Mallorca 26 October – 1 November 2023 Issue 1999 by Euro Weekly News Media S.A.

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STORIES IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION 26 Oct - 1 Nov 2023

Charity Xmas Market

Credit: wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock.com

COME experience the festive spirit at the Charity Christmas Market located at Av. Joan Miro 327, Cala Nova on Sat urday, November 11, from 11.00am to 4.00pm. The delightful Baleares Children’s Choir promises to serenade visitors with heart warming Christmas melodies. Browse diverse stalls along with food and drinks. Try your luck with our tombola and raffle while spending quality time with loved ones. All proceeds support AS BANOB’s mission to help chil dren battling cancer on Mal lorca. Donations of new children’s toys are also wel comed, labelled with age and gender, to spread joy this season. Join in and make a difference!

Xmas goodwill.

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MEDICAL MILESTONE

ADVANCED MEDICINE: Son Espases Haematology Department.

SON ESPASES University Hospital in Mallorca has marked a pivotal moment in medical history, success fully administering its first comprehensive CART ther apy. This groundbreaking treatment offers a beacon of hope to patients with terminal blood diseases, such as a 29yearold Mal lorcan who recently under went the therapy. CART utilises the patient’s im

mune system, targeting and eradicating tumours with fewer side effects than conventional chemo therapy. Marga Prohens, Presi dent of the Balearic Islands Government, and Health Minister Manuela Garcia and Antonia Sampol, head of Son Espases Hematology Service, visited the Cell Therapy Unit Avancada de les Illes Balears, the hub for this revolutionary treat

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Scooter ban on buses

Credit: caib.es

Issue No. 1999

ment in Son Espases. The use of these thera pies places Son Espases as one of the leading hospitals in advanced medicine. Previously, Mallorcan patients seeking this treat ment had to travel to the mainland. Now, with Son Espases at the forefront of medical innovation, resi dents of the Balearic Is lands have cuttingedge healthcare right on their doorstep.

PALMA City Council’s Mobility Area, led by Deputy Mayor Toni Deudero, has announced a ban on electric scooters (VMP) and unicycles aboard all EMT buses from October 30. This decision prioritises safety, addressing concerns about their bulky size and the space they occupy, typically reserved for wheelchairs or prams. Deputy Mayor Deudero confirmed, “We uphold the principle of preventive security for the pro tection of both users and staff working in the service of public transport.” He highlighted the potential hazards to vulnerable passengers, he added, “To safeguard passengers, especially the elderly and those with reduced mobility, this rule will be effective from the end of this month.” EMT will notify passen gers of this new rule on buses and through the municipal company’s social media channels this week.

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26 October - 1 November 2023

Night of Souls THE Council of Mallorca is gearing up for the ‘Night of Souls’, a significant celebra tion in Mallorca’s autumn traditions. Spearheaded by the Mallorca Literary Foundation, the initiative aims to famil iarise both young and old with this deeply rooted event, comlete with leg ends. To achieve this, 110 sessions will be held in 34 educational centres and li braries, encompassing 2,120 students. Highlighting the festivities, the tale ‘Am I a witch?’ by Mere Climent will be pre sented on Friday October 27, 6.00pm, at the Museu de la Paraula in Sant Joan. An other notable event is ‘Preparam la Nit de les Animas’ on Saturday October 28 at Consolacio, perfect for families. Historically, after the harvest season, as winter’s chill approaches, cultures worldwide have commemorated the dead around early November. Mallorca’s ‘All Saints’ Day’ and ‘Day of the Dead’ are significant autumnal events, balancing re spect for ancestors with the eerie allure of death’s darkness. In this tradition, chil dren actively participate, introducing them to the concept of death in a relat able manner. The celebration thus portrays death with varied tones, from the mysterious and frightening to the yearning for re union with departed loved ones.

Long live jazz! F R O M November 4 to December 15, Mallorca once again becomes the jazz epicentre with the return of the Jazz Voyeur Festival. This year the festival celebrates its 16th edi tion, and continues to be a beacon of topquality jazz. The organisers en thuse, ‘Jazz is a wonder ful way to bring people together’. The 2023 line up boasts international stars like Matt Bianco, Stacey Kent, and Zenet, and honours the music of Spanish jazz legend Tete Montoliu. Addition ally, the Chicago Mass Choir is set to present ‘BB King’s Spirituals’, a fusion of gospel and iconic blues. Local talents aren’t overlooked either, with performances from Pe dro Rosa Quartet and Palma Gospel Singers,

INTERNATIONAL STARS: Matt Bianco in concert.

both echoing Mallorca’s rich musical heritage. This diverse lineup of in ternational and local artists is sure to provide an unforgettable musical experience for the audi ences at the Jazz Voyeur Festival in Mallorca. Aspiring musicians can also attend free jazz master classes taught by the festival’s headline

artists. Offering free master classes gives mu sicians the opportunity to learn from experi enced and globally recognised artists. The festival’s commit ment to cultural diversi ty, inclusion, and musical education is unwavering, making it a mustattend for Mallorcans and visi tors alike.

THE Council of Mallorca is stepping up its game to ensure safer roads for its residents and visitors. In a bid to enhance traffic flow and safety, continuous lines will be placed on five key sec tions of the Via de Cintu ra. These measures aim to mitigate the dangerous

LOCAL NEWS

Futsal fever Credit: JazzVoyeurFestival/Faceboook.com

PALMA is buzzing with excitement as the Futsal Main Round kicks off at the Palau Municipal d’Esports de Son Moix today, Thursday, October 26. As the host team, the Balearic Islands Pal ma Futsal is set to defend their Cham pions League title, having triumphed in a nailbiting final against Sporting Clube from Portugal last season. This victory, decided by a penalty shootout, saw them crowned as the champions of Europe’s top futsal com petition. Deputy mayor of Culture and Sports, Javier Bonet, expressed the city’s pride in the fact that Son Moix hosts the Main Round matches represents a significant honour for the Corporation. Further emphasising the venue’s im portance, Bonet mentioned its role as the “home of all the clubs and sports men of the city.” He also added that the club is now ‘part of the city’s sporting and social heritage in its own right’. The initial phase will see the Mallor can team facing tough opponents, in cluding Kairat from Azerbaijan, Hal adas from Hungary, and Differdange 03 from Luxembourg. As Palma gears up for this sporting event, the commu nity eagerly awaits to see if their champions can retain their title.

Safer roads lane changes that mo torists often make to hastily access motorway exits. Sudden lane changes cause numerous braking incidents, greatly imped ing the smooth flow of

traffic, according to the Department of Territory, Mobility and Infrastruc ture. As part of this initia tive, the stretches af fected include two sec tions between the Balear Stadium and Car rer d’Arago, one from the Inca highway at So n’Hugo, and two others spanning from Soller to Valldemossa. Each line will range from 300 me tres to 1.5 kilometres in length. The technicians of the Consell de Mallorca view this change as a pilot test to uplift the overall traffic experience on the island. Moreover, the changes are ecofriend ly, introducing only new paint brands. Motorists can expect updates on variable message panels about these new road mark ings, with work currently underway towards An dratx.

LOCAL NEWS CLOCKS BACK ON Sunday October 29 at 03.00, Day light Saving Time ends and the clocks will be turned back one hour to 02.00. There will be more light in the morning, however the dark nights will be drawing in.

NIBS EXTRA Expansion plan THE British hotel company Travelodge has unveiled its expansion plans for Spain. The company aspires to be come one of the main quali ty budget hotel chains in Spain. Travelodge have their sights set on Palma along with the mainland and the Canaries.

Park support PALMA City Council gifted Cabrera National Park Trust a multipurpose allterrain vehicle equipped with a trail er, crushing machine, and shovel. Funded by the Min istry for Ecological Transition, it will aid in park mainte nance and conservation work.

Storm fund THE Council of Mallorca has allocated €2.5 million to aid councils for damages result ing from storm Juliette in February of this year. Anoth er €2.5 million will soon be available for individual vic tims, totalling €5 million in relief funds.

Storm Aline ON Friday, the Council of Mallorca was forced to close the Passeig Maritim de Pal ma pedestrian crossing from the Customs building to the Palau de Congressos until 8.00pm. The closure was necessary due to storm Aline and wind gusts of more than 80 kilometres per hour.

Hiker rescue A HIKER was rescued and taken to hospital after falling from a height of six metres in the Font des Pi, in the Puig punyent municipality. The hiker suffered blows to his body and face.

