Costa Calida 20 – 26 April 2023 Issue 1972

SCOOTER MENACE

SAN JAVIER Council passed a new statute on Thursday, April 13. Its objective is to regulate the use of electric scooters and bicycles, and pedestrians using skates, skateboards, or anything similar. The new decree also includes the use of wheelchairs for people with reduced mobility, whether they are electric or motorised. The idea is to promote road safety and prevent accidents, especially in relation to electric scooters as their popularity increases the number of accidents has become a problem in the area surrounding Plaza de España.

The new decree states the speed limit while using one of these personal mobility vehicles is 25km/h. Only one person should be on an electric scooter and there are now fines in place if you are caught with two or more on

ELECTRIC SCOOTERS: How many other towns will now follow suit?

an electric scooter. You will be fined €80 if there are two people travelling on a scooter and €500 if there are three. San Javier has also set a minimum age of 15 for the use of electric scooters. Children must be accompanied by an adult and must use vehicles adapted to their age.

The new statute also es­

tablishes that the vehicles must have an acoustic warning system and front and rear lights. They also recommend the use of helmets and civil liability insurance.

The locals of San Javier will be happy to hear that for those caught using an electric scooter on the path or in pedestrian areas, there will

Rescue in the Mar Menor

THREE children and one adult were rescued near the ‘Isla de la Perdiguera’ in the Mar Menor when a strong wind sent their flotation device out to sea in the San Javier area on Thursday, April 13. They were located and rescued by the Los Alcázares emergency services after receiving a

call from 112 reporting the situation.

They were rescued by the Localised Civil Protection Rescue Guard (Guardia Localizada de Salvamento de Protección Civil) and taken to Los Urrutias marina where they were checked and treated. All four were reported to be in good condition.

be a fine of €100 and a €500 to €1,000 fine if caught driving a PMV under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

The San Javier Council commented that they felt the need to implement this decree as the Spanish government has not. How many other towns will follow suit?

Jazz Festival Discounts

FOR the first time ever the San Javier Council has announced a 20 per cent discount for people over the age of 67, people with disabilities, single parents, large families (three children or more), and youth card holders for the many events that take place during the Summer Festival. This includes the famous International Jazz Festival held every summer in the outdoor auditorium that has 500 seats, in the newly renovated Almansa Park. The Jazz Festival has headlined Jazz legends such as George Benson, Diane Reeves, and Vonda Shepard. It begins on June 30 and ends on July 24.

This year the 25th anniversary of the International Jazz Festival will be headlined by Grammynominated Brazilian Jazz superstar Djavan. The British soul ­ pop group Mamas Gun is also included

in the line ­ up along with Michele Hendricks and trombonist Steve Turre, and the up ­ and ­ coming Samara Joy among others.

The town council went on to say the discounts will also include any show or performance pro ­

grammed by the Culture and Festivities departments not just the summer festival.

As always the summer festival will include many other activities and events taking advantage of the new facilities in Almansa Park.

MAR MENOR: Four people had to be rescued.

25TH ANNIVERSARY: International Jazz Festival, San Javier.

Color

Fest Los

Alcázares

LOS ALCAZARES is holding a free event on Saturday, April 22 in the Recinto Ferial of Los Alcázares. It begins at 8pm and finishes around midnight. There will be make ­ up artists present, and colourful powder canons making this a music festival with a difference. DJ Cristian Belluga from Los Alcazares will host the event and provide the music.

The youth councillor Pedro Pascual stated “It is a festival designed by and for the young people of the town.

“They will listen to music and dance accompanied by colour cannons, they can go on attractions such as the mechanical bull and they can take home a souvenir from the photo booth. And all of this is free.”

There will also be bars inside the venue providing food and drink.

ADAPT Theatre Group

ADAPT Theatre Group, known for their fan tastic dual language productions, is putting on a ‘comic cabaret’ called Der Moulin Blue and this one will be in three different languages!

This free event will take place at the Casa de Juventud in San Javier on May 4 at 7.30 pm.

This cabaret event is in collaboration with the Of­

ficial Language

School of San Javier as part of their Cultural Programme 2023.

The Pilarmonics Harmony Chorus group will take part in the show also.

For more information on this event and and ­ coming events check out their website: adapttheatre group.wordpress.com.

Record-breaking Spring Festival

THE biggest and most important festivals have just come to a close in the Murcia Region. The Spring Festivals and the famous ‘Sardine Burial’ attracted more than two million people to the parades and activities planned and the highest hotel occupancy ever registered on the Saturday of the Burial of the Sardine with an occupancy of 95 per cent. This combined with the

Semana Santa (Easter holiday) numbers made for a very successful holiday and festival period in Murcia. The region provided free public transport so everyone could enjoy the festivals, the activities, and the local gastronomy. The streets were filled with flowers during the ‘Batalla de las Flores’ (the battle of the flowers) and free toys were distributed during the parades.

THE Costa Calida really has some spectacular scenery, some of the best spots to explore are Playa del Lastre in Portman in La Unión which is distinctive because of its dark brown sand similar to volcanic sand, but the dark colour comes from minerals in the sand. It is a secluded seabed surrounded by dramatic scenery and well worth

Out & about

a day trip. Another unmissable area is the Arc of Bolnuevo or the Erosions of Bolnuevo, which are situated in the bay of Mazarron and around six kilometres from Mazarron.

The landscape has been sculpted by water and wind over thousands of years.

Health Centre Investment

ALHAMA DE MURCIA is due to receive approximately an investment of €3 million for the extension and refurbishment of its health centre. As part of this project, the City Council of Murcia will transfer a property to the town of Alhama de Murcia to help with the expansion of the health centre and the new Primary Care Emergency Service. This plan was announced on Thursday, April 13 by the spokesperson for the Regional Government Marcos Ortuño.

Tapas Route 2023

LA RUTA DE LA TAPA (Tapas Route) is running until Sunday April 23 in restaurants and gastro bars throughout the Region of Murcia. You have the opportunity to taste the creations, which will compete in the ‘Campeonato de Tapas y Pinchos’ (the tapa and pincho championships) in the Murcia and Alcantarilla region in 2023. The participating bars and restaurants are offering diners the tapa or pincho that will be part of the competition when you order a drink.

Dual language productions.

Mini-market

LA ZONA TERRAZA in Los Narejos holds a market on the first and third Monday of every month from 10am un‐til 1pm. The market has many stands with products such as greetings cards, handmade gifts, artwork, skin care products, etc…

Live music

LORCA will be hosting live music every weekend from April 29 until June 3 as part of their ‘Lorca Víva’ music event to support the Asofem Salud Mental Lorca. The shows be‐gin at 8pm, for more infor‐mation check Madremía

Asociación Músico Cultural on Facebook.

Ghost tour

LOOKING for a tour of Carta‐gena with a difference?

Check out Rutas Misteriosas, they do nocturnal guided tours through the streets of Cartagena beginning at 10pm. Tickets cost €13. Hear about the ghosts and phan‐toms that haunt the streets but don’t run into any!

Lorca castle

THE new walkway around Lorca Castle is now open. It begins at Parque de las Mu‐jeres and ends at the San Lázaro viewpoint. The walk‐way is about nine kilometres long which blends into its natural environment and of‐fers spectacular views.

Michirones

HAVE you ever been given a bowl full of brown beans as a tapa? They are Murcian Michirones, a type of broad bean, usually cooked with bay leaf, ham or pancetta, and cayenne pepper. They’re one of the region’s most authentic dishes.

Green festival

THE International People in Green Festival is on in San Pe‐dro del Pinatar until April 23 at the Centre for Leisure and Emerging Arts. It is a festival promoting green sustainable living with shows, markets, and workshops. F

Happy Earth Day

AS we celebrate Earth Day 2023 on Saturday, April 22, we are reminded of the impor‐tance of our collective respon‐sibility in safeguarding our planet.

Earth Day is a global event celebrated annually by more than one billion people to raise awareness about environmen‐tal issues and encourage action to protect the planet. The pur‐pose of Earth Day is simple: to promote a greener, more sus‐tainable future for the planet we call home.

This year, we rally behind the theme of ‘Invest in Our Planet’, which reminds us of the impor‐

Photo credit: Earth Day 2023 (via Facebook)

tance of dedicating our time, re‐sources, and energy to solving the climate crisis.

