Costa Blanca South 5 • 11 January 2023 Issue 1957

NEW CHALLENGES

THE new year brings new challenges and for the Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre, the challenge is to raise €16,800.

For some months now the rescue centre, based in Rojales, Alicante, has been working hard on its next project to provide and build shelters on ­ site. Not only will these provide better facilities for the animals in their care but it is a necessary requirement for the centre to be able to obtain their farm licence.

Founders Sue and Rod Weeding have been doing much of the work themselves on building the shelters and this will continue, but Sue explained that: “We have a quote of €16,800 for all the materials which we have been fundraising for, but with the cost of building materials skyrocketing we desperately want to get all the materials before they are too expensive.”

The urgent plea comes as a generous donator has offered to match any donation made, so the couple are hopeful they can raise the money needed soon.

With materials purchased work can continue on the

shelters which will lead to the all ­ important farm licence. “We believe this is the key to everything,” said Sue. “When we have the licence we will be eligible for European grants and can rehome some of our horses which

currently we are not permitted to do.”

If you can help in any way head to the website: www.easyhorsecare.net , email: rescue@easyhorse care.net or call (+34) 652 021 980.

RESCUE CENTRE: Help provide better facilities.

Image: Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre

The new Hollywood

ALICANTE Film Office has processed 50 film shoots, including films, series, documentaries, photo shoots and commercials in 2022 and has provided advice to another five productions.

International productions such as ‘The Interpreter’, the Amazon Prime series ‘Sin Huellas’ and a documentary by C Tangana are the most outstanding. Alicante was also chosen for the British programme ‘A Place In The Sun’ which promotes the purchase

The city and beaches have been used.

of homes abroad, a popular German travel programme and another Japanese one, as well as advertisements for large cosmetics and textile companies, among others.

The locations have been varied and have covered the

neighbourhoods, the city centre and the beaches, not forgetting the Castle of Santa Barbara. In fact, the variety of possible locations within the same city is one of the features most valued by production companies and advertising agencies.

The Alicante Film Office has now joined the Spain Film Commission in order to attract more film and series shoots, multiplying their visibility on national and international circuits.

Shining brightly

ON the evening of Sunday, December 25, the Southern Costa Blanca Jewish Community, along with Jewish people all over the world, celebrated the last night of Chanukah.

The large, eight­branched candelabra, otherwise known as a Menorah, is usually lit on the beach at Playa Flamenca but, due to Covid restrictions, this has not happened during the last three years. This year, the

Menorah was lit in Campoverde.

The story of Chanukah commemorates victory of Judas Maccabi over the Greek king, Antiochus in AD167. There was only enough oil in the temple to keep the light burning for one night, but this time it lasted for eight nights.

For further information about the SCBJC, please look at the website www.southern costablancajewishcommunity.org

Image: Alicante City Council

NIBS EXTRA

Noise limit

THE tourist rental industry on the Costa Blanca is proposing the introduction of noise meters to reduce the nuisance caused to neighbours. APTUR advocates the introduction of a seal to certify ‘respectful flats’. The project envisages sending alerts to renters when they exceed the noise limit.

Elche power

THE recently presented Tourism Brand will allow Elche to opt for more financial aid and to have more decision­making power in the future strategic planning for tourism. The aim is to attract new markets, such as Germany and Italy.

Special funding

THE Consell distinguishes Torrevieja as a tourist municipality of excellence in the Community of Valencia. The recognition allows the town to qualify for special funding to compensate for the economic effort involved in attending to its large annual tourist population.

Hotelier swindle

THE Guardia Civil has arrested 10 people posing as electricity company workers who demanded payment from hoteliers for allegedly unpaid bills. The gang have swindled €100,000 from hoteliers in Alicante threatening to cut off their electricity.

Fishing quotas

THE Santa Pola Town Hall considers the new 10­day fishing cut approved by the EU for the trawling fleet in the Mediterranean to be ‘nonsense’. The mayor, Loreto Serrano, harshly criticised the agreement on Total Allowable Catches (TAC) and quotas for 2023.

Cycle Elche

ELCHE Parque Empresarial is to have its own network of cycle lanes stretching 25 kilometres. The project will cost €5.9 million and take 20 months to complete.

Cruising along

THE economic impact of cruise ships is expected to exceed €30 million next year in Alicante. According to the data managed by the Alicante Costa Blanca Tourism and Cruise Association, there will be 111 ships and more than 220,000 passengers embarking or calling at the port of Alicante.

On Friday, December 30, the Head of Alicante City & Beach Tourist Board, Mari Carmen Sanchez, described the figures as “historic” and highlighted the “firm commitment to Alicante by MSC Cruises, which is practically doubling its operations with Alicante as its home port, after this year’s good results.”

In 2022, the record number of cruise passengers was broken with more than

120,000 people calling or embarking in the port following MSC Cruises’ decision to choose Alicante as its home port. So, if the forecasts are fulfilled, 2023 will become the best year for cruise tourism in

Goodbye Phoenix

AFTER nearly 22 years as a group, formed to offer friendship for people on their own, the Phoenix Solos have made the decision to discontinue as a formal club.

However, many members have expressed a wish to continue with regular activities such as games night, 10­pin bowling, petanca, and meeting up, but on an informal basis and being open to couples, with a new name.

So it will be Hello to Phoenix Friends Torrevieja who will meet on Monday mornings, starting on January 9 from 11.00am for drinks and conversation on the terrace at Reflections Bar /Rte, C/Aviles, San Luis Lakeside.

For further information, please contact Kitty on 622 180 500.

Lorry on fire

A FIRE has completely destroyed a large refrigerated lorry, which had overturned on the hard shoulder of the A ­ 31 road, on its way through Novelda, in the early hours of Friday, December 30.

During the extinguishing work, the right lane of the motorway, in the direction of Madrid, remained closed to traffic, as reported by the Provincial Consortium of Firefighters of Alicante and the Guardia Civil Traffic.

The fire started at around 1.16am on Friday and the firefighters worked tirelessly putting the fire out until 7.39am.

Fortunately, during the fire, there were no injuries or traffic delays, as in the hours in which the incident occurred there is “little influx of vehicles”, according to sources of the Guardia Civil de Trafico.

However, the fire was ‘spectacular’ and at midday, there were still remains of the vehicle on the hard shoulder, which was later removed.

nies.

2022 final cast off

CARP-R-US fished the Canal del Progres, Guardamar (better known as Mercadona) for its final match of 2022.

Members gathered on what was the coldest morning for some time and found the stretch running quite fast and looking murky, it did not look promising and so it proved, except for one member.

The match was a runaway victory for Terry Screen who again showed his centrepin trotting skills to weigh­in 7.48kg caught using maggots and bread. A distant second was Jeremy Fardoe with 1.54kg, most of which was a single carp. Third was Steve Fell with 0.62kg and fourth Tony Flett with 0.42. Sadly, no one else caught.

Further information about the club can be found on its website www.carp­r­us.weebly.com or on the Facebook page Carp­R­Us Fishing Costa Blanca.

Early New Year party

ELCHE’S ‘El Bailongo’ hosted an early New Year’s Eve party for the elderly on Friday, December 30. The aim of the event was to unite the elderly population whilst having a fun evening at such a special time as the end of the year. The celebration was attended by the mayor of Elche, Carlos Gonzalez, and the councillor for Seniors Policy, Puri Vives, who took part in all the activities organised for the event.

The party, which started at 5.00pm and ended at 10.00pm, was attended by 400 people, reaching the full capacity of the location. In addition to two free photo booths, guests also enjoyed live music, with bachata, rumba and merengue as the main genres. Hot chocolate was also

distributed at 6.00pm and grapes were handed out before the New Year chimes, shortly after 7.00pm.

Done deal

THE 5,000 square metre site where the future provincial Congress Centre will be built is now the property of Elche City Council after the advance payment of more than €4.4 million.

The news was announced by Elche’s mayor, Carlos Gonzalez on Friday, December 30, after a meeting with the five owners of the land. They proceeded to sign the Deed of Payment and Occupation of the Land. The mayor confirmed: “With this procedure, we have completed the acquisition of the land and, therefore, it is now municipal property.”

The mayor praised the speed of the municipal technical services of Urbanism and Finance for their “impeccable administrative work in providing all the necessary documentation to the Provincial Council, without any kind of problem or hitch.”

The mayor added: “Now it is up to the Provincial Council of Alicante to put the drafting of the preliminary project out to tender as soon as possible so that Elche can have an architecturally ambitious, unique, iconic place that is capable of catapulting us on the national scene as a leading city in terms of conference tourism.”

the city with 100,000 more passengers. This movement of tourists has a direct impact on the city’s shops, hotels and catering, excursion and transport compa

CRUISE TOURISM: A record numbers of passengers visited in 2022.

Image: alicantedsoler/Shutterstock.com

Water refurb

SINGER ­ songwriter, Joan Manuel Serrat Teresa, was crowned Adoptive Son of Orihuela on Thursday, December 29.

The Mayor of Orihuela, Carolina Gracia, confirmed: “Joan Manuel has been making a continuous and decisive contribution to the knowledge of poetry and the great cultural values and in favour of democratic coexistence that characterises the work and life of the Oriolan poet Miguel Hernandez.”

According to the municipal regulation on Honours and Distinc ­

tions, the procedure for this type of appointment can be initiated by the city council itself, at the request of various entities or by presenting at least 100 signatures from citizens of Orihuela. On this occasion, it started with the presentation of more than 140 signatures.

The mayor added: “From the first moment we received the proposal we set out, working side by side, with the pioneers to make this appointment a reality and today we have achieved it.”

REFURBISHMENT works of the drinking water and sanitation network in Calle Republica Dominicana will begin later in January. This was confirmed on Thursday, December 29, by the councillor for Infrastructures, Angel Noguera.

Angel said: “Specifically, in the Las Filipinas residential complex in Ori ­

huela Costa, work will be done on the section of Calle Republica Dominicana, between Calles Pirineos and Belice, where there are obsolete pipes and connections that are causing many problems for users.

“In addition, the insufficient diameter of the pipes reduces the available service flows and

pressures,” the councillor added.

The cost of the refurbishment stands at €126,000 and will involve the renovation of 70 linear metres, three manholes and 17 connections in the sanitation network, and 125 linear meters and two connections to the drinking water network.

Adoptive Son Thoughtful fundown

THROUGHOUT the month of January Fundown ‘environmental officers’ will inform shopkeepers how

to correctly recycle paper and cardboard from their establishments.

Murcia City Council, in collaboration with Fundown, is going to develop a special information and awareness campaign among traders who use or are potential users of the free ‘door to door’ commercial cardboard collection service.

The mayor, Jose Antonio Serrano, has presented the campaign entitled:

‘The environment is no joke’ which is in collaboration with 20 ‘environmental officers’ belonging to the Down Syndrome Foundation Fundown of Murcia.

The officers will be responsible for delivering the information included in a cardboard monkey typical of April Fool’s Day and which has been made by the officers themselves during the training.

Moving re-enactment

IN the early hours of December 28 in 1370, coastguard, Francesc Canto, found the image of the current Patron Saint of Elche and a parchment with the text and music of what was to become the Mystery on Tamarit Beach.

The items were found inside an ark stranded on the sand.

The emotional and monumental event was recreated and staged in situ on Wednesday, December 28, at 4.00am.

The mayor of Elche, Carlos Gonzalez, joined residents on one of the free buses that linked the Palacio de Altamira and the beach to enjoy the performance.

The mayor also marched in the popular 14-kilometre pilgrimage between the Tamarit and the Hort de Les Portes Encarnades, following the Virgin in her ox-drawn ark.

The mayor said: “It has been a morning of reviving emotions after the hiatus of the pandemic by returning to a tradition that is loved, felt and deeply rooted.

“The event identifies as being one of those important moments in the festivities of our city.”

Cryptic bank balances

SPAI N’S T reasury has delayed the implementation of legislation requiring taxpayers to declare all cryptocurrency information. The decision was announced on Friday, December 30 and means virtual currencies will not be treated the

same as traditional currency until at least 2024.

As well as technological difficulties, the reasons for the 11th hour decision include a disagreement between the national tax agency and the State Council over the format

Controlling Covid

TRAVEL restrictions due to Coronavirus might be a thing of the past for most countries by now, but a recent outbreak of the virus in China is causing countries to rethink their entry requirements. After announcing the new restrictions on Thursday, December 29, Spain’s Department for Health confirmed that inbound travellers from China will now be required to present a negative test for Covid-19, or a vaccination certificate once more. Despite originally waiting for the EU to take action, Spain is the second country in the EU, after Italy to individually take measures to prevent the largescale return of the virus. The news comes almost three years to the day that China first declared the virus outbreak.

of declarations. Spain’s tax agency is in favour of collating as much data as possible from taxpayers, whereas the State Council is concerned about potential data protection issues. The tax codes that are under review and set to be amended from 2024 include 172, 173 and 721, which could change to require taxpayers to declare earnings in cryptocurrencies abroad and domestically.

Currently, data is only required on cryptocurrencies when it is used as a currency for domestic transactions. Taxpayers also do not currently have to declare the purchase of cryptocurrency. However, more stringent regulations apply to those whose assets are worth more than €2 million.

DIGITAL CURRENCY: Users don’t yet need to declare all of their crypto assets.

Photo credit: Chinnapong / shutterstock.com

New Year’s honour

MICHELE MASSON, President of Help Vega Baja, has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to British Nationals in Spain in the New Year Honours List, published on Saturday December 31, 2022.

There are more than 2,000 British Nationals living in the area covered by Help Vega Baja and for many of them the charity has been a lifeline in difficult times.

Since becoming its President in 2015, Michele Masson has steered the charity through the twin challenges of Brexit and Covid, as well as the severe flooding that hit the Vega in September 2019 - providing a source of constant support to the community when they needed it most. More recently, she has corralled the charity’s volunteers to gather supplies of food and clothes for the local Ukrainian association to distribute to the high volume of refugees arriving in Torrevieja.

HMA Hugh Elliott said: “I know that my colleagues in our Alicante consulate find it hard to imagine the south of the province without Help Vega Baja and, indeed, without Michele. Under her leadership, the charity has become one of our key partners in the region - assisting with complex consular cases and acting as our eyes and ears on the ground. During the pandemic, Michele worked with us on a partnership pilot project to distribute consular funding via food vouchers to vulnerable families whose income had been lost due to Covid restrictions. Michele is a wonderful example

of leading by doing and I am delighted that she has been honoured for her work.”

Michele Masson said: “I am honoured to be awarded the British Empire Medal for services to British Nationals in Spain by his Majesty, King Charles III. The charity world has many challenges, but knowing at the end of each day we have made a difference makes everything we are faced with worthwhile. I extend my appreciation to colleagues, friends and family who support me. Thank you all.”

Michele Masson has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM).

Image: British Embassy Madrid

Prices falling

THE reduction in VAT on foods introduced by the government took effect from January 1, but will only be lowered from Monday, January 2 as stores across the country reopen.

The reduction approved by Royal Decree sees VAT on legumes, potatoes and tuber crops, milk, cheese, eggs, vegetables and fruits, cereals, bread and breadmaking flour abolished.

Until now these all attracted VAT at 4 per cent, but will now remain VAT free for the next six months or until core inflation falls below 5.5 per cent. Currently, the CPI is at 6.9 per cent.

VAT on olive oil and pasta also falls from January 2, going from 10 to 5 per cent whilst VAT on all other foodstuffs remains unchanged.

According to a national news channel, the average shopping basket is 13 per

cent more expensive than this time last year costing the average family of four around €315 extra.

