Costa de Almeria 29 Feb – 6 March 2024 Issue 2017

Music festival planned

John Smith

SPEAKING to the radio station Cadena SER Levante, representatives of the Arboleas and Zurgena Councils announced that they were in the early stages of planning a music festival.

They realise that this is potentially an expensive and somewhat complicated undertaking but believe that if the two towns act together then they would be able to create a small event in the first year.

As Arboleas celebrates its annual Fiesta on August 15 and Zurgena on August 31 its seems the obvious choice to host the festival at some time in between those two dates and they have chosen as a venue the old Zurgena Railway Station.

The idea is not to overreach themselves in the first year but to try to obtain some well-known names that are affordable

and aim to sell tickets to no more than 4,000 people.

Working this way, their risk is reduced and by starting relatively modestly they will be able to learn a great deal which will then allow them to expand

in the following years.

Both councils are anxious to offer something meaningful and exciting for younger residents who often have to travel to the capital or even Murcia if they want to see popular musicians and if this fes-

tival can be created then it will also see new work opportunities for residents.

The idea is that the festival would rotate and if in Zurgena this year then it would move to Arboleas next year.

• Issue No. 2017 • 29 Feb - 6 Mar 2024 FREE FREE FREI GRATIS GRATIS GRATIS GRATIS GRATUITO VRIJ LIVRE ILMAINEN G F E GRATIS GRATUIT S G Costa de Almeria

The restored old Zurgena Railway Station.

Credit: Zurgena Railway Museum

Psychology awards

THE College of Psychology of Eastern Andalucia recognises psychology professionals, as well as public and private institutions.

All awards are based on the commitment, dedication, innovation and continuous effort within the profession and were presented on the occasion of the Day of their Patron, Juan Huarte de San Juan which is February 24.

The 16th century philosopher who fell afoul of the Inquisition is credited as being one of the founders of modern psychology.

In Almeria, the first prize, in the individual category, was awarded to researcher

IT seems that the arrival of the much feared and hated pine processionary caterpillars is advanced this year, with many more sightings of nests and caterpillars on the ground.

The Huercal-Overa Council, has already risen to the challenge by carrying out fumigation in the wooded areas of the municipality to try to control their spread.

Thise are dangerous insects whose poisonous hairs can cause irritation to humans, especially children and have proven to be deadly to curious dogs and

Inmaculada Gómez, for her work on risk factors and protection of psychological problems in childhood and adolescence.

The second prize, in the public institution category, was awarded to the Mental Health Clinical Management Unit of the Torrecárdenas University Hospital, for its commitment to the mental health and well-being of those residing in Almeria Province.

The third prize, in the private entity category, was awarded to the El Timón Mental Health Association, which works hand in hand with patients, family members and friends, protecting the rights of people with mental health problems.

Fumigation

other animals.

In addition to fumigation, the council has also targeted the nests that appear in trees and has asked residents to alert them to any new sightings were fumigation has not yet taken place.

During the year, the council also employs a specialist company to regularly inspect green areas and public parks so that any other new pests may be spotted and eradicated.

Equality Week

Jessica Sweeting

ADRA Council has announced ‘Equality Week’, a programme of activities organizsed to commemorate International Women’s Day, which is celebrated every year on March 8.

According to councillor for Equality, Elisa Fernández a number of events will take place between March 5 and 9.

Perhaps unexpectedly, the first event will take place with input from the Adra Active Participation Centre with workshops on gymnastics and ballroom dancing starting at 10am on March 5 at the Pago del Lugar Amphitheatre.

Following this, at around noon the ‘Ratification of the Equality Plan’ will be carried out, signing the fourth Equality Plan with the associations, in the Plenary Hall of the town hall.

So much to enjoy during Equality Week.

March 6 there will be a visit with a gender perspective, to the Granada municipality of Montefrío but those wishing to attend must register in advance at the Women’s Centre, located in the Plaza Building at an all in cost of €20 per person.

The main event will take place on, March 8, with the ‘Women’s Gala’, which will start at 8.30pm at the Ciudad de Adra Auditorium and will feature

a performance by Rafa Garcés and the ‘Inmaculada Marina’ Women’s Association with free admission until capacity is reached.

Finally, the week will draw to a close on Saturday, March 9, with a dinner-dance at the La Alcoholera Building from 8.30pm with the music of Los Vinilos at a cost of €30 and registration will take place at the Plaza Building.

Credit: Adra Council

Tapas route

ATTENTION lovers of gastronomy in Garrucha, the highly anticipated Route of the Tapa 2024 is due to return later this year and will run from April 12 to 21 with a selection of some of the best local cuisine to be savoured.

Toll booth death

FOR some unknown reason, the driver of a vehicle, who may have been unconscious when the accident occurred, drove into a toll booth on the AP-7 at kilometre 911 near to Vera. Emergency services attended but the driver was already dead.

Lottery luck

RESIDENTS of Almeria Province seem to be having a great deal of luck recently as far as lottery winnings are concerned and one person who purchased a decimo of number 76850 in the February 24 National Lottery won €600,000.

Mobile radar

THE Local Police in Zurgena have obtained from the Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT) a new vehicle containing radar which will allow officers to increase road safety as they are able to move the vehicle around the town in order to detect drivers speeding.

Civil Protection

AS they do every year, members of th Civil Protection Group based in Garrucha were on hand on February 23 to safeguard the large number of school children from the CEIP Ex Mari Orta as they joined in the Carnival Parade.

Michael Cano

VANDALS sprayed gra ti on the walls of the PSOE political party headquarters in Vera on February 21 to the disgust of members of the party.

There were two slogans sprayed, Pedro Sanchez Traidori (Pedro Sanchez Traitor) and PSOE Ma a attacking both the party and the President of the Government.

Antonio Martínez, senator and secretary of the PSOE-Almeria organisation, shared the images on his social media networks and commented “This is how the PSOE headquarters in Vera has dawned. Radicalism and unreason cannot have a place in a democratic and tolerant society; hate speech from the right as a whole is super uous. From the PSOE we will continue to defend freedom with the same strength and conviction.”

Graffiti attack

This feeling of outrage was echoed by other PSOE politicians with general secretary of the PSOE Juan Espadas saying “My support to Vera’s colleagues in the face of this new

Almanzora Friends

ON February 19, the Almanzora Group Of Friends went on a day trip to the Sierra Nevada ski resort and the Nevada shopping centre.

When the day trip was rst announced it was over-subscribed on that same day and as the demand was so high, two buses were needed.

In all 108 people went and the rst pick up started at 8am with the coaches arriving at the resort at midday.

The group spent two and half hours there taking in the sights and enjoying the lovely weather mainly staying on the lower section, although the more adventurous took the gondola to the mid-section.

From the ski centre, they headed for the Nevada centre, enjoying the view from the coaches although many of the pine trees harboured nests of processionary caterpillars.

With two hours or so to spend at the shopping centre some chose food, whilst others hit the shops before heading back home.

All are welcome to join the Almanzora Group of Friends by calling 602 495 306 or visiting their website https://www. almanzoragof.org/.

harassment by those who promote hatred in our society. However hard you try, you’re not going to weaken us. This only makes us stronger in our defence of democracy.”

Almeria in Brussels

THE anger of farmers in Almeria which has been expressed by the regular blocking of roads by parades of slow moving tractors has rebounded on the European Union. Working together, representatives of the Almera Provincial Council and the Junta de Andalucia appeared before the European Parliament in Brussels on February 20 with a day-long presentation entitled ‘Almeria in Europe, an integrative approach: Water, Energy and Food’.

They argued that the agricultural sector of the province is one of the most sustainable agricultures in the world but currently faced many problems and therefore had very reasonable demands concerning the in ux of cheap foreign fruit and vegetables, the additional cost faced by local farmers due to EU regulations, the high cost of fuel and the current drought.

The Almerian politicians were accompanied by experts drawn from di erent universities who were able to con rm the statements being made by the delegation and although Almeria admitted to being grateful to the European Union for its support, they want to see more.

Manga happening

THE city of Almeria is no stranger to the wonders of Manga which hails from Japan and this year, beautifully turned out Cosplayers will congregate in the city.

This year, the Cabo de Gata Conference Centre will be hosting ExpoOtaku Almeria 2024 from Friday March 1 to Sunday March 3.

There are three main

themes to the event, Cosplay, KPOP and video games with prizes for those who participate in each section.

Opening times and prices are as follow; Friday, from 1pm to 9pm with entry costing €6, Saturday, from 10am to 9pm with entry costing €8 and Sunday 10am to 8pm with entry costing €8 or season tickets can be purchased

with discounts.

There will be a number of workshops and competitions, stalls selling all of the latest comics and much more as well as tattoo artists, musicians, body painting, voice over experts from anime and video games and of course large numbers of cosplayers including Alisyoun, Eothen and Jackwise Clown.

ONE of the most important parts of the Holy Week celebrations in Spain is the parade of not just the Holy statues but also the accessories worn by those taking part.

An exhibition of such accoutrements is now open at the Convent of Victoria in Vera and contains a large number of incredible pieces owned by the ve Veratense Brotherhoods.

Open Mondays to Fridays from 11am to 2pm and then 5pm to 7pm whilst on Saturdays visitors can view the displays from 11am to 1.30pm with the nal date being Wednesday March 6.

There is an extensive range of items on display including the cloak which drapes the Virgin of Angustias that is one of the oldest in the Province as it dates back to 1863.

DAMAGED: The PSOE office in Vera.

Credit: Antonio Martínez

FOR much of the 20th century, men who were wealthy often married women many years their junior whilst younger couples tended to come from less affluent families.

Now, according to figures released by Spain’s Institute of National Statistics (INE) in 2022 in Andalucia the average age of men getting married is just under 39 whilst women are aged 36 and this holds true for Almeria.

There are various reasons why people across the board tend to marry later in life partly due to the very fact that more and more live together for longer outside of marriage and even if dating, are often unable

Marriage matters

to afford to rent or buy somewhere but live separately with parents.

This means that they have to save longer in order to afford to get married but this in turn may be one of the reasons that in many smaller communities, the birth rate is getting lower even though people tend to live even longer.

This then highlights the fact that in the long term with fewer adults working because of the drop in birth rates and more people living longer and claiming pensions, at some stage there will be insufficient

+34 951 38 61 61 euroweeklynews.com

Weddings are later in life but still very important.

funds available to allow payment.

This of course is why

Spain and other countries are looking to raise the pensionable age.

Easter calls

AS the Carnival season comes to an end in preparation for Easter, so the last Parades have now been completed and in the words of The Seekers, The Carnival is Over.

The towns of Arboleas, Garrucha and Taberno enjoyed an explosion of colour with large numbers of troupes as well as skilled individuals created some incredible costumes and enjoyed their time walking through the streets of their towns.

There was music as they paraded through their towns to the excitement of the many spectators and this continued during the evening events where the winners were chosen, although in truth there were no losers, just some participants were just that little bit more inventive.

Man rescued Just Eat

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THE Maritime Rescue Service working in collaboration with the Spanish Armed Forces, scrambled a helicopter from its base in Almeria Port on the morning of Sunday February 25.

They were alerted that an individual, believed to be a migrant had been spotted in the Alboran Sea and was clearly suffering from hypothermia.

After rescuing the person, he was taken to land where he was handed over to paramedics for immediate treatment before being rushed to hospital for a more detailed examination.

THE food delivery company Just Eat holds competitions asking customers to nominate their favourite restaurant judged by quality of food and delivery.

Two brothers, Juan Manuel and Pedro Segura own three Italian restaurants in Almeria and with more participating restaurants and voters than ever before, their company Stanley & De Marco was named ‘Best South Zone Restaurant’ at an award ceremony in Madrid.

Credit: Rechanfle flickr

Do wah diddy Thief nabbed

John Smith FIONA HENDLEY will be sharing her Christian faith in the company of husband, singer and actor Paul Jones in Mojacar on April 6.

As Fiona explained, “we had both enjoyed our musical lifestyles but even before we met we were beginning to question where we were going and now looking back, I can see that God was preparing us to accept His light and joy.

