Balearic boom
THE Balearic Islands, including Mallorca, have seen a notable rise in house prices, with an increase of 13.1 per cent over the past year.
This surge has positioned the region as Spain’s most expensive autonomous community, with an average price of €4,561 per square metre.
Within the islands, Palma has recorded one of the most significant increases among larger cities, with house prices rising by 10.2 per cent in the last year.
The average price per square metre in Palma now stands at €4,308, making it the fourth most expensive city in the country after San Sebastian, Madrid, and Barcelona.
Several factors are fuelling the rising costs in Palma and the broader Balearic region.
A lack of available land for new developments and restrictive planning laws have severely limited housing construction, exacerbating the imbalance between supply and demand.
Additionally, labour shortages and the collapse of some cons -
truction companies have further slowed the building of new homes.
Beyond Palma, other areas of the Balearic Islands are also experiencing significant price hikes.
Coastal towns and rural areas of Mallorca, as well as the islands of Menorca and Ibiza, have seen sharp increases in demand, driving prices to record highs.
While the Balearic Islands have seen a significant rise, they are not
alone.
Across Spain, all autonomous communities have experienced price growth over the past year, with the Canary Islands leading the way at 16.4 per cent.
In major cities like Madrid, Malaga, and Valencia, house prices have also reached historical highs.
Yet, the Balearic Islands remain at the forefront of this property boom.
Climber rescued from rock face
THE MALLORCA MOUNTAIN RESCUE GROUP (GRM) sprang to the rescue once again on Sunday, October 13 when a climber found herself in severe difficulties on the sheer wall of Sa Gubia, Bunyola. The Mallorca Fire Service received an alert at around 13.30 warning that two climbers required assistance, and officers from the GRM arrived at the scene to find one of the climbers dangling on a rope attached to the rocks.
Despite being correctly equipped with the climbing rope, a har -
ness and safety helmet, the climber found herself suspended 100 metres from the top of the precipice, unable to either ascend or descend the drop. The specially trained GRM officers were able to assist the two climbers in the descent down to solid ground using safety lines of their own.
Immunisation campaign
A NEW campaign is underway in Mallorca to see as many residents as possible vaccinated against influenza and Covid-19. The initiative aims to surpass previous similar initiatives and provide better protection for those considered at higher risk of contracting the illnesses.
The local Ministry of Health issued a press release on Monday, October 14, explaining the new measures that are being introduced as part of the campaign, including an experimental vaccination programme which will visit 24 schools across the Balearics (public, state-subsidised and private included), comprising of 11 in Mallorca, eight across Ibiza and Formentera and five in Menorca.
The Ministry of Health states that those deemed as higher risk that are particularly targeted by the campaign include people over 60 years old, those residing in care homes, people with health conditions such as diabetes, chronic cardiovascular disease and respiratory disorders, as well as cancer patients, those having received a transplant, and the morbidly obese.
Anyone wishing for details of other ailments included in the list, and to ascertain whether immunisation is a recommended priority personally, can ask at their local medical centre, whilst appointments can be obtained on www.gripcaib.es or by calling InfoSalut on 971 220 000.
Mallorca • Issue No. 2050 • 17 - 23 Oct 2024 FREE FREE FREI GRATIS
GRATIS GRATIS GRATIS
GRATUITO VRIJ LIVRE
ILMAINEN
House prices have risen.
Climber found herself in severe difficulty.
Local singer’s new single Restaurant closures treble
Donna Bradley-Brown
A YOUNG singer from Manacor is about to release her new single, CGFT, a nostalgic pop ballad that explores themes such as ‘roots, memory and the desire for freedom’.
Singer and songwriter Alícia Miquel, who composes her own music and produces her own unique material, is now based in Berlin, but is well known in her home town of Manacor, and it appears that this particular song may well be a tribute to her Mallorcan roots, reminding friends and family that leaving the island where she was born doesn’t mean she has forgotten them.
Alícia told local magazine, 07500 (so called because of the local postal code), that the song was dedicated to her godparents in particular, and tackles the emotions one feels when following their dreams and the
strength required to do so without apologies or “ask[ing] for forgiveness or permission”.
The single (which is named after first initials of Alícia’s beloved family members: C, G, F and T) will be released on October 25 and will be available on all mu sic streaming pla tforms.
It is the first song to be re leased from forthco ming album ‘Sentimen tal’, which, as its title suggests, touches on themes such as ‘love and nos talgia’.
The singer’s first album was recorded in her native language, Catalàn, but since then she has released songs in English, including in albums such as ‘Self’ which was recorded in Berlin and debuted in July 2021.
IN a good year, it’s normal to have a number of res taurants close down, according to president of the CAEB Restaurants’ Association in Mallorca, Juanmi Ferrer. He quotes 2023 as an example, in which 28 of the 186 restaurants that closed down permanently shut their doors for the last time due to the proprietors’ retirement. However, the president expressed his concern that the number of closures by the end of 2024 could more than treble that of the previous year.
Ferrer says that statistically, profits received by restaurants are at an all time low, in many cases having dropped from around 20 per cent down to a mere 6-8 per cent, and that as long as restaurants con -
tinue to operate in the red at certain times of year, closures will continue to increase.
Ferrer believes that the cost of living in Mallorca is a strong factor in the decline of the restaurant industry, explaining that on average, Mallorca is around 12 per cent more costly than the rest of Spain, but that rent exceeds this quite dramatically, being up to 400 per cent more expensive on the island than on the mainland. This impacts on staff resources, with fewer seeking work in Mallorca due to the extraordinarily high cost of living. With food prices, electricity, and council taxes on the rise, it’s no wonder that as much as restaurateurs are struggling, the general public, aka, the client, no longer has the financial capacity to eat out on a regular basis.
Many restaurants are struggling.
Photo Credit: EWN
Photo Credit: @aliciamiquel, Instagram
Alícia Miquel composes her own music.
Tennis ticket prices soar
MALLORCAN sports legend, Rafael Nadal, only announced his retirement last weekend, yet ticket selling platforms such as Viagogo and Milanuncios have already upped ticket prices for Nadal’s final professional matches to ridiculous proportions.
The Davis Cup Finals, which are set to be held in the Palacio Martin Carpena, Malaga, this coming November 19, will likely be our local hero’s last time competing, and the ticket sellers are intent on profiting from the event.
Tickets weren’t cheap originally, with the most-costly ones previously standing at €1,350 for seats in the VIP area, but the ticket sellers have taken it to a whole new level, with prices being logged as anything from €15,000 to €100,000.
Financial aid
However, the resale of tickets to any event in order to profit economically is actually considered to be a fraudulent crime in Spain, resulting in private ticket sellers using Milanuncios offering related products such as tennis balls and
rac- kets for the cost, and stating that tickets to the game are free with the purchase according to a local news source.
