Costa Blanca South 15 – 21 August 2024 Issue 2041

Oh to be popular

AUGUST is always a busy month for tourism on the Costa Blanca, but one weekend consistently stands out: the long weekend around August 15.

This year, as the holiday fell on a Thursday, many visitors took advantage of the chance for a four-day getaway.

As a result, hotels across the Costa Blanca expect a big influx of tourists, with occupancy rates likely to surpass 90 per cent.

According to industry experts at the hotel association HOSBEC, this is what they call “technically full.”

HOSBEC reports that hotels on the Costa Blanca are projecting an occupancy rate of 89.6 per cent.

Four-star hotels are leading the pack, with expected occupancy at 91.7 per cent, and those rated four stars or higher already rea-

ching 92.1 per cent of confirmed bookings.

Mayte García, the general secretary of HOSBEC, mentioned that the forecast could still improve with “last-minute” bookings, potentially pushing hotels on the Costa Blanca to full capacity.

“We could reach ‘technical fullness’ with those who decide to travel at the last minute,” García explained. This trend of last-minute bookings is particularly common among domestic tourists.

García also noted a recent surge in bookings. “At the beginning of the month, the forecast for the first half of August was at 86 per cent, but last week, occupancy from Monday to Friday rose to 92 per cent,” she said, crediting this jump to the last-minute booking trend.

Costa Blanca South • Issue No. 2041 • 15 - 21 August 2024 FREE FREE FREI GRATIS

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Image: Alicante City / Facebook

Influx of tourists.

Summer surge

THE beach scene in Torrevieja vividly captures the essence of the city’s summer of 2024.

While traditionally attracting national tourists from central and northern Spain, particularly Madrid, Torrevieja’s appeal extends significantly to international visitors.

The city sees substantial numbers of British, Nordic, German, Belgian, French, and Russian tourists.

Notably, there has been a growing trend of French-speaking family tourism from North Africa.

Despite the bustling crowds, Torrevieja is adept at accommodating visitors, thanks to its extensive stock of second homes, around 60,000 in total.

The resurgence of the tourist apartment market, which has revived properties previously languishing as mere invest-

ments, has further bolstered the city’s capacity to host tourists.

Additionally, ongoing construction projects continue to expand accommodation options.

The local economy is driven by several key sectors: construction, residential tourism, hospitality, and large retail and food distribution chains.

These industries are vital to Torrevieja’s economic landscape.

As the population swells to accommodate the influx

of visitors, local services and infrastructure face significant pressure.

Public service workers, including those in health, security, emergency services, and local government, are on high alert, hoping for a smooth summer.

With an estimated population of at least 350,000 within the city’s 35 square kilometres, the actual figures may be even higher, though exact data on water supply and waste collection remain undisclosed.

La Cura Beach, Torrevieja.

Spanish heatwaves

SPAIN has experienced a noticeable increase in the frequency and intensity of heatwaves in recent years. The Mediterranean region is particularly vulnerable to rising temperatures due to its already warm climate and unique geographical features.

Heatwaves in Spain can cause severe health impacts, strain on energy systems, and agricultural disruptions. Extended periods of extreme heat can exacerbate existing health conditions,

increasing mortality rates and significantly burdening healthcare services.

In addition to heatwaves, Spain has seen a dramatic rise in droughts and wildfires. Prolonged periods of low rainfall, coupled with higher temperatures, create ideal conditions for drought. This, in turn, exacerbates the risk of wildfires, as dry vegetation becomes highly flammable.

Climate change is making extreme weather events, such as heatwa-

ves, droughts, and wildfires, more frequent and intense. However, while climate change is a pressing global issue, it’s crucial to discern between natural climate variability and human-induced climate change.

While natural factors like volcanic eruptions, changes in solar radiation, and ocean currents contribute to climate fluctuations, the current rapid warming trend is predominantly a result of human activities.

Man-made climate

change, largely fuelled by the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes, is a significant contributor to the current global warming crisis.

While governments are pivotal in addressing climate change, individuals also bear responsibility. Personal actions, such as reducing energy consumption, supporting renewable energy, and making sustainable lifestyle choices, can collectively make a significant impact.

Stay cool

WITH thermometers soaring up to +40 degrees Celsius, summer in Spain can be challenging if you aren’t used to it. While most people move to Spain for its pleasant climate, newcomers may need time to adapt to the hot conditions.

The Euro Weekly News’ readers shared their top tips for surviving and enjoying the Spanish heat.

Marje Turner shared; “Been 40 years here; inside with air conditioning on, chilling, lots of water and ice.” Tracey Jarvis agreed; “We keep our summer duvet on through the summer, air conditioning on all night.”

But air conditioning isn’t the only option; “Hang a couple of ice packs o the back of your fan, that way it blows out cold air. Also, wrap a couple of ice packs in a pillowcase and put them in your bed,” Yvonne Walton shared her advice.

Water is a great source of refreshment; Dawn Gorman noted; “Drink at least two litres of water a day.” Anna Legge, however, highlighted that water isn’t the only way to feel recharged; “Drink white wine in the summer, red in the winter.”

With the change of the seasons, so comes the change of routines. Andy Solomons a rmed; “Get up with the daylight. The early and late are the best times to do the chores. Don’t even think about working outside in the heat of the

ACCORDING to the Ministry of Health, we should do the following:

• Drink liquids frequently, even if we don’t feel thirsty.

• Avoid caffeine, alcohol and sugary drinks.

• Keep an eye on babies and toddlers, the elderly with certain conditions, and pregnant women.

• Stay in air conditioned places.

• Reduce physical activity and outdoor exercise.

• Use lightweight, breathable clothing.

• Never leave people or animals in closed vehicles.

• Call a doctor if you feel symptoms of heatstroke for more than an hour.

• Keep medicines in a cool place.

• Eat fruit and eat light.

The Euro Weekly News publishes more content both online at euroweeklynews. com and in its papers than any other English news publication in SPAIN. Even better, our news online and in print is FREE and we promise to always keep it that way.

Droughts are becoming more frequent.

Trying to find shade in the heat.

Credit: Oleksandr P, Pexels

ON

Saturday August 10, Elche’s Paseo de la Estación witnessed an extraordinary culinary feat.

Crowds were entertained with the preparation of the world’s largest rice dish, showcasing the city’s renowned tradition of rice with crust.

The colossal creation involved 90 kilos of rice, 1,080 eggs, 120 litres of water, and 130 kilos of meat and sausage.

The event drew massive crowds from early morning, eagerly queuing to sample the free dish.

The impressive feat produced 2,500 portions of giant rice with crust, complemented by another giant paella serving an additional 1,500 diners.

In addition to the giant dish, a cooking competition featured 19 local culinary teams.

Epic rice feat

Each dish was judged anonymously by the presidents of the competing teams to ensure fairness.

Despite the 33-degree heat, festival-goers enjoyed the communal atmosphere, coming together to celebrate both the competition and the culinary tradition.

The main challenge for chefs was achieving the perfect texture without burning the top layer of the rice, a task complicated by the use of firewood, specifically vine shoots and olive wood, to create the necessary embers for cooking.

The challenge was to prepare the traditional Elche rice with crust while adhering strictly to the original recipe, avoiding variations such as garrafon or lemon zest.

Population boom

THE population of Alicante Province has surpassed the significant milestone of two million residents.

The figures reflect the latest population data update from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), reflecting numbers as of July 1.

The total population in Alicante’s regions now stands at 2,008,809, comprising 992,651 men and

1,016,158 women.

This marks an increase of 6,042 individuals since the last data revision in April.

When examining the data by nationality, 1,531,273 Spanish nationals and 477,536 foreign nationals reside in the province.

The increase includes 1,207 more Spanish nationals and a notable rise of 4,835 foreign nationals,

contributing significantly to the province’s growth. Alicante’s demographic expansion during the third quarter of 2024 cements its position as the fourth most populous province in Spain, a rank it achieved after surpassing Sevilla in April 2023. During the second quarter of 2024, the primary nationalities of immigrants to Spain were Colombians (36,900 arrivals), Moroccans (25,100), and Venezuelans (21,400). Additionally, 20,600 arrivals were individuals who already held Spanish citizenship.

Other significant immigrant groups included 15,200 Peruvians, 10,300 Italians, 8,300 Argentinians, 7,300 Ukrainians, 6,400 Hondurans, and 5,500 Paraguayans.

These inflows were offset by the emigration of 11,100 people with Spanish citizenship, along with 11,000 Moroccans, 8,700 Colombians, 7,800 Romanians, 5,600 Ukrainians, 4,000 Venezuelans, 3,500 Peruvians, 3,500 Britons, 2,700 Italians, and 2,600 Chinese nationals.

World’s largest rice dish.

Top destination

THE Association for Environmental and Consumer Education (ADEAC), which awards the Blue Flags, recently inspected the beaches of Orihuela.

After their evaluation, ADEAC congratulated the Orihuela City Council for its Lifeguard and Rescue Service on the beaches.

While the inspection brought praise, ADEAC also offered recommendations and suggestions to help improve the services and facilities on Orihuela’s beaches.

Manuel Mestre, the councillor for the Coast, confirmed: “We’re pleased with this year’s inspection of Orihuela Costa’s beaches. ADEAC specifically praised the Lifeguard Service provided by Ambumar. We’ve had a long-standing relationship with them.”

Nacho Lorente, who coordinates the Ambumar lifeguard and rescue

service, gave an overview of what their team offers:

“We have a rapid response vehicle, two ambulances, both advanced and basic life support, rescue motorcycles, and a six-metre zodiac.

“This ensures we can handle any emergency, whether it’s in the water or on land nearby.”

Lorente also emphasised the team’s dedication:

“Our main focus is prevention and rescue in the water, but we also assist in nearby areas. We work hard to educate people about safety because our lifeguards often face challenging situations.”

As the high season continues, Orihuela Costa is proving itself to be a top coastal destination where the safety of bathers is a top priority.

Golfing glory

MONFORTE DEL CID has announced its eighth ‘Villa de Monforte del Cid’ Golf Tournament.

The tournament which has gai ned increasing recognition over the years is scheduled for Saturday, Au gust 24, at the Font del Llop Resort golf course.

The tournament will be played in the Stableford format across 18 holes, with categories for Gentle men (1st, 2nd, and 3rd place) and La dies (1st and 2nd place), as well as a Scratch category.

The competition will begin with a shotgun start at 8.30am, and a strong turnout is expected, inclu ding both amateur players with a valid RFEG licence and international players holding handicap certificates.

Registration is now open and can be completed through the Golfdirecto APP, by phone on (+34) 966 126 767, via email at info@fdlgolf.es. Registration fee is €23 for Alenda Golf and Font del Llop members, and €53 for non-members.

Enjoy refreshments on the course and an awards ceremony with a prize draw.

Fini Terol, councillor for Tourism, has extended an invitation to all residents and visitors to participate and explore the golf courses Monforte has to offer.

She also announced that the next tournament will be held at Alenda Golf and highlighted the significant sports tourism appeal of Monforte, which attracts both national and international golfers with its two golf courses.

A stableford format will be played.

Image: Ayuntamiento de Orihuela

The beaches of Orihuela were recently inspected.

Q for Quality

THE Tourist Information Office in Elda has successfully renewed its Q for Tourist Quality mark, a prestigious certification awarded by the Institute for Spanish Tourist Quality (ICTE).

This achievement highlights the office’s commitment to excellence, as it first received this recognition in May 2011.

To earn this certification, the office had to pass a rigorous audit evaluating various aspects, including customer service, internal management, and tourist promotion.

This quality seal not only enhances the office’s prestige and serves as a powerful promotional tool, but also assures visitors of the high standards of service and information they can expect.

Commitment to excellence.

Having the Q mark also facilitates access to certain public subsidies at regional, national, and European levels.

For example, Elda’s recent success in securing a €3 million EU grant from Next Generation Fund - intended for the rehabilitation of Elda castle and its surrounding urban area - was partly influenced by the city’s possession of this quality certification.

Similarly, the Q mark has played a role in obtaining funds for sustainable tourism projects in the city.

Currently, out of more than 90 tourist offices in Alicante Province, 19 hold this distinctive mark, which contributes to positioning Spain as a leading quality destination globally.

Smart castle

ALICANTE has unvei led the ‘Smart Castle’ project, introdu cing a new wireless network at the Castle of Santa Bárbara.

This initiative provides visitors with free WiFi 6 connectivity.

The network underwent a mon th-long testing phase to ensure optimal performance.

It is now fully operational, enhancing the experience for the more than 2,000 tourists and visitors who explore the castle daily.

Users can access the ‘ALC-Guests’ WiFi by entering their mobile phone number and activating the connection through a verification code sent via SMS.

Ana Poquet, the councillor for Tourism,

emphasised the importance of investing in technology to promote the castle, which is one of the most popular monuments in the region.

She noted that this technological advancement complements an existing application that allows visitors to purchase lift tickets to the fortress in advan -

ce, avoiding queues.

The extensive network covers areas from the entrance tunnel to the lift at the Postiguet level, including the courtyard, picnic areas, adjoining zones, the cafeteria, rest areas, the Macho del Castillo, the Felipe II Hall, the Governor’s House, Engineers, Hospital, and the Tavern of the fortress.

The councillor also highlighted that the project enables the hosting of international conferences, meetings, and high-level events with state-ofthe-art telecommunications.

Additionally, the data collected will provide valuable insights for informed decision-making.

New wireless network.

Image: Ayuntamiento de Alicante

Image: Ayuntamiento de Elda

Pedal power prevails

A RECENT council survey on the future Parque Central in Alicante revealed that 72.3 per cent of residents strongly support connecting the new park area with surrounding neighbourhoods through pedestrian and cyclist routes instead of allowing motorised tra c on the main crossroads.

The park, planned to feature green spaces, new housing, and public areas between Avenida de Salamanca and Gran Vía, is designed with a focus on non-motorised transportation.

Conducted in July, the survey saw participation from over 3,200 residents, making it the most extensive citizen engagement e ort in the city’s history.

When asked about the best way to ensure connectivity between the park and adjacent neighbourhoods, nearly three-quarters of participants favoured minimising roadways that would fragment the park.

They preferred a design that emphasises pedestrian and cycling routes, allowing motorised tra c only on Gran Vía as a necessary structural element without disrupting the park’s continuity. In contrast, 27.7 per cent of respondents supported an alternative that would permit more road tra c, allowing key nodes and green areas to be connected by pedestrian and cycle routes, enabling motorised vehicles to cross the park on main roads.

