Mallorca 2 – 8 February 2023 Issue 1961

STAR SIGHTING

HOLLYWOOD stars Nicole Kidman and Zoe Saldana took a well ­ deserved break from filming in Mallorca on Tuesday, January 31. The globally­renowned actresses are on the island to film for the new series, ‘Lioness’ which will debut on Paramount+.

The film stars took to Instagram with a video shot in one of Mallorca’s many ports. In the video, Kidman and Saldana joke about their pronunciation of Mallorca, with Saldana calling Kidman’s attempt “sexy”!

Kidman posted the video on her Instagram page Writing “Game on… with my #lioness”, tagging Zoe Saldana. Fans gushed with admiration for the stars under the post writing comments like “Legend duo!” and “The internet just exploded.”

The series, which Kidman also takes a directorial role in, has brought several huge names from

Hollywood to the Balearic island.

Fellow star Laysla de Oliveira said goodbye to the island on Monday after three weeks of filming. Legendary actor and co ­ star Morgan Freeman was also spotted on the is­

Whiteout in Mallorca

UNUSUALLY heavy snowfall in the highest points of Mallorca caused traffic chaos with authorities closing roads in some parts of the island. Crowds rushed to the Serra de Tramuntana on Sunday, January 29, causing parts of some roads to collapse.

After Escorca Council closed several roads on Saturday, January 28, this appeared to have the opposite effect than intended, as crowds rushed to the mountains to see the snowfall on Sunday morning. Authorities closed the

Famous sausages

THE Gastronomic Spain catalogue now features sobrasada from Mallorca.

One of the aspects for which Spain is internationally renowned is its gastronomy. Every corner of this territory has dishes or foods of great attraction, such as sobrasada de Mallorca. This typical sausage is made with pork, bacon, paprika, salt and different natural spices. It is one of the most renowned gastronomic products on the island, distinguished by its intense red colour, smooth texture and smoky flavour.

Although it is not easy to find outside Spain, Gastronomic Spain offers the possibility of buying this and other Spanish foods online for those who live in other parts of Europe.

land a few weeks ago.

The stars have also been making the most of the island with the cast taking trips to local vineyards, ports, and church, in the case of James Jordan.

carretera de la Serra road once again by midday on Sunday to avoid congestion and damage to the road.

Escorca Town Council took action, closing roads in some parts of the region, particularly in areas where car parks had already filled up.

Authorities have also warned dog owners about visiting remote parts of the island with pets that aren’t used to the countryside or low temperatures, to avoid injury or damage to other local wildlife.

Escorca shared an image of foreboding snow-filled clouds on social media, warning crowds not to rush to the mountains.

Photo credit: Nicole Kidman and Zoe Saldana (via Instagram)

Photo credit: Ajuntament d’Escorca (via Facebook)

Hollywood stars Nicole Kidman and Zoe Saldana joke around and embrace in a video shared to both of their Instagram accounts.

All on board

THE days of polluting public transport are nearly behind us, and Palma City Council has shown that they’re on board with a hydrogen bus scheme. The city’s first zero­emission hydrogen vehicle was unveiled on Wednesday, February 1.

During a meeting on Wednesday morning, the councillor for Transport, Francesc Dalmau and the manager of the EMT transport service took a look at the city’s prototype hydrogen bus. The bus which had just arrived from manufacturers in the Polish city of Poznan is one of five hydrogen­fuelled buses in the council fleet.

Palma has become the second city in Spain, after Barcelona to take the pioneering step of using zero­emission hydrogen vehicles thanks to the European Green Hysland Mallorca project, which will use hydrogen generated on the island. The five buses costed an estimated €1 million each.

Dalmau spoke at the launch event saying “We are taking another step towards sustainable mobility. Palma will be a pioneering city in terms of zero­emission public transport. We are also prioritising user comfort with these buses that make less noise and have gentler braking systems.”

Environmental excellence Happily avo after

CALVIA’s second Environmental Awards ceremony has been hailed as a huge success by all involved. The ceremony, which was held on Friday, January 27, recognised local residents’ action to fight climate change and improve their environment.

The event was held last Friday to coincide with World Environmental Education Day and was attended by some of the biggest environmentalists in the region. Cash prizes awarded over the course of the evening totalled an enormous €15,000 and were divided into six prize awards.

The first prize on the night went to the Protemar Adventure Associa­

A BRAND­NEW museum has opened in Manacor, offering residents and visitors a unique insight into traditional local industry. The Molí d’en Beió, which opens on Saturday, February 4 is the result of a

tion who won €4,000 for their regular environmental clean­up sessions. Volunteers from the group were recognised for their mammoth efforts last year which saw them collect more than six tons of waste.

Easement, a local organisation that works to educate people on environmental consciousness

picked up the second prize of a whopping €3,000. The third prize was divided into four sums of €2,000. The money was awarded to the best restoration project (Mar de Fondo), best climate change study (SEOVirot Balears), best educational project (Calvia Farmers’ Association), and best recycling project (Save the Med).

Milling around

more than 12­year restoration project.

The Molí d’en Beió is a former flour mill which was in

use until the 20th century. Inside, as well as completing an impressive restoration, it features information panels to educate visitors on the mill’s industrial past and industry in Manacor in general. The mill also has fascinating links with the whole island’s cuisine, producing a crucial ingredient, flour.

The regional government first gave the green light to the restoration project back in 2008, but financial and other issues delayed the finishing of the project until now.

Heritage specialists led the restoration to ensure it was true to life. The restoration project focused on both the building itself and the machinery to return it to its former glory.

The mill museum will open to the public on Saturday with a guided tour at 11am. Going forward, tours will be held each Friday.

REPORTS from Mallorca’s agriculturalists have revealed that the avocado growing industry has more than tripled in the last three years. The fruit has trended online in recent years becoming popular among influencers and it seems the popularity is paying off for farmers!

A report from Mallorca’s CAP agricultural body, released on Friday, January 27 found that 16.5 hectares of land is now registered as avocado ­ growing territory, compared to just five hectares three years ago. Most of the new avocado fields are located in the Tramuntana area, where the trees thrive thanks to their resistance to cold and tolerance of high altitudes.

The exponential increase in avocado growth hasn’t been driven by local demand, rather most of the avocados grown on the island are sold within the German market. Ninety­seven per cent of avocados grown in Spain come from the Andalucia region, but Mallorcan farmers are now tapping into the lucrative industry.

The island’s Ministry of Agriculture added “This could be a crop of great interest in the coming years, considering the trends observed in similar places in the Mediterranean.”

Protemar Adventure Association picked up the first prize at Calvia Environmental Awards thanks to its community clean-up sessions.

Photo credit: Ajuntament de Calvia

NIBS EXTRA

World Peace

CHILDREN in schools across Mallorca celebrated World Peace Day on Monday, January 30 with processions, parades and poster making. This year’s celebrations were bigger than usual, with a focus on an end to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Rescue relief

MALLORCA breathed a sigh of relief on Monday, January 30 as Alba Millán Rodríguez arrived in Palma’s airport. The 16-year-old had been missing since New Year’s Eve and was found by Swiss police in Zurich, who sent her home to family.

Fundraising fun

CANCER SUPPORT GROUP

MALLORCA have thanked participants in the ESRA quiz and raffle which was held in November, raising a total of €160 for the organisation. The group are also appealing for volunteers for their weekly hospital support stalls.

Rental forum

MALLORCA is gearing up to host the island’s first ever rental forum from Friday, February 17. Habturalia will be an international meeting between property experts and renters to find out about the latest legislation on tax, sustainability and other issues.

Warming hands

ROTARY CLUB CALVIA

thanked members who helped to organise a donation of warm gloves to the SOS Mamas which supports mothers through pregnancy and after giving birth. The donation of gloves worth €1,000 will keep plenty of hands warm this winter.

Better contact

POLLENSA Council have announced the arrival of new 4G and 5G technology in the town which will provide better mobile connections in remote parts of the mountainous area as well as inside buildings in the local area.

Challenge accepted

ELITE cyclists from across the world descended on Mallorca for one of the biggest preseason events last week, the Challenge Ciclista Mallorca. The five day race took place across the island from Wednesday, January 25 to Sunday, January 29.

The race’s unusual format sees cyclists compete for five individual trophies, allowing cyclists to pick and choose which stages to participate in. The race is considered a favourable preseason test for riders who aren’t yet in top shape as

they can control how much they compete.

And this year’s classification saw plenty of international competition. The first

MALLORCA’S biggest shelter for hikers opened its doors for the first time on Wednesday, January 25, offering walkers some respite during challenges in the island’s challenging terrain.

The new shelter in Galatzó boasts an interior of more than 1,100 metres squared, which is split into more than 12 different bedrooms with over 50 beds in total. The building also has kitchen and dining room facilities, bathrooms with showers and a communal space.

Authorities refurbished the former Porqueres de Galatzó building to create the largest refuge for hikers in all of the Balearic Islands.

Interested walkers got a sneak peak into the shelter

Jump in jobs

PALMA DE MALLORCA has closed 2022 with more people in employment than in 2019, before the pandemic. The figures, released by the council’s Department for Employment on Friday, January 27 reveal a significant improvement in the city’s labour market.

Presenting the figures, councillor for Employment, Jordi Vilà said that 18,117 were out of employment in 2022, compared to 20,173 in 2019. The figures reveal an incredible 7.1 per cent decrease in unemployment.

Figures also showed that more people than ever before signed up to the city’s social security system in 2022, reaching 239,133 people registered. This figure is also 3 per cent higher than in 2019.

Another success for the city is in the type of con ­

Tree talk

Dutch cyclist, Marijn van den Berg took victory in day two’s Trofeo Port d’Alcúdia before Belgian Kobe Goosens took two victories in stormy conditions in the Trofeo Andratx and Serra de Tramuntana. The race closed with a victory for British youngster, Ethan Vernon in the Trofeo Palma.

stage, the Trofeo Calvia was snatched up by Portuguese professional, Rui Costa in a stage which saw the defending champion crash out.

Race organisers thanked local authorities and sponsors for their cooperation in putting on one of the event’s biggest editions ever, in tough weather conditions.

Hikers’ rest

on Saturday, January 1, as the councillor for Sustainability and the Environment, Aurora Ribot took a tour of the premises during an open day.

The hikers’ hideaway is likely to be popular, especially during the summer, when thousands of walkers take to the mountains in Mallorca to discover more of the island from a different perspective.

As with other shelters and hostels run by local authorities, it will cost just €14 per night for adults and €9 for children to stay at the shelter.

Almond Blossom Rally

THE annual Almond Blossom Rally took place on Sunday January 29 in the northeast of Mallorca. Remarkably, it is the 17th Almond Blossom Rally that Jean Pierre has done on behalf of the Classic Car Club! A fantastic achievement.

PALMA’s sustainability committee announced that more than 80 species of trees were planted in the city in 2022 to improve biodiversity.

The city council’s environmental group called the ‘Tree table’ meeting on Tuesday, January 31 to discuss achievements in the last year and goals for the year ahead.

The committee was formed back in December 2021 to monitor changes in the local environment and to provide better care for trees. The group are also supporting the council in their aim to plant 10,000 trees in the area.

Members of the Department for Parks and Gardens met with local politicians and community leaders at the meeting in Son Parc.

tracts given out by employers. The majority of contracts signed in 2022 were indefinite contracts, a turnaround from 2021 when most contracts were for temporary positions, and therefore less stable.

Vilà described the recovery from the pandemic as “better than in 2009” when the world was hit by the 2008 financial crash, adding that “forecasts for the coming months are just as good.”

