Euro Weekly News - Costa de Almeria 3 - 9 December 2020 Issue 1848

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The people’s paper ISSUE NO. 1848

3 - 9 December 2020

COSTA DE ALMERIA • WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

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RED CROSS APPEAL

AS Christmas approaches, the Red Cross in Mojacar has asked for the public’s support over the holidays. At a recent meeting with Mojacar’s mayor, Rosmari Cano, Red Cross rep­ resentatives gave a rundown of their work during the Covid­19 pandemic and their current situation. The Red Cross members thanked the town hall for their ongoing collab­ oration agreement and its €10,000 contribution that has helped them carry out their work. So, too, did donations from two large supermarkets and support from many local establishments and groups. With the holidays now so near, the Red Cross detailed their plans for Christmas and their needs over the coming months, although owing to TORRECARDENAS hospital is collaborating with a pro­ ject that uses sniffer dogs to detect Covid­19. The dogs belonging to se­ curity firm OPCON’s canine unit would ordinarily de­ tect explosives but two of them, Dolce and Angus, were recently videoed cor­ rectly locating a Covid­19 sample 18 times out of 18. The samples were volun­ tarily donated by patients at the hospital. Carlos Aranguez, a lawyer and Penal Law lec­ turer, is co­director of the

RED CROSS: Mojacar branch representatives with Rosmari Cano. Covid health and safety restrictions, the Red Cross is still planning its tradi­ tional food donation campaign.

Concepcion Rivero Puche, presi­ dent of the Red Cross Mojacar branch, asked for help from the

town’s residents, shops and busi­ nesses so that the organisation’s volunteers may continue helping

Dogs turn Covid detectives pioneering project that in­ volves doctors from Tor­ recardenas hospital’s Pneu­ mology, Internal Medicine and Intensive Care depart­ ments.

Aranguez explained to the provincial daily La Voz de Almeria that training and trials have been taking place for more than three weeks and the results are

due to be announced on December 18 when they and four other OPCON snif­ fer dogs will give a public exhibition of their newly­ learnt skills.

the vulnerable. During the health crisis the Red Cross has become a lifeline for many Mojacar families whose finances have been greatly affected, Rivero Puche explained. Following assessments by Mo­ jacar’s Social Services, the Red Cross helped 62 families with cash cards for essential goods and another 18 with supermarket vouchers. The need for help has doubled dur­ ing the pandemic but the Junta’s cash cards ended in October, as well as the supermarket vouchers. Coupled with the extended restric­ tions and the limitations placed on businesses, the Red Cross needs everybody’s help more than ever be­ fore, the Mojacar branch’s president said.

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Together we can

ROQUETAS Town Hall is once again supporting the ‘Juntos so­ mos capaces’ (Together we can) social inclusion programme. Following a successful first edi­ tion, the town hall has renewed its work experience agreement with Asociacion Asperger Alme­ ria and the Mapfre and Konecta foundations. Juntos somos capaces pro­

motes insertion into the labour market with training schemes, explained Roquetas’ Cultural and Sports Promotion councillor, Jose Juan Rodriguez. “The town hall’s collaboration is going to be unconditional,” Ro­ driguez said. “We are carrying out something very innovative regarding selection procedures linked to social disability.”

First winter

Extra day

snow

THE storms that hit Almeria at the end of last week brought snow to high ground for the first time this winter. The Calar Alto observatory and other parts of Sierra de los Filabres turned white overnight and tem­ peratures dropped to well below freezing. The morning after the snowfall dawned with heavy mist that cov­ ered much of the Sierra which, to­ gether with the snow, made travel complicated until Junta de An­ dalucia snowploughs cleared the roads linking Calar Alto with Ger­ gal, Bacares and Seron.

HUERCAL­OVERA residents have an additional day for putting out large unwanted household items for collection. These will now be picked up on the 1st, 11th and 26th of every month and householders should leave them beforehand beside communal rubbish con­ tainers at night on the last day of the month or on the 10th or 25th. Huercal’s mayor Domingo Fernandez and Services council­ lor David Siles thanked the Al­ manzora­Levante­Los Velez Consortium for agreeing to in­ crease coverage and for acting so rapidly.

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Decorate and win CUEVAS DEL ALMANZORA residents have been asked to decorate their balconies and house fronts this Christmas. There will be three prizes of €300, €200 and €100 for the most striking, announced Cuevas’ Festivities councillor Isabel Maria Haro. “Our celebrations are conditioned by the pandemic and will be very different this year, but no less special,” Haro declared. Cuevas del Almanzora residents should send their photos to the feste jos@cuevasdelalmanzo ra.es email address between December 13 and December 21. These will be published in Facebook on December 22 and the winning photos, chosen by jury on December 30, will be announced on December 31.

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NIBS EXTRA Young singer FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD Montserrat Sanchez from Pulpi, who is one of the finalists in national broadcaster Tele Cinco’s Idols Kids talent contest, is now intending to present a new song that is dedicated to her home town. The promotional video will also feature Pulpi’s beauty spots and tourist attractions.

New builds JUST 404 properties in Nijar are over 100 years old while those built before 1900 account for only 3.06 per cent of all homes in the municipality. In contrast 12,331 Nijar properties, 93.21 per cent of existing buildings, are under 50 years old, compared with the province average of 87.13 per cent.

Drink up FAMILY members of a prisoner in El Acebuche prison were passing him drinking straws painstakingly packed with cannabis resin that they inserted in the cables of the visiting room intercom. Suspicious prison guards alerted the Guardia Civil who later arrested two women now charged with smuggling 300 grammes of cannabis into the prison.

Second language TWO Instituto high schools in La Mojonera and El Ejido offer Arabic as a second language, an opportunity taken up by only 82 of the 32,200 pupils who are taking part in Almeria Province’s bilingual education programme. Most, but not all, are Moroccan and all have good academic records.

Storm damage A WHIRLWIND affected 10 hectares of greenhouses in El Ejido’s northern district as well as Pampanico during the recent storms that also brought torrential rain and hailstones. The town hall had to use heavy machinery to clear the area, but has yet to weigh up the economic losses involved.

Tax break ADRA councillors belonging to the Partido Popular, Ciudadanos, PSOE, Plataforma and Vox parties all voted in favour of a reduction in the IBI rates. This was proposed to reduce the tax burden for residents whose finances have been affected by the coronavirus crisis.

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CALLING ALL BUSINESS OWNERS JENNI ROCK is calling all business owners in Albox and surrounding areas to join in a promotional video to help publicise their business while supporting her favourite charity Walk for Life. In Jenni’s own words ­ “After a pretty aw­ ful year all round I thought it was time to in­ ject a little festive spirit into our community whilst raising funds for a local charity. It’s been tough times for business but also for many of our local charities. Walk for Life, es­ pecially, has struggled this year with having four major fundraising events cancelled, and as a community I think we can help, whilst raising your company profile and injecting a little Christmas cheer to boot. Simply send me one photo of yourself or team dressed in Christmas jumpers if you wish, silly is good, but no rules, whatever you are happy with... and smile, that’s a giv­ en!! Also send me about 20 words of Christ­ mas greeting. Local DJ Rod Oxley will trans­ fer this to a Christmas background along

Let’s spread some festive spirit about.

Drop off your donations at The Boutique. with your company name and make a Christmas video, with Christmas music. As always Rod and I will happily give our time for free, but what I am asking each business who participates, is to make a mini­ mum donation of €5 which will be given to Walk for Life. On the whole we have an amazingly tight knit community who, when times are tough

all pull together... please let this be one of those times... we are all stronger together and as a community we can make a differ­ ence to people and their families affected by cancer. This video is open to everyone; just pm or email spanishrocks@hotmail.co.uk your photo and message, drop your donation in­ to The Boutique and Rod and I will do the rest. Deadline is Fri Dec 11 and the video will go live Sunday Dec 13.” Thank you for supporting Walk for Life yet again, Jenni.

Message Port plans revealed of hope CARBONERAS is putting up more Christmas lights than usual this year. Parque Andaluz and a sec­ tion of the Paseo Maritimo promenade as well as the La Cruz and Las Malvinas dis­ tricts will have illuminations for the first time. Fiestas councillor Mariana Esteban also revealed that the Parque Andaluz will be adorned with the word Ilu­ sion (Excitement) picked out in lights. “This recalls the principal emotions we associate with Christmas, bringing a positive message of hope in our pre­ sent circumstances,” she said.

ROQUETAS is closer to getting its new harbourside fish market. Carmen Crespo who heads the Junta’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Sustainable Development together with Marifran Carazo, from Public Works, revealed the plans for redeveloping Roquetas port. This involves reorganising an area of more than 9,500 square metres to improve communica­ tions between the port and the town. It will also give more visi­ bility to Santa Ana castle and the new multi­purpose building where the fish market will be lo­ cated. Eighty per cent of the €2.361 million cost will be covered by funds from the EU’s Regional De­ velopment Fund (Feder). The project, which involves

demolishing around 1,900 square metres of the original in­ stallation, will change the con­ cept of what Roquetas port cur­ rently means to the town, Regional Ports Director Diego Anguis explained. He stressed that the urban project would be “very respect­ ful” towards port activities: “No­ body will be excluded,” he de­ clared. “Andalucia’s government be­ lieves in fishing and its many possibilities and at the same time is aware of the vulnerability of fishermen,” Carmen Crespo said. The Junta has assigned almost €70 million ­ an increase of 28 per cent ­ to fisheries in its 2021 Budget, the biggest in recent years, she added.

Mediterranean corridor still blocked MARIFRAN CARAZO and Jose Ramon Diez de Revenga, re­ spective heads of Almeria and Murcia’s Public Works depart­ ments, met recently in Pulpi. They coincided on the need to improve road and railway links, declaring that Spain’s central government ­ responsi­ ble for the Mediterranean Cor­ ridor ­ should provide the strategic infrastructure vital for competitiveness and eco­ nomic development in their regions. This was more necessary than ever, they agreed, now that Madrid had backtracked, setting a date for 2026 and not 2023 as originally understood.

Social Budget Dames donate THE Diputacion provincial council announced a €216.5 million Budget for 2021 aimed at alleviating the Covid­19 crisis. “The provincial govern­ ment’s maximum priority is guaranteeing health, so­ cial and economic protec­ tion for Almeria’s popula­ tion,” Diputacion president Javier A Garcia announced. “We have increased, as never before, investment in these three areas to en­

sure that nobody gets left behind while responding to strategic sectors and at­ tending to Almeria soci­ ety,” he said. This was the province’s most social Budget ever, Garcia stressed, directing all of its efforts at improv­ ing quality of life. It was al­ so the highest in the Diputacion’s history and in­ cluded allocations for inno­ vation and social participa­ tion.

WHILE the Dames in Spain (Mojacar) are not meeting due to the Covid pandemic, volun­ teers have been busy with work continuing behind the scenes. And on Thursday, November Donations of €1,700 made. 26, donations were made to two worthy causes. The first, a cheque for €700, was presented to the Red Cross, with a further donation of €1,000 handed over to MACS Cancer Support Group. The Dames in Spain committee normally organises an interest­ ing programme of events to promote friendship and understanding of living in Spain, while fundraising for local charities.

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Nothing dodgy going on CARMEN CRESPO, who heads the Junta’s Agriculture depart­ ment, countered claims that Morrocan produce was being massively relabelled as Almeria­grown. “Only 4.9 per cent of Morocco’s fruit and vegetables remain in Almeria and Granada. More than 50 per cent goes to France,” maintained Crespo. Despite her insistence that there were no ir­ regularities, she re­ vealed that she asked the central govern­ ment to control the amount of fruit and vegetables reaching Spain from the North African country. “We have asked the Ministry of Agricul­ ture and Fisheries to provide details of Mo­ rocco’s quotas,” Cre­ spo told a Canal Sur Television interview­ er. “If they have ex­ ceeded their tariff­ free exports the gov­ ernment will be obliged to lodge a complaint with the European Anti­Fraud Office (OLAF),” she said. Plummeting prices affecting the fruit and vegetable sectors in Almeria and Granada had created a dramat­ ic situation, admitted Crespo who insisted on the need to review the EU’s agreements with third­party coun­ tries to protect Euro­ pean produce. “Morocco, for in­ stance, is allowed to export 250,000 tons of tariff­free toma­ toes and it is essential to ensure that this is complied with,” the Junta’s Agriculture chief declared.