“Our presentation in Mojacar will tell the story of how we discovered God and how it changed our lives.

“It’s light hearted and interspersed with song, mainly our favourite gospel music, with Paul also playing his harmonica and I suspect we will probably ‘break the ice’ with an early Manfred Mann hit.”

The fact that the event

Paul and Fiona doing what they do so well.

is entitled a ‘do wah diddy of an evening’, might just give a hint to one of the songs likely to make an appearance.

The event at the Centro

Paula and Fiona

Credit:

de Usos Multiples de la Fuente, Mojacar at 7.30pm on April 6 is free to enter but advance booking must be made by visiting turre church.es/pauljones.

Record transplants

SPAIN is one of the leaders in organ transplants in Europe and the Torrecárdenas University Hospital in Almeria has a great deal of experience in this type of surgery.

Unusually, it was recently involved in the delicate process of arranging a record six transplants from a single donor which involved the cooperation of specialists from different autonomous communities.

The hospital transplant coordinator Francisco Guerrero, said “thanks to the generosity of the family, this multiple donation has made it possible to perform six transplants, which means a record of transplants performed from a single donor.”

The actual procedures took an incredible 24 hours to complete but all were successful and to the benefit of patients in desperate need.

According to the hospital, when transplant coordinators interview a family in the process of grieving to offer them the option of donating organs, they are provided with all the necessary information to make them see that incorporating donation at the end of life is a good and supportive decision and a lasting memorial to the deceased.

THANKS to the active participation of residents in Roquetas de Mar, the Guardia Civil managed to stop a one man crime spree which took place between December and January.

The person arrested was believed to be responsible for no less then 21 individual crimes which included robbery with violence, theft, theft from a vehicle and other general crimes.

The modus operandi as described by victims saw the perpetrator swoop in on an electric scooter, with his head covered with the hood of a sweatshirt grabbing possessions including bags from victims and in some cases causing injury.

In parallel to the investigation by the Guardia Civil, the Local Police of Roquetas de Mar, arrested a thief who resisted them and it emerged that this person was considered by the Guardia Civil to be responsible for the crimes they were investigating and he was remanded in custody until his eventual trial.

Sold out

THE Certamen de Chirigotas 2024 held at the Water and Health Centre in Albox on Sunday February 25 was completely sold out.

The audience which was predominantly Spanish was delighted to enjoy the music and satire presented by crowd pleasers Chirigota Del Bizcocho, accompanied by Chirigota del Jallullo and Chirigota del Soto local Albox favourites.

The council has expressed its pride at the success of the evening which it boasts positions Albox at the epicentre of leisure and culture.

IF it takes a village to raise a child, then it takes an army of willing thespians to create, direct, stage and perform a first class production for their Community Theatre.

Hours, weeks and months of rehearsals, set building, costumes, props, venue sourcing and organising publicity takes place to this end and every member is a volunteer giving freely of their time, effort and skills, with the sole aim of entertaining you with a first rate production whilst raising funds for charity.

Janet Franklin who has lived in Bedar for 31 years is a sprightly and extremely active 80-year-old who wanted to be a professional actress.

However, love, marriage and a family came along so she has spent decades being involved with amateur dramatics.

As a Director, her diligent conscientiousness, earnest application plus laser-like precision is tireless and meticulous. “This is a world premiere and I am

Final call

thrilled and delighted to have an amazing cast” explained Janet “and I think I have found Almeria’s answer to Pauline Collins who starred in the film.”

The story of Mrs Caldicot’s Cabbage War deals with quite a poignant ageing scenario but it allows you to sit back, relax, be entertained and laugh!

The play will be presented at the Teatro Municipal Bedar on March 8 and 9, Teatro Museo Arboleas on March 15 and 16 and El Espacio Cultural Los Gallardos on March 22 and 23 by the Indalo Players.

Tickets cost €10 at each venue and to make your booking call 629 252 292 or 670 722 705.

MRS CALDICOT’S CABBAGE WAR: Actress and Director.

Credit: Indalo Players

Food for thought

PRESIDENT, Andy Pearson, Recently visited the Vera Food Bank, and was welcomed with open arms by Mario Vasquez who is the Volunteer Manager for this office.

Andy learnt some very interesting facts about the Vera Food Bank from Mario, and it helped Vera Lions to understand, exactly how the food banks in the area work. Vera is the main distribution centre, distributing food to Turre, Los Gallardos, Palomares, Garrucha, Cuevas del Almanzora and Antas, as well as operating the local food bank in Vera itself.

This centre serves over 1,300 families in total. Seven hundred and fifty of those are in Vera alone and the Vera Food Bank operates three times a week, as well as distributing the food to the other food banks mentioned above. No one within the centre is paid, all of their time is given voluntary.

They are a completely voluntary organisation and rely on donations to continue. They do receive some government funding but this only just covers the diesel they use to run the vans to collect and distribute the food. We as the Lions own, insure and maintain the vans.

Vera Food Bank receives large lorry loads of food, four times a year, which is donated from Almeria, however there is no finances available to pay for the fuel for these loads, something the Lions often help with again. These lorries of food are distributed evenly depending on the number of families the other food banks serve.

If you think you could help keep this organisation by organising a fundraiser or by giving a small financial donation, please contact the President, Andy on WhatsApp 711 005 682 or via email lions shopturre@gmail.com.

Exports lively

2023 was a good year for Almeria and its exports reached the second highest value since figures were first collected in 1995.

It could be argued that the 2023 figure of €5.664 billion is actually a little disappointing because it should have increased due to inflation, but in fact is 1.7 per cent lower than the €5.764 billion earned in the previous year.

What also needs to be taken into account however is the fact that there was a very positive trade surplus of €1.042 billion which compared very well with other provinces.

Perhaps to be expected, by far and away the most successful product was vegetables which accounts for 60 per cent of the Almerian exports and is growing, although the fruit sector whilst adding a useful €457 million was actually significantly done when compared to 2022.

The top three countries to import Alme-

rian produce and products were Germany accounting for 26 per cent of all exports, France at 10.5 per cent and despite the supposed difficulties caused by Brexit, the UK just 1 per cent behind France.

According to the farmers, their income and presumably share of exports would be much greater were it not for the drought and restrictive regulations imposed by the European Union.

FOOD BANK: Lorries distribute parcels to a number of families.

Greenhouses in Almeria.

Credit: European Union, Copernicus Sentinel

How much of your income do you lose to tax?

If you ever had the feeling that you have spent half your working life just paying tax, you are not far wrong. What with income tax, national insurance/social security, capital gains tax, VAT, council tax, excise duties and so on, a considerable amount of our income goes straight to the taxman each year.

Even if you are retired, you are still faced with tax on savings, investments and pensions. Having paid so many taxes all your life, you will not want to pay more than necessary – that’s why tax planning plays such an important part in protecting your wealth.

Each year the Institut Economique Molinari compares the taxes payable by the average wage earner across the EU member states and the UK, measuring how many work days of each year are devoted to paying taxes. While it focuses on wages and the tax and social security employees pay, it illustrates the general tax burden of each country.

Tax freedom day

By Jon Pemberton, Partner, Blevins Franks

The study calculates a “tax liberation day” for each country – the date on which an employee has earned enough to pay off all taxes for the year – and identifies the average “real tax rate” for workers (gross salary minus all tax liabilities).

2023’s report reveals the average tax freedom day across the EU was 10 June, a day earlier than 2022. Cyprus had the earliest date with 16 April, while France had the latest with 17 July.

How did Spain fare?

Spain’s tax freedom day fell on 8 June, one day later than the previous year, placing it twelfth in the rankings. Spanish employees worked 159 days of the year just to pay their tax bill.

The average gross salary is €34,989, but after the real tax rate of 43.4%, Spanish are left with €19,792 to spend on themselves.

What about the UK?

According to this study, the UK’s tax freedom day landed on 9 May, with a real tax rate of 35.2%.

However, the UK’s Adam Smith Institute uses a different methodology to calculate tax freedom day and includes indirect taxes. This approach places the UK’s 2023 date on 18 June. This is 10 days later than in 2022,

which itself was a week later than in 2021, and the latest date since reliable records began in 1995.

The ASI expects the UK’s tax freedom day to continue to fall later in the year and hit 23 June in 2025, the latest since the early 1960s according to historical data.

How much tax did you pay in 2023?

Of course, the research is just indicative of the average taxpayer in each country – higher earners will generally have a later tax freedom day, though if you are retired then you don’t have to worry about social/national insurance contributions.

Every taxpayer is different, but if you felt you paid too much tax in 2023 now is the time to take action to see if you can mitigate your liabilities in 2024.

In many cases, there are steps you can take to lighten your tax burden, especially on your capital investments and pensions. While we all have to pay our share of taxes, cross-border taxation is highly complex; do not risk getting it wrong or paying more than you have to. Take personalised, specialist advice on the compliant tax mitigation opportunities available in Spain and the UK – you may be surprised at how you can improve your tax situation.

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.

Town twinning

THE mayors of both Cuevas de Almanzora and Vera travelled to the Murcian town of Mazarron to commemorate the sacrifice of miners in the 19th century.

Alongside miners who lived in Mazarron, many workers from the two Almerian towns were attracted to the town due to the work, that was available at the time, albeit it was dangerous and took them away from their families.

Now, more than a century later the three towns remember their

brave and hard working ancestors and plan to twin together in recognition of their close past.

The three mayors jointly unveiled a monument designed by Mariano Guillén which contains the names of miners who died in the largest of the pit disasters which took place 131 years ago in 1893 when 28 workers were killed in the accident at the Impensada mine.

Appropriately, the monument is made from white marble quarried at the works in Macael in Almeria and weighing four tons.

PROMOTING health, wellness and sporting practice, Albox, which considers itself the sports capital of the Almanzora region is hosting eight Sunday hikes.

Under the title ‘Programa Senderos Albox 2024’ it has created a sports and fun activity oriented towards the whole family which began on Sunday February 25 with the first event along the Los Genoveses-Monsul trail.

There will be a further seven routes one in April, one in July, two in September, one in October and two in November ideal for lovers of hiking lovers to enjoy being in the fresh air and discovering different and fascinating parts of the municipality.

Sunday hikes

The forthcoming programmes will introduce areas associated with history and culture, such as the famous Aljambra Tower (12th century Arab tower) and the Tower of Terdiguera (13th century Arab tower) as well as other corners of Albox such as the Observatory as well as allowing those taking part to experience the town at night.

Tourist growth

BUSINESS thrives on commerce and any town can only grow if its residents are in work and generating income.

Tourism of all types is an important generator of wealth and it doesn’t have to be from people visiting from abroad as Spanish day trippers are also important.

The Cuevas del Almanzora

Council has announced that 2023 was an exceptional year for visitors and estimates that almost 30,000 people visited the town.

This is particularly welcome as two of the main attractions were temporarily closed in order for their facilities to be upgraded.

Most popular sites for tou-

rists to visit were the Tourist Information Office and the Antonio Manuel Campoy Museum of Contemporary Art which between them welcomed 20,225 people followed by 3,470 at the Villaricos Pit, 3,700 at the Cueva Museo and nearly 2,000 who visited the Álvarez de Sotomayor Poet Museum.

Unveiling of the monument.

Credit: Mazarron Council

Seven routes will be available.

Credit: Mazarron Council

IT training for residents

SPAIN grants €21 million to internet training of rural residents across the country.

The Spanish government is allocating millions in subsidies to integrate the technology into the lives of farmers and other residents of rural towns.

The Reto Rural Digital has organised a technology training programme, aimed at residents of small towns with a population of less than 5.000 people.

The training includes a minimum of 7.5 hours of training and digital consulting, in which farmers are taught basic skills in navigation, information discovery, data management and digital content tracking.

The digitisation of neglected rural regions of Spain has been a key priority in the government’s management of depopulation.

The top three aims of the Spanish National Digital Agenda include the policies of broadening the infrastructure, public services and rural digital innovation skills.