The reductions in VAT, although small, do go some way to reduce the effect of the enormous increases seen on products like olive oil (25 per cent), eggs (27 per cent), milk (30 per cent) and cereals (37 per cent).

The government hopes that the broad range of reductions will have a greater impact than the big in ­

crease in the cost of individual products.

The food industry will, however, be required to absorb the new tax on plastic, which it had asked the government to delay for one year. The new tax rate of €0.45 per kilogram will raise around €690 million according to industry sources. They believe this cost will counter some of the reductions in VAT on foods as it will inevitably push up prices.

Link with Lebanon

SPAIN’S President, Pedro Sánchez made a landmark visit to Lebanon, to strengthen relations between the two countries and offer a funding package. Sánchez is the first delegate from the European Union to visit the country as he touched down in Beirut on Wednesday, December 29.

During the visit, the Spanish leader affirmed Spain’s commitment to strengthening its relationship with Lebanon as well as the EU. Sánchez represented the EU and Spain during the meeting with the country’s interim Prime Minister, Najib Miqati and Leader of Parliament, Nabih Berri.

Sánchez highlighted areas for improvement during the momentous visit, including developing better renewable energy networks and

infrastructure. Sánchez also pledged financial aid for the country from Spain’s ‘Apoyo Español’ funding.

Sánchez also greeted some of Spain’s 646 service people stationed at

the Miguel de Cervantes base in Marjayoun, alongside the Minister for Defence, Margarita Robles. The troops work in the southern part of the country for the United Nations’ Unifil programme.

SHOPPING BASKET: Averaging 13% more than last year.

Image Davizro Photography

THE new year is here, which means it is also the ‘Year of Picasso’. The event is a year­long collaboration between historical and cultural organisations in both Spain and France to bring the iconic artist, Pablo Picasso’s legacy closer to the public on the 50th anniversary of his death.

Through cultural events and exhibitions, travellers are invited to see Spanish cities through the lens of one of history’s greatest artists. Five Spanish cities will host exhibitions showing Picasso’s work, including his native Malaga, where he was born in 1881. One such exhibition has been attracting visitors, since October 19, in the city.

The northern city of La Coruña, where the artist spent much of his childhood will host another exhibition, alongside displays in Barcelona, Madrid and Bilbao.

In addition to the collaboration with France, Picasso organisations across the world will celebrate the

artist’s monumental legacy with exhibitions scheduled to take place in the

USA, Germany, Romania, Switzerland, Monaco, and Belgium.

Royal hot water

FELIPE JUAN FROILÁN DE MARICHALAR Y BORBON, the 24­year­old nephew of Spain’s King Felipe VI has been implicated by the Local Police after a large fight broke out in a Madrid nightclub on November 25. According to a Spanish online news site, the National Police said that they are investigating a case related to the alleged involvement of Froilán, in a brawl that included 30 people, with some carrying knives.

Police officials said that the fight started after a vehicle was damaged, and upon reaching the scene, officers discovered bloodstains on the ground along with a broken car side view mirror.

Spanish authorities now state that the King’s nephew could face a prison sentence from three months to a year, if convicted. But the charges against him could be suspended due to the law in Spain, where sentences under two years are usually suspended for first­time offenders.

Year of Picasso International investment

FOREIGN investment in the Spanish property market reached an all­time high during 2022 according to a report released on Thursday, December 29. Purchases of

Spanish properties surpassed records, causing value to similarly soar to unprecedented rates.

International interest in Spanish property bounced

Operation Munich success

SPAIN’S Guardia Civil has made multiple arrests for crimes related to ammunition trafficking and illegal possession of weapons, as reported on Tuesday, December 27.

As part of Operation Munich, which was launched in October 2020, when arms trafficking specialists from the Information Headquarters (UCE­3) of the Guardia Civil, in another separate operation, arrested one of the main ammunition traffickers in Spain’s capital Madrid.

“This person had sold more than 36,000 metallic cartridges throughout Spain via the Internet,” the report read.

One of the buyers, a resident of the province of Pontevedra, a city in northwest Spain, bought some ammunition from the dealer and it was the evidence seized from this person by the Information Group of the Guardia Civil in Pontevedra that led officers to the multiple traffickers throughout Spain.

In total, officers seized 6,760 metal cartridges of various calibres, 21 firearms, 8.6 kilos of gunpowder, 26 mortar shells and silencers.

back during the last year, following a two year slump due to the pandemic.

Now, property experts say interest from investors in new markets including the Netherlands, Norway, Ukraine, and the USA has fuelled an impressive recovery from the pandemic. Purchases among certain markets have increased by more than 100 per cent since 2020.

As well as tapping into new markets, purchases from buyers in traditional foreign markets including Germans, British, and French people have remained steady throughout the year.

Market research carried out by one property giant found that locations including the Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, Balearic Islands and Canary Islands remained the most popular with expatriate property buyers.

2023 is Picasso Year, commemorating the revolutionary artist’s impact on contemporary art, 50 years after his death.

Photo credit: AJSTUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY / shutterstock.com

Of course, you can review your financial planning any time to ensure it is on the right path, but the New Year is the perfect prompt to do so.

One key reason is to ensure it is up to date. Establish whether any tax rules or financial regulations have changed and consider if developments in your personal circumstances mean you should adjust previous arrangements.

But an effective review of your financial planning, to ensure it is suitable for your life in Spain and future plans, needs to go beyond that.

Many people only consider segments of their finances at a time. They may have bought shares in companies or funds they like years ago. They may speak to a tax accountant about Spanish taxation, then to a lawyer about wills. At some point they look at their pensions.

For truly effective financial planning, however, you need to consider all these various aspects together. For example, how you hold your investments can make a difference to your Spanish tax liabilities. Estate planning in

Strategic financial planning for the New Year

was, you pretty much need to start afresh in Spain. What was tax efficient in the UK is unlikely to be tax efficient here. Explore the compliant arrangements available in Spain to establish what would work for your situation and how much tax you can save.

Estate planning

UK nationals can use the EU succession regulation to distribute their estate under the appropriate UK law, but research this first to confirm if it’s the right solution for you.

Financial structuring for life in Spain

By Jon Pemberton, Partner, Blevins Franks

on what you can achieve.

Spanish residency and taxation

The fact that you are resident in Spain, rather than the UK, has a significant impact on your financial and tax planning.

The way you own assets can impact on how you can distribute them on death and how much tax your beneficiaries pay, so take this into consideration early on. The Spanish succession tax rules differ greatly from the UK’s and you need to understand these to be able to plan around them.

Spanish succession law establishes forced heirship rules and protects children over your spouse, which can have unwel -

Perhaps the key rule for financial planning is that it must be specifically structured around your personal circumstances –your lifestyle today and plans for the future, family situation, income requirements, objectives, time horizon and risk tolerance.

If you don’t already have a strategic financial plan in place for Spain, you need to take a completely fresh look at your investments and consider if they remain suitable for you today. Are they too risky? Do you have adequate diversification? Could

At the same time, consider your tax liabilities on investment income and gains, as well as wealth tax, and whether you could use tax-efficient arrangements to hold your investments as resident of Spain. And how will these savings be passed to your heirs? What inheritance taxes will they pay? Can the funds be passed on directly or through a lengthy probate process?

Every family is different. Your strategic financial planning must be carefully designed for you. All the various aspects should work cohesively together to create an overall wealth management plan that provides long-term financial security for yourself and achieves your wishes for your heirs. For peace of mind take specialist advice.

All advice received from any Blevins Franks firm is personalised and provided in writing. This document/article, however, should not be construed as providing any personalised taxation and/or investment advice.

You can find other financial advi-

Improving awareness

ACCORDING to a report by a European news outlet on Wednesday, December 28, Spain has ended the year on a tragic note with December being the third deadliest month since records began for gender­based violence.

Some 46 women have lost their lives in this way during 2022 taking the number to 1,179 since 2003. Although December has been one of the worst months, the year has seen one of the lowest number of deaths since records began.

Spain continues to suffer from gender ­ based violence, where partners take the lives of their wives or girlfriends, despite concerted efforts across the country to bring an end to the problem.

The issue has been given enormous publicity throughout the year, with most town and city councils having held regular events and campaigns to highlight the issue.

Rural tourism review

AS the tourism market evolves, the Spanish tourism industry continues to keep up with the latest trends. This was proved by the excellent results of the rural tourism sector recorded in an industry ­ wide yearly review which was published on Thursday, December 29.

The report found that the summer is the high season for rural tourism,

with the sector accounting for nearly 20 per cent of accommodation bookings in August, and 15 per cent in July. But there was also a surprise on the list, December was the third most popular month for rural tourism experiences with 15 per cent of bookings made during the month being related to rural tourism.

The report also found that Catalonia was the

most popular region for rural tourism, followed by Castilla y Leon, and Andalucia.

The sector covers experiences in the countryside, which are becoming increasingly popular with accessibility to camping and other rural accommodation improving and the development of new speciality experiences such as wine and gourmet agricultural tours.

Economic evolution

SPAIN snatched up the fourth position in a global investigation by The Economist into economic recovery from the pandemic. The data which was released on Saturday, December 24 analysed the economic position of 34 ‘developed’ countries, using five indicators to measure recovery.

Despite 2022 being considered a negative economic year for much of the world, there have been some sur­

prising economic victories in certain countries, and one of them is Spain. Indeed, the leader of the rankings was a shock to many economic commentators. Greece came in top position, thanks to a huge drop of 16 per cent in public debt in relation to GDP. Portugal was ranked second, Ireland came third.

Spain and Israel tied in fourth place, with an economic recovery better than that of the UK and the USA.

Relations thawing out

SPAIN has taken a leap towards normalising relations with Venezuela as the government appointed a new Spanish Ambassador to Venezuela on Thursday, December 28.

Ramón Santos has become the first ambassador appointed to the Spanish mission in Venezuela since relations became frosty in 2020, signalling a new era of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The landmark decision also means Spanish humanitarian aid will now reach Venezuelan people.

Spain had withdrawn former ambassador, Jesús Silva to protest the November 2020 elections that were considered a sham, and led to widespread poverty. Two years later, Santos, who had worked as the Chargé d’Affairs at the Spanish Embassy for Venezuela has become the latest ambassador.

TOURISM INDUSTRY: Is booming thanks to interest in rural tourism in regions including Cordoba in Andalucia.

Photo credit: joserpizarro / shutterstock.com

Streaming success stories New home in Spain

A TOTAL of 63.47 per cent of the people who have obtained temporary protection in Spain are women, while 33.69 per cent are under 18 years of age.

Spain has exceeded 160,000 temporary protections for refugees from the war in Ukraine, more than 10 months after the start of the war. Since its activation on

Becoming popular

THE Survey of Essential Characteristics of the Population and Housing (ECEPOV) of 2021, which has just been released, suggests that Spanish remains the dominant and preferred language in Spain but that the use of English is increasing.

According to a report by a Spanish news outlet on Monday, January 2 tourism and the rise of business professionals who often work with technology or across continents are at the centre of the trend.

They also point out that whilst many politicians push the need to be patriotic and protect your own language, young people are learning that the ability to speak other languages has value in a globalised world.

The survey results suggest that one in four people can speak or understand English, although the research did not ask people to clarify their level of ability. As with English­speaking people learning Spanish, the ability to speak is far lower than the ability to understand or read.

March 10 and up to the close of business on Wednesday, December 28, the Office of Asylum and Refugees (OAR) of the Ministry of the Interior and the National Police have processed and granted a total of 160,756 protections to Ukrainian refugees in Spain. This figure places Spain among the European countries that have granted the most protection to citizens and residents of Ukraine. All of this is possible thanks to the mechanism put in place urgently by the Spanish government to comply with the European Union agreement, which, for the first time in history, authorised the application of the Temporary Protection Directive.

THE last year was filled with changes in many industries in Spain, but one industry whose success hasn’t been as affected by the pandemic is the television streaming industry. And while the rankings appear to have stayed fairly constant, there were still some surprises in 2022.

Data on streaming platform use released on Friday, December 30 found that Netflix remains the most popular choice among consumers who

use streaming services. In fact, nearly 57 per cent of streaming platform users opted to buy a subscription.

Amazon Prime closely fol­

lowed, with just over 50 per cent of users also choosing this service. Third on the list was a surprise with HBO Max which shot up five percentage points from last year to be used by nearly 27 per cent of streaming service users. HBO Max soared past Disney Plus which is used by 25 per cent of users.

The last service on the top five list was Movistar+, which although used by 18 per cent of watchers, has actually lost users in the last year.

2023 Holiday calendar

WITH 17 different autonomous communities, it can be tricky to work out all of Spain’s different bank holidays. But the new year is here, and today we’re sharing the bank holidays taking place across the country to help you to start planning your 2023!

Friday, January 6, The Epiphany is the first of the Spanish holidays in 2023, taking place this week to mark the Catholic tradition of the Three Kings arriving.

Friday, April 7, Good Friday.

Monday, May 1, International Workers’ Day

Tuesday, August 15, Catholic feast day of the Assumption.

Thursday, October 12, Spain’s National Day.

Wednesday, November 1, All Saint’s Day

Wednesday, December 6, Spain’s 1978 Constitution commemoration.

Friday, December 8, the Catholic feast of the Immaculate Conception.

Monday, December 25, Christmas Day.

Netflix remains Spain’s most popular streaming site. Photo credit: Ivan Marc shutterstock.com

Ukrainian refugees.

Image: Maksym Kapliuk/Shutterstock.com

Four arrested

ACCORDING to the National Police on Wednesday, December 28, four people have been arrested in two different operations for undertaking illegal aesthetic treatments that have left at least one woman in a coma.

The most serious of the cases involves a woman in Madrid who attended a ‘clinic’ where she was given fatburning injections at a cost of €3,500.

But the woman’s health deteriorated that afternoon and she was transferred to a local hospital where she remains in critical condition. Despite botching the procedure, the ‘clinic’ demanded another €6,300 to cover the cost of the hospitalisation and ambulance.

The victim’s friend when asked for the money refused and instead denounced the people involved. The police were able to identify the man and woman involved, neither of whom had any medical qualifications.

A second operation in Pozuelo de Alarcón, resulted

in two people being arrested as they were leaving a home where they were suspected of carrying out illegal treatments. A search of their car revealed a bag with numerous drugs, as well as different aesthetic treatments.

Investigations are continuing with the police trying to trace other victims.

Aesthetic treatments.

World’s largest

AENA has launched the world’s largest duty ­ free shop tender by turnover. The expected turnover is €18 billion and includes 86 duty ­ free outlets, plus a large number of additional premises dedicated to other categories, which, will occupy an area of 66,000 square metres, or more than seven football pitches.

“This tender has generated a great deal of excitement and has already sparked the interest of the main operators in the sector,” explained AENA’s Commercial and Real Estate Managing Director, Maria Jose Cuenda. “This new tender will involve renewing the management of these commercial spaces at 27 airports in the Aena network, since the current contracts are in force until October 31, 2023.”

The bidding specifications include a greater number of lots, with a total of six compared to the three in the previous tender.

Calendar girls (and boys)

WITH a population of just 16, the Pena Zafra de Abajo, a tiny hamlet of Fortuna in the Murcia region of Spain has made the headlines for all the right reasons.

The Zafra 16 wanted to

raise awareness of their land, and their traditions and, at the same time, raise some money for the many activities carried out by the Neighbourhood Association.

And they have succeeded!

Restaurant royalty

HAVE you ever wondered where Spain’s royal family eats out? On Friday, December 30, a Spanish food site revealed the identity of Queen Letizia’s personal chef, and where you too can taste his creations.

The Spanish Queen is known for her youthful appearance which she credits to her healthy lifestyle. These healthy habits include eating only organic products and a zero alcohol and coffee rule, with Ramón Freixa’s sophisticated dishes meeting her strict standards.