This was a well­attended car run, with 29 cars and 50 people turning up on what was a cold and initially a wet and cloudy day. However, shortly before the start of the run, the weather changed and the sun came out, brightening up everyone’s day.

They all met at El Cruce restaurant on the MA15 and after a coffee and croissant received their instructions from Jean Pierre. The route was 68 kilometres long and had them heading to Petra, Manacor, Arta, Capdapera and ending in the port of Cala Ratjada. The route took them along picturesque roads,

some quite narrow and twisty, with some wonderful views along the way. There was also an opportunity to stop and have a coffee in Capadapera.

The car run ended in Cala Ratjada, at the La Tratorria restaurant where they had a delicious three course meal.

Workers from the Department for Parks and Gardens said that more than 80 different species of trees were planted in 2022 to replace dead or fallen trees. The different species of tree were chosen to improve local biodiversity, making the trees more resistant to climate change.

The group also discussed reforestation attempts in the Bellver forest and tree planting in other parts of the city.

British cyclist Ethan Vernon took the top spot on the podium in the final day of the international cycling event.

Councillors in Palma de Mallorca reveal last year’s improved employment data at a press conference last week.

Natural state Snow houses

MALLORCA is known for its beautiful landscapes, stunning beaches, and rich history, however, the island’s highest peaks hide a unique and ancient tradition that has been preserved over the centuries.

The ‘cases de neu’ (snow houses) are structures used to store snow during the winter, a system that was in use for several centuries before the first ice factories appeared.

The ‘nevaters’ were the ones responsible for collecting and storing the snow.

According to records dating back to 1619, a group of young men would go up to the mountains, collect the snow, throw it into the well to press it and cover it with ash and reeds. This was done to preserve the ice and in the summer, it was transported to the villages by mule or cart.

The remains of some of these constructions can still be found today, located on the peaks of the mountains of Mallorca. Three of these locations, Puig d’en Galileu, Son Moragues estate in Valldemossa, and Puig Tomir, are open to visitors and can be reached by several different routes.

Summer ready streets

THERE might still be a few months until the summer is upon us, but Palma City Council are getting the city into shape ahead of time.

The council announced a maintenance plan of Palma’s coastal promenades on Monday, January 30.

The project will target dilapidated sections of the road and coastal promenades at Platja de Palma with a €277,000 investment.

The Department for Infrastructure announced that renovation projects were already underway on Carrer de Cala and Carrer de la Costa Brava.

As well as renovation to the roads themselves, the council is also improving street lighting, accessibility and responding to environmental concerns by planting more trees and improving the image of the area.

The city council is also responding to a request from the city’s Hospitality and Hotel Association to complete repair work to pavements on Carrer del Llaüt to make pedestrian access easier. The work is set to get underway this week.

Council representatives

say they are completing the work in the low season when traffic on the streets is at its lowest.

Sommelier summit

PROFESSIONALS from the wine industry are invited to the inaugural Vinspirit Wines and Spirits Fair which is set to be held in Mallorca from Wednesday, February 22. The event, which is the first of its kind on the island, aims to create networks between wine experts and distributors.

More than 100 wine experts, distillery representatives and drinks manufacturers are set to attend the fair which will offer plenty of opportunity for networking and professional development. The fair aims to create better business ties between regional and national entrepreneurs which could in turn create new businesses and broker huge deals.

Throughout the fair, experts will also receive presentations, workshops and tasting sessions from professionals in the industry who will have their own stalls at the event. Chefs will also share pairing tips with visitors, a unique twist which is thought to attract visitors from the restaurant and hospitality sector.

The event has been organised by Mercavinos and Distribuciones Túnel, two of the biggest wine distributors in the country. Túnel CEO, Jordi Carré described the event as a “unique” opportunity.

A PROJECT has been undertaken to restore the wetlands of Alcudia to their natural splendour.

Over the last century, many Mediterranean wetlands have been destroyed and degraded, resulting in the loss of important wildlife habitats and the depletion of natural resources. However, there is hope for these areas, as the time has come for their renaturation and restoration.

Since 2021, the Mallorca Preservation Foundation has been supporting the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Spain, which is working with the Alcudia Town Council to restore the Maristany and Estany des Ponts wetlands to their former splendour.

The first step in the restoration process was to remove tyres, plastics and invasive alien plants that had accumulated in the area.

To ensure that the restoration was carried out in a collaborative and participatory manner, several workshops were organised to design the restoration actions. In addition to removing the materials that had clogged the lagoons, students from Alcudia’s secondary schools and experts from the University of the Balearic Islands carried out water quality monitoring.

The results of these analyses were used to guide the restoration process and ensure that the wetlands returned to their natural state.

Erasmus expanded

AS well as being an idyllic place to live, Calvia offers fascinating study opportunities, which has been recognised by council leaders in a decision to develop a new partnership with the Erasmus+ educational programme.

Calvia Council announced that 38 young people from the town will participate in Erasmus+ education exchanges in 2023. The young people get the opportunity to travel to two different European destinations

Curiosity killed the cat

This proverb is used to tell people to mind their own business and to stop asking questions that don’t concern them. The earliest reference was in 1958 in a play, Every Man in his Humour, that was written by Ben Johnson and adapted to by William Shakespeare

for Erasmus+ experiences before the town welcomes its own group of students.

The council announced its involvement in Europe’s biggest educational exchange programme at a conference on Tuesday, January 24, saying the town will participate in a cycle of three exchange events.

During the first event, 38 students from Calvia will travel to Hollola in Finland in February for a nine­day project investigating sociological similarities and differences between Finland and Spain. The second project will see the students take part in a multiculturalism project in Besançon near the French Alps in July.

The educational cycle will close in December.

Authorities in Palma de Mallorca want to get the city’s beachfront promenades ready for the summer.

Photo credit: Ajuntament de Calvia (via Facebook)

World Cancer Day

WORLD CANCER DAY is a leading international awareness day, held every February 4, and is a global uniting initiative.

By raising worldwide awareness, improving education and catalysing personal, collective and government action, we are all working together to reimagine a world where millions of preventable cancer deaths are saved and access to life­saving cancer treatment and care is equitable for all no matter who you are or where you live.

Created in 2000, World Cancer Day has grown into a positive movement for everyone, everywhere to unite under one voice to face one of our greatest challenges in history.

Each year, hundreds of activities and events take place around the world, gathering communities, organisations and individuals in schools, businesses, hospitals, marketplaces, parks,

community halls, places of worship ­ in the streets and online ­ acting as a powerful reminder that we all have a role to play in reducing the global impact of cancer.

While we live in a time of awe ­ inspiring advancements in cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment, many of us who seek cancer care hit barriers at every turn. Income, education, geographical location and discrimination based on ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability and lifestyle are just a few of the factors that can nega­

tively affect care.

So this year’s World Cancer Day’s theme, ‘Close the Care Gap’, is all about celebrating progress in its many forms that enable more people to seek and receive the care they need and deserve.

It is about providing the momentum to fuel our fight for fairness. We will build stronger alliances and innovative new collaborations; we will mobilise friends, family, co ­ workers and communities because we know that united, we are stronger.

A DRIVER who caused traffic chaos on the A7 in Marbella on Monday, January 30 when thousands of Euros in cash flew out their car was reportedly on their way from Valencia to the Costa del Sol to buy a car they had found online.

The young driver was reportedly with three friends travelling with a backpack filled with €20,000 in cash when they were hit by a truck at kilometre 181 of the A7, forcing open the trunk of their Seat Toledo. A flurry of notesmostly €50 but some €500followed, causing chaos as fel-

Bad luck!

low motorway goers stopped their cars to grab as much cash as they could. Videos of the cash rainfall went viral online, with many speculating that the

American ally

THE United States thanked Spain for its decision to send a shipment of Leopold tanks to support the Ukrainian war effort against invading Russian troops. The USA expressed its gratitude to Spain for the practical gesture on Wednesday, January 25, saying the countries will continue to have a strong relationship.

The American spokesman for the US National Security Council, John Kirby said, “Spain, obviously has been one of the countries that has contributed to and supported Ukraine. That’s something that the President always welcomes.” Kirby added, “We look forward to continuing to work closely with Spain in the future.”

Spain’s Executive made the decision to send the shipment of tanks to Ukraine to show unity with other NATO countries and show its opposition to Russia’s military offensive in the country.

The tanks will add to other tanks and military equipment recently provided by Germany and the USA to Ukraine.

money belonged to drug traffickers. According to reports, the four Moroccan men in the Seat Toledo have no police records however and are instead the victims of a very unfortunate series of events.

It is unknown exactly how much the group lost, but they are reportedly now able to denounce the drivers who stopped to grab their cash.

0.5%

CASH RAINFALL: Drivers stopped to collect cash on the A7.

Credit: Instagram

will be the reduction of the special tax on Spanish electricity.

Close the Care Gap.

Jihadist arrested in Girona

AS reported by Spain’s Ministry of the Interior on Friday, January 27, a jihadist arrested in the city of Girona on Wednesday January 25, intended to carry out a massive machine-gunning of tourists on Benidorm’s beaches.

Fath Allah Benhachem Gharrass, a 23-year-old Spanish national of Moroccan origin was jailed without bail.

The arrest of Ben -

Betty Henderson

SPAIN is well-known for its lengthy life expectancy and the good news is, it keeps rising. And the latest data from the Spanish National Institute of Statistics (INE), and the EM-Electromania Group breaks down the life expectancy by autonomous region, with Madrid in first place.

The most recent data collected from 2021, released on Thursday, January 26 show an increase in life expectancy

hachem was a direct result of a warning from the FBI in America. They

warned the Spanish security forces of his degree of radicalism and prose -

Lengthy lifespan

from 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic struck, to a stunning 83.07 years. This was an increase on 2020’s average of 82.33 years, but remained slightly below the 2019 average of 83.58 years.

When broken down by autonomous region, Madrid leads by longevity of life expectancy. The Community of Madrid has a staggering life expectancy of 84.6 years. Sec-

ond on the list was Navarra with an average of 84.3 years, while Castilla y León came third with an average of 83.9 years.

At the other end of the scale, overseas territories, Ceuta and Melilla had the lowest life expectancies at 78.5 and 79.8 years respectively. They were the only regions to have life expectancies below the age of 80.

Football fixing

lytism in favour of Daesh on social networks. He was also known to be active on the Dark Web, the deep network used by criminals and delinquents which is beyond the reach of the majority of internet users.

Specialised National Police and Guardia Civil officers carried out the operation during which the jihadist was detained in the Santa Eugenia neighbourhood of Girona.

It is believed that his intention was to record himself machine-gunning bathers on the beaches in Benidorm and then post the footage on social media networks of the Islamic State.

Although no substances were discovered during a search of his home, the detainee was known to have downloaded manuals online with which to train himself in the use of weapons and explosives.

SOCIAL media giant, Twitter has seen sweeping changes since the arrival of new CEO and billionaire, Elon Musk, including thousands of lay-offs. And it appears that Musk’s radical vision for the transformation of the company has reached Spain.

The company’s headquarters in Spain had reported re-

A TOTAL of 23 members of an alleged betting syndicate have been arrested on suspicion of fixing football games in the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the Gibraltar National League and the Andorra League. Among those arrested are several footballers who are suspected of having used their position to steer the outcome of games in which they participated in.

These arrests took place in November 2022 in several Spanish provinces - Badajoz, Cadiz, Ciudad Real, Cordoba, Tenerife and in the Autonomous City of Ceuta - and follow the arrest of 21 other members of the same criminal organisation in 2021.

