Peguera took place back in October on the island and saw more than 500 volunteers come together to put on an incredible race.

Challenge Family is one of the world’s leading triathlon networks. Based in the Netherlands, the organisation has more than 20 years of experience in the triathlon field. Peguera was among other famed triathlon destinations including Gdansk in Poland, Taiwan, and Samorin in Slovakia.

Triathlon triumph Electoral assistance

THE council in Pollença has launched a special campaign which aims to get foreign residents in the town signed up for

the electoral register. Once signed up, expatriate residents will be able to have their say in local issues that affect them.

The voter registration campaign is taking place ahead of local elections which are taking place in the whole country on May 28, 2023. Those interested in signing up to vote must be registered before the deadline on Tuesday, January 31.

Citizens of the European Union, as well as Spanish residents from several other countries including the UK, Norway, and Iceland are eligible to vote in the elections, provided they register before the January deadline.

The council issued guidance on how to register on Wednesday, December 21, explaining that registration can be completed on the INE National Office for Statistics website, using the cl@ve login system, or alternatively, in person at any town hall building by filling in a form.

bourhoods such as Son Espanyol.” This new vehicle, which forms part of the second phase of the renovation of the EMT Palma fleet, has a cost of €175,000 excluding VAT and represents important advances with respect to the van model that has been used until now.

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NEW MINIBUS: Will improve transport in Son Espanyol. Image: Mallorca City

Magic Mariah

PASSENGERS on a Christmas Eve flight from Palma de Mallorca to Madrid were treated to a special rendition of Mariah Carey’s huge hit ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ by Andrea, a young air hostess, who rapidly went viral on social media.

Heritage site

DUE to summer overcrowding in the Tramuntana Mountains UNESCO is seeking to regulate the area in order to protect natural areas that are subject to pressure from visitors. UNESCO say site visits must be available to everyone, but also require appropriate conservation and preservation.

Powering up

NISSAN has taken a step towards a sustainable future with their first electric battery workshop in Mallorca, which has now started work. The laboratory will work to identify problems and repair electric and hybrid vehicles with battery problems.

Missing appeal

THE family of missing Miguel Roldán Llinás have released a desperate appeal for information from the public to help in the search for the 34yearold. The musician went missing in Palma on Christmas Eve.

No charge

POLLENSA Priest, Danilo de Urbeza, said the church will not be filing a complaint against the teenager who stole an excavator on Christmas night and drove it through the Placa Major, scratching a wall of the parish church and then getting trapped in a side street.

Uncle Toni

TENNIS legend, Rafa Nadal, loves Mallorca and it seems so does his family. Rafa’s Uncle, Toni, has purchased the Galeon Aparthotel in Puerto Pollensa and has engaged an architect’s firm to upgrade it.

Wheelie good

PALMA’S new city bike system is closer than ever. In an announcement made on Wednesday, December 21, users of the old Bicipalma can now sign up for the new system.

The new bike system brings a technological leap to the city as it will be available through a smartphone app, as have already been introduced in other cities. The council explained that users of the old system have now received an email with in

structions on how they can transfer their membership to the new system.

A transition period is un

Tower triumph

AN emblematic historical attraction in Soller is set to open to the public after a new agreement was signed by the council on Friday, December 23. The 17th century Torre Picada is reopening, offering locals and tourists an insight into the town’s vibrant history.

Torre Picada was originally built between 1614 and 1621 as a garrison to protect Soller and its port from pirate attackers. The design was conceived after the town suffered a calamitous attack on May 11, 1561. At 11 metres tall and three metres wide, the tower gave watchmen the perfect vantage point to prepare for any potential attack.

The tower was in use as recently as the 20th century, when it was used by forces during the Spanish Civil War, as well as in the Peninsular War a century earlier. The tower was open to the public in the past, but closed for several years until it was recently acquired by the council.

derway at the 37 remaining old stations, which are now being fitted out to work with the new system. The transi

tion is set to be complete in a few weeks, allowing users to enjoy using the bikes through a contactless unlocking system, through the app.

The new system will cost the same, at €24 for an annual subscription. The council is aiming to encourage use of the sustainable urban transport by keeping costs low and the system modern and easy to use.

The gradual launch is set to put 930 new bikes into service at 85 new stations.

Dressed up

THERE is still time left to vote in Manacor’s festive decoration competition! The council are holding a competition with two different categories to find the best decorations in the town.

This year, the council is running a contest to find the best building decorations, a category which includes shops and businesses, as well as several participating residential buildings. Another contest is being held to find the street with the most magical lighting in the town centre.

The building decoration category has 18 delightful entries featuring knitted figures and dazzling lights, but Calle Bosch, 9 currently leads in the polls with nearly 225 votes.

Lively line-up

PALMA Jazz Festival will return for its fourth edition in 2023 according to organisers who held a press conference with the council on Thursday, December 23 in Palma.

The popular jazz festival has been celebrated as a vibrant intersection between diverse styles within the genre and for international jazz musicians to collaborate and perform to an engaged audience. Several jazz stars have broken through to the global popular music scene thanks to the festival.

The festival is set to last for more than two weeks from Thursday, February 2 until Sunday, February 19 with most performances taking place in the Xesc Forteza Theatre.

Festival organiser, Ferran Pereira, announced several of the acts who are set to perform in the varied programme, including Yazz Ahmed, a BritishBahraini composer and trumpetist, Israeli saxophonist Eli

Degibri, and the Berta Moreno Afro & Soul group.

Councillor for Culture and Social Welfare, Antoni Noguera explained, “This festival offers a firstclass lineup of artists and is a unique opportunity for jazz fans to see live performances in Palma.”

In the street category there are also several exciting displays featuring colour lights, Christmas trees, gifts and unique decorations, but Calle Pedreres Blanques is currently steaming ahead with more than 300 votes.

The contest is running until 10am on Monday, January 2 when votes will be counted and the winners will receive cash prizes of up to €500. Voting is being held via the council’s Facebook page, where participants ‘vote’ for their favourite entries by liking the pictures.

New Year wishes

2022 HAS been a year of rebirth for Spain’s economy and tourism industry following two years of the pandemic.

Tourists have returned in their millions while the theatres, bars and restaurants which had been hit by Covid are booming once again.

Spain also saw some of the biggest names in music flock to its shores, with Craig David, Simply Red, Simple Minds and Texas all performing this summer.

2023 is now set to be an even bigger year of boom and the Euro Weekly News would like to wish all our readers and advertisers a very happy and prosperous New Year ahead.

With love, The EWN family x

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NEW SYSTEM: The Bicipalma city bikes are just weeks away from coming into action all over Palma.

We hope you never need it, but this Christmas the Euro Weekly News would like to remind all readers of Spain’s emergency services number for police, fire, ambulance and coastguard. Remember, if you are feeling suicidal there is always help. OFFICERS speak English, as well as many other European languages, and are your first port of call in an emergency. A free 24-hour helpline to speak to experts in your own language. 112 o24 Call EWN 29 Dec 2022 - 4 Jan 2023 3 NEWS euroweeklynews.com

Photo credit: Ajuntament de Palma

credit: Ayuntamiento de

JAZZ FESTIVAL: The organisers have announced an exciting line-up of performers ahead of the festival’s return in February.