The internationally ­ acclaimed chef has his own restaurant based in the prestigious Hotel Único in Madrid. And it’s not just the hotel which is known for its luxury experiences, Freixa’s restaurant has also been awarded two Michelin stars and three Repsol sun points.

Guests who want to sample a slice of Queen Letizia’s regal lifestyle can try Freixa’s ‘Discovery’ menu for €160 or ‘Universal’ menu for a cool €200 at the exclusive Madrid hotel.

From being unknown to many, even to the inhabitants of the Region of Murcia, the Zafra 16 have made headlines in the national press and have been the subject of reports on national television channels.

The reason has been that residents of the hamlet, or people who maintain links with it, are starring in their very own Calendar Girls nude calendar for 2023.

Appearing on the programme ‘Zapeando’ on La Sexta channel, a very happy Adrian Ruiz and his wife, Lucia Nicolas, confirmed: “It has gone out of our hands.”

Image: Juanjo y David/Abanilla City Council

Their very own calendar.

Image dimi_86 / Shutterstock.com

Photo by SeventyFourShutterstock.com

PATIENTS in the UK are being forced to wait in huge queues for their turn outside emergency care, as one person reportedly spent over 99 hours last week to get a bed at a hospital, at the Great Western Hospital in England.

The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK is facing a major crisis, as a record number

of cases due to flu, Covid, and Strep A, has resulted in thou­

Incredible achievement

A 53-YEAR-OLD man from England successfully completed his 365th marathon in a year on New Year’s Eve, raising over £1 million (€1.12 million) for charity. Gary McKee from Cleator Moor in Cumbria ran a total of 9,563 miles in a year, which helped him raise more money than he was earlier targetting for Macmillan Cancer Support and Hospice at Home West Cumbria.

The father of three, McKee works as a group leader at a nuclear site in Sellafield, and often ran 26.2 miles (42.1 kilometres) every day in the morning, before starting his shift. Last year, he went through over 22 pairs of trainers, completing his daily marathons, regardless of rain, snow, or sunshine.

Aside from this, McKee has climbed Kilimanjaro, trekked through New Zealand and completed the Three Peaks Challenge in less than 24 hours. He has previously run over 100 marathons in 100 days and 110 in 110 days.

sands of people waiting outside emergency care.

According to Dr Adrian Boyle, Chief Royal College of Emergency Medicine, quoted by a national newspaper, this winter has been the worst season on record, with regards to the amount of time each patient has to wait, before getting any medical attention at Accident and Emergency (A&E).

Due to this delay, hundreds of people are dying as a result, he explains.

“We think between 300 to 500 people are dying as a consequence of delays and problems with urgent and emergency care each week. We need to get a grip of this,” said Boyle.

RISHI SUNAK has pledged to rid the UK of all EU laws within 100 days, but sources are now suggesting that it could take up to three years to do so.

Government sources speaking to a national news outlet on Tuesday, January 3 have said that the delay is unavoidable given the scale of the operation. Ministers

will need to decide which of the more than 4,000 pieces of legislation are to be kept and which will be ditched.

Those that aren’t retained will need to be rewritten and will most likely need to go through parliament for approval, prompting some departments to ask for the deadline to be extended until 2026.

Dumping EU Law Unacceptable queues Bus lane chaos

NOTTINGHAM City Council has issued more than 39,000 fines to drivers inadvertently using a bus lane, raking in more than £1 million in fines.

According to a national newspaper on Saturday, December 31 many have managed to appeal their fines after a judge found the signage to be inadequate. But a Nottingham City Council spokesperson said: “We have met all legal requirements for signage and gone above and beyond these, previously adding additional advisory signage since the changes were first made to provide mo ­

The bill to approve the wholesale dumping of EU legislation, the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) is expected to face fierce opposition when it reaches the House of Lords in February with any delay being further damaging for Rishi Sunak who had vowed to get rid of the laws within 100 days.

torists with further warning and diversions towards the Southern Relief Route.

“We keep this under constant review and have made changes following feedback from the Traffic Penalty Tribunal, which oversees PCN appeals, and we’d happily listen to any further suggestions from the public.

But drivers in the city aren’t satisfied saying that the signage is inadequate and difficult to see, with more than 2,000 successfully arguing that to be the case.

Over 500 die every week in UK due to emergency care delays.

JOHN BIRD, famous for his work on ‘Bremner, Bird and Fortune’ has died at the age of 86. Rory Bremner, his friend and comedy partner, who described him as one of our great satirists, confirmed this on Wednesday, December 28.

Bremner in a tweet remembering Bird said, “It’s an

Election defeat fears Paying tributes

irony that one of our greatest satirists, so brilliant at portraying ministers, civil servants or high­ranking officials who exuded self­satisfaction, was himself so modest and self­effacing.

Meanwhile other celebri­

ties including comedian Angela Barnes and actor Tony Gardner, also remembered Bird in their tweets.

Barnes wrote “Ahh RIP John Bird, you were wonderful in Bremner Bird and Fortune, and Absolute Power.”

RIGHT-WING Politician

Nigel Farage, fearing another successive defeat, has said that he won’t run for parliament in the next elections.

The 58 ­ year ­ old former leader of UKIP, the Brexit Party and the UK Party is said to be fearful of another election defeat. Farage tried unsuccessfully between 1994 and 2015 to become an MP for South Thanet in Kent and a number of other areas in the south of England, before opting for a role as an MEP in Brussels.

When asked whether he would be returning to frontline politics, Farage said: “It is not top of my bucket list.

“I am quite happy with life as it is.”

Analysts believe that Farage’s best days as a politician are over and that he is right to be fearful of

an eighth successive defeat. Although unelectable, they do believe that he retains influence in the country and will be at his strongest outside of parliament.

Star’s Christmas donations

FIVE years on from the Manchester Arena attack which left 22 people dead, Ariana Grande is still making an annual Christmas gift donation to children’s hospitals in Manchester.

According to a national news outlet on Wednesday, December 28 the ‘One last time’ singer has formed a special bond with the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity which delivers the gifts she donates.

According to the charity,

this year’s gifts went to babies, children and teenagers in paediatric wards at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, Trafford Hospitals, Wythenshawe Hospital and

North Manchester General Hospital.

Tanya Hamid, Interim Director of Manchester Foundation Trust Charity said: “It’s so wonderful that Ariana has once again been so thoughtful and made this special donation to our family of hospitals.

Grande, who has been awarded honorary citizen status in Manchester, sends around 1,000 presents every year to those youngsters in the city who have to spend Christmas in hospital.

Budding artist

IT’S their first Christmas as the Prince and Princess of Wales, and Prince William and Kate celebrated by sharing a winter scene painted by Prince George.

The Royals shared George’s impressive painting of a festive stag on Sunday, December 25, to wish the world a ‘Happy Christmas’.

Prince George’s sweet painting depicts a stag surrounded by a snowy scene, with two robins perched on the antlers. The nine ­ year ­ old ap ­

pears to be a burgeoning artist, and Royal fans took to Instagram to praise his talent, calling him a ‘budding little artist’.

Some also remarked that he takes after his mother, Kate Middleton who is known for her passion for art.

The Royal children have shown their festive spirit all month long, delighting viewers with their heart­warming reactions at their mother’s Christmas Eve carol service and tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Nigel Farage tried unsuccessfully between 1994 and 2015.

The star has a special bond with the Manchester Children’s Hospitals .

Unacceptable behaviour Emergency averted

BRITISH AIRWAYS flight BA348 was forced into making an emergency landing at London Heathrow Airport on, Thursday, December 29.

The aircraft full of passengers had taken off not long before, destined for the city of Nice in the south of France.

According to initial reports, crew members reported smelling fumes which led to the pilot making the decision to turn around and head back to London. The plane landed safely and was delayed on the runway with passengers

waiting for a replacement.

“The aircraft landed normally after returning to Heathrow following reports of a technical issue. The safety of our customers and crew is always our priority,” said a spokesperson for BA.

The BA spokesperson confirmed that emergency crews were on standby on the tarmac: “The incident has now been stood down,” as reported by a national news outlet. Passengers took to Twitter to report that pilots had apparently been wearing oxygen masks.

UNACCEPTABLE:

Police officers should be trusted to the ends of the earth.

A POLICE chief inspector in Wales has been sentenced to 14 months in jail after he used the police network to look up confidential details to pass on to his drug­dealing girlfriend, Kelly Roberts.

Chief Inspector Joseph Jones, 48, from Swansea, was sentenced after a court heard that he had misused the police computer system to find the private details of a couple renting from the woman he was having an affair with and with whom she was now in a dispute with.

Hi was caught later after Roberts, with whom he was no longer involved, became involved in the supply of Class A drugs.

Jones accused those investigating him as being motivated by “an underlying unexplained grievance’”

against him, denying that that he had secured unauthorised access to computer material and that he had lied to cover his tracks.

Found guilty of gross misconduct he has been dis ­

missed without notice.

Chief Constable Jeremy Vaughan said: “It is entirely unacceptable for police officers, who are responsible for enforcing the law, to break the law themselves.”

A tough year ahead

THE UK Prime Minister in his New Year address has said 2023 will be tough following a very difficult 2022.

In his speech, he claims that more money is going into the NHS, that more is being done to control illegal migration and that the country will continue to stand with Ukraine defending freedom and democracy. He goes on to say that 2023 will be the year in which the country showcases its best.

Adding that despite the challenges that remain “we will work together” and the “government remains committed to working to meet the needs of the people.”

The address is short and sweet, but devoid of detail in what is clearly intended to be an upbeat message in difficult times.

Book flop for Matt

FORMER UK health secretary Matt Hancock’s book titled ‘Pandemic Diaries: The Inside Story of Britain’s Battle Against Covid’ was ranked 191 on the Neilson book chart but was removed from the top 1,000 following declining sales.

Matt Hancock’s book released just before Christmas, has witnessed a sharp decline in sales. According to a national news outlet, his book titled Pandemic Diaries: The Inside Story of Britain’s Battle Against Covid was launched on December 6 and claims that the ‘tragic handling of care

home residents was someone else’s fault’. Hancock additionally claimed in the book that Public Health England and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, who were responsible for the test and trace system, were at fault for the delayed restrictions.

The report said that his book had initially entered the Neilson book charts at number 191. But in a few days, the sales drastically dropped, due to which, his book was not even included in the top 1,000.

THE UK government’s failure to act on NHS staffing, the subject of current nursing and care staff strikes, is said to be costing the organisation at least half a billion pounds annually.

According to a report by a national news outlet on Tuesday, December 27 agency fees, the premium paid on top of the higher­than­normal wages paid to staff, are costing the organisation more than £700 per nurse or care worker.

Twitter @BellRibieroAddy

money” but there is little to prevent them from doing so whilst the current staffing shortage and remuneration model exists. Currently, the NHS has more than 50,000 nursing vacancies and a need for more than 12,000 doctors.

Lucky to be alive

A WOMAN has survived being run over by two Tube trains after falling onto the track at High Barnet Station, North London.

capable of acting on brain signals and has so far raised more than £278,000.

She said that any extra

money will go to the air ambulance service and the hospital where she was treated.

Campaigners have long called for those involved to stop “gorging themselves on NHS

Fashion icon tributes

THE fashion icon Dame Vivienne Westwood has died at the age of 81 surrounded by her family in Clapham, London. A post on her official Twitter page announced her passing on Thursday, December 29 after a short illness.

The British fashion designer is well­known for her fashion designs that helped to promote the punk movement together with her partner Malcolm McLaren, owner of the SEX boutique. Involved directly with the punk movement she was closely associated

But the cost is not the full picture, there is also the additional cost of overtime paid to doctors to cover the shortfall in personnel, which also runs into tens of millions each year.

Speaking to ‘Good Morning Britain’ on Wednesday, December 28 Sarah de Lagarde, from Camden, North London explained that she lost her footing on the platform and fell down the gap.

Illegal border official

UK Border Force arrested an official working in their department after discovering that he was an illegal immigrant, as reported on Thursday, December 29.

with the iconic Sex Pistols.

Always happy to push boundaries, Westwood was ultimately made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire after adding many industry awards to her name including the British Fashion Award, the Royal Designer for Industry in 2001 and the European Cultural Award in 2019.

The fashion industry has come out to express their sorrow and pay tribute, as have numerous models and stars, many of whom have worn her outfits.

She was making her way home after a long day at work and as she rushed to get off the train, fell through the gap. Sarah sustained injuries after the train struck her as it pulled out of the station and was hit a second time by another train arriving at the station.

Sarah, who was discharged from the hospital last week, lost a leg and an arm in the accident and is now raising funds to buy an advanced prosthetic arm

According to a statement by the UK Home Office, the official, who is believed to be in his late 30s, was suspended after the revelations about his illegal immigration status came to light.

It is reported that the former border official came to the UK as a teenager, from the Balkans over 20 years ago. Upon arriving at the UK immigration, it is claimed that he lied about the country of his origin, in order to ensure that he could live in the country.

A statement by the UK Home Office spokesperson said, “We expect the highest standards of our staff,” adding, “As soon as we are made aware of allegations of wrongdoing, they are rigorously investigated, and we do not hesitate in taking decisive action.”

Failing the NHS More financial aid

SB Arts Media Shutterstock.com

THE UK government has announced that it will be making cash handouts for the poorest families from the spring as part of its efforts to help with the cost­of­living crisis.

Announcing the support on Tuesday, January 3 the government said that payments of £900

will be made directly into the bank accounts of means ­ tested claimants. This would they said include those on Universal Credit, Pension Credit and tax credits.

It is understood that the payment will be made over three months with more assistance possible later in the year. Those that are registered disabled will also receive an additional payment of £150. Pensioners will also continue to receive the £300 Winter Fuel Payment.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has also said that the government is aware of the difficult times being faced by many families and: “That’s why we’re putting a further £900 into the pockets of over eight million low ­ income households next year.

The announcement that the UK is to give cash handouts to the poorest to help with cost­of­living follows similar action taken elsewhere, including in Spain.

Cost of living crisis.

Image

Image

Striking nurses.

FRANCE might be a country synonymous with haute couture and fine dining but even the French are partial to fast food.

According to France­based food writer, Camille Labro, France is the second largest fast food consumer in the world after the United States and since the US population is currently over 334 million and France’s population is around 68 million, that’s a lot of fast food.

Strides are being taken to innovate the fast­food industry in France which is home to around 30,000 fast­food establishments that churn out an estimated six billion meals every year.

A new rule which was set to come into force on January 1, means that all restaurants with over 20 seats are required to provide reusable serveware. The French government will officially ban all single­use plates, cups, and utensils at dine­in fast food restaurants.

This includes larger chains like McDonald’s, Burger King, Subway, and Starbucks, but also applies to smaller eateries.

Limiting contact Pope’s passing

Peter McLaren­Kennedy POPE BENEDICT XVI who has been ill and under constant care sadly passed away on Saturday, December 31 at age 95.

His death was announced by the Vatican who said his remains were to be exhibited in St Peter’s Basilica from Monday, January 2.

Pope Benedict XVI was the first pope to resign in nearly 600 years, stepping down nine years ago. The first German

pope in 1,000 years, Benedict left behind a church more in controversy with sex scandals, mismanagement and polarisation.

Although he enjoyed good relations with his successor, he proved divisive preferring to retain tradition and opposing the modernisation of the church. Despite his shortcomings, Pope Benedict XVI will long be remembered by the Catholic Church.

Influencer remanded

DMITRY PESKOV , President Vladimir Putin’s Press Secretary, has said that the Russian leader will not meet with journalists and that he is limiting contact due to the flu and Covid­19 mutations that are doing the rounds.

