Mallorca 12 – 18 October 2023 Issue 1997 by Euro Weekly News Media S.A.

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STORIES IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION 12 - 18 October 2023

Charity Race Day J OY R O N F O U N DA TION, in collaboration with its sponsors, is hosting a thrilling Go Kart Racing event and Family Fun Day at the Magaluf Go Karting Race Track on Sunday, October 15. The event promises a day of excitement from 10.00am to 6.00pm for racing en thusiasts and a fami l y f r i e n d l y a t m o sphere from 11.00am to 5.00pm. Visitors can look forward to children’s entertainment, music from three different DJs, topnotch food catering, a drinks bar, and a chance to win raffle prizes. Admission is free for nongokarters! All net proceeds will benefit the JoyRon Foundation, dedicat ed to aiding Children in Need in the Baleares. Since its in ception in August 2015, the foundation has been a beacon of hope for children fac ing violence, abuse, exploitation, hunger, p o v e r t y , a n d l i f e threatening illness, i n t h e B a l e a r i c I s lands. Join in, have fun, and support a noble cause. Credit: Kart Magaluf

Outstanding kart track.

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PET PANIC

Credit: photo by jaja/Shutterstock.com

Issue No. 1997

PET OWNERS: Are concerned over the new Animal Welfare Law.

THE recent enforcement of the Animal Welfare Law, backed by Unidas Podemos and supported by PSOE, ERC, Bildu, and CUP, has sparked widespread con cern among pet owners in the Balearic Islands. Since its introduction on September 29, pet surren ders to shelters have surged by a staggering 90 per cent. Mariano Xavier, the director of the Domestic Animal Pro tection Centre of the Natura Parc Foundation, remarked, “We have gone from receiv ing one or two animal sur renders a month to 18 or 20.” Due to the law’s implica tions, many owners have felt compelled to relinquish their pets, fearing they lack the resources and time to comply. Xavier explained, “People are forced to give them up because they do

not have enough resources and time to keep them in accordance with the law.” He further added, “It is bet ter that they give up on them than that they aban don them on the street.” The law recognises pets as sentient beings, impos ing greater responsibilities on owners. Xavier stated, “Owners either accept hav ing the pet as a child or they will not want to have it.” Alarmingly, even chipped and vaccinated dogs are being abandoned. Natura Parc anticipates a

decline in adoptions, lead ing to potential shelter overcrowding and financial strain. “If you put restric tions on people who have dogs, those who don’t have one yet will give up having one,” warned Xavier. Notably, the law bans leaving pets unattended in public spaces, with fines up to €500 for infractions. It al so penalises leaving a dog alone for over 24 hours and other pets for three days. Abuse, abandonment, and euthanasia in shelters are strictly forbidden.

FREE • GRATIS

Last chance UNTIL Saturday, October 14, Palma’s freelancers and small businesses can apply for PalmaActiva’s new grants, offering up to €6,000 for hiring unemployed individuals. With a €300,000 budget, this initiative aims to boost indefinite em ployment in Mallorca’s capital. The grants, funded by Palma City Council, are part of the PalmaActiva 2023 Strategic Grant Plan. Lupe Ferrer, councillor for Economy and Commerce, stat ed, “They have been introduced because indefinite hiring is key to stable work and vital for our city’s economic growth; the private sector is the primary job creator.” Beneficiaries in clude entities with a tax domicile in Palma, engaging in eco nomic activities during the first half of 2023, and meeting spe cific criteria. The maximum subsidy per application is €6,000.

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MALLORCA’S Cultural Cen tre la Misericordia is set to host a captivating exhibition titled ‘Pencil, eraser and su perheroes’, showcasing the illustrious works of comic artist Paco Diaz. This solo ex hibition, a first for Diaz in Mallorca, will run from Octo ber 11 to November 18. Antonia Roca, VicePresi dent of the Council of Mal lorca and Minister of Culture and Heritage remarked, “The exhibition is focused on

the author’s latest works with all the characters of the Marvel Universe, well known both to comic book fans and those of superhero movies.” The exhibition promises a deep dive into Di az’s creative process, from initial character drafts to the final page. With around 60 original comicbook pages on display, visitors can truly appreciate Diaz’s mastery of the pencil. Adding to the allure, the

ON World Mental Health Day (October 10) Son Llatzer University Hospital in Mallorca hosted a pivotal conference ti tled ‘Silent pandemic, digital mind: bal ance in the ICT era’. The event, inaugu rated by key figures including Dr Alicia Gonzalez and Soledad Gallardo, aimed to promote a healthier relationship with technology. Gisela Lopez highlighted the ‘danger of ICT in addictions’, while Ange les Duran discussed the media’s respon sibility regarding mental health. Dr Vir gilio Traid emphasised the importance of introspection, stating, “First of all, you need to start by recognising reality...

exhibition will project the entire pagecreation process and feature an exclusive in terview crafted for the event. Guided tours led by both the author and the cu rator are also on the agenda, offering fans and newcom ers alike a unique insight into the world of comic creation. The exhibition is open Monday to Friday, 10.30am to 1.30pm and 5 to 8pm and Saturdays from 10:30am to 1.30pm.

Digital balance “This reflection should invite us to consider how our interactions with tech nology impact our mental and emotional health.” The Day Hospital of Psychiatry unveiled their blog ‘Construint junts’, a pandemic initiative promoting selfcare. The day concluded with the ‘A look at my narrative’ exhibition by the Miro Foundation. Concurrently, charity charms named ‘Destigmatising mental health’ were sold, crafted by occupa tional therapy workshop users.

THE historic city of Palma, Mallorca, was bathed in a new light on October 5, marking a significant mile stone in its commitment to modernity while preserving its rich heritage. The grand unveiling of the new exterior lighting of the Cathedral was graced by Mayor Jaime Martínez Llabres, the esteemed Bish op of Mallorca, Monsignor Sebastia Taltavull, and the Cathedral’s Dean, Mr Teodor Suau. With an investment of €2,231,699, this ambitious lighting project has been a testament to the city’s ded ication to its landmarks. The municipality generous ly contributed €1,299,999, with the balance coming from Palma’s exterior light ing maintenance and con servation funds. The initia tive saw the replacement of eight traditional perime ter streetlights with cutting edge facade projectors. In total, 505 projectors have been strategically placed, with 298 embedded seam

Credit: Palma.cat

Marvellous exhibition Let there be light

PALMA CATHEDRAL: Has new exterior lighting.

lessly in the pavement that envelopes the iconic cathe dral and the Almudaina. The remaining 207 projec tors have found their homes on terraces, patios, archways, rooftops, and the picturesque locales of Ses Voltes and Dalt Mura da. The transition to LED technology is not merely an aesthetic upgrade. It en hances the architectural nuances of the cathedral, capturing and reflecting the genuine hue of the historic stone. What’s even more commendable is the pro ject’s environmental con sciousness. Despite the in

crease in the number of light points, the power con sumption has dramatically reduced from 87 to 52 kilo watts, translating to a near 40 per cent in savings. In a nod to community involvement, the project al so addresses the long standing request of local residents and associations. They had hoped to see uni form lighting enveloping both the cathedral’s sur roundings and the facade of the Almudaina. Their wishes have now been re alised, further cementing the bond between Palma’s history, its residents, and its future.

Perfect combination THE picturesque town of Porreres, nestled in the heart of Mallorca, is gearing up for a unique evening that promises to be a feast for both the eyes and the palate. The upcoming ‘Nit de l’Art’ event, scheduled for Saturday, October 14 and orchestrated by the Porreres Town Council, is an innova tive blend of art and wine a pairing that has been cele brated since antiquity.