Blue & Q

THE ‘Blue’ and ‘Q’ flags of quality arrive at the Real Club Náutico Torrevieja.

The Blue Flag is a prestigious recognition awarded to the RCN Torrevieja for its outstanding efforts in environmental information and education, as well as its management and environmental policies focused on sustainability and marine conservation.

Similarly, the ‘Q’ flag for Quality acknowledges the relentless efforts of the club’s staff and management to provide exceptional service to members and visitors.

This certification is a hallmark of quality within the Spanish tourism sector, signifying that RCN Torrevieja meets legal standards and embodies values

such as prestige, differentiation, reliability, rigour, security, and professionalism.

Since 1992, the Blue Flag has been proudly displayed at the club, and since 2009, the ‘Q’ for Quality flag has also flown on its mast.

These certifications are complemented by others held by the Yacht

Club, including the ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 13687, and ISO 45001 certificates. These accolades are the result of rigorous quality controls conducted by the ICTE, the Institute for Spanish Tourism Quality, which operates under the Ministry of Energy and Tourism.

Park will feature green spaces.

Image: Ayuntamiento de Alicante

Image: Real Club

Náutco Torrevieja

RCN Torrevieja were awarded Blue and Q flags.

Parasol Olympics Street Festival

THE ‘Olympic Games’ of parasols continue to heat up as beachgoers race to be the first to secure their spot on the sand.

On Saturday, August 10, the Proyecto Mastral Torrevieja webcam captured a remarkable moment at Cura Beach - a parasol was placed on the beachfront at 5.46am.

However, just one day later, this record was broken.

On the morning of Sunday, August 11, the webcam revealed that a parasol had been set up even earlier, at 5.36am.

Cura Beach, known for being one of the busiest in the city due to its central location, has seen its share of early risers vying for prime spots.

A few summers ago, it was common to see bathers racing at dawn to claim the best locations, but this year’s competition has reached a new level.

In fact, as early as April, the beach was already packed with parasols, an image more typical of the peak August season.

The intensity of this ‘parasol Olympics’ highlights the popularity of Cura Beach and the lengths to which locals and tourists alike will go to enjoy a prime spot by the sea.

THE Elche on the Street Festival (Elx al Carrer) in Elche is returning for its 16th year, bringing over 20 performances to various squares and streets of the city.

Due to high demand for participation, the festival has been extended to span two weekends, taking place on September 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, and 15.

Councillor for Youth, María Bonmatí, highlighted that ‘Elx al Carrer’ is one of the initiatives aimed at bringing culture directly to the city’s public spaces, offering an alternative form of leisure.

The festival will feature a diverse

array of performances, including theatre, dance, music, and circus acts, in prominent locations such as Plaza del Congreso Eucarístico, Plaza de Baix, and Plaza del Centro de Congresos.

Pablo Tortosa, the coordinator of the Elx al Carrer programme, emphasised the variety of talent involved, noting that both national and international artists, as well as local amateur performers, will transform the streets into expansive stages.

The detailed schedule for the festival is already available on the official website: elxalcarrer.com .

20 performances. Image:

Planning your retirement in Spain

When planning to move to Spain your initial focus may be on securing residency, but don’t neglect to research the tax, succession and financial planning implications. Spain can be a more tax-efficient place to live than you realise, but don’t leave your tax planning too late. Here are eight key steps to take before and after your move.

1) Apply for your Spain residence visa

While applying for legal residence in Spain now involves stricter requirements and advance planning, it is generally still possible provided you can support yourself. Retirees can apply for a Spanish non-lucrative visa.

2) Understand the tax implications of living in Spain

You become tax resident if you spend over 183 days in Spain a year, or your centre of economic or vital interests is here. This makes you liable for Spanish income, capital gains and wealth taxes on worldwide income and assets and subject to the succession tax rules.

By Jon Pemberton, Partner, Blevins Franks

3) Timing your move to save tax

The Spanish tax year runs from January to December, whereas the UK is April to April. The two countries apply different capital gains tax rules and rates. Weigh up whether it is better to sell UK assets as a UK or Spanish tax resident, then time your move accordingly.

4) Structure your assets to minimise tax in Spain

A potentially costly mistake is assuming what was tax-efficient in the UK is the same in Spain. ISAs, for example, lose their taxfree status here.

While Spanish taxation can look high, the tax regime presents attractive tax mitigation opportunities. How you hold your assets can impact how much tax you pay.

5) Research how UK pensions are taxed in Spain

For residents of Spain, UK occupational and state pensions are taxed only in Spain. The taxation of UK private pensions is more complicated so take personalised advice. Government service pensions remain liable only to UK tax (though the income is taken into account when determining your Spanish income tax rate on other income).

Pension lump sums are fully taxable in Spain.

6) Analyse your pension options

Review all the available options for your pensions to weigh up which is most suitable for you. For example, you might benefit from consolidating several UK pensions into one to provide a coherent, more cost-effective investment platform for your reti-

rement income.

Transferring UK pensions to an EU Qualifying Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS) after you are Spanish tax resident will incur a prohibitive tax charge in Spain. Take advice before you move.

Pension rules frequently change so the appropriate solution today may differ tomorrow, so it is important to take regulated, specialist advice.

7) Reviewing your savings and investments

Once you’re retired and living in Spain, your circumstances and objectives completely change from your UK working days, so take a fresh review of your savings and investments. Ensure your portfolio is suitable for you today, designed to meet your aims and risk appetite, and has adequate diversification to reduce risk.

Consider what currency to hold your savings in – keeping assets in Sterling puts you at the mercy of conversion costs and exchange rate movements.

8) Don’t forget estate planning

The Spanish succession regime varies significantly from the UK’s. Spanish succession tax works very differently from UK inheritance tax and Spain imposes forced heirship, though you can plan ahead to get round this.

A helping hand

It pays to do your research, but taking specialist cross-border advice will prove invaluable. Find a firm who can advise you for the longer-term, on all these aspects, from the planning stages in the UK throughout your new life in Spain, and if you return to the UK in future.

The tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any statements concerning taxation are based upon our understanding of current taxation laws and practices which are subject to change. Tax information has been summarised; an individual should take personalised advice. Keep up to date on the financial issues that may affect you on the Blevins Franks news page at www. blevinsfranks.com.

Shopper’s guide

THE Santa Pola Merchants Association has launched a new trade guide designed to make it easier for residents and visitors to locate and access local businesses.

The guide will be available at associated businesses and Santa Pola tourist offices.

It will also be distributed in hotels, with tourist rental owners able to request copies for their guests.

To further expand its

ALICANTE-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport is flying high and breaking records month after month.

July sees a new record for the airport, with 1,989,648 passengers passing through its gates.

reach, the guide will be shared on social media and made available for download in PDF format.

Councillor Joaquín Lozano emphasised the initiative’s significance:

“This guide is a prime example of how we can promote local commerce and facilitate access to the wide range of services and products Santa Pola offers.

“It is a valuable resource that will support

both our local economy and visitors, enhancing their shopping experience.”

The guide aims not only to simplify shopping but also to boost the local economy by connecting consumers with a variety of businesses. By distributing it in hotels and tourist accommodations, the guide aims to improve visitors’ experiences and encourage their engagement with the local economy.

Surging skies

This figure marks the highest monthly passenger traffic in the airport’s history, surpassing the previous record set in June and reflecting a 16.1 per cent increase compared to July 2023.

The majority of these passengers were international travellers, with 1,725,806 passengers registered on international commercial flights which is a 16.3 per cent rise.

Domestic traffic also saw significant growth, with 261,853 passengers, representing a 15.6 per cent increase compared to the same month last year.

Looking at the breakdown of international passengers by nationality, the United Kingdom topped the list with 643,033 passengers.

This was followed by Norway with 126,849, Germany with 117,378, the Netherlands with 107,395, and France with 95,849 passengers.

In terms of flight operations, July was also a record-breaking month for the airport, with 12,139 flights managed which is a 14.7 per cent increase compared to July 2023 and 9.68 per cent more than the previous record that was set in July 2019.

A new trade guide.

Green gains

ATTENTION gardeners in Castalla and the surrounding areas!

Castalla Town Hall has confirmed that you can now turn your organic waste into useful compost with its free home composting programme, offered in partnership with the CREA Waste Consortium.

Sign up to get your home composter at no cost by visiting creacompost. org.

Composting is a natural process where organic materials break down with the help of oxygen, creating nutrient-rich compost.

This compost is a great, odour-free fertiliser for your plants.

To avoid problems like bad smells and pests, start composting with plant-based materials rather than animal waste.

This programme is available to residents in Castalla and surrounding areas, including Bañeres de Mariola, Benejama, Biar, Campo de Mirra, Cañada, Elda, Monóvar, Onil, Petrer, Pinoso, Salinas, Sax, and Villena.

The aim is to encourage home recycling of organic waste, turning it into natural fertiliser and reducing the environmental impact of waste management.

AN 11-month-old baby was rescued after being trapped in an automatic car during 40+ degrees weather in Elda; one of many cases of modern vehicles backfiring.

The incident occurred on August 7 at 6pm at Avenida de Ronda in Elda, as a woman called 112 to help her rescue her 11-month-old baby from a shut automatic car. Municipal sources reported that as the child’s mother got out of her automatic vehicle, the car’s locking system immediately activated and blocked all doors from being opened.

The heat was over 40 degrees Celsius and the baby

Not all heroes wear capes

ON Saturday August 10, the Alicante Provincial Fire Service responded to a call for help in Callosa de Segura, where a small dog was trapped in a deep irrigation channel on Camino Millanares.

Firefighters skilfully used ropes to descend into the channel and reach the stranded dog.

They then fitted the dog with a special harness and carefully lifted it to safety.

A brigade spokesman reported, “The little dog was in good condition despite the ordeal it had been through.”

Locked in

was sweating profusely as the mother’s efforts to rescue her child were powerless against the automatic system. The woman then called the emergency services which dispatched the Fire Department of Elda, yet a patrol of the Local Police was nearby and had also received the alert. The Local Police officers immediately arrived at the scene.

With no results from trying to open the doors,

the officers performed a controlled break of a car window. They accessed the door mechanism from inside, rescuing the baby, who was fortunately unharmed and returned to the mother.

The Local Police reported that they met a similar case in 2021 when they rescued two siblings aged two and four who were trapped in a vehicle with an activated automatic alarm in 2021.

Local Police of Elda.

Credit: Policia Local de Elda, Facebook

Useful compost.

in Spain? Your

Should people stop going on donkey rides

ACCORDING to the General Council of the College of Veterinarians of Spain’s ‘Guide to Good Practices for the Welfare of Equines in Public Service Horse-Drawn Carriages’, when there is a heat index of 33ºC, working equines may suffer ‘sunstroke, heat stroke, cramps, possibly due to prolonged exposure or physical activity’ and should therefore not be put to work.

In light of this, Mijas Town Hall (on the Costa del Sol) has stipulated that donkey rides and carriages must not operate at certain times of the day when the temperature is showing as a ‘yellow weather warning’ or above.

However, is this enough to protect the donkeys, or are donkey rides a time-old tradition we must abandon?

We asked Euro Weekly News readers if people should stop going on donkey rides in Spain.

Mary Gregory said - “1,000 per cent yes!!!! It should be stopped immediately. There is no need for those poor donkeys to suffer anymore. It’s barbaric. There are many other ways to see the village than riding on the back of these poor, exhausted donkeys. It breaks my heart to see it. So cruel. I don’t visit Mijas anymore and for that reason alone. Please stop this now.”

Pam Joseph also agreed and said, “Yes, of course, it’s barbaric today. Some people have not learned anything.”

Shirley Morris also feels that it

should be stopped and expressed, “Yes, it should be stopped. Anything that puts animals in a degrading and dangerous situation should be banned.”

However, Helen Chapman suggested that putting limits in place may be the way forward - she explained, “I think there should be limits: Not in the heat of the day and no overweight people. What will happen to the donkeys if the owners don’t have any income worries me. How will they afford to feed them and look after them? I think welfare checks should be done on the donkeys and, if possible, a lovely place for them to retire to.”

Deb Horses also agrees with Helen about introducing limits and had this to say. “No! But there should be limits like 1) rides between 8.00am and noon and in the late afternoon between 7 and 10.00pm. 2) weight limited to 60 kilos. 3) There are no rides when it is 35 degrees outside.”

Tricia Pamela feels that it comes down to how well the animal is looked after rather than blanket abolition“No if the animals are treated well, fed, watered and rested, why not?”

In conclusion, while many feel that it should be banned, others are a little more open to the idea of it continuing, with the proviso that limits are set to protect donkeys, particularly during hotter climes, and from carrying heavier passengers.

Sauna - culture of good living.

Sauna culture

ESTONIA intends to use part of the EU money from the Just Transition Fund to invest in a sauna festival and a dance marathon; uplifting the local culture of good living.

The Just Transition Fund is one of the EU’s key strategy funds to help countries transition to climate neutrality by 2050.

The EU allocated €354 million to Ida-Viru County in eastern Estonia. The money funded will be used to diversify economic activity, reduce

Turtles on Spanish beaches bad omen

LOGGERHEAD turtles are being increasingly found on Spanish beaches. As reported recently by the Euro Weekly News, eggs which were found on Cabopino beach in 2023, hatched recently at Fuengi- rola’s Bioparc facilities and were released back into the Mediterranean at the same beach in July.

But this is not a normal phenomena on Spanish beaches and there have been scores of recent sightings on the shores of Costa Brava, Costa del Sol, Murcia and Mallorca. In fact it is a worrying omen of things to come.

The waters around Greece, Turkey and Cyprus are heating up, and turtles are heading west to where the Mediterranean mixes with cooler Atlantic water. This change in temperatures is causing there to be born more female turtles than males, calling into question the future of the species.

Sea turtles are philopatric, which means the tempe-

Loggerhead turtles found increasingly on Spanish beaches. Credit: pixabay, Pexels

rature of the nesting egg determines whether a male or female turtle is hatched. The higher the temperature of the sand where the eggs are nested, the more chance they have of developing into females, and vice versa, potentially leading to an east, west separation of the sexes.

Given that females return to the same beach that they hatched on, this separation of the sexes is a situation which could have a devastating impact on the species.

On discovering a sea turtle or its eggs on a beach, it is essential not to disturb the area. According to César-Javier Palacios, naturalist and geographer, the procedure to follow is: Call 112, do not disturb the animal, move away at least 30 metres and don’t step on the turtle’s tracks.

the production of fossil fuels and create new businesses.

