Costa Blanca North 27 April – 3 May 2023 Issue 1973

WHEELIE FUN

MORE than 500 cyclists took part in this year’s ‘Bicycle Day for Everyone’ in Benidorm at the week ‐end.

Participants gathered outside the auditorium at the Parque de Foietes at 9.30am on Sunday April 23, where they received a number to take part in a raffle, with the chance to win new bicycles and cy ‐cling gear at the end of

the event.

Benidorm mayor Toni Pérez signalled the start at 10am, with several members of the local council taking part in the tour including Sports councillor Mariló Ce ‐breros.

After cycling down sev ‐eral streets and roads in ‐cluding Avenida Armada Española and the Paseo de Tamarindos, the par ‐

Tourism award for Alfaz

ALFAZ DEL PI has been named ‘Relevant Tourist Town of the Valencia Region’ by the Valencian government.

According to Tourism councillor Luis Morant, this new quality certificate “recognises the good work carried out by the local government in making Alfaz a model for sustain‐able and ‘smart cities’, focusing on accessibility, sustainabili‐ty and excellence.”

In addition, the distinction makes it easier for the town hall to access government grants and subsidies “that will in turn allow for even better services.”

The Generalitat awards the title of ‘Relevant Tourist Town’ to municipalities that promote sustainable and inclu‐sive tourism with top‐class services based on hospitality and commitment to the Valencian tourism code of ethics.

ticipants returned to the starting point where they received refreshments and took part in the raf ‐fle.

For the first time this year, the raffle prizes in ‐cluded official strips for all local sports clubs in ‐cluding the basketball, handball, beach volley ‐ball, athletics and football teams.

Image by Benidorm Town Hall

BENIDORM: More than 500 cyclists took part in the Bicycle Day for Everyone.

Image by Stu49/Shutterstock

Anémona cancer walk

AROUND 700 people took part in the solidarity walk in Altea to raise awareness about breast and gynaecological cancer on Sunday April 23.

The yearly event is organised jointly between Anémona Marina Baixa and Altea Town Hall and has become a symbol for the fight against cancer in the district.

Participants walked from the Passeig to the Racó de l’Albir and back again, a six­kilometre march accessible for the whole family.

May Day bookings up

TOURISM chiefs expect to register record occupation levels over this week’s bank holiday weekend.

With May 1 falling on a Monday this year, hotels and campsites were already more than 80 per cent booked up in advance last week, with last­minute reservations expected to flood in and take the final figures much higher.

At the time of going to

press, Alicante airport had scheduled more than 1,200 flights with up to 220,000 passengers from this Friday to Monday, and the entire travel and tourism sector in the province predicted that this year would break records set before the Covid pandemic for this time of year.

Visitors from other parts of Spain are expected to be the most

numerous, as those from Madrid are in for an even greater treat ­ May 2 is also a bank holiday in the Spanish capital, granting them a four­day break in the sun.

Regional hotelier association Hosbec has described the figures as “fantastic news”, with hotels in Benidorm reporting that 87 per cent of beds were already booked up one week before the bank holiday.

At the Racó, members of the Social Services and Health departments of Alfaz del Pi Town Hall, which also collaborated in the event,

THE Valencia regional government launched an aid scheme to help crisis­hit residents to pay for food shopping.

The ‘Bono Cesta de la Compra’ consists of a card with €90 that can be spent on food products in most supermarkets throughout the region within four months from the moment it is activated.

Appointments to request the voucher can be sent through bonocesta.gva.es until July 14, after which the application can be processed in person at any Correos post office or online by means of an elec­

handed out more than 1,000 bottles of water to participants.

“Thank you to all who have taken part and to the collaborators, as this march could not happen without you,” declared Anémona coordinator for Altea, Yolanda Cebrián, after the event.

Local Social Welfare and Health councillor José Luis Gascón highlighted the great turnout and reported that “800 solidarity t­shirts have been sold and we didn’t have enough for everyone, so we will have to print up more for next year.”

Food shopping aid

tronic certificate and signature.

The card can be physical or digital, to be downloaded onto a mobile phone.

It is available to all residents in the Valencia Region whose family yearly income in 2021 was less than €21,000, self­employed workers and employees who had a contract in 2022, recipients of unemployment benefits, and those who last year received the Minimum Living Income or the Valencian Inclusion Income.

Visit

52 Spain is the 52nd biggest country in the world.

ALICANTE AIRPORT: More than 1,200 flights are scheduled over the weekend.

Miss Alicante

THIS year’s hopeful to win Miss Spain for Alicante Province next month is 20‐year ‐ old Lucía Candela from Javea, who was crowned in the provincial contest in February. Lucía is keen to use the platform to raise awareness about various issues such as Alzheimer’s and diversity in fashion.

Light up

DENIA Town Hall has an‐nounced plans to improve safety on the TRAM train line crossings on Avenida Joan Fuster by installing strips of LED lights on the ground to warn pedestri‐ans in case they do not no‐tice the existing signpost‐ing.

New bins

BENIDORM Council has in‐stalled three new under‐ground recycling containers for glass, two for plastics and packaging and one for paper at the Plaza de la Con‐stitución with a capacity for 3,700 litres each, improving the appearance of the square and doubling the previous total refuse capaci‐ty.

Outfall pipe repairs

WORK to repair the treated water outfall pipe on Javea’s Arenal beach will begin in May. The project has been on hold since the pipeline was damaged before last summer, causing problems for residents due to a series of leaks and faults. The re‐pairs will take several months.

Extra ferry

THE ferry service between Denia and the Balearic Is‐lands will be reinforced this summer with an extra boat offering four more journeys to and from Ibiza and two more connections with Pal‐ma de Mallorca from mid‐June, managing company Baleària announced this week.

Villajoyosa improvements

VILLAJOYOSA Council has launched a series of road ‐works and improvements around the town.

Work to renew the street lighting in the Parque Censal began in February and is nearing completion. The orig‐inal installation was very old and deteriorated, and so far municipal technicians have checked the correct function‐ing of 28 points of light with work continuing on the rest of the park.

Last week construction work also began on a new roundabout on the Avinguda País Valencià, between Calle Pizarro and Calle Ciutat de València.

Alfaz Forum to expand

FORUM MARE NOSTRUM in Alfaz del Pi have announced the construction of 268 new houses.

The new homes will be mainly on the ground and first floor, with large gardens and terraces, prioritising accessibil‐ity and with latest technology sensors providing health‐re‐lated information for resi‐dents and healthcare profes‐sionals.

The largest senior living complex in Spain, which first opened its doors 25 years ago, announced the expan‐sion during a business break‐fast with local companies and political representatives this week.

Alfaz mayor Vicente Arques was present at the ceremony to show the council’s support for the local business sector.

“In 2014 we decided to be‐come a sustainable and friendly town for the elderly population. One decade later we can confirm that gerontol‐ogy and active ageing are the future,” said Sr Arques.

“We are a healthy town and intend to continue work‐ing towards that goal,” he added.

The mayor also highlighted the fact that Alfaz has become an international reference for healthy tourism in countries such as the UK, Germany, Norway and Holland.

YOUR

The goal is to improve the circulation of traffic and pedestrians in the town cen‐tre, especially during peak times, by eliminating two sets of traffic lights and creat‐ing new zebra crossings.

Work on the roundabout is expected to be finished by July. In the meantime the council wishes to notify resi‐dents that the taxi stop has been moved next to the bus stop opposite the Censal building.

Finally, the outside courts at Marta Baldó sports centre are also being repaired and improved, with work expect‐ed to take two months to complete.

Retirement home director dismissed

THE director of Villajoyosa’s Santa Marta retirement home has been dismissed due to ongoing complaints by resi‐dents.

The decision was taken by the centre management after a three‐hour meeting with rel‐atives of residents on Friday, in which they outlined their “lack of confidence” in the for‐mer director and who report‐edly showed “a lack of sensi‐tivity towards residents, employees and the sisters who work there.”

Villajoyosa mayor Andreu Verdú presided over the com‐

A helping hand

ONDARA Town Hall has renewed the col‐laboration agreement with the Red Cross to carry out a number of social support projects this year.

The agreement, signed by Ondara mayor José Ramiro, will enable the local commit‐tee of the charity to continue offering the numerous services already under way and to launch new ones aimed at helping crisis‐hit residents, elderly citizens and other sec‐tors of society facing conditions of extreme vulnerability.

141 STORIES IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION

Another new car park for Benidorm

FOLLOWING the success of the new public car parks in Benidorm over the Easter holiday period, the local council has an‐nounced the creation of a new one in the Rincón de Loix with 700 spaces and an access roundabout.

Work on the new car park is already under way and is expected to be completed in two months ready for the summer.

mittee meeting, which also featured representatives of all local political parties present in the council.

In a related development, the religious order that pro‐vides a service at the home, the Salesianas del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús, last week announced their departure af‐ter 103 years due to “a lack of new vocations and the ad‐vanced age” of the four nuns who work at the centre.

All members of the council expressed their wish to work together to find solutions for the sisters to stay.

The 16,560 square‐me‐tre plot is located on the Avinguda Bernat de Sarrià and will increase the num‐ber of free parking spaces around the town to more than 8,000.

“It is possible to walk to almost anywhere in Benidorm in 10 or 15 min‐utes,” declared Mobility councillor José Ramón González de Zárate, adding, “thanks to the thousands of free parking spaces in the town we had no traffic problems over Easter.”

These include financial grants, advice on domestic economy and energy efficiency, help with filling out online applications for government aid, employment guidance, promotion of active ageing, integration of migrants through cultural and social activi‐ties, Spanish language courses for foreign‐ers, and educational support for students aged eight to 14 at risk of exclusion, among others.

Ondara Red Cross can be found at Aveni‐da de Alicante, 8.

Image by Villajoyosa Town Hall

Work on the new roundabout started last week.

Women’s rights

ALTEA Council this week hosted a series of discus‐sions on the impact of Covid on women’s rights.

Topics included gender violence, employment and the digital gap, and were led by Equality coun‐cillor José Luis León and Citizen Participation coun‐cillor Maria Laviós.

Numerous local associa‐tions campaigning for equality and women’s rights took part including Mujeres con voz, E‐ Mu ‐jeres.net, the Benidorm‐Marina Baja delegation of Las Kellys hotel room cleaners and the Pangea migrant office, as well as Altea social services, psy‐chologists and other ex‐perts.

The debates were or ‐ganised as part of the Eu‐ropean CERV EnEnWom‐en project to “analyse the impact of Covid on wom‐en in the areas of employ‐

Careline Theatre needs you! Weddings

CARELINE THEATRE group in Alcalali is completing a general revamp of their theatre, with the project now entering the final stage with the construc ‐tion of the new seats ‐ but they need your help.

sist in the task.

We again thank you for all your continued support of Careline Theatre, Al ‐calali. It means so much to all of us involved.”

THIS year’s ‘L’Alfàs amb història’ cultural week in Alfaz del Pi will be dedi‐cated to wedding tradi‐tions and customs and has been put back to Oc‐tober.

ment, social participation and gender violence, tak‐ing as a reference point the inequalities that al ‐ready existed between men and women before the pandemic and looking for ways to empower them through participa‐tion in municipal manage‐ment and local social poli‐cies,” declared councillor Laviós.

CERV EnEnWomen is al‐so organised by women’s rights associations in Italy, France and Romania, and will enable the participat‐ing countries to share ex‐periences and knowledge throughout this year and next.

PROVERB OF THE WEEK

“We would like to ask for your help once again. We will be constructing the seats on the weekend of April 29. With enough hands to help this can be completed in a relatively short period of time,” said a spokesperson for the group.

“If you are available on Saturday April 29 from 3.30pm, please can you simply let us know by emailing carelineboxof fice@gmail.com

We will then send you additional details of what tools you could bring to as‐

Tickets are now on sale for Careline’s upcoming production of the ‘Mary Poppins’ stage musical from May 19 to 21.

For further information and to book visit care linetheatre.net and search for Careline Theatre Al ‐calali and Careline Per ‐forming Arts and Dance Academy on Facebook.

Farewell Pamela

THE expat world is in mourn‐ing over the loss of a true pillar of the community.

Each year the event fo‐cuses on a specific area of life in the town such as monuments, school memories, fiestas or cui‐sine, and this year the fo‐cus is marriage and wed‐ding ceremonies.

The council has com‐piled more than 750 photographs dating back to the years 1913 to 1987, donated by resi‐dents interested in taking part in the project.

Meaning don’t try to do too many things at the same time, focus on one thing at a time. This proverb dates back to the mid-1500s and is derived from the trade of blacksmithing.

Pamela Dawson Tasker is a name that will undoubtedly be very familiar to many on the Costa Blanca. More than 40 years of tireless work with nu‐merous charities and activism in local affairs, politics and jour‐nalism made her an ubiqui‐tous presence at events and in the media since she moved to the area from London in 1980.

A proud Alfaz del Pi resident,

her list of honours includes re‐ceiving a British Empire Medal in 2014 for her charity work and services to expats and an award by Alfaz Town Hall last year in recognition for her so‐cial work.

Pamela set up the Benidorm branch of the Royal British Le‐gion and became the local president of the Spanish Asso‐ciation Against Cancer. She al‐so worked closely with the British Consulate on a wide range of issues.

The images will form the basis of a book cur‐rently being edited by the town hall exploring local wedding traditions from the 20th century, offering a historical ac‐count of social customs.

All aspects relating to marriage, including courtship, dresses, the church ceremony and the banquet, among oth‐ers, are being compiled as well as archive infor‐mation.

• Diagnostic imaging and ultrasound Rx

• Clinical tests and serological tests, internal medicine, parasitology

• Soft Tissue Surgery and Traumatology

• Ethology, behavioural disorders and animal behaviour

• Physiotherapy, acupuncture, custom recovery and Healing touch

• Ophthalmology

• Dentistry and dental surgery & more

• Import - Export

Image by Ian Bennet/Careline Theatre Seats being revamped.

Series of discussions.

Image by Altea Town Hall

“Don’t put too many irons in the fire.”

51% Amount of monthly salary you need to buy an iPhone 14 Pro Max in the UK.

By Jan Adams

THE last time the Just Friends group ventured out to Victoria Station - a restaurant in the Jalon Valley - they were lured with the hope of seeing the almond blossom. This time the only lure was the promise of a good meal by a voluntary organiser, a very

Sex education in Villajoyosa

MORE than 920 students aged 14 to 21 from the three secondary education colleges in Villajoyosa have taken part in a sexual violence prevention course.

The course, which also focused on families and teachers and was organised by the local council’s Social Services and Equality department, was aimed at preventing sexual and gender violence linked to pornography.

The overall message of the campaign was to “stress the importance of affective and sexual education at all ages to counteract the disinformation spread by the increase in consumption of pornography among teenagers and young adults,” in the words of councillor Asun Lloret.

Participants also analysed issues such as the relationship between pornography, prostitution and people trafficking, the importance of consent in sexual relations, and the need for young people to have a space to ask any questions and solve doubts they may have.

fierce Lance who dictated that anybody not bringing the correct money would be dragon fodder!

A group of 24 enjoyed a lovely sunny ride through the Jalon Valley followed by a superb Sunday lunch… and the dragon stayed hungry, so thank you Lance!

Just Friends together Adoption festival

UP to a dozen animal rescue and welfare associations from all over the Marina Baixa district took part in the seventh edition of the Alfaz del Pi Adoption Festival.

Organised every year by APPA animal welfare association in collaboration with Alfaz Town Hall, the event is aimed at boosting adoptions of dogs and cats currently living in shelters and care homes.

This year’s edition in the Parque de los Eucaliptos ended with more than a dozen dogs from different shelters throughout the district finding new homes.

Since the yearly adoption festival began, more than 80 dogs and cats have been successfully rehoused and numbers of volunteers to offer their houses and care homes have increased.

APPA (standing for Alfaz Association of Dog Owners) was founded in 2014 to fight against the abandonment and mistreatment of animals, and is currently led by Vanesa Pareja.

For more information and to contact APPA visit appalfas.wix.com/appal fas and follow ‘Appa protección animal’ on Facebook.

ALTEA Council has launched a new service to enable residents to report possible incidents and irregularities committed by the town hall.

The ‘Canal ètic’ can be accessed through the municipal website altea.es and will allow users to report incidents anonymously to request an investigation or request informa-

Watching the watchers

tion about them, always guaranteeing their legal protection. The channel is reserved for possible penal offences and serious or very serious administrative faults “that could have a significant impact on society as a whole,” according to the council.