In 2019, a similar and e ective campaign was carried out, providing support of €5-6 million to boost the digital transformation of rural areas, including technical training for the residents.

The first Urban Art Gallery

John Smith

SOME 25 years ago, the village of Fanzara high in the mountains in the interior of Castellon Province in eastern Spain, was in danger of becoming a ghost town.

There were plans for the installation of a toxic waste incinerator and whilst villagers demonstrated against it, their children played at demonstrating as well.

In the end, it wasn’t constructed but this didn’t help the villagers actually find work or sustain their families.

Two locals Javier López and Rafa Gascó thought that Fanzara could become a thriving community if they could come up with a new idea which would encourage visitors to spend some time and some money there.

Their simple idea, which has now been copied and expanded upon by many towns throughout Spain was to invite graffiti artists to visit the village and paint really attractive designs on

Credit: MIAU Fanzara Facebook

to help the costs and the artists raised funds themselves online and by selling merchandise.

the walls of different houses, turning the village into an urban art gallery.

Sounds simple but in those days, urban art was seen as potentially mindless vandalism but eventually the pair persuaded some of the elderly residents to allow the walls of their properties to become ‘blank canvasses’.

Next step was to find artists prepared to visit the village and create some work, but it escalated beyond all expectation.

In fact 23 artists, mainly Spanish, answered the call

and in that first year, no less than 44 murals had been created in what was then dubbed the MIAU, or Museo Inacabado de Arte Urbano (Unfinished Museum of Urban Art).

At the time, the Fanzara Council contributed €2,000

Each year, since then, there has been a festival inviting new artists from around the world to add to the artwork in the village, although there was something of a hiatus in 2023 when there was a change in the make-up of the council with the Partido Popular taking control and allegedly imposing certain restrictions on what wording could appear accompanying the artwork.

Despite this, the village of Fanzara is arguably the first and most complete example of concentrated Urban Art in Spain.

No to au pairs

Linda Hall

NORWAY’S government announced that it will no longer grant residence permits for au pairs.

Labour Party MP, Per Vidar Kjolmoen, explained to a TV2 interviewer that what should be a mutually bene cial arrangement was increasingly exploited as a cheap labour source.

“The au pair scheme was supposed to be about cultural exchange,” he said. “It was a way of giving young people the chance of a job and somewhere to live in return for providing help with childcare and housework.”

In Norway, where the average monthly wage reached 56,360 kroner (€4,961) in 2023, an au pair receives 5,900 kroner (€519.36) a month, plus food and accommodation.

She - or he - is supposed to work 30 hours each week with one day o .

This arrangement was not always adhered to, Kjolmoen told TV2.

Although the legislation came into e ect mid February, au pairs currently living in the country with a Norwegian residence permit have two years to conclude the arrangement.

Applicants who had already booked an appointment to present their paperwork to the Norwegian Immigration Directorate (UDI) by March 15, 2024, will still receive a permit.

The new law has not come as a surprise, as Labour minister Marte Mjos Persen announced the measure in March 2023.

“The system is being used to obtain cheap domestic help,” Mjos said.

Peggy Hessen Folsvik, who heads the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions agreed at the time that the au pair scheme resulted in exploiting women, citing the 2017 case of a wealthy couple who received a hefty ne and a ve-month prison term for abusing au pairs from the Philippines.

“I am simply relieved that this scheme has now been put to an end,” she said to a local newspaper.

Just one of the numerous urban murals in Fanzara.

Mystery picture

Linda Hall

A POSSIBLE Van Gogh self-portrait has come to light in Ghent in Belgium.

Hannes and Lore discovered the painting during extensions to their home, Lore explained to the VRT broadcaster.

As the family had outgrown the house the couple bought in 2008, they recently purchased the neighbouring property which they are currently converting into a single home.

They immediately recognised the Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh in a picture painted directly onto plaster which until then had been covered with insulation.

The previous owner is no longer alive but her son has told VRT that the picture must have been there before 1993 when she went there to live.

Their first thought was

to contact the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam but after failing to receive a reply, they contacted a local art expert, Lore told VRT.

An initial examination was inconclusive, although the age of the plasterwork suggested the painting was old. On the other hand, although the style was ‘awkward’, that did not rule out the possibility that it was Van Gogh’s work, the expert explained, as the artist often made rough preliminary studies for the pictures he painted later.

Could Van Gogh have painted it?

Photo credit: VRT News/Ward Schouppe

The dates add up, as the district where Hannes and Lore live was built between 1875 and 1890, while Van Gogh’s letters reveal that he passed through Ghent in 1885 after leaving Paris for a three-day journey to the Netherlands.

Jannes and Lore also have a theory that Van Gogh could have painted the picture to pay for his stay in the house which, rather than a lodging house, was possibly a brothel, Lore believes.

Meanwhile, Ghent University is interested in analysing the painting, as the pigments used could help to date it.

Paris gets ready

THE Paris booksellers whose distinctive dark green stalls line three kilometres of the Seine will not have to move during the Olympics.

When the 2024 Games begin on July 26 with all national teams sailing down the Seine on a fleet of 100 boats, this will be the first time that an opening ceremony is held outside the main stadium.

During the early planning stages for the event, police ordered that 600 of

the 900 stalls needed to be removed amid concerns they would be ideal for concealing explosive devices.

The (booksellers) immediately complained, comparing the absence of their stalls to ‘a tooth extraction’, while announcing that they intended to take legal action to prevent their removal.

After negotiations failed to find a ‘consensual and reassuring solution’, France’s president Em-

manuel Macron had to intervene, asking the Interior Ministry and police to ensure that none of the bookstalls would be forced to move.

The spire should be entirely visible in time for the Olympics, the Etablissement Public, which is attached to the Ministry of Culture confirmed.

“Dismantling the scaffolding has started and will continue over the coming months,” a spokesperson told the AFP news agency.

HIDDEN TREASURE: Could this be a Van Gogh self-portrait?

SEINE BOOKSELLERS: Will not be forced to move during the Olympic Games.

Photo credit: CC/Ninara

Turning sunshine into gold

NO one doubts the health benefits of Spain’s greatest asset: Olive Oil, but in a corner of the Andalucian olive grove, a woman, in a world led by men, growing organically when everyone around her was working in conventional agrochemical production, Bioluz was born, and Esperanza Marín’s organic adventure began.

Anyone who has driven through the Cordoba countryside will have seen the olive groves with the land around and between the trees stripped bare to the pale soil. The Euro Weekly News spoke exclusively to the woman who pioneered a more ecological way of growing olives and in the process produces the highest quality oil using only nature and the warmth of the sun.

was that that the environment now needed chemicals, and that if you didn’t spray your olive trees, they would not produce a harvest due to being attacked by pests. “But I knew this wasn’t right and I looked for the opportunity to learn about organic farming,” Esperanza recalls.

Esperanza Marín grew up helping her parents in the countryside and she tells of the days when she saw the birds falling from the trees after the chemical treatments. Her love of nature made her determined to change this, and the practices which had become common in the olive growing world.

In springtime, her olive grove looks more like an English wild flower meadow than the stark clean skimmed earthy surroundings of many of her neighbours. She tells how, in 2007, the received wisdom

She met with some other producers who were equally concerned about the direction things were moving in, and Subbética Ecológica was founded. Esperanza instinctively knew that bugs needed to live, too, and if you removed their environment, of course they would attack the trees. She immediately started to convert the land she had inherited from her parents into an ecological paradise.

“At that time, if I said I was going green, and talked about it among the men, they didn’t see it as viable,” she tells EWN.

It took years of hard

work, but Esperanza gradually created an oasis of diversity and natural vegetation in an environment dominated by olive trees and poor soils. Tragically, her husband Paco, who, with Esperanza, was a well-known face at the local farmers’ markets, died in January of this year, but accompanied by her sister, Nati, she continues her work.

Esperanza explains how the price of her oil is set. After harvesting and pressing the olives at a carefully chosen mill, the volume of oil has to meet her production, distribution, and living costs. She sets the price for the year, and reviews the following January based on the new harvest. Drought has severely impacted on the volume of oil produced. Hence, the price of Olive Oil has risen sharply. Ecological Olive Oil producers can be found on subbeticaecolo gica.com.

Photo: Subbética Ecológica

A springtime garden.

Esperanza Marín, and sister, Nati.

EUROPOL has revealed that in a sweeping crackdown carried out in 2023, a coalition of law enforcement, customs, and health agencies from 30 countries joined forces in the fight against the trafficking of counterfeit and misused medicines.

Dubbed Operation SHIELD, the initiative was spearheaded by a steering group from France, Greece, Italy and Spain, with the Guardia Civil playing a crucial role.

The operation’s efforts were bolstered by several European institutions, including the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), and resulted in significant seizures valued at over €64 million.

Spain’s involvement through the Guardia Civil underscored the operation’s comprehensive approach, targeting not only the trafficking networks but also the online platforms facilitating these illegal sales.

The trafficking of pharmaceuticals has emerged as a lucrative venture for

Fake medicine

organised crime, posing significant risks to public health and burdening healthcare systems across the EU. The operation uncovered a disturbing pattern of large-scale trafficking, with the sale of counterfeit medicines leading to severe health consequences.

The crackdown led to 1,284 individuals being charged, with 296 arrests and 988 prosecutions underway. Authorities dismantled four underground labs, shut down 92 websites, and carried out

thousands of inspections and anti-doping controls. These efforts underscore the scale of the problem and the determination of the authorities to combat it.

Operation SHIELD

IV marks a significant step forward in the fight against the trafficking of counterfeit and misused medicines. With the collaboration of international agencies, the operation highlights the ongoing battle to safeguard public health and integrity in the pharmaceutical sector.

Credit: europol.europa.eu

Illegal medicines seized.

Historic bracelets returned

John Smith

AFTER considerable investigation, the premier of the Flanders region of Belgium, Jan Jambon was able to return three antique gold bracelets to a Romanian delegation.

The presentation at the Antwerp Museum on February 19 was the culmination of months of investigation by archaeologists and a police team following the discovery of two supposed Belgian gold bracelets entered into an auction in Monaco and said to date back to 1,000 BC.

If this was true, then they would have been an important find for the history of Flanders but experts considered that the explanation by the owner that they had been found after dredging a moat around a property in Flanders unconvincing.

Nothing of this type has ever been found in Belgium and the style was typical of the type of bracelets found in the Eastern

Carpathians.

The bracelets were immediately classified as of historical importance which meant that they were withdrawn from the auction where they had an estimated value of €80,000 to €100,000 and the ‘owner’ was interviewed.

It then emerged that he

had obtained three rather than two bracelets in Romania from an illegal excavation and they had been exported without a licence which then allowed the authorities to confiscate them and return these important examples of Romanian heritage back to the country that they had been removed from.

Return of the three bracelets.

Credit: Jan Jambon Facebook

John

Smith

IF someone asked you what Barcelona, Brussels, Paris, Prague and Rome have in common you could come up with many answers, but probably not this one.

Very simply each of those capital cities boasts a World of Banksy ‘museum’ and they proudly boast that “In the spirit of Banksy’s famously known claim that “Copyright is for losers”, our exhibitions are proudly and openly “100 per cent unauthorised” and have been organised entirely without his involvement.”

Banksy of course is a British gra ti artist, who is considered one of the main representatives of contemporary street art. His works, often satirical, address universal issues such as politics, culture or ethics.

His work pops up all over the

World of Banksy

Just one of more than 100 Banksy artworks on display.

place, mainly in the UK, but he has worked under-cover in many countries and cities including Bethlehem, Calais, Chicago, Jerusalem, Kyiv, Los Angeles, New Orleans and Paris.

The main irony is that although

Credit: Copyright is for losers

his work tends to be anti-establishment, he has been adopted by the art world, meaning his work is worth a fortune and even the famous shredded artwork at the infamous Sotheby sale which sold for just over £1 million in 2018 was resold in 2021 for more than £18.5 million.

People ght over the right to remove his gra ti from walls not because they are opposed to gra ti but because they know how much it is going to be worth.