However, a part of the fund will be distributed to the cultural sector.

To celebrate the Estonian love for sauna, the NGO Rakvere Marathon will be allocated €10,000 to organise Estonian sauna culture masterclasses, while €4,334 will be forwarded for funding a dance marathon.

The sauna is the centre of Estonia’s culture; the ultimate social network that plays a signi cant role in the community’s

life. All year round, Estonians escape to the sauna to seek comfort, cleansing and connection with others. The practice is ingrained in people’s culture; the rst written records of saunas date back to the 13th century when they were used as birthing rooms due to being the cleanest part of the house. Today, it is a place to meet friends and family on any occasion; whether a New Year celebration, an after-work leisure or a place to spend quality time with your loved ones.

First strokes

VOLUNTEERS in the Canary Islands are guiding thousands of African migrants as they face their traumas of the sea.

“I wouldn’t do it again. It’s very di cult, very dangerous. It’s a risk we took because we didn’t have a choice,” said Mamadou M Bathily, a 24-year-old trained IT specialist who arrived in Tenerife through Senegal.

This summer, Mamadou was guided by Proemaid volunteers to take his rst strokes in the Tenerife waters. The volunteers work with groups of 35-40 people, with some spending up to 15 days at sea. “There are people who come with a terrible fear that you see when they get into the water holding your hand as if clinging to life,” said Jorge Balcazar, from Project Aqua. Migration rights group, Walking Borders reported that nearly 5,000 migrants died at sea within just seven months this year.

A 17-year-old migrant, Famara, talked to the Press about the reasons why he took the boat from Gambia to Spain; “The time that my mother passed away, I thought about it, because my mother took care of my younger brothers and my sisters. Now my mother is not there, so I have to be the one taking care of them in the future. That made me come here.”

Credit: Maximillian cabinet, Shutterstock

Supercell

A RARE ‘supercell’ tornado was captured on video in the Castellon Province of Spain, in the municipality of El Toro.

The Spanish Meteorological Agency reported the incident as a tornado, while local weather page MeteoStorms reported it as a ‘supercell’ tornado. The tornado appeared following the recent heatwave and extreme weather conditions, as the Castellon region ex-

perienced a drop in temperature by up to eight degrees Celsius.

The ‘supercell’ tornado resulted in torrential rain, hail and strong winds. The mayor of El Toro, Jose Arenes stated that “no major damage” was caused to the town.

A ‘supercell’ is a type of thunderstorm which provokes extreme weather conditions, including heavy rain, large hailstones and strong winds.

EASYJET has announced a major change to the luggage allowance on its city break packages.

easyJet, Britain’s budget-friendly airline, has made a major change to its city break packages that could affect thousands of holidaymakers.

Previously, customers who purchased a city break package would receive a 23kg hold luggage allowance automatically added to their deal.

However, since August 7, this add-on has

A rare phenomenon, as few as 20 per cent of all supercell thunderstorms produce tornadoes.

Spotted by a ‘mesocyclone’, a deep and persistent rotating updraft, the ‘supercell’ thunderstorm lasts between two and four hours.

The origin of these conditions is the instability of air, accompanied by a particular type of changing wind direction at ranging altitudes in the atmosphere known as wind shear.

The fusion of changing wind directions and speeds then creates a horizontal rolling mo -

tion in the lower atmosphere. Although they can appear anywhere in the world, ‘supercell’ thunderstorms are more commonly found in arid climates, such as the US and southern parts of Europe. Spain’s increasing drought may have well contributed to the occurrence.

easyJet changes city break packages

been removed and instead replaced with the choice of a slightly reduced cost, or pay extra for hold luggage; which is checked in at the airport and stored in the cargo hold. Although this change will not affect the

average flyer who purchases a flight-only ticket or other tour combos that still include the check-in luggage, it will have a major impact on the city break packages.

Customers purchasing a city break pac-

kage, and travelling with a large cabin bagwhich fits in the aeroplane’s overhead compartment - will need to pay an extra £5.99 and those with 23kg hold luggage will have to pay an extra £9.49.

easyJet has stated the move was “to make our packages even better with lower pricing,” however, some agents have said they hadn’t noticed a reduction in package prices, with one agent stating the package cost was £100 more than when check-in bags were added.

Credit: Raychel Sanner, Flickr

Supercell tornado.

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Crafting Excellence: The C & G Fabrications Journey in UPVC Solutions

C & G FABRICATIONS, a family-run business with extensive experience in the UPVC industry, has been a staple on the Costa Blanca since 2004.

Specialising in manufacturing and installing high-quality, high-security, and high-thermal Deceuninck UPVC

windows, doors, porches, conservatories, and naya infills, the company serves areas from Calpe to Almeria.

Recently added to their portfolio is the new ELEGANT INFINITY UPVC section, featuring THERMAL REINFORCING and the capability to introduce a 36mm TRIPLE GLAZED UNIT.

Look out for the special offers!

Over the years, C & G Fabrications has built a reputation for reliability and excellence, priding itself on its ability to handle even the most challenging arch windows and doors.

The company offers custom-made products, honest advice, and unparalleled customer service.

Clients can expect competitive quotes presented on the same day by experienced tradesmen, not salesmen, ensuring transparency and eliminating unforeseen costs.

The business model is straightforward, avoiding pressure tactics and sales gimmicks, with the quality of its products speaking for itself.

The roots of C & G Fabrications trace back to 2003 when Richard and Julie Green relocated to Costa Blanca after many years of holidaying in the area.

Richard noticed the lack of quality UPVC security windows, as the prevalent aluminium frames offered little security and poor thermal value.

In 2006, the company became even stronger with the introduction of Lee and Rachael Earl, who brought years of experience in UPVC extrusions and hardware within the industry.

This partnership led to the founding of C & G Fabrications, making it one of the most knowledgeable and experienced UPVC window and door manufacturers in the Costa Blanca area.

Not only do they manufacture and install, but they also take pride in supplying the industry from their TRADE WINDOW outlet, offering a variety of products manufactured at their facility in Almoradi.

By choosing to use profile extru-

sions from Deceuninck, C & G Fabrications ensures that their windows and doors meet the highest standards of quality.

The company’s commitment to excellence has solidified its reputation as a trusted name in the double-glazing industry.

Located at Polígono Industrial Las Maromas, Calle Reino Unido 19, Nave 2, Almoradi, Alicante, C & G Fabrications can be contacted by phone on (+34) 966 764 730.

The office is open Monday to Friday from 10.00am until 4.00pm, and on Saturdays by prior appointment. With a focus on quality, security, and customer satisfaction, C & G Fabrications continues to deliver exceptional products and services to their clients.

Brit vandalises Pompeii Nudist chain

SOME 717 people participated in forming a nudist human chain on Torn Beach in Tarragona, Spain on August 4, according to a statement from the Catalan Naturism Club.

The human nudist chain was part of the Third Nudist Record of Catalonia, which took place on July 12 across 20 beaches in Catalonia. Nudists at the Torn Beach were unable to participate due to harsh weather, hence the event was postponed until August; the Cala Fonda beach also joined to make up for its previous absence.

“Nudism is not forbidden, but socially is not very well accepted,” commented Segimon Rovira, president of the Catalan Naturism Club Association. He explained that the event aimed to raise the maximum number of nudists and “beyond raising

awareness of nudism on Catalan beaches, was set “to promote and defend nudism.”

He mentioned the unprecedented decline in nudist culture; “Generally, across the world, society is becoming more and more conservative, and we see that many and many more people are having more problems in doing nudism on the beaches.”

Rovira linked this decline with the “proliferation of social networks,” as nudist beaches are “increasingly frequented by people who do not go naked,” refusing to respect the nudist values.

Mass tourism, pressure from real estate developers, and the omnipresence of cell phones have caused a decline in nudist culture; something which the community aims to change.

A BRITISH man has landed himself in deep trouble after vandalising a Unesco World Heritage site.

The tourist carved the initials of his name and those of his daughters on the wall of one of Pompeiis’ most famous attractions.

As Italy continues to deal with foreign visitors leaving their mark, they could be setting a precedent as this tourist is facing a fine of over €1,000.

The 37-year-old Brit, from Derby, reportedly used a blunt object to carve the initials of himself and his children; JW LMW and MW, as well as the date 07/08/24.

The man engraved the initials on the frescoed wall of the ancient House of the Vestals, the previous residence of the Vestal virgins, located behind the Temple of Vesta.

In addition to his and his family’s initials, the foreigner also scribbled

the word ‘Mylaw’ beside the entrance of the ancient house.

Unfortunately for the holidayers, the father was caught, leading the Pompeii security staff to report him to the police and the public prosecutor’s office in the nearby town of Torre Annunziata, opening up an investigation into the matter.

According to local police, “after his arrest, he was mortified,” adding that his explanation for acting as such was “He said he wanted to leave something of himself there.”

Although “he apologised for what he did,” said the local police, “he will have to pay.”

More than 700 nudist form a human chain in Tarragona.

Credit: CCNaturisme, X

The House of the Vestals located in the Pompeii archeological park, where the tourist carved his initials.

SPAIN’S Catalan Civil Protection Department has launched a pilot project to test an automatic warning system aimed at improving beach safety.

Wave of innovation

This system uses measuring devices on buoys to send real-time wave measurements to authorities. If successful, it could be used on unsupervised beaches to alert potential swimmers about dangerous water conditions.

Authorities are considering using tra c light signals on beaches to indicate swimming conditions, similar to the current ag system on supervised beaches.

The pilot is being conducted on beaches in three Catalan towns: Cambrils, Roses, and Mataró.

These towns are collaborating with the SARTI centre at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) and the company Ona Safe & Clean, which makes the measuring devices.

The devices are installed on buoys at supervised beaches to compare their data with local surveillance services.

If the comparisons are positive, the tra c light system will be

Amazing Apollo

APOLLO, the four-year-old African grey parrot, boasts an ever-growing follower count.

His unique skills and larger-than-life personality have taken the internet by storm.

He’s a TikTok sensation, a beloved pet, and an exceptionally intelligent bird with a soft spot for pistachios.

Additionally, he is set to feature in the Guinness Book of World Records 2025! In 2023, Apollo set the record for most items identi ed by a parrot in three minutes, recognising 12 objects including ‘bug,’ ‘book,’ and ‘socks’.

This remarkable achievement took place in Saint Petersburg, Florida, where Apollo lives with his family: 25-yearold content creators Dalton and Victoria ‘Tori’ Mason.

“We’re proud to make this addition to our wall of achievements, alongside our gold YouTube plaque and our news articles,” said Dalton and Victoria.

Apollo’s new record lls the couple with joy and underscores an important message.

While the emotional intelligence of

animals is often dismissed or ignored, this achievement supports Dalton and Victoria’s mission to “spread awareness of the natural intelligence found in animals.”

Described as having the intelligence of a human toddler, Apollo recognises colours, words, and objects.

His verbal skills enable him to count, communicate clearly, and answer complex questions.

This milestone proves that Apollo isn’t just a tremendously cute star of many viral videos; he’s an enthusiastic learner who trains hard to discover new words.

tested on unsupervised beaches starting in September.

The tra c light signals will use the same colours as the ag system: green for safe, yellow for caution, and red, no swimming. Eventually, this system will also be used on supervised beaches outside lifeguard hours to keep swimmers informed about water conditions at all times.

Like lightning

A WILDFIRE in Greece spread ‘like lightning’, reported a re brigade spokesperson Vassilis Vathrakogiannis; as families in and out of Athens continued to evacuate their homes.

More than 400 reghters aided by 16 waterbombing planes and 13 helicopters fought the re in Greece on Sunday, August 10, at approximately 3pm.

The re spread to the Varnavas village, 35 km north of Athens, forcing at least 10 communities around Varnavas to evacuate, as people battled to save their homes. Residents of Marathon, 40km east of Athens were also evacuated, towards the beach town of Nea Marki.

The re brigade stated; “The situation remains dangerous as the re is spreading between residences”; ames continue to rise to 25 metres, engul ng the trees.

Greece’s Climate Crisis

and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kiklias reported that he had deployed emergency measures, including the army, police and volunteers to address the res until August 15.

He noted; “Extremely high temperatures and dangerous weather conditions will prevail. Half of Greece will be red.” Health ocials urged people to stay indoors with “windows

closed,” and limit their movements, as the smoke had signi cantly a ected the air quality; at least eight people were hospitalised with respiratory problems.

Since May, hundreds of wild res have been breaking out across Greece. This year, the country registered its hottest June and July in history and is forecasting August to break another shattering record.

Fire spreads in Athens.

CAFÉ Bar El Paso is excited to present Toto’s Wonder, the premier Toto/Stevie Wonder tribute band on the Costa Blanca!

This international band from Torrevieja will perform the greatest hits of Stevie Wonder and Toto.

Stevie Wonder, who emerged as a musical prodigy in the early 1960s, has produced numerous dance hits, love songs, and insightful commentaries on societal issues.

Expect to hear favourites like ‘I Just Called to Say I Love You’, ‘I Was Made to Love Her’, ‘Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing’, and ‘Superwoman’.

COSTA BLANCA SOUTH

Eagle excellence

THE Desperados, an authentic Eagles tribute band, will be performing live on Wednesday, September 18 at 7.00pm.

Catch them at Restaurante Los Cucalos, located at Avenida de Montezenia 1, Orihuela Costa, 03189 Alicante.

including 100 million in the US, the Eagles are one of the best-selling bands of all time.

The band’s name, inspired by the Latin phrase ‘in toto’, signifies their diverse musical influences.

Enjoy their popular tracks such as ‘Rosanna’, ‘Hold the Line’, and ‘Gift

Toto, an American poprock band formed in 1977, is known for its eclectic mix of pop, rock, soul, funk, hard rock, R&B, blues, and jazz.

with the Golden Gun’.

This unforgettable tribute performance will take place on August 31 at Café Bar El Paso, located at Calle Apolo 102, Torrevieja.

For more information, contact El Paso on (+34) 641 325 503 or by email elpasocafeteriabar@gmail. com.

Enjoy singing along to classic Eagles hits such as ‘Hotel California’, ‘Take it Easy’, ‘Desperado’, and ‘New Kid in Town’.

The Eagles, an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971, achieved significant success in the 1970s.

They have five number-one singles, six number-one albums, six Grammy Awards, and five American Music Awards.

With over 200 million records sold worldwide,

They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 and were ranked number 75 on Rolling Stone’s 2004 list of the ‘100 Greatest Artists of All Time’.

Tickets for the event are priced at €10 for general admission.