Wine, often a muse for many an artist, has found its way into numerous iconic artworks. This year’s TAS TART edition offers visitors a chance to indulge in fine wines while immersing themselves in a diverse array of art forms, from painting, sculpture, urban art, and comics to photography, in stallations, and video perfor mances. The town will also resonate with melodies as

PALMA’S recent restriction, allowing only three cruise ships in its harbour at once, has sparked significant concern among lo cal businesses. Following the rule’s introduction, the city saw an 18 per cent drop in cruise visi tors. Eight leading business groups, in cluding pub and restaurant owners, shop keepers, and tour operators, voiced their apprehensions, stating, “Don’t demonise cruise ship passengers, it is family tourism with a high spending power.” Pedro Fiol, leader of the Aviba travel

various concerts unfold in dif ferent corners of Porreres. Noteworthy mentions in clude 3D sculptures by artist Josep Mesquida Sampol, ‘Sense Titol’ by Pep Guer rero showcased in the church of L’Hospitalet, and the ‘Prunus armeniaca’ col lection by the acclaimed Mallorcan jeweller Damia Mulet Vanrell, which pays homage to Porreres’ beloved apricot.

Cruise clash agency association, criticised the regula tions for lacking a solid foundation. While Palma’s 2020 commitment to the Cruise 2030 Call for Action pushes for sustain able tourism, local businesses fear the economic repercussions. Balancing envi ronmental concerns with economic inter ests remains a challenge, as global cities like Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Venice also grapple with cruise ship regulations.

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NIBS EXTRA Island history THE council of Mallorca showcases a 19thcentury school colonies exhibition at Misericordia Cultural Centre until November 27. Curated by Francisca Comas Rubí and Carlos Menguiano Rodriguez, it offers insights into Euro pean summer activities.

Ancient music CAIMARI’S 13th Internation al Ancient Music Festival runs until October 21. Supported by Mallorca Council, upcom ing concerts at Old Church feature Renaissance tunes and Bach. The concerts are on a reverse boxoffice ar rangement, spectators de cide what contribution they make after the concerts.

Budget boost THE Balearic Islands’ govern ment has announced it will increase the mental health budget from €3 million to €5 million, doubling funds for specific programmes and hir ing 48 new professionals. This comes amid rising men tal health concerns and sui cide rates postCovid.

Beach tragedy AN 84yearold German woman drowned at Playa de Palma, just before 11.00am on Tuesday, October 10. The incident highlights ongoing is sues with lifeguard service scheduling and complaints about insufficient lookout towers.

Terrace hours ON Monday, October 9, La Lonja restaurants in Palma were allowed to extend ter race hours until midnight on weekdays and 12:30am on holidays, following City Coun cil’s compliance with court rulings.

Netflix hit TWO Mallorcans, Ernest Ri era and Miguel Ruz, created the new Netflix sensation, ‘Nowhere’. The film, which charts the journey of a preg nant woman in a cargo con tainer, is now number one in 61 countries, and in the top 10 in 93 others.

12 - 18 October 2023

Mountain Film Fest THE 14th Palma Mountain Film Festival is back, promising 10 days of cine matic delights centred around the mountainous wonders. From October 16 to 25, the festival will show case 14 documentaries, a play, and various confer ences across five venues: Teatre Principal de Palma, Cine Ciutat, Xesc Forteza Municipal Theatre, Pollença Club, and La Salina Book store. Antonia Roca, VicePresi dent of the Council of Mal lorca and Minister of Cul ture and Heritage,

Credit: conselldemallorca.cat

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SCENE FROM FEATURE FILM: ‘Everything or Nothing’.

remarked on the festival’s expansion, ‘For the first time, activities are sched

Elderly boost THE Council of Mallorca has pledged a significant €560,000 investment in 2024 to promote sports and active living for the el derly. This initiative aims to benefit nearly 11,000 se nior citizens, reflecting the council’s commitment to a rapidly ageing demograph ic on the island. The funds will be chan nelled through town halls to offer a variety of activi ties tailored for the elderly, including functional train ing, walks, online sessions, ‘Paths of legend’, Latin sail ing, and more. Pedro Bestard, the sec

ond vicepresident and ad visor for the Environment, Rural Environment and Sports, stated, “these are activity programmes that complete the path of activ ity until adulthood, given the demand that existed.” He added, “We close the generational line, giving importance to older people in the circuit.” The programme, set to launch in midNovember, also includes two new ac tivity blocks: ‘Active out ings’ and ‘Activities in the environment’, targeting those aged 4060 and 60 and above.

uled outside Palma’. The festival’s director, Bar tomeu Tomas, highlighted

Natural phenomenon MALLORCA, renowned for its sun, sea, and sand, unveils its natural en chantment, especially during the autumn and winter months. Beyond the popular beaches, the island boasts unique nat ural spots, from the tow ering Sierra Tramuntana to secluded beaches and coves. Nature often springs surprises, with phenomena exclusive to Mallorca, particularly evi dent this season. One such marvel is ‘The Fonts Ufanes’. Nestled within a forest near Campanet, at the

Road reform THE Council of Mallorca is set to ap prove a significant road reform pro ject between Algaida and Llucmajor. President Llorenc Galmes, alongside Minister of Territory, Mobility and In frastructures, Fernando Rubio, made the announcement in Algaida. The €15 million project aims to transform the old road between the two towns into a civic route for pedestrians and cyclists, enhancing safety on what’s been deemed a haz

the collaboration with Menorca Doc Fest and the introduction of a public prize worth €500. Docu mentaries hail from coun tries including the UK, Canada, and the US. Notably, this year’s festi val emphasises literature’s connection to the mountain. It will also delve into the re lationship between commu nication, journalism, and mountain culture. Special guests include Miquel Rayo Kris Annapurna and Eduard Moya, doctor of literature, translator and En glish language teacher.

ardous stretch. “This project is an old demand of the residents, both of Al gaida and Llucmajor,” Galmes stated. He emphasised its importance for students travelling to Llucmajor high school and for local commuters. The revamped road will expand from 5.5 metres to seven, with broader roadsides to ensure safer cy cling. The project’s approval is ex pected in the Executive Council meet ing on October 11.

base of the Serra de Tra muntana, a captivating spectacle unfolds. After days of heavy rain, vast amounts of wa ter burst from the ground, and the bubbling water makes its way through the trees. While it might seem like a scene from a mythical tale, there’s a logical reason. When the local aquifer, which collects the rain, overflows, the Fonts Ufanes emerge sponta neously. This spot offers a pic turesque excursion, whatever the weather

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Bullfighting PALMA’S cultural scene is undergoing a shift. Last week, the Vox municipal group in Palma City Council overturned a 2015 agreement that de clared Palma an anti bullfighting city. This agreement was initiated by a leftwing pact including PSOE, Podemos, and Mes. Vox claims this deci sion upholds the Con stitution, referencing the Constitutional Court and Law 18/2013, which recog nises bullfighting as cultural. They’re also pushing for changes in regional laws, urging the Balearic Government to modify law 9/2017, specifically its article 12, which currently stops children attend ing bullfighting events. Furthermore, Vox wants bullfighting to be acknowledged as part of Palma’s Intan gible Cultural Heritage. This move aligns with the government agreement between PP and Vox. Vox highlights bull fighting’s historical sig nificance in the Balearic Islands, em phasising its deep rooted tradition in Pal ma’s summer culture.

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12 - 18 October 2023

THE Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment for the Balearic Islands unveiled details of the impending State Law for the Protection of the Rights and Welfare of Animals, which became effective from Friday, September 29. This law, 7/2023 focuses on companion and captive wild animals, excluding farm animals, laboratory animals, free wild animals, and specific dogs like hunting and rescue dogs. Councillor Joan Simonet, alongside Fernando Fernandez, the general director of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development, stated: “Even if we do not agree

Credit: caib.es

New law alert

Joan Simonet and Fernando Fernandez.

with many of the points included, we must ensure their compliance.” Simonet pointed out the law’s urban bias: “The truth is that it is very difficult to apply in the reality of the rural environment and the primary sector.” He also

noted contradictions with the protection of biodiversity law. To assist residents, a dedicated section on the ministry’s website (www.caib.es/govern/sac/ fitxa.do?codi=5878466&co duo=1185&lang=ca) offers documents, a Q&A guide, and the law’s application schedule. Fernandez highlighted a key query: “One of the questions that generate the most concern has to do with whether or not it will be mandatory to take out civil liability insurance; the rule establishes that, in the case of keeping dogs and throughout the life of the animal, the owner must take out and maintain in force liability insurance for damage to third parties.”

