Axarquia 12 • 18 January 2023 Issue 1958

BARGAIN BUYS

VELEZ ­ MALAGA has been named as one of Malaga Province’s most affordable spots to buy property in. The town stood out alongside Torrox and Algarrobo according to a report released on Friday, January 6.

Despite property prices reaching an all ­ time high in the province, these three towns in Malaga stand out as havens for those seeking to rent property.

The news also suggests that the towns remain slightly off the beaten track for investors, boasting the same quality of life credentials as other more well ­ known destinations on the Costa del Sol, but are relatively unknown to masses of investors.

As Malaga Province suffered from a property inflation rate of 21.4 per

cent during the last year, Velez­Malaga saw a rise of 10.4 per cent, Torrox saw a 16.8 per cent rise, and Algarrobo saw an increase of just 2.7 per cent com ­

pared to the end of 2021. Renting a home in each of the three towns is also well below the regional cost of €10 per square metre.

The three towns now stand out as affordable destinations for property hunters in a tough market which is increasing in price at an accelerated speed.

Global winner

IT’S no secret that Axarquia is home to some of the most beautiful towns in the country and National Geographic seems to agree. The prestigious magazine released its list of the 100 most beautiful towns in Spain, featuring Frigiliana.

TOURISM figures for Malaga Province from 2022 show that an astonishing €17 billion was collected in revenue throughout the year, proving there has been a phenomenal recovery following the pandemic.

Presenting the figures, Tourism Costa del Sol President Francisco Salado, hailed the numbers as “magnificent.”

The figures break records achieved in 2019, with the number of tourists visiting the province only dropping by 2 per cent between 2019 and 2022, while revenue went up by an astonishing 18.3 per cent.

“In 2022, we set out to make the same amount of money as in 2019, and as of today, we have €2.6 billion more than that,” Salado said.

In 2023, figures are expected to rise even further with Salado explaining that there will be greater efforts made to draw visitors from the national market as well as planning more than 200 initiatives to attract visitors from abroad.

Further evidence of the Costa del Sol’s impressive boom was seen throughout 2022 with major names

This edition of the list selected rural destinations that have something unique to offer to visitors. Frigiliana was handpicked for the list by editors who cite the town’s charming floral decoration, inviting streets, striking whitewashed buildings and incredible castle as reasons to visit.

The magazine also

highlighted Frigiliana’s fascinating cultural heritage as the confluence between Moorish settlers and past Mediterranean civilisations. Editors were impressed not only by the architecture reflecting this rich history, but also by the delicious local cuisine reflecting the diverse origins of the town.

The distinction in the magazine is sure to boost the local tourism industry, particularly with tourists interested in rural experiences, thanks to its glowing description of the town and surrounding Axarquia with tropical and traditional agricultural opportunities.

Lucy Chamberlaine

Club Med and the Hard Rock Hotel both opening their doors and attracting a huge international audience.

Betty Henderson

FRIGILIANA: One of the most beautiful towns.

Photo credit:

MALAGA:

TORROX: Latest property data suggests that the town is one of the cheapest destinations in Malaga Province to rent a home.

Shutterstock.com/Caron Badkin

Photo credit: AlexeMarcel / shutterstock.com

Liquid gold

Betty Henderson

AXARQUIA’S world renowned olive oil is going on display in its own exhibition in a museum in Velez­Malaga. The exhibition which opens today Thursday, January 12 at 7pm unites culture and cuisine to celebrate the significance of olive groves for the region.

January is ‘oil month’ in Velez­Malaga and the local museum, MUVEL, has curated an exhibition dedicated to the local variety of olive oil. The exhibition launch is set to kick off a fortnight of special events to highlight the value of olive oil in

the region for the local community and visitors.

As well as the exhibition, a conference will be held on Thursday, January 19 covering the historical uses of olive oil and the development of the current industry. A gourmet olive oil tasting will follow on Thursday, January 26 led by expert Francisco Lorenzo Tapia.

Finally, the month will close with a guided tour of 1,000­year­old Periana olive groves, which will give guests an insight into the Phoenician history of current practices.

A WHOPPING 57 properties have gone on the market in Rincon de La Victoria after a property developer went bankrupt. Several of the properties hit the market on Monday, January 9 after a several years ­ long administration process to determine their future.

The property developer, Aifos filed for bankruptcy in 2009 and began liquidising its as ­

Anyone interested in signing up for the olive oil tasting or guided tour must send an email to: mvvel@velezmalaga.es.

Property push

sets in 2014, but it’s not until now that the properties have returned to the market.

Fifty of the properties in Rincon de La Victoria are in the El Parador de Añoreta area, while the remaining seven are situated in Terrazas de la Cala.

Several properties from the same developer went on sale in different parts of the region including luxurious Costa del Sol destination Benahavis, and coastal haven Roquetas de Mar in Almeria. There are 71 properties in total on the market.

The properties have a joint value of €10.3 million, but are on the market for 70 per cent of their value at a total of €7.3 million.

In many cases, the homes are expected to fly off the market, given the current high demand for property.

Under the boardwalk

A SECTION of Torrox’s famed coast is set to become more accessible to all thanks to an advance in a new boardwalk scheme. The regional government announced a funding boost for the project with an investment of more than €800,000 to extend an existing 400 metre section of boardwalk over Torrox’s river.

The funding which was announced on Monday, January 9 will be used to fund a wooden bridge over the river, extending the existing four kilometres of coastal boardwalk.

The project aims to make Torrox’s glorious beaches more accessible to residents and visitors including for disabled people and people with pushchairs and beach equipment. The boardwalk and bridge will be three metres wide, equipped with robust railings and a sturdy service.

The announcement means that Torrox will soon boast nearly five kilometres of coastal paths.

Velez-Malaga’s olive oil month will offer locals and visitors an opportunity to tour ancient olive groves in Periana.

Photo credit: Caron Badkin shutterstock.com

NIBS EXTRA

Royal visit

THREE KINGS arrived in Axarquia last week on Thursday, January 5, bringing the Christmas magic to towns across the region with traditional ‘Cabalgata’ processions. Locals enjoyed sweet treats before the Kings left gifts for children in local homes.

Farmers market

AFTER a Christmas break, Trapiche Market in VelezMalaga returned for a brand new year on Tuesday, January 10. The weekly farmers market boasts a broad selection of local artisan and handmade goods and is always looking for new stallholders.

Drug bust

POLICE in Torre del Mar intercepted a drug deal and have dismantled part of a drug ring after making an arrest. One individual was arrested on suspicion of trafficking drugs including cocaine and marihuana from a home address in the town.

The big screen

A LOCAL cinema is showing various films in English including recently released Avatar, Megan and Young Frankenstein. The Cinesur cinema in Velez­Malaga offers a weekly selection of films in original languages or English at evening showings.

Give blood

NERJA’S health service is holding a blood donation drive on Tuesday, January 17 to boost reserves for the upcoming year. The session will be held from 10am­ 2pm and from 5pm­ 9pm in the Sala Mercado.

Freshening up

VELEZ-MALAGA announced a bumper programme of funding during the last week to freshen up the appearance of local areas in the new year. The council are set to embark on a painting and resurfacing project in five local towns.

TORRE DEL MAR’S international community will once more celebrate their diversity at a free international evening of culture on Wednesday, January 25. An audience will be delighted by a varied programme on the evening which includes poetry and musical entertainment.

The event, which will be held at the Irish Rover in Torre del Mar will bring together a variety of different cultures, including Spanish, Welsh, German and Scottish influences, with it being held on Burns Night!

The evening will get underway from 7pm with a public reading by Mary Groarke. The Irish poet and author will read excerpts of

Cultural fusion

one of her recently published books to kick off the evening.

Musical entertainment will follow by Terry on the banjo and guitar, accompanied by Karina Jiminez

Optimistic outlook

AXARQUIA’S tourism industry continues to make an impressive recovery from the pandemic with the re­emergence of popular schemes to showcase the region’s natural charm to international tourists.