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26 October - 1 November 2023

Tapas and cocktails PALMA’s mayor, Jaime Martínez Llabres, oversaw the official unveiling of the TaPalma 2023 Tapas and Cocktails Fair on Monday, October 23. The grand event, which will run from November 2226 at the Palau de Congressos de Pal ma, promises to shine a spotlight on Mallorca’s culi nary prowess. In attendance were lead ing figures from Agencia Com and Restaura cionCAEB, the organising entities. Notably, Toni Mar torell, Director of Agencia Com, and Alfonso Robledo,

Credit: palma.cat

TAPALMA 2023: Has been officially unveiled.

President of Restaura cionCAEB, attended the event. Deputy Mayor Javier

Bonet, island Tourism Di rector Clara del Moral, and council members Rosario

Sanchez Grau, Daniel Oliveira, and Lucía Muñoz were also present. Miguel Pardo, representing main sponsor Trasmed, and renowned chefs Igor Ro driguez and Jose Cortes, added to the prestigious gathering. In his speech, Mayor Llabres stated that TaPalma has consistently ‘contributed powerfully... to value quality and excel lence of gastronomy’ in Pal ma. He emphasised the ‘high level reached by the gastronomic creations’ and celebrated its international recognition.

Hunter’s Moon Miro triangle ON Saturday, October 28, the night skies of Mallorca will witness a celestial dance. The Hunter’s Moon, the name given to October’s full moon, will undergo an eclipse visible to the naked eye. As the Earth casts its shadow, the moon will be partially obscured. The Fun dacio Institut d’Astronomia i Astronautica de Mallorca (FIAAM) explained that 12 per cent of the Earth’s shadow will be projected on the Moon. Starting at 8.45pm and peaking around 10.14pm. For those keen to catch every detail, FIAAM recommends using binoc ulars, though the phenomenon will still be seen un aided. The institute adds if it can be seen from somewhere on the east coast of Mallorca, ‘it will add an extra bit of beauty’, as the moon rises due east over the Mediterranean Sea offering a ‘spectacular view’.

Credit: palma.cat

OFFICIAL VISIT: Jaime Martinez visits the ‘Miro Triangle’.

PALMA’s mayor, Jaime Mar tinez Llabres, recently em barked on an official visit to cultural sites in Barcelona and MontRoig del Camp, all dedi cated to the legendary artist Joan Miro. Along with Palma, Miro’s adoptive city, these fa cilities make up the renowned ‘Miro Triangle’. During his visit, Martinez celebrated ‘Miro’s artistic legacy, which has left such a mark on Palma due to its global significance’. He expressed a keen inter est in amplifying the Founda tion’s activities in Palma and fostering collaboration with other Miro institutions be yond Mallorca. Joining him were Javier Bonet, deputy mayor of Culture, and Joan Punyet, Miro’s grandson and the administrator of Successio Miro. This marks the first offi

cial visit by a Palma mayor to these artistic centres, under scoring the city’s commitment to honouring Miro’s legacy and its collaboration with the wider ‘Miro Triangle’ net work.

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Investing in life ON October 19, Palma City Council joined forces with Ecovidrio, the Balearic Govern ment, and the Contigo Foundation for a com passionate cause. The ‘Recycle Glass for Women’ initiative, timed with World Breast Cancer Day, was launched to fundraise for breast cancer re search. Ecovidrio pledges to double its donation for every kilo of glass collected to the Contigo Foundation, which spearheads 20 projects on breast can cer studies and treat ments. The campaign, run ning for nine years with the slogan ‘Investing in research is investing in life’, promotes selfex amination and preven tion against breast can cer while raising research funds through recycling. Llorenc Bauza, lieu tenant mayor of Envi ronment and president of EMAYA, remarked, “It’s an honour for EMAYA and Palma City Council to support this initiative. We’re com mitted to battling this disease through envi ronmental care and re cycling.”

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26 October - 1 November 2023

Death movement Credit Phoenix Media Mallorca

Emergency training

Catalina Pons (L), Glynis German (C), Isa Sáez Font, Dando Vida a la Muerte (R).

FESTIVAL Dando Vida a la Muerte and Glynis German have organised three events in Mallorca in English which form part of a bigger death movement in Spain! Wednesday November 1 at 11am Tanatorio II Bon Sosec near Al Campo in Marratxi is the setting for this remembrance ceremony. Of-

ficiated by German who will be joined by Amanda Hibbitt, a newly qualified funeral celebrant based in Mallorca. Thursday November 2 from 11am to 1pm If you’re grieving the loss of a pet or wonder what an earth you’ll do when that time comes, then go along to Son Batlet in Sencelles,

one of only two pet cremation facilities in Mallorca. You’ll find out more about the history of Son Batlet by its founder and director, the vet Eva Borrás. There’ll also be a ceremony to remember furry friends and a tour of the installations. Refreshments will be available. Friday, November 3, 11am to 1pm SFM Altima who operate the crematorium in Inca are hosting this open day as part of the Festival activities in English. There will be a tour of the installations, a chance to talk to representatives from the funeral home as well as from Age Concern, Cancer Support Group Mallorca and DIME Volunteers Association. There will be a short remembrance ceremony and refreshments will be enjoyed.

THE Mallorca Fire Brigade recently completed an intensive five-day ‘Course on safety, rescue in confined spaces and chemical risk in the port environment’ in Vigo’s Seganosa comprehensive emergency training centre. The event was attended by 36 members and forms part of an agreement between the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands and the Fire Department of Mallorca. It is the second of three courses aimed at improving their skills. At a cost of €63,193.50, the training ensures the Fire Department’s service to the Port of Alcudia and technical assistance throughout the Balearic Islands ports. The focus of this course was on personnel control during port interventions, enhancing safety in low-visibility environments, and managing emergencies related to hazardous goods. This course demonstrates the Council of Mallorca’s commitment to the training and specialisation of the Mallorca Fire Brigade, an essential service for all of Mallorca’s citizens.

Green pledge LLORENC GALMES, president of the Council of Mallorca, marked the International Day against Climate Change on Tuesday, October 24, by planting a tree in Mancor de la Vall’s Plaça dels Donants de Sang. This act symbolises the Council’s dedication to combating the climate crisis. Galmes commented, “The Council of Mallorca is involved in the fight against climate change and in mitigating its effects,” adding, “with small actions we can all contribute since it is in our hands to minimise climate change.” Trees, by absorbing carbon dioxide and

releasing oxygen, play a crucial role in tackling the greenhouse effect. In a separate announcement, Galmes revealed the Council’s plans for a conference on green hydrogen on November 15 and 16 at the Official College of Architects. This symposium is a part of the UNLOCK project, which aims at promoting sustainable growth in European regions. Representatives from across Europe will attend, discussing challenges and solutions for local green hydrogen economies, especially concerning small and medium enterprises in Mallorca.

PROVERB OF THE WEEK “Knowledge is power.” Meaning the more you know, the more powerful you can be in your life. This phrase is often attributed to Francis Bacon, but Thomas Jefferson also used the phrase on at least four separate occasions.

LOCAL NEWS

Tourism convention MALLORCA’S Tourism Minister, Jose Marcial Rodriguez Diaz, and the island director of Tourism for Demand and Hospitality, Susanna Sciacovelli attended the third Turespaña Convention in Sant Sebastia on Monday, October 23. The event, titled ‘The sustainable transformation of tourism’, focused on the evolving dynamics of tourism. Both Rodriguez and Sciacovelli took part in discussions, notably ‘Keys to the future: the challenges of tourism in 2024’ and ‘Tourist sustainability, where are we?’ The convention emphasised tourism’s pivotal role in bolstering the economy and addressing its long-term challenges. During the convention, Mallorca’s representatives met with Rosana Morillo, the Secretary of State for Tourism, to discuss Mallorca-centric issues. Besides Mallorca’s delegation, other notable attendees included the general director of Tourism, Pep Aloy, the director of the Tourist Strategy Agency of the Balearic Islands (AETIB), Pere Joan Planas, and representatives from councils including Calvia and Alcudia.