Speaking to a Russian media outlet on Saturday, December 31 Peskov said: “To be honest, it is unlikely that it [communication with journalists] will be the same as it was before the pandemic, in the foreseeable future.”

Referring to the growing incidence of coronavirus and flu across Russia

Peskov said: “There is a mutation process and strong epidemiological waves of different strains of the flu taking place, so those responsible for Putin’s safety and health should take precautionary measures.”

He continued saying: “In such conditions, the health of the president [Putin] is a matter of state security.”

The statement adds further to the many rumours that abound regarding Putin’s health, as it will to his rumoured unwillingness to be put on the spot over failures in Ukraine.

ANDREW TATE was remanded in custody for 30 days by a Romanian court to allow police to complete their investigations into allegations of human trafficking.

The court in Bucharest was told that Tate allegedly kept six women under house arrest and that he forced them to do online pornographic videos. It is said that he and his brother, along with two Romanian women, treated

the six like prisoners.

Appearing in court, the judge dismissed Tate’s lawyers request for the influencer and former kick boxer to be released from jail whilst investigations continued.

Tate is being held along with his brother Tristan and their two Romanian personal assistants, Georgiana Naghel and Luana Radu.

The latter is said to be a former policewoman.

KREMLIN SPOKESMAN: Dmitry Peskov has said that Putin will not meet with journalists.

Sleeping Beauty

SLEEPING BEAUTY is a breathtaking ballet set to shine at Teatro Principal in Alicante on Thursday, January 19. Expect to be bewitched with three grandiose palace parties: the christening, 16th birthday and wedding of Princess Aurora, plus the beautiful dream act.

The wicked witch Carabos predicts that the Princess will prick herself and die, Fairy Lila changes this to sleep but Prince Desire’s kiss will wake her up.

The International Classical Ballet is the company founded by the former soloist of the National Opera and Ballet Theatre of Moldova, Andrey Sharaev in 2012.

This company is already well known by the Spanish public, as it has already toured the country for eight consecutive seasons with

great success.

The ballet company was created together with the award ­ winning and acclaimed Moldovan soloists Cristina and Alexei Terentiev and is made up of soloists from Moldova, England, and Italy, among other countries.

The Teatro Principal is located on Plaza Chapi, s/n ­ 03001, Alicante.

Tickets are available from the ticket office from midday until 2.00pm, then from 5.00pm until 9.00pm.

For more information or to buy tickets online or by phone head to the website: www.teatro principaldealicante.com , email: informacion@ teatroprincipaldeali cante.com or call (+34) 965 202 380.

Two for one

STONE MEDIA Theatre Company in Orihuela are proud to present Tangled in a Twist and Frozen in a Flash, musicals which are both around 45 minutes long. Two

narrators tell the story and while they are telling the story the characters from the films appear in many different forms and guises.

Expect a lot of laughs with

Sculptor, painter, engraver

IN his exhibition entitled ‘NO CA­SA (After Brexit)’, Extremaduran artist, Florentino Diaz, combines sculpture and architecture, social criticism and sustainability around an idea ­ the house ­ on which he has been working almost obsessively since the 1990s.

NO­CA­SA (After Brexit), refers to the British exit from the European Union “when it happened it seemed a disaster” Florentino confirmed. “It meant a break in the foundations of the construction of the common house of Europe.”

Florentino’s works are completed with the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, which entailed the destruction of thousands of homes and in some works translated into the colours of the Ukrainian flag or in words such as ‘dream’ or ‘freedom”.

The exhibition is on display until February 26 at the Sala de Exposiciones Lonja del Pescado, Av. del Almte. Julio Guillen Tato, s/n, 03001 Alicante.

For more information call (+34) 965 922 018.

some very tongue­in­cheek banter making the performance almost like a pantomime with thigh slaps and audience participation.

Tangled in a Twist is based on the Disney film, Rapunzel. Kidnapped at birth and inadvertently rescued by Flynn Ryder, Rapunzel heads off on a voyage of discovery. Frozen in a Flash follows the story of Elsa and Anna, with an appearance by Sven the Reindeer.

Performances are on Friday, January 13, at 7.00pm, Saturday, January 14, at 7.00pm and Sunday, January 15, at 4.00pm at The Madhouse, Tiro de Pichon, Republica Dominicana, 03189 Orihuela.

For more information or to book tickets contact Carla by WhatsApp on (+34) 666 551 816 or call Jen on (+44) 7799 063395.

Singing sensation

ARE you looking for a new hobby to start in the new year? Join the Stone Media Rocks singing group and learn how to harmonise and improve your vocal talent. The group is all about enjoying singing whilst gaining confidence, meeting new people and having fun.

The group take part in charity events, local theatre group productions and flash mob events.

The brains behind the group, Carla Stone, had a choir on the Costa Blanca for eight years before the dreaded Covid hit.

Carla has been a professional vocalist for 32 years and a singing tutor on the Costa Blanca for the last 12 years.

The group has members aged from 13 upwards and rehearses every Sunday (resuming Sunday, January 22) from 11.30pm until 1.00am at The Madhouse, Tiro de Pichon, Republica Dominicana, 03189 Orihuela.

This term the group will be concentrating on songs from The Greatest Showman.

For more information contact Carla by WhatsApp on (+34) 666 551 816.

It’s still Christmas

CHRISTMAS DAY may well be behind us, but Murcia will be keeping things festive until Saturday, January 7.

On Thursday, January 5, you can enjoy the Christmas market from 11.00am until 9.00pm. From 11.00am until 2.00pm enjoy the ice skating rink and a Mini Christmas Chef Workshop.

A Christmas Dance show is on from 12.30pm until 1.15pm.

On Friday, January 6, you can enjoy the Christmas

market from 5.00pm until 10.00pm. From 11.00am until 2.00pm and then 5.00pm until 8.00pm enjoy the ice skating rink.

On Saturday, January 7,

you can enjoy the Christmas market from 5.00pm until 10.00pm and enjoy the ice skating rink from 11.00am until 2.00.pm and then 5.00pm until 8.00pm.

BREATHTAKING BALLET: Tickets are now available.

Image: Teatro Principal Alicante

Keeping things festive.

Image: Eduard Borja/Shutterstock.com

Chic snobbery

ITALY’S Culture Minister, Gennaro Sangiuliano, is being massively slammed on social media for criticising the use of foreign words in Italian and then inadvertently using foreign words when doing so.

The minister said that using foreign words in the Italian language is ‘radical chic snobbery’ but as one Twitter

user said “the irony seems to have been lost on him.”

On Thursday, December 29, the right­wing politician and journalist said: “I believe that a certain abuse of English­speaking terms is a part of a certain snobbery, very radical chic, that comes from the lack of awareness of the global value of Italian culture.”

In Italian, Sangiuliano used the expression: ‘snobismo, molto radical chic’. Chic, of course, is a French word. Though it can be used in Italian, but a local translation would be ‘elegante’ or even ‘raffinato’. Radical is an English word used in Italian as ‘radicale’ and snobismo is derived from the English word ‘snob’.

Kebab v sausages

ACCORDING to a YouGov DPA survey pitting the currywurst sausage and doner ke bab against each other, Germans voted for the kebab.

When given the choice of the two, 45 per cent of adults picked the doner kebab and 37 per cent chose

the currywurst sausage. Some 15 per cent of voters said they did not like either.

The sausage sprinkled with Indian spices and drowned in spicy ketchup,

which first made its appearance in Berlin after the Second World War, is more popular with older Germans, especially men.

Fans of the Berlin version of the Middle Eastern dish, the doner kebab made famous by Turkish immigrants in the 70s, tend to skew the younger generation, in particular females.

Putin’s passport offer

RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin has approved the process by which Ukrainians in occupied territories can claim a passport, effectively renouncing their Ukrainian citizenship.

The process approved on Monday, December 26 also provides for the instant recognition of anyone under the age of 14 as a Russian citizen, with anyone else unwilling to be a Ukrainian citizen able to apply for the change.

Those that do apply will have to provide proof of citizenship from the DPR, LPR or Ukraine along with proof of residence. Those documents then need to be submitted to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia or its territorial body. The ministry told Kommersant that new passport applications will be processed in less than 10 days.

A bill before the Duma will see Ukrainians formally renounce their citizenship on the day the application for a Russian passport is submitted.

Russia is moving ahead

Mobile ban

The Minister of Education, Giuseppe Valditara, was reported by an Italian news outlet at the end of December, as having sent a circular to all Italian schools and institutes prohibiting the use of mobiles in schools.

He said in his opinion, they represent a “distraction both for those who use them and for classmates. I’m not saying you can’t get into class with your mobile. But you can leave it at the entrance or in any case outside the lesson: you go to school, to study, not to chat.”

It is understood the circular was accompanied by a Senate report that compares mobile phones with cocaine, however this research has been based on specialist opinion only.

Let it snow

SKIERS may be met with disappointment as a lack of snow in the Pyrenees and other French ski slopes

means some ski stations will remain shut.

The mild winter season has greatly disrupted the

Hair brain idea

HAIRDRESSERS across Belgium are sweeping up and bagging hair clipped from their customers, and then handing it over to the Hair Recycle Project which is part of the non­governmental, non­profit organisation Dung Dung. The organisation then recycles the hair to protect the environment.

The Hair Recycle project feeds locks and tresses into a machine that turns them into matted squares that can be used to absorb oil and other hydrocarbons polluting the environment, or made into biocomposite bags.

Project co­founder Patrick Janssen, explained that one kilogramme (2.2 lbs) of hair can absorb seven to eight litres of oil and hydrocarbons, and the matted squares can be placed in drains to soak up pollution in water before it reaches a river.

“Our products are all the more ethical as they are manufactured locally, they are not imported from the other side of the planet,” he told a news outlet. “They are made here to deal with local problems.”

plans for ski stations in the French Alps and the Pyrenees this year, due to not enough snow. According to a report by a French news outlet on Tuesday, December 27, this has resulted in over half of the ski slopes across France remaining shut, at a time of the peak holiday season.

The Southern Alps which have over 75 per cent of the slopes opened along with the Northern Alps, have been the least affected. However, the situation is particularly worrying in the Pyrenees, with only 25 per cent of the slopes open so far. Aside from this, the Vosges and the Jura also witnessed a lack of snow, as only 25 per cent of the slopes have been opened to date.

with its plans to make the annexed areas permanent regions of the country, al­

lowing Ukrainians in ‘annexed territories’ to apply for Russian citizenship.

PROCESS APPROVED: Ukrainians can claim a passport.

Image Iv-olga Shutterstock.com

GIORGIA MELONI’S right­wing government has compared the effects of using mobile phones with the use of cocaine as it moves to ban them from schools in Italy.

PRESS EUROPEAN

DENMARK

Fewer crimes

QUITE often it’s not Santa Claus who arrives at the homes of families in Copenhagen on Christmas Eve, but enterprising burglars looking to liberate presents as owners are out visiting family, although this year, police figures reveal an all time low of just 47 reported break-ins.

THE NETHERLANDS

Keep it local

WORRIED by the number of overseas students (mainly from the EU) being actively recruited by Dutch Universities, which cause housing problems across the country and lecture hall overcrowding, Education minister Robbert Dijkgraaf has written telling them to concentrate on admitting Dutch students.

BELGIUM

Bum note

PLANS to affix a 725 kilo, seven-metre-long harmonica to the front of the new Toots Thielemans metro station in the Zuidlaan suburb of Brussels to celebrate what would have been the musician’s 100th birthday have been blocked due to health and safety fears.

GERMANY

Going ape

CONSIDERED to be gentler than chimpanzees, the bonobo apes are as curious as their cousins and a zoo in Stuttgart makes sure that they receive plenty of Christmas presents as they love to unwrap boxes and study the wrapping paper before eating their treats.

FRANCE

Racist vandals

A STATUE of Victor Hugo in Besançon created by Senegalese sculptor Ousmane Sow had its face painted white after rants by right-wing extremists on social media declared that its face appeared to be too much like an African and two young men have been arrested.

NORWAY

Unique find

ALTHOUGH Viking artifacts have been found in Oslo over the years, for the first time a complete Viking grave has been discovered by builders constructing a new house on a small hill overlooking the Holmendammen lake just north of the city centre.

FINLAND

Holy smoke

WORSHIPPERS at a wooden chapel in the town of Rautjärvi were lucky to escape unharmed as it was burned down Christmas Day and police believe that an elderly man who later set fire to his own property and died was the probable arsonist.

IRELAND

Dusk busk

ANOTHER survivor of the pandemic is the annual Christmas Eve busking event in Dublin’s Grafton Street which raises funds for the Simon community. Quiet for the past two years, in the past it has attracted stars such as Bono and Sinéad O'Connor who played unannounced.

ITALY

Wild boar

ANIMAL rights activists are not happy with a new proposal to be debated in the Italian Parliament which would allow for the culling of wild boar. It is estimated that there are now more than two million and increasing numbers cause health and road safety problems in cities.

PORTUGAL

More routes

EASYJET has announced that this coming summer, it will add 15 new routes from Lisbon airport which will include Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca and Menorca as well as increasing capacity to a number of destinations thus adding more than one million extra seats.

UKRAINE

McChristmas

ON December 23, 2020, burger chain McDonalds opened in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, but the restaurant was damaged following the Russian invasion. Now just in time for this Christmas, the outlet has reopened with its own generator and joins 63 other McDonalds still serving.

SWEDEN

Earworm

A SWEDISH couple, Tomas and Hannah Mazzetti hate the Wham song Last Christmas so much that they want to raise enough money to buy the rights so that they can then take it off air forever, but they are about €15 million short of the likely price.

IS IT TIME TO MAKE THE MOVE?

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

Another Christmas has come and gone. Another year in the same old house.

“I can’t take another year in this house!” Didn’t you say that last year? And the year before? “There’s so much that needs fixing, repairing, renovating!”

So what’s going to change? Maybe you’ve

won the lottery to pay for all those repairs? Or maybe you could just… Move!

Here are three things you can do to get started:

• 1. Book a home valuation with a local Real Estate Professional.

• 2. Ask what paperwork you’ll need to provide to start marketing the home, and ultimately what will be required to complete the sale.

• 3. Make sure you know how much your selling costs will be. For award­winning, expert guidance, take action today and book your home valuation with me on (+34) 966 718 392 or email: sales@homes4u.es ­ We DEDICATE our time to selling ONLY RESALE properties in Ciudad Quesada and the surrounding urbanisations. Resale home selling specialists in these areas since 1989!

Rebecca Serwotka.

FINANCE

STAT OF WEEK €160 million

BUSINESS EXTRA Sellers market

A Handbag!

WITH stock markets still suffering following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and central banks attempting to tackle inflation, some investors are looking for other areas to put their money and currently high quality, expensive handbags with limited production runs are considered a good longterm bet.

Pork scratching

BRITISH pigs in blankets may have ended up in South Korean festive celebrations after the UK government secured the removal of rules banning the export of certain pork products such as bacon and sausages to that country opening an estimated £1 million market opportunity.

Petrol war

WITH the removal of the 20 cents per litre government fuel discount for private vehicle owners, Spain’s two largest suppliers of diesel and petrol Repsol and Cepsa have confirmed that they will both maintain their additional discounts at least for the first quarter of 2023.

Foreign workers

ALERT to the fact there were simply insufficient people available or prepared to work in flower and vegetable picking in the UK in 2022, the government has increased the number of seasonal workers visas for 2023 by 15,000 to 45,000, in time for the daffodil season.