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3 - 9 December 2020 AMID fears of there being a critical third wave of the coronavirus in Spain, following the lights, Black Friday shopping, bank holidays and then Christmas and New Year, the vaccination plan is as follows: Phase 1 ­ January to March (2.5 million peo­ ple) Residents in care homes Healthcare workers Non­institutionalised dependants Phase 2 ­ March to beginning of June (order not yet known, but attending to the risk of them getting ill or dying with Covid, based on TRACEY WOOLTERTON was born with a unique gift of being a true- born, natural EmpathMedium. Tracey’s client list includes Katie Price, Daniella Westbrook and Gemma Collins, to name a few. Now working with us exclusively at the EWN, Tracey will be giving us Month by Month

NEWS

Who will get the vaccine and when? whether they are exposed to it, the social and economic impact, and the risk of transmitting it) People aged over 64 People in conditions which put them at risk People who live or work in closed communi­ ties People in vulnerable groups of the population due to their social and economic situation People with essential jobs Teachers

Children Teenagers and youths Adults People living in areas where there are out­ breaks Pregnant and lactating women People who are seropositive to SARS­CoV­2 Phase 3 ­ Summer As more vaccines are available, more groups will be added.

Psychic Predictions predictions for what she foresees this coming year. Starting with December’s card read from Tracey: Two names are highlighted Russel (possibly Crowe) and Matthew Mark.

A Royal stepping down and a big secret revealed within the monarchy. Simon Cowell to announce another pregnancy. A further two lockdowns and a need for new plans and

strategies regarding the virus. A large hurricane in the Pacific and an earthquake in Indonesia. So whilst there is still some trouble ahead towards the end of this year, positive changes are upon us. Tracey can be contacted via www.psychictracey.com.

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First of its kind MADRID is to open Spain’s first centre for homeless women who are victims of gender violence in 2021. The centre will have up to 40 places and will combine the care received by homeless people with that provided to women who have suffered sexist violence. Madrid City Council has sup­ ported 832 women and their children in the Municipal Net­

work of Attention to Victims of Gender Violence in 2020, twice as many as in 2019. Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez­Almeida, reiterated the “firm and unwavering” commitment of the city coun­ cil to “develop public policies to fight against sexist vio­ lence.” He recalled the “41 women murdered in Spain so far this year, two of them in the Com­

munity of Madrid, which makes us reaffirm the firm and unwavering commitment”: Deputy mayor, Begoña Vil­ lacís, explained: “The new re­ source will be a reception cen­ tre to serve homeless women who are victims of gender vio­ lence, who are three times more likely to suffer this type of violence. “It the first centre of its kind in Spain and very necessary.”

Driving schools unable to reopen TEN per cent of driving schools have been unable to reopen since the start of the ‘new normal’ meaning that people taking lessons to obtain their driving licence were badly affected by the State of Alarm, lessons, both theoretical and practical, had to stop and exam dates were postponed. In May, the schools were able to reopen and the General Traffic Department resumed exams, but around 10 per cent remain closed. According to a report by Dribo in National Spanish newspaper 20minutos, 15 per cent of driving schools are in danger of having to shut

down because of waiting for exams unless they change their business plan and introduce online options. This would account for 1,300 driving centres across the country, without online learning techniques, driving schools could be facing losses of up to €3,500 per month. Dribo meanwhile, promotes digitalising driving lessons so that students do not have to physically go to a classroom. It is now working in 37 cities in Spain helping driving schools to modernise their methods to avoid closures.

Possible 100,000 jobs lost

GENERAL DIRECTOR of Seat, Mikel Palomera, warned on Tuesday, November 24, that thousands of jobs could be lost when the new registra­ tion tax comes into effect across Spain in January. In the New Year, 50 per TAX INCREASE: Will be a cent of cars on sale will have strong blow to the industry. to pay the registration tax, which will make them 4.75 per cent more expensive, thereby reducing demand, Palomera said. Speaking at the sixth Deia Automobile conference, the CEO of Fiat Chrysler, Alberto de Aza explained that a tax increase, de­ rived from the application of the WLTP, would be “a very strong blow,” which will translate into “a fall in demand” and will have “without any doubt, an impact in employment and, ultimately, in the economy.” The WLTP procedure ( World Harmonised Light­duty Vehicle Test Procedure ) is a global standard for determining the levels of pollutants, CO2 emissions and fuel consumption of tradition­ al cars, hybrids, and pure electric cars.

Teeside to Spain RYANAIR announced on Wednesday, November 25, that it is returning to Teesside in sum­ mer 2021 with the launch of two routes to Alicante and Mallorca, both operating two flights per week, commencing on June 1, 2021, as part of their British

summer 2021 schedule. British consumers and visitors can now book a summer break to Alicante and Mallorca ­ two of Spain’s most popular beach des­ tinations ­ as far away as October 2021, always flying on the lowest fares.

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Convicted terrorist citizenship revoked HOME MINISTER Peter Dut­ ton announced on Wednes­ day, November 25 his decision to revoke the citizenship of Al­ gerian­born convicted terrorist Abdul Nacer Benbrika, also known as Abu Bakr. He was jailed in 2005 for 15 years, after originally being ar­ rested with 17 other suspect­ ed terrorists, when multiple plots were uncovered to bomb Australian landmarks in Sydney. Bakr was considered to be the spiritual leader of those arrested. He has 90 days to appeal the cancellation of his visa and his deportation to Algeria. Speaking to international media reporter in Brisbane, Dutton said, “If it’s a person who’s posing a significant ter­ rorist threat to our country, then we’ll do whatever is pos­ sible within Australian law to protect Australians.”

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NEWS

Brit Instagramer arrested Break down, just flash A BRITISH Instagrammer, identified as RT, has been arrested by National Police in Marbella, Malaga. The 27­year­old, who posted videos and images on Instagram in which he was committing criminal acts such as dangerous dri­ ving and pushing a vehicle into the river, has been charged with crimes against road safety and against the environment, as well as doc­ ument forgery. He was known for driving dangerously and on one oc­ casion, put the Guadaiza River at serious risk of cont­ amination by pushing a

VIDEO: Shows crime. BMW into the water, ac­ companied by four other men and a woman. They abandoned the vehicle after removing the licence plates.

At the time of his arrest, the police found two cars near his home with the same licence plate belong­ ing to the detainee, which had featured in some of his videos. The investigation began when the police removed the vehicle from the river and identified the owner af­ ter seeing the video. Several other people have been charged in the investi­ gation and all of the videos on his Instagram account which constituted a crime have been removed.

TRIANGLES have been part of breaking down for years, but in the DGT shake up, their time could be up. The DGT traffic authority of Spain has decided that a flashing light on the roof of a car, at­ tached by a magnet is a far safer idea and will be a substitute for the customary triangle. Before this measure, deemed safer by the DGT, it was neces­ sary to get out of the car, assem­ ble the triangle and place behind the car at some distance so as to warn others your vehicle was there and had broken down. The DGT now agree that this endangers the life of the mo­

BREAK DOWN: Just show a flashing light in future. torist in the sense that it’s possi­ ble the driver could be run over by another vehicle. Hence, the light on top of the car is the way forward. Its use will not be mandatory until January 2024, and it is not sure who will manufacture the

emergency light and how much it will cost but it’s expected to be around €40. The device will be able to con­ nect to your mobile phone to ask for assistance by way of con­ necting to an emergency net­ work.

SONY PS 5 OR A GRILL? AMAZON has recently apologised for a mix up in orders which meant several other customers received cat food, an electric grill and a foot massager instead of the prized all-new Sony PS 5 console. Social media is awash with stories of long queues and increased waiting times as fans of gaming anticipated the delivery of their new console. Websites were crashing and almost all retailers claimed they were out of stock. Amazon said it was dealing with several complaints where it’s believed some users may have had consoles stolen, although there was no proof of this. Amazon pointed out customers did have a support line they could call.

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Brave Grandma Fights Off Burglar MICHELINE STEPHEN, known as Michelle to her friends, fought off a burglar only two days before her 90th birthday. Micheline, from Cupar in Fife, Scotland, walked into her kitchen on November 20, to find someone there.

She initially thought it was her grandson, before soon re­ alising that someone had bro­ ken into her house. According to Edinburgh Live, Micheline “tried to yank him by the rucksack he was wearing to stop him escaping through her

window calling him a ‘wee sh**e,’ but he managed to get away.” The grandma originally born in France has not let the rob­ bery phase her, although she is worried that the robber may strike another house in the

area. “How dare he come to an old person’s home to do that? “I’m old, but some people are much worse than I am and would not have put up a fight. “I want other people to stay vigilant.” The robber made off with Micheline’s lighter and ciga­ rettes and police investigations continue.

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Scottish Christmas Bubbles

SCOTLAND has announced an eight­person limit for Christ­ mas ‘bubbles’ of three house­ holds which should contain no more than eight people over the age of 11. Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has an­ nounced the new rule as part of the government’s guid­ ance which temporarily re­ laxes some Covid­19 restric­ tions for five days over

easyJet Bookings Rise ACCORDING to the airline’s chief executive Johan Lund­ gren, easyJet saw bookings rise last week compared to the previous week, albeit starting from a low base. Under the current lockdown restrictions, only essen­ tial travel is permitted, however, the UK is due to relax them as the end of England’s second lockdown draws near. easyJet said bookings for flights from London and Bristol to Belfast and Edinburgh had gone up as Christ­ mas flight restrictions are also set to be eased further across the UK allowing families to mix for five days. In a statement on Thursday, November 26, Lundgren said: “We know underlying demand is there, which we see every time travel restrictions are lifted. “We continue to closely review our flying pro­ gramme to ensure we are aligning our schedule with customer demand,” he concluded.

STURGEON: ‘Stay at home.’

Christmas. The easing of Covid rules, which also states that chil­ dren under the age of 12 do not count towards the total number of people in the bub­ ble, will apply across the UK from December 23 to 27. A UK­wide deal was agreed on Tuesday, November 24, to permit people to meet up in ‘bubbles’ over the festive pe­ riod, with travel restrictions also being lifted across all four home nations. However, Nicola Sturgeon has said the “default advice” and “safest position” was still that people should avoid contact, with the “safest way to spend Christmas and the festive period [being] to stay within your own household, in your own home and your own local area.”

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LYNX CUBS THRIVING

THE Iberian Lynx breeding programme has just announced that 32 new cubs are doing very well. Although the numbers expected are only very slightly down from the breeding pairs, they are year on year increasing numbers, and this is the most encouraging news. There are 18 male and 14 fe-

male cubs at the end of this year’s programme which means the cubs will eventually bolster the number further on their maturity. Lynx cubs can be retrained for the wild, and from this programme, there are 27 cubs destined for reintroduction to their natural habitat.

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Puerta Sánchez Booed in Madrid del Sol Chase A POLICE chase through the Puerta del Sol in Madrid was a strange sight to be seen as an unlicensed driver sped into the pedestrian area. A man, aged 21, was arrested by the Municipal Police of Madrid for multiple crimes including stealing a car, driving in the pedestrian area, and skipping traffic lights. The chase occurred at around 10pm on Tuesday November 24, after police saw a fast-moving car on Calle Mayor. The police tried to detain the driver who ignored them before skipping several sets of traffic lights and driving into the pedestrian area, thereafter abandoning the vehicle. The pursuit then continued on foot before the arrest was made despite the driver putting up considerable resistance.

THE President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and the Minister of Health, Salvador Illa, were received with boos during their visit to La Paz University Hospital in Madrid on Friday morning, November 27. Sánchez announced the lastminute visit on Thursday to the Central Unit for Clinical Research and Clinical Trials. He was accompanied by the Health minister and the Head of Science and Innovation, Pedro Duque. A crowd had gathered out-

Sánchez visited La Paz. side the hospital to watch their arrival, and people could be heard booing and shouting ‘Out, out’ as they went in. Again, as the president and his colleagues were leaving, peo-

ple chanted ‘scoundrel.’ “The disloyalty of the Prime Minister with Díaz Ayuso is an absolute shame. The same ones who have not visited a single hospital during the nine months of the pandemic, the same ones who have declined to visit for the inauguration of the Isabel Zendal hospital next Tuesday, take advantage of the fact that Díaz Ayuso is out of Madrid to visit the hospital of La Paz and show off,” commented general secretary of the PP in the Community of Madrid, Ana Camíns.