Examples include suspected town planning irregularities, environmental issues and reports concerning health care, the Local Police and local heritage, among others. “The aim of this service is to encourage citizen participation,” declared a town hall spokesperson.

Alfaz Mayor Vicente Arques visiting the festival.

Image by Alfaz Town Hall

Defibrillator installed in Calpe pub

PUB Delfín in Calpe has installed a public defibrillator to be used by all residents and visitors.

The life­saving instrument, purchased by Delfín owners Helen and Lee Tarrant through a series of fundraising events, was inaugurated at the weekend by Calpe mayor Ana Sala.

“When I arrived in Calpe I was concerned at the lack of defibrillators around,” said Helen, a trained nurse.

“A defibrillator is such an important piece of equipment that can save lives.

I was very passionate about having this equipment, so we came up with a series of small fundraisers and raffles over last Halloween, Easter and Christmas.

“We then researched the best option to get the defibrillator professionally installed and insured. We found what we were looking

Disappointing

for and now the equipment is ready for use, with three members of staff fully trained in operating the device.

“We would love to have more fundraising days to install more defibrillators around the town, for which we would need the support of the town hall and everyone interested,” Helen concluded.

Pub Delfín is located on Calle Delfín, 4.

Preventing overcrowding

PAYING to park at bays in the Marina Alta is gaining ground as the preferred method to prevent overcrowding.

As reported recently by the Euro Weekly News, Benitachell Council is the latest to introduce the measure at the Cala del Moraig at the beginning of April, with beach ­ goers now requested to pay €12 to leave their car but with residents exempt.

Javea took the same step last year, with drivers charged €9 to access the Cala Granadella and Cala Portitxol ­ although over the summer the charge was not enforced as there was no company responsible for the service.

Javea mayor José Chulvi explained that this is not the only measure carried out over the last few years, with the council drawing up a Coastal Management plan to avoid tourist massification.

This has included regulating noise in the sea

to prevent boats from using large speakers and negotiating solutions with the companies offering kayaks for hire, which have increased from six to 18 over just one year, to guarantee a balance between tourism and environmental conservation.

ON Wednesday April 19

Teulada­Moraira Fishing Club fished section B3 of the River Jucar in Valencia province.

This section is almost always won by those lucky enough to be drawn between the road bridge and the old railway bridge. As there were only five of us fishing the match, it was decided to leave this area unpegged and place all anglers upstream of the road bridge to create a more equal opportunity for everyone.

The day began very slowly and no­one had a bite in the first hour and the first fish, a small Carassio, was landed after an hour and a half.

Things did improve a little as the day progressed, but generally it was very hard fishing and although several anglers hooked, they lost their only good fish of the day. Jacques Janssen was first with four fish for 8.65 kilo, including the best fish of the day which weighed 5.4 kilos. Frank Povey was second with 3 fish (7.4 kilos) with Graham Sewell in third place with three fish (1.8 kilos). It was a very disappointing day, with only 11 fish landed for a total weight of just 18.4 kilos.

For further information about the Teulada­Moraira Fishing Club, contact Frank Povey on 966 490 338 or frankpovey1@gmail.com

Calpe Mayor Ana Sala inaugurating the defibrillator.

Image by Helen Tarrant

NEW MEASURES: At Javea’s Granadella bay.

Image by MiniMoon Photo/Shutterstock

Vet drug traffickers arrested

THIRTEEN people have been arrested in the Marina Alta and Valencia Province for allegedly trafficking with illegal veterinary medication.

The Guardia Civil made the arrests after a one-year investigation that uncovered the existence of a group led by a

shop owner in Valencia’s Horta Sud district, who by means of a veterinary doctor obtained the products illegally and then resold them on the black market.

Spokespeople for the force reveal that the vet prescribed the products without examin-

ing the animals and that they were used without proper clinical control. Searches were carried out in shops and businesses in Dénia, Pedreguer, Pego, Teulada and Alcalalí, as well as several towns in Valencia.

Up to 2,850 veterinary prescriptions were seized.

Uncovering the past

ARCHAEOLOGISTS working on a site in Denia’s Calle Loreto have discovered the first ever remains of a 12th century sewage network from the Islamic period.

According to chief archaeologist Massu Senti, the network was part of a complex wastewater collection system and its discovery will enable an indepth analysis into the eating habits and living conditions of the local Islamic population.

This is the latest discov-

ery made at the Calle Loreto dig launched in November last year. Previously, the team found that Islamic town planning in the area was carefully thoughtout and structured around three parallel roads, one of which coincides “almost

exactly” with the current street, according to Sra Senti.

The excavation also shows that houses in that period were built on top of a layer of insulation to prevent humidity, and researchers also found a collection of gold-painted ceramic remains.

The excavation was set to finish very soon and the municipal archaeology department had scheduled a public guided visit for Saturday April 22.

Fight on flight from Oslo

A MASSIVE fight erupted on a flight that was travelling from Oslo in Norway to Alicante. The pilot radioed ahead to the control tower at the Costa Blanca airport where police officers were subsequently waiting for the aircraft to land.

A total of 15 passengers were identified by Guardia Civil officers and security service personnel when the aircraft arrived at 7.30pm on Friday, April 21. They supposedly got involved in the huge altercation due to alcohol consumption before or during the flight.

The flight left Oslo at 3.51pm local time heading for the Alicante-Elche ‘Miguel Hernández’ International Airport. According to the ‘Air Traffic Controllers’ Twitter account, the fight took place in the back of the plane and the cabin staff notified the arrival airport to coordinate the police operation. According to sources of the investigation, the Guardia Civil has drawn up an act for a proposal for an economic sanction for the incident, which resulted in no injuries or physical attacks, as reported by a news source.

Excavation site.

Image by Openfinal/Shutterstock

14.11% of the population in Spain are children under 14.

New cardiology test bike

DENIA’S Hospital San Carlos has acquired a new decubitus bicycle to perform stress Doppler echocardiography.

Dr Alfonso Valle, Head of the Cardiocare Unit, explained that “chest pain or fatigue on physical exertion, such as climbing stairs or walking up a slope, are common symptoms for which patients come to the cardiologist. The pain or fatigue is usually no longer present at the time of the consultation, so the challenge for the physician is to investigate what happened at the time the symptoms occurred.”

In order to find out how the heart behaves during exercise, the conditions must be reproduced in a monitored

HOSPITAL Clínica Benidorm took part in the ‘Mes de la Salud’ (‘Health Week’) in Alfaz del Pi on Wednesday April 19 by offering free bone density tests in the Hogar del Pensionista.

The test is used to determine bone mineral density

environment. For this purpose, a stress or exercise stress test is usually indicated.

According to Dr Valle, “stress echocardiography is mainly performed on a bicycle, combining information from blood pressure and electrocardiogram.

“In addition, in this case,

Denia marches for public healthcare

the movement of the heart is visualised by means of an echocardiogram or ultrasound of the heart during exercise, and given that the patient is exercising comfortably in a semi-recumbent position, it allows the cardiologist to see how the heart is working at all times.”

Healthy Alfaz

and to check for losses. It is performed using improved Xray technology, thus achieving a non-invasive and painless medical diagnosis.

The ‘Mes de la salud’ took place throughout April with a range of events organised by associations and professionals in the medicine, nursing and physical education sectors to promote healthy lifestyles and disease prevention at all ages.

In a related development this week, Alfaz Council has

organised a youth forum on mental health at the Espai Cultural Escoles Velles on Friday April 28.

All young people are invited to take part in the debate entitled ‘El valor de la vida’ (‘The value of life’), which will be focused on detecting and preventing suicidal behaviour.

The forum takes place from 5pm to 8pm. Places are limited and must be reserved at the Centro de Información Juvenil (CIJA) on the ground floor of the Casa de Cultura.

New care centre

MABS Cancer Support Fundación has acquired a threebed villa in La Nucia to be made into a palliative care and respite centre.

“This centre, which we hope to open in late summer, will support cancer patients from all over the Costa Blanca area, irrespective of their nationality,” reported a spokesperson for MABS.

“We have made great progress but there is still a lot to do before we open, we still need volunteers to help to get everything ready.”

The group is calling for help with tasks including jet-washing the garden areas, painting and decorating, and minor building work.

In addition, the group needs to purchase a long list of items such as television sets for the rooms, bedding and towels, electrical appliances and more.

“We are hoping that volunteers will come forward to assist in this exciting project, either by fundraising to enable us to purchase the items above, or with time to assist in these activities, or to just donate raffle prizes for our fundraising activities in the next two months.”

Contact MABS C ancer Support Fundación, Jacqui on 686 305 006 or email jandbphillips@gmail.com or Sue on 664 266 991 or visit mabscancerfoundation.org

NEARLY 2,000 people took part in the demonstration by Marina Salut healthcare workers in Denia on Friday April 21.

The march, organised by the company trade union, denounced the lack of professionals and the ‘precarious’ working conditions faced by employees.

Marchers included several mayors from different towns and representatives of various political parties and civic organisations from all over the Marina Alta.

The demonstration began by the Red Cross building at the port end of Calle Marqués de Campo and ended in the Plaça del Consell.

It was headed by students and teachers of the District Theatre School, who carried a coffin and placards with messages against the ‘commercialisation’ of healthcare and calling for a ‘public and high-quality service’.

At the end of the march, company trade union president Joan Sarrión read out a manifesto denouncing that “the bad management of the Health department means that residents in the Marina Alta have greater difficulty in accessing healthcare, dwindling quality of the service provided, less time per consultation, and closure of hospital rooms and surgeries at health centres,” among other complaints.

STRESS TEST: A patient using the new instrument.

Image by Hospital San Carlos

How are your savings protected?

With the global banking industry back in the news again, this is a good time to look at what bank guarantees are in place in the event of institutional failure.

Spain banks

Under an EU directive, each EU country provides a bank deposit guarantee of €100,000. In the event a bank fails, your national deposit guarantee scheme (Fondo de Garantía de Depósitos de Entidades de Crédito (FGD) in Spain) will refund your savings, up to the €100,000 limit. Savings above this could be lost if your bank fails.

Deposits are covered per depositor, so joint accounts have €200,000 protected. The guarantee is per banking group, not per bank account or even per bank – some banks with different names form part of the same group, so be careful.

Under certain circumstances (eg, after selling a property) you may be

By Mathieu Edwards, Partner, Blevins Franks

Spain aims to make the payable amount available within ten working days, reducing to seven from 2024.

UK banks

In the UK, accounts in regulated banks are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. The amount protected is currently

and banking institution.

The FSCS aims to pay compensation within seven days, though more complex cases will take longer.

UK offshore centres

Banks in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man are not covered by the UK scheme, even if divisions of UK banks. You rely on their local guarantee schemes, which offer lower levels of protection.

The Isle of Man’s Depositors’ Compensation Scheme (DCS) provides compensation up to £50,000 per person for covered banks, with no time limit for payment. The amount of compensation paid and timing will depend upon the size, asset quality and profile of the failed bank and amount of funding contributed. There is no standing fund for the DCS. It is funded if and when required by contributions from participating banks and the Isle of Man Treasury, capped at £200

also £50,000, capped at £100 million in any five-year period. They aim to pay compensation within three months of a bank failure.

Protecting your savings

Many savers with larger cash deposits spread them out over more than one bank.

Others have opted to move capital into arrangements which provide a higher level of investor protection than banks can offer. For example, with investment bonds issued by Luxembourg regulated insurance companies, your investment assets are protected should the insurance company fail.

Luxembourg provides very robust protection for life assurance policy holders, the strongest in Europe. The cornerstone of its ‘Triangle of Security’ investor protection regime is the legal requirement that all clients’ assets are held by an independent custodian bank approved by the

balance sheet. If the bank fails, these securities remain in segregated client accounts – 100% of your securities are protected. This does not include cash deposits, but cash held in monetary funds are treated as securities. In any case, ensure you have adequate diversification across different investment assets. This reduces risk as well as increasing potential for improved returns.

As always, your savings and investment decisions should be based around your personal objectives, circumstances, time horizon and risk profile. Take personalised advice on asset protection and a suitable tax-efficient investment approach for you in Spain.

All information contained in this article is based on our understanding of legislation and practice, in the UK and overseas at the time of writing; this may change in the future.

Keep up to date on the financial is-

What a load of rubbish

BENIDORM Council has decided to stop relying on the regional rubbish transport service and take the refuse directly to the landfill site in El Campello.

The decision comes after Vaersa, a publicly owned company dependent on the Valencian government, increased the cost of transportation from the Benidorm transference centre to El Campello by 5.4 per cent.

Over the last two years, the service for all the towns in the Marina Alta and Baja has become 35 per cent more expensive. By using their own lorries to transport the refuse directly, Benidorm

council expects to save more than €1.1 million a year.

Benidorm Town Hall is the first in the Marina Baja to cancel the contract with Vaersa over the ever­rising rates that currently make the service more than 21 per cent more expensive than in Denia, de­

Image by Vchal/Shutterstock

Inheritance thieves arrested

EIGHT people have been arrested for allegedly stealing the inheritances of 22 deceased foreign residents in the Marina Alta.

Among the suspects are several employees at a funeral parlour and an unnamed retirement home in the district, as well as a former town hall worker.

According to the Guardia Civil, the majority of victims were elderly foreign residents who had no heirs, and the gang made the most of the higher number of deaths during the Covid pandemic to step up their illicit activity.

Calpe water supply

CALPE Town Council has approved a plan to prepare for the effects of climate change and guarantee the municipal drinking water supply.

spite Benidorm being much closer to the landfill site.

The town’s transference centre is used by most of the municipal refuse collection services in the district, from where the rubbish is loaded onto larger lorries to take to El Campello.

Historic discovery

ARCHAEOLOGISTS working in Villajoyosa have unearthed the first layer of the ancient Phoenician city upon which the town was built.

The remains, of great historic importance, were discovered during restoration work in Fray Posidonio street.

Previous findings elsewhere in Villajoyosa have included numerous tombs from the same era, located in the Casetes (seventh century BC) and Poble Nou (eighth century BC) cemeteries.

Many of these large and ornate graves contained jewels, ceramics and other highly valuable elements thought to have been brought here from Egypt, Canaan and other parts

of the Mediterranean.

But this is the first time that remains of the actual city have been discovered, which, despite being only a small stratum containing fragments of amphorae, plates and grey Phoenician­Punic pottery from the sixth century BC ­ the same elements found in the Casetes tombsis of great archaeological importance as it begins to unravel the mystery of the ancient city.

It constitutes the first material proof of the most northern Phoenician colony on the Iberian Peninsula ­ a strategic position given its maritime connections with La Fonteta ­ now Guardamar ­ and Ibiza.

This reportedly enabled the suspects to claim ownership of up to 20 properties valued at more than €3 million, as well as jewellery, money and other goods.

The victims included one British, five French, eight German, one Belgian, one Finnish and two Spanish nationals.

The suspects were arrested in Denia, Ondara, Alfaz del Pi, Calpe and Oliva.

The investigation is still ongoing and more victims could be confirmed shortly.

US tourism up

NORTH AMERICAN tourism is taking off in the Valencia region.

Nearly 2 per cent of all foreign visitors to the area in the first two weeks of April came from the United States, according to regional hotel union Hosbec.

Figures published by the association reveal that the Costa Blanca registered an average occupation rate of 75 per cent from April 1 to 15, with Benidorm faring slightly better with 79 per cent of rooms occupied.

In general, Hosbec has described the figures as “positive and nearing the activity levels from before the pandemic in

2019,” thanks largely to national tourism over Easter.

Of all the foreign visitors who landed in the region this month, Hosbec highlights the increasing number of travellers from the US, especially to Valencia and Alicante cities.

The association is calling for the creation of direct flights between the region and the States, insisting that “there is a demand for it” and that the lack of a direct connection places Valencia at a disadvantage compared to other tourism hotspots that do have one, such as Mallorca, Malaga or Tenerife.

The ‘Adaptation plan for climate change’ was drawn up by Aguas de Calpe, the company in charge of the service, and was passed at the last town hall plenary session.

One of the main measures of the plan is an investment of €1.6 million to expand the Barranc Salat desalination plant, as well as a project to build a new supply well next to the existing one in the Vall de Laguar.

Both measures will be “vital” to guarantee supply over the coming years, according to Calpe Town Planning councillor Juan Manuel del Pino, who revealed that the plan by Aguas de Calpe predicts future droughts, rising sea levels and a greater salinity of the sea water.

The Pou Llucifer well in the Vall de Laguar currently supplies Calpe, Murla and Laguar, but “there are times when it is necessary to use the water purifying plant, with the extra expense that entails,” added the councillor.