Photo

Palma

155 kilometre fundraiser

ED 1905 - JANUARY

WHEN the majority of charities had to curtail their fundraising at the start of 2021, New Zealander Sean Judkins who came to live in Mallorca in 2007 was having none of that!

His wife Anita had suffered (and thankfully recovered) from cancer and the family which includes three teenage children received valuable assistance to cope from Cancer Support Mallorca so he was determined to help raise funds when money was tight.

The Mallorca Odyssey, saw him running (21km), cycling (102km) and kayaking (17km) around the island and he managed to raise the incredible sum of €11,000+ for the charity.

This year, he’s taken things up a notch and is inviting individuals and teams to take part in the Tramuntathlon which is a multisport triathlon event based around the UNESCO World Heritage site, the Serra de Tramuntana.

It’s not a race, it’s a noncompetitive adventure for those who want to do something positive and raise money to help the fight against cancer but it’s not for the faint hearted. Athletes will start in a kayak with a circumnavigation of Sa Dragonera, followed by a further four stages (two of cycling and two of running) as the Tramuntathlon ends 155 kilometres later in the Tramuntanan village of Es Capdella.

Competitors will need to be selfsufficient throughout the event which means organising their own navi

gation, transport, food and equipment needs no handholding in this adventure!

Alongside the challenge of completing a gruelling course on April 9 this year, another important goal of the event is to raise money for Cancer Support Mallorca and increase awareness of the importance of regular checkups.

It’s important to visit the website www.tra muntathlon. com to see all of the requirements to participate and also to read about the fun run for children.

Happy Balearics

THE Balearic Government is at last able to allow proper celebrations to take place to mark Balearic Islands Day on March 1 following past restrictions caused by the pandemic.

Announcing that there will be 255 sponsored activities across the four islands, Minister for the Presidency, Civil Service and Equality, Mercedes Garrido said “this year we will have a very special day, which will be a reunion, with which we will be able to celebrate that despite the adversities we are a fighting society, showing solidarity, which brings out the best in itself when it is most needed and able to recover and move forward.”

Palma will continue to be the epicentre of the celebrations, with 164 activities, although there will be a great involvement of the municipalities to move the focus from just the city and some 30 events will take place across Mallorca.

Likewise, 30 events are planned in Menorca, 23 in Ibiza and eight in Formentera and all residents wherever they are will be invited to take part to celebrate the day that the Balearics were recognised as an Autonomous Community.

It all starts on Monday February 28 with presentation of medals and awards and there will be special artisan markets set up around Palma with music and culture of the Balearic Islands coming to the forefront.

Gastronomy will also have its place and Feixina Park will be the gastronomic centre, where live cooking shows, a fair featuring local produce, wine tasting, workshops and demonstrations will take place.

For full details of all that is going on visit www. caib.es

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Photo credit: Facebook ED 1905 - JANUARY RAISING FUNDS: At the end of the Mallorca Odyssey.

Unstoppable together

ED 1915 - MARCH

AN estimated 3,500 people, mainly women, were on the streets of Palma to celebrate International Women’s Day on Tuesday March 8.

The march which was organised by the Feminist Movement of Mallorca started at 7pm in the Plaza de Espana and finished an hour later at the Plaza de la Reina.

The march stopped briefly en route outside the office of the Vox political party where there were shouts that ‘Mallorca will be the grave of fascism’ before moving on to the beat of the Batucada drum band.

There were a number of speeches supporting equality of employment, including the breaking of glass ceilings, and the eradication of violence against women.

This was the first time in two years that such a

demonstration concerning women’s rights could be held.

Participants marched under the banner ‘Together We Are Unstoppable’.

Within the march itself were a corps of women dressed in black carrying placards protesting against the invasion of the Ukraine by Russia.

The only possible sour note was a comment on

social media complaining that transexuals had not been invited to take part as well.

The noisy demonstration was conducted in a friendly and peaceful manner which coincided with the call for a society fuelled less by machismo and more by equality.

All the speeches were also interpreted by sign language.

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WOMEN’S MARCH: Demonstrating for equality and peace. Credit: Feminist Movement of Mallorca Twitter

Beds for refugees

MALLORCAN hoteliers will make 350 beds available for Ukrainian refugees thanks to an agreement between the Government of the Balearic Islands and the Hotel Federation of Mallorca.

This was announced on Monday March 28 just three days prior to the closure of the Covid hotel in Palma which had 250 temporary places available whilst more accommodation was being sought.

Under this agreement which initially lasts for one month, more than 90 rooms, studios and apartments with a total capacity for more than 350 people in hotels and apartment hotels across the island will be made available.

The agreement reached with the Hotel Federation of Mallorca means that families will be able to have a roof over their heads in

properties owned by members of the Federation and will have a breathing space before the authorities can allocate longterm housing.

During this time, it is planned that the temporary spaces will be adapted and enabled and that the Red Cross will make arrangements with the Spanish Government, which has overall responsibility for refugees, to obtain accommodation and employ staff to help settle the Ukrainian arrivals in.

“It is an absolutely generous and essential agreement,” said the Minister of

Social Affairs and Sports, Fina Santiago, who claimed that, since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, “the Balearic Islands have had a solidarity response: have mobilised civil society and the main industry of the Balearic Islands to attend to the population movement.”

The national settlement plan, provides that refugees arriving in any part of Spain without specific accommodation should be referred to one of the four centres set up by the Government of Spain on the Peninsula before being allocated areas in which to live.

Palma Boat Show

ED 1921 - MAY

IT’S all go at the Moll Vell in Palma, as the doors opened for the International Boat Show today, Thursday April 28 and runs until Sunday May 1.

Despite all the problems that have been encountered with the pandemic, at 276, there are actually six more participating companies than attended the 2019 event and 49 more than last year, meaning a 21 per cent increased uptake.

For those who may not have a few million euros to spare, there is no need to purchase a vessel and all who attend are welcome to enjoy the sight of no less than 264 boats at anchor.

The vice president of the Balearic Government, Juan Pedro Yllanes said about the

event that “sailing is a strategic sector for the industry and economy of the Balearic Islands.

“The nautical sector is part of the strategy of economic diversification and the commitment to quality tourism, linked to an industrial sector with a turnover of around €840 million a year, generates more than 4,500 jobs direct and has almost 650 companies.”

One of the highlights

of this show is the participation of new companies that have never taken part before and some 28 per cent of exhibitors are the first time they come to Palma to show their nautical offers.

As this is the first nautical fair of the season, many shipyards have chosen Palma to present their new models and there is the added bonus of the Superyacht Village.

New discovery

THE exploration of the Punic shipwreck in El Sec, Calvia, from the fourth century BC, is being carried out thanks to a grant of €54,316 from the Consell de Mallorca’s Directorate of Heritage. On June 2, the Consell announced that newly discovered materials had been retrieved from the shipwreck. They will be investigated and then handed over to the Museum of Mallorca.

The newly recovered pieces include ceramics, jewellery,

metal objects and foodstuffs such as coriander and almonds.

