Mallorca 16 – 22 February 2023 Issue 1963

CRUISE THE WORLD

TAKE THAT hitmaker Gary Barlow is set to cruise to Mallorca as part of a new adventure with P&O Cruises. The popstar will sail from the UK to Mallorca at the end of April according to an announcement made on Monday, February 13.

During the cruise operated by Arvia and Iona Holidays, the singer­songwriter is expected to perform a concert for charity. Barlow will raise money for British charities Child Bereavement UK and Teenage Cancer Trust during the unique performances.

The former X Factor judge’s latest cruise dates follow on from sold out

Soller shines on

concerts last year during the holiday season. The performances were arranged through a partnership the singer has with P&O cruises, one of the largest cruise operators in the world.

Gary Barlow is globally renowned for his musical talent, not least as a leading member of boy band Take That. He has won eight BRIT awards and sold more than 45 million records.

Barlow is a firm favourite among many music lovers and the concert, featuring some of the star’s greatest hits is expected to raise huge sums of money for each of the charities.

Branson’s hotel hiring

BUSINESS magnate

Richard Branson is preparing to open a hotel in Mallorca. The recruitment process has begun for staff at Branson’s Son Bunyola resort, and there are certain requirements for those working at the luxury destination.

Firstly, prospective staff are all required to own and drive their own cars. The hotel’s secluded location is the reason for this requirement as the resort’s entrance is located around three kilometres from the nearest town, Banyalbufar.

The founder of the Virgin group also requires fluent English and some German for most staff positions on the resort due to the international tourists the hotel expects

to host.

The recruitment process is now underway and is expected to conclude during the next few weeks as the hotel

months ahead of schedule with a hugely ­ anticipated opening ceremony in June of this year.

The luxury resort is Bran

son’s biggest investment on Mallorca in several years and expectations are already high for the multimillionaire’s latest project.

FOR Mallorca residents, Soller’s beauty is no secret, but the town just received recognition in one of the most prestigious European travel portals.

European Best Destinations placed the town in its Top 20 European Travel Destinations list for 2023 in its report released on Tuesday, February 14. The town secured a spot on the list thanks to votes from the public who expressed their delight with the town. More than 500,000 people from 178 countries cast their votes in the global contest.

The travel website highlighted the reasons for placing Soller on the list, describing it as a ‘hidden gem’ and its credentials in a wide range of fields including for cycling and as a top destination for honeymoons. European Best Destinations also described Soller’s train as an “authentic charm that will appeal to all of the family.”

Musical star and former X Factor judge, Gary Barlow is headed to Mallorca on a P&O cruise where he will perform a charity concert.

Soller has made European Best Destinations’ Top 20.

Multimillionaire and founder of the Virgin group, Richard Branson, is hiring staff for his latest hotel venture in Mallorca, and he has a couple of essential requirements.

Photo credit: Jared Ortega / shutterstock.com

RUNNERS are set to come together for one of the most gruelling and scenic running challenges on the island of Mallorca next month. Runners are beginning to train for the Galatzó Trail, a breathtaking mountain trail which will traverse a UNESCO heritage site on Sunday, March 12.

There are two distances offered in the race, the Galatzó Legend, a 42­kilometre full marathon which is so popular that places have already sold out, and the Galatzó Half, a 23­kilometre half­marathon option.

Both courses cover incredible mountainside scenery in the UNESCO­protected Serra de Tramuntana on the rural Finca Pública Galatzó country estate. Some of the most talented running talent on the island and from across Europe are expected to compete in this year’s edition of the exhilarating race.

The race is open to all runners over the age of 18, but the course is challenging and runners must be adequately prepared to participate. More information including how to register or where to watch the race from is available online: https://www.galatzotrail.com.

Betty Henderson

ONE charity in Mallorca has coordinated a huge donation drive to support victims of the devastating earthquake which claimed thousands of lives in Turkey and Syria last week.

Somos1Más sprung into action to deliver humanitarian aid in a campaign which lasted until Wednesday, February 15. The community­orientated organisation collected a variety of relief items to support victims who need basic humanitarian assistance and who have lost their homes and other essential items.

The group held collections on each day of the last week in various locations around Palma while dedicated vol­

Donation drive Flights on track

tions into different categories and to package them ready for onward transport.

Most of the items collected were non­perishable food items such as pasta, rice, tinned food and sugar as well as clothing and warm blankets. The group also collected a range of essential personal health products including nappies, hygiene products, baby food and bottles.

AFTER major success last year during its launch, the United Airlines connection from Palma de Mallorca to Newark airport in the USA is set to resume this summer season from Friday, May 26 when it is expected to run until the end of September.

unteers worked long hours in the Mallorca Logispeed warehouse in Palma’s industrial estate to sort the collec­

The campaign was organised in collaboration with the Turkish Embassy in Spain who will now direct the delivery of the aid to areas of the country most in need.

Galatzó greats Dream Days Fair

THE countdown is on for the Mallorca Dream Days events fair in Inca. More than 70 businesses are set to come together to show off their products and services for occasions

on Saturday, March 4 and Sunday, March 5.

The events fair is one of the largest of its kind in Mallorca, offering bridal companies, wedding planners, first com­

munion and baptism organisers and party planners a chance to showcase their best packages and items for people celebrating occasions.

Exhibitors are from a range of different fields including hospitality, catering, fashion, property, decoration and technology.

As well as exhibitions, participating companies will be holding catwalks, workshops, live cooking shows and performances. There will also be a variety of food stalls offering tastings throughout the event. This year’s event will be the third edition of the fair, held at the Fábrica Ramis in Inca, and more than 70 businesses from all over the island and further afar are set to participate.

Event director Sandra Llabrés shared her excitement saying, “This event brings more than 4,000 people to Inca and is crucial in showing Mallorca as the perfect wedding and events location.”

Running for a total of almost 18 weeks, this year’s schedule is longer than last year’s, due to the popularity of the route in its inaugural season. Flight operator United Airlines will also run the service three times per week, instead of two as last year.

This year’s flights will leave Newark Liberty International Airport on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 11am arriving to Palma Son Sant Joan in the early hours of the next day in Europe.

The connection has been credited for an incredible boost in American tourism to Mallorca, including increased interest from international businesses such as Forbes.

The Head of the Palma 365 Tourism Foundation, Pedro Homar, spoke about the value of the American market, “American tourists don’t come for the sun and the beach ­ they have the Caribbean on their doorstep. They are interested in the gastronomy, history, culture, and traditions.”

A huge donation drive campaign was held.

Photo credit: Somos1mas (via Instagram)

NIBS EXTRA

Sailing by

TICKETS are still on sale for ESTELA Superyachts’ charity movie night which is set to take place on Monday, February 20 in Palma. Tickets to see a Triangle of Sadness cost €5 online, all proceeds will go to charity.

Bishop resigns

POPE FRANCIS has accepted a resignation request from the ex­Bishop of Mallorca, Javier Salinas Viñals. The man, who was Bishop of the island between 2012 and 2016, was forced to resign over an improper relationship with a female secretary.

Water waste

THE regional government has announced a plan to increase water recycling in the island’s agricultural sector. The government wants to raise water recycling from its current 42 per cent recycling rate to 60 per cent by 2027 to reduce waste.

Seasons change

AS we pass the halfway point in the winter season, tourism businesses have started to reopen across Mallorca. Playa de Palma and Cala Millor have seen the biggest changes, reaching occupancy rates of 65 per cent during the last week.

Sustainable success

A CAMPAIGN to reduce the environmental impact of tourism to a national park in Mallorca has proved successful. The Parque Natural Sa Dragonera recorded a 41 per cent decrease in visitor numbers from 2019 to 2022 to just over 36,000.

Art attack

AUTHORITIES in Mallorca have disbanded a group of graffiti artists for defacing trains and vans. The group would travel around the island practising ‘graffiti tourism’ to the disdain of residents. Fourteen people were arrested in the case as investigations continue.

THE excellent uptake of public transport in Palma de Mallorca has led the regional transport authority, EMT, to launch an increased service on the popular Line 1 bus.

The decision, announced on Monday, February 13, doubles bus services on the line. The reinforced service came into effect the next day on Tuesday, February 14, with buses now arriving at stops along the beachfront every 12 minutes, instead of every 24 minutes.

Bus boost

Three more buses are exclusively serving the Line 1 service in the move which has responded to an in ­

GASTRONOMY fans will be pleased to hear that a date has now been set for the Mostra de Cuina, the gastronomy routes of Mallorca.

The first route will take place in Palma, from March 9 to 12; and the second route from March 16 to 19 in the Serra and the north of the island, specifically in Calvia, Andratx, Estellencs, Puigpunyent, Banyalbufar, Escorca, Fornalutx, Soller, Bunyola, Deia, Valldemossa, Esporles, Pollenca, Muro, Sa Pobla, Alcudia and Santa Margalida.

The third will be the ‘Llevant and

creased demand from the service and attempt to pro­

vide quality, sustainable public transport to residents and visitors in Palma.

The service boost will also improve connectivity along the seafront while a 20month project gets underway to make the seafront strip greener with pedestrianisation. The seafront promenade will remain open during the work and the city council encourages people to continue using it.

Line 1 is also set to get a new bus stop in the near future as work on the CLH car park also begins, offering a further 800 parking spaces.

Gorgeous grub

Migjorn’ route, from March 23 to 26, and will include the municipalities of Arta, Capdepera, Son Servera, Sant Llorenc, Manacor, Llucmajor, Campos, Ses Salines, Santanyi and Felanitx.

Finally, the ‘Pla and Raiguer’ route will take place from March 30 until April 2 in Santa Eugenia, Algaida, Sencelles, Montuïri, Lloret, Costitx, Sant Joan, Sineu, Llubi,

Giving back

A BUSINESS Association from the Balearic Islands often gives back to the local community, but this time CAEB Empresarios went one step further, taking a trip to Anantapur in India to collaborate with the Vicente Ferrer Foundation on crucial community projects.

The group of 40 businesspeople from all over the Balearic Islands, including many from Mallorca, travelled to Udiripikonda Thanda, a town north of Anantapur, on Friday, February 10. There they worked to support the Vicente Ferrer Foundation’s project with vulnerable women, children and disabled people living in poverty.

Between CAEB, members of the organisation funded 23 homes for women in the town, with a total of 59 homes given out by the foundation. The homes are registered in the women’s names which prevents abuses of power.

The President of CAEB, Carmen Planas spoke during the official handover of the homes, “This is a proud moment, as president of CAEB to see these homes finished and to be able to deliver them thanks to the support from our businesspeople who have been investing in this project for years. These houses empower women who have nothing.”

Maria, Ariany, Petra, Vilafranca, Porreres, Alaro, Binissalem, Buger, Campanet, Consell, Lloseta, Inca, Mancor de la Vall, Marratxi, Santa Maria del Cami and Selva.

For more information on routes or details of participating restaurants go to the website: mostradecuinademallorca.com, email: info@mostradecuinademallorca. com or call (+34) 971 432 220.

Scooter safety

A GROUP of protestors are calling on the local government in Palma to introduce stricter controls on bikes and scooters in the city centre. The action group held a protest in front of Palma City Hall with signs asking city mayor José Hila to change legislation.

The action group, entitled ‘Patinetes y Bicis a Raya’ held a protest outside the city hall last week in which they demanded new regulations on scooter and bike riding in Palma, saying that too many people are using them in an irresponsible manner.

The group would like to see signs around Palma in popular places such as the Plaça de Espanya, asking scooter users and cyclists to dismount. Activists say their petition which was launched two weeks ago had received more than 400 signatures by Monday, February 13.

The group is made up of ac­

tivists including Maria Fuster, a local resident who was knocked over and seriously injured by a scooter rider in November 2022.

The action group has a Facebook page where their latest campaigns are available to view: https://www.face book.com/profile.php?id=100 088635286826

STORIES IN THIS WEEK'S EDITION

Hospitality help

THE hospitality sector in Mallorca received a boost as hotel giant Iberostar released more than 300 new employment opportunities in its locations on the island on Tuesday, February 14.

The company is set to hand 215 roles out in the coming month, 175 of which will be located in the Alcudia region of the island, and another 175 will be in locations in the capital city of Palma de Mallorca.

