Mallorca 9 – 15 February 2023 Issue 1962

AS the tourism sector prepares for another busy season, British airline giant Jet2 has announced more connections between the UK and Mallorca. The budget airline said it was responding to increased demand with the announcement on Tuesday, February 7.

The move is set to increase air services to Mallorca from five English airports; Belfast, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle and two Scottish airports; Edinburgh and Glasgow.

The airline is also set to increase connections from the UK to Tenerife after noticing increased demand from tourists to the two island destinations. The supplemented services are set to get underway from April this year. The company’s CEO, Steve Heapy, explained the decision with the announcement saying, “The early summer season is proving to be enormously popular in both destinations

and we are very pleased to be offering even more choice and flexibility as a result of today’s announcement.”

The decision is part of the British

Booking bonanza

THE latest data from the hospitality industry in the Balearic Islands found that booking costs were up by 12 per cent last week on figures from the previous week according to research conducted by the TravelX platform.

The data released on Monday, February 6, suggests that tourist demand is returning to the islands as accommodation costs soared to figures some 78

per cent higher than average costs during the same period last year.

Mallorca and the Balearic Islands look on track for another record year as bookings are already 1,150 per cent higher than in 2021. The Balearic Islands are currently the fourth most popular destinations for tourists making reservations, after Andalucia, Catalonia and the Canary Islands.

company’s current strategy to expand flight availability beyond the peak summer period to offer customers more flexibility and choice.

Football’s famous fan

ZOE SALDANA has been busy at work filming new Paramount+ series in Mallorca, but that doesn’t mean she’s not had time to check out what the island has to offer.

The Hollywood star enjoyed a tour of Real Club Deportivo Mallorca stadium on Sunday, February 5 after watching the Mallorca side beat Real Madrid. Club representatives presented the Avatar actress with a

shirt with her name emblazoned on the back, later sharing the video to their Instagram page, thanking Saldana for her visit.

In the video, club President Andy Kohlberg and CEO Alfonso Díaz offer Saldana the shirt which she excitedly shows to cameras, while her children run around in front of her.

Saldana was present for Mallorca’s defeat of current second ­ placed

and 35 ­ time La Liga winners Real Madrid.

The actress has been soaking up the atmosphere in the island as filming for her new series comes to an end.

Co ­ star and Assistant Director, Nicole Kidman left the island on Saturday, February 4 after spending several weeks on the island. Kidman and Saldana appeared to get closer during the filming, sharing a video to their Instagram pages.

Photo credit: Markus Mainka / shutterstock.com

British budget airline, Jet2 will offer more flights to Mallorca from April this year.

Prices are shooting up for holiday accomodation in Mallorca and the Balearic Islands as tourism demand returns to the market.

Zoe Saldana with a jersey with her name on it.

and zoesaldana (via Instagram)

Photo credit: Nicklebedev / shutterstock.com

Mobility model

PALMA’S excellent public transport system is no secret, and now it is being recognised by experts in the national transport industry.

Representatives from Palma public transport system (EMT) shared their expertise at a transport congress organised by national motoring body, the DGT in Valladolid on Friday, February 3. Palma City Council and representatives from the EMT joined professionals from 164 other towns and cities in the country who are aspiring to develop more healthy and sustainable transport systems.

Representatives from the EMT were asked to speak about their experiences in reclaiming street space for pedestrians at the conference in an attempt to encourage other cities in the country to follow suit.

Palma councillor for Public Transport, Francesc Dalmau was a speaker at the event and highlighted action taken in recent years saying, “We are the eighth largest city in the country, so needed to take decisive action.” He encouraged other areas to develop sustainable transport systems, saying “We need a national agreement” to develop sustainable public transport options.

Chain against cancer Help with heating

Betty Henderson TRAGICALLY, cancer is a disease which affects too many people across the world and in Mallorca, but the Spanish Association Against Cancer proved that they are here to help with a powerful demonstration to mark World Cancer Awareness Day on Saturday, February 4.

The Balearic Islands branch of the national AECC cancer association organised a human chain demonstration in Palma and Inca on Saturday to mark the occasion, calling for better in­

vestment in cancer research and treatment as well as remembering victims of the disease.

The poignant display saw demonstrators come together in the shape of the cancer awareness ribbon. It

aimed to highlight the ‘human bond’ between us and call on all in society to come together against cancer.

The Balearic Islands AECC also shared the shocking statistic that by 2030, 21.6 million cancer cases will be diagnosed worldwide, 330,000 of which will be in Spain.

However, they shared their hopes for an improvement in diagnosis and treatment saying, “There is still time to act against this harrowing prediction, we want to reach a 70 per cent cancer survival rate by 2030.”

Cybersecurity campaign

IN the age of the internet, it can be difficult to protect your private information and avoid falling victim to online scams, but the regional government of Mallorca is coming together

with the Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB) to create a cybersecurity campaign. The regional government announced its new campaign on Monday, February 6, saying that cybersecurity

experts will contribute their knowledge to help local residents to protect their details and online security.

Mallorca’s regional government explained their goals with the campaign saying they want to avoid cyber attacks that endanger data and disrupt public services.

The course is set to cover vital aspects of online security including password protection, browsing, social media and email safety. Experts from the UIB have contributed to the campaign, meaning that information is up ­ to ­ date and deals with current cybersecurity challenges.

As well as materials available to the public, the regional government is also set to offer training to public sector workers to ensure that cybersecurity measures remain robust in all public institutions, and protect against cyber attacks.

CALVIA has stood with Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion nearly a year ago, and authorities have once again shown their solidarity. This time, Calvia Council announced they are funding a central heating system for orphanages in the Kharkiv region of the country.

Calvia Council announced a donation of €18,000 on Friday, February 3, which will be made through the Majorcan Association for Aid to Ukrainian Refugees (Amar Ucraïna). Amar Ucraïna’s President, Anastasia Kvach, thanked the council for the generous donation saying it will be sent to the International Cooperation association.

International Cooperation is working on the ground in Ukraine on a project to fund three heating systems in educational centres and an orphanage. The donation from Calvia Council will go towards heating the Harkov Regional Centre at its temporary location in Baliv­Pidhirnyi.

This is the third donation Calvia Council has made after donating sums of €10,000 and €3,000 through the Mallorca Solidarity Fund and UNICEF.