Furloughed mothers FURLOUGHED mothers may not be entitled to childcare payments legal advisors have warned. Depending on the type of ERTE (furlough) they have, by ceasing to carry out work for an employer, the requirements to receive childcare are no longer met and the mothers are no longer entitled to it. This affects the payment of €100 per month which working mothers, both employed and self-employed, are entitled to until the child is three years old. This also applies to any amount that they may

receive for sending the child (if under the age of three) to daycare or infant school. If a woman receiving these benefits is put on ERTE (furlough) and receives payment due to this suspension of her employment contract, she is in a situation of total unemployment, and therefore, she does not meet the requirements to be entitled to it. In that case, it will be suspended until she is working again. This does not, however, affect large families (three or more children) or families with disabled children.

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NEWS

Ban on Tate Modern Evictions Attacker Appeal THE attacker that threw a six­ year­old boy off the viewing platform of the Tate Modern is set to appeal his sentence. The horrifying attack took place last year in August when Jonty Bravery, 19, went through with his plan to throw a stranger from the platform and get in the news. Jonty selected the boy after spending some time on the platform before choosing who would be his victim.

The boy suffered exten­ sive injuries from the fall which the side of the Tate Modern only partially broke, before landing on the roof of the fifth floor. The injuries sustained in­ cluded spinal damage. The magistrate court has been told that Jonty will appeal the decision to send him to prison, as he believes that he should be at Broadmoor Hospital instead of in prison.

Youth Covid Fund THE UK government announced a £16.5 million (€18.5 million) youth covid­19 support fund on Wednesday, November 25, that will be open to grassroots youth clubs, uniformed youth groups, and national youth and umbrella organisations. It will help to miti­ gate the impact of lost income during the winter period due to the coronavirus pandemic and ensure services providing vital support can remain open. The funding will be allocated from the government’s unprece­ dented £750 million (€842 million) package of support which is benefiting tens of thousands of frontline charities, so they can con­ tinue their vital work.

THE Spanish government is to announce measures to ban evic­ tions without alternative hous­ ing for the most vulnerable. Second vice president and minister of Social Affairs and the 2030 Agenda, Pablo Iglesias (Podemos), revealed in Congress: “In the coming days, I hope that we do not take more than two weeks, the government will pre­ sent a measure to avoid evictions without housing alternative for vulnerable people.” Iglesias stressed that evictions of vulnerable families “continue to occur in the middle of the sec­ ond wave of the pandemic,” be­ cause the decree in force at the moment “does not have the ca­ pacity to stop it.” For this reason, he said, the Ex­ ecutive is working “to end all evictions during this emergency. “My job is to ensure the gov­ ernment’s social policy and com­ pliance with the agenda, there­ fore, I have to do everything in my power to prevent any family from being evicted from their home during a pandemic like the one we are experiencing.”

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Covid tests in Pharmacies

THE regional government of Madrid has proposed allowing pharmacies to carry out Covid19 tests from December, though this has yet to be agreed by the Ministry of Health. Minister of Health Enrique Ruiz Escudero said this would be a huge step forward “to continue the massive test strategy in our region.” Ministers have taken inspiration from Slovakia, who rolled out mass testing and have managed to contain the virus as a result. Before starting the test, a training course will be provided

Training course provided. to pharmacists. The Deputy Minister of Public Health, Antonio Zapatero, trusts that some 600 pharmacies can collaborate, which would mean being able to carry out “many tests.”

HOOKAH SMOKING FLOUTERS MALAGA Local Police cleared a cocktail bar of 14 customers who were caught drinking alcoholic beverages and smoking hookahs after the 6pm curfew. Two members of staff were also removed from the premises and the person in charge of the establishment was charged with breaching regulations regarding current closing hours and allowing the shared use of hookah pipes. The events took place at around 7pm, when the police requested entry to the premises, the doors of which were closed, and requested ID from everyone inside. Minutes later, they were charged with non-compliance of anti-coronavirus measures applicable in Andalucia, such as no more than six people at a table, not wearing masks, sharing the hookah pipes, which had apparently been prepared in the toilets, and opening after the 6pm curfew. After police cleared the cocktail bar of the customers and staff, the bar was closed and a report was filed with the competent authorities.

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32,000 THEME JOBS GONE THE worrying trend, for all things entertainment to suffer first in the pandemic, continues as Walt Disney has announced 32,000 job losses from its theme parks. This follows on from a previous announcement that substantial amounts of jobs may have to go due to falling attendances and forced closures due to the pandemic.

‘Big Ben’ activist ‘EXTINCTION REBELLION’ activist Benjamin Atkinson, 44, scaled Big Ben’s tower and unfurled banners calling for ac­ tion on the climate emergency during a protest on October 18, 2019. He had been taking part in the demonstration outside the Palace of Westminster before he climbed over the fences and climbed the scaffolding of the Queen Elizabeth Tower. The tree surgeon from Ambleside, Cumbria, was up on the scaffolding for three hours while specialist police units from the protest removal team negotiated how to get him down. He had planned to do a live radio broadcast from the top of the tower, while wearing fancy dress, to “highlight gov­ ernment inaction on the climate and ecological emergency.” On coming down from the tower, Atkinson was arrested and then later charged with trespass on a protected site contrary to section 128 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005. He was convicted on Wednesday, November 25, and sen­ tenced to 250 hours of unpaid work and handed fines of £865 (€970).

The layoffs will take place in the early part of 2021 Disney announced, and this follows losses of nearly $680 million (€569 million). Theme parks formed the bulk of that loss - however, its online subscription streaming service made further progress by achieving a 16 per cent increase in revenue.

NEWS

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Student nurse grateful for kind gestures AFTER her situation went viral due to her flatmates’ lack of solidarity, Covid-19 positive student nurse Elena Cañizares has taken to social networks again to say VIDEO CALLS: Elena has spoken how grateful she is out several times. for the outpour of kind gestures she has experienced since. Elena’s flatmates found out that she had tested positive with Covid-19 and reacted in the worst way possible. They told her to go home to her parents, who are elderly and at risk, to selfquarantine, because she was ‘their responsibility.’ She has since appeared on national TV several times on video calls and spoken of how her situation is progressing. She has removed the thread from Twitter in the hope of putting an end to her flatmates’ bullying and to avoid legal problems. In just a few hours, her Tweet had been retweeted 50,000 times. Several brands offered her gifts, including home-delivered food, or to pay her rent for a year, although she preferred to give the money and gifts to charity. Neighbours have also called her to ask if she needs anything, and her landlord has been very understanding, she says. Obviously she can’t continue to live with her current flatmates and will be leaving once her quarantine is up in December.

War Dead To Be Martyrs I T was announced by the Vatican, on Tuesday, November 24, that Pope Francis, following a meeting with Cardinal-designate Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, has declared that 127 men and women from the Archdiocese of Cordoba, executed during the Spanish Civil War which lasted from

1936 to 1939, have been recognised by the Catholic Church, and they should be declared martyrs, and will now be beatified. The founder of the schools of Ave Maria, in Granada, Spanish Fr Andres Manjon, born in 1846, and died in 1923, was also recognised by Pope Francis, for his heroic virtues.

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First Golden Eagle Spotted prey is indeed a LOCALS are optimistic for the re­ golden eagle, turn of the species after the and said, “When first Golden Eagle was spot­ golden eagles are ted in the skies of Albox in young, the first year Almeria. they have very character­ The sighting has istic plumage. Looking at been confirmed them from below they as a young eagle, have two white wing that leaves locals opti­ spots that are mistic that the very notice­ species has re­ GOLDEN EAGLE: Is a able, and they turned. There has al­ protected species. also have a so been an adult small white stripe on the tail.” golden eagle spotted in the same The Golden Eagle is a protect­ area. ed species and sightings have Elena Jiménez, a graduate in been reported to the authorities Environmental Sciences tells us to help ensure the birds’ safety. how to confirm that the bird of

Costa Blanca millionaire

A NEW overnight millionaire was declared in Murcia as one winner on Tuesday, November 24’s Euromillions was drawn. Overall, Spain had a successful lotto week with lucky winners of the second category based in Sagunto in Valencia and Alfaro in Valencia scooping an impressive €176,840.50 each. The winning ticket for the million euros was purchased in Águilas in Murcia and carries the code: GSB80134.

NEWS

Fine exchange THE number of offenders who swap fines for cleaning the streets in Madrid has skyrocket­ ed by 66.8 per cent since Sep­ tember 2019. According to the city council, the profile of the offender who typically opts for community type work as opposed to paying a fine is male, aged between 18 and 29, of Madrid origin and studying at university. And the highest number of fines exchanged for cleaning in this programme are the result of urinating on public roads, an of­ fence classified as ‘serious’ which carries a fine of €751. The city council wants to pro­ mote these exchanges to “achieve greater awareness of citizens about the importance of keeping the capital clean. “The Substitute Environmental Provision (PAS) programme man­ aged by the Environment and Mobility Area has progressively more followers,” said its manag­ er, Borja Carabante. He added: “Participation has increased by 66.8 per cent since September 2019.”

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EUROPEAN PRESS

EUROPEAN NIBS DENMARK

GERMANY

Little Mermaid

Scalped

ALTHOUGH sculptor Edvard Eriksen has been dead for 61 years, his Little Mermaid in Copenhagen is protected by copyright until 2030 and his heirs have won damages of Kr285,000 (€38,300) against newspaper Berlingske which used a zombified image on its front page.

AFTER six years of discussion and the involvement of the US State Department, the Karl May museum, dedicated to the German writer of westerns has agreed to repatriate to America a scalp which may have been taken from a member of the Chippewa tribe.

NETHERLANDS Uber frustrated THE ‘mini cab’ company Uber has been told by the Dutch jobs’ agency UWV that it may not sack 10 workers at its Amsterdam Head Office who refused to apply for redundancy when it wanted to lose 200 workers since it had acted improperly.

BELGIUM New blinds A MAN from Diepenbeek who claimed he was taking a shot of the moon has been given a 12-month suspended sentence, ordered to pay €1,500 and purchase new blinds and curtains for his neighbour after he was convicted of photographing her in the nude.

FRANCE Eco-Museum BRITISH sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor who specialises in under water installations has produced six giant heads which have been sunk to the bottom of the sea off the coast of Cannes to create what is described as Europe’s first ‘eco-museum.’

NORWAY Electric VAT FOLLOWING years of promoting the purchase of electric cars, Norway’s politicians are considering returning to a 25 per cent tax on all electric cars which cost more than Nk600,000 (€56,700) which would hurt brands like Mercedes and Tesla.

Your Belgian estate agent at the coast!

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NEWS

Eurostar needs support THE cross­Channel rail operator has appealed to the UK govern­ ment for more financial support as it has been forced to slash its timetables since travel restric­ tions have drastically reduced their customers. Before the pandemic Eurostar ran more than 50 services a day; it is currently operating only one train between London and Paris, and one between London and Amsterdam. Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union general secretary Mick Cash said: “RMT is calling on the government to

Financial support needed. step in immediately to give life­ line financial support for the im­ portant international infrastruc­ ture role fulfilled by Eurostar and the thousands of jobs supported

both directly and indirectly by the service.” Eurostar has criticised the gov­ ernment for treating the rail op­ eration unfairly, after it an­ nounced on Tuesday, November 24 that up to £8 million of busi­ ness liabilities at each major Eng­ lish airport will be covered. In a statement Eurostar said: “The new scheme of rates relief for airports puts Eurostar at a di­ rect disadvantage against its air­ line competitors. We would ask this scheme to be extended to in­ clude international rail services.”

Paramedics on e-bikes TWELVE London Ambulance Service para­ medics are taking part in a new London trial which sees medics deliver care in the com­ munity on electric bikes. The six month Merton pilot aims to take pressure off GPs by providing home care to patients for a range of ailments, including those who have been diagnosed with coronavirus. Khadir Meer, chief operating officer at LAS, said: “Winter is an extremely busy time for our health service and with the ex­ ceptional year we have had, we hope this

pilot will help relieve pressure on GP surg­ eries and ensure ambulances go where they are most needed. “Nobody wants to go to hospital unless they have to and with finite resources, our highly­skilled clinicians are well placed to assess whether patients need care at home or if hospital treatment is required.” Merton Health says another benefit to this pilot is that medics can spend more than the average GP time of 10 minutes with patients.