The local tourism board delegation, APTA arrived in the Netherlands for its first promotional fair of 2023, at the Vakantiebeurs Fair which is being held in Utrecht until Sunday, January 13. The fair is considered one of the leading platforms for promoting leisure and tourism opportunities within the Dutch market.

APTA are promoting a variety of coastal and rural tourism experiences at the fair which attracts an audience of professionals and the public. This year’s fair marks the first in­person event since 2020 before the pandemic, and is expected to attract huge numbers of tourists to some relatively unknown parts of Spain.

The last edition of the fair in 2020 attracted some 100,000 visitors, so the fair is important for the industry to promote itself.

APTA Manager, Elisa Páez highlighted the potential of the fair in attracting Dutch tourists who are interested in sunny coastal escapes, active tourism opportunities and a rich cuisine.

Muñoz. The evening will also feature an open mic opportunity for any participants to show off their vocals! Extra surprises can be expected throughout the evening to celebrate Burns Night and

the wonderful array of cultures in Torre del Mar. Translations will also be provided to material performed during the evening, which will close with a fun singalong to lift everyone’s spirits!

Blast at bowling

THE new year has begun and a local bowling group is helping locals to engage in some social sports. Crown Green and Shortmat Bowling group in Velez­Malaga returned for the new year on Thursday, January 5, and has plenty of room for new members.

The group run by Mike Hood and his wife, Ann promises ‘good gentle exercise’ and an opportunity to make new friends. Members of the group meet each Thursday in VelezMalaga and offer three disciplines of bowling; Crown Green, Flat Green or Short

Revival for roads

ROADS in Axarquia are set for a major facelift thanks to a bumper investment from the regional government. Regional representative, Francisco Salado announced a package of funding totalling €2.7 million on Monday, January 9. The project aims to improve road safety and create efficient connections between towns in the area.

Nine roads in the region will benefit from the funding, with the MA­3108 motorway seeing the biggest investment at more than €770,000. The road, which links Benamargosa in the north­west of the province with Cútar, will see

improvements to its surface with new tarmac in areas and pot holes filled in. Eight other roads will also be renovated during the project. Roads in other parts of the Malaga region will also benefit from the scheme, which aims to improve connections between a total of more than 20 local towns.

The regional government put the contract for the projects out to tender this week with a deadline of Monday, January 30 for bids to be made. The projects will take an estimated three to four months once the contract has been awarded.

Mat, and cater to both beginners and experienced players.

The first match of 2023 was won by Mike and Ann with an impressive score of 21, pipping Nigel and Stuart to the post with their score of 20. Third place went to Phil and Carol with a score of 12. After the game, players often enjoy a catch up over tea and cakes provided by Ann.

Anyone interested can call Mike on: 661 234 095 or join the Facebook group ‘Crown Green & Shortmat Bowling Axarquia’ for more information.

Monday madness

NERJA International Club is striding into 2023 with a packed programme of events for all to get involved with. The club announced the return of their ‘Busy Mondays’ from Monday, January 8, and activities are now fully back in swing.

Members are invited to Petanca mornings on Mondays at the courts in Parque Verano Azul. Newcomers are invited to try the game and enjoy some social sport. On the same day, a craft group gets underway from 2.30pm at the clubhouse on Calle San Juan, 42. Members are invited to bring along craft projects from knitting and crochet to drawing and painting and enjoy a social tea or coffee.

The clubhouse will remain busy on Monday evenings with a games night each week from 7.30pm. As well as weekly events, the club also offers excursions to popular destinations including Cadiz and Jerez. Recently, members enjoyed a trip to Malaga where they marvelled at Christmas lights and enjoyed some festive food. Memberships to the club can be purchased which offer members discounted prices. The group has a Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.co m/CIDNERJA.

Betty Henderson

TORRE DEL MAR: The international community in the town is set to celebrate their diversity with an evening of cultural entertainment.

Photo credit: Gorodenkoff / shutterstock.com

New Year welcomed

ON Friday December 30, friends of the Lux Mundi, Torre del Mar Centre, celebrated the welcoming of the New Year for 2023. A goody bag to help the party atmosphere was given to each of the friends to wear, party hats, masks, streamers, etc and at 12 o’clock, Gloria started to bang the new gong and for each of the strokes of 12, a grape was eaten after expressing our

wishes for the new year and under the hope the Centre will continue serving the local community in 2023!!!

After this there was a toast of cava to the New Year and the famous Scottish song ‘Auld Lang Syne’ was sung. Lux Mundi would like to thank all those who helped to make the morning a success and all funds raised will be used to enable Lux Mundi to continue

helping others.

Lux Mundi Ecumenical Centre is based at Torre del Mar, Avda. Moscatel 1’I’, (Jardines Viña Malága/Antigua Casa de la Viña), Torre del Mar, 29740. The centre is open mornings only Wednesday and Friday 10.00 till 13.00. For further information please contact the Centre, Torre del Mar Tel. 952 543 334 E­mail: lux mundi@lux­mundi.org.

Support system

AXARQUIA continues to stand with Ukraine by relaunching a popular employment assistance scheme to help Ukrainian refugees to find new opportunities.

The Red Cross and local councils announced that they will offer online classes to resettled Ukrainians in towns including Velez­Malaga, Colmenar, Nerja, and Torrox. After launching the successful resettlement scheme last year, authorities want to offer practical opportunities for the refugees in Spain, and help them to rebuild their lives.

The initiative announced on Friday, January 6 will offer a tailored experience for Ukrainians seeking employment with workshops to improve CVs and employability skills, introduce refugees to local job portals and develop Spanish language skills. Participants will then be offered question and answer sessions with employment experts and one­to­one sessions to help with progress.

The first cycle of the scheme was held back in December and saw 89 interested participants take part. The majority of those who took part in the scheme were women between the ages of 30 and 44.

Ukrainians who want to participate in this scheme or who want more information can send a WhatsApp message to: 617 308 158 or an email to: planempleomalaga@cruzroja.es.

Slashing emissions

ENVIRONMENTALISTS in Velez ­ Malaga have launched a new campaign calling for a low ­ emission zone in the town centre, coinciding with a nationwide emissions initiative.

Local environmental group, GENA Ecologistas en acción wrote a letter to the local council calling for the national policy of low emission zones to be implemented in the town immediately, from Sunday, January 1.

The new climate change regulations state that urban areas with more than 50,000 residents, or those with more than 20,000 that have pollution issues must implement low emission zones to prevent further damage to the environment.

Low emission zones aim to cut carbon dioxide and pollutants from traffic by restricting vehicle numbers in urban areas and increasing parking restrictions.

The local council responded to the letter on Tuesday, January 10 saying they are currently working on a comprehensive plan which they hope to bring into force from January 2024.

Their plan includes a low emission zone for Velez ­ Malaga and Torre del Mar town centres and alternative infrastructure to encourage green mobility. These initiatives include creating more cycle lanes and public transport offers.

PARTY TIME: Each guest was given a goody bag to help celebrate.

Photo credit: Lux Mundi

Ukrainian refugees in Axarquía will benefit from a local employment course to help them rebuild their lives in a new country.

Gas cap extension Culinary credit

SPANISH officials have announced their bid for the EU to extend the price cap on gas until at least the end of 2024. Speaking on Monday, January 9, government minister, Teresa Ribera said that Spain is asking Brussels for the measure to stabilise utility prices in the coming year.

The current price cap on gas used to generate electricity is nicknamed the ‘Iberian Exception’ as it applies to Spain and Portugal. Both countries have been paying €40 per megawatt hour for the gas since the scheme came in

on June 15, but the rate is set to increase by €5 per megawatt hour each month until the current proposed end date of the scheme in May.

Ribera said that the Spanish government has developed a proposal for the extension of the scheme until European regulations on gas and electricity production have been updated, which will stabilise the market.