The International Tennis Federation is expecting the 2024 Davis Cup
to be a sell-out event, so is holding a limited number of tickets for the semi-finals and finals in order that people from the winning countries are still able to attend the event and cheer their country to the cup.
Will an ETIAS be required from 2025?
YES, starting in 2025, British citizens will need to apply for the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) to visit Spain and other Schengen Area countries for short stays (up to 90 days in any 180-day period). ETIAS is similar to the American
US ESTA and requires an online application, along with a fee of around €7. Once approved, the authorisation will be valid for three years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first.
There will be a transitional period after ETIAS is introduced in mid-2025. During this time, travellers may be able to enter without an ETIAS, but it is advised to apply for one in advance to avoid any issues. This system was introduced to enhance border security and pre-screen all travellers from visa-exempt countries, including the UK, after Brexit.
As Gibraltar Treaty negotiations continue in Brussels, tensions rise as locals and travellers alike await clarity on how the new biometric checks will impact dayto-day life at the border. With the clock ticking towards the 2025 ETIAS rollout, will Spain and the UK find common ground, or are more travel headaches on the horizon?
THE Consell de Mallorca has launched a call for nancial aid across the municipalities of the island, according to Pilar Amate, the local councillor for Economic Promotion and Local Development. Amate explained that a sum of €235,000 is to be invested in any area that bene ts the municipalities as a whole, such as real estate, and highlighted that the aim of the project is to “o er global and joint solutions to all the local entities they represent.”
The Consell de Mallorca backed Amate’s statement in their press release, a rming that in order to ful l the aims of the island’s municipalities, economic support was essential. The funds are expected to cover expenses such as government vehicles and property, machinery and other items necessary for the maintenance and development of the local governments, as well as technological necessities such as computer applications; basically, anything which will help the municipalities to prosper, both individually and as an entity.
The island is divided into groups of municipalitiesMancomunidades - and funds have been allocated according to the population of each community. The Mancomunidad Es Raiger, will receive the highest subsidy of €94,446, and the rest of the funds will be distributed accordingly.
A REWARD is being offered for the safe return of a parrot that was lost back in March in Bunyola, in the Joan March Hospital and Sa Coma areas of the municipality.
The parrot, which is grey with a red tail, and wears a ring on its leg, has been advertised on posters in and around the area in the hope that someone might recognise it.
The owners of the bird appealed to local Spanish language publication Última Hora , in an effort to increase publicity. They ask that if anybody has come across the bird and kept it, having not spotted the posters and being unaware that its previous owners are desperately searching for its whereabouts, please step forward and contact them, as the pet parrot is very deeply missed.
The posters have now been laminated in an attempt to protect them from the autumn and winter weather, and the owners continue to pray for its safe return. As a general rule, anybody finding a parrot or other exotic species on the island should directly contact The Balearic Consortium for the Recuperation of Fauna (COFIB), and take the animal to their centre in Santa Eugenia. COFIB can be contacted on 607 554 055 from 8.00-18.00 daily.
Nadal recently announced his retirement.
Heart-stopping scenes steal show
HIT British Netflix series, Heartstopper, is one of the most watched series in Spain, and many of the scenes for the new season were filmed in Mallorca, despite depicting neighbouring island, Menorca, in the show. Many of the scenes took place in the picturesque municipalities of Felanitx and Santanyi, but are passed off as locations in Menorca in the actual series, the latest of which premiered on October 3.
Cala Llombards - which measures a mere 55 metres in length and is surrounded by pine trees and bushes - is located around 10 kilometres from Santanyi but was said to be on the coast of Menorca in the series.
The church in Santanyi town square, for example, is passed off as being in Menorcan town Ciutadella, whilst the Guillem Timoner Sports Centre in Felanitx is, curiously, used to depict Menorca Airport. The tiny beach of
The popular show, based on the novel by Alice Oseman, embraces LGBTQ+ culture as it explores the sexuality
of the two main characters, Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson (played by Joe Locke and Kit Connor respectively), with Charlie being openly gay and in love with Nick, whilst rugby player Nick comes to realise his sexual orientation throughout the story.
The series approaches the sensitive topics of gender and sexual
A Royal Visitor
ON October 13, Palma Cathedral had the honour of welcoming Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden as she made a discreet visit to attend a secret and private christening ceremony.
However, despite the stringent security measures in place, her presence did not go unnoticed. Word soon spread about the royal visitor and a crowd of local residents and tourists gathered to catch a glimpse of her. The ceremony itself was held at the main altar, made even more beautiful by the illumination provided by the 35 lamps of Gaudi’s impressive badachin. Gathering behind the strong wrought iron barrier, spectators were able to witness the ceremony as it took place beneath the magnificent rose window. Even more exciting, thanks to the excellent acoustics within the church, they were able to enjoy the performance of a saxophonist playing John Lennon’s classic song, Imagine. Of course, what the onlookers were really interested in was what the Crown Princess of Sweden had chosen to wear
for such an occasion. They were surely delighted to see that she was wearing a stunning dress, designed by Indian designer Saloni Lodha; a designer also favoured by Kate Middleton on occasion.
Other famous clients include Michelle Obama, Jennifer Aniston, Naomi Watts and Emma Watson.
orientation with a delicate understanding, and has proved to be extremely well received by viewers.
Hate crime or coincidence?
A GROUP of hunters were victims of a possible anti-hunting attack on Saturday October 12, when they returned from their morning’s activities in the Son Gual area of the island to find that the tyres of their vehicles had been slashed. Five vehicles, all of which were parked in the ‘pirulí’ zone, were targeted in total, and the group of disgruntled hunters had to call tow trucks to come to the rescue, with one hunter reporting to the president of the Mallorca Hunting and Shooting Club, Antonio Bonet, that he was forced to wait until 4pm before the tow truck arrived.
Bonet doesn’t believe the attack to be a hate crime, despite the fact that the incident coincided with the lifting of the previously closed hunting season - therefore allowing hunters more freedom and privilege at this time of year than at others - explaining that no such thing has happened in Mallorca before.
However, the hunting advocate did exclaim that he and the hunters themselves were disappointed with the police response, who, despite being alerted to the incident as soon as it was noticed, failed to turn up at the scene to help in any way. He said that the hunters were ‘very indignant’ since the police are always hot on their heels checking permits and documentation.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden.
Students of past times
STUDENTS from the Calvia district of Mallorca have learned a new skill through a course on historic dry-stone walling.
In a continuation of several ongoing projects being run across different sectors of the Consell de Mallorca to help preserve and promote the island’s historical patrimony and culture, head councillor of Environment, Rural Affairs and Sports, Pedro Bestard, was delighted to visit students taking part in a course on dry stone walling.