LANDFILL SITE: Rubbish will be taken directly here.

Betty Henderson

A BRAND­NEW study by Electomanía, a leading Spanish polling company, has revealed the Region of Murcia is the most ‘hated’ autonomous community in Spain.

The study, released on Thursday, April 20, surveyed 1,620 people across the country and asked them about their ‘spontaneous feelings’ towards their own autonomous community and the others.

According to the results, Asturias is the most valued region in Spain, followed by Galicia, the Basque Country, and Navarra. But the region of Murcia ranks at the bottom, with a score of only 6.2, even lower than the north African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.

Cold shoulder

The study also shows a clear divide between the north and south, with voters in northern regions consistently giving the worst ratings to Murcia, while southern regions ranked Murcia much higher.

ONE speed camera has been revealed to be Spain’s biggest issuer of fines according to a study released on Friday, April 21.

A speed camera in Tarragona issued a whopping 67,582 fines last year. This ruthless device, located on the AP­7 at kilometre 325, has been causing chaos for speeding drivers across Catalonia.

However, the region is also home to the country’s most lenient speed camera. A camera located on the N­340 in Barcelona issued just 8,227 fines last year.

The findings have caused quite a stir. Some have suggested it may be due to a lack of awareness or understanding about the region, while others speculate it may be due to its hot climate.

Fast and furious

The news comes as the country battles a worrying rise in road fatalities, with 1,145 people losing their lives on Spanish roads last year alone. Authorities are keen to tackle the issue and have recently cracked down on speeding drivers and installed more speed cameras on Spanish roads. The DGT has increased the number of speed cameras by 7 per cent since January 2022, bringing the total to over 2,000.

Murcia has sunk in national approval ratings.

Photo credit: nesimo / Wikimedia Commons

Sánchez to visit the White House

SPANISH President Pedro Sánchez is scheduled to visit the US to meet President Joe Biden, according to an official statement by officials on Wednesday, April 19.

The announcement was made by White House press

secretary Karine Jean‐Pierre, who said that Sánchez will be meeting Biden for talks on May 12.

Jean‐Pierre said, “The lead‐ers will coordinate on issues including climate change and expanded cooperation with Latin America and the Caribbean, as Spain prepares to take on the rotating presi‐dency of the Council of the Eu‐ropean Union,” as cited by a news agency.

In a statement, she stated that “The two leaders will re‐view our efforts as NATO allies and close partners to strengthen our bilateral de‐fence relationship, transat‐lantic security, and economic prosperity”.

She also added, “They will discuss our unwavering sup‐

port for Ukraine and our ef‐forts to impose costs on the Kremlin as Russia continues its brutal war of aggression.”

Charging ahead

SPAIN has taken a major step towards reducing electronic waste and promoting sustainability in the technology industry by adapt‐ing the EU’s universal charger law to fit its own regulations.

On Friday, April 21, the country announced its adoption of the EU’s universal charger law, but with some unique regulations of its own. This move is set to revolutionise the way we charge our de‐vices and could save consumers and retailers millions of euros. Customers will now have the option to choose whether they want a new charger to come with their electronic devices. This means that people who already have chargers compatible with their new devices can opt‐out of purchasing a new one, reducing unnecessary electronic waste. The law will also ensure that manu‐facturers provide clear information on device charging capabilities. Spain’s adaptation of the EU regulations will help to promote the reuse of cables and chargers, reducing electronic waste and saving consumers approximately €26 million per year. Retailers and distributors are also set to benefit from an estimated increase of €48 million saved annually.

Prime business success

Betty Henderson

GLOBAL giant, Amazon registered record profits in Spain once again in 2022. The multinational retail corporation reported a whopping €6.4 billion in sales for 2022 in figures released on Friday, April 21.

The figures represent an income increase of almost 7 per cent compared with last year. Amazon’s earnings include revenues from its physical marketplaces operating in Spain, as well other branches of the busi‐ness including Amazon Web Services.

The company credits its Spanish success to investments totalling €3.7 billion in the country, which includes the opening of two new logistics centres in Zaragoza and

Girona. With 22,000 employees and over 40 facilities throughout Spain, Amazon is among the top 10 employers in the coun‐try.

However, the company isn’t without its critics, particularly as it announced some 9,000 layoffs globally, earlier this year which caused concern. Amazon later clarified that the layoffs are not exclusive to Spain, saying that it actually plans to expand its work‐force to 25,000 employees in the country by 2025.

Despite its immense success, Amazon said that its profit margins remain low due to the competitive market and increasing operating costs.

Sanchez to visit Joe Biden at the White House.

ONE of the questions we are most frequently asked by our clients, when dealing with an inheritance, is how much Inheritance Tax (IHT) they will have to pay. In previous articles we have discussed this subject in depth. Today we want to cover this topic from a different perspective: The tax treatment of inheriting from a step­parent. Into which group, of the ones fore­

Inheriting from a Step-parent. How does it affect the Inheritance Tax? Kinship by affinity. Inheritance Tax in Spain. Supreme Court. Inheritance lawyers in the Costa Blanca

seen in the IHT, do relatives by affinity belong? What tax implications does this have? We answer this question, and others, below.

Kinship by ‘blood’ and Kindship by ‘affinity’

Let’s start by making a basic distinction between kinship by blood and kinship by affinity. The first one is the bond we have with relatives connected to us by a natural blood relationship (that also includes adopted children). The second type of kinship, by affinity, occurs when two people get married. From that moment on, each person becomes, for legal purposes, a relative ‘by affinity’ of the family of his or her spouse. In other words, if Susan marries John, his son from a previous marriage (Peter) will become, by ‘affinity’, Susan’s stepson. And she will become his stepmother.

How does this affect Inheritance Tax (IHT)?

Tax benefits provided for in the Inheritance Tax vary according to the relationship between the deceased and the heir. The closer they were, the lower the inheritance tax to be paid by the heirs is. The Spanish IHT classifies

the heirs into four groups:

Group I: descendants and adopted children under 21 years of age.

Group II: descendants and adopted children of age 21 or older, spouses, ascendants and adoptive parents.

Group III: second and third degree collaterals, ascendants and descendants by affinity.

Group IV: collaterals of the fourth degree, more distant degrees and strangers.

The question that arises when inheriting from a step­parent is obvious: Which group do the stepchildren fall into: Group III or Group IV? The tax repercussions of belonging to one or the other

are quite relevant. Group III foresees a tax reduction up to €7,993.46, whereas in Group IV there is no reduction at all. Additionally, the multiplier coefficient is higher in Group IV, resulting in a much higher tax if you are in this category.

The end of the affinity relationship, according to the Supreme Court

For many years, the General Directorate of Taxes considered that the link between stepchild and step­parent ended with the death of the person who served as a nexus between the two. In other words (and following the example used above) if John dies, the link of affinity between Susan (stepmother) and Peter (stepson) would disappear. And, therefore, the stepson would be included in Group IV, with the tax disadvantage that this entails.

However, the Spanish

Supreme Court does not agree with this interpretation. This was made clear in Ruling 647/2017. Even after the death of the spouse who acted as a link between the two relatives by affinity (‘stepson’ and ‘stepmother’), the bond between the two remains intact. This effectively means that stepchildren, nephews­in­law, brothers and sisters­in­law, sons and daughters­in­law, etc fall into Group III. And they will have a more favourable tax treatment than if they were in Group IV, where the more distant and strange collaterals are found. In principle, the link between a stepchild and a step­parent terminates only in the case of divorce or if the widowed spouse remarries.

Conclusions

At White Baos Lawyers we are experts in legal advice on inheritances, inheritance tax and Spanish wills. If you wish to obtain more information on taxation when inheriting from a step­parent, or if you wish to minimise Inheritance Tax, etc, please do not hesitate to contact us.

The information provided in this article is not intended to be legal advice, but merely conveys information relating to legal issues.

Royal reception

Anna Ellis

HIS Majesty, King Felipe VI received an audience of the Presidents and Directors of the European Chambers of Commerce in Spain at the Zarzuela Palace on Friday, April 21.

The objective of the reception was to strengthen the ties between Spain and the European Chambers of Commerce in Spain, as well as to promote economic and business development in Spain.

The association that integrates the European Chambers of Commerce in Spain brings together 19 Chambers representing some 7,000 companies and aims to promote bilateral business relations between the countries represented, as well as economic growth.

The European Chambers of Commerce in Spain play a fun­

Spanish farmers

damental role in promoting business growth and the expansion of trade relations in the European market.

During the reception, the representative of the Chambers, Carmen Sanz, stressed the importance of collaboration between different countries to promote economic and business development and highlighted how, in times of complex circumstances such as the current ones, a collaboration between Spanish and European companies is particularly relevant and that is precisely what the European Chambers favour.

Warning of high temperatures

SPAIN’S Health Ministry issued an advisory, after forecasts made by the State Meteorological Agency, AEMET, predicted exceptionally high temperatures across the country, for this time of the year.

In view of this warning, the Ministry of Health issued a series of recommendations for dealing with the heat.

According to AEMET, temperatures during this week were predicted to reach up to 40ºC in some parts of the country.

Some of the tips are:

1. Drinking water frequently.

2. Avoid drinks with caffeine, alcohol, or sugar.

3. Pay special attention to the elderly, babies, and children.

4. Prioritise being in cool places.

5. Avoid practising sports between midday and 5pm.

AEMET forecasts for the week state that “a very warm and dry air mass will enter over the Peninsula and the Balearic archipelago”, as per a news source.

As a result, Spain will experience a rise in temperatures to record “values typical of summer and exceptionally high for this time of year.”

AS well as low rainfall, Spanish farmers are also struggling to protect crops from a ‘plague’ of rabbits starved of fresh grass. As well as dealing with the exceptionally dry winter, farmers in Catalonia are facing a second problem, a plague of rabbits, who, starved of water, are beginning to destroy crops, especially wheat and barley, and eat the bark on vines and fruit trees.

Local Alex Foix said: “A lot of factors have contributed to the rabbit population explosion: there was the pandemic when no one could hunt for two years; they’ve become immune to myxomatosis; and the female can produce seven or eight offspring every two months.”

The local government has estimated that more than 250,000 rabbits need to be killed by September to contain the population. To aid in the effort to reduce the numbers, the government has permitted the use of aluminium phosphate, which releases toxic phosphine gas when introduced into burrows. “If it doesn’t rain in April and we have another year like last year, the vines won’t survive,” said Juan Samboda, a member of Pagesos o conills (Farmers or rabbits). In Catalonia as a whole, water reserves are down to about 26 per cent.

ZARZUELA PALACE: The king received an audience.

New Housing Law 2023

THE Spanish government proposed a new housing law in February 2022. This new law, which is the first of its kind, has finally been agreed upon and is pending approval from the Spanish Parliament. It focuses on rental properties in what they are calling ‘stressed areas’.

A ‘stressed area’ under the new law is an area where the cost of the mortgage or rent, plus bills and other basic property costs, exceeds 30 per cent of the average income or where the rent has risen by 5 per cent above the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

This new law has redefined what a large and small landowner is. A large landowner is now someone who owns five properties or more, it used to be 10. A small landowner owns less than five properties. The most controversial part of this new law is the fact that

the tenant will no longer pay the real estate fees.

To ensure there are no loopholes in this new law they have prohibited the inclusion of extra charges (community fee, garbage removal, etc) and you cannot come to an ‘agreement between parties’ contrary to the housing agreement. They have included tax benefits that will help offset these extra costs for the owners.

Another big change is the elimination of the CPI when calculating the cost of the rent, it is capped

and cannot increase by more than 2 per cent in 2023 and 3 per cent in 2024. They have also included new measures to protect against evictions.

NEW LAW: Focuses on rental properties.

950,000

metric tons of sunflowers are grown in Spain.

THE European Union (EU) has issued a stern warning to Spain over a controversial environmental law that seeks to legalise irrigation in thousands of hectares of land around Doñana National Park, one of the most important wetlands in Europe.

Virginijus Sinkevičius, the European Commissioner for Environment, wrote a letter on Thursday, April 20, expressing his concerns about the proposed law and threatened to take legal action if it violates environmental legislation.

In deep water

The EU has already requested clarification from the Spanish government about the law change, but no formal response has been given yet.

According to technical estimates by the European Parliament, the fine for noncompliance could be as much as €300m. Spain has previously faced environmental fines in the Basque Country.

Doñana in southern An­

REYES MAROTO has caused controversy by suggesting introducing a tourist tax to Madrid, something that local hoteliers are already getting steamed up about, according to a news source on Monday, April 17.

For five years, Maroto was in charge of Spain’s tourism. Now she is standing for mayor of Madrid, which every year attracts millions of visitors, including lots of British holidaymakers.

A tourist tax was first proposed for Madrid in 2015 and 2018 but was never implemented.

“The most important thing is to know why,” Maroto said.

Speaking during a breakfast meeting

dalucia has been suffering from water shortages due to the expansion of irrigated agriculture in surrounding areas. A local ecological research centre, reports that 59 per cent of the major lagoons in Doñana have not been filled with water since 2013.

The situation has been attributed to the increase in irrigated land, which has expanded by 30 per cent in the last decade.

New tourist tax

in Madrid, the Ex ­ Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism said she liked the idea of introducing a tourist tax, which visitors to the city would have to pay per night, but added, “The tourist tax does not have to be merely a tax, it has to be a tax that reverts to the tourism industry.”

On hearing her comments the Madrid Hotel Business Association (MHBA) made clear its opposition to the idea without any hesitation, claiming that it would have a detrimental effect on the hotel sector and visitors.

AS announced by the train operator on Sunday, April 23, Renfe will have a total of one million seats available for travellers during the May bank holiday in Spain.

It has planned this mammoth total of seats to be available for travel on its AVE, Larga and Media Distancia trains between Friday, April 28 and Tuesday, May 2. For more information go to www.renfe.com

Renfe will offer additional seats to its normal schedules on its AVE, Avlo, Alvia, Euromed and Intercity services, with Andalucia, the Levantine area and Catalonia being the most popular destinations.

The company said that this offer during the holiday period will save the combustion of 9.5 million litres of fuel, avoiding the emission of 28.8 million CO2 or 135.3 tons of NOx into the atmosphere.

Escape plan

Betty Henderson

THE Spanish government said it was on high alert on Friday, April 21 as it prepared to evacuate around 60 Spanish nationals from war­torn Sudan.

The conflict situation in the country is rapidly deteriorating, and fighting shows no signs of abating. The Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, said military planes are on standby and ready to go when the situation stabilises enough to enter. Until then, the embassy is working tirelessly to gather all Spanish nationals and prepare for the evacuation. In the meantime, the Spanish government is urging Sudanese forces to reach a ceasefire that will allow foreigners to leave the country and Sudanese nationals to receive vital humanitarian aid. Spain will also cooperate with other nations to rescue their citizens. Sudan is a country located in the northeast of Africa which has been embroiled in conflict and political instability for many years.

The latest outbreak of vio­

lence erupted after a military coup in 2019, which led to clashes between government forces and opposition groups. The situation has deteriorated in the past week, with fighting intensifying in many parts of the country including in the capital, Khartoum, causing mass displacement and a severe humanitarian crisis.

€240 average daily spend of international visitors to Madrid.

General al-Burhan meets with troops.

New Nordic-inspired range of partially recycled glasses

INSPIRED by Nordic street style; with a minimalist approach in design and a focus on individual expression, the new LUXe range from Specsavers Ópticas is applying both Nordic thinking and Nordic styling to their range. Now available in Spain, the range is classic, minimalist and partially made from bio­based acetate and recycled materials.

The beautifully crafted frames blend minimalistic design and classic chic styling. They feature soft textures, rich earthy tones, natural crystal shades and modern silhouettes, providing a clean and timeless look. Even the tiniest details have been considered, from the herringbone textured corewires to the two­tone laminated acetate temple tips. Every aspect of each frame adds to their refined aesthetic.

Sustainability was identified as one of the key drivers in buying decisions in a recent report from Specsavers Ópticas, making this range’s eco­credentials even more important. These frames are handcrafted from 52 per cent bio­based acetate, made with materials like tree pulp, and the metal frames are made from 54 per cent recycled metals.

Nerea Galdos­Little from Specsavers Ópticas Marbella commented, “It’s a pleasure to intro­

LUXE RANGE: Now available in Spain.

duce this Nordic­inspired range to our stores. Over five million Scandinavians holiday in Spain ever year and there are around 20,000 permanent residents from Scandinavia living in the Malaga Province alone.