The EWN suggest four ways you can make a difference:

1. Plant a tree.

2. Reduce your plastic con‐sumption. Try the plastic calcu‐lator at: www.earthday.org

3. Plan your own event. Organise a community cleanup, march,or workshop using the Earth Day 2023 Action Toolkit and register your event on the official Earth Day Map.

4. Donate. Support envi‐ronmental campaigns.

Happy Earth Day to all our readers!

San Javier water plant

THE mayor of San Javier, José Miguel Luen‐go announced the plans for a new water treatment plant that will quadruple San Javier’s rainwater absorption.

The work has begun and is due to con‐clude in the second half of 2023. He high‐lighted the importance of these works and spoke about the torrential rain experi‐

enced in the Mar Menor region in these re‐cent years. José Miguel Luengo thanked the government for the Region of Murcia during his announcement for the invest‐ment of €2 million in this much‐needed project.

This is another vital step towards the protection of the Mar Menor and its pre‐

Teals released

TWENTY Marbled Teals were released, after spending a week in an acclimatisation cage, in the Special Protection Area for Birds (SPA) in the la‐goons of Las Moreras in Mazarrón. This release was part of the project called LIFE in which the community partici‐pates through the General Di‐rectorate of Natural Environ‐ment as a beneficiary partner.

The lagoons of Las Moreras are of international importance and are included in the Ramsar list.

This wet land is lo‐cated strategically between the wet lands of Ali cante and An

92 STORIES IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION

CALBLANQUE Beach is one of the most beautiful on Costa Calida. It is set in the regional park Parque Regional de Calblanque.

dalucia with the advantage that in the Region of Murcia hunting ducks is not allowed.

The release of the Marble Teals was made possible due to the actions carried out in this area, 95 tons of debris was removed, 550 metres squared has been re‐vegetated with native plants and the fence has been mended to regulate the access to the area. The Marble Teal is the most endangered duck species in Europe, and

cious ecosystem. This new water treat‐ment plant will have a capacity of 44,000 cubic metres and even during the heaviest rainfall the contaminated water will stay in this tank, it will then be treated and puri‐fied at these facilities.

Once the water is treated it will be used for irrigation purposes.

AN international computer scam network was uncovered operating in Lorca. They de‐frauded more than €5 million worldwide. The Guardia Civil arrested 25 people with two more still under investigation.

They are charged with the al‐leged crimes of technological fraud, money laundering, dis‐covery and disclosure of se‐crets, falsification of docu‐ments, and identity theft.

The Guardia Civil seized computers, 54 credit cards, and €42,000. The police offi‐cers said the scam is thought to have affected around 100 companies worldwide. The Guardia Civil called the opera‐tion ‘Balrog’, and they began to investigate when a series of scams were detected in which the fraudsters intercepted emails sent from companies to

their customers.

The operation involved many police departments not only in Spain but around the world in order to bring down this network of scammers.

It is one of the best pre‐served unspoiled natural landscapes on the coast and because of this they usually restrict the access of vehicles in the area dur‐ing high season. On the days highlighted orange on the calendar you can access the area in your ve‐hicle until the parking is at its capacity. The speed lim‐it is 20km/h.

For the days highlighted in blue access is permitted by bus only between 9am and 830pm.

Please note that you cannot access the area by car, motorbike, etc during the hours of 8.30pm and 8am during this period, again, please see the cal‐endar.

The beaches affected by these restrictions are Monte de las Cenizas and Peña de Aguila.

Millions of people take environmental action on Earth Day.

Photo Credit Shutterstock: Gerald A. DeBoer

Scam operation

Invisible radars

THE Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT, general traffic administration) will install new invisible traffic ‘velolasers’ radars in the Region of Murcia. The new invisible radars are only 50 centimetres and they weigh approximately three kilos and because of this can be installed practically anywhere. The new devices will have a five­hour autonomy and will be wirelessly connected to the DGT offices. If they lose connection they can continue to record information through the use of an external SD card.

The DGT released figures that show speeding is the cause of 50 per cent of accidents in Spain and this is the reason they felt the need to intensify surveillance.

The Region of Murcia has four invisible radars installed: one on the N­301 Los Vientos towards Molina, another on the AP ­ 7 at Los Alcázares towards Cartagena, one more on the Gran Vía la Manga in front of ‘Zoco’ store and another on the La Manga Gran Vía near the Poseidón Hotel according to the platform Social Drive on Google Maps.

PROVERB OF THE WEEK

€6m for scuba diving

APPROXIMATELY 50,000 scuba diving aficionados practised in the region last year, some dived more than once making the total of dives in the region last year 68,200 according to the Association of Diving Centres in Murcia.

The association added, “During 2022, divers spent about €2 million in the centres, taking into account that these tourists spend about 20 per cent of their budget diving, the remaining 80 per cent is spent on accommodation, restaurants, and leisure.

“We can calculate that during the last year scuba diving has generated more than €6 million in the region.”

Two main factors make the Region of Murcia one of the best areas for scuba diving: the climate of course and the two marine reserves in Cabo de Palos

Splash-In

LOS ALCAZARES will host the second edition of the Splash­In seaplane event from April 28 until April 30 and will include a number of activities and exhibits for all of the family. The activities will take place at different locations in Los Alcázares.

and Cabo Tiñoso.

Other diving areas of interest are Cabo Cope in Aguilas, La Manga ­ Isla Grosa, and Mazarron.

With five different diving areas along the Costa Calida where you can observe wrecks and cetaceans, it is easy to see why many are drawn to its waters.

Some of the activities include children’s theatres, a night safari on the tourist train, a Playmobil exhibit, a photography exhibit, and a market. There will also be a virtual flight centre on April 29 and 30 and of course plenty of opportunities to see the seaplanes in action. If you would like more information check out: splashin.losalcazares.es.

Goingviral

EL SALTO DE USERO in the area of Bullas in Murcia went viral on TikTok. One of the most beautiful natural areas in Murcia with waterfalls and natural pools equipped with wooden walkways and bridges was compared to Cancun in Mexico and this video went viral. The video showed scenes from Cancun and El Salto de Usero comparing the beauty of both places.

People could not believe such a beautiful spot exists in this remote inland town of Murcia. The video also highlighted that a visit to this waterfall and its pools will only set you back €5, which is the cost to park your car or caravan. The entrance is free!

47% of British holidaymakers use sun cream with a factor higher than 10.

BIG BUSINESS: Scuba divers in action.

“Each peddler praises his own needles.”

This is a medieval Spanish saying and is used ironically when someone boasts about his own qualities.

Photo credit: Wikipedia Ggerdal

Cheap rentals

THE Murcia City Council plans to build 467 new apartments that are part of the programme ‘to support the construction of rental housing in energy­efficient buildings.’ A grant of €45.2 million has been agreed upon for this project promoted by Mayor José Antonio Serrano. The money will be provided by public and private funds. The objective is to provide new reasonably priced housing with monthly rent ranging from €386.19 to €533.96 depending on the building.

The towns where they plan to build are Cabezo de Torres, El Puntal, Churra, Santiago y Zaraiche, San Basilio, Beniaján, Ronda Sur, Santo Angel, and La Alberca.

New campsite

THE Region of Murcia will now have another 600 places in a new campsite that will open next summer on the stretch of coastline between Calnegre in Lorca and Percheles in Cañada de Gallego in Mazarron.

The project, which has taken almost 10 years to get the go ­ ahead, will cover about 34 metres squared is underway and they plan to open the first phase before next August. It will include 210 plots with a capacity of 630 people. The promoters have also announced they plan to extend this plot in the future.

This new campsite will be open all year round once completed and will have a swimming pool and a sports facilities.

Aguilas beach additions

THE beaches in Aguilas are getting spruced up in preparation for the summer months. Temporary installations of pedal footbaths, wooden walkways, and new footbridges will be placed at certain points to improve accessibility to the bathrooms and other facilities.

New prefabricated portable toilets will be installed on Poniente Beach and La Colonia Beach each with three individual cabins.

This work is part of the town council ‘Sustainable Aguilas’ project which has a total budget of €6.2 million received from the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER).

THE elite athlete, mountaineer and climber Beatriz

Flamini exited from a cave in the coastal town of Motril in the province of Granada on Friday morning, April 14. She had completed a ‘Timecave’ marathon 500­day stay living alone, some 70 metres underground. In the process, this amazing woman also set a new world record.

