Axarquia 9 – 15 February 2023 Issue 1962

THE BEST FINANCE NEWS ON PAGES 12 ­ 16

Issue No. 1962 9 - 15 February 2023

Betty Henderson

ALMUÑECAR is preparing to host its most inclusive carnival ever, with something for everyone in the town’s wide programme of activities. The town’s most vibrant event all year returns later this month on Friday, February 17.

The town’s carnival has seen three years of muted celebrations due to the pandemic, but this year, festivities are expected to return in all their kaleidoscopic brilliance. There will be no shortage of opportunities for carnival ­ goers to showcase their incredible costumes with parades and contests for every age group.

Almuñecar Town Council promises an all ­ out party atmosphere in this year’s celebrations which have a family focus, offering plenty for the little ones to get involved in, from bouncy castles and fairground rides to face painting and craft workshops. There will also be a

Almuñecar’s carnival is set to return to its pre-pandemic vibrancy after several years of reduced celebrations.

range of stage shows for local children on Friday, February 17.

acclaimed local DJs and costume contests. Family carnival activities will resume on Sunday for an allday party before this year’s festivities end after a free delicious community lunch of paella.

Q for quality

Photo credit: Ayuntamiento de Vélez-Málaga

VELEZ ­ MALAGA is known for its delightful beaches and public spaces, but it’s now official, thanks to the decision to renew the town’s ‘Q’ quality certifications. The council announced the renewal and expansion of the certificates on Friday, February 3.

The town renewed its existing ‘Q’ quality certifications on local beaches, dog beaches and the tourist information office. Twenty ­ four local parks will also now be recognised for their quality with the certification.

At a press conference to announce the news, town mayor, Jesús Atencia Pérez explained, “This

is the result of work on the quality and excellence

of our destination as a tourist and cultural destination on the Costa del Sol.”

He also highlighted the town’s record as a pioneer in the tourism industry, in 2019 it was the first town in Spain to receive the ‘Q’ certification for parks and playgrounds.

Velez ­ Malaga remains one of the towns with the most ‘Q’ certifications in the whole country.

The ‘Q’ certification is awarded to destinations and attractions which have demonstrated their commitment to environmentalism, sustainability and conservation.

ARE you searching for the perfect Valentine’s gift while helping a local animal shelter? If so, the Under Dog Animal Rescue Service could have a solution for you! The group is holding a Valentine’s Day hamper raffle, and what’s more, all products included are vegan and cruelty­free.

Local businesses have donated a variety of amazing products towards the hamper including vouchers for Scattergood Aromatherapy, a massage at Frigiliana Wellness, four bottles of wine, a taster pack of coffee from Nerja Coffee, artisan soaps, vegan truffles and brownies, home­made jewellery, hand

painted vases and much more!

There’s something for everyone in the hamper, and tickets cost just €2. Entries must be in by Monday, February 13, so that the raffle can be drawn on the same day, in time for Valentine’s Day. All proceeds raised from tickets purchased for the hamper will go directly towards the Under Dog’s hard work to rescue, protect, and rehome illtreated and abused dogs across Axarquia.

Anyone interested in buying a ticket can find out more information online at: https://www.facebook.com /theunderdogspain.

Photo credit: The Under Dog (via Facebook)

Velez-Malaga councillors pose with the town’s renewed ‘Q’ for Quality certification, recognising the excellence of local attractions.

Puppy love

IT’S CARNIVAL!

Photo credit: Ayuntamiento de Almuñécar (via Facebook)

Beautifying the beaches

A MAJOR refurbishment plan is getting underway in Nerja to get local beaches summer ready. A contract worth €38,000 was awarded to local company, ITESA Proyectos e Instalaciones on Thursday, February 2.

The company is now getting started on plans to refurbish the plumbing network at La Burriana beach in the town, a project that will take one month. Actions in the project include the installation of a new network

of pipes totalling more than 650 metres in length.

The pipes will improve plumbing in services on the beach including public toilets, a first aid station, showers, foot washing stations, drinking water fountains and ornamental fountains.

The local councillor for Beaches, Maria del Carmen López, explained that the work is necessary to resolve existing plumbing issues including poor water flow in bathrooms. She added that the work will improve the services available on the beach for visitors and local residents during the busy summer season.

Shopping spree

ONE lucky Velez-Malaga resident was treated to a shopping spree on Thursday, February 2, as she won the ‘Dream for a day’ competition, winning more than €3,000 in vouchers. María Medina won the competition which more than 1,100 people entered.

The competition was developed by the local Department of Commerce to stimulate spending in shops year-round. The department estimates that the competition raised approximately €60,000 for the 121 participating businesses in the town by encouraging shoppers to visit.

In addition to Medina’s jackpot win, a total of 45 other prizes were given out, including for weekend getaways, an electric scooter, dinners, and concert tickets. This year’s competition was the 19th edition, and began back in May 2022, but was the first edition to also be offered in a digital format, through an app.

Medina must spend the vouchers in the participating

businesses with a maximum spend of €500 in each, but there are plenty to choose

from, from restaurants and supermarkets to tourist attractions and boutique shops.

Leading currency provider celebrates special anniversary

CURRENCIES DIRECT have been helping people save time and money on their currency transfers since 1996, making them one of the longest­standing currency providers in Europe.

This month they would like to celebrate one of their longest­standing employees, Peter Loveday, Managing Director ­ Southern Europe.

In the 20 years Peter has been with the company he has been instrumental in overseeing and supporting its growth across Southern Europe. Under his leadership Currencies Direct has opened 20 branches across Spain, and now employs over 100 people and that expansion is set to continue.

The team at Euro Weekly News would like to join Currencies Direct in congratulating Peter on this incredible milestone.

Plumbing work gets underway to refurbish public services available at La Burriana beach in Nerja this summer.

Carnival craze

TOWNS across Axarquia are preparing for some of the most vibrant days on the calendar. Torre del Mar’s carnival will begin on Friday, February 11, Almuñecar’s begins on Friday, February 17, the same date as Torrox’s with Nerja’s one day earlier.

Aid package

THE town of Canillas de Aceituno in Axarquia is promoting an incentive to persuade families who have lived in the village for at least a year to move there permanently. The town is giving an aid package of €750 cash to families to avoid depopulation.

Walking wonder

MORE than 50 avid hikers got out into Axarquia’s countryside on the first walk of the season with AMD Almuñecar sports club on a 12 kilometre walk from VelezMalaga and Arenas. The next walk will take place on Sunday, February 19.