A recent Sifo survey showed that 28 per cent of Swedes have at some point considered buying a home abroad and 22 per cent of those would like to buy a home in Spain. And it’s not just the Swedes who love Spain, Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol has the second largest number of Finns outside Finland!

Scandinavians have a love affair with Spain and so it only seems right to introduce a range inspired by their style to the Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca and Mallorca, which many of them call home.

There are nine Specsavers Ópticas stores in Spain.

Tony Blackburn off-air

MUCH-LOVED radio legend, Tony Blackburn was absent from his show last week due to illness and has said it may be some time before he’s back.

Last week, 80­year­old Mr Blackburn, was unable to host his weekly Radio 2 show, Sounds of the Sixties due to a chest infection, and his old friend Johnny Walker, 78, stepped in to take over.

In a tweet on April 21, he tried to reassure worried listeners that he was okay, according to a news source.

The statement read “The infection I have is requiring more treatment than initial­

ly thought and it means I am having to reschedule the Sounds of the 60s Tour for the moment in order to recover fully.

“All tickets booked will be automatically transferred to the new dates and you will be notified of this change by your ticket provider. I am sorry for the disruption, and I really am looking forward to getting back on the road with the band.

“Finally, to all the nurses, Drs and support staff at Barnet General hospital who I spent a few days with over the last week, thank you for looking after me. You are brilliant!”

It’s a struggle

SIR ROD STEWART said he can’t get a response to his request to provide free MRI scans.

While he says he is “well on their side” about the doctors and nurses strikes, he said he can’t get a response about his plans to give away MRI scans.

In February he paid for some members of the public to have scans in a mobile unit at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Essex.

It was in a Sky News phone in that he pledged to help when talking about the state of the NHS. He had just returned from a scan himself.

“I said when I did Sky TV that I wanted to try and do them all

Two WWI soldiers rededicated in France

over the country.” He said, “Iam not going to show up and be photographed, I just wanted to do it.”

But he says he struggling to get his plans off the ground.

“It’s like banging your head against a brick wall.”

47

TWO soldiers who were previously unknown have now had their graves rededicated with headstones to commemorate their deaths in the First World War.

The two Irish soldiers are Private (Pte) James McCaffrey of the 5th Battalion Tank Corps and Corporal (Cpl) Thomas Stannage of the 10th (Prince of Wales Own Royal) Hussars.

The MOD’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), also known as the ‘War Detectives’ organised the ceremonies in France.

Louise Dorr of the JCCC said:

“It’s been a pleasure to have both men’s families with us today. As we rededicate their graves with known headstones. It is a great comfort to know that their bravery and sacrifice will always be remembered.”

James McCaffrey was born in Tullyish County Down. He was found buried as an unknown soldier northeast of Sebencourt. He was identified because three men were killed when two tanks were clearing an area around Retheuil Farm and James was known to be one of them.

Two of the men had known graves so he was the only possible casualty left.

Corporal Thomas Stannage was born in Rathdowney, County Laois. His remains were found buried east of Honnecy. His battalion’s war diary places the 10th Hussars in the area.

Nine corporals lost their lives and eight of them had known graves which left Thomas as the only possible casualty.

UNKNOWN SOLDIERS: Now have graves with headstones.

Photo credit: royal.uk

The number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Spain.

Brecon Beacons renamed

THE Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales announced that as from its 66th anniversary which was on Monday April 17 it will use the name Bannau Brycheiniog.

Those who run the park say the change will celebrate and promote the area’s culture and heritage. It is part of a management overall to address environmental challenges.

Brycheiniog was named after the fifth century King Brychan who ruled over this independent kingdom in the early middle ages.

The Welch names means ‘the peaks of Brychan’s kingdom’. You pronounce the

name ban­aye­bruch­ein­log with the ch in bruch pronounced like the word loch.

The National Park’s chief executive, Catherine Mealing­Jones said: “It just felt the right time to reclaim the old name for the area (it) reflects our commitment to the Welsh language.

“But we understand peo­

Emergency landing

A CO-PILOT was forced to take over the controls of an easyJet flight after the pilot was taken ill.

ple are used to calling the park by the name everyone’s used for 66 years, so we don’t expect everyone to use it, at least straight away.”

The park covers almost 529 square miles (1.347 sq km) of south and mid wales. About four million visitors come to Bannau Brycheiniog every year.

Coronation train

Anna Ellis

LONDON North Eastern Railway (LNER) is proud to launch a newly named service to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III on Saturday, May 6.

From May 6, the daily 11.00am service between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverley will be called the ‘Carolean Express’, with the inaugural service departing the iconic London station at 11.00am on the day of the King’s Coronation.

The era of British history under King Charles III will be known as the Carolean era,

the same name that was given to the eras of both King Charles I and II.

The ‘Carolean Express’ will join formal service names such as ‘Highland Chieftain’ and ‘Northern Lights’ which are popular daily services on the LNER route, operating between London and Inverness and London and Aberdeen.

The weekday ‘Flying Scotsman’ service operates in the opposite direction, taking customers to London King’s Cross from Edinburgh Waverley at 5.40am, stopping only at Newcastle.

On Friday, April 21, a flight from London on its way to Morocco ended up being diverted 500 miles after the pilot became ill mid­flight, leaving the co­pilot to make an emergency landing in Portugal, according to a news source.

At approximately 6.30am an easyJet flight left from London Gatwick and was on its way to Agadir, Morocco but had to be diverted nearly 500 miles away to Faro in Portugal.

It was reported that the co­pilot landed the aircraft safely with 100 passengers on board at Faro airport.

The Airbus A320 was seen on online flight trackers making an unscheduled stop after a mid­air alert.

A source at Faro airport commented that the diversion was the result of the pilot suffering an ‘indisposition,’ a red alert had been sent and the co­pilot completed a successful landing.

The condition of the pilot and the cause of his illness is as yet unknown.

NATIONAL PARK: Celebrating the area’s culture and heritage.

IN a historic moment, the German President Frank­Walter Steinmeier became the first head of state to ask for forgiveness for the atrocities committed by Germany during the Second World War.

On the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising on Wednesday, April 19, Steinmeier joined his Polish and Israeli counterparts to mark 80 years since the doomed Jewish uprising against Nazi occupiers.

Standing at the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes in Poland’s capital, Steinmeier asked for forgiveness for the crimes committed by Germans during the war. He also criticised Russian President Vladimir Putin for waging war against Ukraine, breaking international law and bringing immeasurable suffering, violence, destruction, and death to the people of Ukraine.

The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising was the largest single act of Jewish resistance against the Germans during the war. The Jewish insurgents launched their revolt on April 19, 1943, preferring to die fighting than be sent to a death camp.

About 7,000 Jews died in the battles, and a further 6,000

Honouring heroes

“Never again” said German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

died in fires Nazi troops started in the ghetto.

The tradition of honouring

the Jewish insurgents who fought against their oppressors continues to this day.

Pub-lic worship

AN Irish pub in Luxembourg City became the unlikely venue for a Catholic mass on Sunday, April 16.

Father Michael Cusack, a parish priest from County Galway living in Luxembourg, was in a bind after his church shut down for renovations, and he couldn’t secure another location for the Sunday service.

However, he found an unlikely ally in Eirelux, an Irish pub owned by Vincent and Adrienne Clarke. The couple, who hail from Sligo and Louth, respectively, were happy to provide their pub as an alternative venue for the mass.

The pub, usually closed on Sundays, became a makeshift church for the last two Sundays. Father Cusack’s congregation of over 1,000 people was grateful for the comfortable and unique space provided to them for worship. After the service, the pub opened up, and patrons enjoyed ‘wee pints of Guinness’ in celebration.

However, the decision wasn’t without its critics, as the Diocese was reportedly unhappy with the move.

Photo credit: Frank-Walter Steinmeier (via Facebook)

Hitting wrong notes

Betty Henderson

THE French President, Emmanuel Macron, is no stranger to controversy. He has been facing intense backlash from the public over his plan to raise the pension age from 62 to 64.

Seeking to escape the heat, Macron was caught on camera singing a street song with a group of young Parisians in a video recorded on Monday,

April 17. However, the video went viral for all the wrong reasons.

The group of men that the president sang with was reportedly part of a Parisian choir that sings traditional songs on the street. One of the singers asked Macron to join in a rendition of an old song called ‘Le Refuge’, which he had sung on a trip to the Pyrenees last year. However,

the song was then shared by a Facebook group reportedly set up by the far right.

The situation has only added to the negative public perception of Macron, with residents and protesters booing him on the streets during his recent visit to the eastern region of Alsace. Despite the backlash, the president has now signed the deeply unpopular reforms into law.

Sowing controversy

ITALIAN Minister Francesco Lollobrigida has come under fire for his recent remarks on ethnic replacement in Italy.

The Minister for Agriculture, who is a close ally of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, suggested that Italians were at risk of being replaced by immigrants due to their low birth rates on Wednesday, April 19.

His comments have been condemned by opposition leader Elly Schlein, who compared them to fascist rhetoric. The phrase “ethnic replacement” has been associated with the farright conspiracy theory of the Great Replacement, which falsely claims that there is a plan to replace white people through increased immigration.

Italy’s low birth rate has been a concern of the right­wing government, with Meloni pledging to help Italians have more children.

However, critics argue that the government’s recent actions, such as stopping the registration of same­sex parents’ children and discussing the prosecution of couples who go abroad for surrogacy, reveal a troubling trend of discrimination.

While Meloni has not commented on Lollob­

rigida’s remarks, she has made similar comments in the past. Critics say recent events show the true colours of the governing coalition.

War criminal extradited

A MAN living in the UK has been extradited to Croatia accused of war crimes during the 1991 war. The news was announced on Wednesday, March 19, while the extradition took place on Wednesday, April 5.

Milenko Maric, a 63­year­old man living in Derby was arrested in connection with an International Arrest Warrant issued in 2001 for ‘crimes against humanity’ committed during the Balkans War. Maric, a Serbian national, is accused of being a member of a militia group that removed civilians of non­Serbian ethnic origin from the Baranya region of Croatia and assaulted them in August and September 1991. More than 100,000 people lost their lives during the Balkans War between 1991 and 1995.

Emmanuel Macron is attempting to calm tensions.

Photo credit: Emmanuel Macron (via Facebook)

3m Number of lone parent families in the UK.

BRITISH actress Rachel Warren on mega success, new releases, and the tough road to the top.

They say the course of true love never did run smooth, and as it turns out the course of mega successful careers isn’t that different either.

Despite its glamorous exterior, acting is one of the notoriously harshest of careers to make a name in, with a remarkable only 2 per cent of actors ever even making a living.

For those who do tread that path though ­ undeterred by the knock backs, the low pay and the often far­from­glamorous hoursthe payoff can often be something quite extraordinary.

Now 38 and about to star in not only a new Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde remake but also her own series, the actress and producer sat down with the Euro Weekly News to talk US success, the importance of backing yourself, and the long road to the top.

Originally from Buckinghamshire, Rachel told the EWN acting has been practically a lifelong passion: “At five I pointed at the TV screen and I said ‘mummy

HOLLYWOOD CALLING

Michelle Ryan, Peter Andre, and Junior Andre.

With multiple films under her belt, and often no longer having to audition for roles, Rachel’s star is now rising even higher with a seriously exciting new project in the works; a high concept comedy series that she describes as a “mixture between Fleabag and Bridget Jones.”

Not content with simply reaping the rewards of her own hard work though, Rachel explained she now wants to help other actors, particularly in dealing with some of her industry’s darker sides.

“I wanted to open doors for myself and now for others.

that’ and I knew that’s what I wanted to do in life.”

“None of my family are in the industry and my parents really wanted me to have an education rather than going straight into acting.

“I compromised and I told them I would get an acting degree, which I ended up doing in London.”

At one point things took a particularly dark turn when Rachel even had to take out a restraining order against someone else in

the industry.

Those experiences, which would have (understandably) seen a lot of aspiring actors run for the hills, saw Rachel do the opposite, working out how to create her own way within a sometimes brutal profession.

The result was RWI Creative, her own film and TV poster design company, which allowed her to stay within the industry on her own terms while paying the bills

time to audition for acting parts.

Rachel told the EWN her big break came with the hugely successful Rise of the Footsoldier franchise.

From there, as Rachel explains, everything else fell into place. She has since starred in The Last Heist alongside Terry Stone and has just shot multiple films, including Dragged Up Dirty ­ due for release in 2024 ­ alongside Nick Moran,

“That is one of the things I am fiercely passionate about; erasing manipulation and gaslighting in the industry and bringing up new and young filmmakers in a safe environment and working with some of the big beasts in the industry.

Rachel’s latest film Ripper’s Revenge, following a journalist who covers the famous murderer’s crimes before finding himself the target of a series of letters from Jack the Ripper, is out now.

Rachel attended the Marbella International Film Festival.

Credit: MIFF

The Arts Society Marina Alta

THE next presentation by The Arts Society is on Thurs‐day May 4 at Salones Canor Teulada. Doors open at 10am for registration and the presentation begins at 11am. Coffee is available pri‐

or to the lecture for mem‐bers and guests.

The lecture is entitled How to look at art: a strategy for interpretation and will be led by Lynne Gibson. Lynne has worked as an independent art historian for several years. She regularly gives talks, lectures, courses and guided tours to a wide range of organisations around the UK and abroad including col‐leges, art galleries, museums and societies.

“Would you like to devel‐

op your confidence in looking at art? Perhaps to discover a strategy for looking at it. This lecture is a must for anyone

interested in visiting galleries, exhibitions and art muse ‐ums. It will, quite simply, help you to ‘see’ more, learn to trust your own eyes, and en‐joy art to the full,” said Soci‐ety spokesman David Glover. For details of membership please contact Maggie at mb.marinaalta@theartssoci ety.org or for more informa‐tion email Peter at tr.mari naalta@theartssociety.org. Find the Arts Society at theartssociety.org/marina‐al ta.

Flower Mother in Denia

DENIA Town Council has teamed up with local business‐es to celebrate Spanish Moth‐er’s Day and to welcome the arrival of spring.

The ‘Flower Mother’ festival takes place from Saturday April 29 to Saturday May 6, when the 78 participating shops will be decorated with floral motifs and will take part in a spring‐themed display competition.

‘Flower Mother’ kicks off this Saturday with a range of activi‐ties for all ages at different sites throughout the town from 11am to 8.30pm.

These include face painting (11 to 12.30am at Plaça Arxiduc Carles, 5pm to 6.30pm in Calle Marqués de Campo and Tem‐ple de Sant Telm, and 7pm to 8.30pm in the Glorieta and Car‐rer Cop), a traditional Valencian

music parade through several streets between 11.30am to 1.30pm, dancing in Carrer La Mar from 12.30pm to 1.30pm, and two environmental work‐shops in Plaça Arxiduc Carles from 12pm to 1.30 pm and at the site of the old health centre on Marqués de Campo from 4pm to 8pm, where traditional games for the whole family will also be held from 5pm to 8pm.

Lecturer Lynne Gibson

Live Teulada Moraira

THE 12th edition of the ‘Vive Teulada Moraira’ gastronomy and local commerce fair takes place at Moraira castle esplanade from Friday April 28 to Monday May 1.

The goal of the fair is to promote the wide range of quality prod‐ucts and services of ‐fered by local business‐es in Teulada Moraira with a full programme of activities for resi ‐dents and visitors.

Attendees will enjoy four days full of music of all styles, from rock, pop, soul or jazz to Latin music, as well as activi‐ties such as showcook‐ing, tastings, food and wine pairings, fashion shows, training work‐shops and much more.

Up to 18 businesses and restaurants have confirmed their pres‐ence at the fair.

Natural wine fair

ON Monday May 1 Pego will become the Va‐lencian capital of natural wine with the cele ‐bration of the first fair of winemakers who share the same philoso‐phy ‐ a com ‐mitment to

wine made without addi ‐tives or industrial tech ‐niques and using grapes grown using ecological methods and harvested by hand.

The event will take place under the shade of the pine trees in the Plaça del Con‐vent from 11.00am. Visitors will be able to sample a se‐lection of unique wines throughout the morning

and afternoon at more than 20 stalls of natural wine producers from throughout the Marina Alta, as well as from other parts of the Va‐lencia region and Catalonia.

The event will also in ‐

clude music, food trucks and stands offering tradi ‐tional Valencian cuisine. Tickets for the event cost €10 and entitle visitors to sample all the wines on dis‐play.

BENITACHELL is celebrat ‐ing its yearly ‘Musical Spring’ programme with the 17th Spring Concert Cycle between now and June.

