Costa Calida 8 – 14 June 2023 Issue 1979

Issue No. 11 (1979) 8 - 14 June 2023

UFO SIGHTINGS

NASA put together the first­ever UFO inquiry and on May 31 that panel sat down to discuss their findings including one sighting in San Javier, Murcia.

The 16­member independent panel was formed last year and it is made up of leading experts from scientific fields ranging from physics to astrobiology. The panel revealed UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena), as they now call

them, sightings from all over the world including three in Spain. The first of those was the one that occurred in San Javier.

This phenomenon took place in 1962 on August 6, 7 and 13. On this occasion, several officers at the San Javier army base reported the presence of lights that ‘made lateral and vertical movements impossible for an airplane or

Women in Power

THE role of women in politics is going from strength to strength in the Region of Murcia with 17 women winning the most votes in their towns to become mayor.

This figure has increased by two since the last election when 15 women managed to get voted in. With 45 towns in the region, parity is still a long way off, but it shows progress that will hopefully continue.

The number of female councillors is similar to the last elections with 352 women out of 773 councillors winning a seat in the local elections.

Patricia Fernández, the mayor of Archena who won her fourth victory in the recent local elections said the key to her success is “the business vision that I have.

“I have always seen the town council as a business and the municipality.” And Mari Carmen Morales the mayor of Beniel won on Sunday for the third time and when asked about the success of women in the recent elections she said “Twenty years ago this was unthinkable, but today thanks to the work of many women before us, it is a growing reality.”

helicopter to perform’. The Ministry’s documentation states that the witnesses ‘can be considered totally reliable’ and that what happened is still considered to be an ‘unexplainable phenomenon’.

Other similar sightings occurred at Manises Airport in Valencia and one of the most memorable sightings took place in the skies of Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands. The

panel has stressed that they haven’t ruled out the existence of intelligent alien life but they have found no evidence as yet to prove they exist. They said “To make a claim that we see something that is evidence of non­human intelligence would require extraordinary evidence.” The panel said they need to continue their investigation into these phenomena. The truth is out there.

THE torrential rains in Murcia on Wednesday, May 31 caused a landslide in the town of Algezares leading to the detachment of one of the walls of the Baroquestyle, Roman Catholic Cathedral Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de la Fuensanta. According to the emergency services 112, the incident did not cause any injuries and the area is now cordoned off. The debris fell

from the west viewpoint onto the ascent to the Stations of the Cross. The Cathedral is now in need of funds to begin the repairs, they will need public and private funding to be able to undertake this work.

The heavy storms and hail wreaked havoc in Murcia and Alcantarilla flooding roads and putting the people of Murcia in danger with 112 reporting more rescues.

Photo credit: NASA website

Photo credit: Patricia Fernández Twitter account

Photo credit: catedralmurcia.org

FREE • GRATIS

FIRST ENQUIRY: UFO sighting in Murcia uncovered.

Heavy rains caused a landslide in Algezares.

FOURTH VICTORY: Mayor of Archena celebrates win.

Day of the Melon

SAN JAVIER has announced the dates and details for the second Boat Show Marina Day Puerto Deportivo

Tomás Maestre 2023. The boat show will be celebrated on June 9 and 10 at the Tomás Maestre Marina in La Manga del Mar Menor. The programme includes shows and live music, free boat rides, water inflatables, exhibitions, raffles, and workshops. A Tapa Route has also been organised in the bars and restaurants along the port.

Boat Show Celebrate San Juan

TORRE PACHECO will celebrate its Melon festival from June 16 until June 18. The town hall announced the programme for the celebration and said

“These festivities aim to bring together all of the residents of the town to celebrate and to spend a few days together having fun.” As part of the celebration, there will be live music including a performance by rock On Band Symphony and a concert by Shaila Dúrcal. There will also be plenty of tapas stands and bars and of course, lots of activities for children have also been arranged.

As part of the festival, the town hall has organised a photography competition titled ‘Melon in all its senses’. To compete you must submit your photo before 23.59 on June 11. The prize for the winning photograph is €500. You can check out the rules etc on the Torre Pacheco Town Hall notice board.

Cavalli Foundation

The event has been organised by the port in collaboration with San Javier Town Council. The events will begin at 10am on Friday and Saturday and will continue until the early hours. There will be water activities such as paddle boarding, surfing, and kayaking, children’s workshops and a fishing competition.

THE Cavalli Foundation is a sanctuary for abandoned horses in Alhama de Murcia. For over a decade, they have been rescuing horses and other animals and also providing educational and therapeutic programmes where animals and people benefit equally.

In this time they have helped more than 150 animals and 1,400 people. Now they are facing a crisis, as their land which is owned by a ‘vulture fund’ has demanded they leave their sanctuary by Friday June 9.

They have managed to find another

plot of land but now they have the arduous task of having to rebuild everything from scratch. They have 18 horses and 50 pets and farm animals at the moment and they need help to finish building a new shelter for their rescued horses and animals. They have set up a page where people can donate, on this page they have also listed what they have achieved so far and what they still need to do. You can find more information on their Facebook page along with the link to their website where you can donate.

CELEBRATE the festival of San Juan in Los Alcazares on Friday, June 23 from 6pm.

The celebration of the shortest night of the year will have live music from 8pm, a foam party, and DJs. It will take place at Manzanares Beach and the La Pescadería area. There will be bouncy castles and activities for children. At midnight the traditional burning of the San Juan bonfire will begin.

Families and friends usually

gather around the bonfires to eat and drink until the early hours.

The San Juan festival is celebrated throughout Spain and in fact even in some other countries as it has ties to the catholic church and the feast of St John the Baptist on June 24. Bonfires were lit on the eve of this festival to repel witches and evil spirits.

These days the festivities are more light ­ hearted like the one in Los Alcazares.

Catherine McGeer

ABANDONED HORSES: This sanctuary is facing a crisis.

Photo credit: Cavalli Foundation Facebook page

Non-stop

FULL steam ahead for Cartagena Port as they plan to see 11 more cruise ships dock in the month of June. This will bring approximately another 15,000 passengers to the shores of the city over the next couple of weeks.

Cinema School

THE Torre Pacheco Town Hall has arranged a free summer Cinema School for children aged between 14 and 17 years old. To register go to the Torre Pacheco Town Hall website, the registration deadline is June 21. It will cover everything from acting to audio­visual workshops.

Local pool

THE local pool ‘Ola Azul’ in Los Alcazares opened its doors again for the summer on June 1. It opens from 11.30am until 7.30pm every day and costs €2 for children and €3 for adults. Bundle prices are also available. The pool is on Avenida Gran Vía, 63A

Lotto win

THE lottery shop in the Centro Comercial Espacio Mediterráneo in Cartagena sold the winning number for the National Lottery and another draw called the ‘Primitiva’ and so has shared out over €7million In the region in only a matter of hours!

Wrong way

THE 112 emergency services were called into action over the weekend when two elderly people were rescued after finding themselves driving in the wrong direction on a very busy section of the A30.

Biker Fest

THE Mar Menor Biker Fest will take place in Los Alcazares on Saturday, June 10 on Avda de la Libertad in front of the Hotel 525. It begins at 10am and will continue on until the early hours. There will be live music, a market, exhibitions, and much more.

Catherine McGeer

LA PUEBLA in Cartagena celebrated its 14th anniversary of Potato Day on Sunday, June 4. This celebration promotes consumption and aims to raise awareness of the excellence of this product which is grown mainly in La Puebla and El Algar. The residents of La Puebla began the day with the direct sale of sacks of potatoes that go ‘from the field to the consumer’ followed by an exhibition that explains the planting and harvesting process.

There were also some activities planned throughout the day including a potatothrowing contest, and an arts and crafts market. Of course, the potato tasting was the highlight of the day. Everyone who attended the festivities

Potato Day

YOUR

87

STORIES IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION

Honoured

THE Spanish Olympic Committee honoured individuals and organisations for their special services to the Olympic Movement and sport.

could taste the giant potato omelette and the bar served potatoes baked, fried, and boiled!

period and usually, 170,000 tonnes of potatoes are harvested during the month of June.

Logistics hub Entrance exams

THE entrance exams for university began on Monday, June 5, and 7,700 youngsters from Murcia queued up nervously all around the region to do what they call the ‘EBAU’ or ‘Selectividad’ in Spain.