“We are amazed,” said Carlos de Juan, one of the codirectors of the project, speaking of the findings of part of

the ship’s cargo and the state of the naval architecture. The research will provide important information about trade in the Mediterranean during that historical period.

According to de Juan and the other codirector, Sebastià Munar, the idea of exploring the shipwreck again after it had not been touched for 50 years arose after the underwater archaeological survey of 2019 showed that there were still remains of wood. With more modern means than in the 1970s, it was found that there were still some areas to excavate, which led to the discovery of the materials.

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ED 1917 - APRIL ACCOMMODATION PROVIDED: Meeting between the Government and Hoteliers Credit: Balearic Government ED 1927 - JUNE MOLL VELL: The Palma International Boat Show is open. New objects have been discovered from an ancient shipwreck in Calvia. Image: Balearic Islands Government

‘BALEARIC ISLANDS, where workers are as important as tourists’ is a message printed on a towel hanging in a souvenir shop in the centre of Palma, and also one of the key ideas of the new tourism law. The Balearic Islands Government has decided to promote the new law to residents and tourists on messages on the typical products sold at gift shops, such as fans, postcards and tshirts.

In a video recorded with a hidden camera, people in the centre of Palma can be seen reacting with surprise upon seeing a souvenir shop selling all the typical tourist products, but with

Surprising souvenirs

innovative messages related to the main measures of the new tourism law.

The Balearic Islands Government is promoting this video the DirectorateGeneral of Communication. “This law should be put out through Europe and the UK,” said a British tourist in the video. Other products include a tshirt that reads ‘Someone who loves me very much went to a hotel free of disposable plastics in the Balearic Islands and got

me this tshirt’, or a fan that said ‘Balearic Islands, where hotels will eliminate 57 tonnes of CO2 per year’.

“I think it’s phenomenal. My mother works as a chambermaid and when the season ends she always ends up with back and arm pain,” said a tourist when she heard that one of the measures will mean that more than 300,000 hotel beds will be replaced by elevating beds to help radically reduce the health problems

of hotel room attendants.

The products on display also include magnets, water bottles, mugs and postcards explaining that the new tourism law respects workers’ rights, resources and the environment. All the souvenirs are available in Catalan, Spanish, English and German, and the video will be available in these four versions. It will be broadcast on television and the government’s social networks.

International patrols

ED 1936 - AUGUST

ON Tuesday August 9 in Can Picafort, the Guardia Civil presented the mixed international patrols that have been working in Mallorca since July 15.

The event was attended by the delegate of the Spanish government in the Balearic Islands, Aina Calvo, and the chief colonel of the area, Alejandro Hernández.

The mixed patrols are made up of officers from the Spanish Guardia Civil, German Federal Police, French Gendarmerie and Italian Carabinieri.

This collaborative project is part of the Safe Tourism Plan, the main objective of which is to permanently increase public safety in tourist areas and provide a more secure environment for tourists during their stay in Mallorca.

According to a press release from the Guardia Civil, promoting international cooperation is one of their top priori

ties, as it represents “the foundation of the fight against global crime.”

Throughout the summer, a selection of law enforcement officers from Germany, France and Italy will be working in Mallorca. Specifically, a French officer and an Italian officer are carrying out their public safety tasks in the municipality of Calvia; another French policeman has been sent to Soller; three German policemen are on duty in Santa Margalida and in the tourist resort of Can Picafort and another German policeman is on duty in Arta.

The mixed international patrols will remain on the island until the end of September and will carry out joint surveillance missions with the local officers from the Guardia Civil, working in close collaboration with them and following their direction. The tasks they have been assigned are the same as those undertaken by any Guardia Civil patrol.

Restored glory

ED 1941 - SEPTEMBER

THE onceuncertain fate of Mallorca’s almost centuryold Hotel Formentor, looks set to be resolved as construction work advances on site.

Legal battles over the management of the premises had led to a development stalemate, while the condition of the building continued to deteriorate. More recently, the project was dealt another blow as developers were fined over poor waste management.

But speaking to local press this week, former mayor of Pollença and current minister for Planning, Tomeu Cifre emphasised developers’ commitment to a ‘faithful’ reconstruction of the hotel. Cifre stated that the project aimed to ‘capture the essence’ of the original hotel.

Previous buildings had to be demolished due to health and safety concerns and structural damage. Now construction work is underway to create a replica of the original offering the same number of rooms, 249.

Developers have their work cut out in the reconstruction project. The historic hotel dates back to 1929, born out of Argentinian resident, Adan Diehl’s frustration at the 1929 economic crisis. The resort is set against an exuberant forest and UNESCO World Heritage site, with stunning sea views.

POP-UP SHOP: A shop in Palma is promoting the new tourism law.

EWN 29 Dec 2022 - 4 Jan 2023 euroweeklynews.com BEST OF THE YEAR 8 ED 1932 - JULY

Credit: Balearic Islands Government

Singing chefs

ED 1954 - DECEMBER

MALLORCA’S top British chef, Marc Fosh, has swapped his chopping board for a guitar and gathered leading local Spanish chefs on the island to sing for peace this Christmas and to raise money for the World Central Kitchen (WCK).

Marc Fosh of Michelinstarred restaurant ‘Fosh’ in Palma de Mallorca has composed the song Don’t Ask Me Why? and is the driving force behind an impressive lineup of 13 of the island’s top chefs with the objective of raising money for the WCK to help with the extraordinary work they do.

Marc’s song has been produced by local Mallorquin musicians Jaime Anglada and Sergio Llopis and mastered in the Abbey Road Studios in London

with a video directed by Spanish award winning photographer, Nando Esteva.

Founded in 2010 by Chef Jose Andres, World Central Kitchen (WCK) is a nonprofit organisation that is first to the frontlines providing fresh meals in response to crises, while working to build resilient food systems with locallyled solutions.

Applying their model of quick action, leveraging local resources, and adapting in real time, WCK has served more than 200 million nourishing meals

Image: Yachting gives back (YGB)

around the world.

When disaster strikes, WCK’s Relief Team mobilises with the urgency of now to start cooking and serving meals to people in need. By partnering with organisations on the ground and activating a network of local restaurants, food trucks, or emergency kitchens, WCK serves comforting meals to survivors of disasters quickly and effectively.

WCK know that good food provides not only nourishment but also comfort and hope, especially in times of crisis. Learn more at wck.org

Help at hand

ED 1949 - NOVEMBER

WHAT happens if you live on the island, and you are told you have cancer, but you do not speak or understand Spanish well? Apart from the distress caused by the news, you could struggle to deal with treatment options, social security, and insurances, 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 affected by cancer. The animated film created by Philip Rogan and Aline WindolphNahar explains how residents from 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.

For more information call (+34) 659 887 455. To watch the short film go to www.can cersupportmallorca.com.

A whole latte love

ED 1944 - OCTOBER

CALANOVA Cancer Care Association raised a whopping €1,000 for Macmillan Cancer Care with a coffee morning at the Secret Garden on Friday September 30.

Guests enjoyed a sunny morning at the Secret Garden for a catch up with friends and to enjoy a cup of coffee and slice of cake, from a fabulous assortment baked and donated by volunteers for the charity.