World record completed

Shortly after 9am, with the assistance of members of the Motril Speleological Activities Group, Beatriz emerged from her solitude into the light of day once again. She was reportedly in apparent good health and wearing a beaming smile as she left her home of more than 16 months.

Two speleologists and a

psychologist entered the cave earlier on the day, to prepare Beatriz for her eventual return to the outside world. Waiting outside the cave were her friends, who welcomed the lady who had entered her new home aged 48 and today left it at the age of 50.

She did not hesitate to thank and highlight the professionalism of the group of psychologists, speleologists and physical trainers who

had been involved in the project.

During her time underground, a schedule was in place with the speleologists, where food delivery and garbage removal took place without any communication.

Spam in Spain

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Betty Henderson

MULTINATIONAL infrastructure company Ferrovial’s plans to relocate from Spain to the Netherlands are facing immense scrutiny, but the company stands by its decision. The move will have significant implications for the future of the company and its shareholders.

Some 93.3 per cent of the company’s Board of Directors voted in favour of the relocation and have expressed concern over the Spanish government and some media outlets’ negative reaction to their move.

A united front

They said at a press conference on Thursday, April 13, that the government’s perceived attacks on the company, “border on illegality”. More than 100 national and international media outlets attended the meeting.

The move to the Netherlands is still expected to go ahead in the second quarter of this year, and Ignacio Del Pino, son of Rafael, will be the le­

gal representative in Spain for the new Ferrovial with its headquarters in the Netherlands.

Despite concerns from some shareholders, advisors and proxies have backed the move, citing increased stability and access to financing in strategic markets such as the US. It is hoped that this decision will have a positive impact on the company’s future and profitability.

If an entity or business wishes to send you personalised advertising and you have not given your express consent to do so, it is legally obliged to consult the Robinson List and, if you have registered, it will not be able to send you the advertising. The Robinson List Service allows you, easily and free of charge, to avoid advertising from companies to which you have not given your consent to receive advertising. It works for telephone, postal mail, email and SMS/MMS advertising. Anyone may register for the Robinson List service, voluntarily and free of charge. In the case of children under 14 years of age, parents or guardians must register on their behalf.

This service is protected by the General Data Protection Regulation (RGPD) and allows for quick and free registration with the aim of reducing the reception of commercial communications (calls, SMS, post and e­mail).

Two months after registration, if you continue to receive advertising, you can file a complaint with the Spanish Data Protection Agency.

Caribbean

Flights from Alicante 2 nights pre cruise Miami, 14 nights All Inclusive Miami, Ocean Cay, Jamaica George Town, Cozumel, Honduras, Belice, Costa Maya

Christmas

TIMECAVE: The athlete spent 500 days living underground.

Credit: Pixabay

Border breakdown

Betty Henderson SPANISH authorities held a temporary closure of the Ceuta border with Morocco on Friday, April 14, after observing an attempt by hundreds of individuals from sub ­ Saharan countries to cross the border illegally.

National Police and Guardia Civil forces were deployed to the border crossing between Morocco

and Spain’s enclave in North Africa on Friday morning, where several officers remain. Spanish authorities said they are working with Moroccan authorities to contain movements by illegal immigrants.

Hours later the state of emergency ended and reg­

Mobile marvels

SLOW internet connections are one of the most frustrating problems in the 21st century, but one recent report has shown the best mobile internet providers in Spain. The report, released on Friday, April 14 has analysed Spain’s main mobile providers to determine which ones offer the best connections and performance.

The study, conducted by NPerf, analysed the results of more than 193,350 internet connection tests using iOS and Android mobiles throughout 2022. The research focused on the top five mobile companies: Movistar, Vodafone, Orange, Digi, and MásMovil/Yoigo.

In 2022, Movistar offered the best performance to its users, earning a total of 81,764 points. When it comes to download speed, Movistar is way ahead of the competition, with speeds close to 65 Mb per second, followed by Orange with 49 Mb per second.

When it comes to streaming videos, Movistar also reigns supreme with an impressive 84 per cent efficacy, followed closely by DIGI with 83 per cent.

In terms of request and response time, DIGI takes the top spot with 54.62 milliseconds, followed by MásMovil/Yoigo with 49.91 milliseconds.

Pensioner holidays

THE Imserso trips for pensioners will soon go on sale again in Spain, some with slightly higher prices but with more choices available than in previous seasons.

There are only a few months left until the application period for the Imserso 2023/2024 trips opens.

Pensioners who opt for one of the 886,269 places on offer (70,000 more than this year) will be able to choose from a wider range of travel options than before.

Prices range from €124 to visit the Spanish provincial capitals for four days, to €436 to travel to the Canary Islands for 10 days.

These prices will be 7.5 per cent more expensive in order to maintain the quality of the programme.

The most expensive option for the mainland coastal areas of Andalu ­

cia, Catalonia, Murcia and Valencia, with transport included, will be the 10 day stay (nine nights) for €290.06.

One per cent of trips are reserved for people with economic resources equal to or less than the amount of non ­ contributory retirement or disability pensions from Social Security.

In these cases, the Imserso will assume 50 per cent of the cost of the place, while in all other cases, the Imserso contributes 22.5 per cent and the users contribute

ular traffic resumed at the border crossing.

According to official data from the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, 220 immigrants have entered Ceuta and Melilla illegally so far this year, a significant decrease from the 1,122 entries recorded during the same period last year. Of those 220 entries, 199 were recorded in Ceuta.

The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande­Marlaska, said that migration policy is a key focus for his department which has sought to build agreements with partners including Morocco. Spain’s relationship with Morocco has reached several flashpoints during Marlaska’s tenure, but appears to be on the mend.

Inflation up

INFLATION in Las Canaria is the highest in Spain, reaching a record high of 4.6 per cent on Friday, April 14.

Food and non­alcoholic drinks are thought to be the major culprits driving the rise, with their prices going up by a staggering 17.4 per cent yearon­year, well above the national average. Spiralling inflation is causing issues for residents in Las Canarias.

the remaining 77.5 per cent.

Imserso has appointed several travel agents to promote the holidays and to accept bookings.

Prices within the hospitality industry have also increased by 9.4 per cent, while leisure and culture costs have increased by 5.7 per cent. Alcohol and tobacco prices have also gone up by 4 per cent. It’s a grim picture for the locals, who have seen the cost of living rise faster than their wages can keep up with.

However, it’s not all bad news! Housing and transport costs have dropped by a staggering 15.3 per cent and 1.1 per cent respectively. The textile and shoe industry has also seen a decrease in costs of 1.3 per cent, while the cost of medicine has fallen by 1.8 per cent.

CEUTA: The border is an area of contention.

Photo credit: Ministerio del Interior (via Facebook)

CANARY ISLANDS: Available for only €436 for 10 days.

1.22% of the population of UK are regular golf players.

Back to his roots

Betty Henderson

THE President of the United States arrived in Dublin on Wednesday, April 12, but it’s his visit to his ancestral roots that stole the headlines.

Joe Biden, a proud IrishAmerican, returned to the land of his forefathers, and the Irish rolled out the green carpet for him. Crowds lined the streets of Carlingford in County Louth, where Biden’s greatgreat­grandfather Owen Finnegan once lived, to catch a glimpse of the presidential

motorcade. Heavy rain couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the locals, who welcomed their long­lost relative with

State of emergency

open arms. Biden also met with distant relatives in the Cooley Peninsula, where he visited ancestors’ graves.

But it wasn’t just a personal visit. Biden met with political leaders in Northern Ireland before crossing the border and called for the restoration of the power­sharing government at Stormont.

And he made time for a joke too, telling embassy staff he couldn’t qualify to be a cop, firefighter, or priest, so “here I am.”

Private jet from Portugal

A LUCKY air passenger was left in astonishment when he realised he was the only passenger on board a scheduled Jet2 flight.

As reported in a news outlet, Paul Wilkinson, 65, from St Annes, Lancashire arrived at Faro airport in Portugal on March 30, only to be informed that he was the only passenger. Hailed as a ‘king’ by Jet2 staff, Paul was literally treated to a luxury private jet experience.

On arriving at the airport, Paul’s initial reaction was panic when he got to the depar­

ture gate with no queue in sight. Asked if the flight had been delayed or cancelled, airport staff told him that he was their VIP guest.

He said "The service was second to none. They did a one­on­one safety demonstration; we took photographs, and the captain came out and spoke to me.

Paul paid £130 for the three­hour flight, and had three cabin crew at his 'beck and call'. He added, "It was like being on my own private jet.”