The jobs being offered in this recruitment cycle also coincide with an islandwide employment initiative to combat low­season unemployment trends. The positions are all full­time long­term jobs and include receptionist, housekeeper, waiters, chef, function manager and other kitchen positions.

The global hotel chain, which has its headquarters in Palma, has four business locations in the Alcudia region as well as five locations in Palma.

Applications are being accepted online until Wednesday, March 1.

Authorities announce an increased service on Palma’s Line 1 bus route despite work on the seafront promenade.

Photo credit: Ajuntament de Palma

Photo credit: CAEB Empresarios (via Facebook)

3 Point Drive for all to enjoy

THE car club rally on February 26 is organised by Gaston Westphal who takes time out every year from his busy schedule to organise a fun rally for us to enjoy. This year the theme will be three targets and three simple questions with a wonderful scenic drive.

The meeting will be at 10.30 at Son Bonet old airport where the Thursday weekly meet ups are. Coffee etc will be available for you to purchase at the bar prior to the drive. The first cars will leave at 11am.

The finish point is the spectacular restaurant at Santuari de Montision near Porreres, an amazing place with spectacular views.

The meal will be at 2pm and the choice of food is suckling pig, cod fish or vegetarian. The cost is €35 per head for members and their co­pilot including water and two glasses of wine per person. Beer, cava, cafes and liquors are not included in the price. There will be an administration fee of €15 per car for non members. If you have any problems registering then please email info@ccc­mallorca.com. If you register and are unable to attend, please email us. We look forward to welcoming you.

Foreign population boom

THE latest immigration figures released on Tuesday, February 14 revealed that the number of foreign nationals residing in Mallorca has increased exponentially in the last 25 years.

Population figures show that Mallorca’s population rose from 23,887 foreign residents in 1996 to today’s figure of 166,056, a sevenfold increase.

Increasing numbers of foreign nationals have chosen to relocate to Mallorca due to the island’s pleasant yearround climate, its diverse activities and experiences, and expanding opportunities for families, businesspeople and retired people.

The figures in Mallorca are not alone however, they follow the same trend as the Balearic Islands as a whole which have seen a foreign population growth of a staggering 600 per cent in the last 25 years, while the Spanish population rose by 50 per cent. The population of the islands shot up from 32,102 residents in 1996 to 222,017 by Sunday, January 1, a growth of nearly 200,000 people.

Population data also re­

vealed that Mallorca’s population is becoming more and more diverse, with many nationalities now represented

on the island. In coming years, migration from South America is expected to overtake that from Africa.

Ceramic connoisseurs

THE Fira del Fang, the most impressive ceramics fair, is returning to Mallorca for its 38th edition this March. The ceramics fair brings together the rich history of the pottery industry on the island through workshops and exhibitions in the town of Marratxi.

This year’s edition of the festival is set to take place from Saturday, March 4 for more than a week until Sunday, March 12, with the theme of ‘retrospect’, looking back over past editions of the fair as well as the traditional art and practical uses of ceramics on the island.

Ceramic experts from the local community as well as international experts share their skills and expertise with guests who can learn new techniques at the fair.

As well as showcasing ceramic techniques and historical artefacts, the pottery fair is also an opportunity for guests to peruse stalls of handmade artisan earthenware and pottery items to buy for themselves.

Traditional local folk dances are also performed alongside the demonstrations at the fair to entertain guests as well as culinary activities.

More information about each day’s schedule is available online from: https://ceramicademarratxi.es/fira­delfang/?lang=es.

PROVERB OF THE WEEK

Significant rebound

FANTASTIC news for the hotel industry as Mallorcan­based company Hotelbeds has confirmed it has seen a significant rebound in demand since the start of 2023.

The company secured its best booking fortnight by revenue in its history, securing more reservations from January 9 until January 22 than ever before.

During peak times, Hotelbeds recorded one booking per second.

Carlos Munoz Capllonch, Hotelbeds’ Chief Commercial Officer said: “January is often a popular holiday booking month as people return to work and book holidays to look forward to later in the year. The traffic we saw earlier this month, not only demonstrates the demand we have but also the robustness of our systems to work seamlessly and ensure smooth operations for our global clients.”

In addition to hotel bookings, Hotelbeds has also seen a significant increase in revenues in its other products, including car hire, transfers and attractions such as theme park tickets and other activities. The company’s ancillary services division is having its best­ever year so far with sales up 55 per cent versus 2019 driven by strong demand for theme parks, car rental and transfers.

Flying high

ENAIRE managed more than 140,000 flights in January, 35.4 per cent more than in 2022.

ENAIRE, Spain’s air navigation manager which covers Palma de Mallorca airport, managed over 140,000 (140,292) flights in January, 35.4 per cent more than in the same month last year.

All ENAIRE control centres registered a double­digit increase in the number of flights managed: Sevilla recorded 33,570 flights (61.5 per cent); Barcelona,

56,975 (39.0 per cent); Madrid, 84,947 (33.7 per cent); Canary Islands, 32,276 (22.3 per cent) and Palma, 12,106 (18.4 per cent).

To prop up the aviation sector, the en route rates for 2023 remain well below the rates prior to the pandemic (2019), 11 per cent lower in mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands and 8 per cent lower in the Canary Islands.

Moreover, compared to the average fees of Europe’s four largest air navigation service providers, ENAIRE’s rates are 28 per cent cheaper in mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands and 40 per cent cheaper in the Canary Islands.

Foreign nationals have relocated to Mallorca in vast numbers due to the island’s charming characteristics.

Photo credit: Gudrun Hochmuth / shutterstock.com

‘‘The course of true love never did run smooth’’

Meaning that true love is never easy and can incur difficulties. This expression derives from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 1598.

Tunnelling through

Plans for a tunnel between Spain and Morocco are back on the table.

Pandemic recovery plan

THE Bank of Spain released its economic forecast for the pandemic recovery plan on Monday, February 6, saying that it predicts a direct GDP improvement of 1.15 per cent per year, which could rise to 1.75 per cent annually.

Economists at the Bank of Spain note that funding from the European Union would have the greatest impact on sectors related to digitalisation like the information and communication industries and technological services as well as the construction sector.

Increased productivity in the transport sector since material shortages have been re-

solved is also expected to have a positive knock-on effect. However, the Bank of Spain has warned that a skilled labour shortage could reduce the effects of the plan. The plan was approved by the EU at the end of 2022.

Advertising Feature

MINISTERS assured the public that plans for a land tunnel between Morocco and Spain are still on the table after the two countries held a summit in Morocco.

The Spanish government included a sum of €750,000 in their budget for 2023 to fund studies into the viability of a tunnel which would run through the Strait of Gibraltar.

The most optimistic reports suggest that a 42 kilometre tunnel could be built and opened to the public between 2030 and 2040 if work gets underway soon.

While there are no official plans for the tunnel, it was one of the topics of discussion between President Pedro Sánchez and Moroccan Prime Minister, Aziz Akhannouch.

The long-awaited project was first proposed back in 1979 and a committee of North African and European delegates meets regularly to discuss it after plans were revived in Spain’s 2021 budget.

Cancer research Highly contagious

ON Tuesday, February 7, the Junta de Castilla­La Mancha activated the immobilisation protocol for all livestock in the Castilian­La Mancha provinces, except in Guadalajara. This was due to a new outbreak of sheep pox.

It is not transmitted to humans or to the milk or cheese the animals produce, but is a highly contagious disease with high mortality among farm livestock.

The measure affected 6,000 sheep and goat farms in Cuenca, Ciudad Real, Toledo, and Albacete, with some 3.5 million head of cattle.

Regarding the movement of animals, only those going to the slaughterhouse are authorised, although milk can continue to be collected on the farms and the animals can also be grazed.

Experts were said to be surprised by the rapid transmission of the virus. It began as an outbreak of sheep/goat smallpox in Granada, which then made the leap to Cuenca. Since then it spread in the Castilian­La Mancha region, causing 25 outbreaks and leaving livestock immobilised. As a result, 38,000 animals

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SPAIN’S Minister for Science and Innovation, Diana Morant, visited the Research Foundation of the Hospital Clinico de Valencia where she highlighted that in the period 2018­2022, the ministry allocated more than €480 million to research projects to tackle this disease.

Morant stated that the fight against cancer is a national priority for the government of Spain and pointed out that the largest amount of money invested in health research is directed at this disease, which has a great impact not only on patients, but also on their families and their environment.

During her visit to the hospital, the minister visited the Immune 4 ALL project which aims to detect biomarkers that can predict the effect of immunotherapy on tumours with high mortality rates such as those involved in breast, ovarian, cervical, colon, biliary tract and liver cancer. Eight autonomous communities and nearly 1,600 patients are taking part in this project.

The minister also conveyed the government’s commitment to promoting precision medicine, which combines healthcare and research through strategic projects.

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1,000 electric vehicle charging points are to be installed across Spain by Adif.

Six arrested, seven to go

THE National Crime Agency and partners have renewed an appeal to help trace some of the United Kingdom’s Most Wanted fugitives.

Twelve months ago the NCA launched its most recent appeal to find 13 men on the run ­ all believed to be hiding in Spain or with strong links to the country.

In that time, six wanted men have been traced, arrested and are at various stages of the extradition and judicial process.

Today, the appeal ­ run in conjunction with independent charity Crimestoppers, Spanish law enforcement, and UK policing ­ is renewed.

The wanted men are:

Heavily tattooed Jack Mayle, 31, on suspicion of supplying Class A drug MDMA and other drugs.

Asim Naveed, 31, and 6ft 2in tall, is accused of playing a leading role in a highly organised crime group (OCG) that trafficked 46 kilos of co­

caine into Wales.

Calvin Parris, 33, who has gold upper teeth, is accused of being a customer of Naveed’s OCG and selling cocaine on in Cardiff.

John James Jones, 32, of Ormskirk, Lancashire, is wanted for wounding with intent.

Callum Michael Allan, 24, of South Shields, is sought for 12 alleged offences.

Mark Francis Roberts, 29, of Liverpool, is wanted for alleged grievous bodily harm.

Alex Male, 30, of Westonsuper­Mare, is alleged to be a regional distributor of

Betty Henderson

SPAI N’S foreign debt will fall below France’s in 2024 for the first time since 2012 according to the latest report from the International Monetary Fund, released on Wednesday, February 8.

drugs across the south west of England. He has links to Spain, Portugal and Turkey.

Steve Reynolds, NCA regional head in Spain, said: “Spain is immensely popular with British people who live and take holidays there, but it is not a safe haven for criminals.”

Anyone with information should call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or fill out an anonymous online form at Crimestop pers­uk.org. Callers in Spain should dial the freephone Spanish number 900 926 111.

THE otter has reproduced in Spain’s Mogent River for the first time after more than four decades.

The Mogent River is in the north­east of the Iberian Peninsula, a tributary of the Besos, which runs through the province of Barcelona.

The new family group is made up of a female and two cubs, born in the summer, who already make daily trips accompanied by their mother. They will continue to do so until they reach approximately one­yearold, which is the average age of emancipation of this species.

In recent years, individuals had been detected periodically in the River Mogent, a tributary

Baby otters

ing shows the relevance of the work for the conservation of habitats in order to preserve their biodiversity.”

178

NEW FAMILY: Two cubs were born in the summer.

of the Besos River, but they were otters who were passing through and who came from other areas.

Antoni Alarcon, Director of Barcelona Zoo, said: “This find­

SPANISH fiction for film and television will have the largest representation in the European Film Market (EFM) to date. This year in Berlin, Spain is set to participate with more than 20 companies from the audiovisual sector.

The European Film Market is one of the three most important meetings for the international audiovisual industry. In 2023 it will celebrate its 35th edition from February 16 ­ 22 at various locations in the city of Berlin. The event will coincide with the 73rd edition of the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival.

A total of 33 Spanish films will be

Leopard 1 tanks have been sent to Ukraine by Germany.

Film & TV

screened at the festival by eight sales agents who, together with the nine film commissions, will make up EFM’s Cinema from Spain stand.

For the first time, Spanish content and serialised talent will be present at the Berlinale Series Market. Berlinale Series Market is held in cooperation with Berlinale Series, a section that offers a first look at the latest series productions from around the world.