Damm Grimbergen Attenborough quits Instagram Partnership DAMM is set to distribute Grimbergen beer in Spain, Andorra and Gibraltar which sees an ex­ tension to the agreement signed with the Carlsberg Group in July, when it began to distribute Carlsberg beer in mainland Spain. In a statement from Damm on Thursday, November 26, Spain’s leading beer and beverages company will also distribute Carlsberg in the Canary Islands, Andorra and Gibraltar from January 2021. The new contract also expands the geo­ graphical scope of the initial agreement that grants Damm the distribution rights to the Carlsberg brand. Grimbergen beers will be available through retail sales and in the hospitality industry in all these geographical areas and Damm will also be responsible for the sales and marketing of Grimbergen, including communication, consumer activations, and direct promotion at the point of sale.

SIR DAVID ATTENBOROUGH has shut down his record­breaking Instagram account, after only joining the social media platform in Sep­ tember. The 94­year­old broadcaster, who joined the platform to spread his message about climate change, broke a record previ­ ously held by Jennifer Aniston­ he managed to attract one million followers in just four hours. In Sir David’s last post, he said: “And that’s it. I’ve passed on the things I wanted to share. There are others on social media who can pick up the threads from here. We have brought ourselves onto the brink of disaster the likes of which we have never seen before. I’ve wit­ nessed it with my own eyes.” In the clip, he ex­ plained that “saving our planet is now a com­ munications challenge. “I am making this move and exploring this new way of communication to me because, as we all know, the world is in trouble,” he said.

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THE EURO WEEKLY NEWS is urg­ ing its readers to support local businesses in the community by going local through the lock­ down and for your Christmas shopping this year, instead of feeding online giants and super­ stores. This lockdown and festive peri­ od we challenge you to rediscov­ er your local high streets, mar­ kets, butchers, greengrocers and all of the wonderfully quirky inde­ pendent businesses in your area. Due to the Covid­19 pandem­ ic, you may have to support many local businesses by order­ ing online and making use of any click and collect services they can operate if you are unable to get out due to health reasons or lock­ down restrictions. The joy of shopping local means that independent busi­ nesses can help support the local community. Although it may be a euro or two cheaper elsewhere or online, consider where your money is actually going. By shopping at an independent store you’re putting food on a local family’s table, and there is no better time than Christmas to give back to your community by making a small gesture and shopping in this way. Many local stores support lo­

www.euroweeklynews.com

FEATURE

GO LOCAL BUY LOCAL: By shopping locally, independent businesses can help support the local community.

cal charities, support and sponsor local sports teams and in many cases the small independent stores are actually much more than just a small high street shop, they’re a family’s legacy, often passed down through numerous generations and support not just the current owner, but the gen­ eration before. For those stores which are new, that extra couple of euros spent there are supporting some­ one’s dream and ambition, and also the courage it took them to step out alone, which is no easy task. It takes quite a large chunk of money to set up an indepen­ dent store and compete with the multi­national and chains. So be sure to pre­order your turkey from a local butcher and get your spuds from a local greengrocer, let us revive that community spirit and get to know our neighbours again.

You could also consider pur­ chasing gift vouchers from local businesses to help them over the coming weeks, thinking outside the box can often lead to some fantastic ideas. Why not buy a meal for two, an hour’s tattoo time at a local studio, a hair cut at a local salon or an online study course for someone looking to change their career path. As people are struggling with finances thinking about what friends and family may actually need is important too. Whilst it’s nice to give a glamourous gift perhaps pre­paying a family member’s phone bill for the month would actually be a better gift. Helping people alleviate stress and worry, give the gift of peace of mind through these dif­ ficult times. Choosing to spend your mon­ ey locally will really make a differ­ ence in the recovery of the local

FEATURE

economy. When we buy lo­ cal, our money stays local, and it strengthens the local economy in two ways. First, buy­ ing local keeps money circulating within the local economy. Stud­ ies have shown that local busi­ nesses recirculate a greater share of every euro as they cre­ ate locally owned supply chains and invest in their employees. Data shows that local retailers return 52 per cent of their rev­ enue back into the local econo­ my, compared to just 14 per cent for national chain retailers. Money circulating through the local economy benefits everyone who is a part of each transaction. For example, let’s look at a local farmer growing produce. First, they sell to a local restau­ rant, which in turn prepares the fresh produce and sells it to local customers. The farmer pays its local employees and the restau­ rant uses revenue from sales to buy supplies from a neighbour­ hood hardware store. This exam­ ple illustrates how the recircula­ tion of money in the local economy leads to a stronger fi­ nancial foundation for our neigh­ bours and communities.

3 - 9 December 2020

SPENDING LOCALLY: Will make a difference to the local economy.

Buying local also fuels new employment and job opportu­ nities for people within our community. Studies show, lo­ cally owned businesses employ more people per unit of sales and retain more employees over time. While buying local is financially compelling to our communities; the benefits to our environment are equally impressive. Buying lo­

cally reduces the processing of goods, packaging and transporta­ tion waste, which leads to less pollution. There’s a massive cultural shift underway redefining the way people make buying decisions. We’re seeing more individuals concerned about the environ­ ment, about how products are made and sourced, where mate­ rials come from, and a compa­

ny’s overall social and environ­ mental impact. Many businesses are joining our Go Local campaign by offer­ ing customers special offers and discounts throughout the festive period, more details to follow here soon. Just remember to follow the latest government advice and any guidance businesses have to keep everyone safe.

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FINANCE Christmas present AS there will be a temporary relaxation of UK Covid-19 rules to allow families to get together Marks & Spencer has announced that it will close on Boxing Day, normally one of the busiest shopping days of the year, so staff can enjoy two days off.

Madrid benefits THE exodus from Catalonia to Madrid continues, despite the fear of Covid-19 with some 433 companies relocating so far this year as they consider that their long-term financial health will be better in a centre with lower taxes and no calls for Independence.

Saturday delivery TO remain a sustainable business, Royal Mail has been advised by its regulator that if it cut out Saturday postal deliveries it would still be able to fulfil its obligations to consumers and save up to £225 million (€247 million) per year.

Finance round ONLINE Spanish employment agency Jobandtalent which concentrates on recruiting temporary workers, is looking to raise up to €60 million through a round of financing and if this is successful will be the largest startup funding raised this year.

OHL construction AS Spanish construction company OHL sees its losses increase to €114 million due to the impact of the pandemic, major shareholders, the Mexican Amodio brothers have allowed a share option to lapse. They currently own 16 per cent of the company (with Luis Amodio holding the post of President) and had an option to purchase a further 9 per cent from Grupo Villar Mir but as the current share price is lower than the option price, they have let it lapse.

STAT OF WEEK

€9.95 billion

is the amount of contributory Social Security benefits paid in Spain in November, an increase of 2.26 per cent over November 2019.

Fisheries funds

Bank Merger Called Off ON November 16, BBVA and Sabadell announced, after several months of speculation, that they were entering into talks with the intention of agreeing to a merger which would have creat­ ed the second strongest bank in Spain. Now, just two weeks later, both banks have ad­ vised the National Securi­ ties Market Commission (CNMV) that due to a number of serious stick­

ing points, they were un­ able to agree a basic un­ derstanding with regards to value of shares and therefore the proposed merger has been called off. Whilst organisations such as the European Central Bank and the Bank of Spain have made it clear that the current fi­ nancial situation calls for the strengthening of banks’ finances by merg­ er, this will not be the

LEGALLY SPEAKING

case for these two. BBVA is by far the stronger of the two banks and having recently sold its subsidiary in the USA for a reported €9.7 bil­ lion, it was clear that the merger, would really be a takeover in all but name. Sabadell saw its share price rocket as the merger talks were confirmed, but they reversed immediate­ ly upon the announce­ ment of the break down of talks and it seems

more than likely that they will now try to divest themselves of overseas assets such as TSB Bank, which has not generated significant profits for them. With a large amount of money in BBVA and a wish to increase its share of established business rather than relying heavi­ ly on emerging business, it seems likely that it will be sizing up other Spanish banking merger options.

Recycling bikes

Can he be empadronado?

Credit: Pink Albatross

BUSINESS EXTRA

www.euroweeklynews.com • 3 - 9 December 2020

26

I live in a caravan parked at the bottom of a friend’s land. I look after the land and do not pay rent. I make my living as a gardener. I would like to be empadronado in my town, but they tell me I must have a proper fixed address in order to register. I have heard that in some places they are registering even homeless persons who live on the street. What can I do?

SPAIN is one of the major beneficiaries of the current European Maritime and Fish­ eries Fund (which expires at the end of this year) and was allocated €1.089 billion out of a total budget of €6.4 bil­ lion. According to Bird Life Inter­ national, the purpose of the fund is to assist in creating en­ vironmental, economic and social sustainability in fish­ eries, but the organisation has serious doubts about the ef­ fectiveness of the spending of some of the money. Figures are only available to the end of 2018 but show that €55 million was spent on subsidies considered harmful to the marine environment and just €5.8 million was spent on artisanal (tradition­ al) fishing whilst €315 million went to industrial fishing.

New UK watchdog

C F (Costa del Sol) Yes, you are enti­ tled to be em­ YOU AND THE LAW padronado, that IN SPAIN is, registered as a resident of your municipality. You can start the process by going to Social Services in your municipal­ ity. Your legal justification is the Resolución del 16 de Marzo de 2015 de la Presidencia del Instituto Na­ cional de Estadistica. You want Article 3.3 which sets out instructions to the various town halls. These in­ structions make it clear that a caravan can be accept­ ed as a valid residence if there is ‘reasonable expec­ tation’ that official notifications can be delivered there. You start with Servicios Sociales only because they help with many problems like yours, including even the homeless.

DAVID SEARL

Send your questions for David Searl through lawyers Ubeda-Retana and Associates in Fuengirola at Ask@lawtaxspain.com, or call 952 667 090.

FOR the first time in three years it appears that a Spanish Budget will be approved after the minority government obtained support from both Basque and Catalan leaders in Parliament. On this occasion, Ciudadanos decided that it could not support the budget and it only won a sin­ gle concession, but the combined opposition of centre and right­

GOOD CONDITION: A brand-new recycled bicycle. A DUTCH company formed in 2011 has come up with a re­ cycling idea which is really what it says, as the owners re­ alised that in Holland tens of thousands of bicycles are thrown away every year and the majority of them have very usable parts. The Amsterdam­based Roetz Fair Factory not only us­ es up to 30 per cent of all of the discarded bikes it collects but also has a policy of em­ ploying those who have fallen on difficult times and need to get back into the job market. In the case of the OV­fiets bike rental fleet, Roetz say

that they can reclaim up to 70 per cent of the bicycles passed to it and they even of­ fer to customise bikes to satis­ fy individual customer re­ quirements or needs. In almost every case, the frame of discarded bicycles is in perfectly good condition, requiring mainly repainting and whilst Holland is admit­ tedly a huge market for com­ muter bicycles, when one considers the number of rac­ ing bikers there are in Spain, this appears to be a market that could be exploited and would be good for the envi­ ronment.

THE British government has decided to launch the Digital Markets Unit (DMU) as part of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in order to create and oversee a new code of practice for digital platforms. This new watchdog which will go live in April of next year intends to keep a close eye on Facebook and Google in order to ensure that smaller compa­ nies and consumers are not adversely affected by these and similar giant tech corpora­ tions. There will also be an at­ tempt to support the news in­ dustry by reviewing the rela­ tionship between publishers and platforms.

Spain’s 2021 budget wing parties including the Partido Polular and Vox have insufficient seats to vote it down. It is known that Podemos in particular are sympathetic to Cat­ alonia’s call for independence, al­

though they do not give it out­ right support, but no doubt acting President of Catalonia, Pere Aragonès, who has thrown his weight behind the decision, ex­ pects to receive some conces­

sions in the long term. Now, Spain must wait to see money distributed by the Euro­ pean Union recovery fund, which is a vital component in the 2021 budget funding.