Each of the World of Banksy exhibitions has more than 100 copies of his work, often recreated by other street artists and there are regular pop-up shows in other cities such as Berlin.

Blow against cybercrime

AN announcement on Tuesday February 20 revealed how an international investigation has disrupted the world’s most harmful cybercrime group.

The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has declared a signi cant victory against LockBit, labelled as the most destructive cybercrime syndicate in the world.

The NCA, in a covert operation, in ltrated and commandeered LockBit’s operations. This strategic move

Grape expectations

has neutralised their cybercriminal network entirely. LockBit, known for its ransomware attacks over the past four years, has victimised thousands internationally, in icting nancial damages in the billions of pounds, dollars, and euros.

PLANS for expanding Florence’s airport have taken an intriguing turn with the proposal of adding a 19-acre vineyard on its roof.

Rafael Viñoly Architects, based in the US, presented designs for renovating the airport’s international terminal, which include this unique feature paying homage to Florence’s association with Tuscany, famous for its wine.

While details are still somewhat scarce, the vision outlined by the architects involves a terminal covering 50,000 square metres, topped by a sloping roof adorned with skylights and hosting around 38 rows of grapevines.

This concept is expected to introduce Europe’s rst airport vineyard, a rare combination seen previously only at the Halter Ranch vineyard in California, catering to

licensed pilots and wine enthusiasts.

The cultivation and production of wine are likely to be managed onsite, with a spokesperson from Rafael Viñoly Architects mentioning that a respected local winemaker will oversee the vineyard’s

care and that wine production and ageing will occur in specialised cellars beneath the terminal. The project is set to be executed in two phases, with the rst phase scheduled for completion by 2026 and the second phase by 2035.

This disruption targeted LockBit’s ransomware services, a scheme o ering malicious tools for global hackers. When LockBit infected a system, it encrypted data and demanded ransom in cryptocurrency, threatening to leak the information online. The NCA’s seizure of LockBit’s administrative environment and leak site marks a signi cant blow to their operations.

The NCA now plans to use the seized dark website to expose LockBit’s operations. They’ve also gained access to the group’s source code and detailed intelligence on their activities. This operation, named Operation Cronos, involved close collaboration with the FBI and international partners from nine other countries.

In a coordinated e ort with Europol, arrests were made in Poland and Ukraine, with over 200 cryptocurrency accounts frozen.

The US Department of Justice has charged two individuals with crimes related to LockBit ransomware attacks, highlighting the global commitment to dismantling cybercrime networks.

Home Secretary James Cleverly commended the NCA’s expertise: “The National Crime Agency’s world-leading expertise has delivered a major blow to the people behind the most proli c ransomware strain in the world.”

The NCA encourages public cooperation, urging organisations to report ransomware attacks promptly. This collaborative approach enhances the ability to counteract and prevent further damage by cybercriminals.

Tuscany is famous for its wine.

Image:

IRELAND

More hope

TAOISEACH (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar announced an €800 million investment in cross-border projects, which he said was the largest-ever package of this kind. “The return of the power-sharing executive is hugely important for the people of Northern Ireland,” Varadkar said, “and has brought renewed hope.”

Penny-wise

IRELAND’S national debt works out at €42,000 for every member of the population, making it one of the highest in the world, the Department of Finance said. It also warned that by 2030, the Irish state would need an additional €8 billion a year to maintain current funding levels for areas like healthcare and pensions.

EURO PRESS

BELGIUM

No romance

THERE was no truth in rumours that Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, who is first in line to the throne and studying at Oxford, was “in a relationship with a fellow student named Nicholas,” the young man’s family said. “They merely go to the same college and study together,” a relative told a UK newspaper.

ELISABETH: Belgium’s crown princess with King Charles.

SWEDEN

Boar off

WILD boars were found dead near Fagersta, 145 kilometres north-west of Stockholm, in August and September 2023 although Swedish expert Karl Stahl said there was currently “zero” risk of more swine fever in Sweden. The last wild boar to test positive died in September and the disease was no longer circulating, Stahl said.

False alarm

A SUSPICIOUS package found amongst luggage on an SAS flight taking off from Arlanda Airport turned out to be harmless, said police who were called to the scene on February 21. Passengers were evacuated while the aircraft was cordoned off but later allowed to return and continue with their journey.

NORWAY DENMARK

Less rich

NORWAY had Europe’s highest disposable income in 2022 but its average of €8,337 by late 2023 put it in sixth place after Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Austria according to Eurostat, the European data agency. Economic experts attributed the decline to higher interest rates on mortgages and bank loans.

Jellyfish peril

A TOTAL of 65 million farmed salmon perished in Norway’s fish farms in 2023, a 27 per cent increase on 2022, the Institute of Marine Research reported. The “dizzyingly” high number was caused by jellyfish attacks on fish farm pens as well as outbreaks of diseases which required the destruction of millions of fish.

ITALY FRANCE

Dog danger

A GIRL of two was helicoptered to a Rome hospital in a serious condition after she was attacked by her grandmother’s two dogs, one of which was a German shepherd. The attack occurred in her grandparents’ home in Anguillara Sabazia, where they were looking after the child while her parents were at work.

In a hole

THE occupants of a parked car and another that was moving were rescued with minor injuries after a sinkhole in a Naples street swallowed both vehicles in the early hours of February 21. Gaetano Manfredi, Naples’ mayor, said the incident was the result of neglecting the city’s sewage system “for many years.”

Hot stuff

NINE HUNDRED tons of lithium batteries recently went up in smoke at a Viviez (Toulouse) recycling plant. Essential for items ranging from mobile phones to electric cars, the batteries’ combination of inflammable materials and stored energy meant they ignited easily when exposed to heat, firefighters explained.

Veg pledge

THE French Nutrition Society (SFN), a body of public and private sector nutrition experts, together with Climate Action Network (RAC), issued a document stating that the French needed to change their eating habits. They were also advised to reduce meat consumption “for the sake of the planet’s health.”

Keep out

DENMARK is fighting a UK ban on fishing for sand eels on Dogger Bank in the North Sea, maintaining that Britain is reneging on the Brexit agreement. The sand eel is an important primary source for the country’s produce fishmeal and fish oil industry in Denmark, Foreign minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said.

Toxic buildup

WASTE from an abandoned steelworks in Frederiksvaerk is contaminating Roskilde Fjord with hazardous manmade PFAS chemicals and equally dangerous phenols. The pollution, which accumulated over decades, could “probably” put the fjord at risk, a report by the Greater Copenhagen regional authority maintained.

Back home

FOREIGN residents who work in Portugal sent €570 million to their countries of origin in 2023, an increase of 7.39 per cent on 2022, when they sent back €530.96 million and comfortably above the €504.17 million sent in 2021. Much of this went to Brazil, which accounted for around half of the remittances.

Revenue loss

ELIMINATING tolls on the former motorway in the Interior and Algarve would cost the state around €113 million, Miguel Cruz, stated-owned Infraestruturas de Portugal’s chairman, told the Portuguese media. He also confirmed that the Beira Alta and South International Corridor railway lines would be completed in 2024.

NETHERLANDS

Nice and warm

FEBRUARY 15 was the warmest February 15 ever known, with temperatures reaching 15.5 degrees, announced the De Bilt weather station near Utrecht where official records are set. “We have broken a lot more heat records than cold records over the past few years,” said Marco Verhoef, the NOS broadcaster’s weatherman.

Wrong snow

SKI accidents were 10 per cent up in the Netherlands so far in 2024, compared to 2023, the Eurocross emergency response centre said, with “breaks, knee injuries and torn ligaments.” The problem was warm weather which produced the slushy kind of snow responsible for accidents like these, a spokesperson said.

FINLAND

GERMANY PORTUGAL

Moving out

HUNDREDS of Finns who received more than €50,000 a year in unearned income moved abroad between 2019-2022 to dodge or reduce the amount of capital gains tax they had to pay, a report from the Finnwatch organisation maintained. Sweden, Switzerland, Spain and the US were the most popular boltholes.

In tune

GRAMEX, Finland’s copyright organisation, quoted figures which showed that a record-breaking number of songs were registered in 2023. The 21,785 new songs, many of them the work of social media influencers, that were registered with Gramex last year was 30 per cent higher than those copyrighted in 2022.

Empty pews

FIVE Catholic churches closed recently in Kiel, where most of the population are Protestant and buildings are being deconsecrated and demolished to make way for housing. By last year only 50 per cent of Germans belonged to the two principal Christian faiths, which have lost hundreds of thousands of parishioners.

Tesla tussle

RESIDENTS in Grunheide, a rural community under 8,000, voted against authorising a rail goods depot and storage facilities which would have been used by Tesla’s batteries and car assembly plant. Plans, which included building a goods depot and storage facilities, would have entailed felling 250 acres of trees.

FINANCE

BUSINESS EXTRA

Filling up

SPAIN now has 12,636 independent petrol stations, overtaking the Repsol, Cepsa or BP chains and accounting for 45 per cent of the country’s network, the National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) figures revealed. Selfservice outlets are also due to increase from 13 to 20 per cent of the total this year.

Looking better

BANK OF ENGLAND governor Andrew Bailey told the Treasury Select Committee on February 20 that there were “clear signs of an upturn” although the economy went into recession at the end of 2023. He also told the MPs that current investor bets on a cut in the bank rate were no longer “unreasonable.”

Arms race

CHARLES WOODBURN, chief executive of the British armaments multinational BAE Systems, revealed that the company had accumulated £70 billion (€81.7 billion) of orders by late 2023. He also warned that although global conflict boosted arms sales, ramping up production after post-Cold War cutbacks “took time”.

Eagle eye

AN EU directive now in force throughout Spain means that the Agencia Tributaria tax authority will want more extensive information regarding earnings that are made via digital platforms like Wallapop, eBay, Vinted or Airbnb. Tax returns must be made after taking an annual €2,000 or making 30 transactions.

Bodywork

THE BODY SHOP confirmed that it was closing almost half of its 198 UK stores for good, with seven that shut down on February 20. New owners, the European private equity firm Aurelius which specialises in turning round failing companies, is also cutting 40 per cent of jobs at its London headquarters.

€1.46 billion STAT OF WEEK

outlay for the latest share buyback programme announced by Santander bank, together with a 50 per cent increase in its dividend for 2023 compared with 2022’s.

Hunt’s wiggle room

Linda Hall

BRITAIN’S Chancellor

Jeremy Hunt has a £9.2 billion (€10.7 billion) surplus to play with for his March 6 pre-election Budget.

During the first 10 months of the government’s financial year, which ends on March 31, borrowing amounted to £96.6 billion (€112.8 billion), the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed.

This was below the expectations of the tax and spending regulator, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), which anticipated government borrowing of £105.8 billion (€123.6 billion) at this stage. The record figure was boosted by a £16.7 billion

Green

(€19.5 billion) surplus in January, which is the month when British taxpayers file their returns and was also helped by lower interest payments on government debt. This was more than twice January 2023’s £7.5

billion (€8.7 billion) surplus.

Nevertheless, financial markets had foreseen an £18.7 billion (€21.8 billion) surplus. Jessica Barnaby, deputy director of the ONS’ Public Sector division revealed that “in nominal

for Orange

AFTER a lengthy in-depth scrutiny of the €18.6 billion deal, Brussels cleared the Orange-MasMovil merger on February 20.

But there are strings attached as the EU’s Competition regulator had previously feared that creating the largest operator in Spain would push up prices for mobile customers by more than 10 per cent.

As a result, Brussels is obliging the newly-formed company to cede three of its frequency spectrum bands to Romania-based Digi.

SPAIN’S trade gap fell by 40 per cent to €40.56 billion in 2023, thanks to a 7 per cent reduction in energy imports, particularly gas.

Xiana Mendez, the country’s junior minister for Commerce, announced exports which reached €383.68 billion last year, the second-highest yet after the record year of 2022, with imports of €424 billion. The European Union remained Spain’s principal export market and accounted for 62.7 per cent of the total although exports to Australia and other Oceania countries rose by 8.7 per cent, followed by Latin America (8.1per cent) and European countries outside the EU (4.6 per cent).