Calvia has also welcomed 33 families of 98 people to rebuild their lives in Mallorca after the invasion began last February.

Demonstrators formed a human chain in Palma. Photo credit: Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer Illes Balears (via Facebook)

NIBS EXTRA

Hair help

CANCER Support Group

Mallorca have released an appeal for mobile hairdressers who would be able to make visits to hospitals and care homes and assist in fitting wigs as the group helps cancer patients to look and feel their best.

Language class

A POLITICAL party in Mallorca has proposed offering Catalan classes to foreign residents in a bid to protect the endangered language.

Pi party spokesperson, Xisca Mora said she is “sure many will want to take this step and learn the language.”

Former glory

A NEW campaign has been launched to restore a boat and return it to Mallorca. Mallorca­based businessman, Jonathan Syrett wants to reform the Hispania, a sailboat that was built by King Alfonso XIII and used against the British Navy.

Under the skin

A WORLD-FAMOUS exhibition has been attracting fascinated visitors after arriving in Mallorca last week. The ‘Bodies’ scientific exhibition has already toured 18 countries, giving the public an insight into the inner workings of the human body.

Good forecast

THE President of Mallorca’s Hotel Business Federation, the FEHM has expressed her positive forecast for the industry this summer season. Maria Frontera said that “despite some uncertainties,” international markets are already responding well to promotion from the local tourism industry.

Waste woes

A REPORT by the national Ministry for Agriculture and Food has found that 64,000 kilograms of food are wasted per year in the Balearic Islands, or 50 kilograms per resident.

Betty Henderson AUTHORITIES in Palma de Mallorca announced that a scheme for free public transport in the city announced at the beginning of the year is already paying off.

Data released on Tuesday, February 7 revealed that the scheme which aims to increase access to sustainable transport has already led to an increase in uptake of public transport. January’s bus passenger figures were an impressive 53 per cent higher than last year with more than 3.1 million people taking advantage of the free bus scheme.

Scheme pays off

to a passenger increase of 60 per cent.

The increase in passengers using the city’s public transport service is also being credited to a boost in the bus fleet with 22 new buses joining the service last month alone.

STORIES IN THIS WEEK'S EDITION

The figures are the best year­on­year data in a single month except from April 2022

when the relaxing of pandemic restrictions and the beginning of the tourist season led

DATA released by Mallorca’s traffic services on Monday, February 6 has revealed the island’s most active speed control cameras, and one was responsible for a hefty 4,627 fines in 2022!

The data shows that the most active speed camera can be found at the 16 kilometre mark on the MA13 road which goes to Inca. Despite the high number of fines, the camera did in fact issue less fines than in 2021 when

The mayor of Palma, Josep Hila expressed his satisfaction with the scheme saying “This is a very encouraging update, showing that this policy is working and we are helping residents while promoting sustainable public transport.”

Speeding statistics

5,158 fines were recorded. The island’s traffic authority also recorded a fall in fines issued overall in the last year.

Statistics showed that the camera issuing the second­highest number of speeding tickets in 2022 was one at the kilometre 50 mark on the MA2200 to Pollença which recorded

Motoring moment

A NEW report from the central Spanish Tax Agency has revealed that more cars were registered in the Balearic Islands during 2022 than in the regions of Aragón, Asturias and Extremadura combined, three areas with a similar population.

The data released on Monday, February 6 listed a total of 40,523 new cars registered in the Balearic Islands during the last year. The data means that the region has the highest proportion of car registrations with respect to number of residents, but the islands’ temporary population means that many of the cars are likely not in use all year.

While some environmentalists were initially concerned about the news, the island’s seasonal population increases combined with increasing use of more sustainable hybrid and electric vehicles means that pollution is unlikely to increase.

Furthermore, while there are more cars on Mallorca and other Balearic islands’ roads than ever before, new car registrations actually dropped in 2022 compared with 2021. The 40,000 cars registered in 2022 are in fact 15 per cent lower than figures recorded in 2021 when 47,000 new cars were registered.

Quality schools

THREE schools in Calvia have been recognised by UNICEF for their dedication to children’s rights and providing quality education. The supranational body issued certificates of recognition to the schools on Monday, February 6.

3,209 speeding offences last year.

The third most active speed camera on the island on the list was one located at the five kilometre mark on the MA4020 between Manacor and Porto Cristo which issued 2,135 fines. This was the only speed camera to record more fines in 2022 than in 2021 when 1,507 fines were issued.

Summer ready

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 Ho­

tel 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 down the streets is at its lowest.

Bendinat School, Santa Ponça School and Molinet de Galatzó School have all been awarded certificated by UNICEF for their commitment to children’s rights.

The schools were recognised for their projects on children’s emotional development, promoting respect for the environment and putting children’s rights at the heart of their work.

The mayor of Calvia, Alfonso Rodríguez Badal, congratulated the schools for their achievement in a ceremony saying, “This is something that we’re really proud of, the hard work of our educational professionals to foster excellent values in our children from a young age”.

Authorities presented Palma’s public transport success in January at a press conference.

Photo credit: Ajuntament de Palma

PALMA International Boat

We’ve bin recycling Employment initiatives

AUTHORITIES in Palma are fighting the seasonal employment trends previously seen in the city with a programme of employment initiatives. February is Employment Month in Palma and there are plenty of opportunities for unemployed people to find a job.

The month­long event was launched on Friday, February 3, and will see a total of 1,262 jobs be offered to local residents. The first job fair took place on the same day in PalmaActiva’s headquarters on Calle del Socors.

Zafiro Hotels and Gallery Centre were both present at the first fair offering 64 jobs and 16 jobs respectively to 229 job seekers who visited. The two hospitality businesses were both seeking positions such as chefs, receptionists, waiters and managers and gave short interviews to interested candidates.

Job fairs this week included one with Melià Hotels and Ferrer Hotels on Monday, February 6 and ones with Marriot International, and Nordic Leisure Group, happening on Thursday, February 9. Organising councillor, Jordi Vilà, said that the month aims to boost employment opportunities for local residents while helping companies to fill vacancies.

Show is back with new dates announced for 2023. The international boating event will be held from Friday, April 27 until Sunday, April 30 in the city’s Moll Vell dock, right at the foot of the iconic cathedral.

