Mallorca 6 – 12 April 2023 Issue 1970

Cameras at the ready

AEROPLANE spotters

had a pleasant surprise at the weekend when Lufthansa landed its spectacular Boeing 747 Jumbo at Mallorca airport.

The airline activated the huge carrier in response to the high demand of German travellers looking to fly to the island for Easter.

It landed at Son Sant Joan at 5.30pm on Sunday from Munich with 400 passengers on board, during an extremely busy weekend for the airport in which nearly 1,700 flights took off and landed at the site ­ an average of 23 flights every hour.

The Boeing 747 Jumbo is a historic aircraft of great interest for aviation enthusiasts, as it was the largest passenger plane in the world until the arrival of the Airbus A380 in 2005.

Numerous spotters gathered at a vantage point near Son Ferriol neighbourhood to photograph the arrival of the plane on a day that also held another highlight ­ the landing of an Airbus A ­ 340 from Swiss airline at 1pm.

Lufthansa previously recovered the Boeing 747 at Easter and from mid ­ July to midAugust last year to cater for a surge in German travellers, after the plane had been taken out of circulation during the two years of Covid travel restrictions.

‘Pirate yacht’ warning BY ROYAL (NON) APPOINTMENT

THE Balearic Islands nautical sector is accusing the Spanish government of legalising the use of private leisure boats for rentals.

Under a Royal Decree passed by the central executive in March, as of July 2024 private leisure vessels can be rented out for up to three months a year.

The ruling published in the Official State Bulletin authorises “a temporary change from private to commercial use for a period no longer than three months a year”.

According to the

Balearic Nautical Business Association, the move effectively legalises what are known as ‘pirate yachts’, as these practices are reportedly usually paid for cash ­ in ­ hand without tax and without the safety requirements that apply to the official ship charter trade.

There are currently an estimated 12,000 private boats registered in the Balearic Islands, of which 1,500 could be rented out for day trips during the high season under the new law.

PALMA received a surprise double royal visit this week when King Felipe VI dropped in to spend some quality time with his mother Doña Sofía, who was already in Mallorca with her sister.

The monarch also followed in the footsteps of Hollywood star Morgan Freeman and chose to dine at trendy Italian restaurant Sandro with a group of friends.

Although at the time of going to press the exact plans of the Royal Family had not yet transcended, it appeared that

they planned to spend their Easter break on the island coinciding with Princess Leonor’s school holidays from the Atlantic College in Wales.

Doña Sofía arrived on the island last week and on Monday attended the traditional Holy Week charity concert at the cathedral.

In an ironic twist of fate, the king’s former brother­in­law Iñaki Urdangarín ­ the disgraced ex­husband of Felipe’s sister Cristina who spent time in prison over the Noos cor­

ruption scandal and who is currently embroiled in a messy divorce with the Infanta ­ coincidentally also appeared in Mallorca this week, choosing to spend a few days’ holiday with his current partner at a hotel very near to the Marivent royal palace.

Image by Frederic Legrand/Shutterstock

Queen Sofia attended the Holy Week charity concert.

Mountain rescues rising

EMERGENCY personnel of the Mallorca fire department were in the Tossals Verds mountain area at the weekend performing training exercises for extreme rescue operations.

Numbers of callouts to save mountain walkers and climbers that get into difficulties in the Serra de Tramuntana are said to multiply each year, many of which require rescuers to perform extremely difficult manoeuvres due to access difficulties and environmental obstacles.

Most of the problems arise when explorers try to investigate new routes without having the appropriate physical or technical preparation.

Bombers de Mallorca have performed 71 of these operations between the start of the year and the end of March alone ­ 21 more than during the same period in 2022.

If the same trend continues, this year could break all existing records for mountain rescues

in Mallorca.

There are currently 40 rescue experts at Sóller and Inca fire stations working closely with the Mountain Rescue department of the Guardia Civil, who provide a helicopter for the trickiest operations.

The fire department is also in constant contact with the IB­Salut health services, as injured walkers are first lifted to safety on a stretcher and then collected by ambulance.

MANACOR Council has installed 17 public ping­pong tables at different open ­ air points throughout the town, Porto Cristo and s’Illot.

The move by the municipal Youth department is aimed at promoting table tennis as a means of transmitting good values, encouraging healthy leisure activities and community relations.

According to the town hall, the ping­pong tables have an ‘anti­vandalism’ design with metal surfaces and nets to prevent breakages and theft.

They are located at the Parc de na Molla, the municipal park, the skatepark, Molí d’en Beió and Serralt neighbourhood in Manacor, at the Plaça del Sol i de la Lluna, Plaça Francesc Ramis and Plaça de

Grab a racket

ses Comes in Porto Cristo, and at the municipal sports centre in s’Illot. The council has also purchased several sets of rackets and balls with the aim of organising a competition to promote the sport.

“The skatepark, the callisthenics installations and now

New regional police force

POLITICAL party Més per Mallorca has announced plans to create a new regional police force for the Balearic Islands if they win the upcoming elections on May 28.

The candidate to lead the Govern, Lluís Apesteguia, this week declared that the aim is to “protect people and property, guarantee individual rights and freedom, and ensure public safety in the Balearic Islands with our own police force that is rooted in the area and close to the people.”

According to Més, national legislation authorises the Govern to set up and manage its own police force that will answer directly to the regional institutions.

To this end, the party

vows to provide the new service with all the necessary technical, human and financial resources, as well as requesting the transfer of jurisdiction over the islands’ prison and justice departments and creating a regional training centre for police and fire­fighters.

Més pointed out that there are currently two other Spanish regions with their own police force, namely Catalonia and the Basque Country, who are responsible for all public order and safety duties.

these new ping­pong tables will enable local young people to enjoy spending their free time doing physical activity within the community, which also provides social and emotional benefits,” declared Manacor Youth councillor Carme Gomila.

Greener

fire prevention

THE Balearic Islands Nature Institute (IBANAT) has announced the purchase of 27 new vehicles for forest fire prevention and extinction thanks to the EU’s Next Generation grants.

Four off­road vehicles, 16 pickup trucks and seven compact electric vans will be bought to enable the Institute to renew its fleet and fall into line with the Spanish government’s plans for sustainable forest management.

The older vehicles will be retired as their CO2 and fuel consumption reduction systems are very limited according to current environmental legislation, so taking them off the road will contribute to cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

Fire stations work with the rescue teams.

Image by the Consell de Mallorca

Catalonia’s Mossos d’Esquadra regional police force.

New fire prevention vehicles.

Image by Robson90/Shutterstock

Manacor mayor Miquel Oliver and Carme Gomila during the presentation of the new tables.

Image by Manacor Town Hall.

Image by the Balearic Islands Government

Landing shock

PASSENGERS on a flight from Palma to Frankfurt on Friday had a shock ­ literally ­ when the plane was hit by a bolt of lightning during landing. None of the 200 travellers or crew were injured and the plane landed safely without any damage.

Rye flour alert

A BATCH of wholemeal rye flour on sale in the Balearic Islands under the Biogrà brand was recalled by the Spanish food safety authorities this week after it was found to contain a type of fungus alkaloid that could cause ergotism.

New coppers

FOUR new Local Police officers are now on service in Andratx. They were officially presented at the town hall on Monday in the latest of a series of measures to improve the municipal force, with another seven officers due to arrive.

Coach attack

THE grandfather of a player for Santa Maria youth football team punched the team manager at the weekend after the coach decided not to include his nephew in the team that faced Campanet on Saturday. The 11­yearold player’s parents also confronted the trainer.

Social centre

INCA Council has decided to turn the old health centre in Calle Mestre Antoni into a social centre. The building was closed down in 2007 when all its services were moved to the district hospital, although part of it is currently occupied by the Social Security office.

Sea starts here

EXCHANGE students from Denmark, Romania, Turkey and Germany completed their stay at Inca college this week by painting pictures of whales and crabs along with messages reading ‘The sea starts here’.

Easter message from the EWN

AS Easter approaches, the Euro Weekly News would like to wish all of our readers a happy and joyous holiday. Easter is a time of deep significance for many residents in Spain, as it represents the triumph of life over death and hope over despair. At the Euro Weekly News, we are proud to be a part of the vibrant and

diverse community in Spain. We believe that it is important to not only report on the news, but to also engage with the communities that we serve.

As we celebrate Easter, we are reminded of the values that are important to us as a community. We are reminded of the importance of compassion, forgiveness,

Circular economy

A PROJECT is currently under way to transform urban waste into building material in Mallorca.

Investigators working for a local paving stone manufacturing firm are testing the new system to create cement from debris generated at the island’s solid waste treatment plant.

The firm was granted a €30,000 subsidy for the project under a grant scheme for circular economy promotion, sustainable waste management and job creation.

Balearic Islands Environment councillor Miquel Mir visited the Mallorca factory this

week and highlighted the importance of this kind of pioneering projects “to give a new use to solid urban waste”.

“It is vital to show that circular economy can also be diversified through investigation, a key tool to attain more sustainable and respectful processes with the planet,” Sr Mir added.

The paving stone trial is one of 14 projects so far to be included in the regional government grant scheme focusing on reuse, recycling, composting and waste management.

Proposals for the subsidies can be filed at residus.caib.es until April 23.

Hotel amenity ban

HOTELS in the Balearic Islands are now banned from offering free amenities for guests.

Under the new tourism law, establishments can no longer offer guests free toothbrushes, disposable razors, shower caps or small pots of soap or shampoo.

The aim of the ban is to cut down on single­use plastics, with hoteliers now required to find environmentally friendly alternatives.

In addition, the move will help reduce the workload of chambermaids, or ‘kellys’ are they are known in Spain, by making their trollies lighter to

push and no longer having to replace them in every room or tidy them up.

But the restriction does not only affect toiletries, as all types of welcome amenities are now banned including small bottles of water or other drinks, complementary chocolates and sweets, coffee capsules, pens and paper, and so on.

It is only one of many points included in the Circularity and Sustainability in Tourism Law, which also features a moratorium on the creation of new hotel and tourist apartment vacancies until further notice.

and hope, and we are grateful for the opportunities to celebrate with our loved ones and neighbours.

We wish you all a happy Easter. May this holiday bring you peace, joy, and renewed hope for the future, and may we continue to come together as a community in the spirit of love and unity.

STORIES IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION

Wetland clean-up

THE Mallorca Preservation Foundation recently took part in a campaign to clean up the s’Estany des Ponts wetland area.

Illegal clampdown

A CLAMPDOWN on illegal tourist lets in Palma is expected to uncover more than 500 cases this month.

Mallorca Island Council and the Balearic Islands University have joined forces to investigate up to 20,000 multi­family properties in the capital to check whether they are being offered for unlicensed holiday rentals. To do so they will use data from adverts on online rental platforms to draw up heat maps to determine the island’s ‘hot points’ and crosscheck the information with the municipal town planning register.

The Council has also employed 20 inspectors to extend checks over afternoons and weekends to detect adverts for unlicensed lets published during these periods.

Last year 237 illegal holiday rentals were discovered in Mallorca, the vast majority of which were in Palma. The plan is to detect between 800 and 1,000 this year. The in­

spectors will reportedly also pose as customers and book holiday rentals at multi­family homes that are not correctly geolocated through online platforms to check for any irregularities. Offering unlicensed holiday lets in multifamily properties is classed as a very serious offence in Palma, with fines ranging from €40,000 to €400,000.