The results of these exams based on a point system determine what university and what course they will qualify for deciding the course of their young adult lives.

The exams are crammed into a short

three ­ day period and finish on June 7 with most students sitting three to four exams each day beginning at 9.30am and finishing at 8.30pm.

A lot of pressure is put on the youngsters as this one exam is a huge contribution to their final result and because of this, a new model of the EBAU exams will be implemented.

The plan is to implement the new model in 2025 but it all depends on the outcome of the elections in the summer.

CALA CORTINA on Costa Calida is among the candidates for the best beach in Spain. The magazine specialising in travel and lifestyle Condé Nast Traveller has chosen this beach in the Cartagena area to feature in the 10 finalists. The readers of the magazine will choose which finalist will be crowned the Best Beach in Spain. The voting process will last until 23.59 on June 13. Recent winners include Valdevaqueros in Cadiz, 2021, and San Antonio del Mar in Asturias, 2020.

Cala Cortina representing the Region of Murcia was chosen as the second­best beach in Spain in 2020 and once again has been selected as one of the favourites for the award. The magazine

THE Region of Murcia has begun to appropriate land to build a large logistics hub that will be connected to the Mediterranean Corridor. The regional government plan to build an Agrifood and Transport City between Sangonera and Alcantarrilla next to the Western Industrial Estate and it should create 21,275 jobs.

It will house more than 100 companies involved in food, horticulture, transport and logistics, technology, and textiles and its terminal will connect with the Mediterranean freight corridor.

Best beach

has highlighted the crystal clear water, the 210 metres of protected coastline, and the unmistakable islet nestled in the cove as the main reasons for its place among the top 10.

The aim is to put the Region of Murcia ‘at the forefront of national and international logistics,’ according to the regional government. It will be a specialised platform for the management of the transport and storage of agricultural and foodstuff, mainly refrigerated transport, which is destined to become one of the major logistics hubs in southeast Spain. The Agrifood and Transport City will have a logistics area of around 5.3 million metres squared and is projected to move five million tonnes of goods per year.

Among those honoured was José Miguel Martínez from San Javier, the president of the Royal Spanish Boating Federation. He received this prestigious award for a lifetime of work improving Spanish sport.

The president of the committee said “You are admired and loved because you are able to unite the different personalities of great sportsmen and women and bring together all of them so that they work for the benefit of Spanish sport.”

The ceremony was held in the Alfredo Goyeneche Auditorium in Madrid and they also honoured sports personalities like Sergio Ramos, Pau Gasol, Ruth Beitia, and Gemma Mengual among others for being ‘heroes’ in the world of sport.

The potato harvested in La Puebla is coveted by the best chefs in Spain. This celebration kicks off their harvesting

Photo credit: Sergio Nova Ocio Facebook account

PLANNED ACTIVITIES: Potato-throwing contest in full swing.

Cala Cortina among the finalists.

Photo credit: Cartagena Town Hall Facebook

Sub S-81

THE new S ­ 81 submarine prototype ‘Isaac Peral’ completed its latest static immersion tests in the waters of Cartagena on June 1. This prototype built by Navantia for the Navy is the first in a series of four new technology propulsion submarines. They commented on Twitter that it successfully completed its first full static dive. They checked its manoeuvrability at different angles of inclination.

The Navy’s underwater activities, rescue, and sal­

World Environment

vage vessel ‘Neptuno’ remained in the area as well as the Maritime Salvage tug’ Clara Campoamor’ with divers on board.

The construction of this submarine began in 2005 and after 18 years it has performed its first static dive. The next step is the first immersion navigation followed by the first dive at the maximum operational level.

It is then expected to enter service in November 2023 if everything goes according to plan.

PROVERB OF THE WEEK

WORLD ENVIRONMENT

DAY is celebrated annually on June 5 and it encourages awareness and action for the protection of the environment. It is supported by many organisations and businesses. The Region of Murcia once again participated in the celebration by offering environmental educational activities to schools and the general public.

Many activities were programmed including ‘1m2 against litter’ promoted by SEO/Birdlife,

they arranged waste collection in 34 different areas throughout Murcia such as the Regional Parks of Calblanque, Sierra Espuña, and the Salinas of San Pedro del Pinatar.

The waste collected will be analysed to obtain data that can contribute scientific knowledge and they can use this knowledge to find solutions that can put an end to plastic pollution.

A conference on marine litter was also arranged in a school near the Salinas of San Pedro del Pinatar. Finally, an exhibition will be on display throughout the month of June at the visitor centre in the Sierra Espuña regional Park titled ‘ The Libera project and litter’.

Martín is suffering from an incurable cancer.

Surprise visit

Catherine McGeer

FRANK CUESTA who is also known as Frank of the Jungle is a Spanish online and TV personality. He rose to fame by presenting the award­winning TV show Frank de la Jungla on the Spanish TV station Cuatro. He is a beloved personality, especially by children.

On May 10 he was contacted about a little boy called Martín from Molina de Segura in Murcia, he is a huge fan of Frank’s and he is suffering from a very ag­

gressive cancer for which there is no cure. One Twitter user tweeted Frank to see if there would be a way he could help Martín. On seeing this tweet Frank not only reached out to the little boy but visited him in person from Thailand.

On May 30 ‘ceciarmy’ published a picture of Frank Cuesta in Martín’s house in Murcia. Hopefully, this visit will not only lift the spirits of Martín and his family but also highlight their fight for more research into a cure.

Life of glass

IF you have animal or reptileobsessed children they are sure to love the exhibition at the Science and Water Museum in Murcia. The educational exhibition is called ‘Vida de Cristal’ (life of glass) and it displays the amazing world of transparent animals in the ocean and places without light on the planet.

The exhibition houses aquariums with live specimens, interactive games, and much more to show how these unique beings camouflage themselves and adapt in the darkness, etc… You can visit the exhibition until October. For more information visit the website www.ciencia yagua.org.

1840

“A picture is worth a thousand words.”

Meaning an image can tell a story better than words. This was invented by an advertising executive, Fred R Barnard, to promote his agency’s adverts.

The year the first postage stamp was created in the UK.

Catherine McGeer

THE San Pedro del Pinatar

Town Hall has announced 700 places for their free summer schools, registration for the places is until June 12 at 2pm.

Six hundred and thirty places will be offered for children aged between three to 12 years old which

Summer school

will run from July 3 until August 31. They will take place in the following schools Los Pinos, Villa Alegria, and Los Antolinos. The timetable of the summer schools is from 9am until 2pm with the possibility of dropping them off at 7.30am and collecting the children at 2.30pm.

ON World Environment

Day, June 5, the president of the region Fernando López Miras has released four more lynx in Lorca.

The new editions Tova, Turma, Tilo, and Tinajero will spend time at the acclimatisation enclosures in Zarcilla de Ramos which have recently been vacated by Tiko, Tejo, Tahúlla, and Torrealvilla. They have been released into the wild as part of the project Life Lynxconnect. They are roaming near the border of Almeria in the Sierras del Gigante. At the acclimatisation enclosure, the new lynx couples will learn to hunt

There will also be a Summer School of Performing Arts aimed at children aged six to 12 years old for the month of July. This will also be free of charge and there are 60 places available for this summer school. The timetable will be from 9am until 2pm and it will take

place at the Juan Martínez Juliá Leisure and Emerging Arts Centre. This summer school focuses on different artistic disciplines such as theatre, dance, music, and plastic arts. For more information or to register go to www.sanpedrodelpina tar.es.

Lynx family

on their own and become accustomed to their new territory. The enclosures cover an area of one hectare and they contain rabbits, shelters, and drinking troughs, they are also monitored by cameras 24 hours a day.

Fernando López Miras announced “We continue to complete the steps set out in the project to reintroduce a species which is classified as endangered and that we want to recover in the region of

Local festival

THE town of Cañada de Gallego in Mazarron has released the programme for the feast of its patron saint San Antonio. The

Murcia. This is a very special and emotional moment.”

Schedule for free bus service.

festival began on June 7 and continues until June 13. The festival committee along with the town hall have prepared an extensive programme which begins with the traditional dinner with the elderly where they choose the King and Queen of the festivities. They also choose the children’s queen.

Games and activities have been arranged for the children including a tribute to Meccano.