“The commitments offered by the parties will enable Digi, the largest and fastest-growing mobile virtual network operator in Spain, to replicate the strong competitive pressure exerted by MasMovil,” announced Competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager.

Digi will also receive an option for a national roaming agreement, the commissioner said.

Between them, the merged companies will have 7.3 million broadband clients, more than 30 million mobile phone clients and approximately 2.2

THE National High Court in Madrid upheld National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) claims of a price-fixing milk cartel.

This provided nine companies with cheap supplies while preventing farmers from negotiating prices, the tribunal ruled.

The court rejected appeals from Calidad Pascual, Central Lechera Galicia, Grupo Lactalis Iberia, Nestle and Schrieber Food España, but lowered the fines totalling €86 million which the CNMC recommended to €28 million.

Appeals by Comercial Alimentaria Peñasanta, Danone, Industrias Lacteas Granada (Puleva), and Asociacion de Empresas Lacteas de Galicia were partially accepted, as the time limit for some of the periods under investigation had expired.

terms” the January surplus was the greatest since modern records began in 1993, although borrowing in the 10 months ending in January 2024 was only marginally lower than in the same period in 2023.

Falling inflation measured by the retail prices index resulted in lower payments to those holding government bonds, Barnaby added, while an end to last year’s support for energy bills also reduced state spending.

National debt as a share of the economy had continued to increase and represented 96.7 per cent of Britain’s gross product (GDP) in January, an increase of 1.8 percentage points.

television subscribers. This gives them more customers than any other Spanish telecommunications company, pushing Telefonica into second place for the first time in its history.

The new company, which will continue to be headquartered in France, envisages annual revenues of €7.4 billion.

Tower power

LONDON’S Grade II-listed BT Tower will become a hotel.

The telecoms company announced that it was selling the 189-metre tower to the US hotel chain MCR Hotels for £275 million (€321.2 million). The technological value of the tower completed in 1964 was now ‘limited’ owing to the evolution of both landline and mobile networks, BT Group explained.

Converting the Fitzrovia site into a hotel will need time, as BT Group expects to take years to vacate the tower because of the ‘scale and complexity’ of removing all its technical equipment.

TWENTY-FIVE

per cent of Britain’s capital gains went to Londoners between 2015 and 2019.

Even then, the gains were concentrated in five London constituencies of Kensington, City of London and Westminster; Chelsea and Fulham; Hampstead and Kilburn and Richmond Park.

Residents in Notting Hill, which belongs to Kensington and is an enclave of 6,400 people, earned as much in capital gains during this four-year period as Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle combined. All would have benefited from a lower tax rate than the tax which must be paid on income earned from a salary.

Meanwhile, researchers from the University of Warwick and the London School of Economics who analysed unidentifiable personal tax returns between 2015 and 2019 found that 97 per cent of the population received no capital gains at all.

SPAIN’S government is scrutinising the €632 million Talgo takeover by Hungarian group, Magyar Vagon.

As rolling stock manufacturer Talgo is strategically important, the government reserves the right to veto the proposed deal. “Should it give permission, it would do so with the assurance that it could maintain strategic control,” Industry minister Jordi Hereu added.

Magyar Vagon said jobs and Talgo factories would remain in Spain, although the government is analysing possible links with Hungary’s government headed by Viktor Orban and the possible involvement of Russian cash.

BARCLAYS will lend a minimum of £30 billion (€35 billion) to UK families and businesses over the next three years.

Demonstrating its faith in Britain’s economy, the bank is forsaking lending restrictions that were imposed first by Brexit and later by the pandemic, Barclays’ chief executive CS Venkatakrishnan - known as Venkat - said.

Instead it would invest more money in UK credit card lending, mortgages, unsecured loans and business loans.

Photo credit: orange.com

Photo credit: HM Treasury/ Andrew Parsons

MERGER: Orange-MasMovil will be headquartered in France.

BUSINESS EXTRA

It’ll cost you

NET ZERO emissions will cost more than the public realises, the International Monetary Fund’s former chief economist Olivier Blanchard told the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee on February 20. The low-carbon economy was “necessary”, Blanchard conceded, but it was essential to send out the message it was going to be expensive, he said.

Up and down

TELEFONICA reported 2023 revenues of €40.65 billion in 2023, 1.6 per cent more than 2022 and its highest since the pandemic. Despite this increase, the telecoms company was €892 in the red for the first time since 2002 after spending €1.3 billion on redundancies and €3.6 billion on its UK subsidiary, Virgin Media 02.

Significant Gibraltar

NIGEL FEETHAM, Gibraltar’s Minister for Justice, Trade and Industry, recently met several senior leaders from the gambling sector.

They included Stella David and Per Widerstrom, respective chief executives of Entain Group and 888 Holdings.

The 888 company acquired the William Hill brand in July 2022 and is currently integrating both businesses in Gibraltar. Entain has also been through some structural changes.

FASHION multinational Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) is losing out to rivals.

H&M reported a €775-million profit for 2023, compared with €316 million in 2022, although its share price has dipped 16 per cent over the last six months and it closed 28 stores in Spain alone. Underlying problems were demonstrated by the sudden departure of chief executive Helena Helm on

January 31. Bankinter analyst Elena Fernandez-Trapiella Janssen explained to national daily, El Pais, that Helm’s departure came as a surprise although it was obvious that her turnaround plans were not gelling. “They closed offices and improved efficiency, but profit margins remained below 7 per cent, compared with Inditex’s 23 per cent,” Fernandez-Trapiella said.

“These companies have significant substance in Gibraltar and are major contributors to the local economy,” Feetham said.

The gambling sector accounts for around 28 per cent of Gibraltar’s gross domestic product (GDP), the minister pointed out.

“Our meetings provided an opportunity to discuss several issues,” Feetham continued. “These included regulation, taxation, business optimisation and the substance that gambling firms were required, and expected, to maintain in Gibraltar as part of the licensing proposition.”

The minister also expressed satisfaction with the companies’ commitment to Gibraltar as an important hub for multi-jurisdictional businesses.

He was very grateful for the time invested in these discussions and agreed to remain closely engaged with both companies, Feetham added.

UNION negotiations with the finance sector revealed that thanks to internal restructuring and record profits, Santander had 357 executives who earned more than €1 million in 2023, 30 per cent up on 2024. Two top earners were newly-recruited executives whose ‘golden hello’ bonuses put them on salaries outstripping that of the bank chairman Ana Botin, Santander sources disclosed.

Big earners Luton boost

ITALY-US vehicle manufacturing conglomerate Stellantis announced from 2025 it would produce medium-sized electric vans at the Vauxhall plant in Luton for the Citroen, Peugeot and Fiat Professional brands. The move will safeguard the jobs of the plant’s 1,500 employees following difficult times for the automotive sector owing to Brexit trade complications and a shortage of semiconductor chips.

Photo credit: Nigel Feetham

NIGEL FEETHAM: Gibraltar’s Minister for Justice, Trade and Industry.

Complete control

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

OTHERS THINK IT

ALMOST two years ago I wrote that Labour had to make sure their anti-governmental actions must continue unabated if they had any chance of winning the next election. Almost unbelievably Starmer’s brigades are still managing to do precisely that.

With the assistance of the unions and biased media, they have maintained strike after strike, continuing to depress and demoralise a British public into such a climate of misery and dejection that it will do almost anything to bring a little sunshine and hope into their beleaguered lives.

This week the Unions announced that the train drivers’ strikes could continue for another six months (surprise, surprise). An action which will extend the long suffering of the public perpetrated by a group of employees, already actually earning in advance of £1,250 a week!

If Labour does get in, the Union bosses, before returning to relax in their Costa villas, will triumphantly converge on number 10 and amid the pints of beer and me-

dium sherries, congratulate each other on a successful conspiracy well-coordinated and organised. The biased media will ease up on all depressive reporting and smile broadly at their ‘relieved’ viewers as the solutions to long term problems appear to miraculously come to pass.

In the first hundred days, the Rayner brigade will be a gleeful party to the rejuvenation of their beloved ’workers rights’ bill, which has of course been their objective all along. This bill, honed down by the incoming conservative party, will then be the forerunner of complete disaster for the whole utterly browbeaten British populace. The act was bad enough all those years ago.

In these times, with immigrant numbers already swollen to almost unmanageable heights, it will be a catastrophe. Basically it actually means that employers are from day one, not allowed to sack anyone. Should an employee appear to deserve the sack for almost any reason, they can then declare unfair dismissal, appeal the decision and will automatically await the verdict of a tribunal.

While waiting, possibly for months or even years, they will of course be retained on full wages, while they sit watching tele

waiting for the pubs to open.

Can you imagine the sheer numbers of immigrants obtaining jobs they are nowhere near familiar with (or actually capable of) and even after a fully-deserved dismissal, continue to collect wages and benefits, while the employers face the wrath of the unions and their cohorts? A high number of other disasters emerge from these situations.

New business investment totally dries up. Companies, who carry on, naturally have to be extremely careful who they employ and can no longer put new employees on a probationary period, which dramatically pushes up unemployment. Non workers, who claim their newly available exorbitant Labour government benefits, then proceed to create run down areas steeped in crime containing huge numbers of party supporters, who would rather not work anyway.

All of this produces exactly what the Labour party and unions desire; complete control over an anti-royalist, communist, diversified and brainwashed population. Good luck.

Keep the faith

Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com

easyJet - elevating Eurovision

EASYJET has been confirmed as the Eurovision Song Contest’s Official Airline Partner, symbolising a fusion of travel and music that promises to connect the European continent.

Announced on Tuesday, February 20, easyJet will serve as the Official Airline Partner for the Eurovision Song Contest over a span of three years, beginning with this year’s spectacle in May.

The airline is gearing up to transport thousands of Eurovision enthusiasts from across Europe to Copenhagen Airport, offering direct access to Malmo, Sweden.

Nearly three decades ago, easyJet revolutionised travel, making flying accessible for countless individuals

and heralding a new era of European exploration. Presently, the airline boasts a workforce of over 17,000 individuals from 97 nationalities, speaking more than 43 languages across eight European countries.

With a commanding presence on Europe’s most frequented routes, easyJet offers flights to over 150 airports in 35 countries, ensuring that over 300 million Europeans are just an hour’s drive from an easyJet flight.

The 2024 contest in Malmo, Sweden, promises to be a spectacular affair, with 37 broadcasters vying for the coveted title, underscoring the EBU’s commitment to fostering public service media for a sustainable future.

Leapy

Natural Tranquility: Country House with all the amenities

GRUPO PLATINUM ESTATES presents this beautiful fully furnished country house in Pilar de Jaravia within walking distance to the beaches of San Juan de los Terreros. Don’t miss this opportunity and make your dreams come true!

Through the driveway on the main road, a gate gives access to the fully fenced property.

The access to the property is via a beautiful staircase leading to a terrace from where we can admire the large garden with palm trees and fruit trees.

We enter the house through the main door and through the hall we enter the spacious living/dining room with fireplace, on this floor we also find four double bedrooms, independent kitchen, laundry room, pantry and two complete bathrooms.

On the first floor there is a large

and bright attic where the options are endless.

The property also has a large basement on the ground floor.

In the exterior areas we find a parking area, a garage with space for three cars, a barbecue, a storage room and a nice garden.

Do not hesitate and call us to arrange a viewing on 950 466 112.

San Juan de Los Terreros has a beautiful coastline, rich history and easy access to schools, a medical centre, restaurants and shops, the area is located in the province of Al-

meria. For those looking to relocate to a warmer climate, the Almeria region has more hours of sunshine per year than anywhere else in Europe, as well as some of the highest average annual temperatures. With two airports located less than 50 minutes away, Corvera Regional Airport, Murcia Airport and Almeria Airport, and Alicante, Malaga and Granada a little further afield, Almeria is perfectly situated for travel and visitors. So, if you are considering a move to Almeria, we have essential information on the types of property on offer, the

Price drop from €490,000 to €449,000

best schools, and the most popular restaurants. The team at Grupo Platinum Estates will help you every step of the way. Call us on 950 466 112.