Known as Operation Conifera, this investigation into match-fixing was carried out by the

Some 30 football matches are being investigated.

Spanish National Police in a joint operation with Europol and Interpol.

A total of 30 football matches are currently being investigated in this case.

The profits generated are estimated at over half a million euros.

Europol’s support was central in the development of the Spanish investigation. Europol’s European Financial and Economic Crime Centre has been providing continuous intelligence development and analysis to map out the different targets and their criminal activity.

The Musk effect

dundancies of more than 80 per cent of its workforce by Thursday, January 26, after layoffs were made two days earlier. The social media platform had a small team in Spain of just 29, 24 of which have now been sacked.

The workers are set to leave the company’s Madrid headquarters from Wednesday, February 8 after coming to an agreement with bosses over redundancy. Spanish employment regulations mean that the employees will also receive a redundancy pay packet covering 33 days, instead of 20 as initially offered by the company.

The motion was originally announced by the UGT trade union in November, who said negotiations were set to open over the proposed laying-off of 26 of Twitter’s staff in Spain. The changes are taking place as Musk seeks to change the way Twitter works.

20.5 million are employed in Spain as of 2022.

Credit: Twitter@policia

ARRESTED: The suspected jihadist in Girona.

By Peter McLaren­Kennedy

SPANISH airline Vueling and its crew are to return to the negotiating table after three months of strike action that started on November 1, 2022.

The cabin crew union STAVLA said on Saturday, January 28 that the strikes which affected Friday, Sunday and Monday travel would be ended with both parties having agreed to resume talks.

In making the announcement STAVLA reminded everyone that it had said at the outset that it would continue with strike action as long as was necessary to achieve a new collective agreement.

Vueling strike called off

crew registered with the CC.OO a 6.5 per cent increase, which they said was in line with the inflation rate.

Impact on customers has always been limited given the requirement to operate minimum services, instead resulting in the loss of cabin service on affected flights. Where flights could be cancelled passengers were moved to alternate days, given credits or rebooked on other airlines.

STAVLA had been calling for a 13.4 per cent increase rising to 33 per cent by 2025. But the compa­

ny had said was not financially possible and had instead given

Well-known author dies at 83

THE author, philosopher and politician, Xavier Rubert de Ventós, who wrote the ‘Theory of Sensibility’ has died at the age of 83. The Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) told a local news source on Saturday, January 28 that he had passed away.

A Professor of Aesthetics at the Universitat Politècnica de

Catalunya and one of the founders of the Col·legi de Filosofia, de Ventós was also a member of PSC in Congress, between 1982 and 1986, and in the European Parliament, between 1986 and 1994.

De Ventós was also a professor at the University of Barcelona (UB) and a visiting professor at several North

American universities, including as Harvard, Brown, Berkeley, Cincinnati and New York. After writing ‘Theory of Sensibility’ he went on to receive numerous other distinctions. In all de Ventós wrote more than 30 books and was well known for his work on philosophy, ethics, aesthetics and politics.

The two parties are hopeful that an agreement can be reached by March.

Refugees exploited

Betty Henderson

AUTHORITIES working on a contraband tobacco case have revealed that criminals were illicitly using Ukrainian refugees for labour, providing low wages and work in poor conditions.

Police from the Guardia Civil announced the dismantling of a criminal ring running three illegal tobacco factories on Sunday, January 22, and now say Ukrainian refugees were being exploited to work in two of the factories in dismal conditions, in exchange for menial wages.

Ukrainian refugees who had arrived in Spain following Russia’s invasion of their country last year were living ‘crammed’ inside the factories according to police oficers who participated in the bust. On the other hand, criminal bosses were living luxury lifestyles, at the expense of their exploited labour.

The illegal tobacco factories were capable of producing around half a million packets of cigarettes every day. The first factory to be uncovered was located in Sevilla at the end of 2021, which led to the other factories in eastern Valencia and La Rioja being found during the last 12 months.

Police believe the gang was also involved in other organised crime including drug trafficking.

Five injured

FIVE people were injured on Sunday, January 29, after a landslide occurred on the A­395. The incident happened in the Granada municipality of Guejar Sierra. As reported by both 112 Emergencies Andalucia and the Guarda Civil, the road was closed in both directions at Km16.

Members of the public alerted the emergency services shortly before midday to the landslide on the road leading to the Sierra Nevada ski resort. They said a number of vehicles had been damaged and there were people in need of medical assistance.

112 deployed patrols from the Guardia Civil along with ambulances and the Fire Brigade. A Civil Protection unit was also dispatched to the location as well as National and Local Police patrols. It was confirmed by medical staff that five people needed treatment. They were transferred to the San Cecilio Hospital in Granada. Those injured included a four­month­old baby, a two­year­old boy, two women aged 36 and 60, and a 65­year­old man. Four vehicles were damaged by the rock fall. Heavy machinery was used to clear the road.

Spain and Slovakia

SPAIN and Slovakia are determined to strengthen relations in areas such as sustainable mobility and tourism.

Spain’s Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, travelled to the Slovak Republic to promote new investments linked to the manufacture of batteries needed to boost the new electric and connected mobility.

Slovakia is one of Europe’s major car manufacturing centres, employing over 200,000 people, with Volkswagen, KIA, Land Rover and Vol ­

vo among the brands that have factories in the country.

The Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, confirmed:

“With this visit, we want to reinforce the government of Spain’s commitment to the Inobat project, so that Spain is chosen for its new factory.”

“We have excellent human capital, first­class infrastructure and worldclass know­how in electric and connected mobility. Spain is firmly committed to the electrification of the automotive industry.”

VUELING: The two parties are hopeful an agreement can be reached soon.

Image Ivan Berrocol / Shutterstock.com

The biggest tax reform over recent years is Spain’s new ‘solidarity tax on large fortunes’ which was suddenly announced at the end of last September. The good news, though, is that it only affects very wealthy individuals.

Income taxes

The state 2023 budget included measures to ease the income tax burden on low earners for 2023 and 2024.

At the same time, it increased tax on higher level of savings income by adding two tax bands. Your savings income (interest, dividends, capital gains etc) will be taxed as follows:

Spanish taxation in 2023

3. Spanish tax residents get a general €700,000 allowance plus €300,000 against the main home. Therefore, solidarity tax only really affects those with wealth over €4 million.

4. You can deduct the amount paid in the regular wealth tax from your solidarity tax liability, so you do not pay tax twice.

Solidarity tax

The new, but temporary, solidarity tax was approved at the end of December and applies for the 2022 and 2023 tax years (when it will be reviewed). 2022 labilities will be due between April and

By Cathal Rochford, Partner,

June this year.

In summary –

1. It only applies to those with net wealth above €3 million (worldwide assets for residents).

2. The progressive tax rates are 1.7% for wealth over €3 million, then 2.1% for wealth over €5,347,998 and 3.5% for over €10,695,996.

5. A taxpayers’ combined solidarity, wealth and income tax liability cannot exceed 60% of the sum of the personal income taxable bases. If it does, the tax liability will be reduced until the 60% threshold is reached (maximum reduction 80%).

The solidarity tax is applied at state level, so autonomous communities cannot amend it (as they can with the regular wealth tax).

The start-up law – digital nomads and the Beckham law tax regime

After years of negotiation, the law for the promotion of the start-

up ecosystem companies has been approved. Its main objective is to attract and retain investment and talent in Spain and the key new features relate to immigration and taxation. A new ‘digital nomad visa’ has been created and the socalled ‘Beckham tax regime’ (which originated when David Beckham was playing for Real Madrid) has been modified.

This special tax regime can apply to individuals who become resident as a consequence of working in Spain, and has now been expanded to include teleworkers and entrepreneurs. If you meet the requirements, you can be taxed as a non-resident for your year of arrival and the following five years.

You can now apply if you were not tax resident here for the previous five years (it used to be ten), and it is available to those on a non-EU/EEA employment contract and non-EU/EEA nationals who obtain the residence visa for teleworkers.

The rules are detailed and complex, so if you think are you are eligible, seek personal advice.

It is sensible to review your tax planning regularly in any case, but more so following tax reforms. You need to understand how the changes affect you personally and make sure you are making the most of the local tax regime. As with all wealth management, your tax planning needs to be structured around your personal situation and objectives and to take your estate planning wishes into account.

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

You can find other financial advisory articles by visiting our website here www.blevinsfranks.com.

Blevins Franks

Human rights record

Betty Henderson

THE European Commission has summoned representatives from Spain over their treatment of refugees arriving at their borders. Europe’s governing body issued the summons to representatives from several European countries including Greece, Portugal and Belgium, on Thursday, January 26.

Brussels say that Spanish authorities are currently failing to uphold their duties set out in international regulations to keep refugees safe on arrival in the country. The European Commission is set to give the countries a two month deadline to implement new legislation and safety guarantees for asylum seekers arriving.

If Spain and the other countries do not change their policies, the European Commission could take action including fi ­

The European Commission has taken issue with Spain’s treatment of refugees, saying they must act in the next two months.

nancial penalties. A spokesperson explained, “The Commission is closely monitoring the way all member states incorporate European legislation into their national laws”.

European law states that refugees have the right to seek asylum in countries they arrive in and have been working for several years to create a European­wide policy to apply in every member state. Several European states are at odds with the decision, saying border control is a sovereign issue.

By Peter McLaren­Kennedy

A COURT in Palma has said that prosecutors can proceed with their case to charge a gang of eight Brits who organised false food poisoning claims.

As reported in the local press on Wednesday, January 25, prosecutors intend to charge eight people with encouraging visitors to the island to report that they had been the subject of food poisoning. They were encouraged to do so in an effort to extort compensation from hotels and tour operators.

In total, some €200,000 is said to have been raised through fraudulent claims by the gang, who have been charged with aggravated fraud and criminal organisation.

The cases go back to 2016 and 2017 with British tourists staying at all ­ inclusive resorts targeted. The gang prepared the case for the ‘claimant’ showing that they had been ill during their stay.

A brother and sister are said to have been behind the idea of using a company they set up to send the information to a law firm in the UK with which they had a

working relationship.

The eight Brits have not been named but are believed to be wellknown among the local expat community, and if found guilty could be sentenced to jail.

Switch off

UK’s National Grid has launched a new Demand Flexibility Service (DFS) whereby citizens can get paid to switch off electrical items during peak hours.

If you have a smart meter and your energy supplier offers the service, then you’ll be able to sign up. If you do sign up for the DFS scheme, you will need to authorise your provider to access your smart meter so they can read your data every halfhour between the peak hours. The scheme is planned to remain in force until the end of March. Users of the scheme will get an alert the day before telling them what window they need to reduce energy use, for example, 4.00pm until 6.00pm.

Meanwhile, in Spain, the government confirmed it would extend the measures established throughout 2022 to continue to tackle the price increases caused by the war in Ukraine and to protect consumers so they have guaranteed access to electricity, gas and water. Meaning the reduction of the special tax on electricity to 0.5 per cent and the suspension of the tax on the value of electricity production, which has an impact on electricity bills.

Vulnerable consumers can also benefit from a discount on their bill called bono social, which can be requested by telephone, e­mail, ordinary mail or fax from one of the reference suppliers, who are obliged to offer and finance it.

Brit gang caught Surprise surge

SPAIN’S economy has showed its resilience by defying economists’ expectations with a growth of 5.5 per cent during the last year, in spite of the cost of living and inflation crises

and the war in Ukraine. Figures released on Friday, January 27 even improved on the government’s own targets.