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C LOSING P RICES N OVEMBER 30

PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY 3I Group 1.087,50 1.088,50 Admiral Group 2.878,0 2.886,0 Anglo American 2.288,5 2.288,5 Antofagasta 1.258,50 1.258,50 Ashtead Group 3.199,0 3.212,0 Associated British Foods 2.144,0 2.165,0 AstraZeneca 7.905,0 7.944,0 Auto Trader Group Plc 561,45 562,00 Avast 502,00 503,50 Aveva 3.363,0 3.397,0 Aviva 326,50 327,67 B&M European Value Retail SA480,26 481,10 BAE Systems 510,40 513,00 Barclays 137,78 140,04 Barratt Developments 637,60 637,62 Berkeley 4.680,0 4.680,0 BHP Group 1.728,20 1.735,20 BP 256,40 258,88 British American Tobacco 2.656,2 2.675,5 British Land Company 470,80 475,60 BT Group 119,20 121,50 Bunzl 2.380,0 2.391,0 Burberry Group 1.757,5 1.759,0 Carnival 1.385,6 1.418,0 Centrica 45,15 45,58 Coca Cola HBC AG 2.186,0 2.192,0 Compass 1.389,00 1.417,50 CRH 3.042,0 3.069,0 Croda Intl 6.046,0 6.072,0 DCC 5.714,0 5.756,0 Diageo 2.921,0 2.943,5 DS Smith 340,60 342,12 EasyJet 800,66 828,83 Experian 2.707,0 2.720,0 Ferguson 8.364,0 8.400,0 Flutter Entertainment 13.565,0 13.745,0 Fresnillo 1.059,50 1.100,00 GlaxoSmithKline 1.391,00 1.396,65 Glencore 216,00 217,05 Halma 2.248,0 2.253,0 Hargreaves Lansdown 1.452,00 1.460,00 Hikma Pharma 2.663,00 2.670,00 HSBC 397,10 402,65 IAG 158,21 162,31 Imperial Brands 1.397,00 1.411,50 Informa 541,80 543,40 InterContinental 4.711,0 4.755,0 Intermediate Capital 1.663,00 1.679,00 Intertek 5.644,0 5.670,0 ITV 94,92 95,94 J Sainsbury 216,80 217,60

% CHG. 1.076,00 2.828,0 2.231,0 1.238,50 3.132,0 2.103,0 7.750,0 544,20 491,20 3.342,0 319,70 473,70 503,00 136,90 619,17 4.623,0 1.718,20 252,50 2.647,7 462,90 118,20 2.308,0 1.706,0 1.357,0 44,88 2.160,0 1.385,50 3.012,0 5.906,0 5.654,0 2.905,0 335,80 799,40 2.578,0 8.264,0 13.275,0 1.047,08 1.381,60 212,65 2.204,0 1.418,00 2.613,03 395,80 157,80 1.394,00 535,00 4.704,0 1.642,00 5.482,0 94,14 215,30

NET VOL 85,81K 42,05K 402,92K 184,63K 79,85K 20,86K 508,00K 29,76K 204,73K 136,17K 503,93K 106,61K 694,65K 5,11M 85,38K 27,16K 540,47K 2,57M 46,35K 296,64K 5,56M 53,55K 153,70K 221,15K 2,16M 33,59K 340,71K 123,67K 41,23K 14,87K 760,96K 162,48K 629,38K 589,74K 35,34K 145,67K 128,11K 183,55K 1,19M 137,69K 122,57K 5,65K 4,83M 4,11M 265,86K 315,42K 91,17K 55,16K 17,98K 259,48K 1,01M

COMPANY

PRICE(P)

Johnson Matthey 2.273,0 JSC MMC Norilsk Nickel ADR 28,54 JSC VTB Bank DRC 0,955 Land Securities 669,40 Legal & General 255,90 Lloyds Banking 37,38 London Stock Exchange 8.060,0 Meggitt 398,60 Melrose Industries 158,90 Mondi 1.692,50 National Grid 871,00 NatWest Group 162,35 Next 6.626,0 Ocado 2.252,60 Persimmon 2.711,0 Phoenix 770,00 Prudential 1.213,53 Reckitt Benckiser 6.639,4 Relx 1.776,50 Rentokil 503,60 Rightmove 638,80 Rio Tinto PLC 4.916,0 Rolls-Royce Holdings 109,15 Rosneft 5,93 Royal Dutch Shell A 1.317,40 Royal Dutch Shell A 1.317,0 Royal Dutch Shell B 1.279,3 RSA Insurance 675,20 Sage 606,20 Samsung Electronics DRC 1.519,00 Sberbank 13,35 Schroders 3.217,0 Scottish Mortgage 1.113,96 Segro 918,80 Severn Trent 2.413,0 Smith & Nephew 1.463,50 Smiths Group 1.481,00 Spirax-Sarco Engineering 11.240,0 SSE 1.375,29 St. James’s Place 1.025,00 Standard Chartered 459,80 Standard Life Aberdeen 275,90 Taylor Wimpey 159,95 Tesco 227,40 Tui 511,00 Unilever 4.653,0 United Utilities 907,40 Vodafone Group PLC 124,92 Whitbread 3.127,0 WPP 748,00

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

NET VOL

2.288,0 28,67 0,961 675,90 257,20 37,98 8.120,0 402,80 161,10 1.700,64 883,00 163,30 6.646,0 2.270,00 2.717,0 794,20 1.220,50 6.650,0 1.784,00 505,00 640,40 4.920,5 110,30 5,99 1.326,31 1.330,6 1.290,8 677,60 613,20 1.519,00 13,51 3.238,0 1.117,00 923,20 2.419,0 1.473,00 1.492,50 11.260,0 1.385,70 1.030,50 464,30 276,70 160,05 228,90 527,60 4.666,0 913,20 125,05 3.169,0 750,80

2.229,0 28,40 0,955 661,30 252,15 36,79 7.932,0 391,40 156,65 1.667,00 870,20 159,50 6.468,0 2.195,00 2.657,0 769,00 1.192,00 6.508,0 1.727,00 488,40 623,80 4.880,0 106,05 5,93 1.301,61 1.301,6 1.262,9 674,60 602,80 1.513,00 13,34 3.194,0 1.095,00 899,40 2.375,0 1.449,50 1.457,50 10.830,0 1.372,39 1.010,60 455,30 269,50 155,85 226,62 510,40 4.522,0 896,40 123,65 3.120,0 738,00

45,44K 218,49K 44,49K 138,74K 477,87K 22,99M 14,46K 292,36K 1,03M 21,02K 1,71M 1,76M 30,96K 38,38K 112,84K 672,26K 54,29K 120,78K 316,26K 401,99K 268,80K 251,06K 4,18M 150,60K 78,59K 1,04M 275,92K 682,99K 78,72K 2,20K 451,82K 84,32K 674,23K 490,84K 92,79K 200,13K 135,88K 16,38K 39,07K 60,49K 685,12K 122,95K 2,70M 445,25K 716,80K 1,79M 178,61K 1,23M 65,11K 213,33K

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US dollar (USD) ......................................1.19848 Japan yen (JPY)......................................124.705 Switzerland franc (CHF) .........................1.08201 Denmark kroner (DKK) ...........................7.44161 Norway kroner (NOK) .............................10.5648

currenciesdirect.com/mojacar • Tel: +34 950 478 914 THE ABOVE TABLE USES THE CURRENT INTERBANK EXCHANGE RATES, WHICH AREN’T REPRESENTATIVE OF THE RATE WE OFFER

DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES N OVEMBER 30

COMPANY 3M Alphabet C Amazon.com Amgen Apple Boeing Caterpillar Chevron Cisco Coca-Cola Facebook Goldman Sachs Home Depot Honeywell IBM Intel J&J JPMorgan McDonald’s Merck&Co Microsoft Nike Procter&Gamble Salesforce.com Tesla UnitedHealth Verizon Visa A Walmart Walt Disney

PRICE 176,89 1.793,19 3.195,34 224,81 116,59 216,50 175,08 91,31 42,70 52,70 277,81 235,40 275,99 209,41 124,35 47,45 144,00 121,22 218,33 79,86 215,23 134,25 138,61 247,63 585,76 337,94 60,58 211,00 151,60 147,13

CHANGE 179,63 1.804,00 3.216,19 226,21 117,49 219,93 175,92 92,59 42,98 53,19 279,13 237,30 276,58 209,42 125,31 48,10 144,66 122,35 220,40 80,68 216,27 136,13 138,89 251,84 598,78 338,90 60,74 212,03 152,72 150,35

CHANGE% VOLUME(M) 175,57 1,27M 1.772,44 884,92K 3.190,05 2,39M 221,39 1,70M 116,22 46,69M 216,04 9,97M 173,88 976,86K 90,54 4,63M 42,64 10,77M 52,61 8,50M 274,82 7,81M 233,79 1,05M 274,36 1,63M 207,60 1,43M 123,91 2,09M 47,36 15,92M 143,22 3,06M 121,08 5,98M 217,66 1,39M 79,56 5,39M 214,04 14,51M 133,34 3,51M 137,53 4,25M 247,03 7,40M 578,45 37,56M 331,84 1,56M 60,41 5,76M 208,81 3,51M 151,10 3,67M 146,53 5,31M M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES N OVEMBER 30

COMPANY

CHANGE NET / %

VOLUME

+2.23% +6.29% +22.50% +1.30% +1.23% +8.23% +7.09% +3.80% +10.85% +16.35% +6.07%

286,797 7.28M 11.78M 739,507 884,916 346,648 467,992 136,566 4.51M 43.44M 79,115

-0.54% -1.76% -1.32% -8.62% -1.58% -22.25% -22.32% -1.36% -9.42% -2.55% -3.08%

117,204 12,415 569,393 3.42M 13,875 10,193 5.93M 70,803 5.48M 5,475 305,974

Most Advanced MercadoLibre Inc. Zoom Video Communications Inc. Novavax Inc. Alphabet Inc. Cl A Alphabet Inc. Cl C BeiGene Ltd. ADR Monolithic Power Systems Inc. MarketAxess Holdings Inc. Appian Corp. Cl A Moderna Inc. arGEN-X SE ADR

Most Declined Booking Holdings Inc. First Citizens Bancshares Inc. Cl A Charter Communications Inc. Cl A Sage Therapeutics Inc. Amerco Newborn Acquisition Corp. Un Newborn Acquisition Corp. Bio-Techne Corp. Corsair Gaming Inc. Omega Flex Inc. Cardlytics Inc.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

Fading Brexit optimism limits the pound

SUBDUED START: But the GBP/EUR exchange rate has steadily recovered ground.

ASK THE EXPERT Peter Loveday

Contact me at euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com

STAYING on top of the latest currency news can help you time your transfers more effec­ tively, so find out what you should be look­ ing out for over the next few weeks… Latest currency news After a subdued start to November, the GBP/EUR exchange rate has steadily recov­ ered ground, climbing from lows of €1.10 to highs of €1.12. Meanwhile, EUR/GBP fluctuated from highs of £0.90 to lows of £0.88. GBP/USD also edged higher this month, rising from $1.28 to a high of $1.33. What’s been happening? The euro suffered a setback this month af­ ter France and Germany re­entered strict lockdowns to curb the spread of Covid­19 in­ fections. Moreover, fears for the Eurozone’s econ­ omy, which looks increasingly likely to plum­ met into recession in the fourth quarter, have dampened demand for the single cur­ rency. Adding further pressure to the euro was the EU’s Covid­19 budget being vetoed by Poland and Hungary, throwing the bloc’s economic situation into a heightened state of uncertainty. The release of the Eurozone’s latest flash PMI manufacturing and service sector data for November also weighed on the euro as worse­than­expected figures confirmed business activity is contracting in the bloc. Meanwhile, the pound benefited from news that AstraZeneca announced a Covid­ 19 vaccine with up to 90 per cent efficacy, of which the UK government has pre­ordered

up to 100 million doses. This news, combined with news of a pos­ sible rollout of coronavirus vaccines in the next few months, boosted GBP exchange rates. Nevertheless, Brexit uncertainty has con­ tinued to clip some of the Pound’s gains due to a lack of news over positive progress on key obstacles, while Bank of England gover­ nor Andrew Bailey suggested that a no­deal Brexit could prove more severe for the UK economy than the coronavirus pandemic. What do you need to look out for? Looking to the weeks ahead, EUR in­ vestors will continue to monitor the Euro­ zone’s economic developments as countries emerge from national lockdowns. Upcoming manufacturing and unemploy­ ment data from Germany for November will likely drive EUR movement as any significant downturns in the Eurozone’s largest econo­ my would indicate worrying fourth quarter growth in the Eurozone. Meanwhile, GBP traders will continue to monitor Brexit developments between the UK and the EU as the end of the transition phase rapidly approaches. As a result, we could see Sterling suffer if there are any further signs that the UK could be leaving the EU without a trade agree­ ment at the end of the year. However, any further news of a possible Covid­19 vaccine rollout across Britain in De­ cember would prove GBP­positive. At Currencies Direct we’re here to talk currency whenever you need us, so get in touch if you want to know more about the latest news or how it could impact your cur­ rency transfers. Since 1996 we’ve helped more than 325,000 customers with their currency transfers, just pop into your local Currencies Direct branch or give us a call to find out more.