Dinner and drinks can be purchased at the venue.

X-Factor x-citement

For €18, enjoy a three-course menu featuring starters like scrambled eggs with asparagus and mushrooms, ham croquettes, or Russian salad. Main courses include pork loin in pepper sauce, chicken paella, or grilled hake, followed by dessert and coffee.

Please note that tickets and table reservations are only available through the website: rewindspain.es, not directly through the venue.

ral admission on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, priced at €15.

ENJOY a night of toe-tapping fun with two of the earliest stars of ‘The X-Factor’, Steve Brookstein and Andy Abraham. Enjoy a live concert celebrating classic music, including swing, soul, and ballads. The event will take place on Tuesday, October 15, starting at 7.00pm at Restaurante Los Cucalos, located at Avenida de Montezenia 1, Orihuela Costa, 03189.

All tickets are for gene-

Admission only covers the concert, with dinner and drinks available for purchase at the venue on the night.

Tickets, which are selling quickly, for this event are exclusively available through the website rewindspain.es and not through the venue itself.

Dinner will be served from 7.00pm to 9.00pm, after which the party begins.

The opening act will be performed at 9.00pm, followed by the main show and additional music afterwards.

Steve Brookstein, the winner of the first UK X-Factor, and Andy Abraham, runner-up in the second series, first met at a charity event in October 2019, playing at a packed Villamartin Plaza.

This collaboration inspired them to create their show in the ‘rat-pack’ style, which they now bring to the Costa Blanca.

Image: Desperados - Eagles Tribute / Facebook

On sale

THE 16-century castle built for Charles V Holy Roman Emperor located near Naples made it onto Italy’s list of 33 sites owned by the defence ministry to be sold in November 2024, as a way to combat public debt.

Turned into a prison in the 19th century, the castle is now used for the manufacture and storage of military explosives.

The news about the sale sparked FAI’s condemnation; Italy’s equivalent to the national trust, the FAI urged for the castle to be forwarded to UNESCO World Heritage for protection. “We should protect our cultural assets, they are vital,” said the architect Dante Specchia.

Specchia argued; “Depriving the public of a jewel like the Charles V castle should not be debatable.” Yet, Georgia Meloni’s government thinks otherwise.

Italy’s public debt now exceeds €2.8 trillion. In May this year, the IMF (International Monetary Fund) issued an official warning to Italy, emphasising the need for decisive fiscal reforms to address the escalating public debt. Since coming to power, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni emphasised the importance of selling military properties which are reported to have a market value of €240 million. The Italian ministry noted that the properties would be sold under concession for 50 years and that it was looking for “proposals aimed at the redevelopment, enhancement, and economic management of its real estate assets.”

BANKSY’s latest artwork of a cat was removed hours after being unveiled, to the sound of booing crowds in Cricklewood, north-west London. At least 50 people gathered in Cricklewood, watching the artwork of the cat being dismantled by three men. The men stated that they were ‘hired’ by a ‘contracting company’ to take down the billboard for ‘safety reasons’.

The artwork portrayed a black cat stretching out its body on an empty billboard. Hours after Banksy confirmed that the image was his, crowds gathered from across London to see the Cricklewood cat, just as it was beginning to be dismantled.

The removal was briefly paused by the police who checked the contractors for approval to remove the artwork, after which they proceeded. A man who introduced himself as Marc, also attended the scene, presenting himself as the contractor.

He stated that they ini-

Street cat

tially planned to remove the artwork on Monday but decided to do it sooner in case someone ‘rips it down and leaves it unsafe’.

He said; “We’ll store it in our yard to see if anyone collects it but if not it’ll go in a skip. I’ve been told

to keep it careful.” Chairwoman of the NorthWestTwo Residents Association Carol Reeman also commented; “This is Cricklewood, this is our Banksy. You can’t even enjoy it for the whole day before someone wanted to take it down.”

Credit: KathrynWebs, X

The Cricklewood cat.

Credit: Mikhail M, TripAdviser

Castel Capuano.

Helsinki says ‘no’

FINLAND would say no to a US-Russia peace summit in Finland should Donald Trump win November’s presidential election.

Trump claims to have a plan that would bring the Ukraine war to a rapid end but Finland’s Foreign minister, Elina Valtonen, made clear that there could be no re petition of the Cold War’s Helsinki Accords of 1975 or the Trump-Putin summit held in 2018.

Speaking to the Tele graph , Valtonen said her country fully supported Ukraine’s peace objectives and Finland would host a summit only if Russia demonstrated its willingness to negotiate in good faith. At this stage, that looked “highly doubtful”, the minister added.

“Like almost every body else in Europe, we don’t have any po litical dialogue with

Russia at the moment,” she said.

“We are not looking to open any dialogue either, for as long as Russia keeps invading sovereign nations in its neighbourhood.”

Valtonen emphasised to the Telegraph that she “completely” ruled out discussions taking place in Helsinki unless Russia showed its readiness to return to valuing and respecting internatio-

Trump has repeatedly declared that he could end the Ukraine war within 24 hours without revealing how he would do so, and Valtonen stated that Finland would only back a solution based on international law and the UN charter.

“So far, I haven’t seen any proposal on a peace treat draft, other than that of President Zelensky,” she said.

New EU entry-exit system explained for Britons in Spain

THE British Embassy in Spain is urging British nationals residing in Spain to be aware of the newly published information on the European Union’s Entry-Exit System (EES). This system will be implemented later this year and will impact travel procedures for non-EU citizens, including Britons.

The EES is a new automated system at EU borders designed to register non-EU short-stay travellers. Entering Spain will require providing:

Name

Passport details

Biometric data (fingerprints and facial image) Date and place of entry and exit

This replaces the current passport stamping process. Data will be stored for three years, eliminating the need for repetitive registration on return visits within that timeframe.

you

British residents in the EU are exempt from EES registration if they hold a valid biometric residency card, known as a TIE card in Spain.

The non-biometric Green Certificate, while a valid residency document in Spain, will not be recognised under the EES as it predates Brexit and is not included in the Withdrawal Agreement.

Holders of Green Certificates:

May not be exempt from EES registration. Risk facing delays and difficulties at borders, especially in other EU countries.

The embassy strongly advises anyone still using a Green Certificate to obtain a TIE card as soon as possible before the EES launch this autumn.

Are

aware of new guidelines from the British Embassy in Spain?

Photo credit: C/Lauri Heikkenen/Ministers

ELINA VALTONEN: Foreign minister rules out futureTrump-Putin summit.

Monument vandalised

ON the anniversary of her arrest by Nazis, August 4, 1944, exactly 80 years to the day, Anne Frank’s monument in Amsterdam was smeared with bloodred paint and the slogan ‘Free Gaza’.

The Diary of Anne Frank became a ‘mustread’ and a societal vow to never again permit the horrors of Nazi barbarity in Europe. Yet here we are just eight decades later and a modest memorial reminding the World of her plight and that of all Jews across Europe, per-

secuted and senselessly slaughtered for nothing more than their family heritage, we find anti-Semitism returns to a Europe that has seemingly forgotten its vow.

According to local television news, this was the second time in the space of a month that the solemn little statue had been daubed with red paint. While an investigation has been launched, no suspects have been identified.

In the wake of the bellic horrors taking place in

AC vendetta

ITALY’s wealthiest municipality, Portofino has been seeing an increase in heat, with temperatures rising as high as 32 degrees Celsius; the neighbours, meanwhile, are having heated arguments over reporting each other to the lo cal police.

Gaza, Anti-Semitism has reared its ugly head once more around Europe to everyone’s shock and dismay. Mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema, has been quoted as saying “No Palestinian has been helped by smearing her so precious statue.” She said on her Instagram account “This young girl, who was so brutally murdered by the Nazis at the age of 15, reminds us and our city every day of humanity and gentleness, in the most difficult circumstances.”

Portofino has been part of a regional national park since 1935, and until a few years ago, it entirely pro hibited the ins tallation of air con ditioning units. With the rise in the stifling heat, the authorities lifted the restrictions, as long as the homeowners received permission and ensured a discreet placement of air-con units, without tainting Portofino’s glamour.

At least 37 reports have been received about illegally installed air-cons between January and June.

The fines reach as much as €43,000 if prosecuted in court, although Portofino mayor Matteo Viacava said that the authorities aim to avoid fining people; “We just want to ensure that the constraints are respected and beauty of Portofino is maintained. They need to be put in places that are not visible. Slowly, we are getting it all in order.”

Local

who denounce each other to the police. While some residents hide their AC units, disguising them by painting them in colours of the local surroundings, some people have reported to have played host to their neighbours, only to find them secretly taking a photo of an illegally set air-con unit and forwarding it to the police.

-

Anne Frank’s memorial statue in Amsterdam vandalised.

Credit: Joop Soesan, X.

news

paper Corriere della Sera reported the ‘vendetta’ within Portofino neighbours,

Portofino neighbourhood.

Credit: Irene Grassi, Flickr

INTERVIEW

Speaking European –Peter Riemenschneider

If you’re only here for travelling, you’re missing out,” shared Peter, who has for the past six years, been an official Spanish resident.

PETER and his wife left London for a more ‘balanced’ life in Valencia.

The couple chose Valen cia for its diversity; “It’s a compromise between living in a big city and a small town.”

As Peter and his wife moved, he began working on the launch of his software company as well as working with his wife in real estate. He noted that with “Spain having a better infrastructure than most countries,” business was going well.

Peter Riemenschneider.

Spanish soon became his fourth language. He admitted, however, that nowadays, that is not necessary; “Valencia has changed a lot within the past six years; today, English is heard everywhere.”

Yet, Peter insists on learning the lan-

guage to its core; “Living in any country, you have to familiarise yourself with the language and the culture. It’s not just words and grammar. It’s the context, the gestures, the national fables.”

He shared that although one can get by without Spanish, the authentic experience will be completely lacking.

Having grown so familiar with Spain, Peter advised anyone who considers moving to accept the changes and know that they come “with upsides and downsides,” depending on your perspective. “Of course it’s not the same as the US and the UK. That’s why we’ve moved here.”

TIKTOK Lite shuts down ‘addictive’ rewards programme to meet the demands of the European Commission after its raised concerns and fine threats.

TikTok Lite; a smaller version of TikTok which consumes less data, launched a Rewards programme, allowing users to earn points by increasing their engagement with the app. By watching videos, liking content, following creators and inviting friends to join, users can earn points and exchange them for vouchers or gift cards.

Shortly after its launch in Spain and France in April 2024, the EU Com mission urged TikTok to provide an immedia te risk assessment due to concer ns about the programme’s potential for addiction.

Under the DSA (Digi tal Services Act), large

No rewards Olympic climber

online platforms must report potential risks of new programmes to the EU Commission and adopt effective strategies to address them before the launch.

The European Commission stated; “Any breach of the commitments would immediately amount to a breach of the DSA and could therefore lead to fines.”

The social media giant has now announced its commitment to permanently withdraw the TikTok Lite Rewards programme from the EU and abstain from launching any new programmes which would outmanoeuvre the withdrawal.

The Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton expressed the potential damage of TikTok’s features; “The available brain time of young Europeans is not a currency for social media - and it never will be.”

TikTok may lead to addictive behaviour.

THE 2024 Games opened and closed with unprecedented incidents; while the opening was interrupted by the threatening attacks on French railways, the closing saw a man frantically climbing the Eiffel Tower with his bare hands.

Around 4pm on Sunday, August 11, Paris police had to evacuate the area around the iconic landmark, as a shirtless man made his way up the 330m tower. French police reported that they “immediately intervened

and arrested” the man, evacuating the space. Visitors on the second floor of the tower were briefly locked in and allowed to exit around 30 minutes later.

Videos of the bare-chested climber went viral, as he made his way up, grinning and saying “bloody warm, innit?” when escorted by the police.

Although the Eiffel Tower was not part of the closing ceremony, it served stunningly as a backdrop for the opening

ceremony with a performance by Celine Dion. The closing ceremony also hosted memorable musicians, including the iconic rapper Snoop Dog, pop idol Billie Eilish and Red Hot Chilli Peppers. The closing ceremony began at 8pm and lasted until 10.30pm, streamed live on television and YouTube. Paris’s mayor Anne Hidalgo passed over the Olympic flag to Karen Bass, mayor of Los Angeles, as the R&B singer H.E.R. performed the US national anthem.

Eiffel Tower in the Olympic rings.

Dark doings

POLICE swooped on a Dublin address on August 5, seizing cryptocurrency worth €6.5 million, together with a €120,000 watch and two vehicles that were worth €220,000. Two men aged 23 and 49, and a woman (32) were arrested on charges of assisting an illegal dark web as well as a money-laundering operation.

Slow down

A GARDAI operation detected 3,800 speeding vehicles on Irish roads during the recent Bank Holiday, including a Piltdown (Country Kilkenny) motorist driving at 186 kilometres per hour in a 100-kilometre zone. “It is disappointing that people travel at excessive speeds despite awareness campaigns,” police said.

EURO PRESS

DENMARK

Take note

DENMARK’S Nationalbanken central bank announced in 2023 that it was withdrawing 1,000-krone notes (€134) from circulation and they would no longer be legal tender after May 2025. Around 6.3 billion krone (€844.2 million) have still to be exchanged before they become worthless, Nationalbanken warned.

DANISH CURRENCY: Highdenomination 1,000 krone to be withdrawn.

Tougher rules

THE number of work permits rejected because the applicant’s salary was too low grew by almost 2,000 per cent, according to the Migration Agency. Regulations introduced in November 2023 raised the 13,000 krona (€1,131) a month threshold to 80 per cent of the average salary, calculated at 27,360 krona (€2,380).

No links

A FOURTH death at the Nothvolt plant was not connected to the gigafactory, a spokesperson said. Police investigating the baffling deaths of three employees at the plant located inside the Arctic Circle clarified that the woman who died in July lost her life due to “a tragic drowning accident” in her spare time.

GERMANY FRANCE

IRELAND FINLAND NORWAY SWEDEN

Empty cabs

TAXI-DRIVERS, particularly the 20,000 based in Paris, called on the Transport ministry to compensate for loss of earnings due to disruptions during the Olympics. Unions said the Games were ‘hugely disappointing’, with little demand for taxis after residents were encouraged to take their holidays or work from home.

Fast work

EGIS RAIL won a €1.38 billion contract to extend Morocco’s high speed railway network, although Spain’s Ineco put in a more competitive bid. Spanish sources claimed that France had been given the contract as President Emmanuel Macron’s ‘reward’ for recognising Morocco’s rights over the Western Sahara.

