2 minute read
No direct combat
Betty Henderson
SPAIN will never send troops to fight in Ukraine according to the latest announcement from the Minister for Defence, Margarita Robles made on Sunday, February 26.
The Minister for Defence gave an interview where she highlighted that no troops from NATO countries would be involved with direct combat in Ukraine, including Spain.
She added that Spain’s direct participation in the conflict is “An absolutely impossible scenario,” saying that the Spanish military would only be involved to defend a fellow NATO country.
Robles also spoke about Spain’s decision to send Leopold tanks to the country saying “they have one sole purpose; defence against, not aggression towards Russia.”
The Minister for Defence described the war as a war being waged against the Ukrainian civilian population rather than
THE average age of the population is rising across Europe and a new report published on Friday, February 24 has revealed that Spain and Portugal have the most rapidly rising average age.
The data collected by Eurostat revealed that the average age in Spain rose 4.3 years in the last decade, surpassed only by Portugal where the average age rose 4.7 years. Meanwhile, the average age rose across EU countries by just 2.5 years, rising from 41.9 years to 44.4 years.
The statistics also showed a fascinating trend, a conflict between armies.
Robles added her thoughts that Putin is well aware he is losing the conflict but said he remains “a threat to humanity.”
When asked about the possibility of nuclear war however, Robles said that this is unlikely to happen.
Healthy lifestyle
that the average age in southern European countries like Italy and Greece, has risen much more rapidly than in the north of the continent, possibly thanks to a slower pace of life and the Mediterranean lifestyle.
Spain came eighth in the standings for oldest average age at 45.1 years. Researchers say an ageing population is the result of technological advances and improvements in healthcare.
‘‘Having the ability to educate and empower all of the students that cross my path is the reason I adore my profession. However, as a woman, I strive to be a role model to my female students and ensure that they know they have a voice worth listening to and that their opinions and goals matter! It is of great importance that every student, regardless of gender, feels that their dreams can come true. As the famous saying goes 'little girls with dreams become women with vision’.”
Miss Evie, International School of Estepona
Spain’s climate change
Linda Hall
MADRIDbased thinktank Instituto Elcano warned in its latest report that Spain is one of the EU countries most at risk from climate crisis.
Approximately 20 per cent of mainland Spain is already at risk of desertification due to climate change and overexploitation of water, particularly groundwater extraction.
Spain emits around 0.8 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gases and accounts for 9 per cent of the EU’s, making it the sixthlargest emitter.
Per capita carbon dioxide emissions peaked at 8.47 tons in 2005 but dropped to 4.92 tons by 2021, as climate change measures kicked in and the country has become more environmentally conscious.
Spain now has a Climate Change Law passed in 2021 which commits the country to cutting emissions by at least 23 per cent by 2030 when compared with 1990 levels.
This law requires companies, banks and other companies to present annual reports on exposure to climate risks and the measures they are introducing to contain them.
The Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO) must also report every five years on risks, policies and measures.