They have planned a surfcasting fishing day, a classic car rally, a hammer ­ throwing contest, a tug of war, a flan competition, food tasting, and a free paella. There will also be live music and concerts throughout the festival. The festivities will end with a mass and a procession of the patron saint.

Airport bus

AS reported in the Euro Weekly News last week a free bus service will begin from Corvera Airport (RMU) to both Cartagena City and Murcia City. Interbus the company that will provide the service has released the timetable for the bus service that runs from June 5 until September 15. The bus service is being well received by the residents and second homeowners on social media. Many are calling for this service to be extended throughout the year and plenty are suggesting additional lines that would connect the coastal towns along the Mar Menor. Most of the people on social media commented on the fact that they would pay for this service.

Photo credit: Interbusmurcia.es

Embracing the fun

AMONGST Gen Z and Millennials in America, cosplay is big deal. Dressing up as your favourite character from a comic book or graphic novel is a pastime my generation just doesn’t understand. But then, we moved to Spain, and Seattle Comicon is nothing on the Spanish fiesta.

Last June, my husband, Jeff, and I needed to head into Lugo to visit a local home improvement centre. Our first indication that something different appeared in the form of a small Roman legion about a kilometre from the old city. Lugo’s old city is surrounded by an intact Roman wall, so a Roman legion would seem to fit

right in, if it was the year 30AD. However, this was 2022, and men wandering around in Roman garb carrying swords and shields seemed, well, out of place. And then, the cave people strolled by.

“What is happening?” asked Jeff.

“It’s Spain. It could be anything.”

As we approached the parking garage the streets became crowded with more Romans and cave people (Castros). Walking amongst the hoards, we saw makeshift forts and catapults. Emperors and Empresses. Children sword fighting. It was as if the entire town had joined a theatre group. Or lost their

collective minds. In that moment we saw the poster for Arde Lucas.

The fiesta celebrating Lugo’s Roman past with sieges and violent re­enactments between Romans and Castros. The battle for the old bridge. Incredible. We were the only citizens not dressed appropriately and we felt out of place. But not this year.

Arde Lucas begins on June 24. Jeff and I have our Roman togas and we’re ready to dive in like the locals we are. We will banquet with the best of them and storm the ramparts. Catapulting ourselves into the past and embracing the fun. We can’t wait!

Kelli Field is an American expat writer/blogger living in rural Galicia, and a volunteer for Age in Spain. Some of her other writing about moving to and living in Spain can be found at www.vivaespanamovingtospain.com If you'd like to get in touch with Age In Spain, we can be reached at info@ageinspain.org (+34 932 209 741) www.ageinspain.org

GENERALLY speaking, Euro Weekly News tends to interview musicians and other artists who have a direct link with Spain and wherever possible the areas where we publish.

In the case of American musician and lawyer, Alan Chapell, it was the topic of one of his most recent compositions that caught our attention.

With Spin, he sings about the way in which the media, especially cable news in America simply seems to be powerful enough to have people believe whatever Spin they put on the news.

Speaking exclusively to EWN Alan explained “I was in Florida

EXCLUSIVE: One musician’s take on fake news

and started watching Fox News and it suddenly dawned on me that this type of station no longer report news but was intent on changing people’s perceptions in an incredible way.

“That’s a lot of power and its frightening as cable news moves so far away from what we were used to viewing.”

The chorus of the song appears influenced by Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles and as Alan acknowledged this, he said “Maybe

without realising it, I have transplanted and updated the concept of change within the music scene to reflect the change in news reporting.”

With the growth of social media of all types and the way in which story headlines are often aimed at luring readers in (known as clickbait) even if the story is different to what it appears, however at EWN we are always trying to improve the way in which our headlines encourage views honestly.

Alan currently fronts a five­

piece band in which he sings and plays keyboards and it includes violinist extraordinaire Lorenza Ponce who has played with such rock luminaries as Bon Jovi, Hall & Oates, Sheryl Crow and many more.

Alan Chapell is a unique character, the product of years of travelling the world, honing his craft and moving seamlessly through musical genres, Chapell’s lush sonic pallet falls somewhere between the progressive pop rock of Bryan Ferry and the jangle rock nuance of 10,000 Maniacs.

During the pandemic and lockdown, he was a prolific writer and composer with a catalogue of some 120 songs, many of which are yet to be released.

Earlier in his career, he became disillusioned with music

and after returning from a retreat in India, he took time out to qualify as an Attorney specialising in Human Rights and European Union Law but whilst he still practices, he couldn’t keep away from performing.

Indeed, after America started to emerge from lockdown, he was able to perform to small audiences on a solo basis which he says was “A real tonic which is why I have started playing keyboards in the band again instead of simply being the singer at the front.”

The first Chapell album The Redhead’s Allegations, produced by Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads fame was released in 2017 with a further five following, the latest Two Fishes compares the fact that he has two children, one who grew up in the aftermath of 9/11 and the second much younger daughter growing up now in the digital age.

There’s a new double album on the way and Alan hopes that one day he will be able to perform in Spain, especially as his partner is Latina.

Credit: Bill McMenemey/Chapell

Alan Chapell and Lorenza Ponce

Rafa Nadal Foundation

Anna Ellis SPORT and culture must be within the reach of all people regardless of their starting point.

For this reason, Endesa brought together the Rafa Nadal Foundation and the Real Madrid Foundation on Tuesday May 30 at the Caja Mágica in Madrid for a sports­cultural day in which more than 30 minors participated.

According to Eunate Gomez, Head of Projects at the Rafa Nadal Foundation, “At the Rafa Nadal Foundation, we believe in the transformative power of sport and education, which is why we try to promote initiatives so that minors incorporate this type of activities that have a positive impact on their personal development and well­being.”

Ricardo Gallego, ambassador of the Real Madrid Foundation, pointed out that “sport, as we have seen in this activity, is a great tool for inclusion and social integration. Actions like today’s are very important for us and we thank Endesa for bringing us together here today together with the Rafa Nadal Foundation to bring quality educational sport to everyone.”

King and Queen in Granada

ON Friday June 2 Motril on the coast of Granada played host to Spain’s Armed Forces Day with more than 2,000 soldiers and a dozen ships, which included paratroopers and helicopters on the beachfront.

On Saturday, June 3, the events continued as King Felipe and Queen Letizia presided over the events of the land and air parade through the centre of Granada. Also in attendance was the

Defence Minister, Margarita Robles, who witnessed the participation of more than 3,100 soldiers, 150 vehicles and mobile units and 70 aircraft.

Armed Forces Day is a military spectacle which takes place in a different location each year. This was the first time the event had been held in a coastal city since 2011, when Malaga was the chosen city. The event culminated

with the traditional land and air parade, which covered 1.3 kilometres through the centre of the capital of Granada.

This year also saw a milestone for Armed Forces Day when for the first time a woman, Corporal Carmen Gómez Hurtado, representing the Parachuting Acrobatic Patrol of the Air and Space Army (PAPEA), performed the parachute jump carrying the Spanish flag.

Smoke free beaches

IT has been revealed that the Blue Flag network is studying the requirement to be a smoke­free beach in order to be awarded their certification.

Galicia currently has 214 smoke­free beaches and a spokesperson for the Galician Healthcare Service (SERGAS), Julio García Comesaña, has indicated the Blue Flag network may apply the same rules to beaches across Spain, reported a news source on May 31.

Blue flags are awarded to beaches based on the quality of the bathing water, services and facilities for bathers and environmental management.

However, according to sources, the foundation that grants these awards is now studying to add one more requirement: that the beach be declared a tobacco­free zone. SERGAS has a clear plan: to reduce tobacco consumption.

To achieve this aim, the plan includes the expansion of smoke­free outdoor spaces. Galicia currently has 214 smoke­free beaches and 18

parks, but this measure will be extended to squares, football pitches, basketball courts, outdoor swimming pools and even university campuses.

Comesaña went on to say: “We have to denaturalise the idea that you can smoke outdoors,” He also pointed out, “and I don’t know if this is an exclusive or not,” that the network of blue flags awarded in Spain by the Association for Environmental and Consumer Education (Adeac) seriously considers, in part to the Galician experience, that the blue flag implies being a

smoke­free beach.

The anti­smoking drive also includes a Galician No Tobacco Day, on October 31, together with a network to promote a life without tobacco.

BLUE FLAGS: Awarded on quality of the water and facilities.