Spain’s economic growth in 2022 hit 5.5 per cent, a

figure well above the government’s own forecast of 4.4 per cent, the Bank of Spain’s prediction of 4.6 per cent growth and the IMF’s expectation of a 5.2 per cent growth. Spain’s GDP rose by 10.1 per cent from 2021.

The figure echoes growth in 2021, signalling that the country continues in the right direction after the economy tanked in 2020, shrinking 11.3 per cent due to the global pandemic.

The report spells good news for the country’s socialist government which has recently faced political turmoil with protests against President, Pedro Sánchez threatening to undermine support for the government in the upcoming local elections in May. The elections will show the direction the country is headed in before the next general elections scheduled for December of this year.

False claims of food poisoning.

Photo credit: Casablanca Stock / shutterstock.com

THE brains behind The Written Word Group and author of The Old Man of Tiritiri Matangi, Berni Albrighton, has shared an insight into her inspirations.

“On a warm summer evening in 2008, I was nearing 50 and had been married to my husband, Steve, for 20 years. We sat playing music, drinking wine and having an intense conversation about life.”

One of us asked: “Will we always live here in the UK?”

It was the catalyst for events that saw the author leave her home, husband, teenage son and dog to take up a managerial position in Auckland, New Zealand.

Berni added: “Steve and my son agreed that I would go and lay the foundations of a new life for us, they would follow in a few months. No one knew the timing could be

Voice of Tiritiri Matangi

so wrong, as 2009 was the start of a worldwide economic downturn.”

The author reminisces that her life in New Zealand was incredible. Her employers were dynamic, she rented an apartment on the beach and quickly made new friends.

“Almost immediately I started volunteering on the conservation island of Tiritiri Matangi,” Berni confirmed. “I would catch the ferry, sail across the waters of the Hauraki Gulf and spend days with other volunteers, cutting back overgrowth, making bird boxes, anything that needed doing

“At lunchtime, I would sit in front of a 950­yearold Pohutukawa tree. Its

twisted roots spread out across the beach as if it were reaching for the waters. Its bark and

branches were dry and brittle and full of holes where animals had once made their homes. I wondered to myself about the incredible stories it could tell if it could talk.”

Berni described how the tree would have witnessed the Maori settlers, the battles between tribes for land, the European settlers, the changing landscapes, the wildlife that was wiped out by man and the volcanic eruptions which destroyed communities.

After a challenging year of closures and redundancies, Berni was due to return to the UK. It was then she decided to give the tree a voice, to tell people about its

life.

“I began to write my book which took almost three years to finish and Leamington Spa ­ based artist, Guy Chapman brought my words to life with his illustrations.

“I self ­ published and we sold our book at local book fairs and high ­ end craft events.”

Berni added: “It was the start of my writing and propelled me to reach into the creativity that is inside all of us.”

The Written Word Group welcome new members at their regular meetings in Albox, Almeria. For more information about The Old Man of Tiritiri Matangi or the literary group, please email: balbrighton@ gmail.com.

BERNI ALBRIGHTON: Creativity is inside all of us.

Image: Berni Albrighton

A Solitary world record £60 billion HS2 project

Report by Peter McLaren­Kennedy

A BRITISH murderer sentenced to life for a double killing and who then murdered two inmates has broken the world record for solitary confinement.

According to a local newspaper on Saturday, January 21, 69­year­old Robert Mawdsley has been in solitary for 16,400 consecutive days.

Mawdsley, who was imprisoned in Wakefield, killed two fellow prisoners in 1978. Afterwards, he is believed to have told a guard: “There’ll be two short on the roll call.”

Following that incident, he was placed in solitary and in 1983 he was moved to a purposebuilt cell after all prison staff refused to see him unaccompanied.

The 5.5 by 4.5 metre cell is slightly larger than the average and is fitted with large bulletproof windows. It is kitted out with a concrete bed,

MILLIONS of people may have had their details exposed in a cyberattack on JD Sports that has affected anyone who placed an order with the company between November 2018 and October

2020. According to a report by a news source on Monday, January 30 some 10 million people could be affected as the breach includes all JD Sports brands.

metal toilet and sink that are bolted to the floor and a table and chair made of compressed cardboard. Mawdsley spends 23 hours out of every 24 locked in the cell that he is said to have described as “like being buried alive in a coffin” and is fed through a small slot in the steel door.

JD cyberattack

The company has said that details that may have been exposed include personal details such as names, phone numbers, email and delivery addresses as well as the last four digits of credit and debit cards. JD Sports has said it does not

MINISTERS have refused to deny reports that the £60 billion HS2 project won’t result in the service linking the north with central London.

According to a local news source on Friday, January 27 ministers were in the midst of discussions that could see the link with Euston station being delayed significantly or scrapped altogether.

A review ordered by ministers last year in light of the need to cut costs is due to report shortly but the Department for Transport has already warned that “tough decisions” would need to be taken. One of the options that

keep full card details and it doesn’t appear that passwords were stolen, however, they have written to customers warning them to be on the lookout for scam emails, texts and calls:

An email sent to customers said: “We take the protection of customer data extremely seriously and we are sorry this has happened.”

is said to be on the table is the delay of the link by between two and five years. Another is the scrapping of the Birmingham to Crewe and Manchester legs of the rail link. Consideration is also being given to building a new hub at Old Oak Common in West London, which would see passengers having to disembark and catch the new Elizabeth line to reach the city centre.

British Army not at top-level

A SENIOR US general has apparently told the UK’s Defence Secretary Ben Wallace that the British Army is no longer regarded as a top­level fighting force.

The unnamed officer is believed to have told the minister that decades of savings needed to be reversed if the country was going to regain its fighting status, particularly in light of the war in Ukraine. Sources within the ministry speaking to a news source on Monday, January 30 said: “Bottom line... it’s an entire service unable to protect the UK and our allies for a decade.” The same sources warn that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was in danger of failing as a wartime leader unless he took urgent action to address the growing threat from Russia. They say that the reduction in the size of the army needed to be halted and a further £3 billion needed to be invested in the military. But that may be easier said than done with the UK facing extraordinary budget pressures.

In solitary confinement.

Robert MawdsleyImage Pinterest

36.3 million hectolitres - the quantity of wine produced in Spain in 2022.

La Boheme

OPERA fans will be delighted to hear that La Boheme is heading to Palma.

La Boheme portrays a 19th­century love story of a poor French couple, a poet, and a seamstress.

The opera was crafted in four acts by Giacomo Puccini between the period of 1893 to 1895. It is accompanied by an Italian libretto, which is written by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica. The opera is also based on the book ‘Scenes de la vie de Boheme’, or ‘Scenes from Bohemian Life’ by Henri Murger.

The original source, Murger’s novel, also narrated the life of young Parisian bohemians, which Puccini retains throughout. While composing the opera, he even had a brief dispute with Leoncavallo, a contemporary music composer, regarding the libretto. Puccini stood firm and went on with his own version.

La Boheme is showing on February 20, 22 and 24, at 8.00pm at the Teatre Principal de Palma, Carrer de la Riera, 2, 07003, Palma.

For more information or to book tickets call (+34) 971 219 700, head to the website: www.teatreprincipal. com or email: info@teatreprincipal.com

Rio in Mallorca

EACH year Mallorca celebrates the onset of Lent with street parties and parades. Most towns will be having their own carnival over the weekend, with the largest parties to be found in Palma.

This year the first day of the Carnival will be held on Saturday, February 18, and is for children, it is called Sa Rueta. The second day of the event takes place on Sunday, February 19 and is for adults, and is named Sa Rua.

This Mallorcan Carnival may remind you of a small version of the Rio de Janeiro Carnival, as it includes people from competing teams and special performances with dancing and singing. The costumes and floats vary in colour and story but are worth checking out. The most creative teams are awarded prizes at the end.

The island celebrates the carnival with street parties, live music, food and drink and, of course,

SOME of the biggest names in the Spanish folk music genre will unite in Palma de Mallorca for six dates of dazzling musical entertainment spread over the next three months. Palma Folk Festival returns on Friday, February 17.

This year’s festival will consist of performances and concerts from six different acts famed in the Spanish folk scene and fur­

CARNIVAL: Celebrates with street parties.

the colourful fancy dress parades. In Palma, both processions will march down La Rambla, Calle de La Riera, Calle de la Unio, Placa del Rei Joan Carles I and Avenida de Jaume III.

Folk festival

ther afield including ‘Simone’, ‘When the Robin Sings’ and ‘Do Natural­Boc’. Each of the performances will be held in the city’s Mar i Terra theatre.

The music festival is one of the most popular alternative festivals that takes place on the island each year and has developed a network of top names

since its birth in 2017.

More information about the festival and ticket purchases can be found online at: https://www.palmacultura.cat /ficha.php?Cod_not=10694&fb clid=IwAR0hzD38xaAAdZzIP vanogkH4xiSsodp6so8WLFx1z qcRFnGGPjdH2ymZK0. Tickets for most of the events cost €10 in the advance sale or €12 at the box office.

Image: Palma City Council Tourism

For all opera fans.

Image: Teatre Principal de Palma.

By Peter McLaren­Kennedy

AMBULANCE workers from at least five NHS Trusts are to strike again on February 6, a day in which the UK could see the largest­ever strike of health workers in the UK. The strike has been called for the same day nurses from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) will walk out according to a local news source on Friday, January 20. Further strikes have been called following statements from unions suggesting the government has not shown any signs that a resolution can be reached.

The government is said to be holding firm on its belief that the pay rises union members are looking for are not affordable, whilst the unions have said mem­

ANYONE caught riding a jet ski recklessly or causing harm to others in the UK could now face up to two years in prison and an unlimited fine, thanks to a change in the law.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency are set to be granted more powers to prosecute, as the government works to ensure the UK’s waters continue to be some of the safest in the world.

The new law will come into force on March 31,

Largest ever strike

the table. Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham has criticised the government for its stance on pay negotiations saying: “Rather than act to protect the NHS and negotiate an end to the dispute, the government has disgracefully chosen to demonise ambulance workers.”

bers are willing to continue striking until such a time as a sensible offer is placed on

The announcement of the strike came as it was announced the government was setting up a task force to look at the future of the NHS, one that has been criticised for including lobbyists for private health providers.

Reckless jet skiers

before the busy summer period and will enable watercraft users to be prosecuted and bound by the same laws that apply to ships in order to help to prevent accidents.

The move follows a boom in the watercraft industry during the pandemic, with the number, size, power and availability of watercraft like jet skis increasing, and their

2,947,228 inhabitants live in Madrid, Spain’s capital city.

use in UK waters rising significantly.

Maritime Minister, Baroness Vere said: "The watercraft industry is thriving and it’s great to see more and more people enjoying leisure activities. However, they must do so safely."

"We’ll continue working to ensure our country’s coasts and waters are safe for everyone."

Bros to make comeback

MATT GOSS is planning a comeback for Bros, the band he started with his brother Luke.

According to a UK news outlet on Saturday, January 28 the 54 ­ year ­ old singer spoke of his desire to reunite

BROS: Hoping to unite in 2024 for a new album and tour.

with his brother for a new album and tour in 2024.

The pair last played together in 2017 with two concerts at the O2 in London. Those were followed by a documentary on the band entitled ‘Bros: After the screaming stops’.

Bros broke up over jealousy between the two brothers with Luke feeling second best.

Goss said: “Bros, in the next couple of years it will happen, absolutely. I think in 2024. I would like to think that will be a year we can think about another documentary and do some shows. Alongside that, we’d like to do some new music together. We want to get on to the festival circuit. We want to document how that experience is for us.”