The four-week long course, run by the Galat-
zó estate, coincided with the European Dry-Stone Heritage Week, and was organised by the town hall of Calvia for students interested in learning the age-old construction technique. Students worked closely together under the supervision of skilled professionals in the craft, in order to complete the construction of a section of dry-stone wall.
Dry-stone walls, which date back to the Neolithic age, can be seen all across the island’s countryside and mountain foothills, often at a seemingly impossible angle, separating
plots of land in mountainous areas. They are an integral part of Mallorcan landscape.
Government initiatives are underway across the island to protect, restore and care for monuments, talaiots, and other vitally important parts of the local heritage. This means that courses such as the above - which seek to gain the interest of the younger generation and encourage them to place importance on the protection of their native traditions - are of great value for the future of the island.
Intolerable neglect
A MALLORCAN local has been reported for severe animal cruelty after residents of Sencelles and Costitx reported him for horrific neglect of the horses on his finca, located on land between the two municipalities.
One of the neighbours who reported the owner of the animals to the authorities, told local press, Última Hora , that the horses – which could be seen in a skeletal state from the road adjacent to the finca – as well as other animals, including sheep and dogs, had been living in neglect for far too long, and that many reports had been made
long. The view was backed up by animal rescue associations and the popular Spanish local newspaper was able to verify that various reports had been made regarding the owner, a young man from Sencelles, and that police inspections had indeed been carried out and sanctions administered.
The publication reports that residents and animal associations are now banding together and plan to approach the Guardia Civil as an entity, insisting that something is done.
Animal welfare across Spain is often a to - pic of concern for visitors and residents from abroad, and Mallorca is no exception to the scrutiny. However, things are improving, demonstrated by the number of animal charities that are working tirelessly to improve animal welfare, and residents like those described above who are unwilling to tolerate the cruelty anymore.
Photo Credit: Inthemomentprints, Pexels
Photo Credit: EWN
IF you are thinking of combining an early or late Christmas vacation within Europe perhaps concentrate on one or more of the cities that host spectacular Christmas Markets.
There is a whole host to choose from including a number in Spain and most EU member states, but the following have been nominated as some of the best and are also interesting cities to visit with the family.
Christmas Markets
• Amsterdam November 15 to January 5, 2025
• Berlin (Gendarmenmarkt) November 25 to December 31
• Brussels November 29 to January 5, 2025
• Budapest November 17 to December 31
ENTRY/EXIT SYSTEM (EES) has been delayed once more. The European Union’s automated registry for short-stay travellers was expected to come into force on November 10.
“November 10 is no longer on the table,” Ylva Johansson, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, said on Thursday, October 11. France, Germany, and the Netherlands hold reservations over their preparedness to implement it before Christmas.
The plan was to have brought the new biometric system in earlier this year, but France wanted it postponed so as not to interrupt the influx of sports fans for the Olympics and
• Cologne November 18 to December 23
• Copenhagen (Tivoli) November 17 to January 2, 2025
• Edinburgh November 17 to January 5, 2025.
• Gothenburg November 16 to December 31
• Helsinki November 29 to December 22
• Prague November 30 to January 6, 2025
• Rome December 8 to January 6, 2025
• Strasbourg November 22 to December 30
• Vienna November 16 to December 24
EES postponed
EES could see passengers delayed.
now Christmas shoppers. According to easyJet CEO Johan Lundgren, the problem of bringing in EES too soon would potentially
have caused delays for British tourists visiting the EU. In a ‘worst-case scenario’, he said, passengers would be held on landed planes at
the destination airport until their finger prints could be verified.
Commissioner Johannson spoke of a new concept being on the table for bringing the system in little by little, but this would depend on legal issues yet to be discussed at parliament level.
The EES is a comprehensive reform of identity checks for non-EU citizens that dates back to 2016 and has been repeatedly delayed since. The purpose is to modernise checks at the EU’s external borders and replace the traditional physical stamping of passports.
New Virtual Passports 2030
THE European Commission has unveiled a plan to let travellers store their passport and ID details digitally on their smartphones, offering quicker and more secure border crossings by 2030.
Brussels is on a mission to drag the humble passport and ID card into the 21st century with a shiny new digital version that promises to make EU travel as smooth as a pint down the local. That’s right, EU nationals can forget rifling through their bag at border control - soon they could be breezing past with nothing more than a swipe on their phone.
The European Commission has thrown its weight behind the idea, pushing for all EU citizens to be able to flash digital versions of their passports and ID when jetting in and out of the Schengen area. The goal? To make travel ‘more fluid and secure’ according to Brussels, by cutting down on the dreaded airport queues.
The new digital passport system would be voluntary and would take the data currently stored on your passport’s chip and transfer it to your phone. The user would then be able to store their passport on their phone like a digital boarding pass.
Portuguese Halloween
ALTHOUGH Halloween is not a major event in Portugal, the people of Albufeira seem to enjoy frightening each other with mummies, zombies, ghosts, witches, werewolves and other supernatural creatures.
So once again, the city, situated in the Algarve is putting on a Halloween night on October 31 next thanks to a decision by what is now known as the witches council.
4km and the other 7km, with entry fees going to charity.
Most of the spooky excitement will centre on the areas of Largo Eng.º Duarte Pacheco and Rua 5 de Outubro although there is also a spine tingling run (or walk if you aren’t too fit) which covers two routes, one of
It has been confirmed that a ‘Horror Hospital’ will be set up to cope with any injuries, although Halloween Night may not perhaps be the best time to visit!
The Halloween programme kicks off at 8pm
with street entertainment, music, dancing, face painting and parades of ghostly characters and the local dance group Associação Soul which has previously danced to Thriller, will come up with a new and exciting routine to entertain all of the visitors. Brave enough to take his life into his own hands, local DJ Sunlize has agreed to appear in the dark to entertain everyone and his ghoul friend with a selection of electronic top tunes. There will be plenty of chance to enjoy street food and a few drinks, but it is absolutely essential that if you do attend that you ‘dress to depress’.
Social Security bill
THOSE self-employed and freelancers who have been paying the lowest bracket into Social Security contributions and earning above a net average of €1,700 per month, may be due to pay extra this November if they haven’t already shifted the amount they contribute regularly to a higher taxable band.
The difficulty many small and medium business owners face in Spain is predicting exactly how much they are going to earn over any given year. In 2022, the government brought in a new system of means-based social security payments in which ‘autonomos’ could adjust the amount depending on what they believed they would be earning in the coming 12 months.
As the new system was introduced just after the pandemic crisis, many self-employed workers,
Keep an eye out for a letter from the Social Security.
still reeling from the economic hit they took in 2020, opted for the lowest and more pessimistic band that reflected an average net income of €1,700 per month or lower. However, the Social Security department is reporting that many have not been online to raise that payment band since.