7,641 The number of islands in the Philippines.

PRESS EUROPEAN

DENMARK

Spud-slide

A 57-YEAR-OLD lorry driver was arrested in Denmark after potatoes he was transporting littered the bridge linking the Funen and Zealand islands where Odense and Copenhagen are located. He was charged with causing reckless endangerment to life after cars were affected by the slippery surface.

THE NETHERLANDS

Busy drones

ROTTERDAM port announced on June 1 the formal opening of the Netherlands’ first vertiport for non-piloted aerial vehicles, following the landing of a multirotor drone there. The devices will eventually be used for inspections and monitoring transport operations, the Port of Rotterdam authority reported.

BELGIUM

Here we are

SEALS, which had practically disappeared from Belgium before the end of the last century are gradually returning to its beaches and coasts. Numbers are difficult to calculate, although the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences estimates that there are now around 100 grey seals and 200 harbour seals.

GERMANY

Berry bad

A GERMAN consumer campaign called for supermarkets to boycott strawberries grown near Spain's vulnerable Doñana wetlands. Drought and unauthorised irrigation have dried out the wildlife haven in the southwest of the country and the needs of growers were making the problem worse, the association said.

FRANCE

Charge it

FRANCE is opening its first electric car battery factory near Douay. The length of six football pitches, the plant is part of a ‘reindustrialisation’ initiative which the administration and business leaders hope will turn the Hauts-de-France region into ‘Battery Valley’, electric vehicles’ response to Silicon Valley.

NORWAY

Oil change

DESPITE leading using renewable energy domestically, Norway remains committed to its oil and gas operations for exports. The government has now asked energy companies to increase explorations in remote areas, including the Barents Sea, despite pressure from climate activists to curb oil and gas activities.

FINLAND

Fencing match

FINLAND is completing the first section of a €380 million fence along part of the 1,300kilometre border it shares with Russia. Constructing the first three kilometres of the four-metre tall fence topped with barbed wire began in April near Imatra, which is just 200 kilometres from St Petersburg.

IRELAND

Sea change

FISHING has been a way of life for generations along the Irish coast but changes in the industry, including a post-Brexit cut in quotas allied to government plans to scrap boats could see it disappear. This could mean the ‘final death knell’ to their livelihood, fishing professionals warned.

ITALY

Green mystery

ENVIRONMENTAL officials in Venice confirmed that the chemical fluorescein was responsible for the bright patch of green water around the Rialto Bridge. Fluorescein, a nontoxic chemical, is chiefly used in underwater construction to identify leaks and in eyedrops to pinpoint lesions and foreign bodies.

PORTUGAL

Not bothered

CHINA is allegedly prepared to ‘exert influence’ on some of Portugal’s largest businesses to pressure the country into reverting a decision that effectively bans Huawei from the burgeoning 5G networks. Portuguese operators were untroubled, they said, as there are already 7,000 5G antennas installed throughout the land.

UKRAINE

No hiding place

WAR-TORN Ukraine has a problem with insufficient or inaccessible air-raid shelters, residents said. Too many of them throughout the country, and not only in Kyiv, were closed or hidden to passers-by, despite countless official warnings and complaints from the local population as well as powerless local officials.

SWEDEN

Moving on

HVALDIMIR, a Beluga whale first spotted in the Arctic four years ago wearing a camera harness and presumably Russian-trained, left the Norwegian fjord where he was last seen and has appeared in Sweden. He is now travelling very quickly “possibly seeking a companion or a mate,” marine biologists said.

STAT OF WEEK €3.25 billion

is the amount that Spanish banks saved last year by not increasing the amount of interest they paid on deposit accounts, according to a Bank of Spain report.

BUSINESS EXTRA AI mistrust

Rescue op

ONLINE fashion firm Asos is raising £80 million (€93.2 million) from shareholders and borrowing £275 million (€320 million) from Bantry Bay Capital, which recently bailed out Superdry. Following £291million (€339 million) losses, the funding would give it “financial headroom” to return to profitability, Asos said.

Getting lower

SPAIN’S Consumer Price Index (IPC) stood at 3.2 per cent in May, nine­10ths below April’s 4.1 per cent rate, the Institute of National Statistics (INE) announced, the lowest since July 2021’s 2.9 per cent. The reduction was due to the moderation in food prices and lower fuel prices, INE said.

Top earner

ALEX MAHON, chief executive of Channel 4 which narrowly avoided privatisation last year, could receive the channel’s highest­ever annual income. Mahon, who received a total of £1.2 million (€1.4 million) in 2021, could receive approximately £1.4 million (€1.6 million) if she has met 2022’s top performance targets.

New faces

TELEFONICA added another three directors to the board of its Telefonica Audiovisual Digital (TAD) subsidiary, which is responsible for paid television channel Movistar Plus productions and key areas including the purchase of audio­visual rights. This was TAD’s second major renewal in the last two years.

Powering down

ROLLS­ROYCE is planning cuts that could see the loss of around 3,000 jobs as the engineering giant revealed that it intended to transform “several areas” of the business. The announcement followed reports that the company has plans to merge several departments “to improve organisational efficiencies.”

MORE than 99 per cent of products from Australia and New Zealand are now UK duty­free.

UK businesses can sell more easily to Australia and New Zealand thanks to the trade deals, the first negotiated from scratch since Brexit.

Under the deals’ terms, tariffs on all UK goods exported to Australia and New Zealand will be removed.

This unlocks unprecedented access to these markets, slashes red tape for digital trade and work visas while reducing prices for favourites with UK consumers.

The deals will deliver an

Duty-free for Oz and NZ

services trade amounting to AU$4.4 billion (€2.71 billion) in 2021­22.

A SURVEY of 1,000 people by the Prospect union found that 58 per cent wanted AI regulation in the workplace.

economic boost by driving bilateral trade up by 53 per cent with Australia and 59 per cent with New Zealand, the UK government said.

“Businesses up and down the country can now reap the rewards of our status as an independent trading nation,” Business

IBERDROLA recently put the finishing touches to its alliance with Norway’s sovereign fund, managed by Norges Bank Investment Management.

Iberdrola will hold a majority stake of 51 per cent in an agreement to invest in 1265 MW of new, renewable energy capacity inside Spain, of which 20 per cent will be wind­powered and 80 per cent produced by solar plants.

Both parties have now informed Spain’s National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) they have complied with all the legal requirements necessary for formalising the agreement.

This will be directed at speeding up decarbonisation in Spain and could be extended to other countries in future.

The portfolio of assets amounts to approximately €1.2 billion, which Iberdrola will control and manage, providing op­

Settling up

MORE than €28 billion has been withdrawn from Spanish banks since the beginning of this year for early repayment of mortgages and loans as interest rates rose. Another €17,000 billion was transferred to investment funds.

Addressing the General Council of Economists on May 31, Alejandra Kindelan, president of the Spanish Banking Association (AEB), emphasised that despite these withdrawals, deposits were double those of 2008.

It was also “too soon” to gauge the effects of rising interest rate, Kindelan said, although Spanish banks were “somewhat more protected from turbulence,” she added.

and Trade secretary Kemi Badenoch said.

“We can seize new opportunities, driving economic growth, innovation and higher wages.”

Trade between the UK and Australia was worth AU$10 billion (€6.077 billion) in 2022, with two­way

The UK is Australia’s 12th­largest trading partner and second ­ largest source of foreign direct investment, amounting to more than AU$1 trillion (approximately €6.098 trillion) in 2022.

New Zealand’s trade with the UK, its seventhlargest trading partner, amounts to an annual NZ$1 billion (€2.98 billion).

The UK estimates that the deal will add £800 million (€926 million) a year to its gross domestic product.

Iberdrola-Norges alliance

than 500 additional MW of renewable energy in the Iberian Peninsula.

Norges Bank Investment Management, which manages Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, has approximately €1.4 trillion of assets currently under management, and holds stakes in more than 9,000 companies. It owns 1.4 per cent of all the world’s listed companies and 2.5 per cent of every listed company in Europe. The bank is also a principal Iberdrola shareholder, with a stake of more than 3 per cent.

The UK government should safeguard jobs from technologies like ChatGPT, they said.

Prospect’s findings coincided with calls from some tech industry figures to restrict the rapid development of AI.