ITALY declared a six­month state of emergency on Thursday, April 13 in response to an increase in boats crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa. The move comes as an unprecedented 3,000 migrants arrived in just three days, with a number of boats landing on the Italian island of Lampedusa.

The coastguard stepped in to rescue over 2,000 people since Friday, April 7. The news comes as the last annual quarter was found to be the ‘deadliest quarter’ for migrants since 2017 in an international report by the United Nations Migration

Body. A total of 441 deaths were reported in the Central Mediterranean in the first three months of 2023. The report also warned that delays in government­led rescues led to at least 127 deaths.

Tunisia has become the largest point of departure for migrant boats in recent months. With migrants arriving at an alarming rate, the state of emergency gives ministers up to €5 million to deal with the crisis.

President Biden thanked Taoiseach Leo Varadkar for the welcome.

Photo credit: President Joe Biden (via Facebook)

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Legendary musician talks to Euro Weekly News

IT was some 60 years ago that a young Paul Jones hit the limelight as the singer for the hugely successful Manfred Mann group and he is still singing today.

Things have changed in one particular way for Paul and his wife of 38 years, singer and actress Fiona Hendley ­ Jones and the pair, who are now committed Christians are travelling to Denia in Costa Blanca to entertain and share their Christian testimony.

Entitled Story and Song ­ Hear how faith in God has changed our lives they will be appearing at 7pm on Saturday April 29 at the Evangelical Church Bautista de Denia, Calle Erminta de Santa Maria 13, Denia Montgo.

The event will see the couple performing a number of songs, some of which are from their album Personal and they will of course speak about how they came to Christianity and how it has guided their way of life.

Paul is not a regular visitor to Spain and was last over when the Manfreds (a band made up of some close friends and former band mates) performed a spectacular concert at Benidorm Palace last year and he received a handwritten note from Brenda Muckley asking him about his faith.

It was after several exchanges that Paul and Fiona agreed to come over and not only entertain but promote their view of Christianity.

Many years ago, the then atheist Paul, who formed the Blues Band (which released some 20 albums) and also became an actor, songwriter and BBC DJ appeared on a TV discussion show with Cliff Richard who was en ­

couraging people to welcome evange list Billy Graham to the UK.

In his own words Paul explained “Looking back I was quite unkind to Cliff about his religious beliefs and I wasn’t a fan of his music but he was very generous and never turned his back on me.”

Several years later, Paul received a call from Cliff asking him and Fiona to attend a presentation at the White City Stadium in London being hosted by Argentine evangelist Luis Palau with the promise of a good meal afterwards if they attended.

Attend they did and during the event “we both shed tears of joy at the positivity of the entire evening and it was then that we both gave our lives to Jesus!”

Now 81, Paul who now admits to being a fan of Sir Cliff, doesn’t believe that age should ever be a barrier and said “I intend to live to at least 120.”

His first musical love, the Blues, attracted many young musicians in the 60s because it came from a poor working class African American centre and many saw the Blues as a major artistic achievement.

Whilst not accepting for a moment that Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil in order to become a great guitar player, he now recognises that there can be a darker side to some parts of the music which should not be ignored.

Whatever happens, Paul still relishes being a musician and recently played with the Manfreds on a Caribbean Cruise and continues to sing and play his harmonica with the band as regularly as possible.

Paul and Fiona will visit Denia.

Credit: Paul Jones

PRESS EUROPEAN

DENMARK

Staying home

QUEEN MARGRETHE of Denmark, 82, who recently underwent major back surgery, will not attend her grandson’s Confirmation in Paris next month. She will also miss the coronation of her distant relative King Charles III on May 6, but will be represented by Crown Prince Frederik and Princess Mary.

THE NETHERLANDS

Their choice

ACCORDING to Statistics Netherlands, (CBS)

8,720 requests for euthanasia were approved last year, revealing that 5 per cent of recorded deaths were the result of legally assisted dying 2022. Euthanasia in the Netherlands is allowed only when requested by the patient, not their family or friends.

BELGIUM

Flying high

FIVE US paratroopers were stuck in a tree during a training exercise at the Hechtel-Eksel military base in Limburg province. Two were soon freed using a ladder lorry, but three others who were too high up in the tree had to wait for firefighters using specialist treeclimbing equipment.

GERMANY

Shut down

GERMANY has abandoned nuclear power, taking the last three plants off its national grid after the government decided not to keep them operative. Two thirds of the population opposed the shutdown and advocates of nuclear technology argued that abandoning it was “premature.”

FRANCE

On watch

A 2013-2017 survey by France’s public health service found that two-year-olds spent 56 minutes a day in front of a screen, increasing to 80 minutes by the time they were threeand-a-half. The survey also found that 13.7 per cent of parents admitted ignoring recommendations restricting screen time.

NORWAY

On their way

MORE than 30 Norwegian billionaires and multimillionaires left Norway in 2022 after the wealth tax rose by 1.1 per cent, the Dagens Naeringsliv newspaper reported. This was more than the total number of super-rich people who left Norway during the previous 13 years, the newspaper said.

FINLAND

Name-calling

AS in 2021, Olivia and Leo were the first names most often chosen for the country’s Finnish-speaking children in 2022. “There has been little variation in names in recent years, and traditional names continue to be the most popular,” Finland’s Digital and Population Data Services Agency said.

IRELAND

Bard on display

THE only copy in Ireland of the first edition of William Shakespeare’s collected plays has been put on public display, 400 years after it was published, at Trinity College Dublin. The exhibition can be visited in the Long Room of the Old Library at the college until June.

ITALY

Deadly attack

A BEAR that killed 26-year-old Andrea Papi earlier this month while jogging in woods close to his home in Caldes in northern Italy, has been identified as a 17-year-old female that had previously attacked two people. Papi was the first person to die in a bear attack in modern times.

PORTUGAL

Money spinners

A TOTAL of 59,470 Portuguese families declared incomes of more than €100,000 a year in 2021, a 14 per cent increase on 2020, the country’s tax authority (IRS) revealed. These households declared a combined income of €9.4 billion, amounting to approximately 8.8 per cent of the taxman’s gross 2021 income.

UKRAINE

Ikea helps

UKRAINE has received household supplies worth €9 million from Ikea, the Swedish home furnishing chain, and Ingka, the group’s largest retailer. Approximately 200 lorries have now delivered 850,000 items to UN’s Refugee Agency to assist relief efforts in Kyiv and Lviv.

SWEDEN

Wrong choice

SWEDEN’S biggest pension fund, Alecta, sacked chief executive Magnus Billing after his confidence in failed US lenders Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank left the fund with losses of almost $2 billion.(€1.8 billion). Alecta, said on April 11 that these losses had “seriously damaged confidence” in its investment strategy.

Spend big

THE TUC, which represents 48 UK unions, called for a “radical increase” in investment in public transport. More spending on the trains, trams and buses that are needed to cut down on car use could give the economy an annual boost of £50 billion (€58.6 billion) a union report claimed.

Scant interest

SPAIN’S banks save an annual €1.5 billion by paying lower interest on savings accounts than their Eurozone counterparts, according to the European Central Bank (ECB). As a result, Spanish families lose €924.16 million on their savings accounts, while non­ financial bodies lose €548 million, the ECB found.

Never-never

YOUNG Britons and Millennials aged up to 42 are four times more likely to take on debt to meet rising costs this year, credit broker Credit Karma found. Unlike those aged between 59 and 69 who use credit cards, the young tend to choose an overdraft or a pay now, pay later arrangement.

IT blip

COMPUTER sales are at their lowest in 10 years, falling worldwide by 29 per cent to 56.9 million systems during the year’s first quarter. “Demand has slowed but we expect it to overtake pre­ pandemic levels in the second half,” said Alberto Ruano, Lenovo’s director general in Spain.

Co-op hiccup

CUSTOMERS threatened to leave the Co­operative Bank after its mobile app stopped working for three consecutive Fridays recently. After the latest incident a Co ­ operative spokesperson apologised and said the bank “would put right” any problems clients might have encountered when making payments.

Linda

Hall

ACCOUNTANCY firm Ernst & Young (EY), which is London­ based, has abandoned proposals to restructure its global operations.

Plans to separate the consultancy and audit divisions were scuppered by EY’s New York office following disputes over the future structure of the new businesses.