Visit us at our Spanish offices in Costa del Sol, Costa Almeria, North Costa Blanca and South Costa Blanca. Telephone UK +44 (0) 207 847 9400 SPAIN +34 950 478 914 Email euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com • www.currenciesdirect.com.

3 - 9 December 2020

EWN 29

30 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

3 - 9 December 2020

Playground Gender

stereotypes

THE Department of Education, Culture and Sports has published the ‘Guide to coeducational playgrounds’ to help schools and institutes to transform their recreation areas into co-educational spaces that promote equal and inclusive relationships. Minister Vicent Marzà explained that “schoolyards are the main spaces for socialisation for our students and, therefore, we are collectively rethinking them to break gender stereotypes and create inclusive spaces. We already have

very good experiences that have come true and we must continue on this path so that it becomes generalised.” As well as the guide, or ‘Guia de patis coeducatius,’ the Department is also working on promoting innovative projects that promote equality and reduce stereotypes in schools: “Proof of this is the aid to innovation projects related to coeducational playgrounds, with an investment of close to €370,000, and that 139 schools and institutes are already developing,” Minister Marzà has detailed.

Madrid Hospital Shortage THE new Isabel Zendal emergency hospital in Madrid, due to open on December 1, did not receive enough requests for voluntary transfer from existing staff, so the Ministry of Health has said ‘forced displacements’ of existing staff will have to be made if the hospital is to open its doors. The Ministry invited health personnel to apply for a voluntary move to the 699 positions in the new hospital, but on the closing date for applications on Monday, November 23, only 111 out of Madrid’s 70,000 health workers had applied. For this reason, the Madrid government has indicated that the General Directorate of Human Resources and Labour Relations will fill the vacancies by deploying staff from 11,324 existing contracts which are due for renewal. Regional President, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, announced on Wednesday, November 25 that these contracts will now be extended until June 30, 2021.

FEATURE

What about positive praise? LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT DON’T you think it’s time we cut Boris and Co a little slack? This present Conservative cabinet was originally selected with one overriding purpose ­ to steer the UK through the UK’s biggest economic and historical transition since 1973, ie Brexit. Instead, in what amounted to hardly more than the blink of an eye, it was faced with the country’s greatest crisis since the Second World War. The goalposts were not only moved, but positively transported! Well, I for one think that in the light of a truly unprecedented situation ­ which is still changing virtually by the day ­ they have so far managed to achieve an effectively competent result. In a fairly successful effort to prop up the population, including those in business, they have injected billions into the economy, while at the same time managing to reduce infection levels to controllable proportions. They have made mistakes, but frankly

the sheer weight of daily problems and the responsibilities they have had to contend with simply defies the imagination. Across the full gamut these ongoing assessments must be a positive nightmare. Many senior members appear daily on national TV and radio, endeavouring to openly and very publicly explain the reasons for decisions they have made. They are constantly in the unenviable and impossible position of trying to please ‘all of the people, all of the time.’ And what do they get for it? Well certainly no praise from the left wing media that’s for sure. It is actually almost intelligence insulting to see the likes of the BBC and its cronies, desperately trying to gain the political kudos they clearly hope may one day rescue their beloved Labour party. When Sky’s awful Kay Burley was interviewing Rishi Sunak, who I happen to believe has been one of the most eloquent and capable members of all, she asked him how, in the light of his intention to reduce our ludicrous overseas aid budget, he slept at night knowing that thousands of children would

starve because of his decision! I was delighted to see the way he dealt with her derisory suggestion, reducing her to the final sarcastic comment she always mumbles when she has lost an intelligent argument. All their interviewees are carefully chosen, predominantly to echo their own sentiments and agenda. For every rare guest who considers the government is coping with the situation, they will deliver a dozen ‘experts’ who don’t. And as if all this isn’t enough, through it all this beleaguered government is also trying to negotiate the almost immeasurable problems of Brexit! Well all I can say is thank the Lord it is Boris and his Cabinet that are at the helm. For all their faults, the idea that it could have been Jeremy Corbyn and the likes of Diana Abbott trying to sort it all out is nothing short of horrific. So what about a little positive praise and encouragement? Remember, strong leadership is never popular; it isn’t that kind of contest. Keep the faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com expatradioscotland Mon. Wed. Fri.

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

Renting in Spain? CONSULAR MATTERS AS a lawyer and Danish Consul, I have seen a massive increase in clients ask­ ing about renting here in Spain. Everyone will of course be aware that the transition period comes to an end on December 31, 2020 for the Brits. Realistically there is not much time to purchase a property before the end of the year, especially with UK citizens having to quarantine in the UK for 14 days when they return to the United Kingdom from Spain. There are also those people who simply do not want to invest in the Spanish property mar­ ket and prefer the freedom of renting. There is a school of thought that the property prices will go down next year, but who knows. This means that people who have

decided not to buy in Spain are turn­ ing to renting as an option to show that they are living in Spain and are therefore able to make an application for residency or residencia as it is called in Spain. There are of course a number of reputable agents who can help you find a place. There are also numerous private advertisements on sites. Sadly, there are a few scams that are out there, and you must take care. The most popular are fraudsters rent­ ing a property on somewhere and tak­ ing deposits and rent in advance be­ fore disappearing. There are even criminal gangs breaking into proper­ ties and doing the same thing. Make sure that you see an indepen­ dent lawyer in order to guard against these scams and to make sure that the contract is legal and negotiated in your favour. For example, you may need a notice clause that allows you

to leave early, as you may be looking for a property to buy in the not too distant future. There are three different property rentals contracts in Spain. The first is where you rent a house for a holiday like on Airbnb, Booking.com or others. The second is where you take a rental contract for up to six months, this may because you are working or studying away from home. The third is long term rentals for 12 months or more, these are contracts where it is your main place of resi­ dence. If you follow the terms of the agreement, then you can extend the term to five years even if the landlord does not agree. This of course is not legal advice and again as always seek independent ad­ vice from a registered lawyer before signing or paying any monies. You can obtain a list of lawyers from the Con­ sulates.

Marisa Moreno Castillo, Senior Lawyer at Just Law Solicitors and Consul for Denmark.

Website: www.justawsolicitors.com email: info@justlaw.es

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FEATURE

It’s all a load of buzzcocks! MIKE SENKER IN MY OPINION Views of a Grumpy Old Man I HAVE had enough of all the politicians and TV experts telling everybody they have to do this and that during this pandemic. What should happen is they stop getting paid. Get nothing, the same as millions are having to do. I listen to Piers Morgan et al giving expert advice whilst being paid mil­ lions and Piers flogging his book every five seconds. Things would soon change if they all stopped getting paid. They come up with only stuff the type of person that does not live in the real world could do. Take the Christmas thing. One of my mates has three daughters. They all have two kids so, according to the rules, only two daughters’ families can go round for lunch. How do you decide who’s not com­ ing? Can you imagine ‘phoning up one of your kids and saying we’ve had a chat and decided as you’re our least favourite kid and so as not to break the rules you can’t come round. It’s nonsense and totally un­policeable. I have another friend who has nine people living in his house and his brother has sev­ en plus another kid who lives on his own

but they can all get together. It’s a ridicu­ lous situation. If that wasn’t bad enough they are even saying you can’t play games like Monopoly, Ludo and other board games. If anyone is interested I’ve gone on to the deep web and found a couple of un­ derground clubs that are allowing people to play Twister! It’s all a load of buzzcocks! My mother­in­law is 94 and has told my daughter she can’t go and visit her over Christmas because her two sons are com­ ing over. If you do visit you’re told don’t hug, put your hand over your heart in­ stead. Then there’s the hospitality industry in absolute chaos. Can’t drink without a sub­ stantial meal when nobody has any idea what that consists of. You have to leave when you have finished your meal so peo­ ple will just take longer to finish. The point is it doesn’t matter what the government say, people will just find a way round it. So I have my Jehovah Witness advent calendar up ­ you just don’t open any of the doors. Plus I’ve heard all the expert spokespeople saying, “It’s the same for everyone. We’re all in the same boat.” What they forget to mention is that boat is the f***ing Titanic! Email: mikesenker@gmail.com

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FEATURE

Advertising Feature

UK bank closures how we can help IN September thousands of expats living in Europe were told that their UK bank accounts or credit cards would be closed by the end of the year as a result of Brexit, with Lloyds, Halifax and Barclaycard among the banks planning to close accounts. Other big name banks have also refused to rule out account closures for expats. The reason for the potential ac­ count closures is the likely impact of Brexit on ‘passporting’ arrange­ ments. Passporting refers to UK banks providing services to customers based in other states of the Euro­ pean Economic Area (EEA) without direct authorisation. As it stands, passporting rules as we know them will end on Decem­ ber 31, 2020 unless a new agree­ ment with the EU is reached. This means that UK banks will need to have separate authorisation in every EEA country they want to operate in, resulting in some banks deciding to close their accounts in some countries. It has been estimated that around 13,000 accounts will be closed by Lloyds, Halifax and the Bank of Scot­ land, but many more accounts could be affected in time. The situation can vary depending on where you live in Europe, but it is understandably unsettling with many expats now scrambling for an alternative means of managing their finances. In light of this, we wanted to outline some of the ways we at Currencies Direct can help you manage your international fi­ nances.

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cluding the 2020 MoneyAge Money Transfer Provider of the Year award. Currency wallets With our wallet facility you can buy currency and hold it in a digital currency wallet until you need it. You can have multiple wallets in multiple currencies, and you also have the option to move money be­

tween wallets. Making a payment from your wal­ let and topping up your wallet can be done in minutes. There’s no limit as to how much you can store in a currency wallet or how long you can hold it for. Ad­ ditionally, any funds held in your wallet will be protected outside the FSCS scheme.

Regular overseas payments If you need to move money abroad on a regular basis (transfer­ ring a pension, for example) we can automate these payments for you. With our service you’ll always re­ ceive a great exchange rate and you won’t be charged transfer fees, mak­ ing your money go further. Depending on your circumstances some additional documentation and information may be required. 24/7 transfers Our online service gives you the ability to send and receive interna­ tional payments 24/7. Simply create an account with us and you’ll be able to check live rates, check our bank details, make payments and set rate alerts. We even offer a handy app so you can manage your international pay­ ments on the go in a couple of taps. Larger transfers A number of our customers have mentioned needing to move their savings abroad ahead of their UK ac­ counts being closed. If you need to make a larger transfer you can move your savings into your wallet and our expert team will help you pick the best time to convert your money. You can also utilise handy services like lim­ it orders, where you set the rate you want to achieve and your transfer oc­ curs automatically as soon as the market moves to that level. Refer a friend If the closure of UK bank accounts is likely to impact someone you know you can also refer them to us and benefit from our refer a friend offer. With our offer you’ll receive a £50 Amazon voucher every time some­ one you refer registers with us and transfers over £5,000 (or equivalent).

At Currencies Direct we’re here to talk currency whenever you need us, so get in touch if you want to know more about the latest news or how it could impact your currency transfers. Since 1996 we’ve helped more than 325,000 customers save time and money with excellent exchange rates, no fees and expert support. With 20+ global branches, including 17 across Spain and Portugal, we’re never far away when you need us. Give us a call to find out more. *The information provided was correct as of 30/10/2020 but could be subject to change. ** Currencies Direct’s bank providers do not monitor the funds they place on safeguarding accounts or how they operate these accounts. It is Currencies Direct’s responsibility to segregate funds.

37

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YOUR STARS FOR NEXT 7 DAYS ARIES (March 21 - April 20) There is a strong urge to be up and doing something to further your artistic needs. Be sure that you know what is important. Keep it simple and aim straight for it. There may be other options to be explored, but do not go off at a tangent. To do so would see you have many fingers in many pies but making little real progress. Trust your instincts.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) Although you are feeling more confident in many ways, there is also a secret insecurity. There is a strange emotional atmosphere this week, which perplexes you. An unusual feeling that you need to change your surroundings cannot be put down to a seasonal ‘nesting’ instinct.

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) Waiting for just the right time to do and say things this week can produce miracles. Spontaneity may be your watchword but forward planning is where real progress is at the moment. It’s not a week to expect cooperation from others.