Best customer

SPAIN has emerged as Nigeria’s largest export destination with total exports valued at N873.6 billion (€1.84 billion) according to a report from Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics with the bulk being made up of oil and liquid gas although leather from goats came third.

Tackling rising prices

ON Tuesday December 27, the Spanish government agreed a package of measures designed to keep inflation low and to help households cope with rising prices.

The measures are:

• A reduction in the rate of VAT

The VAT rate on all items that attract the current rate of 4 per cent will be reduced to zero, and a basket of basic items like pasta and olive oil will see the VAT rate fall from 10 to 5 per cent.

• Fuel discount

The fuel discount scheme has been extended for a further six months, however, it is to be discontinued for private individuals (excepting Repsol and Cepsa). Only professionals in transport, agriculture and fisheries will continue to benefit from the scheme.

• Property rental

The cap that prevents rental rates from being increased by more than 2 per cent annually

will remain in place and will be reviewed annually in line with the inflation rate. Any contract that expires between now and July will have the rental price frozen, that is no increase in the rental.

• Public transport

The free transport scheme currently in place will be extended for a further 12 months.

• Direct financial support

Households with an income of less than €27,000 could be eligible for a monthly cheque of €200,

essentially anyone who does not meet the Minimum Vital Income level or who is a Spanish pensioner.

That measure is expected to cost the government in excess of €1.3 billion, with more than 5.5 million Spaniards thought to be eligible for direct assistance.

More details will follow once the legislation is published, particularly in regard to the foods that will benefit from a VAT reduction.

WASPI women wait

SINCE the pension age for women in the UK was raised from 60 with effect from 2011 a special group WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) was formed in 2015 to lobby parliament.

According to their estimates, more than 212,000 affected women died since they were formed, saving the UK government some £3.18 billion.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) is in the process of conducting a very long­term review of the situation and having decided that the Department of Works and Pension had failed to communicate State Pension age changes to the women affected in July of this year, they have now completed stage 2 of the investigation.

For reasons of their

own, they are not however publishing their report until the entire investigation is complete and at a recent meeting the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs committee Amanda Amroliwala (Chief Executive Officer at the PHSO) told WASPI that this will be ‘within the first

quarter’ of 2023.

WASPI hope and believe that the PHSO will have the evidence needed to prove that there was maladministration which has caused injustice for up to 3.8 million women and they are currently seeking legal advice on what their next steps should be depending on the

outcome of the review.

In addition, they have appointed a new PR and Consultancy agency to obtain more coverage for their campaign and during the latter part of the year, the story was picked up by several national newspapers as well as Sky News and the BBC.

UNLIKE the UK where the sale of houses appears to be in the doldrums and the government are still trying to prop up the market, Spain seems to be heading in the opposite direction.

For years, the volume of unsold (and often unfinished) property flooded the market due to the 2008 financial crisis, but finally there are plenty of buyers around.

According to the latest Tinsa IMIE Local Markets statistics published on December 30, the value of new and used housing in Spain rose 2.5 per cent between the third and fourth quarters, placing the year­on­year increase in the last quarter of the year at 8.8 per cent, around 2 per cent above inflation.

On track

SPAIN is to spend €24.2 billion between now and 2026 in order to boost the strength of its railway system both nationally and by increasing the number of international routing agreements across Europe. Part of the strategy is to ensure that passengers receive a better and safer experience when using the railway system which will be modernised as much as possible and where feasible expanded with some new lines.

The other intent is to encourage greater passenger and freight usage as part of its ongoing environmental strategy which looks to reduce the amount of traffic on the roads.

Innovation spend

SPAIN’S Ministry of Science and Innovation, through the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII), allocated €325 million in 2022 to promote biomedical and health R&D&I.

Of the total investment, the ISCIII granted €248 million through the Strategic Action in Health (AES) 2022, the main annual tool to finance biomedical and health research in Spain. This investment represents 5 per cent more than the previous year.

The balance of €77 million was utilised by way of subsidies corresponding to past annual payments for biomedical and health R+D+I in the country.

is the amount that British company Howden is believed to have paid to take over Banca March’s insurance business in Spain.

Credit:

NEW MEASURES: Support announced by Spanish Council of Ministers.

Credit: WASPI Facebook

WASPI WOMEN: Outside the Houses of Parliament.

3I Group 1.337,50 1.345,50 1.331,50 139,82K

Abrdn 189,55 190,90 188,70 677,32K

Admiral Group 2.136,0 2.148,0 2.128,0 58,05K

Anglo American 3.246,5 3.261,5 3.235,0 214,34K

Antofagasta 1.557,00 1.561,00 1.545,00 83,15K

Ashtead Group 4.753,0 4.800,0 4.751,0 44,28K

Associated British Foods 1.578,5 1.597,5 1.576,5 100,45K

AstraZeneca 11.254,0 11.326,0 11.250,0 87,13K

Auto Trader Group Plc 518,80 525,00 518,80 273,73K

Aveva 3.217,0 3.218,0 3.215,0 46,95K

Aviva 445,30 448,50 443,80 332,05K

B&M European Value Retail SA413,80 415,10 408,60 243,56K

BAE Systems 857,00 863,40 856,40 574,68K

Barclays 159,36 159,74 158,24 2,56M

Barratt Developments 399,30 411,80 398,80 431,24K

Berkeley 3.788,0 3.854,0 3.787,0 35,33K

BHP Group Ltd 2.571,50 2.582,50 2.554,00 63,58K

BP 477,75 480,30 477,06 606,19K

British American Tobacco 3.296,0 3.304,0 3.278,0 169,02K

British Land Company 397,60 400,30 396,60 147,04K

BT Group 113,25 116,00 113,10 1,30M

Bunzl 2.751,0 2.783,0 2.751,0 40,55K

Burberry Group 2.036,0 2.047,0 2.028,0 70,75K

Carnival 582,3 588,8 580,8 37,47K

Centrica 96,20 96,84 96,12 1,05M

Coca Cola HBC AG 1.966,5 1.971,5 1.923,5 83,61K

Compass 1.924,50 1.936,00 1.923,50 104,46K

CRH 3.302,5 3.313,0 3.281,5 53,05K

Croda Intl 6.640,0 6.694,0 6.648,0 2,08K

DCC 4.119,0 4.177,0 4.115,0 32,09K

Diageo 3.650,0 3.659,5 3.637,5 438,98K

DS Smith 321,32 322,00 319,70 396,64K

EasyJet 325,50 329,10 322,60 308,43K

Experian 2.834,0 2.860,0 2.831,0 70,00K

Ferguson 10.410,0 10.545,0 10.410,0 72,80K

Flutter Entertainment 11.260,0 11.445,0 11.240,0 132,75K

Fresnillo 899,00 899,00 875,98 16,19K

Glencore 557,00 559,50 556,10 4,51M

GSK plc 1.442,60 1.447,80 1.434,20 456,62K

Halma 1.988,5 2.020,0 1.988,5 81,36K

Hargreaves Lansdown 862,20 868,00 856,00 150,92K

Hikma Pharma 1.566,50 1.578,00 1.564,00 28,10K

HSBC 517,70 519,20 515,60 2,15M

IAG 124,50 125,72 124,10 2,29M

Imperial Brands 2.073,00 2.077,00 2.065,00 367,40K

Informa 622,00 623,20 618,00 291,18K

InterContinental 4.760,0 4.766,0 4.732,0 28,78K

Intermediate Capital 1.157,50 1.167,85 1.155,26 15,14K

Intertek 4.043,0 4.065,0 4.043,0 17,69K

ITV 75,40 76,03 74,87 267,99K

J Sainsbury 219,48 220,00 217,88 65,29K

Johnson Matthey 2.123,0 2.141,0 2.074,0 41,69K

Land Securities 627,40 634,00 626,60 128,04K

Legal & General 250,40 253,90 249,80 1,43M

Lloyds Banking 45,74 46,17 45,67 11,35M

London Stock Exchange 7.176,0 7.230,0 7.164,0 48,15K

Melrose Industries 134,10 134,45 132,85 2,22M

Mondi 1.413,00 1.423,50 1.413,00 70,58K

National Grid 1.002,00 1.008,50 996,60 506,01K

NatWest Group 266,50 267,80 265,90 879,45K

Next 5.824,0 5.848,0 5.726,0 54,95K

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

Ocado 621,80 638,40 620,80 154,50K

Persimmon 1.225,5 1.253,5 1.224,0 109,92K

Phoenix 611,31 616,20 610,60 127,51K

Prudential 1.137,50 1.149,00 1.132,50 572,93K

Reckitt Benckiser 5.759,4 5.762,0 5.714,0 98,44K

Relx 2.299,00 2.313,00 2.297,00 324,07K

Rentokil 511,80 521,00 511,80 255,78K

Rightmove 515,60 523,60 515,60 177,78K

Rio Tinto PLC 5.808,0 5.846,0 5.787,0 184,91K

Rolls-Royce Holdings 92,61 92,68 91,45 4,30M

Sage 745,40 752,80 744,80 114,74K

Samsung Electronics DRC 1.102,50 1.107,00 1.094,50 2,65K

Schroders 438,9 450,2 438,9 368,06K

Scottish Mortgage 709,72 714,60 709,00 296,26K

Segro 767,60 778,80 767,20 236,33K

Severn Trent 2.668,0 2.702,0 2.667,0 35,93K

Shell 2.343,0 2.346,5 2.330,0 1,21M

Smith & Nephew 1.108,00 1.113,50 1.102,50 208,26K

Smiths Group 1.603,50 1.621,00 1.601,50 89,96K

Spirax-Sarco Engineering 10.650,0 10.770,0 10.650,0 7,19K

SSE 1.709,97 1.721,50 1.709,50 152,41K

St. James’s Place 1.103,00 1.116,00 1.098,50 115,15K

Standard Chartered 627,00 629,60 624,80 360,51K

Taylor Wimpey 101,15 103,45 100,95 1,71M

Tesco 225,00 225,80 222,98 257,24K

Tui 134,25 135,15 131,75 852,90K

Unilever 4.191,5 4.201,0 4.174,5 172,46K

United Utilities 996,80 1.007,00 996,80 129,32K

Vodafone Group PLC 84,53 84,86 84,23 15,38M Whitbread 2.592,0 2.618,0 2.581,0 37,61K WPP 817,60 823,40 817,40 120,61K

3M 120,57 120,86 2,06M

American Express 147,32 147,62 144,40 1,76M

Amgen 263,16 264,88 262,14 1,45M

Apple 129,61 130,48 127,73 75,34M

Boeing 188,91 190,25 186,19 4,51M

Caterpillar 240,20 241,61 238,27 1,65M

Chevron 178,32 179,20 176,65 4,14M

Cisco 47,50 47,74 47,26 11,36M

Coca-Cola 63,95 64,15 63,70 7,16M

Dow 50,65 50,80 50,00 2,74M

Goldman Sachs 343,43 344,64 341,24 1,27M

Home Depot 320,41 321,83 317,59 1,55M

Honeywell 214,75 215,25 212,77 1,88M

IBM 141,06 142,26 140,45 2,32M

Intel 26,21 26,29 25,75 30,54M

J&J 177,56 178,30 177,07 2,82M

JPMorgan 133,22 133,27 132,31 6,53M

McDonald’s 265,93 267,81 264,88 1,39M

Merck&Co 110,82 111,70 110,75 4,46M

Microsoft 241,01 241,92 235,65 19,73M

Nike 117,35 118,07 115,80 4,56M

Procter&Gamble 152,59 153,24 152,14 3,80M

Salesforce Inc 132,54 132,95 129,50 5,76M

The Travelers 189,44 190,04 187,96 676,54K

UnitedHealth 529,88 533,68 528,86 1,38M

Verizon 39,26 39,53 38,81 17,31M

Visa A 208,06 208,53 205,50 3,68M

Walgreens Boots 37,47 37,97 37,36 5,24M

Walmart 142,15 143,02 141,75 3,04M

Walt Disney 87,18 88,24 84,97 12,96M

Most

628,159

Bank of Communications Co., Ltd. +11.23% 31,557

AppLovin Corporation +10.96% 2.601M

Symbotic Inc. +10.52% 157,934

Fluence Energy, Inc. +10.21% 1.525M

Most Declined

PT Hanjaya Mandala Sampoerna Tbk -22.86% 296,078

Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. -14.50% 6.09M

Federal National Mortgage Association -10.42% 32,035

PetroChina Company Limited -5.63% 138,900

Woori Financial Group Inc. -5.24% 58,353

Harbour Energy plc -4.53% 433,487

Alpha Services and Holdings S.A. -4.35% 22,588

MINISO Group Holding Limited -3.94% 529,044

Rolls-Royce Holdings plc -3.28% 894,663

POSCO Holdings Inc. -2.60% 201,582

Deutsche Lufthansa AG -2.60% 24,597

Currency outlook: Hawkish ECB turbocharges the euro, Pound rally undermined by dovish BoE

Euro

EUR/GBP: Up from £0.85 to £0.88

EUR/USD: Up from $1.04 to $1.06

The euro enjoyed strong support through December. Supported by positive data including an upwardly revised Eurozone GDP print and stronger-than-expected German industrial releases.

The bulk of the euro’s gains were linked to the European Central Bank’s (ECB) latest interest rate decision. The ECB hiked rates by 50bps and signalled that it will continue to tighten monetary policy at its current pace through the first part of 2023.

However it wasn’t all plain sailing for the euro, with concerns over a potential escalation of the war in Ukraine weighing on EUR sentiment throughout the month.

Looking ahead to the start of 2023, it’s likely the primary focus for EUR investors will be on the Eurozone’s latest GDP release. While a slump in the bloc will not surprise markets, the focus is on the size of the contraction.

A larger-than-expected slowdown could stoke concerns over the size of the recession facing the Eurozone and push the euro sharply lower.

Pound

BUSINESS

EXTRA

Dropping sales

NOVEMBER was a bad month for Spanish retail sales which fell 0.6 per cent compared to last November after rising 1 per cent in October according to the National Statistics Institute (INE).

Oil ban

FOLLOWING the decision by the European Union and G7 members to put a price cap on the purchase of Russian oil, Putin has issued a decree banning the sale of oil to those countries running from February 1 to June 30.

Inflation drops

ALTHOUGH core inflation in Spain stands at 6.9 per cent, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for December which is a more immediate indicator of price rises is estimated by the National Statistics Office as 5.8 per cent, the lowest figure since November 2021.

GBP/EUR: Down from €1.16 to €1.13

GBP/USD: Up from at $1.19 to $1.20

The pound initially firmed in December as some above-forecast PMI releases bolstered hopes the UK may see a milder recession than previously feared.

However, Sterling then faced a major setback as the Bank of England (BoE) concluded its final interest rate decision of the year.

While the BoE also raised rates by 50bps, two members of the Monetary Policy Committee called for rates to be left unchanged. Stoking speculation the BoE could pause its tightening cycle in early 2023.

GBP exchange rates then trended broadly lower through the latter half of December amid concerns over the UK’s ‘winter of discontent’, with GBP investors fearing widespread industrial action would severely disrupt economic activity at the end of the year.

Turning to January, ongoing strikes could see the pound face an uphill battle. Although some positive data releases could still garner some support for Sterling.

US Dollar

USD/GBP: Down from at £0.83 to £0.82

USD/EUR: Down from €0.96 to €0.93

December confirmed the US dollar’s bullish

First time buyers

THE UK Mortgage Guarantee Scheme will be extended by a year, having already helped over 24,000 households get onto the property ladder.

Launched in April 2021, the scheme supports firsttime buyers, who make up 85 per cent of scheme transactions, buy a home with a 5 per cent deposit.