It is estimated that some
30 per cent of self-employed workers will end up having to fork out between €1,000 and €1,200 extra to make up for the shortfall in their payments so far. Elma Saiz, the minister for Social Security acknowledges that this new contribution system entails ‘great technical complexity’ for the 3.7 million who work for themselves.
A Passport on Your Smartphone: EU Takes Digital Leap: Brussels Calls for Virtual Passports to Make Travel a Breeze.
Credit: Pexels, Connor Danylenko
Residents of Albufeira take Halloween seriously.
Credit: Albufeira Council
Would you go in a driverless taxi? Your
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In a recent survey of our customers after using Línea Directa’s Roadside Assistance and breakdown services, over 90 per cent said they would happily recommend our insurance services to a friend or colleague. Línea Directa would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to answer the questions in our survey as it has given us valuable feedback on our services and enabled us to integrate positive changes and continue to provide expert solutions for overseas residents in Spain.
ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING IS IN ENGLISH
ELON MUSK, CEO of Tesla, has been showing us what the future of transportation may look like with the unveiling of his long-awaited driverless robotaxi or Cybercab, which is powered by, yes, you’ve guessed it, Artificial Intelligence. The futuristic-looking vehicle was presented at a glitzy Tesla launch in a Hollywood studio on October 10.
This innovative vehicle is set to revolutionise the simple taxi service. Passengers will be able to hail a cab without a driver, steering wheel, or pedals. Musk believes that this new taxi era will be of great benefit to taxi owners, who can happily sleep or work while their driverless robotaxi continues to collect fares for extra profits.
Of course, this is not just about helping the taxi owners make a better living. Tesla will increase its revenue by taking a share of the taxi owners’ profits. On the brink of its launch, investors are already speculating that Tesla’s AI Cybercab could see the company’s value rise sharply, with estimates of an increase from its current value of $750 billion (€686 billion) to well over $4.5 trillion (€4.1 trillion).
Therefore, Elon Musk has a lot riding (excuse the pun) on this latest new product development. However, he still faces opposition due to safety concerns and has yet to secure all of the required regu -
latory approvals. This is a significant hurdle for Tesla to overcome, not just from a legal standpoint but also in gaining the trust of the taxi owners themselves and, more importantly, the general public.
Interested in knowing what Euro Weekly Readers thought, we asked, “Would you go in a driverless taxi?”
Jeremy Newman said, “I don’t see it as a menu choice, nice chatty driver or not. I reckon future travel options will be driven by the provider, cost, and, for women, safety. And by that, I don’t mean road safety.”
Others, like Stella Scott, were a firm ‘no’; she stated, “Absolutely not! What if something went wrong? And don’t tell me it won’t.”
James Jones was a little more open and shared, “I’m torn about driverless taxis. On the one hand, the technology sounds exciting, but on the other, I wonder how reliable they’d be in tricky traffic situations.”
Colin Carter was even more positive still and said, “If the technology is there, why not?”
Liz Shaw was definitely against them. “Not a chance in hell. They cannot react quickly enough to avoid idiot drivers. It’s a dumb idea.”
Eivissa Lynn is particularly concerned about the lack of control, stating: “No, I won’t even go on a horse as I can’t control it.”
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THE NEW TESLA CYBERCAB UNVEILED BY ELON MUSK.
Escape From Reality
Donna Bradley-Brown
BEST escape rooms, in Palma, promises magic, mystery, and adventure, all combined with a dash of adrenaline as visitors fight to find cryptic clues and solve baffling puzzles in order to escape from the rooms within a 60-minute time frame.
The venue offers three very different experiences, designed to be fun and entertaining for anybody aged from eight to 99-years-old, and welcomes groups of friends and family, celebrations of any kind and work team building events.
In Hacker, visitors fight to help Interpol catch Vlada-
mir, a terrorist hacker from the Soviet Union that has been on the run for months.
In order to help Interpol, the team must enter his apartment and solve all his traps, without getting caught out themselves.
Meanwhile, in Egipcia, team members entering the room will find themselves searching for treasures in the Egyptian pyramids and catacombs, as they try to solve the mystery of the Sceptre of Anubis. The biggest challenge is escaping from the catacombs
of Nefertiti, avoiding burial amongst hundreds of other unsuccessful treasure hunters.
Last, but certainly not least, is the Medieval room, in which visitors become the chosen ones to find a sacred relic, by fighting Pope Clement V´s troops in order to restore the Templar Order of Sir Robert Geremus.
To restore the order, it is essential that team members recover the sacred Black Cross, or else there may be no escape.
Ballet fights social media
THE Ballet of Barcelona is heading to Mallorca to put on a dazzling show in a one-off special on Saturday October 19, in the Auditori sa Màniga, Cala Millor. The ballet is called ‘Youchargeme’, and comprises seven highly skilled professional dancers from across the world.
Founder of Ballet of Barcelona, Chase Johnsey, from the United States, is an award-winning dancer with years of experience, including 14 years dancing with Les Ballets Trockade-
Tis the season for:
‘BUNYOLS’ - otherwise known as buñuelos - which are the Mallorcan version of churros, shaped into little rings which look more like doughnuts than the long, ridged churros found in other parts of Spain. In towns and villages across the island, small stalls will
MALLORCA
ro de Monte Carlo, whilst Venezuelan choreographer Juan Mora, who began his professional training aged 16 and graduated in 2017, is well-known in the world of ballet for his stunning and unique choreography. Mora is no stranger to Mallorca, having spent some time working at the Palma Dance Centre in 2022.
The hour-long dance show is inspired by modern day living and the way technologies that didn´t exist years ago now have so much hold over our lives, in particular social media networks. The show’s name, #youchargeme is used metaphorically and
be set up on evenings and weekend mornings, with locals queuing up to purchase a bag of the sweet, sugary, traditional delights. The recipe is a favourite on October 20, the Day of the Virgins, on the eve of which, traditionally, potential suitors would visit and serenade the unmarried and virgin girls, receiving buñuelos and sweet wine from the girls in return for their efforts (possibly not quite what the men had in mind…).
Doggie Race returns
THE fourth annual ‘Doggie Race’ is due to take place in Port Adriano on Saturday, October 19, in aid of the ‘Asociación Peluditos de Son Reus’, and is anticipated to be a fun event, with runners from across the island turning up with their dogs to complete the wo-kilometre non-competitive race.
Those taking part will run with their canine best friend through the port, united by their desire to help the animals supported by ‘Peluditos’, an association which aims
ironically along with the slogan: Parallel Realities, and was chosen to reflect the fact that whilst so many people use digital technology and social media as ways to relax, in reality we need to disconnect from our devices in order to truly rest and recharge.