On Sunday April 30 the Marina Alta Orchestra (OMA) will perform in Santa María Magdalena church at 6pm, followed by this year’s main event on Sunday May 21 ‐ a concert by the Valencia Chamber Orchestra, per ‐forming Martín Palmeri’s Misa a Buenos Aires.

The Valencia Chamber Orchestra (OCV) is widely admired due to its great personality, praised for the energy it offers in each and every one of its performances. Freshness, quality and musical excel‐lence are just some of its attributes.

Since its foundation in 2011, the OCV has estab ‐lished itself as a stable ensemble committed to

positive values, social commitment, young tal ‐ent and the great experi ‐ence of consolidated artists.

The cycle will be closed by the Santa María Mag ‐dalena municipal music group on Sunday June 3, with a magnificent con ‐cert in the church square.

Entrance to all the con ‐certs is free of charge for all residents and visitors.

SATURDAY April 29 is In ‐ternational Dance Day, and to commemorate the occasion the depart ‐ment of Culture of Alfaz del Pi Town Hall has or ‐ganised a special pro ‐gramme of activities.

An initiation to fla ‐menco dancing will take place on Saturday from 11am to 12pm at the Casa de Cultura. No for ‐mer knowledge or expe ‐rience are required to

take part.

This will be followed by the flamenco master class from 12.30pm to 2pm for medium ‐ ad ‐vanced level dancers. This class will be led by Fefa Gómez, a flamenco expert trained by the top Spanish dancers and who currently directs her own company that takes part in major international festivals.

Previous inscriptions are required for both classes and can be done by emailing diadeladan

Fun & games

za@lalfas.com.

Then at 7.30pm on Sat ‐urday evening a circus dance show will take place at the Casa de Cul ‐tura esplanade led by Jeff Cruz, who wowed the judges in the Spanish edition of Got Talent, followed by a flamenco exhibition by Fefa Gómez in the auditorium at 8pm.

The photography exhi ‐bition Zapateando will run at the Casa de Cul ‐tura from Saturday until Sunday April 30.

International Dance Day in Alfaz Celebrating the Puríssima Xiqueta

BENISSA’S Puríssima Xiqueta fiestas continue this week with a horse and cart procession today Thursday April 27 at 6pm followed by bull‐running at 7pm and then again at 11pm.

On Friday April 28 there will be more bull‐running at 7pm and 11pm, followed by a mobile disco by Revolu‐

tion Tumbalea on the Paseo Joaquín Piera y Mariana Torres.

Saturday April 29 kicks off with a children’s park in the Plaza Jaume I at 11am followed by inflatable bull‐run‐ning for children at 12pm and a fiesta gathering with traditional music on the Paseo, followed by a giant paella at

2pm. On Saturday evening at 5pm there will be live music with Orquesta La Tribu followed by a techno DJ set, while at 6.30pm there will be live mu‐sic and dancing at Centro Social Bèrnia with free chocolate and cakes.

At 2pm on Sunday there will be a mascletà firecracker display on the

Paseo followed by a Shrek musical tribute for children at 6.30pm. Then at 8pm the Marinae Ensemble chamber music orchestra will perform at the Basílica, followed by an aerial firecrack‐er display at 9.30 and a closing concert by La Fiesta orchestra on the Paseo from midnight.

BACK by popular demand, this month Jalon Valley Help held another Games Night at Pepe’s restaurant in Al‐calali. This was a light‐heart‐ed quiz based on popular UK TV games shows.

The evening started with a couple of table‐top rounds before the guests enjoyed a two‐course meal with wine.

In addition to looking af‐ter us so well, Pepe’s gener‐ously donated a bottle of wine and a meal voucher for two as raffle prizes, so a massive thank you to them.

Thanks also to Linda, Val and Kath for organising such a fun‐filled event which raised a total of €355.

Future events to look out for are the May Fayre in Jalón on Sunday May 14 and Jumping for Joy in June, with the Entertainers at Los Arcos restaurant in Pe‐dreguer on Thursday June 1. For further information or to get involved please con‐tact eventsjvh@gmail.com or visit the website www.jalonvalleyhelp.com.

A special programme of activities.

PRESS EUROPEAN

DENMARK

Stay clear

DENMARK has lifted restrictions on sailing in waters near the Nord Stream gas pipeline which was sabotaged by a series of blasts last September. At the same time Denmark’s Maritime Authority advised against anchoring or fishing within one nautical mile (1.85 kilometres) of the site.

THE NETHERLANDS

Happy talk

EIGHTY-FIVE per cent of the Netherlands’ population told an official poll they were happy with their lives although 62 per cent believed things “were going wrong” with the country. A further 60 per cent were dissatisfied with the country’s political policies, compared with 49 per cent in the autumn.

BELGIUM

Early occupiers

DURING excavations in Elewijt near Zemst, archaeologist Kylian Verhaevert and his team discovered evidence of an Iron Age settlement with circular ditches and a burial ground. They also uncovered a Roman cemetery with up to 30 graves and signs of an open-air temple and sanctuary.

GERMANY

Second term

AS the 2024 EU elections approach, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has not said whether she wants to stand again. If willing, and she receives government backing, her re-election is a certainty as Germany wields significant influence regarding Brussels’ top jobs.

FRANCE

High up

ALAIN ROBERT, a free climber known as the French Spiderman, recently scaled a 38storey tower block in Paris in support of demonstrators opposed to the new pension law delaying the age when people can retire. Aged 60, he habitually climbs without a harness, using only his bare hands.

NORWAY

Open again

NORWAY’S Trollstigen winding road with its many hairpin bends, which is closed by the government each winter, has reopened to traffic. This area receives an average of 450 inches of snowfall and is impassable until April when snow ploughs clear the scenic route, ready for the tourist season.

FINLAND

Happy Birds

FINLAND-BASED Rovio, maker of the Angry Birds video games, has been bought by Sega Sammy Holdings. The Japanese gaming giant responsible for the Sonic the Hedgehog character is paying €760 million for Angry Birds, which was the first mobile game to be downloaded one billion times.

IRELAND

Short-changed

THE 10-kilometre Great Ireland Run accidentally became an 8.5-kilometre run as runners were accidentally sent the wrong way by marshals. The race, organised by Great Ireland Run and Dublin City Harriers, was held in Dublin's Phoenix Park but all results were afterwards declared void.

ITALY

Milan getaway

ITALY’S Justice Minister Carlo Nordio was summoned to parliament to explain why Russian businessman Artem Uss, under house arrest in a luxury apartment in Milan, was able to abscond. He was due to be extradited to the US to face charges of evading sanctions and money-laundering.

PORTUGAL

Sea rescue

SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD Erica Vicente was blown far out to sea while paddle boarding off the Vila Real de Santo Antonio beach. Twenty hours later the MSC Reef, a container ship waiting to enter Tangier (Morocco) harbour, spotted her in the water, alive but suffering from hypothermia and sunburn.

UKRAINE

Shooting star

A MYSTERIOUS flash lighting up Kyiv’s night sky on April 21 was originally identified as a Nasa satellite falling to Earth. After the US space agency revealed that it was still in orbit, Ukrainian space officials announced that the flash was probably a meteor entering the earth’s atmosphere.

SWEDEN

No Tweets

SVERIGES RADIO (SR) has stopped using Twitter, referring to its concerns over the company’s “recent turbulence” and questioning Twitter’s ability and willingness to fight fake news and hate speech. SR’s decision follows similar moves by the US National Public Radio and Canada’s CBC.

BUSINESS EXTRA Done deal FINANCE

Outlook cloudy

SUPERDRY no longer expects to make a profit this year and may have to raise new funds. Poor weather had resulted in less demand for the company’s new spring­summer collection and sales had been hit by the cost of living crisis hit, the British fashion brand admitted.

Tax facts

MULTINATIONAL companies pay corporation tax averaging 21.8 per cent in Spain, more than seven percentage points below the European Union’s 29.03 per cent. Meanwhile, more than half of large Spanish groups pay corporation tax amounting to less than 20 per cent according to tax authority Hacienda.

CBI shamed

THE British Insurance Brokers’ Association, representing 1,800 insurance brokers and intermediaries, left the scandal­hit Confederation of British Industry (CBI) following sexual assault allegations against senior staff. The CBI admitted that some members had left but stressed this was only in “single­digit” numbers.

Gas cash

SPANISH engineering and construction companies Tecnicas

Reunidas, FCC and Turkey’s Enka secured a €1 billion contract to build one of Germany’s three planned regasification plants for liquid natural gas (LNG) near Hamburg. Another Spanish company, Sener y Cobra, will be responsible for another in Brünsbuttel.

Charge sheet

LESS than 12 years before the first ban on diesel engines comes into force, the UK has no public electric chargers or hydrogen refilling station for lorries. Lack of infrastructure makes it impossible for operators to decarbonise their fleets, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) warned.

is the amount that Inditex was worth on April 17 as shares rose by 1.22 per cent, putting the fashion chain ahead of power company Iberdrola and Santander bank.

Deflating inflation figures

INFLATION in the UK fell less than was hoped, hampered by food and drink prices rocketing by 19.1 per cent.

The annual rate measured by the consumer price index (CPI) dipped to 10.1 per cent in March, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, continuing its downward path after February’s 10.4 per cent.

Economists had expected a fall to 9.8 per cent but instead inflation remained in double figures as food and drink prices rose at the fastest annual rate since 1977.

Britain was the only country in western Europe with double­digit inflation in March, compared with an average of 6.9 per cent in the euro zone and 5 per cent in the United

FC BARCELONA is putting the finishing touches to plans for financing its Espai Barça project with a €1.5 billion bond issue.

Amongst other plans, this will finance a complete remodelling of the club’s Camp Nou football ground.

As investors will expect an interest rate of around 6 per cent costing the club an annual €90 million, the market is waiting to see how and where it will seek the funding to meet these extra payments.

Little has gone smoothly for the club since announcing its plans to finance the Espai Barça project.

Flat batteries

MTE Power, a small producer of lithium ion batteries, initially intended to build its first factory capable of large ­ scale production in Dundee.

The company recently told Sky News that it was considering whether to switch from the UK to the US where it would benefit from American subsidies under the Inflation Reduction Act.

“Unless we can make the UK a competitive place for battery manufacturers, we probably won’t end up with a battery manufacturing industry in the UK,” AMTE Power’s chief executive Alan Hollis said.

States.

It looks as though the Bank of England will again raise the interest rate with financial markets now betting on

a 97 per chance that the Bank will increase the base rate by a quarter of one percentage point to 4.5 per cent on May 11. There were indications, insiders said, that this could hit 5 per cent by the autumn.

Referring to the March figures, Grant Fitzner, the chief economist at the ONS, said the principal drivers of the reduction were motor fuel prices and heating oil costs.

“Both fell after sharp rises at the same time last year. Clothing, furniture and household goods prices increased, but more slowly than a year ago. However, these were partially offset by the cost of food, which is still climbing steeply, with bread and cereal prices at a record high.”

Barça’s on the ball

vate placement of bonds on Wall Street, split into three €500­million tranches. The first would have been due on June 30, 2032, and the second on June 30, 2045. The club would have paid interest on the third tranche only until 2045 despite maturing on June 30, 2052.

the club had to rethink its plans.

This involved reducing the number of bonds and taking on a bank debt that will be guaranteed by JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs.

EL CORTE INGLES has paid a total of €500 million to finalise its deal with Sheikh Al Thani.

With this transaction, the department store group acquired 4.2 million of its shares, representing 5.53 per cent of the group’s capital and half of the 10.33 per cent owned by AI Thani through Luxembourgregistered Primefin.

El Corte Ingles repurchased these shares in June 2022 in an operation originally valued at €385 million. The final amount was increased to €500 million to include compensation and interest, principally as compensation to Primefin which granted a €1 billion loan to El Corte Ingles in 2015.

Home help

THE Bank of Spain (BDE) revised the number of mortgages eligible for social protection measures agreed with the government and finance sector in late 2022.

Initially, Barcelona had hoped for a €1.5 billion pri­

These plans came to nothing. Beset by the Negrerira scandal over bribes to the vice­president of the football referees’ committee, which coincided with last March’s banking crisis,

A smooth ride

NATIONAL EXPRESS reported a rise in first ­ quarter revenues thanks to its UK buses and German rail improvements.

Overall earnings rose by 25 per cent to £774.4 million (€879.7 million), consistent with expectations, while Spanish subsidiary ALSA reported solid growth, especially on long haul and Morocco routes.

UK earnings rose 27 per cent year ­ onyear, with scheduled coach revenue up 87 per cent on 2022, reflecting the recovery from the Covid ­ related restrictions 2021 and the impact of rail strikes.

Thanks to its first ­ quarter results, National Express shares immediately rose 4.25 per cent after having fallen by around 48 per cent over the 12 months.

The company’s German rail interests rose 10 per cent on 2022 while it expects a 13 per cent price increase on the US bus contracts once these expire.

Some finer points have still to be decided, including the final amount of both the bonds and the bank loan. Sources close to the process suggested that ultimately the bond issue would be somewhere under €1 billion and the loan somewhat over €500 million.

Meter pact

ENERGY FIRMS agreed to ban forcible installation of prepayment meters in the homes of customers who are over 85.

Representatives must in future wear body cameras as part of a new code of conduct, the Guardian revealed.

Suppliers reached agreement with the government regarding new guidelines for installing the meters in situations where householders have run up an energy debt. There will be no repetition of agents brandishing court­approved entry warrants to break in to install them, power companies pledged.

They must now make at least 10 attempts to contact a customer and then conduct a ‘site welfare visit’ before a prepayment meter is installed.

The updated and extended Code of Good Practice was expected to benefit one million vulnerable households and those at risk of defaulting on mortgage payments.

Instead, Spain’s supervisor calculates that this would assist 550,000 families should the interest rate rise from the current 3.5 to 4 per cent.

Nevertheless, past figures for households accessing the 2012 Code also suggested that only 200,000 households would benefit, according to Bank of Spain’s latest Financial Stability Report.

Cheers Heineken

HEINEKEN has finished the first quarter of its fiscal year with buoyant sales in Spain.

The multinational brewing company reported that its net income grew by more than 20 per cent owing to increased volume and the combination of channels and brands.

Sales of the 0.0. non­alcoholic brand performed exceptionally well in Spain, together with the entire premium range led by El Aguila.

In addition, Spain is one of six markets that have completed the transition to Eazle, one of the largest e­commerce platforms in the world, the company said.

MARCH INFLATION: In double figures owing to food and drink prices.

CAMP NOU: FC Barcelona plans to remodel iconic football ground.

Photo credit: Pexels/Gustav Fring

LONDON - FTSE 100

DOW JONES

Bagged it

MULBERRY GROUP

sales improved in the second half of its financial year, partly due to demand for luxury goods as China’s economy reopened. The firm slumped during the first half on reporting £4 million (€4.5 million) losses for the six months ending 1 October 2022.

AI is best

ROUGHLY half of Spanish bosses said they would prefer artificial intelligence to make decisions for them, a study by technology firm Oracle found. Forty ­ five per cent of managers said that an over­abundance of data and their inability to handle it efficiently had led to a greater reliance on machines.

Housing for all

Linda Hall

SPAIN’S government will use European funds to finance 43,000 new homes for use as social housing at reasonable rents. This will add up to a total of 93,000 properties when taking into account an additional 50,000 properties which now belong to Sareb, Spain’s ‘bad bank’.

Speaking in parliament on April 19, Pedro Sanchez, president of the Spanish government, explained that some of the properties would be newbuilds while others would be renovated.

The cost would be covered by €4 billion in EU funding which will be made available

through Spain’s Official Credit Institute (ICO).

“Public and private develop­

In-person preferred

A RECENT survey found that a third of the UK population prefer to do their banking in person. Meanwhile, high street banks maintain in­person services are underused although the survey found that people wanted person­toperson advice even when they were computer­literate and could obtain it online.

Forty­four per cent of over­55s said they would rather visit a branch but the survey by

professional services company, Accenture, found that not only older generations were averse to change as the 18­34 age group also hesitated to switch entirely to online banking. More people were using the Post Office to manage money as a result of branches closing, which often made it the only location where consumers and businesses could do their banking.

EY cull

ers will have access to this funding on the understanding that the properties will be available as social housing for at least 50 years,” government sources said. Not all of the 50,000 properties acquired by Sareb when the 2008 property bubble burst will be immediately available, however.