The band were very successful back in the 80s and early 90s with a number of singles and albums hitting the charts. Their debut album Push back, released in 1988, reached Number 2 on the UK Albums Chart.

Nurse and ambulance strike begins.

Image Jessica Girvan / Shutterstock.com

Image Fred Duval / Shutterstock.com

UKRAINIAN officials have issued a statement suggesting that the country could boycott the Olympics in Paris in 2024 if Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to participate.

The Ukrainian Minister for Sport, Vadim Guttsait made the comments on Friday, January 27 after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that they would “explore a pathway” for athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete in the global sporting event as neutral athletes, in spite of their countries’ actions.

Guttsait made his country’s position clear in a Facebook post writing that while there is a “war

in Ukraine, Russian and Belarusian athletes should not be allowed in international competitions.” He added “If we are not listened to, I do not rule out the possibility that we will refuse and boycott participating in the Olympics.”

Belarus is one of Russia’s biggest allies and has supported the country in the invasion of Ukraine, crucially hosting troops and weapons on Belarusian land.

The inclusion of athletes in international competitions is a contentious point with the IOC’s official line being “No athlete should be prevented from competing just because of their passport.”

AUTHORITIES in Austria have said they found six British ­ born children all under the age of five living in an abandoned wine cellar.

Olympic boycott Children found in wine cellar Bear breaks hearts

JUAN CARRITO, a rare brown bear who became famous across Italy and the world for his visits to sleepy mountain villages in the Abruzzo region has died after being hit by a car.

The three­year­old Marsican bear passed away on Monday, January 23.

The bear, known affectionately as ‘Juan Carrito’ was hit by a car in the town of Castel

di Sangro. The bear became famous for his outings into small villages in Abruzzo, attracting global fame after he wolfed down a whole batch of biscuits in a local bakery in 2021.

The bear faced repeated attempts to rewild him before several periods in an enclosure due to the risk to himself and the community, but remained a social character.

The regional President, Marco Marsilio took to Facebook to express the whole community’s sense of loss at the death of an incredible creature who brought great joy to many writing, “His loss saddens not only Abruzzo, but the whole world that discovered Abruzzo and the beauty of bears through the numerous videos of him since he was a cub.”

A UK news source announced on Saturday, January 28 that they were being detained in an illegal hideout owned by a 54 ­ year ­ old man and his 40 ­ year ­ old wife in the village of Orbitz. Police broke into the man’s home after he pepper sprayed social workers who had tried to visit the home. Concerns had been raised after the man was seen with young children and had purchased at least five such cellars in the area.

It is understood firearms were found in the possession of the unnamed man who had moved to the home some months ago. Police are said to be looking into the legality of the firearms but have in the

meantime released the man saying the situation appeared to be of no risk

3.5 million packets of contraband tobacco were seized by the Guardia Civil in one day.

to the children. Although the cellars were not fit for living in, the police say they found no evidence of sexual abuse and they did not appear to be neglected. The children were taken into care with the couple unable to confirm their identities. It appears the children were born in England but it is not known whether they are British citizens.

Austrian Polizei broke into the home.

PRESS EUROPEAN

DENMARK

Card sharp

FINANSFORBUNDET, the trade union that represents employees working in Denmark’s finance sector, reported that 2022 was the country’s first year without a bank robbery. As more people use cards, banks are keeping less cash on their premises, relieving workers of the ‘extreme stress’ they experienced during robberies, the union said.

THE NETHERLANDS

Fire hazard

THE Netherlands should prepare to fight more wildfires owing to rising temperatures and increased periods of drought, experts from the Institute of Public Safety (NIVP) and meteorological institute, KNMI, warned. Fire departments, used to dealing with burning buildings, will need more training in extinguishing wildfires in rural areas, they said.

BELGIUM

Strong arm

A 2022 by the Le Soir newspaper and broadcaster RTBF found that many Belgians were disenchanted with parliamentary democracy, with 70 per cent preferring referendums on key issues. A further 69 per cent said that they would back a strong leader who ‘understood people’ and was capable of ‘restoring order’.

GERMANY

Zebras crossing

A RESIDENT in Geldern in Germany’s Lower Rhine-Westphalia area alerted the police after he had spotted two zebras wandering loose. Assisted by members of the public, they were able to round up both animals and return them unharmed to their owners who welcomed them home with a bucket of carrots.

FRANCE

Unequal rights

A FRENCH government report found that sexism remained in all areas and the situation was worsening, especially for younger women. Investigators observed that women were targeted via new types of harassment which included online violence, abuse on social media and pornography with ‘barbaric’ content while discrimination had reached ‘alarming proportions’.

NORWAY

Paint query

BERGEN University research into whiteness and paint is examining whether the Norwegian-developed pigment, titanium dioxide, has contributed to white supremacy and ‘has made the world whiter’. Although not a conventional colonial power, the project will investigate whether Norway has helped to establish white as a ‘superior colour’, university sources said.

FINLAND

Be ready

FINLAND risks more power cuts this winter than other EU countries but is also better-prepared thanks to the Defence Ministry’s annual brochure. This advises the population to store sufficient food, water and medicines to see them through 72 hours during the coldest months and to invest in a battery-operated radio.

IRELAND

Spare time

IRELAND’S president Michal D Higgins called for a ban on homework. Speaking on national broadcaster RTE, Higgins, a former Arts minister, argued that school activities should end at the school gate and eliminating homework would provide extra time for young people to engage in more creative pursuits outside school hours.

ITALY London’s loss

THERE is an increasingly buoyant market for luxury properties in Milan, the financial capital of Italy, as bankers, fund managers and private equity investors are choosing to abandon London following Brexit. They have also been enticed by the offer of generous tax breaks introduced in 2017 to attract new arrivals.

PORTUGAL

Come hither

A SHORTAGE of doctors in Portugal’s National Health Service (SNS) prompted the government to launch an incentives programme in hopes of attracting them to sparsely populated areas. Sweeteners include higher salaries and free accommodation for resident doctors who decide to carry out their specialist training in hospitals in the interior.

UKRAINE

Build it up

UKRAINE’S president Volodymyr Zelensky and Larry Fink, CEO of Blackrock Inc, the New York-based multinational investment company agreed to coordinate and channel investment in rebuilding the country. Ukraine’s Economy Ministry and Blackrock’s Financial Markets Advisory division signed a memorandum of understanding in November.

SWEDEN

Stay loyal

SWEDISH newspaper Dagems Nyheter allegedly received documents revealing that before leaving China more than 30 doctoral students bound for Lund University had first to sign a pledge. They were reportedly obliged to promise to ‘serve the regime’s interests’ and never participate in activities ‘that flouted the wishes of the authorities’.

Mystery surrounds rescue

IT was revealed on Saturday, January 21, that three Spanish divers had been rescued from the freezing waters of the Baltic Sea off the coast of Poland. Their boat had broken down off the coast of the northern city of Gdansk during a bad storm.

Polish rescue services picked the three men up, suffering from the early effects of hypothermia. According to reports, they had spent the previous six hours attempting to fix their boat’s engine, which had apparently broken down.

At the time of rescue, they were about eight kilometres off the coast of Poland. The Russian region of Kaliningrad and the strategic facilities of the city’s port ­ the largest in the Baltic ­ were also within reach.

When questioned by Polish authorities, the Spaniards claimed they had been diving for amber. The area in which they were located contains the largest amber reserves in the world, as reported by a news source.

Their claim appeared a little unconvincing though given they were making a dive in icy Baltic water under the cover of darkness, during a huge storm. The Polish police said

the divers did not have the permits to dive or to drive the boat, nor did they have the necessary insurance. Despite this, the three men were not arrested.

Gas field closes

By Peter McLaren­Kennedy

THE Groningen gas field, the largest in Europe, is in danger of being closed down despite gas shortages according to Dutch government officials.

Speaking to a UK news outlet on Tuesday, January 24 a government official in The Hague said that the field is dangerous. Hans Vijbrief said that the site won’t be expanded but the opposite may happen. He said: “We won’t open up more because of the safety issues. It is politically totally unviable.” Groningen production has been reduced substantially over the years due to seismic activity in the area, and according to OilPrice.com was only kept open due to the energy crisis. They say there has been much speculation about government plans given that the site has the potential to fill the shortfall from Russian supplies.

Initially, the government in the Hague spoke about expanding the site but that is now definitely not going ahead with Vijbrief saying: “It’s very, very simple: everybody who has some knowledge of earthquake danger tells me that it’s really very dangerous to keep on producing there. I’m quite convinced it’s wise to close it down.”

STAT OF WEEK €56.7 million

is the amount of the fine that on-demand courier service Glovo will have to pay for employing foreigners without work permits and imposing work conditions on the self-employed.

BUSINESS EXTRA Mahou victory FINANCE

Cough up

THE Crown Estate is suing Twitter for allegedly defaulting on the rent for the company’s London headquarters located near a prime Piccadilly Circus site. Billionaire Elon Musk, who also owns Tesla and Space X, took control of Twitter in October.

Record demand

ASSOCIATED BRITISH FOODS’ revenue rose during 2022’s final weeks after increased demand and higher prices. Turnover rose by 16 per cent to £6.7 billion (€7.6 billion) in the 20 weeks ending on January 7 in all ABF’s companies, including Primark.

Pay rise

TELEFONICA ESPAÑA employees will receive a 7.8 per cent pay rise backdated to last January after reaching agreement with the UGT and CCOO unions. After reviewing increases introduced since 2019, Telefonica is adjusting salaries in line with the present CPI.

Big problem

THE BIG ISSUE, which is sold by the homeless, almost went under during the pandemic, admitted its founder and editor­inchief John Bird. Having survived, sales are currently affected by the cost­of­living crisis as millions across the UK struggle with inflation.

Ibex debut

ALMERIA­BASED marble company Cosentino, which trades in 40 countries, will be listed on Spain’s Ibex 35. The familyowned company has engaged JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs to oversee the operation and will be worth an estimated €3 billion, insiders said.

Not hacked

CAJAMAR clients could not use their digital banking app for three days last month owing to an internal technological incident. The bank reassured its 3.7 million customers in southwest Spain and Castilla y Leon that it had not suffered a cyberattack.

Supermarkets under fire

JUAN ROIG, president of the Mercadona supermarket chain, recently introduced the New Economic Forum held in Valencia.

Days earlier Ione Belarra, Social Rights minister in the PSOE­Unidas Podemos coalition governing Spain, called Roig “a pitiless capitalist” who was currently “lining his pockets.”

Belarra, speaking in Zaragoza at a meeting of Podemos, the party to which she belongs, was not representing the central government at the time, but her declaration immediately became a national issue.

Presenting the Forum, Roigwhose supermarket chain has a 25 per cent market quota and employed 93,500 people in 2021 ­ maintained that business­owners gener­

ated wealth and well­being.

“If those who manage the businesses know how to run them, there is prosperity for all. If not, there is confrontation,” Roig said.

On leaving, he was besieged by reporters asking him for his opinion of Belarra’s comments but he declined to answer their questions. Smiling cheerfully and repeating a polite

“Thank you, thank you” he made a speedy exit without giving anything away.

According to annual reports published in 2021, the last available year, Mercadona had a 2.7 per cent profit margin, with Carrefour reporting 4.6 per cent and Lidl 3.1 per cent, compared with the sector’s 2.3 per cent average nationally.

Initially the big chains absorbed the increases but have now been forced to pass them on to the consumer.

The sector pointed out that higher prices have not brought more profits, particularly for own­label products, where increased sales mean a bigger margin for the manufacture rather than the distributor.