The show is an unmissable date for any boat enthusiast as one of the biggest international boating fairs in the Mediterranean, with three days of varied marine­related activities. From nautical sports teams to boat building specialists and tourism experiences, every aspect of marine life is covered with plenty of products and adventures on sale.

Not to be overlooked, superyachts also have a dedicated superyacht ‘village’, which boasts the latest designs and even prototype styles to view. As well as selling brand­new, top­of­therange marine equipment, the show also has a specially ­ dedicated repair and maintenance area with plenty of experts to chat with.

The event’s last edition in 2022 brought together more than 275 exhibitors showcasing a range of top­quality items to more than 32,000 guests. And this year, organisers want to do even better

Boat bonanza

A NEW recycling system in Manacor four years ago is having incredible results today. At a press conference held on Tuesday, February 7, the council said recycled waste in the town has increased by a staggering 229 per cent in the last four years.

The simplified recycling system has brought the percentage of waste recycled in the town up to an impressive 30.2 per cent by the end of 2022, an improvement on just 13.3 per cent in 2018. The improvement has allowed the council to save €1 million in incineration costs, which can now be spent on other, more exciting uses.

in the first year without any pandemic restrictions remaining.

Tickets for the three­day

boat extravaganza are now on sale online at: https://palmainternational boatshow.com/.

The reformed system included new recycling collections in the sa Torre de Porto Cristo and Son Macià areas as well as an increase in waste separation to offer five different recycling containers. More than 5,000 homes in the town are currently offered free recycling collection services and a further 16,000 have nearby recycling bins to take their waste to.

Environmental councillor, Sebastià Llodrà explained that the council wants to expand the collection service even further as it has the best results.

Scammers sentenced Sale takes off

THREE young people were sentenced to one year in prison each in Palma on Tuesday, February 7 after planning and orchestrating the biggest scam seen by online retailer Amazon in Europe.

Two brothers, James Gilbert K and William Peter K and their friend, Juan Eduardo B conspired and executed a plan to make huge sums of money by returning products to the online retailing giant, Amazon. Together, the group exploited the American company’s immediate returns policy and scammer buyers on the island, making an estimated €350,000.

The string of fraud offences was carried out between 2017 and July, 17, 2019 when the three boys were caught by law enforcement officers and arrested on fraud charges.

Investigators found that the three boys would advertise high­value products as ‘new’ on resale websites such as eBay and Wallapop before ordering them off Amazon to interested buyers’ home addresses. They would then use Amazon’s return system to obtain a refund, and the product would never arrive to customers’ homes.

The young people pleaded guilty and received a fine alongside their sentences.

PROVERBOFTHEWEEK

THE Spanish national government is preparing to privatise Palma airport’s air traffic control tower as the government moves to sell facilities and operations at various airports in the country in a bid to make services more efficient and competitive.

The decision announced on Tuesday, February 7 will affect airports across the country including MalagaCosta del Sol, Gran Canaria, Tenerife Sur, Tenerife Norte, Bilbao and Santiago de Compostela as well as Palma’s

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Meaning you must begin something if you hope to finish it; something that takes a long time to finish begins with one step. The origin comes from the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, the quotation is from Chapter 64 of the Dao De Jing ascribed to Laozi, written around 700 BC.

Son Sant Joan. The airports’ control towers were previously controlled by Enaire, an agency controlled by the Ministry for Transport.

Airports themselves were previously sold off to Aena, a process which has gone smoothly and which the government is hoping to emulate in this most recent privatisation. A bidding process will be held for the contract to manage air traffic control at Palma Son Sant Joan which several companies are expected to enter.

The Ministry for Transport has released a statement saying that security will remain the priority in any changes to the system and that the sale will make air travel more competitive making tickets cheaper and improve punctuality.

Situated at the foot of Palma’s distinctive cathedral, Palma International Boat Show will also catch eyes with its luxury superyachts at its fair in April.

Car hijacking fail

A 47-YEAR-OLD man who attempted a car hijacking failed miserably after it turned out he did not know how to start the vehicle. Although the event took place in January the story has only come to light now being covered by a local news source on Saturday, February 4.

According to the driver’s statement, the wouldbe thief said: “Give me the car or I’ll shoot you, I have a gun.” Not wishing to be injured the driver jumped out of the vehicle only to see the man fail to make his escape as he couldn’t turn the car on. The driver contacted the police who were on the scene quickly to arrest the man. During the arrest, it became clear he did not have a gun, but he did resist, injuring one officer in the process. It also turned out he was known to the officers who had evicted him from a local bar earlier in the day.

“My life is in danger”

By Peter McLaren­Kennedy

THE former Bath rugby star who went missing in Barcelona in October has said in a video recording that: “My life is in danger.”

Levy Davis recorded a video to say that he was being blackmailed after he had been drugged, raped and recorded after starting a friendship with an unnamed famous person he met while trying to kick ­ start his music career.

The recording is said to

€4.50 for ‘free water’

ON Thursday, February 2, the Castilla y Leon branch of the Spanish consumer’s association FACUA, denounced the Segovian restaurant La Olma de Pedraza for charging its customers €4.50 for a glass of tap water.

In the ‘Our menu’ section of the website of this Segovian

establishment, there is a segment that reads: ‘tap water service (per person), we will give you free water’. The owner of the restaurant insisted that the charge is not for the water, but for the service.

The association sent a letter to La Olma de Pedraza on January 16 urging it to withdraw

the aforementioned charge for serving tap water to customers from its online publicity. According to a statement released by FACUA, it understands that the fact of stating in the online menu that ‘we give you the water’ means that what is charged relates to filling the glass and bringing it to the table, is a tortious interpretation of the norm by the company. FACUA highlighted that catering establishments cannot charge consumers for tap water.

However, in practice, it often happens in many Spanish establishments that bottled water is offered by default and it is the diner who has to specify that they want it free and from the tap.

be around 15 minutes long according to a local news site on Saturday, February 4 and starts with him saying “My name is Levy Davis, my life is in danger.”

He added: “We started a relationship, a friendship. We saw each other many times. But the last one I was drugged and blackmailed.

“After that, I asked my club for help and advice from my agent. I don’t blame anyone, because

we all own our own decisions.”