More than 40 volunteers from different ages joined in the effort to restore the site to its former beauty. The wetland had been long neglected and was previously used as a dumping ground, resulting in the accumulation of garbage and debris that threatened the ecosystem of the area. However, with the joint efforts of WWF, Alcudia Town Hall, the Fundación Biodiversidad and recent funding from the EU’s Next Generation funds, the wetlands are slowly but surely recovering. During the clean­up, the Foundation collected over half a tonne of rubbish and more than 200 glass bottles from the area. “We witnessed firsthand the impact small actions have on the environment,” said a Foundation spokesperson.

TOURIST LETS: Inspectors are checking out Palma properties.

Hotel buyup scheme plan New ‘wage’ for domestic workers

THE Spanish government has created a new subsidy for domestic workers.

Until recently, housework was never recognised as a job in Spain, with those doing it ­ usually womenunable to claim any benefits or compensation.

But the Spanish executive has introduced a series of changes to labour legislation over the last few months, including enabling domestic workers to request a €500 monthly ‘wage’ for up to 11 months.

The aim of the grant is to support domestic workers who are unable to combine housework with regular employment, therefore the conditions to be awarded the so­called Active Insertion Income (Renta de Inserción Activa, or RIA) are very strict.

These include not having received the RIA previously, the average income of all members of the household aged under 26 and the applicant’s income must not be higher than 75 per cent of the national minimum

wage of €1,080, the applicant must be on the dole, and it is not available to people over 65.

To request the RIA it is necessary to make an appointment with the SEPE employment office either in person or online using a digital certificate or Cl@ve PIN at sede.sepe.gob.es / (available in English).

THE Balearic Islands government has announced plans to invest €16 million to buy ‘obsolete’ hotels in stressed tourist areas and turn them into public housing and green zones.

Regional President Francina Armengol met with representatives of the islands’ tourism and hotel sectors this week to outline the new measure.

The funds will come from the EU’s Next Generation scheme and the project is part of the Spanish government’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.

According to Sra Armengol, the goal is to regenerate a number of “sensitive” tourist areas throughout the Balearic Islands, as new legisla­

FINES for dumping rubbish and large objects in Palma have increased by 20 per cent in recent months.

The Local Police performs regular inspections at common dump sites and reports that increasing numbers of residents and businesses are being caught leaving their rubbish, furniture and other unwanted items outside the proper containers.

Most offences have report­

PROVERB OF THE WEEK

tion obliges the regional authorities to progressively reduce the number of hotel vacancies.

The head of the Govern explained that the measure will only affect one and two­star hotels that “do not add the extra quality we want as a tourist destination”.

It will reportedly fall to establishment owners themselves to approach the regional authorities with offers to sell their properties if they so wish.

The project is expected to take place in areas classed as “mature tourist zones” or “excessive tourist zones”, including Platja de Palma, S’Arenal de Llucmajor, Palmanova, Magaluf, Santa Ponça, Sa Coma and Calvià, among others.

Rubbish fines up

edly been detected at industrial estates as a result of complaints filed by business owners and passers­by.

The fines are usually split half and half between companies and members of the public, with most being minor faults penalised with between €30 and €750.

People found guilty of

these minor infractions can sometimes swap paying the fine for taking part in an awareness course.

Residents are reminded that rubbish bags must always be dumped inside the proper container depending on what type of refuse it is, and that furniture must only be left out on the appointed days.

Originating from a Chinese proverb meaning that however big the task is, it starts with a small step.

Unwanted domestic appliances such as microwaves or fridges must never be dumped in the street and must be taken to the municipal collection points.

DOMESTIC WORKERS: Can now request a monthly wage.

Image by Comaniciu Dan/Shutterstock

“A Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

Sustainable science step No lifeguards over Easter

PALMA’S beaches and municipal swimming pools will not have a lifeguard service over Easter and there are doubts over whether it will be in place ready for the summer.

The reason is a dispute between the company that runs the service, the trades union and the authorities, as the firm refuses to accept the extension of last year’s contract and is even contemplating declaring bankruptcy to avoid having to honour it.

Lifeguards in Palma last year staged a series of protests to demand better wages and working conditions, which culminated in an agreement between the union, the company and the town hall to introduce a series of improvements for this year.

THE Mallorca Preservation Foundation has launched a project to reuse wine bottles as part of its goal to transform the island into a model of sustainable management. The ReWine Mallorca scheme aims to establish a system for collecting, cleaning, and reusing wine bottles, which could revolutionise production and consumption practices.

This initiative has the potential to enable Mallorca to produce and consume up to five million wine bottles annually in a reusable format, thereby saving over two kilos of CO2 per bottle reused.

LIFEGUARDS: Will not be available.

Among them were increasing salaries by 35 per cent, starting the service at Easter, boosting the workforce and creating a new lifeguard tower at Portitxol, among others. However, the changes were included in a new contract that should have been approved already but a series of delays have held things up.

Betty Henderson PALMA is preparing to become a national hub of innovation with the construction of the new Balearic Islands Coastal Observation System (SOCIB) headquarters. The project, which has an incredible budget of €7.5 million, is set to be completed by 2024.

The national Minister of Science and Innovation, Diana Morant, graced the beginning of

Reusing wine bottles

To effectively implement a project aimed at transforming the production, distribution, and consumption chain, it is essential to approach it with dedication and a realistic perspective, taking into account the best solutions for our region.

Building on this initial idea, a collaborative effort has been initiated with various stakeholders, including companies and representatives from the production sector.

“As the Director of Mallorca Preservation, I am thrilled to announce our participation in the Rewine project,” said executive director Ana Riera.

“This innovative initiative serves as an excellent example of how to promote the circular economy by encouraging the reuse of wine bottles. We firmly believe that this approach represents the future of glass packaging and consumption on the island.”

construction on Friday, March 24 by laying of the building’s foundation stone. Morant laid various symbolic items in the foundation stone, including a book on the first decade of SOCIB and samples of water, sand, and local currency.

The ceremony to mark the beginning of the project was also attended by the President of the Government, Francina Armengol, and the Director of SOCIB, Joaquim Tintoré. Tintoré hailed SOCIB and the Balearic Islands

as leaders in sustainable scientific work and international marine research.

The new SOCIB headquarters will be located in a prime spot in Palma, and Mayor José Hila believes it will aid in combatting climate change while expanding the economy through research.

The Balearic government and the Ministry also approved a new agreement to increase their joint contribution to SOCIB to an impressive €9.3 million each year.

Image by Joserpizarro/Shutterstock

The national Minister for Science and Innovation, Diana Morant Ripoll places the first stone in Mallorca’s new headquarters.

Photo credit: Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (via Facebook)

Renfe free passes on sale New nursing home reforms

THE more than 7,000 deaths registered in residential centres for the elderly in the Community of Madrid during the pandemic has led to reforms which were made public on Friday March 31, according to a news source.

In specific cases, problems with catering, with cleaning of the buildings or with attention to the inmates may have contributed to this situation.

The new regulation will affect both public management centres as well as private ones that arrange places with the regional Administration. All of them must follow the new guidelines based on reducing the number of elderly per centre, and seeking more rigorous and individualised care.

The three main reforms are that centres for the elderly that have more than 50 places, whether new or already in operation, must organise at least 33 per cent of

the space in living units that do not exceed 25 guests. This allows more attention to be given to residents in more intimate and reduced spaces.

Also, the ratio of direct care workers will be 0.45, that is, 45 for every 100 older persons in those with more than 50 jobs. And, the residences that are built after 2024 may not have more than 150 beds and, at least, 50 per cent of the guests must have a single room.

RENFE users can now obtain the free travel cards for Cercanias, Rodalies, and Media Distancia. They will be available for travel between May 1 and August 31, 2023.

After the government approved the extension of the free travel passes during 2023 for recurrent passengers, Renfe is now offering users specific multi­journey tickets valid for each four­month period of the year.

Season tickets can be purchased via the Renfe Cercanias app. In the case of Media

Distancia, season tickets are obtainable via www.renfe. com and the usual sales channels. For Avant rail services, the 50 per cent discount on season tickets is maintained.

The Cercanias app allows the purchase of Cercanias and Rodalies recurrent season tickets by generating a QR code that can be downloaded to a mobile phone and subse

First female president?

YOLANDA DIAZ, Spain’s popular Labour Minister, announced on Sunday April 2 that she wants to be the first female president of Spain, at the official launch of her election bid leading the new political movement, ‘Sumar’.

In July 2022 Díaz launched the new political movement called Sumar (meaning ‘to add’) which she hopes will eventually include all parties to the left of Sánchez’s socialists.

In a crowded sports centre in the heart of Madrid with more than 3,000 people inside and another 2,000 who saw her speech through external screens, Diaz presented her project, defined as a

new ‘bill of rights’ and a democratic, economic and social ‘con tract’ for the Spain of the ‘next decade’.

“Today I am going to take a step forward, I want to be the first president of Spain. Because it is the time of women, because we women want to be the protagonists of history,” the leader of Sumar announced in a speech where she said she was “tired of guardianships.”

quently used at station access control.

To purchase the season ticket, although it is free, a deposit of €10 is required for Cercanias and Rodalies, and €20 for each conventional Media Distancia service.

Payment by credit card will allow the deposit to be automatically refunded, once the condition of having made 16 journeys during the four months has been confirmed.

Largely unknown three years ago, 51­year­old Díaz moved under the political spotlight in January 2020 when she entered the government as a representative of Podemos. Diaz presented her project.

Photo credit shutterstock

Forest fires ravage Asturias

Abnormal temps

AEMET in Spain has forecasted abnormally warm weather for the Easter week along with much lesser rainfall than usual.

According to the European Centre for MediumRange Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), “Unusual warm temperatures for this time of year will prevail in the centre and south of the Peninsula.

particularly warm.

Aside from this, the Balearic Islands will also experience high temperatures.

However, temperatures will drop again in the north of the peninsula. Rainfall is expected, but Easter Week in most of Spain will not see much of it.

THE Military Emergency Unit (UME) of Spain

joined the effort to extinguish more than 60 simultaneous forest fires that are raging across Asturias.

According to official reports on Wednesday, March 29, many of the fires were small in size and in areas of scrubland, but others pose a much greater risk and resulted in people having to flee their houses.

The condition was

made much worse due to the bad weather conditions, which resulted in strong gusts of winds and high temperatures of up to 29 degrees Celsius.

This, as per a news source, has resulted in the Asturian government requesting the intervention of UME. This has also been done to raise the level of emergency to phase two.

Local reports stated that more than 500 peo­

ple are working to extinguish the fires including Firefighters of Asturias, the Brigade of Reinforcement of Forest Fires (BRIF) of Tineo, personnel of forest companies, the guard of the natural environment, as well as personnel specialised in investigation origin of the fires. Meanwhile, high­velocity wind in some areas prevented the fire­fighting work and defensive work was carried out.

“However, thermometers are expected to drop compared to previous days on Friday and Saturday,” the statement added.