4 Only four words in the English language end in ‘dous’.

Improved bus service PALMA bus service’s (EMT) Line 34 has extended its reach to Son Sant Joan airport, ensuring easier transfers for patients and their families travelling to Son Espases and Son Llatzer hospitals. This move, initiated by a request from the Ministry of Health, aims to support those coming from other islands to access Mallorca’s main medical facilities. Toni Deudero, deputy mayor of Mobility, explained that the service will be strengthened with an increase from two to three buses, with a bus every 45 minutes. Moreover, the route now offers direct links from Rafal, es Viver, Son Cladera, and sa Indioteria neighbourhoods to Fan shopping centre, Mirall building, and the airport. Health Minister Manuela Garcia commended Palma City Council and EMT for the quick response to the government’s request. Manuela Garcia highlighted that in 2022 there were two million people that travelled to referral hospitals.

26 October - 1 November 2023

ON Tuesday October 24, the women’s football LligA 5 saw an enthusiastic restart. Over 70 new participants experienced the 5 x 5 format, solidifying its position as the premier women’s league for base categories in Balearic history. The LligA 5 offers an additional avenue for young girls and women, whether they’re seasoned players or newcomers to football. Jointly organised by the Mallorca Council and the Football Federation of the Balearic Islands (FFIB), the league promotes equal opportunities and caters to the rising demand from clubs and other groups. It encourages women’s participation, specifically targeting players born between 2010 and 2017. Portol was the venue for the opening day, attended by Pedro Bestard, second vice-president and councillor for Environment, Rural Environment and Sports; Toni Prats, island director of Sports; and Pep Sanso, president of the Football Federation. Bestard remarked, “Football is growing and with it the opportunities for different groups, such as girls and young people.” The Mallorca Council proudly backs LligA 5, covering registration, licences, insurance, and qualified technical staff costs. The ultimate goal? Turning more female players into football enthusiasts.

MALLORCAN WALLS: Damage caused by the wild goats.

they jump up and down the walls!” Something not captured by the photographs is the smell! “I can smell them when they are in my garden. . . they certainly do stink!”

Footy Fans

Goat grief A RECENT article entitled ‘Mountain Menace’ reported the nuisance posed by the growing goat population on the island. Mallorcan resident, Wendy Broad explained to Euro Weekly News some of the issues that they and their neighbours face. Wendy commented: “We have been here seven years and it is so beautiful until April/May this year when five goats moved in!” She added: “They have ruined all our plants and those of our neighbours! They jump over the front gate and get to work munching as much of our plants as they can. We all try to stop them, but it is a hopeless task. “They have also ruined the lovely Mallorcan walls which have been built to support the mountain side of our road,” she explained. “The road is now covered in rocks and branches and earth they bring down with them as

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While Wendy admits that the goats are ‘pretty’ and would hate them to come to any harm, she would very much like to see something done to protect the area and keep the goats at bay.

Football stars of the future?

Credit: conselldemallorca.cat

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Credit: Wendy Broad

LOCAL NEWS

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Iberia uproar L A S T week Iberia challenged A ena’s recent tender results for ground service awards at major Spanish airports, including Mallorca’s Palma and Ibiza. The airline filed a claim with the Central Administrative C ourt of C ontractual R esources (T AC R C) after they felt they had been excluded from key S panish airports. Iberia is requesting a review and a suspension of the award decisions and a re-evaluation of offers. Currently, according to the tender’s outcome, Iberia will no longer operate in numerous airports including Palma de M allorca, I biza, Barcelona, Malaga, Alicante, G ran C anaria, Tenerife South and Bilbao. T his news, confirmed by airline group I AG, has Mallorca residents keenly watching for updates amid potential disruptions at P alma’s Airport.

26 October - 1 November 2023

Solar savings Credit: caib.es

LOCAL NEWS

LEAP FORWARD: At IES Santa Maria del Cami.

Festive feast “CHRISTMAS is round the corner,” announced Jackie Codd Moore, BEM, President of Age Concern. Get into the festive spirit by joining a special Christmas Lunch at Bistro 49 in El Toro on Saturday, December 9. For €50 per person, enjoy a three-

course meal, including half a bottle of wine. Limited places are available. Book by November 30 by phoning Jackie on 678 352 040 or by emailing mallorca@ ageconcern.org.es. Bookings are strictly on a ‘first come and paid’ basis.

MALLORCA’S commitment to renewable energy has taken a leap forward with the completion of photovoltaic (solar cell) installations at two secondary education institutes, IES Santa Maria del Cami and IES Porto Cristo. Minister Alejandro Saenz de San Pedro, accompanied by key officials, visited the newly finished installation at IES Santa Maria del Cami. The project, co-financed at 60 per cent by NextGenerationEU, boasts impressive numbers. Combined, the installations are projected to reduce CO2 emissions by 107 tons per year and produce 233,324 kWh per year, translating to massive savings on the electricity bill for these institutes. Specifically, IES Porto Cristo and IES Santa Maria del Cami will save €21,622.98 and €15,736.40 respectively each year. “The photovoltaic installations of these institutes are of the individual type, for

EWN

125 Years

DESTILERIAS ANTONIO NADAL IN Marratxi celebrated its 125th anniversary, introducing ‘Hierbas Tunel 0.0’, a groundbreaking alcohol-free drink. The event, hosted by brand ambassador Andreu Genestra and Mallorcan chef Pep Natta, showcased the company’s rich history since 1868. Genestra praised the brand’s consistent innovative flavours as ‘the authentic Mallorca’, while Natta emphasised the brand’s roots in Mallorcan tradition.

Top Contender A commitment to renewable energy.

the exclusive consumption of the educational centres,” Saenz de San Pedro added. Diego Viu, the director general of Circular Economy, Energy Transition and Climate Change, highlighted the government’s push for more such projects in Mallorca. The island’s residents can anticipate more green initiatives in several municipalities.

Palma is vying to become the host city for the inaugural FIDS World Summit 2023, taking place from November 26-28. The Association of Spanish Sports Directors (ADDE) shortlisted Palma among six cities for this prestigious event. Palma's City Council has put forth Teatre Municipal Xesc Forteza as the potential venue and promises comprehensive infrastructure for the summit. Besides its tourism appeal, Palma boasts a rich tapestry

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26 October - 1 November 2023

NEWS

Flu alarm in Italy THE World Health Organisa tion has raised the alarm about influenza, which will ‘return to prepandemic lev els’ and will peak between December and January. In the meantime, howev er, the ‘paraflu’ viruses, are putting around 80,000 Ital ians to bed every week with fever, colds, coughs and sore throats. In the autumnwinter peri od, the medical director of the Galeazzi Hospital in Mi lan, Fabrizio Pregliasco, pre dicts that, “there will be around 10 million cases in Italy, which will be added to the five to six million cases of the flu itself.” No vaccines or even anti viruses exist against influen za’s relatives, the ‘paraflu’ viruses. “Infections, there fore, must be eradicated by the immune system and we can only diminish the intensi

Photo: Shutterstock

INFLUENZA: Is expected to peak later in the year.

ty of symptoms with antiin flammatories, antihis tamines and mucolytics. “In short, we simply have to wait for it to pass,” added Pregliasco. However, there are very simple precautions that are effective in reducing the risk of infection. For ex ample, “change the air in the room frequently, trying to keep the temperature no higher than 25 degrees centi grade, to avoid dryness of the respiratory tract, which

makes it easier for the virus to attack,” said the medical director. For influenza prop er, the vaccine is already available in Italy and is free of charge for those from 60 years of age upwards. “Con sidering that about two weeks elapse after its admin istration before it takes ef fect, this is the right time to start getting vaccinated,” ex plains Pierluigi Bartoletti, deputy secretary of the fed eration of family doctors.

Noddy’s cancer shock NODDY HOLDER, the iconic frontman of the British rock band Slade, has been given six months to live following a throat cancer diagnosis. According to an article in the British Press on Thursday, Octo ber 19, by his wife Suzan Hold er, he received the devastating news five years ago. She revealed how after re ceiving a brutal prognosis, the 77yearold singer with one of the most instantly recognisable voices in rock had secretly bat tled the disease ever since. Thanks to a new trial of ex perimental chemotherapy by experts at Manchester’s Christie Hospital, Noddy was even able to perform again ear lier this summer after being in vited to join Cheshire

Credit: Suzan Holder X (formerly Twitter)

Nick Owen with Suzan and Noddy Holder October 19, 2023.

musician Tom Seals on stage. Recalling the emotional mo ment, Suzan said: “I saw a sight I thought I would never see again earlier this year… my in credible husband, back on stage, captivating an audience with hilarious, slightly naughty stories and singing his heart out with a voice still distinctive and powerful. “To watch him do what he does so brilliantly was thrilling, entertaining and pro foundly moving,” Suzan wrote.