Spadework for what was codenamed Project Everest began last year, as the big four accounting firmsDeloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers

KPMG and EY ­ faced increasing criticism regarding conflicts of interest between their two divisions.

Politicians and regulators, particularly those in the UK, questioned whether EY’s ability to challenge audit clients could be conditioned by the possibility of securing juicy consulting, tax and deal­advisory contracts from

THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted that the UK would be one of the world’s worst­performing major economies this year.

Popularly known as the G20, these 20 countries include sanctions­hit Russia.

The IMF expects the UK economy to shrink by 0.3 per cent in 2023 and to grow by 1 per cent in 2024, according to the World Economic Outlook report presented on Tuesday April 11 in Washington.

The IMF had already forecast that the UK would experience a downturn in 2023, descending to the bottom of the G7 group of

Padua exit

ANTONIO CATALAN, chairman of AC Hotels by Marriott, continues to reduce commitments in destinations he does not view as priorities.

Sources close to Catalan confirmed to the Spanish media that he is negotiating the sale of a hotel in Padua (Italy).

This will be his second Italian disinvestment following the 2008 sale of an hotel in Rome to the Spanish chain H10.

The same sources emphasised that the AC Hotels by Marriott sale was not linked to asset rotation but to the strategy of relinquish ownership of a hotel while continuing to run it after reaching agreement with the new owner.

STAT OF WEEK €38 billion

is the amount that Europe’s telecommunications companies have recovered via improved business, a series of mergers and, prompting operators to foresee a slight increase in revenue and new dividends.

BUSINESS EXTRA Chain sold FINANCE

No change at EY

and advisory divisions worldwide.

But, bearing in mind the strategic importance of the now­unhappy US member firm to Project Everest, EY halted the project.

FULHAM SHORE, owner of the Franco Manca and The Real Greek restaurant chains, is selling them for £93.4 million (€106 million).

the same companies whose books they were scrutinising.

The UK’s accounting and audit regulator, the Financial Reporting Council, said that auditing operations should be isolated from the rest of EY’s businesses. In the event, EY went further still with a restructuring operation that would have separated audit

“The global executive remains committed to moving forward with creating two world­class organisations that further advance audit quality, independence and client choice,” explained a note to staff from EY’s global executive committee.

“We will begin taking actions based on what we have learned from the work done over the past year, actions that will both benefit our businesses today and better prepare us for a new transaction,” the executive committee added.

Ups and downs

ic recovery in 2022.

Despite the sobering outlook for UK economy, this latest prediction is rather better than the IMF’s January prediction of a 0.6 per cent contraction.

Buyer is the Japanese giant Toridoll which is listed on the Tokyo stock exchange, owns 5,500 restaurants and has worldwide sales of £1 billion (€1.13 billion).

Toridoll already runs the Marugame Udon, Shoryu and Wok to Walk chains in the UK and is teaming up with Capdesia, the private equity company behind Wasabi Sushi & Bento, for the Fulham Shore deal.

Shares in Fulham Shore soared by a third to 15p (approximately 16 cents) when the deal was announced.

Shared out

countries regarded as the world’s seven most advanced economies. The UK topped this group, which dominates global trade and the international financial system, during the pandem­

Meanwhile the IMF has raised Spain’s 2023 growth forecast by four­tenths of a percentage point to 1.5 per cent but lowered next year’s prediction by another fourtenths, to 2 per cent.

This year’s improved forecast matches those of other organisations, especially af­

Could do better

LADBIBLE GROUP, part of LBG Media, made light of a disappointing financial performance.

The group, which is based in Manchester, pointed out that it is now the leading news publisher on TikTok, and by December 31 last year the number of its followers had grown by 72 per cent compared with 2021.

LadBible’s global audience grew by 39 per cent year­on­year to 366 million, with 98 billion content views, 56 per cent more than the previous year.

Nevertheless, pre ­ tax profits dropped 10 per cent to £7.3 million (€8.3 million) over the same 12­month period, while a 15 per cent revenue increase to £62.8 million (€71.3 million) missed forecasts.

The year’s adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) was also down 6 per cent at £15.7 million (€17.8 million).

ter Spain’s 2022’s strong 5.5 per cent growth. Two months ago the Organisation for Economic Co­operation and Development (OECD) raised its 2023 forecast to 1.7 per cent, while the Bank of Spain upgraded its own from 1.3 per cent to 1.6 per cent.

Despite these reasonably encouraging figures, they fall short of the Spanish government’s overestimate of a predicted 2.1 per cent growth announced in its Budget.

Stepping stone

MULTINATIONAL natural stone company Cosentino continues to diversify production beyond its Silestone brand.

After launching Dekton in 2013, the company has now opened a new €120 million factory covering 40,000 square metres in Cantoria (Almeria).

This brings up to 140,000 square metres the area allocated to Dekton, with everything in place for a fourth production line in the near future.

Despite announcing plans to float the company in the first quarter of 2023, Cosentino said that its board had not made a firm decision.

“All options are on the table but it is not true that this has delayed until next year,” a statement insisted.

ELEVEN top executives at Inditex received 202,500 shares that are worth more than €6 million. This corresponds to the second and last phase of the company’s 2019­2023 incentive plan, which makes up part of the variable salary for senior executives and other personnel and is linked to meeting specified targets.

The volume of this year’s shares was 21 per cent lower than that distributed during the incentive plan’s first phase which ended in April 2022, although each share is worth €30.39, a 20 per cent increase on their 2022 value.

More to go

BARCLAYS announced that it intends to close 15 more branches across the UK this summer.

The high street bank revealed that it will be pulling down the shutters on two locations in Northern Ireland, one in Wales and 12 in England next July.

These latest closures bring a total of 73 Barclays branches that have closed, or will close, this year.

The industry routinely justifies closures by pointing out that fewer people now use branches after learning how to bank from home during the pandemic.

EY LONDON: Headquarters are located near the Thames.

TOBIAS ADRIAN: IMF’s Financial Counsellor and director of the Monetary and Capital Markets department.

Photo credit: CC/Arpingstone

DOW JONES

Stretching it

DISCOUNT shopping

chain Poundstretcher has reportedly hired advisers to look into the possibility of a stock market float after sales boomed during Covid. The group, created in 1981, now has around 350 outlets and announced in February that it would open another 50 stores across the UK in 2023.

Sea change

BANCA is preparing to sell a majority stake in frozen food company Nueva Pescanova. The financial institution, which owns 97 per cent of the fishing group’s capital, is negotiating the transfer of 80 per cent of its shares to Canadian company Cooke Inc, which also specialises in seafood products.

Simply the best

THE Good Money Guide recently held its annual awards ceremony, celebrating the best in financial service organisations.

This year the UK­based guide to trading, investment and currency accounts, welcomed more than 160 guests at Plaisterers’ Hall in the City of London for a black­tie, 20­table gala dinner.

Currencies Direct won Best Currency Broker in recognition of their commitment to a fivestar experience for all their clients. This includes great rates, exceptional services, and

swift, simple transfer solutions. What are the Good Money Guide Awards?

For the last six years, the Good Money Guide has been running an annual awards

Bank branches lopped

BANKS in Spain’s rural areas are becoming hard to find.

Over the past year, Spain’s high street banks left another 121 municipalities without branches despite agreeing to provide financial inclusion for vulnerable groups.

According to the Bank of Spain, 4,618 of the country’s 8,131 municipalities ­ 57 per cent ­ no longer have a bank branch al ­

though in practice, a few still have banking facilities.

Following the Unicaja­Liberbank merger, the Andalucia­based bank has maintained offices under its own name through a franchise system which did not show up in the Bank of Spain statistics.

Meanwhile, the province of Palencia in Castilla­Leon is Spain’s worst­hit province.

A tough year

event to highlight outstanding firms in the financial services sector.

It its own words, “The Good Money Guide Awards aim to champion financial services firms that excel in innovation, product, and customer service.

“Each year thousands of clients tell us what they think to help others make smarter decisions about who to invest, trade and transfer currency with. They also provide valuable feedback to improve the online investing, trading, and currency transfer industry.”

Deciding the winners is based on professional testing, data and pricing analysis, together with customer feedback survey results. This year, 17,000 votes were cast to pick the final winners from the 62 companies that took part.

Currencies Direct is also up for the Business Moneyfacts Awards in April, where they’ve been shortlisted for two more accolades. Will the winning streak continue?

TESCO’S profits halved to £753 million (€852 million) in 2022.