The temperatures in the south, east, and centre of the Spanish peninsula, as well as the Canary Islands, will be

AEMET also states that the temperatures are expected to be above 20 degrees Celsius in the central and southern regions of the Iberian Peninsula during Easter Week.

Snow is also expected from Saturday onwards in the Pyrenees.

AEMET warns that the

The weather has been unseasonably warm.

“Weather conditions can change and forecasts are not definitive due to the variable nature of the spring season.”

It added, “So uncertainty will never cease to be present in terms of the weather.”

National Police officer killed

JORDI DUART OLMOS , a 27­year­old National Police officer from Valencia, who

was still in training, died on Saturday, April 1 in Madrid.

According to police

sources, his motorbike was involved in a collision with a Samur ­ Proteccion Civil ICU ambulance that was driving in the wrong direction in the Retiro district of the capital city.

The young policeman was stationed in the Usera district of Madrid and was on his way to work when the crash happened. The incident took place at around 7:30am, at the junction of Avenida Ciudad de Barcelona and Calle Cafeto.

The young man died on the spot, according to a spokeswoman for Emergencias Madrid.

Madrid Municipal Police are carrying out an investigation into the circumstances of the accident. The driver of the ambulance, a 46 ­ year ­ old man, was arrested on suspicion of reckless murder.

76% of people in the UK associate Easter with chocolate eggs.

FOREST FIRES: More than 60 have started in the region.

Girl injured after bus accident Rare dragon

A 13-YEAR-OLD girl was transferred to the Virgen de la Arrixaca hospital after being hit by the bus on the Gran Vía Escultor Francisco

Salzillo , in the municipality of Murcia .

The event occurred around 7.58pm on Tuesday March 28, when the ‘1­1­2’ Emergency Coordination Centre in the Region of Murcia received a number of calls reporting the accident.

A Local Police patrol, a Mobile Emergency Unit of the Emergency and Emergency Management ‘061’, travelled to the scene. The girl was treated “in situ” and then taken by ambulance to hospital where she remained for treatment.

New chapter

Betty Henderson

PEDRO SÁNCHEZ is making waves in China! The Spanish president arrived in the global superpower on Wednesday, March 29 where he participated in the opening of the Boao Economic Forum, also known as the ‘Chinese Davos’.

During his trip, he had the opportunity to meet with the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, as well as other key national figures including the Chinese Prime Minister, the President of the National People’s Assembly, and Chinese tour operators who work in the Spanish tourism market.

Sánchez talked about a variety of topics during his visit, including the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and the economic ties between Spain and China.

However, the Spanish government carefully

avoided several sensitive topics including bans on technology companies Huawei and TikTok that several other countries have imposed due to concerns about potential espionage activities.

Despite controversies over technology and China’s international policy, Sánchez has remained op­

timistic about the future of economic cooperation between Spain and China. During his visit, he emphasised the importance of continued collaboration between the countries.

Sánchez visited the country as a national representative rather than an EU delegate.

A SPANISH zoo successfully bred five baby Komodo dragons for the first time in 10 years. The species, known as the largest surviving land lizard in the world, is now considered endangered, which makes their hatch in the institute ‘very important’.

“There are approximately 1,500 specimens left in the wild which is why the species maintenance and reproduction in animal institutions is so important,” said Milagros Robledo, Head of Herpetology Department at Bioparc Zoo in Fuengirola, Spain.

Scientists took 12 eggs after they were laid, five eggs were selected for incubation. It took eight months for the lizards to hatch.

“Komodo dragons are difficult to breed for a number of reasons,” said Jesus Recuero, Technical Director and veterinarian.

Taking a shot

Betty Henderson

GLOBAL drinks giant Coca­Cola is shaking up the drinks market yet again with its latest venture into the world of alcoholic drinks. The brand announced the development of a mixed drink, combining its famous cola drink with Jack Daniel’s whiskey on Friday, March 31.

The iconic brand made its first foray into the Spanish market with the launch of Topo Chico, a refreshing, fermented beverage with an alcoholic twist that didn’t quite take off. However, the brand has not been put off, and is set to launch its Jack Daniels collaboration in the coming weeks.

The exciting collaboration was made possible by an agreement last year. The drink will come in a regular 330 millilitre can with both brands’ logos and an alcohol content of 7 per cent.

The Spanish president, Pedro Sánchez was welcomed to China on Wednesday, March 27 for a long-awaited summit between the two countries.

Photo credit: Pedro Sánchez (via Instagram)

THE Mostra de Cuines de Calvia is back and promises to be bigger and better than ever! This highly-anticipated culinary event, organised by the Calvia Foundation, is a celebration of the diverse and delicious cuisine of Calvia. Taking place over the four weekends in April, this food extravaganza offers foodies and gastronomes a chance to indulge in the finest dishes from some of the best restaurants in the region.

With over 30 participating restaurants spread across four zones in the city, the Mostra de Cuines de Calvia

Culinary extravaganza

promises something for everyone. Each zone showcases different areas of Calvia, so visitors can explore the town’s culinary delights as they hop from one restaurant to the next. And with affordable prices, it’s an unmissable event for food lovers.

The event begins on Friday, April 7 in in Zone 1, which covers El Toro, Son Ferrer, and Peguera. These towns are known for their beautiful beaches and stunning views,

making it the perfect place to kickstart the culinary event. Each participating restaurant will offer a ‘Mostra’ tasting menu, featuring a starter, main course, dessert, and a drink. There will also be special menus for children, vege-

Cruisin’ round

tarians, and those with celiac disease.

The event heads to Portals Nous and Son Caliu the following weekend, before Magaluf and Palmanova in week three and Santa Ponça for week four.

Concert for a cause

WARM up your engines for an exciting day of adventure and camaraderie at Mallorca Classic Car Club’s Happy Days Rally set to take place on Sunday, April 30. Alongside the popular rally, the club is also holding their AGM, a perfect opportunity for car-loving residents to get more involved with the group.

The event promises to be an adrenaline-fuelled experience that will leave attendees with unforgettable memories. The course is being organised by the club’s skilled Helen Pitt.

tainous climbs.

After a morning of chasing incredible views around the island, drivers head to some of the best food spots in Mallorca to refuel before hitting the road again.

The Happy Days Rally will be followed by the AGM, where attendees can share their experiences and ideas for future events.

A WHOLE host of talented performers are set to take to the stage at Trui Teatre for a spectacular charity concert in aid of Mallorca Sense Fam on Friday, April 28. The audience can expect an electrifying evening of musical entertainment from the talented Banda Municipal de Música de Palma, SimfoVents and an exceptional trumpet player from Porreres, Bernat X. Xamena Vidal.

The concert will feature some of the most stunning compositions from Bernat’s latest album ‘Somni d’una trompeta’, with the added bonus of several masterpieces from the two directors of the show, musician Joan Martorell and jazz trumpeter Pascual Piqueras.

This is a rare chance to witness some of the most exceptional musicians in Palma, as they come together for a great cause. Mallorca Sense Fam is a local charity organisation in the Balearic Islands that provides food and other essential items to those in need and vulnerable people living in poverty. All funds raised from the concert will be donated to this worthy cause.

All music fans are invited to the Trui Teatre in Palma to be swept away by captivating performances by SimfoVents musical collective and Bernat X. Xamena Vidal, while raising money for a deserving local cause. Tickets are available from the theatre’s box office.

Further details about the rally will be released in the coming weeks but the group’s rallies always cover picturesque stretches of Mallorca’s iconic coastline and often include moun-

Club members can expect to receive an email with all the information they need to make the most of the day. Anyone wishing to become a member or get involved with the rally can check out the club’s website for the latest updates: https://ccc-mallor ca.com/events/happydays-rally-agm-sunday30th-april-2023/

Street Food Festival

MALLORCA’S Street Food Festival, the island’s most famous gastronomic event, returns this weekend celebrating its 14th birthday. The event takes place in the central square at Port Adriano in Calvià from tomorrow, Friday April 7 until Sunday April 9 and runs every day from 12pm to midnight.

The participating food trucks in this 14th edition have been selected taking into account different aspects such as aesthetics, culinary offer, dedication and experience.

For the little ones, our crazy pirate has landed in Port Adriano offering face painting and tales of her adventures on the high seas every day of the festival from 7pm to 10pm.

Throughout the festival we will also have a selection of background music provided by our DJ team, offering a selection of lively music from all eras. See you at Port Adriano!

SimfoVents is a collective of talented musicians from across Mallorca.

The culinary event promises delicious dishes to cater to many dietary requirements and varied offerings on each of the weekends.

Photo credit: Mostra de Cuines Calvià

Photo credit: SimfoVents Palma

Equine

THE racing world is mourning the death of an equine icon after £4.5 million wonderhorse I’m Thunderstuck was put down following a routine operation.

The passing of the five­year­old multiple Group 1­winning gelding left cotrainer Michael Kent Jr ‘in tears all night’.

I’m Thunderstruck was reported to have injured himself after waking up from an op and putting weight on his knee. That pressure caused multiple fractures and, tragically, meant vets had little choice but to humanely end the horse’s life.

It was described as a ‘simple procedure that went horribly wrong’. I’m Thunderstruck won four of his 19 races and brought in more than £4.5 million in earnings.

His biggest victory was the Group 1 Makybe Stakes at Flemington racecourse in Australia last September, with a prize worth £323,709. Speaking of the devastating loss, Kent Jr said: “My fiancee Ally and I have been in tears all night.

“We always said we’d love to have him back at our farm when he was finished and we’ll still keep that promise. “If the owners are OK, we’ll find a nice spot to bury him.”

Russian players return

IN April 2022 Wimbledon banned players from Russia and Belarus following the Ukraine invasion but has made the decision to allow players from these countries to compete in this summer’s tournament.

All England Club

chairman Ian Hewitt said this decision was being taken reluctantly and under pressure from the rest of the sport which has chosen to stay away from bans.

In a statement according to a news source: “We continue

to condemn totally Russia’s illegal invasion and our wholehearted support remains with the people of Ukraine.

“This was an incredibly difficult decision, not taken lightly or without a great deal of consideration for those who will be impacted.

“It is our view that, considering all factors, these are the most appropriate arrangements for the Championships for this year.

“If circumstances change materially between now and the commencement of the Championships, we

60 pairs of glasses

A MAN in the UK mistakenly ordered 60 pairs of reading glasses after believing he ordered 10 or 12.

Chris Arnold posted an image of his dad on social media with the stacks of boxes of glasses on the sofa next to him. His post has “gone viral” on Twitter and accumulated over two million views in the past few days.

Tom Arnold, from Perran ­

porth, Cornwall, thought he had ordered 10 or 12 pairs of reading glasses but was surprised to see the amount that he received.

Speaking on BBC's Anita Rani sits in, Tom was asked how he managed to buy so many pairs, and he replied: “I meant to buy 10.

“My wife and I often lose our reading glasses, so we buy a few and just leave them around

the house and I accidentally clicked on 12 sets of five, so that was 60.”

Asked if he was wearing his glasses when putting the order in online, Tom replied: “Well, I thought I did, but trying to remember back, I might not have had them on.”

Tom said he’s having a good laugh about it and that he plans to keep 10 and return the other 50.

will consider and respond accordingly.”

The move comes under the heavy threat of further fines and sanctions from the two tours, which was described as ‘a very disappointing reaction’ by the All England Club.