Suzan explained: “We told only immediate close family and friends. They held our hands and kept our confi dence. We truly found out who our real friends are.” Formed in 1966 in the En glish city of Wolverhampton, during a glittering 25year ca reer, Slade racked up six No1 charttoppers in the UK. Merry Christmas Everybody was their biggest smash. Released in 1973, it has been a regular feature every year in the charts over the festive peri od. According to the press, the record, penned by Noddy and Jim Lea, earns a stunning £520,000 annually. He once famously said: “It’s definitely a pension plan. It was never designed to be that way, but it has taken on a life of its own. It’s been used for adverts and for movies, it’s been used for all sorts of things.”

FEATURE

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26 October - 1 November 2023

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Is it time to consider downsizing your home? Spain offers fantastic property opportunities in outstanding surroundings, so it is unsurprising that many Britons choose to retire to their own place in the sun. Property may be your biggest asset, with the potential to provide a substantial return on your initial investment over time. For many, their home is also a legacy to help secure the financial future of children and other heirs. However, there are risks in relying on bricks and mortar for your wealth. You cannot fully realise the financial benefits of a property while you are still living in it. Compared to other investments, property can also prove very costly to maintain.

protect against long-term inflation and provide the increased income you may need in the future as the cost of living rises?

a reduced or limited income, this can be draining on your resources, particularly if you own more than one property.

Size does matter Generally, the larger the property, the more expensive the running costs. Mortgage payments, rates, utility bills, building and maintenance expenses can all add up to generate a relatively high ongoing burden. If you are retired with

Affording retirement With today’s increased life expectancy, you may need your existing wealth to stretch to ten, twenty, or perhaps thirty plus years in retirement. Are your pensions, savings and investments on track to sustain your lifestyle for as long as you need? Are they structured to

By Cathal Rochford, Partner, Blevins Franks

Many people find themselves in an ‘asset rich, cash poor’ situation, owning considerable physical wealth such as property but with substantially less disposable income. Expatriates may additionally hold on to UK property. While property can be a solid investment, it locks your money away in a highly illiquid way. If you want access to your capital, you may not be able to sell easily, nor for the right price. Also, there is risk in tying your funds up in one asset class – if the value of property drops, so does your investment. Property may offer potential leveraging opportunities, but this comes with costs and risks.

vestment growth. By reinvesting in suitable investment funds, for example, you can still invest in real estate if you wish but alongside other assets (equities, bonds etc.) to reduce risk through diversification. And, unlike immoveable property, if you require small amounts of cash you can just sell the amount you need, not the whole investment. A specialist adviser can help you explore investment arrangements that suit your circumstances, goals and risk appetite while being tax-efficient for Spain. You could also unlock other benefits that property cannot offer, such as a regular income and currency flexibility. When it comes to estate planning, there are more opportunities to reduce succession tax for your heirs on investment capital than with real estate.

Benefits of reinvesting your capital Downsizing property can help increase your accessible wealth, but it needn’t be a compromise when it comes to in-

Reducing taxation Higher-value homes can tip you over the threshold for Spanish wealth tax, as well as increasing the inheritance tax bill for your heirs. There are

generally more opportunities to reduce wealth tax on capital investments than on immoveable property. By reducing the amount of tax payable, you can make your money go further in your lifetime and maximise the value of your legacy. Take personalised, cross-border advice to establish an investment and estate planning strategy that can secure a secure retirement for you in Spain today and a lasting legacy for future heirs.

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; individuals should 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.

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FEATURE

Wild boar: Humane methods or culling? IN Spain there seems to be more and more re ports of wild boar becom ing a nuisance in urban areas, from rummaging through bins to causing serious accidents on the highway. The latest figures show that Spain’s wild boar population in the provinces of Huesca and Girona, both located in the Pyrenean territories, have seemingly hit their wild boar population peak, writes Pig333. In contrast, regions like Barcelona, Valencia, and Alicante are experiencing high growth rates, indi cating the spread. The majority of other provinces fall into a cate gory of relatively low population increase but with a potential for growth in the future. Wild Boar Risks Reportedly the problem was exacerbated during the Covid lockdown where due to the absence of people on the streets more wild boar strayed into urban areas. In 2021 there were 1,200 inci dents involving wild boars in Barcelona alone. This year alone there have been news reports of wild boar invading popular tourist spots, causing mayhem on beaches. While not a new problem, the frequency of these instances seems to be on the rise. There are also regular reports of wild boar as the root cause of road collisions, some of them fatal for drivers who were caught out unexpectedly. Again this is nothing new in itself, but something that is becoming a worry ing trend. Aside from these issues, there is the littlepubli cised problem of disease. The growing wild pig pop ulation poses significant concerns due to the species’ association with diseases, notably African

Credit: Sander van der Wel/Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0

WILD BOAR: The population has seemingly hit a peak in some areas.

swine fever (ASF). While not a danger to humans, ASF has the potential to devastate the domestic pig population, a cause for concern among live stock farmers and the Spanish economy. Is Culling The Answer? Wild boar do not have any natural predators, apart from wolves in the northern areas of Spain, which leads many to sug gest culling, particularly in Spain’s south. Culling is the act of se lectively killing animals, typically to control their population or to contain the spread of disease. Culling has been one of the primary methods used in Spain. It’s often done by professional hunters or by local au thorities. Those in favour high light that hunting wild boar is a centuriesold tradition in many parts of Spain, so many people view culling simply as a continuation of this tradi tion. Alternative Solutions While some see culling as the way forward, there is also a segment of the

population concerned about safety, both in terms of boarhuman in teractions and the meth ods used for culling, which sometimes involve firearms in relatively pop ulated areas. Other advocate more humane methods such as fencing or spraying chem icals that imitate the smell of wolf urine. An other option is relocation, but due to their indepen dence on scavenging, some argue that they would not survive back in the wild. This sterilisation method has been consid ered in some regions. The idea is to capture and sterilise a certain number of boars to control their reproduction rate. Regarding the nuisance factor, authorities have tried to educate the pub lic, usually tourists, about not feeding the boars and securing trash bins to make urban areas less at tractive to these animals. As the wild boar popu lation continues to grow, public sentiment and po tential solutions will play a crucial role in shaping Spain’s approach to this issue.

FINANCE Engine failure ROLLSROYCE intends to slash 2,500 jobs, 6 per cent of its global workforce of 42,000, as it moves towards a simpler organisation “fit for the fu ture,” according to chief exec utive Tufan Erginbilgic. The engine manufacturer con firmed that the UK would be the most affected by the plans for staff.

Out to sea THE CSIF union lodged a formal complaint against Spain’s Sal vamento Maritimo sea search and rescue agency, which it ac cused of not respecting its members’ rest periods. The union also said that the agency had stopped paying overtime, a ‘substantial’ and unjustified modification of employees’ work conditions.

Flat fizz LVMH, which owns Moet et Chandon, Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior, reported a €20 billion third quarter turnover, a 9 per cent rise on the same peri od last year, but lagging behind the second quarter’s 17 per cent. The luxury firm blamed ris ing inflation, global instability and reduced demand for high end drinks.

Helping hand SPAIN’S government would re ceive an extra €5 billion a year if it withdrew energy and food subsidies, it admitted when submitting its Budget proposals to the European Union. At the same time, the report left the door open to the possibility of maintaining some of the mea sures introduced to counteract inflation.

Next move NEXT paid £115.2 million (€132.76 million) for a 97 per cent stake in British fashion firm FatFace. The clothing and lifestyle label is another Next purchase following the acquisi tion of Cath Kidston, JoJo Ma man Bebe, Joules plus a holding in Reiss which it increased to 72 per cent last month.

euroweeklynews.com • 26 October - 1 November 2023

STAT OF WEEK

€205 million ($216 million)

paid to Barcelona genetic therapies company Splice Bio for a licensing and collaboration agreement in the US with Spark Therapeutics, part of multinational Roche.