An exciting feature also saw guests guessing the weight of a hedgehog cake, generously baked and donated by a local woman. Other fun activities on the day included a tombola with great prizes won by guests.

Organisers thanked the Secret Garden for their wonderful hospitality, Izzy Newman for providing top quality entertainment and Calanova Cancer Care volunteers for baking and donating cakes for sale at the coffee morning. The total donation sum of €1,000 will be sent to Macmillan Cancer Care.

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Island’s top chefs.

• December 31, Remix Your New Year, 9pm, Hard Rock Café Mallorca

• January 31, New Year’s Eve Hits of the 70s with Mark Ritchie, 10.30pm, Molly’s Bar San Caliu

• January 3, Arrival of the Royal Pages, 12pm, Plaça de Cort

• January 6, Adoration of the Three Kings of Orient, 11.30am, Ses Voltes

• Until January 8, The Tiny Charming Christmas Market, MAHA Lounge

A BOXING fundraiser in Mallorca will see competitors fight cancer in a challenge raising money for the Mallorca Cancer Support Group.

Participants will begin a 10 week training cycle on Monday, January 9 at Renegade Martial Arts which aims to prepare them for the charity fight night later

Fight night fundraiser

in the month. The fight nights are set to be announced, but according to organisers, participants will raise ‘buckets of money’ for the cancer support group.

The challenge is designed to be an excellent new year

lifestyle change, while raising money for a deserving local cause which will improve the lives of locals currently in their own fight with cancer. Participants can test their skills at white collar boxing or kick boxing.

If you are interested in putting your sparring skills to the test to fight cancer, sign up by contacting Renegade Martial Arts at: 687 354 466 or: info@renegade martialarts.net to book your place on the course before Saturday, December 31.

your hand at boxing

raise funds for the fight against cancer.

Ballet brilliance

THE acclaimed International Ballet Company will welcome in the new year in Mallorca with two dazzling dance performances on Tuesday, January 3, and Wednesday, January 4.

The worldrenowned ballet company will put on two performances of Tchaikovsky ballets, ‘Swan Lake’ on January 3, and ‘The Nutcracker’ on January 4. The performances at Palma Auditorium will showcase some of the finest ballet talent in all of Europe with incredible soloists from Ukraine, Italy and Moldova taking to the stage.

The traditionally festive ballet pieces are an excellent way to draw the Christmas fun to a close, before the end of Christmas celebrations on the island the following weekend. The ballets promise to be a captivating spectacle for the whole family, offering some festive magic.

The ballet company was created by Moldovan soloists Cristina and Alexei Terentiev, who bring classical ballets to life with elite performers.

Tickets start at €38 and are available online at: https://auditoriumpalma.com/es/espectaculo/INTER NATIONALBALLETCOMPANY/

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Try

and

Photo credit: Renegade Martial Arts (Via Facebook)

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EXPAT2EXPAT REWARDS

When an existing Línea Directa customer recommends a new customer, they both receive €30. Línea Directa’s Expat2Expat programme is free and open to all existing customers. You can recommend up to 10 people and earn up to €300 in cash per year. Simply ask your friend to call 952 147 834 and quote your full name. Then once their application for car, bike or home insurance has been approved, Línea Directa will pay the reward straight into the bank account following payment of next or first premium. For more information, see terms and conditions at lineadirecta.com.

CHECK-OUT OUR POLICIES

All customer service and documentation is in English, their claims service is fast and efficient, you can get quick no obligation quotes over the phone, and their easy payment options help spread the cost

of premiums.

DEDICATED TO EXPATS

Línea Directa has been providing comprehensive car, motorbike and home insurance to British expatriates and residents in Spain for over 25 years. With over three million customers nationwide, Línea Directa makes sure you get the best possible price for the kind of insurance you really need.

ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING IS IN ENGLISH

Their Roadside Assistance team speaks English and will quickly help you with your onward journey. If you urgently need a duplicate set of keys for your motorcycle, then their English-speaking customer service will sort it out. And should you require Home Assistance to set up your new Wi-Fi connection, then English speaking technical staff will set up a visit.

DID YOU KNOW?

All Línea Directa insurance policies offer some exciting features specifically designed for British expatriates living in Spain. Their home insurance includes Pet Assistance, IT Assistance, and Home Maintenance. All motorbike policies come with Replacement Motorbike, Technical Equipment cover and even Young Person’s Night-time Assistance. And their car insurance includes helpful services such as Legal Assistance that can provide help when applying or renewing your driving licence in Spain.

Call their English-speaking customer service staff on 952 147 834 or get a competitive quote now at lineadirecta.com

PRESS EUROPEAN

DENMARK

Racist outburst

NORMALLY there is little overt racism in Danish broadcasting, but there has been a major upset after speaking during a TV2 broadcast, journalist Christian Høgh Andersen compared pictures of Moroccan players celebrating their win to a ‘family of monkeys’ for which the company has apologised.

THE NETHERLANDS

Fair cop

DUTCH police were intrigued when they saw an extension lead running from a Tesla electric vehicle to a lamp post in a street in the town of Oud-Beijerland. The owner who it is assumed wanted to save money was arrested and charged with stealing electricity.

BELGIUM

Accessory ban

THE region of Wallonia has passed a new law banning the use of any accessories believed to cause harm to domestic animals and this includes a number of different dog collars, both electric and spiked as well as small aquariums and goldfish bowls.

GERMANY

Cunning stunts

THE latest attention seeking stunt by German climate activists Last Generation was to chop the top off a 15-metre Christmas tree outside Berlin's Brandenburg Gate and then unfurl a banner that read: ‘This is just the tip of the Christmas tree’.

FRANCE

Still Smokin’

A SURVEY of 23,661 adults has revealed that 10.6 per cent of the population have used marihuana in the past 12 months and almost half will have tried it at some time. Surprisingly the average age of a user has risen from 25 to almost 33.

NORWAY

FINLAND

Donkey drama

POLICE in Lohja, southwest Finland were surprised to discover a donkey called Judit, without the Virgin or Three Wise Men, wandering through the town late at night, but she was returned unharmed to her sanctuary in time for her to take part in their nativity show.

IRELAND

Polar theft

CUSTOMERS and staff at vegan restaurant Cornucopia in Dublin were devastated when a large polar bear plush toy known for giving ‘free hugs’ was stolen by a masked man, but it has been recovered in return for €40 and a bottle of Prosecco.

ITALY

Super car

IN 2017 the Italian police were given a Lamborghini Huracan, which has a top speed of 300kmh and it is now mainly used to transport organs, with the latest activity being a 570-kilometre journey from Padua to Rome via Modena delivering two kidneys.

PORTUGAL

Supermarket swoop

TWO supermarkets in Vila do Conde (Oporto) have been temporarily closed down as goods on sale, reportedly worth €180,000, were not properly labelled in Portuguese, thus, according to the Food and Economic Security Authority, making it impossible for consumers to make an informed choice.

UKRAINE

Pope speaks

AT a General Audience at the Vatican prior to Christmas, Pope Francis said ”We think of the Ukrainian people this Christmas, without light, without heating, without what they need to survive. Let us pray to the Lord to bring peace as soon as possible."