Twenty­one thousand of the Sareb homes are finished and the bank possesses enough land to build 15,000 more, but a further 14,000 are at present occupied by squatters. Raquel Sanchez, Transport and Urban Agenda minister, explained during a La Sexta television interview, that where possible the government hoped to be able to “legalise the situation” of the squatters.

The minister did not mention that only 2,230 of Sareb’s properties were located in Madrid, Valencia, or Barcelona whose respective rents had risen by 10.4, 18.4 and 19.1 per cent since March 2022.

LONDON­BASED accountancy firm Ernst & Young (EY) is cutting 3,000 US jobs, citing overcapacity. Days earlier, EY abandoned plans to separate its auditing and consulting divisions although the company maintained that the reductions were unrelated. The cuts affecting approximately 5 per cent of its US workforce were part of its ongoing management of the business, said EY, promising “comprehensive support” to those affected.

Cheap deal

THE National Competition and Markets Commission (CNMC) is investigating 35 of Spain’s small and medium­sized electricity suppliers. The CNMC suspects that Holaluz, Cox, Fenie Energia, Alpex Iberica, Alterna, Neuroenergia and Som Energia amongst others, have taken advantage of the Iberian exception, buying cheap electricity on the Spanish market and selling it to France. As always, the CNMC said it could not provide any further details.

RAQUEL SANCHEZ: Spain’s Transport and Urban Agenda minister.

Photo credit: Pool Moncloa

BUSINESS EXTRA

On the cards

DEMAND for paper money around the world is at its lowest in 20 years, banknote manufacturer De La Rue said. The company, which designs a third of the banknotes used worldwide, explained that the demand for cash had fallen since the pandemic when central banks stocked up on currency.

Stone profit

MARBLE multinational Cosentino had a turnover of €1.7 billion last year, 22 per cent more than in 2021 and the company’s third consecutive year with a turnover topping €1 billion. Operating profits grew by 13 per cent to €312 million while net profits also advanced by 13 per cent to €117 million.

Tomato blow

THIS year could see the lowest production of British tomatoes since 1985. The National Farmers Union warned that steep rises in production costs, including energy to heat and light greenhouses, had forced many growers to make cuts, mothball greenhouses or shut down altogether.

Speeding up

CAR production by 19.6 per cent during the first quarter of 2023 compared with the same period in 2022, manufacturers’ association Anfact announced. A total of 658,282 vehicles left Spanish factories thanks to a renewed supply of chips, although production was 13 per cent lower than in 2019.

Quids in

PEPCO GROUP, which owns Poundland, posted strong sales growth after rising prices and inflation drove shoppers to seek out bargains. Turnover grew by 22.8 per cent to €2.39 billion for the six months ending March, following solid trade at its Pepco outlets where revenues soared by 36.9 per cent.

Grenadier goes to Austria

INEOS, the company founded and run by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, will build an electric version of its new Grenadier off­road vehicle.

Despite Ratcliffe’s staunch backing for Brexit, the latest version of his 4x4 will be produced in Austria, using car parts from the Canadian manufacturer Magna.

With production due to begin in 2026, the UK has once again missed out on building a second Ineos vehicle after Ratcliffe chose a French factory for the original Grenadier.

Ratcliffe, who transformed Ineos into one of the UK’s biggest private companies by taking over chemicals businesses, has since launched unrelated projects

which, together with the Grenadier, range from clothing to sports clubs.

These include the Nice football team in France, the Ineos Britannia sailing team as well as the for­

Mammoth Aena contract

mer Team Sky cycling team, since renamed the Ineos Grenadiers. He has also put in a bid for Manchester United.

With a personal wealth which the Sunday Times Rich List put at £6 billion (€6.8 billion), Ratcliffe lives in Monaco for tax purposes.

He named the Grenadier after his favourite London pub, which he later bought, but despite the vehicle’s ostensible Britishness, the first version was built in Hambach in eastern France.

This came as a disappointment for Bridgend in south Wales where Ratcliffe had originally planned to build the Grenadier following the closure of the Ford engine plant.

Another London acquisition

INDITEX founder Amancio Ortega paid £82 million (€93 million) for another London property in Foley Street, via his Pontegadea real estate company.

The 1920s building close to Oxford Circus and the British Museum, was originally built as a printer’s and later housed the BBC’s overseas service.

This was the Zara billionaire’s second impressive property deal in recent months, following the €100 million purchase last March of an apartment building in Dublin’s Hanover Square.

The Foley Street building was bought from Abrdn ­ formerly Standard Life Aberdeen ­ in a transaction overseen by property advisers Savills.

Abrdn bought the 4,000­square metre Foley Street building for £70 million (€79.5 million) in 2017, leasing it for 25 years to the Kier Group in 2018.

Undeterred by Brexit, Ortega continues to invest in the London property market with assets worth approximately €3 billion. His biggest purchase, The Post Building, was acquired in 2019 for around €700 million.

He owns properties in Oxford Street, St James’s Street and St James

US investment fund, Apollo Global Management, has the John Wood Group in its sights.

Usually referred to as Wood, the multinational engineering and consulting business headquartered in Aberdeen turned down four previous offers, maintaining that they did not reflect its real value.

Matters changed with

Square as well as Devonshire House, the former townhouse of the Dukes of Devonshire in Piccadilly.

The Foley Street sale was one of London’s few largescale property transactions in recent months, after sales slowed owing to the Bank of England's increased interest increase.

An American suitor

the fifth, which valued Wood at £1.66 billion (€1.84 billion), 59 per cent more than the share price before the first offer was made.

The board of directors listened to Wood’s investorsmainly big institutional funds ­ and decided to open the books to Apollo.

This follows a steady de­

STATE­OWNED airports operator

Aena is putting out to tender a fiveyear, €1.5 billion contract for private security.

What is possibly the Administration’s largest­ever services contract, seeks approximately 5,500 security guards and 2,000 assistants for Aena’s 45 airports, two helipads and Murcia aerodrome.

They will be required to provide adequate security at Aena airports which foresee 286 million arrivals during 2023, rising to 288 million in 2024, 301 million in 2025 and 315 million in 2026.

Insiders familiar with the contract specifications said in the Spanish press that this offered the option of an additional year, to provide the chosen companies with as much stability as possible.

Getaways

DESPITE the cost­of­living crisis, spending on flights and holidays rose in the first three months of 2023.

Details from more than 24 million UK bank accounts showed a 27 per cent year­onyear rise on package holiday bookings, and a 36 per cent increase in spending on airfares, according to analysis by digital advertising platform Cardlytics.

cline in Wood’s share price, partly to the problematical £2.2 billion (€2.5 billion) takeover of US engineering giant Amec Foster Wheeler, and attempts to diversify from oil and gas.

The original deadline for a decision has now passed and has been moved to May 17.

A health unto His Majesty

NYETIMBER, which produces English sparkling wine, predicted bumper sales for this summer.

Eric Heerema, Nyetimber’s chief executive and chairman, said the Sussexbased company was expecting “strong demand” over the Coronation bank holiday.

Sales had already surged in recent years, Heerema pointed out, thanks in part to warmer weather which favoured production and shot up by 60 per cent over the late Queen’s Platinum

Jubilee weekend.

Glasses of Nyetimber wines, which have been served at numerous royal events, will be raised again throughout Britain during and after HM King Charles III’s coronation on Saturday, May 6.

Nyetimber, like rival Chapel Down, is launching a £39.50 (€44.83) limited edition wine for the Coronation, made from West Sussex grapes.

“Consumers are always proud to champion and celebrate British goods and craftsmanship,” Heerema said.

While all the travel industry has enjoyed a post ­ Covid rebound, figures suggest a trend towards low ­ cost options as budget airlines are up 42 per cent year ­ on ­ year compared with 29 per cent for more expensive carriers.

Best start

BANKINTER had an excellent start to 2023.

The bank reported first­quarter profits of €185 million, 20 per cent more than the same period last year and Bankinter’s best­ever January­March figure.

It also takes into account the €77 million that Bankinter paid as the first instalment of the temporary windfall tax. This was introduced last year to fund government measures brought in to ease the costof­living crisis.

The stock market immediately responded with a 5 per cent increase in Bankinter shares although these later fell back to around 2 per cent.

INEOS GRENADIER: Electric version will be built in Austria.

Photo credit: Flickr/Mario

AMANCIO ORTEGA: Inditex founder continues to add to property portfolio.

OTHERS THINK IT

ONCE again the festival of Ramadan has drawn to a close. Ten years ago, your average Brit in the street wouldn’t have had a clue as to the meaning or origins of Ramadan.

This year you would have to be a recluse in a moon cave to miss out on what is actually the most important Muslim celebration of the year. In fact, it now comes in as the UK’s third biggest religious event after Christmas and Easter. Apparently some four million Muslims have been fasting this month, and consequently the news has been carried on just about every media outlet you care to mention; including of course the projections and decorations that have flooded the West End of London.

There has been a positive deluge of programmes on TV, explaining the custom and how it affects its followers. A number have shown special diets. Times to eat and sleep, and even a series of exercises designed to help the followers get through, what can obviously be an

I draw the line

extremely taxing period. I did slightly twitch at one interview however when the interviewee suggested it would be thoughtful if non ­ Muslims would try and avoid eating openly in front of anyone close by who was obviously Muslim!

Well I’m afraid I draw the line there. The idea of hiding yer actual ice cream or fish and chips, because you may ‘offend’ someone who is fasting, is just a step too far. Sorry about that. I actually spent eight years in a Muslim country, and consequently saw the festival completely close up as it were.

I do remember one fellow Brit walking through a supermarket in the day during Ramadan, scoffing bananas and telling me he couldn’t care less because he wasn’t actually a Muslim himself. I did feel this somewhat disrespectful, as we were guests in their country, but frankly being asked to refrain from eating openly in my own country because it may offend someone, in my opinion is a total liberty and the sort of inflammatory remark that

TRAFFIC JAM BLUES OUR VIEW

does nothing to improve understanding and acceptance of other people’s beliefs whatsoever.

Incidentally, I do remember, during my experience of those far off Saudi days, the whole month being great fun for those of the privileged elite, who would simply party it up all night and sleep all day. Nice work if you can get it.

Even I enjoyed visiting offices and helping a somewhat devious associate deliver illegal alcohol in the middle of the night. After all most of us enjoy a drink at Christmas, I can categorically assure you that in the 70s, Ramadan was no exception.

It may have changed now, but I very much doubt it. In fact I was informed that during the 70s Saudi Arabia was the world’s biggest importer of JW whisky. This couldn’t be shown on any books so they always paid cash. I wonder where all that disappeared to!?

AFTER years of pain following the 2008 banking crisis, much of Spain has seen a remarkable recovery as far as housing is concerned and in many parts of the country the sight of towering cranes indicates the amount of new accommodations that is being built.

It’s good news for the economy as it creates employment and also generates income for local councils especially as many of the buyers, particularly in popular holiday areas, are foreigners either purchasing a holiday home or moving to Spain permanently.

Whilst there are fewer British buyers there are large numbers of Germans and other Europeans who don’t need to follow the 90/180 day rule, so the market is currently very buoyant. There is however a major problem that certainly affects the Costa del Sol and we believe many of the areas where the seven editions of Euro Weekly News are distributed. Basically, the more new builds on previously vacant land, the more traffic and in many cases, the infrastructure is not keeping up with the developments, so that whilst each new urbanisation has brand new roads, they simply lead to existing roads which can no longer cope with the volume of traffic hitting them. In addition, whilst the government is encouraging drivers to take public transport, there are whole areas where there are no trains and buses of course get caught up in the ever­growing traffic jams.

Spain has a huge amount of EU funding and is investing left, right and centre, but with pressure to add or increase costs on toll roads, the country will see empty motorways and even more traffic on the free roads.

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By Clinica Britannia

Give your confidence a boost

Cheers for beer

DAYS after dire warnings from the US regarding the dangers of alcohol, the University of Murcia put in a good word for beer.

Beer drinkers appear to have better mental and physical health than teetotallers and ex ­ drinkers, a research team announced.

pared to 50 per cent of non­drinkers.

Ninety per cent of beerdrinkers regarded their mental health as ‘good’ compared to 80 per cent of non­drinkers.

DO you want a smile that is bright and dazzling looking back at you in the mirror?

Then professional teeth whitening may be the answer for you. It is the most popular, affordable cosmetic dentistry procedure available and can amazingly change the look of your teeth.

Almost everyone experiences some teeth darkening or discolouring, this can be due to food

and drink, medication, or just general ageing. Fortunately, now it’s easy to reverse these issues with tooth whitening.

Professional tooth whitening is a permanent non­invasive dental cosmetic procedure that can have a powerful impact on your overall appearance. Giving you that fantastic smile, you are looking for can increase your confidence no end.

The treatment can be performed both in­office by using a powerful and effective gel or in the comfort of your own home with custom made trays and gel. With professional treatment you will not suffer any damage or sacrifice the strength of your teeth. Results can be seen within as little as an hour, and your teeth can become up to 10 shades lighter than their original colour.

If you want to give your confidence a boost, then contact our Dental Department at Clinica Britannia who can give advice on what tooth whitening method would be best suited to you.

Analysing data from 33,185 participants in Spain’s National Health surveys between 2012 and 2017, they found that 80 per cent of moderate drinkers rated their physical health as ‘good’ com ­

Cranberry cure

SO they were right all along.

Cranberry juice really can help to prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs), Australian researchers found after reviewing 50 trials involving 9,000 participants.

Many women swear by cranberry juice or supplements for preventing cystitis and the Australian review has confirmed that these can reduce the chance of contracting a future UTI by more than 25 per cent.

The odds were slashed by 53 per cent for children and those susceptible to infections following medical interventions, the investigation found.

Experts believe this is due to cranberries’ high concentration of the antioxidant proanthocyanidin, which prevents Escherichia coli (E.coli), the most common UTI ­ causing bacteria, from sticking to the bladder wall.

Researchers nevertheless warned that cranberries cannot cure an established UTI, for which it is necessary to seek medical attention.

All-round benefits

UNIVERSITY OF POTSDAM (Germany) research acclaimed exercise as the best treatment for depression.

It was at least as effective as drugs or talk therapies, investigators said, and had no potential sideeffects or waiting lists for appointments.

Their findings were complemented by an Anglia Ruskin University study which showed that regular physical activity was beneficial for ailments ranging from high blood pressure and diabetes to dementia and arthritis.

The Academy of Medical Colleges in London also described physical activity as a “miracle cure” for many common ailments.

A paper published in 2015 concluded that it would also reduce pressure on the NHS if doctors encouraged their patients to exercise more frequently.

The heavier their intake, the better beer ­ drinkers rated their health although the experts warned that they were more likely to eat fast food and smoke.

Green dream

PLANTS in the bedroom can help you sleep, maintained sleep psychologist Dr Katherine Hall

They can reduce stress and anxiety while helping to clear the mind and relax the body, she explained.

Plants emit oxygen and also help to improve a room’s ventilation and humidity, making it easier to breathe at night “and drift off.”

Snake plant ­ also known as mother­in­law’s tongue ­ is one of Dr Hall’s favourites, together with aloe vera, spider plant and peace lilies, all of which you’ll easily find at any florist or the open­air market.

Testing situation

YOU should be careful with cosmetic testers, dermatologists and make­up artists say.

There is usually a supply of pads and cotton buds to try out cosmetics, although many people use their fingers. Bacteria can also grow in the testers if people ‘double dip’ and re­apply make­up when using pads or cotton buds.

“If you must test make sure the tester is sealed, use an individual one­time use applicator and only put the make­up on the back of your hand,” dermatologist Dr Tami Buss Cassis said.

BRIGHT SMILE: Results can be seen within as little as an hour.

BEER: Researchers give it the thumbs-up.

Photo credit:Pixabay/Alfbel

By Clinica Britannia

Express service for dentures

LOOKING for a fast and professional Denture service? Then look no further.

Here at Clinica Britannia we are happy to offer our existing and new patients an Express Service for the repair of any type of Dental prosthesis (denture) within as little as one hour, due to our onsite laboratory and technicians.

If you already have existing dentures and want them to look like new again, then why not have them cleaned and polished, we can make that happen whilst you wait.

Did you know that a completely new set of dentures can now be made within four days, allowing you to enjoy your

new smile within record time, you could even have them made without interrupting your vacation.

Now available is a new flexible denture, which is made of a material known as Nylon.

This semi­flexible highquality material is almost transparent and can be made to mimic the natural colour of the gums, giving a completely natural look.

Ice cream esteem

Thanks to the technological advances in the world of dentistry, the materials used for the creation of dental prostheses has improved immensely, making them last longer, much more comfortable and easier to use.