Help from Down Under

BRITISHVOLT, hailed as a prime example of the government’s success in securing UK business investment, went into administration last month.

The electric car battery manufacturer had hoped to build a £3.8 billion (€4.3 billion) factory near Blyth in Northumberland with government funding if it found investors.

This would have met the demand for electric vehicles ready for the UK’s 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars. Instead Britishvolt collapsed after a rescue bid by

Going further

THE H2Med pipeline sending green hydrogen from Spain and Portugal to France is to be extended to Germany.

It enters into the road map on hydrogen recently revealed in an announcement from the French and German governments as they increase investment in the latest technologies, particularly renewables and low carbon energies.

The H2Med undersea pipeline between Barcelona and Marseilles, expected to be operational by 2030, will carry hydrogen that has been produced via renewable energy.

It is expected to transport up to two million metric tons of green hydrogen a year.

several investors fell through, with most of its 300 employees immediately made redundant.

Now help could be at hand following a non­bind­

ing offer from Recharge Industries, an Australian startup linked to New Yorkbased investment firm Scale Facilitation, which intends to build a battery factory in Geelong, the former car manufacturing centre near Melbourne.

Thanks to Australia’s mineral deposits, the proposed lithium­ion plant would not be dependent on Chinese or Russian materials and risk supply chain holdups.

A Britishvolt deal “made strategic sense” Geelongborn David Collard, Scale Facilitation’s founder and chief

Four-day week

THE four­day week has become more likely thanks to the pandemic when both employers and employees began to rethink workplace flexibility.

One fewer working day doesn’t mean less work or a pay cut, however, as employees are paid the same, receive the same benefits and maintain the same workload.

Proponents hail the four­day week, arguing that if worker satisfaction increases, so will productivity, and Spain has already started a trial phase after the government launched a modest programme project in December..

The Spanish pilot scheme is a test to see if productivity will be boosted, as its advocates maintain. Meanwhile participating companies can receive aid from a €10 million government fund, although they will be expected to come up with ways of increasing productivity, Spain’s Industry Ministry Reyes Maroto said.

BREWERS Mahou have finally won their eight­year battle with Spain’s tax authority, Hacienda.

The Supreme Court in Madrid has cancelled the €1.08 million fine that Hacienda imposed on Mahou in December 2014, owing to what it saw as irregularities in the Corporation Tax (IS) the company paid during 2008 and 2009.

The disagreement between Hacienda and Mahou centred on calculations for advertising and publicity spending on major events.

In 2021, the National High Court in Madrid confirmed a 2018 ruling backing Mahou, prompting the brewer to lodge its successful appeal to the Supreme Court.

More prizes

executive told the international media.

Referring to the spirit of Aukus ­ the trilateral security pact between the UK, Australia and the US ­ Collard said that strengthening connections with “our friends in the UK” was in the general interest “especially when most others are kicking them when they’re down.”

Rob Fitzpatrick, Recharge Industries’ chief executive, explained that should the offer proceed, the operation would also provide the Australian company with greater access to Europe.

Speeding up

SPAIN’S car factories are gradually upping production but they are still far from returning to pre­pandemic levels.

According to the country’s Association of Automobile and Heavy Vehicle Manufacturers (Anfac), Spain’s automotive industry produced 2.2 million new vehicles last year, 21 per cent below their output for 2019.

Anfac’s director general, Jose LopezTafall, revealed that although the flow of raw materials had improved, together with the availability of chips, many plants were having to endure interruptions to their supply chains and were obliged to work at a reduced rhythm.

Despite these problems, production increased by 5.8 per cent last year, compared with 2021 with a ‘significant’ 18.9 per cent improvement in December.

PREMIUM BOND holders now have a greater chance of a win after National Savings and Investments (NS&I) upped the prize fund rate from 3 to 3.15 per cent. The new rate, a 14­year high, comes into force from February onwards.

Premium Bonds earn no interest but instead the interest rate funds the monthly tax­free draw. The bonds are the UK’s biggest savings product, with more than 21 million participants investing £119 billion (€137 billion) in them.

Nevertheless, the chance of each £1 (€1.13) bond proving a winner is still fixed at 24,000 to 1, since the number of prizes worth between £50 (€56.75) and £100,000 (€113,472) will increase in the next draw, but there will be fewer £25 (€28.38) prizes.

Deposits vary

THE European Central Bank hiked interest rates but the yield on deposits varies throughout the eurozone.

With a two­year fixed deposit account paying an averaging 0.69 per cent compared with the eurozone’s 1.20 per cent average, statistics office Eurostat found Spain trailing its neighbours by an average 73 per cent.

The difference over longer periods widened to 86 per cent, with Spain averaging 0.97 per cent compared to Eurozone’s 1.81.

Italy and the Netherlands pay most on a 24­month fixed deposit account, averaging 1.8 per cent, followed by Estonia (1.73 per cent) and Finland (1.63 per cent). At the other end, Cyprus pays 0.11 per cent, followed by Greece (0.20 per cent) and Portugal (0.35 per cent).

Photo credit: Bankinter

MERCADONA: A 25% market quota. Photo credit: Britishvolt

BRITISHVOLT RESCUE: Non-binding offer from Recharge Industries.

DOW JONES

Currency outlook: US dollar slumps amid fading Fed rate hike bets, Euro underpinned by ECB interest rate speculation

USD/GBP: Down from $0.82 to $0.80

Euro

EUR/GBP: Unchanged at £0.88

EUR/USD: Up from $1.06 to $1.09

Recent movement in the euro has been largely tied to European Central Bank (ECB) rate hike expectations, helping the single currency rally since the start of 2023.

This helped to underpin EUR demand through the first half of January as hawkish ECB rhetoric bolstered expectations the bank will continue to deliver 50bps rate hikes through the first half of the year.

However this also led to some volatility in the second half of the month following a Bloomberg report in which it was suggested the ECB might be considering slowing the pace of its monetary tightening following its February meeting.

Elsewhere the euro also faced some headwinds as a result of weaker-than-expected German economic data as well as fears of an escalation of the war in Ukraine.

In light of the recent Bloomberg report, the ECB’s next interest rate decision will be the primary focus for EUR investors over the next month. If the ECB confirms it will ‘stay the course’ with the current pace of rate hikes, the euro is likely to strengthen.

BUSINESS EXTRA

Hard times

AMAZON workers in the UK recently went on strike, protesting over pay and conditions. Employees said they were constantly monitored and warehouse robots received better treatment.

Deaf ears

ANTONIO GARAMENDI, president of the Spanish Confederation of Business Organisations (CEOE), warned that the government’s ban on one ­ use plastics would hurt the agrifoods industry.

Heavy duty

A NEW £100 million (€113.6 million) customs inspection site at (Sevington (Kent) with space for 1700 lorries is under­used and the only regularly inspected imports are household pets arriving from Ukraine.

Pound

GBP/EUR: Unchanged at €1.13

GBP/USD: Up from $1.20 to $1.24

After a muted end to December, the pound spent the first half of January struggling to find any sustained support.

Sterling initially wavered this month on the back of some mixed PMIs. While an upwardly revised manufacturing PMI buoyed the pound, these gains were swiftly reversed after the subsequent services index printed below forecast.

An increasingly gloomy outlook for the UK economy then kept the pressure on GBP exchange rates through the second week of Jan-

uary, with only some modest relief being seen after the latest domestic GDP figures bolstered hopes the UK avoided a recession in 2022.

However, the pound then bounced back as we entered the second half of the month.

Stronger-than-expected UK wage growth and inflation figures bolstered Bank of England (BoE) interest rate hike expectations and propelled Sterling to a one-month high.

Looking ahead, the BoE’s February policy meeting could trigger some GBP selling pressure if the bank’s forward guidance indicates appetite for further hikes remains limited.

US Dollar

Big plans for ports

OCEAN CAPITAL PARTNERS

(OCP) calculate that Spanish ports will require a €4.5 billion investment if they are to meet low­carbon energy targets.

This is the amount that will be needed nationwide for installing renewable energy sources, the electrification of ports and producing biofuel for vessels.

OCP, which manages the passenger terminals at the ports of Malaga and Algeciras and is the majority shareholder in Malaga’s super­yacht marina, estimates that producing biofuels like methanol, ethanol or hydrogen alone would account for €4 billion.

Reducing Spanish ports’ carbon footprint to 50 per cent of 2019’s figure will require installing 300 megawatts of renewables, involving almost €300 million. It will cost another €450 million to provide the electricity supply for vessels in all Spanish ports while complying with European directives, OCP believes.

These decarbonisation objectives were included in the

targets.

central government’s Strategic Framework for General Interest Ports. Approved in 2022, this set out a route map for an informatically­smart, well­connected system able to deal with freight and passengers in safe and sustainable conditions.

For OCP, meeting these targets involves challenges like digitising the ports, which it considers will require greater public­private collaboration.

Royal Mail update

ROYAL MAIL’S Matthew Harris contacted the Euro Weekly News on Thursday January 26 with an update on the international delivery service.

“Although we recently resumed International Tracked & Signed as well as International Signed services to all destinations for business account customers and customers buying postage online, we have not actually resumed international services,” he said.

The halt was the result of a cyberattack by a Russia­linked ransomware gang named Lockbit discovered on January 10.

“Following the cyber incident, we have been temporarily unable to despatch export mail parcels to overseas destinations,” he added. “We have temporarily asked customers not to submit new export parcels into the Royal Mail network until further notice.”

USD/EUR: Down from €0.94 to €0.91

The US dollar opened 2023 on strong footing, the currency storming higher in the first week of the year as it was bolstered by a technical correction as well as stronger-than-expected employment figures.

But the ‘greenback’ struggled to maintain this momentum as USD investors continued to scale back their expectations for future Federal Reserve interest rate hikes.

This lead to a particularly strong response to the latest US consumer price index as another cooling of domestic inflation further undermined Fed rate hike bets.

The US dollar then sought to claw back some of its losses after some particularly disappointing US data stoked recession fears and bolstered demand for the safe-haven currency.

However, this only temporarily offset a prevailing risk-on mood, which also contributed to USD selling pressure over the past four weeks.

The Fed is widely expected to deliver a 25bps rate hike in February. Another slowdown of the Fed’s tightening cycle could extend the US dollar’s losses into the coming month.

Currencies Direct have helped over 430,000 customers save on currency transfers since 1996.

Indian rhapsody

DE LA RUE is entangled in a corruption probe involving India’s former Finance secretary Arvind Mayaram.

The Gateshead company, which produces bank notes, recently learnt that India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI­I) began investigating Mayaram’s activities before 2016.

Together with Finance Ministry and the Reserve Bank of India officials, he faces charges of criminal conspiracy, corruption and abusing his official position.

All allegedly conspired to unduly favour De La Rue in a deal to sell bank note security features “to the detriment of the Indian exchequer.”

De La Rue learnt of the scandal following Press reports and said it had not worked for the Indian government or central bank since 2016.

Eurostar slowdown

EUROSTAR’S chief executive, Gwendoline Cazenave, announced that the UK­Paris trains now carry 30 per cent fewer passengers.

The company currently runs 14 trains each day between London and Paris compared with 18 in 2019, owing to holdups in stations resulting from post­Brexit border checks and fewer border staff, Cazenave explained.

Suspended trains included the direct service from London to Disneyland Paris and connections for the Ebbsfleet or Ashford International stations.

The Eurostar boss said that faced with these problems, it was possible the company would decide not to restore some of the suspended services, although it was at present “working hard” with both the French and UK authorities to find solutions.

STERLING:

The pound spent the first half of January struggling to find any sustained support.