The videos he says, are posted in the deep web and are the work of an organised gang, not one individual. By all accounts, he did post the video on Instagram, but it was quickly deleted with some suspicion that the blackmailers did so.

The investigators say it is clear he fled London to escape the criminals who are believed to be Somali mafia.

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 DirectorSouthern 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.

Grammy winner

THE United States Recording Academy announced that Spanish star Rosalia picked up the Grammy for best alternative or rock Latin album on Sunday, February 5. Her win came in the 65th edition of these awards held at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Rosalia also won the award in the same category in 2020, a year in which she was also nominated for the best new artist.

In total, Rosalia picked up four Grammys. They were for best recording engineering, best packaging design, best alternative music album, and best album of the year for ‘Motomami’.

LEVY DAVIS: Has been missing in Barcelona since October.

Image Ivan Berrocol Shutterstock.com

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 the 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. As well as teaching them language skills, she helps her students with the challenges of everyday life in a new country.

There was a special com­

mendation for Kay Rowbottom in Mojacar whose action during lockdown to help local women who felt isolated or vulnerable led to the setting up of an online support groupKay Frances SturdygirlsRus. Beginning as a local group for Spanish women and incomers, it now has more than 1,500 members throughout the world offering mutual support.

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. With her husband, Peter, who passed away recently, Pat co­ordinated with UK Consular services in Granada and Malaga to help newcomers navigate their way through unfamiliar aspects of a

Passage to Portugal

Betty Henderson

WITH the return of international travel and a focus on sustainable transport, Spanish train company Iryo’s plans for a new link between Spanish cities and the Portuguese capital of Lisbon seem to have charmed the European Union.

new country.

The winners have received certificates from Age in Spain and commendation from HMA Hugh Elliott, who said:

“These awards are a great recognition of the difference that so many people make to their communities and I was truly delighted to see the number of English speaking­nationals nominating their Spanish neighbours and vice versa. The variety of ways in which people have, generously and compassionately, supported those around them is the very definition of neighbourliness. Congratulations to all of them.”

The European Commission announced its endorsement for a rail link between A Coruña and Lisbon, placing it on their top 10 list of rail projects to be carried out in the near future.

The train company expressed their delight at being selected but said that “obstacles” remain in their path to

creating the rail link, particularly in the lack of infrastructure agreements between Portugal and Spain.

Portugal currently has very limited rail infrastructure which the company believes will “serve as an impetus for other companies to develop their own sustainable transport”. However, Iryo remains ambitious about the project saying, “This train will become the most popular choice with travellers since it will be comfortable and sustainable”. Iryo already operates several train lines in Spain including a highspeed service from Madrid to Barcelona and connections to the south of the country.

Kay Frances.

Lucia Miguel Bores.

Pat and Peter Love.

High speed Spanish train operator, Iryo wants to develop a new link with Portugal which has received European endorsement.

Photo credit: iryo.eu (via Facebook)

Lifetime gift

THE Euro Weekly News’ latest columnist, Emma McGrath, has had a gift for insight since birth and has been providing professional readings for the past seven years. Here, she talks to the EWN about angel readings, tarot, and how she now plans to help our readers.

Known as The Angelic Medium, Emma, 40, told the EWN she first noticed her gift at a young age: “When I was little, I started crying once and saying my twin sister had been hurt. About 20 minutes later she fell and hurt herself in the garden while I was still upstairs. Lots of things like that happened when I was younger.”

It wasn’t all plain sailing though. Emma explained: “I was born with this gift and was in and out of using it for a while. In my 20s I started using it again and it became overwhelming.

“About seven years ago I woke up one day and I felt ready though.

“First I started doing readings for friends and family members. All their readings came

true and they started recommending me.

“I then started an Instagram account and it went from there really.”

For the past seven years, Emma has been helping clients around the world, even predicting public events, including Bianca Gascoigne’s pregnancy, when she would give birth and the baby’s gender. She also predicted she would do a dancing show in Italy and the position she would come in at.

“I’m sometimes asked for things like lottery numbers but this is a gift for the greater good so I don’t use it in those ways,” she added.

Instead, Emma says she’s most often asked about love and work. She explained: “I am a medium and do readings, angel readings and tarot.

“In my column I want to talk about how to work the law of attraction, gratitude, and moon cycles. I want to get a lot of positivity in there ­ you may be going through a tough time but there are the reasons for it and

Spain and Morocco

ways you can improve things.

“It’s important to go back to basics and be positive.”

She added: “I’ll be doing a different card pull every week. I will sit with my cards and tune in to what people are feeling and what they can do with those emotions.

“If I reach just one person I will have done my job.”

Emma will also be encouraging readers to get in touch. She explained: “I will do a reach out at some point so readers can write in and then I’ll do a reading with them and publish the results.”

The medium, who is based in the UK, but often does readings in Marbella and the Canaries, is also planning live events in the Canary Islands later this year.

You can read Emma’s column every Thursday in EWN

SPAIN’s P resident, Pedro Sanchez has confirmed that: “The High-Level Meeting between Spain and Morocco consolidates the new stage of bilateral relations.”

The meeting was held on Thursday February 2, in which 11 Spanish ministers and 13 Moroccan ministers took part.

Sanchez highlighted achievements in four areas: “First, monitoring mechanisms have been adopted for the effective implementation of the agreements. Second, Spain and Morocco have agreed to move forward on migration issues from a constructive perspective, seeking to open up new channels for regular migration.

Best Villages

THE United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has included three Spanish villages in a list of 32 worldwide destinations of ‘Best Tourism Villages 2022’

“Third, Spain highlighted the impetus that both countries have given at this High-Level Meeting to a new advanced economic partnership. Spain wants to be a benchmark investor in Morocco. To this end, a financial protocol has been announced, endowed with up to €800 million, to promote investments in sectors such as railways, water, agri-food and tourism.

“Finally, the two countries are strengthening their cooperation in the fields of culture, education and vocational training and higher education. Several agreements have been signed to allow the opening of bilingual teaching centres.”

This figure is more than any other country worldwide.

The list recognises villages which are excellent examples of rural tourism with accredited cultural and natural assets, that preserve and promote rural and communitybased values, products, and lifestyle. Included destinations must have a clear commitment to innovation and sustainability in all its aspects: economic, social and environmental.