Under the scheme the government offers lenders the financial guarantees they need to provide mortgages that cover the other 95 per cent, subject to the usual affordability checks, on a house worth up to £600,000.

It was originally planned to close at the end of this year but will now be extended until the end of 2023 and will help to boost the flagging UK property market.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury, John Glen MP said:

“For hard­working families facing today’s challeng­

ing economic conditions, it’s right that we continue to help them secure their first home or move into their dream house.

“Extending this scheme means thousands more have the chance to benefit, and supports the market as we navigate through these difficult times.”

To also support people to get onto the property ladder, the government has increased the level where first­time buyers start pay­

ing stamp duty from £300,000 to £425,000. Furthermore, first­time buyers can get relief on properties costing up to £625,000, as opposed to £500,000 previously.

Other government home ownership options available include Shared Ownership which gives first time buyers the option to buy a share of their home (between 25 per cent and 75per cent) and pay rent on the remaining share.

run was well and truly over, with USD exchange rates plummeting to multi-month lows.

The ‘greenback’ slumped through the first half of the month amid a prevailing risk-on mood and expectations for a dovish pivot from the Federal Reserve at its December policy meeting.

A larger-than-expected drop in US inflation further undermined Fed rate hike bets and sent the US dollar sharply lower in the middle of the month.

However, the Fed surprised markets by proving more hawkish than expected. With the US dollar rebounding from its worst levels as the Fed signalled interest rates will peak higher than previously forecast next year.

A cautious mood and stronger-than-expected GDP release then offered additional support to the US dollar in the run up to Christmas.

USD investors will be keeping a close eye on the latest US employment figures in January. A below forecast payrolls print could see the US dollar get off to a poor start in 2023.

Currencies Direct have helped over 325,000 customers save on their currency transfers since 1996. Just pop into your local Currencies Direct branch or give us a call to find out more about how you can save money on your currency transfers.

EU sued

US energy giant ExxonMobil which markets fuel in Europe under the Esso and Mobil brands has announced that it is going to take legal action to try to make the EU cancel its proposed windfall tax on oil firms.

The EU hopes to raise around €140 billion by charging a new 33 per cent tax on major energy suppliers by way of a ‘crisis contribution’ from their increased 2022 profits caused in part by the hike in energy prices following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

ExxonMobil argues that Brussels is not only exceeding its legal authority, but could hurt the European economy in the long­term as it would have second thoughts about further investment in the EU.

Good advice

FORMER Spanish government minister Luis de Guindos and now vice­president of the European Central Bank (ECB) said at a meeting of the Spanish Confederation of Young Entrepreneurs’ Associations (CEAJE) that the ECB expected Spain to enter into a short­lived recession in the first quarter of 2023.

He also told those present that “My advice for all young entrepreneurs is to persevere, and to always do so with caution, despite the challenges. And I would encourage all young people to study, learn languages and get to grips with new technology so as to be prepared for the future and able to better manage situations of uncertainty or instability.

GUARANTEE SCHEME: The key to home ownership.

Credit: Hippopx CCO

Almeria, North Costa Blanca and South Costa Blanca.

STERLING: Faced a major setback as the BoE concluded its final interest rate decision.

Peter Loveday

WITH their plastic bottles, food cartons and litter left laying everywhere in their wake, plus the output of untold thousands of vehicle exhausts as they idled in traffic jams, badly misled young protesters of 2022 have left a carbon footprint that will probably not be ‘offset’ until they reach their coming of age.

This present generation has to be the most spoiled, self­centered, misinformed bunch of youngsters the civilised world has ever produced.

They have air­conditioning in the classrooms, mobile phones and gismos, they ride in cars to school, they suck up junk food like hoovers and insist on the latest trendy outfits at all times. All of these luxury products, which they seem to think is their God given right, are manufactured or supplied by ginormous companies that pour billions of tons of carbon dioxide emission into the Earth’s atmosphere.

These children’s selfish attitudes and life styles cause far more damage to our environment than the previous generations they are so keen to accuse. The generations preceding them were mobile and ‘designer’ free and took bicycles or walked to their destinations.

Most had never experienced jet travel or air conditioning and opened windows when it was hot, instead of closing them. They received new shoes or clothes only when the previous attire needed replac­

Spoiled rotten

If we truly wonder who is responsible for these utterly disruptive attitudes and protests, it’s all pretty obvious.

ing, ate home­made sandwiches instead of Whoppers and read books.

However, in these modern day youngsters’ defence, most have of course been brainwashed and misled by the ‘usual suspects’! Many of the culprits are those who laughably profess to be ‘schoolteachers’.

Stringy haired trendies, who actually started the rot when the first long haired leftie ‘free thinker’ plonked his behind on his desk and told the class to call him John! The same leftie brigade who welcome drag acts into the classrooms to ‘enlighten’ four­year­olds and abolish winning and losing.

A whole generation of youngsters who not only have no respect for their elders but truly do believe they are actually superior. Ever increasing numbers of them would rather walk into the class with a knife than a ruler.

The main contributors are the third generation of children who have been raised by the children of another generation whose own parents suffered abominably when their very existence was threatened by the death and destruction of a world war. Rather than allow their offsprings to relive the horrors and deprivations their ancestors experienced themselves they have often quite understandably spoiled their descendants rotten ­ and all this public disruption and rampant disorder is the unfortunate result. The lefties absolutely love it. It could actually win them the next election.

Happy New Year everyone. Keep the faith.

Love Leapy. Leapylee2002@gmail.com

CHRISTMAS OVERLOAD OUR VIEW

ALTHOUGH most people enjoy Christmas, even the most tinsel­hardened Britons in Spain may be forced to admit that marking both December 25 and January 6 ­ and every holiday in between ­ is perhaps becoming a little too much.

The imposition of British traditions on Spanish culture now mean that what was previously a few days of festive celebration is now almost a fortnight extravaganza.

The Spanish may always have marked December 25 with a bank holiday, but in recent years they have also adopted the very British traditions of exchanging gifts and taking children to see Father Christmas, stretching the holiday period even further.

This assimilation of UK values into Spanish traditions do tell us two important ­ and rather lovely ­ things about the country we have chosen to call home however.

Firstly, that the Spanish really do love a fiesta. And secondly that they are quick to welcome the traditions of others with open arms.

For all the UK’s multiculturalism, festivities like Diwali aren’t widely adopted, yet over the past decade or so the Spanish have taken to a British Christmas like a turkey to gravy.

You can have too much of a good thing however and after the December hooha of ever­changing shop hours, bank holidays, overeating and overdrinking, it can be comforting to get back into the routine of work.

January is a time for reflecting on the past year’s achievements and failings as well as to plan ahead. And just as a change is as good as a rest, the familiar Monday to Friday routine can add the perfect backdrop for some reasoned contemplation on what’s ahead.

LeapyLee’sopinionsarehisownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

OTHERS

A Permacrisis Omnishambles

NORAJOHNSON BREAKINGVIEWS

THE ousting of two prime ministers, rising inflation and war led to ‘permacrisis’ (an extended period of instability) being named the 2022 Collins Dictionary word of the year. Other words include Carolean, (the reign of King Charles), splooting (the way animals stretch to cool down) and quiet quitting (doing no more work than contractually required).

Apart from Kiev and, ahem, Partygate (don’t ask!), there’s lawfare (using legal proceedings to intimidate), sportswashing (sponsorship/promotion of sporting events to enhance a tarnished reputation), vibe shift (a significant change in a prevailing trend) and warm bank (a heated building where people who can’t afford

their own heating may go).

Well, let’s see if I got them all in the following version:

In the post­Partygate permacrisis that greeted the vibe shift to a new Carolean age, while war raged in Kyiv and the unseasonably warm autumn left dogs splooting at warm banks, the quiet quitting generation crowdfunded lawfare to keep sportswashing in the headlines.

This time we have ‘permacrisis’. In the past we had ‘omnishambles’ and ‘fustercluck’ [anagram!]. Is it just coincidental that new words to describe the misery suffered by millions appear when we have Old Etonian school mates in charge?

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.

A sense of relief

OVER the festive period most of us feel a sense of solidarity with those less fortunate than ourselves.

The British Benevolent Fund receives many calls for help from individuals in dire financial situations, often aggravated by the inability to work due to circumstances beyond their control. One such case came last Christmas when we received a distressing mail from a married British lady living in northern Spain.

She had lost her job as an English teacher at the start of the pandemic, her teacher husband lost his soon after. They had two young children.

They received little by way of compensation or state help and soon ran out of savings to support themselves and keep their rented apartment.

Her mother­ in­law offered space in her house ­ for her husband and the kids ­ but not for her! Given it was winter with Christmas coming, it was the only offer around and they literally were down to a few

Euros. They had no choice.

From one day to another she found herself without her family and children ­ she felt alone, depressed and with an overriding feeling of failure.

She contacted the British Benevolent Fund out of desperation ­ could we help?

It was in the run up to the festive period, she knew she would find work and hoped he would too in the New Year but nothing was certain.

We provided an emergency grant for the family to be together in a rented apartment over Christmas and some living expenses.

It changed everything ­ from desperation came hope ­ and a determination to overcome.

On Christmas Eve he was of­

fered a job with a decent contract that would start in the New Year.

As they sat down as a family on Christmas Eve, they felt a sense of relief and joy.

It was the best Christmas imaginable.

The BBF supports our community in Spain who face up to the worst life can throw at them.

We can only do so with your support and generosity. If you can please support our work with a donation. www.british benevolentfund.org or contact me olaf.clayton@britishbenev olentfund.org.

Underrated destination

SPAIN is popular with tourists from across the world, but the demand is not spread evenly throughout the country.

In fact, some destinations remain relatively unknown to most travellers. And according to an article published on

Charming coastal towns

WITH more than 5,000 kilometres of coastline, there is plenty of choice for coastal getaways in Spain, but have you ever wondered where the most beautiful coastal towns are? The popular flight portal, Skyscanner has ranked its top 20 beautiful coastal towns in Spain.

Here are some of our favourites:

Hondarribia

This town in Guipuzcoa is one of the most picturesque towns in the Basque Country. With red, green, blue painted embellishments on every building as far as the eye can see, this coastal town has plenty of charm.

Ribadesella

Another northern town, Ribadesella in Asturias offers stunning sea views with a beautiful mountain backdrop. As well as a lengthy beautiful coastline, Ribadesella is a quintessential northern Spanish town with a fascinating history from the 14th century whaling industry to the later fish salting industry.

Motril

This Granada town exhibits a unique blend between Christian and Arab history and has plenty of cove­like beaches that can be enjoyed in peace.

Tuesday, December 20 in a British newspaper, the most underrated region in Spain is Castilla y León.

The region in the centre and north of the country is the largest autonomous community in the country, and contains a wealth of fascinating history and culture, but it does not receive its fair share of visitors compared with other parts of the country.

One of the towns highlighted in the report is Zamora, a small city which offers an authentic Spanish experience and exquisite cultural attractions.

Some of the sites of interest are the city’s Duques de Alba castle, medieval bridge and Visigothic architecture which are unmissable for any history lover.

The city’s conservation efforts have also guaranteed it as a perfect haven of nature.

Olaf Clayton of BBF.

NoraJohnson’sopinionsareherownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

Noraistheauthorofpopularpsychological suspenseandcrimethrillersandafreelancejournalist.

Nora’s latest thriller.

Saving time and money

THE holidays are over, which sometimes means a backlog of cleaning work at a time when money is a little tighter than usual due to extra holiday spending. But there is plenty that can be done! Today, we’re sharing three cleaning tricks using household items to save you time and money!

1. Potatoes

If you have spuds left over from Christmas, you can put them to good use in your household cleaning.

Try cutting a potato in half and using it to shine mirrors or tiles, or use a potato in your grater to clear any residue stuck inside.

2. Newspaper

A piece of newspaper folded over works won ­

ders to take smudges off windows and glass. Tights are similarly a great option, leaving glass and mirrors streak­free.

3. Toothbrush

Toothbrushes are wellknown for their cleaning credentials as they can get into all the nooks and crannies that a normal cloth or sponge can’t, like to clean your computer keyboard.

Common household hazards

AS we head into the new year, now is the perfect time to clean out your cupboards. Today, we’re sharing three household items that you should check up on regularly to avoid unnecessary health risks and have a happy 2023.

1. Expired medication

Check out your medicine cabinet for any medications that have

passed their expiry date, and replace any important medications. Ingredients in medications can become harmful once they expire, and make you sick.

2. Frozen foods

Take a look in your freezer drawer to make sure that nothing has been in there too long, frozen food still can expire. Keep track of how

long dishes have been frozen by using a labelling system that you will remember.

3. Dishcloths

If you don’t rotate your dishcloths regularly they can harbour nasty bacteria and pass it on to you through your dishes or food. Be sure to wash cloths often and throw them away once they become rags.

New year changes

PEOPLE often talk about making a new year change, but what can that look like in your home? Today we’re bringing you three home style tips to help you make a difference in

2023. And the best part of it is, you don’t have to break the bank.

Switch around your furniture

It might seem like the most

Keep rust at bay

OVER the winter, our garden tools don’t always get as much use as we’d like. And like with any tool, garden tools get rusty over time. Today we’re sharing some top tips on how to prevent rust from taking hold on your most trusted garden tools.

1. Clean and dry

The first step towards long­lasting tools is protecting them from the elements. Wipe down used tools and dry them before tidying them away.

2. Storage

Where your tools live affects their appearance. Reduce the risk of rust on your tools by storing them in a dry, and airy place to avoid damaging moisture rotting them.

3. Remove rust

Take action when you first notice rust to prevent it from spreading further. One of the most popular cleaning tricks is soaking it in a mixture of equal parts vinegar and water.

4. Oiled up

Another way to protect your tools from rust is to keep them oiled during the winter.

obvious way to make a change to your routine, but there is evidence to suggest that moving a few pieces of furniture from time to time can help to give you a fresh perspective.

Repurpose objects

There’s no need to go out and buy lots of new décor, instead save the containers of items you bought or received for gifts at Christmas, and give them a new life as vases or personal care products.

New curtains

If you’re happy to spend a bit of cash on a change, new curtains can inject new life into the spaces you’re in every day.

If you’re willing to splash out, switch up your curtains to add some vibrance.

Photo credit: Gaf¬¬_Lila / shutterstock.com

Feel good resolutions

THE new year might be already upon us, but don’t worry if you haven’t created any resolutions yet. Today, we’re sharing four feel ­ good lifestyle resolutions ­ and the best part? None of them include dieting or exercising.

• Try volunteering Giving back to your community is one of the simplest ways to feel good about yourself and others. There are so many worthy organisations operating in Spain, so whether education, healthcare, or fighting poverty is your passion, there is something for you.

• Grow something

Gardening may seem like an intimidating activity for many, but it doesn’t have to be that way. You can start as

small or as big as you like with gardening, but one thing is for sure, taking care of a living plant and introducing some greenery to your home can only be positive for your mental health.

• Redecorate

You don’t need to break the bank, but giving a room a lick of paint can give it a new lease of life

and give you the change you need in your home.

Create a bedtime

•

If you want to improve the quality of your sleep and feel better in your daily routine, creating a bedtime is a great way to do this.

This will help you feel fresher in the morning and give you energy all day long.

Fighting fest

THE holiday period is nearly over, and many of us have indulged a little more than we should have done, but there’s no need to worry because this is totally rectifiable! Here we share some exercises that fitness experts swear by to help you

it once through, or challenge yourself to more rounds.

Lunges

In this exercise, you start in a standing position stepping

Making time

ONE of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is improving time management. We live in an age where distractions are all around, but there are some steps you can take

to manage your time better. Here we share three ways to take control over your time management.