Blue Flag beaches, as well as safe coves for the whole family and disabled people. Aguilon golf course is only 3km from the town centre, while Desert Springs, Marina de la Torre, and Valle de Este Golf can be found not far away. Well located close to all good road networks and a rail network. Finally, this town is home to the Pulpí Geode, crystals underground in a cave, the largest in Europe and the only Geode possible for viewing. San Juan de Los Terreros, a real gem of an area, is already enjoyed all year round by a very multinational community of mixed age groups, who live and work here. However, it remains a very Spanish paradise, not to be missed.

Contact us now to register for your visit. 950 466 112 or info@grupoplatinum.com

Airlines issue ultimatum

IN a recent clash over Dublin Airport’s future, global airlines have issued stark warnings that they will take their business elsewhere.

This dispute unfolded as the powerful US-based Airlines for America (A4A) and other major carriers demanded an urgent increase in Dublin Airport’s passenger capacity.

Their ultimatum: approve expansion plans or face a business exodus from Ireland, potentially taking major multinationals with them.

The contentious issue came to a head as planners at Fingal County Council received submissions urging them to permit an increase from 32 million to 40 million passengers annually.

The cap on passenger numbers must be lifted ‘if Ireland is to sustain and grow current levels of US tourism and foreign direct investment,’ A4A stated.

Highlighting the gravity, A4A reminded that three US giants - Apple, Microsoft, and Google - contribute signicantly to Ireland’s economy.

Their stance is clear: failing to meet US-Ireland travel demands could severely impact Ireland’s economic prosperity. A4A’s roster boasts heavyweights like American Airlines, United, and

Delta, emphasising the broad industry consensus on the need for expansion.

British Airways and its parent company IAG, which also owns Aer Lingus and other airlines, reinforced the urgency. ‘IAG cannot stress enough the urgency for Fingal County Council to make a decision to increase the passenger cap,’ they warned.

Aer Lingus, Vueling, Emirates, and other airlines underscored the importance of lifting the cap for maintaining and growing international routes.

However, the expansion proposal has met with resistance. Residents living under ight paths and environmental advocates argue against the increase, citing noise pollution and climate impact concerns.

Credit:

Dublin Airport under pressure.

Realistic goals

SETTING and sticking to realistic exercise goals is paramount for sustained fitness progress. Start with specific, measurable goals that align with your fitness level and preferences. Incorporating variety in your workouts, such as a mix of cardio, strength training, and flexibility exercises, can prevent boredom and promote overall fit-

ness. Break your goals down into smaller, achievable milestones for regular motivation boosts.

Consistency is more important than intensity; regular, moderate activity is better than sporadic, intense workouts.

Find activities you enjoy to ensure long-term commitment. Accountability is crucial; consider a workout buddy or a fit-

ness app to keep track of your progress. Adjust your goals as you progress, allowing flexibility in your plan to accommodate changes in lifestyle or fitness levels. Remember, setbacks are part of the journey; stay patient and resilient. Celebrating small victories along the way can also boost motivation and commitment.

IN February, this year, the European Union proposed a regulation that makes immediate banking free of charge.

On this day, banks of Spain charge individuals and businesses up to €12 when making immediate transfers.

Spanish banks vary in their fees, with Sabadell charging €0.95, Santander €6.00, Caixabank €5.94, BBVA €1.25 and

The future of immediate banking

Bankinter €12.00.

The European Union aims to transform the banking system in 2025, introducing a regulation in which banks will guarantee an immediate transfer, within 10 seconds, completely free of charge.

This will apply to all European countries, including those which use a different currency.

On February 7, the EU Parliament had decided to implement the changes, with 599 votes in favour, and only seven

votes against the reform. The plan will now have to be further reviewed by the EU Council, European banks, and other PSPs (Payment Service Providers).

If going through, the changes will be in full force by the end of 2025.

Fast delivery

A MCDONALD’S restaurant in Dublin became the unlikely location for an unexpected delivery of its own, as a mother had her baby in the car park.

In what may seem like a scene from a movie, how often does a fast-food parking lot become a delivery room? This became reality for a Dublin mother on Wednesday, February 21, after she gave birth in a McDonald’s car park in

Tallaght, just southwest of Dublin City.

Dublin Fire Brigade received an urgent call to the McDonald’s location, stepping in to support a sudden childbirth.

The event unfolded rapidly, yet both mother and the newborn emerged from the situation healthy and in good spirits, marking a truly unexpected series of events.

The situation was in-

deed urgent, with the statement revealing, ‘A baby girl was in an Uber hurry and couldn’t wait for hospital. The crew assisted the new Mammy with the delivery and all are doing well.’ The community on social media quickly caught on to the humour, engaging with light-hearted comments. One user named Biff quipped, ‘Surely she has to name him Ronald?’

Night ban on alcohol

AFTER six months of restricting alcohol sales at night in shops and supermarkets in Krakow, city authorities and police have noted tangible results in figures released in February 2024.

In July 2023 a resolution by Krakow City Council came into effect, which placed restrictions on the hours of night-time retail alcohol sales.

The ban is in effect between midnight and 5.30am, throughout Krakow, with the exception of restaurants and bars.

There has been a very significant decrease in police interventions during the hours the resolution on restricting sales was in effect: in total, the months of July-December 2023 saw a decrease of almost 50 per cent of alcohol related offences compared to the same period in 2022.

There was also a significant decrease in offences committed throughout the day in Krakow when alcohol was still readily available.

Dublin Fire Brigade to the rescue.

Credit: DubFireBrigade/X

Colossal fine

THE European Union is expected to impose a ne of over half a billion euros on Apple, marking a signi cant milestone in the tech industry’s legal landscape.

This landmark penalty, estimated at around €500 million, is expected to be unveiled in early March.

It concludes an extensive antitrust investigation by the European Commission, initiated by Spotify’s complaint in 2019, concerning Apple’s music streaming service operations within the EU.

The crux of the investigation revolves around Apple’s alleged preferential treatment of its services on its platform, potentially side-lining competitors.

According to the Financial Times, the probe looked into whether Apple restricted apps from notifying iPhone users about more economical alternatives for music subscriptions outside the App Store.

Insiders expect the Commission to declare Apple’s behaviour as unlawful and violate the bloc’s regulations that promote competition within the single market.

Furthermore, the EU plans to prohibit Apple’s practice of hindering music services from directing users to less expensive options outside its App Store, accusing Apple of leveraging its dominant position

to impose anti-competitive trading practices on rivals.

This ne represents one of the most substantial nancial penalties imposed by the EU on a major technology rm. It comes in the wake of a series of penalties against Google totalling approximately €8 billion, which are currently under legal challenge.

Previously, Apple had not faced antitrust nes from Brussels, though it was ned €1.1 billion in France in 2020 for similar accusations, which was appealed and later reduced to €372 million.

The EU’s stern action signals a renewed con ict between Brussels and major tech companies, underlining the importance of compliance with the Digital Markets Act, aimed at fostering competition and enabling smaller tech entities to ourish.

APPLE: Expected to receive a fine.

Credit: TonyV3112/Shutterstock.com

CORTIJO ESPERANZA NEAR HUERCAL-OVERA ADVERTISING

NEW & EXCLUSIVE TO VOSS HOMES - AN UP AND RUNNING B&B BUSINESS. A recently renovated seven bed, five bath, two WC, full of character Country House / Cortijo of 431m2 with tourism licence for sale in the Huercal-Overa area with huge 12m x 6m swimming pool, bar and entertainment area, games room, garage, carport and amazing views and even a place for chickens etc and land of 25,771m2.

Just five mins drive to the villages of Urcal and Santa Maria with amenities, 14 mins drive from Huercal-Ove-

ra town with numerous amenities and 35 to 40 mins drive to the coast at San Juan and Mojacar.

Cortijo Esperanza is ideal if you are looking for a private, ‘rural, but not remote’ B&B / Self Catering business with plenty of room for entertaining or just want a big family home. There is also potential to have a motorhome park.

This two storey house consists downstairs of large welcoming hallway with two double bedrooms either side with their own ensuite shower rooms. Also from the hallway

is an archway leading through to the large living room / dining room with log burning fire.

Next is the spacious dining room. To the right is the very large fully equipped kitchen with utility room, pantry, large storage room and toilet with sink.

Also from the dining room double doors lead out to a huge Florida style enclosure with fully equipped bar and dining area. This looks over and leads out to the garden / entertaining area and swimming pool. Steps leads up to the swimming pool with plenty of

room for entertaining and sunbathing. This is surrounded by mature gardens.

From the living room are stairs leading up to a large landing / second dining / living room. From here you can access four double bedrooms, two are ensuite.

Also on the ground floor is a separate self contained apartment with one bedroom, living room, kitchen and shower room. This apartment has its own entrance door at the front and rear of the house. There is also a huge games room which is large enough to have a pool table, darts board and seating area etc, toilet, storage room and garage.

To the front of the property is a large gravelled parking area used for motor homes with four electric hook ups.

For more information and to arrange a viewing or a meeting in our offices please contact Voss Homes DIRECTLY on 0034 950 616 827 or email us on enquiries@vosshomesspain.com

Andy Voss • Voss Homes Estate Agents: 155A Carretera Estacion, Huercal-Overa, CP 04600, Almeria, Spain

Mobile: 0034 678 002 006 • Landline:0034 950 616 827

Website: www.vosshomesspain.com

Hit and run

Nora Shephard

IN a curious event, a food delivery robot in Helsinki had a bit of a mishap with a parked car, making it the rst incident of its kind in the Nordic climate.

Last summer, the S Group grocery chain introduced robots to help with food deliveries in nine Finnish cities.

These robots, made by Starship Technologies and looking like mini rovers with six wheels, became quite popular among customers as they zoomed around the streets.

But then came winter, and people wondered how well these robots would handle the cold and snow.

The company responded by giving the robots special winter tyres to help them navigate through the winter weather. However, despite these preparations, unexpected things can still happen in the real world.

According to reports, one of the delivery robots had a small accident when it bumped into a parked car in Helsinki before continuing on its way as if nothing had happened.

It was the rst time such a thing had occurred with an autonomous vehicle, as noted by Finnish media.

Food delivery robots.

Eyewitnesses shared what they saw with local media.

The robot was travelling along a pavement covered in snow that hadn’t been cleared, causing it to lean towards a parked car because of the icy edge.

Struggling to move on the slippery surface, the robot accidentally scratched the car while trying to get unstuck.

It was only with the help of a passerby that the robot was able to get free.

Once back on the pavement, it continued its delivery route, seemingly unaware that it should have exchanged insurance information.

INTERVIEW

There’s always joy

BORN in Holland, raised in Antwerp, Amber moved to Dubai to work but would come to Spain on holidays, as her parents had visited Javea for over six years.

Amber’s parents dreamt of moving to Javea for their retirement, and after spending so much time in Spain, she found her second home here.

“I came to Javea for a holiday and the holiday never ended. I felt like I was moving to a place that was already familiar.”

Amber has now lived in Javea for over two years and is working as a real estate agent at Key2Properties: “I know what it’s like to move, searching for property, so I enjoy sharing my experience with people.”

She is currently learning Spanish, infusing her daily life with the language: “I watch Spanish films, listen to Spanish music and talk to people. People here like hearing someone learning Spanish, don’t worry about making mistakes.”

Amber thinks she has finally found happiness in Spain:

“I’ve changed so much since I’ve moved here. Seeing the sun every day gives me energy I didn’t have before. There’s always joy. A true happiness.”

Amber de Rave.

Credit: Amber de Rave

WITH winter still upon us many people will be deciding how best to keep their homes warm. The choices seem endless, confusing, and contradictory. There is no simple answer, or single best solution. Tony and Richard at Neater Heater have, however, got one solution that deserves serious consideration.

