Axarquia 9 – 15 November 2023 Issue 2001 by Euro Weekly News Media S.A.

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ILMAINEN

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WATER RATIONING

JESÚS MARÍA CLAROS, VelezMalaga’s councillor for Water, reported on Fri day, November 3, that the water cutoff hours had been increased in the mu nicipality. Accompanied by Juan García, the councillor for Social Services, and Javier Portero, the manager of Aqualia, Claros explained that the drought situation continues to be ‘extreme’, making these new cuts necessary. A statement from the town council clarified: ‘Cur rently, the supply from the Viñuela reservoir has been reduced to 30 litres per second, which the Trapiche ETAP is receiving’. “This means that the en tire contribution of the reservoir is to supply the towns of the Benamargosa Valley”, he pointed out. As a result: “We barely get anything,” Claros added. What is the current flow of water to VelezMalaga?

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Support local shops

BILLBOARD: Promoting the initiative in Almuñecar.

WATER CUTS: The town council made the announcement to extend the cut-off hours.

Water for VelezMalaga comes from the Viñuela reservoir, Guadalhorce (the EMASA system) and two of the emergency wells of the Chíllar River. “These reductions mean that our municipality now only has 182.8 l/s for the month of November,

which has caused us to have to extend the supply cutoff hours,” the council lor insisted. Claros conveyed the im perative need for residents to save water at home. “We must be the first savers, be cause this way we could shorten the restrictions.”

He indicated: “The data is very clear: in the month of October we only man aged to save 8 per cent compared to October 2022, which is not enough with respect to the objec tive of 20 per cent set by the government of Andalu cia.”

Credit: Twitter @Ayto_Nerja

Nerja’s new health centre THE Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs has received a total of seven offers for the construc tion of the new health centre in Nerja. As reported in a state ment from Nerja Town Hall on Wednesday, November 1, the project was put out to tender last September for an amount of €9,460,549.29 (inc VAT) and the deadline expired on October 24. A maximum period of 20 months will be allowed for the eventual construction of the new health facility by the company that wins the tender.

GRATUITO

Credit: Ayuntamiento de Almuñécar.

• Issue No. 2001 • 9 - 15 November 2023

Credit: X@AytoVLZ

Axarquia

PROPOSED CENTRE: To include common & service facilities.

Nerja’s new medical centre will occupy a total constructed area of 4,520 m². It will consist of three floors above ground plus a basement and will have

26 standard consulting rooms. There will also be com mon and service facilities. These include rooms for administration and recep

tion, a public service of fice, a material store, a pharmacy store, a com munications and electri cal installations room, toi lets, cleaning offices and waste utility rooms, a staff lounge, dormitories and changing rooms with showers.

A N E W promotional campaign aimed at en couraging residents and visitors to Almuñecar to buy in local shops was presented on Monday, November 6. It was revealed under the slogan: ‘Commerce brings life to your town. Buy in Almuñecar’s shops’, Lucía González, the head of Almuñecar Town Council’s Depart ment of Commerce, to gether with Remedios Rico, the president of the Sexitano Associa tion of Commerce (ACOS). “On this occasion, with the collaboration of ACOS, we have in stalled two large bill

boards at the main en trances to the town cen tre with the slogan ‘Commerce brings life to your town. Buy in Al muñecar’s shops’,” ex plained Lucía González. She added: “This is an initiative that, given the location and the mes sage, we hope will have a long run given the lo cation and the visual im pact of all those who ac cess the centre.” Campaign billboards are located at the roundabouts leading to the P4 area, from the N340 with another one located at the main ac cess from the aforemen tioned road to the cen tre via Avenida Fenicia.

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Lack of beach breakwaters

Credit: motril.es

PLAYA GRANADA: The councillors visited the area to view the recent damage.

THE condition of Motril’s beaches has been denounced by the municipality’s mayor, Luisa García Chamorro. Accompanied by José Peña, the councillor for Beaches, and Daniel Ortega, the councillor for Sports, Chamorro visited Playa Granada to view the damage caused by the recent storms in the Axarquia region. “Despite the efforts of Motril Council and the Andalucian Government to invest in infrastructure and

support sun and beach tourism, the lack of a defence project for our coast, such as the breakwater, is causing very serious and constant problems,” the mayor insisted. Alluding to planned investment of almost €1.8 million for the municipality’s beaches through the Sustainable Tourism Plan subsidy, she said: “There is no point in making an investment effort in our beaches if this important defence work is not finally carried out.”

Appealing to the central government, the mayor lamented: “We understand that the acting president is now busy with other issues unrelated to the real problems of citizens. “We have already contacted those responsible for coasts in the province of Granada, to study the provisional solution that can be given to this situation.” Peña asked Pedro Sánchez directly to: “stop turning his back on all the Motrileños and Motrileñas.”

LOCAL NEWS

New Red Cross services THE Red Cross in Velez-Malaga has recently updated the range of services and activities that it offers, which now includes: • Transport to help people to attend appointments • Accompanying people at appointments • The loan of aids such as crutches, walking frames, wheelchairs etc • An ‘SOS’ personal alarm system with call centre • Loneliness - support and advice/information for people

experiencing loneliness • ‘Signposting’ ie advising people what other organisations may be able to help them In addition, the organisation has trained a number of volunteers to help people to develop and write down their wishes for their future care in the event that they are too ill to speak for themselves. This is sometimes called an Advanced Care Plan or Living Will (Voluntad Vital Anticipada or VVA in Spain).

For more details about any of the services available, please email: 29094social@ cruzroja.es Finally, if you would like to contribute to the work of the Red Cross, please consider becoming a regular donor as even a few euros per month can make a difference to the lives of disadvantaged people. You can do this by telephone or via the website below: Tel: 902 222 292 https://www2.cruzroja.es/ alta-socio-web

A celebration of Roman food and wine ON Tuesday, November 14, starting at 6pm, the Arts Society of Nerja presents a lecture titled ‘The Last Supper in Pompeii’, celebrating the Roman love affair with food and wine. Paul Roberts, the Research Keeper in the De partment of Antiquities at the Ashmolean Mu seum of Art and Archaeology at Oxford Univer sity will be the guest speaker. The event is sponsored by Dr Rik Heymans. Attendees will be taken on a journey from fields and vineyards to markets and shops, from tables to toilets and the tomb. There will be a visit to the fertile vinefilled slopes of Vesu

vius, before going into the bustling city, past shops and bars, entering the home with its grand reception rooms, and lovely gardens filled with flowers and fountains. Finally, there will be a look at how Roman ideas and customs on food caught on in Roman Britain. Along with the Roman gods of fertility and wine come ex otic imports like pepper, figs and the finest fish sauce. Full information on this and other forthcoming events can be found on the Arts Society of Ner ja's official Facebook page, or visit the website: https://www.theartssocietynerja.com/index.php

STORIES IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION

NIBS EXTRA Noise campaign VELEZ-MALAGA Local Po lice will carry out a campaign during the month of Novem ber to control the emission of noise above the estab lished limits by motorcycles and mopeds in the munici pal area.

Sanitation work BURRIANA Town Council commenced sanitation work in the Municipal Market on Thursday, November 2. A team of workmen started cleaning and disinfecting the floor, the façade, the over hang lanterns, the windows, the bathrooms and the rail ings, among other areas.

Flag awarded THE Arenal de Burriana beach has again been awarded the ECOPLAYAS 2024 Flag, with the ‘C’ certifi cation also renewed. The flag recognises and distinguishes the beaches that stand out for their environmental qual ity policy, sustainability, and adaptability to people with functional diversity.