1. Take breaks

We can’t be productive all

the time. Instead, take short breaks regularly and it will be easier to stay focused and motivated. Make sure that when you take breaks you disconnect from your task, take a walk, or physically leave the room to take a mental break.

2. Make lists

Create a list of daily and weekly objectives and tasks before getting to work. Working from a list can help you feel more accomplished and keep motivation up.

3. Block out distractions

Distractions are our downfall when trying to improve time management. Remove known distractions such as your phone when you are focusing on a task.

Making lists is an excellent way to stay on task.

GROW SOMETHING: Which will provide you with an interesting project and add some greenery to your home.

Photo credit: Lucigerma / shutterstock.com

OBLIQUE CLIMBERS: A great alternative to regular mountain climbers to target belly fat after indulging i

tive flab

back with one leg into a lunge position. Pull your shoulders back and abs in.

You can increase intensity by adding a jump transition.

Oblique climbers

For this exercise, get into a plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders. Drive one knee

returning to the start position and switching legs.

Squat jumps

This exercise uses explosive power and targets muscles all over the body. Start with three stationary squats, into a jump squat, powering a vertical jump with your leg power and core strength.

Healthy eating habits

Betty Henderson

THE new year is nearly here, which means many of us are looking for lifestyle and diet changes. Today, we’re sharing some tips from a lifestyle nutritionist on how you can set healthy eating habits that will actually last.

1. Don’t restrict certain foods

Labelling certain foods as ‘bad’, and restricting them can be counterproductive to our health journeys since they drive cravings and binge eating.

2. Set realistic objectives

Objectives for our health need to be achievable to keep us motivated. Set healthy daily, weekly and monthly goals for your health to stay on track and ensure that you are moving in the right direction.

3. Get organised

If you want to see results from changed eating habits, it’s crucial to have sensible, robust habits that are clear in our minds. Preparing to achieve our goals is a necessary step which will also allow you to enjoy the journey towards them.

n Christmas treats.

Photo credit: Maridav / shutterstock.com

LIFESTYLE CHOICE: Avoid restricting foods in New Year’s resolutions. Instead, create a list of healthy foods that you do want to eat.

Photo credit: Pixel-Shot / shutterstock.com

Reducing food waste

A RECENT poll found that up to 70 per cent of people living in Spain admit to wasting food. Whether it’s from keeping it in the cupboards too long, or making too much food, it’s easy to waste food, but that doesn’t mean we can’t act.

Here are three tips to cut back on food waste.

Meal plan

While we’re feeling or ­

A KEY feature of many Spanish homes are wooden doors and window frames, but what is the best way to clean them?

Today we’re bringing you four useful tips to help you get started.

• Regular dusting

The first step towards clean wooden door and window frames is regular upkeep. Clear dust using a feather duster before it builds up and gets harder to shift.

ganised at the start of a new year, now is the perfect time to start meal planning. Meal planning cuts food waste by stopping you from buying extra products you won’t get through.

Food storage

Storing foods correctly is one of the most useful ways to cut down on waste. Keep bananas on the counter and potatoes

and onions in a cool, dark space. Buy only what you can get through and keep some frozen fruits and vegetables if you need a boost later on.

Use leftovers

Develop your cooking skills while cutting waste. Get creative with your leftovers, look up recipes by ingredient in the index of recipe books or using the internet.

Wood care

• Light cleaning

For day ­ to ­ day wood care, you don’t always need to go all out. Instead take a cloth and lightly wet it with water and washing ­ up liquid before wiping the wood down. Pat dry with a tea towel before air drying, or use a fan to speed dry it.

• Heavy duty

Stubborn stains require a more serious approach. Try a solution of olive oil and white vinegar, using a cotton cloth to bring back some shine to your door. Other tried and tested remedies include liquid spirits for problem areas.

Brexit backtrack

SALLY UNDERWOOD POLITICAL ANIMAL

ACCORDING to a poll for The Independent, two thirds of Britons now support a future referendum on rejoining the EU.

While I was (and still am) firmly in the remain camp, is another referendum really the answer? Does it not just open the door for yet another referendum another 5/10/insert appropriate number of years time?

And more than anything else, did the last one really not just teach us that using such a blunt tool to give answers to nuanced questions just isn’t a great idea?

The UK’s political system largely runs on the basis of indirect representation, ie we elect people who take decisions on our behalf, rather than us voting on those decisions directly.

Yes, it often means getting any sort of solid answer to big political questions is a bit slower ­ but then Brexit itself wasn’t exactly speedy was it?

It made me think though, how do countries that make a high number of their politi­

cal decisions through a ‘yes’ ‘no’ vote normally fare?

Somewhat ironically, given the huge internal battles caused by Brexit in the UK, the country which normally uses referenda the most is the one generally considered the most peaceful, Switzerland.

By 2016, the year of the Brexit vote, the Swiss had held 180 referendums in the previous 20 years on everything from plans to abolish their army to making August 1 a bank holiday (the first vote lost and the second won by the way for anyone thinking of launching a sneak attack on Switzerland).

So how have the Swiss ended up the paragon of internal harmony when the UK is still so divided after one referendum seven years ago?

Perhaps it’s because Brexit deals with issues that, at their heart, are actually quite personal; everything from how we feel about our freedoms to how we believe those coming from other countries should be treated.

Maybe it’s just that they’ve had more practice than us.

Either way, perhaps we can agree that referendums ­ unlike their chocolates ­ are something that are better left to the Swiss alone.

The long awaited Digital Nomad Visa here in Spain

CONSULAR MATTERS

ON December 2, 2022, the BOE (Spanish State Official Gazette) published the new approved Law n. 28/2022, of December 21, promoting the system of emerging companies, also known as the ‘Startups Law’. The law came into force on December 23, 2022.

The law will not only affect companies, but will also introduce a new kind of visa for so­called ‘Digital Nomad Visa’, ie thirdcountry nationals (non EU), for example United Kingdom, Canada, United States etc who will be authorised to stay in Spain to carry out a professional activity at a distance for companies located outside the national territory, through the use of computer systems, telematics and telecommunications.

What could be termed very loosely as working from home in Spain for a company located outside of Spain, for example, in the United Kingdom or any other non EU country.

The new type visa, will have a new type

of residence permit connected to it, valid initially for one year and extendable for two or three year periods, depending on your circumstances, there is no limit to the number of extensions, of course provided that the conditions and requirements required by law remain.

Finally, the rule also regulates in a new way income revenues and tax declarations of this type of workers and enterprises.

If you are a non­EU country worker, again for example the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, both self­employed or a dependent of a foreign company, and your work can be carried out mainly at a distance by computer or telematic means, we can give you advice and help you get your new visa as Digital Nomad as well as your next residence in Spain, so that you can continue your work, enjoying the climate and quality of life of the Costa del Sol or Spain in general.

Sally’sopinionsareherownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

Marisa Moreno Castillo Consul for Denmark and Senior Lawyer at Just Law Solicitors. www.justlawsolicitors.com • contact@justlawsolicitors.com

WOKE OR NOT

I WAS shocked by the recent article ‘The norm’ by Leapy Lee. (December 22 ­ 28 , 2022)

Leapy is definitely an old ‘lad’ of the 60s or more like the dark ages.

He compared old drag queens to today’s transsexuals.

No facts, just silly right ­ wing hysteria about gender neutral toilets.

How more outdated, out of touch and offensive could old Leapy be?

It sticks in his craw that minorities are allowed to shout their beliefs from the rooftops.

I’m surprised he didn’t use the old phrase about it being rammed down his throat!

I will shout loud and proud from the rooftops for equality, diversity, fairness and compassion. And if that’s being woke then I’m proud to be woke.

Leapy is absolutely not the norm, he’s from the dark old past.

Darren Bradshaw (Torreblanca, Fuengirola)

Christmas specials

I would just like to say how much I have enjoyed the Christmas articles in the paper over the last few weeks. I am of a certain age, and being the biggest Christmas fan, thought that there is very little that I didn’t know about Christmas, and was fascinated reading about the meaning behind certain songs and traditions. Well done.

Joy Lovall

Pick it up

Fed up now of seeing dog muck on the street. If you are going to have a dog please be responsible and pick up their mess, it is not the street cleaners or anybody else’s job to do this.

B Simpson

Keep on doing

Leapy, I love reading your column, it really does make me smile, not just because you say what other people are thinking, but you stand by your thoughts, never apologetic, which takes a real strong character. Keep doing what you are doing and don’t mind the woke generation.

Brian James, Marbella

Total shambles

We will still be unravelling from the Brexit referendum in 10 years time. Ok it may in the long run make good on some of the promises made during the Brexit campaign, but on the whole it will only cause misery. I live in Spain and like thousands of expats who have recently moved abroad or are thinking about moving abroad it has caused nothing but heartache and headaches and for some destroyed long held hopes and dreams of living outside of the UK. Complications with driving licences, residencia applications, visas etc is not the problem of the host country they are simply following the EU rules for non EU citizens, blame the politicians and the UK population that voted for it the first place. Total shambles from the start.

New junction numbers

I read your article shifting gears about the new road numbers, and I have to agree that this is so confusing. I understand about them being replaced due to duplication, but the hassle that faces many landlords and businesses having to explain the new junction numbers to holidaymakers and consumers alike. Sometimes a small problem for the few, can become a bigger problem for many.

Cathy Moore Malaga

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.

G Barry

THE NORM: Woke or not, everybody has a voice.

DAVID WORBOYS THINKING ALOUD

IN the late 90s I came across and got to know Richard Turner. If you think his name sounds very English, you ain’t heard nothin’ yet. But I have not used his real name which is equally very English.

Richard was very English indeed. He read the Evening Standard, supported Arsenal, patronised the Black Lion and watched University Challenge and Midsomer Murders. He drove a Vauxhall and attended church each week, after which he would mow the lawn before settling down to a roast lunch.

The lunch would be prepared and presented by his wife. Richard’s wife was named Elizabeth and she was also Englishvery English. Neither of them had ever set foot outside the British Isles and had no desire to do so. Their favourite town was Salisbury. They had no children and no pets.

They would eat Sunday lunch together and would indeed do ev­

LET’S DO THE SAME, MATE

Photo Credits: istockphoto.com and acomfychair.com

erything together. This arrangement was facilitated by the fact that they were partners in their local news agency business.

Once a month they would don their scarves and go together to support Arsenal. In the evenings they would sit side­by­side each competitively trying to get the quiz answers in University Challenge and to guess the murderer in Midsomer Murders. And agreeing with each other on all the news reports and comments.

Richard had always voted Con­

servative and so had Elizabeth. Their favourite singers were Phil Collins and Van Morrison and they liked the novels of Dick Francis and Jeffrey Archer. Occasionally, they would go to the local theatre or to a cinema together because, when one of them suggested a play or a film, the other beamed in enthusiastic agreement.

Richard rarely went to the pub without Elizabeth because he had no male friends. As she had no individual friends either, he accom­

panied her on shopping expeditions. Their friends were all couples where the man and the woman had both been approved as suitable by Richard and Elizabeth together.

The normal social intercourse with their joint friends was a regular visit to a good restaurant. When Richard chose the venue it was always an Indian restaurant where he and his wife liked king prawn masala and chicken biryani.

They had a similar unflappable

temperament and were both keen walkers ­ together, of course. It would be fair to say that Richard and Elizabeth were compatible, but I noted some serious potential challenges to this unusual harmony.

For example, Richard preferred Chardonnay while Elizabeth went for Riesling. Ever more rebellious, he liked some classical music (mainly Chopin) while his wife didn’t. But I found these blemishes encouraging as they suggested that each character was not completely subsumed in the other.

When I asked them where they would like to go if they ever travelled abroad, they looked at each other. “Canada, I suppose?” said Elizabeth. Richard hesitated and sighed. “Yes, that would be nice.”

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A successful year Sleeping soundly

THE last year has been marked by an unprecedented recovery from the global pandemic for the camping industry.

Before the end of the year, the president of the Spanish Camping Federation, Ana Beriain, shared her thoughts on what she also views as a particularly successful year for the sector. Beriain has been president of the national camping body for over a decade, and had some fascinating insights to share on the current state, and future expectations from the market.

In terms of trends during the last year Beriain is particularly satisfied with the strong autumn season that was recorded and the return of the domestic camping market, but

noted that one market has not yet returned since the pandemic. The market for British campers has not yet recovered with the same numbers as before.

According to Beriain, 2023 is also shaping up to be another successful year for the sector, a national project using Next Generation funds from the EU is set to boost activity experi ­

ences for campers, making camping more attractive than ever.

Though supply issues are to be expected into the new year, its lowcost credentials are expected to bring even more on board.

Beriain finished with a wish for continued success and a ‘Happy New Year’ message to all campers and industry professionals.

IF there’s one thing about winter camping, it’s that sleep is even more important than during the summer. And although sleeping bags are the most important aspect of a quality night’s sleep, what we actually sleep on is also fundamental to guarantee a great night’s sleep.

Today we’re bringing you the key factors that you should consider when choosing a sleeping mat.

• Pack size and weight

Your first question when

choosing a sleeping mat is considering how you are going to travel. While an inflatable mat is a good option if you plan to take your car camping, a thinner or more compact mat is more suitable if you will be cycling or hiking while camping.

• Warmth

As well as providing comfort, the other main function of a sleeping mat is providing insulation. While sleeping bags insulate us against the outside ground, sleeping mats provide essential insulation from the

HONESTLY, winter camping isn’t for everyone. But luckily, there are plenty of alternatives in Spain thanks to the country’s diverse climate and landscape, so if you’re after your fix of camping, desert camping could be the perfect solution! Here we share some essential tips for your first desert camping experience.

• Destination

The most popular destination for desert camping in Spain is the Desierto de Tabernas in Almeria, since it offers lots of choice in accommodation and is also close to other attractions. If you want to venture further, the Canary Islands also offer exciting desert camping opportunities.

ground. Experts recommend choosing mats with higher Rvalues for winter camping, which indicates a higher level of insulation.

• Comfort

Consider how you usually sleep when choosing a sleeping mat. Air filled mats are ideal for side sleepers, with extra cushioning, and self­inflating mats are best for back sleepers. Air beds are the best option for campers seeking the most comfortable night’s sleep possible.

Desert camping

• Accommodation

In mainland Spain, the most popular style of desert camping is with a campervan. Staying in a campervan is the most comfortable choice during the winter as it offers the most protection against the infamous desert cold, and allows you to be more mobile and also to discover more.

•

Clothing

Your choice of clothing and footwear is especially important. Bring fresh, lightweight clothing you can easily layer in temperature extremes. Sturdy footwear, like boots is also a must.

The Spanish domestic market has had an excellent year according to Ana Beriain, the president of the Spanish Camping Federation

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

Richard and Elizabeth read the same books, but not necessarily together.

Winter cat care

PET experts often talk about winter care for pets that spend lots of time outdoors, but this isn’t always the case with cats. Today we’re bringing you some expert advice from vets on how you can take the best care of your cat now that temperatures have dropped.

Healthcare The first step towards

Top 10 names

YOUR dog’s name is one of the most important decisions you will make during their lives, you’re giving a name to another member of the family and you’re sure to use it many times every day!

But naming your dog isn’t the easiest job in the world, it needs to work well with their

appearance, character and be appropriate for all of the stages in their lives. According to dog training experts, your dog’s name should also be simple enough that it will be easily recognisable for them when you call them.

Today we’re sharing a list of the top 10 dog names in

Spain in 2022, to give you an insight into the latest pet trends in the country, or to give you some inspiration if you’re searching for the perfect name!