Unchanged inﬂation INFLATION in the UK has re mained unchanged at 6.7 per cent in September. Food prices fell for the first time in two years but the inflation rate based on the consumer prices index matched August’s, despite City predictions of a 6.6 per cent fall. Spiralling fuel costs kept up the pressure on house holds, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) fig ures. “There may be some dis appointment out there but we have seen significant falls in headline inflation over the last six months,” ONS’ chief economist, Grant

Photo credit: Rishi Sunak

BUSINESS EXTRA

RISHI SUNAK: Britain’s PM expects to half inflation this year

Fitzner, told the BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme. Prices for food and non alcoholic drink fell 0.2 per cent in their first monthly dip since September 2021 as supermarkets vied with rivals, cutting prices of sta ples like milk, cheese and eggs, as well as mineral wa

AIR NOSTRUM reported 2022 sales figures of €494.2 million and aggregated pretax profits of €19.6 million. The airline, an independent carrier which operates as an Iberia Airlines franchisee, is out of the red after two years of losses during the pandemic. Speaking at the company’s head quarters in Quart de Poblet (Valencia) on October 17, Air Nostrum’s chief ex ecutive Carlos Bertomeu said that 2022 had been a good year, showing a 51 per cent improved on 2021, owing to the increased demand registered since the second quarter of 2022. “Air Nostrum returns to the path of profits, something it has never aban

ter, soft drinks and fruit juice. Prices were nevertheless higher than in September 2022, with the cost of an av erage family’s food shop 12 per cent higher on an annu al basis. The ONS explained that production cuts by the prin

Flying high Photo credit: CC/Alan Wilson

AIR NOSTRUM: The independent carrier is an Iberia franchisee.

doned, except at the beginning of its operations back in 1994 and in the two great global crises,” Bertomeu said. The number of passengers rose by 55 per cent from 2.8 million in 2021 to 4.4 million in 2022 and in order to cov er the greater demand for seats, the company increased its number of

cipal oilproducing nations have raised global oil costs and would maintain pres sure on fuel prices in coming weeks. Despite the unchanged September rate, economists said inflation would still fall below 5.1 per cent by De cember and meet PM Rishi Sunak’s promise to halve the rate this year. The September inflation rate is important as the gov ernment normally uses this to calculate the following April’s increase in benefits, although Sunak is said to be considering a belowinfla tion rise as the government juggles its public finances.

flights from 46,710 during the previous year to 65,569. This more than doubled the pan demic year and improved Air Nos trum’s load factor, the per centage of available seating capacity occupied by passengers. Bertomeu went on to announce the creation of the Strategic Alliance of Re gional Airlines (SARA), a holding com pany resulting from a strategic union between Air Nostrum and the Irish re gional airline CityJet. Air Nostrum’s parent Air Investment Valencia will own an 80 per cent stake in the new company, with the remain ing 20 per cent allocated to CityJet’s owner, CF Miga Investment Holdings.

New centres

Esteemed clients

Rates apprehension

SPORTS and entertainment multinational Topgolf will open eight new centres in Spain and Portugal. The US company’s €250 mil lion investment will also create 3,800 new jobs, sources close to initiative told the Spanish me dia. After almost two years of ne gotiations, Topgolf has signed an agreement with BAJ Gold Development Iberia, headed by Pablo Juantegui, former presi dent of Telepizza who will devel op the franchise chain in both countries. Private equity fund Manna Capital Partners, led by Ulysses Bridgeman and Kevin Attkisson, will also participate in the com pany.

HIGHER interest rates meant that Span ish banks’ profits per client is at its highest in 15 years. These are based on the difference be tween a bank’s yield on credit and the cost of paying interest on clients’ de posits. This benefited the biggest banks, re vealed The Pulse, the latest report from the Alvarez & Marsal consultancy which placed CaixaBank at the head of the largest entities. According to Alvarez & Marsal, Caixa Bank enjoyed a rentability of 3.2 per cent per client by the end of this year’s second quarter, ahead of BBVA (3.1 per cent) and Santander (3.1 per cent). Bankinter, Unicaja, Ibercaja and Banca ja failed to make the 3 per cent cut with respective ratios of between 2.8 and 2.5 per cent, although the consultancy gave Sabadell 2.9 per cent.

BUSINESS premises’ rates in the UK could rise by £1.95 billion (€2.25 bil lion) next year. Increases are linked to the September inflation figure, tradi tionally used to determine the an nual rates’ increase imposed by lo cal councils on retailers, pubs and offices. Spokespeople foresaw that this year’s 6.7 per cent rise would be “the final nail in the coffin” for many businesses. It would “in evitably put renewed pressure on consumer prices,” warned the British Retail Consortium’s Helen Dickinson. Leading retailers including Marks & Spencer, Tesco and Ikea also called on the government to elimi nate the inflationlinked increase from the October autumn budget.

Toyota overtakes Kia CAR sales rose this year, but by the third quarter were still 15.8 per cent below those of prepan demic 2019. Industry analysts predict sales of 900,000 vehicles by the end of 2023 when, for the fourth consec utive year, they will fail to top one million. Spain would usually expect an nual sales of between 1.2 and 1.3 million vehicles, although the last time this figure was reached was in 2019, with the purchase of 1,258,260 cars and offroaders. Meanwhile, sales to private buyers so far this year have topped sales to companies or hire and leasing firms, with Toyota overtaking Kia as the most popu lar make.

Rescue hope FORMER owners of Daily Tele graph, the Barclay family, launched a £1 billion (€1.95 billion) bid to scupper rivals’ hopes of snapping up the broadsheets. According to Sky News, Abu Dhabi investors will assist the Bar clays in lodging a decisive offer that should write off their debt to the Lloyds Banking Group. This, the family hopes, will pre vent potential bidders, said to in clude hedge fund billionaire Sir Paul Marshall, German media giant Axel Springer and Daily Mail owner, Lord Rothermere from acquiring the Daily Telegraph, Sunday Tele graph and Spectator when they are auctioned off for an estimated £600 million (€692 million).

Three’s company VODAFONE and Three insisted their proposed £15billion (€17.3 billion) merger would not increase prices although it would reduce the number of their competitors. The Unite union told MPs on the Business and Trade Committee that merging both companies “would be bad” for consumers al though Three’s legal team main tained there were “no mergerre lated price rises” in the firms’ combined business plan. The deal must first be approved by regulators, but should it go ahead the two companies would create the UK’s largest mobile net work with approximately 27 mil lion customers.

FINANCE

14 EWN 26 October - 1 November 2023

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LONDON - FTSE 100

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CLOSING PRICES 23 OCTOBER

PRICE(P)

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

NET VOL

5.872,0

5.758,0

102,53K

1.319,00

1.302,50

13,61K

PRICE(P)

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

3I Group

1.991,00

2.012,00

1.987,00

25,76K

InterContinental

5.848,0

Abrdn

151,05

152,40

150,55

297,23K

Intermediate Capital

1.304,00

Admiral Group

2.447,0

2.455,0

2.435,0

16,32K

Intertek

3.990,0

4.007,0

3.979,0

7,83K

Anglo American

2.025,0

2.050,5

2.025,0

188,68K

ITV

63,39

64,00

63,44

188,85K

Antofagasta

1.311,50

1.322,50

1.293,50

53,51K

J Sainsbury

252,10

252,60

251,40

74,91K

Ashtead Group

4.703,5

4.766,0

4.701,0

28,97K

Johnson Matthey

1.469,5

1.479,5

1.468,5

10,69K

Associated British Foods

1.937,5

1.947,0

1.934,0

27,19K

Land Securities

567,80

577,60

566,80

79,20K

AstraZeneca

10.354,3

10.486,0

10.332,0

59,16K

Legal & General

207,17

208,80

206,60

1,06M

64,94K

Lloyds Banking

41,49

41,77

41,48

7,41M

8.234,0

8.276,0

8.206,0

20,28K

Auto Trader Group Plc Aviva

595,60 396,30

B&M European Value Retail SA542,20

603,60

594,00

NET VOL

COMPANY

394,90

369,42K

543,40

533,60

47,59K

Melrose Industries

454,30

458,70

453,90

159,61K

Mondi

1.250,00

1.267,50

1.246,50

107,90K

National Grid

956,69

961,80

952,00

195,61K

NatWest Group

216,20

219,20

216,00

513,72K

6.908,0

6.848,0

7,92K

DOW JONES

Ocado

503,40

504,00

483,10

144,47K

CLOSING PRICES 23 OCTOBER

1.065,00

1.048,50

266,86K

Barclays

144,40

145,68

144,32

3,14M

388,70

US dollar (USD) ........................................1.0587 Japan yen (JPY)........................................158.69 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................0.9457 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4623 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................11.751