Wall vandalised AN act of vandalism was car ried out on Wednesday, November 1, when graffiti appeared on a wall next to the Felipe II Fountain in VélezMálaga. The town council said the relevant au thorities were already inves tigating the incident.

Square works REMODELLING works of the Tenería square in the centre of Motril have reach ed 20 per cent of their execu tion. Since September, more than €500,000 have been added to the budget for the refurbishment work.

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Rio Seco bridge repairs ALMOST €50,000 will be spent by Almuñecar Council on the repair and corrective measures to the Seco River bridge on Avenida Costa del Sol. As explained in a state ment on Friday, November 3, on the council’s website, the purpose of this work on the bridge is to prepare it for the near future. A roundabout is planned in the area to decongest ac cess to Calle Guadix from the aforementioned Aveni da Costa del Sol. Francisco Rodríguez, the councillor of Maintenance and Works reported that ur gent and structural repairs were being carried out to

REMEMBRANCE DAY: A solemn occasion.

INSPECTION: Almuñecar councillor Francisco Rodríguez visited the Seco River bridge.

two of the bridge’s rein forcement beams and an original deck beam that have been affected by corro sion. Rodriguez visited the work led by the Municipal Engineer where he observed

the work. This involves the reinforcement, repair, and cleaning of the reinforce ments in order to apply mortar and concrete. The municipal investment in this work is expected to be com pleted in the next few days.

Nerja’s new Municipal library THE Local Government Board has approved the construction of Nerja’s new Municipal li brary. It will now go out to tender for a base bud get of €1,349,603.80. Cofinanced by the Provincial Council and Nerja Town Council, it will be located on Calle Iglesia No 1. In a statement released on Tuesday, October 31, the town hall said that the project will now be published on the Public Sector Contracting Platform. Interested parties will be able to submit of

fers and must respond within a period of 20 days from its publication. The execution period allowed for the final works will be 12 months. The Municipal Library will be a large public facility with an area of more than 800 m² dis tributed over three floors and two basements. There will also be a terrace with sea views. José Alberto Armijo, the mayor of Nerja, in dicated that the new library: “will be a firstrate cultural building, with modern facilities and an unbeatable location, which will become a ref erence throughout the province.”

Ronda and Malaga Wine Tour THE Ronda and Malaga Wine Tour is a wine tourism itinerary that invites visitors to explore the wine culture in Malaga Province. It includes four winegrowing regions the Serrania de Ronda, the Axarquia, Manilva and the Northern Area where out standing DO wines are made. Nine towns with strong ties to the winemaking industry feature on the tour. These are Almachar, Arriate, Competa, El Borge, Manilva, Moclinejo, Mollina, Ronda and Sayalon ga. Between them they boast many different tourist attrac tions that include historical landmarks, monuments, cus toms and traditions. Many of them are obviously associat ed with harvest and wine. They often offer traditional dishes to pair with the wines,

Image: Finestrat Ayuntamiento / Facebook

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Credit: almuñécar.es

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great accommodation choic es, active travel, and natural areas to enjoy wonderful landscapes and engage in country activities.

Competa’s magnificent Nuestra Señora de la Asun ción church is also often known as the Axarquia Cathe dral.

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Armistice Day ON November 11 every year, Armistice Day is commemo rated in memory of the end of the First World War. Also known as Remem brance Day, it is a solemn occa sion celebrated in many coun tries around the world to honour the historic signing of the armistice agreement be tween the Allies and their last remaining enemy, Germany. In the Commonwealth it is more commonly known as Re membrance Day, while in the United States, it is called Veter an’s Day. When was the armistice signed? It was officially signed by the Allied Supreme Commander, French Marshal Ferdinand Foch, at 5.45am on November 11, 1918, at Le Francport near Compiègne in northern France. The armistice came into force at 11am Central Euro pean Time (CET), on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. It represented a commitment to cease fighting between both sides and brought an end to hostilities that had been going on since 1914 on land, sea, and air. How did WWI start? Increasing diplomatic ten sion between the European powers reached breaking point on June 28, 1914, when Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb, assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Aus troHungarian throne. As a result, AustriaHungary held Serbia responsible, and declared war on July 28 of the same year. Russia quickly came to the defence of Serbia which dragged Germany, France, and Britain into the conflict by August 4. In Novem ber that year, the Ottoman Empire also joined in. Honouring Veterans on Armistice Day

Armistice Day serves as a poignant reminder of the sacri fices made by countless indi viduals during the First World War and to all military person nel who have sacrificed their lives for their countries in sub sequent conflicts. The traditional British, Cana dian, South African, and AN ZAC commemoration is for a minute’s silence to be held on the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month. Observances typically in clude ceremonies at war memorials, military parades, and the laying of wreaths to honour the fallen. In Great Britain, the National Service of Remembrance is always held on the nearest Sunday to November 11 at the Cenotaph on Whitehall in London. This year, it will take place on Sun day 12. Starting at 11am, the service will commemorate the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and wom en involved in the two world wars and later conflicts. Why are poppies recognised as a symbol of remembrance? Inspired by the famous war poem ‘In Flanders Fields’, writ ten by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, red poppies are often worn as a symbol of remem brance. After seeing poppies grow ing in the battlescarred fields of Ypres in Belgium, the Cana dian doctor composed the now famous poem in the spring of 1915, shortly after losing a friend. As described on the Royal British Legion’s website, red poppies are a show of support for the Armed Forces commu nity, those currently serving, and exserving personnel and their families. They also serve as a symbol of remembrance for all those who have fallen in conflict.

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The place to enjoy it all

THE mayor of Torrox, Óscar Medina, attended the World Travel Market (WTM) in Lon don on Monday, November 6. Posting on the town hall’s official Facebook page Medi na stated that he wanted to: ‘Lead tourism in eastern An dalucia’. He explained that one of the main objectives of the municipality’s presence at the

Jan 1, 1985 First mobile call in UK made by Ernie Wise to Vodafone.

WTM was to continue ad vancing the project of having a large mediumterm marina similar to that of Puerto Banús in Marbella. It would be: “Environmen tally sustainable to achieve tourism of even more quality and high power procurement, which will have a very positive impact on the local, provincial and all of the Andalucian economy,” the mayor contin ued. Medina presented a com memorative gift to Moreno and Francisco Salado the Costa del Sol’s Tourism Minis ter in acknowledgement of

the municipality’s presence in the WTM. It bore the inscrip tion ‘Torrox, The Best Climate in Europe’. Torrox Council attended this event under the slogan ‘The place where you can en joy it all’. According to the mayor: “We present history, culture, heritage, folklore, gas tronomy, events, sports, sun and beaches, in line with the Board’s promotional cam paign ‘Andalucian crush’. “Torrox offers experience, sensations and emotions in a municipality that has it all, with a large and varied offer ing to tourists,” he added.

PROVERB OF THE WEEK

“Great Scott!” Famous quote from Back to the Future which was made in 1985. While it's unclear exactly why director Zemeckis and writer Bob Gale went with ‘Great Scott!’ for Doc Brown's trademark phrase, it was born out of a belief that the character should have one.