Tickets to the ballet are available from: https:// www.samaniga.es/
Other seasonal delights which can be found at this time of year include traditional autumn and Christmas treats such as roasted chestnuts and sweet potatoes. Stalls can be found in markets across the island, as well as in Palma City centre, with street vendors roasting the potatoes in foil and cooking the chestnuts in a big pan until charred on the outside and soft on the inside, whilst hungry shoppers watch and wait to indulge in a warming snack.
to help those animals which find themselves behind the bars of the local dog pound. Volunteers work tirelessly, visiting and educating the dogs, whilst giving each dog a full assessment in order to provide the best possible chance of adoption.
The running event is organised in collaboration between Palma based pet supply shop Dogma and gardening centre Fronda, and will commence at 11.00. Other attractions organised to support the event include a display by the Guardia Civil Cynology Service showing how the exceptionally intelligent dogs help the police in their work, as well as an agility workshop, and other canine themed initiatives designed by Dogma with the dog loving public in mind.
For more information or to take part in the race, inscriptions can be made online through: https://sportma niacs.com/es/services/ins cription/doggie-race-2024
Photo: Andrea Piacquadio, Pexels
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FINANCE
BUSINESS EXTRA
Oil up
BP and Shell added £14 billion (€16.7 billion) to their combined market value as oil prices rose and their shares shot up when crude prices soared by 13 per cent after Iran fired missiles on Israel. Oil trading at below $70 ($64) a barrel before the October 7 attack had risen to $79 (€72.2) by the following day.
Hacked about
TENDAM, which owns the Cortefiel and Springfield labels, warned that hackers possibly accessed their loyalty-card holders’ details during a cyberattack on September 5. Although the attack would have revealed names, addresses, ID and phone numbers, no credit card numbers or passwords were compromised.
New start
NET-A-PORTER, the fashion website founded by Natalie Massenet which merged with Italian firm Yoox in 2015 and is now owned by Swiss company Richemont, has been sold. It was bought by German company Mytheresa although Richemont will receive a 33 per cent holding in Mytheresa instead of cash.
Record year
SPAIN’S tourism sector expects a 5.2 per cent increase in sales during the last quarter of 2024, while Exceltur, a group composed of the chairmen of 30 leading tourist companies, predicted revenues of €200 billion for the year. This will account for 13.4 per cent of Spain’s gross domestic product, Exceltur pointed out.
Pay up
THE Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat) ordered water companies in England and Wales to return £157.6 million to customers to compensate for their poor performance. Rebates will be calculated in December and the money deducted from bills sent to households and businesses in 2025-2026.
STAT OF WEEK
€2.29 trillion
was the total financial wealth of Spanish households and non-profit institutions by the end of June 2024, 7.9 per cent up on 2023, the Bank of Spain said.
Kankiwala’s job done
THE John Lewis Partnership will no longer have a chief executive after March 2025.
Nish Kankiwala, appointed the company’s first-ever chief executive in 2023, will not be replaced after his two-year contract comes to an end.
Already a non-executive director, he was assigned the task of reviving the faltering performance of the John Lewis stores and Waitrose supermarkets.
Kankiwala’s turnaround plan brought a return to a pre-tax profit of £56 million (€66.8 million) in 2023, a £290 million (€346.1m) year-on-year improvement.
In September this year, he announced that the company expected profits of £400 million (€477.4 million) by January 2028.
Jason Tarry, former chief executive at Tesco and the partnership’s
EUROPASTRY, which produces frozen bread and cakes, cancelled its stock market debut on October 7, two days before it was due to go public.
“The company, and shareholders preparing to sell, withdrew the offer owing to the international geopolitical situation,” Europastry explained in a statement to Spain’s National Securities Market Commission (CNMV).
The Catalonia-based company, present in 80 countries and owner of 27 plants in Europe and the US, planned to sell shares at between €15.85 and €18.75, giving the com-
chairman since September this year, now assumes all executive responsibilities. Meanwhile, Kankiwala remains
in an advisory non-executive position.
This answered the unasked question of how the two men would manage the company following the departure of former chair, Dame Sharon White, six months before her contract ended in March 2025.
Her arrival coincided with the pandemic, she went on to close stores and wanted 40 per cent of the partnership’s profits to originate outside retail by 2030.
Employees and partners in the company missed out on their annual bonus three years out of the past four and White briefly considered selling a stake in the company for £2 billion (€2.39 billion).
Asked recently if she planned to return to the Civil Service, Dame Sharon replied that this was “very unlikely.”
No float for Europastry
EUROPASTRY: Specialises in frozen bakery.
Getting closer Openbank opens in the US
OPENBANK, Santander’s online subsidiary which now operates in the US, is offering a savings account that pays 5.25 per cent interest.
Opening a savings account requires a minimum deposit of $500 (€457), although these high-interest accounts are not available for customers with deposit accounts with Santander Bank in the US. Although the return is currently very high, the bank said it reserves the right to reduce it at any time.
LIDL is beginning to close the gap separating it from Mercadona and Carrefour, Kantar Worldpanel figures showed.
The German supermarket chain finished its 2023-2024 fiscal year ending on February 28 with record sales of €6.57 billion, 8 per cent more than in 2022-2023. It now has a 6.4 per cent market share, an increase of three-10ths of a percentage point on 12 months ago.
Valencia-based Mercadona remains in first place with a 26.5 per cent market share, although it has lost half a percentage point since October 2023. Carrefour’s share rose by only one-10th to 9.6 per cent, despite acquiring 46 Supercor stores from El Corte Ingles in October 2023.
CHANNEL 4 posted a £52 million (€61.12 million deficit) for 2023 but the publicly-owned broadcaster said that it would not ask for government assistance.
The annual report published on October 7 stated that ambitious plans which had been announced earlier in the year were challenged by a combination of inflation and high interest rates. These had affected “business confidence and investment in television advertising.”
Expenditure over the year included £663 (€791.8) million invested in content and £520 (€621) million spent on original content.
Clocking
LLOYD’S of London is checking employees’ swipe cards as they enter its City headquarters.
pany a market value of €1.570 billion.
Europastry backed off at the last minute owing to low demand, even though Criteria Caixa had committed to acquiring 5 per cent of the shares.
The company had planned to sell new shares worth a total of €210 million as well as €300 million in existing shares, most of them owned by the MCH private equity investment company which wanted to exit Europastry.
CAF trams for Italy
TRAM, train and bus builder CAF, based in Beasain (Guipuzcoa), has been awarded contracts worth €200 million to supply trams for Rome and Bologna.
Rome’s public transport authority, ATAC, increased an earlier order for 40 trams by a further 20. All will be equipped with CAF’s Onboard Energy Storage System (OESS) eliminating the need for overhead cables.
Bologna City Hall’s contract for 33 OESS trams includes the option to increase this to 60 or possibly 70 units in future.