Foreign debt falls

The IMF’s latest economic forecast predicts that economic measures in Spain will cut foreign debt to 110 per cent of the country’s GDP by 2025. Meanwhile, France’s foreign debt is set to rise to 115 per cent of its

GDP during the same period.

During 2023, the IMF expects that Spain’s foreign debt will fluctuate around 112.1 per cent, slightly above France’s which will hit 112 per cent this year. By 2024, Spain’s foreign debt is set to fall to just above 110 per

cent while France’s will climb to 114 per cent of GDP.

The news is encouraging for Spanish economic ministers who are on track to bring foreign debt down more than 10 percentage points from around 120 per cent of GDP, during the pandemic.

The IMF has also asserted its prediction that Spain will lead economic growth in the Eurozone in coming years.

Image: Barcelona City Council

FUGITIVES: The appeal for information has been renewed.

Betty Henderson

ALGERIA has knocked the USA off the top spot as the biggest natural gas supplier to Spain in data from the start of 2023. Figures released on Friday, February 10 showed that most of the liquified natural gas received in Spain came from the North African nation.

Providing 8,545 gigawatt hours (GWh) of natural gas to Spain, Algeria was the country’s biggest partner, leaving the USA in second place. The USA provided a total of 7,102 GWh to Spain in second place before Nigeria who provided 6,932 GWh.

The figures paint a picture of a shifting energy market in Spain. Although Algeria became the biggest supplier of natural gas, the country actu­

New partner

Driving forward

A BRAND­NEW study has revealed that Spain has the eighth­safest drivers in the world. The report by Compare The Market price comparison site was released on Friday, February 10, and had some surprising results.

The report assessed indicators of safety including speed limits, alcohol regulations, quality of motorways and annual deaths from traffic accidents to come up with an overall rating out of five.

ally provided 11.17 per cent less gas than this time last year. Meanwhile, the USA took a huge cut in natural gas sales, providing nearly 46 per cent less natural gas to Spain than in January 2022. Nigeria provided 37 per cent more

A BRAND ­ NEW study completed by global financial service, Remitly, has revealed the most sought­after job in each country. And Spain’s most popular dream job might be a surprise to some.

natural gas than in January last year.

Spain imported less natural gas this year than last, partially due to warmer weather, as well as sanctions on the former biggest gas provider, Russia.

Dream jobs

influencer’ being the top pick. By contrast, traditional jobs like ‘lawyer’, ‘firefighter’ or ‘teacher’ were the most popular dream jobs in most European countries.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Japan topped the list for driving safety partially thanks to the country’s low alcohol tolerance for drivers.

RUSSIA’S invasion of Ukraine has caused many Western countries to issue broad packages of sanctions against the rogue nation. But one panel of experts has expressed their concern that in looking for new trading options, Russia is using the Spanish enclave, Ceuta, to dodge sanctions.

In the report, Spain was the only European country to record an online role as the most popular dream job, with ‘online

The most popular dream job worldwide was ‘pilot’ with more than a million searches, followed by writer which saw more than 800,000 searches.

Oil industry experts spoke out on Friday, February 10, saying that Russia is using international waters around 20

The Asian country came away with the top score of 4.57 out of five. However, aside from Japan, eight of the countries in the top 10 list were European countries.

Japan was followed by the Netherlands who similarly scored highly with 4.02 points and Norway with 3.99 points. The other countries to make the top 10 were Estonia, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Singapore and Portugal.

Spain made eighth place on the list with an impressive score of 3.72 thanks to a low rate of fatalities in car accidents and a good quality road network.

Dodging sanctions

kilometres from Ceuta as a strategic location to load and transfer oil cargos to transport onwards to China. In the past, these transfers were completed in ports in the United States or Denmark, but both countries have now imposed sanctions on Russia.

The experts believe that Russia has transferred between 600,000 and one million barrels of crude oil between ships in the ocean off Spain’s North African enclave.

Spain does not allow these ship­to­ship transactions in its waters, but it is believed that the transfers are taking place outside of Spain’s jurisdiction. Spain is not permitted to act unless the ships cross into national water.

The majority of Spain’s natural gas which arrived in the country in January 2023 came from Algeria.

Photo credit:hamdi bendali / Shutterstock.com

Pensions is a topic dear to all our hearts. It represents a lifetime of professional effort, but also the rewards should be the fulfilment of that hard work to see us comfortably through our retirement years.

But it can be complicated, can’t it?

1) UK State Pension

To qualify for the full UK state pension you must have paid UK national insurance contributions for 35 years. Otherwise, provided you contributed for 10 years, the amount you receive is based prorata on how many years you secured. It is possible to make voluntary contributions to buy back six years to reach the 10.

If you are resident in Spain, your UK state pension is paid gross and taxed in Spain.

2) Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution pensions

People who worked for UK companies long term often have traditional company pensions called ‘defined benefits’ or ‘final salary’, where the accrual of benefits is based on the number of years worked for the company and your final salary.

However, since they created a massive ongoing liability for com-

UK pensions – 6 key things for British expatriates in Spain to understand

the UK).

Spain also applies an annual wealth tax. Although pension plans are generally listed as exempt from wealth tax, in 2019 Spain’s Directorate-General for Tax ruled that non-EU pension plans do not qualify for this exemption. Wealth tax therefore now applies to UK pension funds (from the point a member can take benefits).

pension created to receive monies from UK pensions when the owner has moved abroad. They can provide various benefits, depending on your situation and objectives.

Importantly, currently not all QROPS transfers are subject to the charge. If you live in the EU and transfer to an EU QROPS, it won’t be applied.

By Cathal Rochford,

4) The ‘lifetime allowance’

panies, these days employers often favour ‘defined contribution’ (‘money purchase’) pensions, where the financial commitment is quantifiable.

3) Taxation in Spain

Generally, if you are resident in Spain and have an NT tax code, your personal pensions are liable to Spanish income tax (only government service pensions are taxed in

The lifetime allowance is the maximum combined amount you can accumulate in UK pensions (excluding state pensions). It is frozen at £1,073,100.

Any amount above the allowance is subject to a one-off tax charge of 25% if the excess is paid as a pension or the fund is transferred abroad, or 55% for lump sums.

It applies wherever you live.

5) QROPS

A Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme is an overseas

However, the 2021 Spanish Directorate-General for Tax binding ruling V2508-21 determines that unless a pension is either a Spanish pension contract or EU pension, a pension transfer from a ‘third country’ pension scheme to an EEA pension scheme is subject to a personal income tax charge on the fund value.

If you are still UK resident you could transfer to QROPS before you become resident in Spain and avoid the tax charge.

6) The ‘overseas transfer charge’

The UK introduced the overseas transfer charge in 2017 to deter people from transferring their pensions out of the UK for what the then Chancellor described as purely tax avoidance reasons.

If you move outside the EU within five UK tax years of making transfer, the overseas transfer charge may be applied retrospectively.

The bottom line is that pensions is an area that can be complex with some pitfalls not immediately visible and one to seek expert advice on.

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

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

Partner, Blevins Franks

Supporting money-saving currency transfers for 20 years

1. Hi Peter, firstly, congratulations on your 20th anniversary with Currencies Direct! That’s an incredible achievement. Things have changed a lot over the last two decades, but what would you say have been the biggest changes for Currencies Direct?

Currencies Direct was established back in 1996, making it one of the first specialist currency providers in Europe.

Since then the company has experienced phenomenal growth, expanding across the world.

We now have branches across Spain (20+ and counting!) as well as branches in Portugal, the UK, South Africa, the US and India.

As the number of Currencies Direct branches has increased, so has the number of currency experts we employ to support our customers. In Spain alone we have a team of over 100, and watching our presence in Spain grow has been a pleasure.

As we’re always investing in our people and technology, our service offering has changed a lot over the years as we’ve adjusted to meet our customers’ changing requirements. A number of years ago we launched a market­leading online service and app, so while our customers can still come to see us in branch or give us a call, they also have the flexibility to manager their money on their terms and make 24/7 currency transfers.

While I’ve seen the number of currency providers increase during my time with Currencies Direct, we’ve managed to stay ahead of the curve by changing with the times and always putting our customers

first. However, one thing that hasn’t changed in the last 20 years is the unrivalled level of personal support we provide.

2. From an industry level perspective, what is the biggest change you’ve seen?

Brexit undoubtedly inspired a huge amount of change in our industry. The EU referendum and everything that followed created historic amounts of volatility in the currency market and extreme uncertainty for our customers.

Preparing for Brexit and the end of the transition period was a mammoth undertaking, but the measures we took (such as obtaining the required authorisation to operate in the EU from the Bank of Spain) meant that our customers experienced no disruption or loss of service.

3. How did Covid change your business?

Covid had a significant impact on all of us, but as a business our priority was to acclimatise to support customers as much and as safely as we could.

While we really missed being able to in­

teract with customers in person in our branches, we found many of our customers embracing our online service and app for the first time. The convenience of being able to check live exchange rates and make transfers 24/7 meant that our online service and app continued to be extremely popular even after restrictions were lifted.

However, we’re really enjoying seeing customers back in our branches again. There’s no substitute for real interaction!

4. In your opinion, what makes Currencies Direct different from other currency providers?

Factors like the exceptional exchange rates we offer, the fact we don’t charge transfer fees and our exclusive relationship with CaixaBank all help us stand out from the crowd, but it’s our individual account management and customer service that truly set us apart.

When customers register with us they’re assigned a personal Account Manager, a dedicated currency expert to work with them throughout their lifetime with our company. We take the time to really get to know our customers, understand their requirements and help them get more for their money. The success of this approach has led to multiple award wins (like MoneyAge Money Transfer Provider of the Year four times) and the highest TrustScore in our industry. We have an ‘Excellent’ five­star Trustscore on Trustpilot and thousands of wonderful reviews from happy customers, something which really means a lot to us.

5. Why have you been proud to work for Currencies Direct for so long?

Working for such a customer­centric company is a big source of pride for me, and I’ve really enjoyed playing a part in our evolution ­ it’s amazing to think of where we started to where we are now.

One of the best things about working for Currencies Direct has been working with such an incredible team. Without the dedication and exceptional performance of our employees the company wouldn’t have seen the success it has.

6. Looking to the future, has Currencies

Direct got anything on the horizon that our readers might be interested in?

We’ve actually got a very exciting development to share. In late March we’ll be introducing our customers to a better way to pay with the launch of our multi­currency debit card. Customers will be able to put funds in their EUR, GBP, AUD or USD currency wallets and spend seamlessly in over 200 countries.

They’ll also be able to withdraw money from ATMs and keep track of their spending in our app. We can’t wait to provide our customers with this great new service, and it marks another exciting chapter in our history.

7. Finally, how did you celebrate your anniversary?

I was taken out for a lovely meal and presented with a wonderful gift ­ a Spitfire experience for me and my son!

As Peter Loveday, Currencies Direct’s Managing Director of Southern Europe, is celebrating his 20­year work anniversary, we sat down with him to find out all about his time with the company and why he’s been happy to work with them for so long.

Four Stylish Brit Awards

HARRY STYLES, the 29-year-old former One Direction star picked up four of the top awards at the Brits on Saturday, February 11. He was nominated in four categories and made a clean sweep by winning all of them at London’s O2 Arena.

Following his success at last week’s Grammy’s in Los Angeles, the British pop star won Pop/RnB A ct, Song of the Year for As It Was, the Album of the Year for Harry’s House, and the big one, Artist of the Year. The young artist already has an incredible tally of eight Brit awards.

There was the expected controversy

IT was revealed on Tuesday, February 7, that Fawlty Towers, one of the most iconic British comedy series of all time, will return to television screens. The final episode of this classic 1970s show was last broadcast on BBC Two in 1979, more than 40 years ago.

Once again controlling the madcap comedy will be John Cleese, the show’s original star and co-writer. This time

when no females were nominated in the category of the best artist. Accepting his award, Harry acknowledged that he was “aware of his privilege”.

Harry thanked his mother: “for signing me up for The X Factor without telling me, so I literally wouldn’t be here without you.” He also made a point of mentioning his former OD bandmates.

Beyonce was a big winner again, adding to her Grammy success, landing two awards. She picked up the ‘International Artist of the Year’ award as well as ‘Break My Soul’ being lauded as ‘International Song of the Year’.