Only 12 per cent of participants believed the government should not interfere because the benefits were likely to outweigh any disadvantages.

Goldman Sachs’ analysts recently predicted that AI could eventually replace 300 million people, affecting roughly 25 per cent of the global workforce, although many lost jobs would be replaced by new posts working alongside AI.

Happy earnings

SPAIN’S tax earnings increased in April, although more slowly than in April 2022.

Higher wages brought tax authority Hacienda an overall 10.8 per cent increase in revenue, including 11.3 per cent more from income tax (IRPF) and 25.6 per cent more corporation tax.

IVA added­value tax and nonfiscal taxes also rose in April.

erational, maintenance and other corporate services.

Meanwhile, Iberdrola and Norges are already working on further plans to expand their strategic alliance by more

Shunning the office

EMPLOYEES in the UK spend less time in the office than their counterparts anywhere else in the world.

According to a new survey of 9,500 workers and 6,650 companies by global workplace experts, Unispace, the former would prefer to reduce their office days still further.

Meanwhile, 74 per cent of firms wanted less working from home.

The Unispace study found that only 34 per cent of UK employees were in the office for four or more days a week and just 21 per cent were happy to spend that much time working outside the home

Seventy ­ five per cent of employers pointed out that career progression including pay rises, promotions and bonuses would be negatively impacted for hybrid workers, a belief that was shared by only 59 per cent of employees.

Owing to this relationship, Norges has decided to make its first direct investment in renewable assets in Spain with Iberdrola, the largest electricity company by capitalisation in Europe.

Duty-free option

AENA has again put out to tender duty­free shops in Madrid and Catalonia.

The company has invited bids from 13 international operators from Europe, Turkey, Bahrein, Korea, China and India ‘who showed interest’ in the first round.

Dufry, which runs the Madrid and three Catalan shops until next October, has already been allocated the Andalucia­Mediterranean duty­frees and controls Canary Islands outlets through Canariensis.

This could put the Swiss­owned company out of the running, as managing four shops in Madrid and Catalonia would give Dufry 90 per cent of Spain’s duty­free trade, when existing rules limit this to 80 per cent.

Tax earnings brought in €90.68 billion so far this year, a rise of 5.5 per cent ­ 6.5 per cent excluding refunds ­ the Agencia Tributaria said.

This was the highest monthly increase to date, but some way short of the government’s 8.8 per cent forecast for 2023.

Alternatives

THE British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) plans to bring together economists and business leaders in an economic advisory council.

“We’re a year away from a general election and this is a pivotal moment for business,” the BCC’s director general Shevaun Haviland said.

“That is why we have set up the council for expert advice and feedback.”

The announcement also comes at a moment when the BCC and other groups are jockeying for position as potential replacements for the scandal­beset Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

SYDNEY: Free trade agreement between UK, Australia and New Zealand.

RENEWABLE ENERGY: Iberdrola and Norway’s sovereign fund invest in decarbonisation.

Photo credit: CC/Sardaca

Photo credit: Flickr/Stephen Mellentine

LONDON - FTSE 100

DOW JONES

Sister act

ASDA is finalising a deal to buy UK and Irish petrol forecourts owned by its sister business, EG Group, in a deal worth £3 billion (€3.5 billion), enabling the supermarket to enter convenience retailing. A formal announcement is expected soon, revealing their plans to create a combined business worth about £10 billion (€11.66 billion).

No chance

A SEVILLA judge rejected an appeal by infrastructure company Urbas and a group of creditors against an earlier decision to accept Cox Energy’s €500 million offer for the now bankrupt engineering company, Abengoa. The company based in Cox (Alicante), and headed by Enrique Riquelmen, made a last­minute bid, pre­empting Urbas which Abengoa’s board preferred.

Skilled immigration needed

LATEST figures on UK immigration have highlighted the need for visa reform, the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) maintained.

Tania Bowers, Global Public Policy director at APSCo, the professional recruitment sector’s trade association, conceded there were “clear concerns” on immigration levels.

“But we can’t overlook the fact that the UK does still desperately need skills to support economic growth and these skills must come from international experts,” Bowers said,

Tender tenterhooks

SPANISH company CAF is waiting to learn if it has won the contract to build 117 trains for Portugal’s state ­ run rail operator Comboios de Portugal (CP).

As well as CAF, headquartered in Beasain (Guipuzcoa), Alstom (France) and Stadler (Switzerland) are in the running for the €819 million contract for 55 regional and 62 local trains. Portugal can no longer build its own

after the Bombardier plant closed in 2004 and ­ although not a tender stipulation ­ the three finalists are committed to investing in local production, knowing that CP will take this into account.

Each of the rolling stock manufacturers has a production centre in Spain but none is currently present in Portugal.

No takeover

explaining the government had missed out on an opportunity to introduce short­term business visas for top­level and highly skilled contractors.

“This would alleviate some of the resourcing challenges facing the UK, without impacting immigration on a longerterm basis,” the APSCo director claimed.

Other countries including Denmark and Germany were already adapting to this requirement, and the UK needed to play catch­up in that respect, Bowers pointed out. “Aside from the positive impact that this would have on immigration numbers, it would also strengthen the attractiveness of the county for highly skilled contractors.

“Access to short­term visas appealed to those working in the flexible labour market,” she said. “As other countries introduce more adaptable working routes, the UK will continue to lose its competitive advantage for attracting key skills.”

ROYAL MAIL’S biggest shareholder dismissed rumours of a takeover bid for the UK postal group but warned it should “adapt” to be successful.

Billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, who owns 25 per cent of Royal Mail’s parent, International Distributions Services (IDS), also said that the company should remain on the stock market where British citizens could invest in its shares.

Going further

FRENCH hotel group B&B appointed Enrique Francia, former chief executive of Spain’s VIPs fast food chain, as the company’s non­executive president for Spain and Portugal, in a bid to ramp up the company’s expansion in the Iberian Pensinsula. At present B&B owns 45 hotels in Spain and 11 in Portugal which have more than 4,000 rooms between them.

SKILLED IMMIGRANTS: Visa reform required to attract key employees.

Photo credit: Pixabay/jstarj

BUSINESS EXTRA

More shops

CORNWALL fashion brand Seasalt will open new stores following buoyant sales that tripled profits to £6.5 million (€7.56 million) in the year ending January 2022. Turnover rose by more than a third to £96 million (€111.75 million) according to its latest accounts sent to Companies House.

Classy glass

COCA­COLA EUROPACIFIC PARTNERS is expediting plans to supply glass bottles to the 10,000 Spanish bars and restaurants currently offering only cans or plastic bottles. Environmental concerns apart, the company found that 25 per cent of consumers would happily pay 20 cents more for a glass bottle.

Stepping aside

ANNE BODEN, founder of Starling Bank, is bowing out as chief executive in a move that she explained was made to skirt a potential conflict of interest, as she is a major shareholder. Boden, who launched the online bank in 2014, will remain on the board as non­executive director, she said.

Small spender

IN 2022, Spain spent approximately €5.2 billion of the €37 billion it has so far received from Europe. This amounted to 0.4 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product and 20 per cent of what it had budgeted for, according to official European Commission figures reported in Spanish media.

Pub gloom

ONLY 29 per cent of UK hospitality business owners told a survey by data and analytics company Nielsen that they regarded the coming year with optimism. Energy costs were the biggest worry for the remainder, with overheads including dearer food and higher wages rising by 81 per cent in the past year.

Another Brexit fiasco

A GIANT warehouse for post­Brexit border checks costing £25 million (€29 million) lies empty.

Nearly 12 months after construction was completed, the complex at Portsmouth’s international port ­ the UK’s second­busiest Channel port ­ is unused.

The UK government announced over a year ago that checks on fresh European Union imports would be delayed for the fourth time as ministers discussed how to carry out inspections.

The new border strategy will be revealed this month but meanwhile Portsmouth city council, which owns the port, has bills to pay.

The council received £17.1 million (€19.9 million) of public money but

even after modifications to cut costs, Portsmouth city council, needed a loan to cover the shortfall.

Mike Sellers, director of

Saved its bacon

Portsmouth’s international port, recently told the British media that the facility has cost the city’s taxpayers £5.4 million (€6.3 million), which must be repaid.

As the council was liable for any defects in the building’s first year, it also had to pay to run the facility’s lights and freezers last summer when electricity prices were at their highest. This cost another £500,000 (€581,767).