397,70

1.064,50

Barratt Developments

Units per €

London Stock Exchange

BAE Systems

394,60

387,70

114,68K

Berkeley

3.935,0

3.960,0

3.930,0

7,87K

BHP Group Ltd

2.240,50

2.258,00

2.240,50

45,39K

542,61

544,70

536,80

1,72M

British American Tobacco 2.442,5

2.457,5

2.440,0

81,60K

British Land Company

294,40

300,20

293,80

98,94K

BT Group

112,65

114,45

112,60

471,31K

Bunzl

2.876,0

2.892,0

2.874,0

7,95K

Burberry Group

1.714,5

1.741,0

1.713,5

41,03K

Carnival

805,7

815,0

805,8

15,81K

Centrica

155,80

157,95

155,35

285,47K

Coca Cola HBC AG

2.113,0

2.120,0

2.112,0

9,84K

Compass

2.053,00

2.059,00

2.036,00

80,99K

CRH

4.529,0

4.551,0

4.501,0

39,35K

Croda Intl

4.039,8

4.070,0

4.038,0

DCC

4.412,0

4.436,0

4.407,0

Diageo

3.081,5

3.097,0

3.079,0

DS Smith

261,10

265,10

1.14887

0.87044

currenciesdirect.com/mallorca • Tel: +34 687 906 226 THE ABOVE TABLE USES THE CURRENT INTERBANK EXCHANGE RATES, WHICH AREN’T REPRESENTATIVE OF THE RATE WE OFFER

Persimmon

963,2

980,0

958,8

72,30K

COMPANY

PRICE

CHANGE

CHANGE% VOLUME(M)

Phoenix

442,00

445,60

441,10

109,09K

Prudential

824,60

834,60

823,80

171,53K

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

86,55 141,57 278,81 172,88 180,04 249,20 166,83 52,93 54,57 48,99 300,05 286,41 181,32 137,16 34,92 153,00 142,95 258,11 102,67 326,67 102,67 148,05 203,73 161,59 527,03 31,57 233,38 21,26 158,76 82,65

87,32 147,94 281,06 175,42 183,39 253,49 169,10 53,59 55,02 49,57 303,25 287,18 183,78 139,27 36,28 153,87 145,14 260,34 103,36 331,92 103,77 149,88 208,11 164,62 534,43 32,14 235,77 21,46 161,10 83,44

86,39 2,52M 141,44 8,22M 275,75 2,44M 172,64 63,02M 179,85 4,45M 248,16 3,08M 166,10 7,42M 52,80 22,03M 54,44 15,66M 48,92 3,91M 298,10 2,31M 283,61 2,85M 181,06 3,04M 137,12 4,84M 34,87 32,22M 152,33 7,17M 142,12 12,83M 257,56 3,77M 99,99 12,43M 325,45 24,97M 102,57 7,76M 147,92 7,08M 202,12 5,50M 161,32 1,50M 526,77 2,80M 31,55 27,16M 232,64 5,71M 20,48 13,55M 158,71 4,98M 82,61 10,26M M - MILLION DOLLARS

Reckitt Benckiser

5.940,0

5.960,0

5.932,0

29,67K

Relx

2.840,00

2.852,00

2.829,00

102,80K

Rentokil

454,00

465,70

453,30

451,54K

Rightmove

478,40

489,30

478,40

175,42K

Rio Tinto PLC

4.879,6

4.925,0

4.878,5

82,26K

Rolls-Royce Holdings

200,40

200,30

196,45

1,62M

Sage

955,40

959,40

950,60

91,71K

Samsung Electronics DRC 1.259,00

1.264,00

1.259,00

0,88K

Schroders

365,0

370,6

364,6

64,08K

7,62K

Scottish Mortgage

645,35

652,60

645,00

196,30K

11,17K

Segro

690,00

701,40

689,40

120,95K

124,02K

Severn Trent

2.486,0

2.500,0

2.467,0

16,17K

260,50

156,29K

Shell

2.721,5

2.727,5

2.695,5

449,26K

EasyJet

358,57

361,30

357,50

162,64K

Smith & Nephew

917,40

926,00

917,00

44,80K

Experian

2.645,4

2.654,0

2.630,0

51,64K

Smiths Group

1.531,00

1.534,00

1.523,50

21,22K

Ferguson

12.690,0

12.725,0

12.575,0

2,92K

Spirax-Sarco Engineering 8.120,0

8.206,0

8.124,0

2,97K

Flutter Entertainment

12.570,0

12.620,0

12.430,0

25,96K

SSE

1.562,50

1.573,50

1.558,50

37,98K

Fresnillo

540,20

545,60

538,80

30,83K

St. James’s Place

616,20

632,00

615,40

140,00K

Glencore

428,16

432,25

428,15

1,74M

Standard Chartered

715,80

720,00

714,80

202,14K

GSK plc

1.467,60

1.471,20

1.463,60

141,48K

Taylor Wimpey

103,75

106,20

103,60

632,30K

Halma

1.810,5

1.835,5

1.809,0

46,91K

Tesco

272,90

271,70

432,94K

Hargreaves Lansdown

690,96

699,60

690,20

119,71K

Tui

396,60

410,40

395,00

212,78K

Hikma Pharma

1.942,50

1.956,50

1.939,00

7,81K

Unilever

3.987,0

3.988,5

3.970,0

225,52K

HSBC

610,70

617,50

610,50

774,92K

United Utilities

1.018,50

1.030,00

1.012,50

96,72K

IAG

139,45

139,75

138,40

1,13M

Vodafone Group PLC

74,83

75,78

74,58

2,84M

Imperial Brands

1.710,50

1.716,50

1.707,00

74,49K

Whitbread

3.264,0

3.275,0

3.245,0

28,34K

Informa

686,20

689,80

685,00

59,97K

WPP

674,60

679,20

672,80

123,18K

NASDAQ CLOSING PRICES 23 OCTOBER

COMPANY Most Advanced

CHANGE NET / %

Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited +22.28% Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. +11.75% Euronet Worldwide, Inc. +8.93% Autoliv, Inc. +7.01% Country Garden Holdings Company Limited +6.96% Amicus Therapeutics, Inc. +5.93% Playtika Holding Corp. +5.59% R1 RCM Inc. +4.93% Genmab A/S +4.15% L'Oréal S.A. +4.14% BeiGene, Ltd. +4.12%

VOLUME 449,741 8.695M 1.56M 2.89M 22,531 2.787M 869,233 4.434M 2.473M 73,100 398,327

Most Declined SolarEdge Technologies, Inc. MSP Recovery, Inc. Enphase Energy, Inc. Incitec Pivot Limited Regions Financial Corporation Okta, Inc. Comerica Incorporated Husqvarna AB (publ) Western Alliance Bancorporation Rentokil Initial plc Joby Aviation, Inc.

-27.27% -19.23% -14.68% 0.00% -12.38% -11.57% -8.53% -8.46% -8.38% -8.35% -8.00%

21.316M 263,816 14.475M 365 37.373M 11.019M 5.35M 38,401 4.72M 1.274M 8.681M

‘

euroweeklynews.com

BUSINESS EXTRA Happy feet CINVEN, owner of Kurt Geiger since 2015, is said to be working with Bank of America on a fu ture auction of the luxu ry shoe brand for £400 million (€459.1 million). Leading luxury goods groups as well as private equity firms are all ex pected to be interested in acquiring the prestige label which was found ed in 1963.

Cashing in BANKINTER earned €685 million between January this year and the end of September, a 59.2 per cent increase on the same peri od in 2022, thanks to inter est hikes. The bank’s net in terest margin shot up by 54 per cent while return on equity rose to 18.2 per cent, chief executive Maria Dolores Bancausa an nounced.

26 October - 1 November 2023

Don’t stop drilling BRITAIN’S Energy secretary warned that the country could not allow North Sea gas and oil output to diminish fur ther. Speaking at Energy UK’s an nual conference in London on October 18, Claire Coutinho said that Britain could be come increasingly dependent on energy imports. North Sea Transition Au thority (NSTA) data revealed that without new North Sea oil and gas wells, output would halve by 2030, Coutin

photo credit: CC/David Woolfall

FINANCE

ENERGY MINISTER: New North Sea wells needed, Claire Coutinho said.