Comedy returns

around, he will be joined by Camilla Cleese, his real-life daughter, according to a news source. The classic comedy revolved around the antics of Cleese’s manic character Basil Fawlty, a grumpy hotel owner in Torquay. In this reboot, Basil will meet his long-lost daughter and decide to open a boutique hotel. Brand new

episodes will follow Basil’s attempts to deal with the modern world, with the 83-yearold comic genius explaining that the manic hotel owner will be relocating to a ‘small bijou hotel’ in the Caribbean. Fawlty Towers consistently tops all-time British comedy lists despite only 12 episodes ever being recorded.

Bomb blows

A SECOND World War bomb which was uncovered on Tuesday, February 7, by construction workers in the Norfolk coastal town of Great Yarmouth reportedly exploded at around 5pm on Friday February 10.

Norfolk Police tweeted: “We can confirm the unexploded Second World War bomb in Great Yarmouth has detonated. This was not a planned detonation and happened during slow burn work to disarm the explosives. All army and emergency service personnel are accounted for. We will bring you further info when we have it.” Homes and businesses were previously evacuated in the vicinity of the £121 million project to construct a third crossing over the River Yare. Bomb disposal experts have been at the location attempting to defuse the device.

Newly announced prequel

By Peter McLaren­Kennedy

THE popular TV murder series Dexter is to get a prequel that will detail his path to becoming a serial killer.

The new series, which will be set in Miami, is entitled Dexter: Origins according to a report by a UK news source on Tuesday, February 7.

It is understood the show will start around the time he attended university and will focus on real cases from the period which will be portrayed as having influenced his decision to become a serial killer.

The series, which follows the life of forensic technician Dexter Morgan, be ­

came the most ­ watched Showtime series in 2021.

A new series of Dexter: New Blood is also planned that will follow the emergence of his son Harrison according to Dexter creator Clyde Phillips.

There are other spinoffs to the series with The Trinity Killer with John Lithgow in the lead role, a perfor ­

Invited to Coronation

IT was revealed late on Friday, February 10, that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are on the guest list and will be invited to the Coronation of King Charles III in May, according to an exclusive report by a UK news source.

“They’re on the list and planning is well underway to make sure the proceedings run as smoothly as possiblewithout any drama,” a source told the news outlet.

After Harry disclosed Royal Family secrets in his recent best­selling memoir ‘Spare’, there had been doubts over whether his father would invite him to the massive event in a few

months’ time. The appearance of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex could overshadow the occasion it was suggested by many.

Seating arrangements in Westminster Abbey are allegedly being done in such a precise way that Harry and his brother William will not be seen together.

The final guest list is expected to include around 2,000 names and should be confirmed in the next few weeks the source explained. Domestic and foreign royals will of course be on the list, along with world leaders and foreign dignitaries.

DEXTER: The most watched series in 2021.

mance for which he received an Emmy for bestsupporting actor in a drama series.

The Dexter prequel is going ahead but there could be more if creator Clyde Phillips has his way.

Singer dies from cancer

By Peter McLaren-Kennedy

THE Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Drifters singer, Charlie Thomas has died at the age of 85 from liver cancer.

The singer’s death was confirmed on Tuesday, February 7 by long-time friend Peter Lemongello Jr who said that the star had died at his home in Bowie, Maryland on January 31. Lemongello said: “He

ALL the leading supermarkets in the UK have confirmed they have removed some vapes from their stores over health fears. The vapes were banned after an investigation by the UK press showed the items to contain more nicotine than the legal limit of 2ml or 2 per cent strength. Sainsbury’s confirmed on Friday,

was ageing, but he was active almost every weekend. Unfortunately, he went from being active to being at home and he started going downhill.”

The lead singer on hits

including the 1961 hit ‘Sweets for my Sweet’ and the 1962 hit ‘When My Little Girl Is Smiling’, Thomas had been a member of the group for more than 60 years. But despite the group’s popularity they only ever had one number hit, the all-time classic ‘Save the last dance for me’. Despite his age, Thomas toured with the group until the start of the pandemic.

More vapes removed

February 10 that Elf Bar products are the items that were found to be unsafe, with the vapes no longer for sale. A spokesperson for Elf Bar has apologised claiming some batches were overfilled in error. A Morrisons spokesperson said: “As part of our ongo­

ing investigation into the legal compliance of Elf Bar 600 disposable electronic cigarettes with Trading Standards, we have made the decision to remove all flavoured variants from sale.

Elf Bar is one of the leading vape brands in the UK.

Singer, Charlie Thomas. Image Debbie Wong Shutterstock.com

Classic car rally

ENGINES are revving up for the Rally Clásico Mallorca car rally which is set to take the island by storm from Thursday, March 9 until Saturday, March 11.

Over three days, classic car owners will compete on 500 kilometres of picturesque, mainly coastal and mountainous terrain throughout Mallorca. The rally offers three different categories; ‘Competition’ which includes vehicles made from 1931 to 1981, ‘Youngtimers’ which includes vehicles manufactured between 1982 and 1994 and ‘Regular’, other vehicles made before 1985.

The event has 18 years of history on the island and is also an amazing opportunity for motoring fans to take a look at some of the most incredible feats of engineering of the past century.

The event is hugely popular with the motoring sector. Organisers have also received national prestige with the event which is ranked as one of the top five annual events in Mallorca, alongside international events such as the WTA Tennis Tournament and Copa del Rey sailing tournament.

Calvia charity walk

Betty Henderson

CALVIA’S Rotary Club International have announced a date for one of their most anticipated events. The popular ‘Walk for those who can’t’ charity walk is set to be held on Sunday, March 26 in s’Araccó.

There are two scenic walk options available to participants. The short option is a 2.5 kilometre walk, starting at 11.15am, while the long option is a nine kilometre route, setting off at 11am.

The walks will both take place in the Camp Municipal de Sports Melisa Nicolau, which is surrounded by beautiful countryside.

The walks are also both guided by experienced hikers who will be able to share plen­

Participants pose during last year’s ‘Walk for those who can’t’ Rotary Club walk which was also in aid of charity.

ty of knowledge about local flora and fauna to interested participants.

After walking, participants will get a chance to kick back and relax at a barbecue while listening to entertainment by Izzy.

Tickets for the walk cost €10 for children and €15 for

adults which is payable on site by cash or card. All money raised will go towards the amazing work of ASDICA, a charity that works to make disabled people’s lives easier in Mallorca.

Prior registration is required by email: charitywalk@ro tarycalvia.com.

Chopin’s Longing

THE Arts Society Mallorca are preparing to host another fascinating talk, this time inviting guests to follow in the artistic footsteps of musician, Chopin. Jeanette Biesbroeck will deliver the Chopin’s Longing talk on Tuesday, February 21.

The talk invites guests to step into the classical virtuoso’s life, travelling back in time through Poland via Vienna, Paris, London and Mallorca. Briesbroeck is a

classical piano expert who loves to share her passion with fellow arts fans.

Everyone is welcome at the talk which costs €20 for non ­ members at the scenic Son Mutaner Golf Club.

The arts group has several other exciting upcoming events including a talk by Dr Jacqueline Cockburn on Joaquin Sorolla on Tuesday, March 14 and a talk by Lucia Gahlin on the discovery of Tutankhamun’s

tomb on Tuesday, May 9.

The Arts Society Mallorca is part of The Arts Society based in London, it is a leading arts education and cultural charity, bringing people together over a shared love for the arts.

Membership of the society costs €90 for 12 months for individuals or €170 for couples which includes entry to events. More information online: https://theartssociety.org/ mallorca.

Bonuses cut

THE scandal ­ hit Swiss bank, Credit Suisse, announced on Thursday, February 9 that it would cut bonuses for company executives as it records its worst financial year since the economic crisis of 2008.

Clients withdrew their money in droves and company shares plummeted causing the company to record a staggering net loss of nearly €7.4 billion. 2022 marks the second year that the company has reported a loss after losing nearly €1.8 billion in 2021.

The bank has been plagued with scandal since a 2022 court ruling that the Swiss bank helped the Bulgarian mafia to launder money as well as US hedge fund disasters, and implication in a scandal in Mozambique.

The shockingly poor performance led the company to announce that none of its executives, would receive a bonus this year. Senior managers also took significant pay cuts.

Capture22

THE tireless work of law enforcement workers across Europe often goes unnoticed, but a new photo contest aims to recognise this. Europol’s Capture22 photo competition winners were announced on Friday, February 3 after months of deliberation by a jury.

Europol asks amateur photographers to contribute photographs that capture and illustrate the ways that police forces keep European Union citizens safe everyday in the contest..

The 2022 contest comprised three different categories: ‘Making Europe safer’; ‘Caring for the community’ and ‘On the road’.

Pedro Manuel Reis Valongo won the ‘Making Europe safer’ category with an image of a Portuguese police officer at a train station, demonstrating the steadfast

PRESS EUROPEAN

presence of police in public spaces.

Ricardo Rueda Fernandez won the ‘Caring for the community’ category with a heart­warming image of a Spanish police officer helping a Moroccan citizen to the shore.

A poignant image, it also highlights the versatility of police work in the EU.

The final category, ‘On the road’ was won by Romanian photographer, Florin Jugravu, depicting a police officer on duty in traffic in Bucharest.

The photograph ‘encapsulates the frenetic nature of modern life and the reliability of police’.

The winning entries will now go on exhibition in The Hague. The winning images can also be viewed online: https://www.in stagram.com/p/CoM78NVD 1Zm/?hl=en.

DENMARK

Hidden riches

ROMAN gold coins, rings and precious stones now on show in Denmark's National Museum in Copenhagen were all discovered by amateurs who used metal detectors. The treasure trove is the result of a Danish law obliging detectorists to hand over their finds in exchange for a finder’s fee.

THE NETHERLANDS

Crying shame

CLIMATE change is affecting onion production in The Netherlands where they have fetched a record wholesale price of 70 cents a kilo. Growers blamed the increase on increased costs initially triggered by the pandemic, followed by the Ukraine war, high temperatures last summer and insufficient rainfall.

BELGIUM

Royal fans

FIFTY-EIGHT per cent of Belgians are in favour of the monarchy, with support for the royal family lower in Flemish-speaking Flanders where the population wants more regional autonomy. Walloons are more accepting of monarchs Philippe and Mathilde who, although multilingual, are francophone by birth.

GERMANY

Stuck fast

MORE than 10,000 police officers in Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia region will be given training in dealing with climate activists who glue themselves to the road. This will speed up removal procedures and also reduce traffic incidents, as currently very few officers know how to unglue the protesters.

FRANCE

Stay-at-home

MORE than 40 per cent of French residents who ski each winter told the Campsider Winter Observatory that they would not be doing so this year. They could no longer afford the average outlay of between €900 and €1,000 per person plus another €1,350 for equipment, they said.

NORWAY

Owning up

NORWAY’S 29-year-old Justice and Public Safety minister, Emilie Enger Mehl, finally admitted that she had installed TikTok on her official phone after several days of giving only evasive answers in parliament. Critics said that the Chinese app could be used by the Beijing government’s intelligence services.

FINLAND

Fur exports

FINLAND is Europe’s largest fur-producer and importer although a large proportion of its imports are re-exported to South Korea and Vietnam amongst others. According to animal protection charity, Humane Society International (HSI), Finland exported fur worth €126 million in 2021, compared with €477 million in 2013.

IRELAND

Jobs axed

MICROSOFT will cut 120 jobs from its Irishbased workforce as it carries out the global cost-cutting plan affecting 10,000 global jobs announced last month. The company employs more than 3,500 people in Ireland in different roles that cover operations, sales, engineering and product development.

ITALY Left out

GIORGIA MELONI, Italy’s prime minister criticised France and Germany for excluding her from a Paris dinner with Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky. This was in marked contrast to 2022 when Meloni’s predecessor, Mario Draghi, cooperated with Macron and Scholz on Ukraine.

PORTUGAL Joint effort

PORTUGAL’S prime minister Antonio Costa suggested that Portugal and Spain should join forces and work together to exploit the large reserves of lithium that are located on both sides of the border. Instead of separate battery factories, both countries should develop a common strategy, Costa said.

UKRAINE

Ukraine helps

KYIV sent 88 rescue workers to assist in rescuing Turkey’s earthquake survivors and build temporary shelters. “There is a war in our country, but we have to help. There is no other way to do it,” said Oleksandr Khorunzhyi, a spokesman for the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.