THE ‘Autumn Jam Rally’, orchestrated by the Club’s newest committee member, Blanca Ramos, took place on a surprisingly warm Sunday, October 1. With temperatures soaring to 30 degrees Celsius, the day was nothing short of glorious. This was the Club’s first rally since July, and what a comeback it was! The event saw around 15 cars convening at Festival Park, Marratxi, including some fresh faces. A hearty welcome was extended to newest members, Andrew and Anne Dychkoff and Gerrit and Alexandra Boettcher. The 65km route was a visual treat, leading participants from Festival Park northwards through Bunyola, offering breathtak-

Autumn drive ing mountain views from Orient, past the Castell d’Alaro, and onto the Ma-2022. The journey continued on the Ma-13 to Santa Maria, and concluded on the Ma-3020, winding through Sencelles, Costix, and some quaint country lanes to Ermita de Llubi. This spot, just 1km from Llubi town, boasts the ‘Hermitage de Llubi’, a charming oratory built in 1986, and served as the perfect backdrop for an outdoor picnic. Classic Car Club Mallorca would like to give a massive shoutout to Blanca for ensuring a memorable day for all.

Project thumbs-up AFTER four years of delays, the Sant Llorenc bypass project, linked to the devastating 2018 floods that claimed 13 lives, has finally been given the green light. The announcement came from the president of the Consell de Mallorca, Llorenc Galmes, during a visit to Sant Llorenc, shortly before the fifth anniversary of the tragic event. Galmes stated, “since we arrived at the Consell del Consell government we knew that this work was a priority... We have done this by solving the

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problems with Recursos Hidrics and by getting the project processed, which, within the next year, will be put out to tender.” He criticised the ‘bureaucracy and slowness’ of the previous administration. The project, with a budget of around €5 million, aims to increase the hydraulic capacity of the existing drainage works at the Ses Planes torrent. The channels will be expanded, and modified to prevent it from acting as a water barrier, addressing the issues identified by the U I B’s research group.

PROVERB OF THE WEEK “There is no time like the present.” Meaning don’t wait to do something, do it now. The phrase originated in ancient English as advice to make the most of the present day and has been a popular phrase used all over the world ever since.

Dizzy heights THIS year, 2023, marks three decades since the world bid farewell to the legendary American trumpeter, Dizzy Gillespie, a titan in jazz history. To commemorate this, on Sunday, October 15, the third Cicle Jazz a Calvia will host a tribute in the form of a 17-piece Big Band, led by Antoni Miranda. Gillespie’s iconic compositions like ‘A Night in Tunisia’, ‘Manteca’, ‘Be-bop’, and ‘Con Alma’ have graced many a musical stage. This concert promises a fresh take on these classics, courtesy of guitarist and arranger Antoni Miranda. A familiar face at the Sa Pobla Jazz Festival, Miranda lends his unique touch to Gillespie’s masterpieces.

20th century produced great artists, Picasso and Dali.

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Credit: zixia/Shutterstock.com

New tough measures Mallorca tribute

British tourists in Magaluf.

IN a bid to improve the safety and conditions for both tourists and resi dents, authorities in Mallorca are set to implement tough new measures. On Monday, October 2, Mayor Juan Antonio Amengual of Calvia met with Marga Prohens, the President of the Balearic government, at the Consolat de la Mar. Their primary focus was the Law of Excesses, initially introduced to curb unruly behaviour in Magaluf and Playa de Palma, according to a news source. Amengual emphasised the need for a more comprehensive approach, stat ing, “It cannot be that it is applied on one side of the street and not on the opposite pavement.” He proposed that the law should be applied uni formly across the region, rather than being restricted to specific zones. The mayor also suggested renaming the law to ‘Responsible Tourism’ to reflect its broader intent. The current map, which demarcates areas where the decree is applicable, has been a point of contention. Amen gual has previously raised concerns

with the Department of Tourism, ad vocating for the map’s elimination. He believes that the law’s effectiveness is compromised when it's applied incon sistently across neighbouring areas. The efforts to enforce the decree have been commendable. “Thanks to our Local Police, the new plainclothes unit and the Guardia Civil, we have managed to close the high season with zero ‘balconing’, one of our great objectives,” Amengual proudly stated. This dangerous trend, where indi viduals jump from one hotel balcony to another, has been a significant con cern. The practice usually done by tourists under the influence of alcohol often results in serious injury and even death. While the Balearic government ac knowledges the need for changes to the Law of Excesses, specifics remain scant. However, with the recent dis cussions and the evident results from the current enforcement, a more uni form and comprehensive approach to promoting responsible tourism in Mal lorca seems imminent.

PALMA’S municipal the atres are gearing up for a diverse and qualityrich 20232024 season. The highlight of the season will be an emotional trib ute to Mallorcan comedi an Xesc Forteza, marking the 25th anniversary of his passing. Deputy mayor of Culture, Javier Bonet, un veiled the programme at the Teatre Xesc Forteza, stating that the season’s offerings are characterised

by their ‘seal of quality’. He emphasised the im portance of catering to a broad audience, noting that public theatres “must not only programme those works... oriented, only, to very specific seg ments of the demand.” The tribute to Forteza will feature one of his most acclaimed plays, ‘Ca ses Monges’, (literally ‘The Nun’s House’) from Febru ary 22 to March 3. Bonet

MALLORCA Palma Futsal, a leading name in Balearic sport, has taken a significant step to represent the entire Balearic community. The club will now be known as ‘Illes Balears Palma Futsal’. This change, celebrated by the government, ensures that all islands within the Balearic territory are represented, elevat ing the Balearic brand in the sporting world. This renaming will be publicly unveiled on Tuesday, October 17, at the chapel of the Consolat de Mar, the Balearic Government’s seat. The event promises a significant pres ence from the Balearic society. This decision follows a previous name change last year, MALLORCA’S most es teemed classic car event, ‘Mallorca Classic Week’, is set to dazzle enthusiasts from October 18 to 22 at the luxurious Steigenberg er Hotel & Resort Camp de Mar, Golf de Andratx. Originating in 2016 at Port Adriano, one of the Mediterranean’s premier Super Yacht Ports, the event shifted its venue in

also highlighted the signif icance of coproductions and the commitment to support local artists. The season will also see per formances from other ter ritories, including the mu sical ‘Una tienda en Paris’. Family shows will be a focal point, especially dur ing the festive season. The season will culminate with ‘Nua. Radiography of a disorder’, a social theatre piece by Ann Perello.

Balearic United where ‘Mallorca’ was added during their Eu ropean debut, a move that coincided with their European title win. For this season, ‘Illes Balears’ will feature in both the UEFA Futsal Champions League and the Intercontinental Cup, becoming perma nent from the next season. The club, with its deep ties to Mallorca, Menorca, and Ibiza, as pires to be ‘an example and help for all the clubs that bet on futsal in the Balearic Is lands’.

Elite gathering 2022 to the Son Vida Golf Club. This year, the club will host the inaugural Vin tage 1930’s Hickory Golf Club Challenge alongside the International Concours d’Elegance for classic cars. The traditional ‘Russel

Stevens Memorial Drive’ and ‘Crime Drive’ continue to be highlights, with a cap of 50 cars. The Hickory Golf Challenge will see a limit of 60 players, while the Con cours d’Elegance will show case 20 classic cars. As the island’s classic cars con verge for this grand occa sion, Mallorca once again proves its allure as a hub for luxury and tradition.

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12 - 18 October 2023

Palma Marathon Immersive experience THE Palma de Mallorca Marathon, an internation ally recognised event, is set to captivate the island once again on Sunday, October 15. Athletes, amateurs, and enthusiasts of all ages are gearing up to take their positions at the start ing line. Whether it’s the full marathon, half marathon, 10K, or the walking/Nordic walking events, there’s something for everyone. Participants will be treated to a picturesque route, showcasing Palma’s iconic landmarks includ ing the cathedral, the bay, and the charming old town.