She explained “We want to keep the gas cap in place until at least the end of 2024, with a rate of €45 to €50 per megawatt hour.”

Betty Henderson

THE famed Spanish cuisine is once again in the global spotlight thanks to a new ranking which placed Spain in third place for the ‘World’s Best Cuisine’. TasteAtlas released its 2022 rankings on Friday, January 6, giving Spain an overall score of 4.59 stars out of 5.

AMID the increasing cost of living, many of us are looking for changes to save money. One study has found the cheapest city to live in, in Spain, so if you’re looking to switch it up, check out this city in northern Spain.

The study released by insurance specialists, Kelista, on Monday, January 8 revealed that living costs in Palencia are 30 per cent lower than the Spanish average. During the project, cities were compared on 14 key economic indicators including housing, transport, taxes, and leisure.

Residents in the city make an average of €23,500 per year, meaning they get better

Cheapest city

value for their money than most other cities in the country.

Second place went to the enclave of Melilla, with costs of living 17 per cent below the national average. Other cheap places to live include Lugo, Logroño, Cáceres, Zamora, and León. On the other hand, the most expensive places to live were unsurprisingly Barcelona and Madrid. San Sebastian in the Basque Country was also ranked as having one of the highest costs of living.

The ranking of global cuisines is released by gastronomic experts at the platform each year who identify top dishes, ingredients and restaurants in each country and compile reviews from diners to find the most popular global cuisine.

The last year’s list was topped by Italy with a score of 4.72 stars. The country’s speciality ingredients of Parmigiana Reggiano, pesto and prosciutto were highlighted as favourites. Greek cuisine came a close second in the rankings with a score of 4.69 stars, thanks to its top rated foods of Kalamata, Gyros and Moussaka. Spanish cuisine came in third place in the global ranking thanks to delicious dishes including Gambas a la Plancha, Jamón Iberico, and Manchego cheeses.

Dishes including Spain’s gambas a la Plancha earned the country third place on a global cuisine ranking.

Photo credit: hlphoto / shutterstock.com

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Holocaust survivor Bea Franklin serves as real-life witness to history

HOLOCAUST survivor Bea Franklin really is an incredible lady. At 98 years of age, 99 in June, when most people her age would be taking it easy, Bea never stops! She sat down with the Euro Weekly News to discuss her fascinating life.

Bea’s marriage to Corporal Jerry Franklin exposed her to some of the most historic moments of the Second World War. “Jerry was a US Army photographer,” Bea explained. “He was there for invasions all throughout Europe and Africa and, most notably, took graphic photos at The Liberation of the Dachau Concentration Camp.

“My husband was a very positive person, he never spoke about the holocaust, the photographs spoke for him. He just wanted to focus on the positives of life.”

Bea added: “One of his most iconic photos of him that we have in his photo album is one of thenpresident Franklin Roosevelt with future president Dwight Eisenhower. The pair are sitting in a jeep with General Patton at Castelvetrano Airport in Sicily, Italy, after the conferences at Tehran and Cairo on December 8 in 1943.”

Bea explained how her husband often crossed paths with some of Hollywood’s legendary film stars. “When film stars visited the frontlines Jerry took some great photos including Humphrey Bogart, Mickey Rooney, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and Joe E Lewis, who became famous from his role in Some Like It Hot with Marilyn Monroe.

“Even though Jerry took the photos, they don’t belong to him,” Bea confirmed. “As he was working for the US Army and they own the photos, we cannot use them

without their permission.

“Jerry has got copies of all the pictures he took and put them in albums, but this was back when you had to develop the photos yourself,” she quipped.

Bea was even present for the iconic ‘Kiss’ of the unknown sailor in New York’s Time Square just eight days after the two atomic bombs exploded in Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Japan) at the end of the Second World War. “I was at university in New York when we heard the war in Europe was over” she said. “Everyone knew that Time Square would be the place to celebrate, people flooded the subway.

“We arrived in New York and witnessed the sailor kissing the nurse.”

When asked about her secret to longevity, 98year ­ old Bea simply responded, “positive thinking!”

From a rooftop concert at the Astor Hotel where she saw legendary crooner Frank Sinatra and Tommy Dorsey, to her household friends that included boxing legend Rocky

Graziano, Bea has had an extraordinary life.

As well as surviving the Holocaust and being married to one of the era’s most famed wartime photographers, Bea is also the daughter of the founder of the automotive legend, The Pep Boys, which later morphed to the Strauss Stores.

Pep Boys is an American automotive aftermarket service chain. Originally named Pep Auto Supply, the company was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1921 by Emanuel ‘Manny’ Rosenfeld, Maurice ‘Moe’ Strauss, W Graham ‘Jack’ Jackson, and Moe Radavitz. Pep Boys is headquartered in the Philadelphia neighbourhood of Allegheny West.

In 1929, Izzy Strauss left to form his own auto supply business in Brooklyn, Strauss Stores, which later merged with Roth & Schlenger Home and Auto to form R&S Strauss, the ancestor of Strauss Discount Auto, later known as Strauss Auto which ran until the company’s closure in 2012.

BEA FRANKLIN: Spoke about her fascinating life.

Credit: Bea Franklin

TOBACCO companies in Spain could be forced to pay to clean up all the discarded cigarette butts, as per the new environmental regulations.

The law, in accordance with the European Union rules, aims to limit singleuse plastic after it came into effect from Friday January 6 onwards.

It is a part of several measures that have been designed by the Spanish

Stub it out

government to reduce waste and increase the amount of recycling in the country as well as obligating polluters to clean-up.

Not so cute

UNLIKE the vast majority of caterpillars, this particular species can be harmful to young children and sometimes fatal to dogs and cats.

Between December and April, the larvae will make their way to the ground to pupate and eventually turn into moths between May and July. It is during these months that pets and young children are most vulnerable.

The processionary caterpillar is mostly found in pine trees in wooded forests and can be identified by the thousands of small fine poisonous hairs or bristles that cover their bodies, they are roughly three to four centimetres in length. The name ‘processionary’ comes from the fact that they create a procession or caterpillar-style ‘conga’ from head to tail to form a long chain. It is not unheard of to see chains with hundreds of them all joined together.

According to a study done in Catalonia, cited by a national news source, the total cost of cigarette butt clean-up is estimated between €12€21 per smoker per annum, which in total amounts to over €1 billion.

Although it still remains unclear how the clean-up will be implemented, experts suggest that the tobacco companies will eventually pass this cost on to the customer.

According to environmental experts, each butt takes over 10 years to decompose. Several toxins including arsenic and lead are also released into the atmosphere during their decomposition process.

Take years to decompose.

Shutterstock.com/

Larina Marina

PRESS EUROPEAN

DENMARK

Danish discovery

SCIENTISTS have uncovered the remains of a huge building that likely dates to the era of Denmark’s first king. Archaeologists at the Historical Museum of Northern Jutland report they’ve discovered an ancient Viking hall, the biggest one found in more than a decade.

THE NETHERLANDS

Doubled Dutch

THE overall population in the Netherlands grew twice as fast last year compared to 2021. While the number of deaths has risen in the Netherlands, immigration remains a key factor for the sharp increase. Towns Eindhoven and Almere made it to the top in population growth.

BELGIUM

Belgium

boost

ACCORDING to figures published by analysis firm NapoleonCat on January 6. Social networks gained more Belgian users in 2022. After a slight drop in user numbers in 2021, Facebook and Instagram saw increases last year, while Messenger's user base remained stable.

GERMANY

Tour tax

A PROPOSED tax on German holidays sold by companies outside of the EU has been scrapped for at least one year. The tax law would have made holidays to Germany more expensive and would also have required nonEU tour operators to file tax returns in Germany.

FRANCE

Limited Louvre

THE Louvre Museum in France has announced that it will limit the number of daily visitors to the famed institution in order to create a more enjoyable experience. Museum staff have decided to cap daily admissions at 30,000 because of a surge of visitors.