SWEDEN

King ill

NORWAY’S King Harald V, now aged 85, has been in an Oslo hospital for several days with an infection, but has now been discharged and returned home to complete his recovery. In the meantime, Crown Prince Haakon has taken over his father’s duties.

Not a belieber

ALTHOUGH Swedish fashion retailer believed that it had correctly negotiated a licence agreement for a Justin Bieber clothing range, it has had to withdraw it after the petulant singer wrote “I wouldn't buy it if I were you” and later called it “trash”.

EWN 29 Dec 2022 - 4 Jan 2023 14 euroweeklynews.com EUROPEAN PRESS

BEST PRICE. BETTER COVER.

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 crystalclear 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 well

known to the area. The Cruz del Descubrimiento is a beautiful monument to visit with top class 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 treetop adventure park with zip lines and climbs for an unforgettable and once in a lifetime 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 homecooked 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.

EWN 29 Dec 2022 - 4 Jan 2023 16

euroweeklynews.com BONO CALVIA

The perfect place to visit.

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!

EWN 29 Dec 2022 - 4 Jan 2023 17 BONO CALVIA euroweeklynews.com

FINANCE

BUSINESS EXTRA ABHOUT time

Price gap

UK Energy Minister, Grant Shapps has written to retailers of diesel and petrol complaining that a recent report from the Competition and Markets Authority suggests that many, especially supermarkets, tend to push forecourt prices up far quicker than they bring them down.

Xmas cheer

A REPORT by Spanish group Business Insider calculates that this year, (based on prices from Carrefour, Lidl and Mercadona), Christmas dinner will be 13.2 per cent more expensive than 2021 averaging €114 for four people and will increase by nearly €30 for each additional person.

January sale

BRITISH retailer Matalan has revealed plans for its ongoing sale and after assessing bids received from ‘a number of interested parties’ it plans to discuss various options with them with the intention of making an informed choice by the end of January.

Flagship store

BARCELONA has been chosen by British clothing and sports company JD Sports to be the city in which it will open its flagship store of more than 2,000 square metres (in a building valued at €80 million which previously housed Disney and H&M) early next year.

UK Budget

THE next UK Budget, setting out the government’s tax and spending plans, will be held on March 15, 2023, the Treasury has announced. In a statement, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said the Budget would also be accompanied by a forecast from the Office for Budget Responsibility.

Spain and bribery

BRIBERY of foreign officials is a fact of life, but according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Spain has an appalling record of dealing with it!

Since the OECD AntiBribery Convention entered into force over 20 years ago, Spain has successfully convicted only two individuals in one foreign bribery case and has not convicted a single company.

The 44country Working Group has just completed its Phase 4 evaluation of Spain’s implementation of the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions and related instruments.

The conclusion was that Spain continues to close cases prematurely.

Prosecutors have insufficient time to conduct their investigations and face challenges in deploying adequate investigative measures.

In addition to the issues described above, the report expresses concerns about the restrictive interpretation of

the foreign bribery offence by Spanish judges, the exceedingly short statute of limitations applicable to proceedings against legal persons, and how corporate criminal liability is triggered in practice.

Speaking exclusively to Euro Weekly News, a retired senior British company director explained that several years ago he had been invited to Nigeria to sign a contract with the country’s Central Bank but after arriving in Abuja found himself being stalled.

He eventually discovered that an attractive young lady who worked for a Spanish Government Agency had arrived and spent some time with a deputy Governor who inexplicably signed the very same contract with her organisation.

In fairness many forms of aid, especially to socalled ‘third world’ countries are tied up with terms which are beneficial to the political or economic benefit of the government granting the aid, which in itself is a legalised form of bribery.

Moderna UK deal

AMERICAN company Moderna partnered with the UK government on December 21 in a 10yearpartnership to produce vaccines and undertake research.

The company is to undertake mRNA research and development in the UK, and build a stateoftheart vaccine manufacturing centre with the ability to produce up to 250 million vaccines a year.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Steve Barclay has heralded this agreement as NHS patients will have access to a UKmade supply of Covid19 jabs as well as cuttingedge vaccines developed for other respiratory diseases, such as flu and respiratory syncytial virus.

The partnership will create more than 150 jobs and further futureproof the UK

against potential pandemics, with patients to benefit from speedy access to the latest advancements in vaccine technology.

Developing vaccines on UK shores means it will be able to scale up production rapidly in the event of a health emergency, significantly boosting the NHS ability to respond to future pandemics.

Whilst a significant (cur

rently unrevealed) investment has been welcomed by the UK government, there has recently been significant comment on social media about subsequent unexpected and unexplained deaths in the young, as possible side effects of the various untested ‘vaccines’.

The fact that Moderna will be running a significant number of clinical trials in

the UK and has also pledged to fund grants for UK universities, including PhD places and research programmes may be considered worrying by many.

The government contends however that by boosting the UK’s onshore vaccine manufacturing capability, Britain will be a step closer to becoming the leading global hub for life sciences.

NEXT year should see a new competitor for in home gym training companies when Portuguesebased BHOUT releases what it claims is the world’s first artificial intelligence enabled punch bag.

Launching initially in the UK and USA it has the added benefit of allowing those using it not only to compete with other owners, but if they are recognised of performing at a high enough standard, they can also become trainers and earn funds from their workouts.

The outside of the bag is made from organic material whilst the internal sensors calculate the power and location of each strike and transmit this information to the BHOUT’s internal brain.

UK rail fares

THE UK government has acted with the biggest intervention in its history to ensure rail fare increases for 2023 are capped at 5.9 per cent, 6.4 percentage points lower than the RPI figure on which they are historically based.

Fares will officially rise on March 5, 2023 and like last year, the government is freezing them for the entirety of January and February, giving passengers more time to purchase cheaper flexible and season tickets at the existing rate.

The government has aligned the increase to July’s average earnings growth thus more than halving the increase but also wants to see railway unions respond positively.

Economy shrinking

IT’S not good news for the British government or the Bank of England as latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the economy shrank by a greater amount than originally anticipated in the third quarter of 2022.

Although there is not a huge difference as the expected downturn of 0.2 per cent has been lowered to a final figure of 0.3 per cent, the ONS also revised down the figures for the first half of the year.

If this negative situation continues for a further quarter, as is expected, then Britain will officially be declared as being in recession.

euroweeklynews.com • 29 Dec 2022 - 4 Jan 2023 18

is the amount that the President of Sabadell Bank, Josep Oliu, spent on December 20 to purchase one million shares in the bank that he heads.