For further information contact our Dental Team at Clinica Britannia who will be more than happy to answer all your questions.

TWENTY ­ YEAR ­ OLD research in the US has linked dairy ­ based desserts like ice ­ cream to heavily reduced chances of developing insulin­resistance syndrome.

This is a precursor to diabetes in overweight peo ­

ple, but although ice cream has a lower glycaemic index than super ­ healthy brown rice, doctors in the UK have given the recently resuscitated findings an icy reception.

“It may contain some nutrients which could be ben­

eficial, like calcium, and it has a low glycaemic index,” said Dr Duane Mellor, a senior lecturer and dietitian at Aston Medical School.

“But this is likely to be outweighed by its sugar and calorie content,” he added.

APPROXIMATELY 10 million people suffer from migraine in the UK and more than five million in Spain.

A face mask that delivers blasts of oxygen could soon help to alleviate their agonising headaches that are often accompanied by nausea, disturbed vision

Blast of fresh air

and sensitivity to light, sound and smells.

It is hoped that the device, which is currently being trialled by 160 patients, will help to reduce inflammation in the nerve cells in the same way as medica ­

Sleep on it

tion.

The exact cause of migraines is not fully understood.

Nor is there a cure for them, which is habitually treated with painkillers and triptans to alleviate the pain.

A SLEEPING pill apparently reduced levels of the proteins in the brain that are linked to Alzheimer’s.

Investigators in St Louis (Missouri) tracked 38 people using pre ­

Vaping alert

scription medication suvorexant for two nights. Those with the highest dose had amyloid levels up to a fifth lower than other participants by the next morning.

Doctors warned extensive research is needed to back up these results, especially as previous research has suggested that taking sleeping pills can actually increase the risk of Alzheimer’s.

VAPING does not help young smokers break the habit, a survey of UK 1,000 teenagers revealed.

US researchers analysing the data discovered that frequent smoking ­ more than six cigarettes a weekwas higher in those who began vaping before they were 15.

Youngsters who smoked and vaped were twice as likely to smoke heavily by the time they left school than their peers who used tobacco, the investigators found.

Food for thought

DOCTORS believe that the food a woman eats can influence the onset on the menopause.

A 2018 Leeds University study found that women who ate a daily 90 grammes of oily fish like mackerel or trout experienced the menopause nearly three and a half years later than the UK’s average age of 51.

In contrast, those with a diet of refined foods, including pasta and rice, went through the menopause around one and a half years earlier, the investigators said.

FLEXIBLE DENTURES: For a completely natural look.

ICE CREAM: Benefits outweighed by sugar and calorie content.

Photo credit: Pixabay/Picjumbo

Good luck with that LETTERS

THIS is just a precursor to fully­fledged, no go zones for the police, which will mirror the goings on in ‘culturally rich’ Sweden.

Birmingham City Council’s website says that “Birmingham is one of the first ‘super diverse’ cities in the UK where citizens from ethnic minorities make up more than half the population.” The headline to the article is “Why Birmingham’s super ­ diversity is a strength, and not a surprise.”

We’ll see how that strength plays out.

Schengen

David

I read in your April 20­26 edition that the UK along with France are the big spenders in the Valencian region. I wonder if the authorities are aware that thanks to Brexit and the Schengen 90­day Agreement that they are missing out on even more UK income. Although I own property here I am now not coming over as much as I did and there are many more like me.

Manuel de Falla Villamartin.

Alan Morgan MD

Hello again

Do you think you could write something about this?

I have just read an article which has reduced me to tears of laughter, and it is serious. I tell you, 100 years down the line people are going to look back to now and very recent times as lunacy. Political correctness is like an Orwell novel, as is woke etc.

This article refers to ‘larger­bodied’ people and ‘people of size’. How bloody ridiculous. By normalising fat people, who are fat because they eat too much or do not exercise, we make life uncomfortable and more expensive and (health) less efficient for ‘normal­sized’ people.

Currently, it is always the norm, the majority, who have to suffer and subjugate themselves to the will of any minority.

The article is about Australia charging for two seats for a fat person. My opinion is that if that person can produce a valid medical certificate as to why they cannot reduce their weight, they should not be charged for two seats; otherwise, fair play ­ two or even three seats charged.

If these people were shamed, perhaps they would do something about it. Go back 100 years, were there so many huge people about? No!!! Mostly it’s nothing to do with a medical condition. It is eating too much and laziness.

I have struggled with weight during my life and, because it is ugly and unhealthy, I have always tried to diet, exercise and keep it down.

Nowadays we are forced to watch ex ­

tremely fat, mostly plain women, on our TVs in varying states of undress; in dramas or advertisements etc. It is unpleasant.

I agree with acceptance, of any person, but why do we have to aggrandise absolutely every deviation from the norm?

Once again, sorry for the rant.

Jane

PS. Oh, and don’t start me on this bullying rubbish!!

Help needed

Dear Sir

I have a problem that I hope you or your readers can help me with.

I am an 86­year­old woman and I travel quite a lot .

I am quite fit, I go bowling two or three times a week. I also work one day a week in a charity shop.

I have always had travel insurance whenever I go away.

Since Covid the travel companies will not insure a person of my age.

The one I usually use stops at 85 years.

I have tried other companies, some stop at an even earlier age.

I might add I have never had to make a claim with any company.

I hope you can help me. I do have the card which entitles me to emergency medical treatment in some countries.

I can’t be the only older person who likes to travel.

I am hoping you can help me .

Kind regards.

I believe

Gwendoline Ottley

I was very interested to read your column in EWN April 20­26 as I also believe “what you think is what you get.”

My bracelet is engraved with my motto ‘Think it, feel it, have it, be it’.

I followed the Law of Attraction for years then spent a long time studying a book on quantum physics. I was even compiling data to write a book about it all, then discovered that Pam Grout had already done one ­ E2that gives you nine experiments to prove your thoughts create your reality.

When I talk to friends about it and the way that I can do things “because I believe I can”, I do get some strange looks, so it was great when I learned that the 2022 Nobel Prize for Physics was awarded to the men who proved the key supposition of quantum theory: that local realism is fake.

Thanks again for sharing the information so clearly ­ I do hope others who read it will learn more and change their lives for the better.

Kind regards,

Tricia Gabbitas

NEWS FLASH: NEW FOREIGN SPECIES SPOTTED IN SPAIN!

NORAJOHNSON BREAKINGVIEWS

“ IT’S that time of year,” Sir David Attenborough will breathily tell you, “when you first really start to see them.” Tourists, that is. After all, they’re the easiest to recognise as a species. They’re the pasty­looking white blobs on the beachunless it’s been unusually hot and they’re red as lobsters and being given the kiss of life by paramedics.

They’re the ones who hold you up. On the roads because they don’t know where they’re going. In supermarkets because they’re counting out their change. In restaurants because they’re confused about the difference between salmón and salmonete but, in any case, would prefer burger and chips.

If the weather suddenly turns bitterly cold and showery, they’re still dressed for summer. In summer, they’re the ones wandering around shops, streets and restaurants with hardly a stitch on.

Tourists could never be mistaken for two other species you encounter in Spain. The newly arrived expats and the

long­term expats. The former you’ll see enthusiastically attending every Spanish class, Flamenco, bull fight and obscure feria and club imaginable.

Whereas long ­ term expats are the complete opposite and the hardest to spot. They dress like the Spanish, wear

summer clothes only in summer and dress more formally in town. Like the Spanish too, they’ve learned to accept the way of life. Mañana really does mean, err, mañana.

Recent research showing that Neanderthals came to spend the summer on the south coast of the Iberian peninsula also puts a new gloss on package holidays in the sun. Thirty thousand years ago, when Europe was going through an icy period and snow covered practically everything north of the River Ebro, hominoids searched for somewhere warmer to give them a greater chance of survival.

We now know that Neanderthals ‘holidayed’ in what is today the south of Portugal and Spain after their most recent footprints were found in a quarry in Gibraltar.

So, first Neanderthals, then the Romans. And with all the Roman ruins ­ villas, roads, marketplaces ­ being unearthed here, it struck me that the Romans were among the earliest ‘longterm’ tourist species. You can just imagine them, can’t you? Hurtling along the carreteras to the nearest encampment in their horse­ drawn chariots. Holding up traffic at the roundabouts. Counting out their silver denarii coins in the markets.

Overseeing another luxury villa reforma. Before advancing over the Alps into Italy, Hannibal first got the show on the road in Spain when he breezed in from Carthage with his, err, caravan of noseto­tail elephants. So is all the TAIL­gating you occasionally observe among local drivers yet one more vestige of those ancient times?

Give a final thought to Strabo, an unlucky general who not only took a pasting from the locals, but died of the plague during one catastrophic campaign. Just as he was about to expire, lightning struck his tent and reduced it to ashes. So, not a happy camper either...

Not to be outdone, though, the worst UK campaign was in 1216 when King John, marching about dealing with a rebellion and a couple of invasions, caught dysentery in Norfolk, lost the Crown Jewels in the Wash, and died in Nottinghamshire. Nuff said.

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.

Nora Johnson’s

opinions are her own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.

Nora’s latest thriller.

Noraistheauthorofpopularpsychological suspenseandcrimethrillersandafreelancejournalist.

Campervan conversion

DURING the pandemic

‘staycation’ became the thing to do and as new trends appeared more and more people opted for slow travel on four wheels. People rented campervans and found newfound fun in the freedom of the road. Since then this trend has continued to grow with more and more people purchasing their own

Rebound effects

IN good news for the camping and caravanning industry, it is seeing the first signs of the stabilisation in motorhome registrations in Spain.

According to data from the Spanish Association of the Caravanning Industry and Trade (ASEICAR), a total of 651 new motorhomes and campers were sold in March 2023, an increase of 7.1 per cent compared to the same month in 2022 (608).

However, caravan registrations continue to fall, from 243 in March 2022 to 180 last month (­26 per cent).

In the second­hand market, sales of motorhomes and campers are also up compared to a year ago: 1923 compared to 1855 (+3.7 per cent).

The same is true for caravans: 649 compared to 632 in February 2022 (+2.7 per cent).

ASEICAR confirmed: “It is likely that from now on we will see small rebound effects with continuous monthly rises and falls in registrations, which will probably last until the end of the year, when a gradual and definitive recovery of the sector is expected.”

or refurbishing an old van and converting it into a camper van.

If you have considered doing the same, experts say you should definitely rent one a few times before you make the investment and then once you have made the decision spend plenty of time on a plan for the refurbishment. Make sure to keep an eye on the weight of your vehicle. A DIY project will definitely keep costs down but according to the professionals, you shouldn’t be afraid to outsource some of the work too.

Once you are finished you will have a vacation on your doorstep ready to take off every weekend. If you work remotely, as more and more people do every day, you can choose to make your camper van your office picking a different location and view every day.

Packing hacks for a stress free trip

ENJOY camping but not the stress of packing for the trip? Do you always forget something? Here are some top camping packing hacks.

The first one is easy: be organised. Make a checklist but save it and take it with you, you can then use it to make sure you have packed everything when leaving. You can also keep it and use it for your next camping trip.

Use transparent packing containers to store your gear, you can see inside each container and then you don’t have to waste time rummaging through all your gear looking for one thing.

To save space don’t pack a pillow just put some of your clothes inside your sleeping bag case and use this as a pillow. Or you can bring inflatable pillows if you find them comfortable.

Line your backpack with a rubbish bag, if it rains it will protect the items in your bag from getting damp.

If you are travelling with children pack their clothes per day each with its own bag which includes socks underwear etc… then have a bag marked ‘extra’ in case one outfit gets dirty or wet. This will save you both time and space.

If you intend to bring food then create your menu before you leave and only bring the items you need. Create a mixed spice bag to add to the food instead of bringing lots of different bottles.

Getting there

EXPAND YOUR SPANISH

TRAVELLING hopefully is better than arriving, Robert Louis Stevenson said long before travelling was made easy.

Whether you agree or not, you will sometimes need to get from A to B, and a minimal amount of Spanish will help to prove Stevenson right (or wrong).

So if you want a taxi, go to the head of the rank and ask:

Are you free?…¿está libre?

If the driver is free, it’s not superfluous in Spain to say Buenos días, Buenas tardes or Buenas noches on entering before launching into:

I want to go to…..quiero ir a/me lleva por favor a (followed by your destination)

How much is that? (at journey’s end).....¿cuánto es? or ¿cuánto le debo?

If you need to ring for a taxi on any of Spain’s Costas you can probably conduct the entire conversation in English. All the same it’s as well to know how to do it in Spanish:

Could you send a taxi to (wherever you happen to be)….¿puede mandar un taxi a…

As well as the hoped ­ for, “Si, en seguida” (straight away) be prepared to be told the number of the taxi that will pick you up.

For a local bus, it’s always best to have change, as the driver also doles out tickets and might, if he or she is not having a good day, refuse to change a banknote.

For trains and medium or long ­ distance buses and coaches:

I’d like a single to …..quiero un billete sencillo a... (followed by destination)

I’d like a return ticket…..quiero un billete de ida y vuelta

How much?.....¿cuánto es?

When does the train/bus/coach leave…..¿a qué hora sale el tren/autobus/autocar?

The train/bus/coach will be late…..el tren/autobus/autocar llegará con retraso

How long does the journey take?.....¿cuánto dura el trayecto?

Having mentioned that a local bus driver also does the job of an Englishspeaker’s bus conductor, remember that the driver is ‘el conductor’. Meanwhile a bus conductor is ‘el cobrador’ or ‘el revisor’ but Daniel Barenboim is ‘un director de orquesta’.

A converted campervan.

PETS

Paw-ty Time

DID you know that ‘puppy parties’ are getting more and more popular with families opting to throw a party for their poodles on their birthday? If you would like to plan a pet party celebration but you don’t know where to start here are some tips.

You should take into consideration the size of your dog and the invitees when picking the location for the party, you wouldn’t want your living room overrun with greyhounds for example.

Take into account the personality of your pup, if he scares easily, a small gathering that won’t be too stressful is best.

Don’t forget the refreshments with plenty of fresh water on hand, doggy snacks, and a pupcake of course. Don’t forget to check with the humans before giving out treats and don’t forget human snacks!

Party favours like frisbees and tennis balls are very popular along with some party hats if you can get them to keep them on.

Don’t forget the dog­themed decoration and take lots of photos so you can turn it into an album to remember the day.

Sitters care for pets at home

MANY pet­sitters are used to being in charge while petminding. However, when Talisker the cat has sitters in, he keeps an eye on them. It is good to find someone who will play with your pets, as well as look after them. House sitmatch can help you find such a pet­sitter and companion at very little cost.

If you’re planning a trip register now to find pet­sitters in time. Whether your trip is short or long, you’ll know that sometimes you must leave pets at home. Young and senior pets in particular benefit from staying at home, so they can follow their routines undisturbed. Join our pet and house sitting network, and the sitters come for free!

Choose Housesitmatch.com for affordable travel, home and pet care. 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

Advertising Feature

Early diagnosis of cancer in pets

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 choose the sitter who’ll care for your pets.

Trustpilot Testimonials ­ 4.9 / 5 Excellent 10 out of 10 for housesit match.com

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.Housesitmatch. com.

Need a pet or 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 20% discount using coupon code 20EWN – Reader exclusive offer. To find a house pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

CANCER is a disease that tends to have a better prognosis the earlier it is diagnosed. It is important for pet owners to know the signs.

Signs of cancer in cats and dogs include:

• Persistent or abnormal swelling.

• Non healing wounds.

• Loss of weight and/or loss of appetite.

• Bleeding or abnormal discharge from any body opening.

• Difficulty eating or swallowing.

• Lethargy or weakness.

• Persistent lameness or stiffness.

• Coughing or difficulty breathing

• Changes in bathroom habits, difficulty urinating or defecating.

• Evidence of pain.

• If you see any of these signs, you should go to the vet. A physical exam, blood tests, X­rays, CT and MRI will be necessary. Once diagnosed, it is important to resort to advanced diagnostic techniques, whether they are specific analyses and advanced imaging techniques. For example, one of the most common are breast tumours. Before surgery, it is convenient to rule out metastasis. These tend to occur more frequently in the lungs. Many times a simple x­ray is not enough. To detect a metastasis by radiography, it must be at least half a centimetre.

In contrast, a CT scan can detect metastases as small as a millimetre. This is important for the prognosis.

In Costablanca Norte: Anicura Marina Baixa Hospital Veterinario www.veterinariamarinabaixa.com

Talisker the cat keeps an eye on the pet-sitters at work.