CANCER (June 22 - July 23) If you are James Bond, I see no surprises in the week ahead. If you are not, then I certainly do. Something quite shocking crosses your path, so be cautious in your approach to new situations. Keep your eyes and ears open and be prepared to seek advice.

LEO (July 24 - August 23) At last it is clear that the future holds something quite exciting. Looking back during the past few years there has been a build-up to this moment. Treading a new path is half the story. There is much to be discovered both outside and inside your sphere.

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) Your heart is saying ‘Let’s get out and have some fun.’ Your head is saying ‘Okay, but let’s leave it until later.’ Which is right? Well, one thing is for sure, emphasis on finances is restraining. You are, however, building on something strong for the future.

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) What others see as our way ahead is not always the path which we want to tread. It would be easy to be cosy and not take a chance. Is that what you really want? Outside influences are heavy and pressing at times.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) Be sure not to put up with tedious comments. Someone is trying to rile you. Who are they to think this way? It is foolish and impossible to please this person. Avoid them and move on to something out of their sphere. A few days away clears your head and gives a more balanced picture.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) Who wants you to go where and who wants you to do what? Each day seems to be spoken for before it arrives. Spending your life like this means running out of credit on your health. Do not neglect your well-being for the wishes of others.

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) There are plenty of people who will tell you that what you seek does not exist. They will also tell you that what you feel is unsustainable. This is, however, no time to compromise your dreams or emotional needs. Taking a bright view and a chance now seems unusual to those round you.

AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) The last time that you sat down and thought about your finances it was confusing. Things are a lot simpler now. Keep emotions and the needs of others out of the equation. Balance is what this week is all about. Get the percentages right now and it is plain sailing for the immediate future.

PISCES (February 20 - March 20) Something comes to your attention that makes you feel both anger and injustice. As you are urged to speak out and put your cards on the table, you hesitate. Be sure to have the true facts of the matter because this gives you real confidence.

TIME OUT

HEXAGRAM The purpose of the Hexagram puzzle is to place the 19 six-letter words into the 19 cells. The letters at the edges of interlocking cells MUST BE THE SAME. The letters in the words must be written CLOCKWISE. The word in cell 10 (GARDEN) and one letter in four other cells are given as clues.

ADVENT CLOUDY CORRAL DIGEST DIPOLE EMERGE ENERGY FILTER GARDEN (10) GENIAL ILLUME INLAND INTENT PUPPET RELIEF REPEAL TEEING UMPIRE UPTAKE

LOTTERY UK NATIONAL LOTTERY Sat 28 November

9-27-35 45-46-57

BONUS BALL

32

IRISH LOTTO Sat 28 November

5-6-16 18-45-47

BONUS BALL

41

EURO MILLIONS Tue 24 November

BONUS BALL

8

25-33-38 42-50

12

Fri 27 November

BONUS BALL

2-05-08 14-16

8 9

EL MILLON: HGG28522 LA PRIMITIVA Thurs 26 November

BONUS BALL

17-22-26 29-31-44

20 9

JOKER: 2287293 Sat 28 November

BONUS BALL

2-04-13 21-25-28

32

JOKER: 7671945

9

TIME OUT

38

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CODE BREAKER

ENGLISH-SPANISH

The clues are mixed, some clues are in Spanish and some are in English.

Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 1 represents Z and 15 represents B, so fill in Z every time the figure 1 appears and B every time the figure 15 appears. Now, using your knowledge of the English language, work out which letters should go in the missing squares. As you discover the letters, fill in other squares with the same number in the main grid and the control grid.

Across 1 Lavado (7) 5 Cisnes (aves) (5) 8 Cuero (piel) (7) 9 Oferta (5) 10 To ring (telephone) (5) 11 Enamel (7) 12 Abades (6) 14 Treinta (6) 17 Briefcase (7) 19 Deporte (5) 22 Meeting (5) 23 Sentence (linguistics) (7) 24 Mirar fijamente (5) 25 Renacuajo (7)

Down 1 El país de Gales (5) 2 España (5) 3 Heredar (7) 4 Jardín (6) 5 Tormenta (5) 6 Pin (sewing) (7) 7 Cirugía (7) 12 Clams (7) 13 Scales (instrument) (7) 15 Marido (7) 16 A pie (2,4) 18 Suit (for man) (5) 20 Rust (5) 21 Tenso (5)

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION • LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION • LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION QUICK Across: 1 Basis, 4 Poker, 7 Renovates, 8 Seek, 9 Snooty, 12 Dither, 13 Open, 16 Albatross, 18 Argue, 19 Sadly. Down: 1 Bogus, 2 Serpent, 3 Song, 4 Paving, 5/17 Kit bag, 6 Risky, 10 Opposed, 11 Beetle, 12 Drama, 14 Navvy, 15 Boss.

BOGGLED

FUTOSHIKI

Across: 1 Reloj, 3 Muebles, 6 Pumpkin, 8 Grace, 10 Rocks, 11 Sisters, 14 Anoche, 15 Cartel, 17 Scandal, 20 Perro, 21 Dress, 22 Believe, 23 Riqueza, 24 Scots. Down: 1 Ropería, 2 Jokes, 3 Menos, 4 Edges, 5 Stews, 7 Microwave, 9 Afeitarse, 12 Inch, 13 Yema, 16 Lioness, 17 Sudor, 18 Desde, 19 Libra, 20 Pills.

amen ament tame tamp tent temp teen teem enema neem pate paten patent mate mete meet meow meows moms moos mown mows gent gene genet goof goos gown befog feta fete feet feign feint foment foemen omen tiny twig twin twos twosome elms moment moon moony women womb woof woos wino winos winy wont nowt nows coomb coombe cooee coign coigne coin comb combe come cows coos clef smog some sown socle soon swig swoon scow sonic

CODE BREAKER

NONAGRAM ahem ghat hair hang hare harm hart hate hear heat heir hint hire math meth nigh

CRYPTIC

Across: 1 Encased, 5 Tasks, 8 Stern, 9 Montana, 10 Repulse, 11 Cited, 12 Manse, 14 Offer, 19 Roses, 21 Abridge, 23 Car wash, 24 Moron, 25 Shame, 26 San Remo. Down: 1 Ensure, 2 Cheap, 3 Singles, 4 Damsel, 5 Tunic, 6 Startle, 7 Shandy, 13 Austria, 15 Fireman, 16 Erects, 17 Gashes, 18 Lean-to, 20 Stake, 22 Dirge.

ENGLISH-SPANISH

rhea tanh than them then thin earth eight garth girth harem hater heart hinge might mirth neath neigh night right thane thegn their therm thine thing anthem anther aright gather hanger haring hating hegira hermit hernia hetman hitman menhir rehang hairnet harming hearing heating hematin megahit earthing NIGHTMARE

HEXAGRAM

WORD LADDER

1 SCHEME 2 TOWHEE 3 ODIOUS 4 TROPHY 5 CURATE 6 RADIAL 7 FERRET 8 RAMROD 9 FLORIN 10 FAMOUS 11 ERRATA 12 RABIES 13 COARSE 14 BEATEN 15 STRUCK 16 EXCUSE 17 NEATER 18 UNLIKE 19 RESIDE

MUST MAST MALT MALE SALE SAVE or

KAKURO

SUDOKU

MUST RUST RUSE RASE RAVE SAVE

39

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Almería TODAY VELEZ RUBIO ALBOX

HUERCAL OVERA GARRUCHA

WEATHER

MOJACAR ALMERIA RETAMAR ROQUETAS

ADRA

TOMORROW VELEZ RUBIO ALBOX

HUERCAL OVERA GARRUCHA MOJACAR

ALMERIA RETAMAR ROQUETAS

ADRA

SATURDAY VELEZ RUBIO ALBOX

HUERCAL OVERA GARRUCHA MOJACAR

ALMERIA RETAMAR ADRA

S: Sun

C: Cloudy

Th: Thunder

ROQUETAS

Cl: Clear

Sh: Showers

Sn: Snow

Malaga TODAY: MAX 18 MIN 8 Fri 17 10 Sat 15 10 Sun 14 9 Mon 17 8 Tues - 16 9 Wed 15 9

Alicante TODAY: MAX 19, MIN 12 Fri 16 10 Sat 17 13 Sun 16 12 Mon 16 11 Tues - 19 11 Wed 19 12

Almeria TODAY: MAX 19, MIN 7 Fri 19 9 Sat 15 8 Sun 14 10 Mon 15 11 Tues - 16 12 Wed 17 11

Benidorm TODAY: MAX 19, MIN 11 Fri 19 12 Sat 18 11 Sun 17 12 Mon 19 12 Tues - 17 11 Wed 17 159 Mallorca TODAY: MAX 17, MIN 11 Fri 19 13 Sat 17 12 Sun 17 11 Mon 18 11 Tues 17 12 Wed 19 11

Bilbao TODAY: MAX 19, MIN 10 Fri 17 9 Sat 16 11 Sun 14 11 Mon 15 10 Tues 16 13 Wed 15 15 Madrid TODAY: MAX 17, MIN 13 Fri 16 15 Sat 15 12 Sun 14 12 Mon 16 13 Tues 17 14 Wed 17 16

TIME OUT

FUTOSHIKI Fill in the squares so that each digit from 1 to 6 occurs exactly once in each row and column. Greater-than and less-than signs indicate the relationship of the two adjacent squares. There is only one solution, and you can find it without guessing.

BOGGLED How many English words can you find in the Boggled grid, according to the following rules? • The letters must be adjoining in a ‘chain’. They can be adjacent horizontally, vertically or diagonally. • Words must contain at least four letters and may include singular and plural or other derived forms. • No letter may be used more than once within a single word, unless it appears twice. • No vulgarities or proper nouns are permitted.

Barcelona TODAY: MAX 19, MIN 11 Fri 17 11 Sat 16 12 Sun 15 11 Mon 16 11 Tues 18 9 Wed 19 10

Euro Weekly News strives for accuracy, but cannot be held responsible for any errors in published forecasts

TARGET:

SCORING:

• Average: 17 • Good: 23 • Very good: 33 • Excellent: 43

4 letters: 1 point 5 letters: 2 points 6 letters: 3 points 7 letters: 5 points 8 or more letters: 11 points

KAKURO Fill all the empty squares using the numbers 1 to 9, so that the sum of each horizontal block equals the ‘clue’ on its left, and the sum of each vertical block equals the clue on its top. No number may be used in the same block more than once.

CRYPTIC Across 1 Small charts for the horses (7) 5 Row about head of ginger cat (5) 8 Part of book showing group of clergymen (7) 9 Quiet law-breaking garment? (5) 10 Argument at badger's den gains nothing (3-2) 11 Cousin is upset about hard pillow (7) 12 Broken ribs on birds (6) 14 Electricians leave car aboard ship (6) 17 Give insincere praise that's less sparkling (7) 19 Tatty rag on musical instrument (5) 22 Clip of quiet organ (5) 23 Many getting slimmer, and smarter (7) 24 Start looking after the machine (5) 25 Loose rocks by church make an unpleasant sound (7) Down 1 They are used for holding coal fires (5) 2 Sailor a foot nearer the stern (5) 3 Disappointment of a flat tyre? (3,4) 4 Collided with stop-start vehicle (6) 5 The trials and tribulations of international games (5) 6 Craftsman less inclined to work after midnight (7) 7 Gives in to the French about rents (7) 12 Rejection of damaged seal fur (7) 13 Showing two undergarments is most valiant (7) 15 Landing includes solitary colonist (7) 16 Ruins the king, it's said (6) 18 Rich cake a part of breakfast or tea (5) 20 Spiritual benefactor that is after information (5) 21 Direction given in Babylon or Thebes (5)

TIME OUT

40

www.euroweeklynews.com • 3 - 9 December 2020

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SUDOKU

QUICK

Fill the grid so that every row, every column and every 3X3 box contains the digits 1-9. There’s no maths involved. You solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic.

Across 1 Not busy (9) 6 Before the appointed time (5) 7 Thoughts (5) 9/14 Informant's warning (3,3) 10 Suitcases (7) 11 Childhood disease (7) 14 See 9 16 Necessities (5) 17 Rub or scrape out (5) 18 Unknowns (9)

Down 1 Watchful (5) 2 Powered flying vehicle (9) 3 Faithful (5) 4 Take along (5) 5 Squander (5) 8 Turn from liquid into vapour (9) 11 Repairs (5) 12 Unsuccessful participant (5) 13 Back of a boat (5) 15 Gives food to (5)

WORD LADDER Move from the start word (DINE) to the end word (HALL) in the same number of steps as there are rungs on the Word Ladder. You must only change one letter at a time.