The year was “incredibly tough for customers,” Tesco admitted as it dealt with “significant operating­cost inflation” and wrote down the value of some properties.

The UK’s biggest retailer said sales rose 7.2 per cent to £65.7 billion (€74.3 billion) in the year to February 25. This included a 3.3 per cent increase at Tesco’s UK supermarkets, although it sold fewer items as shoppers chose their products carefully.

UK food sales rose by 4.6 per cent over the last year, led by the group’s own­label ranges, while sales of its premium Finest products increased by 7 per cent and its cheapest ‘Exclusively at Tesco’ items grew by 6 per cent.

The chain said the volume of items sold had fallen, partly because customers wasted less and used up leftovers but once Covid restrictions were eased, they were visiting restaurants and cafes more often, buying less to eat at home.

GALA EVENING: Award-winning Currencies Direct.

BUSINESS EXTRA

Time to read

WATERSTONES managing director James Daunt, a former JP Morgan banker, said the pandemic was both negative and positive for many retailers although it was “fantastic” for booksellers worldwide. “It made people pick up books again,” said Daunt, who has 1,000 bookshops under his control.

Jobs boost

SPAIN’S Cabinet approved a €2.8 billion allocation for the country’s autonomous regions this year to implement employment policies that promote hiring the long­term unemployed. This would be the largest investment of public funds to improve employability since 2011, said Minister of Labour, Yolanda Diaz.

Switchback

ALMOST one million people in the UK switched their current account in 2022, as banks competed to offer the best perks, cashbacks and bonuses. Last year’s 985,000 switches were 20 per cent up on 2021, said the Current Account Switching Service, which simplifies the process of moving to another bank.

Situations vacant

RECORD Easter occupancy accentuated difficulties in finding qualified staff to attend to the needs of Spain’s tourists. The problem, worsened by the pandemic and still unresolved, would become more noticeable as tourists returned en masse, warned Gabriel Escarrer, CEO of Melia hotel chain.

Nectar deal

SAINSBURY’S has taken on Tesco’s Clubcard with key changes to its Nectar loyalty card which include discounts on 300 products.

The supermarket chain has introduced ‘Nectar Prices’ in major stores and online although discounts are not available in Sainsbury’s local stores or petrol stations.

SSE goes deep

Linda Hall

THE world’s deepest wind turbine foundation has been installed off the Angus coast.

The Scottish energy company SSE installed the 2,000­ton foundation ­ or jacket to use the industry term ­ that will support Seagreen’s 112th turbine at a depth of more than 58 metres.

The record­breaking turbine is part of SSE’s £3 billion (€3.4 billion) project in partnership with French energy company Total. Due to be completed this summer, the windfarm’s 114 turbines will be able to power the equivalent of 1.6 million homes.

This latest installation was a significant step towards completing a project

The Seagreen windfarm is included in SSE’s plan to invest £12.5 billion (€14.1 billion) by 2026 in projects that have been designed to speed up the UK’s target of becoming a net zero economy.

By the end of the decade, SSE, which is also developing the world’s largest offshore windfarm at Dogger Bank in the North Sea, intends to invest a total of £24 billion (€27.2 billion) in the UK alone.

London plans

BUSINESSMAN and socialite

Bruce Colley, whose family owns multiple McDonald’s franchises in the US, now plans to open luxury hotels and restaurants in London.

The 69 ­ year ­ old who is cochairman of Park Lane, the company that is leading the project, is joining forces with New Zealand financier Rayo Withanage to raise an initial $200 million (€181.6 million).

that demonstrated how the company was able to innovate and push the boundaries of the technology of change in power production, SSE’s chief executive Alistair Phillips­Davies, said.

SSE, one of the UK’s biggest renewable energy producers, has increased its full­year profit forecast for the financial year ending on March 31 on two occasions, thanks to its money­making gas power plants.

Juan Roig lowers prices

MERCADONA, Spain’s largest supermarket chain, is cutting the price of 500 items by 10 cents to ease the cost­ of ­ living crisis.

The initiative should bring an annual saving of €150 for each client, Mercadona said.

The family­owned company would remain faithful to its commitment to lower retail prices as cost prices fell, Mercadona sources added. These were already falling but because it was a slow process, they explained that the company had decided to get ahead by lowering the price of 500 staple products, which would be singled out in the shops.

The chain also plans to take advantage of market opportunities to lower the price of fresh produce.

The initiative will cost the company around €200 million with a 0.6 percentage point effect on its profit margin, which Mercadona calculates has shrunk by 1.1 percentage points since 2020.

Presenting last year’s accounts and announcing net profits of €718 million, Mercadona president Juan Roig admitted that prices had increased “tremendously” but pointed out that these

AMAZON’S proposed takeover of iRobot, makers of Roomba vacuum cleaner, is under scrutiny from the UK’s Competition and Markets authority (CMA).

Amazon is keen to expand its smart home appliances operation, but the CMA is looking into whether the deal could lead to what it described as a “substantial lessening of competition.”

rose by 10 per cent while the company’s overheads increased by 14 per cent. The discounts were not a temporary measure, Mercadona said. Nor were they a “shopping basket” of products with fixed prices like those of French supermarkets but were permanent reductions.

Checking out

Amazon announced that it was buying Massachusetts­based iRobot last August in a $1.7 billion (€1.5 billion) takeover agreement but a month later the US authorities announced that they would review the deal.

In February 2023, the Financial Times revealed that European competition au­

thorities also planned to examine the takeover.

Both Amazon and iRobot said they were “working cooperatively” with the regulators over the merger.

The CMA is also investigating Amazon’s fake online reviews while another probe centres on anti­competitive practices.

Striking a balance

WHEN anti­Covid restrictions were at their strictest in Spain, three million people began working at home.

They accounted for 16.2 per cent of the working population, compared with 4.8 per cent in 2019, according to Eurostat, the European Union’s official statistics office.

By late 2020 the number of teleworkers had decreased and fell to 9.5 per cent throughout 2021, Eurostat said.

At the same time, the digital transforma­

tion brought work­life balance and co­responsibility to the forefront, with the option of remote working creating a new generation gap.

“The younger generation has embraced the idea that teleworking is a must,” Josep Capell, a lecturer in Human Resources at the Autonomous University of Madrid.

Reconciling work and family life is now recognised as crucial by employees and recruitment experts alike, he said.

They also intend to raise further funds to finance investments in London and elsewhere worldwide over the next two years. Colley and Withanage have already earmarked two London sites, UK media sources revealed.

“The goal is to capitalise on development and consolidation opportunities in the luxury sector,” Colley said.

Scent success

PZ CUSSONS, which owns the iconic Imperial Leather brand, achieved its sixth successive quarter of revenue growth.

Like­for­like sales rose by 6.2 per cent to £166 million (€188.4 million) for the quarter that ended on March 4, boosted by growth in Europe and the Americas thanks to more demand and higher prices.

Despite higher raw material, labour and logistics costs, turnover rose by 13 per cent thanks to favourable currency movements and sales from Childs Farm, the skincare brand that Cussons bought for £36.8 million (€41.8 million) in March 2022.

Power shock

ITALY’S government announced that Francesco Starace, president of Enel, is to be replaced.

The company will now have Flavio Cattaneo as chief executive, while Paolao Scaroni was named president. Enel is the country’s principal electricity producer and also owns Endesa, which is Spain’s biggest electricity supplier. These substitutions were already being discussed in the sector in a change that is expected to have a direct impact on the Spanish company.

Starace had been in charge since 2014 and Endesa has until now played a significant role in the group’s strategy.

SEAGREEN WINDFARM: Jackets waiting at Dundee harbour’s quayside.

Photo credit: Flick/Tobias Verfuss

MERCADONA: Spain’s largest supermarket chain.

Photo credit: mercadona.es

LAST week I had a post removed from my FB pages. The short video was indeed distasteful, but one I felt deserved as much publicity as it could get. The film showed a naked white man being kicked and stoned to death by a number of black youths on a busy street in South Africa. This horrific act was taking place in broad daylight with no assistance whatsoever from any law enforcement or indeed passers­by.

The whole incident made me sick to my stomach and in normal circumstances I would never have dreamt of passing it on to friends and pursuers of my Facebook page, but these are not ‘normal’ times, are they?