LOCAL NEWS

Safer seas JESÚS PÉREZ ATENCIA, VelezMalaga’s councillor for Beaches, took stock of new surveillance and lifeguarding equipment on Thursday, November 2. Atencia said: “We called this press confer ence from the Beach Department to inform about two important aspects that are of in terest to residents and that show the work we have been doing in the Department of Beaches. “Firstly, we want to look at the high season in terms of beaches, surveillance and life guards. It was a year of excellent numbers in terms of visits that had an important re sponse from those responsible for ensuring the safety of everyone,” he continued. According to Atencia: “Among the most notable data is to report that during these months, a total of four rescues of bathers were carried out. On a general level, first re sponders took part in 676 actions with 97 ambulance transfers to the hospital. “Our boats acted 164 times, in addition to

Credit: Twitter@AytoVLZ

Jesús Pérez Atencia with new surveillance and lifesaving equipment.

being part of the security operation in mat ters of rescue and first aid in the processions of the Virgen del Carmen, regattas, sports events, and the aerial festival,” he added. On the topic of assisted bathing for people with reduced mobility, he highlighted that: “Almost 500 people who requested this ser vice have been assisted. “Regarding the number of nursing ser vices, almost 400 were carried out in the aid stations of Torre del Mar and Benajarafe,” Atencia concluded.

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Cultural activities EVENTS will include dance shows, concerts, theatre, exhibitions and confer ences. One of the outstand ing proposals is called ‘X Days of Archaeology’. “It is an activity of scien tific dissemination of the ar chaeological cultural her itage of the millenary Sexi, which will be held from November 15 to 17 in the Casa de la Cultura,” ex plained Alberto García Gi labert, the councillor of Cul ture and Education. “This year, it will be dedi cated to the ‘Archaeology of water’, which aims to show how each culture that has left its mark in Al muñecar had a different way of managing water,” he detailed. Musical concerts include a guitar performance by Juventudes Musicales in the Cueva Siete Palacios museum. The final concert, on November 26, will feature

Credit: almunecar.es

NOVEMBER EVENTS: Alberto García Gilabert presenting Almuñecar’s cultural agenda.

the Almuñecar Municipal Music Band paying homage to Santa Cecilia. The Gómez Muñoz fami ly, led by María ‘La Canastera’ and Antonio ‘El Turry’, will perform the ‘Flamenco para todos’ (Fla menco for all) Festival on Saturday November 18. It will be held in El Majue lo Park, on the occasion of ‘Día del Flamenco’ (Flamen co Day). Several flamenco

schools will participate and KiKe Morente will close what promises to be a spe cial day. On Friday 10 the theatrical group Loors will perform the play ‘Fear’. Lectures and book pre sentations are also includ ed in November’s cultural proposal. Two exhibitions will staged in the Casa de Cultura. One is about the Guardia Civil and the other on Magellan and El Cano.

LOCAL NEWS

Art and Craft Ruta THE monthly Art & Craft Ruta in the pueblo blanco of Com peta offers you and your friends a fantastic day out. On Wednesday, November 15, Art & Craft Ruta invites you into their artists’ studios, craft shops, and an art gallery. It takes place from 10.30am 2pm, and from 3.30pm 6pm. This time, the artists and crafts people will be working, so take this opportunity to see a bit of the creative process and to have the chance to meet the artists. Jo Dennison, Lieuwke Loth, ReCircle Deco Art, C&H Collec tive, Little Home Deco, Sandra Costello, Nina Ludgate, Caco, Rossana Ragusa, will take part among others. The next Ruta will be held on Wednesday, December 13. Leaflets can be picked up at the venues & Galeria Luz de la Vida in Competa or from Luikatcuero leathershop locat ed in Plaza Almijara. More information on Insta gram: artcraftrutacompeta or on Facebook: Artcompeta.

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Keeping up to date Bicycle Credit: Almuñécar - La Herradura Ayuntamiento on Facebook

lane

NEW CHANNEL: Introduced by the town mayor.

A WHATSAPP channel recently launched by Almuñecar Town Hall was described by Juan José Ruiz Joya as: “A direct information service to expand and improve com munication from the town hall with our residents. “It is a direct channel from the town hall to inform residents of everything concerning the daytoday mu nicipal management and information of interest that is generated about what we are doing and what we do can improve its quality of life,” the mayor continued. This new Whatsapp channel is: “One more way to make sure residents are informed about what their municipal government is doing for them and how to access services, participate in events and learn of the great things happening in our municipality,” he con cluded.

SINCE the bike lane was opened on the Camí d’Onda several years ago, following several traffic accidents, Burriana Town Hall received multi ple complaints from resi dents. As a result, on Tues day, November 2, work men from the Depart ment of Public Works removed the lines high lighting the bike lane. In a statement, Burrina Town Hall pointed out that the lines were not approved for this purpose. They explained that that was further proof of the new municipal policy and the change of gov ernment that is being im plemented in Burriana. It is based on paying closer attention to citi zens in order to solve the real problems of the mu nicipality’s residents, the press release added.

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No to wheeled luggage John Ensor TOURISTS going to one of Europe’s most popular des tinations may fall foul of its new rules as it has an nounced the end of the road for wheeled luggage. In a move that echoes through the cobbled streets of Dubrovnik, the historic city has drawn a line in the sand. As of last month, the clat ter of wheeled suitcases will no longer reverberate through the UNESCO World Heritage site of the old town. This landmark deci sion was brought in amidst a growing outcry from locals,

who complained that the rumble of rolling luggage was an unbearable intrusion on their peaceful existence. Wheeled suitcases, once hailed as a travel revolution, have fallen out of favour in this corner of Croatia. Dubrovnik, known as ‘the Dalmatian Athens’, has tak en decisive steps to preserve its tranquillity. While the city council have not imposed an out right ban, the ruling does mean that tourists must now carry their luggage or make use of the newly of fered porter services provid

ed by hotels. Additional regulations complementing the suitcase ban include a prohibition on shirtless wandering within the old town and climbing onto monuments. These rules form part of a broader initiative to main tain a sense of decorum and ensure the residents’ peace is not disturbed. It appears that Dubrovnik is at the forefront of a sustainable tourism model, it remains to be seen whether other Euro pean destinations adopt the same residentfriendly pro tocol.

Halt in Hamburg Anna Ellis CONSTRUCTION of one of Germany’s tallest buildings, the 64storey Elbtower skyscraper in Hamburg, has come to an abrupt halt as the developer, Signa, al legedly failed to make payments to its builder, Lupp. Signa, owned by billionaire Austrian businessman Rene Benko and a coown er of New York’s Chrysler Building, had been progressing steadily with the pro ject. According to Matthias Kaufmann, overseeing Lupp’s finances, the construc tion activities at Elbtower were suspend ed due to outstanding payments from Signa.

from Year 1985 THE Rainbow Warrior was a Greenpeace ship that was sunk by French intelli gence officers in July 1985. The ship was on a mission to protest French nuclear testing in the South Pacific and was anchored in Auckland, New Zealand when the attack occurred. One crew member, Fer nando Pereira, was killed in the bombing. The sinking of the Rain bow Warrior triggered an international outcry and strained diplomatic rela tions between New Zealand and France. The two French officers re sponsible for the attack were tried and sentenced

The interruption raises uncertainty re garding the future of the Elbtower, which was estimated to have a value of €1.3bn upon completion. This development is indicative of the challenges facing the property sector in Europe’s largest economy. For years, the real estate sector was a significant contributor to Germany’s economy, accounting for approximately onefifth of output and one in 10 jobs. However, a sharp increase in interest rates and construction costs has disrupt ed the sector, pushing developers into insolvency as bank financing becomes scarcer, property deals freeze, and prices decline. Elbtower is situated in Ham burg’s Hafen City district.