Heavenly views STEP closer to the ‘heavens’ atop Palma’s iconic La Seu Cathedral. Until the end of October, visitors are invited to ascend over 200 steps, reaching the terraces of this stunning Mediterranean Gothic masterpiece by the sea. From this vantage point, one can marvel at the unparalleled views over the Bay of Palma and the city’s rooftops. During the ascent, don’t miss the cathedral’s im mense rose window, touted as ‘one of the largest in Europe’. A truly Mallorcan experience which is not to be missed.

PALMA’S Teatre Principal is set to host the critically acclaimed ‘A beginningexpanded ver sion’ today, Thursday, October 12. Fresh from its premiere at the Grec Festival in Barcelona in July, the show promises an immersive experience for its audience. In the darkness, the relation ship between sight, light and movement is brought into play, transforming the specta tor’s perception to the point where notions of space and time are suspended and the limits between the two worlds are blurred. The production, a collabora tion between Teatre Principal de Palma, Auditori de

Uncanny likeness DISCOVER the wonders of Mallorca’s coastline, from the iconic ‘Sa Foradada’ on the Deià peninsula, renowned for its distinctive hole visible from various vantage points in the Serra Tramuntana, especially the popular ‘Mirador de Son Marroig’ at sunset. Venture north and uncover the lesserknown ‘Forat de Mallorca’. This rock, with a hole only visible from the sea, astonishingly mirrors the is land’s shape. Legend says this marvel was formed during a 16thcentury pirate attack.

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Urgent appeal

PROMISING SHOW: The story of a beginning after an end.

Barcelona, and the Centre Coregraphique National d’Or leans (France), is supported by the Institut d’Estudis Balearics and others. The director of Culture of the Consell de Mallorca, Guillem Ginard, introduced the show, lauding its creators Au rora Bauza and Pere Jou. The

performance, which melds music, dance, and light, fea tures members of the Teatre Principal Youth Choir. ‘A beginningexpanded ver sion’ is the story of a beginning after an end. An intuition about an uncertain future and an invitation to a medium of the imagination.

Ancient witnesses IF Mallorca’s olive trees could speak, they’d recount the is land’s rich history, having weathered invasions, storms, and changing times. The most iconic is the over 600yearold tree gracing Plaza Cort, near Palma Town Hall. Yet, the ‘Millenary Olive Tree’ of Can Det in the Serra Tramuntana outdates it, believed to be over 1,100 years old. Recognised as the ‘Best Monumental Olive Tree in Spain’ in 2020 by the Spanish As sociation of Olive Municipalities (AEMO), it’s thought to have been planted by Muslims in the ninth century. Impressively, its olives are still harvested annually for Can Det olive oil.

Clear Mallorcan skies MALLORCA proudly unveils its first Starlight Star Park, a haven for stargazers. Nestled near Llucmajor, the centre is not just about observation; it offers educational and cultural activities during significant ‘astronomical events’ like moon and sun eclipses. Upcoming meteor showers visible include: The Orionids on October 21 and 22; the Leonids on Novem ber 17 and 18; and the Geminids on December 13 to 15.

Sad news for dogs.

THE Noah’s Ark Founda tion in Andratx, managed by Helga Knies, has an nounced its unfortunate closure by the end of this year. The foundation’s leader shared on social media, ‘Dear friends, it is very sad, but circum stances force us to close the Noah’s Ark Andratx Foundation animal shelter on December 31, 2023’. This heartwrenching decision, driven by issues such as lack of staff and un guaranteed care for the an imals, leaves 250 cats and 28 dogs urgently needing homes. Knies is calling on the Mallorca community and beyond, especially reaching out to Germany, to adopt these animals. She directs potential adopters to the founda tion’s website, www.tier hilfemallorca.de, under the ‘Our animals. Dogs’ tab. The foundation, a bea con of hope for over 34 years, is at Calle Pedro Seri ol 20 in Andratx, open daily from 11.00am to 1.00pm.

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Estate planning for UK nationals in Spain It is important for UK nationals to review their estate planning and wills once they are living in Spain. You need to consider the impact of Spanish succession law and succession tax, as well as UK inheritance which continues to catch many British expatriates. Don’t risk leaving it too late, or your estate may not be distributed as you wished and your heirs may pay more tax than they need have. Wills If you live in Spain, it is advisable to make a Spanish will to deal with your Spanish assets. It is much easier, quicker and cheaper to wind up an estate using a local will, rather than one established in another country. If you still have assets in the UK, you can have a will for each country. Spanish succession law Spanish succession law imposes ‘forced heirship’ rules. In general terms, children are entitled to re-

Brussels IV applies to all foreign nationals living in an EU country, it is not restricted to EU citizens. Brussels IV only relates to succession law. You cannot use it to opt for UK inheritance tax instead of Spanish succession tax.

By Cathal Rochford, Partner, Blevins Franks

ceive two thirds of an estate’s assets – you cannot leave everything to your spouse. This Spanish law will apply to foreign nationals living in Spain by default. You can however use the European Succession Regulation, ‘Brussels IV’, to opt for the succession law of your country of nationality to apply on your death instead. You must specifically state this in your will.

Spanish inheritance tax Spanish succession and gift tax is due if the asset being inherited or gifted is located in Spain or if the recipient is resident in Spain. The tax is paid by each recipient and tax rate varies depending on the kinship, with no blanket spouse to spouse exemption. State tax rates start at 7.65% and rise to 34%. Multipliers based on the familial relationship and beneficiary’s net worth can take tax rates much higher. There are some reductions and allowances but at state level they are low. The 95% reduction against the inherited value of the main home is limited to spouses or descendants who keep the property for 10 years and capped

at €122,606 per inheritor. However, the autonomous communities can adjust the tax rates, allowances and reductions to make them more beneficial for residents. Here in the Balearics, since July this year spouses, children and parents no longer have to pay any succession tax. UK inheritance tax Many British expatriates remain liable to UK inheritance tax since it is based on domicile rather than residence. Your estate could be liable to both UK and Spanish inheritance taxes, but a credit is given in Spain for the tax paid in the UK. Depending on your circumstances and intentions, it may be possible to adopt a domicile of choice in Spain. This is a complex, specialist area. Estate planning for UK nationals in Spain Start by establishing your estate planning goals: Who would you

like to benefit from your estate? Do you want to control how and when they receive their inheritance? How quickly would they need the money? How can you make the inheritance process easy and cost-effective for them? Then seek specialist cross-border estate planning advice on how you can achieve your wishes while as keeping inheritance taxes as low as possible. With careful planning, you can get peace of mind that you have the most suitable approach in place. Tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any statements concerning taxation are based upon our understanding of current taxation laws and practices which are subject to change. Tax information has been summarised; an individual is advised to seek personalised advice. Keep up to date on the financial issues that may affect you on the Blevins Franks news page at www.blevinsfranks.com.

10 EWN 12 - 18 October 2023

euroweeklynews.com

WE live on a farm out side a small market town in northern Spain, and we’ve gone through the crucible of meeting and integrating into the com munity. It is a longer process than you would think in such a small community, but life runs at a pace here that is very differ ent than where we are from. And besides, most of our neighbours have known each other for generations. The benefit of being a newcomer is that we have no history. None of the local feuds are our feuds. And, as a result, the ice began to melt. My neighbour comes over and sits on the porch in the evening. She whispers the local gossip in my ear and gives me the lay of the

FEATURE

Fitting in land. Who is doing what they shouldn’t. And those who are going through a rough time. Neighbours who have given up farming and whose farms might be up for sale soon. Or those starting new busi nesses and how much they’re spending. It seems everyone is in each other’s pockets and knows everyone’s busi ness. I feel sure they know ours, too. The other day I went to the hardware store. The man there met me in the aisle of drawers filled with screws and nuts and bolts. Things like that. I was looking

for something specific Jeff had sent me for, and I was reading the tags carefully and trying to ensure I returned with what was needed for our project. Without hesitation, he reached into the right bin and extracted the screws, telling me that he knows the project we are working on, and this is what we need. I was dumbfounded. I have never spoken to this man about our project. And while perhaps I should be freaked out, instead it made me smile. Because now I know they treat us like locals.