HAPPY PUPDAY: Don’t forget a pupcake.

Photo credit: Flickr Seth Byrd

WASHING MACHINE BROKEN? Call Bluesky Repairs for ALL your domestic appliance repairs. 626 430 671 (WhatsApp ) (303019)

ARCHITECT

CARS FOR SALE

THE SALVATION ARMY

English Speaking Church of Denia Worship Service. Sunday 10.30am followed by a time of Fellowship. Everyone is welcome. Come as you are! For more information: Dieter Zimmerer +34 698 609 658 or Barbara Zimmerer +34 652 319 810 Email dieterzi mmerer@hotmail.com, www.centrosaron.com (10008)

www.helpbenidorm.org

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

and on Facebook VOLUNTEERS NEEDED, particularly if you speak Spanish, and have a car (although this is not essential). Tel President 607 387 040. We are an English-speaking charity that assists residents and tourists of all nationalities in times of crisis. We meet every Thursday at 11am in Jose Llorca Social Centre C. Goya s/n. Benidorm. We loan out mobility and medical equipment including oxygen concentrators on a short-term basis. (288658)

BUY & SELL

PRIVATE collector will buy your Gold, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel - 678 716 693 (288662)

I BUY RECORDS 50s to the 90s. Best prices for good records. Tel: 622 750 117 / 962 851 809

CARAVANS

MOBILE homes & static caravans bought, sold and transported. +34 630 055 418 or elsyd7@hotmail. com (302142)

BEDDING

CHARITY

El Campello Christian Community - Life and Family Sunday Service at 11am Bilingual (English and Spanish) at C/ San Bartolome, 35 (Bajo No. 6), El Campello. For more information visit www.el campellochristiancommuni ty.org, email campellocc@ gmail.com or call Juan Zúñiga - 686 203 183 (Spanish) or Sue Bishop610 639 426 (English) (233602)

ELECTRICIAN

MB ELECTRICS. Approved electrician. Any electrical repair. Iberdrola paperwork. Affordable prices. Miquel 655 282 175 www. mbelectrics.es (286325)

FOR SALE/WANTED

WANTED Gold, Silver, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel - 678 716 693 (288662)

VARIOUS music CDs, DVDs and DVD box sets. Job lot €100. Listings available. 604 185 014 (302910)

CAMPING

Loix, Benidorm. MondaySaturday 10-3. We also have Scrunchies, Extensions, Ponytails. Catalogue orders. Private appointments after 3pm. 681 049 502 (302420)

INSURANCE

FED UP OF NOT BEING SENT YOUR RENEWAL? CUT YOUR INSURANCE COSTS AND STILL HAVE 100% COVER. YOU HAVE TRIED THE REST NOW TRY THE BEST WITH SOS INSURANCE. WE CAN EVEN INSURE YOU FOR UP TO A €1,000 OF WATERLOSS. CALL 686 116 297 (WHATSAPP TOO) OR VISIT www.sosinsu ranceinspain.com or email tracey@sosinsu ranceinspain.com (290139)

BENEFICIAL INSURANCE SERVICES. Car, Home, Business, Travel, Life, Funeral, all insurances available. Policies in English. BEST rates, covers & service. Immediate quotes. Tel 961 129 215 / 622 275 561, (WhatsApp) info@ beneficialinsurancein spain.com or visit www.beneficialinsurancein spain.com for online quote. (303063)

MOTOR INSURANCE

For the most competitive quotes in English call Linea Directa on 952 147 834, you could save as much as 30% and you can transfer your existing no claims bonus. Call Linea Directa on 952 147 834 for motor insurance with a human voice in English from Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and save money now! (200726)

STAY SAFE! Abbeygate Insurance Call 971 277 455 For your security www.abbeygateinsure. com

HEALTH & BEAUTY

CHIROPODIST/PODIATRIST, Philip Mann, clinics in Benissa, Moraira, Javea, Calpe and Albir. 686 912 307 (287331)

WIGS

WWW.WIGS-R-US.ES

Indoor Market Rincon de

RELAXING MASSAGE

FOR MEN - Mario qualified masseur in Alicante - Special Massage for Men - 7 days 10am to 10pm - APPOINTMENTS visit: www.masajeyre lax.es/en or WHATSAPP 649 761 607 (302598)

RELAX CENTRE in BENIDORM - Excellent atmosphere. Expert Masseuses. 24/7 OutcallsTel: 603 324 564 (290194)

NATURIST male gives relaxing massage. Half price 1st time offer €25. For men and women. Private premises in Jávea, WhatsApp Rob on 613 831 380 (303147)

METALWORK

MOBILE WELDER: GATES, RAILINGS AND GRILLS. ALL REPAIRS. CALPE TO TORREVIEJA. +447787 585 714 / +447470 059 469. (294631)

MISCELLANEOUS

GOLD & SILVER Bought & Sold, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel - 678 716 693 (288662)

MOTORGAGES

GUARANTEED MORTAGE 100%. Acceptance. EX Pat Mortages. Non Resident Mortages. Spanish Resident Mortgages. Highest LTV in Spain. Call Damian today on: 655 141 092 (302913)

WE are currently the market leader in our country in the sale of direct car, motorbike, home and company fleet insurance. Since we started out in 1995, our philosophy has always been to offer an excellent service with the best prices in the market. For the most competitive quotes in English, call Linea Directa on 952 147 834. (200726)

NAUTICAL

INTERNATIONAL SKIPPER LICENCE : Courses held in English and starts soon. VHF and Radar Courses. 626 245 098 (303137)

NURSING

OTHERS

VIAGRA / KAMAGRA / CIALIS. BEST PRICES. FREE DISCREET DELIVERY. ALL AREAS COVERED. TELEPHONE: PETER 644 139 274 (303028)

MALE/FEMALE viagra, cialis, kamagra jelly, mixed trial packs available, all areas mail order. 604 385 476. viagra4you19@gmail. com

PAINTERS/DECORATOR

MOTORBIKES

ALBIR , ALTEA, MORAIRA, 24 HOUR EMERGENCY. 686 513 510 (294632)

LOCKSMITH/ELECTRICIAN MASSAGE

FRENCH, ELÉGANTE , SLIM SOPHIE, 3 languages spoken. Experienced in a large variety of full body massages. Villamartin apartment or can travel to all areas. 693 357 526 (295411)

PETER ZWAAN MOTORBIKES, A+ Occasions showroom, Harley Davidson Dyna Low Rideryr 2004, 23.000 kms, Euro 10.900 . CostaBlancaMo torbikes.com (290148)

MOTORING

AUTO BASTIAN mobile mechanic. Tel 608 860 725. (295674)

DECORATORS W.D. GILMOUR. Painter & Decorator. Established 35 years in Moraira. ESTIMATES FREE. Call William on 609 691 776 or 966 490 602 (301487)

PAINTER & DECORATOR. WINDOW CLEANER / MAINTENANCE. CALL NEIL ON +34 642 577 442 OR +44 753 586 6419 (302909)

PETS

NEED YOUR PETS TAKEN CARE OF? Not kennels, just a friendly home. Large fenced area. 699 790 080 Altea (294597)

HOTEL 5 FEATHERS. Holidays for your birds. Call Maria 607 26 25 24. www.papagayos -costablanca.net (302911)

PROPERTY WANTED

RETIRED couple looking for long term rental in La Marina Baixa - prefer two beds. Needed urgentlycall Janice on 0044 7736 251 800 (279523)

REMOVALS/STORAGE

BENIDORM and surrounding areas. Two-man removal. 622 658 992

MAN & VAN for hire, cheap & reliable. Jalon Valley & surrounding area. Call/Whatsapp 636 100 873 (303109)

If you can read it, so can your clients. Contact us and have your business grow at + 34 951 386 161

ROLLER SHUTTERS

ROLLER SHUTTER REPAIRS, awnings, motors, mosquito blinds. Calpe + 50 kms. 659 464 992 www.toldosalchemy.com (1296178)

SITUATIONS VACANT

LOOKING FOR ENTHUSIASTIC people to join me working from home online or direct to friends, neighbours etc. Good commission rates. No start up fees. Contact will be Larry/Elaine 667 196 186 (303343)

SKIP HIRE

JAVEA SKIP HIRE. CALPE TO DENIA. 2.5M AND 3.5M SKIPS. GARDEN OR RUBBLE.TEL:692 588 088. (302905)

STRUCTURAL SURVEYS

MARK PADDON BSc Hons. MCIOB, CAAT – for buyer’s survey & defects advice. Telephone: 653 733 066 / 962 807 247 www.costablancasurvey ors.com (292966)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

FED UP PAYING TOO MUCH FOR YOUR MOBILE PHONE CALLS? THEN CONTACT TELITEC TODAY. CALLS TO SPAIN 7C PER MINUTE INCLUDING MOBILES. CALLS TO UK 5.3C PER MINUTE. NO MONTHLY FEES, NO CONTRACT. WWW.TELITEC.COM TEL: 902 889 070 (2001)

TRANSLATIONS

SPANISH INTERPRE TER for all your appointment needs, has car. Effective, Friendly & Affordable service. Call 609 679 808 (290313)

If you

VAN SERVICES INSURANCE

STEVE’S MAN WITH A VAN. DELIVERIES, REMOVAL OF RUBBISH. BENIDORM, SURROUNDING AREAS. 633 930 477 (295260)

PROPERTY FOR SALE

can read it, so can your clients. Contact us and have your business grow at + 34 951 386 161

Toyota Corolla Touring Sports - perfect choice?

ROAD TEST

byMarkSlack

FOR many people, especially of a certain age, mention estate cars and Volvo

comes to mind, estates that were favoured by antique dealers everywhere. Look for a large estate now and to be honest you’ll struggle. We’ve moved to ‘lifestyle’ estates which are colloqui­

ally known as Tourers, smaller load capacity but arguably more stylish and better handling than the estate barges of old.

One of the sleekest and most affordable estates, sorry tourers, is Toyota’s Corolla Touring Sports. Carrying their very wellproven hybrid technology, still a much more all ­ round and useable proposition than an EV, the Corolla may not be the most exciting means of transport, but as a package it pretty much does everything you could want of a car. Lots of equipment, affordable running costs and very well bolted together. It feels like a car that will still be running and looking good in 20 years­time.

Prices start from €35,363/£31,560 with four trim levels and two engine options ­ 1.8 or 2.0 ­ litre petrol hybrid. Standard fare on the entry level model

provides everything from front and rear parking sensors and auto lights to smart phone connectivity and dual zone air conditioning.

My test model was the Design trim, second up in the range, which adds keyless entry and start, power tailgate, privacy glass, power fold door mirrors and auto dimming rear view mirrors to its standard equipment.

One of the first things to say about the car is its apparent low stance, it looks very low yet isn’t compared to other cars of a similar type. So Toyota’s stylists obviously know a thing or two about sleek design!

Inside it looks and feels well assembled and the quality puts some rivals of similar price in the shade. You still get the bolt ­ oniPad look of so many cars but that apart there’s a

pleasing normality with a standard automatic gear shift lever, buttons (hurrah!) and decent functionality to the touch screen.

As with anything Toyota, the Corolla is a smooth and refined drive, push the throttle too enthusiastically though and as is usual with a CVT transmission it hangs onto high engine revs meaning it’s rather vocal. Progressive rather than sudden acceleration is the order of the day.

If you’re looking for a car that’s got more practicality than a hatchback, but still handles as capably, looks good and is superbly well built, then the Toyota Corolla Hybrid Touring might just be the perfect choice.

TOURING SPORT: Looks good and is superbly well built - this might be the perfect choice for you.

Former WWE star faces jail

TED DIBIASE JR, the former WWE star was charged on Thursday, April 20, of allegedly stealing ‘millions of dollars in federal safety­net funds intended for needy families and low­income individuals’. He was charged with several offences by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) under his real name of Theodore Marvin DiBiase Jr. The 40­yearold former pro­grappler is the son of the wrestling legend and Hall of Famer, Ted DiBiase, who fought in the square ring as ‘The Million Dollar Man’.

A statement released by the DOJ stated that: “According to court documents, Theodore Marvin DiBiase Jr, 40, of Madi­

WRESTLING STAR: Faces multiple charges of fraud.

son, along with co­conspirators John Davis, Christi Webb, Nancy New, and others, are alleged

to have fraudulently obtained federal funds that they misappropriated for their own per­

sonal use and benefit.”

Another section of the statement outlined the possible jail time he could face. It read: “If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy count, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each wire fraud count, and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count of theft for receiving money laundering.” This could amount to 145 years in prison.

Man Utd in FA Cup Final v Man City

AFTER a semi­final victory on penalties against Brighton at Wembley on Sunday April 23, Manchester United have an FA Cup Final clash with Man City to look forward to.

Manchester United scraped through their FA Cup semi­final with Brighton 7­6 on penalties. In the process, they set up a mouthwatering final with Manchester City at Wembley on June 3.

Erik ten Hag’s side went into this match off the back of a terrible Europa League drubbing at the hands of Sevilla in midweek. His misfiring players failed once again to find the back of the net during 120 minutes of open play against the Seagulls as they played out an exciting 0­0 draw.

It took a total of 13 penalty kicks before either side could claim the tie. The unlucky candidate who failed with the 12th kick was Brighton winger Solly March. He was understandably incon

solable after Victor Lindelof stepped up to bury penalty number 13 to steal the tie.

Julio Enciso came close to putting Brighton ahead in the second half, only to be denied once again by De Gea. Danny Welbeck headed a corner wide shortly after as well. If Jadon Sancho ­ on as a sub ­ had hit the target towards the end of normal time, the tie would have been decided. In

stead, his curled effort flew over the bar.

No1 Tennis Player in the world is Carlos Alcaraz from Spain.

Driver killed in horror crash

A HORRIFIC crash during the Rallysprint San Bartolomé de Pinares in the Spanish province of Avila resulted in the death of rally driver David López Tomico.

The incident occurred on Saturday, April 22, while he was competing in a round of the Castilla and León Rallysprint Championship.

Tomico and his co­driver Natalia Rios Diaz were on the first downhill section of the course between San Bartolomé de Pinares and the Port of El Boquerón when tragedy struck at around 3.15pm. Their Fiat Abarth Grande Punto left the road at high speed and subsequently rolled about 50 metres down a steep ravine.

Diaz was rescued from the wreckage by firefighters who had been deployed to the scene and transferred to a hospital for treatment. Sadly, they were unable to save the

life of the driver. The race was abandoned for the rest of the day by its organisers as a mark of respect to Tomico, as reported by a news source .

The deceased driver’s team, Vallejo Racing, posted a poignant tribute to him on Twitter. It read: “Again, this sport hit us where it hurts the most.

Vallejo Racing is in mourning because we have lost one of our own: David López Tomico, a passionate lover of motorsports, a leader in his work and an example of perseverance and love for his people.”

It continued: “He joined the team in 2022 and his encouragement and strength were essential for the Dakar 2023 project to come to fruition. Today we not only lose a mechanic or a member of the team, but a real friend is gone. David, your strength will always be with us.”

Nagelsmann rejects new offer

ANY hopes that Chelsea had of tempting Julian Nagelsmann to become their next manager have been crushed after the German allegedly turned down the club’s offer.

According to reports on Friday, April 21, Julian Nagelsmann has rejected the offer of becoming the next manager of Premier League club Chelsea.

The 35 ­ year ­ old German was available having been sacked recently as coach of Bundesliga giants, Bayern Munich.

Nagelsmann was thought to be one of the front­runners to land the Stamford Bridge job currently held by interim boss Frank Lampard.

The club’s American owner Todd Boehly fired Graham Potter earlier this month after a series of awful results saw the Londoners freefalling down the table.

However, posting on Twitter on Friday, the respected sports journalist Fabrizio Romano reported exclusively that Nagelsmann was no longer in the running to fill the post in West London.

“EXCLUSIVE: Julian Nagelsmann has now withdrawn from the race

to become the new Chelsea head coach ­ it looks like it’s his final decision. #CFC German coach is said to be no longer available after multiple round of talks. Nagelsmann was top candidate for the job,” he tweeted.

Fabrizio posted again only a few minutes later, repeating what the

German had told Sky Sport DE: “Julian Nagelsmann when asked said talks had collapsed with Chelsea for head coach job: ‘To cancel something, you have to commit to something’, he told Sky Sport DE. It’s definitely over between Nagelsmann & #CFC ­ different views on crucial points.”

JULIAN NAGELSMANN: Had different views on crucial points

Credit: Steffen Prößdorf - Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0