Tragic accidents

TRIBUTES have poured in for the victims of two fatal traffic incidents which took place over the weekend. An elderly man and woman were killed in a hit­and­run incident near Almayate and a cyclist died after being hit by a motorcyclist.

Refugee rescue

A TOTAL of 52 migrants were rescued from a dinghy off the shore near VelezMalaga at dawn on Thursday, February 2. The 52 adults were all in good health and were brought by rescue teams to authorities at Malaga’s port.

Endurance feat

YOUNG athletes put their skills to the test in a duathlon in Nerja on Sunday, February 5. The sun shone on athletes as they embarked on a five kilometre run, 20 kilometre bike ride, finishing with another 2.5 kilometre sprint.

Betty Henderson

EMERGENCY work in road tunnels near to Rincon de La Victoria were announced on Monday, February 6. The regional government of Andalucia is funding the work which aims to reduce damage to the tunnels and roads as well as nearby farms due to drought.

Following the announcement, work began in the Los Acantilados tunnels closest to Rincon de La Victoria on Wednesday, February 8. Since most of the road tunnels along Rincon de La Victoria’s coastline will be affected, authorities plan to complete the work in six phases, so that other parts of the roads can remain

ARE you a board game guru or a quiz wizard? If so, a charity night in Nerja could be your chance to shine.

Fitzgerald’s Live Music venue is hosting a games night on Saturday, February 18, to raise money for two local animal charities.

As well as a quiz, guests will enjoy a variety of games like Play Your Cards Right and a raffle with plenty of fabulous prizes

Tunnel trouble

The work aims to redirect water supplies to ensure a constant supply of water to agricultural sites and properties, even during drought. The work will guarantee water supplies for essential and irrigation purposes as well as for recreational uses.

open and disruption for residents, visitors and businesses is minimal.

The work is scheduled to take place in the second half of February, but preliminary tests have already got underway for the project. The regional government scheduled the work for the winter in case of water shortages later in the year.

Round of a-paws

to be won throughout the evening, all in aid of two amazing local charities. The games night is set to raise money for APAA Nerja and Pippa’s Pawprints. Tickets to the event cost €10 and include entry and snacks at the venue. The competition will get un ­

Experts in their fields

AXARQUIA is known throughout Europe for its agricultural diversity, and now, international experts are set to give a series of talks and workshops in the town of Rincon de La Victoria.

Rincon de La Victoria’s Council recently announced the fascinating programme of workshops which are set to be given by national and international experts in their fields. The first workshop was held on Sunday, February 5, showing local residents how to take care of orchid plants.

The second workshop is set to be held on bonsai plants next month, on Sunday, March 12. Professionals with extensive experience will educate an audience of plant lovers on pruning, wiring, and replanting techniques.

The final session in the series will be held on Sunday, April 16, and will see international experts impart their wisdom on fruit growing to guests. The workshop will cover organic fruit growth to prevent damage to the planet.

Town mayor, Francisco Salado explained the aims of the programme saying, “These workshops aim to improve agricultural and environmental awareness, particularly as we transition towards a green economy.”

Guests must register for the programme online at: https://www.escuelascmr.com/

derway at 6pm, more information is available online: https://www.face book.com/events/340334 7536583706?ref=newsfeed APAA is an animal rescue shelter that works in the Nerja area to rescue abandoned and abused dogs and cats and give

Cancer crusade

VELEZ­MALAGA showed its commitment to fighting cancer on World Cancer Awareness Day, which was recognised across the globe on Saturday, February 4.

The local council held a public meeting in the town centre ahead of the event on Friday, February 3.

them another shot at a loving home and a funfilled life.

Pippa’s Pawprints was founded in memory of a dog who died in a local dog pound after suffering abuse and poor conditions and works to rescue dogs.

Resistance up

AUTHORITIES in Torrox voted unanimously against an electricity substation on Wednesday, February 1. The power station has been planned for the last 18 years but faced repeated resistance due to environmental, aesthetic and safety woes.

Torrox Council voted unanimously against granting planning permission for Endesa’s electricity substation to go ahead in Torrox park. Ex­mayor Francisco Muñoz originally gave permission for the site back in 2005, but a technical review was not completed until last year.

Although the technical report found that the site could go ahead, councillors at the plenary session last week voted to continue looking for alternatives to the site.

Local councillor for Urban Planning, Jesús Sánchez, acknowledged that looking for an alternative solution to the substation was difficult and is

likely to take time, but assured local residents that the council would do all they can to create a solution.

The mayor, Óscar Medina also expressed his concern at the substation project, particularly as the former mayor also gave planning permission to a school on nearby land.

The council announced its partnership with the Asociación Esperanza, in the ‘For fairer care’ campaign, with a new manifesto which pledges to improve cancer detection services in the region.

The ‘For fairer care’ campaign is a global policy being run by the International Union Against Cancer which the Spanish Federation Against Breast Cancer and 47 more affiliated groups throughout Spain have joined.

The campaign focuses on detecting cancer as early as possible to limit its devastating effects, creating more comprehensive treatment programmes and support for cancer sufferers and their families and to survivors.

Emergency work begins in road tunnels near to Rincon de La Victoria.

Lux Mundi in February

PLACES are still available on Lux Mundi’s latest excursion to Rute and Iznajar which is planned to take place on Thursday, February 24. The Ecumenical group, based in Torre del Mar, regularly host excursions to some of the most scenic local towns, villages and attractions.

Visitors on the excursion will get to know two beautiful nearby towns as well as discovering more about their industrial pasts including a tour of the anis factory with a tasting session included and visits to other artisan food factories. Tickets for the event cost €26 for members and €28 for nonmembers, and include transport to and from the

centre and other locations in Torre del Mar.

The group will also be holding a Taize Prayer evening from 7.45pm on Friday, February 24 at the Parish Church of San Andrés, Torre del Mar.

After the February trip,

Burns Night Supper

NERJA might be thousands of kilometres away from Scotland, but for one night in January it didn’t seem that way! The Royal British Legion in Nerja celebrated the traditional Scottish holiday of Burns Night with a supper and lively musical entertainment.

Guests gathered at the Al Andalus Hotel in Maro on Thursday, January 25 for an evening of traditional Scottish entertainment, with Legion members Leslie Thomson and Martin Ronnie on the pipes.

The evening was a tremendous success, raising a whopping €1,280 for the Personnel Recovery Centre in Edinburgh.

The group will next meet on Tuesday, February 14 for a quiz night at Lew’s Restaurant in Torrox. The evening starts at 6.30pm for a 7pm start. The quiz costs €13 to enter and includes a fish and chip dinner as well as prizes for winners.