STAT OF WEEK €890,000

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º º C C OMPANY OMPANY P P RICE RICE((P P)) C C HANGE HANGE((P P)) % C % C HG HG . N N ET ET V V OL OL COMPANY CHANGE NET / % VOLUME US dollar (USD) ........................................1.0618 Japan yen (JPY) 140.83 Switzerland franc (CHF) 0.9878 Denmark kroner (DKK) 7.4362 Norway kroner (NOK) 10.451 MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MONEY WITH US See our advert on previous page 0.87937 1.13732 LONDON - FTSE 100 CLOSING PRICES 27 DECEMBER Units per € COMPANY PRICE CHANGE OLUME(M) NASDAQ CLOSING PRICES 27 DECEMBER M - MILLION DOLLARS THE ABOVE TABLE USES THE CURRENT INTERBANK EXCHANGE RATES, WHICH AREN T REPRESENTATIVE OF THE RATE WE OFFER currenciesdirect.com/mallorca • Tel: +34 687 906 226 EWN 29 Dec 2022 - 4 Jan 2023 euroweeklynews.com FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL 20

BUSINESS EXTRA

Helping hand

LIBYA, which has suffered from civil war following the overthrow of President Gaddafi is looking to strengthen relationships with Spain and on Monday December 19 its Central Bank Governor travelled to Madrid for discussions about monetary policy with the Governor of the Bank of Spain.

Fewer shoppers

AS Christmas is one of the most important times of the year for retailers, a combination of freezing cold weather and rail strikes has meant that footfall in most UK high streets over the past few days has dropped dramatically, although it may boost online sales.

Recovery fund

SPANISH Economy Minister Nadia Calvino has confirmed that Spain will request a further €84 billion in loans and a €7.7 billion grant from the European Union Recovery Fund which means that if granted Spain will have received the entire amount offered by the EU.

Quotas agreed

FISHING in European waters has been a bone of contention for decades, going back to the so called ‘Cod Wars’ with Iceland and beyond.

In the run up to Brexit, several UK based fishermen sold their licences to Dutch and Spanish companies, but there is still a significant UK fishing fleet.

Despite disagreement on a number of matters, the UK has completed an agreement with the European Union concerning fishing quotas and the Spanish government has announced that it is very pleased with the results which allow its fishing fleets greater access to popular species in British waters such as hake and monkfish.

Cash is still king

A EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK (ECB) study released on Tuesday December 20 confirms cash is king and is still the most frequently used means of payment at the point of sale, but its share is declining.

According to the document on the payment attitudes of consumers in the euro area, cash was used for 59 per cent of point of sale transactions in 2022, down from 72 per cent in 2019.

It is the means of payment most often used for small value payments in stores and for person to person transactions.

A majority (60 per cent) also consider it important to have cash as a payment option as consumers perceive cash as helpful to remain aware of their

expenditures, to protect their privacy and to allow transactions to be settled immediately.

At the same time, the trend

towards electronic means of payments has accelerated with the pandemic and many consumers now prefer to use elec

tronic payment methods.

The share of online purchases as a percentage of all euro area day to day transactions has increased significantly to stand at 17 per cent in 2022, up from 6 per cent in 2019.

For purchases at a point of sale, the share of card payments has grown by 9 percentage points to 34 per cent in 2022, with contactless payments now making up the majority of card payments.

Cards are considered faster and easier to use and are seen as reducing the need to carry large amounts of cash.

They are the most frequently used payment method for larger amounts and now account for a higher share of payments than cash in value terms.

Loan guarantee

EVEN though the Spanish government is one of the biggest borrowers from the European Union and has received hundreds of billions of euros from the Recovery Fund, it is still doing its bit to support Ukraine.

On Wednesday December 21, the World Bank announced its’ Health Enhancement and Lifesaving (HEAL Ukraine) Project to improve and strengthen primary health care, address increased demand for mental health and rehabilitation services due to the war, restore and strengthen service delivery in hospitals that are facing capacity constraints and support capacity building for key health institutions.

King Charles banknotes

NEW King Charles III banknotes were unveiled by the Bank of England on Wednesday December 20 although they are unlikely to enter into circulation before 2024.

With the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, it was clear that new coins and banknotes would need to be released featuring an image of the new monarch.

It is more than likely that preliminary designs had been drawn up before her death and indeed as they have to be approved by the Palace may even have been viewed by Her Majesty

and the then Prince of Wales.

Whilst coins have a long life, bank notes which are in constant use have a much shorter life span and are relatively expensive to produce, which is why the Bank of England decided to phase out paper notes and replace them with longer lasting polymer notes.

Rather than produce new designs for each side of the four notes that are currently in circulation, £5 Winston Churchill, £10Jane Austen, £20 JMW Turner, £50 Alan Turing, it has been decided to only change the design on

the side where the monarch’s portrait appears.

The King’s image will appear on the front of the banknotes, as well as in the seethrough security window, but all other images will remain the same. The new banknotes will only be printed to replace those featuring Her Majesty that are worn or to meet any overall increase in demand for banknotes, a decision which is in line with guidance from the Royal Household, to minimise the environmental and financial impact of this change.

Funding for the project includes a €100 million loan, backed by a guarantee from the Spanish government.

Password sharing

IT has been common practice (rightly or wrongly) for people subscribing to online streaming services such as Netflix to share passwords with friends and families who they don’t live with.

In the past year, Netflix in particular, which has been losing market share, has made it clear that it will try to stop this from happening, although it hasn’t threatened legal action as yet.

The UK Intellectual Property Office has however told the BBC that although it no longer states on its website that such sharing is illegal, the position remains the same and legal action could be taken against anyone found to be sharing passwords.

EWN 29 Dec 2022 - 4 Jan 2023 www.euroweeklynews.com FINANCE 22

POPULAR PAYMENT: Cash machines are the easiest way to obtain cash. Credit: Salvador SV flickr ALL CHANGE: The design of the new £5 note. Credit: Bank of England

Detrimental onslaught

BECAUSE the British Labour party were so severely routed in the last election its supporters are totally aware the the only chance they have of winning the next ballot is if the country is brought to its knees.

Subsequently, one of the conspiratorial ways they are conniving to achieve this outcome is by instigating as much alarm and anxiety among its citizens as possible. The union bosses, who are utterly in league with the Labour hierarchy, are revelling in and wholly supporting the crippling strikes which are sweeping the country.

The media, especially the BBC are positively churning out disparaging reports, blaming the Conservatives for any depreciating state of affairs they can divulge; and periodically with monotonous regularity, they slot in Starmer or a documentary that delivers some kind of statement as to how the Labour party would improve the situation.

What the left exponents are en

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

OTHERS THINK IT

deavouring to do is create a misinformed and disheartened populace that also considers the only way to rescue its beloved country will be to elect a different government.

The faceless money men truly don’t care. They actually wouldn’t mind a Labour government taking control.

They are fully aware that the economics of a party that has to satisfy such a vast array of cross sectioned supporters to attain enough votes is easy pickings that will subsequently earn them even more power and financial gain until the party once again finishes up in exactly the same way as it did the last time.

Consequently losing their position to yet another brand new right wing government that has to

spend their first few years struggling to rescue the country from the social and financial hole it has once again been plunged into. The one issue I do think is a mistake for the left is to nose dive the country into all this social and political confrontation too early.

Most of the present financial problems have been brought on by the Covid pandemic and the world energy situation. In 12 months or so they could all be straightening out. Are the conspiritors really confident enough to continue this detrimental onslaught for another two years? Probably.

Keep the faith.

Love Leapy. leapylee2002@gmail.com expatradioscotland.com Monday and Friday 1pm till 4

For more from our columnists please scan this QR Code

OUR VIEW

A

CHRISTMAS THOUGHT

THAT’S another year almost over and having come out of two years of sporadic lockdown, noone knew what it was going to be like.