The CAF contacts include maintaining Rome’s trams for five years and those in Bologna for four years, plus supplying spare parts.
This enables managers to track how often and when they come in to work, Lloyd’s chief executive John Neal told the Telegraph
The data was being used “constructively and thoughtfully” he stressed.
“We’re not using it from a discipline point of view,” Neal added.
Nevertheless, many other companies are now trying to address the problem, where employees take a long weekend by avoiding the office on a Monday or Friday.
THE Barclay family, the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph’s former owners, are considering a £2.5 billion (€3 billion) sale of their online retail business, Very Group.
Sources quoted by Sky News revealed that the Very Group board, chaired by former Chancellor, Nadhim Zahawi, has engaged Barclays, JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley to handle a full or partial auction.
Insiders also revealed that refinancing the business, whose lenders include Carlyle investment firm and IMI, was another option under consideration.
NISH KANKIWALA: Remains at John Lewis in a non-executive position.
3I Group 3.284,50 3.286,00 3.252,00 46,77K Admiral Group 2.743,0 2.745,4 2.727,0 18K
Airtel Africa 113,50 113,60 112,70 89K Anglo American 2.315,0 2.319,5 2.292,5 95,72K Antofagasta 1.913,00 1.924,50 1.903,00 35,57K Ashtead Group 5.716,0 5.724,0 5.690,0 10,85K Associated British Foods 2.351,0 2.354,0 2.333,0 38,81K
11.873,4 11.904,0 11.790,0 65,76K
Trader Group Plc 871,60 872,00 866,80 34,93K Aviva 480,20 481,50 477,50 277,3K B&M European Value Retail SA 408,30 409,00 406,52 117,04K BAE Systems 1.283,00 1.288,51 1.268,50 216,84K
233,45 235,90 232,75 2,33M Barratt Developments 457,60 459,10 457,00 178,74K
Beazley 784,00 786,00 781,00 83,54K Berkeley 4.693,0 4.700,0 4.674,0 2,02K
BP 409,05 409,50 405,35 2,98M British American Tobacco 2.692,0 2.693,0 2.678,0 154,33K BT Group 144,87 145,10 143,30 1,32M
3.532,0 3.546,0 3.496,0 62,37K
123,55 123,70 122,50 1,86M
5.057,5 5.065,0 5.035,0 5,33K
2.557,0
EXTRA
Offer accepted
THE Spanish government gave unconditional authorisation to a takeover bid from Italian company Esseco for Valencia-based chemicals company, Ercros, on October 8. The offer of €3.745 per share, down from an earlier €3.84, gives the company a value of more than €300 million.
Impulse buy
THE Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) has paid an undisclosed sum to buy its latest high-profile British acquisition, a 40 per cent holding in iconic but loss-making Selfridges. The stake was sold by the Austrian property company, Signa Group.
Rio Tinto branches out
RIO TINTO, the London-headquartered British-Australian mining company, announced that it is paying $6.7 billion (€5.47 billion) for Arcadium Lithium.
The transaction will be an all-cash deal of $5.85 (€5.33) per share, a 90 per cent premium on the US company’s closing price of $3.08 (€2.81) on October 4.
According to London Stock Exchange (LSEG) figures, Arcadium Lithium at present has a market value of $4.56 billion (€4.16 bi-
Onto a good thing
SPAIN’S Fund for the Orderly Restructuring of Banks (FROB) has delayed selling its 17.9 per cent Caixabank stake.
This holding has paid a €335 million dividend, FROB’s first since it was created in 2009 to increase the solvency of Spain’s banks during the financial crisis.
By August 2024, the state’s Caixabank holding was worth €7.1 billion, 50 per cent up on January 2024 and 260
per cent above its €1.96 billion value prior to the merger between bailed-out Bankia and Caixabank announced in 2020.
“Analysts recommend that investors either maintain or even raise exposure, and is one of the reasons why FROB has preferred not to undertake sales,” FROB’s president Alvaro Lopez Barcelo explained.
llion), and its shares soared by 30 per cent on October 9.
At the same time, Rio Tinto’s shares dropped by 0.5 per cent on October 9, having lost 5 per cent in the preceding days.
If the deal goes through this would make Rio Tinto, the world’s second-largest mining company, one of the leading suppliers of the lithium needed for electric vehicle (EV) batteries.
The company, which produces more iron ore than any other mining group, now looks to become a processor of the raw materials essential for the energy transition.
Despite Chinese over-production and a slowdown in EV sales, Rio Tinto is betting on the lithium market’s long-term future with an acquisition that gives the company access to deposits, mines and processing facilities in Australia, Canada, the US and Argentina.
Shein boom
THE UK arm of fast-fashion retailer Shein, founded in China, saw sales rise by approximately 40 per cent to £1.5 billion (€1.8) billion in 2023. The company, currently considering a £50 billion (€59.9 billion) London float, doubled its pre-tax profits to £24.4 million (€29.2 million) and paid £5.7 million (€6.8 million) in income tax.
Energy giant
FOR the first time in four years, Iberdrola has overtaken Banco Santander to become the Spanish stock exchange’s most-traded company in daily volume, according to Bloomberg. By October this year, the power company had achieved a daily average of €136.3 million, compared with Santander’s average of €130.8 million, and ahead of BBVA in third place with €115.4 million.
Jakob Stausholm: Chief executive of Rio Tinto mining giant.
I got the timing wrong
LEAPY LEE SAYS IT
OTHERS THINK IT
IN a past life, when this ol’ boy was riding the crest, I would often enjoy showing guests around my brand new Berkshire home.
Many famous folk came to visit in those far o heady ‘60s’ and on one occasion I was entertaining an extremely successful pop group member and his new ancée. He was obviously besotted with his partner, a beautiful, ambitious and well-travelled young lady who, although relatively unknown at the time, in the next few years would become one of biggest stars on the planet.
The pop musician, a lovely lad who hailed from a small town in the north of England, had shot to stardom almost ‘overnight’ and, although quite charming, was not at all street wise and still somewhat naïve in the ways of the world.
During the ‘tour’ I showed them one of the somewhat lavish ensuite bathrooms. Peering around his eyes alighted on the toilet bowl. ‘Ee Leapy’ he exclaimed. ‘What’s all that blue stu in
the water’? How I replied to this innocent and innocuous enquiry is not important. What was important was the look of utter disdain that itted very brie y across the features of his ancée. Witnessing her reaction I realised that their romance was doomed.
Compatibility is at the very core of a loving relationship and although this incident was not of great consequence in itself, it was extremely signi cant if it actually mirrored the rest of their co-existence. Sure enough, a short while later the a air was over.