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)

FINANCE Sail away THE Barclay family, which owes approximately £1 billion (€1.15 billion), is currently fighting to retain the Telegraph newspa per group, due to be auctioned this month. They are now sell ing the 60metre Lady Beatrice superyacht, which has a crew of 17 and costs a monthly €3.14 million to run, for €22 million.

High and low STATISTICS from Spain’s tax au thority Hacienda, once again revealed the prosperous leafy problem of Pozuelo de Alarcon as the country’s most affluent municipality with an average per capita gross income of €80,244. Least welloff was Higuera de Vargas (Badajoz) where each inhabitant had a per head income of €12,737.

Try again POUNDLAND, which bought 71 of Wilko’s 398 stores from ad ministrators PwC, offered jobs to more than 200 of its exem ployees. Although staff trans fers were not included in the deal, Poundland said Wilko ap plicants would be first in line for jobs in the new shops oper ating under its own brand.

Settle up THE Upper Court of Catalonia (TSJC) ordered regional govern ment, the Generalitat, to pay €80.9 million plus interest for improvements that Spain’s state railway operator Renfe carried out for the region’s sub urban train network between 2016 and 2019. Generalitat sources announced that they would appeal against the ruling.

Home and dry SHARES in the Superdry cloth ing company surged after the group revealed plans to sell 76 per cent of its intellectual prop erty assets in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to India’s largest retailer, Reliance Retail. Superdry expects gross cash proceeds of £30.4 million (€31.1 million) from the £40 million (€46.2 million) agree ment.

euroweeklynews.com • 12 - 18 October 2023

STAT OF WEEK

€94 billion

in additional credits in loans and transfers confirmed by the European Commission for Spain, with the proviso that it complies with the agreed timetable and objectives.

John Lewis exit

SHARON WHITE, executive chair of the John Lewis Part nership, will step down in February 2025 when her fiveyear term ends. Her predecessors re mained at John Lewis for stints lasting between 13 and 26 years, making White the retailer’s short estserving chair. It is under stood that she will not re ceive a payoff from the £1.1 million (€1.27 million) a year post. The Partnership lost £234 million (€270.34 million) last year and in March, staff who are partners as well as employees, had to forego their annual bonus for only

the second time since the scheme was introduced in 1953. On announcing her exit, White also requested a re view of the chair’s account abilities to ensure conti nuity in the business’s ‘successful’ transforma tion. The Partnership is making progress in its modernisation and transformation with im proving results,” she said. “There is a long road ahead and I am committed to handing on the strongest possible Partnership to my suc cessor.”

EMPLOYEES at the Big Four consul tancies have worked ‘marathon hours’ in Spain. A Ministry of Labour investigation into practices and working condi tions at Deloitte, Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC), Ernst and Young (EY) and KPMG, which began in Novem ber 2022 resulted in fines totalling a minimum of €1.4 million. Officials probed whether employ ees worked longer hours than records showed, as none of the companies had the clocking on and clocking off facilities that are legally required since 2019. Twelvehour working days were usual at PwC in Madrid, former em ployee Sergio Padilla told Euronews.

According to retail ana lyst Neil Saunders from GlobalDataRetail, Sharon White had

Photo credit: Retail Week

BUSINESS EXTRA

SHARON WHITE: No second term for John Lewis chair.

never been the right person to chair John Lewis, which also owns Waitrose. “She didn’t cause all of the issues the company faces, but she’s also done much damage,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter). This included a plan to sell a stake in the com pany to raise more than £1 billion (€1.15 billion) which would have flown in the face of the traditional staff partnership. The plan was dropped after Stone won a vote of confidence by a narrow margin during the staff council’s twiceyear ly meeting in May.

Big Four’s big demands Photo credit: CC/Luis Rogelio HM

MADRID: PwC consultancy located in the capital’s business district.

Padilla a fictitious name to protect his identity was expected to work from 9am until 9pm although he re garded this as normal as his col leagues were in the same situation. The consultancy sector in Spain

suffers from “major workforce fa tigue,” according to Raul de la Torre, an official from the Comisiones Obr eras (CCOO) trade union. Some months ago, companies had attempted to impose contractual agreements to work up to 12 hours a day from Monday to Saturday, without any additional compensa tion. Working conditions had worsened since 2008 although companies have reported record profits, with the Big Four making €2.5 billion during 2021 according to the financial daily, Ex pansion.

Not so cheap

All together now

Wine scam claims

OPTING for organic products does not come cheap in Spain. A survey by the Financial Users Associacion (Asufin) revealed that a typical bas ket of everyday organic products bought in a super market costs €280.82 com pared with €141.17 for ordi nary items, an increase of 98.9 per cent. The study of 109 basic products was based on pur chases from Alcampo, Car refour, El Corte Ingles, Aldi and Lidl. Merdadona was excluded from the study as its offer is not considered ‘officially’ organic, based on the popular chain’s labelling system.

THE Daily Mail and Sun newspapers an nounced plans to combine their printing operations. Between them, Lord Rother mere’s Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) and Rupert Murdoch’s News UK own the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, the i newspapers, Times and Sunday Times. The jointventure will also print the Tele graph, Evening Standard and Financial Times, which closed down its presses in 2022, as well as Metro, plus publications for regional publisher Newsquest, New Scien tist and John Lewis. The move is likely to entail closing print ing sites at Thurrock (Essex) and Dinnington (near Sheffield). It also means that all na tional newspapers in the UK will now be controlled by two conglomerates. The second of these, Reach Newspapers, which owns the Mirror and Daily Express, also prints other titles, which include the Guardian.

BODEGA chiefs Felix Solis Yañez and Jose Garcia Carrion Jodan are both facing charges of misleading advertising, alleged fraud and false documentation. Solis and Garcia Carrion, who head bodegas that are household names, have been called to testify under caution before the National High Court judge Jose Luis Calama in Madrid on December 4. Their wineries are suspected of marketing Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva wines which did not meet requirements regarding the necessary ageing period or the time spent in oak barrels or in the bot tle. The winecertifying bodies Sohis cert and Liec Agroalimentaria are also under scrutiny for having “nec essarily” cooperated in the fraud.

Cutting costs

TELEFONICA has announced plans to close 108 properties belonging to its Operations division, respon sible for the company’s fibre optic and 5G programme. “This initiative affects lowoccu pancy buildings with 15 or fewer employees, who will now relo cate to offices in their provincial capitals,” Telefonica explained, re vealing reskilling plans enabling staff to obtain new qualifications. Closing the properties, sched uled for 2023 and 2024, will en able the company to make sav ings on energy, security and insurance costs, together with up keep. This could also pave the way for selling the buildings at a later date, as Telefonica has al ready done with its old ex changes.

Rail takeover THE Competition and Markets Au thority (CMA) approved Hitachi’s proposed £1.5 billion (€1.73 billion) takeover of Thales’ rail infrastruc ture. It gave the goahead after the Japanese multinational agreed to sell off its mainline signalling busi nesses in the UK, France and Ger many. Describing the takeover as an “effective and proportionate remedy” the CMA said offloading some of Hitachi’s rail assets safe guarded competition and guaran teed the merger would not nega tively affect clients like Network Rail. It also cautioned it would need to approve the buyers of Hitachi’s businesses while the company’s principal customers should agree to transferring the signalling contracts.

Boohoo not too happy ONLINE fast fashion specialist Boohoo predicts that annual sales will tumble by between 12 and 17 per cent. The retailer, which foresaw sales dipping 5 per cent, said they fell more than expected this year owing to strong competi tion from Shein, its Chinese rival, coupled to a resurgence of high street shopping. Sales fell 17 per cent to £729 million (€842.7 million) in the six months to August 31, putting the company £11 million (€12.7 mil lion) deeper into debt than the previous year, with losses of £26.4 million (€30.5 million).