In all the council must find £10 million (€11.6 million) to cover its debts, maintenance and the government’s changed requirements.

“We built to a design specified by the government, we did what they asked, and we built it in time,” Sellers said. “It’s frustrating.”

Supervisor raps knuckles

THE Bank of Spain homed in on the low interest rates paid on bank customers’ deposits.

In an article in its most recent Financial Stability Review, Spain’s supervisor pointed out that the country’s banks had fallen short of its expectations regarding the effects of the continuallyincreasing interest rates on clients’ savings.

Against what it described as “a backdrop of sharp monetary policy tightening,” the article studied the links between bank deposit costs and the Euribor, referring to the basic rate of interest used in lending between banks on the European Union interbank market. This is also used as a reference for setting the interest rate on other loans.

In particular, the Financial Stability Review stated that the remuneration on sight deposits ­ accounts where withdrawals can be made without notice, or after a very short period ­ was currently ‘insignificant’.

It went on to point out that of the 352 basis points ­ equivalent to 3.5 per cent ­ that the Euribor increased in 2022, only 0.7 per cent was

DEPOSIT ACCOUNTS: Interest too low, Bank of Spain said.

PROPERTY developer, British Land, which has been hit by rising interest rates. was relegated from the First Division, in other words London’s FTSE 100.

In contrast, online groceries group Ocado managed to hold on during the latest quarterly review of the 100 most highly­capitalised companies. This automatically relegates any falling below 110th position.

Ocado, the worst­performing FTSE 100 company so far this year, was on the brink of ejection until a last­minute recovery of its share price allowed it to retain its position. The company’s shares have plummeted by 85 per cent since September 2020, when demand for home groceries deliveries soared during the pandemic.

Selfsufficient

passed on to customers’ savings.

In the case of time deposits, where withdrawals cannot be made before a set date or for which notice of is required beforehand, banks have only passed on 4 per cent of this increase.

Amazon sweetener

AMAZON will offer termtime working for UK parents and grandparents with children to look after.

The new contract enables them to take six weeks off in the summer and two weeks at Easter and Christmas.

The GMB union, which is fighting to be the first trade

union in Europe to be recognised by the company, said the flexible working offer was welcome, but most Amazon employees would prefer better wages.

“They’re telling us that they can't live on poverty pay,” a GMB spokesman told the BBC.

Workers at Amazon in

Coventry went on strike for 16 days so far this year, calling for their hourly wage to be increased to £15 (€17.46)

The company, which employs more than 70,000 people in the UK, said it does not believe that union recognition “is appropriate” and prefers to “talk directly” to staff.

Cerealto sacrifices Siro

MULTINATIONAL agrifoods group Cerealto Siro Foods announced that it was closing its Venta de Baños (Palencia) biscuit factory after failing to find a buyer.

When Siro, a household name in Spain, was on the brink of bankruptcy in 2022, it was acquired by the Afendis and Kempner investment funds.

The new owners and workers, together with the central and regional governments, signed a Competitiveness Plan for the group

and approximately 1,900 employees.

This guaranteed continuity of employment and production in Venta de Baños, Aguilar de Campo (Palencia) and Toro (Zamora), dependent on finding a buyer for the Venta de Baños factory.

Despite a ‘far­reaching, worldwide search involving 60 potential buyers’, no deal materialised which, under the terms of the agreement, has resulted in shutting down the Venta de Baños plant.

FOR nine hours on May 19 between 10 am and 7pm, Spain generated enough green electricity via solar, wind and hydroelectric power to cover 100 per cent of the mainland’s demand.

Although this has happened before, the supply was not sustained for such a long period, the state­owned Electricity Network of Spain (REE) explained.

Furthermore, this occurred on a normal weekday when consumption was high, not at the weekend or on a national holiday when there was less demand.

The weather was also favourable, with abundant sunshine and moderate wind.

Boots marches on

SEB JAMES, president and managing director of Boots, more than doubled his pay last year.

He took home £3.8 million (€4.4 million) after the pharmacy and beauty chain tripled profits as pandemic restrictions were lifted, reporting a pre­tax profit of £137 million (€159.3 million).

This was £44.5 million (€51.8 million) more than in 2021, a result helped by closing 44 underperforming outlets, according to Boots UK. In all, the company plans to close a total of 200, reducing the number of stores to 2,232 by the end of summer 2023.

PORTSMOUTH: Border checks warehouse still empty.

OUR esteemed politicians are all still well at it; fully on the ‘campaign trail’ that is. Dontcha just wish they were all actually on that ‘Old Chisolm Trail’ and disappearing over the horizon ­ forever?

Told you the Left would continue its assault on the policies of the right until the general election hove into view. The dissent and misery simply keeps on coming. (If I hear ‘it’s going to get even worse’ one more time……) Even if they can’t specifically blame any of the other parties, or indeed suggest any resolutions, they methodically keep delivering reports which depress the populace so much the voters are virtually prepared to do anything to experience a bit of cheer. The leftie union leaders’ latest disturbing efforts not only managed to disrupt the enjoyment of the football final and Derby racing fans, but even long awaited concerts by popular poppers Beyoncé and Elton John.

One truth you can be assured of is that when you hear a politician tell you

Ongoing misery

something has been made ‘absolutely clear,’ you can bet your bottom dollar it’s about as clear as a pea soup’er at midnight. No, the only clarity to emerge from this lot is that they are a bunch of self­indulgent, incompetent con merchants, interested in nothing further than the preservation of their own, often utterly worthless skins and unworthy to even represent a flagpole ­ leave alone the flags that adorn them.

Come back Mr Fawkes, all is forgiven. To think in days of yore we actually looked up to this untrustworthy bunch, believing they were the undisputable champions of our once great country? How blindly we followed their decisions and ‘leadership’ and were utterly convinced that mere mortals like us could never hope to understand the workings of ‘The House’ with its proud history and pomp, which has endured over hundreds of years. Most of our present day politicians are in fact the traitorous and highly dangerous ‘enemy within’. Many of them would rather side with their oppo­

nents than risk losing their privileged positions or a few votes. They are terrified of standing up to the ‘politically correct’, woke inspired cultural threats and the ever increasing denials of freedom of speech, which threaten to stifle today’s ingenious GB citizens. As far as this ol’ boy is concerned, I’d never actually vote for any of them.

Once again the Labour contingency has been ranting on about lowering the voting age to 16. This is of course merely a blatant effort to gain votes from naive youngsters who have never lived under the left, are effortlessly impressed by Starmer and Rayner’s rhetoric and consequently a mite easier to con than many of their adult compatriots.

Ah well, with the continuing encroachment of Artificial Intelligence (coupled with Artificial Insemination!) we’ll probably soon be existing without the pomposity of a single political pillock anyway.

Keep the faith.

Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com expatradioscotland.com

Mon. Fri. 1pm till 4.

CALCULATED RISK OUR VIEW

THE decision by Spanish President Pedro Sánchez to call a general election in July rather than December was to say the least unexpected.

He is either very brave, stupid, or highly manipulative as it was clear from the local elections just passed that there is a marked swing towards the right of centre and in some cases even further right.

As his coalition with Podemos is clearly crumbling and deputy PM Yolanda Diaz is forming her own left wing political party, he wants to alert voters to the possible spectre of a PP/Vox coalition and there is a general feeling that the majority who don’t look back on the Franco years with pleasure might worry about Vox gaining any more power.

Many residents of big cities such as Madrid have second homes in coastal ar­

eas of Spain and Sunday July 23 is really in the middle of holiday season so those who can afford to do so (and are most likely to be Partido Popular voters) will almost certainly be away on holiday so will have to be bothered to apply for a postal vote.

Many businesses across the country, both large and small have been adversely affected by the numerous new laws that have been created and the fact that it is now often more beneficial for people to remain unemployed rather than work in lower paid jobs, so in the main, they are keeping their fingers crossed for the return of the PP.

As an aside, the Gibraltar Schengen situation is back on hold and what should have been a done deal has the potential to be dead in the water.

WHY IS GB NO LONGER GREAT?

ing to end?

IT’S a sad indictment of these depressing times but nonetheless time to get used to the fact that Britain is rapidly changing. Un controlled immigration.