NORWAY

Oil profits

NORWAY once again saw record oil and gas profits in 2022. With energy prices soaring last year, in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent scarcity of oil and gas in Europe, Norway recorded significant profits throughout the year.

FINLAND

Bee bacteria

THE US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved the world's first vaccine for honey bees. Developed in Finland, the vaccine works against a bacterial condition known as American foul-brood disease that attacks bee larvae. The vaccine introduces inactive bacteria into the royal jelly fed to the queen.

IRELAND

Growing Ireland

A REPORT by the US Census Bureau has predicted that Ireland will experience the second-highest rate of population growth in Europe. Ireland's population will rise by 33 per cent above six million by 2050, according to the study.

ITALY

Fake serum

ITALIAN tennis star Camila Giorgi is under investigation for allegedly using fake Covid vaccination papers to enter Australia in 2022. Giorgi's family doctor was arrested in February and charged with administering hundreds of fake serums and paperwork to high-profile Italians.

PORTUGAL

Cheese Festival

THE Serra da Estrela de Oliveira do Hospital Cheese Festival which is considered to be ‘the biggest Cheese Festival in Portugal’, will take place on March 11 and 12, in the heart of the city in the district of Coimbra.

UKRAINE

Bye to Banksy

INVESTIGATIVE actions are ongoing against a group of people who dismantled a graffiti by UK artist Banksy ‘Woman in a Gas Mask’ in Hostomel, Kyiv. The police estimated the value of the graffiti to be UAH 9M (€229,489). The alleged organiser of the crime has been charged.

SWEDEN

Swedish getaway

DESPITE a weak start to the year due to the Omicron variant and other global concerns, Sweden’s airports welcomed nearly 28 million passengers in 2022 which is a 130 per cent increase on the 12 million that passed through the country’s gateways in 2021.

FINANCE

BUSINESS EXTRA

Dubai’s trillions

DUBAI has set out its 32 trillion dirham (€8.2 trillion) economic plan and aims to double the size of its economy in the next decade to become one of the ‘top three economic cities around the world,’ Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, tweeted.

Economic sentiment

EUROPEAN COMMISSION data on January 6 showed eurozone economic sentiment has improved for the first time since the start of the Ukraine war. The Commission’s monthly economic sentiment index rose to 95.8 in December from 94.0 in November, the first upward movement after a slide from a record high of 114.0 scaled in February.

Renewable energy

THE European Investment Bank (EIB) and Iberdrola have signed a new agreement to accelerate Spain’s energy transition by developing new renewable energy capacity. The EU bank will provide a €550m green loan for the construction of a portfolio of projects with a total capacity of around 1 800 megawatts (MW).

Euro-flation

A BIT of good news is that Europe ended a bad year for inflation with some relief as price gains eased again. While the cost of living is still painfully high, the slowdown is a sign that the worst might be over for weary consumers.

Ethical investments

TO invest ethically, look for funds with high Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards, which will not invest your money in harmful sectors. ESG look at the conservation of the natural world and social factors and examine how a company treats people both inside and outside the company.

STAT OF WEEK

Future of payments

PAYTECHS are disrupting the future of payments. The time is ripe for banks to rethink strategies for participating in this complex ­ but opportunisticecosystem, or risk being left behind.

Ernst & Young’s (EY) recent report The Rise of PayTech ­ seven forces shaping the future of payments assesses the level of innovation enabled by PayTechs across the most dynamic areas impacting the sector. These include areas such as open banking, real­time payments, cross­border payments, buy now, pay later (BNPL), digital wallets and super apps, embedded payments and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), and digital currencies.

Digital currencies are gaining momentum, rising to the top of the agenda for payments providers seeking regulated alternatives as first industry solutions emerge. The ultimate benefits of digital currencies lie in the instant and atomic settlement,

increased automation, transparency, and efficiency.

Open banking has allowed consumers to be firmly in control of their data, identity, and payments. The practice of securely sharing financial data by connecting merchants and customers directly has created compelling ‘open payments’ or ‘pay by bank’ options.

Elsewhere, digital wallets and super apps are helping to reduce payment transaction fees whilst offering

a single destination for consumers to manage their finances. By leveraging data, they have the potential to fulfil almost any financial, leisure or lifestyle need.

For banks, the shift in payments is both a threat and an opportunity. Banks must continue to embrace digitalisation and transform their current payment models and, by leveraging these forces, they can deliver better, far more efficient and frictionless experiences for their customers.

Climate finance

ACCORDING to the World Economic Forum (WEF), “the climate and biodiversity crises loom large but sadly, so does the gap in global finance. Estimates for the cost of emerging market countries’ adaptation to climate change range from $140 ­ 300B per year by 2030. Not to mention the costs of energy transition and mitigation efforts and the rest of a country’s development agenda.”

So where will this money come from? The WEF say “access to grants and low­cost concessional finance is limited. With rising interest rates in advanced economies and the subsequent ‘risk off’ environment in the international capital markets, emerging market countries that previously had

market access have mainly lost it. Debt burdenswhich include official debt service payments postponed throughout the pandemic ­ are increasingly difficult to refinance and sovereign debt restructuring practices are cumbersome and time­consuming.”

The WEF confirm that: “To solve these two financial challenges ­ climate finance and

sovereign debt ­ we need to find creative, scalable solutions. Failure to do so quickly will create a downward spiral where debt crises undermine the capacity of countries to adapt to climate change, making them less creditworthy and even less able to finance adaptation and mitigation.

“Many developing countries are eager to

consider climate and nature ­ related key performance indicators (KPIs) as part of their debt issuance and debt workout operations. They see the environmental sustainability linkage as enhancing their attractiveness to capital markets, and they see the additional resources accelerating the implementation of agreed environmental goals.”

International borrowing

THE European Commission is empowered by the EU Treaties to borrow from the international capital markets on behalf of the European Union.

It is a well ­ established name in debt securities markets, with a strong track record of successful bond issuances over the past 40 years. All EU­Bond issuances executed by the European Commission are denominated exclusively in euro.

The European Commission uses the proceeds of EUBond issuances to fund EU policy programmes. Landmark policy programmes currently funded by EU­Bonds include the NextGenerationEU recovery instrument of up to around €800 billion in current prices and the Commission’s Macro­Financial Assistance + programme for Ukraine.

EU borrowing is executed using multiple instruments, including EU­Bonds, EU­Bills, and NextGenerationEU Green Bonds.

Help for Scots

SOCIAL SECURITY of Scotland is now actively encouraging people to check they are not missing out on extra money from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The government confirmed that it is highly likely that more people could be eligible for certain benefits, some of which are only available in Scotland.

The benefits, which have been introduced over the past four years, are available to people on low incomes responsible for children under 16, those who need help paying for a funeral, people living with a disability, carers, young people entering the workplace and householders needing help to heat their homes.

Data from Bankrate found that 27 per cent of shoppers will go into debt for holiday or Christmas shopping.

RECENT REPORT: Banks must continue to embrace digitalisation.

Image: NicoElNino/Shutterstock.com

CLIMATE CHANGE: Creative, scalable solutions are necessary across the world.