The three villages in Spain included in the list: Alquezar in Aragon; Rupit in Catalonia; and Guadalupe in Extremadura, all meet the criteria.

Manuel Butler, the Director of the Spanish Tourist Office in the UK, confirmed: “We are delighted that the United Nations World Tourism Organisation has placed Spain as the country with the most appearances in their list of Best Tourism Villages around the world.”

“We aim to promote community-led tourism across Spain and are thrilled at the international recognition of Spanish sustainable tourism in all aspects.”

President Sanchez, met with the Head of Government of the Kingdom of Morocco.

Image: Government of Spain.

€220

has been charged to thousands of self-employed people in Spain accidentally.

EMMA MCGRATH: The medium is the Euro Weekly News’ latest columnist.

Valentine’s choice

THE Spanish company, eBooking, a leader in offering online tourist accommodation bookings, has analysed the national destinations preferred by couples to spend the night of Saint Valentine’s and the following weekend. In 2023, Madrid is the city with the highest number of bookings by couples to celebrate Valentine’s Day, followed by Granada, Cordoba, Barcelona and Cadiz.

The company eBooking, which operates in 205 countries and has more than 380,000 accommodation references, places the Spanish capital in first place, with 7.8 per cent of the bookings registered by eBooking are for accommodation in Madrid.

“The incredible gastronomy of the city, its good connection with the rest of the territory and the wide cultural offer, together with

Tourism triumph

IN 2022, 71.6 million international tourists visited Spain, spending €87.061 billion, up 86 per cent and 95 per cent, respectively, compared to 2019.

MADRID:

the multitude of romantic plans available: watching the sunset in the temple of Debod, a boat ride on the Retiro pond, a picnic in Casa de Campo, etc. have made Madrid this year the preferred destination for Valentine’s Day for many Spanish couples,” confirmed Toni Raurich, Director of eBooking.

As for international destinations, Paris (3.1 per cent), London (1.9 per cent) and

WITH reference to a recent statistic in the newspaper, there have been some enquiries as to what a tin shop is.

The tin workshop is in in the town of Pedraza, in Segovia Province. The workshop itself has been running for over 55 years and was once a booming business with over 14 artisans. The Estaños de Pedraza workshop now only has three, who are all set to retire this year.

Founded by Paco Muñoz in the 1950s, he came to the town of Pedraza and fell in love with it,

This means that Spain outperforms pre-pandemic data in terms of average spending and length of stay by international travellers.

The average stay of these travellers was 7.5 days in 2022, exceeding 7.1 days in 2019. The average spend of international tourists in Spain in 2022 was 10.5 per cent higher than in 2019. This

Last tin workshop

buying dilapidated real estate and began renovations.

Due to his investment both monetarily and physically, the mayor years later asked that he help prevent the brain drain of the town and to help build something that would make Pedraza worth visiting and living in again.

With only one restaurant in the area, Muñoz

is reflected in the data from the surveys on Tourist Movements at Borders (Frontur) and Tourist Expenditure (Egatur), published by the National Statistics Institute (INE).

On Thursday, January 2, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes

took on the challenge. He and a few apprentices went to Portugal to learn the true art and crafting of tin. Afterwards, they set up a workshop where they created over 400 original pieces, such as bowls, jugs, candlesticks and more.

Tin is a metal that is constantly fluctuating in price and because of that there were times when profit wasn’t made after the man hours and labour put behind it and is one of the contributing factors as to why Estaños de Pedraza is one of the last tin workshops in Spain.

Maroto, confirmed: “The data we know today confirms the strong recovery of the tourism sector in 2022. The expectations we had of recovering the majority of international tourists from before the pandemic have been fulfilled, but the most important thing is that spending and the average length of stay are growing, and this means an improvement in the quality and profitability of our sector.

“According to our forecasts, tourism will complete its recovery in 2023.”

City with the most bookings.

Image: Catarina Belova / Shutterstock.com

Tourism recovery in 2023.

Image: Balasioiu Sorin Ionut / Shutterstock.com

£220,000

is the cost to the public of Boris Johnson’s Partygate defence.

Clarkson backlash grows Firefighters strike looms

By Peter McLaren­Kennedy

THE backlash against Jeremy Clarkson following his trashing of Meghan Markle is growing with at least three stars due to appear on a celebrity ‘Who wants to be a millionaire’ refusing to appear with the host.

According to a news source on Saturday, February 4, ITV has had to shelve plans for the show as a result of the refusal by the three unnamed stars to appear with Clarkson. They are said to have made their opposition to appearing with him, “very loud and very clear.”

Filming of the show was postponed earlier this month due to “scheduling issues” but it is now apparent that was not the reason. A source said: “ITV were left with no choice but to postpone the show.

“The feelings were made loud and clear that they didn’t want to share a platform

The National Trust has launched a virtual tour of its beaver closure on the Holnicote estate on Exmoor in Somerset, three years after beavers were first introduced. A first for the UK, the new tour can be accessed on the charity’s website and uses cutting­edge technology to provide users with virtual access

with Clarkson and, in doing so, risk being seen to legitimise his misogynistic comments.

“They were appearing on the show to raise money for charity, and were acutely aware they didn’t want causes special to their heart to be caught up in any backlash. They just had to walk away.”

Beaver access

to the 2.7 ­ acre enclosure where beavers were released by the Trust in January 2020. The footage was captured using professional, high­resolution 360° video equipment. The immersive experience features trail camera footage of the beavers’ everyday lives,

FOR the first time since 2003, members of the Fire Brigades Union in Britain on Monday, January 30, voted in favour of industrial action. According to a union spokesperson, with a 73 per cent turnout, 88 per cent of its 32,000 members chose to down tools. Similarly, in Northern Ireland, on a turnout of 68 per cent, 94 per cent of firefighters voted to strike.

The union bosses offered the government one last chance to improve its offer by giving

drone footage of the enclosure and wider estate with links to other National Trust projects and a ‘question and answer’ session with the charity’s beaver expert, Ben Eardley.

Other wildlife captured on the 360° video and trail cameras include kingfishers, stoats, roe deer and bullfinch. The tour will add additional footage as the site develops.

them another 10 days to think about it. A 5 per cent increased pay offer was declined by the union last November.