This year’s top names were exclusively one or two syllables long showing the popularity of catchy names that you can easily call and your dog can pick up quickly. Movie names also tended to be particularly popular this year with Thor, Rocky and Nala making the top 10 list.

happiness for your cat is its health. Ensure that your cat is up ­ to ­ date with all necessary vaccinations against seasonal and general sicknesses, particularly at this time of year when immune systems are often weaker.

Nutritious diet

Vets warn against overfeeding your cat during the winter. Cats tend to exercise less during cold spells of weather, so adjust their diet accordingly to avoid excess weight gain which can cause health problems. Nutritious food and fresh water are essential aspects of your cat’s winter wellbeing.

Sleeping space

Ensure your cat has a comfortable and warm place to sleep. Take advantage of sunny spots by opening curtains for daytime cat naps and use blankets or a heater during the night if necessary.

Physical activity

CHRISTMAS is the most popular time of year for owners to get a new puppy. And in the flurry of activity to prepare your home for your bundle of joy, it’s easy to overlook nutrition. But we’re here to help!

Today we’re sharing some nutritional fundamentals to help you feed your growing puppy.

Six to 12 weeks

This is a crucial period of growth and development for your puppy, support this with specially developed puppy food which contains essential nutrients which are not present in adult dog food. During this period, puppies need to be fed around four times per day and should also get at least 30 per cent of their protein from milk.

Three to six months

During this period, you can reduce feedings to three times per day. Owners can also start the shift onto dry

food from around 12 weeks.

Six to 12 months

From six months, most owners reduce feeds to twice per day. Neutering reduces energy meaning your dog doesn’t need as much food each day. During this period smaller dog breeds can be started on adult food, but big dogs may need a little longer.

From one year

By now, your dog can generally be moved onto adult feed, and most owners feed half portions twice per day.

Female dogs

Luna, Kira, Nala, Lola, Bella

Male dogs

Coco, Thor, Max, Leo, Rocky

Encourage your cat to stay active during the winter. Playing simple games with your cat has physical benefits for your cat as well as keeping them warm, and developing your bond with your pet.

CANINE or feline root canal therapy is a common endodontic treatment that is an alternative to extraction for injured or infected teeth.

Root canal therapy is a treatment which involves removing infected pulp from the root canal of the tooth, disinfecting the canal, and replacing the removed tissue with dental material. The root canal is accessed through the crown of the tooth.

Standard root canal therapy permits the pet to keep the tooth maintaining its function, as the structural integrity of the tooth has been preserved.

https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=BvTJGtli jz0

Photo credit: Mariia Boiko / shutterstock.com

Help your cat to take advantage of sunny spots for naps in your home over the winter by opening curtains completely.

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MOBILE homes & static caravans bought, sold and transported. +34 630 055 418 or elsyd7@hotmail.com (294686)

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

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

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

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

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

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

HELP VEGA BAJA. We are a non-profit making organisation that helps and supports anyone, without prejudice, in times of need or crisis within

the Vega Baja area. Our offices are based in San Miguel at Calle Lope de Vega 46 (Tel 966 723 733), Torrevieja at Rambla Juan Mateo Garcia 4 (Tel 965 704 282). We are online at www.helpvegabaja.com and also on Facebook. You can email the San Miguel Centre at office@helpvegabaja.com. We also have a 24-hour Emergency helpline which is available to both members and non-members on 966 723 733 (95456)

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

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

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

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

ROYAL Air Force Association Costa Blanca Registered Members Group: The RAFA Costa Blanca RMG replaces the RAFA Costa Blanca Branch 1359 which is now closed. The RMG is a social group of caring people and remains affiliated to the parent Association. Contact with the Royal Air Force Association and the RMG can be made via the RAFA website rafa.org.uk Tel:0044 8 00 018 2361. (238593)

ROYAL BRITISH LEGIONWhy not make this year the year you volunteer? See how you can help either as a caseworker (with full training) or as a Telephone Buddy. We also visit beneficiaries who are housebound or in hospital. If you feel you could support us here in Spain, and you have a Spanish phone number then why not email us for more info tbuddyhhvisits@gmail.com. If you or your partner served or are serving, and you feel you need help or support then contact us using the details on the card, we are here for the small things as well as the big, sometimes talking to someone is the first step to feeling more in control. It can be a personal need or some help with your home or information on what or who to speak to on a medi-

cal issue, we help with signposting if we cannot help directly, just call and have a chat with Pam who will try to guide you to where you need to be. If you would like to go to a branch meeting then find your nearest one at, http://branch es.britishlegion.org.uk/branch es/orihuela-costa - covering from Punta Prima to San Javier. More info can be found on branch website www.orihuela costarbl.co.uk. (95457)

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

ROYAL MARINES ASSOCIATION (Costa Blanca) The aim of the Association is to bring together not just ex Royal Marines, but ex Service personnel with an affinity to the Royal Marines. For further details contact Hon Sec P S Wilkins Tel: 966 194 158 email: inkinspain@yahoo.co.uk (10004)

ROYAL NAVAL ASSOCIATION

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

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

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

THE ANGLICAN CHURCH, La Fustera. For more info: contact Frank Bentley on 966 495 188. (95461)

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

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

THE SPIRITUALIST CENTRE, Benijofar meets at Hamilton’s Bake House, 62 Calle Vicente, Blasco Ibañez, Benijofar 03178. We hold a Sunday Sevrice at 11.30am. For further information: www.spiritualist centre-benijofar.com . Telephone 711 060 171. Email martindroute66@hot mail.com. Fiscal G54713789

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

COSTS AND STILL HAVE 100% COVER. YOU HAVE TRIED THE REST NOW TRY THE BEST WITH SOS INSURANCE. WE CAN EVEN INSURE YOU FOR UP TO A €1,000 OF WATERLOSS. CALL 686 116 297 (WHATSAPP TO) OR VISIT www.sosinsur anceinspain.com or email tracey@sosin suranceinspain.com (302024)

BENEFICIAL INSURANCE SERVICES. Car, Home, Business, Travel, Life, Funeral, all insurances available. Policies in English. BEST rates, covers & service. Immediate quotes. Tel 961 129 215 / 622 275 561, (WhatsApp) info@beneficialin suranceinspain.com or visit www.beneficialinsuranceinspain.com for online quote. (301438)

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

MASSAGE

MR FIXIT. For all your electrical, plumbing, general & appliance & boiler repairs. No call out charge. 698 320 434 (290288)

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

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

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

CLASSIC SPANISH LADY , Playa Flamenca area, private premises, all massage services from 40€. Ana 657 603 495 (302126)

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

RELAXING MASSAGE FOR MEN - Mario qualified masseur in Alicante - Special Massage for Men - 7 days 10am to 10pmAPPOINTMENTS visit : www.masajeyrelax.es/en or WHATSAPP 649 761 607 (302343)

MELISSA MASSEUR – 27 latín masseur in La Zenia. Close to Zenia bulevard tel. 655 590 001 (302570)

BATHROOM & KITCHEN Conversions Costa Blanca, contact 698 320 434. (293206)

MISUKY - ASIEN QUALIFIED MASSEUSSE. STRONG RELAXING MASSAGE. PRIVATE. CAMPOAMOR 663 088 170 (302570)

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

PERSONAL TRAINER, WEIGHT LOSS, TONING, RESULTS GUARANTEED. CERTIFIED WITH 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE. FORMER US KICKBOX CHAMPION. CALL 747 438 225 (301319)

MOTORING

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

MOTORHOMES

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

MUSIC TUITION

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

INTERNATIONAL SKIPPER LICENCE: Courses held in English and starts soon. RYA VHF and Radar Courses. 636 444 929 (301483)

PET CHARITY PLUMBERS

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

MR FIXIT. For all your electrical, plumbing, general & appliance & boiler repairs. No call out charge. 698 320 434 (290288)

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

Male/Female viagra, cialis, kamagra jelly, mixed trial packs available, all areas mail order. 604 385 476. viagra4you19@gmail.com

NAUTICAL OTHERS PERGOLAS

TAILOR-MADE in durable canvas, pergola covers, sails, umbrella, spa and CAR COVERS. 10% off Cushions. Mazarron to Costa Blanca. RETIRING SOON DON’T MISS OUT Google: KrugerCanopies.com WhatsApp: 667 879 399 krugercanopies@ yahoo.co.uk (293646)

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

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

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

POOL MAINTENANCE Repairs, Spares and Leak Testing. Call 965 725 565 / 676 945 360 www.pooltechspain.com (289653)

MAN & VAN. Removals, deliveries, house clearance, etc. Reliable service. Contact 613 599 008 (302176)

POOL MAINTENANCE REMOVALS TELECOMMUNICATIONS

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

Start the year with a classic alternative

ROAD TEST

byMarkSlack

WITH so many car makers sharing platforms and engines, mergers and amalgamations of brands, it’s perhaps no surprise that many cars feel rather similar. Arguably in many cases look similar too. For example one company is now in control of Peugeot, Citroen, DS, Vauxhall/Opel, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Lancia, Maserati, Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, Ram and Abarth.

Unless you pay a lot of money for your car, and even then there are companies sharing parts and technology, individuality is becoming a rare commodity. Cars seem to have become the automotive equivalent of

white goods, we buy them when needed and change them for a newer, more efficient model in a few years.

However it doesn’t have to be this way. Many modern classics

are perfectly useable day ­ to ­ day and can be subtly tweaked to provide a more modern driver experience. Cars like Renault’s once ubiquitous 5 can be had for very little money, in

good condition and provide a characterful and economic daily commute.

Even newer companies like SEAT have a back catalogue providing far more character and in ­

terest than a modern equivalent. More luxurious modern day classics such as Mercedes Benz models from the 1980s/ 90s are incredibly useable and surprisingly economical in daily use.

Another benefit is that many countries and cities give exemptions to classic vehicles in terms of road tax and charging schemes.

If you like your cars then driving a modern classic can draw far more attention than some uber ­ posh modern car, and it’s not the kind of negative attention that modern super cars can sometimes draw. It’s also a way to drive a car that you would never have been able to afford in the day, and certainly wouldn’t be able to afford its modern equivalent. So

on both economic and style grounds modern day classics seem to be a winning choice for classy and unusual transport.

There are downsides though. No matter how much you improve the driving experience, a modern classic will never, in this writer’s view, drive as well, or as easy, as a modern car. Although many modern day classics have a great parts network, increasingly via the manufacturer but also specialists, depending on your choice, some parts can take a while to track down.

So take a look at the classic car press and online presence, do your research and you may just find the most interesting and stylish car you’ve ever owned.

MODERN CLASSICS: Are perfectly useable day-to-day and can be subtly tweaked.

Used car sales

AS countries across Europe speed to reduce emissions from pollution, the Spanish car market continues to lag behind with the transition to electric vehicles. Now experts warn that the market desperately needs to be modernised.

What’s happening?

Currently, the average age for cars on the roads in Spain is a staggering 13.5 years old, two years older than the European Union’s average. This year, cars older than 10 years old sold almost 40 per cent more than new cars. Experts are concerned by this because older cars generally emit more polluting gases than newer vehicles which have to conform with current pollution regulations.

Why is this happening?

Motoring industry experts say that supply shortages causing problems for manufacturers and spiralling inflation have put consumers off buying new vehicles during the last year.

Experts believe supply shortages have also caused car sellers to prioritise corporate buyers for the vehicles that they have had available, which led to shortages for private buyers.

What can be done?

Experts are calling for more financial incentives for motorists to buy new cars. Regulations against older vehicles being driven in urban areas are being introduced for 2023, but this won’t combat the root of Spain’s old car problem. Financial incentives could be offered as discounts or lower taxes on new cars.

Hydrogen-powered cars

TECHNOLOGICAL advances are driving sweeping changes in the car industry, particularly with the shift to electric vehicles. But hydrogen­powered cars are becoming an increasingly viable zero emissions alternative to fossil fuelled and even electric vehicles. And hydrogen­powered vehicles are only going to become even more popular in 2023.

Advantages

Hydrogen­powered vehicles work using hydrogen fuel cells which do not produce harmful by­products as fossil fuelled vehicles do. These vehicles are also capable of covering larger distances than electric vehicles and do not need charging up in the same time­consuming way.

Hydrogen fuelled vehicles also have an advantage over electric vehicles which is that their fuel cells do not decay in the same way as lithium­ion battery cells. Hydrogen fuel cells are designed to last an average 240,000kms, or a car’s lifetime.

Disadvantages

Limited technological development and availability of man­

ufacturing facilities means that hydrogen­powered cars have pretty hefty price tags.

A lack of infrastructure also means hydrogen­powered vehicles are difficult to maintain.

Furthermore, the largest car manufacturers are yet to adopt

hydrogen power on a large scale, meaning there is less security for consumers choosing hydrogen­powered vehicles.

However, as the market evolve,s hydrogen­powered vehicles are becoming more and more attainable for the public.

Photo credit: Ody_Stocker / shutterstock.com

Motoring experts are advocating for financial incentives for new car purchases in Spain.

World mourns Next generation

THE Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the International Tennis Federation (ITF) have announced the launch of the Accelerator Programme.

The groundbreaking initiative is designed to accelerate the careers of young aspiring tennis players in 2023.

The programme will see playing opportunities at ATP Challenger Tour ­ level reserved for the world’s top junior players, creating an accelerated pathway into professional tennis. The new initiative supplements the 2023 Challenger Tour changes announced in September, which signal ATP’s long ­ term strategy for the circuit through significant prize money increases, a balanced calendar and an increase in total and premium playing opportunities.

Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman, confirmed: “Tennis has always been a sport that rewards hard work, and we must create an environment that allows young, aspiring players to reach their potential. It is our responsibility to open the door to opportunity and allow them to thrive in the sport. The Accelerator Programme is creating a pathway for the next generation of champions and we look forward to seeing it come into play in 2023.”

BRAZIL f ootball legend Pele passed away on, Thursday, December 29, at the age of 82. The footballer had been in hospital for the last four weeks battling cancer but his body had reportedly stopped responding to treatment. His death was confirmed in his homeland by the country’s government.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento was arguably the greatest footballer to have graced the game. During a glittering career, the No10 became the only player to even win the World Cup three times. His nation landed the trophy in 1958, 1962, and again in 1970.

At the age of 15, Pele made his debut for Santos FC, and broke into the national side when he was just 16. In Sweden on June 29, 1958, Pele became the youngest player to appear in the final of a World Cup tournament aged 17 years and 249 days.

Such was the demand for this incredible footballer that in 1961, Janio Quadros, the President of Brazil, declared Pele an ‘official national treasure’ to prevent him from being transferred to any team abroad.

During his career, he racked up an astonishing 1,279 goals in 1,363 games. This total though included friendly matches, but is still recognised as an official Guinness World Record. His record of 77 international goals was only this month broken by Neymar at the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

New manager

AFTER being sacked by Bournemouth, Scott Parker made a dream return to top­level management on Saturday, December 31. The 42­year­old has been named as the new head coach of Belgian giants Club Brugge.

He was welcomed with a tweet on the club’s official Twitter profile that read: ‘The Englishman has just been appointed as our new head coach’.

Fabrizio Romano, the esteemed sports journalist also announced Scott’s new position with a tweet that read: “Official. Club Brugge have appointed Scott Parker as new head coach after he was sacked by Bournemouth in August. #Brugge Parker will be managing in the UCL knockout stages.”

As a result, he faces the prospect of Champions League football for the first time in his management career. The Belgians are in the last 16 of the tournament where they will play the first leg at home against the Portuguese giants Benfica on February 15.

After a 9­0 thrashing by Liverpool at Anfield, Parker was fired by Bournemouth, only four matches into the new season.

Shutterstock.com/ Nelson Antoine

Football legend passed away aged 82.