Not only did the piece make me wonder how the public, particularly the ‘diversity’ brigade, would have reacted had it been a black man being kicked to death by a gang of whites, but it made me seriously wonder where the priorities of the faceless individuals who control the social media actually lay.

At any given time, on many of

Truly horrified

these outlets you can see women stoned to death and if you delve deep enough the goriest executions imaginable, so why, can anyone enlighten me, do they find the murder of a white man by blacks so abhorrent they deem it necessary to take down?

Would it, I wonder have anything to do with the fact that South Africa has been a democratic disaster and a place of danger and injustices for white people for years, far worse in fact than it was for the black residents during apartheid? I have regular contact with a number of friends, who are among the dwindling numbers of those whites who still try to exist in this most dangerous and blatantly anti­white racist country.

Basically, the terrorists are now in charge and, like Saudi Arabia, which is also run by an undemocratic bunch of cruel dictators, control so many of the world’s natural rich resources, they literally get away with murder on a grand scale and are never brought to book.

I am subsequently truly horrified but not too surprised, by the news

GRUMPY OLD MAN OUR VIEW

that the new series of ‘I’m a Celebrity’ is also coming from that disgracefully run country. No doubt the hierarchy running the TV and advertising will be delighted to show their hugely biased brainwashing diversity propaganda and will gain a wonderful reception from the crooked SA authorities and the relatively small numbers of the British public who are in agreement with their policies, including participants in a show; which will undoubtedly be crammed with diversity.

Personally I think presenters Ant and Dec should have refused to partake at all. Sandy Shaw and I only agreed to an SA tour during apartheid if we could work to mixed audiences. We too were supporting the black citizens, but would never have even contemplated doing so had they been attacking and murdering the white population!

WITH the Coronation of King Charles III just a few days away, it does seem that the new monarch is doing his best not to heal rifts within the family but instead is relying upon protocol to act like a grumpy old man.

First and foremost, whilst Harry has announced that he will be attending his father’s coronation, he will be kept very much on the periphery, is not likely to wear any ceremonial costumes and will be expected to keep a low profile.

It appears that his wife and children will remain in the USA and he will simply make a token appearance before jetting back for son Archie’s fourth birthday.

Prince Andrew who has made a total fool of himself over the past few years (although has not been convicted of any criminal offence) may or may not attend, but if he does, he will be precluded from any official role and although his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie will attend, they may not take part in any official capacity as they are non­working royals.

Sarah Ferguson is not invited although it has been suggested that she, like Prince Andrew was a favourite of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

When one considers that apart from Prince Edward, every other member of the Queen’s immediate family has been divorced or involved in some scandal or other, surely now would be the time to try to bring the family together and present a united front to the world at large rather than continue to highlight the rifts?

With Love, Camposol is now open

LOCATED in Sector B, Commercial Centre (previously Just Fabulous) With Love opened its doors on Easter Monday. The opening received great support from both old and new customers who came to celebrate. The attention to detail shown inside the store has transformed the interior. The shop is now bright and airy with a modern spacious feel. A new stunning central display draws your eye into the store allowing you to enjoy the latest giftware. The huge choice of cards is now perfectly placed to encourage shoppers to browse the vast selection and air conditioning has been installed so you can now shop in comfort even in the height of summer.

With Love aims to to provide an amazing choice of cards and gifts at incredible prices. New card pricing means small cards are just €1 and large cards start from just €2 so you are sure to

find the perfect choice. With Love now gives you a Card Shop selection, six days a week at market prices!

Stock is constantly being refreshed giving customers plenty of choice so you are sure to find something suitable. Giftware ranges from inexpensive impulse gifts to the more exclusive items for those special occasions. You can even add a unique element with their Personalised Giftware

range. This range includes plaques, glassware, mugs, candles and frames allowing you to create the perfect gift and sentiment that will be treasured forever.

However, With Love is much more than just a card and gift shop as it incorporates ‘All in 1’ offering a comprehensive range of services including British Passport Service. All your passport requirements are catered for in

a relaxed environment. The service includes taking your passport photos, completion of the passport application and safe courier service returned directly to the store. So you can relax knowing you are in safe hands.

With Love also offer a host of other services listed here:

UK and Worldwide Postal/ Courier Service, Secure inbound Post Facility, Helium/Latex Balloons, Partyware, Stationery,

Graphic Design, Business Card, Mobile Top­Ups, Canvases, Photo restorations, Flight bookings and Boarding Passes, NIE/TIE/ Visa and ID Photographs, Photocopying, Laminating, General Printing and much more!

With Love is open Monday to Friday 10.00 until 16.00, Saturdays 10.00 until 14.00.

So please pop in to see what they have to offer.

With Love is all you need.

C.C El Saladillo, Camposol Sector B, Mazarron 30875 - Tel.: 968 972 944 / 604 453 448

The ‘charity of last resort’

THE mission of the British Benevolent Fund is to act as a ‘charity of last resort’ for those Britons in Spain who have nowhere else to turn and face extreme financial hardship. With the growing number of British nationals who we help returning to the UK ­ many of whom are vulnerable people with long term illnesses ­ the BBF plays a vital enabling role. For people with serious illness or impairment travelling alone is impossible.

We are indebted to volunteers who give up their time to help others. Unfortunately travel these days is more of a challenge than ever ­ however nobody could have foreseen the ordeal that one went through to help a vulnerable British lady be repatriated from a Malaga hospital so she could be moved to a UK medical facility. The volunteer, a retired police officer, left her home at 6pm on a Wednesday to go to Malaga Airport. She arrived at 7.30pm and left her car at the airport and took a taxi to the hospital to collect the patient. She obtained the paperwork

from the ward nurse and were taken to the airport by ambulance. On arrival at 9.00pm we went to Sin Barreras Assistance Team who escorted them through security to the boarding gate at 9.30pm for the 11.25pm flight. At 9.51pm she was informed by the airline the flight was delayed until 11.55pm. At 9.52pm she was informed the flight was now delayed until 02.55am on the following day. At 10.59pm she was informed the flight was cancelled. Airport Assistance rebooked them on an 11.20 the following day.

The patient could not stay overnight at the airport or in a hotel as she was in a wheelchair and could not walk and needed personal hygiene products.

They were sent to Malaga A

& E where they stayed in a small side toom until 07.00 the following day and repeated the process of the previous day.

On boarding the aircraft they were informed there was a four hour wait before takeoff. They eventually landed and the volunteer handed over to her relative and the airport care team. She is now in a residence receiving 24­hour care.

The journey was a nightmare, but we were able to get the patient to the care she needed. The BBF can only do this with your generosity. If you would like to support our work helping others who have nobody else to turn to please visit our website to donate. www.britishbenvolentfund.or g Thank you.

Olaf Clayton, Chair, BBF.

WITH LOVE: Much more than just a card and gift shop - it also offers a comprehensive range of services.

Olaf Clayton of BBF.

Wrong context LETTERS

IN your Issue No 1970 (6‐12 April) in Euro‐pean Press, you carried a piece on Ireland, with a caption of Welcome Home, which as an Irishman I was very pleased to see.

However we would never use the Gaelic word, Eíre in this context. Instead we would say, Ballina, situated in County Sligo.

Moreover, most people, particularly Irish would not use Eíre, only because most other nationalities wouldn’t recognise it!

On the other hand the name, Ireland, in the caption is very acceptable.

Always enjoy your paper.

Hi Linda,

Regards

Bernard Butler

Many thanks for your speedy reply. Actually whilst on the subject of Ireland. In Mijas Pueblo, on the building beside the Council Offices, wall plaques have been erected to acknowledge various nationali‐ties’ presence in the area.

I recall some years ago, Ireland was one of the first countries to be honoured in this way, however on a recent visit to the Peublo I noticed that someone has removed the plaque. Vandalism no doubt?

Perhaps you might consider following up this matter?

Thank you for you time and attention to this matter.

Kind regards Bernard

Dear Leapy

I take objection to the letter printed re Jed‐dah. I worked in the King Fahad Hospital there in those years and found the Saudi people nothing but respectful. Please don’t use that term r s for those people Mr Kite. Have you not been to British beaches over the last 50 years? You can hardly sit down without all the rubbish left by selfish people of all nations.

Carole Burton

Dog park

While it is good to see the Euro Weekly News back, I would like to point out an incor‐rect statement in the news about the dog park. It was not built on waste land, but on a park area that the garden group had spent a lot of time, effort and money to gravel and maintain for the last 20 years. But no one thought fit to liaise with the garden group about where would be the best place for it. Perhaps not near the medical centre and the play park. It will be also interesting to know who is going to maintain it and empty the bins?