Tickets for the group’s Spring Masquerade Ball are also available, the event will take place on Saturday, April 22 at the Caves Restaurant in Maro. The ball is a favourite among all members of the group. Guests can purchase tickets for €45 for members or €50 for non ­ members by contacting Kim at: Kim_bowe1@hotmail.com or: 711 077 576

the group are also planning an excursion to Loja and Dolmens of Sierra Martilla in March.

Further details about the trip, including a date, will be released in due course.

The centre is open Wednesday and Fridays from 10am ­ 1pm, but will be closed on Wednesday, February 28 for Andalucia Day.

ONE Nerja bowls club are inviting new members to get involved, with organisers describing joining the friendly community club as ‘life changing’. Almijara Short Mat Bowls Club holds tri ­ weekly bowls sessions at the Nerja Club Hotel.

Club President, David Trippas recently released a call for new players to join as the club has fallen to

PROVERBOFTHEWEEK

Bowled away

less than 40 members due to the pandemic. Less physically intense than other popular sports like tennis, bowls is a great opportunity for local residents to enjoy some social but light exercise.

Members of the club meet on Mondays,

Wednesdays, and Fridays at the Nerja Club Hotel starting at 10.30am until around 1.30pm. Sessions cost €7 and there are regular competitions as well as coaching for new players. Anyone interested in joining the club can contact David Trippas by phone: 653 595 784 or email: trpps@yahoo.co.uk . The group also have a Facebook page with more information about upcoming events: https://www.face book.com/almijara bowlsclub.

Lux Mundi in Torre del Mar is a welcoming community offering prayerful events and exciting social excursions.

Chaos in Cantabria

IT has been discovered that new Cercanias trains designed for railway routes in the Cantabria region do not fit through the tunnels.

Miguel Angel Revilla, the President of Cantabria in northern Spain on Friday, February 3, demanded answers from the government.

It was discovered that the dimensions of the new Cercancias suburban trains designed to run on routes in the region are actually too wide to fit through the tunnels.

As a result, there will be a

Cercanias trains too big.

lengthy delay in rectifying the fault before the fleet can be finally rolled out. He called the design error “a monumental botched job” and said he hoped that “heads will roll.”

Speaking to RNE, the Cantabrian president said

AFTER months of speculation, the Spanish Royal Family revealed that Princess Sofía will head to the UK to finish her high school education in a press release on Monday, February 6.

The Royals’ youngest daughter will follow in her older sister, Princess Leonor’s footsteps, as she heads to the UWC Atlantic College of Wales in the UK. The Palace announced that the 15year­old has completed the application process for the prestigious international school and has now been accepted.

Princess Sofía is expected to start the school in time for the next academic year in September 2023, where she will study their International

Credit: Juanjo_Almeria1/Shutterstock.com

that he expected Raquel Sanchez, the Minister of Transport, to “give explanations” during her planned visit to Castro Urdiales.

Renfe has reached an agreement with CAF, Adif, and the Agencia de Seguridad Ferroviaria (AESF) to unblock the problem with the gauges of the new metric gauge trains. They were destined for suburban and medium­distance services mainly in Cantabria, but also for Asturias, the Basque Country, Galicia, Castilla y Leon, and Murcia.

Packing her bags

Baccalaureate programme. As well as academic subjects, the school has a community­centred approach with volunteering opportunities.

The UWC Atlantic College is a boarding school for students aged 16 to 19 and is located in south Wales around 20 miles west of the capital, Cardiff. As well as her older sister, the school’s other regal alumni include Princess Alexia of the Netherlands, who currently studies there and members of the Belgian and Jordanian royal families.

Good neighbours rewarded

A LANGUAGE school that does more than teach language, a help line for vulnerable women, and a support group for new arrivals in Spain have earned their organisers accolades in the Good Neighbour award scheme, launched recently by Age in Spain.

The scheme is designed to acknowledge the often­unsung heroes who go beyond the call of duty to help in their community. The awards were judged by an international panel and endorsed by UK Ambassador to Spain, HMA Hugh Elliott. Outright winner of the award was Lucia Miguel Bores who lives in Carrion de los Condes.

Lucia was nominated for the Good Neighbour Award because the language school she started, Forum Idiomas, has become a portal for newcomers to Spain.

There was a special commendation for Kay Rowbottom in Mojacar whose action during lockdown to help local women led to the setting up of a support group ­ Kay Frances SturdygirlsRus.

Pat Love, one half of the ‘Love Team’ in the Loja area of Granada won special commendation for the group she started for English­speaking migrants to Spain.

The winners received certificates from Age in Spain and commendation from HMA Hugh Elliott, who said: “These awards are a great recognition of the difference people make to their communities.”

Kay Frances.

Lucia Miguel Bores.

Pat and Peter Love.

ON January 20 last year, Carly Lesley’s beautiful little boy, Reggie, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia at eight years old.

Carly confirmed: “As a parent, there is nothing that can ever prepare you to hear the words that your child has cancer, it’s heartbreaking, to say the least. Reggie was transferred from our local hospital to Great Ormand Street within 48 hours where he is currently receiving treatment.

“There will never be enough words to express our gratitude to GOSH they truly are amazing, the doctors and nurses go above and beyond every day for Reggie and the children going through this

LUFTHANSA and Air

France / KLM are said to be competing to buy

Can you help?

GOSH: Even a spare £1 can keep this fabulous facility going.

awful illness, but to continue the work they do saving many children lives and making the huge difference they make every day to families they need as much support as possible.”

Carly never thought she’d need the help of Great Ormand Street and as parents,

Flybe slots

Flybe which went out of business last week.

According to a news source on Monday, February 6 the two companies are not bidding to reinstate the airline but to acquire their landing rights in the UK. In particular, the companies are said to be after Flybe’s landing slots at Heathrow airport.

Flybe also had landing slots at Schiphol in

we hope and pray we never need to call on them. But we are lucky to have such a pioneering children’s hospital in the UK. Even a spare £1 can help keep this fabulous facility going.

To donate head to www.justgiving.com/fundrais ing/Carly­Lesley.

Amsterdam adding to the value of the defunct company and the interest of the two leading European airlines.

For both Lufthansa and Air France / KLM the landing slots are vital to their ability to grow their transit offering, as the Dutch government has restricted the number of flights that can operate from Schiphol. and therefore the only way KLM will be able to expand is through regional slots.

Image: Carly Lesley / Just Giving

PRESS EUROPEAN

DENMARK

Best place

TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL’S annual report on 180 countries pronounced Denmark as the world’s least corrupt country in 2022, awarding it 90 points, followed by Finland and New Zealand in second place with 87. Somalia in Africa, embroiled in ongoing conflict, was ranked last with 12 points.