The lady abandoned her broken hearted ‘stepping stone’ and went on to almost legendary stardom. And you know something, I experienced exactly the same misgiving when, in the early days of their matrimony, I heard Prince Harry enthusiastically inform the head of Walt Disney that his wife could do ‘voice overs.’ Voice overs in the acting profession are about one step up from a ‘walk on’. Although it’s possible to earn a respectable income from this branch of the entertainment industry, participants don’t exactly ever nd themselves on the red carpet! You certainly don’t show your utter naivety, however well meant, by
publicly informing one of the biggest tycoons of the lm industry that your (TV star!) wife does voice overs! I can imagine the grimace of horri ed embarrassment on Meghan’s face from here! To me this conveyed exactly the same message as did the bathroom incident I witnessed all those years ago - incompatibility.
And the end result will be exactly the same. Mark my words, in the not too distant future this self-centred woman will be ready to move on from her ‘royal position’ probably with some lm mogul billionaire in tow. The signs are already beginning to show.
As love’s young dream begins to fade and their incompatibilities begin to tear them apart, this pathetically naïve young man will eventually become so fed up and disillusioned he will either turn to drink, have a nervous breakdown or come running back to the family! I gave it three years. I’m convinced the only thing I got wrong was the timing.
Keep the faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com
City of the Year
BERLIN, the capital of Germany, has been awarded the prestigious title of ‘City of the Year’ at the 2024 Food and Travel Awards held in London. This accolade highlights Berlin’s remarkable cultural and culinary diversity, positioning it among the top cities in Europe.
Burkhard Kieker, CEO of visitBerlin, expressed his excitement: “Being named ‘City of the Year’ by the world-renowned gastronomic publication ‘Food and Travel’ is a great honour. We’re thrilled that the magazine’s readers appreciate Berlin’s vibrant and innovative scene. This recognition proves that culinary experiences are now a key reason for people to visit our city.”
For 25 years, Food and Travel, a bimonthly magazine edited by Gregor Rankin, has earned international acclaim. Each issue o ers readers a new culinary adventure, and once a year, readers cast their votes to choose the top restaurants, chefs, hotels, travel destinations, and more.
A total of 23 categories celebrate excellence across the food, wine, and travel industries.
Berlin’s global recognition continues to grow. Recently, Time Out ranked Berlin alongside New York and Cape Town as one of the top three travel destinations worldwide.
INTERVIEW
Speaking EuropeanFilip Bovin
Arguably, Filip Bovin who moved from Finland to Spain prior to the pandemic should be classed as an early Digital Nomad.
“LIKE many of my compatriots, I moved to Spain with my family because of the weather and the fact that I was looking to move into a friendly, family orientated society.
“When the pandemic hit, it was very worrying as a I had a wife and son to support, so discovered that the only way to do this was to take to the internet and I’m pleased to say it has worked very well.”
Bovin
Credit: Filip
Finnish digital specialist Filip Bovin.
Currently living in Torrox (Axarquia) Filip runs a number of digital companies, the fastest growing being NeduAI and he conducts business throughout the world employing sta as each project requires.
Another of his companies Tutors concentrates on Finnish students and each year he brings a number over to Spain as part of an ongoing Erasmus programme.
Having lived in small Spanish towns he compares the lifestyle to that in Finland and
sees some major di erences.
“In Finland there is far more State support for young people and they are encouraged to leave home and become independent at an early age, whilst in Spain, it certainly isn’t the same and with lower salaries generally, young people often simply can’t a ord to leave home and stay with family into their 30s.
“Both have positives and negatives and sometimes in rural Spain, it seems it’s more who you know than what you know that counts.”
Filip works hard, has joined a number of Spanish and International groups and in what little spare time he has, enjoys climbing and joint gym activities.
He can get by in Spanish, but in part, that is because he is not scared or embarrassed to attempt to communicate even if it’s not always perfect.
Leapy Lee’s opinions are his own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.
• News from Our Other 6 Newspapers •
Costa del Sol Train to Sevilla
IT should have been done by 2021, but now the new direct train line from Malaga to Sevilla will be ready in 2025. The work to connect the two biggest Andalucian cities in just 90 minutes will be up and running soon, according to the minister for transport, Óscar Puente.
Previously, the best option for a train to Sevilla was changing at Cordoba; in 2025, the option of travelling direct will finally become a reality thanks to the new Almodovar viaduct.
Politics, changes in government, economic and sanitary crises - all of which contributed to the failure to complete the so-called Andalucian Transversal Railway Axis, first approved 20 years ago. The plan was to link Huelva and Almeria via all the biggest cities in between. Much of the groundwork has been done and left abandoned or incomplete, but whether that dream will ever become reality is another question. Nonetheless, it has enabled this new, cheaper route to Sevilla to be expedited.
Axarquia
Malaga’s smallest village
FOREIGNERS now account for 18 per cent of the total population of the Costa del Sol, a statistic that is beginning to creep inland too.
Located in the heart of the foothills of La Maroma, the village of Salares is the smallest in the Malaga region in terms of population, with just 192 inhabitants. Among them can be heard the accents of 20 Brits, four Belgians, two Moroccans, a Romanian, and a Dane. The tiny pueblo blanco is in the Alhama natural park.
According to the National Institute of Statistics, 164 members of the community are Spanish by birth, making the other 13 per cent all foreign. But with a drive from the coast that resembles more a circuit that should be on the World Rally Championships tour, what is the attraction of the village?
The winding streets and whitewashed houses that comprise this quaint and remote mountain village seem to have a draw on the foreign community who, seemingly, wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of crowded coastal towns.
Costa Blanca North Cultural explosion!
GET ready for an explosion of colour and culture in l’Alfas del Pi on Sunday October 20. It’s International Day, and representatives from over 90 nationalities are expected to join in the celebrations. Taking place at the House of Culture between 11.00am and 5.00pm, this will be one of the most colourful and liveliest parties of the year.
Originating in 2007, International Day is a pioneering festive and cultural extravaganza of a fiesta. It brings together people from all walks of life as they share and learn about each other’s culture, folklore, and gastronomy, as well as national costume, hence all the colour.
There is a more serious side to the event though as it encourages and celebrates co-existence and diversity, in what is arguably one of the most multi-cultural regions of Spain.
For this reason, although held in l’Alfas del Pi, all of the regional municipalities are invited to be a part of this momentous day.
Costa Blanca South Jet-set jackpot
ALICANTE-ELCHE Miguel Hernández Airport is on track for a record-breaking 2024, with September adding to its success.
The airport registered 1,801,340 passengers in September alone, surpassing previous figures from July and August of last year and marking a 15.3 per cent increase compared to September 2023.
This brings the average number of passengers to an impressive 60,000 daily.
International travellers dominate, with 1,560,979 passengers, a 15.5 per cent increase, while national traffic also rose by 14.1 per cent, registering 239,317 passengers.