Amancio Ortega (again) IT is an unusual week when Zara founder Amancio Ortega fails to loom large in the financial news in Spain and elsewhere. The latest information regarding one of the world’s richest men centres on Pontegadea Inversiones through which Ortega channels most of his activities in the property and energy sectors as well as the income from a 50.1 per cent hold

ing in the Inditex empire. This year, Pontegadea registered a consolidated profit of €2.3 billion at the end of the 2022 fiscal year, an increase of 30 per cent compared with 2021. Nevertheless, this omitted the income from Ortega’s Pontegadea GB 2020 and Partler 2006 which includes another 9.29 per cent holding in Inditex.

ho said. “This country would be forced to import up to 80pc of our oil and gas by 2030,” she told the conference. “The UK will not only be subservient to foreign regimes, but risk decimating the same people and commu nities that we need on this green transition journey.” The Energy secretary added that the UK was reducing oil and gas consumption in line with net zero targets, but added that without a new off shore drilling programme, production would fall “much faster” than demand. The UK needs an annual 61 million tons of oil, but with 938 potentiallyproduc tive wells now inactive, British oil production fell to a historic low of 38 million tons in 2022. This would plunge to 22 million tons in 2030 unless new wells were drilled, NSTA data suggested, Coutinho said.

EWN 15

Cut-price TESLA has reduced the price of its basic Model 3 car in Britain by £3,000 (€3,443) to £36,990 (€42,460) in a bid to encourage demand for its electric vehicles as sales have slowed amid increased competition from China. Elon Musk’s company has continually slashed prices in the US this year and also re duced its UK prices in Jan uary.

Bank job GERMANY is likely to back the Nadia Calviño, vicepresident of the in cumbent Spanish govern ment as well as Economy minister, in her bid to head the European In vestment. Finance minis ter Christian Lindner re vealed that the German government had made its decision but although he did not wish to name the candidate, this is sure to be Calviño, insiders said.

16 EWN 26 October - 1 November 2023

euroweeklynews.com

Egotistical celebrities

OUR VIEW

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT ALTHOUGH this ol boy has had his share of socalled ‘stardom’ over the years, it never stops to amaze me how far some egotistical celebrities are prepared to go to convince the public they are so utterly special. Mariah Carey sure took the bubble recently, when she insisted that the promotors of a tour she had been booked for supplied someone to ‘handle her chewing gum’! Apparently this young lady cannot bear to touch her chomped gum. She therefore needs someone to pick it up and bin it after she has spat it out. Not the job you would particu larly enjoy adding to your CV! Of course yours truly has had a few an tics in the past. One which I will nev er actually forget was my first trip to the USA as a budding ‘chart topper’. On the way to Nashville to appear at the Grand Old Oprey, I laid over in

NY for a couple of days to do a bit of tele. Also there at the same time was Tom Jones. I had known Tom since the beginning of his career, when his manager Gordon Mills, who also managed me, was paying him 10 bob a week and changed his name from Woodward to Jones, to coincide with the popular movie playing worldwide at the time. Riding high by then he was ap pearing at the Copacabana and also having a mad affair with the beauti ful Mary Wilson of the Supremes, who were the most successful Mo town girl group in the business and at that time appearing for a week in the Blue Room of the prestigious Waldorf Astoria. After seeing Tom at the ‘Copa’ on my first night I was subsequently in vited to join him and Mary for a club crawl around the night spots of New York. To be honest I didn’t really en joy it too much because they were recognised just about everywhere we went and basically mobbed at every turn. Not me of course. My Little Arrows was still rising up

the charts and I certainly hadn’t reached the heights of my two com panions. Nevertheless it was an in teresting night and rounded off by Mary eagerly inviting me and Tom to have a table at the Wardorf the next evening. We would be able to see the show and after be joined by her self and Diana Ross, who she insist ed, in her broad American accent, would truly ‘love me with my Beatle haircut and English accent’! Consequently at the end of our evening the ol boy made tracks for the hotel with a skin full, a spinning head and a date for the following night with Diana Ross of the Supremes who was gonna love me! Not a bad start to the ol boy’s USA visit, someone who began his career starving and kipping on the benches of London’s Charing Cross station. Not enough space to give you the fi nal result of this hopefully loving for ay. No need to ask Tom, I’ll tell you the outcome in the next blurb. 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

WILD LIFE

RECENT stories on the Euro Weekly News website about the ever increasing number of wild boar appearing in towns and on beaches across some parts of Spain have po larised opinion from readers. We asked whether they are a danger that should be culled or catered for because they have only moved to towns because much of their traditional land has been tak en over and the drought has made it increasingly more dif ficult for them to find food and even water. As will be seen on our Community Comments page, the response to the question was large and generally on the side of the boars. We expectedly had a few tongue in cheek responses with jokers suggesting that they were best served with a good chianti or were ideal for the plan cha but on balance the majority seemed to feel that hu mans owe a debt to look after the animals. What we tend to overlook is the fact that they are breeding more quickly as there have been several wild boar and escaped pigs mating, so there are more of these hybrids fighting for less space and food. An added problem is that research from the University of Queensland says that by uprooting carbon trapped in soil, wild pigs are releasing around 4.9 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide annually across the globe, the equivalent of 1.1 million cars. This is therefore a potentially growing problem, both from incursions into urban areas as well as added pollution. We don’t have a proposed solu tion but do recognise that the National Government (when there is one) will need to create a sensible policy to recognise the signs of danger and deal with it.

FEATURE

euroweeklynews.com

26 October - 1 November 2023

EWN 17

DOUBLE, double, toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble! Oh yes fellow earth bound souls, the ghostly eve of Halloween is nigh! With the sudden change in weather feel ing positively witchy, it seems that the stormy stage for this haunted holiday has been set here in Spain. The modern day Hal loween, which is cele brated on October 31 around the world, holds its roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, a Gaelic word pronounced ‘SAHwin’. This pagan festival was held around November 1, a date that marked the transition from the autumn harvest season to the darker days of winter. It is around this time of the year that it was

believed and is still be lieved for many who continue to honour Samhain that the veil between the land of the living and the depths of the dead is at its most thin. A time where the souls of the deceased revisited the earthly realm and roamed it freely with un known intentions. Feasts were held, where places were set and food was offered to departed souls of family members. The pagan gods were also honoured, with of ferings of drink and live stock in a bid to appease them and ensure that their animals survived throughout the wretched winter. There were also sacred bon fires that burned throughout the night of Samhain, as they were believed to have special

cleansing and protecting powers. As Christianity swept through Europe and The Isles, traditional pagan celebrations were vi ciously repressed by the church and its enforcers. In the ninth century the western church en dorsed November 1 as the date of All Saints’ Day. In part, this was to present this time of year as one of love rather than ‘superstitious’ fear, stressing that those who die in Christ have their souls forever in the lov ing family of God. However, the oppres sion against any contra dicting beliefs to the new religion, especially those of the pagan gods, was intense in this peri od, and by creating a new celebration on this date it intended to se cure the complete eradi

From Burberry To 007 - Licence To Thrill That week, though, numerous tourists turned to me asking: “Where ARE we?” It was a daft advertising campaign which BREAKING VIEWS caused problems for the people who ac Nora is the author of popular psychological tually make TfL money: those who use suspense and crime thrillers and a freelance journalist. the network. COMMUTERS and tourists were recently The same TfL that feeds its customers a left angry and confused after a marketing blowbyblow barrage of idiotic safety an stunt to change signage nouncements: “The floor inside and outside Bond may be slippery; hold the Street tube station saw it handrail; see it, say it...” rebranded as ‘Burberry The same station that Street’ as part of London opened late, millions over Fashion Week. budget. Fine if you’re a regular How about the cheese tube traveller. You can people taking over Red Le quickly readjust to where icester Square? Armitage you are and be in on the Shanks Waterloo? Or the joke. Not so good if you’re Bond movie company re one of those anxious branding Bond Street tube: tourists you see on the ‘007’? tube every day, constantly Nora Johnson’s 12 criti checking they’ve taken cally acclaimed psychologi the right line or going in cal suspense crime thrillers the right direction. It’s no (www.norajohnson.net) NORA’S LATEST THRILLER. toriously confusing all available online includ enough for people to nav ing eBooks (€0.99; £0.99), igate without this stunt. Apple Books, audiobooks, paperbacks at Like many commuters, I’m normally in Amazon etc. Profits to Cudeca cancer a bubble of silence when on the tube. charity. XXX

NORA JOHNSON

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

cation of Samhain and its ‘radical’ beliefs. Today, Halloween is celebrated as a fun filled festival where children and adults alike dress up in cos tumes, carve pumpkins, go trickortreating, tell scary stories and eat co pious amounts of sweets. But these modern cus toms are all deeply steeped in spiritual tra ditions. For example, the idea of ‘trick or treating’ comes from the door to door travelling of the poor, who would beg for food in return for songs and prayers. This was referred to as ‘souling’ and the chil dren were called ‘soulers’. A typical food given to these soulers was a ‘soul cake’, with a holy cross marked on top that represented a soul

shutterstock

Happy Halloween Have some spooky fun.

being freed when it was eaten. These were sweet treats, made with ginger, raisins and nutmeg. The creepy costumes that modern celebrators wear on Halloween come from the ancient desire to hide a person’s attendance at pagan fes tivals or to mask the en ergy of the wearer to al low for better communication with the spirit world. Costumes were also sometimes used to ward off evil

spirits from entering the body. Thankfully society is now much more accept ing of different beliefs and so all are free to cel ebrate Halloween loud and proud, with many religious people of var ied ideas still enjoying this frightening festival! Whatever way you choose to celebrate, Eu ro Weekly News wishes all a weird and wonder ful night, with many hap py hauntings!