Plenty of fish

SEAFOOD exports during the first six months of 2024 rose to 13 billion krone (approximately €1.1 billion), an increase of 727 million krone (€61.2 million) on the same period last year thanks to a weakened krone. Norway exported to 111 countries, with key markets including Denmark, Poland and the Netherlands.

Royal brawl

MARIUS BORG HOIBY, 27, who is Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s eldest son from a previous relationship, was arrested in Oslo when police were called to a ‘disturbance’ in an Oslo apartment. He was held for 30 hours after having allegedly attacked ‘psychologically and physically’ a young woman in her 20s.

Watch it

MANY parents are buying a watch-phone as their child’s first mobile since the child-friendly device has no internet or social media access, but enables them to take calls, messages and photos. A recent survey found that 10 per cent of parents bought a watch phone in 2024, compared with 1 per cent some years ago.

Russia accuses

AFTER the Karelia (Russia) Supreme Court ruled that Finland committed genocide there between 1941-1944, Finnish Institute of International Affairs researcher Jyri Lavikainen said Russia was now portraying Finland as an enemy. The tactics were similar to those the Kremlin has also used with Ukraine, Lavikainen added.

Swanning around

TWO adult swans and five cygnets were moved on by police while they explored some of Limbach-Oberfrohna’s busiest streets. Although motorists carefully avoided the family which has nested by a pond on the outskirts of town, police said that ‘long-term’ relocation could be necessary if their forays continued.

Ancient art

A DANISH student on a dig at the Hohle Fels cave near Blaubeuren in southern Germany’s Danube valley recently unearthed a six-centimetre animal figurine created between 35,000 and 40,000 years ago. Its head was missing but experts who hailed it as the ‘find of the year’, believe it represents an otter.

PORTUGAL BELGIUM NETHERLANDS ITALY

Poor show

FAVOURABLE tax rates for super-rich foreign residents introduced in 2017 will be doubled as Giorgia Meloni’s government seeks to raise more revenue. Despite early hopes that they would benefit the economy, critics said the rich expats hardly invested in Italy, but had driven up property prices and the cost of living.

Time’s up

A 45-YEAR-OLD ‘serial pickpocket’ said to have offended on 150 occasions in Rome, Milan and Brescia over the last 20 years, was finally handed a 30-year prison term. Always pregnant when stealing in the past, she was regularly acquitted but recent changes in the law meant that she could now be imprisoned.

Risky climb

A MAN of 31 who climbed the Leixao da Gaivota sea stack in Ferragudo (Lagoa) called for help after realising that he could not descend the 30-metre column of rock. Although the Navy and local lifeboat stations went to his aid, he could only be reached by helicopter, which winched him to safety that evening.

No charge

THE government announced that tolls on Algarve’s A22 motorway and automatic toll collection roads are to be dropped on January 1, 2025. The new law, published in the Official Bulletin, stated that toll charges will be eliminated on ‘sections and subsections’ of interior motorways when there is no alternative route.

Hold tight

BRUSSELS’ public transport operator MIVB launched a campaign to remind bus, tram and metro passengers to hold on when the vehicles are in motion. Last year most of the 618 people who lost their balance and were injured after falling were messaging, watching or scrolling through their phones, MIVB said.

In the swim

BRUSSELS’ regional Environment Department rejected an appeal against plans to turn a lake in Anderlecht’s Neerpede Park into a wild swimming spot, claiming the peaceful area and its biodiversity would be endangered. Meanwhile, the State Council is studying a request to cancel the swimming lake’s planning permission.

Sett piece

THE Badger Working Group Utrecht in collaboration with the Gooi Foundation located 200 setts in an area east of the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal.They found that although the number of badgers remained fairly stable there were fewer in the east Utrecht area, possibly because more were killed on its busier roads.

Staring young

TWO balaclava-wearing boys aged 13 and 16, one of them with what looked like a firearm, were detained on August 5 after trying to hold up staff at the Gorinchem Nature Centre’s petting zoo. Director Jose Wienese said the zoo was a peaceful meeting place and “two naughty children” would not alter that.

Cave painting vandalised

A CAVE painting thousands of years old has been vandalised by a man hoping to get a better photo for social media.

Spanish authorities are currently investigating a man who allegedly damaged cave paintings by pouring water on them in order to get a better photo of them for his so cial media.

According to a statement from the Guardia Civil, the 39-year-old man from Los Villares, in Andalucia, uploaded photos of the wet paintings to his Face book.

The cave pain tings, which are in various locations in the Sierra Sur de Jaen mountain range, in the Jaen Province, are protected by the country’s heritage register.

under investigation for a crime against historical heritage.

Officers from the Guardia Civil Seprona, the nature protection unit of the Guardia Civil, launched an investigation in May, 2024, after seeing the photos published on Facebook.

Due to the historic nature of the paintings, and the heritage protection, as stated by the Guardia Civil, the man is now

UNIVERSITIES in England are facing a ‘tipping point’ this autumn, confronted with a financial crisis, report vice-chancellors.

Being starved of funding by the previous Conservative government, universities across the UK have now readjusted to setting their worth at approximately €6,999 per year, with at least 67 institutions carrying out redundancy and restricting programmes.

Two recent reports by the PwC and the Office for Students have forecast that 40 per cent of English universities will run budget deficits this year.

Vice-chancellor of the University of East Anglia, David Maguire revealed that unless long-term funding from the government is secured, most universities will have to deal with cutting staff or merging with other institutions; “an awful lot of institutions are placing extremely large bets on this recruitment round. Quite frankly I don’t think there are enough students to go around.”

In the Seprona’s statement, “The photographs show that water has been poured onto the cave paintings, wetting them in order to see them better and capture a clearer image.”

What the tourist most likely did not know is that the cave paintings were created on limestone, which contains water-soluble salts, meaning when water is poured on them, the salts dissolve.

After dissolving, once the water evaporates, a layer of crust is left causing “irreparable damage” to the centuries old painting.

Tipping point

David Maguire expressed the need for governmental action; “the government is misguided... they should recognise the severity of the situation. If a university goes down, the

loss of jobs, the cost of dealing with students and the overall impact on the local economy will reflect very badly on the government, and I don’t think that’s in anyone’s best interests.”

Cave paintings in Spain have faced ‘irreparable damage’ after man pours water for a better photo.

Credit: Shutterstock

FINANCE

BUSINESS EXTRA

Bright ideas

A GOVERNMENT scheme intended to boost new research and the economy has cost more than £4 billion (€4.65 billion) in both fraud and human error since 2020, HMRC admitted. ‘Groundbreaking’ innovations included methods for window-cleaners to hold buckets at height and initiatives for putting vegan food on pub menus.

Family affair

SANDRA ORTEGA MERA, daughter of Inditex owner Amancio Ortega and his first wife, earned €149.4 million in 2023 from her company, Rosp Corunna, which manages her investments and wealth while providing advisory services. This was 27.7 per cent less than in 2022 but still increased her assets to €1.4 billion.

Creeping up

RETAIL sales began to recover in the UK during July as summery weather finally arrived after a cold and rainy June, figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) revealed. Although consumers were still hesitating about make large purchases, retail sales rose by a modest 0.5 per cent, the BRC said.

Chat pays

POPULAR chat show El Hormiguero, broadcast live on Antena 3, is making money for its creators, presenter Pablo Motos and his business partner, producer Jorge Salvador. Their company 7yAccion posted revenues of €31.3 million in 2023 and profits of €6.7 million, an increase of 55 per cent on the previous year.

Falklands fail

STRUGGLING Harland & Wolff suffered another blow after the Falkland Islands government withdrew from talks to construct a £120 million (€139.4 million) floating dock in Port Stanely. The Belfast shipbuilder announced that despite “productive discussions” both parties had agreed to cease further negotiations.

IBERDROLA has paid approxi mately €2.5 billion for 88 per cent of the British grid ope rator, Electricity North West (ENW).

The deal will in fact cost €5 billion, as Iberdrola is ta king on ENW’s debt, executi ve chairman Ignacio Sanchez Galan announced.

The remaining 12 per cent holding continues in the hands of a Japanese consortium headed by Kansai Electric Power.

Galan’s move was also applauded by leading credit ra-

billion

in earnings for Spanish companies listed on the country’s stock market during the first six months of this year, 15.4 per cent up on the first half of 2023.

tings agencies. Standard and Poors (S&P) predicted that ENW would contribute €500 million annually to Iberia’s

earnings before taxes, interest, depreciation and amortisation.

Moody’s said acquiring ENW was positive from the point of view of the company’s long-term credit rating. “The acquisition will strengthen the predictability of Iberdrola’s cash generation,” the agency added.

Fitch also approved the Iberdrola transaction. “It is well positioned to finance the acquisition entirely in cash, taking advantage of its ample cash reserves and headroom,” an agency statement said.

Eyewatering fines

THREE UK water firms face fines totalling £168 million (€195.6 million) for inadequately managing their wastewater plants and networks.

With sewage spills into rivers and the sea more than doubling in 2023, Britain’s Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat) proposes to sanction Thames Water with the stiffest fine of £104 million (€121.1 million).

Yorkshire Water will pay £47 million (€54.7 million) and Northumbrian Water £17 million (€19.8 million).

After investigating whether the three companies provided customers with the service they were legally entitled to, Ofwat found that insufficient

investment and deficient management had resulted in “repeated releases of raw sewage” into the country’s waterways.

Ofwat has the power to fine companies up to 10 per cent of their annual sales and the 9 per cent imposed on Thames Water reflected the severity of its offences, Ofwat’s chief executive Thomas Black told the BBC.

In response, a Thames Water spokesperson said that the company took the findings “very seriously” and had cooperated at every stage of the investigation.

“We regard all untreated discharges as unacceptable, even when they

Less appealing Expertise

MULTINATIONAL Accenture has acquired Bilbao-headquartered company Bolsan, which specialises in overseeing large infrastructure projects.

Financial details were not revealed, but Accenture said Boslan would enable it “to reinvent how clients engineer and execute net-zero infrastructure projects.”

Boslan brings more than 1,000 engineering and project management professionals to Accenture, most of whom are based in Spain and Brazil although the company is also present in the UK, the US and Mexico.

THE BBVA-Sabadell hostile takeover bid is currently “in limbo”, Bloomberg Intelligence said on August 7.

Industry analyst Lento Tang maintained the outcome was “uncertain” despite BBVA’s record earnings this year.

He pointed out that BBVA’s offer of €4.83 per share made public on May 1 represented a 30 per cent premium on Sabadell’s share price at the time. At one stage this rose 52 per cent above the Catalan bank’s average over the three months preceding the May offer.

By early August the premium had fallen 5 per cent, while only two weeks previously the premium had dipped to 4 per cent as the BBVA offer rapidly lost its appeal.

are permitted,” they told the broadcaster.

Yorkshire Water and Northumbrian Water said they were “disappointed” by Ofwat’s decision.

At the same time Britain’s water companies hope to increase their customers’ bills by more than 44 per cent over the next five years to pay for improvements to infrastructure.

Playtime over

POLY JUGUETES toyshops have closed their 30 Spanish stores, six months after filing for voluntary liquidation.

Acquired in 2018 by UK-based Teal Group Holdings, which also owns The Entertainer, Early Learning Centre and Addo, the chain had accumulated losses of €15 million and was no longer viable, the parent company said in March 2024.

All 169 employees have been laid off but will receive more than the legally-established redundancy pay.

The demise of Poly Juguetes follows that of another once-popular toy chain, Imaginarium, which went into liquidation in July 2022 and closed all its shops in early April this year.

GRANDPARENTS tend to look after grandchildren without expecting, or wanting, anything in return.

But if they were to be paid for what is usually an unremunerated labour of love, how much would they earn?

Financial services Sun Life recently calculated the cost of a typical scenario where granny (or grandad) contributes two hours each of chauffeuring, cooking and cleaning for their grandchildren each week.

After including a weekly 18 hours of babysitting, Sun Life came up with an annual salary of £15,864 (€18,481) per grandparent.

Agencies thumbs-up On the payroll Leaving Soho

ONLINE fashion retailer Boohoo seeks a buyer prepared to pay £60m (€69.8) for its London headquarters. Although based in Manchester, Boohoo opened the Great Pulteney Street offices in Soho during its rapid expansion, spending £72 million (€83.7 million) on the building in 2021. According to the Telegraph, any sale would include the option to lease back the offices for up to five years.

Beleaguered Boohoo is aware that a £325 million (€377.8) unsecured overdraft looms, and must be repaid over the coming 18 months.

CREW CLOTHING is suing its former chief executive David Butler 16 months after he resigned in 2023.

Butler allegedly paid himself £622,000 (€722,967) in salary, bonuses and other extras, which he later claimed had been approved by owner Menoshi Shina.

The company maintains that this agreement did not exist, and that it “would never” have consented to it. Butler, who launched a wrongful dismissal case against Crew Clothing, continues to insist that he had received “verbal promises” from Menoshi Shina.

IGNACIO GALAN: Iberdrola executive chairman announced ENW acquisition.

Photo credit: Iberdrola

Photo credit: CC/Jim Linwood

THAMES WATER: Headquartered in Reading (Berkshire).

3I Group 3.013,80 3.038,00 3.010,80 77,96K

Group 2.692,0 2.702,0 2.673,0 18,68K Airtel Africa 110,90 111,80 110,60 170,41K Anglo American 2.247,4 2.260,5 2.241,0 74,14K Antofagasta 1.865,50 1.880,00 1.856,00 60,17K Ashtead Group 5.208,0 5.228,9 5.198,0 21,78K Associated British Foods 2.446,0 2.470,0 2.443,0 21,15K

12.676,0 12.760,0 12.656,0 103K Auto Trader Group Plc 792,20 798,40 791,00 59,52K Aviva 484,18 486,70 482,40 515,15K

B&M European Value Retail SA 450,60 465,70 450,60 134,41K BAE Systems 1.286,00 1.293,50 1.283,00 273,93K

219,55 221,15 218,70 5,32M Barratt Developments 522,87 529,20 512,40 427,73K

Beazley 728,00 736,00 724,50 308,75K

Berkeley 5.025,0 5.090,0 5.016,8 48,08K

BP 438,40 439,60 435,00 2,84M

British American Tobacco 2.798,5 2.809,0 2.793,0 327,5K

BT Group 139,22 140,45 138,00 10,31M Bunzl 3.202,0 3.208,0 3.186,0 20,17K Burberry Group 682,5 697,0 681,6 139,3K Centrica 125,37 125,60 123,28 990,5K Coca Cola HBC AG 2.708,0 2.710,0 2.686,0 56,01K Compass 2.348,00 2.363,00 2.337,00 180,69K

595,72 598,80 594,60

EXTRA

Chile contract

SPANISH companies

Sacyr and Azvi were awarded the €266 million concession to operate and expand Chile’s Northern Airports Network. This will involve tripling the size of the Antofagasta terminal and increase by five the surface area of Atacama airport.