FINANCE

14 EWN 12 - 18 October 2023

euroweeklynews.com

LONDON - FTSE 100

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MONEY WITH US See our advert on previous page

CLOSING PRICES 9 OCTOBER

PRICE(P)

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

NET VOL

6.040,0

5.938,0

39,49K

1.364,00

1.336,00

21,51K

PRICE(P)

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

3I Group

2.005,00

2.025,00

1.995,50

57,21K

InterContinental

5.958,8

Abrdn

155,45

157,35

154,75

470,63K

Intermediate Capital

1.350,00

Admiral Group

2.364,0

2.385,0

2.355,0

10,14K

Intertek

4.131,9

4.152,0

4.119,0

2,81K

Anglo American

2.119,2

2.156,0

2.122,0

96,37K

ITV

66,74

68,50

66,56

169,57K

Antofagasta

1.366,59

1.393,00

1.367,50

28,24K

J Sainsbury

250,90

254,00

249,20

127,70K

Ashtead Group

4.827,0

4.872,0

4.816,0

23,14K

Johnson Matthey

1.542,0

1.550,0

1.530,0

8,51K

Associated British Foods

1.946,5

1.979,0

1.939,5

74,36K

Land Securities

585,00

587,20

578,40

44,51K

AstraZeneca

10.906,0

10.930,0

10.866,0

31,73K

Legal & General

215,10

216,20

214,10

754,90K

49,97K

Lloyds Banking

42,33

42,59

42,19

4,23M

8.144,0

8.228,0

8.138,0

16,67K

Auto Trader Group Plc

630,78

634,00

622,40

NET VOL

COMPANY

1.15676

0.86872

Units per €

US dollar (USD) ........................................1.0528 Japan yen (JPY)........................................157.47 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................0.9598 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4569 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................11.506

407,60

401,20

1,33M

London Stock Exchange

B&M European Value Retail SA572,20

580,20

567,40

90,68K

Melrose Industries

452,52

454,70

445,40

132,51K

currenciesdirect.com/mallorca • Tel: +34 687 906 226

BAE Systems

1.026,00

1.032,00

1.001,00

570,45K

Mondi

1.365,50

1.372,00

1.359,50

35,99K

THE ABOVE TABLE USES THE CURRENT INTERBANK EXCHANGE RATES, WHICH AREN’T REPRESENTATIVE OF THE RATE WE OFFER

Barclays

153,00

153,72

152,28

3,27M

National Grid

949,20

951,20

939,80

397,57K

Barratt Developments

424,20

428,10

422,10

59,36K

NatWest Group

222,70

223,60

221,30

402,20K

7.000,0

7.160,0

6.996,0

16,02K 77,61K

Aviva

401,70

Berkeley

4.094,0

4.122,0

4.086,0

12,93K

BHP Group Ltd

2.281,00

2.310,50

2.277,50

57,47K

Ocado

555,20

571,40

552,40

515,80

523,50

514,00

3,63M

Persimmon

1.040,0

1.047,0

1.036,5

53,87K

106,26K

Phoenix

465,00

469,10

461,10

193,77K

Prudential

857,20

870,20

855,80

177,91K 32,03K

British American Tobacco 2.478,0

2.492,5

2.475,5

British Land Company

312,70

319,00

310,90

22,51K

BT Group

113,65

114,00

113,25

404,36K

Bunzl

2.939,0

2.960,0

2.929,0

10,30K

Burberry Group

1.801,5

1.829,5

1.800,0

48,33K

Carnival

934,2

944,4

928,6

56,88K

Centrica

152,30

152,65

151,35

358,91K

Coca Cola HBC AG

2.121,0

2.125,0

2.107,0

18,66K

Compass

2.039,00

2.044,00

2.035,00

83,59K

CRH

4.570,0

4.597,0

4.542,0

34,43K

Croda Intl

4.399,0

4.533,0

4.242,0

130,20K

DCC

4.522,0

4.538,0

4.467,0

2,09K

Diageo

3.054,5

3.066,5

3.044,0

123,65K

DS Smith

277,60

278,90

276,10

139,53K

EasyJet

425,66

434,50

416,20

625,39K

Experian

2.731,0

2.761,0

2.724,0

33,36K

Ferguson

13.180,0

13.255,0

13.150,0

1,76K

Flutter Entertainment

13.115,0

13.210,0

13.095,0

11,80K

Fresnillo

534,80

537,00

529,00

162,18K

Glencore

443,35

448,35

442,35

1,48M

GSK plc

1.512,20

1.514,40

1.499,40

240,89K

Halma

1.963,5

1.981,5

1.958,5

31,94K

Hargreaves Lansdown

757,60

764,80

754,40

35,57K

Hikma Pharma

2.070,00

2.077,00

2.058,00

5,28K

HSBC

648,90

652,60

647,00

IAG

148,45

152,10

Imperial Brands

1.678,00

Informa

715,20

Reckitt Benckiser

5.750,0

5.764,0

5.714,0

Relx

2.855,00

2.875,00

2.853,00

81,92K

Rentokil

591,40

594,60

585,80

310,55K

Rightmove

574,00

579,60

572,40

41,72K

Rio Tinto PLC

4.899,0

5.000,0

4.885,0

194,40K

Rolls-Royce Holdings

207,50

208,20

205,20

1,76M

Sage

996,40

1.000,50

990,20

67,70K

Samsung Electronics DRC 1.219,00

1.224,00

1.219,00

1,09K

Schroders

390,9

393,7

388,7

44,04K

Scottish Mortgage

672,03

677,60

671,60

187,10K

Segro

712,40

716,00

709,20

38,48K

Severn Trent

2.334,0

2.339,0

2.306,0

14,29K

Shell

2.618,5

2.663,0

2.615,5

1,06M

Smith & Nephew

964,86

966,60

961,20

60,49K

Smiths Group

6,33K

1.629,00

1.637,50

1.624,50

Spirax-Sarco Engineering 9.390,0

9.404,0

9.226,0

6,84K

SSE

1.536,00

1.537,50

1.521,00

152,49K

St. James’s Place

799,80

801,20

794,40

26,49K

Standard Chartered

750,20

755,20

747,00

347,55K

Taylor Wimpey

114,20

115,00

113,55

571,28K

Tesco

276,98

279,60

276,60

386,37K

Tui

426,80

441,40

423,00

188,94K

Unilever

3.935,5

3.940,5

3.908,0

199,46K

1,78M

United Utilities

940,40

943,80

932,00

225,08K

147,35

4,52M

Vodafone Group PLC

75,03

75,34

74,65

2,37M

1.685,00

1.668,00

71,36K

Whitbread

3.289,0

3.316,0

3.283,0

15,34K

721,40

709,00

89,71K

WPP

719,00

728,40

717,80

63,42K

DOW JONES CLOSING PRICES 9 OCTOBER

COMPANY

PRICE

CHANGE

CHANGE% VOLUME(M)

3M American Express Amgen Apple Boeing Caterpillar Chevron Cisco Coca-Cola Dow Goldman Sachs Home Depot Honeywell IBM Intel J&J JPMorgan McDonald’s Merck&Co Microsoft Nike Procter&Gamble Salesforce Inc The Travelers UnitedHealth Verizon Visa A Walgreens Boots Walmart Walt Disney

88,40 149,32 267,47 177,49 187,38 266,04 162,23 53,45 53,14 50,28 312,48 292,82 184,66 142,03 36,19 157,64 145,10 248,22 103,88 327,26 97,11 144,09 207,36 162,95 524,81 30,85 235,04 21,81 156,41 82,94

89,21 150,35 268,59 177,99 188,64 268,42 164,37 53,74 53,29 50,92 315,32 294,54 185,30 142,94 36,46 158,30 145,88 250,82 104,43 329,19 97,71 144,55 208,27 164,27 525,95 31,00 236,59 22,08 158,99 83,53