The British game found itself isolated within the tennis fraternity over the decision to bar them from competing a year ago.

33.1ºc is the highest ever temperature recorded in Malaga in April.

Betty Henderson

KING CHARLES III arrived in Germany on Wednesday, March 29, ahead of a highly anticipated visit to one of the UK’s closest partners in Europe. The visit was also the monarch’s first official state visit as King due to a cancellation of a scheduled visit to France due to disruption from strikes and protests.

During the three­day tour, the King delivered a speech partially in German at a lavish state banquet on his first night. During the speech, King Charles also paid tribute to Germany’s “extraordinary hospitality” towards Ukrainian refugees, who have ar­

Meat the end Strengthening ties

and the fight against climate change, a topic he is passionate about.

Guests at the event, including the country’s former leader, Angela Merkel, enjoyed the speech which also had a sprinkling of jokes throughout. The King was joined by his wife, the Queen Consort, Camilla.

rived in the country after being displaced due to the ongoing conflict with Russia. He

also emphasised the countries’ shared commitment to protecting democratic values

British officials are hoping that the King’s visit will smooth over relations between the two nations following the UK’s 2016 decision to leave the European Union.

Fire-starter behind bars

A FRENCH court sentenced a Rwandan man to four years in prison for starting the 2020 fire in Nantes Cathedral. Emmanuel Abayisenga was judged to be guilty on Thursday, March 30 for starting the blaze which severely damaged

the Gothic cathedral. Despite finding that Abayisenga was not mentally sound at the time of the fire, a judge ruled that he will face prison time for his actions, and will also be banned from the region for five years.

The man was a volunteer at the Saint Peter and Saint Paul’s Cathedral in the city, and prosecutors alleged that he set fire to the building knowingly due to “huge anger and a feeling of revenge linked to his own administrative situation.”

LAB ­ GROWN meat has been a suggestion for many years now, but Italian officials say that meat grown in laboratories and other synthetic foods will not be allowed in their country. Members of the Italian parliament proposed a bill on Wednesday, March 29 to prohibit synthetic foods being produced or sold.

The proposed legislation would impose fines of up to €60,000 for violations of the ban. The move by the right­wing Italian government has been designed to protect the country’s rich food heritage as well as and promote consumer health.

Francesco Lollobrigida, head of the rebranded Ministry for Agriculture and Food ‘Sovereignty’, spoke of the importance of Italy’s culinary traditions while advocating for the bill to pass. The country’s

Australia in 4 hours

NEW hydrogen engine technology being developed by Destinus could allow an aircraft to fly from Europe to Australia in only 4 hours and 15 minutes.

CDTI, the Spanish Centre for Technological Development and Innovation, has selected

farmers’ lobby also supports the bill, while some animal welfare groups have criticised the decision.

In other parts of the world, synthetic food is becoming closer. Last year, Singapore gave regulatory approval for lab ­ grown chicken meat to be used in nuggets, while the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared cell­cultured chicken for human consumption. However, the European Food Safety Authority has not yet received any applications.

Destinus for its Aeronautical Tech nology Plan (PTA) project.

The company has received €12 million to develop the first hydrogen­powered aircraft engine and promote the development of supersonic hydrogen­fuelled flights.

DESTINUS: Already has two hydrogen prototypes.

The money given for the research and development of the engine comes from the European Commission’s Next Generation funds for the Spanish government, as reported on Thursday, March 30, by a news source.

Destinus already has two hydrogen prototypesJungfrau and Eiger ­ and is currently working on a gas turbine equipped with a hydrogen afterburner to be tested before the middle of this year.

Specifically, the aid from the Spanish government will be used for the design and construction of a test bench for engines with hydrogen as fuel.

With current planes, the journey from Europe to Australia takes approximately 20 hours.

King Charles III smiles alongside wife Queen Consort Camilla and German President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife.

Scientist tastes world’s first lab-grown burger. Photo credit: The Royal Family (via Facebook)

Nantes Cathedral.

Photo credit: Eusebius (Guillaume Piolle) / Wikimedia Commons

PRESS EUROPEAN

DENMARK

Levelled off

DENMARK’S cannabis sales fell in 2022 after five years of growth, health authority figures revealed. Sales grew from approximately 30.8 million Danish kroner (€4.12 million) in 2018 to 64.3 million kroner (€8.63 million) in 2021, before falling to 62.5 million kroner (€8.4 million) last year.

THE NETHERLANDS

IT items

DUTCH companies spent €2.5 billion on telecommunications and computer services from India last year, according to Statistics Netherlands (CBS). This accounted for more than 10 per cent of total spending in this sector and made India the country’s fourth-largest supplier after the US, the UK and Ireland.

BELGIUM

In a trap

BELGIUM’S Westmalle beer made by Trappist monks is under threat as all authentic Trappist products must be made inside an abbey and supervised by monks and nuns. Westmalle’s secular director Philippe Van Assche admitted that he doubted whether people would seek to become monks in 10 or 20 years’ time.

GERMANY

Early settlers

ARCHAEOLOGISTS found a large settlement from the early Neolithic era near DobelnGartitz (Saxony) covering an area of more than 10 hectares. The site, which contained dozens of houses, the largest of which was 30 metres long and eight metres wide, was clearly occupied for several hundred years.

FRANCE

Waste not

FRANCE’S president Emmanuel Macron wants to introduce a new pricing system for water that would encourage responsible and penalise waste. The plan is included in national efforts to cut down on water consumption, improve water management and combat the effects of climate change.

NORWAY

Good egg

NORWAY seeks an exemption to European rules on shelf-life for eggs, citing its good salmonella record. A recent directive stipulated 28 days between the date that eggs are laid and consumed, but Norway, which belongs to the European Economic Area (EEA), wants to continue its 35-day system.

FINLAND

Nickel project

BLUEJAY MINING began a short follow-up programme in Enonkoski (Finland) as the London-based company in partnership with Rio Tinto seek nickel-bearing ore. Bluejay explained that their objective is to test the geological model, following “encouraging” results from explorations earlier this year.

IRELAND

Welcome home

BALLINA (Eire) is anxious to greet President Joe Biden when he visits Ireland this month. The small market town, known for salmon fishing, considers Biden a native son as his great-great-great grandfather Edward Blewitt was born there before emigrating to Scranton, Pennsylvania, to escape the 1840’s famine.

ITALY

Hats off!

LEGENDARY Italian brand Borsalino is back in business again after it was driven into bankruptcy in 2017. Philippe Camperio, a French-Italian financier has put it back on its feet and revived sales of the fedoras worn by Humphrey Bogart and Michael Jackson while retaining traditional manufacturing techniques.

PORTUGAL

Gas cash

PORTUGAL intends to auction the rights to sell hydrogen for injection into the national gas grid. Galp Energia will buy the hydrogen mixed with natural gas from producers and resell it to meet demand, a system aimed at boosting investment in production by giving suppliers a guaranteed buyer.

UKRAINE

Staying put

MONKS refused to leave the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery, Ukraine’s most revered Orthodox site which is the property of the government, after the deadline to vacate the complex expired. They belong to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which has long been accused of links to Russia.

SWEDEN

False alarm

POWDER enclosed in letters sent to 18 county councils in Sweden was harmless, police said. According to Swedish media reports, employees were evacuated in some places and at least two taken to hospital after the letters arrived although analysis later showed that the powder was not dangerous.

STAT OF WEEK €5.5 billion

will be paid out in dividends to BBVA, CaixaBank and Inditex shareholders in April and May, following record years and profits for both banks and the fashion retail giant.

BUSINESS EXTRA Charged up FINANCE

Booted out

BOOTS could be sold or floated by late 2023 as its US parent company is pressured into breaking up the global pharmacy giant. Owned by the Retail Pharmacy International Division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, its investors and board members want to speed up plans to refocus the business on the US.

Bank ranks

IBERCAJA and Caixabank have higher liquidity ratios (LCRs) than other Spanish banks, management consultants Alvarez & Marsal found. Spain’s banks all exceed EU requirements but Ibercaja’s 306 per cent ratio and Caixabank’s 284.2 per cent mean they have reserves for three months and 2.8 months respectively.

Meters matter

ENERGY companies in the UK used warrants to install 94,000 prepayment meters in 2022, with Scottish Power and British Gas ordering most. The government has now agreed with suppliers to halt forced installations amid concerns that rules to protect vulnerable households were not complied with.

Lucky middle

SPANISH salaries grew in 2022 in all categories, although rises were below the inflation rate of more than 8 per cent. Middle management posts benefited most with an average increase of 6 per cent, compared with 3.4 per cent for executives and 3.71 per cent for employees.

Factory closes

MORE than 100 workers lost their jobs after Kettle Interiors, a Corby (Northamptonshire) furniture business went into administration. The administrator cited “economic challenges” including increasing freight costs for the familyrun firm which sold furniture under different brand names to UK and European retailers.

Next step for Cath Kidston

Linda Hall

NEXT has bought the Cath Kidston brand name for £8.5 million (€9.6 million) after the British retailer fell into administration for the second time in two years.

Cath Kidston, which once had 60 stores in the UK as well as worldwide franchise outlets, was bought by restructuring experts Hilco in July 2020 but put on the market again earlier this year.

Approximately 125 jobs could be lost as PricewaterhouseCoopers’ administrators prepare to close Cath Kidston stores in London, Ashford (Kent), Cheshire Oaks and York once their stock has been sold off.

The Cath Kidston website is also be­

ing licensed back to the administrators for 12 weeks.

Acquiring the vintage­inspired name is Next’s latest step in adding to its brand portfolio, which includes distribution rights to the US chains Gap and Victoria’s Secret in the UK.

Joules and the online furnishings specialists Made.com were also brought out of administration by Next

as the company helps ailing brands maintain a presence in the UK. Next is also using some of these well­known names to fill spaces in high street stores while reaching to a wider audience.

Next anticipates increasing prices more slowly over the next 12 months after better­than­expected annual profits. The retailer saw annual pre­tax profit increase by 5.7 per cent to £870.4 million (€990.1 million) in January, which was higher than the forecast £860 million (€978.2m). Full­price sales rose by 6.9 per cent year­on­year. The group, which raised prices to counteract higher costs, said price inflation was likely to be more benign than previously predicted.

Fishing for investment

ABANCA which owns 97 per cent of Nueva Pescanova,

synonymous with frozen fish in Spain, is reportedly looking for a business partner or a potential sale.

Based in Redondela (Pontevedra) Nueva Pescanova operates in 17 countries on five continents, selling its products in more than 80 countries.

Formerly known as Pescanova, which still appears on retail products, the original company collapsed and was refunded in 2015.

Kind gesture

HSBC is the first UK bank to delay closing a town’s only remaining branch until alternative arrangements are in place.

Banks agreed last year to fund hubs where all branches were closed and the cash machine network Link ­ which connects practically all the country’s ATMs ­ decided that a hub was needed to ensure continued access to cash.

Launching hubs has been slow, taking a year on average owing to difficulties in finding sites. This prompted HSBC to announce that it would suspend closures in Oakham (Rutland) Ripley (Derbyshire) and Colwyn Bay (Conwy) until cash deposit services were established.