Slowly but surely, for many, things started to take on a semblance of normality with international travel starting again and businesses (at least those that survived 2020 and 2021) being able to start trading once more.

For many of us, 2022 has been a tough but decent year although having lived through the epidemic which caused so much heartbreak and saw so many deaths, the Russian invasion of Ukraine was a total surprise.

Just when it seemed that the world could rebuild, this pointless act by the Russian President knocked so many back and surprised many of us, both for the fantastic support that governments have given to the Ukrainian cause and how individuals and communities have responded to offer assistance to refugees from the conflict.

People are so resilient and the sight of Christmas lights and trees in the Kyiv subway has been an example of how people manage to cope regardless of how bad things may be.

We still have conflicts in Syria and Yemen, but they have been overshadowed by Ukraine, although most of us simply live our lives and just have to be thankful that whilst we may be suffering financially from the backlash of the invasion, we don’t have to fear that we might be blown up in our beds.

So, here’s to a better year to come and a prayer for all of those around the world who are suffering the inhumanity of civil war, invasion or crippling poverty plus, of course, all best wishes to our advertisers and readers.

EWN 29 Dec 2022 - 4 Jan 2023 23 FEATURE euroweeklynews.com

LeapyLee’sopinionsarehisownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

Political carousel

SALLY UNDERWOOD POLITICAL ANIMAL

IT’S the end of another political year and one which will go down in history as tying in joint first place with 1834 for being the year with the most UK prime ministers.

To put that into context, in 1834 six farmers were sent to a penal colony for forming a trade union, the public displaying of executed bodies in chains was officially abolished, slavery was ended across the majority of the British empire, and the Poor Law was amended to prevent the ablebodied from receiving government help unless they went into a workhouse (if a workhouse was the government’s idea of help, I’d be interested to see what their idea of hindering the poor was, but anyway). Oh yes, and in the same year the Houses of Parliament also literally burnt to the ground.

So it comes as something of a shock that 2022 has managed to

equalise with a year whose events sound like something out of the middle ages.

In October, Liz Truss managed another first for the UK, taking the dubious honour of being the shortestserving prime minister after just 50 days in office.

And even in that short space she’d managed to see the death of one monarch after 70 years and the bringing in of a new one; something which goes some way to showing just what a year of total democratic change 2022 has been.

To be fair to the UK, it is far from being the only country in the world to currently be suffering something of a political rollercoaster.

Between the war in Ukraine and a former president of the United States facing criminal charges for the first time in the country’s entire history, it’s safe to say the world is having a moment of political upheaval.

If this is what making political history looks like though, then I think we can all agree it would be preferable if next year is one not to remember.

Always here to help

CHRISTMAS can always be a trying time for many people, all too often made harder due to loneliness and financial hardship. This was the case of Caroline, who came to the British Benevolent Fund, out of desperation on Christmas night, this time last year.

She had been given our details by the British Consulate and wrote to us describing her plight. She had given birth in Spain and found herself without resources.

Because the baby had been born in Spain she was required to register the birth here, had been unable to travel back because this process was ongoing and it had already taken a month.

She was stuck in Spain with her newborn, but had no savings or funds to live off.

Her family wanted nothing to do with her and she had long exhausted the small amounts her friends had sent her. It was Christmas Eve, she was in a cheap hostal in a small room with a broken

Advertising Feature

bed, no heating and shared bathroom. It had cost her the last of her money, she would be homeless by Boxing Day, on the street in a strange place, alone with her baby.

She was terrified.

On Christmas Eve she got in touch with the BBF.

We were able to pay for her to move to a nearby hotel where she would have three hot meals a day, own bathroom and above all warmth over the Christmas period. The hotel provided a cot and the staff found her additional warm clothing for the baby. But it didn’t resolve the issueshe still couldn’t travel and the baby registration could be some time off.

She was able to find addi

tional help though the Consular supported website https://www.supportinspain. info/ as well as the local town hall who were also able to speed up her registration.

With that completed, the Consular office was then able to issue emergency documentation for the baby as well as alert the airport care team and UK social services of her arrival. We got her and her baby home but it had taken months and a heavy toll on Caroline. We could only help Caroline due to donations we receive. To help others please support us with a donation.

Raices Delicatessen: Gourmet food and unique events

CREATE unique and special moments with friends and family at Raices Delicatessen, a gourmet space with quality products from the abundant Extremadura region.

Located in Palmanova, Calvia, Raices is a very personal project created by Vanessa. Having grown up with products from Extremadura in the house, Vanessa has a deep understanding of the products and what they mean, passing on her passion and knowledge to her customers.

At Raices, you will find highquality Iberian sausages, a range of premium oils, sweet honey, cured meats, cheeses and wonderful wines from Extremadura. The perfect place to buy your loved ones gifts this Christmas, Vanessa has handcrafted gift baskets full of these wonderful products, and organises unique events and moments for groups looking to spend some time together while enjoying great food in a beautiful setting.

This labour of love has been designed to be within everyone’s reach. At Raices,

Creating memories.

Vanessa has products that everyone can afford and enjoy, promoting the wonderful abundance of food and wine from the Extremadura region.

Vanessa welcomes you into her beautiful shop to enjoy the products, shop for Christmas gifts for your loved ones to enjoy or find out more about creating moving memories with her unique and tailored events.

Address: Avda de la Platja, 7. Local 9. 07181. Palmanova, Calvia

EWN 29 Dec 2022 - 4 Jan 2023 euroweeklynews.com FEATURE 24

Opening hours: 10am until 2pm and 4pm until 6pm Tuesday to Friday, 10am until 2pm on weekends

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SAME RESPECT FOR ALL

LEAPY LEE obviously knows very little about the LGBTQ community and trans gender folk in particular. Just because a person grew up in a certain place at a time in history doesn’t make them an expert.

I am probably the same age and same history timeline but a different place, yes I am queer and yes lived in the 60s. We were called queer as an insult but are now able to claim this insult as our own which mitigates the abuse by media et al.

All trans folk want is the same respect as any other person. Nothing woke about it, this is about human dignity.

In terms of toilets that Mr Lee seems obsessed about, where is the problem.

We woman have cubicles and as a queer lesbian I would not preclude my trans sisters from using the cubicle next to me. I hope Mr Lee would not stop trans men from using the next urinal.

If he wants a proper debate using gutter press images and language I will oblige.

Helen Hallam Malaga

Too many people

THANK you Mr Brian Johnstone for your comment re population, I’ve been saying this for years and cannot understand why our educated leaders do not see the obvious underlying reason for most, if not all, of the country’s problems today ie demand exceeding supply.

The simple answer would be in my view to set a suggested maximum of two children per couple for the next 25 50 years. Of course there would be an outcry from most religious groups who would say that their god will provide, but I think that mother nature may disagree.

In my lifetime the world population has doubled, if it continues at this rate we are all in big trouble, just do the figures, Barry Nerja.