More than 85 per cent of the passengers were international, with the UK leading the way with 620,468 travellers, followed by Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.
From January to September, a total of 14,094,464 passengers were processed, a 17 per cent increase from 2023.
Almeria
Wild Wild West
THE 14th year of the Almeria Western Film Festival wrapped up on October 13, solidifying its status as a top event for Western movie lovers in Europe. Held in the famous Tabernas desert, the festival celebrated its winners, with global superstar Viggo Mortensen snagging the award for Best Feature Film for Hasta el Fin del Mundo (Until the End of the World).
The Lord of the Rings actor, who attended the event, was thrilled, thanking the jury for recognising the hard work that went into the film. He dedicated the award to his team, highlighting how well the film has done in Spain and its popularity on platforms like Filming. “The Western genre isn’t dead; it’s got endless stories waiting to be told,” he said enthusiastically.
The closing ceremony also showcased other winners. Lisandro Alonso’s Eureka took home the Jury’s Special Prize for Best Neowestern, while Mireia Vilapuig and C. Thomas Howell won acting awards. The audience favourite was the documentary Sergio Leone: The Italian Who Invented America.
Costa Calida
Aurora show
MURCIA’S night sky turned into a colourful display of auroras borealis recently, thanks to some serious solar activity. This amazing sight was seen all over Spain, from Galicia to the Balearic Islands, and people couldn’t get enough of it!
These stunning lights, which last lit up our skies in May, made a grand comeback, with bright colours dancing across the night. In places like Corvera and the hamlet of Caravaca de la Cruz, Archivel, folks shared their photos online, calling it another ‘historic moment’ for the Region of Murcia.
So, what causes these beautiful lights? They happen when charged particles from the sun meet our atmosphere, lighting up the sky in fantastic ways. Experts say we might still get a chance to see these auroras in the coming nights. If you missed out this time, keep watching - Murcia could shine again!
To catch the auroras borealis at their best, head to open areas away from lights for a clearer view.
PETS
Loss of hearing
SIGNS that your dog may be going deaf include not responding to their name, ignoring familiar sounds, or being startled easily when approached. According to veterinarians, dogs that no longer follow commands they once knew may be experiencing hearing loss. Increased barking can also indicate a loss of awareness.
To diagnose hearing loss, a vet will first rule out other conditions like ear infections, wax buildup, or injuries. They may use tools like an otoscope to examine the ear canal and conduct sound tests to check for reactions. In some cases, a brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER) test is used to measure hearing levels more precisely.
Record-breaking kitty
Helping a dog with hearing loss involves using hand signals or visual cues to communicate. Maintaining a calm environment, approaching from the front to avoid startling them, and providing consistent routines will help them feel secure as they adjust to their new reality. Positive reinforcement is key to keeping them calm and confident.
THE world’s smallest cat, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, is a male named Tinker Toy, a Himalayan-Persian mix from the United States. Measuring only seven inches (18 cm) long and standing just 2.75 inches (7 cm) tall at the shoulder, Tinker Toy held the record for being the tiniest adult cat. He was born on December 25, 1990 and died in November 1997 and weighed just one pound eight ounces (680 grams) at full maturity.
Tinker Toy’s small size was the result
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of selective breeding, and while many were amazed by his petite stature, he lived a full and healthy life despite his diminutive frame. His size made him a global sensation, appearing in various media outlets and fascinating animal lovers worldwide.
While Tinker Toy holds the title, smaller cats can occur naturally in other breeds like Singapura cats, but his record-breaking measurements remain unmatched, making him a unique feline in history.
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MOTORING
Highest valued?
BARCA star Lamine Yamal could now be on his way to being the highest valued football player in the world ever.
A string of top performances at the Euros in the red shirt contributed to Spain’s victories over Germany and England; his participation in the 2024/2025 season taking Barcelona to a three-point lead over perpetual rivals Real Madrid on the run up to the Clásico is all making his value surge.
According to the German site Transfermarkt, they have estimated Yamal’s worth at a staggering €150 million, up from €80 million back in May.
The new valuation puts him ahead of fellow La Roja player Rodri, currently calculated to cost €130 million, making the young teenager the most expensive player in Spain today.
However, it is possible that even Transfermarkt’s expert valuation is still a lowball considering that Barcelona is said to have already received a bid for the player worth €218 million, an offer outright rejected by club president Joan Laporta.
At just 17, Lamine Yamal ‘seems to be redefining the boundaries of what is possible and continues to develop
Andres Iniesta retires
Lamine Yamal celebrating.
at an unstoppable speed’, so says Tobias Blaseio of Transfermarkt. ‘It is impossible to imagine the Spanish national team and FC Barcelona without him’.
The question now is: will Lamine Yamal trump Neymar’s record €222 million transfer from Barca to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017? Given his age and career ahead of him, he’s one to watch.
ONE of the greatest midfielders to have ever lived has announced his retirement. A quiet, unassuming magician, with a natural connection with the
In a charged press conference in Barcelona, the 40-yearold legend, visibly holding back tears, broke the news we all knew would come eventually but never wanted to hear. “I never thought this day would come,” Iniesta confessed, his voice cracking. “I never imagined it.”
In an interview with ESPN, his friend and former team-mate Luis Garcia - who played for Barcelona in 1998, and then again in 2003-2004 - des-
cribed the difficulties that “quiet, down to earth” Iniesta faced when he first moved from his native Albacete to play for Barcelona as a young new member of La Masia. He reflected on how far Iniesta had come in his career, from his early struggles
nours including nine La Liga and four Champions League titles. From his early days in La Masia to dominating world football with Barça and Spain, Iniesta’s career reads like a football film. With an incredible nine La Liga titles, four Champions League tro-
‘Simply lovely’ trademark
MAX VERSTAPPEN has legally applied to trademark the catchphrase ‘simply lovely’ and fans are wondering what the real reason for this could be. Verstappen’s ‘frenemy’ on and off the track, Lando Norris, used the expression earlier in the season after beating Verstappen by 22 seconds in the Dutch Grand Prix back in August. Verstappen is well-known for using the catchphrase and Norris stated he wasn’t having a
radio ‘simply, simply lovely’ to which race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase replied, ‘oh, simply mate.’ From then on, the expression became synonymous with Verstappen. Verstappen has won another 58 Grand Prix since then and is often heard using the expression over his radio.
The European Union Intellectual Property Network confirmed Verstappen made the application in May this year and he will be told if the application has been successful or not in November. It is rumoured Verstappen wants to trademark ‘simply lovely’ to be used on his merchandise, specifically a new clothing range.
The three-time world champion is said to be seeking the use of the phrase on a range of garments including clothing, footwear, headgear and more. Things are looking simply lovely for Max Verstappen at the moment.
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