THE NETHERLANDS

Coffee joint

CANNABIS sellers in The Netherlands are developing a national quality certificate for coffee shops to assist in improving relationships with local governments and the law. The PCN shop-owners’ union explained to members that obtaining the certificate would involve training for coffee shop employees and introduce product quality control.

BELGIUM

Powered down

BELGIUM shut down its Tihange 2 reactor on January 31 as the country winds down its reliance on nuclear power. The 40-year-old installation near to the German border was also a source of friction with its neighbour, who cited security concerns after cracks were found in the reactor’s pressure vessels.

GERMANY

Old-timers

ARCHEOLOGISTS believe Neanderthals lived in larger groups than previously thought, hunting elephants that tripled the size of today’s. After studying 125-year-old skeletons of straight-tusked elephants found near Halle in central German where Neanderthals once lived, researchers found these were clearly hunted by “large social units.”

FRANCE

Beetling off

A FACTORY in Dole (France) is the world’s largest vertical insect farm, accommodating approximately three trillion mealworm beetles which are raised from larvae to adults. When mature, they are humanely dispatched before being harvested for oil and fertiliser as well as protein for animal feed.

NORWAY

All alone

SINGLE men were likely to have lower quality of life than single women and were less satisfied with their social relationships, a survey by Statistics Norway, the country’s official data agency, discovered. It also found that men without a spouse or partner usually had poorer living conditions.

FINLAND

Cold comfort

JANUARY was “unusually and exceptionally mild” in much of Finland, the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) said. Average temperatures in some regions ranged between a benign two and five degrees while Rovaniemi City in Finnish Lapland saw its warmest January since monthly records began in the late 1950s.

IRELAND

Another patron

IRELAND observed a public holiday honouring St Brigid of Kildare who is steadily gaining a following in Ireland and abroad rivalling the country’s traditional patron, St Patrick. Devotees see Brigid, and the ancient Irish goddess whose name and attributes she shares, as personifying feminine spirituality and empowerment.

ITALY

Home truths

ITALY’S Supreme Appeals Court ruled that children need not see their grandparents unless they wished. The decision followed an appeal by the parents of two children after lower courts backed the grandparents’ complaints that they never saw the children, who allegedly did not enjoy the visits.

PORTUGAL

Deadly bug

THE Xylella fastidiosa bacterium which has attacked trees in some parts of Spain is spreading fast in Portugal. Unlike Spain where the infestation has been largely limited to almonds, vines as well as trees bearing citrus fruit, cherries, peaches and olives have been affected in the Oporto area.

UKRAINE

Clean sweep

UKRAINE launched a far-reaching anti-corruption drive that included raids on high-profile persons following increasing pressure from its Western partners, notably the EU, to tackle corruption. When voted into power in 2019, Ukraine’s president Volodymir Zelensky cited the fight against corruption as a principal priority.

SWEDEN

Hard task

SWEDEN’S Climate minister, 27-year-old Romina Pourmokhtari, said she would resign if the country’s ambitious climate and environment goals cannot be reached. This could prove difficult as the coalition government elected in October 2021 includes the Sweden Democrats party which regards climate change as ‘a myth’.

BUSINESS EXTRA Drink up FINANCE

Pastures new

DE LA RUE’S chief financial officer Rob Harding will be leaving the banknote printer to join retail payments business PayPoint, the company announced. Harding will remain for up to six months to assist with an orderly transition, sources said.

Helping out

SPANISH companies working with plastics have “serious doubts” about applying the new tax on non­recyclable containers as well as paying it. The government is offering a six­month moratorium and tax authority Hacienda is operating an online service to answer queries.

Wage gap

BANKERS’ pay rises have tripled those of nurses since the 2008 financial crisis, found a TUC study. Pay and bonuses in finance and the insurance sector rose by an average 6 per cent compared to 2 per cent for nurses.

Turn-off

BRITONS cancelled approximately two million subscriptions to services like Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+ in 2022 as they cut down on non­essentials. Households with at least one paid­for subscription fell from 17.12 million in 2021 to last year’s 16.24 million.

Sunny outlook

ENERGY COMPANY Iberdrola received the go­ahead to build Europe’s biggest solar power plant in Santiago de Cacem (Portugal). As well as providing 2,500 jobs the installation will produce enough electricity for 430,000 homes, equivalent to double the population of Oporto.

Hacked off

SOME customers of car retailer

Arnold Clark learnt their personal information could have been stolen in a cyber­attack. The car retailer, which sells more than 300,000 cars each year, said the stolen data included bank details as well as ID documents.

STAT OF WEEK €87 billion

129.5 per cent more than in 2021, was the amount spent by the 71.6 million tourists who visited Spain last year according to the National Statistics Institute (INE).

Record year for BBVA

Linda Hall

BBVA bank reported a record year with its biggest­ever net profit of €6.42 billion, up 38 per cent on 2021.

Outstripping both the €6.12 billion that the bank posted in 2007 and 2018’s €5.32 billion, this year’s showing was aided by a double­digit increase in lending income and a strong performance in Mexico.

Thanks to these results, BBVA announced its largest cash dividend for 14 years, paying out 31 cents per share, and also revealed a share repurchase plan of €422 million. In all, the bank is assigning €3 billion to shareholder distribution, 47 per cent of the bank’s 2022 net profit.

ALMOST 13,000 offshore companies which hold UK property have not declared their ultimate owners.

They now face fines and a ban on selling their land, the government said, as Martin Callanan, minister for Business, Energy and Corporate Responsibility, commended the new register listing the overseas owners of UK properties.

This was “invaluable” for tax and revenue services, Callanan declared, as it brought transparency to opaque offshore trusts.

Nevertheless, as only 19,510 of 32,440 registered overseas organisations have disclosed the identities of their beneficial owners, this

Renting out

BUYING a garage space with a view to renting it out could be an enticing option for modest investors.

Acquiring one ranges from €20,256 in the Basque Region in northern Spain to €7,170 in Murcia, according to the online property portal, Fotocasa.

On average, this will bring a return of 7.5 per cent nationwide, while another real estate website, Idealista, put it at 7.1 per cent.

Fotocasa’s Maria Matas also pointed out that both garage and house or apartment rentals were at present more profitable than any other financial product.