ALGECIRAS PORT: Big outlay to meet low-carbon

PLEASANTLY surprised to read an article published in the UK Sunday Times last week. Nice to know there are still a few respected columnists who hold the ‘old fashioned’ views of Leapy to their journalistic chests.

The article stated, among many other observations; and I quote ‘There is now a full­on left wing campaign to unstitch and burn the very fabric of Britain’ (unquote). It went on to state that in a typically military style operation the woke society had already seized control of the TV and radio stations, to such an extent that recently at the end of the BBC’s News at Six, the presenter actually announced ‘Now over to our LGBT and diversity correspondent’. You really couldn’t make it up.

According to the same report, the diversity outfit has now moved their operation to schools, endeavouring to convince (and confuse) young children that their misinformed parents have also embraced racism and prejudice in the past. Well this ol’ boy has been taking plenty of flack (and often very welcome agreement) about these types of observations for some years, nice to have some consensus from other pretty well placed sources.

Also pleased to witness a keen example of the excellent reputation our own publication enjoys for allowing different opinions to flourish among its broad

THE British Benevolent Fund is one of the oldest charities in Spain for the British community. It was set up under the auspices of the embassy and with whom it still maintains a close relationship through the consular network.

Many people assume that the consulate have the financial resources to fund Britons in need and distress, which they do not. Instead the consulates look to partners, including the British Benevolent Fund across the country to step in when there are no other alternatives.

After Brexit there are many Britons who had been living in Spain who found themselves as not officially resident with no right to Spanish state support or healthcare.

For those who have health issues and no resources for private health care this increasingly means a return to the UK.

Many times, those returnees are alone with no family, elderly with health issues and no or limited resources.

Imagine the feeling.

It’s not a happy ending to a life lived in Spain.

The consulates do the heavy lifting of finding accommodation and ensuring that the per­

Vindicated

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

OTHERS THINK IT

spectrum of columnists.

To be honest I’ve gone off the current Conservative Party (not difficult!). Far too many alternating opinions and ideas. Abundant disagreements, unfortunately giving the opinion that the whole operation is slowly falling apart.

The Labour party, with its media and Union supporters, of course absolutely loves it. Well I can assure them they would never get this ol boy’s support.

One of their serious problems is their so­called leader. I say ‘so­called,’ because I believe he is a weak ineffectual individual, who presents only carefully pre­prepared statements to the House and is manoeuvred and manipulated by his members to front up an operation which will probably remove him if they find themselves once more in power.

Should they be successful, prepare for wide open immigrant flood gates, diversity being more important; political

CULTURE CLASH OUR VIEW

opinions that consider the power structure of white predominately able­bodied male gender heterosexuals is intent on destroying the earth and drag queens in full regalia voicing their opinions in the house.

You can also be ready for the likes of Eddie Izzard, Diane Abbott, Angela Rayner and grinning Union leaders traipsing out of number 10; benefit scroungers retitled ‘Needy Members of Society,’ legalised drugs, plus a whole glut of put down Royalty scandals and a country going completely bankrupt.

As a final word this week, I also noticed that Keir Starmer recently actually had some trouble declaring that ‘only men were able to grow penises!’ Good luck everyone.

Keep the faith, Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com expatradioscotland.com Mon. and Fri. 1pm till 4.

For more from our columnists please scan this QR Code

Support us

son has access to NHS care, which many times is neither easy or quick. One such case was an 80­year­old man, who had lived off grid for decades in Spain. He had no residency or any paperwork and was no longer able to support himself nor pay for medication and was increasingly found in emergency waiting rooms for pain that he could not bear.

The consulate was able to help place him in the UK for healthcare provision and he was fortunate that he was found a nursing home to go to.

The BBF was able to pay for his return flight as well as help with the costs for his passport.

It was a modest sum which although not the happiest circumstances allowed him to re­

ceive the care he needed.

There are many more like him.

We can only help them with your generosity, any donation goes a long way for people like him.

If you would look to support our work please write to me: olaf.clayton@britishbenevo lentfund.org.

THE claim that one convicted rapist transitioned to become a woman in a bid to avoid male prison in the UK has reignited the currently ever burning topic of trans rights.

Let’s be clear; the level of respect any one human being is entitled to can never have anything to do with their race, gender, sexuality, or other inherent characteristic. However, the issue of whether trans people can compete in their new gender’s sports’ categories, change in their dressing rooms in shops and serve time in their prisons is one that sees an almighty clash of rights, most often between women and trans people.

While it wouldn’t be right to dismiss the needs of a trans person to be treated with respect in their new gender, it can never be right to make other women fear for their safety. Especially not in surroundings in which control over your own space and safety are at a minimum, like prison.

Whenever issues surrounding equality are brought up for the first time, there is often a period where the courts (and often the general public) take time to work out how this should be balanced. When gay marriage was first introduced, there were multiple Christian businesses who asserted their own rights not to recognise this as a Christian concept.

In short, there’s always a clash when one set of rights ends up conflicting with another.

With tensions getting higher and higher over the trans issue though, and with the safety of both women and trans people being put at risk in the fallout, let’s hope there is a resolution to this one sooner rather than later.

LeapyLee’sopinionsarehisownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

Olaf Clayton of BBF.

LET THEM EAT CAKE? NOT IN THE OFFICE!

NORAJOHNSON BREAKINGVIEWS

THERE are always zillions of press articles trying to debunk commonly ­ held views about which foods are bad for us. Salt in your diet causes high blood pressure. Carbohydrates and red meat are bad. Dairy products fattening. Brown bread better than white. And everyone needs tons of protein.

Each “report” producing more waffle than a Belgian baker. Dark chocolate, coffee, red wine: good for you because they have antioxidants which neutralise the free radicals in your body. Next week, that earlier study was flawed, they’re actually bad for you: too much sugar (like cakes). Next month, they’re good for you again. Then, those findings were over­

hasty; it's still bad for you. Frankly, practically everything that feels/tastes good is probably finally going to somehow make you ill anyway.

Trouble is, this “research” can mean different things to different people. We’re all individuals and what works for some doesn’t work for others. Anyone who says otherwise is a bit like men claiming they only used to read Playboy “for the articles”...

Meanwhile I’m off to the gym for my regular 90 minute session. And that’s no myth! 15 minutes of cardio,15 minutes of weights. And 60 minutes of talking myself into it.

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.

Should I get divorced in Spain?

CONSULAR MATTERS

THE other day I was driving back from the office, and I was listening to a well ­ known radio station and there was an advert saying something like get divorced in the UK, not Spain, as it’s easier.

Well as a lawyer this made me think. Well, yes if you both consent and you’re from the United Kingdom then why not?

The only caveat I would put on this is remember that now the United Kingdom has left the EU post Brexit it is much more difficult to enforce an order made by a UK court in Spain. If you have a good relationship with your soon to be ex, then choose this route.

Now on to the messy contested

divorcees and I’ve seen a huge number in the last 34 years.

Depending on whom I represent and what assets they have and where they are located it could be much better to get divorced in Spain. Why is that? Well Spanish legal fees are cheaper and in some circumstances one party could be awarded significantly less than they would be awarded by a UK court.

So if you’re considering getting divorced or you find yourself on the receiving end of a divorce petition here in Spain, get in touch with one of our English ­ speaking Spanish qualified lawyers.

For more from our columnists please scan this QR Code

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

SALLY UNDERWOOD POLITICAL ANIMAL

LAST week Matt Hancock was filmed being pushed and harassed by an angry member of the public.

Now while I think most people would probably admit to having some fairly dark thoughts about politicians some days, very few would agree that this behaviour came anywhere near to being acceptable.

Apart from anything else, by resorting to violence, Geza Tarjanyi, the man who shoved Hancock at a tube station, he ended up inciting sympathy for the former health secretary; something which he surely can’t have been trying to achieve.

Engaging in debate in some sort of meaningful way at a local event might have been a better way to go if what Tarjanyi really wanted was a chance of in some way holding Hancock to account.

When I first worked in parliament, I shared an office with a Liberal Democrat lord whose researcher had died saving him from a knife attacker.

Later, in the Commons, I worked in the office next to an MP who still had scars on his hands from when a woman

Blame game

had attacked him with a knife at a constituency surgery.

In another MP’s office I worked in a colleague had to be physically scrubbed down by a team in hazmat suits after opening a letter containing what looked like anthrax.

It later turned out to be talcum powder and was part of a series sent to various MP’s offices, but it certainly wasn’t a good day for my colleague.

In recent years, Jo Cox and David Amess haven’t been as lucky in the threats against their lives.

The repeated, almost casual, reminders of violence against politicians I came across even in my short time in Parliament is a reminder that this isn’t always quite the cushy career we often consider it.

We all criticise politicians. We all think we can do better. Sometimes (even often) we’re right.

But when we start to look at them as a whole different breed of human beings from us, and consider behaviour we would normally never engage in as being acceptable, like Tarjanyi, we start the descent down an extremely slippery slope that ends in tragedy more often than we’re perhaps aware of.

A trifling matter

LINDA HALL

IN the past the Spanish weren’t big on desserts which, incidentally I refuse to refer to as puddings.

Puddings aka desserts bring meals to an end in cold climates, but not Spain where even rice pudding translates into laconic Arroz con leche.

When I first lived here, the most you could expect at the end of a meal was fruit, ice cream, the aforementioned rice pudding or if you were pushing the boat out, a Pijama whose name has nothing to do with nightwear.

Instead, it is a misheard version of the Peach Melba requested by US sailors when the Sixth Fleet visited Spain in 1951 once General Franco became the lesser of two evils as the Cold War freeze set in.

Peach Melba it wasn’t, but an improvement on the further option of flan which was a caramel cream, not a sponge ­ based delight oozing with fruit and cream.

My first summer here coincided

with a protracted visit from my adolescent brothers ­ in ­ law who lived in Madrid. It was a rude awakening for all concerned as until then I’d never had to look after myself, let alone a grown man and two hungry teenagers.

My husband helped out with the cooking occasionally but I wanted to try my hand too, and one day decided to make them liver and bacon. Done in the oven the way my mother always cooked it, this was possibly not the wisest choice at the height of a Costa Blanca summer.

Manolo, the youngest of the brothers, looked at it in confusion before picking up a greyish chunk of liver between two fastidious fingers while asking incredulously, “What on earth is this?”

I redeemed myself by attempting a trifle which, although I say it myself, went down a treat and Manolo, now a university professor in Latin America, has never forgotten it.

Cravenly he now denies all knowledge of liver and bacon, although on reflection, perhaps that was a meal that’s best forgotten.

Noraistheauthorofpopularpsychological suspenseandcrimethrillersandafreelancejournalist.

Nora’s latest thriller.

NoraJohnson’sopinionsareherownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

Sallysopinionsareherownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

MIJAS IN WHITE

LET it snow, let it snow, let it snow... Well, I hope. It felt like just a little bit of home seeing Mijas dressed in white, especially in the middle of January. I do love the sun but how amazing would it be if it did snow. I don’t know if Spain would be able to cope, the UK can’t. I wonder if anyone would have any sledges to use if it did heavily snow... Do you think any of the shops stock them?

Denise, Mijas

Imagine making it to 115

JUST imagine, this story really took me by surprise, and I can’t help but continue to think about it. Maria has lived through so much! Two pandemics, countless wars, Presidents, Prime Ministers, the reign of Franco and so much more. I wonder how many books she has read or how many times she has thought “oh here we go again...” 115 is remarkable, I don’t know if I will be here until 115 but if I am, I hope I have lived half of the life she has.