& Pauline Reading

Did you even vote

THE misogynistic comments that I have been reading on social media platforms about how it is unfair that a women’s footballer should win the BBC sports personality of the year award, instead of a male golfer or cricketer, is shocking. Beth Mead was voted to win this award by the public, I’m sure most of the people moaning couldn’t even be bothered to vote. Well done Beth Mead you are a credit to your country.

Tracey Hunter

Older views

I HAVE always been a fan of Leapy’s and find the columns refreshing, however times are changing as they always have done and our views are now becoming outdated and to some offensive.

My opinions are becoming to my children and grandchildren like my grandfather’s were to me when I was young, really embarrassing but they could get away with saying belligerent things because they were old and didn’t mean any offence (although they probably did mean to offend and knew they would get away with it).

It’s funny how life can go full circle and you turn into the relatives you swore you would never be like.

Raymond Barry

TV twaddle

THOSE of you who have access to UK TV, are you as disappointed with the twaddle that was on over the Christmas weekend as I am? I don’t know how many more times I can watch a repeat of a so called Christmas classic like Home Alone and the magazine shows such as This Morning were no better, how many times do I need to see how celebrities make their gravy?

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.

EWN 29 Dec 2022 - 4 Jan 2023 euroweeklynews.com LETTERS 28

Barry C Green

Shutterstock.com/ lazyllama

HUMAN DIGNITY: Every person is entitled to the same respect as any other person.

DEALING with colds and flus can be hard enough for humans, but what do we do when our pets get sick with seasonal illnesses?

Today we’re sharing some advice to help you to care for your dog when it gets sick, which will get that tail wagging again in no time!

• Warm and dry

The cause of most seasonal sicknesses is extended exposure to cold and wet conditions. Combat this by keeping your dog in a warm and dry space while it recovers from sickness.

This could mean giving your dog a few ex

tra blankets or using a lightly heated dog bed, but watch out for signs of overheating includ

ing heavy breathing or panting.

• Hearty meals

Regular, healthy meals and increased hydration can help your dog to recover from sickness by providing missing nutrients. Sicknesses like colds can inhibit your dog’s sense of smell, so try heating up their food in the microwave for a minute which can make it more fragrant and appealing.

• Lots of rest

Dogs already need

lots of rest for their active routines, and even more so when they’re sick. Make sure your dog has a comfortable place to sleep and cut

back on walks until they perk back up.

Seek professional advice if symptoms don’t subside after a week.

It’s important to continue to feed your dog as usual when they’re sick, the nutrients are vital for their recovery. Treating

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seasonal sickness

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Spotlight on the Lionesses

A NEW documentary has been released on the BBC detailing the English women’s football team’s meteoric rise to win the European Championships back in June 2022.

The fascinating documentary shows the Lionesses’ ride to glory, including highlights of winning matches and the difficulties they faced including sexism and being constantly overshadowed by the men’s team. Several players share thoughtful insights into the tournament and their careers in the documentary.

As the documentary was released, many are wondering what is on the cards for the Lionesses in 2023, whether it could be an even better year for the team. It’s been a historic year for the team, after going the whole year

without losing a match, winning the Euros on home ground and qualifying for the 2023 World Cup also unbeaten.

England manager, Sarina Wiegman shared her thoughts, “You can’t

beat that. You can only equal it.” And that is certainly what the team will be aiming to do next year as the team faces the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Confidence is up for

the team, after a victory against current World Champions, the USA, but there is still a long way to go, and the Lionesses face many more teams in the next stages of the competition.

Memorable cricket

THIS year has been packed with sporting highlights in the world of cricket, but there have been several stunning moments that have wowed cricket fans globally. Here we share some of the most defining cricket moments of the last year.

England’s win of the T20 cup

Ben Stokes led his team to victory over Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in November. The win marked the end of the English team’s 12 year wait for the title. The title was also the second world title for the team this year.

The Netherlands knock out South Africa

A huge shock for the cricket world came in the form of the Netherlands’ unlikely win against favourites, South Africa with a 13 run knockout.

Bangladesh defeat New Zealand

The Bangladeshi national team ended New Zealand’s 17 match winning streak on winning ground with a landmark defeat.

Cricket debut

The sport made its first appearance as a sport in the Commonwealth Games during this year’s edition of the event in Birmingham.

EWN 29 Dec 2022 - 4 Jan 2023 31 SPORT euroweeklynews.com

METEORIC RISE: A new documentary has shed light on the Lionesses’ victory at the Euros in June 2022 and their tough journey there. Photo credit: England Football Team (Via Facebook)

The most liked Tributes for a legend

TRIBUTES flooded social media on Friday, December 23, following the news that George Cohen, England’s World Cup winning defender, had died at the age of 83.

Premier League side Fulham paid tribute to their former player, who spent his entire professional career at the London club.

“Everyone associated with Fulham Football Club is desperately saddened to learn of the passing of one of our greatest ever players and gentlemen George Cohen MBE,” the club wrote.

“A one club man, George made 459 appearances for his beloved Whites, in addition to earning 37 England caps, with whom he famously won the World Cup in 1966.”

The right back then played all 120 minutes of England’s World Cup win over West Germany, which saw the Three Lions triumph 4 2 after extra time.

George’s playing days were cut tragically short at the age of just 29, after suffering a devastating knee injury. Cruelly coming at a time when he was playing what he considered to be the best football of his life.

One of the biggest endorsements of his talent came when the legendary winger George Best described him as “the best full back I ever played against.”

A POST on social media from Argentinian super star Lionel Messi on Tuesday, December 20, become the mostviewed of all time. The footballer took to Instagram fol lowing his nation’s World Cup victory over France on Sunday December 18. It has since received an incredible 64.5 million likes so far.

His follower count has also increased substantially, reaching 404 million. He still trails the 500 million that Cris tiano Ronaldo has though, a figure the Portuguese achieved last week.

Messi’s post read: ‘WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!

I dreamed it so many times, I wanted it so much that I still haven’t fallen, I can’t believe it…’.

It continued: “Thank you very much to my family, to all who support me, and also to all who believed in us. We demonstrate once again that Argentines when we fight together and united we are capable of achieving what we set out to do.”

Previously, the record had been held by a TikTok video titled ‘the egg’, uploaded in August 2020 by Bella Poarch which hit 56.1 million likes.

Cristiano Ronaldo had another huge hit last month just before the Qatar World Cup started. He posted a Louis Vuitton advert showing him playing a game of chess with Messi. It racked up an amazing total of 41.9

For womens sport

ENGLAND and Arsenal forward Beth Mead has been voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2022. The 27yearold has become the first women’s footballer to win the award.

England cricket’s Test captain Ben Stokes was second, with Winter Olympics curling champion Eve Muirhead third.

Mead’s fantastic performances at Euro 2022 saw her named the player of the tournament as well as winning the Golden Boot. Her six goals and five assists, led to the Lionesses winning England’s first major women’s football trophy, defeating Germany in the final at Wembley on July 31.

She was also named Arsenal’s player of the season, came second in the Ballon d’Or Feminin and won BBC’s Women’s Footballer of the Year award in 2022.

EWN 29 Dec 2022 - 4 Jan 2023 euroweeklynews.com SPORT 32

Credit: Instagram Leo Messi Lionel Messi with the World Cup.