Incompetent politicians (some of whom lie ­ yes, you, Boris). Incompetent police officers. The BBC run by obscenely­overpaid supremos. A health service on life support despite huge increases in ‘managers’ who couldn’t run a village fête, let alone vital NHS Trusts.

Medical staff on strike who prioritise their needs over those they’re supposed to care for such as the gravely ill resulting from lack of treatment during the pandemic. Overpaid, over­pensioned public­sector bosses who couldn’t organise a you­know­what. Where’s it all go­

And isn’t this year’s Chelsea Flower Show but a reflection of the current UK? An analogy. Wild, overgrown, out of control, choked with weed, a shadow of its former self. Weedkiller, anyone? A general election perhaps?

And a final word on the UK honours system. Tainted by unfairness, cronyism and corruption, it must be made fit for those truly deserving of national recognition. Honours are for courage, selflessness and going above and beyond. Not for backscratching, time­serving and bungs.

So, why is Great Britain no longer great? Answers on a postcard please.

Nora Johnson’s 12 critically acclaimed psychological suspense crime thrillers (www.nora­john son.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.

THE British Benevolent Fund was founded over a century ago to help those Britons in Spain in extreme financial distress. Many times, this distress is exasperated or caused by illness ­ mental or physical impairing an individual’s ability to earn an income.

We are presently struggling with a case of Susan, a young mother of two children who came to Spain with her husband. They both worked remotely for UK companies, but were resident in Spain and eligible for health support.

They had been here for a relatively short time when shortly before Christmas the husband took ill and was rushed to hospital where they diagnosed multiple organ failure which included the liver.

He was taken to an emergency ward where he still is receiving 24­hour care and awaiting a liver transplant. He remains in a critical condition.

Neither he nor his wife had any insurance for any such eventuality and with the loss

of income it meant she has had to cut back to the basics for the children. Their respective families have chipped in small amounts, but nobody is able to fund their situation for any length of time.

The doctors have given him a slim chance ­ but a fighting one.

A suitable donor is being awaited and they calculate around two to three months.

In the meantime, bills need to be paid ­ even with her reduced income ends don’t meet. Rent, food, utility, travel to and from the hospital and two children to take care of.

Much depends on the outcome of the operation ­ but in the shorter term we are trying to help Susan get through what must be an unbearable

Olaf Clayton of BBF.

situation to face every day.

State support is not available to them as they have only been in Spain for a short time and not made the necessary contributions.

We have agreed an amount to cover her immediate needs ­ to make up the shortfall from what she is able to earn and make a contribution to some of the accrued expenses for the children.

And we wait for a better outcome.

We can only help people like Susan with your support, if you would like to make a donation to help her and many others who face the worst that life can throw please visit www.british benevolentfund.org.

Thank you, Olaf Clayton, Chair, BBF

Many of our readers have commented on the fact they are missing the Grumpy Old Man articles that were part of EWN for so many years. Unfortunately, Mike Senker hasn’t been very well of late and therefore had to stop writing for a while although he has promised he is still quite grumpy and will submit new articles as and when he can. In the meantime, we have dusted off some of his always amusing observations from past issues for your entertainment.

Views

WHY is everything so expensive these days? I saw a book recently called ‘How to find happiness without money'’ - it cost €20! I have grey hair and was advised to use a special shampoo. I looked it up online and it was £30 a bottle. Are they mad?

My first mortgage was less than that a month and I struggled to pay that! Of course you don’t have to pay that much. You can go to the supermarket and get a bottle for a couple of euros but I think there is just a big keg somewhere and they use the same stuff for shampoo, body wash, dishwashing, carpet cleaning, car wash and flea shampoo for dogs!

I was in the airport the other day and had a cheese and tomato baguette which is just a poncey name for a big roll. It was £6.50! I’ve seen more cheese on a mouse trap and the slice of tomato looked like it had been shaved off and was cleverly hanging out the side to make it look full. £3 for a bottle of water! It’s just a liberty. But it’s a

Mike’s

captive audience so we pay it. I remember years ago I was in Dallas and wanted to go out for a steak so I asked the concierge where a good place to go was. “Do you want a $50 steak or a $100 steak?” he asked. “What’s the difference?” I enquired. “$50”, he said, “the steak’s the same but one place has carpet on the floor the other sawdust.” We went with the sawdust! Get my point?

It’s the same here in Spain. I went to a restaurant with some mates and was told it was nouveau cuisine. Not having a clue what that meant at the time, as this was a few years ago, I ordered something with prawns as a starter and up came a lettuce leaf with a prawn on it. I sort of treated it a bit like testing the wine. By the time the waiter had served the other three people I looked up and said, “Very nice, I’ll have a whole portion please.”

We’re making a contribution

NORA’S LATEST THRILLER.

Nora is the author of popular psychological suspense and crime thrillers and a freelance journalist.

NORA JOHNSON BREAKING VIEWS

Good work LETTERS

Dear Leapy

I would just like to thank you for your column. What you write in the Euro Weekly, it’s a shame our country has gone to the dogs. I spend most of my time in Spain now and I just hate going back. Anyway all the best mate, keep up the good work.

Alex

Religious minority

Thank you Chris King for your article highlighting the plight of these families and persecuted members of our faith. Every voice that stands against oppression and raises awareness is a valued voice that calls for humanity.

Michelle

No understanding

I can’t understand how we love in a world where when you ask for help, as your life and your family are at risk, you get beaten and incarcerated. I really thank this article and I pray everyone in this world has the freedom to live their faith in peace.

Veronica

Spot on

Just wanted to say that this week’s report is spot on again. Hope you can post this on more social media sites where the young may stand a chance of seeing it. (not that they will change in any way !!)

Thanks and keep up the good work.

Best wishes,

Young generation

Tony Wiggins

Mother here of two Gen Z kids ­ the age group Leapy refers to. He is so out of touch. My kids 18 and 22 are anti­designer. They walked to school and looked after themselves after school whilst I worked. They are anti­fast food, can both cook healthy food ­ far better than previous generations.

They are frugal and prefer second­hand clothes which is now the fashion. They change their phones when they break. One of them is a teacher who gets in to work at 7am and is there till 5, going home to do marking. But will still give his seat on a bus to somebody more in need.

What they are is very open to different cultures and different sexual persuasions. Not a bad thing in my book. Incidentally they also read real books and write them. They open the door to people both in real life and metaphorically.

When are older people going to stop demonising this generation that are probably

the kindest, most respectful people alive today . Believe me they could learn a lot.

Fiona

Your job

Come on Leapy I know you have said before you are not interested in standing for Parliament, but let’s face it you are the man for the job.

With you as the new Prime Minister we might just stand a chance of putting the GREAT back in BRITAIN.

Anyway keep up the good work of spreading common sense.

Regards,

It’s obvious

Tony

Re letter from DMP edition June 1, ‘Electric scooters being misused and asking Leapy to write about it’.

Sorry to point out the obvious but the police probably do not read EWN. If people want to bring the misuse to the attention of the police and other authorities, may I suggest they speak directly to them? That way they will know of the problem and can choose whether it’s worth tackling it.

John Carrington

No chance

Hola, thinking how Mental Health is brought up so often now, do you remember a 1966 recording ‘They’re coming to take me away haha’ by Napoleon XIV?

Don’t think he would have got it released in today’s society

Raymond Wilby

The truth

Dear Leapy,

In response to your column in EWN this week, I would say that never were truer words written! While reading it, two descriptive words came to me immediately, ignorance and hypocrisy! As for respect, they wouldn't know how to spell it!

Ken, San Fulgencio

Tourists beware

My understanding is that it is not possible for Spanish police to issue penalty points to drivers driving under a British (or Irish) driving licence. Apart from all else, the British issue penalty points, whereas, the Spanish system awards every driver with 12 points, then takes them away as punishment for driving related offences. It would be sweet, however, if you already had nine British penalty points, and Spanish Plod came along and took the ning points off you, lol.

Allan Grieve

PETS

Dog-sitters for mature pets

DOG-SITTERS can play a vital role for elderly pets. This is Jonti ,he is 16 years old. Still fit and loves to walk around, but there are times when he needs to rest at home. Rather short sighted now and a little deaf, being able to stay at home where all is familiar is a great comfort to both Jonti and his owner.