Rainbow Warrior to 10 years in prison, but they served only a short time before being trans ferred to France. The French government also formally apologised and paid compensation to the victims. The sinking of the Rain bow Warrior had a pro found impact on the envi ronmental movement. Greenpeace, far from be ing deterred by the inci dent, redoubled its ef forts, and the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior re mains a symbol of the or ganisation’s unwavering commitment to environ mental protection. The original Rainbow

Warrior was refloated for forensic examination, but it was deemed irreparable and scuttled in Matauri Bay, New Zealand in 1987. Greenpeace acquired a new ship and named it Rainbow Warrior II. Today, Rainbow Warrior III continues to carry on the legacy of the original ship, working tirelessly to advocate for a greener and more peaceful future.

June 1985 The Schengen area began with only five countries.

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Undercover cop in his underwear

from Year 1985

The Iron Lady Image: David Fowler / Shutterstock.com

IT’S a story that Minister under unfolds over Edward Heath. nearly three In 1985, a deci decades, a tale sion was made of a notable by the Central alumna and the University who renowned Ox voted to deny ford University. her an honorary Nearly 30 degree. years after Ox This decision ford University came in stark dons rebuffed protest against the idea of be her policies, stowing an hon MARGARET THATCHER: No honorary degree. which included orary degree up substantial cuts on the Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher, in education funding. after her death a shift in sentiment In doing so, they made her the first emerged from the heart of the academ Oxfordeducated Prime Minister since ic institution. World War II to be refused this presti As a young Margaret Roberts, she gious honour. walked out of Somerville College’s halls The 1985 decision wasn’t taken light in 1947, clutching a secondclass hon ly. ours degree in chemistry. Academics gathered and voted, with However, the relationship between 738 against and 319 in favour of confer Margaret Thatcher and her former col ring the degree, a direct response to the lege underwent a dramatic transforma passionate advocacy of students who tion during her tenure as the Education presented a 5,000signature petition.

A SACKED Italian policeman who became an international laughing stock for clocking in to work in his Yfronts has won his job back. And not only will he return to work he has been awarded compensation of €250,000. The storm over the socalled ‘furbetti del cartellino’, the al legedly cheating employees of the Municipality of Sanremo, broke out on October 22, 2015 when the Guardia di Finanza (Italy’s Finance Police) arrested 43 council employees, of which, nine were imprisoned and 34 were placed under house arrest. The suspects, some of whom were caught redhanded, were clocking in at the office but instead going about other business: shop ping, meeting with friends, and even kayaking. Although they faced sentences of up to one year in prison the Court of Ap peal decided that too much time had passed between the arrests and conviction and or dered their reinstatement with the payment of back wages and compensation. The last to win his appeal

was the man who had become the unwitting star of the opera tion, policeman Alberto Muraglia, caught by cameras punching his time card in his underwear. His reinstatement brings to a close the investiga tion, which eight years ago caused a media sensation in

Italy. Muraglia has always maintained his innocence of any offence. “I happened to get off duty, arrive home and remember that I had not punched in. To avoid dressing, I went to swipe my badge even in my pyjamas,” he told the magistrate.

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Working with the community since 1985 LAST week’s edition of Euro Weekly News was number 2,000 which was a major milestone in the history of the paper which was first published as The Entertainer on July 11 1985. Throughout this edition, we will be featuring several stories from 35 years ago just to give a taste of what was happening, some items tragic, some nostalgic, some important and some which are just amusing. We are known as the People’s Pa per and above all else, we are com mitted to communicate, educate and entertain our much respected readership and provide an outlet for our advertisers, old and new. Keeping in contact with the com munity across all of the areas where the newspaper is issued is really im portant and we issue the newspa pers 52 weeks in the year regardless of national holidays, economic downturns and of course the pan demic. How things have changed in 35 years and one of the most obvi ous has been the fact that many of the team now work remotely, something which really gathered momentum because of the lock down and the need to keep the pa pers running which of course also led to the extension of our website so you can read the papers online. This event can’t be allowed to pass without mentioning our longest serving team member Linda Hall Gonzalez who has been writing for

• Mary Casnello Look forward to every Thursday! • The Canary News Superb. Congratulations! An Epic Achievement! • Edward Timon Magnificent! No small task at all. Well done all round, really some thing to be very proud of.

Celebrating the 2000th edition.

the papers for more than 30 years and whose continued involvement we value greatly. To celebrate the 2,000th edition, those of us who work out of our Head Office sat together and toasted our achievement with an old fash ioned slice of celebratory cake be fore adjourning to a local Spanish restaurant where we enjoyed typical first class Spanish hospitality. We had one incredible surprise when unbeknown to the directors of the company, much valued advertis er José of Club del Sol tennis, padel and squash club created a brand new advert for his regular Costa del Sol front page piece which stated; Congratulations on your 2000th is sue of Euro Weekly News The success of our business is be cause we have been advertising with you for over 20 years, every week.

Navigating forward with Edition 2001 Dear Readers, As we unveil Edition 2001, we, Michel and Steven Euesden, publishers of Euro Weekly News, reflect on our remarkable journey and the essence of our mission, now encapsulated in this signifi cant number. Over three decades ago, our mission was born: to help nonindigenous individuals seamlessly integrate into Spain’s diverse com munities. We aimed to bridge cultural and lin guistic gaps, a purpose that still guides us to day. At our core, we’re committed to raising aware ness for the needy and vulnerable within our com munity. We believe in the power of storytelling to illu minate hidden issues, amplifying the invaluable work of local charities, championing noble causes, and sharing narra tives of resilience. In a world often marred by negativity, we remain resolute as a beacon of hope. Amidst the chaos, we firmly believe there’s an abundance of hope, inspiration, and positivity. Euro Weekly News is your sanctuary,

where stories warm your heart, celebrate your community, and rediscover innate goodness. Our mission transcends information; it seeks to empower you. We equip you with insights to thrive in your chosen homeland, navigate Span ish culture, and participate actively in local communities. As we present Edition 2001, we are pro foundly grateful for your trust. Your reader ship drives our enduring commitment to ex cellence. Our resolve remains unwavering, our mission resolute, and our dedication to serving you, our cherished readers, stronger than ever. Thank you for being part of the Euro Weekly News family. Together, we will illuminate the path, of fer hope, and celebrate the remarkable stories that enrich our community, our lives, and our world. With sincere thanks and a commitment to the future,

Michel and Steven Euesden Publishers Euroweekly News

• Joy Finnell King Congratulations !!!!!!!! • Linda Miller I love having my EWN through e mail. • Vivien Sutcliffe Euro Weekly Newspaper Thank you. For me the community spirit and information has been in spired. I retired to Southern Spain in 2001. Onwards and upwards Team EWN. • Jan Leaver Congratulations! x • Christine Climent Congratulations to you all, here’s to many more years EURO WEEK LY NEWS • Mary Kavanagh Kirby Love EWN. Feel something is miss ing if I don’t get my copy. It’s a mine of information. Long may it continue. Thanks. • IrishArtist Michael Thanks so much for sharing this! Yes, your weekly newspaper is a great resource for all of us on the coast and long may it continue! • Chris McGovern It’s a fabulous weekly paper, thank you so much. I’m amazed by the quality and information that is in it. • Lois Bennett Always pick up a copy & look on line • Stephen Tiley Congratulations loved reading it and still catch up online. Great pa per.