Too much

LORD SAATCHI’s £350 million (€406.3 million) offer for the Telegraph failed to make it to the second round of the auction. The former advertising tycoon afterwards described RedBird IMI’s £600 million (€696.8 million) acquisition of the newspaper rights in December 2023 as “overpayment.”

Good year for English wine

ENGLAND produced 161,960 hectolitres of wine in 2023, equivalent to 21.6 million bottles and an increase of 77 per cent on 2022.

This does not make the UK a recognised wine-making country - Uzbekistan and Tunisia produce more - but revenues for English vineyards nevertheless rose by 15 per cent in 2023, as climate change encouraged growers to plant more vines.

After analysing Com-

IAG gives in

BRITISH AIRWAYS and Iberia owner IAG finally dropped its €400 million Air Europa takeover ambitions.

This was IAG’s second attempt at acquiring from Globalia the 80 per cent of the Spanish airline that it did not own after the European Commission frustrated earlier plans in 2021.

Brussels maintained that had the merger gone ahead, IAG would have domina-

ted Madrid’s Barajas airport, bringing the possibility of higher prices for passengers.

After confirming that IAG was abandoning its Air Europa plans, chief executive Luis Gallego said the airline believed this decision was now in shareholders’ best interests.

He also revealed that IAG would pay Globalia a €50 million breakup fee after backing out of the deal.

seven largest vineyards increased from £32 million (€37.2 million) in 2022 to £37 million (€43 million) last year. This tripled the £13 million (€15.1 million) that the same companies recorded in 2018-2019.

Chapel Down probably the best-known of the English vineyards, posted revenues of £17.2 million (€20 million) for the year ending December 31, 2023.

The UHY Hacker Young survey concluded that English wine has been boosted by improved growing conditions with vineyards as far north as Yorkshire and even Scotland. But as English and British wines flourished, traditional wine-makers failed to benefit from higher temperatures.

Spain and Italy, the world’s largest producers after France, have both seen their output affected by the drought as well as torrential rains that result from climate change.

Coal wins

MINING giant Glencore will not divest itself of its coal interests after 95 per cent of the FTSE 100 company’s shareholders voted to retain the profitable fossil fuel division. Glencore has now shelved earlier plans to merge its coal business with the steelmaking coal division of its recently acquired Canadian company, Teck Resources, and list in New York.

Joining forces

TELEFONICA, Vodafone and Masorange intend to share their fibre optic networks, signing separate bilateral agreements with each other to avoid objections from Spain’s National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC). Between them, the three operators provide fibre optic internet connections for 15 million lines although the network has the potential to reach 78.7 million properties.

pany House records, UHY

Hacker Young accounting

services found that turnover for the country’s

Photo credit: FB Chapel Down

CHAPEL DOWN: English wine-producer races ahead

Beach battles

THE decades-long battle of the beaches continues in Italy, as protesters demand freedom from private concessionaires; as laws remain unclear, both sides urge the government to step in.

“Most Italians don’t know they have the right to go to the beach for free,” said Manuela Salvi from the Mare Libero (Free Sea) organisation. “They are used to paying to go to the seaside. And if we don’t make our voices heard, the institutions will think we’re fine with

it.” Mare Libero has been flooding Italian beaches since 2019, trying to reclaim free space.

Today, Italy hosts more than 12,000 beach resorts with daily prices for two loungers and an umbrella averaging €30-35 and reaching as high as €700 in exclusive locations.

In a country with 7,500 km of coastline, sea access is severely limited; in northern Italy, Liguria, almost 70 per cent of the beaches are private, with several towns reaching 100 per cent priva-

Restrictions

Credit: Efrem Efre, Pexels

tisation.

Mare Libero member, Stefano Salvetti revealed the Punta dell’Olmo beach to the Press, highlighting it as a “symbol of our resistance against the privatisation of our few remaining beaches.”

Margherita Welyam from Mare Libero shared; “I have spent almost every summer of my life in the same beach club and my mother has done the same for 25 years.”

Today, just 5 per cent of the beaches in Italy remain free.

PASSENGERS in the EU and the UK airports will be prohibited from carrying liquids of more than 100ml from September 1, 2024, reported ACI (Airports Council International).

The re-introduced regulation affects all European and UK airlines and prohibits all liquids including aerosol and gel containers. The only exceptions are prescribed medicines and baby food.

The European Commission reported that the restriction was re-introduced not as a security measure but as a ‘preventive’ measure until the scanner software is improved, “on the basis of information indicating that the performance thereof did not meet the standard for which it had been approved.”

Claimed to be underdeveloped, the scans were also reported as costly. Their purchase can cost almost eight times more than the regular machines and their maintenance costs are four times higher.

The devices have been employed by countries including Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Sweden, the UK and Malta.

ACI commented that; “those air -

ports which have been early adopters of this new technology are being heavily penalised both operationally and financially. They decided to deploy C3 scanners in good faith, based on the EU having greenlighted this equipment without any restriction attached.”

He emphasised the need for improvement in the future; “We need to draw the lessons from this situation and make sure the EU certification system provides the necessary legal certainty and operational stability moving forward.”

Italian beach.

Airport security points.

Credit: TravelSafeBC, Flickr

Interesting times

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

OTHERS THINK IT

OOPS, I see Mr Khan is reported as stating that ‘people didn’t feel safe in London anymore’. One observation I can bring to the mayor of London’s somewhat cloth ears is that people in most British cities all felt completely secure before the onslaught of mass immigration - mostly illegal. Just saying. Enough of that, I’ve really had it all up to the eyeballs.

Thank goodness I chose to live elsewhere all those years ago. Prior to Spain, where I’ve now resided for over 40 years, (hallelujah), I was, as many readers are aware, an eight-year resident of Saudi Arabia. They were interesting times because the Saudis had decided on a 15-year plan to utilise their vast oil riches on bringing their country into the 21st century. Subsequently, as long as you could duck and dive, the one thing they were able to wash all over you was the ol dough ray me! After I had been stopped by Crown Prince Fahad from importing shows (unveiled

women in my audiences!) I looked around for other lucrative means of balancing the budget.

One that proved to be the most rewarding (apart from an illegal video library) was the supply of fresh fruit and vegetables. Using my American contact at the vast military hospital in Jeddah, I was soon supplying both the hospital and others with goods on a daily basis. This, along with my band and association with the extremely popular amateur dramatic society, presented me with probably one of the most enjoyable times of my life, except of course for my days of glory with a wonderful family and a worldwide hit record - I digress. Periodically I would of course need to collect the money owed to me by the hospital.

On one particular day, smartly attired in my whites, I was negotiating one of the long empty passageways of the hospital en route to the cashier’s department. In the distance I suddenly espied what appeared to be a large very black gentleman bearing down on me from further along the corridor. As he drew nearer he began to grow very large indeed, not only

that, he also appeared somewhat familiar. Suddenly, when he was only a few feet in front of me, I realised to my absolute amazement and definite mental twitch, I was about to share some very lonely space with none other than Idi Amin, the man who had been responsible for the death and torture of thousands of his fellow countrymen, literally towering over me in that very solitary environment. Trying to appear totally at ease as he stopped right in front of me, I watched his enormous hand reach out and… patted me on the head. ‘Keep up de good work’ he grinned, flashing his large and very white gnashers. With that he brushed past me and was gone.

Apparently he was in exile in Saudi Arabia, his daughter had been involved in a car accident and was actually on a visit. I couldn’t help but wonder how many of his victims had witnessed the same outstretched hand before he put them to death? Doesn’t bear thinking about.

Keep the faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com

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

New limit

LAUNCHING into August, Venice has imposed a limit on tourist groups, allowing up to 25 people in another attempt to combat mass tourism.

All tourist groups will now have to include a maximum of 25 people, with children up to two years of age excluded. The rule also doesn’t apply to visiting students or those on educational trips.

City officials stated that to protect “the peace of residents,” and ensure free movement, tourist guides would no longer be allowed to use loudspeakers. In the cases of non-compliance, fines ranging from €25 to €500 will be issued. The regulations cover the city centre and the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello.

Although initially meant to be implemented on June 1, the authorities had to postpone the rules until August 1 due to prior bookings by tour guides. The latest measure has been one of the continuing efforts of battling overcrowding in Venice, imposed after the alleged ‘fail’ of the Venice entry tax.

The costly campaign of the entry tax had been criticised by government opposition; “The ticket is a failure, as demonstrated by city data,” stated Giovanni Andrea Martini. In his claim, Martini referenced the data which showed that Venice received a record amount of tourists despite the entry tax charge.

Mass tourism in Venice.

Credit: thinktotbot, Flickr

Growing pains

MANY of the growers selected to supply regulated cannabis to 10 municipalities in the Netherlands are struggling to meet the production standards set by authorities.

This issue was reported to the Dutch Parliament, updating them on the progress of an experiment to evaluate legalising recreational cannabis.

Cannabis is not legal in the Netherlands, though its use is tolerated in specific coffee shops.

Law enforcement typically ignores these activities as the country seeks a more permanent solution.

The pilot project, which started in mid-June, allows the sale of both regulated and tolerated cannabis in coffee shops across 10 municipalities and is set to run for three months.

Ten Dutch growers were authorised to participate and expected to meet requirements for quantity, quality, and diversity of cannabis products to ensure a steady weekly supply to the coffee shops. However, the three growers who have started supplying the coffee shops have failed to meet these requirements. Coffee shop owners have particularly complained about the quality and quantity of hash.

Five more licensed growers are set to begin deliveries in the first half of 2025, aiming to supply at least 570 kilogrammes of weed and 160 kilogrammes of hash per week.

The current growers’ inability to meet standards might extend the pilot phase, potentially delaying the next phase of the cannabis legalisation plan in the Netherlands.

Peta fights bullfighting

ANIMAL rights’ protesters interrupted Pope Francis’s first weekly audience following his month-long July break.

The two women from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) brandished ‘Bullfighting is a sin’ signs while wearing t-shirts bearing a ‘Stop blessing bullfighting’ slogan.

They managed to walk down the aisle of the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall before they were escorted out by one of the Vatican’s Swiss Guards and security officials.

This was Peta’s second protest in Rome, after two activists interrupted a service led by the Pope at the St Paul Outside the Walls basilica in January 2024.

On that occasion, two women displayed a banner with a photograph of Baltazar Enrique Porras Corrado, a Caracas (Venezuela) archbishop who has been identified as a bullfighting aficionado.

Peta’s website also re-

proached priests for blessing bullfighters before they entered the bullring, pointing out that bullfights are often held to celebrate a saint’s day and other important holy days.

“The Catholic Church can and must help end this abuse by condemning bull tor-

ture in the name of religion,” the association declared. As head of the Church, Francis has yet to comment publicly on bullfighting although in 1567 Pius V did just that, banning it as “better suited to demons rather than men” and “contrary to Christian piety and charity.”

VATICAN PROTEST: Peta calls bullfighting ‘a sin’

Photo credit: FB People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta)

Legalising cannabis.

Image: Summit Art Creations / Shutterstock.com

Suffering from heatstroke

HEATSTROKE is a serious condition that occurs when the body overheats, usually due to prolonged exposure to high temperatures or strenuous physical activity in hot weather. It requires immediate medical attention. Here’s what to do if you or someone else suffers from heatstroke:

Common signs of heatstroke include:

• High body temperature (104°F or higher)

• Altered mental state or behaviour (confusion, agitation, slurred speech)

• Nausea and vomiting

• Flushed skin

• Rapid breathing and heart rate

• Headache

Immediate actions

1. Heatstroke is a medical emergency. Dial 911 or your local emergency number immediately.

2. Get the affected person to a shady or air-conditioned area.

3. Use any available means to cool the person. This can include:

• Placing them in a cool shower or bath

• Sponging with cool water

• Applying ice packs to the armpits, groin, neck, and back

• Using fans or a cool, wet cloth

4. If the person is conscious and able to drink, give them cool water. Avoid caffeine or alcohol.

To prevent heatstroke, stay hydrated, wear loose-fitting clothing, avoid strenuous activity during peak heat, and take frequent breaks in a cool environment. By acting quickly and effectively, you can help reduce the severity of heatstroke and potentially save a life. Always seek pro fessional medical advice for proper treatment and care.

Vegan diet reduced biological age and weight loss

RECENT scientific research suggests that adopting a vegan diet for just two months can have profound health benefits, including reducing biological age and promoting weight loss. These findings highlight the potential of plant-based diets to enhance overall well-being and longevity. Biological age refers to the condition of our cells and tissues, which can differ from our chronological age. The study found that participants who switched to a vegan diet experienced a reduction in their biological age markers. This rejuvenation effect is attributed to the high intake of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals from plant-based foods, which help combat oxidative

MILK spots, also known as milia, are small white or yellow cysts that commonly appear on the skin, including in adults. These tiny bumps form when keratin, a protein found in skin cells, becomes trapped beneath the skin’s surface. While often as-

stress and inflammation.

In addition to the anti-ageing benefits, the vegan diet also proved effective for weight loss. Participants lost a significant amount of wei ght over the two-month period. The weight loss is primarily due to the diet’s high fibre content and lower calorie density, which promote satiety and reduce overall calorie intake.

like fibre, vitamins C and E, and phytochemicals, which support metabolic health and enhance immune function.

A vegan diet emphasises fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, all of which are nutrient-dense. These foods provide essential nutrients

For those considering a vegan diet, it’s important to plan meals to ensure adequate intake of protein, iron, calcium, and vitamin B12, which can be sourced from fortified foods or supplements.

Milia no more

sociated with newborns, adults can develop milk spots due to various factors, including skin damage from sun exposure, use of heavy skincare products, or long-term use of steroid creams.

med by a dermatologist may also help. In some cases, a dermatologist may need to lance the milia with a sterile needle.

Treatments for milk spots in adults typically focus on gentle exfoliation to help remove the trapped keratin. Overthe-counter exfoliating products containing alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) or beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) can be effective. Professional treatments such as microdermabrasion or chemical peels perfor-

Preventive measures include avoiding heavy creams and oils, wearing sunscreen to protect against sun damage, and incorporating regular exfoliation into your skincare routine can help reduce the occurrence of milk spots and maintain healthier skin.