Image: MUNGKHOOD STUDIO/Shutterstock.com

3I Group 1.390,50 1.391,50 1.371,00 237,97K

Abrdn 193,25 193,50 190,15 411,82K

Admiral Group 2.230,0 2.237,0 2.221,0 26,87K

Anglo American 3.552,0 3.585,0 3.528,0 193,99K

Antofagasta 1.695,50 1.702,50 1.677,50 159,86K

Ashtead Group 5.022,0 5.056,0 5.016,0 35,71K

Associated British Foods 1.765,5 1.774,0 1.762,0 37,58K

AstraZeneca 11.670,0 11.754,0 11.658,0 109,43K

Auto Trader Group Plc 542,60 544,80 539,40 156,85K

Aveva 3.220,0 3.222,0 3.219,0 42,54K

Aviva 459,30 459,70 456,00 279,31K

B&M European Value Retail SA450,60 454,60 448,00 255,27K

BAE Systems 840,40 857,80 839,60 592,52K

Barclays 173,84 174,08 171,88 1,71M

Barratt Developments 434,70 435,60 431,30 138,95K

Berkeley 4.117,0 4.118,0 4.080,5 2,01K

BHP Group Ltd 2.725,00 2.745,50 2.721,50 9,73K

BP 482,55 485,10 477,60 2,81M

British American Tobacco 3.315,5 3.341,5 3.308,3 13,26K

British Land Company 414,10 415,50 410,50 149,86K

BT Group 127,40 130,80 127,35 3,46M

Bunzl 2.906,0 2.927,0 2.904,0 34,87K

Burberry Group 2.216,0 2.221,0 2.198,0 84,25K

Carnival 662,6 671,8 658,4 46,39K

Centrica 92,54 93,12 91,28 720,43K

Coca Cola HBC AG 1.970,0 1.980,9 1.969,5 1,30K

Compass 1.906,50 1.915,50 1.905,00 125,19K

CRH 3.598,5 3.606,5 3.570,0 34,91K

Croda Intl 6.610,0 6.656,0 6.594,0 29,37K

DCC 4.305,0 4.326,5 4.289,2 2,03K

Diageo 3.617,0 3.655,5 3.617,0 183,42K

DS Smith 350,51 351,40 347,70 587,83K

EasyJet 378,30 381,00 373,50 297,30K

Experian 2.868,0 2.877,0 2.862,0 27,55K

Ferguson 11.470,0 11.530,0 11.390,0 78,22K

Flutter Entertainment 11.995,0 12.120,0 11.945,0 31,12K

Fresnillo 951,00 961,80 941,20 43,73K

Glencore 534,80 541,00 531,70 4,85M

GSK plc 1.414,80 1.432,40 1.412,80 68,09K

Halma 2.084,0 2.094,0 2.079,0 31,47K

Hargreaves Lansdown 876,00 877,00 860,80 106,58K

Hikma Pharma 1.681,50 1.690,00 1.674,00 6,74K

HSBC 565,80 566,80 562,40 2,36M

IAG 140,90 141,34 139,54 2,13M

Imperial Brands 2.071,00 2.080,00 2.052,00 255,23K

Informa 639,80 642,80 638,20 98,92K

InterContinental 5.110,0 5.138,0 5.106,0 35,46K

Intermediate Capital 1.217,50 1.221,00 1.203,50 22,87K

Intertek 4.232,0 4.266,0 4.224,0 14,08K

ITV 81,02 81,30 80,10 1,82M

J Sainsbury 244,54 246,20 242,69 109,01K

Johnson Matthey 2.196,0 2.204,0 2.178,0 25,13K

Land Securities 665,60 669,60 660,80 75,96K

Legal & General 262,15 262,70 259,10 520,60K

Lloyds Banking 48,52 48,54 47,99 35,53M

London Stock Exchange 7.236,0 7.290,0 7.200,0 48,45K

Melrose Industries 143,45 143,60 142,20 508,32K

Mondi 1.498,50 1.505,50 1.497,50 48,82K

National Grid 1.050,00 1.054,50 1.047,00 477,69K

NatWest Group 275,60 280,50 274,60 2,48M

Next 6.476,0 6.526,0 6.420,0 19,55K

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

Ocado 725,40 733,80 716,80 342,45K

Persimmon 1.336,5 1.338,5 1.325,0 46,27K

Phoenix 625,00 626,80 624,00 88,45K

Prudential 1.254,50 1.256,00 1.239,50 435,90K

Reckitt Benckiser 5.886,0 5.884,0 5.830,0 116,23K

Relx 2.334,00 2.352,00 2.330,00 160,35K

Rentokil 504,00 506,60 500,80 620,81K

Rightmove 547,40 548,80 540,80 107,61K

Rio Tinto PLC 6.063,0 6.125,0 6.046,0 207,06K

Rolls-Royce Holdings 101,82 103,08 100,98 4,22M

Sage 773,40 775,20 770,20 71,52K

Samsung Electronics DRC 1.216,50 1.220,00 1.210,50 3,98K

Schroders 449,3 450,1 444,4 175,22K

Scottish Mortgage 728,91 731,00 725,00 161,28K

Segro 794,20 796,40 787,60 118,67K

Severn Trent 2.772,0 2.796,0 2.772,0 10,06K

Shell 2.376,5 2.387,5 2.360,5 595,75K

Smith & Nephew 1.165,50 1.172,50 1.160,50 204,83K

Smiths Group 1.625,00 1.634,00 1.621,00 25,86K

Spirax-Sarco Engineering 10.970,0 10.985,0 10.865,0 7,01K

SSE 1.667,00 1.681,00 1.666,50 300,35K

St. James’s Place 1.156,00 1.159,50 1.147,50 0,83K

Standard Chartered 689,80 693,20 688,00 724,70K

Taylor Wimpey 109,30 109,60 108,00 884,90K

Tesco 242,70 244,20 240,40 920,05K

Tui 147,76 148,95 147,45 785,43K

Unilever 4.170,0 4.202,0 4.160,0 197,63K

United Utilities 1.039,50 1.046,00 1.039,50 40,32K

Vodafone Group PLC 87,77 88,80 87,52 6,10M

Whitbread 2.792,0 2.812,0 2.790,0 22,79K WPP 870,60 873,60 865,60 230,69K

3M 126,72 127,13 2,41M

American Express 150,17 150,43 145,48 2,90M

Amgen 275,20 276,82 269,03 2,89M

Apple 129,62 130,29 124,89 86,76M

Boeing 213,00 213,04 203,55 11,19M

Caterpillar 248,86 249,91 242,24 3,84M

Chevron 176,56 179,39 175,70 7,17M

Cisco 48,32 48,58 47,28 19,35M

Coca-Cola 63,40 63,67 62,58 9,97M

Dow 55,02 55,24 53,32 6,10M

Goldman Sachs 348,08 349,00 340,95 3,09M

Home Depot 317,53 318,85 309,00 4,01M

Honeywell 210,27 211,06 205,87 4,02M

IBM 143,70 144,25 141,58 3,53M

Intel 28,73 28,83 27,38 31,52M

J&J 180,25 180,93 179,39 5,64M

JPMorgan 137,94 138,38 134,49 9,94M

McDonald’s 269,47 269,89 263,39 2,85M

Merck&Co 114,84 115,49 114,05 8,58M

Microsoft 224,93 225,76 219,35 42,92M

Nike 124,53 125,36 121,77 9,32M

Procter&Gamble 153,92 154,46 151,75 7,88M

Salesforce Inc 140,51 141,65 135,55 9,00M

The Travelers 193,87 194,45 189,55 1,28M

UnitedHealth 490,00 492,87 487,54 4,81M

Verizon 42,19 42,58 41,88 25,87M

Visa A 217,75 218,14 213,09 6,83M

Walgreens Boots 36,61 36,74 35,11 10,00M

Walmart 146,78 147,55 144,24 7,07M

Walt Disney 93,92 94,69 91,32 9,78M

World

JinkoSolar

Roivant

Iridium Communications Inc. +12.81% 1.721M

Perseus Mining Limited +10.67% 35,153

Nel ASA +10.38% 16,796

R1 RCM Inc. +10.20% 9.972M Barclays PLC +10.01% 76,788

Most Declined

AMTD Digital Inc. -23.41% 21.064M

PT Bumi Resources Tbk -16.00% 64,775

XPeng Inc. -15.04% 41.107M

iQIYI, Inc. -14.87% 22.648M

Dave Inc. -13.53% 91,840

Dada Nexus Limited -9.70% 5.397M

Li Auto Inc. -9.16% 14.485M

Trinity Industries, Inc. -8.95% 971,367

NovoCure Limited -8.22% 3.002M

Baxter International Inc. -7.84% 11.099M

Waters Corporation -7.15% 1.27M

BUSINESS EXTRA

Finance fallouts

IN 2022 research from Royal London found that three in five couples have argued about money, with 62 per cent falling out over overspending. A quarter of respondents said they believe their partner is financially irresponsible, and a third admitted to keeping details of their savings and debts a secret.