FINANCE Bargain price AURELIUS GROUP, which has offices in five European coun tries, is reportedly negotiating the purchase of the Body Shop from owners, the Brazilian com pany Natura & Co. If the deal goes through Aurelius would pay less than the £400 to £500 million (€459.9 to €574.6 mil lion) quoted in some media re ports, Reuters said.

Tower power VIRGIN MEDIA O2 (VMO2), the TelefonicaLiberty Global joint venture, is selling a 16.67 per cent minority holding in their mobile tower company, Cornerstone (CTIL), to GLIL Infrastructure. The telecoms company, which will re ceive approximately £360 million (€413 million), will maintain a 33.3 per cent stake in CTIL.

TSB stars THE TSB bank refunded 94 per cent of customers’ claims for au thorised push payment fraud last year, compared with Monzo’s 6 per cent, the Payments System Regulator revealed. Banks should return customers’ losses unless they suspect negligence, with stricter rules planned for next year to balance inconsisten cies in refund policies.

Taking a toll SPANISH infrastructure multina tional Ferrovial’s income in creased to €6.2 billion in the first nine months of the year, 12 per cent up on 2022. Its construction division grew by 8.5 per cent, but motorway concessions were responsible for the great est increase of 41.1 per cent, bringing a €700 million gross op erating profit.

Cost-cutting ONLINE derivatives trading plat form, IG Group, is planning hun dreds of redundancies as it reor ganises operations with a 10 per cent reduction in its global workforce, the company an nounced. By eliminating 300 jobs plus introducing additional measures, the company expects to make annual savings of £50 million (€57.5 million).

euroweeklynews.com • 9 - 15 November 2023

STAT OF WEEK

€20 billion

in profits during 2023’s first nine months for Spanish banks whose shares are quoted on the Bolsa (Stock Exchange), 24 per cent more than during this period last year.

Off the Grey List GIBRALTAR is close to re moval from the Grey List. Countries on the Grey List are those which the Finan cial Action Task Force (FATF) considers fail to prevent ille gal activities that threaten the integrity of the interna tional financial system. T Raja Kumar, the FATF president, confirmed that Gibraltar had satisfied its ac tion plan and, subject to an onsite inspection, would be removed from the Grey List at FATF’s next Plenary ses sion in February 2024. An onsite inspection is the final step prior to removal from the list. The news would be widely welcomed by the

Photo credit: Nigel Feetham X

BUSINESS EXTRA

NIGEL FEETHAM: Gibraltar’s Justice, Trade and Industry minister in Paris.

community and was further evidence of the measures that Gibraltar has taken to meet FATF standards, gov ernment sources said. “Everyone in Gibraltar will be delighted by this news and warmly welcome this highly positive out

VODAFONE is bidding farewell to its Spanish subsidiary after more than a quarter of a century. The UKbased communications in vestment firm Zegona will pay €4.1 bil lion in cash assets for Vodafone España, together with up to €900 million in Zeg ona preference shares that will be re deemable within six years of finalising the deal. Zegona announced on October 31 that it had entered into ‘committed debt financing of €4.2 billion and a com mitted revolving credit facility of €0.5 bil lion and an equity placing of up to €600 million’. Eamonn O’Hare, Zegona’s Chairman

come,” commented Justice, Trade and Industry minister Nigel Feetham, as he ad dressed a FATF plenary meeting in Paris on October 27. “I wish to thank all of those authorities who have worked tirelessly in this pro

cess and continue to sup port us in our work to ad dress these action points and remove Gibraltar from the Grey List at the earliest possible opportunity,” the minister said. “We now look forward to welcoming the inspectors for the onsite visit in the coming months and the subsequent confirmation by FATF of Gibraltar’s re moval from the Grey List in February 2024. “We have totally com mitted to this process and look forward to continuing to engage with the FATF as we further develop our strategies in our fight against economic crime.”

Vodafone España takeover Photo credit: Flickr/Wei-Te Wong

VODAFONE: Spanish subsidiary sold to Zegona Communications.

and chief executive said the company was “very excited about the opportuni ty to return to the Spanish telecoms market.” O’Hare went on to explain that the

“financially attractive” acquisition of Vodafone was the company’s third deal in Spain after successful turnarounds at Telecable and Euskaltel. “With our clearly defined strategy and proven track record, we are confi dent that we can create significant value for shareholders,” he said. Financial daily Cinco Dias quoted in dustry insiders who said that Vodafone, which was formerly so successful, was eventually pushed aside following a se ries of bad decisions both by the parent company and its Spanish subsidiary.

Covid answers

Another upgrade Planned sale off

THE government is not obliged to compensate the hospitality industry for losses caused by the Covid restric tions. The Supreme Court reject ed appeals by thousands of bar, café and restaurant own ers after considering evidence from several of the compa nies involved and the lawyers who represent the State (Abo gacia del Estado). Although the Constitutional Tribunal declared that some aspects of the State of Alarm were unconstitutional, these sentences were no basis for claiming compensation from the State, said judge Carlos Lesmes who announced the Supreme Court’s conclusions.

NEXT expects fullyear profits of £885 million (€1.01 billion) after turnover rose by 4 per cent between July and late October. This is £10 million (€11.5 million) more than the company’s previous estimates and was also the fourth time in five months that the retailer, which now owns several high street brands, has up graded its forecast. A warm September discouraged sales of coats and knitwear, but compared with the same period in 2022 these in creased by more than 11 per cent from midOctober onwards once tempera tures began to fall. Next’s share price grew by more than 3 per cent on November 1 after the com pany announced that it foresaw fullyear sales increasing by 3.1 per cent to £4.7 bil lion (€5.4 billion) which was 2.6 per cent more than earlier calculations.

NUEVA PESCANOVA owner Abanca has dropped plans to sell the frozen seafood company. “We have put the process on hold,” the bank announced after negotiations to sell an 80 per cent stake to Canadian company Cooke fell through. Employees of the company, which is currently negotiating 76 redundancies, welcomed the sale which Nueva Pescanova also re garded as ideal. Friction arose after Cooke com missioned an exhaustive audit and cancelled the deal. Pescanova’s new chief executive Jorge Escudero said the project was so valuable that Abanca was in no hurry to divest itself of the compa ny and would renew the search for an industrial partner ‘later on’.

Increased Prisa proﬁts EL PAIS publisher Prisa posted pretax profits of €121 million for the first three quarters of 2023. This was 75 per cent more than the same period last year, with ‘robust growth’ in business, in come and margins in line with tar gets for 2023 and its 20222025 strategic plan, the Spanish multi national announced. Revenue rose to €679 million between January 1 and Septem ber 30, a 16 per cent increase compared with last year. Prisa’s operating margin of 17.9 per cent of revenue six percent age points more than by the end of September 2022 continued its ‘positive tendency’, the company said.

Hammers’ deal THE Gold family are selling part of their 25.1 per cent holding in West Ham United. Vanessa Gold, who became the club’s joint chair on the death of her father, David Gold, has as signed Rothschild & Co put out feelers for buyers. The Golds are the Hammers’ thirdlargest shareholders after David Sullivan (38.8 per cent) and Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky (27 per cent), who paid between £180 and £200 million (€207 and in €230 million) in 2021. Sources cited by the Guardian suggested that the Golds would sell up to 10 per cent or possibly more depending on the offer.