Credit: Jane Trang Doan, Pexels

What’s your style

CHOOSING the right nail shape from your manicurist can enhance the appearance of your hands and reflect your personal style. There are several popular nail shapes, each with its unique characteristics.

1. Square: Straight edges with sharp corners, ideal for larger nail beds.

2. Round: Soft, natural contour, perfect for shorter nails.

3. Oval: Gently tapered, elegant and flattering on most hands.

4. Almond: Tapered sides with a rounded tip, elongates fingers.

5. Stiletto: Long, pointed, dramatic and bold.

6. Coffin/Ballerina: Squared-off tip with tapered sides, trendy and stylish.

7. Squoval: Square shape with rounded edges, combines elegance and practicality.

8. Flare: Wide, flared tips, also known as duckbill nails.

9. Lipstick: Slanted tip resembling a lipstick, unique and edgy.

10. Edge: Angular, pointed tip, creating a bold look.

11. Mountain Peak: Similar to stiletto but shorter, less dramatic.

12. Arrowhead: Sharp and precise, similar to stiletto but more compact.

Consult with your manicurist to find the shape that complements your lifestyle and nail health best.

BROAD beans, also known as fava beans, are a nutrient-rich legume that offer numerous health benefits. Packed with vitamins, minerals, and protein, they are an excellent addition to a balanced diet.

Benefits of broad beans

Broad beans are a great source of plant-based protein, making them ideal for vegetarians and vegans. They also contain a wealth of vitamins and minerals, including vita min K, vitamin B6, folate, and manganese. These nutrients support various bodily functions, from bone health to metabolism.

Rich in dietary fibre, broad beans help lower cholesterol

levels, which is beneficial for heart health. The high fibre content also aids in digestion and helps maintain a healthy gut.

Broad beans contain L-dopa, a compound that

converts to dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with mood regulation and cognitive function, potentially improving mental clarity and reducing symptoms of depression. These beans are packed with antioxidants that combat free radicals, reducing oxidative stress and lowering the risk of chronic diseases.

Hair’s ageing journey Need more sleep

AS we age, our hair undergoes significant changes influenced by genetics, hormones, and overall health. One of the most noticeable changes is the gradual greying of hair. This occurs because hair follicles produce less melanin, the pigment responsible for hair colour. The process can start as early as in one’s 20s, but typically beco-

mes more pronounced in the 40s and beyond.

Hair texture also changes with age. Many find their hair becoming finer and drier due to a decrease in the production of natural oils. This can make hair appear thinner and more brittle, leading to breakage.

SINCE 2023, 20 schools in Denmark shifted their start times to adapt to the needs of teenagers. The private school, Th. Langs Skole in Silkeborg was the pioneer of the initiative, having begun their trial in 2022. Seeing their results, schools across the country followed.

became happier. We talk to each other instead of looking at our phones.”

The school then collaborated with the tech company, Enversion to track the sleep of students through an app.

The school’s communications officer, Karina Juul Uldal Christesen stated; “Our then-seventh-grade class used to spend an average of 3.5 hours falling asleep before the project. It fell to 1.6.”

Hormonal changes, particularly in women during menopause, can exacerbate these issues, sometimes causing hair loss or thinning.

After adding an extra morning hour in the school day, both students and teachers of the Th. Langs Skole were pleasantly surprised. “They sleep better, they sleep longer and they actually have more energy. Not only in the morning but also during the day,” commented the school’s principal Tine Agerholm Kristianses.

Moreover, the growth rate of hair slows down as we age. Hair follicles can shrink, resulting in

help mitigate some of these changes, ensuring your hair remains as vibrant as possible through the years.

One of the students, Emily, aged 15 said; “Before, we were very tired and quite upset in the morning. When we

Danish health experts revealed that the circadian rhythm of teens is different to adults, hence the school system is flawed in not considering the essential needs of teenagers. With this notion increasingly considered, more and more schools are beginning to transform old educational models.

Credit: John-Mark Smith, Pexels

New finds

THIS summer, an in creasing amount of bea ches worldwide have been dominated by jellyfish; the species sting swimmers, clog fishing nets and block water pipelines. There are even growing concerns that je llyfish may replace all other sea species.

The associate profes sor at the University of Southern Denmark, Jamileh Javidpour shared; “Apocalyptic scenarios of jellyfish bloom are existing, and there are partly true stories because the presence of jellyfish might affect the entire ecosystem.”

other po pulations that are connected to the player of the food web together? We need an adaptive view to jellyfish bloom.”

Javidpour has spent more than 20 years studying the species and has witnessed an incredibly fast expansion; “However, changes in the entire population need a kind of holistic view - what

While jellyfish dishes may have seen popularity in Asia, in Europe it is an unprecedented novelty. A restaurant in Lecce, Italy talked to the Press about taking part in an EU project which looks for jellyfish uses in gastronomy.

Chef Fabiano Viva ex-

pressed the potential of the species in cuisine; “Let’s debunk this myth; jellyfish are not harmful at all. In fact, they are simply delicious.”

Yet, there has not been an official approval of jellyfish as food; “What is required is authorisation from the European Food Safety Authority to ensure we provide a safe product to consumers,” said Viva.

No names for saboteurs

THE saboteurs who tried to bring France’s railways to a halt on the eve of the Olympics have yet to be identified.

Police and investigators remain close-lipped about the damage to fibre-optic signalling infrastructure that was tampered with, and in some cases set on fire, at three key points on railway lines connecting the rest of the country with Paris.

A similar attempt at disruption on the high-speed (LGV) South-East line was foiled thanks to railway employees carrying out maintenance that night.

Without giving details, Interior minister Gerald Darmanin revealed that intelligence agencies had identified “a certain number of profiles” capable of executing this type of “voluntary, very precise, extremely well-targeted” sabotage.

Their style, he added, suggested the

ultra-left’s “traditional methods” although the minister stressed that there was no firm proof that they were involved.

At the same time, police sources quoted in Le Monde confirmed that investigators were following a main lead that pointed to unobtrusive far-left cells working under cover of extreme secrecy who shunned modern communications to avoid detection.

Meanwhile, stepped-up surveillance of transport and communications networks succeeded in thwarting a further attack on fibre-optic cables used to broadcast Olympic events in the Chateau de Vincennes fan zone.

After repeated interruptions and breakdowns, experts trawled through CCTV footage and found that this time the offender was nothing more than an innocent stone marten.

Jellyfish spread in the sea.

Credit: Stacy Blackman, Flickr

LGV SOUTH-EAST: Sabotage plot foiled on night of July 25.

Most decorated Spaniard

SAUL CRAVIOTTA has just made Spanish history at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Craviotta made history on Thursday, August 8, after winning the bronze medal in the men’s 500m Quadruple Kayak, alongside his teammates Arevalo, Cooper and Germade.

After the Spanish team won the bronze medal, the sixth medal for Craviotta, he broke not only his own record but the record of his entire home country.

With this medal, Saul Craviotta is now the most decorated Spanish athlete in Olympic Games history, surpassing the previous king David Cal with a total of six medals.

Saul Craviotta, originally from Lleida, Catalonia, Spain, has won a total

of two gold, two silver and now two bronze in his Olympic career, performing in Beijing, London, Rio, Tokyo and now Paris.

The Spanish police officer and sprint kayaker also served as the flag bearer for his nation at the 2012 closing ceremony and 2020 opening ceremony.

After celebrating this year’s win with the team, Saul said “I’m happy, but I’ve also made his-

tory thanks to my teammates.”

“I’d like to thank these three breasts who helped me win two of them,” Saul Craviotta stated, adding “Carlos Perez, who helped me win gold in Beijing 2008; and Cristian Toro in Rio 2016.”

The Spanish champion attributes his success to his teammates, saying “I am who I am thanks to these teammates as well.”

I’m just very confused!

I’M confused by what’s going on in the UK. Something is happening and even though I’m not sure exactly what it is, I just don’t know what to believe. I see a video on TV or online and my immediate reaction is OMG that’s terrible. In this instance I’m talking about a policeman kicking a man on the floor. The next day I see the same video, this time it’s a bit longer, and in this video I see what I think is what led up to the kicking incident. In the longer video I think I see some thugs attacking the police and smashing a female police officer in the face and breaking her nose. I then read that the police officer is in big trouble but can’t see anything about what happened to the blokes that appeared to start the fight. Next thing I see is those two guys with a lawyer telling a story which does not relate to anything that I saw. Can someone please explain to me what’s happening?

I read what Tommy Robinson says. I read what Farage says. I also read Byline News, Laurence Fox. I also read all the opposing views. So I’m covering the right, far right, and the left and far left. Remem-

ber if the far left keep going further left and the far right keep going further right they will meet and end up fighting about the same thing. I also read stuff Nick Lowles wrote about an acid attack that many said was just not true. I look at all the newspaper headlines which, by the way, are totally useless as they only tell you what happened yesterday - except the Daily Star, that just doesn’t report anything. I watch every news station and am very confused because none seem to be reporting on the same story even though they are showing the same video.

I’m also confused about people turning up to protest about marches that were never going to happen. You can now go to prison for being an idiot and retweeting something another idiot posted. I think I’m looking at gangs of people walking around with swords and machetes, maybe the odd pick axe handle, and not being arrested and then seeing police arresting a pair of gobby women for - well I’m not sure what.

I’m just very confused because if you dare to give any alternative view or agree with someone a bit controversial, you are either shouted down or called a fascist or woke. Help!!

Email: mikesenker@gmail.com

VIEWS OF A GRUMPY OLD MAN MIKE SENKER IN MY OPINION

Credit: Saul Craviotta /fb

Saul Craviotta has just made history, becoming the most decorated Spanish Olympic athlete.

Mysterious monoliths: omen or prank? Empty cells

FIRST one appeared in Utah, then Romania, California, Spain, Wales and then Paraguay. Now, it is the turn of Las Vegas in the US.

For the last four years mystery metallic monoliths have been appearing in the strangest of places and setting the Internet on fire with weird and wonderful theories to where they come from.

Like something out of a Stanley Kubrick film, the latest in a series of eerie mirror-like blocks of metal was spotted in the desert just north of Las Vegas. Photos of the monolith were posted on X by local police who urged people to ‘be safe outdoors’.

The almost two metre tall and 33cm thick monolith is the latest in a series of identical objects to mysteriously pop up, and no one knows who

is responsible. The first appeared in Utah in 2020. With the Red Rock Country background, it looked like something from Science Fiction. Officials in Utah never gave away the precise location of the monolith, but hundreds of fans of the occult swarmed there to search for it anyway.

Since then, multiple identical monoliths have appeared out of nowhe-

re too: There was one in the Romanian town of Piatra Neamt, which the local mayor attributed to ‘naughty aliens playing a prank’ and one in the ruins of a Spanish church in Catalonia. In fact, since 2020, there have been sightings of almost 250 around the world. The latest being in Las Vegas, Nevada. Is this an omen?

Or a collective pranking like crop circles?

LOST IN TRANSLATION (2)

EVER wondered about the quirky differences between Spanish and English? Take humour. Whilst the British approach is often characterised as deadpan, subtle and relying on sarcasm, this dry wit can be lost in translation in many countries including Spain. The awkwardness of an iconic TV character like The Office’s David Brent could lead to puzzled looks from Spanish viewers more accustomed to livelier, animated comedy.

Next, let’s give names the once-over. It’s quite a saga. But what an important saga. What appears like a middle name is actually the first, and most used, of the two surnames all Spaniards have. Juan Rodríguez García is Juan to mates but Señor Rodríguez to others (Rodríguez was his father’s first surname, and García his mother’s).

And women? They usually stick to their maiden surname after marriage. ‘Señora’ is ‘Mrs’ and ‘Señorita’ is ‘Miss’ (there’s NO equivalent of ‘Ms’) while ‘Doña’ is either, and a respectful term.

NORA JOHNSON BREAKING VIEWS

NORA IS THE AUTHOR OF POPULAR PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE AND CRIME THRILLERS AND A FREELANCE JOURNALIST.

So you can address a lady as ‘Doña Isabel’ - or a man as ‘Don’. (Always reminds me of the movie, The Godfather!)

Finally, a Spanish magician recently informed me he’d disappear - you read it here first in the superlative Euro Weekly News - he said, ‘Uno, dos...’ Then disappeared without a t-r-e-s!

And as before, many thanks for all your welcome emails to my website! So pleased you enjoy my column!

Nora Johnson’s 12 critically acclaimed psychological suspense crime thrillers, including the latest ‘The Couple across the Street’ (www.no ra-johnson.net), all available online at Amazon etc. Profits to Cudeca cancer charity.

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

THERE is so little crime in the Netherlands that the prisons are becoming empty. A study by the European Journal of Criminology revealed that between 2005 and 2015, the Dutch inmate inhabitancy was nearly halved, resulting in the closure of more than 23 jails since 2014.

According to the Justice Ministry’s WODC Research and Documentation Centre, the number of prison sentences in the Netherlands fell from 42,000 in 2008 to 31,000 in 2018. With so few Dutch prisoners, some of the facilities had been leased to Norway and Belgium, while others have been reused for refugee housing, temporary asylums, and remodelled hotels.

One key factor contributing to the Nether-

lands’ shortage is the effective rehabilitation system, TBS. In 2018, 1,300 people were registered under a TBS ruling, granted a stay in treatment centres, at times following a jail term, with the psychological treatment of the issues which prompted the criminal offences.

A TBS psychologist Miriam van Driel also highlighted the power of rehabilitation; “The way you treat people - also in prison - makes a big difference in how they return to society. If you treat them like dogs, people will behave like dogs but if you treat them as human beings, they will behave like human beings.

“In the Dutch service we look at the individual,” said Roelof Van der Spoel, deputy governor of Norgerhaven in the Netherlands.

Monolith in Sa Conca, Catalonia.

Empty prison cell.

Credit: Arocinema, Wikipedia CC

Costa del Sol Ronaldo in Marbella

CRISTIANO RONALDO alongside Manchester City’s Erling Haaland have been seen training in Marbella.

The Arabian team Al-Nassr, the team Ronaldo currently belongs to, have been in Marbella for pre-season training.

Ronaldo and his team were at the Marbella Football Centre, a very important venue used by some of the top teams for pre-season training camps: La Liga, the Premier League, the Bundesliga and more choose Marbella to prepare.