“2022 was a year of growth for BBVA,” said the bank’s chairman Carlos Torres Vila. “We had the highest profit in our history, with significant growth in lending and major advances in our strategy, focused on digitisation, innovation and sustain­

ability.” Torres Vila added that looking ahead, and despite world uncertainty, BBVA would continue to create opportunities and contribute to the economic and social growth of the countries where it had a presence. Mexico accounted for more than 60 per cent of BBVA’s net earnings in 2022, with a net profit rising 64 per cent and income from lending increasing by 44 per cent. This year the bank has predicted mid­teens growth in lending income and double­digit growth in loans there.

At the same time, some analysts have cited risks from BBVA’s exposure to Turkey where the bank has started to implement hyper­inflationary accounting.

No hiding place

Guernsey and Luxembourg.

ALCOHOLIC drinks brand Diageo exceeded first­half predictions as prices rose and people drank more spirits.

Organic net sales rose by 9.4 per cent instead of a predicted 7.9 per cent in the six months to December 31 for the Londonbased multinational which makes Tanqueray gin, Captain Morgan rum and Ketel One vodka. Net sales during the same period rose 18.4 per cent to £9.4 billion (€10.6 billion).

The group will return approximately £500 million (€563 million) to shareholders in addition to this financial year’s buyback commitment.

Athlete first

PABLO FERNANDEZ from Madrid entered the Guinness Book of Records as the fastest swimmer to cover five kilometres in the open sea with shackled feet.

indicates that 12,930 did not.

Roughly 75 per cent of those registering their ultimate owners are based in the British Virgin Islands, Jersey, the Isle of Man,

Callanan said that Companies House and the Insolvency Service would receive more investigatory powers, along with approximately £20 million (€23,632 million) to spend on dealing with money laundering via companies that own UK property. Callanan warned there was no hiding place for “criminals and corrupt elites” now that the January 31 deadline for registering had passed.

“We will be using all the tools at our disposal, including fines and restrictions, to

A family affair

BARCLAYS and Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) face questions about their links to Roman Abramovich. The Oligarch files, leaked documents seen by the Guardian newspaper, reveal that the banks held at least $940 million (€860.5 million) on Abramovich’s behalf before the Ukraine war.

Shortly before Moscow entered Ukraine, much of Abramovich’s vast assets had been transferred to his children.

The Guardian files suggest that in the last week of February 2022, once the reorganisation had been completed, Barclays and UBS were told that Abramovich’s children were now the ultimate beneficial owners.

Following the UK and EU’s sanctions, Barclays and UBS will almost certainly be asked to explain how they responded to the modifications and whether the children have benefited from assets that belonged to their father.

crack down on foreign companies who have not complied,” he said.

Unregistered overseas companies are now automatically rejected from registering ownership of new land by HM Land Registry, while UK buyers cannot transfer their title to the deed of any property acquired from non­compliant organisations.

“If you ignored warnings and failed to register before the deadline, you will face consequences,” Louise Smyth, CEO of Companies House, said.

Recycling plan

FASHION label Ralph Lauren is collaborating with a recycling programme for no longer wearable cashmere.

Consumers living in Britain, the European Union and the US can obtain a printable, postage­paid label from the Ralph Lauren website to send unwanted 100 per cent cashmere items from any brand for reprocessing.

The discarded woollies go to ReVerso in Tuscany (Italy) which recycles yarns and fabrics for fashion companies that include Stella McCartney.

Some fast­fashion companies offer textile recycling, although there is uncertainty regarding the clothes’ destination, and they increasingly use recycled materials but this is the first time that a designer label has embraced large­scale recycling efforts.

The 42­year­old is also a businessman who in 2016 founded online car sales company Clicars which he sold in 2022 for more than €100 million. Despite his entrepreneurial success, he recently told an El Pais interviewer that he views himself principally as an athlete.

“Businesses come and go but swimming is constant,” he said.

Fernandez also swims 15 kilometres in a counter ­ current swimming pool installed in the Clicar’s repair shop which he visits each day.

Streamlining

APPROXIMATELY half of the staff at a Hanley (Stoke­on­Trent) government call centre which closed in January are relocating or will be redeployed.

Shutting down 13 sites by June is expected to bring savings of between £80 and £90 million (€90,514 and €101,857 million) annually from 2028 onwards, government sources said.

Seventy­four Hanley employees agreed to the changes, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) confirmed, with others preferring to take voluntary redundancy.

The DWP said the closure, which formed part of wider plans to modernise and streamline its estate, involved only back office staff and would not impact public­facing roles.

Photo credit: BBVA

BBVA: Chairman Carlos Torres Vila announced best-ever year.

Photo credit: CC/Chris McAndrew

MARTIN CALLANAN: Business minister welcomed register of the overseas owners of UK properties.

DOW JONES

BUSINESS EXTRA

Record year

SANTANDER, like BBVA, Sabadell and Bankinter, has had a record year, with profits of €9.6 billion, 18 per cent more than in 2021. The bank will distribute 40 per cent of this, more than €3.8 billion, amongst shareholders split evenly between dividends and share buy­backs.

Job choice

UK supermarket chain Tesco is cutting 1,750 shop manager and team leader jobs, offering staff the option of moving to lowerpaid shift leader roles or redundancy. Those staying can take a lump sum to compensate the shortfall or receive the same pay for two years.

Slowdown

UK car production fell by 10 per cent last year in its worst performance since 1956, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said. The struggle to obtain parts during the pandemic and semiconductor shortages hit the sector worldwide, but Britain was also affected by factory closures.

Rare minerals

SUSANA TIMON, who heads Spain’s Geology and Mining Institute, said that Spain is geologically complex with “great mineral wealth.” As a leading producer of copper, strontium and wolfram, she said evidence suggested it would be “interesting” to exploit Spain’s lithium, cobalt, nickel and rare earths.

Iceland record

CHRISTMAS sales broke records for £4 billion (€4.5 billion) family firm Iceland whose share of frozen food spending now rivals Tesco. Chairman Richard Walker, who has taken over from his father Malcolm, also plans to enter politics but insisted this would not be a distraction.

All change at Orange

LUDOVIC PECH, currently Orange Middle East and Africa’s chief financial officer, takes over as the telecom giant’s CEO in Spain next April.

He will replace Jean­François Fallacher who in turn substitutes Fabienne Dulac, head of the French operation for the last eight years.

Fallacher will retain his links with Orange Spain on the board of directors while supervising the ongoing merger with rival MasMovil, the company announced.

Pech joined Orange in 1998 and since then has worked in Romania, Belgium, Luxembourg and Spain. Insiders at Orange explained that he was more than familiar with the

ORANGE: Change of posts at French telecoms company.

Spanish market where he held the position of financial director between 2000 and 2010 with internet service provider Wanadoo and former mobile operator Amena.