86,33 4,46M 146,14 3,20M 262,23 2,66M 173,18 56,79M 182,55 5,17M 258,27 2,28M 158,99 10,12M 52,74 15,12M 51,55 30,25M 49,53 4,20M 307,17 1,58M 287,39 2,92M 179,70 3,68M 140,11 3,50M 35,18 32,55M 156,59 5,80M 142,14 10,16M 245,73 5,12M 102,92 6,85M 316,30 24,63M 95,06 8,43M 141,45 7,39M 199,89 4,90M 162,78 1,35M 515,98 3,53M 30,14 31,22M 232,75 6,40M 21,40 9,71M 151,65 14,18M 80,49 15,19M M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ CLOSING PRICES 9 OCTOBER

COMPANY Most Advanced The Navigator Company, S.A. Clearway Energy, Inc. Cytokinetics, Incorporated Clearway Energy, Inc. Pioneer Natural Resources Company PT Unilever Indonesia Tbk Symbotic Inc. NWTN Inc. Lyft, Inc. Savers Value Village, Inc. Getinge AB (publ)

CHANGE NET / %

VOLUME

+11.56% +11.50% +11.39% +10.82% +10.45% +10.13% +9.52% +8.65% +8.20% +7.73% +7.67%

43,596 538,651 2.581M 2.874M 11.222M 112,500 695,445 30,216 14.039M 853,551 31,692

-12.71% -9.80% -7.20% -7.17% -7.05% -7.00% -6.82% -5.99% -5.97% -5.80% -5.80%

78,750 52,720 2.631M 366,080 40,658 94,979 737,609 909,272 1.942M 41,052 3.418M

Most Declined Boralex Inc. Koninklijke Philips N.V. Koninklijke Philips N.V. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. CT Real Estate Investment Trust CD Projekt S.A. LCI Industries AMN Healthcare Services, Inc. Domino's Pizza, Inc. Telecom Italia S.p.A. Maravai LifeSciences Holdings, Inc.

‘

euroweeklynews.com

BUSINESS EXTRA Merger doubts BRITAIN’S Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said that Turkish multina tional Arçelik’s plans to pur chase Whirlpool could re strict the choice in washing machines, tumble dryers, dishwashers and cooking appliances throughout Eu rope. The merged compa ny would become the largest individual supplier of these items, worth more than £3.8 bn (€4.38 bn).

Digi wins ROMANIABASED tele coms company Digi added 469,000 new mobile phone customers between Jan uary and September this year, with another 125,000 opting for landlines. Tele fonica lost 234,000 cus tomers during this period, Orange lost 130,000 mo bile lines but added 9,000 landlines while Vodafone lost a total of 465,000 lines.

12 - 18 October 2023

Single-digit food inflation FOOD prices in the UK fell for the first time in more than two years. Food inflation slowed to 9.9 per cent in September, a sizeable drop from 11.5 per cent in August, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). “This is below the three month average rate of 11.4 per cent and is the fifth con secutive deceleration in the food category. Inflation is at its lowest since August 2022,” the consortium an

Photo credit: tescoplc.com

FINANCE

KEN MURPHY: Tesco tries to lower prices, chief executive said.

No HS2 fallout SPANISH multinationals are unaffected by Britain’s PM Rishi Sunak’s decision to cancel the northern leg of the HS2 high speed project. The North of England’s biggestever rail investment would have been Eu rope’s largest infrastructure project but, owing to government concerns regard ing the cost, HS2 will stop in Birming ham. Dragados, part of the ACS group, to

gether with the UK company Mace, won a €2 billion contract in February 2019 to build Euston’s sixplatform high speed terminus. Neither this, nor the €600 million con tract for another station in Birmingham allocated to DragadosMace in 2021, will be hit by the cancellation. Ferrovial, awarded €2.6 billion con tracts to build several HS2 sections, is similarly unaffected by Sunak’s decision.

nounced on October 3. Food prices dropped on the previous month for the first time since 2021 owing to “fierce competition” be tween retailers, the BRC’s chief executive Helen Dickin son said. Meanwhile, Tesco chief executive Ken Murphy told the BBC that the supermar ket chain, the UK’s biggest, tried to lower prices wher ever possible as customers contended with costofliv ing demands. Over the six months end ing in August, Tesco sales rose 8.4 per cent compared with the same period in 2022, largely due to in creased prices. Retail profits rose 13.5 per cent to £1.4 billion (€1.61 billion), as the retailer cut its own costs and attracted more customers. The chain has now fore cast annual profits of be tween £2.6 and £2.7 billion (€3 and €3.1 billion), up from its previous £2.5 billion (€2.9 billion).

EWN 15

Good job

BANCA MARCH, Takeda, Generali, GSK and Schnei der Electric were named as the five best companies to work for in Spain. A survey by workplace experts A Great Place to Work put the companies at the head of their 2023 rankings on the strength of their records for equality, training and talent search programmes, labour flexibility and employee care.

Charge sheet THE UK needs more me chanics qualified to repair and maintain electric ve hicles (EVs), Warranty wise chief executive Lawence Whittaker said. Despite extending the deadline ban on diesel and petrol vehicles “we don’t have the talent to look after the EVs of to day, and we’re not doing enough to prepare for the future regardless of whether that’s 2030 or 2035.”

16 EWN 12 - 18 October 2023

euroweeklynews.com

Personal experience

OUR VIEW

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT ONE of the interesting aspects of ageing is that your opinions have often been ar rived at through your own personal expe rience. Some, who disagree with your sentiments, have never actually borne past witness to the situations they dis pute and are reaching their assumptions merely through circumstances arising in the present. Unfortunately, many often retain very little knowledge of how they truly came about. Apartheid in South Africa was an episode I became very involved in during my early days in the world of pop. Consequently, when I broach this par ticular subject, my opinion is not based on a mind set of racism or antiblack sen timents, far from it. During that time I was utterly opposed to the state of affairs that had befallen the South African black population. When one day I was approached by a British theatrical agency, I simply couldn’t

wait to do what I could to further the ante apartheid cause. Equity, the per formers union felt the same. However they had decided to show their opinion by what I considered ‘fence sitting’ and merely banned all white artists from ap pearing in that country. To me this was a ludicrous decision; it meant that no mem ber of the population black or white could ever enjoy white entertainers in any capacity whatsoever. I was then informed that 60s pop icon Sandy Shaw felt the same way. I had been a fan of Sandy’s for years and felt very humble; comparing my own single chart success against the avalanche of great hits she had already delivered to her millions of fans. Her brilliant rendition of Puppet on a String had in fact won her the Eurovision song contest. The Equity Union had given instruc tions that any artist who went against their orders would subsequently be banned from performing, anywhere! We both decided with our managements to oppose their ruling. After a series of meetings they caved in. We agreed that we would only appear in venues pre pared to admit both black and white au

diences. Against all the opposition, many who were strongly against our anti apartheid views, the tour finally went ahead and what a success it was. Although the audiences were segregat ed and the black citizens were put in the cheapest seats, we had gained a great vic tory and even played an allblack prefab ricated venue in Soweto. The apartheid supporters had lost their racist battle and with Equity’s changed ruling, a whole host of British and European acts began to once more appear in that great, but sadly mistreated African country. So you see my adversary against the new regime of SA government policies and the aggression against its white in habitants is not a result of any racial ide als, but a reaction to the days when I and others took risks to help oust the white supremacist that once ruled the country. Frankly the precondition to witness the hostility against the white citizens and farmers being murdered for their land was not what we had in mind at all. No matter what colour they are. Keep the Faith Love Leapy. Leapylee2002@gmail.com

Leapy Lee’s opinions are his own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.