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

20 EWN 26 October - 1 November 2023

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FEATURE

C OMMENTS

OMMUNITY

THERE has been a huge response to our recent article on the Euro Weekly News website and Facebook page about the proliferation of wild boar and with more than 100 responses, already the general feeling is that they should be treated with care and respect rather than simply killed to make life easier for humans. Read the article as it appears in this edition of your paper as well as these comments below and let us know your feelings on the matter.

“

Hunt/manage them where safe and possible, but let them be when they come for a sanctuary … feeding and approaching them is wrong and a recipe for confrontation ! William Sr. Koninckx

We have invaded their territory, so have to learn to live with them. They are a wild animal so our respect is needed, we definitely should be looking after them! Sabrina Hope

I would not like to see them culled,but maybe pushing them back into the wild country. Michael Stanton

No leave them alone, you’re building on all their places. Christine Belmonte

I live in Andalucia for a very long time and witnessed how their habitat has been shrinking... Furthermore they come down from La Concha, because irresponsible people are to lazy to put their garbage into the containers, they leave it on the street around the containers or throw it everywhere on the street, which is an open invitation... They don't bother humans, only the barking dogs can make them nervous, specially if they are mothers with little ones. When I'm walking my dogs I watch them, which many people don't do, because their face is sticking into their mobiles... The problems are the humans....

unless threatened. Andrew Philip Coates

They are dangerous, they spread disease , people get their cars written off! They should be controlled, they continue to break through fences, destroy gardens (which were there actually before them) and procreate very rapidly. They hunt in packs with the parents often being 300 kgs each. Beware what you wish for! Barry Marshall

Trap, neuter, return (TNR) with vaccinations cost around €400 per head. Hunters are paid €2,000 on average per head, do you start to see the issue? They are being deliberately bred and released. More hunters and wardens are coming forward to confirm it. We then also factor in serious loss of habitat, drought and more rubbish due to more population, so the pigs are ‘in town’. They often have cuts from rubbish. Rubbish they shouldn't be rummaging in. They should have feeding and watering stations with regular veterinary controls and with the huge amount of Chaparral forest decimated for urbanisations, Mijas should be creating a green belt with biodiversity area, there is plenty of land to do so. Luisa Grajales

There's too many and they're causing fatal road accidents. I'd say cull and sell the meat. Celeste Picken

They were on the beach today, weren’t causing a problem just trotting along.

Katalin Zu Windischgraetz

No way, they are beautiful animals, people have taken their natural habitats, this coupled with the loss of forest land due to fires have forced these magnificent animals down to the coast looking for food, they are not aggresive

Laura Charles

Please just let nature take its course. It was their land before we encroached on it. They deserve a life too. Jacqueline Mellis

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.

FEATURE

euroweeklynews.com

26 October - 1 November 2023

EWN 21

Advertising Feature

Liberty’s pet insurance sales up 25% in last six months LIBERTY SEGUROS’ pet insurance has grown by 25 per cent in the past six months, surpassing €1 million in annual revenue. According to com pany data, this growth follows the trend of the last two years, as this segment grew by 12.7 per cent in 2021 and 13.6 per cent in 2022. The new Law on Animal Welfare, which came into force on Septem ber 29, makes it compulsory for dog owners to have civil liability insur ance. And this fact has been reflect ed in the demand for both Civil Lia bility insurance, which in August alone has shot up by 623 per cent, and Liberty’s specific product for pets, which in the same month has increased by 70 per cent. However, compulsory civil liability insurance for natural or legal per sons owning dogs will not be effec tively applicable until the corre sponding regulatory development takes place. In this sense, Liberty stresses that behind the growth of these insurances recently there is al

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so a growing concern of pet owners to cover their main needs and risks. José Luis García Camiñas, Liberty’s Executive Director of Product in Eu rope, says: “We expect this segment to continue to grow in the future not only because of increased regulatory requirements but also because of society’s growing concern to protect the welfare of their pets and to have cover for issues such as veterinary expenses, theft and travel assis

tance. Specifically, more than 90 per cent of the claims reported to Liberty under pet insurance correspond to veterinary expenses. The rest corre spond to the death of the animal, lia bility issues and theft or kidnapping.” The number of dogs in Spain is es timated to be more than nine mil lion, but having them insured is not a widespread practice. This contrasts with countries such as the USA where 70 per cent of households

have a pet and between 20 per cent and 25 per cent of them, especially dogs and cats, are insured. In the EU, 25 per cent of EU households have a dog, according to the European Pet Food Industry Federation (FEDIAF). “Due to all of these factors, this in surance product, which was initially demanded by residents in Spain from other countries, and which has been increasingly valued by national clients, presents a significant growth potential in the forthcoming years,” says José Luis García Camiñas. Main changes that Spain’s new animal welfare law will bring The Animal Welfare Law estab lishes new obligations for pets, and in particular for dog owners. One of these is the obligation to have Civil Liability insurance to cover possible damages and injuries caused by dogs, whatever their breed, to other people, animals, or things. However, this obligation will not be effectively applicable until the regulatory devel opment of the rule takes place.

On the other hand, the classifica tion of potentially dangerous dogs (PPP) disappears and the concept of special dog handling is created. An individualised sociability study will determine whether a dog is a special dog handling. In addition, a compul sory training course for dog owners will be introduced. The develop ment of these two elements is also still awaiting a regulation. Customised Insurance also for Pets Liberty Seguros has comprehen sive insurance policies for pets, a product that is defined by its many adjustment options to provide pro tection for the insured animal against risks such as accident and ill ness and which can be taken out as a basic package with the possibility of adding others with optional guar antees. As for civil liability, it also offers specific insurance for this legal cover for damage to third parties or as op tional cover within home insurance.

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Please take it outside, ok? MIKE SENKER IN MY OPINION Views of a Grumpy Old Man I WAS out having a bit of lunch the other day and it was a nice and lively, busy place, but not too noisy so I could listen to Mrs S giving me my instructions for the rest of the day. Suddenly, a man with his son came and sat at the table next to us. His meal arrived and then it started. He got on his phone, not to read a message, no, he was going to have a chat and he was not going to have a quiet one. He was talking at the top of his voice and at the same time stuffing food in his mouth. After about 10 minutes of this I was getting the right hump, but there is nothing you can do unless you want to just say, ‘Oi shut up, I’m trying to have lunch.’ In my younger days I might have, but these days I just give a dirty look and a bit of a tut. Why do people think it’s OK to hold a conversation on their phone in public? Is it only me that thinks this is not acceptable? I admit to checking my phone if a message comes in, but if it rings I go outside or pick up and say I’ll call back. Oh, and

if you are checking your WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram or any of the other apps, I don’t want to hear the 10-minute video your mate just sent of their kid singing some unrecognisable ditty that they think is wonderful but I just think is an intrusion on my chow time. Use headphones but don’t play it out loud. This rule doesn’t only apply in eateries. This goes for every place I am. Aeroplanes, waiting rooms - I’ve been to cinemas and phones go off. That’s bad enough but answering them is just crazy. I love watching snooker and how many times do you hear the referee say ‘turn your phones off’? I was in a hospital waiting room and someone was listening to a video. It wasn’t at full blast but it was audible. Is there no point that they think this may annoy other people? All phones have a silent mode and it’s a shame people don’t! So folks, if you are out and your phone goes off, please take it outside, OK? I would love to have a bit of feedback on these grumps of mine. Does anybody actually read them? Is there some stuff that makes you grumpy that you would like to have mentioned? Send me an email at: mikesenker@gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you.

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

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