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 house­sitting 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 HouseSit Match.com

2. Choose a Standard account (£69 per year) to ensure you can help online when needed

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

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

Forbidden pets

UNDER the new Animal Welfare Law in Spain there are certain animals that you soon won’t be able to keep at home as pets. In approximately four months this rule will be enforced.

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 housesitmatch.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 house-sitter? Get in touch. House-sitting can be a win-win for both parties, free house and pet-sitting, and the experienced and checked sitters get free accommodation! Register as either house-sitter or homeowner with a 20% discount using coupon code 20EWN - Reader exclusive offer. To find a house or pet-sitter go to www.HouseSitMatch.com.

In Spain one in every three households has a pet, Spanish households have 15 million pets compared to 6.6 million children under the age of 15.

These pets range from dogs and cats to rabbits and even Vietnamese pigs. But under this recently approved law things are about to change, as it lists the species ‘considered invasive’ and therefore should not be kept in the home.

The list includes some very popular pet choices. From the bird family, you are prohibited to have parrots, lovebirds, parakeets, and species from other countries. Exotic

VETERINARIANS have warned of an increase in Leishmaniasis in dogs, a disease that is caused by the bite of a sandfly or mosquito that has been infected by a parasite. In Spain, Canine Leishmaniasis is endemic, ‘with an average prevalence of 15 per cent although it affects one in two dogs in some areas such as the Mediterranean basin.’

More care should be taken during the summer as the disease is more prevalent in high temperatures and humid conditions. Unfortunately, there is no cure for the disease but the treatment will control all the symptoms and your dog will be comfortable.

There are two types of Canine Leishmaniasis, one type is cutaneous and the symptoms you will notice are exaggerated nail growth, and hair loss more specifically around the nose, eyes, and ears. You may also notice reddened areas on the skin, brittle dry fur, or even ulcers. The other type is visceral and its symptoms are sudden weight loss, loss of appetite, fever, decrease in muscle mass, and abdominal swelling. For both types, they may also have conjunctivitis, a

reptiles that you can no longer keep include snakes, iguanas, lizards, chameleons, or geckos. Rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, mice, and hamsters are also banned.

Turtles as they are considered a vulnerable species can no longer be pets. Spiders are also on the list as they are considered dangerous as they can carry diseases that are very dangerous to humans. Vietnamese pigs and

hedgehogs have also been named and cannot be kept at home as pets either.

But don’t worry if you have one of these ‘prohibited pets’ the government doesn’t plan to round up all of our beloved pets.

You will just have to contact your local environmental authority to inform them and they will issue an authorisation that will allow you to keep them as pets.

Pet alert

runny nose, and coughing and diarrhoea.

Tips to prevent your dog from catching this disease: avoid walks in the evening when these insects usually manifest, mosquito repellents for dogs will also help, a product called Leishguard stimulates your dog’s immunity and so helps prevent the disease and there is also a Leishmaniasis vaccine but it is not 100 per cent effective. As always for more information or if you are worried have a chat with your vet.

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Some popular pets have been banned.

Meet Jonti - He has dog-sitters care for him at home.

Photo credit: Flickr/Gioser_Chivas

LEISHMANIASIS: This disease is endemic in Spain.

Photo credit: Pixabay/isakarakus

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SAILING MAR MENOR took to the waters again at the weekend and they had the ‘best sail for ages’. A competitor of the SAMM team sent us his take on the race.

‘First race anti ­ clockwise, wind SSW at 4.5 knots. First mark 90 degrees to the left of the start gate so everyone trying to get to the port side of the gate. Ginetta on my starboard side and Tres coming in on my port between me and the port start buoy.

‘We crossed together very tight! Tres took my wind and set off for the first buoy but I caught him, overtook him on his windward side.’

‘Second race clockwise due to the wind shift during race 1. I sat back hove to about two metres from the start line which put me in a good position to cross the line first, and off to buoy one, with the other six boats hard on my heels as they had all started within 37 seconds of the gun.

‘The wind was stronger at up to

11 knots at times and waves really got up. Being slapped hard and drenched by waves. I led to the first buoy and decided to sail on a little before turning towards buoy two.

‘I didn’t go far enough and I was dropping below buoy.

‘Other boats behind saw it and sailed on further in an attempt to get a clear run to the buoy. I had to tack up to buoy so lost ground.’

Results

First race: Ginetta 367 secs, Vision + 5 secs, Uno + 16 secs, Radi­

Sailing Mar Menor UCAM go again

al 6 secs, Cuatro + 5 secs, Tres + 15 secs, Dos + 3 secs

Second race: Ginetta 336 secs, Uno + 4 secs, Cuatro + 9 secs, Vision + 5 secs, Dos + 3 secs, Radial + 28 secs, Tres + 26 secs

Fighting for Paris

THE young boxer from the Virgen de la Caridad area of Cartagena has been called up to the Spanish National Boxing Team as part of the team that will fight to go to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. In order to confirm their place in Paris the Spanish team will take part in the qualifiers to be held from June 20 at the European Games in Krakov, Poland.

The young boxer said “I’m on cloud nine since I received the news that I have been selected for the European Games, we are going for everything, to fight for those games in Paris 2024, eternally grateful.”

ENGLAND captain Harry Kane is Real Madrid’s top target in the hunt to replace departing Karim Benzema. The news was reported on Monday June 5, by Guillem Balligue, Spanish football writer for the BBC.

La Unión promoted

FOOTBALL CLUB LA UNIÓN ATLÉTICO from the mining town of La Unión in Cartagena has been promoted from the Tercera RFEF to the Segunda RFEF. The club founded in 2018 travelled to Asturias to face L’Entregu in the second leg of the final round of playoffs after a draw at home the weekend previous. La Unión defeated Lorca Deportiva and Racing Murcia in the Group 13 playoffs to reach the promotion playoffs.

It was a goalless first half where La Unión worked hard to close down L’Entregu preventing them from using their home advantage to get on top. The second half was dominated by La Unión and it seemed more like when not if they would get a goal. In the 75th minute midfielder, Sergio Jimenez scored and put La Unión ahead and in the 81st minute L’Entregu midfielder Kike Fanjul got sent off for a second yellow card making the win even more likely for La Unión. In the 88th minute 41­year­old forward Juan Carlos Rodriguez Belencoso netted to make it 2­0 for the away team securing promotion to the Segunda RFEF.

Kane tops Real Madrid’s wish list

big pity for Kane.

CF drew at home in the BeSoccer stadium in the promotion play­offs against Atletico Madrid B. The home team got off to a flying start when UCAM forward Pito Camacho scored in the 23rd minute.

After the goal, Atletico Madrid stepped it up, and in the second half, they came out fighting scoring in the 59th minute to make it level. UCAM managed to get forward on a few occasions in the second half, but unfortunately could not find the winning goal.

UCAM will travel to Madrid for the second leg where they will continue their fight for promotion to the Primera RFEF.

Kane tops a list which contains Victor Osimhen (Napoli), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan), Kai Havertz (Chelsea) and Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus) and he is known to be very highly regarded by the Spanish club. Daniel Levy at Tottenham could scupper this though as he looks for in excess of £100 million.

With big names like Benzema and Eden Hazard leaving this summer Real Madrid should have some big money to play with but should Levy price Madrid out it would be a

With Harry Kane’s reputation of being a goal scorer of the highest level, as well as a leader on the pitch, his trophy cabinet is severely lacking and many hope that Kane is able to take the plunge and go with a club that can offer this, especially as Spurs won’t be playing Champions League football next season.

A news source reported that Tottenham have told Manchester United that Kane is not for sale, but these are the tactics we expect to see in transfer season and we know that no deal is off the table until the window is closed.

Kane’s loyalty to Spurs has been

incredible and he has accumulated 213 Premier League goals in his career. A move away from the Premier League might hamper his chances of surpassing Alan Shearer’s record of 260.

But records are records and certainly a cherry on top for footballers who aspire to greatness, but Kane currently has little cake for his toppings and will no doubt be craving for a top­flight title, a serious shot at a Champions League trophy or even a domestic cup.

It feels like it is time for him to move towards silverware, but with one more campaign left on his contract at Spurs, nothing is definite.

UCAM MURCIA

La Unión dominated the second half.

Photo credit: FC La Unión Twitter Account

Young boxer on cloud nine.

SAMM took to the waters again.

Photo credit: Terry Chapman SAMM

UCAM got off to a flying start.

The winners on the day.