ISA idea

LUCINDA O’BRIEN , savings expert at money.co. uk has suggested putting money in an ISA to save for the future. She said: “As much as we may try to put it to the back of our minds, money is something that can be a major source of stress, especially in the current economic climate.

Transfer debt

A MONEY saving expert suggests: “A balance transfer credit card lets you shift existing debt to a new card, you still owe the money but it’s interest ­ free for up to 30 months. Aim for the longest zero per cent deal to pay off your debt, then look for the lowest fee.”

Bank of Dad

IN his new memoir entitled ‘Spare’, Prince Harry alleges that his father, King Charles III, told him that the royal family just didn’t have the funds to financially support his wife, Meghan Markle.

According to the Duke of Sussex, the king said he was already having to pay a huge amount to support not only Prince Harry but also to support his eldest son, Prince William, and his wife, Kate Middleton, and family.

“Pa didn’t financially support Willy and me, and our families, out of any largesse,” Harry, 38, claims in his memoir. “That was his job. That was the whole deal.”

E-commerce spending

E­ COMMERCE turnover in Spain increased in the second quarter of 2022 with a year ­ on ­ year growth of 33.1 per cent to a total €18.190 billion, according to the latest e­commerce data available on the CNMCData website.

The activity sectors with the highest revenue were travel agencies, with 10.2 per cent of the total turnover; followed by air transport, with 6.6 per cent, and clothing taking third place with 6.5 per cent. As regards the number of transactions, in the second quarter of 2022 more than 325 million transactions were registered, up 16.4 per cent. Restaurants lead the ranking in terms of sales (7.1 per cent).

In terms of geographical segmentation, 46.8 per cent of the revenue from the second quarter

of 2022 was to Spain. The remaining 53.2 per cent corresponds to purchases originating

Sustainable banking

SANTANDER has ranked among the world’s most sustainable banks in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index 2022 and among the top three in Europe.

The bank scored 83 points out of 100, placing it in the 98th percentile of all banks reviewed.

Santander has been featured on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the past 22 years.

The bank scored well in every category: economic (86), environmental (76) and social (83). It also highlighted areas where the bank has improved, such as financial inclusion, environmental and social reporting, climate strategy, privacy protection and customer relationship management.

The group ended the first half of the year as the world’s leader in renewable energy finance, with over €2.4 billion in 33 funding transactions and a

worldwide market share of 6.4 per cent, according to Infralogic’s ranking. In the past decade, Santander has been a leading bank in renewable energy finance, ranking among the top three in the world in the number of transactions and the top five in funding volume.

In supporting the fight against climate change and the green transition, Santander continues to make progress on its goal to reach net zero carbon emissions group ­ wide by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement. In 2022, Santander outlined three new interim targets to decarbonise its portfolios by 2030: a 29 per cent reduction in absolute emissions financed in the energy sector; a 33 per cent reduction in emissions intensity in the aviation sector; and a 32 per cent reduction in emissions intensity in the steel sector.

Image: Pop Tika/Shutterstock.com

what is purchased in Spain from foreign locations and what is purchased from Spain to foreign locations) shows a deficit of €7.046 billion.

The turnover of transactions originating in Spain that were sent to foreign locations totalled €9.683 billion, up 20.9 per cent on the figure from the second quarter of the previous year. A total of 92.3 per cent of purchases from Spain with destinations in foreign locations was sent to businesses within the EU.

Meanwhile, transactions from foreign locations to Spain have reached a turnover of €2,638 million, up 106.1 per cent on the figure from the second quarter of the previous year. Some 61.3 per cent of purchases from foreign locations originated in countries within the EU.

Student financing

WITH the aim of improving access to education, the European Investment Bank (EIB) recently commissioned a study on student finance.

Technopolis, the consultancy that is part of the consortium carrying out the study said more and more students need to finance their studies.

“Recognising the need to improve the financing gap experienced by higher education students that is preventing them from access to education and training, the EIB has asked the consortium to analyse ways to incentivise more financial or non­financial institutions to provide financial solutions for students,” Technopolis confirmed.

The consultancy said the study will map out the student financing market in EU member states and compare it with other countries.

Irish inflation

INFLATION is “at or close to the peak,” confirmed the Irish Finance Minister, Michael McGrath, on Wednesday, January 4.

“We do think that we are at or close to the peak at this point and that we will begin to see a moderation of inflation, particularly across the second quarter and beyond,” he added.

However, Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe sounded a note of caution: “While the change in inflation is something that is to be welcomed and to be acknowledged, I think it’s too early to be able to conclude yet that it’s the sign of a trend that we can expect to continue across all of next year.”

in Spain carried out through foreign locations. The external balance (the difference between

TURNOVER INCREASED: Activity sectors including travel saw highest rise.

Making progress towards goal.

Access to education.

Image: Krisana Antharith/Shutterstock.com Image: giuseppelombardo/Shutterstock.com

I DUNNO, perhaps it is me. Of course I sympathise with the victims of accidents in the home. Of course I find the initial results of many fire hazard investigations extremely worrying.

What I can’t get my head round is all those who come out of the woodwork and use these tragedies to whine about the conditions they all ‘have’ to live in. Among others, those who reside in areas resembling the notorious Broadwater Estate are a case in point.

“Why should we have to put up with these awful slum conditions?” they moan. Why doesn’t the government (natch!) do something about it? Well just a minute, ill­advised as this high rise accommodation may have been, they were initially built in good faith.

The rules governing public buildings were and are, far more stringent than private projects. None of them began their existence as slum dwellings. None of them started out covered in graffiti, with lift shafts stinking of urine, or knee high in rubbish, used condoms and drug paraphernalia.

Flats originally built to accommodate families of four to six persons were never meant to cope with benefit scroungers boasting 10 or 15 offsprings, or jam packed with scores of ‘sub lets’.

All these conditions are brought on by those who move into them. Human beings create the environments they reside

In good faith

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

OTHERS THINK IT

in. It’s time many of these residents started to get their own houses in order, rather than blaming all and sundry for their woes. Stop thinking about their so called ‘rights’ and start concentrating more on their own wrongs would be a start.

All over the UK there are scores of high rise estates, which are proudly and properly run by local councils and caring tenants. With their carefully tended gardens, playgrounds for the children and hardworking responsible residents, they are wonderful examples of how decent human beings, however diverse their cultures and backgrounds, can live in perfectly harmonious and orderly surroundings.

I suggest those who feel all the blame for their ‘misfortunes’ lay outside their own walls, either shape up or ship out. They are a drain on resources, a threat to democracy and utterly useless contribu­

tors toward any future of the country that nurtures them.

I do feel sorry for the Yemenis. I always found them an extremely happy and caring people. I shall never forget their kindness when I found myself hopelessly stranded in the desert. Believe me, if I’d also known the steel runway reinforcing I helped deliver to that secret Saudi air base would one day be used to launch death and destruction among them, I would have ‘accidently’ allowed my truck to topple off that extremely precarious mountain pass! (It’s in the book!)

Let’s hope that this year peace and tranquility will once again prevail for these likeable people; they’ve suffered long enough.

Keep the faith

Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com expatradioscotland.com Mon and Fri. 1pm till 4.

ROYAL MESS OUR VIEW

PRINCE

10.

For

REGIFTING XMAS PRESENTS

NORAJOHNSON BREAKINGVIEWS

FALSE teeth, a scorpion in formaldehyde and a lamb castrating tool were among the weirdest items dropped in a charity’s donation boxes last year.

Barnardo’s revealed a list of bizarre items left by donors at its 620 UK stores in an appeal for people to bestow their unwanted Christmas gifts.