SWEDEN

Wolf clash

HUNTERS shot 54 wolves last in Sweden’s largest cull ever, provoking the ire of conservationists and satisfying farmers. The Swedish government has authorised the shooting of 75 wolves this year, while scientists warned that wolf numbers were insufficient for a healthy population.

STAT OF WEEK €257 billion

is the record-breaking amount paid to Spain’s tax authority Hacienda last year, just over 15 per cent more than in 2021, and outstripping a predicted 8 per cent.

BUSINESS EXTRA Ticket to ride FINANCE

Tighter belts

AS shoppers spent less and awaited increased energy bills, UK retail sales growth more than halved at the start of the year. The country’s total retail sales grew by 4.2 per cent last month compared with 11.9 per cent in January 2022, British Retail Consortium (BRC) revealed.

Art lovers

SPAIN’S millennials born between the early 80s and mid90s are not investing in art, according to several Madrid auctioneers and dealers, accounting for between 3 and 4 per cent of sales. In contrast, their international counterparts accounted for 34 per cent of new buyers, London­based Christie’s said.

Lidl surprise

MARKETING data company

Kantar revealed that customers who habitually shop at Marks & Spencer, Waitrose or Sainsbury’s spent £120 million (€135.5 million) at Lidl last year. The equivalent of £10 million (€11.3 million), this rose to (£11 million (€12.4 million) in January, suggesting a new trend.

More jobs

THE number of workers working for Spain’s largest companies rose last year by 5.2 per cent compared with 2022, tax authority Hacienda revealed. Their salaries rose by 3.7 per cent in the largest increase recorded since 2008, but well below late December’s 5.7 per cent inflation rate.

Gone to waste

MILLIONS of pounds’ worth of UK energy vouchers have not been cashed as one in five homes with pre ­ payment meters have failed to redeem approximately 380,000 of them. The government urged energy firms to ensure that vulnerable customers received the help they were entitled to.

Nissan’s veiled message

THE “economics must work” if Nissan decides to make its new Juke and Qashqai electric vehicles in the UK.

Speaking to the BBC recently, Nissan’s CEO Ashwani Gupta said that Britain faced a challenge if it was to remain competitive in comparison with other car­making countries.

Manufacturing costs were higher than in other countries owing to higher energy bills and overall inflation, he pointed out, warning that lower costs were key to keeping the UK competitive.

Also prominent in making the UK attractive to car makers was continuing government support in the transition to electric vehicles, coupled to dependable supply chains, Gupta added.

Nissan is committed to producing the Leaf electric car’s successor at its Sunderland factory which employs 6,000 people. At the same time the CEO said that the company “needed to have the economics to justify it” when allocating production of the new Juke

and Qashqai models between its 44 plants worldwide.

Determining where to build the Juke and Qashqai will not be immediate, as the new models of these Sunderlandmade best­selling cars are not due until 2027­28 and decisions are usually made two or three years earlier.

Nissan recently secured approximately £100 (€112.5 million) in public money towards the £1 billion (€1.125 billion) it will invest in expanding a Chinese­owned battery plant adjoining the Sunderland plant.

Meanwhile, as the global car manufacturing is reshaped, the US is offering tens of billions of dollars in subsidies to the car industry and EU is expected to respond with its own enticements.

Hacienda blacklist ruling

RAIL tickets in the UK could soon be priced like airline seats, based on a demand­based system now being tried out.

Mark Harper, Transport secretary, announced recently that the cost of tickets on some long­distance trains on the East Coast line run by the London North Eastern Railway (LNER) will vary according to availability.

The state­run train company would eventually phase out return tickets across its network, dependent on a pilot programme determining whether to introduce this nationally, Harper said.

The current trial follows a successful scheme selling only single­leg tickets on some longer intercity routes including London­Edinburgh.

Game over

SPAIN’S Blacklist of tax

defaulters will henceforth name only those with definite, confirmed debts.

The Supreme Court analysed four cases before announcing a decision that will now set jurisprudence. Two cases arose from the alleged debts of public bodies, including the Social Security Fund. Two others were related to two businessmen who lodged an appeal against Spain’s tax authority, Hacienda, after they appeared on its notorious 2018 Blacklist.

In all four cases, the

New clients

SANTANDER’S online Openbank is making a €50 payment to the holders of new accounts opened before February 20.

Unlike other banks whose sweeteners depend on new clients paying in their salary, Openbank is asking them only to deposit a minimum of €1,000 before March 8 and to keep it there until March 31 when they receive the €50.

The bank emphasised that there was no charge for opening, maintaining or closing the new account, and standard transfers in euros were free within the European Union.

Supreme Court concluded that the Blacklist should name only those with confirmed debts. This was the first time that the tribunal had ruled on the scope and interpretation of Blacklists

referred to in Spain’s General Tax Law.

Legal sources explained that this latest decision questions the future of this type of list, although it appears that Hacienda has asked for time to study the decision and assess its implications and consequences.

According to these same sources, the Supreme Court’s decision was based on “overwhelming common sense” as it allowed taxpayers to exhaust all available options before they could be added to the

Cosentino fined

MULTINATIONAL marble company, Consentino, was ordered to pay €1.1 million compensation to five stoneworkers who contracted silicosis.

The company’s owner Francisco Fernandez Cosentino also received a sixmonth suspended prison sentence.

In a later statement he admitted providing insufficient information to a Vigo (Galicia) firm regarding the composition of Silestone, the company’s star surface composed of minerals, quartz and recycled materials.

This posed a “much greater health risk” to the five Vigo employees than natural stone, ruled judge Montserrat Delgado.

Accepting both the sentence and compensation, Fernandez Cosentino went on to say that the five affected staff members worked at a specific workshop.

Blacklist.

The tribunal’s decision also suggested that an affected taxpayer appealing against a Hacienda decision or demand could not be included while a case was ongoing, even if the debt was not paid.

This, the Supreme Court said, was the only way of ensuring that the Blacklist complied with the Constitution “and the right to honour and privacy”, bearing in mind that the alleged defaulter could later win an appeal after appearing on the list.

Unhappy staff

PERSONNEL at privatised air traffic control towers at 16 Spanish airports intend to continue stoppages each Monday throughout February.

The 162 employees work at airports in Alicante, Valencia, Ibiza, Sabadell, Vigo, Jerez, Sevilla, La Coruña, Madrid­Cuatro Vientos, La Palma, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Murcia, Castellon, Lleida and El Hierro.

In 2020 two companies, Ferronat and Saerco, paid the Spanish government €102 million to operate 12 of these airports for seven years.

The controllers decided to strike after negotiating the sector’s fourth collective bargaining agreement broke down in January.

The stoppages arrived at the same time as government plans to privatise the service at another seven control towers.

MICROSOFT’S acquisition of Activision was in question after the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) predicted harm to gamers.

The (CMA) already expressed concerns about Microsoft’s plans last year, but declared recently that the deal could adversely affect fans of video games.

The CMA has now published the provisional findings of its investigation into the Microsoft and Activision deal after deciding that this could result in higher prices, fewer choices, or less innovation for UK gamers.

The CMA suggested possible remedies that include Microsoft being forced to sell off Activision Blizzard’s business associated with the Call of Duty game.

Plenty space

MARK BOGGETT, Seraphim Space’s CEO, described last January’s failed Virgin Orbit satellite launch from Cornwall as “a slight setback.”

The UK, whose space industry currently supports nearly 50,000 jobs, remained a global leader, and was currently attracting more investment in space projects than any other country apart from China and the US, Boggett insisted.

Despite the Virgin Orbit setback, Boggett believed there was still “significant dry powder” by way of cash reserves that corporations and private equity funds were prepared to deploy for attractive investment opportunities in Britain’s space industry.

Photo credit: Nissan Global

ASHWANI GUPTA: Nissan CEO said company committed to producing Leaf model.

Photo credit: Zarateman

SUPREME COURT: Judges rule Hacienda may only name confirmed defaulters.

DOW JONES

Not so cheap

UK consumer association

Which? found that shopping at the big supermarkets’ convenience stores could add more than £800 (€902) to a family’s yearly food bills. Tesco Express charged higher prices, Which? said, and also found that Sainsbury’s Local outlets were more expensive for essentials.

On the payroll

ANTONIO GARAMENDI, president of Spain’s Confederation of Business Organisations (CEOE), is no longer registered as a self­employed ‘autonomo’. Instead Garamendi now draws an annual salary of €400,000, an improvement of 9 per cent on his income during his first term as CEOE president.

Not me

LIZ TRUSS admitted to a Spectator interviewer that cutting the 45p (88 cents) tax rate was “perhaps a bridge too far.” She also argued that it was not fair to blame her for rising mortgage rates and said she believed that there were other factors involved apart from the mini­budget.

Profits down

SPANISH insurance company Mapfre earned €29.5 billion last year with premiums growing by 10.8 per cent to €24.540 billion. Profits fell by 16 per cent to €642 million, owing to the impact of inflation, an increase in the number of accidents and ongoing drought in some regions.

On the road

CAR sales in the UK last month grew by 14.7 per cent compared to January 2022 with a total of 131,994 vehicles registered. The MG HS hybrid was the best­selling car while Nissan’s Qashqai ­ the UK’s mostbought new car in 2022 ­ fell to third behind the VW TRoc.

Recharging Britishvolt

Linda Hall

RECHARGE INDUSTRIES, an Australian company was named preferred bidder for Britishvolt which collapsed last month.

The company manufactured batteries for electric cars and would have built a £3.8 billion (€4.3 billion) factory near Blyth in Northumberland with government funding had it found investors. Instead, it went into administration.

As reported in the Euro Weekly News, Recharge Industries, an Australian start­up, showed an immediate interest in Britishvolt and outbid rivals for the company.

Recharge Industries put together an ‘aggressive’ package that revived hopes of going ahead with the £3.8 billion (€4.3 billion) gigafactory in the north of

England, which could supply UK­built electric vehicles without relying on Chinese materials. It would also provide 3,000 skilled jobs.

The Australian company, a start­up linked to the New York­based Scale Fa­

Russian exit

cilitation investment firm, overcame three other offers to become the preferred bidder and take Britishvolt out of the administrators’ hands.

Recharge will work simultaneously on rebuilding Britishvolt and the new plant while going ahead with its own plans for a battery factory in Geelong, the former car manufacturing hub in Australia.

Thanks to Australia’s mineral deposits, the proposed lithium­ion plant would not be dependent on China or Russia and risk supply­chain delays.

Recharge’s proposals to Britishvolt’s administrators, which stressed both strategic and diplomatic ties, also received backing from the British government’s trade envoy for Australia, the ex­English cricketer Ian Botham.

Spain’s desirable renewables

GOLDMAN SACHS announced the launch of Verdalia Bioenergy involving an investment of more than €1 billion in Europe’s biomethane sector.

The American multinational investment bank and financial services company will focus on ‘developing, acquiring, building and operating’ biomethane plants across Europe, contributing to the European Union’s decarbonisation agenda.

Verdalia will invest in early­stage development projects and larger operational assets and has already signed its first agreement, subject to regulatory approval.

Once given the go­ahead, Verdalia will purchase a portfolio of biomethane projects in mid­stage development in Spain, with a total capacity of approximately 150 gigawatts per year. Goldman Sachs is joining forces with Fernando Bergasa and Cristina Avila.

The former chiefs of Spanish electricity, oil and gas distribution company Redexis, they have a strong track record in the natural gas sector, Goldman Sachs sources said. Under their leadership, Verdalia aims to become a leading biomethane operator, starting in Spain and subsequently expanding across Europe, deploying more than €1 billion over the next four years.

BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO (BAT), which formerly dominated 25 per cent of the Russian market, intends to leave this year.

Following the Ukraine invasion BAT, which makes Rothmans and Lucky Strike, announced that it intended to leave Russia and would sell its operation there to a local partner. It is also making plans to transfer its unit in Belarus in 2023.

The group reported an adjusted profit of £12.4 billion (€13.9 billion) in 2022, an 11 per cent increase on 2021 thanks to demand for its e­cigarettes and oral nicotine products.