Water on tap

Announcing the changes, the company emphasised that the new appointments underlined Spain’s importance within the group, coinciding with the MasMovil merger which was signed last July.

Once completed, this will put Orange at the head of Spain’s telecoms sector, with more telephone clients and broadband users than any other company, accounting for 31 million lines.

The combined joint venture controlled equally by Orange and MasMovil will be worth €18.6 billion, compared with the €19.6 billion originally announced when the agreement was first made known in March 2022.

UK is on the right track

THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) downgraded the UK’s gross domestic product (GDP) in its latest World Economic Outlook update.

This would contract by 0.6 per cent instead of growing by 0.3 per cent as predicted last October. The UK was also expected to perform worse than other high­income economies, including Russia, as the cost of living continued to affect households, the IMF said.

Nevertheless the IMF update added that it believed the UK was on the right track despite high energy prices, increased mortgage costs and raised taxes, together with worker shortages.

The IMF report on January 31 arrived three years on from the day that the UK left the European Union although it forbore to name Brexit as an element in the country’s failure to perform as well as others.

Only days before the IMF’s pronouncement, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt had disparaged gloomy interpretations of the UK economy, taking on the “declinists” whom he described as “permanently pessimistic” regarding Britain’s future.

Responding to the IMF update, Hunt also maintained that the UK was

JEREMY HUNT: The UK is strong, Chancellor declared

strong and had outperformed many forecasts in 2022.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman pointed out that the UK was predicted to grow faster than Germany and Japan in coming years while adding that the IMF itself had said that the UK was on the right track.

Iberdrola rumours

IBERDROLA reportedly intends to sell some of its renewable assets in Spain.

Three different sources told news agency Reuters that Iberdrola was working with Deutsche Bank on selling the portfolio, which could raise more than $700 million (€637.3 million).

The bank is said to have begun the sale process and is contacting potential buyers who include infrastructure investors, fund managers and industrial groups.

The portfolio includes a 1.6 gigawatt combined cycle power plant (CCGT) and 300 megawatts of onshore wind capacity, together with projects for developing 500 megawatts of solar plants that would integrate with the gas plant.

The sale is still at an early stage and Iberdrola could delay or even abandon plans to sell them, the sources said. Meanwhile both parties have declined to comment on the issue.

Back to the office

COMPANIES introduced remote and flexible working during the Covid pandemic and many employees are reluctant to lose their newfound freedom.

Tony Danker, director general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), said recently that most bosses wanted to end work­from­home.

“The whole world of work has gone crazy since the coronavirus pandemic,” Danker told the BBC.

“This led to a shift to working from

WATER bills in England and Wales will rise by 7.5 per cent in April, their biggest increase in 20 years.

A normal household’s annual bill could set them back around £448 (€502), with customers paying an average £31 (€34.7) more than in 2021.

Consumer groups warned that the increase would adversely affect households when one in five already found it difficult to pay bills.

Water UK argued that the rise for most customers would still be below inflation, maintaining that in real terms, bills were lower than 10 years ago.

It’ll cost you!

SPANISH shoppers who buy online from Zara must now pay if they want to return a purchase.

“Returns after February 1 will cost €1.95, deducted from the amount reimbursed,” the Zara web page explained. This applies only to postal returns, as no charge is made for items bought online if they are taken to a Zara outlet in the same region or country.

Referring to the returns policy, Oscar Garcia Maceiras, CEO of parent company Inditex, said that this had been “wellreceived” in other countries, with “absolutely no impact on sales.”

A no show

DAME ALISON ROSE, NatWest’s CEO, was accused of avoiding scrutiny by failing to appear before the Treasury select committee on January 21

The UK’s four biggest bank chiefs were called to explain savings rates, as politicians believe that lenders are procrastinating over an increase but pass on higher mortgage and other costs.

home for many people who used to work solely from the office.

“You ask most bosses, everybody secretly wants everyone to come back to the office,” added Danker, who represents the interests of 190,000 UK businesses.

“I just don’t think that is going to happen overnight,” he admitted.

“I think we are all coping with this but we’re going to be talking about it for a few years. We have no idea where it will end.”

Lloyds CEO Charlie Nunn and HSBC head Ian Stuart agreed to attend, while Barclays will send Matt Hammerstein, CEO of Barclays UK, since Vencat, the group’s chief executive is receiving cancer treatment.

The taxpayer owns 46 per cent of NatWest, but Rose claimed she was too busy to attend although insiders predict she will finally appear to silence her critics.

NOT only is Vladimir Putin a gangster, he is actually your classic gangster. I think the facts speak for themselves. He is undoubtedly an ego maniac and a bully. He is surrounded by thugs, hit men and bent politicians. He rubs out or ‘subdues’ any opposition. As a warning to others, those he considers ‘ratfinks’ are ruthlessly hunted down and ‘eliminated’. Both he and his henchmen are worth billions, and the general public of his domain consider him a hero. You don’t get more classic than that. Of course, that is where the resemblance ends.

His operation makes the Capone, Gambinos and Mafia Dons of yore look like *******. However, in my opinion, through all this worrying new ‘subzero war’ era, I believe we can all console ourselves with one fact; Putin won’t attack the West, certainly not nuclear.

Why would he? He still earns a big chunk of his ill­gotten gains from the West. He’s not involved in his skullduggery operation from a view of patriotism, or the old communistic idealsheaven forbid. He’s in it purely for the power and the money. To take out Boris, which would presumably include London, would be like Al Capone destroying Chicago. He definitely doesn’t want to terminate a future golden egg layer of our magnitude.

All that aside, with the advent of the

Kremlin

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

OTHERS THINK IT

Ukrainian war I do truly believe that at this moment in time we are nearer to the ultimate holocaust than we have ever been ­ even during the Cuban missile crisis. At least in those days the USA and the USSR pulled most of the strings. Both of these powers were fairly stable and had reasonably sane leaders. Now they are all at it, and in my opinion a number are nowhere near stability.

North Korea, still run by a man/boy who thinks he’s playing video games. Iran, who probably have a few tucked away by now, is run by a fanatical regime who have vowed to destroy Israel, also a nuclear power. India is still in an uneasy extremely precarious ‘truce’ with fellow nuclear power Pakistan. Saudi Arabia, threatening to develop nuclear weapons if Iran doesn’t halt its own programme (some chance), France mmm! The ever­unpre­

UNFORGIVEABLE OUR VIEW

dictable China. And, top o’ the bill, two megalomaniacs in the shape of Biden and Putin, who both think they are infallible. Sounds pretty volatile to me.