On the list of teams using the Marbella grounds this year is Al-Nassr, the Saudi Arabian team in which Cristiano Ronaldo plays, as well as Fernando Hierro, originally from Velez-Marbella, is the sporting director for the Saudi team.

Additionally, Norwegian football star Erling Haaland has been seen training there with his team.

Marbella Football Centre has once again firmly established itself as the pre-season training camp for top-level teams.

Axarquia Torrox against cancer

THE Municipal Theatre Villa de Torrox was the stage for a special performance of ‘El Mundo al Revés,’ (The World Upside Down ) organised by the Torrox Theatre Association. This event wasn’t just about showcasing a play; it was a heartfelt effort to raise funds for the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) in Torrox. The play attracted a large crowd, all eager to support the cause.

The evening was a resounding success, with enthusiastic audience members filling the theatre. Their attendance not only highlighted their love for theatre but also their strong commitment to fighting cancer. Local figures like Sandra Extremera, councillor for the Elderly in Torrox, and Salvador Escudero, councillor for Culture, showed their support by attending, highlighting the importance of the cause.

The Villa de Torrox Theatre expressed pride in supporting this cause, noting the powerful blend of art and community spirit in advancing important causes.

Mallorca

Dramatic sea rescue

THERE was a dramatic rescue operation on Saturday August 10 in the waters off Camp de Mar, Andratx, as a yacht carrying a German family and two crew members began to sink.

Emergency services were alerted shortly before 10.00am to reports of a vessel in distress. The Maritime Rescue Service swiftly mobilised the Salvamar Libertas while Local Police units rushed to the scene.

Fortunately, a nearby private boat was able to reach the yacht in time, rescuing all five individuals on board, including a young child. The rescued group, consisting of a German couple, their son, and two crew members, were safely returned to Port Adriano.

Despite the rapid response, the yacht continued to take on water and is now submerged at the bottom of the sea. Maritime Rescue teams remain in the area to monitor the situation and prevent any potential environmental impact.

Costa Blanca North Boogie Wonderland!

ON the night of August 16, Benidorm will play host to a genuine legend of funk, soul, and timeless music. The atmospheric Julio Iglesias Auditorium will host the Earth, Wind & Fire Experience built around Al McKay, promising a truly fantastic evening.

Al McKay, an original Earth, Wind & Fire member and inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, will bring his iconic presence and talent to the stage. This concert will celebrate the original band’s bestknown hits, including September, Let’s Groove, Got to Get You into My Life, and, of course, the most memorable of all, Boogie Wonderland.

For those who have secured a ticket, this sold-out performance in Benidorm offers a rare and privileged opportunity to witness the magic of this renowned band in Spain, as it is the only stop on its packed international tour. Following their performance in Benidorm, the band will continue their tour with appearances in the UK, France, Switzerland, China, Malaysia, South Africa, and Australia.

Almeria

Almeria fair fans

SOME 15,000 people from Almeria are already holding their Almeria Fair fan for this year’s fiesta. The Fair’s fan is the most desirable of all for thousands of people from Almeria and tourists from all over as they prepare for the festivities in honour of the Patron Saint, the Virgen del Mar.

The fan, decorated in red and teal with the iconic flamenco dancer design by Carlos Rigo, was first distributed on Saturday, August 10, in three locations; the Plaza de la Constitucion, the Centro de la Mujer de Cortijo Grande and the office of El Alquian.

The event is coordinated by the Department of Culture, Traditions and Major Festivals of the Almeria City Council.

The fans are once again raising funds for charity this year, as all the money raised from the fans (€2 per fan) will be donated to institutions that work to help those who need it most, including soup kitchens, Casa de Nazaret and Caritas.

Costa Calida

Royal in Los Belones

PALOMA ROCASOLANO, the mother of Queen Letizia of Spain, has made a significant life change by moving from Madrid to Cartagena. She’s now living in Los Belones, a town known for its sizeable English community. This move is largely to be closer to her partner, Marcus Brandler, a British businessman with ties to both Spain and the UK.

In Los Belones, Paloma and Marcus have settled into the local scene. They’re often spotted visiting the town’s butcher, a hair salon, and relaxing at Las Mulas beach. The couple first went public at the 2022 Princess of Asturias Awards, where they attended as a couple.

Brandler is the president of Tillbrook Products, a family business involved in the trade of tea, coffee, cocoa, and spices. Over the past five years, he’s spent more time in Spain, becoming an integral part of the Rocasolano family. Queen Letizia and her sister Telma warmly welcomed him, and he even organised a surprise 70th birthday party for Paloma.

PETS

Dog care

Anna Akopyan

WHILE summer is a fun time for the entire family, as pets become thrilled to spend more time with their owners, they face health risks with the rising heat. Water should always be available to your pets. As they can’t express their thirst, dogs fall under a greater risk of dehydration. With such active lifestyles, dogs should drink between 15-45ml/kg/day on average. Look out for symptoms of dehydration in your dogs, including the loss of appetite, vomiting, panting, sunken eyes, reduced energy and dry nose. It is also a good idea to let your dog in the pool if possible or sprinkle water

CATS hitting each other is a common behaviour rooted in their natural instincts and social dynamics. Understanding the reasons behind this behaviour can help cat owners manage and reduce conflicts.

One primary reason cats hit each other is territoriality. Cats are inherently territorial animals and may use hitting as a way to establish dominance or defend their space. This is especially common when a new cat is introduced to the household.

Play-fighting is another reason. Young cats and kittens often engage in hitting as part of their play, which helps them develop

on them to cool off.

Unlike us, dogs don’t have the protection of shoes; when walking on sizzling hot pavements in the summer, they experience a terrible amount of pain. It is not just uncomfortable but can also lead to overheating and even heat strokes. To see whether the pavement is too hot for your dog, use a simple five-second rule. Place the back of your hand on the pavement; if you can’t keep it there for five seconds, it’s too hot for your dog’s paws. It is absolutely prohibited to leave your dog in a hot car, even for a short time; it will inevitably lead to a heat stroke and could even result in death.

essential hunting and defence skills. These interactions, though sometimes appearing aggressive, are usually harmless and part of their social learning. Stress and redirected aggression can also cause cats to hit each other. If a cat feels threatened or stressed by an external factor, such as another animal outside, it might redirect its aggression towards a nearby cat. Understanding these motivations can help owners create a more harmonious environment, reducing the likelihood of aggressive encounters.

Dylan loves his pet-sitters

DYLAN is a feisty fellow and his owners now find it easier to leave him in the care of checked pet-sitters when they travel away from home. They find that he is happier at home rather than in the car or on a plane with them on holiday. Does your pet need pet-sitters at home too?

By joining a house-sitting platform like HouseSitMatch we facilitate an old-fashioned barter exchange where a pet owner provides the pet-sitter with free accommodation and the sitter cares for the pets and property with due care and attention, just like old fashioned barter.

Plus HouseSitMatch Saves Money because the Pet-sitting is Free!

If you use HouseSitMatch.com you find free checked pet-sitters who pay their way to stay in your home caring for your pets in your absence. It’s an arrangement facilitated by a managed online system. Our house and pet-sitting works as an exchange of services - free accommodation for free pet care!

HouseSitMatch is Safe - All Members Are Checked

All members are checked for safety, you choose which house-sitters come to care for your pets in your absence.

Your pets stay at home - Safe and Undisturbed

All pets benefit from staying at home, so their routines are undisturbed. Choose Housesitmatch.com for affordable travel, home and pet care and peace of mind for you and your pets.

If you’re travelling in 2024 join now and get organised today:

1. Register as a homeowner on HouseSitMatch.com

2. Choose a Premium account (£89 pa) to ensure you get help online

3. Create a profile with photos of your pets and home

4. Post an advert for the dates when you want to go away. Sitters apply and you choose.

Trustpilot Testimonials - 4.9 / 5 Excellent

My neighbours tell us Harry had plenty of walks… Sherel and John looked after Harry early April. They sent photos and mails to inform us how he was getting on. My neighbours tell us Harry had plenty of walks. Sherel and John are very nice people, and we highly recommend them as excellent sitters.

Tom C - homeowner in Mojacar

How do you join? Register online via www.Housesitmatch.com

Need a pet or house-sitter? House-sitting is a win-win, free house and pet-sitting exchanged for free accommodation! Reader exclusive offer - 20% Off Any New Membership Register as either house-sitter or homeowner. Get a 20% discount - Use coupon code PERFECT20.

TIP

‘Windows to Wellness’

VACCINATIONS are crucial for your pet’s health, protecting them from serious and potentially fatal diseases. Regular shots prevent the spread of infections, safeguard against zoonotic diseases, and ensure a longer, healthier life for your beloved companion.

Meet Dylan the Corgi, he loves it when the pet-sitters come to stay.

Shutterstock

Credit: Anna Akopyan

APPLIANCE REPAIRS

GRILLS

LOCKSMITHS

Bargain luxury-cars

DRUG-related auctions might be just what you need to get the luxury car of your dreams.

Buying a car at a drug-related auction gives you the opportunity to purchase a high-end vehicle at a price well below market value.

The cars may have a sketchy past, but they are still high-end, in good condition, and at competitive prices.

The Government’s Delegation for the National Plan on Drugs

curred in the fight against drug trafficking.

The DGPNSD administers the Confiscated Assets Fund, which is supported by the revenue from the auction.

Vehicles are always inspected and sometimes restored before being put up for sale.

The positive impact of these auctions is reflected in the Confiscated Assets Fund, which distributes its income to research,

prosecution and repression of illegal drug trafficking, as well as for the assistance and social and labour integration of drug addicts.

To get your next luxury car, Escrapalia, part of the Surus Inversa Group, has established itself firmly as a leader in the industrial auction market in Spain.

Escrapalia offers a variety of cars from different sources, including those confiscated in anti-drug operations; among the list sold before is a Chevrolet Corvette and a Mercedes-Benz

Buying a car connected to crime might not be your first decision, but it could be your best.

Credit: Wikicommons

Honda e:Ny1 - company’s first pure EV

By Mark Slack ROAD TEST

HONDA are known for discreet style, engineering excellence and build quality. It’s not therefore surprising that one might expect Honda’s first pure EV to be a bit of a game changer despite the now well established competition in the EV sector. Hence the arrival of Honda’s e:Ny1 heralded an expectation of EV innovation and standard setting.

It’s fair to say that the e:Ny1 wasn’t the game changer I was expecting, it’s a typical Honda in terms of the quality and levels of equipment ie an excellent package. Where it doesn’t quite cut it is in terms of the range at just 411km/256 miles, and in the real world it will be less than this stated figure.

an awful lot of good stuff too. There are two versions - Elegance and Ad-

Facts at a Glance

The e:Ny1 would be a fine vehicle to use as your local commuter car, work, school, the weekly shop etc. Anything further than 160km/100 miles each way though, and you run into looking at the very expensive public charging network. In a car that costs €47,512/£40,645 a range of just 411km/256 miles isn’t great. Thankfully being a Honda there’s

Model: Honda e:Ny1 Elegance

vance - with prices at €47,512/£40,645 and €50,084/£42,845 respectively. The

Engine: Battery electric – 150kw electric motor with 68 kwh battery

Gears: Automatic

Price: €47,512/£40,645

Performance: 100kph/62mph in 7.7 seconds Max speed 160kph/100mph

Range: 411km/256 miles

Emissions: 0

Model tested was UK-specification and equipment levels and prices may vary in other markets

levels of equipment are superb with standard fare including heated seats, keyless entry and start, front and rear parking sensors, rear parking camera, eight-way power driver’s seat, wireless phone charging, Apple Car Play and Android Auto along with a 25cm/10 inch driver’s display and 38cm/15 inch central display screen.

Move up a level and you gain a very clever parking pilot that finds you a space and parks the e:Ny1 for you. There’s also a superb panoramic roof, power tailgate, 360 degree camera and heated steering wheel. It’s a mightily impressive list and various option packs are available at extra cost.

On the road the Honda is effortless and very comfortable with a reassuring driving feel as one would expect from Honda. On the charging front the range may not be that great but it will charge at home from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in just six hours, or if you find one of those fast chargers you can put in 96km/60 miles of range in just 11 minutes.

Despite the surprise and slight disappointment about the e:Ny1’s range there’s still much to commend it, there are few places that would be as pleasant for your daily motoring excursions.

Madrid veteran star Pepe retires

FOOTBALL legend Pepe has announced his retirement via an official statement through the Real Madrid website and so cial media.

‘In view of Pepe’s an nouncement of his reti rement from football as a professional player, Real Madrid would like to ex press its gratitude, affec tion and admiration for one of the great legends of our club and world football,’ the statement said.

A team member from 2007 to 2017 he won everything with the club. Over 10 seasons he won 14 titles in 334 matches including three European Cups, two Club World Cups, two European Su per Cups, three La Ligas, two Copa del Reys and

two Spanish Super Cups.

Brazil-born Pepe was said by the club to have “been one of the greatest

achievements with FC Porto which include four league titles.

One of the best defenders ever in Real Madrid and European football, he became the Champions League’s oldest goalscorer last year scoring for Porto against Antwerp, continuing to play at the highest level until the

Writing on Instagram, Cristiano Ronaldo said “We won everything there was to win on the pitch, but the biggest triumph is the friendship and the respect I have for you. You’re unique, my brother.”

Pepe playing for his adopted country, Portugal.

Credit: Stefan Constantin 22 - Shutterstock

Team GB in Paris

THE Paris 2024 Olympic Games have come to an end and it has been a whirlwind for Team GB.

Great Britain arrived with 327 athletes for the Olympic Games and, in total, 131 of them returned home with medals around their necks, with more medals than they had in Tokyo.

After more than two weeks of intensity, Team GB won 14 gold medals, 22 silver medals and 29 bronze medals.

In total, Great Britain took home 65 medals, one more than they had in the last Olympics.

Ranking all the participating countries by total medals won, this places Team GB in third, above the host coun try, France, but below China and USA, who won the most.

Britain’s perfor mance at the Paris Olympics was triumphant and certainly deserves celebration.

Andy Anson, the British Olympic Association’s chief execu-

tive pointed out that Great Britain “passed 1,000 medals in the Olympics during this Games, which was a big moment. Sixty-five medals is our second-best-ever tally on foreign soil,” added Anson, “So that’s something incredible to celebrate.”

There were some low points, with swimmer Adam Peaty catching Covid, and Kate French having to pull out for gastric reasons.

However, there were also some incredible highs; Track and field was one of the biggest of Britain’s successes, with 10 medals overall, the best since the Los Angeles 1984

Team GB have had a tumultuous and triumphant time at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.