Glass ceiling

“We are excited to work with Goldman Sachs Asset Management and benefit from their investment experience,” Fernando Bergasa, Verdalia’s executive chairman said.

“Renewable gas will be a key tool to assist Europe in its commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2050.”

BBVA and Turkey

TURKEY’s disastrous double earthquake puts more pressure on BBVA’s investments there.

BBVA is the owner of Turkey’s largest bank, Garanti, which has 972 branches and more than 21,000 employees.

Adversely affected by galloping inflation and the weak Turkish lira over the past 12 months, Garanti had a bad start to 2023 with shares devalued by 31.2 per cent since January 1. They fell by 6.57 per cent on the

Istanbul stock exchange the day after the earthquake.

Garanti is proving a headache for BBVA and in the 2022 financial year its Turkish subsidiary had a €324 million impact on results owing to hyper­inflation that had reached 64 per cent by the end of December. BBVA was counting on Garanti to generate neither profits nor losses for the group, but instead the bank improved on forecasts, with benefits of €509 million.

Fish on the menu

FISHING plays a minor part in the UK economy but featured prominently in the Brexit campaign to regain control of British waters.

In 2020, when Boris Johnson announced details of his new Brexit trade agreement with the European Union, he promised that Britain would catch and eat “quite prodigious quantities of extra fish.”

Fisheries minister Mark Spencer told

MPs in December 2022 that the country was 30,000 tons better off now that it was outside the EU, although fisheries biologist Dr Bryce Stewart from York University maintained that the government had overestimated the long­term impact.

Much of the benefit arrived in 2021 when 15 per cent of the EU’s overall 25 per cent share was transferred to Britain, with much smaller transfers due between now and 2026, Dr Stewart said.

THE Women Matter España survey by McKinsey & Company, found that women occupied few senior executive posts in Spain. After studying more than 45 companies with approximately 300,000 employees between them, the international management consultants found that the glass ceiling remained relatively intact.

Only 6 per cent of director general positions were filled by women in 2022, compared with the European Union’s 8 per cent.

On the other hand, Spanish companies had more female board members, with an average of 33 per cent against 31 per cent in the EU.

Nice earner

THE UK’s 4,185 speed cameras cost almost £29 million (€32.7 million) in maintenance over the last five years.

They also brought in £391 million (€441.7 million) in fines, according to research by the new and used­car comparison site Carwow.

Councils spent £3.2 million (€3.6 million) between 2018 to 2022, police forces paid £4.6 million (€5.2 million), and transport authorities, including Transport for London, spent a hefty £20.9 million (€23.6 million).

Many authorities willingly shared their costs for running their speed cameras with Carwow but others declined, claiming that this could affect maintenance negotiation in future.

Some police forces also preferred not to divulge speed camera numbers, citing crime prevention.

BRITISHVOLT: Australian Recharge Industries has revived its hopes.

BIOMETHANE PLANT: Goldman Sachs are investing in renewable energy.

Dangerous breeds

HEART rending photos last week of fouryear­old poppet Alice Stones, savagely mauled and subsequently killed by a pet dog. How long is it going to be until the authorities realise that a number of canine breeds are actually no more adaptable to the living conditions of human beings than many dangerous wild animals?

To my mind the likes of Pit Bull Terriers, Doberman Mastiffs, Rottweilers etc should be viewed in one place and one place only; the local Zoo.

In the last 10 years there have been 34 deaths in the UK due to dog attacks, many on children, with over 200,000 reports of dog bites in the last year alone! These are horrendous figures and the most tragic fact of all is that the majority of victims were extremely young.

Many of these tots, now scarred for life, have had their whole futures altered beyond redemption, simply because the two­legged animal that should be the most responsible of all, deems for some unknown reason to allow unpredictable, potentially life destroying four legged canines to share their homes. When are they going to recognise the devastation these animals are actually capable of?

I do actually shudder when I see pho­

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

OTHERS THINK IT

tos, or postings of dangerous dog breeds, cuddling up or licking the faces (not too hygienic anyway!) of babies sometimes a few months old. One split second vicious snap and those faces could be gone or ravaged forever.

When is the government going to see some sense and ban certain dangerous breeds altogether? Personally I am myself a true dog lover. My beautiful pet is a cross between a Boxer and a Labrador and consequently quite big. You would find it hard to meet a more loving and faithful animal.

However I can quite honestly say that if my children were still young and living with me, the chances of my precious animal actually sharing our home would be completely zero.

It’s time some of the parents who allow dangerous breeds to mix with their youngsters were locked up. Doing a bit of jail time in an environment which may

very well contain only dogs that can tear you apart, may just bring them to their senses.

I do actually remember the last time I included dangerous dog owners in my weekly blurb; I almost had to run for the hills. Once again I await the slings and arrows of DDO’s with my usual full metal jock strap firmly in place.

Just a quick final word here to those woke fantasisers, who seem to have completely lost the plot of our human existence with their paltry trans gendering pronouns and other misanthropic diversity nonsense; turn your hearts and minds to the true horror in our world; the suffering of the men, women and children, caused by war in the Ukraine and the disastrous earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Thank our true Spiritual Father it’s not you.

Keep the faith. Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmasil.com.

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Little green men

SALLY UNDERWOOD POLITICAL ANIMAL

ARE aliens really hovering above the earth? The more cynical might say that recent behaviour by some politicians was proof that aliens have in fact been roaming among us for some time now.

In all seriousness though, the objects found floating above the United States over the last week have caused consternation among politicians and the public alike.

Certainly the almost coy statements from the White House over the unidentified objects have done little to prevent tin hat enthusiasts all over the globe sharing their conspiracy theories.

Surely much more sinister than the thought of an advanced race embarking on some mild intergalactic tourism though ­ or even than ‘Project Blue Beam’ (the theory that governments across the world would unite to fake an alien invasion just to gain more control of the earthling electorate) ­ is the much­morelikely prospect that tensions really have

ARMCHAIR DETECTIVES OUR VIEW

THE hunt for missing dog walker and mother of two Nicola Bulley is almost reaching the end of its first month and police are still making repeated calls for “armchair detectives” to stop hindering their investigation.

While interest in true crime has always held a fascination for the UK public, social media and the rise in Netflix cold case documentaries has only helped increase interest.

This poses important questions about the role of the press in solving crimes. Police have traditionally issued public appeals for information via the press, often with incredible results.

However, when does this go too far? Rather than providing useful information, in the case of Nicola Bulley, many people have used her disappearance as an opportunity to vent their own theories, criticise the police, or even further their own YouTube followings with videos shot from where she is thought to have gone missing.

Police have now issued a rare order preventing the latter behaviour, but how much of their time went into following spurious leads and tackling online misinformation rather than trying to find the missing mother?

More importantly even is the effect this has on the families involved, including Nicola’s small children, who are surely the most innocent victims in this tragic tale.

increased between China and the west.

Rishi Sunak has since vowed to do “whatever it takes” to keep Britain safe and that he is in “constant touch” with the UK’s allies abroad.

One thing this global issue has shown though is the relative stability we enjoy in the west; and how much having allies matters.

The partnerships the UK has built up over decades are the very thing that prevents some of the worst global issueswar, famine, genocide ­ from knocking directly on our door.

One of the strongest arguments for staying in the European Union was just this ­ that we are stronger together.

In matters like the balloons however, it becomes clear how much more partnerships mean than sheer safety in numbers.

As the UK government works with its allies to share information, it’s this sharing of ideas, of technology, that will ultimately be our biggest strength in defending ourselves.

Perhaps rather than politicians seeking ways to constantly undermine each other then, they should remember that idea sharing ­ working together ­ is one of the strongest weapons we have.

Sallysopinionsareherownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

LeapyLee’sopinionsarehisownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

In financial distress

THE Brish Benevolent Fund tries to help those Britons in extreme financial distress often for no fault of their own.

With the after effects of Brexit still being felt by many people we have an increasing number of cases of people who have found themselves without residency rights, which include the ability to work legally in Spainyet they remain.

For those people, many of whom are living in precarious circumstances, living off casual cash in hand and temporary jobs ­ many people have done this for years and been able to make a living and lead a life.

With those who do not have residency rights that also means the right to work.

Once that work dries up difficult choices need to be made including repatriation to the UK.

Once such applicant came to us over Christmas. He had been living rough for some months aer years of living and working in Spain.

He lost his job and no wages were given. He had no rights and soon found himself in the

downward spiral of depression and ill health due to his circumstances.

He had placed his belongings in a station locker but no longer had the funds to retrieve them.

The British Benevolent Fund was able help him with recovering his possessions, and provide emergency accommodation and a flight back to the UK, where we had arranged for him to be met by an aiport care team.

For many like him a return to the UK is not a welcome one. There is no cup of tea and a help to get yourself back on your feet. From being homeless in Spain he went to being homeless in the UK.

Like so many he had to prove that he was living in the UK by passing the Habitual Residency Test ­ which takes up to three

GOD BLESS YOU

HI

Leapy

Due to Brexit, which I voted for and still wholeheartedly believe is the best option for the United Kingdom, I have to adhere to Schengen rules which is not a problem as my husband and I get the best of both worlds in our lovely homes in Javea, Costa Blanca and Weston Super Mare, North Somerset.

months before it is processed.

In the meantime he was on the streets begging and spending nights in homeless sheltersas far away as can be imagined from his life in Spain.

He still has one month to go before he can apply for state support and housing so he can put his life back together.

Please visit our website www.britishbenevolentfund.or g or contact me olaf.clayton @britishbenevolentfund.org.

THE WALTER MITTY FOR OUR TIMES

come at a time of great liars. In politics, the one declared 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump is a persistent, shame­free liar.

HAVE you heard of the recently elected New York congressman George Santos? When it was discovered that Mr Santos had lied about who he had worked for (not Goldman Sachs), where he had gone to school, where he had been to college, how his mother had died (not in the Twin Towers on 9/11, since she wasn’t in the US at the time) and what his grandparents had escaped from (not the Holocaust, since they were in Brazil), he explained he had merely “embellished” his CV.

So Santos, the self­ inventor, made himself up ­ and I’m not referring to his past as a drag queen in Brazil. But then George Santos’s election has

The problem is we have forgotten that the job of politicians is to govern. We now judge them on their entertainment value. So our own two political leaders, Starmer and Sunak, are considered boring, not inspiring. Yet they both work hard, think deeply about the decisions they take and don’t overpromise.

If the trend set by George Santos continues, he’s not an outlier ­ he’s the future. Help!

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

So that I don’t miss your weekly column I get the Euro Weekly online each week when I am in England.

Keep doing what you’re doing and God bless you for doing it

Best wishes

Julia

I need to retire

HOW amazing is it that we are part of the 71.6 million tourists that come along to Spain every year. I can remember coming to Spain when there were no real tourist attractions other than the beach, fishing huts and predominately all Spanish­speaking. I have been coming to Spain for the best part of 40 years and the only linguistic knowledge and ability that I have found to do me well is ‘la cuenta por favor’ and ‘cerveza’. The life over here is so much better, I am in in my 70s and still haven’t retired, but I know that I need to. Spain is calling my name and I know that I need to enjoy it before it gets too late. Three weeks in the sun in July isn’t enough, I need it and want it 24/7.

Need to retire

BYE BYE FLYBE

ry and Meghan are about to do next regarding Archewell. It says in their usual way of talking ‘the key pillars are building a better online world, restoring trust in information and uplifting communities.

We’ve rolled up our sleeves, opened our arms, and opened our hearts, creating connections through care and compassion’ ­ I think that is enough of that rubbish. How can they be for caring about mental health when they are causing so much in their own families? Poor Camilla has been targeted and used as a punch bag, all because Ginge’s father loved her. It was obviously OK for Meg to be married before.

Obviously that woman who went to Buckingham Palace looking to trap someone into being an alleged racist would never have done that without Harry’s stupid lie, that he later retracted, about the Firm being racist. That didn’t do a lot for the victim’s mental health. I guess only he and Megan’s mental health matters.

My main question this week is thoughdoes he realise what a major thing that was for the late Queen, allowing Harry and Meg to marry in church in pomp and circumstance, designer dressed in white, when she was a divorcee. What a favour the royal family did them. Charles and Camilla slipped away quietly and married. You cannot please that awful man.