Oh, I forgot about the good ol’ UK. Well I wouldn’t worry too much about us. If Starmer gets elected we’ll probably all be sheltering behind our Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament badges. Perhaps that means they’ll leave the UK alone? Ha ha! Good luck all!

As most of you know, I have always believed in free speech. Thank the Lord I write for a publication that, although it may not always agree with my views also considers free speech a ‘uman right!’ Have a woke free week y’all.

Keep the faith

Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com expatradioscotland. Mon. & Fri. !pm till 4.

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THE week that Gary Glitter was released from prison after serving around half of his sentence for child sex crimes has raised the general question; are some crimes just too awful to ever allow the perpetrator to be released?

The prison system ­ developed by the Victorians ­ is based broadly on three basics principles. It is there to punish criminals, to keep members of the public safe from them, and to rehabilitate them.

But are some people simply beyond rehabilitation?

Glitter had already been convicted twice previously for child sex crimes before his most recent stint at a prison in the UK. Does that suggest that mindset of someone who has been reformed and is safe to be among the general public, or the pattern of someone who will offend again?

Beyond the danger to the public that some convicts pose, there is the cost involved in then keeping them safe once they are outside of prison. In Glitter’s case, there was a disturbance outside his bail hostel a day after he was released.

Taxpayer money will now need to be used to protect Glitter from the general public, not the other way around should there be any threats to his safety. This hardly seems to serve as either vengeance to his victims or as any form of common sense, particularly at a time when the UK is going through a cost of living crisis.

Of course, keeping him in prison is expensive too. But at least that way, the disgraced pop star’s victims could have slept a little sounder.

LeapyLee’sopinionsarehisownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

DAVID WORBOYS THINKING ALOUD

I OFTEN notice surly waiters and shopkeepers giving the impression that customers are a nuisance. They must surely realise that their jobs or their businesses would rapidly cease to exist if it were not for the paying customer. The truth is that they are not happy with what they are doing. Customers are therefore not welcome.

Here in Nerja, businesses are opening and closing all the time as people give it a try but soon fail for a variety of reasons. Bad planning, bad budgeting, bad research, bad location, bad luck… Or bad service?

There are some jobs I could never do. As I suffer from hemophobia I could never work anywhere near a hospital. And how about spending eight hours every day inflicting fear and discomfort while peering down people’s throats and

IT’S A GOOD JOB

presumably enjoy. But behind the scenes it cannot be an easy life. Fitness training and practice every day, added to the pressures of adapting tactics to changing circumstances and of somehow winning or keeping their place in the team, is not often visible to the fans. Social life is always in the spotlight and constantly disrupted by travel. In principle this applies to some extent to film directors, actors and pop stars.

amount of pressure and stress.

Farmers and fisherman have fresh air and freedom of movement but also challenges with unsocial hours and dependence on nature.

Female models enjoy good pay and celebrity status. But they usually look haughty and miserable at the same time. Are they taught that the public prefers a scowl to a smile as they parade the catwalk or pose for photos? Ah, photos!

prodding their teeth and gums with instruments of torture? No wonder dentists are well paid.

Driving a bus in a major city is rather different from driving an open BMW along the scenic, sunny motorway up to Granada. Apart from the daunting responsibility for the passengers and the sheer size of the bus, it must require enormous pa ­

tience to cope with other road users, traffic lights, zebra crossings, congestion and the pressures of a schedule at bus stops. Let alone rowdy passengers.

And the seemingly more pleasant occupations? The life of a top professional tennis player or footballer is glamorous and undisputedly lucrative for doing something they

Journalism sounds an attractive career if you can handle pressure, deadlines, competition and can take criticism. The life of a novelist is more relaxed. No deadlines and last minute editing but a more introverted life, dreaming up new ideas of plot and characters and conducting the research for background details in their own time.

Most careers have a certain

It seems to me the successful professional freelance photographer, being master of his own destiny, has the ideal career. He is making a living from a hobby; he can take his time and is accountable only to himselfand the demand for his work.

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The downsizing trap

THE British Benevolent Fund tries to help those Britons in Spain who face extreme financial hardship. Many people seek help in difficult circumstances such as following the death of a loved one.

In mourning for their loss, they often also seek closure so they can continue with their lives. Sometimes this involves facing up to the harsh reality of the partner’s death meaning a drop in income whilst having ongoing mortgage or rent for a property that is now too big for one. Which might sound relatively easy, but in a recent case of a widower with an ongoing health condition and poor mobility who did not have the finances to downside.

His income was no longer adequate for the large property he had lived in when his wife was alive, and he knew that he would have to move out to a smaller and more affordable property or eventually face eviction. He decided to act but realised that this was not as straightforward as he had thought. He was physically

unable to move large household items, nor did he have the recourses for the upfront deposit and rental of a new property while he was still paying the old one and the added uncertainty of not knowing if the old landlord would be difficult in repaying his original deposit. He contacted the British Benevolent Fund to see if they would be able to help. To us it was a clear yes. A man in emotionally difficult circumstances who was trying to move on and was taking the decisions to do so but didn’t have the resources. He needed a helping hand. Working with a local partner ­ one of many that can be found at the British Embassy supported resource www.supportinspain.info ­ we were able to help him pack a lifetime of shared memories

and pay the removals firm to his new apartment where he lives to this day. We receive hundreds of requests from people that find that a relatively small amount can go a long way. We can only do so with your support. If you would like to make a donation please visit our website www.british benevolentfund.org or contact me olaf.clayton@britishbenev olentfund.org ­ Thank you on behalf of our recipients.

Olaf Clayton of BBF.

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

Dentists may enjoy the power they have over their victims, but catwalk models don’t appear to enjoy their work.

Photo Credits: David Shankbone and glowsly.com

IGUANA CAUGHT

WHAT is it these days and people having extraordinary but unconventional pets. The closest thing we got to majestic back in my day was a tortoise or a parakeet. Now people have Iguanas as pets! How and why I, I will never understand and them getting out on the loose is becoming extremely common too. Does anyone else remember about the big cat that ended up in somebody’s garden a few weeks ago. It is shocking.

More needs to be done to make sure that these animals don’t get out of their enclosures or owners’ homes. It is so unsafe; these things could attack anyone or anything and who would be responsible then? I hope I don’t find some majestic animal in my back garden anytime soon. I can’t even deal with the mosquitos, never mind a big cat or something that resembles a dragon making their appearance known around me.