It claimed one in five jobs has been cut since 2010, with firefighters’ real ­ terms earnings also dropping by 12 per cent.

“Firefighters have faced a sustained attack on pay for more than a decade, with average

pay falling by about £4,000 in real terms. Our members face hazardous situations every day and sometimes risk their health to do the job,” stated FBU general secretary Matt Wrack.

According to reports, office and cleaning staff have been undergoing emergency training in anticipation of any industrial action occurring.

Led by Donkeys

treatment

MICHELLE MONE, the Tory peer who was found to have used her connections within government to make millions out of supplying PPE during the pandemic has had her luxury yacht branded by the ‘Led by Donkeys’ group.

The group posted a video of them giving her luxury yacht the treatment on Wednesday, February 1. Mone, it is alleged, profited from the supply of defective PPE equipment during the 2020’s pandemic. The company, with whom she has links, supplied more than £200 million worth of equipment but is now being sued for the return of £130 million.

Mone’s yacht has been given the ‘Led by Donkeys’ treatment with a banner that reads ‘pandemic profiteer’.

Image Eeli

Purola

Mallorca Live Festival

SOME of the biggest names on Europe’s music scene are set to descend on Mallorca for three days of musical magic in May. The Chemical Brothers are one of the most recent headliners to be announced for Mallorca Live Festival which will begin on Friday, May 17. The festival is set to be held at the former waterpark in Calvia for three days of entertainment to welcome in the summer. Offering a wide variety of music, from indie hits to electronic dance music, the festival will bring music fans from across Eu ­

rope together in Calvia.

British indie rock band, The Kooks will take to the stage on Friday, May 17 in a line ­ up featuring other indie groups, Vetusta Morla and León Benavente.

The headliner of the second day is yet to be announced, but with breakout summer popstar Quevedo already announced, Saturday is set to be huge. British electronic music duo The Chemical Brothers will rock the stage on the Sunday which also promises a diverse mix of performers.

More information about the festival including details on ticket packages and purchases can be found online at: https://mallorcalivefestival.co m/?utm_source=google&utm _medium=cpc&utm_con tent=search&utm_cam paign=mlf23&gclid=CjwKCA iArY2fBhB9EiwAWqHK6v7tHvi 9E8iaqFoWPLyTzaTdG3Nkuz6mM__ozvBHYSIhqbAGazR

JhoCGlEQAvD_BwE

Ready, set, go!

WITH the dawn of electric­powered vehicles, the motorsport industry is also evolving, and a car rally in Mallorca wants to reflect this. The Eco Rallye is gearing up for its third edition which is set to pit racing drivers against each other in eco­friendly vehicles from Friday, March 31 to Saturday, April 1.

The unique event has been described as pioneering in the industry, offering some of the top motorsport racers an opportunity to race each other in a new eco­friendly context. The event is also the second in the Spanish Alternative Energies Championship, allowing drivers to score points in this national competition.

Vehicles used in the competition must adhere to strict environmental rules, but that doesn’t stop them from pushing the boundaries of speed and innovation in the motorsport industry, in fact, organisers argue that the competition is an opportunity for the industry to cross into new territory.

As well as being a chance to check out some of the latest technologies in the motorsport industry, the rally is also a chance for spectators to enjoy watching some exhilarating racing around the island’s idyllic scenery.

More information is available online: https://www.facebook.c om/emallorcaexperi enceweek.

Mallorca Live Festival is returning to rock Calvia again this May with some of the biggest names on the European electronic, pop and indie scenes.

Photo credit: Mallorca Live Festival (via Facebook)

Less meat

By Peter McLaren-Kennedy

LIDL is reported to have said it will drastically reduce its meat offerings in the coming years and it will ramp up its ‘veggie’ offerings.

Christoph Graf, Chief Buyer for Germany, told a news source at the end of ‘Green Week’ on Saturday, February 4 that the need for climate protection was dictating the change. Echoing the words of climate protesters he said that there is “no alternative” because there is no second planet.

He continued by saying that we must learn to eat in a way that takes into account the limits of the planet with the world only able to sustain 10 billion people if we reduce our meat consumption.

Asked whether he was concerned about what the change meant for the chain he said that he hoped it would improve Lidl’s image in the market, especially among younger people.

Referring to the wider population he said it was about motivating people to eat products other than meat. As a result, Lidl would be holding more themed weeks to promote meatless products.

Photovoltaic complex

IBERDROLA announced on Monday, February 6, that it obtained an environmental permit to build the largest photovoltaic project in Europe. With 1,200 megawatts (MV) of installed power, it will be located in the municipality of Santiago de Cacem (near Sines, a logistics hub in southern Europe), in Portugal.

The plant will be called ‘Fernando Pessoa’ in homage to the Portuguese poet and is expected to be operational in 2025. It will be capable of supplying clean energy be capable of supplying the annual needs of 430,000 homes. Its network connection will be contracted with the Portuguese operator REN. The new plant will avoid the con­

sumption annually of 370 million cubic metres of gas and act as an example of the coexistence of new renewable developments.

Portugal recently announced a regulatory programme to promote and expedite the deployment of clean energy, attract investor confidence, achieve climate targets, and accelerate the response to the double challenge of the climate and energy crisis in Europe.

Iberdrola affirmed an investment of an “additional €3,000 million in wind and solar energy” in the country for the next few years. As a result, it will operate more than 92 MW of wind power distributed over various parks.

Couple abandon baby

A COUPLE who had not bought a travel ticket for their baby abandoned it at the Ryanair check-in at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv.

The couple, who were travelling on Belgian passports, were detained by police according to the UK press on Wednesday, February 1.

The baby’s parents when they realised they did not have a ticket for the baby simply strolled across to passport control, put the baby who was in a car seat down and tried to leave. A shift manager is said to have taken the couple ‘back to the flight counters and called the police and a security guard.

The couple were taken for questioning. According to the Israel Airports Authority, the couple had arrived late for their flight with the counter having already closed.

The Ryanair desk manager said: “We couldn’t believe what we were seeing.”

It is not known whether the couple has been charged after they abandoned their baby at the Ryanair check-in counter.

PROPOSED PARK: Will be the largest photovoltaic project in Europe.

Credit: Iberdrola.com

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’.