FEATURE

DEFIBRILLATORS SAVE LIVES

IT is estimated that every year more than 30,000 people die in Spain due to cardiac arrest (heart attacks). Councils across the country have over the years installed defibrillators in official buildings as well as municipal sports centres in order to try to help save lives. The defibrillator is basically a device designed to deliver an electric charge to the heart and hopefully allow it to start beating again normally. It is equipped with sensors that analyse the heart’s rhythm and indicate the right time to apply a charge and at what intensity. It is not particularly difficult to use one of these devices, but to really help save lives everyone should have prior training and this is clearly not possible. The good news however is that when a defibrillator has been installed in a council property, there will be someone who has been properly trained to use it. The drawback of course is that the victim of the heart at tack must be near to the site of the machine and also council offices tend to close relatively early in the day, al though airports, bus terminals, stations and large shopping centres, as well as pharmacies also possess them. In some cases, the defibrillator is automatically linked to 112 emergency services, but each Autonomous Communi ty has its own rules about use of the defibrillator with some deciding that it can only be used by a trained opera tor. Unlike the UK there doesn’t appear to be an online de fibrillator finder for Spain, so it’s best to contact your local council to ask for information on where its machines are located.

FEATURE

12 - 18 October 2023

euroweeklynews.com

ARE YOU FRUGAL OR FILTHY? wine was another, but we digress.) Through the 70s and 80s on a Sunday night, a pal would have a bath followed BREAKING VIEWS by her mum and dog and then the bath Nora is the author of popular psychological water was bailed out to water the gar suspense and crime thrillers and a freelance journalist. den. On a Wednesday night, it was the IS the costofliving driving us to share turn of her brother, dad, other dog and baths like in the long hot again bailed onto the gar summer (and extreme den. The first ecofamily? water shortage) of 1976? Companies keen to shift Soap manufacturer Cus their products have form sons claims eyewatering for reporting bogus trends. energy bills have led to Maybe inventing trends is doubledipping. How a trend. Maybe publishing does this idea wash with rubbish is also a trend. Ei you? ther way, spare a thought The UK has form here. for the homeless who’ll Boudica, Queen of the doubtless be thrilled to be Iceni, claimed the reason way ahead of this ‘soap her tribe could hold off dodging’ one! the invading Romans for Nora Johnson’s 12 criti so long was because, cally acclaimed psychologi whereas the Romans cal suspense crime thrillers used hot baths and were (www.norajohnson.net) NORA’S LATEST THRILLER. consequently ‘soft’ and all available online includ ‘flabby’, the Ancient Brits ing eBooks (€0.99; £0.99), just washed in the stream keeping them Apple Books, audiobooks, paperbacks at tough and hard. Amazon etc. Profits to Cudeca cancer (Drinking real ale, not poncy Roman charity.

NORA JOHNSON

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

EWN 17

Protecting your eyes while at work AS part of their support for World Sight Day (October 12), Specsavers Ópticas San ta Ponça are sharing their advice on how you can pro tect your eyes and your vi sion while you’re at work. Store director Martin Blake explained, “Taking care of your eyes is important to en sure good sight throughout your life, but many people don’t always think about their eye health, or how their work may be affecting their eyes every day. “Here are some things to think about to ensure you are looking after your eyes at work. “If you work outside, pro tect your eyes from the sun with sunglasses which offer 100 per cent UV protection against both UVA and UVB radiation. UV rays have been linked to cataracts and a host of eye problems. “If you work in an office, reduce eye strain by looking up from your screen every 20 minutes and look at

EYE TESTS: It’s very important to protect your eyesight.

something six metres away for at least 20 seconds to re lax the focusing muscles of your eyes and reduce eye fa tigue. Also try adjusting your workstation and reducing glare to make it more com fortable for your eyes. If you work in construc tion, gardening, or in condi tions which might lead to something going into the eye, it is vital to wear the ap propriate safety goggles for the task in hand. Common eye hazards to be aware of include gardening, handling

irritants, paint, solvents and chemicals, using power tools and pressure washers and joinery. Get your eyes tested ev ery two years from the age of three, as eye tests can identify sightrelated illness es such as glaucoma and cataracts, and could help to detect serious medical con ditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and brain tumours.” To request a free eye test or to find your nearest store visit www.specsavers.es.

Visit www.specsavers.es to find your nearest store and request an eye test.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPONSOR GO TO WWW.LINEADIRECTA.COM

20 EWN 12 - 18 October 2023

euroweeklynews.com

FEATURE

C OMMENTS

OMMUNITY

https://euroweeklynews.com/2023/10/05/brexit-factor-no-longer-puts-off-retirees/ WE recently published an article about Brexit and the fact that some British pensioners are apparently no longer put off from retiring to the Mediterranean including Spain, despite the 90/180 day or visa rule. It was based on research undertaken by an online estate agent and some readers have commented that they think it was an advert for that company, but we can confirm that all paid for articles are either marked sponsored or advertorial. As this was a positive survey which said that the Spanish market was still attractive to those retiring on British pensions (and don’t forget many people receive significant private pensions as well as the State pension) we believed it in order to summarise the content. Here are some of the comments that readers made:

“

No change, the 90/180 day rule still applies. People I know have sold or are selling, but this is a nice advert with a link to an estate agent with the hope of reviving the housing market. The main problem is proving you have an income of over €35k for two people to become a resident. Martin

“Just a few forms to fill in?????? What planet is he on?” Algoz

This doesn’t solve the problem of the 90/180 rule, be careful.

stay with the earnings rule, indeed the response I got was basically British F Off.. Despite owning a home and NEVER claiming a euro, but paid in over 200k. They were so unhelpful and gave us grief over all attempts to stay. Pete

In reply to Pete I can confirm to readers that this was not an advert, simply a report of the findings of that company. The good thing is that whilst the report was positive about Spain, the article is receiving comments which we are happy to post. It’s all about communication and sharing opinions. John Smith

Charles

Indeed ! The days of arriving in Spain with £500 and then disappearing within a caravan ‘off grid’ with an expired or lost passport, have gone. Thus only comparatively ‘well-to-do’ folk will now arrive for permanent stays. Robert Faraday

I agree with Martin. What is the point of surveying your own clients. They have already made up their minds to look for a property abroad. I own three properties in Spain, two of which are long term lets and one we use as a holiday home for our family. For what it costs and will cost in the future, we could have had some great monthly rents in many different countries. If you are going to live in another country, find out all the ongoing costs and what you will need to know about medical care as you get into later years. Most go back home. Chris

In reply to Martin Yep you’re right, it’s a big sales advert. I returned from Spain as they made it so hard to

In reply to Pete Having your own home should have helped Pete, as you would not need to find rent. Apart from such an income required, if you are not of retirement age you would also have to pay for private medical insurance until you are a pensioner, which is not cheap if you are in your 60s. Have you thought about trying Portugal? That’s where people with a lower income are heading now. You only need to show an income of €12,690 per couple. Here is some info to compare both countries. Two UK state pensions are not enough for Spain. https://iasservices.org.uk/proof-of-in come-for-spanish-residency/ https://www.atlys.com/country/portugal/ national-type-d-7-visa The days of doing little jobs for cash to pay the rent in your caravan are over sadly. Back to the UK with cap in hand because you can’t stay under the radar forever. Overstay 90 days and they can refuse to let you back in in the future. Sad times. Martin

Comments should be emailed to yoursay@euroweeklynews.com or make your comments on our website: euroweeklynews.com Views expressed and opinions given are not necessarily those of the EWN publishers. No responsibility is accepted for accuracy of information, errors, omissions or statements.

PETS A GOOD dog sitter is worth their weight in gold As Lucy our pet owner mem ber found when she matched with Sonya a free checked housesitter on Housesitmatch a good dog sitter who doesn’t cost the earth is worth their weight in gold. Sonya loves spending time with Luna, Lucy’s dog in her home, it’s a refresh ing change of scene for her and she enjoys caring for and walk ing Luna. She doesn’t charge Lucy a penny, because it is un dertaken as a fair exchange. It’s a fair exchange All our sitters offer a fair ex change free accommodation for free pet care and an online review. It’s a win win! If you’re planning a trip for the holidays, don’t delay. Regis