Canadian seafood combine Cooke Inc was said to be in negotiations to buy a majority stake in the company in late February. It now has competition from US company Red Chamber

Group, which entered negotiations with Abanca in midMarch according to the Spanish digital newspaper, El Confidencial.

The deadline for paying a €150 million debt to Sabadell, Caixabank and Santander loomed at the same time although Nueva Pescanova announced beforehand that this would be paid “with total normality and full financial independence.”

Nueva Pescanova had total sales of €1.08 billion in the financial year that ended in

Essex freeport

DP WORLD, which owns P&O Ferries, will participate in the Thames Freeport in Essex.

Included in Rishi Sunak’s ports scheme, it will be co­run by DP World, car manufacturer Ford and Forth Ports, with a £25 million (€28.4 million) allocation in government funding. This will go to local authorities, as the government tries to attract another £4.6 billion (€5.2 billion) in public and private investment.

The port is expected to generate more than 21,000 direct and indirect jobs.

DP World dismissed 800 P&O employees without giving them notice in March 2022, replacing them with foreign agency workers paid less than the minimum wage.

The government said at the time that the employees’ treatment was “wholly unacceptable” and two months later cancelled a P&O Ferries contract in response to the sackings.

LOWER energy prices in the UK now mean that the cost of ultra ­ rapid charging for an electric vehicle costs less per mile than filling up with petrol.

The Electric Vehicle Recharge Report published by the Automobile Association found that drivers could save 8p (24 cents) per kilowatt by charging during off ­ peak hours, but emphasised that savings were made only when plugging in at the right time.

Electric vehicle charging was ‘brilliant value for money’ compared to filling up with petrol and diesel, the report said, but warned that different operators had different off ­ peak times, with some available only after 8pm.

March 2022, doubling its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (Ebitda) to €80 million compared with its €39.5 million results in 2020.

Despite these buoyant figures, the La Voz de Galicia predicted that the next fiscal year was likely to be “well below” the 2021 result.

Meanwhile, referring to negotiations with Cooke Inc and Red Chamber Group, Nueva Pescanova’s CEO Ignacio Gonzalez said Nueva Pescanova was not for sale.

Up goes Ale-Hop

GIFT shop chain Ale ­ Hop had a 2022 turnover of €170 million, 70 per cent more than in 2021.

Instantly recognisable because of the trademark black ­ andwhite cow outside the shops, Ale ­ Hop was boosted by increased post­pandemic sales but also expansion plans resulting in 48 new shops during the last financial year.

The company could meet the cost of the 2022 openings as a result of its policy of zero debt and reinvesting profits, said AleHop’s director general, Dario Grimalt.

The company, which now has more than 280 shops in Spain, Portugal, Croatia and Mexico, hopes to increase this to 300 by the end of this year.

Selling brand

RECKITT BENCKISER is selling its Spanish detergents division.

Headquartered in Britain, the €50 billion multinational which owns Durex condoms, Strepsils throat lozenges and Air Wick amongst other brands, will divest itself of Colon detergent and Flor fabric conditioner, two household names in Spain. It acquired both in the 1990s from the Catalan company Camp Hermanos, after fighting off Procter & Gamble in a bidding war, paying more than six billion pesetas (approximately €36 million) at the time.

Now, 30 years later, Reckitt Benckiser expects to sell for around €200 million.

Cutting salary

FLORENTINO PEREZ, president of construction, concessions and services company ACS, has forgone €1.5 million of his salary over the last two years. Owing to the economic slowdown during the pandemic he waived 30 per cent of the variable compensation added to his basic salary at the end of 2021, reducing this from €3.4 to €2.4 million owing to “exceptional circumstances”.

The Real Madrid president waived another €500,000 in 2022 after explaining that despite ACS’s good results, the group had not yet returned to pre­pandemic levels.

QUIRKY DESIGNS: Next has acquired the Cath Kidston brand.

IGNACIO GONZALEZ: CEO of Nueva Pescanova insists that the company is not for sale.

Photo credit: Cath Kidston

Photo credit: nuevapescanova.com

LONDON - FTSE 100

Asda compromise

ASDA is prepared to sell 13 petrol stations with adjoining grocery stores to allay competition concerns over its £600 million (€680.5 million) acquisition of the Co ­ op petrol forecourts. The response came in the wake of a Competitions and Market Authority’s warning made two weeks ago.

Pricey billets

A NEW luxury hotel, JW Marriott, has opened on Madrid’s Golden Mile in front of Four Seasons and the Canalejas Shopping Centre. “Expensive hotels are here to stay,” said AC Hotels president Antonio Catalan during the inauguration. “Tourism has more than enough clients but insufficient prices.”

Vauxhall plans

LUTON BOROUGH COUNCIL has approved plans to turn the site of the former Vauxhall engineering and styling centre into warehouses.

The manufacturer announced the end of Luton car production with the loss of 2,000 jobs in December 2000. The company, now owned by General Motors, blamed the decision on “rapidly changing European market conditions” and “over­capacity.”

Development company Prologis UK explained to a re­

Mango joins organisation

SPAIN’S Confederation of Business Organisations (CEOE) announced that fashion chain Mango has joined the organisation as an associate company.

The move follows the recent incorporation of Spain’s Retail Textile Association (ARTE), to which Mango and other leading clothing chains already belong.

Mango is the second big textile firm to join the CEOE in its own right after Zara owner, Inditex.

Toni Ruiz, Mango’s CEO explained that the incorporation would enable the firm both to put across its business vision and give greater visibility to the one the country’s outstanding brands.

Royal Mail impasse

cent council committee meeting they could boost the local economy with 450 jobs by creating 34,250 square metres of flexible industrial and logistics floorspace at the 18­acre Griffin House site in Osborne Road.

The hybrid plans will first require a favourable response from the Environment Agency.

A restored river channel will be running through the site with a wildflower meadow on one side and pedestrian and cycle access path on the other.

“We have worked hard to open up and celebrate the River Lea as a key feature by providing a linear park through the centre of the site,” Caroline Musker, UK head of planning at Prologis, said.

“This represents a £30 million (€34 million) investment in construction,” she revealed.

AS long ­ running talks between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) threatened to collapse, another strike looked inevitable.

The postal service, already losing more than a daily £1 million (€1.13 million), is projected to lose more than £350 million (€397.5 million) during the financial year that ends in April.

The board of the 507­yearold company has met in London, trying to find a solution, but warned that further walkouts could eventually see it put into administration.

The board regards the bombshell move to declare Royal Mail insolvent as a last resort, but the drastic measure has already been raised with the CWU.

Hopes of a deal have gradually faded, as obstacles not only include disagreements over pay but also changes to working practices, which Royal Mail maintains are interdependent.

LUTON: Council gives permission to develop former Vauxhall plant.

Photo credit: Flickr/Doyle of London

Euro

EUR/GBP: Unchanged at £0.88

EUR/USD: Down from $1.06 to $1.09

The euro witnessed some dramatic swings over the past month as a crisis in Europe’s banking sector infused volatility into the single currency.

At the start of March the euro was supported by European Central Bank (ECB) interest rate expectations, in response to stronger-than-expected inflation releases from France, Spain and Germany. EUR exchange rates then nosedived in mid-March after a 30% plunge in shares at Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse triggered a wider selloff across the European banking sector.

However, the euro was quick to bounce back. The ECB’s decision to press ahead with a 50bps rate hike helped the single currency to find its feet, before EUR surge after UBS’s acquisition of Credit Suisse stabilised European bank shares.

Going forward, EUR investors are

BUSINESS EXTRA

English fizz

TENTERDEN (Kent) winemaker Chapel Down had record sales of “traditional method” sparkling wine last year, selling 790,000 bottles, up from 522,000 in 2021. Revenue rose 53 per cent to £9.6 million (€10.9 million), offsetting a 45 per cent drop in still wine sales owing to a poor harvest.

Share shareout

FOLLOWING its 2022 results, Naturgy, formerly Gas Natural Fenos, is paying a dividend of €1.2 per share, of which 70 cents was paid out in August and November with the rest due this April. Naturgy will maintain the same dividend level next year, company president Francisco Reynes announced.

Currency outlook: Euro rocked by European banking crisis, Fluctuating Fed bets infuse volatility in US dollar

likely to keep a close eye on the European banking sector. Assuming no more hiccups emerge, the euro may be able to resume its positive trajectory.

Pound

GBP/EUR: Unchanged at €1.12

GBP/USD: Up from $1.20 to $1.23

The pound was initially buoyed as we entered March. Sterling sentiment strengthened as stronger-thanexpected UK PMIs boosted Bank of England (BoE) rate hike expectations.

This upside was reinforced by the announcement of a UK-EU deal to resolve the dispute over the controversial Northern Ireland protocol.

However, these gains were also immediately reversed following comments from BoE Governor Andrew Bailey, in which he suggested UK interest rates may have already peaked. Fears of potential policy divergence between the BoE and Federal Reserve then plunged the GBP/USD exchange to a threemonth low. Before a surprisingly

IN MARCH: The euro was supported by the ECB interest rate expectations.

strong rebound in UK GDP at the start of 2023 helped Sterling to rebound. After fluctuating amid the banking sector jitters, the pound then firmed following the BoE’s March policy meeting after the bank proved more hawkish than expected.

Looking ahead, if UK inflation indicators remain elevated it may boost expectations for additional BoE rate hikes and help to underpin the pound in the coming month.

US Dollar USD/GBP: Down from $0.82 to

$0.81

USD/EUR: Down from €0.93 to €0.91

The past month has been a rollercoaster ride for the US dollar. This started with a softening of the ‘greenback’ amid a bullish market mood in early March.

USD exchange rates then raced to multi-month highs after Fed Chair Jerome Powell stunned markets with a particularly hawkish testimony before Congress. Catapulting USD exchange rates higher as investors be-

Biggest contract ever

IBERDROLA formalised one of its largest-ever contracts on Tuesday March 28.

The Spanish multinational’s subsidiary Scottish Power, one of the UK’s largest green energy developers, formalised a £1.3 billion (€1.48 billion) contract with Siemens Gamesa for 95 wind turbines for the East Anglia Three project.

The offshore windfarm, the world’s second-biggest, will be constructed in the southern North Sea, 69 kilometres off Great Yarmouth in Norfolk.

Iberdrola president Ignacio Galan visited 10 Downing Street where he met the PM Rishi Sunak and Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Energy Security.

“The scale and ambition of this investment will support the UK’s commitment to net zero and energy security,” Galan said. “The East Anglia Three offshore windfarm will bring homegrown green electricity to the grid for 1.3 million homes. And, as part of the East Anglia Hub projects, it will deliver billions of pounds in investment and support thousands of jobs

BIG PROJECT: Iberdrola subsidiary Scottish Power will build world’s second-largest windfarm.

in the East of England and across the UK.

“I am delighted that Scottish Power and Iberdrola are investing in the UK, creating thou-

sands of jobs and crucially helping millions of families keep their homes warm with cheaper, renewable energy,” the Prime Minister said.

Calviño answers back

SPARRING continues between Spain and multinational Ferrovial, which is shifting its headquarters to the Netherlands. Economic Affairs minister Nadia Calviño again insisted that there was nothing to prevent a company from listing on both the Spanish and US stock exchanges, as Ferrovial maintains.