Hands off Africa

POPE FRANCIS condemned ‘economic colonialism’ in a message directed towards western and European powers in a speech given in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Tuesday, January 31.

In the speech, given in Italian at the capital, Kinshasa’s presidential palace, the Pope said that “terrible forms of exploitation, unworthy of humanity” are responsible for the ongoing conflict in the country.

The Pope added, “Hands off the Democratic Republic of the Congo! Hands off Africa! Stop choking Africa: it is not a mine to be stripped or a terrain to be plundered”.

Natural resource wealth has led to decades of economic and political turmoil after the Democratic Republic of the Congo won its independence from Belgium

in 1960. In the country of 100 million people, it is estimated that 26 million face severe hunger problems.

The Pontiff is in the central African country for the first visit by a leader of the Catholic church since Pope John Paul II’s visit to Zaire as it was formerly known in 1985.

Pope Francis arrives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for the first papal visit since Pope John Paul’s visit.

Photo credit: Franciscus (via Instagram)

Doctor Phil is to stop talk show after his 21st season.

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.

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

IGUANA CAUGHT

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.

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.

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.

“MY boyfriend won't kiss me!” ­ this is just one of the weirdest 999 calls revealed by police who urge a sensible use of the emergency number as people use it to discover train times and dentists’ contact details. Last year a woman even called 999 because she’d been refused entry to a nightclub for being ‘past it’. Good grief!

But top prize goes to the man who admitted making hundreds of nuisance calls to the NHS 111 line in order to indulge a ‘sexual foot fetish’. The offender from Worthing, West Sussex, made over 1,000 calls, costing the NHS £21,000.

Pretending to be an elderly woman

and using ‘false personal details, false telephone numbers and false ailments’, he’d ask call handlers about their feet according to Sussex Police who stated he “had a sexual foot fetish which he indulged during most of the calls”.

Many of the calls led to clinicians responding and sometimes ambulances were even dispatched.

Heck, if crime writers like myself came up with motives as weak as these for calling out the cops or calling the NHS 111 line in our thrillers, we’d be nicked for wasting readers’ time! And that’d be a fair cop!

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.

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.

Nora Johnson’s 11 critically acclaimed psychological crime thrillers (www.norajohnson.net) all available online including eBooks (€0.99; £0.99), Apple Books, audiobooks,

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!

I remain,

Yours faithfully

Barry Morgan

at Amazon etc.

charity.

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

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

Olaf Clayton of BBF.

Noraistheauthorofpopularpsychological suspenseandcrimethrillersandafreelancejournalist.

My card pull of the week is Trust your Path

What the universe has in store

NOW we have come to the end of January that brought a lot of us challenges, changes and fear. You may be feeling a sense of why is this happening to me? I don’t understand or I feel alone? The answer is the universe puts us in a position in our life path that removes any negative energies that may include, relationships, family, friendships and work opportunities, to clear your path for your true purpose in life.

Now at this time you may be feeling on a low vibration and loss of faith however, if it was that easy to get to your main goal in life you would never learn the lessons that we are all here to learn. Each of us has a purpose, a gift that we are given at birth and it is our job to work out what that is,

this all starts with our mind set. If we wake up in the morning and feel like every day is the same or you are not happy with the way your life is going then you have the power to change it. This all starts with you. It’s the little goal settings that will help you lift you.

When you go to bed at the end of each day and you start counting the things in your head what you haven’t done, this causes the reaction of over thinking and this starts of anxiety if you go to bed and start counting the things you have done even if it is the smallest thing then you have a win. Count the things you have achieved and be grateful, the more gratitude you have the more you will receive.

So, let’s start with goal setting. I find it really helpful to physically write down my goals for the year. then gradually start to break down how I am going to achieve them. I find doing this on

a weekly bases is manageable. Every Sunday I think of three things I want to achieve this week whether it’s making the beds every morning (my house is so busy in the morning trying to get three boys ready and off to school. On time) or making sure I have time for myself even if it just 15 minutes in the morning to do my affirmation.

Once I have achieved my weekly goals it resets my mindset in to a positive state which attracts positive vibrations in to my life which will help me achieve my bigger goals and start ticking off my goals for the year.

Right, back to the card, ‘trust your path’ the universe always has your back, keep on going you will always get to where you are meant to be and keep the faith. If you knew you would be supported what would you do? I’m going to leave you with that question, set goals and count your little wins!

If you would like to know more or have a reading please go to my website to book your very own session with myself, you can find me on Instagram @theangelic.medium or visit my website.

https://www.theangelicpsychicmedium.com sending lots of love your friend Emma.

Epileptic attacks

EPILEPSY is a problem suffered frequently by dogs under the age of five, which usually causes convulsions or epileptic attacks.

Canine epilepsy has a genetic factor and there are breeds, including Beagles, St Bernards and German Shepherds which are more likely to suffer.

The first epileptic attack usually happens between the ages of six months and five years and comes completely unexpectedly in the form of convulsions, peddling movements of the legs, excessive salivation, uncontrolled urination and loss of conscience.

Although the attacks in themselves don’t put a dog’s life at risk, they are in danger of biting their tongues, falling or bumping into things and injuring themselves. Knowing how to react during an attack will help you remain calm and help your dog.

First, lay it down on a soft surface. Avoid high places like the sofa to avoid the risk of a fall. It’s important not to try to pull your dog’s tongue out as it could end up biting it. Attacks usually last two minutes at the most. When over, let the dog rest in a quiet place as they are usually tired and confused after an attack.

Springtime diseases Purrfect pet nutrition

WE hear a lot about how to adapt our own diets during the winter to make sure we get all the right vitamins and minerals to deal with temperature drops, but how can we do the same for our pets?

Size matters

The first thing to have in mind when feeding your pet over the winter is its size and age. Some pet owners increase their pets’ meal sizes during the winter to keep them warm, but vets advise against this, particularly in cats as overfeeding can lead to health issues and obesity.

Plush fur

Vets also recommend increasing oily foods, particularly in dogs’ diets over the winter. This can give their fur an outward

shine and also build fur strength, essential to keep their bodies warm. Hydration is also crucial.

Active lifestyle

It is important to keep

credit: Svitlana Hulko / shutterstock.com

EACH season has its own pitfalls and hazards. These are some springtime diseases and dangers for dogs:

Wasp and bee stings are frequent in spring and can sometimes cause significant allergic reactions.