UK classics for the US FORTNUM & MASON intend to expand in the US as demand grows for British tea, jam and other groceries. Fortnum’s chief executive Tom Athron announced plans to open a warehouse in the US so it can sell directly to retail ers. Athron told The Telegraph that approximately 30 per cent of the international customers who visited the Piccadilly store were from America. “What we want to do in much the same way as we’ve done in the EU is to put some of our own stock on the ground,” he said.

FINANCE

14 EWN 9 - 15 November 2023

euroweeklynews.com

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CLOSING PRICES 6 NOVEMBER

% CHG.

NET VOL

COMPANY

-17,00

-0,84%

855,07K

InterContinental

5.688,0

+4,20

+2,57%

669,91K

Intermediate Capital

1.400,00

2.493,0

-4,0

-0,16%

197,74K

Intertek

3.850,6

Anglo American

2.184,5

+29,0

+1,34%

464,30K

ITV

Antofagasta

1.359,00

+2,00

+0,15%

151,34K

Ashtead Group

4.927,0

+52,0

+1,07%

Associated British Foods

2.139,0

+34,0

AstraZeneca

10.282,0

-80,0

COMPANY

PRICE(P)

CHANGE(P)

3I Group

2.002,48

Abrdn

167,45

Admiral Group

% CHG.

NET VOL

-182,0

-3,10%

141,46K

+16,00

+1,16%

274,90K

+39,0

+1,02%

51,10K

66,50

+1,36

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1,02M

J Sainsbury

281,00

+9,20

+3,38%

2,14M

227,26K

Johnson Matthey

1.573,5

+31,5

+2,04%

41,77K

+1,61%

146,93K

Land Securities

613,90

+8,40

+1,39%

575,56K

-0,77%

158,54K

Legal & General

222,90

+0,40

+0,18%

7,97M

Lloyds Banking

42,38

+0,60

+1,44%

30,33M

London Stock Exchange

8.320,0

-40,0

-0,48%

78,68K

494,90

+7,00

+1,44%

517,30K

-4,00

-0,30%

264,30K 632,93K

Auto Trader Group Plc

627,20

+2,20

+0,35%

340,60K

Aviva

405,19

-1,00

-0,25%

2,08M

PRICE(P)

CHANGE(P)

1.14807

0.87093

Units per €

US dollar (USD) ........................................1.0699 Japan yen (JPY)........................................160.02 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................0.9635 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4617 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................11.860

B&M European Value Retail SA539,80

+7,20

+1,35%

563,68K

Melrose Industries

BAE Systems

1.104,00

-2,00

-0,18%

782,84K

Mondi

1.345,00

Barclays

134,85

+1,64

+1,23%

10,95M

National Grid

1.000,00

0,00

0,00%

NatWest Group

185,70

+3,90

+2,15%

6,29M

7.377,5

+120,0

+1,66%

44,39K

DOW JONES

Ocado

535,00

+25,80

+5,07%

523,84K

CLOSING PRICES 6 NOVEMBER

Persimmon

1.110,2

+37,5

+3,50%

295,10K

COMPANY

PRICE

CHANGE

CHANGE% VOLUME(M)

Phoenix

469,10

+1,40

+0,30%

378,04K

Prudential

889,00

+17,40

+2,00%

1,04M

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

92,31 150,85 266,59 177,57 192,01 239,12 148,76 52,75 57,09 48,99 313,76 294,53 186,43 147,01 37,70 150,24 141,42 266,85 102,85 348,32 105,08 151,44 208,11 168,95 536,13 35,90 243,25 21,50 165,52 83,29

+1,75 +4,40 +5,75 +3,60 +2,63 +7,29 +4,78 +0,56 +0,65 +0,78 +6,60 +7,90 +2,44 +1,61 +0,41 +1,55 +2,48 +4,88 0,00 +2,25 +4,20 +1,83 +4,20 -0,33 +4,53 +0,50 +4,67 +0,87 +0,65 +2,22

+1,93% 2,62M +3,00% 3,11M +2,20% 2,47M +2,07% 71,89M +1,39% 4,30M +3,14% 5,70M +3,32% 11,06M +1,07% 17,43M +1,15% 13,08M +1,62% 3,74M +2,15% 2,60M +2,76% 3,60M +1,33% 3,03M +1,11% 3,79M +1,10% 35,26M +1,04% 5,33M +1,78% 9,44M +1,86% 4,11M 0,00% 5,38M +0,65% 24,21M +4,16% 8,06M +1,22% 5,86M +2,06% 4,96M -0,19% 1,28M +0,85% 2,34M +1,41% 24,67M +1,96% 6,27M +4,22% 9,18M +0,39% 5,09M +2,74% 11,48M M - MILLION DOLLARS