Yours sincerely, Marion

Hi Leapy

I am not sure you get to glance through the Sun newspaper where you are situated but I have been following this guy for some time now. His name is Lee Anderson and I am sure what he says in this article (page 16/17 Sunday 16/04/2023) is just what we have been trying to tell people for ages, but do they listen NO!! Because they are all too steeped in woke and human rights etc etc to see the wood for the trees. Now I know you can’t reply because so many people contact you, be it agreeing or disagreeing with your views, but if you can get it up on your screen see what you think. Keep up the good work trying to educate the uneducated.

Joe

Mixed up

Four words used in Loopy Lee’s latest col‐umn but used inappropriately in conflicting ways in the wrong order. Firstly he calls the Johnson partying as Mere Bagatelle words meaning petty triviality and unimportance, does he really think that the charlatan who was eventually ousted from office through his law breaking and continuous lies is petty, trivial and unimportant? Try telling that one to the thousands who stayed at home unable to hold the hand of loved ones suffering in hospitals and care homes. Secondly in his continuous weekly bias towards the opposi‐tion party he calls, simply because they have more female members, an armoury of Schemes and Skullduggery against the Tories, words of course meaning artful and sharp practice, as I have pointed out he has got the words mixed up and used in the wrong order.

Ramon Osborne, Los Alcázares.

No benefit

Brexit, the gift that just keeps on giving. Still no benefits to Brexit. If you voted for it, you’re part of the problem called, Brexit Bro‐ken Britain. The whole world is laughing at the UK!

Andrew Cremona

Big brother

How sad that big brother is bringing such a wonderful historic way of travelling to an end. As for providing education details when travelling ‐ what on EARTH has your educa‐tional history have to do with travelling to an‐other country. It’s time people stood up to this BS and told the so called authorities what they can do with all this unnecessary data harvesting. It’s just spying on people for no good reason.

Naimah Yianni

PETS

Sitters stay with pets for free!

IT can be reassuring to find pet minders who will care for your pets and maintain their routines. It keeps the pets happy and you can have peace of mind on holiday.

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 pet care. These are the steps to take:

1. Register as a homeowner on HouseSit Match.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

Adopting advantages

WITH approximately five to seven million companion animals given to animal shelters worldwide each year let’s have a look at some of the best reasons to adopt your furry friend.

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 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?

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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

Adoption associations are really helpful and they help match families to their pets making sure that everyone will be happy together. You can even ask them if you can foster the pet for a while to make sure you are right for each other.

The cost of adopting your pet is much lower and usually just covers the cost of sterilisation and the vaccinations they have received.

I know puppies are cute but sometimes an older dog can be the right choice as they are usually toilet trained and calmer

and you can teach an old dog new tricks don’t worry!

By adopting you help to reduce the inhumane pet breeding trade.

Usually, mixed ­ breed dogs what people usually refer to as a mongrel, not designer puggles or cock­

apoos, are healthier and less vulnerable to diseases unlike purebred animals or the designer crossbreeds mentioned before. With pet adoptions down 36 per cent since the pandemic think about adopting a pet from a shelter near you.

Most popular pets

THE Spanish have shown the world how devoted they are to their animals by creating a law that states animals are not things but sentient beings and your pet should be considered a member of your family. Not only that they have recently released a new animal welfare law, reported in the last edition of the EuroWeekly News , with strict rules on their care and heavy fines in place for those who do not comply with the law.

With that in mind let’s have a look at the most popular pets in Spain.

Top of the list are dogs, no surprises there, with the most popular breeds being the Yorkshire Terrier, the Labrador, the German Shepard, and the Bulldog.

Next up are cats, the preferred pet for people living in apartments. After cats, another good option for apartment living is birds with most Spanish pet owners opting for canaries and par­

rots. Other animals high in the ranking in Spain are turtles, a very popular option for kids. Notable mentions

go to hamsters, rabbits, and lizards, all great pet choices for children and very popular in Spain also.

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

OLDER DOGS: Can sometimes be a better choice.

Puffin loves playing on the beach, the pet minders take her every day.

Photo credit: Flickr Jackie Newman

Spain’s favourite pet.

Photo Credit: Flickr Jon Sharp

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REMOVALS

Cartagena defeat

FC CARTAGENA suffered a defeat that knocked them out of the playoff positions on Sunday, April 16 against CF Malaga who are fighting to get out of the relegation zone.

Cartagena travelled to the Estadio La Rosaleda in Malaga hoping to stay in the playoff positions but Malaga in a relegation battle scored the only goal of the match in the 21st minute.

Malaga forward Pablo Chavarria scored the goal with an assist from Cristian Gutierrez. Cartagena plays next at home in the Cartagonova against Real Sporting on Saturday, April 22.

Favourite wins Grand National

THE 2023 Grand National at Aintree in Liverpool held on Saturday April 15 was won by the 8 ­ 1 favourite, Corach Rambler, ridden by Irish jockey Derek Fox.

After a delayed start thanks to animal rights activists staging a protest at the Aintree racecourse in Liverpool, the Grand National was eventually won by the 8 ­ 1 favourite, Corach Rambler.

The win comes six years after Fox first teamed up with Scottish trainer Lucinda Russell to ride One For Arthur past the finishing post at Aintree.

Last year’s winner, Noble Yeats, had to settle for fourth on this occasion. Second place went to Vanillier while Gaillard Du Mesnil cantered home in third.

The big event was sadly marred by the intrusion of a group of protesters from ‘Animal Rising’ onto the famous track. Merseyside Police finally made a total of 23 arrests, causing the race to start 12 minutes late. Two of the activists went so far as to attach themselves to one of the jumps by applying glue and lockon devices.

“We are continuing to work with The Jockey Club and other partners to keep people safe during the Grand National Festival,” said Merseyside Police.

They continued: “We are aware of people who planned to protest at today’s event. This has been fac ­

Real Murcia come up short

UCAM

Champions League

tored into our plans. We respect the right to peaceful protest and expression of views, but criminal behaviour and disorder will not be tolerated and will be dealt with robustly.”

Peta UK was quick to react and publish a statement after three horses died during this year’s Grand National races. Envoye Special died after an incident on Thursday April 13, followed by Dark Raven during Saturday’s third race. Hill Sixteen also fell at the first hurdle and had to be put down.

REAL MURCIA played at home in the Nueva Condomina against Atlético Baleares on Sunday, April 16 but were unable to secure a win. Baleares forward Victor Narro scored the only goal of the match early on in the seventh minute. Real Murcia were unable to break them down and the match finished 0­1 but they managed to maintain their spot in a playoff position. Next up Real Murcia will face Osasuna B on Sunday, April 23.

Karate gold

THE successful karate team from Cieza won a gold medal in the USA Open of Karate. Young Angel Turpín took home the gold medal in the Elite Kumite +70kg category. The competition was held in the city of Las Vegas.

The competition is one of the most important in the world with 2,800 participants from 47 different countries. Angel Turpín who is just 15 years old beat athletes from Japan and Canada and finally defeated an American in his own country to be the first Spanish athlete to win in this category.

Mar Menor upset

MAR MENOR FC fell at home in the Pitín Stadium in San Javier losing 1­3 to 10th­place Velez. Velez forward Joselinho scored first in the 17th minute and then to make matters worse the home side went 2­0 down just after halftime with an own goal from defender Eduardo Luna.

Mar Menor got a goal back in the 75th minute when defender Fran Bertomeu scored. Unfortunately, Mar Menor could not break through again and Velez scored a third in the 96th minute. Mar Menor stays in eighth in the Segunda RFEF league (group 4). In the same league and group, UCAM Murcia stays in the playoff position with an away win against Ejido.

HORSE RACING: A previous race at Aintree racecourse in Liverpool.

Credit: Google maps - David Stoddart

PLAYOFFS: Cartagena were knocked out at the weekend.

HOME GAME: But Real Murcia were unable to win.

THE UCAM Murcia basketball team’s Champions League participation comes to an end. They lost (0)74­96 (2) against the Unicaja basketball team from Malaga in the quarter­finals of the Champions League. Even though UCAM lead at the break Unicaja always looked a step ahead of the home team. It was no surprise when Unicaja made a comeback after the break winning the game and qualifying for the semi­finals of the BCL.

Murcia