Nicky, Costa Blanca

Nature trails

YOU know that is something that I really miss from home that I don’t think is talked enough about. At home everyone goes for a walk ­ up Cave Hill, the Mournes, Slieve Donard and the Black Mountain. I don’t know if us people from Belfast are just the walking kind, but I would love to learn more and where there are accessible trails to walk in the area. Especially with the beautiful scenery of Spain and before it gets too warm as well!

Philomena, Belfast

Mr Blobby

WELL, if that isn’t a blast from the past, who else got a massive flash back to their childhood when they saw that article? I know I did. The big box TVs, the flap or door at the front that wouldn’t close where the buttons would be, the aerial that always made the screen go grey and the youngest ie, me having to get up and fix it because ‘you’re the youngest’ was the only valid reason. Watching Mr Blobby cross­legged in front of the TV has brought back so many memories and I hope it has for you too. A real hit of nostalgia but I don’t know if I would have paid €19,400 for it though.

Almeria

Holiday hotels

THIS article was quite eye opening, I have never thought about things in the way Nora has thought and written down. But nothing irks me more than travelling all day only to arrive at the hotel and for the room not to be ready. Coming from a large family and having a large family, grumpy, tired, men and children I can

only deal with for so long after travelling all day. It’s even worse when the front desk mess up the booking and you go to open the door of the hotel room, only to be greeted to one double bed for a family of six. I had to stop the kids from jumping about! And take them all the way back down to reception... with all the luggage... and the grumpy man. Let’s just say I took full advantage of all the exclusive drinks package after that.

Victoria, Dublin

Health is wealth

I THINK it is one of the best quotes to exist and it is so true. I don’t think people these days understand how important your health is and what it can allow you and not allow you to do. You don’t know until it’s too late. Take it from someone who is a bit older now and wishes he could do what he once did. I used to run for miles and miles but it’s just not the same anymore. I still take advantage of the good sea air and take nice long walks. But it isn’t the same as the wind cutting your cheeks when you’re sprinting about and the feeling you get after a long run and finally get to sit down. I feel that now after two miles, never mind 12. Look after your health and utilise it as much as you can!

Billy, Axarquia

I won the lottery!

THAT was quite the headline, I was so pleased for David only to find out he didn’t. But it got me thinking, what would you do if you did win the lottery? I think I have an idea, but I also feel like I have my own internal battle. Do I want to go mad and spend all of it... or most of it. Do I want to give it all to charity? I’m not leading a bad life at the moment. Or do I just pack everything up and call it a day, travel the world and just go on world cruises. There are people who do that you know, just do cruise to cruise and never go back ‘home’ and you technically don’t need to either. You have your accommodation, you’re seeing somewhere new every day, the food is unlimited, and the service is incredible. Different shows every night, casinos for if you wanted a real wild night and you would be constantly meeting new people and experiencing new cultures! I think I have made my mind up now after writing this letter haha. But what would you do? Honestly, if given the chance.

With love, Patsy

Animal allergies

YOU don’t understand how severe this feeling can be, the itchy eyes, skin, the works. I grew up around animals and after not having been in proximity of them for so long I do now unfortunately have an allergy. I know my one will go away with time; it always does but the itchiness is something I can’t deal with, the price you pay to cuddle with cuteness.

Rose, Birmingham

Jennifier,

CATS and skincare, they’re not two words that are often found in the same sentence. But vets in Spain are warning cat owners to take better care of their cats skin after seeing an increase of cats with dandruff and other skin problems.

Today, we’re sharing some advice to help you to treat dandruff and dry

skin in your cat during the winter.

• Dandruff causes

Think about it, cats are covered in fur, so their whole bodies are like a scalp. This means they are prone to skin issues when dead skin sheds and becomes lodged in their fur. Small amounts of dandruff are common, but skin flaking is a cause for concern

Pawfect travel tips

as this can lead to inflammation, irritation and hair loss.

Doggy dental health Cat skincare

Dandruff and flaky skin can come from a diet that isn’t as nutritious as our cats need, putting on extra weight, particularly during the winter, dry skin and parasites or skin infections.

• Treatment advice

If you notice your cat has more dandruff than usual it is important to see

your vet as they can likely identify the cause of the problem. Vets can recommend the changes to your

cat’s routine or diet necessary as well as special dandruff shampoos to treat the problem.

Wrapping up

THE cold snap in weather across Spain has caused problems for us as humans, let alone for our four ­ legged friends. The freezing temperatures have left many of us won dering, are dog coats a good idea to keep our canines nice and cosy?

Pet seatbelts are a popular choice to ensure your pet doesn’t get injured while you drive and you can keep your eyes on the road.

MANY of us need to take our pets in the car at some point in their lives. Whether it’s just a trip down the road to the vets or whether it’s a crosscountry road trip for a holiday, travelling with your pet can be a nerve­wracking experience. But don’t worry! Today we’re bringing you top tips on how to travel by car with your pet safely and legally.

• Official advice

The Spanish Driving Authority, DGT advises against letting your pet roam free during a car journey. They recommend drivers to keep pets in a carrier while travelling to avoid dangerous distractions or injuries for your pet. The DGT also recommends harnessing your pet carrier securely to avoid accidents.

• Carrier alternatives

Popular alternatives include a pet seatbelt or a divider that goes between the driver and the back of the car. If you have lots of space in your car and plan to take lots of trips in your car, this is a great option, allowing your pet to stretch its legs slightly without distracting you while driving.

• Healthy habits

Travelling by car can be thirsty work. Make sure your pet stays hydrated by taking comfort breaks more regularly than usual to offer your pet some water or food. It is also important to let your pet get fresh air often.

Today, we’re sharing some advice on how to use a dog coat.

• Needs must

The first thing to consider is whether your dog needs a coat. Despite some advice not to put a coat on your dog, experts say a dog coat can be necessary when temperatures drop, particularly if your dog doesn’t have much fat or fur.

• Size matters

Small dogs like chihuahuas, short ­ haired dogs like boxers, thin dogs like greyhounds and older dogs often need coats dur­

ing the winter to stay warm.

• Function not fashion

If you’re dressing your dog in a coat, vets recommend checking on your dog during and after its use, to make sure it’s not too cold, overheating or uncomfortable.

CARING for your dog means thinking about all aspects of its health, including teeth. Dogs often eat hard, crunchy foods and maintaining great dental health helps to prevent painful conditions and keep that tail wagging!

1. Teeth brushing

It might sound silly but just like humans, dogs need regular teeth cleaning to keep them strong and healthy. Dogs don’t need daily tooth brushing but as often as possible is recommended. Use a specially developed dog toothpaste and your dog will love having its teeth brushed.

2. Dental dog treats

You can give your dog chewable treats to reduce plaque and tartar build up on the surface of its teeth.

3. Professional cleaning

more impor tant than fashion accessories which could even be harmful for your dog.

Vets often recommend woollen coats, or coats lined with wool thanks to this material’s cosy texture, anti ­ allergic characteristics and since it is machine washable. Fleece and cotton are also good choices.

• Safety first

Dog coats don’t always need to be trendy, but they do need to do their job in keeping your furry friend warm.

Taking your dog for teeth cleaning once a year can help your vet to catch any issues and keep your dog smiling.

Photo credit: RJ22 / shutterstock.com

Some dandruff in cats is normal, but too much of it could be a sign of a problem and lead to fur loss if left untreated.

Photo credit: Andrey_Popov / shutterstock.com

Photo credit: Masarik / shutterstock.com

CLASSIFIEDS

BUY & SELL

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

CARPENTERS

cence easier or have refresher lessons and get behind that wheel. Interested? Call 648 133 929 (293102)

FOR SALE/WANTED

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

INSURANCE

STAY SAFE! Abbeygate Insurance Call 971 277 455 For your security www.abbeygateinsu re.com

MISCELLANEOUS

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

DRIVING SCHOOL

LEARN TO DRIVE IN MALLORCA . Scottish Driving Instructor now qualified to teach in Mallorca. Classes in English or Spanish. Obtain your Spanish li-

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)

OTHERS

Male/Female viagra, cialis, kamagra jelly, mixed trial packs available, all areas mail order. 604 385 476. viagra4you19@ gmail.com (294955)

REMOVALS/STORAGE

SPONSORED BY

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)

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,

Ifyoucanreadit, socanyourclients. Contactusandhaveyourbusinessgrowat+34951386161

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

LaLiga club fires new manager Grand slam record tie

GENNARO GATTUSO has been fired by Spanish LaLiga side Valencia CF after just seven months in charge at the Mestalla.

Spanish LaLiga club Valencia CF on Monday, January 30, parted company with its 45­year­old Italian manager, Gennaro Gattuso. The former midfield enforced had only been at the Mestalla stadium for seven months. They are currently languishing in 14th spot in the table.

“Valencia CF announces that on Monday, January 30, the club and the first team coach, Gennaro Gattuso, have decided by mutual agreement to end the contractual relationship that united the Italian coach with the VCF,” read a statement released by the club.

It continued: “The Club wants to thank the coach for his commitment and work in these months in charge of the first team and wish him the best of luck in his future. The team will return to training on Tuesday, January 31, under the orders of ‘Voro’ Gonzalez.”

Since taking the job last June, the Spanish giants have only won five out of their 18 matches under Gattuso. A 10 defeat at home to Real Valladolid was clearly the last straw for the club’s hierarchy.

As announced, Voro Gonzalez will take charge while Valencia searches for a new manager.

This will be the eighth time he has taken temporary control of the team during his time at the Mestalla. His current spell could not start with anything worse than an away match at Real Madrid’s Bernebau today, Thursday February 2.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC has tied with Rafael Nadal’s record of 22 grand slams men’s singles titles, after winning the 10th Australian open against Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Serbian professional tennis player Novak Djokovic won the 10th Australian Open title after he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipa in straight sets.

His victory comes as the 35 ­ year ­ old returned to Australia after being sent

back to his country due to Covid­related restrictions.

After winning this title, Djokovic has now tied with Spanish player Rafael Nadal’s record of winning 22 men’s singles grand slams.

Djokovic also replaces Spain’s Calos Alcaraz as the world’s number oneranked tennis player after his 6­3, 7­6 (7/4), 7­6 (7/5) victory against the Greek Tsitsipas.

Following his win, the

Serbian tennis player broke down in tears and said that this was the biggest victory of his life.

Djokovic has not lost a single game at Melbourne Park since 2018, and has a

record 28 match wins in the men’s singles category.

Djokovic ties with Nadal’s grand slam record after winning the 10th Australian Open men’s singles.

World record offer rejected

MANCHESTER UNITED have rejected Arsenal’s world record bid for England striker Alessia Russo just 24 hours before the deadline.

A UK news source reported on Tuesday, January 31 that the fee of £400,000 would make her the most expensive player in women’s football, more than the previous record paid by Barcelona for England midfielder Keira Walsh in 2022.

The offer comes as Arsenal search for a replacement striker with their top two attackers, Beth Mead and Bivianne Miedema both suffering injuries towards the end of 2022.

The 23­year­old Russo is out of contract with Manchester United this summer and is a highly sought­after player, with a number of European clubs said to be keen to sign her.

Once free she will be able to negotiate more freely and possibly for more money with Lyon, Chelsea and Arsenal all keen to submit bids.

Manchester United who top the league are said to be keen to maintain momentum and are unwilling to lose their star player. They are said to be in contract negotiations however there has been little progress. Securing the title and Champion’s League qualification could help their case.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Won his 10th Australian Open

Photo credit: Leonard Zhukvosky/Shutterstock.com