Barratt Developments

440,20

+8,00

+1,85%

892,76K

Berkeley

4.242,0

+64,0

+1,53%

18,31K

BHP Group Ltd

2.388,00

-21,00

-0,87%

176,28K

497,45

-1,15

-0,23%

6,58M

British American Tobacco 2.527,0

+15,0

+0,60%

362,87K

British Land Company

326,20

+8,20

+2,58%

498,50K

BT Group

122,11

+4,70

+4,00%

9,63M

Bunzl

2.939,0

-1,0

-0,03%

31,09K

Burberry Group

1.736,0

+13,0

+0,75%

143,34K

Carnival

883,4

+9,8

+1,12%

101,91K

Centrica

155,40

-2,20

-1,40%

17,62M

Coca Cola HBC AG

2.130,0

+26,0

+1,24%

61,67K

Compass

2.072,68

-29,00

-1,38%

302,50K

CRH

4.669,0

+34,0

+0,73%

54,15K

Croda Intl

4.465,0

+24,0

+0,54%

DCC

4.667,0

+5,0

+0,11%

Diageo

3.204,5

+20,0

DS Smith

288,71

EasyJet

Reckitt Benckiser

5.484,0

-62,0

-1,12%

176,05K

Relx

2.848,00

-41,00

-1,42%

469,53K

Rentokil

443,20

+16,60

+3,89%

5,61M

Rightmove

469,10

-4,70

-0,99%

1,21M

Rio Tinto PLC

5.359,0

+5,0

+0,09%

250,37K

Rolls-Royce Holdings

222,74

-0,80

-0,36%

5,17M

Sage

976,20

-15,20

-1,53%

304,74K

Samsung Electronics DRC 1.332,00

+12,00

+0,91%

3,72K

+4,9

+1,28%

325,03K

Schroders

389,0

106,96K

Scottish Mortgage

673,87

+5,00

+0,75%

496,32K

36,40K

Segro

769,00

+20,40

+2,73%

674,88K

+0,63%

324,66K

Severn Trent

2.690,8

+22,0

+0,82%

189,47K

+0,30

+0,10%

295,19K

Shell

2.706,5

-61,5

-2,22%

1,41M

387,00

+10,00

+2,65%

967,71K

Smith & Nephew

991,00

+29,00

+3,02%

1,12M

Experian

2.624,0

+16,0

+0,61%

240,53K

Smiths Group

1.633,50

+9,00

+0,55%

73,35K

Ferguson

12.683,0

-105,0

-0,82%

11,05K

Spirax-Sarco Engineering 8.420,0

+74,0

+0,89%

15,75K

Flutter Entertainment

13.745,0

+400,0

+3,00%

159,03K

SSE

1.698,50

+15,00

+0,89%

436,61K

Fresnillo

551,80

+6,20

+1,14%

107,24K

St. James’s Place

665,00

+4,40

+0,67%

323,55K

Glencore

440,90

+0,55

+0,12%

3,56M

Standard Chartered

620,50

-0,40

-0,06%

1,83M

GSK plc

1.400,00

+3,80

+0,27%

786,55K

Taylor Wimpey

113,88

+1,95

+1,74%

9,74M

Halma

1.887,5

+5,0

+0,27%

518,21K

Tesco

275,90

+1,90

+0,69%

3,16M

Hargreaves Lansdown

744,30

+17,20

+2,37%

341,91K

Tui

445,20

+13,60

+3,15%

364,05K

Hikma Pharma

1.859,00

+23,50

+1,28%

54,15K

Unilever

3.880,5

-21,0

-0,54%

263,31K

HSBC

603,80

+2,50

+0,42%

4,84M

United Utilities

1.088,00

+6,50

+0,60%

211,97K

IAG

149,50

+1,75

+1,19%

6,17M

Vodafone Group PLC

77,88

+0,66

+0,85%

8,37M

Imperial Brands

1.807,00

+19,00

+1,06%

137,38K

Whitbread

3.240,0

-72,0

-2,17%

170,09K

Informa

719,20

-3,20

-0,44%

237,05K

WPP

744,00

+16,20

+2,23%

500,63K

currenciesdirect.com/marbella • Tel: +34 952 906 581 THE ABOVE TABLE USES THE CURRENT INTERBANK EXCHANGE RATES, WHICH AREN’T REPRESENTATIVE OF THE RATE WE OFFER

NASDAQ CLOSING PRICES 6 NOVEMBER

COMPANY Most Advanced Roku, Inc. Shopify Inc. Palantir Technologies Inc. Affirm Holdings, Inc. Informatica Inc. JFrog Ltd. ADT Inc. Lightspeed Commerce Inc. Gildan Activewear Inc. DoorDash, Inc. Fastly, Inc.

CHANGE NET / %

VOLUME

+30.74% +22.36% +20.44% +19.48% +17.85% +16.56% +16.49% +15.92% +15.75% +15.67% +15.58%

39.924M 42.696M 168.822M 24.616M 1.834M 1.954M 5.956M 1.621M 1.381M 12.31M 6.857M

-42.13% -31.86% -16.97% -16.12% -15.82% -15.76% -13.56% -13.07% -12.82% -12.66% -12.62%

56.717M 10.199M 3.599M 9.859M 4.106M 2.32M 7.183M 7.911M 179,512 1.086M 1.297M

Most Declined Confluent, Inc. Remitly Global, Inc. Inari Medical, Inc. Procore Technologies, Inc. Tenable Holdings, Inc. Regal Rexnord Corporation KBR, Inc. BorgWarner Inc. Markel Group Inc. Belden Inc. Schneider National, Inc.

‘

FINANCE

euroweeklynews.com

BUSINESS EXTRA Shopping early JOHN LEWIS said shoppers were preparing for Christ mas earlier this year, with sales of seasonal ranges 10 per cent higher than usual in October. Although total holi day spending will rise by 3.4 per cent to £110 billion (€126.17 billion), GlobalDa ta’s analysts predicted that British households would spend less and choose cheaper items this year.

Bank puzzle SPAIN’s high street banks Santander, BBVA, Caixa Bank, Sabadell, Bankinter and Unicaja are reporting record profits and paying out the highestever divi dends although Santander, BBVA, CaixaBank and Sabadell have between them lost 250,000 share holders in the first nine months of 2023. The excep tions are Bankinter and Uni caja.

9 - 15 November 2023

EWN 15

Slowdown for Aston Martin Game over ASTON MARTIN announced that it will be delivering fewer cars than planned this year. The company ex pects to sell 6,700 DB12 models in stead of 7,000 after supply chain and software problems affected production of the sports cars produced at the Gaydon (Warwickshire) works. Delays in DB12 deliveries were responsible for a £48.4 million (€55.6 million) loss

Aston Martin shares went down by more than 15 per cent immediately af ter the November 1 announcement, falling to their lowest level since May. r alk rW Prices had rallied /M C it: C d during the first six months e r to c Pho of this year in the wake of deals with Geely in China ASTON MARTIN: ‘Exceptional demand’ for DB12 model. and the USbult Lucid, but dropped by more than 50 in the third quarter of this £38 million (€43.7 million) per cent since August. year, compared with the that analysts had predicted. Despite the thirdquarter production delays, Aston Martin said that it can still meet its target of an annual £2 billion (€2.3 billion) in INDITEX founder Amancio Ortega, who per cent stake in Telefonica, the gov sales by 2025. is still its majority shareholder, turned ernment would like to see 5 per cent Chief executive Amedeo down a government proposal to invest state ownership of Telefonica without Felisa stressed “exceptional in Telefonica. the State Industrial Holding Company demand” for the DB12 and According to insiders quoted by finan (Sepi) having to meet all of the €1 bil said that the company cial daily, El Economista, Spain’s incum lion cost. would be posting “signifi bent government had a disappointing Ortega’s Pontegadea investment cant growth” compared to response from Ortega in its strategy to company recently denied that it was in last year, “driven by an in ensure that Telefonica remains Spanish. touch with the government although El crease in volumes as well as With Saudi Arabia’s ST telecommuni Economista sources insisted that con higher gross margin,” ac cations company now possessing a 9.9 tacts had taken place. cording to UK media re ports.

Ortega says no to proposal

LONDONbased EY con firmed that it will no longer audit the Codere New Top co gaming company or its subsidiaries. In an audit dated April 21, EY referred to the “existence of materi al uncertainty that the group can continue as a functioning business” after Codere Newtopco acknowl edged net losses of €477 million in the 13 months ending in December 2022.

Fashion ASOS online fashion re tailer announced that sales would probably fall by 15 per cent over the coming year after report ing a £300 million (€344 million) loss last year. As shares dropped to 365p (€4.19) analysts foresaw that ASOS would need to raise new cash, possibly by selling its Topshop brand, as net losses reached £648.5 million (€744.3 million).

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The Tao philosophy LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT I’VE been an advocate of the Tao philos ophy for many years. Although I always respected the Christian and other be liefs, none ever really sparked any per sonal recognition of the whys and wherefores of life. Wandering some what blindly through the religious rea sons, explanations and different ideas for our manifestation never really left me any more knowledgeable of the true purpose of our existence. And then, completely out of the blue, I was introduced to the Tao philosophy; a remarkable belief which reveals the order and wisdom of individual life and the way it harmonises with the universe as a whole. Gradually it all became clear. I know that sounds a bit loopy from Leapy, but it was true. Our soul or spiri tual fragment is all a part of the one cre ation. Complicated? Not really. Imagine tak ing a bottle or a glass phial and filling it

with sea water. You then seal it and re turn it to the sea. Although it is separate it is still a part of the oneness. When it breaks, it once more rejoins the vast ocean it originated from. And that’s it. When the human body dies it releases the soul back into the creation. Once you come to terms with this you can set out on any journey that the manifestation you have chosen to exist in is capable of. The whole scheme of things slowly unfolds. Five to eight hun dred lifetimes are considered the ‘norm’. Each time it leaves the body the soul or spark moves slowly through the seven levels, which each contain seven levels, until the created ultimately be comes the creator. The whole belief enables you to live either a full and purposeful life, or if you choose, one that appears to construct nothing at all. Many a young soul attains high success, while older souls often pre fer to tend the gardens of their accom plished employers. To label me a racist is actually ridiculous. I truly believe that for an individual spirit to traverse the levels of creation it needs to experience every thing. Murderer, victim, success, failure,

black, white, yellow, dying in violence, or at peace. The Tao philosophy even ex plains phobias. If you have a fear of horses it may be that in a past existence you were trampled underfoot by a steed in some conflict or another. Talking of wars, don’t think because of my lack of column comments I’m not deeply in volved in views of the horrendous con flict between the Israeli community and Hamas. In modern warfare civilians are always the victims. Forty million died under the policies of Hitler and Western leaders of the Second World War. Tunnelling is al so not a new idea. The Japanese adopted the same tac tics in Okinawa, resulting in the deaths of thousands of their tragic ‘human shield’ civilians above ground. It’s the unfortunate nature of these disputes. Of course under Tao beliefs it’s not those that die that are the true victims, they simply revisit the ocean of their creation. It is the survivors who are truly suffering. May the cosmos help them all. Keep the faith Love Leapy. leapylee2002@gmail.com