Adders come out of hibernation and their bites can cause major injuries. Fertilisers and insecticides are used more at this time and it is necessary to avoid the contact of these products with pets.

your pet active during the winter. If you want to stay in, or have a cat, play with your pet to keep their body and mind active.

Rub-a-dub pup

LOVE it or loathe it, bath time is a key part of having a dog, and in the winter it can be a little harder to get your pet into the bath. Today we’re bringing you some vet­approved tips on how to get your dog squeaky clean despite the cooler temperatures!

How often?

GETTING away and travelling to new places is one of life’s great pleasures, and can be even fun if you take the family’s faithful companion along too.

There are many destinations in Spain which pet owners can enjoy in the company of their canine friends, from rural mountain retreats to the country’s extensive and varied coastline; these days there are even beaches with dedicated dog­friendly areas.

Cities too can be an option for travellers with their pets by their side, as a growing number of hotels and hostels do now admit dogs.

Planning ahead and checking out accommodation with a pets welcome policy is a good idea: some establishments have certain limits, perhaps on the size of dog they admit.

Even if a hotel is pet­friendly, dog owners should use their common sense during their stay. Most establishments do not want dogs to be left on their own in rooms. Keep them on a lead in communal areas, not only so they won’t run off, but to prevent altercations with other four­legged guests. Also recommended is dogs wearing collars with name tabs, just in case they do manage to wander off on their own.

While your dog might love to splash around in the summer to cool off, the bath is less appealing in the winter. Experts recommend bathing your dog no more than once a month during winter, but it’s important to brush your dog more often.

Gently does it

If bathing isn’t your dog’s favourite activity, introduce it to the water slowly. Start by wetting your hand and run­

ning it through its fur. Next try a water­soaked sponge before moving into the bathtub. Experts also recommend talking to your dog in a gentle voice throughout.

The aftermath

Reward your dog for good behaviour with a treat afterwards and make sure you have a warm, dry towel on hand to dry it off quickly.

Some plants and flowers such as daffodils, tulips, amaryllis, azaleas and rhododendrons can cause severe gastrointestinal upset, even death if ingested by your dog.

Encounters with other animals may be more frequent and problematic this time of year as many dogs tend to be more excitable and restless during the spring months, and this can lead to fights when interacting with other dogs.

Inciting factors can lead some dogs to escape the their homes which can lead to accidents.

The activity of the sand flies that transmit Leishmaniosis begins and repellents must be used

Many of these dangers will require veterinary care to correct.

Photo

credit: masarik / shutterstock.com

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Messi to return to Barcelona Calling time on his career

LIONEL MESSI, 35, has confirmed in an interview with a Spanish newspaper that he will return to Barcelona, however, it won’t be to play football.

In the interview on Saturday, February 4, Messi describes Barcelona as his home saying that’s where he will return once his football career is over. But he has also not ruled out a return to the club where he won so many trophies.

He said: “When I end my career, I will re turn to Barcelona, it’s my home.”

Asked whether he would once again play for Barcelona, he said “that is still open.”

It is known that the club’s Chair Joan La porta is keen to bring the Argentine interna tional back to the club, sparking spec ulation about his return.

The Barca legend, who scored an incredible 672 goals in 778 competitive games, is contracted to Paris Saint­Germain (PSG) until the summer of this year. After that he will be a free agent, perhaps opening the door to his return. Messi left Barca on a free transfer in 2021.

PSG are said to be keen to keep Messi

and is said to want talks as soon as possible to extend his contract. There has been talk of a one ­ year contract but the club have neither confirmed nor denied the speculation.

A WORLD CUP winner with Germany, Mesut Özil, is reported to be calling time on his career and with immediate effect.

A reporter with the newspaper ‘Fanatki’, Yakup Sycamore, revealed the news on Twitter on Friday, February 3.

It is understood that his contract with Istanbul Basaksehir is also coming to an end, with the 34 ­ year ­ old apparently not turning up for training this week.

The source of the information was not revealed by the journalist, however, there were said to be reports that the former German international has said that he wanted to quit football.

Neither Özil nor his club has issued statements regarding his future.

Özil, who was born in Gelsenkirchen, enjoyed a

very successful career in Germany, Spain and England playing for Werder Bremen, Real Madrid and Arsenal.

In total, he collected six league and cup trophies.

He played for Germany 92 times and in 2014 was

instrumental in helping the team to World Cup glory.

Özil, whose recent form hasn’t matched his high standards of the past and has as a result become another World Cup winner to call time on his career.

Barcelona is Messi’s home.

Mesut Özil.

Verstappen keeps focused Another manager fired

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.

“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.

ENGLISH Premier League side Leeds United sacked their American manager Jesse Marsch on Monday, February 6. The club has gone seven games without a win and is languishing near the foot of the table. The news was confirmed by

Sunday February 5. A string of terrible results probably gave the Elland Road hierarchy no other option as they try to salvage their season and survival in the top flight. They are without a win since early November 2022.

Marcelo Bielsa. The 49year ­ old kept them in the Premier League thanks to a vital victory on the final day of the season.

It is rumoured that Carlos Corberan, the 39year ­ old current manag ­

er of West Bromwich Albion could be considered for the vacant job. He was at Leeds previously as a coach with the U23 players, and last season led Huddersfield Town into the Championship play ­ offs.

Boxing star’s comeback

ANTHONY JOSHUA will go toe ­ to ­ toe with Jermaine Franklin in a bout confirmed for April 1 in London.

The Brit has been out of action since suffering back­

€450,000

to­back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.

However, Joshua will now take on Franklin on April 1 at The O2 in the capital, with the American having lost in his last fight against Joshua’s long ­ term rival Dillian Whyte in 2022.

Weighing up the the fight, Joshua said: “I’m looking forward to stepping back into the ring on April 1 at The O2 in London. Mentally and physically, I feel ready.

“Franklin has a good style and a great attitude, which he has shown in recent fights.”

JESSE MARSCH: Joined Leeds less than one year ago.

Photo credit: Leonard Zhukvosky/Shutterstock.com

D rivers p ushed to the limit.

Alessia Russo has been paid and makes her the most expensive player in women’s football.