DINE

SPANISH LESSON BACK HALL

Christmas Time Christmas presents – Regalos de Navidad

NONAGRAM

Christmas tree – Arbol de Navidad Baubles – Bolas de decoración Tree lights – Luces de arbol de navidad

RACHEL AND FRIENDS

Wrapping paper – Papel para envolver

How many English words of four letters or more can you make from the nine letters in our Nonagram puzzle? Each letter may be used only once (unless the letter appears twice). Each word MUST CONTAIN THE CENTRE LETTER (in this case R) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.

Sellotape - Fixo Ribbon - Lazo Scissors – Tijeras Poinsetta plant – Flor de Pascua Father Christmas – Papa Noel

TARGET:

Sleigh – Trineo Reindeer - Reno

audreyquinton99@gmail.com

• Average: 10 • Good: 14 • Very good: 20 • Excellent: 26

HEALTH & BEAUTY

3 - 9 December 2020

42 to read more visit

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Brain changes

RESEARCHERS in Barcelona have identified brain changes 20 years before Alzheimer’s di­ agnosis. Scientists at the Hospital

Sant Pau studied 300 people, and, using new magnetic reso­ nance imaging techniques, de­ tected brain alterations in healthy patients two decades

before the the disease was di­ agnosed. The new magnetic reso­ nance technique ­ developed at the hospital ­ allows them to measure the movement of wa­ ter in the brain and to estimate at what point in their lives the participants would develop the first clinical symptoms of the disease. The researchers claim the data “proves there are changes in the cerebral cortex about 20 years before the first alterations in memory ap­ pear.” This “allows us to un­ derstand better the disease, studying the trajectory of these alterations long before the clinical symptoms appear.” According to neurologist Juan Fortea, main researcher of the project, “the new data obtained will have a great im­ plication when designing fu­ ture studies to understand un­ expected findings of clinical trials with antiamyloid thera­ pies.”

PETS

44

SPONSORED BY

www.euroweeklynews.com • 3 - 9 December 2020

Care for pets in the holidays and beyond!

HOWEVER much we’ve all en­ joyed extended time at home, we all fancy a change. Some peo­ ple are already looking to later in 2021 for a holiday and booking house­sitters to take care of pets and home while they are away. Others are planning a trip over the winter holidays. Have you made your plans yet? We’d like to encourage you to plan ahead for house­sitters if you have trips planned over the holi­ days to see family and friends or just to get away. Now is the time to get ready. We will help you as much as we can. Our philosophy is that we are all in this together. These are the steps one client has taken so far:

While you’re away over the holidays, they will need company.

1. Registered as a homeown­ er on HouseSitMatch.com 2. She chose a Premium ac­ count (£89 per year) to ensure she could get help online when need­ ed 3. Created a profile with pho­ tos of Daisy and the house, inc fea­ tures of the property (ie swim­ ming pool) 4. Posted a house­sit advert stating the plans for a holiday in the winter, subject to Covid per­ mitted travel Do you need a pet­sitter in 2021? Then get started right now. How does it work? HouseSitMatch can help you find suitable sitters. Join our net­ work for a small annual fee. You

get ID checked for safety and then build your advert saying when you are going on holiday. House­sitters see your advert, they respond and you choose whom you’d like to care for your pets. Trustpilot Testimonials ­ 4.8 / 5 Excellent rating (New Trustpilot rating scale) Here’s what members have said about us ­ HouseSitMatch found us a per­ fect house­sitter… HouseSitMatch found us a per­ fect house­sitter while we were away in Canada and we were de­ lighted with the care and atten­ tion that HouseSitMatch took in helping us find the right person. Ros Morris ­ Dog owner How do you join? Please register online via our website www.Housesit match.com ­ Choose a membership plan ­ Please note prices go up soon so sign up now on subscrip­ tion to secure these prices: • Standard (DIY option) = £69 pa • Premium (with support at each step) = £89 pa

Aquarium answers I HAVE snails living in my sub­ strate ­ lots of them. They have a cone­like shell and sometimes if I watch closely I can actually see the substrate moving about. Are they going to cause any problems? Should I leave them or try (!?!) to eradicate them? It sounds as though you have a colony of thiarid snails, probably Melanoides tuberculata (aka Red­rim Melania, Malaysian burrow­ ing/ trumpet snail or simply MTS) or possibly Tarebia granifera (Quilted Melania). These are often referred to as aquarium pests since they can reproduce incredibly quickly when there is a con­ sistent excess of food. As you’ve seen they spend the majority of their time within the substrate but do emerge occasionally, particularly at night. They’re often said to be hermaphroditic, ie, possess­ ing both male and female sexual organs but in fact they reproduce by parthenogene­ sis; females produce embryos which develop unfertilised and give birth to live, fully­ formed young. Males do exist but in relatively small num­ bers compared with females. In reality these snails are beneficial in the majority of aquaria since they eat detri­ tus trapped within the sub­ strate and their movement helps prevent anaerobic spots developing, particularly use­ ful in planted set­ups. They will not harm live plants but do consume algae when they emerge at night, and if their numbers do increase quickly the usual cause is overfeeding of fishes and/or insufficient cleaning of the substrate. If you do wish to remove them please don’t use a com­ mercial product (most are harmful to shrimp and some fishes) or add a ‘snail­eating’ fish such as a Botiid loach species (most grow relatively large, exhibit complex social behavior meaning a group of six to eight or more is re­ quired and shouldn’t be re­ lied upon to eat snails) rather reduce feeding and remove them manually at night or us­ ing a ‘snail trap.’

CLASSIFIEDS AIR CONDITIONING

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

BUY & SELL BUY FUR Coats & Jackets, handbags, designer bags, oriental & Persian carpets, jewellery & watches. All kind of Silver, sliver plated 90/100/800. Cutlery, tin, amber, coral, coins, medals, porcelain. Radio, musical instruments. Military items until 1945, photos, medals etc. Fair price paid in CASH. Phone 688 335 497 (290436) BUY vinyl records, record players, CD’s & Radios. 688 335 497 (290436) PRIVATE collector will buy your Gold, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel – 678 716 693 (288662)

CHURCHES LOCAL ANGLICAN (C of E) Church Services Mojacar, Sundays at 11am Llanos Del Peral, Sundays at 11am Aljambra Chapel, 1st Thursday monthly at 11am Priest in Charge, Rev. Vincent Oram 603 659 139. For directions, details and to

BUILDERS

find out more about our church activities please see our website http://www.almeria-an glican.com (10002) ROYAL BRITISH LEGION - Why not make this year the year you volunteer? Call and see how you can help either as a caseworker (with full training) or as a Telephone Buddy. We also visit beneficiaries who are housebound or in hospital. If you feel you could support us here in Spain, and you have a Spanish phone number then why not email us for more info tbuddyhhvisits@ gmail.com . If you or your partner served or are serving, and you feel you need help or support then contact us using the details on the card, we are here for the small things as well as the big, sometimes talking to someone is the first step to feeling more in control. It can be a personal need or some help with your home or information on what or who to speak to on a medical issue, we help with signposting if we cannot help directly, just call and have a chat with Pam who will try to guide you to where you need to be. If you would like to go to a branch meeting then find your nearest one at, www.britishlegion. org.uk/counties/spain-north ZURGENA Branch meeting on the first Thursday, Coffee Morning on the third Wednesday and Buffet & Quiz Night on the last Tuesday of the month all at The Heathers La Alfoquia, for further details please email zurgenarblsecretary@y ahoo.co.uk - (253989)

46

DAMP PROOFING RISING DAMP / ROOFING REPAIRS www.electroos.com info@electro-os.com 619 666 363 (287819)

DRAINAGE

3 - 9 December 2020 • www.euroweeklynews.com SPONSORED BY

INSURANCE AWARD-WINNING AGENT for ALL your insurance needs. LIBERTY SEGUROS ALBOX / MOJACAR INSURANCE, ALBOX OFFICE: 950 121 943. Mojacar office: 634 323 399 (10003) MOTOR INSURANCE. For the most competitive quotes in English call Linea Directa on 902 123 309, you could save as much as 30% and you can transfer your existing no claims bonus. Call Linea Directa on 902 123 309 for motor insurance with a human voice in English from Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and save money now! (200726) STAY SAFE! Abbeygate Insurance Call 971 277 455 For your security www.abbeygatein sure.com (2887610)

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

ESTATE AGENT VOSS HOMES are a professional, British family-run Estate Agents with an office in Huercal-Overa town. They specialise in selling and renting properties in the Huercal-Overa, La Alfoquia, Zurgena & Taberno area. Andy, Anna, Jess, Adele, Hannah, Amy & Karen look forward to helping you buy, sell or rent your ideal property. Please call 678 002 006 for more information (283824)

WANTED Gold, Silver, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel – 678 716 693 (288662)

ESTATE AGENT

NAUTICAL INTERNATIONAL SKIPPER LICENCE: Courses held in English and starts soon. RYA VHF and Radar Courses. 626 245 098 (290545)

PAINTER SITUATIONS VACANT

RECENT WIDOWER WLTM nice sporting lady about 70yrs old, looking for companionship, possibly a round of golf & dining out. Please write to me with your contact details to meet up for a coffee – Apartado Correos 344, Vera (290546)

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

PETS SOLAR ENERGY SOLAR WIND POWER SOLUTIONS. Over 20 years installation experience. Established 17 years in Spain. Call Phil for competitive prices on 636 261 240 or email info@sunergyalmeria.com

MOTORING

XXX RELAXATION THE FIVE BONE HOTEL, TURRE. We are still here and would love to discuss your future requirements. 630 234 556 / the5bonehotelturre@gmail. com (279669) www.euroweeklynews.com

PLUMBERS KNOWLES PLUMBING No 1 for all plumbing jobs big or small. Central heating, solar hot water and water deposits. Tel: 606 807 797 or 684 143 560

For daily news visit www.euroweeklynews.com

PLUMBING

REMOVALS/STORAGE

WE ARE currently the market leader in our country in the sale of direct car, motorbike, home and company fleet insurance. Since we started out in 1995, our philosophy has always been to offer an excellent service with the best prices in the market. For the most competitive quotes in English, call Linea Directa on 902 123 309. (200726)

MEETING POINT

FOR SALE/WANTED For daily news visit www.euroweeklynews.com

FOR SALE

PROPERTY MAINTENANCE

Please note that in Spain there is NO legislation banning adverts in this section. Neither regional nor national governments are able to pass such a law due to rules governing freedom of publication and printing. READERS OF A SENSITIVE DISPOSITION MAY FIND SOME OF THE ADVERTISEMENTS IN THIS SECTION OFFENSIVE.

XXX VARIOUS Male/Female viagra, cialis, kamagra jelly, mixed trial packs available, all areas mail order. 604 385 476. viagra4you19 @gmail.com

47

3 - 9 December 2020

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Packs a Punch THE flagship Volkswagen Golf has been re launched for the model’s eighth­generation, and the new Volkswagen Golf R real­ ly packs a 316bhp punch. The R, which now includes a special ‘drift mode,’ has earned a reputation as one of the best hot hatches on sale, thanks to a grippy all­wheel­drive system, impressive performance and af­ fordable finance deals. Volkswagen has given the R more power than before, with the 2.0­litre turbocharged petrol unit making it almost 20bhp than before and it can accelerate to 60mph (0­97km/h) in 4.5 sec­ onds and has a top speed of 155mph (249km/h). The Golf has also been given a sporty makeover, with an R­spe­

VW GOLF: Relaunched.

cific body kit, high­gloss black el­ ements, and an illuminated blue bar above the grille, whilst it also includes 18­inch alloy wheels, matt chrome mirror housings, blue brake calipers, and lowered ride height. Buyers can choose to have 19­ inch wheels with two different finishes or semi­slick track tyres. Inside the R, there’s a 10­inch infotainment system, digital in­ strument cluster, sports seats, leather steering wheel and car­ bon­look panels. The all­wheel­drive system is a new design that can distribute the torque between the axles to give the most grip and make the car more agile. Selectable drive modes change the way the sys­ tem works, with a new Drift mode that can put all power to the rear. As well

as dropping the ride height by 20mm, the suspension system has been updated to be stiffer than before, while the driving dynamics software has also been improved.

MOTORING