“The National Securities Commission (CNMV) and Stock Exchanges and Markets (BME) analysed this in depth, going to the United States to speak to their American counterparts who identified no differences between Spain and any other country that justified Ferrovial’s reasons for relocating to the Netherlands,” Calviño said.

gan to price in a 50bps hike in March.

However, the US dollar’s gain evaporated almost immediately as the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank reversed these rate hike bets.

The days leading up to the Fed’s March rate decision saw the ‘greenback’ fluctuate wildly as USD investors repeatedly repriced their Fed rate hike expectations.

The Fed ultimately delivered another 25bps hike. But its dovish forward guidance piled pressure on the US dollar and sent USD exchange rates tumbling to a one-month low.

Turning to April the direction of the US dollar may be dependant on the outlook for the global financial system. Further uncertainty, or fears of a recession could see demand for the safe-haven ‘greenback’ strengthen.

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From office to store

EL CORTE INGLES is transferring 2,324 office and administrative staff to its stores.

Last February, Spain’s leading department store chain announced that it would be taking this step to provide more support for its stores and shops “while addressing sales growth and improving customer care and service.”

A statement issued by El Corte Ingles explained that its agreement with the unions was based on maintaining employment and at the same time providing “voluntary severance” for the chain’s longest-serving employees.

Measures include an incentivised redundancy scheme for 630 employees who will be over 59 by June 30 this year, 40 more than was originally announced.

The agreement reached with the unions also improved the exit deal for employees who preferred to leave owing to the “substantial change” in their future roles.

That’s the spirit!

ON taking over as chief executive at Diageo, Debra Crew will be one of the few women at the head of an FTSE 100 company. Before her appointment as chief operating officer in October 2022, Crew was previously president of Diageo North America, overseeing the company’s largest market.

She joined Diageo in 2019 after heading tobacco firm Reynolds American, until it was acquired by British American Tobacco (BAT), having previously spent five years at PepsiCo.

Diageo, which makes Johnnie Walker, Guinness and Baileys and is the world’s biggest spirits manufacturer, employs 28,000 people globally and sells more than 200 brands in more than 180 markets.

DOWNING STREET: Rishi Sunak, Grant Shapps and Ignacio Galan.

Photo credit: Iberdrola

CAN anyone please tell me what is actually occurring on this planet of ours? The whole shebang seems to be teetering on some kind of destabilising precipice, with our so­called leaders stumbling through it all in a complete befuddled daze.

Politicians groping through a tangled jungle of confusion and governmental garbage, getting all their priorities wrong and having no knowledge or way of even vaguely coming to grips with it all. Those, who are laughingly under the impression that they can make a difference, are all rushing around, trying to look important and ultimately reversing up their own backsides. I cannot help but think we are yet again all pawns in some devious plan, set in motion by those who truly run our lives.

Shadowy figures, who walk the secret corridors of those who hold the wealth of the world to their electronic bosoms. These individuals instigate, and even rely on worldwide destabilisation, confusion and chaos to put their own

Good luck all

conniving and self ­ gratifying schemes into operation. Dividing and prospering is their specialty.

Another Leapy rant I hear you say? Well I was accused of plenty of those, when I warned 30 or more years ago that if we didn’t come to terms and sort out the immigration problems, it would be too late and our enemies would be everywhere.

So, don’t dismiss the ol’ boy’s ramblings too flippantly. Look at the state we’re all in. Those who pronounced they were ‘offended’ with Christmas celebrations and preferred ‘Happy Holidays’ have managed to cover the whole of London’s West end with Ramadan lights and paraphernalia during the Christian celebration of Lent!

Most of the dissenters originated in the Middle East. They were welcomed into the country by a caring race of people, willing to share the peace and love instigated by their ancestors, who died in their millions to build a society of citizens that due to order and constructive hard work didn’t have to roam the land or exist in chaos.

I would also like to have been a fly on the wall of Putin’s palace when he met the Chinese PM. China isn’t quite ready to take over the world yet (50 years to go!) and its weapons are at the moment still electronic. The criminal elements of Russia are still fighting with the antiquated abilities of the Second World War, which the Chinese will only use when its enemies have been brought to their knees by electronics and nukes.

I just can’t shake off the feeling that the whole operation is some kind of smoke screen, devised by these hidden manipulators to create some form of new world order which will be beneficial to only them. Islamic leaders in Saudi Arabia don’t seem to be experiencing too much turmoil. They are actually building a whole modern city underground. When it all hits the fan, that’s where the Sheiks and all their oily mates will be.

Good luck all.

Keep

LeapyLee’sopinionsarehisownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

Common law partners regulation in Andalucia, Spain in 2023

CONSULAR MATTERS

IN Andalucia, Spain, there is no specific regulation for common law partners.

The legal system in Spain recognises marriage and civil unions (registered couples) but does not provide legal recognition for couples who live together without being married or in a civil union duly registered.

However, common law partners in Andalucia may have certain rights and protections under general Spanish law.

For example, they may have the right to inherit from each other, de ­

BRITS BANNED? OUR VIEW

THE news that Amsterdam is trying to deter British stag groups from its famously tempting streets can only be good for other European destinations. After all, the campaign is hardly likely to stop stag groups travelling abroad, but it may just change where they go.

But is singling out particular groups ever really the answer to anything?

If what Amsterdam is hoping to achieve is fewer British men roaming the streets looking for cheap drink, legal drugs, and an availability of women for sale, perhaps they should begin by looking at what caused men to flock there in the first place; Holland’s own laws.

A famously open ­ minded culture though, it would probably go against the Dutch grain to delegalise some of the things the country is best ­ known for. Therefore, why not take the same liberal approach to the types of people who want to visit Amsterdam?

If what their government values highly is a live and let live society therefore perhaps it is unfair after all to single out one type of traveller.

pending on the circumstances, and may have certain protections in the event of separation or death.

Additionally, common law partners may choose to enter into a cohabitation agreement, which is a private contract that can establish certain rights and obligations between the partners, such as property ownership and financial support.

It is important for common law partners in Andalucia to seek legal advice to understand their rights and options under Spanish law.

For more from our columnists please scan this QR Code

Marisa Moreno Castillo

- contact@justlawsolicitors.com

NORAJOHNSON BREAKINGVIEWS

LIKE an essential riposte to the continuing waves of appalling global events, crime novels have seen a sales boom, a trend unforeseen even by hard ­ bitten crime fiction detectives. Anxious about volatility in the real world, readers now seek reassurance in stories where baddies get their just deserts.

People face many challenges in life and crime fiction lets readers forget their own struggles. They like a ‘formula’. There’s a death. A detective investigates. The perpetrator is unmasked in a plot involving cunning clues, red herrings and final justice. No mystery at all!

One challenge one family recently faced was the tragic disappearance and death of Nicola Bulley. Coincidentally, my just­published thriller ‘The Couple across the Street’ begins with the disappearance in a river of a woman, Michelle. But that’s where the similarities ­ spoiler alert ­ end!

This novel was started a year ago before any hint of Nicola Bulley’s fate (my books take a year from research, first draft through to final version and publication). And the situation it depicts doesn’t

Know your neighbours?

And, yes, you guessed, the reasons concern a criminal act. Crime fiction, after all, is my passion. Triggered initially by the study of criminal law for a J D (Juris Doctor) law degree decades ago in Los Angeles (winning the Moot Court Prize ­ a surreal Perry Mason­type experience) where I lived for many eventful years. One morning shortly after Finals, for example, a tax law Professor was shot dead right in front of me! I never did discover if he’d upset some former client or just a student with poor grades…

And this latest suspense thriller? Nicola Goodwin never imagines herself as a widow in her mid­30s. Losing her husband to a sudden illness shatters her world, but then she unexpectedly meets up with Matt Collins, her childhood love.

As they reconnect after years apart, Nicola can’t help but fall for him.

DI Barbara Forster seeks answers with the help of Alice Myers, an investigative journalist and creator of an edgy truecrime podcast. As they dig deeper into Michelle’s life, they discover a complex web of secrets and lies that paints a much darker picture, the truth more shocking than anyone imagined.

Throughout it all, Nicola stands by Matt’s side, determined to show he is blameless and salvage their relationship. But with more deaths and the evidence mounting against him, she begins to wonder if she truly knew the man she fell in love with.

In the end, the truth emerges, but at a steep cost. Will Nicola be left alone once again, wondering if it was all worth it...

A story of how a past passion leads to betrayal and a terrible revenge ­ one that still torments the present.

arise just from feelings of sympathy for the bereaved family left behind. But for quite different reasons. Something that’s puzzled and intrigued me for decades and I needed to explore in this latest book.

You can make a difference

THE British Benevolent Fund was founded over a century ago to provide help for those Britons in Spain in extreme financial distress.

Over its many years of existence, the BBF has acted as a ‘charity of last resort’ for those who have nowhere else to turn. It has seen more than in its fair share of the worst that life can throw and the resilience of people once they have a lifeline.

Sometimes a small amount makes a big difference.

Barry was a 62, had been living as a resident in Spain for years, lived alone doing seasonal and temporary work.

When the pandemic began, he was an early casualty ­ but there was no work ­ the bars closed, and the streets empty. He applied for state aidwhich was declined ­ had no savings and with no income was forced to go to food banks and charities to survive. He did not have the rent to pay and would soon be on the streets.

And there was no sign of work. One of the charities who were helping Barry was one of

the BBF’s many partner charities found at https://www.sup portinspain.info/ who got in touch with us to see if there was a way to helping him through.

The BBF always looks for a solution and any funds are used in order to find one ­ in this case ­ there was no work and the BBF does not have the resources for ongoing payments.

But a plan was put togetherin the hope that work would come ­ and he would move out of the apartment and move to a room in a shared property.

The lifeline was just enoughwithin a few weeks he had found some part time work and then a few weeks later some more work.

Within a year he was managing a bar on the coast.

It was a long year coming ­

and Barry had many dark days but the lifeline kept him goingfinancially and more importantly that people wanted to help spurred him to every effort to get back on his feet. Where he remains.

The BBF can only help people like Barry with your help ­ if you would like to support our work with a donation please visit our website to see how www.britishbenevolentfund.or g. Thank you. Olaf Clayton, BBF Chair.

Their affair is passionate and all­consuming, but just as Matt finally decides to leave Michelle, his wife, Michelle disappears without trace. When a body is found and identified as hers, apparently a suicide, Matt’s infidelity is considered the primary reason by her grieving family.

Nora Johnson’s 12 critically acclaimed psychological suspense 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.

A day to remember LINDA

HALL

SPAIN’S a Catholic country, isn’t it?

As it happens, the Spanish Constitution of 1978 separated the state and the Church and that division is jealously guarded.

Constitution apart, even in the 60s a bottomless pit separated a large slice of the population and the Church. The more Republican and socialist ­ as my husband’s family were ­ the less likely to go to Mass or pay attention to doctrine, so as a lapsed Catholic I fitted in easily.

Nevertheless, we were married in church and there was no question of not christening our daughter when she was born. Nor was there any discussion regarding her First Communion because she had already made up her mind about that.

Children have fantastic First Communions in Spain, although I’m referring to the material and not the spiritual side of things.