Jaws dropped when staff in South Yorkshire were given a pot containing nine human molars and a bag of infant clothes containing a baby’s dried umbilical cord and belly clip.

The false teeth were inside a handbag donated to the charity’s Glasgow store, while the bottled scorpion has since been passed on to a local university by Barnardo

workers in St Andrews.

Staff in Staffordshire were amused by a message accompanying a pair of men’s shorts which read: “Wear these at your leisure, wear with pride and pleasure, and keep them safe to treasure. Geoff. X.”

Other quirky deliveries included a dead bird and a hamster cage still containing its deceased former occupant.

According to Barnardo’s, “Most of us have received Christmas presents that may be of good quality and costly, but just aren’t suitable for us.”

They might have added: “And not suitable for regifting Xmas 2023 either.”

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

Regardless of whether you agree with the principle of Harry and his wife’s original decision to step back from royal life or not, the result of this continued public airing of dirty laundry is an ongoing backlash ­ particularly in the UK ­ that cannot possibly be what anyone would want. This leads to the obvious question then, “what are they actually trying to achieve here?” If what the couple wanted was a chance to make tens of millions and to get off their chests their perceived grievances then job done. But what they are actually seeking seems to go further than this; rather than simply air their version of events, they are giving the impression of wanting the public on their side to acknowledge the harms they feel have been done to them. Is the best way to achieve this by publicly sharing personal family information when you know your counterparts do not have the same privilege though? Probably not. Equally, sharing information about your family in the weeks and months surrounding the deaths of the two most respected people at the top of it ­ The Queen and Prince Philip ­ was probably also very badly judged.

On the positive side though, what the Tom Bradby interview represents was at least a small win for journalism. In contrast to the couple’s Oprah interview two years earlier, this one did at least ask some of the harder questions of Harry the public must have been wanting to know the answers to. In increasingly uncertain times, that at least is something,

LeapyLee’sopinionsarehisownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

HARRY has been at it again, giving in­depth detail about his family first in an interview with ITV’s Tom Bradby and then with the release of his memoir ‘Spare’ on Tuesday, January

Noraistheauthorofpopularpsychological suspenseandcrimethrillersandafreelancejournalist.

Nora’s latest thriller.

DAVID WORBOYS THINKING ALOUD

CRISTIANO RONALDO (not to be confused with the great Brazilian Ronaldo ­ whose name is on his new shirt) is moving to Saudi Arabia on a reported annual income (including €130 million commercial rights and sponsorships) amounting to €200 million. This equates to €16.7 million monthly, €3.85 million weekly or €550,000 daily. Each day he will be earning 17 times the average annual salary in Spain, which is about €32,600.

Every day our hearts beat 100,000 times and we breathe in and out 22,000 times. This means that by the age of 80, we will have taken 673 million breaths (in and out, of course) and chalked up almost three billion heartbeats. On average we have between 6,000 and 8,000 thoughts a day (and night).

The fairy­fly, although smaller than a grain of salt, has a brain containing several thousand cells. The brain of an ant contains

AMAZING BUT (ROUGHLY) TRUE

galaxy (the Milky Way) is 100 billion, which is about the average number per galaxy. There are two trillion galaxies in the universe. This means there are 200 septillion stars in the universe (200,000,000,000,000,000,000,00 0,000). There must therefore be 133 stars for every grain of sand in the Sahara.

In the past 25 years, Antarctica has lost three trillion tons of ice to global warming.

Over 98 per cent of pigs and chickens in the United States are confined in factory farms.

250,000 cells. The average human brain has 40,000 times more (a mere 10 billion out of 37 trillion cells in the entire body).

There are three trillion trees on our planet ­ 400 for every human being. Not a lot of people know that! There are also 17 million flies for every human.

This means there are almost 120 quadrillion of them (120,000,000,000,000,000). Don’t ask me how they discover this ­ or

who worked it out. It must be somebody tired of doing crossword puzzles. Obviously, these are rough estimates by various institutions and in some cases estimates vary quite widely, but some of the statistics are mind­blowing, nevertheless.

The black hole is three million times the size of the Earth and is 54 million light years away. As the speed of light is about 300,000 kilometres per second, this means

one light year is 21 trillion kilometres. On this basis, the black hole is over one sextillion (1,134,000,000,000,000,000,000) km from the Earth.

Somebody has managed to estimate that the number of grains of sand in the Sahara is more than 1.5 septillion (1,504,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000). But is this staggering fact of any practical use?

The universe contains 6.5 billion suns. The number of stars in our

The amount of plastic in our oceans would cover the entire area of Spain and Portugal. Unless there is action against climate change it is estimated that there will soon be more plastic in the Atlantic Ocean than fish and marine life.

Providing support

THE British Benevolent Fund provides financial assistance for British nationals in distress.

Some of the applications come from people living in extreme destitution ­ many times aggravated by poor and deteriorating health.

One such case was brought to our attention by a concerned neighbour who lived in the rural hills near Granada.

A woman in her mid­60s who had suffered a stroke and was paralysed down one half of her body, had facial paralysis on the other and whose medical report summarised that she was extremely dependent and needed 24­hour home assistance.

She lived alone off a small UK pension in a modest rented property in a small and isolated village.

Despite living in Spain for many years she did not have residency and she would have great difficulty accessing the necessary health and welfare support that she would require to have any chance of

managing her life ­ in addition to the enormous practical difficulties that she now faced.

The BBF was able to liaise with the Consulate to explore any possible repatriation to the UK so she would be able to receive the support she needed.

However, repatriation of a vulnerable person is a challenging process at the best of times ­ in the case of bed ridden and extremely ill people this challenge is multiplied many times over.

The good news was that the Consulate was able to make arrangements for her access to UK health support ­ if only we could get her there.

Thankfully with partners from https://www.supportin

spain.info/ we were able to do this, and we are indebted to the medical volunteers who gave up their time to help this lady, who now receives round the clock residential care in the UK.

The role of the BBF was a simple one ­ to fund her repatriation ­ but it would not have been possible without the donations we need in order to do this.

We support many cases such as this throughout the year ­ please help us to help those who have no other recourse. Olaf.clayton@british benevolentfund.org

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

There are 17 million flies for every human on the planet.

Photo Credits: Tom Myers and crowdcontrolwarehouse

Olaf Clayton of BBF.

DIVERSITY AND FUN

I LOVE reading the Euro Weekly every week. It always has such a diverse amount of content, and it always gives me ideas on what to do with the kids during the week, I never knew there was a parade for the Three Kings! The kids really enjoyed it and we collected bags of sweets, it was so nice to see the community come together and do something nice.

Thank you, Euro Weekly News

Woof woof

IT’S so great to see so many people come together and collect toys for children in need, especially to children that really need them. I hope they all enjoyed their gifts. It was so thoughtful. The front page made me giggle seeing grown men with beards driving around with dog teddy bears. Fair play boys!

Bus lanes!

HOW dare Nottingham fine their own city and people such money, people are going through enough these days to be fined. I wouldn’t be surprised if the signing is inadequate! All of them these days tend to be. I just want to drive around in peace and not have to worry about constant fines. Don’t even get me started on cycle lanes.

Disgruntled

British Benevolent Fund

IT is so eye opening seeing these stories every week on expatriates who have unfortunately not been able to come to Spain and live their dream just like they probably thought they would have when they were back home in the UK. Such tremendous work done by the organisation and I have been forwarding these articles to everyone I know at home who is thinking about coming to live in Spain.

Janice Smith

Fighting festive flab

My festive flab I believe will be going nowhere this January. However, I will be keeping it in mind for February after the hubby gets me a great deal of chocolates (fingers crossed). I will keep you up to date, these lunges and oblique climbers seem quite intense, but I am excited to give them a go, I don’t think I’ll be able to do the cycling sit ups they have in mind. I haven’t thrown my leg over a bike since I was a young lass.