Yours faithfully, Joan

Fixing football

FIXING football games and over 23 people involved in the process, how sick. It took a lot in my day and it takes a lot now to become a professional athlete and to get yourself to a certain level and schemes like this aggravate me. I will say I don’t agree with how much footballers are paid. However, I do think you should give credit where credit is due and respect the sport. So many young kids look up to these sports men and women. They are inspirational. Especially from some of the stories that you hear from the players that came from nothing. It is just sad that something so special for so many people can just be taken advantage of, just to make sure somebody else’s pockets are nicely lined up with money. I hope more is done to prevent this and catch this out sooner in the future. It is so hard to know what is real and what is not anymore.

Annoyed, Jett

The ‘ole boy’

DEAR Sirs,

Reading Leapy over the past couple of weeks, I cannot but wonder if a little bit of ‘wokery’ is subduing the ‘ole boy’.

I guess the freedom of speech we used to have as expats has been curtailed by the omnipresent agents of the increasingly dystopian world around us.

As an aside it can get a little silly, Leapy often refers to himself as an ole boy, I recently got an email from my old school ‘advertising’ forthcoming old boys’ events. I was surprised to notice the inaugural LGBT dinner (tickets 40 quid!), it seems the promoters are also puzzled as it would surely be non pc to call it an old boys dinner.

Nonetheless as it is a boys’ school there can be little doubt that the attendees, at least at the age of 11 had grown a *****. (column 2­8 Feb).

Keeping up the good fight!

JD cyber attack... you’re never going to get me

THESE days the internet is a wonderful but mischievous place, and I can’t believe that things such as cyber ­ attacks are a thing. My grandson first told me about this and then I came across it in the newspaper. I think sometimes the less you have the better it is, and I will tell you now that these attackers won’t be getting me. I keep it simple, no Facebook, no Instagram, no social media. Just a phone and a phone book and if you need me or if I need you well you will have my number and I will have yours. The old way of thinking works and people do need to be more cautious!

Don’t leave or put just anything on the internet. It has such an impact and I enjoy having my diary, I think more young ones need one these days.

Best, Harry

Sir Paul McCartney

IF there had been another disaster of a Beatles member I don’t know if I would have been able to take it. They were and are my youth.

They have given me my best memories and continue to do so today. I have grandchildren and with all this earache that is called ‘music’ today it is funny to see what way they react when I put on my old tunes. I think the older style of music breathes a bit of fresh air in comparison to all those drums and bass. Yesterday is Julie, my eldest granddaughter’s favourite while Kylie loves Norwegian Wood. They both take after me with their impeccable taste in Beatles songs. I think they didn’t believe me when I told them the Beatles had a song called Octopus’ Garden or Yellow Submarine.

These days I wish sometimes I could just go deep dive in the yellow submarine and get some peace and quiet. But duty calls when you’re a grandmother.

Dancing in strawberry fields, Martha

Wrapping up

WHOEVER oversees the pictures that go into the paper ­ thank you for the tremendous laugh you gave me when I saw the Dachshund with a bright yellow jacket on, in page 45.

That has made my day and is now living on my fridge cut out.

The simplest things in life make it the best and I can tell you this, that has made my day.

I remain, Yours faithfully Barry Morgan

Just waiting for the missus to notice and see what she thinks. Let’s hope she lets me keep the wee doggo up.... going to need a name for it now.

Let’s hope I don’t get a woof time, David

CLASSIFIEDS

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MOTORING

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New Life Church Whether you live in Nerja or are visiting our area, you are very welcome to come and join us at our Sunday gathering. Join us for a time of Holy Spirit led worship and experience the presence of our God. Our teaching is Bible based as we honour God and obey His Word. During this time of uncertainty, God’s Word reminds us that the Gospel shines brightest in times of darkness. Our service lasts for about 1 hour and 30 mins. With Tea and Coffee afterwards. Sunday Service 11.00am; Prayer Meetings Wednesdays 11.00am; Pasaje San Miguel, Nerja, 29780

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CHURCH

THE ANGLICAN Chaplaincy of Nerja & Almunecar. Every Sunday there is a Holy Communion service at midday in San Miguel church in Nerja. Every Wednesday morning at 9.30 we have an online ‘Zoom’ HC service - please contact Fr Nigel with an e-mail address if you would like to join us. Priest in Charge, Father Nigel Thomas. Tel: Church House951 815 736, Mobile: 608 695 756, e-mail: cofenerja@ gmail.com

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Leagues and Cup all hotting up!

BAHA Whiskey Cup

Due to a series of unfortunate circumstances, El Canadon were forced to forfeit their midweek Cup game against the Walking Dead, resulting in the latter going through to the last four of the competition.

The semi ­ final matches to be played are as follows:

Malaga v Nerja Utd

Competa Boca Seniors v Walking Dead

These games will be played before the end of March and the final in April.

Over 50s League Competa Boca Seniors

50s 3 v 1 Nerja Utd 50s

On a cold Monday evening, Boca Seniors welcomed Nerja in what was somewhat of a local derby. After a frenetic start, the game settled down into a very competitive but sporting affair, played at such speed that David Coverdale, the referee, was forced to award four penal ties in total for running of

fences, the games biggest enemy, two to each team. Although both sides scored a fine goal each from open play, the result was decided by these penalties, Boca Seniors converting both while Nerja missed their two opportunities. Although the visitors tried valiantly to make up the difference, they

Verstappen keeps focused

MAX VERSTAPPEN, the Red Bull World Champion, is reported to have installed a F1 simulator in a private jet to enable him to train whilst travelling between racing venues. A Dutch sports site reported on Monday, February 6 that Verstappen had the simulator installed so that he could make good use of travelling time to brush up on his knowledge of individual racecourses.

Verstappen, a competitive individual, is apparently very happy with the addition to his Dassault Falcon 900EX believing that it will help to keep him focused and give him some competitive advantage.

Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko said: “Verstappen has had his private jet converted so that he can fly around with a simulator in the future.

Walking Dead 60s

Last weekend, a fine overall team performance saw Benahavis score another well ­ earned victory over one of the league’s strongest teams in this exciting clash. Indeed, such was the positive effect of manager Gary Smith’s development of the team set­

shell ­ shocked. However, the visitors fought back well and made the scoreline look rather more respectable, but Benahavis were able to control the latter part of the game and held on for a 5 ­ 3 victory and three valuable points.

Remember

You can access more news concerning our Walk­

“That’s a good thing, because Max needs this distraction. In any case, it didn’t do him any favours when you look at his two world championships.”

Formula 1 drivers are pushed to the limit of endurance. But they also spend as much time in the air as they do on the track.

This Marko suggested, could give Verstappen up to 240 more hours of practice time in comparison to the competition.

D rivers p ushed to the limit.

AC Benahavis 60s 5 v 3

Benahavis over 60s held on for a 5-3 victory.