When I made my own in England it was considered vulgar for girls to wear long dresses and the nuns tut ­

tutted at those who did (and there was always one who did). Veils and gloves, yes, but definitely no fripperies. It was a nice enough day but my lasting memory is of the dress which was made of stiff organdie and scratched horrendously.

Even in 2023 little Spanish girls (and their mothers) feel cheated if they don’t resemble miniature brides. In fact the bridal connection is so strong that First Communion frocks are sold in bridal shops at prices emulating the grown ­ up versions.

Boys make their First Communion less obtrusively than formerly, not like my husband who was done up in white silk like an abbreviated Ruritanian general despite his family’s anticlericalism.

Officially secular Spain now clings to customs that centre on the Church but don’t require commitment. If that means expensive clothes and sumptuous meals at weddings, christenings and First Communions, so much the betterspiritually if not financially ­ for those who otherwise don’t see the inside of a church from one year to the next.

Nora Johnson’s

Nora’s latest thriller.

Noraistheauthorofpopularpsychological suspenseandcrimethrillersandafreelancejournalist.

Olaf Clayton of BBF.

Top class LETTERS

HELLO

I was just sitting down to message you and say congratulations to the team on an outstanding edition of Euro Weekly

The Women in Business section is top notch. These women are deserving of recognition, brilliant.

Apart from that the paper appears to have more interesting features than normal. I feel it’s like a Sunday paper but without the colour supplement.

Really first class. Thank you.

Berni Albrighton, Almeria

Dear Editor

IT is over 100 years since the First World War which lasted from 1914 till 1918 and this trench warfare is now being re­enacted in Bakhmut.

To get an idea of this, just watch ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’.

Absolutely horrific for all men there fighting for their country.

Putin has a lot to answer for!

Brian Johnston, Benalmadena

Delivery service

First of all I would like to thank you on behalf of the community of Caravaning & Camping La Manga for starting to recommence the delivery service of the Euro Weekly News to our site. It’s been long awaited and understand the reasons why due to the impact of the past few years that rocked the nation and the world. Hopefully we can all try and get carefully get back to some kind of normality, but not forget the virus still lingers on.

Anyway, having seen that we have received the first batch of papers. May I request an additional 50 copies be delivered knowing the amount of residents that reside here. The numbers will go up especially during the winter months from September to late March when the snow birds come down for the winter sun. The papers are so informative and would be gratefully received. Hopefully you can supply more now and a further increase later after the summer.

Yours gratefully

Mr S L Tryner (Resident)

Joe’s letter

Whilst I sympathise with him, he admitted living illegally in Spain for 13 years, only returning to the UK when the 90/180 day rule caught up with him. For 10 years of that 13 he would have been on a UK state pension, so if registered here, eligible for S1 free medical cover for him and his wife. He therefore did not ‘need’ two lots of expensive private

health insurance for 10 of the 13 years. He also paid non­resident tax unnecessarily for 13 years.

He said he and his wife did not register in Spain because they wanted access to NHS in UK. That of course was not legal. On returning to the UK he was not able to get a hernia operation on the NHS, so went private. Had they been legal they could have continued living happily in Spain and had free medical treatment for his hernia, gall stones, enlarged prostate, wife’s Parkinson’s, etc.

Lastly; He adversely compared his failure to get an NHS hernia operation with Gary Glitter, who had a knee operation on NHS. However Glitter although convicted, was legally entitled to NHS cover in UK.

Sorry Joe but honesty often is the best policy !

John Carrington

Blue Badge

Like Valerie Neale, I know that getting a Blue Badge is not easy, and it is not issued by one’s GP.

Some years ago I investigated the procedure which involved an appointment with Social Services at the town hall where the procedure is started.

Next, you go to your GP so that they can certify that the applicant, my wife in this case, does indeed qualify for a Blue Badge.

When you have that, back you go to the town hall, and are told you might get your Badge within two years! Because I drive and my wife has a wheelchair, I gave up as we have not met any situation, so far, where a Blue Badge would have helped. Regards.

Ken Cook, Gata de Gorgos

Breaking point!

Zimbabwe’s economy has been devastated by corruption and more than two decades of sanctions. The latest Al Jazeira four­part documentary has began to completely expose and reveal the illegal mafia type organisation that is ZANU­PF. It is clear that the Zimbabwean president position is unattainable after the exposure of the gold scandal. Gold Smuggler, Ewan Macmillan tells us that another Gold smuggler Simon Rudland has unfettered access to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor, Mr John Mangudya. It was also revealed that the gospel minister, Ubert Angel, obtains the highest level rank of dimpomacy in Zimbabwe. Angel is heard saying in his own words, “The president will rule until he dies.” Corruption in Zimbabwe is clearly at an all time high. The world cannot watch such atrocities happen and do nothing.

Michael Tinarwo

PETS

Children & pets

DO your kids and pets see eye to eye or does skin and hair fly? We know that having a pet can benefit our kids, they can help with learning, provide comfort and company to kids. They have even been known to boost a kid’s self­esteem and keep them healthy. As both children and pets both vie for their parent’s/owner’s attention how can we keep the peace between them? Also how can we help them to play nicely? Here are some top tips to help our furry friends get along with our childen.

1. Supervise the interaction between our children and pets. Our pets, even though they are part of the family, are still animals after all and we cannot eliminate the risk of aggression towards children. Especially as kids are known to pull a tail or an ear every now and again.

2. Assign an area where the pet can retreat to when he needs time alone without interaction with the little ones.

3. It helps to define the different areas in the household so for example a play area and a rest area. The use of security gates can help identify each area.

4. As well as training your pets it is helpful to educate children how to play and interact with animals, respecting them and their space.

5. When bringing a pet into a household or a baby into a household with an existing pet it is helpful to warn the animal or the child beforehand.

Petsitters care for Dolly the dog

MANY of our pet owners find trusted pet­sitters through our network because the pets love the company. Dolly is a perfect example of that. She loves playing and having a pet­sitter in­house while her owners are away suits her and her owners perfectly. If you are planning a trip later this year, register now to find pet­sitters in time.

Even if it’s just a short trip, you’ll know that sometimes you just have to leave pets at home. Young and senior pets in particular benefit from staying in their own home, so they can follow their routines undisturbed. Let us help. Choose Housesitmatch.com for affordable travel, home and petcare. These are the steps to take:

1. Register as a homeowner on HouseSitMatch.com

2. Choose a Premium account (£89 per year) to ensure you can help online when

needed

3. Create a profile with photos of your pet and the house

4. Post an advert for the dates when you want to go away. Sitters apply and you choose. How does it work?

HouseSitMatch can help you find suitable sitters. Join our network for a small annual fee. You get ID checked for safety and then build your advert saying when you are going on holiday. House­sitters see your advert, they respond and you

Five misunderstood canine behaviours

EVER wonder what your dog is thinking or trying to tell you? Here are the top five misunderstandings between humans and their dogs.

Train your children how to interact with animals.

Pawsome teachers

IN an effort to help children manage their emotions and improve the relationship between animals and other children some schools in Spain have introduced dogs to the classroom.

They hope this initiative will help combat bullying at schools and stop violence against dogs. It is a programme of Assisted Interventions with Animals (IAA) that is specifically designed to work on empathy and emotions toward them.

With 24.4 per cent of primary and secondary Spanish students observing bullying in their school this is a very important topic. This programme offers emo­

tional intelligence tools and develops social­emotional skills among minors and works on the benefits of mindfulness through this practice. Nuria Máximo, the director of the URJC the Animal and Society Chair spoke about the positive feedback that has been received from this programme and because of this has decided to renew it again for a third year.

Some of this course is taught online but some modules are taught in person with experts in educational psychology and canine educators. They use dogs that have been adopted and already trained.

choose the sitter who’ll care for your pets.

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I have had nothing but good and helpful service from the people who run this site, and my experience has been excellent. Tristram Cosgrave ­ Dog and cat owner, Malaga How do you join?

Please register online via our website www.Housesit match.com.

Do you need a housesitter? Get in touch. House-sitting can be a win-win for both parties, free house and petsitting, and the experienced and checked sitters get free accommodation! Register as either housesitter or homeowner with a 50% discount using coupon code 20EWN – an exclusive offer for readers. To find a house pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com

Animal Welfare Law Spain

THE new animal welfare law approved by the Spanish Congress of Deputies is now in effect. What do we need to know about this new law and what’s new. Here are the 10 new obligations for dog owners.

1. Take out civil liability insurance for damages to third parties, whatever the breed or size of the dog.

2. Take a mandatory course. Everyone who has a pet or wants a pet must take a course and will have a period of two years to do it. All the details are not clear yet about this course but it will be free and online.

3. All dogs must pass a

sociability test, those that don’t pass will be required to wear a muzzle and a short leash until they improve.

4. A dog may be alone at home for a maximum of 24 hours. They cannot live on balconies or in basements. The fine for this can reach €10,000.

5. Pets must be integrated into the family nucleus and kept clean.

6. Avoid uncontrolled reproduction. Breeding may only be carried out by approved breeders.

7. It is forbidden to leave them at any time inside a closed vehicle.

8. They can not be tied

up or wander through public spaces without supervision.

9. They should not deposit their droppings or urine in places of habitual passage. If it happens the owner must clean them.

10. Facilitate veterinary treatments.

1. Tail wagging. Yes, we thought that one was clear but apparently they don’t always wag their tails when they are happy, this movement can also show signs of anxiety, stress, tension, or aggressiveness.

2. Yawning, isn’t always a sign that your dog is tired. Dogs yawn when they want to convey their disgust!

3. The play bow. A dog’s position when he wants to play is his head on his paws and bottom in the air. This position doesn’t necessarily mean he wants to play, he can also be claiming possession of something or even be asking for space.

4. A playful dog. This isn’t always a good sign, it can mean they find it difficult to manage their emotions and is linked to nervousness in a dog. Dogs usually play for a time and then rest.

5. Smiling. If you think your dog is smiling unfortunately you are mistaken. In fact, dog experts say this smile­like expression on a dog is more indicative of a stressor.

Dolly loves playing with her petsitter while her owners are away

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Suzuki S-Cross Hybrid - refined capability

ROAD TEST

byMarkSlack

THERE seems to be more and more SUVs on the road, whether this is entirely personal choice on behalf of the buyers or clever marketing is a very debateable point.

SUVs do get a bad press though and it is unfair as despite being billed as overly large gas guzzlers not all SUVs fall into that category. There are many smaller versions and even the larger ones now come with self­charging or plugin hybrid as part of the power deal.

Suzuki has a long and well ­ deserved reputation for making very capable off ­ roaders but have of recent years moved into SUVs with two wheel drive. Whether you’re looking at the Ignis, Vitara or S ­ Cross they all have the option of two or four­

Electric vehicles - the future?

WITH the new Fisker Ocean achieving an official longest range on a single charge, is there a future for electric cars in Spain?

The Fisker Ocean has achieved the highest range of any electric SUV in an official WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure) test, having achieved 440 miles with its range­topping Extreme specification. That would take you from London to Glasgow on a single charge.

With this emerging innovative technology and the lack of available charges in Spain could this latest news help Spanish residents decide on whether to finally take the plunge and a purchase an electric car?