There are many reasons to choose electricity as your heating option. It is clean, requires no effort to maintain, and has a comparatively small installation cost. In fact Tony and Richard claim to be able to install a five heater system for the same price that many people pay just to have a gas bottle casita built. But once you have decided on electricity then you have even more choices to contend with.

The Neater Heater team sympathise with you, because that is exactly where they were 15 years ago. After discarding the unhealthy Gas Estufas, and deciding to ‘Heat Electric’ they tried various options - as custo-

Fighting the winter blues with Neater Heater

mers - and realised one thing. There were no affordable good electric heaters on the market. Elec tric heaters tended to fall into one of the following categories.

• Very expensi ve (€400-€800) but make a virtue of be ing economical,

• Cheap to buy (But horrendously expensive to run) oil-filled heaters,

• Economical to run (but inefficient) panel heaters.

With a great stroke of luck, it was while actively looking for a heater for his son’s room that Tony came across, and installed, some Norwegian BEHA

convector heaters. That decision was life changing.

Discovering just how good these heaters were, Tony saw a business opportunity and approached his friend Richard

Winter and between them they started Neater Heater.

As Richard explains: “The beauty about Neater Heaters is that they are simple but are built to the highest quality. It also helps that they look good. They use modern, state of the art technology, such as extruded aluminium for the element, and a highly sensitive thermostat. This produces an affordable no-nonsense heater that works efficiently and economically to keep your home warm through those long cold winter nights.” Our heaters are not only effi-

NEATER HEATER DISTRIBUTORS: ALMERIA

ANTAS: Lifestyle Enclosures. Tel. 950 459 060

Heaters also available for purchase at our online shop with free home delivery WWW.NEATERHEATER.ES or Tel. 634 312 171 (WhatsApp available)

cient, effective, and economical, but as you would expect from a Scandinavian product, they are extremely stylish and practical. There is a model that will suit anyone, from the BEHA, (Bluetooth option or Wi-Fi option) and the NEO Wi-Fi, so that you can control your heaters easily via a Wi-Fi APP but still being able to control them manually if preferred, or the trendy original style Neo with digital controls and a choice of colours and if you are limited for wall space, then available for purchase are factory designed feet to enable the heater to be freestanding.

However, a few years ago we added the NEO Wi-Fi Compact model. This heater shares the design technology and ethos of the current NEO heaters, but it has two differences: It is much smaller in length, thus able to fit into tighter wall spaces, plus this model has the added bonus of a 2.5 kw version as well.

Blow against cybercrime

AN announcement on Tuesday February 20 revealed how an international investigation has disrupted the world’s most harmful cybercrime group.

The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has declared a significant victory against LockBit, labelled as the most destructive cybercrime syndicate in the world.

The NCA, in a covert operation, infiltrated and commandeered LockBit’s operations. This strategic move has neutralised their cybercriminal network entirely. LockBit, known for its ransomware attacks over the past four years, has victimised thousands internationally, inflicting financial damages in the billions of pounds, dollars, and euros.

This disruption targeted LockBit’s ransomware services, a scheme offering malicious tools for global hackers. When LockBit infected a system, it encrypted data and demanded ransom in cryptocurrency, threatening to leak the information online. The NCA’s seizure of LockBit’s adminis-

Successful NCA-led operation blow to cybercriminals.

trative environment and leak site marks a significant blow to their operations.

The NCA now plans to use the seized dark website to expose LockBit’s operations. They’ve also gained access to the group’s source code and detailed intelligence on their activities. This operation, named Operation Cronos, involved close collaboration with the FBI and international partners from nine other countries.

In a coordinated effort with Europol, arrests were made in Poland and Ukraine, with over 200 cryptocurrency accounts frozen. The US Department of Justice has charged two indi-

viduals with crimes related to LockBit ransomware attacks, highlighting the global commitment to dismantling cybercrime networks.

Home Secretary James Cleverly commended the NCA’s expertise: “The National Crime Agency’s world-leading expertise has delivered a major blow to the people behind the most prolific ransomware strain in the world.”

The NCA encourages public cooperation, urging organisations to report ransomware attacks promptly. This approach enhances the ability to prevent further damage by cybercriminals.

Credit:

• News Across The Regions •

Costa del Sol

Ukraine and the Lions

ON Saturday February 24, the second anniversary of the Ukrainian conflict, the La Cala de Mijas Lions were at the Legends Show Bar in La Cala along with a full house and the Ukrainian family who are currently staying with Lions Vice-President Karen Blair.

The Rybalka family, a mother and her two children were entertained by Theo and the excellent Frankie B. A raffle took place along with an auction with a surprise item of a car (a toy Porsche) donated by Legends owner Paul.

The event raised a total of €1,275 for the Lions who continue supporting those in need throughout the community and support for Ukraine. The next Lions event is a Car Treasure Hunt to be held on March 24.

Axarquia

Desalination deadline

IN a recent meeting at the Palacio de San Telmo, Sevilla, President Juanma Moreno, and Minister Teresa Ribera affirmed the joint commitment to combat drought in Andalucia.

The focus lies on the anticipated desalination plant in Axarquia, expected to be operational by 2027 or 2028. While the start date for construction remains uncertain, efforts will also involve boosting existing desalination capacities and exploring water transport by ship.

Ribera clarified that the complex approval process influences the desalination project’s timeline, making 2027-2028 more realistic. The collaboration includes urgent measures like reactivating hydraulic projects, advancing pending desalination initiatives, and considering water sources outside Andalusia. President Moreno emphasised preparedness, revealing plans for water transport via ships as a last resort.

Mallorca

Ukraine remembered

ON Saturday, February 24, nearly 150 individuals gathered in La Misericordia’s gardens to mark two years since the onset of the Ukrainian conflict. The event was predominantly attended by Ukrainians who displayed flags, photographs of casualties, and banners protesting the ‘genocide’, urging for the conflict not to be forgotten. ‘People continue to suffer from this war … including many children, and we need you to continue supporting us, helping us,’ stated Anastasia Kvach, head of the Associacio Amar Ucraina. A march from Dalt Murada to Plaza España followed. Irina Zubko, of the Ukraine Aid Association, highlighted, “Today our soul aches for Ukraine, we gather here to remember two years of the day that changed our lives and the destiny of our country.”

Costa Blanca South Naval tradition

THE February meeting of the Royal Naval Association Torrevieja Branch (RNATB) was filled with pride and special recognition for dedicated members.

Chairman, Ship Mate (S/M) Tony Jenkins was awarded special RNATB certificates to honour his commitment and loyalty.

Margaret Forshaw BEM received a Gold Certificate for her 20 years of support alongside her late husband, John Forshaw, who was also a founding member.

S/M Bryan Dalton was awarded a Bronze Certificate for his 10 years of membership.

Additionally, the meeting included the usual events, such as the Ex RN Ditty, where retired RN personnel share anecdotes from their service, and Tot Time, where toasts are made to various events, including Valentine’s Day, St. David’s Day, and the health of King Charles III.

Costa Blanca North 14 million investment

THE Valencian Community Council, Carlos Mazon, affirmed an investment of over €14 million into the Costa Blanca region.

The regional Deputies are adjusting to the needs of the Valencian municipalities, changing their approach by, “lowering taxes and committing to social policies.”

Mazon had highlighted, “improving primary care and implementing the Mental Health Plan,” as his priority, using the funds to empower the people of the Marina Alta.

One of the projects from the investment is the legislature of the Gandia-Denia tram, which as the Council of the Valencian Community stated, will result in, “No more waiting and delays. It is only fair that this historic and necessary demand now begins to be a reality.”

Costa Calida

Michelin sandwich

IN the latest Madrid Fusión event, one of the most significant events in Spain’s culinary scene, the 11th Bocadillo Contest (Sandwich Contest) took centre stage, awarding a Murcia-based establishment with the third prize.

CaféLab, a specialty café in Murcia and Cartagena, clinched the honour with their creation, the ‘Bocadillo de Autor by Magoga,’ crafted by María Gómez, the Michelin-starred chef of Magoga restaurant in Cartagena. The sandwich boasts a Pretzel bread base, featuring smoked coffee butter - a unique ingredient symbolising the collaboration between CaféLab and Magoga.

Available at any of their three cafés in Cartagena and Murcia, the ‘Bocadillo de Autor by Magoga’ (Signature Sandwich by Magoga) is a testament to the rich gastronomy of the region.

Processionary problem

Processionary Problem

THE emergence of processionary caterpillars in early spring has prompted warnings from the Spanish government due to the early presence of these pests, which is believed to be linked to climate change.

These caterpillars, characterised by their orange, green, or brown colour and covered in tiny poisonous hairs, typically move in long chains, hence their name.

While they were first discovered in oak trees in the UK, they are more

commonly found in pine trees in Spain.

Despite efforts by local councils to control them, even urban areas with pine trees remain at risk.

Of particular concern is the danger these caterpillars pose to humans and animals. Their toxic hairs can cause skin irritation or rash upon contact, similar to a nettle sting.

Pets, especially dogs, are vulnerable to the toxic effects of these caterpillars. There have been reports of pets being fatally affected by the caterpillars’ toxic hairs.

Toxic treats

PET owners cherish the bond with their furry companions, often sharing meals with them. However, many common human foods are toxic to pets, posing serious health risks. It’s crucial to be aware of these dangers to prevent accidental poisoning.

Chocolate contains theobromine, deadly to dogs and cats, causing heart issues and even death. Onions and garlic can destroy red blood cells, leading to anemia. Grapes and raisins, though small, can result in kidney failure in dogs. Xylitol, a sweetener in sugar-free products, triggers liver failure and hypoglycemia.

Avocados are risky, especially for birds and rodents, due to persin, which induces vomiting and diarrhea. Alcohol’s effects on pets are immediate and can be fatal, affecting the central nervous system. Caffeine, macadamia nuts, and bones from fish and meat also pose significant threats, from choking hazards to internal blockages.

Before introducing new foods to your pet, consult a veterinarian and keep hazardous items out of reach.

Meet Quincy - A dog-sitter’s delight

KEEPING your pets at home when you travel can give you real peace of mind. Our house and pet-sitters can also entertain your pets and keep them company while you are away. We’re rated 4.9 / 5.0 on TrustPilot.

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BUILDERS

ALMERIA BUILDERS: Fully Legal, Fully Insured, All Work Guaranteed. 659 685 133 www.almeriabuil ders.com (253556)

BUY & SELL

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

CHURCHES

Local Anglican (CofE) Church Services take place at Mojacar and Llanos del Peral (Zurgena) churches every Sunday 11am and at Aljambra Chapel (Albox) monthly. Dates and details of our services, including directions and contact details, can be found at  www.almeria-an glican.com. Here you can also find information about funerals, baptisms and wedding blessings. We are an inclusive church. (10002)

TURRE EVANGELICAL CHURCH We meet every Sunday at 10.30. For worship. We believe you’ll find us ‘relaxed’, welcoming’ and ‘informal’. Find us on Turre’s main street, towards the motorway at the far end on the left. To know more contact 617 914 156 (10021)

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION

- Why not make this year the year you volunteer? Call and see how you can help either as a caseworker (with full training) or as a Telephone Buddy. We also visit beneficiaries who are housebound or in hospital. If you feel you could support us here in Spain, and you have a Spanish phone number then why not email us for more info tbuddyhhvisits@gmail. com. If you or your partner served or are serving, and

you feel you need help or support then contact us using the details on the card, we are here for the small things as well as the big, sometimes talking to someone is the first step to feeling more in control. It can be a personal need or some help with your home or information on what or who to speak to on a medical issue, we help with signposting if we cannot help directly, just call and have a chat with Pam who will try to guide you to where you need to be. If you would like to go to a branch meeting then find your nearest one at, www.britishlegion.org. uk/counties/spain-north ZURGENA Branch meeting on the first Thursday, Coffee Morning on the third Thursday and Buffet & Quiz Night on the last Tuesday of the month all at La Parrilla Hotel Albox, for further details please email  zurgenar blchairman@gmail.com(253989)

DRAINAGE

Zurgena & Taberno area. Andy, Anna, Jess, Adele, Hannah, Amy & Karen look forward to helping you buy, sell or rent your ideal property. Please call 678 002 006 for more information (283824)

INSURANCE

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

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

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PETS

ELECTRICAL

ABBOTT ELECTRICS. From a Light Fitting to a Full Rewire. Tel: 950 137 208 / 638 010 691 (304222)

ESTATE AGENT

VOSS HOMES are a professional, British family-run Estate Agents with an office in Huercal-Overa town. They specialise in selling and renting properties in the Huercal-Overa, La Alfoquia,

MISCELLANEOUS

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

MOTORING FOR SALE

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Vehicle rentals

IN a significant shift, the landscape of car rentals is evolving as the industry embraces digital documentation. The latest service, aptly named ‘DNI-Car’, is spearheaded by the collaborative efforts of the National Business Federation of Vehicle Rental (FENEVAL) and the General Directorate of Traffic. With over 10,000 vehicles already registered, this in novative approach is transforming the way we interact with rental paperwork.