With love, Gwen

Leapy Lee

I DON’T usually agree with Leapy Lee, however, the beginning of last week’s column made sense. The stress that the NHS are under now is gastronomical and the treatment of Britons in the UK when it comes to living conditions is becoming horrendous. Especially that of single mothers, more needs to be done for them and their children.

Mould is unsafe and can cause long term problems and trouble to anyone and the fact that people are living in these conditions in the 21st century and in a country that is labelled as ‘one of the best’ in the world is outrageous. I don’t know who it is that can help us governmentally wise, I won’t be sharing that opinion in this letter. But more does need to be done to help those who need health care and safe and secure housing. The UK needs to do better, we shouldn’t have to rely on food banks to feed the population. The government needs to do more with their big pay checks.

Patricia Gordon

Furry friends

THE articles based on our furry friends always bring a smile to my face and I can’t wait for next week’s addition, I have an Akita mixed with a Staffie and he is my pride and joy. The pictures always make my day and bring a smile to my face.

If you can keep on doing them do! and insert more! I think if more people saw and spent time with animals that they would be more relaxed and considerate towards others. I won’t get into the debate of what is better, cats or dogs. But dogs are better!

Rebecca D

Coming together

IT is so nice to see all the events on and organised every week for those who are in need. The generosity of others is nice to see, especially with the current circumstances of the world right now.

The event in Mijas for all the children was so sweet and it warmed my heart, especially everything those children have had to go through. They deserved that experience and deserve more things like that. Especially when it is so easy to be mean in today’s society.

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.

Graham West

Sally West

FUN TIME: It’s so nice to see children enjoying themselves.

Credit: altanaka/Shutterstock.com

CLASSIFIEDS

SOLAR BLINDS ES Ideal for large glazed areas to reflect heat / glare and stop furniture fading and still keep the view.

SAVE HEAT IN THE WINTER to improve your living environment. ian@solarshadetinting. com Tel Ian 958 496 571 / 644 546 176 (287972)

for a time of Holy Spirit led worship and experience the presence of our God. Our teaching is Bible based as we honour God and obey His Word. During this time of uncertainty, God’s Word reminds us that the Gospel shines brightest in times of darkness. Our service lasts for about 1 hour and 30 mins. With Tea and Coffee afterwards. Sunday Service 11.00am; Prayer Meetings Wednesdays 11.00am; Pasaje San Miguel, Nerja, 29780 Email: info@nlcnerja.com Website: www.nlcnerja. com Facebook: www.face book.com/nlcnerj

CHARITY Shop Pocapecunia we need things for the house/kitchen, decoration, vases, plates, cups, saucers, kitchen tools, paintings, pottery pots and pans etc. Prolongacion Avd. Rodgriguez Acosta, Nr the Parador Roundabout, opposite café Trébol, Nerja (294373)

Nigel with an e-mail address if you would like to join us. Priest in Charge, Father Nigel Thomas. Tel: Church House951 815 736, Mobile: 608 695 756, e-mail: cofenerja@gmail. com

STAY SAFE! Abbeygate

Insurance Call 971 277 455 For your security www.abbeygateinsure.com (2887610)

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

NEW LIFE Church Whether you live in Nerja or are visiting our area, you are very welcome to come and join us at our Sunday gathering. Join us

THE ANGLICAN Chaplaincy of Nerja & Almunecar. Every Sunday there is a Holy Communion service at midday in San Miguel church in Nerja. Every Wednesday morning at 9.30 we have an online ‘Zoom’ HC service - please contact Fr

WANTED Gold, Silver, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel - 678 716 693 (288662)

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

FOR SALE

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)

MISCELLANEOUS MOTORING NAUTICAL

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

MALE /Female viagra, cialis, kamagra jelly all areas. Mixed trial packs available. Delivery or mail order available 604 385 476. viagra4you19@ gmail.com

OTHERS SITUATIONS VACANT

DISTRIBUTION DRIVERS wanted for Costa del Sol and Costa Tropical. One day per week. Must be legal to work in Spain, have own transport, know the areas and be reliable. Please send CV with cove ring letter to Martyn by email mab021262@gmail. com (292475)

SOLAR ENERGY

SOLAR BLINDS ES Ideal for Large Glazed Areas to Reflect Heat / Glare and Stop Furniture Fading and Still Keep The View. Save Heat in the Winter to Improve Your Living Environment. ian@solarshadetint ing.com Tel Ian 958 496 571 / 644 546 176 (258409)

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)

WINDOW TINTING

FED UP PAYING TOO MUCH FOR YOUR MOBILE PHONE CALLS? THEN CONTACT TELITEC TODAY. CALLS TO

MOBILE SERVICE. ITV Legal. Solar Reflective tint for glass curtains, balconies, yachts. Stop fading, heat & glare. 958 496 571 - 644 546 176 ian@solarshadetinting. com (287972)

Gareth Bale retires

WELSH team captain Gareth Bale has announced his retirement from football.

The Wales football captain Gareth Bale announced his decision to retire at the age of 33, from international as well as club football.

Football legend Gareth Bale took to social media and announced his decision to retire from professional football.

According to a post made by the Welsh player on Twitter, he said “After careful and thoughtful consideration, I announce my immediate retirement from club and international football.”

The post further adds, “I feel incredibly fortunate to have realised my dream of playing the sport I love.

“It (football) has truly given me some of the best moments of my life.

“The highest of highs over 17 seasons, that will be impossible to replicate, no matter what the next chapter has in store for me.”

Considered as one of the greatest football players to ever come out of Wales, Bale was born in the capital Cardiff and started his football career at Southhampton at the age of 16.

His talent eventually led him to be a part of Tottenham Hotspur and helped Real Madrid win five champions league titles.

Bale later moved to the US in June 2022 to play for the Los Angeles Football Club, after his nine­year­old contract at Real Madrid expired.

Stroll on, the pitch is lovely!

THE benefits of walking football, both to health and social activity, have long been recognised and have been endorsed by such luminaries as Alan Shearer and Sir Geoffrey Hurst. Indeed, search the internet for Walking Football and you will find a plethora of links to the game to give you some background. In 2019, an estimate of the participants in walking football in the UK alone gave a figure of between 30,000 and 40,000, with current numbers rapidly increasing all over the world.

Of course, the festive season always causes an understandable lull in walking football action, but this gives our Costa clubs the opportunity to seek out fresh faces to swell their ranks. So, if you are interested in getting involved with this brilliant sport, here are details of the region’s club representatives with whom you should make contact:

AC Benahavis (based in Benahavis)

Teams: Over 50s and Over 60s (all welcome, although there is a current waiting list)

Contact: James Quinn 711 016 488

Aston Viñuela (based in Viñuela)

Teams: Over 50s and Over 60s

Contact: Steve 633 146 786 or Sheila 643 635 617

Competa (based in Competa)

Teams: Boca Seniors Over 50s (mixed) and Competa Chicas (women of any age)

Contact: Sarah Baker 711 003 822

Malaga WF Club (based in Las Lagunas de Mijas)

Teams: Over 50s and Over 60s Contact: Billy Barnett 627 845 925

Nerja Utd (based in Nerja)

Teams: Over 50s and Over 60s Contact: Paul McCormick (0044) 7793 612505

Torrox Tornadoes (based in Torrox) Teams: Over 50s and 60s Men, Over 40s Women

Contact: Steve Lynton 711 006 992

The Walking Dead (based in Calahonda)

Teams: Over 50s and Over 60s

Contact: Martin Teague 622 390 857 We hope more of you will join us!

Football’s back… at last! BAHA Cup Clash Boca Seniors 6 v 5 Nerja Utd

Last Saturday saw Boca Seniors start the match enthusiastically and race into a 4­1 lead. However, Nerja came back strongly and not only cut the deficit, but eventually led 4­5. However, two long strikes from Boca Seniors eventually sealed the victory 6­5. Both sides agreed that the refereeing by Oz Fenn was excellent!

Image: Walking football league

Come along and try walking football.