The Fisker Ocean is being built in Austria and will go on sale at the end of April for around €40,000. With top models also having solar panels on the roof to provide more power in sunny conditions, this could be the ideal car model for Spain.

wheel ­ drive. The S ­ Cross has just been relaunched in new mild or full hybrid form.

Priced from €29,630/ £26,099 even the lead model is bestowed with a particularly generous level of standard equipment. The list includes adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors with rear view camera, LED lights, powered, heated and folding door mirrors along with Apple Car Play and Android Auto. Two trim levels and the option of two or fourwheel ­ drive, manual or automatic gears and mild or full hybrid.

My test model was the top ­ line Ultra model in full hybrid form which means a 1.5­litre normally aspirated engine and automatic gears. The standard equipment list is even more generous than

the lead ­ in model, as it should be with

new Suzuki models and the S ­ Cross is no excep ­

come vocal. This is a characteristic of this kind of driving that’s soon second nature. Performance from the 1.5 ­ litre engine isn’t sparkling (go for the manual 1.4 ­ litre boosterjet that’s much quicker) but that said it feels anything but pedestrian.

Suzuki produce some very underrated cars in my view and the S­Cross, despite at this price being up against stiff competition, is certainly one of them.

Facts at a Glance

• Model: Suzuki S-Cross Ultra Hybrid AWD

• Engine: 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder, normally aspirated petrol

€37,067/£32,649 price tag, and includes a super, full length sliding panoramic glass roof.

There is a distinctly more upmarket feel, the Vitara is well built but uses a lot of not very tactile plastics on the interior, to

out and everything from the auto gear shift lever to the touchscreen works crisply.

On the road it’s smooth, refined and quiet, unless you floor the accelerator when the automated manual gearbox does be ­

• Gears: 6-Speed automated manual.

• Price: €37,067/£32,649

• Performance: 0-100 kmh (62 mph) 13.5 seconds/Maximum Speed 175 kmh (108 mph).

• Economy: 5.8l/100km (48.7 mpg) Combined driving.

• Emissions: 132 g/km

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

First acceleration

GOOD news for used car sellers as March marked the first acceleration in UK used car price growth in 10 months.

PUMP PRICES: Are not being cut in a meaningful way.

Diesel drivers

UK diesel drivers ­ including almost everyone who runs a van for a small business ­ are continuing to suffer from inflated prices at fuel pumps up and down the country and are seeing no benefit from plummeting lower wholesale costs, despite the Chancellor continuing the fuel duty freeze in the latest Budget, the RAC is warning.

Despite both crude oil and wholesale diesel costs (the prices retailers pay for the fuel) reaching their lowest points in 15 months, major retailers are still refusing to

cut pump prices in any meaningful way.

Looking at the last four weeks alone, wholesale prices have come down another 10p yet this has yielded just a 3p cut at the pumps (168.85p to 165.89p on March 22).

What’s more, the gap between the wholesale cost of petrol and diesel has been narrowing for many weeks and is currently just over 1.5p. Despite this, the difference drivers pay at the pumps remains stubbornly high at around 19p a litre.

The current average value of a used car is up 2.3 per cent year ­ onyear and 0.7 per cent month ­ on ­ month.

According to the latest data from the Auto Trader Retail Price Index, the current average retail price of a used car in March is £17,720, which is up 2.3 per cent on a year ­ on ­ year (YoY) and like ­ for ­ like basis.

Increasing from the 1.3 per cent YoY increase recorded in February, it marks the first acceleration in the rate of YoY price growth in 10 months, having gradually slowed from the all ­ time high of 32.2 per cent YoY in April 2022.

At a month ­ on ­ month (MoM) level, March to

date is up 0.7 per cent on February’s average prices, marking the third consecutive MoM increase after the typical seasonal slowdown over the festive period.

It’s well ahead of the 0.1 per cent MoM growth recorded in both March 2022 and 2021, as well as the pre ­ pandemic average contraction of ­ 0.4 per cent MoM

recorded in March between 2011 and 2019.

6 months to build a Rolls Royce, 13 hours to build a Toyota.

SUZUKI S-CROSS: On the road it’s smooth, refined and quiet.

USED CARS: Prices are at last increasing.

Max Verstappen takes the chequered flag

RED BULL driver Max Verstappen won the first Australian Grand Prix of his career today, Sunday, April 2. The reigning Dutch world champion started from pole position and took the chequered flag at Albert Park in Melbourne to extend his lead at the top of the championship to 15 points after three races.

Lewis Hamilton capped a tremendous weekend by bringing his Mercedes home in second place, ahead of Spain’s Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin. The former world champion now has three podiums in three races this season.

The race was filled with controversy, with three red flags and finishing under a safety car to fulfil FIA rules after a restart. The final positions though were taken from those that the drivers were in when the last restart occurred.

At that point, Alonso had found himself at the back of the pack after spinning out. Under FIA regulations, the cars had to parade around the

circuit behind the safety car for the last lap.

Carlos Sainz was very upset after being handed a five­second penalty that demoted him to 12th. That meant he was out of the points after the Ferrari driver was deemed responsible for causing the crash that spun Alonso out.

Speaking after the race, the Spaniard called the decision “unacceptable”. “They need to wait until after the race and

discuss it with me. Clearly the penalty is not deserved. It is

too severe,” he added.

Alonso’s teammate achieved his best finish of the season to clinch fourth place. Mexico’s Sergio Perez took fifth in the second Red Bull. Lando Norris had a brilliant race, moving from 13th on the grid to finish in sixth for McLaren.

The American Haas team found themselves among the points again thanks to Nico Hulkenberg who grabbed an impressive seventh. Oscar Pistri was delighted to score his first points in F1 with a brilliant eighth place in the other McLaren and in front of his home crowd.

Another fantastic finish was that of Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu, who drove his Aston Martin home in ninth position. The top 10 was rounded out by Japan’s Yuki Tsunoda in the Alpha Tauri.

Today’s unprecedented events in an F1 race will undoubtedly draw comparisons with the Abu Dhabi carnival in 2021 that finished Lewis Hamilton’s chances of another world title.

Another sacking

ENGLISH Premier League club Chelsea FC fired their manager Graham Potter on Sunday, April 2. His departure was announced in a statement released on Twitter by the London club. Potter had only been in charge at Stamford Bridge for six months after replacing Thomas Tuchel.

Potter becomes the second casualty of the day following the sacking of Brendan Rodgers by Leicester City only a few hours ago. When he joined the Stamford Bridge outfit from Brighton there was an air of great expectation surrounding him but his side has struggled this season.

Their 2­0 home defeat by Unai Emery’s resurgent Aston Villa side was probably the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back. The Blues spent a fortune on new players during the January transfer window but the club is currently languishing in the wrong half of the table with only 10 games remaining this season. It read: “Chelsea FC has announced that Graham Potter has departed the club. Graham has agreed to collaborate with the Club to facilitate a smooth transition. In his time with the club, Graham has taken us to the quarter­final of the Champions League, where we will face Real Madrid.

“Chelsea would like to thank Graham for all his efforts and contribution and wish him well for the future. Bruno Saltor will take charge of the team as Interim Head Coach.”

Co­controlling owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali said: “On behalf of everyone at the club, we want to thank Graham sincerely for his contribution to Chelsea. We have the highest degree of respect for Graham as a coach and as a person. He has always conducted himself with professionalism and integrity and we are all disappointed in this outcome.”

Max Verstappen winning the Australian GP 2023.

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worst place held by defending Masters Champion, Scottie Scheffler

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We’re going to fight, said coach A massive new entertainment brand

THE exciting news was revealed on Monday, April 3, that the WWE is to merge with the UFC to form one massive entertainment brand in a deal worth an estimated $21 billion (€19.262 billion). Endeavor Group Holdings which owns the UFC mixed martial arts franchise will have a 51 per cent controlling stake with existing shareholders in the WWE taking the other 49 per cent.

Ari Emanuel, the Endeavor CEO will control the as­yetunnamed organisation. Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White will remain in charge of his enterprise. Vince McMahon, the legendary executive chairman of the WWE will be in charge of the wrestling side.

“This is a rare opportunity to create a global live sports and entertainment pureplay built for where the industry is headed,” announced Emanuel.

The CEO continued: “For decades, Vince and his team have demonstrated an incredible track record of innovation and shareholder value creation, and we are confident that Endeavor can deliver significant additional value for shareholders by bringing UFC and WWE together.”

Both entities have a huge global fanbase and social media reach across a wide audience of all age groups. At the end of the final quarter of 2022, the WWE had amassed in excess of 16 billion video views on social media platforms. These included more than 20 million TokTok followers and approaching 94 million YouTube subscribers.

Ronda Rousey, the former female UFC fighting star has an incredible following of 36.1 million on her social networks. Five female wrestlers appear on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram’s top 15 most­followed female athletes.

SERGIO PELLICER, the manager of Malaga CF, held a press conference on Friday March 31 at the club’s La Rosaleda Stadium. “We have the challenge of achieving two consecutive victories,” said the Blue and White coach.

Speaking about the state of his squad and the approaching Easter period, he explained: “The team has recovered almost everyone, except for Bustinza, who trained partially today, but won’t be there,” he commented initially.

“After the match the other day, that magical moment of the second goal, you have to visualise reality. The situation is still difficult, but the fans be­

lieve, the team believes, and we are going to fight. This week I’ve seen some of the best training sessions since I got here,” he stressed.

He pointed out that he was determined to “fight and honour our values with that effort and commitment. We have the challenge of achieving two consecutive victories and getting closer to those teams.”

The coach has ‘many options’ in terms of players and tactics. “The other day we started with a line of three, the team felt comfortable, then we changed, and they also felt comfortable. We see that desire, despite the difficulty. Everyone is there, and we’ll

make the best decisions, yet the important thing is that they’re making it difficult for me. If the team improves, we all improve. And that is contagious,” he highlighted.

In regard to their next rival,

Pellicer said “Andorra had a stage in which they endured five consecutive defeats, but are now back to the team from the start of the season. They are the most surprising team in the competition.”

Grealish shines

HEY JUDE reverberates around the Etihad Stadium, the Manchester City players form a pre­match huddle. The importance of this match is clear to see. It was also a must­win for Liverpool to finish in the top four.

The young Argentinian Julian Alvarez starts as Erling Haaland watches on injured. Liverpool left their ‘Captain Chaos’ on the bench and opted for Diogo Jota in the starting lineup. In the first half, both teams played hightempo high­intensity football leaving even the spectators worn out at halftime.

Salah scored first for Liverpool with an assist from Jota in the 17th minute and Alvarez got the equaliser 10 minutes

later with an assist from Jack Grealish. At half­time the match is level but it was to be Manchester City’s day as they scored right after half­time a Kevin De Bruyne goal in the 46th minute catching Liverpool asleep. Liverpool suffering from a lack of self­confidence these days did not respond well to the goal and went on to concede another goal in the 53rd minute leaving it 3­1. From that point, Liverpool never looked like getting back into the match even when Jurgen Klopp made four changes. It was Jack Grealish’s day, he was everywhere, attacking, defending, and generally making a nuisance of himself it was possibly his best performance for the sky blues.

Malaga CF coach, Sergio Pellicer.

Credit: Twitter@MalagaCF_en