Rant over. Sylvia

Thank you

David

IT is awful to see so many airlines go down the drain these days, so many livelihoods gone. I remember the first time I went on a plane it was to the Isle of Man to watch the TT. It was like a tin shack in the sky, and I was holding on for dear life. I felt like what I would imagine the motor cyclist most have felt like going around the track but a day prior and a further drop. The pilot’s name was even ‘scary’. That was something for the books.

With love, Mairie

Beaver access

HOW incredible, something positive and something the kids can learn now and watch before they fall asleep. Thank you, Euro Weekly , for putting these snippets of information in. You don’t know how much it helps. Thank you! Jessica

What interesting Breaking Views articles, thank you, Nora. Long may you write your amusing column for the Euro Weekly News . I always read it. Well done and keep it up!

Alex Walker

Slow down

UK car production has slowed down, that is not a surprise to me. It just feels like we are outsourcing more and more these days. Long gone are the days for many car producers and producers of ‘British’ products. It was something to see in its day. My father was a mechanic, and everything had to be so pristine and perfectly done. Even down to the shining of the chrome in places where it is least likely to be seen by a normal eye. The old car shows, show you a snapshot of what it was like, the human assembly line of what it used to be, and all the men in their blue boiler suits. My father looked so handsome in his. It seems so trivial these days, but these are the things that stand out for me. I wish we were able to have more British things, it makes you proud of where you come from. Obviously, these days it is easier to get things from abroad, but it was nice to relive a memory I haven’t thought about in a long time.

LEE,

I was just reading the report of what Har ­

Yours, Sandy

Olaf Clayton of BBF.

THE AGE OF LIGHT

What the universe has in store

HELLO my angels, this week is all about love, but not in the way you are all assuming, it’s all about self love ­ some of you may be in a relationship, just coming out of a relationship, or single!

Any situation you are in, what I am about to explain to you is very simple and anyone can start this today. “Ego says once everything falls into place i’ll find peace” spirit says “find your peace and everything will fall into place.” Every single one of us has an ego, this is something we build up over time. The ego can stop you from practising self love, it forms a barrier that stops anyone from enjoying this feeling. So remove the ego you might say and problem sorted? And this is exactly what I am going to teach you today.

Children are not scared to express their emotions, they are not scared to say what they think or what they feel, they live in the present moment. In the first part of our own personal inner growth, we try

to adapt to different people and situations to feel worthy and accepted. Our mind starts to work and our egos start to grow and begin to take control of our life and our thoughts. I have five ways to start you on your journey of self love:

1. Practise forgiveness and letting go.

“The weak can never forgive.”

The most powerful tool to learn to let go of our egos to make life easier is to practise forgiveness. We have to learn to forgive the people who hurt us and most importantly we have to learn to forgive ourselves. Accept, let go and keep moving forward. Forgiveness will open the windows to your soul, and remove the negativity to allow room for new happiness.

2. Practise honesty and being open.

The most important sentence I’ve ever heard, and I’m sure you’ve heard it too. “The truth will set you free.” Suppressing our emotions can develop depression and anxiety. Learn to say no to the things that dont add value in your life, and open your arms towards the things that do.

3. Surrender your need for control.

Break the fears and trust life! Don’t be scared to love. Take risks. Be curious. Explore. Do what makes you happy.

4. Enjoy silent moments with yourself.

Every day perform a selfless act of love, and enjoy giving without the expectation to receive.

5. Practise gratitude

“It’s not happy people who are thankful; it’s thankful people who are happy.”

Grateful people feel more love and compassion, take five minutes each day and write down three things you are grateful for every day and watch your life change.

Right, back to the card, ‘The Age of LIGHT’ you have been training for this for lifetimes, self love is the most important progression you are ever going to do for yourself and everyone of us can start today.

I challenge you to try this for one week and write in and let me know how you feel and you will see the positive changes unfold, your thoughts are powerful, what we think we become, I will be going more in to this next week!

If you would like to know more or have a reading please go to my website to book your own personal privet reading with myself you can find me on Instagram @theangelic.medium or visit my website. https://www.theangelicpsychicmedium.com sending lots of love yours Emma.

WORLD CUP WALLY

PART of me would like to see my country’s footballers win the World Cup, especially under the leadership of Gareth Southgate and also to prove a point. But then I look at the pompous attitude of so many supporters, the general public, (“we won it in 1966”) and the media (“the dust is still settling in Doha after England’s defeat”) and I sigh.

In sport, playing at home is an enormous advantage. Federer always won the indoor tournament in Switzerland and Margaret Court won 11 major titles in Australia. The UK’s record number of Olympic medals was achieved in Britain in 2012. Henry Cooper knocked down Muhammad Ali in London. England reached the final of the UEFA Nations Cup in 2021 and the Lionesses won the World Cup in 2022. Both in London, England.

It is especially so in the World Cup. Non ­ footballing countries such as the USA, South Africa, South Korea and even Saudi Arabia (with Arab support) have all advanced to the knock ­ out stages on their own territory, where they have the support ­ and can call the shots.

Any detraction from England’s World Cup victory in

1966 is considered sacrilege. It is too widely perceived as our greatest achievement of the last century, ahead of the 1940 Battle Of Britain, the 1947 foundation of the NHS and our 1974 admission to the EEC. World Cup Willy was a mascot introduced for the 1966 World Cup taking place in England. In that year the FIFA president was English. England

played all their matches in the comfort of their capital city, while the fancied Portugal team was sent to Manchester, Liverpool and then to London to meet England in the semi­final where they narrowly lost.

Blatant tactical decisions by English referees had already ensured the early elimination of the strongest teams (Brazil and Hungary). Brutal fouls on Pele and his teammates were not penalised. Against England, Argentina’s captain was sent off after half an hour for no explicable reason. Argentina’s 10 men lost to a late goal by England.

Finally, England was awarded a winning ‘goal’ in the final against West Germany when the ball had not crossed the goal line. Everything was contrived to guarantee a World Cup for England. In these circumstances it is not surprising

that, together with decades of hooliganism, the tournament has not been held in England since.

To this day, England is the only World Cup winner not to have won it (or even reached the final) on foreign soil.

Over 56 years later, there is still no end to the gloating over England’s 1966 triumph every time the World Cup is mentioned, but the ‘fixing’ (or assisted passage) of the results is never mentioned. “Football’s coming home” they chant every four years, as if England has an unalienable right to lift the trophy. Surely, the true home of football is Brazil ­ or Argentina, Germany or Italy.

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Feijoo’s task

CASSANDRA NASH

THE Partido Popular is still revelling in the coalition government’s fractious parleying over its Guarantee of Sexual Freedom or “Only Yes Means Yes” Law.

Modifying the flawed text of Equality minister Irene Montero’s prize project betrays the PSOE­Unidas Podemos coalition’s differences which, with municipal elections in May and a general election in December, is just what the PP and Alberto Nuñez Feijoo need.

“We are here to offer reliability, maturity, a sense of state and a clear direction,” Feijoo declared on succeeding defenestrated Pablo Casado as the Partido Popular’s national secretary general. “My project is a project of understanding.”

These qualities were in evidence during his time as president of Galicia’s autonomous government where he had no trouble in notching up overall majorities in four successive regional elections.

Once installed in Madrid this didn’t prevent him from choosing the PP’s default opposition mode of anti ­ PSOE overstatements and doom­laden gener­

alisations. Surprisingly, Feijoo, now 61, voted PSOE in his youth, joining the PP in 2002. The former Feijoo re­emerged on February 9 when the Constitutional Tribunal threw out the PP’s objections the 2010 Abortion Law which allows terminations on demand up to 14 weeks.

Feijoo immediately announced that 13 years later the correct decision had been reached and he respected the Tribunal’s decision. As he too had condemned the 2010 law this could have been political strategy, aware that abortion is a sensitive issue. And, having censured the way Pedro Sanchez’s government allegedly rides roughshod over the Constitution, he could hardly criticise the Tribunal.

Meanwhile, Feijoo has his own problems and, like Pablo Casado, must decide what to do with Vox, Santiago Abascal’s extreme right ­ wing party which wins seats municipally, regionally and nationally by hiving off PP votes.

Veer further right, stay put or shift to the centre to underline the party’s moderation? Feijoo has until May to make up his mind and decide which of his – and the party’s ­ multiple sides will show to their best advantage.

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

England have won the World Cup once (at home). Pele has won it three times (away from home).

Photo Credits: sportskeeda.com and rudebutgood.blogstop.com

Purr-fect play Oldest living dog

PLAY is often considered an indicator and promoter of animal welfare. Playing with your cat may also nurture closer cat­human bonds. In a new study, scientists have investigated these links by applying in­depth empirical methods to analyse data gathered from around the world.

Researchers at the University of Adelaide created an online survey in consultation with veterinarians, animal behaviourists, and cat guardians, to investigate play­related factors associated with the welfare of cats.

“Our survey results, based on responses from 591 cat guardians from 55 countries, indicated greater cat playfulness and more types of games played were significantly associated with better cat quality of life,” said the University of Adelaide’s Julia Henning, a PhD Candidate, who led the study.

“Also, longer amounts of daily play, greater number of games, both cat and guardian initiating play, and heightened guardian playfulness were also associated with better quality catguardian relationships.”

Rabbit bonding

AS certified by Guinness World Records, a pooch on a farm in Portugal has become not only the oldest dog in the world but also of all time. At 30 years and 266 days old, on Wednesday, February 1, Bobi received the outstanding accolade.

He replaced Spike the Chihuahua, who had only been crowned as the oldest canine in the world two weeks ago. Prior to those two, an Australian cattle dog held the title for almost 100 years. Bluey died at the age of 29 years and five months, living from 1910 until 1939.

Bobi was born and raised on a family ­ run farm in the village of Conqueiros in Portugal’s Leira

district, not far from the town of Nazare, famous for its huge surfing waves.

His owners ­ the Costa family ­ believe that the secret to Bobi’s longevity is the fact that he lives in the countryside, where they said he enjoys playing with their four cats.

The family dog obviously suffers the typical ail ­

ments that arrive with the onset of old age. He struggles to walk and has difficulties with his eyesight. His food needs to be soaked in water to remove any seasoning before he can eat it, as he shares the same meals as his owners.

Bobi also drinks a lot of water his family added.

Better adjusted

PETS can serve as important sources of social and emotional support for “everyday people,” according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

“We observed evidence that pet owners fared better, both in terms of well­being outcomes and individual differences than non­owners on several dimensions,” said lead researcher Allen R

McConnell, PhD, of Miami University in Ohio.

“Specifically, pet owners had greater self ­ esteem, were more physically fit, tended to be less lonely, were more conscientious, were more extroverted, tended to be less fearful and tended to be less preoccupied than non­owners.”

A study involving 217 people (79 per cent women,

with a median age of 34) answered surveys aimed at determining whether pet owners differed from people who didn’t have pets in the areas of well­being, personality type and attachment style. Several differences between the groups emerged, and in all cases, pet owners were happier, healthier and better adjusted than nonowners.

INTRODUCING rabbits who don’t know each other needs to be done carefully. Begin by building up the time they spend together gradually. Once they’re spending one to two hours together without problems, they’re ready to start sharing living space.

The best way is to neuter both rabbits before they meet. Male rabbits can take up to six weeks to become sterile after they’re neutered. Females shouldn’t be bonded with another rabbit immediately after neutering to reduce the risk of injury.

Side ­ by ­ side enclosures help the rabbits to get familiar with each other from a safe distance. Provide a barrier between their enclosures that still allows them to see and smell each other, and to lie side­by­side.

There may be some unrest in the beginning. This is normal and may last about seven days. Prepare a neutral area separate from their enclosures. This area needs to be somewhere neither rabbit has been housed before. Have hiding places and toys ready to put in the area, but leave it empty for when you first introduce them.

Once the rabbits are comfortable with the sight and smell of each other, they can be introduced for short periods in the neutral area.

Smart cats

A NEW study at a Japanese university is once again backing up the age ­ old cat lovers’ theory that felines are just as clever as dogs.

Forty ­ nine domestic cats were used for the study at Kyoto University, which tested their ability to remember which food bowl they had eaten out of after 15­minute intervals.

The cats, reported psychologist Saho Takagi, appeared to remember exactly which bowls should still contain food, suggesting they had what is referred to as episodic memory.