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

FEATURE

from Year 1985

GIBRALTAR GATEWAY

Image: Alvaro German Vilela / Shutterstock.com

16 EWN 9 - 15 November 2023

IN a significant historical turn of events, the border be tween Gibraltar and Spain, which had been closed for 16 years during the rule of General Francisco Franco, was officially reopened in Border reopened. February 1985. The closure of the border was enforced on June 8, 1969, by General Francisco Franco, who held the position of political lead er, Caudillo, in Spain. This decision came shortly after Gibraltarians had over whelmingly voted to remain a part of the British Crown. Franco’s intent was to exert pressure on Gibraltar with the hope of forcing it into submission. However, his plan ultimately failed. It wasnt until 1985 that the border would see a com plete reopening, a condition set during Spain’s accession to the European Economic Community. The closure of the border stands out as one of the most transformative events in the history of modern British Gibraltar.It has had a profound and lasting impact on Gibraltar’s relationship with Spain. This year marks a significant milestone, with 54 years having passed since the border’s initial closure, and 41 years since its partial reopening in 1982. The memory of this period continues to shape the dy namics between Gibraltar and Spain, serving as a testa ment to the resilience of the people of Gibraltar in the face of adversity.

FEATURE/NEWS

euroweeklynews.com INTERVIEW

Why Europeans move to Spain Each week, we plan to speak to a European who has made the decision to settle here and as part of the ongoing series, we spoke to 24-year-old Niamh Eades who left the UK as a youngster to move to Alicante. AS a wide-eyed five-year-old in 2004, Niamh bid farewell to her Derbyshire roots and embarked on a thrilling adventure with her parents to a tiny Spanish village north of Alicante. “I can remember being really excited about the move because a promise had been made, the promise of a horse. My passion for these majestic creatures had ignited long before, and this move was a dream come true,” she confirmed. Niamh underwent a transformation, from British school desks to Spanish classrooms, armed with a three-month intensive Spanish course. These were the foundational steps of a life that would lead Niamh to Alicante University, where she pursued a degree in computer engineering. Today, she finds herself navigating the data streams of a media company as a data analyst. It seems Niamh’s childhood dream never waned as she confirms: “I share my world with two horses and two ponies among other rescue animals.” When asked about any challenges of living in Spain, Niamh confesses, “Being a

Niamh Eades.

horse owner in Spain (legally) is a nightmare, but worth every hurdle. “And, what makes it all worthwhile is the weather, which is a bonus for animal lovers who spend most of their time outdoors.” When asked if there was anything about Blighty that Niamh misses, she confirmed: “I miss the London musical theatre scene, but Madrid’s theatre scene has witnessed a remarkable evolution in the past five years. “Still, the quirkiest discovery I’ve made about Spanish life is the need to eat popcorn while watching musicals.”

9 - 15 November 2023

EWN 17

€100 on offer THERE is no question that prices have been rising dramatically across the world and sadly we in Spain have been hit, although per haps not as hard as some other coun tries. If you don’t have a great deal of money coming in, have fami lies to feed or are alone and don’t want to just cook for yourself, a little treat oc casionally which gets you out and about is worth considering. We at Euro Weekly News believe it is our role to help readers consider all of their options and also perhaps spread a little festive cheer by sponsoring a read er’s survey with a difference. For all that Franco can be blamed for, he is credited with the concept of creating the famed Menu del Dia as a way of showcas ing Spanish regional cooking and in 1965, he passed a law requiring certain restau rants, especially those in the newly emerg

Choose your favourite Menu del Dia and receive €100.

ing tourist areas, to offer a reasonably priced lunch. The concept was taken up across Spain and by the 1970s most towns had at least one or two restaurants offering this three course meal at an eco nomic price. There are still plenty of cafés, ventas and restaurants offering the Menu del Dia and we want to hear all about your favourite. What’s more, the person who submits the best recommendation will receive €100 from EWN to spend in that estab lishment. Your email to editorial@euroweekly news.com will help others to find the best meal deal and also promote your favourite restaurant to other readers with the best recommendation announced in our De cember 7 edition.

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

20 EWN 9 - 15 November 2023

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FEATURE

COMMUNITY

COMMENTS

AS people in Europe live longer, there is an ever increasing number of elderly people who have worked for the required number of qualifying years and are entitled to receive a State Pension. It appears that although British pensioners will see the triple lock benefit increase their pensions above inflation in April of next year, many still receive far less than their Spanish counterparts. The rules concerning State Pensions are without doubt complicated and this has been proven by the conflicting comments that we have received on our website. Simply visit https://euroweeklynews.com/2023/11/01/spanishpensioners-get-double-uk-amount/ if you want to see the article which has received almost 85,000 views so far.

“

In reply to Geoffrey Buxton

Definitely a major bone of contention Geoffrey. I am two years behind you and I worked from the age of 17 until I was 72 and my body said enough is enough. It is scandalous that we have a two-tier pension system, why is our old pension not good enough for the new pensioners. We should be on a level playing field, either raise the old one or lower the new one, we are all the same pensioners. Give me a political party that guarantees a one pension system and they will have my vote. Peter Selston

I live in Spain, worked for 13 years, also 37 years paid in UK, total pension received €1,300 per month before tax. Michael

I’m 77 years old, and get a lower pension than people retiring today, although I worked longer, why do we have a two-tier pension that has the older people worse off or are they just waiting for us to die. Geoffrey Buxton

John Ensor, your closing comment of “solely relying on the state” is a tad offensive. I worked and contributed to the system for 50 years. This was at the levels set by government and my expectation was and is that I should receive a pension that enables me to live above the breadline. I’m mid-70s, still working two part time jobs and paying tax on every pound I earn.

Max state pension in Spain is nearing €2,900. Michael

Looks like Spanish pensioners are better off than Spanish workers then. Lucky to have more than €1,100 per month. James O’Donnell

Well, isn’t that a surprise? You do not need much more income to be taxed in the UK so I would be surprised if Spanish pensioners did not enjoy being members of the tax club. Philip

Are Spanish pensioners taxed? £26,000.00 IS A LARGE SUM. Irish old age pension far less. Mary Rita Foster

The UK pension is so poor because people in the UK don’t kick off and just accept that all of the main parties don’t care for the UK people. They only care about their international profile. Giving foreign aid and gold plating their own pension. They should be totally ashamed. But, they just don’t care. David White

That’s rubbish! I’m a Spanish pensioner and I don’t get anything as much as that. And yes, I am taxed on the pension. Do you mean the sum ineuros John? Maria Angeles García

Ivan Baker

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

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