The implementation of ‘DNI-Car’ required the issuance of clear instructions for the digitisation of rental vehicle documents. Additio nally, a virtual communication platform has been established to facilitate seamless interaction between car rental companies and users.

This transition holds promises of efficiency and convenience for renters. No longer burdened by physical paperwork, renters can expect a streamlined and eco-friendly process. The digital format not only reduces environmental impact but also ensures a quicker and more accessible experience for both parties involved.

The collaboration between industry stakeholders and traffic authorities signifies a commitment to embracing modern technology for the benefit of users. As the digital wave continues to reshape various sectors, the vehicle rental industry istands at the forefront of this transformative journey.

In conclusion, the introduction of ‘DNI-Car’ marks a significant milestone in the evolution of car rentals, paving the way for a more sustainable and user-friendly future.

Who’s the worst?

INTRIGUINGLY, a recent poll sheds light on the correlation between one’s profession and their driving habits, revealing some fascinating insights into the demeanour of various professionals on the road.

At the forefront of this revelation, doctors have been pinpointed as the most aggressive drivers. This finding might stir a bit of surprise, considering the calm and composed nature required in

sure environment and the constant race against time in their work could potentially spill over into their driving style.

Conversely, the poll finds hairdressers to encapsulate the opposite end of the spectrum, being dubbed the friendliest drivers. This could be attributed to the nature of their work, which involves engaging in pleasant conversations, fostering a warm and welcoming atmosphere for their clients. Such traits seemin

more courteous and considerate approach when they’re navigating the roads.

These insights offer a fascinating glimpse into how the demands and characteristics of one’s job can influence behaviour in entirely different contexts. While the connection between occupation and driving habits might appear unexpected, it underscores the profound impact our professional lives can have on everyday actions, including how we handle the steering

Our professional lives can have an effect.

Paving the way.

Mazda 2 - worth adding to your small car pick list

ROAD TEST

By Mark Slack

IF you think of small cars then not unnatura lly cars like Ford’s Fies ta, Vauxhall’s Corsa and Renault’s Clio, plus others, spring to mind.

One car that arguably gets overlooked is Mazda’s 2. It offers everything you would want from a small car but with the added bonus of Mazda’s reputation for quality.

Other Japanese car makers such as Honda all make small cars, but Mazda’s 2 is perhaps a more complete proposition. There’s a more obvious styling link to the larger models in Mazda’s line up.

such items as black roof film, half-leather upholstery, privacy glass, smart entry and start, reversing camera and heated steering wheel.

my view, to operate with little need to take your eyes off the road.

The range offers four trim levels, petrol and hybrid powertrains with one engine option, a 1.5-litre petrol allied to either manual or automa-

outputs 75PS, 90PS and 115PS. Standard fare across the line-up includes climate, cruise control, powered and heated folding door mirrors, navigation, Car Play and Android Auto, auto lights and wipers, LED headlights, rear parking sensors, auto dimming mirror, engine stop/ start push button and

€21,744/£18,615 and my the-range Homura Aka at €24,955/£21,365, added

Facts at a Glance

• Model: Mazda 2 Homura Aka

• Engine: 1.5-litre petrol developing 90PS

• Gears: 6-speed manual

• Price: €24,955/£21,365

I find the build quality on all Mazdas is superb and the cars, even at this entry level to their line-up, feels premium. The instrumentation displays, both in front of the driver and the central screen, are easy to assimilate when on the move and thankfully the Mazda 2 eschews the trend for mass digitalisation in favour of dials and buttons. Hurrah! These are so much easier, and safer in

• Performance: 0-100kph/62mph 9.8 seconds/Maximum Speed 183kph/114mph

• Economy: 4.7 l/100km/60.1mpg combined driving – WLTP

• Emissions: 107 g/km – WLTP

Misuse of indicators

THE correct use of vehicle indicators in Spain is a hot topic among British expatriates, often prompting numerous comments. But many have wondered what if any are the DGT fines for misusing turn signals.

The General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) insists on the judicious use of turn signals to enhance road safety and imposes fines for non-compliance.

In its commitment to road safety, the DGT has set fines reaching up to €200 for drivers failing to use their turn signals where required. Additionally, if turn signals are not activated at the right time, the penalty may be as high as €80.

Paying the fine within 20 days of notification can halve the amount due. These measures highlight the DGT’s aim to curb accidents and promote orderly traffic flow.

Indicators, serve as a critical communication tool among drivers and pedestrians, signalling intentions to change lanes, turn, overtake, merge, stop, or park.

• In turns and changes of direction: It is mandatory to signal with the indicator before making any turn or change of direction on the road.

• When changing lanes: For example when we are on highways, the driver must signal sufficiently in advance to

alert nearby vehicles.

• During overtaking: It is essential to indicate the manoeuvre with the corresponding turn signal before leaving the lane we are occupying.

• When entering traffic: Turn signals must be used to inform other drivers of the manoeuvre.

• At roundabouts: It is important to use signals when entering and exiting roundabouts to indicate direction and exit intentions.

• When parking or stopping: Thereby informing both other drivers and pedestrians travelling on the streets.

Habitually using indicators for every manoeuvre, ensures clear intent and integrates signal use into driving habits, safeguarding against penalties.

I found that over the hilly terrain here in the Derbyshire Peak District of the UK the 90PS unit needed copious use of the delightfully positive and slick six-speed manual gearbox. The ride quality is good and once on the move it can be quite good fun along twisty roads if you keep the revs high and gears slightly lower.

As mentioned earlier the Mazda 2 seems to fall under the radar, which given its many virtues is a shame. It offers something a little different to the standard small car choices and in terms of equipment a very good array of standard features.

It’s a car that’s as capable on longer runs as it is for a city runabout and well worth adding to your small car pick list.

Good choice of features.

Credit: LastMan21/Shutterstock.com

Important to use your indicators.

Blue card for referees

OVER the years, football has seen several significant changes aimed at improving the game’s integrity, fairness and entertainment value, now there is the prospect of a ‘blue card.’

Football’s most recent innovations have included the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) and Goal-Line Technology to aid more accurate referee decisions.

The latest development has seen FIFA address the idea of a ‘blue card’ system. This would empower referees with the ability to temporarily exclude players for unsportsmanlike conduct, such as arguing with the referee.

The proposal was initially discussed by the International Football Association Board, suggesting a sin-bin system for football.

Under this system, a blue card would mean a player is sidelined for 10

minutes for acts of dissent or cynical fouls. The idea is planned to be reviewed at the IFAB Annual General Meeting on March 1.

FIFA has expressed reservations about applying the blue card rule at the top levels of the sport. In a Twitter/X statement, on Thursday, February 8, FIFA clarified the situation: ‘FIFA wishes to clarify that reports of the so-called ‘blue card’ at elite levels of football are incorrect and premature.

‘Any such trials, if implemented, should be limited to testing in a responsible manner at lower levels, a position that FIFA intends to reiterate when this agenda item is discussed at the IFAB AGM on 1 March.’

Many ardent fans saw red at the idea of a blue card: ‘Why are people obsessed with fixing things that aren’t broken,’ wrote one.

Roy Hodgson retires

John Smith

THE Premier League’s oldest manager, at 76, Roy Hodgson of Crystal Palace stepped down as manager of the club hours before their match with Everton on February 19.

He was taken ill a few days earlier during training and spent some time being examined in hospital before being released but clearly he had seen the wri ting on the wall.

It was always intended that he would retire at the end of this season after having (until recently) a successful return to the club which he first managed from 2017 to 2021 but results had suddenly gone against the club with 10 defeats in their past 16 Premier League games prior to his departure.

manager, as intended for this summer.”

In a club statement announcing his departure, Hodgson said: “I understand, given recent circumstances, it may be prudent at this time for the club to plan ahead, and therefore I have taken the decision to step aside so that the club can bring forward their plans for a new

Having managed 17 clubs and four national teams including Liverpool and England over a 48 year career, Roy Hodgson can certainly hold his head up high.

A new manager, the Austrian Oliver Glasner was in the stands to watch the 1-1 draw with Everton and whilst he may not be a well-known name in

Crucial comeback

ITALY has made a remarkable comeback in the World Rugby Men’s Rankings powered by Capgemini, securing a spot in the top 10 for the first time since June 2013.

After their thrilling 13-13 draw against France on February 25, the Azzurri gained a crucial point, boosting their overall rating to 76.58 points and surpassing Fiji in the rankings.

Italy came close to an even higher position, with Paolo Garbisi’s last-minute penalty narrowly missing the mark. Despite this, the draw is a significant achievement, denying France a victory on home turf and marking a milestone for the Italian team.

France, despite losing a full rating point, maintains fourth place in the rankings.

This draw, only the eighth in the competition’s history, wrapped up another exciting weekend of Six Nations action, including wins for Ireland and Scotland on Saturday.

Ireland secured their third bonus point win out of three, defeating Wales 31-7 at the Aviva Stadium. However, the outcome did not affect the ratings of either team significantly.

Reigning champions Ireland hold second place behind South Africa, while Wales remains steady in eighth place.

Scotland’s fourth consecutive Calcutta Cup triumph over England narrowed the gap between the two rivals in the rankings. Despite their 30-21 victory, Scotland fell short of swapping places with

Italy made a remarkable comeback.

fifth-ranked England.

Image: Federazione Italiana Rugby / Facebook.

England’s lead over Scotland has reduced significantly, but Scotland needed a larger victory margin to match their all-time high of fifth place in the rankings.

England, he previously found some success with Vfl Wolfsburg and then Eintracht Frankfurt who he led to the Europa League Final, which they won.

Having been let go by Frankfurt in 2023, one year before his contract expired, the Austrian now looks forward to getting Crystal Palace back into winning ways especially if their two vital players Eze and Olise make a speedy return from injury.

A generous gift

FORMER England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson announced his cancer terminal diagnosis in January, he also revealed that he still has one unfulfilled ambition: To manage Liverpool.

Seventy-six-year-old Eriksson made his prognosis public and admitted that he has ‘best case a year’ to live, but thanks to the professional football community his lifelong dream will become a reality.

On March 23, Eriksson is set to join the management team for Liverpool FC Legends in a charity match against Ajax Legends at Anfield, fulfilling his wish to be part of the club he’s always supported. “I heard for the first time about his admiration or love for Liverpool and that he was a fan for his whole life,” Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool’s current manager, said.

The news has been met with a warm seal of approval from Liverpool fans far and wide: ‘Our boss, LFC management, our fans and also the rival team fans who campaigned for this to happen,

THANK YOU everybody. . . as Mr Klopp always used to say, there are things in life that’s much bigger than the football... humanity matters. Happy for Mr Sven-Goran Eriksson.’

Another posted: ‘I’m so glad we’ve done this, he really deserves this,’ while one person simply put: ‘He’ll never walk alone’.

Previous encounters against Manchester United and Celtic have already raised an impressive £1.45 million, underscoring the foundation’s critical role across the Liverpool City Region and beyond.

Roy Hodgson whilst still Crystal Palace manager.