“Cats may be as intelligent as dogs, as opposed to the common view of people that dogs are much smarter. Also, an interesting speculation is that they may enjoy actively recalling memories of their experiences just like humans,” the scientist said.

Credit: Guinness World Records

A LONG LIFE: Bobi, the oldest dog of all time.

GETTING ALONG: Rabbits need time to adjust.

PET OWNERS: Were healthier than non-pet owners.

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Isuzu D-Max - urban trend setter

ROAD TEST

byMarkSlack

AT a point not that long ago you would only have ever associated pick ­ up trucks with builders, tradesmen and farmers. They would have been of a specification and look that made utilitarian seem sumptuous. How things have changed! Most now look rather smart, don’t look like they’ve spent much time in the local building supplies yard or farm and can cut it on the style stakes with the best SUVs.

Manufacturers realised that they were missing a trick and a pick ­ up with good levels of standard equipment and a variety of optional hard tops and accessories can appeal to a whole new range of potential buyers. Add in the possibility of all­wheel­drive and the chance to carry five people, as well as a decent load bay and towing ability, and

the appeal is obvious.

Isuzu have long been a ‘go to’ manufacturer for those wanting a comfortable, rugged and stylish pick Good standard equipment with excellent accessory packs and options means the Isuzu D range can

there are single, extended and double cab options.

Prices start at €25,690/ £23,149 and peak at

D­Max does bounce around on rougher surfaces but things are better with a weight in the rear. For such

Facts at a Glance

Model: Isuzu D-Max V-Cross

Engine: 1.9-litre 4-cylinder turbo-diesel Euro 6D developing 164PS

Gears: 6-Speed manual, all-wheel-drive

Price: €45,247/£33,499 + VAT at 20% in UK

Performance: 0-100 kmh (62 mph) 12.7

seconds/Maximum Speed 180 kmh (112 mph)

Economy: 9.2l/100km / 33.6 mpg Combined driving (WLTP)

Emissions: 220 g/km (WLTP)

Model tested was UK-specification and equipment levels and prices may vary in other markets.

the other issue with the D­Max is noise. Pickups are never the most refined, but the D ­ Max does get rather vocal under acceleration, not helped one suspects by the modest engine size.

cover every scenario from building site to trendy wine bar. The range is essentially split into two halves, the business line­up and the VCross and Artic models and

€56,058/£47,999.

Power comes from a fourcylicinder 1.9 ­ litre turbo diesel that propels the Isuzu well for such a large vehicle. With an empty load bay the

a large vehicle the D­Max is an easy drive and can be piloted through bends with much more aplomb than might be expected. Bouncy unladen weight ride apart

The build quality and equipment in the D­Max is excellent, and betters some cars, with an interior that lacks the ‘bolt­on iPad’ style touchscreen in favour of a

neat built ­ in screen. Softtouch materials are also evident and although some of the touchscreen functions look a little dated they all work very smoothly.

If you’re into your pick­up trucks, the Isuzu looks the part too. If you’re looking for something a bit different on the rugged transport front, then the D­Max can be a surprisingly sensible choice.

Fuel prices drop Car Finance

ACCORDING to the latest data from the European Union Oil Bulletin on Thursday, February 9, the average price of fuel in Spain dropped for the first time this year. Specifically, petrol dropped by 0.33 per cent to €1.65/litre and diesel by 1.5 per cent to stand at €1.68/litre.

Since the beginning of 2023 ­ after the government discount of 20 cents was stoppedpetrol has accumulated a rise of 4.5 per cent, compared to a 1 per cent rise for diesel. However, even with these price levels, both fuels remain far from the highs they reached last summer when in July petrol reached €2.141, and diesel hit €2.10.

Compared to a year ago, the price of a litre of petrol is 6.2 per cent more expensive, and that of diesel is 16 per cent higher. As a result, filling

an average 50 ­ litre tank costs almost €5 more with petrol, and about €12 more in the case of diesel.

With these levels, the price of 95 unleaded petrol in Spain remains below the average for the European Union, located at €1.73/litre, and at €1.78/litre in the eurozone.

In the case of diesel, the price in Spain is also lower than the EU average, which is 1.76/litre, and also in the eurozone, where it stands at €1.79/litre.

Price checker

DO you think that pump price prices should be freely available to the public?

The UK government has confirmed that it is now considering a scheme whereby petrol stations would have to share live prices, potentially bringing more price transparency for drivers.

Following reports of the government’s proposal, RAC fuel spokesperson, Simon Williams, said: “The Competition and Markets Authority is already investigating the way fuel retailing operates, so we hope its eventual recommendations to the government result in better value at the pumps for drivers.

“An online fuel price checker that resembles those available to drivers in Germany where prices are displayed for individual forecourts in real ­ time could be helpful, but may

not, on its own, lead to fairer prices.”

He added: “Certainly, we don’t think any UK ­ wide system should mimic what already exists in Northern Ireland where fuel prices are only updated once a week and there’s no indication of which forecourts

are cheapest.

“One issue that often leads to widely varying prices locally, which badly needs addressing, is the fact major retailers operate regional pricing which can mean much higher prices where there is little or no competition.”

DESPITE the rising interest rates, it seems more and more UK consumers are turning to car finance.

Interactions with finance calculators on used car adverts are up with a 42 per cent increase on January 2019 levels and an 11 per cent increase from January 2021.

Ian Plummer, Commercial Director at Auto Trader commented on the recent rate rise: “Sizeable increases in new car annual percentage rate (APR) averages, up from 5.1 per cent in January 2022 to 8.1 per cent 12 months later, have followed the recent spate of interest rate rises.

“As most drivers don’t have a choice about whether to stay on the road and with post­Covid stock shortages keeping prices high, motorists are having to swallow extra costs. As a result, many are turning to car finance, with nearly two million finance interactions each month.”

PICK-UP TRUCK: The D-Max is a surprisingly sensible choice.

Image: Aleksandar Malivuk / Shutterstock.com

PUMP PRICES: New scheme being considered.

67% of Spanish workers use cars as their predominant means of transport.

Lawler moved out of ICU Real Madrid Fifa Club World Champions

JERRY ‘The King’ Lawler was moved out of the hospital ICU on Friday February 10 after massive suffering a stroke earlier in the week in Florida.

A post on Lawler’s official Twitter profile read: “Jerry is out of ICU and will return to his Florida home for outpatient rehab for his limited speech and cognitive skills. Doctors hopeful for full recovery and Jerry is looking forward to returning to his fans very soon. ­ Lauryn #LongLiveTheKing”.

WWE legend Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler is believed to have suffered a stroke on Monday, February 6. His friend ­ and fel­

low Monday Night Raw commentatorJim Ross, revealed on Twitter that he had visited the wrestling icon in the hospital in Florida.

“I spoke very briefly with @JerryLawler tonight,” Ross tweeted. “He’s obviously weak but I could understand his affected speech. Jerry’s prognosis is positive but he needs all our thoughts and prayers. #LoveYaKing,” he tweeted.

The 73­year­old wrestling great had apparently been staying at his Florida condo at the time of the incident. As reported, it is thought that Lawler had earlier been out with friends for lunch.

Sponsorship proposal leak

AN investigation into a leak of the proposed sponsorship of Tottenham Hotspur by the South African tourism board, Brand South Africa, is to go ahead after criticism of the potential deal.

According to EWN on Wednesday, February 8 the deal would see the tourism board pay ZAR1 billion (£46 million).

Acting CEO Themba Khumalo said that the malicious leaking of the information had potentially scuppered the deal, with talks still ongoing.

Referring to the negative press coverage following last week’s leak, he said that the deal had been taken out of context and that the full benefits of the deal had been

overlooked.

Following the leak and the news of the investigation, the Chair of the Portfolio Committee Chairperson on Tourism, Thandi Mahambehlala, ordered the scrapping of the deal. No reasons were provided why the proposed Tottenham Hotspur sponsorship deal is to be cancelled.

REAL MADRID are the Fifa Club World Champions for a record ­ extending fifth time after they beat Al ­ Hilal 5 ­ 3 in the Moroccan capital of Rabat on Saturday, February 11. No other side in world football even comes near the incredible feat that Carlo Ancelotti’s team has achieved.

They were victorious for four consecutive years from 2014 to 2018 with the tournament being won by a European club on each of the last 10 occasions.

Los Blancos took an early lead in the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium

37% on consumer card spending on sporting goods, services and experiences went up in 2022.

through Vinicius Junior after 13 minutes. Federico Valverde doubled the lead in the 18th minute. The Saudi Arabian side reduced the deficit after 26 minutes thanks to a goal from the Mali international Moussa Marega.

Karim Benzema joined in after 54 minutes and the Uruguayan Valverde was on target again to make it 4 ­ 1 four minutes later. Former Fulham Luciano Vietto striker bagged a goal for the Saudi team ­ managed by former Oxford United boss

Ramon Diaz ­ in the 63rd minute to reduce Madrid's lead.

This was short ­ lived though when Vinicius added his second to make the score 4 ­ 2. Al ­ Hilal never really looked capable of winning this match and it was all over when Vinicius hit his second in the 69th minute.

vvVietto grabbed his second goal after 79 minutes to make it 5 ­ 3, but by then, it was too late, and means that no Asian team has yet won this trophy.

Real Madrid winning the Fifa World Club trophy.

AN argument in a Vienna café led to the shooting of the former Austria international and Feyenoord star Volkan Kahraman.

It is understood the 43year­old former professional met a friend for a coffee but that an argument ensued resulting in Kahraman being shot in the head.

A local news source said that the argument on Wednesday, February 8 ended when the shooter then committed suicide.

Although no motive for the shooting has been given, bystanders suggest that “jealousy” may be involved describing the atmosphere as “heated.”

Karhaman, of Austrian Turkish descent, was born in Vienna and is considered one of the country’s all­time greats. Feyenoord signed the youngster in 1995 while still playing for Austria Wienm, with his first team debut coming just two years later.

He played three times for Austria before moving on to other Turkish and Austrian clubs in the twilight of his career.

THE Premier Game Match Officials (PGMOL) called a meeting of all officials after a disastrous weekend in which major decisions changed the result of at least two matches.

According to PGMOL on Monday, February 13, Howard Webb both called the meeting but also the clubs to apologise for what they termed “human error.”

As a result, both games finished a one­all draw affecting both clubs’ chances of taking the title and of securing European Championship places.

VAR operators at the Arsenal and Brighton matches were both acknowledged to have got it wrong.

The error in the decision in the Arsenal v Brentford match was put down to a missed offside with PGMOL saying: “VAR was looking to see if there was an offside and whether Ethan Pinnock had blocked off Gabriel in the build­up. He looked at the possible foul and decided there hadn’t been one and therefore referee Peter Banks hadn’t made a clear and obvious error.

“However, in the build­up to the goal, Christian Norgaard ­ whose cross Toney heads in ­ is in an offside position.

“The truth is that VAR didn’t fully investigate with the lines. The lines, simply, didn’t go down.

“And that counts as hu ­

SPORTS fans will be pleased to hear Europe’s famous passion for sport remains as buoyant and resilient as ever, with fans racing back to gyms and stadiums over the past 12 months according to the Mastercard Sport Economy Index 2023.

The survey of over 11,000 Europeans reveals that more people attended live sporting events and regularly exercised in 2022 than they did in 2021.

The region’s enthusiasm for sport also translated into a significant increase in consumer spending across the sector. Analysis shows that consumer card spending on sporting

man error. Had the lines gone down the goal would have been disallowed for offside.”

Fans will be waiting to see what action PGMOL takes against premier League referees after another disastrous weekend of VAR decisions.

Former Austrian star shot dead Disastrous weekend decisions Thriving sports

goods, services and experiences was up 37 per cent in 2022 compared to 2021.

Over the past 12 months, the digital footprint of sport continued to rise, with more than six in 10 (61 per cent) Europeans stating that technology was a major lifeline in how they enjoyed favourite events.

The top five ways in which Europeans enjoyed sport in 2022 were: to follow events on social media, watch multiple matches at once, experience a sporting event via VR, watch esports competitions via streaming platforms, and listen to sporting podcasts.

KAHRAMAN: Shot in the head.

ARSENAL VAR DECISION: Was termed “humour error.”

Image Arsenal News Channel